John Greyhound Maxwell – Wagon of Tales
Independent
http://johngreyhoundmaxwell.com
15 Tracks – 61 minutes
John “Greyhound” Maxwell began his journey into the blues after seeing B.B. King play in a 1971 concert. His older brother was already listening to Chicago blues, which led his interest. He took lessons from Johnny Long, who had been a student of Homesick James. He then studied classical guitar in college at St. Louis but quit that after two years as it just did not appeal to him. He traveled around and played music with multiple bands in genres as widespread as a San Francisco punk band called Eye Protection, playing bluegrass and country in Tulsa, and R&B in Minneapolis. But he kept returning to the blues. A call from a friend in San Francisco to form a new band which allowed him to return to his passion of Chicago blues.
John is recognized by many of his peers as one of the best slide guitarists around. David Lindley, who himself was considered a master of most stringed instruments including the lap steel and Hawaiian-style slide guitar, proclaimed “John is the finest bottleneck slide player I’ve heard in a long time”. He has shared the stage with blues stalwarts Ruthie Foster, Sonny Landreth, Keb Mo, and Taj Mahal. His album Blues for Evangeline was a finalist for Best Self-Produced CD at the 2016 International Blues Challenge in Memphis. His 2018 cd, Even Good Dogs Get the Blues, was also submitted for consideration for that award.
John now resides in Washington State where he won the 2018 Washington Blues Society award for Best Acoustic Blues Guitar and was a nominee for Best Solo Artist in 2023. In addition to his acoustic and slide guitar, he also plays the blues mandolin, which he says surprises a lot of people. But he says the mandolin has a long history dating back to early string bands.
This album was recorded over two days at Rainshadow Recording in Port Townsend, Washington. He says the album veers away from the modern world of overdubs and pitch correction and instead focuses on a “back porch vibe” with some of the musicians playing together for the first time. He gathered several guests together for the recordings including Guy Quintino on acoustic bass on five tracks and Dirk Anderson on one; Sean Divine on harmonica on five tracks and Steve Maxwell on four; Paul Rogers on piano on three tracks; Conor Sisk on percussion on one track, and Alanna Dailey providing harmony vocals on three tracks.
The album features some of John’s favorite songs from decades past along with a couple of his original songs. The album opens with Blind Willie Johnson’s 1930 song “You Gonna Need Somebody on Your Bond”, which was a reference to how you have to live to get into heaven. John’s warm, comfortable vocals immediately capture your attention with Sean’s harmonica complementing the song. Willie Brown’s 1930 “Future Blues”, which he also recorded with Charlie Patton in 1931 follows. Country blues guitarist K.C. Douglas 1952 song “Mercury Blues” was first recorded as “Mercury Boogie” in 1948. The song was a tribute to the then popular American automobile. John’s acoustic guitar accents the song.
Hudson “Tampa Red” Whitaker’s 1952 “But I Forgive You” is next with John’s slide guitar standing out and his duet with Alanna adding a warm touch to a song about a feuding couple and some great piano work from Paul. Alanna also joins him on Curtis Mayfield’s 1965 “People Get Ready” with Steve’s harmonica blending into their vocals in a very captivating version of the song. John goes it alone on one of his originals, the instrumental “Comanche Hula Rag”.
John shifts back to 1928 for his version of Henry Thomas’ “Bull Doze Blues”. The original song was featured in an early sequence in Martin Scorsese’s 2023 movie Killer of the Flower Moon. Robert Wilkins 1928 song “That’s No Way to Get Along” follows as John proclaims, “These low-down women, mama, treated your son wrong and that’s no way for him to get along”. Henry Townsend’s “Tears Come Rolling Down” was first performed in the late 1940’s but was not recorded until 1952. It has been recorded by many other artists over the years and most recently by Kenny Wayne Shepherd. But John certainly makes the song his own like the rest of the songs on the album
A traditional song “Deep Elum Blues” refers to an African American neighborhood in Dallas Texas which was famously home to musicians Blind Lemon Jefferson, Blind Willie Johnson and Lead Belly. The traditional railroad song “Tamp ’em Up Solid” references packing gravel before you lay cement, but also described packing pipe tobacco. The song’s first recording was made by John and Alex Lomax in 1934. John moves to a more current song with Ray Bonneville’s 2008 “I Am the Big Easy” which was the 2009 Folk Alliance International Song of the Year and is a tribute to the resilience of New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. Alanna joins again provides a powerful harmony.
John blends Sonny Boy Williamson II’s 1960’s song “Peaches Tree” with Lead Belly’s 1929 “Rock Island Line” shifting quickly between the two diverse songs with ease. He then moves back to another Tampa song, the hokum 1942 “Let Me Play with Your Poodle”, famously performed and connected more recently to Marcia Ball. But again, John makes the song completely his own and does feature Paul’s honky tonk piano mixed with his slide guitar. The album ends with another of John’s original recordings, “Second to the Last Stan”, a concluding instrumental featuring his excellent slide.
This album should be a must to acquire for any blues purists or just lovers of blues classics. John’s vocals are always appealing, and the musicianship is impeccable.
