LivinBlues- CD reviews - Johnny Cash Tribute

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LivinBlues CD Reviews by Gary Tate - Two Johns and the Sisters - back to archive

JOHNNY'S BLUES--A TRIBUTE TO JOHNNY CASH (NORTHERNBLUES)
'Johnny's Blues' breaks the mold of Blues tribute compilations, simply because the songs of Johnny Cash have never been adapted in quite the manner as here. Perhaps it's got something to do with those early years with Sun Records, where Cash helped break down the walls between Country, Rockabilly, Rhythm and Blues---and even Pop. Interesting interpretations abound, such as Sleepy LaBeef who delivers a boisterous rendition of 'Frankie's Man Johnny', 'Train of Love' features Paul Reddick, Colin Linden on dobro and Richard Bell on piano.

Maria Muldaur, ably assisted by Del Rey's acoustic guitar, illuminates 'Walkin' The Blues', possibly the purest Blues that Cash ever wrote. Kevin Breit forwards a heartfelt instrumental postcard on 'Send A Picture of Mother', complete with mandolin orchestra. Mavis Staples' poignant reading of 'Will the Circle Be Unbroken' hearkens back to warm remembrances of June and Johnny. Johnny Cash also authored one of the greatest prison songs ever, 'Fulsom Prison Blues', and Blackie & The Rodeo Kings (Colin Linden, Stephen Fearing, and Tom Wilson) tear loose on a rockin' version. Alvin Youngblood Hart propels 'Redemption' to the cutting edge by adorning it with it a Rastafarian vibe. Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown--a legendary figure like Cash--ensures that 'Get Rhythm' is pure Swing and Boogie. With Cash's passing, tribute albums will flow in a steady progression, but 'Johnny's Blues' is extra-special by revealing the close affinity that the music of The Man In Black had with the Blues.

KEVIN BREIT AND JOHN DICKIE: JOHN AND THE SISTERS (NORTHERNBLUES)
John and the Sisters---the collaboration of guitarist Kevin Breit (along with his band Sisters Euclid) and Blues belter John Dickie is an excursion into the dark alleys of urban landscapes, as fueled by manic soul preaching of Dickie and string wizardry of Breit. Kevin Breit's reputation backing up chanteuses Norah Jones and Cassandra Wilson is further emblazoned in Toronto, where his Monday night jams at the Orbit Room with Sisters Euclid (bassist Ian Desouza, drummer Gary Taylor, keyboards Rob Gusevs) are legendary.

The duo realized that the magic they brewed together onstage could become the basis of a recording.Breit intuitively complements Dickie, as on 'Gun', where Dickie's vocals project an ominous sense of foreboding. 'Faithful' is a rose in Spanish Harlem, a sublimely beautiful ballad that emerges surprisingly from the urban concrete. 'Good Day' is an off-kilter, rumba-like, horn-heavy workout, kinda weird, but its very weirdness will summon you toward it. 'Pralene' is reminiscent of a frantic slice of Little Richard-indebted boogie with Breit's axe brilliantly augmenting the rhythmic fury. Dickie's performance on 'A Better Way' is epic, alternately powerful and restrained. John and the Sisters are a prime example of how a couple of fearless and creative innovators, when left to their own muses, can use their improvisational skills to yield an exceptionally modern Blues/Beyond-the-Blues release. MP3 - Too Damn Big |