July
2004
Saturday Night Fish Fry Rhythm &
Soul 7 Arts 0005/Fusion
The mini-industry known as Bill King has surpassed even his high standards here. There are new players, particularly Shakira S'Aida on vocals, but the sound is still rooted in 50's & 60's R&B and soul. There is a new selection of songs, many courtesy of Eddy B's collection, that are marvelously obscure but the real star is King, whose arrangements and energy make him the star of the show. Just listen to his version of "John the Revelator" (if you can, I nearly drove off the road when I first heard it). If you, like me, are used to just Son House's National behind that searing vocal, you are in for a real treat here: the horns sound like they've always been there, with Neil Chapman's acoustic slide guitar leading the band. The vocals here are no slouch either with King's leads answered by S'Aida in a tour de force that will stay with me for a long time. King's two originals are two more highlights, with the mid-tempo "Something On My Mind" drawing an impassioned King vocal on a lyric worthy of it. "I'll Miss Your Smile" is a tender ballad that mercifully slows the pace a bit. "Maybelle's Blues" shows that S'Aida's blues pipes are a force to be reckoned with and one gets the impression the best is yet to come. Chapman's inventiveness on guitar throughout has to be stressed but the band has no weak links. The three saxes are still Chris Gale, Bob Brough and John Johnson. New to the band are William Sperandi on trumpet, Scott Alexander on bass and Davide DiRenzo on drums and all get solo space that they use well. This is a strongly recommended purchase.
Michael Pickett Live at Winterfest
Wooden Teeth WTCD0004
Solo introduced the new Michael Pickett sans band and this one serves to confirm his status as a major force in acoustic blues. It seems this CD was not intended as the next album but the performance this night was so hot it literally forced itself out. With a couple of Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee songs and a Robert Johnson around some of his best originals, I think you'll agree with my assessment. The crowd at Convocation Hall brought out the best in Michael and the in between song banter is left in, bringing the informal feel over to the CD. "Blues is a Friend of Mine", "World in an Uproar", "Cecil & Spadina", "Louise" and "Bill's Song" were spread out over a couple of CDs and hearing them together here highlights their strength as original songs. Get the CD from Michael & Louise at gigs or through www.michaelpickett.com.
Porkbelly Futures Way Past
Midnight Opening Night ONR 9802/SRI
This wonderful name covers a band whose members have some interesting day jobs. Guitarist/harmonicist Stuart Laughton is the founder/trumpet player with the Canadian Brass and vocalist/guitarist Paul Quarrington is a novelist and brother of Tony. Chas Elliott also plays bass with the Toronto Symphony and drummer Martin Worthy is a professional piano restorer/songwriter. They've been playing for some six years now, lately with a regular gig at the Gladstone Hotel. This CD is not a record of their more traditional club set but rather twelve original songs and some on topics you're not likely to see mentioned in this column any time again soon. "Hemingway", for instance, debates the merits of this writer versus other masters! "Fictional World" begins with the line `Michael Ondaatje has stolen my girl'. There are less cerebral tunes here, though, and the players are aided and abetted by the Canadian Brass, Colin Linden, Tony Quarrington and Richard Bell. David Gray produced, added guitar lines and came up with the horn arrangements. Unfortunately, their original material is not very bluesy. "Hemingway" at least has a nice Ray Bonneville groove to it. The opening "Gladstone Hotel" is a little too close to country. "Louisiana" has a bluesy lyric and features the Brass as a New Orleans brass band. "Learn to Love" and the title song are the exceptions that prove the rule with some nice harp, piano and slide guitar. In all though, the CD is a nice listen, with a strong acoustic pop feel and well worth the trip to the Gladstone to see the regular show.
Wild T & the Spirit
True Bliss Bullseye BLR 4076/Fusion
Tony Springer has operated on the fringes of our blues scene for many years now, with much of his original material more rock oriented but always interesting. His main influence has been Jimi Hendrix and some of you may remember his electric guitar version of "Oh Canada" from the Grossman's Live LPs of the late `80's. True Bliss is an electric guitar player's delight, beautifully recorded, with thirteen original songs plus live set staple "High School Confidential" which has Carole Pope herself guesting. The Spirit is Guenther Kapelle on bass, Peter Nunn on keys and Brian Lass on drums with the ubiquitous Jeff Healey guesting on "Can't Get You (Outta My Mind)". Many of the new songs are R&B flavoured as opposed to power trio rock and some have delightful touches: Guido Basso's flugelhorn on "Happy Song" for instance. Other highlights are the strong opening ballad "Heaven Knows", the title song with its beautifully used effects, "Love's Holiday" and "Jenny" with its blues changes. Wild T is in fine voice throughout, and the playing is first rate - a fine purchase.
Various Artists 10 Years of Quebec
Blues BROS _14002
The blues scene in Quebec has blossomed in recent years and this company is responsible for a large chunk of it. Fifteen songs here showcase the scene, from early and late songs by the Stephen Barry Band, to Bob Walsh, to Steve Hill, to Nanette Workman to a song from their landmark Vann "Pianoman" Walls CD. I have heard all of them but the CD from Pat The White and can assure you that all of the CDs represented here are worthwhile acquisitions but if you only want a sample this is it.
Guitar Shorty Watch Your Back Alligator ALCD 4895/Fusion
Bluesfest goers can help celebrate David "Guitar Shorty" Kearney's new release. This athletic blues man first recorded for Cobra Records in 1957 and this latest CD shows he has no intention of letting up. It is though, only his fifth album in all that time. He wanted to rock out this time, the liner notes say and that he does. The songs are new, written for him by his bandleader and his manager, and they're all pretty good especially "Story of my Life" and "Right Tool for the Job". It's a two guitars/bass/drums affair and should get you up off your seats in short order. He didn't do as many backflips & somersaults when I saw him last and he may `let his guitar do the talking' but I am sure it'll be a good show.
W.C. Clark Deep in the Heart Alligator ALCD 4897/Fusion
Deep in the Heart of Texas, presumably, and by one of the finest soul vocalists working today. He's known as the `Godfather of Austin Blues' for his role in mentoring such luminaries as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Angela Strehli, Jimmie Vaughan and Marcia Ball. Here we get duets with Ms. Ball and Ruthie Foster in a varied program produced by Mark Kazanoff and featuring Austin's finest. Ball duets on "You Left the Water Running" a song written for Wilson Pickett that gets a faster, reggae-flavoured take here. There's more good stuff, with wonderful soul on "Tip of the Tongue" from John Hiatt, a tough "Twist of the Knife" and a rocking blues in Delbert McClinton's wonderful "Ain't Lost Nothin'". Clark has two strong originals that show him at his bluesiest: "My Texas Home" a slow burner, and "Cold Blooded Lover" a fast Texas horn/guitar workout. It all comes to a furious end (too soon) with a storming "Okie Dokee Stomp"
Rod Piazza & the Mighty Flyers Keepin' It Real Blind Pig BPCD5088/Stony Plain/Warner
They move from label to label but they keep up their high standard, Rod & Honey Piazza certainly are Keepin' It Real. Perhaps to announce a couple of new band members, the CD opens with a funky "Big Blues Party" that seems to be quite a departure from the West Coast swing sound they helped create. "Good Morning Little School Girl" and "Baby Please Don't Go" get a similar treatment. Just when it seems they're going for a new sound, the original songs in their trademark style kick in. By the time Piazza's heavily-amplified chromatic enters in the new instrumental "West Coast Midnight Blues", you're hooked again. By then there's been a group vocal, "Tick Tock" and a feature for Henry Carvajal, the new guitarist. The other `must have' feature is Honey's piano with drums workout. It's called "Buzzin'", it's almost ten minutes long and it's worth it. A keeper.
Jody Williams You Left Me in the Dark Evidence 26130/Fusion
When Williams left the music business in disgust thirty years ago, he left us in the dark. Especially about the material he was coming up with. He refused to play in the clubs throughout this period and treated us to some of the hidden treasures on Return of a Legend. He also redid some of his better-known songs from the '50's there. There are two more of those here and a Sam Cooke song but the others are among the best new Chicago blues in a long, long time. "Don't Get Caught Sleeping in my Bed", "Good Things", "Young Men Don't Know", "Someone Else" and "I Make Money" are a combination of strong melody and lyrics that doesn't come along very often. The performances are top notch, with Red Lightnin', Jody's guitar in fine form. As if that isn't enough, there are two duets with two old friends, Robert Jr. Lockwood and Lonnie Brooks. All four of these songs show that no one is ready to retire here.
- John Valenteyn, jvalenteyn8724@rogers.com
Toronto Blues Society Copyright _ 2004