Eddie Turner – The Turner Diaries (NorthernBlues Music).

It’s been a while since I reviewed Eddie’s last album, Rise, and it has been a wait with baited breath for this latest offering. Eddie shows that he has lost none of his power with the opener, Dangerous. Turner likes to push the boundaries and this chugging blues rock with its undercurrent of menace is what I imagine Jimi Hendrix would have been playing nowadays. This is followed by So Many Roads, a sleepy blues with echoed vocals, offset drums and a funky solo. Eddie returns to blues rock for Cost Of Freedom, a busy song in the classic style before turning to acoustic guitar for I’m A Man I’m A Man. Eddie Turner is not your classic bluesman but does like to be an innovator. However, the traditional style is still in his mind and he builds this song up so well. He turns all mean and moody again for Save My Life, a blues based rocker with wailing guitar. Confessions is a slide guitar laden instrumental packed with fuzz and distortion that cements Eddie Turners reputation as one of the finest blues guitarists around.

The mood of euphoria with what has gone before is slightly changed with the somewhat disappointing New Day. It is weak and wishy-washy and not like Turner at all. He’s back on form with the hypnotic Shake 4 Me and it’s full of blues innuendos – how does he keep it up! Pomade is a slowish blues instrumental with Eddie’s trademark guitar and Jody, a medium paced R&B with insipid female backing does not set the heather on fire. The eponymous title track starts off as a samba then goes into a blues rock but the samba drums remain in the background throughout. He closes with a swinging version of the classic I’m Tore Down and this is the highlight of the set and goes to show that it’s the simple ones that often go down best. Eddie Turner is certainly in the premier league of modern blues guitarists.

http://www.northerbluesmusic.com/
http://www.eddieturnermusic.com/

David Blue.

William Lee Ellis – God’s Tattoo (Yellow Dog Records).

Just when I thought that Yellow Dog had just about exhausted their roster of quality artists, up they pop with another. William Lee Ellis is steeped in the tradition of blues and Americana guitar playing and if I told you that his father, Tony Ellis, was one of Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys then you’ll understand why. God’s Tattoos opens with the slide guitar extravaganza that is Snakes In My Garden and I can’t think of a better way to open a set. The title track has a rumba beat and its smouldering feel makes me think of French cafés. The fantastically titled When Leadbelly Walked The River Like Christ is not a blues but the instrumental is one to make you think and the sustain that he achieves with the E-Bow that he uses on his acoustic guitar is phenomenal. Ellis manages to vocally sound like Eric Clapton on Search My Heart, a lovely version of a revamped Gospel song and chooses Perfect Ones Who Break, a bluesy ballad, to continue with the Clapton comparison. This is the type of song that Clapton does so well these days. Sandwiched between these is Four Horses (of the Apocalypse I presume). This is a return to his acoustic slide style and is one of the top tracks on the album.

The Call demands to be listened to and is a stunning response to 9/11. This is followed by roots music of the highest order in the form of Cold And Weary and the Mississippi John Hurt song, Here I Am, Lord Send Me. You don’t have to do much to songs like this, just play them and there’s some nice backing vocals from William’s wife, Julie. If you were to try and play Jesus Stole My Heart then I think you’d need 12 fingers. This is spectacular! The Missing Moon And Stars is a lovely instrumental and the final track, Dust Will Write My Name, is a low key finish but for once I agree that this is the way to end what has been a lesson in roots music.

http://www.yellowdogrecords.com/
http://www.williamleeellis.com/

David Blue.