David Bromberg - Use Me : From the Archives #15

2011 Appleseed Records

By Phillip Smith;  July 16, 2011 originally for  BluesRevue.com

David Bromberg, the legendary singer/songwriter/instrumentalist brings it again, this time with a little help from his friends.  With each track sporting a special guest, the idea for Use Me initiated from an invitation from John Hiatt to mess around in his Nashville studio.  From that point on, Bromberg called up a variety of musically talented friends, and asked them each to assist in one way or another in recording a song with him.  The results of this chain of events culminate into a wondrous potpourri of music. 

Bromberg kick-starts the sequence of songs with “Tongue”, a fun bluesy treat featuring Levon Helm on drums, and a tight rhythm section.   A second  track featuring Helm,  “Bring it With You When You Come” is a little more rusty and country-fried, reminding me a bit of Helm’s earlier recordings with The Band.

Keb’ Mo’ lends his talent as producer/guitarist on slow-paced  “Diggin’ in the Deep Blue Sea”, a timely response to the BP Oil Spill of 2010.   Well written and thought out, this one brings attention to the dangers of off-shore drilling, as Bromberg sings “Now the fish can’t swim.  You know the birds can’t fly.  We keep right on pumping ’cause demand is high.”.

“Blue is Falling”, recorded with Tim O’Brien on mandolin and backing vocals is a favorite.  Stuart Duncan on fiddle, accentuates the song as Bromberg seems to channel  Roy Orbison during the chorus.  Another country ditty, “Lookout Mountain Girl”, has Bromberg enlisting the talent of Vince Gill (electric guitar, mandolin, backing vocals).  A track quite danceable and suitable for a Saturday night hoedown in Tennessee.

A pair of other favorites are “Old Neighborhood” and “Use Me”.  “Old Neighborhood”, a track recorded with, and produced by Widespread Panic, is a playful and funky track, with lots of hot guitar licks and soulful keyboards.  Title track, “Use Me”, the grand finale of  the album was produced by Phil and Joe Nicolo, aka The Butcher Bros.  Jim Miades contributes the bass line which adds the somewhat hypnotic groove which makes this one so enjoyable. 

The list of contributors is as impressive as the album itself.  The remaining artists include Dr. John, Los Lobos, Linda Ronstadt, and of course John Hiatt.  Use Me is a nice album to listen to on a rainy Sunday afternoon, or any other time for that matter.

 

http://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/

Cyril Neville - Magic Honey

Ruf Records,  2013

By Phillip Smith; December 28, 2013

We all know moss doesn’t grow on a rolling stone, and at Sixty-Five years of age, one will not find one gram of moss on Cyril Neville.  Constantly recording and touring with either his own band, or as part of the super-group, Royal Southern Brotherhood with Devon Allman and Mike Zito, the man keeps on rolling.  That being said, one can plan on settling down for a nice groovy listen when one reaches for the new Cyril Neville album, Magic Honey, and taps the play button.  I love the way Neville adds his funky spin to the Blues to make his own fresh sound.  Band members consist of guitarist Cranston Clements, drummer “Mean” Willie Green, bassist Carl Dufrene, and keyboardist Norman Caesar.  Neville also enlists help from friends, Dr. John, Walter Trout, Mike Zito, Allen Toussaint, and David Z, Neville.  With all of that going on, this album can’t help being anything but fun.

I was drawn in by the catchy melody and Clements swampy licks on the bluesy title track, “Magic Honey”. But by the time I got to “Something’s Got a Hold on Me”, I was totally captivated.  With guest guitarist, David Z on board, this one emanates the sound and energy of Led Zeppelin. Crank up the volume on this one and enjoy.  

It’s cool to hear Dr. John sitting in on and applying his trademark sound to “Swamp Funk”, a song he wrote himself.  I find myself nodding my head and hitching a ride on this tasty groove every time I hear it, as it leans a little more to the side of team ‘funk’, as opposed to the side of team ‘swamp’.  It’s also neat to hear Mike Zito playing on “Money and Oil”, a track co-written by Zito and Neville. Neville addresses the reality of the politics of today, as he rightfully sings ‘when it all comes down, it’s all about money and oil’.         

 

The must-hear song on this album though, is “Working Man”.  If it sounds like the title of a Rush song, that’s because it is.  Instigating a proverbial double take at first, I realized this was an outstandingly cool cover after my neck snapped back to its rightful place.  This one is surely more bouncy and playful than the original, but that’s what makes it memorable.  I really like Neville’s smooth and vibrant vocals coupled with Clements killer guitar performance.

Really good from start to finish, one can’t go wrong picking this album up.    

The Official Video – Cyril Neville covers the RUSH classic – “Working Man”