Artist: Joe Bonamassa
Album: You & Me
Writer: Rick Galusha
Album by album Joe Bonamassa has shown improvement in his vocal and songwriting performances. Already a world class blues-rock guitar player, ‘You & Me’ shows this native New Yorker at the height of his game. Particularly evident are his two primary roots; B.B. King’s and a deep knowledge of the great “Classic Rock” guitar players.
A tireless road warrior Bonamassa is laying the foundation for a successful independent artist career. His latest album ‘You & Me’ is as much Mid-70’s arena rock in sound as it is contemporary electric blues. This latest effort slips into his discography as a earnest side project where Joe covers new ground and breaks away from his strong blues background leaning more towards an up-tempo rock n’ roll record.
As his songwriting skills improve Bonamassa’s skill base round out; allowing him to pull away from the vanilla pack of electric blues guitar players. The third track on the album, ‘Asking Around for You’ is a classic blues song in the finest electric tradition. Bonamassa sings “If I get to heaven, first thing I’m gonna do, before I meet my Maker, I’m gonna ask around for you.” With stretching solo breaks and strong organ backing, Asking Around for You, has all the makings for a “great” blues song that may well graduate into a standard – it is that strong.
Amid a personnel changes in the band Bonamassa used some heavyweights on this latest effort including; Jason Bonham (Healing Sixes) on drums, son of the late John Henry Bonham of Led Zeppelin fame, Carmine Rojas (Rod Stewart, David Bowie) on bass and Rick Melick (Air Supply, Andy Gibb) on organ and tambourine. Pat Thrall (Pat Travers Band, Glenn Hughes, Meatloaf) duets on guitar with Bonamassa on the track, ‘Bridge to Better Days.” Bonamassa covers the Led Zeppelin track, ‘Tea for One’ (from the Presence album) using guest vocalist Doug Henthorn (Healing Sixes).
This is a strong album with one incredible track and ten very good songs which make for an interesting but not yet fully cooked delivery from perhaps one of the blues genres finest players.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Album Review: Harry Bodine, Which Way Home
Artist: Harry Bodine
Title: Which Way Home
Writer: Rick Galusha
Austin based swamp & steel player Harry Bodine released his first solo effort in late 2006. Formerly a member of the Austin band, Delta Roux, Bodine appears to have been able to set himself apart of the wide girth of talent that resides in the that Texas hill country town. Known as a songwriter’s songwriter, Bodine has written some fine tunes for this album. While the playing and vocals are quite good perhaps the strongest suit for this album is the arrangements. Songs are full with strong instrumentation and yet enough space is lent to the song to allow a dusty kind of texture to rise up.
On the opening title track Bodine snaps the album open with a ‘Wake Up Little Susie” kind of guitar lick that is quickly supported with organ and layered vocal back-up. Opening the album with, ‘Which Way to My Home’ alerts the listener that Bodine is going back to the roots and searching for his musical home. Tasty guitar fills interlaced with a brief organ solo by Nick Connolly is exceptionally tasty. Bodine uses his national steel to refrain the breaks and bring the song and chorus back, building energy as he does.
Whereas say a John Hammond may elect to play sans’ band, Bodine frequently employs a wide range of instrumentation behind his music and it seems to serve the songs well. On, ‘Time on My Hands’ Bodine begins the track with just vocal and steel guitar then gently opens it up to drums, bass, keys and vocals. The song builds slowly as the percussion accents every twist and turn of the melody line. Bodine breaks the song open for a gentle, tasty guitar duet between featuring a slide sound set behind an acoustic picking.
Sounding haunting like Neil Young’s, ‘Needle and the Damage Done,’ Bodine’s, ‘What Would I Do’ is a laid back ballad which meticulously weaves in and out of the singers query, “What would I do without you?” With a bluesy piano breaks that flow into early period Elton John fills (you remember when Elton was great don’t you?), Bodine casts a wonderful albeit hardly “blues” ballad that is at once familiar and comfortable.
What Bodine seems to understand so many others miss; that often less is more. While Bodine fills the audio spectrum with plenty of interesting bits and pieces, gone are the wailing guitars and over-bearing vocals. Tasty. Pure. Delicious. Harry Bodine’s album, ‘Which Way Home,’ available at www.CDBaby.com, could be an exciting find for those that love a really good song presented by high class players with a bent toward underplaying and subtle nuisances. This is far from a “blues” album but relies heavily on the ‘sounds’ and themes that blues fans will quickly recognize and appreciate. Radio programmers may find the song, ‘Shufflin’ Shoes’ to be a catchy way into the album with a Little Feat style refrain. This really is a very good album.
Title: Which Way Home
Writer: Rick Galusha
Austin based swamp & steel player Harry Bodine released his first solo effort in late 2006. Formerly a member of the Austin band, Delta Roux, Bodine appears to have been able to set himself apart of the wide girth of talent that resides in the that Texas hill country town. Known as a songwriter’s songwriter, Bodine has written some fine tunes for this album. While the playing and vocals are quite good perhaps the strongest suit for this album is the arrangements. Songs are full with strong instrumentation and yet enough space is lent to the song to allow a dusty kind of texture to rise up.
On the opening title track Bodine snaps the album open with a ‘Wake Up Little Susie” kind of guitar lick that is quickly supported with organ and layered vocal back-up. Opening the album with, ‘Which Way to My Home’ alerts the listener that Bodine is going back to the roots and searching for his musical home. Tasty guitar fills interlaced with a brief organ solo by Nick Connolly is exceptionally tasty. Bodine uses his national steel to refrain the breaks and bring the song and chorus back, building energy as he does.
Whereas say a John Hammond may elect to play sans’ band, Bodine frequently employs a wide range of instrumentation behind his music and it seems to serve the songs well. On, ‘Time on My Hands’ Bodine begins the track with just vocal and steel guitar then gently opens it up to drums, bass, keys and vocals. The song builds slowly as the percussion accents every twist and turn of the melody line. Bodine breaks the song open for a gentle, tasty guitar duet between featuring a slide sound set behind an acoustic picking.
Sounding haunting like Neil Young’s, ‘Needle and the Damage Done,’ Bodine’s, ‘What Would I Do’ is a laid back ballad which meticulously weaves in and out of the singers query, “What would I do without you?” With a bluesy piano breaks that flow into early period Elton John fills (you remember when Elton was great don’t you?), Bodine casts a wonderful albeit hardly “blues” ballad that is at once familiar and comfortable.
What Bodine seems to understand so many others miss; that often less is more. While Bodine fills the audio spectrum with plenty of interesting bits and pieces, gone are the wailing guitars and over-bearing vocals. Tasty. Pure. Delicious. Harry Bodine’s album, ‘Which Way Home,’ available at www.CDBaby.com, could be an exciting find for those that love a really good song presented by high class players with a bent toward underplaying and subtle nuisances. This is far from a “blues” album but relies heavily on the ‘sounds’ and themes that blues fans will quickly recognize and appreciate. Radio programmers may find the song, ‘Shufflin’ Shoes’ to be a catchy way into the album with a Little Feat style refrain. This really is a very good album.
Interview: Dave Alvin, musician
On his recently released album, West of the West, roots rocker Dave Alvin covers a collection of songs written by other famed California songwriters including; Brian Wilson (Beach Boys), Jackson Browne, Merle Haggard, Tom Waits, and others. Recently Dave phoned in to discuss his new album.
RG: Another album of covers?
DA: I am a real strict writer for my albums: my solo career is pretty intense. So [Public Domain and West of the West] are like vacations for me. That and getting to play with other bands like the Knitters.
RG: How did you go about picking the songs?
DA: I went ferreting. So many great songwriters live out here. Some guys, like Captain Beefheart, can’t be done so we eliminated them right away. Diane Warren’s a pop singer so I knew that wasn’t going to work either. I wanted artists with a roots background: songwriters that are close and had a direct affect on me as a songwriter. I also knew I had to be able to sing their song…like Jackson Browne’s, ‘Redneck Friend.’
RG: Of the thirteen tracks I know most of the writers but who is Jim Ringer? (Ringer’s track, ‘Tramps and Hawkers’ is included on the album.)
DA: You mean who was Jim Ringer. Jim passed away in the late ‘80’s. Along with Kate Wolf, Jim Ringer kept the folk music flame alive during the musical drought known as the 1970’s. Tom Waits was one of the people I talked to when I was putting together this album. Waits was the doorman at a club in San Diego where Ringer would play. Waits’ track, ‘Blind Love’ also appears on the album.
RG: The song, ‘Sonora’s Death Row’ is by Kevin ‘Blackie’ Farrell. What can you tell me about Blackie Ferrell?
DA: Well he’s still alive! Ha. My producer Greg Leisz grew up with Ferrell and knew him when Asleep At the Wheel began as a Bay Area band. Ferrell is a bit of a Cowboy Poet and worked with Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen and Michael Martin ‘Wildfire’ Murphy.
RG: I hear you’re in the radio business now too.
DA: Yeah. I have a show in production for XM satellite radio. It will only be one hour a month
RG: Why?
DA: Why not?
RG: I see you’re going to be playing this area in late June; including Lincoln’s final July Jamm.
DA: Yes. We are touring quite a bit these days. We’ll be playing songs from the new album as well as some of the older material too. Fans will be pleased.
RG: Aren’t they always?
DA: You’d be surprised.
RG: So this project reminds me of Lyle Lovett’s, Step Inside This House.’
DA: Yes, I had that in mind but I’ve actually been thinking about doing this album for some time. The turning point was when K.D. Lang released her album where she covers songs by famous Canadian songwriters; Neil Young, Joni Mitchell. I have to add this, nic that most of those songs she chose were written when these artists were living in California.
RG: So how does the new label treat you?
DA: I love it. Glenn and Tor are both looking out toward 2015. They both began as musicians so they know you can’t play Denver the day after playing Nashville. They have a passion to work with great music. It’s real nice.
RG: Have you always been a songwriter?
DA: When I was 13 or 14 I wrote a song for Big Joe Turner. I was so excited. I said “Big Joe, I wrote a song for you.” Joe said, “Let’s hear it,” but I couldn’t remember it. “Must not be much of a song if you can’t remember it” he said. And he was right. So these days I walk around the house for weeks singing a song before I’ll record it. I want to make sure I like it before I ask someone else to listen to it.
Other songwriters on the album include Jerry Garcia with Robert Hunter, John Fogerty from Credence Clearwater Revival, David Hildago (Los Lobos), soul singer Richard Berry, and John Stewart.
RG: Another album of covers?
DA: I am a real strict writer for my albums: my solo career is pretty intense. So [Public Domain and West of the West] are like vacations for me. That and getting to play with other bands like the Knitters.
RG: How did you go about picking the songs?
DA: I went ferreting. So many great songwriters live out here. Some guys, like Captain Beefheart, can’t be done so we eliminated them right away. Diane Warren’s a pop singer so I knew that wasn’t going to work either. I wanted artists with a roots background: songwriters that are close and had a direct affect on me as a songwriter. I also knew I had to be able to sing their song…like Jackson Browne’s, ‘Redneck Friend.’
RG: Of the thirteen tracks I know most of the writers but who is Jim Ringer? (Ringer’s track, ‘Tramps and Hawkers’ is included on the album.)
DA: You mean who was Jim Ringer. Jim passed away in the late ‘80’s. Along with Kate Wolf, Jim Ringer kept the folk music flame alive during the musical drought known as the 1970’s. Tom Waits was one of the people I talked to when I was putting together this album. Waits was the doorman at a club in San Diego where Ringer would play. Waits’ track, ‘Blind Love’ also appears on the album.
RG: The song, ‘Sonora’s Death Row’ is by Kevin ‘Blackie’ Farrell. What can you tell me about Blackie Ferrell?
DA: Well he’s still alive! Ha. My producer Greg Leisz grew up with Ferrell and knew him when Asleep At the Wheel began as a Bay Area band. Ferrell is a bit of a Cowboy Poet and worked with Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen and Michael Martin ‘Wildfire’ Murphy.
RG: I hear you’re in the radio business now too.
DA: Yeah. I have a show in production for XM satellite radio. It will only be one hour a month
RG: Why?
DA: Why not?
RG: I see you’re going to be playing this area in late June; including Lincoln’s final July Jamm.
DA: Yes. We are touring quite a bit these days. We’ll be playing songs from the new album as well as some of the older material too. Fans will be pleased.
RG: Aren’t they always?
DA: You’d be surprised.
RG: So this project reminds me of Lyle Lovett’s, Step Inside This House.’
DA: Yes, I had that in mind but I’ve actually been thinking about doing this album for some time. The turning point was when K.D. Lang released her album where she covers songs by famous Canadian songwriters; Neil Young, Joni Mitchell. I have to add this, nic that most of those songs she chose were written when these artists were living in California.
RG: So how does the new label treat you?
DA: I love it. Glenn and Tor are both looking out toward 2015. They both began as musicians so they know you can’t play Denver the day after playing Nashville. They have a passion to work with great music. It’s real nice.
RG: Have you always been a songwriter?
DA: When I was 13 or 14 I wrote a song for Big Joe Turner. I was so excited. I said “Big Joe, I wrote a song for you.” Joe said, “Let’s hear it,” but I couldn’t remember it. “Must not be much of a song if you can’t remember it” he said. And he was right. So these days I walk around the house for weeks singing a song before I’ll record it. I want to make sure I like it before I ask someone else to listen to it.
Other songwriters on the album include Jerry Garcia with Robert Hunter, John Fogerty from Credence Clearwater Revival, David Hildago (Los Lobos), soul singer Richard Berry, and John Stewart.
Album Review: Dave Alvin, Live from Austin, Texas
Artist: Dave Alvin
Title: Live from Austin, Tx
Writer: Rick Galusha
This latest release featuring the music of Dave Alvin is on the New West recording label and a part is their series, ‘live from Austin, tx.’ The series includes DVDs & CDs performances of a wide variety of artists on the famed public broadcasting television series, ‘Austin City Limits.’ Recorded in 1999 this 13 track album includes songs from across Alvin’s career including slices from the then current ‘Blackjack David’ album. Within the album’s liner notes the writer notes that Alvin is considered by Rolling Stone magazine to be among the masters “of small town laments,” (along with Springsteen, Hiatt and Dylan). It’s no wonder then that Alvin covers the depression era, ‘Do-Re-Me’ by Woody Guthrie.
Listening to Alvin’s music, or having the opportunity to speak with him, it quickly becomes apparent that he has vast knowledge of the music that came before him. This musical largess may be where Alvin’s credibility comes from; knowing the proper arrangement that allows the listeners into a 3 minute song that fully depicts someone’s defining moment.
On, ‘Out in California’ the band rolls into a late period Las Vegas style Elvis romp where pianist Joe Terry drops in fills that propel the song along. At a midpoint Rick Shea’s pedal steel slows the song down as Alvin laments over the top only to pick-up the tempo and ‘roll on down a musical highway.’ The every catchy ‘Abilene’ is an epic bus journey song where the female figure, a table dancer, leaves the Pacific Northwest heading towards Abilene in order to get away; “Staring out the window at the long cold night, there on the horizon is another string of bright lights, dreaming of a man she’s gonna meet…” Alvin’s songs are infested with characters that, I suppose, most of his record buying public would take the long way around to avoid. Reviews of his work inevitably include phrases like “dusty streets,” “hard luck” and “desperate.” To me, while I cannot honestly relate through experience, his songs speak of hope amid hopelessness and of loneliness & want in a land of plenty.
If you already enjoy Alvin’s music this is an excellent compliment to an already remarkably body of work. Throughout the album Alvin changes tempos and adds flairs such as including’ Guthrie’s ‘Do-Re-Me’ and Chuck Berry’s ‘Promised Land’ in to Alvin’s own ‘Jubliee Train.’ Ted Roddy’s harmonica and Chris Gaffney’s accordion rev-up an already powerful the song into a revivalist’s creedo, “Get on board there’s a New Deal coming, heard about a Jubilee Train.”
If you’re not a fan of Alvin’s music I would encourage your to ignore the rabidity of his fans and listen to the fifth track on this album, ‘Dry River.’ This was the song that, for me, really kicked open the door to Alvin’s music. Alvin’s unique ability to take the listener to orange groves that would later be plowed down for a suburbanizing Los Angles and contrast them against a love for a “woman” where the singer’s heart is “just as dry as that river and as dead as those old trees” but “some day it’s gonna rain, someday is gonna pour, and that old dry river, it ain’t gonna be dry no more.” As stunning an allegory as popular music may be able to muster.
Title: Live from Austin, Tx
Writer: Rick Galusha
This latest release featuring the music of Dave Alvin is on the New West recording label and a part is their series, ‘live from Austin, tx.’ The series includes DVDs & CDs performances of a wide variety of artists on the famed public broadcasting television series, ‘Austin City Limits.’ Recorded in 1999 this 13 track album includes songs from across Alvin’s career including slices from the then current ‘Blackjack David’ album. Within the album’s liner notes the writer notes that Alvin is considered by Rolling Stone magazine to be among the masters “of small town laments,” (along with Springsteen, Hiatt and Dylan). It’s no wonder then that Alvin covers the depression era, ‘Do-Re-Me’ by Woody Guthrie.
Listening to Alvin’s music, or having the opportunity to speak with him, it quickly becomes apparent that he has vast knowledge of the music that came before him. This musical largess may be where Alvin’s credibility comes from; knowing the proper arrangement that allows the listeners into a 3 minute song that fully depicts someone’s defining moment.
On, ‘Out in California’ the band rolls into a late period Las Vegas style Elvis romp where pianist Joe Terry drops in fills that propel the song along. At a midpoint Rick Shea’s pedal steel slows the song down as Alvin laments over the top only to pick-up the tempo and ‘roll on down a musical highway.’ The every catchy ‘Abilene’ is an epic bus journey song where the female figure, a table dancer, leaves the Pacific Northwest heading towards Abilene in order to get away; “Staring out the window at the long cold night, there on the horizon is another string of bright lights, dreaming of a man she’s gonna meet…” Alvin’s songs are infested with characters that, I suppose, most of his record buying public would take the long way around to avoid. Reviews of his work inevitably include phrases like “dusty streets,” “hard luck” and “desperate.” To me, while I cannot honestly relate through experience, his songs speak of hope amid hopelessness and of loneliness & want in a land of plenty.
If you already enjoy Alvin’s music this is an excellent compliment to an already remarkably body of work. Throughout the album Alvin changes tempos and adds flairs such as including’ Guthrie’s ‘Do-Re-Me’ and Chuck Berry’s ‘Promised Land’ in to Alvin’s own ‘Jubliee Train.’ Ted Roddy’s harmonica and Chris Gaffney’s accordion rev-up an already powerful the song into a revivalist’s creedo, “Get on board there’s a New Deal coming, heard about a Jubilee Train.”
If you’re not a fan of Alvin’s music I would encourage your to ignore the rabidity of his fans and listen to the fifth track on this album, ‘Dry River.’ This was the song that, for me, really kicked open the door to Alvin’s music. Alvin’s unique ability to take the listener to orange groves that would later be plowed down for a suburbanizing Los Angles and contrast them against a love for a “woman” where the singer’s heart is “just as dry as that river and as dead as those old trees” but “some day it’s gonna rain, someday is gonna pour, and that old dry river, it ain’t gonna be dry no more.” As stunning an allegory as popular music may be able to muster.
Album Review: Rhythm & Groove Club feat: Allen Toussaint and Jeff Cook
Title: Rhythm & Groove Club
Artists: Jeff Cook & Allen Toussaint
Writer: Rick Galusha
As a kid from the Midwest Iowa’s Tommy Bolin eventually played in some of the ‘70’s biggest bands including; The James Gang, Deep Purple and Moxy as well as working with artists like; Billy Cobham (Spectrum album), Phil Collins, and Jeff Beck. Sioux City guitarist Tommy Bolin’s career ended with his drug overdose death in Miami on December 4, 1976. He was twenty-five years old. In some ways Jeff Cook’s recent release, ‘Rhythm & Groove Club’ lives in the shadow of Bolin’s short career. Jeff Cook, who organized and headed up the recording of, ‘The Rhythm & Groove Club,’ along with New Orleans’ uber-musician Allen Toussaint, played in bands with Bolin (Energy) along with writing or co-authoring many of his best songs including; Dreamer, Savannah Woman, Teaser (Teaser album) and Sweet Burgundy, Shake the Devil, Gypsy Soul and Hello Again (Private Eyes album). These days Jeff Cook is now an executive with the Americana label New West.
In a world of marathon 16 track CDs, Cook’s album is a pleasantly brief at only nine songs. Three of the tracks are penned by Toussaint while the others are a mish-mash of known covers including the Lieber/Stroller, ‘Down Home Girl’ (also covered on the 1965 release, The Rolling Stones Now!), Booker T Jones & William Bell’s, ‘Born Under a Bad Sign’ and Roscoe Gordon’s, ‘Just a Little Bit.’ Over all this is a nice album with no surprise’s and unfortunately nothing remarkable. It’s a groovy little independent record put together by two significant footnotes in music history; both admirable and both successful within the circle of serious music fans. The music is exemplary of the very finest of tasty musicianship and Cook’s vocals are deep and lyrical. There is nothing wrong with this album but there’s nothing demanding your attention. While a fan of Cook’s songwriting skills, I have to describe this as a vanity project that will haunt the collections of some but remain anonymous to most. If you’re a complete music geek and you happen to be looking for that perfect album to play for your less-informed friends, maybe at a party or BBQ, you know, that album that is the perfect balance between songs they’ve heard before but are still fresh enough to be interesting, this could be an excellent fit. While writing this review I’ve been compelled to pull out the James Gangs’ ‘Bang’ album where Cook co-writes many of the songs with Bolin; who had stepped in for the recently departed Joel Walsh. While the nonsensical drug death of Bolin will never make sense, one can only hope that very talented Cook will find a ‘Lennon’ to his ‘McCartney’ and begin writing seriously, once again.
Artists: Jeff Cook & Allen Toussaint
Writer: Rick Galusha
As a kid from the Midwest Iowa’s Tommy Bolin eventually played in some of the ‘70’s biggest bands including; The James Gang, Deep Purple and Moxy as well as working with artists like; Billy Cobham (Spectrum album), Phil Collins, and Jeff Beck. Sioux City guitarist Tommy Bolin’s career ended with his drug overdose death in Miami on December 4, 1976. He was twenty-five years old. In some ways Jeff Cook’s recent release, ‘Rhythm & Groove Club’ lives in the shadow of Bolin’s short career. Jeff Cook, who organized and headed up the recording of, ‘The Rhythm & Groove Club,’ along with New Orleans’ uber-musician Allen Toussaint, played in bands with Bolin (Energy) along with writing or co-authoring many of his best songs including; Dreamer, Savannah Woman, Teaser (Teaser album) and Sweet Burgundy, Shake the Devil, Gypsy Soul and Hello Again (Private Eyes album). These days Jeff Cook is now an executive with the Americana label New West.
In a world of marathon 16 track CDs, Cook’s album is a pleasantly brief at only nine songs. Three of the tracks are penned by Toussaint while the others are a mish-mash of known covers including the Lieber/Stroller, ‘Down Home Girl’ (also covered on the 1965 release, The Rolling Stones Now!), Booker T Jones & William Bell’s, ‘Born Under a Bad Sign’ and Roscoe Gordon’s, ‘Just a Little Bit.’ Over all this is a nice album with no surprise’s and unfortunately nothing remarkable. It’s a groovy little independent record put together by two significant footnotes in music history; both admirable and both successful within the circle of serious music fans. The music is exemplary of the very finest of tasty musicianship and Cook’s vocals are deep and lyrical. There is nothing wrong with this album but there’s nothing demanding your attention. While a fan of Cook’s songwriting skills, I have to describe this as a vanity project that will haunt the collections of some but remain anonymous to most. If you’re a complete music geek and you happen to be looking for that perfect album to play for your less-informed friends, maybe at a party or BBQ, you know, that album that is the perfect balance between songs they’ve heard before but are still fresh enough to be interesting, this could be an excellent fit. While writing this review I’ve been compelled to pull out the James Gangs’ ‘Bang’ album where Cook co-writes many of the songs with Bolin; who had stepped in for the recently departed Joel Walsh. While the nonsensical drug death of Bolin will never make sense, one can only hope that very talented Cook will find a ‘Lennon’ to his ‘McCartney’ and begin writing seriously, once again.
Album Review: Harry Manx & Kevin Breit, In Good We Trust
Artists: Harry Manx & Kevin Breit
Title: In Good We Trust
Label: Stony Plain
Writer: Rick Galusha
Canadian Harry Manx is the kind of artist that blues purists love to loathe. On his first album, Dog My Cat, Manx explored a mixture of American blues using instruments from India including the 20 string mohan veena. Manx’s explorations would take the listener through cascading stringed textures and crevices where the music cast a haunting illumination twixt blues and a subcontinent wail. It was beautiful. By his second album, ‘Wise & Otherwise’ he continued to push the limits of the art with wondrous juxtaposition such as the song, ‘The Gist of Madhuvanti / The Thrill is Gone.’ During this period Manx played Omaha’s Indigenous Jam. One could have heard a pin drop during his main stage performance where thousands gathered in the tin shed. It was mysterious and intriguing.
His latest album, “In Good We Trust” is the second collaboration between Manx and fellow Canadian Kevin Breit; the first being, ‘Jubilee.’ In his own right Breit is a noted multi-instrumentalist playing with Norah Jone, k. d. Lang and Casssandra Wilson. While the album is still a refreshing blast of Manx’s sound, I find it more difficult to embrace as Manx’s art is compromised and less focused with poorly composed songs to platform their performances on. Opening the album is the cover of Bruce Springsteen’s, ‘I’m on Fire’ (Born in the USA). This is a calling card that songwriting plays a backseat on the album. I enjoy a well placed cover when the artist is adding something to the tune. In this instance Manx seems to be choosing the cover as a door for a mass audience raised on rock n’ roll but shifting towards retirement and the contemporary blues idiom. Sadly the song clunks with dull surprise.
On the title track Manx and Breit explore Muddy Water’s ‘I’m a Man’ riff using mandolin and ‘cigar box’ guitar. This tune may play well in a live setting but in my listening room it is lifeless and intentionally oblique; subsequently, far from interesting but, again, an easy calling card for the modern blues crowd looking for something to grab onto.
By the tenth track, ‘Don’t Swim, Float’ Manx and Breit come together for a jumpin’ bluesgrass-ish instrumental. The playing is quite capable as the artist exchange leads to n’ fro. One song doesn’t make an album – it justifies a download.
Manx’s skills are forthright and many of his previous albums are exemplary of a highly talented and creative musician exploring untested avenues of where the blues could be taken. On ‘In Good We Trust’ there are a couple of songs worthy of Manx’s catalogue while the rest of the album languishes without direction. If Manx ever visits, he is a must see artist but this album will live in the shadows of older, better albums by Manx.
Title: In Good We Trust
Label: Stony Plain
Writer: Rick Galusha
Canadian Harry Manx is the kind of artist that blues purists love to loathe. On his first album, Dog My Cat, Manx explored a mixture of American blues using instruments from India including the 20 string mohan veena. Manx’s explorations would take the listener through cascading stringed textures and crevices where the music cast a haunting illumination twixt blues and a subcontinent wail. It was beautiful. By his second album, ‘Wise & Otherwise’ he continued to push the limits of the art with wondrous juxtaposition such as the song, ‘The Gist of Madhuvanti / The Thrill is Gone.’ During this period Manx played Omaha’s Indigenous Jam. One could have heard a pin drop during his main stage performance where thousands gathered in the tin shed. It was mysterious and intriguing.
His latest album, “In Good We Trust” is the second collaboration between Manx and fellow Canadian Kevin Breit; the first being, ‘Jubilee.’ In his own right Breit is a noted multi-instrumentalist playing with Norah Jone, k. d. Lang and Casssandra Wilson. While the album is still a refreshing blast of Manx’s sound, I find it more difficult to embrace as Manx’s art is compromised and less focused with poorly composed songs to platform their performances on. Opening the album is the cover of Bruce Springsteen’s, ‘I’m on Fire’ (Born in the USA). This is a calling card that songwriting plays a backseat on the album. I enjoy a well placed cover when the artist is adding something to the tune. In this instance Manx seems to be choosing the cover as a door for a mass audience raised on rock n’ roll but shifting towards retirement and the contemporary blues idiom. Sadly the song clunks with dull surprise.
On the title track Manx and Breit explore Muddy Water’s ‘I’m a Man’ riff using mandolin and ‘cigar box’ guitar. This tune may play well in a live setting but in my listening room it is lifeless and intentionally oblique; subsequently, far from interesting but, again, an easy calling card for the modern blues crowd looking for something to grab onto.
By the tenth track, ‘Don’t Swim, Float’ Manx and Breit come together for a jumpin’ bluesgrass-ish instrumental. The playing is quite capable as the artist exchange leads to n’ fro. One song doesn’t make an album – it justifies a download.
Manx’s skills are forthright and many of his previous albums are exemplary of a highly talented and creative musician exploring untested avenues of where the blues could be taken. On ‘In Good We Trust’ there are a couple of songs worthy of Manx’s catalogue while the rest of the album languishes without direction. If Manx ever visits, he is a must see artist but this album will live in the shadows of older, better albums by Manx.
Album Review: Blue Voodoo, Hot Wire (my heart)
Artist: Blue Voodoo
Title: Hot Wire (My Heart)
Writing: Rick Galusha
BJ Allen’s band, ‘Blue Voodoo’ is the perfect embodiment of contemporary blues. While their proposed idiom is the blues genre this band has more in common with early 70’s rock radio than with Muddy Waters. Yes, the band had adopted the “blues” textures that Muddy pioneered when he and The Headhunters plugged-in in order to be heard over the recent immigrants to the industrial north. And yes, Blue Voodoo does what so many others are doing today; singing about being blues musicians while nary a 12-bar can be heard. If it sounds like I am complaining, I am not. Much like the political phrase, “Family Values,” in today’s musical landscape “The Blues” doesn’t mean the same thing to everyone. There are honest to goodness “Blues” players that rely on the traditional art-form including 12 bars with the ‘Call, Call, Response’ format. And there are ‘blues’ players that use the sounds, textures and themes, often delving into clichés, of the blues yet play a rock n’ roll structure behind it. I am not a purist but I do feel the need to differentiate the ‘until-now-hidden-secret’ behind “Blues” and “blues.” Now you know!
Blue Voodoo is a terrific band capable of fine grace; revving up when necessary and then tempering the volume when the song calls for it. With Allen on vocals the band includes; Jerry Fuller on Guitar, Piano & Organ; JP Hurd on Bass & Harp; and David Daniels on Drums. Instrumentally the band is tight and Fuller fingers can fandango on the fret boards with the best of saloon players. The band is very good and struts like a barnyard cock on the instrumental track, ‘Sounds Like “L”
Vocally, for my taste, Allen relies too heavily on the late period Etta James “grrr” as if digging deep into the soul. Amid an album that is lyrically awash with cliché lyrics Allen’s style of guttural delivery versus precision and texture wears thin. There are times when her base skills exhibit the ability to deliver clear lines but those are too seldom. With lyric lines like “Baby, hot wire my heart” and the unimaginative ‘Gypsy Woman’ which includes, “She the mad dog from Arkansas, And her bite is worse than her bark,” I pined for something more real lyrically. On the track, ‘Blue as Blue Can Get’ Allen flashes her capability which is quite adequate and really shines on ‘Written on My Heart.”
In regard to the album artwork, Blue Voodoo, like so many regional bands, makes a critical artwork faux pas. Many times inexperienced bands will include their photo on the cover and compound the misstep by including a car and an attempt at humor. Nonprofessional photos connote an amateurish venture and weaken the reception of the albums content; ever professional artists sometime make this error as seen on the new Toni Price, ‘Talk Memphis’ album cover. Consider the album artwork to be the front door of your house and, at least on the first album, you must give the listener a reason to come in rather than an excuse to walk on by. So spend money and time on the artwork (a plain white cover is better than a bad cover) least first impressions give your hard earned art a brush off.
Blue Voodoo’s Hot Wire (My Heart) shows genuine promise as the band is quite good and Allen’s vocals, currently the weak link of the album, if given time to try different deliveries and build a greater sense of comfort in the studio, will mature and show a less predictable generic style. I’d look for this band’s next effort to be well above average as the songs and arrangement indicate a fresh approach. This initial album is best suited for local fans and friends although there are a few songs which a friendly radio station could have some fun with. Depending on the bands live performances it could also be a fine ‘off-the-stage’ piece to recall a fun evening of good ‘blues’ (but not Blues.)
Title: Hot Wire (My Heart)
Writing: Rick Galusha
BJ Allen’s band, ‘Blue Voodoo’ is the perfect embodiment of contemporary blues. While their proposed idiom is the blues genre this band has more in common with early 70’s rock radio than with Muddy Waters. Yes, the band had adopted the “blues” textures that Muddy pioneered when he and The Headhunters plugged-in in order to be heard over the recent immigrants to the industrial north. And yes, Blue Voodoo does what so many others are doing today; singing about being blues musicians while nary a 12-bar can be heard. If it sounds like I am complaining, I am not. Much like the political phrase, “Family Values,” in today’s musical landscape “The Blues” doesn’t mean the same thing to everyone. There are honest to goodness “Blues” players that rely on the traditional art-form including 12 bars with the ‘Call, Call, Response’ format. And there are ‘blues’ players that use the sounds, textures and themes, often delving into clichés, of the blues yet play a rock n’ roll structure behind it. I am not a purist but I do feel the need to differentiate the ‘until-now-hidden-secret’ behind “Blues” and “blues.” Now you know!
Blue Voodoo is a terrific band capable of fine grace; revving up when necessary and then tempering the volume when the song calls for it. With Allen on vocals the band includes; Jerry Fuller on Guitar, Piano & Organ; JP Hurd on Bass & Harp; and David Daniels on Drums. Instrumentally the band is tight and Fuller fingers can fandango on the fret boards with the best of saloon players. The band is very good and struts like a barnyard cock on the instrumental track, ‘Sounds Like “L”
Vocally, for my taste, Allen relies too heavily on the late period Etta James “grrr” as if digging deep into the soul. Amid an album that is lyrically awash with cliché lyrics Allen’s style of guttural delivery versus precision and texture wears thin. There are times when her base skills exhibit the ability to deliver clear lines but those are too seldom. With lyric lines like “Baby, hot wire my heart” and the unimaginative ‘Gypsy Woman’ which includes, “She the mad dog from Arkansas, And her bite is worse than her bark,” I pined for something more real lyrically. On the track, ‘Blue as Blue Can Get’ Allen flashes her capability which is quite adequate and really shines on ‘Written on My Heart.”
In regard to the album artwork, Blue Voodoo, like so many regional bands, makes a critical artwork faux pas. Many times inexperienced bands will include their photo on the cover and compound the misstep by including a car and an attempt at humor. Nonprofessional photos connote an amateurish venture and weaken the reception of the albums content; ever professional artists sometime make this error as seen on the new Toni Price, ‘Talk Memphis’ album cover. Consider the album artwork to be the front door of your house and, at least on the first album, you must give the listener a reason to come in rather than an excuse to walk on by. So spend money and time on the artwork (a plain white cover is better than a bad cover) least first impressions give your hard earned art a brush off.
Blue Voodoo’s Hot Wire (My Heart) shows genuine promise as the band is quite good and Allen’s vocals, currently the weak link of the album, if given time to try different deliveries and build a greater sense of comfort in the studio, will mature and show a less predictable generic style. I’d look for this band’s next effort to be well above average as the songs and arrangement indicate a fresh approach. This initial album is best suited for local fans and friends although there are a few songs which a friendly radio station could have some fun with. Depending on the bands live performances it could also be a fine ‘off-the-stage’ piece to recall a fun evening of good ‘blues’ (but not Blues.)
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