CD Review
Kent Cooper
The Blues & Other Songs
(Labor Records)
by Mark E. Gallo
Review date: May 2005
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Kent Cooper is a first-rate song writer with some pretty impressive friends.
From the phenomenal gospel drenched vocals of Deneen McEachern to Louisiana Red to Sonny Terry, the Georgia born Cooper’s songs are interpreted stunningly throughout this gem of a record. Cooper writes in the notes of moving into an apartment on West 85th Street in New York that just happened to be next door to Sonny Terry, the great blues harp player/vocalist. He became friends with Terry and his partner Brownie McGhee. Through them he became fast friends with John Lee Hooker and in short order added Muddy Waters, Johnny Shines, Roosevelt Sykes, Louisiana Red and many others to his coterie of friends. When word got out that he was a songwriter, many of these friends asked to record his songs. The performances collected here of those songs are spellbinding. As noted, Deneen McEachern’s vocals are chilling. A cross between the church and the classic blues women, she thrills on the opening “Dirty Dirty Men,” a song Cooper wrote for the blues musical “Standing At Your Door.” This is followed by the dynamic duet of Marc Galbo (guitar and vocals) and Mark Lavorie (harp and vocals and a former driver for Sonny Terry) on the back porch-inspired “Bye Bye Baby.” Louisiana Red’s solo guitar/vocal version of Cooper’s “First Degree” is a stunner, as is George Higgs’ powerful solo guitar/vocal on “Tar River Flood”. Willie Murphy’s recording of “Sweetblood Call” benefits from his exemplary piano and almost Junior Wells-ish vocals. Louisiana Red’s “Turkey Killer,” recorded live and solo at Montreux in 1975 is a knockout, and the Sonny Terry take on “Cold Wind Blowing” that follows is classic. Red comes back behind this on “Going Train Blues,” on which he shares credit with Peg Leg Sam. Jemima James, a woman blessed with a deep, expressive voice, sings Cooper’s “I’d Rather Say Goodbye Right Here,” an Appalachian-inspired number that impresses, and Louisiana Red returns with “Recreation Blues,” a fantastic piece on which he sings, “Lord will you create my baby once again/I ruined your creation and I sent her back to a road of sin.” This is followed by Canadian Kristi Johnson, a singer to keep an eye out for, sounding for all the world like a young Sue Foley on “Midnight Rambler.” Higgs follows with “Black Night Road,” again solo and again superbly done. The wonderful acoustic guitarist Lightnin’ Welles sings a Hank Williams-inspired “”Loving You Is A Slow Way To Die” and is followed by Sonny Terry, guitarist/vocalist Bob Malenky and pianist Michael Rura on “Feel Like Robbin’ The Grave,” a darkly inspired tune. Louisiana Red and Lefty Dizz are hypnotic on their version of Mr. Cooper’s “Stole From Me” and Jemima James returns on “I Was Better Known For Loving,” on which she reminds of the great
Rosalie Sorrels. The closer on this first volume features Louisiana Red with the legendary pianist Roosevelt Sykes and a young Sugar Blue blowing harp on the 1975 recording of “A Good Woman.”
The recordings here are nothing less than spectacular, top to bottom, testament to the songwriter and to the players, alike. Highly recommended.
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