By Marty Gunther
Red Hot ’n Blues Reviews for December 2024
Vaneese Thomas – Stories in Blue
Overton Music
A honey-toned mezzo-soprano and Memphis treasure, Vaneese Thomas has built her career out of turning her innermost thoughts and feelings into emotion-packed tunes. And youngest daughter of Rufus Thomas stuffs all that into the grooves of this disc.
The debut of the Overton label, this is only the seventh album in Vaneese’s a career, which began in the ’80s and includes stardom across the entertainment spectrum as a songwriter, producer, actor and more. Produced by Vaneese, the lineup includes guitarist Al Orlo, keyboard player Dave Keyes along with a four-piece horn section.
Bluff City music at its best, lend your ear to “Do Y’All,” “When You Were My Man,” “Wandering,” “1917,” “7 Miles from Home” and “End of the Road.”
Ben Levin – Ben Levin Presents a Holiday Blues Revue
VizzTone Label Group VT-BL006
Tired of all the retreaded Christmas tunes on air today? You’ll love this collection from Cincinnati-based keyboard wizard Ben Levin. One of the brightest lights in the blues world today at age 24, he possesses a talent that would have fit comfortably in earlier generations. And he hits a high note with fresh holiday music laced with the essence of the tradition he’s studied so well.
With guest appearances from Chicagoan Lil’ Ed Williams, chitlin' circuit star/vocalist Sonny Hill (Clarence “Gatemouth Brown”/Rufus Thomas), Memphis native Candice Ivory and Baton Rouge-based Lil’ Jimmy Reed, the set’s magical from the jump.
Songs that’ll warm your heart include “Candy Cane,” “It’s Christmas Time,” “Elf Boogie,” “Next Christmas,” “Christmas Mood,” “Forgot Mrs. Claus,” “Regifted,” “Lump of Coal” and “SantaCon.”
Eric Bibb – In the Real World
Stony Plain Records SPCD1488
A troubadour for the ages, acoustic master Eric Bibb delivers a sonic masterpiece with his latest CD. It’s a quiet, deeply moving effort that delves deeply into his life experience while delivering a self-portrait that describes his past, where he’s headed and his hopes and dreams for mankind, too.
Every note, every phrase, every syllable of this disc is filled to the brim with emotion and subtle observations. And although Eric’s laid-back delivery is quiet and reserved throughout, it always packs a punch that demands your attention throughout.
Don’t miss “Take the Stage,” “Walk Steady On,” “Everybody’s Got a Right,” “Make a Change,” “This River (Chains & Free),” “Stealin’ Home,” “King of the Castle,” “Neshoba County,” “Roll on Buddy,” “Judgement Day,” “The Real World” and “Victory Voices.”
Sauce Boss – The Sauce
Swampside Records SR241
Slide guitarist/vocalist Bill Wharton truly is the Sauce Boss. A beloved chef and performer, he’s been serving up his own brand of hot sauce and steaming bowls of gumbo to audiences out of the Florida panhandle for decades. But he dispenses with his usual format here as a one-man band and delivers a funky set that sends a message of love and understanding when we need it most.
Full of easy, breezy Rx for a troubled world, Damon Fowler sits in on guitar and lap steel for a couple of cuts, and guitarist Neal Goree and drummer Brett Creek make brief appearances, but it’s the Sauce Boss who shines throughout.
Take a bite out of “Little Rhythm and Blues,” “Delta 9 Blues,” “Space Ocean,” “Down by the Sea,” “Don’t Know How to Tell You,” “I Will Play for Gumbo,” “Lonely Crowd” and “Left-Handed Smile.”
Tab Benoit – I Hear Thunder
Whiskey Bayou Records WHIS 2024
Gulf Coast blues-rock giant Tab Benoit has been devoting much of his time to the non-profit Voice of the Wetlands organization during the past decade, but returns to the studio and at the top of his game with this disc. It delivers the big tone he’s known for as Tab walks the razor’s edge in a set that deals with heartbreak and joy.
Tab’s backed by his regular touring band – Corey Duplechin on bass and Terence Higgins on drums – and a special guest appearance from George Porter, Jr. of The Meters, who sits in on three cuts. It’s no surprise that the grooves run deep here.
Benoit’s best album yet, you’ll enjoy “I Hear Thunder,” “The Ghost of Gatemouth Brown,” “Still Gray,” “Watching the Gators Roll In,” “Overdue,” “Little Queenie,” “I’m A Write That Down” and “Bayou Man.”
Andy Peake – Pocket Change
Biglittle Records BLR2401
Andy Peake’s a veteran Nashville-based percussionist/producer/engineer who’s toured with Delbert McClinton, Don Williams, Lee Roy Parnell and many others. And he’s a pleasant tenor and tunesmith, too. His debut CD, Mood Swings, hit a high note in 2021. And he follows it up in style here.
Loaded with talent, the revolving roster includes more than 20 folks from the Music City scene, most notably guitarist Will McFarlane, harp player Tim Gartland and vocalist Shaun Murphy. Their shared effort sparkles from the jump.
Slick and upbeat, there’s a lot to like here, including “As Good as It Gets,” “The Scuffle,” “One Fine Day,” “So Many Drummers,” “The Blues Is Here to Stay,” “Neighbor to Neighbor,” “Samsong” and “I Don’t Believe Nothin’.”
Bruce Katz Band – Back in Boston Live
Dancing Rooster Records DRR2112
With a career that includes work with Duke Robillard, Ronnie Earl and Mighty Sam McClain, as well as teaching at Berklee College of Music, Bruce Katz is one of the most important keyboard players in the world today. And he returns to his Boston stomping grounds in style for this dazzling, mostly instrumental set.
Captured at The Fallout Shelter this spring, Bruce delivers a powder keg of soul-tinged blues with backing from guitarist/vocalist Aaron Lieberman, drummer Liviu Pop and bassist Jesse Williams (North Mississippi Allstars and Jimmy Vivino).
You’ll be knocked out by “The Czar,” “Blues Before Sunrise,” “Don’t Feel So Good Today,” “Get Your Groove On,” “Dreams of Yesterday,” “Take the Green Line,” “BK’s Broiler” and “For Brother Ray.”
Khalif Wailin’ Walter – Phoenix Risin’
Timezone Records
Now based out of Germany, fiery guitarist Khalif Wailin’ Walter is the nephew of Windy City legend Carl Weatherby and the son of military parents. A former member of the Lonnie Brooks Band, he shines throughout this deep-blue, all-original and self-produced set. It delivers tastes of Chicago along with the stellar blues-rock he’s known for.
A distinctive baritone, Khalif toured the world in rock bands before a chance meeting with and lesson from B.B. King drew him to the City of Big Shoulders for an extended residency. He’s joined here by a rotating cast that includes keyboard player Christian Rannenberg, one of the Rhineland’s best proponents of the Chicago sound.
Give a listen to “Connie-Lee,” “Baby, Please Lie to Me,” “The Streets,” “Phoenix Risin’,” “I’m Through Cryin’,” “Big Bootyed Woman,” “I’m Your Love Doctor,” “Stone Cold Busted” and “Chi-Town Soundcheck.”
Jerron Paxton – Things Done Changed
Smithsonian Folkways Records
One of the best instrumentalists you’ve probably never heard of, Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton trods a similar path in the blues world as Jontavious Willis by delivering modern music the way it existed prior to World War II. And the guitarist, harp and banjo player simply dazzles here.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, but gifted in Piedmont and Delta stylings and possessing a voice that complements his play, this is Jerron’s first solo release. Paxton’s earlier efforts teamed him with Dennis Lichtman and produced an EP. If you’re a fan of pre-War blues, you’ll want to add this all-original effort to your play list.
Choice cuts include “Things Done Changed,” “Baby Days Blues,” “It’s All Over Now,” “So Much Weed,” “What’s Gonna Become of Me,” “Out in This World,” “Brown Bear Blues,” “Oxtail Blues” and “Tombstone Disposition.”
Ollee Owens – Nowhere to Hide
Ollee Owens Music
Delivering a polished sound that fuses blues and R&B, Ollee Owens hails from the Canadian prairie, but her soul’s firmly based in Nashville. And that’s where she went to capture this CD, which deals with the ups, downs and struggles of surviving in a tormented world.
A longtime songwriter, she raised a family before making her recording debut in 2022. This stellar sophomore effort features backing guitarists Will McFarlane and Phil Hughley and other top Music City session players, including drummer/producer Bobby Blazier and keyboard player Gabe Klein.
Give a listen to “Nowhere to Hide,” “Solid Ground,” “Some Days,” “Love You Better,” “Shivers and Butterflies,” “My Man,” “Love Hung Around,” “The Neighborhood” and “Lord Protect My Child.”
The Pat Fulgoni Blues Experience – same
Chocolate Fireguard Records
A honeyed vocalist who’s deep blue and powerful, too, Pat Fulgoni has built a name for himself fronting bands in the Czech Republic, but returns home to West Yorkshire, England, with his own band for this highly polished, propulsive set.
Pat’s skintight five-piece unit includes guitarist Jacob Beckwith, keyboard player Sam Bolt, bassist Rory Wells and drummer Zebedee Sylvester with Alex Eden on harp. Infused with soul and occasional blues-rock, it hits the mark on all counts.
You’ll enjoy “Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven,” “Drifter,” “Keep the Blues Alive,” “Midnight Train,” “Bleeding Heart,” “Lady Day & John Coltrane,” “Confusion Blues” and “Stickin’ the Knife in Blues.”
Scott Ward Productions – I Believe I'll Run On: A Tribute To Wilson Pickett
Nola Blue Records
There was no more powerful a location in the music world in the ’60s than Muscle Shoals, Ala., and no more powerful a voice than Wilson Pickett. And bassist/session player/producer Scott Ward pays tribute to both with this set.
Ward assembled an all-star roster – Steve Cropper, Jimmy Hall, Christine Ohlman, Damon Johnson, T. Graham Brown and others -- and traveled to Wishbone Recording Studio in the Magnolia State to breathe new life into 12 of Pickett’s biggest hits.
Sure, they’re covers, but they’re fresh, too. Turn back the clock and get into “Land of a Thousand Dances,” “635-5789,” “Ninety-Nine and a Half Won’t Do,” “Born to Be Wild,” “Danger Zone,” “Sugar Sugar,” “Giggy Giggy Googy Googy,” “Don’t Let the Green Grass Fool You” and “If You Need Me.” And put on your dancin’ shoes. You’re gonna need ’em!
Chad Rupp and the Sugar Roots – Gate C23
Lightning in a Bottle Records
A vocalist/guitarist who’s been performing with Curtis Salgado, Paul DeLay and other blues giants for decades, Chad Rupp founded his Sugar Roots in 2021; they’ve been setting the nights on fire in the Pacific Northwest ever since with their own blend of soulful blues and blues-rock. Their previous release, The Devil Won’t Get You, hit high on Roots Music Report’s charts, and this disc should take them even higher.
Familiar names in the lineup include BMA-winning drummer Jimi Bott and harp player Mitch Kashmar. They’re joined by Kenny Blue Ray and two others on guitars, a full horn section, two keyboard players and backing vocals from LaRhonda Steele, Arietta Ward and Ms. Vee, too.
You’ll dig “Fresh Suits,” “She Is the One,” “Gate C23,” “14 Dollars in the Bank,” “Blues City Café,” “Do Whatcha Daddy Say,” “2 Inches Shy of a Fool,” “Fat Kid Boogie” and “Blind, Crippled and Crazy.”
Egidio Juke Ingala & the Jacknives – Keep on Dreamin’
Rhythm Bomb Records
If you love traditional Chicago blues, you can’t go wrong with harp player Egidio Juke Ingala and his Jacknives, who’ve been delivering the deepest of Windy City grooves out of Milan, Italy, for the past 15 years. They’re blue-to-the-bone on their latest disc, which features frequent collaborator Alex Shultz (Rod Piazza, Chris O’Leary) on guitar.
Juke’s vocals are as sweet as his harp. Old-school easy-and-greasy, they’re supported by Marco Gisfredi on six-string and a rhythm section composed of drummer Enrico Soverini and Max Pitardi. They swing steadily from the hip throughout this 13-track set.
As comfortable as a night on 43rd Street in the city, you’ll love “Put It On,” “So Deep,” “I’m Going Home,” “I Don’t Want No One,” “You Are an Old Lady,” “Keep on Dreamin’,” “Blues Stay Away,” “Juice Harmonica,” “Little Girl,” “Monkey Man No More” and “Whirlaway.”
Albert Collins, Robert Cray & Johnny Copeland – Showdown
Alligator Records AL 8743
Here’s a welcome vinyl reissue: Alligator simply hit it out out the park with this disc when it was released in 1985, winning the label its first – and currently only – Grammy. Albert Collins, Robert Cray and Johnny Copeland delivered such a deep groove with their guitars on this one that they could have revived the dead – and they still could!
Now available again as an LP for the first time in decades, the trio are anchored by a star-studded lineup of Windy City talent that includes keyboard player Allen Batts, percussionist Casey Jones and bassist Johnny B. Gayden.
A don’t-miss for old and new ears alike, tune in to “T-Bone Shuffle,” “The Moon Is Full,” “She’s into Something,” “Bring Your Fine Self Home,” “Black Cat Bone,” “The Dream,” “Albert’s Alley” and “Something to Remember You By.”
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About the Author: The blues came calling for Marty Gunther in the 1960s, when he witnessed Muddy Waters, Mississippi John Hurt, B.B. King and Howlin' Wolf perform at the Newport festivals in his native Rhode Island. A longtime Chicagoan who's now based out of Ohio, he's a professional journalist and harp player who studied under Sugar Blue before co-founding the Nucklebusters, a band that's filled clubs in south Florida since the '80s.