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 The Blues Blog 16 There’s little sign of the Postman lately, but when the snow finally clears it gives up the package of CD’s we’d long since feared lost in transit, stashed carefully away in a discreet corner of the drive where they’d normally be spotted. Mercifully they’ve been carefully bubble-wrapped and protected from the elements, so late they may be but knackered they aren’t. And a good thing this is too, since there are a couple of crackers and one or two half-way promising offerings amongst them. This column makes no attempt to hide its admiration for slide guitarist Luther Dickinson be it for his efforts with family band the North Mississippi Allstars, his stadium outings with The Black Crowes, or his eclectic forays into acoustic country blues. Two new releases on the Memphis International label fit comfortably into the latter category, with complimentary sets of largely traditional songs played and sung as nature intended and without making any undue demands on the national grid. “Onward and Upward”, jointly credited to The Sons of Mudboy, is a plaintive set of mournful, mainly devotional anthems to mark the recent passing of father Jim. One of the lesser sung heroes of rock and roll Jim Dickinson began his career as a musician, songwriter, and producer in the Sun studios and went on to leave his mark on any number of classic recordings by artists ranging from The Replacements to the Rolling Stones, not to mention his mentoring influence on generations of Memphis artists including his own sons. A quotation from what was apparently his last words includes the line “I will not be gone as long as the music lingers”, and in recognition of this, Luther called together the six piece line-up presented here a mere three days after his death. The tone is sombre and respectful, drawing on the songs he learnt from his parents at the Second Avenue Baptist Church where his grandmother played piano, plus “Back Back Train” and “Keep Your Lamp Trimmed and Burning” by Fred MacDowell, and two very personal self-penned songs including one written on the morning of the session. It’s not a party record then, and it’s anything but slick, with Sid Selvidge’s and Jimmy Crosthwaite’s vocals and the playing of the general ensemble is as raw as you would expect from something laid down in single take across a couple of hours, using two mikes plugged directly into a tape recorder. But for all that there’s something immensely stirring about both the material and the performance that, in all its ragged glory reaches right back to the dawn of a music, which in losing Jim Dickenson has surrendered some of its soul. Like Luther Dickinson, Alvin Youngblood Hart has the ability to effortlessly straddle both heavy rock and Delta blues, even if it is the latter genre in which his stock is highest. As members of the South Memphis String Band the two are joined by Jimbo Mathus (of the Squirrel Nut Zippers) in a shared passion for more traditional roots music, albeit of a more secular variety this time. “Home Sweet Home” brings their collective talents to bear on old-time standards including “Jesse James” and “Old Hen” plus favourites by The Mississippi Sheiks, the Memphis Jug Band and others from another time. It’s a slightly more rehearsed and polished affair without losing any of the authenticity and charm, and on what are mostly fast-paced numbers the vocals, be they solo, harmony or call-and-response are uniformly outstanding, while the title track itself, in easing off the peddle, is transformed into four minutes of rare beauty. There’s little that’s obviously traditional about the Black Diamond Heavies of course, who kick up a storm wherever they go. It never ceases to amaze just how much volume they can pump out from a simple drums and keyboards coupling; but the pounding rhythms, pulsing beat and howling vocals combine to produce a uniquely formidable if infallibly entertaining monster of an act. The nine tracks on “Alive as Fuck” (Alive Records) were culled from a show at the Kentucky home of DJ Dr Johnny Walker and go further than previous (perfectly creditable) studio collections in capturing their feral live spirit. Emphasising the sheer magnitude of their sound however doesn’t imply that what the Heavies do lacks quality in any direction. Their songs are the perfect vehicle for some accomplished heavy duty riffing and there’s a distinct rock and roll sensibility (a la Chuck Berry/Little Richard) underpinning the likes of “White Bitch” and “Leave it in the Road”. Singer James Leg has a voice only one step from Tom Waits, which equips him to deliver slower numbers such as “Bidin’ My Time” as well. If the release of “Oil City Confidential” stirs up interest in harp-and-adrenalin-fuelled R&B, Santa Rosa’s The Aces could be nicely positioned to capitalise on it. Their brand of energetic leftfield punk/blues hits all the right spots, combining a heavy-duty growler of a singer with a guitarist who jabs and slashes like a cornered serial killer, and a wailing siren of a harmonica, which says that the cops are coming, but not to rescue you. The essence of this sort of stuff (and something that the Feelgoods did to perfection) is to unsettle and even intimidate the listener while carefully maintaining complete control from your own end. “No-one Rides For Free”, the band’s first release on El Toro combines these essential elements with a steady and authoritative bass-free backbeat to produce a ten track collection which well deserves wider attention. For a quick dip, “Stole Something from Me” and “Highway Man” serve as representative samples of them rocking out with menace aforethought, while “Knee Deep in Mud”, delivered at a slower pace, is introspective and chilling. There’s nothing at all scary about Coco Montoya’s “I Want It All Back”. A far cry from his days as a John Mayall protégé when he slogged it out with the uncompromising Walter Trout, this new set finds him in particularly mellow mood. It’s a collection of pleasant blue-eyed soul underpinned by measured but faintly funky guitar lines, which might not suit his long-time fan base but is nonetheless nicely sung and competently played. There’s a clue in the credits where the esteemed Keb Mo is strongly represented as rhythm guitarist and Producer, placing his distinctive stamp firmly on the proceedings. Titles such as “Cry Lonely” and “The Life of my Broken Heart” are wholly representative of the subject matter. Montoya has a solid reputation as a live performer, but doesn’t often make it across to these shores. Unfortunately this won’t be rectified when he joins this year’s 28 date Ruf Blues Caravan tour around Europe, since as usual it won’t be crossing the channel. The eclectic adult rock of Max Meazza & Pueblo is a more intriguing proposition. Surfacing from Milan and appearing on the Desolation Angels label, “Race Against Destiny” pits Meazza’s weathered voice against an unusual backing which runs the spectrum from twelve bar blues to a (surprisingly compelling) hint of jazz rock, via the influence of any number of classic singer-songwriters. Largely self-penned there’s a certain inconsistency in the material, but even though the strongest songs are probably John Martin’s “Solid Air” and Bad Company’s “Down and Dirty”, Meazza’s own “Gamblin’ City Blues” “Something Special” and Big Knife” are strong indications of what they’re capable of. Neil B. |