Tag Archives: Michael Packer Band

April 27, 2012

CD Reviews: A New York State of Mind

I’m not sure why people tend to dismiss NY State when it comes to being a breeding ground for Blues Music. Maybe cos it has a reputation of being ‘hi-brow’ or too intellectual for the Blues – Woodie Allen has been a force for Jazz here – but the Blues are alive and well here is this big old state of New York. From the Lafayette Tap Room in Buffalo, a string of Dinosaur BBQ’s thru western NY, Chenango Blues Festival, Town Crier in Pawling NY, down to the big apple itself with Kenny’s Castaways, Iridium and B.B. King’s dead in the heart of NYC in Times Square.

So with that in mind let’s give a minute or ten to some NY artists that cover the range from local to national and are as good as they get. Their releases here are just a smattering of the fine artists that are out there for us to enjoy.

Michael Packer:
Live at the Turning Point
(self released)
A New Yorker with a definite Chicago feel for the Blues, Mr. Packer offers up a live recording that gives us a glimpse of what he does almost every night of the year. Straight ahead Blues, no set list, no low down and dirty and with a fell that reaches down to the soul.

Opening with “Mr. Packer” he introduces himself to us. Featuring Rob Paparozzi on harp, this steady rollin’ groove has the feel of all that is available in NYC street music. A mix of Latin, Blues and all other forms which makes it a great opening track.

An interesting cover of the late Toy Caldwells’ “Can’t You See” featuring piano master David Maxwell filling in between the spaces with thoughtful sweet sounding notes and adding a rich fullness to the track. It is somewhat slowed down from the original version, but in doing so he has given it a bluesier feel and makes it more relative to the genre.

Michael was Honeyboy Edwards sideman for many years, and the recently departed Honeyboy, along with Michael Franks on harp joined the band for the Fred McDowell classic “61 Highway” that night. Honeyboy taking the vocal lead and Michael adding his flawless harp playing gives us a taste of the old style, timeless Blues that he was known for. Here is a quote that I find just so cool and insightful about Mr. Packer from Honeyboy “He plays like he drank” – and Mr. Edwards nailed it square on. Mr. Packer is many years into sobriety and we are thankful for that fact, but the raw passion and lust for life has not disappeared.

The disc wraps up with Howlin’ Wolf’s “Killin’ Floor’ featuring Mr. Eddie Jackson on bongos. Eddie also has the knack to recall Mr. Sam Cooke on some of his vocals (Back At The Bar) and is always a thrill to hear whether vocally or in severe percussion mode.
A great representative release of Mr. Packers’ music and just shows you what you can find nightly in NYC.
http://www.michaelpackerbluesband.com/

Murali Coryell:
Sugar Lips
(Murali’s Music)
Just up the river (literally) and a slight jag to the left from NYC is Woodstock NY. Yeh we know all about that famous festival, but Woodstock is also a hot bed of artists, free-thinkers and Mr. Murali Coryell. When not playing with Joe Louis Walker (amazing pairing) or with his dad, legendary Larry Coryell, Murali finds time to create his own brand of music that is both inspiring, insightful and varied.

On Sugar Lips we visit the different realms of Mr. Coryells’ world. Kicking it off with horns charted for outer space we hear him acquiescing to the accusers in “Blame It On Me’. Behind the rolling sound there are some great lyrics that certainly put things in perspective of why some cat would write this song.

Moving into a different, but still horn driven, form is “What You Gonna Do About Me?” At it’s core it confronts the eternal question that is all so obvious to us when involved a relationship going south, but it succinctly captures the passion and pain thru scorching guitar licks and hoarse emotional vocals. Mr. Coryells’ song writing is at it’s pinnacle on this release. Smart, witty, and double-edged sharp his words cut through and reveals to us what is going on in his world is also pertinent in our world also.

There is a certain undercurrent of pure sweet funk that shines through much of his music. It’s sophisticated but contains more than enough grit to reach out and grab you by the throat. Whether he is recalling her ‘…sugar lips and honey hips’ (from the title track) or getting down low on “Minor Funk’ working with Joe Louis Walker simply stating that ‘…he’s in a minor funk, can’t get a chunk of my baby’s love’. It’s there and I found my head rolling from side to side and up and down and those tasty grooves filled the room.

Legendary drummer, producer and man about town, Tom Hambridge produced this release and co-wrote many of the songs (as well as playing and singing on many of the tracks). Also featured are the aforementioned Joe Louis Walker, Reese Wynans, and his dad Larry Coryell. The senior Mr. Coryell is featured on the last two tracks “Music Sets You Free” and “Where Is The Spirit?’
Check out this release – I know you will dig it as much as I do. Murali is a giant talent, a triple threat to be sure, guitar, vocals and songwriting.
http://muralicoryell.com/

Petey ‘Hop’ Hopkinson:
The Levee
(self released)
Someone recently said to me that with most releases all ya want to know about an artist is contained in the first four tracks, those are the best of the bunch and after that ….. well I must say if that’s a true statement I woulda missed a whole lot of good music from Petey and his band.

Now the first track is a rallying call to cure your negative blues by doing one simple thing “Stay Out All Night”, a jumpy rock & roll styled dance number that gets the message across and heck if the band is playing this I surely will stay out all night as long as they are playing.

Second up is ‘My God‘ a Mississippi hill country styled stomper that gets to the root of many of our belief questions and offers a possibility to coming to terms with them. I always love it when artists can put a dead on serious message into a toe tapping song – blows me away. The lyrical images that Mr. Hopkinson paints for us within this song are priceless and poignant and worth the price of purchase.

A sweet drum roll intro by Nick Longo, opens up ‘Why Should I Complain‘ that leads into jazz flavored piano by Jeremy Baum that sets off the sax work by Chris DeFrancesco and we are off and running on the answer to this rhetorical question. I coughed from the smoke and had to throw down another shot of Jameson to clear my throat, as Petey and band just painted a very dark but enjoyable song that captures the dark side of life and ensuing feel of madness that is often the light at the end of that tunnel.

I could go on to track four, but then I’d want to keep going – and that’s not what I am here to do. My purpose is to hip y’all to some serious music and this release is definitely that. The Band lovingly known as the ‘Jackrabbits’ are a top notch band. Capable of playing just about any style of music or combination thereof with aplomb and a virtuosity that is staggering. A big shout out to Mr. Duke Robillard who produced this gem and also contributed some significant guitar tracks to several cuts on this release.

There is not a soft cut on this album, and they all will hit you hard like the morning after a bout of binge drinking and the realization that you are just gonna do it again. A deep look at life and it’s pitfalls, and dark corners presented in a wonderful array of musical offerings. Check it out and you won’t be sorry.
http://www.peteyhop.com/ http://www.reverbnation.com/peteyhop

So there is a sampling of NY State of Mind Blues, hell there are so many more out there that we could have hit on. Guitar man Dave Fields, classic old styled blues man Steve Grills, power axe player Michael Hill, exceptionally talented piano man Dave Keyes, award winning singer-songwriters Rory Block, and Guy Davis, Tas Cru of Central NY state – man I could go on but you get the picture. New York state is a deep and varied hot bed of the Blues that has the ‘nads to stand up to any region.

PS: Just couldn’t leave without giving a shout out to Brad Vickers & His Vestopolitans and the release celebrating the centennial of the first published blues song “Dallas Blues”. Besides being cool historically all proceeds from the sale goes to the Blues Foundation HART Fund which provides medical assistance to musicians and those related to the industry financial assistance, You can do your part by heading here to download it: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bradvickersdallasblues

Until next time,
Love, Peace & Chicken Grease
chefjimi
©Blues411.com 2012
photos: courtesy of artists

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Filed under Blues, Blues411, CD Reviews, Entertainment, Opinion, Rock & Roll

Tagged as American Roots Music, Bill Wax, Blues, Blues411, Brad Vickers & Vestapolitans, CD Reviews, Chefjimi, Chicago, Chris DeFrancisco, Dave Fields, David Keyes, Dinosaur BBQ, Eddie Jackson, Entertainment, Guy Davis, HART Fund, Honeyboy Edwards, Iridium, Jeremy Baum, Joe Louis Walker, Joseph A. Rosen, King's Blues Club, Lafayette Tap Room, Larry Coryell, Leslie K. Joseph, Michael Hill, Michael Packer, Michael Packer Band, Murali Coryell, Nick Longo, Petey Hop Hopkinson, Reese Wynans, Ricky Stevens, Rochester, Rock & Roll, Rory Block, Steve Grills, Tas Cru, The Blues Foundation, Tom Hambridge, Tony Colter

April 1, 2011

At Home With The Blues-NYC Style

It is not often that one gets to ‘go home’, and it is even less likely that one gets to go back on their own terms. I was quite fortunate to be able to accomplish this bi-fecta (hah bet ya didn’t see that coming). On March 20, 2011 Big City Blues Magazine held a celebration of Spring at Kenny’s Castaways in Greenwich Village. It was a celebration of what might have been the birthplace of the folk revival, which in turn spawned talented musicians who have shaped our lives thru the decades and still do now.

Did I hear disbelief amongst you? John Hammond, Pete Seeger, John Sebastian, Maria Muldaur, Rory Block, more, The Holmes Brothers, The Lovin’ Spoonful, some guy named Bob Dylan. I’ll stop there, but you can do some research on it if you are still not believing, or wish to go deep on this. Check out the links at the end of story.

I grew up in NYC back in the 60′s, and goodness me, there was a revolution going on in the city long before it hit the media and press corps. The music was changing, it seemed like, overnight, Mr. John Sebastian recalled a night he was playing at Gerdies Folk City to a crowd of finger-tapping beatniks, when at the front of the house was but one, long haired girl, dancing what was soon to become the iconic dance of a generation. John, and Zal Yanovsky looked at each other on stage and mutually hoped she would return with her friends. She did. Within days the crowd had changed, gone were the beatniks whose understated coolness disappeared as quickly as it had appeared and they were replaced by ladies dancing to the music, becoming one with the groove and thus leading to the next great movement of American music.

All of this took place in and around Greenwich Village, a.k.a. ‘the Village’ which historically has been known to be the cultural center for Bohemian lifestyles. This has been the case since the earliest part of the 20^th century when free (unaffiliated) small presses, art galleries and experimental theater thrived. By the late 1950′s it had become the spot for alternative theater. Known as ‘off-off Broadway’ it was in reaction to Broadway and Off Broadway which seemed all the same and mundane at best. But quite possibly it’s influence on music then and now is it’s claim to fame.

Enough of the history but I felt I needed to put into perspective how vital and influential it was to be growing up in NYC at the on-set of the musical and cultural revolution that ran from the 50′s thru the 70′s, and may be alive again in the Village. I say this because on this past First day of Spring I was treated to an unprecedented display of some of the most powerful Blues performers in the five boroughs and at least three adjoining states could provide, all at legendary music club, Kenny’s Castaway’s.

‘With a ’3PM till . . . ?’ notice rakishly taped on the front door, I wandered in about 2:30 to say hi and claim a spot in front from which Leslie and I could do our thing. We felt we needed to be up front because we really only knew one or two of the performers and wanted to be sure to get the full frontal experience from the bands. There were some folks hanging around both in the club and on stage, shuffling about and seemingly starting to feel the edge creep in, when suddenly the stage erupts into a fierce number by the Michael Packer Band that left everyone slack-jawed and wondering what just happened. With a sly grin on his face, Mr. Packer steps to the microphone and wryly states the obvious ‘Good Morning’. Ohh-ohh, I think it’s time to hit the adult beverage concession cos it’s gonna be a hell-raiser. As if in step with my thoughts, Eddie Jackson steps away from the percussion and gives us what might have been the anthem for the day/night ‘Back At That Bar Again‘.

Now that’s pretty scary – this was the FIRST band. Our music coordinator for the event was Dave Fields, and let me say now, that he did an amazing job of keeping the musical threads in line. There were 14 (give or take 2 or 3) bands that would play for this day and never was there a hitch in the fabric. Mr. Fields would have made a fine ‘shnayder’ which is Yiddish for tailor (or from the Germanic Schneider). Mr. Tailor, errh, Fields, took the stage and formed a patchwork coalition of a band with some of his regular players, and various friends and entertained the crowd with so much energy and excitement. He ripped into a bluesy version of Zeppelin’s Black Dog. A special visitor had arrived during Dave’s set, Mr. Pat St. John from Sirius/XM and WCBS-FM radio. Pat is a legend in NYC music, having been a D(isc)J (now a Digital J) from the beginning of alternative/free-form radio with such classic stations as WPLJ and WNEW FM. Pat was thrilled to see Dave do some good Jewish Blues, and was ‘verklempt’ over the ‘Rabbi Blues‘ which Dave wrote and performs regularly to foot stomping Hora processions thru-out the land. Part of his ‘entourage’ was vocalist and energizer bunny Ms. Nikki Armstrong who gave new meaning to the old Hambone Willie Newbern song ‘Rollin’ and Tumblin‘ ‘. Ms. Armstrong has co-authored several songs with Mr. Fields and they seem very comfortable on stage with each other. I must say that whenever Dave plays one never knows what he will pull out of his bag of tricks, a truly entertaining performer and quite exceptional musician, in my book.

An import from the Motor City was Luther ‘Badman’ Keith, whose guitar slinging and vocals were reminiscent of what the Motor City made famous. POWER. Sporting a street legal, modified guitar and a voice that reflected tones of Gas, Tires and Oil (the GTO in GTO) Mr. Keith to me would have been a better player than Eminem for that Detroit is coming back commercial from the super bowl. More real, more believable and way more plausible than a posturing wanna be could ever be.

The harp hit was Mikey Jr, and the Stone Cold Blues Band. Hard hitting, genuine, and fun are all words that you can apply here. Mikey can get some serious tone on his harps. whether they be diatonic or chromatic. His songs are witty, yet poignant and this guy knows how to command a stage, brothers and sisters. A solid band are the Stone Cold’s, but the guitar player, young Mr. Matt Daniels looks like a rising star, oh yeh cool shoes Matt !

At about 6:20 or so, we all were exposed to the Alexis P. Suter Band. Holy crap people ! A seven piece band featuring Ms. Alexis P. Suter as the lead vocalist, Ms.’s Vicki Bell & Linda Pino offering much more than background vocals, Bennie Harrison (keys) Peter Bennett (bass) Ray Grappone (drums) and sitting in Arthur Neilson (Shemeika Copeland) on guitar. Man were we ever un-prepared for this band’s performance. Stunning baritone notes ring from Ms. Suters’ diaphragm, as the ladies accompany her and fill in the cracks with soulful harmonies and stylistic shouts and moans. Each band member contributes to this effort, they seem almost as one giant quaking construct of the music itself. They are currently touring and will be releasing their new album in April.

The event’s honorees The Holmes Brothers received the ‘Happy To have The Blues’ Award from Jr., and Sugar. The running gag for the day was we were all ‘Holmes brothers’ and when they took the stage for a few unplanned numbers we certainly to a person ‘happy to have the blues’.

For fear of over staying my welcome inside your eyes and brains, dear readers, I will quickly touch on one or two more things that stood out for me. Believe me I could do just what I did above for every act from the show – they were all that good. That being said, Mr. Bill Sims working with a broken string early in his set, proceeds to remind us that the Blues is made for a guitar, bass and drums and that it draws influences from everywhere. To the point, his breaking out a bluesy version of Neil Young’s ‘Down By The River’.

Bobby Radcliff pouring his heart and soul into this set, backed by Brad Vickers on bass. Blue-eyed soul indeed.

Big Ed Sullivan attacking his nicely worn guitar with a half filled Budwsier beer bottle (I knew Bud had to be good for something) and using it as a slide and pick, then him and Dave Fields battling it out in ‘king of the hill’ fashion on guitars. Lest we forget the ever on the spot, right there when you need him Mr. David Keyes on the ….keys !

The aforementioned Arthur Neilson, just tearing the place apart with his hi-powered, talent laden guitar work. Did you know he was the lead guitarist for Blue Angel ? Yeah Cyndi Laupers’ original band…..just sayin’…..He tore through his original composition ‘Fenderbender’ and then moved right into Pipeline, hottdamn. Currently Arthur is with the Shemeika Copeland band.

Ok so here we are in the village listening to Blues and who should appear on the stage (another one of those who they heck are they) but Better Off Dead ???? It was like Nick Lowe, Dave Edmonds, Conway Twitty, Carl Perkins and Dashiell Hammett collided and this is what was formed. That’s a good thing ! Appearing as a four man band toweringly led by (great name) V.D. King (told ya) on vocals and guitar, assisted by Don Kenny on guitar (lead) and vocals, these guys just jumped the place and when they ended everyone was wondering what hit them. They are the undisputed demented dukes of musical mayhem from Jersey City, check them out.

For me the true telling of the tale came to light when Brad Vickers and The Vestapolitans came on stage. Featauring Margey Peters on bass, and vocals and a licorice stick/saxaphone artist who just thrills the crowd. Here we were celebrating the music that formed in the Village back in the day, and every band did their best, to honor that goal. But what was that music that was being played back then? In it’s most primal form, it was folksy, old-timey music that tapped into the rag time tradition. Brad and the Vestapolitans brought that to light with their set. With get happy, swinging music they provided the musical link to what was then, and is, now one of the most creative and avant-garde spots on this planet – or any other – the Village.