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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: |
 Yonder
Come The Blues
By Paul Oliver, Tony Russell, Robert M.W. Dixon,
John Goodrich, Howard Rye (Cambridge) 
Yonder
Come The Blues is a much welcomed anthology that combines
three influential and long out of print books: Savannah
Syncopators, Blacks, Whites & Blues and
Recording The Blues. All three books are often
quoted in blues research and are scholarly, well researched
studies tackling different aspects in the development
of blues music.
These three
books were part of the groundbreaking Blues Paperbacks
Series published by Studio Vista between 1970 and 1971.
The series reflected the serious research that was being
undertaken regarding blues music and the books ranged
in topic from studies of single artists like Tommy Johnson
and Peetie Wheatstraw to broader studies of Delta and
East Coast blues traditions. The three books that are
reprinted here were selected because they were ones most
frequently cited and they have not be superseded by more
thorough studies. All the books have been updated with
new essays and discographies. For serious blues scholars
these are required reading and it's great to have them
back in print.
In Savannah
Syncopators author Paul Oliver looks into any links
that can be found between African music and the blues.
The book is subtitled African Retentions In The Blues
and Oliver was careful to use the word "retentions"
instead of influences because the evidence suggests only
that the barest of African elements survived in blues.
In general the evidence, as you would probably expect,
is not cut and dried and Oliver's conclusions are mostly
speculative. One of the book's main thrusts is where in
Africa might their be the closest connection to blues.
In looking at this question Oliver looks into where in
Africa slaves came to America from and what their musical
traditions where. His conclusion, as the title implies,
is probably in the Savannah region of Africa. He also
speculates about the connection between the griots, professional
musicians and entertainers, and that of blues musicians
which is one of the book's most interesting topics. Ultimately
his conclusion is that the blues was a product of these
Savannah traditions meeting with European ones. In the
afterward Oliver keeps the book up to date by discussing
the research that has been done following his book's publication
and shows that the question of African influence on the
blues is still being hotly debated.
In Blacks,
Whites & Blues Tony Russell looks at the interaction
between black music, particularly the blues, and white
music, particularly country music. Russell focuses his
attention from the early 1800's to the late 1930's. What
Russell explains so well is that while we are dealing
with a segregated society there was no way to segregate
musical ideas. Going further is a quote he takes from
W.J. Cash: "Negro entered into white man's as profoundly
as white man entered negro- subtly influencing every gesture,
every word, every emotion and idea, every attitude."
His general thesis is that while blues and country were
to some degree independent traditions that had an overall
unity. Russell begins his focus on the entanglement between
black and white music in his chapter titled Minstrelsy
and continues In the chapter Old Familiar Tunes
where he continues by talking about the "common stock"
which was a large repertoire of songs shared by both black
and white musicians. In the following chapters Russell
documents the rise of blues and country music to be popular
recording forms and provides further evidence that black
and white musical influence was very much a two way street.
For example Blind Lemon Jefferson and Blind Blake where
very influential among white musicians where as a group
like the Mississippi Sheiks were marketed to both white
and black audiences. One of the books strengths is that
Russell sprinkles the book with many such examples. Many
of the arguments Russell makes have become more widely
accepted since the book's publication but there are still
precious few books who deal with the subject as head on
as Russell does making this book a still valuable reference.
In Recording
The Blues authors Dixon and Goodrich document how
the blues came to be recorded focusing on the years 1920
to 1945. A convenient starting point for the birth of
blues recording came in 1920 when Mamie Smith cut "Crazy
Blues" for the OKeh label. The record was an instant
hit and "tapped a vast potential market" that
was willing to pay hard earned money to hear a black singer.
Of course there was nothing new about the blues- Ma Rainey
had already been singing the blues a dozen years all over
the South. Soon companies like Columbia, Black Swan and
Paramount began issuing "Race Records" as they
were now generally called. By 1923 things were really
taking off and the era of the classic blues singer was
born. The singers were almost exclusively female backed
sometimes by just piano but usually by a small hot jazz
band. Bessie Smith, Clara Smith, Ma Rainey, Alberta Hunter,
Victoria Spivey, Sippie Wallace, Ida Cox all launched
their recording careers during this period. Male country
blues artists took longer to get on record but between
1927-1930 they dominated the market as the record companies
actively went out in the field to look for talent. In
addition to country blues, gospel was extremely popular
and numerous sermons and guitar evangelists were also
recorded. The final chapters trace the changing sound
of blues to a more urban sound in the 30's and 40's and
the drawing together of pop and blues music. The Afterward
by Howard Rye is particularly fascinating as he discusses
the new research undertaken on black music recorded before
1920 plus more thorough looks at more recent studies of
the activities of the major race labels.
Yonder
Come The Blues will be of great interest for those
with a serious interest in the development of blues. All
three books have stood the test of time well and with
new essays and up to date discographies they belong in
every serious blues library.
(Jeff Harris)
|
 Cannon's
Jug Stompers: The Best Of (Yazoo)
Led by
the remarkable Gus Cannon, Cannon's Jug Stompers rank as
one of the all time great jug bands. The Best Of
collects nearly 70 minutes of sublime jug band music covering
the group's greatest sides of their relatively short lived
recording career (1927-1930).
Gus Cannon formed the Jug Stompers in the late 20's
in direct response to the popularity of The Memphis Jug
Band who first recorded in 1927. Cannon, who was born in
1885, heard his first blues around 1900 and his style bridged
the gap from pre-blues music to the blues as we know it
today. The music of Cannon's Jug Stompers reflects this
older style incorporating not only blues but elements of
minstrel, ragtime and other pre-blues styles into a vibrant,
captivating sound.
Led by
Gus Cannon who plays jug as well as banjo were a loose knit
group consisting of Ashley Thompson, guitarists Hosea Woods
and Elijah Avery and the outstanding Noah Lewis on harmonica.
Outside of Cannon's remarkable banjo playing it's Lewis
who nearly steals the show laying down some powerful and
moving harp blowing particularly on songs like "Viola
Lee Blues" and "Heart Breakin' Blues" featuring
a knockout half minute plus solo. The group's music harks
back to and older time with a haunting, laid back quality
highlighted on songs like the plaintive "Big Railroad
Blues", "Minglewood Blues" and especially
"Going To Germany" a dreamy, hypnotic blues sung
by Noah Lewis. Other standouts include the original version
of the famous "Walk Right In", the propulsive
"Feather Bed", the straight blues of "Springdale
Blues" and the humorous minstrel feel of "Prison
Wall Blues."
Cannon's
Jug Stompers is the fourth in Yazoo's new "Best Of"
series and like the previous collections sound quality,
liner notes and song selection are all first class. Fans
of early blues and rural music will find this collection
indispensable.
-Check out
these reviews of other recent Yazoo releases:
The
Best of Blind Lemon Jefferson & Blind Blake
The
Best of the Memphis Jug Band
(Jeff Harris)
|
 Doug
James: Blow Mr. Low (Stony Plain)
For over
two decades Doug James has been a hired gun laying down
his distinctive bottom heavy baritone sax sound to dozens
of different artists. Surprisingly Blow Mr. Low is
his first solo project mixing blues, jazz and R&B into
a stomping, good time party record.
James is probably best known for his work with Roomful
Of Blues joining the band in 1971 and playing on at least
a dozen records. His extracurricular activities include
playing with people like Eddy Clearwater, J.B. Hutto, Duke
Robillard, Stevie Ray Vaughn, the Fabulous Thunderbirds
and many others. On Blow Mr. Low James emerges a
distinctive artist in his own right blasting through a wonderfully
varied set that harks back to to the heyday of sax driven
R&B.
In the
right hands the baritone is a wonderfully expressive instrument
and James is a marvelous player equally adept at jazz as
he is to honking R&B. Backing James is a who's who of
Roomful vet's including Duke Robillard, vocalist Sugar Ray
Norcia, pianist Matt McCabe plus horn players Gordon "Sax"
Beadle on tenor and Carl Querfurth on trumpet. The set favors
instrumentals with top marks going to the storming opener
"Extra Axle" featuring some fine trumpet and trombone
support, the wailing "Son of Mr. Big Horn" and
the jumping "Dog Ate My Reed." On the vocal side
Duke Robillard sets the tone on "Blow Mr. Blow"
when he sings "Well blow Mr. Low blow away my misery,
you ease my achin' heart when you play the blues so low
for me." Robillard also sings on the jump blues "You
Better Hold Me" while Sugar Ray Norcia puts across
an intimate version of "I Want A Little Girl"
and a great cover of Smiley Lewis' "Dirty, Dirty People."
Doug
James proves that in the right hands the honking sax driven
band can still serve up a blasting good time and that message
is heard loud and clear on Blow Mr. Low.
(Jeff Harris)
|
 Larry
Davis: Funny Stuff (Rooster)
Larry
Davis' claim to blues immortality will be probably be his
original, and still definitive, 1958 version of "Texas
Flood." That would be doing him a disservice because
judging from the handful of records he released he had all
the makings of a genuine blues star. Case in point is Funny
Stuff an overdo reissue of Davis' superlative 1982 full
length debut.
Fame
may have never knocked on Davis' door but that has no bearing
on his immense talent. The talent was evident in those first
raw blues 45's he cut for Duke in the 50's and was fully
formed in the 80's and 90's when he cut three top notch
records for three different labels. Unfortunately Davis
died of cancer in 1994 and never broke out to a larger audience.
Nearly 20 years after it was first released Funny Stuff
stands as a fine testament to a bluesman of the highest
caliber.
Funny
Stuff is a minor key classic showcasing Davis' marvelous
singing and slashing guitar on a mix of originals and covers.
Backing Davis is an exceptional St. Louis cast including
Oliver Sain who produced the record and plays organ and
piano. Also on board are ex-Chuck Berry pianist Johnnie
Johnson and Billy Gayles on drums. Davis balances raw guitar
power with a warm vocal style that really shines on the
minor key songs with his ability to caress every nuance
out of a song. Davis' soulful, understated vocals are heard
to great effect on low-down gems like "Teardrops",
the blistering "Got To Be Some Changes Made" and
especially on a smoldering version of B.B. King's "Worried
Dream." Other highlights include the title cut featuring
some funky organ by Oliver Sain, the chugging instrumental
"Totsy" and the swinging "That Will Never
Do." Throughout Davis is given plenty of room to stretch
out laying down some fiery guitar solos.
Larry
Davis may not have cracked the big time but he was certainly
a big time talent and Funny Stuff is ample proof.
As one reviewer said of his place in blues history "[Davis]
is only a footnote when he should be a full chapter."
Well said.
(Jeff Harris)
|
 Various
Artists: The Word (Ropeadope)
What
is The Word? The Word is an all instrumental outing and
one of the funkiest, most joyous, rocking music projects
I've heard in a long time. The Word is a true meeting
of the minds combining the talents of the North Mississippi
Allstars, organist John Medeski and gospel prodigy Robert
Randolph on pedal steel guitar.
The story
of The Word is a convoluted one and the fact that
it came together at all may have something to do with divine
intervention. Medeski, John & Woods were touring with
the North Missisippi Allstars and both bands unbeknownst
to each other were listening the Sacred Steel records on
their buses. Sacred Steel music, with electric steel guitar
as main instrument, has been performed in the House of God
churches since the 30's but it's only since the 90's that
the music has been properly recorded for a wider audience.
The North Mississippi Allstars and John Medeski chose Robert
Randolph to complete their project based on the power of
one tune: "Without A God" from the Sacred Steel
Live album on Arhoolie Records. The chemistry is undeniable
as the band tear through a set of blistering gospel, blues
and soul that's sure to shake the rafters.
The
songs are drawn from gospel and should be familiar with
tracks like "At The Cross", "I'll Fly Away"
and "I Shall Not Be Moved." The music these guys
create is a genre unto itself melding low-down blues, funk
and searing gospel with a loose jam band feel that is like
nothing you've ever heard. Randolph's soulful, wailing guitar
are kept way up front backed by rock solid support form
Chris Chew on bass, Cody Dickinson on drums, down and dirty
guitar playing from Luther Dickinson and chunky organ fills
from John Medeski. The aptly titled "Joyful Sounds"
kicks thing off with a funky, insistent groove while "Call
Him By His Name" has a low-down bluesy feel and Randolph's
signature song "Without God" starts off slow and
builds to incredible power. Other highlights include the
gentle groove of "At The Cross" and a rocking
version of "I'll Fly Away." Above all else Robert
Randolph nearly steals the show coaxing the most amazing
sounds out of his instrument and expertly controlling the
tempo from a whisper to an all out explosion.
The
Word is much more than the sum of it's parts pulling
all sorts of different genres while creating a new one in
the process. The Word is a joyous meeting of the
minds that will surely be on the short list for best records
of the year in any category.
-Check out
these related links:
-Train
Don't Leave Me (A
review of Arhoolie's sixth Sacred Steel release)
-Arhoolie
Records Website
-Whatistheword.com
-Robertrandolph.net
(Jeff Harris)
|
 Jimmy
& Syl Johnson: Two Johnson's Are Better Than One!
(Evangeline)
Unlike
pop music there's not too many overnight sensations
in the blues and it usually takes years of paying dues
plus a fair bit of luck. With the belated debut of Louisiana
Country Boy 63 year old Harry Hypolite has made
the most of his time in the sun delivering a marvelous
down-home blues record.
Hypolite made his name playing guitar with the
king of Zydeco, Clifton Chenier who he played with right
up until his passing. More recently he's recorded and
toured with Clifton's son C.J. Chenier. In addition
to a strong zydeco influence he was also influenced
by guys like T-Bone Walker, Guitar Slim and Gatemouth
Brown who all passed through his neck of the woods on
the so called chitlin' circuit. These twin influences
are what you'll hear on Louisiana Country Boy
as Hypolite puts across a fine set of vintage blues
and zydeco.
As the
title of the record suggests Hypolite was born in Louisiana
and that region's unique musical rhythms are stamped
all over this record. Hypolite delivers some stinging
single string work with immaculate taste balanced by
his husky, soulful vocals singing in either English
or Creole. This is mostly a stripped down affair as
Hypolite digs into a set of originals and covers including
four Clifton Chenier numbers with particularly good
versions of the bouncy "Colinda" and the bluesy,
loping groove of "Hog For You." Other highlights
include the shuffling blues of "The Sun Is Shining",
the heartfelt "Milk Cow Blues", the autobiographical
title cut plus rockers like "Wine Spodee-O-Dee"
and "Just A Little Bit."
Louisiana
Country Boy exudes a dusty, down-home Louisiana
vibe played by a man who obviously knows the territory
well. Hats off to the folks at APO who gave Harry Hypolite
his much deserved place to shine.
(Jeff Harris)
|
 John
Littlejohn: Slidin' Home (Arhoolie)
Harpman,
vocalist, and songwriter Sugar Ray Norcia is coming back
to the traditional blues formulae that inspired his step
into the business years ago. Well-known for his work through
the nineties fronting Roomful of Blues, Norcia has jumped
into a solo career that is rising like the proverbial
phoenix. Norcia’s discography with work on Bullseye, Telarc,
and JSP, speaks for itself. This is his premier effort
with Maryland-based Severn Records and it seeks to find
that bluesy Norcian pre-Roomful spirit.
The
Bluetones are reincarnated here with Norcia at the helm
singing and
hittin’ hot registers. Norcia’s smokey vocal character
cuts to the chase as does his dynamic chromatic work.
He is supported by the powered up rhythms given chase
by Michael ‘Mudcat’ Ward on the bass, and Neil Gouvin
on the drumkit. Kid Bangham, an ex-Bluetone, is heard
providing the sterling guitar leads and rhythms. Performing
like they have shared decades working together, the ensemble
delivers tight executions, arrangements, and compositions.
Sugar Ray has inked six originals here; Bangham and Ward
one each. With a Slim Harpo tune, a Little Walter song,
and one from Junior Well’s songbook (written by Robey-Washington),
Norcia and crew get down further!
There’s
real strengths in works like Ward’s "She’s Blued
and Broken", Bangham’s spooky "Room 531",
and Ray’s "The Picture", "Warm Hearted
Woman", and "Low Down Lady." The work as
a whole stays away from obvious jump stylings he was accustomed
to, and seeks to find musical directions that reach back
to more standard and traditional recipes. A wonderfully
wicked set of blues that puts Norcia plop in the middle
of his element. A biscuit to be recommended to all!
(Jeff Harris)
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