Jazz Articles
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Pig In A Can: You Can't Poison A Pig
by Derek W. Brown
A while back a “nu-blues” CD entitled You Can’t Poison a Pig [Fedora FCD 8002] by an entity calling itself Pig In A Can appeared in my mailbox. Near the bottom of the front cover (in fairly small type) the listener is informed that the album contains “de-mixes featuring Harmonica Slim.” The only thing here even remotely related to the blues is Slim’s harmonica and vocals. The rest of it is a showcase for the estimable talents of one John ...
read moreDave Riley: Whiskey, Money & Women
by Alan Jones
The Dave Riley blues style is marked with equal parts authenticity and guts. With blues singer/guitarists currently available at a dime for the dozen, it is refreshing to be confronted with a dose of originality. New York’s Fedora Records seeks to keep the blues in its elliptical orbit through featuring such musicians as Riley, a fearless practitioner whose music is fueled by his own encounters with life’s blue junctures. His music is succinctly delivered through meaty crunch chords, layered precision ...
read moreArthur Williams and the Bluesmasters: Harpin' On It
by Ed Kopp
Here's a danceable, soulful blast of harmonica-driven blues from Arthur Williams and the Bluesmasters. Harpin' On It offers up a succession of jumpin', jukin' tunes that showcase the leader's funky harmonica and all-out vocals. Factor in Bob Lohr's fast-pumping piano, and the boogie really burns on this one.Born in Mississippi, 61-year-old Arthur Wilson was tutored by Little Walter and played with Chicago blues legends Elmore James and Muddy Waters. Williams returned to the Delta in the late '50s ...
read moreU.P. Wilson: On My Way
by Ed Kopp
Ace Texas guitarist U.P. Wilson had some ups and downs in 1999. One of U.P.'s biggest ups was the re-release of his great 1988 album On My Way. His biggest down was spending the first month of the year behind bars. Wilson was arrested in May 1998 for possession of crack cocaine and served a six-month sentence at John R. Lindsey State Jail in Texas.Hopefully Wilson has cleaned up his act, because he's an uncommon blues talent. On ...
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