New Releases -
February 2001
Glamour Puss Electric & Alive Glamour Puss 50891/Tidemark
A live album is obviously the perfect vehicle for this band - especially one as well-recorded as this one, capturing a hard-touring band at a home town peak. As if that wasn't enough, all the songs but one are new to their albums; most bands would treat a live album as a "greatest hits" package, hoping familiarity will take the mistake-potential lower. Not this band. The occasion was last September's Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival and now you at home can join the appreciative fans there and be treated to a fourteen song party. Highlights are the new originals "Bar Room Preacher", "All She Left Me Was The Blues", "Caline de Blues", "I'm Still Smokin'" and a fine version of new East Coast resident Morgan Davis' "Easy Money Mumbo Jumbo". Luther Allison's "It's A Blues Thing", "Peter Gunn" and the encore, "Matchbox" among other non-originals, provided some nice variety. Having an especially good night on sax was Don Rogers but he merely stood out slightly from the stellar performances of this veteran lineup. He also contributed synthesizer and lead vocals; Travis Furlong, guitars and lead vocal; Paul Boudreau, bass & lead vocals; Roger Cormier, keyboards & lead vocals and Ron Dupuis, drums round out the credits. Get this one as soon as you can! For more info check out www.glamourpuss.ca.
Tim Williams Live Evenings Among Friends Cayuse 004/Festival
Two evenings in particular with this veteran Calgary bluesman make up this fine new addition to Tim Williams' too-slender discography. On his previous albums, he usually added some subtle accompaniments from other musicians but this time it's just him on stage at the Engineered Air Theatre and at the Kaos Jazz & Blues Bistro, both in Calgary. Apart from it being a live recording, I don't think he approached it any differently than his other albums, a selection of songs from three decades of listening to music and adding his own songs when they were ready. We get some Sleepy John Estes, Lightning Hopkins, some Scrapper Blackwell (Leroy Carr's guitar partner), some more contemporary writers like Delbert McClinton and Willie Dixon. Perhaps surprisingly, The Rolling Stones' "No Expectations" is here but fits right in on the wonderful disc. Four of his own songs round out this permanent record of an evening with Tim Williams for those occasions when he isn't touring near you. Acoustic blues at its finest. His other albums are available through Festival or through www.go.to/twilliamsblues.com.
Livin' Blues Band Got Me Crazy Indie
The second Livin' Blues Band album goes from a program of non-originals to a full complement of originals by the band and its members. The other major change has Mike Fitzpatrick taking over the drum chair with Bill Speer adding vocals to his keyboard duties. Larry Goodhand is of course, still the softspoken guitarist extraordinaire with Bill Lyons on bass. On most of the songs, The Buzz Horns, Rocky Verweel and Simon Wallace, return as well playing some excellent arrangements. It's these new songs that take the proven instrumental abilities of this band to another level. "Lost & Found Blues", "Nevada", "Got Me Crazy" "Road Kill" and "Say A Prayer" are all excellent songs, with very good lyrics and strong arrangements. Bill Speer especially has a talent for writing that bodes well for the future. Get yours at the Silver Dollar on Feb. 23 or visit www.livinblues.com.
Grant Lyle and Brotherhood It's Worth It Indie
The second album by this band sees them in more of a power trio setting than on the first one but with a fistful of band originals and four covers. Lyle excels at any blues guitar style necessary for a song and bassist Scott Brammer and Steve Woods on drums easily provide the solid rhythm support this trio format demands. The title song, the quiet instrumental "Dig" and "Another Mile" stand out of the new ones. Lyle handles the vocals but I found his voice slightly too low in the mix. Available from the band at their regular Sunday night gig at Chicago's or go to http://grantlyleandbrotherhood.iuma.com
.
Jimmy Smith dot com blues Blue Thumb 543 976/Universal
While always agreeing that B3 players like Jimmy Smith are fine musicians, I found it hard to listen to album after album of jazz organ quartets, the sameness of the music being a serious problem. But not here. With the likes of Dr. John, Taj Mahal, Keb' Mo', Etta James and B.B. King helping out on lead vocals and with backup singers and a horn section, this is not just another B3 jazz album. Fortunately it's still a Jimmy Smith album - he's not drowned out by the guests. They do contribute fine songs, though: Dr. John's "Only In It For The Money" makes a fine opener with the Doctor on piano as well. Keb' Mo''s "Over & Over" shows that he can do a fine straight blues when he wants too, although his knack for writing "pop" melodies keeps him from doing it very often. The guest-laden tracks alternate with songs that feature the Smith quartet and these deserve more than a mention. Emerging jazz guitarist Russell Malone is an alumnus of Smith's band returning for this album and he turns in some excellent work, especially on "8 Counts For Rita", "C.C. Rider" and "dot com blues". Reggie McBride and Harvey Mason are on bass and drums respectively and this is the unit that holds everything together. Smith may just have the biggest album of his almost 50 years of recording and maybe we should now go back and listen to some of the earlier ones!
Shakin' Smith Wizard Of The Harmonica Indie
A fixture of the Buffalo/Niagara Falls blues scene for many years now, harp man Shakin' Smith has sent along his first CD. The band is almost always a quartet of harp, guitar, bass and drums but with no recording dates given and various players credited at the instruments, I would guess that the album has been assembled over a period of time. One prominent guest and supporter is Robert Lockwood Jr., who appears on two songs: the instrumental "Chess Piece" and "Sweet Little Girl". There is no misleading or false advertising in the title, this man can play his harps. And write songs - the fourteen songs here are all originals but traditional in style, with lyrics that are never trite and with more than adequate vocals. The rest of the band members know this music very well also, they support Smith fabulously-a lesson for other accompanists. If you love 50's style Chicago blues harp, this one's for you and remember that Buffalo is not that far away! Check his website for purchases and gigs: www.shakinsmith.com.
Double Trouble Been A Long Time True North TN 227/Universal
It's hard to believe that this is the first album under their own name for one of the most famous rhythm sections in blues. Tommy Shannon, bass, and Chris Layton, drums and percussion, first came into view as Johnny Winter's band in the late sixties but truly achieved recognition playing behind Stevie Ray Vaughan. Admittedly, though, if you don't sing and only play bass and drums, it is much harder to get noticed and in that sense this album is a collection (a good one, mind you) of guest star performances with only a rhythm section and a loose unity of style in common. The guests are most often from the Austin area, with Malford Milligan, late of Storyville; Charlie Sexton of various aggregations; Doyle Bramhall II; Kenny Wayne Shepherd; Jimmy Vaughan; Lou Ann Barton and Danny Freeman all involved in one or more songs. The only ringers are Boston's Susan Tedeschi and our own Gordie Johnson. Gordie's "Groundhog Day", from Big Sugar's self-titled first album, gets a vocal from Jonny Lang and a guitar solos from Gordie. The last song, "Baby, There's No One Like You" features a Dr. John vocal and a Willie Nelson guitar solo. Vaughan and Barton team up for a fine version of Johnny 'Guitar' Watson's "In The Middle Of The Night" for another highlight. Double Trouble will apparently be in town for a Big Sugar date this month, so check the papers. Double Trouble's website is www.doubletroublemusic.com.
Honeyboy Edwards Mississippi Delta
Bluesman Smithsonian Folkways SFW 40132/KOCH
Honeyboy Edwards is 86 years old this year and performing as a member of The Delta Blues Cartel with Robert Lockwood(86), Homesick James(95 or older) and Henry Townsend(91). They've performed at The Chicago Blues Festival, in New York at B.B. King's and will perform at Bishopstock in England this year. A delightful collection of remembrances by all four is in the current issue of Blues Access(#44). I mention this because the newest release for Honeyboy is this re-issue of a long out-of-print LP on Folkways that shows why he should be in such august company. The album captures an all acoustic blues session in New York in 1979 with an interview segment and includes lengthy, informative notes by blues scholar Barry Lee Pearson. This valuable package discusses each of the thirteen songs and places them in the blues tradition. Now all we need is recording of Honeyboy and The Delta Blues Cartel.
Holmes Brothers Speaking In Tongues Alligator ALCD 4877/Warner Music
Gospel music has always been an essential part of the Holmes Brothers sound, even when performing blues and other styles of music. With Speaking In Tongues, for the first time the message is all gospel while the sound stays resolutely contemporary. There are three songs by Ben Harper
(including his "Homeless Child which Harper calls his only blues) and one from Bob Dylan's Christian period ("Man Of Peace") along with four originals, including the title song. Producer Joan Osborne makes it all sound wonderful and helps with backing vocals throughout; her connection and enthusiasm goes back to her having hired the band to back her on a tour opening for Dylan. This may be a gospel album but if you've heard the Holmes Brothers at all, you need this one.Roy Buchanan/Johnny Winter Deluxe Editions Alligator ALCD 5608 & 9/Warner Music
Two more additions to the "Deluxe" part of the Alligator catalogue. These two guitar heroes have not been heard from much of late. Buchanan's albums have not been heard much since his passing and Johnny Winter seems in semi-retirement. These should help stir up some interest. Both are drawn from the three Alligator albums recorded in the mid '80's and the selection is a fine one. Each contains two outtakes from those sessions and wonderfully updated sound. Just slide these in and discover that they have not dated at all.
- John Valenteyn, jayvee@ican.net
Toronto Blues Society Copyright _ 2001