B.B. & The Blues Shacks – London Days (Crosscut Records).

B.B. & The Blues Shacks are becoming a European institution with touring experience of over 20 years and an average of 150 gigs a year. Well known for their sound which is deeply rooted in 40s and 50s jump blues, this is their first release since 2008s Unique Style. London Days was, conveniently enough, recorded in London under the watchful eye of Liam Watson, he of White Stripes’ Elephant fame. The opener, Real Good Times, is a pacy R&B with a gritty Northern Soul feel to it and This Time Baby continues the R&B vibe. They are getting better vocally album by album although they always have been a tight band. High Class Lonely is a swinging R&B with Michael Arlt on harp, jagged guitar from Andreas Arlt and Hammond organ from special guest Raphael Wressnig and you have to be happy with that! Just You is slowed down and soulful before Between The Lines picks up the pace again and this strong R&B is a highlight. It Hurts So Good is good old fashioned Rock and Roll whereas Let Them Talk is a rolling R&B with a sharp vocal from Michael Arlt.

B.B. & The Blues Shacks are summed up by the next trio of songs -- My Baby’s Alright has classic R&B styling, How Low Can You Go is slow, brooding Soul and Fools Getting Stronger is a shuffling blues which is compact and beautifully formed. These show how adaptable the band can be. However, Miss Wrong is standard fare and fails to match the rest of the album. The only song not written by the Arlt boys, Once In A While (Is Better Than Never At All), harks back to the Rock and Roll era and leads into hardcore Soul. How Would You Like That is a mix of R&B, Soul and Doo-Wop, spoiled slightly by the spoken bridge. Despite that, these gentle sounds are most welcome. The final official track, Turnaround, has Chubby Checker style drums from Bernhard Egger and is very 60s influenced R&B/Soul with good energy. They close with a bonus track, Autumn Sunset but I wonder why this harmless lounge music was included at all.

http://www.crosscut.de/
http://www.bluesshacks.com/

David Blue.

Michael Landau, Robben Ford, Jimmy Haslip, Gary Novak – Renegade Creation (Provogue).

Renegade Creation brings together four diverse musicians and moulds them into a fusion of blues, rock and soul. The two headliners are Landau and Ford, the former a renowned session guitarist with credits on albums by Miles Davis, Michael Jackson and James Taylor, the latter being the legendary guitarist who has played alongside George Harrison and Greg Allman. Haslip and Novak are not un-notable however and have played with Bruce Hornsby, Donald Fagen, Chick Corea and Alanis Morissette. The opener, What’s Up, is a Mark Knopfler influenced rhythmic blues with Landau’s laconic vocal and the twin guitarists on top form. The follow up, Soft In Black Jeans, is more of a Robert Cray style smooth blues/rock and Robben takes on the vocal with aplomb. Destiny Over Me is slow, dreamy rock and is counterbalanced by the strong blues rock of God And Rock ‘N’ Roll. Landau and Ford let rip on their guitars on the latter with riffs aplenty, all ably backed by strong drumming of Novak. The Darkness is a classy slow blues with signature big guitar breaks from Ford.

Renegade Destruction is a driving rocker with Landau on from as vocalist. This is followed by Peace, which is split into two parts, the intro and the main song. The intro seems a bit pointless with trains, waves and birds in the background. The main track is a guitar instrumental that, whilst well played, is not a strong addition to the album. Who Do You Think You Are is a down and dirty blues with fluid guitar, perhaps the best playing so far. The penultimate track, Where The Wind Blows, is a grinding blues rocker, held together by the rhythm section but it is Robben’s guitar work that shines through. They finish off with Brothers, an instrumental that allows all four to showcase their skills.

http://www.provoguerecords.com/

David Blue.

Elvin Bishop – Red Dog Speaks (Delta Groove Music).

A founding member of The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Elvin Bishop has been around long enough to be called a legend. Not that passage of time is the only qualification; Elvin Bishop is a true guitar great. This only his second release on Delta Groove Music (see my review of his first, The Blues Rolls On) but he has firmly established himself at home. The eponymous title track is a laid back blues about his 1959 (a great year) Gibson Cherry Red ES-345. Stinging slide guitar and barrelhouse piano makes for a great opener. Neighbor Neighbor is R&B, vocally excellent and that slide is sublime. Fat & Sassy does what it says on the tin and Barbeque Boogie is the kind of storming boogie where Bishop excels. Many Rivers To Cross is a strange inclusion. It’s hard to beat the Jimmy Cliff version but the inclusion of slide guitar is effective. However, I’d rather he hadn’t really bothered.

Blues Cruise has a Cajun feel, no surprise since it has the addition of Buckwheat Zydeco on accordion. The extra guitarists, such as Roy Gaines, Tommy Castro and Ronnie Baker Brooks make this, in effect, a jam session and a damn good one too. Doo-Wop Medley is mainly the classic Still Of The Night but I can’t make out where the medley comes in although this instrumental is well played on slide guitar. We get back to Elvin Bishop territory with Get Your Hand Out Of My Pocket, which is a good romp with boogie piano and rocking harmonica from Bob Welch and John Nemeth respectively. His Eye Is On The Sparrow is a strange title but this strolling blues instrumental with added horns is more than passable. The solo, Clean Livin’ has a spoken vocal and tells us all about what has happened to him health wise throughout his life and he wonders why he is still standing – a cautionary tale. Festivities are rounded off well with the laconic Midnight Hour Blues.

http://www.elvinbishop.com/
http://www.deltagroovemusic.com/

David Blue.