Blues Roadhouse

Chris Beard — “Pass It On Down” — Blue Heart Records

Blues music has a rich history that’s full of great music and musicians.

It has a future, too, but sometimes it’s hard to know where this classical American music will go next.

Chris Beard’s strong new album “Pass It On Down” gives us a clear-eyed look at the music from both sides now — where the music has been and where it just might be going.

Chris is the son of veteran Rochester, N.Y., bluesman Joe Beard, who grew up on Beale Street in the 1950s. With family friends like Matt “Guitar” Murphy and Buddy Guy, it didn’t take long for the younger Beard to learn to love and play the blues. With years of club work on his resume, Chris released his debut recording, “Barwalkin,” in 1998, which earned him a W.C. Handy nomination as the Best New Blues Artist.

“Pass It On Down” is his seventh album since then, each one increasing his foothold in the blues, as well as moving him in his own musical direction. This latest session includes his father, in a tribute to his roots, as he also works his way into a bluesy future.

Chris gets plenty of help along the way from his band — guitarist Brother Wilson and Marvin Parker on bass, drummer Carlton Campbell, keyboardists John Tucker and Jonathan Curry with special guest appearances by Johnny Rawls, Mary Ellen Haden, Richard Rodolph, Kenny Neal and his band. Nine of the ten tracks are originals by Beard and include previously released, remixed and remastered songs, plus one cover. This is his debut on Blue Heart Records.

The album opener is a funky-tough “Let The Chips Fall,” kicking in with drums and ripped with a horn attack followed by fierce guitar riffs — it’s a strong statement that this music is now his own, and let the chips fall where they may. “One More Cry For Love” follows, slowing the tempo but not the contemporary mood. “Big Girl” rides a steady beat of frustration over a woman so near but yet so far.

The moving title track pairs father and son Beard in a heartfelt blues-filled duet with a plea to keep the music flowing — to “pass it on down.” That’s followed by Chris returning with the powerful slow-blues “House Of Shame.” A heady organ intro pushes “When Love Comes Knocking” into another funk-filled treat. Chris Beard traveled to Baton Rouge to record the torchy “Son I Never Knew,” that turns blues into soulful sorrow.

“Keeps Me Believing” is a gentle and powerfully soulful love song, followed by the upbeat invitation to dance “Who Do You Think You’re Foolin’.” Beard goes down home for the closer, with gritty guitar work and vocals that bite on “Bitter Baby.”

Blues giant Willie Dixon was fond of the phrase, “The blues are the roots, the rest are the fruits.” Chris Beard’s solid efforts here dig deep for the roots and provide a tasty sample of the fruits. It’s an album well worth enjoying for all of its musical rewards.

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Here’s an interesting interview with Chris Beard from 2017, by Michael Limnios on his blog, Blues Gr.

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Here’s the album’s opening track, “Let The Chips Fall.”

Tracklist:

1. Let the Chips Fall (3:18)
2. One More Cry for Love (4:21)
3. Big Girl (4:27)
4. Pass It on Down (feat. Joe Beard) (4:18)
5. House of Shame (5:22)
6. When Love Comes Knocking (4:01)
7. Son I Never Knew (5:13)
8. Keeps Me Believing (4:44)
9. Who Do You Think You’re Foolin’ (2:37)
10. Bitter Baby (5:29)

Lee Oskar — “She Said Mahalo” — Dreams We Share

Lee Oskar’s latest musical project, “She Said Mahalo,” is as much a philosophy as it is an album.

Oskar is, of course, a harmonica virtuoso, a harmonica innovator and manufacturer, composer, producer and visual artist.

His musical resume is impressive: The Danish-born Oskar was a founding member, co-composer and lead harmonica player of the pioneering funk/jazz band War that composed and recorded such hits as “Low Rider,” “Spill the Wine,” “Cisco Kid,” “The World is a Ghetto,” “Slippin’ into Darkness,” “Why Can’t Be Friends,” from 1969-1993. Since then, Oskar and his original bandmates from that era perform as the LowRider Band. 

For this session, Oskar is offering an ambitious — and completely gorgeous — instrumental view of life with ten originals that he has written or cowritten. Oskar’s flowing harp lines lead a subtle but compelling musical vision that speaks volumes without words.

But because words are often necessary so the music doesn’t get lost in translation, Oskar has generously provided a brief commentary on each song in the album booklet.

Here’s some of what he has to say about each track:

“Caribbean Love Song”
“Ah, to be stuck on an island! The rhythm of the waves slapping the sand beneath whispering palm trees makes for a persuasive soundtrack to falling in love.”

“Children of the World”
“Empowered, children are ambassadors of hope and two-legged conveyors of joy. They are our teachers. They are our treasures”

“Be. Happy.”
“No one can make you happy. It’s an inside job. There are always challenges to be had. Soulful people who move through hard times with grace and dignity inspire me. Then, when times are right, they celebrate with all they’ve got. It’s a balance. It’s a choice.”

“Morning Rush”
“Whenever you get up, feel the rush. Whatever you do, create your day with joy and pride. Each and every one of you is needed and appreciated!”

“She Said Mahalo” (Mahalo is a Hawaiian word for thanks, gratitude)
“Thanks” is the outward expression of gratitude. We were born to love. The heart is a precious muscle that responds favorably to exercise — physically, emotionally, spiritually.”

“Memories”
“I am fortunate. The brightest moments in my life have been spotlighted by so many outstanding people. Those who have moved on from my day-to-day experience continue to be cherished, enshrined in miraculous bubbles called “memories.”

“Most Favored Nation”
“‘I love the thought that what is fair to the majority sets the standard to apply to the minority as well. Each of us matters as much as any one of us. It pays to be kind, to be fair.”

“Funky Rhetoric”
“Few things under our control are as powerful as words. They can be weaponized like propaganda or as soothing as a mother’s whisper. We must choose our words carefully. Remember opinios are subject to change without notice and that’s okay. No matter what, speak your truth … and keep it funky.”

“Sweet Lullaby”
“Our children must grow into their own selves. As parents we can’t hold them back nor should we. We always remember the little child within, the angel whose wings have spread and carried them away. Wherever they are, we love them. We wish only for their safety and happiness. We try out best and hope we’ve said the right words, made the right decisions. If we are very fortunate, our children come back … close enough for us to embrace for just a moment.”

“One-World Fist”
“This jam is a musical meditation on how incredibly powerful we are when we stand together. As more and more of us merge on the side of harmony, we slowly tilt the world and its trajectory towards a greater good. Maybe that sounds like a bunch of moonbeams and butterflies, but this I believe.”

It’s not just Oskar and his harmonica creating this musical voyage. There’s an orchestral effect and musical tapestry that’s woven by many other outstanding musicians, including those who perform with Oskar regularly as Lee Oskar & Friends: Darian Asplund (Saxophone); Andrew Cloutier (Drums); Denali Williams (Percussion); Dean Schmidt (Bass); Brian Monroney (Guitar); Alex Mortland (Guitar); Andrew Joslyn (Strings); and Mack Grout (Keys and Piano); as well as special guest artists: Takahiro Miyazaki (Saxophone and flute); Paul Hanson (Bassoon); Randy Oxford (Trombone) Harold Brown (Drums, Percussion); Thione Diop (Percussion); Joe Doria (Organ); Phil Peterson (Strings); “Sancho” Youichrou Suzuki (Shakuhachi) and Mayo Higa (Shamisen). Oskar plays various harmonica models in altered tunings and keys on this album, as specified in the liner notes (below). And he created the accompanying artwork.

As you listen to his music, and if you read his words, Oskar’s message becomes perfectly clear. So sit back, maybe with an island-style beverage topped by a tiny umbrella, and enjoy this spiritual voyage.

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“She Said Mahalo” from the album:

Track list:

Apologetic note: This post replaces an earlier version which accidentally published an incorrect list of nominees and winners.

Winners were announced at the Blues Blast Music Awards ceremonies on Sept. 23, 2023 in Peoria, Illinois. More than 6,600 Blues Blast Magazine readers and blues fans voted in the 2023 Blues Blast Music Awards.

Contemporary Blues Album
Taj Mahal – Savoy
 Traditional Blues Album
John Primer – Hard Times
Soul Blues Album
Annika Chambers & Paul DesLauriers – Good Trouble
Rock Blues Album
Mike Zito & Albert Castiglia – Blood Brothers
Acoustic Blues Album
Charlie Musselwhite – Mississippi Son
Live Blues Album
John Primer – Teardrops for Magic Slim
Historical Or Vintage Recording
Bob Corritore & Friends – Women in Blues Showcase
New Artist Debut Album
Lady J Huston – Groove Me Baby
Blues Band
Cash Box Kings
Male Blues Artist
Taj Mahal
Female Blues Artist
Shemekia Copeland
Sean Costello Rising Star Award
Dylan Triplett
Producer Of The Year
Mike Zito
Electric Guitarist Of the Year
Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
Acoustic Guitarist of the Year
Rory Block
Slide Guitarist of the Year
Sonny Landreth
Bass Guitarist of the Year
Bob Stroger
Keyboard Player of the Year
Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne
Percussionist of the Year
Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith
Harmonica Player of the Year
Charlie Musselwhite
Horn Player of the Year
Vanessa Collier
Vocalist of the Year
Shemekia Copeland
Blues Video Of the Year
Jimmy Hall – Jump for Joy

The Count Basie Orchestra with various artists — “The Count Basie Orchestra Swings the Blues” — Candid Records, via Alligator Records

Blues and jazz have always been musical siblings, their origins swirling mysteriously in the mists of musical history. I have read, somewhere, that the blues is “the mother’s milk of jazz.” That sounds good to me.

They have both gone their separate ways, and at the same time shared their DNA in all that they have done.

Every once in a while, they get together again to celebrate their relationship, and when they do, the results are as splendid as they are here, in this outstanding session, “The Count Basie Orchestra Swings the Blues,” featuring a stellar group of blues vocalists that brings and swings the best of both worlds.

Scotty Barnhart, the leader and keeper of the Basie band flame (also professor of jazz trumpet at Florida State University), says the idea for this album came to him in 2019 as he sat next to Bobby Rush at a Blues Foundation Blues Hall of Fame induction ceremony Count Basie.

“I knew The Count Basie Orchestra’s next recording should be one that had at its root, the sound of the Delta Blues. Of course, the orchestra has demonstrated time and time again its unique ability to play and express the blues at many different tempos with unparalleled precision. The Count Basie Orchestra is a blues-based orchestra and everything that it has ever played or will ever play has that particular inflection in it. It’s a blues that makes you want to dance, snap your fingers, tap your toes, and feel good. Mr. Basie said, “our blues will make your blues go away.”

And all of that is precisely what’s going on in this delicious album.

It all swings to life with “Let’s Have A Good Time,” with Castro “Mr. Sipp” Coleman shouting an original blues as the band struts exuberantly behind him. The ageless Bobby Rush takes the band deeper into the Delta with his harmonica intro on “Boogie in the Dark,” gradually bringing the full orchestral sound up behind his vocals.

Shemekia Copeland delivers a fiery take of the Koko Taylor classic, “I’m A Woman” as the band vamps along, adding Buddy Guy’s tough guitar and Charlie Musselwhite’s solid blue harp. The soulful swing of “Down Home Blues” pairs Keb’ Mo’ and Lauren Mitchell in a slinky duet. The blues classic “Stormy Monday” adds Bettye LaVette’s terrific voice to a fresh and swinging arrangement.

Robert Cray takes the spotlight with a gently swinging, soulful turn on “The Midnight Hour.” Mr. Sipp returns with a big-voiced “Dirty Mississippi Blues” while the band churns those muddy down-home waters. “The Patton Basie Shuffle” follows, an instrumental that gives the big Basie sound its head, with a flurry of sparkling solos.

The vocals resume with Ledisi warning about her own bad self in “Evil Gal Blues.” Jamie Davis brings back echoes of shouter Joe Williams with “What You’ve Done,” and then Carmen Bradford lights a slow-burning fuse with “Just For A Thrill.” The final track adds George Benson’s swinging guitar on the jazzy instrumental “Rock Candy,” as the orchestra swings hard to bring the curtain down much too soon.

Scotty Barnhart was correct. This was great musical idea. The Basie orchestra and the chosen blues singers blend effortlessly into a session that’s as timeless as the band’s music. Let’s have an encore presentation.

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There is, of course, a large amount of Count Basie music available, both audio and video. One of my favorites is the somewhat obscure 1979 film, “Last of the Blue Devils,” in which Basie appears at a reunion of some of the surviving members of the Oklahoma City Blue Devils, one of the first of the big bands, later known as the Walter Page Blue Devils. Basie joined the band in 1928, before forming his own. If you can find the film anywhere, it’s pure musical joy to watch.

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Here’s “I’m A Woman” from the album:

Tracklist:
1. Let’s Have A Good Time – Featuring Mr. Sipp
2. Boogie In The Dark – Featuring Bobby Rush
3. I’m A Woman – Featuring Buddy Guy, Shemekia Copeland, Charlie Musselwhite
4. Down Home Blues – Featuring Keb’ Mo’, Lauren Mitchell
5. Stormy Monday – Featuring Bettye LaVette
6. The Midnight Hour – Featuring Robert Cray
7. Dirty Mississippi Blues – Featuring Mr. Sipp
8. The Patton Basie Shuffle
9. Evil Gal Blues – Featuring Ledisi
10. Look What You’ve Done – Featuring Jamie Davis
11. Just For A Thrill – Featuring Carmen Bradford
12. Rock Candy – Featuring George Benson

Tom Hambridge — “Blu Ja Vu” — Quarto Valley Records

When you have a musical career as a singer and drummer that includes writing over 1000
songs, producing 100 albums, and working with everyone from Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley to Buddy Guy – two things come to mind.

You must be exceptionally talented.

You must be Tom Hambridge.

Hambridge is the four-time Grammy-winning whirlwind talent behind – among many other projects – three of blues legend Buddy Guy’s most critically acclaimed albums: “Living Proof” (2011), “Born To Play Guitar” (2016), “The Blues Is Alive And Well” (2018), Keb Mo’s “Good To Be” (2022) and for his work on rising blues star Christone “Kingfish” Ingram’s albums “662” (2022) and “Kingfish” (2020).

Hambridge has been such a prodigious creator and producer of music that Guy says of him: “Someone like that comes along only once in a lifetime. I call him the white Willie Dixon.” But every once in a while, Hambridge takes time out to make an album just for himself. His latest, “Blu Ja Vu,” is his first since the 2018 “The NOLA Sessions,” a sparkling tribute to New Orleans music.

“Blu Ja Vu” is a look back at some of the songs Hambridge has written or co-written – usually with Richard Fleming — and produced for his musical friends. A few of them return the favor here, so it’s bluesy déjà vu all over again.

Hambridge launches this set with one of his most famous partners, Buddy Guy, featuring a vocal duet on the raucous, hard driving “Ain’t It Just Like Love” with a rollicking honky-tonk piano break from Kevin McKendree, followed by a fierce Guy guitar explosion. Joe Bonamassa joins in next for “That’s My Home,” adding his powerful vocals and more wicked guitar work behind a restless refrain, “Where I put down my guitar, that’s my home.”

“Wear You Out,” cowritten with Gary Nicholson, is a testament to a ’54 Stratocaster, a seventy-something Eldorado, and a woman who “couldn’t be satisfied” so “I ain’t slowing down till I wear you out.”

“Blues Don’t Care” brings in Christone “Kingfish” Ingram on guitar and vocals for a tough blues lecture on just how little the blues cares “You try to run, but there’s no escape, it’s the middle finger on the hand of fate.” Rob McNelley adds feverish guitar licks to express the chills of “Sick With Love,” then “Automatic” drives hard with some auto-erotic lyricism: “I got a T-Bird Ford, 1965, 4-barrel V8, I’d like to give you a ride – it’s automatic.”

“Symptoms of Love” is another Hambridge solo effort, which pairs nicely with the musical diagnosis of “Sick With Love.” “Brother John Boogie” is a rousing boogie-woogie instrumental featuring harmonica legend James Cotton (R.I.P.) leading the band and ending in a joyous shout. “Get Out Of Town” is a boisterous roadhouse two-stepper filled with barrelhouse piano.

Josh Smith provides ethereal guitar tension behind the new awareness found in “Smarter Than I Was” – “She took my soul to a darker side, but halfway there I got wise.” “Johnny Winter” is a blues-rock protest song that asks the very real question: “How come Johnny Winter, he ain’t in the hall of fame?” – that’s the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. “Meet Me In Chicago” is co-written by Robert Randolph, and again features the furious razor-sharp guitar of Rob McNelley, drenched in a desire to get back to sweet home Chicago.

The very fitting album closer, “End Of The Line,” is an eloquently phrased little blues, gently offered for our thoughtful consideration: “So many of my friends have gone, maybe my time ain’t long, but I promise ‘til the day I die, I’m gonna keep the blues alive. But I feel sometimes like I’m the end of the line.”

If “Blu Ja Vu” shows us anything, it’s that Tom Hambridge can be counted on to create exceptionally enjoyable music … again … and again … and again.

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Here’s an enjoyable video interview of Hambridge by Art Tipaldi, editor of Blues Music Magazine.

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Here’s “Ain’t It Just Like Love” from the album:

Tracklist:
01. Ain’t It Just Like Love (Featuring Buddy Guy)
02. That’s My Home (Featuring Joe Bonamassa)
03. Wear You Out
04. Blues Don’t Care (Featuring Christone Kingfish Ingram)
05. Sick With Love (Featuring Rob McNelley)
06. Automatic
07. Symptoms Of Love
08. Brother John Boogie (Featuring James Cotton)
09. Get Out Of Town
10. Smarter Than I Was (Featuring Josh Smith)
11. Johnny Winter
12. Meet Me In Chicago (Featuring Rob McNelly)
13. End Of The Line

Teresa James — “Rose-Colored Glasses Vol. 2 — Blue Heart Records (Sept. 15 release)

Those rose-colored glasses that Teresa James sports on the album cover of her latest release, “Rose-Colored Glasses Vol. 2,” are much more than just a clever prop and title.

They represent the continuation of a vision that began almost exactly two years ago, when James and her musically exuberant Rhythm Tramps – fronted by her warmly soulful vocals – released “Rose-Colored Glasses Vol. 1,” finding the joys of love and life through the lens of their rose-colored musical outlook.

In addition to being awarded two silver medals from the Global Music Awards and a Libera Award nomination for Best Blues Record, James also received her second Blues Music Award nomination (Contemporary Blues Female Artist) following the release of Vol 1.

Since those glasses were overflowing with that vision, those ingredients are back in place for Vol. 2, another dozen expressive songs hand-crafted by producer/bassist/songwriter/ husband Terry Wilson along with James and caressed into existence by James’ honeyed voice that treats every song as an emotional rescue.

Wilson notes, “So many times I thought I’d be finished with a tune, and then Teresa would come in, hear it, and teach me how it should be done, especially melodically and dynamically.”

The Tramps plus a few friends are their usual crackling good selves here, allowing James to blend her Texas roots with their present Los Angeles environs into crisp, swinging, countrified Southern California soul. James’s expressive vocals are smooth and sensuous, with just a hint of romantic grit, and always right in tune with her message. The icing on the cake for the project was a trip to Malmsbury, England where James and Wilson had the opportunity to visit with and learn from their friend, Grammy-winning producer and engineer, John Porter, while he completed the mixing and mastering of the album.

This adventure begins with the sultry opener’s promise, “I’d Do It For You,” with the vow: “I’d take care of your bills, I’d give you your pills, I’d cure your ills….” “Better Angels” is an easy-rolling search for better angels with some honky-tonk undertones from keyboard wizard Kevin McKendree. “Lean On Love” is percussive, rock-steady advice on the emotional support available when leaning in the proper direction – toward love, of course.

“The Idea Of You” is a softly soulful ballad in a smaller combo setting that puts the emphasis on James’ haunting vocal turn. “That’s What I’m Talking About” is a gently swinging affair with a lovely liquid guitar run followed by a sensuous sax solo by Paulie Cerra. “I Don’t Need Another Reason To Fall In Love” bounces to life with a touch of R&B driving James toward her man.

James gets a co-writing credit on “Flip Flop,” with clever wordplay that highlights the dilemma of a love that’s “got me in a hot spot … catch you on the flip-flop….” “The Heart Wants What It Wants” is an eloquent lyrical gem as Wilson blends keys, guitar, and bass behind a poignant vocal turn. “Ain’t Nothing For Certain,” another track with James’ name and style on it, highlights the will to survive: “Ain’t nothin’ for certain in the world we’re livin’ in, never give up, never give in….” “Just Don’t Think About It” is a lighthearted ode to heartache. “Brand New Flame” serves as a torchy invitation: “I ain’t lookin’ for no one night stand, and I don’t want no come and go man …. if you’re lookin’ for a brand-new flame, well I’m a hot one….”

The closer, an upbeat “Second Chances,” throbs with the promise of rose-colored optimism: “I believe in second chances, I believe in love at first glance, I believe in true romance….“

Indeed. And that’s the promise of this sparkling Teresa James & the Rhythm Tramps session, created with warmth and passion and musical genius. It’s simply a great album, filled with thoroughly enjoyable music from the Tramps, embracing the soul-stirring voice of Teresa James.

Those rose-colored glasses seem to be working just fine.

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“I Don’t Need Another Reason to Fall in Love” from the album:

 Track Listing: 1. I’d Do it For You 2. Better Angels 3. Lean On Love 4. The Idea of You 5. That’s What I’m Talking About 6. I Don’t Need Another Reason to Fall in Love 7. Flip Flop 8. The Heart Wants What it Wants 9. Ain’t Nothing for Certain 10. Just Don’t Think About It 11. Brand New Flame 12. Second Chances

Johnny Rawls — “Walking Heart Attack” — Catfood Records

Johnny Rawls is a soul survivor.

There aren’t too many soulmen left who make Rawls’ kind of music — sensuous, soulful music, richly flavored by the blues.

He’s been making his music for more than 50 years, after learning to play guitar in his teens. Rawls’ schoolteacher in Purvis, Miss., got him gigs backing musicians who were touring the area, such as Z. Z. Hill and Joe Tex. In the mid 1970s, Rawls joined soul great O. V. Wright’s band, later became his music director and played with him until Wright’s death in 1980. The band then continued as the Ace of Spades Band for another 13 years.

Rawl’s career since then is the stuff from which legends are born: The Blues Music Awards, Blues Blast Awards, Living Blues Awards, and the W. C. Handy Awards have all acknowledged Rawls with multiple awards and nominations, including Soul Blues Album of the Year and Soul Blues Artist of the Year. Living Blues magazine described him as a “soul-blues renaissance man” when he was featured on the cover in 2002. Three of his albums have made the DownBeat Magazine Critics’ Choice Best of the Year List. He is on two markers along the Mississippi Blues Trail – one in Hattiesburg, Miss., and another, of all places, at Marker 110 in Rockland, Maine, testifying to the migration of blues from Mississippi to Maine (check out this bit of blues history here). Rawls’ first recorded with other musicians, but his first solo album, “Here We Go,” was released in 1996, and since then he’s released an album almost every year.

For his latest session, Rawls is backed by his regular group: The Rays: Johnny McGhee – guitar; Bob Trenchard (he’s head of Catfood Records and wrote a pair of songs here with Rawls) – bass; Richy Puga – drums; Dan Ferguson – keyboards; Andy Roman – sax solos; Mike Middleton – trumpet; Nick Flood – baritone/tenor/alto sax; Frank Otero – trombone; with Jon Olazabal – percussion; and backing vocals by Janelle Thompson and Shakara Weston.

Of course, none of that matters much unless you actually sound good. And Johnny Rawls sounds just great.

That becomes pretty obvious as the album “Walking Heart Attack” opens crisply to horns and backup singers with the song, “Walking Heart Attack,” a funky workout that makes a powerful opening statement. “Trying to Live My Life Without You” is a tribute to Otis Clay, the late soul legend, with whom Rawls recorded 2014’s “Soul Brothers.”  “Free” is a Rawls original with gospel undertones and a pleading vocal. “Tell Me the Truth” turns to the blues for its driving wheel, sparked by crackling horns.

“Born All Over” is gloriously pure soul, as Rawls delivers musical testimony from the O.V. Wright songbook, from which he draws a song for every album. “Heal Me” is more strong soul with an orchestral sound punched along by some eloquent B3.  A pair of songs by Rawls and Trenchard follows, the horn-driven, easy-swinging rhythms of “One More Sin,” — “If loving you is a sin then I ask for forgiveness again and again…,” with that B3 romping again. Then a soulful vocal take advances “Lies” as one of the album’s strongest cuts.

In what seems an unusual cover choice for a lifelong soulman, Rawls turns Bruce Springsteen’s mythic “Hungry Heart” into a brightly rhythmic bit of soul. The closer “Mississippi Dreams,” is another Trenchard original that reaches back home for Rawls in a sentimental journey spiced with a soaring sax solo.

It makes for a perfect ending to an elegantly soulful journey, at least for this thoroughly enjoyable album. Rawls sounds like he’s got a lot more soul to give. I know I’ll be waiting.

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“Walking Heart Attack” from the album:

Tracklist & Credits:

Name Droppers — “Blue Diamonds” — Horizon Music Group

The Name Droppers (very cool name) are four veteran musicians out of Connecticut with deep roots in blues and rock, and a history of making fine music separately until they joined forces in 2019.

This is just the third album for the group, which includes guitarist Rafe Klein, New England Music Hall of Fame drummer Bobby “T” Torello, Grammy-winning bassist Scott Spray (also in the New England Music Hall of Fame) and keyboardist Ron Rifkin.

They’ve also brought in a few guests here, including guitarists Al Ferrante and Jay Willie, vocalists Heather Joseph, Simone Brown, Carol Sylvan, and the
entire Horizon Music Choir, with Bill Holloman on sax, and original Paul Butterfield Blues Band keyboardist Mark Naftalin on piano.

They’ve created seven new songs for this session, added a pair of blues covers and thrown in a live performance — all of which make this a hard-driving set that combines some good old-fashioned rock ‘n’ roll, some sharp blues and a few shades of music in between.

Everything begins with “Blue Diamond,” as the pulsating title track sets up a tough groove that hints at the musical strength of what’s to come. It’s a sad lament of love lost due to drug use, but it rocks hard with Klein’s vocals, and backup singer Heather Joseph chanting “blue diamonds” throughout adds a bright counterpoint. It’s a great song, and for some reason it reminds me a little of Robert Palmer’s classic “Addicted to Love.”

Torello’s gruff vocals lead the way on “Hollywood,” a blues-flavored rocker, followed by
“Just Come Home” with Klein’s plaintiff vocals following a doo-wop style intro. The first cover is Bobby “Blue” Bland’s “Further On Up The Road,” with Klein’s vocals pushed along by tasty organ riffs.

Torello brings his world-weary vocals to the front on “Back To Chicago,” highlighted by Willie’s sharp slide, and driven by an enthusiastic version of Bo Diddley’s trademark beat. “New York” features a soulful vocal turn by Klein, and then guitar legend Charlie Karp is honored with the inclusion of the blues chestnut “Red House,” a stirring track released posthumously in tribute to a departed friend.

The anthem-like “Ukraine We Stand” is a musically and lyrically eloquent salute to that beleaguered nation (also released as a single with proceeds going to Ukrainian charities to aid refugees). Then Carole Sylvan’s backing vocals add heartfelt depth to Klein’s rousing “Are You Lonely?”
The closer shows off Torello’s vocals again in the fierce blues-rocker “Blue Guitar,” with a Chuck Berry-style intro that turns into a rollicking finale.

“Blue Diamonds” is indeed a gem. The Name Droppers are tough enough for their hard rock, and tender enough to polish this gem until it gleams.

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“Blue Diamonds,” the title track:

Tracks and credits:

Willie J.Campbell — “Be Cool” — Blue Heart Records

Willie J. Campbell was one of those all-purpose musicians who was a bass player, singer, songwriter — and in his 50-year career he became an essential ingredient of several great bands, including the James Harman Band, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, the Mannish Boys and the Proven Ones.

That heady career was interrupted in March of 2022, when Campbell was diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, sometimes known as Lou Gehrig’s disease).

Knowing that his time was limited, Campbell planned a final album of the music he loved, created with the musical friends that he loved. And just eight weeks before he died, he recorded his final music.

That joyous final session is this album, “Be Cool,” whose title is based on words Campbell was fond of using, and includes as guests guitarist Kid Ramos, Campbells’s co-producer Brian Templeton, plus Fabulous Thunderbirds frontman Kim Wilson, Sugaray Rayford, Los Lobos’ David Hidalgo, Joe Louis Walker, Janiva Magness, Jimi Bott, Jimmie Wood, Jason Ricci, Anson Funderburgh, Mike Morgan, Shawn Pittman, Johnny Ramos, Condron Hampton, Mondo Cortez, Pat McDougall, and Brooks Milgate. Blue Heart Records worked with the Campbell family in preparing the release to ensure that this album accurately reflects the impact Campbell had on those around him.

The album opens with the funky-tough “You Better Let Go,” featuring Rayford on massive vocals, then Milgate’s piano sparks the rocking “No More,” featuring Funderburgh. Hidalgo provides vocals and guitar and joins Wilson on harmonica for a cover of Los Lobos’ easy-riding “This Time.”

“Can’t Stay Away” powers up next, with Magness soaring emotionally and vocally on the torchy blues. “Drone” evokes a Mississippi Hill Country trance with Ramos on guitar and swampy harp by Ricci. The rollicking instrumental “Docksidin’,” plays Cambell’s bass off Funderburgh’s guitar with tasty B3 licks.

“My Fault”, originally performed by Rod Stewart and written by Stewart, Ron Wood, and Ian McLagan, bursts its hard-rocking seams with Rolling Stone riffs, and “Forever Shall Be” is rich with soulful gospel tapestry. A snappy horn chorus welcomes Rayford back to the vocals on “Standby,” with an assist from Walker on guitar. Pittman gets down and swampy with vocals on “Devil on My Shoulder” featuring a stinging Funderburgh solo, and harp work from Wilson.

“She’s A Twister” is hard-driving, old-fashioned rock ‘n’ roll with guitar and Milgate’s barrelhouse piano. “One Man Chain Gang” features Wood on haunting vocals pleading for rescue. Wilson is back on vocals and harp for a sparkling cover of Huey P. Smith’s “You Can’t Stop Her”, a New Orleans classic. Templeton pours his heart out in the plaintiff love ballad, “Use as Needed.”

The closer belongs to Fleetwood Mac’s Peter Green, whose eloquent instrumental “Albatross” is a spirit-lifting finale, pointing to Campbell’s final thoughts in the liner notes: “Love fully in the moment. Enjoy everyone and everything that you can, while you can”.

“Be Cool” is an uplifting album, a fitting musical tribute to the great talents of Willie J. Campbell, overflowing with the music that filled his heart and his life.

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“This Time,” from the album:

Tracklist:
01. Willie J. Campbell, Sugaray Rayford – You Better Let Go (feat. Sugaray Rayford)
02. Willie J. Campbell, Anson Funderburgh – No More (feat. Anson Funderburgh)
03. Willie J. Campbell, David Hidalgo, Kim Wilson – This Time (feat. David Hidalgo & Kim Wilson)
04. Willie J. Campbell, Janiva Magness, Anson Funderburgh – Can’t Stay Away (feat. Janiva Magness & Anson Funderburgh)
05. Willie J. Campbell, Jason Ricci – Drone (feat. Jason Ricci)
06. Willie J. Campbell, Anson Funderburgh – Docksidin’ (feat. Anson Funderburgh)
07. Willie J. Campbell, Anson Funderburgh – My Fault (feat. Anson Funderburgh)
08. Willie J. Campbell – Forever Shall Be
09. Willie J. Campbell, Joe Louis Walker, Sugaray Rayford – Standby (feat. Joe Louis Walker & Sugaray Rayford)
10. Willie J. Campbell, Kim Wilson, Anson Funderburgh, Shawn Pittman – Devil On My Shoulder (feat. Shawn Pittman, Kim Wilson, & Anson Funderburgh)
11. Willie J. Campbell – She’s a Twister
12. Willie J. Campbell, Jimmie Wood, Mondo Cortez – One Man Chain Gang (feat. Mondo Cortez & Jimmie Wood)
13. Willie J. Campbell, Kim Wilson – You Can’t Stop Her (feat. Kim Wilson)
14. Willie J. Campbell – Use As Needed
15. Willie J. Campbell – Albatross

I was listening to some older music in my collection recently — some fine old R&B and soul. One of the songs that turned up is one I’ve heard at least a million times (no, I haven’t really counted) since its 1953 release — “Shake A Hand” by Faye Adams.

Even though it’s been covered by everyone from Jackie Wilson to Tina Turner to Little Richard to Elvis Presley, Adams’ version is the one I find the most moving, powered by Adams’ soaring voice and gospel roots.

The song was a big hit. It topped the R&B charts and held that spot for a couple months, until it was replaced by the musically similar follow-up, “I’ll Be True.” Together they sold almost two million copies. Adams’ third single, “Every Day,” didn’t do much, but she returned to the number one spot in mid-1954 with “Hurts Me to My Heart.”

So I thought that perhaps it would be a good idea to revisit Faye Adams, born Fanny Tuell in 1923, and recommend her music.

Adams had an especially soulful quality on some of her recordings, probably a product of her gospel upbringing. She was the daughter of David Tuell, a gospel singer and one of the key figures behind the Church Of God In Christ movement that would later contribute performers such as Billy Preston and Edwin Hawkins. At the age of five, Adams joined her siblings to sing spirituals as the Tuell Sisters. After marrying her future manager Tommy Scruggs in 1942, Tuell shifted toward secular music.

Under her married name, Faye Scruggs, she became a regular performer in New York nightclubs in the late 1940s and early 1950s. While performing in Atlanta, she was discovered by the singer Ruth Brown, who won her an audition with the bandleader Joe Morris of Atlantic Records. Morris changed Scruggs’s name to Faye Adams, and signed her to Herald Records. Her first release was Morris’s song “Shake a Hand.”

Adams’ vocals remind me of Brown and LaVern Baker, two of the best R&B singers of their day — or even since. All of them seemed to be bridging the gap between R&B styles and what was about to be known as rock ‘n’ roll. They also had a great deal of what would soon come to be called “soul.”

Indeed, according to the Acoustic Music organization, the “first clear evidence of soul music shows up with The “5” Royales, an ex-gospel group that turned to R&B and in Faye Adams, whose “Shake A Hand” becomes an R&B standard.”

Following her hit singles, she left the Morris band and was billed as “Atomic Adams.” And you can find a fine compilation of 40 of her songs on a release called “The Very Best of Atomic Adams.” By the late 1950s, her career diminished, although she continued to record into the early ’60s.

By 1963 Adams had retired from pop music. She remarried in 1968 and, as Fannie Jones, returned to gospel music and family life in New Jersey. In the 1970s, she was credited as co-writer, with her husband Clarence E. Jones, of several gospel and secular songs, and released a single, “Sinner Man”, on Savoy Records.

There isn’t a lot of information about her on the interwebs, where this brief history has been found, and I couldn’t even find anything to indicate when she died.

But her music lives, and it’s worth a listen, as she contributed a powerful vocal style that sat astride the musical bridge between R&B, soul and rock.

Her singles shift between those styles, usually in front of what sounds like a full band, sometimes crisp with sultry sax solos, and sometimes soaring ballads.

Adams didn’t become as famous as Brown or Baker, both powerful and popular singer from that era, but her big voice — almost a blues shouter at times — and recordings reflect similar qualities. And on more soulful material, it’s easy to hear the influence of the gospel music that sparked her early years, and to which she eventually returned.

Give her music a hearing. It deserves to remain part of our musical story.

Here are a couple YouTube videos to get you started.