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The Penguin Guide
To The Blues By Tony Russell, Chris Smith, Neil Slaven,
and Ricky Russell (Penguin) 
Even
the most seasoned blues collector had to start somewhere
(for me it was B.B. King's LP "Live At The
Regal" at Tower Records in NYC for $3.99).
Where to start can be a daunting task hence a niche
market of so called blues guides have emerged
to help one navigate the crowded blues field. Unfortunately
these guides have been uniformly disappointing for
a variety of reasons; poor/unknowledgeable writing,
sloppy editing and almost all suffer from severe
bloat - far too much space devoted to rock or blues-rock
at the expense of more deserving artists. "The
Penguin Guide To The Blues" is a breath of
fresh air, suffering from none of these problems
and is hands down the best book of it's kind. The
credit goes to the main names attached to this book,
Tony Russell and Chris Smith, who are well respected
in blues collector circles for their decades of
blues research, insightful writing and analysis
which haves graced liner notes, discographies, articles
and books.
"The Penguin Guide To The Blues"
is more selective yet deeper then all such prior
guides. Tony Russell clearly lays out what this
is and isn't in the well wrtitten introduction:
"...What the reader will find in these pages
is descrptive and evaluative surveys of the recorded
work of more than a thousand musicians who have
worked primarily, if not always exclusivley in the
blues idiom. ...We intended to include every artist
who has what we consider a serious claim to a blues
enthusiast's attention." Unlike other guides
you will not find names like The Rolling Stones,
The Yardbirds, Rory Gallagher, etc. taking up valuable
space. Undoubtedly there are omissions, but on the
whole the authors have done a fine, and certainly
difficult job, sifting through worthwile blues-rock
purveyors, R&B to find the right balancing act
between those artists who's music intersects with
soul and gospel. What is included "has been
dictated by what is currently available on CD",
taking no account of vinyl and out of print recordings
(I have some reservations regarding this - more
on that later). Like other guides the albums are
given star ratings (one to four with the occasional
crown symbol given to exceptional recordings. While
the star ratings provide a quick visual cue to a
record's merits, the accompaying text gives a very
good anyalsis of the thinking behind the ratings.
This
is a huge brick of a book (900+ pages) yet it remains
thoughtfully written, provides a fresh, critical
take on both well known and obscure artists, judging
their merits on the quality of their output not
quantity and often upends long held opinions on
artists who in some cases haven't been reevaluated
in decades. As Russell notes: "The reader may
notice that some artists' entries are longer than
those for similarly, or more, productive figures.
This is often because the writer feels that the
artist has been too cursorily treated in previous
works of this kind and deserves better; indeed,
not a few of the artists discussed in this book
have never appeared in other guides." In this
regard the Document label is well served as many
obscure but derserving pre-war artists on the label
get their own entries for the first time (even those
who didn't recorded enough to fill out a full CD).
So for the first time we get entries on deserving
figures like Andy Boy, Mary Johnson, Joe Pullum,
Lottie Kimborough, Richard "Rabbit" Brown
and Black Boy Shine to cite just a few examples.
Similarly deserving obscure post-war artists (particualry
those on speciality labels like Classics and Blue
Moon) get overdue coverage like Eddie Mack, T.J.
Fowler and Andrew Tibbs for example. As Russell
noted many artists given short thrift in previous
guides get longer, more thoughful entries such as
undervalued fugures like Sonny Thompson, Jesse Thomas,
Houston Stackhouse, St. Louis Jimmy, Charlie &
Joe McCoy, Smokey Hogg as well as more modern artists
like Little Mack Simmons, Robert Belfour and Willie
King to name but a few. What's obvious is that there
has been a staggering amount of serious listening
done.
The
writing here, particularly from Russell and Smith,
but also from the other contributors (Neil Slaven,
Ricky Russell, Joe Faulkner), is everything one
would hope in a book of this nature, but rarely
is; lively, critical, cliche free, cantankerous,
even quite funny and the authors rarely mince words.
They frequently cite lyrics and dredge up comments
from liner notes, books and long forgotten, dusty
specialty magazines and journals. All this means
that readers will find plenty to argue, outright
disagree and debate about but still be able to respect
the book's views due to the sheer amount of research
and thought the writers clearly poured into this
work.
Let's
look at some examples: On Curtis Jones: "Jones's
'Lonesome Bedroom blues' can be head as a blues
equivalent of the tears-in-your-beer honkytonk song
that was emerging in country music in the late 30's:
a sucker punch into the gut of the single man living
in a rooming house and spending his evenings in
bar with jukebox. It was an immediate hit, remaining
in catalogue for much of the following decade, and
over the next four years Jones turned out dozens
of blues-and-trouble compositions, sung in the bleak
Texas manner of men like Black Boy Shine to tidy,
unexciting piano accompaniments." On Percy
Mayfield's final recording: "If scotch on the
rocks could sing, it would sound the way Percy Mayfield
does on this last display of his extraordinary writing
and performing skills." On Jimmy Reed: "Even
by the standards of the Blues Club, where lifelong
membership can be assured by the careful deployment
of one idea, Reed had a very good run. Many pages
of his recorded folio are in effect fuzzy photocopies
of others, and at the level of the average performance
he was usually repetitious, often insubstantial
and sometimes downright lazy." On Peetie Wheatstraw:
"As a pianist and tunesmith he had a small
number of good ideas and he deployed them assiduously,
opening song after song with the same piano figure
and at much the same tempo, so that anyone listening
to long stretches of his recordings is likely to
go stir-crazy. His gruff , clogged singing and trademark
interjection 'ooh, well, well' have had their detractors
like the woman his biographer cites who exclaimed,
'Good god, why doesn't that man yodel and be done
with it?"
After
extolling the many virtues I do have a few quibbles.
As mentioned the book focuses on what is on CD and
currently in print but I do feel that notable out
of print records should have be given some space.
The very thoroughness of the book will undoubtedly
draw long time collectors, the very audience who
would be interested in tracking down the numerous
excellent out of print records that have languished.
And yes there are many key blues albums that remain
in limbo despite the endless glut of CD reissues.
If done selectivley I don't think this would add
much more to this admittedly already hefty tome.
There are also a few of omissions, not many really,
including a number of items that have appeared on
the Classics label (sort of the early post-war version
of Documnet) including artists rarley anthologized
before like Larry Darnell, Little Miss Cornshucks
and Sugar Boy Crawford to point out a few. The lenghty
compilations section is rightly selective considering
the sheer amount available and well laid out but
a section on seasonal compilations (there are many
good ones) should have been included. Speaking of
selective, some of the individual artist entries
could have been streamlined a bit more. Take for
example artists like Robert Johnson and Ma Rainey
who have numerous like minded collections on the
market. Under their respective entries you will
find seemingly all of these listed and grouped together
followed by lenghty text that weighs their merits.
So if you are looking for a Ma Rainey or Robert
Johnson single CD collection we get nine choices
apiece lumped together, all with very similar ratings.
A more judicious paring down would benefit the reader
enormously.
Despite
a few small issues, mostly quibbles reallly, "The
Penguin Guide To The Blues" is hands down the
best blues guide of it's kind and represents an
enomous acheivement; compulsivley readable, well
written, keenly knowledgable and insightful, this
book should stand proudly beside your most essential
blues books.
(Jeff
Harris)
|
Frankie Lee: Standing
At The Crossroads
(Blues Express)
With
so many guitar-oriented blues records dominating
the market sometimes the straight up, old fashioned
blues singers get overlooked. While white audiences
tend to emphasis the instrumental aspects of blues,
black audiences focused on the singer and the
song. This was true of the "race records" of the
20’s and 30’s up to the contemporary blues and
R&B that black audiences still listen to.
Frankie Lee is an old school singer, a master
of phrasing and putting a song across as he effortlessly
demonstrates on the classy "…Standing At The Crossroads."
Lee
came up in Texas singing gospel before the blues
got hold of him. In the late 1950s, Lee worked
with Sonny Rhodes and then got a big break when
he was invited to join Ike & Tina as a featured
vocalist for their traveling road show. In the
1960’s he cut a batch of singles for the legendary
Duke-Peacock label. Fortune has smiled on Lee
who has had the good luck to work with Albert
Collins in the 60’s, his cousin Johnny "Guitar"
Watson in the 70’s and by the end of that decade
with then-unknown guitar players Robert Cray and
Bobby Murray. Along the way he’s cut records for
Hightone, Flying Fish, Blind Pig and his first
for Blues Express in 1999.
On
this well produced effort Lee gets fine support
from bassist Richard Cousins and keyboardist Jim
Pugh, former and present members of Robert Cray’s
band and some solid horns. It also reunites him
with producer Dennis Walker who produced 1984’s
"Ladies & the Babies" and also penned
several songs on this record. Lee has a throaty,
soaring vocal style equally equipped to tackle
up-tempo numbers and even more well suited to
ballads. Vocally Lee brings to mind the great
Johnny Adams and Mighty Sam McLain with a bit
of Johnny Taylor thrown in for good measure. The
marriage of first rate songs and Lee’s vocals
makes for riveting listening on the pulsing, guitar
driven "I Wish I Had A Dime", the shuffling
"How Far Can You Fall", both strongly
resembling the aforementioned Johnny Adams, and
the soulful horn propelled "Where You Been
I All My Life." Lee really delivers on smoldering
ballads like "Better Than That", "I
Really Got The Blues" and the dramatic, swelling
"I Ain’t Never Had The Blues (like this before)."
Lee also returns to his roots with a pair of gospel
numbers including a fine reading of "Mary
Don’t You Weep."
Frankie
Lee has had a long journey, paid his dues and
really honed his craft. It’s all on display on
"…Standing At The Crossroads", a flawless
sophomore release for Blues Express that will
hopefully garner him the exposure he so richly
deserves.
-Check
out these links:
Blues
Express Website
(Jeff
Harris)
|
Joe Doucet:
Houston Third Ward Blues (Dialtone)
Texas Southside
Kings (Dialtone)
The
Dialtone label out of Austin unfailingly issues
a few great blues records every year like
clockwork since the label’s inception just
a few years back. They specialize in digging
up unsung blues musicians from Texas and the
Gulf Coast region. Where they keep coming
up with these guys I don’t know, but there’s
apparently no shortage of talent. Actually
many of the musicians have worked as session
men for the numerous small Texas/Louisiana
labels that popped up in the 50’s and 60’s;
labels like the mighty Duke & Peacock
as well as smaller outfits like Sarg, Ivory,
Golband and the like. Others worked in the
bands of the bigger touring musicians or else
played the small blues clubs for little money
until those venues dried up. That’s more or
less the story with the artists on Dialtone’s
latest releases; Joe Doucet worked back in
the day with some big name bands and makes
his stunning recording debut on "Houston’s
Third Ward Blues" while "Texas Southside
Kings" spotlights a talented batch of
largely unheralded Houston bluesmen.
How
Joe Doucet got to be recorded is recounted
by Roger Wood (author of the superb "Down
In Houston: Bayou City Blues"): "By
the year 2004 I presumed to believe I had
met all the great African-American blues guitarists
who still lived in Houston’s Third Ward… But
one November day there, a stranger stopped
his car, walked onto the vacant lot where
a colleague and I were photographing and interviewing
a resident musician, and softly said, "I
can play that guitar you’ve got." After
demonstrating he meant what he said he announced
himself to an astonished Woods: "I’m
Joe Doucet and I told you I could play that
guitar." Doucet never recorded before
but worked in the bands of both Clifton Chenier
and Freddie King at some point. What Doucet
delivers on "Houston’s Third Ward Blues"
is primer on Gulf Coast music, melding blues,
soul, zydeco and swamp pop into one amazing
gumbo. In addition to playing some terrific
electric guitar he’s also a soulful singer
who sings in both English and Creole. Doucet
couldn’t have asked for a better backing highlighted
by Earl Gilliam on keyboards (Gilliam cut
the knockout "Texas Doghouse Blues"
for the label a couple of years back) with
Gilliam’s former band-mate O.S. Grant on sax.
What
we get here is a raw, vintage sound with strong
echoes of what fabled labels like Goldband
and Excello were putting down back in the
50’s and 60’s. Doucet makes nods to that era
with eclectic covers including a stomping
"Scratch My Back", a blistering
down-home version of Little Johnny Taylor’s
"If You Love Me (Like You Say)"
and a version of Jimmy Smith’s "Back
At The Chicken Shack" with Gilliam laying
down some smoldering organ. Doucet proves
a fine songwriter on originals like the storming
juke joint grind of "I Ain’t Going Down",
the tough shuffling blues of "I’ve Got
To Find My Baby" with Gilliam once again
going to town and delivers steamy slow blues
on "Bird Without A Feather" featuring
some searing guitar work and takes it acoustic
on the low-down "Bad Luck."
"Texas
Southside Kings" spotlights a batch of
talented musicians who remained on the periphery
of the Texas blues scene with the exception
being Big Walter "The Thunderbird"
Price. Price scored hits in the 50’s like
"Shirley Jean" and "Git to
Getting" and waxed sides for labels like
T-N-T, Goldband, and Peacock. In addition
to working together at different periods,
the other common thread between artists here
such as Bubba Mitchell, Willie Sampson, Jr.
Moore, Spot Barnett and Leo Morris is that
they all worked with Big Walter at some point.
For his part Big Walter turns in a trio of
fine performances including the half spoken,
half sung "New Orleans & Galveston"
and "Oh No" spotlighting his fine
two fisted piano playing. The rest of the
collection is studded with gems including
guitarists Leo Morris and Oscar O’Bear who
turn in a spirited "Leo’s Shuffle"
(a thinly disguised version of Guitar Slim’s
"Guitar Slim") and team up again
on the moody T-Bone inspired "Tammy,
Tammy." Guitarist Jr. Moore plays lead
on most cuts, shining on the Jimmy Reed styled
"Mimbo" and turns in a ruminative
"One Room Country Shack." Many of
the tracks feature piano/organ by the great
Gene Taylor including drummer Willie Sampson’s
stellar reading of John Lee Hooker’s "It’s
My Own Fault" and sax man Spot Barnett’s
inspired cover of the old warhorse "Everyday
I Have The Blues." This is a strong collection
through and through featuring loads of great
individual talent and terrific ensemble playing
from all involved.
(Jeff
Harris)
|
William Clarke:
The Early Years Vol. 1 (Watch Dog)
William Clarke:
The Early Years Vol. 2 (Watch Dog)
Once
upon a time a friend slipped me a cassette tape
with Bonnie Raitt’s first album on one side
and William Clarke’s "Blowin’ Like Hell"
on the other. This was my first introduction
to the Blues harp virtuoso and singer and quite
an introduction it was. My band and I have been
playing the "Big Fat Mama" song ever
since. Unfortunately, William passed away at
the early age of 45 after recording several
albums for Alligator from 1990 to 1996 and several
independent labels including Rivera and Watchdog
(for his post-passing recordings) over the years.
I remember mourning his loss and wondering why
the great artists die so young.
Rumors
have been floating around for the past couple
of years that William’s wife, Jeanette, who
was at William’s side throughout his career,
was putting together some unpublished recordings
from his earlier years. I have been anxiously
awaiting the two volume set – "William
Clarke, the Early Years" which is now available
through Watchdog Records.
The
first volume covers years 1978 to 1985 and the
second from 1985 to 1991. William’s story tells
us that most of these recordings were done while
on tour in whatever local studio was available.
The band would pile into the studio and knock
out a few songs live and some of the songs are
from actual live performances. According to
the liner notes, most of the recordings from
the second volume came from unlabled tapes found
in a drawer by Jeanette.
As
a band leader, William was extremely inspiring
and was able to draw the best out of his supporting
players. There are several different lineups
that support him on these disks and there’s
definitely a different feel between the groups,
but William’s trademark sound ties it all together.
A protégé of George ‘Harmonica’
Smith, William was also influenced by West Coast
bluesman Pee Wee Crayton and T-Bone Walker in
addition to the usual harp influences of Little
Walter and Sonny Boy II. I’ve noticed that William
has always had an excellent guitarist with him
and these recordings are no exception with Hollywood
Fats, Garth Beckington, Craig Printup and Ronnie
Earl on guitar on various cuts. George Smith,
who was influenced greatly by Little Walter,
was famous for his use of the chromatic harp
and William was heavily influenced by Smith’s
use of double octaves to get a full, organ type
sound.
The
first cut on Volume I, "Hittin’ Heavy"
sounds like it was recorded at Sun Studios in
Memphis with that Howlin’ Wolf scary feel to
it. William’s distorted harp sound has Little
Walter written all over it and his sense of
humor and unhindered delivery come through in
songs like "Diggin’ My Potatoes" and
"Keep It To Yourself". Slow Blues
numbers like "Blues Afterwhile" and
"Teardrops Fallin’" emphasize his
ability to milk his instrument dry. George Smith
and William duet on the song "Teenage Girl"
and "Teardrops Fallin’".
The
second volume of tunes is highlighted by cuts
like "Early in the Morning" and later
one of my favorite cuts "The Ice Cream
Man" is performed with some excellent treatment
on piano and respect to the original writer
Chicago bluesman John Brim. "Horn of Plenty"
features some duet harp and is truly an instrumental
treat. It’s hard to say who’s playing harp with
William on this as he lists Johnny Dyer, Mitch
Kashmar and George Smith on the front, but not
actual song credits inside. Some of the songs
are definitely not sung by William and I can’t
guess as to who is singing. To Jeanette’s defense,
if the tapes aren’t labeled, it’s hard to know
who’s doing what unless the actual band members
give a discerning listen.
William
was a big man in many ways and all of this comes
through on these recordings. William’s death
was a tremendous loss to the Blues world, but
fortunately a legacy was left behind. The "Early
Years" helps to round out William’s archives
and fill in some gaps. Heck, I’m just glad there
was more treasure to be found and revealed to
his fans. Kudos to Jeanette Clarke for pulling
this project together. Don’t miss out on this
two volume set – pick up a copy while you can.
(Dave
Glynn)
About
the author: Dave Glynn is the front man for
the Empty Can Band found on the Web at www.emptycanband.com.
Dave writes reviews for MNBlues.com and Baddogblues.com.
|
Otis Rush: Live
...And In Concert From San Francisco
(Blues Express)
The
sheer intensity of Otis Rush’s blues has been
a hallmark ever since cutting those immortal
Cobra sides some 50 years ago. That intensity
may have faltered here and there through the
years, but it surfaced often enough, even as
recently as few years back, to amaze fans and
fellow musicians alike. His live performances,
particularly, were greeted with anticipation
and awe which probably accounts for the staggering
number of them. Still when they’re as good as
"Live …And In Concert From San Francisco"
it would be a crime not to release it.
Sadly
Rush’s stroke a few years back virtually silenced
him and new studio recordings or even live performances
seem unlikely. The Cobra recordings are landmarks,
almost overshadowing everything else. True his
studio work was often uneven and there were
long gaps when he battled his personal demons,
but when everything clicked there were few better.
There were post-Cobra gems like "So Many
Roads", "Homework" and in the
album era fine efforts like "Right Place,
Wrong Time" and his last outing, 1997’s
superb "Anyplace I’m Going." Then,
of course, there were an avalanche of live records
like "Tops", "Live & Awesome",
"Live At The Wise Fool’s Pub" plus
numerous bootlegs. In fact the live albums may
now outnumber the studio recordings. Still "Live
…And In Concert From San Francisco", released
on CD and DVD, is an important release, beautifully
capturing Rush at the peak of his powers.
Rush
was in an expansive mood on this gorgeously
recorded 1999 date, stretching out seven songs
in just under an hour. In addition to the rhythm
section Rush is backed by a full horn section
arranged by the great Willie Henderson. They
add a swinging, muscular punch that make these
timeless songs leap out of the speakers. For
his part, Rush is magnificent, playing those
impossibly long, rippling leads wedded to those
powerhouse vocals, creating a level of intensity
few bluesman could muster. Rush digs deeply
into his signature classics including a dramatic
"All Your Love (I Miss Loving)" with
it’s heart stopping minor key opening, really
benefiting from the swinging horn section and
a majestic update of "I Can’t Quit You
Baby", a showcase for some truly jaw dropping
guitar work. Equally potent are the funky, instrumental
jam of "717" (in honor of his wife’s
July 17th birthday), an epic version of B.B.'s
"It’s My Own Fault" and a rousing
"I Got My Mojo Working" featuring
Bay area guitarist Bobby Murray who played on
the aforementioned "Tops."
Yes
the shelves are crowded with live Otis Rush
recordings but if you’re a fan you should find
room for this one – believe me you won’t be
disappointed.
-Check
out these links:
Blues
Express Website
(Jeff
Harris)
|
Drink House
To Church House Vol. 1 (Music Maker)
The
Music Maker Relief Foundation has been issuing
eclectic, fascinating down-home blues and gospel
recordings for years by musicians totally ignored
by the mainstream. The recordings are just a
small part of the foundation’s mission which
in their words is "dedicated to helping the
true pioneers and forgotten heroes of Southern
musical traditions." Many of the musicians are
in extreme poverty so they get help with basics
like food, shelter and medical. Music Maker
seems to have been amazingly successful in this
pursuit. Their latest project is the ambitious
"Drink House To Church House Vol. 1" the first
in a four volume series each containing a CD
and DVD. The series will culminate in a full
length documentary film on the foundation.
On
the CD half we get eleven fine and varied performances.
John Dee Holeman kicks of with electric ramshackle
version of "John Henry" in front of
a live audience and is joined by Kenny Wayne
Shepard and Cool John Ferguson on the chugging
acoustic blues of "Can't See Why."
Holeman has two records on Music Maker including
the excellent "Bull Durham Blues."
Other fine blues comes from Captain Luke and
guitar partner Cool John Ferguson who deliver
a lovely version of "Careless Love"
featuring Luke's magnificent baritone vocals,
Macavine Hayes who turns in the stomping acoustic
romp of "Snatch That Thing" while
Little Freddie King turns in some passionate,
incredibly low down blues on the somber "I
Don't Know What To Do." There's some first
rate gospel as well particularly the two by
Bishop Dready Manning who plays harp and guitar
on the propulsive "Gospel Train" and
delivers a stunning blues hybrid on "What
Was I Doing, When the Saints of God Found Me?"
The highlight of the disc goes to Alabama Slim
who's stark and brooding "The Mighty Flood"
is a moving description from a man who was in
New Orleans when the water rose. Backed by his
cousin Little Freddie King, it's a haunting,
vivid account told from Slim's personal viewpoint
and musically based on John Lee Hooker's classic
flood song "Tupelo."
The
DVD is a gem featuring interviews and performances
by Captain Luke with Cool John, Macavine Hayes
and Haskell Thompson; Bishop Manning & Family;
Little Freddie King & Alabama Slim; John
Dee Holeman. This is a wonderful, intimate portrait
of a vanishing musical world, miles removed
from the slick, mass produced music that pervades
our culture. Captain Luke's soothing, mellow
baritone is a thing of beauty highlighted by
a gorgeous rendition of "Rainy Night In
Georgia." Bishop Dready Manning's resides
over St. Mark Holiness Church in North Carolina.
In his early days, he was a blues musician and
he was "out of hand," according to
his wife Marie, who is a key part of his church.
A big change came when he suffered a mysterious
hemorrhage in 1962 and was saved both physically
and spiritually when some neighbors came to
pray over him. Bishop Manning & Family create
an infectious, percussive brand of gospel with
Marie taking the vocals on the moving "Something
On The Inside" and the Bishop takes over
on "Joy That I Have." Both Freddie
King and Alabama Slim rode out hurricane Katrina
on the fourth floor of the Monteleone Hotel.
The duo create some powerful country blues on
traditional numbers like "Baby Please Don't
Go" and reprise the spellbinding "The
Mighty Flood." John Dee Holeman wraps things
up with a trio of traditional numbers, playing
some amazing solo electric guitar on "One
Black Rat", "When Things Go Wrong"
and takes it acoustic on "John Henry."
Music
Maker has opened up a vibrant musical world
most have us never new existed and the "Drink
House To Church House" series is amazing
widow into this hidden world. As founder Tim
Duffy notes: "These artists have held dear
to older musical traditions. Many of them have
never been recorded or filmed, their music and
stories heard only in their communities. Their
art has been hidden & unseen. They have
held onto archaic musical styles, yet when they
perform their music remains fresh & new.
Their art truly stems from the roots of America."
-Check
out these links:
Music
Maker Website
(Jeff
Harris)
|
Odell Harris:
Searching For Odell Harris
(Broke & Hungry)
There
are those blues labels, usually one man operations,
who have a singular mission, unerring good taste
and time after time deliver the goods; labels
like Dialtone out of Austin who put out great
unsung Texas blues records or The Sirens out of
Chicago who put out terrific piano blues records.
The fledgling Broke & Hungry looks to be in
that mold, first issuing a down-home gem with
Jimmy "Duck" Holmes' "Back to Bentonia"
and quickly following that up with Odell Harris
who delivers a fine blast of amped up country
blues on his debut, "Searching For Odell
Harris."
Broke
& Hungry’s blueprint really seems to come
from Fat Possum who have been delivering down-home
Mississippi blues for years, making household
names of Junior Kimbrough and R.L. Burnside, although
lately that seem to have put blues on the back
burner. 66-year-old singer/guitarist Odell Harris
hails from the hills of North Mississippi and
shares the thumping, hypnotic groove that Kimbrough
and Burnside made famous. As the title suggests,
Harris is a notoriously elusive character, rarely
performing in public and often disappearing for
long stretches of time. Jeff Konkel’s notes play
up the mystery much the way Fat Possum sought
to market their artists as dangerous or mysterious:
"I saw him once" Konkel writes – "on
the night the music on this disc was recorded.
I haven’t seen him since, and I’m not sure I will
again. …This disc may be the only way you ever
have a chance to hear Odell. But if you do happen
to see him, ask him to call me. We need to do
this again sometime." Judging from the results
they most certainly do.
As
unreliable and elusive as Harris is he was also,
not surprisingly, rather difficult and the recording
conditions didn’t help. Set up at a makeshift
studio at a local club that was supposed to close
early, the patrons never really left and were
anything but sympathetic. "Searching for
Odell Harris" was recorded during at an arduous
all-night recording session with Harris every
bit as difficult as the crowd. The 12 distilled
tracks are a raw but cohesive brand of North Mississippi
Hill music but often displaying a more delicate
touch then what Burnside and Kimbrough delivered.
Backing is lean with just Bill Abel on second
guitar and Lightnin’ Malcom on drums. The sound
is ragged but right as Malcom succinctly noted:
"Some of it wasn’t even in tune, but it was,
like, better than in tune." Harris can certainly
stomp it out as he proves on a thumping juke joint
version of Junior Parker’s "Train I Ride"
and instrumentals like "Daylight Romp"
and "Hill Funk" featuring a pulsing
groove and Harris’ sharp, jagged electric guitar
licks. He’s equally adept at more thoughtful tempos,
singing soulfully on "Before You Accuse Me",
Jimmy Reed’s "Can’t Stand To See You Go"
and the traditional "Someday Baby."
Harris delivers two gorgeous solo performances
in ".44 Blues" with a falsetto that
reminds me a bit of Skip James and the languid
"Laughing To Keep From Crying" which
brings to mind the underrated Joe Callicott who
used to sing this number.
Broke
& Hungry has hit the ground running with two
superb country blues records this year, and from
two virtual unknowns to boot. What are the odds?
Let’s hope both men get back into the studio soon
and if you see Odell Harris tell him we’d like
to hear more from him soon. In the meantime I
look forward to see what else this little label
turns up.
(Jeff
Harris)
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