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April 2011 CD Reviews
Cathy Lemons & Johnny Ace "LemonAce" VizzTone 2010. These two veterans of West Coast music scene on have joined forces to produce an exciting worthy album. On one side hand reputed bass player and showman Johnny Ace and on the other side Texas blues singer Cathy Lemons. Both have done an original daring work, showing their good skills as song-writers, besides the presence of a handful professional able appealing musicians, including Tommy Castro, David Maxwell, Kid Andersen, Paul Oscher and Ron Thompson among others. The result is a dancing joyful album, with a mixture of psychedelic jump and blues that will delight listeners. A praiseworthy new blues vision by Johnny Ace and Cathy Lemons, which fills a gap in this music performing, blues that oozes an amazing actual personality and advantaged personality. It certainly would be a good idea to buy a copy.
The National Debonaires "Words Are Like Bullets" Blue Edge 2010. A magnificent splendid festive session of pure rhythm and blues and fifties jump, with a genuine vintage sound and bright, well-conceived arrangements that will shake the foundations of every building where it’s played, especially if people listens to it on a loud volume. The CD also includes some groove songs, Chicago slows and some funky ones, performed with cutting hurtful guitar, harmonica and keyboard solos, which will even come to break the gravity law. The National Debonaires have written their own songs with an unusual inspiration. The band members are Steve Gerard guitar, Dave 'Elmo' Bailey vocals, Patrick Recob, bass, Mike 'Shinetop Jr.' Sedovic keyboards and Dwight Ross Jr. drums. They have also some deluxe guest musicians, such as Mike Clark tenor sax, Preston Hubbard, double bass or Lee McBee, harmonica, among others. An old school album, performed with great commitment, honesty and good taste.
James Cotton "Giant" Alligator 2010. Undoubtedly James Cotton is one of the last living Chicago old school blowers legends. His life, his work or his influences are well known to all fans, so I will neither say anything about his history, nor about his colorful stories, which are countless ones. As you may know, his throat problems prevent him from singing but not blowing harp, and this is what he does in this album, to blow like this great master can do. Twelve excellent songs gathered in this new work, all performed with a terrific strength and great intensity. The musicians who back him exactly understand what is expected of them and all together produce a genuine passionate emphatic album. They are Slam Allen on guitar and vocals, Tom Holland guitar and also vocals in Muddy Waters classic "Sad Sad Day", Noel Neal bass, Kenny Neal Jr. drums, and of course Cotton‘s harmonica overcoming the songs with his amazing charismatic huge sound. A deluxe musicians to round up a bright CD.
Charles ’Big Daddy‘ Stallings "Blues Party". Tai Jeria Music 2009. This CD is a real hit. Big Daddy is an old school bluesman with the beat and wittiness of contemporary artists. Colorful, elegant but at the same time hard rough singer with an efficient effective displaying, our man has all what should be asked to a genuine Southern blues artist. Stallings oozes energy and feeling by every skin pore and it has been a surprise for me to find a musician like him, especially in these days where music is largely manufactured. Anyway, our man is not a newcomer, because if I'm not wrong, this is his third album already published. We should certainly consider him as one of the greatest strongholds that still keep the genuine blues essence. A great album where blues expands to catch listeners with every single note of the nineteen songs included. You will only find true powerful effective blues, performed by a singer and a bunch of musicians who give the best of themselves.
Snowy White Blues Project "In Our Time… Live" CBH 2010. During the forty long years of his musical career, singer and guitarist Snowy White has stepped on the most unimaginable scenes, traveling to countless countries as well, always offering his good juicy music and even sharing stage with such great bands like Thin Lizzy and Pink Floyd. His wide career is full of good and magical moments and this album is a perfect example of his good taste, technique and inspiration. An important part of his unique exquisite sound comes to the colorful nuances he takes out of his Gibson Les Paul Gold Top, that provides a priceless author’s sign to the music, which is nothing but the true Snowy White stamp. Fifteen songs conceived to be played 'live', that capture the real and personal scent of Snowy White. The Blues Project are the backing band and they immediately connects with the leader spirit, thanks to their excellent commitment of singer and guitar player Matt Taylor, who gives the perfect counterpoint and support, together with Ruud Weber Jr. bass and vocals and Roy Martin on drums and percussion. If you like seventies British blues and guitar players like Peter Green, then do not have the slightest doubt you will love this album.
Barbara Blue "Royal Blue& Big Blue 2010. From the center of good music in Memphis and, although there no longer exist such glorious recording studios like were Sun Records, there still are some hidden places where they keep and do marvelous recording treasures. One good example is this new late work of brave and always impressive singer Barbara Blue, who has recorded it in the excellent professional Royal Studios in Memphis, TN. The result is she has got a fabulous deluxe sound. A bright ambitious album, with the faultless production of Laurence 'Boo' Mitchell and Barbara herself who has also co-produced it. All songs include splendid musical arrangements of an instrumental beauty, based on perfect vitalistic horns, besides the exquisite background voices of Daunielle 'Pie' Hill and Jackie Johnson. Barbara mastery performs every one of the thirteen songs included in the CD, walking with a luxury satisfaction and self-confidence around different musical genres she perfectly knows, like soul, New Orleans rhythm and blues, ballads or southern funk. This is her eighth album Barbara has published and I dare say it is the best one so far.
Junior Wells & The Aces "Live In Boston 1966" Delmark 2010. This album is a bombshell to the ears, one of those aces that from time to time Delmark Records takes up the sleeve. An inspired bursting Junior Wells backed by the best Chicago blues band of any time, The Aces. The album was recorded 'live' in Boston in 1966 and it overflows swing, vitality, magic, intensity, color and lots of delightful charm. Junior feels inspired, but the backing work of Louis Myers on guitar, Dave Myers on bass and Fred Below on drums is brilliant, vibrant, superb and captivating. The selected repertoire is extremely good, with songs like Junior Parker‘s "Feelin' Good", "Worried Life Blues" from Big Maceo Merriwater, "Junior Whoop" from Junior Wells himself -an amazing seven minutes song-, "That's All Right" from Jimmy Rogers, "Look On Yonder's Wall" from Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup and the classic" Messin' With The Kid", among other precious gems. Blues from top to bottom, eternal blues, blues where you can breathe the most dense, original, passionate and real atmosphere like true life stories. Ten points for an album that deserves an outstanding place in any blues collection.
Chrissie O’Dell & One Hot Mess "If I Had A Dime". Dime Time Productions 2010. Gifted with an attractive sexy beauty. Chrissie O'Dell is an excellent 'shouter too, as she has a strong powerful hard voice, perfect to the repertoire she gives us, a mixture of blues, soul and southern rock, in the style we now call Americana. The CD musicians are Chrissie O'Dell herself on lead vocals, John Bendy on soloist and rhythm guitars, Brother Dave on soloist and second guitar, Gil Cruz on bass, Papa John Mole on drums, Jeremy Baum, organ in five of the ten tracks included and Chris O'Leary harmonica on three songs and backing vocals in two more together with Libby Cabello. Of the ten tracks included, nine are O'Dell own ones and the other one comes from Mel London. The band is perfectly teamed and brings, together with Chrissie, a respectful worthy work. Personally speaking I believe it deserves to be taken into consideration, so let me recommended it to all good music lovers, as a good present for your ears.
Canned Heat "Canned Heat Cook Book" Capitol Records 1969 / Fuel 2002. // Canned Heat "The Boogie House Tapes Vol.2" Ruf (2 cd‘s) 2004. // Canned Heat "Internal Combustion" River Road 1994. Fito de la Parra has sent us three albums for our enjoyment as we have always been doing throughout the years with the music of this mythical legendary rockin' boogie blues band which was a real revolution of original Afroamerican blues.
"Canned Heat Cook Book" presents eleven classic songs of their repertoire, such as "Goin‘ Up The Country", "Amphetamine Annie", "Time Was", "On The Road Again" or "Let's Work Together". It also includes the song "Bullfrog Blues" where you will find the first Canned Heat rooster and his first drummer Frank Cook.
"The Boogie House Tapes Vol.2" includes two more cds coming from private collectors, all recorded between 1969 and 1999, and various musicians who belonged to Canned Heat in different periods. Forty songs coming from rehearsals or live performances, and even including four tracks recorded on a tape from La Boite club in Barcelona, Spain, together with the original recordings made by Alan Wilson from the hospital he was admitted few weeks before his death. A double album any Canned Heat lover should have among his collection. Sound has been improved to a very acceptable level.
Finally, "Internal Combustion" is a curiosity more than one fan overlooked it when it was released. The band was celebrating his twenty-five years of musical career when the album was published. It gathers very good moments as, some of the songs included, have an intense climax and a unique original scent. Many expressive instrumental details show all musicians quality with Adolfo de la Parra on drums, bass players Larry Taylor and Ron Shumake, James Thornbury harmonica, guitar and vocals, Harvey Mandel, Henry Vestine and Junior Watson on guitar and Ronnie Barron on piano. An album that, like the previous one, deserves an outstanding place in your record collection.
Duke Robillard "Passport To The Blues" Dixiefrog 2010. Singer, guitar player and songwriter Duke Robillard comes back with the same expressive exciting power as ever and a warm, very colorful persuasive new work under his arm. The CD title "Passport To The Blues" says everything, as it is a musical journey through the wonderful world of blues, from down home to jump blues, all done with a single driving thread, the majestic elegant Duke‘s guitar that delights us in every song included. The prevailing atmosphere along the thirteen songs is really intense, warm and sometimes hypnotic. Once again, Robillard has included the valuable help of his good friend and fellow in those days with Roomful Of Blues, Doug James on tenor and baritone sax and harmonica. Bruce Bears is on acoustic and electric piano, organ and clavinet, Brad Hallen on electric and acoustic bass and Mark Teixeira on drums. An album that breathes a wrapping blues scent, played from the depths of heart and soul, with the great respect this music deserves.
Joe Louis Walker "On The Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise". Stony Plain / Dixiefrog 2010. Another impressive and tasteful CD is this new album coming from singer, guitarist and songwriter Joe Louis Walker, a true blues killer, both in traditional and contemporary styles. Walker's guitar, always full of good rich nuances, spills and surprises us with his incisive delicious riffs. This amazing album recorded live from the Rhythm & Blues Cruise in January 2010, gathers eleven generous well produced tracks, including all kind of solos, as the guest list of guitar players is long and juicy. More than seventy-three minutes of blues emerges from the hands of musicians like Johnny Winter, Tommy Castro, Duke Robillard, Tab Benoit, Todd Sharpville, Kirk Fletcher, Nick Moss, Paris Slim and Paul Nelson, as the guitarists playing with Joe Louis. You will also find keyboard players like Mike Finnigan and Mitch Woods, harmonica players Kenny Neal, Jason Ricci and Watermelon Slim, saxo players Keith Crosson and Deanna Bogart and finally Tom Poole on trumpet. An album to enjoy and listen again and again for an endless time.
Buddy Guy "Living Proof" Silvertone/Jive/BlindRaccoon 2010. Buddy Guy shows younger, lively, strong and powerful than ever. His new album "Living Proof" says everything. Aged seventy-five, Buddy looks like a man with only thirty or forty years. His guitar and his voice sound with unusual renewed vitality and smart energy along the twelve songs included, qualities largely envied by many new generation musicians. This is a Chicago blues album, which can be classified as a timeless one, which will target in the deepest center of your heart and soul. Buddy is on top form and plays blues and shuffles with amazing strength and courage. His big great heart, overflowing feeling and vocal and guitar talent, give him a unique way to play those genuine twelve bars all blues freaks like me deeply love. Once again Buddy gets the overwhelming respect and admiration with this song collection, where there have also collaborated monsters like Carlos Santana and BB King. Long life to Buddy Guy!
John Primer "Call Me John Primer" Wolf 2010. Blues... blues... blues… John Primer is one of the best artists of down-home Chicago blues, firmly rooted in fifties and sixties sound and style. John is a direct HEIR of the most classic wrapping style and forms of Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon original sound, he worked with before joining Magic Slim‘s Teardrops. Primer was born in Camden, Mississippi in 1945 and since he was a little child he heard in his grandmother‘s radio, artists like B. B. King, Jimmy Reed, Little Milton, Elmore James, Albert King and Muddy Waters. He received his first guitar lessons from his cousin Percy Flax when he was only eight years old. This valuable document includes fifteen songs, which cover the period from 1987 to 2009. Among the different bands which back him, there are Mojo Blues Band from Austria, Magic Slim & The Teardrops and The Real Deal Blues Band. Do not forget guitar players Tom Holland, Alabama Pettis Jr. or George Baze, harmonica players Billy Branch, Little McSimmons and Steve Bell, piano players Ken Barker and Detroit Junior, bass players Johnny B. Gayden, Nick Holt and Michael Morrison and drummers Jerry Porter, James Harrington, Earl Howell, Bert Robinson and Mark Diffender. An explosive Chicago blues bomb, that deserves a very special place in every record collection.