Jan 30 2009
Damon Fowler's fine new CD, "Sugar Shack" (Blind Pig), raises some old questions about things like roots music and blues music and what they are and who performs which kind in what songs.
None of which matters very much when the music is good. And Fowler's music -- you can call it blues, if you like -- is very good, drawing on all the best influences in American music.
Fowler is a fine Florida singer-songwriter guitar player whose music ranges from tightly wound blues and expressive slide, like "Lonely Blues," to soulfully crafted and sung ballads like the mournful "James."
His lyrics are alternately fun -- check out "VFW," where there's some mature steppin' out to be done -- and poetic -- try on the elegantly dirgelike "I Hope It's Gonna Rain."
Fowler does a nice job on some covers here, including Merle Haggard's "Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down" and Howard Smith's "Third Rate Romance." Yes, those are basically country songs, but with lots of roots, and that's where the blues live, too.
Fowler, who also plays lap steel and dobro, works with a trio -- Chuck Riley on bass and Scott Key on drums -- and the simplicity keeps the focus on the structure of the music. It has a lovely starkness and you can imagine that his work comes across even stronger live.
For example, here's a YouTube video of Fowler playing the title track, "Sugar Shack," at Skipper's Smokehouse in Tampa, Fla. Where, incidentally, he will be having a CD release party tonight. So if you've followed the Steelers to Florida for the Super Bowl, and are still checking out BlueNotes, look up the Smokehouse online and check out Fowler. If not ... well, you could listen to the CD a lot on SB weekend. Enjoy the lap steel on this video:
By the way, if you remember the other "Sugar Shack," like BlueNotes does, you may want to know that it was recorded by Jimmy Gilmer & the Fireballs in 1963.
More Obama, more blues
You may have read recently that brand-new Preisdent Obama gave his first big TV interview the other day to the Arabic satellite news channel Al Arabiya, with a journalist named Hisham Melhem.
Did you know that in the small talk before the interview, the pair talked blues, mainly Chicago blues? Here's a quote from Melhem:
"He was surprised when he found out I loved this music, especially in
the 1940s and 1950s. We talked in detail about blues singers and the
importance of blues as part of Chicago's cultural heritage," said
Melhem .... (Read the article)
Didn't you just know that the blues were gonna help bring world peace?
Jan 29 2009
Saffire - The Uppity Blues Women have recorded their last CD as Saffire. After 25 sassy years, the three uppity blueswomen are going their separate ways.
If there's been a blues group in the past couple of decades that's been more sharply focused on the humor of gender difference and other estrogen-laced blues, I don't know who it would be. This is the group that once sang: "It takes a mighty good man to be better than no man at all." (They've obviously never met BlueNotes!)
Like much fine blues, Saffire's music has always walked a path between tough and tender, whimsy and worry, but always in a way that seemed to define the group's ultimate life-affirming approach to their music. They're also noteworthy for their multi-talented approach. Each is a very talented in her own right, and that's what they want to explore as they wind down the successful run as Saffire.
Their latest -- and final -- is no exception. Released this week, "Havin' the Last Word" (Alligator) is a thoroughly enjoyable romp with everyone's musical and vocal skills on display. Right from the opening upbeat gospel flavor and New Orleans rhythms of "Going Down to the River," Ann Rabson, Gaye Adegbalola and Andra Faye take solo turns and harmonize their way a set that gives each a chance to shine.
Rabson plays guitar and piano, Adegbalola plays guitar, slide guitar and harp, and Faye plays mandolin, fiddle bass and guitar. This all-acoustic approach lends an old-timey feel to their work, and keeps a lot of variety in the music. Gaye is especially fine on slide guitar, and she also seems especially fond of hairless themes here, singing her own "Bald Headed Blues" and "Bald Eagle." Rabson handles keyboards with a honky-tonk style, reflecting her inspiration by all those fine old blues piano players. Faye takes unusual turns on the blues mandolin and upright bass, sometimes leaning toward country, as in "Blue Lullaby." With its finely crafted songs, excellent instrumentation and polished execution, this farewell album might well be the best they've done (it's their first since 2001).
Together, Saffire has created a unique and sisterly approach to the blues. even though all have been working on individual projects at the same time. It's a shame to see them break up, but it's good to look forward to hearing more of their work in other frameworks.
And they won't disappear immediately. They have a full schedule of performances running through the fall, concluding with what is billed as a final concert Nov. 7 at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Va., which has been their home for years.
If you want to see them one more time, they'll be at the Heritage BluesFest in Wheeling on Aug. 8.
Cedric and Lightnin' at Moondog's
Two young practitioners of deep old Mississippi blues, Lightnin' Malcolm and Cedric Burnside, will be at Moondog's in Blawnox tomorrow night (that's Jan. 30).
Burnside, the grandson of Mississippi's R.L. Burnside, is one of today's great blues drummers, the best by some accounts, adding a contemporary feel to the Hill Country blues. Malcom is a high-energy guitarist, and together, they make more music than a whole bunch of bluesmen.
They recently released a very fine album, "2 Man Wrecking Crew," which is a pretty good description of what they do musically. Check them out. The music will melt an snow on your blues boots and warm your cold Burgh heart.
Jan 28 2009
Did you think it was too early to think about this summer's blues festivals? You would be thinking wrong.
It's so late that the early bird discounts are about to expire for Wheeling's Heritage Music BluesFest in August. Check out the deals and deadlines here. No, BlueNotes doesn't get a kickback for this commercial, he just wants you have best blues you can. Not incidentally, it's a darn good festival, with top-notch blues artists, and very efficiently and passionately run by Bruce Wheeler. And it's just an hour away from the Burgh.
Last year, alas, I was able to visit only for the Saturday music. But that one long afternoon and evening packed in so much great music that it almost seemed like a full weekend. Here's what Saturday looked like to me.
Wheeler has another fine lineup for this year, with some excellent artists. Here's the main stage schedule for 2009. There's not a bad day all weekend:
Friday, Aug. 7
5:00 pm Eden
Brent
6:30 pm John Nemeth
8:00 pm The Soul of John Black
9:30 pm
Elvin Bishop
Saturday, Aug. 8
Noon IBC Solo/Duo Winner
1:00
pm Mikey Jr.
2:30 pm David Jacobs-Strain
4:00 pm Delta Highway
5:30
pm Saffire the Uppity Blues Women
7:00 pm Ronnie Baker
Brooks
8:30 pm Walter Trout
10:00pm Bobby Rush
Sunday, Aug. 9
1:00 pm IBC Band Winner
2:30 pm Moreland & Arbuckle
4:00 pm
Ruthie Foster
5:30 pm Magic Slim & the Teardrops
7:00
pm Sonny Landreth
8:45 pm Fabulous Thunderbirds
Jan 27 2009
That young blues wizard with a very old soul, John Nemeth, he of the Magic Touch (his very, very fine previous album), has a brand new CD out today: "Love Me Tonight" (Blind Pig Records).
Nemeth is a hip young singer-songwriter-harpmaster with an uncanny feeling for old blues and soul, and a classic style that belies his 31 years, as well as his background in Boise, Idaho. He creates his own music, rolling it out of his soul sounding like it's just arrived form the deep, dark blues ages. His writing captures the essence of great old bluesy soul.
He pairs tough, gritty vocals with a sharp ear for what makes a song work, and how to work it. His harp playing is equally tough, but it's the voice that grabs you. Where "Magic Touch" tended to be soulful, "Love Me Tonight" tends to be sharper, with a little more blues edge.
The man just has great pipes for this music -- whether he's furiously wailing on the dangerous "Daughter of the Devil," or moaning hard in the upper registers on the soaring "Blues in My Heart." And everywhere in between. He croons and shouts, caresses and punches his way through the music, all with passion and sensitivity. In fact, the passion is what gives Nemeth's music its power. Listen to the soulful smoothness of "My Troubled Mind," or hard-driving groove on the title track.
Nemeth gets considerable backing from his touring band and a few others here, including guitarist Elvin Bishop on "Country Boy" and "Daughter of the Devil." But you get the feeling that Nemeth could put on a powerhouse performance with nothing but his harp -- and that great voice.This is tough, bluesy, soulful music from one of the best young singers around. Here's an audio clip of the title track.
If you get the idea that I'm a fan, you're very right. I've enjoyed both these CDs. I enjoyed his show at the Thunderbird Cafe last year. And I enjoyed talking to him for this interview and at the T-Bird.
Here's a YouTube video of Nemeth singing "She Did Not Show." The sound is a little muddy, but it's one of my favorite Nemeth songs, from the "Magic Touch" CD.
Jan 26 2009
A few days ago, I wrote about President Obama's inauguration, mainly the First Dance to the classic song, "At Last." Beyonce Knowles sang the song that Etta James made famous, which I mentioned. But I didn't know anything about the history of the song before Etta recorded it.
Then I got the following note from Rich Kienzle, with some more information:
Were you aware of that song's pre-Etta history? Some people aren't. Etta made
the song a standard, but it had actually dated back to 1941, when two veteran
pop composers, Harry Warren and Mack Gordon, wrote it. The Glenn Miller
Orchestra recorded it that year. Their version, released, in 1942, was sung by
Ray Eberle and became a respectable (not huge) hit record that year that wound
up being sung in the Miller musical film "Orchestra Wives."
So I looked a little more and came up with a couple of related items, inlcuding this one, which expresses the hope that the "At Last" hype might be over, for a while, at last. Here's one interesting tidbit from the article:
The highest the tune ever reached on the Billboard Pop charts was 47, back in
1961, with Etta James' version---the same year Obama was born.
Why didn't Etta sing the song herself? She's not been in good health, as this article reports, but she did watch.
If you've never seen Etta sing the song she made famous, here's a YouTube video of a performance that I would put somewhere in the past few years. Enjoy.
Jan 23 2009
There a few CDs on my desk that I never did get to as last year disappeared. I get a variety of material, some of which is hard to classify as blues, but it's rooted in the blues, pays tribute to the blues, or owes its existence to the blues.
Here are short takes on a few of those CDs, all interesting, and all worth a listen if you're open to some new musical experiences.
Dave Fields / "All Wound Up" )FMI Records) -- New Yorker Fields is an energetic blues rocker with a sense of music that runs from New Orleans to doo-wop. He's a multi-talented guitarist (also plays bass, drums, piano, organ), writer, producer who draws inspiration from a wide range of rootsy music, from funky to folksy. It's not traditional blues by any means, but it's an exciting departure. (Fields' MySpace page)
Ricky Gene Hall & The Goods / "Bam!" (Yard Dawg Records) -- Hall is another guitarist, singer, songwriter, and this is the second album for the Kentucky native. The music is a little bluesier, but he can dip into a pool of influences that lets him stretch out on tunes like Delbert McClinton's road-weary "Read Me My Rights." Hall is a new artist with lots of promise, and I enjoyed this CD a lot.
Michael Chapman / "Time Past & Time Passing" (Electric Ragtime Records) -- Chapman is not a household name in the U.S., but he's been part of the British folk scene for something like 40 years. His playing is lyrical and elegant, owing more to jazz and folk than traditional blues, and this CD revisits unrecorded songs from throughout that career. His 70-something years help his vocals add a layer of wisdom. If it's roots you like, these go nice and deep.
Bob Corritore / "Broadcasting the Blues" (Southwest Musical Arts Foundation) -- Corritore is a blues harp player and a radio host in Phoenix, who has an ear for classic blues. This CD is an exception to this list -- it's classic '50s era blues and gospel, featuring artists that include Lowell Fulson, Willie Dixon, Lazy Lester, Billy Boy Arnold, Henry Gray and Louisiana Red. If you love blues from this era, these guys are the real deal.
David "Fathead" Newman dies
Newman, a sax player who might be best know for his work with Ray Charles, even though that just scratched the surface of his accomplishments, has died. Newman wailed on some of Charles' biggest recordings, including "I Got a Woman," and "What'd I Say." Here's an LA Times obit. Too many fine musicians are leaving too quickly.
Jan 21 2009
BlueNotes is kind of short on words today, because he spent so much time yesterday helping President Obama take office.
There are lots of reasons to be happy about Obama's election, but there's one that's gone a little under the radar -- strangely enough, Obama seems to really enjoy black music. Coincidence? Perhaps. He could well be the first real blues prez. (Bill Clinton gets a few props, but he wasn't really black, you know).
I really enjoyed Aretha Franklin's rendtion of "My Country Tis of Thee" at the ceremonies yesterday morning (I wish I could say that about her hat -- sorry, Aretha). She still has the pipes that made her the First Lady of Soul many years ago.
I always loved Ray Charles' poignant version of "America the Beautiful," and I have no doubt that if he were alive, he would've been there.
But Aretha was classic. Here's what is what it sounded like, courtesy of YouTube (did you ever wonder how people get this stuff up there so fast?):
And then last night, at the first ball's first dance, Obama and his squeeze (Michelle) did a cool slow turn to Beyonce singing that great old Etta James song, "At Last." (She plays Etta in the current flick, "Cadillac Records.") It's pretty surprising, since that's almost the way BlueNotes learned to slow dance very way back in the day. But enough about me. Here's another YouTuber of the First Dance.
What does all this mean? I'm not sure, but if the blues can help us have world peace, save the planet and keep us dancing at the same time, it must be a good thing. Even BeerNotes will drink to that.
Jan 20 2009
I've been spending some time lately looking at all the great music clips you can find on YouTube. There's a lot of fine music history there, including a lot of good blues, especially odd clips from concerts and old pieces of film. One of these days, when BlueNotes has some spare time, he'll begin a kind of blogroll of YouTube blues. If you have any favorites, send them along.
Meanwhile, here are a few recent finds that you -- or some of you -- might enjoy:
This ine is seasonal ... "Christmas Blues" -- by Dean Martin. Yes, Dean Martin. Okay, it's not real blues, but it's kinda fun.
This one is by Miriam Makebo -- "Soweto Blues"
This is a classic film clip -- Bessie Smith singing "St. Louis Blues"
This is Louis Armstrong and one of his classics, with his Hot Seven, "Potato Head Blues," which Woody Allen, in his film "Manhattan," says that Armstrong's solo in the song is one of the things that makes life worth living. There's no video, but listen along:
Here's another with no video, but it's a classice doo-wop, straight out of the blues -- The Five Royales, with "Laundromat Blues." Which gives rise to the riddle: Why is a laundromat
a really bad place to pick up women? Because a woman who can't afford her own
washing machine won't be able to support you.
That's enough for now. I think you get the idea. Let me know if you have a candidate.
Jan 17 2009
It was very cold Thursday night, but not too cold for hot blues and spicy gumbo with the Sauce Boss, Bill Wharton, at Moondog's.
The Florida native Wharton, who's been bringing his gumbo-fueled music to the Burgh since back in the days of the Decade, seems almost as much at home in Moondog's as the fans, a few of whom actually ventured out to hear some blues and eat some gumbo, cooked on the stage, as usual, while Wharton also whips up tasty blues servings (yes, there will be lots more food and blues puns served up here -- live with it...).
The music is mostly all Wharton originals, all in the spirit of great slide blues, and all cooked with flavor and style. From the opening "Digging My Potatoes," you're on notice that the notes will fly thick and fast, except when Wharton takes time to add ingredients to the cooking pot on the stage where his gumbo is brewing. There were peppers, onions, shrimp, oysters, chicken, okra, crawdads, and who knows what else dumped into the pot as the music simmered along.
Actually, there was a little moment of doubt (especially in the front row) when the cooking flames briefly refused to be confined to their vessel. After some minor repairs, the gumbo was on its way.
I should note that Wharton's music, like his gumbo, is not all slash and burn. "Every Inch of Your Body" and "Taxi in the Rain" are poignant and searching. Despite the cooking and clowning, Wharton's blues are serious, tasty stuff. They're enough, on their own, to fill any hole in your soul.
Magic John on bass was joined by new drummer Justin Headley. The trio cranks out a higher energy level than you would think possible, thanks mostly to Wharton's steamy slide guitar work.
At the end of the night, the gumbo is ready, and everyone lines up for a bowl. And the gumbo, spiced with Wharton's own hot sauce, is worth the wait.
Wharton has turned his soul food gig into a venture to help feed people who need food, called Planet Gumbo. He performs and cooks for homeless shelters and other organizations devoted to helping the needy. In fact, tomorrow (Jan, 18), he returns to perform for the East End Cooperative Ministry 25th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration at Eastminster Presbyterian Church.
By the way, kudos, or cheers, or whatever to the Moondog. He's brought in a few good beers. Even if they couldn't find me the lone St. Nikolaus Bock thought to remain in the cooler, there was the always-reliable Guinness on tap, along with a few other goodies, like Penn Pilsner. BeerNotes was a happy lad.
Jan 15 2009
I think that a clarification of an earlier post is order.
A couple of days ago, I wrote about an upcoming Billy Price CD, and in passing, mentioned a little about his early years, including some info I found on his website in an interview published in 2000 by writer Toby Thompson. In that piece, Billy mentioned his work with legendary blues guitarist Roy Buchanan , and in doing so, mentioned that he had not been especially fond of Roy's music.
I mentioned that while chatting last nigh with a fan of Billy's music, and he expressed some surprise. It occurred to me that I might not have been as clear as I could in quoting from that 2000 piece. Yes, Billy said he didn't like Buchanan's music. But I think that might need a little explanation. Here's what Thompson wrote after that:
As Buchanan's vocalist, Price found no soul communion, no connection. But he bet that the notoriety he could leverage from Buchanan, who recorded for a major label, might help sell a company exec on the Rhythm Kings.
Nothing wrong with trying to leverage a little musical action. And I can understand the thought. Buchanan was a mystical genius on the guitar, but often sounded like he was often lost in his own musical world, which isn't exactly conducive to others who might be on the same stage. And great soul music s nothing without that "connection." Buchanan was about expressing his inner guitarist, Price is more about testifying and sharing his soul. So I hope I didn;t give the wrong impression.
Anyway -- In the same conversation about Billy and Roy, a bartender we'll call "Fred," because that's his name, and a huge Price fan (he played "El Dorado Cafe" for me on his cell phone), told me about a night in Bridgeville somewhere about '73 or '74, when Buchanan showed up to play at a Price gig, but not under his own name. He dazzled the house, and left jaws well-dropped, with few in the house knowing who he really was.
That's the Roy Buchanan that I've heard about -- one who didn't really care about fame or fortune. Just his music.
Sauce Boss tonight
Don't forget, slide-guitarist Bill Wharton, the Sauce Boss, is at Moondog's tonight, where you can fill the hole in your soul with blues, and the emptiness in your stomach with gumbo.
More Posts
Next page »