Recent releases by The Badlees, Etta James, Doyle Bramhall II, Little Mack Simmons, Jesse Thomas and Grady Champion

The Badlees, Up There Down Here, Ark 21 Records

The Badlees scored big a few years ago with hits like “Angeline Is Coming Home,” and “Fear of Falling.” Up There, Down Here is two years old, but it bears mentioning just on the strength of the performances and material, which is uniformly excellent. It’s getting harder and harder to find quality songs these days. There are plenty of well-meaning musicians who try hard, but precious few have the sort of substantial songs that really hit home. Not a problem with The Badlees. Tracks like “Don’t Let Me Hide,” “Luther’s Windows” and “34 Winters” are right on the money. This band deserves more. Highly recommended. Ark 21 Records, 14724 Ventura Blvd., Penthouse Suite, Sherman Oaks, CA 94103.

Etta James, Tell Mama—The Complete Muscle Shoals Sessions, MCA Records

In 1967, Etta James hadn’t had a hit in several years, so Marshall Chess, president of Chess Records, sent her to FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama in hopes of recording a hit record. His thinking worked with “Tell Mama,” which nailed James her last R&B hit to date. This disc is the complete output of those sessions at Muscle Shoals, and its classic 60’s soul that rivals anything released on Stax, Volt, Atlantic or Motown, the major soul labels of the day. These days, Etta James pursues her musical career with inconsistent results, but these early sides hold up very well.

Doyle Bramhall II & Smokestack, Welcome, RCA Records

Doyle Bramhall II has been steadily building a career since his days with the great Arc Angels, the first post-Stevie Ray Vaughan project for Double Trouble members Tommy Shannon and Chris Layton. With strong blues and heavy rock leanings, young Bramhall, whose father, Doyle, Sr., has been a major rock songwriter for over 30 years, delivers a hard-hitting disc that features his wife Susannah Melvoin on additional vocals. You may recognize the name Melvoin. Susannah’s sister, Wendy, used to play with Prince, and has also appeared on many other artists’ records. Enough about family relationships though… Welcome contains good songs and fiery guitar work from beginning to end, much in the mold of Hendrix and Jeff Beck, with just a hint of Stevie Ray Vaughan. Hard rock fans should get excited over this disc. Doyle Bramhall II & Smokestack are currently on tour with Eric Clapton.

Little Mack Simmons, The Best Of The Electro-Fi Years, Electro-Fi Records

Little Mack Simmons, an Arkansas-born blues harp player and singer, passed away in 2000, but managed to squeeze in careers as a musician, club and recording studio owner and record producer, not to mention a couple of scrapes with the law. This is a “best of” collection, culled from Simmons’ Electro-Fi recordings from 1997-99. Never a major blues figure for most of his life, Simmons worked primarily in Chicago and enjoyed local success until Electro-Fi gave him the exposure he desired. In the last three years of his life, Simmons finally realized worldwide success and was hailed as an elder statesman of the blues. These sides show a man blowing lusty Chicago blues and R&B, in full control of his instrumental and vocal powers, one whose impending illness did little to diminish his talent. Electro-Fi Records, PO Box 191, LaSalle Station, Niagara Falls, NY 14304.

Jesse Thomas, Blues is a Feeling, Delmark Records

Jesse Thomas, one of the few original acoustic country blues guitarists still active (or alive, for that matter) in the 1990’s, recorded these low-key sessions for Delmark Records in 1992, three years before his death, using only second guitar and piano accompaniment. Fans of high-energy electric blues may find these recordings a little tame, but their subtlety is the factor that makes them work so well. Thomas kept the Delta feel, but mixed in some New Orleans influence too. This is good late night blues. Delmark Records, 4121 N. Rockwell, Chicago, IL 60618.

Grady Champion, 2 Days Short of a Week, Shanachie Records

The general lack of enthusiasm for blues among young black musicians has been a topic of consternation with journalists, fans and musicians for years. In these days of hip-hop and synthesized, mechanical, overly slick R&B that reeks of studio trickery, most young African-Americans would rather go where the big money is. Grady Champion is one of the exceptions. With strong blues, rock and R&B influences apparent, Champion lays down track after track of scintillating sounds that straddle the lines between genres and tackle social issues of the day, as well the usual blues tales of love won and lost. With the right breaks, Champion could taste crossover success in the rock world as well. Recommended. Shanachie Records, 13 Laight St., 6th Floor, New York, NY 10013.