GARY CLARK,JR.

58 BLUES REVUE
FABRIZIO POGGI
Harpway 61
Self-released
Fabrizio Poggi has been making his way
not only as a fan of the blues and a player
of the blues, but as a student of the blues.
There’s something compelling about an
Italian who is so taken with the form that is
so uniquely American. He’s an accomplished
player, whether on his own or with
his band Chicken Mambo, and maybe
because of his cosmopolitan pedigree, he’s
been able to absorb traditional blues and
incorporate Old World stylings to produce
something rather unexpected. The Old and
New World mash-up is easily seen in the
Tejano music that fuels Chicken Mambo’s
last release, Live In Texas, and much of
what Poggi has done with the band is in
that vein.
Harpway 61 is a departure to say the
least. It’s a high concept album that pays
homage to the bluesmen that have inspired
and influenced Poggi. The disc is a figurative
road trip with each track named after a
Delta town (except Chicago), and dedicated
to a particular harp player. The tunes
include numbers dedicated to Slim Harpo,
Sonny Terry, Paul Butterfield, both Sonny
Boy Williamsons, and a trio of Muddy
Waters alums (Little Walter, James Cotton,
and Junior Wells), among others. For an allharmonica
instrumental, Poggi covers a lot
of ground and keeps it interesting. Accompanied
by a sparse band, Poggi also chips
in himself with accordion, mandolin, banjo,
and, yes, banjolele.
He doesn’t exactly capture the style of
each of these players, so the dedications
are not always on target. Poggi can’t help
that he’s a product of his time, so there’s a
lot of modern influence that comes through
even when mimicking the roots. “Baton
Rouge, LA,” dedicated to Slim Harpo,
echoes “I’m A King Bee,” but Poggi’s style
is clean and much more refined than
Harpo’s. And while Poggi has the vibrato
down, I would have expected more energy
and overblows from “Tunica, MS,” dedicated
to James Cotton.
When he does hit it, he scores big.
The country blues of Sonny Terry with a little
more modern bounce, still rings true to
Terry’s style. On “Moorhead, MS,” Poggi
reaches all the way back to DeFord Bailey,
a country blues player who made his name
on the Grand Ole Opry stage. While I can’t
find a solid connection between Bailey and
Moorhead, Poggi nails it on harp, imitating
a freight train in the same way Bailey did on
“Pan American Blues” in 1927. That he
understands the catalog of Americana this
way says a lot about the depth of Poggi’s
study. An all-instrumental harmonica record
is a feat to pull off. Even though he misses
on some of the dedications, the effort here
is amazing.
– Eric Wrisley
KELLY JOE PHELPS
Brother Sinner & The Whale
Black Hen
Kelly Joe Phelps is back with an album that
alludes to earlier work like Roll Away The
Stone, released in 1997. Like that album,
the beautiful slide guitar work is here, measured,
textured, with not one superfluous
note played.
Phelps’s voice on Brother Sinner &
The Whale continues to recall a dram of topshelf
whiskey enjoyed on a dusky Sunday
afternoon. Thematically, we are once again
in Biblical territory – this time, it’s a meditation
on the Old Testament’s Book of Jonah,
and the artist has written an even dozen
songs in the key of praise and meditation.
Don’t look for 12-bar blues here, or a heavily
band-backed opus. This quiet, religious
album references the power of worship and
of movement to a spiritual plane. On his
Web site, where lyrics are listed, Bible
verses appear directly underneath. Therefore,
on a meditative track like “I’ve Been
Converted,” it’s clear that Phelps is “born
again.” It’s unclear if he means “rebirth” in
the conservative Christian tradition, but
there is no doubt the man has found the
Lord.
In “I’ve Been Converted,” he sings,
“God knows I’ve made a change/I’m not
afraid to call my Jesus’ name/I know I’ve
been converted to you.” There is no doubt
this is an important album for Phelps’s fans,
and for fans of masterful slide guitar work.
However, while even nonbelievers find
comfort in gospel tunes, or in old Pentecostal
hymns, an album full of one man’s
meditation on his relationship with his god
takes some work on the part of the listener.
The playing is beautiful, and the reverential
singing drives deep into the bone in
this quiet room, but there is a certain monochromatic
feeling – great for a concept
album, not so great if the listener seeks a
few turnarounds in tempo and theme.
Still, the string work is mesmerizing, at
times recalling the finger style of players like
Mississippi John Hurt, the jazz guitar work of
somebody like Joe Pass, and at other times
suggesting intricate Delta blues playing.
Despite the unifying theme, and the dozen
songs in its service, there are some standout
pieces including the reimagined, “Guide Me
O Great Jehova” [sic], the aforementioned
“I’ve Been Converted,” and the opening
track, “Talkin’ To Jehova.”
– Michael Cala
OLI BROWN
Here I Am
Ruf
I had the great pleasure of seeing the
young and up-and-coming British blues
whiz kid Oli Brown a couple of years ago at
the International Blues Challenge in Memphis.
With each new recording this kid puts
out, he keeps showing us why he’s going
to be a major force in the world of contemporary
blues and blues-rock for years to
come. He’s an ultra-talented guitarist, a
very adept vocalist, and a terrific songwriter