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Monday, May 25

Cathi's CD Reviews 3-24-09

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Cotton, Roger – “A Long Way Back” (Note Music) A-

Ah, old timers know how don’t they? This is a jazz player backed by big horns (featuring our very own – yes!—Tim Riggins) dabbling in blues and rock. Nice harp player and good musicians. I’m not always crazy about big-horn backup, but they keep it under wraps so they don’t overpower the tunes. Vocals pretty good and definitely out front. Good players..Buddy Whittington is a new guitar wizard in England (works with John Mayall) and he bursts out in “No Time For You” with guns blazing on that solo. A disc of adeptly produced and executed blues and a few pop-rockish tunes with an expressive vocalist and jazz inflections (in other words…lots of side dishes). Cotton is foremost a keyboard/organ player—check out the moody, classical-like “A Day in New York”—very textured for about 3 mins. moving into a pop arrangement. 31 flavors on this disc.

Ealey,Theodis – “LIVE” (IFGAM Records) B+ risque

Mississippi blues player – one of 11 children, Theodis played with a few of them from time to time, but has carried his own rep as a lively blues entertainer as well as a player and a great blues singer. This disc was a recording of a live birthday party – and it gets blue in more ways than one. Even the ones that aren’t mentioned as “explicit” (# 7 & 8) are suggestive. This a live performance with a lot of catering to the audience. He’s suggestively descriptive (#2, 3) and goes from there. A fun party blues gig…not sure about radio.


Pitts, Joe – “Just a Matter of Time” (Kijam Records) B

Hailed as one of Arkansas’ best guitarists, Pitts steps right into the electrified Allman Brothers blues rock shoes from the git go. Songs mixed with his electric slide out front…vocal in back, letting listener know immediately this is a guitar player who sings not vice versa. Songwriting has heavy power chord arrangements throughout in the Southern Rock tradition which he handles well. Vocals a little shakey but this is the kinda music you listen to half in the bag so who cares. This here is an old Zep fan with funk tendencies. When he lays back on blues (#8) his guitar really sings. Morning Mix—not so much.

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Sunday, May 17

Cathi's CD Reviews 5-17-09

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Martinez, David – “David Martinez” (Indie) C

New discovery working with “Leroy” (Smash Mouth) and Adam MacDougall (the Black Crowes), Martinez comes in with a pop-ish, rock approach. It’s a singer-songwriter, very introspective collection with nice musicianship, but overall, not very impactful. VERY nice lady choir backups, but still, not recommended.

Ramblin’ Dawgs – Rockin’ Blues (Indie) B

Three-song sampler by this New Jersey group, a big electric rock bunch. The first tune is definitely a big stage rocker with all the knobs twisted off. The second tune is a slow one that allows a little of their obvious instrumental prowess emerge. Still topped with that rock voice vocal. Really not bad as a rock sampler, but there ain’t much blue about this except for the three chords. Probably a good drinking, bar band. All too electric for morning mix I suspect.

Ricci, Jason & New Blood – “Done With the Devil” (Electro Groove) A-

The young harmonica wunderkind continues with his “bombastic and innovative” approach to music…declares it blues, but it’s definitely rock driven in equal measure by the talented Shawn Starski and Ricci’s blazing harmonica. Although he teeters on harmonic gym, unlike others (unnamed here) he manages to wrestle it back into melody and percussive motion throughout even the fastest tunes. Can’t argue with the “innovative” moniker or the “talented” or “bombastic” for that matter. Ricci certainly has a lock on that harmonica. Peels off great transitions ordinarily heard only on chromatic, it’s nothing to hear amazing runs at lightning speed that make anyone who plays harp shake their heads in wonder. I plead a lack of vitamins in my makeup for this type music, but I vote yes for the breathtaking imagination and playing. This man is not FROM here! Still on this disc he reins it in from time to time to help us remember he feels his music has a blues base (#7). Some of the other titles and the absolutely raging beats on a few tunes remind us that he definitely IS taking vitamins!

Smith, Gordon – “The Essential Gordon Smith” (Note Records) B+

The first solo album for a British road musician with minimal backing. He is clearly a student of some of the masters (Furry Lewis, Muddy and the Wolf), a good fingerpicker and here backed liberally by a harmonica player doing accents to his acoustic guitar work. He’s an old-timer on the English club scene, adeptly pulling off the old-style acoustic stuff (1 & 2, esp. # 10), yet makes an even better attempt at the Chicago electric approach (Muddy’s “She Moves Me,” and “Home Sweet Home Chicago” lift titled here “Take a Little Walk with Me”). His guitar work (especially resonator and slide--#10, #3) is nice; voice not so much. His electric Chicago stuff is definitely his most impactful. Most okay for morning mix.

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