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Brother Bob White with Dave Keller—Never Grow

Old: Gospel Organ from Kansas City—Tastee Tone
TT-3041
(www.davekeller.com)

Dave Keller is a fine blues and soul singer and guitarist,
somewhat in the mould of his mentor Johnny Rawls,
but this set is a little different. Brother Bob White is an

old-style gospel organist and singer, very much in the
tradition rather than a modern player, and this was
what Dave wanted to highlight with this set on his own

label, just recently released in digital format. He has succeeded quite admirably too.

Brother Bob was 82 years old when he recorded this set in 2013 following a chance

meeting with Dave over a decade earlier. Bob shows little trace of age in his singing
or playing on organ and piano (he had been regularly playing in various churches in
Missouri every Sunday for almost six decades by the time of this record), and he is
ably and sympathetically supported by Dave on electric guitar and occasional lead

vocals, Larry Gann drums, and Havvah and Idalee Keller on backing vocals.

Sometimes Dave adds a bluesy edge, but it is clear that it’s Bob who is in control here.
Gospel lovers will be familiar with most of the material here – ‘Dem Bone’, a beautifully

delivered ‘Precious Lord’ (there are a couple of other Thomas Dorsey songs included
too), ‘Wade In The Water’, and overall this is an excellent release of a sound not often

heard at all these days. Definitely recommended.

Norman Darwen

Jerron Paxton—Things Done Changed—
Smithsonian Folkways SFW40266

California-born folk-bluesman Jerron was the star of the
“Later With Jools Holland” show a couple of days before

I write this, promoting this album. That short statement
doesn’t convey anything about the depth of the music
here, so let me expand on it…

Jerron was raised by his grand-mother, and exposed him
to the blues both through the radio at home and her own
reminiscences – it shows in his music, though he was

also well aware of contemporary music; “southern culture” was an important part of
his identity growing up. He’s now all of 35 years old, and “throwback” is often used
to describe him. That makes sense – I’m listening to ‘Mississippi Bottom’ as I write

this, and if I didn’t know, I’d swear it was a thirties recording (with wonderful sound)
or maybe a 60s field recording by a veteran bluesman.

This set is however Jerron’s first all-original album. There are, as just noted,

Mississippi flavoured blues, and somewhat incredibly, what might be defined as