By Marty Gunther
Red Hot ’n Blues Reviews for November 2024
Chicago Blues Lifters – Blues Scouts
Big Eye Records Inc. BE-0006
Composed of a cross-section of top Windy City talents, the Chicago Blues Lifters make a magnificent debut here, delivering all of the best qualities of the city’s music and much more. Tired of all the gloom and doom filling the airwaves these days? The Lifters will definitely leave you smiling because this disc is chockful of good vibes and positive messages.
With drummer Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith and bassist Bob Stroger holding down the bottom, you know you’re in for something special. Add guitarists Billy Flynn and Ari Seder, “Piano Willie” Oshawny, and vocalists Michael Avery, Kimberly “Hot Sauce” Johnson and Joey J. Saye to the mix and it’s all that and more.
Don’t miss “I Just Wanna Love You,” “Stick a Fork in Me,” “You Hurt Me Baby,” “That’s My Name,” “Gone with Your Bad Self,” “Get on the Lift,” “Window Pane,” “Ari’s Riff,” “Too Much too Little” and “Fire Fire Fire.”
Mitch Woods – Happy Hour
MoMojo Records MMJ 330
Anytime frequent BMA nominee Mitch Woods is around, you know you’re in for a party. And the San Francisco-based boogie woogie piano player fires on all cylinders with this one, delivering a two-fisted treasure that smokes from the jump. It’s a mix of red-hot rockers and smoldering torch songs.
Produced by Mitch and recorded at Greaseland Studios, he’s joined by Kid Andersen, who compliments Woods by swinging from the hip on guitar, sax player Dave Somers, drummer Larry Vann and bassist Kedar Roy.
Put on your dancing shoes. You’re gonna need ’em! Grab your partner and get down to “Jukebox Drive,” “Long, Lean and Lanky,” “Broke,” “Cryin’ for My Baby,” “Shakin’ the Shack,” “Mr. Boogie’s Back in Town,” “Jump for Joy,” “Mojo Mambo” and “Solid Gold Cadillac.”
John Lee Hooker – The Best of Friends
BMG Music 964045532
A dominant presence in the music world for more than 50 years, John Lee Hooker loved nothing more than blues, baseball and people. And he wasn’t shy about sharing the stage with the biggest names in the industry. This must-listen disc, which first appeared in 1998 and has been remastered for new ears, features him in partnership with a multitude of his friends.
Guests include Carlos Santana, Bonnie Raitt, Eric Clapton, Ry Cooder, Van Morrison, Charlie Musselwhite, Charles Brown, Ben Harper, Los Lobos, Booker T. Jones, Jimmie Vaughan and Robert Cray along with Johnnie Johnson, Jim Pugh, Ike Turner and a host of others in support roles.
The familiar set includes reworkings of “Boogie Chillen,” “This Is Hip,” “The Healer,” “Boom Boom,” “Burning Hell,” “Tupelo,” “Dimples,” “Chill Out (Things Gonna Change),” “Big Legs Tight Skirt” and a whole lot more.
Jovin Webb – Drifter
Blind Pig Records
Since returning to life a few months ago, Blind Pig Records has reemerged as a musical powerhouse. And they continue their ascendancy with this stellar debut release by harp player Jovin Webb, a Gonzales, La., native who reached the finals of American Idol in 2022.
Jovin possesses a powerful, gravelly mid-range voice, and it shines like a raggedy diamond-in-the-rough in this emotive mix of Chicago-style blues and smoky, soulful ballads. Add a touch of Little Richard-style and it’s a winner on all counts.
Looking for something new? You’ll love “Bottom of a Bottle,” “Save Me,” “Drunk on Your Love,” “Wig on Wrong,” “Livin’ Reckless,” “Blues for a Reason,” “Hand on the Bible,” “Bad Deeds,” “It’s the Hawk” and “Born Under a Bad Sign.”
Ronnie Baker Brooks – Blues in My DNA
Alligator Records ALCD 5023
It’s been seven long years since Ronnie Baker Brooks has released an album, but he returns at the top of his game with this disc. The son of Blues Hall of Famer Lonnie Brooks, he delivers a relentless, electrifying mix of Windy City blues and funkified blues-rock that’s loaded with intense observations and deep feeling.
A triple threat guitarist/singer/songwriter, this is Ronnie’s debut effort for Alligator. Blues in My DNA was produced by the legendary Jim Gaines, whose fingerprints are all over works by RBB’s father, along with Luther Allison, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Santana and dozens more. Will McFarlane guests on guitar with skintight backing from drummer Steve Potts and bassist Dave Smith.
Choice cuts abound, including “I’m Feeling for You,” “Lonnie Brooks’ Blessing,” “Blues in My DNA,” “Accept My Love,” “Robbing Peter to Pay Paul,” “I Got to Make You Mine,” “Stuck on Stupid,” “I Found a Dollar Looking for a Dime” and “My Boo.”
Jimmy Carpenter – Just Got Started
Gulf Coast Records
A fixture in Las Vegas where he’s the talent coordinator for the Big Blues Bender and president of the local blues society, sax player Jimmy Carpenter’s has been a star for decades. But the North Carolina native feels as if he’s just starting out. And it’s no wonder, considering the blues royalty that surrounds him on his latest disc.
The two-time BMA horn player of the year is joined by Kid Andersen – who produced -- on guitar, Jim Pugh on keys and an impossible-to-top rhythm section of bassist Jerry Jemmott and percussionist Derrick “D’mar” Martin. They’re joined by a horn section and backing vocals from The Sons of the Soul Revivers in one of their final recordings.
Don’t miss “(Feels Like) I Just Got Started,” “I Only Gamble with My Heart,” “Jimmy Shimmy,” “Night People,” “Live Again,” “Keep on Stepping,” “Leap of Faith” and “Midnight Blue.” A winner on all counts!
Jontavious Willis – West Georgia Blues
Strolling Bones Records
At just 28 years old, Jontavious Willis is one of the most important purveyors of acoustic blues in the world, displaying ability to take the sounds of the ’20s and ’30s into the 21st century. And he does all that and more with this all-original disc, which remains faithful to the idiom while taking it to places it hasn’t gone before.
Recorded by Big Jon Atkinson at the legendary Capricorn Studios in Macon, Ga., it’s a mix of arrangements that vary from full-band to solo, delivering a surprise at every turn. Other musicians include Atkinson on second guitar, Ethan Leinwand on piano and Wurlitzer, Rodrigo Mantovani on upright bass and Jayy Hopp on acoustic guitar, drums and washboard.
A certain nominee for the next awards season, don’t miss “West Georgia Blues,” “Charlie Brown Blues,” “Broken Hearted Moan,” “Keep Your Worries on the Dance Floor,” “Ghost Woman,” “A Lift Is All I Need,” “Too Close to the Finishing Line,” “Time Brings About a Change” and “Jontavious’ West Georgia Grind.”
Chris Daniels and the Kings with Freddi Gowdy – 40: Blues with Horns Volume II
Moon Voyage Records
A group that features a seven-piece horn section, Chris Daniels and the Kings have been described as producing a sound akin to a convergence of John Hiatt and Tower of Power. And they simply cook from the jump in this set, which celebrates their creation in 1984.
Daniels delivers guitars and trades vocals with Freddi Gowdy, fronting a big band that delivers a powerful, jazzy sound throughout. It’s a masterful set with multi-layered arrangements and slick call-and-response between musicians and singers that takes decades of practice to produce.
Like horn bands? You’ll dig “Jump (When My Baby Says,” “I Like Funky Music,” “Everybody’s a Millionaire,” “I Need Some Good Luck Bad,” “Congo Square,” “Stealin’ Candy,” “Under Pressure” and “When You’re Cool (the Sun Shines All the Time).”
Frank Catalano & Lurrie Bell – Set Me Free
Self-produced digital release
A pairing of dynamic musicians on the Chicago blues and jazz scenes – both of whom were signed to the Delmark label in the ’90s, blues guitarist Lurrie Bell and jazz sax player Frank Catalano have faced more challenges in life than they deserve, but they simply soar as they partner in this classy azure set. It swings from the jump.
Even the most dedicated fan has likely never heard hard core blues man Lurrie, the hard luck son of Carey Bell, like this before. And Frank – who was so good in his teens that he played with Miles Davis, Pearl Bailey and Louie Bellson – is a survivor, too. Despite losing his right middle finger in a car wreck and having to learn how to play all over again, he’s been compared to John Coltrane. Despite their diverse styles, they fit hand-in-glove here.
Dial in “Everyday I Have the Blues,” “The Sky Is Crying,” “Set Me Free,” “Shakin’,” “Tuna Town,” “I’m Ready,” “Kicking” and “At Last.”
Mick Kolassa – All Kinds of Blues
Endless Blues Records MK072024
Now back in his native Michigan after a long residency in Memphis and Mississippi, Mick Kolassa delivers a big smooch to the friends he’s left behind and another helping hand to artists, too, as he donates all net proceeds from album sales to the Blues Foundation and the charities it supports.
Mick gets helping hands from several Bluff City treasures, including producer/guitarist Jeff Jensen, guitarist/bassist Dexter Allen, harp player/guitarist Eric Hughes and guitarist Doug MacLeod, as he delivers an original, 14-tune helping of the often humorous music he’s known for.
Choice cuts include “Thank You Memphis,” “Where Love Takes Me,” “Did You Ever Wonder,” “Too Old to Die Young,” “Amy Iodine,” “Does Your Mama Know,” “I Can’t Sing No Blues Tonight,” “That Don’t Mean,” “Somebody Else’s Whiskey” and “A Yankee Heading Home.”
Alastair Greene, Eric Johanson & Katarina Pejak – Blues Caravan 2024
Ruf Records RUF 1311
For the past 19 years, Germany’s Ruf Records has been delighting crowds by packaging artists from its stable, sending them on tours and capturing the shows for CD/DVD packages. And this year’s stars -- West Coast blues-rocker Alastair Greene, Gulf Coast treasure Eric Johanson and Serbian powerhouse Katarina Pejak – are one of its strongest sets yet.
The trio deliver on all counts, seamlessly fusing their unique talents into a performance that packs a punch. Ensemble performances sandwich individual sets with backing from drummer Christin Neddens and bassist Tomek Germann for 16 cuts on the CD and 11 more in the full-concert video.
Choice cuts include “Come on in My Kitchen,” “Jeremy’s Boat,” “Excuses,” “Money,” “Undertow,” “Galaxy Girl,” “Changes the Universe,” “Standing Out Loud,” “Only Do,” “Am I to Blame,” “I Walk on Guilded Splinters,” “Evil” and “One Way Out.”
Otilia Donaire – Bluesin’ It Up
Self-produced CD
A fixture in the Bay Area music scene, singer/songwriter Otilia Donaire possesses a sassy, silky-smooth voice, drawing comparisons to her idol, Koko Taylor. And she’ll definitely get you out of your chair and up on the dance floor with this groovy set.
It’s a mix of nine originals – some of which were previously available on her EP, The Queen Bee – and three well-reconceived chestnuts. Recorded by Kid Andersen at Greaseland Studios, she’s backed by a full-band of Bay Area talent, which includes both a horn section and harp.
Put on your dancing shoes and get down to “Wrong Side of 45,” “Without You,” the original “The Queen Bee,” “Lovesick Blues,” “Mama Didn’t Raise No Fool,” “Meet Me in My Dreams,” “On My Way to San Francisco,” “Over You” and “Tired of Loving You.”
Prakash Slim with Johnny Burgin – 8000 Miles from the Crossroads
Blue Point Records
Born in Nepal, out of which he’s made a name for himself around the world as a country bluesman and historian, Prakash Slim possesses the most interesting back story in the blues today. And he’s finally fulfilled a lifelong dream by coming to the U.S. and recording this CD. It’s full of hypnotic, precise fingerpicking techniques that mix East and West sensibilities, and it’s soaring high on the charts.
A mix of eight originals and two covers, the set was recorded by Grammy nominee Michael Freeman at the legendary Sam Phillips Studio, where it was engineered by three-time nominee Scott Bomar. And longtime Chicago six-string wizard Johnny Burgin provides support throughout.
All blue and slightly different, too, open your ears to “Kokomo Blues,” “Old Man Blues,” “8000 Miles from the Crossroads,” “Write Me a Few Lines,” “Talking Nepal Blues,” “Blues Raga Part 2,” “Working Man Blues,” “My Babe Blues,” “Things ‘’Bout Coming My Way” and “Hammer Blues.”
The Reverend Shawn Amos – Vivir en Espana
Immediate Family Records
The Reverend Shawn Amos has been producing some of the most interesting music in the blues for better than 25 years, but he records in front of a live audience for the first time here. He and his power trio rock the house in performances captured during a tour in Spain this year.
Captured in a showroom San Sebastian and a festival in Segovia, Amos delivers 13 songs that mix new tunes with others from his successful career. He’s backed by guitarist/vocalist JT Loux, drummer Zach McCoy and bassist Ethan Pecha, three rising talents in the Nashville scene.
Give a listen to “You’re Gonna Miss Me (When I Get Home,” “Bastard Wind,” “Days of Depression,” “Hammer,” “I Need to Get Loving,” “Hold Back,” “27 Dollars,” “Joliet Bound,” “Weight of the World,” “Everybody Wants to Be My Friend” and “Sometimes I Wonder.”
Albert King with Stevie Ray Vaughan – In Session
Craft Recordings
Stevie Ray Vaughan is the gold standard for many blues lovers today, and he was at his all-time best when he teamed up with his idol, Albert King, for this disc. Recorded at a TV station in 1983 in Ontario, Canada, this is essential listening that captures Stevie at his all-time best in one of the most celebrated blues performances of all time.
Remastered and released by Craft as a two-CD or three-LP package, Albert and Stevie simply sear as they trade deep-in-the-pocket licks and chat intimately between songs. And King gives Vaughan advice between songs that artists today should absorb.
Sixteen sensational cuts, don’t miss “Born Under a Bad Sign,” “Texas Flood,” “Old Times,” “Pride and Joy,” “Ask Me No Questions,” “Pep Talk,” “Blues at Sunrise,” “Overall Junction,” “Match Box Blues,” “Don’t Lie to Me” and “I’m Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town.” A masterpiece!
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.