Lee Kanehira – The Chicago Blues Piano Trio!!
Waggy Murphy’s Records – 2024
9 tracks; 30 minutes
Lee Kanehira’s third solo release, The Chicago Blues Piano Trio!!, presents a mixture of elegant, raunchy, and stirring blues tunes, driven primarily by piano and Kanhehira’s vocals. As the liner notes say, the album “celebrates the timeless charm of classic blues and boogie-woogie piano.”
Kanehira, who goes by the nickname Miss Lee, is a Japanese pianist and singer that studied classical piano and fell in love with the blues. Kanehira has collaborated with Chicago blues band the Cashbox Kings extensively over the years. On this album, she employs John W. Lauler on bass and Dereck Hendrickson on drums.
The LP opens with “Midnight Boogie”, a jolly, up-beat boogie woogie tune from its first notes. Kanehira demonstrates clear talent on piano as she sings “Come on everybody and gather around. Shake it to the East and shake it to the West.” The jubilant chorus echoes a call to debauchery and good times, while the keys entice the feet to move, the drinker to ask for one more drink. Solid rhythm is provided by Lauler and Hendrickson.
Throughout the album, Kanehira’’s lyrics are simple, but effective, leaning into the instrumentation. The piano, vocals, and bass are consistently solid and at times quite good.
“Boogie for Willie” features fast piano, like a woman swooping a man off his feet and winking as she does it. Lauler delivers a sexy bass solo, like a slow, groovy dance putting the listener in a trance, as Kanehira produces a piano storm.
The last track on the album, “Your Sure Look Good To Me”, a soft burning love song leans into soul, with a certain smoothness both to the performance and production. A chorus of vocals cry out “I’d love to call your name. You’re in love with someone else and it’s going to drive me insane.”
Saucy keys open up “Baby Don’t You Love Me No More”, a track with clear dedication to classic blues and boogie woogies. Kanehira’s voice emanates deep, resonating, and soulful and the piano blasts through as a resounding, unstoppable force – a freight train of energy delivering the blues.
“How Come You Do Me Like You Do” features Kanehira in complete control of her instrument and a capable blues shouter. The slow, smoky song bristles with emotion inflected in Kanehira’s voice as she sings about being mistreated by a lover. The sad, sappy song is infused with a touch of sweetness as Kanehira sings “The time was tough. I’m working hard. Giving away my stuff. What make you do me like you do?”
Kanehira returns to rapid boogie woogie keys, in the carnival-like “Four O’Clock Blues”, with unrelenting, fast, almost manic piano work. The tune, like nonstop dancing, features a powerful drum solo by Hendrickson and the connection between the players is evident. This is a track that would be a treat to see live.
On “Mother Earth”, moody, stirring keys introduce the track accompanied by a low key percussion beat. Kanehira confronts metaphysical realities, singing “When it all hangs out you gotta go back to Mother Earth. I don’t care how great you are. I don’t care what you’re worth,” and delivering soulful, pain-drenched piano notes.
With The Chicago Blues Piano Trio!! Kanehira, Hendrickson, and Lauler emerge as a fiery, boogie woogie blues band with equal parts elegance and energy. This is one of the best blues releases of 2024.
