Teeny Tucker: First Class Woman (Hot Rod)

 Watch out Shemekia Copeland here comes Teeny Tucker a big voiced blues singer who can give the youngster a run for her money. "First Class Woman" puts Teeny in firmly the front ranks of woman blues singers and heralds a major talent.

 Like the aforementioned Copeland, Teeny had a blues playing father as well. Tommy Tucker is best known for his 64' smash "Hi-Heel Sneakers" and although he never equaled that success he cut some first rate blues like shoulda-been-a-hits "Long Tall Shorty" and "Alimony." Teeny remembers that period well: "He came to visit me in his black convertible Cadillac and I sat on the arm-rest in the Cadillac listening to "Hi Heel Sneakers" play on the radio." She paid tribute to her dad on her 2000 debut "Tommy's Girl", an album of covers including, of course, "Hi Heel Sneakers." On "First Class Woman" Teeny has smartly decided to focus on originals and really delivers the goods on this set of straight ahead no-nonsense blues.

 Teeny's huge, gospel inflected vocals (yes, she got her start in the church) is pushed along by a tough combo featuring the riffing Texas Horns, stinging lead guitar from Sean Carney, rollicking piano from John Popovich and hotshot guitarist Nick Curran guesting on two cuts. Teeny tells you who's boss on the hard driving "First Class Woman" featuring some sizzling Chuck Berry licks by Carney, the horn heavy R&B feel on the good time "Party My Blues Away" and a sure fire blues anthem in the throbbing "Message Of The Blues." The two covers are knockouts and include Big Maybelle's romping "Country Man" and her father's "Don't Want Cha" an infectious blues shuffle featuring sax man Kaz Kazanoff blowing some mean harmonica (go figure!). Teeny goes back to the church on a stellar version of "Wade in The Water" and the rousing closer "Keep On Blessin' Me." The real highlight is "Trouble" a minor key tour-de-force featuring ominous horns and Curran's lowdown guitar work as Teeny really scorches this, soaring from a whisper to a shout with utter confidence.

 "First Class Woman" is the voice of a major blues talent who's finally getting a chance to show her stuff. I expect to hear big things from Teeny Tucker in the future but in the meantime get on board early and pick up this first class record.

-Check out these related links:
Teeny Tucker Website
Hot Rod Records Website

Various Artists: Live At The W.C. Handy Blues
Awards Vol. 1 (Tone-Cool)

 The W.C. Handy Awards have been presented in ceremonies since 1980 and represent the highest honor given in the Blues industry (the blues' version of the Grammy awards). Each year in May the blues world's attention turns to Memphis at the historic Orpheum Theatre, within earshot of Beale Street, where the awards are given out and a privileged few performers get to strut their stuff. Tone-Cool Records has finally taken the logical step of issuing these performances on CD and Vol. 1 is a strong beginning in what will hopefully be a long running series.

 The ten cuts span from 1996 to 2001 with a variety of styles. Included are some of the best contemporary blues stars like Joe Louis Walker, Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers, Deborah Coleman, Bernard Allison, Susan Tedeschi, veterans like Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal and Bobby Rush, the acoustic blues of Paul Rishell and Annie Raines plus gone but not forgotten legends such as Rufus Thomas and Luther Allison.

 The cynic in me notes four Tone-Cool artists included but perhaps that's a bit unfair. Taj Mahal wasn't a Tone-Cool artist at the time and the difficulties in getting permission for all these artists was complicated (taking 2 years in negotiations) so using some of their own artists makes sense. Regardless this is an exciting set of live blues kicking off with a tour-de-force performance by Joe Louis Walker. Walker plays solo amplified slide on the soulful "Bluesifying" a bonafide blues anthem if I ever heard one as he incants the names of his influences from Lightnin' Hopkins to Muddy Waters to John Lee Hooker to Eddie Taylor and so on. Luther Allison follows with a powerful version of his lowdown "Cherry Red Wine" with his trademark passionate vocals and searing guitar work backed by the Memphis Horns just a year before he died- what a loss. Speaking of loss we get a rollicking performance by Rufus Thomas (died 2001) from 1998 when Thomas was pushing 80! If anyone personified Memphis music it was Rufus Thomas, an entertainer of the highest caliber who delivers the goods on a rocking version of his classic "Walking The Dog." If you're talking entertainers than look no further than Bobby Rush (featured prominently in Martin Scorsese's "Road to Memphis") who tuns the Orpheum into a chitlin' circuit club as he delivers his raunchy "Hootchie Man." Other highlights include the tough "Bad Love" featuring Deborah Coleman & Bernard Allison, a typically good time performance by Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers with hotshot guitarist Rick "LA" Holmstrom, Bonnie Raitt on the excellent R&B number "Three Time Loser" and some first rate acoustic blues by Paul Rishell and Annie Raines on the traditional "Michigan Water Blues."

 "Live At The W.C. Handy Blues Awards Vol. 1" is strong opener and with so many musical treasures from the Award's nearly quarter decade we can only hope that this will be the first of many more volumes. Now when's the DVD coming out?

-Check out these related links:
Handy Awards Website
The Blues Foundation
Tone Cool Website

(Jeff Harris)