Gayle Harrod Band — “Temptation” — Self-Release

It’s one thing to wait until your 42nd year to begin a musical career. It’s still another to wait a dozen more years to cut your first album. And yet another to have it all sound thoroughly polished and professional — and best of all, have it sound so wondrously full of such passionate music.

Harrod, a native of Johnstown, Pa., but a Baltimorean since age 7, has spent those last dozen years sharpening her musical edge in a variety of bands and performances.

She began her public singing career in 2011 with the soul-blues band Triple Shot, then with classic rock-blues band Blues Deluxe, and the blues-R&B band Shakedown, before forming The Gayle Harrod Band.

The result of that lengthy woodshedding for Harrod is this dynamic album of 12 original songs that flow from rhythmic soul to fiery blues with a stylish ease that defies expectation for a debut effort.

Harrod boasts a powerful voice that commands your attention, whether she’s belting or pleading, and there’s plenty of both on this rousing session.

The driving rhythms of “Sweet Memphis Man” kick it all off to introduce the sweet toughness of Harrod’s vocals. “Come On People” punches out with Harrod urging us to “work to make things better.” “Baby We’re Through” is a scorching statement emphasizing its title theme with percussive urgency and fiery guitar.

The title track, “Temptation,” is a dark tale of devils and angels, told with Harrod’s brooding vocals. “In The Deep Dark Night,” is a bright romp that contradicts its title, including raucous horn work bringing some New Orleans flavor. “Bring Me Along” soars with gospel call and response, heavenly organ and rock-steady drumming.

Then Harrod shifts style and mood, with the plaintive blues, “Waiting In The Shadows,” sung with an eloquent vocal touch against elegant acoustic backing that’s just plain down-home gorgeous. A sparkling “Break” turns the mood around again with a jazzy Motown-infused ode to personal independence. “You’re Gonna Miss Me” is a tough rocker, followed by the gently lyrical “The In Between,” and then turned around into the sprightly “God Laughed.” The closer, “Beautiful Friend,” is another gorgeously introspective ballad, pulled from Harrod’s magic well of songwriting.

There are many excellent, enjoyable moments here, but the one element that stands out all the way through, no matter what the style or mood — Harrod’s voice. She swings, she rocks, she shouts, she whispers. There’s bluesy grit, smoldering soul and folksy innocence. She wears her musical heart on her sleeve. And all of it is surrounded with the riches of a remarkably versatile musical aggregation (see the full list below the video).

If this is just Gayle Harrod’s first album, I can’t wait to hear the next one.

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An interview with Gayle Harrod on JazzBluesNews:

Tracklist:
Sweet Memphis Man (3:05)
Come On People (3:53)
Baby We’re Through (4:01)
Temptation (4:57)
In The Deep Dark Night (2:53)
Bring Me Along (3:44)
Waiting in the Shadows (3:55)
Break (4:03)
You’re Gonna Miss Me (3:37)
The In Between (4:55)
God Laughed (4:10)
Beautiful Friend (5:02)

The musicians:
The basic Gayle Harrod Band is guitarist Stan Turk and drummer Chuck Ferrell. Guest performers on the album include guitarists Jonathan Sloane, Sol Roots, and Bobby Thompson; bassist Christopher Brown; Rachelle Danto on harmonica, and Brian Simms on piano and organ. Producer Buddy Speir adds guitar, slide, organ, and Wurlitzer. The Beltway Horns are Greg Boyer on trombone, Brad Clements on trumpet, and Brent Birckhead on tenor sax. Background vocals are by Mary Ann Redmond, Dusty Rose, and The Voices of Faith of the First Baptist Church of Baltimore Choir.

Jeff Pitchell — “Playin’ With My Friends” — Deguello Records

Jeff Pitchell is a Connecticut-based guitar slinger, songwriter, vocalist and, based on his ninth and latest album, damned good at all of them.

And, as if he needed any help, he’s picked a handful of capable friends to pitch in here, both on vocals and as bandmates.

Included among those friends on duets and guest spots are Duane Betts, Charles Neville, Claudette King (B.B. King’s daughter, J. Geils, Rick Derringer, Christine Ohlman, and Tyrone Vaughan (Jimmie Vaughan’s son). His backers are, as they say, too numerous to mention, but a user-friendly chart at the end of this post will help you keep score.

The album shuffles joyfully into earshot with an original, the easy loping shuffle of “Eye For An Eye,” followed hard with a tough, rocking “Prisoner of Love,” highlighted by stinging guitar work from J. Geils. These two songs alone would send me home happy, showing off a sparkling blend of lyrical and musical chops.

But there’s a lot more, some of them reworked rom earlier sessions. “So Into You” turns down the tempo but not the mood, adding a sensual sax to the mix. Another original, “Your Magic Eyes” rocks with gentle fierceness highlighting the poetic imagery of the title. “Out In The Cold” is thoughtfully soulful, featuring Tyrone Vaughan on vocals and a guitar solo that speak the same language.

Duane Betts adds his guitar to “All Night Long,” a raucous boogie with raunchy sax that would rock any roadhouse (See what I did there?). Rick Derringer joins Pitchell in the swinging vocal and guitar duet, “Unsung Hero Of The Blues.” Lucky Peterson’s “Not Guilty” turns up with a little Latin flavor, followed with the rocky roughness “Blinded By Desire.”

“Fat Cigars,” the title track to Pitchell’s 1997 debut album that lit up his career, comes out smoking, and reminds me of one of my favorite personal vices. The R&B tinged “I Like The Rut” features Christine Ohlman (The lead vocalist for the Saturday Night Live Band from 1991 to 2022.).

Claudette King unleashes a tough vocal turn on the rocking blues of the title track, and Pitchell turns the soulful Bobby Bland lament, “I Wouldn’t Treat A Dog,” into a soul-stretching closer.

Pitchell has brought together a stellar cast for “Playin’ With My Friends,” and the results speak, or rather sing, well of themselves. There’s a big bunch of thoroughly enjoyable music here, on all levels, from the splendidly varied vocals, to the wicked guitar and sax work, to the entire musical effort.

Well played, Jeff and friends, well played.

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Here’s a video medley of some of the music on “Playin’ With My Friends”:

Tracklist and credits:

Eye for an Eye
Prisoner of Love
So into You
Your Magic Eyes
Out in the Cold
All Night Long
Unsung Hero of the Blues
Not Guilty
Blinded by Desire
Fat Cigars
I Like the Rut
Playin’ with My Friends
I Wouldn’t Treat a Dog

A few months ago I wrote a post about sweet soul music and one of its primary practitioners, the very great Solomon Burke.

And today, as I was wandering the back roads of the internet, cruising YouTube for interesting music videos, I found this one of Burke at a concert that appears to be in Germany.

I don’t usually post links to this sort of thing — there is so much great music to be heard; so many great artists to be seen.

But I was moved by the power of this 30-minute video, and by the awesome magic of Burke’s magnificent voice and performance. I’m sure there are others, and maybe even better ones. But this one caught my eye and ear, and I was pretty much entranced for the duration.

So if you can, late one night, send this one through your TV set or appropriate speaker system, pour a nice double bourbon, and let this gorgeous voice fill that hole in your soul (not to mention some sensual sax work).

Jewel Brown — “Thanks for Good Ole’ Music and Memories” — Nic Allen Music Federation

Just as this recent album has lingered unnecessarily on my shelf for a while, superb songstress Jewel Bown has unnecessarily lingered outside the recording studio.

An electrifying jazz and blues singer in the 1950s and ’60s — best known as a stylish vocalist with Louis Armstrong and His All-Stars from 1961 until 1968 — she pretty much gave up the music business in the 1970s. In 2012 she recorded her first album in many years, “Milton Hopkins & Jewel Brown,” followed by a solo effort in 2014, “Roller Coaster Boogie.”

Now, at 85, Brown has decided to once again grace us with her eloquent vocals on this album, very appropriately titled “Thanks for Good Ole’ Music and Memories.” The idea of good ole’ music, however, is vastly understated here. It should be, and is, great ole’ music.

And now Brown also adds her name as composer, co-writing seven originals with producer Nic Allen, and performs three covers in her return to recording. She’s backed by an aggregation of swinging musicians, who are a perfect fit for her classy vocals, with all their moods and styles.

She opens the session with an updated version of the Latinesque Harry Belafonte song “Have You Heard About Jerry,” simply titled “Jerry” here. (There’s a video below featuring Brown and Armstrong performing the song in a 1962 TV broadcast.)

The brief acapella “Pain and Glory” follows, with a chorus of male gospel vocals, in a spoken-word ode to faith. A very jazzy “Why Did You Do That” adds strong, bluesy vocals, again with a rich vocal male chorus. The percussive “Which Way Is Up” gently rocks. “Nitches and Glitches” is a torchy expression of independence kicked along with sassy horns.

“Flatitude” rejects fake flattery with a healthy dose of scat singing. “I Love Sunshine, Even More Rainy Nights” is a splendidly orchestrated slow jazz where “rain puts her in the mood” with a sensuous vocal turn smothered in liquid sax. “Song of The Dreamer,” written by ex-husband Eddie Curtis, is another lilting love song. “On The Road” is a gently swinging lyrical reminiscence of Brown’s enjoyment of touring with Armstrong, again scatting her way home.

The closer “How Did It Go” is pumps up the swing and jumps out with a bluesy flavor, ending the set on an upbeat musical note with some smooth guitar accompaniment.

Someone, is supposed to have said — and I once heard that it was Lena Horne — that “blues is the mother’s milk of jazz.” This excellent album sips from that source, but it’s a heady brew of the kind of fine jazz arrangements and inspired singing creates a joy all of its own. You owe it to yourself to drink deeply.

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A fascinating video of the Jewel Brown story:

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A video of Jewel Brown singing “Jerry” with Louis Armstrong from 1962, plus a bonus — Armstrong does “Nobody Knows The Trouble I’ve Seen.”

The Goodyear Jazz Concert was broadcast live on television on April 2, 1962. The lineup includes Brown, Armstrong, Trummy Young (trombone), Joe Darensbourg (clarinet), Billy Kyle (piano), Bill Cronk (bass) and Danny Barcelona (drums).

Tracklist:
Jerry (3:54)
Pain and Glory (1:30)
Why Did You Do That (3:29)
Which Way Is Up (3:52)
Nitches and Glitches (4:29)
Flatitude (2:14)
I Love Sunshine, Even More Rainy Nights (4:52)
Song of the Dreamer (4:11)
On the Road (5:04)
How Did It Go (3:38)

Savoy Brown — “Blues All Around” — Quarto Valley Records

Savoy Brown (originally the Savoy Brown Blues Band), one of the quintessential and most prolific of the British blues-rock bands, was formed in London by Kim Simmonds in 1965. That’s right. They’re older than many of us.

Simmonds was the founder, guitarist and primary songwriter of the band, and the only member who remained constant in its 57 years of existence. They came out of the British blues-rock tradition, but settled in New York state, and much of the band’s musical success came in the U.S.

This session, “Blues All Around,” the band’s 42nd album, was completed just before Simmonds died, in December of 2022. The Savoy Brown band for this album was the trio Simmonds formed in 2012 with bassist Pat DeSalvo and drummer Garnet Grimm. 

The dozen songs here, all Simmonds originals, were recorded a little differently this time, due to his illness. In order to make the recording process easier than their usual live in-studio work, Simmonds created his tracks, which were then overlaid by DeSalvo and Grimm. No problem. It’s still excellent music.

It all begins with a short, seductive vocal blues intro — “Falling Through” — less than a minute long, but it sets just the right mood for the music that follows. “Black Heart” shuffles into view next, with guitar and organ riding behind Simmonds’ gruff vocals.

Highlights for me include “Going Down South,” which adds haunting slide that enhances the stark poetry of the locals. The title track, “Blues All Around,” leads with eloquent guitar work that speaks volumes in its spareness. Simmonds lets his guitar do much of the talking without overwhelming the listener. “Texas Love” rides along hard on the back of some tough distorted guitar fuzz. “Winning Hand” churns hard and deep with a passionate guitar solo. “Can’t Go Back to My Hometown” takes a more lyrical, melodic approach and the closer, “Falling Through the Cracks,” puts Simmonds’ heartfelt, half-spoken vocals out in front of his striking solo guitar.

This excellent album is a solid testament to Simmonds’ long journey and legacy in the world of the blues, which are indeed all around.

Tracklist & credits

Falling Through 0:43
Black Heart 3:19
Going Down South 4:27
Gypsy Healer 4:25
Blues All Around 4:10
Texas Love 3:24
Winning Hand 4:50
Hurting Spell 3:59
Can’t Go Back To My Hometown 4:34
California Days Gone By 3:53
My Baby 3:26
Falling Through the Cracks 5:10

Kim Simmonds: Guitar, Vocals, Organ and Harmonica
Garnet Grimm: Drums and Percussion
Pat DeSalvo: Bass

Sometimes I just want to luxuriate in some good, old-fashioned, down-home blues. Especially when there’s a hole in my soul that needs … well, you know.

Lucky me, I just happen to have a few such new albums on hand to listen to, and that I also want to write about. So this will be a three-fer post, with capsule reviews, which also gives me a chance to catch up on the backlog of albums that are piling up on the Roadhouse bar. (Well, the albums don’t exactly pile up anymore as much as the digital files accumulate, possibly in the cloud, and who knows what kind of blues storm that might ignite.)

But I digress. Here are the albums, all filled some great new and old blues. Music samples from all three albums come at the bottom of this post, so please hold your applause till the end.

John Primer Live at Rosa’s Lounge — “Teardrops for Magic Slim” — Blues House Productions

Morris Holt, aka Magic Slim, was one of the great Magic men of Chicago blues guitar, larger than life in person, and larger than life’s soundtrack with his deep, churning, tough blues style with his band, the Teardrops.

John Primer is equally at home in these surroundings, and this tribute to Slim works both as a reminder of his distinctive sound and a showcase for Primer’s own talents (he played with the Teardrops for 13 years).

That distinctive sound is very much alive here, as Primer works with the Teardrops, including Slim’s son, Shawn, who shows off his vocals as well.

This album drives along with the tough rhythms that defined Slim’s sound. A few tracks that especially caught my ear include the rocking “Mama Talk to Your Daughter,” the slow burning “Ain’t Doing Too Bad,” the classics ‘It Hurts Me Too” (with Shawn Holt) and “Look Over Yonder Wall,” and the rousing closer, “The Blues Is Alright.”

I saw Slim once, at Moondog’s, the fine little blues bar in Blawnox, Pa., just outside of Pittsburgh. It was 2008, and I think my photo here at left captures how much fun he had entertaining the crowd.

If you’re interested in watching this incarnation of the Teardrops, there will be a tribute concert at Blue Chicago to be broadcast live online on March 24, 2023. Get ticket information here.

Jimi “Primetime” Smith & Bob Corritore — “The World in a Jug” — VizzTone

You know that anytime Bob Corritore opens his music vaults, some great blues is waiting to be exhumed. This album by guitarist Jimi “Primetime” Smith plus Corritore is taken from four recording sessions between 2017 and 2020 — but still digs way back into the last century for its roots.

Smith plays guitar that stings behind his rich vocals, and Corritore’s harp adds deep blue texture. Among my favorites are the rollicking title track, a scorching Jimmy-Reed style “We Got To Stick Together” and “You For Me,” and the slightly salacious “Love Her With A Feeling.”

Just incidentally, the phrase captured in the title track “The World in a Jug,” has a history as old as the history of blues recording. The line, “I got the world in a jug, the stopper in my hand,” was added by Bessie Smith when she recorded “Downhearted Blues,” with lyrics by Alberta Hunter, in 1923.

Both Corritore and Smith have deep Chicago blues roots, and this session speaks well of its heritage.

Floyd Dixon — “Time Brings About a Change” — HighJohn Records Reissue Series

Piano-man Floyd Dixon’s blues took a slightly different track, but were no less powerful than its Chicago cousins. Born in Texas, later from Los Angeles, Dixon’s style favored the West Coast jump blues tradition.

This album is a reissue of a concert recorded in June, 2006, hosted by Dixon, that featured fellow blues piano giants Pinetop Perkins and Henry Gray. The band was led by Kid Ramos and included Larry Taylor and Richard “Bigfoot” Innes. Kim Wilson, Fred Kaplan (from the Hollywood Blue Flames) and Lynwood Slim also performed.

Dixon died the following month, and this album was originally released shortly afterward.A DVD package was released in 2013. The CD and a three-DVD set are all part of this reissue. This package has been curated for this release by Blueheart Records.

The 17 songs on the album feature Dixon on piano and vocals, all shared with his costars. Sadly, his ill health at the time is reflected in some of his strained vocals, which still muster his passion for blues. But Dixon still manages to rock a full-throated piano, as do Perkins and Gray in their contributions.

I’m generally a fool for fine blues piano, and this reissue is no exception. This is a showcase for blues piano by three masters. If I were the blues czar, I’d make it required listening, even if it was just to pull back the curtain of time a minute for a glimpse of this great old music.

So, if you like your blues straight, with no chaser, try any — or better yet, all — of these excellent blues recordings.

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Here’s “The World in a Jug” from Jimi “Primetime” Smith and Bob Corritore:

Here’s an excellent video of Slim’s magic on stage:

Here’s a 1996 performance of Floyd Dixon’s 1955 release, “Hey Bartender”: