Matthew Ruddick – Funkiest Man Alive: Rufus Thomas And Memphis Soul

University Press of Mississippi

www.funkiestman.com

344 Pages Hardcover edition

While fans of James Brown might want to argue this book’s title assertion, there is no denying that singer Rufus Thomas embodied the soul sounds that have been emanating from Memphis, TN for decades. A fixture on Beale Street, he made his mark with timeless hits like “Walking The Dog,” and as a DJ for WDIA radio, a station that in 1949 made a format switch to all black programming. Later in life he was regarded as a musical ambassador for the city with a recording legacy spanning five decades.

Author Matthew Ruddick lays out the story in chronological fashion, and what a story to tell! Getting into the entertainment business initially as a comedian, Thomas decided to take a stab at singing one night when there was space to fill in the show. Singing guitarist Lonnie Johnson’s song “Jelly Roll Baker,” Thomas was surprised by the boisterous reaction from the audience, many of whom threw coins on the stage. As the singer remembered, “I had a old ragged voice that wasn’t considered good….my voice then was beginning to turn and I couldn’t sing anything sweet with all that gravel in it.”

After a few local 45 rpm releases, Thomas cut several tracks for Sam Phillips at the legendary Sun Records label, six of which were licensed to Chess Records in Chicago for release. Those tracks didn’t make much noise, but when Big Mama Thornton hit the charts with her hit “Hound Dog,” Phillips sensed an opportunity. He had Thomas cut an “answer” song entitled “Bear Cat,” which climbed to #3 on the Billboard R&B chart. It was the first hit record for Thomas, but a bittersweet triumph for Phillips, as “Bear Cat” was a close copy of Thornton’s tune, sparking a round of lawsuits. Thomas followed up with “Tiger Man,” which did not reach the same level of success, but did make quite an impression on a young Memphis artist. Using the Thomas arrangement, Elvis Presley included the song in his ’68 Comeback Special.

As his career blossomed, Thomas also was raising several children, all of whom expressed their musical talents at a young age. His son Marvell was a natural on piano while daughter Carla was gifted with a fine voice. Both learned about the music business as members of the Teen Town singers, a group sponsored by WDIA featuring the group for a half hour every Saturday morning.

The center section of the book moves the focus to Carla’s career and the Stax Records legacy. Her first release, “Gee Whiz,” a song she wrote at age fifteen, was released on Satellite Records, the precursor to the Stax label. Once Stax signed an ultimately ill-fated distribution deal with Atlantic Records, the record was played nationally and managed to hit Billboard’s Hot Top 100 chart, peaking at #10 in 1961.

When Atlantic executive Jerry Wexler came to Memphis to meet Carla, the singer and her father had to enter the rear of the Claridge Hotel and ride up the freight elevator to dine with Wexler in his room. The elder Thomas was incensed, ready to walk away until his wife Lorene persuaded him to consider Carla’s career opportunities. Later in the evening, after the family departed, several the city’s police officers appeared at Wexler’s door, ready to arrest him for having an African-American in his hotel room.

Stax Records holds an exalted slot in the history of American music. Ruddick covers its rise and fall, a label that featured Otis Redding, Booker T & the M.G.s, William Bell, Sam & Dave, and Issac Hayes. Carla was right in the thick of things with a steady flow of records, scoring her biggest hit yet with “B-A-B-Y,” and recording an album of duets with Redding. But Rufus was the man. He provided the label with it’s first massive hit with “Walking The Dog,” written with guitarist Steve Cropper after Carla gave her father a lesson on a new dance called the Dog.

As laid out by the author, Thomas managed to remain relevant through the British invasion and the rise of soul music as a hit-making genre. The passage of time found him becoming increasingly frustrated by what he perceived as a lack of interest from Stax, despite helping the label to flourish in its infancy. Another issue was that a number of his hits were considered novelty songs, limiting his appeal with some portions of the listening public. But that formula paid dividends one more time when he hit the upper reaches of the charts with “Do The Funky Chicken” in 1970, following that with other funk classics like “Funkiest Man Alive” and “(Do The) Push & Pull”.

Once Stax imploded in 1975, Thomas found himself adrift in a world consumed with disco music. He soldiered, on releasing some records with minimal success. The self proclaimed “world’s oldest teenager” went back on the air at WDIA to the delight of listeners. His career was revived when Bob Greenlee of King Snake Studios offered to work with the singer. Their project, featuring an all-star line-up, ended up getting released by Bruce Iglauer at Alligator Records as That Woman Is Poison, generating a new level of acclaim for the singer.

In his final years, Thomas could often be spotted on Beale St. in his usual attire of white boots, shorts, a cape, and a killer smile. His youngest daughter Vaneese began to make her own name in the music business. Heart issues finally slowed him down, and in December, 2001, Thomas was laid low by colon cancer.

The book has plenty of b&w photos throughout documenting various phases of the singer’s life. Ruddick’s extensive research includes numerous testimonials from Thomas contemporaries highlighting his influence on the Memphis music community. In the end, the biography is a fitting tribute to a man who, for many, has faded into the mists of time. Thanks to Ruddick, Thomas lives on in a book well worth reading. Just make sure you crank up some of Thomas’ classic songs, and rejoice in the joy his music brings!

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!

Jake Shimabukuro & Mick Fleetwood – Blues Experience

Forty Below Records – 2024

https://jakeshimabukuro.com/

9 tracks: 45 minutes

Blues Experience from “ukulele marvel” Jake Shimabukuro is—according to the one-pager and Shimabukuro’s website—a fresh take on the blues. Collaborating with Shimabukuro is drummer, blues legend, and founding member of Fleetwood Mac…Mick Fleetwood. As the one-pager states, the result of this collaboration “is something exhilarating and unique, as these two titans of their instruments reinterpret some of the greatest songs written by some of their favorite songwriters in (the) blues setting.”

Shimabukuro started playing the ukulele at the age of four and became of local phenom in Honolulu, Hawaii, performing on his own and in a local band. According to his website, he gained “prominence in the early 2000s, mesmerizing audiences with his innovative and dynamic style (and) taking his instrument to dizzying new heights.” For those blues fans unfamiliar with Shimabukuro’s work, his craftsmanship is incredible and the tones and sounds emanating from his ukulele are almost otherworldly.

Shimabukuro became a YouTube sensation and toured all over the world, playing the Sydney Opera House, The Hollywood Bowl, and the Lincoln Center to name a few more notable venues. He was a member of the late Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band, and Shimabukuro has collaborated or performed with the likes of Bette Midler, Ziggy Marley, Willie Nelson, Yo-Yo Ma, Billy Strings, and Jack Johnson.

Joining Shimabukuro and Fleetwood on the album are Jackson Waldhoff on bass guitar, Michael Grande and Mark Johnstone on keyboards, and, on the album’s first track, veteran blues guitarist Sonny Landreth.

Blues Experience starts off with “Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers,” the Stevie Wonder song best known as played and recorded by the late British guitarist Jeff Beck. This track features Sonny Landreth’s inspired guitar play. Next up is “Rollin’ and Tumblin’” attributed to Hambone Willie Newbern and best known as a Muddy Waters’ standard. This “Rollin’…” is rather stylized but still hits the mark. “Whiter Shade of Pale,” the Procol Harum classic also hits the mark with Shimabukuro, Fleetwood, and company playing a tight upbeat arrangement. Gary Moore’s “Still Got the Blues” continues that tight arranging with distinctive keyboards by Michael Grande.

Neil Young’s classic anthem “Rockin’ in the Free World” benefits from Fleetwood’s drumming and Waldhoff’s driving bass. Fleetwood Mac’s “Need Your Love So Bad” is given that old-time blues treatment with terrific keys by Mark Johnstone. “Need Your Love…” is a great example of how Shimabukuro’s technique sounds exactly like a high-tuned electric guitar. “I Wanna Get Funky,” recorded by Albert King for Stax Records, is another number that benefits from a tight arrangement and Shimabukuro’s expert picking technique.

Finally, “Kula Blues,” the album’s one original number, is an ode to that bluesy shuffle sound familiar to blues fans worldwide.

Jake Shimabukuro is certainly a master of his instrument and Blues Experience is a testament to his innovation, dedication, and creativity. Definitely worth a listen, or two.

Writer Ken Billett is a freelance writer based in Memphis. He is a Blues Foundation member and former docent/tour guide at the Blues Hall of Fame. Originally from Tampa, Florida, Ken writes about travel, music, and the Mississippi Delta.

Jimmy Regal & The Royals – Live At Elephant And Castle

Self-Release – 2024

www.jimmyregalandtheroyals.com

9 tracks; 37 minutes

Jimmy Regal And The Royals are a three piece band based in South London, UK. They have released three studio albums. On this limited edition disc they give us their first live release, majoring on tracks from what was then their latest album, First And Last Stop, plus a short return to their debut album. The band does not actually feature anyone called ‘Jimmy Regal’ and their instrumentation is also somewhat unusual, drummer Sammy Samuels and guitarist CJ Williams supporting vocalist/harp player Joff Watkins, though on this album they are joined by some guests who fill out the sound: Titch Walker (trumpet), John O’Neil (sax), Alan Hughes (djembe and percussion), Toby Kinder (keys), Jon Heal (bass) and Tricia Davies Nearn (backing vocals). All the songs are originals, credited to the core trio.

After a short introduction the trio launches into “Burn It Down” from their first album, a chugging rhythm and plenty of vibrant harp behind Joff’s tough vocals. The rest of the album concentrates on the new release, covering eight of the twelve songs from it, starting with two relatively gentle cuts: “Can’t Keep From Losing You” is a light and airy tune with Tricia’s backing vocals the first contribution from the guests; “Empty Streets” develops into a country-inflected tune, with bass added so that CJ can expand on his slide work. Things get busier on the fast-paced “The First And Last Stop” with additional percussion and vocals, Joffo returning to his harp for a melodic solo.

Introduced as being about a shady character from a South London pub, “Mickey Two Suits” is an instrumental, Joffo tearing into the tune with frenetic harp, organ adding drama to the tune. Sound advice follows when we are warned never to put your hands on a “Fat Man’s Chicken”! Strong guitar/harp riffing is supplemented by the brass players, each of whom get a short solo spot in an exciting tune. From here on the larger band takes centre stage, “Bones To Dust” being a strong R&B tune with Joffo’s snarling vocals, the horns in support mode as CJ takes a strong slide solo. The jagged rhythms of “You Can’t Run” find Joff’s keening harp work wrapped in a strong horn arrangement and lots of percussion. The album closes with another full band production with strong backing vocals as Joff urges us to find a way out of the routines of everyday life, to find a “New Flame”.

Building on the sort of harmonica-based R&B music that has been a familiar part of the UK blues scene since the 1960’s and adding a wider range of sounds, including elements of Mississippi Hill Country blues, Jimmy Regal And The Regals offer us a good insight into their sound here, the additional instrumentation definitely a plus.

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.

Bob Angell with Kelly Knapp – Brand New Blues

Rawtone Records – 2024

https://rawtonerecords.co.uk/

17 tracks: 48 minutes

Brand New Blues is the latest album from Bob Angell, a veteran blues guitarist out of Providence, Rhode Island. Boston-based blues vocalist Kelly Knapp joins Angell on this album, as she did on Angell’s Supernal Blues, released in 2021. According to Angell’s online bio, he was heavily influenced by Chuck Berry and Jimmy Reed songs regularly played on local radio, but it was seeing Muddy Waters perform at the Newport Jazz Festival that “sealed the deal” (with Angell becoming a blues guitarist).

As Angell explained, “I saw an immediate connection between the blues and the church music I was familiar with since my earliest days. Somehow those giant handfuls of mighty Anglican organ chords found a sort of eerie reflection in the music produced by the giants of the blues. Something to do with the thundering emotion, I guess.”

Angell was inducted into the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame in 2015, and his longtime mentor, the incomparable Hubert Sumlin once said of Angell, “He really is one of the best.”

Brand New Blues was recorded at Stable Sound Studio in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. Steve Rizzo was the engineer and both Rizzo and Angell share producer credits. Angell and Knapp worked with a variety of supporting musicians—referred to as heavy-hitting guest stars by Rawtone—many of them familiar to blues fans, including: Mark Cole, Charlz Ruggerio, Jack Moore, “Chicago” Vinny Earnshaw, Doug James, Duke Robillard, Buddy Whittington, Joe Yuele, and Chris Stovall Brown.

The album ranges through several blues variations, including a few well-known cover tunes, while highlighting Angell’s rock ‘n’ roll roots with a nod to that church music of his youth. In addition, there are some instrumental pieces of varying lengths among the seventeen tracks.

The party kicks off with “Trying to Keep the Lights On,” a gritty rockin’ number with good backbeat and a tight arrangement. “Heath Street Ramble,” another blues rocker, features Mark Cole’s intense harmonica and is a true toe-tapping dance number.

Brand New Blues shines brightest when Knapp sings, like on the slow and sultry “Drinkin’ All Alone,” or Willie Dixon’s classic “Little Red Rooster” with its country-twang guitar playing. Country is on full display with another classic, “Crazy Arms,” which has been covered by the likes of Jerry Lee Lewis and Willie Nelson. Knapp does a terrific job with her strong voice.

“A Woman Alone Without Love” is one of the album’s more interesting variations. A classical strings-oriented piece highlighting Knapp’s vocal range, “A Woman Alone…” is a pretty song that’s sure to capture the listener’s attention.

Of the album’s instrumental tracks, “Shake for Hubert,” Angell’s homage to his mentor, blues guitar legend Hubert Sumlin, is the strongest and most fun and features a living blues guitar legend, Duke Robillard, who, in the album’s liner notes said, “Shake for Hubert is a tribute to Hubert…(and) I think Hubert was watching over us (when we recorded the song).” Blues fans will recognize the song’s opening as Howlin’ Wolf’s “Killing Floor.” Another instrumental with a touch of that old blues guitar is “West Hampstead Feel,” which also features Cole’s intricate harmonica work.

Brand New Blues is certainly a bright spot for blues singer Kelly Knapp, while Bob Angell successfully delivers more rockin’ blues for his fans.

Writer Ken Billett is a freelance writer based in Memphis. He is a Blues Foundation member and former docent/tour guide at the Blues Hall of Fame. Originally from Tampa, Florida, Ken writes about travel, music, and the Mississippi Delta.

There is something special about blues being played by a New Orleans pianist.  Beginning with the jazz influences of Jelly Roll Morton, through the merging of blues with Latin rhythms by Professor Longhair, the unique stylings of Dr. John, and the genius of Allen Toussant, pianists from that area have continued to hold positions of great honor.  Although he was not born in New Orleans, current NOLA resident Joe Krown deserves a position in that well-respected roster.  His various bands have won New Orleans Big Easy Awards in 2004 and 2009, and in 2014 he received a Piano Legacy Award from the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra for being a ‘master of piano’.  Additionally, he has played both the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and the French Quarter Festival every year for over twenty years and has been featured in episodes of the HBO drama Treme, the TNT series Memphis Beat and the DeNiro/Stallone movie, Grudge Match.  Blues Blast Magazine had the opportunity to catch up with Krown on the Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise, where he was not only playing with the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band, but had volunteered to fill in with the Gabe Stillman Band, since their keyboard player could not make it due to illness.

Krown was born in Baltimore, but his family moved to Long Island, NY when he was still an infant.  He took piano lessons starting at age six, and after graduating high school, he attended SUNY-Buffalo for five semesters, ending with a focus on music.  There were numerous important influences on the sound he developed.

“I play both piano and organ and even though they are both keyboards, there are totally different things about them.  My influences on organ came from Jimmy McGriff, Jimmy Smith, Bill Doggett, and Art Neville.  For piano it was Professor Longhair, Dr. John, Allen Toussant, James Booker, and Pete Johnson.  That’s one thing about playing the New Orleans style, boogie-woogie was a big element of it.  If you can’t play boogie-woogie, you can’t play New Orleans music.  When I was growing up, the moment I first heard Dr. John and Professor Longhair was the moment I knew I would one day live in New Orleans.”

After leaving college, Krown played with several bands in Boston including Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters alumni, Luther ‘Guitar Jr.’ Johnson for over a decade before moving to New Orleans 32 years ago to play with the Gatemouth Brown Band.

“Gatemouth was an iconic guitar player.  People who are non-musicians probably didn’t know him, but every guitar player knew of him.  He was the second guitarist, after T-Bone Walker, to stand in front of the band and play electric guitar.  The story I heard is that T-Bone got sick one night and Gatemouth jumped up and grabbed the guitar and fronted the band.  Don Robey, from Peacock Records, saw him and signed him immediately.  People from all over, and musicians from all genres, would come out to see Gatemouth.  REM, Metallica, Ike Turner, Albert Collins, BB King—they all knew Gate and would come out and see us. Eric Clapton was a big fan of Gatemouth. In 1995 we played 62 shows as the opening act for Eirc Clapton. We played in legendary venues like 16 nights at Royal Albert Hall in London, Madison Square Garden and many of the Olympic Stadiums in Europe.  But the whole jump blues thing ended in the middle fifties, and everyone’s attention turned toward the soul crooners, like Bobby Bland.”

Krown’s years with Gatemouth Brown ended right after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans.

“I was doing what I could to survive.  People were putting things together and I put a trio together with Walter Wolfman Washington and Russell Batiste.  It was an organ trio, guitar, drums and organ, no bass player. I learned a lot from playing with Russell and Wolf. Russell was one of the greatest drummers to come out of New Orleans.  Russell played the drums like it was melodies and sometimes he would leave the ‘1’ out. He had so much that he would just imply. Wolfman was killer and he was a great guy.   I made a record that came out last year.  I recorded it in 2022 just before Walter died.  He had throat cancer and couldn’t really sing anymore, but sometimes people with cancer seem to rebound and he was in a rebound moment, so I said, ‘do you want to do a tune for my new record?’  It was a chore getting the vocals to work and we had to do multiple takes because of his cancer, but that was the last session that he ever did.”

Krown has maintained a trio and an organ combo and became the producer of the WWOZ piano night on the Monday between the weekends of the Jazz Festival in 2017.  That was the year he also became a member of the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band.

“Yes, 2017 was a pivotal year for me.  The station was in flux that year and they had a change in the upper staff of the station, and the board took control.  To this day I don’t know the story, but the program director left, and he was the guy who had produced the Piano Night.  They were not going to do it, so I called up Marcia (Ball) and asked, ‘If I can convince them to let me be the producer, can I count on you to play?’  She said, ‘Of course!’  So, I presented a business plan to the board, and they said OK, but that left only seven weeks to pull it together.  I made some changes.  They had used multiple stages and had a house band.  We wiped that out and used one stage, one piano and no bands.   We also made it a local show to feature the local pianists.  We wanted to focus on the landscape of the piano players in the city.  I know that leaves some people out who want to play, but there are so many great piano players in New Orleans, and we wanted to give them all a chance to perform. Piano Night is one of the only shows that is still just local talent. It’s also a fundraiser for the station.”

Krown had not been very familiar with Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s music when he was contacted about playing with him.

“I remember him when he was a kid. People were raving about this teenager that could play like Stevie (Ray Vaughan). They wanted to bring a keyboard player in from New Orleans and I got the call. When I first got the call, I was thinking I’d be playing in bars and driving around the country in a van. But I decided to do some research, and I found out that he’s a serious act. He doesn’t perform in bars. He only plays in theaters and large venues. He’s had three platinum records and one gold record. Then I checked out his music. He really is an amazing guitar player and a great songwriter.  So, I decided to go for it. I got the call on a Monday night and the show was on Friday.  There were no charts and no written music, so I only had a couple of days to learn the whole show and play in front of a five-thousand-person audience.  As I walked into the dressing room after the show, he said, ‘OK—do you want to do this?’  And I joined the band.  He told me later that they did their research on me, and they knew they wanted me, they just needed to see how I was because they wanted to make sure I was someone they wanted to spend time with, since on the road we have to live together.”

Krown has released numerous albums, including four solo works, two under the name of the Joe Krown Trio, and three in collaboration with Walter Wolfman Washington and Russell Batiste (including one recorded live at the famous NOLA bar, the Maple Leaf).  In 2021, Krown teamed up with fellow New Orleans resident and harmonica legend, Jason Ricci, to release the album titled City Country City. Once again in an organ trio format without a bass player or any stringed instruments, this was a unique lineup of organ, harmonica and drums. With innovative interpretations of covers as well as excellent original tracks, that roots album gained wide acclaim.

Jason Ricci is a huge fan of Krown’s musical abilities and offered the following observations about him.  

“Joe is one of the most important keyboard players in the city of New Orleans, and that’s a city known for great piano and keyboard players.  He not only has a real working knowledge of Professor Longhair and Mac Rebennack (Dr. John) and all of the players that made the scene, but he has a solid knowledge of boogie-woogie and where those guys came from, dating all the way back to Meade Lux Lewis.  He doesn’t just imitate what others have done.  He studies it and really thinks about where they were coming from.  And then there’s his left hand.  He might not be the fanciest piano player in the city on the right hand.  But the left hand will make any band solid and will make any band question the need for a bass player ever again.  Believe me, I know.  It is very rock-solid, and it moves the music.  He also has a great wealth of fun songs that will get a club moving, get people feeling it and having a good time.  That’s about his music, and then there is Joe, as a person.  He is an investor in people.  He spent over 15 years with Gatemouth and ended up as the musical director for the band. 

“He invested in Walter Washington and was there for him.  It was a mutual thing, with Walter giving back.  And Joe gave to me.  When I was at my lowest, Joe was there with encouragement and a job.  We made that record together and it is the first record that I have made in my life, that I felt was a ‘grownup’ record.  I had made some good records before, but this was the first time I felt part of something mature.  He never stops thinking about music.   He truly loves music after all these years.  I can’t say that about everyone.  Some get jaded, but I truly believe Joe still loves the music.  And it shows. He’s a good man.  He’s a solid cat.  Go for Joe Krown!”

In 2023, Krown released an album titled Tribute, which is listed under his name alone, but acknowledges the contributions from numerous special guests. On that album he included interpretations of songs by Allen Toussant, James Booker, Dr. John and Big Jay McNeely, as well as a few originals.

“Noah Hunt from the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band sang a ballad on it. Walter (Wolfman Washington) and Ivan Neville also sang songs on it. Jason Ricci and Leo Nocentelli (the original guitarist from the Meters) also contributed to the album.  It’s mostly New Orleans music and the whole concept of that record is to pay tribute to some of the greats from New Orleans.”

Between his touring schedule with Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and the dates he plays with the Joe Krown Trio, there is little time to devote to future projects.

“But I’m trying to put together something with the ‘Joe Krown Trio Plus One’ and we’re probably going into the studio next year.  I just applied for a grant to do that.  I may do some shopping for some label interest—I don’t know.  And I’ll continue my work with the trio when not on the road with Kenny Wayne Shepherd.  I play with Johnny Sansone sometimes.  He writes great songs and he’s a great harmonica player.  He’s as good as anyone out there.  He builds the wave and he’s killer.”

Want to hear what makes New Orleans’ pianists so special?  Check out Joe Krown.  You can find out where Krown is playing with his trio and combo at www.joekrown.com.  Or you can follow where he is playing with the Kenny Wayne Shepherd band by checking out www.kennywayneshepherd.net.

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.

J.P. Reali – Blues Since Birth

Reali Records

http://www.jpreali.com

9 Tracks – 30 minutes

J.P. Reali, who is originally from New York, moved to Washington D.C where he spent 40 years performing in the area. He represented the D.C. Blues Society at the 2010 and 2011 International Blues Challenge in Memphis. He released his debut solo album, Cold Steel Blues in 2007.  Three more albums followed with the most recent, A Highway Cruise, released in 2019. During the COVID pandemic, he moved to Newark, Delaware where he began working on songs for this his fifth solo album, all while maintaining a burgeoning guitar instruction program.

J.P. provides all the vocals on the album and plays the guitar, harmonica, bass, piano and on “Eileen Left” plays the banjo. Jim Larson plays drums and percussion and on “Eileen Left” plays the mandolin. The twosome first met in 1968 during the Freshman Orientation week at the American University in Washington where both were enrolled in the audio technology program. They formed a band their sophomore year and became regulars in the Washington music scene. But as is common, the band broke up, although the two maintained a friendship and got together regularly to jam. Two years ago, J.P. let Jim hear some of the new songs he was working on. Jim suggested that after a twenty-year separation as band mates, they should get back together for this album. The album was recorded at Jim’s home studio in Marietta, Georgia in July 2024. Josh Borden joins on keyboards and Gill Glass on bass.

Eight original songs and one cover opens with “The Devil’s Take” which was co-written with J.P. by his brother, Chris Reali, who plays bass on the cut. The song is a boogie as the devil “tempts me to go to a juke joint”, but “he teaches the devil how to play the blues” with a Booker T. style keyboard backing. “The Virus Blues” recites the things you could not do while the pandemic raged and that resulted with ” I stayed in place every night. I get so drunk I can’t tell wrong from right. Every morning I’m drinking by ten, the way it’s going, I’m down for rehab again.” All of which probably deliver at least a feeling of that time of isolation that many had.

The sole cover is Bob Dylan’s “It takes a Lot to Laugh, It takes a Train to Cry”, featuring slide guitar and a bit of honky tonk piano. “Drunk and In the Way” kicks off with slide guitar and J.P. declaring “I like to stay up late and drink whiskey every night, but when it’s time to go to sleep, my baby starts a fight. I always get drunk, pass out on the couch”. “Blues In a Minefield” is noted as lowdown blues with Albert King overtones.

“The Bad Dog Blues” is a shuffle and was written as a tribute to Magic Sam as he sings, “My baby done left me, and I have no food to eat, guess I am lucky to have shoes on my feet.” “Eileen Left” with the combined mandolin and banjo gives the song a country folk feel. It is a story of his wayward lady love and perhaps a follow-up to his previous song. “Cold Steel Blues” follows the line of many train-based stories as he asks the train “to come and take me home”. The album concludes with the autobiographical “Blues Since Birth” with the slide guitar ripping along and J.P. revealing that “on the day I was born, my mama and papa had a fight. Papa gave me his name, mama said that is not right”.  And the fight has continued to this day, his name being his curse.

J.P. delivers stories with a message ranging from the pandemic to marital issues, thoughts about his own name, or even dealing with the devil all with some tongue in the cheek comments or revelations.

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.

Phil Coyne & The Wayward Aces

Self-released

www.waywardaces.com

10 Tracks – 35 minutes

Australian native Phil Coyne says that in his early days he was into punk rock, but upon being given a mix tape of Little Walter, Howling Wolf, Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson II, and Johnny Winter, it completely turned him around as he obsessed to learn about the blues. Phil is the band leader handling all lead vocals and plays harmonica. Guitarist Oscar LaDel, cited as “imported from the land of the Long White Cloud” (New Zealand) similarly grew up listening to the blues and is also a vocalist and blues harp player, but adds neither of these capabilities to the current album. Oscar has performed in Europe and the US prior to joining the Aces. The trio is completed by Will Harris, a seasoned drummer who brings a versatile style of drumming from previous bands including a jazz feel to the Aces.

The band has received accolades for their performances in Australia and are now regulars on the Melbourne music scene. They were previously nominated for Band of the Year at the 2023 Melbourne Blues Appreciation Society’s VICTAS Blues Music Awards.  Phil describes their music as “the sound and fury of mid 50’s Chicago blues…concentrating on tone, timing, passion and potency. Not suitable for polite society, this is loud, brash juke joint dancing blues.”

Ten original songs kick off with “Walking Blues”, described by Phil as inspired by Hound Dog Taylor as he declares he is “gonna walk my blues away, lock it up and leave, throw my keys away” with Phil’s harmonica out in front on the song. “You Go First” kicks into a rumba beat as he addresses a failing relationship. He is “Asking for a Friend” if these blues will ever end”, that has a touch of a punk feel with Phil’s shouting vocal style.

“Can’t Hide” expresses the emotions that occurred during the COVID isolation and stuck with too much time to think. “Summertime ” is not the well-known song, but rather is a continuation of the previous song that examines the lost time that occurred during the pandemic. He notes that “my head is beating like a drum, my arms refuse to move, throwing up, my eyes itch, I can’t get in the groove, to this world I declare I ain’t no good to you, because it’s summertime and I got the blues”. “Free As Birds” tells the tale of two incompatible people trying to make it together.

“Wolf” comes out rocking with a heavy drum beat and Oscar’s guitar rolling through as he has “a howling boogie”. Bo Diddley’s “Pretty Thing” is the first cover on the album with Will’s solid beats, Phil’s harp soaring, and Oscar kicking in some tasty guitar licks. Slim Harpo’s “Hipshake” comes with a warning about language as Phil contends that Oscar and Will laid down such a musical party that he just lost his composure. Phil declares himself a “Weapon” of mass seduction” in the closing song.

Phil Coyne comes from the school of blues shouters, in the vein of Screaming Jay Hawkins or H-Bomb Ferguson. His gritty driving vocals create an intensity and fervor matched by the band’s instrumental accompaniment.

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.