Bentley’s Bandstand: February 2025
By Bill Bentley
Shane Alexander, FOREVER SONGS. There are singer-songwriters throughout America who sound like they are on the edge of greatness, and keep getting closer to breakthroughs. Alexander is surely one of those, and has been that now for several albums. On Alexander’s eighth release, it’s crystal clear this is the release that could go all the way over. The songs feel like they’re written for the ages, and have that pull of permanence to spread the Alexander name far and wide. The artist has that gift of someone who doesn’t appear frequently. There is a looming air of eternity in songs like “Autumn Blue,” “Whole Lotta Stars” and several more that don’t come around that often. The man can walk the line between overt romance and inner reverberations that bring to mind the finest songwriters from the past half-century. Seriously. And the heart-filling sound of all the technical hands like Ted Russell Kamp, Brian Yaskulka and Richard Dodd made sure the super shine is in the sound. There aren’t that many contemporary artists who get to where Shane Alexander does on FOREVER SONGS. This is it.
Wes Race Presents: THE ALNICO ALL-STARS. When it’s time to get all the way down, this is the perfect soundtrack to take the party all the way up. There’s no real rhyme or reason to it. Apparently there’s a fellow named Wes Race, and he likes to go for the gusto. After relocating to Ft. Worth from the Wichita, Kansas area he found his home. Race fell in with the blues crew, as swerving and sloppy as he could find. And recently he threw down some quarters and recorded 15 tracks that rang his bell. Naturally Race imported a boatload of Austin musicians and other reprobates to play songs that hit their monkey nerve and–voila–THE ALNICO ALL STARS were born. It’s not quite clear how those on the album got there, but who’s counting. What counts is this just might be the most lowdown album of the 2000s, which is perfectly what was called for. There’s a dozen names performing you’ve heard of, and a dozen more you haven’t. And each and every one of them is exactly what’s needed. Whenever an early morning album is called for–one to be played after 4 a.m.–this is it. And it’s got the jackpot prize on it too: a cover of Weldon “Juke Boy” Bonner’s theme song “Houston The Action Town.” Now that that question is settled, it’d be best to hit the volume button to the top, roll up the rug and bo-down on the go-down. And if Bo, Belmer, Wild Bill, El Pinguino, Big Boy, Moondog, Del Rio, Rocky, Lou Ann, Iko, Father, Big Art, Bosco or any other ne’er do-well drops by, they get in free if they say the password: “Eh Eh.” It’s twist-off time and there’s no going back. Turn it up.
Bob Bralove & Patti Weiss, ACOUSTIC CONVERSATIONS. It takes a certain amount of widescreen brain ability to enter into the world of classical/jazz/freeform and make it work for a large range of people to enjoy. But that’s exactly what keyboardist Bob Bralove and violinist Patty Weiss have done on a super-wide range of projects over the 30 years. They’ve worked on a mind-blowing range of pojrects, including Bralove’s work with Stevie Wonder and his performances with Grateful Dead’s INFRARED ROSES project. Patti Weiss has recorded albums with artists including Curtis Ohlson and Scott Thunes, along with tours with Gipsy Kings, Memphis Slim and many more. ACOUSTIC CONVERSATIONS is their first recording together. It was mostly done in one session that allowed both Bralove and Weiss to extend their improvisation talents into new areas. After their exciting moments into the super-wide range of musical settings, this album is the prime followup. It’s like the pair have broken free of many of classical music’s forms, and found a way to use what they learned in psychedelic freedom-forming experiences, and make sure that where they journey now allows them unfettered paths. Bob Bralove’s creations with one-time Grateful Dead keyboardist Tom Constanten are a definite inspiration. And, of course, Patti Weiss is now a neuropsychologist in addition to her musical adventures. Rainbow colors blended….
Steve Howell & the Mighty Men, YEAH MAN. The blues can come in many colors. From the earliest African-Americans in the South to the big-time operators in Chicago and beyond, it’s a music of ultimate expression and complete emotional fabulousness. East Texan Steve Howell has been playing blues pretty much his whole life, and recording albums that sizzle with honesty and feelings. On Howell’s latest, YEAH MAN, he has outdone even himself, expanding his songbook into areas that are total knockouts, and no matter if it’s a Bo Diddley classic or an Andy Kirk stunner first recorded in 1937 and later revived by Sir Douglas Sahm in 1968. All the songs go all the way in proving the total timelessness of this music, as well as Howell’s ability to transfer pure power and warmth in his versions. The musician, along with a knock-out band of swinging joy, captures all the wonder of what blues can do, and even expands into the jazz and rock & roll ethos of so much of modern sound. Steve Howell has a bit of magic in his soul, and the way he can bring it to the front of the song is something that doesn’t appear every day. When it’s time to spin a disc in search of tingles that the best blues always delivers, no matter how far down you have to travel to get there, there is no one more able to deliver the goods. Starting at 13 years old in this true blue musical journey, it’s safe to say Howell is now at the top of his abilities to play the music of the spheres in a downhome bundle of reality. An American beauty.
Lilly Hiatt, FOREVER. There is no doubt that singer-songwriter-rocker Lilly Hiatt comes by her bonafides righteously. Her father John Hiatt is one of the greats of the past 50 years, starting with his two debut albums in the mid-1970s. Now Lilly Hiatt is also someone who sounds like she can go all the way. as well. In fact, she is already on the way there. Her new release, FOREVER, is surely a set of songs that will last forever. There is a strength in the woman’s succinctness that separates those who are destined for greatness and those that are still chasing it however they can but can’t quite find it. Lilly Hiatt does not fool around with trying a handful of ideas and attacks to see where she can go. This woman knows where she’s going, flexing beauty and muscles throughout songs that feel like they are going to be here for, well, forever. This young woman is on a mission to make her stake in whatever rock music is made of these days, and at the same time demonstrate a sound that is all its own. Producer Coley Hinson makes sure the tracks have guts. This isn’t someone who is splashing around in the waves hoping to find the real thing. That’s because she is made of the real thing. Hiatt wrote all the songs on the album, with one co-write with Scot Sax (“Hidden Day”)” and a cameo with her father. She also played guitar throughout the set, never losing a laser like-attention to exactly what is needed. It’s a tough challenge to never go too far in recording songs that keep the strength at exactly the right level. Which is exactly what Lilly Hiatt has done on FOREVER, with everything on the nine songs. What a winner.
The David Mayfield Parade, GO BIG AND GO HOME. When bluegrass, folk and country music join their variations together, there is no stopping it. Just like there is no stopping the David Mayfield Parade album GO BIG AND GO HOME. There is something so winsome about the songs, the singing and the playing that Parade just might march right up Pennsylvania in Washington, D.C. and turn the country around. The purity of the vocals is fortunately matched with a humanness to the songs themselves that makes the beating heart work a little harder to stay resolute in the struggle to stay looking up. Spirituality might be in short supply right now, but songs like “At Your Throne” and “Face Your Life,” “Lord Comes Down” and many of the others on GO BIG AND GO HOME have a extra-zapped feeling of goodness, fueled by seven highly-believing members that cannot be stopped. The album, recorded in Mountain Fever Studio (where else?) in Willias, Virginia, actually feels like it has a touch of warmth about it, as lessons of faith and hope come one song after the other. Between early country music and blues, America’s early days were guided straight from the front of a church, and moved on by zealous belief and the glory of the human voice. In so many ways, it seems that way still in the grooves of certain records that will not be denied. Say amen somebody.
Eve Monsees & Mike Buck, … & THEIR GROOVY ORBIT. Now it’s time to start stomping. There are very few musicians who can put together an item like this groovy odyssey. Guitarist-vocalist Eve Monsees and drummer Mike Buck have been bustin’ up bandstands all over Texas and beyond for several lifetimes, and this latest achievement is one for the hysterical books. And that’s because the pair pulled out their mighty Rolodex and reeled in no less than 21 musical gem-friends to cook up a whole mess of sounds. Here’s a few examples: Lou Ann Barton, Tommy McClain, Omar Dykes, Speedy Sparks, C.C. Adcock, John X. Reed, Derek O’Brien, Steve Doerr, Hook Herrera, Derek Huston, Walter Daniels, Jason Crisp (whatta name!), Henri Herbert, Joe Emery, Jeanne Attaway, Nico Leophonte, Myles Crosby, Billie Buk, Ben Buck and Mariah Stross. Try saying that roll call in one breath. The end result of this sonic potpourri is one for the rock of ages. Really. Monsees and Buck make up some of the bedrock foundation for the wide variety of songs, and then build various band settings for the other players and vocalists to take flight and kick it as hard as they want. It’s like a fantasy jam session with no real rules, except to make sure the groove is irresistible and the vocalists stay close to the microphones so listeners can reel the burn. The best way to make sure the music is felt is to stay close to the speakers and find the “11” position on the volume knob. And let it happen. And for reentry after the orbital audio trip, it’s recommended to drink a couple of Big Reds for maximum buzz, grab a chilli relleno from El Rancho to rev up some spices and then mellow down easy with a scoop of Rocky (Erickson) Road from Amy’s Ice Cream for dessert. That’s the best instructions for a true trip into the Groovy Orbit with the kind of songs that make life worth digging. Countdown 3-2-1 blastoff!
Hudson Mueller, WELCOME TO EARTH. Once or twice a year, usually, an album comes right out of the sky with such a surprising worth that it makes it feel like a falling star has landed nearby. Which is exactly what the eleven breathtaking songs on Hudson Mueller’s new album do. There is a gasping reaction that comes when listening to WELCOME TO EARTH which feels like there is a chance to start over on this planet and find a way to a higher road. The South Austinite, formerly of the Gold Magnolias and others, has been exploring the deep grooves in Texas and beyond for his entire life, discovering where the most thrilling sides of songs can be mined. He then played in bands and on his own to make sure that’s where he wanders. There is a distinct etherealness to Mueller’s music, with a side order of newness to how the man puts his songs together. He’s also not afraid to kick things up a notch when necessary, or tiptoe into an outer universe to see where it might take the sound. The superfine result of these excursions is an originality that rock & roll thrives on, something that makes sure there is a briskness in the sonic breezes that takes all within earshot into the promised land. It might be a bit presumptuous in only the third month of the year, but there is a solid feeling of accomplishment on WELCOME TO EARTH which sounds like it just might end up being the surprise album of the year. The way the spatial room inside the songs blends with a solid sense of strength is an absolute dynamic of surprise which isn’t often heard right now. Hudson Mueller has opened the door on his very own style, and when that happens watch out because there is greatness straight ahead. Surprise of 2025.
Kid Ramos, STRANGE THINGS HAPPENING. This is music that inspires such a feeling of life and joy, even though sometimes inspired by hurt and hard times, that there can be no doubt that higher spirits are all at home here. Kid Ramos is a longtime true believer in the magic of blues, and he has devoted his musical gifts to an inspirational calling in such a sound of force that there can be no doubt good things are coming. The musician has been one of the most inspired American blues guitarists for almost.50 years, playing with the James Harman Band, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, the Mannish Boys, Los Fabulocos and the Proven Ones, for starters. By taking a strong step into inspirational songs he shows a jaw-dropping ability that sounds like something listeners have been waiting for. A song list which includes staples by Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Clara Ward and others, including Bob Dylan’s “Every Grain of Sand’ which shows the undeniable power of gospel music, and the incredible delivery of all the players on the dozen tracks is one of the great gospel collections of this century, like a dream list of the present time. Of course, at the absolute heart of this music is guitarist Kid Ramos. He has his own sound no matter what he plays, and it is true of this collection. Ramos’ leads burn with such an emotional fire that each song takes off on its own journey. So many truly fine songwriters, players, singers and higher powers. Great things happening.
The Wildwoods, DEAR MEADOWLARK. Lincoln, Nebraska is one of the most inspired musical areas in America. The instruments of the area say it all: violin, acoustic guitar, upright bass, cello, percussion and more. At the center of all these sounds, though, is the human voice. And for that, no one is more inspired than The Wildwoods: Noah Gose (vocals, acoustic and electric guitar); Chloe Gose (vocals and violin); Andrew Vaggalis (vocals and upright bass). On their superlative new album, the trio is joined by players Harrison Eldorado (drums & percussions); Sam Stanley (cello) and Ben Brodin (organ and vibraphone) to make the kind of purely sweeping folk-Americana album that offers such a rich and sound album that it feels like a journey to another time, while always staying true to an American celebration of folk music that is an instrumental specialty. All songs are originals written by Noah Gose, who is becoming one of the standout writers of modern American folk music These are songs that are meant to sound new now, and then last forever as they age and are performed over the decades ahead. A new age.
REISSUE OF THE MONTH
Ray Charles BEST OF COUNTRY & WESTERN Perfection isn’t the easiest, or often the most needed, value in the record business. There needs to be plenty of human virtues in any endeavor involving music. If everything is exactly right, then where’s the beating human heart and the chance that reality will be rightfully represented? And when Ray Charles decided to record a slew of country songs in the early 1960s, he knew exactly what he was doing. He was going to show where the soul of man really lives. Those two country & western albums are the sound of beauty and pain mixed into one. And guess what? The audience went crazy and bought every copy they could find. This 13-song collection compiled by record man John Burk, is a study in true divinity. Charles’ voice of the spheres imparts every single human feeling worth experiencing over the course of those songs in a way that cannot be described with words. From “Here We Go Again” to “Seven Spanish Angels” (with Willie Nelson) is an illustration of what it means to be a living person. It is a timeless tour through the very best of what music can be, and a sound that reminds all within hearing distance there is reason to be on this earth, and that we must never forget that. When in any doubt, listen to “Together Again” and walk around the block. That’s the way.
BOOK OF THE MONTH
Preston Lauterbach BEFORE ELVIS: THE AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSICIANS WHO MADE THE KING This is a firecracker of a book that zeroes in on a quartet of musicians and singers in the South that really supplied the gasoline for Elvis Presley to set America on fire with rock & roll. Those four–Little Junior Parker, Big Mama Thornton, Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup and Calvin Newborn–gave such inspiration and ideas from the blooming music for the coming revolution of rock & roll that it can never be overestimated. Author Preston Laurterbach wades into Southern history and really finds the plot for the whole journey, and tells it in a way of such solid excitement and loving detail that it can’t be missed. The locations, events, achievements and just downright soul of all these gyrations come alive in front of us. You can almost feel the humidity of a summer day on Beale Street in Memphis. Those that say without Elvis Presley rock & roll would never have been the same are given ample evidence for their conclusions within the pages of this book, and all who dive into the text will be rewarded with excitement. It’s true that when Vernon Presley moved his wife and son from Tupelo, Mississippi to Memphis, Tennessee, he gave the young child the keys to the musical promised land. All shook up.
SONG OF THE MONTH
DION, “New York Minute.” This is a man who has recorded some of the very finest songs in rock & roll history. It is no accident that Dion’s new ‘New York Minute” release is right up there as one of the best of his career. He is able to grab elements of the Big Apple’s sound and weave them together like time doesn’t really exist. It just takes the skill of the weaving to make sure the final results are irresistible. Elements of doo wop vocals and big city greatness join together so there is no way not to be won over. Dion is an undoubtable all-timer and always has been. The Wanderer survives.
Bentley’s Bandstand: February 2025