Donnie Ray, “I’m Goin’ Back”
DONNIE RAY – I’M GOIN BACK
If Donnie Ray walked into this room right now, I would not know him. Never had the occasion to meet the man. I was first introduced to his music a few years ago, when a song called “She’s Got My Vote” caught my ear. It’s on the “You’ve Got Me” BCD (Blues Compact Disc) He has recently added another BCD from ECKO Records that just hit the streets. It’s called “I’m Goin Back.”
To make a long story short, I like “I’m Goin Back.” I will admit, the title cut for me could have been a little stronger, but he more than makes up for it on some of the other tunes. Let’s start with my favorite, “Bring The Blues Back.” This song is nothing but good old party blues. This song was put together in the ‘jump blues’ fashion, but is still good old party blues. When you listen to this tune, there is a lady that’s talking about partying. I don’t know if there is a connection, but Freddie King had a tune out in the 70’s called “Shake Your Booty.” There was a lady on that tune that was talking, and these two women have got to be related in some kind of way. I can’t prove that, but they sound so similar. I don’t know if this was accidental or intentional, but it works. I have got to do some more research on this. “Southern Soul Blues Slide” takes the party to the steppin and slidin floor. This song is great for all of those that love to do the slide, and Donnie does it to perfection. Great choice. The first tune on the BCD is “I’m Looking For A Woman.” It’s a smooth upbeat party song that just jumps out at you from the beginning to the end.
When you listen to my show, “BluesTime In The City,” you hear a segment called “The Low Down Dirty Lying Cheatin Blues Song of the Week.” In the good old blues fashion, Donnie even included a great Cheatin tune called “She Was At The Hideaway.” Great stuff. I’ve used this song already because it tells it like it is.
Donnie is one of those guys that can sing, play multiple instruments, and write. He penned all but two of the songs on this BCD. He managed to keep his oh so cool style while taking it to another level. When you’re dealing with Blues and Southern Soul, that’s very difficult to do.
“I’m Goin Back” is a great BCD. Thanks Donnie for doing what you do. And doing it very well… Someday, I’ll get a chance to meet you in person….
Grady Champion, “Dreamin’
GRADY CHAMPION
DREAMIN
by Rojene Bailey, Host of BluesTime In The City
I’m very surprised to hear a hard driving blues man like Grady Champion. He’s not new, just new to me. I first heard of him when he won the International Blues Challenge back in 2010. I picked up his new “Dreamin” BCD (blues compact disc) on a whim, and immediately added a couple of song to my BluesTime In The City show rotation. I suppose I was inspired by the producer’s credit of Zac Harmon. He too won the IBC a few years back.
The first cut on the BCD is called “My Rooster is King.” While this is not the best cut on the disc, or one of the best cuts of the blues I’ve heard in a while, it was strong enough for me to keep listening. I immediately fell in love with the title cut, “Dreamin.” It’s not overly upbeat, but the right beat. It’s not overly blatant, but sassy. In other words, my kind of blues. And speaking of blues, Grady managed to keep the blues alive and well on this piece of work, while entertaining me. That’s hard to do in this age and time with so much suspect blues hitting the streets.
There are a couple he missed on, but that’s common when a Blues, R & B, Country, Jazz or any disc is released. He is definitely not a psychologist, which I thought when I first listened to a couple of the cuts, but I understood the message. He managed to hit the right mix in the right spots. For a young blues dude, his harmonica playing is impeccable.
My favorites are “My Rooster is King,” “Dreamin,” “Make That Monkey Jump,” and the inspiring and beautiful message to all, “Laugh, Smile, Cry Sometimes.”
Not bad for a young bluesman and a young blues band from Canton Mississippi. And for his city’s appreciation of their accomplishment of winning the IBC in 2010, they were given the key to the city and the day was declared, Grady Champion Day. I like his plan for the future that he expounds on in his liner notes; “To keep The Blues Alive.” With young talent like Grady Champion, the Blues, with its’ original meaning, will definitely be around for some time to come.
Bobby Rush : “Show You a Good Time”
The man just keeps on impressing me. He never quits. Bobby Rush has been singing the blues close to 50 years, maybe more. You would think he would keep repeating himself, and doing the same thing over and over, get stalled out or just get tired. Sure, he has his very unique style, but he keeps doing something to let me know that he’s still got it.
“Show You A Good Time” came out a couple of months ago on his Deep Rush label, and as soon as I placed it in the player, I said “that’s unique.” I really said something else with that, but let’s stick “that’s unique.”
I immediately felt the presence of The Blues. Not in the traditional sense, but in a sense that he used just enough technology to not to be noticed. The title cut, Show You A Good Time, is a good tune. It’s fun, upbeat, great for the party, and done in the traditional Bobby Rush style. His song “Sniffer” just tells it like it is. You may call them “gossipers” but Bobby calls them “Sniffers”. It’s funny, as only Bobby Rush can make it.
Bobby even went down home on us with “I Am Good As Gone” and “Broken Hearted Man.” He totally displays the 12-Bar 3-Chord blues which the blues is known for, complete with harmonica solo and some old school “pickin.”
If anything didn’t work for me, it’s the track, “I Got A Story to Tell.” Maybe it’s a little too serious for me, or maybe it’s just not vintage “Bobby” to me. He does that every once in a while, which is good, but not for me. But overall, this is a great BCD. (Blues Compact Disc)
When you listen to it, let me know what you think. I would love to place your comment(s) on this page.
Overall, I give “Show You A Good Time” 4 1/2 discs out of 5. It’s a great BCD, and I’m glad to know that Bobby Rush, however old he is, still got it. I will definitely be playing a lot of this on my BluesTime In The City program. Listen for it…..