Rough Cut
Alligator Records

With the release of Rough Cut, the world is for the first time hearing what those of us in Portland have known for many years, Curtis Salgado and Alan Hager are a natural fit for acoustic blues. The two have been long time friends and have performed together quite a bit at home throughout the years, long before Alan joined Curtis’ band performing his amazing deliveries of soulful blues that have garnered multiple Blues Music Awards. On tour with the band Alan catches the ears of the audience with his solid slide and fingerpicked guitar, but in an intimate acoustic setting this pair truly shine within their love of the blues.

Curtis and Alan took a day off from their busy touring schedule and went into Portland’s Falcon Studios where they laid down the tracks for the new album Rough Cut in one, unrehearsed session. Honestly though, these guys have been playing so much of this material with one another for so long that it’s like the back of their hands — they know it and each other inside and out. Thirteen songs, including six originals, and all are blues perfection, or as Alan states it “American Classical Music.” The two provide the majority of instrumentation over the selections with Alan’s amazing guitar work and Curtis not only putting out his devastating harmonica prowess but also throwing down some piano work on “Hell in a Handbasket.” A handful of side musicians make an appearance: Keith Brush plays bass on three tracks; Jim Pugh on keys and Jimi Bott appear on one; LaRhonda Steele takes us to church on number singing with Curtis; and drummers Brian Foxworth, Russ Kleiner and Carlton Jackson fill in for four selections.

The covers they present are more than just readings or reinterpretations of classic material from the likes of Muddy Waters, Elmore James, Big Bill Broonzy, Sonny Boy Williamson, Son House and Reverend Robert Wilkins. They are living testimonies in Curtis and Alan’s hands and full of life that would’ve made this recording more than worth hearing alone. But they’re paired with new songs that are well-executed in performance and lyrically filled with emotion, passion and story-telling of the first order.

The album opens with “I Will Not Surrender.” Curtis sings about the tribulations that he has experienced throughout his life, but no matter how many cuts he may have to endure, he’s not giving up. And Alan’s strong string work stresses the point nicely. On the barrelhouse number “One Night Only” the theme addresses just what can happen when situations take somebody in the wrong direction for just one time. “I Want My Dog To Live Longer” has been a popular number for Salgado for some time now, and it always strikes the heart strings. Among everything in his life that he could wish for, nothing would mean more to have his best friend live share his life with him longer.

Alan Hager offers his vocals on Robert Wilkins :Long Train Blues” and his slide playing is incredible on his own composition, the instrumental “The Gift Of Robert Charles.”

The year is only a couple weeks old as Rough Cut is being released, but there is no doubt that this is one of the finest discs that we’re going to hear this year or most any year. Every single number presented is of the highest caliber. Acoustic blues just doesn’t come any better than this. Curtis Salgado and Alan Hager have created a masterwork. Don’t just sit there, run out and buy it now!

Total Time: 49:51

I Will Not Surrender / So Near To Nowhere / One Night Only / I Want My Dog To Live Longer (The Greatest Wish) / I Can’t Be Satisfied / Too Young To Die / Depot Blues / Morning Train / You Got To Move / Hell In A Handbasket / Long Train Blues / The Gift Of Robert Charles / I Want You By My Side

Roll And Tumble
Waxploitation Records

A native of Como, Mississippi — deep in the heart of the Mississippi Hill Country, RL Boyce is no stranger to the sounds of the blues. He began performing music at a young age playing in the fife and drum band of his uncle Otha Turner, worked in Jesse Mae Hemphill’s band, and was good friends with legends RL Burnside and Fred McDowell. He even appears in the award-winning documentary film M For Mississippi.

Though he has been playing professionally for more than forty years, he didn’t release his first solo recording until 2007 with It Ain’t The Man’s Right. His latest, coming ten years later is Roll And Tumble, and like its predecessor it has Boyce backed by an all-star array of Mississippi greats including Luther Dickinson, Lightning Malcolm, father and son drummers Calvin Jackson and Cedric Burnside, and Andre Turner, the grandson of Otha.

The new album is produced by Luther Dickinson and it displays those bare boned, country blues, trance sounds that have made the region so popular. It is completely done in first take recordings, which with Boyce’s improvisational style gives you an authentic hearing of what his music is truly about.  The numbers are lengthy, which is typical in the live performance setting of the style. It is meant to be party music, filling up the room with music all night long. It includes two songs written by his mentor RL Burnside, “Poor Black Mattie” and “Going Down South,” and one more cover “Roll And Tumble” by Hambone Willie Newbern. Everything else on the disc are Boyce originals and follows the pattern of the very best from the Hill Country. Roll And Tumble is a terrific recording. Raw and bona fide blues to the core.

Total Time: 1:06:24

R.L.’s Boogie / Child Of God / Roll And Tumble / Poor Black Mattie / Going Away / Don’t Worry My Mind / Been Around The World / Which RL Do You Want / Going Down South / Shotgun

Isaac Scott Live ’83-‘84
Bluestown

It has been a little more than sixteen years since Isaac Scott passed away in November 2001 at the age of 56. The Northwest icon long held a prominent position as one of the absolute best bluesmen of the region. Hailed as the King of the Blues in Seattle, his guitar work and voice that blended his roots in blues, gospel, and soul were quite distinctive and recognizable, and sometimes he may even slip in a little keyboard work on the Hammond. The man was adeptly skilled and learned in the music and its history.

Sadly, Scott only recorded a small number of albums during his lifetime and appeared on one live compilation. A live performance was released back in 2008 appropriately titled Posthumous Blues Live, but when it comes to someone who was so instrumental in crafting the Northwest blues scene, his musical legacy is unfortunately lacking. That is why whenever something new is discovered and released, it is cause to celebrate.

Steve Bailey, a harmonica player who has carved out his own respected career leading his own bands, worked as a member of Scott’s band, too. Recently he went through about 80 hours worth of performances that he recorded directly on the stage at shows from 1983 and 1984. Compiling these tracks, he selected what he felt were the best recordings from the dates that took place at The Fabulous Rainbow, Larry’s Greenfront, and at a private wedding, releasing them under the name Isaac Scott Live ’83-’84. Though the sound may not be perfect, it does capture the magnificent guitar playing that Scott so mightily displayed at every one of his shows. All you need to prove this case is to listen to the opening notes on BB King’s “Don’t Open The Door.” Scott nails it to perfection and his vocals are rich and spot on. It’s just a precursor for what comes along after. Among the songs offered aside from BB King are outstanding pieces written by the likes of Albert Collins (“Get Your Business Straight,” “Ego Trip”), Howlin’ Wolf (“Who’s been Talkin’”), Willie Dixon (“Built For Comfort”), Jimi Hendrix (“Red House”) and Tom McFarland (“Goin’ Back To Oakland”).

And when it comes to the band playing alongside Scott, they’re first class and putting it all together. Steve Bailey not only delivers on harmonica, but throws in some slide guitar, too. Mark Oslund paces Scott’s lead guitar lines on rhythm guitar while Ric Howell’s drums and Tony Thomas on bass are sensational keeping the beat moving.

It’s too bad that Isaac Scott was not fond of touring, perhaps he had his fill while still a playing guitar with the gospel group The Blind Boys of Mississippi as a teenager. But for what the rest of the country/world missed out upon, we were truly blessed to have one of the best right here in the Northwest. Gone too soon, but with recordings like these his work will live on. Simply put, this is one that anybody fortunate to have witnessed Isaac Scott live will want and for those who need a little blues education from our corner of the world it’s a great resource to listen in.

Total Time: 1:19:00

Don’t Answer The Door / Wrapped Up In Love / The Thrill Is Gone / Dust ‘Em / Pontiac Blues / Red House / Get Your Business Straight / Built For Comfort / Baby Please / Same Old Blues / Who’s Been Talkin’ / Goin’ Back To Oakland / Ego trip

With You In Mind: The Songs Of Allen Toussaint
Cool Green recordings

This is a nicely done tribute of Allen Toussaint. Stanton Moore is an established drummer on the New Orleans music scene and he is partnered up with two of the city’s best-loved artists, David Torkanowsky on piano and James Singleton on bass. They cover a wide selection of Allen Toussaint’s tunes that span the late songwriter/pianist life’s work. It ranges from funky to jazzy, to soulful and melodiously soft and sensual.

Add into the mix some of today’s top musicians from the Crescent City: Trombone Shorty, Nicholas Payton, Donald Harrison Jr and Cyril Neville and you have an outright hometown extravaganza worthy of leading a second line in Toussaint’s memory. Throw on top of that the presence of Maceo Parker and it has added an extra amount of wow!

Song selections include well-known pieces like “Night Life,” “Southern Nights,” Everything I Do Gone Be Funky,” and “With You In Mind.” Plus they take you all the way back to his very first hit instrumental “Java” from the debut album The Wild Sounds Of Toussan (yes it was actually spelled this way).

With You In Mind is a very fitting homage to one of the all-time greats of New Orleans, brought to you by a handful of musicians directly influenced by the master.

Total Time: 62:51

Here Come The Girls / Life / Java / All These Things / Night People / The Beat / Riverboat / Everything I Do Gone Be Funky / With You In Mind / Southern Nights

The Essential Sonny Rhodes: Songs & Stories
Need To Know Music

Clarence Smith, better known to the world as Sonny Rhodes, is part of that long rich line of superior blues guitarists originating from Texas. With a career ranging for more than 60 years, first working alongside greats like Freddie King and Albert Collins, to the constant touring road warrior that he has charged forward on his own, he is one of those must see artists. One of those drive the extra mileage and go out of your way artists. I once drove from Portland through the Columbia River Gorge during an ice storm to catch his show in Hood River. Crazy am I? We are talking about Sonny Rhodes here.
I do not usually do reviews for retrospective or best of recordings. So why is this one different? Because though these songs cover the history of Sonny Rhodes they are new recordings featuring a crack band of Rich Kirch, Frank Stewart, and Dawn Richardson. The disc alternates between Sonny relating key points of his life story and the music. You learn how he grew up in a small town in Texas, received his first guitar, playing bass with the aforementioned King and Collins’ bands, he tells you about the turban he wore for many years, the tribulations of love and so much more. It is truly a personal selection of tunes stemming his life’s work.
It goes back to the very beginning with his first single recorded for Domino Records in 1958, “I’ll Never Let You Go,” and the album closes out with “The Ballad Of Serenity” recorded for the television show Firefly. Also included are numbers like his 1978 song “Cigarette Blues” that he recorded two times again before this release on the albums Disciple of the Blues (1991) and Just Blues (1995), “House Without Love,” “Blues Is My religion,” “Born To Be Blue” and “Ain’t No Blues In Town.”
This is a very well done production combining classic Sonny Rhodes’ material and stories that are fun and enlightening. For true fans of his and those looking for an introduction to a masterful performer. This one gains a full recommendation.

Total Time: 63:00
My Name Is Sonny Rhoades / I Am Sonny Rhodes / First Guitar / Born To Be Blue / Freddie King & Albert Collins / Blues Is My Religion / Transformed / House Without Love / 1130 Midway Street / I’ll Never Let You Go / A Blues Prayer / Hen Pecked Man / The Turban / Cigarette Blues / That’s John Lee Hooker! / Finding Out About Myself / She Didn’t Love Me / Half Smart Woman / I Got Hip To It / Nothin’ On The Radio / Ain’t No Blues In Town / Tears Of Joy / Happiness And Cheer / Texas Christmas / Johnny Copeland & Albert Collins / BB King Says / Ballad Of Serenity / Clarence Smith