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Reverend Charlie
Jackson: God's Got It - The Legendary Booker and
Jackson Singles (Casequarter) 
Throughout
the 70's Reverend Charlie Jackson cut a string
of astonishingly tough 45's that have long been
held in high esteem by gospel collectors. For
their inaugural release the Casequarter label
has issued "God's Got It", collecting
all these earthshaking singles on one disc and
the cumulative power of these 18 sides is overwhelming.
The
guitar wielding Reverend Charlie Jackson is
latter day guitar evangelist following in a
long tradition of fellow travelers like Blind
Willie Johnson, Rev. Edward Clayborn, Blind
Roosevelt Graves and Sister O.M. Terell to name
a few. Jackson's music stems from an earlier
era when the line between blues and gospel was
just a hair apart, and indeed these sides sound
like they could have been cut decades before.
The sides here were cut between 1970-1978 on
the Booker label and his own Jackson label as
well as a long lost Booker single that was uncovered
in March 2003.
Jackson's
music is deeply rooted in the Mississippi blues
tradition and indeed the first songs he recalls
playing were blues numbers. You can hear it
in his spare, funky electric guitar work that
has a pulsing, boogie feel not unlike John Lee
Hooker. Make no mistake about it though, this
is gospel music at it's fiercest as Jackson's
raspy, floor rattling voice makes clear as he
delivers his tales of redemption and mercy with
unflinching conviction. With just his guitar
and the wails and claps of a few congregation
members Jackson rocks with almost frightening
intensity on the propulsive "God's Got
It", "Fix It Jesus", the joyous
stomp of "Morning Train" and particularly
"Wrapped Up and Tangled Up in Jesus"
as he relates his tale of religious awakening
with such fervor you can feel the hairs on your
neck stand up. Jackson shows a more introspective
side on the uplifting "Testimony of Rev.
Charlie Jackson" praising the lord for
his recovery from a stroke, the poignant "All
Aboard" and especially the stunning "Something
To Think About." Jackson turns this song
into a powerful civil rights statement as he
sings about Martin Luther King and Medgar Evers
declaring "In the middle of the ocean/In
the middle of the night/We'll keep on fighting/Until
we bring daylight."
"God's Got It" is some of the
most exciting, intense and moving gospel you'll
ever hear and this music deserves to reach a
wider audience. This wonderful set is rounded
out by a 16-page booklet with rare photos, a
discography and detailed liner notes. An auspicious
debut for the CaseQuarter label which looks
to have some other fine recordings in the pipeline.
-Check
out these related links:
Casequarter
Website
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Various Artists: Future
Blues - A Celebration Of Paramount Records (Larchmont)
The
last few years have seen a flood of blues tribute
records with tributes to Charlie Patton, Howling'
Wolf, Mississippi Fred McDowell and even the The Rolling
Stones- which seems a bit backwards don't you think?
Frankly most of these have been but pale imitations
of the originals. "Future
Blues - A Celebration Of Paramount Records" is
something unique, a loving tribute to Paramount Records
which recorded some of the greatest blues records
of all time during the 20's and 30's. On this uniformly
excellent collection eight modern day blues players
interpret these classic and forgotten tunes in new
and fresh ways.
In
his insightful notes to this set, Don Kent tells us
that Paramount "had one of the single greatest
catalogues of blues recordings, particularly legendary
Mississippi artists like Charley Patton, Son House,
and Skip James, as well as outstanding religious,
jazz and country sides." Add to that list Ma
Rainey, Ida Cox, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Papa Charlie
Jackson and Blind Blake to name just a few, all of
whom are covered on this fine tribute.
For
the most part the artists have reworked the originals
in new and interesting ways which is one of the real
strengths of this collection. It's the measure of
the timelessness of these songs that they still stand
up no matter how they're tinkered with. Sue Foley
is one of the the more familiar names on this set
and turns in wonderful performances on the acoustic
"Mr. Man, Part 1" first done by Charlie
Jackson and Ida Cox in 1925 with Michael Hill taking
the male vocal and a rocking electric update of Louise
Johnson's "On The Wall" from 1930- about
the joys of having sex standing up! At that same 1930
session (one of the great blues sessions of all time)
Charley Patton associate Willie Brown cut "Future
Blues" covered in raw and lively fashion by Langhorne
Slim and his raucous band. Slim also covers Patton's
"Mississippi Bo Weevil Blues", this time
solo acoustic, thoroughly reworking the song into
a hilarious country blues rant. Patton is spotlighted
again on his classic "Shake It And Break It"
as The Hellhounds serve up a stellar fast picking
acoustic version of this good time number. Other highlights
include Eileen Ivers & Tommy McDonnell's string
band take on fiddler Henry Sims' "Farrell Blues"
(Sims cut sides with Patton in 1929 and with Muddy
Waters in 1942) and Deanna Bogart's solo piano version
of Ma Rainey's "Don't Fish In My Sea."
For
those unfamiliar with these great Paramount recordings,
"Future Blues - A Celebration Of Paramount Records"
will surely give you the itch to check out the originals
but more than stands on it's own as a stellar homage
to a classic era. For those familiar with these songs
the fresh interpretations will make you want to listen
to them all over again.
(Jeff Harris)
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Kirk Fletcher: Shades
Of Blue (Crosscut)
Living
on the East Coast I'm not personally clued into
the West Coast blues scene by judging by the
records I've been hearing the last few years
the West Coast is teeming with great blues talent.
One of the up-and-comers is Kirk Fletcher a
young guitar slinger with phenomenal chops who
really delivers the goods on "Shades Of
Blue" helped out by an all-star cast of
West Coast cohorts.
At 27 Fletcher has already made a name
for himself honing his chops in the bands of
West Coast veterans like Al Blake (former Hollywood
Fats frontman), Lynwood Slim, Junior Watson,
Jimmy Morello and most recently with Kim Wilson.
Fletcher made his debut with 1999's strong "I'm
Here & I'm Gone" for the JSP label.
"Shades Of Blue" is even better as
Fletcher delivers a sizzling history lesson
of blues guitar styles surrounded by a terrific
band that evokes the great ensemble bands of
Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf.
Fletcher
is one of those guitar players who's obviously
studied those old blues records intently, absorbing
all the great blues styles from B. B. King (a
big influence) to T-Bone Walker and playing
it all with impeccable phrasing and a great
tone. Fletcher doesn't sing but he's enlisted
a talented crew for the vocals including Kim
Wilson who also blows up a storm on harmonica,
Janiva Magness and Finis Tasby. Fletcher gets
plenty of room to cut loose but above all this
is great ensemble blues playing evoking the
tight bands of Muddy, Wolf, Little Walter and
the like. The vibe draws less from the West
Coast than it does Chicago evident on the choice
of covers like a blistering version of Eddie
Taylor's "Bad Boy" with Kim Wilson
on vocals, the throbbing "Little By Little"
and a bouncy take on Muddy's "Don't Go
No Further" both featuring Janiva Magness'
smoky vocals. Underrated singer Finis Tasby
gets the spotlight on four cuts including the
impassioned "Welfare Blues", Percy
Mayfield's classic "The River's Invitation"
given a loose, funky feel and the romping "Worried
Man Blues" with Fletcher ripping out some
Elmore James inspired licks. Other highlights
include the ominous, murky swamp blues of "My
Home Is A Prison" with Wilson's vocals
sounding like he's singing from the bottom of
a barrel and the shuffling instrumental barn
burner "Club Zanzibar" (named after
a Chicago club where Muddy, Wolf and Little
Walter used to play).
"Shades
Of Blue" firmly places Kirk Fletcher as
one of the best of the younger generation bluesman,
one who's keeping alive the classic blues sounds
of the past with a fresh contemporary edge.
Special mention goes to the German based Crosscut
label who has been giving an outlet to fine
American bluesman who have been ill served by
American blues labels.
(Jeff
Harris)
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Various
Artists: Box Of The Blues (Rounder)
Since it's
launch in 1970 Rounder Records has developed into one of the
premier independent labels. Rounder was built on a love of
rural American music and like like-minded labels such as Delmark
and Arhoolie it was more a hobby than a business. The label
expanded exponentially into a huge catalogue that now includes
more than 3,000 titles incorporating everything from from
folk, world, soul, jazz, Cajun to Celtic and of course the
blues. "Box Of The Blues" collects 60 stellar and
eclectic blues performances spread over four loosely themed
discs from the well known to the obscure compiled by label
vice president of A&R Scott Billington.
Disc one
is titled "61 Highway" after the Mississippi Fred
McDowell song that kick starts this disc and presents mainly
acoustic blues by first generation bluesmen. Several of the
cuts come form the amazing field recordings made by Alan Lomax
(Rounder's The Alan Lomax Collection" consists of over
100 CDs) including the aforementioned Mississippi Fred McDowell,
Sonny Boy Williamson with Memphis Slim and Big Bill Broonzy,
a 1943 harmonica driven country blues piece by
Buster Brown best known for his 1959 smash "Fannie Mae"
that was later to develop into Little Walter's "My Babe"
plus Blind Willie McTell, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee
and Honeyboy Edwards' first recordings from 1942. There's
also a few gems appearing on CD for the first time including
the wonderful guitar/mandolin duet of Babe Stovall and Herb
Quinn, Robert Johnson associates Johnny Shines and Rober Jr.
Lockwood teaming up together and Boogie Bill Webb who learned
first hand from the influential Tommy Johnson.
Disc two
is titled "One More Mile" after the Gatemouth Brown
song that opens the disc up and presents ensemble performances
of "city-syle" blues. Gatemouth cut a number of
fine records for Rounder including "One More Mile"
with the title track included here, a swinging horn driven
number with featuring Gate's sinewy guitar work. The disc
includes a number of others who cut at least a couple for
the label including fellow Texan Johnny Copeland on the soulful
swagger of "Nobody But You" plus fine sides by Smokey
Wilson, the tough west side Chicago blues of Luther "Guitar
Junior" Johnson, West Coast blues legend Lowell Fulson
and New Orleans legend Champion Jack Dupree who cut his final
three albums for the label. Two of the disc's real standouts
come from the forgotten Bob Reidy who cut a couple of great
LP's for the label backed by some of Chicago's finest players.
Included here are "Johnny's Jump" fronted by the
brilliant Johnny Young who cuts loose with some rocking mandolin
playing and Jimmy Rogers doing a romping reworking of his
classic "Walking By Myself" featuring the wailing
harmonica of Carey Bell.
Disc three
is titled "Change In My Pocket", named after the
Anson Funderburgh cut that gets things off to a rocking start,
and spotlights some of the younger crop of bluesman. Featured
here are some of the label's more popular artists including
Marcia Ball who cut a half dozen excellent records for the
label, founding Roomful of Blues member Duke Robillard on
the chugging soulful "What That Means to Me" taken
from Duke's first solo album unreleased on CD until now, the
durable Roomful of Blues on the typically fine 1995 cut "Let
Me Live" plus strong sides by Little Jimmy King and a
Smokin' Joe Kubek cut featuring Little Milton. Also on board
are a few of Rounder's newer stars like the raw rootsy sound
of the Tarbox Ramblers on the propulsive "Down South
Blues" and Corey Harris who combines traditional blues
with a contemporary edge giving the standard "Keep Your
Lamp Trimmed And Burning" an exciting new spin.
Disc four
is titled "A Good Day For The Blues", named after
the marvelous Ruth Brown cut that starts things off in soulful
fashion, and collects some fine soul and soul-blues sides.
In addition to Ruth Brown we get great sides by woman singers
like Ann Peebles on the funky, sassy "Ain't No Business
Like Your Business", and Irma Thomas (who's cut over
a half dozen for the label) teaming up with big voiced Tracy
Nelson on the powerful slow burner "You Don' Know Nothin'
About Love." There's plenty more soul power including
Solomon Burke one of soul's all time great performers, Otis
Clay backed by the Memphis Horns and the Hi Rhythm section
on the knockout "I can Take You To Heaven Tonight",
Wilson Pickett from his excellent 1999 comeback record "It's
Harder Now", The Holmes Brothers and of course Johnny
Adams who cut nine very good records for Rounder and is at
his best on the gently swinging "Roadblock" from
his stellar "One Foot In The Blues" album.
You can
perhaps argue about what tracks and artists should have been
included but the bottom line is that there's not a bad track
among the 60 songs and more often than not some really tremendous
performances. Packed in sturdy box with a lengthy booklet
that includes a label overview by Scot Billington, notes on
every performance, some fine photos, nine tracks new to CD
all at a budget price you simply can't go wrong with this
thoroughly entertaining "Box Of The Blues."
-Check out
these related links:
Rounder
Website
(Jeff Harris)
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