New Blues & Soul News – 4/28/2017
New Blues & Soul News – 4/28/2017
New Blues Adds:
Hector Anchondo Band – Roll The Dice (Self-produced): This appears to be Hector Anchondo’s first release. He’s mostly playing west of the Mississippi and in Canada. He wrote all but one of the songs on this disc. That song, a Latin take on Peter Green’s “Black Magic Woman”, is one of the best performances on the disc. Anchondo is a good guitarist and he also sings. The band has the feel of a roadhouse band with some tendencies for Latin music. The band features Khayman Winfield (drums), Justin Shelton (harmonica), Josh Lund (bass), Eric Stark and Kenny Glover (horns on several songs) and Matt Russo (percussion). Click here to listen to a live version of the title song.
Eric Bibb – Migration Blues (Stony Plain): Eric Bibb may well have created his finest disc ever. The subject is migration, whether by choice or not. It covers the dangers and hopes as well as the hopes and fears. Most of the songs are originals, either written by Bibb or cooperatively with Michael Jerome Browne (guitar, vocals, banjos, mandolin, triangle) and/or JJ Milteau (harmonica). Other performers include Olle Linder (drums, percussion, bass) with Big Daddy Wilson and Ulrika Bibb (vocals on one song each). Bibb sings pays guitar, six string banjo, and contrabass guitar). Three covers are Dylan’s “Masters Of War”, Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land” and the traditional “Mornin’ Train”. Highly recommended for fans of folk, blues, and collections of highly thoughtful and wonderfully rendered performances. Click here for an introduction to this disc by Eric Bibb.
The Dylan Bishop Band – The Exciting Sounds of…. (Self-produced): Dylan Bishop finished high school a year early and at eighteen decided to move from his hometown near Fort Worth to Austin, so he see if he could get his rockin’ rhythm’n’blues to fire up the crowds there. His premier disc, with a guest appearance by Jimmie Vaughan is reasonable evidence of his doing very well. He wrote nine of the thirteen songs and they are very true to 50s/60s styles. Bishop’s band includes T Bonta (piano), Cadillac Johnson (bass), Dirk Cordes (drums), with Doug James sitting in (tenor, bari sax) and Vaughan joining in of two songs. Bishop plays and sings within his range. His singing is straightforward and almost talky and his playing is solid. This is a guy who could go very far and it’s going to be a lot of fun listening to his development! Click here to listen to a song from this disc.
Ray Cashman – Slow Drag (Self-produced): This performance recalls the post folk blues days when resonator guitars and harmonicas were being amplified by tiny amps. Ray Cashman sings, plays guitar and credits himself with “foot stomps”, while being augmented by Bob Bogdal (harmonica), Mark Robinson (guitar), Marty Reinsel (drums) and Joe Johnson (bass). All of the songs are credited to Cashman. The sound is really amazingly home style, differing from the current “down home” groups that are so significantly amplified. It even sounds a bit muted and fuzzy. I would certainly recommend it to fans of folk, blues, down-home Americana. Cashman has certainly been around for a while touring in the US and Europe. This is his sixth release. Click here to listen to samples of the songs on this disc.
Samantha Fish – Chills & Fever (Ruf): Samantha Fish is an accomplished lead guitarist and has a large, polished voice, but is not a shouter. Her style is retro, like a late 50’s or early 60’s blend of R&B and rock and roll. The sound is large and the production is lush and polished. Other musicians on the disc include Joe Mazzola (rhythm guitar), Steve Nawara (bass), Kenny Tudrick (drums), Bob Mervak (piano), Mark Levron (trumpet and Travis Blotsky (sax). The songs are mostly, if not all, covers of songs like “Chills And Fever” and “Hello Stranger” and writers include Jackie DeShannon, Barbara Lewis, Van McCoy, Bert Berns and Allen Toussaint. Fish is certainly one to keep on your radar. Click here to listen to the title song.
Billy Flynn – Lonesome Highway (Delmark): Veteran blues guitarist / singer / songwriter Billy Flynn has been super active in Chicago and elsewhere for the past 40+ years. He joined Jimmy Dawkins band when barely 20 and has never looked back. He has been a member of several acts including Jim Liban and The Futuristics, the Legendary Blues Band and Mississippi Heat. His vocals are road-worn, but ok. His playing is truly superb. He also wrote all but one song on this release. Backing musicians are Roosevelt Purifoy (keys), EG McDaniel (bass), Andrew “Blaze” Thomas (drums), Doug Corcoran (trumpet), Christopher Neal (tenor sax), with guest appearances by former band mate Deitra Farr (vocals) and Dave Katzman (rhythm guitar on one track). If you’re not familiar with Flynn, this is as good place as any to start listening. By the way he also plays harmonica on various songs. There’s good variety here as well. Click here to listen to the entire disc!
Lauren Mitchell – Desire (Self-produced): This is the third release from soul blues singer Lauren Mitchell, who obviously feels at home with the span of soul, blues and funk and has the voice and sensibility to cover them all. At the same time, she stays within herself. There’s no mimicry. In her words, “I’m almost 6 feet tall, and I’m sexy, and I’m not afraid to talk about it….” What about back-up? How about Tony Braunagel (drums, production), Reggie McBride (bass), Jim Pugh (keys), Johnny Lee Schell, Josh Sklair and Jose Ramirez (alternating on guitar), Joe Sublette (sax), Darrell Leonard (trumpet), and Lenny Castro and Mellodye Perry (backing vocals). This is a fantastic soul performance! A certified Professor Bebop “Wax Devoid Of Cracks”! Click here and scroll to and click on “Soul Music”, “Desire” and/or “Today”, each of which is on this disc.
Billy Price Band – A Live And Strange Billy Price (VizzTone): This is an absolutely terrific performance by Billy Price and his band! All but one song were recorded in 2016 and the last cut is from a performance in 2012. Price has been around for a long time and though his voice shows a bit of road wear, he gives it everything he has and the soulfulness carries the day. The band gives a KILLER performance! The players are Steve Delach (guitar), David Ray Dodd (drums), Tom Valentine (bass, backing vocal), Jim Britton (keys, backing vocal), and Eric DeFade (who absolutely blows all the way to the ionosphere on tenor sax!) and guests Joe Herndon (trumpet), Matt Ferrero (tenor, bari sax), David Avery and DeWayne Chandler (backing vocals), and Jason Hollar (bass) and Bob Matchett (trombone) on the 2012 performance. If you’re familiar with Price, you’ll absolutely go for this disc. If not, this is a terrific place to start. The music? Two Price originals and covers drawn from Percy Mayfield and Roy Milton for the old timers, Magic Sam Maghett for the blues fans and James Brown and William Bell for the solid soulsters. A certified Professor Bebop “Wax Devoid Of Cracks!” Click here to listen to the opening song and solid piece of knowledge.
Ken Swartz & The Palace Of Sin – Smile Away The Blues (Adelphi): I haven’t seen a release on Adelphi for quite some time and the label brought us a significant amount of roots music several decades ago. This disc reminds me of the sixties and the shift from “sweet or pop folk” to the more rustic and raucous version that created a new kind of roots rock. Swartz and his “Palace Of Sin” are like a sonic relic from that early time. The songs come from Sleepy John Estes, Blind Lemon Jefferson, and Mississippi John Hurt among others and are augmented by more modern compositions, three of which are Schwartz’s originals. It’s all a rather rag tag affair, reminding us how earnest and rugged folk blues revivals can be. The “Palace Of Sin Band” includes Swartz (vocals, guitar), Mark Grissom (bass), Tom Chute (drums, percussion) and Rick Weston (harmonica) with lots of guests sitting in. Several other players join in along the way, adding sax, washboard, fiddle, sousaphone, slide guitar, bass, even Celtic drums. It is a fresh revival. Click here and scroll down. Highlight song titles to catch samples of the songs on this disc.
New Soul Add:
David Brinston – Sidepiece Motel (Ecko): Brinston made his first impression in the soul world with his 1996 release “Hit And Run”. Since then, he has released several discs on a variety of labels aimed at the chitlin’ circuit. Now that he is with Ecko, the synth/disco vibe has taken charge, emphasizing a dance groove and a love pursuit mood. The musical style is purely Ecko-style. Click here to listen to a sample song from this disc.
Kopasetically,
Professor Bebop
