Blues Blast Magazine Album Review: AC Myles – Reconsider Me

Hello!

This CD review was originally published in the January 8, 2015 edition of Blues Blast Magazine. Be sure to check out the rest of the magazine at www.bluesblastmagazine.com

AC Myles – Reconsider Me | Album Review

Self Release

www.acmyles.com

11 tracks / 41:48

Fresno, California does not get as much publicity as its two big neighbors, Los Angeles and San Francisco, but it is a cool city that helps support one of the largest agricultural areas in the United States. You may not think that there is a lot of blues music going on there, but with half a million people there are plenty of blues enthusiasts to be found. In fact, guitarist and singer AC Myles grew up in Fresno, and he is a fine representative of the town!

AC Myles has a fine pedigree; after touring with his own band as a young man he ended up in San Francisco where he found work as a sideman for killer acts such as Fillmore Slim and Joe Nemeth. This experience honed his performance skills and helped him develop his own brand of blues chops on both guitars and vocals. For his debut album, Reconsider Me, he hooked up with the legendary Kid Andersen, who produced this project as well as recording and mastering it at his Greaseland Records in San Jose, California. Things happened quickly, as they only had to spend two days in the studio, which gives this disc a righteously vibrant feel!

This album is made up of eleven tracks that include four of Myles’ originals and seven special covers. These were not culled from usual list that other artists choose from, as he mostly picked songs that were from some of the artists he has worked with over the years. For this project, AC took on the lead vocals and guitars, and he was joined by Derrick Martin behind the drum kit, Nate Ginsberg on the keyboards, Lisa Andersen with the backing vocals, Endre Tarczy on bass and keys, and Kid Andersen with the rhythm guitar and keyboards.

Things start off with a tight soul tune written by Fenton Robinson, “You Don’t Know What Love Is,” and one thing is for sure: Myles has a fabulous voice. He stays in tune across his impressive range, and his vocals have an honest inflection and character that bring the words to life. Next up is Rory Gallagher’s “Do You Read Me,” which is an ambitious undertaking as Gallagher was a true guitar hero. AC fills the role well, and this turns into a roaring blues rocker with blazing guitars, a thumping bass line, and awesome organ accents. This is one of the top tracks on the album, without a doubt.

After stirring rock with a little gospel in Elvin Bishop’s “Rock My Soul,” the band takes on the title track from Johnny Adams. “Reconsider Me” features some jaw-dropping falsetto, and extra cool roadhouse piano over the solid foundation of Tarczy’s bass and Martin’s drums. This duo also sets up Roman Carter’s 1965 classic, “Queen Bee,” for Myles’ best James Brown imitation.

The most pure blues tune on Reconsider Me is “Death Bed Blues,” which was penned by Myles. His lead guitar has a super-clean tone in this 12-bar Chicago-style tune, and Andersen backs him up well. The slow tempo creates tension for the classic low-down lyrical themes that are sung with emotion and gusto.

AC laid down two very strong original rockers, “Call ‘em All Baby” and “Three Ways to Fall,” and then the set ends with Fats Domino’s “Blue Monday.” But, this time it a Fillmore Slim arrangement with funky wah-wah rhythm guitar and 1970s-issue electric piano. Myles digs deep (and even wails a bit) for this closer, leaving things on a happy note.

If there were anything that is missing with this release, it would be more of AC’s own material. Myles’ career has advanced to the point where his fans would surely like to hear a more personal take on his music. He is a fantastic singer, guitarist, and arranger, so surely he can perform whatever thoughts he puts down on paper and make them work.

It is true that AC Myles has talent galore, and Reconsider Me proves it on every track. This is a solid album of soulful rhythm and blues that is expressed with his own style thanks to his years of experience. Check it out, and we should all hope that he starts working on a follow-up soon!

Mahalo!

In Layman Terms – Tangled | Album Review

In Layman Terms – Tangled

Self Release

www.3inlaymanterms.com

9 tracks / 37:00

In Layman Terms’ debut album, Tangled, is a righteous collection of blues, funk, and rock, with grooving beats no matter where you look. The sister/brother duo of Logan and Cole Layman have been playing music together for their whole lives and are both amazing musicians who perform with the ease presence of hardened road veterans with decades under their belts.

On this project, Logan handled the lead vocals and bass, and Cole played the guitar parts; joining them at Lowder Sound and Clay Garden Studios (both in Virginia) was a talented group of musicians that helped them achieve a lot of different moods and sounds. These folks included the producer, Ron Lowder Jr. on drums, and Brian Kloppenburg behind the keyboards. There are a few other folks that pitched in, as you will see later on. This album has nine tracks with seven originals, and only two covers: the Laymans wrote five of the originals, and Holly Montgomery penned the other two.

The title track is the first song in their set, and they brought in a full horn that includes Ron Lowder Sr., Rick Thomasson, Mike Wholley, and Russ Robertson. “Tangled” has a huge blues and funk sound that starts things off on a strong note. The up-tempo funk is provided by Kloppenburg’s organ and Cole’s syncopated guitar rhythms, and Lowder Jr. is one hell of a drummer. Logan’s voice is a husky alto with a great range and emotion, and her phrasing and enunciation are both spot on. It would be hard to top this one, but as you will hear, the rest of the album is just as good.

This is followed up by one of the standout tracks from the album, “Fake it ‘til I Make It,” a song Logan and Cole adopted from a poem their mother wrote about depression. I have seen this song performed as an acoustic duo, but this version is more of a soulful blues rocker with plenty of B3 from Kloppenburg. Logan nails the vocals and does a marvelous job with a walking bass line, and Cole tears off a killer extended guitar solo break. This could be one of their signature songs as it defines what the duo is all about. This song is a cool contrast to their fun and sassy rocker, ”Karma,” which has cool doubled guitar/vocal parts, and shows that there is a lot of range in what this band is capable of.

The two covers are ambitious, and the Laymans pull them off with no problems at all. They take a run at Howlin’ Wolf’s “Smokestack Lightning,” which is cool to hear with a woman singing the lead. Logan does a righteous job of howling out the edgy lyrics, and Cole is a whiz at nailing the acoustic on this bare-bones track. Virginia Beach harpman Jack Campbell adds a super-distorted (yet tasteful) solo to hone the edge of an already intense song.

The other re-do closes out the set, and it takes a lot of guts to walk in Janis Joplin’s shoes, but Logan rises to the occasion and proceeds to make “Move Over” her own. The doubled vocal/guitar intro reveals an almost psychic bond between a sister and brother, and sets the tone for a real barnburner of a tune. Cole’s guitar swaps smoking solos with Lowder Sr.’s tenor sax, providing a strong finish to a solid album.

As I wrote earlier, Logan and Cole sound like they have decades of experience on stage, but that was intentionally misleading as I think their music stands on its own with no caveats about who they are. You see, this duo is still in their teenage years, but Tangled would be an awesome production no matter how old the artists are. But they are not just a studio phenomenon, and I recommend that you head over to their website to check out their videos and gig schedule, as they are a killer live act too!

Ivor S.K. – Delta Pines | Album Review

Ivor S.K. – Delta Pines

Self Release

www.ivorsk.com

5 tracks / 18:46

There is a strong blues scene in Australia, so I am surprised that more of their music does not make it to my desk for review. So, it was cool to receive a debut disc from Ivor S.K., Delta Pines. This young man has developed a mature voice and guitar skills in a short amount of time, helped along by the mojo of his beloved city of New Orleans.

Ivor Simpson-Kennedy wrote all five of the songs for this EP, and performed all of the guitar and vocal parts. Before he took up guitar he was a drummer, so you will hear that each tune has a cool and steady beat with subtle influences of soul, and maybe even some reggae or ska, but this is still undeniably based on Delta blues. Since there are a few less tracks to deal with than usual, following is the blow-by-blow for each:

First up is “Help Poor Me” and you will probably be shocked that an Australian kid has a voice like a grizzled man from the Delta. Also, he manages to break the word “help” into two syllables – I have never heard that before! In this tale of woe his guitar work is simple and clean, and this is a very listenable piece of music. Things change direction a bit after this. Many blues artists create their own ode to the bottle, and in “Missus Green” Ivor describes a man who puts aside all manner of liquor in favor of his chosen poison, which is all-natural, but not exactly drinkable.

Layers of acoustic and slide guitar are used to construct “Pelican,” an instrumental that is more roots than blues. It is a pretty tune that uses stereo effects to present a sound stage that makes seem like there is more than one player. Ivor’s guitar skills are up to the task, and his fingerstyle shows that he has a good feel for the instrument. A laid-back love song follows this up, and “I Like the Way” is a smart piece of acoustic blues with an intimate message.

The CD finishes up with “Delta Pines” which is a celebration of Mississippi and its music, with shout outs to cultural fixtures from all over the state. This is set to a simple quarter note kickdrum beat (provided by Ivor?), and this percussion provides an interesting change from Ivor’s usual guitar and voice formula. There are at least three guitar parts in play here, which makes me wonder which one he chooses when he is doing a live show!

Ivor S.K. has something going here, and Delta Pines is a solid first effort. His voice is impressive, and his original songs are easy to listen to with lyrics that provide a few surprises along the way. Hopefully he is busy writing new material so that we can get a full-length album from him soon.

Blues Blast Magazine Album Review: David Pinsky and Phil Newton – Over the Moon

This CD review was originally published in the December 28, 2014 edition of Blues Blast Magazine. Be sure to check out the rest of the magazine at www.bluesblastmagazine.com

David Pinsky and Phil Newton – Over the Moon

Self Release

www.davidandphil.info

11 tracks / 49:35

With the many diverse subgenres of blues that are being recorded today, it is good to regularly touch home with where the blues came from so we do not lose track of where we came from. Oregonians David Pinsky and Phil Newton are creating just this kind of bare bones music and are doing a very good job of it, as evidenced by their first album together, Over the Moon.

PInsky and Newton have known each other for years and started playing gigs together a few years back with their brand of Delta style roots and blues, and it caught on. This dynamic duo had enough juice to win the completion that allowed them to represent the venerable Cascade Blues Association at the 2014 International Blues Challenge in Memphis. Competition was stiff and they did not prevail, but the door did not close and they again won the right to represent the CBA again in 2015 at the IBC. I wish them luck!

They came back from Tennessee with none of their fire diminished, and they headed into a Central Point, Oregon studio this past summer to cut their first album together. The album was produced, engineered, and mastered by Thomas Hartkop and it features Dave and Phil on vocals and harmonica, with Dave also providing the guitar parts. That is it – no horns, drums, bass, keyboards, or trio of beautiful backing vocalists. Instead, we get 11 original tracks written with honesty from these two veterans of the Pacific Coast blues scene, and it is a good trade-off.

The set kicks off with “Memphis by Midnight,” and the blues listeners get exactly what they are looking for, which is bare bones acoustic blues. This is a raw recording with woody sounding acoustic guitar that is recorded so well you can hear the strings hitting the frets. The weathered vocals recount this year’s trip to Memphis, with plenty of their recollections, impressions and images. Rounding out the package are a few harp breaks that are muted yet still pretty.

There are other songs that throw out a little of the duo’s history. “Black Highway” is a howling Delta-esque ode to Oregon Route 238, the highway that David and Phil both live on. And “3303 Burdeck Drive” brings back memories of growing up in the cold clime of Oakland, California, this time with a country blues feel thanks to the carefully picked guitar lines and the doubled guitar/harmonica intro.

One of the standout tracks of Over the Moon is “Mama’s in the Kitchen,” which brings a lot of Louisiana spice to the table. This is accomplished with Pinsky and Newton’s minimal instrumentation by having the harmonica mimic a squeezebox, and at times you can be fooled into thinking it actually is an accordion. The guitar lays in the background playing heavy downbeats while the lyrics take the front of the stage (as they do on most of the album), but this time in a Fats Domino style.

Looking at the album as a whole, this is the kind of music that a couple of friends would get together to play at a backyard cookout or in a slow-paced roadhouse, and these two old buddies can do it better than most anyone else around.

Things draw to a close with “Your Turn to Go” with some beautiful harmonica work and aggressively strummed acoustic guitar. The lyrics recall remorse for how things have gone so badly in life, but realizing the need to move along anyway and hope the future gets better. This is what the blues is all about!

If you like what you hear on David Pinsky and Phil Newton’s album, you should try to catch their live show, as they have gigs almost every week for the next few months, including the IBC on Beale Street in Memphis this January. But, if you cannot make it to Oregon or Tennessee, the next best thing would be to pick up a copy of Over the Moon. Taking this journey to the roots of the blues and Americana will definitely be money well spent. Plus, picking up a copy will support their trip to the IBCs, which is a cause worth standing behind!

Tas Cru – You Keep the Money | Album Review

Tas Cru – You Keep the Money

Crustee Tees Records

www.tascru.com

12 tracks / 56:25

Tas Cru’s sixth album, You Keep the Money, did really well last year as it debuted at #1 on the Roots Music Report and at #2 on the Living Blues chart. This was no anomaly as this New York-based singer, songwriter and guitarist delivered a smart package of modern blues that was well written and recorded. I think it is the best work that he has done so far, which is saying something as his other CDs are pretty good too!

I could have thrown together Tas’ biography and background for you, but what he does now is so very relevant that I want to tell everybody about it. You see, besides being a stone-cold professional bluesman he is also a stellar dude that gives a lot of himself to the world. He is a blues educator who presents his workshops to schools, hospitals and community centers. He has also recorded two blues albums just for kids, and was recognized for his work with the 2014 Blues Foundation's Keeping the Blues Alive Award for Blues Education.

Tas wrote all twelve of the songs on this record, as well as handling the lead vocals and guitars. A medium-sized crew came along to the studio to join him, including Mary Ann Casale on backing vocals and dulcimer, Bob Purdy on bass, Dave Olson and Bob Holz on drums, Dick Earl Ericksen on the harp, and keys courtesy of Chip Lampson and Guy Nirelli.

The first tune in this nearly hour-long set is the title track which is derived from a conversation that Tas Cru had with the legendary T-Model Ford. This occurred at a benefit show for T-Model, who was a little disconcerted that the band was working for free. There is a fat sound to this piece with a funky beat that features Purdy’s super-fat bass and an abundance of Hammond from Nirelli. Dick Earl Ericksen is hot on the harp and he very effectively trades riffs with Cru’s guitar.

Tas included a slow and sweet instrumental, “La Belle Poutine,” which is one of my favorite tracks on the disc. With no vocals it is easy to focus on Tas’ guitar, and it is smooth and melodic with a great touch and tone. Electric piano from Lampson and extra percussion from Ron Keck give this song a 1970s feel, and it comes out as sort of a mash-up of Robin Trower and Gary Moore. I wonder if this tune was named after a restaurant I went to in New Orleans a while back…

Another cool song is “One Bad Habit,” a cool shuffle that features lovely harmonies from Casale and Alice “Honeybea” Ericksen. The beat on this one is perfect, and it is a joy to listen to a backline is that is so tight.

The disc closes with roots and blues, and “Thinking How to Tell Me Goodbye” makes heavy use of acoustic, electric, and slide guitars. The lyrics are a nice twist on the usual break-up song, and when combined with unique (and constantly changing) arrangements of instruments, make this a song that can be listened to more than once before you figured out exactly what is going on.

You Keep the Money is a solid album from Tas Cru and you should head over to his website and give it a listen. While you are there, check out his show schedule and think about picking up a copy of his latest kid’s album for the young ones in your life. Not only will you be spreading the good news of the blues, but the proceeds go towards the Blues Hall of Fame too. How could you go wrong?

Jeff Jensen – The River City Sessions | Album Review

Jeff Jensen – The River City Sessions

Swingsuit Records

ww.jeffjensenband.com

www.swingsuitrecords.com

12 tracks / 67:00

Jeff Jensen is one of the most energetic and engaging performers on today’s music scene, and his live shows are an amazing blend of the blues, funk, rock, and roots genres. You may know Jeff from his last release, Morose Elephant, which was an excellent album. This left coast bluesman has done wonderful work since his move to Memphis in 2011 (where he was director for Brandon Santini’s band), and since then his grueling solo tour schedule has continued unabated.

His latest disc is The River City Sessions, a live show that was recorded in December 2015 at the Ardent Studios in Memphis, Tennessee with an audience of the band’s fans in attendance. Jeff provided the guitars and vocals for this show and was joined by Bill Ruffino on bass and Robinson Bridgeforth on the skins. This club-friendly set included eight original songs and three cool covers.

After a quick intro from the famed Memphis bassman, Leo Goff, the band kicks off with a searing rendition of T-Bone Walkers’s “T-Bone Shuffle,” complete with an almost jazz-like interlude. Jeff has a tremendous vocal range that comes off as natural and relaxed, and his guitar chops are first-rate. This is pretty much one of the best live shows you will hear, as in the controlled environment it is easier to get everything at the right levels. So, the end result is a studio album with the spontaneity and audience reactions of a live show. One take!

From there they segue into an original, “Make it Through,” which is more casual with a gulf coast feel. This fun blues-rock tune highlights the tightness and talent of Ruffino and Bridgeforth’s backline. Then, “Empty Bottles” uses more light-hearted lyrics over a simple beat to show another side of the band’s ability. Jeff lays down a smooth solo, and eventually the tune flips into a full-blown rocker.

The band included a couple of instrumentals to break up the set. “JJ Boogie” starts out with the audience enthusiastically clapping along and once the band get going on this driving song it becomes hard to believe that there are only three of them on stage. Changes in dynamics keep things interesting, and there is no boring flailing on the instruments to be found here. In fact, this is the most kick-ass instrumental blues that I have heard in a long, long time. The other instrumental is “Elephant Blue” (from the Morose Elephant album), and this up-tempo piece features chords that give it an Eastern European mood. You will even hear a bass solo here, and it actually good with no gratuitous popping or slapping.

Jensen and his friends came up with a couple of other covers for the audience’s entertainment. Tom Waits’ “Hear Attack and Vine” (also covered on the Road Worn and Ragged disc) is more conventionally constructed and accessible than the original, and Jeff hollers out Waits’ horrible lyrics that expose the darkness of man while Bridgeforth hits the drums with everything he has. The group finishes up the CD with Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower,” and after a jazzy intro they turn it into something bluesier than Bob’s version, and smoother than how Hendrix played it. Pretty much it became a Jeff Jensen song at this point, which is a good thing.

If Jeff Jensen and the band needed to find gigs, The River City Sessions would be the perfect demo and would surely find them plenty of work. But looking over their website, it appears that they are really busy with a European tour, and there are many US dates scheduled after they get home. So, you need to give it a listen for yourself and use what you hear for motivation to get off the sofa and head out to one of their shows. This could be your ticket to the Jeff Jensen experience!

Blues Blast Magazine Album Review: Marlon McClain – TBC

This CD review was originally published in the December 25, 2014 edition of Blues Blast Magazine. Be sure to check out the rest of the magazine at www.bluesblastmagazine.com

Marlon McClain – TBC

Mac Man Music

9 tracks / 37:06

There are a few folks in the music industry that seem to always be busy and plugged into many diverse projects, and Marlon L. McClain is a shining example of this. After cutting his teeth in Portland, Oregon’s favorite funk band of the 1970s’, Pleasure, he had a stint with the Dazz Band before demand for his writing and producing sent him behind the stage. After many successes with artists as diverse as George Clinton, Tower of Power, George Benson, Kenny G and Joan Baez, he is finally back to making his own music for us to enjoy.

Over the past four decades, McClain has only had time to record three solo discs: Changes in 1981, TBD in 2010, and this year’s release, TBC. Marlon wrote all nine songs on this latest self-produced album, and he also took care of the guitars and keyboards. Al Turner laid down the bass lines, Thomas McElroy played the keyboards, and the drum parts were all handled electronically, with programming by McClain, McElroy, Soulpersona, and Ken Sato. Do not get the impression that this is some sort of 1980s beat box album, though – the drums sound real and are spot on throughout.

The tracks are mostly instrumentals with vocals added here and there as needed to accentuate the action, including the opener, “Me & You.” This is a super-funky tune with jazz influences that shows what a masterful guitarist Marlon is, and his playing is as smooth as silk. Guest artist Curtis Salgado brought his harmonica in for this song, and he does a fabulous job of mimicking McClain’s lines, so that at times it sounds like there are two guitars playing.

After listening to the rest of the tracks, it would be difficult to categorize this record into any one genre, as there is a little bit of everything, but if you dig deep enough there a foundation of funk for all of them. The most divergent song from the blues would be “Positivity,” a bouncy dance track with a disco groove and tightly intertwined guitar/vocal lines. You will also find that “Step into the Light:” is quite danceable, though at a slower and sultrier pace.

Blues-rock is represented in the mix, too, with the harder-hitting “Radiation Blues” which has minimal vocals, round bass, tons of high hat, and smoking guitar from McClain. This is a marked contrast from “That Ain’t Right,” which is more of a loose funky jam session, with a cool give and take between Marlon and Turner’s killer bass lines – it is almost like the whole song was built over a bass solo, which is not something you will find on your average blues album.

There are fairly drastic changes of pace and feel from track to track. For example, “Tokyo Time“ is smooth and jazzy with a laid-back vibe, and then the listener is hit with “GWUWGWUN.” This song has a lot plenty going on, besides a lot of consonants and an unpronounceable title. Marlon’s guitars are up front in this fast-paced tune, but there is also a lot of synthesizer work with simulated flute and trumpet patches, and all of this is playing all over a popping and funky bass line. Both of these instrumentals are catchy and could get stuck in your head for days, which is not a bad thing in this case.

The last song in the set is “You Know,” which is notable for its simple lyrics and complex guitar lines. It is a healthy dose of funky rhythm and blues with more layers of guitar than you can count, and all of them are soaked with distortion and wah pedal galore. After only 37 minutes the album ends, and it definitely leaves the listener wanting more – a few more tracks would have been welcome. We can only hope that Marlon heads back to the studio again soon, as his songs are well written and are a pleasure to listen to.

There is a lot to like about Marlon McClain’s TBC – it has catchy songs that cross genres and hypnotizing grooves that would make it an awesome party soundtrack or even a nice pick-me-up for the morning drive to work to brighten up an otherwise gloomy day. If you like your blues on the jazzier side with a healthy helping of funk, this might be just what you are looking for!

Mahalo!