May 2008 Issue #79

Featured Canadian Blues CD's

  Jeff Healey: Mess Of Blues

Review Courtesy of Maple Blues Online - John's Blues Picks   

The first thing I noticed listening to this disc is what a great blues singer we’ve lost. He may have concentrated recently on his traditional jazz but it has done his blues singing no harm at all. Indeed, “How Blue Can You Get” or “Sitting On Top Of The World” are perfect examples of why some songs stay in the standard repertoire, being continuously re-invented with life experience. His guitar playing here reaffirms his status among the very best. He chose to perform with his Roadhouse house band, which he has called “the best damned bar band in the world”. Considering the other Canadian band that has had that title that is quite an accolade. They proceed to prove they deserve the title. They are: Dan Noodermeer on guitar, Dave Murphy, keyboards, Al Webster, drums, and Alec Fraser on bass. Healey salutes them by accompanying them on two songs: Alec Fraser’s rousing take on “Jambalaya”, the Hank Williams standard, and an original by Dave Murphy, “”It’s Only Money” which finds them all in a powerful Jerry Lee Lewis mold. Mr. Murphy deserves further mention as the perfect foil for Healey’s solos, with consistently inventive keyboard support. Doc Pomus & Mort Shuman wrote “Mess Of Blues” for Elvis Presley, for Elvis is Back in 1960. It sounds closer here to Fats Domino but gets a rocking treatment nonetheless, and it appears label prez Holger Petersen got to be one of The Jordanaires! Freddie King’s “I’m Tore Down” was a highlight of the film (and soundtrack) Roadhouse in 1989, the film that did so much to launch his international career. Again, a much different arrangement. “The Weight”, made famous by that other bar band, has been released to radio as a single. 

The CD highlight, though, is the extraordinary performance of Neil Young’s “Like A Hurricane. Recorded live at his club just a month or so ago, this six-minute plus masterpiece was also taped by Talking Blues’ Mako Funasaka and forms the basis of his moving video tribute. Healey’s impassioned vocal and guitar take this one to another place. The band is locked in the groove right there with him. The CD will be released on April 15th and the official tribute will be at the Sound Academy (formerly The Docks) on Saturday, May 3rd, with the traditional jazz tribute the next day at the club. The Jazz Wizards will play at both events.

  Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne: Can’t Stop Now  

Review Courtesy of Maple Blues Online - John's Blues Picks

An inventive program highlights Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne’s new CD, with a survey of the roots of today’s music. The Juno Award winning pianist assembled his usual recording team, members of The Twisters, at the BlueStar Recording studio in Whitehorse, where the Twisters’ last CD After The Storm was recorded, also with Mr. Wayne on piano. These sessions generated the bulk of the CD. Trips to St. Louis, Toronto & Vancouver round out the program. “Boogie Woogie Mama” and “Let’s Have Some Fun” with the augmented Twisters are the new additions to his Amos Milburn-derived playbook and they are excellent. The Toronto stop produced “You Cured My Blues” with the late Jeff Healey on guitar, Mitch Lewis on rhythm guitar, Rodney St. Amand on bass, Maureen Brown on drums and a full horn section with Chris Whiteley, Richard Underhill, Chris Gale and William Carn. The song is a tender, ‘50’s-style blues ballad with a spot-on solo from Mr. Healey and a wonderfully appropriate horn chart. A tribute to the late Johnny Johnson, the St. Louis pianist who was so important to Chuck Berry’s sound, resulted in two more songs: Johnson’s famous “Tanqueray” and the rocking Wayne original “Johnnie J. Was Good”. The CD booklet says Johnnie’s widow was beaming approval from the control room. The Vancouver session was with an augmented edition of his road band, with Russell Jackson on bass and Theo Brown on drums. “You Can Pack Your Suitcase” is a Dave Bartholomew song written for Fats Domino. It and Wayne’s excellent new post-Katrina song, “Raging Storm”, form the New Orleans portion of the roots journey. Other stops include the rapping “Sweet Little Peach” which he handles rather well and the doo wop song “Don’t Cry” with Wayne handling all the parts! Various effects make their first appearance, with rainfall sounds in “Raging Storm” and glasses klinking in “Tanqueray”. Wayne’s songwriting deserves special mention, with “Raging Storm” and “Judge By The Look” being especially good. That last one deals with those who get good jobs or promotions just because of their looks, while those with real talent get left behind. As you read this, Wayne has finished his string of local appearances and you’ll have to make do with this wonderful CD until he returns. http://www.kennybluesboss.com/ 

  Peter Lazz & Paul Fenton: Rattlesnakin’ Daddy

Review Courtesy of Maple Blues Online - John's Blues Picks

You may not know Peter “Lazz” Lazazzera, who is a traditional country blues artist following in the footsteps of John Hammond. Paul Fenton you probably do know, a blues-rock slide guitar master. Lazz is Domenic Troiano’s cousin and he was part of a duo that opened for Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee at the Riverboat in Yorkville. He has since spent many years abroad, in Germany and Singapore to name but two places before returning and settling in Cumberland, a town between Ottawa and Montreal. The self-advertised aim of this recording was to ram the two styles together and see what happens. Well, what happened is a showcase for Fenton’s slide wizardry. I suspect the live off the floor recording is partly to blame but Lazz’s vocals are no match for Fenton’s guitar in terms of presence and in this contest he comes off second best. He does a good job with some traditional and perhaps overdone blues songs but in every song you are drawn to Fenton’s inventive slide playing. It may be that the stricter settings have given Fenton a challenge. The song that works best overall is Lonnie Mack’s “Satisfy My Suzie”, maybe because it was already a rocker. Blind Boy Fuller’s “Rattlesnakin’ Daddy”, Sonny Boy Williamson (II)’s “Checking On My Baby” and particularly Tampa Red’s “Stranger Blues” are already receiving airplay, my comments notwithstanding, and so you may be hearing more of this CD. Robert Johnson’s “Queen of Spades” sees Fenton on a National but Matt Wood can’t or won’t soften his drumming and an opportunity is lost. www.paulfenton.com has lots of info and samples.

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