Alligator Records: 50 Years Of Genuine Houserockin' Music

With a blockbusting 58 tracks, this compilation celebrating 50 years of Alligator Records is certainly a representative tour of the label’s roster over the years.  And what’s most enjoyable about the collection is the way its variety underlines the point that the house of blues has many rooms.
That notion is nowhere better exemplified than on the opening track, ‘Give Me Back My Wig’ by Hound Dog Taylor & The Houserockers.  This was the very act that gave birth to Alligator when Bruce Iglauer couldn’t persuade his boss, Bob Koester of Delmark Records, to record them, and

Alligator then, with Hound Dog Taylor . . .

Pic by Diane Allmen

so resolved to do it himself.  ‘Give Me Back My Wig’ is an itchy, scratchy, fuzzy piece of business, like a ragged and hyperactive version of ‘The Boy From New York City’ – and it’s a wicked delight.
That sense of getting beyond the obvious is a recurring pleasure across this 3 CD set, whether in the breezy harp instrumental ‘Have Mercy’ by Big Walter Horton and Carey Bell, the piano and horns New Orleans sound of Professor Longhair on ‘It’s My Fault’, with its eccentric yelping vocal, or the stuttering, twitching version of ‘Got My Mojo Working’ by Clarence ‘Gatemouth’ Brown.
There’s a great run of more contemporary tracks on Disc 3 that ventures into several different vibes to great effect, kicking off with the Delbert McClinton-like soulful rock’n’roll of Curtis Salgado on ‘The Longer That I Live’.  Selwyn Birchwood’s ‘Living In A Burning House’ follows, edgy but vibrant, before the old-stagers Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite take things down with the sombre guitar and harp duet of ‘Midnight Hour Blues’.  Then the Cash Box Kings ramp things up again with the smile-inducing, dance-able jump blues of ‘Ain’t No Fun (When The Rabbit Got The Gun)’, as a prelude to the rockin’ boogie of Tommy Castro & The Painkillers’ live rendition of ‘Make It Back To Memphis’.
In between there’s plenty of the classic guitar-led blues style to keep the six-string lovers happy, ranging from Fenton Robinson packing plenty into three minutes on his excellent 1974 re-recording of ‘Somebody Loan Me A Dime’, to Albert Collins showing just how to do a slow blues with ‘Blue Monday Hangover’, to Luther Allison ripping it up on a rollicking live reading of ‘Soul Fixin’ Man’, and on to 2019 with Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram and the big, fat, dirty groove of ‘Outside Of This Town’.
There are female voices too, starting with Iglauer’s early signing Koko Taylor, who groans and rasps her way through the R’n’B of ‘I’m A Woman’.  Marcia Ball delivers a paean to New Orleans

. . . to Alligator now, with Christone 'Kingfish' Ingram

Pic by Rory Doyle

with the cajun-inflected ‘Party Town’, while Shemekia Copeland’s ‘Clotilda’s On Fire’ is a typically bruising piece reminder about the about the slave-traded origins of African-American oppression.  Oh yeah, and Janiva Magness hits her sweet spot on the funky soul of ‘That’s What Love Will Make You Do’.
There are also less familiar names, to me at least.  Another female singer, Saffire, The Uppity Blues Woman, comes up trumps with rattling piano-led accompaniment to her Nina Simone-like pipes on 'Sloppy Drunk'.  Meanwhile The Paladins get shaking on ‘Keep On Lovin’ Me Baby’, which enters on a Hendrixy shiver of guitar before vaulting into the energetic, snare-snapping tune itself.  And Corey Harris and Henry Butler come up with some hand-clapping acapella gospel on ‘Why Don’t You Live So God Can Use You’.
There are a couple of stretches when some of those guitar lovin’ fellas seem to be ploughing an all too similar furrow, in contrast to the stylistic variety and quirks of character on offer from other artists.  But there are also plenty of other little gems, too many to name check them all, that make Alligator Records: 50 Years Of Genuine Houserockin’ Music a more than worthwhile proposition – and also an excellent entry point if you want to explore the Alligator catalogue.

Alligator Records: 50 Years Of Houserockin' Music is released by Alligator Records on Friday 18 June.

Curtis Salgado - Damage Control

Oh yeah.  Count me in.  From the moment that opening track ‘The Longer That I Live’ hoves into earshot, Damage Control is the real deal.  It bobs along, piano, organ and guitar all dovetailing perfectly with little licks and remarks, over an easy-going, toe-tapping rhythm.  It sounds like these guys are having fun, and I certainly am.  There’s a twangy little solo from Kid Andersen, and a witty organ counterpart from Mike Finnigan, and throughout it all Curtis Salgado delivers a spot-on, expressive vocal about getting the most out of life.  Given that this is a guy who’s overcome two different bouts of cancer, and come through big time heart surgery, I kinda think he means it.
There’s a timeless quality to this stuff, like Salgado and his co-conspirators have uncovered a

"Play me some blues, Curtis!"

Pic by Marilyn Stringer

treasure trove of rock’n’roll, rhythm’n’blues and soul – and other stuff from the popular music lexicon.
Tracks like the Tex-Mex ‘Count Of Three’, ‘I Don’t Do That No More’ and the closing ‘Slow Down’ carry echoes of Delbert McClinton – wry and knowing both lyrically and musically.  ‘I Don’t Do That No More’ is piano-led boogie, with Kevin McKendree tickling the ivories on this occasion, as Salgado delivers a paean to clean living but insists life can still be a breeze.  And Larry Williams' ‘Slow Down’ (also raved up by The Beatles) is even better, with a shuffling groove underlined by horns, more honky tonk from McKendree and twangy rock’n’roll guitar from Bonnie Raitt accomplice George Marinelli, while Salgado gets his gnashers around some tongue-twisting phrases and even hints at Jerry Lee Lewis with some shivering delivery.
‘You’re Going To Miss My Sorry Ass’ may not quite have the chorus to live up to its title, but it’s still a crackling slice of rock’n’roll akin to John Hiatt’s ‘Tennessee Plates’, with more barrelhouse piano, warm acoustic bass from Mark Winchester, and mood-catching backing vocals from Johnny Lee Schnell.  Meanwhile ‘Hail Mighty Caesar’ is a N’Awlins-inflected take on the story of Caesar, Cleopatra and Mark Anthony.  It’s a hoot, but don’t rely on it if you’re revising for a History exam.  Instead, lay back and enjoy the witty, Latin-tinged piano courtesy of Jim Pugh, the subtle guitar and acoustic bass from Kid Andersen, while horns bring a second line funk feel to proceedings, and Salgado throws in some shoutalong backing vocals to underline the party vibe.
The variety is enhanced by ‘Oh For The Cry Eye’, all simple, swingin’ rhythm from Tony Braunagel on drums, tooting organ, and jazzy backing vocals from Wendy Moten as they cook up a bit of a Randy Newman feel.  And there’s also room for a touch of zydeco on ‘Truth Be Told’, a neat little toon that rattles along nicely as Salgado duets with Wayne Toups, who also adds cajun squeezebox over a snappy, Diddley-ish beat.  Meanwhile ‘The Fix Is In’ is downbeat funkiness, cruising along on a slowed-down ‘Billie Jean’-like bass line as Salgado delivers some cold-eyed social commentary on modern corruption.  “Somebody play me the blues!” he calls out in response, before delivering a sharp harmonica solo.
One of the very best things on the album though, is the slow-ish soul of ‘Always Say I Love You (At The End Of Your Goodbyes)’, with Salgado’s whole-hearted vocal nailing the emotional lyric about never knowing if you’ll get another chance to tell people you care about that you love them.
The songwriter comparisons and supporting cast I’ve referenced will tell you a lot of what you need to know about this album.  But in the end it’s Curtis Salgado’s engaging voice that really brings home the bacon, full of personality and conviction, really owning these songs.  Maybe a few of the thirteen tracks on could have been stronger, but that’s taking us deep into quibble territory.  Damage Control is a damn fine, irresistibly listenable, enjoyable, likeable album.  Count me in.
 
Damage Control is released on 26 February on Alligator Records.

Porretta Soul Festival - Rufus Thomas Park, Porretta Terme, 20 July 2019

It’s a warm summer’s evening in Porretta Terme – like 30 degrees Celsius warm – and Rufus Thomas Park is already jam-packed well before the Saturday show at the Porretta Soul Festival kicks off.

Opening up tonight is Curtis Salgado, one-time member of the Robert Cray Band, inspiration for the Blues Brothers, and a multiple Blues Music Award winner.  His band come

The Curtis Salgado Band - let the good times roll!

on ahead of him, striking up a patient, funky intro that’s embroidered by a zinging Telecaster solo from guitarist Anthony Stelmaszack.  Salgado then strolls on, promising “blues, soul, funk, rhythm’n’blues – but whatever you wanna call it, it’s a good time.”  And they set about making good on that promise right away, with the swinging blues of ‘I’m Trying’, stuffed with crisp-toned guitar fills a la Jimmie Vaughan from Stelmaszack, supplemented by a surging organ solo from Damien Cornells, and Salgado’s first foray on harp.

From a distance, in his pork pie hat and baggy jacket and sweater, you could mistake Salgado for Van Morrison, if it weren’t for his more affable demeanour.  And there’s a bit of Van soulfulness in his sound at times too, as in his vocal on Robert Cray’s ‘Blues Get Off My Shoulder’, a halting, tripping slowie on which he and the band tap into a loose-limbed, easy vibe.

They’re joined by his fellow Portland resident LaRhonda Steele for ‘Nobody But You’, a piece of pulsing Southern soul that’s full of fun, accentuated by a piano solo from Cornells., and she returns later for ‘Both Sorry Over Nothing’, a duet that’s delivered with real spark,

and a great harp solo from Salgado in lieu of the Tower Of Power horns of the original.

All the way from Portland - Curtis Salgado and LaRhonda Steele

Other highlights include ‘I’m Driving In The Driving Rain’, referencing the Oregon climate, on which they cook up a rumbling soul/blues stew that’s reminiscent of Tommy Castro, and ‘Walk A Mile In My Blues’, which is inspired by some of Salgado’s part health problems and features a spot-on segment of call and response between Salgado’s vocal and Stelmaszack’s guitar, as well as a crackling solo from the latter that serves the song beautifully.

There are a couple of OV Wright songs along the way, including the slowie ‘Born All Over’, on which Salgado produces a bravura soul vocal performance to close the set.  They then encore with a blast of N’Awlins sounding rock’n’roll, complete with an ivory-bashing piano solo and some twanging guitar revelry, to which Salgado adds a spell of blues st-st-stuttering. We may not be talking ‘bout a revolution, friends, but Curtis Salgado and his band do indeed serve up a good time.

The Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra from California then take the stage as house band for the rest of the night.  The most immediately striking about them, as they kick off with a jump blues instrumental, is the exuberance of drummer Derrick “D’Mar” Martin, who shows off an

ability to perform squat jumps from his drum stool during a brief solo, as well as playing a floor tom with his elbow.  There’s more to his playing than these tricks though, and indeed there’s more to the Orchestra as a whole, with four horns and a trio of crack backing singers – the latter, I have to say, not utilised as much as they could be throughout the show.  However one of the three, the very glamorous Omega Brooks, takes the lead for a couple of numbers, including Stevie Wonder’s classic ‘I Wish’ – which takes me back to my school days, which shows how old I am – and unwraps an excellent soul delivery.

LaRhonda does Aretha, with the Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra

I wish, as it were, that the same could be said of Australia’s Georgia Van Etten, who then appears as a guest.  Van Etten is a former member of the Sweethearts, the all-girl troupe who have been regular visitors to Porretta Soul, but her subsequent career has evidently taken her in a jazz direction, as she delivers a very Cleo Laine-like vocal that really isn’t to my taste.  It’s very well done, in its own terms, but it doesn’t fit with the soul vibe, and I don’t see the point in a singer imitating a trumpet solo when there’s a trumpet player on stage.  (The great Georgie Fame gets a special dispensation for such shenanigans.)

But LaRhonda Steele then returns to lead the way on a tribute to Aretha Franklin, singing with just the kind of soul and sassiness required.  They cruise through a funky ‘Rock Steady’ and spot on ‘Respect’, before those backing vocalists show their true worth on the magnificent ‘Chain Of Fools’. Steven Stills’ ‘Love The One You’re With’ is decorated by a neat organ solo against a horn backdrop, and they even manage to bring some dignity to a soul reading of ‘Imagine’, with some nice piano from Tony Lufrano.

After a blast of ‘Take Me To The River’ that has some of the quirkiness of the Talking Heads version about it, Steele’s real highlight is a delicious take on BB King’s ‘Rock Me Baby’. She sounds like she really means it, and a climactic sax solo from Charles McNeal underlines the sentiment.

Steele is followed by the night’s main man, veteran Wee Willie Walker, who wastes no time in belting out a classic, with ‘Feel Like Breaking Up Somebody’s Home’ that features a trombone solo and a great, stinging guitar solo from Paule. Meanwhile Walker is without a

Wee Willie Walker - small but perfectly voiced

doubt ‘wee’, but he delivers a rasping vocal with great phrasing.

Walker has been collaborating with Paule and his crew for a while, and it shows in the ease with which they deliver old-fashioned soul grooves such as ‘Let’s Talk About It’, a tune with a Smokey Robinson feel that’s embellished by sweet backing vocals, sparkling guitar, and supple bass from Endre Tarczy, while on another track in a similar vein Walker produces a brilliantly controlled quiet falsetto passage.

Despite its clunky title, ‘Warm To Cool To Cold’ is an enjoyably BB King-like chunk of R’n’B, and on George Jackson’s ‘I Don’t Want To Take A Chance’ Tarczy’s grooving bass is as impressive as Martin’s snapping drums.

They change tack and deliver some slow, brooding funk with ‘You’re Something Else’, before closing with ‘After A While’, the title track of their last album and another very Smokey-styled offering, on which Walker grabs the attention with an away-from-the-mic vocal segment.  He may be a little guy, but he has loads of charisma to go with that soulful voice.

There are a couple of acts still to come, but it’s midnight, and time for us to hit the road, Jack. You need stamina to go the distance at the Porretta Soul Festival!

You can watch all of the Saturday show at the Porretta Soul Festival here.