Month: June 2011

Roy Orbison’s Monument Records labelmate Tony Joe White says Orbison gave his all at every live performance; nothing on this disc will disprove that claim. Yes, there are a couple of small hitches – the ’80s overture/intro has none of the timeless quality of Orbison’s earliest hits, there are a couple of gimmicky endings, guitarist Bruce Pierson is too in love with his f langer, and though Orbison apparently performed “Running Scared” at the show, it is omitted here.

But all is forgiven the moment Orbison sings the opening of “Only The Lonely,” his voice so strong and true it’s impossible to believe this concert took place a mere two days before he passed away.

When he hits the first high note in “Lonely,” he conveys the magic atmosphere his voice generated, and it continues as he rolls through “It’s Over,” “Leah,” “In Dreams,” and other classics. The spine-tingling ending of “Crying” is so magnificent that, to everyone’s joy, he does it twice.

The Last Concert is a perfect complement to the comprehensive 2008 collection, The Soul Of Rock And Roll.

This article originally appeared in VG’s Nov. ’08 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

Finnish singer/ guitarist/ composer Jussi “Jo’ Buddy” Raulamo has played with just about every bluesman to pass through Finland and more on his pilgrimages to the States. Howard Armstrong, Eddy Clearwater, Maceo Parker, Lazy Lester, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Junior Watson, Carlos Guitarlos, Rick Holmstrom, Larry Taylor, Chris Thomas King, Lynwood Slim, Paul Senegal, Jim Kweskin, Doyle Bramhall, Sr., Gene Taylor, Doug MacLeod, Lurrie Bell, Diz Watson – you get the idea.

Among other adjectives, his bio describes his music as laid-back. But if this is what passes for laid-back in Finland, one has to wonder what’s considered wild. To be sure, there are loping shuff les a la Jimmy Reed, like the title track, but “Elevator Boogie” sounds like a stripped down Junior Parker, and at times this duo (just Raulamo and drummer Down Home King III) stirs up as much racket as Hound Dog Taylor’s trio. “Wonderin’ Blues” recalls Howlin’ Wolf, and, with Veli-Matti Jarvenpaa and Tommi Laine guesting on accordion and rubboard, Buddy and King whip up a “Zydeco Ball” so vivid you can almost smell the crawfish boiling.

Having retired his ’59 Klira archtop and ’53 Salora tube radio amp, Raulamo now plays a hollowbody Höfner Club with P-90s through a ’41 Gibson EH-125 – but he’d probably sound just as raw and lowdown through any setup. As Charlie Musselwhite states, “There’s something about him that really reminds me of Magic Sam – the same personality and humor and the way he plays. If he had told me he grew up in Chicago next door to Magic Sam, I would’ve believed him. But, in reality, somehow Jo’ Buddy just ‘got it’ – all on his own. That’s a very cool thing.”

This article originally appeared in VG‘s Dec. ’10 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

Contemporary bluegrass comes in many varieties – neo-trad bands such as Del McCoury or Open Road, Nash-Vegas acts such as Rhonda Vincent or The Grascals, “newgrass” bands such as John Cowan and Sam Bush, Jam/rock/bluegrass bands like Drew Emmitt/Nershi or the Avett Brothers, and grass/jazz groups including David Grisman’s Quintet, Crooked Still, and Psychograss.

Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen don’t f it into those categories ; rather, they combine the energy of a hardcore traditional band with a more modern and contemporary folk-inf luenced sound.

Guitarist Lincoln Meyers and banjo player Mike Munford have clean lyrical styles that augment Solivan’s incisive mandolin. Many of the tunes, such as “Together We’ll Fly,” feature three-part instrumental breaks that require absolute precision and melodic efficacy. On the instrumental “Line Drive,” Solivan, Munford, and Meyers each take multiple solos, and every solo is a little gem. Unlike young players who try to dazzle with tirades of triplets, the members of Dirty Kitchen contribute clean, melodic lines instead of a f lurry of notes.

Dirty Kitchen’s vocals and harmonies are nearly as impressive as their instrumental chops. While not quite as drop-dead perfect as, say, Doyle Lawson’s Quicksilver or the original Country Gentlemen, Dirty Kitchen’s singing is clearly not subservient to their picking.

With seven originals among the 12 songs here, Solivan unveils his other skill – songwriting. “Tarred and Feathered,” with its combination of blue, modal, and purposeful rhythm, makes for an instant classic. On “Same Old Love” (which he co-wrote with Charles Tyson) they’ve successfully combined equal parts country toe-stepper and folkie ballad.

This article originally appeared in VG‘s Dec. ’10 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

Mollie O’Brien and her husband, Rich Moore, have been fixtures in the Denver music scene for more than 30 years. And though they have released several albums over the years (culled from their many live gigs) Saints & Sinners is the duo’s first studio album together.

O’Brien has the vocal power and control of a classical singer, but the sensibilities of a ’40s songbird; she can sound theatrical, especially compared to the generally monotone delivery favored by many altcountry- roots performers, because her interpretations inject so much emotion and lucidity into the words. She also takes more risks, with subtle slides and the ability to lean into notes with an intensity that probably gave co-producers Ben Winship and Eric Thorin, and their limiter, fits. Winship also contributes mandolin, bouzouki, banjo, and harmony vocals while Thorin adds all bass and tuba parts as well as more harmony vocals. Moore’s fingerpicking is impeccable throughout.

The songs on Saints and Sinners come from everywhere. Tunes by Richard Thompson, Richard Rogers, George Harrison, Dave Van Ronk, Harry Nilsson, and Jessie Winchester join two originals. Her rendition of the Winchester song “Lonely for a While,” feels very much like a set piece plucked from a 1930s musical, so delicate yet with a light bounce. Again Mollie’s delivery made me understand the words and emotions of this song in a way that I never did before, even after many listens to Winchester’s original.

This article originally appeared in VG‘s Dec. ’10 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

Live recordings really are the way to show what the Derek Trucks Band does best. Onstage, its members play off each other as well as any band today, and few jam bands know how to carry it off as well as Trucks and his group.

Part of the beauty of this band is its versatility. Funky, horn-driven soul music has become a staple of its sets, and cuts like “I’ll Find My Way” and “Down Don’t Bother Me” are showcases. Both feature nasty, slashing slide guitar from Trucks and soulful vocals from singer Mike Mattison. The rhythm section throws in plenty of gospel overtones on songs like “Sailing On” and the wonderful “Days Is Almost Gone.” If you need more proof that Trucks is one of his generation’s best guitarists, check out his fills and solo in the latter.

The closer on each of this set’s two discs gives an idea of the ground the band covers. The first finishes with “Afro Blue,” a Mongo Santamaria jazz classic often associated with John Coltrane that here gets the full treatment, with Trucks supplying stunning solos and Kofi Burbridge adding lovely f lute. Disc two closes with the Derek and the Dominos classic “Anyday,” and this version sheds none of its raw rock-and-roll power.

If Trucks keeps this band together for the long haul, it just may one day be seen as “the next Allman Brothers.”

This article originally appeared in VG‘s Dec. ’10 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.