Children Of The Blues By Art Tipaldi (Backbeat Press)

 In Children of the Blues writer Art Tipaldi dissects how the blues tradition is passed on from one generation to the other. While blues is essentially simple music if you want to play it right you need to put in serious time learning the subtleties of the music and finding your own voice. The 49 musicians profiled have put in the long hours and have created a voice all their own and acknowledge a generation that took the time to teach them about the music about life.

 To really be able to play the blues you need to learn it first hand: "It must be passed knee to knee, mouth to mouth, eye to eye." The lessons come on the bandstand, swapping stories in hotel rooms or on those long rides to far flung gigs. The common theme running through the book is that the older musicians would be gracious and accommodating if they saw you were serious and respectful towards the music. This wasn't a formal education as bluesman Kenny Neal points out: "The way we learn down South is that you don't go ask for tips. You pay attention."

  The book is divided into four large regional sections: "Real fathers, Real Children, and the South" which looks at the relationship of real blues children like Lonnie Brooks and sons Ronnie and Wayne, Johnny Copeland and his daughter Shemekia, "Texas", "East Coast" and "West Coast." The musicians profiled tell their stories in their own words focusing on how they learned the lessons of the blues and how those lessons still inspire them.

 It's not surprising that many of the famous fathers in this book like Raful Neal, Lonnie Brooks, Jimmy Rogers, Luther Allison, James Peterson and Johnny Copeland have produced offspring that would want to follow in their footsteps. Among all the close bonds related in this book there's none closer than father and son playing together. Raful Neal speaks for all fathers when he says: "I felt great havin' my son up there. You take a bricklayer and he'll take his son out and teach him how to lay bricks, or a carpenter'll show his son how to build houses. I was showin' him what I know."

 By far the most common and time honored way to pass on tradition is the apprenticeship where the younger man absorbs everything he can form an older mentor. The book illustrates many of these bonds in the stories of Charlie Musselwhite who in his early Memphis days absorbed the lessons of first generation bluesman like Will Shade, Gus Cannon and Furry Lewis; Kenny Brown who was literally just a kid when he started playing in Mississippi with Joe Callicott and later R.L. Burnside who he plays with to this day; Lil' Ed Williams who learned from intently watching his uncle, legendary slide player J.B. Hutto; Rod Piazza who like many West Coast bluesman was influenced by the powerful harmonica of George "Harmonica" Smith.

 Artists like Rory Block, John Hammond, Taj Mahal and Paul Rishell came up in the 60's when the folk blues revival was in full swing and were deeply influenced by first generation bluesman like Son House, who is frequently cited, Mississippi John Hurt, Skip James and Bukka White among others. The opportunity to play with and learn from these musicians was an experience they speak fondly of to this day.

 There are a number of artists whose name is a recurrent throughout these pages and that come up as being particularly inspirational. The names of Muddy Waters, Little Walter and B.B. King are constantly brought up as being especially gracious and willing to often encouragement to the younger generation. Although many of the encounters with these great men were brief the influence has lasted a lifetime.

 Children of the Blues is a valuable book detailing how the blues is transmitted from generation to generation and offers us a fascinating a glimpse into an intimate insiders world that few are privy too. Ultimately this book renews your faith that blues will be around for a long time to come.

(Jeff Harris)

Hollywood Fats Band (Crosscut)

 The original Hollywood Fats Band LP issued in 1979 has become a classic of West Coast blues and has since been reissued several times. This new 2-CD reissue is rightly dubbed the "definitive" version collecting the original LP plus a batch of previously unreleased and alternate tracks clocking in at over 100 minutes of prime West Coast blues.

 While there seems to be no shortage of bluesman playing in the West Coast tradition today that wasn't the case back when Hollywood Fats was starting out. Fats' blues apprenticeship began when he was in his teens playing with blues elders at Shakey Jake's bar at 54th & Vermont in Los Angeles. He eventually stepped out to tour with legends like Jimmy Witherspoon, J.B. Hutto, John Lee Hooker and Muddy Waters. In between tours Fats began to assemble some first rate players who shared his musical vision and the band became known as the Hollywood Fats Band. The band stepped into the studio to make some demos and decided to record an album instead. The resulting record was released on the small PBR label with an initial run of 2,500 blue vinyl LP's issued and an unknown number of black vinyl LP's pressed later. With this new 2-CD set it's looks like we now have everything that was cut at that classic session.

 The interplay between band members creates a true meeting of the minds featuring the big toned guitar of Hollywood Fats, Harmonica and vocals from Al Blake, pianist Fred Kaplan who learned first hand from Lloyd Glenn, drummer Richard Innes and former Canned Heat bassist Larry Taylor. The results are tough, swinging brand of vintage sounding West Coast blues very much in the style of players like Rod Piazza, Kid Ramos and James Harmon (Fats joined the James Harmon Band shortly after these recordings at the same time Kid Ramos was in the band). Propelled by the sizzling boogie guitar runs of Fats, the powerhouse amplified harp blowing of Blake and the rollicking piano of Kaplan the band locks into an irresistible groove on cuts like the jumping "Rock This House", the shuffling "She's Dynamite", the blistering guitar workout on the instrumental "Okie Dokie Stomp" and romping numbers like "Lonesome" and Walter Horton's "Have A Good Time" a showcase for Blake's over the top harp wailing. Highlights from the rarer material include "Read About Me Baby" with Fats playing some incredibly raw, over amplified guitar and the lightly shuffling "Fred's Blues" a showcase for Kaplan's piano work.

 Crosscut has delivered this reissue in classy fashion with a handsome paper fold out sleeve that contains vintage photos, excellent liner notes and a reproduction of the comic book that came with the original LP. Sadly Fats died of a heroin overdose in 1986 at the age of 32 shortly before the band was to reform. This collection reaffirms his larger than life talent and remains a genuine classic that has gone on to influence a whole new generation West Coast bluesman.

The Golden Gate Quartet & Josh White: Freedom
(Bridge)

 Freedom is an amazing document of a historic concert produced by the Library of Congress in 1940 celebrating the 75th anniversary of the passing of the thirteenth amendment ending slavery in the United States. It's hard to believe that these recordings are seeing the light of day for the first time. Both The Golden Gate Quartet and Josh White are captured at the peak of their powers plus spoken commentary by a trio of African-American scholars.

 The concert was a truly remarkable event for it's time treating African-American culture in a serious and dignified manner. The concert that makes up this CD was just one part of a four day festival documenting "the contribution of the American Negro to American culture." The sixty minutes that make up this concert are divided into three parts: "Negro Spirituals" with commentary by Alain Locke, "Blues & Ballads" with commentary by Sterling brown and "Reels & Work Songs" with commentary by legendary folklorist Alan Lomax.

 The Golden Gate Quartet formed in 1930 and by the end of the decade the group's remarkable harmonies garnered them huge crossover success. By the time of this concert the Gates were recording for Victor, appearing on national radio broadcasts and had achieved great success at John Hammond's legendary 1938 "Spiritual To Swing" concert. In addition to traditional gospel material they also recorded socially conscious material. In this respect it made perfect sense to share the stage with Josh White who started out as a traditional blues singer but by the late 30's was singing passionately about freedom and equality.

 Freedom demands to be listened to in it's entirety delivering a concise history of African-American music in both song and commentary. Among the individual highlights include the Gates on fine accapella versions of "Freedom", "Traveling Shoes" plus "Rock My soul In The Bosom Of Abraham" and "Run, Sinner, Run" both with Josh White lending a hand. White is in stunning form particularly on two of his classics "Silicosis Blues" and "Trouble." Of the commentaries the standout is undoubtedly Sterling Brown's "What Are The Blues?", an articulate and insightful recitation on the blues that should be heard by all fans of the music.

 Bridge Records has brought this incredible concert to light in a first class manner with an excellent 31 page booklet and surprisingly good sound. Anyone with an interest in African-American music will want this fine record in their collection.

-Check out this related book review:
Josh White: Society blues

(Jeff Harris)

Johnny Rawls: Lucky Man (Deep South Sound)

 Johnny Rawls carries the torch for the soul-blues tradition mining the same fertile territory as singers like Z.Z. Hill and Bobby Bland. Lucky Man is a typically classy outing and a fine debut for Rawls' new record label, Deep South Sound.

 Rawls got his break in high school when his band leader asked him to play with his own group who accompanied such stars as Z.Z. Hill, Joe Tex and 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. The 90's were a productive time for Rawls cutting a fine soul record with partner L.C. Luckett and launching a solo career resulting in four very good records for the JSP label. Lucky Man doesn't break any new ground but is a fine record that further establishes Rawls as one of the country's premiere soul-blues men.

 Johnny Rawls is something of a jack of all trades acting as producer, songwriter and arranger on this album backed by his fine touring band. Rawls and the band play as much as 300 gigs a year which accounts for the seamless soul groove that runs through all ten tracks. Rawls' music harks back to the classic soul sound of the 60's and 70's with a strong bluesy feel punctuated by some strong horn arrangements. His smooth soulful vocals perfectly match the material on classic sounding songs like the gently funky opener "You Got To Change", the catchy groove of "Lucky Man" featuring a sultry sax solo by Jeremy Scott, the gritty cheating song "Got To Be Careful" and "Call Me" with nice background vocals from Rawls' daughters which sounds like it could have been a lost track from the legendary Hi Records label. The record wraps up with "Going Home", a stark blues with just Rawls on vocals and guitar.

 Lucky Man is an auspicious start for Johnny Rawls' new label and yet another satisfying record in a long and fruitful career. Keep an eye out for new releases on Deep South Sound by Chick Willis and Bluesboy Willie which should be out by the time you read this.