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John 'blueshammer' Hammer
Blue Monday Monthly Magazine
www.bluemondaymonthly.com
Hammered By The Blues Weekly Radio
KOWZ 1170am/ 100.9fm
510 West McKinley
Owatonna, MN 55060
Sunday, January 8, 2012
John Hammer Blues News
John 'blueshammer' Hammer
Blue Monday Monthly Magazine
www.bluemondaymonthly.com
Hammered By The Blues Weekly Radio
KOWZ 1170am/ 100.9fm
510 West McKinley
Owatonna, MN 55060
Bob Dorr And The Blue Band Update
Nope, didn't score a last minute gig for this weekend (what a great
football weekend tho', NFL playoffs Sat. and Sun. National Championship
College game on Monday. Oh yeah...!) That means that I have played the
last gigs of my 50s. Next weekend's Birthday Parties will be my first
gigs as a sexagenarian. That word is the best part of turning 60 years
old. Fortunately, I will be a sexagenarian for the next decade (I can
only hope) Anyway, everything you need to know about next weekends
celebration gigs can be found on our website homepage:
http://www.theblueband.com/ Need I say, BRING CAKE!?...
Never in my 59 years, 51 weeks can I recall raking leaves the week before my birthday! 60 degrees in Sparkle City USA this afternoon. No, really, there's no punch line here, it was 60 degrees here today and I was raking leaves instead of knocking down icicles from the gutter...
The best (week before my) birthday gift I could get arrived today. It was an invitation for The Blue Band to be part of the Iowa State Fair again this year. Make plans to join us on the AE/TV8 stage, the final weekend of The Fair, Fri. Aug. 17 & Sat. Aug. 18. Can you say (birthday) CAKE on-a-stick?...
Sat. night (1/7) 7-10pm, is my annual Elvis Presley special on my Backtracks rock'n'roll history radio show, (Elvis would have been 77 years old on 1/8) and Sunday's trip down Blue Avenue, 5-6:30pm is all about the British Blues scene of the 1960s, (John Mayall, Fleetwood Mac, Savoy Brown) followed by The Beatles Medley, 6:30-7:00, spotlighting The Beatles as a blues band. Get the frequency of the Iowa Public Radio station in your area or listen anywhere on the planet via web audio streaming at www.iowapublicradio.org
Here's where we're at with the drummer situation. The more Steve gets into his job, the more he's able to have comp and vacation time available to play more gigs than we originally thought was going to be possible. Still, Steve's regular job hours are Mon-Fri 5:30p-1:30am and every 5th weekend. We are definitely going to need a substitute 20-30 times a year (if we ever start getting some more gigs!) John Rohlf, the drummer that did such a great job filling in for Steve at The Hub last month, is interested in filling in the spots that Steve can't do. He lives just a few blocks from my house, so rehearsals can be arranged easily. So, we are fortunate to have access to two great drummers and don't be surprised to see TWO drummers at a couple of the festival gigs this summer (if we ever start getting more gigs) (sorry for the NOT so subtle hints. NOW is the time to talk with your local festival organizers about having us be part of the celebration) Booking info: http://www.theblueband.com/contactBob.htm
Rumor has it that some really old Blue Band songs that I wrote, like Simulation Stimulation and Git Yer Shit Together (sorry Dolores) that we haven't done since I turned 50 might be part of The Hub gig on Fri. the 13th (what could possibly go wrong with trying to remember songs that I haven't done for a decade while we're doing a live recording on Friday the 13th the day after I become a sexagenarian?) See ya on the Blue Highway, rub yer washboard to rhythm of the sexagenarian (why do I think that word may replace CAKE as the running gag?) You've got a week to bake a CAKE and no matter how old I get, know that we can't stop lovin' you, Bob Dorr & The Blue Band
Never in my 59 years, 51 weeks can I recall raking leaves the week before my birthday! 60 degrees in Sparkle City USA this afternoon. No, really, there's no punch line here, it was 60 degrees here today and I was raking leaves instead of knocking down icicles from the gutter...
The best (week before my) birthday gift I could get arrived today. It was an invitation for The Blue Band to be part of the Iowa State Fair again this year. Make plans to join us on the AE/TV8 stage, the final weekend of The Fair, Fri. Aug. 17 & Sat. Aug. 18. Can you say (birthday) CAKE on-a-stick?...
Sat. night (1/7) 7-10pm, is my annual Elvis Presley special on my Backtracks rock'n'roll history radio show, (Elvis would have been 77 years old on 1/8) and Sunday's trip down Blue Avenue, 5-6:30pm is all about the British Blues scene of the 1960s, (John Mayall, Fleetwood Mac, Savoy Brown) followed by The Beatles Medley, 6:30-7:00, spotlighting The Beatles as a blues band. Get the frequency of the Iowa Public Radio station in your area or listen anywhere on the planet via web audio streaming at www.iowapublicradio.org
Here's where we're at with the drummer situation. The more Steve gets into his job, the more he's able to have comp and vacation time available to play more gigs than we originally thought was going to be possible. Still, Steve's regular job hours are Mon-Fri 5:30p-1:30am and every 5th weekend. We are definitely going to need a substitute 20-30 times a year (if we ever start getting some more gigs!) John Rohlf, the drummer that did such a great job filling in for Steve at The Hub last month, is interested in filling in the spots that Steve can't do. He lives just a few blocks from my house, so rehearsals can be arranged easily. So, we are fortunate to have access to two great drummers and don't be surprised to see TWO drummers at a couple of the festival gigs this summer (if we ever start getting more gigs) (sorry for the NOT so subtle hints. NOW is the time to talk with your local festival organizers about having us be part of the celebration) Booking info: http://www.theblueband.com/contactBob.htm
Rumor has it that some really old Blue Band songs that I wrote, like Simulation Stimulation and Git Yer Shit Together (sorry Dolores) that we haven't done since I turned 50 might be part of The Hub gig on Fri. the 13th (what could possibly go wrong with trying to remember songs that I haven't done for a decade while we're doing a live recording on Friday the 13th the day after I become a sexagenarian?) See ya on the Blue Highway, rub yer washboard to rhythm of the sexagenarian (why do I think that word may replace CAKE as the running gag?) You've got a week to bake a CAKE and no matter how old I get, know that we can't stop lovin' you, Bob Dorr & The Blue Band
Illinois Blues Blast
Cover photo by Marilyn Stringer © 2005
MJStringerPhoto.com
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In This Issue
Ian McKenzie has our feature interview with Popa Chubby this week.
We have six CD reviews for you this week!
Mark Thompson
reviews a new CD from Toronzo Cannon. Greg “Bluesdog” Szalony reviews a new CD from
Patrick McLaughlin. John Mitchell reviews a
new CD from Steve Gerard & The National Debonaires featuring James “Rock”
Gray . Eric Steiner reviews a new CD by Big Mamma’s Door. Gary Weeks
reviews a new CD by Big Daddy D And The Dynamites. Rainey Wetnight
reviews a new CD from Dani Wilde. All this and MORE! SCROLL DOWN!!!
From The Editor's Desk
Hey Blues
Fans,
Here we go
again! 2012 begins our 6th year of publishing Blues Blast Magazine.
As we start
the new year there are plenty of challenges. A big one is the fact that
an increasing number of you folks get your email on your smart phone.
For us that means we will be working to make our weekly issues fit on
android phones, Iphones, Windows phones and other devices including
netbook PCs, Ipads and many other hand held forms of communication.
We will also
be working to expand our presence on social networks. To meet these
goals we are looking for some help. We need a couple folks to work as
our social networking editors and we continue to look for someone to
write some phone apps for Blue Blast Magazine. Please see our ads below
and let us know if you can be of any help or know someone else who might
be able to help.
Wishing you
health, happiness and lots of Blues music!
Bob Kieser
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Featured Blues Interview - Popa
Chubby
 Blues Blast: How did you get into guitar playing and blues music - in
particular in the early days?
Popa Chubby: I started off as a drummer when I was a boy, and then my
parents decided the drums were too loud so I got into electric guitar.
(laughs). And then -- when I was a little kid -- my dad took me to see
Chuck Berry. And I was like, wow, that looks good. I think I’ll try
that. And I did. (laughs). Then when I was a teenager I got into Led
Zeppelin, and Jimmy Hendrix, and Jeff Beck and all that stuff and it kinda just rocked my word from there, you know.
BB: You were already playing guitar by then I guess?
PC: I was starting yea. I was trying to figure out Rolling Stones songs
on my acoustic guitar.
BB: Did you ever have any lesson or are you entirely self taught?
PC: No, I never had any lessons. Man, I was a poor kid. My guitar
lessons were getting a really crappy acoustic guitar that you could
barely play and fixing the strings by hand and then putting “Brown
Sugar” on my little record player and slowing it down to try to figure
out what was going on. I had no idea that Keith was playing in open
tuning, so I learned it all with regular chords, and kinda faked my way
through it. When I was a teenager the big thing was to learn the
“Heartbreaker” solo by Jimmy Page, which I think I’m still working on.
(laughs)
BB: When did you first start working with a band then?
PC: I started playing with bands by the time I was 15. I got turned on
to the likes B.B. King and Freddy King and Albert King… Otis Rush… and
started to see the connection between those guys and blues rock guys. I
started the Popa Chubby Band in 1990. Before that I had been just
playing guitar and bass as a sideman with various people in New York and
with varying degrees of success. I became the house band in New York
City at a club called Maddy’s Car Wash -- a very famous blues club –in
the 90’s. That started my journey if you will.
BB: Is that the way you got your nickname of Popa Chubby?
PC: One day in a jam session with Bernie Worrell from P-Funk. He was
singing a song, “Popa Chubby, Popa Chubby” and as I’m working, I’m
thinking that’s a great name for a band I think I’ll take that. The one
thing I want people to do when they hear my music is to get to a new
level of excitement. One that they didn’t have before they heard my
music.
BB: One of the things that I think you’ve said is that you think that
music should be dangerous, like the Ramones and the Sex Pistols and so
on. Do you still feel like that?
PC: Elements of it, yea, definitely. Music should be everything. It
should encompass everything. But I think that, you know, I like to see a
band that makes me think, wow man, these guys are bad ass, you know? And
you know all great rock bands on some level from Elvis Presley. Man, you
know, when Elvis got onstage and shook his hips people were threatened.
BB: And yet you sit onstage and play things like “Somewhere Over the
Rainbow.” How does that fit together?
PC: Because there’s beauty too man. I like to offer everybody the full
experience.
BB: And do you have a favorite blues, rock musician that you regularly
listen to.
PC: It’s Jimmy Hendrix man, for me, all the time, Jimmy. Nobody, I mean
nobody, has even come close. And on a compositional level no one has
even come close to what Jimmy did. I still wind up listening to Jimmy I
mean a lot of the time and I consider Freddie King to be the true link
between blues and rock if you will.
BB: Tell me something about the making of the new CD [Back To New York
City] .. a lot of tracks are songs that you have written yourself.
PC: I’m a songwriter as well as being a guitar player, on this record,
man. I felt that the bar had been raised, and I needed to step up and
show everybody what I could really do. And I think we really hit it.
Everything from like from like straight out Texas blues on “She Loves
Everybody But Me” to the quintessential power ballad on “A Love That
Will Never Die”. I played some Spanish guitar on a song called “A Pound
of Flesh”. We did a great cover of a Leonard Cohen song, “The Future”.
The reviews that are coming in right now are saying that it’s my best
record ever.
BB: In the later stages of this up-coming tour of yours, you’re working
with Walter Trout. Have you played with Walter before?
PC: I have. We worked together in the past with great success. There’s a
lot of mutual respect there. I think Walter and I have a similar
sensibility and that we are coming from a similar place with music in
general. We’re doing several gigs in Europe and than in London [and
elsewhere in the UK]. And I think it’s going to be a really fantastic
tour. It’s going to offer people more of what people used to get in the
old school, man, when they used to go see a show and there would be like
two or three great bands on the bill. You don’t get that so much
anymore. And I want to be a proponent of bringing that back. What it
really takes is for artists to lose their egos for a little while and I
think Walter and I will be able to do that and put on a great show.
BB: Are you plan to do some cutting contest stuff with Walter?
PC: I never go onstage to cut anybody, man. I’m a big Tai chi guy. I
believe that when you play with someone else you should challenge them
to play better, not try to play better than them.
BB: You just mentioned Tai chi. I believe that you practice Tai chi and
Chi Kung before you go on stage is that true?
 PC: I practice it all the time, man, it’s been my saving grace beside
music. It’s really been a revelation in every way. It’s been pervasive
in my music. It’s made me a better player and a better human being. So
I’m grateful for that.
BB: Anything big in the future for you?
PC: The CD and the tour’s pretty big. I plan to tour way into through
2012. I mean we already have dates booked so. The big thing was I spent
two and a half years to make this record, man, and I made a record on a
level I had never [achieved] before. I really suffered for this record.
BB: Did you now? Was that to do with the song writing? The emotionality
of it or what?
PC: Everything, you know, the songs usually reflect my life. It’s been a
difficult period in my life. The music’s gotten me through. And I think
it’s reflected in the music. It’s a matter of [the tensions] between
playing the blues and really feeling the blues and you can’t feel the
blues until you really get in there and start to live. That was a big
piece of me making that record. Now I’m going to be on the road for a
long time, so after that I think – and this is just between me and you
and whoever [is listening] –I would like to make a live CD-DVD combo.
BB: Tell me something about the band that you’ve got at the moment.
PC: A.J. Pappas is the bass player has been with me for about six years.
And my drummer is just returned to the fold. Many years ago I played in
a high school in Warwick, New York – we played for the student body. And
then we answered questions about what it’s like to be a musician. None
of the kids were like prepared except for one….this kid – he was about
six foot eight tall, tattoos up and down his arms, spiky blond hair –
came up to me and started talking to me. And his name was Chris Reading.
Six months later he was on the road with me at 17. And he stayed on the
road with me for five years. Then he had some family issues that he had
to attend to so that he left the band for the last three years. But he’s
just returned. Chris is by far the best drummer I’ve ever worked with.
He’s now 25. You know, he’s mature well beyond his years. So it’s
really, right now, we’re in the best place musically we’ve ever been.
BB: I noticed that in practically every picture of you, you have a
rather battered old Strat that are holding playing.
PC: I do, that’s my number one. And that’s my baby …that’s the devil’s
guitar.
BB: Do you have others besides that?
PC: I have 100 guitars. I have many old Strats, many old Les Pauls, I
have a ’56 Les Paul, ’54 Les Paul, 335’s, Telecasters, you name it.
There’s nothing that rocks like this one Strat. That is really the best
guitar that I’ve ever owned. It just gets better with age. People say
“you’re crazy. Why do you take it on the road?” And I’m like “you’re
crazy ….why would I not take it on the road.”
BB: It would be terrible if you lost it though.
PC: Yea, but you know what it would be more terrible if I never played
it.
BB: Popa one of the things that I like to do when I’m interviewing
people is to ask them what is the very best thing that has ever happened
to you as a professional musician.
PC: Many years ago I got a call from a woman saying “my fiancé
is your
biggest fan in the world and he’s gravely ill; his dying wish is to
have
a visit with you.” I was on the road, but I immediately said yes.
That’s
just my nature, I want to be there for people. And then I got a little
scared. I mean it was like, wow! But I went and saw this guy ,and he
was
in such suffering and pain and turmoil. And I hung out with him, and I
played him a song. I played “Same Old Blues” by Freddy King. And all
his
pain went away. I saw his pain vanish. It was really moving, man. And I
realised it had very little to do with me. You know, I was just the
vehicle.
BB: What’s the very worst thing that’s ever happened to you while
you’ve been working in the profession?
PC: Oh man, you know…you don’t dwell on that, you know there’s always
some crap that happens. There’s some bad sound or some crooked promoter
or some missed flight or .. The worst thing was I was trying to travel
to Europe to do a weekend of festivals. And right as I got on the
highway the New York City blackout happened. I didn’t have enough gas to
turn around so I drove to the airport. And wound up sleeping on the
floor for the next 23 hours. So, you know, every once in a while you’re
going to come across that too. But it’s not that bad really in the grand
scheme of things.
BB: Thank you so very much for speaking to me, especially for revealing
some of those little personal things.
PC: Great pleasure my friend. Great pleasure..
You can visit Popa Chubby at:
www.popachubby.com or
www.myspace.com/popachubbyband
Interviewer 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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Blues Blast
Advertising Special -
Lowest Prices Of the 2012 Season
Blues Blast Magazine is offering a winter advertising special. This early bird
special for the 2012 season will be our lowest
pricing of the 2012 year. It offers an affordable & effective way to get the
Blues word out! This 6 week combo rate of only $300 allows you to affordably
add significant impact to your Blues advertising and promotion campaign. It is a great way to kick
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Normal
2012 Advertising rates are $65 an issue for Blues Blast magazine ads and
$90 per month
for website ads.
BUT, for a limited time, you can advertise in six
issues of Blues Blast Magazine and on our website for a month and a half for
only $300.
This is a $525 value!
Blues Blast Magazine is a great way to promote the Blues. More than 21,000
Blues fans read our magazine each week. They are located in all 50 states
and in more than 80 countries. We get more than 2,000,000 (That's TWO
MILLION) hits and more than 35,000 visitors a month on our website.
To get this special
rate simply reserve and pay for your ad space by February 15th, 2012. Ads can be
booked to run anytime between now and September 30, 2012 for your 2012 Blues
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With this special rate your ad can be viewed more than 175,000 times by
Blues fans who want to know about Blues events and music! Reserve your space
today! Space is limited and will be sold on a first come first served basis.
Ads must be reserved and paid for by February 15, 2012. To get more information
email
info@thebluesblast.com or call 309 267-4425 today!
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Featured Blues Review 1 of 6
 Toronzo
Cannon - Leaving Mood
14 tracks/60:19
In the12/28/11 edition of the Chicago Tribune, one of the featured
articles was the last in a series by music writer Howard Reich on Blues
music in Chicago, a piece entitled “Is this the twilight of blues
music?”.
Reich identifies a number of serious issues including the continued loss
of legendary musicians like Pinetop Perkins, Hubert Sumlin and Willie
“Big Eyes” Smith as well as a suffocating lack of exposure in major
media outlets even in the city that claims the music as its own. The
writer also comments on the difficultly that newer musicians have in
gaining a foothold in the blues clubs, even though it makes sense for
the clubs to nurture new voices that might catch the ear of a new
generation of listeners.
If blues music is dying, you would never know it after you listen to the
first major label release by Toronzo Cannon. Schooled in southside clubs
like Theresa's Lounge, Cannon has been honing his craft in Chicago clubs
for over a decade as a leader and a sideman for artists like Wayne Baker
Brooks and Joanna Connor. Now his blistering guitar work, knock-out
songs and soul-wrenching vocals make it clear that Cannon has the
ability to help keep the blues tradition alive and vital.
Check out “Chico's Song”, Cannon's celebration for the late Chico Banks
with a foot-stomping rhythm, sweet guitar licks and Matthew Skoller's
superlative harp playing. On the opening cut, “She Loved Me”, Cannon
explores the darker side of life with a guitar tone that harks back to
Hound Dog Taylor. Special guest Carl Weathersby shares the spotlight
with Cannon on “Hard Luck”, both men laying down incendiary guitar
solos, with Weathersby breaking a string in the process.
Cannon gets first-class support from Roosevelt Purifoy on keyboards,
Larry Williams on bass and Marty Binder on drums. Rhythm guitarist
Lawrence Gladney co-wrote seven tunes with Cannon and contributed two
originals - “Come On” finds Cannon bemoaning his fate after the end of a
relationship and pleading his lover to return home while “Baby Girl” has
a funky, strutting beat that underscores Cannon's exuberant performance.
Weathersby returns on “Earnestine”, handling the lead guitar parts while
Cannon focuses on singing while Purifoy dazzles with a brief solo on the
organ.
On the title cut, Cannon slows the pace to describe a man losing control
of his life, taking the song to an unexpected conclusion. He avoids
making the vocal too strident, which adds to the sense of despair.
Another highlight is “Open Letter (To Whom it May Concern)” that finds
Cannon using a distorted vocal to comment to on the sometimes cutthroat
nature of the Chicago blues scene. The song features an insistent guitar
lick and more stellar harp accompaniment from Skoller. Cannon displays
his soul influences on “You're a Good Woman” with Purifoy on the Rhodes
electric keyboard. Another highlight is the smoldering rendition of Nina
Simone's “Do I Move You”, with Cannon's earnest vocal matched by his
impeccable guitar work
Delmark Records deserves praise for continuing their tradition of
releasing recordings by working Chicago blues musicians. While some fear
for the future, Toronzo Cannon uses vibrant material coupled with his
unbridled enthusiasm to provide ample evidence that the blues tradition
is safe in his hands. His energetic approach is sure to connect with
blues lovers all over the world. Expect to see this one on some of the
lists for top Blues recordings for the year!
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 2 of 6
 Patrick
McLaughlin - Self Titled
Bolt Records
Time-66:47
From Columbus, Ohio here comes another in a long line of blues-rock
guitarists fronting a power trio. His first release displays that he has
guitar chops to spare and a commanding voice with a soulful edge to it
that is easy to listen to. His playing has evolved as the result of
being a band leader for ten years. A tight rhythm section follows his
every move. The one pitfall is the mostly mundane and commonplace lyrics
as well as the repetitiveness of them.
Patrick handles rhythm and lead guitar parts on most songs, giving them
a beefy quality. He leads right in with slide guitar that almost talks,
laid over a catchy rhythm guitar riff on “Working Hard”. Here as
throughout the record the sound is fresh, clean and full of tone. It
seems like the guitar playing stays close to the standard styles, until
you see him taking more chances from the half-way mark on. The guitar
tone and watching the turns they take are an adventure to behold. For
many of the songs, the lyrics are repeated too many times rather than
developed. “I’ve Got You” is a blues shuffle ala Stevie Ray Vaughn or
Melvin Taylor. He can sure build a liquid guitar solo. The underlying
riff that runs through “There’s More To Life Than This” provides a warm
cushion for the tune to ride upon. “Constructing A Guitar Solo 101”
should be the subtitle for “Motion Of Emotion” a tale of love’s
complications. The moody and soul-drenched vocal emotion is supported by
the bluesy guitar in “Ready Set Leave”, a tale of love gone wrong. The
lone instrumental “One More” closes out the cd. It begins life as a slow
blues underpinned by the crisp drumming of Darrell Jumper, then
Patrick’s guitar starts spewing out licks.
This is a display of a solid dose of blues-rock with a strong leaning
towards traditional blues. Patrick has an uncanny knack for a keen
interaction between his vocal and his guitar. They seem to follow each
other and at times intertwine. He gets able support from two different
drummers and the steady bass beat of Molly Young. Rather than firing off
mile-a-minute guitar barrages, he unleashes well thought out and
executed solos that practice tension and release along with nuance. All
songs are band efforts that reflect the best qualities of a well crafted
blues song. These guys and gal have the sturdy foundation to keep
building and growing upon.
Reviewer Greg “Bluesdog” Szalony hails
from the New Jersey Delta.
For other reviews and interviews on our website
CLICK HERE
|
Featured Blues Review 3 of 6
 Steve
Gerard & The National Debonaires w/ James “Rock” Gray – Voodoo Workin’
10 tracks; 30.52 minutes
This is the third CD from Steve Gerard and his band The National
Debonaires, but this one has something special about it. Steve had
relocated to Jackson MS in search of the roots of the real blues and
there heard a local blues singer, James “Rock” Gray. Now in his
seventies and a former friend of Sam Myers and Elmore James, James had
never been recorded. In addition to that discovery, Steve managed to get
Doug “Mr. Low” James to produce the horn parts in between his touring
commitments with Jimmie Vaughan, so this recording has two former
members of Roomful Of Blues on it, as Preston Hubbard is on bass. The
rest of the band is Dwight Ross Jr. on drums, Mike “Shinetop Jr.”
Sedovic on keys (recently with Trampled Under Foot on the LRBC), James
on vocals and Steve on guitar. Greg Demchuk adds harmonica to one track.
The CD features three songs written by James and the remaining seven
cuts were selected to suit his voice and style. The three originals are
all soulful ballads. “One Of These Days” has swirling organ and plucked
guitar underpinning James’ vocal. “Please Stay With Me”, a love song
pleading for the girl to stay, adds saxes to the mix, a beautifully
balanced tenor solo gracing the break. “Sweet Little Woman” opens with
slow piano before the whole band joins in under James’ warm vocal
extolling how wonderful his woman is. The horns are again spot on in
support and another sax solo, this time on baritone, is the main solo
feature.
The other seven tracks come from seven different authors. “Voodoo Workin’”
comes from the pen of Charles Sheffield and is a lively opening track
with strong organ and guitar accompaniment. “Michelle” is perhaps not
the most frequently heard song by Willie Mabon and here comes across
with more than a touch of New Orleans rhythm. In similar vein Fats
Domino and Dave Bartholomew’s “My Girl Josephine” mines that NO groove,
both tracks featuring Doug James’ excellent horn arrangements. Big Joe
Turner is the source for “TV Mama” and is an opportunity for Steve to
offer us his version of the Elmore James 12 bar riff as well as some
fine piano playing from Mike Sedovic; plus, of course, that wonderful
lyric about “my TV Mama, the one with the big wide screen”!
Ain’t Gonna Let Her Go” comes from the pen of Jimmy Anderson and
features the harp playing of Greg Demchuk and the piano and organ, the
horns sitting this one out. Big Jay McNeeley’s “There Is Something On
Your Mind” particularly suits James’ voice, the horn arrangement acting
like a comforting warm blanket wrapped around his vocals as he pleads
with his girl to think of him. Steve Gerard also offers us a fine solo
on guitar here. Nappy Brown’s “My Baby”, with its refrain of “Is you is,
is you still my baby?” has something of a somber arrangement to close
the CD.
James has an excellent voice, with a ‘lived-in’ quality that reflects
his advanced age, but he remains clear and communicates all the material
superbly. The CD is therefore essentially about James’ vocals, but the
accompaniment is excellent and supportive, notably the horn arrangements
from Doug James. My only complaint was that the CD was not longer – I
can listen to this sort of music all day and night!
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
 Big Mamma’s Door
- Handbagged
9 Tracks
British blues fans across the United Kingdom nominated Big Mamma’s Door
in six categories for 2011 British Blues Awards. While none of the
nominees were honored with an award at this past September’s third
annual Newark Blues Festival in Nottinghamshire, this London-based five
piece blues band is a welcome new blues discovery for me. Big Mamma’s
Door received the following well-deserved nods: Best Album (Handbagged),
Best Original Blues Song (“Handbagged”), Best Female Vocals (Fiona
McElroy), Best Keyboard (Henri Herbert), Best Drums (Rob Pokorny), and
Best Bass (John Culleton).
Hanbagged features nine songs that range from
the rollicking “We Got a Good Thing Going” and “Another Night” to the
sad and contemplative love song “Letting You Go.” Mal Barclay’s
exceptional guitar paired with Henri Herbert’s nuanced piano playing
ushers in “A Little Mad About You,” and I particularly like the way John
Culleton and Rob Pokorny lay a strong bass and drum foundation to “Give
It to Me” (and the song ends with a tasteful and short drum solo). I
hear a lot of Professor Longhair, Roosevelt Sykes and Henry Gray in
Henri Herbert’s piano playing, and it’s a consistent bright spot on a
consistently satisfying blues album. When not working with Big Mamma’s
Door, Mel and Henri play with The Cadillac Kings, a popular British
six-piece swing band.
I hope that British blues fans continue to support
Big Mamma’s Door as they look forward to the 2012 British Blues Awards
next September. In the meantime, visit
www.bigmammasdoor.com and listen
to several professionally-produced videos from their performance at the
High Barn on St. Patrick’s Day, including “Handbagged,” “Letting You
Go,” and “A Little Mad About You.”
Reviewer Eric Steiner is president of the
Washington Blues Society Washington
Blues Society in Seattle, Washington, and a member of the Board of
Directors of The Blues Foundation in Memphis, Tennessee.
For other reviews and interviews on our website
CLICK HERE
|
Blues Society News
|
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.
Minnesota Blues Society -
Minneapolis, MN
In celebration of the Society's 10 year anniversary, Greater Twin
Cities Blues Music Society (GTCBMS) has changed their name to:
Minnesota Blues Society, to better reflect their constituency. Get
Out of Town" (GOOT) Fundraiser, Sun., Jan 22, 3:00pm, Minnesota
Music Cafe, 499 Payne Ave., St. Paul, MN, 651-776-4699. Suggested
donation: $10, Come support Minnesota's 2012 IBC representatives,
Annie Mack and Tom Kochie; and Javier and the Innocent Sons. Music
by former IBC representatives: Steve Vonderharr, John Franken, Good
Time Willy, Davina and the Vagabonds, Scottie Miller, Papa John
Kolstad, Jeff Ray, and Harold Tremblay. Visit our new website at
www.mnbs.org for more information.
Capital Region
Blues Network - Albany, NY
The Capital Region Blues Network is proud to announce The Mid-Winter
Blues Bash on Friday, January 27th at The Roadhouse Grille (27
Fuller Road, Albany) at 8PM. Tom Townsley and Seth Rochfort will be
coming in from Syracuse to open the night, followed by The Matt
Mirabile Band with special guests Tom Healey and Tas Cru. Tickets
are $10.00 at the door and $5.00 for Capital Region Blues Network
members. For more info see our website @
www.capitalregionbluesnetwork.org
Grafton Blues Association
- Grafton, WI
The Grafton Blues Association (GBA) and State of Wisconsin will be
represented at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis,
Tennessee for the 4th consecutive year. The GBA will be sending a
band (Tweed Funk) and solo/duo act (John Stano) this year. A
Send-Off Party/Fundraiser will be held January 20th at the Black
Swan Room in Grafton.
The Send-Off Party/Fundraiser starts at 7 pm and will feature music
from both John Stano and Tweed Funk. Friday, January 20th, 2012;
7:00 pm to 10:00 pm; Black Swan Room; 1218 13th Ave, Grafton, WI
53024; Suggested Donation - $10; Drinks, Raffles, and Door Prizes.
www.graftonblues.org
The Diamond State Blues
Society - Wilmington, Delaware
The Diamond State Blues Society in Wilmington, Delaware has two
great events coming up. The first is Saturday, January 14th for our
"Goin' to Memphis Fundraiser Party" on behalf of the DSBS IBC
entrant for this year, The Blue Cat Blues Band. The show is from 3
to 10pm and will feature 8 great regional blues bands: at 3pm-
Scoville Blues; at 3:45pm- April Mae & the June Bugs; at 4:30pm-
Johnny Never & the Solar Pimps; at 5:15pm- Alicia Maxwell & the
Diamond Dawgz; at 6pm- Mikey Jr. & the Stone Cold Blues; at 6:45pm-
The Billy Pierce Blues Band; at 7:30pm- Venom Blues; at 8:15pm-
Nuthin' But Trouble; and at 9pm- The Blue Cat Blues Band. It will be
a day of HOT Regional Blues and to raise some funds to get our IBC
entrant to Memphis!
And on Saturday, March 3rd it's the Diamond State Blues Society's
15th Annual House Rockin' Party. Opening the show at 3pm will be
Nuthin' But Trouble, followed by Florida's great Blues Guitarist,
Albert Castiglia, and headlining the show is the ironman himself,
the phenomenal Michael Burks! Full details can be found at
www.DiamondStateBlues.com
Dayton Blues Society
– Dayton, Ohio
The Dayton Blues Society presents the 4th Annual “Winter Blues
Showcase” on January 21st 2012, The event spotlights this year’s IBC
representatives Gregg “GC” Clark & Brian Lee (Solo/Duo) and The Noah
Wotherspoon Band (Band) opening for this year’s headliner Big Bill
Morganfield, son of blues legend Muddy Waters. Gilly’s 132 S.
Jefferson St. 6pm—Meet & Greet w/ Big Bill Morganfield ($5), 8pm—
Gregg Clark & Brian Lee, 9pm— Noah Wotherspoon Band, 10pm— Big Bill
Morganfield (Muddy Water’s Son), DBS Members—$20 / Non DBS Members—
$25, For more info go to
www.daytonbluessociety.com .
Prairie Crossroads
Blues Society – Champaign-Urbana, IL
Prairie Crossroads Blues Society shows: Friday January 6th, 1st
Friday Blues, Hurricane Ruth, winner of the Prairie Crossroads Blues
Society IBC Challenge, 8pm studio visit to WEFT 90.1FM during the
Blues Live show, 10pm, performance at Memphis on Main, Champaign. $5
non-members, $3 members. Friday April 6, 1st Friday Blues, Johnny
Rawls. For more info:
prairiecrossroadsblues.org.
River City Blues Society
- Pekin, IL
River City Blues Society presents: Bringing The Blues To You with
the following shows - Jan 11th at
7PM - Brandon Santini. Location Goodfellas 1414 N. 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. Jan 9 - The
Brandon Santini Blues Band, Jan 16 - The Groove Daddies, Jan 23 -
Mike Zito, Jan 30 - Tombstone Bullet, Feb 6 - Matt O'Ree, Feb 13 -
Hurrican Ruth, Feb 20 - The Distillery, Feb 27 - The Blues Deacons. icbluesclub.org
|
Featured Blues Review 5 of 6
 Big
Daddy D And The Dynamites – Down, Boy!
Time:
54:34
Where can
you find some good time blues? You might just hit the mother lode with
Big Daddy D And The Dynamites’ Down, Boy!
You would
think guitarist Duke Robillard had his hand in the production. While the
spirit of Roomful of Blues lurks behind the scenes, the band themselves
produced this work and it aims on capturing a live vibe that could set
crowds on fire.
The biggest
strength is in the songwriting by primary writers Drew Hall and Big
Daddy Darryl Porras. Bonus points have to be given to these guys for
coming up with material that doesn’t steal too much from musical clichés
we have been accustomed with for too long.
Saxophonist
Gary Regina’s playing colors the songs to push them into smoky
after-hours club jazz territories. Hall and Porras’ guitar work together
recalls the precision of B.B. King and the ferocity of Michael
Bloomfield. There is no sparring off between the two men that would have
the effect of a cat fight. Make no mistake about it. This music would be
embraced at a club or at a blues festival anywhere in the world. It’s
intoxicating enough to make you forget about all your worldly troubles.
If you want
to jump-start a blues party, just put this cd on and see the results.
Porras original “I Thought I Heard” is a pure house rocker with such a
giddy musical take that will wake you up from an eternal sleep. Regina’s
sax playing emerges front and center with drummer Carlos B. Jones adding
his slithering grooves.
While band
members are given enough solo space to strut their stuff, there is no
overabundance of solos to take the material beyond time marks it doesn’t
need to be.
To guide
your ship on your personal oceans of blues, set your sails on the track
“I Ain’t Puttin Up with What You’re Putting Down” that draws from the
wellspring of deep Chicago Blues. While the song intro somewhat recalls
Stevie Ray’s “Riviera Paradise,” it wisely steers clear from any Lone
Star state shading.
Safe to say
this might be the type of music to look for when everything else is a
tired hand. There’s the easy going groove in the slippery greased
instrumental “Are You Feeling Me?” Drew Hall’s “Next Train” is aptly
titled because the speed it moves on is moderate enough with its bare
–bones guitar work. But it’s not too quick-paced to give you a heart
attack.
While “Soul
Power” in ways can live up to its moniker, it doesn’t become too much a
candidate for American Hit Parade. Jones’ quirky time-signature beats
might be difficult for a normal blues-rock drummer to grasp. And the
guitar playing takes this number into a jam-band spirit that even their
contemporaries would find hard to tackle.
Imagine Bo
Diddley meeting the Allman Brothers and you wind up with “Welcome Sweet
Sunshine” which with its free-wheeling style would go down like hotcakes
with the Bonaroo audience wanting to shake it on down. Only the fun
doesn’t stop there at this halfway point. In the instrumental “BroomHilda,”
you get to catch a breath after moving your tail feather for so long.
And “Hip-Deep In The Blues” seems to be the illegitimate son to Muddy
Waters’ “Got My Mojo Workin.”
Kudos are
to be given to these guys for turning their backs on the too-often blues
rock used to get their message across. The biggest compliment the blues
can receive is that some individuals are interested in taking elements
from the past but are able to modernize them in a way with the best
results possible.
Reviewer Gary Weeks is
a contributing writer. He resides in Marietta, GA.
For other reviews and interviews on our website
CLICK HERE
|
Featured Blues Review 6 of 6
 Dani
Wilde - Shine
11
songs; 52 minutes
Styles:
Blues Rock, Jazz-Influenced Blues, Ballads
For a
moment, imagine digging through moist sand at the beach. Its tiny
granules mostly do one of two things: adhere to one’s palm, or slip
through one’s fingers entirely. More often than not, however, a fragment
glistens, reflecting the sunlight at just the right moment and making
one gasp! This is exactly what happens with the eleven “grains” of song
on singer, songwriter, guitarist, and humanitarian Dani Wilde’s third
release, “Shine.” Each one of the nine originals and two covers is
distinctive if one takes a close-enough look. Produced by legendary
British bluesman Mike Vernon, this album is nothing less than a huge
achievement. The young Wilde, according to her website, was “brought up
in Wiltshire, England on everything from Stax and Motown, to Folk, Rock
‘n’ Roll and Chicago Blues.”
Which
tracks Shine the most? Most certainly these three:
Track 4: “How Do You Do It”--This torch number showcases Dani’s lovely high-pitched vocals like no other song on the album. Simply, the girl sounds like a girl -- here accompanying herself on background vocal harmony. Despite the Rolling Stones’ hit “Miss You” preceding it, this is Shine’s first earworm. Every phrase emerges flawlessly, not only from the lead singer’s lips but also from Pete Wingfield’s caressing piano and Laura Chavez’s guitar on a sizzling mid-song solo! The theme is familiar: unrequited love (“Darling, don’t you look at me that way. You know I can’t belong to you…”). However, Wilde’s fresh interpretation of this theme will make listeners hold their partners on the dance floor before it’s too late!
Track 5:
“Red-Blooded Woman”--If some blues fans consider themselves purists,
they should take heed as Dani proves she’s got more than ice water in
her veins! She minces no words, and misses no nearly-operatic notes, as
her brother Will “Harmonica” Wilde and guitarist Ben Poole back her up.
As the song concludes, listen closely. One might feel a noticeable chill
rush down one’s spine as Wilde whispers the final word: “you.” The
effect is absolutely magnificent, especially considering her repeated
requests beforehand!
Track 7: “I
Don’t Even Care”--Another, and perhaps better, title for this song would
have been “Fifteen Dollars in my Pocket,” because that’s all that the
narrator has left after fleeing from a bad marriage. “You never believed
in me. I’m sure you take me for some kind of fool, but you want me to be
your wife, clean hospital floors for the rest of my life. You act like
you don’t love me at all!” “I Don’t Even Care” reflects not only the
blues played or sung, but the blues lived. This reviewer wonders: is it
autobiographical? One thing’s sure: it feels more authentic than the
next track, “Abandoned Child,” though the latter is sadder.
Mike
Vernon, the album’s producer, gives these props to “the artiste
herself”: [Dani] has a very individual guitar technique that echoes past
ages,” and “Dani gave absolutely everything to these sessions. I was
really impressed, and I believe it shows in the final results.” One
thing’s for sure: in the blues world, Dani Wilde knows how to Shine!
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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