Ben Levin review….July 20, 2019….

BEN LEVIN

BEFORE ME

VIZZTONE RECORDS  VT  BL002

I FEEL SO GOOD–PAPPY–THIS MORNING–CONFESSIN THE BLUES–BEFORE ME–CREOLE KITCHEN–LONESOME WHISTLE BLUES–SO SOON–LOAD OFF MY BACK–LIGHTNIN–I WANNA HUG YA KISS YA SQUEEZE YA–OPEN LATE

Ben Levin, a Cincinnati-based blues piano man, has not only just released his second album, this one entitled “Before Me,” for the VizzTone label, but, he has also just completed his FIRST YEAR of college!!  Yes indeed, they are starting out very young these days, but this brilliant young singer/composer is a blessing to listen to.  His enthusiasm for this project, consisting of six originals and six covers, is infectious, and runs throughout this set.  He gets a little help from some of his good friends herein, too.

Two of those friends help get things started, as Ben swings thru one of Muddy’s classics, written by Big Bill Broonzy, “I Feel So Good, I feel like ballin’ the jack,” this one featuring Bob Corritore on harp, and former Muddy sideman, the legendary Steady Rollin’ Bob Margolin on guitar!  They return a bit later as Ben gets into a Kansas City groove by way of a jazzed-up take on Jay McShann’s “Confessin The Blues,” and the young virtuoso offers up an original tune that sounds as if it could’ve easily been a long-lost Fats Domino cut from his Imperial days, “Before Me, who held your hand?”

Our favorite was easy.  Way back in the day, Freddie King cut “Lonesome Whistle Blues” for Syd Nathan’s Cincinnati-based King Records.  Ben brings the piano and vocal on this version, and Bob is on guitar, but the unique thing is that the original drummer from Freddie’s 1961 session, 93-year-old Philip Paul, recreates his role on this cut!  With a 75-year difference in their ages, this truly shows that the blues has no limits and no boundaries!

It is a pure joy to hear Ben Levin capture the passion and spirit of his blues forefathers with “Before Me.”  Muddy once opined, “who’s gon’ carry this bidness on?”  Well, Ben is off to a great start!  Until next time…Sheryl and Don Crow, The Nashville Blues And Roots Alliance.