Your Complete Guide to the Chicago Blues Scene
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Your Complete Guide to the Chicago Blues Scene |
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Red Hot ‘n Blues
Reviews
December 2020
By Marty Gunther
Vanessa Collier – Heart on the
Line
(Phenix Fire Records)
It only
took Vanessa Collier a heartbeat after graduating from Boston’s
prestigious Berklee College of Music in 2013 to establish herself as the
sweetheart of the blues. And the reigning Blues Music Association sax
player of the year proves once again that the sky’s the limit for her
with this release, the fourth in an already impressive catalog.
A
honey-voiced singer who delivers incendiary runs on soprano, alto, tenor
and baritone saxes, Vanessa also
adds a little resonator guitar here, too, in addition to penning eight
of the 11 cuts. It’s a blend of funk, soul, rock and blues aided by
guitarist Laura Chavez and Doug Woolverton on trumpet that combines into
a faultless package.
Collier
reinvents the James Brown classic, “Super Bad,” to open before launching
into “What Makes You Beautiful” in a set with no dead weight. Other top
cuts include the ballad “I Don’t Want Anything to Change,” “If Only,”
“Who’s in Power?,” “Freshly Squozen” and “Heart on the Line.”
# # #
Eric Johanson – Below Sea Level
(Nola Blue Records)
The
former lead guitarist for both Cyril Neville and Terrance Simien,
Louisiana-born Eric Johanson teams with Hill Country superstars Cody and
Luther Dickinson for a welcome follow up to
Blues in My Blood, the
well-received album he recorded with his cousin, Tiffany Pollack, last
year.
Delivered
in a power-trio format with Eric on six-string and vocals, Cody on
drums, Terrence Grayson (Victor Wainwright, Michael Burks) on bass, it
follows the same format of his 2017 album,
Burn It Down, which was
produced by Tab Benoit: an intense assortment of blues, blues-rock and
roots delivered atop a steady-driving beat.
If
guitar’s your thing, you’ll enjoy this one. Eric’s flashy, but in
complete control throughout. Some of the top tunes include “Buried Above
Ground,” “Changes the Universe,” “Hammer on the Stone,” “Have Mercy,”
“Open Hearted Woman,” “Dose of Forget” and “Riverbend Blues.”
# # #
Neil Barnes – Bald Guy with a Lot
on His Mind
(Bar-B-Q Sound Recordings BBQSR 2020)
Bay Area
harmonica player Neil Barnes doesn’t release albums under his own name
often, but when he does, blues fans are in for a treat. This is his
first release in six years, and it’s a star-studded mix of West Coast
blues, gospel and more.
Produced
by both Kid Andersen and Big Jon Atkinson who both contribute their
talent on guitar, Barnes is backed by vocalists Earl Thomas, Lady
Bianca, Lauren Halliwell and Kyle Jester, a trio of keyboard players,
Terry Hanck guitarist Johnny Soubrand and others.
A silky
smooth set, Bald Guy opens
with the funky, swinging original “Going to Greaseland (aka Cruisin’
Down Crystal Ridge),” followed by an unhurried cover of Dinah
Washington’s “I Don’t Hurt Anymore.” Other standout cuts include “Rough
Side of the Mountain,” “Sugar Mamma,” “Placerville Gold” and “Along Came
the Blues.”
# # #
Andy Watts – Supergroove
(VizzTone Label Group VT-BOOGA-02)
Recognized as Israel’s ambassador of the blues, guitarist Andy Watts has
made a name for himself by serving as host and teaming with American
artists to deliver some of the smokin’est blues ever played in the
Middle East, and that’s exactly what you get here: a red-hot set in
which he lays down rich, single-note runs while fronting a nine-piece
orchestra.
Recorded
by Kenny Neal for his new imprint, Booga Music, and released in
association with Boston-based VizzTone, Watts gets a helping hand from
both Joe Louis Walker and Eliza Neals in this set of contemporary
electric blues. Watts penned five of the ten tunes. Joe Louis Walker,
Eliza Neals, soul singer Roy Young and a pair of talented Israelis,
Danny Shoshan and Gadi Altman, handle vocals.
Watts’
six-string talents are on display for the instrumental opener, “Supergroove.”
You’ll also want to give a good listen to “Living Hand to Mouth,”
“Straight Shooting Woman,” “Burning Deep,” “Blues of the Month Club,”
“Don’t Take My Blues Away” and “Supernatural,” the instrumental that
closes.
# # #
Johnny Iguana – Johnny Iguana’s
Chicago Spectacular!
(Delmark Records DE 864)
Keyboard
player Johnny Iguana blends traditional Chicago blues with jazz into a
style all his own on this long-awaited debut album, which features guest
appearances from the Windy City’s finest: Billy Boy Arnold, Bob Margolin,
John Primer, Billy Flynn, Lil’ Ed Williams and more. And like the title
suggests, the end result is nothing short of spectacular.
A
Philadelphia native with a highly percussive, two-fisted style on the
88s, Johnny pianist spent three years as a member of Junior Wells’ band
and has recorded with everyone from Buddy Guy and Gary Clark Jr. to
James Cotton, Johnny Winter and members of the Rolling Stones. He’s a
founding member of The Claudettes, a unique “garage cabaret” band with
three albums to its credit.
Entertaining throughout, some of the high points include a traditional
take on Roosevelt Sykes’ “44 Blues” as well as the originals “Hammer and
Tickle,” “Land of Precisely Three Dances” and “Hot Dog Woman” plus
interesting takes on Gil Scott-Heron’s “Lady Day and Coltrane,” Otis
Spann’s “Burning Love” and Sonny Boy Williamson I’s “You’re an Old
Lady.”
# # #
Casey James – If You Don’t Know by
Now
(Self-produced CD)
Texas
native and former American Idol
finalist Casey James established himself as a blues artist to be
reckoned with in 2017 with the release of
Strip It Down, and cranks
things up a notch with this driving, intense album, which shows his
continuing growth as both a songwriter and musician.
The 13
tracks -- most of which were captured in one take – were recorded in
Nashville under the direction of Grammy-winning producer Tom Hambridge.
They’re chockful of soulful vocals and melodic guitar runs in music
that’s bluesy throughout with heaping helpings of fiery blues-rock,
funk, R&B and a little reggae, too.
There’s a
lot to like here, including the blazing opener “Live Life,” “Girl’s Got
Something,” “Don’t Break a Heart,” “If You Don’t Know by Now,” “Wish Me
Luck,” “Come On Saturday Night,” “A Better Place” and a double-shot of
“Faith.”
# # #
Jeremiah Johnson – Unemployed
Highly Annoyed
(Ruf Records RUF 1285)
Like
everyone in the entertainment industry today, St. Louis-based guitarist
Jeremiah Johnson’s career has been derailed by COVID-19, but he faces
his adversary head-on with this stylish disc, a classy combination of
blues and Southern rock that sounds far deeper than the power-trio
format he used to produce it.
Johnson
puts a positive spin on the difficulties we all face today, with
messages dealing with faith and patience as he delivers a bittersweet
message. He’s backed by Paul Niehaus IV, who doubles on bass and keys,
and percussionist Tony Antonelli, both of whom provide backing vocals.
The
originals “Burn Down the Garden” and “Muddy Black Water” set the stage
before an excellent cover of Luther Allison’s “Cherry Red Wine.”
Jeremiah holds nothing back in “Unemployed Highly Annoyed” and
“Different Plan for Me” before offering up a little hope in “Love and
Sympathy” and “Rock N Roll for the Soul.” Blues rock at its finest.
# # #
Big Harp George – Living in the
City
(Blue Mountain Records BMR 04)
San
Francisco Bay area chromatic harp player Big Harp George Bisharat waited
until age 59 before releasing his first album,
Chromaticism, to rave reviews
six years ago, and this all-original release – the fourth in his
burgeoning catalog – proves once again that he’s a superstar on the
instrument.
This
dazzling mix of West Coast blues is interspersed with Latin and Middle
Eastern overtones and delivers wry commentary and thoughtful
observations about life in the modern world, problems with health care
and much more. Recorded by Kid Andersen at Greaseland Studios, George is
backed by several of the top musicians, including the gospel trio Sons
of the Soul Revivers on backing vocals.
Some of
the standout cuts here are: “Build Myself an App,” “Smoking Tires”
(about the desire to escape an evil girlfriend), the instrumental
“Bayside Bounce,” “Don’t Talk” ( which offers up a little legal advice),
“Enrique”(about the deportation of a hard-working émigré), “Pusher in a
White Coat” and “Meet Me at the Fence,” a plea for peace and
understanding.
# # #
A Band Called Sam – Legacy
(Highlander Records)
There’s a
whole lot of history with this group. A Band Called Sam is fronted by
Sandra Taylor, who rose to prominence in the ‘50s and ‘60s as a member
of the all-girl ensembles The Cookies and The Toys. She’s also the
daughter of legendary tunesmith Sam “Bluzman” Taylor – the man who
whistled on Otis Redding’s “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay.” This unit
is named in his honor.
A hit maker for Joe Tex, B.T.
Express, Sam & Dave, the Beach Boys and others, the senior Taylor penned
all of the material here. They’re lovingly reinvented by a lineup that
includes his grandson, Lawrence Worrell, the former lead singer in
George Clinton’s 420 Funk Mob who also toured in support of Amy
Winehouse. This tight, veteran lineup will have you up on the dance
floor and eager for more.
Standout
tracks include “Voice of the Blues,” “Good To Ya,” “Mother Blues,” “Hole
in Your Soul,” “Devil in Your Eyes,” “Nothing in the Streets” and
“Funny,” once a major hit for Maxine Brown.
# # #
Johnny Nicholas – Mistaken
Identity
(Valcour Records VAL-CD-0047)
Johnny
Nicholas possesses one of the strongest pedigrees in American blues and
roots. A Rhode Island native, his career has included stints with
Chicago harp giant Big Walter Horton, Western swing chart-toppers Asleep
at the Wheel and Cajun accordion legend Nathan Abshire. He combines all
of those influences in this tasty CD, his first new release of new
material in four years.
Based out
of Frederickburg, Texas, where he’s operated the Hill Top Café – a
roadhouse and bed-and-breakfast – for decades, he’s backed here by
several of the top musicians out of nearby Austin for a thoroughly
laid-back set that’s bluesy and a little country, too.
Take a
break from the old one-four-five and give a good listen to “She Stole My
Mojo,” “Spark to a Flame,” “Mistaken Identity,” “Guadalupe’s Prayer,”
“Tight Pants,” “She Didn’t Think of Me That Way,” “Highway 190” and
“River Runs Deep.”
# # #
Alastair Greene – The New World
Blues
(Whiskey Bayou Records WSK1005)
Based out
of Santa Barbara, Calif., Alastair Greene simply smoked in with his
award-nominated double album, Live
from the 805, in 2018 and he picks up where he left off here,
teaming with Tab Benoit in a power-trio format and showing why he’s
considered one of the best musicians in the business today.
A former
member of the Alan Parsons Project, Alastair traveled to Tab’s home base
Houma, La., to record this. A fiery guitarist whose riffs are melodic
and shred-free and vocalist with a pleasant, relaxed, slightly
behind-the -beat delivery, he plays blues-rock the way it’s meant to be.
Don’t be
shy! Crank your stereo up to ten and enjoy “Living Today,” “Lies and
Fear,” “When You Don’t Know What to Do,” “No Longer Amused,” “Back at
the Poor House,” “Find Your Way Back Home,” “Wontcha Tell Me” and “The
New World Blues.”
# # #
Nora Jean Wallace – BluesWoman
(Severn Records CD 0079)
Blues
lovers have reason to celebrate: Nora Jean Wallace received a half-dozen
BMA nominations in the early 2000s when going by the surname Bruso, then
quit the stage entirely to care for her ailing mother -- but she’s back
with a vengeance after a 15-year break and picking it up right where she
left off.
A
Chicagoan with deep Delta roots who learned her craft in the ‘70s from
Mary Lane, she gets top-shelf backing here from Johnny Moeller (Fabulous
Thunderbirds) and Severn honcho David Earl on guitars along the
exceptional Steve Guyger and Kim Wilson on harps and Rob Stupka (Luther
and Bernard Allison) on drums.
A
powerful alto with a full-bodied voice that reminded Koko Taylor of
herself at an earlier age, Wallace is all business beginning with
“Martell.” Other pleasers include a tasty cover of Syl Johnson’s “I
Can’t Stop,” “I’m a Blues Woman,” the original “Look Over Yonder,” “Rag
and Bucket,” “I’ve Been Watching You” and “I Don’t Have to Beg You to
Love Me.”
# # #
Dione Taylor – Spirit in the Water
(Matay Records)
One of
the most popular performers North of the Border, Canadian songbird Dione
Taylor teams with songwriter/producer Joel Schwartz of Birds of Chicago
fame to deliver a richly layered set of contemporary blues, roots and
Americana here, interspersing mystical imagery with messages about
freedom, heartbreak and perseverance.
An
operatically trained preacher’s daughter from Saskatchewan, Taylor’s
performed with jazz great Dr. Billy Taylor at The Kennedy Center in
Washington and toured internationally for decades. Her gospel background
comes through strongly as she delivers inspiration-infused lyrics
without sounding preachy.
Among the
standout cuts are “Water,” “Where I Belong,” “Down the Bloodline,”
“Spirit,” “How Many Times” – a plea for racial harmony, the ballad
“Darkness,” “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around” and “Running.”
# # #
Fabrizio Poggi – For You
(Appaloosa Records)
A native
of Milan, where he’s considered to be the Italian Ry Cooder, Fabrizio
Poggi has a presence on both sides of the Atlantic and serves up a
gentle treasure with this album, which blends blues, gospel, folk, jazz
and world music to deliver a deep message of hope and love for a
troubled world.
A 2018
Grammy finalist for Sonny &
Brownie’s Last Train and best known for his work as a Piedmont-style
harp player, who doubles on guitar, Poggi’s all class here, primarily
delivering well-crafted, beautifully arranged ballads that take
listeners on an unhurried journey from Africa to Mississippi, New
Orleans and New York while backed by several of the best musicians in
Europe.
A jazzy
take on the traditional “Keep on Walkin’” opens the action before
interesting versions of “If These Wings” “Swing Low Sweet Chariot” and
the uptempo “Don’t Be Worried.” Other pleasers include “For You,” an
intimate love song penned by Eric Bibb, and the originals “My Name Is
Earth,” “Sweet Jesus” and “It’s Not Too Late.” Bluesy and uplifting
throughout.
# # #
Various Artists – Crawling Spider:
A Tribute to Mike Montgomery Vol. 1
(MJM Productions)
Mike
Montgomery was the songwriter/keyboard player for Back Street Crawler,
the band led by blues-rock god guitarist Paul Kossoff. This loving
tribute – assembled by Montgomery’s son, Marlon, brings together Mike’s
former bandmates – bassist Terry Wilson, percussionist Tony Braunagel
and keyboard player John “Rabbit” Bundrick – to reinterpret tunes from
Crawler and Rough House, Mike’s R&B band.
The
roster also includes the sensational Teresa James, Robbie Wyckoff and
Omar & the Howlers, among others who provide vocals in a lineup that
includes members of Firehouse, Humble Pie and more.
This one
rocks steadily from the jump, but will definitely please blues lovers,
too. Among the highlights are “Pale Fire” and “Stealing My Way,” which
are delivered by James, as well as the familiar “All the Girls Are
Crazy” and several bonus tracks, which are released for the first time
here.
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