JAZZ reviews BLUES reviews
John Etheridge Humphrey Arthur Louis
with Liane Carroll Lyttelton
Black Cat
Break Even Bad Penny Blues
1955-1956
Black Cat Records
Dekkor Records BLACKCATCD002
DRCD027 Lake
LACD238
KS
AR
AR
Those in the know will remember the LP Arthur
It’s a partnership made in heaven and one Louis made with Clapton in the mid-seventies.
that delivers spectacularly, whathever your
What’s not to love about Humph? If you’re
I don’t know where he’s been since then but
tastes. Both Etheridge and Carrol have always
coming to this bargain priced double CD as
I do like this new CD. Black Cat blends funky
gone for the emotional jugular, but here they
a long time Lyttelton fan, or whether you’re
blues, choppy Caribbean rhythms, reggae
rein themselves in (just) enough to leave you
wiping a tear from your eye for the loss of the
wranglings and heavy rock licks to make a vital
Click on
gagging for more.
genial radio host, this is an intriguing collection
collection of material that includes reworks
of 41 songs with five previously unreleased
ALBUM COVER
of some of his early high spots like Dylan’s
Etheridge, like the billing suggests, is most to tracks from a 1955 session.
Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door alongside newer
to buy now
the fore, building to a heart-felt climax on the
stuff that sparkles.
Adderley-like soul-jazz of Sweet Emma or lithe
This era is an intriguing one in Humph’s career
and touching on You Don’t Know What Love
and jazz’s arc through Brit culture. Rock’n’roll
End Of An Era is a fragile piece heightened by
Is. But Etheridge accompanies sensitively too,
was yet to change the world forever, and Trad
delicate guitar and piano interplay, Birthday
as on the duo ballad I Got It Bad, and, while
was still king, with Humph central to all that
rocks with Arthur’s resigned vocals washing over
Carroll gets the hankie out, he gently sways
meant. But Lyttelton never tied himself tribally
some great guitar lines and title track Black Cat
over Whittaker’s swelling, Gospel-like chords on
to Trad and in the second CD in particular you
is the masterwork with it’s ethereal orchestra
Picture In A Frame.
can hear him moving toward an r ‘n’ b, more
intro skimming perfectly into a chunky, chugging
jump band style (the presence of Turner’s
ska influenced melody. And if you want an
But it’s on the rockers, Live The Life I Love alto had already caused earthquakes among
epic guitar instrumental, there’s the anguished,
and Rock Me Babe that the pair roll like that traditionalist Tradders). And in producer Joe
tortured Turning Point. Don’t ask for a favourite
proverbial wagon wheel, backed by a rhythm Meek’s presence in the studio on the hit Bad
track - there are twelve here and not a dud
section who can’t hide the big broad grin on Penny Blues, there are fragile links to rock’s
among ‘em.
their musical faces. Throw in the compulsory, future coming…
rambunctious, climactic live recording of Red
www.arthurlouis.co.uk
House and you have one splendid, let the good
But whatever the arcane history this simply
times roll album.
remains rattling good music, with Humph loving
the life and living it to the full. Remember him
Rick Vito
www.johnetheridge.com
this way… Lucky In Love –
www.lianecarroll.co.uk
www.humphreylyttelton.com
The Best Of Rick Vito
Julian Siegel Trio
Hypertension
Helge Lien Trio
HYP9268
Live At The Vortex
Hello Troll
Basho
KS
SRCD262
Ozella Music
OZ021CD Rick Vito first fell for the blues in the 1960s
AR
when he heard the Stones and Peter Green.
SH
After studying all the greats, he worked with
Siegel’s releases as leader are few and far
John Mayall, Mick Fleetwood and Bonnie Raitt
between, so make the most of this live, double
There’s clearly something in the glacial air of before making his own albums in the early ‘90s.
CD. Well, you say leader, but one of the
northern-most Europe that leads to the kind
treats of this release is that the trio work as a
of introspection that does great favours for
On this CD, he mixes big blues from John Lee
seamless organic unit. Bassist Greg Cohen and
jazz. Perhaps it’s the dark nights, the cold and
Hooker and Otis Rush with soulful offerings
drummer Joey Baron are not there just to ‘back’
the price of booze that keeps people indoors,
from the repertoire of Sam Cooke and his own
Siegel on his solo flights, instead the rhythmic
making their own entertainment, if you will,
material which ranges from the jumping jive of
and melodic baton is tossed back and forth
tinkering with the possibilities of where music
Blues Town and the rhumba rhythms of Little
(and occasionally nicked and run away with)
can go. In such climes, even the simple scope of
Sheba to the dark-rainy-night groove of Long
between the threesome with a sense of fun and
the piano trio can come out in so many ways if
Black Car. His impressive guitar playing is full
challenge that makes this release a joy from first
the playing is as sharp as the thinking.
of clean, crisp complicated licks, spot-on solos
and percussive choogling runs. John Mayall says
to last (and you can’t always say that about a 95
Hello Troll demonstrates exactly these traits. he’s “a master of the instrument, at last getting
minute set!).
Elastic opener Gamut Warning with growling, the attention he deserves” and Bonnie Raitt
Siegel has a lightness of touch, a sensitivity and
bass driven groove playing a shifting pattern of describes his style as “as cool and sharp as a
breathy, sometimes whimsical tone, but such
nine, eight and seven beats is still melodic and ’59 Cadillac”. I’ll go with that.
is the rhythmic assurance of his collaborators
pretty in a slightly unconventional way. Axis Of
that here he is confident, singing, meditative yet
Free Will is built on swelling piano chords and
www.rickvito.com
soulful. Stand-outs include the swinging One
a rippling solo over skittering drum patterns
Mint Julep, the Mingus-like energy of Stop Go
and solid base anchor. Radio stretches out its
Man, the mad-cap Haunted Waltz or indeed the
melody and shakes free of the groove, while the
opening hushed grooves of Atlantic. But every
following Troozee is urgent. Halla Troll hits free
cut has its virtues and reveal Siegel as the gentle
form and the closing In The Wind Somewhere
giant he’s long promised to be.
is as elegiac as its title suggests. Very clever stuff
indeed.
www.juliansiegel.com
www.helgelien.com
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