|
 There
is no doubt that Billy Boy Arnold is one of the truly great legends
of the post war period of electric Chicago Blues. Many have copied
his vocals and harp style, but it’s his songs that have really led
the way for his immorality in the world of Blues. I can’t even
list the number of Rock and Blues artists that have rerecorded
Billy’s tunes from his Vee-Jay label years from the 50’s, as
they have become Blues standards in many musician’s repertoire.
Billy Boy’s latest release on Electro-Fi,
“Consolidated Mojo”, is not what you can call a new recording as
it was taped and produced in California, on October 1st 1992, by one
of his harmonica protégés and Electro-Fi label mate, Mark Hummel.
Mark put together one hell of a band in the studio to back up Billy
for this session. Behind Billy Boy’s distinctive vocals and harp
the pure Blues sounds of Rusty Zinn (guitar), Tom Mahan (piano),
Ronnie James Webber (bass) and Mark Bohan (drums) blend in to make
this one great recording. Personally
I’m glad that these tracks finally have become available as they
show Billy in fine musical form. Billy has redone a few of the many
sides that he has become famous for, “Here’s My Picture”, “I
Wish You Would”, “She Fooled Me”, “You Got Me Wrong”,
“My Heart Is Crying”, “Prisoner’s Plea” and the most well
known song, “I Ain’t Got You”. On top of these numbers, Billy
Boy penned a new one called “Low Down Blues”, does an excellent
versions of the classic “Dirty Muther Fuyer”, Bo Diddley’s
“I’m A Man” and Little Joe Blue’s “If You Would Just Let
Me Love You”. But the tunes that really hit me were the ones that
Billy originally got from a mentor of his, John Lee Williamson
(Sonny Boy Williamson, #1) “Sonny Boy’s Jump” and “I Hear My
Name A Ringing”. This has created a pledge by Electro-Fi label
owner Andrew Galloway, written in this CD, to get Billy Boy Arnold
in town with an All Star Chicago backing band to record some of
Billy’s favourite SBW songs for release in 2006. That’ll be an album to look out for!
If ya love to have a
little of your Blues straight ahead, you’re gonna enjoy a whole
lotta of “Consolidated Mojo”.
Eddy
B
For more info, please check out:
Electro-Fi Records: www.electrofi.com
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