Adam Hood (from the album Bad Days Better available on Southern Songs Records) (by Lee Zimmerman)

‘Finally got a line to the man himself/Dealing with the devil’s been hard as hell/Now I’m doing business with Jesus’ Adam Hood sings on “Business With Jesus”, the second song on his euphemistic new album, Bad Days Are Better, a set of songs that find an optimism that’s admittedly rather rare these days.
 
At least that’s the initial impression. Adam Hood isn’t simply a Pollyanna. His songs can be tough and tenacious, as evidenced by tracks like “Throw Me a Line” and “Harder Stuff”. A seasoned singer/songwriter whose material has been covered by such superstars as Little Big Town, Miranda Lambert, Travis Tritt, Riley Green, Whiskey Myers, Anderson East, Lee Ann Womack, and Brent Cobb, among the many, he also shares the sentiment succinctly. ‘I feel like a rock with nowhere to roll’ he admits on the otherwise upbeat “Speed of the South”.
 
So too, “Flesh and Blood” continues that dynamic trajectory, and with Brent Cobb behind the boards and members of Blackberry Smoke serving in his backing band, it’s little surprise that the dramatic delivery continues unabated. By his own description, Hood tackles the ‘the Soulful side of Southern music, the Country side of Southern music, the genuineness of Southern culture…’ and for the most part he makes good on that promise. Even in the midst of the sway and twang that engulfs a song like “Low Road” in particular, he manages to embellish his approach from a personal perspective. Consequently, that edgy attitude, grit and gravitas stand in marked contrast to the giddy persona Hood purveyed earlier on.
 
Nevertheless, it all works well, serving to substantiate the fact that ultimately, Hood’s a well-rounded artist who remains true to his roots and down-home designs. There may be bad days that need to be bettered — there are no shortage in today’s world — but Adam Hood’s desire to find the daylight offers hope we can all work our way through as well. (by Lee Zimmerman)
 
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Hermon Hitson (from the album Let the Gods Sing available on Big Legal Mess Records) (by Bryant Liggett)
Hermon Hitson has dropped a 21st Century nod to classic Psychedelic Funk. As well he should, no better man for the job. Herman Hitson is a veteran of great OG American Funk, classic Rhythm & Blues, and the first wave of Psychedelic Rock. His latest release, Let the Gods Sing, is a spacey, engaging, and tripped out ride of fantastic funky fuzz. It’s great.
Hermon Hitson shoots for outer space right from the get-go, the title track opener stretching out. Taking its time as Herman Hitson shouts ‘let the gods sing’ over a trippy musical bed. “Back Door Man” is a Bluesy wanderer where Hitson brags of being a backdoor man ‘making that midnight creep’. “All I Want Is You” has a bouncy, sugary Rock flair, and “Suspicious” is a straight-up Boogie cut.
Let the Gods Sing closes with the short jams of “Stray Bullet” while “Yampertown Funk” is an instrumental that sounds like 1960, where funky horns drive old-school Rhythm & Blues. This whole record has a loose vibe that hangs on a thread, like Herman Hitson is leading a band that casually plays Funk riffs, Hermon chiming in on vocals wherever, and whenever, he feels a fit. It’s that casual and that laid back. A Funk record that drops loose, Psychedelia Funk rhythms with ease. Recorded in Memphis, Let the Gods Sing gives a great nod to all of the hip records that have come out of that city since the birth of southern Funk and R&B. (by Bryant Liggett)
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Janis Joplin and Jorma Kaukonen (from The Legendary Typewriter Tape -6/25/64 Jorma’s House on Blackbird Production Partners/Rounder Records) (by Lee Zimmerman)

It’s an odd artifact, this precursor to the greater glories that would fall on two fabled musicians in the infancy of their careers. Recorded during a rehearsal for a benefit at San Francisco’s Coffee Gallery, these informal, stripped-down sessions offer barely a hint of what was to come — Janis Joplin’s singular stardom with Big Brother and The Holding Company and later, the Kozmic Blues Band and Full Tilt Boogie Band, and Jorma Kaukonen’s prime role as guitarist of the Jefferson Airplane and, following that, Hot Tuna. Nevertheless, The Legendary Typewriter Tape, once confined to myth and legend, offers a curious glimpse at the workings of two young artists, bound by tradition and unsure of what the future would hold.

It’s a curiosity of course, so named because Kaukonen’s wife Margareta buys herself on a typewriter while the two musicians rehearse. It’s a bit obtrusive, but hardly enough to disrupt the discourse. It’s also a brief set as well, one that comprises a scant six songs and occasional bits of dialogue.
 
Likewise, the music is hardly spectacular, mostly well-worn covers that include such standards as “Nobody Knows When You’re Down and Out”, “Hesitation Blues”, and “Trouble in Mind”. Devotees will likely find greater interest in a pair of early Joplin originals, “Kansas City Blues” and “Daddy, Daddy, Daddy”, the latter of which sounds like it was improvised on the spot. Jorma Kaukonen also contributes one of his own, “Long Black Train”, a song that hints at the basic Blues he’d later purvey with Hot Tuna.
 
Not surprisingly, Joplin’s vocals are especially striking, although the obvious influences of Bessie Smith, Sippie Wallace, and Big Mama Thornton define her delivery, while offering only a bare hint of the powerhouse performances that would ignite the crowds at Monterrey and Woodstock. Kaukonen’s fretwork is fluid, confident and credible, affirming the fact that he was already well in command of his powers and prowess.
 
Ultimately though, The Legendary Typewriter Tape is little more than a curiosity and a mere keepsake for completists. It’s neither revelatory nor remarkable, simply a piece of the past that provides a footnote to legend and legacy in equal measure. In that regard, this tale of the tape is still worth retrieving. (By Lee Zimmerman)
 
 
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Seth Avett (from the album Seth Avett Sings Gregg Brown available on Ramseur Records/Thirty Tigers) (by Lee Zimmerman)
 
It’s well worth remembering that our music idols have music idols of their own. Such was the case that inspired Seth Avett' s touching tribute to his hero, his new album, Seth Avett Sings Greg Brown. For those left unaware, Gregg Brown is a fabled Folk singer/songwriter with a heartland pedigree, one that’s owed to his Midwest origins, Iowa to be precise. Known only in limited circles, he's well respected among his peers as a most literate lyricist and deeply impactful artist and performer. It’s hardly surprising then that Seth Avett would opt for an opportunity to dedicate another of his solo sojourns beyond the confines of  the Avett Brothers to Brown's music. 
 
For those who haven't heard Brown on his own, Avett's album offers an excellent introduction. While Seth's vocals - mournful, expressive, and decidedly demonstrative -- are often in contrast with Gregg's darker delivery, the emotion and meaning remain intact. Opening track "The Poet Game" is a perfect case in point. A song that's more prescient than ever, somewhat remarkably considering the fact it was written nearly 30 years ago, it deals with pressing social issues -- civil rights, gender equality etc. -- in a way that resonates from a personal perspective.

‘Why does good change take so long?
Why does the color of your skin
or who you choose to love
still lead to such anger and pain?’
 
Other tracks — “I Slept All Night By My Lover”, “My New Book”, “Tenderhearted  Child”, “Telling Stories”, “Laughing River”, and “The Iowa Waltz” — are similarly affecting. Still, there’s room for some mirth as well, as shared in such songs as “You Drive Me Crazy” and “Good Morning Coffee” in particular.

Notably, this isn’t Seth Avett’s only homage to one of his heroes. An earlier effort with Jessica Lea Mayfield, succinctly titled Seth Avett & Jessica Lea Mayfield Sing Elliott Smith, was released in 2015. Still this collection of Gregg Brown songs offers a telling glimpse at one of his iconic influences, and anyone with an appreciation of the Avett’s in general should find cause to pay it some heed. (By Lee Zimmerman)
 
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Dr. John (from Things Happen That Way available on LowA9 Records/Rounder Records) (by Danny McCloskey)
 
It was a wish-list notation for the legendary Dr. John…. to record an album of the Country & Western music that influenced him as a musician and soothed his spirit as a fan. Dr. John left the project incomplete when he passed away three years ago. Taking on the task of seeing the album through, Mac Rebennack aka Dr. John’s eldest daughter Karla Pratt finished production, releasing the results as Things Happen That Way. Of the progress and results, Karla shared that ‘though it’s very sad that my father isn’t here to see this project that meant so much to him finally be out in the world, I take great comfort in knowing that we fulfilled his long-held wishes. During his lifetime he frequently stated his desire to record this album with his dear, lifelong friend Willie Nelson and Willie’s son Lukas Nelson as treasured guest artists - he felt having two generations would be very special, spanning past and future. Though he didn’t get to work with Lukas during his lifetime, I’m very happy to know we were able to make that happen. Another lifelong friend, Aaron Neville, lends the instantly recognizable, beautiful voice he always admired. We’re so grateful to the many musicians who contributed to this album, and I’m confident that Dad would be very proud of the final result’.
 
Dr. John welcomes Aaron Neville on board Tom Petty’s Traveling Wilbury-track “End of the Line”, harmonizing with Willie Nelson on “Gimme That Old Time Religion” and digging back to his own Dr. John the Night-Tripper debut with Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real for “Walk on Guilded Splinters”. Things Happen That Way opens with the Willie Nelson-penned standard “Funny How Time Slips Away”, exiting by adding a personal touch to the album title with “Guess Things Happen That Way”. Musically, Things Happen That Way both nods to Country & Western while expanding on the genre with a masters touch as Dr. John nostalgically melts his vocals over Hank Williams “So Lonesome I Could Cry” while he bumps and grinds a gritty take on Hank’s “Ramblin’ Man”. A trio of Mac Rebennack originals sway and shimmy a second-line groove for “Holy Water”, offering advice on the uptown strut of “Sleeping Dogs Best Left Alone”, and DIY reflective shuffle in “Give Myself a Good Talkin’ To”. (by Danny McCloskey)
 
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Ruthie Foster (from Healing Time available on Blue Corn Music) (by Lee Zimmerman)

When a Grammy-nominated artist releases a new record, it’s bound to attract attention. Nevertheless, regardless of her previous accolades — and there have been many — Ruthie Foster’s new album Healing Time deserves notice all on its own. It’s a searing, soaring expression of absolute resolve and resilience in the face of challenging times.
 
Certain songs bring the problem into focus. For example, the dramatic and dynamic “Lie Your Way to the Truth” is a seeming rebuke to those that claim election fraud and try to manipulate the facts to serve their own interests. However, most of the material takes a decidedly personal perspective, whether it’s the stoic spirituality shared through the riveting testimonial “I Was Called”, the drama and dynamic that surfaced in the explosive album opener “Soul Searching” or the title track, the optimistic and uplifting “Paradise”, or the unhurried pacing of “Don’t Want to Give Up on You”, an absolute declaration of Foster’s faith and devotion.
 
Of course, Ruthie Foster’s never at a loss when expressing her earnest emotion, and at a time when trouble and turbulence dominate the headlines and weigh on the universal psyche, her sentiments provide added impact. When she sings “Love Is the Answer” she offers a positive perspective that easily outshines the lingering feeling of sheer negativity, while bringing hope despite happenstance. Likewise, the drive and determination of “Finish Line” suggests that obstacles can be overcome given the desire to do so. Finally, there’s the upward view taken by the soulful serenade “Feels Like Freedom”. It conveys its message by bonding it with brotherhood and a desire to serve a common cause.
 
Credit is also due Foster’s continuing collaborators — Gary Nicholson, Anders Osborne, Grace Pettis, Glenn Fukunaga, members of Black Pumas, and her own backing band, among the many, all of whom serve ably under the able direction of producers Daniel Barrett and Mark Howard. Nevertheless, given the fact that Ruthie Foster is responsible for writing most of the material, one can hail Healing Time as a personal triumph in a career that’s spawned any number of embracing efforts. A clarion call for reckoning and reflection, it’s well worth heeding. (by Lee Zimmerman)
 
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Rory Block (from the album Ain’t Nobody Worried available on Stony Plains Records) (by Bryant Liggett)
Rory Blocks latest finds the award-winning Blues artist digging into a jukebox songbook of recognizable tracks and familiar artists. An album born in the pandemic years, Ain’t Nobody Worried is Rory Block handpicking eleven favorites, some past commercial radio hits, other cuts not as familiar to any types of broadcast media yet familiar to those with stellar record collections and a healthy knowledge of a rich musical past. Rory Block made good work of her recording sessions, turning these cuts into her own laid-back and loungey Blues numbers.
Memorable tracks include The Staples Singers “I’ll Take You There”, Gladys Knights and The Pips “Midnight Train to Georgia”, Tracy Chapman “Fast Car”, and Martha and the Vandella’s “Dancing in the Streets”, Accentuating these numbers is Rory Block’s acoustic guitar work, giving the melodies, especially on “Midnight Train to Georgia”, a Rootsy festival feel while “Dancing in the Streets” is also ripe for the festival due to Block nailing the Boogie Blues vibe. Her take on Koko Taylors “Cried Like a Baby” is loaded with grit, and Elizabeth Cottons “Freight Train” has stellar guitar work. The track is a beautiful closer.
Rory Block has not reinvented the wheel. She has, however, provided an alternate version of that old wheel. It’s round, it spins, and does everything you need it to do however it’s a lot prettier and rides a lot smoother, while providing familiar, harmonic content and soulful, genuine musical warmth. (by Bryant Liggett)
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Mud Morganfield (from the album Portrait available on Delmark Records) (by Danny McCloskey) 
Salvation strolls alongside Mud Morganfield when he opens his latest collection, Portrait, with the Gospel Blues of “Praise Him”. The Blues of Mud Morganfield is his own brand, borrowing from the Chicago Blues of dad Muddy Waters, mashing the sound with his own mix of Soul, R&B, and Motown that were part of the younger Morganfield’s influences. The spiritual pull of the album opener gets balanced as Mud Morganfield pontificates on the pleasures of “Short Dressed Women”, slowing the rhythm to a crawl when Portrait creeps into “Midnight Lover”, keeping the groove steamy to deliver the resume in “Son of a Seventh Son”, and high-steps to bid “Good Morning Little School Girl”.
 
Collecting all sides of Chicago Blues, Mud Morganfield packs Portrait with a blue Boogie heading down to New Orleans with “Loco Motor” as he steps into “Blues in My Shoes”, admitting “You Can’t Lose When What You Ain’t Never Had” on a simmering slow-cooker strut, tossing out a swaying line of rhythm for “Catfishing”, and confidently walking on the hammering beat message of “Money Can’t (Buy You Everything)”. (by Danny McCloskey)
 
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Maple Run Band (from the album Used to Be the Next Big Thing available on Back Pasture Music) (by Bryant Liggett)
Pinning The Maple Run Band with the Alt County moniker leaves a lot of sounds out that the Northern Vermont-based quartet. Feels limiting for the Maple Run Band who have a very Roots Rock-based approach to not only the Alternative Country yet equally toss around jangly Pop and Cow Punk. Keeping the genre wheel spinning, Used to Be the Next Big Thing delivers a few slowed down ballads and straight-ahead, gut-punching, Rock and Roll with a commercial radio appeal. Put a time stamp on the band and they fit right in with early purveyors of Alt Country (Bottle Rockets, Old 97’s, Jason & The Scorchers) from the late 80’s/early90’s. West Coast Paisley Underground punks of the early 1980’s could easily dance with to the bar band version of NRBQ circa 1970.
Maple Run Band maintain a humorous mindset. Claiming “used to be the next big thing” on the opening title track; a rollicking, hand-clap heavy cut that rattles off RockStar costumes and other misfires the true next big things exhausted in their day. To kick things off, the track is a great opener. “Loretta” is pure Country, a harmony-heavy weeper ripe for every Country music accolades. Maple Run Band keep the Old-School Country vibe going on “Tears of a Fool”.
That aforementioned 80’s vibe, the one that is a bit Roots and a little New Wave could never be more prevalent than on the bouncy drive of “When You’re Around”. Used to Be the Next Big Thing is a great package of tunes. The songwriting of frontman Trevor Crist, the always present, perfectly filled guitar of Bill Mullins, and the harmonies of Crist and drummer Nicole Valcour really make Used to Be the Next Big Thing with present-day broad appeal. One cut tempts you, the rest of the record keep you hungry for more. (by Bryant Liggett)
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Flatland Cavalry (from Songs to Keep You Warm available as a self-release) (by Lee Zimmerman)
 
With a telling title like Songs to Keep You Warm, the Texas sextet that call themselves Flatland Cavalry prove that even a hard-bitten band can make a sound that offers comfort and assurance even in the darkest, most dire times. Granted the new EP isn’t intended as a remedy for the world’s problems, but with winter coming on, it could be considered a campfire companion to keep the cold at bay. Written by the band’s lead singer Cleto Cordero, it mostly conveys a solitary sound, one that’s both mellow and melodic given its consistent tug on the heartstrings.
 
The band — bandleader and chief lyricist Cleto Cordero, guitarist Reid Dillon, bassist Jonathan Saenz, drummer Jason Albers, fiddle player Wesley Hall, and recent newcomer utility instrumentalist Adam Gallegos — is augmented on the Songs to Keep You Warm by background vocals from special guests Ashley Monroe and Kaitlin Butts. Nevertheless, its arrangements are considerably more stripped down from those heard on their earlier efforts, Homeland Insecurity, Humble Folks, and Welcome to Countryland. Where the earlier project reflected a good-ole-boy persona well stacked with a certain country credence, the new EP comes across as both personal and profound, with the majority of the tracks — “How Long”, “Mountain Song”, “Damaged Goods”, “If We Said Goodbye”, and “Show Me Which Way to Go” included — sharing a pensive perspective underscored by remembrance and reflection.  There’s are frequent references to loneliness, heartbreak, and regret, but the music remains uncommonly beautiful throughout. Cordero has a gift for creating detailed soundscapes that not only set a scene, but allow the listener to empathize with the emotions expressed through them as well.
 
Ultimately then, Songs to Keep You Warm does all its title suggests, with a calm and caress that moots even its sadness and circumspect. It’s hard to imagine more tender trappings.  (by Lee Zimmerman)
 
 
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