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July 2011 CD Reviews
Boogie Boys "Hey You!" Flower 2009. Undoubtedly, this is the first and pioneer Polish trio with two piano players and a drummer who, sometimes, also plays harmonica. As the name clearly suggests, The Boogie Boys mix with a surprising vitality and good taste, boogie-woogie with blues, rock and roll, New Orleans rhythm and blues and gumbo. The trio have very clear ideas and they play all these styles with a perfect knowledge of Afro-American black music. The Boogie Boys are spectacular and always give great fun, combining passion, technique and charisma. The result is vibrant, warm and really amazing. The musicians are Bartek Szopinski piano, organ and vocals, piano and Michal Cholewinski on piano and Szymon Szopinski on drums and harmonica. An excellent contemporary album for all people who enjoy boogie-woogie and admire Jerry Lee Lewis, Pete Johnson and Albert Ammons.
Various Artists "Alligator Records 40 th. Anniversary Collection" Alligator 2010. (2 CD's). An amazing double album recently published by Alligator Records to celebrate its 40 anniversary. Founder Bruce Iglauer's dream has now been fully accomplished. Bruce still remembers one day in 1970 when he went to Florence's Lounge on the South Side of Chicago, wishing to record live his idol Hound Dog Taylor and then publish the recording. Since that day, 40 years have gone passing by, full of great and good albums with the best blues names, both old school ones and the most contemporary actual artists. You will find in this double CD a long list of musicians and bands which along the years have been present in the huge Alligator catalog, with lots of valuable jewels every blues fans always has on mind, that certainly have an outstanding place in Afro-American popular music history. So, this is a priceless double album you should get and savor it step by step, minute by minute, song by song, that will delight actual and future blues lovers.
Andrea Marr "Little Sister Got Soul!" Blue Skunk Music 2010. People call her the new sensation of Australian blues. Andrea Marr has already reached a good reputation, because she always shows that, not only she has a great voice, but also she is gifted with an amazing talent as song writer and performer. This CD clearly shows the undeniable strength and expressive vivacity she brings to different audiences on stage. You will also find along the album her lively and deep love for soul music, together with the most intense rhythm and blues you can imagine. Andrea Marr exudes power and passion so, if you listen attentively to her songs, you will immeditaly realize she is deeply influenced by two of her biggest idols, Etta James and Freddie King. For more than thirteen years Andrea has been involved into the show business world and now she brings us the fourth album of her career. Ten great songs where she explores the long and winding roads of soul and blues with an extreme good taste, elegance and an amazing feeling.
Steve Grills "After Hours" Toogaloo 2010. Finally comes the long time awaited new work of the singer and guitar player Steve Grills. Steve is backed by Ernest Lane on piano, Steve Gomes on bass and Mike Plouffe on drums. Steve Grills has managed to do a great Chicago and Texas blues album, unpretentious, honest and well performed by the four band musicians and the special collaboration of singer and guitar player Joe Beard and Mark Collins on tenor sax and trumpet in a couple of songs. The album sounds brilliant and genuine, although the twelve tracks included are covers of Mercy Dee Walton, Magic Sam, Tampa Red, Albert Collins, Ike Turner, Pee Wee Crayton, Jimmy Rogers or Earl Hooker among others. The perfect understanding and complicity among the six musicians becomes intense, magical, fluent, compact and teamed, so the result can be nothing but a relaxed restrained work, exuding blues along the whole CD. On a few words they are six musicians who deeply love and feel the blues, and perform them with the reverence and respect the blues always deserves. This album should get recognition of all the people who respectfully admire and feel the blues.
Stevie J "The Diversity Project" Self / Blue Skunk Music (2 CD's) 2011. The title of this double album says it all. Diverse music for a diverse project, divided in two different parts. The music of these two CDs is varied, eclectic and very accessible to the ears of any good music lover. Dance, disco, blues, funk, soul and other varied influences, from Prince to Stevie Wonder or Michael Jackson, especially in the second CD. The former one gathers much more blues, more Texas blues, and even includes some contemporary Memphis and Mississippi blues (Dennis LaSalle, Mel Waiters, Little Milton, Bobby Bland...) with strong musical Bobby Rush influences. Stevie J has included in this album a faultless excellent well-balanced carefully horn section, together with perfectly teamed vocal arrangements by the magnificent voices of Miss Angela Walls, Miss Tonya Youngblood and Miss Sonia Youngblood. All the musicians do a superb work in their respective instruments, and effectively combine with the project leader. Stevie J comes from Jackson, MS and he is a great singer, songwriter and experienced guitar player. Son of a local church minister, he became familiar with gospel music since he was a child and now he has already worked for more than twenty years as a professional musician. These two albums very well show the talent of a man who only lives for music. Enjoy them!
Michael Osborn And The Drivers "The Glamorous Life" Checkerboard 2010. Bright juicy album by blues singer and guitar player Michael Osborn and The Drivers. Michael's first album is a collaboration of four high class musicians, bright, intense, passionate and in love with the most classic genuine blues, who are Dave Mathis on vocals and harmonica, KG Jackson on bass and vocals and John Moore on drums. Three excellent singers who take turns along the album, as they are gifted with a great powerful voice which makes them shine like twinkling stars. But they are also impressive as instrumentalists and all them have a fine tasteful technique, which makes them give a personal intense feeling to all songs included. The four musicians have individually won some Cascade Blues Association Muddy Awards in different categories. Michael was also the right hand of the great John Lee Hooker and the rest of musicians were also members of the bands of artists like Albert Collins, William Clarke, Willie Dixon and Robben Ford, among others. Welcome to this big blues party where these musicians are the best possible hosts and actors.
Macy Blackman & The Mighty Fines "Don't You Just Know It". Mamaru / Christine Vitale 2010. Splendid album of singer, cornet and piano player Macy Blackman, who drives us to the fantastic long and winding roads of blues and New Orleans rhythm and blues. Sixteen beautiful songs that will not leave anyone indifferent. Both Macy and the musicians involved in this record are simply superb, mastery playing their instruments. A big colorful party with lots of fun and many other surprises, that come in every song they play. The music flows by itself on a spontaneous way with an unbelievable magic swing. Besides Macy Blackman, the rest of the musicians involved are Jack Dorsey on drums, Bing Nathan bass, vocals and piano in the song "Papa's Cool Blues", Ken Jacobs baritone sax and clarinet, Nancy Wright on tenor sax and vocals and Kit Roberson on bass in one song. A well done album, with an excellent work and a superb playing. Also mention a tasteful production with a perfect sound mix.
Rozzy Osborne's Blues Band "Animals Get The Blues Too" PHAT Sound 2010. If everyone had the same love for animals singer, guitarist and song-writer Roger Osborne and his wife Donna have, the world would be very different, because life is like a boomerang and good or evil things people do to animals reverts back to affect you in some way. Nine of the ten blues included on the album are Roger Osborne's own songs himself and the musicians involved on it also have a high performing level. The CD is a true joyful blues party, perfectly done and spiced with the skills of Michael Patterson on guitar and vocals, Robert Stephen and Cliff Wallace on drums, Steve Lupkin on bass, Bill Lupkin on harmonica, Jim Steele on keyboards, and Franko Johnson on vocals too. A collection of amazing shuffles, mid-tempos and slow, played with great feeling, passion and knowledge. Most of the album benefits will be donated to The Humane Society, a foundation devoted to help animals. I hope you will all collaborate by buying the CD, not only because it is a good cause but also because the CD is simply… excellent!.
Robert Burton Hubele "I Get Lonely" Self Production 2011. All the album tracks have been written by Robert Burton Hubele, an artist who comes from Vancouver, Canada. The CD includes ten songs that move between jazz and blues, where Robert himself plays guitar, slide and dobro, as well as all vocal parts. He has done it together with his good friend Brad Steckel, who plays percussion, keyboards, bass and lead guitar, besides being sound engineer. Robert B. Hubele is a deep fan of Albert King, BB King, Howlin' Wolf, Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, or Freddie King, among many other blues musicians. Regarding to jazz and swing, Robert has always followed closely the music of Chuck Tracy, Mose Allison, Fats Waller, Cab Calloway and Louis Jordan. As for his favorite singers he mentions Dean Martin, Bing Crosby and Benny Goodman. On this album Robert fuses and investigates all mentioned styles, accurately flirting with them with good taste and great experience. The result is an exciting elegant work, played with honesty and very good taste.