Blues Blast Magazine Album Review: Barry Big B Brenner – Keep It Clean

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This CD review was originally published in the April 17, 2014 edition of Blues Blast Magazine. Be sure to check out the rest of the magazine at www.bluesblastmagazine.com

Barry Big B Brenner – Keep It Clean

Self Release

www.bigbbrenner.com

10 tracks / 35:16

In the last half of the 20th century there was a fundamental change to blues music as electric guitar, electric bass and keyboards breathed new life into this age-old genre. But, there is a still a primal allure to the purity of pre-electric blues, and this is where Barry Big B Brenner excels.

Barry Brenner grew up on the south side of Chicago where he taught himself to play the guitar and sing. Although he became more than proficient with the electric guitar, he decided that his career would be centered on a more acoustic sound. After being in bands and playing along such notable musicians as Albert King and Eric Burdon during his 30 years on the stage, he is now on his own playing a seemingly endless series of solo acoustic club gigs near his new hometown in the Verdugo Hills area of Southern California.

His third self-released CD is Keep it Clean, a collection of ten original and traditional blues and folk tunes. If there is anything you do not like about this release it is all on Barry, as he pretty much did all of the work on this disc. He took care of all of the vocals and instruments (including acoustic six-string, twelve-string and National guitars), as well as all of the production and arrangement. That being said, chances are good that you are not going to blaming Brenner for anything, as this album is a neat piece of work.

The album starts off with “Follow the Drinking Gourd,” a song that begs more research. The exact history of this song is unclear before it was first published in the 1920s, but it is rumored to have connections with the Underground Railroad. Legend has it that the gourd that is referred to is The Big Dipper constellation that slaves used to help to navigate their way to the north. It is a somber folk tune sung in Brenner’s distinctive whiskey voice and accompanied by a few layers of strummed and fingerpicked guitars.

This recording project uses overdubs that allow Barry use vocal harmonies and have more than one guitar on each track, but there is none of the usual big-label polish here. There is a vibrant feel that carries over from his live show (I have attended one of his gigs), and there is a great variation in volume and presence within each song that that adds drama and interest to tunes that have inherently simple words, as well as his amazing instrumentals.

The three instrumentals each have a unique feel, letting the listener know that Brenner is not a one-trick pony on the guitar. “Reap what You Sow” is a slow blues song with heavy National guitar, “Cochinonas” has a jaunty Latin feel and “St. Elmore’s Fire” is a folk blues. They are all very good, but the last one on the list is the standout of the instrumentals, as it has the most interesting melody and harmonies, as well as exceptional slide guitar work.

Some of the tracks are more folk-oriented, but their lyrics carry the spirit of the blues down deep in their soul. These include “The Back of His Hand,” a song that implores the listener to appreciate what they have and to remember that fortunes can change in a heartbeat -- this is not the Dwight Yoakam song, in case you wondering. The other is “Stack O’Lee,” which was a #1 hit for Lloyd Price in 1959, though the best version is the one that Mississippi John Hurt cut in 1928. The lyrics are an the intriguing story of Billy Lyons’ murder on Christmas day of 1895 by notorious St. Louis pimp “Stag” Lee Shelton. Brenner brings both of these songs to life with his pleasant voice and harmonies, showing that his guitar is not the only thing he has mastered over the last three decades of his career.

The strongest track on Keep it Clean is Blind Boy Fuller’s 1938 song “Pistol Snapper Blues,” and you may be familiar with the version that was recorded by the Irish blues guitar legend, Rory Gallagher. Barry kept a traditional country blues sound for this song, and when listening to it there is no way to tell that it was not recorded during the 1930s: it is that timeless.

The album ends on a happy note with the title track, which was a hit for Charley Jordan in the 1930s, and more recently covered by Lyle Lovett while Barry was in the process of recording Keep it Clean (bad timing, I guess). Big B’s version benefits from sweet upbeat fingerpicking and the fun lyrics that make it seem more like a good-time summer tune than the southern blues that it actually is.

Keep it Clean is a solid album, and Barry Big B Brenner did a good job of keeping this project on track and arranging a collection of well-matched roots and blues songs that can stand by themselves or work together as a whole. If you like this CD, you should check out his live act, as he has plenty of shows around So Cal, including regular gigs at South Pasadena’s Firefly Bistro for the weekly Burgers, Beer and Blues show and their Sunday Blues Brunch.

Mahalo!

Billy Jones Bluez – I’m a Bluesman Album Review

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This CD review was originally published in the August 1, 2013 edition of Blues Blast Magazine. Be sure to check out the rest of the magazine at thebluesblast.com

Billy Jones Bluez – I’m a Bluesman

Self release through American Blues Recording Company

http://www.myspace.com/billyjonesbluez

7 tracks / 34:12

Blues music does not have to come out of Chicago, Memphis or the delta, and I am reminded of this as I listen to Billy Jones Bluez’s latest CD, I’m a Bluesman. Billy Jones hails from North Little Rock, Arkansas, which I had never even considered as being a hotbed of blues music.

Billy Jones has long been a bluesman, having been exposed to the blues as a boy at his grandfather’s café and at a nearby juke joint. He was inspired to be like Elmore James and B.B. King, and by the time he was in his early teens he was quite a guitar player. He went on the road at the age of 14 and has not stopped since, playing all over the US and Europe.

His newest CD is a short one, coming in at a little over a half hour. There are seven tracks, including one cover and six original songs. Billy takes care of the guitars and vocals, and he is joined by Corey Bray on keyboards, Derrick Kendricks and Palmalee Byrd on bass and Rickey Martin and Reginald Hammeth on the skins.

I’m a Bluesman kicks off with its only cover tune, “The Iceman,” which is a modern interpretation of Big Joe Turner’s “Ice Man Blues.” This is a fun song with an easygoing vibe, and Billy’s voice and guitar playing are smooth and restrained. Bray has good keyboard skills, and his playing helps fill in the spaces in this well done piece.

After this, you will see that Billy is comfortable enough with his writing and playing that he does not need to be shoehorned into any one genre. “I’m Yo’ Freak” has a funky hip-hop beat that is dominated with 1970s synthesizers and heavily distorted guitars. He keeps this funky vibe for “Nothing But The Blues” but the music is harder-edged with more modern keyboard samples and rocking guitar parts. This song has classic blues lyrics and structures, but he has evolved it into something totally different.

“I’m a Bluesman” is a more traditional blues rocker with a dance beat, neat doubled guitar parts and Hammond B3 samples. This title track is the longest song on the album and there is a cool jam in the middle where it sounds like there are five layers of guitars stacked up.

Billy Jones gets back to more traditional blues for “Do Right Baby” which has some fantastic guitar tone over an assortment of different synthesizer sounds. There is a slow rolling 12-bar blues base to this one, and the lyrics include one of the coolest lines ever: “You gonna have to run off and join the circus, baby, if you’re looking for a clown.” This song fades out while he is still singing, which is an interesting choice as blues songs usually have a distinct conclusion.

There are synthesized strings and heavy organ work on “Love Nobody Else,” which ends up with a Latin nightclub flair as Billy channels his inner Carlos Santana. His voice works well with this genre too, and his guitar work is smoking hot. This mood carries over to the final song on the album, “You and Me.” His guitar playing on this one crosses over from Santana to Prince, and Corey Bray does a great imitation of Jan Hammer on the keyboards.

Billy Jones’ I’m a Bluesman is an interesting piece of work, and shows that he has solid writing, performance and production skills. If you choose to seek it out you will find it is not in a traditional blues form, but it is still fun music to listen to. He performs regularly throughout the Midwest, and I think it would be a kick to check out one of his shows.

Mahalo!

Various Artists – Jock’s Juke Joint Contemporary Blues from Scotland Volume One and Volume Two Album Reviews

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This CD review was originally published in the July 11, 2013 edition of Blues Blast Magazine. Be sure to check out the rest of the magazine at thebluesblast.com

Various Artists – Jock’s Juke Joint Contemporary Blues from Scotland Volume One and Volume Two

Lewis Hamilton Music

www.facebook.com/jocksjukejoint

www.lewishamiltonmusic.com

Volume One 17 tracks / 1:17:44

Volume Two 18 tracks / 1:15:25

In my ignorance, it used to be that I associated the UK blues music scene only with London and the seaports of Liverpool and Belfast. But over the past year I have reviewed CDs from some really fine Scottish blues artists, including Lewis Hamilton and the Boogie Brothers and the Bare Bones Boogie Band. Despite these positive experiences I still did not fully grasp the depth of their blues scene until I got Volume 1 and Volume 2 of Jock’s Juke Joint Contemporary Blues from Scotland. It turns out that great blues was always there and I just did not know about it.

These two compilation CDs are intended to provide an anthology of the great original blues music heritage of Scotland. In the real world there is no Jock’s Juke Joint (nor any other juke joint in Scotland), but you should think of it as the place where you could go to hear some fine tunes and have a good time. Many of us will not be familiar with these bands, so the liner notes provide a nice biography for each artist in addition to describing their roles in the local blues music scene. This is a very helpful and pleasant surprise, as many CDs I get these days are bereft of interesting information like this.

Compilation albums like these are awesome because they provide exposure for bands that may not otherwise see the light of day. I often find stuff I really like to listen to -- leading to many album purchases, which is surely what the people that put them together are hoping for. I guess their marketing works well on me!

On the two discs of Jock’s Juke Joint Contemporary Blues from Scotland there are 35 tracks from different artists, and they cover the gamut of blues types from delta to boogie to Chicago-style and blues rockers. There is no way I can describe each one in detail (and have you finish reading this review, anyway), which is a shame because there is not a bad song to be found within. So here are highlights of a few tracks from each volume that stand out for me.

From Volume One “South of the City” by Albany Down got my attention early on in this disc. This well-written blues song starts out with a basic acoustic guitar riff and builds into a monstrous guitar anthem. Paul Turley gets guitar credit, and Paul Muir’s vocals are smoking! Also, Lewis Hamilton and the Boogie Brothers’ “Empty Roads” is a hard-edged countrified blues number which gives Hamilton a chance to tear loose on his guitar. This is surely one of the standout tracks from this disc.

I would be remiss if I did not mention The Bare Bones Boogie Band’s contribution of “Fallin’ for Foolin” from their Blue CD, one of the best albums I reviewed last year. Helen Turner’s vocals are incredibly emotional on this 7-minute jazzy slow burner, as are fellow Scot Iain Black’s guitar work and Trev Turley’s spot-on bass. This song is so tight that you can tell they have been together for over two decades.

Volume Two is just as good, with some fun stuff including the instrumental “Jam’al” from the 4 Als (which really is four guys named Al) led by Alan Nimmo on lead guitar. This uptempo boogie is only 3 minutes long but every second is pure gold. Jed Potts & the Hillman Hunters’ “Don’t Tell Me” has a fifties delta feel to it, and Cameron Grey does a masterful job of playing his harp off of Potts’ soulful voice and smooth guitar stylings.

Angela Moore’s vocals on the Baby Isaac original tune, “What the Hell,” capture the proper amount of indignation that you would expect from the title. Gary Arnott’s harmonica is also first-rate in this song which evokes images of the 1960’s rhythm and blues divas. Hot Tin Roof provides some no-frills blues with “Maybe Baby,” which features Andy McKay Challen on vocals and acoustic guitar and Gavin Jack on electric lead guitar. These guys prove that you don’t need a lot of personnel to make intricate and interesting music.

Jock’s Juke Joint Contemporary Blues from Scotland Volume One and Volume Two are a stone cold awesome collection of all genres of blues music. And if this is not enough for you, a third volume is in the works and will be released soon. If these discs are any indication of the blues to be found in Scotland, I have got to find a way to get over there and check it out for myself!

Mahalo!

Blues Blast Magazine

Hello!

If you are a fan of the blues, there is a safe place on the often-treacherous internet to find new music and to check out what is happening in the blues world. And that place would be Blues Blast magazine.

Blues Blast is based out of Illinois (where else could it be from, really…) and is in its sixth year of production for its weekly magazine. The subscription to this magazine is free, by the way…

This magazine provides CD reviews and artist interviews, many of which are for artists that you may not be familiar with. There really is no better way to expand your horizons than to check out new music.

There are also listings for upcoming shows and festivals, and links to comprehensive lists of shows in your state. Looking over the California list I found two shows within 10 miles of my house this week, and one of them is at a club that I did not even know had live music. It is an eye-opener.

You can also find their current and back issues at thebluesblast.com

But Blues Blast is not just serving the listening community; it also helps blues artists. They accept CD submissions for review and will include your band’s shows on the blues shows list for free. This is a painless way to get your band promoted to tens of thousands of readers each week. The magazine also honors exceptional musicians by sponsoring the annual Blues Blast Music Awards.

And the best part of all of this is that it is all FREE to you! So head on over to thebluesblast.com to sign up for a free weekly subscription and find a blues show near you.

Mahalo!