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Earl Gilliam: Texas
Doghouse Blues (Dialtone)
On
Sunday afternoons in Tomball, Texas you can usually
find Earl Gilliam in the "doghouse." That's
what he calls his huge barnlike garage where he sets
up food, beverages a PA system and his double-decker
electric keyboard to jam with whoever might stop by.
Up until now it was the only place you could hear
"Texas Doghouse Blues" but thanks to Austin's
Dialtone label it's been wonderfully captured on Gilliam's
long overdue debut.
Gilliam
began playing piano at the age of ten in the local
Baptist church but by seventeen was already fronting
his own blues band. He made it down to Houston when
he was nineteen and began sitting in with folks like
Albert Collins, Gatemouth Brown, Ivory Lee Semien
and others. Gilliam cut a handful of singles in the
50's for labels like Sarge, Ivory, Twist and Going
Upstairs but they failed to make much of splash. In
the 80's he started working with Joe "Guitar"
Hughes, traveled to Europe with him several times
and recorded three CD's with him. These days Gilliam
plays twice monthly at the Salem Methodist Church
in his hometown of Tomball, TX and plays blues with
his own band, often performing at Houston's Big Easy
Club. Dialtone Records has specialized in recording
deserving Texas blues artists like Lil Joe Washington
and Ervin Charles and has done a fabulous job capturing
Gilliam's vintage brand of Texas blues.
Gilliam
is one of many blues artists still active on the vibrant
Houston scene. It's a scene that produced Lightnin'
Hopkins, Albert Collins, Johnny Copeland plus dozens
more like Gilliam who have never got the breaks. Another
one of those guys is guitarist I.J. Gosey who got
his first break in Gilliam's band back in the 50's.
Staring in the late 50's Gosey was a session musician
for the Duke-Peacock labels for many years playing
on recordings by Junior Parker, Bobby Bland, Gatemouth
Brown, Larry Davis and many others. Gosey is a great
guitar player who's clean, jazz tinged lines provide
the perfect counterpoint to Gilliam's rolling, two
fisted piano and organ playing. The rhythm section
is rock solid and there's also some fine sax from
Shedrick Cormier. The bulk of these tunes are Gilliam
originals as he romps his way through a vintage set
of blues including standout numbers like rollicking
piano driven opener "My Thing", "Pretty
Little Doll", the rocking solo piano of "The
Doghouse" and the shuffling "Going Downtown"
with Gilliam laying down some serious chops on the
organ. Other highlights include the soulful "Petite
Baby", a remake of one of his old Sarge numbers,
a sizzling version of the blues classic "Got
To Find My Baby" and the steamy, lowdown blues
of "First Name Is Earl" feature one of Gilliam's
most passionate vocals. This is top drawer ensemble
playing all the way on set of vintage blues with a
dose of jazz thrown in for good measure. The bottom
line is that these cats really cook!
After
a few listens to Gilliam's "Texas Doghouse Blues"
I'm already planning my trip to the doghouse. Yet
another winner from the small Dialtone label who's
been quietly issuing some of the best blues records
of recent years.
-Check
out these related links:
Dialtone
Website
(Jeff Harris)
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The Hollywood Blue
Flames: Soul Sanctuary (Delta Groove)
Mitch Kashmar:
Nickel & Dimes (Delta Groove)
The
Delta Groove label is one of the most promising of
the newer blues labels, making their initial splash
in 2004 with terrific releases by Kirk Fletcher and
The Mannish Boys. They've kicked 2005 of in fine fashion
with releases by The Hollywood Blue Flames, a resurrected
version of the legendary Hollywood Fats Band, and
Mitch Kashmar, an under recorded harp blower/singer
who deserves wider exposure.
The
Hollywood Blue Flames are indeed the original Hollywood
Fats Band (Al Blake, Fred Kaplan, Richard Innes, and
Larry Taylor) sans Fats of course who died tragically
at the age of 32. The original Hollywood Fats Band
LP issued in 1979 has become a classic of West Coast
blues and was a showcase for the larger than life
talent of Hollywood Fats. Stepping in for Fats is
Kirk Fletcher a young guitar slinger with phenomenal
chops. Fletcher made his debut with 1999's strong
"I'm Here & I'm Gone" for the JSP label
and followed it with the stellar "Shades Of Blue"
issued on Delta Groove in 2004. The Hollywood Blue
Flames deliver vintage sounding West Coast blues with
a contemporary edge and like the original unit play
some great ensemble blues. Fletcher makes his presence
felt right out of the gate as he cuts loose on the
swinging, torrid instrumental "Flambed",
which makes it clear he's the right man to fill Fats'
shoes. The band effortlessly roll through a variety
of styles including the jivey, jump classic "Nit
Wit", St. Louis Jimmy's tough "Soon Forgotten",
the shuffling "I'm A Lucky, Lucky Man" featuring
some big toned, tasteful guitar, "Coco Puffin'"
a moody after hours number with some great organ and
steamy fret work and the instrumental "Big Foot's
Boogie" a showcase for Fred Kaplan's boogie woogie
piano. Kim Wilson guests on the acoustic "You're
Sweet" laying down some typically sensitive harp
work over a stripped down backing.
Harp
man/singer Mitch Kashmar has been on the scene for
some time and is no stranger to blues fans in the
Pacific North West but has largely slipped under the
radar of most fans. "Nickels & Dimes"
should garner Kashmar some deserving wider exposure
for this exceptional harmonica player and singer.
Kashmar is teamed up with an all-star West Coast group
including his longtime friend and collaborator Junior
Watson, plus the top drawer rhythm section of Richard
Innes and Ronnie James Weber, and pianist Bob Welsh.
Making guest appearances here are blues legends Arthur
Adams and Abu Talib (formerly known as Freddy Robinson),
both incredibly versatile guitarists and singers with
long and varied resumés. Like The Hollywood
Blues Flames album there's a distinctively West Coast
vibe here featuring some stellar ensemble work. Anchored
by Kashmar's soulful vocals, inventive harp work plus
the gritty West Coast styled guitar of Watson (think
T-Bone Walker and Pee Wee Crayton), "Nickels
& Dimes" is a real gem. Kashmar shines on
all original material like the gently swinging "Dirty
Deal", the jazzy, retro vibe of "New York
Woman", the romping "Gettin' Drunk"
featuring an exceptional solo from Watson, the tough
low-down blues of "Whiskey Drinkin' Woman"
and the driving instrumental "Runnin' Off At
The Mouth" as Kashmar really cuts loose with
some tour-de-force blowing.
Like
their prior releases, the new ones by The Hollywood
Blues Flames and Mitch Kashmar will certainly rank
as two of the better blues releases of the year. Delta
Groove is off to a phenomenal start so far with all
of their discs come highly recommended.
-Check
out these related links/reviews:
Delta
Groove Website
Kirk
Fletcher
The
Mannish Boys
(Jeff Harris)
|
Ronnie &
Earl & Duke Robillard: The Duke Meets The
Earl
(Stony Plain)
It's
surprising it took so long for "The Duke
Meets the Earl", an inspired album that
teams up two of the best contemporary blues
guitarists on the scene. After all, Duke Robillard
and Ronnie Earl have known each other since
the mid-70's when the two used to jam at a dive
Cambridge, MA called the Speakeasy. Both have
racked up impressive resumes since those early
days and both positively burn on their first
collaboration together.
Robillard
was of course the co-founder of Roomful of Blues,
and Earl followed him into the band when Duke
left to start a solo career. As Earl says: "Duke
took me under his wing. It was old school."
Indeed both men share a similar approach to
blues guitar and seem to share many of the same
influences. Between them, they've won six Handy
Awards as "Guitarist of the Year"
- and both of them are nominated for honors
this year. Both men sound truly inspired on
"The Duke Meets the Earl" as they
play off each other and really stretch out on
fine selection of originals and choice covers.
Guests
on this recording include the legendary Jimmy
McGriff on Hammond B3 organ, Mighty Sam McClain
on vocals on one cut plus several current members
of Duke's band. Throughout, Earl's guitar is
featured in the left channel and Robillard's
in the right, leading to some potent guitar
dialogues. This is particularly true on the
instrumentals such as "West Side Shuffle"
as the two channel the bold sound of West Side
Chicago legends like Magic Sam and Jimmy Dawkins,
or dig into a lengthy, swinging workout of T-Bone's
"Two Bones & A Pick" trading off
much like T-Bone and Barney Kessel did on the
original and the Earl original "Zeb's Thing"
featuring some steamy slide work that's a clear
tribute to Earl Zeb Hooker who took electric
blues guitar way beyond even what the pioneering
T-Bone Walker could ever imagine. Another obvious
influence on both men was the aforementioned
Magic Sam and the two dig in for a fiery instrumental
romp on Sam's "What Have I Done Wrong."
Robillard takes the vocals on three numbers
including the nearly sixteen minute version
of Walter Price's "My Tears", Eddie
Taylor's tough "Lookin' For Trouble"
and B.B's "I Need You So Bad" with
the latter two featuring the sterling B-3 work
of Jimmy McGriff. Mighty Sam McClain's churchy
vocals are the perfect vehicle for the soulful,
stately "A Soul That's Been Abused"
another extended workout that clocks in at thirteen
minutes.
"The
Duke Meets the Earl" meets all expectations
as two of the premiere contemporary blues guitarists
get together for a true meeting of the minds.
While there's loads of great guitar work this
is no mere jam session as the two play with
a rare empathy, tastefulness and sense of invention
that make multiple listens a must.
-Check
out these related reviews:
Ronnie
Earl: Now My Soul
Duke
Robillard: Blue Mood
Duke
Robillard: Exalted Lover
(Jeff
Harris)
|
Solomon Burke:
Make Due With What You Got (Shout! Factory)
Otis Clay: Respect
Yourself (Blind Pig)
Solomon
Burke and Otis Clay are kindred souls; both come
out of the gospel tradition, both jumped to the
secular world of soul in the 60's and both have
kept the flame of classic soul music burning bright
through the years. Of the two, Burke's profile
has been higher especially after his much praise
2002 release "Don't Give Up On Me."
Clay has gigged steadily but hasn't released a
record since 1998's fine "This Time Around."
Both men remain in peak form with Burke tackling
a wide range of material on "Make Due With
What You Got" and Clay captured passionately
on the live "Respect Yourself" recorded
at the Lucerne Blues Festival in Switzerland in
2003.
Burke's "Don't Give Up On Me"
was deservedly widely praised and easily his best
record in years. Instead of trying to replicate
the classic 60's soul sound, producer Joe Henry
created a stripped down album with nothing but
a subdued rhythm section and
a batch of songs written specifically for him
by legendary songwriters such as Van Morrison,
Bob Dylan, Brian Wilson and Tom Waits among others.
On his album Burke again tackles a wide range
of material including songs by Dylan, Van Morrison,
The Rolling Stones, Hank Williams, Dr. John and
others. Production this time is by Don Was who
takes a more classic approach backing Burke with
a bigger sound including horns, background vocals
plus prominent organ from Rudy Copeland and exceptional
guitar work from Ray Parker Jr.. Burke is absolutely
superb as he interprets these songs with unbridled
passion, drama and a deep gospel feel that reaches
right out and grabs you. On this uniformly strong
outing Burke shines on the supercharged opener
"I Need Your Love In My Life", the aching
"It Makes No Difference", "Fading
Footsteps", Dr. John's chugging "Make
Do With What You Got" featuring some razor
sharp guitar from Ray Parker and a beautiful reading
of Hank Williams' "Wealth Won’t Save Your
Soul" as Burke delivers this one straight
from the pulpit.
While
Burke has occasionally tinkered with the formula
on his records, Otis Clay hasn't changed his sound
much at all since those hard hitting, gospel infused
records he cut for Hi in the 1970's. Clay remains
the epitome of deep soul and sounds as soul scorching
as ever on this red hot live date. Backed by Tyrone
Davis' old group, the Platinum Band, a nine-piece,
horn-driven outfit, and given vocal support by
veteran singers Theresa Davis and Diane Madison,
Clay gets down to some serious testifying and
doesn't seem to have slowed a bit with age. The
highlight here is a searing treatment of Clay's
hard hitting classic "Nickel And A Nail"
that really ignites the already enthusiastic crowd.
Clay is equally at home on the stripped down,
seductive "I Can Take You To Heaven Tonight",
a rousing take on Al Green's "Love And Happiness"
propelled by some punchy horns, the funky gospel
of "I Just Wanna Testify" and the blistering
closer "Respect Yourself" dedicated
to Pops Staples. As good as this record is it's
still been too long since we got a new studio
record from Clay and hopefully that won't be too
far in the offing.
There
seems to be a resurgence of interest in classic
soul music of late with fine albums recently by
Al Green, Percy Sledge, Earl Gaines, Willie Walker
and DVD releases of vintage soul concerts like
"WattStax" and "Soul to Soul".
Solomon Burke and Otis Clay have stayed the course
and these two soul survivors still remain two
of the best in the business.
-Check
out these related reviews:
Soul
Alive!
Don't
Give Up On Me
(Jeff
Harris)
|
Denise LaSalle:
Wanted (Ecko)
Denise LaSalle has been one of the
best and most consistent singers on the
southern soul/blues circuit since the 70's.
Now in her mid-60's LaSalle sounds as sassy
and soulful as ever on "Wanted"
her second album for the Ecko label.
LaSalle scored big in 1971, when
her first hit single for Westbound Records,
"Trapped by a Thing Called Love,"
crossed over to the pop charts and went
gold. Her second single from that album,
"Now Run Tell That," became a
million-selling R&B hit. Her most fruitful
period was her association with Malaco Records
which resulted in a number of terrific albums
like "Still Trapped", "Still
Bad" and her final outing for the label,
1997's "Smokin' in Bed." LaSalle
made her debut with the Memphis based Ecko
label in 2002 with the aptly titled "Still
The Queen."
"Wanted"
finds LaSalle in fine form on mostly original
program of southern soul and blues. The
type of chitlin' soul/blues LaSalle excels
at still has a loyal following, particularly
in the south. While there's plenty of good
artists mining this territory like Barbara
Carr, Dr. "Feelgood" Potts, Mel
Waiters, Theodis Ealey and Marvin Sease
there's also a good deal of hackneyed material
flooding the market that endlessly recycle
the same risque material, often featuring
derivative programmed backing. LaSalle manages
to still sounds fresh with her soulful,
sassy pipes still in fine form and all the
ingredients are in place here including
some good material (she's a first rate songwriter)
and a real band complete with horns. The
single "Snap, Crackle And Pop"
has a catchy groove as LaSalle admonishes
the ladies "...to stop faking these
orgasms/you got these men thinking they're
magic" before dedicating the song to
a bunch of male singers who think they know
what women want. No LaSalle doesn't pull
any punches as she demonstrates on songs
like "A Woman Needs Money" and
the bouncy "Bone It Like You Own It"
("Let me warn you boy/before you try
to me lay me down/It takes a real strong
technique to handle a big fine woman like
me"). LaSalle digs into blusier fare
on the B.B. King inspired "The Thrill
Is On Again" and "They Made A
Blues Fan Out Of Me."
"Wanted"
finds veteran Denise LaSalle at her sassy,
soulful and humorous best on batch of fine
new songs. LaSalle hasn't slowed a bit with
age and still has no trouble telling it
like it is. Watch out men!
(Jeff
Harris)
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