The blues sure aren’t sexist. Here they’re presented by both sets of chromosomes.
Famed of ZZ Top and the Bones TV show, Billy F. Gibbons serves up a bonafide blue plate special with Joe Hardy/b, Grag Morrow/dr and B3er Mike Flanigin for this rib sticking collection of tunes. Gibbons takes you on a tour of juke joints with some snarling harp joined with chomping pieces like “My Baby She Rocks” and the boogie-ing “Let The Left hand Know” while a trip to Chicago’s South side serves up a raucous “Bring It To Jerome” with a deep dish graveled voice. Some 50s twang gives you a Bo Diddley rumble for “Crackin’ Up” and Gibbons cuts like a Lakota knife on the growling “Standing Around Crying” and the musty “Second Line.” Gibbons sings like he’s been standing out in the sun trying to hitch a ride all day, and his playing jumps with some double timing “ Rollin’ and Tumblin’.” If he comes to town, grab a Uber and head out!
Crystal Shawanda as a wonderfully raspy snarl to her voice, and she’s got full command of her axes as she leads a band with Dave Roe-Michael Dearing/b, Louis Winfield-Darren James/dr, Stephen Hanner/harp, Dana Robbins/sax and Peter Keys/B3 through some vintage stompers. Guest Tommy Stillwell adds agonizing guitar to Robbins’ wailing sax on a howling “Ball and Chain,” and Shawanda slithers on “Wan Dan Doodle/Smokestack Lightnin’” with some ominous harp from Hanner. STAXY horns lead the charge on “Trouble” and Shawanda’s chops are never in question, riffing with abandon on a V8 engine’d groover of “Hound Dog” that would make Big Mama Thornton smile. Wanna see this band in concert; bring some BBQ sauce as it’s gonna be a griller.
Joanne Shaw Taylor brings a healthy dose of her own compositions into the mix with a rough and ready team of Greg Morrow/dr, Rob McNelly/g, Michael Rhodes/b, Steve Nathan/keys, Paulie Cerra/sax and Lee Thornburg/tp-arr. Taylor plays a mean Les Paul, and her husky voice serves her well on the rootsy “Dyin’ to Know” and the ZZ Topishly hot blooded “I’m In Chains.” A take of “Summetime” gives homage to the classic Big Brother and the Holding Company arrangement, as Taylor wisps through the lyrics, whle she gets smoky with the growling B3 on the boogie rocker “wanna Be My Lover.” Some fun barroom piano strides get the place hopping on “Mhy Heart’s Got a Mind of It’s Own “ while the rock steady “No Reason To Stay” delivers stringed droplets of dew. Impressive on a variety of fronts both with pen and ax,