CD Reviews-January 2002

Olu Dara: Neighborhoods - Atlantic Records
On Neighborhoods, Olu Dara paints pictures of life with songs such as "Tree Blues" (a childhood memory) and "Herbman." With experience in composing for theater ("The Piano Lesson"), jazz trumpet (Art Blakely's Jazz Messengers), and so on, Dara clearly draws from many musical sources. Dara's guitar strumming have the timbres of African players, the vocals utilize the art of vocalese (voices imitating instruments), and Dara's mellow wooden trumpet is unique filler amongst the vibrant instrumentation. The 61-year old singer/songwriter/musician has collaborated with a wide array of artists, including hip-hop artist Nas on In The World, and with veteran musicians Dr. John and Cassandra Wilson on Neighborhoods. Unfortunately, it's difficult to appreciate Dara at times due to a limited range and occasionally garbled words. Yet the CD also shows Dara's creativity and originality in songs such as "Massamba," a blues/African beat crossover, and "Bell & Ponce (at the movie show)", which mixes praise of The Mills Brothers along with a nod to "The Creature from the Black Lagoon". On "Used to Be", Dara's streetwise sound is placed alongside Cassandra Wilson's strong, yet tender-hearted vocals. The two vocalists' parts are woven artfully in and out as they contemplate romantic relationships. Spontaneity is the name of the game: most of the songs on the album stray from the traditional verse-chorus pattern. Here, a strong jazz and blues sensibility combines with touches of funk, rap, and African rhythms. And that folks, is Olu Dara's invitation to the Neighborhood. - Peggy Oliver

Left Hand Smoke: So Many Faces - MACKADOSHIS
Music naturally progresses and the blues is no exception. What was once considered blues has now evolved to integrate elements of rock, soul, jazz, and pop. Riding the wave of this new genre, we find the eclectic sounds of Pacific Northwest-based Left Hand Smoke with their second release, So Many Faces.

Not your typical blues band, Left Hand Smoke has been compared to The Dave Matthews Band-not in sound, but in category of "adult alternative"-and have already gained regional, as well as national, attention with their unique style. Although a college radio favorite, the band spent four months in the regular rotation on Seattle's KMTT with the song "Step Outside". In addition, the song found its way onto the KMTT compilation On The Mountain 6, alongside such legendary artists as Patti Smith and Tom Waits. The song "Blue Eye Shinin'" from the band's debut disc was featured on NBC'S top-rated series ER.

So Many Faces is an assortment of many different genres. However, LHS always draws on blues as an underlying influence-take the opening track "Paradise Blues", for instance. This bluesy boogie-rock tune is reminiscent of Savoy Brown. With funky piano, smokin' drumming, and straight-ahead rock 'n' roll guitar, this little ditty just plain cooks.
Incorporating an acoustic guitar and harmonica coupled with smooth harmonies, the track "Keep On Calling" interjects elements of country and leans toward a more contemporary style. Components of romantic soul dominate the ballad "Step Outside" and show that LHS' influences range from Van Morrison to Marvin Gaye. The very upbeat "Blood Runs Hot" has a catchy little guitar intro and fierce breaks, along with the Hammond B3 hovering in the background; this track is as funky as any James Brown recording.

Left Hand Smoke is already headlining sold-out shows at top venues throughout the region, including the 1000+ capacity Showbox in Seattle, and their self-titled CD was ranked #2 in North America on Amazon.com's Emerging Artists Blues Chart. At the same time, the disc has remained in the Top-10 in North America on the emerging Artists Rock Chart-7 months in the Top-5. Left Hand Smoke has just scratched the surface with their brand of rockin' blues. With great harmonies led by vocalist Ben Mish and exalted lead guitar work of brother Will Mish, combined with the high energy of every member, Left Hand Smoke is deservingly poised for super stardom. - Tony Engelhart
http://www.lefthandsmoke.com

Billy Preston: Music From My Heart - Mini CD MCG Records
Billy Preston is, if you can excuse a commercial metaphor, one of several Energizer Bunnies in the music business. From R&B and Rock (he was dubbed the fifth Beatle), to Blues and Gospel (at age 10 he once played with Mahalia Jackson), Preston seems to have done it all. The Mini CD is actually a 5 song sampler taken from the full-length MCG debut, Music From My Heart. The CD covers contemporary blues alongside R&B, subtle Country, and Jazz. Despite the fact that most of it is electronic, the instrumentation is far from detrimental to the music. Various keyboards enrich the music instead of being solely beat and noise makers. Preston's appeal lies in his arrangements-those precious harmonies that take a few twists here and there, and those well-placed falsetto moments. Preston's gospel talent especially shines through on the songs "Profit" and "Honor Him". Sometimes the lyrics pound out "God is Good" to death and don't match the wit of "Nothing From Nothing", and the poignant "With You I'm Born Again", previous Preston gems. Nevertheless, I recommend this CD as a testament to a master musician who creates true gospel music from his heart. - Peggy Oliver

Ellen Whyte and Reflex Blue: Standing At The Sunrise - Amellegory
Ellen Whyte and her Reflex Blue are back with another innovative and diverse approach to the blues with their latest offering, Standing At The Sunrise.
These two-time Grammy Award nominees and Cascade Blues Association's Muddy Awards Best Contemporary Blues Band recipients (in 1998 and 2001) have been captivating audiences and receiving praise from critics since their maiden release of Different Point of Blue. With Ellen's gutsy and raw, yet sensitive and supple, vocals (she's been dubbed "The Neon Blonde of Blues") and Reflex Blue's rock-solid sound, this is no surprise.

Produced by Grammy Award winning, Dennis Walker (who has produced such other notable blues stars as Robert Cray and B.B. King), Standing At The Sunrise is an eclectic compilation ranging in style from straight-ahead blues to elements of jazz, funk, and soul. The opening track, "I Never Knew", is an all-around good-time shuffle featuring fat horn fills, clean and mean guitar riffs, and a mammoth Hammond solo. Flexing her creative muscle, Ellen has produced a title track that has a Zydeco-inspired rhythm and features Louisiana-style piano and Whyte herself letting loose on the accordion. The sweet and soulful ballad "I Found Myself in You" highlights Ellen's harmonic range as she exercises her mellifluous voice.

While this CD ventures into other genres, it always comes back to the blues as on the instrumental shuffle, "Blowout on 'A' Street", which elicits unyielding solos from guitarist Gary Meziere and harpist Alex Shakeri.

The Oregon-based Ellen Whyte is again attracting regional, not to mention national, attention with her very distinctive sound. Standing At The Sunrise is unapologetically unique in its approach, individual in its execution, and is an all-around pleasurable experience. - Tony Engelhart

The Word: The Word - Rope-A-Dope
There have been oodles of blues and gospel crossovers in recorded history, including The Williams Brothers, Mahalia Jackson, etc. Yet another blues/gospel crossover is The Word, which consists of three artists/groups branded together: John Medeski, The North Mississippi All-Stars, and a young but well-rounded pedal steel player, Robert Randolph. With these forces, some gospel and blues standard phrasing goes down the drain-not to say that this loss is necessarily negative. For instance, "Blood On That Rock" concludes with a reverse sound effect that meshes keys, pedal steel, and electric guitar. On "Waiting on my Wings", check out the tinge of hip-hop, thanks to an electric washboard played by drummer Cody Dickinson. Randolph completely rocks out (and appropriately so) on "Joyful Sounds", written by the late Glenn Lee who passed on during this recording. No doubt it was the "Sacred Steel Project" featuring Randolph, who plays most of the gritty leads on The Word, that heavily influenced the flavor of this CD. Nevertheless, Medeski's keyboards, including the playful and jazzy organ, and the All Stars' Southern Gospel overtones and funk attitude complete the journey. With The Word's critical success, however, comes the scrutiny that Randolph has faced from fellow House of God church elders for taking gospel music outside church programs. According to this reviewer, it's an encouragement when classic worship songs such as "I Shall Not Be Moved" (this version featuring Medeski on vibraphone) and "At The Cross" need no restrictions on the musical level…thus said The Word. - Peggy Oliver