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 TThe
Devil's Son-In-Law: The Story Of Peetie Wheatstraw
& His Songs By Paul Garon
(Charles H. Kerr) 
This
seems to be a boon time for blues books particularly
blues biographies with full length studies of Elmore
James, Little Walter, Muddy Waters and Earl Hooker coming
out in the last couple of years. Many classic works
from the past are also being recovered from obscurity
most notably a number of pioneering books published
in the early 70's under the Studio Vista imprint. Three
of these have been packaged in "Yonder Come The
Blues", Chris Albertson's "Bessie" has
just been republished, John Fahey's "Charlie Patton"
has been reprinted within a 7-CD Patton box set and
now we have Paul Garon's "The Devil's Son-In-Law"
back in print.
"The
Devil's Son-In-Law" was originally published in
1971 and has been slightly expanded plus the addition
of new illustrations. At 116 pages this is not a full
length biography for as Garon points out "...there
can be no history of Peetie, in the usual sense. He
died over sixty years ago, and the facts we have gleaned
give only a thumbnail sketch of his life and personality."
As in biographies of this sort the author has to rely
on the accounts of friends and relations, many of which
has passed on or disappeared and there is very little
in the way of written documentation save for a couple
of printed stories on Wheatstraw's tragic death and
a few surviving legal documents. To get at Wheatstraw's
personality and worldview Garon looks deeply into his
lyrics (transcribed at length) which are quite revealing,
some of the best could be called poetic.
The
overriding question, however, is why a book on Peetie
Wheatstraw? Sure he was immensely popular during the
30's but his reputation in the blues community has never
been high, something that hasn't really changed thirty
years after this book was first published. Wheatstraw's
brand of blues was never in vogue among later blues
collectors, "a smooth, citified style" that
dominated the blues of the 30's. Garon, however, is
after something bigger than just a study on a popular
30's piano player for he writes "in a real sense
it is about all the blues singers and their songs."
Indeed while Wheatstraw's life is reconstructed we learn
much about what draws us to the blues and what makes
the blues so powerful.
Wheatstraw
was born William Bunch and during his recording career
was also know under the colorful sobriquets the Devil's
Son-in-law and the High Sheriff from Hell. In fact he
may have been one of the key links in the identification
of the blues singer and the devil. He recorded over
160 songs, usually accompanied by his own piano and
provided accompaniment on records to numerous others.
Between 1930 and his death in 1941 he remained immensely
popular for buyers of race records and was a fixture
on the vibrant St. Louis blues scene of the 30's. St.
Louis chronicler Henry Townsend emphasizes this point:
"Around town he was pretty well busy; his name
was ringing." Popularity is one thing but influence
was another and Garon makes no bones about Wheatstraw's
enormous influence: "His style of blues singing
was magnetically influential... It is no exaggeration
to say that blues singing in the late 1930's bore the
mark of Peetie Wheatstraw." Those cited as being
influenced by Wheatstraw ("oooh, well, well"
being his signature phrase) were a diverse lot including
Robert Johnson, Champion Jack Dupree, Smokey Hogg and
Big Joe Williams among others.
Garon's
approach is different than standard biographies that
linearly track a subject from birth to death. Garon
devotes a great deal to analyzing Wheatstraw's lyrics
in an attempt to glean insights into not only his personality
but also his identity. This discussion of the Peetie
Wheatstraw identity is one of the book's strongest themes.
As Garon writes "To be Peetie Wheatstraw, the Devil's
Son-in-law, was to be much more than a member of the
black working class could ever be in white capitalist
America. And to be the Devil's Son-in-law was to initiate
a poetic motive force in the direction of freedom and
liberation that has been all but ignored in current
anaylsis of the blues."
Wheatstraw
died in 1941 when the car he was riding in slammed into
a standing freight car. He was virtually ignored by
blues researchers after his death (piano players rarely
get their due) and it's likely that even had Wheatstraw
lived through the blues revival of the 60's things wouldn't
have been much different. Garon's insightful book makes
an eloquent case for Wheatstraw' place in blues history.
He was perhaps the most popular urban bluesman of his
era and as Garon sums up "should be judged by the
majesty of his own performances..." In addition
to some fine photos and label shots this new edition
comes with a wonderful 24 track CD that makes the perfect
soundtrack to this illuminating and important book.
(Jeff Harris)
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Tony Lynn Washington:
Been So Long
(NorthernBlues) 
Since
resuming her career in the mid-90's, after a lengthy
lay off, singer Toni Lynn Washington has issued three
top drawer efforts on the Tone-Cool label. With "Been
So Long", her first with Canada's NorthernBlues
outfit, she serves up a diverse tribute to her forebears
backed by a knockout band that adds up to her best
record to date.
Washington
performed with classic R&B artists like Sam and
Dave and Jackie Wilson throughout the South in her
youth and made USO tours of the U.S. and Asia in the
1960s. After a lengthy hiatus Washington resumed performing
in the Boston area with a ten piece band in the early
90's and made her full length debut in 1995. Her subsequent
follow-ups have been excellent and in 2003 she was
a W.C. Handy nominee for Female Blues/Soul Artist
of the year. "Been So Long" can only enhance
her reputation as one of the blues finest female vocalists.
On
"Been So Long" Washington pays tribute to
those that have influenced her. She's a masterful
interpreter delivering inspired tributes to a diverse
group including Ruth Brown, Nina Simone, William Bell,
Little Jimmy Scott and Bessie Smith among others.
The album was produced by Duke Robillard, who's guitar
playing throughout is impeccable, and fine Keyboardist
Bruce Bears who've surrounded Washington with her
most sympathetic band to date including ex-Roomful
horn blowers like Doug James and Gordon Beadle plus
a number of other veterans. Washington doesn't growl
the blues like Koko Taylor or have the attitude of
Etta James instead she treads on the jazzy side of
the blues like a latter day Dinah Washington. She
covers the many styles on this record with ease from
the big band bounce of Buddy Johnson's "I Don't
Want Nobody", the slinky "It's Love Baby
(24 Hours A Day)" featuring a sizzling down and
dirty solo from Robillard, the marvelous "I Don't
Hurt No More" to the funky "Down In The
Basement." One of the real highlights is her
low-down version of Bessie Smith's classic "Back
Water Blues" that simmers along before building
to an intense finish.
Toni
Lynn Washington caresses each song with absolute conviction
bringing out a depth and subtlety to these songs that
few could match. On "Been So Long" all the
elements fell in place to create some real magic.
(Jeff Harris)
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Kim Wilson:
Lookin' For Trouble (MC Records)
Kim
Wilson's latest, "Lookin' for Trouble" on
MC Records, was a total surprise to me. Here I expected
some in your face, screamin' harp and hard-edged vocals
and instead I was pleasantly shocked to hear a very
subtle, easy, wonderfully-paced record. Even though
Wilson denies it in his liner notes, he captures a
truly vintage sound here that reminisces Louie Prima
at his peak, with the sound of his Capital collection
of hits. Instead of worrying about respecting Wilson's
efforts, I get to just enjoy them. Songs like "[You
Put the] Hurt on Me" and "Hook, Line and
Sinker" just bounce along.
The album
kicks off with a Jerry Lee Lewis like rock 'n roll
title track "Lookin' for Trouble" - however
this is volume II and volume I has more of a stripped
down approach. He seems to get the whaling out of
his system with this first track and settles down
with the vampy "Tortured". The rest of the
CD just moves along rather easily, moving into "Hurt
on Me" and songs of various tempos, with tributes
to Willie Dixon on "Love My Baby", Sonny
Lane on "Hook, Line & Sinker" and Howlin'
Wolf on "Hand to Mouth". In fact, ghosts
run rampant over this CD which makes one wonder if
Kim's been bottling them up all these years.
The mix
of this album might be one of the most important aspects
of its success. The drums are there (credited to either
Steve Ramsey or Richard Innes), but they're not overpowering
and they're not mixed to the rock proportions that
most modern Blues albums mistakenly offer today. A
nice blend of horns and Wilson's vintage amp sound
from his harp bring you back to the day of Las Vegas
lounge Blues - the place that made BB King and Louie
Prima famous. The piano keys (Mark Stevens) are whimsical
like the old Louie Armstrong stuff from the twenties
and the guitar work is also rather jazzy and extremely
tasty from Troy Gonyea.
Like
most CD's I review, I listened to this record numerous
times - I haven't gotten sick of it yet, in fact I'm
damn well enjoying it and will play it at my next
party. I've never been a huge Fabulous Thunderbirds
fan (although I've got "Tuff 'n Nuff" in
my collection) due to their brutal approach to the
Blues. Kim Wilson shows a whole different side on
this CD and it beats the pants off his last one. He
mentions in the liner notes that he thinks he's got
it, and he can run with it, well Kim, start running
baby. Y'all better start running to your record store
to get this or check it out at
www.mc-records.com.
[This
review is copyright © 2003 by Dave Glynn, lead
singer of the Empty Can Band www.emptycanband.com
and Blues On Stage at: www.mnblues.com,
all rights reserved. Copy, duplication or download
prohibited without written permission]
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Nathan James:
This Road Is Mine (Pacific Blues)
Jamie Wood:
Ain't No Doubt About It (Pacific Blues)
The
West Coast based Pacific Blues label is one of those
small blues labels that has a knack for consistently
putting out quality releases, most with little fanfare.
Their latest offerings are top notch including Nathan
James' debut "This Road Is Mine", a knockout
country blues disc, and Jamie Wood's swinging, retro
flavored "Ain't No Doubt About It."
24
year old Nathan James has played guitar in James Harman's
band for about four years and Harman was so impressed
he produced this album. It's not hard to see why as
James is an exceptional country blues guitarist who
has a feel for the music well beyond his years. While
he played electric in Harman's band here he focuses
on acoustic sounding equally fine on resonator or
flattop as well as singing and playing rack harmonica.
Teaming up with James is multi-instrumentalist Ben
Hernandez on vocals, harmonica, kazoo, washtub bass
and Harman lending a hand on vocals and harmonica.
James sounds commanding on the solo pieces particularly
the two Tampa Red covers, "Sugar Mama Blues"
getting a great sound from that resonator, the tongue-in-cheek
"If I Let You Get Away With It Once" and
most impressively tackling Lonnie Johnson's classic
instrumental "Woke Up With The Blues In My Fingers."
Band highlights include Brownie & Sonny's "Sweet
Lovin' Kind" with two part singing from James
and Hernandez, the ragtime flavored "Hip Shakin'
Mama" strongly inspired by Blind Boy Fuller and
the fiery intensity of "Took My Saviors Hand"
that brings to mind the great guitar evangelists of
the past.
Nathan
James also plays guitar (electric) on Jamie Wood's
swinging, jive flavored "Ain't no Doubt about
It." Wood's band has a decidedly retro style
harking back to the swinging combos of the 30's and
40's drawing inspiration from singers like Helen Humes,
Ella Mae Morse and Lil Green. Wood's has an insinuating,
wise and sassy style that perfectly suits this music
and the band is terrific laying down a percussive,
gently swinging backbeat. In addition to James on
guitar, who shows his versatility playing tasteful
electric in the style of Charlie Christian and Freddie
Green, there's veteran boogie-woogie pianist Carl
Sonny Leyland, Johnny Rover on chromatic harp, Tyler
Pedersen standup bass, Johnny Morgan on drums and
James Harman doing some jive talking on a Louis Jordan
number. Get the martinis ready as Jamie Wood and her
band jump and swing through a fine set list including
well chosen covers like Memphis Minnie's sly "Kissin'
In The Dark", "Doin' The Boogie Woogie"
and Roosevelt Sykes' "Don't Talk Me To Death
(a.k.a. 47th Street Jive)" both featuring the
sparkling 88's of Sonny Leyland plus Jimmy Rushing's
"Say You Don't Mean It" with a killer guitar
solo by James. Wood's delivers a pair of fine jumping
originals including the title track and the humorous
"Hock That Rock."
It's
hard for a small label, especially a blues label,
to get noticed in an already crowded market. Pacific
Blues has been making their mark the old fashioned
way by simply putting out great blues records. Both
records by Nathan James and Jamie Wood fall into that
category and I wouldn't be surprised if one or both
popped up on some year end "best of" lists.
-Check
out these related links:
Pacific
Blues Website
Nathan
James Website
Jamie
Wood Website
(Jeff Harris)
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Lou Pride: The Memphis/El
Paso Sessions (Severn)
Lou
Pride is a veteran soul/blues singer who's cut some
great records with relatively little fanfare.
"The Memphis/El
Paso Sessions" harks back to Pride's first recordings
cut in the early 70's and is a sizzling set of vintage
soul.
"The
Memphis/El Paso Sessions" assembles 13 tracks Pride
cut for the small labels like Suemi, Albatross and Gemco
all of which have never before been released on CD.
These sides have long been held in high esteem by soul
collectors. In fact one of the original 45's from this
period recently sold on eBay for over $2000! If it wasn't
for limited distribution some of these sides might be
bonafide classic.
As
the title of this collection suggests half these sides
were cut in El Paso, the other half cut in Memphis at
Willie Mitchell's famed Royal Studio featuring the Memphis
Horns and the famed Hi Rhythm section. These sides are
filled with a sweaty intensity and crackling energy
of the best soul music of the period. Pride is a dynamic
soul singer who can croon and shout with equal conviction.
Among the many gems include the surging "You're
Love Is Fading", the funky Al Green sounding "Look
Out Love", "I'm Com'un Home In The Morn'un"
(listed as #77 in the book "Northern Soul Top 500")
a fine cover of James brown's "It's A Man's Man's
World" and serious testifying on the socially conscious
"Message To The People."
"Feel
The Power Of Soul" it body proclaims on the back
of this CD and Lou Pride delivers plenty of soul power
on this blistering collection of lost soul nuggets.
Fans of classic soul music should view this as an essential
purchase.
(Jeff Harris)
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