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In This Issue
Terry Mullins has our feature interview with Chicago Bluesman Eddie C.
Campbell this week.
We have six CD reviews for you this week!
Greg “Bluesdog” Szalony reviews a new CD from Errol Linton. Ian McKenzie reviews a new CD from
Bert Deivert. John Mitchell reviews a new CD from Travis Moonchild Haddix. Steve Jones reviews a new CD from
Bobby Messano. Mark Thompson
reviews a new CD from Billy C. Farlow featuring Mercy. Rainey Wetnight
reviews a new CD from Sandy Carroll. All this and MORE! SCROLL DOWN!!!
RIP Hubert Sumlin -
November 16, 1931 to December 4, 2011
We lost another Blues legend this week with the passing of Hubert Sumlin.
Hubert made his mark with his unique guitar playing as the long time
guitarist for Howlin' Wolf.
 His
health has been failing for the last couple years. When we attended the 2010
Chicago Blues Fest Hubert had to cancel his scheduled afternoon appearance
on an all-star panel celebrating the music of Howlin' Wolf.
We assumed we would not get to see him that day. But even though Hubert
wasn't having the best day, he was not going to miss the chance to play with
some of Howlin' Wolf's former band members. To our pleasant surprise
Hubert showed up to play with his oxygen tank in tow. It was a set he was
not going to miss! He got to play with other Howlin’ Wolf alumni including
Eddie Shaw and the Wolf Gang, Jody Williams, Sam Lay, Henry Gray, Abb Locke
and Corky Siegel.
Hubert just lit up with the biggest sh*t eating grin as soon as he hit his
first note. He had an ear to ear smile on his face the whole time as he
seemingly played from his very soul! The joy of playing this music he loves
was AMAZING to experience!
We will miss this wonderful man!
Here is the sad news as reported by our good friend
Bob Corritore.
"Hubert Sumlin was best known for his extraordinary guitar work on the
1950s and 1960s recordings of Howlin' Wolf. Hubert Sumlin is considered
among the greatest guitarists of all time. Hubert passed away of a heart
attack on Sunday, Dec 4 after a long bout with respiratory illness. He was
80 years old. Though his health had been problematic for years, he continued
to tour and delight concert and festival audiences until close to the end.
Born in Greenville, Mississippi in 1931 and raised in Hughes, Arkansas,
Hubert got his first guitar at age 6. Hubert was very interested in music
and as a boy snuck into a nightclub to see Howlin' Wolf perform. Hubert's
youthful enthusiasm won Wolf's heart, who took the young boy in and
developed a father-like mentoring role with Hubert. Wolf would move to
Chicago in 1953 and a year later would call for Hubert to move to Chicago to
join his band. Initially Hubert played a secondary role in the group with
guitarist Jody Williams getting most of the limelight. But when Jody left
the band about 2 years later, Hubert became the star guitarist.
Hubert's unorthodox approach, using innovative rhythmic textural lines
and wild bursts of lead guitar, became an integral part of the Howlin' Wolf
sound., Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters reportedly had a rivalry going as to
who had the top blues band in Chicago (both were amazing bands) and for a
short period of time Muddy recruited Hubert away from Wolf only to have
Hubert return to Wolf's band and never leave again. Hubert's guitar was an
essential and consistent part of the success of Wolf's recordings and live
shows. The music achieved by the Wolf / Sumlin combination reached the
highest of heights in the blues.
When Howlin' Wolf recorded the London Sessions in 1970, Hubert began a
life long relationship with UK blues artists like Eric Clapton and The
Rolling Stones. In 1976, when Wolf died, Hubert was devastated. At first
Eddie Shaw (Wolf's saxophonist) tried to keep the Howlin' Wolf band together
but Hubert would drift: spending time in Austin, Texas under the care of
Clifford Antone, or in Chicago where he stayed with Sunnyland Slim.
In addition to recordings with Wolf, Hubert appeared on Chicago sessions
with Eddie Shaw & The Wolf Gang, Andrew McMahon, Sunnyland Slim, Louisiana
Red, Carey Bell, Little Eddie, Big Mac, and others. He recorded numerous
albums under his own name for L+R, Black Top, Tone-Cool, Rykodisc, APO, JSP,
Blind Pig, Blues Planet, Blues Special and other labels.
At a point, under the guidance of manager Toni Ann Mamary, Hubert started
to get his due as the guitar legend he was. Hubert found himself hanging
around and performing with rock stars, playing major festivals, and having
his historic bio, Incurable Blues, published. He was inducted into the Blues
Hall of Fame in 2008, Through all this notoriety, Hubert remained the kind,
gentle soul with the same boyish enthusiasm that first befriended the Howlin'
Wolf. His guitar playing was always intriguing, unorthodox, and impossible
to copy.
As he was bedridden and nearing the last hours of his life, his final
request was to play his guitar one last time. We thank Hubert for the light
of joy he shined on the world and the heavenly music that he left for future
generations to behold."
Hubert Sumlin Funeral Information
Festa Memorial Funeral Home - 111
Union Blvd. Totowa, NJ 07512 (973) 790-8686
Viewing and Receiving of guests - Sunday, December 11, 2011 2- 4 PM & 7 -
9PM
Funeral Service 10AM Monday, December 12, 2011
Chicago Area Musical Celebration Of Life - Tuesday, December 13, 2011 doors
open at 7PM
FitzGerald's 6615 W.
Roosevelt Road, Berwyn, Illinois 60402
Donations accepted at door. Many musicians will honor Hubert this night.
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Featured Blues Interview -
Eddie C. Campbell
 With every
passing year, the venerable art form known as the blues somehow finds a
way to carve small inroads into the highway that leads to mainstream
awareness.
And while
the progress has certainly been steady, it still may be a long time
before the blues makes its way to the top of the playlists that dominate
today’s giant, mega-corporate radio and television stations.
Part of the
roadblock the music is facing may be the refusal of most program
directors to even air the blues.
But part of
that roadblock may also be the way that when the blues are aired, it’s
the manner in which they are aired that is the problem.
“When you
see a rap artist on television, he’s got gold chains on, Cadillac cars
around him with a whole lot of pretty ladies,” said sage Chicago
bluesman Eddie C. Campbell. “And when they show blues, they show a
person sitting on a corner, playing the guitar, holding his hat out
begging for money. That’s a big difference.”
And Eddie
C. Campbell knows of what he speaks.
A veteran
of the scene who got his first exposure under the bright spotlights at
Chicago’s 1125 Club when he sat in with Muddy Waters and played “Still a
Fool” at the tender age of 12, Campbell understands all too well the
importance of marketing and public perception when it comes to the
blues.
“There’s
just a big difference in the way that the blues are promoted, compared
to all the other music that’s out there and popular,” he said. “All that
rap and rock and all that other stuff comes from the blues. But don’t
nobody want to talk about that.”
A
larger-than-life, bare-chested and intense Campbell is found on the
cover of his latest disc, Tear This World Up, holding a glowing
earth in his hands and looking every bit the part of someone who might
in fact, tear this world up.
While the
window-coating on that 2009 release begged up for attention, so too, did
the contents found inside.
 Tear
This World Up (Delmark Records) was nominated for a Blues Music
Award in the Album of the Year category and is stuffed to the brim with
Campbell’s highly-inventive, reverb-drenched guitar gymnastics.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Tear This World Up was also nominated for Best
Traditional Blues CD in the 2010 Blues Blast Music Awards.
Surprising
then, that Tear This World Up came out almost a full decade after his
prior album, 2000’s equally-excellent Hopes & Dreams (Rooster Blues
Records) was issued.
Most
artists favor to strike while the iron is still hot, so why the lengthy
delay between albums?
“Well, I
really don’t like to make one record right after another – I like to
take my time and think about them,” said Campbell. “I hope that in my
case, it is quality over quantity.”
The list of
amazing guitar players that have called the Windy City home is a list
that would require several days of non-stop work to recite.
Buddy Guy,
Muddy Waters, Otis Rush, Hubert Sumlin, Hound Dog Taylor …those names
just begin to scratch the surface.
However,
one name that would not be found on that list is one that probably
should be included on said list.
Elnora
Jones.
That’s
Eddie C. Campbell’s sister and the one who can be credited for
encouraging the future “King of the Jungle” to pick up the six-string.
“Yeah, my
sister taught me guitar. I just copied her,” Campbell said. “She showed
me it all.”
In addition
to showing her brother the basics of the instrument, Jones might have
also given Campbell a leg up on how to break through the incredible
wall-to-wall competition that was found on the Chicago blues scene.
“
 Well, the
only way you was going to make a name for yourself (in Chicago) was if
you played different than everybody else,” said Campbell. “If you copied
everybody else, you’d sound just like a record. And I was blessed,
because nobody had heard my sister play. And she taught me, so I played
like her, which was different from all the rest.”
Not only
was his playing style different from the rest of the pack, so too was
Campbell’s weapon of choice – a Fender Jazzmaster.
“I had a
Silvertone that was made by Sears & Roebuck, but I saw a Jazzmaster and
the neck was so small on it that I just fell in love with it,” he said.
“And I’ve been playing one ever since. It has a great tone to it.”
And the
licks that Campbell tosses of that Jazzmaster vividly illustrate the
story of some of the legendary bluesmen that he knew and played with
over the years.
“Muddy
(Waters) had a lot to do with my style, because I played with him when I
was 12 years old,” he said. “Jimmy Reed had a lot to do with it too,
because I played with him for four-and-a-half years. And I guess I would
have to say that Little Walter was a big influence on me, too.”
The
72-year-old Campbell, a native of Duncan, Mississippi, also played with
Howlin’ Wolf, Little Johnny Taylor and Willie Dixon over the course of a
career that began in earnest in the 1950s.
But the one
bluesman that arguably had the biggest influence on Eddie C. Campbell
was one that left this earth way before his time was due.
Samuel
Maghett, better known as Magic Sam.
 “Sam was my
next-door neighbor. And it’s funny, but one time, I wasn’t working at
the time, and he took my drummer. Huckleberry Hound – Robert Wright –
was his name,” said Campbell. “But I used to go over to Sam’s house and
play all the time. I learned all his licks. Me and Sam used to go out
cuttin’ heads on the weekend. He would sing and I would play the guitar.
I’d play all his songs like he did.”
Campbell
gives a big nod to his late, great friend with a cool version of Magic
Sam’s “Easy Baby” on Tear This World Up.
Not only
was Campbell kicking butt with his Fender Jazzmaster, he was also
kicking butt with his fists back in the day, as well.
An amateur
boxer, he won 16 bouts during his tenure in the ring. As hard as it may
be to fathom, according to Campbell, he wasn’t the only Chicagoan who
sparred with both the guitar and his fists.
“Not, I
wasn’t the only one. A lot of the guys used to play music and box. Ernie
Terrell (former WBA Heavyweight champ) used to live next door to me,
too. He fought Muhammad Ali right before he became Heavyweight champion
of the world,” Campbell said. “And he played music too - played guitar.
So there were several guys that had boxed that also played music back
then.”
As in a lot
of cases, Campbell took up the sweet science of boxing as a means of
self-defense.
“Well,
boxing was just something that I liked to do. When I was going to
school, I had kind of a rough time and had to learn to defend myself,”
he said. “They used to jump on me and beat me up and take all my lunch
money. I learned how to do Karate and box when I was about 10. And I
just loved boxing. I used to watch Joe Louis box and just loved it.”
 It can be
debated whether or not there’s any direct correlation between the sport
of boxing and the art of playing music.
But one
thing that is common between the two – to rise to the top in either
field, you need determination, heart and hard work.
Some good
management, promotion and little bit of luck sure doesn’t hurt, either.
“The only
way John Lee Hooker got big was he had a lot of the white guys from rock
help him play because they liked his music,” Campbell said. “Stuff like
‘how, how, how, how -I’m gonna shoot you right down (“Boom Boom”)’ He
(Hooker) did that record a long time ago, but when they got those rock
guys to play with him, it was almost the same sound, but it boosted it
way up there and made a hit record.”
That may
have helped get John Lee Hooker’s music spread to a wider audience, but
it sure didn’t mean that John Lee Hooker himself was heard on a lot more
radio stations – especially rock radio stations.
“When you
think blues, you think black. When you think rock, you think white,”
said Campbell. “Albert King taught Stevie Ray Vaughan all his licks. And
Stevie sounds a little like Albert, but I can tell the difference
between Stevie’s playing and Albert’s playing. But Stevie went all the
way to the top and Albert King was still at the bottom. Is that because
he’s playing blues and Stevie was playing rock? They both played the
same songs. But when you say rock, you’re in a different bag. When you
say blues, you’re in another different bag.”
Even though they do share a common crossover, it seems that’s just the way it’s always been between the world of rock and the world of the blues, especially when you throw the corporate boardroom into the mix.
“But the
thing is, if you’re white and we both make the same record, you’ll get
yours played and I won’t get mine played,” Campbell said. “I don’t
understand that. It’s been like that ever since I was a little kid.”
 Just as
hard as it is for a true bluesman to get his tunes spun over the radio
airwaves these days, it can be equally frustrating for him to find a
place to play his music live.
“Back in
the day, you might find six clubs in one block that had bands playing in
them,” said Campbell. “So it was easier to make a little change playing
music when I was younger – you wouldn’t make much – but bread was only
12 cents and if you had $1,500 you could go buy a Cadillac. But today,
you might make a little more money, but you don’t play as much because
there aren’t as many places to play as there used to be. You just don’t
have the opportunity.”
Luckily for
Campbell’s fans, the opportunity to hear a disc of new material won’t
require a decade’s wait this time.
Scheduled
for a spring release, Spider-Eatin’ Preacher, Campbell’s newest
offering, should pick right up where Tear This World Up left off.
“The
album’s finished, but we just have to get the horns in,” he said. “And
my son’s playing violin on it.”
Although it
might be taking its own sweet time to blanket the airwaves in this
country, the blues do seem to still be spreading out globally, giving
all hope that the big breakthrough is still possible.
“I see a
lot of people playing the blues – all different races. It’s all over the
world,” Campbell said. “Places like Paris, Germany, Brazil, Australia.
Everywhere I go, people are playing the blues. I see the blues going on
forever. But the blues are changing. There’s no Muddy Waters or Howlin’
Wolf, but there are guys coming up that are trying to get the feel for
what Muddy and The Wolf were doing. It’s just a different twist to it.”
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 Staples 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, Miss., 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
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Blues Blast
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Featured Blues Review 1 of 6
 Errol
Linton - Mama Said
Ruby Records
Time-48:49
Brixton, England native Errol Linton brings his Jamaican heritage to
meld with his love of the blues. Also in his arsenal is a resonant voice
to go along with his heartfelt lyrics and music. It doesn’t hurt that he
has a bouncy harmonica technique as well, no doubt developed during his
years of busking in London’s underground tube stations. There are
straight ahead blues numbers here and at other times there are blues
elements wafting through a heady concoction of breezy Caribbean-flavored
tunes.
Adam Blake’s acoustic slide guitar in cahoots with Errol’s lively
harmonica takes you right smack-dab into the delta with their take on
Muddy Water’s “You’re Gonna Miss Me”. The original “Through My Veins” is
a lazy modern blues paean to friends and London town. Abram Wilson’s
soothing trumpet interweaves with tasty harp riffs. A jaunty romp is had
in the acoustic “Boogie Disease” were harp, slide and piano battle it
out to the delight of the listener. Chugga-chugga harp kick-starts a
driving version of Joe Liggins’ classic “Honey Dripper”. The harp-train
pulls into the station at about the three minute mark, then picks up
steam and kicks into overdrive. The title track is an old-fashioned
electric boogie via John Lee Hooker and Canned Heat, with the requisite
fuzz-toned guitar. The author recalls the life lessons taught to him by
his mother. “Stressed Out” is a funky blues that speaks to the modern
work-a-day travails of getting by. Wah-wah guitar here doesn’t sound
out-of-place, it just adds to the modern blues vibe.
The subject of his upbringing in Brixton’s Acre lane is the stuff of
“Roll On Tomorrow”, set to an acoustic reggae beat. Tribute is paid to
his wife via the acoustic love song “Hooked On Your Love”. “Kisses
Sweet” has a similar vibe with the addition of electric piano accents.
The three instrumentals featured here-”J.Y’s”, “Sunrise” and J.Y’s Dub”
have an island-groove featuring harp and/or melodica and percussion. The
addition of trumpet on the former lends kind of a Hugh Masekala vibe.
Who knew the blues would meet reggae-Caribbean music at the crossroads
and create such a soothing and energizing listening experience. Errol’s
voice is a comforting tonic in itself. Add to that a dash of guitar,
harp, organ, trumpet, melodica and the rest, and the end result is a
pleasing meeting of different cultures and musics.
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 2 of 6
 Bert
Deivert - Kid Man Blues
Hard Danger
44:32
Bert Deivert is a key figure in the contemporary acoustic and
semi-acoustic blues world. Born in Boston, Mr Deivert has made his home
in Sweden but that dos not prevent him from offering a CD that will
enhance his reputation no end. Bert started as a guitar man, inspired by
the music of Son House, has enhanced his range by developing his skills
on mandolin in the style typical of Yank Rachell and Carl Martin. To
that he has added a range of exemplary musicians (A few of them are Jann
Zander (g); Nina Perez (v); Suchet Malhotra (tabla, cajon), Chester
“Memphis Gold” Chandler (g), Bill Abel (g)) and with Tom Paley providing
vocal support on “Keep On Truckin’”, in a tribute to Blind Boy Fuller.
The arrangements are exemplary and the recording quality is superb.
Check out the interplay of Hammond organ and electric guitar in the
minor key arrangement of “Come Back Baby” and the superb version of Skip
James’ Cypress Grove, with the intertwining guitars of Deivert and Thai
bluesman Dulyasit Saruba and some tasty harp work from Mats Qwarfordt.
I have written before about the growing international flavor of the
Mississippi rooted phenomenon we call the blues. Dievert works here with
people from three continents and with tracks recorded in places as
unlikely as Bangkok, Thailand and with musicians based locally. He gives
us blues-based music from the rambunctious to the miserable: RL
Burnside’s “Going Down South” to Son House’s “Death Letter”. The title
track, Carl Martin’s “Kid Man Blues” is delightful, and through out the
CD there are thought provoking lyrics accompanied by with consummate
instrumental skills and delivered with powerful vocals panache. And, by
the way, the piano playing by German Willie Salomon on State Street Pimp
is as good as you will hear anywhere.
Bert Deivert deserves to be in your record collection. This is his 11th or 12th album (depending on whether you count collaborations) but, if you don’t know his work, this one will serve you well. Recommended.
Reviewer Ian McKenzie lives in England.
He is the editor of Blues In The South (www.bluesinthesouth.com)
a monthly flier providing news, reviews, a gig guide and all kinds of
other good stuff, for people living and going to gigs along the south
coast of England. Ian is also a blues performer (see
www.myspace.com/ianmckenzieuk) and has two web-cast regular blues
radio shows. One on www.phonic.FM in
Exeter (Wednesdays: 1pm Eastern/ 12 noon Central), the second on KCOR –
Kansas City Online Radio (on Fridays at 1pm Eastern/ 12 noon Central)
www.kconlineradio.com.
For other reviews and interviews on our website
CLICK HERE
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Featured Blues Review 3 of 6
 Travis
Moonchild Haddix – Old Man In Love
Benevolent Blues 2011
12 tracks; 47.41 minutes
Travis Moonchild Haddix has been around for a long time and I believe
that this is his twentieth CD! Born in Mississippi, he was inspired at a
young age by BB King and started playing and singing in his early teens,
first in Madison WI before moving to Cleveland, where he is still based.
He recorded for Ichiban in the 1990s and when that label folded he
started his own Wann Sonn label. His most recent CDs have appeared on
Californian label Benevolent Blues, as does this new one.
The music here is solid blues/soul with a dash of funk, but some of the
songs have some clever lyrical flourishes that help Travis to
distinguish himself from the pack. In some ways his style reminds me of
Larry Garner, the way he injects humour into his songs. An obvious
example is “Cialis Before I See Alice”, a song about the pressures of
modern love affairs: “I know a lady named Alice she lives way across
town. I know what Alice wants every time I come around. I’m almost as
old as sin and I’m running out of pep. Every now and then I need a
little help. I need Cialis before I see Alice.” All this wrapped up in a
catchy shuffle and clean and clear production makes for an excellent and
amusing track.
There are other examples of Travis’ sense of humor on the CD. Opener
“She Hit A Grand Slam” sees Travis having a strange dream about his girl
becoming an ace baseball player! In “Cix Spells Six” Travis explains
that “My guitar and six women is all I need, ‘cos I’m a family man, I
got six women in my life: two daughters, three sisters, don’t forget
about my wife.” “Stiff Stuff” tackles an issue that those of us who are
getting older can appreciate: “Wake up in the morning before I get out
of bed, my neck is so stiff I can hardly raise my head. I lay back down,
it’s the only thing to do. That’s when I found my shoulders are stiff
too”!
Some of the songs take a more serious look at issues. Title track “Old
Man In Love” tells the tale of a guy so desperately in love that she
“can tell me to go to hell in such a way that I’m looking forward to the
trip”. Even when he catches her in bed with the neighbour he accepts her
explanation. “Break A Habit With A Habit” is a slow blues which deals
with a woman who has many issues to deal with and is advised by Travis
that simply replacing one habit with another is not a solution.
So Travis has a clever turn with a song lyric, but what of the music
behind the songs? I am pleased to say that the playing is excellent and
Travis’ vocals are always clear, framed by the full sound of the band in
a well-produced CD. Credit is due to Travis for that too, as he is the
producer as well as the writer of all the material here, playing guitar
and tackling all the vocals. None of the band member names were familiar
to me but they all do an excellent job: Ed Lemmers, bass; Brian Hager
and Mike Calhoun, guitars; Gil Zachary, piano; Don Williams, organ;
Jeremy Sullivan, drums. The horns add a strong flavour to the music:
Jeff Hager, trumpet and arrangements; David Ruffin, tenor sax; TJ
Fortunato, baritone sax.
A thoroughly enjoyable CD which I can recommend. Perhaps this will be
the one that breaks into the main blues market for Travis Moonchild
Haddix.
Reviewer John Mitchell is a blues enthusiast based in the UK. He also
travels to the States most years to see live blues music.
For other reviews and interviews on our website
CLICK HERE
|
Featured Blues Review 4 of 6
 Bobby
Messano - That’s Why I Don’t Sing The Blues
Prince Frog Records
10 tracks
I met Bobby via our Crossroads’ Facebook page. After chatting for a
while, he sent me a copy of his CD to listen to and review. I must admit
that I along with other members of Crossroads get a lot of solicitations
to listen to and review CDs; I work so as not to be skeptical and keep
an open mind in all cases. So when this album arrived in the mail I
popped it in my stereo and was pleased to have been very impressed from
start to finish. This is one heck of a rocking blues CD!
Messano had a hand in all but one song, the other being a Jimmy Hendrix
cover. The songs are not overstated, they are balanced and
well-arranged. Messano’s vocals and guitar are spot on. Steve Geller
provides support on bass, Joey B Banks is on drums and none other than
our own local boy Jimmy Voegeli is on a variety of keyboards along with
the Jimmy’s trio The Amateur Horns (Pete Ross on alto sax, Chad
Whittinghill on trumpet and Bryan Husk on tenor and bass sax).
Messano blends blues and rock into a well-presented fusion of sounds.
Opening up with a couple of more traditionally blues songs in “More Than
Meets the Eye” and the title cut and then slipping into a more rocking
mode for few cuts feels comfortable. But then he falls completely back
into the blues with the “Gypsy Eyes” Hendrix cover using a beautiful
acoustic slide- a touch of genius! He then blisters through a rocking
cut entitled San Antone, gives us grooving some slow blues in “My Life
in Bags”, and then switches through in a boogying country blues with
“Nickels and Dimes”.
He finishes up the CD with a very interesting cut called “Pride of the
Cockney Rebels”. When I saw the title I expected a grandiose take on
rocking blues like the Who, Moody Blues or even Emerson Lake and Palmer.
I was pleasantly surprised with a really nice mid-tempo rocking blues
with hot guitar and B3 interplay by Messano and Voegeli.
I was really impressed by this CD- Bobby has laid down nine super
original tracks and an inspired cover. He surrounded himself with some
great musicians and has produced an exceptional CD- I really recommend
this one!
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
|
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.
The Arkansas River
Blues Society - Alexander, AR
The Arkansas River Blues Society will celebrate their annual
Christmas Open Blues Jam December 16th at Cornerstone Pub & Grill
which is located at 314 Main Street in North Little Rock, AR. This
event will start at 8 pm and there is a $5 cover. Unseen Eye will be
the house band with Gil Franklin and Lucious Spiller as a special
guest.
http://www.freewebs.com/arriverblues/
River City Blues Society
- Pekin, IL
River City Blues Society presents: Bringing The Blues To You with
the following shows - Victor
Wainwright & The Wildroots - Saturday December 17th, Jan 11th at
7PM • Brandon Santini. 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
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. 12/12 Nick Moss and the
Flip Tops, 12/19 Jason Elmore Blues Band, 12/26 Brooke Thomas and
the Blue Suns. icbluesclub.org
|
Featured Blues Review 5 of 6
 Billy
C. Farlow featuring Mercy - Alabama Swamp Stomp
14
tracks/54:43
His name
sounds vaguely familiar – but you can't quite place it. Well, Billy C.
Farlow was a founding member of Commander Cody and the Lost Planet
Airmen, the band that expertly mixed old Country music and rock-n-roll
into a heady brew that made the band a top live act and garnered them
several hits including a remake of “Hot Rod Lincoln”. Farlow was one of
the band's vocalists and also added his blues-based harp to the
proceedings. He also wrote many of the group's best-known tunes, like
“Seeds & Stems” and the band's theme song, “Lost in the Ozone”. In the
last thirty-five since leaving The Airmen, Farlow has released a number
of recordings under his name. He also served a lengthy stint in
legendary blues drummer Sam Lay's band.
Recorded
last year in France, Farlow's latest project is a rompin', stompin good
time that is guaranteed to make you put on your dancing shoes! His
outstanding band sounds like they are veterans of years of touring bars
and dance halls across the southern USA. But Mercy is a French band
featuring Jean-Paul Avellaneda on guitar & dobro, Bruno Quinonero on
bass and Stephane Avellaneda, Jean-Paul's son, on drums and percussion
with all three also contributing backing vocals.
The opening
track, “Snake Eyes” comes straight out of the Alabama swamp with the
leader's deep, gravelly voice describing a woman who was nothing but
trouble. The dark mood continues on “Runnin' From the Fire” with
Jean-Paul's searing guitar work emphasizing Farlow's description of a
white-hot love affair. The band locks into a tight groove on “Drive Me
Like a Mule”, as Farlow makes it clear he will do whatever his woman
wants as long as she's not playing him for a fool. “Good Rockin' Mama”
has Farlow working the upper register on his harp in the Jimmy
Reed-style while Jean-Paul plays slide on his dobro, giving the track a
lazy, backporch feel. The forceful beat and more fine harp playing by
Farlow ensures that “Tennessee Saturday Night” lives up to the promise
in the title. “Magnolia Darlin'” offers more of Jean-Paul's sumptuous
guitar work.
The
easy-rolling tempo Jean-Paul's reverb-drenched guitar tone make the slow
blues, “What Have I Done”, another highlight as Farlow gropes to
understand the misfortune all around him. The band rocks hard on “My
Name is Trouble” with Jean-Paul's piercing slide guitar a memorable part
of the arrangement. “Juke Joint Friday Night” is vicious shuffle that
will cure all that ails you. The loose, greasy feel on “Alligator Crawl”
is the perfect backdrop for Farlow's husky vocal as he attempts to start
a new dance craze. The band shifts gears on two traditional work songs,
delving into voodoo on “Yellow Pocahontas” powered by Stephane's
percussion while “Black Lazarus” speaks to the power of the Judgement
Day. But they quickly return to their rockin' roadhouse style on
“Jenny's Comin' Home”, with Farlow lamenting the absence of his cheatin'
woman but still vowing to bring her back home.
This is the
kind of stuff I live for as a reviewer – a disc that comes out of
nowhere and knocks you for a loop. Alabama Swamp Stomp has been a
fixture in my cd player since the first listen – and deserves one those
“Meant to be played Loud” warning labels. I heartily encourage
you to make the effort to check this one out. Farlow and Mercy throw one
hell of a party !!!
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
|
Featured Blues Review 6 of 6
 Sandy
Carroll - Just As I Am
10
songs; 39 minutes
Styles:
Mellow Blues, Gospel, New Orleans, Soft Rock, Country
In this
ultra-competitive world, it takes courage to be oneself and not wholly
conform to anyone else's vision of what one should be. In the world of
blues music, this can be especially true. Fans are almost never a
tabula rasa, or “blank slate,” when they begin to listen to a CD;
they already possess expectations and high hopes for what they'd like to
hear. When they don't, it can be a letdown. Nevertheless, down-home
artist Sandy Carroll dons a quirky gray beret and cowgirl boots, asking
to be accepted “Just As I Am” on her third release. Relaxing and
engaging, her singing might not roar like that of Etta James, but that's
more than okay!
“‘Just As I
Am’ is a project Jim [Gaines, her producer-husband] and I have been
working on for a few years. It came together when Bob Trenchard and I
got involved, and we decided to release it on Catfood Records,” Carroll
explains.
The ten,
all original songs on the album are an eclectic mix, covering a wide
swath of her roots musical influences. They range from ballads, blues
rock and gospel to New Orleans styles and country. Each one of the tunes
on this CD is noteworthy. There's a total lack of boring lyrics
[thoughtfully included in the liner notes], and plenty of good humor:
Track 2:
“Help Mother Nature”--Contrary to what one might expect, this New
Orleans styled, swinging selection isn't a song about “going green” or
cleaning up oil spills. Rather, it's a wry polemic on aging and what one
might have to do to defy it (especially if female). “Nip, tuck, fill it
in, tighten up that pretty skin. Lipo, suck it up, get rid of all that
funky stuff....” Sandy may not sound very happy to “Help Mother Nature,”
but at least she's helping others laugh about it! Evan Leake’s guitar
blends perfectly with the background vocalists.
Track 5:
“Romeo and Juliet”--Move over, Shakespeare! In the modern version of his
tragic tale, only one of the two teenage lovebirds feels that way: “He
promised Juliet the moon and stars above, but he never meant for poor
Juliet to fall in love.” Fondly reminiscent of 1950's songs, this
bittersweet ballad with an added accordion, Tex-Mex groove will propel
partners onto the dance floor, even though “young love is always hit or
miss.”
Track 7:
“Slow Kisses”-- the best Beal Street, Memphis blues song on the album,
Sandy says this sultry number was “inspired by Bebobalulu, our dog, and
her slow licks of love to all the musicians and artists that have graced
this project.” She slyly encourages the gentlemen out there to “slow it
down” when it comes to puckering up, and “treat your woman right”! Rick
Steff displays absolutely awesome piano skills here, trilling his 88
keys in classic blues fashion.
Regardless
of one's usual taste in blues music, and in the other genres mentioned
here, simply take Sandy Carroll as she wants to be received—“Just As I
Am” - and be musically rewarded!
Reviewer Rainey
Wetnight is a 32 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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