Bruce Bears

Al Basile – Through With Cool

Within the pantheon of recognized stars of the contemporary roadhouse blues, there is one and only one cornet horn player that comes to mind. His name is Al Basile and he hails from Rhode Island. Al got his start with Roomful of Blues back in the seventies, played with Duke Robillard in the 80’s, and went out on his own in the nineties. He sings in a classic jazzy blues style and often writes songs in an introspective style observing himself and the world around him and the man can play that cornet!!

Besides being a singer, musician and performer, Al is also a published poet with three released books of poetry to his credit. AND, what I have always found most intriguing about Al is that up until 2005 he balanced a blues career with teaching high school!! Bluesman by night and teacher of English, music, and physics during the day. He had to have been the coolest teacher on campus!! On his latest recording released on August 19th of this year, Through with Cool, Al foreswears cool on the title track but I don’t buy it. One does not give up being cool on your own; I find it to be the observation of others about you (like a nickname) and Al, to put it in roadhouse blues vernacular, is still pretty badass.

For the Through With Cool recording, Al invites along several friends and musicians that have played with him on other recordings. Kid Andersen does a fabulous job on guitars, Mark Teixeira beats out the rhythm on drums, Brad Hallen is on bass, Bruce Bears plays the ivories, Jeff “Doc” Chanonhouse is on trumpet, and a horn player I really like by the name of Doug James is on saxophone and clarinet. They produce a very tight laid back blues sound that is the very definition of jazzy blues cool!

There are 14 tracks on the new recording, these are my favorite three:

  • Uh Huh is a catchy tune that showcases the band’s talents. Al’s solo on the cornet as well as Kid Anderson’s riffs are tasty. I believe the song should get a lot of airplay on blues stations. It certainly will during my roadhouse blues shows.
  • My Hero captures Al’s style in a nutshell; easy accessible jazzy blues with adult observations on life. I like it!!
  • On We Lie On Your Grave, Al’s cornet and Kid’s guitar once again steal the show but they have to compete with some rather unusual mental visualizations on a tune that only Al could write.

In the liner notes for the recording, Al posits whether there is such a thing as “eternal cool”. I answer in the affirmative and encourage him to keep looking at the world and himself and letting us know what he thinks in song and verse. For not matter what he says…..Al Basile will always be pretty cool!

Al Basile – Through With Cool (Sweetspot Records 2022)

#blues #roadhouseblues #music

Ben Vee started out spinning songs on terrestrial radio and at nightclubs back in the 1970’s in his home state of Louisiana. After a career in the construction business, he returned to DJing in 2011. He now hosts two shows each week on http://www.bluesmusicfan.com and writes about the blues at http://www.benveeblues.com from his home in Connecticut. He also has a personal 24 hour stream devoted to the Roadhouse Blues… WRHB as well as a Youtube channel.

Al Basile – B’s Hot House is some fine Bedrock Blues

I’ve always thought of Al Basile as the Randy Newman of the blues and his new album B’s Hot House just reinforces the notion. Al first started recording in 1998 and has been nominated 8 times over the years for his work as a songwriter/singer/cornet player by the Blues Music Foundation.

The new album is what I call the bedrock blues; solid earthy tunes with engaging lyrics and heartfelt vocal delivery that are backed by talented veteran musicians. Al’s band mates are people he has recorded with over the years and features the renown guitar player Duke Robillard (who also produced the album), Mark Teixeira (drums), Brad Hallen (bass), Bruce Bears (keyboards), Doug James (tenor sax), and Jeff “Doc” Chanonhouse (trumpet). Mark, Brad, and Bruce are members of the Duke’s band and the horn section are old friends from Al’s days with Roomful of Blues. Together, these talented artists have created an enjoyable blues and R&B recording.

Lyrically as well as musically, the song So Called Storyteller encapsulates Al’s talent as a musician and songwriter and is my favorite on the album. I also loved Razor Wire; the guitar licks are great and Al’s cornet gives the tune just the right feel. Al does a bit of political commentary with Don’t Fool With the Truth; an upbeat song with some biting lyrics. Additionally, I will be working Five Roads, I See You There, and Looking for a Cookie into my roadhouse blues shows on BMFR.

Overall, this 14 song (all originals) recording enhances Al Basile’s reputation as a great singer/songwriter who also happens to play a badass cornet.

Al Basile – B’s Hot House (2019 Sweetspot Records)

Ben’s Monday Blues Bin (7/15/19)

It’s summertime in Connecticut.  I am sittin’ out in my man cave enjoying the heat, smokin’ a cigar, and listening to some new albums.

Zac Harmon – Mississippi BarBQ (Catfood Records 2019)

Zac Harmon

A great mix of soul, Chicago blues, and a touch of blues rock, the new Zac Harmon album Mississippi BarBQ was produced by Jim Gaines (Stevie Ray Vaughan, Santana).  It also features a stellar group of studio musicians known as the Rays: Bob Trenchard (bass), Richy Puga (drums), Johnny McGee (guitars), Dan Ferguson (keyboards), Mike Middleton (trumpet), Andy Roman (alto sax), Nick Flood (tenor and baritone sax), and Drake Dominigue (trombone & tuba).

Zac has been recording since 2003 and with this CD, he steps it up to a new level. The voice is fabulous, his guitar playing is first class, and the song writing conveys images that give witness to his Jackson, Mississippi roots.  The songs are all originals except for a great rendition of Dylan’s Knocking on Heaven’s Door.  I enjoyed Make a Dollar Out of Fifteen Cents, Gypsy Road, Honey Pleez, Smoke and Mirrors, and So Cold.

A gifted artist, a world renown producer, and some fantastic studio musicians meld together for a first rate recording that also features cuts by his current touring band. Make sure to give the title cut Mississippi BarBQ a listen….with some barbeque, cornbread, mustard greens, black eyed peas and, of course a cold beer at the ready!!

The Texas Horns – Get Here Quick (Severn Records 2019)

Texas Horns

 

Three of the most bad ass horn blowers on the planet got together down in Texas, invited some gifted friends, and created a delightful RnB recording entitled Get Here Quick. Mark ‘Kaz’ Kazanoff (tenor sax), John Mills (baritone sax), and Al Gomez (trumpet) can truly be judged by the company they keep with the likes of Carolyn Wonderland, Curtis Salgado, Guy Forsyth, Gary Nicholson, John Nemeth, Ronnie Earl,  and Anson Funderburgh steppin’ into the studio to assist; they got the rhythm and they damn sure got the blues!  This is an awesome CD!

A long time favorite of mine, Carolyn belts it out on I’m Doin’ Alright At Least For Tonight. And Curtis lends his soulful voice to Sundown Talkin’. My favorite tune on the album is Guitar Town that is sung by Guy Forsyth with backing vocals by Carolyn and lead guitar work by Anson. Gary Nicholson contributes two of his songs, Soulshine  & Fix Your Face, and both recordings are mighty fine. Anson does the lead guitar on Soulshine and another of my favorites, Ronnie Earl, does the honors on Fix Your Face.

There are also several tasty instrumentals on the album that showcase the talent of this horn blowin trio. My favorite is Truckload of Trouble written by John Mills and I also enjoyed the title cut contributed by Kaz Kazanoff.

I have to say when I opened the CD I was thinkin’ “now who are these guys?”.  Man…was I pleasantly surprised after listening to the entire recording. Download and give this a listen…hope you are pleased too!

The Duke Robillard Band – Ear Worms (2019 Stony Plain Records)

Duke Robillard

The new album, Ear Worms, has a fifties and sixties feel to it and is a pleasant listen.  Duke Robillard has been playing and recording for over fifty years and is a superlative guitar player.  I particularly loved the instrumental You Belong to Me that I first heard sung by Patsy Cline many years ago. It was one of my mother’s favorites and Duke shows it the love and tenderness it deserves.

I also enjoyed Don’t Bother Trying to Steal Her Love with Dave Howard on vocals and the song Yellow Moon which is sung by drummer Mark Teixeira.  The rest of the band is Bruce Bears (keyboards & vocals) and Brad Hallen on bass and they are a very tight knit group of artists.  The album features a number of guest vocalists including Sunny Crownover, Chris Cote, Mark Cutler, and Klem Klimek.  This is definitely a recording to relax with on warm summer evening.

 

Send along a comment if you would like! Love to hear what your thoughts are on these albums and blues music in general!!