|
  
 
 
/p>
|
 CD Review  Book Review
Page 1 of 2 of Reviews
section
Every month Bad Dog Blues takes a look at the best new
blues releases and offers our opinions, criticism and general ramblings. We'll also take a
look at noteworthy reissues and blues related books. In addition you'll find
a real audio clip from each record we review located on the bottom left. Now on to this months reviews:
"And we played it on the sofa, and we
played it side the wall
And we played it on the sofa, and we played it side the wall
But boys, my needles have got rusty, and it
will not play at all"
(Robert Johnson, Phonograph
Blues)
|
Jon Cleary: Moonburn
(Virgin)
Joe Krown: Just
the Piano…Just the Blues (STR Records
)
Carl
Sonny Leyland: I'm Wise (Hightone)
During
the heyday of Chicago blues the piano player was as common as today’s blues
electric guitar players. Every little juke joint had a piano in the corner. Such
cats as Otis Spann, Sunnyland Slim, Pinetop Perkins, and Roosevelt
“Honeydripper” Sykes could be heard in a band setting or working at a local
rent party. Today to see a traveling blues band with an honest to goodness blues
piano player is a rare scene. Recorded blues piano players are becoming a rare
sight. That is why these three releases, which all spotlight the keyboard as the
lead instrument, are a welcome
addition to today’s blues recorded medium.
British born, Jon Cleary, who has been Bonnie Raitt’s keyboard
player for the past several years, turns in the most eclectic
recording of the three. Keeping things in a more Funk/R&B sound
than straight up blues, Jon turns in an outstanding set of up tempo
tunes. Jon and the band known as “The Absolute Monster Gentlemen”
start the whole thing of with “Fools Game” a modern R&B New
Orleans flavored tune. This whole discs drips of modern New Orleans
sounding funk, as a portion of this disc was recorded at legendary New
Orleans R&B star Ernie K Doe’s “Mother In Law Lounge” and
whose vocals can be heard on the title track “Moonburn” .
“Gettin’ Crazy Up Here” which Jon wrote for Taj Mahal gets the
gospel treatment that it deserves. The most blues influenced tunes
“Salty Water” and “Port Street Blues” showcase Jon’s writing
ability to create modern blues songs. A highly recommended release for
those who like a little bit of blues with a whole lotta funk thrown
in.
Carl Sonny Leyland, most lately known for being the piano player in
“Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys” a stellar country swing band,
has released a collection of blues and rockabilly piano cuts entitled
“I’m Wise”. Carl’s influences seem to come from the piano
players of the great rock ‘n’ roll and blues players of the 50’s
and 60’s. Keyboard pounders such as Jerry “The Killer” Lewis and
Roosevelt Sykes come to mind. Carl in fact covers two Roosevelt tunes
“Sunny Road” and “Ruthie Lee” as well as Big Bill Broonzy’s
“Midnight Steppers”. The
remaining tunes are all originals that stray between rockabilly and
blues. They remind me of some of the early Sam Phillips
Sun recordings, when the line between Rock “n” Roll and
blues was an extremely fine one.
Joe Krown may be the least known
of the three, but by no means the least talented. Joe has been the
keyboard player for Marva Wright,
Bobby Charles, Luther “Guitar Jr.” Johnson and most recently
Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown. Joe’s “Just the Piano…Just the
Blues” is a straight up collection of Boogie’s and New Orleans
influenced blues. Professor Longhair’s influenced “All That” as
well as the New Orleans classic “Big Chief” and “Mess Around”
mesh well with straight up boogies as Pinetop’s Smith classic
“Pinetop Boogie” and Joe’s own “Midnight Boogie”. Like the
title says “Just the Piano …Just the Blues” is just that ,some
fine piano blues. Joe plays regularly on Monday’s night at the
famous Maple Leaf Lounge in New Orleans, where James Booker held court
many years ago, re-establishing the long tradition of piano greats
from the crescent city. Joe has just released a new CD with Clarence
“Gatemouth” Brown also on STR Digital Records.
(Dave Moskal)
|
|
 Lazy
Lester:
All Over You (Antone's)
It's been more than forty years since
Lazy Lester first walked into the Excello studios and, well, not much
has changed. That's a good thing not a bad thing. "All Over
You" proves that Lester has weathered the times well with his
lonesome high pitched harmonica and engaging drawl well intact. While
no new ground is broken this a welcome release and a solid dose of
classic swamp blues.
Lester
has been anything but prolific since his Excello days with this being
his first record in ten years. Of course there was a time when Lester
was one of the prime ingredients in the Excello sound recording
classics such as "I Hear You Knockin'", "Suger Coated
Love" as well as backing his partner Lightnin' Slim on many more
classics. "All Over You" is a fine edition to Lester's
legacy and makes the long wait almost worthwile.
One of
the main reasons for the success of this project is the excellent band
backing him up especially guitarist Derek O'Brien whose sympathetic,
uncluttered playing never detracts attention from the main man. Lester
himself is in stellar form with his Jimmy Reed style harmonica work
still sounding as atmospheric as ever. Vocally his voice has
grown a bit huskier but his relaxed drawl is still very effective. The
set runs mostly through a number of his old classics such as "I'm
a Lover Not a Fighter", "Strange things Happen" as well
as other Excello songs but manages to sound as timeless as when they
were first cut.
Let's
hope "All Over You" gets Lester in the spotlight more than
once every ten years. Lester's a true original and as one of the last
of the swamp blues kings he upholds the tradition proudly.
(Jeff Harris)
|
 Jay
McShann: Still Jumpin' The Blues (Stony Plain)
At the age of 83 Jay McShann has been jumpin' the blues for
nearly 60 years and after listening to this record he's still got
plenty of spring in those old legs. This is Jay's second record for
Stony Plain and like the first he receives excellent support from Duke
Robillard and his band.
McShann
will of course be forever linked to his association with Charlie
Parker whose genius he recognized early on but his own career as a
bandleader often gets neglected. McShann freely mixed jazz and blues
together into a potent force and during the 40's his big band wasn't
far behind Count Basie's in sheer swing. Also like Basie he was an
excellent boogie woogie stlye pianist. For a time McShann took a long
hiatus from music but since the 70's he's recorded consistently and as
of 1999 he's still in tremendous form.
"Still
Jumpin' The Blues" is a wonderful homage to McShann's Kansas City's roots
with a repertoire that spans a number of old
classics as well as some new ones. The band is in top form with a nice horn
section that does a great job of creating the classic swing sound of the 30's
and 40's. In addition to being a wonderful piano player Jay is a very good
singer with a bluesy, nasal voice reminiscent of the shouter Jimmy Rushing. He's
particularly effective on the lowdown "Goin' to Chicago" and the
swinging "Sunny Side of the Street." Maria Muldaur helps out on vocals
on the sassy "Come on Over to My House" which Jay originally cut with
Julia Lee back in 1944 and Bessie Smith's "Backwater Blues" which was
the first blues Jay ever heard. "Hootie's K.C. Christmas Prayer" is
the lone original and is a beautiful, mellow song that comes across as a jazz
hymn. An added bonus is a lengthy interview with the man himself as he recounts
charming stories from his long music career.
"Still
Jumpin' The Blues" comes across as a true labor of love and
invokes an era when jazz and blues were firmly entwined. Let's
hope Stony Plain and Duke Robillard continue to add more volumes
to this excellent series. McShann is a true musical treasure.
(Jeff Harris) |
 Johnny
"Guitar" Watson: The Very Best
(Rhino)
When
it comes to naming blues guitar greats Johnny Watson isn't a name that
usually comes up but as evidenced on this new collection he earns his
middle name and then some. Watson's sizzling fret work is all over
this 18 song collection from his early days and you'll be hearing that
guitar echoing in your brain long after the CD stops spinning .
This collection
focuses on Watson's early years, 1952-1963, and is nothing but burning
blues and R&B. Years before he donned his super bad funk persona
he was a bonafide bluesman and above all a tremendous musician. In
addition to guitar he played sax and piano and wrote some great charts
plus he had a dynamic voice to top things off. Rhino has selected an
excellent cross section that displays all of Watson's skills.
Things
start off in dramatic fashion with an amazing feedback drenched
instrumental appropriately titled "Space Guitar" that's a
good 15 years ahead of it's time. Watson tinkles the ivories on Chuck
Higgin's jumpin' "Motorhead Baby" and plays guitar on
another road song, "Highway 60" that's firmly rooted in the
West Coast blues style. There's plenty of guitar pyrotechnics to be
found from the oft covered "Hot Little Mama" to the
blistering, lowdown "Three Hours Past Midnight" to Floyd
Dixon's "Late Freight Twist" which turns in to a one man
guitar clinic. Watson's marvelous singing is showcased on an
impassioned reading of Earl King's "Those Lonely, Lonely
Nights" and the gospel drenched soul of "That's the
Chance You've Got to Take." Classics abound on this disc
including Watson's brash signature tune "Gangster of Love."
It's hard to argue with the song selection although a couple of gems
might have been over looked such as the tough answer song "Ain't
Gonna Hush" and the hot "She Moves Me" and
"Love Me Baby" to name just a couple. Still these are minor
points to an otherwise well chosen collection.
"The Very Best
of Johnny "Guitar" Watson" is just what the title says
and a testament to a true blues and R&B pioneer. This one belongs
in every blues collection.
(Jeff Harris) |
|
 U.P. Wilson:
Booting (JSP)
U.P. Wilson was a local legend in Fort Worth, Texas long before the
rest of the world heard about him. Well, he's still not that well
known but he should be. Wilson is no spring chicken, he was born in
1935 but didn't begin recording until the late 80's. There's certainly
nothing dated in his guitar style which features a hard, aggressive
attack that puts many younger players to shame. Booting continues his
fine streak of excellent records on the JSP label.
Wilson was raised in West Dallas and paid his dues in many of the
city's rough and tumble joints and learned his lessons from people
like Zu Zu Bollin, Frankie Lee Sims and Mercy Baby. Wilson moved to
Fort Worth and hooked up with Robert Ealey were he went on to gain a
strong fan base. The late 80's found him recording locally for small
labels before hooking up with the English JSP label.
Booting is another fine showcase for his funky, in your face guitar
playing. This is rip roaring contemporary Texas blues at it's best.
Wilson is a capable singer but usually lets his guitar do the talking particularly
on the rocking "Made Up My Mind" the sizzling instrumental, appropriately
named, "Texas Squaling" and the raucous "Hold on
Woman." Another highlight is the slow burner "Crazy
Things" which sounds like something straight out of the Guitar
Slim songbook.
U.P. Wilson is a name that may not be that well known but if you want
a lesson in modern Texas blues look no further. Wilson has one of the
most unique guitar sounds in modern blues and is a name deserving much
wider recognition.
(Jeff Harris)
|
More Reviews 
|
