Cover Photo © 2011 Marilyn Stringer
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From The Editor's Desk
Hey Blues Fans,
We have
confirmation of a couple more artists coming to perform at the 2011 Blues Blast Music
Awards on Thursday, October 27th, 2011 at Buddy Guy's Legends
in Chicago. Matt Hill and Peter Parcek, both nominees in the New Artist
Debut category will be there. That means that all six of the nominees in
that category will be joining Trampled Under
Foot, Gina Sicilia, The Reba Russell Band, The Nick Moss Band, Bob Corritore, Eddie
Turner, Teeny Tucker Band, Karen Lovely Band, Reverend
Raven and the Chain Smoking Altar Boys, Tony Rogers and Rich Delgrasso &
John Richardson for another GREAT show. To buy your tickets,
CLICK HERE
or scroll down to see more information in our ad below.
You can help sponsor this great Blues event!
If you have
been to Legends before you know they have a great club but seating is
limited. You can get guaranteed GREAT seating and much more with our
mini-sponsorships. These include seats right in front of the stage to
catch all the great music of this great celebration, a Blues goodie bag
with event t-shirts, event posters and much more. Plus you will be
helping us continue in our on going mission of recognizing the Best in
Blues music! To find our more
CLICK HERE.
Another great Blues celebration next weekend
Blues Blast Magazine will be attending the big celebration of the 20th
Anniversary of the Rhythm Room
in Phoenix, AZ next weekend. Club owner, Blues musician, record producer
and radio DJ, Bob Corritore, has extended a gracious invitation and we
could not turn down attending this three day celebration beginning on
September16.
Over that weekend some of the great artists they are having include
Tommy Castro and Robert Cray on Friday night, Bob Corritore & His Blues
Friends with Mud Morganfield, Bob Margolin, Diunna Greenleaf, Dave
Riley, Billy Flynn, Barrellhouse Chuck, Mookie Brill, Johnny Rapp and
Brian Fahey on Saturday and Hans Olson, George Thomas & The Flamekeepers,
Hoodoo Kings Tribute, The Rocket 88s With Johnny Rapp, Big Nick &The
Gila Monsters, Long John Hunter, Tommy Dukes Blues Band and much more on
Sunday.
Visit www.rhythmroom.com for
more information.
Good Blues To You!
Bob Kieser
In This Issue
Terry Mullins has our feature interview with
Shane Dwight. Marilyn Stringer has Part One of a photo essay on the
historic Blues event, Bluestock.
We have five CD reviews for you this week!
Rainey Wetnight reviews a new CD from Fruteland Jackson. John Mitchell
reviews a new CD from Richard Ray Farrell. Jim Kanavy reviews a new CD from
Barry Levenson. James "Skyy Dobro" Walker reviews a new
CD from Shane Dwight. Steve Jones reviews a new CD
from Vince Agwada. All this and MORE! SCROLL DOWN!!!
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Featured Blues Interview -
Shane Dwight
 When it
finally hit Nashville bluesman Shane Dwight, it hit him harder than a
ton of bricks.
Deep into
the tracking for his latest album, A Hundred White Lies (R-Tist
Records), Dwight was so overcome with emotion that he just couldn’t keep
the floodgates closed any longer and they burst wide open, right there
in the middle of Rock House Studio.
“On one of
the songs, I broke down and just cried like a baby. And my producer,
Kevin (McKendree) went, ‘Jesus, man. About time.’ Because he’d listened
to all these lyrics and said, ‘this is the most personal stuff I’ve ever
heard someone record. For you not to get choked up this whole time …
it’s about time. Thank you!’” said Dwight.
One of the
hardest things to do has to be when artists cut themselves wide open and
stand there exposed, letting the whole wide world take a gander at
things a lot of us would never dare discuss privately, much less display
in a public forum.
In Dwight’s
case, his soul-baring was centered around a nasty divorce he went
through with his wife of 13 years.
“Yeah, I
was with the same girl for 13 years – we were both barely out of high
school when we married – and if you listen to the record, you can pretty
much hear what happened in its entirety,” he said. “The whole story. The
big, convoluted, dramatic, could-have-been-a-television story detail of
the events that led to my divorce. It was really horrible. I know that’s
not the first time something like that has happened to somebody, but if
you listen to the lyrics of the songs, you can see what I went through.
It was really just a circle of pain.”
 The nature
of those raw lyrics couldn’t help but have a profound impact on
McKendree, as well. Not only did he produce and play keyboards on A
Hundred White Lies, he was also Dwight’s next door neighbor and had a
ring-side seat as much of the material on the album was being birthed in
real life.
“We lived
right next door to them. We had dinner with them, spent Christmas with
them, and they (the McKendrees) loved my wife,” Dwight said. “So when it
all came down … it was really hard.”
While the
nature of such material must be uncomfortable to put down into words on
a piece of paper, for Dwight, writing about personal business is just
the nature of the beast.
“There’s a
double-edged sword there. On one hand, it’s easy to write about things
like that because you know what happened – you’re not making it up,” he
said. “On the other hand, it’s hard to write about such painful things
because they really did happen to you. But I’m not a very good
storyteller in the sense that I have a hard time making things up. I
tend to write about what I know about, stuff from personal experiences,
whether it’s about having a good time or about heartbreak. I envy
artists that can completely create a scenario and write about that. I
kind of speak more about stuff that happens to me, or around me.”
Dwight
first crossed paths with McKendree when he relocated to Nashville from
California, although it was a couple of months before the two actually
met, even though they were living right next door to one another.
“I had
lived there about four months and one of my other neighbors said,
‘there’s another musician that lives right next door to you. He plays
with some guy named “Delbert.’” I go, ‘Kevin McKendree is my next-door
neighbor? You gotta be kidding me,’” laughed Dwight. “And so we ended up
meeting and becoming friends.”
 The
“Delbert” in question is of course Delbert McClinton, McKendree’s
longtime employer.
In addition
to McKendree on keyboards, the rest of Dick 50 - Rob McNelley (guitar),
Lynn Williams (drums) and Stephen Mackey (bass), also play on A Hundred
White Lies.
And
according to Dwight, those cats sure know their way around the inside of
a recording studio.
“Well,
Delbert’s band has been playing together for years and they have their
own way of doing things. The joke of the sessions became, ‘what are YOU
going to play? Ha, Ha.’ We just kind of drew up the songs, talked about
the feel of the song and then said, ‘1-2-3, go,’” he said. “We literally
didn’t do more than one or two takes of each song. It’s mostly just the
band playing live and then I went back and did vocal and lead guitar
takes. It’s a very spontaneous, very reactionary recording. No one
planned anything, really.”
And it’s
obvious that Dwight is extremely happy with the end results of those
sessions, no matter how personal and painful they may have been.
“It’s
probably my best-sounding record, because they’re such great musicians,”
he said. “But what’s really a pleasure to hear, is that it still sounds
like one of my CDs. I just trip out - completely different cast of
players, completely different vibe, but yet it still sounds like one of
my CDs, it still sounds like me. It didn’t sound like me superimposed
over something else; it really sounded like me, which was a pleasant
surprise. I’m really proud of it. I did all my early demos for this
project with Malcolm Bruce – Jack Bruce’s son. He was living in
Nashville, too. The group of people that was involved in this project
was really amazing when you think about it. Malcolm Bruce, Bekka
Bramlett, the McCrary (Ann, Regina, Alfreda) Sisters … Kevin, Dick 50 …
everybody. Really cool.”
 Over the
course of the past decade, Dwight has earned the reputation of being a
first-rate guitar player and has spent a good chuck of that time on the
road, playing anywhere and everywhere he could. He’s also issued six
albums and one DVD, Live from the Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise,
during that span of time, meaning that you’ve got to be on the ball to
keep up with the ever-busy Shane Dwight.
Born in San
Jose and raised in nearby Morgan Hill, Ca., Dwight’s journey to the
altar of the blues started out fairly innocently.
“What’s
funny is I fell in love with the blues without really knowing the stuff
I liked was the blues,” he said. “My parents listened to a lot of
country and blues and old rock-n-roll, so I heard a lot of that as a
kid. When I started listening to my own kind of music – harder rock and
even metal - when I was about 17 years old, I started to realize that
the stuff I liked was the bluesier side of that music. Even the metal.
And when I started playing guitar, I started digging deeper and doing
the research that everyone does and came to the realization that
everyone does – all this music came from the blues. So I started delving
deeper and deeper into the blues.”
That
archeological expedition led Dwight straight to the doorstep of Bay Area
legend John Garcia.
“Before I
knew it, I was studying (guitar) with John Garcia who lived in the small
town of Gilroy, not far from when I grew up in Morgan Hills. And he had
played with (John Lee) Hooker for about 10 years. Matter of fact, when
all the big stars like Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry would come to
California, his band backed them up. He played with a lot of greats -
everybody,” Dwight said. “So I started taking guitar lessons from him
and he started feeding me all the good stuff. He’d go, ‘oh, if you like
that, then you’ll like this.’ I’d show up for a half-hour lesson and
would end up hanging out for two hours. He made me all these great mix
tapes with all these wonderful blues recordings. He showed me the ropes
of what the real-good blues were.”
 Dwight took
that knowledge and ran, crafting together the Shane Dwight Blues Band,
quickly developing into one of the West Coast’s hottest purveyors of the
blues. In a nod to Garcia’s old boss, the group’s first album was titled
Boogie King, with the title track serving as a tribute to the late,
great Hook.
Paying back
what Garcia had gifted to him, Dwight soon became a sought-after guitar
instructor himself, showing a whole new generation of young players
where the likes of Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix got their inspirations
from.
“It was
awesome, man. When they get it, they really get it,” he said. “It was
amazing to see some of them at such a young age, sponge it up so
quickly.”
While he
immensely enjoyed teaching guitar at the School of Blues in San Jose,
after a while, that workload also began to take its toll on Dwight.
“There was
a moment when I touring, doing shows and had 40 students,” he said. “And
I was working seven days a week. I did that for about three years
straight and I just burnt myself up real bad. So when I got to
Nashville, I just decided to concentrate on being an artist for awhile.
I was just a little too wound-up working all the time, so I had to kind
of back off. But I really miss the kids.”
Dwight’s
move from the Bay Area to Music City wasn’t part of some grand scheme –
rather, it just happened kind of naturally.
“I just
kind of fell in love with the city, to be honest,” he said. “I was just
ready to live somewhere else for awhile. And I was talking to Rick Booth
at Intrepid (Artists International), who I’d just signed with and he
said, ‘if you’re going to move anywhere, you should check out
Nashville.’ So I went there and I was hooked. I just loved the music
scene and the house prices, especially compared to Silicon Valley. But I
just fell in love with the place. So we just picked up and went – never
looked back. There’s just a great community of music people here.”
 With each
album he releases, Shane Dwight inches one small step closer to carving
out his own identify, his own niche, within the world of the blues.
And if
things go according to plan, A Hundred White Lies may turn out to forgo
those small steps for a giant leap forward, with Dwight having no plans
to slow down anytime soon.
“I spent a
lot of time learning how to play Albert King and Albert Collins and Son
House and Robert Johnson and Muddy and Hubert and Stevie Ray
note-for-note. I wanted to understand how they got their sound … I was
just so enthralled with all the blues greats,” he said. “And now, I’ve
kind of taken that influence and the country influence and the
rock-n-roll influence, the R&B – I’ve taken all that stuff and tried to
infuse those into my own thing. I’m just trying to play the stuff that
comes to me - I’m not trying to be this or that. For me at this point,
I’m trying not to mimic what people have done in the past, like I was in
the beginning. I’m trying to trust my instincts and I hope that people
will dig that.”
For Dwight,
the absolute bottom line is all about crafting the songs that he plays.
“I love
writing music, that’s probably my favorite thing to do,” he said. “I
love to perform and will always be a junkie for getting up on stage, but
I really love writing music. I hope that starts to shine through and
people will come to be aware of my writing. I’d love to write for other
people, as well as write my own hit songs. I’d really like a Gold
record. At one point in my life, I’d like to be able to sit back and
look at that thing (gold record). And I want that only because that
means that I’ve affected that many people in a good way. That way I
could look back and say, ‘I had the same affect on people that all those
great artists that I listened to had on me.’ That would make me happy.”
Interviewer Terry Mullins is a journalist and former record store
owner whose personal taste in music is the sonic equivalent of Attention
Deficit Disorder. Works by the Bee Gees, Captain Beefheart, Black
Sabbath, Earth, Wind & Fire and Willie Nelson share equal space with
Muddy Waters, The Staple Singers and R.L. Burnside in his compact disc
collection. He's also been known to spend time hanging out on the street
corners of Clarksdale, Mississippi, eating copious amounts of barbecued
delicacies while listening to the wonderful sounds of the blues.
For other reviews and interviews on our website
CLICK HERE
|
Featured Blues Review 1 of 5
 Fruteland
Jackson - Singing the Blues with Stories Vol. 1
“The Life and Legend of Robert Johnson”
“Stewball – The Blind Racehorse”
IT Records #IT004
2 stories; 1 song; 30 minutes
Styles: Spoken Word with Sound Effects in 2 Blues Stories; 1 Blues
Ballad (song)
In the days when diversions of the Digital Age were fanciful dreams,
sagas and tall tales were king. Stories not only kept us entertained,
but in some cases, kept us alive. When there was no Facebook, there was
fiction. When LinkedIn did yet exist, legends did. Fruteland Jackson,
three-time Blues Music Award nominee for Best Acoustic Album and Best
Acoustic Artist, feels the importance of stories deep down in his bones,
especially as they relate to his favorite genre. In Singing the Blues
with Stories, Volume One (available only by digital download), Fruteland
combines two of his favorite anecdotes with a mesmerizing ballad in the
middle. Three tracks plus one song equals magic!
“Many, many years ago, a very famous horse race took place in Dallas,
Texas between a common, ordinary gray farm horse named Stewball, who was
matched against two of the fastest thoroughbred racehorses in the
world...” So begins Fruteland's narration of “Stewball, the Blind
Racehorse”--an inspiring yarn that rivals that of Secretariat. “Big Red”
may have had a heart that was twice as large as a normal horse's, but
according to this tale and the following acoustic blues rendition,
Stewball bested a mare, Molly, and a stallion, Wild Bill, minus sight in
two eyes! Even if listeners “sneak a preview” of the song before hearing
the ten-minute story, they will exhort its hero along with Fruteland,
“Run, Stewball, for Molly's gone!” In “The Life and Legend of Robert
Johnson,” Jackson combines fact with legend into a spooky sixteen-minute
suspense-fest if ever there was! Fruteland's voice was digitally
engineered when he portrayed the character of the Devil, so listen
closely (if the shivers don't come first!)
Fruteland Jackson has been involved in storytelling most of his life in
one way or another. During his grammar-school years, he wrote and read
short stories aloud that made his classmates laugh! He first experienced
a professional storytelling in the 3rd grade while at the public
library. He was intrigued and fascinated by the visuals created in his
mind by the storyteller. He discovered that his grandparents and uncle
were natural storytellers without the formal title. Throughout his
career as a musician, he has visited classrooms presenting Blues in the
Schools programs and storytelling.
“Be careful, young man, what you ask for”--so the snake doctor warned
Robert Johnson. Asking for two fantastic stories done in mesmerizing
style? You'll certainly find them here!
Reviewer Rainey Wetnight is a 31-year-old female Blues fan. She
brings the perspective of a younger blues fan to reviews. A child of
1980s music, she was strongly influenced by her father’s blues music
collection.
For other reviews and interviews on our website
CLICK HERE
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Featured Live Blues Review
- Bluestock - Part One
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1st Annual
Bluestock - August
26-28
Hunter Mtn Ski Resort, Hunter, NY
For eight
months blues fans were excited and looking forward to attending the 1st
Annual Bluestock Festival in Hunter, NY. Steve & Jeff Simon, promoters,
had a vision to combine Woodstock with the Blues Cruise and put on the
biggest land festival and party the blues has seen. People were coming
from far & wide and “ Every contingency was planned for” said Steve
Simon, “every contingency except a hurricane.” But with the impending
weather and the recent stage mishaps at Ottawa, Indiana, and Belgium,
safety was top of the list. Staying in constant contact with the weather
bureau, highway patrol, and all government agencies that could direct
them, they still pulled off a spectacular festival. They set up the
festival in the rain on Thursday, the sky dried up for Friday night’s
lineup, and by the end of the Friday evening performances the next two
day’s lineup had changed. Robert Cray & Buddy Guy were going to play
back to back Saturday at noon and 1:30. While they played all the
vendors moved their booths inside the ski lodge, two indoor stages were
set up, and at 3:00 everyone headed indoors just as the rain began to
drizzle down. According to Steve, they reverse engineered how long it
would take to take down all the stages before the sprinkles turned into
high winds and torrential downpour from the approaching hurricane. All
the campers were moved into the basement of the ski resort – everyone
pitching in to help each other. It all went without a hitch. All the
performers that had made it there shortened their sets and played back
to back on Saturday – only two bands – Zac Harmon & Ty Curtis didn’t
make it. Sunday was cancelled.
The entire
process was brilliant! The Hunter Mtn area, along with Tannersville &
Wyndham NY received more than 12 inches of rain over the next 24 hour
period. The bridge that crossed the river leading up to the resort was
closed. Those of us at Hunter Mtn. were trapped on Sunday and we
eventually lost all power. But in the true spirit of the blues family we
made the best of it. The Sunday Jam at Villa Vosilla down in
Tannersville continued with those staying there. And the lobby at Hunter
Mtn became the gathering place for the rest of us. We were cut off from
the other side of the road. We had a jam later in the day with Kirsten
Thien and friends long after it was pitch black in the building,
stairways, and rooms. Monday brought us blue skies, no power, and the
roads were washing away, preventing many to return home. I caravanned
out across partial roads and made it to the ALB airport. Many weren’t so
lucky. Last I heard Mitch Woods was still at the New Villa Vosilla Club
88.
Friday was
a gathering of the friends who still decided leave their eastern
seaboard homes and those of us who flew in from somewhere. The stages
were set up side by side, with no break in the music, the concept being
that your seat was good for all music, and stages looked out at the
chair lifts & mountain.
Opening the
festival was Lionel Young Band. Lionel was the winner of the 2011 IBC –
Band, and the only person to also win the individual IBC in a previous
year. He plays electric violin and guitar and his band is
multi-talented. He puts on a great show and ends it with an a capella
version of “Bring It On Home To Me” that should be performed at every
venue he plays for – make sure you request it! His band includes: Kim
Stone-bass, Dexter Payne-sax/harp, Jay Forrest-drums/vocal, Andre
Mali-trumpet.
 
Next up was
Bob Margolin & Matt Hill. They are a great combination of styles –
“Steady Rollin’” and Melon Squeezin’ Belt Snappin’ Matt. And in the true
nature of the Blues Cruise, guests are always welcome. Bob brought up
Richard “Rosie” Rosenblatt on harmonica, then Chris O’Leary joined in on
vocals/harmonica, and joining the band for a few final numbers was
Lionel Young. Chuck Cotton kept the beat going on drums.
 
 
With the
sun starting to set, Trampled Under Foot, kept the pace high. Opening
the set was Nick Schnebelen’s solo on the drums & guitar. He was then
joined by siblings Danielle and Kris. They are a cruiser favorite and
added more fans after their performance.
 
Tab Benoit
and Johnny Sansone brought the New Orleans Cajun blues to the stage. He
is always great!
As soon as
Tab finished his set, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Ave hit the stage and
true to form never dropped a beat or an ounce of the energy level. I
have seen them a number of times and what really caught my attention was
the amount of energy expended by the drummer & percussionist throughout
the entire set and how they stay in perfect synchronization yet moving
so fast. Trombone Shorty is someone who should never be missed if he is
anywhere near you.
 
 
The final
outdoor act was Elvin Bishop. What can I say about Elvin other than he
is a classic who just gets better every time I see him. And the band is
just the best. Being from the SF Bay, we get to see them perform quite
often, but when they get together with Elvin, it is always a favorite.
Band: Bob Welsh-guitar, Ed Earley-trombone, Bobby Cochran-drums, Ruth
Davies-bass, Steve Willis-keyboards/harmonica/accordion. And special
guest was Tab Benoit. Who could ask for more?
  
Being long
past midnight, Mitch Wood’s Club 88 was already in full swing inside the
ski lodge. Mitch, along with Billy Gibson & Dave Fields, had the “piano
bar” jamming in full swing. When I finally arrived (being the last
person in the pit for Elvin), Tony Braunagel was just stepping down from
the drums to be replaced by Tab Benoit, Rosie was on harmonica, Petey
Hopkinson on guitar, Johnny Sansone & Shakura S’Aida starting singing
duets, Bob Margolin on guitar, and so it went on into the wee hours of
the morning.
 
Thus ended
the first day of this historic event as the area buttoned down for the
coming of Hurricane Irene. Next Week- Part Two Bluestock survives the
Hurricane!
Marilyn Stringer is a noted photo journalist and frequent Blues
Blast Magazine contributor. For more of her photos visit
MJStringerPhoto.com.
For other reviews and interviews on our website
CLICK HERE
|
Thursday
October 27th, 2011 Buddy
Guy's Legends, Chicago, IL
Trampled Under Foot,
Reverend Raven
And The Chain Smokin' Altar Boys, Karen
Lovely Band,
Eddie Turner,
Bob Corritore,
Rich Del Grosso
& John Richardson,
Peter Parcek
The
Sugar Prophets,
Teeny Tucker,
Reba Russell Band,
Gina Sicilia, Matt Hill,
Chris
O'Leary Band,
Vincent Hayes
Project, Tony Rogers,
Rob Blaine's Big
Otis Blues
plus a few surprise guests!
Advance tickets are $30 plus $3
handling. To get YOUR tickets now
CLICK HEREPLEASE NOTE: *Tickets are General Admission. Doors open at 5:00pm.
Seating is "first come first served". Show sold to SRO (Standing room Only) Get there EARLY for a seat! NO REFUNDS!
Want guaranteed seating right in front of the stage?
Buddy Guy's Legends has limited seating. With our
Mini Sponsorship packages you
can be sitting right in front of the stage to hear performances by
the 2011 Nominees! Our Mini Sponsor packages include
guaranteed seating, Blues memorabilia "Goodie Bag" and sponsor name listed in
souvenir program.
Limited number of sponsorships available, first
come first served! For more information
CLICK HERE
Featured Blues Review 2 of
5
 Richard
Ray Farrell – I Sing The Blues Eclectic
Blue Beet 2011
12 tracks; 44.40 minutes
I had never heard of Richard Ray Farrell before receiving this CD for
review but some internet searching reveals that he was born in 1956 in
Niagara Falls, NY. He headed off to Europe after high school and started
busking in Paris in 1975. He lived in Spain, then Germany, working with
local bands and backing visiting Americans including Frank Frost and RL
Burnside. He played in a band with ex Mothers Of Invention drummer Jimmy
Carl Black before moving back to the States in 2001 to the Philadelphia
area where he plays in an acoustic blues duo and has released two
previous CDs on his own Blue Beet label.
On this new CD Richard handles all vocals, guitars and harp, with Mike
Lampe on upright bass, Ira Kaye on drums and Bill Heid on keyboards.
Guests include Marco Pandolfi on harp, Brian Cox on sousaphone and Mark
Magnani on washboard, each guesting on two tracks each. A trio of
backing singers assist on the final track, “Ride That Freedom Train”.
The CD was recorded in Newtown, PA and consists of entirely original
material by Richard, who also produced the album. One other interesting
detail is that the sleevenotes include a note from Dennis Walker who
knows a lot about making great records with Robert Cray and pays fulsome
tribute to his friend Richard’s talents.
The CD opens with the low notes of the sousaphone on “Ol’ Man Blues”, a
back porch blues with plucked acoustic guitar and harp. Across the CD
there is a wide variety of styles, so I imagine that Richard placed this
track first deliberately, rather than the more obvious choice of track
two, “Cherry On The Cream”, an electric tune that is really catchy: “I
got a woman, she’s so cute, for her there ain’t no substitute” is the
opening line. The piano on this track is excellent and Richard gives us
a nice plucked solo in T Bone style. “Bad As You Wanna Be” features
guest harp player Marco Pandolfi on a fast-paced shuffle that bounces
along before another shift in styles to solo acoustic slide on “Memphis
Bound”. On a tune that recalls “Can’t Be Satisfied” Richard recalls some
of his European experiences: “Had a little girl up in Stockholm Sweden,
she gave me everything I was needin’, but I just couldn’t quit that
travelling bug”. The first time I have heard Sweden and needin’ rhymed!
“Starting Over Again” moves the musical focus again, this time Richard
conjuring up the spirit of the classic soul sounds and doing a great
job. His vocals are pitched just right, the piano and Hammond underpin
the tune and his guitar solo is right in line with the sounds of
Memphis. Hearing “Listenin’ To The Fallin’ Rain” without the benefit of
the CD cover you might think that this was a new John Hiatt record. The
tune opens with some lonesome harp, twinkling piano and warm bass but it
is Richard’s vocal that is the star turn here: “Tell me how you doing
these days? Are you living with your folks in the country, are you back
in LA? Do you ever get lonely, does it bring back the pain when you’re
standing by your window listening to the falling rain?” are the final
lines of this superb song.
A more bluesy approach follows on “Leisure Man” with more strong harp
playing by Marco Pandolfi, the lyric telling us that Richard is “100%
signifying, known throughout the land”! “Steady Eatin’ Woman” adds a
touch of humor with its tale of the girlfriend who is eating Richard out
of house and home yet never seems to put on any weight: “If there’s one
thing you got, darling, that’s appetite. Burgers and fries, pancakes by
the stack and eight times a day you’re ready for another snack.” A
mid-paced shuffle with nice piano and more T Bone style guitar from
Richard. “Little Suzie” takes the pace up a notch with the story of a
girl who likes to dance.
“Sweet Dreams Of You” is a relaxed affair, the double bass and brushed
drums starting off the tune before Richard’s warm vocal and the featured
piano playing of Bill Heid come to the fore on a tune that has more than
a hint of jazz in its styling. In contrast “Skitchin’”is an instrumental
feature for Richard’s guitar playing, the drums driving the tune along
at a fast pace. Final track “Ride That Freedom Train” brings the album
to a close with a touch of gospel.
The title of the CD (not to be confused with the 1970s Weather Report
album of similar name!) indicates that Richard Ray Farrell intends to
demonstrate his versatility and that is certainly achieved here. There
is a lot to enjoy here across a wide spectrum of blues and roots music.
Reviewer John Mitchell is a blues enthusiast based in the UK. He also
travels to the States most years to see live blues music and is
currently planning his trip to the Blues Blast Awards in October.
For other reviews and interviews on our website
CLICK HERE
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San Luis Obispo Blues Society
- San Luis Obispo, CA
Upcoming Events - Ana Popovic headlines the season opener for the
San Luis Obispo Blues Society on Saturday, September 24 at 8:00pm at
the SLO Vets Hall (801 Grand Avenue). The Cadillac Angels open the
show. Tickets are $17 for Blues Society members and $20 for the
general public. All tickets are sold at the door. SLO Dance offers
free dance lessons at 7:30pm. 21 and over, please. For more
information, call 805/541-7930 or visit our website at
www.sloblues.org. The San Luis
Obispo Blues Society presents seven dance concerts a year. Other
upcoming concerts include Sista Monica on October 29 and Kim
Wilson’s Blues All-Stars on December 3.
The Decatur Blues Society
- Decatur, IL
The Decatur Blues Society will hold their annual Blues Challenge on
Sept 24 at the Bourbon Barrel, 1355 N Route 48 in Decatur IL. A band
and a solo/duo acted will be selected to represent Decatur Blues
Society at the International Blues Festival in Memphis Jan 31-Feb 4.
Entry information and entry forms are available at
www.decaturblues.org.
Entries must be postmarked by Sept 10. Contact us at
decaturilblues@yahoo.com
with any questions.
The Prairie
Crossroads Blues Society - Champaign, IL
The Prairie Crossroads Blues Society will be holding its Blues Band
Challenge on Saturday, October 22, 2011. This event will take place
at Memphis on Main, 55 E. Main St., in downtown Champaign. Our
winner will be heading down to Memphis, Tennessee to compete in The
International Blues Challenge in January. If you think your band is
up to the challenge, then you need to enter today! For more
information about this exciting event, please visit our website at
www.prairiecrossroadsblues.org.
The deadline for all bands to enter The Prairie Crossroads Blues
Society Blues Band Challenge is September 20, 2011.
Colorado Blues Society -
Boulder, CO
The Colorado Blues Society’s IBC Finals are coming up. On Sept 18,
our IBC Solo/Duo Finals will start at 2 PM at the Boulder Outlook,
Boulder, CO. We have 8 outstanding Solo/Duo acts. On September 25,
CBS is holding our IBC Band Finals at the Buffalo Rose, in Golden,
CO. Show starts at 2 PM and will include the 8 winners from our
preliminary rounds. On Oct 23 we will hold our Youth Showcase
auditions at the Dickens Opera House in Longmont, CO. Last year our
S/D winners, Big Jim Adam and John Stilwagen made the Finals in
Memphis while our Band entry, the Lionel Young Band, WON the Band
Finals in Memphis. The CBS' entry was the Solo Duo Memphis winner in
2008, and winning BSPCD in 2010, so you can be sure there will be
plenty of talent at all of these great events!
www.coblues.com
Illinois Central Blues Club -
Springfield, IL
The Illinois Central Blues Club presents "Blue Monday" every Monday
night for the last 25 years - BLUE MONDAY SHOWS - Held at the Alamo
115 N 5th St, Springfield, IL (217) 523-1455 every Monday 8:30pm $3
cover. Sept. 12 – Mojo Cats, Sept. 19 – Rich Fabec, Sept 26 – The Sugar
Prophets, Oct. 3 – Blues Deacons, Oct. 10 – Too Slim & The
Taildraggers, Oct. 17 – Southside Jonny & Kicked to the Curb, Oct 24
– Bruce Katz, Oct. 31 – Studebaker John and the Hawks. icbluesclub.org
The Baltimore Blues Society
- Baltimore, MD
The Baltimore Blues Society will present the 15th Annual Alonzo's
Memorial Picnic, Sunday Sept 4 on the Grounds of the Rosedale
American Legion. Headlining will be Debbie Davies. Also appearing
are IBC winners J.P.Soars and Grady Champion, The local super group
DMV Young Guns (Matt Kelly - winner of 2010 IBC Albert King Award,
Robert Frahm, Rich Sampson & more) and Ramblin Dan Stevens. Guests
can pack their own picnic coolers and BYOB. F&B is available on
site. Music runs 1-830pm. Advance tix are $25/Gate$35. Send SASE by
August 23rd to: BBS Tickets - Alonzo's, PO Box 4522 Baltimore, MD
21212 More info at
www.mojoworkin.com BBS info line 410-744-2291
The Friends Of The Blues - Watseka, IL
2011 Friends of the Blues shows - September 29, Vincent Hayes Project,
7 pm, Bradley Bourbonnais Sportsmen’s Club, October 11, Too Slim &
the Taildraggers, 7 pm, Kankakee Valley Boat Club, Friday, October
28, The Reba Russell Band, 8 pm, Kankakee Valley Boat Club,November
10, Ivas John Band, 7 pm, Venue TBA, December 1, Dave Herrero, 7 pm,
Kankakee Valley Boat Club. For more info see:
http://www.wazfest.com/JW.html
West Virginia Blues Society
- Charleston, WV
The West Virginia Blues Society will be holding it's 5th. Annual
Appalachian Blues Competition Oct. 22, 2011. The Blues Society will
be sending two acts to Memphis, Tn. for the International Blues
Challenge, Band Div. and Solo/Duo Div. If, you think your Act is
ready to take the next step, then, this IS the competition to enter
! For Application and Rules contact Competition Director Jack Rice
at, bkravenhawk@hotmail.com
or 304-389-1439.
Competition will be held at: The Sound Factory 812 Kanawha Blvd E,
Charleston, WV 25301-2807 · 1 (304) 342-8001 Stay tuned for
more info at,
www.wvbluessociety.org
Cascade Blues Association
- Portland, Oregon
The Cascade Blues Association, in celebration of their 25th
anniversary, have released a compilation CD titled Puddletown
Blues, Vol.1 that features selections from a dozen blues artists
from the state of Oregon, or with ties to the state.
Most of the tracks are from live performances and only one has
previously been released before. Artists included in this collection
are Billy D & The Hoodoos, Boogie Bone, Duffy Bishop, Fiona Boyes,
Hawkeye Herman, Kevin Selfe & The Tornadoes, Lisa Mann & Her Really
Good Band, Paul deLay, Robbie Laws, The Strange Tones, Terry Robb,
Ty Curtis Band and Woodbrain. This CD can be purchased on-line at
www.cascadeblues.org.
Also, watch for our 25th anniversary concert happening on Saturday,
September 17th at The Melody Ballroom in Portland, featuring
performances by The Robbie Laws Band with special guest from Memphis
Brandon Santini, Karen Lovely, The Lloyd Jones Struggle and Chad
Rupp & The Ruppshakers.
Mid-Mississippi Muddy Water Blues
Society -Quincy IL.
The MMMWBS is now co-hosting the "SMOKE ON THE RIVER BBQ &
BLUES FEST" Sept 9th & 10th in Quincy's Kesler Park. A sanctioned
KCBS BBQ Contest and Blues Festival, with 2 Bands on Friday
(Blue-Eyed Soul and Dave Chastain) , acoustic Blues Saturday
afternoon (Rich Berry), and 3 Bands on Sat.nite (BJ Allen & Blue
Voodoo, Rockin' Jake, and The Reba Russell Band). Info for the event
can be found at quincyblues.com
Blues Society of
the Ozarks - Springfield, MO
The Blues Society of the Ozarks based out of Springfield, Mo is
happy to announce the line up for the 15th Annual Greater Ozark
Blues Festival to be held at Chesterfield Village in Springfield, Mo
September 9 & 10, 2011
We are proud to present on Friday September 9, 2011 Mary Bridget
Davies Band, Larry Garner & Lil Ed & the Imperials on Saturday
September 10, 2011 the line up includes: Terry Quiett Band, Grand
Marques, JP Soars and the Red Hots, Shaun Murphy, and Joe Lewis
Walker. For more information and tickets visit our web site at
www.greaterozarksbluesfest.com or 417-860-5078
|
Featured Blues Review 3 of
5
 Barry
Levenson – The Late Show
15
Tracks, 77:20
Barry
Levenson is a producer, arranger, studio musician, and live performer.
He is originally from Pittsburgh, studied music in Boston, and currently
works in Los Angeles. He’s played with Big Mama Thornton, Canned Heat,
and Lowell Fulson. He’s been around the geographical and musical block a
few times. This becomes evident in the first few minutes of his new CD.
The disc
begins with “Riley’s Shuffle/Blue Tears” which despite the title sounds
more like Freddie King than the fabled Blues Boy. It also shows that
Levenson has an affinity for the Lone Star State, throwing in licks
reminiscent of other famous Texans like Albert Collins, Clarence
“Gatemouth” Brown and Jimmie Vaughan. Levenson’s sweet Stratocaster tone
even conjures hints of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s gentler moments as this
Texas barn burner settles into the smoldering second half. The “Blue
Tears” portion of the track features some delicate fretwork and
shimmering tones worthy of Jeff Beck and Roy Buchanan.
The funky
R&B strut of “Whole Lotta Blues” brings the music of Memphis through
Detroit, on to Chicago O’Hare and flies it out to sunny California. One
of a handful of vocal tracks on a mostly instrumental album, “Whole
Lotta Blues” features Mary Williams’ smooth voice singing a chorus that
perfectly sums up the disc: “For a little bit of money you get a whole
lotta blues.”
The Late
Show seems to be a metaphor for a variety show on the old late night
TV line-ups when there were only three channels and half the sets were
black & white and the rest were pieces of furniture big enough to solve
the homeless problem. There had to be something for everyone. With
Levenson’s Late Show, listeners get something for and from everyone.
Levenson’s “bits” showcase the styles of Muddy Waters on “One For
Muddy,” the cool sounds of Albert Collins permeate much of the album but
he gets a standout homage on “Turn Up The A.C.,” the New Orleans funk of
The Meters gets the Buddy Guy treatment on “Meters Runnin’,” and The
Late Show closes with a sublime tribute to Grant Green on “Green Is
Blue.”
Such direct
emulation can often be hamfisted but Barry Levenson pulls it off with
aplomb. He has his own style and is a supremely skillful instrumentalist
who manages to blend the music of his heroes with his own, creating
something fresh that nods to the past but keeps a firm hold on the
present and future. Not only is Levenson a remarkable guitarist, he is
also a gifted writer. Blues instrumentals can often be used as an excuse
to show off, play fast, dazzle for a few minutes, lose focus and fizzle
out altogether. 64th notes are exciting but you can’t really hear them
all. Barry knows this and has constructed instrumentals with a variety
of styles, all with lyrical melodies that’ll you’ll want to sing. Some
trick you into hearing phantom syllables like words that dangle on the
tip of your tongue, slightly out of reach of your brain but there
none-the-less. “Rush Hour” is fine example of this phenomenon where
Levenson combines minor key blues ala Otis Rush with a little Fleetwood
Mac via Santana. The melodies carry the familiar pieces to an epicenter
of deconstruction where something new and ethereal emerges.
Levenson
uses his considerable skills as an arranger in an inspired way offering
a fresh approach to music that is now a century old. The Late Show
indeed offers something for everyone, from the virtuoso instrumentals,
gospel infused blues, Chicago stomps, and Texas shuffles to the jazzy
vamps and vocal highlights including longtime collaborators Johnny Dyer
and Finis Tasby. The Late Show is a nearly complete experience. The only
thing missing is the color test screen and a slightly off-key horn
ensemble playing a horribly loud version of the National Anthem as it
goes of the air. .
Reviewer Jim Kanavy is
the greatest guitar player in his house. He has been reviewing albums in
his head for 30 years and in print since 2008, and is deeply committed
to keeping the blues alive and thriving. For more information visit
http://jimkanavy.com.
For other reviews and interviews on our website
CLICK HERE
|
 Hey Blues Fans,
For those of you who are planning to come to Chicago for the Blues Blast
Music Awards at Buddy Guy's Legends in October, we have some good news.
We have negotiated a block of 25 rooms at a discount rate of only $139.
Our official hotel for the awards is the Essex Inn located just around
the corner from Legends. This block is available until September 15th,
2011.
It is a nice hotel within walking distance. Hurry though because
there are only 25 rooms guaranteed at this rate. Get your
reservation before they are gone.
To book your rooms now
CLICK HERE or call 800 621-6909
and ask for the Blues Blast Magazine discount rate.
|
Featured Blues Review 4 of
5
 Shane
Dwight - A Hundred White Lies
R-Tist Records
12 songs; 49:57 minutes; Suggested
Styles: Roots Rock, Soulful Americana, Rock and Roll, Jazzy Rhythm &
Blues, Contemporary Blues, Blues-Rock, Alt-Country
When it comes to seasonings, the three basics are salt, pepper, and
Nashville. Nashville has added flavorings to songs by diverse artists
from Bob Dylan to Neil Young to Delbert McClinton to, now, Shane Dwight.
Originally from California, Dwight is now a Nashville resident, and his
seventh studio CD is loaded with a little more twang in the guitar, a
slight drawl in some vocals, and a whole lot more vocal harmonies and
melody in the mix.
Born on the East Side of San Jose in Morgan Hill, California, Shane
Dwight, over the past 10 years, has performed over 2,000 live shows,
released seven CDs, been a repeat performer on the Legendary Rhythm and
Blues Cruises, and performed at some of the biggest music festivals
around the world. Yet, he has flown under the radar of many Blues fans
who know him by name only. That’s about to change!
Moving to Nashville three years ago brought mixed results. On the plus
side, Shane signed a record deal, enrolled with a major booking agency,
and became connected with top-notch managers, producers and musicians
(Delbert McClinton’s crew on this CD).
On the down side, it put a huge stress on his marriage. Constant touring
and road separation from his wife proved to be too much, for both of
them. Crushed by their separation, eventual divorce, and his own
culpabilities, Shane began writing these soul-baring songs. Eleven of
the twelve cuts are originals written during that sad, dark period. The
best emotional songwriting is known to flow from an ailing artist’s
soul. “She Struts 22” is about the temptations that all touring artists
go through. “Love’s Last Letter” and “Broken” are songs written about
the pain of separation; and “True Love’s Gone” sums it all up.
The most accessible song musically is the first track, "Call Me." The
Jazzy number is as ready for radio as a jack rabbit is for a date. Suave
yet shameless, this opening anthem will grab listeners by the ears AND
feet. It's a full-production number, swinging with Dwight's creative,
growling guitar, Kevin McKendree's killer keyboards, and Bekka
Bramlett's beautiful background vocals. This song highlights the
often-overlooked fact that bands are ensembles. When everyone plays
together in balanced harmony, with no heroes, a Blues miracle happens!
Being the title track, one might rightly suspect that "A Hundred White
Lies" packs a wallop. Correct, but the main power is in the lyrics.
Musically, it is ominous and understated, putting one in mind of a
sneaky marauder. It's a ballad about cheating, and the "hundred white
lies" unfaithful lovers tell: "He told her the first one, so not to
break her heart. It spared her that pain, but that was just the start.
He told one more about where he'd been, [and] didn't hear the door when
the devil came in...." With the desperate plea of "just one more, just
one more!," Shane Dwight drives home the point that deceit becomes a
habit until it’s too late.
Rock and roll will never die, even on Blues albums! "Love's Last Letter"
is an exuberant throwback to the “Let It Bleed” days of the Rolling
Stones, carrying fans on a whirlwind roller-coaster ride. It has a tempo
drag racers would love, relentless intensity, Bekka Bramlett's
incredible background vocals, and a hidden warning in the chorus:
"Crying all night will make you feel better. The arms of another are
giving you shelter. Your mama always said you could do better...." If
listeners lay the lyrics aside and lose themselves in the music, they'll
find that their dancing shoes won't stop moving.
"Black Ice" is dangerous for vehicles, and when it comes in female form,
for unsuspecting touring artists, too! After helping out a gorgeous
tavern patron, the narrator of this song finds he's "backsliding" at
breakneck speed: "Closing time at the bar, you had too much to drink,
you wanted to leave your car. You smiled at me, and then I knew this
might be a hand I was bound to lose. You're just BLUES! You're bad
NEWS!" There's "one in every bar," as Shane Dwight cautions, who
"doesn't have a problem wrecking your home tonight...." The lyrics here
are just as addicting as Dwight's wickedly-good guitar refrain.
"Love That's True" is a peppy number as close to “pure blues” as Dwight
comes on this CD. Featuring Shane's slide guitar talents and deft
acoustic and Dobro work from both Kevin McKendree and Rob McNelley, this
song marries Blues and Country with the delightful vocals of the McCrary
Sisters--Ann, Regina, and Alfreda. The chorus girls cry "Whoa, whoa,
whoa--boy, can I come with you?" However, Dwight dismisses them with a
backwoods gentleman's flair: "No, no, no--I'm waiting on a love that's
true."
Sure, there will be those who prefer Memphis Blues spice instead of
Nashville’s, but if you ever loved Rock and Roll, you will dig this
album. Shane Dwight’s unabridged honesty in telling his story has
translated into songs emotionally and musically addicting for the rest
of us, too.
Reviewer James "Skyy
Dobro" Walker is a noted Blues writer, DJ, Master of Ceremonies, and
Blues Blast contributor. His weekly radio show "Friends of the Blues"
can be heard Saturdays 8 pm - Midnight on WKCC 91.1 FM and at
www.wkccradio.org in Kankakee,
IL. Amy Walker contributed to this review. To
See James “Skyy Dobro” Walker's CD rating system,
CLICK HERE.
For other reviews and interviews on our website
CLICK HERE
|
Featured Blues Review 5 of
5
 Vince
Agwada - Basic Blue
Rocketnoodle Music
12 tracks/65 minutes
Vince Agwada is not a household name. This blues-rocker plays an
incendiary guitar and he and his band can light any place on fire. He
should be better known and his second album perhaps can now help correct
that. This one follows up his 2008 effort "Eyes of the City" and it was
all written and produced by Vince. Agwada has been a fixture on the
Chicago blues scent for 25 years. Starting at Theresa's and Buddy Guy's
Checkerboard Lounge, he jammed and played with the best of them,
including Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Otis Rush, Syl Johnson and Magic
Slim. The late Lefty Diz let Agwada sit in on the Blue Monday jams as a
teenager. Agwada has also toured for decades with an equally impressive
list of legends. Now with two CDs released, the world has a great
sampling of what this guy can do.
The driving and dirty beat of "Chi Town State of Mind" openedthe CD and
it up almost literally beat me to a pulp. I was tired after listening to
it- it was that big of a song! The pile driving beat, heavy guitars, and
down and dirty harp are Chicago blues and rock taken to an intense
level. Followed up by another rocking song called "Blindsided", we get
more stinging guitar. Minus the harp on this one, the solo work revolves
completely around Agwada's guitar play. He plays his heart out again,
but then follows those two up with a funked-up song with lots of the
clavinet called "President". It offers a contrast to the rockers and
shows us some diversity. The instrumental "Head Too Tight" offers more
cool stuff, with sax and some more keys added. He also shows he can
handle the slow stuff with "Black Rain", where his guitar wails so well.
Orlando Wright, Andre Howard and Vic Jackson are mostly on bass, Clyde
Davis, Brady Williams and Steve Gillis are mostly on drums, Roosevelt
Purfoy adds his keys and many others contribute here. Sugar Blue makes
an appearance on two of the tracks and Larry McCray adds his guitar to
the mix on one of them- "Right on Time"; very nicely done. The Chicago
Horns join Sugar Blue as guests on "Shake It Up", too. The title track
is down tempo, rocking blues, one of the slower tracks. He closes with
"She Never Said", the second instrumental and third slow song, allowing
listeners time to recover their heart beats as he closes in a nice and
mellow manner. Funky, bluesy, rocking stuff all over the place- It is
all quite the experience. If you like guitar and lots of it you will
love this. Agwada lays it on heavy and shows us what he's got. Just be
ready because it is a hot and heavy ride!
Reviewer
Steve Jones is secretary of the
Crossroads Blues
Society and is a long standing blues lover. He is a retired Navy
commander who served his entire career in nuclear submarines. In
addition to working in his civilian career, he writes for and publishes
the bi-monthly newsletter for Crossroads, chairs their music festival
and work with their Blues In The Schools program.
For other reviews and interviews on our website
CLICK HERE
|
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