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BluesArtStudio
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10-11/2005
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MISSISSIPPI HEAT Glad You’re Mine Crosscut ccd 11085 www.crosscut.de Songs: Dirty Deal, Heartless Fool, She Ain’t Your Toy, Glad You’re Mine, Give Me Yo’ Most Strongest Whiskey, Cool Twist, I’m A Woman, Take My Hand, Love Will Play Tricks, Where Were You (Ode to Magic Sam), Jamaican Night, Real Sad Story This is the Chicago outfit’s third CD for Crosscut and their sixth album overall; they have always had a vibrant, exciting and strongly traditional approach, and that is maintained on this set. Inetta Visor is the lead vocalist, a big voiced, soulful, belting and impressive African-American singer, whilst bandleader and harmonica player Pierre LaCocque is one of the best around, subtle one minute, brash the next, yet always so right. Two guitarists, keyboards, bass and drums - the latter by Kenny Smith, son of the former Muddy Waters’ drummer Willie ‘Big Eyes’ Smith - complete the line-up, and rising blues star Carl Weathersby guests on guitar on four songs. Mississippi Heat have previously displayed an aptitude for the West Sound Chicago sound - Magic Sam, Otis Rush etc. - and that is well in evidence here. There is also the rock inflected drive of the powerful ‘She Ain’t Your Toy’, and even a foray into reggae with the instrumental ‘Jamaican Night’. This set though, and the band, are really all about the blues pure and simple. I for one am glad they do it so well. Norman Darwen |
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Artist: LARRY CARLTON Title: Firewire Label: BMG (RCA) Japan BVCJ-31041 In some respects Larry is pretty much an invisible guitar player to most of us, yet we possibly have heard and certainly listened to him one way or another. For much of his heralded and acclaimed work is as a session man playing on many varied projects. Ranging from; Andy Williams’s sessions, to most, if not all the Monkees early hits in the sixties, as well as the Partridge family catalogue in the seventies. Later in the eighties he collected a Grammy for his subtle, mellow, comfortingly relaxing theme tune to the television programme Hill Street Blues. One might say that the highlight of his career in the seventies was his work with Steely Dan and the Crusaders, the band he would join in 1971 and stay with until 1976. In the intervening periods of session work from 1968 onwards Larry embarked on a simultaneous solo career producing a number of albums; focusing on Jazz and Blues influenced material after his stint with the Crusaders. After being shot in the throat by violent greed-ridden mental midgets in the mid-eighties he spent a considerable amount of time thankfully making a full recovery. During this time he concentrated more of his efforts on his solo work, which brings us to the here and now; Larry divides his time between fronting his own Blues band, Sapphire Blue whilst also continuing to create stunning solo albums. Firewire has a dazzlingly bright, clean crisp electric blue brash, lead heavy feel in your boots’n’bones sound, and yet does not fall into the trap of ‘Heavy Metal’ Interspersed within the proceedings are dextrously mellow Jazz inflected passages. These quiet acoustic-like numbers accentuate the wide ranging scope of material before us! And enable us to pause for thought and enjoy the calmer, dreamier side of Larry’s playing. His strongly forceful yet not abrasive use of The Sapphire Blues Band horn section only complements the overall picture. Supporting Larry are these fine stalwart players; Matt Chamberlain; drums, Michael Rhodes; bass, Jeff Babko; keyboards, Mark Douthit; saxophone, Barry Green; trombone, Doug Moffet baritone sax, and Mike Haynes; trumpet. A very, very, fine album indeed! Mucho Impressto! Brian Harman. |
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Artist: B.B. KING & Friends Title: 80 Label: Geffen Well! What can one say, its B.B.’s eightieth birthday celebrations and he’s invited a few friends round for a bit of a jolly-up! Some superstars, rock icons and at least one living legend as in the one and only Bobby Bland! The guest list is as follows; Van Morrison, Billy F. Gibbons (Z.Z.Top), Eric Clapton, Sheryl Crow, Daryl Hall, John Mayer, Mark Knopfler, Glen Frey, Gloria Estefan, Roger Daltrey, and Elton John. The entire party of guests take it in turns to duet with B.B.; some of them, such as; Van Morrison and Eric Clapton are easily identifiable. The pairing, of Bobby Bland and B.B. are like whipped cream on an angel delight cake sweet, light and memorable leaving a smooth aftertaste. Whilst the rest like good apprentices, do the best they can to playing homage to the master sorcerer who faultlessly strokes Lucille, bending her strings and caressing her with consommate ease. All the numbers are clean, crisp; foot tappingly, head noddingly enjoyable, extremely well played and it seems as everybody has had a thoroughly good time. The celebrations end with Elton John and the master rockin’ their way out of the album. Happy birthday, Mr. B.B. King, mind how you go! Brian Harman. |
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  Rita Chiarelli, wyman warmup aug 2001 photo © Tim Holek  |
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upcoming show: 23.November 2005 | Scharnitz, Austria @ Alte Mühle
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Artist: Howard Glazer Title: Patriot Act Blues (CD Single) Label: Random Chance Records Howard presents us with a stark sparse melancholy solo guitar and vocal piece which questions and laments the moral validity of the American Patriot Act, his concerns are for the apparent erosion of civil liberties which enable a persons freedom of speech and the right of one to choose. Also the perceived far right tendencies of the American Government which appear to be recalling the fanaticism of the McCarthy era and a Jim Crow mentality. His concerns are equally fearfully stated on the number of increasing deaths of the soldiers in Iraq which seem to match the ever increasing profits made from the sale of arms in the present conflict. A mournful blues, a mournful situation not helped by fear and ignorance. |
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Artist: Connie Lush Title: Unfaithfully Yours Label: Blue Rhythm http://www.bluerhythm.co.uk Tracks: Standin`, Get It Right, Guilty, You Can't Make Me Stay, Dedicated To You, It Hurts So Bad, Can We Love Again, I'd Rather Go Blind, Shoppin`, Unfaithfully Yours Combined with Connie's blisteringly confident Marianne Faithfull /Maggie Bell Jazz marinated vocals, Blues Shouter provide a relentlessly juicy, lucid, blues/jazz/rock onslaught; fluidly allowing them to also create some impressively crunchy, solid, punchin' guitar work which underpins the proceedings throughout, only pausing for breath on the compulsively enticing pleaders. Although this is, at present their fourth album it is nonetheless the culmination of the many years of touring small music clubs and festivals across The United Kingdom and Europe. One career highlight has been to support B.B. King on one of his many tours of the U.K. Connie; is backed by Terry Harris; bass, John Lewis; guitar and Carl Woodward, on drums. Blues Shouter, formed and served their collective apprenticeships in Liverpool, where they still regularly play. As it happens this album was recorded in the Parr Street Studios in Liverpool. A cracking album! Which, in my view deserves wider appreciation? Mucho Impressto! Brian Harman. |
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FLEETWOOD MAC Men Of The World - The Early Years Sanctuary Midline SMETD-239 http://www.sanctuaryrecordsgroup.co.uk If you are a hardcore Fleetwood Mac collector, there is little to interest you here as there is nothing previously unissued, all this music having appeared for the first time on disc within the last eight years or so. This three CD box set is divided into 'Some Blues and Roots, Revisited' ( Disc 1), 'Stretching Out, In The Studio' (Disc 2) - the band in their experimental mode - and 'Live' (Disc 3). As the set title indicates, all the tracks date from between 1968 and 1970 - prime Fleetwood Mac in other words, the Peter Green-led, Jeremy Spencer, Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, and later Danny Kirwan incarnation, still an endless source of fascination for lovers of British blues three and a half decades after its demise. If you are wondering why, this box set offers as good an explanation as any (as well as providing a peep behind the scenes, courtesy of Neil Slaven's customary excellent notes). Norman Darwen |
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Artist: Zac Harmon Title: The Blues According to Zacariah Label: Bluestone Records This is the debut album from a man who has already enjoyed a long and varied career as a studio musician, writer and arranger working with such artists as; Freddie Jackson, Alexander O'neal, Karyn White, Evelyn "Champagne" King and The O'Jays. Born in Jackson, Mississippi, he spent his formative years at his fathers pharmacy on Farish (Farish Street is recognised as the home of many great blues legends such as; Elmore James.) In his younger days he learnt his craft working with and for the likes of Z.Z. Hill, Dorothy Moore Sam Myers and McKinley Mitchell. The nine tracks (the tenth unlisted track is a wonderful short sweet little guitar gem which subtlety ends the album.) here are a guide and indication of all the skills and influences that Zac has absorbed to date. This all culminates into being a powerful aural cornucopia of sounds taken from the vast array of emotion filled experiences that are blues/life/blues, styles and shapes formed from years of playing. Pain fuelled pleaders, confident, strident urban blasters to pew pounding gospel. All are here for your delectation. A fine, fine album, this is only the start for Zac. Mucho Impressto! Brian Harman. |
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Vargas Blues Band "Love, Union. Peace" Dro East West 2005. In this last piece of work 'Love, Union, Peace' the guitar player Javier Vargas has come a little bit more out of blues to make his music closer to other sources such as pop, ballads and some different and much more eclectic 'mestizo' styles but keeping, over all, a very actual powerful strength. I am not saying he does not play some classic rock-blues tunes which follow his usual electrifying line. If you like fireworking guitar players with a variety of pedals and different effects, this cd will not deceive you. And besides Javier has as guest musicians some de luxe artists such as Elliot Murphy, Devon Allman or even Jack Bruce. Cd design and front, back and inner covers have been carefully done and the final production is excellent too. VERY GOOD. VICENTE P. ZÚMEL |
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Please, send your blues Cd's/DVD's with promo-bio to: BluesArtStudio, c/o F. SVACINA, A-1223 Vienna, P.O.Box 54
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Rita Chiarelli