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Abbott. I saw her last year at the Blues Heaven Festival in Denmark and she was still as powerful
and compelling as when I first saw her twenty years ago.
Graham Harrison
Jeremiah Johnson—Unemployed Highly Annoyed—RUF
Records ASIN : B08GG2DG3F
The "unemployed" in the title represents Jeremiah’s status since
the pandemic hit, he was scheduled to tour Europe on the back of
his February 2020 album ‘Heavens to Betsy’ but that tour was
cancelled, as were gigs at home and therefore he decided to get
together with his band - Paul Niehaus IV (bass, keyboards and
production) and Tony Antonelli (percussion) - and produce this
album. Opener ‘Burn Down The Garden’ and ‘Muddy Black Water’
are both melodic rock blues songs, with the basic sound of the
three-piece band much enhanced by the addition of Niehaus’s keyboards. ‘Cherry Red Wine’ is a
Luther Allison slow blues with stinging lead guitar, ditto ‘Different Plan For Me’ which together
with the title track bemoans the situation in the current lockdown. The album closes with the
upbeat ‘Rock and Roll for the Soul’. This is a good sounding record with nice playing from Jeremiah
and the band and if you like modern blues rock this could be right up your street.
Graham Harrison
Peter Stampfel—Peter Stampfel's 20th Century In 100 Songs—
Louisiana Red Hot Records
Peter Stampfel has been expanding the reach of folk music and
popular song for more than half a century. He was member of
the Holy Modal Rounders, undertook many solo projects and
worked as a collaborator on music with the Unholy Modal
Rounders, Jeffrey Lewis, and many others.
What an outstanding idea this triple album is. Peter has
undertaken the mammoth task of curating a collection of songs
chosen on the basis of one each of his favourites per year for
every year in the 20th Century. Peter made the selections and recorded each one himself with
selected musicians. Most of the songs from 2001 through 1950 years were done over a few weeks-
long sessions at Bingham's Piety Street Studios in New Orleans, and a bunch in 2003 in
Manhattan. Then came a long break until 2016, during which time Peter became ill and lost his
voice completely. He had to learn how to speak (and sing) again.
Strangely, for me at least, the later recording are by far the best. Peter’s lower register after the
illness and the avoidance of straining for high notes—as was too often the case in the early
recordings—make the vocals much easier on the ear. He is less pitchy too. Over all, this comes with
some stunningly good arrangements and exemplary musicianship making this historic collection
well worth listening to.
No blues here, but still something to savour.
Ian K. McKenzie
