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NEW MUSIC REVIEWS |
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CD SPINS by Staff
VARIOUS ARTISTSThe
Story Of Tone Cool – Vol. 1 (Tone Cool Records) The
Story of Tone Cool features 24 songs on two discs from the labels’
first 50 releases.
There is a treasure trove of music from this small and innovative
Boston label that has brought artists like the North Mississippi All
Stars, Susan Tedeschi, Bernard Allison, and Rick Holmstrom to deservedly
wider audiences.
Samplers like this are few and far between: check out the 11th
Hour Band’s high energy instrumental “UFO Alert” and harpman
extraordinaire Mark Hummel as he blows through “Rockin at the
Riverside” and you’ll get an idea of the diversity of the Tone Cool
blues catalogue.
Long-time blues stalwarts Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers, Paul
Rishell, and Susan Tedeschi are all here, and some of the newer Tone
Cool talent is, too.
This sampler has helped me discover the joys of discovery anew.
For without it, I would not have otherwise heard many of these
remarkable blues artists.
For me, that’s the hallmark of a good sampler, when it makes
you want to seek out recordings by the artists it introduces to you.
I will be checking out the new Tone Cool artists – Hobex and
the 11th Hour Band – for sure. This is really a great introduction to Tone Cool’s talent roster – old and new – so I urge you to pick it up. – Eric Steiner SAM LAY
I
Get Evil (Random Chance Records)
That night, he shared
the stage with the likes of spoken word master Ken Nordine and pumpkin
smasher Billy Corgan. And
neither out-shined this remarkable blues talent. The latest CD from the
man known in blues circles as “The Shuffle Master,” is a true blues
celebration. Sam’s been around
the musical block –– as
Bob Dylan’s drummer on Highway 61 Revisited and at the plugged-in show
at Newport; he played with the Chambers Brothers at Woodstock; and his
steady beats propelled the Siegel-Schwall Band, Jimmy Reed, Otis Rush,
Magic Sam, Junior Wells and others. In the early days of
Chicago blues, Sam played on more than 40 record sides as a Chess
session man with the likes of Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Howlin’
Wolf, and Willie Dixon. Over the course of the
ten tracks on I Get Evil, Sam showcases his drums certainly, but also
his vocals and his guitar talents. Guitar?
Yes, you read it correct...Sam plays guitar on four cuts here. Of course, Lay is
joined by a remarkable cast of side players –– Fred James on guitar,
Ken Smith on bass, Greg “Fingers” Taylor on harmonica, and Celia Ann
Price –– with James
laying down tasty guitar leads on “Boogie Chillen’,” “You’re
So Fine,” and “Black Night.” This collection
impresses and is “pure, unfettered Chicago blues.” – Eric Steiner CANNED HEAT
Friends
In The Can (Fuel 2000/Universal) Canned
Heat has been mixing blues and boogie for more than 36 years, and their
new release Friends In The Can, introduces a new generation of blues
fans to a boogie band par excellence.
Sure, they made their
mark with the ‘60s anthem, “Going Up the Country,” but they’ve
made a lot of blues music since then. The current line up of
Canned Heat, together since 1999, includes drummer Adolfo ‘Fito’ de
la Parra (a member since 1967), Dallas Hodge on lead vocals and guitar,
Stanley “The Baron” Behrens on harmonica, flute and sax; John
“JP” Paulus on guitar and bass, and Greg Kage on bass and vocals.
Separately, the
members of Canned Heat have played with Bonnie Raitt, John Lee Hooker,
Willie Dixon, Johnny Winter, and Albert Collins.
Together, they ensure that the boogie band tradition, Canned Heat
style, is accessible to younger generations. Corey Stevens and Mike
Finnegan help out on “Getaway,” and that’s just one of many tracks
that feature some very special guests.
Roy Rogers sits in on “Bad Trouble,” and Walter Trout tears
it up on “Home to You,” while Taj Mahal and John Lee Hooker hope
they’ll “Never Get Out of These Blues Alive.”
This summer, Canned
Heat will play the Madison Blues Festival in Wisconsin, and if Friends
In The Can is any indication of their live gigs, it will be well worth
the drive. It’s great to hear
these boogie boys playin’ the
blues again. – Eric Steiner VARIOUS ARTISTS
Core
‘Til Death II (Heavycore Records)
Compilations are a
kick ass way to be introduced to something you normally would not get to
hear and this is a perfect example.
Now is your chance to
expand your mind with 21 cuts that capture the best of underground heavy
metal, and then some. The
production is even better than the last disc and features a great mix of
different styles of metal, whether it be death, thrash, hardcore, etc. The bands featured on
this powerful audio onslaught are: Systemic, Origin, PCP, Low Twelve,
OSF, Kryoburn, Cyst, Alabama Thunderpussy, Skin Casket, Severed,
Mindscape, Annihilate the Hero, Fromunder, Blessed With Pain, Subject A,
The Killing, Shund, Loss, Rupture, Skard and Alchymist. The artwork and lay
out were done once again by Jeff Gaither.
Hell, even Midwest BEAT is listed in the liner notes!
This hard and heavy
set of music is not for the feint of heart...it is a slab of sonic
blasts that will rattle the windows and anger your neighbors, as true
metal should... For $15 bucks, you can
order this CD by going to: www.heavycore.org
Or if
snail mail is more your old-school style, Heavycore, P.O. Box 4324, Bloomington, IL 61702. Pete Altieri,
Heavycore Founder and Chief Poser Disposer has this to say, “As a
private organization we set our own rules.
The radio-safe poser bands have had many more outlets than those
of us who choose to grind it out in the trenches ever had.
Heavycore attempts to even the score.” I couldn’t have said
it better myself! Buy it! – Diane Demeter
CHICAGO BLUES POSSE
Road
Time (CBP)
The sound of the
Chicago Blues Posse is back with 11 tracks and a new sound that sets
this band apart from an already-crowded local bar band blues scene.
While the blues scene
in the greater Chicagoland area is a mere shell of its former self, the
Chicago Blues Posse proves that there is pure gold to be found in
Illiana nightspots. This time out, drummer
Glenn “The Wiz” Wierzbicki has recruited Windy City vocalist Deb
Seitz, “Hollywood” Johnny Cosgrove and Bob Mandarino on guitars and
Mike Bailey on bass. Johnny’s
not actually from Hollywood, but rather from Crown Point.
Bob’s out of Demotte, and Mike hails from Palos Park. In short,
this current Posse line up is true home-grown talent. Originally formed as a
touring band for Son Seals in 1999, the Posse continued to crank out
blues that were true to the roots of Chicago blues on their first
self-released CD, One Shot Deal. That
disc landed on my list of top blues CDs in 2001, and Road Time is well
on the way to one of my fave blues CDs of 2003.
Seitz’ vocals on
“You Can Have My Husband” and “It’s 2 AM” are ready for the
big leagues (and larger venues), but I find that I just keep turning up
“Route 66” for The Wiz and Bailey’s hard-driving rhythm section
(and Wiz’ great vocals). The Chicago Blues
Posse works through songs by Otis Rush, J.B. Lenoir, and Lowell Fulson,
and I hope this disc gets them some well-deserved Road Time to play for
a much wider audience. –
Eric
Steiner ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND
Hittin’
The Note (Sanctuary) It’s
been 9 years since Macon’s very own have laid down tracks for a new
studio CD.
During that long gap of time, they have seen many personnel
changes including the departure of longtime original member Dickey
Betts.
They still toured and put out live projects and Gregg put out a
very good solo CD back in 1997, but something was missing. I for one
thought maybe it was over for this once proud band.
Boy I am glad they
proved me wrong! With the return of Warren Haynes (Govt. Mule) this
stars ‘n’ bars band is back and they have managed to take it up to
yet another level.
Hittin' The Note is an
11-track masterpiece when it comes to recapturing the magic and distinct
soulful southern sound of the classic ABB. Gregg goes so far as to call
it “the best album we’ve made since Eat
A Peach.”
The ABB jams with such
urgency and mastery on this project that it’s way beyond reach of most
protege bands such as Phish, String Cheese Incident, the new Dead
incarnation and the Dave Matthews Band.
From the fiery first
cut “Firing Line” to the jazzy B-3 shuffle “Desdemona,” this
project will keep you groovin’ from track to track.
Funky takes on Freddy King’s “Woman Across The River,” and
a rare Rolling Stones cover of “Heart Of Stone,” only add more
positives to the mix.
Gregg’s vocals are top notch and like a fine wine, his voice
gets better with age. With Haynes returning and being double-billed with
young firebrand, Derek Trucks, the guitar harmonies are back in a big,
BIG way! The magic has
returned, the band sounds amazing and powerful. The vibe is better than
it has been in a long, long time. (Allman
Brothers Band perform July 29th & 30th @ Chicago Theatre) – Brian PearsonGREEN ROAD SHOTGUN
Bang! (Eight Ohm Records)
Was it Craig
Nicholls’ raspy over-worked voice accompanied by his drug induced
child-like stage antics, or simply the overly distorted guitar riffs.
Maybe it was the fact that The Vines were essentially a
prepackaged band from Australia that claimed to be bringing back rock
‘n’ roll. Green Rode Shotgun
displays none of the above attributes on their debut CD, Bang, except
for that little part about rock and roll.
They may not be claiming to bring it back, but it sure sounds
like they could. Green Rode
Shotgun brings to the table energetic, yet sometimes subdued vocals
backed by some very catchy “classical” rock styled music Lead singer
Jason Johnson’s voice is splashed here and there with reckless
abandonment that makes this album what it is, very catchy. With all of the
album recorded live in studio, with the exception of a few vocal parts,
Green Rode Shotgun proves that they are ballsy and carefree at the same
time. Although this is not a
great album that will leave you longing for more when the last track
sounds, it will play sweet games with your ear and your heart. Green Rode Shotgun may
not bring back “real” rock ‘n’ roll to the a world audience, but
it does bring it to your CD player. –
Nathan
Bright
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Last
month, our own Ernie Thomas profiled Deb Setiz and the Chicago Blues
Posse in our publication’s “Street Beat” section.
What
was it that you hated about The Vines?