This morning as I was writing a post to pay tribute to the life of the great Johnny Otis, who passed away yesterday, I learned of the passing of one of the greatest artists Johnny ever discovered, Ms. Etta James. While Etta James is a house-hold name (and rightfully so) the name Johnny Otis is sadly becoming less and less known by today’s music fans. Besides giving Etta James her first big break, Mr. Otis also helped start the careers of many top R&B performers. When not performing with his own band he was in the studio recording and producing sides for many of the best R&B performers. It was Johnny Otis who produced and performed on the original 1952 recording of Hound Dog featuring Big Mama Thornton. Two years later in 1954 Otis found himself in the studio again with another young blues singer, a woman by the name of Jamesetta Hawkins. Like Big Mama Thornton, Jamesetta started out performing with The Johnny Otis Band. She then moved to Los Angeles and entered the studio with the band to record what would be her break out song “The Wallflower (Roll With Me Henry)”. Written by Johnny Otis “The Wallflower” was an answer song to the Hank Ballard tune “Work With Me Annie”. Shortly after the release of the song Jamesetta (now going by the stage name Etta James) started off on a solo career that would last over 50 years. She recorded many smash hits for a number of different labels and released albums up until 2011. In addition to being successful in the recording studio James was also successful on the stage and would continue to be an in-demand performer until 2009 when she was unable to perform due to health issues.
As for Johnny Otis, discovering Etta James was just one of the many highlights in a career that lasted well into his eighties. A true renaissance man, Otis was a songwriter, performer, producer, author, store and bar owner, and painter. He even got involved in politics in his home state of California during the 1960′s. However, with all these accomplishments Johnny Otis is probably best know for writing the hit song “Willie and The Hand Jive” which would sell over 1.5 million copies and be covered by Eric Clapton for his 1974 album 461 Ocean Boulevard.
During the their lifetimes both Etta James and Johnny Otis brought to joy to millions of fans all over the world, they are both members of multiple halls of fame, and their influence can be heard in the music of artists in every genre of music. They will both be dearly missed.
Every year during this time I feel that it’s important that we take a moment to remember the hard work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Using non-violent methods, Dr. King inspired people to stand up and take action to change a system that was unfair and cruel to not only the African American population of this country but to all minorities who were experiencing discrimination based on their race and the color of their skin. He preached love and togetherness even when his actions were met with violence and hatred. And even when times were at their darkest, Dr. King was somehow able to stay focused and not lose sight of his goal, to have an America that is free of violence, racism, and discrimination. Dr. King may be gone but movement he started lives on today. So in honor of Dr. King I would like to share with you some of my favorite civil rights songs as well as one of my favorite recordings of Dr. King himself. Enjoy.
ARTIS/SONG/ALBUM Mahalia Jackson “Nobody Knows The Trouble I’ve Seen” Gospels, Spirituals, and Hymns (played under spoken word intro) Mavis Staples “You Are Not Alone” You Are Not Alone Big Bill Broonzey “When Will I Get To Be Called A Man?” Trouble In Mind J.B. Lenior “Down In Mississippi” Vietnam Blues Sam Cooke “A Change Is Gonna Come” Portrait Of A Legend
Preachin’ The Blues: The Life and Times of Son House
Written by historian Daniel Beaumont, Preachin’ The Blues: The Life and Times of Son House provides a well researched, in-depth look at the life of one of the most important figures in Blues history – Eddie “Son” House. Born in 1902 in Lyon, Mississippi, Son House grew up very involved in the church and didn’t embrace the Blues until 1927 when he heard a guitar player at a house party. Moved by the sound this guitar player was getting out of his instrument with the use of a bottleneck slide, House decided to pick up the guitar and start playing the Blues. Starting out by performing at parties, Son House grabbed the attention of those in attendance with his larger-than-life voice and commanding guitar strumming style. It was performances like this in the 1930′s that would inspire and help shape the playing style of both Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters. Even now the music of Son House is still inspiring musicians. Artists such as The Black Keys and The White Strips both cite Son House as a major influence on their careers. But Preachin’ The Blues… doesn’t just focus on Son House the musician. Son was many things in his life – a preacher, a farmer, a husband, even a murderer. Needless to say, his complex life gave him much subject matter to sing about.
While many books on the History of the Delta Blues include information on Son House, there really hasn’t been a book that dives this deep into his individual story. One of the main reasons for this is probably because large sections of House’s life are a complete mystery. Only one copy of the first recordings Son House made for the Paramount Record label in 1930 has ever been found. Even interviews that House himself gave after being rediscovered by three college-age blues fans in the early 60′s were sometimes hard to decipher. During these interviews House would occasionally mix up dates and times from his own life. Taking all of these factors into account, it isn’t a surprise that the name Son House isn’t really know beyond serious music fans. Hopefully, this book will change that.
ETTA JAMES WHO’S BLUE? RARE CHESS RECORDINGS OF THE 60′S AND 70′S
We need to thank the good people at ACE Records for releasing this album. When I first saw the new Etta James compilation Who’s Blue?Rare Chess Recordings Of The 60′s and 70′s in the bin at my local record store I thought to myself “does the world really need another Etta James Greatest Hits album?” It seems like every few years I see a new “Best of Etta James” album featured on iTunes or on the shelves at the record store. However, my friend Tom who is in charge of the Blues section at Amoeba Records in San Francisco assured me that this album was worth a listen. As per usual, he was right.
Who’s Blue?Rare Chess Recordings Of The 60′s and 70′s completely ignores Etta’s most famous recordings and is compiled entirely of B-sides and deep album cuts from her time at Chess Records. Many of these recordings haven’t seen the light of day in a long long time and most of them have never been released on CD! As expected, the music on this disc showcases Etta’s talents as one of the greatest Blues and R&B singer of all time, but what caught me off guard was how funky Etta could be! The tune, “I’ve Been A Fool” was a failed attempt by Etta’s producers to get her to “update” her sound and become more of a Disco singer. After hearing this track it’s puzzling to me that Chess Records could have been anything but overjoyed with the results of this session. Etta screams and shouts while the backing band lays down a deep funky groove complete with a wonderful Duane Allman-style slide guitar solo. “Only A Fool” was another attempt to push Etta out of the R&B realm and into a more “popular” genre. This time she was paired with Steppenwolf producer Gabrial Mekler. Again, Etta comes through with another classic performance and although it may not have been exactly what Mekler or Chess were looking for it does show that Etta can be as funky as well as soulful.
Also included on this compilation are the Southern Soul ballads “Are My Thoughts With You?” and “My Man Is Together”. Both songs have a mellow country-like swagger and should have been huge singles for the West Coast raised Etta James who sounds right at home singing Southern Soul. But these songs are only a few of the gems on this disc. The bluesy “Don’t Take Me For Your Fool” is classic Etta James. Her vocals meet the hard hitting backing band head on and set up a dark bluesy groove that shows you why Etta James has as much right to claim the title “Queen Of Soul” as Aretha Franklin does.
After listening to the music on this disc, one can’t help but wonder why some of these tunes didn’t get the same attention as classics such as “At Last” and “Tell Mama”. While we may never know who the true “Queen of Soul” is we do know that Soul Music wouldn’t be where it is today without the talents of Ms. Jamesetta Hawkins.
CHARLES BRADLEY & THE MENAHAN STREET BAND “No Time For Dreaming”
“No Time For Dreaming” is more than an album, it’s an autobiography about Charles Bradley. Without being preachy, Mr. Bradley and The Menahan Street Band combine soulful music along with larger than life vocals to tell the story of a man who had to work against the odds his whole life.
This is a real soul album done by real soul musicians. Although the band is tight and knows what they’re doing the real story here is the voice of Charles Bradley. Due to years of performing in dive-bars and smokey clubs his voice has aged the perfect amount for this music. You can really feel the pain in Mr. Bradley’s voice when he cries out to society to change it’s values on the tunes “Golden Rule” and “The World (Is Going Up In Flames)”. That being said, the most heartfelt vocal performance on this album might be on the track “How Long”. Around the 3 minute mark Mr. Bradley lets out a Jay Hawkins-like scream that makes you wonder if he’ll survive this song! This tune could only be sung by someone who has lived the life Charles Bradley has.
Born in Florida in 1948 and raised in Brooklyn NY, Mr. Bradley has spent the majority of his adult life on the road. Usually having to travel by way of hitch hiking, he tried to find work and establish himself as a professional musician in a number of cities across the country before ending up in California. After finding a steady job and playing gigs with pick-up bands Mr. Bradley thought he had finally found a place to call home. But as he was just about to put the down payment on his first house he was laid off from his job of 17 years. Frustrated but not accepting defeat, he gathered his belongings and returned to Brooklyn where he began performing as a James Brown impersonator in local night clubs. Going by the stage name “Black Velvet” he wowed audiences with his amazing showmanship and impressive vocal abilities. Now 51 years of age it seemed as if things were settling down for Mr. Bradley, but alas, this was not the case. One morning, while staying at his mother’s house he awoke to devastating news that his brother had been murdered by his nephew. Just when it seemed as Mr. Bradley’s life was doomed to be a life of sorrow he was visited by Gabrial Roth of Daptone Records during one of his “Black Velvet” performances. Soon there after, Mr. Bradly found himself in the Daptone Records studios recording his first single for the label “Take It As it Comes”. The single was a hit and thus began a whole new chapter in life of Charles Bradley.
But not all the songs on this album are about pain and heartbreak. “No Time For Dreamin” is an up beat funky tune that sends out a message of determination and (like the life of Charles Bradley) tells the listener that if you stay the course and work hard for what you want you can achieve your goals.
Many times in the world of music “duet albums” are a much better idea on paper then they are in the studio. This is not the case however with the recent release from bluegrass legend Del McCoury and Jazz legends The Preservation Hall Jazz Band. The album “American Legacies” is a wonderful mix of traditional folk songs, gospel hymns and jazz standards played by true masters of American music. The overall upbeat tone of the music on this record gives you the sense that everyone involved in its making not only had a great time performing the music but they also wanted you to have a great time listening to the music. In fact, if you don’t find yourself moving to these songs you might want to have your pulse checked. Songs like “Mullensburg Joys” and “I’ll Fly Away” give you a good dose of dixieland jazz and are guaranteed to get you up, dancing, and possibly booking a trip to New Orleans. Del McCoury’s voice is in good form and is a perfect fit for not only to folk tunes but all the Jazz numbers. His warm and twangy vocal style add a pleasant charm to songs like “One More ‘Fore I Die” and “Shoeshine Blues”. For the most part no new musical ground is covered on these recordings but that isn’t really the point. The point is to preserve history and keep these wonderful styles of American music alive and in the people’s ears.
A few months ago Buddy Guy and I spoke about his new album called “Living Proof”. Buddy was in good spirits and excited about his new record. Here is the interview in it’s entirety. Enjoy!
Arhoolie Records founder Chris Strachwitz has been recording (or “documenting” as he puts it) different forms of roots music for the better part of the last 50 years. During that time Mr. Strachwitz has traveled to numerous juke joints, plantations, prisons and coffee shops, in order to document an artist in a setting that is natural and familiar to them. This process delivered very positive results. You would be hard pressed to find recordings that better capture the intensity and passion of artists like Mance Lipscome, Big Joe Williams, and Fred McDowell. In my opinion Arhoolie Records is the leading authority on American roots music and in recent years the label has a number of box sets that showcase the best of it’s catalog. But just when you think you’ve heard everything Arhoolie and Mr. Strachwitz have to offer they release a new Book/Four CD set that is ESSENTIAL for any fan of American roots music.
Hear Me Howling! Blues, Ballads, and Beyond, is a dream come true for fanatics of American roots music. This beautifully packaged box set is stuffed with information on, and recordings from more then 20 artists! The book is full of wonderful pictures (some never before released publicly) that give you a little glimpse of what these artist were like on and off the stage. My personal favorite picture in this book is a picture of the great Mance Lipscome performing at Greek Theater in Berkeley, California. You get a sense from this picture that even though Mance’s home in Texas was only a few hundred miles away on a map, it must have felt like it was a world away to Mance who had never ever performed in front of a crowd that large. But wonderful photos are only part of this great set. All of the music, which was recorded in the San Francisco Bay Area, is amazing. Like Mance Lipscome, many of these artists were not used to the hustle and bustle of big city life. One of the most moving performances is Mary & Big Joe Williams’ performance of “Oakland Blues”. You can hear confusion and pain in the voice of Mary Williams when she sings about wanting to go back home to Louisiana. In a recent interview I did with Chris Strachwitz on the Bottleneck Cafe Radio Show, he talked about this session and how it was a rough time for Big Joe, who later got arrested for carrying a knife in his boot and then left town without warning. On a lighter note, you get to hear Big Mama Thornton intimidate a band of jazz musicians on live recordings of “Ball and Chain” and “Hound Dog” and Lightnin’ Hopkins gives you a colorful view of what life was like on Telegraph Ave in the 1960′s. But Blues isn’t the only music showcased here. Folk singer Barbara Dane does a wonderful and heartfelt version of “Deportees” and Bob Neuwirth’s “Come See” is guaranteed to tickle your funny bone. Cliften Chenier’s “Mr. Charlie” is a good introduction for anyone getting interested in Zydeco (I found myself picking up some of his albums after hearing this track) and Bob Mielke’s Bearcats version of “Moose March” will get your feet moving. But this is just the tip of the ice berg as they say, there is so much in this box set that it took me a month to get through it! You can get your copy of Hear Me Howling!Blues, Ballads, and Beyond at www.arhoolie.com.
I first became familiar with Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears in 2009 when I did my annual “Best New Music of The Year” radio show. I asked for suggestions from listeners and friends and my good friend Jon told me about this funk band he had seen that past summer at the Outside Lands festival in San Francisco. Knowing that Jon has great taste in music I gave Black Joe Lewis a listen on iTunes and after about 30 seconds of listening to the first track on the album “Tell Em’ What Your Name Is!” I turned off the computer and went straight to the record store to pick up a copy for myself. Needless to say, that album stayed in my car for most of the next year. Now Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears are back with a new album entitled “Scandalous”, the bands second release for Lost Highway records. This record picks up right where the last record left off and keeps the party going the whole way through! The album opens with the upbeat and funky “Livin’ In The Jungle” before sliding into the slick groove of “I’m Gonna Leave You”. But the song that is show stopper on this album for me is the dirty blues number “Messin”. Few artist can really channel the feel and sound of the great Lightnin’ Hopkins but Black Joe Lewis sounds right at home on this tune. Something that also sets this album (as well as “Tell Em’ What Your Name Is”) apart from other releases is that Mr. Lewis isn’t afraid to use his great sense of humor! The song “Mustang Ranch” not only grooves hard but will also make you laugh your ass off! In short, if you are a fan of really good music done really well, this album is for you!
