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Blues | By Frank-john hadley
Searchers
and Finders
Neil Haverstick: Hide & Seek (Microstick
10; 43:59 HHHH) Haverstick, alias
Stickman, follows his own blues path,
willfully tramping on the third rails of
microtones. His solo oud on “Goin’ to
Memphis” and banjo on “Big Ol’ Train”
confound conventionality, but his spirit
of adventure soars when exploring fretless
7-string and 12-, 19- and 36-tone
guitars—related basses, too. For a dozen
tracks, some with muscular drummer
Ernie Crews, the Colorado-based adventurer
seems to dip into a supernatural
source of variations in the blues scale.
Stickman tweaks the tuning of the notes
with amazing assurance, with his elliptic
musical curiosity extending from African
drum patterns to Robert Johnson
rhythms to childhood verse. He’s a decent
singer though the most gripping vocal
turn comes from guest Jack Hadley on
the Willie Dixon-inspired rave-up called
“Blues Ain’t Nothin’.”
Ordering info: microstick.net
Pokey LaFarge & The South City Three:
Middle Of Everywhere (Free Dirt 0065;
41:01 HHH½) A 27-year-old from St.
Louis, LaFarge worships at the altar of
pre-World War II country blues, jazz and
vaudeville with a casual but organized
sincerity. He has an appealing if quirky singing
voice of soft power, elevating his old-timey, fun
original tunes far from the trap of musty parody.
Adam Hoskins stands out for the sparkle and
depth of his contributions on classic guitars as
the rest of the acoustic band plus hired horns
show their mettle in musical entertainment just
perfect for a Mississippi steamboat cruise.
Ordering info: pokeylafarge.net
Bill Bourne & The Free Radio Band:
Bluesland (Linus 270136; 35:29 HHH½) Talented
singer and songwriter Bourne, usually
found in Western Canada, is something of an
eclectic—and he’s all the better for it. “Deep
Dark Woods” grooves on the axis of Jimi Hendrix’s
makeover of Bob Dylan’s “All Along
The Watchtower” while “Forever Truly Bound”
drives with Chuck Berry-like spirit and “On
The Sunny Side” dreamily explores the poetic
connection between nature and romance. The
fifty-something Juno award-winner and his
band bring skill and awareness to their crosspollinations
of blues, rock, country and jazz.
Ordering info: billbourne.com
Moreland & Arbuckle: Just A Dream
(Telarc 33015; 48:21 HHH) Combining the
raw vigor of Mississippi hill country tranceinducers
with a cleverly calculated sonic blues
mania of their own, this trio out of Kansas
should never be taken lightly. They think about
Neil Haverstick
the blues in a bold, uncompromised manner
that bodes well for their place in the music’s
future. Sorry, no great shakes: Steve Cropper
plays on “White Lightnin’.”
Ordering info: telarc.com
Candye Kane: Sister Vagabond (Delta
Groove 148; 49:37 HHH) With her urgent
and direct phrasing, Kane has been a striking
singer since the 1980s, evidenced by a dozen
albums. On her latest, she continues with her
tough, tell-it-like-it-is manner as several original
songs land roundhouse punches square
on the jaw of ex-lovers. Above all, Kane is a
humane, caring person who has weathered
lots of adversity; “I Deserve Love” is the enduring
track here. Her protégée, guitarist Laura
Chavez, continues to make good progress.
Ordering info: deltagrooveproductions.com
Johnny Nicholas: Future Blues (The
People’s Label; 52:08 HHH) Nicholas’ shining
moment in the studio was alongside
Shakey Horton and Johnny Shines in 1978.
Since then, he’s released an enjoyable album
every few years. Today, the Texan crosses
blues into rootsy rock and country without a
hitch, remaining steady as a deep-throated
singer, guitarist and songwriter bound to the
blues past (though the album title suggests
otherwise). DB
Ordering info: guitarjohnnynicholas.com
Olivia rebolledo
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DECEMBER 2011 DOWNBEAT 89