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Dennis Binder: Hole In That Jug (Earwig)  

 Unless you're a serious blues collector or happened to witness one of his recent comeback performances, the name Dennis Binder may not mean much. Binder is one of countless journeyman bluesmen who never made it big, although in Binder's case, he did manage to record a number of fine records between the early 50's and early 70's and worked with a who's who of famous cohorts. Now, more than three decades since his last recordings Dennis Binder returns with the fine "Hole In That Jug" the first album in some time from Chicago's great Earwig label.

 Binder was born in Rosedale, Mississippi but moved to Chicago at a young age. A self taught pianist, Binder used Chicago as a home base, touring extensively throughout the South were he teamed up with musicians like Bobby Fields, Guitar Red, A.C. Reed, Earl Hooker and James Bannister. He made his first sides playing piano on sides he and Bannister cut for Sun in 1952. In 1953 he cut more sessions at Sun with talented musicians like Raymond Hill, Clayton love, Eugene Fox and Billy "The Kid" Emerson. In 1954 Binder hooked up with Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm in Clarksdale where Binder took the vocals on memorable rockers like "I Miss You", "Early Times", "Nobody Wants Me" and "You Got Me Way Down Here" which saw release on Modern and Crown. Binder surfaced on record again in 1955 waxing "Feel So Good", "I'm a Lover" and the oddball "The Long Man" for Chicago's United label. Binder continued to tour until the early 80's cutting only two more sessions; one for Cottonwood in 1959 and another at Benson Studio in 1972. Since 1995 Binder has started performing again most notably at high profile festivals like Blues Estafette and the Ponderosa stomp twice. On his full length debut Binder belies his age on a rousing set backed by a terrific band.

 "Hole In That Jug" doesn't plow any new ground but is an exceptionally well produced vehicle for Binder's still expressive vocals and solid piano work. Binder's voice is a bit thinner these days although he still knows how to put across a song and is backed by a jumping band that harks back to the hard driving, horn riffing sound of those great Ike Turner combos. Binder gets marvelous support from guitarists James Wheeler, Rodney Brown (a real standout throughout), Kenny "Beedy Eyes" Smith on drums (son of of the famed Willie "Big Eyes" Smith of Muddy Waters fame). Binder revisits past glories on the slinky "She's Something Else" (originally cut as "She's Sumpin Else" in 1959), the pulsing "You Got Me Way Down Here" and the syncopated "Early Times" (named after a brand of whiskey). All these songs are played well, and the band really cooks although it's only natural that they pale a bit in comparison to those raucous originals. These days Binder's voice seems better suited to slower and mid-tempo material. The record's best numbers are the slower ones including two previously unissued cuts from 1960; the atmospheric "Love Call" featuring some wonderful reedy sax from A.C. Reed and the gorgeous ballad "I Don't Want Nobody Messin' Around With Me" where Binder gives it everything he's got punctuated by some subtle fret work from old partner Guitar Red. Other standouts include the gently throbbing "Why Everybody Sings The Blues" and the moving gospel number "Everybody Needs a Miracle."

 It's always a pleasant surprise to see guys like Dennis Binder return to the spotlight especially when they still have the chops as Binder more than proves on the thoroughly entertaining "Hole In That Jug."

-Check out these links:
Earwig Records
Dennis Binder Website

(Jeff Harris)

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Shout, Sister, Shout!: The Untold Story of Rock-and-Roll Trailblazer Sister Rosetta Tharpe
By Gayle F. Wald (Beacon Press)

 While Jazz and blues have been well documented both in literature and in the reissue market gospel music has gotten the short end of the stick. So it goes without saying that countless greats have been overlooked yet it's still surprising that a larger then life, genre crossing, and flat out influential performer such as Sister Rosetta Tharpe has been so neglected. In fact up until just a few years ago there wasn't even a domestic reissue of her classic sides although she's been well served on the European market who always seem to value our great musicians more then we do. Finally Sister Rosetta's fascinating story has been told, warts and all, in Gayle Wald's engaging, thoroughly researched "Shout, Sister, Shout!: The Untold Story of Rock-And-Roll Trailblazer Sister Rosetta Tharpe."

 Rock-And-Roll Trailblazer is perhaps a bit of hyperbole, after all the same such case has been made for numerous artists, yet there's more than a nugget of truth in that statement, all the more fascinating for it to be applied to a gospel artist which goes to the heart of what makes Sister Rosetta such an intriguing musical figure. As Wald notes Rosetta "attempted to inhabit an in-between place where the worlds of religious and popular music intersected and overlapped. She performed church hymns on secular stages. She breached standards of holiness and respectability by singing blues and jazz songs about worldly desires. Even when limiting herself to a church repertoire, she stuck out as a loud woman: loud in her playing, loud in her personality. In concert, she combined the spontaneous fervor of religious revivals with the practical production values of Broadway variety shows." And of course there was her extraordinary guitar playing, practically unheard of for a woman in any musical genre, with perhaps Memphis Minnie being the most notable exception. In fact like Minnie she was said to play the guitar like a man, sexist for sure, but high compliment in that era. Wald discusses and provides countless examples of Tharpe's guitar prowess but as to who exactly were Tharpe's influences, Ward gives no indication. The term rock-and-roll crops up often and Wald I think strains a bit too much in making Tharpe out as a rock innovator- influencing everyone form Elvis to Jerry Lee Lewis to Johnny Cash among numerous others cited. As to those British rockers who came out to see her in Europe they were undoubtedly awed by Tharpe as Wald makes clear but as for influence it was the bluesman that clearly were the prime influence. Wald proclaims that "...directly or indirectly, her spirit infused everything from the rock and roll of Chuck Berry to the rockabilly sounds of Elvis to the groovy, tripped-out summer of Woodstock..." On this point she fails to persuasively make her case.

 Wald weaves a brisk, readable, exceedingly well sourced account of Tharpe's life based on hundreds of interviews and sifting through stacks of books and periodicals. Tharpe and her mother Katie rose from the Pentecostal church; from traveling evangelist on the revival circuit to star attraction at the Cotton Club, recording star of the 1940s to an idol of the European blues revival in the 1960s. Wald provides important background on Tharpe's Pentecostal upbringing and notes that it is "the only indigenous U.S. music in which woman performers, especially soloists, predominate. Rock and roll, a form Rosetta Tharpe would help invent, has long been associated with masculine prowess and male musicians. But rock's gospel roots betray its feminine heritage-a heritage largely located in the Pentecostal church." In addition the church has a liberal take on music letting members "shout" their faith with everything from tambourines, trumpets to guitars.

 Tharpe was guitar playing prodigy from the start moving with her mother from Cotton Plant Arkansas to Chicago before mother and daughter hit the "gospel highway" as traveling evangelists. In the late 30's the two were based in a Miami church which began broadcasting on the air with Rosetta as the star. It's a bit hazy how Rosetta made the leap, but by the Fall of 1938 she was playing the Cotton Club in New York where she quickly became a sensation and began her recording career for Decca, an association that would last until the mid-50's. The morality of "swinging the spirituals" was a debate that raged among various denominations and Wald does a good job explaining Tharpe's own struggles with this contradiction, a struggle she wrestled with her entire career. On the one hand was her deeply held faith but yet she was also keenly aware of the show business aspect; she worked the night clubs, dressed with glamour (wigs, furs, jewelry, etc.), sang blues, flirted, drank and even turned her third wedding into a spectacular outdoor concert, purportedly attended by some 20,000 well wishers. Tharpe wanted to have it both ways which often caused friction between her and her religious audience: "Rosetta represented a crack in the dam many black people had erected to preserve the church as a space apart. ...Dinah washington (the former gospel singer Ruth Jones) could sing in clubs about being "A Slick Chick (On The Mellow side)", and Mahalia could proclaim her principled refusal to sing at the Apollo in church halls across the nation, but Rosetta was a threat because she dared to bring Mahalia's repertoire into Dinah's territory."

 By the 1950's Tharpe's star had faded, the hit records dried up and she was playing smaller and smaller venues. By this period R&B was on the rise and Rosetta's dabbling in the field wasn't successful, further alienating her gospel audience. By the mid-50's she recommitted herself to gospel and saw her fame soar with her first European tour in 1957. Wald is particularly insightful on on Rosetta's European popularity where she was idolized and where she found a degree of freedom from the still pervasive Jim Crow. On the other hand Europeans views of African Americans were, as Wald notes, seen as "an index of black suffering" as well as viewed in moralistic and romantic terms that were well meaning but naive. Her overseas popularity also raised her profile in the States and caught the attention of the burgeoning U.S. blues revival. She returned overseas several times, notably in 1964 as part of the American Folk Blues Festival, and resumed her recording career cutting several LP's for the Savoy label. She made her final public appearance in 1972 after a series of arduous health problems, passing in 1973.

 Since Rosetta's death some thirty years ago her enormous legacy has been largely neglected. In "Shout, Sister, Shout!" Wald has resurrected Tharpe's dynamic contributions to American music, putting her complicated and often contradictory life onto the pages of this thoroughly engaging biography.

-Check out these related links:
Shout, Sister, Shout Website

(Jeff Harris)

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 Jimmy Burns: Live At B.L.U.E.S. (Delmark)

 On his his three Delmark releases Jimmy Burns can't be categorized as simply a fine Chicago bluesman, which he is, but his music is more complex, as he injects a subtle soulflness and melody into his music that set him apart from his peers. That' clearly on display on "Live At B.L.U.E.S.", released as a CD and DVD, as Burns responds to a packed house and appreciative audience by turning in a scintillating performance.

 Burns has been on the Chicago scene since he was 12 when his family moved to Chicago. He began singing gospel music and in 1959, at the age of 16, he joined a vocal group called The Medallionaires and did some recording. Burns was also part of the folk scene in the early 60s playing at joints like the at The Fickle Pickle, the Gate of Horn, and other coffeehouses around town. Burns cut a few soul singles for the USA, Minit, Tip Top and Erica labels, did a bit of touring, but slowed down to raise a family. Throughout the 70s and 80s he stayed close to home, playing clubs and concert venues around town before returning to playing full-time in the mid-nineties. He started out with a regular gig at Smokedaddy’s in Chicago and eventually came to the attention of Delmark Records. His debut "Leaving Here Walking" won a slew of awards followed by two more records in 1999 and 2003.

 With Delmark turning it's attention to DVD's (they've issued ones by Tail Dragger, Mississippi Heat, Carey & Lurrie Bell so far) Burns seems to be a natural choice, proving to be an outstanding live performer. "Live At B.L.U.E.S." is a professionally shot snapshot of what is probably a typical gig in Chicago but for those of us who live in more blues starved cities, it's riveting to watch. B.L.U.E.S looks like a crowded, intimate club with varied crowd that's obviously came to watch the band - although the Barbecue looks damn good too! Burns' is a marvelous singer injecting a strong dose of soul and R&B into his tough brand of Chicago blues and a tasteful, melodic guitarist. Much of the guitar fireworks are set off by Tony Palmer helped along by an in-the-pocket band consisting of drummer James Carter and bassist Greg McDaniel. Burns' signature "Leave Here Walking" kicks things off with it's long, loping, snakey lines as the camera focuses tight on Burns before roaming around the club and outside making the viewer feel like he's right there. For the next hour plus Burns and the band are captivating, laying down 14 authorative numbers (two more than the CD) with little banter in between. Among the favorites include the throbbing R&B of "No Consideration" featuring smoking, intricate guitar work from Burns, the soulful strut of "Better Know Waht You're Doing", the chugging blues of "Country Boy In The City" and the slinky, slide driven "Wild About You Baby." A real highlight is when veteran Eddie Fortune sits in for an impassioned reading of "Three O'Clock Blues", preceding to put it way down in the alley and proving himself a born crowd pleaser (Fortune cut the excellent "Fortune Tellin' Man" for Delmark some years back).

 "Live At B.L.U.E.S" is a riveting set as Jimmy Burns delivers Chicago Blues his way, tempered with a sweet dose of R&B and soul. This intimate snapshot really is the next best thing to having a front row seat although while watching this you'll probably be mentally booking that trip to Chicago in your head. Delmark's DVD series is off to a roaring start and let's hope they keep coming.

-Check out these related links:
Delmark Records Website

(Jeff Harris)

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J.T. Watkins: Why Not Tonight Girl (Arrow Heart)   

 J.T Watkins plays rhythm and blues the way it was meant to be played, miles removed from the slick, risque laden southern soul that labels like Ecko and Malaco pump out and that admittedly is quite popular. On "Why Not Tonight Girl" Watkins delivers deep down heartfelt blues and soul; the kind that Bobby Bland and Little Milton put across so reliably and that guys like Artie "Blues Boy" White still deliver.

 Watkins began his musical career at age 12 watching and learning from his piano playing, grandfather. As a teenager he played the small blues club circuit around Mississippi. after a couple of singles he released his first album "I Can't Get Over You" in 1997. He's followed that up with 2002's "A Tribute to Some of the Greatest" and "Father and Son Sing the Blues in Mississippi." Watkins was also featured in the blues documentary, "Last of the Mississippi Jukes."

 "Why Not Tonight Girl" is the first record I've heard from Watkins and the first from the Jackson, Mississippi based Arrow Heart label. The results are impressive on this well produced outing, a stellar showcase for Watkins'' smooth baritone as he slips effortlessly between soul and blues. Complete band details aren't listed but both Norman Clark and the late Tommie C. Carter provide some tasteful guitar work and some fine arrangements by Harrison Calloway who also shares background vocal chores with Thomasine Anderson. The opener, "Why Not Tonight Girl", is a simple yet stunning soul ballad that sounds like a lost classic from James Carr or O.V. Wright. Watkins delivers on that opening promise with the throbbing soul of McKinley Mitchell's "I Need To See You" where he adopts a grittier approach as he does again on the soulful blues of "Back In Town Again" which has a strong Robert Cray flavor. "Bull Dog Blues" and "Come Back Home To Me Baby" are catchy, shuffling blues numbers with surging horns and supple guitar work from Norman Clark particularly on the latter cut. Another highlight is "Church Going Girl" a fine soul-blues ballad as Watkins digs down deep on this one.

 Throughout "Why Not Tonight Girl" J.T Watkins delivers an album that has a timeless, classic quality to it laying down some deep from the heart rhythm and blues. They still make records like this, they're just a little harder to find that's all.

(Jeff Harris)