Kelly’s Lot — “The Blues Remind Me” — PK Entertainment
Kelly Zirbes, the Kelly of Kelly’s Lot, is celebrating her 30th year making Americana, folk and blues music with her 17th album, and first in three years, “The Blues Remind Me.”
The Lot is a great mix of talented musicians; for this session that includes guitarist Perry Robertson, who produced and shared the songwriting with Zirbes on all ten tracks, Mike Sauer on drums and Matt McFadden on bass. Keyboard player Mo Beeks appears on most songs, and duets with Zirbes on a song he also co-wrote, “Gotta Sing the Blues.” Longtime Lot saxman Bill Johnston arranged the horns, including Paulie Cerra, Didier Reyes, Chip Tingle and Aviva Maloney. Special guests are Rob Zucca, guitar; Gary Bivona, flugel horn; and Frank Hinojosa and Tomislav Goluban on harp. That’s quite a band-full, but everyone comes together at the right place and time to create a masterful musical backing.
The album gets itself under way with that gorgeous duet between Zirbes and Beeks, with her sultry vocals paired with Beeks’ down-home grit, explaining how they “Gotta Sing the Blues.” It’s one of the most enjoyable songs in the session, throbbing with soulful blues. “Boogie Bus” follows, a rollicking party song that invites everyone to join the fun, and “boogie woogie all night long.”
“Mama’s Blues” is an eloquent tribute to Zirbes’ mother’s singing: “What else would I do/If I couldn’t keep singing her blues/It’s my way of healing.” Zirbes’ poignant vocals are enhanced by an elegant horn section, making this tender ballad an album highlight. The horns keep flowing, kicking up their heels on the energetic “It Ain’t Always,” another track full of musical fun.
“Man In The Moon” takes a jazzy turn, carried along by Beeks on keys in a lovely, lilting airing from Zirbes. “Without You” pounds home an insistent political message about coming together, framing contemporary politics. “Just Tell Me the Truth” follows, with its bouncy plea for hope and honesty changing the mood to one of healing differences.
“Blessings (are born from tears)” includes Beeks working the Hammond organ behind Zirbes’ passionate blues that soar from whispers to shouting and back again: “Life can hurt you so bad that it’s good….”
Goluban steps up with sparkling harp on the rhythmic “Aces,” a fund-raising trip to the tables in Vegas. The closer is the upbeat theme and music of “Love and Understanding,” with light-hearted keys and lyrical sensibility: “Without love and understanding, we’ll never win.”
Kelly Zirbes and her Los Angeles-based Lot have been creating their music for 30 years now, always with a blues presence, but this time with a stronger focus throughout the album. She’s an outstanding singer, creating moods that flow effortlessly from tough to tender. And it’s easy to say a lot about the Lot, who complete the package with sharp songwriting and music that elevates but never intrudes.
“I Gotta Sing the Blues” from the album:
Tracklist: 01. Gotta Sing The Blues (feat. Mo Beeks) 02. Boogie Bus 03. Mama’s blues 04. It Ain’t Always 05. Man In The Moon 06. Without You 07. Just Tell Me The Truth 08. Blessings 09. Aces 10. Love And Understanding
If the blues knows how to sing life’s song, then singer/songwriter Christopher Wyze has learned that lesson well. The 13 original songs on his very first album, “Stuck in the Mud,” are steeped in that storied tradition, as Wyze blends the world of his fertile story-telling imagination into the essence of the blues.
Wyze has been soaking up that essence for the better part of two decades, visiting its primeval sources in the Mississippi Delta and letting his own thoughts flow into his songs. Those chops earned him a “One to Watch” songwriter award from the Nashville Songwriters Association International in December 2023.
Wyze and his band, the Tellers, recorded “Stuck in the Mud” in two musically historic places – ten tracks in Muscle Shoals, Ala., and three in Clarksdale, Miss. His inspiration for the songs, however, was pure Clarksdale, where he wrote them all – each with a co-writer. “In the Delta,” Wyze says, “songs seems to write themselves.” Wyze also gives each song a voice, in his own flowing, distinctive vocal style that shifts gears easily from old blues to rhythmic rock and gentle folk.
The story-telling begins with the open-road feel of the first cut, “Three Hours From Memphis,” where Wyze introduces his blues journey: “Three hours from Memphis / A million miles from home / Fifteen years of paying dues, I did it on my own.” Frustrations with the hard times show up in the bluesy “Stuck in the Mud,” though: “Tried and tried, ain’t nothin’ brewin’ / Nothin’ to show, but my undoin’.”
“Cotton Ain’t King” is a deeply sung, dirge-like tribute to a new southern “king” – “Songs of blue, restoring life / Crying from the soul. / Cotton ain’t king / Blues is the king.” Sung as a traditional narrative, “Soul on the Road” examines the solitude of the lonesome traveler: “Met a fella, he lived his days, collecting miles and not friends / No wife, no kids, just a road that never ends.”
“Back to Clarksdale” is a hard-driving visit to the source – “When I pay my dues / My life is what I lose / Just lay me down in those muddy shoes / Down in Clarksdale, play the blues!” An easy-loping shuffle, “Money Spent Blues” laments a different kind of worldly loss, cleverly phrased over tough blues guitar lines – “When you make a proposition, you know I can’t refuse / Got them money spent blues.”
A touch of funk introduces the fatalistic “Caution to the Wind,” with a high-energy guitar solo — “Future, up ahead / But can we change instead? / What is it that we dread? / All gonna, all gonna end up dead.” But what’s the use anyway, as the hard-edged “Hard Work Don’t Pay” mourns: “Well I done cashed me may last paycheck / Sat down and wrote this song.”
“Life Behind Bars” is another profoundly sad tale of a different kind of confinement: “When it’s music, we call the bars measures / When he’s drinking, he calls the bars home / So he’s locked up and calls the bars walls that surround him / All it’s earned him, is life lived alone.”
“Looking for My Baby” turns hopefully upbeat, bouncing along with a rollicking honky-tonk piano break – “I search both night and day, but there’s no girl that got away / I’m looking for my baby, cause I ain’t never had a girl, hey, hey.” The punchy, chant-like refrain of “Wake Up” encourages an enthusiastic activism – “People! Enter the fray! / People! Live for today! / Wake up!”
Although it’s musically flavored with classic hypnotic North Mississippi Hill Country blues riffs, the lyrics of “Good Friend Gone” tell a more modern tale: “Those teenage blues, they drove us crazy / We didn’t do the things we should / Didn’t do the things we supposed to / But we sure did the things we could.” The closer is the gently swinging “Someday,” filled with the hopeful optimism of this musical journey – “Day after tomorrow, gonna be a go-getter / Someday, someday I’ll win the big game.”
Christopher Wyze is anything but “Stuck in the Mud” on this compelling debut album. He’s a lyrically literate delight, a smartly articulate teller of original tales filled with all the pain and pleasure of the blues. He’s already a winner at that “big game.”
“Stuck in the Mud” from the album:
Tracklist: 01. Three Hours from Memphis 02. Stuck in the Mud (feat. Cary Hudson) 03. Cotton Ain’t King 04. Soul on the Road (feat. Cary Hudson) 05. Back to Clarksdale 06. Money Spent Blues 07. Caution to the Wind 08. Hard Work Don’t Pay (feat. Cary Hudson) 09. Life Behind Bars 10. Looking for My Baby 11. Wake Up 12. Good Friend Gone 13. Someday
Fairly often in this blog, I write about artists who may not be well-known nationally, but who definitely deserve a wider stage.
Today’s choice, Chris Cain, is a good example of another kind of performer — one who has been on the national scene for decades, with fifteen acclaimed albums and multiple awards to his credit, and much praise from his peers. With all those accolades, it seems odd, but he still appears to be criminally under-recognized as a major talent when blues guitar gods are catalogued as household names. Cain is a topflight singer and songwriter, as well as a wickedly sharp blues guitar player, and assuredly deserves a higher ranking in that pantheon.
“Good Intentions Gone Bad” should be the album that helps boost Cain’s ratings in that universe. It’s his 16th album and second for Alligator Records, recorded at Kid Andersen’s Greaseland Studio, with Andersen producing. The thirteen original songs reflect Cain’s sharpness as a tunesmith, and his music reflects his strong, tough guitar chops honed over his decades of work. And Andersen’s addition of a horn section on seven tracks gives Cain’s songs an added, swinging, dimension.
Those horns help kick off the first three tracks: The bouncy “Too Little Too Late” opens with Cain’s gritty vocals and stinging guitar riffs that set the tone for what’s to come. Cain favors big fat guitar notes, sparingly played, filled with intensity from what they don’t say, as much as what they do. “Fear Is My New Roommate” is up next, with world-weary vocals adding heft to the thought he is “not sure what is going to happen to the world.” The title track shows up next, favoring with a little New Orleans swing behind clever lyrical tales of how his good intentions don’t always work out.
“Waiting For the Sun to Rise” drops the horns and focuses on Cain’s soulful vocal plea in this steamy ballad. “I Was Wrong” jumps back in with an upbeat apology, then the bluesy “Time to Cry” wails his frustration with time for nothing but “time to cry.”
Cain’s ode to aging (he’s approaching 70), “Still Drinking Straight Tequila,” explains that he hasn’t quite given up everything that gives him pleasure. “Bad Dream” is a torchy blues, with Cain showing off his piano licks. “Had About All I Can Take” shuffles in with its self-explanatory title and a fierce guitar solo.
“Blues for My Dad” is softly lyrical with jazz overtones, a heartfelt tribute to how his Dad introduced him to music. It’s a touching musical memory. On “TGIF,” takes to both piano and Wurlitzer as he celebrates the coming weekend with Lisa Andersen joining in with background vocals. “Never let You Break My Heart” is another torchy blues, wringing the sadness from blue notes. The closer is a romp through “Thankful,” with Tommy Castro helping on vocals. It’s a fitting upbeat finale to this outstanding session.
“Good Intentions Gone Bad” is one of Chris Cain’s best. It showcases all the talents of a veteran bluesman whose musical maturity sings loud and clear. And it’s full of great blues. Enjoy it soon and often. Household word, there you go!
“Fear is My New Roommate” from the album:
Tracks and credits:
1. TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE 3:30 Chris Cain: Guitar, Vocals Greg Rahn: Organ, Piano Cody Wright: Bass June Core: Drums Mike Rinta: Horn Arrangement, Trombone Mike Peloquin: Tenor Sax Mike Galisatus: Trumpet
2. FEAR IS MY NEW ROOMMATE 3:33 Chris Cain: Guitar, Wurlitzer Electric Piano, Clavinet, Vocals Greg Rahn: Organ Cody Wright: Bass Sky Garcia: Drums Jon Otis: Congas Kid Andersen: Tambourine, Cowbell Mike Rinta: Horn Arrangement, Trombone Mike Peloquin: Tenor Sax Mike Galisatus: Trumpet
3. GOOD INTENTIONS 3:15 Chris Cain: Guitar, Vocals Greg Rahn: Piano Kid Andersen: Bass, Organ, RMI Electric Piano Sky Garcia: Drums Jon Otis: Percussion Lisa Andersen: Voice Mike Rinta: Horn Arrangement, Trombone Mike Peloquin: Tenor Sax Mike Galisatus: Trumpet
4. WAITING FOR THE SUN TO RISE 4:31 Chris Cain: Guitar, Piano, Vocals Greg Rahn: Organ Kid Andersen: Bass, Mellotron Strings June Core: Drums
5. I WAS WRONG 3:25 Chris Cain: Guitar, Vocals Greg Rahn: Organ Cody Wright: Bass Sky Garcia: Drums Jon Otis: Percussion Mike Rinta: Horn Arrangement, Trombone Mike Peloquin: Tenor Sax Mike Galisatus: Trumpet
6. TIME TO CRY 3:54 Chris Cain: Guitar, Wurlitzer Electric Piano, Vocals Greg Rahn: Piano Kid Andersen: Bass, Organ June Core: Drums Jon Otis: Percussion Mike Rinta: Trombone Mike Peloquin: Horn Arrangement, Tenor Sax Mike Galisatus: Trumpet
7. STILL DRINKING STRAIGHT TEQUILA 3:52 Chris Cain: Guitar, Vocals Kid Andersen: Rhythm Guitar, Bass, Organ, Wurlitzer Electric Piano June Core: Drums Lisa Andersen: Vocals
8. BAD DREAM 5:39 Chris Cain: Guitar, Piano, Vocals Greg Rahn: Organ Kid Andersen: Bass Sky Garcia: Drums
9. HAD ABOUT ALL I CAN TAKE 3:13 Chris Cain: Guitar, Piano, Vocals Greg Rahn: Organ Kid Andersen: Bass Sky Garcia: Drums Mike Rinta: Trombone Mike Peloquin: Horn Arrangement, Tenor Sax Mike Galisatus: Trumpet
10. BLUES FOR MY DAD 4:27 Chris Cain: Guitar, Vocals Kid Andersen: Nylon String Guitar, Upright Bass, Organ, Percussion June Core: Bongos, Shaker
11. TGIF 3:55 Chris Cain: Guitar, Wurlitzer Electric Piano, Vocals Greg Rahn: Piano Kid Andersen: Acoustic Rhythm Guitar, Bass, Organ, Cowbell June Core: Drums Lisa Andersen: Vocals
12. NEVER LET YOU BREAK MY HEART 4:59 Chris Cain: Guitar, Wurlitzer Electric Piano, Vocals Greg Rahn: Organ Dwayne Pate: Bass Sky Garcia: Drums Jon Otis: Percussion
13. THANKFUL 2:46 Chris Cain: Guitar, Vocals Tommy Castro: Second Vocal Greg Rahn: Organ Kid Andersen: Bass, Horn Arrangement Sky Garcia: Drums Jon Otis: Percussion Mike Rinta: Trombone Mike Peloquin: Tenor Sax Mike Galisatus: Trumpet
Produced, Recorded and Mixed by Kid Andersen at Greaseland, USA, San Jose, CA Mastered by Collin Jordan and Bruce Iglauer at The Boiler Room, Chicago, IL Photos by Laura Carbone Design by Kevin Niemiec
The Fabulous Thunderbirds — “Struck Down” — Stony Plain Records
“Struck Down” is not only the first album in eight years by the Fabulous Thunderbirds, it also celebrates the 50th anniversary of the band’s founding in 1974.
Band members over the years includes big blues names like Duke Robillard, Jimmie Vaughan, Fran Christina, Kid Ramos, Gene Taylor, and Nick Curran, among others. The current band is Kim Wilson on vocals and harmonica, Johnny Moeller on guitar, Bob Welsh on keyboards and guitar, Rudy Albin on drums and Steve Kirsty on bass.
And co-founder Wilson, the only original T-Bird still in the band, says, “I think “Struck Down” is my best album with The Fabulous Thunderbirds…by far.” It’s hard to disagree. It’s filled with great songs, fine performances and a stellar musical cast.
Special guests include Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal, Keb’ Mo’ and Mick Fleetwood on the album’s lone cover song, Memphis Minnie’s “Nothing in Rambling.” Other guests are Elvin Bishop, Terrance Simien and Canadian guitar whiz Steve Strongman, who with Wilson wrote nine of the album’s ten tracks.
Strongman leads off the opener, “Struck Down With the Blues,” wrapping a torrid guitar around Wilson’s vocals, which after 50 years are as strong as ever, having aged to vintage quality. Simien leads with his accordion on “Don’t Make No Sense,” adding a Cajun flair, with a little help from Wilson’s harp.
“Payback Time” is tough, rocking blues with Gibbons on guitar and backup vocals. That’s followed by the gorgeous acoustic cover version of the Memphis Minnie classic, “Nothing in Rambling,” on which Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’ trade vocals, with Mick Fleetwood handling drums and percussion. It’s a classic in its own way and an album highlight.
“Won’t Give Up” is another tough rocker with Wilson adding furious harp lines, and lyrical nod to one of his first big hits: “Don’t tell me I’m not tough enough.” A gently swinging harp opens the acoustic ballad, “The Hard Way,” with a soulful Wilson vocal turn. “Whatcha Do To Me” shuffles in with Elvin Bishop on guitar and more fine Wilson harp.
“I’ve Got Eyes” opens with a percussive beat charged with the blues, and a stinging guitar solo chasing Wilson’s razor-sharp harp. “That’s Cold” keeps the tempo high in a frantic tale of a lover’s distress. The closer is another highlight, the luxurious ballad “Sideline,” with Chris Ayries’ eloquent harmonizing, and a sensuous sax solo from Kirsty.
“Struck Down” is an excellent album. It’s just the right mix of styles and tempos, showing off Wilson’s accumulated musical wisdom and lyrical strength, a half-century into the Thunderbirds’ long and spirited career. They are still tuff enuff!
A live performance of the T-Birds big 1986 hit, “Tuff Enuff”:
“Payback Time” from the album:
Track Listing 1. Struck Down By The Blues (featuring Steve Strongman), 3:41 2. Don’t Make No Sense (featuring Terrance Simien), 2:47 3. Payback Time (featuring Billy Gibbons), 3:35 4. Nothing in Rambling (featuring Bonnie Raitt, Keb’ Mo’, Taj Mahal & Mick Fleetwood), 3:55 5. Won’t Give Up, 3:35 6. The Hard Way, 4:06 7. Whatcha Do To Me (featuring Elvin Bishop), 3:09 8. I’ve Got Eyes, 4:07 9. That’s Cold, 2:18 10. Sideline, 4:03
It’s time for another round of blues music awards.
In June, a group of music critics, journalists, festival promoters, music venue managers, musicians and other blues music industry professionals, nominated their choices for the Blues Blast awards in 23 categories. Fans can vote for the winner in each category starting July 15, at www.BluesBlastMagazine.com
Voting is free and open to anyone, and ends Aug. 31. You may only vote once. If you are not currently a subscriber, you are automatically signed up for the free Blues Blast magazine as part of the voting process. (Roadhouse tip: It’s worth it.)
Here are the 2024 Blues Blast Music Award nominees:
Contemporary Blues Album Shaun Murphy – I’m Coming Home Chris O’Leary – The Hard Line Anthony Geraci – Tears In My Eyes Rick Vito – Cadillac Man Rick Estrin & The Night Cats – The Hits Keep Coming Selwyn Birchwood – Exorcist
Traditional Blues Album Monster Mike Welch – Nothing But Time he Dig 3 – Damn the Rent Fiona Boyes – Ramblified Johnny Burgin – Ramblin’ From Coast to Coast Nick Moss Band – Get Your Back Into It John Primer & Bob Corritore – Crawlin’ Kingsnake
Soul Blues Album Blackburn Brothers – SoulFunkin’Blues Dave Keller – It’s Time to Shine Kevin Burt & Big Medicine – Thank You Brother Bill Marcel Smith – From My Soul Jeff Rogers – Dream Job Eddie Cotton – The Mirror Joakim Tinderholt – Deadlines
Rock Blues Album The Wicked Lo-Down – Out Of Line Mike Zito – Life is Hard Coco Montoya – Writing on the Wall JP Soars – Brick by Brick Canned Heat – Finyl Vinyl Bex Marshall – Fortuna
Acoustic Blues Album EG Kight – Sticks & Stones Sue Foley – One Guitar Woman Arbuckle & Long – Gonna Be Justified Tinsley Ellis – Naked Truth Doug MacLeod – Raw Blues 2 Mick Kolassa – Wooden Music Nic Clark – Everybody’s Buddy
Live Blues Album Deb Ryder – Live & Havin’ Fun Li’l Ronnie & the Grand Dukes – Got it Live from ‘05 Christone “Kingfish” Ingram – Live In London Blood Brothers – Live in Canada Eric Bibb – Live at Scala Theatre Sue Foley – Live In Austin Vol 1.
Historical Or Vintage Recording Bob Corritore – Phoenix Blues Rumble James Harman – Didn’t We Have Some Fun Sometime Paul Oscher – Live At The Tombs House Of Detention, NYC Keef Hartley Band – Live at Essen Magic Slim & John Primer feat. The Teardrops – Slow Blues Omar & The Howlers – Magic Man Live In Bremen 1989
New Artist Debut Album BLUES People – The Skin I’m In Garnetta Cromwell – Time to Shine DK Harrell – The Right Man Joel Astley – Seattle to Greaseland Mathias Lattin – Up Next Nicholas Alexander – Lil Hoochie
Blues Band Of The Year The Dig 3 Blackburn Brothers Nick Moss Band Featuring Dennis Gruenling Rick Estrin & The Nightcats The Cash Box Kings Southern Avenue
Male Blues Artist John Primer Mr. Sipp (Castro Coleman) D.K. Harrell Kevin Burt Christone “Kingfish” Ingram Bobby Rush
Female Blues Artist Shaun Murphy Sue Foley Annika Chambers-DesLauriers Danielle Nicole Fiona Boyes Ruthie Foster
Sean Costello Rising Star Award Harrell “Young Rell” Davenport Mathias Lattin Joel Astley Candice Ivory Stephen Hull
Producer Of The Year Bob Corritore Kid Andersen Joe Bonamassa & Josh Smith Tony Braunagel Tom Hambridge Mike Zito
Electric Guitarist Of The Year Monster Mike Welch Nick Moss Joanna Connor Duke Robillard Christone “Kingfish” Ingram Laura Chavez
Acoustic Guitarist Of The Year Kevin Burt Doug MacLeod Sue Foley Eric Bibb Tinsley Ellis Catfish Keith
Slide Guitarist Of The Year JP Soars Joanna Connor Fiona Boyes Derek Trucks Rick Vito Sonny Landreth
Bass Guitarist Of The Year Jerry Jemmot Bob Stroger Rodrigo Montovani Danielle Nicole Larry Fulcher Michael “Mudcat” Ward
Keyboard Player Of The Year Jim Pugh Anthony Geraci Ben Levin Eden Brent Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne Mitch Woods
Percussionist Of The Year June Core Derrick D’mar Martin Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith Tom Hambridge Tony Braunagel Tony Coleman
Harmonica Player Of The Year Jason Ricci Bob Corritore Dennis Greunling Charlie Musselwhite Billy Branch Kim Wilson
Horn Player Of The Year Jimmy Carpenter Vanessa Collier Sax Gordon Beadle Trombone Shorty Eric Demmer Deanna Bogart
Vocalist Of The Year Ruthie Foster Bobby Rush John Németh Marcel Smith Billy Price D.K. Harrell
Curtis Salgado has been one of my favorite performers for a bunch of years now. I’ve seen him on blues cruises and at festivals, and he never fails to deliver honest, soulful music that seems to come from deep inside him, where the spirit of his music lives.
Now, on his brand-new album, “Fine By Me,” Salgado is once again delivering a palette of songs that reflect his musical sensibilities — which indeed run wide and deep. But sometimes the artist says it best, and here’s how Salgado describes this session in the album notes:
“Hello Music Lover, What you are holding in your hand is my latest batch of songs. When I write a song, it is made from all the musical influences that I grew up with, so it’s American music. Gospel is the mothership, and the rest of it follows: blues, jazz, rhythm and blues, funk, soul, rock ‘n’ roll. I love and respect ALL of it. The music on this recording was created with the help of my friends and musicians. I admire them all greatly and I am blessed to have them in my life. The heart of my life is music; it has the power to break through the daily absurdities of our world.”
Now I really like what he says there at the end, how music has the “power to break through the absurdities of the world.” And that can definitely make those absurdities a little easier to deal with, if only for a little while. “Fine By Me” reflects that, with nine of eleven songs that bear Salgado’s name, and two sturdy covers that share those sensibilities.
As if to demonstrate his musical eclecticism right from the start, Salgado opens the session with the whimsical “My Girl’s A Nut,” with its near-country twang and loping rhythm. A kicky horn section brings in “Better Things to Lie About,” with its clever lyrical wordplay and sizzling Salgado harp work, plus vocals that step up and out front.
“I’m Gonna Forget About You,” the first cover, is classic O.V. Wright soul. Salgado and Robert Cray reprise their 1980 hookup on Cray’s first album with Salgado backup vocals. This time Salgado takes the lead, while Cray adds guitar and harmonizing vocals. It’s a soul brothers’ tour de force. It’s damn good, too!
The title track pushes out with a tough rocking backbeat and a lyric built around a Salgado dream about having lunch with Jackie Onassis. It’s another magical tale from Salgado’s seemingly endless lyrical wizardry. “Niki Hoeky” is another cover, a lighthearted Cajun-flavored rocker with more clever wordplay and Salgado’s falsetto getting a workout.
Salgado’s original gospel-styled “Hear the Lonely Hearts” is richly backed by the powerful harmonies and call and response of The Sons of the Soul Revivers (brothers James, Walter, and Dwayne Morgan), standouts on many other Little Village albums. “Safe At Home” touts the virtues of being — safe at home after worldly travels.
“The Big Chagrin” shuffles in on a New Orleans beat with a hearty dose of honky-tonk piano, blazing horns and Salgado harp. “The Only Way Out” tries out a little Latin rhythm, and “Cheap Stuff” is an unusual riff on thrift.
The two final cuts both feature stinging guitar by Anson Funderburgh. “You Give The Blues A Bad Name” is down-home blues that showcases Salgado’s wickedly soulful vocals, wrapped around a deep-blue, scorching guitar break. “Under New Management” is a rugged blues shuffle with more Funderburgh fun.
The album was recorded at eight different studios, with what seems like a cast of thousands joining in (complete list of musicians below). The result is a superb Salgado production (he produced), and great listening for the rest of us not invited to all those studios.
It’s hard to imagine that anyone in the blues listening world has not heard of Curtis Salgado. If you have, this is must-hear music. If you haven’t, it’s even more important that you must hear this delightful cornucopia of his music.
I first heard Curtis sing this song on the 2017 Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise, where it was an instant hit. It’s an example of how he can masterfully mine a gem of a song from a simple premise. It’s titled “The Greatest Wish,” or as it came to be known on that cruise, “the dog song.”
From the album: “You Give the Blues a Bad Name”
Tracks and many, many credits:
1. My Girl’s A Nut Charles Seluzicki, Curtis Salgado (ASCAP), David Duncan (BMI) Jimi Bott – Drums Keith Brush – Acoustic Bass Alan Hager – Guitar Curtis Salgado – Vocals & Harmonica 2. Better Things To Lie About Curtis Salgado (ASCAP), Gary Nicholson (ASCAP) Derek “D’Mar” Martin – Drums Endre Tarczy – Bass Kid Andersen – Guitar & Keyboards Joe McCarthy – Trumpet Lars Campbell – Trombone Tim Bryson – Tenor & Baritone Sax Curtis Salgado – Vocals & Harmonica 3. I’m Gonna Forget About You: O. V. Wright (BMI) Jim Pugh – B3 & Piano Derek “D’Mar” Martin – Drums Jerry Jemmott – Bass Kid Andersen – Guitar Robert Cray – Guitar & Vocals Curtis Salgado – Vocals 4. Fine By Me Curtis Salgado (ASCAP), George Marinelli (BMI) Derek “D’Mar” Martin – Drums Endre Tarczy – Bass George Marinelli – Guitar Kid Andersen – Guitar & Keyboards Lisa Leuschner – BG Vocals Curtis Salgado – Vocals 5. Niki Hoeky James Ford (BMI), Lolly Vegas (BMI), Pat Vegas (BMI) Paul Revelli – Drums Endre Tarczy – Bass Kid Andersen – Guitar & Keyboards Lisa Leuschner – BG Vocal Joe McCarthy – Trumpet Tim Bryson – Tenor & Baritone Sax Curtis Salgado – Vocals 6. Hear the Lonely Hearts Curtis Salgado (ASCAP) Rome Yamilov – Guitar, Kid Andersen – Acoustic Bass The Sons of The Soul Revivers – James Morgan, Vocals Walter Morgan – Vocals Dwayne Morgan – Vocals Curtis Salgado – Vocals 7. Safe At Home Curtis Salgado (ASCAP), Fred Trujillo (ASCAP) Hershel Yatovitz (BMI) Alby Allen Paul Revelli – Drums Hershel Yatovitz – Slide Guitar & Bass Kid Andersen – Guitar & Keyboards Lisa Leuschner – BG Vocals Curtis Salgado – Vocals 8. The Big Chagrin Terry Wilson (BMI), Curtis Salgado (ASCAP) Snuffy Walden – Guitar Billy Watts – Guitar Terry Wilson – Bass Jeff Paris – Piano Tony Braunagel – Drums Joe McCarthy – Trumpet Lars Campbell – Trombone Tim Bryson – Tenor & Baritone Sax Teresa James – BG Vocals Terry Wilson – BG Vocals Curtis Salgado – Vocals & Harmonica 9. The Only Way Out Curtis Salgado (ASCAP), Joshua Huff (ASCAP), Ben Rice (ASCAP) Andy Worley – Drums Ben Rice – Guitars Fred Trujillo – Bass Galen Clark – Piano & B3 Lindsay Reynolds – BG Vocals Curtis Salgado – Vocals 10. Cheap Stuff Curtis Salgado (ASCAP), Hershel Yatovitz (BMI), Alby Alan Nick Otis – Drums Hershel Yatovitz – Lead Guitar & Bass Jim Pugh – B3 & Keyboards Kid Andersen – Rhythm Guitar & Bass Lisa Leuschner – BG Vocals Curtis Salgado – Vocals & Harmonica 11. You Give the Blues A Bad Name Curtis Salgado (ASCAP), Terry Wilson (BMI) Billy Watts – Guitar Anson Funderburgh – Guitar Terry Wilson – Bass Loren Gold – Piano Tony Braunagel – Drums Joe McCarthy – Trumpet Lars Campbell – Trombone Tim Bryson – Tenor & Baritone Sax Curtis Salgado – Vocals 12. Under New Management Dave Duncan (BMI), Curtis Salgado (ASCAP)
Studios & Engineers Falcon Recording Studios – Portland, OR (Dennis Carter, Engineer) Tracks 8, 11, 12 Greaseland USA, San Jose, CA (Kid Andersen, Engineer) Tracks 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10 Jesi-Lu Studios, Canyon Country CA (Terry Wilson, Engineer) Tracks 8, 11, 12 Purple Palace, Portland, OR (Hershel Yatovitz, Engineer) Tracks 7, 10 Roseleaf, Studios, Portland, OR (Jimi Bott – Engineer) Track 1 Sound Design, Santa Barbara, CA (Dom Camardella, Engineer) Track 3 Taylor Made Studios, Los Angeles CA (George Landress, Engineer) Tracks 8, 11, 12Topaz Studios, Portland OR (Andy Worley, Engineer) Track 9
The last time I saw Eden Brent, it was several years ago, sometime after midnight, somewhere at sea, and I was sitting close enough to watch her fingers fly as she was still pounding out the music at the piano bar on the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise.
She played boogie and blues and ballads, and left me hung out to dry, what with me being a fool for live music, piano blues, evocative vocals, and just about anyone who can do all that at once.
Now I’ve been listening to her latest album, “Getaway Blues,” without all that visual stimulation, and it’s still leaving me hung out to dry. It’s a gorgeous little session of just nine songs, all original material from Brent and her musician/producer husband Bob Dowell.
But size doesn’t really matter here, with sparkling music that travels smoothly from barrelhouse boogie to bluesy ballads, all firmly in the grasp of Eden’s piano and vocals, Dowell’s bass work, Rob Updegraff on guitar, and Pat Levett on drums. It’s Brent’s first album since her 2018 holiday album, and her first studio release of new material since 2014’s “Jigsaw Heart.” It was recorded in London, far from her Greenville, Miss., roots, and very nicely turned out in just a couple of days. But everybody knows the roots of the blues are wide and deep.
The set opens with the rousing title track, driven hard by Brent’s rollicking barrelhouse piano intro and sassy vocals as she sets her sights on the open road at the end of a broken romance, all highlighted by a nicely stinging guitar break from Updegraff (the first of many in the set).
An album highlight is the 61/2-minute languorous blues of “Watch the World Go By,” a torchy ode to lost love powered by a duet of sumptuous piano and sultry vocals as Brent laments: “Let me pour a little whiskey/And watch the world go by.” It’s a perfect late-night, slow-burning blues, with more elegant guitar notes.
“What You Want” bounces eagerly back with the slyly salacious “I’ll give you anything and everything/Baby, tell me what you want” with its percussive rhythms and still more dancing guitar. “You On My Mind,” another passionate ballad follows, this time it’s a love poem written by Dowell featuring Brent’s moving vocals accentuated by a lovely lyrical guitar: “Nothing else matters as long as you’re around.”
“He Talks About You” follows, an upbeat, rhythmic tale whose bubbly feel underlines the idea that “I am resigned to be the other woman” who “Can not lose what I ain’t got,” and then a New Orleans piano vibe introduces the lilting melody of “Just Because I Love You.”
“Mississippi River Got Me Crying” is a sweetly sung ballad flowing around Brent’s dusky vocals before “Rust” takes a slow-burning blues turn where rust can’t stop a freight train, but has a more metaphorical power: “My man don’t ever leave me / sticks to me just like rust.” The closer is the slinky, auto-erotic “Gas Pumping Man,” fueled by a razor-sharp guitar solo, in praise of “my high-octane baby.”
With the effervescent “Getaway Blues,” Eden Brent has taken us down home with music that’s not really a getaway, but a step back into the spirited world of piano blues and earthy vocals.
What you’ll want while you listen, and you should, is another pour of whiskey to listen to this fine music roll on.
The venerable blues magazine Living Blues has published the winners of its 2024 Living Blues Awards poll in its latest edition. It’s the 31st annual edition of its awards. There are results for both the readers’ poll and the critics’ poll, both listed below. Here is a list of the nominees for this year’s awards. (Thanks to Living Blues for sharing with the Roadhouse.)
Readers’ Poll
Blues Artist of the Year (Male)
Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
Blues Artist of the Year (Female)
Shemekia Copeland
Most Outstanding Musician (Guitar)
Buddy Guy
Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica)
Charlie Musselwhite
Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboard)
Marcia Ball
Best Live Performer
Buddy Guy
Most Outstanding Blues Singer
Shemekia Copeland
Best Blues Album of 2023 (New Release)
Taj Mahal – Savoy – Stony Plain
Best Blues Album of 2023 (Historical Recording)
Ike & Tina Turner – River Deep – Mountain High – Elemental Records
Best Blues Book of 2023
Tell It Like It Is: My Story – Aaron Neville – Hachette Books
Critics’ Poll
Blues Artist of the Year (Male)
Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
Blues Artist of the Year (Female)
Shemekia Copeland
Most Outstanding Blues Singer
Shemekia Copeland
Most Outstanding Musician (Guitar)
Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica)
Charlie Musselwhite
Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboard)
Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne
Most Outstanding Musician (Bass)
Jerry Jemmott
Most Outstanding Musician (Drums)
Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith
Most Outstanding Musician (Horns)
The Texas Horns
Most Outstanding Musician (Other)
Anne Harris (violin)
Best Live Performer
Bobby Rush
Comeback Artist of the Year
Arthur Adams
Artist Deserving More Attention
D.K. Harrell
Best Blues Albums of 2023
Album of the Year
Taj Mahal – Savoy – Stony Plain
Best New Recording / Contemporary Blues
Christone “Kingfish” Ingram – Live in London – Alligator
Best New Recording / Traditional or Acoustic Blues
Eric Bibb – Ridin’ – Stony Plain
Best New Recording / Soul Blues
Johnny Rawls – Walking Heart Attack – Catfood
Best New Recording / Best Debut Release
D.K. Harrell – The Right Man – Little Village Foundation
Best Historical Release / Pre-war
Various Artists – Memphis Blues Box: Original Recordings 1914–1969 – Bear Family
Best Historical Reissue / Postwar
Various Artists – Down Home Blues: Chicago, Vol. 3 – The Special Stuff – Wienerworld
Best Blues Book of 2023
Biography of a Phantom: A Robert Johnson Blues Odyssey
By Robert “Mack” McCormick and John Troutman
Smithsonian Books
Producer of the Year / New Recording
Kid Andersen – (Alabama Mike – Stuff I’ve Been Through) – Little Village Foundation
Producer of the Year / Historical Reissue
Jeff Place and John W. Troutman – (Various Artists – Playing for the Man at the Door: Field Recordings from the Collection of Mack McCormick 1958–1971) – Smithsonian Folkways
The most Reverend Freakchild opens his latest and 18th album, “Bare Bones,” by offering the philosophical track “All I Got Is Now,” with a lyric that sets the tone for the musical thoughts that follow – an exercise in bluesy Buddhism and other mystical delights:
“Yesterdays are history / Tomorrows are a mystery / All I got is now / But I keep forgetting that somehow.”
But that’s just a fraction of the lyrical output on “Bare Bones,” all of which springs from the fertile Freakchild mind, which seems unceasingly occupied by erudite elucidations of the mysteries of life through music. The magical mystery tours of his lyrics easily flow from the delicate to the desolate, but never fail to fascinate.
The Rev has said that he’s a Buddhist, but considers music his religion. Both the blues and Buddhism, he says, can be seen as ways of confronting reality and the truth of human suffering: “I seek transcendence through song.” If you add that the blues is a healer, you might have just the right medicine for the hole in your soul.
For this “Bare Bones” transcendence, the Rev has reprised the nine tracks on his 2023 album, “Songs Of Beauty For Ashes Of Realization,” and pared back its more experimental musical vibe to a solo acoustic effort. The session was recorded live with no edits at the Chattanooga Public Library Studios, making it as close as possible to a musical stream of consciousness.
Following the opening track, “Dial It In” takes us on the road, humming with song: “Gonna drive ’til I get lost and found again / Gonna turn on the radio and dial it in.” The Rev’s raspy vocals add a world-weary elegance here and everywhere, fueled by his sharp acoustic work, all nicely flavored with the blues.
The introspective “All Across America” asks: “Is that me in the mirror, oh lord, what have I become / Yes I do believe that’s the dude that I’ve been running from.” The shuffling whimsy of “Hippy Bluesman Blues” laments a bad Frisco trip: “There ain’t no problems only solutions / I think I’m gonna join the revolution / I got the Hippie Bluesman Blues.”
“Amsterdam Blues” is twice reprised, having first appeared on the Rev’s 2001 debut album, “Blues & Spirituals.” He makes a spiritual journey for secular pleasures: “Just grooving there in Amsterdam, trying to get my senses satisfied / Sex and smoke everywhere, think you went to heaven and died.” The guitar work could easily just have arrived from the Delta.
“Tears Of Fire” offers a melancholy message to rhythmic guitar: “She got words in her hand / Well it seems like she’s always got her tongue wrapped around the name of another man.” “Skyflower” is as delicate as its name: “Now I’m secretly sending magic mettā with my mind / The wind blows around the edges of the wise and the kind.”
For Freakchild fans and would-be aficionados, there’s a second album in this package, aptly titled “Odds, Ends & Interviews,” filled precisely with odds, ends and interviews that may help expand your awareness of the consciousness of the Reverend Freakchild.
And by the way: Just who is the Reverend Freakchild? Just ask him:
“When folks ask me if I’m a real reverend I often say that the Reverend Freakchild character is really a philosophical investigation of the American experience through the music of the blues and spirituals.”
Say amen, somebody.
“All I Got Is Now” from the album:
CD 1 (The music) 01. All I Got Is Now (3:33) 02. Dial It In (2:50) 03. All Across America (3:42) 04. Hippy Bluesman Blues (3:57) 05. Amsterdam Blues (3:59) 06. Tears Of Fire (6:14) 07. Skyflower (4:29) 08. Don’t Miss Nothing ’til It’s Gone (4:50) 09. Keep On Trucking (4:33)
CD 2 (Odds & Ends) 01. The Dead? ( 1:05) 02. Dark Star / Truckin’ (10:31) 03. Preaching The Freak Gospel ( 3:43) 04. Good Shepherd ( 5:02) 05. The Spiritual & Musical Journey ( 1:22) 06. All I Got Is Now (Live) ( 5:58) 07. Truckin’ On With Stu & Hugh (15:28) 08. The Power Of Music ( 3:56) 09. Spiritual Warrior Chant! (27:47)
Blues Roadhouse 