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March
2005
Colin Linden Southern Jumbo True North/Universal His move to Nashville has allowed for a magnificent marriage
of his unique skills and the different musical styles of the American South. The
addition of the Memphis Horns to this is a stroke of genius. Part of
Linden's package of skills is his uncanny ability to take along the sound of
The Band and musical and lyric references abound. But it might be fairer to
say that Linden is building on a very important part of our musical heritage.
The other parts of his package eventually dominate: that marvelous slide guitar,
for one, and his work with Paul Reddick using the Harry Smith
Anthology for another. Southern Jumbo is just that _ a mix of just
about every style of American music. "Which Way Does the M & O Run" has one of
the catchiest melodies I've heard in a long time, in a song rife with blues
references. "I Give Up" is a horn-led blues, although a very pessimistic one.
"Hook's in the Water" and "Dog Catcher" are Linden originals that appeared on
Villanelle and the arrangements here are similar but more fully realized,
with Reddick on harp & harmony vocals. "Test Song" brings up another part of the
package and that's the band he brings to a project. On this song, Gary Craig
sounds like he spent his life drumming for the Rolling Stones. Richard
Bell on keys, and John Dymond on bass round out a marvelous unit. "Go
Back Old Devil" is a re-creation of a pre-war country blues with an imaginative
percussion part to conclude the album. "Sugar Mine" starts with the guitar part
from "Bull Doze Blues" by Henry Thomas, popularized by Canned Heat
as "Goin' Up the Country" and is another example of the process of building a
song out of quotations from other songs, ie from the Harry Smith Anthology
or The Band songbook.
Ms. Joyce was here for the Blues Summit in her capacity as
President of the East Coast Blues Society but she is also a fine singer and
songwriter. Her CD is an ambitious large band vocal album in a tradition that
usually owes more to jazz than to blues. The excellent original songs are mostly
co-written by her and, usually, Bill Harris, the pianist, and all
contributed to the arrangements. The title song, "Too Hot to Handle" (a duet
with Charlie A'Court), "One Way Ticket" (written by Woody Woods,
who guests on piano) and "I'm Still in Love with You" (also by Woods) are
highlights in a strong, varied program. If you can't find it in stores, go to
www.eileenjoyceband.com.
I thoroughly enjoyed the first album by these Winnipeggers
and am happy to report that this one is even better. The `pedal-to-the-metal'
version of Hound Dog Taylor's "59th Street Boogie" sets the
stage for the band's own new songs plus a couple of unlikely covers. J.
Nowicki plays the guitars and takes most of the vocals, Ryan Menard,
of Rockin' Highliners fame, is on bass and Scotty Hills is on
drums & vocals. Taj Mahal's "Lovin' In My Sweet Baby's Eyes" is the first
of these and it survives its electrification very nicely indeed and would be a
charted single on my radio station. The other is Neil Young's "Are You
Ready for the Country" and if you can imagine R.L. Burnside and Kenny
Brown doing this song, you're close to the sound created here. For their own
songs, they've moved from Hound Dog to Magic Slim for inspiration and
pull it off admirably. "She Lets Me Know", "One Year Ago' and "Sent me Down the
Road" are settings of everyday observations and feelings, the core of the blues.
They are trying to arrange a visit here in a couple of months, until then we can
go to www.perps.ca. Ronnie Earl & Duke Robillard Duke Meets the Earl
Stony Plain SPCD 1303/Warner Ronnie Earl took over as lead guitarist in Roomful
of Blues when Duke Robillard went solo. Earl's solo career has also
taken him to Stony Plain and the obvious has now happened: seventy-two minutes
of blues guitar heaven. The eight-song program has only four vocals and only a
B3 on three of the songs to assist the rhythm section, so there's lots of space
for blues guitar virtuosity. On two of those songs, though, the B3 player is
none other than Jimmy McGriff. Robillard takes three of the vocals and
Mighty Sam McClain sings on Ronnie Earl's "A Soul That's Been Abused". From
T-Bone to Eddie Taylor to Magic Sam to B.B., the
interplay of the two will keep you shifting from speaker to speaker. "Zeb's
Thing" has some wonderful slide from Earl. The cover art uses the names Earl &
Duke for a heraldry motif but it really is deserved-these two are aristocrats of
blues guitar.
Released alongside Carlos del Junco's CD Blues
Mongrel, you may not have noticed this one. The name would only be familiar
to you from careful reading and listening of Otis Taylor's CD's. Turner
is the lead guitarist on those albums. With Otis now moving on, Turner &
Kenny Passarelli, the producer/bassist, proposed this album. The constantly
shifting instrumentation is still here and only occasional drums and without
Taylor, the lyrics turn to more traditional subjects. There is a pronounced
Hendrix influence throughout. "Gangster of Love" sounds much like you'd have
expected Hendrix to play it, in a modern recording studio. "Play it Cool" is a
Freddy King song that in this context gets a fairly straightforward
reading and is also one of the highlights. "Sin", a short, effects-laden gospel
lyric over Turner's guitar is another. A third is "Resurrection", an
instrumental for multiple acoustic and electric guitars. Something a little
different.
Musselwhite left Alligator after 1994's In My Time to
sign with Virgin, a major label. His albums since then have introduced world
music(s) and Americana singer-songwriters along with his blues and this has not
been to every fan's liking. If you are one of those, you owe it to yourself to
become re-acquainted with this extremely productive period through this
convenient collection. Most of these songs find him backed by one the best bands
of his long career: Andrew Jones on guitar, Artis Joyce on bass
and Tommy Hill on drums. Born in the Mississippi Hill Country in 1944,
that unmistakable harp (and occasional guitar) comes in part from Will Shade
of Cannon's Jug Stompers fame, in Memphis, who was still active in the
early `60's, and from Big Walter Horton after Charlie moved to Chicago.
"Newport News Blues", a lesson/performance by Shade with Musselwhite on guitar
is the previously-unreleased, and fascinating, closer to a blues-packed hour.
Corky Siegel's Travelling Chamber Blues Show
Alligator ALCD 4901/Fusion With our own classical/blues event on the near horizon, this
is a timely release. You may remember Siegel from the Siegel-Schwall Blues
Band, born in Chicago in the mid `60's. The harmonica ace's classical
education began when Seiji Ozawa, then the conductor of the Chicago
Symphony Orchestra, dropped by the club with the composer William Russo.
After a few beers, the discussions began that eventually led to "Three Pieces
for Blues Band and Orchestra" (once again available on DG). Siegel became
excited by the idea of merging classical music and blues and has been performing
with this ensemble for about fifteen years. The beginning of this ensemble is
documented on Corky Siegel's Chamber Blues, Alligator 4824. This second
CD is a collection of live performances that makes a strong case for the
validity of the concept. The chamber group has Siegel on harp, piano and vocals,
with Mark Agnor and Jeff Yang on violins, Nell Flanders on viola,
Jill Kaeding on cello and Frank Donaldson on tabla & percussion.
As you have perhaps have guessed, this is not 12-bar blues. There are only seven
selections here and the combination of amplified harmonica, strings and eastern
percussion will not appeal to all or probably to fans of each separately. But
there is much to like here. Parts of "Serenade", with acoustic harp and plucked
strings evoke country blues melodies very effectively and "Train" uses the
available sounds for a remarkable aural picture of the "el". "Manhattan Island",
adding a jazz violin and viola to the mix that supports Siegel's prose poem is
the strongest composition here. Siegel has extensive notes and pictures at
www.chamberblues.com, make sure you allow some time to read them! - John Valenteyn,
jvalenteyn8724@rogers.com
Eileen
Joyce No More Blue Tears EJ 
The
Perpetrators The Gas and the Clutch Perps 
Eddie
Turner Rise/NorthernBlues NBM0027/Festival 
Charlie
Musselwhite Deluxe Edition Alligator ALCD 5612/Fusion