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 CD Review  Book Review
Page 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)
 Earl Gaines:
24 Hours a Day (Black Magic)
Up until a few
months ago if anyone had asked me about Earl gaines I would have shrugged my
shoulders. I first heard Earl a few months ago with "Everything's Gonna Be
Alright" his first release for Blacktop records which showed his pipes to be in fine
form over forty years after his debut recordings. Now with the release of "24
hours a Day" on Black Magic we get to hear him at his peak.
Gaines moved to Nashville when he
was 16 to start his singing career. In 1955 he scored his first hit, "It's Love Baby (24 Hours a Day)," which became the first
national hit for the fledgling Excello label. Unfortunately he was unable to repeat this
success and his story becomes a familiar one. Gaines bounced through a number of small
labels without much commercial luck and gave up the music business in the sixties.
Fortunately for us the small body of work he
recorded between this period is now documented on this reissue and it makes for great
listening. "24 Hours a Day" is a
tremendous collection of blistering blues and soul with Gaines vocals ringing every last
ounce of emotion from each and every note. "24 Hours a Day" collects twenty
tracks spanning from 1958-1966 recorded on numerous labels such as Excello, Champion,
Hanna Barberra and Soundstage 7 to name a few. The other star of this collection is
guitarist Johnny Jones whose biting blues guitar is as equally potent as Gaines vocals.
Like, Gaines, Johnny Jones is also in the midst of a comeback, recording last years
critically acclaimed "I was Raised on the Blues" also on Black magic. With this
and his new release Earl Gaines is a name that won't be forgotten again. Special credit
should be given to Black Magic for the beautiful packaging and excellent liner
notes.
(Jeff Harris)
|
 Snooky Pryor: Shake My
Hand (Blind Pig)
At age 78, 50 years after his first
recordings, Snooky Pryor's brand of Chicago blues sounds as vital as ever. This
latest release finds Snooky back on Blind Pig records, the label that launched his
comeback in 1987 after a twenty year hiatus.
Snooky seem to be on a roll these days with an
excellent record out on the Electro-Fi label that came out just a few months ago. In the
40's Snooky was one of the first to use amplified harmonica and cut some groundbreaking
sides for JOB and Vee-Jay but his role in the formation of modern Chicago blues
seemed for a while to have been forgotten. Finally, it seems, he's getting the recognition
he's earned.
The new CD is a nice mix of originals and cover
songs including the classic "Telephone Blues" which Snooky first cut in
1948. Things open up with just Snooky on harmonica and vocal giving a moving,
soulful reading of "Shake My Hand". The music kicks into high gear with
solid covers of Hank Ballard's "Work with me Annie" and Sleepy John Estes
"Someday Baby". Other highlights include a stripped down, jaunty
version of "Pistol Packin' Mama" which has a nice old time feel and
a rocking version of "In this Mess".
From start to finish, Shake My Hand rests on a
rock solid groove with Snooky in fine form. Snooky has a warm engaging vocal style but
above it all is that wonderful harp playing. With his distinctive vibrato sound and the
shades of his idol, Sonny Boy Williamson in every note, Snooky Pryor is a true blues
master.
(Jeff Harris) |
 Johnny Rawls: My Turn To Win (JSP)
Johnny Rawls describes his style as
"between gospel, blues and good hard soul music" which sums things up nicely.
While there's elements of all these styles the music leans decidedly toward classic
southern soul and he makes no bones about it- Johnny Rawls is a soul man.
Rawls honed his chops early when in high
school his band leader asked him to play with his own group who accompanied such stars as
Z.Z. Hill, Joe Tex, Little Johnny Taylor among others. In the mid 70's Johnny became O.V.
Wright's band director until his death in 1980 and then joined Little Johnny Taylor's
band. Rawls certainly paid his dues constantly touring throughout the South on the
chitlin' circuit during this period. The 90's saw him teaming up with fellow soul man L.C.
Luckett for a couple of critically acclaimed albums on Rooster records.
Rawls move to JSP in 1996 was a perfect fit,
putting him out front where he belongs. On "My Turn to Win", his third for the
label, Rawls hits on all cylinders with a perfect blend of blues and southern soul that
harks back to the classic sound of Hi Records. Rawls proves a veteran bandleader
giving the album a nice relaxed feel with excellent horn arrangements and sharp
uncluttered guitar playing. Rawls has a very straight forward approach to his music:
"I try to let the music breathe...I don't like it when people run lines all over the
music...If they'd listen to B.B. King they'd know how it's done".
"My Turn to Win" proves Rawls has learned
his lessons well producing a stunning soul record with an infectious groove throughout.
Rawls shows he's his own man taking blues and soul solidly into the 90's and beyond.
(Jeff Harris) |
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