PAISLEY HEARTS Campbell & Johnston (independent) ****
This is a power-pop duo from Prince Edward Island, and they’ve got the goods. Paisley Hearts is a soulful blend of vintage blues/rock, roots and folk with a modern twist, It’s is an upbeat, infectious batch of tunes with the heart of good time rock & roll.
Paisley Hearts is C&J’s 2nd album. Both are fine guitar players, plus they trade off on lead vocals and harmonize beautifully. They’ve been described as the musical yin and yang of each other, “captivating audiences with their raw emotion and heartfelt authenticity” , and you can feel that. The musicianship is exquisite, whether rockin’ out Hash & Black Coffee or laying back for High Praise, which is a Santana-like Samba… they paint on a pretty broad canvas.
Campbell & Johnston’s music is heard on Canadian TV shows like Hudson & Rex or Sullivan’s Crossing, plus they’ve opened for Steve Earl, Burton Cummings and Bob Seger, where I can imagine they’ve won over new fans.
My beef is the distorted vocals, as if they’re singing through harmonica mics. Once in a while for effect cool, but its near constant use wears me down. All things considered though Paisley Hearts is ready, able and willing to show you a good time.
www.campbellandjohnstonmusic.com
HOT TRACKS: High Praise, Heart Of Stone, Hash & Black Coffee
HUMAN DECENCY Sugaray Rayford (Forty Below Records) **** ½
Sugaray Rayford is an expert at combining funk ‘n’ blues, and that is startlingly obvious on his new album Human Decency. Some of the musicians involved here have worked for people like Mavis Staples and BB King, giving the record a fine pedigree. Sugaray’s larger-than-life personality gets his message across with ease; Human Decency’s theme is that in the end there is no black or white or left or right, there are only hearts and minds.
Highest praise comes from Americana Highways, calling this album “Smoked-out rhythms with a blend of Muddy Waters and BB King that works… works… works on all levels.” While you can feel some blues woven into these tracks, I think it’s more accurate to describe Human Decency as a soulful, funky journey that will start you moving, whether you think you can dance or not. There’s a mid-70’s soul vibe encompassing this disc that just feels real good.
Sugaray has a big voice and his band give a masterclass in how to groove that would make their soul forefathers proud. Cool horn stabs for buoyancy and walking, rolling basslines that just get you right in the spine are the order of the day on Human Decency. This is sweet music indeed.
HOT TRACKS: Human Decency, Strawberry Hill, Run For Cover
BARNYARD SMILE Damon Fowler (Landslide Records) *****
Florida is a hotspot for the blues. From artists like Cannonball Adderly to Albert Castilgia to Dicky Betts, the state is loaded with talent. Better include Tampa’s Damon Fowler; Barnyard Smile, his 11th album, shows a masterful artist flexing his considerable creative muscle.
Critics have compared Fowler’s guitar playing to Johnny Winter and Jeff Beck, while his tasty slide guitar work recalls Duane Allman. Barnyard Smile was produced Fowler and George Harris (Cheap Trick, Rick Derringer, Brian Johnson of AC/DC), and the balance and sonic clarity is perfect. This breezy concoction of roots rock, blues and steel guitar is uplifting, striking me at least initially as a blend of Van Morrison and Robert Cray. Not sure who is in his band, didn’t get production notes with the download, but whoever is laying down the keyboard stuff- Fender Rhodes, Hammond B3- is an essential element in Fowler’s sound.
Fowler’s music is steeped with soul, an amalgam of the many styles that make up the roots of American music, and being a member of Butch Truck’s Freight Train and The Dicky Betts Band doesn’t hurt. According to Living Blues Damon Fowler is “preaching an otherworldly, Americana-themed gospel from a six-string pulpit.” Barnyard Smile is a wonderful album.
HOT TRACKS: That Ain’t Love, Grab My Hand, Catch You Crying
LAST GOODBYE 11 Matt Krahula plus Various Artists (independent) ****
This album is an anniversary celebration of Last Goodbye, that Krahula wrote and performed as a member of The Nightmare River Band. He wanted to “give the songs some new life”, and has succeeded admirably.
As the bassist for Hawaiian artist Henry Kapono, Krahula was inspired by Kapono’s The Songs Of C&K, where younger-generation performers re-imagined songs of the duo Cecilio & Kapono. Living in Hawaii made the concept challenging for Krahula in terms of in-person collaborations, so he asked artists living on several different continents to record their own versions.
In some ways this almost feels like a Peter Gabriel record- deep lyrics, sometimes unusual instrumentation and occasionally ethereal arrangements that draw you in to an emotional and intellectual conversation with the artists. Instead of the 10th anniversary this came out just shy of the originals’ 12th anniversary. “Creative types work at their own pace, so here we are” Matt says. “But it just feels so right. Eleven years, 11 songs, 11 new artists.” Last Goodbye is a pleasant, spiritually fulfilling way to spend the evening.
HOT TRACKS: Last Goodbye (Bunny Day & The Mercy Buckets), Oh Me Oh My (Panama Wedding), Life Just Stops (Dan Romer)
TRUE BLUES BROTHER: THE LEGACY OF MATT “GUITAR” MURPHY Various Artists (Nola Blue Records) *****+
This double disc effort is a tribute to the legendary guitarist Matt “Guitar” Murphy, who passed away 6 years ago last month. This historic 23 song set includes Murphy’s final three studio recordings, plus a healthy assist from no less than 72 musicians, many of them legends themselves, to finally give Matt the glorious sendoff he so richly deserves.
Drummer/ producer Bob Christina began working with Murphy on what would unexpectedly become his final project. He then reached out to musicians who were friends of Matt’s, played with him, or were otherwise influenced by him in some way, and the response was overwhelming- so much so I don’t have the space to list them here. Rather than some sort of funeral procession, True Blues Brother is the celebration of a life well lived. The number of people who jumped in and the respect Murphy commanded explains the wealth of material here.
Bob notes of Murphy’s final sessions that “(he) was very excited, since his last album was recorded more than ten years earlier. The concept here was to record songs of artists he either played with or influenced, along with some special guests. We were able to complete one session, but Matt passed away one week before our final session.” He adds that “Two weeks later I began contacting others to join the project. With the tremendous response and outpouring of love for Matt, our original 12 song project grew to this double album. RIP Big Man.”
With lively energy and smartly produced, True Blues Brother is a celebration from front to back. You’ll hear some old favorites on this set and no doubt make some new friends too. I consider this essential listening for any of Murphy’s fans, and fans of vintage rock, soul and blues in general. This set is a heaping helping of the good stuff.
HOT TRACKS:
DISC ONE: Matt’s Boogie (Matt Murphy, guitar), I Can’t Quit You Baby (vocals- Phil Dilorio, Troy Mercy- guitar)
DISC TWO: Evil (vocals- Craig Rawling, guitar- Bob Margolin), Tired Of Sleeping Alone (vocals & guitar- Rocky “King” Russell, guitar- Matt “Guitar” Murphy)
SOME HEARTS Belfountain (Flatcar Records) *** ½
This is the debut for this Toronto-based indie-folk-rock project from singer/ song writer/ multi-instrumentalist AND Juno award winning producer Chris Graham. Some Hearts is an earthy mix of old and new sounds that feel comfortably familiar.
Musikpoole praises Some Hearts as “a compelling exploration of the human spirit”, and that feels about right. The disc has a sound that’s retro and fresh at the same time. Lyrically the songs are deep; Rattle On is about persevering despite getting older, Worst Enemy is Graham’s admission that many of his problems are self-inflicted, and Tell Me When It Rains deftly uses global warming as a metaphor for a romance… lots of things to think about while you listen.
Chris Graham has a warm vocal style and as a producer he takes a rustic musical form- touching occasionally on country and gospel- and loads up on instruments and backing vocals, making Some Hearts sound denser than you might expect an album of this particular style to be. In the beginning I started out thinking it should be a little more stripped down, but the thickness of sound is something you get used to pretty quick. Is Some Hearts a great record? No- but it’s a pretty good one.
HOT TRACKS: Give It Up, Tell Me When It Rains, Worst Enemy
