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Jimi “Prime Time” Smith—It’s My Time—New Folk

(www.jimiprimetimesmith.com)

Some may know Jimi from his work with harp maestro Bob
Corritore, though this is his first album solely under his own
name for 15 years, which seems rather criminal! Jimi’s mother
was Johnnie Mae Dunson, drummer and later manager for Jimmy
Reed. Jimmy taught Jimi to play guitar and his first gig at the age
of 14 was with the blues legend. Born in Chicago, he also picked
up tips on playing from Hubert Sumlin and Eddie Taylor.

So yes, Jimi is no johnny-come-lately, and he certainly knows
what the blues is about – that resumé barely scratches the surface of his blues experience. This
set veers from such solid blues as the Muddy Waters’ styled ‘She’s A Peach’ (a very fine vocal

here too) to the almost blues-rock of ‘Breaking My Heart’ – unsurprisingly, Jimi sticks always to
the blues side.

Jimi began writing the material here a few years ago, at a time when he was waiting for surgery
and was unsure if he would be able to play afterwards. Happily he can, and this release shows
just how talented he is. There is funk and soul here too; try ‘I’m Your Friend’ for the soul side,
but I do advise you to try the whole album. Listen to the lyrics of ‘Bluzman’ and you’ll understand
just why Jimi can get down so well.
Norman Darwen

Doc Bowling and His Blues Professors— Sing the American
Songbag Volume 1— Independent
(www.bluesprofessors.com)

This group has been purveying the older forms of blues around
the UK, Ireland and Germany for around fifteen years or so, and
this set, the first of two, looks to the slave chants, work songs
and folk items that formed the roots of the blues. So there is a
most definitely waltz time ‘Irene, Good Night’, a hoedown
version of ‘Cotton Eyed Joe’, and a mournful version of ‘St. James
Infirmary Blues’ with some fine interplay between M’mselle Chat
Noir’s fiddle and Johannes Bowling’s alto sax.

So yes, you might have gathered from that remark that the band is much more than a
guitar-based outfit. Doc himself sings the leads and plays guitar and harmonica, and apart from
the rhythm section and those just mentioned, there are also an accordion player (listen to the
lovely version of ‘My Creole Bell’), pianist and banjo player - not all at once, I hasten to add.

Other songs include ‘Midnight Special’, ‘I’ll Fly Away’, Robert Johnson’s ‘Me And The Devil Blues’,
‘Going Down The Road (Feeling Bad)’ from Big Bill Broonzy, and the vaudeville blues standard
‘Trouble In Mind’, among others. The notes are extensive and extremely informative and even
the band pictures are in the style of Robert Crumb, a nice touch which adds to the feeling of
vintage material. And the music deserves this lavish treatment.
Norman Darwen