Blues Roadhouse

Twice in the past quarter-century, Clarence Spady has had albums that got him nominated for blues and soul awards. The first was “Nature of the Beast” in 1996, and the second was “Just Between Us” in 2008. They were also the only two albums he had ever released.

Until now.

Spady’s third album,“Surrender” has arrived (Nola Blue Records, May 21), and promises to put him back into awards territory again.

The album, just nine songs long, is still an intense personal journey, not without its own soulful pain, and as in the case of most good music, cathartic and uplifting at the same time.

The opening cut, “If My Life Was A Book,” sets the musical stage for Spady’s thoughtful blues expedition that covers work that reflects the past 20 years or so of personal struggles and music-making.

“Good Conversation” follows, penned by the track’s lead guitarist Adam Schultz; it’s an ode to the benefits of connection through — conversation. A quaint idea in this age of tweets, texts and TikTok. All of that leads into the scorching “When My Blood Runs Cold,” co-written by Judge “Lucky” Peterson, his father, James, and Steve Washington, who worked with both Petersons for many years. “K-Man” is another exercise in reflection, but upbeat in flavor, this time with a song he wrote in memory of his late son, Khalique.

“Surrender” is at once soulful and spiritual, with the title telling the story. An acoustic version of the Z.Z. Hill chestnut “Down Home Blues” (written by the talented George Jackson) is stunning in its down-home blues simplicity. 

Three previously unreleased live tracks conclude the album — all recorded at the River St. Jazz Café in Plains, Pa., in 1999, not too far from Spady’s home in Scranton, Pa. “Addiction Game,” the 10-minute-plus Spady original  instrumental “Jones Falls Expressway” and “Pick Me Up.”

This is a fine album. Its filled with great Spady vocals, crackling arrangements and excellent musicianship. It’s made even better knowing how much of it is a deeply personal statement, and how it’s fueled by the life and times of Clarence Spady.

Do yourself a favor and absorb it. 

Here’s Lucky Peterson with “My Blood Runs Cold”:

Here’s Clarence Spady with the title track, “Surrender”:

“Surrender” Track List
1. If My Life Was A Book
2. Good Conversation
3. When My Blood Runs Cold
4. K-Man
5. Surrender
6. Down Home Blues
7. Addiction Game
8. Jones Falls Expressway
9. Pick Me Up

The Black Keys, a groundbreaking rock band, have returned to their roots with their latest and tenth studio album in their 20-year career, “Delta Kream” (Nonesuch Records, May 14), and their roots are deep in Mississippi Hill Country blues.

Yes, guitarist/vocalist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney first got together in Akron, Ohio, not Mississippi, but even then these deep blues had seeped up into the Rust Belt. The two were especially taken with the deep richness of the music of R.L. Burnside and David “Junior” Kimbrough, two founding fathers of Hill Country music.

But that was two decades ago, and after years of heavy-duty rock success, the band is returning to the inspiration that drew them together.

They’ve put together an eleven-song set that includes covers of some of Burnside’s and Kimbrough’s best, using guitarist Kenny Brown, a Burnside sideman, and bassist Eric Deaton, from Kimbrough’s band Percussionist Sam Bacco and organ player Ray Jacildo also lend a hand.

The opening track, though, is “Crawling Kingsnake,” a John Lee Hooker song with heavy Kimbrough overtones. Then they summon up Mississippi Fred McDowell’s “Louise” before diving into the deep end of the blues pool with a bunch (I apologize for the use of such technical musical terminology) of Burnside and Kimbrough covers.

There’s no question the Keys are good at this. The put the session together in just two days, with no rehearsals. They reached back for some great old blues.

Auerbach says of the album, “We made this record to honor the Mississippi Hill Country blues tradition that influenced us starting out. These songs are still as important to us today as they were the first day Pat and I started playing together and picked up our instruments. It was a very inspiring session with Pat and me along with Kenny Brown and Eric Deaton in a circle, playing these songs. It felt so natural.”

Carney agrees: “The session was planned only days in advance and nothing was rehearsed. We recorded the entire album in about ten hours, over two afternoons, at the end of the ‘Let’s Rock’ tour.” 

It does feel natural. And thoroughly enjoyable. The only way to enjoy this music more would be to listen to the originals.

Here’s the video for “Crawling Kingsnake,” directed by Tim Hardiman and filmed at Jimmy Duck Holmes’ Blue Front Café in Bentonia, Mississippi, the oldest active juke joint in the nation.

Here’s Junior Kimbrough with “Crawlin’ Kingsnake”:

Tracklist for Delta Kream:

1. “Crawling Kingsnake” (John Lee Hooker / Bernard Besman)
2. “Louise” (Fred McDowell)
3. “Poor Boy a Long Way From Home” (Robert Lee Burnside)
4. “Stay All Night” (David Kimbrough, Jr.)
5. “Going Down South” (Robert Lee Burnside)
6. “Coal Black Mattie” (Ranie Burnette)
7. “Do the Romp” (David Kimbrough, Jr.)
8. “Sad Days, Lonely Nights” (David Kimbrough, Jr.)
9. “Walk with Me” (David Kimbrough, Jr.)
10. “Mellow Peaches” (Joseph Lee Williams)
11. “Come on and Go with Me” (David Kimbrough, Jr.)

There must be a massive pipeline running from a big old 1950ish Chicago blues refinery somewhere that flows directly into the recording studio of harp-master Bob Corritore. The man never fails to create a fine album, filled with classic Chicago-style blues, played by some of the best remaining practitioners of that art.

“Spider In My Stew” (VizzTone, May 14) is his latest effort, packed with tough blues from a stellar cast of artists who know how to deliver blues that actually sound like the blues.

I may be revealing here that I’m very partial to traditional blues music. Some very fine musicians are working very hard at moving beyond that level, and I enjoy a lot of their music as well. I just like the traditional stuff more. It’s kind of like the old saying about whiskey: “There’s no such thing as bad whiskey; I just like some better than others.” (And I admit, I don’t even know if that’s true, but it sounds kind of impressive.)

But I digress.

Corritore’s latest is filled with great blues from a handful of guests showing off their chops with mostly classic tunes, and a couple of fresh ones. Plus the unusual choice of a Bob Dylan track — “I Shall Be Released” — to wrap things up. There are 38 talented musicians making up the complete roster here.

The vocalists include Oscar Wilson of the Cash Box Kings, Sugaray Rayford, Alabama Mike, Diunna Greenleaf, Lurrie Bell, Shy Perry, Johnny Rawls, John Primer, Willie Buck and Francine Reed.

Here is the track list, and who sings what:

1. Tenessee Woman (feat. Oscar Wilson)
2. Big Mama’s Soul Food (feat. Sugaray Rayford)
3. Whatcha Gonna Do When Your Baby Leaves You (feat. Alabama Mike)
4. Don’t Mess With the Messer (feat. Diunna Greenleaf)
5. Spider in My Stew (feat. Lurrie Bell)
6. Wang Dang Doodle (feat. Shy Perry)
7. Drop Anchor (feat. Alabama Mike)
8. Sleeping With the Blues (feat. Johnny Rawls)
9. Mama Talk to Your Daughter (feat. John Primer)
10. Why Am I Treated So Bad (feat. Francine Reed)
11. Soon Forgotten (feat. Willie Buck)
12. I Can’t Shake This Feeling (feat. Lurrie Bell)
13. Look Out (feat. Alabama Mike)
14. I Shall Be Released (feat. Francine Reed)

This album, another in a long series of star-studded Corritore outings, is just one fine blues after another, starting with Wilson’s powerful “Tennessee Woman.” Rayford rolls out a delicious “Big Mama’s Soul Food,” and it’s one of my favorites. Another highlight is the still smooth and soulful Rawls sensuous take on his own composition, “Sleeping With The Blues.” Primer updates the old R&B-flavored J.B. Lenoir song, “Mama, Talk to Your Daughter,” and Buck turns in a tough version of Muddy Waters‘ “Soon Forgotten.”

The blues roll on through 13 sparkling tracks, and the album winds up with Francine Reed lending her potent pipes to Dylan’s “I Shall Be Released,” and while it didn’t exactly roll directly out of the blues refinery pipeline, it somehow manages to sound just right as a closer.

At the risk of repeating myself, this is a real deal, downhome blues album, another little gem from Bob Corritore. Give it a listen.

By the way, the song “Spider in My Stew” was written by the prodigious and prolific Willie Dixon in 1973, with a popular version recorded by Buster Benton.

Here’s the title track, by Lurrie Bell:

Here’s the list of who is playing what and when and with whom. Impressive.

I suppose you’re wondering why I haven’t posted here for a while (You’re probably not, but it makes me feel good to think so). Well, life intruded for a while, but now I’m back with some blues. As it should be.

And I have a new album by an old favorite to talk about — “Let’s Get Happy Together” from Maria Muldaur, with Tuba Skinny, released May 7 by Stony Plain Records.

I’m pretty sure you’ve heard of Maria, but the funky New Orleans musicians who call themselves Tuba Skinny are probably not yet a household word, although this album should move them right along in that direction.

When I say old favorite, that’s exactly what I mean. I have fond memories of Muldaur’s folksy, bluesy music with the Jim Kweskin Jug Band in the 1960s, and the start of her solo career in 1972, followed in ’73 by the release of her first effort, “Maria Muldaur.” That album contained the sensual little ditty, “Midnight at the Oasis,” that won Grammy nominations for Record of the Year and Song of the Year, and supposedly sparked a mini-population boom among repeat listeners..

And Tuba Skinny could well be a new favorite. Their brand new and sparkling arrangements of vintage music are thoroughly enjoyable re-creations of great old American music.

Of course, Maria has done a lot since her1973 debut. This is her 43rd album, most of which have focused on her love of old blues, jazz and roots music, and especially old-time jazz and blues women.

This combination of Muldaur and Tuba Skinny seems a match made in roots-music heaven (if there’s not yet such a place, it’s just a matter of time). Music from the 1920s and ’30s rolls out here with all the old-time goodness of the originals. It’s not all toe-tapping happiness, though. “Got the South in My Soul,” and “Some Sweet Day,” for example, are more sweet and soulful. But still great songs.

Muldaur, at the age of 77 (1943 was a vintage year), sounds simply great. Her vocals bring just the right amount of sass or sweetness to this fine old music, which sounds just as fresh as it must have 80 or 90 years ago.

Tuba Skinny is equally marvelous. It’s a tasty blend of old blues, jazz and Dixieland, mixed with the spirit of these young musicians and the sheer enthusiasm of their playing. The band consists of Shaye Cohn – cornet; Todd Burdick – tuba; Barnabus Jones – trombone; Jason Lawrence – banjo; Craig Flory – clarinet; Greg Sherman – guitar; Max Bien-Kahn – guitar; and Robin Rapuzzi – washboard.

I’m especially fond of this kind collaboration. Cohn’s cornet and Flory’s clarinet along with Jones’ trombone, and of course, tuba by Burdick, weave in and out of the melodies with magical results. And I do love that clarinet. That’s not to ignore the rest. I just happen to have a thing for the licorice stick — it has a storied history in jazz, and even classical music. But in the right hands, it speaks eloquently of the blues.

All in all, this another fine session from Maria Muldaur, this time with her talented accomplices, Tuba Skinny. Try hard not to miss it.

Here’s a list of the songs on the album, with notes from Maria about the their origins. The titles have links to the original recordings, except for the final song by Victoria Spivey’s sister, Addie “Sweet Pea” Spivey.

1. I Like You Best of All. – originally done by the Goofus Five,  a popular band in the ‘20s~The minute I heard it I knew it would be a perfect vehicle for Tuba Skinny!

2. Let’s Get Happy Together – originally written & recorded by Lil Hardin Armstrong, a perky happy song with hip lyrics.

3. Be Your Natural Self – originally sung by a vocalist named Frankie “Half Pint” Jaxon, who sometimes sang and entertained as a man and sometimes as a woman, one of the first openly “gender benders” of the era! I’m sure this song had special significance for him!

4. Delta Bound – originally recorded by Ivy Anderson & the Duke Ellington Orchestra, it’s always been one of my favorites and I’m so glad I had the opportunity to finally record this song with the right band!

5. Swing You Sinners – recorded in 1935 by one of the most delightful discoveries of my research… an amazingly talented woman named Valaida Snow, a virtuoso American jazz musician and entertainer who became an internationally celebrated talent. She was known as “Little Louis,” “Queen of the Trumpet,” and was referred to by Louis Armstrong as “the second best trumpet player in the world.” How could I have studied this music for so long and never heard of her??….That’s the beauty of our rich musical legacy….  the more you delve into it, the more there is to discover and enjoy!

6. He Ain’t Got Rhythm – I just love Irving Berlin’s droll, clever lyrics! Recorded by many artists in the 1930s…Billie Holiday’s rendition with Teddy Wilson, Lester Young, Benny Goodman, et al, is the one that informs our version.

7. Got the South in My Soul – originally recorded by New Orleans natives, The Boswell Sisters … fabulous singers with incredible musicianship who sang and swung with all the best big bands of the day. Connie Boswell, who so soulfully sang lead, is one of my favorite singers.

8. I Go for That – Dorothy Lamour, another New Orleans native, was married to a big bandleader and sang with his band before she became the exotic sultry Hollywood movie star we all remember. I was delighted to discover what a cool singer she was and to find this droll, witty song – “You play the ‘uke, you’re from Dubuque”… hilarious lyrics!

 9. Patience & Fortitude – another song originally done by the incomparable Valaida Snow…An uplifting little sermonette with a useful, positive message.

10. Some Sweet Day– a sweet, wistful song originally done by Frankie “Half Pint” Jaxon.

11. Big City Blues – an all-too-true tale of loneliness, originally recorded by a wonderful singer I greatly admire, Annette Henshaw, who recorded over 250 sides and was one of the most popular radio stars of the 1930s.

12. Road of Stone – This raw, soulful, plaintive blues was recorded in the 1920s by Sweet Pea Spivey…. sister of famous classic blues queen, Victoria Spivey, who actually “discovered” me and mentored me in my youth. (BR: I can’t find any audio of this song, but here’s another by Addie “Sweet Pea” Spivey)

And now for some videos:

A quickie of a 1966 or ’68 version of “Big Fat Woman Blues” with the Kweskin band:

“Midnight at the Oasis” from 1974:

The title track from “Let’s Get Happy Together” (alas, audio only):

The 2021 UK Blues Awards winners have been announced, and the reason I know that is that Shemekia Copeland was named International Blues Artist of the Year. Check out the Brits who won here.

Here’s the announcement from Alligator Records:
“On Sunday, May 9, award-winning vocalist Shemekia Copeland received the coveted UK Blues Award for International Blues Artist Of The Year. The award was presented in a virtual ceremony hosted by BBC radio personality, actor and musician Paul Jones.

“The UK Blues Awards were created by the UK Blues Federation to give the blues community in the UK the opportunity to recognize and applaud those actively involved with the music.”

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Copeland’s latest album, “Uncivil War,” brought her consider musical talents to bear on contemporary social issues. Here’s my review from last October.

I was listening to some music by Aleck Miller the other day, and I got to thinking about his stage name — you know: Sonny Boy Williamson, usually followed by II. And how he just plain stole another man’s name and reputation to help his own fame and reputation.

So I thought I might pass along this odd little piece of blues history, and encourage you to find some of Williamson’s music and enjoy it.

That reminded me that I ought to revisit the work of the original Sonny Boy — John Lee Curtis “Sonny Boy” Williamson — not nearly as well-known today as Miller, but very influential in helping to turn the blues harp into a featured solo instrument in blues bands.

Williamson, who started to record in 1937, was a prolific songwriter, bandleader and sideman until his death in 1948. The two harp players’ careers overlapped, and in 1941, Miller was hired to play the on the King Biscuit Time radio show in Helena, Ark., advertising the King Biscuit brand of baking flour. He appeared with Robert Jr. Lockwood.

The main theory about Millers’ name change says that the Biscuit Time sponsor, Max Moore, began billing Miller as Sonny Boy Williamson in an attempt to capitalize on the fame of Williamson, who was a more well-known performer in Chicago blues and recording circles. I’ve read various ambiguous accounts of whether the two men met, and whether Williamson ever acknowledged or approved of Miller’s name change, but Miller himself seemed to have no objection to building his prodigious career on the taking of another man’s name. Although to be fair, he would often claim that he was the first to use the Sonny Boy moniker, but there doesn’t seem to be much evidence to support this.

Before he became Sonny Boy II, Miller performed as “Rice” Miller — a childhood nickname because he loved his rice and milk, or as “Little Boy Blue.” Incidentally, Miller’s mother was named Millie Ford, but he apparently took the last name of his stepfather, Jim Miller.

Williamson’s blues output was immense. He played on hundreds of recordings by many pre–World War II blues artists. Under his own name, he was one of the most recorded blues musicians of the 1930s and 1940s and is closely associated with Chicago producer Lester Melrose and Bluebird Records.

His popular songs, original or adapted, include “Good Morning, School Girl“, “Sugar Mama,” “Early in the Morning“, and “Stop Breaking Down.”

Here’s a web site put together by Stefan Wirz, with a comprehensive list of Williamson’s recordings.

You can find some audio of his work on YouTube, and streaming services. And there are still some of albums around, if the prices haven’t been inflated too much. Interestingly, on a few of the compilations albums of his work, his name is turned around, apparently to capitalize on the Sonny Boy part instead of the John Lee part, as in “The Blues: Chicago 1937-1945 by Sonny Boy ‘John Lee’ Williamson”

So you should give the original Sonny Boy a listen. His harp work is sharp and strong and his vocals full of life. His original songs often the precursors of later blues, like his “Good Morning School Girl,” which, with the addition of the word “Little,” has become a blues classic.

Miller’s music is easy to find. There’s plenty of audio and video of him performing. Williamson’s work is there, but not quite as visible. It’s worth the search.

Here’s a sampling of some audio found on YouTube:

Here’s “Sugar Mama Blues”:

I was looking through some of my very old country blues music the other day, and came upon a CD collection of vintage songs titled “Booger Rooger Saturday Night!” by Orvon Grover Autry. You probably know him better as Gene Autry. The rest of the album title is “Gene Autry Blues Singer 1929 – 1931”

You also probably know him better as a movie star (93 films), TV star, recording artist (640 recordings), and baseball team owner. But at the very beginning of his career, Autry was considered the second most important country artist after Jimmie Rodgers.

The songs in this collection are among his first recordings, and some of them are among the 300 songs that he wrote or co-wrote. The photo on the album cover was taken about 1927, and this CD compilation was released in 1996 by Sony Legacy.

His first actual recording hit was in 1932 with “That Silver-Haired Daddy of Mine,” a duet with fellow railroad man Jimmy Long that Autry and Long co-wrote. In 1932, Autry married Ina Mae Spivey, Long’s niece. But during this marriage he also had a lengthy affair with Gail Davis, the actress who played Annie Oakley in the television series of the same name that Autry executive produced.

I thought it was interesting that Autry — probably most remembered for two things: “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (which he didn’t write), and his movie roles in the 1930s and 1940s, when he was the all-American cowboy hero — started out recording these little blues tunes.

Autry was a man with many interests. He was the original owner of Challenge Records. The label’s biggest hit was “Tequila” by The Champs in 1958.

He was the owner of the new Los Angeles Angels team in 1961, which moved to suburban Anaheim and became the California Angels in 1966, then the Anaheim Angels from 1997 until 2005, when it became the Los Angeles Angels.

And he did a lot of other things, too — WWII pilot, rodeo involvement, Melody Ranch — all of which you can read about here.

This was how it was all summed up on his tombstone:

“America’s Favorite Cowboy … American Hero, Philanthropist, Patriot and Veteran, Movie Star, Singer, Composer, Baseball Fan and Owner, 33rd Degree Mason, Media Entrepreneur, Loving Husband, Gentleman”

But they didn’t mention blues singer.

Here’s his original song, “Rheumatism Blues” from the album:

Track List (Album information here)

• 01． Birmingham Daddy (02:43)
• 02． Rheumatism Blues, The (02:26)
• 03． Dallas County Jail Blues (03:01)
• 04． Jail-House Blues (02:39)
• 05． I’m Atlanta Bound (02:39)
• 06． In the Jailhouse Now, No. 2 (02:43)
• 07． Bear Cat Papa Blues (02:49)
• 08． Wildcat Mama Blues (02:22)
• 09． High Steppin’ Mama Blues (02:41)
• 10． Yodeling Hobo, A (03:00)
• 11． T.B. Blues (02:56)
• 12． California Blues (02:33)
• 13． Slu-Foot Lou (02:41)
• 14． Stay Away from My Chicken House (02:43)
• 15． Waiting for a Train (02:38)
• 16． Frankie and Johnny (02:41)
• 17． Do Right Daddy Blues (02:44)
• 18． Blue Yodel No. 5 (02:36)
• 19． My Rough and Rowdy Ways (02:44)
• 20． Left My Gal in the Mountains (02:36)
• 21． I’ve Always Been a Rambler (02:32)
• 22． Dust Pan Blues (02:44)
• 23． That’s Why I Left the Mountains (03:09)

Since I opened the Blues Roadhouse late last year, I’ve written about a bunch of new albums that I’ve heard and enjoyed. I’ve resisted the occasional temptation to reach back beyond my start date for new releases, simply because there would be so many. And, you know, so little tiime.

But then I got my April newsletter from Sue Foley the other day, in which she mentioned shooting a video for an album she cut with Mike Flanigin last July, the album being titled “West Texas Blues.”

Well. I do love some fine B3. Likewise, Foley’s vocals and crisp guitar (plus, my very first girlfriend was a redhead, too). And West Texas itself, always a kind of mysterious place full of folklore, tough music, and tougher hombres (at least that’s how it seemed in the old cowboy movies I saw).

But what really caught my eye here was an image on Flanigin’s web site, promoting the formats in which this new album is available. Normally, you can get a CD, and digital downloads. And usually, streaming platforms. And sometimes, a vinyl version.

But “West Texas Blues” is not only available on CD and online, it’s available on cassettes! And 8-tracks!! And, wait for it, REEL-TO-REEL!!! All right here. I mean, I once knew someone who had a reel-to-reel player, but that was about a half-century ago. It did sound quite good, though.

But you say you only have a turntable, because that’s the only way that recorded music can possibly sound good? There’s also a 180-gram vinyl version available from Experience Vinyl.

The idea of a 21st-century 8-track is somewhat mind-boggling, but I think it was the reel-to-reel that got me. How could I not write about this album?

And, given the talent, and the resulting music, how could I not like it?

“West Texas Blues” is stripped-down, bare-bones blues. No frills. No fancy production gimmicks. It features just three stellar musicians: Flanigin, a Hammond B3 wizard, Foley, a Canadian-born but nonetheless Texas guitar wizardress, and Chris ‘Whipper’ Layton, holding it all together on drums.

It’s a “live” in-studio production that flows effortlessly. The haunting title track opens the album with guitar and organ riffs sensuously entwined around a rock-solid beat.

There’s a pair of sweet-sounding duets between Foley and Flanigin — “If You Think I’ve Lost You” and “Candy Kisses,” but they never lose the underlying toughness of the sound.

It’s not all haunting melodies: “Rooster Blues,” “Congo Mombo,” “I Live Where the Action Is” and “Bad Boy” all kick up the right amount of desert dust for dancing – real or mirage.

So yes, it’s a thoroughly enjoyable effort. Three talented musicians getting together to make some very personal blues to share. It sounds like the album cover looks.

Even if you don’t have an 8-track or reel-to-reel player, you should give it a listen.

Here’s the opening track, “West Texas Blues”

Track List:
West Texas Blues
I Got My Eyes on You
I Live Where the Action Is
Bad Boy
If You Think I’ve Lost You (Secret Weapon)
ThunderBird
Rockin’ Daddy
Candy Kisses
Rooster Blues
Congo Mombo

Chris Cain is one of those gifted blues musicians whose fame doesn’t extend quite as far as his prodigious talents.

His terrific new album, “Raisin’ Cain,” drops tomorrow (April 9). It’s his first for Alligator Records. Both of those factors — a terrific album, and Alligator’s prominence in the blues recording business — should go a long way toward moving Cain even higher in the blues guitarist pyramid.

I’m not trying to say that Chris Cain has been hidden in the blues witness protection program. He’s been playing his strings off for three decades. He’s a star in his West Coast stomping grounds in the San Francisco Bay area. This is his 15th album. His guitar work, like his vocals, is big, bold and relentless.

On this album, Cain delivers a set of 12 originals that highlight his songwriting skills, his tough and gruff vocal style, and his versatile guitar work.

His entire skill set comes together for me here on two blazing tracks — the scorching “Down on the Ground” and the autobiographical “Born to Play.” They’re filled with lyrical grit and seriously ferocious guitar; the kind of music that should immediately come to mind whenever you hear the word “blues.”

And if those two songs aren’t enough for you, there are 10 more, all just as fine in their own way.

Some highlights: “Can’t Find a Good Reason” finds Cain lamenting a lost love (relationships being a recurring theme here), but with a lighter touch with more liquid, guitar runs; “Found a Way to Make Me Say Goodbye” struts along with muscular vocals out front; “Hush Money” has a funky vibe; “I Don’t Know Exactly What’s Wrong With My Baby” is quieter, looser jazz-infused; “Space Force” wraps up the album with a quirky, jazz-like turn on the ARP Soloist synthesizer. And just to show that’s no fluke, Cain takes a keyboard turn on several songs with piano, Wurlitzer Electric Piano, and the clavinet (think Stevie Wonder on “Superstition.”

“Raisin’ Cain” was recorded in San Jose, Calif., at the prolific Kid Andersen’s Greaseland Studio. Andersen, as he often does, contributes some guitar and even background vocals. Cain’s backer’s here are bassist Steve Evans, keyboardist/organist Greg Rahn, and Chris’ touring drummer Sky Garcia and veteran D’mar Martin sharing those duties.

Cain says “I want my songs to tell universal stories,” and they do. That story-telling, a key to all good blues, lends a cohesive quality to the album that underlies the passion of the music. If you’ve never had the pleasure, or haven’t heard him for a while, check out “Raisin’ Cain.” It’s Chris Cain at the top of his already winning game.

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And now for something a little different:

It has occurred to me (yes, sometimes things do) that in today’s world of music, a huge amount is heard through streaming services and is bought online, sometimes a track at a time. This means that today’s music consumer is deprived of one of the physical pleasures of music ownership that was once commonplace to dinosaurs like myself — the record album cover. Or CD booklet. Or cassette label. Or 45 sleeve. I don’t know what eight-tracks had.

You usually get to see the album cover (pictured above, at no extra cost), but you may rarely see the liner notes. It’s true, those notes are infallibly high praise for the contents, but quite often they include biographical or other information of interest to the fan who sometimes enjoys words with her music.

And so (again, completely free and with no obligation on your part), here are the interesting and informative liner notes from “Raisin’ Cain” by the illustrious Dick Shurman . Let me know if this is worth the time it takes me to copy and paste.

Take some influence from B.B. King, Albert King, Ray Charles, and a pinch of Albert Collins. Add in dazzling blues and jazz guitar chops, a rich soulful baritone vocal delivering original, often wry and beleaguered lyrics with sophisticated chord changes and instrumentation, and skills on various horns and keyboards, all delivered with an uptown cool that never lacks searing passion. It all adds up to the one and only Chris Cain, who has gone from being a newcomer phenomenon bursting onto the blues scene in 1987 with a classic debut release, to being a legend, inspiration and long-established member of the blues pantheon. His fifteenth CD, Raisin’ Cain, ranks among his best.

The San Francisco Bay Area has nurtured an illustrious coterie of blues guitar greats, including Chicago transplant Mike Bloomfield and Robben Ford. So blues fans took notice when word started coming from the South Bay in the late ’80s that a serious new contender was stepping into the ring, with major league string bends, a fluid touch, a soaring tone and a master’s approach to composition. Chris’ first CD, Late Night City Blues, was issued on Robben Ford’s brother Pat’s Blue Rock’It label. Containing all the essential elements of Chris’ excellence, conveyed via shuffles, slow blues, swing and funk, framed by keys and horns, it garnered raves. The album received four W.C. Handy nominations including Band Of The Year and Guitarist Of The Year.

Chris was born in San Jose on November 19, 1955, as he recounts in “Born To Play.” Both his parents were blues-enlightened, especially his Memphis-raised, African-American father but also his Greek mother. He was taken to concerts by blues and jazz immortals from the get-go; he remembers attending a B.B. King show when he was three. His father gave Chris a guitar at age eight; by the time he was 18 he was playing professionally (and had also taught himself piano). His mother introduced Chris to Mike Bloomfield’s music early on; it served as an affirmation that someone like him could achieve what he was chasing. Vocal inspirations came from Curtis Salgado, Gary Smith, and big-voiced jazzy blues singers like Jimmy Witherspoon and Big Joe Turner. Chris has described his efforts to sing in a voice like his speaking voice, and his vocals reflect a conversational quality as well as a full quotient of melodicism. He studied music at San Jose City College (where he also took up saxophone); soon he was teaching jazz improvisation there. Eventually, to help him get jobs, he recorded the songs that became Late Night City Blues. Chris says, “Today that record is still a favorite. It was me doing it my way.” It sent him into the blues public consciousness and onto the touring circuit. He made an immediate splash, earning the respect of his fellow musicians, including that of his heroes Albert King and Albert Collins, who invited Chris onstage to jam with them.

Since then Chris has cut a dozen CDs on Blue Rock’It, Blind Pig, Little Village, his own label and a 2015 release fronting a New Zealand big band. It is a sign of the esteem from his peers that he has been in demand for recorded cameos, with Mighty Mike Schermer, Luca Giordano, Sista Monica, E.C. Scott, the Ford Blues Band, Robben Ford, Chester Thompson and Nancy Wright, plus many others. His previous album, Chris Cain, on the Little Village label, was produced by Kid Andersen and recorded at Kid Andersen’s Greaseland studio in San Jose in 2017. Things went so well that the principals returned to the scene of the crime. Raisin’ Cain is the happy result.

Chris’ path to Alligator has been the proverbial long and winding road. Early on, Chris sent some of his music to Alligator; the label took a pass. After all these years, it’s extremely gratifying to see that the stars finally lined up, and Raisin’ Cain more than justifies the mutual faith between Chris and Alligator that should benefit both parties and blues fandom. The program is all originals, with Chris stinging and swinging over mellow but insistent grooves in well-crafted settings and on top of his game, even venturing to an Arp Soloist synthesizer for the concluding “Space Force.” The autobiographical “Born To Play” reiterates that few can or could dig as deeply into a slow blues as Chris. But it’s his versatility as well as his musical mastery that continues to mark Chris as special. Chris continues his globetrotting (he’s performed in Argentina, Uruguay, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, Ukraine and more) and racking up highway miles in the U.S.. He retains his reputation as one of the tastiest and most powerful artists on the scene and a musician’s musician. He’s a beloved cult figure in the Bay Area, and his licks resound through the playing of many locals. But there was never a hit song and he never sustained visibility on the national scene. Now he has an opportunity with a label which has proven to be a major asset for its roster.

For all his booming voice, Chris will never be known for the imposing physical stature its depth suggests. But that’s the only lack of stature about Chris. When a lucky listener enjoys his music, there is absolutely no doubt that Chris Cain is a giant.

–Dick Shurman
Dick Shurman is a blues producer and historian. He has produced over 60 albums and been published worldwide. He has been inducted into the Blues Hall Of Fame and the Chicago Blues Hall Of Fame.

“Raisin’ Cain” tracklist:

1. Hush Money
2. You Won’t Have A Problem When I’m Gone
3. Too Many Problems
4. Down On The Ground
5. I Believe I Got Off Cheap
6. Can’t Find A Good Reason
7. Found A Way To Make Me Say Goodbye
8. Born To Play
9. I Don’t Know Exactly What’s Wrong With My Baby
10. Out Of My Head
11. As Long As You Get What You Want
12. Space Force

Multi-talented roots and blues guitarist/singer/songwriter Damon Fowler has just launched his eighth solo album into the sultry swamp of “Alafia Moon” (Landslide Records).

One look at the moody riverscape of the album cover hints at the musical earthiness of its contents. Fowler, a Florida native, sets his lyrical sights here on the Alafia River, near Tampa, where he collected youthful memories of fishing trips and moonlit boat rides. (It also makes you wish for a vinyl-sized version, suitable for framing and wall hanging.)

But it’s Fowler’s guitar work, ranging from ethereal to swampy to rootsy rocking, that delivers the album. He knows how to create the spaces between the notes that let the music speak as forcefully as his vocals.

Everything here except “The Guitar” is original, a tribute to Fowler’s evolving skill as a songwriter, where music and lyric blend seamlessly, neither overwhelming the other. There are echoes of Mississippi Hill Country blues here, southern rock, country, a little R&B, all filled with soulful undertones.

On the two uptempo opening tracks, “Leave It Alone” and “I’ve Been Low” Fowler uses his considerable guitar skills (fierce slide and lap steel among them) to create a relentlessly rhythmic and hypnotic effect.

Then, with the poignant title track, you can smell the mossy Alafia riverbanks, feel the humid air, and inhale the haunting lyrics imbued with the sensuousness of a full moon. It’s a personal journey to revisit youthful memories, floating on the currents of Fowler’s liquid guitar.

“Make the Best of Your Time” shuffles through a little day-to-day philosphy; “The Guitar,” the album’s only cover, is a touching acoustic tale of an old guitar in a pawnshop; “Hip To Your Trip” uses a magical slide to make the tasty journey; “Some Things Change” rocks a little harder with T.C. Carr’s harp and Betty Fox’s backing vocals for support; “Taxman” is not the Beatles’ whimsical tune, but a tough blues about a tough date with the taxman; “Wanda,” however, is a bit of whimsical barstool philosophizing about the lady sitting nearby with a gun in her purse and bottle of pills. The album closes with Fowler telling the story (“The Umbrella”) of a very early road gig with just one customer, followed by a song dedicated to that moment, “Kicked His Ass Out.”

“Alafia Moon” is a an excellent outing, filled with creative songwriting, gritty vocals, sublime guitar work, and crackling backers Chuck Riley (bass), Justin Headley (drums), T.C. Carr (harmonica), Mike Kach (keyboards), and Betty Fox (backing vocals). 

This is honest music, intense and impassioned, meant to be savored and absorbed.

Here’s an interview with Fowler in American Songwriter.

Here’s the video of the title track, “Alafia Moon”

Tracklist:

1. Leave It Alone
2. I’ve Been Low
3. Alafia Moon
4. Make The Best Of Your Time
5. The Guitar
6. Hip To Your Trip
7. Some Things Change
8. Taxman
9. Wanda
10. The Umbrella
11. Kicked His Ass Out