#586 > Mud Morganfield - Portrait (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

2022 – Delmark Reoords

By Phillip Smith; Nov. 26, 2022

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

Mud Morganfield, the oldest son of the legendary bluesman Muddy Waters takes his music seriously.  Closely following the path of this father, Mud sets the bar high when it comes to performing the blues.  Additional influences of Motown, soul, and R&B are absorbed into his songs.  Portrait is a remix of Mud’s entire debut album Son of the Seventh Son topped off with two additional brand-new songs.  With the exception of the two new songs, this work was produced by Bob Corritore with Mud on vocals, Rick Kreher on electric guitar, Billy Flynn on guitar, E.G. McDaniel on bass, Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith on drums, Barrelhouse Chuck on piano/organ, and Harmonica Hinds and Bob Corritore on harmonica.

Portrait opens with the funky southern soul track “Praise Him”.  With Mike Wheeler on electric guitar, Luca Chiellini on keys, and the backing vocals of Felicia Collins, Shantina Lowe, and Demetrius Hall, the song is indeed a glorious one.  Barrelhouse, Beedy Eyes, and Hinds sound downright amazing as they turn the flame on to the slow-cooked blues of “Son of the Seventh Son”.  The intoxicating groove on “Catfishing” reels me right in.  Mud’s vocals are strong and confident just like his father’s.  “His presentation is smooth and buttery on “Blues In My Shoes” while the band gels perfectly together.  Portrait comes to a close with a spectacular cover of John Lee “Sonny Boy” Williamson’s “Good Morning Little School Girl. 

It was great to hear this remastered release of Mud Morganfield’s.  The songs are fantastic, and the sound is fresh and clean.  I’d recommend this album to anyone who is a blues fan.   

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For more information about Mud Morganfield, visit this website :

https://www.mudmorganfieldblues.com

 

#385 : Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith & The House Bumpers - Drop the Hammer

2019 – Big Eye Records

By Phillip Smith; April, 6, 2019

The new disc, Drop the Hammer from Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith & the House Bumpers has really caught my attention.  The son of the late great Grammy Award-winning bluesman Willie “Big Eyes” Smith , Kenny grew up in the same Chicago house Muddy Waters once lived. With this new album Smith reserves a few songs to pay homage to traditional blues.  Then he steps out of the box and creates his own universe of sound as he explores the boundaries of contemporary blues.  Smith steers this ship from in-front of the mic and behind the drums.  The rest of his cutting-edge ensemble, The House Bumpers consists of Billy Flynn and Ari Seder on guitar, Omar Coleman on harmonica, Felton Crews on bass, and Luca Chiellini on piano.  Smith also enlists heavy-hitters Greg Guy (son of Buddy Guy), Sugar Blue, Greg Guy, and Nelson Strange, along with vocalists Kimberly Johnson, Dana Gordon, and Andrea Miologos.

“Head Pounder” kicks the album off with a slow-burning, multi-layered North Mississippi-esque rhythm.  It’s laced with blasts of harp, slide guitar, and the unique sound of sitar courtesy of Flynn.  Smith’s children, Mae, Clara, and Teddy contribute accompanying vocals to “Hey Daddy”, a happy and heartwarming original about parenthood.  Kenny drops a payload of deliciously-deep psychedelic funk on title-track “Drop the Hammer”.  The groove is so powerful, its hard to escape its gravitational force.  I also get immersed in the funky trance blues Smith and Guy create in “What in the World” with Seder, Crews and Chellini.  I love the way “Puppet on a String” opens from the kit.  This is another one that absolutely cooks, in a vintage Elvis “A Little Less Conversation” kind of way.  The enticing groove on “One Big Frown” sizzles with Strange on guitar.  Johnson’s powerful and soulful vocals take command. 

Kenny Smith has certainly created a noteworthy album with Drop the Hammer.  It is one hundred percent fresh and baptized in the blues.

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For more information about the artist, visit this website: https://beedyeyes.com  

The Cash Box Kings - Holding Court

2015 – Blind Pig Records

By Phillip Smith; May 16, 2015

Chicago blues masters The Cash Box Kings return again to serve up a nice and healthy dose of classic-sounding blues on their new album, Holding Court.  Stomping through the decades, they seem very at home playing in the musical styles prevalent during the Thirties through the Fifties.  Joe Nosek, and Oscar Wilson continue to front the band, and it absolutely pleases me to see Barrelhouse Chuck back on piano/organ, as well drummer Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith sitting in on three tracks.  

Nosek holds down the harmonica, and Joel Paterson delivers great twangy licks on lead guitar while kicking things off with the Willie Dixon cover, “I Ain’t Gonna Be No Monkey Man”.  They also nail down a sweet cover of John Lee Hooker’s “Hobo Blues”.  Paterson plays it nice and slow.   

The Cash Box Kings certainly have a knack for bringing current issues to light in their lyrics.  “Download Blues”, written by Nosek, documents the monetary hardships musicians face these days because of illegal downloading on the back of a common devil-may-care attitude about sharing copyrighted material. Whereas “Gotta Move Out to the Suburbs” is a commentary about folks living in the inner city, being pushed out of their homes, to make way for expensive high-rises and skateboard parks. Both are favorites.  

It’s so nice to hear the Blues presented in the unadulterated manner The Cash Box Kings meticulously perform it.  Holding Court is true gem.  

Cash Box Kings - Black Toppin’

By Phillip Smith

Black Toppin’ by Chicago bluesters, The Cash Box Kings will have listeners waxing nostalgic in no time.  Their sixth release continues the tradition of infusing their music with the spirit and sound of the Forties and Fifties.   Producer/front man, Joe Nosek on harmonica, alternates lead vocals with Oscar Wilson while Joel Paterson conquers the lead guitar and Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith masters the drums. 

Title track, ‘Black Toppin’’ a catchy little ditty about forbidden love and sneaking around is a pleasurable treat.  Written and sung by Wilson, this one sounds steeped in old school Blues.  Also dunked in the old school Blues tank, is their spot-on cover of Willie Dixon’s ‘Too Late’, (originally recorded by Little Walter), and the traditional, ‘Walking Blues’.  Both of these sung by Wilson as well.  He has a great voice for the Blues, and it delivers authenticity to the songs.

Barrelhouse Chuck, 2013 nominee for the Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year Award, makes an appearance on four tracks.  Of those, the spotlight really shines on him in  ‘Money, Marbles, and Chalk’ and one quickly finds out why he was nominated.    Bundling Barrelhouse Chuck on organ, with Nosek on harp, gives ‘My Tinai’ a cool retry Sixties Doors sound.           

When the band gets going on songs like Lou Reed’s ‘Run Run Run’, one can feel the energy pulsating through the speakers.  I might have to go out on a limb and say I like this version better.  The band is so tight and the Paterson squeezes every note out of his guitar with precision.  This is my favorite track on the album.    

For those fans of the classic Blues, this one comes highly recommended.