Neal Pattman & The King Bees – Prisoner Blues
Wolf Records International GMBH
15 songs time – 60:19
Live in the studio recordings of the late one-armed harmonica man-singer Neal Pattman with The King Bees in 1992. He passed away in 2005. With the help of the Georgia based King Bees he managed to tour parts of the world. Although not the first name that comes to mind when you think of the blues, this is mostly a solid set of blues. He had a commanding blues voice and a rhythmic and melodic harmonica style. No writer credits are given, it seems to be mainly cover songs, never-the-less he injects them with his own personality. The recording quality varies throughout. At times the drums of Russ Wilson are buried in the mix or very sparse. Although unknown to me, The King Bees are a worthy backing band with a top rate guitarist and prominent bass lines.
“Black Rat” displays his authentic blues vocals in a good light. The bass lines, guitar and harmonica mess into a classic blues “stew”. A few songs like “Jesus Walk With Me” and “Will The Circle Be Unbroken” are his vocal with his harmonica as the only accompaniment. With a few lyrics, “Market Blues” and Slim Harpo’s “Scratch My Back” are mostly showcases for the band. The only true instrumental “Lightning Twist” highlights what the band can do. Penny Zamagni’s walking bass line on “Seems Like A Dream” is infectious. Rob Baskerville’s energetic guitar here and elsewhere are top rate blues quality.
“Skid Row Blues” is lowdown blues, if a bit repetitive. Also it features another good bass line. They do a first-rate version of Billy Boy Arnold’s “Prisoner Blues”. John Lee Hooker’s “Dimples” gets a similar treatment. The vocal on Muddy Water’s “Mannish Boy” maintains a similar delivery, while his harp keeps up with the steady beat. “Worry My Life” is Big Maceo Merriweather’s “Worried Life Blues” renamed, but none-the-less just as powerful.
Although these recordings are thirty-three years old, they fit into the blues tradition. Mister Pattman wasn’t one the most well known bluesmen, the simplicity of the music here is refreshing.
