Author Archive for Grahame

Review: Paul Lamb - Warrington - 03 Oct 2008

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on Monday 6 October 2008
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PAUL LAMB & THE KING SNAKES
Warrington Blues Club at Warrington Town FC: 03/10/08

North West visits by Paul Lamb & The Kingsnakes have become rarer over the years, so a return to Warrington was not be missed. The son of the North East has long been heralded as the UK ‘guv’nor’ of the blues harmonica, and the band now contain the considerable talent of his son Ryan on guitar, his presence toughening up the band’s sound.

The King Snakes are completed by the long-standing trio of Chad Strentz (lead vocals and rhythm guitar), Rod Demick (bass and vocals) and Sonny Below (drums) - making one of the tightest units on the European blues scene, as they have been for a very long time. Two varied sets ranged from some great swinging tunes, some slow blues, and of course many nods to Paul Lamb’s ‘main man’, the great Sonny Terry.

The band kicked off the evening with a couple of showcases for young Ryan Lamb with a killer shuffle instrumental and a slow blues, before Lamb senior hit the stage for the Bo Diddley  flavoured “Crazy For Me”, and the jaunty “Money World”. Ryan plays with great tone, but with a lovely touch, never overplaying - and the perfect foil for his father.

The epic “Adopted Child” contained some quite stunning harmonica work from Paul Lamb, and impassioned vocal from Chad Strentz, with a great cover of Big Joe Williams oft-covered “Baby Please Don’t Go” driven along in a more swinging style - great work from Sonny Below, as good a drummer as there is in the UK blues scene.

The second set opened with “The Blues Had A Baby (And They Named That Baby Rock & Roll)”, complete with some ad-libbed lyrics, before Rod Demick took the vocals on his own “More Than Alright” - with audience participation on the chorus. The pace was taken down on a stunning version of Ray Charles “The Blackjack Game” - another fine vocal from Strentz and great guitar from Ryan Lamb.

We were taken down to Louisiana for Guitar Slim’s “The Things I Used To Do”, before a personal favourite from way back in the band’s catalogue, the lovely “Sweet Sweet Woman”. The a capella (apart from harmonica!) version of Sonny Terry’s “You Got To Mind” saw more audience involvement, and some crazy dancing from Rod Demick!

Some much-demanded encores saw just Paul Lamb and Chad Strentz return initially for a stripped-down “Key To The Highway”, before some fun on a rockabilly style romp through a medley of “I Got A Woman” and “Folsom Prison Blues”, with the whole band bringing it home, to round off a quite superb evening.

GRAHAME RHODES

Review: Willie “Big Eyes” Smith - Born in Arkansas

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on Thursday 2 October 2008
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Wille "Big Eyes" Smith

WILLIE “BIG EYES” SMITH
“Born in Arkansas”
(Big Eye Records - BER394)

Here’s a fine new release from something of a Chicago blues legend - born in Helena, Arkansas in 1936, and like thousands from the south, relocating to the ‘Windy City’ in the 1950s’, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith became addicted to the blues after seeing Muddy Waters at the Zanzibar - and then became his drummer for some two decades, and also playing with the likes of Bo Diddley, James Cotton, Buddy Guy, and many more.

However on this new album he forsakes the drums to front a fine band with his vocals and harmonica - leaving the ‘engine room’ to his son, Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith, with Chicago veteran Bob Stroger on bass, Barrelhouse Chuck on keyboards, with the two guitars of Billy Flynn and Little Frank Krakowski completing the line-up.

Twelve of the thirteen tracks are self-penned, with the album produced by Smith on his own label and recorded in Chicago - his harmonica kicking things off in fine style on the mid-tempo shuffle of “When I Left”, followed by the very Muddy-sounding “Rub My Back”, and the jaunty “Money Talk” - driven along by the twin guitars.

The sweet “Dreamin’ ” takes the pace down, with some lovely chromatic harmonica, before a dip into Elmore James territory on the slide guitar-driven “Sitting Here Drinkin’ “.

“I’m The Creeper” rides along on a nice groove with Barrelhouse Chuck to the fore, pushed along by the rhythm section of Bob Stroger and Kenny Smith; with “Can’t Rest For Worry” taking us back to a Muddy Waters feel - and after Smith’s close association with the late legend, why not?

Anyone with a love of pure, classic Chicago blues will love this album - beautifully played and recorded with a very nice feel indeed, and at 72 years of age Smith seems to be having a ball - highly recommended!

GRAHAME RHODES

www.williebigeyessmith.com

Review: Big Boy Bloater - Academy, Buckley - 27 Sept 2008

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on Sunday 28 September 2008
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Bloater 007

BIG BOY BLOATER
The Academy, Buckley: 27/09/08

The first gig of a new venture from Ray and Barbara O’Hare of the Warrington Blues Club, saw the excellent Big Boy Bloater and his fine band rock the house at The Academy in Buckley - a lovely-looking retro dance hall, which attracted a good turnout of local jive dancers who filled the floor from the first number until the last!

Big Boy Bloater describes himself on his business card as ‘Red Hot Jump Blues, Boogie & Rock ‘n’ Roll’, and that is pretty much what we got over two sparkling sets, with his Ike Turner influenced guitar dominating proceedings, but always allowing the two-sax horn section and Deacon Turner’s piano plenty of scope to solo.

The vocals were shared with ‘Lil’ Lisa Jan - his good lady wife -  whose honking baritone saxophone was also a treat. Material came from the brand new “That Ain’t My Name” release, and also his ‘other’ band, the more blues-orientated The City Shakers.

Bloater is one of the finest exponents of the guitar whammy bar, as seen on a rollicking version of Ike Turner’s “Matchbox” and his own “Whammy”, an instrumental on the new album that Mark Lamarr has fallen in love with and is bringing out as a vinyl 45 single.

The band swung like crazy all night, with “Man Or Monkey?” featuring one of ‘Lil’ Lisa Jane’s vocals; and “Hey Little Girl” and the title cut of “That Ain’t My Name” being particularly well received from the packed dance floor.

One of the highlights of the night was a storming cover of the late, great Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson’s “Gangster Of Love”, and Bloater showed his blues prowess on a second-set opener - just him and some boogie guitar; and then delivering some raucous slide guitar on the Elmore James chestnut “Shake Your Moneymaker”.

This must be one of the best British bands on the live circuit, what a pleasure to catch them so close to home at a new venue for live music - a great night, and well done to all concerned!

GRAHAME RHODES

www.bigboybloater.com

www.wrbcblues.co.uk

www.dance-hall.info

Review: Moreland and Arbuckle - 1861

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Moreland & Arbuckle

MORELAND & ARBUCKLE
“1861″
(NorthernBlues Music: NBM0044)

Here’s another gem from the good folk at NorthernBlues Music, some raw, ass-kicking hill-country blues from Kansas! Aaron Moreland and Dustin Arbuckle’s debut for the Canadian label is a treat from start to finish - the title, “1861″, coming from the year their home state joined the Union.

Moreland’s array of guitars, with Arbuckle on vocals and harmonica are joined by drummer Brad Horner, together the trio create a powerful sound, which is rooted mainly in the blues, but would probably appeal to a cross-over rock audience.

They get down to business with a thundering opening track, a romp through Hound Dog Taylor’s “Gonna Send You Back To Georgia”; followed by the original “Fishing Hole”, featuring Aaron Moreland’s homemade cigar-box guitar, made by a friend in Memphis and with a mighty tone.

Dustin Arbuckle is no slouch on the harmonica and the excellent “Diamond Ring” features his playing, before a cover of RL Burnside’s hill-country classic, “Jumper On The Line” - titled “See My Jumper Hangin’ Out On The Line - in fact the whole album has echoes of the Mississippi greats, such as the aforementioned Burnside, Junior Kimbrough and other Fat Possum artists, and is none the worse for it.

“The Legend” has a western feel to it, and a true story of life, love and loss, based on a real person; “Never Far Behind” rides along on a great slide guitar groove, with Horner’s drums kicking the song along in an ode to Kansas life, with a nod to the late, great Jimmy Reed on “Please, Please Mammy”, a lazy shuffle with a wheezy first harmonica solo, and tougher second one, from Arbuckle, and rip-roaring guitar solo from Moreland - very nice indeed, and one of the album highlights.

Oklahoma City songwriter Ryan Taylor, a friend of the band, contributes the stomping “Pittsburgh In The Morning, Philadelphia At Night”, followed by the beautiful acoustic “Wrong I Do”, dominated by Moreland’s resonator guitar and haunting vocal from Arbuckle. The album closes with “Wiser Jam”, apparently made up on the spot, and probably not like anything else before it - a meandering, almost hypnotic piece with an almost Eastern feel, with Chris Wiser guesting on Hammond B3 organ.

GRAHAME RHODES

www.morelandarbuckle.com

Moreland & Arbuckle

Review: Henry Butler - PiaNOLA Live

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on Sunday 21 September 2008
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Henry Butler

HENRY BUTLER
“PiaNOLA Live”
(Basin Street Records: BSR 0803-2)

Definitely an essential purchase for all piano buffs - New Orleans keyboard maestro Henry Butler is a master of all piano styles - from boogie-woogie to jazz and blues, following in the tradition of Crescent City masters as Professor Longhair, James Booker, Allen Toussaint and countless more.

Like many New Orleans musicians he suffered in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, losing his home and many of its contents in the floods, but thankfully his tape archive survived, resulting in this album of live performances recorded over two decades - he now resides in Denver, Colorado.

To complete this package his co-producer, George Winston, has provided detailed track-by-track notes, complete with keys, and other technical information such as chords, which hand is playing what, etc. - fascinating stuff indeed!

The eleven tracks on offer range from jazz standards, such as the opening “Basin St. Blues”; soul classics - the timeless “(Sittin’ On) Dock Of The Day”, and the late, great Billy Preston’s funky “Will It Go ‘Round In Circles” - one of the album’s highlights for me.

The New Orleans ‘top brass’ are featured with Allen Toussaint’s “Mother-In-Law” and Professor Longhair’s “Tipitina” - although his long version is mostly improvisational, but features some tremendous, funk bass-style playing - definitely another stand-out track.

Butler, blind since birth, is quite a remarkable character - aside from his mastery of the piano, he is a keen photographer, who has had exhibitions of some of his work shown in New Orleans galleries.

Other standards featured are the classic ballad, “You Are My Sunshine” and the quite beautiful “Old Man River”, with a fine vocal performance - indeed, New Orleans legend, Dr. John, has likened Butler’s voice to Paul Robeson.

GRAHAME RHODES

www.henrybutler.com

www.basinstreetrecords.com

Vintage: September 2004

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VINTAGE REVIEW
PAUL BYRD
Warrington R&B Club, Warrington Town FC: 17.09.04

The supremely talented Texan guitarist Paul Byrd, on his fourth visit to these shores, stopped off at Warrington for the first time, and gave the excellent turn-out a night of fantastic blues to remember!

The man from Forth Worth is a powerful performer - a master guitar player and also a great singer, who knows how to work a crowd with his laid-back charm very evident - picked up from many years on the road back home.

Backed by a great Midlands trio - Chris Lomas (bass), Fred Skidmore (keyboards) and Carl Hemmingsley (drums) - he delivered two knockout sets of classic blues - many from such masters as BB, Freddie and Albert King, together with songs from his current “Without Further Adieu” album.

The night kicked off with the rollicking “Sugar Free, Sugar Mama”, with its wry lyrics, before the first dip into the Albert King catalogue with the classic “Don’t Burn Down The Bridge” - with Byrd firing off some classic guitar lines, his face a picture of passion for the music and straight from the heart!

The timeless “Key To The Highway” was delivered in a funky groove, the way the late, great fellow Texan, Freddie King, used to play it, before the tempo was taken up for his own “Owe, Owe, Owe”, with its Jimmy Reed feel.

A much longer second set kicked off with Otis Rush’s “Cut You Loose”, with keyboard man Fred Skidmore given ample opportunity to solo, as indeed he was all night - having seen him many times in different bands this was probably the best I have seen him play!

Two standouts in the second set were the great “The Hustle Is On”, from another Texas legend, T-Bone Walker, with more fantastic guitar from Byrd; and the lovely jazz song, “Funny How Time Slips Away”. Another highlight was the Latimore song, “Straighten It Out” - his interpretation of this r&b hit from 1974, featured possibly the most intense vocal performance of the night.

A great medley featuring “Driving Wheel”, “So Many Roads, So Many Trains” and “Help The Poor” saw some blistering slow blues as Byrd stood tall at the front of the stage and let rip some quite stunning guitar.

A raucous end to a truly great night saw an audience sing-along on “Downhome Blues”, with the whole room joining in, and a romp through “Sweet Home Chicago”, which saw the dance floor full.

Many thanks must go to Ray and Barbara O’Hare for bringing such a great artist to the area - this is a man who should be on the main stage at festivals - promoters please take note! Come back soon Mr. Byrd - you are the real deal!

GRAHAME RHODES

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Review: Robert Cray - Liverpool - 13 July 2008

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on Wednesday 16 July 2008
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THE ROBERT CRAY BAND
The Empire Theatre, Liverpool: 13/07/08

Billed as a ‘fringe’ event for this year’s Summer Pops, unbelievably, after some thirty years on the road, this was the first ever Liverpool gig for guitarist Robert Cray, and his band - which attracted a healthy Sunday night crowd to the grand surroundings of the Empire Theatre.

Since hitting a sales peak with his soul-laden blues in the mid-to-late eighties, Cray and his blazing Fender Stratocaster have toured relentlessly and issued a string of fine albums, without reaching the heights of the likes of “Don’t Be Afraid Of The Dark” and “Strong Persuader” - the 1986 release which really established him.

Robert Cray is simply one of the finest guitarists around today, and the  man from Columbus, Georgia is blessed with a truly great soulful voice, that coupled with his fine band, makes for a memorable evening’s entertainment. His band - now consisting of Jim Pugh (keyboards), Karl Sevareid (bass) and Kevin Hayes (drums) are all top players - and embellish Cray’s stunning guitar work.

He and the band were down to business on a cracking “Phone Booth”, a tune that the late, great bluesman Albert King saw fit to cover; and then one of the standout cuts from the last studio album, “Twenty” - the sorrowful “Poor Johnny”. We were taken right back to 1983 for the title cut from the “Bad Influence” album - another quite beautiful vocal performance and of course, lashings of his trademark guitar.

The aforementioned “Strong Persuader” record was the one that became a huge-seller and we were treated to two of its best songs - “Right Next Door (Because Of Me)” and the favourite, “Smoking Gun” - a hit single which cross him over from a pure blues crowd to a more general audience.

The title track of “Twenty” was stunningly delivered and was one of the sets highlights - an Iraqi war song that hits home. The “Time Will Tell” album was dipped into for the menacing “Back Door Slam” with Cray’s fluid Stratocaster licks just tailor-made for the theatre’s acoustics.

A string of richly-merited encores rounded off a most enjoyable evening - the blues classic “Sitting On Top Of The World” being the only cover of the evening - mind you, when your own material is so strong, who needs other peoples’ tunes!

Apart from the stellar rhythm section, long-time keyboard man, Jim Pugh, was on sparkling form - whether on Hammond organ or piano - especially prominent on several songs when the band stretch out, often into a funky groove, and he is the perfect foil for Cray’s sometimes lengthy guitar solos.

Opening up the show was a new name to me, London-based acoustic guitarist Marcus Bonfanti, whose folky blues half-hour set was warmly received, and led to healthy cd sales for him afterwards - a name to look out for. He has a nice gravelly voice and fingerpicking guitar style, very impressive indeed!

GRAHAME RHODES

Review - JW Jones - Bluelisted

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JW-JONES - “BLUELISTED”
(CrossCut Records: CCD 11095)

His fifth release on CrossCut Records sees fast-rising Canadian guitarist JW-Jones up his game again, following on from the 2006 release, “Kissing In 29 Days” - that release’s mainly soulful feel is replaced by a blistering guitar album, with his regular band featuring on some tracks and a quartet of blues ‘big-hitters’ on six tracks - together on record for the first time are Little Charlie Baty and Junior Watson, and the stellar rhythm section of Richard Innes on drums, and Larry Taylor (bass).

Having followed the career of JW-Jones since “Defibrillatin’ “, back in 2000, one thing that strikes you is how his voice has improved over the years, and on this new release his vocals are in fine order. Indeed, despite the heavy duty guests on board his own Canadian band acquit themselves very well - Jeff Asselin (drums), Martin Regimbald (bass), Jesse Whiteley (keyboards).

A very generous fourteen tracks sees a mix of blues styles, from some West Coast swing, to Texas and Chicago flavours, and rock and roll and jazz thrown in, kicking off with the rocking “Double Eyed Whammy”, with both Baty and Watson taking solos; followed by the funky blues of “Looking The World Straight In The Eye”, dominated by JW’s own guitar laying down some Albert Collins-influenced licks.

The fast shuffle of “Can’t Play A Playboy” sees the band in Texas mode - I would imagine this is a killer live! The band tear it up on Richard Berry’s “Mad About You”, with The Wind-Chill Factor Horns of Frank Scanga (baritone sax) and Martijn “Lewis” Van Toor (tenor sax) to the fore; the jazzy shuffle “Heavy Dosage” is a guitar masterclass with all three players soloing.

A brace of BB King tunes sees JW doffing his cap to one of his heroes - the uptempo, swinging “That’s Wrong Little Mama”, and the tremendous “Waiting On You”, before a trip down to New Orleans for “The Doctor”, featuring some lovely piano work from Jesse Whiteley.

The slow blues of “Out Of Service Blues” is another treat, as Little Charlie Baty lay’s down his guitar to blow some top amplified harmonica. The instrumental “Bogart Bounces Again” contains yet more great guitar from JW-Jones, again in an Albert Collins mode - very fine stuff indeed!

Having caught JW-Jones live in Dublin in 2006, it would be nice to see him over in the UK, until then this will keep his admirers happy - one of the best blues releases of 2008 so far for sure!

GRAHAME RHODES

www.jw-jones.com

www.crosscut.de

Vintage: November 2001

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bluesinthenorthwest.com vintage review

R.J. MISCHO

Hooker Blues Club at Wrexham Rugby Club: 17 November 2001

American harmonica master RJ Mischo made a rare trip ‘up North’ to show he is one of the leading players around, backed by the impressive German band, BB & The Blues Shacks.

Mischo hooks up with the band on his European visits and they provided sterling backing as well as kicking off both sets on their own.

BB & The Blues Shacks are Michael Arlt (vocals and harmonica), Andreas Arlt (guitar), Henning Hauerken (upright bass) and Andreas Bock (drums). They kicked off the night with Little Walter’s “You’re So Fine” and the swing of “Ponytail Blues”, before RJ Mischo took to the stage and delivered some quite stunning harmonica playing in a variety of styles.

Two sets included a mix of songs from his fine albums and some instrumentals which allowed Andreas Arlt to show off his superb guitar chops - with T-Bone Walker a major influence.

Highlights included the rocking “I Don’t Care” and the up-tempo “Red Headed Woman”, and the swinging “Cool Disposition”.

The band’s second mini-set included a brace of songs from their new “Midnite Diner” cd - “Your Cash Ain’t Nothing But Trash”, and Slim Harpo’s “I’m Gonna Miss You (Like The Devil)”, with fine harmonica from Michael Arlt.

A rousing encore of “Oh Baby” saw Michael Arlt and RJ Mischo sharing vocals and the harmonica microphone to end a hugely enjoyable night.

GRAHAME RHODES

Review: Billy Gibson - Live At The North Atlantic Blues Festival DVD

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BILLY GIBSON
“Live At The North Atlantic Blues Festival”
(North Atlantic Blues Records)

Here’s another treat courtesy of the good folk at Blind Raccoon, Memphis musician, the ‘Prince of Beale Street’, Billy Gibson and his band on DVD at last year’s North Atlantic Blues Festival in Rockland, Maine.

The six-song selection finds the energetic Gibson and his band - David Bowen (guitar/vocals), James Jackson (bass), Cedric Keel (drums/vocals), with special guest, fellow Memphis musician, Charlie Wood (keyboards/vocals) - on a gloriously sunny day working the blues festival audience in fine style.

Billy Gibson is a top harmonica player and singer - voted Beale Street Entertainer of the Year in 2005, and years on the road have turned him into somewhat of a showman who has a warm rapport with his crowed as is captured on the first couple of uptempo tunes - the rolling “Down Home” and “Keep Doin’ What You’re Doin’”, from the pen of guitarist David Bowen.

Blues legend Eddie Taylor’s “Bad Boy” is given a funky overhaul, with a lovely version of Willie Nelson’s “Funny How Time Slips Away” following. Tony Joe White’s swampy “Polk Salad Annie” rounds things off in showstopping fashion - with rousing harmonica from Gibson, rounding off a most pleasant hour in the company of a fine musician and his band.

My only slight criticism would be that for all Gibson’s energy his band don’t seem to keep up, dropping into somewhat of a lethargic groove at times, apart from guest Wood, who contributes some sparkling piano and organ to proceedings.

Still, for anyone who does not know Gibson’s work, this is a perfect introduction - beautifully capturing the feel of a blues festival on a glorious day - nicely shot and directed by Paul E. Benjamin and Richard Pelletier.

GRAHAME RHODES

www.blindraccoon.com

www.billygibson.com

www.myspace.com/thebillygibsonband

Review: David Honeyboy Edwards - Birkenhead - 02 June 2008

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honeyboy-edwards

DAVID HONEYBOY EDWARDS
WITH DAVE PEABODY & MICHAEL FRANK
Pacific Road Arts Centre, Birkenhead: 02.06.08

More of an historical event than a regular gig, one of the oldest working bluesmen on the planet, David Honeyboy Edwards, stopped off at Pacific Road on his farewell UK tour, accompanied by his manager, promoter, harmonica player and record label owner, Michael Frank; and stalwart of the British acoustic blues, the affable Dave Peabody.

A couple weeks shy of his 93rd birthday, this grand old gentleman of the blues was born in Sunflower County, Mississippi on 28th June, 1915, spending his early years as a musician travelling from town to town, playing on the street, where eventually he was discovered by Alan Lomax in 1942 and recorded for the Library of Congress, and the rest, they say, is history!

Opening the show, Dave Peabody delivered a most enjoyable 40-minute set, starting with the standard “Crow Jane”, followed by his own tongue-in-cheek, “It’s Hard To Write A Blues When You’re Happy”, both highlighting his lovely guitar picking. Joined by Michael Frank on harmonica, other delights were RL Burnside’s “Jumper On The Line”, and some nice slide on Robert Johnson’s “Rambling On My Mind” - he thought he do a Johnson tune as Honeyboy, he informed the packed house, doesn’t and is loathe to talk about the legend that he both knew and played with.

After a short break, the two musicians returned accompanied by Honeyboy Edwards, who belied his age with a spirited hour, mainly forsaking his recent “Roamin’ And Ramblin’ ” release for a set of blues standards, with a brace of well-known classics up first - “Catfish Blues” and “Sweet Home Chicago” - with his now raspy voice and fluent guitar rolling back the years.

I thought we may be treated to some tales of the old days, but Honeyboy was content just to offer a polite ‘thank you’ between songs, saving his energy for playing and singing - with Peabody’s acoustic rhythm work and Frank’s harmonica giving the music some added muscle - the sound surprisingly good, for an acoustic gig in such a large room, hats-off to the soundman!

Other highlights were Robert Lockwood Junior’s “Little Boy Blue”; the great “Shake ‘Em On Down” and Lightining Slim’s “The Things That I Used To Do” - all played with an energy belying his grand old age and lapped up by a standing-room only seated crowd - lovely to see, especially on a Monday night! Curiously, the opening track from “Roamin And Ramblin’ “, “Apron Strings”, featured in the set twice!

A large queue of well-wishers after the gig were rewarded by Honeyboy Edwards signing autographs and posing for pictures - some half-hour after the show he was still at it! A flight home on the Tuesday was to be followed by a Wednesday gig in Chicago - some schedule, even for a younger man, but I guess once a bluesman . . . !

GRAHAME RHODES

Vintage: May 2000

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bluesinthenorthwest.com vintage review

JIMMY BURNS
Hooker Blues Club at Wrexham Rugby Club: 25 May 2000

It is very rare for a genuine Chicago bluesman to visit this area, but fans at Hookers last week were treated to Jimmy Burns only club date, backed by Manchester’s finest, The Harpbreakers.

The band kicked-off the evening with a high energy 45-minute set, highlights of which were the Texas-flavoured “Think”, Jimmy Rodgers “Rock This House”, and the evergreen, “I’m Just Your Fool”.

Mississippi-born Burns then joined the band for an excellent two-hour set which included songs from his two fine Delmark albums, “Leaving Here Walking” and “Night Time Again” - and some well-chosen covers.

An opening blast of BB King’s “Whole Lotta Lovin” and the soulful “I Smell Trouble” showed what Burns is all about - a fine guitarist, with flurries of note a la BB and Albert King, and also possessing a lovely voice.

Other highlights from his albums were the ballad “Talk To Me”, about his need for young female company - purely for conversation, mind you! Also a treat was the shuffle of “Leaving Here Walking” and Curtis Mayfield’s “Gypsy Woman”.

Burns was having a ball - as demonstrated by his often raucous laughter - and was also happy for the band to share the spotlight - and here we were treated to some fine guitar and harmonica from Tony Roach and Nigel Dunne.

A marathon show ended with young Wrexham guitarist Matt Nicholls invited on stage to play some fine licks on “Woke Up This Morning”.

Special mention must go to The Harpbreakers, who only met Jimmy Burns three days before the gig, and acquitted themselves admirably.

GRAHAME RHODES

Review: Ian Siegal - Warrington - 30 May 2008

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THE IAN SIEGAL BAND
Warrington R&B Club, at Warrington Town FC: 30 May 2008

Somewhat of a coup for Ray and Barbara O’Hare this, the return of probably the most-heralded British blues artist of the last few years, in the intimate surroundings of the Warrington R&B Club, with the lucky patrons treated to a quite storming evening of well over two hours of not just blues - but a whole mix of genres, from rockabilly to country, with rock and soul thrown in for good measure!

Ian Siegal and his superb rhythm section of over ten years - Andy Graham (bass) and Nikolaj Bjerre (drums) - form a most potent trio, and in a show full of surprises showed why they are in such demand. Siegal’s ferocious Howling Wolf meets Tom Waits voice has been well documented, but his guitar playing is also of the top calibre. He was content to let his songs from “Meat & Potatoes” and “Swagger” take a back seat and filled the two sets with some most unexpected covers.

The first half-hour illustrated what a playful mood he was in - starting with the Bo Diddley beat of “Ride On Josephine”, before going into Howling Wolf’s “Meet Me At The Bottom”, then some Tom Waits and Bob Dylan, before his own “Mortal Coil Shuffle” - the slide-dominated version off “Swagger”, being turned into a slow blues with some fiery soloing from Siegal and his vintage guitar.

After a relatively short first set and a lengthy break Ian Siegal returned acoustic and solo with a lovely take on Steve Earle’s “My Old Friend The Blues” - another acoustic tune was followed by the return of the band, and another treat, the late, great Warren Zevon’s “Carmelita” - proclaimed as Ian Siegal’s ‘favourite song of all time’ - praise indeed!

The packed house were loving every second and the show moved up a gear with the opening brace of songs from “Meat & Potatoes” - the strutting swagger of “Sugar Rush” and the dark “Revelator (John The Apostle)”, before a real Creedence-flavoured version of “Horse Dream”, which visited Tony Joe White’s classic “Polk Salad Annie” - great stuff!

The midnight hour turned and the band were called back to the stage twice - the first set of encores included the traditional “I Shall Not Be Moved” - dedicated to Swedish nurses (don’t ask!), before developing into another off-the-cuff medley including “Freight Train”, “Mystery Train” and “That’s Alright Mama” - the breathless band were then coaxed back from the car park to conclude a magnificent evening with “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”, played Luther Allison style, as it was the song the late blues guitar legend always ended his shows with.

A genre-busting show from possibly the most potent performer on the circuit, with a fine band - Ian Siegal plays with so much passion and enjoys every minute of what he does, which results in evenings of maximum enjoyment. Long may he and his fine band keep doing it - the fact that most of it seemed spontaneous helped - no rigid set lists and no thought of plugging albums!

GRAHAME RHODES

Note from Ken - 01 June 2008

There are some great pictures from the event from the excellent photographer Paul Webster.  Go to Paul’s Flickr site to see them.

Not recorded at the Warrington gig, but for a fair representation of the band in all their glory check out the many YouTubes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXhIiJFWAiA

Review: Big Dez - “You Can Smile”

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Grahame
on Monday 26 May 2008
in Reviews
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BIG DEZ
“You Can Smile”
(Why Note - WHY 016)
Without doubt the best blues band in France, this latest release from Big Dez - aka Phil Fernandez, on great guitar and vocals - is a delightful mixed bag of all things blues, with some horn-flavoured soul and greasy jazz, bluesinthenorthwest.com enjoyed very much their show last year and we were very happy to see this latest release pop through the letterbox.

Apart from Fernandez, the main man is Bala Pradal, whose sparkling keyboard work is very prominent - on piano, Fender Rhodes and Hammond B3 - special guests again, as on the previous album, are the legendary ex-Fabulous Thunderbirds bass player, Preston Hubbard, and the in-demand tenor sax of Gordon Beadle, from the great Roomful of Blues horn section.

A generous thirteen cuts kick-off with the rollicking title track, “You Can Smile”, with lovely backing vocals from Margaret Bianchetta and Debra Batey; the bluesy funk of “You Don’t Know What Love Is” rides on a great groove, with Fernandez and fellow guitarist Radolphe Dumont on top form, with customary sax solo from Gordon Beadle.

“Low Pressure” sees the band in funky mood again, with “Why She Stays” featuring the horns again - apart from Beadle, John Wolf on trombone and Allen Beeson on trumpet - with a blistering guitar solo for good measure; “Hypnotize Me” gives harmonica man Marc Schaeller a chance to show his talents on this uptempo rocker.

The great soul tune “Anywhere Please” is one of the album’s highlights, with an impassioned vocal from Fernandez, and overall a big Stax feel. Bala Pradal is given the spotlight on the instrumental “Good Arrow”, with it’s greasy Jimmy Smith jazz feel and some quite delightful Hammond.

The Elmore James chestnut “Shake Your Money Maker” is given a big swing treatment, a change from the usual slide-driven covers, followed by another of the best cuts, the dark “Freaksville” - more top notch harmonica and sublime guitar work.

A great album, from a top band who have nearly made it to the North West before, let’s hope we can catch them live in our area sometime soon!

GRAHAME RHODES

www.bigdez.com

www.myspace.com/bigdezbluesband

Review: Jason Ricci and New Blood - Rocket No. 9

Published
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Grahame
on Friday 18 April 2008
in Reviews
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JASON RICCI & NEW BLOOD
“Rocket Number 9″
(Electro Groove Records - EGRCD 502)

The latest release from Jason Ricci and his band, New Blood, sees them signed to Electro Groove Records - and “Rocket Number 9″, produced by Grammy award-winner John Porter, sees them covering all bases from rock to blues to jazz, with Ricci’s turbo-charged harmonica dominating proceedings, ably assisted by Shawn Starsky (guitar/backing vocals), Todd “Buck Weed” Edmunds (bass) and Ron Sutton (drums/backing vocals).

His style may be a little bit ‘in your face’ for some blues purists, think a more rocky and ‘busy’ style, but there is no doubt the band and Ricci lay down some great grooves, that originate from his diverse influences - people such as Sun Ra, Little Walter, Lou Reed and Gov’t Mule, and also they are virtuoso players.

A generous twelve tracks, including two clocking in at over ten minutes, kick-off with “The Rocker”, to these ears a distant cousin of the Edgar Winter Groups “Frankenstein”, with Shawn Starsky’s scorching guitar and Ricci’s harmonica to the fore; the soulful “I’m A New Man” rides along on a nice groove, before the epic “Loving Eyes”, staring out as a ballad, with an almost Eastern feel to it, interspersed again with Ricci’s harmonica, before some ferocious guitar from Starsky takes the song uptempo.

This is probably as diverse a release as I have heard in a long while, with “Dodecahedron” starting out with an Average White Band style horn salvo and funky feel, with Ricci’s harmonica duelling with Michael Peloquin’s sparkling saxophone; “Mr. Satan” - a nod to bluesman Sterling McGhee - again mixes all sorts of feels up, funky again, with more slippery harmonica from Ricci.

The title cut “Rocket Number 9″, a Sun Ra cover, starts with an almost symphonic burst of harmonica before it’s chant-like vocal comes in, with jazzy bass from Todd Edmunds - you could imagine this on a film score somewhere!

As previously stated, not one for the blues police, but give it a few listens and Ricci’s talent, and his band, shine out - probably one of the boldest releases of the year, and non the worse for it. The young man has major talent without doubt and this release captures his boundless energy and ideas - the live show must be like a whirlwind!

GRAHAME RHODES

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Review: Fabulous Thunderbirds - Birkenhead - 10 April 2008

Published
by
Grahame
on Monday 14 April 2008
in Reviews
. 2 Comments

Moeller 

THE FABULOUS THUNDERBIRDS
Pacific Road Arts Centre, Birkenhead: 10.04/08

Just some nine months after their last tour, The Fabulous Thunderbirds returned to the area, albeit with a somewhat different line-up to last year. Guitarists Nick Curran and Kirk Fletcher have been replaced by the dynamic Johnny Moeller, and Austin-based Mike Keller; with bass player Randy Bermudes joining Jay Moeller on drums as the rhythm section.

Still led by the great Kim Wilson, as they have been since they emerged in Austin, Texas in the mid-seventies, the band now deliver a more diverse show, as opposed to straight blues, what Wilson likes to call “American music” - indeed at Pacific Road in Birkenhead much of the show contained Stax-like soul tunes, but with of course still a good number of blues, and some old favourites.

The gig at Southport I caught last year was a little bit disappointing, with Kim Wilson overdoing the harmonica a little bit, but here he and the band were on top form - it would appears the new recruits have given the band a new lease of life.

A ninety-minute set featured some sparkling guitar work from both players - Johnny Moeller’s blistering solos took the eye, with Mike Keller also delivering some intense fretwork - being Texas-based, they were of course also top rhythm players!

Highlights on the night were the opening “Wait On Time” from the very first album back in 1979; “Tuff Enuff”, which was actually a hit single and moved the band on to a more nationwide platform, and the superb Howling Wolf song “Riding In The Moonlight”, with trademark harmonica from Kim Wilson, and a great groove.

The slow blues of “Head Out On The Highway” saw more lovely guitar from Johnny Moeller; with a spirited version of the Cajun-flavoured “You Ain’t Nothing But Fine”, a tune that has again featured in the band’s set-list for years, and also many other blues bands!

Kim Wilson is hailed as possibly the finest blues harmonica living today, and a long solo spot showed why, as the band started the tune, then left him to play alone, being joined by drummer Jay Moeller, and then the rest of the band returning to finish - great stuff!

Opening the evening were the Shropshire-based quartet Hot Rod 55, who delivered 45-minutes of turbo-charged rockabilly, and were warmly received. Heavily Brian Setzer influenced, highlights of the set included The Stray Cats “Rock This Town”; his big hit, the Louis Prima song, “Cat On A Hot Tin Roof”, and their own “Rumble In Brighton” - definitely a band to catch again!

GRAHAME RHODES