Notes from The 2017 Simi Valley Cajun & Blues Music Festival, Day One

Robby Krieger

Last year some of my favorite music-related moments of the year took place at The Simi Valley Cajun & Blues Music Festival (like seeing Leon Russell sit in with Booker T for “Green Onions,” and an absolutely joyous set by Dwayne Dopsie), and so I’d been excited for weeks now about this year’s festival. The lineup of bands for Saturday was particularly exciting, as it included Lazy Lester, The Yardbirds and Robby Krieger, as well as Dwayne Dopsie And The Zydeco Hellraisers (though they’d be doing a set on Sunday too). Basically, I had planned on spending the entire day at the blues stage. There are two stages, you see, one dedicated to the blues and one to Cajun and zydeco. I was determined to get there in time for Kelly’s Lot, who kicked off the day just after noon. I love this band, and missed their set last year because they likewise were the first band of the day and, well, I think I was still asleep. This time I managed to get there a few minutes before they started and learned that lead singer Kelly Zirbes is going to be putting out a new album soon on vinyl. So there was good news even before the music started.

Kelly’s Lot kicked off their set with “Hush Up,” the lead-off track from Don’t Give My Blues Away, which is the song that gave that CD its title. Basically every member of the band got a chance to shine on this song, with particularly good work on trumpet, keys and saxophone. They did some other songs from that album, including “Taking Time” and “Reason For The Blues” (both of which – as well as “Hush Up” – were also on Live In Brussels). In introducing “Reason For The Blues,” Kelly said, “This song is about a toxic relationship that you just can’t get enough of.” That song featured nice stuff from Dave Welch on horn, and by Perry Roberton on guitar. And of course they did some material from their excellent new album, Bittersweet, including “Mr. Chairman” and “Rise Above.” Before “Rise Above,” Kelly Zirbes joked briefly about singing Stevie Wonder’s “I Just Called To Say I Love You.”

It was a damn good set to get the day in motion, but after Kelly’s Lot was done, it was announced from the stage that Gregg Allman had died. It was known that he’d had health problems of late, but the news still came as a surprise, as death almost always does. That might have been around the time I had my first drink of the day. It was also the first time I spoke with Lazy Lester, who was kind enough to take a photo with me (later I had a short conversation with him about music, particularly about the song that was playing over the sound system at that moment between acts). When he was introduced, he was called “this young man.” And indeed when I said to my friend, “I hope I have as much as energy when I’m his age,” he answered, “I don’t have that much energy now.” Lazy Lester’s set was certainly one of the day’s highlights. Not only can the man still sing a great tune and play the hell out of a harmonica (and also play guitar), but he has a good sense of humor. Responding to the audience’s enthusiastic applause early in his set, he said, “I can’t see you, but I know you’re there.” And he joked about someone telling him he was covering a Kinks song, when of course it was the other way around. The song in question is “I’m A Lover, Not A Fighter,” which Lazy Lester recorded in 1958 and released as a single. Someone in the audience called out, asking him how old he is. Lester replied: “I’m not old. I’ve been around a long time.” He then told the crowd he’ll be 84 next month. The Bayou Brothers, who were backing him, were clearly elated, and so was I, and so was much of the crowd. I loved his version of “Sing Me Back Home,” on which he played guitar. He was joined by a washboard player for the second half of his set, and ended the set with “Jambalaya,” Lazy Lester delivering some absolutely fantastic stuff on harmonica. “Don’t ask me when I’m coming back because I haven’t left yet,” he told the crowd at the end of his set.

We had about fifteen minutes before The Yardbirds were scheduled to go on (and yes, this festival sticks very closely to its schedule), so my friend and I used the time to have some edibles and then head over to the Cajun stage to check out Big Chief Monk Boudreaux & The Golden Eagles.  Good stuff, but we only had enough time to catch part of a great jam before having to head back to the blues stage for The Yardbirds. As for The Yardbirds, there is only one original member left – Jim McCarty on drums and backing vocals. But then again, this was always a band that was changing its lineup. Even its most famous members – Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page – were each in the band for only a few years. And only one of them (Eric Clapton) was an original member. And the current lineup sounds great. They opened their set with “Heart Full Of Soul,” a hit for the band in 1965. And the set was basically a greatest hits kind of thing, including “Shapes Of Things” and “Over Under Sideways Down.” Jim McCarty sang lead on “Back Where I Started.” They ended the set with “For Your Love” straight into “Happenings Ten Years Ago” straight into “Dazed And Confused” (the last being a song that The Yardbirds had performed before Led Zeppelin did it, and featuring some great work on harmonica). The set also included a good drum solo. The encore was “Train Kept A-Rollin’” with the drums leading from that straight into “I’m A Man.” And the band really jammed during the encore.

It wasn’t until after The Yardbirds’ set that I realized the drugs had kicked in. It was a body thing at first, my legs becoming a bit gooey and not entirely to be trusted. But they did get me back to the front of the stage in time for Robby Krieger’s set. Robby started with a little tribute to Gregg Allman before going into a set of Doors material, with his son Waylon taking lead vocal duties. They kicked it off with “Break On Through,” followed by “Back Door Man” straight into “Five To One.” Unlike The Doors, this band had a bass player, giving the songs a different feel (of course, The Doors did employ bass players on some of their studio recordings). They also did “Moonlight Drive,” which is one of my favorite Doors songs, and followed it with “Wild Child.” Waylon Krieger then encouraged the crowd to come closer to the stage. The way the place was set up, which was different from previous years, there was a fenced-off area near the front for folks with some kind of special tickets called “Super Tickets,” which cost a lot more. You had to have bought one of those passes in order to get in. My friend and I had backstage and media passes, and even we were turned away from that area. The problem was that not everyone who had tickets to that area was present, so there were several empty chairs in the front, with large groups of people behind that and to the sides. And so, during “Who Do You Love,” several people accepted Waylon’s invitation to enter that area. That led to some trouble with the security folks, who then tried to remove all those people. Waylon apologized and said everyone had to go back, and eventually they did. I had mixed feelings about it, of course. The band did a nice long version of “When The Music’s Over.” Actually, by then I was seriously stoned, so I have no idea how long the song really was.

Robby Krieger did the band introductions, and then a horn section joined the band for “The Changeling,” which included a playful nod to “Chain Of Fools” and a bit of “Sunshine Of Your Love” at the end. They followed that with “Touch Me” and then “Roadhouse Blues.” During “Roadhouse Blues,” some security folks gathered near me, putting some plan into action – “You take stage right,” and so on – so something was about to go down and I was made privy to the plan, making me wonder if I should warn folks. But moments later I had forgotten all about it, as the band went into “20th Century Fox,” and I have to say that Waylon sounded just exactly right on this. When I looked away from the stage, I could sense the magic. Then looking back dispelled it, as he seems so young. He then asked for requests before the band went into “Light My Fire,” during which I was developing a mighty thirst. The band jammed on this song, as you’d expect, with the horn section delivering some wonderful stuff. That led straight into an instrumental version of “Eleanor Rigby” and then on into an instrumental version of “My Favorite Things” (a surprise, to be sure), before going back into “Light My Fire,” with bass and drum solos.  That was how the set ended; there was no encore.

Dwayne Dopsie And The Zydeco Hellraisers were a highlight of last year’s festival, and so I was excited to see them again. On this day they were playing on the blues stage (though actually they had also done a set earlier in the day on the Cajun stage), and they tailored their set accordingly, opening with “Born Under A Bad Sign,” though without Dwayne. Dwayne came on stage partway through the following tune, an instrumental. What they were doing was good, but I was itching for a zydeco fix, and as several people last year had told me not to miss Doug Kershaw (I did, in fact, miss him last year), my friend and I decided to walk over to the other stage and catch a bit of his set. There was a problem with feedback, which Doug immediately turned into a joke. Between songs there, we could hear the music coming from the blues stage, and ended up going back there to catch the very end of Dwayne’s set. Actually, he was going to do one more song, but word came from the park people that they needed to shut down, and so that was that. It was certainly an anti-climactic ending to the day, as the music sort of fizzled out, but with promises of a good tomorrow coming from Dwayne Dopsie before he left the stage.

Here are some photos from the first day of the festival:

Kelly's Lot

Kelly's Lot

Lazy Lester

Lazy Lester

Lazy Lester

Big Chief Monk Boudreaux And The Golden Eagles

The Yardbirds

The Yardbirds

The Yardbirds

The Yardbirds

Robby Krieger

Robby Krieger

Robby Krieger

Dwayne Dopsie And The Zydeco Hellraisers

Dwayne Dopsie

Dwayne Dopsie And The Zydeco Hellraisers

Dwayne Dopsie And The Zydeco Hellraisers

Doug Kershaw

Doug Kershaw

The Simi Valley Cajun & Blues Festival is held annually, and is located at 5005 Los Angeles Ave. in Simi Valley.

Mark Winkler: “The Company I Keep” (2017) CD Review

Lyricist and vocalist Mark Winkler’s new album, The Company I Keep, includes some interesting choices of covers as well as lots of good original material. And the company Mark Winkler chooses to keep on this CD includes some excellent musicians and vocalists, many of whom worked with him on his 2015 release Jazz And Other Four Letter Words, the album that turned me on to this artist. Several of these songs are delivered as duets, Winkler accompanied on vocals by folks like Jackie Ryan, Cheryl Bentyne, Steve Tyrell, Claire Martin and Sara Gazarek. The musicians backing him on this release include Jamieson Trotter on piano, Rich Eames on piano, Eric Reed on piano, Josh Nelson on piano, John Beasley on piano, David Benoit on piano, Larry Koonse on guitar, Bob Mann on guitar, Lyman Medeiros on bass, John Clayton on bass, Mike Shapiro on drums, Jeff Hamilton on drums, Kevin Winard on drums, Bob Sheppard on saxophone and clarinet, Don Shelton on clarinet, Bob McChesney on trombone, Ron Blake on trumpet, Brian Swartz on trumpet, and Paul Cartwright on violin. The music on this disc is largely positive and uplifting, which of course is something we all need these days, regardless of our personal set of circumstances. The whole world needs a lift. The whole world needs a reminder of what is really important.

The album opens with a cover of Donald Fagen’s “Walk Between Raindrops” (here written as “Walk Between The Raindrops”). I absolutely love the wonderful work on bass by Lyman Medeiros that begins this rendition. This song is presented as a duet with Jackie Ryan, and their vocals are a reason why I prefer this version to the original. And then the horns sound like they’re about to sweep us off our feet and transport us to a magical land where leaders tell the truth and hatred is a rare emotion. The horn section is made up of Bob McChesney, Ron Blake, Brian Swartz and Bob Sheppard. I’ve never been a Steely Dan fan (though I love the band’s name), but I really dig this song, which was included on Fagen’s first solo album, 1982’s The Nightfly (it was also covered by Mel Tormé). Mark Winkler includes a little nod to “Singing In The Rain” at the end of this rendition. He follows that with a Prince cover, “Strollin’” (from Prince’s 1991 album Diamonds And Pearls). This one is also presented as a duet, this time with Cheryl Bentyne (of The Manhattan Transfer), who sang on a couple of tracks on Jazz And Other Four Letter Words. This is a delicious tune (sometimes I forget just how many excellent songs Prince is responsible for). “Let’s forget about the time/Let’s relax and ease and our mind/We deserve to just feel fine.” Oddly, Mark Winkler changes the line from “Buy some dirty magazine” to “Buy some arty magazine.” Halfway through, there is a great instrumental section featuring piano and bass and percussion.

“Midnight In Paris” is a delightful tune, and yes, it seems to take its inspiration from the Woody Allen film, mentioning those folks from the 1920s – F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Pablo Picasso, Cole Porter, Gertrude Stein, Man Ray and so on. Mark Winkler and Phil Swann wrote the lyrics, and Bill Cantos wrote the music. This track features good work on clarinet by Don Shelton, and some pretty work on violin by Paul Cartwright. I particularly love the moments when they engage each other. “What is old is strangely new again/When I’m with you again.” That’s followed by “But It Still Ain’t So,” another of the disc’s highlights, written by Louis Durra and Mark Winkler, and performed as a duet with Steve Tyrell. I love Bob Sheppard’s bright work on saxophone.

I’ve said it before, and I’m sure I’ll say it again, but you can’t go wrong with Gershwin. On Jazz And Other Four Letter Words, Mark Winkler covered “Nice Work If You Can Get It,” and on this album he does “They Can’t Take That Away From Me.” This rendition features some good work on bass by Lyman Medeiros. “Love Comes Quietly” is a tender, sweet, late-night love song with some very positive, yet honest lyrics. “You and I are captured in its spell/Like in a fairytale, we only know too well/There are no ringing bells or violins/When loves come in.” It was written by Mike Mish and Mark Winkler, and features a good bass lead by John Clayton.

“Rainproof” is done as a duet with Sara Gazarek. It has a sweet and playful tone. “We’re not rainproof, but we’re stronger than the rain.” I love Bob Sheppard’s work on saxophone. “Rainproof” was written by Angela Parrish and Mark Winkler. Mark Winkler delivers a wonderful cover of “Lucky To Be Me,” a song written by Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden and Adolf Greene for the musical On The Town. I love the moment when the clarinet comes in, and the song takes on a happier tone. This song should put a smile on your face, and we can all use a reason to smile these days, right? The album then concludes with a gentle, heartfelt and positive song titled “Here’s To Life,” written by Artie Butler and Phyllis Molinary, and most famously done by Shirley Horn. On this recording, Mark Winkler is accompanied only by Rich Eames on piano. “No complaints and no regrets/I still believe in chasing dreams and placing bets/And I have learned that all you give is all you get/So give it all you’ve got.”

CD Track List

1. Walk Between The Raindrops
2. Strollin’
3. Midnight In Paris
4. But It Still Ain’t So
5. That Afternoon In Harlem
6. They Can’t Take That Away From Me
7. Stolen Moments
8. Love Comes Quietly
9. Rainproof
10. The Sum
11. Lucky To Be Me
12. Here’s To Life

The Company I Keep is scheduled to be released on May 25, 2017.

John Weeks Band: “Dark Angel” (2016) CD Review

John Weeks Band, based in Denver, delivers some good blues on Dark Angel, the band’s second release, which follows the 2014 self-titled debut. The album features all original material, written by John Weeks, Stacey Turpenoff and Danny Haynes, and these songs feature both male and female lead vocals. The band is made up of John Weeks on guitar and vocals, Stacey Turpenoff on vocals, Danny Haynes on keyboards and vocals, Stephen Whitfield on bass, and Robert Fiorino on drums and percussion.

This album grabbed my attention with its very first line, which is, “I’ve got a body in the back seat, I’m going to move it on down the road.” And the way Stacey delivers this line, kind of matter-of-factly, makes me believe her. Don’t get me wrong – she belts out certain lines in this song, including the very next line, and hell, that makes me believe her all the more. She’s a bit unhinged, this one, and might be calm one moment, and then scratching at the ceiling the next. Makes for an interesting song, I can tell you. And besides, this character may have a very good reason for doing what she’s done. The electric guitar matches that sort of energy, screaming at a certain point toward the end. There are several other lines that stand out, like “I’m driving with the top down, but I guess you can’t feel it anymore” and “Your face and my frying pan sure make a mighty fine snack.” “The Hole” was written by Stacey Turpenoff and John Weeks.

Then the second song, “The Blues Just Got More Blue,” starts with some cool, relaxed playing on piano, and Stacey’s voice is more controlled, more beautiful at the start. Of course, the energy in her voice builds from there, in volume and power, but she is starting from a very different place. And perhaps it was because of that very difference, but it was during this song that I became more interested in this album. “I never thought you’d go/And leave me so alone/But now suddenly/Since you’ve gone, it’s just me/We had so much to do/But you left too soon/The blues just got more blue.” And I like the part with the backing vocals toward the end. This is a wonderful bluesy number, and ended up being one of my favorite tracks on this album, in part because of Danny Haynes’ work on keys. Danny Haynes wrote this one. It’s followed by another that Haynes composed, “Closer To Home,” the first song of the disc to feature male lead vocals. This one has a fun, somewhat relaxed vibe, and some more nice work on keys. “Sometimes I even have no regret.”

“How Can You Love Me?” is so bloody cool right from the start. I love that bass, as well as that great work on keys, setting the stage perfectly for Stacey Turpenoff’s entrance more than a minute into the song. Her vocal delivery is so sexy. “How can you love me/When you don’t like anything that I do or that I say.” A valid question. This is another personal favorite, in large part because of Stacey’s powerful and moving vocal performance. “My friends, they don’t come over anymore/Because they all think that I’ve lost my mind.” Also, there is a great lead part on guitar in the second half of the song. And I like that this song is in no hurry. “How Can You Love Me?” was written by John Weeks. A different version of the song was included on the first John Weeks Band CD.

A song that has really grown on me is “Impossible,” written by Stacey Turpenoff and John Weeks. It has a bittersweet feel. Here is a taste of the lyrics: “And the world seems so impossible/We’re cutting time in half/We’re bringing your love back/I don’t see things your way/You don’t see things my way/Everything is so impossible.” It’s followed by “What Does It Take?” which has a peppy, fun vibe. It’s a bit goofy, a bit silly, but totally enjoyable. It was written by Danny Haynes, as was “The One,” another of the disc’s highlight. This one is interesting from the beginning, with a kind of urgent feel to the work on keys at the song’s start. Things settle down a bit when Stacey’s vocals come in. And check out these lyrics: “I’ve been trying to express myself/But each time I try, I become someone else/I’m not the one who goes to work/I’m not the one who comes home/Sometimes I’m not even the one who sits alone.” The album then concludes with its title track, “Dark Angel,” a cool blues tune written by John Weeks and featuring another really good vocal performance by Stacey Turpenoff. “Stop trying to take me back, you know that I can’t go there anymore/You make me feel so good, I just can’t let you through the door.”

CD Track List

1. The Hole
2. The Blues Just Got More Blue
3. Closer To Home
4. How Can You Love Me?
5. Devil In My House
6. Impossible
7. What Does It Take?
8. Side Number
9. The One
10. Dark Angel

Dark Angel was released on November 9, 2016.

Greg Lake: “Greg Lake/Manoeuvres” (2016) CD Review

Almost everyone can agree that 2016 was a complete disaster of a year. In addition to the horrors of the presidential election, we lost a remarkable number of excellent and influential musicians last year, including both Keith Emerson and Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Greg Lake died from cancer in December of 2016. But earlier in the year, we were treated to a special two-disc re-issue of his two solo albums, 1981’s Greg Lake and 1983’s Manoeuvres, with some bonus tracks. Joining Greg Lake on both albums are Gary Moore on guitar, Tommy Eyre on keys, Tristram Margetts on bass and Ted McKenna on drums (though several other musicians also appear on the first album). This two-disc set contains extensive liner notes by music journalist Malcolm Dome, featuring some candid thoughts by Greg Lake on these albums and on specific songs, including the bonus tracks.

Disc One: Greg Lake

The first disc contains Greg Lake’s self-titled debut solo album, along with three bonus tracks. The album opens with “Nuclear Attack,” which comes on a bit harder than what you might be used to from ELP, with a hard rock guitar kicking off the tune, and there’s a reason for that. The song was written by Gary Moore, who was Thin Lizzy’s guitarist. It’s about the unlikelihood of surviving a nuclear war. The album came out as the U.S. was entering the Reagan years, a horrible time politically. But hey, guess what, we’re once again in a seriously precarious situation, with the most unstable president in the history of the country, a man who could start a nuclear war over something said on Twitter. “Out on the streets, they’re all living in fear/You can feel their hearts pound as the moment draws near/One push of the button is all it would take/To dress the world in black/One fault in the system, a fatal mistake/And you’ll never come back from a nuclear attack.” Yup, this song is still timely, still relevant. Donald Trump is the fault in the system; I just hope he doesn’t prove to be our fatal mistake. Oh, what happened to that progress we’d been making? “Nuclear Attack” was also released as a single. Gary Moore would record his own version, including it on his Dirty Fingers album. That song is followed by “Love You Too Much,” which was also released as a single (and was also the flip side to the “Nuclear Attack” single, as well as the flip side to the German single for “For Those Who Dare”). This one is a lot more fun. It’s a good rock tune, even including a reference to “Blue Suede Shoes” (“Well, you can take me, honey, and steal my money/You can step on my blue suede shoes/’Cause I love you too much”). And there is plenty of great work on guitar. This is one of the album’s best tracks, and it was co-written by Bob Dylan. It was written by Bob Dylan, Helena Springs and Greg Lake (Greg Lake talks about it in the liner notes).

Another highlight for me is “Black And Blue.” It begins with a sweet, kind of dreamy sound. “Oh, darling, don’t stop loving me/No, I never meant to fill your dreams with heartaches/Or to send your true love crashing to the floor.” And then when the song kicks in, it has kind of a catchy pop vibe. This one was written by Greg Lake, and is one I enjoy more each time I listen to it. “’Cause no one else ever touched me the way you do/So darling, don’t you leave me, I’ll never get over you.” There is something about “Long Goodbye” that I really like. It’s a good, energetic, pulsing rock song with some decent lyrics, with lines like “You know I’ve driven all night/But the landscape screams your name” and “I know your smile’s so warm, but you’re causing grief/’Cause you’ve taken my tongue in your flashing teeth/And you’ve ruined my soul, because your love’s still out of reach.” “Long Goodbye” was written by Greg Lake, Tony Benyon and Tommy Eyre.

I am also really fond of “Someone,” which was also written by Greg Lake, Tony Benyon and Tommy Eyre. It has a quirky, strange yet delightful vibe, with a certain power. “Feeling your hunger/Ringing your number/Listening to your voice/I'm drunk and I'm calling/Tripping and falling/Wishing I had a choice.” And I love that work on keys. This might actually be the album’s best track. That’s followed by “Let Me Love You Once,” which was written by Stephen Dorff and Molly Leiken, and was released as a single. This song was recorded by Barbara Fairchild in 1976, and by Dusty Springfield, who released it as a single in 1977. The first verse of Greg Lake’s rendition is different from that of those other two versions. Yes, this song is a bit cheesier than the other tracks on this album, but it’s still a good song.

The three bonus tracks feature a different band playing with Greg Lake. And that band is Toto. Interestingly, the first song, Smokey Robinson’s “You Really Got A Hold On Me,” is one that Dusty Springfield also covered (her version appearing on 1979’s Living Without Your Love). But, according to Greg Lake in the liner notes, it was The Beatles’ rendition that inspired his version, and there are a couple of moments on this recording where he sounds very much like John Lennon. The other two bonus tracks are also covers: “You’re Good With Your Love,” which was written by Eddie Schwartz, and “Cold Side Of A Woman,” which was written by Kerry Chater and Roger Karshner. Tom Scott plays saxophone on “You’re Good With Your Love.”

Disc Two: Manoeuvres

The second disc contains Greg Lake’s second solo album, Manoeuvres, as well as one bonus track. While Manoeuvres is not quite as good as Greg Lake, there are still some excellent songs here, making it worth listening to. Interestingly, it is the second half of the album that really stands out. The album opens with its title track, a fairly solid rock song with a good vocal performance by Greg Lake. “I’m skating over thin ice tonight/I never thought it could be this cold/What you’re giving me in Fahrenheit/You’re taking back in solid gold.” It was written by Greg Lake and Gary Moore. It’s followed by a more rockin’ number, “Too Young To Love,” about being attracted to a girl who is, as he says, too young. “If making love’s a crime/I’m gonna end up doing time/There ain’t no way that you can be mine/You’re too young.”

“A Woman Like You” was written by Gary Moore, but unlike Moore’s contribution on the first album, this is actually a kind of mellow love tune, with a hint of blues. “Baby, you are everything to me/The only one I’ll ever need/Because I love you.” It’s followed by a harder rocking song, “I Don’t Wanna Lose Your Love Tonight,” which was co-written by Lake and Moore.

“Famous Last Words” was released as a single, the only single from the album, and the only cover. It was written by Chris Bradford, Andy Scott and David Most. It’s not a bad song, but it’s kind of cheesy and is certainly not my favorite track. The following track, “Slave To Love,” is a more interesting song, particularly with that guitar work. Plus, I really like the lyrics to this one. “You may have a dream or second sight/Yesterday’s hero or a star overnight/Walking on the water, there’s no land in sight/You’re just a slave to love tonight.” This is one of my favorite tracks, and it’s followed by “Haunted,” which may be my very favorite track. It features, for me, Greg Lake’s strongest vocal performance of the album. It’s a captivating song. “Lonely and empty/I'm searching for laughter/For memories brought alive/Places and faces and traces of you.”

On the original vinyl release, “It’s You, You Gotta Believe” was placed as the first track on the second side. And on earlier CD releases, it was put in the same position (as the sixth track). But on this CD release, for some reason it is placed as the last track. Wherever it is placed, it is another of the album’s highlights. Check out these lines: “You look for a friend/There ain't one in the end you can turn to/Somehow you learn to/Fight like a storm from the day that you're born/You duck and you dive/But it's all for nothing/Nothing's for nothing/Must realize it is just a disguise/That they wear/Nobody cares.”

The bonus track is “Hold Me,” and while the bonus tracks on Greg Lake were all written by other people, this one was written by Lake. It is a love song that is a bit on the cheesy side. “Oh, help me/Because I need your love so badly/You know I love you madly/I’m so in love with you.”

CD Track List

Disc 1

1. Nuclear Attack
2. Love You Too Much
3. It Hurts
4. Black And Blue
5. Retribution Drive
6. Long Goodbye
7. The Lie
8. Someone
9. Let Me Love You Once
10. For Those Who Dare
11. You Really Got A Hold On Me
12. You’re Good With Your Love
13. Cold Side Of A Woman

Disc 2

1. Manoeuvres
2. Too Young To Love
3. Paralysed
4. A Woman Like You
5. I Don’t Wanna Lose Your Love Tonight
6. Famous Last Words
7. Slave To Love
8. Haunted
9. I Don’t Know Why I Still Love You
10. It’s You, You Gotta Believe
11. Hold Me 

Greg Lake/Manoeuvres was released on February 5, 2016.

Kwame Binea Shakedown: “Roots Rock N Universal Love” (2017) CD Review

Roots Rock N Universal Love, the first full-length CD from Kwame Binea Shakedown (the band released an EP in 2015), is some delicious pop and rock music with plenty of soul running through it and lots of positive vibes. It’s exactly the kind of thing to raise your spirits during these dark, completely screwed up political times. Most of the songs on this album are originals, written by Kwame Binea and Justin Wilcox. Kwame Binea Shakedown features Kwame Binea on vocals, Justin Wilcox on guitar and backing vocals, Medley Shabazz on drums and backing vocals, Art Vanterpool on guitar, Phil Bassaragh on bass, Kengo Yamada on saxophone, Brian Varneke on trumpet, Daron Jonathan on keys, Jerry Ramos on keys, and Charles Mack on keys. Dietrice Bolden and Jindai Joseph provide backing vocals. The album was produced by Vernon Reid (yes, of Living Colour). Born in West London, Kwame Binea now lives in New York, where the band has done many of its shows. And after listening to this CD, I have to imagine this group puts on one hell of a live show.

The album gets off to an excellent start with “Ain’t Your Woman,” which is a kind of funky rock gem. Man, I love those horns. And that thumping rhythm should put a smile on your face and get your feet to moving. And check out the energy and joy in Kwame Binea’s vocals. “Ain’t Your Woman” is followed by “Far Away,” another energetic tune with a funky edge and some really good work on drums. If you’re into Stevie Wonder’s more rowdy and spirited material, you will certainly dig this. “Work and work, we break our backs for someone else/And for what, so they can risk our health/So in this life you can’t let no one in your way.” This song is dripping with power. There is more great drumming on “Setting Sun.” “Come on down for the setting sun/This could be the last one.” Feels that way these days, doesn’t it?

Then in “Love Surreal,” Kwame Binea sings, “They say love, when it comes, it takes control/I’d play the fool for you, roam the earth if you ask me to.” Oh yes, I know the feeling – best feeling in the world. This song comes on strong and features some good work on guitar. “Love Surreal” was written by Vernon Reid and Kwame Binea. It is followed by “Mona Lisa,” which has a delicious bass line and a bit of a Santana vibe in the guitar work and the percussion.

I dig the groove of “Back To You,” a song about regretting letting a relationship go. “Like a fool, I took her for granted/Now she’s gone/And now I know that I won’t find anyone better than you.” Now that he’s realized that, he’s willing to do whatever it takes to get the woman back, even getting on his knees. This tune features more good work on horns. “John James Poe” has a great funky energy. “He’s a liar/Make you think he cares for you/Don’t let him in, no no no no no no no/He’ll take and take and take and take ‘til there’s no more.” Yup, sounds about right. The album then concludes with its sole cover, Jimmy Cliff’s “Universal Love (Beyond The Boundaries),” here simply titled “Universal Love.” This is a perfect song to revisit now, and Kwame Binea Shakedown does a great job with it. “Go beyond religious boundaries/And beyond political boundaries/Yes, beyond commercial boundaries/And beyond sexual boundaries/Yes, beyond racial boundaries/Universal love.”

CD Track List

1. Ain’t Your Woman
2. Far Away
3. Setting Sun
4. Love Surreal
5. Mona Lisa
6. In Your Eyes
7. Back To You
8. World On Fire
9. John James Poe
10. Universal Love

Roots Rock N Universal Love is scheduled to be released on May 30, 2017.

Paul Kelly & Charlie Owen at The Hotel Café, 5-19-17 Concert Review

Paul Kelly & Charlie Owen performing "Pretty Bird Tree"

Friends, life is fine. Paul Kelly says so, and I believe him. At least, it’s fine while listening to some great music. Music really has a magical way of putting things into a brighter, more positive perspective. Paul Kelly & Charlie Owen put on a wonderful concert last night at The Hotel Café in Los Angeles, with a little help from Paul’s daughters, Memphis and Madeleine. The show was sold out, and the audience was definitely into the music. Crowds at The Hotel Café are not always the most attentive, but last night’s audience was there to listen and enjoy the music, and these folks were respectful. The music put me in a ridiculously good and positive mood, and it seemed to do the same for the others present.

After a seriously good opening set by Cat Clyde (I should pick up her CD at some point), Paul Kelly took the stage at 7:47 p.m., opening with one of Shakespeare’s sonnets, Sonnet 30. Paul Kelly released a Shakespeare-themed album last year titled Seven Sonnets & A Song, which combines my two biggest passions in life: Shakespeare and music (okay, the Red Sox are up there too, a close third). Interestingly, Sonnet 30 is not included on that disc, but it’s certainly a good one. Here is its closing couplet: “But if the while I think on thee, dear friend,/All losses are restor’d, and sorrows end” (though Paul delivered it as “All losses are restor’d, all sorrows end”). He performed it a cappella. Then Charlie Owen joined him on keys for “Hard Times,” the lead-off track from their CD Death’s Dateless Night, which was also released last year. Toward the end of the song, Paul played harmonica.

Memphis and Madeleine Kelly then joined them on stage, Paul mentioning it was their first time performing in Los Angeles. He then talked about his two 2016 releases, indicating that the focus of the first half of the concert would be music from those two CDs. He said they would also do “some older songs that we think fit the mood of the night.” They then did Townes Van Zandt’s “To Live Is To Fly,” which follows “Hard Times” on Death’s Dateless Night. Memphis sang backing vocals. Madeleine played keys on this song, as well as providing backing vocals, while Charlie switched to dobro. I love this song, and they did an excellent, moving rendition of it at this show.

Charlie switched back to keys for “Pretty Bird Tree,” also from Death’s Dateless Night. Interestingly, they basically played the songs in the order they’re in on the album (though didn’t do every song from it). Paul played electric guitar on this one, and Memphis and Maddy provided backing vocals. In introducing “Pallet On The Floor,” Paul said: “Some people say it was written by W.C. Handy, father of the blues. It’s ‘Pallet On The Floor.’ But I think it goes farther back than him.” He also mentioned it was one of the first songs he learned to pick on the guitar, joking “I’m still learning how to pick it.” And there is certainly humor to this song, as he sings, “Make it soft, make it low/I swear he’ll never know/When your good man comes, I swear he’ll never know.” The audience appreciatively applauded Charlie’s work on dobro.

Paul introduced “Nukkanya” by saying, “This next song I wrote my very own self.” It’s a song that was originally on his Wanted Man album, as well as on Death’s Dateless Night. Memphis and Maddy sang backup, but it was on the next song, Cole Porter’s “Don’t Fence Me In,” that they really had a chance to shine, and their wonderful voices helped make this tune one of the set’s highlights. My favorite songwriter is Leonard Cohen, and Paul Kelly and Charlie Owen covered “Bird On The Wire” on the CD, and performed it last night. In introducing it, Paul said: “I had the honor and the pleasure of working with this gentleman, the gentleman who wrote it, a few years back, and what a gentleman he was. He says, ‘There’s a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.’” I had the great pleasure of meeting Leonard Cohen once, and I too found him to be a gentleman. I was struck by how kind and courteous he was. Anyway, Paul Kelly and Charlie Owen did a great job with “Bird On The Wire” last night, Charlie on keys. They followed that with “Let It Be,” featuring more wonderful work by Paul’s daughters on backing vocals. Charlie’s synthesizer sometimes was a bit overpowering, but it was otherwise a good rendition.

Paul Kelly and Charlie Owen then switched from Death’s Dateless Night to Seven Sonnets & A Song, performing three sonnets in a row, beginning with Sonnet 60. In this rendition, he sang the sonnet twice, the second time through with Madeleine echoing him. It was a compelling interpretation. They followed that with Sonnet 73, with Memphis providing backing vocals. This one has a much happier and brighter sound. They then did Sonnet 18, which is probably the most famous of all the sonnets. It’s like Shakespeare’s hit single. You know it; it’s the one that begins, “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?/Thou art more lovely and more temperate.” Paul sang it twice through, jokingly referring to Herman’s Hermits, “Second verse, same as the first.”

They then dipped into some of Paul Kelly’s older material. The moment he began “To Her Door,” the audience went wild, and sang along. Charlie delivered some really nice work on dobro. Charlie switched to keys for “The Pretty Place,” and at one point was cracking me up, playing a single note then lifting his hands as if to say, “There.” Paul played harmonica on this one. They followed that with “Deeper Water,” another of his well-known songs. One of my favorite Paul Kelly albums is 2012’s Spring And Fall, and last night they did one of that album’s best tracks (maybe the very best, actually), “Time And Tide.” On the album, Vika and Linda Bull provide backing vocals. Last night Paul’s daughters did a wonderful job with it. Then, in introducing “Careless,” Paul said it was now “one of my favorite parts of the night – potato and avocado time.” And his daughters held up shakers that looked like a potato and an avocado. This was another that the audience recognized immediately. It’s on his Greatest Hits: Songs From The South Volumes 1 & 2.

They then played a new song, “Life Is Fine,” which Paul told the crowd was based on the Langston Hughes poem. As he had set some of Shakespeare’s sonnets to music, here Paul Kelly set a Langston Hughes poem to music. “Life is fine! Fine as wine! Life is fine!” Indeed it is. At least it certainly seemed so while I was at this show. And they followed that with two audience favorites, “How To Make Gravy” and “Dumb Things.” "In the middle of a dream/I lost my shirt, I pawned my rings/I've done all the dumb things." They then wrapped up the set with “Meet Me In The Middle Of The Air,” a song that was included on both Foggy Highway and Death’s Dateless Night.

Paul Kelly came back on stage to begin the encore by himself, playing “Little Aches And Pains” without Charlie or his daughters. “Little Aches And Pains” is from the beautiful Spring And Fall. Charlie, Memphis and Madeleine then returned for “Cities Of Texas” and “From Little Things Big Things Grow.” I love “From Little Things Big Things Grow,” and from the audience’s reaction, it seems I am far from alone. A lot of the crowd sang along, and cheered certain lines at the end. “How power and privilege cannot move a people/Who know where they stand and stand in the law.” The show ended at 9:23 p.m.

Set List

1. Sonnet 30
2. Hard Times
3. To Live Is To Fly
4. Pretty Bird Tree
5. Pallet On Your Floor
6. Nukkanya
7. Don’t Fence Me In
8. Bird On The Wire
9. Let It Be
10. Sonnet 60
11. Sonnet 73
12. Sonnet 18
13. To Her Door
14. The Pretty Place
15. Deeper Water
16. Time And Tide
17. Careless
18. Life Is Fine
19. How To Make Gravy
20. Dumb Things
21. Meet Me In The Middle Of The Air 

Encore

1. Little Aches And Pains
2. Cities Of Texas
3. From Little Things Big Things Grow 

Here are a few photos from the show:

"Don't Fence Me In"

"Careless"

"Life Is Fine"

"Meet Me In The Middle Of The Air"

end of set

And here is a shot from Cat Clyde’s set:

The Hotel Café is located at 1623 N. Cahuenga Blvd. in Los Angeles.

Cowbell: “Haunted Heart” (2017) CD Review

Cowbell is the London-based duo of Jack Sandham and Wednesday Lyle. On their new album, Haunted Heart, they deliver some fantastic tunes, mixing rock and roll and rockabilly and soul, garage and 1960s sounds. Though there is a classic feel to some of these tracks, the songs here are all originals, written by Sandham and Lyle. Jack Sandham plays guitar and keys, and Wednesday Lyle is on drums and percussion. Both provide vocals. They have several guest musicians joining them on various tracks. This is the group’s third full-length CD.

The album opens with its title track, “Haunted Heart,” which eases in, then suddenly takes on a great rockabilly rhythm, and we are on our way. “You feel him standing there/But he’s gone/And it’s been so long/And now you know/It was a lie/He said girl, I’m gonna love you until the day that I die/You’ve got a haunted heart/Until death do us part/Girl, you’ve got a haunted heart.” There is some delicious work on guitar on this track. And Simon Trought joins the duo on autoharp. There are also some wonderful backing vocals by Amie Tridgell, Ali Murphy, Reid Morrison, Sam Ford, Mitzi Trought, Bruna Magor and Pablo Millan, adding to the fun of this song. That’s followed by “None Of Your Business,” a tune to get you on your feet. Yes, as the news from Washington, D.C. gets weirder, and while we wait in hope that Robert Mueller will help bring an end to the horror, this music should keep us relatively sane. That work on keys has a cool 1960s feel. Richard Coulson is on keys on this track. Pour yourself a drink and turn your home into a club, even if you’re alone. Close your eyes, spin around, and imagine the world is better than it is.

They crank up the energy on “Downlow,” with Wednesday Lyle on lead vocals. This is one of my favorite tracks. Don’t you love songs you can dance angrily to? The fuck-you dance is one I’ve turned to often since my early childhood, and, boy, these days it’s needed on a daily basis. “You’d better have eyes in the back of your head/Keep one eye open when you sleep in your bed/Don’t drag your heels, you’d better disappear/Never come back, nothing for you here.” And yes, I want to shout those last two lines to Donald Trump as he ventures forth on his first overseas trip. That’s followed by “Doom Train,” a fun, loose number with a great rhythm.

Cowbell dips into blues with “Neon Blue.” Man, everyone I know has a serious case of the blues these days. I love the blending of their voices on “Didn’t want to lie, didn’t want to lie to you.” This song has a delicious vibe and features some great work on guitar. That’s followed by another of my personal favorites, “Something’s Gotta Give.” “You don’t want to give up/But enough is enough/Something’s gotta give/Yes, it has/Something’s gotta give.” Oh yes, I’ve been saying this for months. Of course, this song is not about the current political state of the United States, but about deciding what to do in a troubled relationship (so, okay, it could very well be about our situation here in the states). And it features some good work on horn by Chuchi Malapersona. Sam Beer joins Cowbell on guitar for this song.

Things then get rocking again with “Nothing But Trouble,” with a 1960s sound. “She’ll break your heart, she’ll take your soul/You might never recover.” That’s followed by “What Am I Supposed To Do?” This is a good rock song about being a total fucking mess and not knowing what to do about it. “Ain’t the man that I used to be/I’m a shadow of what I was before/Look in the mirror and what I see/It don’t look like me no more.” And I love these lines: “I’ve got a bit part in my life/My baby’s playing the lead.” Richard Coulson provides more wonderful work on keys on this track, and I love the backing vocals, “Room service, woo, room service.”  The fun continues with “New Kinda Love,” which has kind of a 1960s loose vibe and is another of this CD’s highlights. Wednesday Lyle is on lead vocals. “When I look into my baby’s eyes/I get a feeling I don’t recognize/I’m sure/I never had it before.” Richard Coulson is on keys on this track too.  “It feels so good/Yeah, it feels so good.” As does this song.

“Stop Breaking Your Own Heart” has a garage rock sound, with a 1960s flavor, particularly in the chorus. The CD then concludes with “No Wrong,” a mellower, soulful number featuring a really good vocal performance by Jack Sandham. Joining Cowbell on this track are Richard Coulson on keys, Chuchi Malapersona on horn, Sam Beer on organ, and Reid Morrison on backing vocals. “When it feels like nobody’s on your side/Feels like nobody is true/I’ll find you no matter where you hide/Yes, I’ll come running, running, running, running to you.”

CD Track List

1. Haunted Heart
2. None Of Your Business
3. Downlow
4. Doom Train
5. Neon Blue
6. Something’s Gotta Give
7. Nothing But Trouble
8. What Am I Supposed To Do?
9. New Kinda Love
10. Stop Breaking Your Own Heart
11. No Wrong 

Haunted Heart is scheduled to be released on June 2, 2017 on Damaged Goods Records.