New Blues Review 7-23-24
By Jack Roy
Johnny Ray Jones – Mystic Cheifs (Moondogg)
Bio – “Front man Jones has been slugging it out Southern California’s stages since the ‘80s, when he first got seduced by the romance of the blues. “I started sneaking into shows in Redondo Beach in the late ‘70s,” Jones says. “I was kind of a loner in the area. My friends were all into hard rock then, heavy metal, but I was already tired of that. Like everybody else, I wanted to know who wrote those songs recorded by the Animals, the Doors, Led Zeppelin, bands that I grew up with. I wanted to know who McKinley Morganfield was, who Willie Dixon was. I got into John Lee Hooker after I bought a cassette of his hits; he’d get it going with just his feet and a guitar. He became a big influence. I was into the roots of it all. I realized that all these bands that made it started with the blues.
“I was 19 or 20 years old, and a guy named Butch Mudbone took me over to see Sam Taylor at Taurus Tavern in Venice. They had a blues jam every Sunday. I sat in there. I guess Sam wasn’t feeling good and took the day off, but his guitar player Coco Montoya took over that night, and guitarist James Armstrong was also there. So the first song I ever sang on stage in a bar was with those amazing guys. I started going there every Sunday, and Sam started trading me singing lessons for driving him to recording sessions and gigs. I began working at the Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach and started seeing the quality touring musicians. Then I starting going to the blues after-hours clubs and recruiting different musicians and bringing them to some of the beach clubs and bars.” Jones has been on the blues road ever since. He has released two previous albums, Feet Back in the Door (2017) and Way Down South (2021); sung beside legends like Big Joe Turner, Phillip Walker, and Lee Allen; and played on bills with John Mayall, Leon Russell, Jeff Healy, Janiva Magness, Walter Trout, the Knitters, and the Blasters.”
Review – A nice straight up Chicago Blues Album with an amazing all-star band supporting an average vocals from Johnny Ray Jones. With guitar from Junior Watson (Canned Heat), Carl Leyland playing the Keys, Harp from Tex Nakamura (War), Johnny Lee Schell on Rhythm Guitar (Bonnie Raitt), John Baxx on Bass, Stephen Hodges on Percussion (Tom Waits, Mavis Staples) and JR Loxano on Drums (Los Lobos). Killer band that really lays down the feel for the whole album of covers from some of the greats. Some of the best for me were the Billy Boy Arnold tune “I Wish You Would”, “Shake Your Hips” and ” Sugar Sweet but I think my favorite on this CD is “I Wish You Would” but really couldn’t find this on line so here is some video of the band playing Hard Time Won, listen here. I will give this a 10 on Blues Content and a 9 on Music Content.
Richard Wilkins – Empty Seats (Self Produced)
Bio – “The Richard Wilkins Blues Band is shaking up the Gorge’s live music scene. Blues is the 1st stop for RWBB, with detours into boogie-woogie, soulful ballads, and vintage blues-rock. Our music is upbeat and great for dancing. Our experienced, journeymen musicians and soloists support the smoky male and female vocals. We have a loyal following of dancers and locals that enjoy our performances. We can gear our sets to traditional blues performances, weddings or just about anything you want. Richard Wilkins brings a long history of playing the blues and touring. A multi-instrumentalist, he plays bass, piano and guitar. But make no mistake, this is a Saxophone band, and Richard leads the way with his solid lead vocals and smoking sax solos. Kay Floria adds the classic boogie-woogie piano pulse, jangle and flair. Her bouncy, melodic instrumentals and pure, soulful voice perfectly complement and fill out the band’s sound. Drummer Steve Alford is a veteran percussionist and drives the band’s tempo and groove. He provides the flourishes, stops and cadence changes that define the unique style and sound of jump-blues. Darren Rogers expresses his long and broad musical experience on the Fender Bass. He lays down the rock-solid bottom end that supports the inspiration and message of the blues. On guitar, Patrick Haley mixes the structure of old time blues scales, bottleneck slide, progressive rhythm techniques, and spicy lead riffs to intensify the band’s delivery.”
Review – This CD is all over the place, starting with a short Irish Tune followed by a Country feeling song. The rest of tunes are marginally entertaining to me. The band is pretty good, lead guitar player (Paul Brainard) is pretty solid in his playing. Not a big fan of much on this album but I think my favorite on this CD is “Somebody” probably the only solid Blues tune, listen here. I will give this a 4 on Blues Content and a 5 on Music Content.
Scott Weis Band – Live In Europe (Self Produced)
Bio – “Scott Weis grew up in New Jersey and moved to New York where he became a touring guitarist for many blues and rock artists before deciding to go out on his own. He released his first solo album in 2006 with band members Robert Kopec on bass and Roger Voss on drums and performed as The Scott Weiss Band. In 2011, he shifted to an alternate sound focused on a New Orleans funk and soul. That band is currently referenced as Scott Weiss and Soul Krewe, but initially was also just called the Scott Weis Band. That band features Andy Pace on drums and Todd Lanka on bass. The initial line-up released two albums and the revised line -up released three albums prior to 2020. In 2020, Kopec and Voss rejoined Scott in the Scott Weis Band and released “Simmer Me Down” in that year, while the Soul Krewe also continued to perform. The result from those combinations then saw a Soul Krewe release, “Sugar Shack” in early 2023 and now for Scott’s eighth album, the Scott Weis Band has released “Raise Your Hands“. In 2011, Scott suffered a broken neck in an accident that left him uncertain of ever being able to perform again. The release of an album “Almost There” occurred prior to that accident and received considerable attention. That gave him the drive to be able to get back to performing. In 2012, he received a call from Dickie Betts to open some upcoming shows for him.”
Review – I so like the Scott Weis Band, such a Rocking Blues band, one of my favorites. Songs on the album are killer but this is a horrible recording off the sound board but sounds more like a single recorder out in the audience. Dynamics are horrible and the mix is so bad but the music is amazing. It feels like that bootleg recording you would find at the record store of one of your favorite artist!! “Raise Your Hands”, “Tennessee Whiskey”, “Something Is Wrong With My Baby” and “Have You Ever Loved a Woman” are probably the best standouts but I think my favorite on this CD is “Bitch Please”, listen here. I will give this a 9 on Blues Content and a 9 on Music Content just because of the recording quality.
Trevor B. Power – Are We Ever Free (Farm 189)
Bio – “The Trevor B. Power Band is based in northwest New Jersey. Power grew up in a household with parents that loved all kinds of music. He received his first guitar when he was fifteen and began playing the rock n’ roll of the sixties and seventies. He spent most of his adult life playing solo acoustic at coffee houses and bars in the northeast and Arizona. Power became a DJ at Centenary College’s public radio station, WNTI where he further schooled himself on the history of the blues and the music business in general. He befriended Bobby Whitlock, of “Derek and the Dominos” who encouraged Power to write and play more of his own music. He shared the stage with Johnny Charles, Dave Fields, and Steve Krase’s krewe, including 13 time Blues Music nominee Trudy Lynn, and guitarist Bob Lanza. Power released his debut album “Everyday Angel” in 2019, and followed-up with 2021’s “What Is Real”, also on Farm 189 Records.”
Review – I real excited seeing this on in this weeks CDs, Cover shows Trevor leaning against a Triumph TR3!! Trevor wrote all the songs on this album and even wrote one called TR3!! (Sorry us British Car Nuts have to stick together). While I wouldn’t call this a full out Blues Album, the tunes are actually written pretty good and the band sounds great, Except for the weird song “Are We Ever Free”, not sure what they were thinking on that one. “Mistakes” is a decent song, as well as “Trouble To The Core” and “Man Goes Blind”. I think my favorite, just because it is about a TR3, is “Tr3”, listen here. I will give this a 5 on Blues Content and a 7 on Music Content.
