Chikadelic

Written by Greg Johnson Sunday, 14 February 2010 21:13

Super Chikan
Bluestown Records

There is a certain charm about Super Chikan. Whether it’s that big smile, those homemade guitars made out of gas cans, hubcaps or whatever else he may be able to find, his incredible live performances, or the fun he brings about in his lyrics and music; whatever it is Super Chikan just may be one of the fastest rising stars in the blues today. The nephew of Delta legend Big Jack Johnson, James “Super Chikan” Johnson has certainly been surrounded by the blues his entire life living around Clarksdale, Mississippi and playing in the nearby jukes over the years has developed his own unique blues sound.
Chikadelic, the latest release from Super Chikan was recorded a long ways from the Delta, however. When he traveled to Notodeen, Norway to perform at one of Europe’s premier blues festivals, Chikan found himself in the studio with one of Norway’s best bands Spoonful Of Blues. But you’d never guess that this CD was recorded so far removed from Mississippi. It holds all of the grit and feel of the cotton fields and jukes of home. You could envision this same recording happening on stage at Ground Zero or Red’s. It’s not only a testament to Chikan’s skills, but also to those of the band’s: Jostein Forsberg (harp), Morten Omlid (guitar), Jens Haugen (bass) and Esklid Aasland (drums). Something I have been trying to convince many people of for years; there are some really terrific musicians in Europe.
One of the fun aspects of Super Chikan’s music is how well-rounded it really is. It’s like you can’t pigeon-hole his sound in any one direction. He can come across quite funky or down in the alley. He can take the old Bo Diddley beat and make it his own as he does very convincingly on “Hey Super Chikan.” He can pound out a burning slide number or sit back and tell you a story about a talking bass begging for his life. Or he can relate a happening in his own life that has made him who he is. And it all can take place within the same CD without missing a beat. He even ends the disc with a new take on his signature tune, “Shoot That Thing.”
Anytime there is a new release from Super Chikan it should be on your shopping list, because he is consistent with offering outstanding music every time. If you love Delta blues there is only one thing better than a new Super Chikan recording, and that is seeing him live. Chikadelic is one of the most fun times you’ll have listening to the blues this year! Or any year. Pick it up!

Total Time: 52:38
Tracks:
Ain’t Nobody / Hey Super Chikan / Fred’s Dollar Store / Juke Joint Saturday Night / Front Porch Boogie / Hello Mississippi / Bad Ass Bass / Here Comes My Baby / School In The Field / Down In The Delta / Eyeball Blues / Shoot That Thin – The Real Delta Version

Songs From The Road

Written by Greg Johnson Sunday, 14 February 2010 21:11

Luther Allison
Ruf Records

Just as the 1980s saw the success of artists like Stevie Ray Vaughan and Robert Cray hitting the scene, the 1990s may be remembered for the influx of young performers like Jonny Lang, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Susan Tedeschi. But despite these young guns acclaim, perhaps the greatest achievement in the blues world of the ‘90s had to be the resurgence of Luther Allison. For three years, he returned from Europe and completely took the fans of the United States by the hand on an amazing journey that is still talked about in high regards today. Just three short years and then he was gone. Taken from our grasp, but never to be forgotten.
A whole generation of blues artists have come since Luther Allison took us by the heart. He has become one of those artists that younger musicians speak of in enchantment, like Stevie Ray, Muddy, Wolf, Hooker or Son House, asking, “You actually got to see Luther?” Yes, I saw Luther all three years during his comeback. And for me personally, one of my highlights of my time as a blues fan was the day I spent sitting in the tent next to the stage at the Oregon State Fair alone with Luther Allison in a scene where I was not the interviewer, but Luther asked me about me. I will never forget that day and will cherish it always.
But for those who never saw Luther Allison live, or simply want to relive the magnificence the man held on stage, this newly released combination CD/DVD, Songs From The Road, is indispensable. Recorded at the Festival Internationaal de Jazz in Montreal just days before he was diagnosed with the cancer that would take his life (and only a few days before his final appearance at the Oregon Zoo in Portland), it showcases Luther with his American band that in its own right was a powerhouse much like Stevie Ray’s Double Trouble. It featured James Solberg on guitar, Ken Faltinson on bass, drummer Rob Stupka and Mike Vlahakis on keyboards. But as astounding that band was to back him, nothing could take the audience’s attention away from Luther himself. It’s all captured here in all its glory: the high kicks, the guitar stunts, the conversations between Luther and his guitar as he lathers up in a sweat showing just how much the man gave of himself to his fans. Everything that made a Luther Allison show a must-see. The song selections are pure Luther, including his Handy Award winning “(Watching You) Cherry Red Wine,” and the sound quality is supreme.
Songs From The Road would have been a highly welcome historical reminder of Luther Allison released just as a CD or a DVD alone. But combined with a very low cost for the set, it is something that everybody who holds his memory in their hearts or new fans wanting to see a blues performer of the utmost in their prime should own. Run out and buy Songs From The Road as soon as you can. What are you waiting for?

Total Time:
CD: 1:11:52 / DVD: 59:01
CD Tracks:
Cancel My Check / Living In The House Of The Blues / What Have I Done Wrong / Will It Ever Change / You Can, You Can / There Comes A Time / (Watching You) Cherry Red Wine / Low Down And Dirty / It Hurts Me Too / Serious
DVD Tracks:
Cancel My Check / Living In The House Of The Blues / You Can, You Can / (Watching You) Cherry Red Wine) / Low Down And Dirty / It Hurts Me Too / Move From The Hood

Somethin’s Wrong

Written by Greg Johnson Sunday, 14 February 2010 21:02

Billy D. & The Hoodoos
Craig Neil

    Billy D. (Desmond) recently made the move to Portland from Sante Fe where he had been pleasing audiences with his raw, rockin’ style of blues. Something that should make him right at home here in Portland with the way local fans love their blues. To get a great glimpse at just what Billy D. & The Hoodoos are all about, pick up a copy of his latest self-produced CD Somethin’s Wrong. A collection of 12 original numbers that are all well crafted both lyrically and musically. Billy possesses that vocal charm that makes you want to listen, backed by his stellar guitar work, as well as Big Jeff Sipe on bass and Mikey Chavez on drums. Many of the songs draw upon that gut-bucket punch that makes your body want to groove (“Crazy Little Queen,” “Charlene”), ballads that can make you start to tear up (“Blue,” “Love Will Make You Cry”), swampy-sounding slide (“50”), or numbers that could easily cross-over and find favor between blues and rock genres (“Miss The Love,” “Save My Life”). Without doubt, Billy D. & The Hoodoos have a winning disc with Somethin’s Wrong and it should endear a whole new bevy of fans for them here in their new home, too. Recommended listening for sure!

Total Time: 44:01
Somethin’s Wrong / 50 / Why Ya Do It? / Hide My Heart / Blue / Miss The Love / Crazy Little Dancin’ Queen / Love Makes You Cry / Somewhere In The Middle Of The Blues / Charlene / She’s The One / Save My Life

Album: Billy D. & The Hoodoos: Somethin’s Wrong
by P Vaughn Shaver on February 9, 2010
Ain’t nothin’ wrong with Somethin’s Wrong, the new, self-released album from Portland-by-way-of-Chicago-and-Santa-Fe band, Billy D. & The Hoodoos.
Operating in the mode of Electric (with a Capital ‘E’) blues, this fine collection alternates between soulful blues ballads (“Somethin’s Wrong,“ “Blue” and “Love Makes You Cry”) and gritty guitar rave-ups such as the Thorogood-esque “50,” and the stomper, “Crazy Little Dancin’ Queen.” [more]

Blues Cures Studio Jam Vol. 2

Written by Greg Johnson Sunday, 14 February 2010 20:58

Various Artists

    For the past three years, Sean Carney has hosted a holiday season event called Blues For A Cure in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio benefiting cancer research and The Blues Foundation’s HART Fund. The event has grown into a two night all-star laden revue that brings in many of the best names in blues; this past year’s event featured Henry Gray, Candye Kane and Jimmy Thackery amongst many others.
A new tradition to the event began following the second year, as a group of the artists in town gathered the next day to record a jam in the studio to help raise even more money for their cause. That first jam CD saw Sean Carney, Jonn Del Toro Richardson, Trampled Under Foot, Gene Walker and Henry Gray headline the disc. For the second jam disc recorded this past December, those same people were on hand, plus the addition of Jimmy Thackery, J.P. Soars, keyboard whiz Ricky Nye, up-and-coming young guitarist Micah Kesserling and the 2006 Guitar Center “King of the Blues” National champion Matt O’Ree.
This new release is every bit as fun as the first and if there are any flaws to be found, remember this is a studio jam and what you hear is exactly as it came across in the studio. Plenty of superb guitar work is offered throughout. What would you expect from something featurning four former International Blues Challenge Albert King Most Promising Guitarist winners: Richardson (2005), Carney (2007), Nick Schnebelen of Trampled Under Foot (2008) and Soars (2009). Thackery even composed a quick number for the four of them entitled “IBC n U” that closes out the CD. Piano work from Gray and Nye, sax magic from Walker and soaring vocals from TUF’s Danielle Hudspeth complete the whole package making this enjoyable from start to finish.
Great music supporting an even greater cause. How can you possibly go wrong?

Total Time: 55:30
Tracks:
The Hustle Is On / Voodoo Woman / Goin’ Downtown / No Whiskey Blues / I Need You So Bad / Central City Blues / Chloe’s Song / Blues Won’t Let Me Take A Rest / Maggie Campbell Blues / Jump On Board / IBC n U

In It For The Long Haul

Written by Greg Johnson Tuesday, 19 January 2010 21:42

Pat Pepin
Self-Produced

    You’ve heard the expression, “Live the life you love and love the life you live”? Well, if there is anybody who leads their life by those words any truer than Pat Pepin, I’ve certainly not come across them as of yet. I have known Pat for about eight years and in that time I have come to know her as not only as a talented musician and somebody that is extremely fun to hang around with, but also as somebody who just cannot get enough of performing, constantly looking for the next jam or gig as soon as one ends. If possible, I believe the girl would go 24-hours-a-day, non-stop giving you everything that she’s got.
    I’ve been told before that you should never do reviews of your friend’s releases, because you just cannot be objective. I disagree. What’s more, if I didn’t do reviews of my friends, how else can I spread the word of their outstanding product. And with Pat Pepin, her latest CD, In It For The Long Haul, is more than deserving to be heard. As I write this, it has been selected as one of the four finalist in The Blues Foundation’s 2010 Best Self-Produced CD competition and a new video for her song “Living At Wal-Mart” that is storming through YouTube.com with plays and downloads. That song is a really fun and perhaps dead-on description of Pat’s life on the road, as she is constantly on the move in her “Lil RV” from gig to gig, and probably making good use of Wal-Mart’s open free overnight camping policy. It’s also an extra bonus track on the CD.
    That song, besides being humorous, is also a good example of how crafty Pat is as a songwriter. She has a way with a pen that can be both good-natured and heart-wrenching. Most of the tracks on In It For The Long Haul are her own, including the opening number “Can’t Be Satisfied” which was co-written by the wonderful E.G. Kight. The song’s guitar lines blend beautifully with her voice and are only accentuated more when Pat brings her saxophone into the mix. Tunes jump from deep blues to New Orleans flavored second line material like “Can’t Take It With You,” perhaps a little hidden innuendo on “Long Haul Trucker,” the perk and bouncy “Sneaky Suspicion,” and funky-riffed “Left Me Lonely.” Even the three cover tracks Pat brings across with nice renditions, the fun-paced “This Dress” and the extraordinary take on the classic “Sunday Kind of Love” that’s just oozing with sex appeal. All in all, Pat Pepin has a sensational CD here that is fun and well crafted. Go out and pick it up and enjoy it over and over. Just don’t be surprised when you start singing along with “Living At Wal-Mart.”

Total Time: 42:55
Tracks:
Can’t Be Satisfied / Don’t Call Me Baby (Baby) / Can’t Take It With You / Long Haul Trailer / ‘Till Death Do Us Part / This Dress / Why Me / Sneaking Suspicion / Sunday Kind Of Love / Left Me Lonely / Ain’t What You Got / Living At Wal-Mart

Holdin’ Court

Written by Greg Johnson Tuesday, 19 January 2010 21:41

Debbie Davies
Vizztone

    I have heard it said before that the blues cannot be properly stated without vocals. It is the human voice that is the main instrument behind the music and without them it just simply cannot relate the desired feelings intended. What? Have these people never listened to guitarists like Lonnie Johnson, Ronnie Earl, Freddie King or Albert Collins when they’re laying down some serious instrumental guitar tracks. How can miss the bluesy statements that they’re making?
    Debbie Davies is a pretty serious guitarist in her own right as well. After all, she has worked with Albert Collins and played onstage with the likes of John Mayall, Coco Montoya, Tab Benoit to name just a handful. And though she has primarily released recordings featuring her excellent vocals alongside her fretwork, many people have asked for her to put out an all instrumental recording of her own. So she’s done just that. And it sounds outrageous!! Such tone. Such clarity and precision. And deep down there is no mistaking it here, it’s all blues.
    Holdin’ Court is a tribute to the musicians who inspired her. People like Collins and King, as well as Otis Rush, Freddie Burrell and Gatemouth Brown. Most of the tracks are her own compositions, but of the covers she handles them with grace and ease. You know that their creators would approve. Duke Robillard’s “Fishnet” opens the disc and sets the tone the listener can look forward to. It never lets down it’s cruisin’ pace or it’s exceptional bouncing fun. So many highlights, heck they all are highlights. Of particular note is her reworking of Gatemouth’s signature piece “Okie Dokie Stomp,” a song in its own right that clearly proves that no vocals are necessary. That track is followed by another sensational piece, “Percolatin’,” which in itself is perhaps the right way to describe the music on this wonder CD! Pick this one up and see if it doesn’t percolate you up quickly, too!!

Total Time: 43:09
Tracks:
Fishnet / Down At The Honky Shack / Tryin’ To Keep It Real / Okie Dokie Stomp / Percolatin’ / So What / Atras De Tus Ojos / Holdin’ Court / I Wonder Why / If You Love Me Like You Say / Zoom-in’

Sunnyland

Written by Greg Johnson Friday, 18 December 2009 18:28

Zora Young
Airway Records

    Zora Young certainly did not fool around when she collected the musicians to be a part of this album that offers a tribute to the music and stylings of the late pianist and her mentor who helped bring her attention in the blues world, Sunnyland Slim. In fact, she brought in a virtual who’s-who of the best musicians Chicago has to offer. First and foremost here being legendary guitarist Hubert Sumlin who appears on seven of the thirteen tracks, taking the vocals on two. Steve Freund provides guitar throughout the disc. Who better than Freund, somebody who spent a number of years backing Sunnyland himself. Also appearing are keyboard master Barrelhouse Chuck, drummer Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith, bassist Bob Stroger and a horn section including Sam Burckhardt (sax), Steve Horne (trombone) and Chuck Parrish (trumpet). A dream band for certain! And one so well put together that even Young sits back on three of the selections and allows the band to come together in incredible instrumental presentations on their own.
    Make no mistake, though. This is Zora Young’s album. Her voice is powerful and captivating, showcasing one of the finest female vocalists on the modern blues scene today. Take note of her grit on numbers like “Bad Track Record” or “Til The Fat Lady Sings.” But she can also maintain that enrapturing passion on a slower number like “Travelin’ Light” or a light-hearted piece like “Football Widow.” And for a basic, sit on the back porch and sing it right blues, listen to the closing piece “Looka Here Baby” where she is accompanied only by Sumlin and Freund on twin guitars.
    Though this is considered a tribute recording for Sunnyland Slim, only a couple of the tracks were actually written by him, “Goin’ Back To Memphis” and perhaps his best-known number “Johnson Machine Gun.” But the songs presented maintain that feel that best described Sunnyland’s sound.
    Sunnyland is an album for anybody who loves to hear the traditional style of Chicago blues as it became noted for during the 1950s-1960s. It is authentic and pure, captured by some of the artists who were a part of the scene itself. All of the offerings are strong, the playing beyond exceptional. It’s just downright good music through and through. Pick it up and enjoy!

Total Time: 56:57
Tracks:
Bad Track Record / Goin’ Back To Memphis / Travelin’ Light / Hubert’s Groove / Football Widow / You Said You Were Leaving / Sunnyland / Johnson Machine Gun / Stumbling Blocks And Stepping Stones / Til The Fat Lady Sings / Blues For Hubert / Daughter Of A Son-Of-A-Gun / Looka Here Baby

Maria Muldaur & Her Garden Of Joy

Written by Greg Johnson Friday, 18 December 2009 18:19

Maria Muldaur

Stony Plain Records

     Now here is a welcome throwback. After going through a number of recordings that presented Bob Dylan love ballads, Louisiana rhythms and even bawdy reflections of earlier blues women, Maria Muldaur has returned to her past. Back to the folk roots from which she first gained renown with the Kweskin Jug Band in the early 1960s. There is one thing that can be said about jug band music, it is almost always guaranteed to bring a smile to your face with its simple instruments and musical patterns. It is feel good music to the core. Especially when delivered so masterfully by an expert in the roots field like Muldaur.

     Coming along for the ride are a number of old friends. All of them roots music aces, too, including Taj Mahal, Dan Hicks, Danny Caron, John Sebastian, David Grisman and the late Fritz Richmond among them. Song selections keep a fun-paced delight with old traditional pieces like “Shout You Cats” and “Shake Hands and Tell Me Goodbye” to newer numbers penned by Dan Hicks such as “Let It Simmer” and “The Diplomat.” Without doubt a stand-out track is the humorous duet between Muldaur and Hicks on the medley “Life’s Too Short / When Elephants Roost In Bamboo Trees,” complete with a nonsensical scat. Also offered is the rekindled title track from Muldaur’s 2005 release “Sweet Lovin’ Ol’ Soul” featuring one of the final recordings of Fritz Richmond blowing a pretty mean jug, while Taj Mahal picks guitar behind. Nice to see it offered here again on an album where it is such a natural fit. A couple other tracks seeing a second life are new versions of “Garden Of Joy” and “I Ain’t Gonna Marry,” which she first recorded on the final Kweskin Jug Band album.

     It’s hard to even think that Maria Muldaur could possibly release a recording that is not worth hearing. And without doubt she has a definite winner here again. Subtitled “Good Time Music For Hard Times,” we’re certainly in need for such in this time and age. And that statement is very aptly phrased. This is “good time music” through and through. Recommended full heartedly!!

Total Time: 46:58
Tracks:
The Diplomat / Shake Hands And Tell Me Goodbye / Shout You Cats / The Ghost Of The St. Louis Blues / Let It Simmer / Sweet Lovin’ Ol’ Soul / Medley: Life’s Too Short ~ When Elephants Roost In Bamboo Trees / Garden Of Joy / He Calls That Religion / I Ain’t Gonna Marry / Bank Failure Blues / The Panic Is On