Mooney was taught how to express the power hidden in his voice by his early mentor, Delta bluesman “Son” House, himself a powerful singer. But most of all, Mooney learned from House his famous slide guitar style, later adapting it to electric guitar and creating his own signature.
"Son" House
At this point I can't resist mentioning a strange coincidence. Mooney, born in 1955, was raised in Rochester, NY. And guess who had moved in the same town in 1943 and was still living there during Mooney's youth : “Son” House ! Nevertheless the young Mooney met and befriended House only later, most likely around 1971, a year after he left home at 15 or 16.
Another ghost is also hanging around this album : Mooney's second major influence, piano wizard Professor Longhair, with whom he played regularly after settling down in New Orleans in 1976 until the “Fess” died in 1980, just a few months before Mooney recorded his album. I said it already, piano is everywhere on this album. If Mooney wasn't singing, you'd think it's a Cooper's work. Except that Mooney is an inspired song-writer who signed each of the ten tracks, and produced himself the album. He arranged for the bass and drums to produce a deep pounding beat that gives the album its special raw and muscular sound.
Professor Longhair
On the second track, “Whatcha Gonna Do”, Mooney took care to bring his dobro guitar for a typical sample of his famous hybrid style mixing Delta blues and New Orleans groove. It is followed by exciting “rock'n'boogie'n'swing” titles, where your feet are unable to resist stomping the floor hard : the track that gave its title to the album, the jumping piano boogie-woogie “Telephone King”, the excellent “Please Baby Please” ― a gospel intro bursting into a powerful barrel-house blues featuring Nighthawks founder Mark Wenner on harmonica ―, “Ain't Done Wrong” where Cooper gives another fine proof of his talent if ever needed, and at the top, the outstanding swinging, rocking and rolling “Oh Louise” featuring a fine piece of Mooney's guitar (the most exciting track for me).
Mooney also goes through soul/R'n'B numbers like the sax-enlightened “Let Me Go” and the solid but melancholic “Rainin' Down On My Broken Heart” (with interesting harmonica by Nick Langan). At last, on “Coal Stove Mama”, Mooney put his bottleneck on his finger (it was about time !) for a powerful sliding blues in the “Son” House tradition. The album closes in a similar vein with “Please Please Please” (with the fine Langan again).
Most of the tracks are built on strong Delta blues foundations, revisited through a deep vintage New Orleans touch. It's as if Clarksdale had been displaced further down the Mississippi river to the Crescent City.
Oh Louise, please baby please, ain't done no wrong, so please please please... don't you take away my Mooney ! ■
■ John Mooney Live
► With percussionist Alfred “Uganda” Roberts, Polk Street Blues Festival, San Francisco, 2010 : https://youtu.be/C0WPuzDNr_Q / https://youtu.be/74oKcjINq5o / https://youtu.be/KeYcEG6sPyM
► Bourbon Street Festival, Brasília, Brazil, 2011 : https://youtu.be/wx84s_uvRcI
► Bay Bridge Festival, Bay St. Louis, MS, 2012 : https://youtu.be/xUpDpCq0rbg
► With New Orleans Suspects, 2014 :
► Journey to the Son, A Celebration of Son House, Rochester, NY, 2015 : https://youtu.be/StvwUNKn_4E
► Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival, New Orleans, 2017 : https://youtu.be/0N0-7jS0YEI
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