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Reviews Section |
| Every month Bad Dog Blues reviews
the best new blues releases. We'll also take a look at noteworthy reissues and
blues related books. In addition you'll find a real audio clip from each record
we review located on the bottom left. Now on to this months reviews: |
 Various
Artists: Bill Wyman's Blues Odyssey
(Document) 
Bill Wyman
left the Rolling stones in 1993 but has kept active first
writing Stone Alone a fascinating insiders look
at the early days of the Stones and now turning his attention
to his love of the blues. The 2-CD Blues Odyssey
is one part of an ambitious project to introduce a whole
new audience to the blues.
Blues
Odyssey got it's start in England as 13 part radio
series, with each half hour segment focusing on a particular
blues personality. The project evolved into a television
documentary (recently aired on the Bravo channel) and
also a lavishly illustrated book. This 2-CD set was put
together to compliment the book and is a marvelously compiled
collection of blues mixing in all-time classics with lesser
known gems.
All 46
tracks (nearly 70 minutes per CD) were handpicked by Bill
Wyman and provide a wonderful introduction to the blues.
Instead of trying to include all the major blues figures
(an impossible task) Wyman focuses on his favorites and
his taste is exceptional. The bulk of the material is
from the 20's to the 40's with the most recent sides from
1951. The set is loaded with blues classics like Pine
Top Smith's influential "Pine Top's Boogie Woogie",
Speckled Red's bawdy "The Dirty Dozens", Joe
Turner's "Roll Em' Pete", B.B. King's "3
O'Clock Blues" and Elmore James' immortal "Dust
My Broom." It's the less familiar items that are
the most interesting like Virginia bluesman Luke Jordan's
wry view of the church on "Church Bell Blues",
Casey Bill Weldon's amazing lap steel work on the evocative
"W.P.A. Blues", Georgia White's salacious "Alley
Boogie" with stunning guitar from Lonnie Johnson
and the vigorously sung "Railroad Blues" by
Cow Cow Davenport. Some of my personal favorites are the
Texas bluesman including Joe Pullum's "Cows See That
Train Comin'" marking him as one of the era's most
distinctive singers, Walter "Cowboy" Washington's
powerful singing on "Ice Pick Mama" with knockout
piano playing from Andy Boy and pianist Black Boy Shine's
wistful "Gamblin' Jinx Blues."
The
Blues Odyssey is an important undertaking to introduce
the blues to a wider audience and with this multimedia
approach plus Bill Wyman's name recognition I'm sure he'll
succeed in seducing a new generation to the pleasures
of the blues. The Document label have done an excellent
job remastering these old tracks and have included a fine
illustrated 24 page booklet with an introduction and notes
on each of the songs written by Bill Wyman himself.
-Check out
these related links:
Document
Records
Bill
Wyman Website
(Jeff Harris)
|
 Johnny
Jones: Blues Is In The House
(Northernblues Music)
In 1999
guitarist Johnny Jones belatedly stepped out of the shadows
with his marvelous debut I Was Raised On The Blues.
Now the long time session guitarist is back with Blues
Is In The House a stellar follow up to his much praised
debut.
Johnny
Jones is one of a number of veteran bluesman who represent
the Nashville blues scene. Yes we're talking blues here
so put away your vision of cowboys and Stetson hats. While
Nashville may not have an identifiable sound like Chicago
or Texas it is the home of fine bluesman like Earl Gaines,
Roscoe Shelton, Charles Walker and others. That all these
veterans have recorded in recent years owes largely to
guitarist Fred James who not only played with all these
guys but acted as producer and songwriter. So it's not
surprising that once again James is behind this latest
Johnny Jones project and the results are superb.
Johnny
Jones is a masterful guitarist with an old school ethic
of playing tastefully but never overplaying. He also happens
to be a fine singer alternating between soulful singing
and a grittier approach. Blues Is In The House
is a tough,
no-nonsense set of blues with plenty of diversity and
with an exceptional batch of original songs. Highlights
include the sly "Girlfriend Blues" ("I
just found out my girlfriend's got a girlfriend too..."),
the swinging "Stacked In The Back", the tough
"Love Recession" ("Your love is like the
stock market, it was up and now it's down...") and
the jumping, humorous "Good Idea At The Time."
There's plenty more including gritty gems like "Your
Stuff Is Rough" and "Farm Boy" plus the
romping blues anthem "The Blues Is In The House"
a rousing duet with soulful singer Charles Walker.
Blues
Is In The House is a tough, hard hitting blues record
by a true master of the craft. Johnny Jones is the real
deal and this record makes that point loud and clear.
(Jeff Harris)
|
 John
Weston: I Tried To Hide From The Blues (Fedora)
The simplicity
of John Weston's approach to the blues is in his solo performance.
Sitting there ready to play his acoustic guitar, with the
harmonica racked and hanging from his neck, is reminiscent
of old Delta street performers. Weston was born in rural
Arkansas, where he grew up in his grandmother's home listening
to country, jazz, and big band music that was newly popular
during his upbringing John watched and listened as he grew
to appreciate the music of Memphis Minnie, Junior Parker,
and Big Arthur Crudup. He traveled widely spending short
stints in California, Ohio, and Arizona, as well, before
settling in Chicago.
Learning
to play the blues in Chicago, John soon returned to Arkansas
where he ran a small jute joint into the seventies when
he joined a country band. Soon thereafter he was concentrating
on harp accompaniment when he was helped out by harpist
Willie Combs. Since then, Weston has been charming audiences
and record execs with his own solitary retreat to the blues.
On this release John is joined by Dave Riley on bass guitar,
and Carla Robinson on the drums and vocals. John takes on
a myriad of chores as he covers the acoustic axe, harmonica,
bass drum, and lead vocals.
Weston's
smooth brand of blues draws its strength from the acoustic
Delta tradition, with active gospel, Appalachian, and country
music leanings. Check out "Blinded Fool" and Big
Bill Broonzy's "Key To The Highway" to realize
his church-filled childhood. He puts his subtle folk/blue
hat on for tunes like "Monkey On My Back", I'm
Not Your Junkman", and the late boogyin '"A Man
Down There". You can additionally find John's lyricism
just as honestly revealing on slabs like"You're The
Same", "Phony Woman", and "Mama, I Love
Her".
Thirteen
tunes on this platter are penned by Weston, along with the
aforementioned cover, you get a strong and long set of slow
and easy Weston
blues. Weston blows a fine harp, portrays his veteran vocals
proudly, and is found here supported simply and superbly.
'Less is more' surely applies to the down-home avenue where
you may find John Weston. His music comes forth without
frills, electronic gadgetry, or commercialization; contained
herein you'll find little short of straight-forward solid
acoustic blues material.
(Mark A. Cole)
|
 Dave
Riley: Whiskey, Money & Women (Fedora)
The
Mississippi-born Riley grew up with gospel, moved to
Chicago, did his tours of duty in Vietnam and Korea,
worked twenty-five years as a prison guard, and returned
to the blues in the 90s after meeting and befriending
Helena harp ace Frank Frost, He has, of late, toured
with Sam Carr and John Weston, billing themselves as
the 'All Star Delta Jukes'. This effort brings
Carr and Weston into the studio to help out their old
friend, Dave Riley.
Dave
Riley's staunch axe advance and his rum-soaked vocal
profile is supported by his son Dave Riley Jr. on the
bass guitar. Ex-Jellyroll King, Sam Carr is sounded
out on the drums, and John Weston lends a hand at the
harmonica spot. Chris Millar's production chair was
ready and in charge.
Starting
the parade with Detroit Junior's "Call My Job",
Riley strikes up his pleading lyrics and lays out some
hearty axe chops. Steady rhythms are infectious as you
can tell with the following "There She Comes";
a lament to life with the opposite sex. It's a romp
Delta-based beat that hits hard on the title tune, Whiskey,
Money & Women", as Riley supercharges his deliveries
and Weston's harp plays the soft antagonist. The eleven
tunes found on this biscuit authenticates Riley's Chicago
axe work while the underlying Helena-rhythms gives all
a firm foundation. Even the closer, John Lennon's "Imagine"
is given a blues twist and delivery.
Riley's
incessantly honest blues is exactly what makes this
platter a winner. Having taken his step south, Riley
became mired in the Delta sounds of his past. Working
with Carr and Weston only reinforced his need to look
back; and hence the production of this effort. Now with
a newly launched career, after a recent setback by auto
accident three years ago, Dave Riley is coming to the
forefront with a new found desire to discover his inner
muses; that can only mean more strong work from this
Delta son. "Make no mistake about it" ...!
(Mark A. Cole)
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