ROLL WITH ME Duke Robillard (Stony Plain Records) *****
Here is an old/ new record from the prolific Duke Robillard. Roll With Me is a jumpin’ jivin’ pile of fun. Originally recorded in the early Y2K’s it was shelved when Robillard got busy with other projects, touring, and life in general. I daresay this ranks up there with his most vital, exciting stuff.
“After two decades and dozens of recordings, we got to the place where it was time for my final Stony Plain record” Duke says. “All this time, I knew we had to get back to the album we had started back in 2005. I knew these tracks were really strong, but until I listened to them again, I didn’t realize how strong they really were.” Recorded at studios in Rhode Island where Robillard lives, Roll With Me crackles with positive energy and vibes. Lots of lively horn and sax charts and some hairy guitar work from the man himself are the engine driving this baby. He pays tribute to legendary bluesmen here like Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown (You Got Money, Boogie Uproar), Big Joe Turner (Boogie Woogie Country Girl) and Fats Domino (Are You Going My Way). The disc also includes a trio of Chicago blues classics from Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf and Eddie Boyd. Duke’s vocals echo the power of his guitar playing, and Chris Cote steps up to the mic for Look What You’ve Done and You Got Money.
There’s something to be said for the excitement of discovering buried treasure and Duke Robillard’s ‘lost album’ Roll With Me should be at or very near the top of the list of blues discoveries; it’s magnificent.
HOT TRACKS: Boogie Uproar, My Plea, Built For Comfort
Photo Jeff Bennion
Design by Kevin Niemiec
BLAME IT ON EVE Shemekia Copeland (Alligator Records) *****
Like Koko Taylor before her, Shemekia Copeland is one of the greatest blues singers, a voice that No Depression says “represents her generation with style and grace, too strong to be ignored.” Blame It On Eve is a powerful mix of styles like gospel, rock, soul and Americana within the blues framework, her songwriting as compelling as these performances.
“There’s serious business on the new album” she observes, “but there are a lot of smiles here too, a lot of joyous moments. It’s my blues for sure but it’s the brighter side. Issues are always important to me but so is rocking, dancing and just having fun.” Blame It On Eve was recorded in Nashville and produced by Will Kimbrough, who also produced her previous three albums, and they clearly have an in sync working relationship… she trusts him, and he gets where she’s coming from.
From lighter songs like Wine O’ Clock and the title track to the lonesome Only Miss You All The Time and the rockin’(and spiritually questioning) Is There Anybody Up There? Copeland’s formidable songwriting skill steps effortlessly from subject to subject. She calls this disc “a break from all the heaviness”, explaining that “my last 3 records have dealt with breaking news… this record is for people like me who want a break from the news.” From the subject matter to the superior musicianship on display to Shemekia’s powerful voice, Blame It On Eve is the balls.
HOT TRACKS: Is There Anybody Up There?, Wine O’ Clock, Belle Sorciere
SONGS OF WHITE LION VOL. II Mike Tramp (Frontiers) ****
The former guitarist/ singer for White Lion is back with the follow-up to last summer’s Songs Of White Lion, giving the songs he wrote in his twenties another day in the sun. Though I readily admit that band was not a part of my 80’s experience, Vol. II along with its predecessor has me wondering why. Cool riffs, great melodies and muscular production should please longtime fans along with us newbies.
So, why re-do a pile of songs from all those years ago? ”I am beyond thrilled to have gotten a second chance to record and sing the songs I wrote between 1983 and 1990” Mike says. “Today I have a much better understanding of how I want to express the songs in my voice than I had when I was in my twenties. (These) Songs Of White Lion albums are a whole new chapter.” Longtime fans of the band will enjoy comparing these versions to the originals while guys like me who took a pass the first time around will enjoy this stuff for the superior, stirring, melodic rock & roll that it is.
Since the band broke up in 1992 Tramp has been an active solo artist, taking a break from that 2004-2008 to tour and record under the name “Mike Tramp’s White Lion”. Songs Of White Lion Vol. II as well as its predecessor bring him back to the mothership to re-express his songs with some time and maturity under his belt. Did I miss out by ignoring White Lion first time around? Maybe… probably… but Mike Tramp has brought these songs to our attention once again, and I’m thoroughly enjoying them now.
HOT TRACKS: Lights & Thunder, El Salvador, The Road To Valhalla
I HEAR THUNDER Tab Benoit (Whiskey Bayou Records) *****+
This legendary bluesman is back with his first studio record in 13 years thanks, in part, to the pandemic. I Hear Thunder is Louisiana-flavored blues executed with bayou country flair, much wider in scope than Chicago blues. It’s dirty, nasty, groovy, poetic passionate, hair-on-your-arms-raising and soulful. John Fogerty should be jealous.
I Hear Thunder is an appropriate title for this batch of tunes as Benoit, backed by a three piece band that includes Anders Osborne, does its level best to burn down the house. They provide a solid foundation for Tab’s gravelly voice as he pulls reckless, tortured notes from his battered Telecaster that surely have other guitarists saying “Damn, I wish I could play like that!” Of course this has more depth than your average blues record; Why Why addresses climate change, Still Gray is a bittersweet ballad where the protagonist is looking at a black & white photo as he laments past mistakes that led to a breakup, and I’m A Write That Down is a delightful funk exercise that features ex-Meters bassist George Porter Jr.
I Hear Thunder is as humid and dark as you might expect from a Louisiana bluesman. His solos are ripping and exciting, reminding me somewhat of Coco Montoya at his best, and as a singer he’s emotionally invested in every song. From the Bo Diddley beat with a bayou twist that powers The Ghost Of Gatemouth Brown to a slow burning blues like Overdue, the long wait for this disc was SO worth it.
HOT TRACKS: The Ghost Of Gatemouth Brown, Overdue, Still Gray
GATE C23 Chad Rupp & The Sugar Roots (Lightning In A Bottle Records) ****+
A lot of cities claim to have a ‘thriving blues scene’ but in the case of Portland, Oregon it’s true. Gate C23 is The Sugar Roots’ 3rd album since forming in 2021,building on the success of Savage’s Life and The Devil Won’t Get You. This new disc is supple, suave and delightfully groove-centric- they’re really onto something here.
Rupp’s songs cover a wide range of styles within the world of blues. Aside from The Sugar Roots Chad has been playing with and soaking in the vibes of The Pacific Northwest’s finest like Curtis Salgado, Lloyd Jones and Paul DeLay. Chad is a multi-instrumentalist and the way he and the band attack and play these songs belie the confidence and swagger of a band that’s been playing together much longer than 3 years. Nothing ramshackle about these guys- their playing is tighter than a dolphin’s butt yet without sounding uptight, and Rupp’s expressive vocals really pull you into whatever song he’s singing.
Like the bio I was given says, “(Rupp’s) band brings the heat with nuclear dynamics and laser beam accuracy, and the ‘Sugar Free’ horns add the final touch of flambe” which is exactly what Gate C23 gives you- no brag, just fact. The way the album moves, shifts and flows is a thing of beauty. The reactions from reviewers and DJ’s around the world to the first 2 discs were overwhelmingly positive and I see no reason why Gate C23 won’t get the same response. These are blues that you can feel right down in your bones.
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HOT TRACKS: Blind Crippled & Crazy, Gate C23, Fat Kid Boogie
