Eddie “Blues Man” Kirkland – It’s The Blues Man
Born in Kingston, Jamaica & raised in Alabama, Eddie “Blues Man” Kirkland (1923-2011) has a nice, raw vocal & a remarkably good melodic blues feel, evident on the opener—“Down On My Knees.” Kirkland was an electric blues guitarist & harmonica player. He fashioned his own style of playing with open chords. On this showcase, Eddie’s supported by the tenor saxes of King Curtis & Oliver Nelson. Track 2 “Don’t Take My Heart,” is a rollicking piece with blasts of horns & Eddie’s energetic vocal. However, by “Have a Mercy On Me,” Eddie drifts into the vocal territory of Leadbelly, Bill Broonzy, & Howlin’ Wolf with a powerful reading of this blues song.
There are 12 nuggets to this 1962 debut by Eddie. A true-sound high-fidelity recording of It’s The Blues Man (Dropped June 12/Craft/Concord) supervised by Esmond Edwards & recorded by the legendary Rudy Van Gelder in Englewood Cliffs, NJ, where many jazz & blues sides were captured. This session was laid down between Dec. 1961 (Side B) & March 1962 (Side A).
More commercially accessible is the Muscle Shoals-oriented horns of “I Tried.” Typical ‘60s magic fills the speakers with this cool blues dance number with Eddie’s exceptional & fortified vocals. While Eddie wasn’t a major player in the tradition of John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, B.B. King, & Sonny Boy Williamson (Rice Miller), one listen will verify that Kirkland had the alchemy necessary to be a conjurer of blues spells.
More exciting for a juke joint would be “Man of Stone” performed with a pinch of soul & an aggressive arrangement. Kirkland wasn’t a showman, but his blues were entertaining & upbeat, telling some sorrowful tales, in a tight vocal & some in spoken phrases. His harmonica sizzled (“I’m Gonna Keep Lovin’ You”) in a down & dirty framework.
Many pieces in this set have a genuine thread of a blues-shouter. Not necessarily a Ray Charles, who had a voice that could comfortably fall back to easy listening, commercial pop & country. Eddie doesn’t have this reassignment skill – he’s strictly the blues. Deep, hot-wired & lots of thrust. “Something’s Gone Wrong In My Life” is peppered with a banquet of saxes & electrifying guitar. The best performance on the LP. It makes you wonder why Eddie wasn’t a revered bluesman. I say that because he has an emotional desperation in his voice in convincing songs like “Baby You Know It’s True.” A superb blues on a satisfying album.
Highlights – “Down On My Knees,” “Don’t Take My Heart,” “Have Mercy On Me,” “I Tried,” “Man of Stone,” “I’m Gonna Keep Lovin’ You,” “Something’s Gone Wrong In My Life,” & “Baby You Know It’s True.”
Musicians – Billy Butler (guitar), Jimmy Lewis (bass), Ray Lucas (drums), George Stubs (piano – Side A) & Herman Foster (drums – Side B).
B&W image courtesy of Eddie’s Bandcamp. CD @ Amazon & Apple + https://craftrecordings.com/products/eddie-kirkland-its-the-blues-man-bluesville-series-180g-lp?srsltid=AfmBOophkbMsEBtR11onkzIzEoL1j7Yv-AY9IRGrimVxNRZ_AskBz7FR