23-12-2021 BLUES:MiX # 33 blues(y) songs from the BLUES circle 2019-2011 (2h 34m) # Gary Clark Jr., Bernard Allison, John Mayall, Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials, Keith Richards, The Mannish Boys, James Cotton, Ruthie Foster, Tommy Castro, Albert Castiglia, Magic Slim & the Teardrops
B L U E S M U S I C (2h 34m)
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2019-2011
With his acclaimed debut Blak and Blu, Gary Clark, Jr. emerged at the dawn of the 2010s as the great hope for modern electric blues. He spent the rest of the decade fulfilling that promise, both by continuing the blues-rock tradition and expanding it to encompass contemporary funk, rock, and hip-hop. Initially, Clark played his cards relatively close to the vest, emphasizing the blues heritage of his hometown in Austin, Texas (and earning the endorsement of local legend Jimmie Vaughan)...
This Land (Woody Guthrie / Gary Clark, Jr.) 5:41
Dirty Dishes Blues (Lane Evans / Gary Clark, Jr. / Jacob Sciba) 5:03
What About Us (Gary Clark, Jr. / Curtis Ousley) 4:30
from This Land 2019
"F*ck you, I'm America's son/This is where I come from." Gary Clark, Jr. spits out that line with all the venom he can muster on the opening track of 2019's This Land, and while he's specifically challenging a racist neighbor who doesn't believe he can afford the Texas ranch he calls home, it also sounds like he's shouting down anyone who has dared to question his creative ambitions or tried to pigeonhole him as just another bluesman. Since making his major-label debut with 2012's Blak and Blu, Clark has steadily been widening his boundaries as a musician, and This Land is his toughest and most ambitious work to date, a bold and often ferocious set of songs that serves as a polyglot of African-American musical idioms and sharply articulate thoughts about American life in the midst of the Trump era. As on his previous albums, Clark frequently demonstrates he's a gifted and forceful guitarist, but on This Land, the songs are ultimately more important than the solos, and the rich, densely packed production, the melodic diversity of material, and the undiluted passion of the lyrics (and the way Clark delivers them) is what truly makes this album succeed... This Land is not an album many were expecting Gary Clark, Jr. to make when he burst into nationwide recognition at the start of the 2010s, and that's one of its greatest strengths -- it frequently upends expectations while confirming Clark's broad talent and imagination, and if this doesn't convince you he's a major artist, nothing will.
Bernard Allison is the guitar-playing, singing, and songwriting son of late legendary blues guitarist Luther Allison. True to form for this chip off the old block, the young Allison injects every bit as much energy into his live shows as his father did. Bernard counts among his influences icons like Albert King, Muddy Waters, and Freddie King, and later, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Johnny Winter.
Cruisin For A Bluesin (Bernard Allison, Mario Dawson) 4:55
Backdoor Man (Bernard Allison) 3:49
You're Gonna Need Me (Luther Allison) 4:38
from Let It Go 2018
Painful admission: When this reviewer saw the title of the aforementioned CD, she popped it into her stereo and fast-forwarded to that track, hoping and praying it wasn’t a cover of the pop hit from Disney’s Frozen. Then she thought, “Bernard Allison would never do that. He’s a legend!” His Let It Go is an original tune and an entire album besides. When blues runs in the blood as thickly and purely as it does between a father and his youngest son, nary a sour note is played. Bernard’s groove persists and embellishes itself throughout twelve tracks... Perhaps the best part of Bernard’s blues is his vocals, savory as barbecue ribs: hot and tangy, just the thing to warm one’s ears like a full rack of “baby back” warms the stomach. Of course, his guitar is iconic, and it makes a bold appearance in electric, slide, and acoustic varieties. Ruf Records has done it again, providing pristine-quality music from a pristine-quality, traditional blues artist.
John Mayall, OBE is the godfather of the British blues. A singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, he has been a bandleader and recording artist since 1965. A generation older than most of his sidemen, Mayall was a mentor; his bands were both a lab and finishing school for iconic musicians -- particularly guitarists. Eric Clapton, Peter Green, and Mick Taylor served, as did bassists Jack Bruce and John McVie and drummers Mick Fleetwood and Aynsley Dunbar among dozens of others...
Talk About That (John Mayall) 4:25
The Devil Must Be Laughing (John Mayall) 6:57
Blue Midnight (John Mayall) 4:02
from Talk About That 2017
John Mayall enlisted the aid of a Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer for Talk About That, his latest release in a career that stretches back to the early ’60s, but have no fear! With James Gang/Eagles superstar Joe Walsh along for the ride, the undisputed Godfather Of British Blues delivers a heaping portion of the music four generations of fans have come to know and love... Available through all major marketers Talk About That proves once again that Mayall is a musical treasure. It’s comfortable, yet fresh throughout — and strongly recommended.
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| John Mayall Trio and Joe Walsh |
Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials were among the premiere party bands to come out of Chicago during the '70s and '80s. Often compared to Elmore James and Hound Dog Taylor, fiery, flamboyant slide guitarist Lil' Ed Williams and his group have continued to play dedicated, rough-edged, and hard-rocking dance music, establishing an international reputation that has lasted into the new millennium...
Giving Up on Your Love (Lil' Ed Williams) 3:39
Black Diamond Love (Lil' Ed Williams) 4:42
I'll Cry Tomorrow (J.B. Hutto) 6:44
When Lil’ Ed Williams and his Blues Imperials hit the stage, fans around the world know they’re in for a treat. Now in their 27th year with the same four-man lineup, they consistently please audiences with their rough-hewn brand of West Side Chicago blues and balls-to-the wall passion, and this CD, the ninth release in their lengthy Alligator Records catalog, is as consistently pleasing as the many award-winning albums that preceded it... But Ed’s no copycat. He’s a larger-than-life, humorous, energetic showman of the highest order, and his musical family – half-brother James “Pookie” Young on bass and Detroit natives Michael Garrett and Kelly Littleton on guitar and drums – provide what seems to be effortless support, but which couldn’t exist without three decades of rehearsals and thousands of gigs together. They fit together like hand to glove...
Arguably the best and most influential rhythm guitarist in the history of rock & roll, Keith Richards was the principle architect of the sound that would make the Rolling Stones one of rock's most iconic bands. Blessed with excellent timing and a minimalist style that cut deep without wasted moves, Richards borrowed from the playbooks of Chuck Berry and a number of classic blues players to formulate a sound that was decisively his own, and would in turn be borrowed by countless guitarists who aped his moved but rarely with the same impact. The taut angles of Richards' melodic sense would also dominate his songwriting with vocalist Mick Jagger, who co-wrote nearly all of the group's best-known songs...
Crosseyed Heart (Keith Richards) 1:52
Blues in the Morning (Steve Jordan / Keith Richards) 4:26
Illusion (Norah Jones / Steve Jordan / Keith Richards) 3:48
from Crosseyed Heart 2015
Keith Richards took his time to complete Crosseyed Heart. It arrives 23 years after Main Offender, his last solo studio album, but also 11 years after A Bigger Bang, the last official Rolling Stones record, but Richards hasn't exactly been quiet in all those years... Certainly, Crosseyed Heart hardly feels like it was labored over; it's not the work of a perfectionist hoping every element lands in its right place. It sounds like it was knocked out in a week, which is about the highest compliment that can be paid to a record as casual as this... Keith no longer has to prove what he has to contribute to either the Stones or the culture at large, so he settles into his favorite sounds, loving to play the blues, rock & roll, country, and folk he's always savored, then sliding into the open-chord boogie that's unmistakably his. He may not forcibly claim this ground here but that's the appeal of Crosseyed Heart: it's a winningly low-key record, where the atmosphere matters more than the songs, yet Richards doesn't neglect writing tunes this time around.
The Mannish Boys are an American blues band based in Los Angeles. They play classic blues in West Coast, Texas and Chicago styles. Founded by bandleader Randy Chortkoff, the band is named after the song "Mannish Boy" by Muddy Waters...
I Ain't Sayin' (Mike Welch) 3:33
Struggle In My Hometown (Franck Goldwasser) 4:11
The Blues Has Made Me Whole (Steve Freund) 4:16
from Wrapped Up and Ready 2014
The Mannish Boys lineup may change, but it is always one of the most solid bands ever put together and this incarceration is no different. Led by the Sugar Ray Rayford and Randy Chortkoff up front, with Kirk Fletcher and Frank Goldwasser as axe men, Willie J. Campbell on bass and Jimi Bott on drums, they are as solid a blues band as one can find anywhere.
And then you add the likes of Candye Kane and Laura Chavez, Kim Wilson, Steve Freund, Kid Ramos, Mike Welch, Fred Kaplan and Bob Corritore (among others) and it becomes a blues extravaganza! Randy Chortkoff has steered this band and his label quite well, and this sixth CD for the ‘Boys remains centered in the blues and delivers a powerful punch. It’s stripped down some, but it works well, and maybe even better!... No grandstanding, no one trying to outshine the others here; the band members and guests are all working to make fantastic music and support each other in their efforts...
At his high-energy, 1970s peak as a bandleader, James Cotton was a bouncing, sweaty, whirling dervish of a bluesman, roaring his vocals and all but sucking the reeds right out of his defenseless little harmonicas with his prodigious lung power. Due to throat problems during his latter years, Cotton's vocals were no longer what they used to be, but he remained a masterful instrumentalist for decades. Cotton had some gargantuan shoes to fill when he stepped into Little Walter's slot as Muddy Waters' harp ace in 1954, but for the next dozen years, the young Mississippian filled the integral role beside Chicago's blues king with power and precision...
Cotton Mouth Man feat. Joe Bonamassa
Mississippi Mud feat. Keb' Mo'
Bonnie Blue
from Cotton Mouth Man 2013
Blues harp maestro James Cotton was 77 at the time of this album's release. He can barely sing anymore, and the years of playing and touring have left his voice a hoarse croak, but make no mistake, he can still play the harp, and his stunning, overdriven blasts on the instrument are as powerful and as immediate as ever. He's the living embodiment of the Chicago blues, and one of the genre's last surviving founders of it, having mentored with the great Sonny Boy Williamson, and he recorded, played, and toured with Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters, cutting his first sides at the age of 19 for Chess Records... But this isn't one of those duets albums that artists make in the twilight of their careers by any shot -- Cotton is amazing on these cuts, his harp blasts full of passion, power, and enough pure energy to light up the night sky. Cotton may not do somersaults on stage anymore, but his harp lines do, weaving in and out of these songs like a charging Chicago freight train. There isn't a single lame cut here, but the closer, "Bonnie Blue," with Cotton croaking out a moving vocal accompanied only by his harp and the resonator guitar playing of Colin Linden, is particularly poignant. Cotton may be cruising in on 80 years of age, but he's just released one of the best albums of his career.
With a naturally expressive voice that has drawn comparisons to greats like Aretha Franklin and Ella Fitzgerald, Texas-based singer and songwriter Ruthie Foster has a wide palette of American song forms -- gospel and blues to jazz, folk, and soul -- and her live performances are powerfully transfiguring...
This Time (David Hidalgo / Louis Perez / Louie Pérez) 4:48
Everlasting Light (Dan Auerbach / Patrick Carney) 3:33
Long Time Gone (David Crosby) 5:14
from Let It Burn 2012
One of the gospel-blues scene's best-kept secrets for over a decade, Texan singer/songwriter Ruthie Foster finally achieved some long-overdue mainstream recognition when her 2009 sixth studio effort, The Truth According to Ruthie Foster, picked up a Grammy nomination. By putting down the guitar and concentrating entirely on her vocals for the first time in her career, her follow-up, Let It Burn, suggests she means business. It's a wise move, as her impassioned, soulful tones have always been her main selling point, and backed by an impressive array of musicians, including the Meters' rhythm section and legendary gospel act the Blind Boys of Alabama, they're allowed the freedom to showcase their versatility... But whichever era Foster picks and chooses from, Let It Burn always feels utterly timeless.
Tommy Castro is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and bandleader. His muscular brand of roots music indulges electric and jump blues, funky R&B-inflected rockers, and searing soul-drenched ballads. An incendiary lead guitarist and showman, he often plays more than 200 dates a year...
Voodoo Spell feat. Michael Burks 10:02
Never Say Never feat. Sista Monica Parker
Fog feat. Trampled Under Foot
from Tommy Castro Presents The Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue--Live! 2011
A direct descendant from the traveling bundled artist packages of the '60s right down to its retro "hatch show"-styled cover art, Tommy Castro and his band play host to a relatively diverse assortment of high-energy blues and soul acts. The concept originated on the yearly Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise where such musical collaborations are typical. Castro's concept was to take that concept on the road, resulting in this dozen-track live album cherrypicked from various tour stops. It's a rollicking, very plugged-in affair... Everyone is at the top of their game with an electricity and vein-popping excitement that can only be generated when musicians feed off each other live...
Blues guitarist Albert Castiglia was born in New York on August 12, 1969. Five years later his parents moved to Miami, where Castiglia began learning guitar. By the age of 12, he began playing local gigs and did so consistently throughout high school. Following completion of his college education, Castiglia worked as a social service investigator while playing gigs at night and on weekends around South Florida. In 1990 he joined Miami Blues Authority, and was the group's lead guitarist and vocalist for over seven years. After an audition with Chicago blues harp legend Junior Wells in 1997, Castiglia become the permanent lead guitarist for Wells' Hoodoo Man's Band. Following Junior's death in 1998, the band stayed together long enough to open shows for blues belter Sandra Hall. In 2001 Castiglia began writing his own material with the help of Graham Drout, guitarist and vocalist with the Miami-based band Iko Iko...
Cadillac Assembly Line (Sir Mack Rice) 5:01
Mojo 305 (Albert Castiglia / Steven Gaskell / Jerome Mascaro) 3:58
Murderin' Blues (Robert Nighthawk) 5:25
from Keepin' On 2010
Albert Castiglia has been making his living as a bluesman for 20 years, coming to prominence as lead guitarist for the legendary Junior Wells. He's played with a who's who of blues greats in his career and stepped out on his own in 2002 with Burn, an album that got universal raves. There's no doubting Castiglia's power as a guitarist... Critics often compare Castiglia's singing to Van Morrison, and maybe there was a bit of Van the Man in his vocal style years back, but on Keepin On he has his own signature style, a combination of urban grit and smooth, soulful crooning. Like Robert Cray, Castiglia combines hardcore blues with soul, rock, and country flavors for a sound that will appeal to rockers and blues purists alike.
Magic Slim & the Teardrops proudly upheld the tradition of what a Chicago blues band should sound like. Their emphasis on ensemble playing and a humongous repertoire that allegedly ranged upwards of a few hundred songs gave the towering guitarist's live performances an endearing off-the-cuff quality: you never knew what obscurity he'd pull out of his oversized hat next...
Magic Slim & the Teardrops
Rough Dried Woman (Don Clay / B. Earle) 3:57
Tell Me What Makes a Woman Treat a Good Man So Bad (Morris Magic Slim Holt) 3:35
Bad Boy (Eddie Taylor) 4:37
from Rough Dried Woman 2009
The Wolf record label has served Magic Slim & the Teardrops well, producing eight CDs between 1986 and 1992, when the band was emerging from Chicago to tour the world. They are deserving on many fronts as the self-proclaimed "best blues band on the planet," and these tracks, marketed as "Magic Slim's best 14 songs," certainly go a long way to proving that assertion. Of the album's 14 tracks, 11 come from the studio and three are previously unissued live concert sessions in Austria, all with Slim, the remarkable second guitarist John Primer, brother and bassist Nick Holt, and different drummers... It's debatable whether these tracks comprise the very best of Magic Slim & the Teardrops through their four decades of presenting rip-snorting Chicago-style blues, but everything on this collection is very good and should please all blues lovers, not only in the way they play, but the broad range of excellent tunes they have chosen to perform faithfully...
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