Chicago Blues Guide Album Review: Mississippi Heat - Warning Shot

This review was originally published in Chicago Blues Guide on November 5, 2014. Be sure to check out their website at: www.chicagobluesguide.com

Mississippi Heat - Warning Shot

Delmark Records

By Rex Bartholomew

Since 1991, Mississippi Heat has been churning out a unique brand of blues from their home base of Chicago. The band has gone through a few line-up changes over the years, but it is still led by Pierre Lacocque, a masterful harmonica player and first-rate songwriter. They have a big and fun sound, and are not afraid to record original material or bring their show to the stage. They have a heavy gigging schedule and a legion of dedicated fans that come out to see their wonderful high-energy shows.

Mississippi Heat recently released Warning Shot, their 11th album and fifth release from Chicago’s storied Delmark Records. It is a hearty serving of Chicago blues (with a few other flavors added), coming in at over an hour and containing 16 tracks. 14 of these tracks are originals that were written by the band members, with Lacocque getting credit on ten of them. There is a killer line-up of musicians for this disc, with Inetta Visor on vocals, Neal O’Hara on keys, Brian Quinn on bass, Sax Gordon on the saxophone, Kenny Smith and Andrew Thomas on drums, and Michael Dotson and Giles Corey on guitar. A true Windy City legend, Ruben Alvarez, also lends a hand with his tasty percussion work.

All of the songs on Warning Shot are very good, and the band placed one of the best up front! “Sweet Poison” has a frisky bounce right from the intro, with Pierre waging a harmonica battle against the guitar and holding his own. Then, when Inetta starts singing, this track is propelled to the next level with her throaty pipes tearing into her old man for his philandering ways and ruing that his love is still so sweet. There are high production levels to be found here, with crystal clear recording and a spot-on mix that will be found throughout the rest of the album. It is amazing that this disc only took two days to record!

“Alley Cat Boogie” is another peach of a song, a rocking boogie with hammering piano from O’Hara and Sax Gordon trading solos with Pierre. The backing vocals of Mae Koen, Diane Madison and Nanette Frank are a nice touch and make this track complete. You may also know them from their work on guitarist Giles Corey’s Stoned Soul album, which was released by Delmark earlier this year. This track is backed up with the Calypso stylings of “Come to Mama,” which includes some fun percussion work from Alvarez and is also notable change from the pell-mell boogie that came before -- Mississippi Heat never gets stuck in a rut on Warning Shot.

Guitarist Michael Dotson takes the vocals on the three tunes that he penned, and his voice is hearty and could possibly even be described as tortured. “Yeah Now Baby” has driving tempo that is held in check by the masterful backline of Quinn on bass and Thomas on drums, and “Swingy Dingy Baby” brings a little vintage swing fun into the mix. But the standout is “Evaporated Blues,” a funky Delta-tinged blues-rock song that only a guitar player could have written. Kenny Smith also wrote one of the tracks, “What Cha Say,” and we get to hear his lead vocals on this slow grinder as well as his fine work behind the drum kit. This quartet of songs fits in well with the rest of the material on this CD and provides even more variety to what is already a diverse collection of music.

The two covers are quite unexpected. The first is a fairly faithful revision of Ruth Brown’s “I Don’t Know” from 1959. This Brook Benton and Bobby Stevenson jazz song stands the test of time well, with Inetta taking the role of chanteuse and Lacocque’s harp and Corey’s lead guitar edging the tone a little towards the bluesier side of things. The other is completely out of left field: an instrumental take on Hank Williams’ “Your Cheating Heart.” Pierre plays the lead on his harmonica and Gordon blows a gloriously raunchy solo on his sax. This may be the best version of this song out there, besides Hank’s (of course)!

Finishing up the set is “Working Man,” with the entire band back on stage and Visor featured on the soulful lead vocals. This brand of fast-paced Chicago blues is a fine way to bring things to a close, as it is a fun reminder that this is where it all started for this top-shelf band.

Warning Shot is a well written and masterfully played album of new blues tunes that integrates all manner of influences to keep the listener entertained from beginning to end. Mississippi Heat delivered the goods with this record, and their live show is also a treat to see. They are gearing up for the Lucerne Blues Festival in Switzerland right now, but they will soon be heading back for plenty of shows around Chicago, and then on to other points in the US and Canada. Check out their website at www.mississippiheat.net

Dave Weld and the Imperial Flames – Slip Into a Dream | Album Review

Dave Weld & the Imperial Flames – Slip Into a Dream

Delmark Records

www.daveweld.com or www.imperialdave.com

www.delmark.com

13 tracks / 65:44

There is nothing like an album of raucous west side Chicago blues, and that is exactly what Dave Weld and the Imperial Flames deliver. Dave is a homegrown Windy City fellow who took a break for a while in New Mexico where he studied under famed New York jazz guitarist, Kurt Black. But the call of the city was too great, and Dave headed back to town where he played endlessly at west side clubs under the watchful eye of his mentor, J.B. Hutto.

After playing with a plenty of folks from the “Who’s Who” book of Chicago blues, in 1988 Dave formed his own band, the Imperial Flames. Slip Into a Dream is their fourth album and their second for the venerable Delmark Records label. Dave handles the guitar and some of the vocals, and is joined on the leads by the amazing singer, Monica Myhre. A few long-time bandmates were there in the studio, including Dave Kaye on bass, Jeff Taylor on drums, and Harry Yaseen on piano. There were also a few extra special guest musicians, as you will soon see.

This album has twelve original tracks and one cover, with eleven of the songs written by Weld and/or Myhre. The title track kicks things off and right away it is obvious that this is going to be a rocking party with a heavy west side sound. Dave howls his lines with gusto, sounding like a much more soulful version of Clapton, and when Monica takes over the vocals she nails them with her blues diva aura. The spooky chords of guest artist Graham Guest’s organ set the overall mood, and Weld’s guitar playing is spot-on (of course). This man has tone for days.

There is plenty to like about “Looking for a Man” whether you are searching for a slamming beat, sultry vocals from Monica, a searing solo from Weld, or killer harmonica from none other than Bobby Rush. And “Take Me Back” is also chock full of good, thanks in part to tight work of the The Heard horns: Parris Fleming on trumpet, Bryant Smith on trombone, and Rajiv Halim on saxophone. Dave also sourced a prime horn section for “Sweet Love (Dulce Amor), and that would be the Chicago Horns -- Kenny Anderson on trumpet, Hank Ford on sax, and Bill McFarland on trombone.

Weld and Myhre did not write all of the originals, though. Jeff Taylor penned “Dorothy Mae” and got the nod on its lead vocals, too. This is a righteous funkfest and Taylor’s vocals are definitely up to the task. Guest brings his organ back for this track, and we get the joy of hearing Sax Gordon solo on his horn, plus a pretty neat lead guitar break from Weld.

”Too Bad, So Sad” features Myrhe on vocals and rocking guitar pyrotechnics from none other than Greg Guy (Buddy’s son). Like the other tunes on this disc, this one has its own sound, with a fat bass line from Kaye and snare-heavy drums from Taylor. This is one of the standout tracks on the disc, and it has earned a place in my next party mix.

Before the band reworked “Slip Into a Dream” as an gnarly instrumental (with a little doo-wop) to close out the set, they slipped into a J.B. Hutto cover, “20% Alcohol.” Dave digs down deep for the vocals on this one, and there is some very sweet harp (including a cool solo) courtesy of Mr. Bobby Rush. Weld has done a fabulous job of honoring his mentor on this song.

Slip into a Dream is the best album yet from Dave Weld and the Imperial Flames, and that is saying something as their other albums are very good. It is significant that they were able to write so many new songs that sound good and sequence so well with each other. This disc is a must buy, and while you are at it check out their website to see where they are playing next – you will be glad you did!