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December
2009
Two
Men From Earth Walkin’ To
New Orleans TWFE
The Two Men are John Dickie and Steve Hunter. John, of course, is the singer for the Mississippi Hippies & the Cameo Blues Band among his more recent credits but Steve’s is a less familiar name. To our musical theatre community, however, he is very well known, being Colm Wilkinson’s music director and playing piano & conducting almost every major production coming through town. He also plays in a jazz trio and has a disc of Scott Joplin songs called Muskoka Solace. Perhaps because of this background, his piano playing is positively orchestral & beautifully (and forwardly) recorded. John responds with some of his finest singing on disc. Indeed, it’s difficult to think of another singer who could hold his own with this keyboard onslaught. Just listen to Jerry Lee Lewis’ “It’ll Be Me” to hear a battle royal. The winner is all of us. We are winners in other respects as well. The reduction to voice & piano has resulted in some startling arrangements for some well-known songs: Robbie Robertson’s “Rag Mama Rag” gets some boogie woogie & ragtime accompaniment, Fats Domino’s “I’m Ready” gets a Professor Longhair treatment and there’s “Goodnight Irene” á la James Booker. Sleepy John Estes’ “Leavin’ Trunk Blues” has John on mandolin & harp and a unique piano part – no bass. The poignant, and updated, version of “Louisiana 1927“ & “Corinna Corinna” slow the pace down wonderfully. From the opening “Roll ‘Em Pete” on, this is a boogie woogie & barrelhouse lovers treat. John has lived with many of these songs for most of his career and he is Hunter’s match in every song. It’s clear that these two masters have spent a great deal of time with these performances. They’ve also been doing this in public and in private for a number of years. You’ll hear that every time you go back to this wonderful disc. Find out more at www.twomenfromearth.com.
Robin
Bank$ & Christian Dozzler
Livin’ Life Blues Wave
Robin Bank$ (yes, with the $) made a splash here in the late ‘90’s, starting with winning the New Talent Search in 1996. She has spent the last ten years or so in Texas & Jamaica. She recorded a couple of CDs in Dallas with Hash Brown & the late Sam Myers and now she has this new one with another musical pilgrim, the Austrian keyboard veteran Christian Dozzler. They alternate vocals on this duo CD, each singing original material with one duet, a beer hall-style number with accordion. There is blues here, though, with Ms. Bank$ scoring with the excellent “Last Time I Saw Texas”. The title song is also very good, and also autobiographical - a declaration of purpose, if you will. She has never shied away from the raunchier blues songs and “I Just Want My Legs Around You” and “Everybody Let’s Dance” keep the party going here. Dozzler is a very good accompanist and holds his own on the other half of the disc, showing he can play boogie woogie & barrelhouse with the best of them. They’ll be touring with this CD, check out the Jamaica & Texas dates at www.myspace.com/missrobinbanks.
Rick L. Blues Back To The Roots with Friends Crystal Blues
The web site for Montreal-based singer and harmonica player Rick L. Blues says he specializes in blending traditional materials into his own style. This certainly applies here. The title track is an ear-opening, atmospheric collage of acoustic blues & gospel styles. The CD contains an amazingly wide range of sounds, with lyrics switching between English & French. You’ll sometimes find yourself wondering if you’re still listening to the same CD. “Mantes Blues” is a solo harp & voice number. Henri Breton, his long-time guitarist, joins him with a rhythm section for some more standard blues tunes before he goes back to earlier eras with a Rice Miller-esque “Precious Love”. Slim Wood provides a wholly authentic piano accompaniment – an absolute delight. “Belle Roots 3” has trad jazz horns. “Don’t Break My Heart” is a pop tune with group vocal sections. “I Trusted You” is a long electric blues with a vocal that reminds one of Mendelson Joe. It’s followed by a jazzy “Love and Communication”, a battling lovers duet with Katy Vachon. “No Christmas Gift” is an overwrought ballad with a great harp solo. “I Was Blind” has a prominent banjo part (!) giving it an old timey sound. Back to the blues next with a piano accompanied “Got So Much”. “Moon & Sun” is another solo for voice & harp, excellent harp too. The last track is a mercifully short radio broadcast search, with snippets of his music & others. It seems to me that the obviously talented Rick L. Blues needs a good producer, one who can get a more focused album next time.
Easley
Stevenson Arsenault Nine
Steps Super High
Each of these performers was nominated in their respective instrument categories for a Maple Blues Award but the new performing unit isn’t very well known. This CD should change that! Tom Easley is the acoustic bassist with Hot Toddy. Forty-year keyboard man Bill Stevenson and drummer extraordinaire Geoff Arsenault are both first call players all over the Maritimes. Stevenson handles the vocals and wrote or co-wrote with Easley most of these sophisticated songs. The title song, though, is by Arsenault. Stevenson’s easy going, jazz-inflected vocals carry you along very nicely. “Lonely Boy”, with a credit to Clarence “Frogman” Henry, gets the opening spot, a lovely loping highlight. The version of Bob Dylan’s “Just Like A Woman” is very good indeed. “Nine Steps To Gumbo” is another highlight, with Arsenault making sure that it’s rhythmically as well as lyrically attention getting. “Wild Nights”, despite its title, is a little too close to supper club jazz but then “High Handicapper” begins and all is well again. “So Sad So Lonesome” ends the CD in Charles Brown blues style. Its seven minutes plus is over all too soon. The interplay among these three is something to behold, I hope they record many more. The new web site is at www.billstevensonmusic.ca.
- John Valenteyn, jvalenteyn8724@rogers.com
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