Big Apple Blues - Brooklyn Blues

Big Apple Blues – Brooklyn Blues
2010, Stone Tone Records

Big Apple Blues is a New York City-based blues collective working to keep the storied art form alive and relevant.  Built around a revolving roster of New York City blues cats, the current cast includes Zach Zunis (Janiva Magness, Great William Clark, Rick Holmstrom); Barry Harrison (Shemekia Copeland, Michael Powers); Anthony Kane (Muddy Waters, Junior Wells); Admir “Dr. Blues” Hadzic; Hugh Pool (Hugh Pool Band); Brian Mitchell (Bob Dylan, Al Green, B.B. King, Mary J. Blige) and the irrepressible Christine Santelli.  Formerly known as the Stone Tone Blues Band, Big Apple Blues looks to keep the Chicago electric blues sound alive, and does so from the burgeoning Indie music scene of New York with the aptly titled Brooklyn Blues.

Brooklyn Blues opens with an entertaining blend of blues, R&B and rock n roll on “Too Many Drivers”; an innuendo-laden tune expressing romantic interest in a woman but also wondering, perhaps, at her morals.  “Too Many Drivers” is a great, energetic start to the album, showing hints of what is to come.  “Killing Floor” is energetic and danceable; a sour grapes song about why he hasn’t left a relationship before now.  “Brooklyn Swamp” is a solid but uninspired instrumental.  Big Apple Blues is tight and technically proficient here; you just don’t get the sense that much is going on behind the scenes here.  “Honey Hush” brings out a man’s inner Neanderthal; an old school blues tune that is entertaining and is vaguely reminiscent stylistically of Cab Calloway. 

“Whole Lotta Lovin’” is full of the machismo of a top notch pick-up artist.  The vocals show great presence, and the Big Apple Blues provides among their best instrumental performances on the album.  “How Many More Years” is a kiss-off song; a song of walking out.  The song itself is middle of the road, but Brian Mitchell’s guitar work is first-rate.  “Everything Is Gonna Be Alright” turns into a long form blues jam, showing off the distinctive instrumental talents of the band.  The guitar work of Mitchell and the harmonica work of Hugh Pool in particular stand out.  “It’s My Life Baby” is a song of pining for someone who is gone that’s well constructed and tightly played.  Pool once again stands out blowing some of the hottest harp east of Chicago’s South Side.    “Hate To See You Go” is musically and lyrically repetitive.  Big Apple Blues gets caught in a brief rut here and on “Who’s On Third (Duvel)”, but recover nicely with the closing track, “Mellow Down Easy”.  “Mellow Down Easy” is a party song of sorts; lyrically simplistic but with a solid vibe.

Big Apple Blues brings the early days of electric blues alive on Brooklyn Blues.  The sound here is dynamic, and probably best suited to a live setting, but Big Apple Blues make a solid effort at capturing that sound on CD.  The highlights on Brooklyn Blues are found in the seams of the music.  Hugh Pool is a rock star, figuratively speaking, and Brian Mitchell seems alive in every moment on the album.  It’s all tied together by the impressive musical heartbeat provided by Barry Harrison, but it’s ultimately the chemistry achieved by Big Apple Blues that will win you over.  Not every moment of Brooklyn Blues works perfectly, but there are enough perfect moments to go around.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Big Apple Blues at http://www.bigappleblues.com/.  Brooklyn Blues is available from Amazon.com as a CD or Download.  Digital copies are also available from iTunes.

Review: Chocolate Thunder - Ear Candy

Chocolate Thunder - Ear Candy
2009, Chocolate Thunder

Linda Rodney has done the acting thing. She's done the modeling thing; but music has always been her first love. Singing in church as a youngster, Rodney quickly stood out from the other kids with a big, powerful voice that you simply could not ignore. She was also exposed to many of the greats of R&B and Blues as a child, from Muddy Waters to Shirley Cesar to the Queen Of Soul, Aretha Franklin herself. After training with internationally known opera singer Sarah Reece, Linda began performing and touring, sharing stages over time with the likes of Elmore James, Jr., Main Street Blues Band, Little Pink Anderson and B.B. King. Performing under the name of Chocolate Thunder, Rodney's popularity began to grow. Due to popular demand from fans, Chocolate Thunder released her debut album in 2007. In 2009, she returns with Ear Candy, a collection that ranges from Blues to Soul to classic R&B.

Ear Candy opens with Love Thang, a classic 1970's Soul/Funk song. It's not the best on the album but a fair stylistic opening. Love Thang gives a clear picture of Chocolate Thunder's voice: It's big; it's powerful and it can move a crowd. There is an occasionally tendency toward to flat out in runs and transitions, most notable on the opening track, but Rodney's personality is so very much a part of the song that you might not even notice. Power Of A Lady gets into a 1970's Motown feel that's comfortable but doesn't really reach Chocolate Thunder's potential. Rodney hits full speed on Other Side Of Memphis, a classic Motown-style tune that would have been the rage of radio forty years ago. The brass section here is a great touch, but Rodney sells this song like she's lived it. It's All Good blends elements of Gospel and Jazz with a Caribbean touch and is my personal favorite on the disc.

Rodney wrote My Georgia Pine for her husband, and her conviction on the song is compelling, even if the lyrics come across as a bit "hokey love song" at times. Bring It On is presented in a fairly standard modern R&B arrangement but has the feel of a classic that's been updated. I like the song as presented but hear great potential in the song perhaps in other stylistic arrangements. Just Gotta Tell Ya hints at 1950's and early 60's girl groups; this is a great song that's right up there with It's All Good. Chocolate Thunder closes out with 555-Help, a classic mix of Rock, Gospel and R&B.

Chocolate Thunder is a compelling performer for a reputation for grabbing listeners by the ears and not letting go until the performance is over. Her voice isn't quite up there with idols like Aretha Franklin or Etta James, but it's quite good. Combine that voice with a dynamic personality and a compelling ability to sell a song and I'd have to say Chocolate Thunder has the potential to go a long way in this business. Ear Candy is a strong album with a couple of stand out tracks and a couple of duds, but is generally a strong mix of Rock, R&B, Soul and Gospel. Ear Candy has broad appeal.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Chocolate Thunder at http://www.cthunder.com/ or www.myspace.com/chocolatethunder1. You can purchase Ear Candy as either a CD or download from www.cdbaby.com/cd/cthunder2.

Review: J-P McGill - Against The Sea

J-P McGill - Against The Sea
2008, Pipeline Music

New York City-based singer/songwriter J-P McGill makes music for himself. In a refreshing and unusual turn, McGill creates music he likes without regard for what the laws of commerce or fashion might prevail upon. With roots in Chicago Blues and folk, McGill has dallied in styles from around the world, and all the chickens come home to roost on his latest album, Against The Sea. McGill uses the sea as allegory for the human condition. Part Don Quixote and part Arthur Miller, McGill's subjects rail against their own personal constructs in a constant struggle to transcend themselves and become who they already are. It's a classic tale of suffering as a means to finding paradise, a la Siddhartha. Throw in the coloring of Cape Breton shanties, Afro-Cuban, Latin, Blues and even a touch of Southern European flavor, and you have a dynamic package that ranges from tuneful to frightening, but never fails to be compelling.

Against The Sea opens with Moby Told Me, a disjointed bit of rock noise that is almost as charming as it is sonically disturbing. McGill has taken elements of Electronica and Lo-Fi Garage styles and melded them into something you can't quite comfortably listen to but don't want to look away from either. McGill keeps up the madness on Psycho Sub Samba, but this time he battens down a Samba beat with a bit of folk survivalist madness. Better Man heads straight for the gutter blues, Big Rude Jake style. Listening to Against The Sea all the way through, I am thoroughly convinced that J-P McGill has a tuneful if rustic voice, but a fair amount of the time he eschews a tuneful sound for a rough, melody-wary vocal style not uncommon in folk/blues circles. The result is an anachronistic sound that purports to be more amateur and rough than it really is.

Walk On Water is a prime example of this rough, raw sound. McGill's relationship with a distinct melody line here is tenuous at best; the arrangement strongly minimalist. What the song does have is force of personality; a primal je ne sais quoi akin to a car wreck. McGill goes a bit cabaret on The Dutchman, accompanied by a reserved piano and quiet percussion. One Note Float returns to the Electronica-gone-Garage sound we heard on the opening track, and borders on difficult listening at times. Fish And Bird is a love song that is surreal, and lends itself to the general atmosphere of the album. The difficulty is that the longer the album goes on the more difficult a listen it becomes. What was charming for a few songs can be wearing on the listener. By this point in the album I found myself questioning my initial assessment that McGill can sing musically when he wants to.

Lyrically, Against The Sea is raw; occasionally jarring. Musically McGill is very inventive, mixing styles in unusual ways that run the gamut from appealing to bizarre and disturbing. In this respect Against The Sea is a compelling listen, as you can't be sure what's going to come next. A decent whiskey voiced vocalist could do wonders with these songs, which lend themselves almost to a bardic style. Once in a while J-P McGill throws us a curve, like on Ken & Catherine, giving us a little roadhouse Rock N Roll and a vocal that's spot on musically and stylistically. Even The Rosa Maria finds McGill digging into his more musical side for a great sea chantey, but it does take some listening fortitude to get there.

J-P McGill has done one of two things with Against The Sea. He's either delivered a highly artistic and anachronistic album or he's offered up a commercial project with little or no demographic. In fact, the two positions aren't incompatible. The question comes down to whether the style here is intentional or just an accident of his persona as an artist. I don't have the answer to that question, but I can tell you that there are some bright moments here as well as some dark, hard to listen to moments. There are some songs on Against The Sea that could be interpreted in wonderful and compelling ways by the right artist or personality, and there will be a niche market for this album, but it's not widely commercial, and a lot of listeners won't get through more than a couple of songs. In the end, J-P McGill sounds a bit like a hypothetical cross between Shane McGowan and Phoebe Buffay. It's interesting and compelling, but I am still not sure whether I enjoyed it or not.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about J-P McGill at www.jpmcgill.com or www.pipelinemusic.net. You can order a copy of Against The Sea at Amazon.com.

Review: Dan Holt - New End Of The World Blues

Dan Holt - New End Of The World Blues
2008, Screaming Ray Recordings

Euclid, Ohio’s Dan Holt has been making music for nearly 30 years now. He’s familiar to fans in the Midwest US as a former member of blues outfits Five Believers and Vertigo Men. Holt’s latest solo release, New End Of The World Blues was released in 2008.

I have to admit that I didn't really connect with this album. New End Of The World Blues is an acoustic blues album that is essentially just Holt on guitar and vocals. Holt is amazing with the guitar in his hand. Some of the things he does on the album are jaw-dropping with regard to intricate arrangements and guitar work. As a vocalist he has a good voice, but the energy level and charisma that comes through on his guitar just isn't matched by his voice. As much as I enjoy the acoustic blues style, Holt is an artist who would benefit from creating and recording with an ensemble. Nevertheless there are a few highlights here that I'd like to mention. What Do You Want From Me is my personal favorite, in a Hank Williams Sr. meets Muddy Waters moment. Chronic Depression is an amusing patois of Country and Blues. Get In My Car is a prime example of the impressive guitar work Holt is capable of. For much of the rest album I simply listened to the guitar work. From that perspective it’s a great album, but the vocals did grate on me a bit and the uniformity of dynamic and sound made it difficult for me to really get into this CD.

I am not knocking Dan Holt. He has a decent enough voice, but every once in a while as a listener you come across a voice that just doesn't sit with you, and that was my experience here. Don't let that stop you from checking him out, because you're likely to have a different reaction than me, but if you're looking for some amazing acoustic blues guitar work, then New End Of The World Blues is definitely worth your time.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Dan Holt at http://www.danholt.com/. You can download New End Of The World Blues at Amazon MP3 or iTunes. If you want a hard copy, you’ll have to attend one of Dan Holt’s shows, but if you contact him through his website perhaps he’ll hook you up.