All photos by Phillip Smith
Sunday, June 19, 2016
Voice of Cedar Lake live at Irish District Music and Arts Festival 6/18/16
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
By Phillip Smith; June 19,
2016
Blue skies and warm weather
set the perfect stage for a day of music and relaxation at the seventh annual
Irish District Music and Arts Festival, which took place on June 18th. The Voice
of Cedar Lake, composed of guitarist Craig
Erickson, vocalist Alicia Strong,
bassist John Hall, keyboardist Tom “T-Bone” Giblin, and drummer Jon
Wilson took the stage first, opening up for the great Eric Gales.
Erickson
kicked things off with one of my favorite songs from his Sky Train Galaxy album, “Mojo in Memphis”. Soon afterwards the band broke out the funk
and tore into a groovy performance of Rufus
and Chaka Kahn’s “Tell Me Something Good”.
Strong’s vocals were powerful
and perfect. Strong belted out more sweet and soulful vocals as the band doled
out a rousing cover of Buddy Mile’s “Them
Changes”. I loved the bluesy spin they
put on the Bob Marley classic “No
Woman No Cry”, as well as the clever mash-up with the Five Stairsteps’ 1970 top-ten hit “O-o-h Child”. Delbert
McClinton’s “Standing on Shaky Ground” was a real treat, highlighted by an
outstanding performance by Hall on
his seven string bass, and Giblin on
organ. Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground” immediately followed, keeping the
groove afloat and the audience on cloud nine.
Watching these musicians in
action makes me proud to live in a community which not only has a wealth of
great talent, but through appreciation of live music, is able to retain these
talented artists we get so much enjoyment from.
All Photos by Phillip Smith
Craig Erickson |
Craig Erickson / John Hall |
John Hall |
Craig Erickson |
John Hall / Tom 'T-Bone' Giblin |
Alicia Strong |
Alicia Strong |
Jon Wilson |
Voice of Cedar Lake |
Alicia Strong |
Craig Erickson |
Craig Erickson / Alicia Strong |
John Hall |
Saturday, June 18, 2016
Dylan Wickens & The Grand Naturals - Hi Lo-Fi
2015 – Dylan Wickens
& The Grand Naturals
By Phillip Smith; June 18, 2016
Hi Lo-Fi, the wonderfully bluesy sophomore release from Dylan Wickens and The Grand Naturals is a delightful listen. This rockin’ trio from Ontario consists of guitarist Wickens, drummer Al Webster(Jeff Healey, Colin James), and bassist Dennis Pinhorn(Downchild).
There’s a cool little SRV vibe going on “Love & Lust”. It’s fun, funky and infectious. “Run Sister” gets down and dirty, with intense
grooves fueled by fuzzy guitar riffs, and heaping dose of hot harp from Tortoise Blue. I love the retro blues sound of “Calamity
Jane”. The organ accompaniment from Blue adds a nice touch too. By the time “Fall Apart” comes around, I’m
jamming out in full force. This psychedelic
treat is a powerhouse. Another favorite,
“Rock Bottom” is slathered in heavy electric blues with a strong Hendrix influence. It is almost trance-inducing.
Wickens also delivers a big mess of bodacious
slide in the cover of “In My Time of Dying”. It is grand.
This is an album I could
listen to all day long. Hi Lo-Fi is a sure-fire winner.
for more info about Dylan Wickens & the Grand Naturals, visit their website... http://www.dylanwickens.ca/
for more info about Dylan Wickens & the Grand Naturals, visit their website... http://www.dylanwickens.ca/
Saturday, June 11, 2016
Bill Durst - Good Good Lovin
2015 – Durstwerks
By Phillip Smith; June 11, 2016
Good Good Lovin, the latest from Canadian bluesman Bill Durst (Thundermug), is one hell of a treat. With bassist Joe DeAngelis and drummer Corey Thompson at his side, Durst is serving up some of the tastiest Texas-style guitar blues and boogie I’ve heard. The album features nine original kick-ass tracks co-written by Durst and DeAngelis, of which most sport a strong ZZ Top vibe.
The music hits the ground
running with title track “Good Good Lovin”.
Durst dishes out fuzzy riffs and
groovy licks as this infectious song races along, hammering the listener’s
adrenal glands into submission. “Got
Love” keeps the energy levels high with call-backs to early Led Zeppelin. Durst’s
gravelly vocals sound so cool as he’s ripping it up on guitar in the
outstanding power shuffle “King Snake Prowl”. His slide guitar on “Heaven Heaven” sounds mighty
sweet too.
I could listen to Durst play
guitar all day long and not tire. Good
Good Lovin is an instant favorite which needs no time to warm up to. Fans of ZZ
Top should strongly consider picking a copy of this album up.
For more info on Bill Durst, visit his website http://www.billdurst.com/
Saturday, June 4, 2016
Peter Kelly - Don’t Let Me Be Alone
2015 – Peter Kelly Music
By Phillip Smith; June 4, 2016
Rich poppy melodies and dark poignant lyrics are the focus of Peter Kelly’s album Don’t Let Me Be Alone. The ten original songs from this New York singer/songwriter are smart and all beautifully performed by Kelly himself. “Live The Dream” sweetly ushers the listener in with lush vocals and swirling rhythms. Following is the quirky anthem for codependents ”Don’t Let Me Be Alone”, in which Kelly keeps things flowing with contagious hooks. Irony is king in “Suicidal”. This upbeat ditty about cloaking suicidal thoughts with fake smiles is infectious and clever. It is one of my favorites. Kelly blends rap and pop, topped off with melodic vocals, for “Tailwind (It’s a Beautiful Day)”, a song I love to start the day with.
Don’t Let Me Be Alone is a terrific listen from beginning to end, and comes
highly recommended.
Reverend Freakchild - Illogical Optimism
2016 – Treated and
Released Records
By Phillip Smith; June 4, 2016
For those looking for a new spiritual leader, I’d like to recommend the good Reverend Freakchild. His latest album, Illogical Optimism is three discs of musical fun. The first disc is Odds, Ends and Other Amazingness. It features fifteen blues and boogie-laced tracks that make me grin from ear to ear. The second disc, Everything is New, contains a dozen stand-out remixes of Freakchild’s own “Everything is New”. Lastly, the third disc is called Kairos, and contains acoustic gospel blues songs from a former Florida preacher who goes by the name of Ramblin’ Jennings.
The Rev interestingly gives John Lennon’s “Imagine” the Lou Reed treatment. This is one cool track indeed. The good times roll as he takes on the Meters’ bayou-boogie classic ”Hey Pocky
A-Way”. I love Freakchild’s rendition of Blind
Lemon Jefferson’s look at mortality, “See That My Grave is Kept Clean”. This one stellar blues song. Freakchild brings the first disc to a
close with a splash of weirdness and creativity in the gonzo inspired “Plastic
Jesus Working On a Building”, which uses the traditional songs “Plastic Jesus”
and “Working On a Building” as bookends to contain a myriad of random sounds
and song-bits.
On disc number two, in which
all the tracks are variants of the same song, Freakchild is careful to give each track a unique and distinct sound. Drummer
Chris Parker lays down a trippy beat
for Freakchild to break the funk out
ala George Clinton style in my
favorite track, “Once Upon a Time Called Right Now”. I also really like the hillbilly version “Alla
Gotta Na’” too. Co-producer Sal Paradise lends his breath and
harmonica as the Rev breaks out the banjo.
For the multi-linguist, Freakchild
also includes both French and German versions.
The third and final disc features
eight tracks from a different reverend.
Armed with just a guitar and harmonica, Ramblin’ Jennings shares the gospel by playing the blues, and he
does it with a lot of heart, soul, and authenticity. Stand-out songs include”Safe in the Storm”, “I
Saw A Wheel”, and “Silver Sandals”.
Give the Reverend Freakchild a listen. You will not be disappointed.
Saturday, May 28, 2016
Sam Morrow - There Is No Map
2016 – Forty Below
Records
By Phillip Smith; May 28, 2016
Sam Morrow’s debut album Ephemeral was one of my favorites of 2014, therefore, I was most curious to hear the new songs on his latest release There Is No Map. As expected, the new album revealed to be another masterpiece. With poetic beauty and brutal honesty, Morrow explores the not-so-glamorous gonzo journeys his modern-day outlaw life has taken.
The soulful boogie-laced tale
of destitution and addiction in “Barely Holding On” is a sure-fire hit. Like a freight train, the songs keep fearlessly
rolling. I get goose bumps when I hear “The
Deaf Conductor”, written by the album’s producer Eric Corne. Accompanied by
the lush and beautifully textured sounds of a B3, this one has an instant
familiarity to it. I feel as if I’ve
heard this song a hundred times before. Then
there’s the swirling, melancholy, country-flavored dirge “Green”, in which Morrow, like a burdened Buddha sings “The
same old bullshit don’t make the grass green.”
This one is flawlessly and soulfully performed. The eerie and ominous vibe woven into the
wonderfully dark “Devil’s in the Details” are quick to grab my attention as
well. The song is short, but sweet.
With two strong albums like
these under Morrow’s belt, I already await the next.
Saturday, May 21, 2016
Charlie Faye & The Fayettes
2016 –
By Phillip Smith; May 21, 2016
It’s about time someone took
the bull by the horns to brush the dust off the classic girl group sound so embraced
and adored in the Sixties. Bringing that
luscious sound to life again is Austin singer/songwriter Charlie Faye, who masterfully captures that carefree sound with eleven
brand new original tracks. Her backup
singers, the Fayettes, BettySoo and Akina Adderley both have established and
well-respected solo careers outside this charming trio.
Charlie Faye and the Fayettes start their debut album off with “Green Light”, a soulful
and poppy feel-good treat about blossoming relationships. “Sweet Little Messages”
walks the path between Motown and Memphis, dishing out beautiful harmonies
peppered with Steve Cropper-like
guitar licks. There’s also a huge Stax sound on “Eastside” a lively
dance-inducing track which draws attention to neighborhood gentrification. This groovy track is definitely my favorite.
I love the combined sound of spaghetti-western
surf guitar topped with the trippy psychedelic synth present on “Loving Names”. It’s so hard to believe this is all brand new
music. When Faye sings “Coming Round the Bend” with her swirling and sugary sweet
vocals, it sounds so good. The song
makes me feel nostalgic for the Phil
Spector-produced Ronettes.
It’s refreshing to hear a
brand new take on a sound that’s been out of the spotlight for nearly forty
years. I would definitely like to see music
of this style make a comeback. It has
been put away for far too long.
Sunday, May 15, 2016
Blue Öyster Cult & April Wine - Live @ Riverside Casino, May 14, 2016
May 14, 2016 – Riverside,
Iowa
By Phillip Smith; May 15, 2016
It was a great night for rock
and roll as iconic rock legends Blue
Oyster Cult and April Wine
descended upon Riverside, Iowa to play
a sold-out house at Riverside Casino. Canadian rockers April Wine took the stage first, rolling the show out with
“Anything You Want” off their 1982 Power
Play album. The band is guitarist/vocalist Myles Goodwyn (the only remaining original member left), guitarist Brian Greenway (who has been with the
band since 1977), bassist Richard
Lanthier, and drummer Roy “Nip”
Nichol. After tearing through a very
tight “Sign of the Gypsy Queen” and crowd favorite “Just Between You and Me”,
they laid down the law with “21st Century Schizoid Man”. It was heavy and delicious. Lanthier’s monster bass sounded so good
alongside Myles Goodwyn’s
mind-melting guitar. Lanthier later delivered a killer bass
solo on “Crash and Burn”. Excitement
filled the air as the opening riffs of “I Like to Rock” spill out. Playing hard and heavy, the band was totally
in sync and sounded very nice indeed. Nichol peeled off a tremendous drum
solo, part of which was barehanded. It
was quite impressive. Winding things
down, the guys played “Before the Dawn” and ended the show with “Roller”. I loved the sound of the dual guitar on this
one. It was terrific.
Blue Öyster Cult hit the ground running with a fabulous convergence of guitars on “The
Red and the Black”. Their two original
members, front man/lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist Eric Bloom, and guitarist Buck
Dharma are joined by guitarist Richie
Castellano, drummer Jules Radino,
and bassist Kassim Sulton. BOC delivered deeper cuts such as the
medieval themed “Golden Age of Leather”, and the poppy “True Confessions” prior
to cutting their way through a ripping and fantastically tight “Burning For
You”. From their self-titled 1972 album,
we heard the hypnotically heady “Then Came the Last Days of May”. The performance was mesmerizing and Dharma’s guitar was smoking. Of course, no BOC concert would be complete without the rock and roll anthem
“Godzilla”. Dharma played this iconic
song with precision while Bloom’s vocals
fell right into the pocket. This was
such a treat to hear. Without missing a beat, the set ended with a beautifully
played “Don’t Fear the Reaper”, conjuring up memories of days gone by. Just when the show was thought to be over,
BOC returned for an encore, blessing the audience with one more song, “Cities
on Flame With Rock and Roll”. Sulton’s colossal bassline was played
with true grit as this magnificent song and the evening ended with a barrage of
guitar goodness.
---
Photos
by Phillp Smith
April Wine
May 14, 2016 : Riverside Iowa
Brian Greenway |
Richard Lanthier |
Myles Goodwyn |
Brian Greenway |
Myles Goodwyn |
Brian Greenway |
Myles Goodwyn |
Myles Goodwyn, Richard Lanthier |
Blue Oyster Cult
May 14, 2016 : Riverside Iowa
Eric Bloom |
Eric Bloom & Buck Dharma |
Eric Bloom |
Richie Castellano |
Kasim Sulton & Buck Dharma |
Richie Castellano and Eric Bloom |
Eric Bloom |
Buck Dharma |
Richie Castellano, Eric Bloom, Buck Dharma, and Kasim Sulton |
Saturday, May 14, 2016
Lizanne Knott - Excellent Day
2016 – Proper Music
By Phillip Smith; May 14, 2016
From the first listen of Lizanne Knott’s fourth and latest album,
Excellent Day, I’ve been a little obsessed. Knott’s
lovely vocals beautifully accent her poignant and darkly-tinted lyrics with
grace and precision. Her music cleverly navigates
the listener through a labyrinth built on rock and roll, folk and blues.
Ross Bellenoit’s haunting guitar licks and Erik Johnson’s
determined driving beat create the alluring yet unsettling and ominous mood
which is the constant throughout “I Come For the Kill”. This song of unbridled passion sets the tone
for the rest of the album. “Lay My
Burdon Down” is one hundred percent blues through and through. I love the presence of Steve Martin on banjo and Tom
Hampton on lap steel guitar. That, combined
with a little call and response vocals, exquisitely solidifies this as a favorite.
Things get sultry and spicy
as Knotts sweetly sings the Bourbon
Street-flavored tune “Not This Time”. Trumpeter
Stan Slotter steals a little bit of the
spotlight on this track, which captures a fabulous performance by the band,
made up of guitarist Kevin Hanson, upright
bassist Ken Pendergast, pianist John Conohan , banjo player Glenn Barratt, Hampton on dobro and
mandolin, and Johnson on drums. The cover of the Gershwin penned “It Ain’t Necessarily So” from the folk opera Porgy and Bess, is a sheer delight. Knott
tackles “The Boss”, Bruce Springsteen as
well, steering “Stolen Car” in more of a western and folky direction, making
sure to keep the solemn texture of the original.
Title track “Excellent Day”
is a charming jam-friendly tribute to Knott’s
longtime friend, guitarist Jef Lee
Johnson, who passed away in 2013. Pendergast’s funky bassline and Bellenoit’s tasty guitar licks are
front and center of this boogie-laced number penned by Johnson.
Sign me up for the fan club, as
this is truly a fantastic album.
Saturday, May 7, 2016
Ivor S.K. - Delta Pines
2016 – Ivor
Simpson-Kennedy
By Phillip Smith; May 7, 2016
Delta Pines,
the first release from Australian bluesman Ivor
Simpson-Kennedy aka Ivor S.K. is
a tantalizing taste of down-home acoustic guitar blues. This album features five fresh and original
tracks that absolutely shine.
Engrossing lyrics and Ivor’s subtle guitar prowess on “Help
Poor Me” pull me right into the album, and then the melodious and melancholy “Missus
Green” carries me away. Ivor’s raspy vocals are perfectly
fitted for “I Like the Way”, a song that sounds at home in the Mississippi
Delta. Hearing the call-outs to Willie Dixon, Helena, King Biscuit, and
Clarksdale on title track “Delta
Pines” puts a big warm smile on my face. When it comes time to zone out and
tune in, the go-to song is “Pelican”. This lush instrumental is absolutely beautiful.
Although Delta Pines is a fairly short album, don’t let the size fool
you. It is indeed a very sweet one.
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
Tweed Funk - Come Together
2016 – Tweed Tone Records
By Phillip Smith; May 3, 2016
Give me some great tunes with
a lot of soul and a fistful of funk, and I’ll be perched up in my cat-bird
seat. Spring will be ending soon, and I’ll
be spending more time out on the deck jamming to a super-sized playlist built
around the summer season. Tweed Funk’s latest album, Come Together is surely on my list. It has everything I like, including a smooth
horn section and a retro-Sixties Memphis soul vibe. This Milwaukee six-piece band is composed of lead
singer Joseph “Smokey” Holman, guitarist
JD Optekar, Eric Madunic on keys and bass, drummer Dave Schoepke, saxophonist Andrew
Spadafora, and trumpeter Doug
Woolverton.
“Light Up the Night” is an excellent
high-energy number to kick the album off with.
It really gets the blood pumping, with its ear-catching bassline, and
infectious groove. By the time the fun
and funky instrumental “Who is This” rolls through, I’m looking all around for
my dancing shoes. The same goes with the
sensational “Love Ain’t Easy”. This one
tears the roof off in style and puts an enormous smile on my face with its bodacious
bassline, and dazzling horns.
I just let the music soak in
when I hear “Muse” and “Sweet Music” back to back. Both are bathed in a delicious old-skool Stax soul sound, reminiscent of the Mar-Keys. Optekar
pours it on Steve Cropper-style,
and of course, I can’t help but think of the Memphis Horns when Woolverton
and Spadafora do their thing. Holman’s
silky and tender vocals bring great depth to the somber and beautifully written
“Bullet”. It almost brings tears to my eyes.
Come Together
has everything going for it. Tweed Funk
scores huge on this fantastic album.
Sunday, April 24, 2016
Tasha Taylor - Honey For the Biscuit
2016 – Ruf Records
By Phillip Smith; Apr 24, 2016
Tasha Taylor,
daughter of Stax legend, Johnnie Taylor has found her sweet spot
for making music. Her latest and third
album, Honey For the Biscuit, is a wondrous cache of rhythm and blues with a whole lot of soul. The core band she has put together is quite
the ensemble. It includes bassist Nathan Watts (Stevie Wonder),
guitarists John Notto and Jon Taylor, pianist/keyboardist Don Wyatt, percussionist Mujungo Jackson, and Gerry Brown, Ronald Bruner and Stanley
Randolph on drums. In addition, Taylor utilizes a full brass section.
The retro Motown vibe and lush sound of the horns
in “Wedding Bells” quickly grab my attention.
Taylor’s voice gets sultry
while Wyatt and Watts keep the rhythm in a borderline trans-inducing state, keeping
me hypnotized for the duration of the song.
Taylor draws me in deeper with “Places I Miss”, a song about yearning to
break free from a harmful relationship.
A song that puts a smile on
my face is the light and bluesy “Family Tree”, with special guest Keb Mo appearing, guitar and microphone
in hand. This eloquent ditty gets stuck
in my head every time I hear it. Keb is not the only special guest who
appears on this album. Robert Randolph sits in on the spirited
“Little Miss Suzie” livening things up with his unique style on lap steel
guitar. In “Leave That Dog Alone”, Taylor tackles the Blues with full
force, enlisting the fiery Samantha Fish,
who gives a ripping performance on guitar.
Then, Taylor also shakes it
on down with Tommy Castro, who lends
vocals to the funky “Same Old Thing”.
According to Taylor, Honey For the Biscuit was three years in the making, and I believe
it. The writing and composition of each
of the thirteen tracks are reflective of a whole lot of heart and soul. Taylor shines as songwriter and singer
both.
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