Ruff Kutt Blues Band -- "That's When The Blues Begins"

The Ruff Kutt Blues Band is several things--a band with all-star players, from Texas, made up of people whom I have great love and respect for.

Let's start at the beginning. I fell in love with Finis Tasby's voice when I first heard it on Kirk Fletcher's cd "Shades of Blue" (Delta Groove, 2004). That was also where I first heard Janiva Magness, but that story will wait for another article. Shortly after that I stumbled over The Mannish Boys' cd "Lowdown Feeling" (Delta Groove, 2008) where Finis sings on three tracks. Ever since then I have been a fan of Kirk Fletcher and The Mannish Boys aggregate, and seeking Finis Tasby's name on liner notes for cds. I just love the way the man sings--he has a swinging delivery and a passion that helps sell every song to my ears. Well, this cd is the last one Finis Tasby will sing on. He had a debilitating stroke in December 2012.  

Luckily, this is a very fine cd to go out on. The band is top-notch, seasoned pros everywhere. Zac Harmon is on guitar and vocals, and Anson Funderburgh plays guitar and produced the cd, James Goode plays bass and wrote or co-wrote all the songs, with Wes Starr on drums, Ron Jones on sax, Gentleman John Street on keyboards, Steve Richardson brings harmony vocals, and Eric Przygocki plays upright bass. When you have that level of talent in the studio, the results almost have to be terrific--and this is a great one. Things start out with "Deep Elam Blues" and from that strong beginning all the way through to "When A Bluesman Goes To Heaven" the listener is taken on a wonderful ride through the blues.

The Ruff Kutt Blues Band has made two great cds--this one and 2011's "Mill Block Blues." In my own selfishness I'd love for them to keep on, but if because of the loss of Finis Tasby's singing voice this is all we get, I give thanks for the music they have made. In my mind, the Ruff Kutt Blues Band is already a true Texas treasure.

You can buy this cd at http://vizztone.com/ One dollar of every cd sold will be donated to the Finis Tasby Medical Fund. 

Jason Elmore & Hoodoo Witch -- "Tell You What"

"Tell You What" is the second release by Jason Elmore & Hoodoo Witch--it follows and builds on their debut, 2010's "Upside Your Head." The band came together in 2008 in Dallas, Texas, and they have been building a following every since. I really liked "Upside Your Head"--I thought Elmore had the potential to become a big-time guitar player, and I liked his singing voice. This time out, both Elmore's guitar playing and singing are out of sight--and "Tell You What" is a huge leap forward.

The band is still a trio--Elmore on guitar and vocals, Chris Waw on bass, with Mike Talbot now on drums, replacing Beau Chadwell, who played drums on the first cd. Guests this time out include Tommy Young on Hammond B-3 and Ron Jones on horns. Jim Suhler is on slide guitar on Rory Gallagher's "Country Mile," and Kirby Kelley is on lap steel on William Bell's "You Don't Miss Your Water." Elmore wrote eight of the 12 tracks, and there are four covers: the two previous mentioned, along with Sean Costello's "Don't Pass Me By" and Buck Owens' "Buckaroo."

Everything gets underway with "Sharecropper Shuffle," a nice upbeat instrumental. "Southbound" is a heavyweight blues-rock number. "Cold Lonely Dawn" was the first song that caught my ear--an eight minute R&B ballad. It sounds great in a set of Texas blues by Anson Funderburgh and Jimmie Vaughan. "When The Sun Goes Down" is a great country-rock blues. "Bottom Feeder" is an ominous grinding number where Elmore can show off his singing, and "Dirt Ain't Enough" is a minor key slow blues with a nice touch of Jimi Hendrix in the guitar work. "Buckaroo" is another of my favorites--here the band shares the love for Buck Owens & The Buckaroos, one of the great country bands of all time. "Country Mile" is a rip-roaring triumph. Top track on the cd. Elmore and Suhler   
push each other and literally burn the house down. "Don't Pass Me By" is a fine effort, with good guitar work and good singing. "Good Foot" is a slower jazzy song, giving Elmore a chance to show his versatility on guitar. "She Fine" is a Texas swing number, well done. Elmore and company close the set with the Otis Redding, William Bell penned classic "You Don't Miss Your Water." Kirby Kelley's lap steel here is terrific.  

Everything here is smooth, swinging and energetic. The playing and singing are all first-rate. This is a great cd, and I see a great future ahead for these guys. This cd is dedicated in memory of Bugs Henderson.

You can buy this cd at most major retailers. Go to http://www.jasonelmore.net to read more about the band, see their concert calendar, or to view videos recorded live from the road.   

Robert 'Top' Thomas -- "The Town Crier"

Robert 'Top' Thomas's debut "The Town Crier" on Wild Root Records is terrific, all Florida swamp blues and delta roots. For those who might be unfamiliar with Thomas, over the past 10-12 years he has toured and/or recorded with Noble 'Thin Man' Watts, Lazy Lester, Victor Wainwright, The King Snake All Star Revue, Alex Taylor, Bill Wharton, Blue House and Mark 'MuddyHarp' Hodgson. Thomas may be best known, however, as a founding member of King Snake recording artist "Smoke-House" who recorded 4 ground-breaking cds in the 90s that defined the genre of Florida swamp blues. Their 1995 cd "Cadillac In The Swamp" was listed among the best blues cds of that year.

And now Thomas releases "The Town Crier," on which he sings lead and plays lead guitars, backed by The WildRoots rhythm section--Stephen Dees on bass, guitars, backing vocals and percussion, Billy Dean on drums--and Stephen Kampa (winner of the 2012 Florida Harmonica Championship) on harmonica. Guest musicians include Victor Wainwright on co-lead vocals on "Bad Seed," and piano and organ, Damon Fowler on dobro on "I'm A Freight Train," Brandon Santini on harmonica on "Blues Grass" and "Daddy's Gone," and Beth McKee on accordion on "The Same Thing Could Happen To You." Stephen Dees produces and arranges. All the songs are by some combination of Robert Thomas/Stephen Dees/Victor Wainwright/Bob Greenlee except the Jerry West song "The Same Thing Could Happen To You."

Thomas has a perfect gruff blues voice. He sounds a little like Watermelon Slim to me, which is a compliment. The songs are all a terrific balance of storytelling and drive. Nowhere on this cd do I hear a 6 minute pointless guitar solo--every note is played in the perfect place for the sake of the song, and time I hear one song I want to hear the whole cd, and every time I hear the cd I want to hear it again. Highlights include the title track, which features a nice "crying" vocal and guitar solo by Thomas and a really good harp solo by Kampa. Santini's harp riding over Billy Dean's drum work on "Daddy's Gone." Damon Fowler's dobro sparkles on "I'm A Freight Train."

On every song you can hear a very good band playing with joy and taste. This cd is a terrific effort. Buy this one, and watch for whatever Robert 'Top' Thomas does next.

You can buy this cd at http://wildrootsrecords.com/WildRootsMusic.htm  

Big Bill Morganfield -- "Blues With A Mood"

As I continue to play catch up from last February, I want to share a few words about the latest cd from Big Bill Morganfield, "Blues With A Mood." 

Big Bill's last cd (2009's "Born Lover") was terrific, and this one is even better. The songs are all really strong--7 of them are originals, and the others are by Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, Peter Chatman, and Doc Malone. The band Big Bill has assembled is absolutely all star caliber. How about Big Bill on guitar and vocals, and Augie Meyers on piano, and Eddie Taylor Jr on guitar, and Colin Linden on guitar, and Mookie Brill on bass, and Chuck Cotton on drums, and Doc Malone on harp? AND add to that core the guest musicians--Bob Margolin on guitar, Steve Guyger on harp, Chuck Stern on piano, and Brian Bisesi on guitar. What a great lineup!

This cd documents the continuing musical journey of Muddy Water’s son, Big Bill Morganfield. Indeed, he contributes yet another solid disk to keeping the blues flame burning bright. Bill recorded this, his 5th record, in Nashville Tennessee with Colin Linden in the producers' chair.  Big Bill said, "I wanted to put together a set of tunes with heavy grooves and deep moods which stay close to the musical genre of Howlin' Wolf, John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Junior Parker, Robert Johnson, and several other of my musical heroes." He has done that, and made the best cd of his 15 year career.
My favorite song here is "No Butter For My Grits," a true-to-life and very funny song.

You can buy this cd at http://www.bigbillmorganfield.com

4 Jacks -- "Deal With It"

Continuing with my project of catching up with some great cds that came out in the depths of last winter, I present to you a blues "Supergroup."
The 4 Jacks release "Deal With It" came out last February, and this is a great cd! The band consists of Anson Funderburgh, Big Joe Maher, Kevin McKendree, and Steve Mackey.

The "J" of Jaks, Big Joe Maher is a great drummer and bandleader. His band the Dynaflows has been a standout on the blues scene for many years. The "A" is Anson Funderburgh is one of the very best guitar players around, and he and his band The Rockets have been active for over 30 years.The "K" is Kevin McKendree, who has been Delbert McClinton's bandleader for many years, along with being a great keyboard player. He also had toured with Brian Setzer. Kevin recorded, mixed and produced this cd at his studio "The Rock House" just outside Nashville. And the "S" is Steve Mackey is the bass player in this band, and he has recorded and toured with a long list of great bands and artists. Steve is one of Nashville's first call session players. Additional musicians include Yates McKendree piano on "Ansonmypants" and Rob McNelley rhythm guitar on "I Don't Want To Be President" and "Thunder And Lightning. "

Eight of the twelve songs are originals on "Deal With It" have Big Joe Maher involved in the writing. Maher also is the chief vocalist. The covers are Percy Mayfield's "I Don't Want To Be President," Gil Caple's "Your Turn To Cry, " L Cadden's "Bad News Baby," and "Ansonmypants," by Joe Maher and Yates McKendree.  The songwriting is all uniformly strong, and the singing and playing are everywhere crisp and solid. Every song here should be in serious radio rotation. The title track is a smoking instrumental, and "Have Ourselves A Time" sounds like a Roomful Of Blues track. "I Don't Want To Be President" is timely and it has great guitar. "She Ain't Worth A Dime" is marvelous--Kevin McKendree rips it up on piano, and the song shows these guys can bring that old-school jump blues just like Louis Jordan. "Love's Like That" features Anson Funderburgh channeling his inner Duke Robillard over a smooth jazzy rhythm. "Bobcat Woman" may be the most Texas-styled song in the set--Anson wrapping the melody around the core of Kevin's piano and Joe's drumming. "Your Turn To Cry" is the requisite slow blues, showing off Big Joe's vocals and McKendree's B-3 organ and Anson's guitar. "Thunder And Lightning" picks up the tempo again, and may be my favorite song on the cd--all involved give their best on this one. "Texas Twister" is an Anson Funderburgh showcase, and he truly flies with the opportunity. "Ansonmypants" features Laura McKendree's vocals in a marvelous duet with Big Joe.  "Bad News Baby" sounds like it could be an old Ray Charles song--it really is that good. And "Painkiller" wraps things up with a flourish--the first time I heard this instrumental I thought is was Booker T & The MGs, and the next time I heard it I thought it was from the movie "Shaft." Really nice R&B cooker.

You can buy this cd at http://www.ellersoulrecords.com/                       

The Hitman Blues Band -- "Blues Enough"

I want to review some great music that I missed earlier in the year, back when I was depressed about winter. Let's start with The Hitman Blues Band. "Blues Enough" was released back on January 31, and there is plenty of really good music here--enough to be worth your $10. (that's the price if you buy it from the band's website, which is at the end of this review.)

This is the fifth cd from the HBB, and the songs are all written by the Hitman, Russell Alexander. He also sings and plays guitar. Kevin Rymer is on keyboards, Mike Porter is on bass, and Guy LaFountaine is on drums. This cd shows off their new three piece horn section (Michael Snyder on saxes, Eric Altarac on trumpet, and Al Alpert on trombone) along with special guest appearances by Neil Alexander on harp and backup vocalists Victoria Anyah and Joanna Alexander.

This cd is dedicated in loving memory of Sam 'The Bluzman' Taylor.

The addition of the horn section gives the HBB an even fuller sound. These guys make beautiful rocking blues music. A word of warning to those old-school blues purists--beware! But for those with a more tolerant love for the joy of music, please check out this cd. It is an exciting, energetic set for people who want to have fun listening to music. The songs are well written.  Beginning with the title track, the CD jumps right into the heat with call and response action: “Is it blues enough for ya?” Followed by a tribute to the late, great Sam “The Bluzman” Taylor, the beat stays happy with beer soaked advice to go “Fishing Where The Fish Are”. The double entendre “Backhand Drive” gives way to the raw emotion of “Every Piece Of Me”, a real crowd favorite. The flat tire shuffle of “Everything You Do” picks up the smiles again, followed by “Streets Of Downtown”, a visit with street people familiar to far too many of us. The swing influenced “Life’s Too Short” gets your blood pumping, then the band declares a change of attitude: from now on, they’ll hang out with a “Better Class Of Bums”. The wistful song of loss, “Deaf, Dumb & Blind” leads into the boastful finale, “Tough Street”.

Good playing, good writing, good singing--what else do I need to say? The last cd I heard that was this much fun to listen to was George Thorogood & the Destroyers' "Bad To The Bone." Snap this one up. You won't regret it. 
 
You can buy this cd at: http://www.hitmanbluesband.com  You can also sign up on the band's website and receive a FREE 9 song sampler of the HBB's music. I just signed up a few minutes ago--after I finish this review, I'm going to listen to even more great music by the Hitman Blues Band.

Stevie DuPree & The Delta Flyers -- "Dr DuPree's Love Shop"

Stevie DuPree & The Delta Flyers started out in Texas in 2007 as an acoustic duo. Since then they have represented the Houston Blues Society in the solo/duo category at the International Blues Challenge in 2008, 2009, and 2010.  They have also released two cds--2007's "On The Levee Road" and 2011's "Sixteen Bars." This is their third cd.

The twelve original songs spotlight DuPree's vocals backed by Travis Stephenson on guitars, Quentin "Q" Calva on bass, Steve Bundrick on drums. Guest artists include Mark "Kaz" Kazanoff on production, tenor sax, harmonica, backing vocals and percussion, Mark Connolly on keyboards, the Texas Horns (Kazanoff, John Mills, Al Gomez) along with guest turns by Derek O'Brian on guitar, Marcia Ball on piano, and vocalists Alice Stewart and Lisa Tingle.

Every song has hooks galore. The opener, "Broke Up," borrows that Credence slide break, and tells a redemptive story of life after loss. "First Dance" has Marcia Ball's N'Awlins style piano leading the Texas Horns in a hot jump blues number. Hearing this song, I have to admit I would love to hear Marcia Ball do an entire acoustic album with The Texas Horns. The title track is a rawkin' slice of r&b featuring Stewart and Tingle on vocals and Kaz on sax. "St Paul's Bottoms" is a driving country blues featuring Stephenson's guitar and a really good break by Kaz on harp. "My Angel Of Mercy" slows everything down to tell a story of love and loss, but things pick up again on "Soulbilly Music" as the band rips out over a funky groove. "Ain't Gonna Be Your Dog" and the next track, It's My Life" are powerful examples of what this band is capable of, as everybody plays great and they burn down the house. It's songs like these that make it so much fun seeing The Delta Flyers live. "The Witness Tree" is my favorite song on the cd, a gospel-tinged ballad over Connolly's great piano playing. I've played this one a lot on my radio show, Bruce's Texas Blues, (on Thursdays 4-6pm eastern time at www.goldradio.net)   "That Ol' Mule" is a showcase for Kazanoff's harmonica and DuPree's best singing on the cd. "Lucky Seven" is a fast number that shows off Bundrick's drum talents and yet another hot guitar solo by Stephenson. "Hard Act To Follow" opens with very nice organ by Connolly and wraps things up over a funky Motown riff.

There is a ton of talent in the band, and DuPree is a really good singer and songwriter. The potential that was obvious on "On The Levee Road" and "Sixteen Bars" has grown and developed into a top-notch band.   

You can buy this cd at http://www.cdbaby.com