Les Copeland review…October 5, 2015…

LES COPELAND

TO BE IN YOUR COMPANY

EARWIG MUSIC CD 4970

TO BE IN YOUR COMPANY–BORDERLINE–STEALIN’–WHY WE LOVE EACH OTHER–KNUCKLEHEAD–SWAMP WITCH–SOMETHIN’ NICE AND SWEET–WININ BOY BLUES–FRIEND–IF I WAS A BAD MAN–BESSIE–RIBBON OF DARKNESS–MOONSHINER–SUNNY AFTERNOON–I’D BE LONELY TOO–I’M JUST AN OLD CHUNK OF COAL–CROSSTOWN–I DREAM ABOUT YOU

Les Copeland is a native of British Columbia, and began playing guitar at age eleven.  Largely self-taught, his first exposure to the blues was Mississippi Fred McDowell’s “London Calling” LP.  He was a straight-blues player at first, then began to gradually expand by adding music from Wes Montgomery and Chuck Berry into his repertoire, and now he can play anything you’d wanna hear.  That versatility pervades throughout his latest set for Earwig,  “To Be In Your Company.”  Over the eighteen cuts, there are several of Les’ originals, and he tells us that he writes from experience, and “people I know–some I love, and some I don’t!”

Strictly an acoustic affair, Les starts off with his original tribute to his friend and mentor, David “Honeyboy” Edwards.  In fact, “To Be In Your Company” has Les praising the fact that he’s mentioned with the likes of “Honeyboy, Sonny Boy, and Little Walter, too!”

Of the songs that deal with those he loves, Les gives them the highest praise.  “Stealin” was written as a love song for his wife, and her part in stealing his heart!  The same can be said for the playful “Knucklehead,” as he and his wife are always giving “pet” names to each other.  This one has some cool, unique-sounding guitar, too.

“Winin’ Boy Blues” is pure fun, which Les learned from a risque’ ditty by Jelly Roll Morton, effectively “cleaned up” for recording purposes!  “If I Was A Bad Man” features some of Les’ best slide guitar playing on the set, too.

We had three favorites, too.  Les gives a plaintive read of Gordon Lightfoot’s ode to a lost love, which casts that “Ribbon Of Darkness over me.”  Life as seen thru the eyes of an ol’ “Moonshiner” has Les wondering, “if whiskey don’t kill me, I don’t know what will,” on this most excellent version of a Dylan song.  And, Les has a lotta fun with Jim Stafford’s spooky tale of Black Water Hattie, the town pariah, (at least until she cures the town’s fever epidemic), “Swamp Witch.”

Les Copeland is another of those master storytellers who appreciates where the blues has been, and has a firm grip on where it’s headed.  It is our real pleasure “To Be In Your Company,” Les!  Until next time…Sheryl and Don Crow, The Nashville Blues Society.

Colin Linden review…October 4, 2015….

COLIN LINDEN

RICH IN LOVE

STONY PLAIN RECORDS  SPCD 1386

KNOB AND TUBE–I NEED WATER–DELIA COME FOR ME–THE HURT–EVERYBODY OUGHT TO BE LOVED–RICH IN LOVE–DATE WITH THE STARS–AND THEN YOU BEGIN–NO MORE CHEAP WINE–LUCK OF A FOOL–I MADE A PROMISE (EPILOGUE)–PAYBACKS ARE HELL

Colin Linden is another artist whom we enjoy tremendously.  A gifted guitarist, singer and composer,  “Rich In Love” marks Colin’s first studio relase since 2009.  He hasn’t just been fishin’ for six years, tho.  He is listed as “Performance Consultant and Coach” on the ABC-TV show, “Nashville,” and he plays on roughly three-quarters of the music presented on that show.

On his latest set for Stony Plain, Colin treats us to twelve originals, written either by himself or with his wife, Janice Powers, or bassist John Dymond, Gary Nicholson or Tom Hambridge.  They encompass blues, roots, and even a few Fifties-flavored songs that deal with love lost and found, and everything in between.

He starts the set with a unique look at the base relationship between men and women, comparing it to an electric current that “runs from me to you like a Knob And Tube.”  “Delia Come For Me” is based on the Georgia execution of Troy Davis for a murder that he may not have committed, which reminded Colin of the traditional folk song, “Delia.”  While writing the songs included herein, Colin also began suffering from insomnia.  Ever the songwriter, tho, those troubles soon found their way onto this record as the dreamy, Fifties-inspired, “every night I have a Date With The Stars.”

Reese Wynans on keys and Charlie Musselwhite on harp embellish “The Hurt,” which name-checks Etta James, Cassius Clay, and Sonny Liston.  Colin closes the set on a rather humorous note, singing of angels “tending bar in St. Peter’s saloon, where “Paybacks Are Hell.”

We had two favorites, too.  Reese is on keys on the poignant tale about being thankful and realizing that “life is too short to drink No More Cheap Wine.”  And, the other Fifties-ish song has a bit of a country vibe as Colin believes he’s been able to get by thanks to “the grace of the stars and the Luck Of A Fool.”

As busy as he has been of late, blues fans are lucky Colin Linden found the time to bring us “Rich In Love.”  It continues his stellar legacy of killer musicianship and very-well-crafted songs!  Until next time…Sheryl and Don Crow, The Nashville Blues Society.

Andy Cohen review…October 3, 2015…

ANDY COHEN

ROAD BE KIND

EARWIG MUSIC CD 4969

FIVE AND TEN CENT BLUES–SELDOM SEEN SLIM–SPREAD THE NEWS AROUND–ROAD BE KIND–WINDY AND WARM–MORE WOOD–HIGH COUNTRY CARAVAN (SONG FOR STEPHEN STILLS)–MYSTERIOUS MOSE–FORT SUMNER DANCE–THE GOODNIGHT-LOVING TRAIL–SEABOARD TRAIN–TALKIN’ HARD LUCK–TEN AND NINE–BLARNEY PILGRIM/JIG MCCOY–JOHN ATE THE LOCUST AND THE HONEY–BLACKBIRD

Andy Cohen is a fantastic guitar player, storyteller, and all-around keeper of the flame for traditional music.  It is not all necessarily blues, but true American music and music from the British Isles.  He’s a walking encyclopedia of this music, and has spent his whole career “folkin’ around with the blues!”  His latest set for Earwig reflects his vast knowledge of this music, and is entitled “Road Be Kind,” a collection of covers and Andy’s originals written in that authentic style.

These cuts pre-date today’s tendency to name them as part of a particular genre’, and Andy’s deft fingerpicking and warm, easy vocals bring them to life.  He starts off with his personal favorite, an original, autobiography of sorts, as he classifies himself as a “guitar picker,” “sidewinder,” and, “bullshitter!”  There are classic “character” songs such as “Seldom Seen Slim” and “Mysterious Mose,” a song that led to a cartoon that introduced the world to Betty Boop.

Andy’s picking skills take center stage on two instrumentals, the Irish-themed “Blarney Pilgrim/Jig McCoy, and John D. Loudermilk’s “Windy And Warm.”

Songs with a historical bent are well-represented, too.  Check out “The Goodnight-Loving Trail,” which tells of the route used to deliver meat to the U. S. Army, stretching from San Angelo, Texas to Cheyenne, Wyoming.  And, Mary Brooksbank, an early proponent of women’s rights in Scotland, is immortalized in the tale dealing with her epic struggles, “Ten And Nine.”

We had two favorites, too.  Andy closes the set with a sweet instrumental read on Lennon and McCartney’s “Blackbird,” one of the few “popular” songs Andy plays.  A laugh-out-loud funny song of growing up is “Talkin’ Hard Luck,” and, for us, it was like having a front-row seat down at Alice’s Restaurant!

Andy Cohen has a keen sense of purpose as he respects and keeps alive the traditions of the music set forth in “Road Be Kind.”  It is a literal musical history lesson, played at a high level from a consummate troubadour!  Until next time…Sheryl and Don Crow, The Nashville Blues Society.

MonkeyJunk review…October 2, 2015…J

MONKEYJUNK

MOON TURN RED

STONY PLAIN RECORDS  SPCD 1382

LIGHT IT UP–YOU–SHOW ME YOURS–HOT HOT PAPA–LOVE ATTACK–LIVE ANOTHER DAY–LEARN HOW TO LOVE–LUCKY ONE–TRAVELIN’ LIGHT–MEET ME AT MIDNIGHT

Ottawa-based trio MonkeyJunk have always been one of our favorite bands since their creation back in 2008.  The three players–Tony D on lead guitar, Steve Marriner on vocals, harp, and keys, and Matt Sobb on drums–all had impressive resumes’ within the Canadian blues/roots community, and, as MonkeyJunk, have won twenty Maple Leaf Awards for blues, and one JUNO Award, the Canadian Grammy.

And so it is with their latest set, “Moon Turn Red,” on Stony Plain Records.  It is nine band originals and one cool cover that shows why they are so popular, and why we dig ’em so much–they keep listeners on their toes with their eclectic mixes of straight blues, blues-rock, and roots music, and, on this set, even some garage-rock and socially-topical tunes.

The set blasts off with Tony D’s slide wailin’ over a freight train boogie beat in the band’s anthemic “Light It Up, shake ’em on down, when I come to your town!”  Two cuts are quite socially-conscious.  “Love Attack” follows a reggae beat, with Steve blowin’ some great harp throughout, and “Live Another Day,” set over an ominous groove, reminds us that ‘words come cheap when your life ain’t on the line,” and both songs serve as testimony to the direction the world seems to be headed.

On a much lighter note, a woman with looks so killer that she can make the “moon turn red,” has “every mother’s son wishin’ he was The Lucky One!”  The set closes with a sweet shot of roots-rock, as Steve begs an old lover to rekindle their flame and “Meet Me At Midnight, just like we used to.”

We had two favorites, too.  The braggadocio-filled swagger of “Hot Hot Papa” is as raucous as it gets, serving as the set’s lone cover.  It was written by David Wilcox, who guests on guitar and vocals.  And, a lusty look at love is “Show Me Yours and I’ll show you mine,” with a retro, Sixties’-psychedelic groove fueled by organ from Steve.

MonkeyJunk just gets better with each set.  “Moon Turn Red” is a fine testimony to their passions for this music and the fact that great players with great material will always win out!  Until next time…Sheryl and Don Crow, The Nashville Blues Society.

JJ Appleton and Jason Ricci review…October 1, 2015…

JJ APPLETON AND JASON RICCI

DIRTY MEMORY

OLD BOY NETWORK

LEANING BLUES–NOBODY’S FAULT BUT MINE–CAN’T BELIEVE IT’S THIS GOOD–NEW MAN–JASON SOLO–JUST ENOUGH–AT THE WHEEL AGAIN–BLACK LIMOUSINE–DEMON LOVER–IT AIN’T NO USE–COME ON OVER, COME ON BY

Guitarist/vocalist JJ Appleton’s first exposure to the blues was a Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee concert.  He has teamed up with one of the most dynamic and exciting harp players on the scene today, Jason Ricci.(who spent some time right here in Music City several years back, playing with Big Al Lauro.)  Together, they have just released “Dirty Memory,” eleven cuts that recall the glory days of that basic, two-person, Delta-meets-Piedmont,  all-acoustic style (with acoustic bass from Tim Lefebvre and Neal Heidler adding the depth).

The set starts off rockin,’ with an Elmore James-inspired, “Leaning Blues,” as JJ exhorts, “you got to lean on somebody–go ahead and lean on me!”  A couple of cool looks at love are the lively take on a relationship that is “somewhere in the middle, between too much and too little,” and is “Just Enough to keep me satisfied!”  The set closes with just JJ on vocal and his dobro, urging a particularly-attentive lover to “Come On Over, Come On By, anytime!”

The heat of the Delta brings out the lust in the two lovers depicted in “Can’t Believe It’s This Good,” as both know “this ain’t my first rodeo,” as they passionately make their “dirty memory.”  The fellows give a sweet country-blues read on the Stones’ “Black Limousine,” while Jason’s original “Demon Lover” follows a brooding, swampy, echo-laden groove.

We had two favorites, too.  The gospel-tinged “Nobody’s Fault But Mine” is as timeless here as in Blind Willie Johnson’s original.  And, on “Jason Solo,” young Mr. Ricci literally tries to blow the reeds outta his harp on a blistering instrumental that sounds like a freight train rumblin’ out of the mists of the Delta night, on its way to New York, with a stopover in “Harlem,” for a little “Shuffle!”

JJ Appleton and Jason Ricci authentically keep the Delta and Piedmont traditions of Sonny, Brownie, John Cephas And Phil Wiggins alive and kickin.’  Yep–these two “firewalkin’ wonders” have taken the blues world by storm with “Dirty Memory!”  Until next time…Sheryl and Don Crow, The Nashville Blues Society.