January
2003
Cameo Blues Band All Play and No
Work Make It Real MIR004
The Cameo Lounge at the Hotel Isabella was almost a home away from home for me during the 70's & 80's and the house band from '78 onwards was…the Cameo Blues Band. Hock Walsh hired a keyboard player named Ray Harrison and after he left, Ray renamed the band. The lineup went through changes and has performed infrequently in recent years but Harrison was the constant. This CD is a tribute to those lineups and possibly the re-launch of the band. The tribute part involves re-assembling most of its singers and players plus a goodly selection of songs, new ones, from the current lineup. Lance Anderson was also present at the Cameo Lounge and now with his own label, he resolved to record a band that, with the exception of a 45rpm single, had never been recorded. We owe him a vote of thanks and you can also thank him by acquiring this acknowledgement of our history. You will not be disappointed with the music here either. Harrison, Mike Sloski on drums, Tom Griffiths on bass and John Bride on guitars form the core of the band, with John Dickie fronting the current lineup on vocals, harp and guitar/mandolin. Chuck Jackson, Malcolm Tomlinson and Walter Zwol, all alumnae, get vocals with Fred Keeler (he of The Shays fame and long unheard from) & Terry Blersh sitting in on guitars and Michael Fonfara on keys. The result is a one-CD revue of some of our finest players, a Ray Harrison Revue if you will and he starts the show off with "Linda Lu", the Ray Sharpe tune he regularly featured. "Wide-assed Groove" is up next and it's one of the new John Dickie songs concerning his oft-stated lament about recent songs lacking said attribute. This one doesn't and his others are pretty good too. Tomlinson does "Rockin' My Life Away" and the Johnny Taylor hit, "Who's Makin' Love" but not "Secret Side of You", my favourite of his originals and a treasured Cameo memory. As with Lance's other CD's, this is live off the floor and much the better for it. This was always a very contemporary-sounding band but with Bride's better-than-ever, effects-laden playing and Sloski's sophisticated drums way up front, it doesn't sound dated in any way. Harrison's and Fonfara's dual keyboards are always a delight and with Griffith's bass on the money, any vocalist would sound good. These guys sound much better than just "good". They presented most of these songs with the guests at the Dollar a couple of weeks back and looked so happy that I hope they can keep it going. You can help, of course: the CD is available at www.makeitrealrecords.com.
Harry
Manx & Kevin Breit Jubilee NorthernBlues NBM0014/Festival
A pairing that seems obvious in hindsight was spotted early by Don Bird of Summerfolk in Owen Sound. A Sunday morning workshop there a year or so ago led to this remarkable CD. It was actually recorded last May and word-of-mouth news has whetted appetites ever since. They both brought their instruments, some songs and the recollection of how well that workshop went. Executive Producer Michael Wrycraft brought along producer/mixer/engineer David Travers-Smith to shape the sounds these two string wizards created. Together they have succeeded admirably in (re-) capturing spontaneous interactive playing. Fourteen songs, with Breit and Manx roughly alternating as "leader", mean you no longer have to regret not being in that tent that Sunday morning in Owen Sound. Jubilee seems mostly acoustic and instrumental, but has six Manx vocals and a couple of songs on which Breit goes electric for variety. In case you were wondering, Breit chose a National Resonator guitar to play opposite the Mohan Veena on "Raga Gujari-Jodi". "Funny Business" would be my pick, though, for a favourite from this CD, with its electric groove and effective vocal. "Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)" might seem an odd choice in this setting but
then "Foxy Lady" on the last Manx CD was too and Breit gets to use his Wah Wah pedal to excellent effect. Both songs sound just fine. Wrycraft also created a stunning package for his project so you won't be able to overlook this one and for string instrument devotees, each instrument used is helpfully noted.
Charlie
A'Court Color Me Gone Chas CA-1000
Rob Lutes Middle Ground MMMM33
Steve Rowe No Refund, No Return Howlin' Blue
Three Blues Summit showcasees with new CD's are up next. First up is Halifax's Charlie A'Court. He's an East Coast Music Awards-nominated blues rocker with a great deal of promise. A quadruple threat on vocals, guitar, songwriter and producer, A'Court delivers a strong, if diverse, first effort. Michael Pickett guests on harp and Travis Furlong of Glamour Puss on guitar with "All I Need", "Color Me Gone" and "Be My Angel" as the blues highlights on the official CD, "On Your Mind" is the very good acoustic blues "hidden track".
Montreal-based singer/songwriter Rob Lutes explores the "middle ground" between blues and folk. "Jackson", "Uncommon Bond" and "Middle Ground" from this CD along with songs from Gravity should give him a strong showcase. Rob MacDonald gives the band a very strong two-guitar punch.
Also from Montreal, Steve Rowe's second album (for this column, anyway) shows off bassist Alan McElcheran's ability as a songwriter. "Yes You Do", "No Deposit, No Return", about paranoia and getting thrown out by your girlfriend, respectively, are very good indeed. Excellent production but guitarist Rowe's vocals still need work.
Wailin'
Walker Crazy at Night Peerless PRLSCD 72002
This West Coast band checks in with a powerhouse second CD. Wailin' Al Walker writes all the material, sings it and plays lead guitar throughout and does a fine job of all three. The sound here is very much like earlier Powder Blues: where that band has moved into jazzier territory, Walker has moved into the vacated jump blues space, aided immeasurably by the multiple saxophones of Jerry Cook. In fact, two Powder Bluesers are here: original bassist Jack Lavin and longtime keyboardman Willie McCalder. There is nothing dated about these performances, though. These are strong songs, well-arranged and recorded, with "Crazy at Night", "Blacktop Boogie" and "Wait a Minute" forming the strongest three-song sequence I've heard in some time. The one cover contains my one minor quibble, Otis Rush's "It Takes Time", is a bit done too reverentially for my liking, especially Walker's vocal. "Too Many Bills", "Not the Only One" and "Ride Away" are second half highlights.
Mighty
Mo' Rodgers Red, White & Blues Blue Thumb 589 8472/Universal
More lessons in the importance of African-American history set to music from Rodgers, whose first CD made many best-of lists a few years back. This one won't make as many lists, primarily because his gift for melody has left him. Most of these lessons are one-chord recitations. The focus this time is the position of African-Americans as the inventors of American music who had their work stolen from them. One song, "The Boy Who Stole the Blues", accuses Elvis specifically of the crime and then receiving his just punishment. It is generally difficult to argue with his point of view but it doesn't have to be like cough medicine - it has to be good for you because it tastes bad. Otis Taylor covers much the same ground but doesn't seem nearly as oppressive.
Bill Perry Crazy Kind of Life Blind Pig/Stony Plain/Warner
New York bluesman Perry will launch a strong CD at the Dollar this month. The songs are all new, by Perry, producer/guitarist Jimmy Vivino plus a couple they wrote together and they all smoke. The slide-led opener "Trouble in the Shotgun", starts things off in fine form. The title song is a slow grinder that has Perry describing the people around him and his town. The line-up is a classic one, with two guitars, keyboards and harp crisply arranged and recorded. The closer is is the only ringer and that is a fine version of the Stones' "No Expectations", with former employer Richie Havens on vocals/guitar and Perry on acoustic. Recommended.
Ernie Hawkins Mean Little Poodle Say Mo' SM009
Pittsburgh-based acoustic bluesman Hawkins continues to put out fine indie CD's. He only occasionally writes original material, as he always finds so much of interest in the music he learned from Rev. Gary Davis and the players Davis, in his turn, learned from. He has, however, taken to combining different versions of traditional songs and perhaps adding a few words here and there. The title song and "Dehlia" are examples here. There is also a fingerpicking version of "I Need Some Pettin'" learned from a Bix Beiderbeck & the Wolverines 78. "Voodoo Soup" is an original but the tuning for the guitar came from Steve James. If this sounds like the way blues has traditionally and continually developed then so be it. I hope you caught him touring with Maria Muldaur for her Stony Plain Richland Woman Blues CD, he was the guitarist sitting at the back of the stage. You can get Mean Little Poodle at www.erniehawkins.com along with his others.
- John Valenteyn, jvalenteyn8724@rogers.com
Toronto Blues Society Copyright _ 2003