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 CD Review  Book Review
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Page 2
of 2 of Reviews Section |
Every month Bad Dog Blues takes a look at the best new
blues releases and offers our opinions, criticism and general ramblings. We'll also take a
look at noteworthy reissues and blues related books. If you happen to disagree, fine, drop
us an e-mail and we'll file it appropriately. Now on to this months reviews:
"And we played it on the
sofa, and we played it side the wall
And we played it on the sofa, and we played it side the wall
But boys, my needles have got rusty, and it will not play at
all"
(Robert Johnson, Phonograph Blues)
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Mojo Buford: Champagne
& Reefer (Fedora)
U.P. Wilson: On My Way
(Fedora)
Over the course of the last
couple of years Fedora has risen to the front ranks of blues labels that
can be counted on to on release consistently fine music. With the release
of U.P. Wilson's On My Way and Mojo Buford's Champagne &
Reefer their blues creditability continues to skyrocket.
Mojo Buford's Champagne &
Reefer was recorded live at Arizona's Rhythm Room in 1998 and finds
this ex-Muddy Waters harp master in electrifying form. Adding to the
excitement is guitarist Bob Margolin also an alumni of Muddy's band and
obviously happy to be reunited with his old bandmate. Not surprisingly the
two mesh seamlessly and are aided by drummer Chico Chism who's resume
includes stints with Howling Wolf and Eddie Shaw. Not only does Mojo blow
a mean harp but he's also a powerhouse singer. He leads the band through a
set of mostly covers including a number of tunes from his ex-boss
including a great version of the title cut, "Blow Wind Blow" and
"Honey Bee" with some outstanding slide by Margolin. Margolin is
positively inspired throughout sounding eerily like his old boss as the
band comes close to recreating the old magic of the Muddy Waters band.
U.P. Wilson's On My Way is
a reissue of a 1988 session released by the UK label Red Lightnin'. These
are some of U.P.'s earliest recordings and find him to be an already
seasoned veteran of the Texas blues style. Wilson has gone on to some
degree of fame cutting fine records for JSP but none with quite the grit
and fire of these recordings. As the liner notes state this is "Texas
blues at it's roughest and toughest" with Wilson unleashing a torrent
of blistering guitar and soulful vocals. Wilson slices through classics
like "Cross Cut Saw", "Reconsider Baby" and
"Cold, Cold Feeling" backed by a veteran band including sax men
Bill Eden and Wilford Sims, harmonica player Paul Orta and the rolling
piano of Matt Mccabe. Other highlights include torrid instrumentals like
"U.P. Express" and "Como Station" plus two previously
unreleased live tracks. There's a reason they call this man the
"Texas Guitar Tornado!"
With these two releases and a
slew of fine recordings under their belt Fedora is becoming a blues label
to reckon with. Let's hope there's more in store for the year 2000.
(Jeff Harris)
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 Johnny
Nocturne Band With Kim Nalley: Million Dollar Secret
(Bullseye
Blues)
Swing has certainly been king in the past few years
with numerous retro bands popping up and it seems you can't turn the
channel without hearing the music being used to sell everything from
cars to muffins. Well forget those cats because the Johnny Nocturne
Band has been swinging harder and longer than any of them. Million
Dollar Secret is their latest and swings ferociously led by
bandleader John Firmin on tenor sax and the seductive voice of new
singer Kim Nalley.
What
sets the Johnny Nocturne apart from the pack is that they sound
utterly authentic melding big band swing, R&B and jazz into a
mighty swinging force. Firmin's sax work draws deeply from the cool
sounds of Ben Webster, Buddy Tate and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis.
The addition of singer Nalley puts this band over the top and she's a
true throw back firmly from the Dinah Washington and Helen Humes school.
Phillip Elmood, who wrote the liner notes, calls her "the best
band singer, any style, I've heard in years" and I'd hardily
agree with that statement.
This
is a disc that simply cooks from start to finish making picking
highlights tough. Special mention should go to the wonderfully
suggestive title track popularized by Helen Humes, a beautiful mellow
reading of "Comes Love" plus rocking versions of "Fine
Brown Frame" and Big Joe Turner's "Jump Tonight" that's
sure to get the dancers on the floor.
If you've been skeptical of
the whole swing craze the Johnny Nocturne Band is sure to get you on
the floor and make you a believer. If this band doesn't move then as
Louis Jordan said "jack, your dead!"
(Jeff
Harris)
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 Ollie
Nightingale: The Best Of (Ecko)
Ollie
Nightingale, born Ollie Hoskins, was making another musical come back
when unfortunately he passed away in 1997. Ecko records have just
released his best stuff from his last four records, all of which were
recorded on the Ecko label.
Ollie started his career in
the 50’s like many of his R&B peers singing gospel music. Ollie
progresses to Stax records in the late 60’s and as part of Ollie and
the Nightingales had a string of minor R&B hits including "I’ve
got A Sure Thing" which peaked at #16 on the R&B charts in
1968.
In 1995 Ollie released his
first record for Ecko called "I’ll Drink Your Bath Water
Baby". The title track from that CD begins this best of
collection and what a great funky soulful R&B tune it is. When
Ollie performed this song in one of the many southern chitlin’ clubs
I’ve been told Ollie would wheel out a bathtub with a scantly clad
lady in it and serenade her with that song. It would bring down the
house. It must have been a sight too be seen!
Also included in this
collection is "She’s In A Midnight Mood In the Middle Of The
Day", "I’m Gonna Turn This Bed Over" and "Two
Wrongs Made A Right". All straight up southern style funky blues.
The CD ends with an unreleased version of the B. B. King standard
"Why I Sing The Blues" recorded live at the famous Porretta
Sweet Soul Music Festival.
For those that missed Ollie’s
latest comeback this collection on Ecko Records is a great place to
find out what you’ve missed.
(Dave Moskal)
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|  Bob
Margolin: Hold Me To It
(Blind
Pig) As
Muddy Waters guitarist for seven years, and producer as well as
bandleader of Waters' son Big Bill
Morganfield's touring group, Bob Margolin has
spent his entire life immersed in the Chicago blues he loves. His
command of the gritty slide
guitar sound has been honed through thousands of performances.
On his first album for Blind Pig (after three for Alligator)
Margolin moves past the traditional
electric Chicago blues, into dark folk and
even light funk, making this disc an uncommonly diverse and
eclectic effort for an
artist so thoroughly steeped in conventional blues.
Margolin's weakness is
his lackluster voice, which, although gritty and honest,
just doesn't resonate with a unique quality that transforms great
sidemen into formidable stars.
Thankfully his savvy choice of material, including
a stark, and surprisingly intense reading of Dylan's "Not
Dark Yet," along with a
few instrumentals, keeps Margolin from overextending his limited
vocal resources. With trifling party tunes like "Stick Out
Your Can" he'll likely
never be in the lofty league as his previous employer, but Hold
Me To It is a sturdy and unusually
varied blues album, from a guy who clearly knows
his way around the genre.
(Hal Horowitz) |  Francine
Reed: Shades Of Blue (Platinum)
The release of Shades
of Blues, Francine Reed's third outing, should cement her
reputation as one of the finest singers on the block. Running
through a classy mix of jazz, blues and R&B this is her most
ambitious work yet
Reed has always been
singing whether it was in the church, with her family or in
school. Her singing career was put on the back burner after
marrying young and having four children who she would end up
raising on her own. It wasn't until 1985 did things break her
way when she was introduced to Lyle Lovett who hired her as a
back up singer, a gig she kept for ten years. It wasn't until
1995 before cutting before her debut on Ichiban.
After too long of a
wait Reed is back on a new label and she's never sounded better.
While her previous albums have focused on her blues side this
finds her stretching out on with fine readings of standards like
"The Man That Got Away" and a smoldering version of
"I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues" a great duet with
sister Margo Reed. Don't worry though there's plenty of solid
blues and R&B including the swaggering "I'm A
Handful", the funky "Wrong Man For The Job" and a
storming "455 Rocket." Reed's backed by an excellent
band of R&B veterans that never gets in the way of the star.
Francine Reed is a
true diva regardless of genre and fans of great singing are in
for a real treat. Reed says in the liner notes "…I was
born to sing" and you'd better believe it!
(Jeff Harris) | |  Super
Chickan: What You See
(Fat
Possum)
It's been about three
years since we last heard Super Chikan's unique brand of
"chikan-pickin'". His 1997 debut was certainly one
of the most original sounds to emanate from the delta and on
his new Fat Possum release we're treated to more of the same.
Super Chikan's brand of blues owes more to R&B and soul
with the music taking on some strange mutations that make this
one utterly original.
The Super Chikan
story was first told via a comic book insert on his first
record, which somehow was oddly fitting. James "Super
Chikan" Johnson was born in Mississippi and got his start
playing with his uncle Big Jack Johnson. He soon picked up
guitar and began gigging with Frank Frost, Sam Carr and Jackie
Brenston among others. Super Chikan's recording career started
with homemade cassettes of his songs, which he eventually took
to Stackhouse recording studio in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Jim
O'Neal of Rooster Records took an interest releasing his debut
in 1997.
There's certainly no
dull moments on What You See which finds Super Chikan
alternately crooning in his wonderful soulful voice, clucking
like a chicken and throwing in a couple of yodels for good
measure. In addition you can hear some wild guitar workouts
like "Fighting Cock", stomping Hooker like boogies
on "Big Boy Now", the wah-wah driven title cut and
the surreal "Willie Brown Jr." which manages to get
your toes tapping while also shaking your head in confusion.
As mentioned Super Chikan can really sing straight up R&B
like the infectious "Ain't Nobody" or the wistful
"Blank Trip." Credit also goes to his tight little
band that add just the right amount of grit and funk.
On What You See Super
Chikan does it all it and makes it sound easy. Definitely one of
the most refreshing records to come out since, well, his last
one.
(Jeff Harris) |
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