WITH LOVE Mitch Ryder (Ruf Records) ****
This is the 21st studio record for the 60’s legend, and Ryder himself says it’s one of the two best albums he’s ever done. With Love, produced by Don Was (The Rolling Stones, Bonnie Raitt), is a smooth, soulful trip that only an artist of Ryder’s caliber and experience can deliver.
Mitch is a spiritual forefather to every blue collar musician whoever turned up their amp and shouted their truth, from Springsteen to Nugent and beyond. He tore up the charts in the 60’s with his band The Detroit Wheels, he was the last man to play with Otis Redding in 1967, and was also the first living white artist to be inducted into the R&B Hall Of Fame in 2017. Mitch Ryder is justifiably proud of being able to do an album like With Love out at this stage in his career. “It’s one of the most honest albums I’ve ever made” he says. “Not that the others were lies, but I was able to access previously hidden feelings.”
With Love is as vital a piece of work as Mitch has ever done. While other artists are content to coast on the casino circuit he’s still putting out career defining work, and Don Was is exactly the right producer to help make this happen. Oh- having great songs certainly helps. “Everything on the album is autobiographical” he says. “One Monkey is about my drug addiction and how I overcame it, and Fly is about my career and being happy about it, the trajectory and body of work I was able to produce.”
As I listened to With Love it felt like I was checking out America’s Van Morrison, it has that kind of depth and soul. “Practice makes perfect” Mitch says with a smile when considering his body of work. “I haven’t gotten there yet but I’m working on it.”
HOT TRACKS: Too Damn Slow, Sanguine, One Monkey
LIVE FROM DARYL’S HOUSE CLUB Sean Chambers (Quarto Valley Records) *****
Sean Chambers’ 9th album is a perfect storm; the blues played with rock & roll muscle in a live setting. Live From Daryl’s House Club reminds me of early ZZ Top- you’d think Sean was from Texas and not Florida.
Joining Chambers on stage is the Savoy Brown rhythm section as the trio bulldozes through a pile of his own stuff while throwing in a few Savoy numbers for good measure. Sean’s guitar playing here is hot and greasy with excellent slide work on tunes like Red Hot Mama as Pat De Salvo (bass) and Garnet Grimm (drums) in the engine room provide some real steam. Shortly before his passing in 2022, Savoy Brown founder Kim Simmonds was in full support and gave the trio his blessing to keep tearing it up on the road.
Not sure who produced Live From Daryl’s House Club– probably Chambers himself- but it’s got the amount of heft and brawn I expect from one of his albums, and I own 7 of ‘em. As a guitar player I rate Sean right up there with guys like SRV and, more recently, Mike Zito and Albert Castiglia. The blues we hear on this one ain’t for the faint of heart… it would make a great soundtrack for a barroom brawl as the rhythm section pounds along while all hell breaks loose from Chambers’ fingertips.
Live From Daryl’s House Club isn’t the type of blues you sip white wine to, you’ll be more inclined to throw back a few beers. This is nasty in the best possible ways.
HOT TRACKS: Louise, Cobra, Bullfrog Blues
GONNA BE 2 OF THOSE DAYS Jimmy Vivino (Gulf Coast Records) *****
The latest release (and first for this label) by Conan O’Brien’s former bandleader is a potent blast of blues. Gonna Be 2 Of Those Days is equally powered by Vivino’s passionate vocals and gnarly guitar playing; it’s the sweet taste of Chicago’s East side.
“Jimmy Vivino has been a hero of mine for over 30 years” said Gulf Coast president Mike Zito. “The new record puts him right where I think he belongs; center stage.” After 60-plus years as a musician and the long list of people he’s worked with he’s earned it, and judging the tracks playing on my stereo right now, he deserves it too. Gonna Be 2 Of Those Days has the swagger and confidence of an artist doing exactly what he should be doing; it’s truly breathtaking.
Gonna Be 2 Of Those Days has some notable special guests, like Joe Bonamassa on Blues In The 21st and John Sebastian plays harmonica and acoustic guitar on Beware The Wolf and Back Up The Country, and while their contributions are tasty they are hardly required. Jimmy is at home on a label that totally gets him, and they’re lucky to have him. “I knew Mike and Gulf Coast would be the right label to put my music out” Vivino says. “ I was the instant 3rd Blood Brother (if you know, you know) when we met and expect a long association with many more exciting things to come.” I may have just started writing album reviews again but my God this disc is going to be a mother to top.
HOT TRACKS: Blues In The 21st (with Joe Bonamassa), Fool’s Gold, Ain’t Nothin’s Gonna Be Alright
DOIN’ THE SHOUT Bob Corritore & Friends (SWAMF/ Vizztone) *****
Corritore is one of those bluesmen who, when I hear he’s got a new album coming I get excited, and we’re blessed that he’s so prolific. His 30th (!) album is a tasty, heaping helping of outstanding classic blues. Unlike his wonderful “From The Vault” series, Doin’ The Shout is a 12 song collection of tunes newly recorded between 2023 and 2024. As the presser says, “with every new release, Bob Corritore takes it up a notch- if such a thing is even possible.” Yeah.
Helping make Doin’ The Shout the forceful blues statement it turned out to be is an impressive list of guests. There are too many to mention here- I don’t have that kind of time- but some names you might recognize include Bobby Rush, Thornetta Davis, Bob Margolin and Steve Ferrone. Bob’s funky and intuitive harp playing bobs and weaves around smokin’ vocals by the likes of Thornetta Davis, Bobby Rush and Francine Reed, and there’s some fine playing by everyone else involved. Sure I recognize that the blues needs to progress and change to remain relevant to today’s audience, but it’s equally valuable for Bob Corritore & Friends to drop in and remind us of where it all comes from- which Doin’ The Shout does so very well.
Doin’ The Shout is well recorded, produced by Corritore along with Clarke Rigsby, John Wroble and Kid Andersen. The sound is tight and clean yet old school at the same time, adding to the disc’s already considerable charm. If you dig classic blues, you should already have this.
HOT TRACKS: I’ve Got Three Problems (with Bobby Rush), It’s My Life (with Nora Jean), Twenty Room House (with John Primer)
