Cover photo © 2024 Bob Kieser

 In This Issue 

Mark Thompson has our feature interview with Texas Bluesman Mike Morgan. We have six Blues reviews for you this week including new music from Deb Ryder, John Primer & Magic Slim, Ricky Nye, The Chess Project, Storm Cellar and Boogie Beats. Scroll down and check it out!

 From The Editor’s Desk 

Hey Blue Fans,

The submissions for the 17th Annual Blues Blast Awards continue until May 31st. 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

Deb Ryder – Live And Havin’ Fun

VizzTone Label Group

www.debryder.com

14 tracks; 62 minutes

The story of how Deb Ryder progressed from watching musicians play at her parents’ club to performing in her own right has been well documented, not least in the Blues Blast interview in February 2016. At that time Deb had just released her second album, now she has five studio albums to her credit, plus this new live one that acts as something of a “Best Of” her output to date. Backed by what can rightly be called a stellar band Deb runs through twelve songs taken from across her previous releases, plus two new additions to her repertoire. Everything you hear is original music, written by Deb and her husband Ric who produced the album together. The band includes Phantom Blues Band members Tony Braunagel (drums), Johnny Lee Schell (guitar) and Joe Sublett (sax), plus Ric Ryder on bass, keyboard player Jim Pugh, guitarist Alan Maggini, harp player Tex Nakamura, sax player Lon Price and trumpeter Paul Litteral. Guests include Big Llou Johnson and guitarists Albert Lee, Artur Menezes and Joey Delgado.

Deb opens with a new song, “Fun Never Hurt No One” that rather sums up the feel of the album, as everyone is clearly enjoying themselves on an uptempo number with the horns blaring away and Joe Sublett taking an exciting solo. Deb’s vocals are forceful and clear as she invites everyone to get involved. The following three numbers are all drawn from 2018’s Enjoy The Ride, starting with the blues-soaked title track with Tex’s harp featured over a wash of wah guitar and keys. “Temporary Insanity” adds Albert Lee’s guitar to the mix as Jim sets the pace on piano and the horns underline the chorus well before Joey Delgado guests on “Bring The Walls Down”, Deb adopting a deeper tone that suits the dark lyrics of the song. Deb goes back to her 2014 debut for the title track “You Might Just Get Lucky”, a slow, late night tune with Jim’s jazzy piano the main instrument, backed by quiet harmonica, bass and brushed drums, before heading down to New Orleans with “La Misère” and a second appearance by Albert Lee as Tony sets the second line rhythm expertly on a tune drawn from the 2015 album Let It Rain. “Goodbye Baby” is the final cut from Enjoy The Ride, a tune with a funky backbeat and stinging guitar from Artur Menezes, Deb ridding herself of an unsatisfactory partner with unbridled enthusiasm.

The second half of the album contains four tunes from Deb’s last studio album, Memphis Moonlight, all featuring full band productions with the horns playing a significant role. “Get Ready” is a strong song but slightly marred (to these ears) by the echoey treatment given to Deb’s voice on the chorus; “I’m Coming Home” is a celebratory song about getting off the road and back home; “Hold On” is an attractive rocker with solid harp and horns; “Blues Is All I Got” makes a good closing song with Deb’s strong vocal matched by a pounding band performance. The other songs are “Guilty Of Sin” from Let It Rain which finds Deb confronting her unfaithful friend, Tex’s harp adding a definite blues edge to the story; “Prisoner Of War” is the sole selection from 2017’s Grit, Grease And Tears, the horns sitting this one out as the rhythm section provides a Slim Harpo style opening to the track as Deb encourages us all to “make love, not war”; “Any Bottle On The Shelf” is a second new tune, Deb declaring that she does “my drinking by myself, just practising self-help”, Albert Lee making his third and final appearance with a typically understated, country-tinged solo, Tex, Jim and Johnny Lee also getting short solo features.

There is plenty to enjoy on this album, good musicianship, all original songs well sung by their creator, Deb Ryder.

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.

Magic Slim & John Primer – Slow Blues

Wolf Records

www.johnprimerblues.com

Disc 1 – 8 Tracks 52 minutes

Disc 2 – 8 Tracks 52 minutes

The sparks are going to fly when two members of the Blues Hall of Fame join together in sharing their love of the music. This collection from Wolf Records is taken from the numerous releases that Magic Slim (Morris Holt) and John Primer did for the label, totaling at least 12 albums by each under their own name. The 13 years that Primer spent as a member of Slim’s backing band, the Teardrops, may very well have been the high point of Slim’s legacy.

As the title states, listeners are treated to 16 tracks of late-night, raw unadulterated blues with plenty of feeling, magnified by the slower pace that both guitarists excelled at, particularly in light of the many nights and early mornings they spent together plying their craft in bars and clubs around the world. The format is simple. The playlist alternates as Slim and Primer have equal opportunity to share the spotlight.

The first disc digs in right away with Slim’s rough-hewn vocal and taut guitar licks making “You Put It On Me” a classic example of the Magic Slim style, with his brother Nick Holt on bass and Earl Howell on drums. Primer follows that with a forlorn tale on “1839 Blues,” his life a mess of woman troubles. Stanley Banks on piano does his best to soften his friend’s worried mind. Primer switches to slide guitar for a moving rendition of Muddy Waters’ “Country Boy,” his sorrowful vocal answered by some fine harmonica blowing from Billy Branch. Not to be outdone, Slim is at his best on the chilling “So Easy To Love You,” his measured vocal supported by the outstanding interplay between the two guitar masters.

Another highlight of the first disc occurs on “Bad Avenue,” a staple of Slim’s live shows. The band takes it’s time, setting an unhurried pace that Slim utilizes perfectly, showing the softer side of his playing. “I Wonder Who (Who’s Gonna Be Your Sweet Man)” is from a live show in Vienna in 1994, with Primer backed by Nick Holt and Howell, sounding right at home on another one from the Muddy Waters songbook. Slim turns in another classic on “Just To Be With You,” an unreleased performance from 1998 with Jake Dawson helping out on guitar. The longest track on the disc, it amply illustrates Slim’s mastery of the slow blues format as a vocalist and guitarist.

Primer was honored last year with his induction into the Blues Hall Of Fame, recognition Magic Slim received posthumously in 2017. Continuing to be a torch-bearer for the traditional electric Chicago blues style he learned from Slim and as a member of Muddy Waters’ band, Primer’s considerable skills were fully formed in 1993 when he lead a group through a mid-tempo take on “She’s Too Much,” with Detroit Junior on piano and Steve Bell on harp. “When I Met My Baby” finds Slim slowing the pace way down, wringing razor-sharp notes from his guitar to ease the pain from life with a no-good woman.

Not to be outdone, Primer digs into the Otis Rush classic, “Double Trouble,” sharing his anguish through his guitar with a stunning opening soliloquy that rides Nick Holt’s deep bass lines. His original song, “I’m A Bluesman,” is another performance seeing the light of day for the first time, recorded live in 1995 in Austria. Primer once again shows off his prowess on slide guitar. The final track under his leadership features the rarely heard Bill Lupkin on harp on a well-played cover of “Take The Bitter With The Sweet”.

The track listing in the CD booklet states that Slim’s searing version of his original, “Don’t Dog Me,” was recorded in Vienna in 2020 which, if correct, make the cut a miracle of the highest order since Magic Slim passed away in 2013. But there is no mistaking his familiar “I ain’t lyin’” interjection nor another dose of a guitar tone that cuts to the core. He finishes off the second disc with Roy Brown’s “Hard Luck Blues,” which certainly serves as a fitting summation of all that has transpired, with Slim eloquently verbalizing the plight of a man down to his last dime, no friends to count on, no place to rest his weary head.

While the thought of wading through over 100 minutes of slow blues might seem to be a stretch for some blues lovers, one listen will remind you that Magic Slim was a master of the music, time after time making you feel the ravages of love gone bad. John Primer’s tracks help remind us about how good he has been throughout his career. Together, they gift us with a package that honors the real music, unadorned and elemental. It is simple, not always pretty, but guaranteed to burrow deep in your soul.

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!

 Blues Blast Music Awards Submissions 

Submissions from artists and labels for the 17th Annual Blues Blast Music Awards are open 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

Ricky Nye – Vevay Sessions

1-2-3 Records – 2023

www.rickynye.com

10 tracks; 32 minutes.

Ricky Nye’s Vevay Sessions, a 2023 release, features some of the best boogie-woogie blues to come out in recent times. Nye brought together a group of musicians near his Cincinnati, Ohio base, including Jerry King on upright bass, Anthony Ray Wright on drums and guitar, and Eli Gonzalez on tenor and baritone saxophone. Nye sang vocals and played a Baldwin Acrosonic spinet piano for the LP, recorded in Jerry King’s personal studio in Vevay, Indiana.

The album starts out strong with “Kay-Bee Boogie”, a high energy boogie woogie piano instrumental, showing New Orlean taste right from the start. Nye delivers an unrelenting, driving force on the keys that sounds like it could easily be in a Wild West saloon. Nye dedicated the song to his girlfriend Karen Boyhen, the illustrator of the album’s cover art.

On “You Can’t Get That Stuff No More”, a Tampa Red (a favorite of Nye) cover, loose, saucy piano mingles with tasteful notes of saxophone as Nye sings “Bootleg Sally used to live across town… They closed her down. You can’t get that stuff no more.” A jovial feeling dominates the track with a touch of seediness, blistering piano, and jolly, swinging sax solos from Gonzalez.

“She’s So Sweet” boasts a low key shuffling waltz, with Nye’s suave voice dripping with confidence, singing sweetly about his “sweet little honey that flows from the cherry tree.” His piano chops are on full display throughout. Nye selected this cover of Lonnie Johnson to pay tribute toCincinnati’s King Records.

Seedy life returns again with “Lights Out”, a song glorifying the shenanigans and fun that transpire after dark, in New Orleans tradition. Nye offers flurries of piano, while Wright gives a steady drum beat, and Gonzalez wails and wails on the saxophone, expressing ecstasy in musical form. For this tune, dancing is mandatory, as rapid notes hit one after another, in quick succession. Nye said he had long been enamored with this tune, by New Orleans R&B artist Jerry Byrne, but that this was his first time performing or recording the track.

Nye sings about domestic troubles with “Low Down Dog”, crooning “I ain’t gonna be your low down dog no more. Gonna pack my bag, down the road I go.” Soulful piano mixes with saxophone blaring out sweet. The sax comes out strong and confident, as the backbone of the song, while piano constitutes the meat. “Low Down Dog” has been a consistent sound check song that Nye wanted to record.

Lingering, jazz-like piano is featured on the Blues standard “Trouble in Mind”, a song that carries quiet confidence as Nye sings about better times to surely come ahead. Another standard, “Am I to Blame”, has meandering, slow piano as Nye sings about heartbreak. While certainly sad and reflective, the song has just a tinge of the blues.

Perhaps the most polished song on the album, “Faded Love”, comes as a slow, change of pace to the energetic boogie-woogie feature prominently elsewhere. Nye plays nostalgic, romantic, tender, and soft keys. There is a balance and cadence that allows one to catch their breath – to meditate on the space and time of the moment – in a simple and sparse instrumental that yearns without words.

Although some of the instrumental tracks are strong, the best songs on the album succeed through storytelling that dives into love, deceit, revelry, and all that makes us human. While the band succeeds in exciting covers, more original material could help Nye and his band cement their place as an authentic, original blues band capable of creation of their own,

Nye was inducted into the International Boogie Woogie Hall of Fame in 2013 and boogie is clearly where he shines. Vevay Sessions marks an excellent contribution to the boogie-woogie space, and, as as their liner notes quite rightly say, it’s “good rollickin’ fun!”

Writer Jack Austin, also known by his radio DJ name, Electric Chicken (y Pollo Electrico en Espanol), is a vinyl collector, music journalist, and musician originally from Pittsburgh.

The Chess Project – New Moves

CZYZ Records

No website provided

11 Track – 51 minutes

In the 1920’s Leonard and Phil CZYZ moved to America from their native Poland. They Americanized their last name to Chess. In 1947, Leonard bought a stake in Aristocrat Records and in 1950, his brother joined him as the sole owners of the company. They immediately changed the name of the company to Chess Records. The company specialized in blues and rhythm and blues initially and later expanded into other areas including early ventures into rock and roll. The company is recognized as a premiere label in the blues industry with performers Howlin’ Wolf, Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters and many others recording for them over the course of the company’s existence. The Chess Record Company went out of business in 1969 shortly before the death of Leonard.  Its catalogue was sold to Universal Music Group and is now managed by Geffen Records.

Leonard’s son, Marshall, worked alongside of his father and uncle for many years in the 1960’s, eventually creating his own label, Cadet Concepting. Marshall moved on to become the head of Rolling Stones Records and the President of Arc Music, a music publishing company. Marshall, at age 82, continues his involvement in the music industry today now joined by his son, Jamar. Jamar continues the Chess legacy, as a co-founder of Sunflower Entertainment and Wahoo Music Fund One, was named as a Billboard “30 under 30” alumni and was awarded an ASCAP Award in 2019. Together Leonard and Jamar have initiated CZYZ Records to re-introduce and re-interpret some of the famous songs that were released on the Chess label.

Together with Keith LeBlanc as co-producer, The Chess Project was initiated with a core group of three musicians including Keith providing the drums and all percussion on the album. Bernard Fowler, who has been a long-time back-up vocalist for the Rolling Stones steps out front for all the vocals on the album. Skip “Little Axe” McDonald who previously worked in the group Tackhead with LeBlanc, was brought in as the guitarist. Alan Glen and Ralph Rosen trade lead for the harp on most of the songs. Paul Nowlinski, bassist for Keith Richards and Patti Smith, plays bass on nine of the songs. Many other guests appear across the course of the album.

The album kicks off with the well-known “Boom Boom (Out Go the Lights)” written by Stan Lewis and first recorded by Little Walter in 1955. Keith LeBlanc, who has not worked in any blues groups, worked to maintain the integrity of the original songs but adds sounds that might catch the attention of today’s generation of music listeners. Ralph’s harmonica slides through a very rhythmic percussive pulse giving the song a slightly different sound from that you might already know.  “Muddy Water’s “Moanin’ at Midnight” has a feel of a hip-hop record with the repetition of the lyric “Somebody knockin’ on my door”.

Sonny Boy Williamson’s “Nine Below Zero” features some special effects outside of the normal blues realm and mixed with a funky beat. Another Williams’ song “So Glad I’m Living” follows. Marshall said he suggested this one as it seemed to reflect his current age and past life. Again, the song gets a very funky beat and a shift away from the sound that Sonny Boy created. Eric Gales joins on guitar with MonoNeon (Prince bassist) on Muddy Waters’ “Tell Me”.

Rosco Gordon wrote and recorded 1952’s “Booted”, which was released on the Sun label. It tells the story of a man who was kicked out of his home by a woman who has taken a new lover. The original song is considered to be a classic R&B number with Gordon’s piano leading the way. Here Mark Kaplan has joined on tenor sax and seems to be the front for a funky song in the vein of Bootsy Collins. “Mother Earth”, released in 1951 by Memphis Slim, states “Don’t care how great you are, don’t care what you’re worth / When it all ends up you got to go back to Mother Earth”. This is another song Marshall suggested for the album as it deals with the reality of death, particularly as you get older. As with the other songs on the album, it gets a jazzy, funked up feel with Kaplan’s sax a major part of the sound.

“Goin’ Down Slow” was originally written by and performed by “St. Louis Jimmy” Oden in 1941. Little Walter later recorded it in 1961 and made it one of his trademark tunes. It features a grinding beat with Alan Glen’s harmonica leading. Little Walter’s “High Temperature” was recorded in 1957, a heated love song as he says, “he feels the fever get to you” when she is around. Another Muddy Waters’ chestnut “Smokestack Lightning” from 1956 probably comes the closest to replicating the vocals of the original as Bernard does use the Wolf’s howl in the song. Eric Gales on guitar and Reggie Griffin on piano and synthesizer join for the closing song of Sonny Boy Williamson’s 1963 song, “Help Me”. Eric provides some excellent guitar work on this song.

Blues traditionalists looking for some classic songs from the Chess library may not be ready for this album.  For those individuals, Marshall hosts “The Chess Tribute Channel” on YouTube. It features hundreds of rare videos, personal stories and a podcast section where old songs from the Chess library are played with some commentary.

In the 1960’s, many bands re-discovered the classic blues artists and brought many of that period’s musicians such as B.B. King, Muddy Waters, and John Lee Hooker back to the forefront. The listeners of the music started seeking the recordings of those artists and many of the early artists that had long since passed. The songs of John Mayall, The Rolling Stones, early Fleetwood Mac and others particularly from the British invasion shook the songs up to the chagrin of some of that period’s listeners but did accomplish getting the music of the bluesmen back into the mainstream. This album attempts to replicate that idea with sounds that are more in line with today’s music. Does it accomplish that? I don’t know. First is the problem of how to reach the intended audience, second is their acceptance, and finally an enticement to reach back like occurred in the 60’s. The presented music has the basis of the blues, but as noted, turns it on its head with an influx of funk and hip-hop.

Reviewer 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.

Back in the 1990s, Mike Morgan and the Crawl were riding high. Morgan was another fine Texas bred guitar player, instantly recognizable with a black patch covering his right eye, damaged in a freak accident during a motorcycle race when he was 13 years old. The band was signed to the famed Black Top Record label, releasing eight albums of tough Texas blues, with the great Lee McBee on vocals and harmonica. Since then, Morgan has experienced some twists and turns on the road of life.

Born in Dallas, Texas in 1959, Morgan’s family lived there until he was five years old. His mother remarried, and his stepfather, Robert Morgan, moved the family to Hillsboro, about 65 miles south on I-35. In 1986, Morgan returned to Dallas as he became more serious about his career in music.

“I didn’t have a lot of musical influence. My parents liked listening to music and they would play a lot of soul stuff is what I remember. As a kid, I really liked Otis Redding. They also had Wilson Pickett, Sam and Dave and all that stuff. And I remember they had a Lightnin’ Hopkins record, and a John Lee Hooker record that I listened to. That was as a pretty small kid. Then as I was growing up, I was listening to a real big radio station here in Dallas, KZEW, the Zoo, and it was the big, playing anything from the Carpenters to Led Zeppelin to Frank Zappa, pretty much all across the board back then.

“I didn’t get a guitar until about the third grade. I don’t remember why I wanted a guitar, but I remember wanting one. My parents bought me one out of the Sears catalog. It was a big hollow body plastic guitar, a big giant toy guitar. And the strings were, God, you know, an inch off the neck. I kept trying to play it. So I guess they saw that I was serious about at least wanting to try to play it, so they bought me what I think was a Kingston guitar at the Ben Franklin dime store. If my memory serves me, it was a little Alamo amplifier and a Kingston guitar.

“Next I took a couple of lessons. There was a guy up at the place my dad worked, a college kid who came over and wrote down the chords for “House of the Rising Sun”. That was the first song I learned how to play. So really it started in about the third grade, but I never really got serious. I wasn’t in a place with a big community of people playing music. I was more into sports and riding dirt bikes. That was my big love as a kid and even as an adult. I did that more than playing guitar. But we had little garage bands in high school, get together and jam. We didn’t really know a whole song, but we’d get out there and play what we knew.

Living out in the country, Morgan was somewhat isolated. Fortunately, he had several people who really kick-started his passion for blues music.

“There was a guy that was a few years older than me. He was a big jock in high school and he was kind of a hero. I’d go down there to hang out with him and he played this song for me. It was on ZZ Top’s first record. It was kind of a ballad called “Old Man”. It had this great guitar solo in it. When I heard it, that was one of my big wow moments. Then about 1983, this friend of mine, Matt Sessions, a drummer in town, and the first drummer in my band, the Crawl, had me listen to Stevie Ray Vaughan’s first record, and that was my second big wow moment.

“I had just got laid off this place I was working at, a sales job at a big mobile home factory that had come to Hillsboro. I was making quite a bit of money for a kid. I think it was 1983 when they shut down. That led me to get together with four guys in Hillsboro that I had jammed with over the years. We said, let’s do it, and we booked a gig. It was a place down in West Texas where we used to go drink beer. It was a place called Wolf’s. We worked up about 40 songs, mostly ZZ Top, or Stevie Ray, the Thunderbirds, and managed to get it together enough to get through the gig.

“Pretty much everybody we’d ever known our whole lives showed up. And I think they charged. $2 or $3 at the door. We made $800 bucks. And I went, maybe we ought to do this again. Music up to that point had been something to have a little fun with. Before I went back to work doing something else, that gig kind of got the wheels rolling for me, making me wonder if we could do more with this. As I got more serious, the other guys weren’t quite as into it.

“When I moved back to Dallas, this guy took a liking to us. He was friends with the singer Daryl Nulisch, who had been working with Anson Funderburgh & the Rockets. I was a real big Anson fan, had his first two records that I listened to over and over. Daryl and Anson had split up, so this guy told Daryl about me. Daryl was looking for some work. He was light years ahead of where I was at at that point. I mean, when I first met Daryl, I thought all those songs were originals that he and Anson wrote. We started talking and I said, man, y’all wrote all those songs and Daryl looked at me like I had three heads and went, are you serious?

“He explained that they didn’t write any of them, they were written by Magic Sam, Little Walter, Little Milton, Sonny Boy Williamson, and Elmore James. And I was like, huh? He said, don’t you know who those guys are? Are you serious? I said, yeah, I just thought they were y’all songs. So he gave me giant stacks of albums, just handed them to me, saying you need to listen to these. Me, I thought those guys were like Led Zeppelin or something.”

Nulisch was already a seasoned veteran, looking to make a little bit of money, and Morgan was glad to start working with him. It went well until just before the band was going to head out for California for a tour, including a date at the Fillmore. Guitarist Ronnie Earl came through town, invited Nulisch up to sing a few songs, and then offered him a job. The singer bailed out on Morgan.

After managing to get through the tour, Morgan came home to begin the hunt for a new lead vocalist. One name kept popping up.

“I got Lee McBee’s number from somebody, gave him a call, and we exchanged cassette tapes of stuff we had been doing. Lee wasn’t sure that things would work out as he lived in Lawrence, Kansas, which is a long ways from Dallas. The band had an upcoming date at the Grand Emporium Saloon In Kansas City, so I invited Lee to come out to hear us. After the show, he told me that as soon as he heard us do Magic Sam’s “Easy Baby,” he knew he wanted to join up.

“That was probably the best thing that ever happened to me in my career, hooking up with Lee. We made a pretty good little team. Then Anson helped us out, talking to Hammond Scott at Black Top about the band, Hammond came to hear us one night in Jackson, Mississippi at the George Street Grocery. He stayed till the end, came over to the hotel and hung out with us afterwards. He said he wanted to record us. I’m like, you do? He goes, yeah, let’s do a record. So that’s the way that happened. I think that first record, Raw And Ready, came out in 1990. Then we basically did a record every year through 1999.”

The last record that Black Top put out, I Like The Way You Work It!, was the last record Morgan and McBee did together.

“I hated to see that label go. But I saw, what’s the word I’m looking for, the hip factor for the blues was already waning by the late 1990s. Part of my success was being at the right place at the right time.  I think most people would agree that Stevie Ray made blues cool with the commercial success that he had. And it was young people who were asking, Hey, what do you want to do tonight? And often, the answer was, let’s go see a blues band. Now, the music doesn’t have that cool factor, and it really hasn’t for a while. Hopefully something will bring that back around at some point. I’ve been fortunate in that I don’t take any of that for granted. Without good people around me, I’m just another guy with a guitar strapped on.

“I’m proud of my songwriting. We got a lot of pretty good tunes recorded. I was blessed to have met up with Lee and had such a great, great vocalist. We had a period where we split up for a while and I did a record in 1996 with a vocalist that was living in Austin that played with me for about a year. Chris Whynaught sang on the record, Looky Here. He was really good. He was different than me, but he was like Lee and Daryl. You know, they were both great singers. I’ve always had vocalists that played harmonica, except for Chris . He was a really good sax player, so it changed things up a little bit”

In 1999, after the final Black Top album, Morgan and McBee came to the end of their time together. Like two people in a marriage, it was time to go their separate ways. It was decision time for the guitar player and band leader.

“The thing about singers is they kind of define your band to some degree. I didn’t want to find another really great singer and have it go south in a year. I was not interested in reinventing myself every time. So I said, I’m just going to try to sing. I never sang,  but I guess I’m just dumb enough or hard headed enough to say, I can figure out how to do it. I just plowed ahead, going from being on autopilot playing with a singer to doing my own thing. It was terrifying, a painful, painful ordeal for me and probably for whoever was listening to us to some degree.”

Morgan went back to work in 2000 as the sales manager for a motorcycle shop. He was playing part-time, enjoying a steady income, holding that position for 18 years. He had three releases on Severn Records, Texas Man, Live In Dallas, and Stronger Every Day, released in 2008. Those albums featured Morgan as the vocalist. When the shop closed its doors, he was ready to give music another try. Then Covid hit.

“That put a damper on playing full-time. As bad as it hit the music industry, anything that had to do with outdoors like motorcycles, bicycles, camping, it was boom time. A guy that I worked with at the motorcycle shop called me. He was the controller over at a different shop. He told me there’s an opportunity here and you need to come up here. So for the last two and a half years, I’ve been playing while working full time over there as a finance director.

“Then in September, I got laid off. Business took a pretty big downturn, and they downsized the shop. So, I’m back to pretty much playing full time again now, trying to get booked, to get back out there. You know, I’ve been out of the scene for probably as long as I’ve played full time. So to some degree, there’s a lot of people that don’t even know who I am now. There’s probably a lot of people that remember me, but don’t know what happened.

“It’s a lot tougher than it used to be. Getting into this at the time I did, you could have a cassette tape and send it to somebody and they’d go, yeah, that sounds great, we’ll hire you for three nights. Now I’ve got 13, 14 records and it’s harder than it was back then. I’ve started getting more help now from the Tina Terry Agency. We’re starting to work together some. I’ve never even met her, but we’ve talked on the phone and she’s been real good to work with. There’s not as big of an audience as you know, and it’s an aging audience. And it’s been a while since I’ve been out there doing it, so I’ve got to ease back into it.

“Mark Carpentieri at M.C. Records has been an angel. He’ released my last record, The Lights Went Out In Dallas, two years ago. When we put this thing out, I said I’m not going to be able to go tour behind it. I can go play some gigs, but I can’t be out touring and really promoting it. He said, well, we’ll just get your name back out there. He really liked the record quite a bit.

“I’ve got another side project with Anson, and another good friend, Shawn Pittman. I had an idea one day, called them both up and said, ‘Hey, would you guys want to do some gigs together occasionally and, you know, call it something?’ They both liked the idea. So we put a thing together. We’ve gone to Europe a couple of times and done a little bit around here. We call it the Texas Blues Guitar Summit. It’s the three guitar players with my band, Kevin Schermerhorn on drums, and Drew Allain on bass. Me and Shawn both sing. That’s been a whole lot of fun.

As far as his instruments go, Morgan has a few favorites.

“I’ve got a bunch of guitars, but it’s funny because with all the ones I have, two of them is basically all I ever play. I’ve got my ’82 Fender Stratocaster that is a reissue of the 1957 model. And then I’ve got a 1967 or ’68, I’m not sure which year it is, Epiphone Riviera. I’ve also got a Danelectro guitar from somewhere around 1999 or something, when they came out with a reissue. Anyway, I bought one of those and I’ve got that set up for slide. But those other two guitars have been my main ones my whole career.”

When it comes to amplifiers, Morgan spent many a year with a 1959 Fender Bassman along with a Fender reverb tank. Once he got going, it was not unusual to find him using two Fender Super Reverbs

“God only knows how loud that was! Then I went through a little phase where I got a couple of ’60s Fender Blackface Deluxe Reverbs. I played two of those wide open together for a while. But most of my touring career, it was my ’59 Bassman. Right now I’ve got a house full of amps. I’ve got an endorsement deal with Victoria Amps and a couple of great amps that Mark Baier at Victoria’s made.

“But lately, I think it’s more from being lazy or maybe it’s getting older, not wanting to pick up something that weighs too much, I got one of those little Fender Blues Juniors. For a cheap amp, it’s really amazing how good those little things sound. They got a gain channel and a master channel, so you can make it dirty, or you can make it clean, or you can make it in between. The reverb is isn’t much, so I carry a reverb pedal with me.”

Looking back, Morgan acknowledges that he has had a great run, even though music took a backseat for much of the last two decades. He has plenty of good times and great friends to remember as he embarks on what he hopes will be another successful phase of his remarkable career.

“I don’t take any of this for granted. I really appreciate it and I’m thankful God gave me the opportunity to get out and do something that I really enjoy. And I never thought I would be able to have done what I’ve done up to this point. It all just just started off that one gig in Hillsboro.”

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!

Stormcellar – Basilisk: All Hail the Basilisk

Self Released

www.stormcellar.com.au

10 tracks/35 minutes

A new Stormcellar album is always something I can’t wait to sink my teeth into. The Michael Barry is the lead alchemist who puts things together and he’s delivered a fantastic new effort for us to enjoy.

Barry is a creative musical genius who produces, writes songs, sings, blows harp and plays synthesizer/keys. He is edgy, breaks all the rules and yet delivers music to us that is superbly approachable and just fun to listen to. I don’t use the term musical genius lightly; he is just that and more.

Long term Stormcellar band mate Paul Reed, affectionately known as Mr. Wizard, co-wrote seven of the ten songs here. He plays guitar; his slide guitar is hard to beat. He also adds tambora, a two-headed drum used in merengue and other forms of music.  Theo Wanders is the third part of the Stormcellar triad, playing drums and handling percussion. These three guys have played together for a long time and are the heart of the band.

Also appearing here are Paul Surany on guitar and Noel Little on bass. Ben Halin is on bass for the next to last track. Abdelrahman Hariry adds his cello on the final track. Johnny G is on piano on the opening cut. Pat Powell adds backing vocals on “Soothsayer.” Michael Hawke is on sax for the title track of sorts. Other credits listed in the review of the songs.

A basilisk is a mythical snake-like venomous lizard that purportedly killed it’s victims as they gazed into it’s eyes. The legends go back to at least year 79 of the Common era, beginning with Pliny the Elder. Many others have reported on the beast, including Chaucer and da Vinci, and recently in print and film in the Harry Potter series. Some purport the legend began as man and the cobra came together, but over the centuries it has become the legendary king of the snakes, and now the theme for this album.

“A Little Too Much” opens the set. The tune reminds be a bit of the Rolling Stones, rocking out with an edgy bluesy-ness. Barry blows some truly wicked harp and sings with fierceness while Mr. Wizard gives us an all-out guitar assault to savor. This is a superb opener! Next is “Fantasia on “Dreams of Better Days.” A driving and precise beat by Theo and great vocal lead along with the pretty and ethereal support work make this one a winner.

“Hey Head In The Clouds” follows and features the James Brothers who supply banjo and vocals on this track. Barry sings lead in this rootsy and cool cut. It’s got a 1960’s sort of vibe going with a folksy rock feel to it. “I Wanna Get Next To You” is next up which has a dark and interesting intro and hardcore lyrics and lead and slide guitar. It’s quite cool.

Following that is “Something To Go By,” a blues rocker with a slick twang to it. Barry sings with feeling and the slide guitar gives us a lot to enjoy here. “We Will Not Be Forgotten/Tears of the Basilisk, Seeds of Destruction” features Skypta Vinda who arranged and sequenced the track. I’m trying to classify a genre or three here; perhaps a psychedelic, progressive rock ballad with church hymn and blues influences works. It’s interesting and cool. The throbbing beat, heady organ, march-like drumbeat and starry vocals grab the listener. The song concludes with sax, piano as part of an amazing outro.

“Running Screaming” continues the sensory onslaught. Vocals with a military aviation radio sound, a wacked out and cool groove and just more fun music to listen to. They follow that with “Soothsayer,” another number whose sound seems to remind me of the 1960s. Barry adds vocal effects to good effect, another quite intriguing piece of music.

“Replacement Heroes” has an almost didgeridoo synthesized sound effect that grabs at you. Barry sings in his forceful and convincing manner as the cut drives along to a slick groove. The album concludes with “Giants Fall.” This one opens melodically as a rock ballad that builds into a towering piece. The cello and guitar play off each other well, Barry sings with intense passion as the song winds along powerfully.

All the cuts are eclectically mixed and produced as one would expect from Stormcellar. Is it blues? Hard to tell. It’s a little bit of everything. It’s very much Stormcellar at their best. If you’ve heard them before, you know what I mean and will want to get a hold of this album. If you haven’t then go get this album so you can add Stormcellar to your playlist. You won’t regret it. Another fine endeavor by Australia’s best blues and roots rock band!

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.

Boogie Beasts – Neon Skies & Different Highs

Naked Records CD NP086

www.boogiebeasts.com

14 songs & 4 interludes – 49 minutes

Based out of Belgium, where they’ve been delivering their own brand of hard-driving, alternative blues rock since 2011, the Boogie Beasts are a four-man unit that infuses their sound with gospel, soul, psychedelia and a taste of hip-hop. And they deliver all that and more on this all-original album, the fifth in their catalog.

Produced by Koenraad Foesters at Studio Jupiter in Tongeren, it’s a passionate, raw, groove- and emotion-infused set that features Jan Jaspers and Patrick Louis on guitars and vocals with Fabian Bennardo on harmonica and multi-instrumentalist Gert Servaes, who’s a triple threat on percussion, sax and Rhodes piano.

“Save Me” steams out of the gate atop a driving guitar and harp hook as Jaspers wonders who’ll be willing hold him and listen to his story while rescuing him from a life of sin. A powerful chorus and a brief, but deep solo from Bennardo drive his message home. The rapid-fire, percussive “Give Me a Sign” changes the mood from the opening drumbeat as Jan begs his lady to tell him whether she’s his or if she’s going to split. He doesn’t want to waste his time, and he realizes she’s a good-time girl with a track record of relationships that are hit-and-split. The band mirrors his urgency in every note they play.

The beat continues in the stop-time pleaser, “Devil’s Cup,” which describes a night of drinking in which the singer tries – unsuccessfully – to drown his unspoken pain. The guitars sting to open “Cold Ways,” another interesting complaint that wonders why a woman enchanted the singer only to reveal her icy character. A 24-second interlude precedes “Love Chase,” a catchy, upbeat number that celebrates being in the right time and right place to have scored the perfect lady. It flows into the beat-heavy “Sunday Morning Soul,” which celebrates everything she brings to the table.

Another brief interlude sets up the harp-driven “Some People,” which gives a green light to whatever your choice might be if you want to get high before a solitary vocal intro kicks off “Down the Line,” which assures a companion that, despite what happens, everything’s going to come out all right. The mood changes again thanks to another musical break before a complaint about “Sly Baby,” a lady who’s always trying to do her own thing while simply trying to work the singer into her plans.

It’s time for celebration again because “Baby’s Coming Home” before the final interlude introduces the final set: the fiery “Midnight Man,” the keyboard-driven rocker “Noon,” the love song “Fool for You” and the tragic “Broken Glass,” which describes a troubled relationship through the description of kisses that feel like the title.

You’ll thank me if you pick up this album. The Boogie Beasts deliver on all counts. Like me, you’ll quickly become addicted to their message and fluid beat. It’s a hard-to-categorize album….but squarely in my comfort zone!

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.