Blues Roadhouse

The Bluesmasters & Cassie Taylor — “The Bluesmasters Featuring Cassie Taylor” — Exulans DMD

Blues music and gospel music are deeply intertwined at their roots.

For decades, black church music and its devilish twin, the blues, have spawned various combinations of the two emotional styles, all testifying to their power to speak to the human soul, while effectively co-joined in the human heart.

Sometimes they live in their own separate worlds. But sometimes they join in a perfect harmony, as they do in the gorgeously created “The Bluesmasters Featuring Cassie Taylor,” with its stunning combination of blues-infused gospel and gospel-infused blues.

The Bluesmasters are a skin-tight group of players who’ve worked with many great artists over the years, including names like Leon Russell, The Allman Brothers Band, Elvin Bishop, Eric Gales, Mick Fleetwood, Otis Taylor, Magic Slim and many, many more.

This is the band’s eighth studio album, featuring singer and banjo and bass player Cassie Taylor (she was also the featured vocalist on the Bluesmasters’ second album). Taylor is the daughter of the famed “trance blues” innovator, Otis Taylor, in whose band she once played.

But on this powerful album of ten covers of classic blues and gospel songs, Taylor steps out after a ten-year break from performing with a sensational vocal outing, folding blues and gospel into an eloquent emotional blend.

The musicians here include Taylor on vocals, bass and banjo; Kassidy Kent on bass and background vocals; Christian Teele on drums; Eric Moon on guitar, B3 and accordion; Tim Tucker on guitars and bass; Stella Ann on percussion and background vocals; Kylee Ribble, Larea Edwards and Chrissy Grant on background vocals; Sally Van Meter on lap steel; and Doug Lynn on harmonica.

Taylor opens the session with a fierce vocal attack on the gospel-drenched “Downward Road,” recorded in 1960 by the Staple Singers. It’s hard to imagine a more explosively soulful album opener. Taylor’s delicate rendering of “Nobody’s Fault But Mine,” a 1927 Blind Willie Johnson song, with spirited choral backing, is simply gorgeous. Doug Lynn’s harp and Eric Moon’s accordion add yet another haunting dimension. Taylor continues a gospel theme with choral backing on “Sit Down Servant,” part of the Five Creek-Freedman Spirituals, a song cycle composed by Margaret Bonds in 1946.

“Wade in the Water” is a powerful African-American spiritual with a rich history, first published in 1901 in “New Jubilee Songs as Sung by the Fisk Jubilee Singers” by Frederick J. Work and his brother, John Wesley Work Jr. The Sunset Four Jubilee Singers made the first recording of the song in 1925, and it was long associated with songs of the Underground Railroad. The Ramsey Lewis Trio popularized an instrumental version in 1966, and the song has been recorded by many other artists through the years. Needless to say, Taylor and the Bluesmasters present a rousing version worthy of its storied history.

Taylor turns “You’re Gonna Make Me Cry,” a 1968 rocker by Thee Midniters, an East Los Angeles-based Chicano band (not Hank Ballard & the Midnighters) into a slow, steamy scorcher. “If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again” gets a hard-driving update from its creation by John Whitfield Vaughan in 1922, with Taylor effortlessly carrying the rocking vocal load.

Next is Taylor’s strong reading of the sociopolitical gospel of “If You’re Ready,” which went gold for the Staple Singers in 1973.  “I Wonder Why” is a soulful rendering of another Stapes Singers song, from 1968, with its mournful take on the desolateness of the human condition: “A child is born, another mouth to feed …. don’t know how to cry, I wonder, why, why, why.”

Taylor gives a stirring rendition of 1971’s anthemic “Respect Yourself, “written by Stax singer Luther Ingram and Stax songwriter Mack Rice, originally recorded with the Muscle Soals Rhythm Section, adding a little funkiness to the mix. Ingram comment at the time that “black folk need to learn to respect themselves” led to the song: “If you disrespect anybody that you run into, how in the hell do you think anybody’s gonna respect you?” Indeed.

The closer, “Chain of Fools,” is Aretha Franklin’s classic 1967 R&B hit by Don Covay. Taylor hits all the right notes with just the right amount of emotive power to bring the album to a close — but still leave you wanting more.

Cassie Taylor’s emotional return to performing with the Bluesmasters on this splendid album filled with vital music makes her a welcome addition to the roster of gospel-blues artists who want to fill that hole in your soul.

If you need an emotional rescue, here’s where you find your lifejacket. That’s the gospel truth!

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I couldn’t find a video from the new album, but here’s a live performance of “Fine Cadillac” with the Bluesmasters and Cassie Taylor:

TRACK LIST:

1. Downward Road 2.37
2. Nobody’s Fault But Mine 5.02
3. Sit Down Servant 3.36
4. Wade In The Water 3.02
5. You’re Gonna Make Me Cry3.30
6. If I Could Hear My Mother… 2.31
7. If You’re Ready 3.33
8. I Wonder Why 3.04
9. Respect Yourself 4.37
10. Chain Of Fools 2.58

Musicians – Kassidy Kent (bass/banjo), Christian Teele (drums), Eric Moon (Fender Rhodes/B3/accordion), Sally Van Meter (lap steel), Doug Lynn (harmonica), Stella Ann (percussion/bgv), Kylee Ribble, Larea Edwards & Chrissy Grant (bgv).

D.K. Harrell — “Talkin’ Heavy” — Alligator Records

D.K. Harrell’s latest album is full of self-assured, musically astute and lyrically confident original blues music. If that’s not enough, his guitar work is simply dazzling.

Harrell readily admits his sound isn’t entirely original, which makes it like so much of the blues, built on the layers of the music that has come before him.

“My sound now is a gumbo of Guitar Slim, BB King, Buddy Guy, Magic Sam, Freddie King, Grant Green, Django Reinhardt, and a few others,” Harrell says in an interview on the Michael Limnios Blues Network. “The foundation of my playing and tone is B.B. King style. I feel many players can hit B.B. King licks but getting that warm but bright tone and vibrato can be a challenge even for myself.”

It’s not too much of a challenge, though, as his music on this album so aptly demonstrates. Harrell shows a finesse beyond his 27 years; his songwriting is sharp, his tenor vocals are tough and soulful, and his tasty gumbo of guitar skills is simply delicious.

With “Talkin’ Heavy,” his debut album on blues-centric Alligator Records, Harrell plays lead guitar and sings all lead vocals. Kid Andersen, who produced and co-wrote six of the songs with Harrell, plays rhythm guitar, Jim Pugh contributes organ and piano, plus Andrew Moss on bass, and a stellar cast of guest artists. All 12 songs are originals with Harrell writing four more, Pugh writing one, and Pugh, Andersen and Harrell, still another.

The songwriting credits are notable, since the tunes here are frequently talkin’ heavy about traditional blues themes of love, lust, and other assorted male-female relationships. The lyrics, driven along by Harrell’s steamy guitar, make for one of those real-deal blues packages.

For the feisty opener, “A Little Taste,” Harrell comes out firing fierce guitar licks while he demands “Stop playing hard to get when you are feeling just the same,” with a standout Pugh organ solo in overdrive. “Grown Now” follows, and may well be speaking to Harrell’s success in the world of blues: “I ain’t beggin’ for a loan, I’m makin’ it on my own…”

“Talkin’ Heavy” the title track adds weighty notes of funk and social commentary: “…Just take a look at the news, you can see it all around you, the world’s just heavy with the blues.” Then “PTLD” adds a diagnosis of “post traumatic love disorder” to the heartache of the blues. “Life’s Lesson” gets a torchy guitar intro to a masterful slow blues filled with — life’s lessons: “You’ll never see the sunshine till you make it through the rain.”

A lyrical Pugh piano solo introduces “Good Man,” which quickly transforms into a full-throated boast of “good man” qualities. “Vibe With Me” is a soulful, scorching slow blues filled with sensuous lyricism and a blistering extended guitar solo: “Let’s have a good time and let love take the wheel.”

“Into the Room” has an elegant jazz feel that highlights “the tingle of blood rushing to my brain” every time she walks into the room. “No Thanks to You” is a dreamy ballad reflecting on making it without her: “I got a roof over my head, no thanks to you.”

In a bit of slyly tuned R&B, Harrell offers some lascivious late-night advice from his elders to his younger self: “I wanted to go out real late at night / but my folks would say the only thing open this late is “Liquor Stores and Legs.” / So now that I’m grown, I can do what I want to….” It’s a romping throwback to the era of Louis Jordan and Amos Milburn.

“What Real Men Do” is another scorching blues with a soulful vocal, backup singers and lusty message: “Ladies tell their girlfriends that men ain’t what they use to be / I can prove that I’m different … “I’m gonna show you what real men supposed to do… ”

A rolling gospel organ introduces the closer, the hand-clapping, churchified “Praise These Blues” as he declares “the blues and the gospel are just the same” with a joyous spiritual feeling.

D.K. Harrell offers mighty praise to the blues on this real-deal of a blues album. He’s got the chops, the skills, the talent, and most importantly, the emotional power to do right by this classic American music.

Praise these blues indeed. Can he get an amen?

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“Grown Now” from the album:

Tracklist:
01. A Little Taste 4:04
02. Grown Now 3:52
03. Talkin’ Heavy 5:02
04. PTLD 4:00
05. Life’s Lessons 4:00
06. Good Man 3:32
07. Vibe With Me 4:36
08. Into The Room 3:34
09. No Thanks To You 4:14
10. Liquor Stores And Legs 3:29
11. What Real Men Do 4:16
12. Praise These Blues 3:24

 D.K. Harrell – Lead Vocals and Lead Guitar , Andrew Moss-  Bass,  Kid Andersen – Rhythm Guitar , Jim Pugh-  Organ and Piano

Alexis P. Suter Band — “Just Stay High” — Nola Blue Records

Alexis P. Suter’s vocal talents came to the light of day in a big way — at midnight — as her voice regularly lit up Levon Helm’s legendary Midnight Rambles in Woodstock, N.Y. Suter and her band would go on to open for Helm nearly 100 times.

“She is one of those wonderful spirits, she’s got her arms around you; you can feel that,” Helm said.

The Brooklyn-born Suter has gone on to share her vocal prowess worldwide for years. She’s a singer-songwriter, and three-time Blues Music Award nominee. And now that spirit mentioned by Helm, and the majestic voice that illuminates it, are on full display in her latest album, “Just Stay High.”

The 14 tracks here feature 11 originals and three glorious covers.  The excellent musicians behind Suter include: Jimmy Bennett: Guitar; Peter Bennett on bass and vocals, Ray Grappone and Lee Falco on drums, Daniel Weiss and Will Bryant on keyboards, Vicki Bell on vocals and Byron Isaacs on bass.

Suter opens the session with the trance-like “God Gave Me the Blues,” with her powerful vocals reaching deep into the mystery of the lyric: “God gave me the blues, what the hell was he thinking about / I’m only just a messenger, how am I gonna figure it out.” A funky backbeat accompanies “Some People,” an anthem about change.

“Breathe,” driven by soulful organ lines, deeps deep into the activism of “I can’t breathe.” track, “Be On Your Way” is pure down-home blues with a fiery guitar intro and rolling organ driving a traditional blues lost-love theme: “Tell me baby, where you gonna be when the morning comes … won’t be no fussin’ and fightin’ … just be on your way.”

“My Only Need” is an elegant acoustic take in a gorgeous duet with Vicki Bell. In one of just a few covers on the album, Suter testifies to her gospel origins on Ron Davies’ “It Ain’t Easy,” joining voices with Peter Bennett and Bell to form a powerful choir-like backing. Suter lightens the mood with the sturdy shuffle of “4 Wheels Beats 2 Heels,” and keeps rolling with “Big Girl Panties” — “I am smart, I am strong, I can handle anything goin’ on.”

The title track checks in with its heartfelt message of optimism, of not giving up: “Don’t stay low, just go high.” The slow-rocking “Ride All Night” follows, loping along on lyrical guitar riffs. “Isolation” floats in, with a hint of psychedelia in its instrumentation and lyrical imagery. Suter offers a majestic vocal turn on Leon Russell’s classic, “Song For You,” with just a piano caressing the melody.

“Love Always Wins” is an energetic touch of R&B, with the title conveying its potent message, followed by the closer, the dynamically soulful “Piece of Clay,” by Gloria Jones and Pamela Sawyer, a poignant plea for self-realization: “That’s what’s wrong with the world today / Everybody wants somebody to be their own piece of clay…”

The rich, rewarding vocals of Alexis P. Suter carry the soulful collection on “Just Stay High” to passionate musical levels that transcend their genres and lift our spirits with their eloquence. Don’t miss it!

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“Just Stay High” from the album:

Tracklist & credits:

1.   God Gave Me the Blues
2.   Some People
3.   Breathe
4.   Be On Your Way
5.   My Only Need
6.   It Ain’t Easy
7.   4 Wheels Beats 2 Heels
8.   Big Girl Panties
9.   Just Stay High
10. Ride All Night
11. Isolation
12. Song For You
13. Love Always Wins
14. Piece of Clay

Personnel: Alexis P. Suter: Lead Vocals; Jimmy Bennett: Guitar; Peter Bennett: Bass Guitar (1, 4, 5, 7, 10, 15) Vocals (2, 6, 7, 9, 14); Ray Grappone: Drums (2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13,14) Daniel Weiss: Keyboards (2,7, 8, 9, 14); Vicki Bell: Vocals; Byron Isaacs: Bass (2, 3, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13); Will Bryant: Keyboards (except 7), Melodica (7); Lee Falco: Drums (1, 4, 5, 10) Percussion (2, 5, 11)

Charlie Musselwhite — “Look Out Highway” — 40 Below Records

“Look Out Highway,” the title track that opens Charlie Musselwhite’s latest album, throbs to life behind his moaning harp, setting the tone for the rest of the blues highway that he’s exploring: “Look out highway, here me and my baby come / right on back to where the blues come from.”

Musselwhite’s muscular harp and rich vocals offer no hint at his 81 years, but his 13 Grammy nominations and 33 Blues Music Awards testify to his six decades of life in the blues, with dozens of albums of his own and partnering with others.

It’s also the first time Musselwhite has recorded with his veteran touring band: guitarist Matt Stubbs, drummer June Core and bassist Randy Bermudes (James Cotton), along with Kid Andersen on piano and guitar. The sessions were recorded at Andersen’s Greaseland Studio in San Jose, Calif., and Clarksdale Sound Stage in Clarksdale, Miss. Those ingredients likely explain why the music sounds so relaxed and comfortable — and deeply authentic.

The music moves easily from the anthemic “Highway” to the elegantly mournful “Sad Eyes,” then shifts to the hard-driving forecast of “Storm Warning” ahead of his woman’s arrival: “I hear thunder when she walks / She’s a high-pressure woman / There’s lightning when she talks … ” A greasy harp solo helps too serve as a bluesy barometer.

“Baby Won’t You Please Help Me” shuffles in, cataloging his travels with the blues: “Looks like everyplace I’ve been, looks like the blues been tailing me.” A hard-rocking and slyly salacious “Hip Shakin’ Mama” reaches deep into rock ‘n’ roll history to restate Big Joe Turner’s refrain from “Shake, Rattle & Roll” — “When you wear that dress and the sun shines through / I can’t believe that all that mess, it belongs to you.”

“Highway 61” is a torchy blues, with snaky harp throughout, documenting still more travels: “I’m just drifting through your town, just because I’m a stranger, honey please don’t put me down.” The only cover song in the session is “Ready for Times to Get Better,” written by Allen Reynolds and first recorded by Crystal Gayle in 1976. Dusky-voiced Mississippi blues singer Edna Luckett, featured in the film “Sinners,” shares the vocals with Musselwhite as they share its mournful sentiment: “I have a dream I have been trying to live; it’s been burning holes in my mind.”

More travels come up in the laconic “Ramblin’ Is My Game,” with Musselwhite on the road again, moving on behind Andersen’s guitar: “I am a natural born rambler; my bags are always packed.” Musselwhite introduces “Blue Lounge” with greasy slide work and Andersen on piano in a languorous slow blues instrumental that speaks eloquently of late nights on the lonesome blues highway.

“Ghosts in Memphis” finds Musselwhite haunted by musical memories in Memphis: “When I’m walking through Memphis, all I see are ghosts … the ghosts live in the music.” Memphis rapper Al Kapone guests and ghost-raps at the end to bring it all home in an other-worldly musical conjunction.

The closer is the celebratory promise of “Open Road” — “Well we hope someday we’ll find that road to take us on home. We’ll all be happy, no more need to roam.” Musselwhite’s throaty harp fills lend depth and promise, drawing his travels here to a close.

“Look Out Highway” is a simply gorgeous album from the blues-filled travels of Charlie Musselwhite. It’s filled with a soulful blend of the sounds of the Delta, Memphis and Chicago, which he’s absorbed to his core, and is generous enough to share them here, like a generous pour of well-aged whiskey. And we’re all the better for his musical tastes, and his journey.

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“Look Out Highway” from the album:

Tracklist:
01. Look Out Highway
02. Sad Eyes
03. Storm Warning
04. Baby Won’t You Please Help Me
05. Hip Shakin’ Mama
06. Highway 61
07. Ready For Times To Get Better
08. Ramblin’ Is My Game
09. Blue Lounge
10. Ghosts in Memphis
11. Open Road

Brad “Guitar” Wilson — “The Californian” — Cali Bee Music

Guitar-slinger Brad “Guitar” Wilson just might be the toughest musician to come out of Carmel, Calif., since two-fisted blues piano fan Clint Eastwood was elected mayor of that seaside city in 1986. Wilson has been earning that “Guitar” nickname by punching out a fistful of tough, hard-rocking blues for years.

Singer/songwriter Wilson has toured frequently with Chicago, and has opened for the likes of Buddy Guy, Cheap Trick, .38 Special, Marshall Tucker Band and Tommy Castro. Not content with the concert stage, Wilson has taken his songwriting talents to the big screen, scoring the song “Teaser” for John Carpernter’s film, “Vampires.” He’s also worked that magic for the music to the movie “Ghosts of Mars,” and TV shows “The Young & the Restless” and “Passions.”

His latest album, “The Californian,” is not only geographically appropriate, but keeps the music flowing with a vibrant session of rocking Wilson originals, embellished by a handful of smartly executed covers.

Joining Wilson and Grammy-winning producer Francis Buckley in keeping the vibes fresh throughout are Toto Poznantek and Tony Braungel on drums, Chris Rhyne, Luca Catalfamo and Frankie Virens on keyboards, Hal Cragin, Brian Beal and Fabrizo Erba on bass, Marie K on harmonica, and additional contributions from Galen Keith.

Everything fires up with a slashing guitar intro to the classic blues of “It Hurts Me Too,” first recorded in 1940 by Tampa Red and reshaped by Elmore James in 1957. It’s driven hard by Wilson’s fierce vocals and bandmates crackling with full-blues energy. Wilson’s original “Lightning in a Bottle” follows, catching the spirit of its title in its own musical bottle. The high-spirited blues-rock of Wilson’s “Say You Wanna Dance” invites cutting up the dance floor to razor-sharp guitar: “Say you wanna boogie, say you wanna swing, say you wanna rock,” and the answer can only be “Yes!”

Next, Wilson captures the countrified roadhouse essence of the Rolling Stones’ “Dead Flowers” complete with well-Stoned backup vocals. The original “Monterey“ rolls majestically out in an anthemic ode to another California city, with its “waves on the rocks, seagulls in the sky.” Then Wilson’s “Heartbreaker” churns with torchy emotion on the perils of romance: “You can’t eat, you can’t sleep / the fever is so strong / you take a chance on love/ it’s a heartbreaker.”

Mick Ralphs wrote “Ready for Love” for Mott the Hoople in 1972, and Wilson leans into this striking cover with a sensitive vocal turn. Back to the originals with “Back Roads,” a journey down the less-traveled highways fueled by an elegant guitar solo. “Summertime Blues” covers the 1958 rock ‘n’ roll hit by Eddie Cochran with all of its teenage angst still intact. “Goin’ Home” is a gently eloquent Wilson ballad, with the band building to an emotional high : “Goin’ home to all that I know / goin’ home to all that I Iove.”

“I Work Alone” is Wilson’s romantic take on the eternal truck-driving theme: “Driving this truck, rollin’ along, thinkin’ about holdin’ you close.” The lyrical “Love and Peace” is a gorgeous instrumental cover of the Arthur Adams song first recorded by the Jazz Crusaders in 1968, with Wilson’s guitar gently weeping the melody. The haunting strains of “Teaser” follow, a reprise of the exotic “Vampires” score. For the closer, Wilson’s gritty vocals and deep blue guitar reach back for a passionate version of Willie Dixon’s “Groaning the Blues,” an Otis Rush chestnut from 1957.

Riding the waves of “The Californian,” Brad “Guitar” Wilson’s heady blues-rock crashes over you like the surf on Carmel beaches. Come on in, the music is up, and it’s plenty tough enough.

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A live sample of Brad “Guitar” Wilson:

Tracklist:
01. It Hurts Me Too (3:39)
02. Lightning In A Bottle (3:39)
03. Say You Wanna Dance (3:32)
04. Dead Flowers (4:44)
05. Monterey (3:19)
06. HeartBreaker (3:59)
07. Ready For Love (5:03)
08. Back Roads (4:25)
09. Summertime Blues (2:43)
10. Going Home (3:54)
11. I Work Alone (3:48)
12. Love And Peace (4:20)
13. Teaser (3:15)
14. Groaning The Blues (6:02)

Dave Specter — “Live at SPACE” — Delmark Records

Dave Specter has been a fixture in the Delmark Records blues community, and the blues world at large for 30 years and counting.

Specter appears on over 50 albums and DVDs as a guitarist, bandleader and/or producer, with 14 (including his latest) as a leader or co-leader at Delmark.

Since live blues shows always kick things up a notch, why not a live album for this veteran guitarist? So, his latest is “Live at SPACE,” a live show captured at SPACE, a recording and performance venue in Evanston, Ill. And the results are predictably enthusiastic and enjoyable.

The band is Specter’s razor-sharp quartet: himself on vocals and guitar, Brother John Kattke on vocals and keyboards, Rodrigo Mantovani on bass and Marty Binder on drums. They’re so tight, they can afford to sound vibrantly loose in this spirited blend of originals, covers and instrumentals.

Everything kicks off with an original instrumental, “Rumba & Tonic”, an enticing cocktail of Latin rhythms spiced with a little New Orleans flair. Kattke dazzles on piano and organ. The instrumental “Alley Walk” shifts into a bluesy gear and driving guitar. “Homework” features Specter’s crisp vocals on this Otis Rush song from 1962.

“Blues From the Inside Out” is a 7 1/2-minute blues shuffle with Specter growling the vocals in front of sizzling guitar licks dueling with Kattke’s hot keys. “On Your Way Down” is a 1972 Allen Toussaint song, as Kattke joins Specter on vocals, as he adds a lyrical guitar interlude to a thoughtful message: “Since the beginning it hasn’t changed yet / it’s the same friends you meet on the way up, you’ll see on the way down.”

“March Through the Darkness” adds a socially conscience note with an anthemic feel: “March through the darkness, don’t ever slow down / march through the darkness until you see the light….” A trip through sweet home Chicago blues drops a basketful of historic names as “Chicago Style” plays out in a terrific guitar-fueled shuffle. Freddie King’s 1971 classic “Same Old Blues” gets a lively Specter update with tough guitar and tougher vocals. A gorgeously long guitar solo highlights the track.

Specter and the band get a chance to stretch out on another instrumental, “The Stinger,” before dusting off the mid-’30s “Deep Ellem Blues” by country artists Bob and Joe Shelton. The Specter/Kattke duet carries an appropriate old-timey feel reminiscent of the Grateful Dead jam-like version, making it one of my favorite tracks.

Specter takes a splendid deep-blue turn with “Bluebird Blues,” subbing a wicked guitar for the original harp lead on John Lee “Sonny Boy” Williamson’s 1937 recording. “Ponchatoula Way” is a New Orleans gumbo of bluesy rhythms and vocals in an ode to the tiny Louisiana town. The closer is “Ridin’ High,” another instrumental with Specter updating the Magic Sam song and Kattke’s organ driving it all home.

Dave Specter’s “Live at SPACE” is a thoroughly enjoyable contemporary blues journey from a polished veteran of the Chicago blues scene for decades. He’s absorbed its eclectic influences into his own unique style, and we’re all the better for it. Enjoy his music soon and often!

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A note on the song “Bluebird Blues”: I wanted to make it clear that the Sonny Boy Williamson mentioned above, and in the credits below, is the first and “real” Sonny Boy — John Lee Williamson. The current blues world, I believe, doesn’t know enough about him, and too often assumes that Alex Miller, who performed under the assumed name of Sonny Boy Williamson for most of his life, is the same artist. Miller is sometimes referred to as Sonny Boy II, but I think that the original Williamson, who was quite an innovator on the blues harp, too often goes unrecognized. Congrats to Specter for highlighting one of his songs.

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“Blues From the Inside Out” from the album:

Tracklist:
 Rumba & Tonic 5:57 Specter (SpecTone Music, BMI)
Alley Walk 5:54 Specter (SpecTone Music, BMI)
Homework 5:09 Dave Clark, Al Perkins (Songs of Universal Inc, BMI)
Blues From the Inside Out 7:33 Specter/Brichta (SpecTone Music, Brichta Music, BMI)
On Your Way Down 5:47 Allen Toussaint (Screen Gems-EMI Music Inc, Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp, BMI)
March Through the Darkness 3:57 Specter (SpecTone Music BMI)
Chicago Style 5:56 Specter/Brichta (SpecTone Music, Brichta Music, BMI)
Same Old Blues 5:13 Don Nix (Irving Music Inc. Muldoon Music, BMI)
The Stinger 5:27 Specter (SpecTone Music, BMI)
Deep Elem Blues 6:10 Bob Shelton, Joe Shelton (Fort Knox Music Inc, Trio Music Inc, BMI)
Bluebird Blues 7:17 Sonny Boy Williamson (Arc Music, BMI)
Ponchatoula Way 6:55 Specter/Brichta (SpecTone Music, Brichta Music, BMI)
Ridin’ High 5:23 Samuel Maghett (Leric Music Inc, Conrad Music, BMI)

Taj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’ — “Room On the Porch” — Concord Records

Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’ have been sort of a team for a while now, especially since they joined up for the delightful Grammy winning “TajMo” in 2019. They’ve toured together, been on some blues cruises together, and in general, have bought their bluesy, folksy and rootsy styles together in a celebratory collaboration of great American music.

Now they’re at it again with “Room On the Porch,” combining their multi-faceted talents for more of their informal front porch style of original and vintage blues and roots music.

They may be informal, but they’re not alone. They’re joined on vocals on the sprightly title track by Grammy-nominated Ruby Amanfu, and again by jazz-singer Wendy Moten on “Better Than Ever.” And they’ve made room on their porch for a superb supporting cast: Anton Nesbit (bass), Brian Allen (upright bass), David Rodgers (Hammond organ/synth), Jimmy Nichols (Hammond organ/Wurlitzer), K. Roosevelt (drums/bass), Keio Stroud (drums), Jenee Fleenor (violin), Billy Branch (harmonica), Jeff Coffin (sax), John Oates, Robbie Brooks Moore, Lauren Lucas, Michael B. Hicks, Ron Poindexter & Gene Miller.

That’s a lot to pack into one album, but it’s all carried off with a relaxed feeling that makes everything sound musically cool and copasetic. It’s a back porch, or in this case, front porch vibe. The vocals, the instrumentation, the arrangements all weave a magical tapestry. Mo’ and Mahal trade vocals throughout, sometimes joining together, with Taj’s gruffness a gritty counterpoint to Keb’s smoothness on six new songs for the session, plus some smartly recrafted oldies.

The title track opens the album (it’s always a pleasant surprise when that happens) with a friendly invitation from Taj and Keb’ to join this porch party, adding a sparkling vocal contribution by Amanfu: “Come on up there’s room on the porch for everyone.” Next, “My Darling, My Dear,” pairs Mahal and Mo’ in a lovely ballad. Then Mo’ adds his unique sound to open the chestnut, “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out,” leading into a call and response with Mahal, enriched by a striking vocal chorus.

“She Keeps Me Movin’” floats in on an easy, rhythmic shuffle, then the vocal back and forth continues on “Make Up Your Mind.” Make Up Your Mind,” a jaunty, country/folk/pop melody that finds common ground in a cautionary tale with the lyrics “You make no sense, you’re going insane/Do you follow your heart or do you follow your brain.”

“Thicker Than Mud” is a gentle rocker that emphasizes the importance of family ties even after you’re gone: “Blood is thicker than mud.” A deep-throated organ intro opens up the more traditional blues of “Junkyard Dog” with Mahal’s nasty growling “junkyard dog” refrain. The scorching blues of “Blues’ll Give You Back Your Soul,” with Mahal on vocals and ukelele, features an unearthly sax solo in unwinding its primal message: “You like your rock and roll but the blues’ll give you back your soul.” This track should do just that!

Chicago harp legend Billy Branch adds a sharper edge to the Latin-tinged, “Better Than Ever,” with vocal embroidery by Moten, and few concluding verses in French by Mahal with Brach’s harp weaving in and out.

The closer finds Mo’ and Mahal trading vocals and acoustic licks in the down-home “Rough Time Blues,” by Jontavious Willis. The hard-times blues theme is a counterpoint to the general lightness of being that has come before, but its front-porch quality makes it go down easy.

Keb’ Mo’ and Taj Mahal have opened up their front porch once again with their effervescent “Room on the Porch,” where there’s plenty of space for the rest of us to pull up a chair and enjoy.

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Here’s “Room on the Porch” from the album:

Tracklist:
1. Room On The Porch with Ruby Amanfu
2. My Darling My Dear
3. Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out
4. She Keeps Me Movin’
5. Make Up Your Mind
6. Thicker Than Mud
7. Junkyard Dog
8. Blues’ll Give You Back Your Soul
9. Better Than Ever with Wendy Moten
10. Rough Time Blues

Musicians – Anton Nesbit (bass), Brian Allen (upright bass), David Rodgers (Hammond organ/synth), Jimmy Nichols (Hammond organ/Wurlitzer), K. Roosevelt (drums/bass), Keio Stroud (drums), Jenee Fleenor (violin), Billy Branch (harmonica), Jeff Coffin (sax), John Oates, Robbie Brooks Moore, Lauren Lucas, Michael B. Hicks, Ron Poindexter & Gene Miller.

Bob Stroger & the Headcutters — “Bob is Back!” — Delmark Records

Bob Stroger was born on a farm outside of Hayti, Missouri, on Dec. 27, 1930. That makes him 94 years old.

Stroger, the bass guitarist behind dozens of performers at Delmark Records, has just released a new solo album on Delmark, and was recently inducted into the Blues Halll of Fame. That also makes him something of a blues miracle!

Not too many blues artists (much like the rest of us mortals) make it to their 90s, let alone as a performer. A few come to mind: Pinetop Perkins died at 97 and Honeyboy Edwards at 96. Bobby Rush is still working at 91. And yes, Buddy Guy is still churning, but he’s a mere 88!

For “Bob Is Back!,” his second solo outing at Delmark, Stroger is again paired with the Headcutters, a tough-enough young Brazilian band that provided the backing for Stroger’s first Delmark solo effort, “That’s My Name.” The Headcutters are Joe Marhofer on harp, Ricardo Maca on guitar, Arthur ‘Catuto’ Garcia on bass, Leandro ‘Cavera’ Barbeta on drums and pianist Ben Levin as a special guest. They combine freshness and authenticity here that drives home the spirit of Stroger’s blues.

This album features five Stroger originals, and seven covers, all musical graduates of the classic old-school of the blues (credits at the end of this post). If you need a reminder of just how vital that music was, and still is, check out the cuts included here.

Stroger opens with “Look Over Yonders Wall” by Elmore James and “Champagne and Reefer” by Muddy Waters, two fine vintage blues. Stroger’s own “Jazz Man Blues” follows, heavy on jazz influences with instrumental solos all around: “Jazz ain’t nothin’ but a bluesman blowin’ his horn … “

Tampa Red’s “Don’t You Lie To Me” gets a rhythmic Latin treatment with the Headcutters providing a backup chorus. Stroger contributes the gentle romantic lyricism of the slow blues “My First Love” and then shuffles in with the lover’s lament of “Loan Me Train Fare.” The R&B power of Amos Milburn kicks in with “Thinking and Drinking,” with piano and harp trading sharp solos. Stroger’s “Bob Is Back In Town,” gets a slow and bluesy treatment.

“Love You Baby,” by Joe Brown and Edward Milton, is more deeply felt, down-home blues. An instrumental version of the title track gives the Headcutters a chance to stretch out with a rocking “welcome back” feel. “Gold Tailed Bird” is a slow-burning cover of the Jimmy Rogers song. The closer is a rollicking version of the classic “Let The Good Times Roll.”

Bob Stroger’s “Bob Is Back!” is a fine album of vintage blues from one of the old masters. It’s not just proof that he’s back, but that, more importantly– just like the blues — he’s never gone away.

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“Loan Me Train Fare” from the album:

Tracklist and credits:

01 Look Over Yonders Wall 02:50 Elmore James, Marshall E. Seehorn Arc Music, Rhinelander Music Inc (BMI)
02 Champagne And Reefer 03:34 McKinley Morganfield / Watertoons Music (BMI)
03 Jazz Man Blues 03:53 Robert Stroger / Leric Music (BMI)
04 Don’t You Lie To Me 03:35 Hudson Whittaker / Universal Music Corporation (ASCAP)
05 My First Love 03:06 Robert Stroger / Delmark Admin.
06 Loan Me Train Fare 03:29 Robert Stroger / Leric Music (BMI)
07 Thinking And Drinking 03:44 Amos Milburn / EMI Longitude Music (BMI)
08 Bob Is Back In Town 04:35 Robert Stroger / Delmark Admin.
09 Love You Baby 02:57 Joe Brown, Edward Milton / Embassy Music Corp (BMI)
10 Bob Is Back 03:45 Robert Stroger / Delmark Admin.
11 Gold Tailed Bird 04:27 Jimmy Rogers / Cordero Publishing Company (BMI)
12 Let The Good Times Roll 03:54 Fleecie Moore Jordan, Sam Theard RYTVOC Inc, Theard Swanson Publishing (ASCAP)

Bob Stroger BASS AND VOCALS
Joe Marhofer HARMONICA
Ricardo Maca GUITAR
Arthur Catuto BASS
Leandro Cavera DRUMS
Ben Levin PIANO AND ORGAN (ALL TRACKS EXCEPT TRACK 9)
Candice Ivory BACKING VOCALS (TRACK 9)
Renée Gros BACKING VOCALS (TRACK 9

John Primer — “Grown In Mississippi” — Blues House Productions

John Primer’s excellent album “Grown in Mississippi” has been around for few weeks, but it’s one I can’t ignore.

At the age of 80, Primer is one of the few real-deal bluesmen still performing, and his authentic music reflects his deep roots in the blues. And it reflects some of the music that I favor when I sit down with some bourbon and blues!

Primer was born into a Camden, Miss., sharecropper family and learned to love the music at a young age — his father and cousin played guitar and sang, and his grandmother’s blues records sparked more interest. He made his first music with a diddley bow on the side of her house.

Primer relocated to Chicago at 18, honed his skills on the streets and in clubs, and in 1974 became a member of the house band at the legendary South Side club, Theresa’s, where Willie Dixon eventually asked Primer to join his Chicago Blues All-Stars in 1979. From there, he grew through the bands of Muddy Waters and Magic Slim before launching his own career. His recordings with and for Bob Corritore have preserved much of his heritage in recent years.

That heritage is on display here from the primitive opening acapella sounds of “John’s Blues Holler,” a field chant from deep in the blues, moving into “Born in Mississippi,” a down-home blues memory of his hard young life with just his voice and eloquent guitar.

A series of classic deep-blue covers includes Leroy’s Carr’s “Blues Before Sunrise,” Muddy Waters’ “Walkin’ Blues” and Willie Dixon’s “Down In The Bottom.” Primer’s own “Nothing But A Chicken Wing” struts with the legendary Bobby Rush, still full of vinegar at 91, on harp. The slow blues “A Better Day” and “When I Met The Blues” round out this set of three originals.

Joe Williams’ “Baby Please Don’t Go” features Charlie Musselwhite on harp followed by Louisiana Red’s hot-wired “Let Me Be Your Electrician” and the Jimmy Reed classic “Shame Shame Shame.” Primer’s daughter Aliya takes over with an elegant vocal on the sweetly traditional “Lay My Burdens Down,” with Eden Brent on piano and organ.

Two more Primer originals close the album: The sprightly “Ain’t Kickin’ Up No Dust” and “John’s Crawdad Song,” the first song Primer learned on the diddley bow.

“Grown in Mississippi” is blues for the ages. Primer’s vocals and guitar dig deep into the essence of Chicago’s blues heritage. His talented guest artists add to the musical magic. Primer has remained faithful to his blues roots, and at the same time made his music part of the contemporary blues conversation with its timeless appeal. Enjoy it soon and often. Let it fill that hole in your soul.

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Tracklist and credits:

Carolyn Wonderland — ‘Truth Is” — Alligator Records

The truth is, Carolyn Wonderland is a powerful vocalist, plays electrifying guitar and writes bright, intense lyrics.

And she’s brought all those skills together again for another fine album, the musically eclectic “Truth Is.” Wonderland has been plying her blues trade and recording since 2001 and is just a few years removed from her coveted stint as lead guitarist for British bluesman John Mayall and The Blues Breakers — a spot that has solidified her standing in the upper ranks of blues guitarists, and a spot previously occupied by Eric Clapton, Mick Taylor, Peter Green, Coco Montoya, and Walter Trout.

Wonderland’s last album, “Tempting Fate,” won the Austin Music Award for Best Blues Artists and Best Guitarist, and she was inducted into the Austin Music Hall of Fame. She has also been nominated for a Blues Music Award three times.

All of which has led to her second album for blues-centric Alligator Records (her 13th overall), showing off her skills on guitar, slide guitar, mandolin, trumpet and piano. Bassist Naj Conklin and drummer Giovanni Carnuccio join a seeming cast of thousands here for ten original tracks and two covers. The music reflects Wonderland’s penchant for exploring music that ranges beyond traditional blues boundaries, and also gives her songwriting skills room to roam.

Wonderland explains: “I’m kind of a weirdo. I have kind of a genre-less approach. So, it never would have occurred to me that I would be good enough for Alligator or that I would be their kind of thing. So, I was really excited,” she says in interview on American Blues Scene.

The opener, “Sooner or Later,” is example of that genre-bending, as Wonderland’s lap steel dances to a countrified psychedelia, with her vocals carrying their own down-home twang. Producer Dave Alvin is featured on guitar (he also produced “Tempting Fate”). Marcia Ball and Ruthie Foster lend backup vocals on the following tracks — “I Ain’t Going Back Again” and the rocking “Truth Is,” explained in the lyric: “Truth is right there in the very air we breathe. So why is it so hard to believe it.”

“Let’s Play a Game” is a smooth, almost dreamy message: “We’ve marched to the capitols. We’ve sang in the holler. Dined with the kings. And lo, Lord, how hard we’ve tried but peace without justice that’s just freedom denied.” The bluesy, easy-swinging “Whistlin’ Past the Graveyard Again” has a distinctive roadhouse flair with Cindy Cashdollar on lap steel and honky-tonk piano from Red Young, plus some concluding Wonderland whistling. “It Should Take” leans toward a bright New Orleans rhythm.

“Wishful Thinking” is the first cover, from Greg Wood and Eddie Hawkins, a gently flowing ballad, with a universal thought: “I wish that everything that ever fell apart could come back together again exploding backwards into perfection but that’s just wishful thinking.”

“Orange Juice Blues” by The Band’s Richard Manuel is a standout track, a fearsome blues riding Wonderland’s guitar and Cindy Cashdollar’s lap steel leads, Shelley King’s acoustic guitar, Young’s B3, Balls’s piano and King on backup harmony. It’s a roughhouse gem of a song, mined from all the rest that glitters here.

“Tattoos as His Talisman,” with Wonderland’s vocals and Alvin’s guitar soaring, is a tough ode to an illustrated man. “Flowers In Bloom” coaxes a slow-dance melody and aching vocals from Wonderland, haunted by a relationship. “Deepest Ocean Blue” floats in on Latin rhythms and leads into the closing deep blue passion of “Blues for Gene,” a tribute to pianist Gene Taylor, a friend of Wonderland’s, who played with the James Harman Band, toured with Canned Heat and The Fabulous Thunderbirds. The song emotionally explains his death during the 2022 power failure amid frigid weather in Texas in 2022. Henri Herbert wraps up his gorgeous piano work here with a raucous boogie-woogie climax. It’s a powerful song, lyrically and musically.

Carolyn Wonderland’s “Truth Is” more than lives up to its title. It’s her musical truth, offered with a splendid rawness and emotion, a passionate exploration of her musical sensibilities and musical skills. Honest. It is.

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Here’s an interview with Carolyn Wonderland in Rock & Blues Muse.

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Here’s “Sooner Or Later” from the album:

Tracklist and credits:

1. Sooner Or Later 4:13
(Carolyn Wonderland, Wonder Chicken Publ., admin. by Drive Music Publ., ASCAP)
2. I Ain’t Going Back 2:54
(Carolyn Wonderland, Wonder Chicken Publ., admin. by Drive Music Publ., ASCAP)
3. Truth Is 3:39
(Carolyn Wonderland, Wonder Chicken Publ., admin. by Drive Music Publ., ASCAP)
4. Let’s Play A Game 4:00
(Carolyn Wonderland, Wonder Chicken Publ., admin. by Drive Music Publ., ASCAP)
5. Whistlin’ Past The Graveyard Again 4:00
(Carolyn Wonderland & Dave Alvin, Wonder Chicken Publ., admin. by Drive Music Publ., ASCAP / Blue Horn Toad Music admin. by BMG Bumblebee, BMI)
6. It Should Take 2:25
(Carolyn Wonderland, Wonder Chicken Publ., admin. by Drive Music Publ., ASCAP)
7. Wishful Thinking 4:16
(Greg Wood & Eddie Hawkins, Chump Salvage Music, BMI / Muscience Music, ASCAP)
8. Orange Juice Blues 3:37
(Richard Manuel, Universal Tunes, a division of Songs of Universal, BMI)
9. Tattoos As His Talisman 3:29
(Carolyn Wonderland & Dave Alvin, Wonder Chicken Publ., admin. by Drive Music Publ., ASCAP / Blue Horn Toad Music admin. by BMG Bumblebee, BMI)
10. Flowers In Bloom 4:26
(Carolyn Wonderland, Wonder Chicken Publ., admin. by Drive Music Publ., ASCAP)
11. Deepest Ocean Blue 3:52
(Carolyn Wonderland, Shelley King, Naj Conklin & Giovanni Carnuccio III, Wonder Chicken Publ., admin. by Drive Music Publ., ASCAP / Lucky Monday Music, ASCAP / Naj Conklin, BMI / Tyrannoscore, ASCAP)
12. Blues For Gene 6:40
(Carolyn Wonderland & Dave Alvin, Wonder Chicken Publ., admin. by Drive Music Publ., ASCAP / Blue Horn Toad Music admin. by BMG Bumblebee, BMI)

Carolyn Wonderland Electric Guitar, Lap Steel, Vocals, Whistling
Naj Conklin Electric and Upright Bass
Giovanni “Nooch” Carnuccio Drums, Percussion (2,3,6,7)
with
Shelley King Harmony Vocals (2,3,4,5,6,7,8,10,11), Acoustic Guitar (4,5,7,8,9,11), ”Pop” (10)
Dave Alvin Electric Guitar (1,8,9,12)
Red Young B3 Organ (1,2,3,4,8,10,11), Piano (5,10,11)
Bukka Allen Piano (1,7), B3 Organ (7,9)
Kevin Lance Percussion (1,11)
Ruthie Foster Vocals (2,3)
Marcia Ball Vocals (2,3,8), Piano (8)
Cindy Cashdollar Lap Steel Guitar (5,8)
Henri Herbert Piano (6,12)
Stuart Sullivan Percussion (7)

Produced by Dave Alvin
Recorded and Mixed by Stuart Sullivan at Wire Recording at Point West, Austin, TX
Additional Engineers:Drew Potter and  Pete Caponi
Mastered by Collin Jordan and Bruce Iglauer at The Boiler Room, Chicago, IL
Photos by Mary Keating Bruton, MKB Photography
Packaging Design by Kevin Niemiec
Hair and Makeup by Brandi Cowley
Stylist: Cheryl G Smith, Wardrobe Matters

This album is dedicated to the memories of two musicians who changed me for the better, and whom I miss dearly, John Mayall and Gene Taylor. May you find yourself in their music.