New blues by John Hammond, Maria Muldaur, Big Bill Morganfield, Richard Boals and some good rockin’ tonight

John Hammond, Wicked Grin, Pointblank Records

There are few blues singers anywhere, black or white, with a better feel for real thang than John Hammond. To say that Hammond is a blues purist is an understatement. His latest disc, Wicked Grin, is actually a joint effort with singer/songwriter Tom Waits, who wrote all the material and produced. Waits, great songwriter that he is, is not noted for blues, so the thought of these two unlikely partners seemed ill-advised at first. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Wicked Grin is a watershed release for Hammond and Waits alike. Although there’s very little straight blues here, the music takes on all the characteristics and feel of blues without succumbing to the restrictive I-IV-V 12-bar blues format. The sound is thick, dense and swampy, slippery, imprecise and greasy, with a strong reliance on feel as opposed to technical expertise, a welcome change from the glut of sterile blues releases that have been flooding the market lately. A sense of darkness and foreboding permeates the entire proceedings. Waits plays understated rhythm guitar throughout and Hammond constantly pushes the envelope, singing and playing like a man 20 years his junior. Critics are already calling Wicked Grin the blues album of the year, and I find it hard to disagree. Absolutely essential for any blues fan. Pointblank Records is a division of Virgin Records, and Wicked Grin is available at all better record stores.

Maria Muldaur, Richland Woman Blues, Stony Plain Records

A visit to the grave of Memphis Minnie a few years ago in Mississippi inspired Maria Muldaur to record this stripped-down, all acoustic set of blues classics from the 1920s-30’s, featuring talented friends like Bonnie Raitt, John Sebastian, slide guitarist Roy Rogers, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Taj Mahal, Tracy Nelson and Angela Strehli. The emphasis is on tradition, and Muldaur stays true to the feel of the original recordings. “It’s A Blessing,” recorded with Raitt, is almost scary in its stark reality and “My Man Blues,” with Strehli, is sensuous and lowdown. There’s not a bad track to be found here. So, if you need a break from the latest Stevie Ray Vaughan clone you’ve been listening to, Richland Woman Blues is a perfect antidote. Stony Plain Records, PO Box 861, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T5J 2LB, sprecords@telusplanet.net.

Big Bill Morganfield, Ramblin’ Mind, Blind Pig Records

For the last two years, publicists have invented phrases for Big Bill Morganfield like “Son Of The Blues,” and other pithy statements. Morganfield is indeed the son of Muddy Waters, so it’s no surprise his music bears a strong resemblance to his dad’s. This is straight ahead blues without a trace of rock, so purists will like it. Morganfield experiments with swing (“Mellow Chick Swing”), gets back to the Delta (“Ramblin’ Mind”), and contributes Muddy-inspired slide guitar to “Roll With Me.” Basically a good effort.

Richard Boals, That’s The Truth, JSP Records

Great Britain’s JSP Records has a terrific track record for signing little known American blues artists, then pushing the music right back at us. Happily, the results are almost always favorable. Such is the case with guitarist Richard Boals, an Ohio born bluesman, now based in Albequerque, New Mexico. Boals’ independent, self-released CD’s have sold respectably, and this is his hoped-for “breakout” record. With a strong roots rock ‘n roll influence working it’s way through the blues and R&B, Boals, with a hand-picked group of session musicians, pours out the emotion, via his soulful and imaginative axe work and muscular vocals. The material, most of it written by producer Jimmy Morello, is equally fine, as is the highly ambient, live sound of the recording: Not too clean, not too dirty, but alive and warm at the same time. Richard Boals deserves your attention. This is a very fine recording. Highly recommended. Order your copy as an import from JSP Records, Ltd., PO Box 1584, London, N3 3NW, England.

The Teen Kings, Lost & Found: The Unreleased 1956 Recordings, Fuel 200 Records

The Teen Kings was the name of Roy Orbison’s rockabilly band, long before the singer settled into his more familiar operatic ballad style of the 60’s, after multiple tragedies (the death of his wife and two sons) temporarily stole his will to perform and changed his outlook on life forever. The Teen Kings worked the roadhouses of Texas and appeared several times on KOSA-TV in Odessa, Texas, where these sides were recorded in 1956. Is it raw, primitive and very much unlike Orbison’s later sides? You bet, and it’s great rock ‘n roll. If you like the rough sounds of early rockabilly, look no farther: There’s Orbison’s first Sun Rcords hit “Ooby Dooby,” “Blue Suede Shoes,” Chuck Berry’s “Brown-Eyed Handsome Man,” “St. Louis Blues,” “Rock House,” Little Richard’s “Rip It Up,” and much more.

Steve Riley & The Mamou Playboys, Happytown, Rounder Records

Cajun/Zydeco accordionist Steve Riley and his band of Louisiana musicians embrace the tradition of this most ethnic of American music, complete with lyrics sung in patois French. At the same time though, they constantly experiment with new ways of interpreting Cajun music, by employing modern techniques like tape loops, distorted rock guitar and vocals run through Leslie speaker cabinets, mixing all this with digital samples of black 1930’s field recordings, 1860’s slave poetry and more. It all works quite nicely, as Riley and company push the boundaries in a most interesting manner, stretching the possibilities of Cajun music. Recommended.