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December 2011 CD Reviews
Fred Sanders "Believe" I55 Productions 2011. Although his name will be rather unknown, Fred Sanders is an old school bluesman and a true outstanding name of Memphis blues scene, where he has been active for more than forty years, playing the blues in every corner of the city, as Fred has never been one not to perform blues. Mr. Sanders communicates a deep passion when he is on stage in front of a bunch of musicians. This amazing pride for playing blues has now been perfectly gathered in every single note of this outstanding album that says much good things about the music he does. Fred Sanders spreads joy and love with a natural musical talent in every one of the ten songs included in the album, thanks to his powerful energetic lyrics, perfectly backed by some very professional musicians who really know the spirit of the music we really love. This is one of the best reasons to get a copy of this CD entitled "Believe". Enjoy it, my friends!
Robert 'Nighthawk' Tooms "Spectator Shoes" I55 Productions 2011. Here comes another Beale Street scene veteran, Robert "Nighthawk" Tooms, who for more than thirty years has given his blues across the country, working either as a member of the Reba Russell Band, he has played with since 1991, or with his own band, The Wampus Cats. Robert Tooms is an excellent piano, keyboards, harmonica player and singer who gives his own special stamp to the music he plays. 'Nighthawk' Tooms spreads the blues to different audiences with his special way he has to perform blues, based on a restrained, cool and inviting phrasing, either on piano, the Hammond-Suzuki, and even the harmonica, an instrument he also seems to feel comfortable with. Eleven songs, seven Robert Tooms' own ones, round up a good delightful album, I hope will leave on you an excellent impression.
Victor Wainwright & The Wildroots "Lit Up!" WildRoots 2011. Here comes a musician who is now receiving great reviews by specialized media and of course I'm not going to question. This album clearly shows it and drives Victor Wainwright to the place he deserves. "Lit Up" is a real pleasure for the ears and shows Victor and his band are real blues masters, Memphis soul, rock 'n' roll, jump, New Orleans rhythm and blues and any other music style with Afro-American roots that faces them. This powerful well teamed band includes Victor on lead vocals and acoustic piano, Stephen Dees bass, Greg Gumpel guitars, Patricia Ann Dees tenor sax and vocals, Ray Guiser tenor sax and clarinet and Billy Dean drums. You will also find on these recordings some guest musicians such as Charlie DeChant tenor and baritone sax and clarinet, Mark Hodgson harmonica, Chris Stephenson Hammond B-3, Bob Dionne trombone and Ken Titmus trumpet. Fourteen impressive, cool, clean songs, with rich nuances inflections and cadences, and a clear sound together with some arrangements that show the elegance of a bunch of professional musicians who really know what they are doing and how to display it.
Grady Champion "Dreamin'" GSM Music Group / BlindRaccoon 2011. Strong, sensitive, volcanic, lush and totally expressive. Here are some of the adjectives that could describe the staging of this intense amazing singer and right harmonica player called Grady Champion. Grady explores on this new album different sides of the blues, performing a variety of provocative sensual songs on a simple, yet casual way, and I dare say, even uninhibited, although he also finds some moments for doing a sincere reflection about violence or racial problems, among other questions very present in our actual social environment. Ten Grady Champion own songs, some written in collaboration with Zac Harmon, except "Weight Of The World" ascribed to Kevin Bowe and Joe Stark. All tracks included are juicy and varied and move between different ways and styles, ranging from 'swamp blues', to Memphis soul ballads or emphatic sad groove like "Guilty As Changed" song.
Mingo & The Blues Intruders "Fun To Visit" Cambaya / Karonte 2010. A new work by one of the most legendary able harmonica players of Spanish blues scene. Mingo Balaguer's blowing skills have no limits and in this new album he stands as a real box of amazing overflowing surprises in terms of riffs, scales and classical phrasing, all full of a cool elegant taste. Mingo and his band sound delicious, with a fragrance that remains long in listeners' ears and minds. Nine classic songs coming from Walter Horton, Billy Boy Arnold, Junior Parker, Little Walter and Eddie C. Campbell among others. All band musicians perform these original songs with a respectful devotion, giving their own unique sound that, in the hands of legendary producer Mike Vernon, bring a new air and a very special style to the general band sound. No words to describe the electrifying association between Mingo Balaguer y Quique Bonal, which will not demerit the excellent work of the rhythm section with Fernando Torres on bass and Juan De La Oliva on drums, who sound teamed and magnificent. Also let me congratulate and wish them good luck, as the Spanish band which will represent us next year in the European Blues Contest organized by the European Blues Union.
Terry Hanck "Look Out!" Delta Groove 2011. Fans of fifties and sixties sounds are lucky with this new work of singer and sax player Terry Hanck, who gives us a delightful digestible album, with a delicious selection of thirteen songs based on fifties rock 'n' roll, New Orleans rhythm and blues, in the path of Fats Domino, Ray Charles, Lee Allen and King Curtis and also has a selection of soul, surf and blues tracks that could get the willies even to a quite bald person. A real colorful festival, a funny enjoyable walk with a right electrifying vision of the most dancing black music of those years of creative magic and splendor. Five of the thirteen CD tracks are Terry's own compositions, the rest are 'covers' he has updated with some interesting surprising arrangements. An album that must not be overlooked, because it brings you a collection of juicy priceless songs I'm sure will satisfy all your most fancy musical expectations. Brilliant!!.
Rod Piazza "Almighty Dollar" Delta Groove 2011. Jump, jive, West Coast blues, swing, rhythm and blues, Chicago blues.... Rod Piazza comes back with a work that follows his normal line, based on an energetic great dose of chromatic and diatonic harmonica, providing all songs with that particular vigorous distorted sound, that so perfectly makes him special and different from other actual blowers. Once again Piazza shows he is a serious innovative performer in many aspects but, overall, he becomes a true instigator in the process of giving continuity to the classic tradition of pure orthodox timeless blues. Besides Rod himself on harmonica and vocals, The All Mighty Flyers are Honey Piazza piano and organ, Henry Carvajal guitar and Dave Kida drums. He has also included some guest musicians like Johnny Dyer vocals, Rusty Zinn guitar, Norm Gonzales, Fender bass, Hank Van Sickle acoustic bass and Jonny Viau tenor sax. "Almighty Dollar" gives us back again the most restrained but at same time intense and emotional Rod Piazza we have listened to in recent times.
JP Soars "More Bees With Honey" Soars High Productions / Frank Roszak 2011. Born in California in 1969 and raised in Arkansas, JP Soars comes to fill a new place among future blues icons and, in my opinion, he will surely get it on a short time. JP Soars sings in a quite similar style to Howlin' Wolf, and as guitar player he might remind Nick Curran style, to compare him with a relevant actual musician. His music is stylistically and deeply influenced by artists like T-Bone Walker, Johnny Guitar Watson, Eddie Guitar Slim, Muddy Waters, Django Reinhardt and some others belonging to Stax Records factory. Our man knows what he is doing and he effectively does it, which becomes evident in a repertoire of thirteen well structured carefully done songs, so the final result is a great album in all aspects and shapes. JP Soars feels perfectly backed along the whole CD by a bunch of excellent high quality musicians, like Sax Gordon on tenor sax and Jason Ricci on harmonica, to only mention two well known names, but in fact, there are other outstanding musicians who complete a faultless team.
Ernest Lane "72 Miles From Memphis" Acoustic Music 2011. Ernest Lane is one of the last great blues veterans active in the Memphis area, who still works singing and playing piano in clubs and bars of that area. Aged 72, Ernest feels young and enthusiastic, with the spirit and energy of a young man of. Ernest has performed with such great musicians like Ike Turner, Canned Heat, and even with The Monkeys, to only mention three good examples. In this new work, our singer and piano player brings us with fourteen blues, which show his amazing unique 'groove' and his powerful natural talent. Ernest Lane knows how to communicate to the listener the real feeling every blues artist should have, paying homage with his music to the genuine essence of the blues community. Besides Ernest Lane himself on piano and vocals, you will also find Paul Smith on B-3 organ, Seth Blumberg on guitar, Armando Cepeda, bass, Bill Rayo on drums, Mack Johnson trumpet, Paulie Cerra and Leo Dombecki on tenor sax and Ryan Montana alto sax. A real blues album which shows the true charm of a musician who lives only to play blues.
Rory Block "Shake' Em On Down" Stony Plain / Karonte 2011. This is one of those albums where Canadian artist Rory Block brings us all her personal stamp, not only in the way she plays acoustic guitar, but also in with her genuine singing and performing rural and country blues. I can tell you that if you do not have any Rory's CD in your record collection, this is a good moment to get it and, for those of you who already know her musical career, this new release will not disappoint you. The whole album is a tribute to one of the great icons of southern blues, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Rory Block has always admired and has deeply influenced her music. Since the moment Rory began to play, she has always devoted herself to respectfully perpetuate and keep alive the legacy of the Delta blues and she has done it with an overflowing sincere passion. Half of the tunes included on the CD are Fred McDowell songs and the rest are Rory's own composition except "Good Morning Little School Girl" that was written by the great Sonny Boy Williamson.
Samantha Fish / Cassie Taylor / Dani Wilde "Girls With Guitars" Ruf / Karonte 2011. The album title almost tells us everything. "Girls With Guitars" is the recording debut of the tour called "Blues Caravan", German label Ruf Records has presented around Europe this year 2011. As in previous editions, the tour has got an amazing success in every place they have been booked. This time the bright stars are Samantha Fish rhythm guitar and vocals, multi-instrumentalist Cassie Taylor, bass and vocals and Dani Wilde lead guitar and vocals. The trio is backed by Jamie Little on drums and the special contribution of Mike Zito on guitar in a couple of tracks. This is an excellent piece of work with a highly satisfactory final result. Twelve songs performed with an unbelievable strength, intensity and overflowing energy, an energy that will caught you song after song, thanks to the powerful passionate and exquisite taste they bring in every song they play, either blues, Americana and rock-blues. A remarkable album full of magic and sensuality your will enjoy countless times.
Stevie Zee & Ñaco Goñi "Blues Reunion" Self Production 2011. The long experience, good taste, passion and love for blues, come together in this excellent work of two amazing musicians who have joined forces, British singer and guitarist Stevie Zee, a restrained reliable player and the incomparable, vital, fireproof self-taught harmonica player Ñaco Goñi. These two men, backed by Armando Marcé on drums and Javier Fernández 'El Sargento' on bass have produced a fine, very fine record, where the feeling and magic of blues glide around the whole CD, in each and every one of the eleven songs included. Stevie modulates his voice with great taste and charisma, adapting it to the different needs of the kind of blues performed in the CD. The guitar touch is brightly and preciously developed, played with a restrained concise way, in other words, without showing on or other extravagant details. As always Ñaco sounds restrained in the slow tunes and brilliant in the rest of songs, blowing strongly, with a tasteful strength, giving his own creativity that characterizes him. The album was recorded live, with no recordings, overdubs or gimmicks, letting their magic flow in every CD corner. You just have to hear it yourselves.
Mike Zito "Greyhound" Eclecto Groove 2011. "Greyhound" is the new project of singer, guitarist and songwriter Mike Zito, in collaboration with guitar player, singer, songwriter and a Grammy winner, Anders Osborne. Zito's music is a more than a fusion of grateful Texas blues and Americana, written and performed with delicious elegance. Mike cleverly explores with amazing skill and taste all these musical forms with a personal introspection, according to his own abilities and tastes, giving his print and a good dose of technique to each and every one of the eleven own CD songs. Mike Zito and Anders Osborne are backed by a splendid rhythm section with Carl Dufrene on bass and vocals and Brady Blade on drums and vocals. In short words, an expressive album, cool and full of charm that fills a gap on a different daring musical path. From these lines give our congratulations to Mike Zito for this tasty album and also to Eclectic Groove record label for betting on this new way of approaching music with roots, Mike Zito is an accomplished artist. Isn't it?
Scott Miller "Sing Songs Of Love And Porkchops" Waxmoth 2011. Singer, songwriter, guitar player, comedian artist and many other things, Scott T. Miller surprises us with an expressive funny record, full of nuances, besides doing a genuine true kind of blues. His special way of singing and tuning melodies reminds me Rob Rio, he has many similar vocal nuances with. Concerning his influences as a guitarist he finds his style in a variety of sources, ranging from Charlie Christian, BB King, John Lee Hooker, Frank Zappa and Lonnie Johnson, but musically speaking he also likes Charlie Parker and Benny Goodman jazz and rhythm and blues shouter singers like Wynonie Harris, Big Joe Turner, Eddie Vinson and Jimmy Rushing. In the album Scott T. Miller sings and plays all the instruments. This is a semi acoustic CD overflowing vitality, warmth and humor, but there are also love songs, and perfect stories to be sung sitting at the back porch of any Delta southern home. Fourteen original songs that perfectly reflect the special way of life of this musician, with a faultless different and peculiar sense of rhythm and swing.
Demetria Taylor "Bad Girl" Delmark 2011. Excellent debut of the bad girl of the Chicago blues scene, as young singer Demetria Taylor is well known around 'Windy City'. Undoubtedly this artist is the new revelation of the blues scene, perpetuating the tradition rather than trying to innovate it. Her intense rocky style reminds one of the great queen Koko Taylor, which undeniably she respects and admires, evident in her song approach, roaring and tearing her vocal chords with a heartbreaking rough passion. The album includes twelve Chicago classic blues like "All Your Love", "Big Boss Man," "Little Red Rooster" and "Wang Dang Doodle". The backing musician are first-line ones, habitual at clubs of North, West and South Side of Chicago. Her brother Eddie Taylor Jr. guitar, Roosevelt Purifoy piano and organ, Shun Kikuta guitar, Greg McDaniel bass and Pookie Styx drums. Some guest musicians join them, like Big Time Sarah on vocals, Billy Branch harmonica, Eddie Shaw tenor sax and Luke Pytel guitar, who replaces Kikuta on the songs "I Can't Take It No More" and "Trying To Make A Living". Enjoy the vocal majestic power of this new singer and prepare yourself for an unforgettable night at the club BLUES… but at your own home.
Quintus McCormick Blues Band "Put It On Me!" Delmark 2011. The previous Quintus McCormick album "Hey Jodie!" recorded for Delmark Records in 2009, received only words of praise, specially by Tom Cullen of Blues Revue Magazine, who even said it was the best studio album of the year 2009 and one of the best blues-soul albums of the past decade. Quintus Darrell McCormick, was born and raised in Detroit and, even before he learned to read and write, his uncle already initiated him into the blues ways, with artists like BB King and Bobby 'Blue' Bland. Gifted with a great guitar technique and superb sound, Quintus has been compared to Robert Cray and, those who say this, are right. In this second work for Delmark Records, McCormick captivates us with fourteen own songs and a variety of patterns ranging from deep soul ballads, to funk and contemporary blues, that lead us to a happy joyful rock, all played and sung with great passion, deep feeling and devotion, not only by Quintus McCormick, but also by the whole staff involved in the album.