Blues Planet

As I get ready to wrap up another year in the life, I like to look back musically on the past 365 days to catalogue those songs which had the most impact on me. No question that the blues have kept me sane in 07-08, especially these standout tunes:


"The Lights Are On" - Albert Collins
The piercing, precise picking that characterizes Collins' guitar playing defines this virtuoso run, as if it would be impossible to coax another stinging riff to top the last one, but he manages to rip right through the song. The lyrics are sparse but evocative, perfectly matched to a bluesman whose mastery of the mood and the melody was legendary. In his own way, Albert Collins was the Jimmy Page of the blues.


" That's Alright" - Etta James
I forget all about Etta until I was trolling through the CDS in a mall music emporium and found "Blues To The Bone", the diva's collection of classic blues standards. James' immense vocal range gets a workout, from the throbbing sexuality of "You Shook Me", "Little Red Rooster" and "Crawling Kingsnake" to the uptempo versions of "Got My Mojo Working" and "Driving Wheel". The song that "sticks" in my mind is a tune attributed to Jimmy Rodgers called "That's Alright". Etta's bigger than life vocals swallow the lyrics whole and spit them back out as smooth as silk, the tale of infidelity and heartbreak smoothed over by her sense of acceptance. Her penetrating voice hits just the right tone in the sardonic chorus: "Some times I wonder / Who's loving you tonight."


"Come On In My Kitchen" - Keb Mo
Keb was someone whose name had been mentioned, so I was pleasantly surprised to discover his traditional style and deep, commanding voice. The spare mix of guitar, harmonica and drums keeps repeating the same enigmatic riff in "Kitchen", perhaps in homage to the song's cryptic author, Robert Johnson. Keb's rough, powerful vocals flesh out the lyrics, the tune ending in the same abrupt, mysterious way it begins.


"Damn Right I Got The Blues" - Buddy Guy

Damn right I know who the hell Buddy Guy is, but the OLD Buddy Guy of "You Sure Can't Do", "Sweet Little Angel" and " The First Time I Met The Blues". The NEW Buddy has kept right in the groove , easing those razor sharp notes out of his axe as he wails and bellows the title tune of yet another Grammy winning CD. "Damn Right" is the main course of this gourmet blues buffet, but side dishes like "Five Long Years", "Black Night" and a re-worked, bluesy version of Wilson Pickett's classic "Mustang Sally" are lovingly prepared in the studio to near perfection.


"The Celebrated Walking Blues" - Taj Mahal

I've never really been sure about Taj Mahal since I bought his first album, the one with him sitting in a chair on the front lawn, cradling his guitar, surrounded by cartoon animals. The music was overpowering but I was dubious about his authenticity - was he the real McCoy or some ambitious college student simply playing the role? Taj's music has ranged from foot-stomping solid blues tracks to flirtations with reggae and zydeco to the simple acoustic combination of vocal and guitar. This particular song moves like molasses slowly spreading across a plate, starting out with the basic six string and rough vocals, then slowly adding in slide guitar, harmonica, bass and drums until it flows. I decided it doesn't really matter who Taj really is and what he represents. The music speaks for itself.


A few other standouts....Bonnie Raitt teaming up with Sippie Wallace on "Women Be Wise" ..."It Hurts To Love Someone" by Earl King..."Too Old To Get Married" where the blues meets good time rock and roll in the persona of Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater joining forces with Lonnie Brooks...."Black Night", "Big Mamou" and just about all the rest of the songs on Roomful of Blues' "Raisin' A Ruckus"...the list goes on. However, I have to admit as I peer fearfully back to last year that Martha Davis' "Only The Lonely" still resonates, still summarizes yet another year in the life.