New Blues Review – 9-11-24
Author: Jack Roy
PM Warson – A Little More Time (Blind Pig)
Bio – “PM Warson is a UK musician, songwriter and producer. He emerged in 2021 with the album ‘True Story’, after a series of DIY vinyl releases. The lean, brooding follow-up ‘Dig Deep Repeat’ was released in May 2022. After releasing ‘Right Here, Last Night’ as a 7” on his own Acid Jazz-distributed FYND marque, his third album ‘A Little More Time’ is out 6 September 2024 on Legere Recordings.”
Review – PM Warson has a very haunting voice, his music and his approach reminds me a lot of Buddy Holly. Great song writing, lots of love ballads and a very cool 60s feel. “Win Or Lose” has a super cool Farfisa like organ sounds, bass is simple but really moves the song. “Right Here, Last Night” would be a great movie song in a James Bond Thriller. “Thinking of Leaving” has a nice Etta James feel to it, like others this is a Love Ballad. There is actually some great music here, probably not in my Blues File Cabinet, but still good music to these ears. I think my favorite on this CD is “Closing Time”, reminds me of early Lou Reed, listen here. I will give this a 7 on Blues Content and a 9 on Music Content.
Prakasha Slim – 8000 Miles To The Crosroads (Blind Pig)
Bio – “Ram Prakash Pokharel, aka, Prakash Slim an international artist/performer, educator and ambassador of the blues was born on June,17th, 1980. It was during the rainy season, of a small village called Lamatar, in the Lalitpur district, of Nepal. The village saw its first electric bulb in 1983 and its first motor car only in 1995. He was raised by a loving, loyal family that had very limited means. His father passed away at the age of 29, leaving his mother with three children to raise, One elder brother, a sister & Prakash. What food they could manage to obtain was earned by their mother, who worked in their neighbors’ fields. He went to a public school where instead of desks and benches, they had mats made of straw. When asked what his ambition was when young, Prakash Slim replied, ‘Ambition was a privilege for rich kids back then. The only ambition I had was sustaining life.’ Prakash has worked as a music teacher in the schools and institutions in Nepal for a long time ; he worked in Vidhya Sanskar School (Chelsea International Academy) for 13 years, kalanidhi Indira Sangeet Mahavidhyalaya for more than 15 years. He worked in Rato Bangla School, Premier International School as special guitar teacher. He has been giving private music lessons at his home as well. He’s a recognized, internationally affiliated Artist/Performer and Educator of the Blues with the Mt. Zion Memorial Fund (Executive Director Dr. T. DeWayne Moore) in Mississippi, USA since January 2019. Prakash is also active in a Blues mentorship program with T.J. Wheeler, a long-time pioneer, advocate, activist teacher/performer of Blues, Jazz & related music, and educator from the USA. He is a member of the International Singer and Songwriters Association, Georgia, USA.”
Review – Nice, refreshing album, with an unusual subject to present these tradition, resonator Blues to the world. While Slim doesn’t have the most authentic voice for the Blues, his approach on guitar is is fascinating while trying to live up to the roots of each song. Like in Kokomo Blues, he plays the traditional lick with just a little added note causing a little tension and syncopate. I really like it! You can tell that Blues Music really means something to Slim and he transcends the excitement to his listeners. “Write Me A Few More Lines” is done very traditional and shows Slim’s slide guitar work. Slim covers or re-invents some tradition tunes like “Homeless Child” but he also explores some more world avenues like “Blues Raga part II” and “Hammer Blues” but I think my favorite on this CD is “Things Bout To Come My Way”, with some nice slide guitar, listen here. I will give this a 10 on Blues Content and a 9 on Music Content.
Bill Wyman – Drive My Car (Blind Pig)
Bio – “Bill Wymam is an English musician who was the bass guitarist with the rock band the Rolling Stones from 1962 to 1993. Wyman was part of the band’s first stable lineup and performed on their first 19 albums. Since 1997, he has performed as the vocalist and bass guitarist for Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings. He was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Rolling Stones in 1989. Wyman briefly returned to recording with the Rolling Stones in 2023.Wyman formed the cross-generational Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings in 1997. The band featured a regularly rotating line-up of musicians and performed covers of blues, soul, rock ‘n’ roll, jazz, and occasional Rolling Stones songs. Wyman rarely performed vocals, but typically sang lead vocals on the Chuck Berry song “You Never Can Tell” and the Rolling Stones’ “Honky Tonk Women”. He was a judge for the 5th annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists’ careers. On 25 October 2009, Wyman performed a reunion show with Faces, filling in for the late Ronnie Lane as he had previously done in 1986 and 1993. On 19 April 2011, pianist Ben Waters released an Ian Stewart tribute album titled Boogie 4 Stu. Wyman played on two tracks: “Rooming House Boogie” and “Watchin’ the River Flow”, the latter recorded with the Rolling Stones. In 2012, Wyman and Mick Taylor were expected to join the Rolling Stones on stage at shows in London (25 and 29 November) and Newark (13 and 15 December), though Darryl Jones supplied the bass for the majority of the show. At the London shows on 25 and 29 November, Wyman played on two back-to-back songs, “It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll” and “Honky Tonk Women”. He later stated that he was not interested in joining the band for further tour dates in 2013. He participated in a 2019 documentary, directed and written by Oliver Murray, titled The Quiet One, about his life and career. Wyman briefly returned to recording with the Rolling Stones in 2023, playing bass on one track, “Live By the Sword”, on their album Hackney Diamonds. It was the first time he had appeared on a Rolling Stones studio recording since 1991.”
Review – This is what happens when you have more money than God, Access to the top recording equipment and are bored with your life. Bill Wyman’s voice is almost cartoonish with most of the lyrics in a raspy spoken word. Music it self, is not interesting or even challenging to the listener. A lot of sizzle but no steak for this album. I literally could not find a song that I wanted to listen to again, so you will have to decide for yourself if it’s worth your time and a potential lost of 45 mins. I will give this a 3 on Blues Content and a 3 on Music Content.
