CD Review: Buddy Guy, Live at Legends

Recommended.

My health is good. My fingers still work. My voice has held out. My fans haven't left me. They accept what I offer and give back plenty love. What else can a man want?

                                                                       Buddy Guy, When I Left Home (2012)

One week before Christmas, Silvertone released Buddy Guy: Live at Legends, recorded in January 2010 at Buddy's own club in Chicago and produced by Tom Hambridge. Those of us who were waiting for the definitive live performance album by Buddy Guy will have to wait a bit longer.

Buddy has recorded at least five live albums before, three of them with former sidekick Junior Wells. My personal favorite is Live at the Checkerboard Lounge, Chicago 1979, but that's just another way of saying that I prefer the Buddy Guy on that recording to the Buddy of today. His most recent live effort, Live: The Real Deal (1996), has its good points, but I found the backup by the Saturday Night Live Band to be awkward at times. However, I recommend it over this CD.

Recording a live Buddy Guy performance can be a challenge. Much of the performance is visual. He jumps abruptly from song to song, seldom completing any of them. He varies the dynamics. (When he gets down to a whisper, reach for your ear plugs.) He demonstrates the guitar styles of earlier blues artists and rock musicians he has influenced. He does his usual walk through the audience. All of this can seem spontaneous until you see him again and realize that it isn't.

The live section of this CD is only 40 minutes long, suggesting that it was edited down from a longer performance. He has tamed down his usual routine; for example, he completes most of the songs, and his commentaries are fairly brief. He gets off to a rousing start with “Best Damn Fool.”

With the exception of two medleys, these are all songs he's recorded before, in some cases quite recently. His guitar work is more flashy than on the studio versions, but not necessarily better. In a disappointing departure from his usual live program, there are no acoustic songs in this set. However, he does slow the pace down long enough to give us a heavy dose of racial tolerance (“Skin Deep”). His finale turns out to be the medleys, which as usual had me grinding my teeth. Buddy's self-esteem seems heavily invested in the claim that he is the missing link between the blues giants and the rock stars of the '60s and '70s. In fact, he doesn't need to bask in the reflected glory of Jimi Hendrix or Eric Clapton. The performance ends abruptly without much applause and with no encore.

Because the live performance is so short, the CD is filled out with three studio cuts recorded in March 2010, probably remainders from the sessions that produced his most recent album, Living Proof. Two of them are slow blues, an original, “Polka Dot Love,” and a soulful version of Muddy Waters' “Country Boy,” which I think is the highlight of the CD. (A bit of history: At age 27, Buddy Guy played backup guitar on the Muddy Waters LP Folk Singer, which contains this song.) The third studio cut is an up tempo rocker featuring the Memphis Horns.

At the age of 73 (when this CD was recorded), Buddy Guy is still one of our greatest guitarists and is highly underrated as a singer—if he would only just stand there, play and sing at the level of which he is capable. If you don't have many Buddy Guy CDs, this one may turn out to be a revelation for you. But if you have most of them already, this one may sit on the shelf longer than the others.

Live Tracks: Best Damn Fool; Mannish Boy; I Just Want to Make Love to You; Skin Deep; Damn Right I Got the Blues; Boom Boom/Strange Brew; Voodoo Chile/Sunshine of Your Love.

Studio Tracks: Polka Dot Love; Coming For You; Country Boy.  (55 min.)

Personnel (Live): Buddy Guy, vocals, lead guitar; Rick Hall, guitar; Marty Sammon, keyboards; Orlando Wright, bass; Tim Austin, drums; Tom Hambridge, background vocal on “Skin Deep.”

Personnel (Studio): Buddy Guy, vocals, lead guitar; David Grissom, guitar; Reese Wynans, keyboards; Marty Sammon, keyboards (2 tracks); Michael Rhodes, bass (2 tracks); Tommy Macdonald, bass (1 track); Tom Hambridge, drums; Memphis Horns—Wayne Jackson, trumpet; Jack Hale, trombone; Tom McGinley, tenor saxophone (1 track).

The Soundies #2

This week's soundie is Fats Waller with a 1941 version of “Ain't Misbehavin'.” According to the man who posted it, the female vocalist is Vivian Brown, although she is sometimes misidentified as Myra Johnson.

There is another filmed version of “Ain't Misbehavin'” on the internet. It's not a soundie, but a scene from the 1943 musical Stormy Weather. That's Lena Horne, who acted in the film, seated at the table, and the tap dancer is Bill “Bojangles” Robinson.

Jerry Strikes Again

Jerry's Records is a Pittsburgh store run by Jerry Weber and his son Willie that specializes in rare vinyl—or in this case, shellac. He made the news in November when he bought several boxes of old 78 rpm records for $50. The stash turned out to include a rare copy of Robert Johnson's 1936 recording of “I Believe I'll Dust My Broom” (Vocalion 03475). The record was in VG condition (that is, worn but still listenable) and was valued at between $6,000 and $12,000.

A couple of weeks ago, Jerry and Willie had another stroke of good luck—although this is the kind of luck that is most likely to come to experts in their field. They bought a group of 78s by Blind Lemon Jefferson—for a lot more than $50, I'm sure—and discovered in the set an extremely rare country blues recording: “Adam and Eve in the Garden”/”I Heard the Voice of a Pork Chop” (Paramount 12693), by Bogus Ben Covington, recorded in September 1928. This one is in mint condition, making it very valuable.

Little is known about Ben Covington. His real name may be Ben Curry, and he also recorded as Blind Ben Covington and Memphis Ben. The nickname “Bogus” is said to come from the fact that he pretended to be blind while busking. Fortunately, both sides are posted on You Tube. They can also be found on two 4-CD box sets on the British JSP label. “Adam and Eve” is on When the Levee Breaks: Mississippi Blues, Rare Cuts, 1926-1941, and “Pork Chop” is on A Richer Tradition: Country Blues and String Band Music, 1923-1942.

Both sides are essentially the same tune with very different lyrics. Covington accompanies himself on banjo, and probably on harmonica as well. (On old records, you can usually tell whether a singer is accompanying himself by the overlap, or lack of it, between voice and harmonica.) Rather than suggesting that Covington was schizophrenic or religious, the talking pork chop song is a novelty about his dietary preferences. The style of these songs is consistent with the hypothesis that he was a minstrel show performer.

The story gets even more interesting. The great cartoonist Robert Crumb, who now lives in France, is an avid country blues collector. You may have seen Crumb's trading cards with drawings of early jazz and blues artists. A mutual friend arranged a trade between the Webers and Crumb. In exchange for the Covington 78, he has done a drawing of Jerry and Willie which they are free to use in promoting their business. They expect to have a T-shirt with the drawing available in the Spring.

Photo by Lake Fong/Post-Gazette

"If It's a Hit, It's OKeh"

Okeh Records, a historic race music label, is being revived by Sony as a jazz label. The new Okeh will be overseen by Wulf Muller and Chuck Mitchell, and will feature only new jazz CDs. Their slogan will be “global expressions in jazz.” The first release, scheduled for April 9, will be A Different Time by pianist John Medeski. The second, as yet untitled, will be by David Sanborn and Bob James. Also signed are Bill Frisell and Dhafer Youssef.

Okeh (pronounced “O.K.”) was founded in 1918 by German immigrant Otto K. E. Heinemann. The name comes from his initials. It started as an all-purpose label, but had a surprise hit in 1920 with Mamie Smith's “Crazy Blues,” considered by many to be the first blues recording.

After that, they concentrated on race music—music by and for African-Americans, namely jazz and blues—under the direction of Clarence Williams. Featured artists included King Oliver, Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet, Duke Ellington, Mississippi John Hurt, Blind Lemon Jefferson and Lonnie Johnson. The label was discontinued in 1933.

Okeh was successfully revived in 1949 as a rhythm and blues label, featuring artists such as Chuck Willis, the Ravens, the Treniers, Big Maybelle, and this man, Jalacy (“Screamin' Jay”) Hawkins. 

The tenor sax solo was by Sam "The Man" Taylor.  A long out-of-print three CD set, The Okeh Rhythm and Blues Story, 1949-1957, is well worth seeking out.

As rhythm and blues changed, Okeh morphed into a Chicago-style “soft soul” label in the early '60s, under the direction of Carl Davis, with many of the songs written by Curtis Mayfield. Artists included Walter Jackson, Major Lance, Ted Taylor, Larry Williams and Johnny “Guitar” Watson. The well dried up when Davis moved to Brunswick, where he was even more successful.

Okeh was briefly revived as a blues label in the '90s. It has been used intermittently for reissues.  

The Soundies #1

Check this blog every weekend, when I'll select a new "soundie" for your approval.  Soundies were early music videos that were shown in theatres in the '40s and early '50s.  Corny as some of them are, they are our best opportunity to view some of our past musical giants performing.  Here's a preview of a PBS documentary on the soundies that was shown several years ago.

Our first soundie is Duke Ellington's "I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good," with vocal by Ivie Anderson, which was recorded in 1941.  Although he's not on camera, the alto sax solo is by Johnny Hodges.

Magic Slim (1937-2013)

Morris Holt, better known as Magic Slim, died yesterday. He was hospitalized about a month ago with a bleeding ulcer, along with heart, lung and kidney ailments, while on tour in Philadelphia. He was 75. Slim was known for his rough, booming voice and his vibrato-laden guitar style, which he played both with and without a slide. For more than 45 years, Magic Slim and the Teardrops have been the quintessential Chicago blues band. Living Blues magazine said, “Magic Slim consistently offers no frills houserockin' blues. He and his band are a national treasure.”

Morris Holt was born in Granada, Mississippi on August 7, 1937. His first instrument was the piano, but when he lost the little finger of his right hand in a cotton gin accident, he switched to the guitar. He moved to Chicago in 1955, where he played bass in the band of his boyhood friend, Magic Sam (Sam Maghett). Magic Sam gave Slim his nickname, which stayed with him long after it was no longer appropriate.

Slim formed the Teardrops in 1965. The band included guitarist Alabama Junior Pettis, and his brothers, Nick Holt on bass and Douglas “Lee Baby” Holt on drums. His first recording was “Scufflin',” for the Ja-Wes label in 1966. He recorded his first LP, Born Under a Bad Sign, for the French MCM label in 1977. His career received a boost when four tracks by the group were included on the 1979 Alligator anthology, Living Chicago Blues. Following Muddy Waters' death in 1983, John Primer, Muddy's last guitarist, joined the Teardrops and remained with them for 13 years before leaving to form his own group.

The Teardrops were known for their large repetoire of blues songs. Here's a four song clip from 1991, a time when the Teardrops were at their very best. The front line is (l. to r.) Nick Holt, John Primer, and Magic Slim. The drummer is Jerry Porter.

Slim recorded over 30 CDs. Many of them appeared on the Austrian Wolf label, and should be approached with caution, since they were sometimes recorded under less than ideal conditions. Among those to seek out are Raw Magic on Alligator in 1980 and Grand Slam on Rooster Blues in 1982. In 1990, he began a long and mutually profitable association with Blind Pig, which produced nine CDs and one DVD. His 1999 CD Snakebite may well be the best Chicago blues album of the last 25 years. The Teardrops won the Blues Music Award as Best Blues Band of the Year six times.

Slim moved to Lincoln, Nebraska in 2004, reportedly out of concern that Chicago was not the best environment for his guitarist son, Shawn “Lil Slim” Holt. His brother Nick died in 2009. His son Shawn recently began touring with the band. Here's Slim in 2011 doing the title song from his final Blind Pig CD, Bad Boy, released in 2012.

CD Review: Joe Lovano/Us Five, Cross Culture

Highly recommended.

At an age, 60, when most musicians are repeating themselves, Joe Lovano is not content to rest with his previous achievements. Five years ago, he formed Us Five, an attempt at collective improvisation. In the liner notes, Lovano describes their goal as “to collectively create music within the music.” In addition to Lovano on tenor and soprano sax, the group consists of James Weidman, piano, Esperanza Spalding, bass, and dual drummers Otis Brown III and Francisco Mela. Their first CD, Folk Art, was released in 2009. It was followed in 2011 by Bird Songs, an attempt to reconceptualize 11 songs written by or associated with Charlie Parker.

Two characteristics seem to describe Folk Art and their current release:

• Much of the music is “free,” in the sense of unstructured, without a repeated melody, and sometimes lacking a consistent tempo. Some of the music is similar to Ornette Coleman's harmolodics, a style whose exact meaning is somewhat obscure. (One track on Folk Art is entitled “Ettenro.”)
• As the title of this CD implies, both the melodies and rhythm of some of the songs can be described as international. This is abetted by Lovano's suitcase full of offbeat woodwinds as well as some nontraditional percussion instruments. Much of the music has a Middle Eastern or African sound.

Most record companies release samples from new CDs on You Tube, focusing on tracks that are immediately accessible to a broad audience. For this CD, they have released “Star-Crossed Lovers,” which is unrepresentative in two ways. First, it was written by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, and is the only track on the CD not composed by Lovano. It certainly shows that Lovano still has a way with a beautiful ballad. Secondly, it is one of only two songs on the CD that can be described as traditional, mainstream jazz. The other is an up tempo track, “Royal Roost,” named for a Harlem bebop night club of the late '40s.

Since Esperanza Spalding's career has taken off, she is now only a part-time member of the group. She appears on four tracks, and it is she who solos on “Star-Crossed Lovers.” On the other numbers, she is replaced by Peter Slavov. However, what most separates this CD from their previous work is the participation of African guitarist Lionel Loueke on six tracks. I particularly like the title track, where Lovano and Loueke weave in and out at a relaxed tempo. The most African song is “Drum Chant,” an extended duet by the two drummers, with Loueke picking time in the background. Lovano joins them midway on his mezzo soprano sax, followed by a brief Loueke solo before the drummers bring it to a satisfying conclusion.

Us Five play music that requires repeated listening, and my attitude toward some of the more abstract tunes has changed over time as I get a better sense of where Lovano is going. Right now, my least favorite tracks are two completely out of tempo tunes (“Myths and Legends” and “Journey Within”) with the drummers rolling up a storm in the background. The opener, “Blessings in May,” is to my ear the most Ornetteish tune. “PM,” the longest track, starts with Lovano on tenor at a rapid tempo over a bed of cymbals. It takes a while to find its groove, but Weidman, Loueke and two tempo changes add a lot of interest.

If you're not familiar with Us Five, you might want to start with Bird Songs, which has more familiar tunes. Since Folk Art and Cross Culture are more experimental, you may not care for all the results. However, you have to admire Lovano's willingness to take risks. The CD is quite satisfying overall, and gets better with repetition.

Tracks: Blessings in May; Myths and Legends; Cross Culture; In a Spin; Star-Crossed Lovers; Journey Within; Drum Chant; Golden Horn; Royal Roost; Modern Man; PM. (62 min.)

Personnel: Joe Lovano, tenor and soprano saxophone, autochrome, taragato, percussion; James Weidman, piano; Lionel Loueke, guitar (6 tracks); Peter Slavov, bass (6 tracks); Esperanza Spalding, bass (4 tracks); Otis Brown III, Francisco Mela, drums and percussion.