Apr 29 2009
You may not have heard much about him, but Kelly Carmichael likes good old-fashioned blues. But not the ones you might think. His blues are music from the early years -- rags, hokum, country, string bands, Delta blues, and sometimes bouncing over into Dixieland. They're most easily categorized as pre-war blues, even though much of this music has its roots deep in the original soil of the blues.
His latest album, "Queen Fareena" (Dogstreet Records) combines some traditional songs in that vein, a few originals, and a few classics, all of which he does with skill and enthusiasm and a multitude of musical talents. Best of all, he makes the music sound purty danged good.
Carmichael was born in Tennessee 40 years, and raised in Georgia, but he plays and sings like he grew up about 50 years before that. It helps considerably that he has a snappy little band that sounds like it was born to the music as well: Jean-Paul Gaster (drums), Johnny Ray Carroll (doghouse bass), Scott Rich (trumpet), John McVey (trombone),Alexander Mitchell (fiddle) and Brian Simms (accordion). Carmichaels plays guitar and banjo, and adds a little xylophone (When was the last time you heard one of those -- Lionel Hampton, maybe?)
He's put together a fine bunch of old music here, kicking off with a splendid rollicking version of Mississippi John Hurt's fine little "Richland Women Blues," but with some raucous rhythms generated by accordion and done in an upbeat tempo that's part New Orleans and part Dixieland. He follows up with nicely picked banjo on "She's Funny That Way," from the Rev. Gary Davis.
And that's the way it goes. "Last Fair Deal Goin' Down" gets the same kind of treatment. "Cincinnati Flow Rag" is horn-led romp through traditional ragtime, and Hurt's lascivious "Salty Dog" kicks off with a delicious upright bass, which keeps coming around for more.
If you like your old-time blues salted with spirited musicians, arrangements and vocals, this should do the trick. Carmichaels makes it sound authentic and enjoyable at the same time. He sings with style and wit, and the band brings it all together.
Here's a sample of "Richland Woman Blues." Enjoy.
Bonnie and Taj together
It could be a great tour. Taj Mahal and Bonnie Raitt will be touring together late this summer, in a series of concerts that cound like they could be a lot of fun. Alas, none will come that close to the Burgh. You'd have to travel to Philly or Williamsport. Here's a piece on the tour, with its schedule. Taj always seems to put on a good show, and I've always thought Bonnie was underrated as a blues player and singer. She's played a variety of music, almost universally good, but not always the bluesy stuff that got her started. Anyway, they should make good music -- separately and together.
Apr 27 2009
Here's some more info on Sunday's IBC playoffs, courtesy of Don Vecchio and Maria Kovacs of the Blues Society of Western Pa.
First, from Maria, you can now find new videos, including the winners, at the society's YouTube channel. They have photos of the first two rounds of the IBC competition here, and will probably add photos from the finals later this week.
And if you Twitter (who doesn't these days?), you can follow the bues society at its Twitter site.
And since Dr. Blue was only identified as Dr. Blue, I ask Don if he could offer any more info. He did, and here it is. It turns out that Dr. Blue is a real doctor as well. Here's what Don sent me:
His real
name is Dr. Jeff Coben . He graduated from Pitt medical school , where he took
up the harmonica. He had his residence at Northwestern in Chicago -- where his
love for the harp and the blues ebbed. He saw a harp player that did things no
other harp player did. He and his fiance ( now his wife) would go see him
regularly. For his birthday , his fiance got him a 1 hour lesson with this harp
wizard. It turned into a 6 hour lesson and music session, and they became good
friends. The wizard was Sugar Blue . He moved back to Pittsburgh in
1990. Today , Dr. Jeff Coben is head of the Research Center and professor of
medicine at WVU . He is also an emergency physician.
That's a neat story. Thanks, Don. And thanks to Maria for the links.
And as a public service, so you don't have to actually go to the links, here are videos of the winners:
Bubs McKeg and Dr. Blue
Felix and the Hurricanes
Apr 27 2009
We have a winner -- two, actually.
After a series of three competitions, the Blues Society of Western Pa. has picked the band and the solo/duo group that will represent the society in the International Blues Challenge next year in Memphis.
Felix and the Hurricanes, from Altoona, won in the band category, and Bubs McKeg an Dr. Blue won in the solo/duo category. Dr. Blue also won an award as best harp player through the competition.
BSWPA treasurer Don Vecchio, who passed along the info on the winners, says this was the tightest competition he can remember, with four bands within a vote of winning. He also notes that a good crowd turned out at Moondog's yesterday to watch the finals.
I wasn't there to take any pictures, and the BSWPA promises to make some available on its web site later. But I've thrown in an old photo of my own of Bubs at Moondog's last year, just so you'll know who he is, and a YouTube video of the Hurricanes in the first round of events this year, at the end of this post.
The IBCs are a unique blues event, in which blues societies around the country pick bands to represent them, and the winners face off in Memphis early each year to pick a national blues champ. The winning band gets $1000 and winning solo/duo gets $500. Plus a lot of recognition.
It's a good deal for blues musicians and blues fans -- it all helps keep the music alive a little longer, and it exposes local bands to a wider audience, possibly even a national audience. Congrats and a tip of the blues fedora to the winners.
Apr 24 2009
I've already mentioned the great blues lineup coming your way this weekend, and a couple of our intrepid commenters have helped. I'd like to pass along a few last-minute thoughts, then you should all go out and enjoy the music. Since BlueNotes is still basking in the Florida sun, we'll await reviews from any interested blues lovers.
Tonight's show is by Buddy Guy, at the Palace in Greensburg. Guy is fast becoming one of the few remaining Chicago blues greats. If you've never seen him, give yourself a treat and go. Music this good, with its living blues history, doesn't come around that often any more, will come around even less in the future. If you have seen him, well .... go see him again. On top of all that, he's simply one of the best. And I think he's gotten even better in recent years, since he's taken a bit of a turn back toward his roots with his last few albums.
Tomorrow night (Saturday, for those of you without calendars), finds the blues-belting Shemekia Copeland at Moondog's, and Chicago harp wizard Bill Lupkin at the Thunderbird.
Shemekia is the young daughter of the great blues guitarist Johnny "Clyde" Copeland," but she's matured tremendously as a a performer in the past few years. She cranks out great blues and soul, and has taken a turn toward songwriting and more thoughtful work on her new album, "Never Going Back."
Lupkin has been playing blues harp for more than 40 years in Chicago. If anybody has absorbed the music into his blood, Lupkin has. (That's his photo above, taken last year at the Wheeling Heritage blues festival).
I've seen them both recently. Shemekia put on a heckuva show at Moondog's last year, winding up on the dance floor at the end of the night. Lupkin turned in fine work at Wheeling, but as more of a sideman than a featured artist. So my choice, if I had one, would be to catch the Lupkin show. No matter what you pick, you'll hear some great music.
Then Sunday night, Moondog's will host the finals of the Western Pa. Blues Society's blues challenge, to find a winner who will represent the area in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis next year.
Here's the lineup:
SOLO/DUO's + 2 finalists from competitions at DVine Wine and Kendrews
2:00 Monica Yasher and Steve S.
2:30 Dave Iglar
3:00 Gary Prisby
3:30 Guitar John
4:00 Junk Blues
4:30 Ron Yarosz and the Vehicle
5:00 Mack Jump
5:30 Felix and the Hurricanes
6:00 Bubs McKeg and Dr. Blue
6:30 Jill West and Blues Attack
7:00 Gary Applegate and Sal Barberra
7:30 Craig King and Kings Ransom
Apr 22 2009
It's slidemeister Roy Roger's (yes, that's his real name) first studio recording with his band, the Delta Rhythm Kings, in seven years. It's about time. The man plays slide like Big Ben plays football.
But this is not exactly a traditional Rogers blues album. In the past he's offered up a variety of blues material, often filtered through his own personal lens, but this time, he's exploring his songwriting and musical skills that push in all directions. For example, his original instrumental "Your Sweet Embrace" is a lyrical exercise that borders on classical guitar with a hint of Latin flavor. Another instrumental, "Rite of Passage," offer jazz licks and horns.
The rest of CD is equally diverse. "Calm Before the Storm" is a kind of wall of sound approach that combines edgy blues and rock in shifting layers of expressive slide guitar. "Patron Saint of Pain" is a more traditional blues, with tough piano by Phillip Aaberg that turns into a searing slide-piano duet featuring lyrics like "put a deadbolt on your dreams..." A wicked guitar solo closes it off, Delicious.
"Little Queen Bee" rocks with power fueled by turbocharged slide, the best of blues rock, where the blues actually rides shotgun. Kickass piano never hurts, either. "Holy Ghost Moan" turns the devil at the crossroads inside out, looking for the spirit of the music in less than spiritual places.
There's more, and none of it may be what you've come to expect of Rogers, but it's still great music. He's stepping out onto a musical limb on a tree that counts the blues among its roots.
Satanic update
I went back to the classy Peninsula Inn in Gulfport, Fla., again last night to hear Sterling Magee (Mr. Satan), and he's still there, playing great old blues. It's really a pleasure to watch an old bluesman who's been long lost to time have a few fine blues minutes for appreciative fans.
Apr 21 2009
If it's spring, can the blues be far behind? Especially this week. Blues releases are piling up at the temporary BlueNotes World Headquarters in sunny St. Pete, Fla. (Actually, it was cloudy all day today. If that's not the blues, I dunno what is.)
A lot of those releases hit the shelves this week, so for the sake of my loyal readers (both of you), I'll try to tear myself away from the Good Life long enough to let you know what I think is worthwhile.
First up, mainly because it's full of great old Chicago blues that touch BlueNotes where he lives, performed with classic Chicago chops, is a double CD called "Chicago Blues: A Living History" (Raisin' Records).
The idea behind the album is simple: Take a handful of musicians with Chicago blues in their blood, find a handful of great old Chicago blues songs and recreate them -- not necessarily to duplicate the exact sound, but to recapture their flavor and spirit. The result is not so simple: Some really great blues created by some of the greatest Chicago bluesmen, and re-created by some of their greatest musical progeny. Yes, I really like this music.
The main men in the band are Billy Boy Arnold, John Primer, Billy Branch and Lurrie Bell. They turn their considerable blues skills to some of the best.
I love it that the two-CD boxed set opens with something form the real John Lee Curtis "Sonny Boy" Williamson (he often gets lost in the shadow of the also great, but name-stealer, Aleck "Sonny Boy Williamson" Miller,) The opener is John Lee's "My Little Machine." which has to be one of the best auto-erotic blues, along with Memphis Minnie's very sexy "Me and My Chauffeur Blues."
CD number one revisits Chicago blues from 1940 to 1955. Volume two brings it up to the present. They present the music of, among others, Tampa Red, Big Bill Broonzy, Maceo Merriweather, Elmore James, Howlin' Wolf, Jimmy Reed, Sonny Boy Williamson II, Junior Wells, Earl Hooker, and even more than that. There an informative booklet that talks about the music and the musicians (if you can read the small print -- if there was ever an argument for bringing back vinyl, it's the small print on CD booklets).
And in case you were wondering, these guys are good. They're all first-class blues musicians. They're not just knocking off covers of some good music -- they're blasting out great old blues in the spirit in which they were created. Even if you have all the originals, it's still a treat to hear this music as it might be played today.
Speaking of old music
I stopped in at today at Beak's Old Florida, a seemingly vintage St. Petersburg bar that actually opened in 2007, complete with open air drinking areas, funky Florida memorabilia, and, yes, good beer. But best of all was the music. Our friendly waitstaff person told me that it was from the personal collection of owner Jamie Farquharson, and it's hard to imagine a better selection of background music that I thought could only be found in cities like BluesBurgh. There was Ruth Brown ("Lucky Lips"), LaVerne Baker ("Jim Dandy") and even the Midnighters ("Switchie Witchie Titchie") -- you'd think that Pork the Tork had been the owner. It was almost BlueNotes Heaven.
Arts Festival blues
The music lineup for the Three Rivers Arts Festival was released today, and blues fans might find a few reasons to pay attention. Check out Shemekia Copeland, the Black Keys, Robert Randolph (great steel guitar) and Booker T. (Note to Arts festival organizers: There was a media embargo on this info untill 3 p.m. yesterday. Did you actually think that if the schedule got out before that, that fewer fans would show up? Or that the music wouldn't sound as good?)
Here's the entire lineup, as a courtesy to non-blues fans:
June 5, 7:30 p.m.: The Black Keys, garage rock; Jessica Lea Mayfield (6:30 p.m.).
June 6, 7:30 p.m.: Medeski, Martin & Wood, jazz; Zee Avi (5 p.m.) and The Wood Brothers (6:30 pm).
June 7, 6 p.m.: Trombone Shorty, New Orleans jazz.
June 8, 8:15 p.m.: Formula 412, hip-hop; Boogie Hustlers, funk (7 p.m.)
June 9, 8:15 p.m.: Donora, local rock; Meeting of Important People (6 p.m.) and Apostle of Hustle (7 p.m.)
June 10, 7:30 p.m.: Toubab Krewe, fusion of rock and West African music.
June 11, 8 p.m.: Booker T., Memphis soul; Hayes Carll (7 p.m.)
June 12, 7:30 p.m.: Robert Randolph and the Family Band, gospel-blues-tinged jam rock.
June 13, 7:30 p.m.: Shemekia Copeland, Chicago blues
June 14, 6 p.m.: The Wailers, reggae.
Apr 20 2009
Shirley Johnson is a Chicago blues singer who came to the devil's music like so many others -- through church. And you can hear all that righteous gospel influence on her latest CD, "Blues Attack" (Delmark).
That's not to say that gospel is the only pew in Johnson's house of blues. She mixes huskily soulful R&B with some occasional funkiness to add a contemporary flair. The band kicks along behind her, with keyboards and horns delivering tasty support and tastier solos.
There a few covers on the CD, but one of the best is an uptempo version of "Unchain My Heart." Otherwise, she sets the tone from the beginning, rolling her big vocals through "You're Reckless," surrounded by Roosevelt Purifoy's sparkling piano.
She follows that with the funky title track, then the R&B-laced "634-5789," then a bunch more flowing in the wronged-woman blues vein (You Just Using Me"). There are shuffles, torchy blues and some tenderness ("Let It Rain"), all filled with Johnson's big voice and infused with the spirit of the blues.
Shirley represents a fine tradition of Chicago blues, and women blues singers, who don't always get the credit they deserve for their huge contribution to the music.
Just wondering
Does anyone have anything to report on weekend shows? Or anything to report?
Here's a nice interview with guitarist Kelly Ritchie.
And another item, a post on Pittsburgh's Jill West on the Old Mon Music blog.
Apr 17 2009
Tonight, Moondog's is offering Commander Cody. Yes, that Commander Cody. He's not really a blues act, but he's been to blues festivals, so maybe that qualifies him. Or not. You be the judge.
Coming up: Debra Regur, the woman who makes it so easy to find out what's happening at Blind Pig Records, passes on a note that fantastic blue-eyed soulguy John Nemeth will be at Moondog's May 3. This one isn't listed on the Moondog's site yet, so keep it in mind. John is a great singer-songwriter-harp player who puts on a helluva show. He sings good, too.
Shows to think about: Also coming to Moondog's is Shemekia Copeland (April 25), Studebaker John May 2) and Ana Popovic (May 15). And at the Thunderbird, Bill Lupkin (April 25) and Duke Robillard (May 15).
Then there's Buddy Guy at the Palace in Greensburg on April 24, and the Fabulous Thunderbirds at the Rex Theater on May 2.
That's a bunch of blues coming up soon (Mr. Cody excepted). And that's in addition to all the fine local blues bands playing around the Burgh. Go forth and enjoy.
Apr 15 2009
Ramblin' Jack Elliott is generally regarded as the reigning godfather of the soul of American folk music, learning his lessons at large in the world and at the knee of Woody Guthrie, the man who pretty much defined what we call "folk." And he gets the credit for mentoring a guy named Bob Dylan back in the heady days of New York City folk. And, in fact, Woody's son Arlo Guthrie is supposed to have learned most of what he knew about Woody's music through Jack. (Arlo, by the way, is scheduled to play the Carnegie Library Music Hall Saturday night (4/18).
Unlike Guthrie, and most of the rest of his generation, Elliott, is still alive and kicking and playing and singing at 77. And he has a new CD, "A Stranger Here" (Anti- Records). Why does BlueNotes care? Or you, even?
This album is different. As long as Jack has rambled and played richly American music, played with bluesmen, and played the occasional blues, he's never put together a blues album. Now he has. Thanks to the insistence and production work of Joe Henry, and a snappy little band pulled together just for this CD, Ramblin' Jack has carved a sweet little blues album from the spirit of the music he's been playing for decades.
He's taken some classic old dark and deep country blues -- originally sung and played by the classic bluesman with guitar -- and delivers them in his unique and gritty style, in front of a contemporary band that could well have played the originals.
The CD opens with the grim "Rising High Water Blues" by Blind Lemon Jefferson, but instead of Jefferson's fluid picking, we get a honky-tonk piano opening and ricky-ticky sounding band around him. It sounds weird. But it works. It works because Jack's voice, which sounds like it's been everywhere and seen everything, sounds here like this is his song.Check out this sample:
That's the way it flows all through the album. There's "Death Don't Have No Mercy" by the Rev. Gary Davis, "Rambler's Blues" by Lonnie Johnson, "Soul of a Man" by Blind Willie Johnson (an especially fine rendition -- "...a man ain't nothin' but his mind..."), and more from Tampa Red, Son House, Furry Lewis and other blues forefathers.
All the tracks are all woven with the rickety thread of Ramblin' Jack's soulful voice. It cracks here and there with age and feeling, but never fails to bring home the power and passion of the blues he's singing.His stark version of "Grinnin' In Your Face" by Son House is filled with the beauty and foreboding of the darkest blues.
This is a very fine album. One of the best contemporary-classic blues albums I've ever heard. Ramblin' Jack Elliott is American musical history topped with a shock of white hair and a cowboy hat. You might call it folk music. You might call it blues. You should call it great music.
A BlueNotes memory: I saw Ramblin' Jack a few years ago in an intimate performance at the Club Cafe on the South Side. He parked a glass of bourbon by his chair, and and played and sang and told tales that illuminate just what American folk music is all about.
In the clubs
There's too much music in the Burgh for BlueNotes to keep up with, and he always hesitates to become a calendar for all the bands that appear in the BluesHood. However, I got a note this week from an old Burgh blues guy who's changed directions. Duane Jones, formerly Stackhouse, who you could easily find at all the great Mancini's blues shows, and who once spent some time in Albert King's band, now fronts the rock band LoveLeash. He'll be at the Thunderbird Cafe Thursday night. He also reports, sadly, that Lucy Van Sickle, who I ran into a few weeks ago, is no longer playing the blues. That's a sad song right there.
Also, a correspondent reports disappointment in hearing Guitar Zack at Moondog's last week, saying that Zack has also given up his blues persona for a more metallic sound. He was disappointed. I would be, too. Zack had all the makings of a great young bluesguy.
Apr 13 2009
Boogie-woogie piano, Part Two
In our last episode (see below), we reported on thoroughly enjoying the work of the classic boogie-woogie pianomeister Bob Seeley in a show in St. Petersburg.
We also noted the fine work of a local St. Pete duo, Liz Pennock and Dr. Blues -- Liz plays a mean piano herself, and featured some of her own own boogie woogie, alone and with Seeley (photo at right). Dr. Blues (Paul Shambarger) added deceptively simple rhythmic guitar to her rocking piano.
At one point, Liz mentioned her latest CD, "Boogie Woogie Staircase" (Upright Records), and noted that its only review so far had come from a French publication, so she couldn't actually appreciate what had been written.
BlueNotes, always alert for an opportunity to write about anything, offered to write the first review of the CD in English (it's BlueNotes second language, after all, right behind Blues).
All that said, "Staircase" is a fine little gem of an album, filled with 15 original tunes by Pennock and Shambarger (husband and wife) that reflect on love and life, especially the blues life. It's not all boogie piano -- Liz has her way with the keyboard in softly rolling blues numbers and Dr. Blues steps out on his Resonator with some sly blues of his own.
Liz sports a husky, whiskey-flavored voice that lends a real downhome bluesy quality to everything she does. The album opener, "Blues Defined," sets the tone with a gently rolling piano intro, then the worldweary lyric: "The blues is lovin' somebody whey don't love you...." Indeed. Then a crisp, liquid guitar solo and back to the lyrics, all surrounded by tasty piano.
The Doctor follows up on his Resonator with "Taxi Driving Woman," backed by Liz on piano and harp (she uses a harmonica rack while she plays -- how many piano players do that?).
They follow that up with with Liz on a torchy love song, "You Spoil Me," with a sweet, liquid jazzy guitar break. Then, just to get BlueNotes' heart beating a little faster, a sensuous sax solo. Very nice. The title track follows -- an easy rolling boogie instrumental that escalates gradually into a flashy keyboard workout with the right hand doing more with fewer keys than you might think possible. And "Etta Kitt" is sly, old-timey ode to good manners, or what's left of them.
The Doctor himself is quite handy on guitar, from sweet electric notes to blues that sting, to Resonator work in the best tradition of dusty old blues.
You get the idea. Liz and the Dr. make great music together and have a lot of fun doing it. It doesn't hurt that both are from somewhere near the Burgh -- Marietta, Ohio, where they played their music until taking their show and life to Florida in the mid-'90s.If they show up again in the great Northeast, treat yourself to some fine music. If not -- well, you deserve a vacation in sunny St. Pete, don't you?
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