Bentley’s Bandstand: February 2024

Bentley’s Bandstand: February 2024

Britti, Hello, I’m Britti. Not many young singers walk out of the shadows right into the spotlight. It often is a round-and-round path from youth to finding the front of the class. Brittany Guerin didn’t take any shortcuts in the dues department, but it does seem like she has sung her way to stardom semi-fast. Part of The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach talent aggregation, Britti is someone who is most definitely in her own world. The young woman takes off from the soul side of the street, but never gets snagged by too-heavy rhythmic attacks or other such youthful elements. Instead, this is someone who goes straight for the vibe in songs like “Back Where I Belong,” “Lullaby” and “Nothing Compares To You.” She has such a totally elegant emphasis in all she writes and sings that there is really no one right now to compare her to. Thank goodness. It’s not easy for a young musician to follow her own path of inspiration. There are so many enticements to take the quicker road and become too similar to what others are doing. But here is a young woman who was in the musical realm of Crescent City titans like Allen Toussaint and Dr. John, and then went forward on her journey inventing her own sound. Do not miss someone who learned the rules, took the chances and made it to the other side. Yeah you right.

Ned Hill Band, Thousand Watt Town. There’s something about someone in their 60s that sounds like they’ve been backed into a corner and are ready to bust free or bust up. Ned Hill has been around. The Kentucky homeboy has been a Nashville veteran the past 35 years in bands like Ned Van Go and others, immersing himself in rock songs that came close but never got all the way over. Hill straightened up, got an official manager and has written nine songs that can stand up to anyone. It really does feel like someone marched Hill in front of a firing squad and said he had one more chance to show what he really has to give. “Gotta Get Out of This Town,” “Kingdom Come,” “Bang the Drum” and others come out boiling and ready for business. Producer-groover Dave Coleman gives Hill all the road he needs to race whatever direction he wants to go, and that’s what the artist does. The sound Coleman and the musicians get has a tinge of roadhouse bandits about them, players who don’t hold back when it comes to expressing themselves. Violinist Tina Simpson, who often plays live as a duet with Ned Hill, fills in spots in the songs to perfect effect, and slides right in with the guitarists. In the middle of the album is the song “Larry Wilkins and the Great Train Derailment of ’66” that is a real show-stopper, a story song that tugs the heartstrings loose from the chest. The Civil War is ripping people into pieces a century-and-a-half after it ended. That’s some serious mojo. And that’s exactly the kind of singer-songwriter Ned Hill has always been, and always will be. But now he’s found his real boots and wears them proudly. Ring them bells.

The Immediate Family, Skin in the Game. Danny Kortchmar, Waddy Wachtel, Russ Kunkel, Leland Sklar and Steve Postell. If ever a rock studio band ruled the road, this is it. The experience added up is likely close to a century and a half. But the years aren’t the only story. What’s amazing about this crowd is how good they were, and how good they all are. Their soulful precision in the studio is unequaled, but each and every one of them is also a monster player on stage, and in a way that might count even more. For this new outfit they’ve created, The Immediate Family, it’s almost redundant to say the quintet is at the top of their game. But they are. They play with a silent code of groove, and never miss. And, yes, they can sing as good as they play. They also do it all with total humanity. In an age when machines can play anything, there will always be a place for musicians who actually pull out real guitars and set up drum kits and go at it. There is no substitute for that ability. But that’s just really the beginning, because the real leap is what the songs will be. As session players extraordinaire, the men have been on some of the very best in history with a range of stars that have created hundreds of classics. But now the songwriting is on them, and they come through with shining originals. All but bassist Leland Sklar contribute (he’s probably too busy taking his beloved Polaroids in the studio), but that’s all well and good. The Immediate Family are all also accomplished vocalists, and aren’t afraid to step up to the microphone. It’s also an interesting move that the only cover song recorded here is the Sparks’ “The Toughest Girl in Town.” Surely there’s a tale how that one got the lucky spot. No matter what these musicians play, it’s going to be the real deal. And delivered Immediately.

Dylan LeBlanc, Coyote. Here is a supremely gifted singer-songwriter who over his last four albums has been sounding like he’s one song from breaking into the stratosphere. Dylan LeBlanc is really that good. But it hasn’t happened yet. There is no real reason to point to that explains the lack of lift-off. Sometimes the music biz Russian roulette just be’s that way. And while these lucky-13 tracks come real close to making it happen, there’s still no sure thing in this gamble. LeBlanc’s voice is such an original and seductive beauty that everytime a new album comes out, it seems like it has to be the one. It just does. Maybe this time is it. The fact that COYOTE was released last October seems a little strange that not more has been heard about it, because the collection is absolutely an achievement. LeBlanc’s a voice for the ages, and the songs aren’t that far behind in the impression department. In fact, “Dust” (not to be confused with the 13th Floor Elevators’ 1967 classic of awesomeness also named “Dust,”), is an original that lights up the cosmos. The recordings done in the illustrious Muscle Shoals, Alabama Fame Studio are right on the money too, and the soul level is turned all the way up. It may just be timing or the position of the moon. But there is no way the Shreveport, Louisiana man is going away. That cannot happen. The world needs Dylan LeBlanc. Right now please.

Office Dog, Spiel. Leave it to the New Zelanders. The band Office Dog includes Kane Strang (guitar, vocals), Rassani Tolovaa (bass), Mitchell Innes (drums) and De Stevens (producer, piano). There is something sculpted and assembled slightly askew on their debut album SPIEL. It takes a lot of rock moves from the ’90s and puts them together in a totally modern way. It makes sense at the same time there’s never been anything like it. There is roiling angst in the lyrics and vocals as Strang sounds angry but never violent. He captures the space between being on the edge of a cliff right before freefall. There are clear influences from the era of Dinosaur Jr. and others of that glorious ilk, but at the same time Office Dog sounds utterly original. Which is no easy accomplishment by any means in 2024. The band is so relentless in pushing their controlled aggression forward that it is an uncontrollable feeling of being swept up in Office Dog’s pulsing power. There is really never a choice in it. Then the push stops on a gorgeous ballad like “Warmer” in a way that says there are so many layers to the band it might take another album or two to really hear all their possibilities. Which is a beautiful thing. These musicians have all been involved in a myriad of group mixtures of the years, but in many ways this is the one that feels like it’s the one which may be home for awhile. One can pray.

Dan Penn, The Inside Track on Bobby Purify. Get ready for a real round-up, and keep an eye on the bouncing ball. Many decades ago in the soulful 1960s, there was an absolutely astounding singing duo named James & Bobby Purify. They weren’t related, but they may as well have been. They were that close. When Bobby (Robert Lee Dickey) Purify retired, the singer Ben Moore stepped in and, voila, became the new Bobby Purify. James and Bobby Purify continued to chill and thrill audiences for years. Another couple of decades rolled by and Ben Moore made a solo album and joined the Blind Boys of Alabama. And Purify’s album, being bathed in soul and full of downtown rhythm & blues, featured Dan Penn and his cohort’s songs. Yes, that Dan Penn. Known far and wide as one of the finest songwriters of the South and someone who is also able to sing fine enough to curl toes and straighten hair. There is only one Dan Penn, and it’s a pretty sure bet there will be no more. Hold on, because this is where the curve in the road comes. Before Bobby Purify made that last album in the 2000s, Penn, fellow songwriters Buckey Lindsey and Carson Whitsett recorded a tackle-box full of demos for Purify’s album and, yes, those very demos are included on this stupefying collection THE INSIDE TRACK ON BOBBY PURIFY. Don’t get lost here, because the final destination is worth it all. Listening to those fine Southern soulsters sing these brand new songs as they were being written is one of the glorious gifts of the season. And then to have finished Bobby Purify being right there next to it, well, life doesn’t get a lot better than that. Hearing is believing.

Tom Rush, Gardens Old, Flowers New. There is no mistaking Tom Rush songs. They are always super insightful in the pain and vagaries of aging, totally respectful that listeners also need to laugh, even if it’s at themselves, and in the end music is there to fill life while it’s still here. And not to worry too much about how much is left. In other words, Tom Rush is the master of heart-filled existentialism. Maybe it’s because he spent much of his youth within shouting distance from Harvard University. Those are smart people there. Today Rush still trolls the landscape for pertinent song subjects, and as always finds exactly what he needs. A song as solid as “If You Love Me” doesn’t come knocking every day, and joined with Rush’s exquisite guitar playing it comes like a whole new anthem for the man. This is heart-cut music that cannot be written without the whole soul being involved. And, once again, Tom Rush shows exactly how it’s done. On we go.

Various Artists, Hoof Dog: The Songs of Jefferson Douglas. It’s always intriguing to dive into a tribute album without knowing a single thing about the celebrated artist, except that he’s from Amarillo, Texas. It makes the whole process of listening a learning extravaganza. One thing on HOOF DOG becomes immediately apparent: Mr. Douglas is a major songwriter. These ten tracks feel like they’ve been in the ethos for decades, floating around between Amarillo and Austin, El Paso and Beaumont. The man is a major songwriter, and the high level of those artists participating here is a roll call of truly greats, whether their names are well-known or not. Opening track, “Sheryl Rene” by Graham Weber, is a rollicking gas, and it just goes from there. “Tidepools” feels like a breathy classic, and “Big Blue Heart” by Kelly Willis heads emotionally off the road into the alley. This woman is a heartbreaker from note one. Things swing into third gear when Charlie Faye steps up on “Loveless,” sending hearts aflutter and feelings so deep it feels like the world is getting ready to change course and bust wide open with sunshine. Please. Hope heals eternal. Nobody’s Girl chills the air on “I’m Here” in such a gorgeous manner that there is nothing to do but gasp. Album co-producer Scott Davis (with Craig Bagby) steps up for “Emily,” bringing an edge, not to mention a ripping guitar solo, to the affairs and showing that album celebrant Jefferson Douglas is most definitely someone to keep an eye on in the dark. The next step on the collection is into the cosmos with The Tender Things’ “Silence is Gold.” Things are getting a little itchier as the set progresses, showing that Jefferson Douglas is a multi-layered cake, and someone to stay awake around. The big beat on Ray Prim’s “The Boy Who Could Fly” turns on the funk, proving how Texas will always be a surprising chili, and Prim is just the man to bring it on. And just in time Bonnie Whitmore takes the mic for one mos’ coscious heart-twister on “Ex-Girlfriend. Lord have mercy, by the end of the song it’s lucky the woman didn’t get electrocuted standing in a puddle of tears holding the microphone. This is a total soul-fryer with the chorus, “You can pretend you’re not my ex-girlfriend…” The disc-closer, “Like Diamonds,” is something that comes on a starless night with some real gris-gris in the air. And since there is no artist listed in the credits, it’s a good bet none other than Jefferson Douglas recorded it himself. It’s got a ghostly edge to it, and the voice is surely something that belongs to a singer who sleeps outdoors, no stranger to spirits that cannot be seen. Healing springs eternal.

Stoll Vaughan, Dream in Color. There are some singer-songwriters who can carry the weight on them, and make it sound not so painful. Stoll Vaughan’s songs are heavy. That’s just the way they are, which is by no means a bad thing. In fact, tracks like “Just Another Day” and “Fate” are downright inspiring. They face the challenges that appear regularly and offer a hope and grace on how to confront them. And that is an incredibly lucky gift that only very few of the best artists can offer. It’s obvious that Vaughan has been in the zone before. It’s not possible to write songs this poignant without some dark nights of the soul. The musician served 14 years in the Los Angeles music trenches before heading back to Kentucky to rediscover who he was, and boy did he. There is a total timelessness that runs through every one of his songs, and he is about to keep just enough lightness to them to stay away from the pity party. Vaughan is an always-affecting singer, right up there with the strength of his songs. And he’s got a band of ringers as good as it gets, who bring the spirit with them every time. Even at just eight songs, each one is so full and fine-tuned that it doesn’t feel like a short album at all. In fact, it feels just right. Colorful dreams indeed.

Charlie Winton, Eternal Light. There aren’t that many total surprises these days when it comes to musicians who are as good as anyone on the modern landscape, but remain hidden behind the bright lights doing their best. Charlie Winton is a fascinating case in point. He’s worked in the vineyards of the book publishing business for several decades, creating a company that went to the top of the pack. All that time, obviously, he’s been a music fanatic who not only writes indelible songs, but has actually recorded two albums on his own. The man has been indie all the way. For Winton’s third release, ETERNAL LIGHT, he swung for the fences and completely created a collection for today. Winton is clearly a devotee of real rock & roll, the style that developed through the 1970s right up to now. His songs come from deep within, while always remaining completely accessible, and deliver an essence of self-searching and, often, true discovery. Sometimes on ETERNAL LIGHT it’s hard to believe that this artist isn’t completely well known, someone who has been producing hit singles along with all the other stalwarts of the era. On selections like “Wings of Desire,” “Hear That Thunder” and, well, the other eight tracks, there is no way around it: this is music made for millions. One of the magic keys on the album is producer Scott Mathews. A long-time vet of the Bay Area music echelon who plays almost every instrument known to man, Mathews has been a permanent collaborator with San Francisco svengali Ron Nagle, someone who always has his ear out for what lies ahead. With Charlie Winton, it’s like Mathews has found his perfect other half to make a stand for music that will never go away. One of Charlie Winton’s choruses hits home as hard as anything this century in expressing the profound wonder of true-line rock & roll: “When you hear that thunder / you have to wonder / ever gonna find our way…” This is someone who no doubt will never stop trying to find that way. ETERNAL LIGHT shines.

Song of the Month
Tony Marsico, “Starry Eyes.” In the early 1970s Austin rock psychster guru Roky Erickson was released from the Hospital for the Criminally Insane in Texas and hit the streets. After a year or two Lone Star hero Doug Sahm took his younger compadre into the studio to record a single. Side A was “Red Temple Prayer (Two-Headed Dog),” while the fab flipside was “Starry Eyes.” Both were stellar. The B-side had a distinct Buddy Holly groove to it, and several people have covered it over the years. The perpetual Plugz bassist Tony Marsico joined those numbers on his latest 5-song mini album SLEEPWALKER, and really stepped up to bring it all back home. The man’s voice is perfect for the song, staying warm and fuzzy but also letting listeners know who’s in charge. The instruments move and groove without getting overbearing, with Erickson’s lyrics shining like golden rays of effervescent love all the way through. Bless all who had a hand in keeping the pioneer Texas rocker in the present, and sharing such wonderful vibrations again. Roky Erickson lives.

Reissue of the Month
Lee Konitz, Tenor Lee with Jimmy Rowles and Michael Moore. Is there a more beautiful sound on Planet Earth than Lee Konitz on tenor saxophone and Jimmy Rowles on piano, along with bassist Michael Moore? There is something about the feel of eternity in their performance of classic American songs like “I Remember You,” “Handful of Stars,” “‘Tis Autumn” and the other standards captured on this super sublime set. Though Konitz was normally an alto player, here he takes up the tenor and turns it into a fountain of love. It’s almost like he never played another instrument in his life. And then there’s Rowles. That should be repeated: then there’s Rowles. The man is such a master of the piano that sometimes it feels like he invented the modern style of playing, one that is always always reverential of how jazz was born, but then takes it another step. The pianist plays such lyrical lines that they remain woven into our hearts at the same time feel like it’s the first time they’ve ever been heard. This album was really a one-off in 1977: Konitz on a different instrument for him, and Rowles stepping into a contemporary trio bringing his whole life in music with him. It’s the perfect pairing that comes out shining with the allure of precious gems. And, of course, Moore keeps the underpinnings on bass exactly where they should be. What a dream.

Book of the Month
Brian C. Young, RUNAWAY: The Del Shannon Story. What a biography of cherished American rock & roller Del Shannon. Born Charles Westover in 1938 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, once Westover changed his name to Del Shannon and started making some of the great rock & roll records of the early 1960s he became a nationwide mega-star. Part of his allure was an incessant rolling rock & roll sound augmented by early electronic effects on a hot-rodded keyboard. Shannon’s powerful and plaintive voice brought it all home, and a star was born. Brian C. Young’s massive biography is an overwhelming telling of the rocker’s story, and it really does feel like no stone is left unturned. On the surface it might not have seemed there was this much of a tale to tell, but like so many things in life is the story behind the obvious. All the ins and outs of a life in the music business, which includes the glory and the guts, is collected in a way that Del Shannon’s life is like a boomeranging fairy tale. The man got to the top but also fell to the bottom. There is plenty of heartbreak to go with the happiness, and no detail is too minute for the author. to relate. Everything is here in all its ups and downs, twists and turns, and is written–all 796 pages of it–in historial wonder. Even though it might seem like a tall order to dig this deep into Del Shannon’s life and music, the dedication is worth the effort. What a life.

Bentley’s Bandstand: February 2024