Jan 07 2009
BluesWax, the cool and informative online blues mag, has its nominees in line for the artist and album of 2008, and want you to vote for your favorite.
Go here to vote - the site requires a free registration. And how many things are free these days?
BluesWax Artist of the Year - 2008
Albert Cummings
EG Kight
Taj Mahal
Moreland & Arbuckle
Jason Ricci & New Blood
Album of the Year - 2008
Full Tilt - Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials
It's Hot In Here - EG Kight
Let Life Flow - Kenny Neal
Maestro - Taj Mahal
Peace, Love & BBQ - Marcia Ball
Jan 06 2009
In some ways, what are called the "country blues" are some of the purest of blues -- personal tales of love and life and pleasure and pain spun through the hearts, souls and, usually, the guitars of some of the earliest bluesmen.
One of the earliest was Sleepy John Estes, a singer-songwriter from Tennessee (later nicknamed the "Tennessee Blues Poet") and born around the turn of the 20th century -- 1899 or 1904, depending on your source, and by the late Teens was working house parties and busking. Early on he played with the blues mandolinist Yank Rachel, and later teamed with harp player Hammie Nxon, one of the first harpmen to turn the blues harp into a band instrument.
Like many old bluesmen, Estes had an erratic career, recording for different labels from 1929 through 1941, including some jug band work, then returned to sharecropping. He recorded briefly in '48 and '52 without any real success, until he was rediscovered again in 1962 and brought back to Chicago by Delmark Records owner Bob Koester. A new series of recordings emerged, and along with them, festivals and world tours and a new vitality for a great old music.
Which brings me to today's topic, a Delmark CD released a few months ago that I'm just catching up with, much to my regret. The music was recorded by Estes and Nixon in 1974, but never released. Now you can hear it in the tracks of "On 80 Highway."
It's truly a throwback to pure old pre-war country blues by two of the best. From the plaintive opening bars of "Love Grows in Your Heart," through the sly and sexy "Potato Diggin' Man" to the gospel strains of "Holy Spirit," Estes' spirit shines through. He was a master at turning the elements of his life into music, and making good music in the process. Nixon accompanies on the harp and sometimes the kazoo (i used to get the same effect with wax paper and a comb, but that's another song and dance).
Reading the CD notes by Koester and some of the background on Estes and Nixon is almost as much fun as listening to the music. You really get the feel of these old men of the blues and what their lives were like. And the stories of their lives are often vague enough to make for interesting little mysteries. For example, the nickname "Sleepy" either came from medical problems that caused Estes to drop off now and then, or just plain disinterest and boredom with events around him.
And in the liner notes, Koester tells how he brought Estes back to Chicago and found that his brother was working in a store right next to Koester's Jazz Record Mart.
Here are the tracks on the CD, nearly an hour's worth of fine old blues.
1. Love Grows In Your Heart
2. Potato Diggin' Man
3. Talk
4. I'll Be Glad When You're Dead
5. Holy Spirit
6. 80 Highway
7. When The Saints Go Marching In
8. Corrine Corrina
9. President Kennedy (Take 14)
10. IGA (Independent Grocers Alliance)
11. T Model Ford
12. Do Lord Remember Me
13. Vernita Blues
14. Mary Comes On Home
15. President Kennedy (Take 13)
16. Talk
17. Brownsville Blues
And here's a YouTube video of a 1976 appearance by Estes and Nixon at a concert in Japan. He made an earlier trip to Japan, just after this recording session, and that was just the second appearance by an American bluesman in the country after B.B. King. But Estes was the first country bluesman to play there. In the video, they're doing a version of "Corrine Corrina," which also appears on the CD.
Here are a few more country blues resources:
WeenieCampbell.com
A country blues primer
Jan 05 2009
Well, it's a New BlueYear, and BlueNotes' only resolution is to keep the blues as alive as possible (himself as well, of course). There's already some music that didn't get mentioned last year, so we'll be getting to some of that right away. And we'll be watching for special blues shows coming to town, and waiting for festival season to begin all over again. And even though the holidays are pretty much over, BeerNotes is certain there are a few holiday brews left around town. And as usual, your comments are always welcome.
So let's get 2009 under way with some icy blues from over the sea.
I know that blues are popular all around the world, and Finland shouldn't be an exception. But I was still surpised a while back when I got this DVD -- titled "Family Meeting" -- featuring the Finnish Wentus Blues Band.
It's a very nicely done documentary of a concert by the band featuring some fine old U.S. bluesmen -- Louisiana Red, Eddie Kirkland, Kim Wilson, Omar Dykes, Barrance Whitfield, Lazy Lester and former Stone Mick Tayor.
Here's how Wentus describes itself on its Web site (I love the phrase "lovers of the devil's music").
While most people associate the blues with the steamy bayous of Louisiana and the cotton fields of Mississippi, lovers of the devil´s music may be surprised to hear that there is also a thriving scene in Scandinavia. At the heart of this Nordic blues explosion are the WENTUS BLUES BAND, who hail from Kokkola in central Finland.
The members of the band are: Robban Hagnäs bass, backing vocals; Niko Riippa, guitar; Mikael "Axeli" Axelqvist, drums; Kim "Hiding" Vikman, guitar; Juho Kinaret, lead vocals and percussion; and Pekka Gröhn, Hammond/piano.
These guys are dedicated blues musicians, and though they speak English with accents, their singing is pure blues. They're not kids, either, having formed in 1986. It's fun to see them work through a blues concert with their American soul brothers, the music interspersed with interviews of band member, their families, and the guest musicians. And they're good musicians. They work out their own tough music, and fit right in behind the American players.
I guess they are living proof that the blues speaks to and inspires a lot of people. They're a long way from the Delta, or from Chicago, but they're not very far from the spirit of the music.
Dec 30 2008
BlueNotes has been on an extended holiday vacation, celebrating -- among other things -- Festivus, and shortly, the new year. Then we'll be back with our usual assortment of blues notes, blues news and just plain rambling. And probably a few new things, like a good blogroll. And BeerNotes is itching to talk more about his favorite blues brews.
But right now, it's the end of another BluesYear, and BlueNotes is ready with some of his favorite blues events of the year. I haven't seen every show, or heard every CD, so this won't be a ten-best list, but more like a list of personal favorites, and the shows will focus on what I've seen.
There will however, be a few BlueNotes awards. The BlueNotes are sort of like the Grammys, only better, since the BlueNotes don't have to deal with trivial music like opera or rap or classical music.
Let's get started.
Here are my favorite albums of 2008:
Most of these are in no particular order, but B.B. King's "One Kind Favor" is definitely my favorite - and I think - the best blues album of the year. King is one of the few artists of any kind who has earned the title "living legend." And this is an album that defines his career, pulling the music of his roots back into focus for what he seems to be saying is his definitive blues statement. It's not new music for the blues, but it represents the grand history of the music. And you just can't ask any more than that. (This one wins a BlueNotes)
Close behind that is another gem from another grand master of the blues, Buddy Guy. His "Skin Deep" looks like Guy's personal statement about the rise of the blues out of the black experience and the basic meaninglessness of what your skin looks like. And it's great blues from one of the greatest remaining contemporary bluesmen. (This one wins a BlueNotes)
Here are some other albums I especially liked (with links to BlueNotes' perceptive comments):
Irma Thomas is "Simply Grand"
Taj Mahal, the 'Maestro'
John Nemeth's "Magic Touch" (This one wins a BlueNotes)
Magic Slim's "Midnight Blues"
"Rich Man's War," an album of protest music
Joe Louis Walker is "Witness to the Blues"
Rory Block's tribute to Son House
"Live from Bluesville" -- new life for old blues
Watermelon Slim: "No Paid Holidays"
Tomcat Courtney, "Downsville Blues"
Tab Benoit, "Night Train to Nashville"
Marcia Ball, "Peace, Love & BBQ
David "Honeyboy" Edwards, "Roamin' and Ramblin"
Paul Rishell, Annie Raines: "A Night in Woodstock"
Here are some of the best local blues shows I saw in the past year:
John Nemeth's cool old blues at the Thunderbird Cafe
Watching the Chicago blues with Willie "Big Eyes" Smith at Moondog's
Cephas, Wiggins and the Piedmont blues with Calliope in Shadyside
A BluesBurgh weekend, with Billy Price and French guitarist Fred Chapellier at the Thunderbird, plus Nuthin' But Trouble at Moondog's
Keb' Mo' and Robert Cray deliver the music in Greensburg
The Wheeling Heritage Music BluesFest ... or the part I saw (This one wins a BlueNotes)
The Pittsburgh Blues Festival (This one wins a BlueNotes)
Other stuff
Porky Chedwick, the legendary disc jockey who brought blues, R&B and doowop to the Burgh starting in the late 1940s, moved to Florida, but left behind almost 60 years worth of great musical memories.
A very interesting blues book, "Delta Blues," by Ted Gioia traces the roots of the music in the Mississippi Delta.
Looking back on it all, it was a pretty good year for the blues, despite all the dire predictions about the death and dearth of the music. You can still see performances and hear new recordings by some of the old masters, and also hear fine new music from people whose blues hearts are in the right places.
May you all have a new year full of good blues.
Dec 29 2008
BluesWax is a very fine online blues mag, filled with good interviews, photos, reviews and blues news. If you're not reading it, you should be. (You do have to register, but it's all free.)
Right now, BluesWax is launching its awards process for artist and album of the year for 2008. And they want your nominations. Here's how they put it:
The nomination process is now open for the 2008 BluesWax Artist and Album of the Year Awards! Simply send your nomination for both categories to blueswax@visnat.com. Please add "2008 Nominations" in the subject of your email. The Final ballot will be announced in the issue of January 1, 2009.
Lots of music awards are made without the input of the actual fans (including the BlueNotes awards, coming soon), but here you get a chance to nominate your favorites. Vote early, but not necessarily often.
Dec 23 2008
A few days ago, I wondered about your favorite Christmas blues songs, but since most of you are probably out doing last-minute shopping, I'll have to come up with my own list.
I've already mentioned that my all time favorite is "White Christmas," by to the Drifters, rendered unforgettable by Bill Pinckney's rumbling bass and Clyde McPhatter's soaring vocal lines.
Billy Price wrote in to agree, but also suggests that Clarence Carter's "Santa Claus Wants Some Loving" belongs at the top as well. He could be right. I have a version by blues-rocker Tinsley Ellis, and Mr. Claus' frustration is soulfully expressed.
Another commenter suggested "Back Door Santa" by Jet. Well. BlueNotes is shocked at the thought that Santa might not always use the chimney. I've never heard Jet's version, but I do have one by the Holmes Brothers, and they give it a fine bluesy reading. But I'm not sure I'd put it in my top ten. Maybe 11 or 12, though, just because it appeals to BlueNotes' weird sense of humor.
Here are some others I like:
"Merry Christmas Baby" by Charles Brown. He's masterfully smooth and seasonally soulful. This is probably my number two, and another Brown tune, "Please Come Home for Christmas," is right up there as well. If you can find it, Brown's 1994 album "Charles Brown's Cool Christmas Blues" on the old Bullseye Blues label is a gem, full of the Brown's classic liquid blues stylings. This album, mixed carefully with a good brandy, will warm the coldest Christmas night. Not to mention the heart.
I'm a complete fan of Chuck Berry, and his "Run, Run Rudolph" (or Run, Rudolph, Run") is a classic. ("... all I want for Christmas is a rock 'n' roll electric guitar...")
I'm also a sucker for "Blue Christmas," mostly the Elvis version (I think Elvis was a closet blues singer)..
Charlie Musselwhite plays a sweet harp instrumental of "Silent Night"
that's very beautiful (don't bring it to your holiday party if you want
to keep the dancers on the floor!).
Koko Taylor sings up a blues storm on "Have You Heard the News?" and Roomful of Blues has a very soulful "Santa Claus, Do You Ever Get the Blues?"
I'd round out the list with almost any Christmas song by the garrulous and mysterious, if not always bluesy, Leon Redbone.
This just scratches the surface. I've heard great blues Christmas songs from many blues artists, and have probably forgotten some that belong here.
Speaking of last-minute shopping -- any combination of blues CDs and Christmas beer (the Belgian Delerium Noel is a current favorite) should make any blues lover happy. Even if it's just you.
And in honor of the holiday season, BlueNotes will spend a few days away from the blog, but hopefully not far from the blues. You should all celebrate whatever holiday it is you like to celebrate at this time of year. BlueNotes is a traditional sort, so from the BlueNotes World Headquarters, Merry Christmas to all, with peace, love and good blues.
Now here are some special YouTube Christmas videos:
This is Charles Brown from 1983:
This is Sheryl Crow and Eric Clapton (wearing a tie, for goodness sake).
This is Elvis, from (I think) his 1968 Comeback Special
Merry Christmas, baby -- BlueNotes
Dec 22 2008
Okay. I think I'm almost over mistakenly writing Jackie Wilson when I should have written Clyde McPhatter in an earlier post about the Drifters. As you can clearly see from the way they are spelled, they're almost identical. An easy mistake.
So let's move on. I should be telling you about the great music produced by the Nighthawks and Billy Price at Moondog's Friday night.
They may seem like an unlikely pairing -- the hard-rocking Nighthawks and the soulful Price, but they find common ground in the bluesy material that inspires both sides of their experience. And they make beautiful music together. Price was a little bluesier for the event, nailing numbers like "Farther on Down the Road." It's not the first time they've worked together, and let's hope it's not the last.
It was a fun night. By themselves, Price and the Nighthawks always give good music. Together, it reminded me of the Doublemint Twins (remember them?): Double the pleasure. Price was supposed to have brought his keyboard player, Jimmy Britton, but Britton was sick.
And for a change, Moondog's was packed. It was hard enough just to get inside, let alone move around once you were there. But it's good to see the fans come out and enjoy a good show. Most even seemed to make it through both sparkling sets.
Opening the night was Norm Nardini with a trio that included former Jimmy Thackery drummer, Mark Stutso, who left Thackery in August after 18 years and moved to the Burgh -- our gain.
Dec 20 2008
A big ooops. I wrote earlier today (very, very early, which was part of the problem!) that Jackie Wilson sang on the Drifters' classic rendition of "White Christmas." Of course that's not true. As Billy Price points out in a comment below, it was Clyde McPhatter. I knew that. That's what I get for trying to write a post after a Billy Price/Nighthawks concert, the usually steel-trap quality BlueNotes mind addled by great music mixed with gin and tonic. Thanks Billy.
Here's a quick photo from last night's show, with Billy wailing in front of the Hawks. More later. Yes, the photo could be better. It's not easy holding a drink and a camera, with fans elbow-to-elbow (I'm trying to be delicate about the body parts here) all around.
Dec 20 2008
If you're a blues lover, much like BlueNotes, then your holiday season isn't complete without bluesy Christmas music. For me, "White Christmas" was never the same after I heard the Drifters' version, with Jackie Wilson's falsetto turning the traditional vanilla rendition into something with soul. And if Christmas doesn't have soul, what's left if you don't believe in Santa?
As usual, the holiday has snuck up on us here at the BlueNotes World Headquarters, and my plans to list my favorite holiday blues songs are way behind schedule.
But I'll have them in the next few days. Meanwhile -- what are yours? Elvis' "Blue Christmas"? Chuck Berry's "Run, Run Rudolph"? Charles Brown's "Merry Christmas Baby"?
Or maybe you just say "humbug" to the whole thing, and jump right into the new year.
I also want to wrap up 2008 with some of my favorite blues albums of the year. If you send along yours, we'll add them to the list. If I like them!
Meanwhile, do your bit for the economy. Go shopping. Buy some blues CDs.
Dec 18 2008
The blues seem to be slowing down a bit for the holidays (just when you need them the most), but there's a show coming up tomorrow night (Friday) that's worth the effort -- blue-eyed soul guy Billy Price and his keyboard player Jimmy Britton join the hard-working and hard-rocking Nighthawks at Moondog's in Blawnox.
The Hawks have a new CD coming up -- "American Landscape" -- and Price is working on a new disc -- "Night Work" -- featuring French blues guitarist Fred Chapellier.
Chapellier
Here's a YouTube video of this matchup from about a year ago:
More soul music
If you, like me, love the sound of that sweet soul music, there's a new place on the Web to check it out.
Al Bell, former Stax Records owner and Motown president, has launched a company and website focusing on this great American music. "Al Bell Presents American Soul Music" looks back at the history of this classic music, and presents contemporary artists as well. Go to the website and check the Screening Room tab at the top -- there are wonderful clips of some of the greatest soul artists, including Aretha, Brother Ray, Marvin Gaye and lots more.
There's an interesting Archives section, and music downloads are promised. The site is a bit of a work in progress, but there's already much to see and hear. Bell is to be commended for not just sitting on his soul credentials, but for providing a place for old and new fans to share the music.
More Posts
Next page »