Maurice John Vaughn remains one of the most versatile and eclectic younger bluesman on the Chicago scene. Dangerous Road is Vaughn's first record in eight years and is a dynamic contemporary blues record that bristles with energy and creativity.

 Vaughn's self released 1984 debut, Generic Blues Album, came packaged in a plain white jacket like those no frills items at your local discount grocer. The contents were anything but generic revealing a powerful and funky contemporary Chicago blues record that was eventually picked up by the Alligator label. 1993's In the Shadow of the City was an equally impressive outing. Despite a long recording gap Dangerous Road was well worth the wait making it three winners in a row for the talented Vaughn.

 Vaughn is a multi-talented artist who plays supple, stinging guitar as well as sax and is also an engagingly soulful singer. Vaughn's songwriting skills are also on display writing all but one of the album's thirteen tracks. The music has a hard contemporary edge melding blues, soul and a strong dose of funk. Vaughn has surrounded himself with great musicians including BJ Emery who plays trombone and is the man behind the great horn arrangements, Detroit Junior on piano and Fred Brouse on guitar and harmonica. "Talking To Each Other With the Music" kicks things off with a rocking groove celebrating the power of music, the horn propelled "Two Can Play That Game" and the irresistibly funky "Lady In A Box" which bring to mind Tower Of Power at their best. More straight ahead blues can be found on the steamy "Love Abuse", the grinding blues of "I Don't Care" and the jumping "Shoo Fly Shoo" both boasting fine rippling piano from Detroit Junior. There's plenty of stylistic diversity here and it all works seamlessly.

 Maurice John Vaughn is one of the most exciting Chicago bluesman around and each record is well worth your attention. Now lets just hope we don't have to wait another eight years between records!

(Jeff Harris)

Various Artists: The Hoodoo Kings (Telarc)

  All Louisiana natives with acclaimed veteran status, The Hoodoo Kings are: barrelhouse piano man Eddie Bo, harp player Raful Neal, and guitarist Ernest Joseph 'Tabby' Thomas. All three are accomplished vocalists and prove that fact here as well. It's easy to expect then that this platter is much like a bowl of Louisiana gumbo; hot and spicy, yet tasteful. Eddie Bo, the lone New Orleans mate here, brings his boogie piano and organ to play, while Baton Rouge boys Neal and Thomas bring along their best on the harp register and axe neck. Stepping up on the microphone, all three deliver creative responses to a great bunch of tunes.

 It all starts with the Sonny Curtis classic "I Fought The Law", and works into diverse elements like Bob Dylan's "If I Don't Be There By Morning" (complete with a soul injection) and the closing Clifton Chenier tune "If I Ever Get Lucky". There's Tabby's "Mean And Evil Woman", "I Am The Hoodoo King", and Raful's "Luberta", "I've Been Mistreated", and "Hard Times". From the sweet singing guitar of "Monkey Business" to the slow soul rendition of "Leave it Like It Is", The Hoodoo Kings have packed this disc with both southern fire and funk.

 Backed by local gents Gregg Hoover and Danny Breau on the guitars, Dan Corbett on the bass, and Darren Thiboutot on the skin set; this set bounces from upbeat shuffles, to tell-tale storied ballads, then heads back to tin-pan alley blues. There is no flagrant Louisiana feel on this release. It is however a great southern R & B interpretation sparked with sweet vocal harmonies, beautifying organ and piano, and tender soulful guitar phrasings. Call these modern soul packed blues from Louisianian men of distinction, The Hoodoo Kings!

(Mark A. Cole)

Snooks Eaglin: The Crescent City Collection (Fuel 2000)
Earl King: King Of New Orleans (Fuel 2000)

 Record companies come and go all the time and that's especially true for small blues outfits. Still it was a real shame when the Black Top label closed it's doors a few years ago after something like a fifteen year run of producing some exceptional blues records. Fuel 2000 now owns the rights to the Black Top catalog and are in the midst of putting out "best of" collections of some of the label's artists. The music of New Orleans masters Snooks Eaglin and Earl King were a good place to start as both men released a series of magnificent albums for the label.

 Before signing with Black Top in the late 80's both Snooks Eaglin and Earl King already had long and storied careers and were true giants on the vibrant and eclectic New Orleans music scene. Still Black Top was something of a lifesaver as both men were riding out long recording droughts. Black Top surrounded both men with top flight session musicians and most importantly let them do their own thing. The results spoke for themselves with four exceptional records for Snooks (plus one live outing) and three excellent platters by King. These two Fuel 2000 retrospectives collect 16 tracks apiece form those sessions including some unreleased material all rounded out with thorough liner notes by Bill Dahl.

 Snooks has been dubbed the "human jukebox" for his uncanny ability to reel off a seemingly infinite number of songs with utter ease. Eaglin also happens to be a fine singer and mind-blowing guitarist. All these talents are well on display on these sixteen cuts (almost all of which are covers) as Snooks delivers a history lesson in New Orleans R&B by interpreting songs by Lloyd Price, Tommy Ridgley, Smiley Lewis, Professor Longhair and other New Orleans luminaries. The bands are equally impressive featuring folks like sax man Grady Gaines (of Little Richard fame), George Porter, Anson Funderburgh, Ronnie Earl and many others. Snooks and the band blast through some thunderous rockers like "Red Beans" with paint peeling solos by Grady Gaines and rippling piano by Sammy Berfect and a pair of Lloyd Price burners on "Oh Lawdy, My Baby" and the storming "Mailman Blues." "Teasin' You", a funky cover of The Spiders' "Slippin' In" and a wonderful cover of Benny Spellman's classic "Lipstick Traces'" are just a few more of the record's many delights.

 Like Snooks, Earl King is no slouch in the guitar department able deliver more than his share of stinging axe work and is an expressive, soulful vocalist. Where Snooks is an interpreter, King is a world class songwriter penning classics like "Big Chief", "Those Lonely, Lonely Nights", "Trick Bag" and many others during his long career. His three Black Top releases were filled with many quirky originals. King also gets the royal treatment in terms of band mates sharing many of the great musicians that graced the Snooks Eaglin sessions including Snooks himself, Roomful of Blues and others. Roomful of Blues swings hard behind King on the swaggering "Love Rent", the funky "It All Went Down The Drain" and the witty "Iron Cupid." The rest of the songs are equally strong with great originals like the salacious "Sexual Telepathy", the joyous second line funk of "No City Like New Orleans", the sharply written "Medieval Days", the moving "Hard River To Cross" and the low down "Old Mr. Bad Luck."

 If you somehow missed out on the original Black Top records here's your chance to see what made the label so special and to hear a pair of artists at the pinnacle of their game. Of course after listening to these marvelous releases it begs the question why haven't these men recorded since Black Top went under? Any labels out there listening?

(Jeff Harris)

Steve Freund: I'll Be Your Mule (Delmark)

 I'll Be Your Mule is a wonderful, compelling Chicago blues record from veteran guitarist Steve Freund. Surrounding himself with a cast of first class session musicians and armed with a set list of originals and well chosen covers the result is a very satisfying set of deep Chicago blues.

 Freund headed to the Windy City in 1974 to devote himself to the blues. He ended up playing with some of the city's greatest bluesman during a period he calls the "last of the Golden Age of Chicago Blues." The names speak for themselves: Sunnyland Slim, Big Walter, Luther Allison, Koko Taylor, Louis Myers and many others. I'll Be Your Mule is Freund's follow up to "C" For Chicago, his 1999 Delmark debut and his third overall.

 I'll Be Your Mule is a deeply satisfying set of classic sounding blues that manages the rare feat of holding your attention through all thirteen tracks. This is great ensemble blues with exceptionally tasteful playing from Freund whose economical style makes it sound like he's never played a stray note. His sweet soulful style has affinities to Robert Cray but with the bite of Albert Collins. Most of Freund's band mates are old playing buddies and their rapport is perfect with fine playing from pianist Mark "Mr. B" Braun, harmonica player Steve Guyger, drummer Kenny Smith (son of Willie "Big Eyes" Smith) and bassist Bob Stroger.

 The set list is split down the middle with fine originals and great seldom heard covers. Of the covers standouts go to a swinging cover of B.B. King's "Fine Lookin' Woman", Lowell Fulson's doomy "Hung Down Head", a stripped down version of Guitar Slim's low down "Something To Remember Me By" with just piano backing and a cover of "Rambler's Blues" my all time favorite Tampa Red song featuring great harp blowing from Steve Guyger. Freund proves himself a fine songwriter on originals such as the moody "I'll Be Your Mule", the laid back "You Were A Good Old Ride" and the shuffling "A Dollar A Mile."

 Steve Freund's years of experience have paid off with tasteful, very well played outing that has a depth of feeling lacking in many new blues releases. Freund sums it up best when he says: "I have written songs that are a true part of my life experience, and I have covered the ones that helped me get through this life."

(Jeff Harris)