New Blues Review 8-20-24
Author: Jack Roy
Duke Robillard – Roll With Me (Stoney Plain)
Bio – “GRAMMY Nominations for Best Traditional Blues Album for 2010 Stomp! The Blues Tonight and 2006 Guitar Groove-a-Rama
The Blues Music Awards (formerly W.C.Handy Awards) have named Duke Robillard “Best Blues Guitarist” four years out of five (2000,2001,2003,2004) making him the second most honored guitarist for that award! He was also nominated in that category in 2005, 2007 2008. orn Michael John Robillard on October 4, 1948, in Woonsocket, R.I., Duke has carved out one of blues’ most illustrious legacies, while also trodding some lofty related territories as a guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, bandleader, studio sideman, producer, label operator and educator. After showing an early affinity for music and guitar, he founded Roomful Of Blues with pianist Al Copley in Westerly, R.I., in 1967. By adding horns, Roomful announced itself emphatically as the prototypical jump blues band, and became a New England legend and a fixture beyond, as did Duke himself. His unsurpassed mastery of the guitar style of T-Bone Walker (later crystallized memorably in his 2004 release “Blue Mood”) was deservedly heralded, but his breadth was also head-turning – from swing, standards and ballads to rockers, gutbucket Chicago blues and rockabilly. By the time Duke left Roomful after a dozen years, he was firmly established in the upper echelon of contemporary blues guitarists. Duke went from Roomful to a stint with rockabilly revivalist Robert Gordon and then to the first iteration of the Legendary Blues Band, composed primarily of then-recent Muddy Waters sidemen. The Duke Robillard Band debuted in 1981, re-emerging as The Pleasure Kings with their eponymous 1984 album on Rounder. It and its sequel, “Too Hot To Handle,” burnished Duke’s songwriting portfolio; the 1987 jazz outing “Swing” (with saxophonist Scott Hamilton) underscored his versatility and remains a highlight. Continuing his solo career, Duke replaced Jimmie Vaughan with The Fabulous Thunderbirds in 1990. He cut his own much-awaited straight blues album “Duke’s Blues” in 1993 for Canadian imprint Stony Plain, leading eventually to a rewarding, continuing and prolific alliance, along with releases during the ensuing years on Point Blank/Virgin and Shanachie, as well as instructional videos. He has also launched his own labels with Jesse Finkelstein, Blue Duchess/Shining Stone.”
Review – What a great album, if you like that big band, Swing Blues this is it. Duke has done it all, such a talented musician that always knows his lane. With Duke on this album is a number of great artists including Mark Teixeira on drums, Marty Ballou on bass, Matt McCabe on Piano, Sugar Ray Norcia on Harmonica and a number of horn players. Musical direction on this CD is superb covering a number of Joe Turner Songs, Fats Domino, Eddie Boyd, Howlin Wolf, and a number of songs written by Duke in the early days of Roomful Of Blues. Some of the tunes that stood out to my ears were “Blue Coat Man”, “Built for Comfort” and “Give Me Back My Money” but I think my favorite on this CD is “Just Kiss Me Baby”, listen here. I will give this a 10+ on Blues Content and a 10+ on Music Content.
Guy Davis – The Legend of Sugarbelly (MC Records)
Bio – “Guy Davis is a two-time, back-to-back Grammy nominee for Best Traditional Blues, a musician, Actor, Author, and Songwriter. Guy uses a blend of Roots, Blues, Folk, Rock, Rap, Spoken Word, and World Music to comment on, and address the frustrations of social injustice, touching on historical events, and common life struggles. His background in theater is pronounced through the lyrical storytelling of songs “God’s Gonna Make Things Over” about the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, “Welcome to My World”, and “Got Your Letter In My Pocket”. His storytelling is sometimes painful, deep, and real, an earthy contrast to modern-day commercial music, meant to create thought, underlined by gentle tones from his guitar or banjo fingerpicking. Along with his music writing and performance, Guy has written several scripts for stage and film. He recently debuted his latest piece, “Sugarbelly and Other Tales My Father Told Me” at the famed Crossroads Theatre in New Brunswick, NJ. He previously presented his other New York Foundation for the Arts winning play at the Crossroads, “The Adventures of Fishy Waters: In Bed with the Blues”, a one-man show whose Off-Broadway debut in 1994 received critical praise from The New York Times and the Village Voice. Guy has performed before the Crowned Heads of Denmark, and even the renowned explorer, Jacques Cousteau. He’s played alongside Pete Seeger, Bruce Springsteen, Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull, Levon Helm, Dr. John, Kris Kristofferson, Buffy Saint-Marie, T-Bone Burnett, Taj Mahal, Keb Mo, John Hammond, John Sebastian, and John Denver. He has opened for, among others, Chuck Berry, Joan Armatrading, James Cotton, and B.B.King. He has performed in 48 of the 50 states, throughout most of Europe, Australia, Indonesia, Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Ukraine, Russia, Georgia, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Canada, Greenland, The Shetland Islands, The Faroe Islands, and The UK. He’s been chased out of Red Square in Moscow for trying to sing, sung in Soviet Occupied East Berlin, and performed standing in front of an iceberg in Greenland.”
Review – I love some Guy Davis, but this CD left me a little disappointed. Overall it is not bad, just expecting a little more from Guy. Seemed boring at times, but Guy does a great job playing the Guitar, Banjo, Harmonica and his vocals were very story telling but not what I was hoping for. Guy has some great musicians with him on this album including Mark Murphy on Double Bass, Cello and Vocals, Christopher James on Mandolin and Banjo and Professor Louie on Hammond. If your needing some easy listening Blues, this is probably not too bad. “Black Snake Moan”, “Come Gitchu Some” and “12 Gates To The City” are pretty good but I think my favorite on this CD is “Kokomo Alley”, reminds me of what I expect from Guy, great guitar and vocals, listen here. I will give this a 10 on Blues Content and a 10 on Music Content just because it is Guy.
Chris Daniels & The Kings – 40 Blues With Horns Vol II (Moon Voyage)
Bio – “Chris Daniels & the Kings (now with Freddi Gowdy) are celebrating their 40th year with live ‘fireside chats” from Chris on Facebook during “safe at home” and as things open up – out playing songs from BLUES WITH HORNS – our 15th Kings album and out second with Freddi Gowdy of the Freddi Henchi band. In December 2019 Freddi joined Chris and an inductee into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame!! Doing more than 120 dates per year touring over two continents, Daniels and his band have been invited to appear in such diverse places as The Down Home Blues Festival in South Carolina, The Bob Hope Chrysler Desert Classic, The Curacao Swing Festival (South America), and all over Europe. Chris was inducted into the COLORADO MUSIC HALL OF FAME in 2013 with Judy Collins and he has appeared with the Garth Brooks, B.B. King, Vince, Gill, Amy Grant, Joe Walsh, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, John Oates, The Luminieers, Uncle Cracker, Blues Traveler, The Neville Brothers, and the list goes on. The band has also headlined on major international festivals, including Ribs & Blues Festival in The Netherlands, at Marktrock, Berchem Blues, and the Lokeren festivals in Belgium. The Kings have also served as the back up band for Garth Brooks, Bonnie Raitt, Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Johnnyswim, Sonny Landreth, David Bromberg, Al Kooper, Bo Diddly, members of Little Feat, and Was Not Was at the Roxy in LA to name a few. Die hard fans from Italy to Holland rocked with this remarkable artist who has appeared on major TV channels across the world, including HDnet all High definition TV, VH-1, TNN, Much Music/Canada, Nippon TV/Japan, Crooked River Grove, KUSA, and on Onhe Filter, AVRO, KAVRO, Paris MTV, and Brussles 1 in Europe, and on Swing TV in Buenos Ares, Argentina.”
Review – Jump Blues at it’s finest, this CD really smokes and hits all the buttons for me. Big horns, Funky Beats, great vocals and background vocals. “Jump”, “I like Funky Music”, “I like Your Shoes” and “When You’re Cool” are all top favorites on this CD but I think my favorite on this CD is “Congo Square”, a great Sonny Landreth tune listen here. I will give this a 10 on Blues Content and a 10+ on Music Content.
Jerry Phillips – For The Universe (Omnivore)
Bio – “As a member of one of Memphis iconic musical families, the 75-year-old Phillips has been part of many important cultural moments. A “child wrestler” in the 1950s, Phillips was a member of the ’60s garage group The Jesters (who recorded the classic “Cadillac Man,” one of the last great original Sun releases), and worked on projects for Stax as well co-producing singer-songwriter John Prine’s 1979 album “Pink Cadillac,” with his brother, the late Knox Phillips. All through the years, however, Phillips was writing original songs. He’s the son of rock and roll, so you know that on Jerry Phillips’ debut album, he’s gonna rip hard. As a kid, his late-night hangout pals were Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis, because they all hung with his dad, Sam Phillips, who founded Sun Records, the studio and record label. Us rock and roll fans, we heard the music—Jerry was baptized in it. Jerry’s made plenty of records. With his band the Jesters, he recorded “Cadillac Man” for Sun Records, a highlight of the original label’s last years. He’s produced plenty of albums too, including soul music for Stax and with his brother Knox they made one of John Prine’s greatest, Pink Cadillac. But sometimes it takes a lifetime to get to your own album. With this one, Jerry invites you to sidle up to the bar on the third floor of the Sam Phillips Recording Service in Memphis, Tennessee. This is the studio that he recently refurbished, keeping Sam’s design intact and enhancing the control room’s technology, grit and funk. At the bar, he points out where the original Formica still has just one cigarette burn scar on it—Johnny Cash, early 1960s.”
Review – Not a bad album, but probably not Blues, feels more like early Rock N’ Roll. Vocals are ok, music is a little boring. Not a fan of most of the songs just because they don’t land in my Blues Cabinet but I think my favorite on this CD and probably the most Bluesy song, “24/6 not 7″”, a cool lyrical song, listen here. I will give this a 7 on Blues Content and a 7 on Music Content.
Tab Benoit – I Hear Thunder (Whiskey Bayou)
Bio – “In 1992 Benoit released his first recording Nice and Warm on the Justice Label. The title track became a AAA Radio hit and Benoit’s touring career kicked into high gear. Nice and Warm prompted comparisons to blues guitar heavyweights like Albert King, Albert Collins and even Jimi Hendrix. Tab began playing two-hundred and fifty shows a year, a schedule he has kept up for over twenty years. He recorded four albums for Justice Records before being signed to the Vanguard label, and became Louisiana’s Number One Blues export. Vanguard allowed Tab to produce his own recordings; Tab wanted to record the sound that he was trying to create and in 1999 Vanguard Records released These Blues Are All Mine. Tab Benoit’s music evolved again after he signed with the Telarc International/Concord Music Group in 2002. He began to strip it down to a three-piece group, where he found more freedom as a guitarist. He was also on a mission in wanting to use his music and his energy to bring attention to Louisiana’s coastal erosion issues. Tab began to spend more time in the Wetlands and it was where he began to write his songs. Wetlands was the title of his first Telac/Concord International release. The record combined many musical styles that are indigenous to Louisiana, while he began to play accordion lines and washboard on guitar. Wetlands was a mile marker that definitively marked Tab’s further musical progression into his own original sound and style. Following the release of Wetlands in 2004 Benoit founded the Voice of the Wetlands non-profit organization and began to use music and gather other musicians to use their platforms for getting the message out. He put together an all-star band that featured Cyril Neville, Anders Osborne, George Porter Jr, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, Johnny Vidacovich, Johnny Sansone, and Waylon Thibodeaux that became The Voice of the Wetlands All-Stars. The Voice of the Wetlands All-Stars have released two CDs and occasionally tour throughout the country.”
Review – Alright now, this is the pick of the week. I always feel like Tab is probably the most consistent player out there in the Blues circuit. He always knows how to float between Blues and Rock in all his CDs, this one is no exception with Terence Higgins on Drums, Corey Duplechin on Bass, Anders Osborne on Guitar and George Porter Jr. on Bass. Tabs guitar choices in his leads is probably the most compelling thing about his playing. Songs that stood out to me were “Inner Child”, “Watching the Gators Roll In”, Little Queenie” and Bayou Man. I think my favorite on this CD is “I Hear Thunder”, a great driving Blues song, hear is a live version, listen here and here is the CD version of the same song, listen here. I will give this a 10+ on Blues Content and a 10+ on Music Content.
