New Blues News – 4/17/2018
New Blues News – 4/17/2018
Marcia Ball – Shine Bright (Alligator): Journey-woman Marcia Ball cuts loose with one of her best releases ever! She composed or co-wrote eight of the songs on the disc and she draws her covers from Ray Charles, Ernie K-Doe, Shelley King, and Jesse Winchester. She also collected a wide range of musicians to back up this terrific disc: Lee Allen Zeno, Don Bennett or Bruce Hughes (bass); Jermaine Prejean, Corey Keller or Conrad Choucroun (drums); Roddie Romero (guitar, accordion); Mike Schermer (guitar); Eric Adcock or Red Young (B-3); Steve Berlin or Dan Bechdolt (bari sax); Eric Bernhardt (tenor sax); Justin Vasquez (alto sax); Steve Butts and Al Gomez Jr (trumpet); and Enrique Chi (tres). The production is what you would certainly expect from Alligator and Ball is at her best. A certified “Professor Bebop Wax Devoid Of Cracks”! Click here to listen to the songs on this disc.
Borgo – Be Kind (Self-produced): Almost thirteen years ago, singer/songwriter Borgo was a musician and music store owner when he was diagnosed with an un-treatable and progressive neurological disease. It has been a long and hard journey since then, but he has regained some functions which allow him to sing and he was able to compose using songwriting software, but sadly not to play. This disc is his statement about life, love and kindness. Supporting musicians include Marc Benning (bass,engineer), Erik Deutsch of Leftover Salmon (keys), Dan Schwindt (guitar), and Carl Sorensen (drums), with Dwight Bement (sax), and Chris Lawson (trumpet) and Kim Dawson and Tanya Shylock (backing vocals). Click here to listen to the title song.
Myles Goodwyn – Myles Goodwyn & Friends Of The Blues (Linus): Singer/songwriter/guitarist Myles Goodwyn, formerly of the group “April Wine” offers a new disc under his own name. The disc features eleven new compositions from Goodwin and a cover of Jesse Winchester’s “Isn’t That So”. This collection is certainly blues with a rock sound that is similar to and solidly among the best of that genre. Goodwyn’s guitar is right in the cut. He also has a mellow but expressive voice that matches the musical backing. In fact Goodwyn plays keyboards as well as guitar and singing. He is supported on drums by Mike Carrol or Blair Mackey and a rotating bass assignment from Richard Fallus, Alex Fraser, Russell Jackson and Bruce Dixon. Other guests include Amos Garret, Frank Marino, Garret Mason, David Wilcox, Rick Derringer, Jack De Keyser and Steve Segal (guitar), Sonja Ball, Emily Lamarche (backing vocals), Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne (piano), Bill Stevenson (keys) and Dewey Reeds (harmonica). This disc is a fine bridge between blues rock and straight up uptown blues. Click here to listen to a representative cut on this disc.
James Harman – fineprint (Electro-Fi): Harmonicat extraordinaire James Harmon storms back with one of his most superb discs in some time! The songs are drawn from a variety of settings, but they are all Harman’s compositions. His playing and singing are top drawer and the shift of musicians truly enriches the disc. All songs are Harman originals. The backing musicians are Nathan James (guitar, drums, bass); Troy Sandow or Buddy Clark (bass); Alan West (percussion, drums, dejembe); Jeff Turmes – (guitar, bass); Mike Tempo, Marty Dodson and Stephen T. Hodges (trading off on drums); Gene Taylor or Tom Mahon (piano); Kid Ramos (acoustic slide guitar); Carl Sonny Leyland (piano); Danny Michel (guitar); and Hal Smith (rubboard). This is a fantastic sampling of the power and style of James Harman’s art. A certified “Professor Bebop Wax Devoid Of Cracks”! Click here and scroll down to listen to samples of the songs on this disc.
Mudslide Charley – Words & Bones (Gut Bucket): Mudslide Charley is a roots / blues band based in Missoula, Montana featuring Marco Littig (slide & lead guitar, vocals), Phil Hamilton (harmonica, sax, guitar, percussion), Lee Rizzo (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, washboard), Roger Moquin (drums, backing vocals) and Taht Kjelland (bass, backing vocals). The group has been together for several years. Their sound is a rural blues/rock/folk combination. Click here to listen to the songs on this disc.
Kid Ramos – Old School (Rip Cat): Kid Ramos and Friends return with a fiery reminder of that “ole school blues” whether composed by Magic Sam or T-Bone Walker or originals by the Kid and vocalist Johnny Tucker or Jon Atkinson. All of the songs reflect the classic blues style. The players include Kedar Roy (bass), Marty Dodson (drums), Bob Welsh (keys), and Danny Michel (backing guitar), with rotating vocalists Johnny Ramos, Johnny Tucker, Kim Wilson and Big Jon Atkinson. This is a solid disc throughout in an older style the keeps the blues fully blues. Click here to listen to songs fro this disc.
Rockwell Avenue Blues Band – Back To Chicago (Delmark): The Rockwell Avenue Blues Band has quite line-up, including Steve Freund (vocals, harp), Tad Robinson (vocals, guitar), Ken Saydak (piano, organ, Rhodes, vocals), Harlan Terson (bass), and Marty Binder (drums). All but one of the songs were written by one or more members of the band. These great journeymen of Chicago blues exemplify the core of the music. The sound is right there with the second or third generation of the classic urban Chicago blues. If you’re a fan of that style, i.e. one generation removed for Muddy, etc, check this disc out! BUT, you don’t need to take my word for it, Click here to listen to the songs on this disc.
Breezy Rodio – Sometimes The Blues Got Me (Delmark): Here’s the latest from Breezy Rodio and it offers a wider variety of songs than earlier discs. Yes there is still a strong commitment to the Chicago blues, but there is also an assortment of club style blues ballads as well. Either way, he clearly has his own trademark of the blues. Ten of the seventeen songs are originals and the remainder include covers of a Lee Hazelwood blues composition, Clifton James’ “Chicago Is Loaded With The Blues” and several standards from Albert King, BB King, and the Delmores’ “Blues Stay Away From Me”. There is probably something for everyone who digs blues while the wide range of styles may also pose a challenge. Click here for an introduction to this disc.
Benny Turner – My Brother’s Blues (Nola Blue): Benny Turner presents his uptown blues from uptown slippin’ and slidin’ to juke joint styled smoothed out blues and rhythm. Whether it’s a refitting of “Big Legged Woman” or “Wee Baby Blues” this is a full-out transformation to the city, but mostly uptown without the gloss. This is blues that speaks to today’s folks who relate deeply to the blues – not much glossy backing but the full on urban blues. Turner (bass, lead vocals) is supported by June Yamagishi (lead guitar), Darwin “Big D” Perkins (rhythm guitar), Keiko Komaki and Joe Krown (keys), Barney Floyd (trumpet), Jason Mingledorff (sax), Jeffery “Jellybean” Alexander (drums), Jack Miele (guitar); Alonzo Johnson (bass), Davell Crawford (B3), Otis Clay, Earl Smith (backing vocals); Benny Turner (bass), and Roosevelt Collier (lap steel). This disc is smooth and completely in the uptown groove. A certified “Professor Bebop Wax Devoid Of Cracks!” Click here to listen to samples of the songs on this disc.
Jimmie Vaughan Trio – Live At C-Boys (Proper): Jimmie Vaughan (guitar, vocal), Mike Flanigin (B3, vocals) and Frosty Smith (drums) offer a live seemingly “after hours” blues session covering such gems as “You Can’t Sit Down”, “Can’t Buy Me Love”, and “Dirty Work At The Crossroads” with tastes of jazzy blues with occasional hot spots. The only thing that could be better would be to be there catching it live. Click here to listen to check out “Dirty Work At The Crossroads”.
Kopasetically,
Professor Bebop
