Cover photo © 2023 Laura Carbone

 In This Issue 

Anita Schlank has our feature interview with Mud Morganfield. We have six Blues reviews for you this week including new music from Nick Schnebelen, The Cash Box Kings, Nalani Rothrock, Dave Arcari, Trabants and Max Wolf. Scroll down and check it out!

Fans of the late, great Muddy Waters often find themselves astonished and a bit awestruck when they first witness a performance by his eldest son, Larry “Mud” Morganfield.  Morganfield not only bears a strong physical resemblance to Waters but is also noted for having a tone and timbre to his voice that is almost an exact match to his famous father’s vocals.  Blues Blast Magazine had the opportunity to catch up with Morganfield when he played the DC Blues Society Spring Fest in Washington DC, where he was backed by the legendary band, The Nighthawks.  Mark Wenner (founder and leader of the Nighthawks) was present for most of the interview, at Morganfield’s request.

“I wanted to include Mark because I started playing blues after my dad passed, but he’s been playing blues since almost the time I was born.  That’s a lot of years and dedication on his part.  I have the utmost respect for him, and he deserves every bit of attention he gets.”

Wenner also expressed his appreciation of Morganfield, and noted, “the high point of my entire life was the two or three days I got to be in Muddy Waters’ band.  This Nor’ Eastern storm came in, and Jerry (Portnoy) couldn’t make it because of the weather, so I got to fill in.”

Morganfield’s parents split up when he was only eight years old, and he spent many years during his childhood when he rarely saw his father, who was touring extensively.  Morganfield was primarily raised by his mother and seven uncles.

“I just left my mom.  She’s 91-years-old, and she is my rock.  You know my dad wasn’t at home, so she was the one who taught me how to ride a bike.  When Dad came home it was all about the White Sox and sleep. My seven uncles also stood in when my dad wasn’t there.  But I am his first-born son.  At least as far as we know.  Every day I’m kind of looking out, expecting someone in a wheelchair to come up and say they are really his first-born son, because he was a rolling stone.  He was a Hoochie-Coochie man, so you never know.”

When asked which of his father’s songs was his mother’s favorite, he responded, “’Forty Days and Forty Nights” but I don’t know why.  Every time she hears me play; she wants to hear me play that song.  She knows why she likes it so much, but she never said.  Maybe she left him for forty days and forty nights once.  Who knows.”

Morganfield noted that he grew up in a rough neighborhood in Chicago and witnessed gangs, violence, and drug use on a daily basis.  However, those life experiences ended up just lending authenticity to his blues.

“I was born and raised on the west side of Chicago, and that was all you’d see when you came out the door.  There were always gunshots, ambulances, and fights.  I had to fight every day.  You either had to fight or run.  They didn’t care about me being Muddy Waters’ son.  I could have been BB King’s son, they wouldn’t care.  I still had to fight every day.  It was just a manly thing.  But I’m glad about it because it made me the man I am today.  That’s my blues.”

Morganfield didn’t start his professional musical career until relatively late in his life and drove a truck for many years.  However, he always felt the drive to be a musician and finally couldn’t ignore the call to play music any longer.

“I started out as a drummer.  My dad used to buy me a new set of drums whenever I tore them up, and I couldn’t lay in bed without tapping on the side of my mattress or on the dashboard while I was driving the trucks. I had to get these sounds out.  I think I might have been tapping on my mother’s stomach before I was born.  Then I went to an Earth, Wind and Fire concert and I fell in love with what the bass player was doing, so I picked up the bass.  But Dad left some big shoes to fill, so I just ran from playing professionally for a long time.”

Although his father was rarely home, he did sometimes get to meet his father’s friends and fellow musicians as he was growing up.

“Eric Clapton was at his wedding, and I remember when I was really little, I saw a guy jump out of this really long car.  I had never seen a car that long before.  And this guy had on some really tight britches and high heels—it was Mick Jagger.”

Morganfield also noted that it was those British artists who helped his father expand the reach of his music.

“When I was coming up, I remember that my dad was really sad for a year or so until those guys came and took Willie Dixon and my dad to England.  It gave Dad a shot, a booster.  Then he got back into his mode and started to get the respect due to him.”

While he is thankful that those artists, (who were more rock-oriented), helped wider audiences appreciate his father’s music, he is disappointed that traditional blues sometimes gets overlooked as many festival lineups seem primarily focused on the blues-rock sub-genre.

“I think we should keep the blues the blues.  I don’t want to see it turn into rock. Blues is blues, and rock is rock, and jazz is jazz.  Don’t change it.  Don’t rename it.  I just think you should keep it traditional.  You know people like BB King, Howlin’ Wolf, my dad, and Willie Dixon, they all made it possible.  And there are young artists carrying forward the tradition, like Marquoise Knox and Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram.  There’s a chance the blues can survive with them.”

Morganfield has released several albums honoring the legacy of traditional blues, which earned him many nominations and awards.  Releases include “Fall Waters Fall” in 2008, “Son of the Seventh Son” in 2012, “For Pops:  A Tribute to Muddy Waters” (with Kim Wilson) in 2014, “They Call Me Mud” in 2014, and “Portrait” in 2022.  But he doesn’t just reinterpret the classics, as he is also a very skilled songwriter.  One of his original songs, a beautiful, spiritual number entitled “Praise Him”, won critical acclaim, and can often be heard on the Sirius XM station Bluesville.  The song describes being saved by God, and Morganfield noted that it was a very personal story for him.

“It is a testimony of my life.  When you’re young, you think you are invincible.  I was smoking so much weed and I had tried treatment, but that didn’t work for me.  Other people prayed for me and that didn’t work for me.  I hadn’t thought that there was a higher power, a greater power than me.  I had to find out the hard way.  The only thing that worked was when I prayed for myself.  Then I sat down with the bass, and I came up with that song,
to give a small testimony of my life.  I want young artists out there to know, don’t believe the hype.  You don’t need a substance to sound good. You don’t need a drink, or a joint or any of that.  Just use what God gave you. Sometimes you might think it makes you play better, and maybe the first song or two might sound better to you, but you’ll realize later you’re in slow motion and you won’t even know it.”

Morganfield has ten children, and indicated that while none are professional musicians, his daughters sing very well.  He noted that they will be singing the powerful back-up vocals to “Praise Him” when he performs at the Chicago Blues Festival later this year.

“I was born and raised in Chicago.  So, to be allowed the opportunity to be a headliner at the Chicago Blues Festival is just overwhelming to me.  It’s such an honor.”

Morganfield is working on a new album but noted that he is experiencing some temporary writer’s block.

“I’m the kind of guy that doesn’t like my songs to sound the same as what I already did, so sometimes it’s hard to find a different riff and different lyrics.  I hate for my music to sound like something I did before.  I’m trying to take my time.  It will come from the heart. And it will be released in late 2024.”

When asked if there were any musicians with whom he wished he could play, he noted that he still finds himself wishing his father was here, so he could play with him.  He was asked what advice his father might offer him if he could see Morganfield now.

“I really wish Dad was here.  I would have liked to have his guidance and learn more.  Dad was a perfectionist.  He loved everything done correctly.  I have an ear like him too.  I can hear you miss a beat when the audience can’t hear it.  He had an ear like that, so I guess he would probably still be on me for something like that—telling me I shouldn’t have done this or that.”

To those of us who are fans of Mud Morganfield, it seems much more likely that his father would just be extraordinarily proud of his eldest son.  As eloquently stated by long-time Muddy Waters band member, Bob Margolin, “Mud Morganfield’s physical and vocal resemblance to Muddy is natural, and a stunning legacy.  How well he fulfills that legacy is a gift to us all.”

You can find out more about Mud Morganfield, including his tour dates and how to purchase his albums at www.mudmorganfieldblues.com

Writer Anita Schlank lives in Virginia, and is on the Board of Directors for the River City Blues Society. She has been a fan of the blues since the 1980s. She and Tab Benoit co-authored the book “Blues Therapy,” with all proceeds from sales going to the HART Fund.

Nick Schnebelen – What Key Is Trouble In?

VizzTone Label Group – 2023

www.nickschnebelenkc.com

13 tracks; 59 minutes

Nick Schnebelen returns with his third solo album for Vizztone since leaving Trampled Under Foot with which he and his siblings enjoyed such success, including winning the IBC in 2008. On an all-original program, Nick is supported by his regular rhythm section, Adam Hagerman on drums and Cliff Moore on bass, plus either Red Young or Aaron Mayfield on keys; George Thorogood saxman Buddy Leach guests on one track. Nick wrote all the material, with assistance from Adam and Cliff on three cuts. Nick, of course, handles all guitars and vocals.

The album kicks off with a rocking “Ten Years After, Fifty Years Later”, a tribute to the venerable British band; Nick’s guitar work here would have surely made the late Alvin Lee smile. The title track shows where Nick’s heart lies when confronted by some of society’s problems: “Sleeping in the park, down on your luck; what key is homeless in?”, all played with some fine Albert King inspired guitar licks. “Love In My Heart” completes a trio of up tempo tunes, Nick double-tracking his rhythm and lead parts. The first slower tune is “Blues Nights” which opens with some fine, latin-tinged guitar work before Nick’s gravelly vocals describe anxious, sleepless nights before we learn about the “Hard Driving Woman” who seems to be giving Nick a tough time: “She’s a hard driving woman, everything I do is wrong. It’s just so hard to please her, never get along.” Again, plenty of strong guitar work to appreciate here, as there is throughout the album.

“Will I Stay” is a rocker in which Nick seems on the cusp of whether to stick with the relationship or not, while in the next song he states that “Life is pretty good”, provided you put “Pain Aside”, played to a bright shuffle. Nick’s social conscience is again on display on “Poor Side Of Town” in which he describes the poverty endured there over a churning blues. Nick reprises “Jonny Cheat”, a song he recorded with Trampled Under Foot, a boogie tune about taking revenge on the guy who stole his girl, here further enhanced by Buddy Leach’s gritty sax solo. Mind you, if Jonny’s sad tale gets to you, beware the next track as Nick’s torrid guitar work and the heavy rhythm section underpin the terror of the “Big Mean Dog” that is ready to catch the escaping prisoner! “Over The Cliff” is tough blues-rock with lyrics that involve aliens and space travel, “Throw Poor Me Out” a jagged rocker with Red Young’s piano and Nick’s slide work to the fore, another lyric about rejection in love. Perhaps unsurprisingly, after so many angst-filled songs, Nick concludes the album with “People Worry About Me”, screaming guitar set over doom-laden organ and the heaviest rhythm section work on the album.

Nick plays fluently throughout what is a pretty heavy set of tunes, musically and lyrically. It would have been good to have a little more light and shade but there is plenty for Nick’s many fans to enjoy here.

Blues Blast Magazine Senior writer John Mitchell is a blues enthusiast based in the UK who enjoys a wide variety of blues and roots music, especially anything in the ‘soul/blues’ category. Favorites include contemporary artists such as Curtis Salgado, Tad Robinson, Albert Castiglia and Doug Deming and classic artists including Bobby Bland, Howling Wolf and the three ‘Kings’. He gets over to the States as often as he can to see live blues.

The Cash Box Kings – Oscar’s Motel

Alligator Records

www.cashboxkings.com

11 tracks

What’s there not to like about the Cash Box Kings?  Extraordinarily talented musicians, great vocals, excellent songwriting, and an intriguing approach to reviving the traditional Chicago blues sound.  The band has been together since 2001 and consists of Oscar Wilson on vocals, Joe Nosek on harmonica and acoustic guitar, Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith on drums, John Lauler on bass (sounding especially good on the upright bass), Billy Flynn on guitar, and Lee Kanehira on keyboards.  Their latest release, Oscar’s Motel, also includes some exciting special guests, including John Nemeth, Deitra Farr and Cameron Webb on vocals and Al Falaschi and Jim Doherty on horns.

The album begins with the extremely inviting song, “Oscar’s Motel”, with such lyrics as “If you feel down and out, come to Oscar’s Motel.  Oscar will treat you right after you tell your man farewell…when you get tired, I’ve got a great big bed!”  This is an original song, but the Howlin’ Wolf influence can definitely be heard.   The second track, “Down on the South Side” is so effective at creating a visual image, that listeners will almost feel as if they are right there in the club.

There are two very playful songs on the album.  Blues Music Award Nominee, Deitra Farr, joins Oscar Wilson for a cute song about a roller-coaster type of relationship, entitled “I can’t Stand You”.  And multiple Blues Music Award winner, John Nemeth, (who could likely sing from the phone book and fans would still like it), joins for a clever song about intense envy entitled “I want What Chaz Has”.

There are two classic covers on this album:  Muddy Waters’ “Please Have Mercy” and “Pontiac Blues” by Sonny Boy Williamson II.  Little Walter left big shoes to fill for anyone wanting to cover “Please Have Mercy”, but Nosek skillfully meets that challenge in the Cash Box Kings’ version.

The only fairly serious song on this album. “Nobody Called it the Blues”, begins with a haunting and beautiful acapella gospel introduction.  The song then quickly merges into a well-written educative piece about slavery with the perfect contribution by guest vocalist Cameron Webb.

There are truly no weak aspects to this album, and it’s refreshing to hear a contemporary band effectively honor the old but give it a fresh new twist.

Writer Anita Schlank lives in Virginia, and is on the Board of Directors for the River City Blues Society. She has been a fan of the blues since the 1980s. She and Tab Benoit co-authored the book “Blues Therapy,” with all proceeds from sales going to the HART Fund.

Nalani Rothrock – The Rock House Sessions (Extended Cut)

Jolani Music Group

http://www.nalaniofficial.com

9 Tracks – 36 minutes

Tampa Bay, Florida native Nalani Rothrock has always been involved in music, first performing at age 8 and joining her father’s band at age 12.  She met her co-writer and partner, Joshua Lamkin, in 2011. Prior to the pandemic, the two relocated to Nashville. Upon arrival, she met Kevin McKendree, the owner of The Rock House Studios in Franklin, Tennessee. Kevin quickly agreed to record an album for her. But shortly after starting, the pandemic hit, and everything was shut down. She had three songs recorded at that point which she subsequently released in 2021 as an EP, The Rock House Sessions.  As the emergency settled down, she found herself back in the studio and recorded six more songs. They transferred the original three into an album with the new six additions which they titled The Rock House Sessions (Extended Cut). 

Kevin McKendree produced and played keyboards on the album. Nalani sang and Joshua played the guitar. Kevin then brought in additional musicians to fill out the sound. Steve Mackey was added on bass, Lynn Williams and Kenneth Blevins played drums on various tracks; Bryan Brock provided percussion, Andrew Carney played trumpet, and backing vocals were provided by Nicole Boggs, Jonell Mosser, and Jackie Wilson.

The all-original songs weave through lines of blues, jazz, soul and country. Nalani’s vocals have been compared to Norah Jones, Susan Tedeschi, and Bonnie Raitt. The album opens with “Every Time I Close My Eyes”, which will certainly bring to mind the latter singer. Joshua’s reverb guitar mixes with Kevin’s organ as Nalani searches for answers. “Fool For You” is a bluesy laid back love song about a broken relationship with an acoustic guitar, a light piano, and Andrew Carney’s lounge-like trumpet floating through.

“Just Before I Go” jumps to full rock ‘n’ roll and she notes “It is so hard to play it cool, why can’t we get our love out into the open air?” “Hold On” moves back into a slow, smooth soul groove with Kevin’s organ again leading the way. She asks “How Long” “do I have to wait, Darling…I can’t keep living like this?” in another rocking, soulful number.

“Midnight” opens with a memory as she crawled into bed and her “…heart wants to bring you back you back home…and I want to have your body to hold.” Joshua’s guitar offers a smooth roll through the song.  On “Goodbye”, she cries “I miss you so much it hurts.”  “Try” has a definite country feel to it without losing the blues. Nalani begs him “I don’t care if the mountain is too high. Don’t you want to try?” and Joshua provides some nice slide guitar into the mix. The album closes with Joshua’s slide guitar leading into a bluesy lullaby from Nalani on “Little Bird” as she asks the bird to teach her how to sing.

Nalani’s vocals are never less than exquisite on any of the songs. Admirers of the aforementioned female vocalists should certainly enjoy and be mesmerized by Nalani’s smooth vocal delivery.

Writer John Sacksteder is a retired civil engineer in Louisville, Kentucky who has a lifelong love of music, particularly the blues. He is currently the Editor of the Kentuckiana Blues Society’s monthly newsletter.

Dave Arcari – Devil May Care

Buzz Records – 2023

www.davearcari.com

11 tracks; 36 minutes

Dave Arcari is an acoustic guitarist based in Scotland and this is his seventh full length album, released after a six year gap since his 2017 release Live At Memorial Hall. Dave mainly plays solo and does so here on most tracks, but does have drummer Chris McMullan (of Northern Ireland band The Bonnevilles), violinist Jamie Wilson and harmonica player Jim Harcus (Radiotones) sitting in on one track each. The material is original, apart from two covers, and was recorded in Dave’s home studio.

Dave’s broad Scottish accent comes through from the off as his gruff vocals deliver “Devil May Care”, a song about local legends that fascinated him as a child, his slide guitar propelled by some intense drumming. “1923” recounts the story of Dave’s father who was born in Scotland of Italian parentage, left Scotland to do military service in Italy, before setting out on a series of adventures, a history that has clearly left a mark on Dave. “Time Will Come” emerged from the UK’s decision to leave the European Union (Brexit, as we now know it): Dave recognizes that it was hard to sort out fact from fiction, making sensible decisions difficult. Dave is equally frustrated by those who always seem to want a hand-out while others work hard to contribute and never ask for anything, a song he entitles “Givers And Takers”.

Dave has made his home on the banks of Loch Lomond and adapts the traditional tune of that name, rewriting the lyrics to reflect his own experience of the area and the warm welcome afforded to him by the locals. “Loch Lomond (Home)” works well, especially with the additional violin and an impromptu chorus of friends and acquaintances who give the chorus the feel of a concert in the local pub. “Stick To Your Guns” is tongue-in-cheek as Dave sings of the qualities of a local distillery. Played on a Resophonic guitar, this one also features harmonica.

Dave covers Junior Kimbrough’s “Meet Me In The City”, a tune he has been working on for a while. As Dave likes both the original and The Black Keys’ cover his solo version attempts to blend the two and was released as a digital single in October 2022. Dave switches to banjo for “Whiskey Trail” which also references a distillery, one that had contracted Dave to perform an earlier song, “Whiskey In My Blood”, at the distillery on World Music Day. All went well until they realized that Dave’s song did not encourage moderate drinking! Dave feels that he has now created a song that could advertise Scotland’s most famous export, if the distillery so desired. “(Looks Like You’re) Walking On Water” refers to paddle-boarding, a pastime often undertaken on Loch Lomond which inspired this rather amusing little song. “Nine Pound Hammer” is a traditional tune best known from Merle Travis whose version inspired Dave’s. The album concludes with “Walk The Walk”, musically inspired by Lightning Hopkins and John Lee Hooker with lyrics that reflect Dave’s dislike of people who pretend to be experts when, in fact, they have no real experience; let’s hope he does not see reviewers like that!

Fans of acoustic blues will find much to enjoy here as Dave successfully combines traditional music with contemporary lyrics.

Blues Blast Magazine Senior writer John Mitchell is a blues enthusiast based in the UK who enjoys a wide variety of blues and roots music, especially anything in the ‘soul/blues’ category. Favorites include contemporary artists such as Curtis Salgado, Tad Robinson, Albert Castiglia and Doug Deming and classic artists including Bobby Bland, Howling Wolf and the three ‘Kings’. He gets over to the States as often as he can to see live blues.

Trabants – Lockdown

Self – Released

www.trabantsmusic.com

10 Tracks – 27 minutes

From 1957 to 1991, the Trabant was the only automobile built in East Germany. Basically, it was a big can with little or no features other than the absolute necessities to drive. Automobile enthusiasts have generally concluded that it was the worst car ever built. Not exactly a name that you would associate with a music group and certainly not as definitive as The Cadillacs, The GTO’s or The Fabulous Thunderbirds.

The Trabants were first formed in 2011 in Boston and later moved to Los Angeles.  Several instrumental albums have been released over the years that they have generally labeled as surf rock & grunge, perhaps offering an identification with the ignoble Trabant car.

Multi- instrumentalist Eric Penna heads an ever changing group from album to album. Eric plays guitar, piano, organ, bass, melodica and percussion on various cuts on the album. He has a history of working on film and tv soundtracks which reflects in their music. The album is divided in two parts, five songs in each part. Part 1 was recorded in the early days of the pandemic. Part 2 was recorded post pandemic after Eric moved to the Northwest. He said that with the pandemic, it moved him to perform the blues, rather than the sounds Trabants were more known for. He sought to find the instrumental sounds from 60’s and 70’s blues artists such as Freddy King, Rory Gallagher, and Peter Green.

For Lockdown, he brought in Los Straitjackets/ Nick Lowe drummer and bassist Pete Curry and Acid Tongues’ Glenn Brigman to play the Farfisa organ for Part 1. Brigman remained for Part 2 with drummer Anthony Brisson from The Secret Drum Band and The Reverberations’ Dave Berkham on bass and Hammond organ on Part 2.

“Detour” opens the album with a guitar run that can bring to mind Freddie King or even a touch of Stevie Ray Vaughan. “Lockdown” is more of a muscled guitar approach maybe touching on T-Bone Walker. “Mambo on Moore Street” carries a bit of the surf guitar into the mix with Brigman’s organ standing out. “Chicago Born, California Raised” rocks out with thoughts of many Chicago guitarists. “Quarantine” features both acoustic and a light electric guitar add obviously touching on the isolation felt during the pandemic.

“Leaving Town” fuzzes up the guitar and rocks out. “Tears In Rain” is a somber sounding slow motion blues with Berkham’s Hammond organ backing. “Make It Snappy” picks up the pace with Brigman’s organ taking a strong upfront sound.  “Dreadwind” is another slow burn guitar run with a tinkling piano under the guitar.  The album ends with “Mudlark” offering slide guitar and an upbeat, bouncing end to the album.

The album will appeal to guitar instrumental enthusiasts. At 27 minutes for ten songs, most are short snippets of various guitar styles some clearly rooted in the blues, while others miss the mark slightly with other styles slinking in.

Writer John Sacksteder is a retired civil engineer in Louisville, Kentucky who has a lifelong love of music, particularly the blues. He is currently the Editor of the Kentuckiana Blues Society’s monthly newsletter.

Max Wolff – Placemaker

Self-Released

http://www.maxwolff.dk

11 Tracks – 40 minutes

Self-taught Danish guitarist Max Wolff released his first album, I’m Bonafide, in 2003 and his 2nd, Got You On My Mind, in 2008. In addition, he also performed with The Low-Budget Brothers, who released two albums. Now fifteen years later, he has finally released a third solo album. Over the three decades, he says he has been on the road performing “at venues where people truly listen to music, and in places, where the music is just meant to make you feel good.” And with that statement he establishes his objective with the presentation of this album.

Max plays acoustic finger-style guitar and provides vocals on eleven self-penned songs, seven of which are instrumentals. He brought in several friends of his from the Denmark music circles including Peter Friis on upright bass, Niels Ulbrandt on keyboards, Wurlitzer piano and mellotron, Lars Pedersen on drums, and Bo Johansen and Mikkel Uttrup providing percussion.

Max’s style can be compared to guitarists such as Stefan Grossman and Leo Kottke.  The opening cut “Eight O’clock Dream” is a light guitar solo with jazz hints roaming through a Piedmont style of picking. On “You Don’t Blow My Blues Away”, Max sings that he has been “gone too long and need to go back home to stay”.  “Blue Nights & Beige Nights” offers some unique bottleneck slide guitar work with Niels’ keyboards underscoring the music. Next, he sings about all the good things he could do if “I Would Be King” including spending money if ” I were king, and you were queen”. “Eating Beef Late” is a light ragtime era sounding guitar solo.

“Sleep Over Rag” (called “Oversleeper” on the cover) has a bit of a Chet Atkins feel as Peter slaps the bass.  “Oxford Jam” opens with a cathedral like organ leading into Max’s smooth guitar work and builds as it proceeds with the bass and drums kicking in. He ends the album with a positive cheerful statement “here we go in a world crazy and wild” but “After All” “we are all the same” and “after all I will play you the blues”.

Max’s songs venture frequently into jazz with a blues feel. The songs are never less than pleasant and would serve well as a quiet background for your listening pleasure. But listen well as he offers some fine guitar work throughout. As stated above, he wants to play music that makes you feel good, a goal he certainly accomplishes.

Writer John Sacksteder is a retired civil engineer in Louisville, Kentucky who has a lifelong love of music, particularly the blues. He is currently the Editor of the Kentuckiana Blues Society’s monthly newsletter.