Piper & The Hard Times – Revelation
Whoever thought Howlin’ Wolf’s voice could return from the dead in a dynamic blues singer with a fully loaded band? This is a live debut set performed over 3 days at Ronnie’s Place at Soundstage Studios in Nashville & Tresland Studios in Franklin, TN.
12 originals anchored in a New Orleans-flavored blues tradition with takes on Texas shuffles, incisive grooves, funk-rock & slow emotive ballads. The tunes are eclectic & rhythmically infused R&B, blues stirred with soul & pure rock-driven melodies.
Produced by Tres Sasser Piper & The Hard Times – Revelation (Drops Aug 16/Hard Times Records/51:39), it is a showcase delivering lively & imaginative music in traditional genres with bluesy adrenaline. The songs are well-crafted & convincing. The recordings successfully translate the mood, atmosphere & feel of the room. Nothing’s lost except for the lack of a waiter to bring more beer & barbecue.
The last time I heard this type of music it was delivered with live gusto by Otis Redding on “I Can’t Turn You Loose,” from the exceptional “Live In Europe” LP. Piper’s songs get out of the starting gate with nostrils huffing & puffing like a dragon who swallowed jalapeno peppers.
“Trouble Man,” “Heart For Sale,” & “Preacher Blues” are blistering tunes divided up between the weighty vocals of Al “Piper” Green against lead guitars & harmonica.
Sometimes it’s like a Florentine steak tossed on a high fire for a minute on each side & sometimes it’s just a sultry slow boil. Any blues singer can sing songs like this but to pull the magic from those songs you need a steamroller vocal to harden the mix. This is vocal energy that’s not taught but felt from somewhere in the ether of the soul.
I always thought the 60s middle-of-the-road singer Gene McDaniels had the voice for such blues excursions. Still, he always played it safe with his debonair ballads (“Another Tear Falls,” “A Hundred Pounds of Clay,” “Tower of Strength”) until he released (1971) the disparate “Headless Heroes of the Apocalypse,” which was quite, um different.
The title track “Revelation” is superb, as is “Walk With Me” a real stunner. Heavy charts dominate these arrangements. Great live earthy performances indeed. “You’re Gonna Miss Me,” will remind blues enthusiasts of works by the Paul Butterfield Blues & Cream. It has a deep trench of rock shoveled in around it. The late Janis Joplin would’ve dueted with Piper on this excellently.
Highlights – “Trouble Man,” “Heart For Sale,” “Preacher Blues,” “Revelation,” “You’re Gonna Miss Me” & “Walk With Me.”
Musicians – Al “Piper” Green (vocals), Steve Eagon (guitar), Dave Colella (drums/percussion), Amy Frederick (piano/Hammond organ) & Parker Hawkins (bass) with Shaun Murphy (former Little Feat singer – bgv), Lisa Oliver-Gray, Melissa Gardner (bgv), Chris Floyd (harmonica), Eddie Meyer (tenor sax) & Dick Aven (tenor & baritone saxes).
The cover image by Madison Thorn & B&W is courtesy of the band’s Facebook. CD @ Bandcamp https://piperandthehardtimes.bandcamp.com/album/revelation & https://www.piperandthehardtimes.com/