2022 – Blues House
Productions
By Phillip Smith; Sep. 24, 2022
Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com
Hard Times, the very latest release from Chicago Blues great John
Primer captures my ‘real-deal’ blues-loving heart with thirteen new
originals. With Steve Bell on
harmonica, Lenny Media on drums, and David Forte on bass, this
recording also features special guests Rick Kreher on 2nd
guitar, Johnny Iguana on piano and organ, and John’s seventeen-year-old
daughter Aliya Primer on vocals. Primer
states: “The name of my new CD reflects the world we’re living in today. I recorded this CD to help us get through
these really hard times.”.
I’m drawn right in to Primer’s churning delta-blues riffs on title-track “Hard Times”. The slide guitar is absolutely wonderful as it sits in front of the spectacular piano and harp accompaniment. Immediately following is the intoxicating and soul-warming homage to the genre “Blues-Blues-Blues”. It’s one of my favorites. With daughter Aliya on lead vocals for her debut recording session, “Tough Times” is an endearing track about sticking together. The chemistry John and Aliya share brings to mind the Mississippi Delta Blues father/daughter duo Bill ‘Howl-N-Madd’ Perry and Shy Perry. Filled with attention-grabbing guitar runs, waves of organ sounds, and doses of searing harp, “Trying To Make You Mine” is a hands-down fabulous track which I immensely enjoy. With his great talent of painting pictures with words, Primer piles healthy scoops of certifiable blues on “Hot Meal”. It doesn’t get much better than this.
As usual, John Primer and his Real Deal Blues Band perform the blues as it should be heard. Hard Times is as authentic as it gets.
For more information about John Primer, visit this website : https://johnprimerblues.com
