Smoky Greenwell – South Louisiana Blues | Album Review

Smoky Greenwell – South Louisiana Blues

Self Release

www.smokygreenwell.com

12 tracks / 51:00

Smoky Greenwell has certainly earned the distinction of being a fixture of the New Orleans Blues scene, and in his career he has played with War, Johnny Neel of the Allman Brothers, Warren Haynes, and many more, as well as fronting his own band. He has not been shy about recording his own work either, with eleven CDs in his catalog, with his the most recent releases being last year’s amazing Live at the Old U.S. Mint and his solid new release, South Louisiana Blues.

For South Louisiana Blues, Greenwell has collaborated with some of the best musicians that the Crescent City has to offer, including co-producer, songwriting collaborator and guitarist Jack Kolb, bassist David Hyde, and Doug Belote on the skins. Guest artists include none other than keyboard master Johnny Neel, Joe Krown (also on the keys), drummers Willie Pankar and Pete Bradish, and back-up singers Lynn Drury and Dana Abbott. Smoky brings the lead vocals, his harp and a tenor saxophone to the mix for this project.

This disc was cut by David Stocker at NOLAs Audiophile Recording Studios, and it includes a dozen tracks, with five songs that were written by Smoky and/or Jack. Many of the other tunes were written by folks with connections to the Deep South, which is where the album title came from. First up in the band’s set is an original boogie, “Animal Angels” with a cool 1960s groove and sinister vocals plus plenty of sweet harp from Greenwell. You can tell he has been playing the harp for four decades! This is followed up by a swamp rockish rendition of Wilbert Harrison’s classic “Let’s Work Together” with Johnny Neel behind the piano, heavily processed guitar from Kolb, and lovely backing vocals from Drury and Abbott.

Smoky must be a fan of Cornelius Greene, a native of the Sportsman’s Paradise who you may know better as Lonesome Sundown. There are three songs from this master of swamp music: “Lonesome Lonely Blues,” “I Had a Dream Last Night,” and “I’m Glad She’s Mine.” The latter is a slick bit of rhythm and blues with Smoky’s mellow vocals and sweet saxophone, a tight guitar solo from Kolb, along with the added bonus of thumping drums from Pete Bradish and a consistent 12-bar blues riff from Neel and Hyde. This is one of the standout tracks from the disc, in my opinion – it has it all! Other interesting covers include countrified versions of Wilie Dixon’s “Two Headed Woman” and Bob Dylan’s “Dirt Road Blues.”

There is also a passel of neat instrumentals to choose from, including Cal Valentine and Wally Cox’s “Boogie Twist,” featuring cool B3 from Neel, the funky “Pick It Up,” and Jack Kolb’s “The Hunch,” which has (not surprisingly) all kinds of cool guitar stuff going on and a raunchy harmonica solo from Greenwell. The last of these is the closer, “Walking with Mr. Lee” which allows Smoky to cut loose one last time on his sax to the accompaniment of clanking beer bottles and the reverie of bar patrons.

South Louisiana Blues is a really cool release from Smoky Greenwell and his friends, and it has a lot going for it. For starters, there are the pure talent and decades of experience that make Smoky the real deal, his band mates are all consummate professionals with great chemistry, and the disc is very well produce and recorded. It has a warm and full sound, and the material is enjoyable to listen to time and again. Check it out for yourself and make sure you head over to Smoky’s website to check out his calendar; it would be awesome to catch one of his Monday night blues jams the next time you are in New Orleans!

Isaiah B. Brunt – A Moment in Time | Album Review

Isaiah B. Brunt – A Moment in Time

Self Release

www.isaiahbbrunt.com

9 tracks / 39:39

Isaiah B. Brunt has an impressive amount of musical experience as a studio owner and sideman in Australia. He has worked with the Goo Goo Dolls, the Julio Iglesias Orchestra, and Randy Jackson, plus he toured with Keanu Reeve’s Dogstar when they opened up for Bon Jovi on their Australian tour. But at heart he is a bluesman, and an exceptional one too, as evidenced by last year’s killer release of Just the Way that it Goes and his trip to the International Blues Challenge.

Mr. Brunt has followed up this success with a new album, A Moment in Time, and it is his best work yet. This disc has nine tracks of originals that were written by Isaiah, and he served as the executive producer for this project in addition to taking care of the vocals and guitars. He was joined in the New Orleans studio by a core band of George Porter Jr. on bass, Doug Belote on drums, Mike Lemmler on keys, and a horn section of Jeffery T. Watkins and Ian E. Smith.

I do not hear much of an Australian accent to Brunt’s singing, but he has a wonderfully smooth and rich timbre to his voice, and the effect is quite unique. This is heard right from the start with “Still Waiting,” as Isaiah runs through a conventional 12-bars blues vocal construction. As with the rest of the album, there is a live feel to this mid-tempo tune, with Lemmler providing roadhouse piano and B3 over a fat bass line from Porter. A rowdy guitar solo from Brunt gives a touch of variety, as do a pair of trumpet and guitar solos. This segues into a piano-fueled rhythm and blues tune, “Singing the Blues,” which has lovely backing vocals from Sarah E. Burke.

Brunt can also dig deeper and belt out gritty vocals, and this is a cool contrast to his smoother work. One example of this is “May I Dance with You,” a nice bit of horn and organ driven funk. The backline is a more complex on this song, with Belote working the drum kit and Porter popping out the bass rhythms. This tune features a righteous solo break with interplay between Brunt’s guitar and Watkins’ sax, as well as a sweet horn outro. Isaiah also gets down on “Party Late All Night,” a more conventional 12-bar blues song. These are two of the standout tracks on the disc, and are both great party tunes.

There is also one track that is completely different than everything else on the album, as “Travel Back in Time” takes the listener all the way to New Orleans. This slowly grinder is held together by guest artists Tuba Steve on the sousaphone and James Evans on the clarinet, with snare from Belote keeping time. The horns join in halfway through to accompany a wicked solo from Evans, and the overall effect of this song will make you want to head off to Bourbon Street to forget your sorrows. Or maybe earn some new ones!

After about 40 minutes, the set closes out with “A Moment in Time,” an interesting blend of a mellow country bass beat, reverb-soaked guitar chords, and some jazzy flugelhorn from Smith. Brunt does well with the honest lyrics of remembrance and love, once again with Sarah filling in the backing vocals. After adding in David Stocker and his mellotron samples the overall effect is very pretty, and this ends up being a low-key way to bring things to an end.

Isaiah B. Brunt and his friends did an awesome job with A Moment in Time, and it is a solid follow-up to Just the Way that it Goes. Be sure to check out his website to keep up on his schedule – he only has gig dates scheduled in Australia at this time, but maybe the allure of the States (or another invite to the IBC) will draw him to our shores so we can enjoy his music in person!

Jeff Chaz – Sounds Like the Blues to Me | Album Review

Jeff Chaz – Sounds Like the Blues to Me

JCP Records

www.jeffchazblues.com

12 tracks / 58:00

Though he was born in Louisiana, there is a bit of Memphis soul in Jeff Chaz’s sound, which is not too surprising as that is where he learned blues guitar and honed his unique vocal style. Though he kicked back and forth across the country playing trombone and trumpet he ended up sticking with the guitar, and in the mid 1990s he finally made his way home to the Sportsman’s Paradise, where he tears things on a regular basis with his high-energy live shows.

Sounds Like the Blues to Me is Jeff’s latest disc, and it is a worthy follow-up to his very good Chronicles CD. This collection of a dozen original songs features Chaz on guitars and vocals, Doug Therrien on bass, John Autin on keys, Doug Belote with most of the drums, and a horn section of A.J. Pittman and Ward Smith. All of the songs are fun, and there is any easygoing vibe to the proceedings; it must have been a blast during recording sessions at Radionic Studio in Jefferson, Louisiana!

The set kicks off with the title track, and “Sounds Like the Blues to Me” is an upbeat and funky piece of work thanks to Autin’s organ. The band is tight, with a killer backline provided by Belote and Therrien, and Chaz throws down a couple of nice solos when he is not growling out vocals that smack of infidelity. This is followed-up by “Make Love to You in the Sand” a Crescent City-inspired tune with great storytelling that brings the trumpet and sax into play, and you will hear that Pittman did a marvelous job with the horn arrangements.

After this, things slow down with the jazzy “Hitchhiking in the Rain,” in which Jeff howls and bemoans the fate of a lover who gets left behind in the dust. Allyn Robinson picks up the drumsticks on this one, and Autin switches over the piano, laying down some pretty slick barroom improvisation over Therrien’s bass. Then the band goes straight back into the thick of things with a little bit of horn-infused action and spoken word in “I Am the Blues.”

From there, the party carries on with furious abandon. There are a few tunes that should be called out, though. Jeff gives his voice a break on the instrumental “Mt. Vernon Blues,” and his guitar leads have an almost Hawaiian vibe while Therrien hammers on his bass. And there is a lot of humor to be found in the funkfest, “I’m Goin’ After Moby Dick in a Rowboat.” But above it all is the standout track, “You Look So Good to Me,” a jump blues track where the horns are just right and Chaz’s guitar work is sublime.

Before you know it, this hour-long set comes to a close with “You’re Bound to Get Us Both Hung,” a scorching electric blues song which revisits the cheatin’ theme that the album started with. This is one of the more intense tracks on the album with Jeff screaming the vocals and tearing the fretboard off of his six-string with reckless aplomb. There is nothing like ending on a high note!

Sounds like the Blues to Me is an awesome new release from Jeff Chaz, and it hints at how cool his live show must be. There is a reason he has played with heavy hitters like Albert King, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Cab Calloway, after all. Hopefully he will be in Nola next month when I visit, as I will definitely have to make time to track him down!

Keith Stone – The Prodigal Returns | Album Review

Keith Stone – The Prodigal Returns

Self Release

www.keithstonemusic.com

11 tracks / 50:36

I am rarely disappointed when I get new music out of New Orleans, and Keith Stone’s debut solo album, The Prodigal Returns, is no exception – this stuff is dynamite! Stone is the real deal, born and raised in the Crescent City, where he learned his craft and cut his musical teeth. After a successful stint on guitar with Willie Lockett & the Blues Krewe, Keith and his wife Cindi left town in the mid-90s so he could get his life in order and he found a place in the world where he could use his musical gifts as a ministry to help others.

But Keith and his wife could not give up on his old hometown and after Hurricane Katrina tore the city apart in 2005, they did what they could to help out. That was not enough for them, and they ended up moving back to The Big Easy a few years later to start a non-profit that recruited thousands of volunteers and raised millions of dollars to aid in the much-needed recovery. It did not take very long for Stone to renew old acquaintances and work his way back into the local music scene, and many of these friends pitched in to help out on this album. For the core band Keith handles the vocals and guitars, producer David Hyde plays the bass, Nelson Blanchard is on the drum kit (as well as backing vocals and keys), backing vocals are provided by Elaine Foster, and Lacy Blackledge and Mike Broussard play the horns. That is not all, as you will find that there are a lot more friends that stopped by the studio.

The Prodigal Returns is bookended by a pair of tracks that are the essence of New Orleans. Credit for this goes to the inclusion of the legendary Dr. John on piano, Joe Krown on organ, Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes on accordion, Doug Belote on drums, and a horn section that includes Tim Stambaugh (sousaphone), Kevin Clark (trumpet), David Phy (trombone), and Cale Pellick (saxophone). The way that “Prelude” and “Just a Closer Walk with Thee” are presented makes them timeless, and the sound is just right with the snare, accordion, and piano perfectly set in the mix. In between these two tunes there is a well-rounded selection of songs in musical styles that represent a lot of what the town has to offer.

These other nine tracks are all originals, with Stone getting writing credit on all of them except for one that Hyde penned. These songs all show mature songwriting with catchy rhythms and lyrics that show that Keith is not afraid to get personal. They are all good, and here are a few of my favorites:

-- “First Love” is a smooth and dramatic blues song with a lot of space in the bass line and tight horns from Blackledge and Broussard. Blanchard shows a lot of versatility by filling in some tasty piano and organ work as Stone wails on the guitar and belts out the vocals.

-- “Cindi Leigh” is a sweet ode to Keith’s wife, and it has a cool New Orleans feel thanks to Sunpie’s accordion, and a little frottoir (washboard) and cowbell from guest artist Andy J. Forest. As an added bonus, Broussard nails a solo on his sax and Blanchard provides vocal harmonies as needed.

-- You cannot beat a cool and jazzy instrumental, and “Buster’s Place” delivers. Stone has a different guitar tone on every track and this is one of the tastiest ones that you will find on The Prodigal Returns. It mixes well with the horns, including a crazy good trumpet solo from Lacy Blackledge.

Keith Stone has crafted a wonderful tribute to New Orleans with The Prodigal Returns, and it is a slick journey through the many types of roots and blues music that can be found in his hometown. He has proven that he is a very good singer, songwriter, and guitarist, and he not letting any grass grow under his feet as he is already working on a new project with plans for touring later this year. But for now make sure you check out his new CD, as it is a winner!