| CD REVIEW |
| I loved this CD right from the get-go! Although I received it from Seattle well before Christmas, it took the untimely death of Hamilton's Richard "King Biscuit Boy" Newell in early January 2003 to push aside more pressing matters to take a serious listen to this fellow harmonica player. Coincidentally, Mr. Bailey's opening track, "Used To Be My Happy Home", could easily have been one of King Biscuit Boy's own compositions, as it reminded me of that gentleman's ballsy "You Done Tore My Playhouse Down Again". The opening strains of slide guitar and backbeat shuffle would have blues-rock king Johnny Winter nodding in approval. Occasionally, when slide guitar and harmonica are competing for the lead, it can sometimes result in noise-overload, but that's certainly not the case here. Both instrumentalists complement each other nicely, backed with a solid rhythm section by Ric Howell on drums and Guy Quintino on upright bass. Mr. Bailey's forte seems to revolve around the harmonica, but he is equally accomplished as a songwriter (all of these excellent songs are 100% original), lead, rhythm and slide guitarist, and a vocalist, as well. Where he is concentrating on the vocals and harmonica, another of my favourite Seattle "sliders", John Stephan, fills in nicely. Harmonica and slide guitar are perfect musical bedmates when the lead roles are alternated instead of simultaneously vying for the glory, and this format is perfectly adhered to here. Tim Sherman and Dan Newton also contribute an equal share of guitar work, and Dan also provides organ and piano layering on several tracks. Drumbeats are also rotated throughout the CD among Ric Howell, Andrew Cloutier and Marty Lockwood - hmm, I wonder if he's related to Hamilton drummer Dan Lockwood (with former Tom Cochrane guitarist Jamie Oakes' band). A constant rotation of players makes for a wide variety of styles, with Steve Bailey's immensely likeable and ready-to-jam vocals that are similar to those of Ribeye Thacker of the Texas Bluesblasters, especially on "House Party Bar B Q" (�where you might even meet your future ex-wife") and powerful, expressive harp-playing being the constant force throughout the CD. This is actually an essential CD for any party! It's chock-full of struts, shuffles and boogies of varying tempos that would not have been out of place in any jukejoint of the Depression Era (or in today's troubled times either, for that matter), whether you hail from dirt-poor sharecropping hick towns or the urban settings of New York, Chicago or New Orleans. These Pacific Northwest musicians have embraced Seattle's long-time affection for innovative blues music while maintaining traditional playing styles that recall Muddy Waters, Elmore James, Taj Mahal and John Lee Hooker, particularly on tracks like "Used To Be My Happy Home", "It's Alright" (dedicated to the late Isaac Scott), "Hoodoo II", "Broke and Hungry" and "Ain't Enough Good Love to Go Around". The overall sonic impression of this CD is an explosively orchestrated symphony of barrelhouse blues, expertly ignited by Steve Bailey's incinerating harmonica, with the fire continuously tindled by The Blue Flames and their special guests, including Lonnie Williams on sax and Sam Newton on trombone on the full-on production of "I Want to Sleep with Phyllis Diller"(!). This is a bass-heavy (James Clark) funk-jazz track that is actually very catchy and amusing in its lyrics that mention several female TV icons such as Jeannie (I Dream of), Ellie Mae Clampett, Miss Kitty (from Gunsmoke), Timmy's Mom from Lassie ("now, that's sick"). While I don't normally care for a lot of female back-up vocals, Florence Baker-Wood, who is also a visual artist, does a great job on this track. Charlene Grant provides extra harmony on the mournful "My Heart Fell Like a Rock". Steve Bailey is headlining the Seattle Super Harp Blues Showcase at the J & M Caf� in Pioneer Square, Seattle, WA, on February 20/03, along with Paul Green, Kim Field, Michael Wilde, Dave Prez, Mike Lynch, and Jeff Herzog. They will all be backed by the Hudson Blues Band, featuring popular slide guitarist Henry Cooper, and Night Train (with Gary Turk). The admission is a mere $5.00 in advance and $8.00 at the door. Make sure you purchase one of those great T-shirts (see the "Seattle Sounds" section for pics) that are being marketed for the event, to the delight of the participants! For more info on the show or the shirts, email www.hudsonblues.com or www.bluesboss.com. For more info on Steve Bailey and his previous recordings on Hop on Board, the compilation CD, Northwest Harmonica Showcase, and Steppin' Up, classic Chicago and New Orleans blues, go to www.baileysblues.com [no longer accessible - April 2005]. |
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| BAILEY'S BLUES - STEVE BAILEY & THE BLUE FLAMES |
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