Bentley’s Bandstand: March 2024
By Bill Bentley
Gary Clark Jr, JPEG Raw. The mothership has landed. Gary Clark Jr. is an artist who has been heading for the outer limits for over 20 years. Starting as a wonder in Austin while still a teenager, he first had to move past the Blues Dude tag and prove to the home town team he had what it takes to clear his own path. JPEG RAW is the album that shows once and for all what Clark is capable of. It’s a breathtaking amalgamation of a dozen songs and each one is a strong separate accomplishment. It’s clear from album opener “Maktub” the Texan is on a mission to show all sides of himself, and the strength he knows is there. This is a gamble of an album, because there is no holding back. But like someone who truly knows who he is deep down, Gary Clark Jr. busts through the walls and stands tall. It really does feel like JPEG RAW is an answer to all those who wonder what the artist believes at the very center of his core. Every song is a look at a different side, and there is never an inch of doubt. The special guests who each stepped up on a different song–Valerie June, Naala, Keyon Harrold, Stevie Wonder and George Clinton–are not fooling around. They are all-in with Clark like they’ve joined a quartet of pioneers who are ready to strike out for exciting musical territory. With samples by everyone from the Jackson 5, Sonny Boy Williamson and Jorge Darden, it’s no accident JPEG RAW feels like a thrilling achievement for someone who has learned that where he goes musically is all up to him. And that there are no barriers at all. When an artist like Gary Clark Jr. discovers this kind of freedom, it is something that all his listeners can feel and travel along to wherever he is going. There is no reason not to, and learning that lesson is something never to be forgotten. The final song, “Habits,” opens a door to the heart. Sometimes a song like that appears only once or twice in a musician’s life, and there is a good bet that with this person it’s a sign for what is ahead, some day some way. Next stop unknown.
Dion, Girl Friends. There are very few singers who have doing it as long as Dion and keeps getting better. Really. The man’s feel for blues-based rock & roll is something that comes to only a few. Dion knows exactly how to find the center of a song and then inject in it a feeling that defies times. Not only that, he has a way of recording albums that have an original attack. For his latest release, the Bronx bomber has outdone even himself. Working with twelve different female singers and players, he’s surrounded himself with partners who help him push the songs right through the roof and straight into the sky. Album opener “Soul Force” really does definie this whole affair, when bad-ass guitarist Susan Tedeschi opens up and starts a fire. Danielle Nicole steps in with a vocal on the second track that is a chillbumper from note one. With a backbeat big enough to build a house, the duo shows what grits are really about. Valerie Tyson takes it all to the river, and knows exactly what she’s doing, while Dion pushes in all the right places and proves that he belongs at the top of any list of all-time rock & roll singers. This man just keeps growing. And that’s just the start of an insta-classic album. From there some of the finest females on the planet–Christine Ohlman, Debbie Davies, Carlene Carter, Rory Block, Randi Fishenfeld, Maggie Rose, Sue Foley, Shemekia Copeland and Joanne Shaw Taylor–step up and walk with Dion DiMucci into the promised land. Every song is written by Dion DiMucci and Mike Aquilina except “Hey Suzy,” by DiMucci and Scott Kempner. This feels like a unequaled accomplishment, something that Dion might have been wanting to do his whole life. An American hero.
Sue Foley, One Guitar Woman: A Tribute to the Female Pioneers of Guitar. This woman has really done it this time. Sue Foley has zeroed in on the great acoustic female guitar players and recorded twelve songs that not only capture their spirits but really goes to the most elemental beauty of what these women accomplished in lifetimes of devotion to the music of the spheres. The names of those who inspired this album must be mentioned: Elizabeth Cotten, Memphis Minnie, Maybelle Carter, Lydia Mendoza, Elvie Thomas and Geeshie Wiley, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Ida Presti and Charo. Sue Foley’s undeniable abilities to take songs from the earliest decades of recording, and bring them into the present with such wondrous energy and truth is like a gift from the outer zone. So many times the history of women musicians stays on a high shelf that doesn’t often get the attention it should. Foley has stepped forward to change that, and change it she surely does. This is music that feels like the deepest truth in America’s roots, and should never be given anything but the highest respect. Sue Foley has mde the kind of album that will live forever, and be played when reminders need to be made at what came before the modern music scene. Without these unstoppable women playing guitar for the ages, the musical world might not have progressed like it. But progress it did, and gave a chance for people like Sue Foley to find their own way to find a life in that world today. There is no modern music without roots music, and that incredible journey is told here in the incredible hands and voice of Sue Foley playing the songs of those who lit her fire in the first place. An incredible achievement.
Abdullah Ibrahim, 3. Musical magic often happens at the least expected moments. Abdullah Ibrahim’s new album 3 is an unforseen treasure that had no real advance word. The South African pianist once known as Dollar Brand and now goes by Abdullah Ibrahim is a true original, a jazz player that doesn’t really follow anything but his own ideas of what the music should sound like. Though he started as a disciple of giants like Duke Ellington and John Coltrane, it wasn’t long before Ibrahim realized he would have to chart his own sound to find true inspiration. And that’s what the man has done for most of his life. This new album, recorded live at London’s Barbican Centre–once with an audience and once without–captures a true icon of jazz at the very top of his form. The musician was born in South Africa and started playing there when jazz was all but outlawed from public consumption. Then named Dollar Brand, he always found a way to pursue his calling in life, and became known around the world as someone who could walk in the footsteps or the jazz giants before him. Working in London with the jazz trio of Cleave Guyton Jr. (flute, piccolo) and Noah Jackson (double bass, cello), the three go instantly into the stratosphere of music at its very finest. Whether it’s the concert with no audience or one with a sold-out room, Abdullah Ibrahim arrives where only the very best pianists can go, and that’s into their own world of improvisation. Something magical takes over the musicians from the opening song, “Barakat,” and to the last song in front of the full audience, “Trance-Mission,” there is no doubt all are in the presence of a thrilling creation of jazz at its highest elevation. Abdullah Ibrahim has taken everyone to a level of performance that cannot be topped, and given the world a gift which shall last forever. Giant steps indeed.
Ted Russell Kamp, California Son. It might be time to hang in the closet the musical moniker Americana and just call the style American music, like The Blasters did on their 1979 debut. Singer-songwriters like Ted Russell Kamp have more than provien their ability to stand on their own without a descriptive affiliation when they bring it to Jerome. This is someone who works with artists like Shooter Jennings and turns around and establishes such a strong and unbending personal statement that there aren’t many others in their league. Kamp’s new release is his best yet. There is such a depth of sonic accomplishment on the songs that hopefully this is the disc that really stands out and makes the man stellar. The songwriting alone is a wake-up call that Ted Russell Kamp and his writing partners really made it to the top of the hill. It’s like each track stamps a contemporary imprint on a style that has been mined thoroughly the past few decades, but this songwriter knows it’s all about individualism in such a crowded field. And all the musicians that step in on those songs to take them up to the top notch should be given medals. This is musicality at its fireiest and finest. Ted Russell Kamp’s voice already doesn’t sound like anybody else, and the songs he sings here have his own ethos running through them. The music business is scored by fearlessness. There is no point finding a trend and then taking a ticket to get onboard with everyone else. What it takes now is the guts to cut in at the front of the line, and then stand your ground. Now’s the time.
Heather Little, By Now. While it’s true that Texan Heather Little isn’t a well-known name in the music world, what is true is that she should be. The woman has written enough great songs to be an established artist, and with her new album BY NOW it’s time she stepped forward. These are originals that evoke such a strong sense of strength and beauty, while at the same time their ability to bring heartbreak to life is nothing short of stunning, it feels like 2024 should be Little’s breakthrough. With singers like her, it’s all about the honesty their voice delivers. There can be no guessing games about it: songs like “Razor Wire,” “This Life Without You,” “Saint Christopher” and “Gunpowder and Lead” zero in on that deepest part of the soul where the spirit lives. That feeling which brings forth a belief that we are all here to share and shine, no matter the hardships and heavy lifting that can be such a sharp definition of life. Producers Brian Brinkerhoff and Frank Swart have the perfect intuition to help Heather Little find her very best efforts to bring these songs to life. There is a surety of sound woven into every song, like all involved knew how not to add too much to the music. Instead the highlight of BY NOW is exactly how much the singer gets to find their center and let it glow. In the end, the combination of everything on each song feels like a perfect blend. And with vocalists like Rusty Van Sickle, Patty Griffin, Leslie Satcher, Ronnie Bowman, Crystal Bowersox and Van Plating joining in, it all adds up to the kind of album that comes every decade or so where there can be no denying that this is a collection that will live forever. Little’s big album.
James Mastro, Dawn of a New Error. There are albums that start like they are blown out by a cannon, filled with fire and desire and everything else that makes rock & roll great. James Mastro is a man of many talents, but most of all he is someone who writes, sings, plays all kinds of instruments and knows exactly what rock & roll is meant for. Songs like “Right Words, Wrong Song,” “Three Words,” “Never Die” and “Someday Someone Will Turn Your Head Around” are meant to be messages that open the heart and help listeners find reasons why life is so wondrous. In a world that often feels like it is heading for the meat-grinder, Mastro takes a 180-degree turn and supplies all the love and hope needed to believe there is another way to go. One that is built on hope, a place where adversity does not get the final word. DAWN OF A NEW ERROR feels like one man’s winning battle against all that tries to shut off the lights and let the darkness win. There is no way this man is going to let that happen. James Mastro’s main musical partner in crime on the album is producer Tony Shanahan, longtime collaborator with Patti Smith, and not only knows his way around a song but also a special touch on a variety of instruments that helps bring these eleven songs all the way home. Sometimes there is a collection of songs that arrives at exactly the right time to reset the scoreboard so the good guys get to win again. James Mastro is that guy. So no matter what shape the heart is in, listen to this super fine surprise. It might not only make 2024 really kick into gear, but it will also make a believer out of those who are looking for the next best door to walk through. Dawn is here.
The Rolling Stones, Live at the Wiltern. When the world’s mightiest band played the smallish Los Angeles Wiltern Theatre in 2002, the excitement level was through the roof. For a band that is comfortable turning the massive Dodger Stadium into a juke joint, there was no telling how it would pulverize a place as small as the Wiltern. This two-CD and one DVD collection shows what Stones fans have always known: this is an aggregation that can play anywhere. That’s because the group knows they are a band, not a circus, and when they really kickstart their song list the Rolling Stones truly do become unbeatable. And a very big part of that is their song list. A truly savvy collection of originals, rhythm & blues covers and, of a course, a reggae standard, the whole night feels like a a group of true believers took over the Wiltern and show after all the publicity and public fervor, at heart the Rolling Stones are a super-fine bar band turned up loud. After all, this is a tight-knit set of friends of Englishmen who began their band as true-blue blues lovers and expanded their reign from there. The way they did it was through sheer talent and devotion, and the reason they are still together and as devoted as ever is because they never quit believing in the music that gave them their start. Learning to write their own timeless songs allowed them the ability to expand into everything they became, but they still know how to use those early lessons to stay strong now. The music that is played this night on Wilshire at Western Avenues in Los Angeles is full-tilt proof that you can always dance with who brung you, and there is no reason not to. Charlie Watts lives.
Ann Savoy, Another Heart. Sometimes an album arrives somewhat out of left field, and is so absolutely stunning that nothing else seems important for a day or two. That is Ann Savoy’s new release ANOTHER HEART. It is such a stellar selection of songs, some by Ann Savoy along with others by Ray Davies, Bruce Springsteen, Richard Thompson, Joni Mitchell, Sandy Denny and others, it is completely impossible to resist. Savoy’s voice comes from another place, one that sounds seared by the world but also a sound that provides ultimate hope in the goodness of life. There are no guarantees, maybe, but this is a woman who has seen the world from all sides and shrinks from none. The way she can capture the frozen moments of life that really matter is a gift not given to many. With producer Dirk Powell it is clear that this is a pair who have taken everything they’ve ever learned in music and taken it to the highest place those things can go. it’s not that easy to make time stop, even with the best songs. But Ann Savoy has learned the secrets of what makes the world turn so she can accomplish just about anything she wants when it comes to music. Her long life in the Cajun world with Mark Savoy and others has done her well, and allowed the woman to become almost in a class of one when it comes to how her soul affects that of others. It is no accident that Smithsonian Fokways Records released ANOTHER HEART. This is a collection that will last forever, and might not come again. Another heart indeed.
The Sinseers, Sinseerly Yours. There is a super-strong tradition of singing and performing in East Los Angeles that is the bedrock of soul. The Sinseers have been part of that proud tradition in a way that cannot be challenged. They not only believe in the music, but they have dedicated a big part of their lives to it. With nine members in the band, they are almost without equal in the scene now, and have no intention of turning back. SINSEERLY YOURS was recorded in beautiful downtown Rialto, and has enough hometown pride on it to glow in the dark. This are singers who stake their lives on how they deliver, because this is a sound that is integral to where they come from. With Adriana Flores being the front woman of the band with five male vocalists who also make up the instrumental side of the band, this is as full a sound as any aggregation in America. They’ve got every side covered, from guitar, horns, percussion and beyond. The beauty of the music lies in how everyone on the bandstand believes in where the sounds came from and where the Sinseers want to go. The pride in who they are can be heard from two towns over, and the way the sweetness and sadness get worked into the mix is a non-stop beauty. Sinseerly or else.
Song of the Month
Kacey Musgraves, “Deeper Well.” There are several country singers who have really taken the road less traveled, and set off for the upper territory. Kacey Musgraves is at the head of that brigade. She is listening to her deepest feelings more than she’s watching the sales charts, and her new album DEEPER WELL is a considerable advance. The title song is like a to-do list for someone who knows a correction in direction is on the to-do list taped to the refrigerator, and she’s doing her best to pay attention to it. Musgraves is a clearly an amazing singer, with a voice that cannot be avoided. It goes straight to the inner area of the human heart. “Deeper Well” is like the travel guide to get there. Go with her.
Reissue of the Month
The Rolling Stones, Singles: 1966-1971. This is the band that can make dream projects come alive, and don’t really have to answer to anyone but themselves. So when it’s time to put together a box-set that goes the limit and beyond, The Rolling Stones know no peers. This collection of 18 45s from that era when the band turn from heavy duty rhythm & blues-inflected barn-burners and go off into the outer edges to get their groove on remains a breathtaking time in popular music. It’s like the quintet knew it was time to blast into fifth-gear and see how far they could go. The answer, of course, was to the moon and back. Having all those singles in one collection really shows just how incredible their accomplishment was. Add in the kind of booklet that really captures all the band did on wax during this era brings a history to life that never grows old. There is a reason the Rolling Stones will always be the world’s greatest rock & roll band, and a lot of that evidence is on this illustrious box-set. Accept no substitutes.
Book of the Month
Steve Williams, Music Titans: 250 Greatest Recording Artists of the Past 100 Years. It’s an amazing feat when any one person can go through the past 100 years of recording artists and come up with a comprehensible collection of what they feel is their 250 greatest achievements. That sounds like an assignment for someone who has restricted their living quarters to a chair, a bed, a light and a stereo. But Steve Williams takes on the daunting assignment and come through with flying colors. Of course, any thought of picking the “greatest” is a highly subjective dare, but Williams doesn’t shrink from the thought at all. The great thing about popular music is that everyone has their own favorites and ideas about what is the best. There are no rules or reason, really. It’s an entirely personal choice to zero in on the entire playing field of popular music, and no one can call a foul on anyone else. In fact, the best rule in approaching music is find the favorites and leave everything else to others. And that’s exactly what Williams has done. The way he justifies his choices is an intriguing series of lessons on their own, full of enough factual information that the mind boggles. By the end of the book, it almost feels like it’s time to go back to the beginning and take notes on all the writer’s insights that might have been missed the first time. Yellow markers suggested.
Bentley’s Bandstand: March 2024