A SPOONFUL OF WILLIE DIXON Emma Wilson (Select-O-Hits) *****+
It’s great to get back from 2 weeks off and walk straight into a juicy album like this. A Spoonful Of Willie Dixon is exactly what you’d expect from this powerful British R&B singer; spirited, sultry versions of some great Willie Dixon tunes us blues fans already know quite well. Add a stunningly talented band to that and you’ve got roughly 35 minutes of incredible blues.
In 2024 Wilson accepted an invitation from the Pinetop Perkins Foundation to perform at the legendary Ground Zero Club in Clarksdale lit the fuse that led to Spoonful, and the way she makes love to the lyrics here sets the bar ridiculously high. There’s a delicious spontaneity to the disc too… recorded live in Sheffield, England in a single day it’s a shining example of her development and growth as an artist, along with her deep respect for and love of the blues.
A Spoonful Of Willie Dixon has an irresistible groove and rawness that you’ll feel right away, and it wouldn’t be right to talk about the record without mentioning the band; Mark Barrett on drums, Ian Leese on bass, Nik Svarc on guitar, and Bennett Holland on Hammond organ, piano and backing vocals, plus the disc was produced and arranged by Emma and the band. The sound is full without being over-processed and the performances from each member including Wilson is stunning, with Holland’s keyboard work in particular taking this over the top from ‘good’ to ‘great’. Emma sings these songs like she’s lived every single word, with a relaxed and playful assurance that makes them come alive.
A Spoonful Of Willie Dixon may be made of songs we’ve heard a hundred times, but never quite like this. You’ll kick yourself if you don’t get your hands on A Spoonful.
HOT TRACKS: I Can’t Quit You Baby, Spoonful, t Don’t Make No Sense
TELLIN’ MYSELF WEIRD LI’L STORIES Andy B. & Soulfolk (Deko Entertainment/ Warner Music) ****
This is the 3rd solo effort from this New Jersey dance floor packin’ legend, away from his day job as the front person/ primary songwriter for The VooDudes. Weird Li’l Stories is a stylistically diverse record based in the blues, and as always Andy’s yarn-spinning lyrics are a treat, the music is what the band calls “Garageband Americana”, a form of homegrown pub rock. No wonder Andy and his guys get the joint jumpin’ night after night.
Andy’s voice has been described as “the sound of a bourbon bottle lined with gravel” which I think is a tad extreme, but it is deep and rich. Weird Li’l Stories is like the blues with a southern edge, and I like his playful way with a lyric. The first single, Risen From The Dead, out since April 4th, is a driving, secular gospel tune with a sense of humor. Listen To Ol’ Levon (The River) is an upbeat toe tapper, not blues exactly, but the lyrics have a gospel feel too. Blue Notes & Conversations describes the album as “swerving off the main road, veering into many unintentional directions (with) surprises waiting around every corner.” It rocks, it rolls, and it gets down- wayyy down.
Lots of cool stuff on this disc, not the least of which is a stirring version of House Of The Rising Sun that shifts the groove throughout, and the strings coming in about halfway through are an unexpected surprise. Andy Bernstein may be an old dog with decades of musical experience under his belt but with each album he always pulls out a few surprises and that’s kept me coming back as Weird Li’l Stories continues that satisfying tradition. I’ve never been to Jersey, but hearing albums like this make me want to go.
https://www.dekoentertainment.com/inthesquare/andy-b
HOT TRACKS: House Of The Rising Sun, That Hank Williams Feeling, Whiskey Black Powder & Cigarettes
FALLEN ANGELS Early Times & The High Rollers (Dealers Choice Records) *** ¾
A swaggering taste of rock & roll not unlike early Aerosmith, that’s the latest from Early Times & The High Rollers. Fallen Angels is their 3rd album following The Corner and Electric City, with a fairly direct mostly mid-tempo 70’s vibe to enjoy along with soulful lyrics.
Fallen Angels spins some dark tales over simple yet catchy riffs rooted in blues. From rockers like Walk Out On Me to the slow blues of Abandoned Child (a real gut punch) this is an album that occupies familiar territory and yet it doesn’t stand still. Fallen Angels was engineered by Grammy winner Chris Suit then mixed and mastered by Jay Messina (Aerosmith, Cheap Trick, Kiss, Miles Davis) with a raw edge that suits the material. Given the weird times we find ourselves in straight up blues/ rock feels damn good, don’t you think?
Decent workmanlike musicianship on display here, but if I have a beef it’s that many of the songs have a similar mid-tempo gait that gives Fallen Angels a kind of sameness. Early Times is on vocals, guitar and organ, drummer Jeremy Portwood keeps the engine room running smoothly, and former Rod Stewart bassist Conrad Corsch thickens things up with some inventive, melodic bass lines. Nobody would ever call Early Times a great singer but he is distinct and recognizable, not unlike Mick Jagger… nothing wrong with that.
Early Times’ personal lyrics and the elemental mojo of Fallen Angels make it a record worth listening to, and even more than the rockers it’s the ballads here that really work. There’s an early Stones/ Faces kind of thing to this and today, that’s just fine by me.
https://www.facebook.com/EarlyTimesBand/#
HOT TRACKS: Pistol Under My Pillow, Abandoned Child, Sooner Than Later
IN THE HEART OF THE CITY Voodoo Ramble (CD Baby) *****
Croatia has an exploding blues/rock scene, and Voodoo Ramble leads the charge. In The Heart Of The City takes what their three previous albums have done and pushes it farther and harder, leaving listeners bathed in a satisfied sweat.
As bandleader Boris Zamba notes, “this is our fourth album and probably the best one so far. But we’ll let the listeners and broadcasters decide that! It could have been called ‘Collaboration Blues’ because of the people that played on it.” In The Heart of The City includes guest shots by Muddy Manninem (ex- Wishbone Ash, Black Pearl) with some incredible soloing on Midnight Ride plus British blues maestro Mick Pini, with Marcus “The Fingers Of Fury” Flynn dropping a white hot slide solo on the single 4,000 Years. The album as always includes lyrics and inspiration by Pete Feenstra.
Music is an international language that everyone can speak, with the blues digging a little deeper into the hearts and souls of fans of the genre, and Voodoo Ramble has a firm grasp on that. I’ve been lucky enough to be along for the ride since their first disc and the band is really stepping into their own here. Far beyond ‘stunt casting’ the special guests really bring something special to In The Heart Of The City, lending some real steam to an already muscular album.
A band never wants to stay in the same place, and the trajectory from the first album to now just keeps climbing. “We wondered what to do next after the well-received Home Again album” Boris notes, “and the answer seems to be in the song… so we’ll just ‘ramble’ on and see where it takes us.” In The Heart Of The City is a great album; it’s that simple.
HOT TRACKS: Midnight Ride, 4,000 Years Old, Don’t Leave Me 4 Good
CALL ON ME Mondo Cortez & The Chicago Blues Angels (Lux Records) ****
This an album full of seriously fun house rockin’ blues. Call On Me with its retro production values and lively musicianship sounds straight out of the early 60’s. That could be a might to old fashioned for some, but others will dig it in a big way.
Guitarist, singer and bandleader Mondo Cortez formed The Chicago Blues Angels in 1999, and he clearly surrounds himself with top notch players. Call On Me is a tasty blend of rock, soul, blues and swing, often at the same time. This disc has been described as “American roots simmered in salsa and jalapenos”, but I’m detecting more of a straight up blues thing. As I sit back and listen it feels like a combo of Duke Robillard and Bob Corritore’s stuff from the last few years, so it was no surprise to learn that Kim Wilson and Kid Ramos were guests on these sessions plus Dave Gonzalez, who produced, recorded and engineered the record at his Rattleshack Analog Studio in Driftwood, Texas. Maybe… just maybe… more modern production sounds and techniques here might’ve helped find a bigger audience for this baby.
I love me some hard-nosed rockin’ blues and the lowdown primitive stuff too, but can also be found enjoying the kind of stuff that lands between those two vibes, which Call On Me does. You can even find a bit of country twang- not uncommon in Texas- on tracks like That Ain’t Right. If you’re looking for the touch of exotic spice alluded to above, try Mamacita and Chorizo y Huevo. Retro beats and a thin, dry guitar sound, along with some organ and chick backup singers really place this disc back in the glory days when the blues and R&B started their big push into mainstream consciousness.
If Call On Me has an Achilles heel it would be that retro sound I’ve been speaking of, but folks that dig that vibe will embrace this album wholeheartedly.
HOT TRACKS: Mondo’s Jump, That Ain’t Right, Don’t Blame Me Baby
LIVE AT HET DEPOT EP Boogie Beasts (Naked) ****+
Well they certainly have the blues in Belgium, don’t they? Live At Het Depot is the 4th Beasts disc to join my collection, and their muscular take on the blues never gets old.
Boogie Beast started in January of 2011 in the old city center of Leuven, Belgium, thanks to an out of control jam session at the De Blauwe Kater blues bar. On January 30th of this year that same energy could be felt at the iconic Het Depot, and that’s what we’re feeling here with these 4 tracks. There’s no holding back with Boogie Beasts; you get a real sense that their mentality is “let’s just go for it”… it’s like a blues street fight, and that’s exciting.
On stage is where the blues truly belong, and not many bands rock as hard in this genre as do Boogie Beasts. Live At Het Depot is a wonderful souvenir of a hot, sweaty night, and my only real complaint is the same as with many other EPs… at just 4 songs, I want to hear more. Guess it’s time to dive back into my other Boogie Beast discs to get that fix.
HOT TRACKS: Howl, Would You Please Shut Up
