His career could have stopped abruptly in 2008 though. He fell some 35 feet down from a tree and suffered a triple fracture of the back that could have left him in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. Fortunately his strong will plus good medical care helped him to avoid such an unfortunate fate. As a consequence, he now walks with a cane and sits most of the time during his shows, as it appears in most of the videos proposed below.
"Pickin' In High Cotton" is a fascinating album taking you back to the raw heart of blues music. Track one's short spoken intro sets things straight : we embark on a trip to down-home roots Mississippi blues.
What's fascinating is the heavy raw sound put out by Gold : thumping boogie rhythms punctuated by the strong hypnotic beat of a bass drum. Blues itself is the central subject of most of the songs. Gold gives us a magnificent lesson about the real essence of this music, with his raw voice and shaky guitar.
There isn't any really outstanding track, all are greatly written and performed. Each one will pick up his favorites. I can't choose any personally, except maybe the tribute to the famous white abolition activist John Brown who was hanged in 1859, more for the subject than the music itself that is no more no less exciting than on the other titles. The album closes with the long "Standin' By The Highway". With its heavy funky bass line, it sounds like it's been made especially to be sampled by DJs !
This album is an absolute must. And God knows I don't write this often at all ! ■
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| No no no... something's wrong here ! |
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| The late Raful Neal |
He had already put out a "Tribute To Slim Harpo and Raful Neal" in 2005. During Neal's childhood (1), Slim Harpo, a close friend of his father, was like an uncle to him, as was also another friend of Raful, Buddy Guy. As a matter of fact, when Kenny was 19, Guy called him to play bass in his band.
On the jumping "Ain't Gon' Let The Blues Die" he acknowledges his duties to the blues : he has the mission to carry on the music forged by the members of the great blues family, from Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters and Albert King to Koko Taylor, Otis Redding, John Lee Hooker or Junior Wells… "I ain't gonna let you die", he promises them. And he doesn't.
The excellent "Bloodline" (the song) is a grateful declaration of love and gratitude to his grand-parents, to his father Raful (you can distinguish his face in the background of the front cover) and to his beloved mom, as well as to the city of his roots, Baton-Rouge. To prove it he invited no less than seven members of the Neal tribe on the album, not counting his regular bass player, brother Noel.
In "I Go By Feel", he analyses the mechanisms of his inspiration : "Blues comes through me, I don't know no other way, I go by feel." The final track, "Thank You BB King", is another grateful homage to the King of Blues who had died just a few months before the album's recordings.
Excellent singer with a deep voice, good harpist (thanks dad !) and playing a nice cool guitar style, Neal is also a gifted lyricist. Musically, he's blending swamp blues, New Orleans soul, R'n'B and funk in a typical Louisiana sound featuring strong horns backing and keyboard (his friend the late Lucky Peterson is playing on the album), with a liking for mid to up-tempo beats.
All these ingredients produce an excellent gumbo, but this is no surprise, it's the case for all of Kenny Neal's productions. ■
The Album
► Bass duel with brother Noel, Kitchener Blues Festival, 2016 (Noel Neal on bass, Frederick Neal on keyboards and Kenny Neal Jr. on drums ) : https://youtu.be/UPPTgBDWJbE► Avignon Blues Festival, France, 2017 : https://youtu.be/NYWURBV4fA0
Here was a young man of 25 at the time this album was recorded, not playing your common (often boring) ordinary FM-radio blues rock but old fashioned pre-war blues songs on an acoustic guitar in a roots “Piedmont” finger-picking style (read below). Difficult to be more unique !
McLerran's third studio album "I’ll Make a Change" was recorded in Tulsa, Oklahoma, a place that brings up memories of the 1930s Dust Bowl and Great Depression, of John Steinbeck's "Grapes of Wrath", and more recently of JJ Cale. It gathers thirteen pieces of self-written compositions or fresh arrangements of old roots blues songs from the 1920s and 1930s.
With his retro wear and his gritty voice, McLerran takes us to long gone times when pioneers like Blind Blake, Blind Willie McTell, Scrapper Blackwell, William Moore, Blind Willie Walker or later Rev. Gary Davis forged the Piedmont blues guitar style.Through songs like "Blue Railroad Train" (whose melodic line strangely reminds of Mungo Jerry's "In the Summertime" !) or the beautiful "B & O Blues", popularized by Blind Willie McTell, he sends us back to a time when hobo musicians were hopping freight trains across the country with their guitar, their songs in their head and a bag of ragged clothes as sole luggage.
He also delivers a piece of ragtime with the funny "Ducks Yas". Note that bass player Robbie Mack is no other than Little Joe McLerran's... dad !
On the slow songs side, McLerran makes a nice cover of Leroy Carr's famous "Blues Before Sunrise", and gives serious slide guitar demonstrations on "Believe I'll Make A Change" and "Baby Please Set A Date" reminding Elmore James.
He concludes this jubilant time lap in old time blues with the short almost a-Capella "Mother's Callin'" sung over a simple triangle-like percussion. ■
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| Two famous Piedmont blues guitarists : Blind Willie McTell... |
The basis of the Piedmont style began with the older "frailing" or "framming" guitar styles that may have been universal throughout the South, and was also based, at least to some extent, on formal "parlor guitar" techniques as well as earlier banjo playing, string band, and ragtime. What was particular to the Piedmont was that a generation of players adapted these older, ragtime-based techniques to blues in a singular and popular fashion, influenced by guitarists such as Blind Blake and Gary Davis.
→ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piedmont_bluesBlind Willie McTell
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| ... and Blind Willie Johnson |
(Nick Spitzer, Professor of Anthropology and American Studies, folklorist, and producer of American Routes)
→ https://scholarblogs.emory.edu/americanroutes/geographies/piedmont-blues/
The Album
This was my first encounter with Mr Strother and I really wanted to hear the man in a 100% blues exercise.
My wish was granted very quickly. “Home At Last”, released a year later, is quite different from the soul oriented "It's My Time". The excellent Strother takes the listener on a trip back to blues land.
If you read his bio, you'll understand that blues is something he's lived in his guts from age 12. When your father has been lynched by the KKK when you're still a child, how could you not be an authentic bluesman ? It's no surprise that "Poor Boy" was chosen as opening track.
So adios the macho side of the previous album, welcome to the roots of Delta & Chicago blues through a collection of excellent covers of great blues classics signed by such legends as Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters or Willie Dixon...
Only regret : the interpretation is a bit hold back ― one wonders what a live version would have been like ! Is it due to the fact that the backing band and producer are dutch musicians ? Maybe, even if they all know the tricks and do the job perfectly. Most likely, it's a mark of respect, a will to let all the light on their "idol".
As for Strother's vocal performance, nothing to say, it's one of a true blues singer, as is his guitar work, though both are slightly hold back too. Anyway, this is the kind of blues album you don't want to quit once the last tracks ends.
Another great bluesman gone too early. Sigh... ■
he Albums
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| Cooper (kneeling, left) with his former band The Zydeco Hurricanes |
Cooper signs nine originals among which some rejoicing titles like the opening "The Cat Is Back", the swinging "Squallin'", the soul "Put My Trust In You" or the heavy blues "Hit The Big Time"…
Oddly he's also featured as author of songs which actually are covers : the Leiber & Stoller standard "Kansas City" and Santana's "Europa". Among the "official" covers, let's mention Professor Longhair's cheerful "Mardi Gras In New Orleans" and an unusual version of JJ Cale's "Crazy Mama". Anyway, true or false originals or covers, Cooper has cooked a very tasty pie. ■
◄ Photo
► With the Neal Brothers (Selwyn Cooper, guitar - Darnell Neal, bass - Grayland Neal, drums - Fred Neal, keyboards/vocals), Teddy's Juke Joint, 2011 :  |
| From the mid-2000s, Cooper plays with a new band : The Sharecroppers |
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