#400 : Ruf Records - 25 Years Anniversary

2019 - Ruf Records  

by Phillip Smith; July 12, 2019

To commemorate the 400^th PhillyCheeze’s Rock & Blues Review, I want to shine some light on the special 25 Years Anniversary disc from Ruf Records.  This is one hell of a collection.  This edition contains both a 14 track CD, and a 12 video, 62-minute DVD .  The CD features a ton of music from Ruf’s most recent releases, while the DVD delightfully spans their entire era, going back to the Luther Allison days.  

After seeing Ruf’s Blues Caravan last year in 2018, I was happy to see the disc containing songs by Ally Venerable, Mike Zito, and Bernard Allison who all shared the stage at the 2^nd annual Czech Village Blues festival, here in Cedar Rapids, Iowa last August.  Ally rips it up on guitar and belts out the title track to her latest album, “Texas Honey”.  Zito’s song is also the title track for his latest, “First Class Life”.  I love the slide guitar on this one.  The swampy, funky goodness of Bernard’s “Backdoor Man” is so enjoyable.  Vanja Sky, who played on the European legs of the caravan, gives us the smokin’ blues in “Hard Working Woman”.   

Ruf also includes the sultry “Chills and Fever” from the wonderful Samantha Fish, and  Ina Forsman’s exquisitely danceable ’ “Get Mine”.  For the classic blues-head, there is “Low Down“ from The B.B. King Blues Band, and hardcore soul music fans will surely dig “Deep in my Soul” from Big Daddy Wilson.  Also nice to hear, is my favorite Savoy Brown song from the past few years, “Why Did You Hoodoo Me”.  It definitely cuts to the bone.    

The DVD begins with a spectacular performance of Denmark’s Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado fabulously performing “If You Wanna Leave”.  It’s so cool to see Mike Zito, Devon Allman and Cyril Neville jam together on “Moonlight Over the Mississippi”.  Oli Brown’s driving blues-rock anthem “Here I Am” is captivating.  From the 2019 Blues Caravan, there’s a terrific video of Katarina Pejak, Ina Forsman and Ally Venable covering the classic Stevie Ray Vaughan song “If the House is Rocking”, and they sound great.  For a wonderful song to close with, Luther Allison soulfully sings “Living in The House of Blues”.

Ruf Records 25 Years Anniversary should be in the collection of every blues fan.  It is a powerhouse of a retrospective.      

Associated PhillyCheeze Reviews include:

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2017/06/thorbjrn-risager-black-tornado-change.html

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2014/06/thorbjrn-risager-black-tornado-too-many.html

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2018/08/347-czech-village-blues-aug-11-2018.html

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2018/07/344-vanja-sky-bad-penny.html

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2019/06/395-big-daddy-wilson-deep-in-my-soul.html

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2019/03/384-bb-king-blues-band-soul-of-king.html

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2018/03/322-victor-wainwright-and-train-self.html

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2018/01/313-bernard-allison-let-it-go.html

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2017/09/savoy-brown-witchy-feelin.html

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2017/04/samantha-fish-chills-fever.html

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2016/02/ina-forsman-ina-forsman.html

#303 : Samantha Fish - Belle of the West

2017 – Ruf Records

Release Date : Nov. 03,  2017

By Phillip Smith; Nov 18, 2017

With Belle of the West, Samantha Fish continues to knock my socks off with her music.  Since 2011, this fierce guitar-slinging singer-songwriter from Kansas City has released five spectacular albums.  Belle of the West is the second one of 2017.  In March, Fish turned a lot of heads with the fabulous Chills and Fever album, which focused mainly on R&B deep cuts from the Sixties and Seventies.  Belle of the West, takes a more rootsy route, with Fish exploring the nooks and crannies of Americana.  Recorded at Zebra Ranch Studio in Independence, Mississippi, this album again reunites Fish with Luther Dickinson ( North Mississippi Allstars, South Memphis String Band) for his production expertise as well as guitar and mandolin prowess.  Also appearing on the album is Jimbo Mathus (Squirrel Nut Zippers, South Memphis String Band) on Fender Rhodes piano and harmonica, Lightnin’ Malcom on guitar/harmonica , Amy LaVere on upright bass, Lillie Mae on violin, Tikyra Jackson and Trina Raimy on drums, and Sharde Thomas on fife and drums.

Powered by a big bowlful of moxie, Samantha ushers the listener into “American Dream”.  The violin accompaniment is the cherry on top of this swirly drum and fife driven masterpiece. “Blood in the Water” cleverly follows right behind, slowly accumulating a tense and unsettling vibe with its lulling rhythm.  Fish’s exquisite vocals highlight “Cowtown”, a riveting country-fried toast to escaping the clutches of small-town living.  Loaded with gobs of twangy guitar and a rocking piano backer, this sticks its landing as one of my favorites.  “Daughters” is an especially captivating song.  It is fabulously written and filled with emotion.  

Title-track, “Belle of the West”, penned by Jimbo Mathus has a strong Willie Nelson air about it and is a nostalgic call-back to the golden era of country music’s story-telling songs.  I adore Samantha’s cover of the RL Burnside classic “Poor Black Mattie” too.  It’s an absolute pleasure to hear Dickinson record the song again.  It was one of my favorite cuts off the Shake Hands With Shorty album he recorded with the North Mississippi Allstars seventeen years ago.

      

Samantha Fish has once again brilliantly defied those who would pigeonhole her as one particular type of artist.  The well from which her talents are drawn runs incredibly deep.  As far as I’m concerned, this record, “Belle of the West” is destined to be an instant classic.

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Links to other PhillyCheeze Reviews featuring Samantha Fish  

PhillyCheeze Album Review : Samantha Fish - Chills & Fever

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2017/04/samantha-fish-chills-fever.html

PhillyCheeze Concert Review and Photos : Samantha Fish - Live @ Campbell Steele Gallery : 3/18/16

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2016/03/samantha-fish-live-campbell-steele.html

  

Samantha Fish - Chills & Fever

2017 – Ruf Records

By Phillip Smith; April 8, 2017

With her new album, Chills & Fever, Samantha Fish ventures into an exciting new direction, shifting her focus towards early Rock and R&B.   Recorded in Detroit, Fish baptizes this fourteen track recording in the splendid sounds of the Sixties and Seventies, enlisting members of the Detroit Cobras( rhythm guitarist Joey Mazzola, bassist Steve Nawara, drummer Kenny Tudrick), electric pianist Bob Mervak, and a superb horn section featuring Mark Levron on trumpet, and Travis Blotsky on saxophone. 

Fish sings “It’s Your Voodoo Working” with a sexy and confident voice.  Her guitar teases are terrific and sound amazing, backed by the vibrant horn accompaniment from Levron and Blotsky.  A new life is breathed into Irma Thomas’s “Hurts All Gone”.  It’s a spectacular song with a fabulous hook.  Her slide guitar on Skip James’ “Crow Jane” is a bodacious swampy treat.  I absolutely love it.  I’m also smitten by the wonderful cover of Lulu & the Luvvers’ “I’ll Come Running Over”.  That is hands-down, one big nostalgic bowlful of fun featuring a classic rhythm and blues sound.

Chills & Fever reveals a most interesting new side to Samantha Fish.  Already a huge fan of her work in the blues, this album only makes me love her music more.

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Samantha Fish - Live @ Campbell Steele Gallery : 3/18/16

March 18, 2016 – Marion, Iowa

By Phillip Smith; Mar 20, 2016

Friday, March 18, Samantha Fish blessed the audience at Campbell Steele Gallery in Marion, Iowa with a captivating show featuring two terrific sets of music. One couldn’t ask for a better rhythm section to back her as bassist Chris Alexander and drummer Go-go Ray.  These musicians sound extraordinary together.   Fish quickly grabbed everyone’s attention with a rousing execution of “Wild Heart”, which was followed up by the killer song “Show Me”.  Highlighted by a stellar performance from Go-Go Ray, this one brought everyone to their feet. 

Fish effortlessly commanded the stage as she ripped through “Blame it on the Moon and crowd-favorite “Runaway” on oil-can guitar and slide.  Her gorgeous acoustic rendition of Charlie Patton’s blues classic “Jim Lee Blues” was outstanding and fresh.  Fish also broke out a sweet cover of Junior Kimbrough’s “I’m in Love With You”.  This one appears on her new album, Wild Heart. 

Fish returned alone to deliver the first two songs of the second set acoustically.  She played her most streamed song, “Let’s Have Some Fun”, along with a favorite of her father, Tom T. Hall’s “That’s How I Got to Memphis”.  Afterward, the band proceeded to tear through a smashing “Go to Hell”, a mesmerizing “I Put a Spell on You”, and a phenomenally ripping “Bitch on the Run”.  Before all was done, the band took the stage for an encore to end the evening with a fearless electric cover of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs”, and it was great.  For this, I say “Bravo!”.  

All photos by Phillip Smith

Samantha Fish

Samantha Fish & Chris Alexander

Chris Alexander

Samantha Fish

Chris Alexander

Samantha Fish

Go-Go Ray

Samantha Fish & Chris Alexander

Go-Go Ray

Samantha Fish

Chris Alexander

Samantha Fish & Chris Alexander

Go-Go Ray

Samantha Fish

Tommy Castro and the Painkillers - The Devil You Know

Alligator Records,  2014

By Phillip Smith; January 18, 2014

Returning to the studio with a new band, The Painkillers, along with a bus load full of special guests which includes Marcia Ball, Tab Benoit, Joe Bonamassa, Samantha Fish, Mark Karan, Magic Dick, Tasha Taylor, and the Holmes Brothers, Tommy Castro has recorded one smoking hot Blues album, The Devil You Know.  The Painkillers consist of bassist Randy McDonald, drummer Byron Cage, and keyboardist James Pace. 

It’s almost impossible to not get down and do some foot-tapping when I hear “When I Cross the Mississippi”.  Tab Benoit and Mark Karan both jump in with guitars. Tab joins along on vocals as well.  I really identify with this song, and the way it invokes a longing to return to wherever we call home.  When I hear him sing the lyrics, ‘That river runs so strong.  The river clears my brain.  When I cross the Mississippi, I got muddy water in my vein.’, I get the urge to hop in my car, drive down to Memphis, and catch some live music. 

I love the slow and swampy infectious groove on the title track, “The Devil You Know”.  Between that groove, Castro’s killer guitar licks and the soulful organ contributions from Pace, this makes for a strong opening track.  Things get even better when Joe Bonamassa joins in on a cover of Savoy Brown’s “I’m Tired”.  Bonamassa handles most of the guitar on this as Castro’s slightly gravely vocals add an extra layer of ‘cool’ to the song.  The jam between the two towards the end of the song is nice as well.  Mark Karan also sits in on another outstanding cover, Wet Willie’s “Keep on Smilin’”.  I might have to even say I like this version a smidge better than the original.  I can’t help but be in a better mood when I hear it.

Joining Castro as he wails on his guitar, in the fast paced original, “Medicine Woman”, is Samantha Fish.  She’s sexy and sultry.  It’s always a pleasure to hear her sing.  It’s also a pleasure to hear the Holmes Brothers who provide spiritually uplifting backing vocals on “Two Steps Forward”, which has an extra boost of richness provided by harmonica master, Magic Dick.     

One of my favorites, “Center of Attention”, is an energetically charged powerhouse of a song with pounding rhythmic drums, splendid guitar riffs, and fierce vocals.  Revolving around a drama queen who just has to be the center of attention, this song definitely ends up on my heavy rotation list. 

The Devil You Know is thirteen tracks of soulful positively charged Blues music. It is a fantastic listen from beginning to end.