One could argue that blues really hasn’t changed much since it went urban and electric. Sure it’s louder, and the playing may have achieved a higher level of technical proficiency. But the basic formula, established almost fifty years ago now, is more or less perfect, hence the music’s enduring power. But these days the book of blues standards has become frighteningly predictable, with the vast majority of bar bands routinely sticking with much the same limited repertoire.
But the world simply doesn’t need another recording of “Mojo” or “Hoochie Coochie Man.” So when Bill King, leader, musical director, pianist, and vocalist for Saturday Night Fish Fry, went looking for material for the band’s sophomore effort, he turned to musical historian and blues aficionado extraordinaire Eddie Brake, whose collection of obscure 45’s is second to none. Brake’s archives yielded some hundred sides from his “Midnight Mamas” radio series; King turned the collection over to SNFF vocalist Shakura S’Aida, allowing her to choose the dozen titles she felt most comfortable with. King contributed a couple of originals, and Rhythm And Soul is the very successful result.
For the most part the material selected straddles the line between blues and jazz, with lots of brass (three saxes and a trumpet) and a distinctly bluesy beat. But while their repertoire may come largely from the past, King and friends aren’t reverent revivalists. They give everything a decidedly modern edge, thanks in no small part to Neil Chapman’s rock-tinged guitar and King’s energetic arrangements. Performances are uniformly impeccable, the band swinging furiously throughout. Participants bring serious jazz credentials to the project, but the disc’s most delightful surprise is S’Aida, whose alluring blend of earthy sensuality and beguiling innocence are just the combination these songs need. Quite simply, she’s a marvel.
King himself tackles four of the thirteen tracks (two of which he wrote), with his contributions interspersed to give the project a revue format. His performances here are uniformly strong, particularly on “John The Revelator,” a traditional gospel tune that gets an update with an irresistible driving groove. But he’s also quietly effective on his own “I’ll Miss Your Smile,” a heartfelt confession that mixes regret with a thoroughly adult resignation. He also showcases his jazzier sensibilities with a rollicking romp through “Lady Be Good,” an instrumental closer with an arrangement that virtually reinvents the tune.
S’Aida, though, may well be a legend in the making. She has power to spare, but there’s something extra there as well - even on disc she has a presence, that indefinable but nonetheless undeniable charisma that leaves little doubt she dominates any stage. Whether it’s the joyous abandon of “Ain’t I Talkin’ To You Baby” that kicks things off, the playful naiveté she suggests on Buddy Johnson’s “That’s How I Feel About You,” or the utter despair she projects on a tour-de-force reading of “Maybelle’s Blues,” she handles every assignment with equal aplomb.
An utterly delightful outing, this one gets my highest recommendation!
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