For The Best Video Links In The Blues Follow Us On Twitter!

Follow @BluesRevue

Twang in Their Thang

Nashville Struts Its Blues Royalty

By Mark Goodman

I went to Nashville for the blues! That’s right, blues! Believe it or not, there is quite a contingent of blues artists in and around the Music City with people like Steve Cropper, Jimmy Hall, Delbert McClinton, Shaun Murphy, Johnny Neel, Leon Medica, and, up until a short time ago, Jason Ricci, all calling Nashville home.

I had never considered Nashville anything but the home of country music, land of cowboy hats that any decent wrangler would laugh at, outrageous boots good only for the stage, and the Grand Ole Opry.

Shaun Murphy Can Growl Like Koko Taylor and Hit Notes Few Blues Singers Can Attain

My Nashville odyssey began with a chance meeting backstage with Shaun Murphy’s manager T.C. Davis at the now defunct Clearwater Blues Festival. That meeting in a circuitous way brought me to the land of store-bought cowboys for a three-day blues blast. It kicked off Friday night with Johnny Neel, a Shaun Murphy CD release party on Saturday night, and culminated with a star-studded benefit for Tracy Nelson at B.B. King’s.

My weekend started at Bourbon Street (the nightclub, not the street in New Orleans) with Johnny Neel. Blind since birth, Neel certainly hasn’t let that interfere with his ability to play music. An alumnus of the Allman Brothers Band, he has played in other notable bands and is a well known session player and solo artist. With no shortage of fans in the house, Neel took us on a musical journey that encompassed everything from southern soul and southern rock to gut-bucket blues.

Another new arrival in town was Portland blues singer Cee Cee James. James is looking to relocate to Nashville to put her closer to the east coast blues scene. The first time I heard her on XM radio, I thought I was hearing a long buried and unfamiliar Janis Joplin song. Although she in no way tries to emulate Joplin, the similarity in style and tone is inescapable. She jumped on stage for a couple tunes with Neel, and he just happened to make the second one “Summertime,” the classic Gershwin tune that Joplin sang. James held her head down as if to say, “Here we go again.” But then she took us back in time with her diesel-powered vocals.

Cee Cee James Laid Down "Summertime" With Diesel-powered Vocals

My travel partner for the weekend, Larry Lisk, is host of WXPN’s Blues Tuesdays in Tampa and booking agent for Skipper’s Smokehouse, a favorite Tampa club. We called it a night after that performance so we could pace ourselves for the long nights to come. The older I get the less capable I am of non-stop indulgence. I now fill my time with quality indulgence more so than quantity.

After recharging the batteries, it was time for the Shaun Murphy CD Release Party at Bourbon Street. Trouble With Lovin’ is only the second solo record from Murphy, who has been involved with some of the greatest names in the business. She was the first white female artist signed to Motown Records and spent many years with Bob Seger. She will be hitting the road with him again in January. She has worked with Eric Clapton (Behind the Sun recording and tour) and performed with him at the Live Aid Concert in London. She was lead vocalist with Little Feat for almost fifteen years and her “creds” go on and on. Unfortunately, she is relatively unknown in the blues community, but I imagine that will change with the upcoming shows and CD.

The Shaun Murphy Band took the stage at Bourbon Street to a full house. Her band has gone through a metamorphosis of sorts over the last year but now looks to be the perfect combination. It seemed impossible that this was actually their first performance as a unit. The band consists of several well known session players in Nashville, including Larry Van Loon on keyboards and vocals and Larry Knight on guitar. Larry Lisk and I felt that Knight was one of the best, most tasteful guitarists we had ever heard, not one wasted note. No fill, just product! The band is rounded out with Brad LeFon on bass and David Nelson on drums.

The title of her new CD is Trouble With Lovin’, and the show we saw featured almost every song from that record and many from her first album, Livin’ With the Blues. Murphy’s vocal range rivals or surpasses anyone in blues today. She has honed her style from more than forty years of touring and session work. The shear volume and variety of people she has worked with give her an enormous repertoire from which to draw. She can growl like Koko Taylor and soar to the higher ranges few blues singers can attain.

Murphy lent her stellar band to Cee Cee James for a few tunes as if to welcome the upper west coaster to town. Joined by her husband Bob James on guitar, Cee Cee rattled the windows with her powerhouse vocals. I am definitely looking forward to seeing her on the right coast circuit in 2011.

By the end of the night, Lisk and I were in agreement that it was one of the best shows we had seen all year. The band was incredibly tight, and Murphy’s material and delivery were first rate.

An Alumnis of the Allman Brothers, Johnny Neel Sings Everything From Southern Rock to Gut Bucket Blues

B.B. King’s is a much larger club than Bourbon Street so I figured to have a bit more elbowroom to photograph the Sunday show. It was not to be! The club was sold out to standing-room-only capacity. This was a benefit for Tracy Nelson to help rebuild her historic farmhouse that caught fire earlier this year. The lineup was a who’s who of blues and soul artists from the Nashville area. There were even a few who were not really blues artists in their normal gig but made the step up for this special occasion.

The first to take the stage was Delbert McClinton who was supported by Reese Wynans (Stevie Ray Vaughn) on keyboards and part of Kentucky Thunder on background vocals. The lineup changed quickly with most performers only doing a couple songs, unless they were joined by another for duets.

The most notable artists in the house that night were Steve Cropper and Jimmy Hall. Cropper was joined by John Oates of Hall & Oates fame (Ironically, Darryl Hall and I went to the same high school). Jimmy Hall is not related to Darryl Hall, but in my opinion has the best southern soul voice on the planet. He is more widely known for his days with southern rockers Wet Willie and their anthem “Keep On Smilin’.” Hall has been a consistent performer on the blues festival circuit, and his last few records have been deeply rooted in the blues and soul genre.

Complementing Shaun Murphy’s and Cee Cee James’ feminine blues vocals were Kentucky Thunder, a powerful vocal presence throughout the evening in their set and with other artist on backing vocals. Their four-part harmonies and multiple lead vocals had the crowd cheering in support. Leroy Parnell, better known in country circles, showed he can bend the strings with the best of them. Sporting a Les Paul instead of the Nashville standard Telecaster, Parnell delivered a blistering solo-laden blues set.

Some of the performers that I was seeing for the first time blew me away as well. Ricky Godfrey, a guitar/vocalist from Nashville, made me realize there are a phenomenal number of blues artists unknown to most mainstream blues fans. Another was J. Edwards. His vocals just dripped with heartache and pain, and he is no slouch on the six-string either. Edwards, unlike most of the performers at the show, is from North Carolina, not Nashville.

The backstage area was crammed with artists who were either catching up with old friends or crowding the door to see who was doing what on stage. It reminded me of the Blues Music Awards, but without all the fancy clothes. It was a laid-back affair when it came to attire. The talent, however, was top notch. There were many artists and industry people in the audience as well. I’m probably wrong, but I could have sworn I saw Stephen King there. If it wasn’t, it was a remarkable resemblance.

Gina Hughes, with the help of others, put together the event. They did a great job of coordinating and promoting the benefit. This was a beautiful example of how the blues family comes together to help one other out. There were a number of sponsors who donated guitars and artwork for a live auction. These were not second-rate instruments, but American-made Fender and Gretsch guitars. One was a custom-painted and signed acoustic that commemorated the event with a picture of the farmhouse and Tracy Nelson’s name. As with any good benefit, the items drew top dollar, far above their retail price.

To cap this wonderful gathering of the blues community, Tracy Nelson took the stage for the finale. I had forgotten what a truly wonderful vocalist she is. The crowd was unusually quiet during her performance as if to show their respect for such a gifted singer. The monetary returns may have been only a token of her needs, but the outpouring of support from her peers, friends, and strangers couldn’t help but bolster the spirit and give her hope for the future.

Mark Goodman is a contributing editor to BluesWax. Tell Mark your Nashville blues story in the Comment field below.

Several Artist In This Story Are Appearing Live In The Juke Joint

 Click Here To View Their Videos 

This Week’s BluesWax

In The Ezine:

“I think of all my songs as children; some naughty, some well behaved.” Vince Abbate profiles Todd Sharpville who stands poised to break big in America with his new CD Porchlight supported by high profile artists Kim Wilson and Joe Louis Walker.

Blues News:

BluesWax is your click to pick for up-to-the-minute news from the folks who bring you “The World’s Blues Magazine,” Blues Revue. We have combined forces to bring you the most comprehensive and up-to-date information and stories about The Blues. Read more…

Blues Bytes:

Will Eric Clapton do another Crossroads Guitar Festival? Bob Putignano addresses that question as he walks you through sets by guitarists as disparate Jeff Beck and Sonny Landreth in his review of this two-DVD set.

Blues Beat:

And you thought Nashville was all about black hats and barking dogs. Mark Goodman gives us a rare look into a celebrity-packed weekend of blues royalty, including a sold-out Tracy Nelson benefit at B.B. King’s.

BluesWax Photo & Video Page:

Mark Goodman shows you a side of Nashville you may not have known exists.

BluesWax Picks:

Richard Ludmerer reviews Kenny Neal’s Hooked on Your Love, Rick Galusha reviews Chris James and Patrick Rynn’s Gonna Boogie Anyway, and Steve Daniels reviews Les Copeland’s Don’t Let The Devil In. Also reviews of CDs by Jimi Hendrix and Downchild and The Best of Soul Train DVD.