Artist: Eddie Turner

Label: NorthernBlues Music

Catalog No.: NBM0057

Formats: CD, MP3

Release Date: July 13, 2010

-

If Jimi Hendrix were alive today, what sort of music would he be making?  While it’s a stretch to call anyone “heir” to Hendrix, his and Eddie Turner’s muses seem to travel on the same winds.  Turner’s new album, his third, brings together blues, Afro-Cuban and rock elements into a guitar-heavy stew that could be served and enjoyed in Hendrix’s kitchen.

This is not to say that Turner is a copycat.  His sound is thoroughly modern, and it’s a disservice to pigeonhole him as a “bluesman.”  His music is wider than one genre, although his guitar playing is definitely blues-based.  The big move beyond the limiting concept of “bluesman” is in Turner’s songwriting and chord structures. His songs can be heavy (“Ride a Painted Pony,” “Booty Bumpin’”) or dreamy (“Say,” “Miracles and Demons,” parts 1 and 2) or jazzy (“In The Morning”) or funky (“Monkey See, Monkey Do,” “Miss Carrie”), or just plain bluesy (“I’m A Good Man,” “Blues Fall Down Like Rain”).

Turner is also at home applying various effects to his guitar, including wah-wah, chorus, tremolo and of course the layers of distortion and overdrive you’d expect from electric blues music. But his playing doesn’t seem overly heavy, he is quick and precise and knows how to vary up his solos.  Overall, he is confident and somewhat flashy, but never stereotypical. A guitar-slinger in the best sense.

So who is this guy?  Eddie Turner was born in Cuba and raised in Chicago, picking up musical influences from both places.  His music career started in the mid-70’s, playing with future Grammy winner Tracy Nelson.  He also spent time in the Colorado bands Zephyr and the Legendary 4-nikators; in those party-bar bands, he was known as an able Hendrix imitator. Then he spent several years playing with “trance-blues” pioneer Otis Taylor.  Turner’s first solo CD, “Rise”, was released in 2005, followed by “The Turner Diaries” in 2007.  In short, he traveled many musical roads to end up at “Miracles & Demons.”

Following is a clip of Eddie Turner performing the title track to his first album “Rise” live in Vienna:

Click here to view the embedded video.

The only negative mark against this album is the super-compressed mastering job.  Why must an indie-blues label succumb to the “make it louder, louder, louder” ethic that is destroying sound quality today? This music would be all the more exciting if it had some room to breath and let the dynamics stretch out. But it does sound just as loud as a heavy metal album over earbuds in a subway train, if that’s a plus.

Surprisingly, Turner’s two previous CD’s for NorthernBlues have only sold 1540 and 1114 units, respectively (according to NorthernBlues).  That’s a damn shame.  Hopefully this fine new effort will be Turner’s breakthrough release.  While this is a distant relative of the traditional notion of “blues,” it is a compelling collection of interesting songs that are played by a musical expert.

Reviewed by Tom Fine

Artist: Willie Buck

Label: Delmark

Catalog No.: DE-805

Format: CD

Release Date: April 10, 2010

Willie Buck, a long-time club and festival performer based in Chicago, made his only full-length album in 1982.  Originally titled I Wanna Be Loved and released as an LP by Bar-Bare Records, Buck’s album has been resurrected and reissued on a Delmark CD.  Also included are 5 tunes recorded live at Robert’s 500 Room in Chicago back in 1984.

Buck hails from Houston, MS, born William Crawford in 1937.  He migrated to Chicago in 1954 and eventually became a Maxwell Street mainstay.  According to Delmark’s website, he “was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in Chicago in the summer of 2004.”

On this recording, Buck demonstrates a strong influence by Muddy Waters, covering six Waters’ staples (“She’s All Right,” “I Live The Life I Love,” “Champaign and Reefer,” “Nineteen Years Old,” “I Want You To Love Me” and “Got My Mojo Workin’”) on a 12-song album.  And there’s another Waters’ song, “Blues Had a Baby,” in the 5-song live set.

But Buck is not just a Muddy wannabe.  For one thing, he’s got some heavy duty backing: Louis and Dave Myers on guitar and bass; Little Mac Simmons on harp and Big Moose Walker on piano.  These guys were playing sessions for Delmark, Chess and Vanguard in the 1960s while Buck was still up and coming on the local club scene.  Also backing Buck are John Primer on guitar, Dimestore Fred on harp and Jerry Porter on drums.  Jodie North plays drums on the live set.  The band plays many of these songs harder and slightly faster than the originals, giving them a bit of a modern touch.

Aside from the Muddy Waters tunes, Buck covers songs originally recorded by Little Walter (Walter Jacobs), B. B. King and Al Green.  He is equally comfortable performing these songs, and he also penned two originals for the studio recordings.

Following is a clip of Willie Buck performing Little Walter’s “Walkin’ In the Park” in a South Side club in 2008:

Click here to view the embedded video.

The overall quality of this album is rooted more in the ’60s or early ’70s than its 1982 and 1984 recording dates would lead one to expect.  Buck was hewing to a tradition that was vanishing at the time; by the 1980s, a slicker and louder kind of blues was taking hold in Chicago.  Buck is still active on the festival circuit, and in Europe, so he is now what would be considered old-school.  However, keep in mind that he was a generation removed from the men who originally wrote and performed most of these songs, so the listener is experiencing something of a game of “telephone,” removed from the original and exposed to interpretation.  That’s not a bad thing when the interpretations are good, and here is where Willie Buck delivers.

The combination of Buck’s very sure and natural vocals, the superb backing band and a pleasingly dense recording mix, makes this album a lot of fun to listen to and holds up well with repeated plays.  The live recordings are rough, and the playing is not up to the studio par, but the excitement Buck generated in that club, now 26 years ago, is undeniable.

Reviewed by Tom Fine

Artist:  The Manish Boys

Label:  Delta Groove Music

Catalog No.: DGPCD137

Formats:  CD, MP3

Release date: March 16, 2010

Delta Groove Music has recently released its fifth studio album by The Mannish Boys. Shortly after Randy Chortkoff founded the label in 2004, he pulled together a group of musicians for the purpose of reviving some of the lesser-known blues hits of the past. Although the main band members have shifted some since their last album (Jimi Botts has replaced Richared Ines on drums and Willie J. Campbell has replaced Tom Leavy and Ronnie James Weber on electric and upright bass), the core group has remained the same. Long-time members Finis Tasby (vocals), Kirk Fletcher (guitar), Frank Goldwasser (guitar/vocals), and Chortkoff himself (lead/harmonica) are joined once again by vocalist Bobby Jones, pianist Fred Kaplan, and wind player David “Woody” Woodford along with approximately a dozen guest artists.

Perhaps because of its huge pool of guest artists, the band covers a range of sounds and genres over the course of this sixteen-track release. Although they offer up plenty of lowdown blues numbers with a California twist, they mix in some rock ’n’ roll and big band style numbers as well. For instance, the album opens with “Too Tired”–a number that combines Chuck Berry style riffs by guitarist Nick Curran with a big band sound multi-tracked by David “Woody” Woodruff and Lee Thornburg. Another example is a medley of Bo Diddley’s “Mona” and Johnny Otis’ “Willie and the Hand Jive.” The group does a great job of capturing the Bo Diddley beat throughout both tunes, albeit at a faster clip and with a more elaborate guitar line than Diddley’s version.

Other highlights on the album include “Educated Ways,” which stands out for its interesting mix of blues piano and vocals over a slide guitar line by Frank Goldwasser and a bari sax rhythm line by Woodford. The timbre combination alone is enough to make this song worth a second listen. “Half Ain’t Been Told” features a duet by Jones and pianist Rob Rio. Rio’s performance is fairly faithful to the Otis Spann version, although Jones signing style is harsher than Spann’s mellow laidback delivery, giving the song more of an edge.

“Bullet” is a blues instrumental featuring solos by Kirk Fletcher, Nick Curran, Fred Kaplan, and Jimi Bott.  Although one can’t find fault with Fletcher’s performance, Curran’s livelier style and quick rock ’n’ roll riffs steal the show.  Curran’s past performances have run the gamut from rockabilly with Ronnie Dawson, punk with Deguello, and rock ‘n’ roll with his own band, The Lowlifes.

For harmonica lovers, there are a number of fine solos, including performances by Chortkoff, Rod Piazza, Lynwood Slim, Mitch Kashmar, and “Big” Pete van der Pluijm. Van der Pluijm is currently big on the Dutch blues circuit and is sometimes hailed as one of the Netherland’s best kept secrets. In addition to the harmonica, he’s perfectly capable of belting out Lester Butler’s “Way Down South.”

All in all, the Mannish Boys have stuck true to their mission of performing “some of the greatest music from the blues canon without lapsing into clichés and dead-horse beating.” I suspect for diehard blues fans some of the numbers will be a bit too close to earlier versions to warrant repeated listening. For more casual blues listeners, however, Shake for Me promises to make a great addition to your collection.

Reviewed by Ronda L. Sewald

Title: Feed My Soul

Artist: The Holmes Brothers

Label: Alligator

Catalog No.: ALCD 4933

Format: CD

Release Date: March 2, 2010

The Holmes Brothers‘ music is hard to classify. Put this new CD into your iTunes library and it gets classified as blues.  Guitarist/vocalist Wendell Holmes says they play “American roots music” in a promotional video made by Alligator Records.  Even more than their other albums, this latest from the New York City-based band defies categorization.  There are soul tunes, blues tunes, gospel tunes and some country-western flavors; there are cover tunes and originals.  What results is a very enjoyable musical gumbo, with less edge but more soul than some of the band’s previous albums.

The Holmes Brothers―brothers Wendell and Sherman Holmes plus drummer Popsy Dixon―have been playing together since the 1970s, but didn’t make their first album (In the Spirit on Rounder) until 1989.  Since then, they’ve put out a steady stream of recordings and toured tirelessly.  All of that ground to a halt in 2008, when Wendell Holmes was diagnosed with bladder cancer.

Wendell Holmes’ successful battle with cancer is central to this album.  The time off the road led to more original tunes than any previous Holmes Brothers album.  Plus, the new songs resonate with reflections and lessons drawn from the cancer experience.  In all, Wendell Holmes wrote or co-wrote 7 of the album’s 14 tunes, and Sherman Holmes wrote two others.  The band also covers a tune by the Beatles, “I’ll Be Back.”  And they present the recording debut of “Something Is Missing” by John Ellison, who wrote the soul classic “Some Kind of Wonderful.”

The following is a behind the scenes look at the Holmes Brothers regarding the making of Feed My Soul.

Click here to view the embedded video.

This album has a quiet intensity to it. It sounds comfortable, relaxed and natural.  Singer/songwriter Joan Osborne did a fine job producing it and singing backup on some cuts.  The recording, at Long View Farm Studios in Massachusetts, was well-done, adding to the laid-back feeling.  For example, Wendell Holmes’ guitar solos are generally panned right, not placed in your face in the center, and are somewhat back in the mix. In other words, the solos are in balance with the band and sounding like if the whole band is together in front of you, playing together.  It sounds and feels like a Holmes Brothers live performance, which is not to be missed.

The vocal harmonies are also a highlight of the album, as on all Holmes Brothers recordings.  These guys are older and maybe a little less edgy, but they still make beautiful harmonies and still have strong pipes.

The whole album flows very nicely, but there are stand-out cuts:  “Fair Weather Friend”; “Living Well Is the Best Revenge”; a cover of “Pledging My Love” by Don Robey and Ferdinand Washington; the cover of the Beatles’ “I’ll Be Back”; and the title track.  Here’s hoping the Holmes Brothers remain healthy and vital and turn out some more recordings!

Reviewed by Tom Fine

Artist:  Percy Sledge

Label:  Blues Boulevard

Release date:  Jan. 12, 2010

-

Best known for his iconic 1966 soul single “When a Man Loves a Woman,” Sledge’s new blues album was “designed to mimic the soulful, laid-back vibe of Norala Studios in Alabama, where he cut most of his early sides.”

======================================================

Title:  Brian Young

Artist:  Brian Young

Label:  Tate Music Group

Release date:  Jan. 12, 2010
-

A self-taught guitarist, vocalist and songwritter from East St. Louis, Young offers up his own brand of electric blues, heavily influenced by B.B. King and Jimi Hendrix.

======================================================

Title:  Baby Please Set a Date

Artist:  Elmore James, Jr.

Label:  Wolf Records

Release date:  Jan. 12, 2010

-

Slide guitar master and winner of the 2009 Living Blues Awards, Elmore James Jr.’s new release is described as “traditional with a modern touch” and features Jake Dawson on guitar with Ed Williams on sax.

======================================================

Title: Gotta Walk with Da King

Artist: Little Freddie King

Label: MadeWright Records

Release date: Feb. 16, 2010

-

Recorded at a blues festival in Santa Fe, this new release by the New Orleans’ blues elder offers up live versions of many songs featured on his previous albums. As noted in the press release, his guitar playing and singing are “unmistakably rooted in his native Mississippi Delta soil.”

======================================================

Title:  Bare Knuckle

Artist:  Guitar Shorty

Label:  Alligator

Release date:  March 2, 2010

-

The legendary guitarist/vocalist, credited with influencing both Jimi Hendrix and Buddy Guy, proves he is still going strong at 70 with yet another solid, hard-driving electric blues album.

=======================================================

Artist: Quintus McCormick Blues Band

Label: Delmark

Catalog No.: DE 801

Format: CD

Release Date:  September 22, 2009
-

Quintus McCormick has been a fixture in the Chicago blues-club scene since the mid-90s, but this is his first studio album as a leader.  In a nice marketing touch, and for the edification of some listeners, Delmark includes a definition of a Jodie on the cover: “n. 1. back door lover.”

The album’s style straddles the line between modern urban blues and southern soul, the common theme being wronged lovers and “troubled business.”  McCormick is a first-rate guitarist, and his band—which includes horns, harmonica and backing vocals—stands firmly behind him.  The result is a polished and smooth sound, with musicianship edging out soul in some parts.

McCormick can also sing, and his vocal range works perfectly with the way he’s arranged the music. The mix is punchy but uncluttered, so the album really pops out of the speakers. The operative mode is “modern,” which means Hey Jodie! sounds closer to Alligator blues records from the ‘90s than Chess blues records from the ‘60s.  Delmark is a veteran Chicago label, so it’s fair to say this album represents a modern example of their catalog, as opposed to what they were selling in the early 1970s. This is noted so a listener is forewarned against “nostalgia-blues.”

Fourteen of fifteen tunes on the album are McCormick originals, and he proves an able songwriter. The sequence offers a nice mix of tempo and topic, as well as parts for each musician to shine. The band sounds like they’ve been working together, live, for a long time, with a very tight beat and nice licks and hooks coming at opportune times, no one stepping on anyone else.  There’s a nice contrast between songs like the title track and the pure blues number “What Goes Around Comes Around.” Several tunes are of the shuffle-blues variety, and others are up-tempo soul.

The band’s Myspace site offers streams of several songs from the album, so an interested listener can pick their preferences. My favorites are “Fifty/Fifty,” “Get That Money,” “Plano Texas Blues,” and the band’s enthusiastic send-up of “Let The Good Times Roll,” which closes the album. To my ears, the weakest tune is the title track, because it’s delivered too “shiny” and not soulful enough for the song and the lyrics. But it’s certainly not a terrible song—there are no duds on this album.

Here’s hoping Quintus McCormick keeps this fine band together and keeps putting out albums as good as Hey Jodie!.

Reviewed by Tom Fine

Artists:  Various

Label:  Document Records

Format:  CD

Release date:  August 11, 2009

-

“I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies…” —  Thomas Jefferson (1809).  Based on this premise, the folks at Document have compiled a great set “based on an idea inspired by Bernard Madoff,” among others, but related through the “words of sorrow, humour and wisdom of those that have been victims — who have experienced and suffered hardship as the result of financial mischief.”  Tracks include “Money Craving Folks” by Blind Alfred Reed, “Million Dollar Blues” by Memphis Minnie, and Russell Means’ “Ain’t No Prison for The Corporation.”  Sing it, Brother!

Posted by Brenda Nelson-Strauss

Title: The Best of Mance Lipscomb

Arist: Mance Lipscomb

Label: Arhoolie

Catalog No.:  CD 537

Formats: CD, MP3

Release Date: December 15, 2009
-

For the first 65 years of his life, Mance Lipscomb spent his weekdays sharecropping or mowing roadsides in rural Texas, near Houston. On the weekends, he would entertain black and white audiences (whites on Friday and Sunday evenings, blacks on Saturday nights) with his guitar and voice. He called himself a “songster,” and could play anything from country blues to waltzes, two-steps and polkas. He never made recordings and was unknown beyond his corner of the wide expanse of Texas.

Then in 1960, a high school teacher named Chris Strachwitz traveled to Houston with a tape recorder and microphone looking to record Lightnin’ Hopkins, but Hopkins had left town to perform in California.  So Strachwitz headed out into the country around Houston looking for “any good guitar pickers in these parts,” he wrote in the liner notes to this CD.  He soon found Mance Lipscomb.  They recorded 23 songs that first evening, and both a recording career and record label were started.  Mance Lipscomb, 65-year-old country songster, was the first artist on Arhoolie Records, and that session led to the label’s first LP (#1001), Texas Sharecropper and Songster.

Over the last 15 years of his life, Lipscomb performed throughout the U.S. and recorded many times for Arhoolie.  This CD collects what the booklet describes as “the best of what Chris (Strachwitz) was able to capture on tape during his fifteen-year friendship with this generous, charming and talented man.”

The selections range from straight country blues to folk-tinged tales of adventure, misdeeds and love.  There are two electric-blues numbers, not the high points on the disc. The rest of the 22-song anthology is just Mance Lipscomb, his acoustic guitar and his voice. And that’s plenty.

Sound quality varies from “good field recording” to “passable live recording.” Most of the recordings are monophonic and none of this is what could be termed audiophile quality. But, the songs and the singer stand up well without great sound. The songs hold the listener’s attention because they are compelling and well-played. Lipscomb’s guitar playing, self-taught, is at times astounding and always tasteful.

Strongly recommended.

Reviewed by Tom Fine

Artists: Various

Label: Smithsonian Folkways

Catalog No.: SFW CD 40198

Formats: CD, MP3

Release Date: February 16, 2010

-

Appalachian Blues continues Smithsonian’s Classic series, a set of compilations designed to feature and attract attention to the Institute’s collections. As a region, the Appalachians include thirteen states (seven of which are represented here) and have been home to a variety of blues styles including vaudeville blues, piano blues, boogie, string-band dance blues, and ragtime blues, among others.

Roughly half of the CD’s 21 tracks consist of live recordings made of Appalachian blues performances at the Smithsonian Festival of American Folklife between 1971 and 1997, the bulk of which were recorded at the 1976 and 1977 festivals. The other half is comprised of reissues from earlier Folkways albums, the majority of which were recorded during the five-year period between 1957 and 1962, although some date back as early as 1944 and as late as 1992.

Most of the tracks feature solo performances, generally guitar instrumentals or vocals with guitar accompaniment. There are, however, two tracks performed on harmonica, a guitar duet, and two string-band selections, as well as a couple of guitar and harmonica trios performed by Sticks McGhee, Sonny Terry, and J.C. Burris. Other featured performers are Doc Watson, Brownie McGhee, Josh White, Baby Tate, and Etta Baker.

As is the case with most Folkways recordings, the CD comes with extensive, scholarly liner notes. In addition to an introduction by Jeff Place that briefly discusses the role of Moe Asch and Smithsonian’s Festival of American Folklife in documenting Appalachian blues music, the booklet includes a general history of Appalachian blues by Barry Lee Pearson and basic information on each of the songs and performers by Place and Pearson. The general history is particularly interesting and includes information regarding the defining stylistic characteristics of Appalachian blues, the socio-historical context, and the role of recording companies and commercial records in disseminating the music throughout the Appalachian region. Also touched upon are issues of cultural borrowing and integration between white and black performers.

My only complaint about the selection of the music for the CD is that there isn’t more of it. Since the current compilation is limited to a single CD, it presents more of a sampling of styles and performers than an exhaustive regional survey. Given the widely recognized complexity and variety of Appalachian blues music, this particular genre may have warranted a double-CD set, or perhaps a second volume. This issue aside, Appalachian Blues provides an excellent introduction to the music and its history and is a worthy addition to any library or personal collection.

Reviewed by Ronda L. Sewald

Artist: Tail Dragger

Label: Delmark

Catalog No.: DE-803

Formats: CD; also released on DVD (DVD 1803) with commentary and an extra track

Release Date: November 2, 2009
-
-

Tail Dragger (a.k.a. James Yancey Jones) is one of the last links to the Delta-Chicago blues of Howlin’ Wolf (Chester Burnett), Muddy Waters (McKinley Morganfield), Little Walter (Walter Jacobs) and Sunny Boy Williamson (Rice Miller). Born in 1940 in Altheimer, Arkansas, Tail Dragger was part of Wolf’s crowd later in the legendary bluesman’s life.  After Wolf died, his guitarist, the brilliant and eclectic Hubert Sumlin, worked extensively with Tail Dragger.

The rough lifestyle of the Chicago blues club world—plus the fact that he’s frankly not an A-team bluesman in the league of Wolf, Muddy and Walter—have probably played a part in limiting Tail Dragger’s recorded output.  Jones did 17 months prison time for killing fellow bluesman Boston Blackie (Bennie Houston) in 1993, which obviously did not help his career either.  Delmark has two live albums in print, and this is the latest offering—recorded at Rooster’s Lounge on Chicago’s West Side on March 21, 2009.

Tail Dragger strongly emulates Howlin’ Wolf in his delivery, tempo and choice of material. His “preachin’ and growlin’” between numbers (words used in Delmark’s release materials) is a bit long-winded, but once the band gets to work there’s a very strong and genuine feel to the music. It’s clear that  you’re hearing the last of a type of music.  A young aspiring bluesman would not deliver these songs this way. The end result is, this album stands out among the overly-produced “axe wizard” generic stuff that dominates the blues genre today.  This bluesman knows what a country mile is and can sing about it credibly.

Following is the official trailer for the DVD (© 2010 Delmark):

-
Jones is backed by “Rockin’ Johnny” Burgin on lead guitar, Martin Lang on harp, Kevin Shanahan on rhythm guitar, Todd Fackler on bass and Rob Lorenz on drums.  Fellow Delmark artist Jimmy Dawkins guests with guitar on Jones’ own tune “Wander.”  Burgin glues the music together and provides some solid solos without stealing the show.  Lang’s harp playing deserves special mention. He’s constantly throwing out tasty licks and he sits very nicely behind and between Jones and Burgin, on both slow and fast blues. The rhythm section provides a steady and peppy foundation.

The overarching feeling delivered by this album is authenticity. These guys are playing old-style Chicago electric blues in a believable way and Tail Dragger is just old enough to have gathered some mentoring and magic blues-dust from the legends but young enough to still be able to stand and deliver. Howlin’ Wolf he isn’t, but he ain’t too bad either.

Reviewed by Tom Fine

Arists:  Various

Label:  Delmark

Catalog No.: 804

Format: CD

Release Date: November 2, 2009
-

This CD is a course in Boogie Woogie Piano 101, much of it recorded in 1939 but parts recorded in 1955, 1960 and 1970.  Delmark founder and owner Bob Koester provides neat little biographical sketches of the artists in the brief liner notes. The music speaks for itself; it must since the notes don’t offer any details.

“So who doesn’t like Boogie Woogie?” Koester asks in his notes. It’s hard to think of anyone while listening to this collection. The 1939 recordings of Albert Ammons (stride piano pioneer and father of hard bop sax great Gene Ammons and Methodist Bishop Edsel Ammons), Meade Lux Lewis and Pete Johnson are classic Chicago-style warhorse piano gymnastics.  Especially amazing is Lewis’s “Doll House Boogie,” part of which was apparently pounded out on a toy piano! The CD tray card notes these are “famous 1939 Sherman Hotel (Chicago) recordings,” but does not explain the context so one wonders what is “famous” about this venue and these recordings.

Interesting and different are the circa 1939 recordings of “Cripple” Clarence Lofton.  Koester describes his style as the “Raggedy-Ass school of woogie,” meaning Lofton “never really hits a wrong note but slaps the keys in a way that you wonder how he does it.” The key to Lofton is how he keeps the beat together while running around the keyboard. It’s a nice contrast to the polished pyrotechnics of Lewis.

Delmark is in the process of reissuing titles from Paul Affeldt’s Euphonic Sounds label, and this CD is part of the series.  The recordings of Henry Brown and Speckled Red come from Affeldt’s master tapes. The performances are less polished than the 1939 recordings by the old masters, but there’s much to like about them.  Koester’s notes claim Speckled Red’s “Dirty Dozens” is “the great-grandfather of rap.”  It is a humorously foul-minded ditty, and apparently Red would extend the playing time and dirtiness of the lyrics (after asking the ladies to leave the room) when he played the song live.

A note about the sound quality: it’s not, by and large, high-fidelity. The 1939 performances are heard through the clouded lens of scratchy and sometimes distorted disc recordings. The field recordings made by Affeldt in the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s are of varying quality, sometimes quite good.  But none of this prevents the fine music from blasting through.  Listen carefully to what these men are doing to a piano with two hands and 10 fingers and the amazement will cancel out any complaints about the audio fidelity. Kudos from this reviewer to Affeldt and then Koester, for avoiding heavy use of EQ or noise-reduction gadgets. What you hear on this CD is more or less what was heard during playbacks at the recording sessions.

Overall, Boogie Woogie Kings is a great introduction to blues-based stride piano. The music is vaguely suggestive of a saloon, but have no doubt that these guys are master musicians, playing hard and fast. If you’re interested in further exploration, hunt down Albert Ammons’ 1940’s Mercury sides, Pete Johnson’s work with Joe Turner, Meade Lux Lewis’s sides reissued by Riverside in the 1950s, and further Delmark CDs in this Euphonic Sounds series.

Reviewed by Tom Fine

Editor’s note:  Jimmy Blythe’s Messin’ Around Blues, a previous release in the Euphonic Sounds series, was reviewed in Black Grooves in 2007.

Title: Booker’s Guitar

Artist: Eric Bibb

Label: Telarc International

Catalog No.: TEL-31756-02

Format: CD; MP3

Release Date: 1/26/10

-
-
Folk-blues guitarist Eric Bibb has delivered a winner here.  In a laid-back style that belies the obviously intense craftsmanship required to write and play these tunes, Bibb transports the listener back and forth between the Mississippi Delta of the early days of recorded blues and the modern world.  The style is a crossroads of sorts—the country blues meets an educated and urbane troubadour drawing inspiration from a gumbo of books, New Age philosophy, and good old-fashioned blues legends and motifs.  If this all sounds too “of the academy,” the result is not, it’s good solid musical fun played superbly.  Nothing stiff or posed about it; Bibb plays with passion and release and his ensemble work on 8 of the 14 tunes with harmonica ace Grant Dermody demonstrates confident mastery of the material.  Tasty licks, meaningful but not overwrought lyrics and excellent production makes for an ear treat.

The title track was inspired by an event that took place in London. Bibb was on tour and, after a show, a friend gave him a National steel guitar that had been owned by Delta bluesman Booker White.  Bibb was inspired to write a half-spoken/half-sung tribute to White and the guitar, which he recorded right there in England.  The rest of the album was recorded by Michael Bishop in a restored antique general store in Burton, Ohio, in November 2008. Following is the official promotional video (courtesy of Telarc):

Bibb covers the traditional “Wayfaring Stranger” and Blind Willie Johnson’s “Nobody’s Fault But Mine,” in both cases bringing something new and original to the music.  Dermody’s harmonica work on both adds power and reinforces Bibb’s guitar work, and Bibb uses a baritone guitar to great effect on “Wayfaring Stranger.”

The rest of the tunes are Bibb originals.  He wrote extensive notes, explaining his inspirations and intentions.  One might enjoy the album more by listening to it once without the booklet, then refer to Bibb’s notes the second time through.  Suffice to say, Bibb is a man who draws inspiration from a variety of sources and schools of thought.

Although every tune on the album was at least good (no clunkers), there were several stand-outs.  “Flood Water,” loosely about the Mississippi flood of 1926-27, sounds timeless.  It could have been recorded in the early 1930’s or it could be about the recent Katrina disaster.  “One Soul to Save” is probably the most intense song on the album, but it’s not overdone or too heavy.  “One Good Woman” is a sweet tribute to all the good women out there, and Bibb’s use of a 12-string guitar adds interesting textures and harmonies.  And the two covers are not to be missed.  The title track is clever where it could be lame, but it’s not among the best on the disc.  The same can be said about “Tell Riley,” which is a little corny in concept and lyrics but this is mitigated to a large extent by Bibb’s excellent baritone guitar work and Dermody’s harmonica.

Finally, kudos to engineer and co-producer (with Bibb) Bishop.  The dynamic, natural, uncluttered sound on this album is the antithesis of too many modern blues albums. There will be no listener fatigue from this album, only a desire to hear more.  Listening on a good system, with the lights dim and a blues vibe in the room, you’ll swear Bibb and Dermody are right there.

Reviewed by Tom Fine

There are some other great albums released in late 2009 that we still hope to cover in the coming months, so stay tuned.

Title: Complete Chess Masters (1950-1957)

Artist:  Little Walter

Label:  Hip-O Select

Format: CD Box Set

Release date: March 10, 2009

-

The king of Chicago blues harpists is celebrated in this five CD box set, featuring all of Little Walter’s solo studio recordings for Chess. Also included are previously unreleased and alternate takes for “Goin’ Down Slow,” “Mean Old Frisco,” and many other classics. Extensive liner notes are by Tony Glover, Scott Dirks and Ward Gaines- the authors of Blues With a Feeling: The Little Walter Story.  This is a must for all blues harmonica fans, and since Hip-O’s limited editions never stay in print for long, don’t delay.

=================================================

Title: What It Takes: The Chess Years (expanded edition)

Artist: Koko Taylor

Label: Hip-O Select

Format:  CD

Release date: November 10, 2009

-
-

The world lost the Queen of Chicago Blues earlier this year, and Hip-O Select has paid tribute by remastering this great 1977 compilation featuring Koko Taylor’s early Chess sides, produced by Willie Dixon. This is as good and raw as it gets if you’re a fan of female blues belters, which certainly sums up Taylor, whose style harkens back to Memphis Minnie and Big Mama Thornton. If you’ve only got Taylor’s later Alligator recordings, you owe it to yourself to check out this compilation. From her hit song “Wang Dang Doodle” to “Don’t Mess With the Messer,” the 24 tracks are a fine overview of her early career.

=================================================

Title:  Never Going Back

Artist:  Shemekia Copeland

Label:  Telarc

Format:  CD, MP3

Release date:  February 24, 2009

-
-

Shemekia Copeland, the Harlem-born Chicago-based daughter of Texas blues guitarist Johnny Copeland, is arguably the current leader among the younger generation of female blues singers, and she hits a home run with her first release on the Telarc label. The title reflects her attempt to stay true to her blues roots while seeking innovative ways to contemporize the genre, which often leads to the merging of old style Chicago blues with R&B, soul, and even a few rock licks. The album features some unusual covers, such as Joni Mitchell’s “Black Crow” and Percy Mayfield’s “River’s Invitation,” which are balanced by more traditional fare such as “Sounds Like the Devil” and “Circumstances,” a song composed by her father. Accompanists include Oliver Wood (who also produced the album) and Marc Ribot on guitar, and John Medeski and Kofi Burbridge on keyboards.

Here is a live performance of Shemekia Copeland performing “Never Going Back to Memphis” in Boston on Nov.21, 2008, which is featured on the CD  Never Going Back (courtesy of Telarc):

=================================================

Title: Blues Attack

Artist:  Shirley Johnson

Label:  Delmark

Format:  CD

Release date: March 10, 2009

-

-

Shirley Johnson, a fixture on the Chicago blues scene, offers up a rollicking good time on her latest album for Delmark. With backing by the Chicago Horns, guitarists Herb Walker and Luke Pytel, and Roosevelt Purifoy on keyboards, Johnson has the ammunition she needs to convincingly deliver hard hitting blues, southern soul standards (“634-5789″ and “Unchain My Heart”), and then funk it up on tracks such as Purifoy’s “My Baby Played Me for a Fool” and Johnson’s own “Blues Attack.”  A very enjoyable album that makes you think about reserving a spot at the Grant Park bandshell for the next Chicago Blues Fest.

=================================================

Title: Tear This World Up

Artist:  Eddie C. Campbell

Label:  Delmark

Format:  CD, MP3

Release date:  May 19, 2009

-

-

Chicago’s Eddie C. Campbell, known as “The King of the West Side Funk Blues,” made his Delmark debut this year, his first release in over a decade.  One of the originator’s of the West Side sound—along with Jimmy Dawkins, Eddy Clearwater, and Buddy Guy—Campbell is known for his reverb-drenched guitar, powerful vocals, and a unique songwriting style, which is amply demonstrated on original songs such as “Makin’ Popcorn,” “Big World,” and “Voodoo.”  He pulls out all the stops on a rendition of Gershwin’s “Summertime,” and pays tribute to Magic Sam on covers of “Easy Baby” and “Love Me With a Feeling.”  Listening to this CD is the next best thing to sitting in a Chicago blues club on a Saturday night.

=================================================

Title: Chicago Blues: A Living History

Artists:  Billy Boy Arnold, John Primer, Billy Branch, Lurrie Bell

Label:  Raisin’ Music

Format:  CD, MP3

Release date:  April 21, 2009

-

This two-CD set features four “inheritors of the Chicago Blues tradition” paying tribute to the evolution of the genre from its earliest days through the present. Many of the city’s past blues masters are covered, including Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Otis Rush, Sonny Boy Williamson, Big Bill Broonzy, Big Maceo, Elmore James, B.B. King, Memphis Slim, Little Walter, Jimmy Reed, Junior Wells, Earl Hooker, Magic Sam and John Lee Hooker, among others.  The first disc, recorded in analog to create a period feel, covers 1940-1955, while the second disc covers  1955 to the present.  A 36 page illustrated booklet rich in historical detail completes the set.

Here is a clip of a performance courtesy of Raisin Music:

=================================================

Title:  Chicago Blues Harmonica Project: More Rare Gems

Artists: Various

Format: CD

Label:  Severn Records

Release date:  May 19, 2009

-
-

This follow-up to 2005’s Diamonds in the Rough features five more contemporary Chicago blues harpists– Reginald Cooper, Russ Green, Harmonica Hinds, Charlie Love and Jeff Taylor, as well as the late Little Arthur Duncan.  The back-up band, dubbed the Chicago Bluesmasters, includes Illinois Slim and Rick Kreher on guitar, Mark Brumbach on piano, and E.G. McDaniel and Twist Turner on bass and drums.  Selections include classics such as Howlin’ Wolf’s “Ooh Baby, Hold Me” and Johnny Guitar Watson’s “Gangster Of Love,” as well as newer compositions.  Severn must be congratulated for their efforts to document and preserve the classic postwar style of blues harp through performances by lesser-known Chicago bearers of the tradition.
==================================================

Posted by Brenda Nelson-Strauss

Title: Brand New Blues

Artist: Cyril Neville

Label: M.C. Records

Format:  CD, MP3

Release date:  April 2009

-
-

Chicago is not the only home to funkified, soulful blues, as is proven by New Orleans native Cyril Neville.  The youngest member of the famous Neville family of musicians and a founding member of the Meters, Cyril’s new solo effort is full of original material drawing upon his work as a human-rights advocate and preservationist, and frequently references the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.  Guest appearances include brother and fellow Meter Art Neville (organ), Ivan Neville (organ), Ian Neville (guitar), Tab Benoit (guitar), Waylon Thibodeaux (washboard) and Jumpin Johnny Sansone (harmonica). This is one of my favorite blues albums on the list, perhaps because I took a couple of trips to New Orleans last year and am still upset that I was a week too early to catch Cyril’s live performance.

Here’s the title track from the album:

=================================================

Title: Pentatonic Wars and Love Songs

Artist:  Otis Taylor

Label:  Telarc

Format:  CD, MP3

Release date: June 23, 2009

-

Taylor explores new territory with his acoustic styled “trance blues,” not only musically but thematically, taking on love songs but still throwing in the requisite tragic spin.  Guests include Irish blues-rock guitarist Gary Moore, jazz pianist Jason Moran, and Ron Miles on cornet, while daughter Cassie Taylor contributes lead vocals on several songs. The tracks alternate between smoky jazz-based blues, folk blues, and more straight ahead acoustic blues.  If you’re into electric Chicago-style blues this album is probably not for you, but if you’re willing to indulge Taylor as he stretches the boundaries of contemporary blues, there is much to satisfy.

Check out “I’m Not Mysterious” from the album:

=======

Posted by Brenda Nelson-Strauss

Title: In the Christmas Groove

Artists: Various

Label:  Strut/!K7

Format: CD

Release Date:  September 29, 2009

No doubt the funkiest holiday CD released this year, In the Christmas Groove is guaranteed to spice up your parties.  The compilation features 12 rare soul, funk and blues tracks from the golden era of ‘60s and ‘70s soul music “when the good groove met the jingle bells to devastating effect.”  Selections include “Boogaloo Santa Claus” by J. D. McDonald, “Funky Funky Christmas” by Electric Jungle, “Soul Santa” by the Funk Machine, a rocking “Auld Lang Syne” by Seattle’s Black on White Affair,  and  an upbeat “Black Christmas [in the ghetto]” by the Harlem Children’s Chorus.  An extensive booklet with original sleeve artwork and liner notes by James Maycock accompanies the CD (unfortunately not included with my promo copy).

Title: Blues, Blues Christmas Volume 2

Artists: Various Label: Document

Format:  2 CDs

Catalog No.: DOCD-32-20-15

Release date: December 2009

Following up on the success of “Blues, Blues Christmas: 1925-1955″ (Volume 1, DOCD-32-20-9), Document has just released a second volume of Christmas songs “in the blues, jazz, boogie-woogie and gospel spirit.”  The budget priced two-CD set includes illustrated liner notes by Jeff Harris and 44 tracks that offer a grab bag of holiday themed entertainment.  Selections range from Blind Lemon Jefferson’s  ”Christmas Eve Blues,” and Lightnin` Hopkins’ “Merry Christmas” to Chuck Berry’s “Run Rudolph, Run,” Fats Waller’s “Swingin’ Them Jingle Bells” and the MoonGlows’ “Hey Santa Claus.”  There’s also plenty of “gospel spirit,” including “When Was Jesus Born” by the Heavenly Gospel Singers,  ”There Was No Room At The Hotel” by the Lucy Smith Jubilee Singers, “Silent Night, Holy Night” by Sister Rosetta Tharpe, and “Sweet Little Jesus Boy” by Wings Over Jordan.

Title: Have a Crazy Cool Christmas

Artist: Kermit Ruffins

Format: CD; MP3

Label: Basin Street Records

Release date: November 10, 2009

New Orleans jazz trumpeter Kermit Ruffins offers a swinging take on holiday classics ranging  from “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” to “Little Drummer Boy,” along with his own holiday compositions “Crazy Cool Christmas” and “A Saint’s Christmas.”  Special guests include Irvin Mayfield on organ, Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews, and members of the Rebirth Brass Band.  Ruffins also adds some respectable vocals to the mix.  This gets our vote for best new holiday release of 2009 in the non-gospel category.

Title: A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector

Artists:  Various

Label: Sony Legacy

Format: CD; MP3

Release Date: October 26, 2009

Originally released in 1963, this compilation has been called “the greatest rock & roll Christmas album of all time” due, in part, to the legendary “wall-of-sound” added by producer Phil Spector.  Featured artists include the Ronettes (“Frosty the Snowman,” “Sleigh Ride,” “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus”), the Crystals (“Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers”), Darlene Love (“White Christmas,” “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home,” “Marshmallow World”), and Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans (“The Bells of St. Mary,” “Here Comes Santa Claus”).  Many thanks to  Sony Legacy for getting this classic back in print.

Title: Ultimate Christmas Collection

Artist:  Jackson 5

Format:  CD; MP3

Label:  Motown

Release Date:  October 13, 2009

Many tribute albums, videos and films have already been released this year, but who can get enough Michael Jackson, especially little Michael with the Jackson 5? This compilation includes the group’s 1970 Christmas album along with other fun bonus tracks, such as MJ’s version of “Little Christmas Tree” and some funky new remixes.  A wonderful bit of nostalgia for us older folks, and an album you’ll want to share with the kids during the holidays.

Posted by Brenda Nelson-Strauss

Artists:  Various

Label:  Numero Group

Format:  Book + 2 LPs

Release date: November 2009

If you’re shopping around for the perfect coffee table book, what could be better than a slick tome that’s packaged with 2 LPs chock full of vintage blues?  Between 1975-1977 photographer Michael Abramson shot images of crowds and performers at various clubs on Chicago’s South Side, and over 100 have been selected for inclusion in the book, which also includes an essay by Nick Hornby.  The accompanying 17 track compiilation features artists such as Little Ed (“It’s a Dream”), Syl Johnson (“Is it Because I’m Black?”), Willie Williams (“Detroit Blues”), Detroit Jr. (“Young Blood”), Bobby Rush (“Bowlegged Woman”), Lucille Span (“Women’s Lib”) and Arlene Brown (“I’m a Steaker Baby”). The tracks have been skillfully remastered, but still retain all of the grit of a South Side Blues club, as illustrated in the official promo:

If you act fast and score one of the first 1000 copies, you’ll also receive a bonus 45 (may only apply to purchases made directly from the Numero site).

Posted by Brenda Nelson-Strauss

Artists: Various

Format:  CD + Calendar (12 x 12)

Publisher: Blues Images

Date:  2009

John Tefteller has produced another great calendar featuring classic artwork and rare photographs of legendary Blues performers.  The 2010 calendar (Vol. 7) is once again accompanied by a not-to-be-missed CD that includes two Henry Townsend songs (newly remastered from the only surviving copy), unreleased songs from Blind Blake and Frank Palmes, plus additional tracks by Charley Patton, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Ma Rainey, Ida Cox, Robert Wilkins, and Skip James. The ideal gift for the blues fan on your list.

Posted by Brenda Nelson-Strauss

Welcome to the October/November issue of Black Grooves.  In celebration of our upcoming conference, Reclaiming the Right to Rock: Black Experiences in Rock Music, which will be hosted on the IU-Bloomington campus on November 13-14, 2009, we’re devoting the entire issue to black rock. Featured are two recent films, Electric Purgatory: The Fate of the Black Rocker (dir. by Raymond Gayle) and White Lies, Black Sheep (dir. by James Spooner, best known for his film Afro-punk).  We’re also covering new releases by Living Colour, BLK JKS, Ben Harper, and Crown of Thorns (led by Jean Beauvoir).  Among the reissues are Ava Cherry’s The Astronette Sessions and the Lafayette Afro Rock Band’s Darkest Light, as well as a previously unreleased album by our favorite funk rock diva Betty Davis.  Finally, you won’t want to miss the new free compilation from Boldaslove.us featuring 17 tracks from some of the hottest black rock artists on the scene today.

Title: White Lies for Dark Times

Artist: Ben Harper and Relentless7

Label: Virgin

Format: CD

Catalog Number: 5099 2 64786 2 3

Release Date: May 5, 2009

With a title like White Lies for Dark Times, I have to admit I was expecting this to be an overtly political album, hopefully containing some hard-hitting tell-it-like-it-is commentary on race relations, poverty, class, and the economy. You won’t find any of that here. What you will find is a gritty, passionate, and eminently solid blues-rock album that chooses its battles but never pulls its punches. The “dark times” here aren’t the external forces of politics, but the inner struggles of the heart and soul, both internally and within intimate relationships.

Leaving his usual backing band, the Innocent Criminals, Ben Harper has teamed up with the Austin-based trio Relentless7 for this recording. Together, they create an unabashed rock album, but one that wears it heritage of blues, soul, and funk on its sleeve. The effect is something that would sound at home in a southern roadhouse, a Chicago blues club, or an outdoor rock festival. At times, Harper and Relentless7 seem to be channeling the spirit of Jimi Hendrix (or at least Lenny Kravitz), but they never come off as blindly imitative or derivative. Harder-hitting songs such as “Number with No Name,” “Lay There & Hate Me,” and “Why Must You Always Dress in Black” explode with wailing guitars, churning bass, and thumping drums. The album’s slow acoustic ballads, notably the understated “Skin Thin” and the softly hopeful closing track “Faithfully Remain,” are remarkably tender and delicate, while still grounded in the rock texture. The mid-tempo “Up to You Now” has the roughness of the faster tracks, but the lead guitar and Harper’s soul-laced tenor wail (somehow reminiscent here of Curtis Mayfield) both ring out sharply over the drums and bass like neon lights flashing in the dark. Following is the official video for the single “Shimmer and Shine” from the album:

Most of the songs take a bitter and wearied look at faded relationships and personal despair. In “Up to You Now,” Harper sings “You wrote a list / with all of your demands / and you nailed it to both of my hands.” He expands on the theme of an entrapping, soured relationship in “Lay There & Hate Me”:

You gave me an eight-page letter
Front and back
Written in your favorite colors
Blood and black
Choose your words so careful
As you’d choose your own grave stone
Lay there and hate me
Better than being alone

Harper has a way with lyrics, however, and a sense of black humor that forces its way out even in such dark times. “Why Must You Always Dress in Black” opens with the quip “You may be a cheap date / but my therapy’s expensive as hell,” while “Keep It Together (So I Can Fall Apart)” finds Harper musing, “I’m not sure what worries me more / the fact that I’m talking to a wall / or that the wall keeps answering me.”

Lyrically, this is pretty bleak stuff, and if the lyrics were the driving force of this album, I don’t know that I could make it through the whole thing more than twice. But as deft and cathartic as the lyrics are, it’s the driving rock and roll energy of the music that carries the work and gives it a sense of exuberance in the face of its dark topical themes. Harper and Relentless7 have put together an album that sounds cohesive and classic from the first listen, without any filler or loss of momentum, and the overall effect is powerful. If these are white lies, don’t bother giving me the truth.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Reviewed by Ann Shaffer

Title: Nothing But Good 1952-1962

Artist: Hank Ballard and the Midnighters

Label: Bear Family (Germany)

Format: 5 CD box set with hardcover book inserted

Catalog No.: 978-3-89916-422-0

Release Date: April 7, 2009

Bear Family Records has done the popular music world a huge service by issuing this five CD box set, Nothing But Good: the King/Federal Labels, 1952-1962, accompanied by a colorfully illustrated 83-page oversized book authored by Bill Dahl. The CDs contain the recordings of the band known variously as the Royals, the Midnighters, and Hank Ballard and the Midnighters, starting with 1953’s “I’m so Blue” and ending with 1962’s “Bring Me Your Love.” The music itself is infectious, reproduced with splendid production values (a Bear Family hallmark), and the package includes alternate takes and previously unreleased tracks.

Significantly, the songs are all ones on which Ballard, not an original Royal, sang lead. In the early going the members shared vocal duties more evenly, but Ballard’s clear, strong voice; faultless phrasing; and songwriting prowess made him the star of the act. As Dahl notes, the Midnighters “were the first Detroit R&B group to transcend their local standing to really make it big on a national basis, and Ballard was their chief source of material.” And as a contemporary of the Midnighters told Dahl, “The Midnighters were the Temptations before the Temptations in Detroit.” [p. 3]

Hank Ballard is probably most often remembered for his role in two incredible pop music phenomena. In 1954 he and the Midnighters recorded a string of records that, despite a near-total lack of mainstream radio airplay, sold in the millions. These were the “Annie” songs: “Work With Me Annie,” “Annie Had a Baby,” “Annie’s Aunt Fannie,” and the thematically linked “Sexy Ways.” Then, in 1958, the Ballard-penned “The Twist” launched a dance craze that lasted a few years (odd for a teen dance craze), transformed how people danced to up-tempo pop music, and inspired dozens of Twist songs by acts as diverse as the Isley Brothers (“Twist and Shout,” “Twistin’ with Linda”), Sam Cooke (“Twistin’ the Night Away”), and Joey Dee and the Starlighters (“The Peppermint Twist”).

Celebrities flocked to Twist clubs like NYC’s Peppermint Lounge to see and be seen twisting. The fad was so pervasive that even TV sitcoms got into the act, with the Dick Van Dyke show, for instance, featuring a rock star creating a teen dance craze with a very Twist-ish “The Twizzle.” The Flintstones got into the act, too, but the less said about “The Twitch” as performed by prehistoric cartoon character Rock Roll, the better. “The Twist” reached number one on the American pop charts twice, in both 1960 and 1962. Unfortunately both times it was the cover version of the song done by Chubby Checker. Ballard’s version had been the B-side of the 1959 release “Teardrops On Your Letter,” when Dick Clark heard it and either arranged for Checker to record it or strongly suggested Philadelphia record label Cameo Parkway have Checker record it. The depth of Clark’s involvement in covering “The Twist” varies according to the source, but he indubitably promoted Checker’s version on his American Bandstand television show, the main source of televised rock music in those pre-MTV days.

In between and after these notable recordings, Hank Ballard and the Midnighters produced a string of solid R&B recordings and inspired and influenced a roster of future pop music stars including a young singer from Georgia named James Brown. After catching Hank and the Midnighters in concert in Greenville, S.C., Brown vowed he’d soon “be onstage doing the very same thing.” [p. 3]

There should be no mistaking the fact that Hank Ballard and the Midnighters were trying to record commercially successful records, as were all of Syd Nathan’s King and Federal label acts. Dahl provides a brief history of the business side of the story. Nathan, arguably the equal of the vaunted Leonard Chess, ran his Cincinnati-based record company as an enthusiastically for-profit business, but he knew his musical stuff. Included on this set is an alternative, more mainstream-friendly version of “Work With Me Annie,” in which the lyric was softened from “Give me all my meat” to “Make it oh so sweet,” but Nathan released the bawdier version anyway even though it meant much less radio exposure. A new book due out this September (Fox, Jon Hartley. King of the Queen City; ISBN: 978025203468; Urbana, Ill. : ­University of Illinois Press) tells Nathan’s story in greater detail and constitutes a valuable reference for this package (and music collections in general).

Perhaps not surprisingly, when other artists tried to record cover versions of the Midnighters’ hits, they strategically changed some of Ballard’s lyrics. Jerry Lee Lewis cut a version of “Sexy Ways” as “Cool, Cool Ways,” but the Killer’s efforts required multiple takes because he kept singing the original lyrics. The bawdy nature of the lyrics in the “Annie” songs and “Sexy Ways” may have inoculated Hank & the Midnighters from a lot of the sales hell inflicted on R&B artists by pop artists covering their works and getting more mainstream airplay and, therefore, sales. It was much more difficult for a Pat Boone, for instance, to convincingly rework lyrics like Ballard’s than to simply cover more innocuous fare (which he did with alacrity). Dahl nicely details these ins and outs of ‘50s airplay and sales strategies and the listening is the better for knowing the context and the risks being taken. Incidentally, Ballard’s toned down self-cover of “Sexy Ways,”—retitled “Cute Little Ways”– is included in this set.

The “Annie” songs inspired a significant reply from Etta James titled “The Wallflower” on the disc, but the chorus revealed its real title as “Roll With Me, Henry.” James’ response was then covered by Georgia Gibbs, whose “Dance With Me Henry” hit the charts in 1955. In turn, the Midnighters answered Etta if not Georgia with “Henry’s Got Flat Feet (Can’t Dance No More),” bringing the Annie cycle to a close. All of Ballard’s Annie songs are included here.

Three versions of “The Twist” are among the 150 tracks included on the set: Ballard’s 1958 demo and the more up-tempo 1959 version, one with an overdubbed buzzing saxophone part and one without. There are also a few “Twist” sequels (“Do You Know How to Twist,” “It’s Twistin’ Time,” “Good Twistin’ Tonight,” and “Miss Twister”) as Ballard, no doubt with encouragement from Nathan, sought to maximize sales while the twist dance craze prevailed. Soon enough, Ballard, with and without the Midnighters, would be recording other dance songs like “The Continental Walk,” “The Float,” “The Coffee Grind,” etc. Dahl wisely devotes a good deal of text to the details of how “The Twist” came into being, but why Nathan never released it as an A-side, despite the song being a big reason he renewed the band’s contract during a time of slow sales in the late-1950s, remains a mystery.

Covering other artists’ hot records was a widespread practice and although Checker’s Dick Clark-endorsed version of “The Twist” arguably cost Ballard a fortune in revenues by outselling it, the Midnighters also indulged in covering other artists’ output from time to time. For instance, they were just one act to cash in on the song “Kansas City.” As Dahl relates in delicious detail, the first Fury Records pressing of “Kansas City” in 1959 credited singer Wilbert Harrison with composing the R&B classic. This was the version of the song that hit #1 on the R&B charts, but Harrison had not composed it, Jerrry Leiber and Mike Stoller had, in 1951; Harrison had simply claimed it as his own. The song bounced from artist to artist and label to label throughout the ‘50s (not unlike dub plates in Jamaica in the 1970s). After Harrison’s version hit big, Little Richard recorded it for Specialty, and King released Ballard and the Midnighters’ version in 1959.

Other hits amongst the set’s 150 tracks include “Look at Little Sister” (which Stevie Ray Vaughan famously reworked), “Daddy’s Little Baby,” “Sugaree,” “Finger Poppin’ Time,” and dozens of other danceable selections, with a very few choice ballads. And two versions of “Santa Claus is Coming” round out this musical gift for all seasons. Overall, this is an exemplary and vital package of first rate 1950s R&B.

Reviewed by Mike Tribby

Title: Take Me to the Water: Immersion Baptism in Vintage Music and Photography 1890-1950

Format:  Book with CD

Catalog No.: DTD-13
ISBN: 978-0-9817342-1-7
Publisher: Dust-to-Digital
Release Date: May 26, 2009

Dust-to-Digital has done it again. The company that produced Goodbye Babylon, a wonderful historical CD set of early gospel recordings lovingly tucked into a wooden crate packed with genuine southern cotton, has followed up with another unique gospel offering.  Take Me to the Water: Immersion Baptism in Vintage Music and Photography 1890-1950 is half picture book, half liner notes in the form of a hardcover book with an accompanying CD affixed inside the back cover.

The bulk of the 96-page book features beautifully reproduced sepia-toned photographs of  “immersion baptism” from the collection of Jim Linderman; that is, out-of-doors full body immersion in lakes and rivers, often en masse. Included are some extremely rare, early images of African American baptisms such as the panorama stretching across the back and front covers labeled “Black Billy Sunday, Indianapolis, Aug. 3, 1919, Baptising at Fall Creek” (one of the few images with such a complete identification).  A brief essay by Luc Sante provides the context necessary to understand the images, including a general history of baptism, an overview of the featured denominations, and a description of the settings and emotionally charged states of the participants.

Take Me to the Water from Dust-to-Digital on Vimeo.

Now, on to the music. The 25 “Songs and Sermons” on the accompanying CD are “derived from extremely rare records” from the collections of Steven Lance Ledbetter (Dust-to-Digital’s owner/producer) and legendary record collector Joe Bussard, among others, and ” have been remastered to produce the best possible sound.”  Ledbetter also wrote the accompanying liner notes, included at the end of the book. The tracks, of course, all have a baptism/water theme, including various renditions of “Wade in the Water” (a few also appeared on Goodbye Babylon). Selections range from such African American heavyweights as the Rev. J. M. Gates (his singing sermon “Baptize Me” from 1926) to lesser known artists such as Moses Mason (“Go Wash in the Beautiful Stream’) and Rev. E. D. Campbell (“Take Me to the Water”).  White southern gospel artists include the Carter Family (“On My Way to Canaan’s Land”), the Carolina Tar Heels (“I’ll Be Washed”), and Ernest Stoneman’s Dixie Mountaineers (“Down to Jordan and Be Saved”).

Together, the photographs and music make a stunning package. As Sante states in his essay, “Whether you have ever actually experienced a baptism or not, whether you are a believer or not, these pictures and the music that accompanies them transmit all the emotional information: the excitement and the serenity, the fellowship and the warmth, the wind and the water.”

Reviewed by Brenda Nelson-Strauss

Title: The Bright Mississippi

Artist: Allen Toussaint

Label: Nonesuch

Format: CD (also available as MP3 and LP)

Catalog No.: 480380-2

Release date: April 2009

For more than 50 years, New Orleans native Allen Toussaint has occupied an exalted position in American pop musical life as a hit-making producer, songwriter, performer, arranger, and studio owner. He’s had great success with R&B stars Ernie K-Doe, Irma Thomas and Lee Dorsey, gotten funky with The Meters and Dr. John, and crafted horn charts for The Band’s live shows (captured in 1971/2’s Rock Of Ages album), to mention only a small fraction of his work. His song “Southern Nights” was a #1 hit on the country and pop charts in 1977 (via Glen Campbell’s cover version); he’s written a theater play; composed, directed, and performed in off- and on-Broadway productions; co-founded a charity non-profit organization in New Orleans with Aaron Neville; and, along the way, won election to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

But, until 2005’s Going Places (released on Toussaint’s son’s indy-label, Captivating Recording Technologies) and now 2009’s The Bright Mississippi (Nonesuch), the 71-year-old Toussaint had never recorded a jazz album. And make no mistake. The Bright Mississippi is not a pop or R&B effort, but one firmly grounded in the jazz tradition. While it draws its inspiration from the repertoire of heavyweights such as Beiderbecke, Bechet, Ellington, Monk, Reinhardt, Morton, Armstrong, and George Lewis, the song choices are personal and not overly obvious, in general shying away from the tried-and-true (“Solitude” and “St. James Infirmary” notwithstanding). His sidemen, too, are a quirky bunch of current generation jazz polymaths (Don Byron, Marc Ribot, Nicolas Payton are all in the band; Brad Mehldau and Joshua Redman each sit in on one tune), a testament to the esteem and respect Toussaint commands within the jazz community. Toss in the fact that Toussaint himself has always been a pianist of great gifts, with a lovely touch and grace to spare, and The Bright Mississippi would seem to be a can’t-miss affair. So, with all that going for it, why does this disc leave me so unmoved?

The proceedings begin promisingly enough with an atmospheric take on Bechet’s “Egyptian Fantasy,” featuring a loose, sloppy, pseudo-1940s acoustic bass and drum sound courtesy of producer Joe Henry, bassist David Piltch, and drummer Jay Bellerose. But things turn problematic from here. Creamer and Layton’s “Dear Old Southland” (erroneously credited in the liner notes), a too-jaunty “St. James Infirmary,” and Payton’s feature “Singin’ The Blues” are all expertly played, but nothing much seems to actually happen. Toussaint gently muses away at the ivories, and the downtown youngbloods strum and tootle along politely and bloodlessly, almost as if cowed by the burden of following in Louis’ and Bix’s grand old shoes. Jelly Roll Morton’s “Winin’ Boy Blues” — performed as a duet by Toussaint and Mehldau — fares better, but even here the more adventurous dissonances in the pianists’ playing seem too calculated, their chromatic spookiness leavened by cutesy quotes from the Twilight Zone theme and “The Flight Of The Bumblebee.” So it goes. Payton’s opening cadenza to “West End Blues” — a trumpeter’s invitation to the spotlight if ever there was one — has all the glee and brio of a damp firecracker, and even fine solo turns by Ribot and Toussaint can’t overcome the general malaise.

The best moments in The Bright Mississippi tend to be courtesy of Joshua Redman — an excellent ballad player who livens up his Ellington/Hodges feature (“Day Dream”) with some unexpected but ever-so-welcome blues squeals — and Marc Ribot, whose solos are impressive throughout, especially on his Django Reinhardt feature, “Blue Drag.” But even here, I can’t help but wish that Ribot had brought along his electric axe and box of goodies. Like Bill Frisell, part of Ribot’s talent lies with his ear for timbre and tone, and the monochromatic, rather dry acoustic guitar sound imposed upon him by Henry seems at times to unnecessarily constrain this highly imaginative player.

The one unqualified success is the title track, Thelonious Monk’s 1962 take on the “Sweet Georgia Brown” chord changes. An unbuttoned delight, Toussaint and crew reimagine the tune as a sashaying, slightly demented Dixieland ramble, playful and sly. Perhaps Monk’s music is more readily intelligible, more familiar and therefore more open to re-interpretation by these younger musicians than the musty rummagings from the 1920s and ’30s old-tyme jazz closet. Regardless, it’s a joyful performance that will remain in rotation on my iPod for the foreseeable future. “Long, Long Journey” also captures some of this spirit, although again the performance is overly studied, and I could only wish Toussaint had Eddie Condon’s mob backing him up during the final shout chorus instead of players who seem more comfortable with the hot jazz tradition in theory than in practice.

Jazz albums by pop musicians are tricky affairs; Toussaint’s is not the only one to flinch in the face of History and Tradition (Charlie Watts’ and Ry Cooder’s efforts, just to mention a couple, suffer from more or less similar flaws). Toussaint almost certainly has a terrific jazz album in him — jazz elements permeate his past work in the pop realm, not to mention the musical life of his native city — but The Bright Mississippi is not it.

The best jazz is neither polite nor boring. It spends more time looking forward than back, rarely taking a straight path when there are interesting byways to explore. These lessons are clearly on display in Toussaint’s pop work, but here, the ever-fatal “jazz repertory” elements are much too strong, burying choice tunes and the occasional felicitous moment under a cascade of lavender and ruffles. And the band, though comprised of players with strong, distinctive musical voices, seems overly deferential, as though overawed at being in the presence of Greatness and Genius. Producer Henry’s execrable liner notes don’t help, puffing up The Project as though it were the jazz equivalent of the Grand Unified Theory Of Everything, but never deigning to discuss those aspects of the session that might actually be interesting (such as the song choices, the selection of the musicians, or the atmosphere during the recording sessions). But, now that Toussaint has played it safe, maybe next time he’ll bring on board someone like John Zorn or Dave Douglas, just to keep everyone focused on the path ahead. In the meantime, there’s always songs like “Shoo-rah, Shoo-rah” and “What Do You Want The Girl To Do?” to remind us of Toussaint’s true greatness and genius.

Reviewed by Terry Simpkins

Welcome to the May 2009 issue of Black Grooves.  This month we’re featuring two more entries in our ongoing look at black rock, including the latest release by the up and coming southern rap-rock band Whole Wheat Bread, and a newly edited and expanded edition of the documentary on the making of Jimi Hendrix’s landmark concept album, Electric Ladyland.  Just in time for Mother’s Day is Dorothy Norwood’s Fifty Years – It’s Been Worth It All (with several Mother themed songs); other gospel titles include Oh Happy Day: An All-star Music Celebration featuring duets between sacred and secular artists, and a two-disc Hommage to the Golden Gate Quartet.  Under the hip hop category, we’re profiling Aceyalone’s The Lonely Ones, an album guaranteed to appeal to R&B fans, as well as Russell Myrie’s authorized biography of Public Enemy.  Also in this issue are reviews of the latest albums by Ruthie Foster, Mavis Staples, Greg Tate’s free jazz collective known as Burnt Sugar the Arkestra Chamber, and The Easy Star’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band, an extremely appealing reinvention of the Beatle’s classic album.

Title: The Truth According to Ruthie Foster

Artist:  Ruthie Foster

Label: Blue Corn Music

Catalog No.:  BCM 70901

Release date: February 3, 2009

Following up 2007’s The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster, Ruthie Foster once again showcases her roots-based blend of blues, soul, gospel, and folk rock.  Similar to fellow blues-rocker Danielia Cotton, Texas-born Foster cut her musical teeth singing gospel in church, learning rock songs, and listening to country radio with her grandfather.  Both reflect the fusion of their childhood experiences, though Foster swings to folk influences more than the rock and country that pervade Cotton’s music.

Drawing on those gospel roots, Foster certainly does step up to testify on The Truth; all eleven songs weave a sort of sermon out of hard times, hope, and Foster’s gritty, powerful voice.  The song selection covers equal parts covers and original tracks.  Foster’s originals slant towards the positive side of life, emphasizing love, perseverance, and gratitude.  “Stone Love” is a strong opening track, with a funky electric blues groove and anthemic lyrics such as “You see your worries, they’ll be alright / Just look around you, see that love is winning the fight.”  “Joy on the Other Side” has the acoustic sound of Delta blues or old-time string bands, with the celebratory verve of gospel.  Foster’s central message comes in the aptly-named “Truth,” in which she proclaims “Truth is right where you are.”

While Foster’s own songwriting voice is powerful, several of her covers stand out as the stronger tracks, allowing Foster’s voice to really shine.  Not coincidentally, these are the songs dealing with downward turns of fortune, whether material or spiritual, and Foster brings out the raw catharsis of blues in them.  “Nickel and a Nail” sounds like it emerged from a dark, smokey blues club on a summer night, with Foster’s voice taking on a growly and world-weary tone reminiscent of Janis Joplin.  “When It Don’t Come Easy” is simultaneously wistful, exhausted, hopeful, and comforting in its message of strength and love in hard times.

In spite of these stronger tracks, the album as a whole is somewhat uneven.  The light, reggae-styled “I Really Love You” feels out of place both in style and emotional intensity, even in the stylistically diverse selections on this album.  “(You Keep Me) Hangin’ On,” “Love in the Middle,” and “Thanks for the Joy,” while more stylistically consistent with the rest of the album, are also more forgettable.  Overall, one has to listen through The Truth According to Ruthie Foster quite a few times before any of the tracks start to stand out from each other.  While this kind of slow burn isn’t always a bad thing, Foster’s voice is phenomenal and it’s a shame that the album as a whole doesn’t showcase it to its fullest.

Following is a mini-documentary featuring Ruthie Foster at the Blue Rock studios in Wimberly, Texas:

Posted by Ann Shaffer

Welcome to the April 2009 issue of Black Grooves.  This month, in our ongoing series on black rock, we’re featuring  Living Colour’s new  DVD/CD The Paris Concert, recorded in July 2007. We’re also reviewing two wonderful new gospel releases:  I Got Two Wings, a book and companion CD about “the two-winged preacher and electric guitar evangelist Elder Utah Smith” by Lynn Abbott, and the new Israel Houghton CD The Power of One.  Other reviews include  hip hop icon Grandmaster Flash’s first release in twenty years, The Bridge: Concept of a Culture;  political rap artist Paris’s recent release Acid Reflex; and the Book of Rhymes: The Poetics of Hip Hop, by English lit professor Adam Bradley (which, by the way, references both Grandmaster Flash and Paris).  Wrapping up this issue is Heavy D’s latest project, the reggae oriented Vibes; India.Arie’s Testimony Vol. 2; the new compilation Classic Protest Songs from Smithsonian Folkways; and a reissue of the live 1963 Atco recording Apollo Saturday Night.  Last but not least, see our plug for 2009 Record Store Day, to be held April 18.

Title: Classic Protest Songs from Smithsonian Folkways

Artists:  Various

Label: Smithsonian Folkways

Catalog No.: SFW 40197

Release Date: 2009

War, social injustice, personal plaints, and calls for action have long fueled musical creation and performance—Liner Notes.

Folkways Records, founded by Moses Asch in 1948, emerged on the heels of the social protests of the 1930s and 1940s.  In fact, Asch created something of a haven for left-leaning musicians, both black and white, such as Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, and Josh White, who became staples of the famous folk music label.  For this compilation, Jeff Place and Mark Gustafson (Smithsonian Folkways’ staff) selected 22 tracks from the Folkways’ vault, as well as from other labels more recently acquired by Smithsonian Folkways, including Monitor and Paragon (the latter was founded in 1970 to document the music of political movements worldwide).  An effort was made to represent a broad spectrum of the struggles for economic and social justice, from anti-war protests to civil rights anthems to songs used by union organizers and the labor movement. Place and Gustafson also sought to demonstrate that protest songs did not originate with the folk music revival, thus a number of pre-1950 tracks were included.

African American artists are well represented on this compilation.  The disc opens with the “Freedom Now Chant,” sung by participants during a Civil Rights era mass-meeting in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and collected by noted scholar Bernice Johnson Reagon. One of the most famous African American folk singers, Huddie Ledbetter, a.k.a. Lead Belly, is represented by a 1930 recording of “Bourgeois Blues,” inspired by the time (presumably one of many) that he was denied a room in a Washington, D.C. hotel.

Big Bill Broonzy, perhaps equally famous as one of the seminal pre-WWII blues artists, contributes “Black, Brown, and White,” a song so controversial in the U.S. that he ended up recording it in Europe.  For those who aren’t familiar with the song, the refrain is “If you was white, you’re alright / if you’re brown, stick around / but if you’re black, oh brother, get back, get back, get back.”

An even more controversial song, “Strange Fruit,” is provided by Brother John Sellers, a blues and gospel singer who moved to Chicago during the Great Migration. His 1961 arrangement with flute, guitar, and drum accompaniment offers an interesting contrast to the classic Billie Holiday version, though I find that the flute distracts from the haunting lyrics.

One of the gems on the set is a previously unreleased 1946 recording by Champion Jack Dupree, “I’m Going To Write the Governor of Georgia,” referencing the racism he continued to confront upon his return to the U.S. after WWII, and implying that he was treated little better than he had been during his two years as a Japanese P.O.W.  Obviously the song made little difference, for Dupree fled to Europe in the 1950s and didn’t return until shortly before his death in the early ‘90s.

Classic Protest Songs comes with a well-illustrated, well-annotated 29 p. booklet which includes a bibliography and discography of suggested reading/listening.  If you don’t have the original Folkways/Paredon/Monitor recordings, this compilation will make a fine addition to your collection.

Posted by Brenda Nelson-Strauss

“The best album I ever produced that nobody’s ever heard”—David Axelrod.

William Edgar John, better known as Little Willie John due to his short stature, was born in Arkansas in 1937 and spent his formative years in Detroit with his sister, Dr. Mable John, a former member of Ray Charles’ Raelettes and the first female artist signed by Berry Gordy.  Something of a prodigy, Willie began touring with Paul Williams & His Orchestra when he was just 16.  Two years later he landed a recording contract with King Records in Cincinnati where he produced a long string of hit records including “Fever,” which climbed to #1 on the R&B charts in 1956 and was later covered by Peggy Lee and Elvis Presley. His 1955 recording of “I Need Your Love So Bad” has been cited as one of the first soul songs, along with Ray Charles’ “I Got a Woman,” recorded by Atlantic the previous year.

In 1964, at a time when Willie’s career was beginning to lag, he stabbed a man during a bar brawl and was sent to prison. Two years later, while out on appeal, Capitol Records organized a recording session for him, produced by the legendary team of H.B. Barnum and David Axelrod and backed by their regular session musicians, including bassist Carole Kaye, drummer Earl Palmer, saxophonist Clifford Scott, and guitarist Les Buie (who occasionally worked with James Brown).  The result was this previously unreleased “lost album,” which has been sitting in Capitol’s vaults for years due to contractual issues (Willie was still under contract to King at the time of the session).

Nineteen Sixty Six: The David Axelrod & HB Barnum Sessions kicks off with three tracks drawn from the first recording session held on the evening of February 19, 1966, two of which feature songs previously recorded by Willie. An updated version of “Country Girl” (a.k.a. “Home at Last”), originally released in 1955 by King, opens the set. Following are two  blues songs subjected to Willie’s special soul-infused treatment-”Suffering With The Blues,” which he originally recorded for King in 1956, and  “I Had A Dream” (a.k.a. “Just a Dream”).

The session scheduled five days later took a ninety degree turn. Instead of the R&B/ jump blues combo, the horns were replaced with a ten piece string section, and back-up vocalists were added, including Barnum’s sister Billie.  The producers’ imprint is all over this jazz and pop-oriented session, which bears a closer resemblance to Barnum’s 1960s productions with Frank Sinatra and Axelrod’s early work with Lou Rawls, not to mention some of Willie’s early ‘60s tracks for King, such as “Loving Care.”   The session begins with a great soul cover of Johnny Ace’s 1954 classic “Never Let Me Go.”  Following is perhaps the most incongruous track from this session, a truly inspired soulful rendition of Rogers and Hammerstein’s “If I Loved You” from the musical Carousel, which I didn’t immediately recognize, but now have played multiple times for family and friends (as in “see if you recognize this!”). No doubt the producers hoped to piggyback on the success of Nat King Cole Sings My Fair Lady, released by Capitol two years earlier. Other tracks from this session include the ballad “(I Need) Someone” and a bluesy version of “Welcome to the Club,” which was also popularized by Nat King Cole in a jazz arrangement recorded in 1958. Though this string session sounds oddly retro for a 1966 era R&B/soul singer, it is still very enjoyable and showcases a distinctly different side of Willie as a pop-oriented balladeer.

Later that afternoon the strings were sent home and the band gets its groove back with the smoking blues standard “Early in the Morning,” followed by one of the best tracks on the CD, “In The Dark,” which aptly demonstrates Willies vocal range and flexibility. Willie’s only original song on the album, “Crying in the Dark,” returns again to the blues idiom, and features some great solos by the band.  The session concludes with “You Are My Sunshine,” which once again shows Willie’s ability to completely transform a standard into a powerful demonstration of gospel-tinged soul. The remaining nine bonus tracks include alternate takes and stereo mixes.

Sadly, Little Willie John’s court appeal was overturned shortly after these recording sessions concluded, and he returned to prison. Two years later he died in the Washington state penitentiary in Walla Walla, just five months after a fatal plane crash claimed the life of soul superstar Otis Redding.  Though during his lifetime Willie achieved wide acclaim, he is seldom mentioned in the same breath as his contemporaries—Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, and James Brown, among others—who were also instrumental in transforming gospel and rhythm and blues music into soul.  However, recent years have seen a resurgence of interest in Willie’s career, leading to several good retrospective CD compilations as well as an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. At least one biography is also in progress, and Kent may have another project in the works. Perhaps Little Willie John will finally take his rightful place as one of the first soul singers.

Posted by Brenda Nelson-Strauss

Title: Ain’t Times Hard: Political and Social Comment in the Blues

Artists: Various
Label: JSP
Catalog No.: 77109
Release date:  October 2008

British label JSP Records has been steadily culling the annals and crevices of American vernacular musics and creating invaluable box sets of off-the-beaten-path roots music.  JSP box sets, which all contain four or five CDs, are compiled from the familiar and the unknown, arranged chronologically, and presented with limited but generally thoughtful and well written liner notes.  They have made a name for themselves by refining their product to the essentials, keeping the cost low, and it works- their sets are generally less than $30.

Ain’t Times Hard is an attempt by blues historian Neil Slaven (credited as compiler and annotator) to document a theme of political and social commentary in the blues during the first half of the 20th century.  The project is successful by the nature of the form, in that the blues has often commented on hard times brought on by circumstance, and by the specific selection of songs that speak to the particulars of the early 20th century.  Ain’t Times Hard limits those circumstances to the social, and by association, the political.  Hard times brought on by women, drink, or other such vices are given a pass this time around.

As David Evans, scholar and bluesman, has written: “[Blues] became more introspective, self-absorbed, individualistic, serious and worldly at the very time that the majority of Whites were viewing all Blacks as an undifferentiated social caste with stereotyped mental behavioral traits that cast them as ignorant, humorous, and carefree.”(1)  Ain’t Times Hard takes this notion one step further by exploring not only the general internal strife of black Americans, but their relationships and commentary on historically located events, situations, and injustices from 1928 to 1954.

The exciting and significant difference between most JSP box sets, and Ain’t Times Hard is no exception, is that the recordings selected are not the standard of any genre, but rather are selected to attempt a broader picture of the time, location, or topic set forth.  What we have then in this box set is, like a blues song, variations on a repeated theme, “Political and Social Comment in the Blues.”

The first disc addresses both general and specific hard times brought on by the Great Depression, such as Leroy Carr’s “Depression Blues” or, as Barbeque Bob calls it in “Bad Time Blues,” “the panic crash.” Lyrics recount hard times in familiar terms of joblessness, hunger, and depression, as well as in unfamiliar histories, seen in Charlie McCoy and Bo Carter’s “The Northern Starvers Are Returning Home,” which tells the story of migrants who, at a loss for jobs in the North, return to the South.

Disc two addresses historical moments such as the Mississippi Flood of 1927 and the ensuing damage. Selections include Lucille Bogan’s “Red Cross Man,” Walter Roland’s “Red Cross Blues no. 2,” and Walter Davis’s “Red Cross Blues.”

Disc three gives variations on the hard times of the unemployed, living in Hoovervilles, and the low wages and poor conditions of available jobs.  During the 1930s we see many songs describing the difficult times with WPA and PWA jobs, as well as life on relief and “charity.”  Even with a job, hard times persisted, as evidenced in Peetie Wheatstraw’s “Working On the Project,” or Lonnie Johnson’s “Hard Times Ain’t Gone Nowhere,” singing “People is ravin’ about hard times, I don’t know why they should… If some people was like me, they didn’t have money when times was good.”

The last disc brings in new sounds to familiar themes.  Jump blues and boogie-woogie enter the mix, singing and swinging about hard times during war and post-war “Reconversion Blues” times, as Ivory Joe Hunter calls it.  As troops returned from overseas, unemployment among black populations rose and hard times continued in familiar terms.  The general plight of working class African Americans is given specific political voice as well as target in J.B. Lenoir’s “Eisenhower Blues.”

The collection provides an ironic twist to the phrase “Ain’t Times Hard,” which casts a light on the struggle and suffering of African Americans that lead to the Civil Rights Movement. Times were indeed always hard for black Americans, it was just the specifics that changed.  I do not think it is by any means a coincidence that the last track in the collection was cut in 1954, the year of Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka, KS.  No doubt that times would be hard for blacks in the coming years, perhaps harder than they had been in a long time, but the times were changing, and a whole new set of social and political circumstances now began to take effect.

(1) Evans, David.  2006. “Blues.” In African American Music: An Introduction,  eds. Portia Maultsby and Mellonee Burnim, 79-96.  New York: Routledge.

Posted by Thomas Richardson

A comprehensive new history of the Delta blues by noted jazz author Ted Gioia, which journeys from Mississippi to Chicago while tracing the careers of many famous blues recording artists, including Charley Patton, Son House, Robert Johnson, John Lee Hooker, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters and B.B. King. This book will make a fine addition to any blues collection, and is recommended for public as well as academic libraries.

Blues Empress in Black Chattanooga: Bessie Smith and the Emerging Urban South, by Michelle R. Scott. (University of Illinois Press, August 2008).

The latest biography of Bessie Smith (1892-1937), the famous blues singer and entertainer who was originally known as the “queen of the blues” and gradually worked her way up to “empress.”  While this might not be the definitive biography (there are several others in print, most notably Chris Albertson’s Bessie),  it does include interesting discussions of the black entertainment industry, as well as the African American community within Chattanooga.

Swing Along: The Musical Life of Will Marion Cook, by Marva Carter. (Oxford University Press, September 2008)

Will Marion Cook was one of the most important African American composers in the early 20th century, and a comprehensive biography is long overdue. Carter draws upon  Cook’s unfinished autobiography as well as his wife Abbie’s memoir, and includes analyses of his most important works, including the musicals In Dahomey and Swing Along.  This is a must read for anyone interested in Black music and musical theater between 1890-1920.

Icons of R&B and Soul: An Encyclopedia of the Artists who Revolutionized Rhythm, by Bob Gulla (Greenwood Press, 2008).

A wonderful two volume survey of artists including Ray Charles, Little Richard, Fats Domino, Ruth Brown, Sam Cooke, Etta James, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, The Supremes, Temptations, Berry Gordy, Stevie Wonder, Otis Redding, Ike & Tina Turner, Curtis Mayfield, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, and Prince. Intended for public and school libraries, the volumes include selective bibliographies and discographies, as well as a multitude of side bars addressing everything from social issues to record labels, timelines, and chart topping hits.

The Funk Era and Beyond: New Perspectives on Black Popular Culture, by Tony Bolden. (Palgrave MacMillan, August, 2008)

In the words of our Director, Dr. Portia Maultsby, “This engaging book takes the reader on a journey across the multi-layered and multidisciplinary terrain of funk. This series of essays on music and the visual and literary arts reveal how ‘da funk’ represents innovation and aesthetic principles rooted in the Black vernacular, which defines the uniqueness of Black creativity. The Funk Era and Beyond is a must-read to understand funk as a philosophy, an attitude, a way of life, and more broadly, a cultural phenomena.”

A Power Stronger Than Itself: The AAMC and Experimental Music, by George E. Lewis. (University Of Chicago Press, May 2008).

This nearly 700 page tome documents the history of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians and the avant-garde jazz scene in Chicago. A major contribution to jazz research, the book is scholarly yet highly readable and entertaining. The author also does a more than admirable job of entertwining the music scene with the racial and cultural aspects of the Chicago landscape.

This album is a great deal of fun, showcasing a completely different side of Willie Nelson as a blues crooner. The jump-blues numbers draw heavily upon the Texas and New Orleans influences of these two legends, and as one might expect, the jazz standards really cook as well. The recordings stem from the January 12 and 13, 2007 Jazz at Lincoln Center concert billed as “Willie Nelson Sings the Blues.” Highlights include Nelson’s rendition of Hoagy Carmichael’s “Stardust,” the classic “Georgia On My Mind,” “Caldonia” and “Rainy Day Blues.”

B.B. King.  One Kind Favor (Geffen Records, August 2008)

The legendary B.B. King never seems to slow his pace, even as an octogenarian, and consequently he’s one of the few elder statemen to receive a Grammy nod for 2009. This album, produced by T Bone Burnett, is a return to the roots of the “King of the blues” and features such classics as Blind Lemon Jefferson’s “See That My Grave Is Kept Clean,” T-Bone Walker’s “I Get So Weary,” and Big Bill Broonzy’s “Backwater Blues.” Backing is provided by New Orleans pianist Dr. John, along with Jim Keltner on drums and Nathan East on bass.  The CD should have concluded with the Mississippi Sheiks’ “Sitting on Top of the World” (the penultimate track), since this certainly describes King’s place in the blues lexicon.

The Roy Hargove Quintet.  Ear Food (Emarcy, June 2008)

Jazz trumpeter/bandleader Roy Hargrove’s latest offering includes thirteen tracks of post-bop jazz that bring more than a little soul into the mix.  In addition to seven original tunes, the album includes some great covers, ranging from Cedar Walton’s “I’m Not So Sure” to “Speak Low” (by Kurt Weill & Ogden Nash) to Sam Cooke’s “Bring It On Home to Me.”  You don’t have to be a hardcore jazz afficionado to enjoy this CD, which appeals to a wide fan base without EVER entering the smooth jazz territory.

S.M.V.   Thunder (Heads Up, August 2008)

S.M.V. is a new jazz-fusion supergroup composed of three of the greatest living bass players: Stanley Clarke, Marcus Miller, and Victor Wooten.  What more is there to say? This is an album full of virtuoso performances and unique arrangements, with contributions from Chick Corea and George Duke.  And, as one might expect from this crew, there is plenty of funk to go around, plus more than a dash of latin.

Solomon Burke.  Like a Fire (Shout Factory, June 2008)

Pioneering soul singer Solomon Burke has released a wide variety of genre-bending albums in the past, including his country masterpiece Nashville (2006). What is unique about his latest offering is that each track was composed especially for him by an all-star group of songwriters, including Steve Jordan (the producer of the album), Eric Clapton (who wrote the title track), Ben Harper (who also sings with Burke on “A Minute To Rest and a Second To Pray”), and Jesse Harris and Keb’ Mo, who each contribute backing vocals and guitar on their songs. This CD has been nominated for a Grammy in the Best Contemporary Blues Album category, which is a mystery, since there is nothing bluesy about it.

John Lee Hooker, Jr.  All Odds Against Me (CC/Copycats, August 2008)

The son of famous blues singer John Lee Hooker is poised to carry on the family tradition.  “Born in “Motor” City Detroit with Delta blues-filled blood running through his Motown veins,” John Jr. toured with his father while still a teen but his career was unfortuantely derailed by drugs and alcohol. He returned to the music scene in 2004, winning a number of awards with his debut album Blues With a Vengeance.  His latest comtemporary urban blues release is the first to include all original tracks, and has already garnered a Grammy nomination.

Pine Top Perkins and Friends (Telarc, June 2008)

This album was produced as a tribute to Perkins, who celebrated his 95th birthday on July 7, 2008. There is something to be said for Perkins not reaching out to the wider arena of pop music guests for his “Friends” album, as so many have done. The biggest names here are B.B. King and Eric Clapton, who both sit in for one cut each. Jimmy Vaughn stays for four tracks and provides the most satisfying musical exchanges of the short, ten song album. Also featured are bassist Willie Kent (who passed away in March 2008) and drummer Willie “Big Eyes” Smith.  Perkins still plays like a master, and his voice isn’t bad either. All in all, a fitting tribute to the legendary blues pianist.

To Be Free: The Nina Simone Story is a four disc (3 CDs + DVD) box set that chronologically covers the 36 year recording career of pianist/singer Nina Simone. Released by Legacy Recordings, the set is unique in providing a career-long profile of Simone’s music and life. A total of 51 songs comprise the compact discs. The DVD is a 23 minute audio/visual montage of 10 song and interview segments. Expansive and well researched liner notes are included with a brief overview on the artist by Ed Ward and background on the compilation provided by the set’s producer, Richard Seidel. Track by track notes are provided by David Nathan. Interspersed between the liner notes are black & white photographs of Simone from youth to middle age. Together, the CDs, video and liner notes provide valuable contextualization and position Simone as an important musical and political figure who was shaped by and played a role in shaping the social movements of her day.

The compact disc selections include 8 previously unreleased tracks and 43 reissues of songs spanning ten record labels, from Simone’s recording debut on Bethlehem in 1957 to her final major label recording on Elektra in 1993. An objective of the set (as stated by Seidel) is to highlight Simone’s distinctive conflation of eclectic musical genres or facets thereof inclusive of classical music, jazz, R&B, Broadway musicals, blues, folk songs, gospel and spirituals, rock, French songs, civil rights protest repertoire, and reggae. From a cultural research perspective, Simone’s eclectic mixture of music genres successfully counters music industry marketing strategies, at play since the 1920s, which tended to categorize Black music within rigidly constructed boundaries (e.g., “R&B” or “popular”) (see Maultsby 2006; Mahon 2004:142-175).

At the outset of her recording career, Simone was a prodigious musical talent foundationally grounded in classical music. Having experienced the harsh realities of racial discrimination and an early failed marriage, she brought a breadth of musical and personal maturity to her first recording date at the age of 24. Co-musical accompaniment on the selections ranges from jazz drums and bass instrumentation to arrangements for full orchestras. Simone’s singing voice-a later compliment to her fluid pianistic skills-is poignant, at times harsh, and almost always captivating.

The first compact disc in the set covers Simone’s career from 1957 to 1968. Twenty songs range in thematic and generic categories from Gershwin’s “I Loves You Porgy” to a French love ballad by Jacques Brel, “Ne Me Quitte Pas,” to “Four Women,” a Simone original that addresses the discriminatory social effects between four Black women of different skin color. The second compact disc includes seventeen recordings from 1968 to 1969. The opening selection is a Simone composition, “Mississippi Goddam,” written for the highly publicized 1963 murder of four black girls in Alabama. The song was recorded in a live performance within days following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. Simone’s reference to the tragedy and her rebuke to her audience to “sing along with me… for God’s sake … the time is late” is sadly stirring. In stark contrast, the following song by Barry Gibb (of The Bee Gees), “In the Morning,” is an optimistic outlook on the potentialities of carefree life. The CD closes with Leonard Cohen’s poem set to music, “Suzanne.” The third compact disc spans recordings from 1969 to 1993. Simone’s deeply moving delivery of Bob Dylan’s “Just Like a Woman” is enhanced by background data on her life, including the recent separation from her second husband, Andrew Stroud. For the final 33 years of Simone’s life, from the early 1970s to her death in 2003, she lived outside of the United States, variously in the Caribbean, Africa and Europe. The final two selections of the box set reflect the world weary life that had become Simone’s-an orchestrated reggae rendition of Randy Newman’s “Baltimore” and Rod McKuen’s “A Single Woman.”

The DVD, produced by Peter Aristotle Rodis, situates an already superb CD box set over the top. One might think of Simone as an explosively, multi-generic, “black aesthetic” artist who brought much more to her performance than mere song. She infuses melody, harmony and rhythm with growls and screams from pain and joy. She rises from her pianistic posture to dance about the stage in an ecstatic trance. She interacts emphatically with the audience and the musicians on stage. In her own words from a late 1960s interview, “I’ve always thought that I was shaking people up, but now I wanna go at it more and I want to go at it deliberately. I want to go at it coldly. I want to shake people up so bad that when I leave a night club … I just want them to go to pieces. Where we’re all groovin.’ And that’s my ideal of a good performance, when I have pleased me and pleased them and everybody’s feeling alright, we’re all groovin’ now.”

Here’s Legacy’s promo video for To Be Free, featuring Simone singing the title track:

Whether you’re a novice to Nina Simone’s music or a long time fan, To Be Free, listed for sale at $49.99, is well worth the price.

Editor’s note: To Be Free: The Nina Simone Story was recently nominated for a Grammy for Best Historical Album.

References

Maultsby, Portia. 2005. “Marginalizing and Mainstreaming Black Popular Music: An Interpretation of Marketing Labels.” Unpublished paper presented at the 2005 Society for Ethnomusicology conference. Atlanta, Georgia.

Mahon, Maureen. 2004. Right to Rock. Durham and London: Duke University Press.

Posted by Karen Faye Taborn

Title: Delmark: 55 Years of Blues
Artists: Various
Label: Delmark
Catalog No.:  (CD + DVD)
Release date: 2008

Title: Delmark: 55 Years of Jazz
Artists: Various
Label: Delmark
Catalog No.:  (CD + DVD)
Release date:  2008

Bob Koester may have been selling records since the early 1950s, but the Chicagoan truly could be called one of America’s finest music archivists. Not simply content to sell records, initially out of his dorm room at St. Louis University and later out of storefronts, he began to seek out blues and jazz musicians from decades before to record them. His Delmar Records later became Delmark and his Jazz Record Mart is a mecca for all music lovers.

While others, including his protégé Bruce Iglauer of Alligator Records, sought to take the blues to wider commercial exposure, Koester remains the person who takes listeners- and more recently DVD viewers- into storied haunts such as Rosa’s, B.L.U.E.S., the Velvet Lounge and the Green Mill, simply because it’s where the music still lives.

These two anthologies, which also feature live recorded performances on DVD, showcase the support that Koester has had for underappreciated performers such as Curtis Fuller (who was featured on John Coltrane’s “Blue Train” nearly 40 years ago), tenorist Ari Brown, and singing blues bassist Willie Kent. Country bluesman Big Joe Williams was a major part of Delmark’s history as one of its first recording artists. His “Coffeehouse Blues” is included here.

Sometimes, these recordings were not as slick as those produced by the major labels. Instead, Koester saw value in releasing performances that importantly provide a window into the development of artists such as the West Side soul man Magic Sam, pianist Roosevelt Sykes, and guitarist Otis Rush. Again, they often take listeners into the same, sometimes gritty clubs Koester famously has explored most Saturday nights.

Without Koester, we perhaps may have never known Junior Wells, whose “Hoodoo Man Blues” remains one of the label’s biggest sellers. 55 Years of Blues features Wells’s 1975 live radio recording of “Little By Little” in Theresa’s Lounge. Today, Koester supports artists such as James Yancy “Tail Dragger” Jones and Francine Griffin, who may not have recorded decades earlier, but still are part of the musical legacy.

Koester and Delmark are also renowned for unearthing old master recordings and long lost vinyl, including those featured in these collections from Coleman Hawkins, J.B. Hutto, Sun Ra and Art Hodes. Commercial viability wasn’t the first concern. It was simply important to rescue and release recordings that otherwise would have gone silent.

Many grateful fans have Koester to thank for sharing his love for the music.

Posted by George Vlahakis

Title: Pay Me No Mind
Artist: Homemade Jamz Blues Band
Label: Northern Blues
Catalog No.: NBM0048
Date:  2008

The first thing anyone will mention about this band is the age of its members.  The Homemade Jamz Blues Band are kids, literally. Guitar player and lead vocalist Ryan is 16, bass player Kyle is 14, and the drummer Taya is 10.  They are also siblings.  So what we’ve got here is an astonishing amount of talent for their age, with the added novelty that they’re all family. The band began when Ryan, age 9, picked up his fathers’ worn Stratocaster knock-off that he’d gotten in Korea while serving in the military. Under the tutelage and guidance of their parents, the three siblings have broken into a tradition that is usually reserved for musicians twice their age. A discussion of the instruments was also featured in a recent NPR interview.

Recorded in their hometown, Tupelo, Miss., Pay Me No Mind is an energetic debut of fresh and up and coming talent. All songs were written by their father, Renaud Perry, except for the last track, a fired up version of John Lee Hooker’s “Boom Boom.” Renaud also makes an appearance on four songs, blowing a very “proud papa” harmonica. The album is reminiscent of sixties electric blues with bright tones from the leads, a strong walking bass, and a simple back beat keeping time. Sixteen-year-old Ryan’s voice has a rich and full quality that cuts and growls and will only blossom as he gets older.

One of the most interesting things about Homemade Jamz is their instruments.  Ryan plays what appears to be a muffler, welded and wired into an electric guitar, while Kyle plays “Thunder,” a six string bass that has been fashioned out of what looks like a Ford muffler. Both instruments were handmade by Renaud, and speak to a “homemade aesthetic” that connects the band to a greater blues tradition. Renaud cites that he had intended to re-build a car with his son but when the muffler came in, he took one look at thought it was just the right size for a guitar. He was even more satisfied with the sound it produced.

The Perry family band has been hard at work with a grueling tour schedule of festivals and club dates that have landed them third place at the 3rd Annual MS Delta Blues Society of Indianola’s Blues Challenge in 2006, second place at the 2007 International Blues Challenge, and they were recently voted Best New Artist of the year at the 2008 West Coast Blues Hall of Fame. More than just a gimmick, these kids have talent, and with nods of encouragement from the likes of legendary bluesman B.B. King, this passing of the torch ensures that a new generation will carry on in the blues tradition.

Posted by Thomas Richardson and Heather O’Sullivan

If you’ve never come across the annual Classic Blues calendars produced by collector, dealer, and blues expert John Tefteller, you’ve been missing out on some of the best blues iconography in existence. Each month when you flip over the page you’ll be thrilled with the beautifully reproduced (and often hysterically funny) graphics from the 1920s and ‘30s that were used to promote early jazz and blues records. And that’s not all- the calendars come packaged with an accompanying CD featuring pre-war blues rarities aplenty, including the 12 songs/artists featured in the calendar, plus 6 additional bonus tracks.

This year Tefteller has really outdone himself. The CD features two newly discovered songs by Blind Blake, “Night & Day Blues” and “Sun to Sun,” plus two more by Ben Curry, “The Laffing Rag” and “Hot Dog”- all recorded in 1932 by Paramount in Grafton, Wisconsin. The two songs by guitarist Blind Blake were from Paramount 13123, recorded at Blake’s penultimate session for Paramount in January 1932. Shortly thereafter, Blake literally vanished without a trace, Paramount folded, and no copy of the record has ever been found- until last summer.

The story behind these newly discovered Blind Blake disc is the stuff of dreams for record collectors: “Like a time capsule, this small steamer trunk sat unopened for nearly four decades in a trailer park on the east side of Raleigh, North Carolina. Its contents, about one hundred 78 rpm records, still in their original paper sleeves, represent some of the greatest blues artists active during the Great Depression. . . The records were bought new in the 1930s by an African-American couple living in Granville County, NC, adjacent to Durham County, the epicenter of blues activity in the Carolinas. A telephone tip and subsequent negotiations led to the acquisition of the collection by Marshall Wyatt of Old Hat Records.” The whole “Trunk Full o’ Blues” story, along with illustrations and sound clips, can be found on the Old Hat website. Similarly, the previously unknown Curry disc was discovered last February in a pile of old 78s in Missouri. Several other previously unreleased test pressings round out the bonus tracks.

Other selections on the CD that are represented in the calendar include Kokomo Arnold’s “Milk Cow Blues,” Charley Patton’s masterpiece “Shake It and Break It” (recorded in 1929 in Richmond, Indiana), “Nightmare” (featured on the cover) by Elgar’s Creole Orchestra, Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe’s “Cherry Ball Blues,” and two sermons- “The Death of Blind Lemon [Jefferson]” by Rev. Emmett Dickenson, and “Death May Be Your Christmas Present” by Rev. A.W. Nix, who sold thousands of records with his hellfire and brimstone preaching. As Tefteller describes the latter sermon, “One can only imagine the Christmas happiness that was wiped out in a single three minute listening of this amazing record! By the time you get to the end, you won’t want to celebrate Christmas . . . or any other holiday. Talk about having the BLUES at Christmas!”

We predict that you, too, will have the blues at Christmas if you miss out on an opportunity to purchase this amazing package.

Posted by Brenda Nelson-Strauss

Welcome to the November “Yes We Can!” issue of Black Grooves. In honor of the historic election, we’re featuring several politically themed items, ranging from a recent documentary about Marcus Garvey that’s accompanied by a phenomenal reggae soundtrack, to the overtly revolutionary rap of Peruvian-born MC Immortal Technique. Other hip hop offerings include new releases by Kentucky’s Nappy Roots and Atlanta rapper T.I. Though it might sound like an expose on shady politics, the compilation More Dirty Laundry actually explores “the soul of Black country music.” Two new offerings in our ongoing exploration of black rock include Danielia Cotton’s Rare Child and TV on the Radio’s Dear Science. Wrapping up this issue are recent releases by blues guitarist Eric Bibb, The Murrill Family of gospel singers, jazz vocalist/bass player Esperanza Spalding, and neo-soul singer Rafael Saadiq.

Note: Since we “borrowed” the Trib’s front page, it seems only fair to give them a plug in return. You can buy a copy of the “Obama Wins!” issue here.