 
 
 
|
 CD Review  Book Review
Page 1 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)
 Johnny Farmer: Wrong Doers Respect Me (Fat Possum)
Since its inception a couple
of years ago, the Fat Possum Record label has worked hard to develop the "Fat
Possum" sound. Deep Mississippi blues, raw, dark, mysterious, and backwoods. Artists
like R.L. Burnside, T Model Ford, and CeDell Davis are prime examples of bluesman who
exhibit the "Fat Possum" sound. It is a sound that you either appreciate or
can’t understand. You buy a Fat Possum disc based on whether you dig that sound or
not.
Well Johnny Farmer, the newest
member to the Fat Possum record label, does not fit the "Fat Possum" sound at
all. Johnny plays serious delta slide guitar. Slashing, burning and very down home. The
disc opens up with a very haunting version of Son House’s "Death Letter",
immediately I pick up the CD and read the linear notes, who the hell is Johnny Farmer?
Unfortunately they say little about the man or his past musical history. The music burns
as I haven’t heard such deep delta slide guitar playing since the early Muddy
Water’s recordings. Actually, it seems Johnny Farmer was heavily influenced by
McKinley Morganfield (Muddy). In the 12 songs that are presented on "Wrong Doers
Respect Me" Johnny covers two Muddy tunes, "I’ve Been A Fool" and
"Screamin’ & Cryin’ ". Johnny covers another slide legend, Elmore
James, with his version of Elmore’s "It Hurts Me Too". The disc finishes up
with a great cover of Tommy McClennan’s pre-war blues classic " Seven Up".
If you avoid this collection of
great delta slide playing because its on the Fat Possum record label you will be missing
some incredible music. Johnny Farmer is an artist that needs to be exposed to as many
blues fans as possible.
(Dave Moskal)
|
 Bobby Blue Bland: Memphis Monday
Morning (Malaco)
Memphis Monday Morning, Bobby Blue Bland’s tenth
outing for Malaco Records finds him in fine form. The soul blues crooner extraordinaire
continues to supply the type of music that is the main stay of the chitin circuit. Songs
created from the stable of great southern soul song writers like Sam Mosley, George
Jackson and Billy Ray Charles concentrate on cheatin’, love, or down on your luck,
punctuate Bobby’s newest release.
The disc opens up with Bobby introducing himself to the
listening audience with a tune entitled "I’m Bobby "B"", as if
Bobby, who has been recording since 1950, needs any introduction to anybody at all. It is
followed up with a great pair of cheatin’ tunes, "I Don’t Want No
Kickin’ In My Stall" then "There’s a Rat Loose in My House". Both
feature, as on most of the disc, a lush full band arrangement and Bobby’s patented
"Squall".
The title track follows next. "Memphis Monday
Morning" is a 9:00 minute slow burner that is the highlight of the disc. This song
will go down as another Bobby "Blue" Bland classic. The next four tunes are a
mixed bag of straight southern soul blues and contemporary (read synthesizers) blues.
The CD closes with an extra bonus, I guess the bonus
depends on how well you can envision Bobby covering a Z.Z. Top tune, is a 1985 cover
version of Z.Z.’s "Lookin for Some Tush". Recorded during his first session
for Malaco it is a period piece, but it shows you how hard Bobby tried to stay in the main
stream during the days when the blues where struggling to survive.
Bobby may not be as widely recognized as his former boss
B.B. King (Bobby was B.B.’s personnel valet), but anybody that thinks Bobby
"Blue" Bland is an blues man whose time has passed is missing some great music.
(Dave Moskal) |
 B.B. King: Blues on the Bayou (MCA)
All hail the King. Finally B.B. has ditched
the special guests. No Johnny come latelys, no rappers, no wanna-bes. Although the
"guests" may have helped B.B sell more records, they also diluted his sound. But
not on B.B.’s latest effort "Blues on the Bayou", it’s just B and the
band. The King went down to Dockside studio in Maurice, Louisiana, hence the CD’s
title, to record his 76th album which is one of the finest pieces of music of
the year .
"Blues on the Bayou" is comprised of some great
old B.B. King songs like "I’ll Survive", "Shake It Up and Go",
and "If I Lost You" plus some fresh new material. Lucille sways effortlessly
across "Blues Boys Tune" and "Blues in G". The tone is rich and fat.
"Blues on the Bayou" may not rate up there with B.B.’s classic 50’s
Flair cuts, but it certainly gives them a run for their money. Only time will tell where
this piece of work will rank amongst his many recordings.
There’s a note in the linear notes that sums up the
great Riely B. Kings career, "My favorite is "I’ll Survive" a song I
wrote back in the Fifties. I sang it then, but I’m not sure I understood it. Now I
know the meaning of survival". This from the man who at age 73, still does 250+ gigs
a year. All hail the King.
(Dave Moskal) |
 Chasin' the Devil's Music by Gayle Dean Wardlow
During the first real folk blues boom in the
early sixties there were a small but fervent group of record collectors
who walked the streets of many small communities of Mississippi looking for pre-war
(1920-1942) blues 78’s. One of these young collectors was Gayle Dean Wardlow a
journalist by trade, who happened to be working and living in the area.
Gayle not only begins the tedious job of
locating rare acetates but begins to follow up leads on long lost blues artist. Wardlow
located and interviewed such legendary blues notables as Ishman Bracey, Johnny Temple and
H.C. Spier. During these treasure hunts he begins to document his findings by writing
several articles in many blues magazines. Blues Unlimited, Living Blues, 78 Quarterly and
Guitar Player have all been graced with his talents. Chasin’ That Devil Music, a
reference to blues played in the local "juke joints," is a collection of several
of these articles that have helped create much of the knowledge that we have on these
severely under documented entertainers.
One of the more interesting articles
"Searching for the Robert Johnson Death Certificate" details the efforts of
locating and publishing Robert Johnson’s death certificate ( a copy of the original
is included in the book). Although a major discovery in itself, the real gem is what was
discovered on the back side. For the first time the world, but more importantly the blues
world were given a glimpse to the cause of Robert’s death. For on the back of the
original death certificate were type written notes taken by a Leflore County employee that
gives a brief investigation on the conditions of his death. These notes have been
reproduced and are part of the overall collection of articles.
For the casual blues fan Chasin’ That
Devil Music may be a tedious read as many of the articles dig way past the common pre-war
blues players. But, if you want to dig deeper than the 50’s and 60’s Chicago
blues scene and want to know who influenced many of the artists of that era, Chasin’
That Devil Music will help give you an understanding of the music and lifestyle of many of
these influential musicians that were at the forefront in creating the music that we call
the blues.
An extra bonus that comes with this book is a
free CD that contains the music of many of the artists that are discussed through out this
book. Pay particular attention to the song "Harmonica Boogie" by the
"band" Confiners. This song is a 1961 recording by a blues group of Parchman
inmates. It does not get any tougher than this.
(Dave Moskal) |
 Mister Satan's Apprentice by Adam Gussow
- Anybody who is a fan of the blues can usually remember
their first experience walking into their favorite record store and asking for the blues
section. Flipping through the vinyl records (pre-cd days for all the old time fans!) the
large album cover art work alone would help you make that first couple of purchases.
Dropping the needle down would release sounds of passion and incredulous energy that would
have you asking yourself "where was I all these years."
Well, for Adam Gussow his passion and the love of the
blues has been documented in his new book "Mister Satan’s Apprentice."
Gussow describes his excursion from being a high school outcast who took up playing music
to impress the girls to playing major blues festival such as the New Orleans Jazz and
Heritage.
His incredible journey towards blues stardom begins with a
freak meeting with a cab driving harp player named Nat Riddle whose lessons not only
include harp licks but also the seductive lifestyle of a bluesman. Countless nights and
days of jamming elevate his playing to the point where he is not only busking on the
streets of NYC but also Europe. During this time Nat Riddle is shot and mysteriously
disappears from the local music scene.
As luck would have it, Adam stumbles across a new mentor
named Sterling Magee, whose street name is Mister Satan. Mister Satan an older black
musician and a veteran of the local R&B scene, has been earning his living by
performing on the streets of Harlem for tips. Over a period of time they work to create an
unique street sound to their blues with Adam playing harp and Mister Satan playing both
guitar and a rigged up percussion set. Together they also create a visually unique musical
pair, one black and hardened by the streets and the music business, the other white and
eager to explore the possibilities of expanding their sound. Along the way they get
"discovered" by a U2 film crew that is creating a documentary for their
"Rattle and Hum" tour. This is only the beginning of Adam and Satan’s
fifteen minutes of fame as they begin to tour around the world and release three
critically acclaimed CD’s.
Not only does Adam describe his turbulent days on the
street (during this time the racial murders and there accompanying highly publicized
trials of Howard Beach, Bensonhurst, and Crown Heights all occur) but also the cast of
characters who show up regularly to the daily street concerts. Cats like Mister Gants, who
shows up occasionally to add his vocals to a tune or two, Mister Danny a regular who
constantly shouts words of encouragement, or Miss Macie, one of Mister Satan’s
girlfriends, all who have an unique personalities add flavor to the book.
There is one particular story that Adam describes that I
believe is true for many blues lovers and sums up Adams devotion not only to his blues
mentors but also his book. He describes going into a little bar in Harlem for an open
blues jam, which he was told there would be a mixed crowd present. After showing up with
harps in his pocket, he finds himself being the only white person in the club. Feeling a
little uncomfortable he asks himself a rhetorical question "What am I doing
here?". He answers "It’s the music, it's always been the music."
(Dave Moskal) |
More Reviews 
|
