CD Review: Piper & The Hard Times, "Revelation"

 

Wake up all Blues fans.  The focus of today's blog is the dynamic Blues band, Piper & The Hard Times and their national debut recording, "Revelation".  The band's leader is Al "Piper" Green who does the Vocals.  This band is intense and lives in the vintage Blues world and leaves nothing in the recording room.  The band's soul is strongly rooted in the Blues but they also mix in touches of R & B, Soul and Rock.  If you are new to traditional Blues, you will enjoy listening to "Revelation".  If you are already a true Blues fan you will not be disappointed with the 12 songs on this CD.  The recording is terrific and gives the listener the feeling he would get if he was listening to a live performance.

The core musicians consist of Al "Piper" Green, Steve Eagon and Dave Colella who have been playing together for  over 20 years.  Al "Piper" Green performs the vocal with intensity and earthiness.  Piper grew up in a muscially inclined family in Bolivar, Tennessee where he sang in gospel choir while being fascinated by the best of Soul, Pop and Rock on the radio.  He sings with strong emotion and authority that make the lyrics believable.

Guitarist Steve Eagon grew up in Northern Ohio and has been playing since his teen years.  He notes that his style developed from his early influences from artists Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page and Stevie Ray Vaughan.  Eagon also is the principal Composer for the band along with contributions from Piper and Colella.

Drummer Dave Colella is the only core member from the North, a New Jersey native.  But you would never guess he was not from the deep South when you listen to the strong and solid Blues foundation he provides for this group. 

"Revelation" is this band's debut recording but it's sure to become a classic Blues CD!

I have attached two "YouTube" videos so you can experience the flavor of this outstanding Blues CD.  The first is a New Orleans-flavored tune "Trouble Man" with a hard driving vocal from Piper.  The second is a slow Blues song filled with ache and emotion, "Twenty Long Years".

PLAYERS:

Al "Piper" Green- Vocals 

Steve Eagon- Guitar and principal Composer

Dave Colella- Drums

Amy Frederick- Keyboard

Parker Hawkins- Bass

Shaun Murphy, Lisa Oliver-Gray, Melissa Gardner- Background Vocals

Chris Floyd- Harmonica

Dick Aven- Tenor

PLAYLIST: 

1. Trouble Man

2. The Hard Times

3. Heart For Sale

4. Preacher Blues

5. Revelation

6. Working Farm Blues

7. Crave You

8. Come Back Knockin

9. Why Not Me

10. You're Gonna Miss Me

11. Walk With Me

12. Twenty Long Years

                                                                "Trouble Man"

                                                                    "Twenty Long Years"

The Laurie Morvan Band Plays "Rockin" Blues at Woody's in Palm Springs, CA

Today's guest Reviewer is "The Blues King", Tim Marchio.   This is Tim's second guest review for the Music Man Blog,  and I am sure you will enjoy it as much as his first.  Tim is a long-time Blues fan, and he also plays Blues on his Guitar.

The Laurie Morvan Band, a five piece ensemble plays the Blues at Woody's in Palm Springs most Thursdays nights.  I mean, really plays the Blues.  I expected a good time as I truly enjoy the Blues, especially live.  However, I was not prepared for what I heard.  The band consists of Keyboardist Tom Salyers, Bassist Pat Morvan, Drummer Lonnie Jones and backup Vocals by Lisa Morvan. 

Laurie in particular, was great.  Not good, but great.  They started with a classic B. B. King tune, “The Thrill is Gone”.  The guitar was tight and the band nailed it.  I must admit, it was a bit out of the ordinary to hear a woman sing such a well-known B. B. song.  But she did a good job, making you feel it.  Then the night took off from there.  Laurie is an outstanding guitarist.  In an intimate club like Woody’s, she easily connected with the crowd.  The band played original tunes mixed with classics from Albert King, Luther Allison and Stevie Ray Vaughan.  Laurie was masterful, her singing got stronger throughout the night and her renditions worked marvelously. 

The band has accumulated several awards from the International Blues Challenge including, Best Self-Produced CD (2010) and top10 finalist in the Live Band Competition (2008).  Other accolades include twice being named the House of Blues Radio Hour “Blues Breaker” artist of the week, a B.B. King’s Bluesville “Picks to Click”, and winning the Blues Festival Guides’ 2008 Blues Artist on the Rise Award.

Now, about her guitar playing; in her opening song, she sounded like early Clapton channeling BB King.  For the rest of the night, she jumped, jived, played fast and slow.  She played most songs had more than one solo and it worked every time.  I was amazed at her technical skills, but the Blues is all about the feel, the visceral effect  of the playing is what will move the listener.  In that, she sold it.  She lives the Blues, and her dedication was obvious.  I saw Joe Bonamassa last summer in a small arena and I enjoyed Laurie's show much more.  Laurie can play fast, real fast, but fast doesn’t necessarily always mean “good”.  She is both.  If I could play guitar like that for one night with that band, I would not stop until dawn. 

The Laurie Morvan Band sells CDs on their website (www.LaurieMorvan.com).  You should visit her site and purchase at least one.  I know I will.  There is a live "YouTube" of tonight's performance for your listening and viewing enjoyment.

     

Pre-Release CD Review: "Live" by Murali Coryell

The soon to be released CD, "Live" from Murali Coryell will be a treat for all my "Blues" fans.  Murali is the son of Jazz-rock fusion guitar legend Larry Coryell and contemporary soul blues artist and author/actress Julie Coryell. "Live" is a follow up CD to Murali's acclaimed 2009 release "Sugar Lips". This is my first experience with Murali and I was very impressed by his with both his singing and guitar playing. He also wrote most of the songs for the CD. You can clearly hear his idols B. B. King, Eric Clapton , Albert Collins, Jimi Hendrix and Albert King working through his Music.

If you like any of these great guitar players, you will not be disappointed with the sounds from Murali new CD.  There are 11 cuts on the CD and Murali wrote all songs except for cuts #4,#7 and #9.

1. Introduction                                  2. In the Room With Jimi

3. I Can't Give You Up                    4. I Could've Had You

5. Softly Let Me Kiss Your Lips      6. Sugar Lips

7. Love Her With A Feeling            8. Music Sets You Free

9. What's Going On                        10. The Blues is Taking Its Place

11. Closer to You Baby

The CD was recorded live at Club Heisinki in Hudson, NY on July 30, 2012. I have always felt that Blues always sounds better when hear in front of a live audience.  I think this wonderful CD proves that point again. Murali Coryell plays and sings the Blues as good as any guitar player on the current scene! Supporting Murali on the CD is Dorian Randolph on Drums/vocals, Vince Leggiere on Bass, Bill Foster on Guitar, Stacey Waterous on Saxophone/Vocals and Cameron Melville on Organ on tracks 4 and 5. This CD was produced by Murali Coryell also. The CD will be release on January 22, 2013 and it will satisfy any lover of the Blues!

There is a bonus DVD included with the CD package that was recorded at The Roots & Blues Festival in Salmon Arm, BC.

Book Review of "Clapton, The Autobiography"

It's summer and like most of you, I am catching up on my reading list. Over the past years, several of my music friends highly recommended Eric Clapton's autobiography that was first published in 2007.  I finally got a chance to read it. Although this book became a New York Times bestseller, I personally  found it somewhat disappointing and not at all uplifting. I will give Clapton a good deal of credit for doing the writing himself and not going with the guest-writer route that most rock stars have used.  However, Clapton's lack of writing skills resulted in a book that was somewhat boring in parts for the reader.  That said, Clapton's honesty about his own shortcomings and his love for the blues and the major players that influenced his career makes the book "a must" for all Clapton fans.

 Eric painted a life story of a troubled young boy with an identity problem who evolved into a chauvinistic unhappy narcissist. It seemed to me that Clapton's life was consumed by the need to capture things and people he wanted and once he got them he lost interest which is what occurred with his relationship with Pattie Boyd. However, on a positive note, his description of his burning love for Pattie Boyd while she was still married to George Harrison produced his outstanding song "Layla".

Like most of the rock stars of the 70's, Clapton goes into great detail about his addictions that somehow did not kill him until he finally turned the corner and cleaned up.  I found his comments about his thoughts and relationship with other extraordinary musicians like the Stones, the Beatles, B.B. King, George Harrison, Jimi Hendrix, and Stevie Ray Vaughan very interesting. I was disappointed that Clapton did not spend more time writing about his wonderful guitar playing.  I think it would have greatly added to the enjoyment of the book.

Music Man Awards This Book "2 Quarter Notes"

4 Quarter Notes= Excellent Book, Must Read
3 Quarter Notes= Good Book
2 Quarter Notes= Somewhat Interesting
1 Quarter Notes= Save Your Time and Money

MUSIC REVIEW: The Jeff Golub Band Honors "The Three Kings" Of The Blues, B.B. King, Albert King and Freddie King On New CD Being Released on June 28,2011

Jeff Golub

Jeff Golub

Jeff Golub

I just had the opportunity to review an advanced copy of the Jeff Golub Band CD, "The Three Kings". The CD is a tribute to B.B. King, Albert King and Freddie King and it will not disappoint.  Jeff Golub continues to surprise his followers with his skill and appreciation of many different genre of music and sounds.  According to Jeff, his career really started to soar during his early years in New York City. "I heard that Billy Squire was holding auditions and looking for a guitarist", Golub said. "So I went to the audition and he was really impressed. I learned something during my time with him, namely that I really enjoyed doing rock as well as jazz and that I could do some imaginative things within that classic rock structure".

Jeff's public and professional recognition really started to rocket when he joined Rod Stewart from 1988-1995.  The best trait I admire in Jeff Golub is that he doesn't think about categories, labels or popularity when it comes to music.  Instead, his major concern is something far more basic: honesty.  "I love all kinds of music and I really only look at one thing when it comes to any style or type: if it truly comes from the heart". If you need any proof that Jeff lives within these words, just take a look at the outstanding musicians he has put together in his band!  You won't find this kind of thinking too often today when the major concern of performers is not creative quality but just pure market sales numbers and expenses.

Jeff has put together a great group of musicians on "The Three Kings" CD:

Jeff Golub- guitar

Henry Butler- piano & vocals

Andy Hess- bass

Josh Dion- drums/percussion/vocals

SPECIAL GUESTS

Robben Ford- guitar

Sonny Landreth- slide guitar

Chris Palmaro- B3

Nick Lane- trombone/horn arrangements

Rick Braun- trumpet

Euge Groove- tenor sax

Dave Woodford- bari sax

Mitchel Forman- synth strings and string arrangements on "The Thrill Is Gone"

Jeff's new CD has 13 cuts on it and I can tell you with all honesty, they are all just great.  And if you are a classic blues fan, I am positive the CD will quickly become your "go to" CD.  As I have expressed before in "The Music Man Blog", I always believed that when a performance is recorded live, the additional emotion generated from the musicians can rarely be captured in a closed studio recording session. This CD is an exception!  According to Jeff "Other than some minimal overdubbing we played it live and tried to keep it sounding fresh and spontaneous". Well Jeff, mission accomplished! The only

element separating this CD from a live recording is applause.

It's really difficult to pick my favorite songs on this CD because I like them all. So I will just mention four tracks that I think are terrific, otherwise, I would be listing all 13 tracks.

Henry Butler excels on this CD with both his vocals and his piano excellence. His brilliant piano work at times just puts the listener in awe.  I love his solos on the B.B. King classic, "The Thrill Is Gone"  The string arrangement by Mitchel Forman fits with the band and Butler's voice better than you might expect. Butler also does a great vocal on "Born Under A Bad Sign" and the band is really in a groove on this one.  I think "Side Tracked" could make it as a single again today thanks to the great guitar work by Robben Ford.  "Freddie's Midnight Dream" is also wonderful.

This CD is just not another cover of some great old songs.  It's a fresh, new approach by a group of fine musicians paying tribute to the best classic blues guitarists in American music history while at the same time bringing something of their own to these great songs.  

Jeff Golub deserves a great deal of credit for producing this CD not only for his fine guitar playing but because of how difficult it is to bring all this high-level talent together and have them perform as one unit.  This is clearly Jeff Golub's band. Under his control, vision and his unifying strength these great talented musicians joined together perfectly to produce the great sounds on this CD. Every time I get to hear Jeff he seems to get better and better.  His guitar phrasing and dexterity is always creative and clear as a bell.

Congratulations Jeff for you performance and production efforts on this fine CD.  I look forward to many more CD's from "The Jeff Golub Band".

Jeff Golub Ready To Release New CD Featuring Henry Butler

Great news for all Jeff Golub fans. Jeff will be releasing a new CD at the end of June that is sure to be outstanding. The CD is a tribute to the music of Albert King, B.B. King and Freddie King, I think that says it all about why you should own this CD. According to Jeff "When you look at the modern blues and rock vocabulary, it's almost impossible for anyone to play something that doesn't reflect their influence somehow.  Whether you're talking about Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jeff Beck, anyone you can name, they are directly or indirectly influenced by something that one of them did or played. Their songs are timeless and, while they also certainly had their influences, the impact of their work is unquestioned".  Keith Richards also credits the "Three Kings" in his new book, LIFE, in similar words to Jeff's. As soon a I can get this CD, I intend to publish a review. Stay tuned!

Even Christmas Standards Can Get A Little Old

While I still believe that "Standards" are songs that never get old,  I have to admit that hearing the same Christmas song being played 50 times within a 30 day period does make me crazy.  Yes, these are the Christmas songs that we all love but enough is enough.  After hearing the great Nat King Cole sing "The Christmas Song" ten times in two days, that was more than enough for me (or anyone else, I suppose).  In order to escape having to hear the same Christmas songs being sung by the same artists over and over again, I decided to pick some artists singing Christmas songs that are great but don't get as much play.  A sort of personal Christmas playlist.  So here are a few of my current favorite Christmas songs that you might want to add to your collection this year. There are lots more that I have missed, so if you have your own favorites, please share them with me.







1.   I'll Be Home For Christmas                                           B.B. King

2.   Please Come Home For Christmas                               Andrea Bocelli &
                                                                                            Natalie Cole
3.   Silent Night                                                                   Boney James

4.   Ave Maria                                                                     Johnny Mathis

5.   Blue Christmas                                                              Elvis Presley

6.   O Tannenbaum                                                             Andrea Bocelli

7.   We Wish You A Merry Christmas                                  The Drifters

8.   Please Come Home For Christmas                               The Eagles

9.   Silent Night                                                                     Chantieleer

10. Let It Snow                                                                     Diana Krall

11. White Christmas                                                            The Drifters

12. It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas                 Dean Martin

13. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas                         Luther Vandross

14. Jingle Bells                                                                     BzK

15. Baby It's Cold Outside                                                    Ray Charles & Betty Carter

16. Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer                                 Ray Charles

17. Winter Wonderland                                                         Oscar Peterson

18. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town                                    Dave Brubeck