Chris Cotton - I Watched The Devil Die

This is another one I picked up on a whim from Yellow Dog Records http://www.yellowdogrecords.com/. I had gone there looking to pick up Soul of John Black (review coming) and needed some other items to throw in the cart. Yellow Dog is a small label filling up with some great artists looking to get their work out there. Take a trip over there and you will likely find something to tickle your ear.

Consisting of several originals and some covers of a few Delta greats, the whole CD has a ragtime/Louisiana swamp/juke joint jam feel to it. You have to stretch the limit somewhat to keep it in the blues category, something I don't usually like to do, but decided to go with it anyway. There is some good guitar work here, which is Chris's strong point. Vocals are a little different. Sounds like he is singing in a tunnel through a 1930s state fair loudspeaker. Interesting at first, but had a tendency to get old as time went on.

The opening track, "Morgan City, Mississippi", kind of melds blues and with bluegrass bass riffs while throwing in some drums and a little piano on the side. Catchy, while setting the direction for the rest of the album.

The title track, "I Watched The Devil Die", is a pretty good little tune, but doesn't really stand out like I expected. The guitar work you come to expect by this point is there, but I guess I was looking for a little more. I wanted Cotton to really shine on this one, but it ended up being just another song in the mix.

Cotton does a decent version of "Dying Crapshooters Blues" (Blind Willie McTell). Simple bass-driven blues tune that was refreshingly empty of filler, allowing the mood and story of the song to take center stage.

Mississippi Shieks' "That's It" is a refreshing instrumental break featuring Hamilton Rott on fiddle and Jimbo Mathis on tenor banjo. Ragtime Americana is how I would describe this. Just a fun little song to play.

If you still think "I'm So Glad" is an old Cream song, its time to bone up on your blues history. Skip James left us with this tune that has been covered by many great artists, including Freddie King, who was the real inspiration behind Cream and the whole British Blues sub genre. Cotton does some pretty decent acoustic work on this one, the notes flying off his fingers in a never ending flood. I like hearing how different people cover the standards and Cotton does a good job with this one.

"Black Night", another Cotton original, opens with some good slide work by Big Jack Johnson. This one reached down and got my feet moving. Great driving bass groove from Barry Bays. I think if I had been producing this one, I would have argued for this as the title track. I'm just sayin'...

Mississippi John Hurt contributes his "Louis Collins". Once again, Cotton's guitar work carries the tune, even though he kept it in the background, as it should be for this one.

So should you depart with some of your hard earned bucks for this one? I guess the best answer is "it depends". If acoustic country blues is your thing, you're gonna like this one. If you lean to the British side of things, or even Chicago or Kansas way, it won't make your playlist often. For me it ended up on the high side of the middle of the road. By the end of the CD, I had to get past the vocals, but the guitar work was consistently good throughout. I would have liked to see Cotton mix it up a little more. Too many of the cuts have a sameness to them. Black Night is a notable exception, obviously my favorite on this one.

This is another one of those situations where I get the feeling Chris Cotton is better live than in the studio. I would love to spend a Friday night in whatever joint they are playing in.

Blues Review Rating - 4.0 out of 6 strings - a "good buy"

Sales and music samples: http://www.yellowdogrecords.com/chriscotton

JJ Cale & Eric Clapton - The Road to Escondido

My eyes lit up when I first got wind of this. What could be better than a collaboration between two of the greatest groundbreaking musicians on the last 40 years? Released to great critical acclamation, my hopes were at their highest.

It took no more than 15 seconds into the first cut, "Danger", to come to the conclusion that this CD is a dud. Nothing following it did anything to change my mind. A collosal disappointment. I am still not over it.

There is no synergy in this music. This is not "peanut butter finds chocolate". What should have taken 2 + 2 to new places never really launched. "Sporting Life Blues" brings to mind a lounge crooner in a plaid dinner jacket. I had to resist the urge to politely clap when it finished, which did not come soon enough.

Cale and Clapton seem to playing around each other instead of building on each other. Its like they were afraid of each other and tried to stay out of one another's way. The result is a muddled directionless album that has no imagination, no high points and certainly little to show for their efforts. No one cuts a groove like Cale. No one makes a guitar come alive like Clapton. Too bad you won't hear any of it here.

This reminds me of the collusion between Alison Kraus and Robert Plant. Yech. The only difference is that I didn't expect much from Kraus and Plant. Who would?

All this said, the CD is not a total loss - if you are looking for some nice background music during dinner and conversation.

Blues Review Rating - 2.5 out of 6 strings "Disappointing"

Cyril Lance - Stranger In My House

I had the good fortune of first experiencing Cyril Lance live (Jack of the Wood, Asheville NC). Having never heard of him, I have to admit it was the name Johnny Neel in the billing that attracted me. No, Johnny wasn't appearing, but apparently did contribute to the recording sesssions, as he has with many musical greats.

Paying tribute to the blues, Lance credits most of his musical influence to Muddy Waters, although he has flavored it heavily with zydeco influences. Overall the session is an immersion in Louisianna swampy blues/rock. Lots of heavy SRV/Kenny Wayne Shepherd style guitar work that has a tendency to be on the heavy side of things, but still manages to stay clean and well focused. The rhythmn section is decent, but not outstanding. Their main job is to support Lance and they do it decently, but tend to the unimaginative side.

Hot Tamale Baby is the best track on the disk. Being one of the longer tracks, I was apprehensive that it would fail to hold itself together all the way through. Wrong! Written by Lance, it has a nice funky groove that begs you to get out of your seat and show some of your own moves.

Rev. Gary Davis gets a nod, with Lance funking up Light of this World, again showing that Louisianna zydeco. Not sure if it improves on the original, but its different.

Lance also gives Willie Dixon a spot with Same Thing. The vocals and guitar work are pretty good, but the rhythm section just does not give him what he needs to keep this song alive. Maybe it just needs some better mixing. I remember really liking this live.

Johnny Neel finally shows up in the last cut, Remembering Jon, a tribute to Lance's older brother. It feels intrusive to comment on something so close and personal. A lot of emotion is expressed in the guitar work, but especially in Neel's treatment of the B3. If Neel has spent his career as a sideman, it is because he does it so well, supporting the front man in a way that brings out their best. You can't help but come away feeling the deep respect and love Lance has for his brother.

I hope you get the chance to catch Cyril Lance live before you buy the CD. This band knows how to rock the house and keep it coming. The CD is good, but it really just reminds of what a great time I had hearing him live.
Blues Review rating: 4.5 out of 6 strings - a "good buy"

CD Sales - http://cdbaby.com/cd/cyrillance

Storm Warning - Breaking Out

The blues might have its roots in America, but here is some clear and convincing evidence that the British know how to take it and make it their own.

I was cruising CD Baby (http://www.cdbaby.com/), one of my favorite sites when I am looking for something new and interesting, when up on the radar screen pops these guys. After listening to a couple of the sample clips, I took the plunge and dropped it into the cart.

My first impression was the clean and tight rhythm section, thanks to Derek White's hard driving bass setting the groove while Roger Willis' clean drum work kept the back beat. On top of this solid foundation Stuart ‘Son’ Maxwell adds great gravely vocals and harmonica work, without letting his harp dominate the sound like so many I have heard (and turned off). Bob 'Mad Dog' Moore brings excellent guitar work with good use of distortion without mucking up the sound. Ian Salisbury rounds out the sound with good, tasteful work on the keyboards.

"Bullets" opens up the setlist, starting off with a catchy guitar lick, harmonica, and vocal lead in. It quickly picks up the pace and manages to keep the foot tapping throughout. Guitar, keyboards and harmonica each get a chance to shine on this one.

"The Woman or the Blues" is a high energy blues/rock number that gives a nod to the question every man asks at one point or another. Can you really have blues without women? Mad Dog Moore really shines on this one with some really great lead work. Son Maxwell provides great vocals as well.

"Dangerous Mood" slows it down for us, showing that these guys are not a one trick pony. Derek White and especially Roger Willis get the strongest kudos on this one. Any slow blues tune is held together by the rhythm section. Without it, you might as well not go there. Very tasteful guitar and harp work as well.

"Long Gray Mare" and "Big Man" cover the middle. Good tunes and certainly worthy of your ear. If these had been the lead off tracks, there is a good chance I would have passed on the CD. As it is, they serve as decent filler material, but just didn't reach out and grab me.

"Ballad of 64" moves away from the standard rock/blues format and delves a little more into rock, with hints of R&B on the side.

"Upton Strut" is a relaxing jazzy number that takes up the back of your mind without dominating the scene. Reminds me of some old Herbie Mann stuff.

"The Blues Are Back" definitely reminds you what these guys are all about - the blues. No doubt about it. Coming back hard, they will make you sit up and take notice. Not your usual 'blues are back" theme, though. Loved the guitar work on this one.

"Whiskey Blues" finishes out the CD with a soulful number that conjurs up visions of old smoke-filled blues bars on the wrong side of anyone's tracks. A slow number that features Son Maxwell's excellent vocals and harp work. Mad Dog screams on the leads, leaving you with no doubt as to what he is capable of.

Although a great CD, I was left with the distinct impression that Storm Warning is at their best when performing live. Working in the studio has its own set of constraints, and you can almost feel the tension as they tried to keep from busting out the walls. Not surprising since just about all blues is best appreciated live. It could be a while to find out. No U.S. dates are currently showing up on their calendar. If they ever turn up anywhere in this area, I will definitely make the journey.

Blues Review rating: 5.5 out of 6 strings - a definite "must buy"

Storm Warning website: http://www.stormwarning.co.uk/

Sales & music samples: http://cdbaby.com/cd/stormwarning