Blues Roadhouse

Big Harp George — “No Shortcuts” — Blues Mountain Records

On the surface, Big Harp George is easily described as a San Francisco Bay Area blues singer and songwriter who plays the chromatic harmonica.

Just beneath that veneer, you’ll find George Bisharat, a former law professor and Mideast analyst whose creative songwriting ranges from biting humor to passionate social commentary, all driven by his mastery of the distinctive chromatic.

There’s no shortage of that sharp lyricism and harp wizardry on the 16 original tracks that make up Bisharat’s eighth album, the artfully crafted No Shortcuts.

He skillfully blends hard-hitting observations with complex musical creativity featuring 20 artists using a variety of ancient and modern instruments.

Bisharat comes out swinging hard on the first of four instrumentals, aptly titled Come Out Swinging, urging his chromatic into sax-like runs. Supplement Life follows, a whimsical, blues-tinged guide to store-bought health: “Mushroom powder gonna do wonders for you.” Yes Dear! Is a musical romp offering marital advice with a bite: “Here’s another pearl I swear is true / You hate that nagging but it’s best for you.” Sun Drifting is an elegant slow-blues instrumental that speaks through its chromatic soul.

Ain’t My Circus juggles sideshow music with political metaphor sparked with a stinging guitar solo: “Carnival barker strutting in his booth / Spouting lies through a megaphone,red, white and blue.” I Will Find You shifts the tone with a dirge-like Mideastern intro to its soaring promise: “They came from lands of cross and crown / Where prayers were hushed and books burned down / My kin pled for mercy across the sea / And I swore to send a hand to free.” Bury My Head hides the frustration of frantic daily life behind its jaunty melody: “Can you back off for God’s sake / I need to take a break / I’m gonna bury my head in the sand.”

Struck Out Again is frustration on a more personal level behind Kid Andersen’s late-night blues guitar and a mournful harp solo: “Well I drain me one last double / Slide off my barstool to face the rain …. Knowing that I struck out again.” Be Adorable sparkles with Dixieland jazz and advice on love featuring featuring Mike Olmos on trumpet and Lisa Leuschner Andersen’s sweet background vocals: “If you want to be adored be adorable / Just ain’t no shortcuts to love.” Do You Remember? Is a gorgeous, wistful duet with Andersen: “Living today means having to pay / With everything you once held dear.”

Last Trip to Itaipu is a lovely Latin-flavored instrumental dedicated to Bisharat’s late friend Roberto Kant de Lima, who “introduced me to Brazil and its incredibly inspiring music traditions.” Then an upbeat, jazzy tune answers the philosophic question, What’s Wrong with Dying?: “Don’t have to be stupid, don’t throw life away / But what’s the use of staying if you can’t play?” Mista Boins! is a bouncy instrumental featuring the chromatic dueling with roiling organ by Chris Burns.

Bisharat wraps up this impressive album with three songs that serve as its emotional heart – their elegant lyricism defining vital human issues. And it’s all done with engaging musicality.

Rusty Spoon, dedicated to political prisoners worldwide, especially Palestinians, is gripping epic poetry set to music that evokes country gospel, featuring rousing violin by his brother and Grammy winner Charlie Bisharat: “You can chain the body, cage the mind / Breath of freedom the soul will find / Every wall’s just misery spoken / Ain’t no lock can’t be broken.”

Death Rattle of the Republic is an anthemic, bluesy shuffle, a contemporary counterpoint to its inspiration, the Battle Hymn of the Republic, serving up its own political metaphor: “Ain’t no glory here, no truth marching on / Just a death rattle dressed up as a song.” The finale, One Day, pits its gorgeous, gentle melody against its not-so-gentle observations: “Pray to your gods while bombing babies / Never once touched by a sense of shame / One day, you will be judged.”

George Bisharat has a lot to say on his powerful No Shortcuts, and he says it eloquently, with considerable Big Harp courage and style. His majestic chromatic flavors every song; his provocative lyrical content stimulates the imagination. Come for the music, stay for its message!

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Here’s “Death Rattle of the Republic” from the album:

Tracklist:

Come Out Swinging — 4:09
Supplement Life — 3:47
Yes Dear! — 3:41
Sun Drifting — 4:08
Ain’t My Circus — 4:53
I Will Find You — 4:02
Bury My Head — 4:01
Struck Out Again — 7:21
Be Adorable — 3:25
Do You Remember? — 4:26
Last Trip to Itaipu — 3:46
What’s Wrong with Dying? — 4:04
Mista Boins! — 3:31
Rusty Spoon — 5:21
Death Rattle of the Republic — 4:09
One Day — 3:07

Donna Herula — “Cold Feet” — Self Release (Sept. 18)

Donna Herula is — among other things — a Chicago-born blues singer, slide guitarist, songwriter and Chicago Blues Hall of Fame inductee.

Those “other things” include her award-winning 2021 release, Bang at the Door, which hit No. 1 on the 2021 Acoustic Blues Album Chart and was named Best Acoustic Blues Album by the 2022 Independent Blues Awards, where she was also named Best Traditional Blues Artist. The title song won Best AAA/Alternative Song in the 2022 International Acoustic Music Awards. She leads the acoustic folk-blues Donna Herula Trio and the Donna Herula Band, a six-piece electric blues band.

Herula has taken that success, including her formidable resonator slide guitar talents and her distinctively personal songwriting, and created the eloquent music that overflows into her fourth and latest album, Cold Feet

Herula’s sparkling guitar work throughout highlights eight sharply crafted originals and two stunning covers of classic blues. No matter what the style — Delta, finger-picking, slide — she brings an effortless authenticity to her music.

In the album liner notes, Herula says: “I am particularly proud of how I stretched myself artistically and vocally. I wrote songs in genres beyond acoustic blues, utilizing electric and acoustic styles while blending soul, pop, gospel, folk and Chicago blues influences.”

Herula’s band is Tony Wittrock on guitars, Marc Edelstein on bass, Alton Smith on organ, Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith on drums. Special guests include session producer Jon Shain on guitars, Alton Smith on keys, Anne Harris on violin, John Jochem on harmonica, Steve Eisen on sax, Rick Barnes on percussion, and Candy LaFlora, Kary Ream and Rebecca Toon on backup vocals.

Herula’s acoustic virtuosity is on full display with her National Tricone slide work on the elegant instrumental opener, On My Way Home. The jaunty Cold Feet follows, a rocker sparked with electric slide and wedding-day blues: “The organ’s playing ‘Here Comes the Bride’ / I’m backed in a corner, running out of time / I got cold feet … And I’m keeping the ring.” Herula and Tony Wittrock co-wrote the country-flavored Honey Darlin’ Baby Please, with Herula’s standout vocal plea: “Honey darlin’ baby please / Pick up your phone and talk to me I know that I was wrong.”

Herula fires up her resonator and electric slide in a haunting re-creation of Skip James’ Cypress Grove Blues. A road trip with her band inspired the humor of Backseat Driver: “Backseat driver, you’re out of control / Who are you to tell me where I should go.” What You Gonna Do? features soulful sax from Eisen with Herula asking other-woman relationship questions: “I’ll wait and see what happens, you’ll have to decide / Will it be me – will it be her, that’ll be left behind.”

Wish I Could See You Again is a gorgeous acoustic guitar duet with John Shain, featuring Herula’s longing vocal: “Memories are on display / Graduation, wedding day / I’m packing all of them away / Wish I could see you again.” Things Can Change is rich with gospel overtones invoked by Herula’s commanding vocal with LaFlora’s backup, and Jochem’s flowing harp: “Only the Lord knows what will happen child / Things can change.”

Herula says her epic poetry in Float to Heaven is a “John Prine-style storytelling song that I am really proud of.” Her elegant finger-style guitar and Harris’ emotive violin create an impassioned tale of a man unable to shake his lifelong sense of blame for the death of a teenage friend: “So tomorrow I’m gonna take my boat / Down to the river and I’m gonna float / To heaven, I’m going to heaven.”

Herula shows off her deep Chicago blues influences on the rousing closer, the Elmore James/Robert Johnson classic, Dust My Broom, driven by her furious slide and Smith’s propulsive drumming.

There are no musical cold feet in Donna Herula’s sophisticated production of Cold Feet. She steps easily through a stylish blend of songs and genres that kick her eclectic influences into one artistic delight.

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Here’s a live version of “What You Gonna Do?” from the album:

Tracklist:

1.  On My Way Home
2.  Cold Feet
3.  Honey Darlin’ Baby Please
4.  Cypress Grove
5.  Backseat Driver
6.  What You Gonna Do?
7.  Wish I Could See You Again
8.  Things Can Change
9.  Float to Heaven
10. Dust My Broom

Steve Cropper & the Midnight Hour — “Watching the Tide” — Provogue

This just a brief post to alert Steve Cropper fans (everyone should be one!) about the posthumous release of his final album, “Watching the Tide,” completed just before his death in December of 2025.

It’s a splendid album, a tribute to his musical skills, his massive influence, and the longevity of his great music.

The band’s name, and of course, the album title both reflect songs written by Cropper and Wilson Pickett — “In the Midnight Hour” and “Dock of the Bay” — both giant hits for Pickett.

Here’s a Wikipedia entry about the recording of “Midnight Hour”:

Wilson Pickett recorded “In the Midnight Hour” at Stax Studios, Memphis, May 12, 1965. The song’s co-writer Steve Cropper recalls: “[Atlantic Records president] Jerry Wexler said he was going to bring down this great singer Wilson Pickett to record at Stax Studio (where Cropper was a session guitarist) and I didn’t know what groups he’d been in or whatever. But I used to work in [a] record shop, and I found some gospel songs that Wilson Pickett had sung on. On a couple [at] the end, he goes: ‘I’ll see my Jesus in the midnight hour! Oh, in the midnight hour. I’ll see my Jesus in the midnight hour.'”, and Cropper got the idea of using the phrase “in the midnight hour” as the basis for an R&B song.^[3] More likely, Cropper was remembering The Falcons’ 1962 song “I Found a Love,” on which Pickett sings lead and says “And sometimes I call in the midnight hour!” The only gospel record Pickett had appeared on before this was the Violinaires’ “Sign of the Judgement,” which includes no such phrase.

But Cropper is remembered for much more. Cropper and his now legendary band, Booker T. and the MG’s, built the foundation of Southern soul as the house band at Stax Records. Cropper was its heart and soul.

Packed with quality songs, superb musicianship and memorable guest appearances, Watching The Tide is a fitting celebration of one of music’s true greats.

Don’t just listen to this exceptional album; find more of Cropper’s legacy and enjoy. It’s American music history — and music — at its finest.

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Here’s a track from the album:

Tracklist:
01 – Tandoori Chicken
02 – Ticket First
03 – My Angels Are Calling
04 – Until Now
05 – Blood From A Stone
06 – Here & Gone
07 – It’s Gonna Get Worse
08 – Down & Out
09 – Stand Right Here
10 – Tip Off To The Rip Off
11 – House Of Cards

Mark Hummel Allstars — “Road Dog”– Rockinitus

The Mississippi saxophone — the blues harmonica — is a marvelously expressive instrument for digging deep into the blues.

One of its most talented practitioners on the contemporary blues scene is Mark Hummel, who brings the essence of traditional blues styles to his latest album, “Road Dog,” featuring the Mark Hummel Allstars.

The stars on this sparkling session of 14 songs include guitar wizards Anson Funderburgh and Junior Watson, drummer Wes Starr, Elvin Bishop sideman and Fabulous Thunderbird members Bob Welsh on piano, and Kedar Roy on bass.

The band is completed by RW Grisby on bass on three tracks. On eight of the tracks, Bob Welsh is on piano, while Brett Brandstatt and Chris Burns each play on one. Eric Spaulding is the featured saxman player on four tracks, . Other guitarists include Little Charlie Baty, Rusty Zinn, and Randy Rattray. Hummel’s razor-sharp harp and tough vocals drive all the tracks home.

Hummel says that “The Anson/Junior combo made perfect sense as a continuation of a unique pairing. Kid Andersen’s Greaseland Studio was the site of all of these recordings since 2008, with spectacular results.”

There are six Hummel originals here, with eight covers from the deep well of the blues lexicon. There are recordings from 2024, with three previously unissued tracks from the 2015 sessions for Golden State Lone Star, with a pair of previously unreleased gems.

This album was engineered by the criminally talented Andersen and recorded at his Greaseland Studios, except for “Gypsy in My Soul” and “Gadjo’s Swing,” recorded at Jim Day Studios in Pacifica, Calif.

The great blues standard “Black Nights” kicks the door open with piano from Welsh, fiery guitar from Funderburgh and Watson and Hummel’s soaring harp lines. The sturdy shuffle “Jugglin’” is a Hummel original, followed by Hummel’s “Real Good Woman,” with a flashy harp intro. Hummel rocks into “I Got to Find My Baby” written by Peter Joe Clayton in 1941 and recorded by B. B. King, Little Walter and Chuck Berry, among others, fueled by a terrific harp solo.

Hummel’s sly vocal turn sparks “Why Did It Happen,” written by Willie Mabon and released in 1962. Spaulding’s sax drives it all along. Hummel’s own “Road Dog” churns along with his ode to the road featuring a fierce solo from Watson: “When a road dog starts to barkin’, he packs his bag and out he goes, / When he leaves this town, you know he might be back no more.”

Hummel reincarnates Little Walter’s “You Better Watch Yourself” from 1954 with his own harmonica fireworks, then leans into the slow-driving R&B of Johnny Otis’ 1951 “Rockin’ Blues.” “Say You Will” is another fine, stinging blues original from Hummel. Van Morrison’s “Gypsy in My Soul” gets a bite of Latin flavor, then Hummel’s “You Are Right” shuffles into view.

Hummel’s harp pierces the heart of “She’s My Baby,” written by Alex “Rice” Miller, who became Sonny Boy Williamson II. Hummel then captures the essence of Jimmy Reed’s “When You’re Doin Alright” with its trademark high-pitched harp and Little Charllie Baty on guitar. The closer is Hummel’s gypsy-flavored instrumental “Gadjo’s Swing.”

Mark Hummel and friends have dug deep into the blues on the excellent “Road Dog,” absorbing their influences and creating an outstanding session based on their traditional blues heritage. It stands on its own as simply great music from the blues highway.

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Tracklist:
01 – Black Nights
02 – Jugglin’ 
03 – Real Good Woman 
04 – I Got To Find My Baby 
05 – Why Did It Happen 
06 – Road Dog 
07 – You Better Watch Yourself 
08 – Rockin’ Blues 
09 – Say You Will 
10 – Gypsy In My Soul 
11 – You are Right 
12 – She’s My Baby 
13 – When You’re Doing Alright 
14 – Gadjo’s Swing 

Keb’ Mo’ — “The Breakdown” — Concord Records

There’s a song titled “More Yesterdays” on “The Breakdown,” Keb’ Mo’s latest album, contemplating the fact that, at 74, he now faces “more yesterdays than tomorrows.”

That could easily be the theme of this heartfelt collection, created following his life-saving heart surgery, the breakup of his 20-year marriage and the thoughtful reflections that followed.

“It felt like everything in my life was breaking down,” Mo’ says. “My health, my relationship, my whole world. The only way I knew how to respond was to break the music down, too.”

It’s Mo’s first solo studio album since 2021’s Grammy-nominated “Good To Be,” although he paired with Taj Mahal for the delightful “Room on the Porch” in 2025, his second TajMo collaboration.

It’s also the first album built almost entirely around Mo’s voice and acoustic guitar, with some vocal contributions from the Soweto Gospel Choir and Take 6. It was recorded at his home studio outside Nashville.

“Breakdown” isn’t really a blues album, leaning more into smoothly picked and sung ballads. But its heart could easily lie in the blues — music that speaks to the human condition, with all its pain and pleasure.

The first track, “Fussing and Fighting,” however, is a chunky, rhythmic blues, a thoughtful inspection of the mysterious ways of love — its beginnings and its endings.  “Every Step of the Way” is a light and airy melody behind an optimism about the road ahead. “They Don’t ‘Em Like They Used To,” featuring Take 6, testifies that it’s a “new day” for a woman’s role in the world.

“More Yesterdays” counts the blessings of every moment, with its refrain: “more yesterdays than tomorrows.” “We Make Love” is a gentle reminder that humans not only make multitudinous products, they also make love, peace and compassion. “Waking on Water” is an affirmation of his hope, leading into the gospel-soaked “Hand It Over,” with the Soweto Gospel Chorus.

“Living in the Moment” is a plaintive plea for love in the moment, and “Stitched Up Heart” is a moving musical tribute to his heart surgeon: “No matter where I go, no matter what I do, my stitched-up heart gonna carry me through.” The album closes with “One Day Away,” a reminder to live one day at a time.

Keb’ Mo’ has opened his literally stitched up heart in the confessional tracks of “The Breakdown,” sharing what life has brought him in recent years. Sharing that journey through his musical talents makes it all the more poignant and valuable — both in life and music. Music can be a great healer.

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A Keb’ Mo’ memory: This may be his first acoustic album, but it’s not his first acoustic performance. I first saw Keb’ in the summer of 1999, opening for Lyle Lovett and his Large Band at the gorgeous Chastain Park Amphitheater in Atlanta. He walked out without introduction, carrying his guitar and a folding chair. He played a mesmerizing set of acoustic blues, said “Thank you, I’m Keb’ Mo’, and carried his guitar and chair off the stage.

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Here’s “Fussing and Fighting” from the album:

Track Listing:

1. Fussing and Fighting
2. Every Step of the Way
3. They Don’t Make ‘Em Like They Used To (feat. Take 6)
4. More Yesterdays
5. We Make Love
6. Walking on Water
7. Hand It Over (feat. Soweto Gospel Choir)
8. Living in the Moment
9. Stitched Up Heart
10. One Day Away

Jimmy Reed — “Jimmy Reed at Carnegie Hall” — Vee Jay Records/Craft Recordings

Jimmy Reed — born Mathis James Reed on Sept. 6, 1925, in
Dunleith, Miss. — has always been one of my favorite blues artists.

If the foggy mist of my memory is correct, I was first entranced by Reed’s distinctive vocals and the easy rhythms of his guitar on the radio — from the Bossman, the Daddio of the Raddio, DJ Porky Chedwick, back in 1950s Pittsburgh.

Fast forward to the mid-1960s, when I briefly shared an apartment with fellow aspiring newspaper reporter Don Wilder, who impressed me with two things:

• He had just returned from the Peace Corps somewhere in Asia — Katmandu, I think — and slept with a long-barreled revolver under his pillow.

• He could play Jimmy Reed songs on his guitar and one of his few possessions (besides the revolver) was a Jimmy Reed album. I don’t remember which one.

I borrowed the album, and I’m almost sorry to say, never returned it.

This is all a roundabout way of saying that this fine new remastered vinyl album, “Jimmy Reed at Carnegie Hall,” has been released by Craft Recordings and its Bluesville label, capturing the essence of Reed’s music that was both accessible and classic in its simplicity.

Spoiler Alert: Although Reed performed at Carnegie Hall on May 13, 1961, sharing the “Blues at Carnegie” bill with Muddy Waters, Big Maybelle, Jimmy Witherspoon and Oscar Brown Jr., the resulting album was not a live recording of that performance. According to the original Vee-Jay liner notes, contractual and technical difficulties prevented the label from recording Reed’s appearance. Vee-Jay subsequently recreated the material in studio sessions, and “Jimmy Reed at Carnegie Hall” arrived later in 1961 as a double LP. This pristine version is not a reissue of the complete original two-record set. Bluesville is reproducing the first LP only, containing the 11 tracks associated with Reed’s Carnegie Hall program.

So, this remastered version includes some studio recreations of the Carnegie Hall performance, along with additional recordings. That’s fine. It’s an excellent tribute to this prolific and influential bluesman, whose music stirred and was covered by artists including Hank Williams Jr., Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and the Rolling Stones. Elvis performed an upbeat version of “Baby What You Want Me To Do” as part of the blues-filled opening segment of his 1968 Comeback Special. And Etta James made a spine-chilling version of the same song part of her live shows. Dylan wrote “Goodbye Jimmy Reed” for his 2020 “Rough and Rowdy Ways” album, an obscure but meaningful tribute (videos below).

Reed’s music was deceptively simple. His churning guitar and high-pitched harp work created a swampy vehicle for his easy-riding vocals. Their power was in that effortless simplicity. He wasn’t a guitar wizard or a blues shouter. The music was — and is — just the pure deep groove of down-home blues.

The songs here are some that Reed made popular between 1956 & 1961, opening with “Bright Lights, Big City,” his most successful recordings on the R&B charts. Others are “I’m Mr. Luck,” “Baby What’s Wrong,” “Found Joy,” “Kind of Lonesome,” “Aw Shucks Hush Your Mouth,” “Tell Me You Love Me,” “Blue Carnegie,” “I’m a Love You,” “Hold Me Close,” and “Blue Blue Water.” His wife, Mary “Mama” Reed, sings delightful backup on “Baby What’s Wrong.” “Blue Blue Water” came as a bit of a surprise — Reed sings in a lower-pitched, more soulful voice than usual, at a slightly slower pace. It’s a gorgeous finale.

Reed’s life was plagued by excessive drinking and a long undiagnosed case of epilepsy, and he died of respiratory failure at the age of 50. He had placed 12 singles on the pop chart, as well as 18 in the R&B Top 20.

Jimmyy Reed left a historic legacy of memorable blues that fill numerous albums. “Jimmy Reed at Carnegie Hall,” in its remastered glory, is a fine update to that legacy.

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Here are the videos mentioned above, plus “Bright Lights” from the album:

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1. “Bright Lights Big City” — 2:48
2. “I’m Mr. Luck” — 3:34
3. “Baby What’s Wrong” — 3:22
4. “Found Joy” — 3:39
5. “Kind of Lonesome” — 2:51
6. “Aw Shucks Hush Your Mouth” — 2:31
7. “Tell Me You Love Me” — 2:53
8. “Blue Carnegie” — 2:51
9. “I’m a Love You” — 2:05
10. “Hold Me Close” — 2:37
11. “Blue Blue Water” — 2:41

Highlights – “Bright Lights, Big City,” “What’s Wrong Baby,” “Found Joy,” “Kind of Lonesome,” “Tell Me You Love Me,” “Blue Carnegie,” “I’m a Love You,” “Hold Me Close,” & “Blue Blue Water.”

Michael Rubin — “5 Minutes of Passion” — Many Hats Records

Michael Rubin has been playing the harp for 41 years – since he was 15 – expressing himself through his magical instrumental wizardry. He’s performed in genres from blues to opera, and his favorite harp players include the legendary likes of Paul Butterfield, Alex “Rice” Miller (Sonny Boy Williamson II) and James Cotton. “But I love them all,” Rubin says.

He’s played in the pit of the Tony-nominated Broadway show The Civil War and backed up luminaries such as Ruthie Foster and Cyril Neville. “I enjoy being a sideman to all types of singers,” Rubin says. “I play harp well, they sing well. It’s a good combination.”

In recent years, Rubin has revealed a new combination – singer and songwriter – on his solo albums. His latest creation is 5 Minutes of Passion, the follow to his well-received I’ll Worry If I Wanna, from 2022.

His droll storytelling is uniquely his own: “If you want another blues song explaining if you want a woman you need some cash, you’ve come to the wrong place,” Rubin says.

He describes his “non-traditional” vocals with the same whimsical irreverence: “No one owns their lack of chops like Michael Rubin.” He accompanies all this with pioneering harmonica work that raises the chromatic harp to the level of its smaller, full-throated cousin.

5 Minutes of Passion overflows with11 original songs, including one instrumental, ash Rubin’s instrumental passion flows through every track. The storytelling begins with Dirty Words, which struts out musically as a Dixieland romp with a brassy pledge that may be hard to keep: “I ain’t gonna sing no more double entendres …. When I said behind I’ll mean behind.”

Doo Doo Daa is an instrumental harp workout with a touch of the blues, setting the scene for the wordplay of Big If, with its dazzling harp solos: “If I were king I would rule the world / If I had hair I would get all the girls.” Alien in a Chair launches other-worldly blues guitar into worldly advice: “Some people like to watch, all they’re doin’ is viewin’ it / You ain’t movin’ forward until you start pursuin’ it.”

5 Minutes of Passion offers slyly salacious advice on pleasing a woman: “If you keep talking about the harmonica / She’ll think you’re odd / Her eyes will start to droop, her head will nod / Just give her five minutes of passion and then pull out.” Dig That Ditch romps with a swinging big-band vibe and another sharp harp solo, shoveling out pointed advice: “You can’t dig a ditch til you know how to do it / But if you don’t dig that ditch, that ditch don’t never get dug.”

A plaintive harp opens Little Circus Town, with its fateful warning: “You can leave the little circus town / But you can’t quit the freak show.” Gravity is sardonic political commentary: “I don’t need no vaccination, the whole story’s a fabrication / I never once got polio or measles.” Nap is an spirited defense of a time-honored tradition with a wakeup call from a stinging guitar solo: “I’m putting taking a nap at the top of the to do list / Doing less don’t make me less than.”

Propaganda, with Greg Izor adding a chromatic harp solo, is a haunting, almost-instrumental, harmonica montage with psychedelic roots, fuzzy-sounding old-timey vocals and not-so futuristic lyrics complete in two lines: “The propaganda is in the hands of the people / And the people are in the hands of the propaganda.” The confessional Grudge is a straight-ahead blues shuffle with its angry guitar and attitude: “When I hold a grudge, I hold it a long time / You may think we’re making love, I’m fighting you in my mind.”

Michael Rubin playfully calls the sophomore release of 5 Minutes of Passion his “sophomoric” effort, but the maturity of his prodigious harp talents plus his wily wordplay already have him graduating at the top of his class.

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Here’s a sample of Michael Rubin’s harmonica virtuosity:

Tracks and musicians:

Dirty Words – 3:44
Michael Rubin – vocals, harmonica Guy Forsyth – banjo, backing vocals The McMercy Family Band (Lindsey Verrill, Dan Grissom, Ted Hadji, Ryan Conlin, Wilson Marks) – opening vocals Michael Archer – bass Jason Corbiere – drums Patrick Harwell – trumpet, trombone Paulo Santos – saxophone, clarinet
Doo Doo Daa – 3:12
Michael Rubin – harmonica Cesar Crespo – guitar Michael Archer – bass Jason Corbiere – drums
Big If – 4:16
Michael Rubin – vocals, harmonica Josh Fulero – guitar Cesar Crespo – guitar Matt Smith – guitar Michael Archer – bass Jason Corbiere – drums Paulo Santos – saxophone
Alien in a Chair – 3:32
Michael Rubin – vocals, harmonica Cesar Crespo – guitar Josh Fulero – guitar (lead) Michael Archer – bass Jason Corbiere – drums
5 Minutes of Passion – 3:30
Michael Rubin – vocals, harmonica The McMercy Family Band (Lindsey Verrill, Dan Grissom, Ted Hadji, Ryan Conlin, Wilson Marks) – opening vocals Sweet Gary Newcomb – pedal steel guitar Emily Gimble – keyboards Michael Archer – bass Jason Corbiere – drums
Dig That Ditch – 2:33
Michael Rubin – vocals, harmonica Cesar Crespo – guitar Michael Archer – bass Jason Corbiere – drums|
Little Circus Town – 2:56
Michael Rubin – vocals, harmonica Josh Fulero – guitar Cesar Crespo – guitar Emily Gimble – keyboards Michael Archer – bass Jason Corbiere – drums
Gravity – 4:16
Michael Rubin – vocals, harmonica Cesar Crespo – guitar Emily Gimble – keyboards Michael Archer – bass Jason Corbiere – drums
Nap – 4:44
Michael Rubin – vocals, harmonica, bass harmonica Cesar Crespo – guitar (lead) Josh Fulero – guitar Emily Gimble – keyboards Michael Archer – bass Jason Corbiere – drums
Propaganda (with Greg Izor) – 3:48
Michael Rubin – vocals, harmonicas Greg Izor – chromatic harmonica (solo) Cesar Crespo – guitar Josh Fulero – guitar Michael Archer – bass Jason Corbiere – drums
Grudge – 5:140
Michael Rubin – vocals, harmonica Cesar Crespo – guitar Josh Fulero – guitar (lead) Michael Archer – bass Jason Corbiere – drums

Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra with Willy Jordan — “What Can We Do?” — Nola Blue Records

There’s nothing quite as sweet as sweet soul music, especially when it’s played and sung like it was back in that golden era when soul music didn’t have to be called “retro.”

And that authentic soul music is exactly you’ll find on “What Can We Do?,” a high-spirited session by the marvelous Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra, featuring the soul-stirring vocals of Willie Jordan.

The San Francisco-based APSO was founded in 2007 by guitarist/songwriter Anthony Paule after a phone call requesting a backing band for Philadelphia soul and blues singer, Frank Bey, who was coming to the area to perform. Since then, the APSO has earned multiple nominations and widespread recognition as a respected musical powerhouse, inspired by the great soul and blues music of the 1960s and ’70s.

The band is known for the strength of its vocalists, having featured Wee Willie Walker, Frank Bey, and Terrie Odabi. Jordan now fronts the group, having worked with John Lee Hooker and Elvin Bishop’s Big Fun Trio, which earned him two Grammy nominations.

This album follows the APSO’s first effort with Jordan, “What Are You Waiting For?” and it’s packed with 11 sparkling new originals and one gorgeous cover. The musical arrangements feature Paule’s outstanding guitar work and kick-ass horns, all powering Jordan’s massive vocals. The songs are magnificent creations, filled with the pain and pleasure that define their soulful essence, all drawn from cast of songwriters that include producer Larry Batiste, Christine Vitale, Marcel Smith, Paule and Jordan.

“Still Smellin’ Smoke” kicks everything open with a blast of horns, then Jordan rocks in with impressive pipes and their scorching regret: “I’m still smellin’ smoke from the bridges I’ve burned.” The soulful lament of “Too Late” is an achingly gorgeous ballad with Jordan’s soaring vocal. “Stranger” turns funky in its tale of love going wrong, then “You Lie Like a Rug” is a suspicious mind at work: “Every time you open your mouth, ain’t no tellin’ what’s comin’ out.,” with Larry Batiste sharing the lead vocals.

“Bigger Guitar” is a Paule instrumental, with his guitar swinging hard and a rollicking piano break from Tony Lufrano. The title track layers a Latin beat over its powerful message: “I hear the children murmuring / We’ve really made a mess of things / People are dying, Mother Earth she’s cryin’, …. What can we do? / It’s up to me and you,”

“The Heart Never Says Goodbye” is a gentle love ballad drenched in Jordan’s sweet vocal. “Secret” punches its message home with sassy horns: “I don’t wanna be your secret anymore / Sneaking in and out of your back door.” “If It Ain’t One Thing It’s Two” is rhythmic lament about troubles that double. Jordan brings a lovely falsetto to “Walkin’,” with his soles showing: “Times are uncertain, don’t know what to do / The world’s hurting, too much bad news …. I wish I could change it, but there’s nothing I can do / So I’m gonna put on my shoes.”

“You’re Nobody Till Somebody Loves You,” the 1960 Dean Martin hit, gets a tough, bluesy intro, then adds a backbeat, a sexy sax solo, and a slow-rocking Jordan vocal for this knockout update. The closer is the elegant instrumental “Blue Mood Indica,” by Paule and keyboardist Lufrano. It gets a “Blues in the Night” opening riff, with the band stretching out for an extended blues excursion fueled by Lufrano’s majestic B3.

The APSO and Willie Jordan, and everyone involved, sound like they had a great time creating this excellent soul music, conjured from the mists of its timeless originators. And it’s just as great to hear. Play it soon and often.

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There’s a quote in the liner notes that offers an eloquent answer to the question posed by the title, “What Can We Do?”
“Every single one of us makes an impact on this planet every single day, and we get to choose what kind of difference we make. Hold on to hope, never give up, and remember: you matter. Together, we can create a better future for all living things.”
– Jane Goodall

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Here’s “Lie Like a Rug” from the album:

Musicians:
Willy Jordan (lead vocals, congas, more cowbell), Anthony Paule (guitar), Tony Lufrano (Hammond B3, grand piano, Wurlitzer), Timm Walker (bass), Endre Tarczy (bass), Kevin Hayes (drums), Bowen Brown (drums), Derek James (trombone), Ethan Pires (trumpet), Charles McNeal (tenor sax), Johnnie Bamont (baritone sax, flute), Rob Sudduth (baritone sax), Larry Batiste (lead vocals, background vocals), Omega Rae (background vocals), Nona Brown (background vocals), The Sons of the Soul Revivers — Dwayne Morgan, Walter Morgan (RIP), and James Morgan (background vocals), Jon Otis (percussion).
Produced By: Larry Batiste, Co-Producers: Anthony Paule, Willy Jordan, Christine Vitale

Tracklist:
Still Smellin’ Smoke — 4:03,
Too Late — 4:32
Stranger — 3:45
You Lie Like a Rug — 3:06
Bigger Guitar — 3:56,
What Can We Do? — 4:30
The Heart Never Says Goodbye — 3:33
Secret — 3:56
If It Ain’t One Thing It’s Two — 3:09
Walkin’ — 3:38
You’re Nobody Till Somebody Loves You — 3:47
Blue Mood Indica — 5:05.

There’s been a long and constant relationship — it’s been called a secret handshake — between the blues, its many cousins, and gospel music.

Many blues and soul artists began their careers singing in church. The passion and power of gospel music often found new voice in artists who chose the Devil’s Music, as the blues was sometimes called, over their more sacred roots. Gospel music has often been the secret sauce that spices the sounds of jump blues, R&B, soul, and even rock and roll.

Nowhere has that handshake, and the resulting fervor, been stronger than in the music of the criminally under-appreciated “5” Royales, a 1950s group whose sound evolved from their early 1940s gospel roots as the Royal Sons Quintet.

The Royal Sons were brothers Lowman and Clarence Pauling, plus two cousins and a friend, Bill Samuels. Johnny Tanner joined in 1943 when one of the members was drafted and a year later Otto Jefferies and Jimmy Moore joined, when the now 18-year-old Tanner went into the military.

Clarence Pauling dropped out in 1948, and joined Motown in the 1960’s as the producer for Stevie Wonder under the name Clarence Paul. The Son’s early lineup included Tanner on lead, Moore and Samuels as tenors, Pauling as baritone, songwriter and guitarist and Jefferies singing bass. when they signed with Apollo Records in 1951 on the strength of a gospel demo. By 1950 Obediah Carter and Johnny Tanner had replaced William Samuels and Pauling.

However, Apollo was looking for a secular group that could compete with the Dominoes, the Orioles, and the Cardinals. The Sons were reluctant to change, fearing they would alienate the religious community. So, the Sons became the “5” Royales, with 5 in quotes, since there were often six members.

The Royales brought the jubilee quartet harmonies of their gospel roots, added the raw energy of rhythm and blues, and created what would become soul music before the genre had a name. According to the Acoustic Music organization, the “first clear evidence of soul music shows up with the “5” Royales.”

The first Apollo session in 1952 produced “Too Much Of a Little Bit” and “Courage Of Love.” 1953 saw their biggest hits “Baby Don’t Do It” and “Help Me Somebody,” both which topped the national rhythm and blues charts. Following this initial success, Jefferies decided to stop touring about 1954 when the Royales accepted a bigger offer to move from Apollo to King Records, and focus on being the group’s manager. Jefferies’ place was taken by Johnny Tanner’s brother Eugene, though he continued to record with the group when needed.

After recording five Top Ten hits in two years, the Royales were popular enough to force another act calling themselves The Royals to change their name. The Royals thus became The Midnighters, who, with Hank Ballard as their driving wheel, would take the Royales’ place as the biggest vocal group in rock over the next few years.

When the Royales followed Aollo label head Carl LeBow to King Records, the group entering its most productive years. At King they recorded “Think” (1957, No. 4 R&B) — later covered by James Brown as his breakthrough pop hit — and “Dedicated to the One I Love” (1957), co-written by Pauling, who wrote most of the Royales’ songs, with producer Ralph Bass, which became a Top 5 hit for The Shirelles in 1961 and a No. 2 hit for The Mamas & the Papas in 1967. “Tell the Truth” (1958) was covered by Ray Charles and Ike and Tina Turner.

In 1960, the Royales were involved in a lawsuit with fellow King artist Brown concerning the song “Think.” The lawsuit forced them to leave King, and for a time they recorded for Home of the Blues, which leased the masters to Vee-Jay and ABC Records. The Royales disbanded around 1965, having released 59 singles across their career.

The Royales were unique among the ’50s R&B groups. Their gospel-drenched sound, underscored by the primal pleading of Johnny Tanner’s fervent lead vocals and Eugene Tanner’s smoother sound, gave the group its electric vocal range. But Lowman Pauling’s guitar may have been their major legacy. He pioneered a call-and-response approach between guitar and vocals, weaving fills into the spaces left by the singers — a technique that Steve Cropper later identified as the foundation of the Stax guitar style. The Royales had limited commercial success, but their influences on this classical American music were immeasurable as early architects of soul music and rock and roll.

In his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame essay on the Royales’ 2015 induction, Joe McEwen wrote that Cropper said: “I know when I saw Lowman Pauling onstage it changed my style and my life. He was a one-man show who played rhythm and stinging riffs when necessary … I owe a lot to Lowman.”

Rock critic Dave Marsh credited Pauling with recording the first intentional use of guitar feedback on “The Slummer the Slum” (1958), predating The Beatles, The Yardbirds, and Jimi Hendrix by years. The Royales blending of styles and innovative techniques also influenced artists such as Clyde McPhatter of the Drifters, Hank Ballard of the Royals/Midnighters, and James Brown.

Lowman Pauling ended up working as a night watchman at a Manhattan church and died of an apparent seizure on Dec. 26, 1973; Otto Jefferies died on Aug. 8, 1975; Eugene Tanner was on disability benefits in the years before his death on Dec. 29, 1994; Johnny Tanner died of cancer on Nov. 8, 2005; Jimmy Moore died on Aug. 16, 2008, at the Cedar Manor Nursing Home in Ossining, New York, after a long illness.

Their music survives, an extraordinary testament to the men who created it, and their influence on what came next.

From their song, “Think”: “Think about the sacrifices that I made for you. Think of all the times that I spent with you. Think of all the good things that I done for you.”

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In 2011, Steve Cropper released “Dedicated: A Salute to the “5” Royales,” featuring Cropper on guitar and vocalists that include B.B. King, Shemia Copeland, Bettye LaVette, Sharon King, Dan Penn and Delbert McClinton.

It’s a great listen, and you can hear the echoes of the Royales on every track.

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A special thanks to the Rev. Billy C. Wirtz and Marvelous Marvin Boone, who host the Rhythm Revival radio show weekly on WMNF Tampa. Their airplay of the “5” Royales made me do this!

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Here are a few of “5” Royales greatest hits:

In 1955, Lavern Baker was the second most-played female artist in the United States after Etta James.

Her most successful records were “Tweedle Dee” (1955), “Jim Dandy” (1956), and “I Cried a Tear” (1958). Her 1955–65 tenure with Atlantic Records produced 15 rhythm-and-blues hits.

She was a singer with a majestic voice and a flair for performing.

She was born Delores Evans, in Chicago, on Nov. 11, 1929. She began singing in Chicago clubs in 1946, often billed as Little Miss Sharecropper, and first recorded under that name in 1949, leading to a recording deal with National Records in 1951, shortly before it folded. She changed her name briefly to Bea Baker when recording for Okeh Records in 1951, switched to Delores Baker, and then was billed as LaVern Baker when she sang with Todd Rhodes and his band in 1952.

In 1953, Baker signed with Atlantic Records and her first release was “Soul on Fire.” Her first hit came in early 1955, with “Tweedle Dee,” which reached number 4 on the R&B chart and number 14 on the national U.S. pop chart, selling more than a million copies. Popular imitations of her recordings by white singers in the mid-1950s temporarily slowed her career. Singer Georgia Gibbs recorded a note-for-note cover of the song, which reached number 1. Baker made an unsuccessful attempt to sue her and petitioned Congress to consider such covers copyright violations. Her request spurred a Congressional investigation into song theft.

In 1958, Baker broadened her range with the release of her third studio album, Atlantic’s “Lavern Baker Sings Bessie Smith.” It was a jazz-oriented take on the songs of Smith and garnered critical acclaim for her dynamic cover versions of traditional blues songs using jazz musicians. Her spirited vocals sound just as expressive and sassy now as they did nearly 70 years ago. It’s an album worth a serious listen today.

In 1966, Baker recorded “Think Twice”, a duet single with Jackie Wilson. The controversial song featured raunchy lyrics considered inappropriate for airplay. Three versions were recorded, one of which is the version with the raunchy lyrics.

Baker married the comedian Slappy White in 1959, after divorcing her first husband, Eugene Wilson. Baker and White split in 1969, and Baker joined a USO tour where she contracted bronchial pneumonia after a trip to Vietnam. After recovering at the U.S. naval base at Subic Bay in the Philippines, Baker stayed on as the entertainment director at the Marine Corps Staff NCO club there, where she stayed for about 20 years.

In 1990, she made her Broadway debut, replacing Ruth Brown as the star of the hit musical “Black and Blue.” She continued to record and perform, even after both her legs were amputated in 1994 because of complications from diabetes. She said, “God took my legs, but He left me my voice so I could continue to do what I love, to sing and entertain.”

Baker was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991, noting that her “fiery fusion of blues, jazz and R&B showcased her alluring vocals and set the stage for the rock and roll surge of the Fifties.” “Jim Dandy” was named one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll and was ranked number 343 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. In 2020, Baker was inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame

Baker died of cardiovascular disease on March 10, 1997, at the age of 67. She was buried in an unmarked plot in Maple Grove Cemetery in Kew Gardens, New York. Local historians raised funds for a headstone, which was placed on May 4, 2008.

Lavern Baker is one of those pioneering voices from the 1950s that helped mold R&B into rock ‘n’ roll, but kept on rolling with her passion for performing. She deserves to be remembered.

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Baker, her music, and her heroic personal life, also caught the attention of noted blues photographer Joe Rosen, and took her place among other musical greats in his book of marvelous photography and personal reflections, “Inside the Moment: Iconic Blues, Soul, Jazz, Rock, and R&B Images and History.”

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Here is a sampling of recordings from Baker’s career: