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In This Issue
We have five CD reviews for you this week! Steve Jones reviews a new CD from
Matthew Curry. James "Skyy Dobro" Walker reviews a new CD from Eric
"Guitar" Davis. John Mitchell reviews
a new CD from Diunna Greenleaf.
Greg “Bluesdog” Szalony reviews a new CD
from The Elgins. Mark Thompson reviews a new CD from
Shaun Murphy. All this and MORE! SCROLL DOWN!!!
From The Editor's Desk
Hey Blues Fans,
Wow, here we are, one day to go to the biggest gathering of
Blues artists of the fall season at the Blues Blast Music
Awards. 16 bands, all nominated for awards, will be playing you
some of the BEST in Blues music today.
The show starts at 6:00pm on Thursday at Buddy Guy's Legends in
Chicago. Advance tickets are still available and there should be
some at the door too so join us as we celebrate the BEST in
today's Blues.
For more information see the ad below.
And if you can't join us in Chicago, be sure to listen to the
live broadcast stream on
GLT Blues Radio 24/7.
Turn on your computer, tune in and turn it
UP!
Good Blues To You!
Bob Kieser
Deep Blue Innovators Blues Festival this Saturday
There is also another great Blues show on Saturday in Monmouth,
IL. The Deep Blue Innovators Blues Festival features Rory Block,
The Michelle Malone Banned (aka Moaning Michelle Malone), Paul
Rishell & Annie Raines, Blue Mother Tupelo and Hayes & Fleming.
Check it out at
www.monmouthblues.com or see their ad below!
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Thursday
October 27th, 2011 Buddy
Guy's Legends, Chicago, IL
Chris
O'Leary Band,
Vincent Hayes
Project, Tony Rogers &
Sharrie
Williams,
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. Show starts at 6:00pm.
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 begin as low as $250
for two people and include
guaranteed seating, Blues memorabilia "Goodie Bag", limited edition
event poster, limited edition Blues Blast Awards T-shirts and sponsor's name listed in
the souvenir awards program. Limited number of sponsorships available, first
come first served! For more information
CLICK HERE
Featured Blues Review 1 of
5
 Matthew Curry - If I Don’t Got You
Self Released
9 tracks
Every time a new teenage act comes around with any sort of talent, the
blues world seems to get all agog. Few of them really inspire me to
spend more than a passing moment listening to them, or if they achieve
their potential they transition over into the rock scene and forget the
blues that made them famous. In this case I think we really have
something different. Matthew Curry transcends the hype and performs,
sings, and writes extraordinarily well. He and his team produce music
like highly talented and seasoned professionals. To use a perhaps
over-used expression, I really think he IS the real deal.
What I like about Matthew Perry is pretty much everything he does; a
mere 16 years old yet he has great “feeling” to his work. He does not
overstate his case. The guitar notes have air and space between them,
even when he goes out on the big, solo riff. The vocals are gritty yet
tight and precise. He has soul and really feels the blues. And added to
all of that are the arrangements; they include a brassy horn section and
keyboard that add depth and richness to the overall sound. Seven great
originals followed by two stunning covers make up this CD.
The CD opens with the title track, a rocking song with a funky and
soulful sound. Curry shows us he can sing, play and arrange great songs
right off the bat and sets the stage for an exceptional introduction to
his music. The horn section adds a lot to this track, making it sound
even better but not over the top. Curry next moves into “New York City
Blues”, where he trades some licks with the keyboard and delivers some
extremely awesome guitar solos while delivering very nice vocals.
“Storm’s a Brewin” is a hot instrumental track where Curry channels a
little of the Allman Brothers’ Dickey Betts sound (or maybe even some
classic Marshall Tucker Band-styled licks), but he is original and
creative; this is not a “copy cat” sort of track. He is showing us what
he does best- write and play awesome songs built on a theme and then
takes them in his own original direction. He gives us some big riffs and
licks but (as I stated before) they are not overdone. The restraint and
artistry comes into play and we see talent that truly belies his age.
“Walk Out The Door” is next up, and Curry again treats us to some
atmospheric stuff yet remain bound in the blues and not in some
mega-rock sort of mode. The organ here plays a nice counterpoint to
Curry’s guitar and the song just rocks from beginning to end. Matthews’
vocals are also tight- he sells the lyrics with his great intonation and
fire in his voice. On “Hear The Highway” Curry takes us on another fiery
ride, where he tells us the story how he wants to hit the road and bring
his blues to the world, and I believe him. This kid is committed to his
craft and his roots in the blues sound deep and firm. The guitar here is
driving and flaming hot.
The tone and timber slow way down on the next cut, “Blinded By The
Darkness”. This is the longest track on the CD by far at over seven
minutes. What is cool is that the song does not drag- Matthew delivers
slow blues to us in a manner that makes you just sway back and forth to
and ask for more. The horns play a big part again, adding their charm
and depth once again. The tenor sax solo is poignant, and the organ solo
is also super. Doug Daniels provides support is on sax just for this
tracks and he is just great. Curry’s vocals and guitar are truly “real”,
too. Slow blues done wrong can be just awful; here we have slow blues
done right, with a great mix of musicians who support each other quite
well.
The last original cut is the song “Dancing To The Blues”, with a driving
beat and wickedly hot guitar solos.
The first seven cuts were all originals and are exceptionally good. The
last two songs are covers and they also amazed me. Curry delivers a
spectacular take on Charlie Patton’s “High Water Everywhere”, giving it
a New Orleans sort of sound with slide guitar that immediately made me
think of Sonny Landreth. The almost demonic drum and bass lines are in
the style of Landreth’s “Congo Square” and the slide work is just
impeccable and impressive. Curry amazed me even more here with this
creative cover than on his original cuts with his unique approach to
Patton’s song.
The last track is a more straight-up cover of Warren Hayne’s “Soulshine”.
It is done in more of an Allman Brothers/Government Mule style, but
Curry gets creative with the horn section adding a great dimension to
the cut. Curry sells the vocal solos with a strong showing and his
guitar work emulates the style of Haynes, but his delivery is in a
slightly more up tempo mode than the original, which gives us Curry’s
unique spin on this while paying homage to the original at the same
time.
Curry’s band “The Fury” are exemplary. Randy Hoffman on guitar, Greg
Neville on drums and back-up vocals and Jeff Paxton on bass and back-up
vocals are superb support for this young star-to-be. They are flawless
in their work with Curry. Erik Nelson on keyboard and organ is also
outstanding. I noted Doug Daniels support on sax on the one track above,
but Jim Kozak plays the sax on the rest of the CD and he is no slouch,
either. Mark Babbitt on trombone, and Greg Hensel and Charlie Mueller on
trumpet really add to this body of work, and backing vocals by Karyl
Nelson, Nel Erikson and Robin Willis all make for a great sound. Nelson
and Carlson also serve as the CD’s co-producers and, as I’ve noted, do a
stellar job making the sound and blend of musicians seamless and full
bodied- well done!
I usually try to give constructive criticism when I hear new artists. In
this case I am somewhat speechless. All I can say and hope is that
Matthew Curry stays true to himself and his blues back ground. He is
real, he is good, and he not some Stevie Ray Vaughn wanna-be. I
thoroughly enjoyed this album and I highly recommend it! I can’t wait to
see this great young artist live!
Reviewer
Steve
Jones is a Board Member 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 works with their Blues In The Schools program.
For other reviews and interviews on our website
CLICK HERE
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Featured Blues Review 2 of 5
 Eric
“Guitar” Davis & The Troublemakers - Trouble Makin’ Man
Young Blues Records
10 songs; 42:17 minutes; Suggested
Styles: Blues Rock with mixes of Gospel, Soul, R&B, Jazz, and Funk
When an artist has “Guitar” for a middle name, expect from his CD _?_.
A) String bending, metal shredding, fret-board fireworks and histrionics
B) Songs emphasizing lead vocals C) Full band production numbers, with horns D) Plenty of background vocals and harmonies E) All of the above
Well, I pre-judged Choice A. To my complete surprise, what I got was
Choice E. The south side of Chicago’s Eric Davis has created a complex
CD reflecting true song craftsmanship. This CD, with nine out ten
self-penned songs, is far from a power trio wanking on endlessly.
Featuring tunes averaging around four minutes, Davis’ release has no
less than 14 guest artists ranging from Ronnie Baker Brooks to help
with, indeed, fret-board fireworks to Big James Montgomery adding
trombone to Andrea Miologos adding incredible vocal harmonies.
Davis is being touted as “a new era of the Blues Chicago style.” His
live shows are famously high energy, and publicity agents are saying,
“This CD is the New Generation of the Blues at its best.” Davis’s vocals
are emotive and sufficient and getting better with experience. In last
week’s interview with Terry Mullins in Blues Blast Magazine’s Issue
5-42; October 21, 2011, Davis revealed, “I’ve never really thought that
I could sing. But as a bandleader, I wasn’t afraid to step up to the
mike and sing. I knew I had to.... That was the only way I was ever
going to be able to learn to sing. And right now today, I’m very
comfortable about what I’ve been able to achieve vocal-wise.”
The CD kicks off with the title track “Trouble Makin' Man.” Being more akin to Rock and Roll than Blues, it’s full of zest and lightning-fast shredding. This song demonstrates to fans why his middle name is “Guitar.” Trombonist Big James, trumpet player Charles Pryor, and saxophonist Destiny Pivonka also prominently Funk it up. Davis asserts that "causin' trouble's what I like," from "your town" all the way to Chicago, Tennessee, and even New Orleans! Davis almost gets into FCC trouble twice when he smugly boasts, “I'm about to turn this mother--aah...” It may not satisfy blues purists, but most listeners will have no trouble feeling energized by “Trouble Makin' Man!”
Track 3, “You're Goin' Down,” is our fist taste of Davis’s incredible
and diverse artistry. Blending R&B elements and even a little Latin
flavoring, Davis proves that his instrument of choice is not only wild,
but can be sweetly ominous. Rarely has a warning so sharp, from a
wronged lover to his errant sweetheart, sounded so poignant. “You're
bragging to your friends about the money I give you, and the car I just
bought you last week. You have sold your soul for the devil's own gold.
Now it's time I put you back on your feet,” Davis admonishes, his voice
roiling with passion. “You're going down, down, down, down!” Ron Moten's
keyboard notes cascade like summer evening raindrops on the sidewalk and
combine with the caressing flames of Davis's guitar. They're snaking
tendrils from the place where lost souls go when they fall.
Track 7, “Dolla Queen,” has a caveat emptor: let the buyer beware, but
in this case, let the club-goer beware. A gold digger is on the prowl:
“She'll let you buy her a drink, make you think you'll get a little
more, but that's all you're gonna get without a damn good credit
score!... She's on the scene, looking for that mean, mean green.” Guest
star Ronnie Baker Brooks licks his chops and devours his guitar on the
solo in the middle, laced with hot sauce and just a splash of acid! He
and Eric Davis exchange guitar licks, warnings, and lustful yearnings
between verses. “You see that girl at the bar, man?” “Yeah, I see her,
but you're gonna need to pay if you mess with her!” Will they yield?
Only time will tell, and a few more repetitions of this riveting
guilty-pleasure song! Ronnie Baker Brooks co-wrote and co-produced this
one.
For fans of classic Electric Blues sounds, Davis still delivers the
goods on songs like “Ew-Wee.” The only cover, Jimmy Burns’s “No
Consideration” is given a Gospel feel completely emphasizing vocals and
harmony. “Days Of My Life” is a nice R&B-tinged Blues track with a
hypnotic rhythm.
Eric “Guitar” Davis started his early music career as a drummer. A
chance encounter with Buddy Guy at the original Checkerboard Lounge
resulted in Guy showing Davis his first chord on the guitar. Davis
currently plays in and around Chicago and around the world with his
band, The Troublemakers.
I know not to judge a book by its cover, and now I know not to judge an
artist by his name. Pick this one up and enjoy Davis’s deft and diverse
artistry. He may or may not be the future, but he is the here and now
for damn sure!
Amy Walker contributed to this review.
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
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Blues Blast Music
Awards - Listen Online Live
 Great News! Our friends at
GLT Blues Radio 24/7 are going to stream the audio from the
2011
Blues Blast Music Awards at Buddy
Guy's Legends LIVE on October 27th!
Tune in FREE to hear
Nick
Moss Band,
Reverend Raven
And The Chain Smokin' Altar Boys,
Karen
Lovely Band,
Eddie Turner,
Bob Corritore
w/Dave Riley,
Rich Del Grosso
& Jonn Richardson,
Peter Parcek, The
Sugar Prophets, Teeny Tucker Band ,
Reba Russell Band, Gina Sicilia
with Dave Gross, Matt Hill,
Chris
O'Leary Band,
Vincent Hayes
Project, Rob Blaine's Big
Otis Blues, Tony Rogers, and more as they perform LIVE from the greatest Blues club in the world, Chicago's own
Buddy Guy's Legends. The broadcast
will begin at 6:00pm CST sharp!
If
you have never listened to
GLT Blues Radio 24/7 be sure to check it out now by
CLICKING HERE. Then be
sure to bookmark their station and tune in.
We think they have THE best commercial free, all Blues, all the time
internet radio station on the planet! So check them out and see what we
mean.
Fans in the Bloomington/Normal and Central Illinois area will also be
able to hear the show live on their regular FM radio dial at 89.1 FM or
103.5 FM in the Central, IL area.
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Featured Blues Review 3 of 5
 Diunna
Greenleaf – Trying To Hold On
Blue Mercy Records
14 tracks; 58.04 minutes
Diunna Greenleaf won the IBC in 2005 with her band Blue Mercy. Since
then she has continued to operate out of her home base in Houston and
has made a lot of good friends in the blues community, not least Bob
Margolin who often sits in with Diunna’s band and Bob Corritore who
produced some of the tracks here.
This CD is made up of three distinct recording sessions: six tracks were
produced by Bob Corritore in Tempe, Arizona; three tracks were produced
by Anson Funderburgh in Austin, Texas; three tracks were recorded and
produced by Diunna herself in Houston. The two other tracks are one from
a 2009 session in Salina, Kansas and a home recording of Diunna’s 102
year old grandmother singing acappella. However, whatever the session,
Diunna’s gospel-soaked voice is the dominant force here and the variety
of contexts all work for her.
The six Bob Corritore-produced tracks are at the core of the CD, so
let’s start with those. Four are Diunna’s compositions. Drums are played
on all those tracks by Chuck Cotton; Mookie Brill plays upright bass on
two, Patrick Rynn electric bass on three; Chris James plays guitar on
two tracks, Bob Margolin on five; John Rapp adds slide guitar to one
track and Bob Corritore harp on four tracks.
“Be For Me” opens the CD at a gentle pace, Diunna’s voice clear as a
bell over the warm double bass, guitar and harp. “Growing Up And Growing
Old” is one of the longer tracks on the disc and is a gentle poem about
the aging process, about how that process is one to be welcomed, not
feared. Diunna’s lyrics on the great stomper “I Can’t Wait” are about
the joy of playing and listening to the blues and the accompaniment
certainly backs that up, with Bob Corritore’s harp to the fore, ably
supported by some of Bob Margolin’s Muddy-styled slide playing.
Title track “Tryin’ To Hold On”, with its catchy chorus, is also from
the Bob C sessions though Bob sits this one out, leaving the featured
playing to the twin guitars of Bob M and Chris James. “I’m A Little
Mixed Up”, from the pen of Betty James, is another upbeat track with Bob
C wailing on harp and the twin guitars both featuring well behind
Diunna’s Koko Taylor inspired vocal. The final track from the Bob C
sessions is an acappella version of the traditional song “He Is
Everything To Me” sung by Diunna. This follows a homespun recording of
Diunna’s 102 year old grandmother singing the same tune which Diunna
wanted to include to demonstrate the strong family links in her singing.
The three tracks produced by Anson Funderburgh are all terrific. Diunna
wrote all three and Anson plays guitar on two of them, with Smokin’ Joe
Kubek replacing him on the third. The rest of the Austin band is Wes
Starr on drums, Johnny Bradley on bass, “Gentleman” John Street on keys
and Ron Jones on sax. “Sunny Day Friends” takes its title from a remark
made by the late Sam Myers that you need to watch out for those who only
want to be your friends when things are going well. It’s a typical piece
of Texas blues and it is always a joy to hear Anson’s clean guitar
lines. “I Got A Notion To Leave” is not dissimilar, an upbeat shuffle
with busy piano underpinning Anson’s guitar. “Taking Chances” is a
slower, more intense piece, with Joe Kubek’s strong guitar ably
supported by Ron Jones’ baritone sax.
The three self-produced tracks all feature Vernon Daniels on drums and
Joshua Preslar on bass (doubling up on guitar on two tracks). Jonn Del
Toro Richardson on guitar, Billy Branch on harp and Rich Del Grosso on
mandolin each play on one track. “Beautiful Hat” is led by Del Grosso’s
mandolin, a jaunty gospel song about what to wear when reaching heaven –
a large, beautiful hat for Diunna! “You Don’t Feel That Way About Me” is
more secular, a catchy tune with lyrics expressing how all powerful love
can be – unfortunately Diunna’s lover is not similarly devoted and the
relationship must end. “’Cause I’m A Soldier” is a co-write between
Diunna and John Del Toro Richardson, a serious song and the longest cut
on the CD. The song is slow-paced and talks tellingly about the
sacrifices needed to ensure peace and freedom. Jonn Richardson’s guitar
is beautifully counterpoised against Billy Branch’s mournful harp and
marching drums. The 2009 track is a cover of Jimmy McCracklin’s “Double
Dealing”, an opportunity to hear more of Jonn Richardson’s fine playing
in a tougher style, ably supported by the rhythm section of Preslar and
Daniels.
This is a fine CD with a lot to enjoy, with great playing and, above
all, plenty of Diunna Greenleaf’s great voice. Recommended!
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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Blues Society News
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Send your Blues Society's BIG news or Press Release
about your
not-for-profit event with
the subject line "Blues Society News" to:
Submissions must be a maximum of 175 words or less in a Text or MS Word document
format.
River City Blues Society
- Pekin, IL
River City Blues Society presents: Bringing The Blues To You with
the following shows - Eddie Turner - Wednesday October 26th, Big Dog
Mercer - Wednesday November 9th, Cash Box Kings - Thursday November
17th, Kilborn Alley Blues Band - Wednesday November 30th, Victor
Wainwright & The Wildroots - Saturday December 17th. Location
Goodfellas 1414 S. 8th St, Pekin, Illinois 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm $5.00
non-members $3.00 members. For more info visit:
www.rivercityblues.com
The Golden Gate Blues Society -
Redwood City, CA
On Sunday, November 13, The Golden Gate Blues Society of the San
Francisco Bay Area presents the International Blues Challenge Final
Round. Pinkie Rideau and Blind Resistance, The David Landon Band,
Paula Harris and Blu Gruv, and The Delta Wires hit the stage at San
Francisco’s award- winning home of the blues, Biscuits & Blues,
located at 401 Mason Street near Union Square, from 2 until 6 pm on
Sunday, November 13. Admission for members of The Golden Gate Blues
Society is $15, and for nonmembers $20. Membership is available at
the door.
Judges for the Finals include Sista Monica Parker, "the lioness of
the blues;" Lee Hildebrand, journalist for Living Blues; and Frank
DeRose, leader and bass player with 2011 TGGBS International Blues
Challenge winners Tip of the Top. For more info visit
www.tggbs.org
The Windy City Blues Society
- Chicago, IL
The Windy City Blues Society is proud to announce the 2011 Chicago
Blues Challenge (CBC). The CBC is a series of musical competitions
that will determine which blues band will represent Chicago and The
Windy City Blues Society at the Blues Foundation’s 2012
International Blues Challenge (IBC) in Memphis, Tennessee.
The Chicago Blues Challenge will be held on Sundays in October culminating in the Finals in November. Venues will be
announced shortly on the Windy
City Blues Society Website.
The Chicago Blues Challenge Finals will be held
Sunday, November 13.
For more information about the Windy City Blues Society and the
Chicago Blues Challenge please visit
www.windycityblues.org or visit
our Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter Sites.
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. Oct 24
– Bruce Katz, Oct. 31 – Studebaker John and the Hawks, Nov 6 -
Robert Sampson. icbluesclub.org
The Friends Of The Blues - Watseka, IL
2011 Friends of the Blues shows - 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
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Featured Blues Review 4 of 5
 The
Elgins - Back To Chicago
Devil’s
Tale Music
Time-53:44
Facebook-The Elgins
From the
spare and laidback grooves here you would be led to believe these are
long lost tracks from the 40’s and 50’s blues masters that were recently
unearthed. Would you believe it’s the work of Norwegian musicians? Well
you better start believing. These guys have the sound, timing and every
nuance down to a “T”. You would be hard pressed to differentiate between
special guest Johnny Dyer’s vocals and those of the Norwegian vocalists.
This is to say they have the inflections of their African-American
heroes pretty much down pat. The spare arrangements harken back to the
golden years of the Chicago sound, ably abetted by small tube amps and
vintage equipment to give the desired atmosphere. A small drum kit is
utilized to replicate the simpler percussion of days gone by.
The sixteen
cover songs that make up this CD place a heavy emphasis on Muddy Waters
and his band mates Little Walter Jacobs and Jimmy Rogers. Also
represented are Rice Miller, John Brim and others. Little Walter clocks
in with nearly one third of the tunes, at five. Three being
instrumentals, the meat and potatoes of his rightly deserved reputation
as the harmonica player that all others are held up to. Mark Bukich does
Walter proud as he captures the essence of the master in his harp
playing. Anyone who can hold his own on Walter’s signature song “Juke”
deserves to be revered.
Fredrik
Zahl Marken’s slide guitar on Robert Nighthawk’s “Anna Lee” comes off as
the “Real McCoy”, and on every other track he graces it with. Close
attention is paid to detail, as vocal asides are used in Rice Miller’s
“Keep It To Yourself”, to replicate his off-handed-ness. Piano player
Oyvind Stolefjell conjures up the ghost of Sunnyland Slim’s in his
“lazy” stylings. The other guitarist Mark Mumea also adds the Chicago
vibe along with Fredrik. Muddy Waters gets the Norway treatment on three
of his lesser known songs, but they shine just as bright as his more
familiar tunes would have.
Producer
Mark Mumea deserves just as much credit as his fellow musicians for
getting the playing, atmospherics and arrangements just right. Play this
anonymously for your friends and watch in amazement as they pick their
brains to determine what time frame this recording originates from.
Reviewer Greg
“Bluesdog” Szalony hails from the New Jersey Delta.
For other reviews and interviews on our website
CLICK HERE
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Featured Blues Review 5 of
5
 Shaun
Murphy - Live at Callahan’s Music Hall
Self-released
14 tracks/70:08
At last year’s Blues Blast Music Awards show, singer Shaun Murphy
electrified the audience with a stunning performance. For many of those
in attendance that evening, that brief set was their first exposure to
Murphy despite her star-studded resume. Over the years, Shaun has done
numerous tours with Bob Seger and Eric Clapton as well as spending
fifteen years as a member of Little Feat. Now she is blazing her own
path, garnering critical praise for her last recording, Trouble With
Lovin’.
Her latest release captures Murphy on stage at Callahan’s, the famous
Detroit blues venue, backed by her veteran band that includes Larry
Knight on guitar, Boyd LeFan on bass, Dave Nelson on drums and Larry Van
Loon on keyboards plus Laura Creamer & Barbara Payton on backing vocals.
The group has a tight sound that consistently provides a strong
framework for Murphy’s powerhouse vocals. While Murphy is justifiably
proud of her band, the inclusion of an instrumental version of “Amazing
Grace” in the middle of the track list is a puzzling choice
Opening with KoKo Taylor’s “I Can Love You Like A Woman”, Murphy lays
down a gritty vocal that pays tribute to one of her favorite singers.
Next up are three songs from Trouble With Lovin’ sandwiched around an
Etta James classic. Van Loon’s organ enlivens the arrangements on
“Mississippi Water” and “That’s What Love Will Do” with Murphy
displaying the full range of her potent voice. The band delivers a funky
rendition of “Come to Mama” before Murphy and Van Loon do a vocal duet
on “Hopelessly in Love With You”. Van Loon’s coarse voice serves as the
perfect compliment to Murphy’s golden tone.
Highlights include Murphy rejoicing with gospel fervor on “Can’t No
Grave Hold My Body Down” and strutting her sassy persona on “Someone
Else is Steppin’ In”. She digs deep on “I Know Why the Sun Don’t Shine”,
using the haunting slow blues to display all of the power and range her
voice possesses. The addition of the Motor City Horns – Keith Kaminski
on sax, Mark Byerly & Robert Jensen on trumpet, John Rutherford on
trombone – brings an extra level of swagger to the proceedings. But
Murphy is unfazed as her voice rings out on another KoKo tune, “Gonna
Buy Me a Mule” and she rides the band’s rockin’ rhythm on “Love of
Mine”, featuring a strong solo from Kaminski.
The band roars through Bob Dylan’s “Down in the Flood” with Van Loon
pounding his piano and Knight firing off some razor-sharp licks. The
disc closes with the quiet grace of “It Feels Like Rain” as Murphy’s
passionate vocal conveys a sense of loss. Suddenly, she hits a note and
holds it, lingering for nearly twenty seconds. Then she begins to
testify like a southern Baptist preacher, building the tension until
several soul-wrenching cries provide emotional release to end the disc.
Shaun Murphy is an amazing singer. She can holler and shout or caress
lyrics with a light touch. She has the power, control and vocal range to
sing anything she wants, any way she wants to. If you don’t believe me,
give this disc a listen and you too will become a dedicated Shaun Murphy
fan.
Reviewer Mark
Thompson is president of the
Crossroads Blues
Society in Rockford. IL. He has been listening to music of all kinds
for fifty years. The first concert he attended was in Chicago with The
Mothers of Invention and Cream. Life has never been the same.
For other reviews and interviews on our website
CLICK HERE
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