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March 2006

Roxanne Potvin The Way It Feels Alert/Universal

The leap from a bilingual, Ottawa-based singer/guitarist with a self-produced CD to a major label release with Colin Linden producing and featuring duets with John Hiatt and Daniel Lanois is an extraordinary one, to say the very least. I'm happy to report that this isn't just the star making machinery at work. Her vocals and songs are more than up to the task, as was obvious to those of us able to preview some of her new songs at the Women's Blues Review and at the Maple Blues Awards. There are more guests on the CD too: Wayne Jackson of the Memphis Horns, members of the Fairfield Four and Bruce Cockburn. My favourites are the R&B flavoured numbers: "Caught Up", "I Want To (Do Everything For You)" (aided immensely by those horns) and "Say It". "A Love that's Simple" is the duet with Hiatt and it's a blue-eyed soul gem with more of those horns. "Le Merveille" is a tender ballad with Lanois and a lovely accordion part. "While I Wait For You" takes us into late night jazz/blues territory. "Your Love Keeps Working On Me" has a delightful rhumba rhythm. All these styles she handles with ease. The only exception is "Break Away" whose girl group vocals seem to stretch her abilities. You should be hearing her all over the media in the coming days and you can keep track if you like at her excellent web site, www.roxannepotvin.com. We'll get to hear her perform in all those styles at the Rivoli on March 9^th and the next night in Ottawa at the Blacksheep Inn.

Ndidi Onukwulu No, I Never Jericho Beach/Festival

An up and coming local performer debuts with a very impressive CD. She's of Nigerian heritage, born in BC and now living here. After dabbling in rock & electronica, she's decided her heart is in the blues, citing Big Mama Thornton and John Lee Hooker as influences. But you won't find any twelve bar songs here, instead she has incorporated a troubled childhood into a very personal songwriting style. Recording the bulk of the album at home also adds to the informal, relaxed nature of the disc. There seem to have been two different sets of sessions. One with Madagascar Slim & Donne Robert on guitars with Tom Sertsis on bass and Rakesh Tewari on percussion and the other centred around Sam Goldberg on guitar. The Slim/Roberts songs tend to be more heavily electric but overall these are just settings for her wonderful voice. It can sound weary and vulnerable at the same time, sounding remarkably like Billie Holiday's occasionally. A slight lisp heightens the effect. She also sounds youthful, leading one to think that if she's this good now, how much better will she become. "Hornblower", "Hey There", "Seen You Before" and "Wicked Lady" are highlights with "Water" a close runner up. The traditional gospel tune, "May Be The Last Time (I Don't Know)", with only drums behind Ndidi and the group vocal is a tour de force. Goldberg also produced and should be remembered at awards time for it. The CD launch is at Hugh's Room also on March 9^th, with Digging Roots opening. Should be an event! Her web site is www.ndidi.ca.

Nanette Workman Mississippi Rolling Stone BROS

Ms. Workman, Mississippi - bred and a longtime Quebec resident, delivers her third CD in the latest, blues-rock, phase of her productive career. This time out, rather than using large cast, one band is used more consistently, built around the twin guitars of Jimmy James and Steve Segal with Bob Stagg on keys, Brian Smith on bass and Sebastien Langlois on drums. A choir of as many as five female singers is very effectively deployed, particularly in the call and response version of Willie Dixon's "Just Wanna Make Love To You". They stay on hand for a strong new rocker, "Love Your Lovin' Ways", with its strong Jerry Lee Lewis-styled piano part. There are other players here though and Breen LeBoeuf, of Offenbach fame, duets on a lovely, acoustic "Les Annees Woodstock" with Guy Belanger on harmonica. Belanger joins in to good effect on "Mississippi Rolling Stone", a Troy Seals song that gets a rocking treatment and well-chosen as the title. The arrangement also reminds everyone of her time spent working with the Stones. Another highlight is a banjo/fiddle original, "Show Me Real Love", lending more variety to the program. Ms. Workman handles all these vocal challenges with the style she's famous for but even she can't rescue the leaden version of Dylan's "Gotta Serve Somebody", with Steve Hill's guitars up to "11". If you can't find this otherwise excellent CD anywhere else, it's at www.bros.ca.

Wes Mackey Mr. Blues Bluesline/Festival

Wes Mackey's second album is an extremely satisfying CD of contemporary blues, with a varied program of originals and covers. The originals are particularly strong with "Who Do Da Voodoo?", "AngelGirl", "In My Neighbourhood" and especially "Mr. Blues" very much the equal of some of the more famous numbers here. "Mr. Blues" has a lyric worth quoting: "Mr. Blues, sorry but you have to go. Just got a letter from my baby and you can't stay here no more." Mackey is in top T-Bone Walker mode and it is good! An easy-going vibe permeates the CD and three Jimmy Reed songs take advantage of this. This style is not as easy to play as it seems but the band does just fine here. The choice of "I'll Play The Blues For You" for the album would normally be criticized but it fits the mood of the CD like a glove. Oliver Conway co-produced with Mackey and adds harp where needed. Kenny `Blues Boss' Wayne is on keys and either Chris Nordquist or Alex McKinnon on drums for most of the songs. Other players are here as well contributing mightily to a highly recommended CD. www.bluesline.mu

Saffire-The Uppity Blues Women Deluxe Edition Alligator/Fusion

There don't seem to be any more shows by these women together so we have to make do with this wonderful collection of their previous work. The Deluxe Edition framework presents highlights from the seven CDs, opening with the song that started it all, "Middle Aged Blues Boogie", in the version from Live & Uppity. Gaye Adegbelola, Ann Rabson and Andra Faye get to reprise their most irreverent songs and remind you why you love them so much. There is nothing previously unavailable here but at twenty songs and well over an hour of music, I can't imagine you'll complain. If you're new to this group, this CD may be all you need (but the others are all still available).

Ross Neilsen Where I'm From RN

By the time you read this, Mr. Neilsen will have learned whether or not he has won an East Coast Music Award. The young guitarist most often plays a National Steel and writes effective, original songs. "New Stagger Lee Blues" is a particularly good example, with good lyrics re-working the familiar story. The strong vocals are complimented by solid slide work. Fellow New Brunswickers Hot Toddy help out quite a bit with Joel LeBlanc sitting in the producer's chair. He and Thom Swift play guitars with Darrell Williams on bass and Karl Gans on drums on the band tracks. The songs cover a range of styles, from a capella gospel to soul to rocking blues. The solo tracks seem strongest to me, with "Mailman" and "Walk On By" joining "Stagger Lee". "Goin' Somewhere" is a fine band track though, but it is curious way to end the CD: if you are very, very patient there is a `hidden' track, an atmospheric, electric slide piece that was probably too unusual in the context of the main program. A very impressive debut, then, and you should check out www.rossneilsen.com.

A Brief History of Larry Goodhand DVD

Bruce Griffin has prepared this moving tribute to one of our most revered guitarists, who passed away last Oct. 29. Insightful interviews with John Dickie, who had known him since high school, old friend Pat Watters, ex-wife Marilyn Rasmussen/Goodhand bring a soft-spoken man's life into focus and provide a dramatic history of the last thirty years of our music scene with a goodly selection of photos. Larry often played with the greats, sitting in with Willie Dixon, touring with Carey Bell and this twenty-five minute documentary goes some way to explaining how he was accepted so readily. Three audio selections of Larry soloing with the Shuffledogs in Port Perry provide all the musical evidence you need. Bruce "Brewster" Hall of The Grand River Blues Society was also interviewed and supplied many of the photos. You can get your copy through www.grandriverblues.org.

- John Valenteyn, jvalenteyn8724@rogers.com

 

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