Ben Sidran

Part One

Always the Positive Philosopher

 By Robert Putignano

Pianist and vocalist Ben Sidran is from and still resides in Wisconsin. In the early 1960s, he played with Steve Miller and Boz Scaggs in a band called the Ardells at the University of Wisconsin. After Miller moved to San Francisco and signed with a Capitol Records, Miller called on Sidran to join him in the Steve Miller Band. Sidran played keyboards and wrote songs on several Miller albums beginning with Brave New World in 1969, co-writing the classic “Space Cowboy.” Sidran received a Ph.D. in philosophy/musicology, writing his doctoral thesis on African-American culture and music in the United States. The thesis was published to positive critical responses in 1971 as “Black Talk.” Around this same time Sidran was signed to Capitol and released his debut Feel Your Groove with Blue Mitchell; members of Humble Pie, including Peter Frampton; Jesse Ed Davis; Boz Scaggs; Charlie Watts, and others. Sidran then signed with Tommy LiPuma at he classic Blue Thumb Records and delivered three very memorable recordings that included sidemen Phil Upchurch, Clyde Stubblefield, Steve Miller, and a return call to Blue Mitchell, amongst countless others.

Through the years, Sidran and Steve Miller continued collaborating from time to time on one another’s recordings. In 1988, Sidran co-produced one of Miller’s latter-day recordings, Born 2B Blue, that attracted strong critical reviews and a nationwide tour. Sidran also produced recordings for Mose Allison, Diana Ross, and others, and joined forces with Van Morrison and Georgie Fame on a tribute album, The Songs of Mose Allison: Tell Me Something, from 1996, and continued making solo albums. Additionally, Sidran has hosted TV programs on VH1, radio shows on NPR, wrote several books, and continues to write about the music he loves.

I caught up with Ben just as he was going to perform at the Jazz Standard in New York City, and as he just released his latest album, Don’t Cry For No Hipster, on his own Nardis (Sidran spelled backwards) label. More details at www.BenSidran.com.

Bob Putignano for BluesWax: Ben, how are you?

Ben Sidran: Doing well! Great to be back with you Bob.

BW: It’s always a pleasure having you back on board, my listeners love you, I love you, and I’m happy to see you continue to evolve and put out good music like you’re a teenager.

BS: I know, it’s just a bad habit of mine. [laughs]

BW: And you’re hanging back in New York City, are we going to the Seventh Avenue South Club tonight?

BS: Oh man, those were the days!

BW: During the Seventies I lived about a half block away from that legendary club, and (mostly on the weekends) it was my final pit stop to catch great music very late at night.

BS: And you got home really late too… All of the great musicians would be there.

BW: Yeah, the Brecker Brothers, Jimmy Heath, you, and so many others.

BS: We’ve got those memories, that’s the important thing.

BW: Speaking of those times, I did recent Internet research on the great radio station WRVR, and was surprised that there wasn’t much info available.

BS: Really? It’s a long time ago that WRVR was such a force, and we’re all not getting any younger, that’s for sure. But remember, time is not something we move through, time moves through us. So stay healthy, keep swinging, and we’ll be in good shape.

BW: I hope so. Going forward, your new CD, Don’t Cry for No Hipster, came out real well.

BS: Thank you!

BW: And you have a nice band coming to New York City next week.

BS: Yeah I’ve got the Hipster Band: John Ellis, Will Bernard, my son Leo on drums, mostly the same group that’s on the new disc. The band is from Brooklyn and I like to tease them about what a real hipster is from forty-fifty years ago. They think their hip now, but I tell those guys, “You really don’t understand!” [laughs]

BW: I find myself telling younger people similar stories, and feel like my father from time to time.

BS: There’s no way out Bob.

BW: But back to your new recording, this one really hit me in a very good way.

BS: I tell you what, I’m hearing the same thing from a lot of people. I think part of the reason is that it was so easy to record this album and we had a lot fun doing it. We recorded the entire album over a couple of days. I had all these tunes written in advance and they were all about a certain state of mind, and it just flowed from there. The lyrics and grooves were fun, too.

BW: There’s definitely a more breezy and light-natured feel to this one.

BS: Yeah, somebody told me that this record could be categorized as “Yacht Rock.” I’ve never head that term before and had to look it up. It’s like rich kids listening or performing music on their father’s boat.

BW: If they only knew…

BS: Right, if they only knew. I wouldn’t go on any yacht that would have me.

BW: And you are still writing books?

BS: The last one, There Was a Fire: Jews, Music, and the American Dream, took so long to write and was so hard for me to do, so as soon as I was done with it we went into the studio and the music just flowed out of me. So the music was a different outlet, still words with a groove behind it as opposed to all the research I did for the book. Partly I owe this record because of the last book.

To be continued…

Bob Putignano is a senior contributing editor at BluesWax, a contributing writer at Blues Revue, and the heart and soul of Sounds of Blue.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jA6shappUw

Ben Sidran

“Don’t Cry For No Hipster”

From Don’t Cry For No Hipster

Video Records in Paris, France

November 2012

BONUS!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOH8WEqWSHI

Ben Sidran, Georgie Fame, Van Morrison, Mose Allison

“Tell Me Something”

]]> http://bluesrevue.com/2013/04/the-ezine-ben-sidran-part-one-4-26-13/feed/ 0 http://bluesrevue.com/2013/04/the-photo-page-frederikshavn-bluesfestival-4-26-13/ http://bluesrevue.com/2013/04/the-photo-page-frederikshavn-bluesfestival-4-26-13/#comments Fri, 26 Apr 2013 17:31:33 +0000 Chip Eagle http://bluesrevue.com/?p=23287 Frederikshavn Bluesfestival

Frederikshavn, Denmark

November 7, 2012

Photos by Aigars Lapsa

The acclaimed blues photographer Aigars Lapsa sent us some wonderful photographs from what he tell us in the “Best Blues Festival in Denmark.” Looking at his photos, we can’t argue!

As always, our photographers share their work with you for your enjoyment. If you wish to share or use them for any other purpose, please contact the photographer or our offices.

Enjoy!

There’s a Time

Reference Recordings

BluesWax Rating: 10 out of 10

TITLE

Two years after his last release, the lauded Brand New Eyes, troubadour Doug MacLeod returns with a set of thirteen tunes that emphasize his versatility and expertise in singing, acoustic guitar artistry, and storytelling. This album is proof that MacLeod’s seven nominations in the last eight years by the Blues Foundation for the Blues Music Award as Acoustic Artist of the Year are well deserved.

Abetted by consummate professionals Jimi Bott on drums and Denny Croy on bass, MacLeod cavorts, cogitates, and emotes. Consistent with his many records, the songs are originals and are based on his personal experiences (with the exception of “My Inlaws Are Outlaws,” which Doug asserts is “the only song I’ve written that’s not true!” His family will be relieved). They run the gamut from belly-laugh hilarious to eerily spooky to mesmerizingly poignant, an impressive variety that he handles deftly.

The first four songs perfectly demonstrate MacLeod’s range in performance and composition. “Rosa Lee,” the jaunty opener, is a smug tale about a woman of the night with a special fondness for the singer: “I know you gotta pay, but I get her for free.” It’s followed by “Black Nights,” a wrenching blues song about a painfully unsatisfying relationship. (It’s not Charles Brown‘s classic song, “Black Night,” but it’s equally good.) MacLeod’s vocal is moving, and his finger-picking (on his Gibson named “Little Bit”) is dazzling.

Rising from the depths of despair, we next have “The Up Song,” in which Doug advises us to “loosen up, lighten up,” and do every other kind of up, but “don’t give up!” Ribaldry ensues with the risible lament that “My Inlaws Are Outlaws”; we’re not halfway through the album and have already enjoyed the range of blues emotions and MacLeod’s wide-ranging talents.

There are more highlights. (In fact, there is never a let-down.) “The Entitled Few” is a scathing satire of the economic 1%, and “Dubb’s Talking Religion Blues,” one of MacLeod’s ongoing series of talking blues tunes over several albums, is a similarly tart take-down of intolerant religious fundamentalists. In several of the songs, as in past albums, Doug delves into superstition, the supernatural, and the inexplicable: “Run with the Devil,” “Ghost,” and “The Night of the Devil’s Road.” In fact, the shivers that the latter song sends up my spine echo the feeling that I get when listening to similar works by seminal blues greats Blind Willie Johnson and Skip James…and that’s high praise indeed. The effect is augmented by MacLeod’s evocative vocals, including his frequent forays into the field of falsetto.

This CD was recorded live, without overdubs. The sound is crisp and the instrumentation is pristine, without frills or pretention. The liner notes include informative biographies of the three musicians and MacLeod’s brief but enlightening descriptions of the provenance and tunings of each song.

Even if you have never heard MacLeod before, you will end up delighted by the breadth and skill of this CD, and its intimacy will probably induce you to think of Doug MacLeod as a new friend. We old friends are equally delighted. If this album isn’t acclaimed by many as best acoustic album of the year, I will be stunned.

Steve Daniels is a contributing writer at BluesWax.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWAN0fCEIMU

Doug MacLeod

“The Entitled Few”

From There’s A Time

March 14, 2013

The Bing Lounge for KINK

BONUS!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4agIdfU_n0M

Doug MacLeod

Promo Video for 2012 Los Angeles Guitar Festival

Standing In The Shadows

ManHatTon Records

BluesWax Rating: 8 out of 10

The Best of Scottish Blues

I first saw King King at the Maryport Festival in Cumbria in 2009 and remember vividly the formidable sight of giant Scot Alan Nimmo resplendent in his trademark tartan kilt making Braveheart look like the schoolboy Wee Jimmy Krankie. The audience looked petrified, fearing another Scottish invasion and that is exactly what they got from the heavy blues rockers’ high-octane performance that day.

Four years later and the release of a second album follows a succession of accolades from many quarters, including Best Album and Best Blues Band voted by readers of Blues Matters! The opening track, “More Than I Can Take,” typifies the powerful, hard-driving blues associated with the band, with its funky beat, scorching guitar solos, and uncompromising vocals. Similarly, in “One More Time Around,” Wayne Proctor lays down a torrential drumbeat, providing the perfect platform for the inventive solos from Nimmo and keyboard player Bennett Holland. Elsewhere, a discernible change of style becomes evident as the tempo slows with tracks like “Taken What’s Mine,” albeit still building up to impressive crescendos where appropriate.

You can feel the anguish, insecurity, and emotion of “Jealousy,” with Nimmo captivating the listener with the shame he feels about his lack of trust and belief. “Can’t Keep From Trying” and “Coming Home (Rest Your Eyes)” show the maturity in the lyrics, tunes, and arrangements of Nimmo and bassist Lindsay Coulson, which are reflective and yet uncomplicated. The last track is the gospel-sounding “Let Love In,” with exceptional background vocal harmonies from the Butler Family providing a real sense of spirit and occasion, a fitting end to an uplifting album.

If your expectation is a hard-rocking Alan Nimmo with attitude, then you might be disappointed despite songs like Free’s “Heavy Load.” What you do get is King King’s evolution into a more versatile, mellow, mature, and subtle band which has not lost its high-energy intensity. King King won’t be standing in the shadows, but will continue moving onwards and upwards towards claiming their rightful spot centre stage.

Dave Scott is a contributing writer at BluesWax

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9YmNnNsHsI

King King

“Jealousy”

From Standing In The Shadows

Official Video

Bonus Track!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shESO4i8C2Q

King King

Promo Video Sampler

2011 Peer Blues Festival

Belgium

Let’s Get Outta Here

Hittin’ the Note Records

BluesWax Rating: 6.5 out of 10

Sanctuary

Once a member of Cowboy, a group that recorded for Capricorn Records, Tommy Talton has had a long career during which his guitar could be found backing singers like Bonnie Bramlett, Clarence Carter, and Dickey Betts in the recording studio, plus a featured spot on Gregg Allman‘s Laid Back record. For the last six years, Talton has focused on recording his original material under his own name and doing guest spots for singers like E.G. Kight.

His latest release, Let’s Get Outta Here, features plenty of his cutting slide guitar, wistful vocals, and songs infused with Talton’s positive outlook on life and love. The last two elements work to make the gentle ballad “Make It Through the Rain” an appeal for sticking with love to ease the pain of life. Talton doubles on acoustic and an electric guitar run through a Leslie speaker. The rhythm section of Frankie Nattola on bass and David Keith on drums appear on half of the album. “Dream Last Night” is another subdued track as Talton ponders the merging of visions and reality with a graceful vocal underscored by his flowing slide work. Some delicate acoustic picking by Talton tempers the pain of lost love on “Recent Rain.”

Talton also understands that the state of the human condition has changed, a point driven home on “Where is the World,” with the leader’s guitar and Chuck Leavell‘s piano serving as beacons calling us to the light. And when Talton unleashes his slide on “Sunk Down in Mississippi” with Nattola and Keith behind him, the disc takes on a rockin’, bluesy groove that ponders the price of infidelity. Things keep rolling on the aptly named “If Your Attitude if Funky (Nobody Wants Your Monkey).” Bill Stewart pushes the beat and the dynamic horn section consisting of Chad Fisher on trombone, Shane Porter on trumpet, and Brad Guin on sax add the exclamation points behind strong contributions from Kelvin Holly on electric guitar and NC Thurman on the clavinet. David Pinkston‘s steel guitar brings a touch of twang to “Half of What She Is (Is All I Can Hope To Be),” with another member of Cowboy, Scott Boyer, joining Talton for some exquisite vocal harmonizing.

The horns brighten up the title track, a breezy tune made to be listened to on a summer’s drive with the top down. Talton fires off a nimble-fingered solo before switching to slide on “You Can’t Argue With Love,” lending a menacing tone to a song celebrating the power of love with Red Young on piano and organ, plus Brandon Peeples on bass. “Slacabamorinico” is a rousing celebration, New Orleans style, with the horns getting a chance to stretch out. With Boyer, Leavell, and Stewart on hand, the song serves as a brief Cowboy reunion.

The disc finishes with a brief audio clip of Talton’s late mother, Julie, reminiscing about her life, which leads into a tribute to Levon Helm titled “Give a Little Bit.” Talton handles all of the guitar parts, ripping off an impressive solo, and his robust vocal is a highlight. Tony Giordano lends a hand on keyboards and harmony vocal.

While there are plenty of fine moments on this recording, Talton’s musical universe offers little in the way of blues influences. If you are looking for a change of pace from traditional 12-bar blues or over-driven rock/blues records, this one offers a worthy sanctuary to calm your soul.

Mark Thompson is a contributing writer at BluesWax.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ne6C4ddgVzw

Tommy Talton

“Slacabanoninico”

From Let’s Get Outta Here

March 3, 2013

B.B. King’s

Not sure which one.

Bonus!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsR33f-XVsQ

Tommy Talton

Promotional Video For

Let’s Get Outta Here

What The Hell Is Goin’ On?

Perpetual Obscurity

BluesWax Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Superpowers

What The Hell Is Goin’ On? indeed! This twelve-song follow-up album to his 2010 release, Pimps and Preachers, is composed entirely of cover songs. This is not your typical cover album though, as they are mostly all rather deep cuts. I have to admit though, while tapping into topics such as love, infidelity, broken relationships, revenge, and loneliness, they all fit in Thorn’s wheelhouse quite comfortably.

From the 1973 Buckingham/Nicks album, “Don’t Let Me Down Again” is approached by Thorn in a more countrified manner with a slower tempo than the original, thus allowing the riff to really soak in and take hold. This I really liked. I still kind of missed Stevie Nicks on vocals though. Although I appreciate and enjoy the Thorn’s rendition of Buddy Miller’s “Shelter Me Lord,” I prefer the original version a little better. This one is somewhat of a contemporary gospel song to be sung with catastrophic events in mind. Background vocals provided by the McCrary Sisters, along with the organ accompaniment by Michael Graham, give Thorn’s version a little boost of “church” that interestingly blends in with some nice swampy slide work by Bill Hinds.

Thorn journeys to unusual places to find love and retribution. This is one my favorite traits of his. Whether he’s writing the song or choosing one to cover, he doesn’t take the heavily traveled path. Take his cover of Ray Wylie Hubbard’s “Snake Farm.” The music is heavy on the slide, with a little echo to set an eerie tone. The song itself is country-quirk. It’s a song of affection about a tattooed woman named Ramona, who works at the Snake Farm reptile house, likes beer and loves the U.K. band The Alarm. If you listen closely to this one, you can almost hear the rattlesnakes in a faint, repeating sped-up drum track toward the end.

Thorn enlists Delbert McClinton to assist with vocals on his version of Wild Bill Emerson’s “Bull Mountain Bridge.”
This catchy song is a captivating one about a redneck Klansman Bull Mountain Hawk who seeks retaliation on a local charismatic drug dealer, Stone Fox Dan for messing around with his woman. Bull Mountain Hawk’s solution is simply to break his arms, throw him in the river, and if anybody asks, tell them he committed suicide.

Questioning the reason behind today’s rampant violence, the title track, “What the Hell is Goin On?” from Elvin Bishop, features Bishop himself on guitar. The song is additionally fortified with Thorns energy and surpasses the original as far as I am concerned. Thorn and Bishop make a great team. Another artist with roots in the Sixties that Thorn chooses to cover is Paul Rogers. Taking on “Walk in My Shadow” by Free (originally on their Tons of Sobs album), the song is flipped from its original sixties electric blues format, with its faster pace and Paul Rogers vibrato infused vocals, to a more traditional electric blues. This one turns out nice. If you have ever lived in a small town and experienced rampant gossip and loss of privacy, you may just identify with “Small Town Talk,” by Rick Danko. This track sounds very much like a Randy Newman song with Thorn’s slightly nasally voice and the poppy organ melody.

My introduction to Paul Thorn was through his previous album, Pimps and Preachers. I was blown away at his ability to pen a song. And now I am aware of his superpower to dive deep and find songs that deserve to be listened to again.

Phillip Smith is a contributing writer at BluesWax.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HulJhHWTBTo

Paul Thorn

“What The Hell Is Goin’ On?”

From What The Hell Is Goin’ On?

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fFJFf0led4

Paul Thorn

“She’s Got A Crush On Me”

From What The Hell Is Going On?

On Real Life Real Music

Live at Dosey Doe

Woodlands, Texas