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by Eric Steiner
BLUES YEAR's RESOLUTIONS...
This month, I really have the blues. I've managed to break every New
Year's resolution I've made on New Year's Eve, except for one. One resolution
that I made (and kept, so far) pre-Y2K was that I'd make a concerted effort
to find great blues.
This month, I've been able to brag about a new Blind Pig release from
Lloyd Jones and a collection of classics from Robert Lockwood, Jr., on the
innovative 32 Blues label.
NEW BLUES RELEASES...
If you haven't heard Lloyd Jones play the blues, you're missing out on
an overnight sensation that's taken 15 years to get to a major blues label.
His first recording for Blind Pig, called Love Gotcha, is a winner, and fans
of soulful, funky blues will warm up to his original tunes "Ain't Nothing A
Young Girl Can Do" or "Treat Me Like the Dog I Am," not to mention an
excellent cover of the Sonny Terry-Brownie McGhee nugget, "Ride and Roll."
In the 1970's, Jones began playing Portland, Oregon-area blues clubs in
the shadows of another great Pacific Northwest bluesman, Robert Cray. It's a
little different than guitar-driven Chicago blues, but I like it just the
same. Like Cray, Lloyd's got his own sound. The Lloyd Jones Struggle
started in 1985 and laid down two discs on the indie Criminal Records label:
The Lloyd Jones Struggle and Small Potatoes. Each of these are worth finding
for Jones' capable guitar and fine songwriting.
Delbert McClinton heard Lloyd Jones play last year and it must have been a
great show. "When I heard Lloyd Jones live for the first time in January,
1999," said Delbert, "it was like exhaling after holding my breath for
fifteen years." One year later, Delbert's invited Lloyd Jones and his band
to be a part of a blues fans' paradise - Delbert McClinton's Sandy Beaches
Cruise. Now in its sixth year, the Cruise features Bekka Bramlett, Joe Ely,
Anson Funderburgh & the Rockets with Sam Myers, John Hiatt, Sonny Landreth,
Kenny Wayne Shepard, among many others. As we struggle to stay warm and dry
in the winter months, let's think of Delbert and company as they party around
the Caribbean with more than 30 concerts over a one-week period at such
exotic and tropical ports of call as Cancun and Cozumel in Mexico and Roatan
in Honduras. Check it out online at www.delbert.com. At his live shows,
Delbert has a lot of fun with his toll-free number, which is, natch,
1-800-DELBERT.
Robert Lockwood, Jr.'s The Complete Trix Recordings, just out on 32 Blues,
features two discs originally released on the Trix label more than 20 years
ago. For those new to the blues, a little history lesson is in order. It
starts way back in the Mississippi Delta and the great 1930's bluesman,
Robert Johnson.
Johnson taught Lockwood to play guitar, in between visits to Lockwood's
mother. The youngster picked up several clues from Johnson, including some
tasty country blues that's captured on The Complete Trix set. "Annie's
Boogie," "Walkin' Blues," "Terraplane Blues" and "Just A Little Bit" all have
that early blues shimmy and sway and update Johnson's legacy for modern blues
fans.
He was erroneously billed as Robert "Junior" Lockwood for many years, and
this 2-CD release helps to set the record straight. Fetzer Mills' liner
notes provide a great introduction to one of the grand old men of the blues.
Mills describes the passion and fire that Lockwood brings to the blues at 85
when he watched an impromptu jam session with Henry Townsend, Homesick James
and Sam Lay: "They flat out smoked," says Mills. On this record, Lockwood
sure does. Check out 32 Blues as well as their counterpart label, 32 Jazz,
online at www.32Records.com.
SMOKIN' LOCAL CDs...
There seems to be a little bit of a blues resurgence in N.W. Indiana this
month as four strong CDs from Hoosier bands found their way to my stereo here
in the Seattle woodlands.
The first being "Labor Of Love" from The Bron/White Project, which pairs
up guitarist Ken Bronowski and singer Jim White. These two noted night club ro
ckers show a real affinity for the blues on this debut release.
The second is the year-old release of Music Man, from former Red, Hot &
Blue guitarist Mike Gallemore. This CD had been left sitting on the shelf
since 1998 while Gallemore went off to Florida to bend the strings for
sometime Gregg Allman sideman, Floyd Miles. Now back home in Indiana and
gigging out again, Gallemore finally decided to issue this slab of 12-original tracks. Lucky for us...because this set has some strong moments.
 | I've saved the very best for last - a pair of CDs that features the
talented trio known as The Steepwater Band. The first is their own 5-track
CD, Goin' Back Home, which contains a cover of one of my all time favorite
blues songs, Elmore James' "Dust My Broom. " Let me say, these boys really do
this great song proud.
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The second disc is a 7-song set of music recorded under the name of
Bottles Of Wine, which is the Steepwater Band backing Chicago duo Gene Kilty
(guitar) and Michael Connelly (vocals, harp).
HOT FEBRUARY TICKETS...
Johnnie Johnson is back on the road! Last month, I talked about "the man
that started it all" behind Chuck Berry, piano legend Johnnie Johnson. Well,
Midwest BEAT blues fans can catch him live at Buddy Guy's Legends on February
5th, in a warm up gig before beginning his Australian tour. As they say Down
Under, it'll be a fair dinkum blues show.
Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater plays Blue Chicago on the 1st and the 25th,
catch him live if you can. Jimmy Johnson plays Buddy Guy's Legends on the
25th, and I hope he'll play "That Will Never Do," his contribution to the Big
Chicago Records disc, Chicago Blues Tour.
Looking ahead to Spring, and warmer weather, the Star Plaza Theatre in
Merrillville, Indiana will host Johnny Lang on March 10th and B.B. King on
April 21st and 22nd.
Until then, let's play the blues.
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