#463 : Andy Watts - Supergroove

 

2020 – Booga Music

By Phillip Smith; Sep. 19, 2020

 

Supergroove, the latest album from Israel’s Ambassador of the Blues Andy Watts is an impeccable record of big-band blues topped with the delectable sound of Watts’ smoking guitar.  With vocals rotated around a noteworthy guest list of singers such as Eliza Neals, and Joe Louis Walker, the band consists of Eyal Klein on keys, Ioram Linker on sax, Gregory Rivkin on trumpet, Tom Mochiach on bass, Moran Bar-On on trombone, Tom Bolig on drums, and Coastin Hank on harmonica.  Co-produced by multi-BMA winner and Grammy nominee Kenny Neal, Supergroove is nice mix of originals and covers, with a clean and polished sound.  

The funky instrumental “Supergroove” leads the recording off in a way which perfectly fits its name.  The sweet sound of horns backed with a B3 and a snappy back-beat make for great accompaniment to Watt’s Texas-blues stylings.  Linker’s baritone sax solo is a nice touch too.  I love Roy Young’s vocal stylings on their cover of Rick Estrin’s “Living Hand to Mouth”.  This is blues at its best with a luscious side of harp.  Young sounds great on the funky R&B cover of Gonzalez’s 1974 song “Pack it Up” too.  Grammy nominee Joe Louis Walker adds a silky-smooth touch to “Burning Deep”, a beautiful and soulful original.  It’s an absolute pleasure to hear the fabulous Detroit songstress Eliza Neals pour her magic on his 1995 song “Blues of the Month Club”.  I’d love to hear more collaborations between her and Watts.  High-energy blues-rocker “Don’t You Let Me Down” which was originally recorded in 1972 by the band Jericho, features the original singer Danny Shoshan.  This new version, rearranged for Watts’ larger band, sounds fantastic polished up with sounds of brass.  The album closes with a beautiful and delicate performance of Peter Green’s intoxicating instrumental “The Supernatural”.  Watts takes this song which first appeared on John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers’ A Hard Road album, and lifts it skyward in his own unique way.

Watts’ guitar mastery shines brightly on this album and he makes interesting choices music-wise.  Supergroove is a rock-solid album with rock-solid performances.  It’s definitely an album worthy of adding to your collection.   

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#444 : Eliza Neals - Black Crow Moan

2020 – E-H Records

By Phillip Smith; May 9, 2020

I got hooked on the music of Eliza Neals when I reviewed 10,000 Feet Below in 2017.  Last summer, I was gob smacked by her album Sweet or Mean, and had the pleasure of seeing her perform at the Prairie Dog Blues Festival in Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin.  It was great to hear her stellar vocals belting out song after song, backed by her high energy band.

On Black Crow Moan her latest release, Neals draws me in from the get-go on “Don’t Judge the Blues”.  The slide guitar from Mike Puwal fills it with swampy goodness.   Slathered in hot buttery soul "The Devil Don't Love You", features the great Joe Louis Walker.  He keeps it funky on guitar as Neals takes me to church on keys.  Walker also delightfully appears on title track "Black Crow Moan".  The call and response vocals are emotionally-charged as the notes from Walker’s guitar weightlessly drift skyward.  This dark masterpiece, covered in ominous overtones, oozes with authenticity.  “Never Stray” is another amazing song.  It is shrouded in a beautiful intensity and features guitarist Derek St. Holmes (Ted Nugent) bassist Jason Kott, and drummer Jeffrey ‘Shakey’ Fowlkes (Too Slim).  St. Holmes also brings a bowlful of slow-cooked blues and searing guitar to Neal’s cover of Big Mama Thornton's "Ball and Chain".  Eliza sings this with fearless abandon as Shakey builds a wall of thunder on drums.  It’s an absolutely wonderful experience to hear.

When it comes to my list of favorite blues-rockers, Eliza Neals remains among the top. As long as the badassery within her keeps forging great records such as Black Crow Moan, I’ll be there to hear them.  

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For more information about the artist, visit this website : http://elizaneals.com/

#443 : Tyler Morris - Living in the Shadows

2020 – Vizztone

By Phillip Smith; May 2, 2020

I’ve been a fan of Tyler Morris since reviewing his 2018 album Next in Line.   He continues to push the envelope when it comes to mastery of guitar, and his latest release Living in the Shadows is testament to that fact.  Backing Morris on this album is bassist Terry Dry, drummer Matthew Robert Johnson, and Lewis Stephens on Hammond B3 and Wurlitzer piano.  Produced by Mike Zito, this fourth release from Morris also features a remarkable guest list comprised of Ronnie Earl, Joe Louis Walker, and Amanda Fish.  

Morris pours out some magnificent blues with a terrific cover of Don Nix’s “Everybody Wants to go to Heaven”.  Zito and Walker both take the mike on “Polk Salad Annie” while Stephens lays down the rich sounds of B3.  Morris absolutely sizzles on guitar.  The notes weightlessly float through the air with “Temptation”, a beautifully executed original.  Amanda Fish, whose music I adore, is guest singer on “Better Than You”.  This riveting Suzi Quatro-esque blues-rocker was penned by Zito and co-founder of Gulf Coast Records, Guy Hale.   With “Young Man Blues”, Morris pays homage to the artists and musicians who gave him inspiration over the years.  Ronnie Earl provides additional guitar on the song, and it sounds great.  Morris infuses a tremendously infectious riff fortified with stellar licks on “Taken From Me”.  This one has a way of coaxing me to turn the volume up.  The record ends with the heavy, rocking blues of “I’m on to You”, another smokin’ original.  Hearing him rip it up on guitar is a sheer delight.

Living in the Shadows is a rock-solid album loaded with blazing guitar performances.  Morris’ playing is downright amazing. Thanks to younger blues artists like him, the Blues will be around for quite a while longer.

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For more information about the artist, visit this website :  http://www.tylerdmorris.com/

#384 : The BB King Blues Band - The Soul of the King

2019 – Ruf Records

Release Date: May 10, 2019

By Phillip Smith; March 30, 2019

Even though B.B. King has been gone for four years now, his spirit and legacy lives on.  His band of over 35 years The BB King Blues Band, with the support of several guest artists have created a wonderful blues album The Soul of the King.  The band is comprised of lead vocalist/bassist Russell Jackson, guitarist Wilbert Crosby, drummers Brandon Jackson and Herman Jackson, trumpeters James Boogaloo Bolden and Lamar Boulet, lead saxophonist Eric Demmer, saxophonist Walter King, keyboardist Darrell Lavigne, and trombonist Raymond Harris.

The energy of the big band is exquisitely captured on “Irene Irene”, an original tune featuring the great Kenny Wayne Shepherd on guitar.  This smoking blues track is heavily steeped in the B.B. King sound.  Hearing Mary Griffin and Taj Mahal pair up for a duet on “Paying the Cost to be the Boss” is indeed a special treat.  Joe Louis Walker makes an appearance to perform his song “Regal Blues (A Tribute to the King)”, making sure to throw in a sweet guitar solo.  For the grand finale, the band delivers B.B.’s signature song “The Thrill is Gone” with Michael Lee on lead vocals.  Lee, from Season 15 of The Voice, absolutely does this one right.  Other special guests on the album include, Kenny Neal, Diunna Greenleaf, and John Del Toro Richardson. 

Soul of the King is an absolute gem and I highly recommend it for all blues fans.  

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#327 : Tyler Morris Band - Next in Line

2018 – Vizztone

By Phillip Smith; March 31, 2018

Next in Line, the third album from Tyler Morris continues to break new ground for the nineteen year old guitar prodigy.  Chock-full of blues-soaked rocking originals, this record, produced by Grammy Award winner Paul Nelson (Johnny Winter), stands tall.  While Morris holds the fort down on guitar, the rest of the band is comprised of vocalist Morten Fredheim, bassist Scott Spray, drummer Tyger MacNeal and keyboardist Mike Dimeo.    

Morris lays down the blues in a tantalizing jam with the fabulous Uptown Horns in the instrumental “Choppin’”.   His performance in “Thunder” rides the rails of a funky dirty groove and is downright amazing.  The great Joe Louis Walker teams up with the band to belt out the classic SRV barnburner “Willie the Wimp”.  The swirling sounds of Dimeo on organ coupled with MacNeal’s tremendous beats and Spray’s standout bassline set a perfect stage for Morris’s searing licks.    

“Down On My Luck” is unbelievably good.  Morris fills this stunning song to the brim with an intoxicating blues riff which keeps the energy flowing while Fredheim’s powerful vocals evoke a spectacular fierceness. If this is any indication of what’s in store from the band in the future, I can’t wait to hear their next album already.

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Tommy Castro presents The Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue Live

By Phillip Smith

If one thing can be said about Tommy Castro, it’s that he knows how to put on a show.  So well in fact that he is the honorary captain of the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruises.   This album features some of the highlights from The Revue’s recent live performances.  The Revue consists of Tommy Castro, his band, complete with horn section, and a number of musical guests. 

Magic is in the air as Castro totally reinvents Bob Dylan’s ‘Gotta Serve Somebody’.  Possibly one of the hottest tracks on the whole album, it’s as if Stevie Wonder himself took the song, baptized it in a lake of funk, and handed it back. 

Rick Estrin, who has recently taken over for Little Charlie as front man for the Nightcats, dishes out some smoking’ harp licks on ‘My Next Ex-Wife’.   Estrin, not the only Nightcat in on this one, is joined on this one by his guitarist Chris ‘Kid’ Anderson, who adds some pretty hot licks to the song as well.

If I were to continue name dropping, I might ask what Michael Burks, Joe Louis Walker,  Trampled Under Foot, and Janiva Magness all have in common.  The answer would be that they all contribute smoking hot numbers on this album as well. 

This CD is definitely a jewel for those who dig their compilation albums.  Because Castro’s band is backing each track, the listener gets a really good mix of music, but with a common thread providing a fluid connection.   Of course, this one comes highly recommended.