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New Blues News – 7/20/2021

Rodd Bland & The Members Only Band – Live On Beale Street – A Tribute To Bobby “Blue” Bland (NOLA Blue): “Let there be no mistake: Rodd Bland was born into the blues. That’s what happens when you’re the son of immortal singer Bobby “Blue” Bland. But Rodd doesn’t sing the blues-he positions himself behind a drum kit, supplying solid grooves for many bands in his home town of Memphis. Riding his father’s coattails wasn’t an option; he’s too busy making his own musical statements and building his career.” (https://roddblandandthemob.bandcamp.com/) Fantastic music with terrific lyrics performed by Jerome Chism (vocals), Ashton Riker (vocals), Todd Bland (drums), Jackie Clark (bass), Harold Smith (guitar), Chris Stephenson 9keys, foals), Marc Franklin and Scott Thompson (trumpets), and Kirk Smothers (sax). This is a certified Professor Bebop “Wax Devoid of Cracks!” Click here to listen to the songs on this set.

Corey Harris Acoustic Trio – Louisa County Blues (numb): “Corey Harris was born in Denver, Colorado to parents from Texas and Kentucky. He is a guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and band leader who has carved out his own niche in blues. A powerful singer and accomplished guitarist, he has appeared at venues throughout the North America, Europe, Brazil, The Caribbean, West Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. He began his career as a New Orleans street singer, travelling throughout the southern U.S. In his early twenties he lived in Cameroon, West Africa for a year, which had a profound effect on his later work. He has recorded many old songs of the blues tradition while also creating an original vision of the blues by adding influences from reggae, soul, rock and West African music. His 1995 recording, Between Midnight and Day, is a tribute to the tradition of acoustic blues. Subsequent recordings, such as Greens From the Garden (1999), Mississippi to Mali (2003), and Daily Bread (2005) show Harris’ maturation from interpreter to songwriter. Some of his imaginative compositions are marked by a deliberate eclecticism; other works stay true to the traditional blues formula of compelling vocals and down-home guitar. With one foot in tradition and the other in contemporary experimentation, Harris is a truly unique voice in contemporary music. He has performed, recorded, and toured with many of the top names in music such as BB King, Taj Mahal, Buddy Guy, Henry Butler, R.L.Burnside, John Jackson, Ali Farka Toure, Dave Mattews Band, Tracy Chapman, Olu Dara, Wilco, Natalie Merchant, and others. His additional recordings include Fish Ain’t Bitin’ (1996), Vu-Du Menz (with Henry Butler, 2000), Downhome Sophisticate (2002), and Zion Crossroads (2007).blu black ( 2010 ). DC Blues (2009, with Phil Wiggins), Fulton Blues (2013), Louisa County Blues (2019). In 2003 Harris was a featured artist and narrator of the Martin Scorcese film, “Feel Like Going Home,” which traced the evolution of blues from West Africa to the southern U.S. In 2007, he was awarded a $500,000 MacArthur Fellowship – commonly referred to as a “genius award” – from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.” (https://www.virginiafolklife.org/train/entry/42/) This release is fantastic release and it is a certified Professor Bebop “Wax Devoid of Cracks!” I regret I am unable to find a sample from this new release.

Christone “Kingfish” Ingram – Christone Kingfish Ingram ( ): “In the two years since Kingfish was released, there have been major events that have altered his life both personally and professionally. “There has been much change, happiness and despair in my life,” Ingram says of his last two years. Right as his career was taking off, he lost his mother and biggest champion, the late Princess Pride Ingram. Christone toured for 13 months non-stop, until the pandemic halted live performances and forced him to take stock. As he was thinking about the man he was becoming and the new directions his life was taking, he began writing songs for his next album, 662. The number 662 is the telephone area code for Ingram’s northern Mississippi home, and it first came into use the same year he was born—1999.“The world was introduced to me with Kingfish,” Ingram says of his chart-topping debut. “Now with 662, I want the world to hear and meet a different, more personal side of me.” The album—recorded in Nashville and co-written and produced (as was Kingfish) by Grammy-winner Tom Hambridge—features 13 songs displaying many sides of Ingram’s dynamic personality, as well as his one-of-a-kind guitar and vocal skills. According to Ingram, “662 is a direct reflection of my growth as a musician, a songwriter, a bandleader, and as a young man. This album was written during the pandemic, shortly after I returned home from a whirlwind year and a half of touring and promoting Kingfish. It was an incredible time of change and growth, moments both good and bad, and I am a better and stronger person for it.” ( https://www.christonekingfishingram.com/kingfish-bio-v2/) Ingram is a terrific player and singer. Click here to listen to songs on this rockin’ blues thunder!  https://www.christonekingfishingram.com/albums/662/

Los Lobos – Native Sons (New West): Los Lobos – “Los Angeles based band, Los Lobos, have always been inspired by their surroundings and the place they call home. Their music is influenced by rock and roll, Tex-Mex, country, zydeco, folk, R&B, blues, brown-eyed soul, and traditional music such as cumbia, boleros and norteños. With Native Sons the band set out to showcase all of these influences with their own take on the songs of Los Angeles from some of the city’s greatest songwriters. Native Sons features 13-songs from well-known LA artists such as Buffalo Springfield, WAR, Jackson Browne and the Beach Boys as well as deep cuts from The Jaguars, The Basters and The Premiers. The album title track is the sole original composition written by the band.” Click here to listen to samples of the songs on this release.  https://store.newwestrecords.com/products/los-lobos-native-sons-cd

Various Artists – Record Kicks Afro Sides Vol. 2 – Afro stands tall! I can only find one song and no information on this disc. Click here to get the main idea.  https://www.beatport.com/artist/calibro-35/191680/tracks

Mike Zito – Resurrection (Gulf Coast): “Mike Zito is one of the most lauded artists in the contemporary blues arena today and rightfully so, but for him, the thing that counts the most is maintaining his honesty, authenticity and integrity. Those are the qualities that have steered Zito’s career since the beginning and continue to define every effort he’s offered since…. “Anders (Osborne) told me early on, ‘If you don’t believe what you’re singing, you’ll never be a good singer.’ I try not to write fluff; I try to make every word count…. From 2010 to 2014, Zito also played an integral role in the super group of sorts, Royal Southern Brotherhood. Zito has performed on several settings as is now focusing on his music as a composer and a leader. He is a straight ahead player and singer who invites his audience to pay attention to his lyrics and his music.”  Resurrection is blues-rocker Mike Zito ’s third album in a year and a half, and they’ve all been the same—but different. His tribute to Chuck Berry recorded in 2019 was just that, with the chestnuts reimagined in Zito’s heavier style. Last fall’s Quarantine Blues was mostly shutdown-themed songs that made the pandemic as much fun as it was ever going to get. With Resurrection, Zito is back on familiar blues-rock territory—equal parts soul/gospel influence and pile-driving riffage. No wheels are reinvented here, but there’s something to be said for doing a familiar thing with heart and style. “Press releases point out that Zito’s in a relationship that came close to breaking up while he was writing these songs, but it ultimately survived. And in truth, you wouldn’t need a press release to figure that out. “You Don’t Have Me” is very much a foot-out-the-door song, while the title track is a gospel-styled tune about love’s rebirth. His guitar does a lot of the talking on both, with a coiled-up nasty solo on the former and some beatific slide on the latter. His solos throughout are impressively flashy, though tasteful enough to not devolve into shredding, and there are a few slow burners for balance. Nor is it all relationship songs: “Runnin’ Man” was clearly written around election time (“I say that I care with a weary sigh, just before I say goodbye”) and “Don’t Bring Me Down” seems to be addressed to social-media crap-posters.” (Resurrection is Zito’s third album in a year and a half, and they’ve all been the same—but different. His tribute to Chuck Berry recorded in 2019 was just that, with the chestnuts reimagined in Zito’s heavier style. Last fall’s Quarantine Blues was mostly shutdown-themed songs that made the pandemic as much fun as it was ever going to get. With Resurrection, Zito is back on familiar blues-rock territory—equal parts soul/gospel influence and pile-driving riffage. No wheels are reinvented here, but there’s something to be said for doing a familiar thing with heart and style.” (https://www.offbeat.com/music/mike-zito-resurrection-gulf-coast/) Click here to listen to a song from this release.

Kopasetically,
Professor Bebop