I traveled to France last year to tour various wineries, and was amazed to find that the vineyards have never been irrigated. Their only water supply is by the yearly rain. How do they survive? The roots are hundreds of years old and are able to keep the fines alive sine they are so strong, venerable and deep. So is it with the blues, the root of American music that keeps our musical culture from toppling over. Here are a couple of absolute gems that strengthen the roots of American music.
Billy Boy Arnold has been singing and blowing the blues harp since Moby Dick was an anchovy. This latest disc as a cooker, with the tasty team of Duke Robillard/g, Bruce Bears/key, Brad Hallen/b, Mark Teixeira/dr and a horn section that keeps up the humidity. You get some hip and jivey shuffly on “I’d Rather Drink Muddy Water” and a streetwise story on the slinky “99 Lbs.” Robillard picks, grins and boogies throughout, particularly on “Dance For Me Baby,” and Bears supplies the piano during the testimony on”A Mother’s Prayer.” Arnold’s harp howls at the moon on “worried Dream” and he takes a Work Song reading like he’s been on the chain gang on “Keep On Rubbing.” Take this one home!
If you have never heard Rory Block, you’re going to have to rethink what you know about blues players. She looks like one of those prettified country singers from Nashville, but when you put a Martin in her hands, she’s going to tear your achin’ heart out. She does a tribute here to pioneer Skip James that is simply a killer. You can feel the red clay under her fingernails as she picks and sings like she’s been picking cotton on stories like “Nehemiah James” or the lazy stride of “Devil Got My Woman.” Her soul and delivery on a tune like “Special Rider Blues” make the strings beg for mercy as they’re getting stretched like a morning Yoga class. A couple times she throws in a vocal choir to make material like “I’m So Glad” sound a bit more churchified, which is fine, since that’s where the music started. She sounds believable on ”Jesus is a Mighty Good Leader” as well, making you feel she’s got a few stories of her own to tell. When’s she hitting So Cal?!?
Stony Plain Records