![]() Your Complete Guide to the Chicago Blues Scene |
HOME ABOUT THE GUIDE ●bands ●radio shows ●record labels ● EVENTS NEWS FEATURES REVIEWS ●Live Shows CONTACT
|
Red Hot ‘n Blues Reviews
September 2020
By Marty Gunther
Shaun Murphy – Reason to Try
(Vision Wall Records)
Honey-voiced Detroit native Shaun Murphy has been thrilling audiences
since the ‘70s, when she was signed to Motown and shared billing with
Meatloaf on an LP. A genuine superstar in the blues world, she’s also a
longtime member of Bob Seger’s Silver Bullet Band and an artist who’s
toured and recorded with Eric Clapton, Little Feat, Joe Walsh and The
Moody Blues, too.
In the
blues community, she’s a former Koko Taylor Award nominee for
traditional vocalist of the year who’s released nine solo albums since
2009, piling up multiple honors in the process. But this CD – a
rollercoaster of human emotion produced by the talented Kevin McKendree
– is her best yet.
Shaun
takes you to church for the opener, “Hurt Me Good,” which vows speedy
revenge if you cross her. Other top-notch cuts include “Turn Me On,”
“Can’t Blame Nobody but Me,” “Roadhouse Rockin’,” “Rumor Mill” and “Same
Old You.”
# # #
Savoy Brown – Ain’t Done Yet
(Quarto Valley Records)
Guitarist/vocalist Kim Simmonds and Savoy Brown are the founding fathers
of what we now know as blues rock, and they shine like a diamond on this
disc, the 41st album they’ve released since forming in the bars of
London 55 years ago.
Working out of their New World base in upstate New York for decades,
Simmonds is an enduring presence in a lineup that currently includes
longtime bassist Pat DeSalvo and percussionist Garnet Grimm and which
still delivers the spirited, hard-driving sounds the band’s always been
known for.
“All Gone Wrong” opens the action with Kim reflecting on past mistakes.
The high points come hot and heavy on this one, and include “Devil’s
Highway,” which features Kim’s multi-layered attack on the six-string,
the acoustic “River on the Rise,” “Feel Like a Gypsy,” “Rocking in
Louisiana,” “Soho Girl” and “Crying Guitar.”
# # #
Shirley King – Blues for a King
(Cleopatra Records CLO 1768)
After
recording a pair of albums in the ‘90s, B.B. King’s daughter Shirley
flew under the radar ever since until this disc hit store shelves this
summer, proving it was worth the wait! She delivers a comfortable set of
soulful covers here along with a pair of solid originals from producer
Jürgen Engler while getting a helping hand from some of the biggest
names in the business along the way.
Shirley’s
a blues shouter whose smoky alto with pleasant, but rough edges might
remind some folks of Koko Taylor. Her guest stars include Joe Louis
Walker, Duke Robillard, Elvin Bishop, Pat Travers, Martin Barre, Arthur
Adams, Robben Ford, Kirk Fletcher, Harvey Mandel, Steve Cropper and the
late Junior Wells.
A shuffle
beat drives almost all of the music here. Top cuts are the two originals
-- “All of My Lovin’” and “I Did You Wrong” – and you’ll enjoy “That’s
All Right Mama,” “Johnny Porter,” “Give It All Up” and “Hoodoo Man
Blues,” in which Shirley duets with Junior Wells in what was probably
one of his final recordings.
# # #
King Solomon Hicks – Harlem
(Provogue/Mascot Label Group)
Like the
title of this CD implies, King Solomon Hicks is a New York City-based
bluesman, and one of the new breed of artists who’ll be taking the music
forward for future generations. He’s been making a name for himself
since age 13, when he started playing lead guitar with the 17-piece
Cotton Club orchestra.
Hicks is
an inventive player who blends blues with jazz, gospel, funk and more,
and this CD was produced by Grammy winner Kirk Yano (Miles Davis, Mariah
Carey). The third album in his catalog, it’s a labor of love that took
two years to produce and includes contributions from musicians who work
with Jack White and Hank Williams Jr. as well as funk/groove bands
Soulive and Lettuce.
Don’t be
fooled by the wide-ranging personnel, though. This is a thoroughly
interesting modern blues experience. Hicks’ voice and songwriting
talents match his guitar skills. Give a good listen to “Rather Be
Blind,” three rock-solid instrumentals – “421 South Main,” “Riverside
Drive” and an interesting version of Gary Wright’s “Love Is Alive” – as
well as “Every Day I Have the Blues,” which has a vocal-instrumental
call-and-response arrangement that would have B.B. King smiling.
# # #
Sons of the Soul Revivers – Songs
We’ll Always Sing
(Little Village Foundation LVF 1035)
www.littlevillagefoundation.com/the-sons-of-the-soul-revivers/
Considering all the troubles in the world today, we could all use a
faith to carry us through, and there’s nothing more uplifting than
traditional gospel as delivered by the Sons of the Soul Revivers.
Siblings Walter Jr., James and Dwayne Morgan transport us – at least
momentarily – to a better place here as they pay tribute to the Pilgrim
Jubilees, a group who remain active since being founded in the 1930s.
Based out
of the Bay Area in California, the siblings have been delivering
three-piece harmonies since childhood, and are carrying forward their
own family gospel tradition, providing positive declarations atop deeply
soulful rhythms with swing overtones sure to heal saint and sinner
alike.
No matter
what your religion, the positive vibes are strong throughout a set that
includes “It Isn’t Safe,” “Let Me Come Home,” “We’re the People,” “Time
to Testify” “All Things Are Possible,” “The Same Place,” “Step Out” and
“Family Prayer.”
# # #
Gregg Martinez – Mac Daddy Mojeaux
(Nola Blue Records NB/011)
One of
the foremost active proponents of swamp pop – a blues of New Orleans
funk, Memphis and Philadelphia soul and Texas swing, vocalist/trumpet
player Gregg Martinez has spent five decades as front man for King Fish,
The Boogie Kings and The Heat, but hasn’t lost a step in this set of
tunes that draw inspiration from the the ‘60s and ‘70s.
A sweet,
melismatic tenor, Martinez is backed by horns, keys and backup singers
throughout, delivering a wall of sound guaranteed to keep you up and
moving on the dance floor. Recorded at four studios in the Gulf Coast
and another in New Jersey, it features contributions by Grammy-winning
guitarist and tunesmith Tony Goulas.
Put on a
pair of comfortable shoes and swing the night away to Ray Charles’ “I
Believe to My Soul,” which opens and pleasers that include “This House,”
“Starting All Over Again,” “Just Stay Gone,” “Moonlight & Magnolias” and
“Can I Change My Mind” before ending with Randy Newman’s familiar
“Marie.”
# # #
Dave Keller – Live at the Killer
Guitar Thriller
(Tastee-Tone Records
TT-3044)
A fixture
out of New England for the better part of three decades, delivering
equal helpings of gutbucket blues and deep soul, vocalist/guitarist Dave
Keller has released six previous album in the past decade, but this one
– captured at a Bucks County Blues Society event in Edgely, Pa. – is his
first live recording ever.
A
Massachusetts native now based in Montpelier, Vt., Keller was mentored
by the late Mighty Sam McClain and tours regularly with soul-blues
superstar Johnny Rawls. He’s also served as Ronnie Earl’s vocalist for
the award-nominated CD Living in the Light, which included some of his original tunes, too.
He’s backed here by his regular rhythm section: bassist Alex Budney and
percussionist Jay Gleason as they deliver a 77-minute set.
A mix of
originals and well-chosen covers, be sure to give “Slow Train” a good
listen. Other pleasers include “My Younger Days/Moanin’ for Molasses,” a
Sonny Boy Williamson II-Jody Williams medley, “Heart on a String,”
“Right Back Atcha,” “Every Soul’s a Star,” “Are You Going Where I’m
Coming From” and “Hot Tamale Baby.”
# # #
8 Ball Aitken – Swamp Blues 2
(indieExtreme/Red Rocker Records)
Originally from Australia, but based in Nashville for the past eight
years, 8 Ball Aitken demonstrates that the blues are alive and well Down
Under with this deep-in-the-pocket collection of modern blues and blues
rock that’s built atop a swamp blues structure.
Aikten’s
a pleasant vocalist and slide guitarist who swings steadily throughout
backed by John Meyer/Tedeschi Trucks drummer JJ Johnson, bass player
Glenn Fukunaga (Robert Plant, Dr. John, Dixie Chicks) and keyboard
player Buddy Leach (George Thorogood). This album has been topping the
Aussie charts since its release.
The band
lays down a steady groove from the opening strains of “Tremelo Rain” and
rolls steadily throughout this interesting set. Some of the highlights
include “Week Man,” “My Sexy Guitar,” “The Bed You Made,” “Chocolate,
Jack Daniels and LSD,” “L.O.V.E.” and “Cold Shoulder.”
# # #
Hurricane Ruth – Good Life
(American Showplace Music ASM 2020)
Hurricane
Ruth LaMaster is a petite powerhouse who’s been performing since
childhood and possesses a voice -- like her stage name -- so commanding
that it can rattle windows and doors. The fifth album in her catalog,
this is her debut on the New Jersey-based American Showplace label after
her stellar 2017 Ain’t Ready for the Grave CD.
A native
of central Illinois, she delivers a collection of eight originals and
two covers on this one under the direction of Ben Elliott, the beloved
label owner/producer who lost a valiant battle with cancer this past
spring. The lineup includes award-winning keyboard player Bruce Katz and
Grammy-winning drummer Tony Braunagel.
Good Life
isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s mostly hard-driving,
balls-to-the-wall blues-rock, beginning with the opener, “Wild Fire.”
Among the other standout cuts are “Dirty Blues,” the silky-smooth
shuffle “What You Never Had,” the ballad “Good Life,” “She’s Golden,”
“Late Night Red Wine” and “I’ve Got Your Back.”
# # #
Ilya Portnov – Three
(Self-produced CD)
The only
artist ever to graduate from the prestigious New England Conservatory of
Music specializing in diatonic harmonica, Ilya Portnov is one of the
classiest, most polished and inventive instrumentalists in the blues
world today, something that’s instantaneously apparent when you give
this stellar, all-instrumental album a spin.
Produced
at Greaseland Studios in California under the supervision of Kid
Andersen, who sits in on guitar and bass, it features the Russian-born,
Los Angeles-based Portnov delivering an interesting mix of mostly
minor-key tunes that touch on jazz, Balkan folk, Latin and New Orleans
music while never straying far from the blues root.
An
understated talent, Ilya glides effortlessly across the reeds,
delivering some of the sweetest riffs you’ll hear this year. Some of the
top cuts include “Sly Dog,” a sweeping blues with jazz overtones, the
samba “Corta Jaca,” “Crawfish Stomp,” “Tilt-a-Whirl,” “Big Breaths,” “Up
in the Sky” and “Sphere Dance.”
# # #
Gravel & Grace – Bringing the
Blues
(Ava Grace Music AVGX1200)
Fronted
by vocalists Ava Grace and Big Earl Matthews, Gravel & Grace are a
smoking hot seven-piece band who united last year in California’s
Central Valley since forming last year, delivering high-octane original
tunes, that quickly made them local favorites and led to national tours.
Just 17
years old and still a junior in high school, Ava has a strong, sultry
voice with exceptional range that belies her tender age, and she became
interested in singing thanks to Mississippi roots. She a good match for
Matthews, a 20-year music veteran. The pair work as a duo when not
fronting this unit, which includes both keys and sax.
A
rock-solid debut, give a listen to “Scares Me,” with Grace at the mic,
“Next Move,” featuring Big Earl, the duet “Love on the Brain,” the
uptempo, gospel-flavored “Sunday Afternoon,” the ballad “Not About a
Boy,” the rocker “Picture Perfect” and “Wash My Blues.”
# # #
Rae Gordon Band – Wrong Kind of
Love
(Self-produced CD)
One of
the most powerful vocalists in the Pacific Northwest, Rae Gordon teams
with producer and percussionist Jimi Bott for this powerful collection
of horn-driven blues, showing why she’s been a five-time female vocalist
of the year in the Cascade Blues Association’s Muddy Awards.
Originally from Los Angeles, Rae’s been based in Portland, Ore., for
years. She worked in comedy clubs and piano bars to hone her craft
before recording her debut release,
Blue Lemonade, which soared to
the No. 10 spot on Billboard
blues charts. Fronting a six-piece band anchored by guitarist Kivett
Bednar and keyboard player Pat McDougall, she’s been a fixture at top
clubs and festivals ever since.
The tunes
run hot and deep on this one. Some favorites include the groove-filled “Comin’
Back for More,” the cautionary, but optimistic “Don’t Look Now,” “How
You Gonna,” “Might as Well Be You,” “Last Call” and “Get Right with the
World.” A winner on all counts!
# # #
Joe Louis Walker – Blues Comin’ On
(Cleopatra Records CL 01714)
An enduring force
who’s been expanding the boundaries of the blues since the mid-‘80s, Joe
Louis Walker calls out the big guns on this explosive album, delivering
a heaping helping of what fans have come to love: red-hot guitar and one
of the most distinctive voices in the business.
With Eric Gales,
Dion, Keb’ Mo’, Jorma Kaukonen, John Sebastian, Lee Oskar, Arlen Roth,
Vanessa Collier, Rick Estrin and a host of others in tow, Walker sets a
high bar here, mixing five originals and seven surprising covers to
produce a musical stew that ranges from modern urban blues, to soul,
gospel, country blues and more.
The highlights
include “Feel the Poor,” co-written with Gabe Jagger, Dion’s “Blues
Comin’ On,” “Someday, Someway,” “The Thang,” “Come Back Home,” an
amazing version of Charlie Rich’s “Lonely Weekends,” “Uptown to Harlem”
and “7 & 7 Is.” Run, don’t walk to buy this one. It’s that good!
# # #
Too Slim and the Taildraggers –
The Remedy
(VizzTone Label Group VT-UW-02)
One of
the hardest working bands in the U.S., Tim “Too Slim” Langford and his
Taildraggers have been delivering their own brand of blues-rock out of
the Pacific Northwest for the past 30 years. They take no prisoners
here, powering steadily throughout.
The 21st
release in a career littered with honors, this one was captured in
Nashville at Wild Feather Recording under the direction of Zack Kasik,
who doubles as the band’s bassist. As usual, Too Slim’s guitar
pyrotechnics are featured throughout along with a few surprises,
including some well-placed banjo and guest appearances from three harp
players: Jason Ricci, Sheldon Ziro and VizzTone major domo Richard
“Rosy” Rosenblatt.
Be sure
to fasten your seatbelt for “Last Last Chance,” “Devil’s Hostage,” “Keep
the Party Rollin’,” “Platinum Junkie,” “Snake Eyes,” “Think About That”
and “Half the World Away.” Exhausting – and a whole lot of fun.
# # #
Kaz Hawkins – Memories Of
(Self-produced CD)
One of
the most soulful voices anywhere, Northern Ireland songbird Kaz Hawkins
has been known for several outstanding collaborations during the past
couple of decades, but nothing better than the “Memories of Etta James”
tour she launched with her Band of Men earlier this year. Now, the
entire world can enjoy her interpretations of James’ classics via this
CD.
A radio
deejay, storyteller and advocate for mental health causes in her other
life, Kaz is back with a vengeance after being sidelined with a serious
bout of pneumonia, and she’s never sounded better, breathing new life
into ten classics backed by a full band complete with horn section.
From the
opening cuts of “Something’s Got a Hold of Me” to the closing “At Last,”
you’re in for a treat. All of the cuts are standouts, but don’t miss
“Miss Pitiful,” “Security,” “Tell Mama,” a stellar retelling of “Blind
Girl” and “Just Wanna Make Love to You.”
|
|
|