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Willie King: Jukin'
At Bettie's (Freedom Creek)
Willie
King has emerged in recent years with a potent sound
that is at once new as it is timeless. It's a sound
that melds juke joint blues with a social message and
has garnered King national attention and an armful of
awards. "Jukin' At Bettie's" captures King
in fine form playing it raw and soulful in front of
a live crowd at his home base, Bettie's Place in his
hometown of Prairie Point, Mississippi.
King
was raised in a music-filled household, learning guitar
as a youngster and eventually earning a few bucks playing
house parties and juke joints in Mississippi. King made
his debut with the independently produced "Walkin'
The Walk Talkin' The Talk" in 1999 that was a good
showcase for King's down home blues but was one likely
heard by very few. The release of "Freedom Creek"
on Rooster garnered King some national recognition and
was named Best Contemporary Blues Album by
Living Blues magazine with King named Blues Artist
of the Year in the same poll. "Living In A
New World" followed the next year, also on Rooster,
injecting some Memphis soul into King's sound but still
tackling similar political territory. Rooster seems
to be dormant these days but thankfully that hasn't
stopped King who's "Jukin' At Bettie's" captures
King and his tight band in riveting form.
In
a way "Jukin' At Bettie's" is something of
a cross between the earthy, juke joint blues of "Freedom
Creek" (also recorded live at Bettie's) and the
more polished "Living In A New World." King
retains his core band from previous records and they
proceed to lock into a rock solid, hypnotic groove very
similar in feel to the late Junior Kimbrough. The groove
here is a bit more gentle, creating a trance like feel
with the interplay of King's guitar with that of second
guitarist Aaron Hodge, the moody organ/piano from Rick
Asherson but above all it's Willie Lee Halbert's second
vocal that perfectly echos King's soulful singing. The
political proclamations, so much a part of the first
two records, takes a back seat as the throbbing, soulful
groove totally transports you to that little Mississippi
juke joint. This record begs to be listened in it's
entirety as the lengthy songs roll into one another,
the audience clamors in the background and the listener
is totally immersed in the juke joint ambience. On this
uniformly solid outing standouts include the pulsing
opener "Jukin' At Bettie's" that sure to get
the crowd moving, the chugging blues anthem "That's
What The Blues Is All About" and the stomping closer
"Back To The Woods" which is a thinly disguised
Howlin' Wolf number and one of the record's most intense
performances. King weds the juke joint vibe with straight
up Memphis soul on the hook laden and heartfelt "It
Takes A Good Woman" and mines similar territory
on "Don't Blame It On Me." The only overt
political commentary can be found on the driving "Systematic
Train" with it's references to "working for
the man."
Willie
King's emergence to a national audience in recent years
has shown many people that the real deal blues is still
thriving and vital and at the same time can also can
have something important to tell us. It's obvious the
crowd at Bettie's has known this for a long time and
it's good that Willie King occasionally drops a new
record once in awhile to bring this message to the world
at large.
-Check
out these reviews:
Living
In A New World Review
Willie
King Website
(Jeff Harris)
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Michael Bloomfield:
If You Love These Blues, Play em' As You Please
(Kicking Mule)
Michael
Bloomfield remains one of the greatest of
the first generation of white blues guitarists.
Best known for high profile venture with the
Paul Butterfield Blues Band, the Electric
Flag and Bob Dylan, Bloomfield was never more
comfortable and capable then when he was playing
straight ahead blues. "If
You Love These Blues, Play em' As You Please"
captures Bloomfield at his peak on a set of
stripped down classic blues numbers played
with passion and conviction.
"If
You Love These Blues, Play 'Em As You Please"
was recorded in 1976 as a blues guitar instructional
album for Guitar Player magazine and ended
up being acclaimed as one of his finest solo
recordings. For this CD reissue the entirety
of his 1979 album "Bloomfield/Harris",
a joint effort by Bloomfield and acoustic
guitarist Woody Harris has been tacked on.
While not quite as revelatory as the other
album it shows another level of Bloomfield's
influences as the duo tackle a lovely batch
of instrumental gospel numbers.
Bloomfield
considered "If
You Love These Blues, Play 'Em As You Please"
his favorite
record and it's not hard to see why. Uncomfortable
with the fame that being a guitar hero brought,
Bloomfield
seemingly wanted to retreat to those rough,
crowded Chicago blues clubs where he cut his
teeth as a youngster. Tired of the big concerts
he says he "...felt this overwhelming
urge to do something with integrity"
which resulted in this album that Bloomfield
called his best. This is a relaxed, laid back
affair as Bloomfield plays both acoustic and
electric with unobtrusive backing, as he proceeds
to give a blues guitar clinic by emulating
the styles of his heroes like B.B. King, Jimmie
Rodgers, the Carter Family, T-Bone Walker,
Blind Blake, Guitar Slim, Lonnie Johnson,
and others. Sprinkled throughout are spoken
commentary from Bloomfield himself briefly
explaining the songs, what they're examples
of, and how they're being played. Bloomfield
showcases a number of fine originals like
the stinging B.B. King inspired instrumental
"WDIA", the guitar/piano duet of
"Death Cell Rounder Blues" that's
meant illustrate the style popularized in
the late 20's by Leroy Carr & Scrapper
Blackwell and Tampa Red & Georgia Tom
and the tough Chicago blues of "Mama
Lion" sung by Nick Gravenites with Bloomfield
laying down some Earl Hooker inspired fret
work. Other highlights include sophisticated
acoustic numbers like the Blind Blake inspired
"Thrift Shop Rag" featuring some
complex, deft fingerpicking and a faithful
cover of Lonnie Johnson's brilliant "Blue
Ghost Blues." Bloomfield's singing is
only serviceable but he manages to put the
songs across with conviction and feeling.
The nine songs that close this reissue come
from the "Bloomfield/Harris"
album and are pleasant but not terribly exciting.
It's
ironic that Bloomfield was praised as guitar
hero during his lifetime, mostly for his more
rock inspired work, when in fact it was the
blues that he was most comfortable with. It's
also ironic that the bluesmen Bloomfield idolized
and emulated never got one ounce the fame
and recognition that Bloomfield did. You can't
really blame Bloomfield for any of this, and
the bottom line is that the man had an uncanny
feeling for the blues which comes across beautifully
on this fine collection.
(Jeff
Harris)
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In The Right
Hands: Chicago Gospel Keyboard Pioneers
(The Sirens)
The
Sirens label is a small label with a mission,
namely to preserve authentic Chicago blues,
boogie woogie, gospel, and jazz piano music.
After many years of laying dormant the label
reactivated in 2002 and has issued some exceptional
recordings since. They have another winner with
"In The Right Hands", a stirring and
inspirational set that beautifully captures
gospel keyboard masters Jessy Dixon, Geraldine
Gay and Nash Shaffer Jr.
Steven
Dolins started The Sirens label in 1976 when
still a teenager by gathering five piano blues
masters - Willie Mabon, Sunnyland Slim, Jimmy
Walker, Blind John Davis and Erwin Helfer -
for the release "Heavy Timbre" (reissued
on CD in 2002 with bonus tracks). Twenty-five
years later Dolins recorded a sequel that resulted
in "8 Hands on 88 Keys" featuring
Erwin Helfer, Barrelhouse Chuck, Detroit Junior
and Pinetop Perkins. The label has subsequently
issued a number of fine blues records as well
as a foray into gospel with pianist Reverend
Dwayne R. Mason's marvelous "Glory! Glory!"
in 2003. Thankfully The Sirens has seen fit
to document more of this joyful music on the
stirring and thoroughly enjoyable "In The
Right Hands"
Jessy
Dixon is a genuine gospel star who has performed
at prestigious venues like Radio City Music
Hall, Carnegie Hall, The Apollo, Madison Square
Garden and has over twenty recordings, including
seven Grammy nominations to his credit. Dixon
shines of four cuts including the stately and
beautiful instrumental "The Wicked Shall
Cease From Their Troubling", sings with
soul and passion on the inspirational "Hold
On" and the bluesy, surging "God Is
Standing By" that he wrote for Mahalia
Jackson shortly before she died. Pianist Geraldine
Gay was a member of The Gay Sisters Trio which
recorded for Dolphin and Savoy in the late 40's
and 50's. Pastor Gregory Donald Gay is the younger
brother of the Gay Sisters and is the co-founder
of Prayer Center Church of God in Christ. The
two join together with nephew Gregory on the
rousing "God Shall Wipe All Tears Away"
while Pastor Gregory's deep, resonate vocals
are featured on wonderful numbers including
"That's What I Like About Jesus" featuring
some fine organ from Nash Shaffer Jr. and "I've
Done My Work." Throughout Geraldine Gay
displays some outstanding jazzy piano playing
that has earned her the tag the "Errol
Garner of gospel" by a noted authority
on the music. In addition to the duets with
Geraldine Gay and Jessy Dixon, Nash Shaffer
Jr. really cooks on a rollicking instrumental
version of "When The Saints Go Marching
In" that's sure to get any congregation
on it's feet.
"In
The Right Hands" is a superb and moving
collection of outstanding gospel music that
showcases a vital tradition much in the same
way that "Heavy
Timbre" and "8 Hands
on 88 Keys" did for the blues piano tradition.
Like all the records on The Sirens label this
one comes highly recommended.
-Check
out these related links:
A
Trio Of Reviews From The Sirens Label
The
Sirens Website
(Jeff
Harris)
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Charlie Musselwhite:
Deluxe Edition (Alligator)
Since
his now classic 1967 debut, "Stand Back! Here Comes
Charley Musselwhite's Southside Band", Musselwhite
has remained one of blues premiere harp blowers. Musselwhite
has recorded for numerous labels over the decades and
retained a remarkable consistency through the years.
The "Deluxe Edition", while by no means definitive,
collects some very good recordings Musselwhite made
in the early 90's for the Alligator label.
Charlie
played steadily around the Bay Area bars, toured a bit
nationally but otherwise kept a low profile through
the 80's. It wasn't until the late '80s, when he conquered
a career-long drinking problem, that Musselwhite began
touring worldwide to rave notices. It was a good time
to hook up with a big label and he signed with Alligator
in 1990. Between 1990 and 1994 he cut three fine records
for the label: "Ace of Harps", "Signature"
and "In My Time", one of his best. The "Deluxe
Edition" culls thirteen prime tracks from this
period including one unissued number from the "In
My Time" sessions and one track donated by Musselwhite
from an early 60's home recording featuring Will Shade
(of Memphis Jug Band fame) giving a teenaged Musselwhite
pointers on guitar. Like Alligator's other Deluxe
albums the music here has be remastered and comes
with insightful notes by Alligator head Bruce Igaluar
plus a fold out insert with a poster of Musselwhite
on one side and some great period photos on the flip
side.
Four
cuts stem from "Ace of Harps", his Alligator
debut, and feature a tight band that includes Andrew
Jones Jr. on guitar. Highlights from this session include
"River Hip Mama" which has a funky "Boogie
Chillen" riff that while credited to Musselwhite
& Jones, borrows from a much older song of the same
name done by Washboard Sam among others and the melancholy
"My Road Lies In Darkness", a solo number
with just Musselwhite on guitar. Four more come from
1991's "Signature" featuring the same band
as before with standouts going to the bouncy, horn driven
"Mama Long Legs" and the torrid "Make
My Getaway" with some rocking interplay between
Musselwhite and Jones. 1994's "In My Time"
ranks as one of Musselwhite's finest with a band rounded
out by Junior Watson on Guitar, Gene Taylor on Piano
Larry Taylor on Bass and a guest appearance by The Blind
Boys of Alabama. The Blind Boys sing beautifully behind
Musselwhite who plays solo guitar on the moving "Bedside
Of A Neighbor" while "If I Should Have Bad
Luck" is classic blues shuffle with some fine world
weary vocals from Musselwhite backed by great piano
work from Gene Taylor and smoking, raw toned guitar
from Junior Watson. The previously unreleased "Lotsa
Papa" is a a real gem with a cool retro, jazzy
feel and it's surprising this one was left on the cutting
floor. The other unreleased cut, "Newport News
Blues", features Will Shade egging on a a young
Musselwhite as he plays guitar before joining in to
sing and while rough musically and sound wise, is a
fascinating look at Musselwhite's formative years.
For
those new to Musselwhite, the "Deluxe Edition"
is a strong place to start with Alligator doing a typically
classy job with both packaging and sound quality. For
more of a career retrospective newcomers may want to
track down Music Club's excellent "Harpin' on a
Riff: The Best of Charlie Musselwhite" and for
the early years the 20 track "Best of the Vanguard
Years" is tough to beat.
-Check
out these related reviews:
One
Night In America Review
(Jeff Harris)
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