Scott Ramminger

Scott Ramminger

Do What Your Heart Says To
Arbor Lane Music

Scott RammingerSaxophonist Scott Ramminger may live and work in the Washington, DC area, but his musical soul lies directly in New Orleans. His songs are filled with the jumpy, second line and jazzy feel associated with that Southern city. And with his latest release, he fills his music with the authenticity of some of New Orleans’ most renowned players to give it that added lagniappe.

Fourteen tracks, all originals written by Ramminger, make up his latest release, Do What Your Heart Says To. The core band, aside from Ramminger on tenor and baritone saxophones and vocals, include guitarist Shane Theriot, George Porter Jr on bass with Roland Guerin taking the role on two tracks, Johnny Vidacovich and Doug Belote splitting time on drums, David Torkanowsky on keys, Roddie Romero on accordion, and horn players Rick Trolsen, Greg Hicks and Eric Lucero. The recordings for the disc were handled in Louisiana, Virginia and Tennessee.

Ramminger’s voice is featured on all selections, but on most he is accompanied by a cast of stellar singers bringing forth an even greater dimension to his music. It’s hard to argue when you throw in people like Janiva Magness, Bekka Bramlett, Francine Reed, The McCrary Sisters and The Radiator’s Tommy Malone to help vocalize your material.

It has been four years since Ramminger last put out an album, 2013’s critically acclaimed Advice From A Father From A Son, but that lapsed time has been well worth the wait. Whatever your mood, you should find something to enjoy with Do What Your Heart Says To. There’s a bit of funky on “Give A Pencil To A Fish,” slow blues with Shane Theriot laying down some biting string-work along with Torkanowsky’s deep organ on “Winter Is Always Worse,”a Mardi Gras parade with “Mystery To Me” or the relaxed soulful piece “My Girl For Life. This album is straight ahead enjoyable start to finish. Ramminger has once again delivered a very welcome, feel good disc of top-rate songwriting and performing.

Total Time: 61:31

Living Too Fast / Someone New To Disappoint / Do What Your Heart Says To / Hoping That The Sun Won’t Shine / Give A Pencil To A Fish / Winter Is Always Worse / Get Back Up / It’s Hard To Be Me / Mystery To Me / Off My Mind / I Need A New One / Walk A Little Straighter / My Girl For Life / Stubborn Man

Cee Cee James

Cee Cee James

Stripped Down & Surrendered
FWG Records

Cee Cee JamesWhen it comes to songwriting, it should go without saying that the very best music comes through when it is honest and has been experienced. Especially with the blues. It is about life and its lessons. It’s love lost and found. The trials and tribulations that the story-teller is bringing across are authentic. It’s something that is meaningful and shows that you are worthy of relaying your message despite whatever anybody else may think.

With Cee Cee James, she has experienced more than her share of ups and downs in life. So you know that what she sings is quite often biographical and she has proven over and over again that she has a right to sing the blues. Her lyrics reflect the pain of loss and also the newfound purpose in life she has with new love found. Hers are songs directly from her heart, which is why they are so poignant and truthful.

Her latest release, “Stripped Down & Surrendered”, is no exception to the path she has pursued with her career as of late. Following a nice string of acclaimed recordings, this may be her best yet. It is emotive, with her voice taking on searing intenseness at times and soft and endearing at others. She lets you know that life has taken her to the edge, but she’s ready to turn the page and move on positively. As she states in the song “So Grateful” of her past pains and where they have led her: “So grateful for all the hurt / Bringin’ me to the center of my earth / Double me over into the womb / Brought me home to a brand new birth.”

The message is doubled in the musical presentation on Stripped Down & Surrendered with the extremely passionate guitar playing of James’ husband Rob “Slideboy” Andrews. It is brought about perfectly to enhance James’ lyrics with an extra feeling that touches your senses with each number.

Stripped Down & Surrendered finds Cee Cee James standing upon her mountain of past suffering and she has found a healing guidance that has her looking toward a bright new beginning. And she has produced a masterful collection of songs that will help lead you gladly along beside her.

Total Time: 66:41

Stripped Down & Surrendered / The Edge Is Where I Stopped / Hidden And Buried / He Shut The Demon Down / Glory Bound / Love Done Left Home / Cold Hard Gun / Thank You For Never Loving Me / Before 30 Suns / You’re My Man / Miner Mans Gold / So Grateful

Billy D & The Hoodoos

Billy D & The Hoodoos

Overnight Success
Rokdablu Records

Billy D & The HoodoosThe long awaited follow-up to Billy D & The Hoodoos’ 2013 debut album Somethin’s Wrong has finally arrived and it is filled with the same catchy songs with their bare-boned, rock-inflected riffs that made that first release so well received. There’s a lot of power behind the trio of guitarist Billy D, drummer Scott Van Dusen and bassist Joe Casimir who know how to bring across a message without overstating their instruments’ voices and that is clearly evident on the new album, Overnight Success.

Growing up in Chicago obviously influenced Billy’s musical path, blending the city’s thriving blues scene with the very best of the rock music that captured his ear during his youth. It is reflected on numbers like the very Chuck Berry-esque “Can’t Get Over You” or “It Must Be Love” with a shuffle that’d make Bo Diddley proud.

Billy’s songwriting has always been impressive, catchy and memorable. For example, in the sad, softly played “Love Me Forever,” he can’t help but grieve for a love that he knows is slipping away from him, wishing for yet another moment when she felt that he was the one: “you don’t have to love me forever, just love me now.” Or the slide guitar track with the shoo-be-doo background of “Can’t Take It Anymore” where his partner may say one thing but acts in a different manner: “you tell me that you love me, you tell me that your love is true, but when I see you running around every night, tell me what am I supposed to do?” His answer of course is to show himself the door on the relationship.

A real surprise on the disc is the short instrumental number “Mornin’.” It is refreshing with something of a Caribbean feel with a Ry Cooder-like slide guitar style.

The album closes with a strong performance of Willie Dixon’s classic “Back Door Man.” It is the only non-original on the album and a tremendous way to close things out.

Guest artists on Overnight Success include keyboard whiz Steve Kerin, Ron Sorn on harmonica, and Blues Music Award nominee Jimmy Carpenter on saxophone.

It may have taken several years between recordings, but you don’t want to mess with art. Get it right before letting it loose on the public. That’s exactly what has happened here. Overnight Success has been given the right amount of creativeness and timing to bring it to its perfect result. Another amazing release from Billy D & The Hoodoos!

Total Time: 42:21

Can’t Get Over You / I Gotta Know / Movieland Blues / Cry Baby Cry / It Must Be Love / Please Don’t Go / Can’t Take It Anymore / Love Me Forever / Rokdablu / Mornin’ / Back Door Man

Sunday Wilde

Sunday Wilde

Blueberries & Grits
Hwy 11 Records

Sunday WildeCanadian blues artist Sunday Wilde with her sixth release, takes her down South to the land of the Delta where she has created a nostalgic feeling collection of songs that are truthful and sassy. Recorded in Memphis and Clarksdale with all the acoustic instrumentation, Blueberries & Grits features Wilde’s outstanding piano work and sultry vocals. Many of the tracks sound as if you’re being thrown back in time as it echoes the classic, timeless feel of bygone early blues.  It’s like they could have been taken directly out of a Storyville bawdy house in early 20th century New Orleans with her piano backed by horns, or sitting on a back porch in a scorching sun-drenched Delta day while guitars and washboards bring across the musical patterns.

Sunday Wilde shows a lot of the desires she has toward men in a number of offerings, starting out of the gate with “Show Me A Man.” It’s a prayer asking for the man of her dreams and she is not too shy to describe exactly everything she is looking for. The theme continues over the course of the first nine tracks, ranging from deftly-crafted originals like “The Man Drives Me Mad” with vocal backing from Watermelon Slim, to covers of Ruth Brown’s “Daddy Daddy,” Louis Jordan’s “Early In The Morning” and Bessie Smith’s “Sorrowful Blues.” Perhaps the most distinctive cover is Willie Dixon’s “John The Conquer Root,” which may or may not have been how Dixon imagined the tune being presented. Wilde is not too subtle in her delivery coming across as a potent sexually fired piece. Oh my!

In a different vein, Wilde closes the disc out with a gospel piece titled “Come On In.” A song of praise telling of the welcoming arms of Jesus. It is a complete turn-around from the rest of the album, but what a sensational song to end it all with.

The musicians appearing on Blueberries & Grits are all first flight talent. Guitar players Johnny Cass, Dave Fecca, Robert Hughes, Gary Vincent and Sturgis Nikides deliver remarkable stylings. Reno Jack on bass and Ricky “Quicksand” Martin are an ideal rhythm section, with April Mae throwing in rhythms on the washboard. Roger Reupert plays trumpet on a handful and Billy Earheart of The Amazing Rhythm Aces masterfully shines on a J. Estey 1850 Cottage Pump Organ on four tunes. And aside from the aforementioned Watermelon Slim, Mandy Lemons is also on board for back-up vocals. All of these musicians enhance Wilde’s excellent vocals and piano work.

Sunday Wilde states that she has always wanted to do an acoustic album. Blueberries & Grits prove that her efforts were well conceived. An outstanding recording start to finish.

Running Time: 37:34

Show Me A Man / Early In the Morning / Momma’s Drinkin’s Done / That Man Drives Me Mad / Too Many Troubles / John The Conquer Root / Daddy Daddy / Sorrowful Blues / One Of These Days / Come On In

Raphael Wressnig & Igor Prado

,
Raphael Wressnig & Igor Prado

The Soul Connection
Pepper Cake

Raphael Wressnig & Igor PradoAustrian-based Hammond B3 organist Raphael Wressnig is an extremely versatile player who was influenced by people like Jimmy Smith, Booker T Jones, Joe Zawinul, Jimmy McGriff, and Jack McDuff. With twenty discs under his belt, he has been capturing the attention of audiences around the world for the past twenty years with a variety of musical approaches that he molds into his own tasty version of funky, soulful and jazzy blues. He recently traveled to Brazil to join forces with Blues Music Award nominated guitarist Igor Prado for one delicious outing of funky instrumentals and soulful R&B numbers for the album The Soul Connection. The disc is a splendid mix of original material alongside great interpretations of classic pieces from artists including the likes of Tyrone Davis, Don Robey, Hugh Masekela, Little Willie John, and Otis Clay.

Both Wressnig and Prado deliver captivating solos throughout the recording, not overdone but tastefully arranged and delivered. They’re backed by Prado’s rhythm section of Rodrigo Mantovani on bass and Yuri Prado on drums, keeping the pace right on track. Horns are perfectly intertwined with trumpeter Sidmar Viera and Blues Music Award nominee Sax” Gordon Beadle on tenor and baritone saxophones.

There are a number of great instrumentals peppered throughout the disc, including several remarkable originals like “No-La-Fun-Ky” which draws to mind the funky sound of The Meters, the jazzy romp of “The Face Slap Swing No. 5” alongside covers of Hugh Masekela’s “Grazing In The Grass” and Southern hymn-like approach on Wayne Raney’s “Why Don’t You Haul Off And Love Me.”

But where the album really shines is with the great vocal guests that they’ve brought into the fold. David Hudson stands tall with his take on Tyrone Davis’ “Turning Point” and Leon Beal also delivers a superb take on Don Robey’s “Don’t Cry No More.” But the true star on this disc aside from Wressnig and Prado is without doubt Wee Willie Walker who handles the singing on five tracks. His take on Otis Clay’s “Trying To Live My Life Without You” opens the disc and he shows that he is a natural foil for the musicians. All of his numbers are highlights and prove that this vocalist who re-emerged on the blues scene in 2015 was one of the most welcome come-backs of the decade.

The Soul Connection is a terrific melding of European, Brazilian and American musicians. It is a prime example of music as a universal language, especially in the hands of pure talent as it is here. Pick up a copy of The Soul Connection, you’re going to find yourself dancing along. The outcome of this recording proved so successful for Wressnig and Prado that they have recently released it as a twin pack including a live performance of the songs on the second disc.

Total Time: 50:22

Trying To Live My Life Without You Baby / Young Girl / Suffering With The Blues / Turning Point / No-La-Fun-Ky / Home At Last / Turnip Greens / My Love Is / The Face Slap Swing No. 5 / Grazing In The Grass / Don’t Cry No More / Heartbreak / Why Don’t You Haul Off And Love Me

Joe Bonamassa

Live at the Greek Theater
J&R Adventures

Reviewed by Jeff Levine

This CD/ DVD is Joe Bonamassa’s tribute to the Three Kings of the Blues: BB, Albert, and Freddie. Recorded in the historic Los Angeles Greek Theater at the end of  2015, it features a full band with horns and singers. Anton Fig (drums), Michael Rhodes (bass), Reese Wynans (piano, Hammond organ), Lee Thornburg (trumpet, horn arrangements), Paulie Cerra (saxophone),  Ron Dziublia (Tenor Saxophone) Kirk Fletcher (Rhythm Guitar), with Mahalia MacRae and Juanita Tippins (vocals).

Joe Bonamassa’s started his career as a child and played with B.B. King on stage at 12. He has released 16 solo albums in the last 14 years on his own label, J&R Adventures. His 2014 release, Different Shades of Blue, was nominated for a Grammy award. Joe is also an avid vintage guitar collector and regularly writes about collecting.

The video was on TV a few months ago. Once I saw it, I was hooked! It was a departure from Joe’s contemporary rock based interpretation of the blues. These “Kings” classics retain their original structure and feel, but with a twist.  Joe adds his amazing, blazing guitar solos, while the horns and background vocals keep the original song character. The song list features “Kings” classics that all blues lovers should recognize.

Here are a few of my favorites: “Going Down” has just enough guitar grit. “I’ll Play the Blues for You” has a wonderful sultry vibe especially with the horns and singers. “Cadillac Assembly Line” re-tells electric blues story, when the players made their way up north to find high paying factory work. Joe nails the vocals in “Hummingbird.” You can hear BB’s influence. The encore features top “Kings” blues hits: “Hideaway,” “Born Under a Bad Sign” and probably the #1 blues hit of all time, “The Thrill is Gone.” I’ve listened to the originals a lot, and even tried to play them. In Joe’s interpretation you hear how he has studied the Kings, staying true to the originals and adding a his own interpretation.  Joe closes it out with “Riding With the Kings”, a very fitting ending.

If you have not listened to Joe before, this is a great starter. And if you are familiar with his work, I think you’ll appreciate this take on the classics.

Total time: 2:05:18

See See Baby/Some Other Day, Some Other Time/Lonesome Whistle Blues/

Sittin’ on the Boat Dock/You’ve Got to Love Her With a Feeling/Going Down/I’ll Play the Blues for You/ I Get Evil/ Breaking Up Somebody’s Home/ Angel of Mercy/ Cadillac Assembly Line / Oh, Pretty Woman/Let the Good Times Roll/ Never Make Your Move Too Soon/ Ole Time Religion/ Nobody Loves Me But My Mother/Boogie Woogie Woman/ Hummingbird/ Hide Away/Born Under a Bad Sign/The Thrill Is Gone/Riding With the Kings

Vasti Jackson

The Soul of Jimmie Rodgers
Vasteye Music

Recently, this year’s Grammy nominees were announced and among them was the latest release by Vasti Jackson, The Soul of Jimmie Rodgers, in the traditional category. Now, this may seem a little odd when you consider the album is a tribute to Jimmie Rodgers, who has been called the original country performer, but you need to look back in time. Music was music in those early years and a lot of the songs being sung crossed ethnicity. It was only when companies began selling music that it was sorted into categories like “Hillbilly” or “Race” records for marketing purposes.

Jimmie Rodgers’ music spanned genres. He was called a variety of nicknames including “The Singing Brakeman,” “The Singing Hobo,” or “Blues Yodeler.” He was extremely popular and he had a series of hit songs that became staples of American music.

Vasti Jackson was enchanted by train songs as a young man which he has retained throughout his life. So naturally Rodgers’ music appealed to him when he heard it again recently in a tribute program. It brought back memories and he decided to pay his own tribute to the music with The Soul Of Jimmie Rodgers. But he has brought it to a more modern standard. Yes, he still performs the music as a solo artist with just his guitar as the troubadours or itinerant musicians of those earlier times would have done. The music just sounds more crisp and clear in his hands and that is more a reflection of how recordings have been improved in the past century.

The song selections will be familiar as they have stood the test of time. They also show the diversity of Rodgers’ songwriting talents to appease to listeners of the period. Jackson does not take on the yodel that Rodgers was known for and he also mixes in two of his own original compositions that easily fit in the Jimmie Rodgers mold (“Lowdown Hoedown” and “Train Rollin’ Blues”). Included are classics like “Waiting On A Train,” “Miss The Mississippi And You,” “The Women Make A Fool Out Of Me,” “In The Jailhouse Now,” and “Those Gambler’s Blues” (the last is in actuality Rodgers’ take on the traditional “St. James Infirmary”).

Vasti Jackson is an extraordinary musician and songwriter in his own right and has received a number of high accolades throughout his career as one of Mississippi’s finest Delta bluesmen. The Soul Of Jimmie Rodgers is a heartfelt tribute to an American icon. It doesn’t matter what you might decide to label it: blues, country, Hillbilly, roots, Americana or anything else. In the long run it is simply good music that continues to hold its place in our national traditional songbook.

Total Time: 36:07

Standing On The Corner / Those Gambler’s Blues / In The Jailhouse Now / Ninety-Nine Years Blues / Miss The Mississippi And You / Waiting On A Train / Hobo’s Meditation / The Women Make A Fool Out Of Me / Lowdown Hoedown / Train Rollin’ Blues

William Bell

This Is Where I Live
Stax

William Bell first made his mark on the soulful blues market back in 1961 when he released the song “You Don’t Miss Your Water” for the fledgling Stax label. Though perhaps not gaining the attention that many of his label mates may have ultimately received over time, the smooth vocalist and songwriter certainly left his mark creating a series of popular songs. Many of those songs became some of the label’s best known numbers including “I Forgot To Be Your Lover,” “Everyday will Be Like A Holiday,” “Share What You Got,” and most notably perhaps “Born Under A Bad Sign” that he co-wrote with Booker T Jones for Albert King.

But here we are, fifty-five years since that first single and William Bell has cut a disc of music that will stand the test of time and will reestablish his own legacy as a performer. This Is Where I Live has brought Bell full circle back to Stax. And it is filled with some of the deepest soul ballads and upbeat tracks to hit the scene this past year or any year in memory. It could easily have been released back in the day, as it fully captures the sound emanating from the studio throughout the 60s and 70s, filled with horns and tales of heartbreak and joy. It is everything that you could have ever asked for in the genre and then some.  Helping to guide Bell on this amazing recording is producer John Leventhal who also provided multiple instrumentation (guitars, bass, keys, drums and percussion) and back-up vocals, while co-penning a number of the selections.

Bell’s songwriting is filled with stories of love lost and the self-exploration brought about by it. He looks back at where he has been, who he is and where he wants to be in “The Three Of Me.” He compares what goes on in life with your chances in a casino in “The House Always Wins.” The arguments and words that lead to the breaking of a relationship in “All The Things You Can’t Remember” that he’ll never be able to forget.  That lost love is more noted in “More Rooms,” as he realizes just how empty the home they shared is now without her.  Promises were made in an attempt to make it right with “I Will Take Care Of You.” But when it was all said and done tragedy occurs as she put “Poison In the Well” and he drank it. A classic example of Bell’s story-telling showing a return to his well-known form.

But not everything on This Is Where I Live is about sadness and loss. He shares his life growing up in the South on “Mississippi-Arkansas Bridge” and “People Want To Go Home.” He recounts the good times and the people he has known in music and his return home to Stax where he belongs in “This Is Where I Live.”  Two covers are also presented: Jesse Winchester’s soft acoustic piece “All Your Stories” and “Walking On A Tightrope” that was written by Leventhal with his wife Roseanne Cash. There is even a retelling of “Born Under A Bad Sign” that Bell presents in a softer approach than originally recorded back in 1967.

Now in his mid-70s, William Bell has arisen like a phoenix to fully reclaim his spot in the music world, piecing together one of the absolutly most amazing discs of the year. If you want to hear a soul album that feels like a step back in time and music done right, this is one that you’re not going to want to overlook. Do yourself a favor, run out and buy This Is Where I Live. You will feel the passion, the personality and the emotion that only the purest of vocalists and the craftiness of a master story-teller can deliver. The honest truth here is that William Bell has delivered nothing short of a soul masterpiece.

Total Time: 38:55

The Three Of Me / The House Always Wins / Poison In The Well / I Will Take Care Of You / Born Under A Bad Sign / All Your Stories / Walking On A Tightrope / This Is Where I Live / More Rooms / All the Things You Can’t Remember /  Mississippi-Arkansas Bridge / People Want To Go Home.

Guy King

Truth
Delmark Records

Chicago-based Guy King has released one superb recording with his latest, Truth. Tasty guitar licks abound alongside very soulful vocals. Originally from Israel, King has been capturing many fans over the years for his pleasing take on the music that The Windy City has been known for excelling in, including one Buddy Guy who has deemed King as “a bad man!” Of course, after listening to Truth, it’s easy to understand why he receives such accolades.

Dick Shurman served as producer on Truth, and he’s certainly no stranger to the best of blues artists, having worked with musicians such as Johnny Winter, Albert Collins, Magic Slim, Robert Cray, and Charlie Musselwhite among so many others over the past forty plus years. He brings out the very best in Guy King who has the range to seemingly emote sounds of the genre from nearly any time frame effortlessly. With maginificent covers by artists like Ray Charles, Johnny “Guitar” Watson, Pee Wee Crayton, Doc Pomus, Percy Mayfield, and well-known songs like “Bad Case Of Love,” “The Same Thing That Can Make You Laugh (Can Make You Cry)” or “One Hundred Ways,” King clearly shows that he has studied the music and knows how to present it too. His takes are deftly soulful and original, not to mention his own songwriting that he displays on a handful of tracks that stand out on their own as well, with the title number dishing up a little jazzier side to his blues that just scores big time.

This is Guy King’s fourth release under his own name, having spent a number of years as guitarist and band leader for the late Willie Kent. Each and every release that King has put out continues to offer just how much he grows as a solo artists while paying heed to those who came before and influenced him. There is no imitation despite the number of material previously released by others. This is fresh and exciting. Guy King is an artist in his own right who needs to be paid attention to. The man is cooking with gasoline and is ready to light the blues world on fire.

Total Time: 1:11:07

The Same Thing That Can Make You Laugh (Can Make You Cry) / Truth / My Happiness / It’s About The Dollar Bill / A Day In The Life Of The Blues / Cookin’ In Style / See Saw / Hey Now / I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues / There Must be A Better World Somewhere / King Thing / Bad Case Of Love / Something’s Wrong / If The Washing Don’t Get You (The Rinsing Will) / One Hundred Ways

Michael Burks

I’m A Bluesman
Iron Man Records

michael-burks-cd-coverThere are always losses in life, but when you lose one who meant so much the loss hurts double knowing that you will never be able to share time together again. That is exactly how it felt when guitarist Michael Burks left us suddenly just a few years ago. Burks was a shining light in the blues world. His playing was spectacular and his personality on and off stage infectious. He made his name in the genre and it will forever be rock solid therein.

That is why it is so appealing and welcoming that these lost recordings from Burks’ early days have surfaced to share with all of his legions of followers. Recorded in 1998 at Kingsnake Studios, I’m A Bluesman captures Burks’s creativity displaying all of the talents of his songwriting and performing before he became the established and renowned international artist a few short years later. Burke was joined in the studio on this recording by some of Kingsnake’s ace sidemen like Ace Moreland, Warren King, and Bob Greenlee, and this stellar outing sits proudly alongside any of Burks’s later material.

A dozen tracks filled with his burning guitar work. It is a mix of originals and some very well-represented covers from people such as Greenlee, Lou Pride, Joe Louis Walker, and even a very slow, bluesy take on the Hall & Oates hit “Sara Smile.” Burks also possessed a very soulful voice that could come across strong or soft. The latter really comes across nicely on his take of Mike Griffin’s “Blues Will Never Die” and his own “My Little Girl” that has great accents from a horn section. The album closes with an auto-biographical piece, “Raised Up In Arkansas,” where he recounts his father telling him that to achieve what he is after he has to pay his dues. Lucky for us all, he chose the blues to pay his dues within and we’re all so much better for his decision.

Extraordinary guitar work, great song selections and well executed blues performances throughout, I’m A Bluesman is a reminder of all the talents that Burks brought to the world. He may be gone from us, but he’ll forever live within our memories with the outstanding recordings he left behind. Thankfully, we now have these to marvel and enjoy as well.

Total Time: 50:58

What Are You Doin’ To Me / Home Of The Blues / Love Disease / Sara Smile / Broken Wing Woman / I Didn’t Take Your Woman / You Ain’t Slick / Blues Will Never Die / My Little Girl / Game Two Can Play / That’s What I Am / Raised Up In Arkansas