Listen to Bad Dog Blues

Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers: For The Chosen Who (Delta Groove)

It's hard to believe that Rod Piazza has been a recording artist for close to forty years, longer than his mentor George "Harmonica" Smith and his other prime inspiration, Little Walter. More impressive is that Piazza and his terrific band continue to sound utterly inspired and more assured with each record. That's more than true with "For The Chosen Who", Piazza's knockout debut for Delta Groove, that finds the harp master stretching out stylistically, adding some well chosen guest stars and sounding better than ever.

Rod Piazza has indeed achieved elder statesman status, with a recording career that stretches back to the late-60's when his outfit The Dirty Blues Band cut two albums for ABC/Bluesway. Next up was the highly regarded Bacon Fat group formed with his mentor George "Harmonica" Smith. He spent much of the 1970s leading the highly influential Chicago Flying Saucer which eventually evolved into his The Mighty flyers by the 1980's. Along the way Piazza has developed into one of the blues finest, consistently inventive harp blowers and with his band has garnered a reputation as one of the hardest working, most entertaining blues units anywhere. His records, cut for a variety of labels, have been uniformly excellent. "For The Chosen Who" ranks as one of their best as Piazza tackles a wide range of material and makes it all sound so effortless. As a bonus there's a DVD included of the making of the project including some in-studio performances.

First and foremost with any Rod Piazza record is his phenomenal harp mastery. Piazza has a big, bold tone that owes a huge debt to George Smith, a towering, hugely influential harp man who never got his proper due during his lifetime. There's also, of course, the influence of Little Walter who practically invented the language for modern blues harmonica. Piazza molds these and other influence into his own sound and his playing is always inventive and soulful with a patented mix of West Coast swing and Chicago blues grit all deeply rooted in tradition. The Mighty Flyers, as usual, simply cook featuring the rollicking piano of Mrs. Honey, the blistering guitar of new member Henry Carvajal plus an all cast that includes appearances by Kid Ramos, Finis Tasby, Phil Guy, Johnny Dyer and others.

There's a wide range of styles here with just about everything clicking on this exceedingly well produced outing. There's a number of well chosen covers including a bouncy take on Jimmy Reed's "I'm In Love With You" featuring some great background vocals and Piazza's big sounding, hard driving harp, the jumping, incredibly fast instrumental "Shoestring" (Red Prysock) with some breathless harmonica that's a real tour-de-force and the tough Chicago blues of "Got To Find My Baby", a vocal duet with Johnny Dyer (credited to Little Walter this is actually a tune by the neglected Doctor Clayton - when will he get his proper due?). Other fine covers include a pair by Jimmy Rogers (The Mighty flyers backed Rogers on his fine 1985 album "Feelin’ Good") on the gritty "Broken Hearted Blues" with blistering lead guitar from Kid Ramos and "Trace Of You" plus an earthy, acoustic reading of Sonny Boy I's "Ground Hog Blues." Piazza serves up some good originals as well including the funky, contemporary sounding "Description Of A Fool", the gently swinging "Blues Player" a soulful autobiographical number both with hot lead guitar from Phil Guy plus the slow and steamy instrumental "Honey's Blues" penned by Mrs. Honey.

"For The Chosen Who" finds Rod Piazza sounding more assured than ever, blowing some endlessly inventive harmonica, singing better than ever and tackling a diverse set of material that makes this disc a pleasure to listen to. His debut for Delta Groove comes across as real labor of love and it's obvious plenty of heart and soul has gone into this outstanding record.

-Check out these related links:
Delta Groove Website
Modern Master: The Best of Rod Piazza 1968-2003 Review
Beyond The Source Review

(Jeff Harris)

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Blind Arvella Gray: The Singing Drifter (Conjuroo)

It's easy to think in the CD age that everything worthwhile has already been reissued but collectors know there's many fine recordings still begging to be rescued from oblivion. A case in point is Blind Arvella Gray's stunning "The Singing Drifter", originally issued in 1972 with fewer than a 1,000 copies sold and unavailable for more than 30 years.

Arvella benefited relatively little from the folk/blues boom of the 60's recording only a handful of sides: first in 1960 by blues scholar Paul Oliver (released on Decca and Heritage anthologies), waxed a few 45's on his own Gray label, was recorded by a Swedish Radio team visiting the US ("I Blueskvarter Chicago 1964, Volume Two") and was recorded during the 1964 filming of "And This Is Maxwell Street" which has been issued on the 3-CD set of the same name. "The Singing Drifter" was his only full length album, reissued here in it's entirety with three bonus tracks and certainly ranks as a (almost) lost classic.

Blind Arvella Gray was an urban songster who played blues, folk, country, gospel and work songs on Chicago's bustling Maxwell Street market from the 40's through his passing in 1980. While his background is hazy, he arrived in Chicago in the 40's and became a fixture on the vibrant Maxwell Street joining other notable musicians like Walter Horton, Robert Nighthawk, James Brewer, Big John Wrencher and countless others competing for the attention and spare change from the teeming crowds. Arvella's music comes from a lost era when musicians roamed the south entertaining diverse crowds with a variety of musical styles, where the boundaries between blues, gospel, folk and country overlapped making it necessary for a musician to have a wide repertoire. Indeed the recordings on "The Singing Drifter" typify that ethos and if not for the clean recording could be mistaken for those great field recordings Alan Lomax captured during the 1930's and 40's for the Library of Congress. Arvella plays ringing, forceful slide guitar on his metal dobro that comes across somewhere between Big Joe Williams and Son House with the propulsive drive of Bukka White although Gray achieves a more melodic sound. He sings with equal force and utter conviction and there's no doubt he was easily heard even on noisy Maxwell Street. Arvella's signature piece was "John Henry" delivered here in an intense, mesmerizing seven minute tour-de-force updated with references to Maxwell and Halsted streets. Another standout is the epic seven minute plus "Those Old Fashioned Alley Blues" where Arvella strings together just about every floating blues verse you've ever heard into a near hallucitory stream of conscious blues. The bulk of the rest of the album finds Arvella as modern day guitar evangelist delivering powerful, heartfelt versions of traditional numbers like "When The Saints Go Marching In", "Motherless Children Have A Hard Time" and "Cryin' Holy Into The Lord" and others, all sung with the utmost conviction.

The reissue of "The Singing Drifter" is an auspicious debut for Carey Baker's Conjuroo Recording label which will be devoted to unearthing great forgotten recordings like this one. As a teenager Baker had a hand in getting this album recorded on David Wylie's tiny Birch label. The reissue is obviously a labor of love with excellent sound and great packaging that features some fine photos of Arvella and insightful notes from Baker and Wylie. Certainly a candidate for reissue of the year.

-Check out these related links:
Conjuroo Recordings Website
Arvella Gray Discography

(Jeff Harris)

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Buckwheat Zydeco: Jackpot! (Tomorrow)

Buckwheat Zydeco has done more to get Zydeco into the mainstream than anyone else and to many he is the face of Zydeco. Traditional Zydeco fans often dismiss Buckwheat but I wonder if they've spent much time listening to the records. They should start with "Jackpot!", a red hot blast of Zydeco infused with a good dose of R&B that smokes from start to finish.

Buckwheat's best albums, including "Waitin' For My Ya Ya", "On a Night Like This" have blended zydeco, rock, funk, R&B, and soul into an intoxicating brew. His last studio record, 1997's "Trouble", found Buckwheat going back to his roots for one of his finest outings yet. Buckwheat's commercial fortunes may have dimmed since the late 80's when he garnered a bunch of Grammy nominations but he's still putting out vibrant, exciting music. His first studio outing in eight years, "Jackpot!" mixes high octane contemporary Zydeco with a more traditional approach on a few numbers resulting in one of his best efforts to date.

"Jackpot!" has plenty going for it like a sizzling band that includes trumpeter Curtis Watson, mighty bassist Lee Allen Zeno, guitarists Oliver Scoazec and the legendary Lil Buck Sinegal who's graced records by Clifton Chenier, Rockin' Dopsie Sr. & Jr., Fernest Arceneaux, Katie Webster and many others. Buckwheat is at the top of his game having written all dozen numbers, sings marvelously, lays down plenty of dextrous accordion and goes back to his roots playing electric keyboards and some amazing B-3 organ. Buckwheat delivers a non-stop party on a rollicking set of tunes beginning with the romping "I'm Gonna Love You Anyway", the infectious R&B laced "It Must Be Magic" featuring some blazing accordion work, the rocking "Rock Boogie, Shout" and the Creole French sung "Old Times La La." The real surprise comes on the last three cuts (dubbed Organic Buckwheat) as Buckwheat jumps on the Hammond B-3, the very instrument he played upon joining Clifton Chenier’s Louisiana Red Hot band in the 1970's. Buckwheat really goes to town on extended workouts like the simmering instrumental "Buck's Going Downtown" featuring some incredible interplay between guitar and organ and "Buck's Going Uptown" which opens with Buck saying "Hey fellas, let's do this one for Jimmy Smith", before delivering a steamy jazz/blues hybrid that will have B-3 fans cranking up the volume.

Buckwheat may not have the major label clout he once had but he's still issuing fabulous, exciting music. "Jackpot!" finds Buckwheat at the peak of his powers continuing to stretch the boundaries of Zydeco but unafraid to go back to the roots.

-Check out these related links:
Buckwheat Zydeco Website

(Jeff Harris)

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Nick Moss & The Flip Tops: Sadie Mae (Blue Bella)

I recently watched a Howlin’ Wolf DVD and was amazed at the fact that he was quite the family man and not the gun toting bully that his songs and stories emanated. Sometimes the big men are gentle giants. Nick Moss is just that, a family bluesman. In the spirit of Howlin’ Wolf he can kill the blues guitar like the best of them, but when it comes to life, family is always first. "Sadie Mae”, Nick’s latest effort on Blue Bella Records, speaks to his love of family in the title track, a song dedicated to his newborn daughter Sadie Mae. But let’s not underestimate Nick’s dedication to the blues.

Nick Moss is one of the hardest working bluesman around playing hundreds of dates a year and pushing out three quality records in the past three years. And there is no one living who can play and write vintage Chicago Blues like Nick Moss. On each record, Nick assembles quality players (The Flip Tops) that capture the Chicago sound that makes you feel like you’re in the original Checkerboard Lounge sipping a bourbon. Nick’s Robert Johnson style vocals, biting tube-amp guitar, and Chicago rhythm anchor down each song on "Sadie Mae”. And Nick is subtle and versatile, knowing when to kick in a solo and when to showcase his band. His songwriting is as strong as ever, telling blues tales that are both upbeat and down and out. Pathos is the quality that would best describe the overall feel of Nick’s sound and presentation, that sad empathy that is the antithesis of the Chicago blues.

A younger veteran of the Chicago Blues scene, supporting Jimmy Rogers for years and playing and learning from the best Chicago Blues artists, Nick pulls no punches on the 16 tracks on Sadie Mae. The Flip Tops, Nick’s working band, include pianist Bob Welsh, formerly with Charlie Musselwhite and Rusty Zinn. Gerry Hundt provides rhythm guitar, keen harp throughout the record and lead guitar on one track. Drummer Victor Spann and bassist Dave Wood hold down the rhythm section.

Each song carries a central blues theme. "I Never Forget” is a warning to a spurned lover, "Check my Pulse (I Believe I Must Have Died)” sounds like a recovery from "I Never Forget” as Nick falls in love all over again. This number is flavored with some great piano chops from Bob Welsh. "Just Like That”, is one of those tunes where everyone chimes in on the tag line and features some fine harp work by Gerry Hundt. "Ridin’ at the Ranch”, a texas swing instrumental reminiscent of T-Bone Walker, features some truly spectacular guitar from Nick. "One Eyed Jack”, pulls back to the down home Chicago blues vibe that’s Nick’s trademark sound. Clever lyrics and nice showcasing by the ensemble pull you right in.

"Grease Monkey” plays on the handyman that every woman wants to have around the house, just ask my wife, ‘cause I ain’t grease monkey enough. "The Money I Make” sounds like Freddy King has come back to earth and provides an excellent vocal treatment by Nick. "The Money I Make” is a new Blues classic. There’s a great key drop in this song near the end that sends it rollin’ on down the line. "Feel So Ashamed”, a soul-baring number, presents that male guilt so deep routed in all of us that have regrets. "Coldcut Stomp” is a boogie woogie instrumental that showcases pianist Bob Welsh and drummer Victor Spann and confirms again how egoless Nick is. Nick’s recent work with Barrelhouse Chuck proves he knows how to take advantage of his piano player. It’s also a nice break in the album that presents variety but doesn’t stray from the commitment to vintage blues.

Things slow down again "The Bishop”, a song about Bishop Don Magic Juan, Nick adds some effects to his typically clean guitar sound and offers an outstanding solo. Welsh adds the organ on this and the next tune with a dedication to Earl Hooker on Jackie Brentston’s "You Got to Lose”. This features Nick playing a wah wah solo. Nick has found his strengths on his vocals and uses them very well on this tune. Back to Chicago with "If I Could Get My Hands On You” and conviction comes through. There’s absolutely nothing tentative on this record and demonstrates that Nick has matured over his last three projects. Dirty harp work on this song by Gerry Hundt warns Nick to hang on to this guy as long as he can. The band goes all out on Lefty Dizz’s "If I Could Get My Hands On You” giving it that "top of third set” bar performance when the crowd is rocking and ready. Hundt leads the solos on this one, Nick follows with an intense one, and the song cruises along very nicely.

The CD winds down with three more cuts, Jimmy Rogers’ "Crazy Woman Blues”, a slow ballad, "Everybody Got to Go”, a John Lee Hooker style diddy, and "Gone Hoggin’” a 60’s style surf instrumental that takes a detour to the delta. It’s a wind down encore to the album and leads us out the exit door.

Production-wise this couldn’t be a better sounding Chicago Blues record, it has a vintage quality, but doesn’t sound dated, recorded cleanly and distinctly. Nick handles the production from his basement studio – and I’ve always thought that some of the best stuff comes out of the cave versus the sacristy of most commercial recording studios.

"Sadie Mae” is well-packaged, from the cover that depicts Nick’s Sadie Mae tattoo and guitar, to the well written liner notes and photos (including a beauty of the infant Sadie Mae running the controls). Kate Moss (Moonshine Design), Nick’s wife, does a tremendous job of tying everything together. The emphasis is on Nick’s stature as a true preservationist and how his tenure under Jimmy Rogers, Jimmy Dawkins, Willie Smith and Buddy Scott rolls into a rich Chicago sound. Dick Shurman, Blues producer and historian authors the liner notes. Another nice touch is that the disk itself looks just like vinyl, jet black and finished with faded label and grooves.

Nick appears more relaxed on this recording than any previous one, taking command, but as a benevolent leader, coaxing his band in lieu of dragging it out of them. This is a tight-knit group and well worth it if you can get out to see them at a club near you.

Lookout Chicago - ‘cause Nick Moss may be crowned the new King of the Chicago Blues with records like "Sadie Mae”.

By Dave Glynn
Lead Singer of the Empty Can Band found at www.emptycanband.com

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