Various Artists – Harmonica Blues Orgy (Random Chance Records).

A plethora of harmonica players are on offer here, beginning with Willie ‘Big Eyes’ Smith. He opens with the Little Walter song, Blues With A Feelin’. This is very powerful opener, both vocally and musically, and it’s interesting to know that he was part of Muddy Waters’ band for two decades – as a drummer!! However, harmonica is his first instrument and it’s not hard to understand why on this performance. Smith goes back to his former boss for Read Way Back and turns in another strong performance. He has five tracks on this album and he chooses a different composer for each. Junior Wells’ classic Hoodoo Man Blues is given a good treatment as songs from his list of heroes continues. Jimmy Rogers’ You’re The One is well executed and his final song, Sugar Mama, by John Lee Williamson is slower than the rest but just as good and his backing band show up very well. The second artist, Martin Lang, has four tracks and although he is the youngest of the quartet on show he offers up classic Chicago blues in the form of Martin Jumps In. Sad Sad Day follows and this is, like its predecessor, self-penned. This is slower but has a harp that wails. Lang’s third track is Pulaski Stomp and is another fine example of good plain old harp music. The genre is in good hands, as shown by his final track, Ten Hole Blues. This is slowed down to the extreme and, like the others, is an instrumental that shows a high level of technique.

Little Arthur Duncan only gets three tracks but that doesn’t detract from his overall input. Leavin’ In The Morning is a fast paced Little Walter song that is matched by lightning harmonica and piercing vocal. Pretty Thing is a Jimmy Reed song but this is just a standard performance by a man who is a top level performer. Duncan’s last offering is the Willie Dixon/Muddy Waters song, Young Fashioned Ways. I recently reviewed a version of this by Wallace Coleman and although Duncan’s version is more earthy, I don’t think that it’s any better. Easy Baby (Alec Randle) is the last of the artists to be given their chance. The first of his four songs is Room 39, a self-penned song on which he serves up some silky harmonica. The vocal is virtually spoken and Eddie Guitar Jnr is excellent on guitar, as he is on a number of other tracks. Crazy Mixed Up World is a Little Walter song and if you are familiar with the work of that particular genius then there will be no surprises here. Easy Baby comes up with another original in Willie Mae. This is very strong and compares very well with anything else produced here. Randle ties up the album with the traditional This Little Light Of Mine. This is, as you would expect, a piano led Gospel tune – simple and extremely heart warming. For those of you who like harmonica blues this is as good a place to start as anywhere.

http://www.randomchancerecords.com/

David Blue 2006.