#358 : JJ Appleton and Jason Ricci - Beautiful Slop

2018 –Old Boy Network

By Phillip Smith; Oct. 21, 2018

New York-based JJ Appleton, noted songwriter/guitarist/producer and Jason Ricci, winner of Blues Music Award for Best Instrumentalist/Harmonica in both 2010 and 2018, have joined forces again in the studio to record another outstanding treasure trove of blues.  Swampy goodness pours out every crevice of their new album, Beautiful Slop, and it truly captures my heart.  On acoustic bass is Derek Nievergelt who co-produced the album with Appleton.  

I love how they open the record by covering Lonnie Brooks’ “Don’t Take Advantage of Me”.  With Appleton spinning a cool groove on resonator, and Ricci mastering the harp as he does, they bestow a new life to this classic with a North Mississippi wardrobe.  Ricci shines as he channels the legendary Screamin’ Jay Hawkins on a stellar performance of “Hurt Myself” which also happens to be jam-packed with a slew of amazing harmonica runs.  There is obviously a musical chemistry between the two, and that is so very obvious as they tear into the delta blues of “For the Very Last Time”.  It’s almost magical.  I could listen to this all day long.  Beautiful Slop concludes with a heart-felt cover of Rihanna’s “Stay”.  Their beautiful, bluesy reconstruction of the song certainly demands attention and gave me a new layer of admiration for Rihanna as a song-writer.  Appleton and Ricci score big with this album, and I hope they keep the momentum going for another.  

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#357 : The Boxmasters - In Stereo!

2018 –The Boxmasters

By Phillip Smith; Oct. 13, 2018

Billy Bob Thornton (aka Bud) , Teddy Andreadis and J.D. Andrew are back with In Stereo!.  This latest release from the Boxmasters captures the sounds and vibe of the early Sixties when the Beatles and Beach Boys were battling for king of the hill.  Loaded to the gills with nineteen songs similar in stylings to their previous album, it was originally referred to as Tea Surfing Too by the band before officially being titled. 

I quickly locked into “Clear Enough” a quirky poetic anthem with a garage punk attitude about respecting one another’s differences and personal space.  It’s catchy as hell, and I love the full-body sound.  Starting with a swoon-worthy melody and topped with the wonderful echo-laced sounds of surf guitar, “Rise Above Me” is a beautifully performed piece.  I also fall hard for the astral, Pink Floyd tendencies and Sgt. Pepper influences    laced in “Psychedelic”.  It’s brilliant to say the least.  The swirly organ accompaniment behind the thick twang of guitar gives the Beach Boys-infused “Best Girl” a taste of pop psychedelia.  A racing intro carries “Never Want to Leave California” into a dreamy place to land, as Thornton reflects upon The Golden State amid contemplating the termination of a failing relationship.  Recorded as a live performance in Florence, Alabama, “Emily” brings In Stereo! to conclusion in a Romantics-style ode to greasy-spoon crushes.

The Boxmasters’ ability to not be pigeonholed into any particular flavor of rock and roll as they dance around them all is uncanny and wonderful.  In Stereo! is indeed a delightful listen.      

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#355 : Mark Harrison - The Panoramic View

2018 –Mark Harrison / Highway Records

By Phillip Smith; Oct. 6, 2018

I absolutely adored Mark Harrison’s 2016 album, Turpentine.  His latest release, The Panoramic View, described by Harrison himself as his magnum opus, now takes precedence.  The UK-based roots artist is one of the best songwriters around, and I especially take notice when this man tackles the Blues with a nostalgic story-telling approach.  With Harrison performing on National and 12-string guitars, the rest of the band consists of Charles Benfield on double bass, Ben Welburn on drums/percussion, Paddy Milner on piano, Paul Tkachenko on tuba, trombone, trumpet, and mandolin, and Ed Hopwood on harmonica.  For a fascinating and unique twist, Harrison enlists Scottish television personality Gail Porter to provide a spoken word introduction prior to each song.   

I love the sound of the National on “House Full of Children”.  It sounds go great paired with the horns on this upbeat homage to Detroit bluesman Eddie ‘Guitar’ Burns.  Harrison takes a deep look inside the words of Son House as he describes the meaning of life, and the Blues in “What Son House Said”.  His performance is delicate and endearing.   Harrison sings about life after death in “Meet on the Other Side”, a splendid country blues spiritual.  A timeless melody and a subject matter everyone has experienced is the heart of “Mess is Everywhere”.  With timely blurts from his tuba, Tkachenko keeps the song moving along its tracks.  While on the subject of tracks, “John the Chinaman” honors the railroad Chinese immigrant laborers who made up the majority of the transcontinental railways workforce in the 1850’s.  Harrison’s bright finger work on guitar keeps a locomotive pace on this delightful blues ditty.   

From beginning to end, The Panoramic View is an exquisite listen.  Harrison’s declaration of this being his magnum opus, certainly stands true.    

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Link to PhillyCheeze Rock & Blues Review of Mark Harrison's Turpentine album:
https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2016/09/mark-harrison-turpentine.html

#352 : RC and the MoonPie Band - All This

2018 – HoundSounds

By Phillip Smith; Sep. 15, 2018

All This, the brand new disc from RC and the MoonPie Band brings a smile to my face with every listen.  The MoonPie Band, from Green Swamp, North Carolina is fronted by Robert “RC” Christian, and consists of guitarist Robert Marlowe, drummer T Bone Betourney, bassist Mike Logiovino, and backing vocalist Russell Pleasants.  Chock-full   of funky soulful blues, All This is a delectable slice of southern Americana served with authenticity.

Title track, “All This” gets the party started with a sweet funky rhythm carved out by Logiovino and Betourney.  Marlowe’s guitar is smoking hot as he rips it up on this one.  Keyboardist extraordinaire Bruce Katz takes the helm of a 1920 Steinway baby grand as guest pianist on “5-10-15 Hours”.  RC’s vocals are suave on this fabulous cover of Ruth Brown’s 1952 hit.  Katz brings back again for a rollicking high-energy homage to one of the best bluesmen in the biz, “The Buddy Guy Up”.    

I love the jazz-soaked cover of Oscar Brown’s “Somebody Buy Me a Drink”.  Rich Moncure’s trombone accompaniment is the icing on the cake for this track.  One can’t help but be pulled in to the intoxicating blues of “Leave Me To Be”, a captivating 9 bar blues song from Christian and Marlowe.  The driving bassline sidles up quite nicely to Greg Moyers’ polyrhythmic beats.  It’s a treat to hear “Steady Rollin” Bob Margolin step in with Telecaster guitar in hand for “Big Ass Jug O’ Wine”.  Now that’s the Blues!  

Guitarist Gary Pope aka “the Pope of Shallotte” joins RC and the MoonPie Band to wonderfully bring this gem of an album to a soulful groovy close with their spectacular cover of Calvin Arnold’s 1968 “Funky Way”.   All This is one cool-as-hell album.  It is indeed “all that”.

    

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#350 : Geoff Achison - Sovereign Town

2018 – Landslide Records

By Phillip Smith; Sep. 3, 2018

Sovereign Town, the latest release from Melbourne, Australia recording artist Geoff Achison is exquisite and timeless.  Achison, who was awarded the Albert King Award at the International Blues Challenge in 1995, centers the landscape of this new album during Australian gold rush of 1850.  Recording at Pilgrimage Studio in the historic mining town of Ballarat, Victoria weaves another layer of authenticity and connection into the music.  Joining Achison on this album is Andrew Fry on stand-up bass, drummer Dave Clark, organist Liam Kealy and backing vocalist John McNamara. 

A hint of impending doom lurks as the opening bassline kicks “Skeleton Kiss” off the diving board with an ominous and catchy delivery.  Achison’s melodic, raspy vocals remind me of Mark Knopfler’s on this track.  It truly is a great song to lead the album with.  Achison sings of a man’s journey to find his golden fortune which ends with little more than bad luck and empty pockets in title-track “Sovereign Town”.   The delicate melody and lyrical cadence is very Dylan-esque and draws my attention quite swiftly.  

A beautiful new life is given to Ben Harper’s 1994 forlorn tale of lost love “Walk Away”.   Achison, taking a more rustic approach, fills the song with a ton of heart and soul.  “Misha Bella”, a smooth jazz instrumental showcases Achison’s guitar prowess and sounds so good.  “Small Time Crime” is another catchy-as-hell song.  Achison’s funky guitar riffs have an uncanny way to burying themselves right into my subconscious.  A magnitude of empathy washes over with each listen of “World of Blue”.  It is brilliantly written, and passionately performed.  The way he makes his guitar wail is breathtaking.  

I love this album from start to finish.  Give Sovereign Town a listen.  You won’t regret it.

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#349 : Keeshea Pratt Band - Believe

2018 – KPB

By Phillip Smith; Aug. 25, 2018

It puts a smile on my face each time I experience the soulful energy of Believe, the debut album from the Houston, Texas-based Keeshea Pratt Band.  After one listen, it’s plain to see how they took home the 1^st place award for Best Band in the 2018 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee earlier this year.  Vocalist Keeshea Pratt fronts this band comprised of guitarist Brian Sowell, drummer Nick Fishman, bassist/music director Shawn Allen, trumpeter Misaki Nishidate, trumpeter James Williams III, and saxophonist Dan Carpenter. 

Pratt rolls out a red carpet of Motown-inspired, slow-cooked soul in “Make it Good”.  Her vocals, drenched with pure honest emotion nail every note amid the swirling sounds of keys and bursts of brass.  The sweet sounds of the Mississippi delta take hold in “Home to Mississippi” for some bodacious down-home blues.  Greased with slide guitar and harmonica this track drips with authenticity.  

I’m captivated by the way “I Can’t Stop Now” slowly revs up and masterfully takes off in a turbo-infused fury.  Loaded with power vocals and searing guitar, it absolutely gets the adrenalin pumping.  One of my favorite singers, the legendary late-great Sharon Jones comes to mind, when listening to Pratt fabulously bring it on in the psych-soul power funk track “Out of My Mind”.  This magnificent song grabs a Phillycheeze one-hundred percent approval rating.

Pratt’s delightful voice has no boundaries as she takes the listener on a musical journey with this remarkable record called Believe.  This album is highly recommended.        

     

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#348 : Micke Bjorklof & Blue Strip - Twentyfive Live at Blues Baltica

2018 – Hokahey! Records

By Phillip Smith; Aug. 18, 2018

In 1991, front man Micke Bjorklof and bassist Seppo Nuolikoski formed Micke Bjorklof & Blue Strip.  With over twenty-five years under their belt, and a few personnel changes this Finnish outfit is now stronger than ever and holds court as a top tier blues band with a global fanbase.  Twentyfive Live at Blues Baltica celebrates those twenty-five years of playing live music with a magnificent twenty-one track double live album recorded at Blues Baltica, the annual four-day blues festival in Eutin, Germany.  Alongside Micke and Seppo, the lineup of the band consists of guitarist Ville “Lefty” Leppänen who has been with the band since 1999, drummer Teemu Vuorela, and percussionist/MalletKAT master Timo Roiko-Jokela.

Firing smoothly on all cylinders, the band nicely starts off with “Jack the Black Hat” from their 2014 studio album, After the Flood.  With a tremendous jazzy groove, they splendidly cover the sultry title track to that album as well.  I love the hoodoo inspired “Ray Needs a Mojo Hand”.  It captivates me with every listen.  A couple of very cool blues covers land on disc one too: “5-10-15 Hours”, originally recorded by Ruth Brown, and a ripping celebration of “Honey Hush” which is loaded with lots of hot juicy harp.  “Honey Hush” was originally recorded and co-written by Lowell Fulsom as “Talkin’ Woman”. The song was later covered by the blues-master Albert Collins who recorded it as “Honey Hush” to place on his 1978 LP Ice Pickin’.  Lefty gives a smokin’ guitar performance on this final song of the first disc.  

The second disc opens with ”In Chains” a heart-wrenching blues ballad off Bjorklof’s 2015 studio album Ain’t Bad Yet.  “Gumbo Mama” is a fun and funky treat with a Red Hot Chili Peppers vibe.  Teemu nicely rolls the red carpet out for “Killer Woman” a twangy head-banger that rips it up in a classic rockabilly form.  It segues perfectly right into the next song, dedicated to the great, late Son House, “Ramblified” which is an incredible performance packed with lots of amazing slide guitar.  Twentyfive Live beautifully comes to a close with “Sweet Dream’s a Sweet Dream” a soulfully delicate tune which brings to mind the music of Tommy Bolin. 

Until I actually get to experience a Micke Bjorklof & Blue Strip concert in person, I’m more than happy to have Twentyfive Live at Blues Baltica to enjoy.  It’s fabulous.        

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Follow the links below to read previous PhillyCheeze reviews for Micke Bjorklof and Blue Strip :         

Micke Bjorklof & Blue Strip - Ain’t Bad Yet

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2015/11/micke-bjorklof-blue-strip-aint-bad-yet.html

Micke Bjorklof & Blue Strip - After the Flood

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2014/08/micke-bjorklof-blue-strip-after-flood.html

Southpaw Steel ‘n’ Twang - Stat(u)e of Mind  (w/ Ville “Lefty” Leppänen)

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2016/01/southpaw-steel-n-twang-statue-of-mind.html

Southpaw Steel ‘n’ Twang - Hale’s Pleasure Railway  (w/ Ville “Lefty” Leppänen and Micke Bjorklof)

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2014/09/southpaw-steel-n-twang-hales-pleasure.html

           

#346 : Savoy Brown - You Should Have Been There!

2018 – Panache Records

By Phillip Smith; Aug. 11, 2018

Savoy Brown’s latest album, You Should Have Been There! is a colossal dose of live electric blues. Originally recorded in February of 2003 at The Yale in Vancouver, this album features front-man Kim Simmonds joined by guitarist David Malachowski, bassist Gerry Sorrentino, and drummer Dennis Cotton.  Loaded with lots of extended jams, this delightful six-pack of songs gives a solid hours’ worth of listening.     

The record opens with some serious hard-driving blues with “When it Rains” off the 2003 Strange Dreams album. Simmonds then dovetails “Where Has Your Heart Gone?” in quite nicely for an exquisite eleven and a half minutes of intoxicating slow jam and guitar play.  From one of my favorite Savoy Brown albums, 1970’s Looking In, we hear the funky blues of “Poor Girl” which spins the tale of a young woman who’s fled the country life to be surrounded by the bright lights of the big city which chews her up and eventually spits her out.  I love how Simmonds lets loose on guitar with this one.  It’s an absolutely searing performance. You Should Have Been There! closes with the ominous 1972 “Hellbound Train” which boasts an amazing guitar solo from Malachowski. 

The energy of this performance certainly transcends through to the recording. You should have been there.  I should have been there.  We all should have been there.             

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Links below for PhillyCheeze reviews for Savoy Brown / Kim Simmonds :      

Kim Simmonds and Savoy Brown - Goin’ to the Delta

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2014/02/kim-simmonds-and-savoy-brown-goin-to.html

           

Kim Simmonds and Savoy Brown - The Devil to Pay

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2015/11/kim-simmonds-and-savoy-brown-devil-to.html

           

Kim Simmonds - Jazzin’ on the Blues

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2017/09/kim-simmonds-jazzin-on-blues.html

           

Savoy Brown - Witchy Feelin’

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

#345 : Bruce Katz Band - Get Your Groove!

2018 – American Showplace Music

Release Date :  July 20, 2018

By Phillip Smith; Aug. 4, 2018

I never tire of listening to the wonderful Bruce Katz performing his magic on the keys.  Whether playing with his own band or alongside greats such as Gregg Allman or Butch Trucks, Katz always brings his A-game. This album is no exception.  Get Your Groove is a treasure trove of keyboard-centric blues and jazz loaded with surprising and tasty jams.  With Chris Vitarello holding down the fort on vocals and guitar, Matt Raymond keeps the bassline going on half the tracks on bass.  Drums are supplied by Ray Hangen, with the highly-esteemed Jaimoe (Allman Brothers Band) joining him on three of them.

Hangen nicely rolls the album in with a quick cool beat to lead in “Hesitation Blues”.  The magnificent sound of B3 and a bluesy bassline is topped with Vitarello’s suave vocals and stellar guitar licks.  This track makes for a splendid opener.  “Freight Train” travels a more jazzy direction.  This cosmic instrumental, guided by the Hangen and Raymond is full of surprises and hands-down terrific. Vitarello shines brightly on guitar.

Katz blends acoustic piano with the swirling sounds of B3 on the beautiful and relaxed-paced instrumental “River Blues”.  Raymond lays down a sweet acoustic bassline which adds a deep layered tone to the song.  Another wonderful instrumental “Zone 3” is plumb buttery and saturated in blues. The performance is tight and smack dab right in the pocket.  I absolutely love it.

Rightfully named, Get Your Groove contains eleven tracks made to get your groove on.  It’s a fun one indeed.

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Click below to read the PhillyCheeze review of : Bruce Katz Band - Homecoming  

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2014/11/bruce-katz-band-homecoming.html     

#340 : Whitney Shay - A Woman Rules the World

2018 – Little Village Foundation

Release Date: August 1, 2018

By Phillip Smith; July 7, 2018

Recorded at the acclaimed Greaseland Studios in San Jose, California and produced by Christopher “Kid” Andersen, A Woman Rules the World, Whitney Shay’s latest album is her first in six years.  This landmark recording surrounds the riveting vocalist with an outstanding group of musicians whose appearance includes Kid Andersen (guitar, bass, sitar, and Wurlitzer) , Jim Pugh (organ, piano) “Sax” Gordon Beadle (saxophones), Kedor Roy (upright and electric bass), and Alex Pettersen (drums).    

The album begins with the sweet sound of horns, and a huge splash of Detroit soul in “Ain’t No Weak Woman”.  Shay’s smooth and sultry vocals sound great on this funky original. This rolls quite nicely into a jaw-dropping performance of Dinah Washington’s “Blues Down Home”.  It’s absolutely fabulous.  “Love’s Creeping Up on You”, another original from Shay is rooted in the Memphis sound.   Andersen seems to channel B.B. King on guitar, while the rest of the crew takes a cruise down McLemore Avenue, for more of a Stax Records vibe.  Pettersen gives a brilliant execution on drums to boot.

Shay soulfully sings title track “A Woman Rules the World” an exquisite selection by the legendary blues master Denise LaSalle, who sadly passed away earlier this year.  Then there’s the rousing rendition of Little Denise’s “Check Me Out”.  Slathered in old school funk, this smash hit written by the great Jimmy McCracklin oozes with groovy goodness.

Paying homage to one of the greatest Rock and Roll legends ever, Shay and company let loose an amazing cover of Little Richard’s “Freedom Blues” off his 1970 album Rill Thing.  They then rip it up on “Get Down With It” from his 1966 album The Wild and Frantic Little Richard to bring this wonderful album to its conclusion.

A Woman Rules the World is full of everything a music lover wants in an album: great songs, a spectacular voice, and an amazingly tight band.  I love every bit of it.   

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For more information about Whitney Shay, visit her website :  https://www.whitneyshay.com/home

#335 : Fantastic Negrito - Please Don’t Be Dead

2018 – Cooking Vinyl

Release Date : June 15, 2018

By Phillip Smith; June 2, 2018

Please Don’t Be Dead is one of the most exciting albums to be released this year.  I’ve been a fan of Fantastic Negrito (Xavier Amin Dphrepaulezz) since viewing the C-Store Session videos on YouTube in 2015, and I loved The Last Days of Oakland album which was released in 2016.  The title of his latest record, Please Don’t Be Dead, refers to the underlying fear a parent holds for the future of their children in a world filled with school shootings, opioid addictions, and homelessness.  

The album wonderfully ignites with an infectious guitar riff backed with a captivating beat on “Plastic Hamburgers”, an anthem about the need for due change.  Fantastic Negrito has a genuine gift of sparking moments of inward enlightenment in his songs.  With “Bad Guy Necessity”, he sheds light on the age-old craft of misdirection in a Prince/Beatles kind of way, and how it’s used by those in power to create an enemy which only they can eradicate. 

A gut-wrenching response to gun violence and mass shootings is revealed in his “Letter to Fear”.  This beautiful song, delicately steeped in blues and bathed in swirling sounds of organ is elegantly sung.  Funk and gospel are cleverly woven together in “The Suit That Won’t Come Off”, a song about feeling isolated from the world.  Fantastic Negrito paints a dire portrait of that place in our minds where we often flee to in the darkest of times.  Then he sings a song of apology to those he’s offended or wronged while in that place on a “Cold November Street”. 

I dig the hard-hitting hook busting loose on “The Duffler”, and how it smoothly navigates its way through a sweet, galactic groove. The album comes to a close in a huge P-Funk-style presence with “Bullshit Anthem”.  The song is slathered in funk and gushing with attitude.  It is a sheer delight.  On the topic of P-Funk, I recently read that  the Godfather of Funk George Clinton plans to retire in 2019.  Although, it will be most sad to see him depart, I would love to see Fantastic Negrito pilot the mothership when that time comes. He definitely has what it takes.

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#328 : Reverend Freakchild -Dial It In

2018 – Treated and Released Records

By Phillip Smith; April 7, 2018

Dial It In, the third album from the good Reverend Freakchild is absolutely fabulous.  Most often with a National steel guitar in hand, his brand of blues and blues-rock is incredibly unique, outstanding, and at times a bit psychedelic.  For this album, Freakchild enlists drummer Chris Parker (Bob Dylan, Joe Cocker, Paul Butterfield) and guitarist Hugh Pool who also recorded and mixed the album.

The record softly cracks open with a mostly instrumental, backwoods, swampy blues track “Opus Earth”.  Accented with backwards guitar, a hypnotic beat, and spiritual chants, this amazing track lets the listener know they are in for a unique listening experience.  Freakchild delectably covers Depeche Mode with a nice and greasy blues-soaked arrangement of “Personal Jesus (on the Mainline)”. With Pool blowing harp, and Freakchild providing the suave velvety vocals and twang, this version totally demolishes the original.  Guitarist Mark Karan and bassist Robin Sylvester, both from Ratdog guest on “Hippie Bluesman Blues”. They instill a delightful deadhead vibe into this country-blues original.

The soulful rhythm in “Dial It In” coupled with Freakchild’s fast-paced prose draws me in with a firm grasp.  Spirited backing vocals from the lovely Hazel Miller join with Garrett Dutton’s (G Love and Special Sauce) for a rejoicing funky good time.  With Jay Collins boldly belting it out on saxophone, Freakchild fearlessly takes on Dylan’s “It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)” in a marvelous no-holds barred performance. A wonderful tribute to Blind Willie Johnson is exhibited in a “Soul of Man”, before the good Rev takes us home with the cosmic closer “Opus Space” for a grand finale.  And to this, I say “Amen Brother, Amen!”.            

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Click below to read the PhillyCheeze review of  : Reverend Freakchild - Illogical Optimism

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2016/06/reverend-freakchild-illogical-optimism.html

      

#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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#326 : Ten Second Pistol - You Have No Power Over Me

2018 – Zeven Music Entertainment

By Phillip Smith; March 24, 2018

Ten Second Pistol packs a hard-hitting punch with their delightful and raw debut album, You Have No Power Over Me.  Benny Chang, front man of this up-and-coming blues-rock band out of El Paso, Texas connects with the listener using attention-grabbing guitar riffs and suave smoky vocals.  Alongside Chang is his rhythm section composed of bassist Davis Alexander and drummer Manny Ayala.  They’re a tight outfit indeed.  

Fueled by searing guitar licks and a dire mood, Chang spotlights the slow-baked break-up blues ballad “Get To Steppin’” with a fabulous heart-wrenching performance reminiscent of Tom Waits.  Elegantly played and thought provoking, “Like A Bird” takes a cold hard look at the world today.  It’s quite outstanding.  A buttery electric groove forges the way for a captivating hypnotic listen in “Hold On”.  Riding atop a steady pounding beat, Chang breaks out his slide for the swampy and deliciously ominous “Got No Love”.  This leads right into the powerful blues ballad, “She Left Me”, which splendidly brings the album to its end.  Beautifully played and with no accompaniment, Chang invokes a retro juke-joint vibe with this wonderful blues-soaked track.

When I’ve listened to You Have No Power Over Me, I feel like I’ve actually listened to something with substance.  This is what the Blues is all about.    

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#318 : Muddy Gurdy

Muddy Gurdy

2017 – Vizztone

Release Date : 2/2/18

By Phillip Smith; Feb. 3, 2018

Muddy Gurdy is absolutely one of the most interesting blues albums I’ve heard in recent years.  Hypnotic Wheels, a trio of French musicians, Tia Gouttebel (guitar/vocals) Gilles Chabenat (hurdy-gurdy) and Marc Glomeau (percussion) embarked on a journey to the hills of North Mississippi to record with local blues artists who are tightly connected to the fabulous music of their elders.  The recordings were made using a hurdy-gurdy as a second guitar and captured with an eight-microphone preamp and computer in someone’s house, porch, front yard, or historic landmark such as Dockery Farms or B.B. King’s Club Ebony.  From Mississippi, the contributing artists are Cedric Burnside, Shardé Thomas, Cameron Kimbrough, and Pat Thomas.

I love the homage to R.L Burnside, with the wonderfully hypnotic cover of “Goin’ Down South” and the driving beat of “See My Jumper Hanging on the Line”.  It’s in these two tracks that the wonder of the hurdy-gurdy is revealed.  Its swampy slide-like sound magically lends itself to trance blues music in a very fitting fashion.  Cedric Burnside, grandson to R.L appears with acoustic guitar in hand and mic for a beautiful performance.  He pays a wonderful tribute to his late brother Cody Burnside on “That Girl is Bad”, and hangs around for a tantalizing cover of Muddy Waters’ “Rollin’ and Tumblin’”.

Muddy Gurdy explores fife and drum music with Shardé Thomas.  Thomas gives a delicate vocal and fife performance on “Station Blues”, a song by her grandfather and fife-master Otha Thomas.  Her delivery of the traditional “Glory Glory Hallelujah” is stunning.   

It’s a real treat to hear Cameron Kimbrough, tearing it up on guitar while singing his grandfather Junior’s “Leave Her Alone”.  The rolling rhythm pulls me right in to its vortex of sound.  Cameron inherently keeps the swirling melodic framework in place for his own original tune, “Gonna Love You”.  Pat Thomas’ “Dream” is downright extraordinary.  Sung and strummed by the son of James “Son” Thomas at the Highway 61 Museum in Leland, Mississippi, this folk-country blues song is a prime example of the inner-beauty of music.

         

At Dockery Farms, Gouttebel takes the vocal reins on Hypnotic Wheels’ rendition of Mississippi Fred McDowell’s classic “Shake ‘em on Down” which is followed up with a mesmerizing cover of Charles Singleton’s “Help the Poor”, first recorded by B.B King in 1964.   

I highly recommend this album, especially for fans of the North Mississippi Hill Country Blues. 

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#317 : Hamilton Loomis - Basics

2017 – Ham-Bone Music

By Phillip Smith; Jan. 28, 2018

Listening to Hamilton Loomis always puts me in a fantastic mood.  His latest release, Basics, is no exception.  Ditching the double-entendres he’s been known for in the past, Loomis states he wants to get back to the basics on this album, taking on more direct and personal lyrics with more stripped down instrumentation and simpler melodies.  With that being said, this album is jam-packed with a truckload full of bluesy guitar riffs and rich funky grooves.  Joined in the studio by Armando Aussenac on drums, Fabian Hernandez on saxophone, and Sabrina LaField on bass, Loomis takes on just about everything else instrumentally on this thirteen track album: guitars, bass, harmonica, and keys. 

From the beginning, Loomis has me bouncing off the walls with the highly infectious rhythm on “Sugar Baby”.  LaField sings this with a lot of soul, as Loomis’ sweet guitar riffs are nicely topped with dabs of blues harmonica.  Loomis dedicated this track to Congenital Hyperinsulinism International, an organization whose purpose is researching and supporting families affected by this rare disease his three year old son was diagnosed with.  

The groove keeps going strong through “If I Would’ve” as Loomis reflects upon his past decisions with second thoughts.  “Candles and Wine” has a bit of Stevie Wonder influence.  Its rich R&B melody and Loomis’ silky smooth vocals stand out front.  The funk that pumps through “Cloudy Day” instantly puts a smile on my face.  It is counter-balanced by the pining lyrics of long-distance love.  Hernandez kicks it into high gear on sax.  I love every bit of it.  Welcome to the roadhouse when Chris Eger steps in with slide guitar on the monster blues-rocker “Ain’t What it Ain’t”.  It sounds great alongside Loomis’ wailing harmonica.

Loomis certainly achieved what he was trying to do with this album, bringing things back to the basics.  I like this new direction a lot.   

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In 2012, I reviewed Hamilton Loomis' DVD Live at the Hub for Blues Review Magazine's online presence BluesWax, which no longer exists.  In 2015,  I archived the review on my blog.  You can read that review by clicking on the following link. 

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2015/01/hamilton-loomis-band-live-at-hub-dvd.html

        

     

#315 : Michelle Malone - Slings & Arrows

2018 –SBS Records

Release Date : March 02, 2018

By Phillip Smith; Jan 20, 2018

Three decades after recording her first album New Experience in 1988, Georgia songstress/guitarist Michelle Malone is releasing her fifteenth studio album, Slings & Arrows.  This bodacious record, smothered in southern rock and hard-edged blues, is loaded with lyrics so sharp, they cut to the bone.  I’m captivated right from the start.  With Malone on vocals, guitars, harmonica, and mandolin, her band consists of Doug Kees on electric guitar, bassist Robby Handley (Larkin Poe), drummer Christopher Burroughs, and percussionist Trish Land.  The album contains nine original songs and a fascinating cover of Otis Redding’s “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” which was performed as a duet with Shawn Mullins.          

I happily soak up the wonderful Sixties soul doused over “Sugar on My Tongue”.  Malone’s vocals are smooth as glass, and take on a Motown persona, while the band is holding court in a Memphis Stax fashion.  It sounds great.  The foot-stomping, hill country blues of “Beast’s Boogie” cradles me in its dancing hypnotic rhythm.  Malone tops this favorite with a big juicy scoop of harmonica and a delicious side of slide.  I love how “Civil War” begins so delicately and magnificently evolves into a full-fledge southern rock head-banger.  A feeling of melancholy washes over as Malone beautifully sings from the bottom of a broken heart in “The Flame”.  It’s an amazing song indeed.  In fact, the whole album is plumb terrific.