November
2002
David
Wilcox Rockin' the Boogie Stony Plain SPCD 1283/Warner
The use of "Rockin' the Boogie" by Jamie Sale & David Pelletier for their internationally-televised gold-medal-winning Olympic skating performance inspired this new re-packaging of Wilcox's greatest hits. If I sound slightly jaded it's because this is another case of a fantastically talented artist striving mightily to spark the next level of fame & fortune with material and talent that more than deserve it. (This makes him a Canadian artist by definition.) To his great credit, these collections usually contained a couple of new songs, three in this case, and they show his muse to be fully intact. The title song was one of the new ones on Greatest Hits Too in 1997. These additional songs make album counts a little misleading but his web site lists seven albums of original material and now six collections, many of which have sold well enough to have staved off deletion but not well enough to be easily found in stores. I hope this Stony Plain CD ensures that you have some in your collection. I would also like to recommend it if you think you already have enough. First and foremost, it effectively surveys the blues side of his bar band style a reality he acknowledges in the new songs. They are "Rock Me", a stunning version of the Muddy Waters tune, "Can't Stop Rockin'", the acknowledgement of his past and "Dr. Wilcox", a re-worked slide blues rocker in the style of "Preachin' the Blues" and a couple of others in his storied past. Richard Bell is on piano on two of these and makes me wish he could've been added to the others!
These new songs help make for a rocking blues CD that's very difficult to beat, my only complaint is the omission of "Bad Apple". Check out www.davidwilcoxrocks.com.
YVR3
Mustard and Relics JAG00498/Indie
This acronym stands for Glen Yorga, Johnny V and Andrzej Ryszka, three veteran bluesmen from Alberta. They play bass, guitars and drums respectively and Johnny handles the lead vocals. Mustard and Relics documents a three-year musical union, although their web site now lists the band as touring under the names the Johnny V Trio or JV3. However it's billed, this is power trio blues as it's meant to be played, the group insists on recording live with no overdubs and everything on the line. All the songs are originals by Johnny or co-written with Richard Newell and recorded at various Alberta clubs through the three years. Three, though, are from Johnny V's Blues Allstars and I couldn't help but wonder if the Newell songs were to be used on the Electro-Fi album that he and Johnny were in the process of recording when, sadly, Richard's mother passed away.
Highlights are "I'm Crying", "Missing The Flu", That's All That You Need To Do" and "I Ain't Lying". There is plenty of characteristically inventive guitar playing here and sterling support from Yorga and Ryszka. Most of these songs are mid to uptempo rockers and I hope they get a chance to showcase them here soon because the crowds at these shows clearly loved what they were hearing. Lots of info and links at www.johnnyv.org/yvr3.
Zoe
Chilco Feme Sole Indie
As Zoe points out in the booklet, "Feme Sole" is a legal term from an era when women did not own property independently and she uses it as a definition of the feminine standing alone. The term rather aptly applies to her musical career in that she has largely chosen to go it alone through seven albums now, writing her own material, hiring and recording musicians when necessary and staying away from labels. This time out though, she sticks mostly to jazz and blues in terms of styles and the album hangs together rather better as a result - no mean achievement in a generous, 76-minute program. Of the sixteen songs, fully nine are blues/R&B: "The Blues is Callin'", "Big Blues", "Remedy", "Bar Blues", "I Wanna Hold You", "Pick-up", "The Game of Love", "Willya" and "Mr. Wrong". They would form a fine blues album by themselves and it would be a longer one than some that have been reviewed here, the fine jazz songs would then be a delightful bonus. As for the songs themselves, Zoe writes and sings about love lost, found (however temporarily) and love needed without the listener having the sense of entering a very personal world as I thought was the case with some of the songs on Mbodeo. There is generally a very upbeat tone to the entire effort, aided and abetted by some of our finest players, Chris Whiteley especially shines on guitar, trumpet and harp. By the time you read this, the CD launch will already have happened so you might want to check out www.chilcostreet.ca/zoe for ordering info, poetry and some nice photos.
The Bearcats Maxed Out BCCD 003
This is band of veteran players who work out of Owen Sound and this is their third and easily their best CD. James "Mr. Blues" Wayner handles lead vocals in his usual spirited fashion, is the drummer and wrote the five original tunes here. In a field desperately short of charismatic frontmen (& women), Wayner is the real thing. Kevin Dandeno plays bass with Dan Jeffares on guitar and Dave Fearnall on B3. Rod Ramsay is listed as a special guest on harp and Jeff Salem sits in on drums. The title song is first up and it's a Wayner original that should get patrons up on the dance floor and the rest of the program should keep them there. The band re-energizes Willie Dixon's "You Can't Judge a Book" and Lowell Fulson's "Bending like a Willow Tree".
"Save Your Money Baby" is the kind of song more bands should do, it's very good and sufficiently unknown (by James "Shakey Jake" Harris) to maintain interest. Only "Theme from Peter Gunn", well performed as it is, reminds one that for a long time this band did only covers. Wayner originals "My Baby's Gone", "Woman, You're Hurtin' Me" and "Please Tease Me" can now proudly take their place in the set. Well recorded too, by Jerry Tupis. Their web site is www.thebearcats.com and check them out live if you can. They sometimes play the Black Swan.
Adam
Karch Crossroad Diaries Justin Time JUST 178
A new, "young veteran" of the Quebec club scene debuts with a collection that says file under "Rock/Blues" and that's probably correct. He's a fabulous guitarist in the Colin James mold and a very good songwriter already. He overdoes the vocal histrionics a bit but if you get a chance to hear his minor key blues, "Just About Broken", I think you'll agree. "Did You Get the Latest News" and "We Ain't Goin' Home Tonight" are very good rockers indeed. The middle part of the album dies with some drab pop efforts until "Singing Wind" starts up with a riff from Keith Richards' notebook followed by an excellent instrumental, "Windigo Dance". The CD title is explained in the liner notes by saying that the crossroads is no longer a physical space but "a scar on the imagination's plane", for what its worth.
This young man, though, is someone to watch.
Various
Artists Santa's Got Mojo Electro-Fi 3376/Festival
Christmas songs have a special place for everyone, I guess, but Christmas blues songs are a subset that no one can really explain. Electro-Fi has now released its compilation and it's going to be in my player for a lot of Christmases. Mel Brown starts things off in fine Charles Brown style with his "Don't Plan No Party This Christmas". Jack de Keyzer's clever re-working of "The Twelve Blue Days of Christmas" follows in which his true love gives him music by a different bluesman for each day, a showcase for his guitar and vocal prowess. Curley Bridges does "White Christmas", with an unusually loud Bucky Berger on drums. Mark Hummel, whose album review follows, does a heavily Muddy Waters-influenced "Thank You, Santa" with Anson Funderburgh getting the slide honours. Rick Fines contributes the CD's compositional highlight, a Mississippi John Hurt-styled "Country Christmas Blues", about a bluesman trapped in the city while his loved one is back celebrating the country Christmas he longs for. "One Day `till Christmas" was on Willie "Big Eyes" Smith's last Juke Joint CD with the Northern Blues Legends and is used here by permission. Fathead (that's John Mays on the wonderful CD cover) will bring your spirits back up with Al Lerman's "Tonight Feels Like Christmas", with some mighty fine piano from Tyler Yarema. Morgan Davis' "We Need a Fire" features Rod Phillips on the B3. Snooky Pryor's "Check It Out, Santa" also is very recent and from the sessions for CD up next. "Goin' Home For Christmas" is the sole song so far from an unissued session with the late Chicago bluesman Alabama Red. It featured Morgan Davis, Al Lerman, Omar Tunnoch, Ed White and Tyler Yarema. Mel Brown and the Homewreckers return for "Winter Wonderland" with keyboard man John Lee taking the vocal and Chris Whiteley, from the Curley Bridges session, concludes the show with his vocal on "The Lonely Shepherd". All in all a fine CD to play next month or maybe longer. Enjoy.
Snooky Pryor & His Mississippi Wrecking Crew Electro-Fi 3373/Festival
Chapter three of what I hope will be a long Snooky & Mel book puts the duo in a live-in-the-studio setting with Pinetop Perkins on piano, Bob Stroger, bass and Willie "Big Eyes" Smith on drums, on loan from Juke Joint Records.
Mel Brown's guitar is a member of The Wrecking Crew this time out, with Snooky on vocals and harp throughout. As more than one reviewer has already said, his performances just get better with age. The new songs are firmly in the Mississippi-to-Chicago style and as usual, owe a big debt to both Sonny Boys. Snooky often ad-libs his lyrics and this veteran group knows exactly what to do. Check out "School Days" or "Electro-Fi Blues" as examples. He came prepared! Jeff Healey sits in on guitar on three of the songs to enjoyable effect and Pinetop has a good time with "Pinetop's Grinder Man Blues", a title he hasn't overworked in his recent spate of CD's. This is a must-add for your collection.
Mark Hummel Golden State Blues Electro-Fi 3375/Festival
This is one veteran harpman who should be much better known-he has an exciting stage presence, writes excellent songs, sings and plays with the best. Maybe this one will be the breakthrough. His band, the Blues Survivors, is very good indeed, with Charles Wheal on guitar (Sue Foley is an alumnus at this position), Steve Wolf on bass and Marty Dodson on drums.
Rusty Zinn and Anson Funderburgh are among the guests on these songs. Six originals and covers ranging from Sonny Rhodes to Little Walter to Moon Mullican, make for great variety here, aided by horns and keyboards. You'll not miss this one on the racks with its state of California-shaped harp.
Disco & bio are at www.markhummel.com.
- John Valenteyn, jvalenteyn8724@rogers.com
Toronto Blues Society Copyright _ 2002