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Cover photo © 2024 Peter Hurley In This Issue Peter Hurley has our feature interview with Tomiko Dixon. We have six Blues reviews for you this week including a book from Luigi Monge on blues and gospel songs about Disaster plus new music from Blind Raccoon and Nola Blue Collection Vol. 6, Mike Zito, Leon Beal and the Luca Giordano Band, Nick Gravenites and Paul Benjaman Band. Scroll down and check it out! From The Editor’s Desk
Hey Blue Fans, Our 17th Annual Blues Blast Music Awards series began this week and we are accepting submissions from artists and labels until May 31st, 2024. Albums released between June 1. 2023 and May 31, 2024 are eligible this year. Submit your music now. Click this link: www.bluesblastmagazine.com/blues-blast-awards-submission-information Wishing you health, happiness and lots of Blues music! Bob Kieser |
Featured Blues Review – 1 of 6
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African American Blues and Gospel Songs on Disaster University Press Of Mississippi 520 Pages Softcover edition Every author has to do plenty of research in order to be able to write a non-fiction book that conveys accurate information in addition to placing the details in a meaningful historical context. One can usually get a good sense of the author’s efforts from a review of the “Notes” and “Bibliography” sections. While lots of listing don’t necessarily equate to guaranteeing a book of merit, they at least show that the author made a concerted effort to gain a broad understanding of the topic at hand. Living in Italy, scholar Luigi Monge undoubtedly faced numerous obstacles in gathering research for his stellar opus that delves into songs across more than five decades, songs that spring from the pain and suffering caused by floods, tornadoes, fires, and other disasters. The 77 pages in the “Notes” section, and the 21 pages of “Bibliography,” attest to Monge’s diligence in research. Even more impressive, as mentioned in the author’s “Introduction,” Monge spent 17 years developing this project, making every effort to be as thorough as possible. That represents an amazing level of commitment, which is readily apparent as you delve into his book. Divided into four chapters, the book starts out examining songs associated with natural disasters including storms, hurricanes, floods, dry spells, and earthquakes. The first event under consideration, the 1893 Sea Islands Hurricane, was one of the deadliest storms in US history. The death toll in total was more than 3,000 people with tens of thousands displaced. Monge unearthed several field recordings that attest to the storm’s destructive force. As it often occurs throughout the book, Monge traces how one song birthed a sequence of others tunes that maintain the structure of the original while changing the lyrics or the perspective. These songs weren’t recorded until more than 40 years later. Monge discovered them during countless hours of internet research from a variety of sources. The author allows the song lyrics to tell a story, to not only describe the disaster, but also capture the reactions to the event, and the impact on the immediate African American community. He also examines how religion factors into discussion, noting that some song lyrics will testify to God punishing the wicked, while other songs on the same disaster give thanks for God’s mercy in limiting the death and destruction. He limits the scope of his study up to the mid 1950s, feeling that, with the exception of Hurricane Katrina, very few songs were composed about natural disasters after that point. The four chapters are divided into individual sections for each event, providing readers with natural breakpoints as you work your way through the book, and giving you a chance to reflect on the sometimes overwhelming human toll of each disaster. As noted by the author, the 1927 Mississippi River flood affected millions of people along the river’s path through seven states, spawning songs recorded by numerous blues legends including Lonnie Johnson, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Sippie Wallace, and Charley Patton. Also included is a more recent song, “Flood Water,” recorded by Eric Bibb. The book’s title comes from the lone African American song the author uncovered on the 1900 Galveston, Texas hurricane that devastated much of city with over 6,000 people killed, leading Monge to surmise that a major event does not guarantee an outpouring of related songs. The next, Accidental Disasters, is primarily devoted to two events – songs about the train wreck that claimed the life of railroad engineer Jonathan Luther Jones, the legendary “Casey” Jones, and the sinking of the Titanic. Monge’s research disclosed the first printed reference to a song about Jones in a 1908 edition of Railroad Man’s Magazine. Many of his lyrical references from the early part of the 20th century are taken from broadsheets (ballets), which had the lyrics and music printed for sale purposes, before the advent of recorded music. For 50 pages, Monge examines numerous songs about the Titanic, including many that stem from the song “God Moves On The Water,” written by Madkin Butler, a blind evangelist, based on newspaper accounts read to him by his wife. He would sell the song’s ballet for ten cents a copy. Also covered is the 1940 Rhythm Club fire in Natchez, Mississippi, that claimed over 200 lives, all African American. Numerous songs were written as the event lingered through time, with Howlin’ Wolf and John Lee Hooker cutting memorable records. The boll weevil infestation ranks up there with the Titanic for generating the most songs as covered by Monge’s research. That is understandable given that the parasite crossed the Mexican border, entering Texas in the 1890s. From there, it worked its way across the southern states, ravaging cotton crops all the way to Georgia. The pest lingered until chemicals managed to finally eliminate it in the US for the most part by 1960. Given that the cotton crop was the anchor of the economy for many southern African Americans, the boll weevil posed a dangerous ongoing threat to an already fragile way of life. Ma Rainey, Lead Belly, and Charley Patton all recorded songs that delve into the impact of the weevil’s voracious appetite, often personalizing the parasite while trying to invent methods of eliminating the pest. The Infestations, Pandemics, Epidemics, and Diseases chapter also examines songs related to two outbreaks of influenza, which spread across the globe, killing untold millions. The author traces the initial spread from its first observation in Kansas to songs by Blind Willie Johnson and the obscure Sugar Smith. He also tracks songs related to Jake Leg paralysis, caused by a chemical added to a patent medicine valued for it’s high alcohol content. The chemical would cause major damage to the spine and muscles after consumption, leaving victims in pain and walking in a distinctive manner that left no doubt as to what had happened. There is also a section on material that focuses on the ravages of tuberculosis. The final, shortest chapter finds the artist expounding on the role that these disaster songs play in forming the collective memory of the Afro-American culture. After summarizing what came before, Monge offers four points of commonality that in his estimation, hold true for most disaster songs, whether they are in the blues or gospel format. It is a fitting way to end a thoroughly researched, engaging study that certainly offers a different perspective on the songs at hand. Hearty commendations to Luigi Monge for his devotion to completing this book! Blues Blast Magazine Senior writer Mark Thompson lives in Florida, where he is enjoying the sun and retirement. He is the past President of the Board of Directors for the Suncoast Blues Society and a former member of the Board of Directors for the Blues Foundation. Music has been a huge part of his life for the past fifty years – just ask his wife! |
Luigi Monge – Wasn’t That A Mighty Day
Featured Blues Review – 2 of 6
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11 songs – 50 minutes Few people in the world have had more reason to sing the blues in recent times that Mike Zito, who remained steadfastly at his beloved wife Laura’s side as she lost her valiant, year-long battle against pancreatic cancer last summer, leaving behind a large, loving family that the beloved teacher adored. And the blues-rock giant bares his soul, pours out his heart and much, more more on this fiery CD, which she helped plan as she laid dying. Co-produced by Joe Bonamassa and Josh Smith and recorded at Sunset Sound Studio in Los Angeles about six months after Laura’s passing with additional work at Ocean Way Studios in Nashville, Zito considers this to be his best album yet. It’s a strong claim considering that he’s captured four Blues Music Awards and other nominations for his own work as well as others for his membership in the Royal Southern Brotherhood and in the Blood Brothers, his association with Albert Castiglia that’s released a couple of stellar CDs and toured occasionally in recent years. To this writer’s ear, there’s no question that he’s right. It’s a tour-de-force effort packed with sorrow and much, much more…a roller coaster of emotion full of rich lyrics, deep feelings and a heaping helping of love, too, as Mike reworks the music of Little Milton, Stevie Wonder, Walter Trout, Tab Benoit and others and contributes a couple of poignant originals as he celebrates Laura’s life, takes you on a journey through the seven stages of grief and bravely soldiers on in a cruel world. Zito shines on vocals and guitar throughout this one with Bonamassa, Smith and Castiglia all contributing their six-string talents, too. Reese Wynans handles keyboards throughout, and the principals are supported by Bonamassa and Smith’s regular rhythm section, Calvin Turner on bass and Lemar Carter on drums. Also making appearances are sax player Paulie Cerra and French horn players Jennifer Kumma and Anna Spina with backing vocals from Jade MacRae, Dannielle Deandrea and Steve Ray Ladson. A rapid-fire version of Milton’s “Lonely Man” cooks at high speed to open, giving the band plenty of space to work their magic as the lyrics profess deep love for a lady who, in the original case, has cast her mate to the curb. Searing fretwork and keys drive the message home. Written by Fred James, the ballad “Life Is Hard” speaks to the cruelty of everyday life along with repeated phrasing that, like its predecessor, communicates the singer’s pain and tears. Wonder’s “Have a Talk With God,” meanwhile, suggests offering up a prayer to maintain your peace of mind when facing an ordeal. It gives way to Zito’s original, “Forever My Love,” a soulful, six-minute ballad that soars throughout. It’s a vow to be faithful for eternity because of the purity of the affection they felt for each other through the years. “No One to Talk to (But the Blues)” breathes new life into a country number first recorded by Lefty Frizzell in the ‘50s before covers of Tinsley’s “Dying to Do Wrong” — in this case the option of trying to escape the sorrow momentarily through drugs and other poor choices – and a sweet version of Bachman Turner Overdrive’s “These Eyes” and the tears and lonely nights contained within. “Darkness” sets in with a redo of the Benoit tune before Zito begins wondering how he’s going to survive the inevitable in the bittersweet original. “Without Loving You.” His loss becomes palpable in a take on Trout’s “Nobody Knows Me Like You Do” before Rev. Gary Davis’ “Death Don’t Have No Mercy” and a radio edit of “Forever My Love” bring the album to a close. Sure, this is an album of deep tragedy, but it’s also a love song for the ages, too. If this one doesn’t move you…well…you’ve got a hole in your soul. Blues Blast Magazine Senior writer Marty Gunther has lived a blessed life. Now based out of Mason, Ohio, his first experience with live music came at the feet of the first generation of blues legends at the Newport Folk Festivals in the 1960s. A former member of the Chicago blues community, he’s a professional journalist and blues harmonica player who co-founded the Nucklebusters, one of the hardest working bands in South Florida. |
Mike Zito – Life Is HardFeatured Blues Review – 3 of 6
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Blue Heart Records 15 songs – 66 minutes One of the busiest and most successful partnerships in blues in recent years, Betsie Brown’s Blind Raccoon marketing organization and Sallie Bengston’s Blue Heart label have consistently filled the charts with stellar releases with a roster that includes veterans, rising stars and regional acts, too. And this 15-track compilation of recent efforts is a must-listen for any blues fan. The sounds here crisscross the blues spectrum. And the roster includes 15-time BMA nominee keyboard player Anthony Geraci, Grammy nominee Teresa James, the Texas Horns, Big Harp George and the ageless Benny Turner, Freddie King’s bass playing brother, and other lesser-known artists deserving your ear. Mississippi MacDonald is a British singer/guitarist with more soul than many artists who make Memphis their home. He joins forces with the Reverend Shawn Amos to kick off the action with “Ballad of Pat Hare,” a gospel-flavored number about the legendary guitarist who died in prison after murdering his girlfriend. The mood turns upbeat with “Tidal Wave,” a sweeping modern blues instrumental from Geraci, before Pennsylvania-based guitarist delivers the rousing, acoustic “My Baby Loves Me Like a Hurricane.” Los Angeles based harp player Douglas Avery strikes a positive chord to follow as he teams with six-string master Franck L. Goldwasser for the haunting minor-key ballad, “Survival,” before fellow Southern Californian Teresa and her horn band, the Rhythm Tramps, swing from the hip with “I Do My Drinkin’ on the Weekend.” The action shifts to the Gulf Coast as the Texas Horns – a unit led by Mark “Kaz” Kazanoff – deliver the driving “Never Buy My Soul” with Ange Kogutz on the mic and Anson Funderburgh on guitar. Turner’s “Smoke My Peace Pipe (Smoke It Right)” takes listeners to the Big Easy and kicks up the funk as he honors New Orleans legend Big Chief Bo Dollis, the leader of the Wild Magnolias from the ‘60s, delivering music that served as the soundtrack to Mardi Gras, until his passing in 2015. New York pianist Dave Keyes keeps the feel going with his pleaser, “Pookie Po Po,” before New Jersey’s Trevor B. Power sets the stage for a blues-rock segment a little New Jersey-based blues-rock with “Man Goes Blind,” a number that’s followed by Britain’s Terry Wilson-Slesser, who delivers a contemplative ballad, “Forever Blue.” One of the best chromatic harp players on the scene today, San Francisco’s Big Harp George changes the mood from the jump with the deep-blue romantic complaint, “Struck Out Again,” before Texas-born picker Steve Howell and his Mighty Men put their own spin on Betty James’ 1961 chart-topper, “I’m a Little Mixed Up.” Detroit-based rocker Kenny Parker’s aided by Fred Foley as they follow with “She Might Meet Me (Live in the 313)” before two more pleasers — “House of the Rising Sun” from the Bay Area’s Blind Lemon Pledge and “Don’t Miss Nothing ‘til It’s Gone” from Hawaiian-born Reverend Freakchild – bring the disc to a close. Available for digital download and streaming from Blue Heart (website address above) and a whole lotta fun. Blues Blast Magazine Senior writer Marty Gunther has lived a blessed life. Now based out of Mason, Ohio, his first experience with live music came at the feet of the first generation of blues legends at the Newport Folk Festivals in the 1960s. A former member of the Chicago blues community, he’s a professional journalist and blues harmonica player who co-founded the Nucklebusters, one of the hardest working bands in South Florida. |
Various Artists – Blind Raccoon and Nola Blue Collection Vol. 6
Featured Blues Review – 4 of 6
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Self Released 8 tracks/46 minutes Luca Giordano, an Italian blues guitar master, with his band including a fantastic horn section back American soul man Leon Beal at the Porretta Soul Festival. Founded in December 1987, this was recorded at the 2019 event. Leon Beal handles the vocals and Giordano the guitar. Abramo Riti is on organ and piano, Walter Cerrasani is on bass and Lorenzo Poliandri is on drums. The horn section is Sax Gordon on tenor sax, Martino Boni Beadle on tenor sax, and Alessandro Di Bonaventura on trumpet. Gordon arranged all the horns. The album features two cuts written by Beal and six other great soul tunes. He opens with “Don’t Cry No More,” a 1961 Bobby “Blue” Bland classic. Beal sings with passion and deep feeling. Giordano lays out some nice guitar licks and the organ and horns blaze. Mel Waiters “Hole In The Wall” follows, where Beal tells his own story of the hole in the wall juke joint he grew up with in Jasper, Florida. The horns and piano do a standout job as Beal sings with restraint and howls out the song. “None Of Us Are Free” follows, which was first done by Ray Charles in 1993. It’s biggest claim to fame comes from the 2002 version by Solomon Burke which won a Grammy; the Blind Boys of Alabama backed him on that version. Here Beal gives us a soulful rendition with powerful vocals that the crowd enjoyed. A big Hammond organ solo is featured. Beal and the band take it to a rousing climax and then a slick outro. Beal’s own “Keep On Pushin’” is next up. This is not the Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions song from 1964 but Beal’s own cut of the same title. Similar in theme, the song is about keeping on pushing to stand up to adversity. Beal again sings with passion and the band gives a rousing performance in this funky and cool cut. The 1936 classic ballad “Glory of Love” follows with Leon giving us a deep and emotional cover of this song. He builds to a big, passionate climax about half way through, takes it back down and them concludes with another and final passionate buildup. Another classic “Cry To Me” follows on the heels of the last track, as Beal and the band give a cool performance of the song made famous first by Soloman Burke. Piano, horns and band give it their all in support. Sam Cooke’s beautiful “A Change Is Gonna Come” gets a powerful cover by Beal who belts out the lyrics with deep feeling and emotion. Somber horn, piano and organ backing as the song builds and ebbs and then goes into ahuge finale that the crowd appreciates. They perform an encore of Leon Beal’s “Still Here.” This one is a cool cut where Beal again lets it all hang our. Giordano lays down a great, funky groove and adds some mean licks as organ and horns fully support the piece. Even the bass gets a turn with a solo. This is a great soul album done by a fine American soul singer and his backing band of mostly Italian musicians. Giordano is a superb guitar player and bandleader and the core of musicians here do an outstanding job. A fine live recording, the album is well balanced and mixed. Anyone who love soul will love this! Blues Blast Magazine Senior writer Steve Jones is president of the Crossroads Blues Society and is a long standing blues lover. He is a retired Navy commander who served his entire career in nuclear submarines. In addition to working in his civilian career since 1996, he writes for and publishes the bi-monthly newsletter for Crossroads, chairs their music festival and works with their Blues In The Schools program. He resides in Byron, IL. |
Leon Beal and the Luca Giordano Band – Live at Porretta Soul Festival
Featured Interview – Tomiko Dixon
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The second child of seven born to Willie’s Dixon and Elnora Franklin’s daughter Johnnie, Tomiko grew up at 80th and Bishop in the senior Dixon’s household until the age of 5. “My mother was very young when I was a child and felt more like my older sister,” she offers. “I never met my birth father. My mom and her siblings and my grandparents raised me. My grandmother Elnora was the matriarch of the house, we called her ‘Mommy.’ And we called Willie Dixon ‘Granddaddy,’ but he was more like a father. Half the time we were at my stepmother Marie’s. As a child we were at everybody’s house. We were all raised together, believe it or not. It does take village, after all,” she laughs. These auspicious beginnings nurtured a strength and active imagination in the young girl. “I was known affectionately as ‘The Little Chocolate Chip.’ And of course, music was everywhere. I knew Granddaddy was famous. Everywhere we went in the community he was treated with respect and some deference,” Tomiko recounts. “You can imagine the names of those who stopped by: Katherine Davis, Barbara LeShoure, Big Time Sarah, Otis Clay, Eddie Shaw. I always heard stories about Queen Victoria Spivey, Koko Taylor and even Elvis.” In addition to musically-rich non-familial guests, many of Tomiko’s aunts and uncles played on the circuit as well. “My Uncle Freddie performed, my Aunt BiBi performed, Uncle Jr. (Willie Dixon Jr.) performed and Uncle Bobby did too. All of their friends were musicians who would be in and out of our house.” Jump-cut to Tomiko’s teenage years, when music floods the consciousness from sources outside the home. “I would say I suffered from depression then,” she candidly offers. “I was trying to figure out life. I used music to help me with that– different songs to help me feel good or take me to another place.” This multi-talented heir to the Dixon family tree of creative gifts found it hard to choose a path. “I didn’t know what to do. My grandfather and my grandmother were gone by then and they had been my backbone. When my grandfather died it just snatched my heart. When my grandmother died it just took everything I had. I felt lost,” she confesses. “But this painful period did lead to life experience. So, by the time I reached my twenties I had a lot to write about.”
“When I was a little girl, even up until now, I always wrote little poems,” she says. “But I would also sing other people’s songs. I loved Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Cindy Lauper, Cher. Celine Dion was a big one too. My friends weren’t into this type of pop, they were into R&B. But I wanted to sing ‘The Titanic Song,’” she laughs. “I did imagine I would come around to the Blues eventually, but I tried to fight it,” she admits. “I didn’t want to be categorized as just Blues. I think all of the progeny of famous people want to do something different, we want to go our own way to make a name for ourselves.” But things changed for Tomiko when she was met with a slight to her grandfather’s name. As she began to pursue singing as a path, someone told her that Willie’s Dixon’s name didn’t mean anything in the business. “That fueled me. What do you mean his name don’t mean nothin’?! All of the sacrifice our family made for the Blues? You mean to tell me my whole childhood was in vain? You know, my grandmother, Elnora, came up from Mississippi near Clarksdale with her sisters to escape the devastation of the Great Flood. When the Levee Breaks is not just a song to me but a part of my family’s personal history. No, no, my grandparents came from it, and Granddaddy was a great musical artist who spoke to it. You’d better believe the Dixon name means something.” A career was launched and a goal galvanized to make certain of just that. “So, I got out here and started doing music, named myself Tomiko Dixon, Willie Dixon’s granddaughter– It might have annoyed some people at first but they came around to it when they realized his spirit lived on within me and I was sincere. Even I realized that. There’s nothing I can do about it, it’s just who I am. Keeping the Blues alive, that’s my calling.” When Tomiko speaks of a calling, she means it in its true sense. But it’s taken time to truly internalize, as a true calling must. “It took me awhile to accept it and realize my role. To work on it more, to work on myself more to improve my communication with people and things of that nature. I was like a fish out of water in the beginning. All I knew was, this is what I’m doing now. I wrote some songs from some poems I had and it sounded good, and people were telling me I sounded good. Granddaddy had told me I was “as smart as a whip” and that encouraged me to find information to do things in the business efficiently. I felt like I could make it in this industry if I learned people more.” It might come as a shock to some to hear that Tomiko is not intrinsically the extrovert that she presents to the outside world today; being a “people person” did not come naturally. “I’d never been a people person,” she laughs. “It is a learned skill. I love my privacy, that is where my creative ideas really come from. But I play well with others. I’m an honest person and I warn people ahead of time. I bite my tongue when needed; I don’t say bad things about anybody. I feel I can help since that is my mission. I’ll find something I love about most everything. I won’t criticize just for the sake of it, that’s not me. And I don’t make myself out to be ‘It’s what I like.’ It’s not about what I like, it’s about what the people like. I’ve learned that over time, and I can be a trusted sounding board to my friends and musicians who consult me in this business.” Embracing this role and forging this identity has not come without some confusion and sacrifice. “This business will put you in your place, so to speak. If I want to do some R&B, I’ll be asked to sing more Blues. If I want do this then I’ll hear, ‘do that.’ While keeping the Blues alive I want to do what makes me happy in the process too,” Tomiko asserts. “I believe I’ve found that balance. If not, perhaps it is a lifelong pursuit and I can accept that.” And what is that main thing that does make her most happy?
Back to the formative years and to a life-changing moment. “When I first decided to sing and went to my Uncle Teddy and my Uncle Bobby. They would sit at the piano with me and work up some material and get me ready. They were very supportive. Then, before I even knew it was time, they took me over to Uncle Billy, Billy Branch. Billy was working at Artis’s at the time. I’m thinking, I’m just going to watch him perform and I’ll pick up some tips and things like that. But they threw me on that stage and it scared the hell out of me! I was up there shaking,” she giggles, “Man, I was so nervous. I had butterflies, trouble breathin’. But I never let it show, Momma always told me ‘Never let ‘em see you sweat, Baby.’ Well, I started singing Wang-Dang-Doodle like Koko Taylor; with the growl and everything. I remember that night so well because Shirley King was in the house. And Billy called Shirley on the stage with me. And when she started up ‘Tell Automatic Slim…” and I’m like, she’s doin’ this effortlessly, you know? She was just talkin’ it out while I was doing everything like Koko Taylor to put it over. As a result, I wasn’t havin’ fun but she was havin’ fun. Well, I learned from her ‘I’ve got to sing this in my own voice.’” Tomiko is a quick study. The first time out she learned “the most important lesson there is! “Next thing you know, I went home and started practicing. I started listening to Denise LaSalle, Etta James, Bonnie Raitt — different women who sung Blues and did it their way. Well, I learned that if I’m gonna do this I’ve got to learn to breathe properly but also put my oomph in there. I had Koko’s growl ‘cause I had worked so hard on it, you know like ‘Yow!’—and I was gonna keep that,” she laughs. “The long and short of it is, I figured it out to where I got comfortable on stage. And now I am having fun!” In 2024, Tomiko’s role in the business and art of Blues music is myriad, far-reaching, creative and at times administrative. Consider the many activities that she has taken on with her mission:
“Oh, we are going to resurrect the Hall of Fame ceremonies that were suspended by Covid since 2019. I’m looking forward to being a partner along with Mark and others. We lost both longtime host Michael Packer and coordinator Garland Floyd in recent years, and we’ll be dedicating this year’s event in their memory. After Garland passed I wondered if the Hall Of Fame would continue. Mark Maddox told me, ‘Yes it will and you’re going to do it.’ I said to him, ‘With you, right? I knew some day I’d be working with your company and now I know how!’ she laughs. “It’s a good match. Our goal is to give recognition to these deserving Midwest region and Chicago artists while they can enjoy it. Some are national legends and some might not get national acclaim but are Chicago legends.” The 2024 honorees will include vocalists Shirley Johnson, Theo Huff, Gary Martin, Stan Mosely, producer Michael Freeman “and some other surprises! And we’ll have the Mike Wheeler Band up there kickin’ it for our inductees to perform with.” “Tomiko had been helping Garland Floyd behind-the-scenes with our ceremony event in the past and was a natural choice to bring on board,” said Maddox. “She brings renewed enthusiasm to our organization and, with the family legacy she possesses and the career she has had, she is perfectly poised to step into the role!” The CBHF Awards Ceremony will take place on August 4, 2024. Ms. Dixon is a woman-on-the-go and not to be denied. Her legacy asks it from her, her spirit wants it for her and her many talents are deserving of it. And she knows she is not alone in her quest. “I thank my all of my family for their support and love,” she says. “I am a proud member. Praises to my mom, Johnnie T. Dixon, my uncle Freddie Dixon, the late Bobby Dixon, my Auntie Jacqueline Dixon at Blues Heaven Foundation, my longtime manager Tim Price and Uncle Kehti Gamba for always supporting me.” TO-MI-KO-DIX-ON. That sound is hard to forget and she is MEM-OR-ABLE. Journalist Peter Hurley is a noted Chicago Blues writer and photographer. Mr. Hurley’s passion for Blues music and its accompanying photography was first inspired by the 1960s albums Chicago Blues Today Vol. 1, Jr. Wells’ It’s My Life, Baby and the Chess Records Little Walter compilation Hate To See You Go. |
Blues vocalist, songwriter and recording artist Tomiko Dixon’s name holds a catchy rhythm within its alternating rounded vowels and clicky consonants. TO-MI-KO-DIX-ON. Once heard, it is emblazoned on the mind like a hook in an upbeat tune. It suits her personality. Her speech patterns are fast, sing-songy and hip, her movements are funky smooth, and her singing fills the room with the most soulful strains heard this far north of Memphis. Born and raised in Chicago, Tomiko is blessed with the DNA, the desire, the savvy and the unquenchable spirit of one of the post war era’s greatest songsmiths. Her grandfather is Blues poet laureate, Willie Dixon.
Tomiko’s writing is a lifelong pursuit and comes from a personal place.
“What I love most is songwriting. I’m a kick-ass songwriter,” she says matter-of-factly. “If I have some Blues I’m gonna funk it up, if I have some Blues I’m gonna rock it up, if I got some Blues I’m gonna jazz it up. This is where I have my fun, I get to put a little bit o’ me in there.”
If this weren’t enough, she is a Chicago Blues Hall of Fame (CBHF) inductee and has just been appointed Ambassador/Coordinator to the CBHF by President and CEO of talent agency MarMax Entertainment and Talent Buyer at Buddy Guy’s Legends, Mark Maddox.
Featured Blues Review – 5 of 6
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7 tracks – 28 minutes Born in 1938, Nick Gravenites grew up on the southside of Chicago where he learned the blues from a number of the Chicago greats including Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Jimmy Reed, and Otis Rush among others. He hung out with a bunch of “misfit white kids” by the names of Elvin Bishop, Paul Butterfield and Michael Bloomfield which led to the creation of that white boy blues group, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band. He wrote the classic “Born in Chicago” and “East West” for that group. In 1965, Nick moved to the West Coast where he quickly became ingrained in the California music scene, performing, writing and/or producing many of the albums being released from the popular groups in that era. In 1967, Nick and Bloomfield joined keyboardist Barry Goldberg and drummer Buddy Miles in The Electric Flag, one of the first groups that incorporated horns into the blues sound. Subsequently Nick joined Big Brother and The Holding Company and was a member of that band from 1969 to 1972, where he became friends with Janis Joplin. He wrote the song “Buried Alive in The Blues” for her and was scheduled to record the song with her on the day she died. The song was included as an instrumental on Pearl as a tribute to Janis. His compositions have been recorded by Big Brother, Pure Prairie League, Tracy Nelson, Roy Buchanan, and by blues greats Howlin’ Wolf, Otis Rush, Jimmy Witherspoon, and James Cotton and a long list of others. He has appeared on approximately forty albums as singer, guitarist, songwriter and producer. One of the West Coast bands he produced was Quicksilver Messenger Service, where he became friends with John Cipollina. The two formed the Gravenites – Cipollina Band which toured extensively in Europe and led to an album, Monkey Medicine, released in 1982 and on a live album released a few years later that was recorded at a concert held in Dortmund, Germany. Nick has continued to perform and record music on his own and with many others since that period. Unfortunately, Nick is no longer capable of playing the guitar because of debilitating arthritis in his hands but he still enjoys singing. So, he agreed to record this album, his first in many years with many of his friends from over the years. Pete Sears produced the album and plays bass and piano throughout with Wally Ingram playing drums on most cuts. Five of the songs were recorded in 2022 and the final two were recorded in the summer of 2023. It was hoped that he would record a few more songs for the album, but he determined that the sessions were too tiring. The album opens with Howlin’ Wolf’s “Poor Boy”, which included the final two verses that were written by Nick for the song. The song states that he wants to “head back to Chicago”. Charlie Musselwhite guests on the harmonica. Jimmy Vivino plays guitar on “Blues Singers” as Nick looks back at all the great blues vocalists as he brings a little tongue-in-the cheek comparison to the vocalists. Lester Chambers provides the harmonica on “Left Hand Soul” with a particularly soulful piano from Pete. Nick says people “try to round up a new car ever year, just to drive around lonely”. Willard Dixon on clarinet and Keith Baltz on sousaphone gives something of a New Orleans feel to “Blackberry Jam”. He says you can eat them yellow peaches till the juice runs down your face, but blackberry jam is what is in my mind”, which might have another connotation as he asks her “if you remember when I carried you up those stairs”. Musselwhite and Vivino then rejoins Nick on a classic “Blues Back Off of Me”. Pete Sears adds accordion with Nick singing that he “got everything I needed to keep myself alive in a “Brown Paper Bag”” in something of a polka style written as a remembrance to his early days. Blues Project drummer Roy Blumenfeld who worked with Nick in many of his endeavors in the 1980’s guests on the drums for the final song “What Time Is It”. Barry Sless also adds pedal steel and acoustic guitar on the countrified blues song as he laments his past, says he has “been drinking since the Fourth of July and now it has started to snow”, and acknowledges that he has “lost my sweet dreams”. Nick’s vocals are somewhat weathered. His voice sounds slightly more grizzled in the latter two cuts that were recorded a year after the earlier five. But the songs are still warmly and professionally sung, and certainly a fitting presentation of the musician’s talent that has been on display for nearly sixty years. Nick was appropriately inducted into The Blues Hall of Fame in 2006 and into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (when it was truly that) in 2015. 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. |
Nick Gravenites – Rogue Blues
Featured Blues Review – 6 of 6
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Horton Records 2 songs time – 42:46 The Paul Benjaman Band wears their Tulsa, Oklahoma roots on their sleeves. As the recording proceeds Paul developes more of an Okie accent that at times sounds like he has pebbles in his mouth, making the lyrics hard to decipher completely. The band are full out rockers with barely any blues influence. Paul and Jesse Aycock handle guitar duties very well. The drummer, bass player and keyboard man are up to the task. The lyrics are no great shakes. The guitar playing and the catchy riffs are really the saving grace of this disc. “Undercover Of Night” starts things off with jaunty guitar riffing under razor sharp guitar soloing. Chugging guitar powers “Hot Dice” and features Jesse Aycock’s slithering lap steel along with regular guitaring. The title track brings more rock and roll thunder down with a menacing riff. “Chasm Of Soul” is Southern Rock influenced. His pronunciation of “Local Honey” sounds for all the world like “locohany”. “Church Of Space And Time” amounts to a Leon Russell impression where Paul accentuates his Okie drawl. It also features Russell style piano playing. The title is a reference to Leon’s moniker of The Master Of Space And Time. The vocal twang carries over to “Outlaw Land”. The guitar interplay here is a wonder. “Detroit Train” chugs along just like a funky old steam train. More tasty lap steel on this one. “La Serpentine” becomes La Serpontain, what do I know? It features a nice riff along with electric piano. They turn in a plaintive ballad via “How Bad I Want You”. “Blues Skyline” evokes the laid back style of JJ Cale in vocalization and music. This will appeal to the rockers out there. There is no denying the soulful guitar playing throughout this record. Some of the songs are appealing to me, but we all have different taste in music. It will surely reach its’ audience. Reviewer Greg “Bluesdog” Szalony hails from the New Jersey Delta. |
Paul Benjaman Band – My Bad Side Wants A Good Time
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