Blogcritics

Announcement: Short-content feeds

Phillip Winn — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT

Sunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding.

2007 Blues Music Awards Winners Announced at Memphis Ceremony

Josh Hathaway — Fri, 11 May 2007 23:02:54 EDT

Relative newcomer Watermelon Slim might have been the story coming into the 2007 Blues Music Awards, but when the dust settled the story of the night in Memphis was veteran harp master Charlie Musselwhite. Musselwhite took home four of the five awards he was nominated for, including Album of the Year for Delta Hardware. In addition to winning for Album of the Year, Musselwhite won for Traditional Blues Album of the Year, and Instrumentalist of the Year among harmonica players. “Church is Out,” the lead track from Delta Hardware, won Song of the Year. Only the late Robert Lockwood Jr. stood between Musselwhite and a sweep. Lockwood edged him out in the Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year category.If Musselwhite's dominance was the lead story of the evening, Watermelon Slim getting Mimi'd has to be a close second – which, when you think of it keeps with the overall theme of the evening. Slim's six nominations led all nominees, but he was shut out and left empty handed. Also shut out was Nick Moss & The Flip Tops, nominated for four awards.The only artist besides Musselwhite to win multiple awards was Irma Thomas, who won two. Thomas won for Soul Blues Album of the Year, After the Rain, and Female Soul Blues Artist of the year.If there is a trend to be found in the winners' list, it would seem to be that it's good to be a veteran on the blues circuit. Musselwhite, Thomas, and Lockwood Jr., were joined by veterans “Honeyboy” Edwards, Etta James, and Willie “Big Eyes” Smith as winners.Complete List of 2007 BMA WinnersComeback Album of the Year: Jerry Lee Lewis - Last Man StandingTraditional Blues Male Artist of the Year: Robert Lockwood, Jr.Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year: Etta JamesAcoustic Artist of the Year: David "Honeyboy" EdwardsAcoustic Album of the Year: Rory Block - The Lady and Mr. JohnsonPinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year: Marcia BallInstrumentalist-Guitar: Hubert SumlinSoul Blues Male Artist of the Year: Bobby RushSoul Blues Female Artist of the Year: Irma ThomasSoul Blues Album of the Year: Irma Thomas - After the RainHistorical Album of the Year: Shout! Factory - Hooker - John Lee HookerContemporary Blues Album of the Year: Guitar Shorty - We the PeopleContemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year: Janiva MagnessContemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year: Tab BenoitInstrumentalist-Harmonica: Charlie MusselwhiteInstrumentalist-Bass: Mookie BrillInstrumentalist-Drums: Willie "Big Eyes" SmithInstrumentalist-Horn: Eddie ShawInstrumentalist-Other: Robert RandolphBest New Artist Debut: Slick Ballinger- Mississippi SoulSong of the Year: "Church is Out" - Charlie MusselwhiteTraditional Blues Album of the Year: Charlie Musselwhite - Delta HardwareAlbum of the Year: Charlie Musselwhite - Delta HardwareBand of the Year: Lil' Ed & the Blues ImperialsB.B. King Entertainer of the Year: Tab BenoitIf you're wondering who these winners had to edge out for their awards, here is a complete list of nominees.

Josh Hathaway is Assistant Music Editor for BC Magazine. He is formerly an award-winning journalist and broadcaster and publishes the BC Network site Confessions of a Fanboy .

BMA Music Review: Irma Thomas - After The Rain

Josh Hathaway — Thu, 10 May 2007 17:43:55 EDT

Editor's Note: This review is part of a series of albums and artists nominated for the 2007 Blues Music Awards (full list of nominees). This album is nominated for Album of the Year and Soul Blues Album of the Year. Thomas is nominated for Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year. There are a lot of people who associate U2's All That You Can't Leave Behind with 9/11. The anthems, the themes, and some of the lyrics seem to speak perfectly to the aftermath of that terrible day in our nation's history. That connection is further cemented by the way they rose to the occasion. No American band on the scene was capable of the galvanizing performance U2 gave at the Super Bowl that followed a few months later. When America needed a band and a soundtrack for a moment of grief and healing, it borrowed U2. In that same way, it may be forever impossible to listen to Irma Thomas' beautiful After The Rain and not be flooded with images of Hurricane Katrina and its devastating tangible and psychological impact on the country. It was feared that Thomas, a New Orleans native, might have lost her life in the storm. This was quite obviously not the case; she was on tour at the time of the storm. It makes for a better story if All That You Can't Leave Behind is a post-9/11 album and if After The Rain is a Hurricane Katrina record. Unfortunately, those stories aren't exactly true. ATYCLB was released almost a full year before the terrorist attacks on NYC and Washington D.C. All but one of the songs for After the Rain had been chosen before Katrina pummeled the shores of the Gulf Coast region. Both records make such powerful statements that they transcend timelines. These are special albums made for trying times.The chasm between Thomas and contemporary pop-R&B singers could not be any wider. The overwhelming majority of contemporary singers rely on bombast, and big, tremolo voices. There's no reason to feed any specific names to the lions because everyone is doing it. I don't know if that large, overwrought bluster passes for emotion with today's audiences or if it bludgeons emotion into submission to the point where audiences don't know or don't care about the difference.Big sounds and vocal calistenics now pass for talent, as well. Listen to people talk about American Idol contestants (I'm not singling any one of them out) or established pop stars and you're likely to hear the following: "Whether or not you like [insert name here], you have to admit they really can sing." I go apoplectic every time I hear that and am overtaken by an immediate urge to hurl someone in front of a speeding bus. Loud shrieking and the ability to trill through 1,000 notes is the vocal equivalent of an Yngwie Malmsteen guitar solo. Can the guy play at speeds that defy the laws of physics? Yes, but damn him for doing it because there's nothing pleasing or special about the music that produces.After The Rain is beautifully played relying mostly on acoustic instruments. The understated music leaves space for Thomas' deep, rich voice. Her age, experience, restraint, and nuance bring the stories, characters, and emotions in these songs to life.I created a MayFlower playlist at Fanboy and included on it were songs by Etta James and Irma Thomas. In talking about the James track, I said, "Whenever I get ready to say, “I don’t like R&B,” an alarm goes off in my head. Etta James reminds me of what R&B is, was, and could be again." I could have, and probably should have, repeated those comments when I discussed Thomas' entry, "Flowers."The first song I recognized on this album is "Make Me a Pallet On Your Floor." I recognized it because Gillian Welch performs a version of the song on her Soul Journey album. Naturally, I had to compare the two. I am happy to report I like both versions of the song. Gillian Welch's version is filled with a pitiful, innocent sadness. In Thomas' hands, the song takes on a tired, worldweary feel peppered with dignity, resignation and a hint of anger. Thomas' interpretation of "Make Me a Pallet On Your Floor" seems to perfectly embody the plight of the Katrina victims -- perhaps even more than other songs on the record that specifically mention storms or rain."Flowers" combines elements of country, gospel, soul, and R&B and that combination works better than I ever could have imagined. I don’t know which is the match and which is the gasoline, but the mixture creates a blazing fire. "These Honey Dos" sprinkles elements of jazz with some fine piano work. Thomas sounds completely at home even as different musical elements and sounds are incorporated. She is always center stage on these songs without ever sounding like she's competing for it.After The Rain is my darkhorse pick to walk away with Album of the Year at tonight's BMAs. It wasn't the nominee I voted for, but I wouldn't be all that upset if it did win. This is a beautiful, deep, moving record that stands on its own and simultaneously stands for something greater.

Josh Hathaway is Assistant Music Editor for BC Magazine. He is formerly an award-winning journalist and broadcaster and publishes the BC Network site Confessions of a Fanboy .

Blues Roundup: Blues Legend Cary Bell Dies, 70; Blues Music Awards to Be Presented in Memphis

Josh Hathaway — Thu, 10 May 2007 16:56:28 EDT

As Memphis prepares for the biggest night of the year for the blues, the genre has lost one of its greatest heroes. Harmonica/vocalist Carey Bell died Sunday of a heart attack. He was 70. Carey Bell Harrington, a Macon, Mississippi native, was a fixture on the Chicago blues scene for decades. Bell's health had been declining recently as he suffered a stroke and broke a hip, hospitalizing him for four months. Bell recorded numerous albums on his own and also played as a sideman for Muddy Waters and worked with Willie Dixon, Big Walter Horton, and Earl Hooker. As a solo artist, he recorded for Blind Pig, Delmark, JSP, and Blind Pig records. Delmark this year released a live CD/DVD, Gettin Up, featuring Bell performing with his son, Lurrie. He is survived by 10 children.The Blues Foundation will certainly remember Bell at the 28th Blues Music Awards tonight in Memphis. His passing will be mourned along with three of the evening's nominees who have passed away in the last year: Robert Lockwood Jr., Henry James Townsend, and Ruth Brown.In addition to the remembering great blues artists who have passed, the Blues Foundation will recognize some outstanding records and artists released in the past year. This is the first year I have voted in the awards and I'm eager to see how many of the albums and artists I voted for will walk away with hardware.Vying for the top prize of Album of the Year are:Watermelon Slim & The Workers - Watermelon Slim & The WorkersCharlie Musselwhite - Delta HardwareJaniva Magness - Do I Move You?Nick Moss & The Flip Tops - Live at Chan'sIrma Thomas - After The RainComplete List of Nomimees

Josh Hathaway is Assistant Music Editor for BC Magazine. He is formerly an award-winning journalist and broadcaster and publishes the BC Network site Confessions of a Fanboy .

BMA Music Review: Last of the Great Mississippis Delta Bluesmen - Live in Dallas

Josh Hathaway — Tue, 1 May 2007 07:48:15 EDT

Editor's Note: This review is part of a series of albums and artists nominated for the 2007 Blues Music Awards (full list of nominees). This album is nominated for Historical Album of the Year. Who are the “Last of the Great Mississippi Delta Bluesmen?” Who would have the audacity to gloss themselves with that title, considering just how many great bluesmen trace their roots back to the Mississippi Delta? Pinetop Perkins, Robert Lockwood Jr., Honeyboy Edwards, and Henry James Townsend may or may not have had anything to do with choosing that title, but they sure as hell have spent a lifetime earning it. Historical album? That might be the understatement of the millennium!Pinetop Perkins is a national treasure, most famous for the years he spent on the road touring with Muddy Waters. The first thing most people mention when bringing up either Lockwood or Honeyboy are their respective relationships with icon Robert Johnson. I mention it because if I don't, someone else will. Both men carved out vast legacies of their own, legacies rich enough to make their association with the blues' most celebrated name a footnote in their careers. Lockwood is one of the guys who played with everyone before forging a solo career. Townsend was a major player in the St. Louis blues scene, influenced by Roosevelt Sykes and Lonnie Johnson.On October 16, 2004, The Blue Shoe Project brought these four legends together to put on a show in Dallas, Texas. This isn't really the kind of album you review so much as you thank God for its existence. That night, the performers' ages ranged from 89 to 94. Sadly, two of the “Last of the Great Mississippi Delta Bluesmen,” Lockwood and Townsend, are no longer with us. Both men passed away in 2006. You thank the heavens above that someone not only brought these four men together for an evening of blues, but that they also had the good sense to record and release the results.So, what about those results?The best word to describe these performances and this album is fun. The performers sound like they're still having a blast making music, the fans sound like they're having fun watching men who practically invented a genre, and you're a real sour sort if you can listen to this CD without a smile spreading across your face. This is another great example of the beautiful contradiction of the blues: "sad" music that makes you happy. Of course, the blues is so much more than sad music but you get the idea.This isn't the quintessential live blues album, but it's worthwhile for the fun that it is. It's also not the place to start if you want to hear these guys at the top of their game, but the joy of Perkins' performance, the stories of Townsend, the enthusiasm of Edwards, and the polish of Lockwood are potent enough to overcome what time has taken from them. Just think, Keith Richards and Mick Jagger still have 30 years to go to catch up with these guys!These four men were there for the birth of perhaps the most influential music form in history. Great talents have come and gone since, but when Pinetop and Honeyboy leave us we really will have seen "The Last of the Great Mississippi Delta Bluesmen." Until that time, and beyond, we have Live in Dallas.Note: The album is not available through mass merchant retailers, but can be purchased through The Blue Shoe Project from their website.

Josh Hathaway is Assistant Music Editor for BC Magazine. He is formerly an award-winning journalist and broadcaster and publishes the BC Network site Confessions of a Fanboy .

BMA Music Review: Janiva Magness - Do I Move You?

Josh Hathaway — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 17:21:59 EDT

Editor's Note: This review is part of a series of albums and artists nominated for the 2007 Blues Music Awards (full list of nominees). This album is nominated for Album of the Year, Contemporary Blues Album of the Year, and Magness is nominated for Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year. The name of Janiva Magness' Album of the Year nominee is Do I Move You?. The answer? No. Not really. Janiva Magness has a terrific voice that burns with passion. It's a voice that rarely falters, unfortunately the same cannot be said of the material and the arrangements. In some instances, the material is just flat bad and no amount of vocal prowess or emotional force can save it. In other instances, the material is solid but the arrangement pulls the song back. It's a shame. The album opens with “I'm Just a Prisoner (Of Your Good Love).” The title of the song rings the cliche-alert bells and sadly, so does the song itself. Magness' voice is too serious to toss this number off as fun, the words too campy to take seriously. The music is blues-lite which prevents her from cutting loose on the vocal and I just want to strangle whoever arranged these backing vocals. It's possible this song could be better in concert, elevated by the energy that comes from the live setting.Unfortunately, this is a trend that repeats itself throughout the album. “A Man Size Job” once again sets off the cliché alarm while “Bad Blood” is a bad song. The family tree rundown in the lyrics, “my daddy was a good man/my uncle was a rolling stone,” would make a country diva cringe. Give Magness credit, though, she doesn't phone in her performances even when saddled with material beneath her talent.There are moments when the album works. “You Were Never Mine” is a great ballad, and I suppose it's not a coincidence that the best song on the album was written by Delbert McClinton (with whom she should record a duet!), Benmont Tench (of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers), and Gary Nicholson. the music is understated, the song is understated, and there are no hamfisted backing vocals. It's bare, simple, and accentuates Magness' voice. This smoldering song teases us with what might have been. Much of the rest of the album falls somewhere in between these two extremes. "I Want You to Have Everything" reminds me of Herman's Hermits' "Something Tells Me I'm into Something Good." Do I Move You? has Magness nominated for three BMAs, so the album is connecting with someone; most likely a female audience. The liner notes practically proclaim this album is reaching for the Thelma & Louise crowd of beer drinkin', hell raisin', hard lovin', good ol' gals out there, but that's not the album she executed. If the music had the same rawness as the attitude of the liner notes, this album might have stood a better chance at scoring that Album of the Year award. She absolutely has the pipes to do it. Let's hope she one day soon gets the material, too.

Josh Hathaway is Assistant Music Editor for BC Magazine. He is formerly an award-winning journalist and broadcaster and publishes the BC Network site Confessions of a Fanboy .

2007 Blues Music Awards To Be Broadcast on XM Radio

Josh Hathaway — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 12:31:58 EDT

Do you have the blues because you can't make it to Memphis to see the Blues Music Awards live? The Blues Foundation has the cure for what ails you, announcing that XM Radio is going to broadcast the event live.Don't have XMRadio? They've got that covered, too, as you can listen to the Bluesville channel online.I guess that's as good a consolation prize as I could hope for... that is unless BC Magazine suddenly decides to underwrite my trip to Memphis. Right then, streaming the award show at home it is!This is actually pretty terrific because now I can tune in and see how my ballot jibes with the final tallies. I'll also be able to hear all of those fantastic performances. I'll probably wind up spending the price of the trip to Memphis over the weeks following the show, as I become familiar with more of the amazing talents who are participating in the event. Among those scheduled to present awards are former league player and manager Dusty Baker, as well as musicians Johhn Mayall and Elvin Bishop.A partial list of those planning to attend includes Calvin Owens, Charlie Musselwhite, David "Honeyboy" Edwards, Dr. John, Duke Robillard, Eddie Shaw, Guitar Shorty, Guy Davis, Irma Thomas, John Mooney, Kid Ramos, Kim Wilson, Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials, Magic Slim & the Teardrops, Marcia Ball, Nick Moss & The Flip Tops, Sam Carr, Tab Benoit, and Zora Young. I have a feeling Watermelon Slim, the man nominated for the most awards this year, will be in attendance as well. Damn, would I like to meet him, and Nick Moss, and the amazing Charlie Musselwhite. David "Honeyboy" Edwards, traces his roots back to Robert Johnson, one of the few who still can. Tell me meeting him wouldn't be cool. There I go, getting the blues all over again.The broadcast is scheduled to begin at approximately 6:30 p.m. and will continue until the final performance ends, whenever that is. The absence of live television coverage means this thing can go all night, and it probably will.Let BC Magazine be your source for the 2007 BMAs and impress all your friends with your vast knowledge: List of NomineesReviews of several of the nominated albums/artistsMore reviews will be added to that series between now and May 10, so continue to check in. You will also get a recap of the winners and the performances when the dust settles. If I find the company credit card, that coverage will come live from Memphis. If not, I'll be tuned in to XM Radio and you'll get that coverage from the mighty metropolis of Huntsville, AL. Either way, BC Magazine will continue providing you coverage of one of the blues' biggest nights.

Josh Hathaway is Assistant Music Editor for BC Magazine. He is formerly an award-winning journalist and broadcaster and publishes the BC Network site Confessions of a Fanboy .

BMA Music Review: Otis Rush - All Your Love I Miss Loving, Live at the Wise Fools Pub, Chicago

Josh Hathaway — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 20:28:19 EDT

Editor's Note: This review is part of a series of albums and artists nominated for the 2007 Blues Music Awards (full list of nominees). This album is nominated in the Historical Album of the Year category. I am a big believer in the idea of putting your money where your mouth is. I wrote a few months back about giving up my free copy of Guster's Ganging Up On the Sun, an album I declared to be the best of 2006, and went out and bought a copy of my own. This entire series of reviews of albums and artists nominated for the 2007 Blues Music Awards can be traced back to one album: Otis Rush - All Your Love I Miss Loving, Live at The Wise Fools Pub, Chicago (that album title is almost long enough for a U2 record). I got out my checkbook and joined the Blues Foundation within days of learning this album was nominated for a BMA.Someone at Delmark should get a raise for releasing Wise Fools (as well as Junior Wells' Live at Theresa's). It is a shame the tapes of this show sat around in the vaults for so long. This is live Chicago blues at its very best! The sound quality is a little less than pristine and shiny but it is still excellent, and in its own way these slight shortcomings add to the authentic feel of the album and the moment. These days, live albums are remixed, remastered, and cleaned up, smoothing over any of the blood, guts, and intensity of a performance. Wise Fools has not been fussed over and you really have the feeling this is what he sounded like on that January night. There is nothing particularly special about this night and that, in turn, is what makes it special. This is not the sound of a band going through the motions to make a live album in order to get out of some record contract. Adding to that feeling of authenticity is Rush's backing band. Bob Levis, Bob Stroger, and Jesse Green spent many nights on stage behind Rush, and that time together established these guys as a powerful blues force. There are no guest appearances from celebrity friends, although Alberto Gianquinto sits in on electric piano and sax players Chris "Barcelona Red" Mason and Rawl Hardman sit in at the end of the show. This is the sound of a professional band, singing for its supper. The band is tight, performing because this is what they do and they're damn good at it. They didn't go to any extra trouble because they didn't have to- they weren't trying to dress up a pig. Some backing bands demonstrate their prowess by competing for and sometimes stealing the spotlight- with or without the blessing of the star. Other sidemen prove their worth by never bring any attention to themselves at all, by always playing the right note at the right time with the right feel. This performance sounds like one Otis Rush and his band delivered hundreds of times and that's what makes it special, that's what makes it a fitting nominee in the Historical Album of the Year category.This performance was recorded around the time of his studio album Cold Day in Hell, which was released sometime in 1976, presumably after this January show. Rush, Levis, Stroger, and Green had either just finished cutting the album or would soon head into the studio. Five of the 12 tracks from Cold Day were performed for Wise Fools, including a re-recording of his classic "All Your Love (I Miss Loving)." Missing from the set is "I Can't Quit You Baby," a Willie Dixon-penned song he made a hit well before Led Zeppelin, but there are many Rush live albums that do include it. It is not terribly missed here, even though it is a great song that he performs well.It is tough to choose highlights when there are no low spots, but I have some favorite moments. His cover of B.B. King's "You're Breaking My Heart" is fabulous. The version from Cold Day in Hell is good, but there's a little more fire in this live version. "Mean Old World," another song from Cold Day, features the signature stop/start riff he used countless times on various songs. Rush rarely toured with a piano player, likely due to the expense of another mouth to feed and the added equipment, but this show was recorded at home in Chicago. As such, Gianquinto's electric piano helps this stand apart from other Rush live sets and is particularly effective on "All Your Love (I Miss Loving)." For pure guitar power, the fiery solo on "It Takes Time" and "Motoring Along," the instrumental closing track both stand out. Overall, this and So Many Roads: Live in Concert are the definitive live albums in Rush's catalog. No blues fan should be without either.I went into my exploration of the blues a virtual blank slate. I knew a few names, I knew a few songs from having heard them covered by rock artists inspired by the originals. Beyond that, I knew nothing. I heard Rush's version "So Many Roads, So Many Trains" from the Chess Box Set, and that song alone made enough of an impression I went looking for more. I still can't explain the power of the hold his music has on me, but I had a dream about him a few years ago. Some music is banal enough to induce sleep. Rush's music is powerful enough to stir me from sleep.All Your Love I Miss Loving Live at The Wise Fools Pub, Chicago Set List Please Love Me You're Breaking My Heart All Your Love (I Miss Loving) Will My Woman Be Home Tonight Mean Old World Woke Up this Morning High Society (Society Woman) It Takes Time Gambler's Blues Feel So Bad Sweet Little Angel Motoring Along

Josh Hathaway is Assistant Music Editor for BC Magazine. He is formerly an award-winning journalist and broadcaster and publishes the BC Network site Confessions of a Fanboy .

BMA Music Review: Junior Wells - Live at Theresa's 1975

Josh Hathaway — Sun, 4 Mar 2007 21:36:58 EST

Editor's Note: This review is part of a series of albums and artists nominated for the 2007 Blues Music Awards (full list of nominees). This album is nominated in the Historical Album of the Year category. I am naïve enough to believe there was a time when music labels did not refer to albums as product or units; that there was a time when the music part of the music business triumphed over the business end of it. I certainly don't see many signs of it these days. Maybe my romantic notion never existed, but releases like Live at Theresa's 1975 fill me with hope. How many more treasures like this are sitting in a vault somewhere, waiting to be excavated? When the Mt. Rushmore of The Blues is carved one day, Junior Wells' mug won't likely be one of the four heads immortalized in stone. That has nothing to do with the quality of his work. Wells is simply not one of those iconic figures like Robert Johnson or Muddy Waters, the latter for whom Wells played harp. Music fans might not know Wells, but blues fans do. Where some live albums sound more manicured and glossy than anything molested by ProTools, Live at Theresa's is gloriously vintage and modern at the same time. Junior Wells spent many nights, like the two captured on this set, performing for and entertaining crowds at Theresa's in Chicago and that is the sense you get when you listen to this set. Wells sounds like you imagine he did on any given night. The performances and the banter between songs doesn't sound like a man preening for posterity. This is not a choreographed performance. The spontaneous nature and vintage sound of these recordings sound better than you would have any right to expect by some marvelous mastering. The snares snap and the guitars bite with vibrant accuracy, providing enough clarity to yield a marvelous listening experience without interfering with the authenticity of the moment. Live at Theresa's proves that not only is Wells a singularly great bluesman, he is a captivating entertainer. He might not be on the Rushmore when it comes to his work on the harp or as a vocalist, but when you listen to Theresa's, you get a special appreciation for what a showman he was through the bits of between-song banter. You also get the feeling he might have been slightly insane. Buddy Guy, with whom Wells played countless times, tells a great story on the DVD to his recent box set Can't Quit the Blues of a drunken Wells roaming naked through the halls of a very nice hotel late one night, trying to get a Coke from a vending machine. In addition to having some of James Brown's showmanship, Wells' blues is imbued with some funk and soul that surely would have appealed to The Godfather. Wells' work ethic might have rivaled Brown's, as he was known to play Theresa's seven nights a week when he wasn't on the road playing elsewhere. Opening cuts “Little By Little” and “Snatch It Back and Hold It,” the latter from Wells' landmark Hoodoo Man Blues album, have an undeniable groove. Purists may raise an eyebrow, but the ineluctable hooks will make even the dourest want to dance. Fans of Wells' playing might be a little disappointed because even when the music turns to the more traditional, it is the guitar work of Phil Guy, Byther Smith, and Sammy Lawhorn that carry the musical load. Wells' harmonica is audible, but not emphasized. The force of Wells' personality is powerful enough to prevent him from being overshadowed. It is a shame it took so long for these performances to be liberated from their hiding place because individuality feels scarce these days. Are there fewer mavericks among us than there used to be? Did the mavericks change or did society? Maybe there are as many eccentrics as ever, but the power of our homogenized culture is more dominant. Whatever the case, 30 years in a vault has not diminished the power of the personality or the music of Junior Wells, and our need for both has never been greater.

Josh Hathaway is Assistant Music Editor for BC Magazine. He is formerly an award-winning journalist and broadcaster and publishes the BC Network site Confessions of a Fanboy .

Blues Roundup: IBC Winners, BMA Voting Closes, New Watermelon Slim in April

Josh Hathaway — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 23:39:09 EST

It is shaping up to be an exciting year for the blues in 2007. One of the biggest events on the blues calendar each year wrapped earlier this month, voting has closed for the Blues Music Awards, and the first major blues release of the year will be in stores in April. This Blues Roundup will get you up to speed with recent and upcoming events as well as serve as a guide to BCMagazine's ongoing blues coverage. 2007 International Blues Challenge Results BC Magazine told you about the 23rd IBC Finals, which took place in Memphis, TN, February 1-3. The IBC is the world's largest collection of blues bands, all of them competing for cash, prizes, and the attention of blues fans the world over. Here are your winners: Band Category 1st--Sean Carney Band (Columbus Blues Alliance) 2nd--Homemade Jamz Blues Band (Mississippi Delta Blues Society of Indianola) 3rd--Mighty Lester (Triangle Blues Society) Solo/Duo Category 1st--Nathan James and Ben Hernandez (Blues Lovers United of San Diego) 2nd--Sonny Moorman (Cincy Blues Society) Best Self Produced CD Category We are Mighty Lester by Mighty Lester BMA Voting Closed Voting closed today for the 28th Annual Blues Music Awards. Voting was open to all Blues Foundation members and 2007 marks my first year as an eligible voters. BC Magazine has profiled a number of albums and artists nominated for BMAs. We will continue this series as we move closer to the ceremony. Be on the lookout for reviews of albums from Junior Wells, Michael Powers, Otis Rush, Janiva Magness, and more. Prior to those awards, I will tell you who I voted for and why, and after the awards BC Magazine will have coverage of the winners from the biggest night for the biggest names in the blues. The awards will be presented May 10 in Memphis. New Watermelon Slim due in April Watermelon Slim & The Workers have wasted no time following up their self-titled album (review), nominated for several 2006 BMAs. Slim's new album, The Wheel Man, will be released April 17 by the Northern Blues label. The new disc clocks in at 47 minutes spread over 14 tracks. Blues legend Magic Slim makes a guest appearance on the title cut.The music world is filled with all sorts of eccentric personalities and strange stories. Watermelon Slim's story is one of the better ones. Slim (Bill Homans) is a certified genius. He holds degrees in history and journalism from the University of Oregon and a master's degree in history from Oklahoma State University. He is also Vietnam veteran who taught himself to play guitar while in an Army hospital, teaching himself left-handed backward slide guitar using a cheap balsawood guitar and a Zippo lighter as the slide. He is the only Vietnam vet to record a full-length LP album during the Vietnam War. It was the underground release, Merry Airbrakes, a protest-tinged record. Slim's professional career included stints as a teacher, farmer, and truck driver. His life spent on the road driving truck is a recurring theme in many of his songs. In 2002, he suffered a near fatal heart attack and that brush with death seems to have been the impetus to pursue his passion for music and the blues full time."Everything I do now has a sharper pleasure to it," he said. "I've lived a fuller life than most people could in two. If I go now, I've got a good education, I've lived on three continents, and I've played music with a bunch of immortal blues players. I've seen an awful lot and I've done an awful lot." The tracklisting for The Wheel Man1. The Wheel Man 2. I've Got News 3. Black Water 4. Jimmy Bell 5. Newspaper Reporter 6. Drinking & Driving 7. Fast Eddie 8. Sawmill Holler 9. Truck Driving Mama 10. I Know One 11. Got Love If You Want It 12. Rattlesnake 13. Peaches 14. Judge Harsh Blues (Good Morning Judge) Be on the lookout for BC Magazine's review of Watermelon Slim & The Workers' upcoming release, The Wheel Man.

Josh Hathaway is Assistant Music Editor for BC Magazine. He is formerly an award-winning journalist and broadcaster and publishes the BC Network site Confessions of a Fanboy .

BMA Music Review: Nick Moss & The Flip Tops - Live at Chan's

Josh Hathaway — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 22:08:07 EST

Editor's Note: This review is part of a series of albums and artists nominated for the 2007 Blues Music Awards (full list of nominees). Nick Moss & The Flip Tops are nominated in the following BMA categories: Album of the Year, Instrumentalist of the Year- Guitar (Moss), Band of the Year, and Traditional Blues Album of the Year. A friend and I have an ongoing debate about whether or not live albums should be considered for Album of the Year- type awards. He doesn't think they should. To him, distilling weeks and months of writing, arranging, recording, and mixing onto a round piece of plastic is far more worthy of the honor than a single night's work on stage. To him, an album is what is made in the studio. Concerts are great, but they aren't albums. His reasoning is solid. I understand it. I also disagree with him. Music is, among other things, about a transfer of power and emotion. It is possible to transfer that power and emotion through a medium based on 1s and 0s, experienced alone or among friends, through headphones, earbuds, or subwoofers. Talk to any vinyl aficionado and they will tell you something is always lost in translation. In concert, there is nowhere for the energy to escape. When a performer is at the top of their game, the energy radiates from the stage until it fills the room and pierces everyone in it. In the studio, producers and artists have countless gadgets and unlimited takes to make it all sound perfect. In concert, you get one take. Nail it, and you're the Stones in '72, Dylan in '74, Springsteen on the Darkness tour. Blow it, and you're Wilson Phillips. A live album may never be able to capture all of that, but when it comes close there is no question that one great night can be the musical moment of the year. Before introducing Nick Moss & The Flip Tops, the crowd at Chan's is asked if they are ready for some Chicago blues. It takes only a few bars of the improvised "Eggroll Stroll" to transport this Rhode Island club halfway across country and back in time 50 years. A recording and performance like this are reminders the blues is not meant to be played in 70,000 seat stadiums or corporate arenas, but in smoke-filled clubs (while they still exist) where the band leader can still make eye contact with the front row of tables. The lineup this night features Moss on lead guitar and vocals with regular Flip Tops Gerry Hundt on bass and Victor Spann on drums, and occasional Flip Top traveling companion Willie Oshawny on piano. For a handful of cuts, Hundt hands his bass over to Oshawny and picks up the harmonica. Guest Mike Welch adds some additional guitar on a few cuts as well. Moss never seems lost during the improvised set opener, "Eggroll Stroll," confidently putting one foot in front of the other, one solo at a time and even stepping aside to make room for some special work from Oshawny. "Stroll" is an apt description for this grand but not overblown instrumental as Moss' guitar chops are tasty without becoming exhibitions of mindless shredding. Allowing the soloists to improvise is the rock-solid rhythm section of Hundt and Spann. They never hog the spotlight or divert attention from the soloists, but there is something musical about the way Spann's drumsticks dance across the cymbals throughout this song and throughout the night. Moss is a terrific lead player but like many, he got his start playing bass and second guitar. "Check My Pulse" finds Moss stepping back to those rhythm roots, supporting Oshawny's fancy piano leads with solid fills. With his cover of Freddie King's "I Love The Woman," Moss' guitar lead and tone echoes Otis Rush (think "You're Breaking My Heart" from the BMA-nominated Wise Fools Pub album). He shared the spotlight with Oshawny on the first two numbers of the evening, but on "I Love The Woman," it is all Moss. The strings cry and wail for nine glorious minutes. After a shuffling instrumental, a barroom juke, and a plaintive slow jam, Moss loosens things up and plays something slightly less traditional with "I Never Forget," an original from his most recent studio album, Sadie Mae. The intro echoes the work of Jimmie Vaughan and the song itself has more of a blues-rock vibe. It is a nice change of pace, because largely through the harp work of Gerry Hundt, "One-Eyed Jack" returns this show to a Chicago-style blues exhibition. Hundt won't make anyone forget Little Walter or James Cotton, but his playing is strong enough to create the desired Chicago effect. Welch makes his first on-stage appearance, offering a little more guitar muscle to the mix. "The End," which oddly comes with two songs remaining on the set list, plays like a surf-blues/skiffle. Oshawny shifts from piano to organ, and Welch and Moss trade solos. If it were a duel, well, let's just say there is a reason the band is Nick Moss & The Flip Tops, not Mike Welch & The Flip Tops. Welch's solo is good, but Moss melts the tubes in his amp during his. In the liner notes, Moss says this solo features a tip of the cap to one of his heroes, Earl Hooker. Oshawny gets another chance to shine as he provides the lead vocal and flashes his piano skills on the jump-blues penultimate track, "Wine-O-Baby Boogie." To quote Mark Lanegan, "As it begins, so too it ends." The show opened with the instrumental "Eggroll Stroll" and closes with another instrumental, "Move Over, Morris." Nick Moss & The Flip Tops entered with an improv stroll and go out sounding rowdy enough to start the show all over again. "Morris" is an exercise in groove and attitude. Moss' guitar tone takes on a bit more bite and his solo soars until he intentionally drops the tempo, only to reignite it again showing no sign of running out of energy or ideas. The thing to do now is forget everything I have just said; forget I have just spent these paragraphs breaking Live at Chan's into pieces. Trying to describe the songs and sounds serves a purpose, but it gets in the way of the higher purpose. It is a shame to break this night, this album, and these songs into their basic parts because when taken as a whole it is all so damn much fun. Little Walter has a classic song, "Blues With a Feeling." That's what Live at Chan's is. This is blues with a feeling, and when the blues is played with feeling the music soars to something bigger than its individual parts or players. Moss and these Flip Tops are fantastic musicians, and on this July night they were vessels in the eternal blues universe. Live at Chan's isn't about awards, and it isn't a crusade to save the blues or to keep them alive. It's one night of blues with a feeling, likely delivered in much the same way Moss has delivered it hundreds of times before and yet different from every other performance captured on plastic. If you asked anyone at Chan's that night if this is the album of the year, they would probably tell you nothing could matter less- they were there when it happened. Complete Set List for Live at Chan's Eggroll StrollCheck My PulseI Love the WomanI Never ForgetOne-Eyed JackYour Red WagonJust Like ThatIt's Good in Your NeighborhoodThe EndWine-O-Baby BoogieMove Over, Morris

Josh Hathaway is Assistant Music Editor for BC Magazine. He is formerly an award-winning journalist and broadcaster and publishes the BC Network site Confessions of a Fanboy .