Blues Thunder (CD) By Brad Wilson

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Blues Thunder, Brad Wilson

Blues Thunder

Brad Wilson

Cali Bee Music 2015

Review by David Bowling

 

Blues Thunder is an appropriate name for Brad Wilson’s new album. His aggressive style of blues/rock thunders from the speakers with his guitar and vocals leading the way.

Backed by bassist Brian Beal, drummer Amrik Sanfhu, keyboardist Kirk Nelson, and harmonica player Tumbleweed Mooney, he has issued another blast of modern day electric blues.

“Is It Any Wonder” is a smooth riff-laden fusion of pop and blues. “Change It Up” travels south of the border for its rhythms. “Blue Shadows” is a smoldering moody piece. “Black Coffee At Sunrise,” “Step By Step,” and “Change It Up” find him in his comfort zone as they blast out of the speakers.

Brad Wilson has carved out a nice niche for himself in the blues field. His latest release should enhance his growing reputation.

 

Rating: ***1/2

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The Complete Concert By The Sea (3 CD’s) By Erroll Garner

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Concert By The SEa, Erroll Garner, Jazz

The Complete Concert By The Sea (3-CD Release)

Erroll Garner

Columbia Legacy 2015

Review by David Bowling

 

Erroll Garner is many times a forgotten figure in the history of American jazz. The irony is he was not only commercially successful but also had a very distinctive style and sound, which ranks him among the greatest jazz pianists of the 20^th century.

While he usually recorded solo or in small combos, he approached the jazz idiom from a big band and swing perspective. His piano became the substitute for the brass section as he explored the song’s melodies. He also had the uncanny ability of playing different rhythms with each hand.

One of the highlights of his career was the release of his Concert By The Sea album. Backed by drummer Denzil Best and bassist Eddie Calhoun, who provided a tempo for his improvisations, he produced some of the most enduring music in jazz history.

The original concert was recorded September 15, 1955, in Carmel, California. Eleven tracks were culled from the performance for the original vinyl release. Now, to mark the 60^th anniversary of the event, the complete 22 song performance will be released for the first time. Spread over two discs it presents the concert as it happened. The third disc contains the original vinyl release plus interviews with the three participants following the concert.

As good as the original release was, it only presented unconnected parts of the concert. This new release has everything in order including announcer Johnny Lyons. It allows the listener to get into the flow of the music and enjoy the cohesive nature of the songs.

Cole Porter’s “Night And Day” and the Rodgers/Hart Tune “Spring Is Here” lead off the concert and neither appeared on the 1956 release. They are the tone setters as Garner settles into a groove that will continue throughout the concert.

Highlights include the intricate patterns of “Cover The Waterfront,” the improvisation of the swinging “Will You Still Love Me,” the changing tempos of “Sweet And Lovely,” and an extended version of the classic song “Caravan.”

Garner rarely presented introspective music; rather his music made a person happy. His melodies and improvisational excursions were not hard to follow despite his technical brilliance. He never learned to read music so he played by feel and memory, which set him apart from many of his contemporaries.

The original Concert By The Sea is considered the highlight recording of his career. Now the Complete Concert By The Sea has exceeded it. It resurrects some of the finest jazz music of the 20^th century and then some.

Rating: ****

Live At Rockpalast (2-CD + DVD Set) By The Stray Cats

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Brian Setzer, Live At Rockpalast, Stray Cats

Live At Rockpalast (2-CD + DVD Set)

Stray Cats

Made In Germany 2015

Review by David Bowling

Guitarist/vocalist Brian Setzer, bassist Lee Rocker, and drummer Slim Jim Phantom, better known as The Stray Cats, cut a swath through the early 1980’s with their re-invention of rockabilly music by their adding punk elements to the mix. Songs such as “Stray Cat Strut,” “(She’s) Sexy + 17,” and “Rock This Town” not only found huge commercial success but introduced a new niche into rock music.

The band has reunited several times down through the years but it was their first incarnation that set the tone for their career.

Their newest release is a look back in time to two live performances. Live At Rockpalast is a two-CD and one-DVD set. There is a CD and DVD of their concert at Open Air Loreley, recorded August 20, 1983. The second CD is a concert recorded July 16, 1981, at Satory-Sale Cologne.

Their sound always had a primitive feel but the Loreley concert added sax player Mel Collins to the mix, who filled in a lot of the gaps and gave the band a fuller sound and more flexibility while performing live.

The two years between concerts also shows a growth in the band’s capabilities as seen through their stage presence and the increasing expansion and sophistication of their set list.

The early 1981 set find the Stray Cats near the beginning of their career. It is a set of four originals plus 10 covers of rockabilly songs. They rip through such classics as “My One Desire,” “Gonna Ball,” “Somethin’ Else,” and “Ubangi Stomp,” which are updated into a modern day rockabilly sound.

By 1983, they were well-established stars on the international scene. Originals such as “Built For Speed,” “Look At That Cadillac,” “Stray Cat Strut,” and “Rock This Town” evoke the loudest audience reaction. The also add such timeless tunes as “The Race Is On,” “Tear It Up,” and a brilliant “Banjo Time (Foggy Mountain Breakdown).”

The sound is excellent for the day. The DVD has limited angles and the band looks a little lonely on the big stage and playing in front of thousands. The audience does seem engaged and the band responds and is on fire.

The Stray Cats have reunited several times since their first dissolution in 1984. Live At Rockpalast is a nice look back to a band that not only created good music but helped bring a forgotten musical style into the modern age.

Rating: ***1/2

Mind Gardens (CD) By Toulouse Engelhardt

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Mind Gardens, Takoma, Toulouse Engelhardt

Mind Gardens

Toulouse Engelhardt

Love Grove Arts 2015

Review by David Bowling

 

The Takoma Label, from 1959-1976, was responsible for the resurrection of acoustic guitar music. Artists such as John Fahey, Leo Kottke, and more broadened the horizons of an increasingly lost art form. One of the last guitarists signed to the label was Toulouse Engelhardt.

Engelhardt’s career has now passed the four decade mark, and he remains on of the more creative guitarists alive. His finger picking style was ground breaking and his virtuosity with the 12-string guitar virtually unmatched.

His new release, Mind Gardens, carries on his tradition of excellence. Whether it be channeling Dick Dale on “The Wedge,” showing off his famous 12-string style on “Dom Perignon,” or exhibiting some classical flair, he has produced a versatile album of music centered around his guitar.

Engelhardt  has carried on the legacy he helped establish during the early 1970’s and remains one of the finer practitioners of his craft.

Rating: ***1/2

Drifted: In The Beginning & Beyond (CD) By The Continental Drifters

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Contiental Drifters, Drifted, Susan Cowsill, Vicki Peterson

Drifted: In The Beginning & Beyond

Continental Drifters

Omnivore Recordings 2015

Review by David Bowling

 

The Continental Drifters were not your typical Indy band. They were very smooth, wonderfully creative, and a very tight group of multi-talented musicians. They formed in 1991 and for little over a decade produced music that blended pop, country, and Americana into a spicy mix. Now, about a decade after their demise, Drifted: In The Beginning & Beyond fills in a lot of gaps in their career with one disc of early original material and a second disc of live covers, unreleased material, and studio tracks.

The 15 tracks contained on the first disc are culled from three separate recording sessions. It is interesting to compare the early songs that do not include Peterson and Cowsill as their inclusion brought a different mix to the band both vocally and persona wise.

Ray Ganucheau, Gary Eaton, and Carlo Nuccio were the principle songwriters and vocalists. They were incisive composers and despite having voices that were dramatically different, they could harmonize on an intimate level that could both soar and purr. Songs such as “I Didn’t Want To Lie,” “The Mississippi,” “Made In Heaven,” and “No One Cares” have a wonderful complexity of instruments, voices, and words that merge into a creative whole.

The second disc has a more eclectic feel given its diverse nature. The live tracks are highlights. “Dedicated To The One O Love,” The obscure Beach Boys song “The Farmer’s Daughter,” and Sandy Denny’s “At The End Of The Day” are previously unreleased gems that present the band’s concert sound well.

Also included is their European only EP “Listen Listen,” which was a tribute to Richard Thompson and Sandy Denny Of Fairport Convention.

The 20 page booklet contains comments and memories by various band members.

The Continental Drifters were a band that had, and still has, a rabid fan base, but huge commercial success inexplicably eluded them. Drifted: In The Beginning & Beyond is a nice introduction to a band that produced creative and very listenable music during their existence.

 

Rating: ****

Chances & Choices (CD) By Smith & Wesley

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Choices & Chances, Scott Smith, Smith & Wesley, Todd Wesley

Choices & Chances

Smith & Wesley

Garage Door Records 2015

Review by David Bowling

 

And now, all the way from Northern Georgia, by way of Chattanooga, Tennessee, come Smith & Wesley.

While the name sounds like a duo, it is actually a band complete with sophisticated harmonies and instrumentation. Brothers Scott and Todd Smith provide the name, songwriting, and vocals. The Wesley in the band’s name comes from their father Wes, who recently passed away, The rest of the line-up includes keyboardist Greg Gordy, electric guitarists Steve and Josh Pettyjohn, bassist Dee Callahan, and drummer Brad Thompson.

They are a basic country band with excursions into southern rock and blue grass upon occasion.

The album is divided into two parts. The first half is lyrically darker as is deals with life’s choices and accountability. The second half of the album moves in a more positive and reflective direction. Through it all, the music and tight harmonies are well-constructed and excellent.

Smith and Wesley have issued a solid album of modern country music. It is well-worth a listen if you are looking for something new.

 

Rating: ***

Live In 1967 (CD) By John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers

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Bluesbreakers, John Mayall, Peter Green

Live In 1967

John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers

Forty Below 2015

Review by David Bowling

 

So who is Tom Huissen and what is he doing in a music review? Back in 1967, he managed to sneak a one channel reel-to-reel tape recorder into not one but five London Bluesbreakers concerts. Nearly fifty years later John Mayall acquired the tapes with the result being the Live In 1967 CD.

Literally over 100 musicians have played with John Mayall throughout the years including such guitar legends as Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Coco Montoya, and Mick Taylor. 1967 found one of his best configurations with lead guitarist Green, bassist John McVie, and newly added drummer Mick Fleetwood joining Mayall on stage.

The good news is that the music actually exists. These performances were never meant for release, so they should be appreciated as a glimpse into the careers of four musicians who would leave a mark in rock music history. They were one of the Bluesbreakers groups that has gained a lot of fame as the years passed but their time together was short as Green, Fleetwood, and McVie would quickly leave to form Fleetwood Mac, so live material of their time together is extremely rare.

The bad news, as can be guessed, is the sound quality. There is only so much cleaning that can be done with a 48 year old reel-to-reel tape from 1967. Plus, the sound from many small clubs was not very good in the first place. It is basically what it is but one cannot help but think the sound quality gives it an authentic 1967 feel.

The 13 tracks come from three sources. They were still playing music from the Eric Clapton’s Beano album. Green had been a part of the A Hard Road album and his guitar virtuosity drives “The Stumble” and “Someday After Awhile.”

It is the blues covers where the band really shines. They rock through Johnny “Guitar” Watson’s “Looking Back.” There is a very jazzy version of the old R&B hit “Hi Heel Sneakers.” “Stormy Monday,” “San-Ho-Zay,” and “Have You Ever Loved A Woman” all stretch out to over eight minutes and give Green ample room to improvise and prove why he is one of the better guitarists in music history.

Live In 1967 is a rare treat for fans of the electric blues to travel back in time to hear a legendary band at work. It is well-worth the price of admission.

 

Rating: ****

Fanny Hill (Expanded CD Reissue) By Fanny

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Charity Ball, Fanny, Fanny Hill

Fanny Hill (Expanded CD Edition)

Fanny

Real Gone Music 2015

Review by David Bowling

 

Back in the days when women were consigned to vocal groups, solo artists, and occasionally fronting a rock band (Janis Joplin, Grace Slick), the all-female hard rock band Fanny was a breath of fresh air and a giant step forward for the American music scene. They may not have been the very first all-woman rock band, but they were the first to find some mainline commercial success as their second album, 1971’s Charity Ball, reached number 40 on the Billboard Pop Chart.

Guitarist/vocalist June Millington, bassist/vocalist Jean Millington, keyboardist/vocalist Nickey Barclay, and drummer/vocalist Alice De Buhr came together in the late 1960’s. By the time they released their third album, Fanny Hill during 1973, they were an established and veteran band. That album has now been reissued in an expanded edition with six bonus tracks.

Fanny Hill is perhaps their most accomplished album. Consisting of two covers and eight originals, which include ballads and rockers, plus socially conscious lyrics that were in tune with the times, it was an album that resonated during its era.

The two covers are both creative. They reached deep into the Beatles catalogue for their version of “Bulldog.” It rocks hard and has a different tempo than the original. The Beatles even gave them permission to write a third verse. Their take on the soul classic “Ain’t That Peculiar” is another rocker. June Millington’s slide guitar gives it a unique foundation.

“Knock On My Door,” “Blind Alley,” and “Borrowed Time,” may be a little dated lyrically but they are solid pieces of rock and roll. “You’ve Got A Home” moves in a different direction with a folk approach.

The added tracks are highlighted by the forgotten single, “Young And Dumb,” which is an old Ike Turner composition. “No Deposit No Return” is an unissued track from the same 1971 sessions and is another good rocker.

Fanny Hill is in some ways a product of its time but remains a good glimpse into the burgeoning rock scene of the early 1970’s. It is still worth a listen or two.

 

Rating: ***

Breaking And Entering (CD) By Eliza Neals

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Breaking And Entering, Eliza Neals

Breaking And Entering

Eliza Neals

CD Baby 2015

Review by David Bowiing

 

Detroit’s Eliza Neals is a bar band blues singer/songwriter who has risen above the norm and produced an album of soulful and gritty blues. She is an expressive vocalist who sings from the heart and soul, which places her among the elite female blues singers working today.

She is more than a competent songwriter and co-wrote 11 0f the 12 tracks. The only cover tune is a light version of Barrett Strong’s “Sugar Daddy.”

The five tracks written with guitar virtuoso Howard Glazier are excellent as Glazier brings his instrumental prowess to the performances, which serves as a creative foundation for Neals vocals. “Goo Goo Glass,” “Spinning,” the title track, and “Detroit Drive” with Glazier’s dobro leading the way are all solid fusion pieces of rock and blues.

Eliza Neals has produced an authentic album of passionate blues. Breaking And Entering is well worth a listen.

 

Rating: ***

 

New Roman Times (CD Reissue) By Casper Van Beethoven

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Casper Van Beethoven, David Lowery, New Roman Times

New Roman Times (CD Reissue)

Casper Van Beethoven

Omnivore Recordings 2015

Review by David Bowling

 

Casper Van Beethoven, formed by multi-instrumentalist/songwriter/vocalist David Lowery in California in 1983, released five well received studio albums including 1989’s brilliant Key Lime Pie. Internal dissention caused the band to dissolve in 1990 but a decade later they reformed.

New Roman Times, released in 2004, was the full reunion studio album of their second incarnation. It was also the most unique and creative release of their career. It has now been reissued with four previously unreleased bonus tracks.

New Roman Times was a huge leap of faith for the band. It is musically a cohesive rock opera. The big disconnect with the normal is the lyrical content as it presents a sci-fi alternative universe featuring the Christian Republic of Texas and the Republic of California.

Once you dig into the story, the album is a basically a dark protest album, complete with biting political humor. Just when it becomes over bearing, there’s some subtle humor thrown into the mix.

Twenty short blasts make up the story. While a few of the songs may stand on their own, it is at heart a cohesive release that creates a whole and needs to be listened too and experienced as such.

The original album was only released about 12 years ago, so the sound was excellent to begin with. The extensive liner notes by David Lowery are essential if you are exploring the album for the first time as he not only gives a history of the album but explains each track.

New Roman Times is one of those albums you will either worship or hate but it is an album that should be experienced at least once. All in all, an unusual and captivating release by an experienced Indy band.

 

Rating: B+