Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue #14

Time to revisit one of FBF's most popular topics.  For those new to the blog, Something Old represents a blues artist from the Old School of blues.....could be from the 1920's through the 1980's.  Something New represents either a relative newcomer to the blues or a new album that you might enjoy.  Something Borrowed can be either a blues artists covering a song from a different genre (rock, country, jazz, etc....) or an artist from another genre covering a blues song.  Something Blue is an artist who is considered the epitome of the blues.  Let's get started, shall we......

For Something Old, we turn to James Edward "Snooky" Pryor.  The Lambert, Mississippi native moved to Chicago in the early 40's, and claimed to have pioneered the now-common method of playing harmonica amplified by holding a microphone in his hands along with the harmonica.  When Pryor was in World War II, he would blow a bugle through the P.A. system in his camp, and this inspired him to try playing the harmonica in the same manner.  He recorded some of the earliest Chicago blues records after the war, usually with either guitarist Floyd Jones or his brother Moody Jones, two largely unsung early Chicago blues pioneers.  In 1948, Pryor and Moody Jones recorded "Smoky & Moody's Boogie" for Planet Records.  In later years, Pryor would claim that Little Walter copied the prominent riff from this song for his own monster instrumental hit, "Juke," in 1952.  As you give Pryor's version a listen below, it's hard to argue with his logic.  Pryor dropped off the music scene briefly in the late 60's, becoming a carpenter, but soon resurfaced and continued to perform and record into his eighties, passing away in 2006 at 85.  He never really lost his edge or enthusiasm......his later recordings were as strong as his late 40's recordings, and he earned lots of new fans with his live performances.

photo by Marilyn Stringer

For Something New, here's more from Mississippi's own Jarekus Singleton.  Singleton's Refuse To Lose album, on Alligator Records, is still one of the hottest albums and he is one of the hottest acts on the blues circuit.  He really has a way with a blues lyric that's definitely not your standard fare, though his songs do touch on familiar blues topics.  He's also a strong vocalist and has guitar skills a cut above the norm.  For sure, the NBA's loss is the Blues World's gain and we will have him around for many years to come, long after he would have hung up his sneakers for good.  Below, check out one of Refuse to Lose's stronger tracks, which is really saying something, "Crime Scene."

For Something Borrowed, let's check out Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown.  I always heard that the best way to tick Brown off was to call him a blues man.  He insisted that the music he played was American music, not just blues.  His musical style encompassed various styles native to Louisiana and Texas.  His dad played country, Cajun, and bluegrass when Gate was growing up, and the youngster himself was taken by big bands like Count Basie and Duke Ellington.  Brown made some recordings for Peacock Records, beginning in the late 40's that influenced numerous Texas guitarists like Albert Collins, Johnny Clyde Copeland, Johnny "Guitar" Watson, and others.  He recorded albums with blues, jazz, Cajun/Zydeco, big band, and even country (including a duet album with Roy Clark, plus an appearance on Hee Haw).  In addition to being an incredible guitarist, Brown also excelled at fiddle and he usually included at least one fiddle song on each album.  One of his finest fiddle tracks is the traditional "Up Jumped The Devil," and this appearance was taken from one of his appearances on Austin City Limits.  This was one of my favorite tracks on his early 90's CD, The Man.  I got to see Brown at Jazz Fest in the early 90's and it was an amazingly diverse performance, just like most of his albums.  If you never got a chance to hear him perform (he passed away in 2005), you missed a treat.  Check out his music when you get a chance.  You'll be glad you did.

photo by Bret Littlehales

For Something Blue, we pay tribute to the late, great Junior Wells, who would have been 80 years old this week (December 9th).  I first heard Wells perform with his longtime partner, Buddy Guy, and eventually I became a big fan of his, mostly because I witnessed a particularly charismatic performance on the old PBS series, The Lonesome Pine Special, from the late 80's.  I got to see Wells and Guy at Jazz Fest soon after that and then I started trying to find old Junior Wells recordings (there were no NEW ones at that time).  Feisty and fierce, Junior Wells was the epitome of a blues man, which is what Something Blue is all about.  Happy Birthday to Junior Wells, who's surely rocking the house in Blues Heaven.  FBF will have more on Junior Wells in the coming weeks.

New Blues For You - Fall, 2014 Edition (Part 3)

This week, Friday Blues Fix continues our look at some of the new releases that are coming your way during the fall months.  This week's offering features a wide range of blues styles and at least one of these albums should fit your musical palate, whatever style of blues you dig.

(Sorry, having some difficulties adding audio files on some of these albums)

To begin, let's see what's happening in Memphis.....

Daddy Mack Blues Band - Blues Central (Inside Sounds):  Longtime readers know that Mack Orr is a favorite of FBF, and this new disc does nothing to change that.  Orr's sixth release finds him and his band still laying down that relentlessly nasty, greasy, funky Memphis blues, but what I really like is how the folks behind the scenes don't just give you more of the same with each release.....they have gradually added to Orr's sound with each release by adding harmonica, horns, keyboards, backing singers, etc...but they never stray far from the band's original sound.  Orr's robust vocals and guitar are still front and center, but the band's airtight rhythm attack is the key to the whole thing.  Over the years, I've discovered a lot of great Memphis blues acts, such as the Fieldstones, the Bluesbusters, and the Hollywood All Stars, and the Daddy Mack Blues Band follows closely in their footsteps and actually may end up being the best of them all.

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Georgie Bonds - Stepping Into Time (BGB Music):  Singer Bonds started out as a blacksmith, singing R&B as a pastime, but a friend's cassette tape of Robert Johnson steered him to the blues and after attracting the attention of blues man Sonny Rhodes at an open mic night, he's focused on singing the blues.  After a couple of stumbles and setbacks, he's returned with this amazing set of ten originals and two covers that touch on a wide range of blues styles mixed with soul, funk, traditional and country blues.  Bonds opens up with a chilling reading of the blues classic, "St. James Infirmary," that lets you know he means business and he just rips through this amazing album loaded for bear.  He's well on his way to becoming one of the most compelling blues voices in a long time.

Howard Glazer - Looking in the Mirror (Lazy Brothers Records):  FBF friend Glazer is a veteran of the Detroit blues scene, and his versatile guitar skills allowed him to be selected as Outstanding Blues/R&B Instrumentalist at the Detroit Blues Awards earlier this year.  He was also inducted into the Michigan Blues Hall of Fame last year.  His latest album proves that his recent accolades are well-deserved.  In addition to his guitar prowess, he's also shows that he's a talented tune smith as well, penning all twelve tracks, and a strong vocalist.  He ably moves from traditional urban blues to country blues to psychedelic blues rock, paying tribute to the late Johnny Winter on one tune and even channeling Jethro Tull(!) on one track which features an electric flute.  More than anything, you can really feel the love that Glazer has for this music with every note played and sung.  This guy is a blues lifer and to me, this is his best release yet.

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Lisa Mills - I'm Changing (Mills Bluz Records):  Mills originally released this album in 2005, but was disappointed with the results, so she took the opportunity to recast it in her own musical vision, resulting in a vocal tour de force exploring blues, soul, roots, and gospel.  Mills re-recorded several of the tunes, added a couple of new tunes, and included two magnificent covers.  Her vocals are breathtaking and she's equally at home with Memphis-styled soul and blues, gospel, country, and even a bit of the islands mixed in.  Of course, it doesn't hurt one bit that she's backed by an excellent band.  It isn't often that people get a "do-over," so it's important to make the best of it when you do.  I think Lisa Mills succeeded beyond her wildest dreams.  This is a great disc that belongs in ANY music fan's collection.

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Markus James - Head for the Hills (Firenze Records): James has spent over twenty years proving and expanding on the connection between the blues and West African music.  Several years ago, following a well-received appearance at the University of Southern Mississippi, James began making more appearances in the Magnolia State and was drawn to the music of the North Mississippi Hill Country.  For his latest release, James employs several of the area's finest percussionists, including Kinney Kimbrough (son of Junior Kimbrough), R.L. Boyce (who played with Jessie Mae Hemphill), Calvin Jackson (who played with Kimbrough and R.L. Burnside, Aubrey "Bill" Turner (who played with Otha Turner), and the last drummer to record and perform with John Lee Hooker (Marlon Green).  James also brought a few instruments to the proceedings - guitars, gourd banjo, three-string cigarbox guitar, slide dulcimer, one-string diddley bow, beatbox, and harmonica.  There are fifteen original tracks, plus one cover on this exciting disc, and they effectively capture the mood, heat, and humidity surrounding this highly original musical style, and also shows the undeniable link between it and the music of West Africa.  This album shows that the blues is not only alive, but continues to break new ground as much today 
as ever

Nathan James - Hear Me Calling/Natural Born That Way (Sacred Cat Recordings):   I first heard James as part of a duo with singer/harmonica player Ben Hernandez on their 2005 disc, Everybody Ought To Make A Change.  The duo won the IBC in 2007 and continue to work together, but guitarist James has also managed to put together a rather compelling solo career.  One Nathan James disc is usually enough to put a hop in my step, but two new discs from him are an even bigger cause for celebration.  James recorded Hear Me Calling solo, playing acoustic guitar, National Resonator, his own invention of a washboard guitar, and percussion on an old suitcase converted into a foot drum kit.  Playing a mix of Delta blues, Piedmont, and gospel, James sounds great on this mix of originals and covers from Curley Weaver and Lonnie Johnson.  To check out some of the tunes, you can go here.

James' second release, recorded with his band (the Rhythm Scratchers), is called Natural Born That Way, and mixes old school rock & roll, New Orleans-flavored R&B, Swamp Pop, and blues.  On this release, James covers two Earl King tunes, a Long John Hunter tune, and even Freddy Fender.  In addition, he offers four of the songs that were on his new acoustic release as "plugged-in" versions on this disc and it's really neat to hear how differently they are interpreted in a band setting.  This is an ideal pair of releases for fans of blues or roots music.  Nathan James is a talented songwriter, and musician with an amazing range of talent.  For samples of some of these tunes, go here.

Altered Five Blues Band - Cryin' Mercy (Omnivibe Records):  I had not heard of this band, but they've been around since 2002.  They have a pretty good thing going, combining some powerhouse guitar from Jeff Schroedl with a tight TIGHT rhythm section, and Jeff Taylor's sho' nuff real-deal vocals.  Add the presence of hot-as-fire producer Tom Hambridge behind the controls and you've got an intense, high-energy set of blues that mixes rock and soul in equal measures.  Schroedl's fretwork is really impressive and the band can really funk things up when they have to.  The songs mostly touch on traditional blues topics, but they have enough of a modern bent to them that they sound pretty fresh and new.

Blind Lemon Pledge - Evangeline (Ofeh Records):  Besides having the coolest blues name ever, James Byfield is a talented singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist.  He plays everything from blues to folk to rock and country, but his latest disc has a little something from everybody from traditional blues to Louis Jordan-styled jump blues to New Orleans-styled R&B to blues rock to folk, jazz, Latin, and country.  Though he's a very good guitarist, pay no attention to the names of the backing band....he actually played all the instruments on the album, using fake names in the credits.  He's also a skilled graphic designer and designed the CD himself.  Heck, he probably even catered the meals during the recording session.  All in all, this is a great set of not just blues music, but American music in general.  Don't let the funny nickname fool you....this is some serious music.  Many thanks to NYC blues man (and fellow FBF'er) Michael Packer for cluing me in to Blind Lemon Pledge.

The Blues Soul of Billy Boy Arnold

A few weeks ago, I got a copy of The Blues Soul of Billy Boy Arnold in the mail.  The singer/harmonica player made a comeback to the blues scene in the early 90's and the comeback has actually lasted longer than his early career did, which is a blessing for blues fans.  Arnold's career involves performing and interacting with a host of blues legends, dating back to the 40's.  The 79-year-old is still going strong today, retaining much of his youthful vigor and spirit.  He's still an A-1 harmonica player and his vocals are as strong as ever.  As indicated by the title of his latest album, Arnold is at as comfortable with a soul number as he is with the blues.

This new release, his second with Stony Plain Records, is produced by Duke Robillard and finds Arnold performing some of his favorite songs, regardless of genre.  That means that there's plenty of good blues (standards like "St. James Infirmary," "Ain't That Just Like A Woman," "I'd Rather Drink Muddy Water") and soul (Ann Peebles' "99 Lbs.," Joe Tex's "A Mother's Prayer"), rock & roll (Chuck Berry's "Nadine") and even jazz (Nat Adderley's "Work Song"), and Arnold handles them all.

The Billy Boy Arnold story is an interesting one.  Unlike many of his contemporaries, Billy Boy Arnold didn't make the move from Mississippi to Chicago.  He was actually born in Chicago on September 16, 1935.  He grew up listening to the blues on his aunt's record player, the current fare that was on Bluebird Records from artists like Sonny Boy Williamson (Version 1.0, John Lee Williamson, is the Sonny Boy referred to for the rest of this post), Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup, Big Maceo, Tampa Red, and music from the likes of Erskine Hawkins, Glenn Miller, and Tommy Dorsey was mixed in as well.  Arnold was particularly taken with the music of Sonny Boy Williamson, and after hearing "Mellow Chick Swing," which featured a nice harmonica solo at the end of the song, he bought a plastic harmonica at Sears & Roebuck, but soon graduated to the real thing.

Eventually, he got the courage to actually approach the harmonica player, knocking on Williamson's door, who lived close by.  Williamson not only invited Arnold and his friends in, but actually gave him a couple of harp lessons just before he was murdered in June of 1948.  Though their time together was relatively brief (only three visits), Williamson remained a lasting influence on Arnold's music.

In 1952, Arnold managed to land a deal with Chicago's Cool label and released his first record, "Hello Stranger."  He didn't realize until Cool issued the single that they had listed him as "Billy Boy Arnold."  The youngster, who was 17 at the time, didn't particularly like the new moniker, but it stuck.

Later, he teamed up with a young street musician named Ellis McDaniel (you might know him by his nickname, Bo Diddley).  Diddley, an electronic whiz of sorts, made an amplifier out of an orange crate for Arnold.  Arnold convinced Diddley to audition for Chess Records and, in 1955, Diddley recorded his first hit for Chess, a two-sided hit of "Bo Diddley"/"I'm A Man," with Arnold backing him on harmonica.  Arnold, however, signed with Chess rival Vee-Jay Records, after being mistakenly told (by Diddley) that Leonard Chess didn't like him.  He recorded a couple of solo sides for Chess, but they weren't released until many years later.

Arnold enjoyed a nice measure of success with Vee-Jay, cutting his now-classic "I Wish You Would," which used that now-famous Bo Diddley beat, along with some other memorable tunes, such as "I Ain't Got You," "Prisoner's Plea," "Don't Stay Out All Night," and "Rockinitis."  The Yardbirds actually covered "I Wish You Would" and "I Ain't Got You" in the early 60's, and his songs were also covered by David Bowie, the Animals, and the Blasters.

By 1958, Arnold was done at Vee-Jay, though he continued to perform in Chicago clubs and release the occasional 45, and subsequently released an excellent album in 1963 for Prestige Records, called More Blues On The South  Side, that is considered a classic today.  However, the Chicago Blues scene was beginning to dry up, Arnold took a job driving a bus, and later working as a parole officer, to support his growing family.  He continued to perform and record occasionally (a early 60's live set with piano man Johnny Jones, released years later by Alligator Records, is a keeper), playing at various European and U.S. festivals in the 70's, 80's, and into the 90's.

In 1993, Arnold signed with Alligator Records and released his comeback album, the appropriately titled Back Where I Belong, to rave reviews.  The album mixed some nice remakes of some of his classics ("I Wish You Would," "Prisoner's Plea," "You Got Me Wrong") with some great new songs, and tributes to some of his influences (Sonny Boy Williamson's "Shake The Boogie" and Big Maceo's "Worried Life Blues").  Two years later, he released Eldorado Cadillac, following the same pattern with remakes of "I Ain't Got You" and "Don't Stay Out All Night," plus with a few more new originals that stood out ("Man of Considerable Taste," "Mama's Bitter Seed").

In 2001, Arnold signed with Stony Plain and released Boogie 'n' Shuffle, which was produced by Duke Robillard.  The album combined Arnold's brand of blues (in the tradition of his mentor, Sonny Boy Williamson) with some solid Jimmy McCracklin/Ray Charles-based R&B and soul, and even some down-home variety Delta-styled blues.  A nice, solid set through and through, it also included a really cool 15-minute interview with Arnold at the end of the disc recounting his view of the early Chicago blues scene.

Several years, later Electro-Fi Records released Consolidated Mojo, an album that Arnold actually recorded a year before his comeback on Alligator.  For some reason, it was not released initially, though Arnold sounds pretty good and reprises many of his earlier hits like he did on the Alligator releases a few years later.  Arnold also released a couple of tribute albums with Electro-Fi......a wonderful Sonny Boy Williamson tribute in 2008 and a Big Bill Broonzy tribute in 2012.

Arnold also appeared as part of the Chicago Blues:  A Living History series that appeared in 2009 and 2011, with many of the city's current stars (such as Lurrie Bell, Billy Branch, and John Primer) paying tribute to the Windy City's legendary bluesmen of the past.  Arnold was the link between the two generations and sounded just great on both double-disc sets, even touring with the band behind both albums in the U.S. and overseas.  He also appeared on the award-winning Remembering Little Walter disc a couple of years ago.

When you listen to The Blues Soul of Billy Boy Arnold, you will be impressed and amazed at how great Arnold still sounds.  His harmonica playing is as good as ever, but as a vocalist, he has become even better, branching out from blues to soul, R&B, jump, and even jazz.  At 79 years young, he shows no signs of slowing down, thank goodness.

 .

Ten Questions With.......Grady Champion

photo by Brett Beckman

This has been a great year for Grady Champion.  So far, he's released maybe his best album, Bootleg Whiskey (his first for Malaco Records), an album which has appealed to fans of traditional blues, soul blues, and urban blues, he was a Living Blues cover subject, and in January, he started a new label, DeChamp Records, releasing a pair of excellent albums from fellow Mississippians Eddie Cotton and JJ Thames.  

For Champion, the success comes after a lot of hard work.  He started singing in the church choir as a youth, and tried his hand at boxing and as a DJ before becoming a rap artist.  He gravitated to the blues in the mid 90's, recording a pair of well-received albums for Shanachie Records in the late 90's and early 00's.  

In recent years, he has enjoyed success on his own GSM (Grady Shady Music) label, particularly with his 2011 release, Dreamin', and the hit, "Make That Monkey Jump."  He even won the International Blues Challenge in 2010.  He is rapidly building a big audience who loves his unique downhome songwriting and his charismatic performances, and Malaco Records president Tommy Couch, Jr. says, "Grady Champion will be the next major blues act."  

I've been listening to Champion since his Shanachie days and one thing you can say about him is that he brings his A-Game to everything he does.  You know when you're seeing him that you're getting his dead-level best as a performer and a recording artist.  Champion was kind enough to take a few minutes to answer Ten Questions for FBF.  We are grateful that he took the time to do so.  After reading, be sure to check out some of his great music by following the links below.  If you're a blues fan of any kind, you will be glad that you did.

Ten Questions With.....Grady Champion

photo by Laura Carbone

If you weren't a musician, what do you think you would be doing instead?

If I wasn't a musician I would be running my own business in some form or fashion.

You came to the blues through rap music…….how do you think that your musical background affects your vision of the blues?

It helps me to become a better writer and story teller.

Who are some of your musical influences as a singer and musician?  As a songwriter?

My influences as a singer and musician come from all of the traditional blues singers of the past.  My influence as a songwriter comes from Sonny Boy Willamson (Rice Miller).

Can you describe your songwriting process for us?

With my songwriting process, I usually start out with music and melody and build the arrangement around it.

You have largely been associated with smaller independent record labels (your own Grady Shady, Shanachie, Earwig, etc.) throughout your career, but you recently signed with Malaco Records…….Has it been a good fit for you? What factors made you decide to sign with them? 

Yes,  it has been a great fit, with their rich history of being a strong major independent label and the success of the artist that have signed with them.

You've done most of your own production on your recent albums, but this time around you worked with a producer (Tommy Couch, Jr.)……was it a big change for you and how much give-and-take was there between the two of you regarding songs and music?

No, it was not a big change for me because I have worked with producers in the past, like Zac Harmon on my album Dreamin’.  Just as with this album, we were able to work together to come up with what was best for this album.

Can you tell us about a few of the songs on your new album,Bootleg Whiskey?

I wrote five and/or cowrote five of the songs.  I have a strong feeling about the ones on the album, even the ones we did not choose that were not on their album.  Each song has a story to tell which a lot of people can relate to.

You recently launched DeChamp Records and have released a pair of great albums from Eddie Cotton and J.J. Thames…….what are your future plans with the label, and why did you opt to do your own recordings for Malaco instead of DeChamp?

My future plan is to build a label that can focus on great artists and obtain some major distribution for the label to help spread the music of the artists and the blues.  I felt stronger to use Malaco for my personal recording to allow another outlook of promotion and advancement of my own music.

You have been called “the next major blues act”………how does that make you feel? 

It makes me feel great because people are respecting my music talent as well as my entertainment talent.

What do you think the blues will look like in ten years? 

I think it will strong as ever because of the new wave of talent in the blues world, especially from the state of Mississippi.

Discography

Bootleg Whiskey (2014):  Malaco Records

Tough Times Don't Last (2012):  Grady Shady Music

Shanachie Days (2012):  Grady Shady Music (Compilation of his Shanachie recordings)

Dreamin' (2011):  Grady Shady Music

Back in Mississippi Live at the 930 Blues Cafe (Featuring Eddie Cotton, Jr.) (2008):  Earwig Records/Grady Shady Music

2 Days Short of a Week (2001):  Shanachie Records

Payin' For My Sins (1999):  Shanachie Records

Goin' Back Home (1998):  Grady Shady Music