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Morris as a mentor. Mark’s album “One Step Ahead Of The Blues” was extremely
well-received; this one will be too.

You want a straight-ahead blues – then try the rack with its wailing harp by Robert
Fossen backing Mark’s fine vocal (is that a tinge of BB King?) over a lovely loose,
shuffling rhythm, ‘She’s Married To The Streets’, definitely more than a tinge of BB,

or the Jimmy Reed beat ‘Going Back To Memphis’! A Soul-blues song maybe? Well
then, lend an ear to the mellow ‘Baby’s Gone’ or ‘Give Me Your Love’.

But then look at the album credits: Clayton Ivey on keyboards, Travis Wammack guitar

for starters. Yes, this set was recorded in Muscle Shoals, Alabama and sounds like it.
Most of the songs here are originals by Muleman and guitarist Billy Lawson, but the

borrowed tracks are instructive, coming from Tom T. Hall, Hank Williams and Bobby
Womack, showing a southern bias to the music of course.

‘Can’t Tell Me Nothing About The Blues’ is an aptly titled autobiographical declaration

of blues intent, Hank’s ‘Hey Good Looking’ becomes a slice of funky soul (yes, it
works!) I could go on about how good this set is, but better is to just check it out –
you won’t regret it.

Norman Darwen

Steve Howell & the Mighty Men—Yeah Man—Out
of the Past OOTP 0020

www.stevehowell.ws

Texas singer and guitarist Steve Howell makes fine
records and he has done it again with this, his

thirteenth studio set. His music tends to be
thoughtful but also fun, his vocals are lived-in and
refreshingly unhurried, and the backing band spot-

on throughout this set. Steve regularly mines for
nuggets in dusty archives – or maybe old albums
and CDs, or perhaps just memory – and comes up

with long-forgotten or -overlooked gems, tackling them respectfully but not over-
reverently whilst adapting them to his own style.

Such is the case here as he opens with a fine and subtle updating of Blind Lemon

Jefferson’s ‘Long Lonesome Blues’. Elsewhere he tackles ‘One Mint Julep’, basing his
treatment on Ray Charles’ early 60s (almost) instrumental cover, and Brother Ray
also covered ‘I’m Glad For Your Sake’, though in his notes Steve mentions that his

favourite version is from Texans, The Sir Douglas Quintet. Steve’s own rendition is
nicely restrained and mellow.

This versatility continues throughout the set, with material from 60s hit-making

group The Reflections, Bo Diddley, Bob Dylan (an instrumental version of ‘Chimes Of
Freedom’), and the country staple ‘Lil Ol’ Wine Drinker Me’. The spiritual ‘Wade In
The Water’ draws on The Staples Singers and Ramsey Lewis’ 60s instrumental hit