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Louisiana Red: No
Turn On Red (HMG)
Louisiana
Red has an impressive recording career stretching
back over fifty years, but his recordings in the past
decade have been nothing less than astonishing in
their sheer intensity and power. "No Turn On
Red" is no exception, another stark and powerful
recording brimming with passionate playing and deeply
personal tales from Red's troubled psyche.
Red
made his first recording as Rocky Fuller back in 1949
and has recorded prolifically for numerous labels
over the years. After years of being underappreciated,
Red is now considered one of the elder statesmen of
the blues. His recordings in the past decade for JSP,
Earwig and Severn have been some of the most consistent
and powerful recordings of any bluesman during the
same period. "No Turn On Red" is yet another
deep and intense set of blues recorded between 1999
and 2003.
Red
makes no bones about the hard life he's lived all
of which he filters through his deeply personal blues
in cathartic fashion. While there's many talented
youngsters on the the blues scene there's something
true about living the blues to know the blues and
Red is certainly proof of that as he lets it all hang
out on these heartfelt tunes. Red's powerhouse vocals
can holler out the blues with abandon when called
for, take a more soulful approach when needed or a
conversational tone like Lightnin' Hopkins. Red's
stark, downhome blues owe a strong debt to Hopkins
as well as to John Lee Hooker whom he gigged around
with for almost two years in the late '50s. You'll
also hear shades of Elmore James and Muddy Waters
in his ferocious slide work. Red puts all those influences
together on tough, raw boned tales like the solo "Red's
Hobo Blues" as Red kicks into some distorted,
fuzzed out guitar which he amps up a notch on the
blistering "I Done Woke Up" with the wall
of fuzz nearly threatening to break into chaos. Red's
trademark slide is heard to good effect on "Freight
Train To Ride" which sounds like a lost Elmore
James number and some Muddy styled slide on the smoldering
"Cotton Pickin' Blues" featuring some fine
amplified harp from producer Bob Corritore. Other
highlights include the moving "September 11th
Blues" when "hell came right down from the
sky", the surreal "Red's New Dream"
another in a series of fanciful tales that began with
the original "Red's Dream" cut back in the
early 60's and the deeply affecting "Everybody
Laughs At Me" which stems from a 1982 session.
Nobody's
cutting better blues records these days than Louisiana
Red who seems to tap into an endless well spring of
passion and self reflection on each new release. Red
has never been shy about stating his influences and
now that Muddy, Lightnin', John Lee and Elmore are
all gone, Louisiana Red is left alone as their true
heir apparent.
-Check
out these related reviews:
A
Different Shade Of Red
Driftin'
(Jeff Harris)
|
Tab
Benoit: Fever On The Bayou (Telarc)
Tab
Benoit has been steadily building steam since the
early 90's, issuing stronger and more focused records
each time. Since hooking up with Telarc in 1999 he's
been issuing some of his most inspired work and "Fever
On The Bayou" is yet another impressive outing.
Not
yet forty, Benoit has close to dozen records under
his belt but on his last two albums has really perfected
his craft. 2002's "Wetlands" was a near
perfect meld of blues and the distinctive sounds of
his native Louisiana and should go down as a minor
classic. 2003's "The Sea Saint Sessions"
was a brilliant follow-up which leaves Benoit hard
pressed to surpass these outstanding records. "Fever
On The Bayou" doesn't attain the same level of
inspiration as those records but is still a terrific
blues outing but with a bit less of the swampy, Louisiana
feel that made those last records so special.
Louisiana,
New Orleans in particular, is a musical melting pot
and Benoit's genius is how he deftly mixes in elements
of Cajun, rock and Zydeco to create a potent sound
that sets him apart from the pack of young guitar
slingers. Make no mistake, Benoit is a hell of a guitar
player and his guitar prowess is showcased prominently.
What also sets him apart is that he can actually sing
which is a major downfall of many of the young hot
shot white bluesman. Despite the title, the Louisiana
vibe here is more subdued which is a shame as Benoit
has such a great feel for that sound. He proves that
on the title cut, "Fever On The Bayou",
which has a bouncy, irresistible Louisiana shuffle
featuring some tasteful but sizzling guitar work.
The only other tune in this vein is the hypnotic,
percussive New Orleans Mardi Gras chant "Golden
Crown" sung wonderfully by Chief Monk Boureaux.
The rest of the album is straight ahead blues including
fine numbers like the stomping, gritty opener "Night
Train", the tough "Little Girl Blues",
a faithful cover of Elmore James' stop time classic
"I Can't Hold Out" featuring fine interplay
between guitar and sax and the blues anthem "The
Blues Is Here to Stay" with some able vocal help
from Cyril Neville who also wrote the tune. The traditional
"My Bucket's Got A Hole In It" closes things
out as Benoit tackles this one solo acoustic that
has nice front porch feel showcasing some impressive
finger picking.
Tab
Benoit remains one of the best and most inspired of
the younger generation of bluesman and each new release
is a real treat. Benoit has an enviable problem in
that his prior records were so good they're hard to
top. Not really a bad position and that being said,
"Fever On The Bayou", will probably end
up being one of the year's top blues releases.
-Check
out these related reviews:
The
Sea Saint Sessions
Wetlands
(Jeff Harris)
|
The Fieldstones:
Mud Island Blues (HMG)
Various Artists:
Memphis Blues Bands & Singers - The 1980's
(HMG)
When
you think of Memphis music most will naturally
think of the city's rich blues tradition. In
the 20's and 30's the city was noted for jug
bands like the Memphis Jug Band, Cannon's Jug
Stompers plus a slew of fine guitarists like
Furry Lewis, Frank Stokes and Robert Wilkins
among others. In later years country blues gave
way to the tough electric blues of Howlin' Wolf,
B.B. King, Junior Parker and many others epitomized
by the Sun Record label. Others may think of
the Memphis soul scene personified by Stax Records
and later Hi Records. It's unlikely you would
think of the 1970's and 80's as a key period
in Memphis blues history but the city had a
thriving, if underground, blues scene that packed
the clubs and boasted some phenomenal talent.
Among the best were the Fieldstones who were
hugely popular in Memphis and had recorded one
prior record, "Memphis Blues Today!",
back in 1983. "Mud Island Blues" is
their belated follow-up featuring more gritty
blues recorded during the same period. "Memphis
Blues Bands & Singers" features a half
dozen fine Memphis blues outfits recorded during
the 1980's with the bulk having never been issued
before
The
Fieldstones were characterized by a rough and
ready juke joint styled blues with a distinct
soul influence. Their sound was
built around a two-guitar front line with a
raw, chunky groove fronted by the exceptional
singing of either Little Applewhite or
Willie Roy Sanders who also played guitar. From
their inception circa 1974-75 through the early
1990s the Fieldstones packed small Memphis clubs
like the J&J Lounge and Green's Lounge with
loyal fans looking for a good time and good
blues. The lineup shifted from time to time
and in addition to those mentioned also heard
here are the great guitarist Clarence Nelson
who joined in 1982, drummer Joe Hicks who sings
on four numbers and fine organ work from Bobby
Carnes. What the Fieldstones do best is play
tough, raw juke joint blues and their power
is in their rock solid ensemble work. Like the
first record, the sides here were recorded in
the early 80's and intended to be released on
David Evans' High Water label but financial
constraints prevented it's release. It's been
worth the wait as the band is absolutely electrifying
on gritty numbers like the stomping opener "Mud
Island Blues", the deep soul of "Put
Your Loving Arms Around Me" and the joyous
bounce of "Talk to Me, Baby" with
some incredible duel guitar work both sung wonderfully
by Sanders and the tough, ominous sounding "That
Ain't Right" sung by Appelwhite. These
are just a few of the numerous highlights.
The
artists on "Memphis
Blues Bands & Singers" were
recorded between 1981-86 and as David Evans
states in the liner notes they: "...constitute
a large percentage of the blues singers and
musicians who regularly worked the neighborhood
clubs weekend after weekend during the 1980's
for mostly the same audience of loyal followers."
The bands share a a distinctive tough, gritty
rural blues sound with the emphasis on tight
ensemble playing. Most employed a two guitar
lineup like the Fieldstones rounded out usually
by organ, bass and drums. The Fieldstones are
spotlighted on three typically fine numbers
including the slinky, guitar vamp of "Sneaking
In The Dark" and "No Place To Go"
a variation on Howlin' Wolf's "How Many
More Years." The Hollywood All Stars were
another fine Memphis group (check out their
CD "Hard Hitting Blues From Memphis")
who mine similar territory as the Fieldstones
on low down blues like "Long Way From Home"
and "Dirty Work Going On." Other bands
include The Blues Busters (check out their CD
"Busted") who lay down some fine R&B
and blues, Huebert Crawford And The King Rider
Band featured on "King Rider Boogie"
an insinuating spoken word boogie that became
something of a cult favorite and Jane Hamilton
And The Prime Tyme Band who shine on "I'm
Going To Try To Be A Good Girl" with it's
classic Stax soul vibe.
Taken
together the remarkable recordings on the tiny
High Water label captured an incredibly vibrant
blues scene in full flourish and many thanks
go to David Evans for his tireless work documenting
this marvelous music. A big thanks also goes
to HMG Records for making these recordings available
to a wider public. These two discs mark the
last in a series of twenty blues and gospel
recordings recorded by High Water all of which
are well worth seeking out.
(Jeff
Harris)
|
Nathaniel Mayer:
I Just Want To Be Held
(Fat Possum)
Nathaniel
Mayer could have been another one hit wonder who
drifted off into the mists obscurity and in fact
that's what happened for the past forty years.
Over the decades Mayer become a cult like figure
among collectors for his blistering soul numbers
he cut in the early 60's and over the years every
possible rumor has circulated about Mayer's fate.
In what is undoubtedly the comeback record of
the year, Mayer is back in soul scorching form
on the explosive "I Just Want To Be Held."
Nathaniel Mayer is best known for his transcendent
"Village of Love," a 1962 top 40 hit
for Detroit's Fortune Records. Mayer never matched
the success of that number but cut a number of
equally impressive records including "I Had
A Dream", "I Got News For You",
the raucous answer song "Going Back to the
Village of Love" and my personal favorite,
"I Want Love and Affection (Not the House
of Correction)." By the late 60's Fortune
had folded and Mayer’s career was over. His whereabouts
were practically unknown and only ever confirmed
by vague rumors over the past several decades,
though he did surface in 1980 with a single on
Love Dog Records entitled "Raise The Curtain
High." Once again mayer disappeared only
to surface last year with the amazing, previously
unreleased "I Don’t Want No Bald Headed Woman
Telling Me What To Do" issued on Norton Records.
The stage was set for Mayer's return and despite
a bit of wear and tear he lives up to all expectations
on "I Just Want To Be Held", his belated
full length debut.
Backed
by his band the Fabulous Twilights on those early
records Mayer created a sound that melded garage
rock with soul making those sides so memorable
that they still sound fresh today. It didn't hurt
that Mayer was a great gritty singer who could
croon sweet soul and also get down James Brown
style. That's exactly the sound captured on the
new disc as Mayer is backed with a tough garage
band, , complete with Farfisa organ and wailing
sax, that deliver an unshakable groove. Mayer's
voice betrays a hard life and the soaring, high
pitched vocals on those early records has become
hoarser and grittier but is still soulful and
utterly compelling. Mayer doesn't pull any punches
as he storms out of the gate with the rocking
"I Wanna Dance With You", the hook laden
"I'm In Love" explodes with raw passion,
"What's Your Name" sizzles with macho
swagger and some raunchy guitar while the mid-tempo
"Satisfied Fool" has a classic Memphis
soul feel. One of the most surprising numbers
is a cover of John Lennon's "I Found Out"
given a raw, driving workout as Mayer spits out
Lennon's lyrics about organized religion with
plenty of venom. Special mention also goes to
the shuffling, lascivious "Stick It or Lick
It" with the title pretty much saying it
all.
"I
Just Want To Be Held" is a blueprint for
a perfect comeback record capturing Mayer at his
raw, explosive, over the top best. Mayer is currently
touring so catch him while you can. By all reports
he puts on one of hell of a performance.
(Jeff
Harris)
|
Shor'ty
Billups: Shor'ty's Got The Blues (Solid
Gold)
We get inundated with mediocre
blues records on a weekly basis
but every so often a record slips
in from out of nowhere and blows
you away. That's the case with the
knockout singing drummer Shor'ty
Billups whose new disc "Shor'ty's
Got The Blues" is a real killer.
If you haven't heard of Shor'ty
Billups, well neither had I and
compounding the mystery is that
we received no promotional material
with the CD and a search of the
internet yields precious few clues.
According to the CD insert Shor'ty's
been singing since the late 50's,
drumming from the early 60's and
cut several 45's back in the day.
He's played behind folks like Wilson
Pickett, Lattimore, Clarence Carter,
Z.Z. Hill and a number of other
heavyweights. He has at least one
more record out called "Alone
With Shor'ty" also on his own
Solid Gold record label. The bottom
line is that Shor'ty can flat out
sing the blues and is backed by
an outstanding band that almost
steals the show.
Shor'ty
sings and handles the drum chores
backed by a band any singer would
kill to work with including Shor'ty's
son Stefan on piano/organ, a trio
of smoking guitar players, some
nice background vocals, first rate
horns plus a strong harp man on
a few cuts. Shor'ty's possesses
a big, smooth voice as he delivers
a batch of blues classics with a
soulful flourish. Shor'ty and the
band invest even the most well worn
covers with a freshness that makes
them sound brand new. Take for instance
Eddie Boyd's classic "Five
Long Years" delivered here
majestically and when Shor'ty sings
the familiar lyrics "If you
ever been mistreated/You know what
I'm talking about" there's
no doubt you know and feel exactly
what he's talking about. The same
goes for stellar updates of Junior
Parker's classic "Mother-In-Law"
features some punchy horns and big,
chunky guitar work, delivers the
over familiar "Sweet Home Chicago"
in glorious fashion and puts it
all out there with a passionate
reading of Guitar Slim's immortal
"The Things I Used To Do."
These are all great songs that have
been done to death and it takes
a great interpreter like Shor'ty
to restore them to their former
glory. Other highlights include
the soulful, horn driven "Heavy
Woman" and a pair of fine Johnny
Copeland songs in the chugging "Making
A Fool" spotlighting some spot
on background vocals and tough guitar
work and the doomy sounding "Rain."
"Shor'ty's
Got The Blues" is a real gem
spotlighting a gentleman who should
be much wider known and this will
undoubtedly go down as one of year's
better releases. This one will surly
slip through the cracks and not
get the attention it deserves but
is well worth seeking out. Now if
I could only tell you where to find
this one!?
(Jeff
Harris)
|
Willie Hightower:
Willie Hightower (Honest Jons)
If there were any justice Willie Hightower
would be remembered alongside his idol Sam
Cooke as one of the great soul voices of
his generation. Things didn't work out that
way and by the 70's he seems to have virtually
disappeared. Honest Jons' collection, simply
titled "Willie Hightower", should
do much to restore Hightower's status as
of the great southern soul men.
Willie Hightower recorded sparsely
during the late 60's issuing some singles
on Bobby Robinson's Enjoy and Fury labels,
three singles while under contract to Fame
(the Muscle Shoals studio famous for cutting
hits by Etta James, Otis Redding, Aretha
Franklin and many others) and one album
for Capitol which has become something of
a collectors item. "Willie
Hightower" collects 18 prime songs
from this period containing all the ingredients
that make deep soul so magical and timeless.
Hightower
possesses a raspy, gospel searing voice
that's been described as a cross between
Little Richard and a "roughed-up Sam
Cooke." Indeed Hightower's delivery
owes a huge debt to Cooke and he sounds
uncannily like him a on a few numbers. He
gets away with it because he puts across
these tales of heartache, oppression and
redemptive love with a deep, boundless passion
in the very best tradition of great southern
soul singers. This is late 60's soul at
it's best, beautifully produced with those
great funky guitars, a rock solid backbeat
and some blasting horns. The opener, "Walk
A Mile In My Shoes" (#2 R&B), is
a transcendent tune as Hightower roars through
this number, at times more preaching than
singing, as the horns explode in the background.
The lyrics resound with the civil rights
struggle, a struggle Hightower was very
much a part of. Echoes of that era can also
be heard in the sublime "Back Road
Into Town", "If I Had A Hammer"
and especially the soaring "Time Has
Brought About A Change" ("Once
I wasn't considered a man/ Given no respect
at all/But I know I've got my pride deep
down inside/And no one will ever take it
again") which was a sequel to Sam Cooke's
civil rights anthem '"A Change Is Gonna
Come." "'I loved that song because
I knew that a change was on its way. I believed
in the lyrics", Hightower relates in
the notes. Hightower's only other chart
hit was "It’s A Miracle" (#33
R&B) which is his personal favorite
and is a beautiful and elegant tune on the
power of love. The remaining tracks are
of similar high quality making it all the
more surprising that Hightower remains so
little known today.
Hightower
recorded only sporadically after cutting
these sides but he never stopped singing.
"I play round Alabama, anywhere they
want me really. I still sing the old songs,
pretty much all of them in fact. I still
do 'Walk A Mile In My Shoes'"."
The best news of all is that he's currently
planning his long-awaited second album.
I can't wait!
(Jeff
Harris)
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