JOHN NEMETH MEMPHIS S O U L 2 - Blues Music Magazine - DEC 2015 DEC 2015 - Blues Music Magazine - 3 From all of us, to all of you, Happy Holidays... 6 JOHN NEMETH 5 RIFFS & GROOVES Memphis Soul From The Editor-In-Chief by Tom Hyslop by Art Tipaldi 10 ROY ROGERS 24 DELTA JOURNEYS Still Slidin’ Life In Hell by Phil Reser by Roger Stolle 12 KIRK FLETCHER 26 AROUND THE WORLD California’s In-Demand Guitarist Young And Old Blues by Pete Sardon by Bob Margolin 14 DOUG DEMING & 28 REVIEWS DENNIS GRUENLING Over 65 CD, DVD, And Book Reviews Making Music Together Available At BluesMusicStore.com by Mark Thompson 30 SAMPLER EIGHT 16 ANTHONY GOMES 15 Songs To Download Celebrating Blues-Rock by Various Artists by Don Wilcock 57 DAHL’S DIGS 18 SUGAR BLUE 12 Re-issue And Box Sets No Longer Alone by Bill Dahl by Matt MacDonald 58 Music Store 20 MIKE WELCH CDs, Box Sets, DVDs, Books, And More... Monster Mike Grows Up by BluesMusicStore.com by Karen Nugent 62 UPCOMING 22 ALBERT CUMMINGS Festivals, Tours, CD Releases, And Events Workin’ Man Mark Your Calendars by Art Tipaldi 4 COVER PHOTOGRAPHY © Mike Shea PUBLISHER: MojoWax Media Inc. Been re-alphabetizing CDs for the past few months. Where do you file Lil’ Ed PRESIDENT: Jack Sullivan and the Blues Imperials? Is it under Lil’, Ed, or Blues Imperials? Ditto Sonny Boy EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Art Tipaldi Williamson. Sonny Boy or Williamson? LEGAL: Eric Hatten The best part of this seemingly impossible task has been to play records that made an impact on my blues but with the glut of new music filling my mailbox CONTRIBUTING EDITORS in the 21st century have become as distant to me as my old 33 and 45s. So permit David Barrett / Michael Cote / Thomas J. Cullen III me to name check some musicians and records in no particular order from the past Bill Dahl / Hal Horowitz / Tom Hyslop you might agree with or check out if you are new to the blues in the last decade Larry Nager / Bill Wasserzieher / Don Wilcock and need a good fix of the blues. ~~~ • Steve James, American Primitive COLUMNISTS • Snooky Pryor, Too Cool To Move Bob Margolin / Roger Stolle • Snooky Pryor and Johnny Shines, Back To The Country ~~~ • Reba Russell, Buried Treasure CONTRIBUTING WRITERS • Vincent Abbate / Grant Britt / Michael Cala Roy Rogers, Blues On The Range Mark Caron / Tom Clarke / Kay Cordtz • Otis Rush, Lost In The Blues Ted Drozdowski / Robert Feuer / Rev. Keith Gordon • Spencer Bohren, Dirt Roads Brian D. Holland / Stacy Jeffress / Chris Kerslake • Albert Collins, Live ’92-’93 Michael Kinsman / Karen Nugent / Brian M. Owens • Lightnin’ Hopkins, Complete Aladdin Recordings Tim Parsons / Phil Reser / Nick DeRiso • Eddie Hinton, Cry And Moan Pete Sardon / Richard Skelly/Eric Thom • Larry Garner, You Need To Live A Little Mark Thompson /M.E. Travaglini • James Cotton, Live At Antone’s Bill Vitka / A.J. Wachtel • Doug MacLeod, Unmarked Road ~~~ • Cephus and Wiggins, Guitar Man CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS • Little Charlie and the Nightcats, Captured Live Scott Allen / Robert Barclay / Mark Goodman • Big Jack Johnson, Live In Chicago Les Gruseck / Aigars Lapsa / Pertti Nurmi • Joseph A. Rosen / Dusty Scott / Marilyn Stringer Carol Fran and Clarence Hollimon, Soul Sensation Jen Taylor / Susan Thorsen /Mike Shea • Buddy Guy and Junior Wells, Alone And Acoustic ~~~ • Frank Frost, Midnight Prowler SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION • Booker Laury, Nothin’ But The Blues Web: www.bluesmusicmagazine.com • James Harman, Do Not Disturb E-Mail: [email protected] • Omar and the Howlers, Hard Times In The Land Of Plenty ~~~ • Kelly Joe Phelps, Lead Me On EDITORIAL QUERIES • Otis Spann, The Complete Candid Recordings E-Mail: [email protected] • Angela Strehli, Blue And Blond ~~~ • Koko Taylor, Force Of Nature BUSINESS AND CIRCULATION QUESTIONS • Robert Ward, Fear No Evil E-Mail: [email protected] • Ruth Brown, Miss Rhythm ~~~ • Charles Brown, Honey Dripper MEDIA SUBMISSIONS • Mail 2 copies to: Blues Music Magazine John Lee “Sonny Boy” Williamson, The Bluebird Recordings 1937-38 P.O. Box 1446, Bradenton, FL 34206 • Rod Piazza, Blues In The Dark ~~~ • Katie Webster, Two-Fisted Mama ADVERTISING • Maria Muldaur, Richland Woman Blues Web: www.bluesmusicmagazine.com • Rory Block, Ain’t I A Woman E-Mail: [email protected] • Tab Benoit, Live Swampland Jam ~~~ • Lurrie Bell, Mercurial Son Blues Music Magazine welcomes articles, photo- • Carey Bell, Deep Down graphs, and any material about the blues suitable • Debbie Davies, Picture This for publication. Please direct queries to editor@ • Catfish Keith, Cherry Ball bluesmusicmag.com. Blues Music Magazine as- • Sherman Robertson, I’m The Man sumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, • Professor Longhair, Crawfish Fiesta, photographs, or illustrations. Material may be • edited at the discretion of the editors. To be credited Chicago, The Blues Today and reimbursed, all submissions must be properly • Antone’s 20th Anniversary marked with name, address, telephone number, and • Deep Blues soundtrack e-mail of author/photographer/artist. Payment for • Bill Wyman’s Blues Odyssey unsolicited material is at the discretion of the pub- • Taj Mahal, Señor Blues lisher. All material becomes the property of: • Mighty Sam McClain, Joy And Pain • T-Bone Walker, T-Bone Blues Blues Music Magazine. And so many, many more!!! © 2015 MojoWax Media, Inc. “Let the music keep our spirits high.” - Art Tipaldi Blues Music Magazine is published quarterly by MojoWax Media,Inc., 1806 7th Avenue West, Bradenton, FL 34205. Periodicals postage is paid at Bradenton,FL and at additional mailing offices. Subscription rates (for 4 issues) are: U.S.— $20/year, Canada &Mexico — $30/year, Overseas — $30/year. U.S.funds only, cash, check on a U.S.bank, or IMO, Visa/MC/AmEx/Discover accepted. Allow six to eight weeks for change of address and new subscriptions to begin. If you need help concerning your subscription, e-mail [email protected] or write to the business address Blues Music Magazine, P.O.Box 1446, Bradenton, FL 34206. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Blues Music Magazine, P.O.Box 1446, Bradenton, FL 34206. / JOHN NEMETH Takin’ His Time by Tom Hyslop rom his beginnings in Boise, Idaho, through a decade-long residency in California’s Bay Area, to his recent cross-country move to Memphis, FJohn Németh has been one of the blues world’s most distinctive and determined players. A string of artistically successful recordings, including three for Blind Pig, bracketed by four self-released albums, culminated in the masterful Memphis Grease (Blue Corn), voted the Soul Blues Album of the JOHN NEMETH Year in 2015, a year after the singer very nearly ran the table with five wins at the 2014 Blues Music Awards. Yet a year and a half after that triumph, the singer almost reluctantly confides, “I feel like I’m really, really, really comin’ into my own. I’ve never felt comfortable about ever saying that before, but I definitely feel it now.” by Tom Hyslop During a long conversation, Németh revealed a keen awareness of how music touches the listener; showed himself to be a scholar of records and recording techniques; discussed the chief influences on his singing (Little Walter and Junior Wells); recalled the heaviest vocal performances he has heard in person (by Buddy Guy and Robert Cray); and took stock of the contemporary scene, in terms of art and commerce. PHOTOGRAPHY © MARILYN STRINGER Németh refuses to exempt his own work from his making money. Blind Pig told me that stuff has to be in your AIGARS LAPSA © PHOTOGRAPHY unflinching standards, which demand originality in what is, face, but I sat in on the mastering sessions on my records to in essence, traditional music, and integrity in a famously make sure they weren’t too pumped up.” shady business. “I always wanna do the best job I can do. My “If it’s too pumped up, you’re gonna lose what I do. philosophy on performing is, just give everything that you’ve You’ll lose the subtleties of the voice when the dynamics dies got. You gotta sing with a hundred and ten per cent. The down, and you’ll lose the power when things just come out singer has a lot of power to inspire people.” His restless and of nowhere and hit ya. I still make ‘em old school. In fact, I’m enthusiastic pursuit of excellence , and of “filthy” blues, helps probably gonna keep on makin ‘em on tape. I really like that explain why, despite his achievements, he feels that he is only sound.” To that end, Németh proudly offers a 33 r.p.m. vinyl now hitting his stride. edition of Memphis Grease at his shows. Németh says developmental time on the bandstand Mindful of his new headquarters in Memphis, I was crucial. “I have Boise suggest that Németh to thank, definitely, for the could cut a superb start of my career, and country soul album, and how cool the town was. ask about discussions It was really interesting he once had with the growing up around there. jazz label Concord to cut The isolation I think an album of standards. helped me out. There “What I’m doin’ is me, wasn’t anybody to tell and it’s so different. me I was doin’ anything I’ve always included so wrong. If you were many different stylistic good at what you did, influences under the you could make a living roots umbrella. They’re playin’ music in Boise at kind of unusual records. that time.” I mean, there’s soul in “I got to play there, there’s country, music five nights a week there’s New Orleans, in one town, from 1993 to there’s jazz, there’s many right around 2002, 2003.