Duke Robillard - Passport to the Blues

Stony Plain Records

http://www.dukerobillard.com/

13 tracks; 64:23 minutes; Splendid

Styles: Guitar driven, Horn laced Electric Blues

I’m wondering if winning the Blues Music Award for 2010 Best Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year made Duke Robillard feel guilty. Perhaps he decided he owed the voting members a gritty Blues album after spending so much of his recent career exploring what liner notes author Ted Drozdowski calls, “experimental music.”

Economics 101 teaches that with most commodities, scarcity usually increases value. This is Duke’s seventeenth album in seventeen years for the Stony Plain label. He has learned to make recordings fast and economical in his Rhode Island studio. So, maybe there is enough demand for more Robillard recordings so that excess supply is not a problem. Indeed, he is a popular guitarist; he’s a four time winner of BMA’s “Blues Guitarist of the Year.” As a singer, he’s no John Németh, but his leathery vocals are serviceable.

Born in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, in 1948, Robillard’s biography touts an amazing 44-years-to-date career. Duke had his first band in high school, when, in 1967, he formed “Roomful of Blues.” Along the way, Duke has played, recorded, and produced every style of Roots Music that can be named with a pantheon of famous musicians. Notably, in 1990, Robillard joined the Fabulous Thunderbirds replacing Jimmy Vaughan, but even then, he continued to record and tour as a solo artist.

“Passport to the Blues” consists of thirteen tracks; the best one is the last one called a bonus track, “Bradford Boogie.” Of those tracks, Robillard either wrote or co-wrote twelve of them (all but two written in just two weeks), and the only cover was written by the legendary Tom Waits. Selected first for the Friends of the Blues Radio Show, “Bradford Boogie” is a romping and chugging instrumental with only Duke on guitar and Mark Teixeira on drums. Reports Duke in the liner notes, “...just like John Lee Hooker and Lightning Hopkins. The tune’s all about feeling and no rules,.... Playing that way gives you an incredible amount of freedom.”

Our second song aired was the humorous (or maybe Duke was 100 % serious) “When You’re Old You’re Cold.” Here Duke reminds the girls that just because a man is older does not mean he’s not a good lover. There may be snow on the roof (white hair), there’s still fire in the furnace (you get it).

“Grey Sky Blues” is a standout slow Blues number running over eight minutes and showcasing some Buddy Guy inspired guitar playing. It’s at a level we should expect from a four time “Best” winner.

The song writing for the album got a kick-start from an audit by the Internal Revenue Service. “That got me started writing for the album,” reports Duke. “I figured if that’s not the Blues, what is.” Duke’s taxpayer Blues is titled “Working Hard for My Uncle [Sam].”

Blues Society of Western Pennsylvania - Pittsburgh, PA

The Blues Society of Western Pennsylvania is hosting "Blues Goes Pink" ...The Blues Divas Return Concert to benefit Adagio Health to provide Breast Cancer Screenings. The event will be held Sunday, November 7, 2010 at Cefalo's Restaurant and Nightclub, 428 Washington Avenue, Carnegie, PA from 2 pm- 9 pm.  The lineup will include The Patti Spadaro Band, Katie Simone, Angelica Pietranton, Roseanne Matthews Band, Pamela Bick and the Warehouse Blues Band, Jill Simmons and theCAUSE, Andrea Pearl, Marcy Brown, Angel Blue and the Prophets, Jill West and Blues Attack, Miss Freddye and Blue Faze, Ann Kerstetter, the "Duchess of Duke Street," w/ JT Thompson and Mitch Ivanoff Admission is $12 to public, $10 to blues members from any blues society. For more information call 724-378-8926 or visit www.bswpa.org

Southern California Blues Society - Los Angeles, CA

The Southern California Blues Society presents The Battle of the Blues Divas concert on Saturday, October 23, 2010 at the Proud Bird, 11022 Aviation Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90045. The show will begin at 7 PM, free parking and excellent food and drinks are available. This is one of seven major events presented each year by the Southern California Blues Society and will benefit Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Featured will be ten amazing blues singers, including Barbara Morrison, world-renown blues, jazz and soul singer, Audrey Madison Turner, hot sassy vocalist and partner of the late Ike Turner, Lady GG, gutbucket blues Diva from south central Los Angeles and seven more outstanding singers. Joe Kincaid and the Soul Brothers Blues Band will backup these Divas. Reserve advanced tickets at: www.socalblues.org or call (714) 209-7347

Crossroads Blues Society - Rockford, IL

Crossroads will be hosting a volunteer recognition party for all of the volunteers, bands and sponsors of their inaugural festival. The party is Sunday, October 17th from 3 PM to 6 PM at Tailgater's Sports Bar at 117 E 2nd Street in Byron, IL. There is no charge and there is free food and beverages for each volunteer and their guest. Barstool Bob Levis and his Blues Band will be playing at the event. for information and volunteer RSVPs call Steve Jones at 779-537-4006.

Smokin' Joe Kubek and Bnois King will be Big Cities Lounge at 905 E State St in Rockford on Thursday night, November 18th at 8 PM. Tickets ar $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Contact Joe G at 815-218-6359 or joeygiii@att.net for tickets and info. This will sell out fast so get your tickets early!

Artale Wines in Rockford at 6876 Spring Creek Rd is running one of their non-profit organization wine tasting fundraisers with Crossroads Blues Society as the beneficiary. Call 815-877-9463 for more information and tickets. The fundraiser is on Friday night, November 19th at 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM with finger foods by Josef Barbados Restaurant. $15 Donation to Crossroads Blues Society. www.crossroadsbluessociety.com

Greater Twin Cities Blues Music Society - Minneapolis, MN

Greater Twin Cities Blues Music Society presents our 4th annual Minnesota Blues Hall of Fame, "Honoring the Creative Best", Performer; Blues Recording; Blues Song; Blues Art and Literature; and Non-performer supportive of the Blues.

The show is Sunday, October 17th Minnesota Music Cafe, 499 Payne Ave., St. Paul. MN. Doors open at noon. Music starts at 1:00, featuring the 2010 "Performer" inductee, Sweet Paulie T., playing with his band The Blues Blasters. Induction ceremony: 2:45-3:45. Music to follow ceremony include: Jeff Ray and "Hurricane" Harold, this year's IBC solo/duo entrants; and Little Bobby and the Storm. Suggested donation: $7.00  More info at: www.gtcbms.org

The Decatur Blues Society - Decatur, IL

The Decatur Blues Society is holding their 1st annual "Blues Challenge" October 16th at the Bourbon Barrel in Decatur, Illinois. The winner of the band & the solo/duo divisions will receive a slot in the 2011 International Blues Competition in Memphis next February. COmplete information is available at www.decaturblues.org.

Illinois Central Blues Club - Springfield, IL

BLUE MONDAY SHOWS - Held at the Alamo 115 N 5th St, Springfield, IL (217) 523-1455 every Monday 8:30pm $3 cover. October 18 - Reverend Raven & the Chain Smoking Altar Boys, October 25 - Perry Weber & the Devilles. http://icbluesclub.org/

The Friends Of The Blues - Watseka, IL

2010 Friends of the Blues shows - 7 pm , Kankakee Valley Boat Club, October 26, Perry Weber & DeVilles, 7 pm , Bradley Bourbonnais Sportsmen’s Club. For more info see: http://www.wazfest.com/JW.html 

Mississippi Valley Blues Society - Davenport, IA

The Mississippi Valley Blues Society presents Blues harmonica player, singer, songwriter, bandleader, and educator Billy Branch as the first of four residency artists for the 11th annual MVBS Blues in the Schools Artists in Residency series. He will be conducting workshops at area schools and free open-to-the-public performances during the week of October 18-22. The Free public performances by Billy Branch are:

Monday October 18, 6:30 p.m.—Davenport Public Library Eastern Ave. Branch
Tuesday October 19, 7:00 p.m.—Borders (53rd St. Davenport)
Wednesday October 20 at 7:00 p.m.—Mojo’s in the River Music Experience (2nd and Main, Davenport)

Also MVBS Presents Chicago's Mississippi Heat on Friday October 29 at The Lodge in Bettendorf! This will be a fundraiser for the MVBS, including a silent auction with signed guitars, posters, photographs, and more. Doors open at 7 p.m., with the music starting at 8. Admission is $20, $15 for MVBS members. The Lodge will be offering stay-over packages.  www.mvbs.org for more info

Windy City Blues Society - Chicago, IL

The Windy City Blues Society (WCBS) is proud to present the 2010 Chicago Blues Challenge (CBC). The winner of this competitions will represent Chicago and WCBS at 2011 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee. All proceeds from the CBC events will be used to defray a portion of the cost of sending the winners to Memphis.

Matt Hill – On The Floor

Deep Fryed/Vizztone 2010

14 tracks, 53.03 minutes.

www.matthillblues.com

www.myspace.com/matthillblues

Matt Hill is a new kid on the block, but he has some experienced friends! In his sleeve notes to the CD Bob Margolin explains that Matt has been featured on his shows and got a terrific response from the audiences. Bob has been so impressed with young Matt that he recorded most of this CD at his own studio in North Carolina. Chuck Cotton plays drums on all the tracks, producer Margolin contributes guitar and vocals on two tracks, Tad Walters harmonica on two tracks, Clark Stern piano on two tracks.

In addition, fellow Vizztone guitarist Dave Gross supplied his band for four tracks which were recorded at Dave’s studio in New Jersey. Here the drums are handled by Barry Harrison, with Scott Hornick on bass and Dave Gross on guitar.

Nine of the 14 tracks on offer were written by Matt himself, one by Bob Margolin, the remainder being four covers from a variety of sources. The material ranges from full band productions to more acoustic material, some of which reminds one of John Lee Hooker.

The CD starts in great style with an upbeat shuffle “Time Is Up”. The tune is a good introduction to Matt’s music with his clear voice and dynamic presence. Both this and the second track benefit from terrific rock’n’roll piano from Clark Stern and “Hellz Bellz” (yes, the AC/DC tune!) comes across like vintage Jerry Lee Lewis!

“Poor Circle” is a cornerstone song on the CD as it appears twice, in electric and acoustic versions. This is a song about Matt’s hometown and it paints a depressing picture of rural poverty. “Griddle Bread Boogie” is a lot more fun and is exactly what the title suggests, a boogie instrumental with lots of slide guitar. “I Tried To Love A Crazy Woman” is a slower tune which features Bob Margolin and Matt Hill trading licks. “30 Years Old” is pure rockabilly and may be autobiographical although if it is Matt has packed a lot of living into a short space of time!

“Stolen Bride Blues” is a solo piece about taking another man’s wife, apparently while she was still in her wedding dress! Matt’s character seems to accept that he is a bad lot: “I know I’ve done a bad thing, you shouldn’t steal another man’s bride: well, I’ve already bought my ticket down the hill, now I’m just here for the ride”. “Gasoline” is another JLH style boogie, with Chuck Cotton’s drums driving the riff along. The song depicts another slice of life on the poor side of the tracks, with just $2.00 to buy gas. “Why The F**k Do You Think I Cuss?” is Bob Margolin’s song, expressing frustration at some irritating things in his life – computers, cell phones, etc. Driven along by some nice rock n’ roll guitar from both men, this is a fun tune, though the chorus will probably prevent it appearing on radio!

That leaves the four tracks recorded in NJ with Dave Gross. These are bigger band productions and sound a little more ‘produced’ than the Margolin tracks. “Red Boots” is a Matt Hill original, an upbeat shuffle about a chance encounter with a young lady wearing the footwear of the title. The other original is “Children (That Ain’t Mine)”, another song about the hard life that some endure.

The two covers are “When I Get Drunk” by Eddie Burns, with guest Dennis Gruenling underpinning the song on harp. Horns provide a lovely blanket of sound to Johnny Guitar Watson’s “I’m Gonna Hit That Highway” and I assume that the excellent guitar solo is Matt’s. Both these covers are standout tracks on an impressive debut CD.

Bob Margolin’s sleeve notes suggest that Matt may well have what it takes to stand out from the crowd and I understand that he will be playing with Bob on the January LRBC cruise, so that should offer further opportunities to this young man who seems to have a bright future.

Reviewer John Mitchell is a blues enthusiast based in the UK. He is currently looking forward to attending the Blues Blast Awards in Chicago in October.

Coyote Slim - Out in the Tules

Self-released

www.coyoteslim.com

11 tracks/41:34

This is the second recording I have reviewed by the San Jose-based, acoustic bluesman Coyote Slim. The first, South Bay Jive, got a very enthusiastic write-up with my comments focusing on his powerful voice and outstanding guitar playing. My assessment held up through several listens and the disc received a hearty recommendation.

Slim’s latest release does not fare quite as well. It is another straightforward affair, with Slim on vocal and guitar, performing eight original songs and three covers of classic blues tunes. His slide work on the resonator guitar remains quite compelling, especially on Roosevelt Sykes “Trouble & Whiskey Blues”. But the performances on the traditional tunes “Shake “Em on Down” and “Sloppy Drunk” suffer from an overly disjointed rhythmic flow.

Slim’s nimble picking is showcased on the original, “Pow Wow Woman Blues”, his deep voice blending nicely with the bright guitar sound. Another strong effort can be heard on “If Trouble Was Money”, which sports a syncopated beat. “CRB Blues” relates Slim’s suffering at the hands of an unrelenting boss man eager to dock a worker’s pay for any perceived infraction. Once again Slim creates a potent musical backdrop with his authoritative guitar picking.

Other tracks bring focus to several areas where this disc falls short. Slim has a deep voice with plenty of strength but it comes up short on expressiveness due to having a very narrow range. That limitation combined with material that lacks rich lyrical content is a hurdle that can’t be overcome, even with Slim’s stellar guitar work added to the mix. The performances on songs like “Leavin’ San Jose Blues”, “Persimmon Pickin’ Blues” and the title track fail to impress, with nothing to really distinguish one from the other.

Coyote Slim has demonstrated in the past that he can put together a quality recording. While his latest has its moments, it falls short of achieving the success of his previous effort due to weaker material and a vocal delivery that varies little from track to track. Here’s hoping that Slim will get back to his winning ways on his next release.

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Lauren Jordan - Dreams

Self Release

www.myspace.com/laurenjordansoulmusic

When I first put on this CD I immediately was struck by the fact that it was excellently recorded, balanced and mixed. Off to a great start. I have to say that no matter how good a singer, guitar player or band is if the mix ani’t got it then I just tend to pass it on by ---- but not this one. Not in the least. I’ll get to Ms Lauren in a minuet but right now I’ll address the band.

Guitar, Anthony Paule, what a smooth sweet tone he plays with and develops. Most of the time I know at the drop of an eighth note what guitar a cat is playing but this Paule has the cross between that tube amped ‘Strat’ and a fat solid bodied ‘Paul sound. Nice. Very very tasty. If you love that smooth guitar then Anthony is your guitar man. Bass, Paul Olguin, a musician who plays with the band and not against it. One of my pet peeves is a bass player who over drives everyone on stage or in the studio. Not Paul. He knows all the right notes and all the right levels. My kind of player. Keys, Julie Wolf, great keys seasoned just right and every now and then a pinch of that soulful sound I love so well the B3 sound. Drums, maybe the best for last? I really can’t say that with those guitar licks still right in front of me but Lee Thompson lays down the beat like a man torn between old style big band rhythms and an old school James Brown drummer held back for all he’s worth. Very very cool. All in all a band worth taking notice of now, on CD or live!

Now lets get to Ms Lauren Jordan - I’ll admit the first hand full of tracks were the kind of blues one puts on, pulls up their cutie and pours a glass of fine red wine to enjoy along with the music. That is until I got to track 6, ‘Stuck On A Plane’. Baby if this gal never studied the music of Janis Joplin I’ll be a monkeys uncle. Slow, sweet and about to explode at any second. You could cut her tension with a knife. Liquid dynamic with the drums laying down the style of less is more. My kind of playing.

The Blazers - Red Hot

Route Records

www.theblazers.net

Time-45:18

These Canadian blues-R&B-rockers shine best on upbeat tunes. The first two portend a well played good time. By the third track “I Love You, Eternally” the fake party sounds take away a little from the sound, but after repeated listening they start to work as an integral part of the party vibe. The catchy sax riff and concise and sharp guitar playing also add to the enjoyment. The guitar playing throughout, whether supplied by band member Josh Gordon or guest Jack De Keyzer is on point. It appears as straight blues, rock, Chuck Berry-ish or with some twiddling ala Van Halen. Jack also provides the crystal clear production on this disc. Vocalist Pete Cohan is in possession of a pleasing set of blues-rock pipes.

The bands forte’ is funky-blues-R&B with a rocker’s temperament. They lead off with a funky R&B-blues in the form of “Flavour Of The Year”. The heavy rocker “Coming Home” owes much to Bachman-Turner Overdrive as it follows their MO of little substance in the pantheon of “see my baby soon” songs. The band ably establishes their blues cred on the slow blues of “Never Gonna Cry Again”. Al Lerman adds fine amplified harmonica playing to increase the blues vibe. Elsewhere on the record he supplies able sax as well. Blues-rocker “Blind-Sided” features biting guitar work, probably from guest De Keyser. Blue-eyed easy-rolling soul is done up in “My Weather”, ably assisted by Al Lerman’s sax chops and the organ of Dave McMorrow. A nod is given to The Rolling Stones via the “ew-ew” vocal backing and maracas at the end of “Wake Up”. The guitar solo on “I’m Standing Here” could have been lifted from an Allman Bros.’ record, meant here as a compliment.