Elvin Bishop
The Olympics' "It Will Stand," Chuck Berry's "Rock And Roll Music," AC DC's
"It's A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n' Roll)" and Sly and The
Family Stone's "Dance To The Music" are a few of the exceptions, but generally,
songs about music are rarely as captivating as the music they celebrate. Elvin
Bishop transgresses this near-universal truth not once but three times on his
latest.
The three culprits are the only Bishop originals on the disc (gotta get that publishing dough) but only the autobiographical "Oklahoma" is of any real interest, although Kim Wilson, Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks make reliably worthwhile contributions on the other tunes. That's the bad news. One item of good news (and there are several) is that Elvin is singing better than ever, much better than he ever has. His guitar playing is also spot on, particularly on "Oklahoma" a single chord opus, that details his bluesman's journey from the Sooner state to Chicago, The Haight and elsewhere, remembering some of the notables he met along the way. Bishop was a remarkable guitar prodigy decades ago when he was with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band and he has only gotten better, more comprehensive, since.
The really good news is that Elvin has collected some very impressive guest stars and just about every one of their showcases could be a jumping-off point for a full album. What makes most of these guest shots so enjoyable is the unapologetically retro aspect of their approach to the blues. Produced by Bishop, the disc has the heat of and audio texture of a classic fifties blues album and almost every guest star gets the idea and rises to the occasion.
Ronnie Barker Brooks (son of blues great Lonnie Brooks) leads a live and smoking three-headed guitar take with a Wynonie Harris-like vocal on "Yonder's Wall"; Homemade Jamz Band, the frighteningly soulful-beyond-their-years teenage family blues outfit nails Junior Wells' "Come On In This House"; Cajun artists R.C. Carrier and Andre Thierry contribute a swamp-funky slow-drag version of Clifton Chenier's "Black Gal"; B.B. King coaxes yet another subtle dynamic performance out of Lucille on "Keep A Dollar In Your Pocket" behind a solid vocal from Bishop; and blues harp master James Cotton does the same behind Idaho bluesman (have those last two words ever been in proximity?) John Nemeth.
Bishop's introduction of Nemeth (formerly with Anson Funderburgh and the Rockets) and Texas blues singer Angela Strehli to what is hoped will be a wider audience earns him big points. The two are spectacular on "Night Time Is the Right Time" with Nemeth singing in a way that has rarely been heard since Okeh records shut down production, and Strehli is right there with him. Nemeth takes the mic on four of the album's twelve cuts and shines each time.
Bishop (who also produced) is operating at the height of his ability here, knowing when to step forward and when to pull back. Because of that and especially because of Nemeth, Strehli and the Jamz Band (and despite the superfluous contribution of George Thorogood and two dicey originals, out of three total), The Blues Rolls On earns a solid recommendation.
Standout Tracks: "Night Time Is the Right Time", "Come On In This House"
RICK ALLEN
