 Smokin’ Joe Kubek & Bnois King - Blood Brothers
Alligator Records
www.alligator.com
www.smokinjoekubek.com By James “Skyy Dobro” Walker
14 songs; 60:24 minutes; Suggested Secret to success revealed! Over the years, what is it that has proven, again and again, to be the “make or break” for blues acts? Hitting the road and touring is the answer. It has worked for Smokin’ Joe Kubek and partner Bnois King as their willingness to live the hard-road life has landed them a coveted spot on the Alligator Records label, a new album, and, yes, another extensive tour. Good thing they thrive on “Live” and have for almost 20 years. Kubek is a rocking and fierce picker and slider; King is a jazz-inflected chorder (who can also solo with plenty of wrist and elbow sparks). The finest example of this seemingly juxtaposed combination is found on the six minute track 13, “The Pleasure Was All Mine.” Paced at mid tempo, the song’s tone and lyric are introspective, and the guitars play both Allmanesque twin harmonic chords and wonderful haunting solo runs. Here is the harder picking of Smokin’ Joe during the first solo break with King on a later one, single picking notes in bursts of bell tone clarity. Kubek explains the relationship succinctly: “I pull the blues out of him, and he pulls the jazz out of me. Bnois knows so much about jazz it’s amazing.” With literally thousands of live performances thrilling music fans all around the world, all of their recent releases have topped the Living Blues radio poll charts. As a result, it is hard to think of a bigger name in today’s Texas Blues than these two. Born in 1956, Kubek grew up in Irving TX. Knocked out by the British invasion, Kubek soon discovered the likes of Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf after first hearing Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck. By age 19, he was backing many famous blues players in the area, including legend Freddie King. One night, he even had the chance to play B.B. King’s guitar, Lucille. “King admired my enthusiasm and he encouraged me, which really meant a lot. When times got hard, I always remembered how B.B. King had given me some encouragement,” Joe reports. Bnois (pronounced buh-Noyss) King was born in Delhi LA in 1943. He was inspired to play guitar by his high school music teacher. Before long, Bnois was playing blues cover songs with a local band. On his own, he traveled through Texas, Oklahoma and Colorado. King made his way to Dallas in 1979, gigging with jazz bands until he hooked up with Kubek. In 1989, Kubek met guitarist/vocalist Bnois King at a Dallas jam session. The two melded their seemingly divergent styles into one a potent guitar combination. Calling themselves “The Smokin’ Joe Kubek Band Featuring Bnois King,” they released their debut CD, Stepping Out Texas Style, in 1991. As their popularity continued to build, Kubek and King began playing over 150 dates per year all across the United States, Canada and Europe. Blood Brothers, produced by Kubek and Alligator president Bruce Iglauer, features fourteen rocking blues songs (thirteen originals) filled with Kubek’s more than competent fretwork and King’s smoky vocals and economical but tasty guitar playing. It was recorded with Kubek and King’s road-tested touring unit: Paul Jenkins – bass, Dave Konstantin - drums and with John Street - keyboards on six tracks. Iglauer is excited, “Joe is an amazing guitarist who can play anything in blues, from the most traditional Texas style to totally blowout blues-rock. Bnois is a gorgeous singer with deep Texas soul, and his guitar playing is subtle and melodic. Together they make an unbeatable two-man front line backed by a solid, versatile rhythm section.” The first song, “My Dog’s Still Walkin’” gets right to the business of showcasing their no-holds-barred brand of soul-charged, Texas rockin’ blues. Then, the second track, “Don’t Lose My Number” features Smokin’ Joe on his famous slide guitar. So, within two songs, newcomers are introduced and old fans are reassured. While most songs log in at three to five minutes, an exception is an eight minute, slow-burning cover of Lightnin’ Hopkins “Stop Drinking.” Other standouts include an up tempo and melodic “Must Be Karma” with a theme popularized by TV’s My Name Is Earl. “Freezer Burn” is a nod to Texas’ Ice Picker himself, Albert Collins. “Coleman Avenue” is a look at Bnois King’s earliest inspirational introduction to blues. Best song title, “Midlife Crisis, Midnight Flight” – a rip snortin’ rocker. The best dance number is “Cold Folks Boogie.” With Blood Brothers and a massive tour planned, Kubek and King -- band mates and blood brothers -- are ready to grow their Texas blues family. James “Skyy Dobro” Walker is a noted Blues writer, DJ and Blues Blast contributor. His weekly radio show “Friends of the Blues” can be heard each Thursday from 4:30 – 6:00pm on WKCC 91.1 FM in Kankakee, IL For other reviews and interviews on our website CLICK HERE.
 LA Blues Alliance - What A Life http://www.labluesalliance.com/ Babyree Records
Run Time: 63:48 The LA Blues Alliance is quite a cast of characters. Most of them you’ve probably heard but you didn’t know their names. Some of them are stellar all stars in the blues realm. Holding it all together is the legendary television score producer Mike Post. I bet you’re wondering how this makes a blues album. Held down with some of the best blue-eyed soul vocals and Hammond B-3 work you’ll ever hear, Mike Finnigan (The Serfs, Dave Mason, Crosby Stills & Nash, Jimi Hendrix) opens up the album with his self-penned title track full of blue-eyed soul rock of years gone by. Sonny Landreth adds some great slide work while the legendary Stanley Behrens (Canned Heat) takes up the harp chair. Covers are the spotlight of the album. “TV Mama” featuring the laid back baritone of Keb Mo hearkens to any smoke filled LA Blues Club of days gone by, again with some great punctuation from Finnigan on the organ. Amy Keys (studio & backup vocals for Phil Collins, Michael Bolton, and Joe Cocker) belts out the Stevie Wonder “Maybe Your Baby” with Behrens grabbing at you with his harp work on this track. Finnigan and Keys also provide one of the coolest covers I’ve heard in a long time with the gospel blues of Johnny Cash’s legendary “I Walk the Line.” Finnigan calms down the blue-eyed soul and gives us some old school blues on the oft-covered “Death Letter” with Keb Mo accompanying on mandolin on the all acoustic track. The other acoustic disc gives us a blues-induced version of Mo and Keys (playing the part of Momma) on Smokey Robinson’s “Shop Around.” Behrens troubling vocals on the Howlin’ Wolf classic “Who’s Been Talking” is easily forgotten by his outstanding harp work on the track. There are a few holes in this album, which is bound to happen when you get folks together who are predominantly rock and pop players, even Landreth’s playing borders on blues-rock most of the time. However, this is a feel good album with enough highlights and gems, especially in the covers that will make any blues fan proud to listen. Keys’ sultry jazz-inflected soul voice that either in the forefront or in the back ground along with Keb Mo’s rootsy acoustic slide playing help to anchor the disc in the blues. Not to be left out, Mike Finnigan’s raspy blue-eyed soul is also a pleaser to the ears and his B3 work is second to none these days. If you’re a fan of most of these folks past works, this environment with the high level of talent in the disc will surely interest you. CD is available from all major record outlets. Reviewer Ben Cox is a Blues Songwriter, Musician, DJ and Journalist. For other reviews and interviews on our website CLICK HERE.
 Mason Casey - Sofa King Badass NorthernBlues Run Time: 54:32 States side, Mason Casey is probably a virtual unknown to many. Now, if you say the name Wilson Pickett, ears will perk up. Jimmy Johnson and people start coming out of the wood work in Chicago just to get a glimpse. Steve Cropper and ideas of years gone by in Memphis conjure in the mind. Where does Mason Casey fit in? Let’s call him the guy in the right place at the right time. Casey toured a lot with Pickett near the end of his life as his band’s harmonica player and backup vocalist. Pickett’s friend and producer (along with blues legend Little Milton) Jon Tiven heard Casey and then Casey & Tiven went on to release 3 popular CDs in France before Northern Blues decided to pull the trigger on a North American release. The product is what you have here, the little bit crass (just say the album title slowly and you’ll get what I mean) and whole lot of soul-blues of Sofa King Badass. Casey’s gruff John Hammond-esque vocals give you stripped down blues rock on “You Make It Hard” and the Pickett and Don Covay penned soul of “Nine Times A Man.” The rest of the album besides a few gems pretty much lie within this realm, bordering on formulaic at times but still very upbeat and listenable. Check out “Blue Hair Woman” which easily could be a missing southern rock gem; the Texas-styled shuffle appearance of “That’s My Heart;” and the funky album title track, which really isn’t ready friendly but pure good fun and funky as all get out! The highlights of the disc that stand out from the rest are the appearances of Jimmy Johnson on lead guitar. Johnson never sounded better. Sounding much like the funky soul-blues of his Delmark Records’ releases Johnson unleashes an immaculate assault on guitar, a pure fury for a guy pushing into his 70s! He outshines producer-guitar player Tiven on the disc that it’s immediately noticeable. Johnson’s effortless work is not meant to outshine anyone but he’s so good, it’s hard not to say it here. “Chesterfield County Jail” and “Take Me to the Airport” will be just 2 more notches for Johnson in his otherwise vastly immaculate catalog. These sides also offer Casey a chance to leap off on, providing some great harp accents in and around Johnson on the two tracks. Steve Cropper also makes two appearances on the CD on “Let Me In” and “Done Crying” and they appear to fall in with the rest of Casey’s work on the CD, nothing extravagant or noteworthy; just good. I give Casey credit, much like the liner notes suggest; he is different. He’s not like most in that he either plays straight-ahead blues rock or sound like a classic too much. He’s right in the middle. The songs are good. The release is solid, anchored by a legend. I would say it’s a good spring board for Mason Casey to jump from and improve on as his names’ sake will grow here in his homeland. Check out Mason on Myspace at http://www.myspace.com/masoncasey or learn more from the Northern Blues website. Album is available from all major record outlets. Ben Cox is a Blues Songwriter, Musician, DJ and Journalist. For other reviews and interviews on our website CLICK HERE.
 Mem Shannon - Live: A Night At Tiptina’s
Northern Blues Run Time: 74:06 Live Recording Amalgamation, noun- To combine or unite into one form. The above definition properly describes one of New Orleans’ most talented sons in Mem Shannon. Since his 1996, Mem has owned the New Orleans blues, jazz, and funk scene. Heading into the BMA’s, Mem’s chalked up two more nominations to his already numerous accolades and two prior BMA nominations. With catchy lyrics and his blend of blues, jazz, and seminal fusion funk…this release was one of the best live recordings to come out in recent years. The set features a lot of work from his I’m From Phunkville release on Northern Blues from a few years ago. The set gets kicked off with the funk-blues of “Payin’ My Dues,” which Mem roars through with some fleet-fingered fretwork spinning a yarn about the hard realities of a musician on the road who’s down on his luck. Mem goes into straight funk with “Smell Something” on the next track, sounding like a latter day Sly & the Family Stone/Tower of Power B-side. The horn punctuations and the tight rhythm section work are complete and concise throughout. The blues motifs of “No Religion” don’t sound tired or over-stated as it sounds like a man scorned by God and everyone, with Mem’s tasteful and funky guitar work following in toe throughout. Mem shows that he’s not afraid to dip into pop/rock culture to mine some lyrics from Tom Petty on “I Won’t Back Down.” However, it sounds nothing like the original, as it’s laced with New Orleans R&B and funk that gets the young crowd going. Mem’s depth of passion for storytelling continues with the touching lyrics of the ballad “Forget About Me.” Listen to the keys of Rhock Dabon on the next track, the Neville Brothers’ song “Voodoo” along with the horn punctuations and solo. Throughout the disc, you can tell that Mem is laid back and relaxed, letting go vocally and unhinging his guitar on some attacks that would make the guitar-heads out there lean in and steal a lick or two. I can’t say enough about this disc. You can feel the energy teeming from it from out and around the edges as you crank it at work and at home. The set is never unbalanced and there isn’t a song here that isn’t a keeper. The last two tracks stretch on over ten minutes allowing for Mem Shannon and his Membership band to unloose and display that they are all well-seasoned veterans and a tight working unit, where none of the parts are bigger than the sum. If you’ve never caught the former cab driver from the wards of New Orleans live, this disc will surely convince you to check out Mem Shannon next time he’s in town. This album is available at ever major record outlet. Visit Mem Shannon at his website at http://www.memshannon.com/ or look him up on MySpace. Ben Cox is a Blues Songwriter, Musician, DJ and Journalist. For other reviews and interviews on our website CLICK HERE.
 Mike Morgan & the Crawl - Stronger Every Day
Severn Records Run Time: 67:25 Mike Morgan has been touring around Texas since 1990 blending all of his influence of Texas Blues, classic R&B, and even a hint of the Chicago sound. Morgan originally began playing blues exclusively after hearing Stevie Ray Vaughan’s worldwide debut Texas Flood in 1985. Immediately some folks through up their hands, but I say wait! He’s not another clone folks. Legendary harmonica player and vocalist Darrell Nulisch took him under his wing and went out on tour with him for a few years and gave him a dose of all types of blues, eventually veering Morgan to strike out on his own with Kansas City native and R&B crooner Lee McBee. He and McBee toured together which eventually led to McBee striking out on his own and leaving Morgan to do his first lead vocal work. This disc sees Morgan and McBee reunite and another special guest in the form of roots music newcomer Randy McAllister. Morgan finds himself going back to the R&B formula on three-quarters of the disc. McBee croons and soars over the Jimmie Vaughan-esque guitar attack on the blues ballad of “Sweet Angel.” Morgan demonstrates some prowess on vocals and harmonica on “You’re the One (I’ll Miss the Most).” Randy McAllister trades in his roots rock for straight ahead classic R&B on the plea to the world in “Where’s the Love.” Morgan takes off the writer’s hat on only one song on this set, demonstrating his depth as an artist and his abilities as a guitar player. He turns in a Fabulous Thunderbirds reading of Gatemouth Brown’s “Okie Dokie Stomp.” Speaking of depth of guitar playing, “Stomp” is no phone-in on guitar! Also, check out the jumpy Freddie King-like funk on the instrumental “Funky Thang.” Some of the tracks towards the middle of the disc stretch on to over six minutes, kind of slowing down the vibe a bit. If the song structure were tightened and shortened a bit, leaving the more classic R&B feel to the songs wouldn’t seem so much of a stretch here. Morgan himself also overreaches his bounds vocally on the first track to the disc “All Night Long” which might make some folks shake their heads. Besides these two criticisms, the disc is something different with a little classic R&B mixed with Texas Blues. Visit Mike on the web at Severn Records website or at his management’s website: www.summitartists.com/mikemorgan. His CD is available at all major record outlets. Ben Cox is a Blues Songwriter, Musician, DJ and Journalist. For other reviews and interviews on our website CLICK HERE. | 
Andrew “Jr. Boy” Jones - The Alamo, Springfield IL
Studebaker John & The Hawks made their first appearance at The Blues Island Pub, in (of course) Blue Island. This place is easy to get to off I-57 and is a great venue for live blues music. Studebaker John Grimaldi (I just knew it would be a cool Italian name) is well recorded on Blind Pig records and most recently on the Evidence label. He is a prolific writer and manages to keep songs pertinent and fresh within the blues idiom. I sure would like if you came with me to one of Chicago’s great venues to see the Hawks, but you don’t have to because John travels…a lot. You can find him all over our great country and we also share him with Europe where he has another strong fan base. Additionally if you’re a label reader like I am, you will see his credits for bringing life to the recordings of others.
His guitar work is mostly slide. Not being a player I found it interesting that he fingers the board so much during the slide that I thought he may have had a standard tuning. Actually it was a bare bones Danelectro in an open E tuning through a Musicman amp. I wanted to ask him to teach me how to play guitar over the first break, but it took him that long for him to tell me who Dan Electro was. Bob Halat was on bass and knows John’s catalog cold. Studebaker sometimes steps out of the purist progression and Bob is right there with him. Mr. Paul Ashford seemed to me to be a perfect trio drummer. The word backbeat comes to mind. His rig was set up in a different low-rider look. I know who cares how it looked because it sounded great. Studebaker John & The Hawks held us in place all night with original after original. I have been following John long enough to recognize some of them as his standards and my favorites.