Month: September 2011

In a way, it’s a shame Hillman and Pedersen didn’t record this live album as a duo, as they often appear in concert. Because seeing two voices, an acoustic guitar, and a mandolin re-create “Eight Miles High” with seemingly nothing missing has to be heard to be believed.

Instead, they’re joined by their Desert Rose Band bassist (this time on upright) Bill Bryson, Boy Howdy guitarist Larry Park, and fiddler David Mansfield, whose Heaven’s Gate score was perhaps the saving grace of one of Hollywood’s most infamous flops.

Long before Desert Rose, Hillman and Pedersen crossed paths – inevitably, considering their bluegrass roots and connections to L.A. rock, country, and folk acts. Hillman, of course, abandoned his mandolin to take up (literally – he’d never played one) electric bass in the Byrds, and later formed the Flying Burrito Brothers with Gram Parsons and joined Stephen Stills’ Manassas. Pedersen got his start with bluegrass greats Vern & Ray before joining the Dillards, but is mainly known for his multi-instrumental and vocal session work (with Linda Ronstadt, Kris Kristofferson, Emmylou Harris, James Taylor, John Denver, Gordon Lightfoot, Dwight Yoakam, and countless others).

Though the format here is essentially bluegrass (minus banjo or Dobro), the repertoire touches on folk-rock (“Turn, Turn, Turn”), country-rock (“Wheels”), Bakersfield honky-tonk (“Love Reunited”), and even psychedelia (the aforementioned “Eight Miles High” and a lesser-known Byrds single, written by Hillman, “Have You Seen Her Face”), as the two revisit their respective resumes.

The duo’s telepathic vocal blend rules the day, but the quintet also impresses instrumentally, with Hillman, Park, and Mansfield taking turns on seasoned solos that are appropriately to the point – and to the heart of each tune.

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This article originally appeared in VG‘s Jan. ’11 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

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Laurie Lewis is a bluegrass pioneer, and her latest release showcases the breadth of her musical talent – singing, songwriting, and playing guitar and fiddle.

Lewis enlists the help of longtime musical partner Tom Rozum on mandolin, octave mandolin, and vocals. The roster also includes David Grier, Nina Gerber, and Scott Huffington on guitar, Roy Rodger on slide guitar, Alex Hargreaves, Brittany Haas, and Darol Anger on fiddles.

The music on Blossoms isn’t strictly bluegrass. Instead, it’s a celebration of diversity with spirituals such as “How Can I Keep From Singing,” followed by folkier songs such as Kate McLeod’s “Lark in The Morning.” Lewis’ original songs go from winsome ballads such as “Chains of Letters” to Caribbean-flavored rap songs like “Cool Your Jets,” which features “Car Talk” brothers Tom and Ray Magliozzi contributing spoken parts. In between, are the dual fiddle instrumental “Sophie’s House” and an a capella rendition of “Return to the Fire.”

Blossoms serves as a wonderful introduction for new Lewis fans and a big ol’ hug for long-timers.

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This article originally appeared in VG‘s Jan. ’11 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

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Walter Trout’s guitar skills are unquestioned. In fact, his playing often turns mediocre songs into decent songs. At times, though, his music has lacked urgency. That’s not the case with Common Ground, where all 12 cuts work on a number of levels.

Trout wrote most of the music here, mixing rock, blues, and soul. The title cut is a soul ballad with fine Curtis- Mayfield-style licks and a soaring solo. Trout’s tone is perfect; when he needs a nasty sound to match the lyric (as on “Danger Zone” and the shuff le “Wrapped Up In the Blues”) it’s there, while on the blues-rock ballad “Her Other Man” he plays a soaring melody before turning a blistering, soulful solo. “May Be A Fool” starts as an acoustic country blues and turns into a pounding blues rocker that lets Trout show off his considerable chops.
Backed by a veteran group including Kenny Aronoff (drums), James Hutchinson (bass), and Jon Cleary (keyboards), it’s nice to see Trout put a little extra juice into this effort.

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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.

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Junior Wells released enough mediocre product in his lifetime that it’s easy to forget what a great stylist and showman the Chicago bluesman was. This hour-plus live set, recorded at Club 47 in Cambridge in ’66, is a vivid reminder.

The harmonica great cut memorable singles in the ’50s, but his long-playing debut didn’t come until 1965, with Hoodoo Man Blues, a true classic of Chicago blues. It featured Wells in a bare-knuckled quartet setting (with “Friendly Chap,” better known as Buddy Guy, on guitar) – a format that suited Wells since his days with the Aces in the early ’50s.

Wells and Little Walter Jacobs both fronted the trio – drummer Fred Below with brothers Louis and Dave Myers on guitar and bass – when they swapped places as members of Muddy Waters’ legendary band. Waters’ ensemble cut the dye for all Chicago blues bands that followed, but the Aces lent a jazzier touch to the concept.

Louis Myers is too often a glaring omission in discussions of blues guitar greats, probably because of his sideman status. But, along with Jimmy Rogers’ work with Muddy, Robert Lockwood’s with Sonny Boy Williamson, and Hubert Sumlin and Jody Williams behind Howlin’ Wolf, he made an art out of the backup role, especially when it came to accompanying the harmonica.

But, like Lockwood, he could launch into jazz-inflected excursions – possibly homage to his earliest influence, Lonnie Johnson. After a veritable master class in Chicago blues, the trio (sans Wells) closes the set with a break instrumental, with Myers handling bebop runs (sprinkled with octaves) with ease. Wells also features him on a rendition of Freddie King’s “Hideaway” that leaves no doubt he could have gained wide recognition as a lead guitarist, had he chosen that path.

This article originally appeared in VG’s Feb. ’11 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

Sweet – the ’70s glam-pop act that’s almost as famous for its hairdos as its music – is today actually two bands touring under the name. The U.S. version that recorded this disc is led by original bassist Steve Priest, while another, led by guitarist Andy Scott, mostly tours the U.K.

On guitar, Priest has hired veteran English guitarist Stuart Smith to play Scott’s old parts, and he ably lends the kind of heavy, melodic, and snotty guitar riffs that highlighted the glamguitar era of the mid ’70s. His perfectly old-school lead on “Blockbuster” is a fine example. And rest assured, all the classic Sweet material is covered here, from “Fox on the Run” to the bubblegum hit “Little Willy,” as well as their ELO-soundalike gem from 1978, “Love Is Like Oxygen.” Capping it off is their glam masterpiece, “Ballroom Blitz,” replete with famously genderbending vocals.

But why would someone buy a CD from a band that has one-fifth of its original lineup? Well, there’s the fact the original Sweet never released a live album, so this does fill a niche, of sorts. Also, considering the performances are true to the original recordings and feature high-quality musicianship, Live in America becomes a pleasant stroll down glam-band memory lane. And blissfully, no one in the current group is wearing the goofy “long hair and bangs” look pioneered by Sweet more than 35 years ago – some things
are best left in the past!

This article originally appeared in VG’s Feb. ’11 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.