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Johnny Dyer: Rolling Fork Revisited (Mountaintop)   
Various Artists: Blues Harp Meltdown Vol. 2 (Mountaintop)  

 The rich West Coast blues scene (mainly California) is loaded with great blues talent and continues to assert itself on many fine records year after year. The current West Coast blues sound isn't as identifiable as Chicago but usually draws influences from that better known blues town plus incorporates elements of swing, jazz and bit of a retro jump. There's no shortage of fine harp blowers on the scene like Rick Estrin (Little Charlie & The Nitecats), Rod Piazza and of course Johnny Dyer and Mark Hummel. Since 1991 Hummel has been both producing & performing at his annual Blues Harmonica Blowout which has been captured on the two volumes of the exciting "Blues Harp Meltdown" series. During the live recording of "Blues Harp Meltdown" Dyer and Hummel launched spontaneously into Muddy's "Blow Wind Blow." The chemistry was so great that the two teamed up on an album of Muddy tunes which resulted in the inspired "Rolling Fork Revisited."

 "Rolling Fork Revisited" not only alludes to Muddy's birthplace but is also where Dyer himself was born in 1938. Dyer soaked up the records of Muddy, Howlin' Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson, Little Walter and others who were regularly heard on the jukeboxes and radios all over the south. Dyer headed to Los Angles in 1958 and fell in with the vibrant blues scene befriending many local bluesmen including key West Coast harmonica man "George "Harmonica" Smith who was to take him under his wing. In the late 60's he met young harp blower, Rod Piazza, a protege of George Smith, who helped him record his first album for Murray Brothers (reissued on Blind Pig in 1995). Dyer has recorded relatively little but his two Black Top records from the 90's are very impressive and it's good to have him back in the spotlight.

 "Rolling Fork Revisited" is an impeccably assembled project featuring Dyer tackling the vocals on 16 vintage Muddy tunes including some wonderful obscurities. Dyer's backing is masterful including Hummel's forceful harmonica work clearly inspired by Little Walter and James Cotton plus Hummel's band The Blues Survivors featuring Rusty Zinn on guitar and pianist Bob Welsh who summons up the ghost of Otis Spann with some spot on playing. To make things more authentic there's Muddy alumni on board like Paul Oscher (1967-1971) who plays slide guitar and rack harmonica and legendary drummer Francis Clay (1957-1966). Dyer's rich vocals sound remarkably like Muddy's and the ensemble work evokes those classic Muddy bands that were so unbelievably good. The songs choices are heavily slanted toward deep slide and harp numbers like the romping "Young Fashioned Ways", the brisk shuffle of "Can't Get No Grinding" a great latter day Muddy gem plus seminal Muddy numbers like "Gone To Main Street" and "Forty Days And Forty Nights." Some of the best cuts are the lesser known Muddy songs like the low-down "Layaway Plan" and the ripping "My Dog Can't Bark" (one of the great forgotten Muddy numbers and a personal favorite) featuring some brawny slide from Oscher. As Hummel states in the notes, if you close your eyes "you'd think you're in Chess Records' Studios in 1957." A killer record from start to finish.

 "Blues Harp Meltdown Vol. 2" is a 2-CD set subtitled East Meets West as West Coast harp blowers RJ Mischo, Gary Smith, Frank Goldwasser, Mark Hummel, Johnny Dyer and Gary Primich join the stage with the East Coast duo of Paul Rishell & Annie Raines for an incendiary harp blowout recorded live at Moe's Alley in Santa Cruz. Each of the players is backed by Mark Hummel's fine Blues survivors band. This is an exciting, electrifying and adventurous set of harmonica blues as all involved really cut loose in front of an appreciative crowd. RJ Mischo sets the tone by kicking things off on disc one with some intense, big toned blowing on "Telephone Blues" followed by numerous highlights including Gary Smith on the insinuating "You Can't Hurt Me No More", Mark Hummel's swinging "Seven Nights To Rock" and torrid blowing on "Love Shock." Paul and Annie kick start disc two as the normally acoustic duo go electric on the romping and lyrically clever "Even Good Women Have Bad Days" and the blistering instrumental "Annie's Rocker." Johnny Dyer is masterful on Little Walter's "Everything Gonna Be All Right" and Muddy's "Long Distance Call" is as deep as it gets. Gary Primich closes things out getting the lion's share of time with six songs including the bouncy "Real Gone Lover" and the rocking, rockabilly vibe of "Playgirl" both from the pen of Smiley Lewis and the jazzy, hipster feel of "Ain't She Trouble."

 Mountain Top specializes in West Coast blues with an emphasis on harmonica blowers and have really outdone themselves on these two outstanding releases. Both come recommended and are an absolute feast for blues blues fans and especially harmonica lovers.

-Check out these related links:
Mark Hummel Website
Mountaintop Records Website

(Jeff Harris)

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The Blues Of Sooks Eaglin & Boogie Bill Webb (Storyville)   
The Blues Of Robert Lockwood & Boogie Bill Webb (Storyville)  
The Blues Of Henry Gray & Cousin Joe (Storyville)

 A nice surprise from the Storyville label is a batch of mid-80's recordings from Snooks Eaglin, Robert Lockwood Jr., Henry Gray and the little recorded Boogie Bill Webb. Recording details are a bit sketchy but all these recording were taped live in New Orleans and apparently initially issued on video and now released as audio CD's. The original videos seem to be out of print but the music here is well recorded and first rate making it of major interest to blues fans

 "The Blues of Snooks Eaglin & Boogie Bill Webb" is a welcome release as Snooks rarely records anymore since the demise of the Black Top label in the 90's and Boogie Bill only cut one full length album plus a handful of singles. Snooks is caught in fine boisterous form with a hot, funky combo that's unidentified but that clearly includes the legendary George Porter on bass. Snooks' music defies categorization as he melds funk, blues, soul into a unique form that has been dubbed New Orleans street music. Snooks' soulful vocals are in fine form and his amazing, totally unique guitar style is given ample room to stretch out. Snooks rips through the old warhorse "Mustang Sally" like you've never heard with a jaw dropping solo and proceeds to blast through an eclectic set that includes the Fats Domino classic "Let The Four Winds Blow", the early Ray Charles gem "St. Pete Blues", smoking covers of Freddie King's "San-Ho-Zay" and "Hideaway" and a sizzling version of J.B. Lenoir's "Talk to Your Daughter." Although he lived in New Orleans most of his life, Webb was never much a part of the New Orleans scene. Webb's music grew out of the Jackson, Mississippi area where he was born and influenced by men like Roosevelt Holts and the legendary Tommy Johnson. The four songs included here feature Webb with Harmonica Slim who takes the vocal on three cuts. The men deliver a fine set of rough hewn, down-home blues on numbers like the soulful "You Got A Right" and a fine cover of "Early In The Morning" with Webb on vocals.

 More of Webb and Harmonica Slim can be heard on "The Blues of Robert Lockwood Jr. & Boogie Bill Webb." Recorded around the same time as the above this sounds like a different session. Again Webb and Slim make a fine duo on a set of back porch blues like "One Room Country Shack" and a particularly sensitive cover of Little Walter's "Blues With A Feeling" sung by Webb. By the way Webb's lone album, "Drinkin' & Stinkin'", is well worth checking out if you can find a copy. Singer/guitarist Robert Lockwood Jr. learned the guitar first hand from the immortal Robert Johnson and continues to this day to be a vital and vigorous performer. This 1984 date finds Lockwood in stellar form as he performs solo before an audience, sticking to classic blues from Leroy Carr, Roosevelt Sykes, Robert Johnson, his own "Take A Walk With Me" and a marvelous jazzy version of "Exactly Like You" featuring some dextrous fret work.

 "The Blues of Henry Gray & Cousin Joe" capture live solo piano sets by both men recorded the same day in 1984. Gray was a stalwart of the 1950's Chicago blues scene playing behind Jimmy Reed, Little Walter, Bo Diddley, Jimmy Rogers, Billy Boy Arnold, and Morris Pejoe before joining the combo of the great Howlin' Wolf where he stayed for a decade. Gray remains in top form to this day steadily issuing fine records but has rarely sounded as commanding as he does here. Gray lays down some forceful, two handed piano and powerful vocals on the stomping barrelhouse instrumentals "Blues Dance" and "Boogie Woogie", the moving "Cold Chills" and a rocking version of "Bright Lights, Big City." Beloved New Orleans musician Cousin Joe Pleasant made his most noteworthy sides in the 40's and 50's for King, Gotham, Philo, Savoy, and after returning to New Orleans in 1948, for DeLuxe and Imperial. Latter day records for Black & Blue and Great Southern showed his witty observations and humor still intact. Cousin Joe is in charming form and this intimate and engaging solo date delivering witty and hilarious tales like the surreal "Everything That's Made Of Wood Once Was A Tree", "Life Is A One Way Ticket" and "I Wouldn't Give A Blind Sow An Acorn" ("She had on a 55 dollar hat sittin' on a nickel head"). If you want to know where Dr. John got his hipster style look no further than Cousin Joe.

 All three of these recordings are intimate and wonderful recordings of four unique bluesman captured in peak form. What more could you want? Highly recommended.

-Check out these related links:
Storyville Records Website

(Jeff Harris)