Delmark artist: Dave Weld & the Imperial Flames - Slip Into A Dream - New Release review

I just received the newest release, Slip Into A Dream, from Dave Weld & The Imperial Flames and it's nothing short of outrageous! Opening with title track, Slip Into A Dream, Weld leads with solid vocals and confident guitar work. Backed by Monica Myhre on vocal, Dave Kaye on bass, Jeff Taylor on drums, Graham Guest on organ and Harry Yaseen on piano, this track is slinky and pendulous. Dave doesn't wait too long to unleash the dogs and his guitar work is off the hook. Simply terrific! Sweet Rockin' Soul is a rock n' roller with Yaseen driving the train. Weld and Myhre harmonize on this track but yes... he's hammering on the guitar again. Yaseen plays a cool piano solo illiciting a hot drum response from Taylor. Cool! Lookin' For A Man features Myhre on lead vocals and Weld slips on the slide. Joined by Bobby Rush on extended harp this shuffle track lets Dave get into full slide mode...right off the fret board. Very nice! Add a little funk and some horns and you get Take Me Back. Parris Fleming (trumpet), Rajiv Hamlin (tenor sax) and Bryant Smith (trombone) really give this track that JB punch. Weld really gets it would up on this one feeding the guitar all it can take. Excellent! Boogie track, May Be Right, May Be Wrong has a real nice groove with Greg McDaniel on bass. With it's Texas guitar swagger and Graham Guest on piano, this track rips! R&B based Sweet Love (Dulce Amor), has more mellow feel with Myhre on lead and tight trumpet accents by Kenny Anderson. Nicely stylized guitar work by Weld and a super sweet solo from Hank Ford gives this pop track some real traction. Rock n' roller, Louise, has a real grinding feel with Myhre on lead vocal and Weld slides in giving it real fire. Sax Gordon steps up with hot bari and tenor sax work making this a track to be reckoned with. Shifting back to a real Texas style driver, Weld takes the lead vocal back on Tremble and the track swings a bit bat. Sax Gordon's horn work is thick and meaty and Weld never shy's away from total destruction. His guitar work is wild and feverous making this a smoking hot track. Bringing things way down, slow blues, Walk On Down, lead by Myhre on lead vocal, gives Weld to build slowly. This shows a totally different side of his playing style but still riveting. Yaseen plays a really nice piano solo on this track and Kaye's bass work is tight. Drummer Jeff Taylor penned, Dorothy Mae, features Taylor on lead vocal and some of the snappiest drumming I've heard in a while. With full horn compliment by The Heard Horns this track gets funky. Hamlin sings on sax and Weld belts out another nice guitar solo. Weld breaks down the door on the intro to Too Bad, So Sad, a driving rocker. When he cuts loose he's an absolute beast held in check by Taylor and Kaye. Swinging rocker, 20% Alcohol finds Weld back on lead vocal. He's really winding up the slide and lets it rip. Rush in back with a sweet harp solo and with Kay's walking bass line, nicely balanced. Wrapping the release is a reprise of Slip Into A Dream. This track is a crusher and Weld really applies the pressure. A monster of a guitar player, it's good to see him let the dog off of the leash again. Excellent!

   

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Bobby Rush 4-CD box set 'Chicken Heads' collects 50 years and 20+ labels

50 YEARS OF MISSISSIPPI BLUES LEGEND BOBBY RUSH — CULLED FROM MORE THAN 20 LABELS —  COMING ON FOUR DISCS FROM OMNIVORE RECORDINGS ON NOVEMBER 27, 2015 Chicken Heads: A 50-Year History of Bobby Rush box set contains nearly five hours of music with 32-page booklet, noted by Bill Dahl, with quotes from Mavis Staples, Keb’ Mo’, Elvin Bishop, Leon Huff, Al Bell and more. “Bobby Rush is among the most treasured blues singers of all time. Because when the blues saints go marching in, Bobby Rush will be in that number.” —Leon Huff

Bobby Rush (Photo by James Patterson) LOS ANGELES, Calif. — When you’ve played with Elmore James, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, and Jimmy Reed, you must be on to something. When you’ve had a multi-generational career in music, spanning blues, soul and funk, that’s something else.  Bobby Rush’s incredible half century of recorded music is ready to be devoured by those who’ve never tasted and those who want another helping on Chicken Heads: A 50-Year History of Bobby Rush, due out November 27, 2015 on Omnivore Recordings.  Nearly 100 tracks from the three-time Grammy® nominee’s storied career are finally collected in this unprecedented set. Including his Checker, Galaxy, and Jewel sides through Philadelphia International, Malaco/Waldoxy, LaJam, and Urgent cuts, as well as material from his own Deep Rush label, Chicken Heads tells the story of Bobby Rush: unfiltered, unedited and unbelievable. With almost five hours of music on four CDs, Chicken Heads traces his career from 1964’s “Someday” through the title track, from 1979 collaborations with Gamble & Huff to tracks from 2004’s FolkFunk.  The 32-page, full-color booklet is filled with photos, ephemera, liner notes from Bill Dahl and testimonials from friends and fans including Mavis Staples, Keb’ Mo’, Elvin Bishop, Denise LaSalle, Leon Huff, Al Bell, and many more. With mastering and restoration by Grammy® winner Michael Graves, Bobby’s vintage recordings have never sounded better. Born in Homer, La. in 1933, Rush cut his musical teeth in the Pine Bluff, Ark. area with the likes of Elmore James and Big Moose Walker. A move to Chicago in the 1950s put him in the company of Muddy Waters and Jimmy Reed, and led to sessions at the city’s Chess Records. 1971’s “Chicken Heads” proved his breakthrough, notching #34 on the Billboard R&B chart. He since recorded for a variety of labels and relocated in the 1980s to the Deep South, where he became one of the kings of the Chitlin’ Circuit. His crossover began largely in the early 2000s when he was included in the Martin Scorsese-produced, Clint Eastwood-directed The Blues documentary for PBS. Since then, he’s received three Grammy® nominations and 41 Blues Music Award nominations (of which he’s won ten, including 2015’s award for B.B. King Entertainer of the Year). He performed with Dan Aykroyd and the Roots on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon in 2014, and appeared in the documentary film Take Me to the River, pairing blues and soul legends with young artists. At the age of 80, he still performs more than 200 shows all over the world. Mavis Staples attests, “He’s been a longtime friend, an honorable man, and my father loved him. He’s a joyful, happy person, and that rubs off on you when you run into him — you can’t help but feel good when you’re around Bobby. He’s always been respectful of me and my sisters, and he was like a son to Pops. I’m a big fan.” According to Rush, “It’s very exciting. Truly I feel honored that someone would think enough of me to do this. The record side of it is the glory side of me and that’s the side that I want people to know and I’m grateful for that. I’m happy that someone thought before I leave this land to tell my story. I’m proud of it and flattered about it. I want the world to know that this is my first time and I want to say it for people to be enthused about me. I’m not enthused about all of the songs because at the time I didn’t think they were all good. But after you become a ‘legend,’ you look back and it all looks good. There are things you had in the can you didn’t want to put out, and then you get asked what you have in the can that’s never been heard to put it out.” As annotator Dahl comments at the opening of his essay: “Blues never get funkier than when Bobby Rush swaggers up to the mic and lets fly with his homespun truisms. He’s always in motion, always smiling, always on fire as his skintight band cooks up irresistible elastic grooves behind him.”  So, prepare to get funky with Chicken Heads: A 50-Year History of Bobby Rush!  DISC ONE: 1. Someday 2. Let Me Love You 3. Sock Boo Ga Loo 4. Much Too Much 5. Gotta Have Money 6. Camel Walk 7. Wake Up 8. The Things That I Used To Do  9. Let It All Hang Out 10. Just Be Yourself 11. Done Got Good To Me, Part 1  12. Chicken Heads 13. Mary Jane 14. Gotta Be Funky 15. Gotta Find You Girl 16. Bowlegged Woman, Knock-Kneed Man Part 1 17. Niki Hoeky 18. She’s A Good ’Un 19. Get Out Of Here, Part 1 20. I’m Still Waiting 21. She Put The Whammy On Me  DISC TWO: 1. I Wanna Do The Do 2. Hey Western Union Man 3. Let’s Do It Together 4. Be Still 5. Talk To Your Daughter 6. Sue (Single Version) 7. Making A Decision (Single Version) 8. Bertha Jean (Single Version) 9. What’s Good For The Goose Is Good For The Gander 10. Dr. Funk 11. Never Would Have Thought It 12. A Man Can Give It (But He Can’t Take It) 13. Nine Below Zero 14. I Ain’t Studdin’ You (Single Version) 15. You, You, You (Know What To Do) 16. Time To Hit The Road Again 17. I’m Gone 18. Handy Man 19. One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show  DISC THREE: 1. Hen Pecked 2. She’s So Fine 3. Buttermilk Bottom  4. Big Fat Woman 5. Booga Bear 6. Hoochie Man 7. Scootchin’ 8. He Got My Attention 9. Always On My Mind 10. Wet Match 11. Undercover Lover 12. Tough Titty 13. When She Loves Ya 14. Evil (Live) 15. Ride In My Automobile 16. River’s Invitation  DISC FOUR: 1. Feeling Good (Pt. 1)  2. Night Fishin’ 3. Take Me To The River  4. Help Me 5. Howlin’ Wolf 6. Uncle Esau 7. What’s Goin’ On 8. I Got 3 Problems 9. Blind Snake 10. Show You A Good Time  11. Down In Louisiana 12. You Just Like A Dresser  13. Swing Low 14. Another Murder In New Orleans – Dr. John And Bobby Rush With Blinddog Smokin’ 15. Sittin’ Here Waitin’ – Bobby Rush With Blinddog Smokin’ 16. If That’s The Way You Like It – Bobby Rush With Blinddog Smokin’ 17. Push And Pull – Featuring Frayser Boy 18. Dedication (Excerpt)

Blind Pig Records artist: Zac Harmon - Right Man Right now - New Release review

I just received the newest release (August 28, 2015) Right Man Right Now, from Zac Harmon and it's squeezing hot. Opening with Raising Hell, a R&B flavored blues track with strong blues guitar riffs from Anson Funderburgh and Lucky Peterson on organ, this is a great opener. Ball and Chain has a slinky feel with two ongoing guitar lines, one clean and one slide, over nice keyboard work, a thumping bass line and smooth vocals compliments of Harmon. This cool funky track has a really nice groove with a lot of small instrumental components that together make up a really cool track. High stepping Hump In Your Back features Bobby Rush on second vocal and harp and an ultra cool guitar line pumped along by Buthel on bass and tight drumming from Cedric Goodman. Harmon lays out a real nice guitar solo of his own on this track punched up by Les Kepics on trumpet and Chuck Phillips on sax. Very cool! Slow and easy, Texas style, Stand Your Ground is a terrific blues track really giving Harmon a chance to show off his best vocal traits. Peterson is back on organ setting up the swat and Harmon plays stinging riff after stinging riff with a nice nod to Albert King. Super! Title track, Right Man Right Now, has a nice bass groove and and ongoing tasty guitar riffs including one repetitive zinger that keeps you on your toes. This is a real slick track featuring Mike Finnigan on keys and Harmon carrying the load vocally. Feet Back On The Ground is one of my favorite tracks on the release with it's soulful vocals and stylized guitar work. With it's solid melody, smooth instrumental backing and flavorful guitar work, this could easily carry the release on it's own merit. Excellent! Long Live The Blues has a certain swagger and slashing Albert like guitar riffs. Cedric Goodman finds the cowbell, a not enough used percussive accent giving the track extra bite. Finely blended harmonies on this track also give it a contemporary soul feel. Back Of The Yards is a really hot track with a poppy bass riff from Buthel and great blues riffs from Harmon. Mike Finnigan is back on organ here and Harmon leading the track on vocal just has a really nice feel. John Lee Hooker's I'm Bad Like Jesse James is up next featuring Chef Deni on harp and a spoken word story by Harmon over an easy Hooker guitar riff. Clocking in at over 7 minutes this track sets up to be a really heavy kicker and as it builds momentum it builds tension. Very nice! Funky, Ain't No Big Deal On You, features Mike Finnigan on keys and Harmon really singing in the groove and hitting the guitar riffs just right. Goodman and Buthel keep the bottom tight and this track cruises. Wrapping the release is Good Thing Found, a R&B styled blues number with a pop roll. This is another track that could easily find cross radio play with it's catchy melody, solid vocals and tight instrumentation. Jimmy Z on sax, Chuck Phillips on sax and Les Kepics on trumpet bring up the horns and Harmon just grooves on guitar....great closer!

   

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Jackson Rhythm & Blues Festival, August 14-15, 2015, Jackson, MS

13th Almost Annual Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival - Concert Review - Stilladog - Guest writer

This year’s festival started off under partly cloudy skies with Patty Reese rendering an acapella version of the Star Spangled Banner.  As she sang you could gaze out over the Chesapeake Bay and imagine, as I did, the British warships heading back out to sea after failing to capture Fort McHenry.  Then a moment of silence was observed for the passing of BB King.

The festival kicked off with the Marcus King Band followed by a female band of local DC musicians put together specifically for this performance called the Sisterhood of Soul.  Then a last minute substitute band, The Record Company, replacing the previously booked Davy Knowles.  The highlight of these opening acts, in fact one of the true high points of the whole festival, was the performance turned in by Little Margie Clark of Sisterhood of Soul. The little old lady (formerly of the 60s group The Jewels) packed a powerful voice. And when she ad libbed some serious scat she blew the lid off that place!  Man, I can’t even tell you what language she was signing in!!  The most outstanding version of an improvised scat vocal I’ve ever heard on a record or in person… and that’s counting Ella Fitzgerald!  The horn section for Sisterhood of Soul was outstanding.  I really wish they’d have turned those horns loose on their set finale Turn On Your Lovelight.

The meat of the lineup started when Tommy Castro and The Painkillers took the stage at mid-afternoon.  The set they played was clearly the best I’ve ever heard Tommy play.  I’ve seen him at least 7 or 8 times and have not come away impressed.  This time I came away singing his praises.  He dropped his horn section a couple years back and his new lineup has taken some time to come together.  But they are a tight outfit now!  The highlight of his set was his cover of the Wet Willie standard, Keep On Smilin’.

The Painkillers were followed by Bobby Rush making his second appearance at the festival.  His was the usual standard entertaining Bobby Rush set full of good music and a few laughs. 

Next up was Beth Hart who has the most amazing voice.  Extremely powerful.  She was holding the mic at her waist and it was picking up her voice like other singers who are damn near swallowing it!  I did not know what to expect from her as my only exposure was on some duet performances she recorded with Joe Bonamassa.  But she wowed me and pretty much everyone within earshot, which probably included some fishermen way out under the Bay Bridge!

Immediately after Beth Hart concluded her set the thunder and lightning rolled in bringing some heavy rain with it.  This delayed the start of the Gregg Allman set by more than an hour and 15 minutes.  Finally, with lightning still off in the distance and the crew squeegeeing water off the stage,I left for the evening.  By all accounts those who stayed were thoroughly impressed with Gregg’s band and his set.  Everyone mentioned his tribute to Dickie Betts and the quality of musicianship the whole band displayed.

Day two started off the way day one ended with cloudy skies and spitting rain.  But by the time the Chesapeake Bay Blues Band took the stage it had cleared.  They are another “festival specific” band featuring Mark Wenner on harp and vocals and Tommy Lepson on keys. It essentially consisted of what amounted to the “Old Nighthawks,” guys who once played in the Nighthawks of the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s.  They ripped through a very hot set of blues standards in which everyone got a vocal or two and they set the bar higher for the remainder of the day.

Next up was Jarekus Singleton.  I was looking forward to hearing him as I had heard mixed reviews on his first album and wanted to make my own decision. Some folks said he was great and the new savior of the blues.  Others said he was a highly overrated product of the music industry hype machine.  I found neither to be true.  A lot of folks really enjoyed his set.  I found it to be excessive and self-indulgent.  He has talent and a big upside.  But he is far from being the future of the blues.

Mingo Fishtrap wrapped up the afternoon with a mixed bag set that was well received.  Their set included everything from a New Orleans second line to country blues to straight ahead gut-bucket. And then the rain came.

As Shemekia Copeland took the stage she announced “Here I Come!  And Here Come The rain!”  Shemekia is the absolute Queen of the Chesapeake Blues Fest and has appeared more times than any other artist.  The fans love her and she loves playing this festival.  It was the usual high energy, superb performance we’ve come to expect from Shemekia.  As always she paid tribute to her father Johnny “Clyde” Copeland, but this weekend she also paid tribute to the late B.B. King who had passed just two days day before.

The artist I most wanted to see was Charlie Musselwhite.  I had never seen him perform and I was not disappointed.  In fact, I liked seeing him live more than I liked him from listening to his albums.  He had an outstanding playlist of his older stuff, newer stuff, blues classics.  A thoroughly enjoyable set.

Jonny Lang came on.  Pleased many people with his guitar antics.  He was largely popular.  I have however grown weary of his faux ”pain with every note” stage act.  He is another hugely talented guitarist who can’t decide whether he wants to play rock, blues, prog, or Christian music.  All I can say is constant thrashing may entertain some, but it becomes tiresome to me.

And finally the incomparable Buddy Guy closed out the show.  His was a rip snortin’, hell raisin’, string stetchin’ masterful performance.  It was his usual act complete with a walk through the audience during an extended version of “Slippin’ Out,”  The entire set was done with precision, and on this night, extreme passion.  I think Buddy felt the need to set the record straight about who the premiere guitarist at that festival was and was also feeling a pain in his heart about the loss of his friend, BB King.  Those elements combined to yield the best performance I’ve ever seen of Buddy Guy.  Ironically the first time I saw him perform was as part of BB King’s Blues Revue (with Koko Taylor) back in the early 90s and thought his performance that night could never be matched (he absolutely cut Eric Johnson’s head off that night!).  When Buddy brought out his young protégé Quinn Sullivan to help close out the festival I believe we came closer to seeing the future of the blues then than ever.

As I’ve probably said in previous reviews, this festival has probably one of the most beautiful settings as any in the country.  It’s right on the Chesapeake Bay with the Bay Bridge as a backdrop.  The festival is non-profit and all proceeds go to charities that actually get the money!  It’s a good time, it’s a good place and it’s a good cause.  If you ever get the chance to come on down to my place, the largest estuary in the United States, please check out this festival.

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