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I started a quest to find terrific blues music and incredible musicianship when I was just a little kid. I also have a tremendous appreciation of fine musical instruments and equipment. One of my greatest joys all of my life was sharing my finds with my friends. I'm now publishing my journey. I hope that you come along!
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Showing posts with label Luther Dickinson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Luther Dickinson. Show all posts
I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Dockside, from Jonah Tolchin and it's bluesy, gritty and steamy. Opening with swamp funky, Blues With A Feeling, Jonah Tolchin has a great vocal for this stripped down blues style. His guitar riffs are electric and with Nic Coolidge on bass, and Terence Higgins on drums, this is a terrific opener. Save Me (From Myself) has a cool rhythm and excellent vocal interplay between Tolchin and Marley Munroe with guitar accents by Tolchin. Very nice. Chavonne Stewart is featured on lead vocals on soulful, Too Far Down with a laid back instrumental backing including Chris Joyner on keys. Tolchin's guitar lead really sets the track off nicely with critical guitar accents. Ragged blues track, Suffering Well features a really nice guitar solo by Luther Dickinson and strong vocals by Tolchin. Excellent. Wrapping the release is slow blues, Lucille giving Tolchin a real nice opportunity to stretch out a little on guitar. This is a really cool release with a lot of grit and just the right amount of polish.
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I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Love One Another, from Big Al and the Heavyweights and it's a energetic blues rocker. Opening with title track, Love One Another, is a cool track with roots in canned heat and the Allman Brothers band. With Wayne Lohr on vocal and keys, Marcel Anton on guitar and vocal, Mark Parsons on bass, Big Al Lauro on drums and featuring Luther Dickinson on guitar and Jason Ricci on harmonica, this is super opener. Wild Tchoupitoulas has a cool bass line and the vocal lead and backing is strong. Lohr's piano solo adds a nice a strong Louisiana spice. Soulful ballad, Guardian Angel has a solid melody and with Anton on lead vocal and lead guitar, really showing how much soul this band can conjure. Very nice. Cool blues rocker, What Can I Say has a real nice feel with a heavy bottom thanks to Big Al and Pasons and with cool harmonica work by Jason Ricci and low fret guitar soloing by Anton, this is one of my favorites on the release. Another strong track on the release is deep blues rocker, Underground with gangly slide work, mic distorted vocals and as simple yet effective bottom as I could imagine. This track could be right out of a juke joint on the Hill Country so it automatically gets my attention. Very cool. Wrapping the release is Zydeco flavored Zydeco Love. With a firm bass line and active percussion by Tom Larson, Anton leads the way on vocals and with the addition of Gina Forsyth on fiddle, this is a fun closer.
If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band!- ”LIKE”
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I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (March 26, 2021 ... today), Volume 2 from New Moon Jelly Roll Freedom Rockers and it's really strong. Opening with Blues For Yesterday, Charlie Musselwhite on lead vocal and harmonica sets a Chicago feel with Alvin Youngblood Hart on guitar, Jimbo Mathus on guitar, Jim Dickenson on piano, Luther Dickinson on guitar, Cody Dickinson on drums and Chris Chew on bass. On Doug Sham's She's About A Mover, Alvin Youngblood Hart has the lead vocal spot and Musselwhite lays in some really nice harmonica. Jimbo Mathus has lead vocal on Searchlight, probably the most Chicago I've heard form Mathus since his work with Buddy Guy. A solid bass line from Chew and well placed guitar and harmonica work makes this track fly. Charles Mingus' Oh Lord, Don't let Them Drop That Atom Bomb is a really nice showcase for Jim Dickinson on piano and vocal. This is a truly soulful track and one of the highlights of the release with gritty vocal blending. Greens and Ham is a great entry by Mathus in his primitive Mississippi blues styling. I've always liked Jimbo's country styling and this track is all Jimbo. Real nice. Musselwhite's Black Water is a strong track and a perfect name for this track with it's dark tones and overall heavy feel. This is my favorite track on the release with Musselwhite on vocal and harmonica but a a great track for the band as a whole. With some dark slide work and warm harmonica, it's all gravy. Hart delivers the most pure blues track on the release with If Blues Was Money with authentic delta style acoustic guitar work, complimented by Luther D on mandolin and Musselwhite on harmonica. Excellent! Luther takes the lead on Blue Guitar, a slide guitar lead instrumental. This is another terrific track with great feel and pace. Wrapping the release is Blues Is A Mighty Bad Feeling, a Mississippi Sheiks track with Jim Dickinson on lead vocal and piano. This is a strong slower blues with nicely articulated guitar by Luther and Charlie adding just the right amount of Harmonica. Strong closer for a really cool release.
If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band!- ”LIKE”
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I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Mississippi Suitcase, from Peter Parcek and it may be his best yet. Opening with The World Is Upside Down, Peter Parcek opens his grittiest and rockinist release, with a driving rhythm and blazing guitar. With a rock modified blues track, Parcek has lead vocal and guitar, backed by Tim Carman on drums, Tom West on keys, and Marc Hickox on bass. Really solid. With it's march style snare drum rhythm, Everybody Oughta Make A Change has a cool, relaxed blues feel. Parcek's vocals and lead guitar seem to float over the tight drum pattern giving the track a different kind of feel. Very nice. Bob Dylan's, Beyond Here Lies Nothing, has an interesting, easy Latin feel, reminding me of early Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac Blues band with nice slide work and phrasing by Parcek. Followed by The Supernatural, a strong Peter Green composition, Parcek really works the fretboard over with a strong guitar lead composition. Excellent! Mississippi Suitcase, (Slight Return) is a super blues rocker with formidable guitar riffs, a cool organ solo by West, a strong bass line and snappy drums. Parcek's vocals are meaty and the track has guts. Very nice. Slower blues shuffle, Until My Love Come Down, has a real nice pace with soulful organ work by West and with a nice guitar guitar exchange between Parcek and Ted Drozdowski. She Likes To Boogie Real Slow has a cool loping rhythm and Parcek and West trade riffs making the track a real head bobber. Wrapping the release is an interesting instrumental, A Head Full of Ghosts, which I really like. With Carman on drums, primarily on tom toms, a nice stream of keys by West, Hickox on bass and beautifully articulated lead guitar by Parcek, the release leaves you wanting more. Very nice.
If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band!- ”LIKE”
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I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Volume 1, from New Moon Jelly Roll Freedom Rockers and it's great stuff. Opening with Blues, Why You Worry Me features Charlie Musselwhite on lead vocal and harmonica. A strong Chicago style shuffle, also includes Alvin Youngblood Hart and Jimbo Mathus on guitars, Jim Dickinson on piano, Luther Dickinson on guitars, mandolin, Cody Dickinson on drums, Chris Chew on bass and Paul Taylor on tub bass. Super opener. Charlie Patton's Pony Blues is a super follow up with it's Hill Country styling and Hart on lead vocal. It's no secret that Mathus is one of my favorite contemporary musicians with his quirky style and super grooves (not to mention his solid country sound). Night Time features Mathus on lead vocal and one of his infectious, funky grooves, driven by Chews' bass line and strong harmonica work from Musselwhite. Very cool. One of those cool party rags, Come On Down To My House, features the late Jim Dickinson on piano and lead vocal, joined by a really comfortable weaving of the entire group on vocal and acoustic instruments. Super country blues stew. Mathus is back at the mic on Shake It and Break It, a cool rag with the classic rag styling of random instrumental blending, stagger drumming and high riding harmonica by Musselwhite. Wrapping the release is the Mississippi Sheiks' Stop and Listen Blues featuring Dickinson on mandolin, Mathus on guitar and Hart on guitar and lead vocal. This is a strong closer for a really cool release.
If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band!- ”LIKE”
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I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Good The Bad and The Bette, from Bette Smith and it's a cool rockin' R&B release. Opening with Fistful of Dollars, a funky rocker, Bette Smith really hits a groove, backed by Matt Patton on bass, Bronson Tew on drums, Eric Carlton on piano, Jimbo Mathus on organ and with Henry Westmoreland on horns. Very cool. Possibly my favorite track on the release is bluesy ballad, Whistle Stop, showing excellent vocal by Smith, and with strings by Jamison Hollister. Punchy rocker, I'm A Sinner, has a driving beat and a cool guitar riff underlying with strong but unflashy guitar lead and backing vocal by Hood, Patton, Tew and Schaefer Llana. Nice. With it's straightforward nature and nice melody, Song for a Friend is my choice for radio track. Dominants bass lines by Patton and tight drum work by Tew and solid backing vocals by Hood, Patton, Tew and Schaefer Llana give this track a certain cool feel. Wrapping the release is soulful, Don't Skip Out On Me, another strong ballad with Smith, acoustic guitar accompaniment and super atmospheric guitar work giving the track a strong feel and nice trumpet work by Westmoreland. Super closer.
If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band!- ”LIKE”
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I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (9/18/20), Below Sea Level, from Eric Johanson and I really like it! Johanson, who grew in Louisiana has blues rock in his blood. Opening with Buried Above Ground you hear distinct influences of Free/Humble Pie and the best of the blues rock generation mixed with Luther Dickinson and the best of the southern blues rockers in this totally fresh sound. This may be the best blues rock release of it's kind since Humble Pie's Smokin'! Cody Dickinson on drums lays down a great tom tom beat and with Johanson on gritty guitar and excellent lead vocal and Terrence Grayson on bass, this release is off to a great start. On Down To The Bottom, Johanson slips on his slide and cranks up the heat. This is a modern boogie in the vein of Hooker but with fat fat slide tones and strong vocals. Really excellent! Blues ballad, Changes The Universe, has the potential to rival Gary Moore with better vocals, a sweet melody line and nicely phrased guitar lead and great guitar tone making this a perfect radio track. Hammer On The Stone is a well constructed blues rocker with strong vocal/lead guitar pairing and a with a quick turnaround riff, an excellent track. This is great music! Lumbering, Have Mercy, has the solid bottom driven by Grayson and Dickinson and always strong vocal and well poised guitar lead. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Open Hearted Woman with it's lead footed bottom and take no prisoner attack. Johanson really hits a grand slam on this one with soulful vocals, an infectious beat and smoking guitar lead. Wrapping the release is stripped down, Riverbend Blues, with Johanson on acoustic guitar and vocal, this is modern delta blues, Johanson has really put together a great release here. This is one you must hear!
If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band!- ”LIKE”
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I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Rock 'N' Roll - A Tribute to Chuck Berry, by Mike Zito and this disc is loaded. Opening with St. Louis Blues and Charlie Berry II, Mike Zito handles guitar and lead vocals, backed by Matthew Johnson on drums, Terry Dry bass and Lewis Stephens on keys. Joanna Conner joins on Rock and Roll Music and there is just no match for that dynamo on slide guitar. Powerhouse player, Walter Trout steps in on Johnny B Goode, a long time favorite of blues and rock players alike. Trout's fluid, high intensity attack is well suited for this classic. Very nice. On Wee Wee Hours, master showman, Joe Bonamassa is featured and he lays out a full tour of the fretboard hitting about every fret on every string, making it seem totally effortless and with great feel. Clocking in at almost 5 and a half minutes, Bonamassa gives you the grand tour. Smoking. Robben Ford takes more of a country flavored approach to You Never Can Tell, contrasting nicely with earlier gun slingers. His poise and music sensibility adds nicely to the overall mix. Simplicity is the word on Luther Dickinson's approach on Too Much Monkey Business. A great rocker with vocal duet and straight up Berry riffs, this track is great. Shared lead vocal with Ally Venable gives School Days a unique perspective and holding tight to the rhythm as Venable and Zito jam is just a bit different. I like Kirk Fletcher's understated guitar work on Brown Eyed Handsome Man, tight and flavorful with soul. Very nice. Wrapping the release is Chuck Berry's classic ditty, My Ding A Ling that is tackled by Kid Andersen who tackles it with all seriousness. Vocals are playful but solid and guitar work full of stylized bens. Super closer.
If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band!- ”LIKE”
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Guitarists
Colin Linden and Luther Dickinson Join Forces on Amour, a New Roots CD
Featuring Songs of Sentimental, Romantic Love, Due February 8 on Stony Plain
Records
WATERDOWN, ON - Stony Plain Records announces a February 8
release date for Amour, a new CD teaming the roots music guitar
talents of Colin Linden and Luther Dickinson. The CDwas produced
by Colin Linden, recorded at Blackbird Studios in Nashville, and features a
backing band dubbed “The Tennessee Valentines:” Dominic Davis – bass; Bryan
Owings – drums; Fats Kaplin – violin and accordion; and Kevin McKendree –
keyboards.
Linden and Dickinson recruited a host of Nashville talent as
guest vocalists on the new disc, including the legendary Billy Swan, who sings
lead on “Lover Please” (a song he wrote, which was recorded and
became a classic hit for Clyde McPhatter); as well as songbirds Rachael Davis
and Ruby Amanfu; plus two of Linden’s “Nashville” TV series buddies - Sam
Palladio (“Crazy Arms”) and Jonathan Jackson (“I Forgot to Remember to
Forget”).
“These are songs of sentimental, romantic love,” says Colin
Linden about the music on the new disc. “They come from country (“Crazy Arms”),
blues (“Honest I Do”), rock ‘n’ roll (“Lover Please”), rhythm and blues (“What
Am I Living For”) and folk music (“Careless Love”). I think that is a pretty
good read on what Americana really is. ‘Careless Love’ is the ‘id’ of the
record—a traditional song of love, longing and regret. I view the entire album
as a soundtrack for romance and romantics everywhere, bound together by melody
and atmosphere.”
Amour is the first collaboration between Colin
Linden (Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, ABC-TV show “Nashville)” and Luther Dickinson
(North Mississippi Allstars, Black Crowes) and consists of classic love songs
from the Americana world. Both Linden and Dickinson are true veterans of roots
music, having played with and produced some of the biggest names in the
business, while displaying the mantle of countless awards and accolades to
reflect that.
“Most of these songs I have known my whole life, and they
reached me in the same way,” says Colin Linden about the album’s origin. “I
mentioned the idea of recording them as a collection to my friend Luther
Dickinson, who said it was a good idea—and that it would be cool to work on it
together. Luther is not only a master musician, but also an artist with a great
vision and a soulful, wonderful human being.”
“Colin and I are fellow guitar-slinging, peace-loving,
freedom-fighting romantics who jump at any and every opportunity to play
guitars together,” adds Luther Dickinson. “Our only problem is not erupting
into joyous laughter as the music unfolds. In the spirit of brotherly love and
old-school ancient sonic explorations, Colin and I both plugged into a shared
guitar amp that you can hear in the middle. Our individual amps are spread out,
and though you can hear the different guitars popping thru here and there, it's
hard to tell who is playing what, and that only adds to Colin and my Amour
fest.”
“As time and fate would have it, all of the mighty folks who
joined us were also moved by these songs,” explains Linden. Blessed by one of
our heroes—and the composer of one of these songs—Billy Swan, we felt like we
were on the right road in doing this album. It was a band of angels we were
joined by; Luther suggested we call it ‘The Tennessee Valentines,’ based on the
beautiful song and these glorious spirits. But the real story is the love story
in the songs.”
Amour is Linden’s second album for the label
since Stony Plain re-signed the nine-time Juno Award-winning singer/guitarist
in 2015 and released his acclaimed Rich in Love CD that same
year. Stony Plain was also the home of Colin’s first studio album, The
Immortals, in 1986.
Colin Linden continues to be a very much in-demand musician,
having played on Gregg Allman’s 2011 Grammy-nominated Low Country Blues,
as well as Grammy-winner Rhiannon Giddens’ album, Tomorrow Is My Turn,
and Diana Krall’s Glad Rag Doll. He’s also produced 125 albums,
was the musical director on the hit TV show, “Nashville” and toured as guitarist for Bob Dylan, Bruce Cockburn, Emmylou Harris, Robert Plant and, among many others.
In addition, he was the featured guitar player on the PBS-TV
special saluting gospel music, “In Performance at the White House,” backing
such stars as Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell, Lyle Lovett and Shirley Caesar.
In recent years, he’s also played on the soundtracks for a number of feature
films, including Inside Llewyn Davis, The Hunger Games,
R.I.P.D. and the acclaimed documentary, A Place at the
Table,and in 2015 he was the music director for the
special tribute to legendary Sun Records founder Sam Phillips at the Country
Music Hall of Fame.
A genuine renaissance man of roots music, Colin is also a
member of the highly successful trio, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, who released the highly acclaimed
album, Kings & Queens,in 2011, which teamed
the band up with such guests as Emmylou Harris, Rosanne Cash, Lucinda Williams,
Cassandra Wilson, Patti Scialfa and Holly Cole. That disc was followed by the Kings
and Kings album in 2016.
I just had the opportunity to review Memphis Rent Party, the soundtrack to Robert Gordon's 6th book, and it's excellent. Opening with a ragged but remarkable rendition of Guy Clark's Desparados Waiting On A Train by Jerry McGill. Backed by Mud Boy and the Neutrons, this is subtly terrific with excellent piano and slide work under McGill's haunting vocals. On Chevrolet Luther Dickinson and Sharde Thomas exchanging lead vocals and playing fife vs slide backed by snappy marching like snare drums and powerful bass drums strokes. Junior Kimbrough is up next with his trademark sound on All Night Long, recorded in Kimbrough's living room in the middle of a cotton field in 1986. Very cool. Another unmistakable sound is the sound of Furry Lewis' vocals with his own slide guitar on Why Don't You Come Home Blues, recorded in his living room in the 60's. How does it get any better than this? The surprise track for me was Calvin Newborn on Frame for the Blues, a sophisticated jazzy blues entry. Newborn's blues guitar phrasing is subtle but innovative coupled with flute and a solid backing. Very very nice! Jerry Lee Lewis rolls out Harbor Lights with his unmatched rocking piano work. The Fieldstones, live at Green's Lounge in South Memphis, grind out Little Bluebird, a slow gripping blues number. Mose Vinson does a real nice barrelhouse piano boogie, Same Thing On My Mind, with clarity and real feel. Very cool. Charlie Feathers contributes Cajun flavored country track, Defrost Your Heart with pure style and grace. Wrapping the release is Jim Dickinson on I'd Love to be a Hippie, a lumbering blues track with a rock edge. This is a super closer to a powerful release.
If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band!- ”LIKE”
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I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Belle Of The West, from Samantha Fish and it may be her best effort yet. Opening with American Dream you have an immediate sense that this isn't a typical Samantha Fish release. Produced by Luther Dickinson, this release is in a whole new strata. Laden with fife and drums by Sharde Thomas, and with Trina Raimey and Tikyra Jackson on drums, this track has a distinct Mississippi feel. Blood In The Water showcases Fish's lead vocal and harmonies with Amy LaVere who also plays bass. A swampy track with sparse but distinct guitar work and eerie violin work by Lillie Mae, this is a cool track. Cowtown has a distinct country sound with a certain blues flavor. Addition of Fender Rhodes by Jimbo Mathus gives a nice texture and Fish sounds more comfortable both vocally and with guitar work in this "new" style. I also really like the heaviness of the drums on this track which really punch it right. Very nice. Don't Say You Love Me may be my favorite track on the release with absolute sassy vocal sound. I really love the guitar tone on this one too...excellent! Title track, Belle Of The West is a terrific, country (real country) TexMex flavored track with deep roots. I am hesitant to give Dickinson credit for someone else's work, but when he touches something he can bring out the best in people and whatever caused it, this is really good! RL Burnside's Poor Black Mattie is another terrific track with vocals shared with LM. Keeping the Mississippi sound, adding harmonica, and mandolin, really deep. No Angels balances between pop and country blues maintaining it's solid roots and developing a solid boogie. Vocal duet with Lillie Mae, Nearing Home is a warm blues ballad with healthy country roots. It's hard to describe, but easy to listen to. Very nice. Wrapping the release is Gone For Good, a primarily acoustic foot stomper with rhythmic guitar, slide and light percussion under soulful vocals by Fish. I really like this release and suggest you get this one for your permanent collection.
If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band!- ”LIKE”
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I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven, by Peter Parcek and it's quite good. Opening with Peter Green's, World Keep On Turning, Parcek presents a dark, drum heavy track with flashy guitar. Solid blues rocker. On Blind Lemon Jefferson's, See That My Grave Is Kept Clean, Parcek's guitar chords are shimmery and haunting, his vocal interpretation is excellent and his solo guitar work is eerie. I've heard this track done numerous times by modern players but none as well as this. Very nice. Instrumental, Pat Hare has a country blues flair with modified chicken pickin' and cool harp work from Mickey Raphael. Ashes To Ashes is a really nice contemporary number with strong, ancient bone from Lil' Son Jones with slashing slide work and cool harp work from Raphael. Shiver has a cool mid century surf rock beat lead by Parcek's guitar and reinforced by Marco Giovino on drums. Andy Sanfospago lays in some real tasty lap steel guitar riffs paired with Parcek's own lead work creating a real cool track. Don Nix's Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven is a great track with solid blues treatment. A great 12 bar sound with reverb, slide, pedal steel leading up to an excellent blues guitar solo and great vocals make this one of my favorites on the release. Wrapping the release is Jennie Mae Clayton's shuffle track, Aunt Caroline Dyer Blues. Playing it in a traditional manner with Deanie Richardson and Jeremy Van Cleave on violin, Russ Pahl on mouth harp and Dennis Crouch on standup bass this track has a real rural feel. A solid closer for a strong release.
If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band!- ”LIKE”
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I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Red Hot: A Memphis Celebration Of Sun Records by the Americana Music Society and it's really cool. This recording, co-produced by singer-guitarist Luther Dickinson of the North Mississippi Allstars and Tamara Saviano, the Nashville based writer-Producer and author of Without Getting Killed or Caught, with all proceeds to benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Opening with swinging R&B track, John Paul Keith sings Red Cadillac and a Black Mustache featuring Jim Spate on soulful sax. Valerie June digs deep on Carl Perkin's Sure To Fall (In Love With You) joined by Jimbo Mathus and Amy laVere on backing vocals showing real American home grown country. Very nice. On Charlie Rich's Lonely Weekends, Shawn Camp takes the lead backed by spate on sax and Lauren Mascitti and John Paul Keith on backing vocals. Bryan Hayes is front and center on Charlie Rich's Ways of a Woman In Love backed by Emily Barker and Amy LaVere on backing vocals. This is a simple country tune and has great style. On Billy "The Kid" Emerson's R&B classic, Red Hot, Chuck Mead, Kevin Fonteyne, Drake Milligan and Jonah Lees rock it. Bobby Rush takes the blues right down main street with Tough Titty, one of my favorites on the release. Amy LaVere nails swing track, Ten Cats Down with real nice guitar soloing by Will Sexton and Emily Barker on backing vocals. Jimbo Mathus rocks Jerry Lee Lewis' High School Confidential. Mathus is in his own universe when he pours it on and he is channeling here. Johnny Cash's Folsom Prison Blues gets a cool cover by Alvin Youngblood Hart with solid vocals and twangy guitar. Luther Dickinson brings on the Mississippi Hill sound on Howlin' Wolf''s Moanin' at Midnight. Joined by Lightnin' Malcolm on guitar, not only breathes a cool 6 min plus but extends to an addition jam for another 7. This is an excellent closer for a really nice release.
Another feature of this package is a super 15 page color insert with quips and humor. Very cool.
If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band!- ”LIKE”
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I just received the newest release, Blues & Ballads (A Folksinger's Songbook: Volume I & II) by Luther Dickinson and it is a pure delight! Opening with Othar Turner's Hurry Up Sunrise, Dickinson teams up with Turner's granddaughter, Sharde' Thomas for a country blues pop track with really nice slide and a tight rhythm. Excellent opener! Up Over Yonder features JJ Grey on vocal and greasy slide work from Jason Isbell which adds real grit. Dickinson's own guitar work, bass by Amy LaVere and Thomas on drums round out this super track. Bang Bang Lulu is a really cool track with a New Orleans feel. Dickinson's own piano and slide work, along with fiddle by Lillie Mae Rische, and Paul Taylor on tub bass gives this track an excellent vibe. Super! Moonshine is an easy paced folk ballad with light, straight up acoustic picking and Dickinson on lead vocal. His slide work on this track again slides giving it a warm homey feel. Jackson is a well constructed folk ballad with simple acoustic accompaniment. This is just pure music. Mean Ol' Wind Died Down is a track that I would say sounds quite a bit like Othar with it's structure, snare drum, duet vocal and fife by Thomas and Dickinson on guitar. Very nice! How I Wish My Train Would Come has a strong melody and with secondary vocals by Thomas, B3 by Charles Hodges and Dickinson on guitar and mandolin, a very nice track. Ain't No Grave was written by Dickinson after the passing of his father. Mavis Staples joins on vocals on this eerie track and Will Sexton on acoustic guitar with Luther taking the prime vocal position and adding beautiful slide work. Excellent! Let It Roll is a very cool jam in spiritual form with a blend of B3, piano and slide guitar, breaking into very bluesy/gospel style melody featuring Thomas and Dickinson. One of my absolute favorites on the release! My Leavin' features Jimbo Mathus on banjo under Dickinson on lead vocal with Thomas on second vocal and fife. Very cool! Horseshoe (Reprise) is an excellent jam with Dickinson on coffe can diddley bo, Jimmy Crosthwait on washboard, Paul Taylor on tub bass and Thomas on fife. Excellent! Blues track, Highwater (Soldier) has a heavy kick drum bottom and lead diddley bo slide work balancing nicely with Dickinson's vocals. And It Hurts is a quiet ballad with acoustic guitar accompaniment, fiddle by Rische and some of the softest vocals on the release. Very nice! Storm, another ballad, has an unsettling melody reinforced by Dickinson's slide work. Dickinson is a master of tension and blending which is well exhibited here. Mojo, Mojo has a solid hill country sound with a raw unpolished feel. Dickinson's vocals, complimented by Thomas, his own guitar and the fiddle work of Rische make for a solid folk track. Very nice! Ol' Cannonball has a pure country blues feel with shuffle brushes by Thomas. This track just flows like water from a stream, natural and pure. A gritty blues number, Devilment, has a great primitive feel with unpolished vocals, raw slide and rudimentary drums. Excellent! Blow Out sounds like an early rocker with simple percussion and Dickinson's driving vocal and guitar work. Very cool! Mayor Langford Birmingham Blues is a really country blues track and another of my favorites on the release. Dickinson's vocals and guitar pickin is well complimented by Rische on fiddle and Dominic Davis on bass. Excellent! Shake (Yo Mama) has a real mountain country feel mixed with a city rock blues. The raw blending of vocals and mandolin, Jimbo Mathus on banjo and Alvin Youngblood on guitar is seriously cool! Wrapping the release is Horseshoe, with Dickinson on acoustic guitar and vocal. His playing technique is nicely showcased on this track making it a perfect conclusion to an excellent release!
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Produced by Jeffrey Gaskill
(producer of the twice Grammy-nominated compilation, Gotta Serve Somebody: The Gospel Songs
of Bob Dylan), God
Don't Never Change: The Songs Of Blind Willie Johnson
highlights the music of one of the greatest and most influential slide guitarists
and vocalists who ever walked the Earth. Johnson sang his sanctified gospel
lyrics with overwhelming intensity, his deep, raspy voice accompanying his
haunting, blues-drenched guitar playing. Rock fans will no doubt recognize many
of his songs which have been recorded over the years by artists ranging from
Led Zeppelin to Eric Clapton to Bob Dylan. Johnson's recording of John The Revelator was
included in the Anthology Of
American Folk Music, archivist Harry Smith's 6-LP collection
released in 1952 that set the folk revival of the 1960s into motion. God Don't Never Change: The Songs Of
Blind Willie Johnson is, according to Gaskill, "my life's
work." The project was years in the making, and Gaskill is thrilled it's
ready to be released. "You gotta serve somebody," he says,
referencing his earlier compilation, "and I got the songs of Blind Willie
Johnson."
Blind Willie Johnson, whose life
remains shrouded in mystery, was born in Pendleton, Texas in 1897 and grew up
around Marlin, Texas, He recorded a total of 30 songs between 1927 and 1930 for
Columbia, leaving behind a priceless legacy of the unforgettable music he
created by marrying the raw, gospel fervor of his voice with the steely blues
fire of his guitar. His songs were mostly traditional or came from hymnals, but
when Johnson performed them, he transformed them with his soul-shaking voice
and amazing slide guitar. Johnson was among the best-selling black gospel
artists of the era, but the Great Depression ended his recording career. He
continued traveling as a street singer, moving between Dallas, Galveston,
Houston, Corpus Christi, San Antonio and finally to Beaumont, where he
thundered out his street corner evangelism, spreading his sacred message
through his transfixing music. He died in 1945 in Beaumont, Texas at the age of
48.
God Don't Never Change:
The Songs Of Blind Willie Johnson
1) The Soul Of A Man (Tom Waits)
2) It's Nobody’s Fault But Mine
(Lucinda Williams)
3) Keep Your Lamp Trimmed And
Burning (Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi)
4) Jesus Is Coming Soon (Cowboy
Junkies)
5) Mother’s Children Have A Hard
Time (Blind Boys of Alabama)
I just received the newest release, Wolf Den, from Danielle Nicole, and it's dynamite! Opening with title track, Wolf Den, Danielle Nicole who has a super voice leads the way on vocal, playing a funky cool bass riff highlighted by Mike "Shinetop" Sedovic's keyboard work. Very nice opener. Anders Osborne sets the stage for, How You Gonna Do Me Like That, an R&B style track with solid vocals, a great bass riff and tight drums by Stanton Moore. Shinetop takes a nice keyboard solo on this track giving it an authentic "era" feel and Nicole shines on bass. On soul ballad, Take It All, Nicole really shines on vocal and her bass work is spot on. A simple yet clean and tasty guitar solo from Osborne gives Nicole a vocal breather but this track is all soul and solid. Rocker, You Only Need Me When You're Down, has a great driving tom tom rhythm and over driven guitar tone from Osborne. A breakout guitar solo highlights this track with it's Spencer Davis like feel. Very cool! Somber ballad, Just Give Me Tonight, shows extremely expressive vocal work on Nicole's part. Osborne digs down with a really nicely phrased guitar solo of his own, making this one of my favorites on the release. Easin' Into The Night has strong commercial potential with it's easy feel, strong melody and an almost Bonnie Raitt feel. Didn't Do You No Good has a rock beat with just a twist of country and a pinch of soul. Putting me in mind of a contemporary Aretha track, Rock Steady, this track has great movement with strong vocal from Nicole, really cool bass riffs from Nicole, a hard driving bottom from Moore and rock guitar from Osborne. Super! On Waiting For Your Love, Nicole shows the composure of Stevie Wonder with really really nice vocals and excellent guitar work from Luther Dickinson. One of my favorite contemporary funky blues tracks, I Feel Like Breakin' Up Somebody's Home, is up next and Nicole sounds like she means business. Her vocals are powerful, her bass work authoritative and with super guitar work by Dickinson, this track slams it! It Ain't You is a solid R&B style radio track which makes you take a few double takes at the photo on the CD cover, to believe that that voice is coming out of that lady. Very nice! New Orleans flavored, In My Dreams, gets a great drum rhythm from Moore and bass line from Nicole. Her vocals are solid and natural and with the addition of slick guitar riffs from track author, Anders Osborne and flavorful key work from Shinetop, this track will get you squirming in your seat. Wrapping the release is super funky, Fade Away. This is a really nice track to conclude such a hot release with an almost Little Feat styling and Nicole's bass riffs and sassy vocals leave you wanting more. This really is an excellent release and one that definitely suggest that you check out!
If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band!- ”LIKE”
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I just received the newest release (July 10, 2015), Wild Heart,from Samantha Fish and she just keeps getting better. Opening with Road Runner, a hill country style blues track, Fish has teamed up with the master of hill country blues, Mr Luther Dickinson ans the duo make a great team. With just a taste of rock and nice slide work, this track is a nice opener. Place To Fall is a serious slow blues ballad featuring Fish on guitar and vocal, Dickinson on bass, Brady Blade on drums and Shontelle Norman-Beatty and Risse Norman on backing vocals. Dickinson plays some really hot lap steel riffs on this track so watch yourself! Blame It On The Moon has a strong pop feel and Dickinson lends his hand again with nice lap steel work (think Lindley and Browne). Highway's Holding Me Down has a real nice slinky feel with a nice recurring guitar riff from Fish and driving bass line from Dickinson. Fish steps on the gas on this one with a real nice guitar solo and using some of the drone note fingering. Very cool! Soft country ballad, Go Home, nicely showcases the strength of Fish's voice and blending with Norman - Beatty and Norman. Jim Lee Blues Pt. 1 is a cool Charlie Patton track with strong country blues sounds. This is likely my favorite track on the release with Fish belting the blues vocally accompanied by Dickinson on mandolin and Lightning Malcolm on guitar. Turn It Up is a solid rock track and features a ripping guitar lead by Dickinson. Cool! Show Me is a straight up rocker with a driving beat by Dominic Davis (Bass) and Brady Blade (drums). Fish steps up on the lead guitar on this one and lays into it pretty good with some stinging riffs to compliment her taunting vocals. Very nice! Lost Myself is a crisp, well written radio oriented track with a nicely articulated lead guitar work as well as cool lap steel work from Dickinson. Wild Heart is a nicely blended country rocker with a R&B style vocal flare. Fish digs deep for a bluesy guitar solo on this number nicely complimenting the overall track. Bitch On The Run is one of my favorite tracks on the release with a contagious rhythm guitar riff. This is one of those tracks that just grabs you and makes you want to drive. Fish was made to sing this kind of track and Blade pushes it hard. Dickinson rips a super lead solo and slide work. Excellent! Wrapping the release is a Jr. Kimbrough's I'm In Love With You, a really sweet R&B track featuring Fish's voice nicely. Fish, Malcolm and Dickinson play a nice acoustic bridge with only light drum bottom by Sharde Thomas making this an excellent closer for what may be Fish's best release yet!
If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band!- ”LIKE”
