Johnny Rawls – Waiting For the Train

Posted on January 4, 2018 by aaamc

Artist: Johnny Rawls

Formats: CD, MP3

Release date: September 15, 2017

Mississippi-born Johnny Rawls has a long history in the industry, from serving as band director for soul singer O.V. Wright, to backing artists such as Z.Z. Hill and Joe Tex. The singer-songwriter and guitarist released his first solo project in 1985, and in 2014 was recognized by Living Blues magazine as “Male Blues Artist of the Year.” Rawls, however, is not a traditional blues musician. His southern roots are often more firmly planted in soul, with branches extending into the blues. Such is the case with his latest project, Waiting For the Train. This is Rawl’s seventh in a string of highly successful albums on the Catfood label. He’s accompanied by his long time band, The Rays, featuring label owner Bob Trenchard on bass. Trenchard also co-wrote the album’s six original songs with Rawls, which are interspersed with four fine covers.

Opening with “Rain Keep Falling (“Til I’m Free),” the tone is set with a tight horn section and rocking guitar solo from Johnny McGhee, while Rawl’s gravelly voice expresses a fearlessness about facing the future. This segues into “Las Vegas,” a song about high rollin’ and risk taking that many who have visited Sin City can surely relate to, but there’s also a more serious message about faith, hope and change. These themes emerge again in “Blackjack Was a Gambler,” a story song about “Jack and Sally” that seems to combine elements of “Mustang Sally,” “Stagger Lee” and “Jack & Diane.”

One of the highlights of the album is the title track, “Waiting for the Train,” a contemplative ballad featuring interesting chord changes and an excellent guitar solo. The train as a transport to heaven is a common theme in gospel music, and this is obviously Rawls’ intent as he sings in the voice of a man contemplating the afterlife, “Get on board and don’t look back . . . I’ve got to be ready, when it comes for me, I’ve got to be ready to be set free.”

Rounding out the album is the funky dance number “California Shake” that’s infused with a ‘70s vibe, and four cover songs including Wilson Pickett’s “I’m in Love,” Syl Johnson’s “We Did It,” Tyrone Davis’s “Turning Point,” and a nice rendition of Bob Dylan’s “I Shall Be Released.” Rawls closes with another original, “Stay With Me,” a poignant love song to a partner in life’s journey.

Waiting For the Train is a solid effort by soul-blues artist Johnny Rawls, offering songs that are especially relevant to those of a certain age who have faced many obstacles but still find the strength to push forward towards the promised land.

Reviewed by Brenda Nelson-Strauss

Columbia Nights – In All Things

Posted on May 2, 2017 by aaamc

Title: In All Things

Artist: Columbia Nights

Label: Record Breakin Music

Formats: CD, LP, MP3

Release Date: March 24, 2017 (CD & LP)

Washington, D.C. has always had a vibrant music scene, especially given its “Chocolate City” status. This scene, however, has typically been dominated by go-go music and at times, hardcore punk. Intent on breaking new ground, the D.C. band Columbia Nights is a “soultronic production group” comprised of John E. Daise, Jason Edwards and Hayling Price. The trio combines their numerous soul, funk, and R&B influences with their love of electronic music, and the result is harmonious to say the least. In All Things is their first full length album, following 2012’s EP Dawn | Dusk. There is definitely a sense of growth between the EP and this album. The production is more lush on In All Things, and takes the listener further inside the sonic worlds that Columbia Nights constructs.

There are a number of interesting collaborators featured on the album—such as Diggs Duke, violinist Vaughan Octavia, and singer B.Jamelle, among others—who seek to highlight some of the group’s musical influences. The band’s collaboration with Aaron Abernathy on “Coming Home” is particularly compelling, and sounds like it could be a track off of D’Angelo’s album Black Messiah (2015). The instrumentation on songs like “Glide” and “Cerulean” are also particularly impressive.

It is not an overstatement to describe In All Things as cosmic, both in scope and in sound. The album moves seamlessly from groove to groove and vibe to vibe, offering a wide variety of sounds but never sounding at odds with itself. In All Things is a journey from start to finish, and a well-constructed one at that. The album is a great first effort from Columbia Nights, who are representing the D.C. soul scene well.

Reviewed by Allie Martin

Andy T-Nick Nixon Band – Numbers Man

Posted on January 4, 2016 by aaamc

Title: Numbers Man

Artists: Andy T-Nick Nixon Band

Label: Blind Pig

Formats: CD, MP3

Release date: August 28, 2015

The Andy T-Nick Nixon Band combines the flavors of Nashville and Southern California, a partnership created when guitarist Andy Talamantez moved from the West Coast to Tennessee and hooked up with Nashville veteran James T. “Nick” Nixon, whose voice was honed in the church and clarified by opera, allowing him to both growl and croon his way through soul, rock and blues. Now they tour the country in their 1953 GMC Greyhound bus, spreading their brand of blues far and wide. On their third album, Numbers Man, they are joined by their regular band—Larry van Loon on Hammond B3, Jim Klingler on drums, and Sam Persons on bass—plus several special guests.

Kicking off with an original song on a familiar theme, “Shut the Front Door” features the dueling guitars of Andy T and Anson Funderburgh, while Nixon gives a rollicking account of a man left to booze and drugs after his baby leaves. On the title track, The Texas Horns fire on all cylinders, adding some rhythm and blues to the mix while extended solos are given to the guitars and B3. “Blue Monday” is a satisfying slow burner, with Nixon tearing into the vocals on the front end, but leaving plenty of space to showcase the band. Kim Wilson (Fabulous Thunderbirds) picks up the harmonica on “Sundown Blues,” while “Tall Drink of Water” and “What Went Wrong” have a distinct zydeco flavor courtesy of Zeke Jarmon on rubboard and Christian Dozzler on accordion. Pulling out all of the stops on “This World We Live In,” the band is joined by Kevin McKendree on B3, Steve F’dor on piano, Rick Reed on bass, and Denise Fraser on drums. The socially conscious song, penned by Andy T, draws on themes of war, religion and intolerance, bringing the album to a close on a blaze of searing guitar solos underlying Nixon’s vocals mourning the state of the world with an element of despair.

Over the course of 14 tracks, Numbers Man offers a wide range of styles from traditional blues to rhythm and blues, jump blues, zydeco, and even a touch of jazz—performed with an exceedingly high level of musicianship led by the electrifying guitar of Andy T.

Listen on Spotify here

Reviewed by Brenda Nelson-Strauss

Rufus Thomas: His R&B Recordings, 1949-1956

Posted on September 5, 2008 by aaamc

Title: Rufus Thomas: His R&B Recordings, 1949-1956
Artist: Rufus Thomas
Label: Bear Family
Catalog No.: BCD 16695AH
Date: 2008

Rufus Thomas is best known as the Memphis soul singer who, along with daughter Carla Thomas, helped the fledgling Stax label rise to fame in the ‘60s and ‘70s. His biggest hits-“Do the Funky Chicken” and “Walking the Dog“–not only became his signature songs, but established Thomas as a consummate entertainer. Not surprisingly, he first honed these skills as a vaudeville performer and emcee for shows down on Beale Street. Thomas also had a long career at WDIA in Memphis, the nation’s first all-Black format radio station, where he spun rhythm and blues records that caught the attention of many a white teenager, including a young Elvis Presley. Since his fellow WDIA deejay was none other than B.B. King, it should come as no surprise that Thomas decided to take a stab at recording. “I just wanted to be on record. I never thought of getting rich. I just wanted to be known, be a recording artist.”

From 1949 to 1956 Thomas recorded 28 sides for various labels, though a number were unissued and have since been lost (all extant recordings have been included in this compilation). His first sessions in Memphis were for the Star Talent label (based in Dallas) and featured several of his own songs, including the bluesy “I’m So Worried,” the somewhat derivative “I’ll Be Good Boy,” and the previously unreleased “Who’s That Chick” and “Double Trouble” (the latter in rather poor sound). These were followed by two sides for Bullet-the rockin’ party song “Beer Bottle Boogie” and another of Thomas’ own compositions, “Gonna Bring My Baby Back,” a swinging jazz number backed by members of Lionel Hampton’s band let by saxophonist Bobby Platter.

The following year Thomas stopped in at Memphis Recording Service–soon to be renamed Sun Studios–and convinced Sam Phillips to record several songs which were released on the Chess label, including “Night Workin’ Blues,” his own cryin’ blues tune “Why Did You Deegee,” the uptempo boogie woogie “Crazy About You Baby” featuring Billy Love on piano, and “No More Dogging Around.” Additional sessions followed in 1952 producing the notable song “Decorate the Counter”–this had originally been recorded by Rosco Gordon, but only Thomas’ version was released by Chess (both versions are included on the CD for comparison). Two additional songs were recorded at the same session but were never released: “Married Woman” included here with two alternate takes; and “I’m Off Of That Stuff” which is a bit stiff, not to mention somewhat truncated.

Thomas’ big break came in 1953 when he recorded “Bear Cat” for the new Sun label. An answer song to Big Mama Thornton’s bluesy “Hound Dog” that had topped the charts a few weeks earlier (also included on the CD), “Bear Cat” was a huge hit, signaling the shift towards rock ‘n’ roll and no doubt making an impression on Elvis Presley, whose cover of “Hound Dog” catapulted both him and Sun Records to fame three years later. Thomas cut several more sides for Sun, including “Tiger Man (King of the Jungle)” complete with Tarzan yells, and the straight-ahead blues song “Save That Money.” His early recording career concluded at Meteor, a short-lived Memphis label, which released “The Easy Living Plan” and “I’m Steady Holdin’ On,” both penned by Rufus Thomas and Joe Bihar.

Rufus Thomas: His R&B Recordings, 1949-1956 is a great tribute to this legendary artist who passed away in 2001. Interestingly, two other compilations including much of the same material have also been released in 2008 by Document Records and Important Artists. However, the Bear Family set is far superior in terms of remastering and production. The wonderfully illustrated 67 page booklet (bound into the package) features a complete 1950s discography and an overview of Thomas’ pre-Stax career by Martin Hawkins, including lengthy discussions about the role of WDIA and Black radio.

The other thing that really sets this CD apart are the bonus features and alternate takes previously mentioned, as well as airchecks from Thomas’s WDAI radio show and a ten minute interview from the Daddy Cool Show. With a total of 29 tracks, this is indeed the definitive compilation of Thomas’s early recordings. Anyone interested in Memphis soul, the roots of rock ‘n’ roll, and the story of Black radio will want to purchase this set–it would also be perfect for classroom use. Rufus Thomas: His R&B Recordings, 1949-1956 is absolutely the best single CD historical reissue that I’ve come across in 2008.

Posted by Brenda Nelson-Strauss

Follow Your Heart: Moving with the Giants of Jazz, Swing, and Rhythm and Blues

Posted on March 7, 2008 by aaamc

Title: Follow Your Heart: Moving with the Giants of Jazz, Swing, and Rhythm and Blues
Author: Joe Evans, with Christopher Brooks
Publisher: University of Illinois Press
ISBN-10: 0252033035
ISBN-13: 978-0252033032
Pages: 167
Year: 2008

They call me raggedy, call me raggedy, ‘cause my clothes are in pawn,
Call me raggedy, call me raggedy, ‘cause my clothes are in pawn,
But when you see me tomorrow,
I’ll have my best clothes on.

This tune, sung by a man selling fish on the outskirts of Pensacola, Florida one day in 1921, was Joe Evans’ first encounter with the twelve-bar blues. “Young as I was, I felt something click deep inside me. For the first time, I had a feeling that was almost as haunting and soulful as the fishman’s voice. That feeling became a touchstone for the rest of my life.” Thus begins the autobiography of Joe Evans, the third installment in the University of Illinois Press’s new African American Music in Global Perspective series, co-edited by Portia K. Maultsby and Mellonee V. Burnim in affiliation with the Archives of African American Music and Culture at Indiana University.

Joe Evans is now in his nineties, and his broad=deep perspective spans many historical events, musical periods, and roles (in addition to performing, he has also worked as a music executive and entrepreneur). With saxophone in hand, Evans joined musical icons on stage that most people living today have only read about, heard on recordings, or seen in archival video footage; included among this legendary and diverse lineup are Billie Holiday, Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, Johnny Hodges, Nat “King” Cole, Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway, Charlie Parker, and Lionel Hampton. Evans actually met “Ma” Rainey! Evans’ stories remind us that these symbols of jazz and R&B history were actually living people, but he also tells us about other talented lesser-known musicians that would otherwise be lost to the annals of time.

After two Forwards (one by Tavis Smiley and the other by Bill McFarlin) and one Preface (by Christopher Brooks, whose interviews with Evans constitute the core of the book), Follow Your Heart is divided into three parts. In Part One, Evans chronicles his journey from the time the music bug hit him as a child in Pensacola, Florida to his first professional stint in Ray Shep’s band. Part Two begins with Evan’s trek to the proving ground of New York City, tracing his tenure in various big bands both in the states and on the international circuit. Part three begins with Evans returning to New York City right around the time the Savoy closed in 1958, follows his debut on the R&B scene with performances for Motown and the establishment of his own label, Carnival Records, and ends with his pursuit of a college education around the age of 60. A bonus section at the end of the book provides an abridged discography of songs arranged and produced by Evans for Carnival Records (catalog numbers included).

Joe Evans’ life story is riveting, and particularly so because it speaks to all the things that matter when you talk about music. Behind the notes, the rhythms, and the tunes, there are real people, real industries and institutions, and real social conditions that shape our lives. Throughout Follow Your Heart, Evans describes a deeply personal account of how each these ingredients came together in the life of one man, returning always, however, in the end, to the people that mattered to him. In the Epilogue he writes,

There is a song that summarizes how I sometimes feel at this point in my life: “I’ll Be Seeing You,” written by Irving Kahal and Sammy Fain. As far as I am concerned, nobody delivered it quite like Billie Holiday. No mater how many times she sang that song when I am was performing with her, I never failed to be moved. That line “In all the familiar places” is like a person trying hard not to say good-bye or let go of someone very dear to them. So even when the absent person is not physically present (as in death), the performer will be reminded of the impact they had on them and their life. Well, there are many people who had that impact on me. I believe I will see them again.

For further information:

“Carnival Records: Solid Soul Sounds from New Jersey”
Dave Moore’s detailed investigation into the history of Carnival Records, the label that Evans founded

I Never Walked Alone: The Autobiography of an American Singer
Autobiography of opera singer Shirley Verrett, co-authored with Christopher Brooks

Posted by Anthony Guest-Scott