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Kid Ramos Featuring Brian Templeton and

Johnny Ramos—Strange Things Happening—
Nola Blue

A very interesting album indeed. Some blues fans

claim to not like Gospel music, but this could
convert them. Not that it is gospel as such – Kid
Ramos is a guitarist extraordinaire, as those
familiar with his work with James Harman, The

Fabulous Thunderbirds, The Mannish Boys and
many others can attest. Here however he tackles a

bunch of gospel standards, with material from,
among others, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Mahalia Jackson, The Soul Stirrers and er, Bob
Dylan, plus some originals by Brian Templeton – who some recall from his work with

Otis Grand, although he has a fine discography himself.

Brian’s robust singing is well to the fore on many tracks here, and he is astonishing
at times. We even get to hear his harmonica playing on the down-home boogie (no

other description fits!) ‘of ‘An Answer For Isaac’. Kid’s son Johnny also takes the vocals
on some numbers, revealing a mature, nuanced voice, well suited to this material.
Kid himself plays wonderful blues licks all the way through the set, very much in

that Texas/ West Coast style for which he is renowned.

Organist Dave Limina from Ronnie Earl’s Broadcasters adds some excellent playing
over the top-notch rhythm section of Mike Tuturro (bass) and Stephen Hodges

(drums). There are forays into country-gospel with ‘God Walks The Dark Hills’ and
even a joyous mariachi-tinged ‘Satan’s Jeweled Crown’, with added Tex-Mex
accordion. The aforementioned Bob Dylan number is the heartfelt ballad, ‘Every

Grain Of Sand’.

But this is generally a blues set. There’ll be a weeping and gnashing of teeth in hell
as Kid and the guys just gave the blues back to Jesus.

Norman Darwen

Mark Muleman Massey—Been a Long, Long
Time—Muletone

www.markmulemanmassey

Mark grew up in Clarksdale, Mississippi and
learned the blues when he met David Kimbrough,

son of Junior Kimbrough, in Parchman Farm and
became a member of the prison’s band. Once
released, he turned a negative into a positive and

played all over the Delta, with Blind Mississippi