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| 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: |
 Snooky
Pryor & His Mississippi Wrecking Crew
(Electro-Fi) 
You
would think that once you hit 80 you might start slowing
down but harmonica ace Snooky Pryor seems to be just hitting
his stride. "Snooky Pryor & His Mississippi Wrecking
Crew" is his fourth CD since 99' and may be his best
yet.
Snooky
played a big role in the development of amplified Chicago
blues harmonica but it's only been relatively recently
that he's got his proper due. He's always claimed to be
among the first Chicago harp players to amplify the instrument
and I guess we'll have to take him on his word since there's
no one left to dispute it! Snooky has been well served
in recent years issuing a fine record on Blind Pig in
99' and pair of exceptional records for Electro-Fi. This
latest offering shows Snooky as feisty as ever as he stretches
out with a fantastic band on a loose, gritty set of blues.
The
Mississippi Wrecking
Crew is an all-star band featuring guitarist Mel Brown
who appeared on Snooky's two prior Electro-Fi outings,
a trio of former Muddy bandmates in Pinetop Perkins, Bob
Stroger and Willie "Big Eyes" Smith plus special
guest Jeff Healey on three cuts. As you can imagine the
interplay is almost telepathic as these guys sink into
a deep blues groove, really stretching out and playing
beautifully off one another. Snooky's amplified harp work
is stunning as is his gritty, soulful vocals. Things kick
off in with the storming instrumental "Rock-a-While"
and continue through "Electro-Fi Blues" featuring
some of the record's best ensemble playing and Snooky
sounds particularly inspired paying tribute to the influences
of both Sonny Boy's on a low-down "Decoration Day"
and "Sugar Mama Blues." Other highlights include
Pinetop taking the vocals on the down in the alley "Pinetop's
Grinder man Blues" and Snooky breathing new life
into the well worn "Corinna."
Snooky
Pryor & His Mississippi Wrecking Crew display some
phenomenal ensemble playing harking back to the remarkable
interplay of Muddy Waters' best bands. This is the real
deal blues and should not be missed. Easily of the year's
best.
(Jeff Harris)
|
 Sam
Moore: Plenty Good Lovin' (2-K Sounds)
Sam Moore, one half of
the legendary Sam & Dave, cut this album in 1970 but
due to some strange twists of fate it wasn't until 2002
that it saw the light of day. Recorded at the twilight of
soul's golden age, "Plenty Good Lovin'" is a near
perfect soul record spotlighting Moore's magnificent vocals.
Why this
record was shelved is due to a variety of reasons not least
of which was the murder of saxman and producer King Curtis
shortly after this project was completed. The chain of events
that caused this record to finally be issued has an equally
interesting story. It started with a young fan with a rare
45 single from this album having Moore autograph it- Moore's
reaction was astonishment since he forgot he even recorded
this session and had never see his name alone on a record.
After digging through the vaults the whole album was recovered.
Soul fans around the world should sing that fan's praises
because "Plenty Good Lovin'" is a knockout.
This album was originally
cut for Atlantic Records and they pulled out all the stops
with an impressive cast of musicians surrounding Moore:
Aretha Franklin and Donny Hathaway on keyboards, Cornell
Dupree on guitar, Bernard "Pretty" Purdie on drums,
King Curtis on sax, backup vocals by the Sweet Inspirations
and a stellar horn section. Moore, of course, is stunning
whether singing tenderly or shouting he drains every ounce
of emotion out of these ten tracks. Eight of the ten cuts
are covers but that doesn't matter as Moore totally transforms
Smokey Robinson's "Shop Around" into a soaring
workout, tackles Howard Tate's "Stop" hitting
some amazing high notes and puts across a great version
of Allen Toussaint's "Get Out My Life Woman."
The real show-stopper, however, is his bluesy, smoldering
reading of "Part Time Love." The rest of the album
is of equal high quality.
Dedicated soul fans
will probably have already snapped this up but anyone who
enjoys classic soul music should grab this one. It may have
been recorded 30 years ago but it sounds absolutely timeless-
a sure sign of a classic.
(Jeff Harris)
|
Big Joe Turner: The Midnight
Special (Pablo)
John Lee Hooker: Live
At Sugar Hill Vol. 2 (Fantasy)
Various Artists: Blues
Around The Clock (Pablo)
Fantasy
Records is an umbrella company that owns the rights to
an incredible catalog of jazz and blues from such notable
labels as Prestige, Specialty, Stax, Pablo and many others.
Their latest records include a fine mid-70's date from
blues shouter Big Joe Turner, "Blues Around The Clock"
featuring latter day performances by T-Bone Walker, Jimmy
Witherspoon and Muddy Waters and a real surprise with
a collection of previously unreleased live John Lee Hooker
recordings.
By the
time "The Midnight Special" was cut in 1976
Big Joe had long ago cemented his reputation as one of
the finest blues shouters of the post-war era. In an amazingly
resilient career Turner had successfully adopted his style
through boogie-woogie, jump blues and rock 'n' roll. During
the 70's and 80's Turner kept busy churning out about
dozen loose sessions for Norman Granz's Pablo label. Turner
is in typically fine form on this laid-back, jazzy 1976
date tackling standards like "I Left My Heart In
San Francisco", "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And
Write Myself A Letter" and "You're Driving Me
Crazy." Turner also puts across fine readings of
blues classics like "The Things That I Used To Do"
and nine minute plus versions of "Stoop Down Baby"
and "The Midnight Special."
John Lee
Hooker was one of the most recorded bluesman of all time
by the time he passed in June of 2001. "Live
At Sugar Hill Vol. 2", however, is something
very special capturing Hooker solo acoustic in an intimate
setting with excellent sound that makes it sound like
he's right in your living room. These 19 tracks stem from
a 1962 engagement at San Francisco's Sugar Hill club with
some songs from this concert appearing on a Galaxy album
"Live At Sugar Hill." All the songs here are
are previously unreleased and showcase Hooker's genius
for transforming other's songs to his own unique style.
Hooker's biographer Charles Shaar Murray called this process
"Hookerization" illustrated perfectly on versions
of Ray Charles' "Wha'd I Say", Guitar Slim's
"The Things That I Used To Do", Arthur Crudup's
"That's All Right" and a pair of Eddie Boyd
cuts in "Third Degree" and "Five Long Years."
"Blues
Around The Clock" is drawn from six Pablo albums
spanning 1969-1982 and contains fine latter day recordings
by Big Joe Turner, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson",
T-Bone Walker and Muddy Waters. All the artists except
Muddy were adept at working a balancing act between blues
and jazz and on this collection backing is provided by
a fine cast of jazz musicians. Turner is typically superb
particularity on the uptempo "Blues Around The Clock"
and "Kick The Front Door In" and is joined by
Jimmy Witherspoon on the tough "You Got Me Runnin'."
Eddie Vinson delivers three fine cuts backed by the Count
Basie band while T-Bone is in good form a three live cuts
recorded in London in 1969 including an impassioned reading
of his signature "Call It Stormy Monday." The
Muddy Waters cuts are also live, cut in Paris in 1972,
and the band sounds inspired particularly on "Walkin'
Blues" featuring some evil sounding slide from Muddy.
All
in all an excellent and diverse set of blues from Fantasy
who always does a fine job on their reissues including
first rate sound and informative liner notes.
(Jeff Harris)
|
 Solomon
Burke: Soul Alive! (Rounder)
While
there's been soul singers more successful than Solomon
Burke most have dropped by the wayside while Burke continues
to embody everything that make soul music so emotionally
satisfying. If you want proof just pick up "Soul
Alive!", a tour-de-force live outing caught on
tape in 1981.
Solomon
Burke is once again in the limelight with his highly
praised new album, "Don't Give Up On Me" a
stripped down affair that finds Burke's dynamic vocals
in superb shape as he tackles a selection of songs written
for him by a wide range of songwriters. "Soul Alive!",
however, captures the essence of Solomon Burke better
than any other record as he connects with the audience
on a deeply emotional level through his classic songs
and especially the spoken monologues. This is the kind
of performance that lies at the heart of Burke's legend
and this record perfectly captures that magic.
Over
the course of this intimate, sweaty 2-CD set Burke serves
up most of the soul classics that have made him famous:
"Everybody Needs Somebody To Love", "Just
Out Of Reach", "Down In The Valley",
"Cry to Me," "If You Need Me," "Got
to Get You off My Mind," "Tonight's the Night."
But as Peter Guralnick eloquently points out in the
liner notes "there is no nostalgia in this recording
because for Solomon Burke's audience at the Phoenix
1 Club soul music has never gone away...the emotional
transport of the crowd inspires Solomon to new heights..."
Nobody connects with an audience like Burke and the
crowd is swept away particularly on the lengthy monologues
as he cajoles, teases and offers up advice about love
and commitment. Above all Burke's voice is still majestic,
every bit as good as those classic recordings from the
60's and the audience knows it, showing their approval
on every song.
If
I had to recommend one Solomon Burke record to someone
this would be it. It captures Burke at his commanding
best, so in tune with his audience, so intense the magic
radiates right out of the speakers and deep down into
your soul.
(Jeff Harris)
|
 Boo
Boo Davis: Can Me (Black & Tan)
As
the great St. Louis bluesman Henry Townsend once proclaimed
St. Louis was once a "a hot town for blues."
It seems the city still has plenty of blues talent including
the tough, raw blues of drummer/singer Boo Boo Davis who
rips it up on "Can Man", his second album for
the Black & Tan label.
Davis first can to my notice playing drums and singing
on Arthur Williams' "Harpin' on It" his knockout
1999 debut record. What really sealed the deal for me
was catching Davis at the Pocono blues festival backing
Arthur Williams. As good as Williams was he was upstaged
by Davis' wild performance that practically brought the
tent down. It may sound like a cliché but Davis
has really paid his dues playing behind Little Walter,
Sonny Boy Williamson, Little Milton and Elmore James among
others. For 18 years The Davis Brothers Band, with James
'Boo Boo' Davis and his brothers were the house band at
Tubby's Red Room in East St. Louis. "Can Man"
perfectly captures that raw and rocking atmosphere on
an uncompromising set of blues.
Boo
Boo Davis can rightly be called old school in the sense
that the music is firmly rooted in the tough, gritty amped
up blues of the 50's 60's. On this recording Davis drops
the drums, focusing on his powerful vocals which bear
a strong resemblance to Howlin' Wolf as well as blowing
a pretty mean harmonica. Davis' band is all European but
these guys can really play which is obvious when you realize
this record was recorded live in one take with no overdubs!
All the songs are originals and Davis sounds absolutely
ferocious on a mostly uptemo program including rocking
numbers like "Big House All By Myself", "Red
Door", "Right On", the uncanny Howlin'
Wolf styled vocals of "Can Man" and the rippling
"Boo's Boogie Woogie" featuring great piano
from Wybren Edick. Davis shows his soulful side on slower
numbers particularly the fine "Lovin Somebody Else."
Black
& Tan has done another stellar job on Davis' second
album and there's no doubt Davis is a bonfire blues star
who deserves a wider audience. Why Davis is recording
for a label in The Netherlands and not for an American
label is a mystery but this one is well worth tracking
down.
-Check out
the Black & Tan website:
Black
& Tan Records
|
 Bryan
Lee: Six String Therapy (Justin Time)
Despite
putting out eight highly regarded records for Canada's
Justin Time label Bryan Lee somehow slipped under my
radar. With "Six String Therapy" it's impossible
to ignore him any longer as he jumps and swings through
a blazing set of tunes propelled by a world class backing
band.
Bryan
Lee was born in Wisconsin, not exactly a blues hotbed,
but headed to New Orleans in 1982 where he really came
into his own. Like many outside musicians (think Jon
Cleary and John Mooney), Lee quickly came under the
spell of the Big Easy and the city's influences are
stamped all over his sound. For the next 14 years, Lee
and his Jump Street Five played five nights a week at
that popular Old Absinthe House Bar garnering a huge
following. Now over ten years after his debut Lee is
going strong delivering a romping record that melds
Lee's scorching guitar work with an unmistakable New
Orleans vibe.
"Six
String Therapy" has a vintage, swinging sound but
unlike many so-called "retro" bands the sound
comes across effortlessly rather than sounding artificial.
Credit guitarist Duke Robillard who produced this record
at his studio, the aptly titled Duke's Mood Room. Robillard
also brought along some of his old Roomful of Blues
buddies including the stellar horns of Sax Gordon on
tenor, Doug "Mr. Low" James on baritone plus
the always excellent Bruce Katz on organ and piano.
Add a great set of songs plus Lee's blistering guitar
and gritty, soulful vocals and you get one of the year's
top records. Lee wears his New Orleans influences on
his sleeve with first rate covers of Paul Gayten's "You
Better Believe", Dave Bartholomew's chugging "Go
On Fool" and a jumping version of Smiley Lewis'
"Bumpity Bump." Other influences include B.B.
King with a rocking version of "Beautician Blues",
Freddie King's "Now I Got A Woman" and a surprisingly
fine late night feel on the T-Bone inspired "Gee
Baby, Ain't I Good To You." Lee is a hell of a
guitar player who relies more on taste than flash but
can really cut loose particuarly evident on the ten
minute title cut.
"Six
String Therapy" is
one of those rare records where it all comes together-
not a bum track and a record that should propel Bryan
Lee to that next level.
(Jeff Harris)
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