Saturday, April 25, 2020

#442 : John Primer & Bob Corritore - The Gypsy Woman Told Me



2020 - Vizztone
By Phillip Smith; April 25, 2020

John Primer and Bob Corritore have teamed up once again to record yet another fabulously legitimate record of blues.  Primer instantly connects with his vocals, and enthralls me with his guitar phrasing.   He sounds so damn good as Corritore absolutely rips it up on harmonica.  Produced by Corritore, Clarke Rigsby and Kid Andersen, The Gypsy Woman Told Me also features Jimi “Primetime” Smith (guitar), Billy Flynn (guitar), Bob Welsh (piano), Kid Andersen (organ), Ben Levin (piano), Kedar Roy (bass), Mike Hightower (bass), Troy Sandow (bass), June Core (drums), and Brian Fahley (drums).  This twelve-track album contains ten deep covers and a pair of splendid Primer originals. 

Muddy Water’s “The Gypsy Woman Told Me” makes for a captivating listen as the title track.  With Welsh on piano, Roy on bass, and Core on drums, this one is slowly steeped in old-fashioned Chicago blues.  Corritore wonderfully takes on the legendary Helena, Arkansas harp player Sonny Boy Williamson II with “My Imagination”.  Primer’s guitar sizzles and Welsh holds nothing back on the ivories.  Dripping with emotion, their cover of Jimmy Rogers’ “Left Me with a Broken Heart” is exquisite.  With the driving rhythm of a rolling freight train, “Little Bitty Woman”, is a smashing song.  This Primer original features spirited vocals, tremendous harp topped with Welsh’s attention-grabbing barrelhouse piano.  Flynn, Hightower, and Fahey provide the backing for the guys as they close with “Ain’t Gonna Be No Cuttin’ Loose”, a James Cotton song from 1984.  Primer plays this with precision against Corritore’s textured and nuanced performance.

The musical chemistry between Primer and Corritore is incomparable as they continue to produce some of the best blues being produced these days.  An absolute must for the blues fan, The Gypsy Woman Told Me is a sheer delight.     

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For more information about the artists, visit their websites : www.johnprimerblues.combobcorritore.com


Saturday, April 18, 2020

#441 : Emily Duff - Born on the Ground



2020 – Emily Duff / Mr Mudshow Music
By Phillip Smith; April 18, 2020

I’m loving this new disc, Born on the Ground from New York City troubadour Emily Duff.  Her introspective lyrics on this nine-track break-up album are wonderfully delivered with a heaping helping of soulful country twang.  With Duff on acoustic guitar and lead vocals, her band consists of Scott Aldrich on electric guitar, Skip Ward on bass, Charlie Giordano on piano/organ, Kenny Soule on drums/percussion, Eric Amble on electric guitar, and background vocalists Mary Lee Kortes, Syd Straw, and Tricia Scotti.

In title track “Born on the Ground”, Duff sings ‘When you’re born on the ground, you’re dead inside.’.  Her powerful and poignant lyrics go head to head with masterful writers such as Bob Dylan and Lucinda Williams, as she sings them with a voice made for western music.  I instantly fall for “Easy Go”.  From the beginning of this up-tempo song, I’m pulled right in, lured by its strong pulse and infectious riffs.  There’s a deliciously dark Tom Waits energy in the playfully sublime “No Escape”.  It’s bluesy and cool as hell.  Duff is not one to be reckoned with as she belts out “Knuckle Sandwich”.  She tackles the song with a fearless, punk attitude, and tops it with driving guitar, crashing drums, and barrelhouse piano.  I can’t get enough of this one.  It’s definitely my favorite.      

Born on the Ground is a superb album of all original songs which have certainly grabbed my attention.  This is a record I highly recommend. 


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For more information about the artist, visit this website – emilyduff.bandcamp.com  



Saturday, April 11, 2020

#440 : Justin Saladino Band - Live


2020 – Disques Bros.
By Phillip Smith; April 11, 2020

Montreal-based Justin Saladino has a stellar new album, simply called Live.  The recording took place over two nights at Piccolo Studios in Quebec for an audience of dedicated fans.  Hearing the live takes from A Fool’s Heart and No Worries adds an extra layer of soul to the songs.  With Saladino taking lead of this six-piece band on guitar and vocals, he is joined by guitarist Antoine Loiselle, keyboardist David Osei-Afrifa, drummer Denis Paquin, bassist Gabriel Forget, and percussionist Lucie Martel.  

The album splendidly opens in a bluesy romantic direction with “Take What You Want”.  Saladino’s vocals are smooth and confident.  I love how he fearlessly brings “Purple Girl” to life with his guitar mastery.  It rocks in a fabulous way.  While beautifully wearing his heart on his sleeve, he lays down a slew of extraordinary licks on his break-up ballad “Peace With You”.  Saladino packs a gob of delicious blues slide into Tom Petty’s “You Don’t Know How it Feels”, making for one hell of a cover.

JSB Live is one of the best live albums I’ve heard in a while.  Saladino absolutely cooks on guitar.    
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For more information about the artist, visit this website : justinsaladinoband.com   






Saturday, April 4, 2020

#439 : Chris Shutters with special guest Jimmy Burns - Good Gone Bad



2019 – Third Street Cigar Records
By Phillip Smith; April 4, 2020

A connection was forged nearly a decade ago at Buddy Guy’s Legends club in Chicago when Chris Shutters attended an open mic event hosted by Delmark Records recording artist Jimmy Burns.  Shutters signed up to perform, and ended up playing a couple of songs with Burns himself.   They talked and traded phone numbers afterward.  Ten years later, Shutters contacted Burns about collaborating on an album.  One thing led to another, and the result is this fantastic ten-track record of all original blues.  Good Gone Bad features both Shutters and Burns on guitar and vocals.

Burns takes the mic, on “Stop the Train” and pulls me right onboard.  Rick Warner, former keyboardist for Rare Earth, adds a nice and funky groove to this stellar blues track.  “Miss Annie Lou” another track written by Burns, is an absolute delight.  I love his guitar picking and weathered voice.  The saxophone licks from Art Bishop are fabulous.  Burns’ attention-grabbing style once again takes top-billing on “No Consideration”.  With a hint of Memphis soul, this track cooks.    

Shutters shines as singer/songwriter/guitarist on “Can’t Play the Blues Like B.B.”.   This infectious, up-tempo gem is loaded with searing guitar licks and topped with a smoldering dose of harp from Tony Shutters.  “Unwind” is a masterpiece with a driving rhythm which reels me into a fascinating world of jazz, rock, pop and blues.  It makes me want to get up on my feet and dance.

Good Gone Bad has definitely landed in my stack of favorites this year.  Coupling their songwriting craftmanship with masterful performances, Shutters and Burns make for one outstanding blues duo.  I certainly hope to hear more from them.
     

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