For St. Patrick's Day last night, I decided to avoid the huge crowd that was taking place downtown in the mini-festival headlined by Little Charlie & the Nightcats. Also had a chance to see Savoy Brown for free or Chris Cain down in Salem. I have seen all these guys quite a bit.
So instead, I chose to see San Francisco's Phil Berkowitz' tribute show to Louis Jordan, titled "Louis' Blues." I love Jordan's music and was quite interested in seeing Berkowitz switch the sax riffs with his exceptional harmonica playing. It was a very enjoyable performance. I ended up staying for all three sets. Though with all the other events happening it didn't leave for much of a crowd (40-50 people), Berkowitz still presented a nice outline of Jordan's career in song. Almost most of the numbers you can think of were played: "Saturday Night Fish Fry," "Let the Good Times Roll," "Just Like a Woman," "Beware," "Blue Lights," "Caldonia," and so much more. The only one I could think of right off the top of my head to be missing was "Open the Door Richard."
It was both a festive and relaxing evening and if you have the chance, you should check this show out. All of the musicians were very good, Marvin Green on guitar, Curtis Love on keys and of course Marty Dodson on drums who will be back this next Friday playing in his usual gig with Mark Hummel & the Blues Survivors (that show will also include James Harman and Billy Boy Arnold!!).
Berkowitz … sounds like he's having fun and does a nice job of transposing his harmonica for Jordan's sax.
Tribute albums are notorious for often presenting performances that are merely pale imitations of those that they seek to honour; so it is a pleasure to report that [this album is] not just [a] tribute but [an] excellent recording in [its] own right from [a] hugely talented harp player.
Berkowitz has been smitten by the music of Louis Jordan since hearing Joe Jackson's tribute to Jordan and Cab Calloway in 1981, and has taken time out from his blues combo, the High Rollers, to record this selection of fourteen numbers associated with the great man. To help in this project, Berkowitz has recruited ex Charles Brown guitarist Danny Caron, pianist Scott Lawrence, bass player "Little David" Rose and drummer Bowen Brown, a combo who effortlessly capture the infectious swing that permeates Jordan's music; whilst Berkowitz's vocals have a relaxed hip sensibility that is totally unaffected.
Opening with "Salt Pork, West Virginia", the band immediately generates an irresistible groove underpinning Berkowitz's low-key vocals and swinging harp, with Caron adding clear ringing guitar lines, both harp and guitar demonstrating an excellent command of dynamics, tone and phrasing. The relaxed swing of "Let The Good Times Roll" finds Berkowitz's harp echoing his vocals as Lawrence's piano rocks slowly, before cascading in unison with Caron's mellow guitar as they enhance the mood created by Berkowitz's melancholy harp and wistful vocals on "I'm Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of Town".
All of the well known numbers are here, "Caldonia" boasting wildly eccentric and frantic guitar with boisterous harp; "Blue Light Boogie" mining a seductively mellow groove; "Early In The Morning" swinging lazily as Berkowitz's harp shows the influence of Big Walter Horton; "Choo Choo Ch' Boogie" fairly rattles along, whilst "Saturday Night Fish Fry" rocks infectiously as Caron excels with salacious chording and guitar fills.
The hot swinging West Coast R&B of "Cat Scratchin'" brings both Rod Piazza and George Smith to mind, the influence of Smith again evident in "If You're So Smart, How Come You Ain't Rich?"; two more gems on this highly recommended set.
I received this CD from Phil himself, with a note saying Sean "Blue Guitar" Carney advised him to send me a copy. Well, let me thank both of them here, for this may as well be my own 2006 best Christmas present. Now let me tell you why.
This collection is a tribute to Louis Jordan music, and one could think "who needs another CD like this?" Sure, we got Jordan's music by the great Louis himself, we got a tribute album by BB King, we got a tribute album by Clarence Gatemouth Brown, I even have an excellent tribute CD by an unfortunately defunct French band called the Little Big Band, not to mention the many Jordan covers one can find on so many other CD's out there, be it in the blues field, the rock field, the country field or the western swing field and maybe other genres too. So what's the use of yet another one?
Well, the thing is Phil Berkowitz was clever enough to give his own tribute to the master a totally different approach. And the master word here is subtlety.
First Berkowitz sings these eternal songs with a soft yet assured voice he "deposits" with delicacy upon the finest instrumental backup provided by a great band. Not only that, but on top of it, the man provides an extraordinary work on the harp that reminds me not so much of the great harpists who came before him, but of that French harmonica player who fronts a band called the Hoodoomen, a man who goes by the name of Philippe Brière. And what do Phil Berkowitz and Phil Brière have in common? It's the way they both have worked the many sounds and tones one can blow and suck out of that little instrument, using only their own breath and hands to vary those in what seems to be an endless variety of possibilities.
And don't get me wrong, the whole CD is not just another demonstration of incredible skills, but those are only used to provide one of the best heart felt and tight renditions of Louis Jordan's music, still putting every bit of Berkowitz and his band own musical personnality into it.
So, would I recommand this CD? You bet I will!
Harmonica ace Phil Berkowitz takes an interesting notion — replacing saxophone with harp and recording an album's worth of Louis Jordan covers — and comes up with the immensely enjoyable Plays Louis' Blues (Dirty Cat 0001). Of course "Caldonia," "Saturday Night Fish Fry," "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby," and "Let the Good Times Roll" are here, but so are lesser-known gems "Three-Handed Woman" and "Salt Pork, West Virginia." Berkowitz's vocals are engagingly hip, but not self-consciously so. His playing and tone echo Jordan's parts admirably, and the other musicians — three members of jazz-jumpers Stompy Jones plus immaculate string-bender Danny Caron (formerly Charles Brown's bandleader) — display absolute accuracy in the style.
Danny Caron and Phil Berkowitz produced this CD dedicated to Louis Jordan and the novelty musical style combining humor and jive which bridged the gap between big band style and rock and roll resulting in what would become known as jump blues. The fact that Danny Caron was involved in this project gives it stature due to his successful stint as musical director for the late Charles Brown.
The opening cut of "Salt Pork, West Virginia" is a pure jump tune with Berkowitz on vocals and harmonica. "Let The Good Times Roll" is a bluesy exploration with Berkowitz doing an interesting vocal interpretation with a supple voice that is catchy. Caron leads off "I'm Gonna Move To The Outskirts of Town" with his uniquely tasteful guitar style and Berkowitz displays good control on harmonica. Berkowitz's harmonica really shines on "Caldonia" and Caron's sizzling guitar licks behind the vocals is delightful. "Cat Scratchin'" is a playful romp that is alluring. One of the best tunes is the slow "Blue Light Boogie" which has a rhythmic pattern laid down by supporting musicians Caron on guitar and Lawrence on piano. On the bluesy "Early In The Morning" imaginative percussion work by Brown drives the rhythm and there are some good harmonica trills. "Three Handed Woman" features a short guitar solo by Caron demonstrating his clean, uncluttered tones. The final cut is "Saturday Night Fish Fry" with animated vocals by Berkowitz.
This CD consists of fourteen cuts and it is a worthy exercise which will appeal to Louis Jordan fans. Berkowitz gives a heartfelt performance and it doesn't hurt to have the brilliant guitarist Caron at your back. I thoroughly enjoyed this CD and would give it a good recommendation.
Phil Berkowitz puts on a great show. Few harp players can do Louis Jordan justice, and Philip does a great job. Congrats on a fine new CD.
Capturing the conversational phrasing and sly humor in much of Jordan's material and translating Jordan's jazzy, blues-soaked saxophone riffs to diatonic harmonica are not easy tasks, but Berkowitz rises to the challenge with aplomb on Louis' Blues. …
Berkowitz mixes such major Jordan hits as "Caldonia," "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie," and "Saturday Night Fish Fry" (all of which made both R&B and pop charts in the '40s, an indication of Jordan's huge crossover appeal) with delicious obscurities like "Do You Call That a Buddy? (Dirty Cat)" and "Three Handed Woman."…
Producer-arranger Danny Caron … places frontman Berkowitz in an appropriately swinging context for his journey through the Jordan songbook. Jordan's music, Berkowitz points out, was simultaneously down-home and urbane, reflecting his Arkansas upbringing and his tenure in drummer Chick Webb's New York orchestra. Berkowitz and company do a most satisfying job of projecting those timeless qualities.
Bay Area-based boogie/jump blues band The High Rollers are blasting through with their latest release, High Time (Rollin' and Tumblin' Music). This quartet of fine musicians delivers one tight set of 12 originals based on the swinging styles of blues having a resurgence of sorts in blues clubs from Redding to Fresno. The CD title explains the thread that runs through this disc, with tunes centering on time-related tales.
Lead man "Harmonica" Phil Berkowitz blows inspiring harp and sings on every tune, causing the toes to tap and the fingers to snap along with his constant rhythm. Berkowitz also contributes to the songwriting detail by penning nine out of the 12 tunes. Rounding out the band is Bruce Todd on guitar, Des Mabunga taking the bass chores and Elvis Johnson drums. Sitting in on various songs is Tom Whitehead adding New Orleans boogie style piano on "Before You Go" and pianist Pawel Kuczera on the rest. What blues CD would be complete without some trace of horns? Enter Kevin (Spazz) Burkhardt on trombone and Doug Rowan playing alto sax on the lazy blues number "Before You Go." Berkowitz's wife, Ms. Ginger T, adds capable singing to "5-10-15 Hours." Very enjoyable disc.
Berkowitz blows inspiring harp and sings … causing the toes to tap and the fingers to snap along with his constant rhythm.
