TEN Mr. Big (Frontiers) *****
As a thank you to the fans, in the midst of their “BIG Finish” tour Mr. Big has released this new studio record. There’s more to Ten than meets the eyes, or ears… it’s the band we know and love, with extra shade and oomph.
The Bigs owe much of their success to radio-friendly ballads. “This new album doesn’t replicate anything from the previous 9 studio records” comments singer Eric Martin, “it’s all new stuff from scratch. This is raw, unadulterated riff rock and blues with all the Mr. Big trimmings.” Of the lyrical content, guitarist Paul Gilbert says “it’s about being overwhelmed with life and realizing you won’t win many of the battles, but still fighting to the end… and keeping a sense of humor.” This disc is hairier than previous efforts and is their first since drummer Pat Torpey, suffering from Parkinson’s Disease, died in 2018 after which the band went on hiatus.
The farewell tour includes former Spock’s Beard drummer Nick D’Virgilio. That has to be partially responsible for the shift in sound towards a more raw rock & roll vibe on Ten. Particularly Martin’s vocals. If Ten is to be the band’s epitaph, it’s a fine way to go out.
HOT TRACKS: Good Luck Trying, As Good As It Gets, 8 Days On The Road
RIGHTEOUS SOULS Albert Castiglia (Gulf Coast) *****+
Teaming up with Mike Zito for the Blood Brothers has had a large effect on Albert Castiglia; Righteous Souls is full throttle rockin’ blues full of righteous singing and inspired playing. This could well be the best thing Albert’s done.
“During last year’s Blood Brothers tour, Mike informed that it was time for me to do another solo album” Albert says. “What would be the thing that fuels the next one? Mike suggested we make it an album with guests.” People that answered the call include Joe Bonamassa, Josh Smith, Danielle Cole, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Popa Chubby, Ally Venable and a bunch more.
Righteous Soul is a hard rockin’ blues album full of blistering guitar licks and soulful vocals as Albert and his friends cover songs by Willie Dixon, Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton/ Rick Danko, and two written by his former boss and mentor Junior Wells. Produced by Kid Andersen with Mike Zito looking over his shoulder, Righteous Souls is a powerful statement and the playing from everybody, from Castiglia on down, is nothing short of epic. This is one of those albums that make the hair on your arm stand up- no kidding.
HOT TRACKS: Centerline (with Popa Chubby), Till They Take It Away (with Ally Venable), Come On In This House (with Rick Estrin)
GREAT BIG SKY Jeffery Straker (independent) **** ¾
This is the 9th full length release by the Regina-based singer/ songwriter/ pianist. Great Big Sky is folky and rootsy with a country flavor, like Murray McLaughlan and Blue Rodeo with the soul of Ian Tyson. It’s gentle, thought-provoking company.
Jeffery says the album “is about being lost and then being found again. It’s a whisper painted on a giant canvas, and it’s gratitude for not knowing all the answers but being able to ask all the questions. I’m singing about the prairie sky that I find endlessly inspiring, the rolling Touchwood Hills where I was raised, prairie grain elevators and settling bets as a kid with games of rock, paper scissors.” I wouldn’t say Great Big Sky is a naïve album but there’s a sense of innocence, of looking back on when life seemed simpler and more direct.
Great Big Sky was produced by Steve Dawson who has a real touch with this type of stuff, the tracks recorded live off the floor. Straker was able to play several cuts by his father’s hospital bed in dad’s final hours to his nodding approval. Great Big Skywill break your heart as it fills up.
HOT TRACKS: Some Say It’s Just A Sky, Better Than What We Found, Sing Your Song
LISA “LITTLE BABY” ANDERSEN Soul / KID ANDERSEN Spirits (Little Village Records) *****
This is a double disc release. Lisa’s Soul is smooth jazz like Sade and she’s a fine singer. Kid is a blues guy, and that’s where Spirits goes. Both are excellent, and it’s nice to see them both step out as performers for a change as opposed to helping others shine from behind the scenes.
150 albums have been cut at their Greaseland studio over the last decade and you can feel that vibe in every record that comes out of there including Soul and Spirits. Having listened to many of the 150 albums cut at their Greaseland, Christoffer Andersen’s talent as a producer is a given. Fair to say that today’s albums have influenced each other… perhaps Kid’s blues would’ve been rougher around the edges without Lisa’s disc to bounce off of. His guitar playing is exemplary, Spirits has a variety of grooves, the lyrics are reflective, and his voice is solid.
Kid and Lisa Andersen are husband and wife so Spirits & Soul are flip sides of the same muffin, each tasty. I give the edge to Spirits but Lisa’s beguiling Soul is not to be missed. This is superior entertainment
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HOT TRACKS: (Soul) I Won’t Let That Happen to Me, Slipped Through My Fingers
(Spirits) Nobody’s Fault But Mine, Scratch!, Day Tripper
DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME Steve Forbert (Blue Rose Music) ****
Steve Forbert is a name I’ve not heard in some time- I remember playing songs like Romeo’s Tune on the air as an AM radio deejay. Daylight Savings Time is his 4th album for this label… acoustic based and folky, this is very decent company.
Forbert is approaching his 70th birthday and you can feel that life experience in his voice, but it suits songs like these so spectacularly well. One Lone Leaf contemplates the end of summer, Purple Toyota addresses how corporate culture has toned down the once vibrant shades of color on our roadways, and Guilt Tripper advises us to avoid those who seek to complicate our lives. Daylight Savings Time with its sound, vibe and lyrical messages is like a pleasant conversation on a variety of topics, but then again Steve Forbert is easy on the ears- always has been.
A description of Forbert’s body of work (some 20 albums) by Milwaukee concert promoter Peter Jest best describes Daylight Savings Time accurately; “his ability to craft songs that capture the essence of the human spirit is nothing short of remarkable. His voice is a beacon of authenticity in a world saturated with noise.” Resistance is futile- you’re in fine company with this one. DST comes out in September.
HOT TRACKS: Sound Existence, Simon Says, One Lone Leaf
POSITIVELY 4TH STREET Rory Block (Stony Plain) *****
Rory is a blues artist, a preservationist, and has carved an impressive niche covering blues legends with records like Blues Walking Like A Man ( Son House) and Hard Luck Child (Skip James). With Positively 4th Street she turns her attention to the music of Bob Dylan with intimate, electrifying results.
Like Leonard Cohen, Dylan’s music is better when somebody else sings it. “The most persistent and enthusiastic requests from my fans for anything outside of the blues genre has been repeated calls to record a Bob Dylan tribute” Block says. “The songs that move me the most deeply, touching heart and soul, are the ones I chose to record.” Positively 4th Street is an enjoyable blend of bigger songs along with a judicious selection of deeper cuts. We get A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall and Mr. Tambourine Man alongside thoughtful tracks like 2020’s Murder Most Fowl, a song about JFK’s assassination delivered with emotion and vehemence. I dug Dylan’s original, but I like this better.
There are no drastic rearrangements here neither are there slavish recreations of the originals. Positively 4th Street is a collection of great songs delivered with reverence and affection… pretty damn good if you ask me,
HOT TRACKS: Murder Most Fowl, A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall, Ring Them Bells
