THE ANTHONY PAULE SOUL ORCHESTRA FEATURING WILLY JORDAN
What Are You Waiting For?
Blue Dot Records – BDR CD 111
Guitarist, composer, and bandleader Anthony Paule has been a fixture on the Bay Area soul and R&B scene since 2007. Over the years, his Soul Orchestra has been fronted by such classic vocalists as Wee Willie Walker and Frank Bey. On What Are You Waiting For?, Willy Jordan takes over as lead singer, and they fit together hand in glove. Jordan, who previously garnered attention through his work with Elvin Bishop’s Big Fun Trio, delivers this set of original tunes with passion, grit, and fire. The singer and the band—which features a four-piece rhythm section, four horns, and a cast of background vocalists—work together seamlessly to produce vintage R&B tracks that recall the highly effective pairing of Sharon Jones and another contemporary unit with a retro sound, the Dap-Kings.
The program includes a range of material that highlights the versatility of both the band and singer. You Ain’t Old ’Til You Cold is a swaggering southern soul number that supports Jordan’s vocal with a swinging energy. There’s a nod of recognition to the Memphis sound of Hi Records with the dynamic interchange between Paule’s guitar and Tony Lufrano’s Hammond organ on One Way, and Jordan effectively evokes Al Green on the uplifting Love Out Loud. They dig deeper into the blues side of things, bringing to mind Bobby “Blue” Bland with the bravura That’s Not How the Story Goes and B.B. King with the slow groove passion of You’re Somebody Else’s Baby Too. Where’s Justice? harks back to the social consciousness that imbued R&B in the late 1960s and early 1970s, featuring a big sound and lyrics delivered with a fiery conviction. Backup vocalist Larry Batiste steps forward to sing lead on churning funk of Back Up Plan. Some humor is injected into the mix with another funk outing, No Tofu—“Bring me some barbeque / Don’t want no tofu.” Jordan’s prowess as a singer is perhaps best exemplified on the haunting Bruised with its stripped-down backing and the R&B ballad After a While with Jordan’s impassioned vocal gliding over a textured guitar/organ backing and highlighted by a gorgeous tenor saxophone solo. Soul blues fans should welcome What Are You Waiting For?, a pairing of two veteran talents that brings something new to the tried and true.
—Robert H. Cataliotti
STEVE CROPPER & THE MIDNIGHT HOUR
Friendlytown
Provogue – PRD77352
Staying relevant for a musician like Steve Cropper, who’s enjoyed a career spanning more than 60 years, is no easy task. But the legendary axeman’s pedigree and chops make putting out great new music as easy as strapping on his trusty Fender Tele and hitting “record.”
Cropper is riding a late career renaissance at age 83 that’s introducing his special brand of soul, R&B, and blues songwriting and playing to a brand new audience, many of whom weren’t born when he began laying down warm, tasteful soul and blues vamps wrapped inside gritty, swaggering arrangements for the Mar-Keys, the late ’50s powerhouse band that helped define the “Memphis Sound” as the first house band for the iconic Stax label. Stardom called when that ensemble evolved into Booker T. and the MG’s thanks to the runaway success of the classic instrumental Green Onions.
Over the next several decades, Cropper played on hundreds of studio sessions and amassed thousands of writing, co-writing, producing, and arranging credits with stars like Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas, and countless others. He even found time to release a handful of solo albums following his 1969 debut, With a Little Help from My Friends.
On Friendlytown Cropper cooks from the same recipe that made 2021’s Fire It Up a stunning comeback album—great songs with inventive arrangements played by monumentally talented musicians. Backed by the Midnight Hour—ZZ Top’s Billy F. Gibbons (guitars), Roger C. Reale (vocals), Eddie Gore (Hammond B3, backing vocals), Don Tiven (bass, keys, sax, backing vocals), and Nioshi Jackson (drums)—Cropper and company deliver 13 original tracks written or co-written by Cropper that largely cover real world topics with a heady realism soaked in optimism that can only be achieved after decades in the game.
The title track sets the tone as Reale sings, “The face in the mirror tells you it’s time to quit. Don’t let it get you down, you could be walking into Friendlytown,” over a trademark beautifully dirty, slinky Gibbons-fueled groove. Reale shares vocal duties with Queen’s Brian May, who also teams with Gibbons on a short but smokin’ solo, on Too Much Stress.
Over a simmering groove that recalls Otis Redding’s 1965 hit I Can’t Turn You Loose, Let’s Get Started is a rockin’ burst of sunny optimism. Lay It on Down preaches unity and compassion, while putting Cropper’s signature double-string lead approach on glorious display.
The good vibes continue on You Can’t Refuse, with Bad Company drummer Simon Kirke powering the relentless groove. Talkin’ ’Bout Politics doesn’t take sides, but puts double-dealing politicos, or as Reale labels them, “liars, crooks and clowns,” in the crosshairs. Over a vintage Booker T riff, In God We Trust is a pragmatic examination on issues of trust. I Leave You in Peace closes the disc with a positive reflection that relationships don’t have to end in a fiery ball of negativity.
You won’t find Friendlytown on a map. It’s more of a state of mind inhabited by world-class musicians dedicated to navigating life through a positive, soulful lens.
—Rod Evans
EB DAVIS
Then and Now
ZYX Music – PEC 2146-2
EB Davis, an American blues singer based in Berlin, has a unique story (told in detail in LB #280). Davis was born in Elaine, Arkansas, and moved to Memphis at the age of nine. After a few years singing with bands in Memphis and New York City, Davis joined the army and was stationed in West Berlin. The city’s vibrant club scene became Davis’ adopted home, and he spent many years juggling his musical career and military duties. In 2015, Davis was featured in the documentary film How Berlin Got the Blues.
Then and Now follows the time-honored tradition of a charismatic frontman leading a tightly honed band. The ebullient Monday Morning Blues sets the mood perfectly. Davis’ rich, dynamic vocals grab the listener’s attention while his band slips into a perfect Chicago groove. Guitarist Jürgen Jay Bailey and keyboard player Nina Davis (EB’s wife) are both standouts. Bailey’s fretwork has just the right amount of grit, and Nina Davis’ swells and crescendos on organ give the band a shot in the arm. On Give It Up, tenor saxophonist Ben King Perkoff’s bluesy licks channel the late great A.C. Reed. The lowdown Buttermilk Blues is a great showcase for Davis’ expressive voice, and Bailey and Nina Davis get plenty of room to stretch out.
Groovin’ Together stirs some soul into the proceedings with gospel-tinged backing vocals and the twin saxes of Perkoff and Willie Pollock. As always, Davis’ voice cuts through the mix. Uncle Lou sports a funky arrangement that leans into Davis’ Memphis roots. The rhythm section locks into a tight groove while Nina Davis channels the spirit of Booker T. Jones. While Davis largely performs original material, he and the band come into their own on a beautiful reading of T-Bone Walker’s Glamour Girl. Davis’ vocals are honey smooth, and Nina Davis contributes some of her finest piano work.
Then and Now doesn’t seek to reinvent the wheel, but listeners are bound to be moved by the passion and musicianship on display. The album ought to bring recognition to an unsung blues hero.
—Jon Kleinman
KENNY “BLUES BOSS” WAYNE
Ooh Yeah!
Stony Plain – SPCD 1517
Veteran singer and pianist Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne takes in a continent’s worth of styles on his new Stony Plain release—everything from New Orleans R&B to Texas blues, Memphis soul to Delta banjo music, Nashville countrypolitan to West Coast cool, all anchored by his spirited keyboard work and solid vocals.
The album opens with a straight-up boogie-woogie number of the sort Wayne is best known for. Ooh Yeah! is played at a fast clip and has several extended solo passages for Wayne to exhibit his mastery of the 88s.
In a sharp change of pace, Whatcha Gonna Do Now? opens with a banjo picking out a simple blues theme for a few bars before Wayne and the band jump in. The rest of the band—Wayne’s piano and vocals, plus electric guitar, bass, and drums—lays down a more contemporary R&B-infused blues, but throughout, Jimmy Bowskill’s banjo picks out that rural riff, providing an interesting contrast.
Baby, I’m Your Man is pure Crescent City R&B that sounds like a vintage Snooks Eaglin track. Wayne’s rollicking piano here is more in a Fats Domino vein, blocking his chords to lay out the theme.
The groove remains in New Orleans on the next song, Sailing with the Sunset, where Wayne channels his inner Professor Longhair with a Caribbean rhythmic structure laid atop the blues. The horn section provides both punctuation and counterpoint on this instrumental, creating a dialogue with Wayne’s piano.
The fifth track, My Point of View, is almost as jarring a change of pace from the previous song as that between the first and second tracks: this is Southern California soul jazz, with guitarist James Anthony playing with a big fat tone a la George Benson. Anthony’s short fills behind Wayne’s smooth vocals are just as tasty as his lengthy solo, while Wayne is so relaxed it calls to mind Nat “King” Cole.
Try It Out again features Bowskill on banjo as well as a three-piece horn section on a bit of throwback funk (albeit funk with a banjo!). Despite the seemingly disparate pieces, the song and arrangement swing like crazy.
On Wishing Well, the energy is dialed way back. No guitar is credited on this track, but whomever is playing it laid down a shimmering, restrained set of solos and fills behind Wayne’s gorgeous supper club vibe on electric piano.
Honey, Honey, Honey has a Texas flair to it, while on Blacklist Wayne gets in some deep grooves on electric piano. And in another stylistic hairpin turn, I Wish Things Were Different straddles country and soul, where It’s Pouring Down has a huge streak of vintage Memphis soul to it—like a lost tape found in a storage room at Stax. Wayne’s vocals are at their most evocative here, telling the story of a man waiting for his woman to call on a rainy night.
The album closes out with That Crazy Monkey, a fun, up-tempo novelty song in a blues form.
Here’s the thing about this album, though: it’s all seamless, utterly in the pocket, never forced or coming across as affectation. While the styles vary widely from song to song, each track holds together on its own.
Rather than being confusing, the wide range of styles comes across as an organic reflection of Wayne’s own interests and influences—ideas he absorbed so fully they simply became part of the Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne sound.
—Jim Trageser
FRANK CATALANO / LURRIE BELL
Set Me Free
No Label – No #
Frank Catalano and Lurrie Bell are true die-hard survivors, and their first LP together, Set Me Free, reflects this indomitable grit and fire. Catalano’s saxophone joins forces with Bell’s voice and guitar for nine cuts of prime-grade Chicago blues, served up with unstinting verve and nary a wasted note between them.
Bell is a vocalist of stealthily casual power. He never seems to strain for effect, yet takes any lyric exactly where it needs to go. Witness his rendition of Georgia, his craggy, inviting croon massaging every iota of warmth from Hoagy Carmichael’s immortal verses. He offers an intriguingly light-fingered take on Muddy Waters’ I’m Ready, his unforced attack somehow making the bare-knuckle lyrics feel even more threatening (dig that extra tangy gravy he slathers onto the word “chain”). Bell’s guitar playing, best showcased on the ballsy near-eight-minute instrumental Kicking, frequently bears an unconventional, notes-bitten-off attack that at its best gives his sound, for all its cool restraint, a distinctive jittery edge.
Catalano is a blast-it-out blower in the classic rhythm and blues vein, and he counters Bell’s laid-back grace with his own broad-shouldered bravado. On Shakin’, the album’s second instrumental, Catalano whips up a furious, frequently squalling groove that wouldn’t feel out of place on an especially dynamic blaxploitation soundtrack. The saxophonist’s thick tone and exuberant high notes electrify a sparkling version of the B.B. King favorite Everyday I Have the Blues, and on Tuna Town, rounding out the disc’s trio of instrumental tracks, Catalano simply swings his ass off, having a ball with this funk-heavy celebration.
Catalano and Bell have brought along a stellar rhythm trio to keep Set Me Free sparking along in simmering high style. Bassist Aaron Mitter’s dense, brooding rumble boldly lays the groundwork for the band’s reading of Elmore James’ The Sky Is Crying; his sound provides the perfect backdrop for Catalano’s heat and the gentle tension of Bell’s guitar. Kurt Lubbe’s energetic drums maintain a sleek yet furious pace on the title track, keeping things nice and tight around Catalano’s vivacious solo and Mitter’s own slick, aggressive lines. And pianist Tom Vaitsas, a rambunctiously engaging presence throughout the recording, absolutely glistens alongside Bell’s rich vocal vibrato on the album’s closer, a stripped-down yet fervent take on the Etta James ballad At Last. Set Me Free serves as a grand curtain-raiser for what will hopefully be many more fruitful Catalano/Bell collaborations to come.
—Matt R. Lohr
ELEANOR ELLIS
I Do Just What I Do
Patuxent – CD-376
Eleanor Ellis’ devotion to archival blues has always been apparent. A native of Louisiana, she’s performed throughout the United States, Europe, and Canada, sharing a style that brings to mind any number of iconic artists—Bessie Smith, Memphis Minnie, Victoria Spivey, Sippie Wallace, and Koko Taylor, among them. A founding member of the DC Blues Society and the Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation, as well as an author, archivist, and producer, she’s carved out a career that’s found her delving into the depths of Piedmont blues and the essential sounds of New Orleans, the Delta, and the Louisiana Bayou, all while maintaining her own approach to the sound and style from which she draws her inspiration.
Her numerous albums of acoustic blues and the various anthologies on which she’s appeared testify to her talents, a trend that continues with her newest release, the descriptively dubbed I Do Just What I Do. As always, she purveys an honesty and purity that owes its appeal primarily to Ellis’ singing and solo fingerpicking guitar, with only the most occasional accompaniment on harmonica, slide, piano, fiddle, jug, and percussion. The album sometimes sounds like a trip back in time, given the traditional tapestry that shades it overall. Broke and Hungry, Bulldoze Blues, and CC&O are obvious examples, each delivered with a supple sound that’s calming yet engaging.
Consequently, the melodies glide along with a sway, strut, and saunter, at the same time allowing for a casual caress. Bring It with You When You Come offers a slight uptick in tone, a jaunty take on some down-home designs. On the other hand, certain songs—Elder Green, Sugar Babe, Southbound, and Risin’ River Blues in particular—opt for a mellower and somewhat unobtrusive approach, putting emphasis on Ellis’ solitary style and unblemished attitude. Those qualities are also shared with the gospel-like Trouble I Once Knew and the quietly compelling My Creole Belle, two of the more moving songs on the album.
Given today’s preference for flash and frenzy, I Do Just What I Do may seem like an anachronism of sorts, and yet, Ellis’ determination to stay true to the title is evident as well. The results are clearly a credit to her confidence.
—Lee Zimmerman
CORKY SIEGEL
Symphonic Blues No. 6
Dawnserly Records – Dawnserly 4305
When Corky Siegel was dancing around to the sounds of Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf in his parents’ living room, little did he imagine that those sounds snaking into his soul and stirring it to ecstasy would eventually glide out into the world through his own explosive, caressing, intimate, and expressive harmonica playing and the tunes and songs that he and his partner Jim Schwall played live at Big John’s in Old Town in Chicago. Even less did Siegel imagine that in 1966 the great classical conductor Maestro Seiji Ozawa, and then-conductor of the Chicago Symphony, would wander into the club and approach him to say that he’d like Siegel-Schwall to jam with the Chicago Symphony! That moment launched not only an enduring and visionary partnership and friendship between Ozawa and Siegel; it also inaugurated a lifelong conversation between the blues and classical music, as Siegel went on to work with a number of classical composers, conductors, and musicians on a variety of chamber or orchestral pieces in which the notes of the blues harp darted and dashed among the notes of the violins, violas, and other instruments in these arrangements.
In 2007, Maestro Stephen Gunzenhauser and the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra commissioned Siegel to compose Symphonic Blues No. 6, which the orchestra and Siegel premiered in 2008. Until now, though, there has been no recording of this work available. Gathering a community of musicians—with first chair musical masters from the Chicago Symphony and other top orchestras, as well as members of his own Chamber Blues ensemble—Siegel recorded the three movements and a coda of Symphonic Blues No. 6, as well as Wrecking Ball Sonata and Opus 11 for Solo Violin for this new album.
Movement I: Filisko’s Dream opens with a flight of swooping violin bowings, setting the stage for Siegel’s spry call-and-response harmonica runs. With an upbeat rhythm, the harmonica and violins chase each other around, resembling the flight of a bumblebee. There’s playfulness and joy as the movement spirals to its climax. The second movement turns darker, as if night has fallen, and Movement II: Slow Blues opens with a clarinet that conveys a lost soul wandering in the dark night, a scene evocatively created by the rest of the orchestra; Siegel’s lonely harmonica strains mimic crying, and at the very least a “woe is me, what do I do now that I am alone” groove. Movement III: Allegro scampers off once again in a pell-mell fashion, as if it’s now time for the lost soul of Movement II to reclaim the wonder and joy of life. CODA for Tabla and Harmonica rides on the dashing rhythms of the final movement, opening with joyous scat singing on the ebullient duet. Siegel adds vocals to the slow-burning chamber blues of Wrecking Ball Sonata, which is followed with the fluttering rhythms of Opus 11 for Solo Violin, featuring Dr. Jaime Gorgojo. On the final track on this album, Siegel tells the stories of how a blues musician and classical conductor discovered the deep currents flowing between the blues and classical music.
Symphonic Blues No. 6 is a brilliant masterpiece that exudes Siegel’s genius, his vision, and his generosity. As he says in his storytelling, this music is “all about the heart,” and Siegel’s emotionally resonant compositions are bound to touch the hearts of all of his listeners.
—Henry L. Carrigan Jr.
KAT RIGGINS & HER BLUES REVIVAL
Revival
No label – No #
Kat Riggins’ influences may be obvious—she herself has cited Koko Taylor, Gladys Knight, Tina Turner, Betty Wright, Shirley Caesar, and Denise LaSalle among the artists who helped inspire her throughout her career—but there’s no denying that when it comes to her own music, both live and in performance, she’s an original. She has often stated that she’s on a mission to help ensure the blues not only survive, but thrive as well. Nevertheless, even after 20 years and five albums, some still see her as a rising star, and indeed, given her energy and vitality, she clearly possesses an eager, effusive attitude.
Nevertheless, when one considers her credits—her Blues Music Award nominations courtesy of the Blues Foundation in 2022 and 2024 for Soul Blues Female and in 2021 for Contemporary Blues Album—it’s quite clear she has all the credibility of a seasoned star.
She shows a certain variety and versatility. She’s quite capable of operating within any number of different genres—not only blues, but R&B, soul, gospel, and rock ’n’ roll as well. And yet, with a backing band dubbed Blues Revival (consisting of drummer, bassist, keyboardist, songwriter, and musical director Tim Mulberry, lead guitarist Erik Guess, and backing vocalists Mark Barner and Shaelyn Mulberry) and a new album with a title that suggests the same, her devotion to the blues is obvious.
Her verve and vitality are evident at the outset, courtesy of the rousing revelry found in the album opener, the succinctly dubbed Lucky. Revived, as the name implies, maintains that assertive stance with a clear drive and determination. Southern Soul and New Level are given a solid stomp, compelling choruses, and more than a hint of frenzy and fury.
In addition to infusing her blues with a bluster, she invests it with a joy and jubilation that leaves little room for dwelling on sadder sentiment. The feisty funk of Mojo Thief and the brassy bravado given Chasin’ Time are two prime examples. Even when she dives into an emphatic ballad like Set Me Free, the sentiment she shares becomes emotionally inspired.
There can be little doubt at this point that Kat Riggins is one of the most vibrant and invigorating artists in the blues. So too, it’s safe to say this Revival shows no sign of slowing up any time soon.
—Lee Zimmerman
BETH HART
You Still Got Me
Provogue Records – PRD77222
Beth Hart’s still got us on her new album—her 11th—as she ensnares us with her husky, growling vocals and her down-to-the-soul waves of piano chords. Hart explores various musical landscapes on You Still Got Me, from stone-cold blues rock and rollicking New Orleans jazz blues to cantering county and sparkling jazz.
The towering rock anthem Savior with a Razor, featuring screaming lead runs by Slash, prowls with a menacing promise to slash down the devils—politicians and preachers, among others—that elevate falsehood to truth and that foster hypocrisy and ignorance. The blues rock stomp Suga N My Bowl, featuring Eric Gales’ piercing solos on the instrumental bridge, funks along, pleading for a little of that sweet stuff that gets us through the night. On the carnivalesque—think Cher meets Tom Waits—Never Underestimate a Gal, raucous piano notes dart around rollicking Gypsy rhythms on this voodoo tale of a woman turning the tables on her man. Turning on her torchlight, Hart delivers a scorching jazz lounge performance on the languorous Drunk on Valentine, as twinkling piano notes weave under the notes of a muted trumpet and Hart’s caressing vocals flow over them. Loping guitar lines a la the Man in Black propel the shuffling country rocker Wanna Be Big Bad Johnny Cash, while Hart incorporates a few phrases from Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door and Let It Be on the soul-stirring, gospel-inflected Little Heartbreak Girl. Ethereal harmonies on the song’s course spiral ever upward, lending the song its soulful character. In many ways, it’s the best song on the album. The album closes with the dark, haunting Gothic rock chamber piece Machine Gun Vibrato.
On the 11 songs on You Still Got Me, Hart demonstrates her knack for living within the notes of song, turning it upside down, and allowing her vocals to soar into the sonic stratosphere or to drop into tender, hushed tones.
—Henry L. Carrigan Jr.
CATFISH KEITH
Shake Me Up
Fish Tail Records – FTRCD022
Catfish Keith can claim a surprisingly prolific career simply by conforming to the basics of the blues and striving for simplicity at the same time. A veritable one-man showstopper, he’s performed for audiences throughout the world and released nearly two dozen albums over the course of his 30-year career. Clearly, he has no reason to shake things up, the title of his new album aside.
After all, given all his awards and accolades, among them three Blues Blast Music Awards for Acoustic Blues Album and one for Acoustic Guitarist, various Blues Music Awards nominations, and no less than 19 Grammy nominations—it’s obvious there’s no need for any change in tack. So too, having been the recipient of ongoing airplay and given the privilege of performing with the likes of Ray Charles, John Lee Hooker, Robert Cray, John Fahey, Leo Kottke, Johnny Shines, and the Everly Brothers, his accomplishments are clear.
On the other hand, his devotion to revisiting traditional standards and music of an archival origin demonstrates the fact that he not only relishes his roots, but remains determined to fully mine the potential for renewed discovery. Although Keith performs solo, fingerpicking a variety of acoustic guitars, the heartfelt emotion and earnest intent purveys a fullness, fluidity, honesty, and expression. His takes on Gary Davis’ Candyman/Salty Dog, Lonnie Johnson’s Careless Love, and Blind Blake’s Diddy Wah Diddy bring to mind offerings that would later find a fit in more contemporary constraints.
Likewise, even the more obscure entries, some likely known only to purists, come across with an ease and accessibility that adds overall cohesiveness and coherence to the set. The swaying lullaby Sleep Baby Sleep and a wistful, romantic take on My Creole Belle—the former said to be the first song Jimmie Rodgers ever recorded and the latter courtesy of Mississippi John Hurt—add a soothing element to the mix, while the track that follows, Long Gone from Kentucky, still finds a smooth segue despite its feisty persona. Keith’s supple strum maintains a comforting caress that rarely wavers throughout.
As a result, Shake Me Up does anything but shake up what Keith does so well, which ought to be reassuring not only to his ardent admirers, but also to those that simply seek a hint of solace in a troublesome world.
—Lee Zimmerman
