HOWLIN’ WATERS Terry Robb (New Folk Records) *****
Here is a jaw-dropping example of blues-based acoustic fingerpicking. Howlin’ Waters is a thing of shimmering beauty that other acoustic blues players will be dissecting for years. Delicate and forceful at the same time, it is mesmerizing.
As fingerpickers go Robb is at the top alongside players like Tommy Emmanuel and Graham Wardrop, with Howlin’ Waters bringing new depth and range to a variety of musical moods and styles. Of course his roots can be found in the blues. “The people I heard were Delta blues guys who were fingerpickers” he says. “Even the electric guys like Hubert Sumlin and John Lee Hooker were fingerpickers. I play lots of different kinds of songs but my techniques come from leaning on blues guitar… whether I’m playing bossa or ragtime, it still comes out as blues.”
Terry lists people like Blind Blake and Reverend Gary Davis as influences yet that blues feel is not always overt. He also says his playing takes a lot from ragtime guitar and he gets inspiration from classical. But jazz? You bet. “I was also really influenced by Louis Armstrong, Coltrane, Johnny Hodges and Stan Getz” Robb says. “I’ve always tried to capture that improve stuff from the jazz world on acoustic guitar.” There’s a lot going on in these constantly shifting tracks, and having the right band sure helps. His guys have been with him since his last record Confessing My Dues (2019), and playing live has sharpened them into a formidable unit.
While Terry’s playing is tight throughout and his band is swingin’, there’s a jazzy looseness to the stuff on Howlin’ Waters that makes it feel as friendly as it does accomplished. There’s something inspiring, exciting even, about listening to players as on top of their game as this. I could listen to this all day long… you know what? I think I will.
HOT TRACKS: St. Charles Rag, One Way Train To Sorrow, When It Gets Cold
MADE IN THE UK LIVE Voodoo Ramble (independent/ CD Baby) *****
This is the 6th time out since forming in 2010 and first live set for these Croatian blues rockers. Made In The UK is SRV-type blues as the band leans hard into the material and really comes up with the goods with leader Boris Zamba’s hard charging guitar leading the way. Muddy Waters famously said the blues had a baby and they called it rock & roll, and this disc is your proof.
If you look up the term ‘guitar driven blues’, there should be a picture of Voodoo Ramble. English may not be their first language but it certainly poses no problem here. Despite being from Croatia, UK Live feels very much like the American-type music they’ve built their career on. I don’t have any production notes to refer to but this is very well produced; thick and juicy like a good steak. The rhythm section is fairly straight ahead and the guitar riffs stick with you after they’ve landed on your ears. As a singer Boris is quite agreeable- no Pavarotti or Robert Plant, but there’s an attitude and swagger in his approach that fits these 11 tracks exceedingly well. This reminds me of the Foghat and Lynyrd Skynyrd stuff I was into as a teenager in the 70’s, with a Stones-y attitude that makes this music stick to your ribs.
Made In The UK Live is a high energy blues/ rock hybrid that is sure to reach fans on either side of the fence. It might seem odd to find a sort of Texas defiance in their songs given the part of the world they come from, but this is one of those albums that comes out swinging from the get-go and just does not let up, first track to the last. Voodoo Ramble just seems to get better every time out, and with 4 of their previous 5 albums in my collection I’m qualified to make that observation. The melodies stick with you, the songs make you want to drive faster- nuff said.
https://www.facebook.com/voramble/
HOT TRACKS: Bye Bye Baby, Midnight Ride, Cold Hearted Woman
Cover Photo by Paul Natkin, Photo Reserve
SLIDEWAYS Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials (Alligator) *****
There are few if any slide guitarists that play with the unmitigated joy of Lil’ Ed Williams. Slideways is the 10th Alligator outing for him and his Blues Imperials and it represents Chicago blues at its very best. Seriously- it just doesn’t get any better than this.
For nearly 4 decades Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials have been delivering what is accurately described as “gloriously riotous, intensely emotional, wickedly playful Chicago blues” and that certainly describes Slideways. Lil’ Ed is a soulful singer and his band is rock solid here; bassist (and half-brother) James “Pookie” Young, guitarist Mike Garrett and drummer Kelly Littleton, with Ben Levin guesting on keys for 8 of the 13 tracks. Together they effortlessly handle a variety of blues; slide guitar boogies, raw-boned shuffles and heart-wrenching slow blues. Produced by Williams and label founder Bruce Iglauer, this is sheer blues excitement.
Slideways is a blistering set of 13 high octane blues, 12 of them written or co-written by Lil’ Ed and filled with the simple relatable truths that are at the heart of the genre’s best, described as “featuring colorful characters in humorous to harrowing situations, some sinning while grinning, others smiling while crying.” The Blues Imperials are playing with the ease and precision of a band that’s been together for a very long time, at the height of their considerable powers. “Bruce challenged us” Lil’ Ed says. “he pulled things out of me I didn’t expect and I’m glad he did. Pookie worked his butt off and played great, Mike always plays something cool, he lays the flavor down the way I like it. And Kelly, he’s a wild man!” Of the deep-blues keyboard work of their guest Ben Levin, Williams notes that “he’s got that old-time style.”
Slideways is simply one of the best blues records ever, and I’ve been listening to this kind of music a very long time… this will be at or near to top of my list come December.
HOT TRACKS: Bad All By Myself, Make A Pocket For Your Grief, Wayward Women
BLAST OFF! Duke Robillard (Nola Blue Records) *****
On his own and with other artists, Robillard has made dozens of albums. Blast Off, his first with Nola Blue, reminds us why so many people (myself included) love his music. This is an overview of the many styles Duke is known for, an ecstatic celebration.
I’ve been a fan for years, have 19 of his albums in my collection, and this is the most joyful I’ve ever heard him play. The label is thrilled to have him, and Robillard is happy with this new beginning of sorts, after a lengthy stay on Stony Plain Records. “I am extremely excited (to be) on Sallie Bengston’s Nola Blue label” Duke says. “Her love of the blues an all its related genres makes Nola Blue the perfect companion to my musical legacy.”
Blast Off is 12 songs altogether, 3 of them originals, that cover a wide variety of the styles Robillard is known for including blues, swing, jazz and R&B. A long and storied career has led him to this point, from co-founding the legendary Roomful Of Blues to replacing Jimmie Vaughan as a member of the Fabulous Thunderbirds, to working with tons of others, and to an impressive solo career that has garnered him Grammy nominations and Blues Music Awards. It’s in every note he sings and plays; he does this for the sheer joy of making music, and that’s contagious. A musician of his stature attracts great musicians as these 12 wonderful cuts demonstrate. “It is a distinct honor to release this striking project from a true master of his craft” says label chief Bengston.
Great choice of songs on Blast Off too, as Robillard and his band cover stuff by Floyd Dixon, Allen Toussaint, Tom Waits and more. Nice guy too… I had the pleasure of interviewing him in 2014 on the occasion of his Calling All Blues disc. Blast Off isn’t a greatest hits record yet it neatly sums up why listening to a Duke Robillard album is so much damn fun. This will be on my playlist for a good long while.
HOT TRACKS: When I Get Lucky, Confusion, Galactic Grease
