Days Like This reviewed by Steve Jones

Days Like This

Linda Valori

LeART World Music

www.lindavalori-official.com

12 tracks

What do you get when you mix a little bit of jazz and blues divas Ruth Brown, Etta James, Martha Reeves, and Sarah Vaughn together with old school Pier Angeli and opera’s Cecilia Bartoli together with an good amount of original talent?  Well, you just might get something like this young lady, Linda Valori. 

Valori is 34, was born in San Benedetto del Tronto, Italy, and she continues to live in that area today. Her father is Italian, her mother Romanian, she has a degree in teaching psychology, but her passion is singing.  Competing in bigger and bigger vocal competitions since 1995, she was “discovered” at the San Remo festival in 2004 and has gained popularity in Italy and across Europe singing blues, opera and a host of genres in between. 

Working with Larry Skoller in Chicago, she has produced her first album, a collection of Chicago blues and very old-school R&B.  One can hear the passion and feeling in her voice as she opens the CD with the title track, a Van Morrison piece that is transformed into an early 60’s girl group R&B classic by Valori.  Her voice is powerful, husky, and filled with emotion, just wanted to declare that when things are not going wrong we can revel because “there will be days like this.”  Shifting gears, the second track is where Valori attempts to overcome the aches of a lost lover in “Pain.”  With her voice blazing like a trumpet, one believes her every statement.  Mike Wheeler joins in on a big guitar solo on “I Idolize You” and again on “I Smell Trouble.”  His guitar is as passionate as Valori’s intense vocals, whether jumping to the former tune or growling out slow blues in the latter.  I smell trouble for Bobby Rush; move over, Linda Valori is in the house!

Janis Joplin’s “Move Over” get’s an R&B makeover and Linda is convincing with a voice that grabs your lapels and your head is moving up and down when she says “Come on baby, let me be, let me be!”  There is also some solid harp here and a nice solo, too.  The Ike Turner classic “The Way You Love Me” gets a swinging cover and Valori’s voice growls and makes a statement.  She gets quite soulful in “So Doggone Good” and Luca Giordano adds a nice guitar solo.  The final track “If I Can’t Have You” is spectacular and features Linda in a duet Mike Avery and is one of the tracks featuring fabulous the horn section of Marqueal Jordan on tenor sax and Doug Corcoran on baritone sax and trumpet. 

All of the above and the few other tracks make for a vibrant and beautiful initial effort.  Valori’s vocal are like butter when she needs to be, but they can also bowl you over and flatten you like a bluesy steamroller when she wants to.  This girl can sing!  Her band is up the task, too, providing a great backdrop for this singer.  Keith Henderson on guitar,  Tim Gant on keys, Billy Dickens on bass. Khari Parker on drums and Joe Rendon on percussion are the core group who provide a great framework for each song.  Vincent Bucher’s harp is poignant on his tracks and Larry Skoller on guitar along with the other soloists are solid and add great depth. 

I’m sold on this gal.  When we found out that she was in Chicago, we arranged to have Linda and her guitar player friend Luca Giordano out to Rockford for two great shows (see article on page 2). This is a great new artist who will light the blues world on fire.  I am sure that America will fall in love with her as her homeland and Europe already have.  Highly recommended!

Rooster reviewed by Harmonica Joe Poluyanksis

Rooster

Clay Swafford

Lost Cause Records

www.clayswafford.com

14 tracks/40:05

Clay Swafford, after many years of honing his blues and boogie woogie piano skills, has just released his debut CD “Rooster”. Having piano  influences from Pinetop Perkins and David Maxwell and playing with fine musicians such as Jerry Lee Lewis, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith and Bob Margolin to name just a few, it becomes very apparent that Clay has paid his dues. He is a player that has earned praises from from many blues artist. Pinetop Perkins stated, “ I have 10 fingers, it looks like he has 20”. What a compliment this statement from a true great has to be.

“Rooster” is a raw, unadulterated recording with no tricks. This CD is the product of Clay's talent on an upright Weber piano and Diunna Greenleaf's vocals.  Greenleaf is a woman that does sing the blues. All five tunes that she sings on are powerful and sang with deep feeling for the music. Her credentials include having her own band, Blue Mercy, touring Europe, France, Asia and the USA. She has performed with many blues greats that include “Pinetop”, Hubert Sumlin, James Cotton and Carrie Bell to name just a few. Greenleaf's vocals are a real treat to listen to on this CD.

Swafford opens “Rooster” with his full blown boogie woogie instrumental “Rooster's Boogie”, which sets the stage for the fantastic show that is about to follow. Just maybe, Clay does have 20 fingers as his right hand travels along as his left hand is is laying down a low end line for our ears. This is a rollicking way to start out the recording. Taking us right into “29 Ways, a Big Joe Turner tune, Swafford introduces us to the powerful vocals of Diunna Greenleaf. As he takes us down the road with his skillful piano playing Diunna belts out the lyrics of this great old blues song. She takes command of the moment as she presents the tune with power, dynamics and feeling of the blues.

If you are looking for a slow blues tune, you will not be disappointed with Greenleaf's take on Big Mama Thorton's “Sometime I Have A Heartache”. Clay brings his piano down to bring us that deep drag down blues feeling as he draws out the blues lyrics from Diunna. This tune will linger with you for some time after it is finished.

The mix of Clay's free flowing piano instrumentals and tunes with his piano and the powerful vocals from Greenleaf make a strong statement for “Rooster” This is really a good debut CD for Swafford. Also included on this recording are two tracks with Bob Margolin adding his blues guitar and vocals on  “Mean Disposition” and “Fine Little Mamma”. Bob Corritore and the All Stars are added also on a good version of “Tin Pan Alley”. Corritore adds his chromatic harp to the mix of the piano and vocals. This is great stuff as his blows a fine solo on this track.

Clay Swafford has done a great job presenting his piano talent to us with “Rooster'. Adding the vocals of Diunna Greenleaf is a true plus for the CD also. Let it be known the Clay Swafford is here to stay with his vast feeling for the blues and his nimble fingers on the piano.

Reviewed by Harmonica Joe

Sunny Road reviewed by Harmonica Joe Poluyanskis

Sunny Road

Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup

Delmark Records

www.delmark.com

10 tracks/40:32

Delmark Records' Bob Koester has done it again with the release of Arthur Crudup's “Sunny Road” CD. This recording is a never before released 1969 studio session featuring 9 great tunes and a very thought provoking conversation between Crudup and Koester. On this recording Crudup is backed by Willie “Big Eyes” Smith on drums and Mark Thompson strumming bass plus guitar on one tune. Rounding out this group of strong blues musicians is Jimmy “Fast Fingers” Dawkins adding his his awesome guitar style to the mix on three tracks.

Arthur Crudup was around playing his style of deep feeling blues forever starting in the early 40's. He is well known for writing tunes such as “That's All Right”, “My Baby Left Me, “Mean Old Frisco” and “Rock Me Mama”. Considered to be the father of Rock & Roll by some, he had several tunes recorded by Elvis Presley. Elvis did give Crudup credit for penning the tunes but he did not receive royalties for them. Because of this fact Arthur referred to Elvis as Elvin Preston. Different sources view his relationship with Presley in both the plus and negative way. After his passing, Crudup's family finally received some past due royalties.

Arthur's great guitar sound comes from using rotating Leslie speakers which create a very unique quality . Right from the start, with “Sunny Road”, we are aware that we are going on to hear a strong blues experience. To pick out 2 or 3 tunes that stand out on this CD is impossible as they are all outstanding listening material. Almost all of the tunes have a somber, drag down, depressive tone to them. This may reflect upon the times Crudup was going through at this time. I guess, after all, that this is what the blues are about.

“Trying To Take Me For A Ride” is one of those “whoa is me, life sucks” stories.  With lyrics such as “ I'm my mama's bad luck child” and “My woman pays me no mind” Crudup conjures up a vision that life is just a bummer and “everybody I meet in the street is is trying to take me for a ride”. This is truly some heartfelt blues. The guitar soloing on this track also standout. My favorite on “Sunny Road” has to be “All I got Is Gone”. Crudup is joined  on guitar with Jimmy Dawkins as Willie “Big Eyes” Smith beats out a unique drum line. The bass line from Mark Thompson is very good here also. This tune is filled with sad, almost mournful, heartfelt feelings about losing his spouse. This track is very emotional and seems like Crudup was struggling to make it to the end. This is the story of being “left alone with no one to care for me” and “why did the Lord take my baby from me”. Big Eyes plays the drums as if he is trying to get Crudup to the finish of the song. This is really a deep poignant tale of great personal loss.

Arthur Crudup had a voice that was truly an amazing instrument to tell us stories of life with great lyrics. “Sunny Road” is an outstanding example of great blues recorded and preserved for us to enjoy. Thanks to Delmark records this great blues session was not lost in the dust.

Reviewed by Harmonica Joe

Easy Livin' reviewed by Mark Thompson

Easy Livin'

Southern Hospitality

Blind Pig Records

www.southern-hospitalityband.com

www.blindpig-records.com

12 tracks/60:37

When you cast your gaze on the cover, your eyes focus on a drawing of a shapely woman relaxing in a hammock, fan overhead and a cool drink nearby with exotic vegetation in the background. If you didn't know any better, you might think this was some unknown band trying to entice people to buy their disc for the cool cover artwork.

The reality is that Southern Hospitality brings together three extremely talented musicians, each with  his own successful career. But when they gathered one night for a jam, the resulting musical merry-making was all it took for guitarists JP Soars and Damon Fowler to decide to join forces with keyboard whiz Victor Wainwright to see how long the fun could last. The rhythm section is comprised of Fowler's band mate Chuck Riley on bass and Chris Peet from Soars' group on drums.

The group's potential drew the attention of another extraordinary musician, Tab Benoit, who signed on as producer and brought the band to his Houma, LA studio, adding several more layers of southern feel to the project. And it's all there, a potent mix of blues, southern rock, country and Memphis soul wrapped up in a batch of songs that insinuate their way deep into your musical heart.

Opening with “Southern Livin' “, the band expounds on the joys of sun and beaches over a laid-back groove as Fowler demonstrates his artistry on the lap steel guitar while the vocal is passed around between all three front men, finishing with jubilant harmonizing. The pace picks up on “Long Way Home” and takes on a harder edge with Soars' gritty vocal riding the twin guitar attack. The band has some fun on another JP original, celebrating life on road on “Mile After Mile” complete with sound effects and another team-approach on the vocals. Wainwright rocks the 88's on “Come Back Home”, then Soars' rips off a blistering solo.

Fowler's “Kind Lies & Whiskey” is one of the highlights as the writer uses his nimble, higher pitched voice to lay down a hearty vocal on a country-tinged rocker that finds him yearning for “..a soft place to catch me when I fall.” Fowler's emotionally-charged singing on “Powered For the Mountain” offers a sharp contrast to swirling primal stomp around him, which finishes with some hair-raising interplay between Wainwright on organ and the two guitarists. Fowler scores again with “Don't Feel Like Going There Today”, a song with a hypnotic reggae hook that will surely inspire more than a few people to forgo work for a day of fun. Wainwright's sweltering solo on the organ is sandwiched between sizzling solos from Soars and Fowler.

Wainwright takes the lead on “Shoestring Budget” as the band jumps the blues at a frantic pace as Soars fires off a barn-burner solo that leads to a dazzling keyboard workout by the singer. He threatens to come unhinged on “Don't Boogie Woogie” when his doctor gives him one-too-many restrictions to regain a healthy lifestyle. Once again, the three leaders contribute brief, but memorable, solos at a breakneck pace with Wainwright steamrolling his way to the finish. His finest moment occurs on “Certified Lover”, showcasing the enormous depth of his voice as it cries out in anguish, praying for someone to take the pain away.

The group reaches its  instrumental peak on a sweltering rendition of Willie Bobo and Melvin Lastie's “Fried Neck Bones and Home Fries”. Sporting a Latin vamp that recalls the early days of Santana, each of the leaders gets to stretch out, Fowler and Soars expertly blending taste and intensity into fiery solos before Wainwright's fat organ chords push the proceedings into overdrive at the end. Closing with a ballad, “Sky is What I Breath”, Soars' haunting dobro licks set off the soul-wrenching vocals from all three singers.

It is a fitting climax for a disc that once again shows the truth of the old adage that the sum is greater than the parts. While Fowler, Soars and Wainwright have received well-deserved recognition and acclaim for their individual careers, they shine even brighter on this outstanding recording. Don't try to label it – just sit back and enjoy some magnificent, powerful music made by five professionals having the time of their lives. Highly recommended!

Reviewed by Mark Thompson

Black Toppin’ reviewed by Steve Jones

Black Toppin’ 
The Cash Box Kings
Blind Pig Records
www.cashboxkings.com
13 tracks

The Cash Box Kings have their new CD out and it is another superlative effort!  Here on their second Blind Pig release we have the boys giving us another great mix of new stuff and outstanding covers.  If it’s not their best effort yet it is damn close to it!

The cast of characters remains about the same, with regulars and guests doing what they do best- melding into a tight and focused CBK sound.  Sharing the duties up front are the steadfast duo of Joe Nosek, who also does all the harp work, and Oscar Wilson.  Nosek and Wilson contrast in styles in some ways, but both offer up an authentic Chicago sound.  Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith’s son, shares the drum set with Mark Haines (who is on four tracks) and Alex hall (who is on one).  Joel Paterson takes lead guitar on all but one track where Billy Flynn fills in; Billy also backs Joel up on three more tracks.  Beau Sample is the bass player, but Gerry Hundt comes in for four cuts on bass along with rhythm guitar on 5 more and backing vocals on one of those.  Barrelhouse Chuck provided keyboards support on four tracks and Jerry Devivo is on sax for three cuts.

Ok, so now that all the personnel are identified, let’s get into the CD.  The Cash Box Kings under the “tutelage” of Blind Pig have really solidified the sound that I have appreciated from their earlier recordings and many live shows I have seen.  The songs they have presented here are right in their wheelhouse; nine new cuts and four great covers.  Less “country” blues are here than their first Blind Pig effort, but Nosek still gives us a little variety with the jumping,  swinging and rocking sounds at times that he does so well.  “I Don’t Want to Fight” and “Gimme Some of That” feature Joe on vocals and Joel picking out a jumping blues-swing-rocking sound.  Barrelhouse Chuck’s piano on the former and a little sax add nicely to the swinging arrangement while Nosek’s harp brings the latter firmly back to Chicago.

The covers are a very interesting assortment, especially the one that closes the CD.  “Run Run Run” is a 1967 Lou Reed cut that Nosek cleans up a bit from the old Velvet Underground production.  It has a cast of lyrical characters basically seeking their next heroin fix.  The backline beat and Patterson’s guitar swirl and create a mix of psychedelic blues and Nosek voice echoes as he sings about the Gypsy Death and all that the NY drug scene references.  He adds harp to the wild mix and the song fades to close in a driving vortex.  The other three covers are much more traditional and hearken back to the Delta and Chicago blues sound.  Jimmy Rogers’ “Money, Marbles and Chalk” is handled by Oscar on the vocals and Nosek’s harp, Flynn’s guitar and Chuck’s piano reek of a smoke-filled Southside club serving up hot blues back in the day.  Willie Dixon’s “Too Late” also features Wilson’s vocals and some beautiful overblown harp by Nosek. “Tom Cat Blues” takes us to the swamp.  I could almost feel the Spanish Moss growing on me as this slow blues sound wound its’ way through my system.

The CD opens with a jumping tune called “Blues Falling Down On Me” that opens with Patterson on guitar backed by Barrelhouse Chuck on organ.  After they grab you Nosek starts to sing and groan.   I was sold early on in this number, and then the solos started.  Patterson wails and Chuck pounds out the notes- a nice new cut!  They transition into Wilson on the title track, which has Oscar telling his friend a story about what he’s going to go out and do.  His ignorant friend doesn’t get it and it has to be explained to him that Wilson is sneaking out from his women to the other side of town to get what he needs.  Trying Really Hard(To Get Along With Youth” vocally has a little country influence, but it’s really blues that Nosek is doing and doing well.  The sax and guitar nicely take turns responding to Nosek’s lyrics.  “Oscar’s Jump” is a short and sweet ride and Devino’s sax is perhaps sweetest here.  Some Chuck Berry licks are snuck in, and Nosek blows some cool harp, but Wilson sells it with his strident vocals.   My Tinai” and “Hot Biscuit Baby” are straight up blues that Nosek and Wilson deliver up in the cool style we expect of the CBKs.  Great blues right out of the South Side!  Nice solos abound on guitar and harp.

The band has put together another superb album for their fans.  Anyone who had yet to sample the CBKs will instantly appreciate what these guys can do.  Their fans need to run out and get this because it is some great work that they deliver here for their listeners.  I loved this album from start to finish!  Most highly recommended!

Reviewed by Steve Jones

Bliss Avenue reviewed by Harmonica Joe Poluyanskis

Bliss Avenue 
Dana Fuchs
Ruf Records 
www.danafuchs.com 
12 tracks/47:49

Dana Fuchs' new CD, “Bliss Avenue”, is ready to be released July 9^th by Ruf Records. Dana has a powerful, gritty, nasty, gravely and bluesy voice that reaches out and grabs your attention making you listen to her lyrics. She is also very capable of stretching the genres of blues, rock, country, soul and just about anything else to fit her mood and feel for the the songs she writes with Jon Diamond. Her band is very strong as they back up Dana's vocals. Diamond plays his guitar with fire and feelings for the lyrics he has written while Jack Daley adds the bass to Shawn Pelton's drum line. Glen Patscha is also featured on Hammond organ, Wurlitzer, piano and keyboard as Tabitha Fair and Nicki Richards add their rich background vocals to the mix. This all makes up for a great sounding band.

The lyrics  for “Bliss Avenue” were mostly penned by Fuchs and Diamond and have deep emotional, heartfelt and sometimes scary tones to them. One should pay attention to these words as the recording is listened to. Most of these tunes are from real life experience. Opening the CD is the title track tune, “Bliss Avenue”, which has a neat drum beat walking us into this solid rocker tune. Dana's vocals find a good place in your head as she belts out some serious lyrics of a love gone astray. She states, “got nobody, no place to call home, “oh the love that it used to be, all the love turned to lies”. Yes, this is some deep stuff that makes you listen to the words and think about them. This whole CD reflects the quality of Fuchs and Diamonds ability to write solid lyrics for the tunes they perform. The guitar work from Jon and organ background by Glenn Patscha add the balance that enrich the vocals of Dana.

“So Hard To Move” takes us to a softer but still gritty side of Fuchs as she pours her heart out over a relationship gone bad. This is one of those slow blues type tunes with meaningful lyrics which are accented by tasteful organ  from Patscha. This tune shows you a Etta James side of Dana's voice. “Nothin' On My Mind” takes us to the country music world as Jon Diamond's guitar brings a more twangy quality to his solid solos and background playing. Shawn Pelton interjects his drum line into the mix of Dana's tale of  what goes along comes along in a relationship.  “Oh you're thinking about her and she's got nothin' on her mind, and I'm thinking 'bout you but I got nothing on my mind” is really a tale about life.

As I said “Bliss Avenue” hits upon many genres pulled in different directions. This is all a good reflection of both  Dana Fuchs' and Jon Diamond's  musical ability and their feelings for the lyrics that they write. These tunes are tales of the real deals that go on in life without the whitewash. This CD is a solid example of both of their talents and is easy to listen to and enjoy. These two fine musical artist along with a really swell band have a hit with “Bliss Avenue”.

Reviewed by Harmonica Joe Poluyanskis