Nine Below Zero - Piazza Molinari, Fiorenzuola d'Arda, 23 June 2023

While hordes of intrepid festival goers were traipsing around the vast Glastonbury playground on Friday, I was sitting in the bijou Piazza Molinari, in the northern Italian town of Fiorenzuola d’Arda.  I’d had me a good dinner and a couple of glasses of wine, and I was waiting to see Nine Below Zero do a show under the banner of the Festival Dal Mississippi Al Po – an annual series of blues gigs taking part in the area.  This is, you might say, la dolce vita.  You might also say that with Nine Below Zero on stage tonight should have been billed From The Thames To The Po, but let’s not complicate matters.

Don't point your finger, Dennis!

On the other hand, let’s.  Because this isn’t yer typical NBZ show.  Whereas I’ve seen them in their 8-piece mode a few times, their Italian agent has teamed Dennis Greaves and Mark Feltham up with a guitar and drums duo from Brescia called Superdownhome for a few gigs, including this one.  Which is intriguing, because when Superdownhome buddies Henry Sauda and Beppe Facchetti come on stage to warm things up with a few tunes of their own, it’s clear that they inhabit a rather different wing of the blues mansion.
The pair cook up an eerie intro with European-sounding influences, before igniting a back-to-basics blend of resonator twang and whipcracking drums on ’24 Days’.  Bequiffed guitarist Sauda starts off sitting on a drum stool, but as they embark on a driving descendant of ‘Got My Mojo Working’ he discovers enough ants in his pants to jump to his feet and start some eager shape-throwing.  Meanwhile the bewhiskered, bowler-hatted, waistcoated Facchetti sits erect at his kit, knocking out a snappy rhythm like Jeeves revealing himself as a drum savant.
Among the albums they’ve released is one titled Blues Pyromaniacs, which is a reasonable description for their fiery approach, without being as iconoclastic as a Jack White, fr’instance.  Sauda swaps his resonator for a 3-stringed contraption combining a cigar box body and a broom handle neck for a bout of serious swing and groove, before getting well bendy on another song, and at one stage throwing something like an early U2 vibe (I’m talking 1980 here) into the mix.
At which point Dennis Greaves and Mark Feltham enter the fray and introduce Motown into the equation, combining with the Superdownhomers on the Four Tops’ ‘I Can’t Help Myself’.  The Nine Below Zero fellas were pretty hard-hitting themselves in their early days of course, but in recent years their soul’n’Mod influences have become more apparent and less angular.  So the

"Help, Dennis!  Someone's superglued my mic!"

juxtaposition with the thistly groove laid down by Sauda and Facchetti is interesting as they rattle through ‘Watch Yourself’ and the train-clacking ‘Riding On The L&N’, with Feltham on vocals and knocking out some wonderful harp that’s a foretaste of more to come.
It's a set that gives a new spin to some old classics, but in balanced, varied fashion.  There’s a wonderful, soulful take on Ry Cooder’s ‘Why Don’t You Try Me Tonight’, and later the Willy Deville-inspired ‘Carmelita’, which evokes Jimmy Buffett’s laid-back ‘Margarita Time’. And further in the soulful vein there’s a great reading of ‘Bring It On Home To Me’, flitting from a sweetly marvellous Feltham harp solo to a wildly discordant Sauda break.
But there’s also rock’n’roll in the shape of ‘Woolly Bully’, chugging NBZ fave ‘Homework’, and Chuck Berry’s ‘Move It’, which comes with a ‘Peter Gunn’ undertow and typically evocative Chuck imagery.  And there’s classic blues too, with a bubbling ‘Ice Cream Man’, a very much down’n’dirty ‘Shake Your Money Maker’ with the Superdownhomers to the fore, and a guttural, ‘gertcha’ gut-punch of ‘Stop Breaking Down Blues’.  And on a tasty encore centred on ‘Hoochie Coochie Man’ Sauda cuts loose with a bonkers falsetto vocal.
It's not a desperate clash of styles between the two outfits, but I sense it took a fair bit of focus to hold it together and keep it tight, so kudos to both parties for making it work.  It was great to catch up with the inimitable Greaves’n’Feltham combo in a different setting, and an encouraging intro to Superdownhome too.  “Tutto a posto,” as they say in these parts!

Blues Enthused Christmas Stocking 2019 - Part 1

Santa’s checking his list by now I reckon – probably checking it twice.  Been naughty or nice, people?  Okay, I’ll believe you.  And to prove it here’s the Blues Enthused Christmas Stocking, a selection of treats to whet your musical appetite.

The first thing I’d say about 2019 is that it’s been an absolutely stellar year for blues and roots music, judging by the albums I’ve been able to lay my hands on, and some of the gigs I’ve seen.  Seriously, I think it’s the strongest year I’ve witnessed since I started on this caper.  You’ll no doubt have your own highlights, but here are some of mine.

Albert Castiglia gets heavy

My favourite album of 2019 has been Masterpiece, by Albert Castiglia.  I’ll be honest, although I knew the guy’s name this was the first time I’d actually been confronted by any of his work.  And right from the off the album grabbed me by the scruff of the neck and demanded my attention, with its combination of stomping, visceral ruff’n’tuff blues, and more thoughtful songs like the title track, ‘Love Will Win The War’, and this one - the rippling slow blues of‘Heavy’.  As someone perceptively put it, “Masterpiece is raw and primitive, down to earth and defiant, emotional and honest.”  Oh wait – that was me!

Also coming out of the States were a number of albums showcasing different blues styles in bloody marvellous fashion.  Late in the year Toronzo Cannon came up with a belting example of up-to-the-minute, forward looking Chicago Blues, in the form of The Preacher, The Politician And The Pimp – lyrically intelligent and witty, and with great arrangements, guitar and vocals.  Cop an earful of the title track.

The North Mississippi Allstars came up with a wonderful celebration of their Hill Country musical upbringing in the form of Up And Rolling.  But in the last couple of days I’ve also been listening to the recently released album Cypress Grove by Bentonia bluesman Jimmy ‘Duck’ Holmes, and I can tell you it’s the real deal when it comes to deep Mississippi blues.  I’ll be reviewing Cypress Grove soon, but in the meantime here’s Jimmy performing ‘Catfish Blues’ in his own Blues Front Café juke joint.

The soul-blues album that had the biggest impact on me was Sugaray Rayford’s Somebody Save Me.  Sugaray, a hugely entertaining live performer, collaborated with writer/producer Eric Corne to come up with a Grammy-nominated outing that knows its roots but still sounds modern, as on ‘I’d Kill For You, Honey’.

Going way down south, for me the rootlingest, tootlingest collection of original Texas blues came not from Jimmie Vaughan, much as other people praised his Baby Please Come Home, but from Rosie Flores, with her marvellously engaging Simple Case Of The Blues.  Honestly, if you liked Jimmie’s effort you should give Rosie a listen – and you can start with this performance of ‘Drive Drive Drive’.

Nine Below Zero - the boys are back in town!

Then heading back up north, like waaay up north and out of the US, Canada’s Matt Andersen came up with a stunning example of laid back, semi-acoustic roots music.  Call it soul, call it blues, call it what you will, Halfway Home By Morning is a gorgeous album, just about the best backing vocals you could dream of, courtesy of the McCrary Sisters.  And here he is with his pal Amy Helm, on the delightful with'Something To Lose'.

Meanwhile, back here in Britain, the year started with an adventurous album from Wille And The Bandits, Paths.  Are they blues?  Possibly not.  But with their album Paths they served up modern blues-inflected rock, with an inclination towards world music which sets them apart from the pack.  They’ve just gone through a major line-up change, and here are the new outfit performing ‘Make Love’.

We also had a new album from those R’n’B/soul veterans Nine Below Zero, with Avalanche.  The suitably updated NBZ band are a fun proposition to be sure, but they’re also capable of covering a number of bases to great effect.  Here they are with 'One Of Sour, Two Of Sweet'.

And, lastly for now, this year had a some kinda wonderful excursion into rootsy Americana territory by Geraint Watkins.  Being honest once again, like what I like to be, I’d never heard of the guy before his album Rush Of Blood came my way, and knocked me out with its rootsiness, its musical charm, and its romance.  Here’s our Geraint playing live in London last month, with a rather different take on ‘Johnny B. Goode’.

Merry Christmas folks.  Keep on rockin’, and Blues Enthused will be back with the second part of the festive package before New Year!

You can read Part 2 of the Christmas Stocking here.

Nine Below Zero - Avalanche

The other week on a long drive I gave a spin to Nine Below Zero’s Live At The Marquee, their first album dating back to 1980 and a ferocious blast of mod and soul inflected R’n’B, and very much of its time – 21 songs, most of them under three minutes, and you can practically feel the sweat in the room.

Nine Below Zero are bit more mature now, a bit more laid back, though they’re still a corking live band who will get you moving.  But Avalanche, building on the excellent 13 Shades Of Blue, shows how they’ve broadened their range over the years – and to good effect too.

The double diamond duo - Greaves and Feltham

The presence nowadays of Charlie Austen’s female voice extends their options, whether she’s taking a lead vocal or providing a foil for Dennis Greaves, particularly in exploring their soul influences.  The pick of the soulful bunch here is ‘Ter Wit Ter Woo’, a co-write between Greaves and Glenn Tilbrook – handy to have a mate like that, eh? – on which Austen’s clear, sweet voice makes the most of a great melody and hook, and some neat wordsmithing from (I assume) Greaves, while Mark Feltham contributes a typically mellifluous, songbird-like harp solo.  Almost as good though, is ‘One Of Sour, Two Of Sweet’, a neo-Motown soufflé that’s as catchy as hell, with Greaves and Austen duetting marvellously and the former adding a slithery guitar solo.  And Austen gets another turn at an aching vocal on ‘Recycle Me’, which also deploys some smoky sax from Chris Rand and gospelly backing vocals – and ache seems appropriate on a song about, literally it seems, organ donation.

They get funky too, on the instrumental ‘Hey Siri (Go **** Yourself)’ with its James Brown-like horn riff and some squealing harp from Feltham, and do even better on ‘Picture No Sound’.  The latter sounds to me like a chunk of second-line funk originating in N’Awlins, leaning on an electric piano riff from Will Barry, over a snappy beat and throbbing bass line from Sonny Greaves and Benjamin Wills respectively, and scorning yer usual verse-chorus-verse structure in pursuit of the groove.

But there’s some more direct stuff too, with the opener ‘I Wanna Be A Wannabe’ and

Charlie Austen and Dennis Greaves - like Sonny and Cher, not

‘Breadhead’ well to the fore.  The former is a bright, Jam-like affair that takes aim at the modern yearning for easy celebrity – though Greaves is too nice a bloke to really twist the knife, and the same is true on ‘Breadhead’, where the lyrics are sharp but not lethal.  Still, it’s got a driving, chunky riff and a Chuck Berry-like guitar solo, and is set fair to be a floor-shaking live stomper.

NBZ still sing for the ordinary Joe too.  ‘Race To The Bottom’ is another duet, with a lyric about the impact of economic change, while ‘Austerity Blues’ is an old-fashioned, simple blues with injections of harp from Feltham, and some nifty, stinging guitar from Greaves, which I reckon adapts an old rugby song in the lines “It’s the rich that gets the gravy, The poor that gets the blame, It’s the same the world over”.

There’s even room for some ‘Tequila’-style mambo backing on the closing ‘I Drink But I Don’t Get Drunk’, a party tune with twangy guitar, jangling piano and another sweet harp solo.  With some woozy trumpet, sax, and a suitably blurred ending, it sounds like the title is wishful thinking.

Nine Below Zero are a national treasure, still producing fresh and sparkling R’n’B sounds after 40 years.  Get yourself Avalanche, press Play, and be good and ready to enjoy a damned good night out on their forthcoming UK tour.

Avalanche is released by Zed Records on 4 October, and can be pre-ordered here.

Nine Below Zero are touring the UK from 5 October.  Check the tour dates here.

Nine Below Zero - Stramash, Edinburgh, 13 December 2018

Christmas is coming, innit? It’s time for a party, and Nine Below Zero are just the band for the job.  There’s eight of them crammed onto the Stramash stage, but they still deliver a good-time cracker of a performance, mixing originals and covers and blending blues’n’soul styles with consummate ease.

They open up with a breakneck version of ‘Tore Down’, with stinging guitar from Dennis Greaves, followed by the good-time soul’n’r’n’b, which are good pointers to their origins as fired up, New Wave-ish rivvum’n’bloozers.  And the set duly includes rollicking readings of

The girl said, "Don't play that song" guys!

‘Hootchie Coo’ and ‘Got My Mojo Working’, the smash’n’grab of ‘Three Times Is Enough’, the big gritty riff of ‘Soft Touch In A Hard World, and the Jam-like closer ’11 Plus 11’ to cover that side of their repertoire.

They have a likeable way with pree-zen-tashun as well.  Greaves may play a rather battered-looking red Tele, but he’s turned out all Mod-like in black shirt, skinny white trousers, and a cream-coloured long coat, while Mark Feltham on harp is all in black, with shades and a smart black titfer for good measure.  And the sharpness extends to the repartee.  Early on Greaves demands that the crowd squeeze forward “close enough so I can smell ya”, before expressing disapproval of a punter’s apparel. “You’re wearing the wrong t-shirt,” he says, deadpan.  “It says Dr Feelgood.  That’s like going to a Tottenham match wearing an Arsenal shirt.  Wrong!”

Geezer-ish isn’t their only modus operandi though.  Their version of the classic ‘Don’t Play That Song (You Lied)’ is itself a classic, singer Charlie Austen doing a wonderful rendition of anguished youthful heartbreak, with the counterpointed backing vocal from Feltham of the “darling I love you” lie.  It’s one of those perfect, hurt-ridden soul songs, and they do it justice.  As they also do the smooth, slow funk of ‘You’re Still My Woman’, with a trumpet solo from Paul Jordanous, and the later ‘Never Too Late’.  On the latter Feltham delivers a magnificently sweet, bird-like harp solo, which Greaves follows with pinging, popping guitar, before Mickey Burkey weighs in with a witty drum solo – although, brevity being the soul of wit and all that, sixteen bars less would have been just dandy.  And they're delightfully sunny on the much more English, Kirsty McColl-like ‘Do We Roll’, with Austen again supplying the vocals.

But if it’s blues you want they’ve got it, notably on ‘Riding On The L&N’, where the quality of Burkey and his rhythm partner Ben Willis leaps to the fore, the latter whacking out tremendous bass runs.  And that’s just the foundation for a wild Feltham harp solo, some big

Greavesie goes for searing

sax from Chris Rand, and some rock’n’roll geetar from Greaves – a good precursor to their version of ‘Rockin’ Robin’.  ‘Stormy Monday Blues’ is a more subtle affair, with some wonderfully churchy keys from Andrew Noble – for a very tall man remarkably invisible in a corner at the back – before they build to a crescendo on which Greaves delivers a searing solo.

Fun is their trademark though, and they close their main set with a suitable knockout punch in the turbo-charged form of Wilko Johnson’s remarkably ska-like ‘Twenty Yards Behind’. In the hip-hop parlance of yer modern yoof, I think the right word to describe Nine Below Zero would, aptly, be “cold”.

Support band Delacroix fit the bill nicely too, parcelling up some tight and sturdy R’n’B that’s solid on all fronts.  Tomlin Leckie is an engaging front man with a good voice, bobbing and weaving and playing with a smile on his face as he switches between harp and rhythm guitar. They deliver an energised reading of ‘Crossroads’, driven along by impressively punchy drums and grooving bass. The soulful slowie ‘Sarah Smiles’ has a catchy descending riff, and if Harry Higgs overplays a bit on his guitar solo then he redeems himself later with a smarter, more dynamic effort on ‘Blues With A Feeling’.  He and Leckie also contribute a convincing guitar/harmonica face-off on the venerable ‘Shake Your Hips’, peaking with a clever discordant harmonised moment between them.  I liked ‘em.

Nine Below Zero - Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh, 23 March 2017

It strikes me that a mandatory requirement for being a member of Nine Below Zero must be a dirty great grin.  This is a band who have fun – and no wonder when you’re cranking out a set centred on party-time R’nB, and doing it in fine style.  Not to mention the fact that front man Dennis Greaves scatters a rather nifty line in humorous patter throughout the proceedings, coming over like a regular from Minder.

When I got hold of Nine Below Zero’s latest album 13 Shades Of Blue last year, I was

Greaves and Feltham - no messing

surprised to find how laid back and funky they were.  My image of them from back in the day was of post-punk blues blasters in a Dr Feelgood-meets-The Jam vein, all sharp suits and sharp edges.  But true to its title 13 Shades Of Blue showed them exploring a wide range of blues and soul styles.

That variety is on display in their live show too, but they ain’t so laid back about it.  Live, Nine Below Zero are a punchy, horn-honking, high revving proposition, propelling the crowd to a good time.  They’re well-honed, and they don’t mess about.  Opener ‘Don’t Lay Your Funky Trip On Me’ is, of course, funky, and sets the tone with a good time vibe underlined by the barefoot shimmying of singer Charlie Austen.

And whether it’s the classic R’n’B of ‘Can’t Do Your Homework Any More’, or the scorching take on John Mayall’s ‘Crawling Up The Hill’, that good time vibe infects the crowd.

A highlight of their first set is the gorgeous ‘Don’t Play That Song For Me (He Lied)’, a hit for Aretha Franklin that gets an impassioned delivery from Austen, while Greaves and Mark Feltham add some great harmonies.  Another is B.B. King’s ‘You’re Still My Woman’, sung by Feltham and featuring some dreamy, string-bending guitar from Greaves as well as a blazing trumpet solo from Paul Jordanous meshed with some discordant piano from Andrew

Noble.  And they can boogie too, as they demonstrate to good effect on the short and sharp ‘Don’t Point Your Finger At The Guitar Man’.

No shrinking violets, they play pretty loud even for this old metal fan, and it has to be said that when they all get wired in and start competing for space it can all get a bit shrill at the top end.  Thankfully that doesn’t happen often, or my ears would have been ringing even more by the end.

Charlie Austen - impassioned barefoot shimmying

They open the second half with a swinging instrumental dedicated to Georgie Fame, on which Andrew Noble contributes another big jazzy keys solo, and Chris Rand shines on alto sax.  ‘Stormy Monday Blues’ is another showcase for Charlie Austen’s vocals, and also for some elegant harp from Mark Feltham, who elsewhere shows off everything from subtle background trills to sizzling solos.

Then it’s time for more fun, as they go through the gears on the Chas’n’Dave-leaning ‘Three Times Enough’ and the Jam-like ‘Eleven Plus Eleven’, before kicking off the encores with ‘Woolly Bully’.  It’s a recipe for dancing, and the roars of approval from the audience at the end are testimony to Nine Below Zero having delivered on their mission.

Earlier The Troublemakers warmed up proceedings with a semi-acoustic set featuring Sandy Tweeddale on guitar vocals and Tim Elliott variously on resonator, harp, washboard and even kazoo.  Special mention has to go to Laurie McMillan, drafted in earlier in the week to dep on stand-up bass and not only doing so seamlessly, but also contributing spot on vocal harmonies throughout.

They explore a range of blues styles with ease, especially on ‘Peg Leg And Barbecue Bob’, with some neat slide from Tweeddale and a great guitar/harp riff, and Champion Jack Dupree’s ‘Early In The Morning’, with its tasteful harmonies and a grabber of an electric guitar lick from Tweeddale on his particularly luscious looking ivory-coloured Gretsch semi-acoustic.  Blues’N’Trouble may be about to call it a day, but with The Troublemakers Tweeddale and Elliott have a different string to their bow.