Review of JJ Grey & MOFRO - Georgia Warhorse

JJ Grey & MOFRO

Georgia Warhorse

Alligator Records (B003TTZSY2)

Release date : August 24th, 2010

Review by Georgetown Fats

If the legendary Bruce Iglauer thinks enough of a group or an artist to sign them to his label, then the artist or group is worth my time to give a few spins.  For Iglauer to have formed Alligator Records just to record Hound Dog Taylor, and then to make Alligator Records a home to such legendary artists as Koko Taylor or Charlie Musselwhite or up and comers Lil Ed & The Blues Imperials then his opinion and label holds a great deal of weight in my music purchasing decisions.  After a few spins of “Georgia Warhorse”, clearly I am missing something.

For those who have lived under the same rock I have recently, JJ Grey & MOFRO  are a  seven piece soul/funk/R&B/Blues/southern rock band from Jacksonville Florida.  Have been the latest ‘it’ band for “Blues Review” or people cover musicians on the blues jam circuit looking to do something a little different during their sets, I had expected a great deal when I finally had a chance to be exposed to their original recordings.  Having learned this was their 2nd release on the legendary Alligator Records label, I have to give Mr. Iglauer a pass for signing this radio friendly/pedestrian act.

“Georgia Warhorse” opens with “Diyo Dayo”.  Guitarist Daryl Hance’s abrasively thin guitar tone does nothing to distract from JJ Grey’s overly processed vocals.  By the time the rest of the band kicks in with the song, I am already uninterested.  From the opening track, Grey may be a multi-instrumentalist by being credited with work on piano, acoustic and electric guitar in addition to harmonica in addition to his vocals.  He should focus on his vocals first.

The opening of “King Hummingbird” features JJ Grey’s acoustic guitar work accompanying his vocals.  While Grey may show some soul in his vocal work during “King Hummingbird”, his brand of soul is derivative.  Other advertised soul artists have delivered a lot more convincing performance with a lot more originality.  

“Hottest Spot in Hell”, the sole hotspot on “Georgia Warhorse” Grey’s overly processed vocals and guitarist Daryl Hance’s abrasively thin guitar tone may be back, but due to the subject matter it fits.  In one of the few rockers on “Georgia Warhorse” it is bound to be released as a single, delivered to bait many into random purchases.  

Ultimately I expect JJ Grey & MOFRO to earn considerable airplay with this radio friendly release.  The mix of radio-friendly soul/blues is bound to sell a considerable volume of units helping assure Alligator Records can continue to bankroll more original artists.  So they serve a purpose.  Just allow me to go out on a limb, and predict JJ Grey & MOFRO tunes to one-day reach overplayed/over-covered contemporary blues status.

Charlie Musselwhite - The Well - Alligator Records

Charlie Musselwhite 

The Well Alligator Records (B003TYOABO) 

Release Date – 8/24/10 

Review by Georgetown Fats   

Scheduled to be released on August 24th, 2010 back with Alligator Records since 1993, Charlie Musselwhite’s latest offering “The Well” puts the legendary Alligator Record label back with “The Ace of Harps”.  Reunited and it sounds so damn good.  “The Well” contains thirteen tracks of autobiographical material covering early days in Mississippi, complimented by succinct liner note for each track. 

Opening with the mid-tempo shuffle “Rambler’s Blues”, testifies to his love of the open road.  As Musselwhite attests in the liner notes, this song reflects some of his earliest desires and passions to roam the world over.  Musselwhite’s effortless and mellow vocal style continue his matter-of-fact delivery detail how he “rolls in with the dust, and out with the wind”. 

Musselwhite treats the listening to a geography lesson, delta style, on ‘Where Highway 61 Runs”.  Part updated rendition of the Musselwhite classic “The Blues Overtook Me” part aural Mississippi Delta Tourism brochure, Musselwhite proves that though he his home base may be in San Francisco his heart and soul will always be in Delta. 

With the help of his long-time friend Mavis Staples, Musselwhite’s offers a heart-wrenching piece on missed opportunities and guilt after the loss of his mother.  Having lost his mother to a murder in Memphis, Musselwhite obviously carries considerable pain from the incident and has the skills of offer this cathartic piece.  Though Staple’s vocal melody is restrained to match Musselwhite’s delivery her soulful gospel voice shines throughout. 

Though Musselwhite does carry himself southern gentleman way, there was a time earlier in his life when personal demons allowed him to run afoul of the law.  This time in particular, Musselwhite details being sentenced due to a cop who had lied about his case.  Having only been introduced to Charlie Musselwhite in his southern senior years it is another poignant piece on the emotional scars inflicted over his hard living phase of life. 

Approaching his 67th year, though Musselwhite has carved out a secondary career as an in-demand session player and harmonica clinician, with the release of “The Well” Musselwhite proves he still has many more stories to tell and stops on the road.

James Superharp Cotton LIVE at Fitchburg State University

Living blues legend James “Superharp” Cotton, a Grammy-winning member of the Blues Hall of Fame in Memphis, comes to Fitchburg State University in his 66^th year in the entertainment business. Cotton performs at 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 6, at Weston Auditorium on the Fitchburg State campus as part of the CenterStage at Fitchburg State University arts and culture series.

Tickets are $28 for adults, $25 for seniors and $10 for students.

Born in Mississippi in 1935, Cotton’s earliest memories include his mother playing chicken and train sounds on her harmonica. He learned to play on a 15-cent harmonica and by age 9 was playing with Sonny Boy Williamson. Soon he was playing with the legendary Howlin’ Wolf and was recording on Sun Records by the time he was 15 years old. And he was just 19 when Muddy Waters came to him in need of a harp player.

Cotton’s performance at Fitchburg State is co-sponsored by Worcester Magazine.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit http://www.fitchburgstate.edu/cultural/.

Pole-Catting Around with Jim Chilson of The Ten Foot Polecats

Pole-Catting Around

Jim Chilson of The Ten Foot Polecats


Live at the Heavy Rebel Weekend

Being a musician, just like for the music fan, the festival season is an exciting time.   Not only do you get to see a lot of music under one tent, but it provides you the opportunity to play your music for larger audiences than you would normally get at a weekend club/bar show.   Blues festivals run rampant in the summertime not only here but across the country as well.  But there are also festivals across the country that are almost untapped to Blues based acts but they could very well fit into their musical lineups.  These festivals are hot rod/chopper shows and you can find them from New England to California in all different forms.  Basically these festivals offer a plethora of activities such as: vintage hot rods, custom vehicles, tattoo artists, pinup contests, strongman competitions, etc.  In turn these festivals  typically bring in anywhere from 300 to 600 (or more) people due to all the different activities.  However, the main theme is live music and  this past summer we got to play at three of these events:  Muddy Roots Festival in Cookeville TN, Heavy Rebel Weekender in Winston-Salem NC, and just recently we played Return to Milltown IV in Palmer MA, and have two more on tap for September.

I hate to use labels on music, but just for description sake, at all of these festivals there were an eclectic mix of music ranging from Rockabilly, Psychobilly, Outlaw Country, Bluegrass and Appalachian music mixed with Punk.  But you also had some influx of juke joint Blues in there as well.   The audiences were, let’s just say, alot less reserved than you see at a typical festival.  Some of the things you might see from this crowd at these festivals,  as we were witness to and victims of,  are getting empty beer cans thrown on the stage (which is a form of applause), getting beer sprayed on you while you are playing, sloppy yet inspired dancing in front of you and on you sometimes,…err..lots of drinking (obviously), and even a  mosh pit.  You don’t find many mosh pits to country, bluegrass, or blues music!

This might not be your cup of tea as some of you reading this might not like what you hear from the details, BUT there is something very exciting about an active audience that drives a musician.  From my impression, they don’t want to hear Stormy Monday and old blues standards but they want to hear what you have inside you and what you need to express.   Frankly, blues has always been a renegade music , especially in it’s early inceptions, and they are accepting of original hardcore renegade blues music as part of this scene as well.

Because of these festivals, we got to meet a lot of new musicians, friends, fans, promoters, and venue owners.  We also got to set up more shows with these promoters, venues and musicians across the country.  But most importantly, it brought our music to a new fan base that might have never heard us in the first place.  Just something to think about for 2011.

Jim Chilson

Ten Foot Polecats

Daddy’s Beach Club - Hull MA

DADDY IS CALLIN’

By Karen Nugent

I remember going to Nantasket Beach - and of course its famous amusement park- as a child. It was a blast then, and it’s still a lot of fun.  But I’m talking grown-up fun, as in blues, cocktails, and to-die-for pizza.

While the amusement park is long gone, something almost as exciting has sprouted.

The Boston Blues Society recently formed a partnership with Daddy’s Beach Club, 280 Nantasket Ave. in Hull, right across from the beach.

The club, formerly the Dry Dock, re-opened in April, after owners Jeffrey Lemkin and Paul Papetti, the general manager, spent more than $750,000 on renovations and back taxes. 

The 135-seat club has a full bar – including a dozen or so  micro-brew beers- and has become well-known by foodie-types for its thin crust New Haven-style pizza. That comes with all kinds of great toppings such as artichokes, baby spinach, olives- you name it.

“There is never a cover charge,” Papetti said. “We know people are on a budget. They can come here for good food, great music, and a cold beer.  The pizza is the main stay. People say it’s the closest to Italy they’ have ever had.”

Daddy’s, which is open year-round, features mainly blues acts on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, with a 2-6 p.m. show each Sunday, along with a second evening show. Sometimes, there are rock bands in the mix, and in the summer, there is the occasional reggae band to add to the tropical beach ambiance.

Recent acts included Mission of Blues, Greg MacKenzie, and Erin Thornton and the Soul Drivers. Lois Greco, that rockin’ blues babe, is a regular, Papetti said. Guitar great Ricky King Russell is scheduled for September.

 “I love it there,” said BBS Secretary Carole Mellor. “You can sit by the big open windows and the sea air comes in. It is a very good size with the dining room to the left overlooking the ocean, and a very large bar area with tables to the right and stage in between. I feel like I'm on vacation when I am sitting there by the ocean enjoying the music and eating the awesome pizza.” 

“Also, it is kid friendly and early in the evening you can see little kids eating and dancing in their seats to the music,” she said.

Actually, there’s something for everyone each night of the week at Daddy’s. Mondays are open mic nights, and its karaoke time on Tuesdays. Wednesdays showcase country and cowboy music; Thursdays are DJ dance nights.

Papetti, a Mattapan native, has been in the music management business for more than 30 years, booking acts and managing clubs. He decided to re-open after nearly five years because of the great location.

“It’s always a beach party!” he said.

www.daddysbeachclub.com 

Smoken Joe's BBQ September Music Schedule

Smoken Joe’s BBQ, is dedicated to the promotion, education, and preservation of Southern culture through good down home cooking and lively entertainment. It is features nightly live music seven days a week. For more information call 617-254-5227 or visit the website at smokenjoesbbq.com






September Music Schedule




Wednesday 7:30pm SEPT 1 Alizon Lissance w/ Cheryl Arena
http://www.alizonmusic.com
http://www.myspace.com/cherylarena




Thursday at 8:30pm SEPT 2 Phil Pemberton Band featuring Ron Levy
http://www.myspace.com/philippembertonband


Friday at 9pm SEPT 3 Juke Joint 5
http://www.myspace.com/jukejoint5


Saturday at 9pm SEPT 4 Shirley Lewis
http://www.shirleylewis.biz/


Sunday at 7pm SEPT 5 Geoff Bartley w/ Special Guests
http://www.geoffbartley.com


Monday at 7pm SEPT 6 Bruce Marshall Open Mic
http://www.brucemarshall.net


Tuesday at 7:30pm SEPT 7 Soul Alley
http://www.soulalleymusic.com


Wednesday at 7:30pm SEPT 8 Alizon Lissance w/ Diane Blue
http://www.alizonmusic.com
http://www.dianebluemusic.com




Thursday at 8:30pm SEPT 9 Phil Pemberton Band featuring Ron Levy
http://www.myspace.com/philippembertonband


Friday at 9pm SEPT 10 Timo Arthur Band
http://www.myspace.com/timoarthur


Saturday at 9pm SEPT 11 TBA
Sunday at 7pm SEPT 12 Geoff Bartley w/ Special Guests
http://www.geoffbartley.com


Monday at 7pm SEPT 13 Bruce Marshall Open Mic
http://www.brucemarshall.net


Tuesday at 7:30pm SEPT 14 Soul Alley
http://www.soulalleymusic.com


Wednesday at 7:30pm SEPT 15 Alizon Lissance w/ Henri Smith
http://www.alizonmusic.com
http://www.myspace.com/henrismithjazz




Thursday at 8:30pm SEPT 16 Barrett Anderson, Ron Levy & Per Hanson Allstar Band!
http://www.barrettanderson.net
http://www.levtron.com/


Friday at 9pm SEPT 17 Erin Harpe & The Delta Swingers
http://www.erinharpe.com


Saturday at 9pm SEPT 18 David Maxwell's Maximum Blues
http://www.davidmaxwell.com


Sunday at 7pm SEPT 19 Geoff Bartley w/ Special Guests
http://www.geoffbartley.com


Monday at 7pm SEPT 20 Bruce Marshall Open Mic
http://www.brucemarshall.net


Tuesday at 7:30pm SEPT 21 Soul Alley
http://www.soulalleymusic.com


Wednesday at 7:30pm SEPT 22 Alizon Lissance w/ Ed Scheer
http://www.alizonmusic.com


Thursday at 8:30pm SEPT 23 Phil Pemberton Band featuring Ron Levy
http://www.myspace.com/philippembertonband




Friday at 9pm SEPT 24 Love Dogs host Blues Audience party
http://www.thelovedogs.com/


Saturday at 9pm SEPT 25 Prof Harp Band
http://www.professorharp.com


Sunday at 7pm SEPT 26 Geoff Bartley w/ Special Guests
http://www.geoffbartley.com


Monday at 7pm SEPT 27 Bruce Marshall Open Mic
http://www.brucemarshall.net


Tuesday at 7:30pm SEPT 28 Soul Alley
http://www.soulalleymusic.com


Wednesday at 7:30pm SEPT 29 Alizon's Monthly Jam
http://www.alizonmusic.com


Thursday at 8:30pm SEPT 30 Phil Pemberton Band featuring Ron Levy
http://www.myspace.com/philippembertonband

AJ Wachtel interviews Livingston Taylor as submitted to “The Noise”

AJ Wachtel interviews Livingston Taylor as submitted to “The Noise”


A member of Massachusetts First Family of Music, Livingston has just released a new cd, "Last Alaska Moon", and its wonderful folk-inspired melodies may be the best music release of the year.


And currently on tour performing his catalog on the left coast, he was cool enough to call me from an airport between flights and then again the next day during some rare down time to make sure we were able to talk. Read on and hear what this master musician has to say:


The Noise: You're a great storyteller and in your new songs you specifically mention people by their names-Little Jimmy T, Katy, Erin, Stan, Henry Crossenfeld, Abigail, Grace and Gwynnie. Are these real people and are the songs telling about actual events in your life or are they fictional and mentioned for other reasons?


Livingston: They are generally fictional. Gwynnie, I just used cause I liked the name Gwynnie. Gwyneth Paltrow's name is Gwynnie, but the song has nothing to do with her, I just really like the name. I DO know Katy and Stan, and Erin is a young woman who I met when I was writing the song and I found her a very nice person and I just used the name Erin. And there's Erin Burnett from CNBC. I like the name.


The Noise: Many of the song titles on Last Alaska Moon seem to have spiritual meanings-"Never Lose Hope", "Answer My Prayer", "Walk until Its Heaven" and "Christmas Is Almost Here". What is your message to the listener and why is this feeling important for you to share?


Livingston: It's really not a message. It's things that interest me. I don’t have a sense I have a message for my listener. Hopefully, it’s interesting for other people to listen to. Hope is a good thing. Walk until its heaven; I love that image. To keep it going till you get it right. Until it does get right. The idea of "moving forward" and "moving ahead" is very compelling to me.


The Noise: The tunes on your new CD range from folk with an easy, acoustic sound to folk ballads and country & western, bluegrass and blues with a southern feel. Can you comment on this?


Livingston: The fact is I'm enamored with good melodies. I’m a very melodic guy and I’ve loved them since I was a little boy. In my most successful melodies I write the melodies first then find a story to put to that melody.


The Noise: What musicians do you listen to these days?


Livingston: Well, I find that generally, like the rest of the world, I pick and chose a song here and there. Anita Baker, Mamas and the Papas with Cass Elliot, Karen Carpenter, Frank Sinatra, it's all very eclectic and all over the board.


The Noise: You and your sister Kate both have new releases in 2010. Is this a coincidence or part of a bigger Taylor music conspiracy?


Livingston: (Laughs) I wish in this case it was the result of a vast conspiracy but it’s just a coincidence.
The Noise: The Taylor family has great songs about your childhood state, North Carolina. James with "Carolina (In My Mind), Kate with "Sun Did Shine In Carolina" and your new "Call Me Carolina". What is the story behind this? And what's the difference between music scenes down south and those up in New England?


Livingston: It's the word Carolina. Certain states have a very sayable word, like Carolina. NY-less so. NJ-it’s just-it’s a tough sell. Minnesota-it doesn’t work so well. And more important is the "Carolina experience". Down there, the idea of creative arts as a career choice is very acceptable. Nothing is better than being in an infrastructure where your music can be heard.


The Noise: Kate told me her song" (Sun Did Shine) in Carolina" is "about my brothers and our time in Chapel Hill, NC". What do you think of her recollections?


Livingston: Well, I think her recollections are lovely. Kate is a wonderful songwriter and a beautiful spirit. I treasure her recollections, I have different ones.


The Noise: Any advice to give to young artists trying to get their music heard?


Livingston: Yeah, above all else you must play live. You must bring your music to the people. You must watch it land. You have to watch what effect it has on your audience.


The Noise: What did you find most challenging in recording and releasing "Last Alaska Moon"?


Livingston: Again, the great challenge is finding the financial resources to hire the best players on the planet.


The Noise: In "Never Lose Hope" you sing "even Boston lost the curse". Is this a reference to the "curse of the Babe" and the Red Sox?


Livingston: Yes it is. It was a cheap little line that just fell in there at the time.


The Noise: Tell me about the musicians and the production behind your new cd.


Livingston: I used a great recording studio, Paragon, in Franklin, Tenn. I had great players and a GREAT mixer.


The Noise: Why Last Alaska Moon? Why not Last Vineyard Haven Moon?


1. Livingston: It just really alliterated great and I really liked the image of Last Alaska Moon.


The Noise: When I went to your brother A.T's wake you, James Hughie and Kate sang "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" together. Do you ever sing together anymore?


Livingston: We don’t get together terribly often. It's light and informal if we do. We've spoken about going on tour together but that's really in James' hands. And it’s not something he's waiting to do other than single shows.


The Noise: There's another generation of Taylor family performers. Do you ever get together with them and sing?


Livingston: Absolutely! My niece Sally and my nephew Ben. I love to play with those guys, they're great music forces, and it’s FUN!


The Noise: What's in the future for you? Are you very prolific these days? Are you writing songs for your next CD yet?


Livingston: I'm writing all the time. The great problem isn’t writing its getting the financing to get these projects to life. Right now Shelly Berg, head of the music dept. at the University of Miami and I are thinking of doing a project together. And I have plenty of things in the works like that.


The Noise: How are people on the left coast enjoying your shows?


Livingston: Yeah, again, when I come out West people who haven’t had a chance to see me in a while come to the shows. It's beautiful and much appreciated.