Bart Ryan: “Starlight And Tall Tales” (2020) CD Review

Bart Ryan is a singer, songwriter and guitarist currently based in Nashville, though originally from Los Angeles. In addition to his own solo career, he often supports other musicians on their projects (you can hear him play guitar on the latest release from Ted Russell Kamp, for example). His new release, Starlight And Tall Tales, features all original material. Bart Ryan has a talent for writing excellent lyrics. Sometimes a line will seem fairly straightforward, but speaks a powerful truth, something the listener immediately grasps and relates to, something that will stick in his or her mind. A perfect example for me comes in the album’s final track, “Desire,” the line being “And I’ve had my heart broken by every dream I ever had.” Now that is one hell of a great line. Bart Ryan has some accomplished musicians joining him on this release, including Ted Russell Kamp on bass, Matt Higgins on bass, Jim Evans on drums, Mark Kovaly on keys and backing vocals, Aubrey Richmond on violin and backing vocals, and the horn section of Jeff Byrd and Steve Smartt. Michael Mishaw and Amber Gartner provide backing vocals. As printed on the back of the CD case, this album is dedicated to “Anyone who ever stood up for someone else.”

The album opens with “Wanna Be,” a wonderful, soulful number, complete with horns, a song about reaching out to a person. “And when I reach for you/What I want to see/What I want to see/I want to see you reaching back, back for me.” There is a sweet vibe to the vocal delivery, and the song has a positive feel, as he sings “I think in just a little while, oh yeah, I think you’ll be mine.” It is interesting that he goes straight from that line to “I’m sure in a little while, oh, I’m sure you’ll be mine,” displaying a confidence that is optimistic and not overbearing. And it seems right when he says, “When are you going to see/You’re the only one for me/And don’t you know it’s true/I’m the only one for you.” That’s followed by “I’d Be A Fool,” which begins with a groovy, kind of funky bass line. This song takes a turn from the first track, showing a very different aspect of relationships and attraction. At the beginning, Bart Ryan sings, “Oh, oh, oh, I wish you’d just speak your mind/Oh, oh, oh, you know with you, it’s never clear.” And soon he says, “I’d be a fool to take you back again,” leading eventually to him admitting “I’m just a fool.”  Things get pretty damn serious when he sings, “Oh, oh, oh, maybe I should just drink poison/Oh, oh, oh, or smoke a dozen packs a day,” surprising and effective lines. I suppose that would aid him in avoiding making that mistake, but holy moly, does he have to go to that extreme? I love the backing vocalists on this track, particularly when they sing, “Tell me why.” “Half Way” is also about a woman, a song carrying a warning, his vocal delivery betraying this is coming from a place of experience and weariness. “Did you hope you could save her/Did you hope you’re the first/Well, she may be in danger/But, brother, your trouble’s worse/When you think she’s smiling/All sweetness and light/But she’s just baring her teeth/Before she bites.” This track features some good backing vocals and some powerful guitar work.

Bart Ryan then gets seriously into the bluesy rock realm with “Evil.” “Yes, I say you’re evil/I say the devil knows your name/Yeah, he sleeps in your mouth/And he moves in your veins.” Well, we all know someone we could sing this song too. “What do you love?” Bart asks, and the backing vocals repeat “What do you love?” Bart then answers for the person, “You love nothing.” At that point in the song, we should all have the same person in mind. And if you don’t have a certain racist asshole in mind yet, well, Bart Ryan becomes more explicit: “You live in a white house, but you soul’s black as tar.” Indeed. I love this song. It offers the delicious promise that people will come for him in great numbers, drag him out and bury him. “And I will put my boots on/And I will walk on your grave.” Amen to that. I wish it were happening this very moment. “Evil” is followed by “Walk Away,” a song that has a dark kind of beauty, about advice that can’t be taken: “Walk away, they all say/But I still feel your head in my hands/While you’re sleeping/And I whisper in your ear/That promises are for keeping.” This track features some beautiful work by Aubrey Richmond. Then in “Bring Out Your Joy,” Bart Ryan sings “Bring out your joy/Whatever it may be/There’s more pain in this world/Than tears in the sea.” Yes, this is another song we can all relate to. “Bring out your love and let me touch/I promise I won’t take too much/I just need a little crutch.” This is another of the disc’s highlights, a song of heart, a song of pain, a song of everyone I know. There is some really nice, expressive work on guitar too. And then the sax comes in, because a song with this much ache absolutely must include some soulful wailing on sax, and it is perfect. “I envy you your hope/I envy you your faith.”

“The Healer” has a funky, rocking vibe from the start, sounding tough, like it’s going to speak of troubles, but its lyrics speak of someone with healing abilities. “There’s always someone left to heal.” The entire country could use a healing at this point, and it had better get it too. Yet the sound of this track seems to warn us to be careful, to take care, to not entirely trust her powers. “She’ll put you together, stitch by stitch/But you’ll never be the same.” That’s followed by “Nobody,” which opens with the sound effect of rain. I always prefer to do without such sound effects, but once that fades into the background and then disappears, this song becomes a good, soulful number, one that reaches out to remind us that “Nobody, I said nobody/Nobody walks this world all alone.” Then “Tonight Tonight” is more of a rocking number, even calling out, “Hey, you rock ‘n’ roller,” urging folks to play “Because pretty soon you’ll be pushing strollers.” Ah, but not tonight. Tonight is about fun, and the guitar and horns seem to confirm it. This one takes me back to some of the 1970s rock that I grew up on. The album then concludes with “Desire,” which has a fantastic raw sound and some great lyrics, another of the disc’s highlights. Check out these lines: “Yeah, you’ll get a reward if you’re good girls and boys/But it never works out, we’re always swindled somehow/If you run into God, tell him I want mine now.” But probably the best line, as I mentioned earlier, is “And I’ve had my heart broken by every dream I ever had.” But this line also stands out: “‘Cause the worst thing in this life is to have no dream at all.”

CD Track List

1. Wanna Be
2. I’d Be A Fool
3. Half Way
4. Evil
5. Walk Away
6. Bring Out Your Joy
7. The Healer
8. Nobody
9. Tonight Tonight
10. Desire

Starlight And Tall Tales is scheduled to be released on September 18, 2020.

Steve Fidyk: “Battle Lines” (2020) CD Review

Steve Fidyk is a talented jazz drummer and composer who has played and recorded with a variety of artists, including the Army Blues Jazz Ensemble and the Jazz Orchestra of Philadelphia. He has also released a few albums as a bandleader. On his newest, Battle Lines, he is joined by Joe Magnarelli on trumpet and flugelhorn, Xavier Perez on tenor saxophone, Peter Zak on piano, and Michael Karn on bass. The album features mostly original material, written by Steve Fidyk.

He opens the album with a cover of “Ignominy,” a tune which was written by tenor saxophone player Eddie Harris and included on his 1994 release Vexatious Progressions. As you might expect, this track contains a great lead by Xavier Perez on sax, but it also contains impressive leads by both Joe Magnarelli and Peter Zak. Meanwhile that rhythm has a whole lot of movement, particularly during Peter Zak’s lead. You’d think with a title like “Ignominy,” the piece wouldn’t be as lively, fun and bright as it is. That’s followed by “Battles Lines,” the album’s title track, an original composition by Steve Fidyk, and one that moves at a great clip almost right out of the gate. At moments, it feels like it’s going to burst right out of the speakers, that it has too much energy and life to be contained within them. The bass and drums drive everything forward with an energy and joy that is nearly palpable. And if you manage to hang onto that energy for a bit, this is just the sort of thing to wipe your troubles away, mainly because your troubles won’t be able to keep up. This is a fantastic piece, and it includes a really good drum solo.

“Loopholes” is also an original composition by Steve Fidyk, opening with a good groove on bass. Soon things are loose and cool, swinging a bit, sounding like a hot day in the city when the heat somehow makes everyone friendlier and excited about nightfall, with plenty of action during the day and the promise of more to come once the sun disappears, where everyone is hip, like their conversation was written by a beat poet or a talented screenwriter, with no missteps, and with a certain sense of play. I particularly enjoy the exchanges between Joe Magnarelli and Xavier Perez, as well as that delicious rhythm. Things get a bit mellower with a cover of Dave Brubeck’s “Thank You (Dziekuje),” here written as “Thank You, Dziekuje.” It’s a beautiful piece, and Steve Fidyk does a really good job with it. Peter Zak provides some wonderful work on piano, and Xavier Perez’s lead on saxophone has a great sense of style and mood about it. Then “Bebop Operations” opens with a brief drum solo, and establishes something of a big band vibe. This track, written by Steve Fidyk, might have you soon tapping your fingers, your toes, or whatever else you have handy, for it has a great, cheerful rhythm. I am also particularly fond of Joe Magnarelli’s work here, helping to make this track one of the disc’s highlights.

When I first glanced at this album’s track list, “Bootlickers Blues” was one of the tracks I was most curious about, based on its title. Bootlickers are often in the news these days, even if they are not identified as such. It seems nearly the entire Republican Party is composed of bootlickers such as that sad sycophant Mark Meadows. But do they have the blues? Let’s hope they do this November. But of course the title has no apostrophe, so it is not that the bootlickers themselves have the blues, but that perhaps all of us have the blues because of them. Sounds right. At any rate, this is a totally cool original tune with a catchy rhythm. This one features some really nice work from Peter Zak on piano, and a lot of great drumming, making it one of my personal favorites. The band then switches gears for “Lullaby For Lori And John,” a beautiful and sweet piece, composed by Steve Fidyk in honor and memory of his parents. It is moving and engaging, particularly Joe Magnarelli’s work on flugelhorn. There is also a good lead on bass, with some gentle work on piano. The whole thing has a timeless quality, as all great romances should, right?

The bass line draws us into “Churn,” an interesting original number which has something of an exciting sound. There is an unusual kind of flow to this one, and I love the way the drum solo emerges naturally in the second half. That’s followed by a lively, joyful cover of Charlie Parker’s “Steeplechase.” This one has me smiling immediately. I love Steve Fidyk’s work on drums, and I love the motion of this track. The album’s final original composition is titled “#Social Loafing.” I know I am in the minority here, but I dislike seeing the number sign (or pound sign or hash sign) in front of words. It just looks dumb. But perhaps that is the very point here. The sign is used all the time online, and this piece is inspired by those who spend a lot of time scrolling through posts on social media, something most of us are guilty of in these days of the pandemic and social distancing and unemployment. It is an odd world, isn’t it? This track has an easygoing, somewhat relaxed pace and style, fitting for its subject. That section of drums and bass toward the end is excellent. The album concludes with a cover of “Sir John,” a tune that was composed by trumpet player Blue Mitchell, and was originally included on his 1960 LP Blue’s Moods. This rendition is kind of hopping and features great work from the entire band. There is a cool drum solo toward the end.

CD Track List

1. Ignominy
2. Battle Lines
3. Loopholes
4. Thank You, Dziekuje
5. Bebop Operations
6. Bootlickers Blues
7. Lullaby For Lori And John
8. Churn
9. Steeplechase
10. #Social Loafing
11. Sir John 

Battles Lines was released on June 26, 2020.

Sugar Ray And The Bluetones: “Too Far From The Bar” (2020) CD Review

As we move into what seems like the third year of this pandemic, who among us does not have the blues? Remember those days of going out, seeing friends, having dinner, catching a good band and drinking until we felt all right about the world? I miss the hell out of those simple things, those good old days of yesteryear. I am just thankful that bands are continuing to deliver excellent music to us on CD, to help us deal with our blues. Too Far From The Bar, the new release from Sugar Ray And The Bluetones, contains some fantastic blues, much of it with a classic feel to remove us from this less-than-ideal present. The album contains lots of original material, much of it written by Sugar Ray Norcia, with other band members contributing as well. The band is made up of Sugar Ray Norcia on vocals and harmonica. Charlie Baty on guitar, Anthony Geraci on piano, Michael “Mudcat” Ward on acoustic bass, and Neil Gouvin on drums, with Duke Robillard playing guitar on a few tracks. The disc includes liner notes by Charlie Baty and Duke Robillard.

The album opens with some good advice, “Don’t Give No More Than You Can Take,” a sort of variation on the “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” with Sugar Ray singing “Always remember, these words are true/What you do to somebody, they can do to you.” The title line is repeated fairy often on the track, driving the point home, but this song has a delicious classic sound, and features some great work on both keys and guitar, particularly during that excellent instrumental section halfway through. And then Sugar Ray delivers a great lead on harmonica. What more could you ask for from an opening track? This song is a cover, written by Lowman Pauling and originally performed by The “5” Royales, who released it on a single in 1960. The band follows that with another cover, Sonny Boy Williamson’s “Bluebird Blues.” You don’t have to wait long for some cool work on harmonica on this track. The harmonica is a strong presence right from the start, and has plenty to say throughout, and helps make this rendition stand out.

Then we start getting into the album’s original material, beginning with the title track, “Too Far From The Bar,” a fun tune about the waiter seating a party too far from the bar and so having to run back and forth between the table and the bar often. It is told from the perspective of the party, saying the waiter is too slow and seems to not understand that this is a group of serious drinkers. “If you don’t want to get behind/Bring them drinks on two at a time.” Remember those days when we could gather at a bar? Seems a lifetime ago. This band is grooving and jamming, and the track features some great work on guitar. Man, this track is making me thirsty. It was written by Sugar Ray Norcia. It’s followed by another song written by Sugar Ray Norcia, “Too Little Too Late,” a slower and seriously wonderful number, with a good amount of soul. What a heartfelt vocal performance. “Well, I never told you/What you really meant to me/And I didn’t hold you/So you never knew/What was I thinking/What did I do.” Yes, a song of regrets, and again with a great classic sound. I am particularly fond of that work on keys, which helps make this one of my personal favorite tracks. That’s followed by “Reel Burner,” a lively and grooving instrumental tune, driven by that harmonica. This one demands some volume.

“You know, I’m just crazy about you, baby” Sugar Ray sings at the beginning of “Can’t Hold Out Much Longer,” but sadly it’s an unrequited craziness. This is a Little Walter song. “Well, there ain’t but one thing, mama, that makes your daddy drink/You say that you don’t love me, and I begin to think.” Oh no. And yes, this track includes more good work on harmonica, while that great, slow rhythm keeps everything together. That’s followed by “Number And Dumb,” a song written by Sugar Ray Norcia. “I’m going to keep on drinking/I feel like getting numb and dumb,” he sings in this one. I think we all totally understand that. It seems numb might be the best way to be these days. Anything more is just too goddamn much, you know?  This song is about dealing with woman troubles, but it works just as well for dealing with the state of the country. It includes a good lead on guitar. Then we get a fun rendition of Jerry McCain’s “My Next Door Neighbor,” originally released as a single in 1957. This song is about an annoying neighbor who constantly wants to borrow stuff. What makes this version special is that totally delicious guitar work approximately halfway through. And I love Sugar Ray’s shout of “Take it home, and don’t bring it back” just before the end.

Things then get seriously cool with “What I Put You Through,” written by Michael Ward. It’s about a man looking back at his wilder days, admitting that “It never crossed my mind what I put you through.” He tells us, “I never heard you crying, and I never saw you blue.” So it’s not like he’s a bad guy, not a callous type of character. But something has caused this realization, right? And in the second half of the song, we learn just what that something is. I love that instrumental section, which features some jazzy drum work, some great stuff on guitar, plus some really cool work on bass. It is that bass line that stands out the moment the track begins. This is another of my personal favorites. That’s followed by a cover of Otis Spann’s “What Will Become Of Me,” a slower number featuring some great stuff on keys and a really good, soulful vocal performance. “Sometimes I wonder what in the world is gonna become of me/‘Cause everywhere I go, you know, man, I get the third degree.” For me, it’s that work on piano that really stands out and pulls me in, and makes this track something special.

Sugar Ray And The Bluetones deliver an excellent rendition of “I’ve Got A Right To Sing The Blues,” a song written by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler. This one has a much smoother feel, a vocal performance more in line with the crooners. The track features more great work on guitar. That’s followed by “From The Horse’s Mouth,” a more cheerful number, one to get you swaying and moving, that piano sounding so good. This track was written by Anthony Geraci. Then “The Night I Got Pulled Over,” written by Michael Ward, is an unusual one because of the vocal delivery, which is done in a jazzy spoken work style, telling the story of getting pulled over. And actually, though told from the perspective of the driver, it begins with the cop’s line, “License and registration.” This track is oddly captivating and delicious, and there is a good sense of humor about it. “Oh my/I waited/And I waited some more/I had my suspicions as to why he pulled me over/I decided I wasn’t going to keep them to myself.” That’s followed by “Walk Me Home,” which has a good groove and more great stuff on harmonica and piano. This is such an enjoyable album, from beginning to end. The album concludes with an alternate take of “Reel Burner,” to keep you energized as you head out to face whatever is left of our world.

CD Track List

1. Don’t Give No More Than You Can Take
2. Bluebird Blues
3. Too Far From The Bar
4. Too Little Too Late
5. Reel Burner
6. Can’t Hold Out Much Longer
7. Number And Dumb
8. My Next Door Neighbor
9. What I Put You Through
10. What Will Become Of Me
11. I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues
12. From The Horse’s Mouth
13. The Night I Got Pulled Over
14. Walk Me Home
15. Reel Burner

Too Far From The Bar is scheduled to be released on September 18, 2020 on Severn Records.

Little Richard: “King Of Rock And Roll” (1971/2020) CD Review

Little Richard made a comeback with his 1970 album The Rill Thing, his first release for Reprise Records. In 1971 he followed that with King Of Rock And Roll. Unlike The Rill Thing, which included a lot of original material, King Of Rock And Roll features mostly covers. But the album is a lot of fun, with plenty of great funky, soulful vibes. It is now being reissued in an expanded edition with several bonus tracks and new liner notes.

The first track, “King Of Rock And Roll,” the album’s title track, oddly begins with the sound of a crowd and a pronouncement that the king has returned from the exile to claim his throne. “King Richard is back!” Ah, no crookback king, this Richard. Little Richard bursts in with a wild and renewed energy, his ego fully intact. Wasn’t there someone else that was referred to as the king of rock and roll? Well, Little Richard mentions him here too: “Elvis Presley, have you heard the news?/I’m going to walk over your blue suede shoes.” He also mentions Ike and Tina Turner, Three Dog Night and Aretha Franklin. I particularly like those lines about Aretha: “Aretha Franklin is the queen of soul/But who wants to be the queen when you’re the king of rock and roll.” It is a goofy and totally delicious number, written by H.B. Barnum and Bradford Craig. Little Richard has a crowd around him at the beginning of the second track as well, acting like he is like a tent revival preacher, but preaching love. “Because, honey, I’m the man that started it all/The emancipator of soul/ And the king of rock and roll.” He mentions Three Dog Night in “King Of Rock And Roll,” and here covers one of that group’s most famous songs, “Joy To The World.” And once he finally gets into the song, two minutes into the track, he does a fantastic job with it, delivering a beautiful and energetic rendition. And when people start getting involved again toward the end, Little Richard actually tells them, “Shut up!” and reminds them that he is the star. And yet, somehow he can get away with it. Because, shit, he is a star, and he says it with a certain playfulness. Interestingly, he follows that with “a message of love and hope and peace.” I love that. Shut the fuck up so I can spread my message of love. Man, how can you not love Little Richard?

On The Rill Thing, Little Richard covered The Beatles, and on this album he covers The Stones, giving us a wild version of “Brown Sugar,” which was a pretty new song at that point, appearing on the 1971 album Sticky Fingers (one of the Rolling Stones’ best albums). This version is whole lot of fun, and I dig those backing vocals. That’s followed by an original song, “In The Name,” the only track on the original album written by Little Richard himself. It is a fantastic soul number, featuring some great gospel backing vocals that take this track to some wonderful heights. There is a lot of joy to this one, and it includes a nice lead on saxophone. “In the name, she called me on the telephone/She said, sweet baby, I’m coming home/I’ve been gone for such a mighty long time/And I just can’t get you out of my mind.” I love Little Richard’s delivery. He is clearly having some fun with this one. Just listen to his playful delivery of these lines: “In the name, she brought me a little joy/Now she told me I was the baby boy/Yes, she did, y’ all/Now she said that she would never leave me/Yes, she did, honey/Oh lord, have mercy on poor me.”

There are some crowd sounds at the beginning of his version of “Dancing In The Street,” like a party, as that cool beat is established. And yes, Little Richard refers to himself as the king again here during the song’s introduction. He also says, “We got the Killer, he’s here,” a reference to Jerry Lee Lewis, rock and roll’s other early wild man. And then Little Richard gets into the song, giving us a funky and fun rendition that indeed sounds like a party, the way this song should always sound when done right. This rendition includes another section with vocals and percussion, which is cool. And when that funky bass comes back in, the party is in full force, and Little Richard is riffing and enjoying himself, “You know I’m the king, honey/I’ve been doing this thing for a long time.” He follows that with an excellent rendition of “Midnight Special.”  The version I grew up on is the CCR version, so I am waiting for that drum beat to kick the song into gear after that little pause. But what Little Richard does here instead is call out “Whoo-ooo” a few times like a train whistle, and then the backing vocalists join him and soon we are solidly into the tune. What a great way to approach the song. Little Richard keeps those great vibes pumping with his rendition of “The Way You Do The Things You Do,” giving us a fun version we can dance to. There is more nice work from the backing vocalists. And again, there is a ton of joy to Little Richard’s performance. We need this right now, no question. And then the sax comes in, and things seem even better. Things get much funkier with “Green Power,” a song written by H.B. Barnum and John Anderson, and released as a single (the album’s only song to receive that honor). It didn’t do too well on the charts, but is a totally enjoyable song, one that is certain to get you moving. “Sock it to me, sock it to me, sock it to me, sock it to me.” You know, we just don’t hear the line “Sock it to me” enough these days.

On The Rill Thing, Little Richard covered “Lovesick Blues,” a song that Hank Williams made popular. On this album, he covers a song that Hank Williams wrote, “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” and delivers a sweet rendition, holding back until certain key moments. Even that “Oooo” at the end is restrained. It’s an interesting rendition. That’s followed by another song that Hank Williams recorded, “Settin’ The Woods On Fire,” which was written by Fred Rose and Edward Nelson. Hank Williams sang, “I’ll look swell, but you’ll look sweller.” Little Richard, being Little Richard, changes that to “You’ll look swell, but I’ll look sweller.” This is an energetic, lively number, a cheerful, fun song, one to just cut loose to and enjoy yourself. I love that section with saxophone and backing vocals. The original album concludes with an unusual rendition of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Born On The Bayou,” complete with spoken word section at the beginning in which he talks about making his comeback. And, if you are wondering, yes, he does refer to himself as the king in that section. Anyway, once the song gets going, it’s a pretty cool rendition.

Bonus Tracks

This special expanded edition contains six bonus tracks, all of which were included in the three-disc boxed set King Of Rock And Roll: The Complete Reprise Recordings, which was released in 2005. The first bonus track is a different version of “In The Name,” and it is truly different, this one more in the country vein, sans the backing vocalists. It does feature some great work on bass. That is followed by another Hank Williams song, “Why Don’t You Love Me,” a song I love. Clearly, Little Richard was seriously into Hank Williams in the early 1970s, and it’s kind of wild hearing him dip into country.

“Still Miss Liza Jane” is an original song, written by Little Richard. This one is unusual in the way it begins, easing in. It is nearly a minute before the band kicks in, and then the song takes on a funky rhythm. It becomes a rather simple jam, with just a few repeated lines, but it is still fun. I mean, hell, Little Richard can sell us on anything. That is followed by “Open Up The Red Sea,” a great rock and roll jam, featuring some wonderful work on piano. Again, there is so much joy in the playing. It’s kind of loose, particularly toward the end. “Mississippi” is another instrumental track, this one written by Little Richard. It is an enjoyable and funky jam. The disc then concludes with an instrumental rendition of “Settin’ The Woods On Fire.”

CD Track List

1. King Of Rock And Roll
2. Joy To The World
3. Brown Sugar
4. In The Name
5. Dancing In The Street
6. Midnight Special
7. The Way You Do The Things You Do
8. Green Power
9. I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry
10. Settin’ The Woods On Fire
11. Born On The Bayou
12. In The Name (Version 2)
13. Why Don’t You Love Me
14. Still Miss Liza Jane
15. Open Up The Red Sea
16. Mississippi (Instrumental)
17. Settin’ The Woods On Fire (Instrumental)

This expanded edition of King Of Rock And Roll is scheduled to be released on September 18, 2020 through Omnivore Recordings.