2006
Recipient for Best Blues Society
RJ Spangler’s Blue Four – The
Bill Heid Sessions / You Know I can’t Refuse
Eastlawn Records ELD-019
I first met RJ Spangler and Bill Heid at the Blues
Estafette, Utrecht – Spangler being there every year with a
variety of wonderful Detroit blues artists.
A consummate drummer, Spangler has continued, over the
years, to record and release fine records by the likes of
Joe Weaver and Alberta Adams – whilst Heid ‘s résumé
includes recording with Roy Buchanan, Fenton Robinson and
Koko Taylor as well as working with Jimmy Witherspoon and
Fathead Newman amongst many others.
On this set RJ Spangler’s Blue Four, which features Heid
(piano and vocals), Pat Prouty (string bass) and Keith
Kaminski (tenor saxophone) team up with the great Johnnie
Bassett and James O’Donnell (trumpet) and Joshua James
(baritone sax) to deliver a set steeped in the great
R&B of the 40’s and 50’s .
Spangler is one of the great drummers of the genre, and he
and Prouty lay down a superb bottom end throughout this set
which is all covers that are chosen to reflect the talents
of Heid, Bassett et al.
The set opens with Sonny Boy’s “Ninety Nine” which in
Heid’s hands becomes a swinging jazz inflected shuffle that
rocks irresistibly replete with strident piano and vocals,
hot swinging guitar and almost military drums – a great
start that is maintained throughout this set.
Floyd Dixon’s “Red Cherries” boasts a relaxed swing fired
by cascading piano and sultry sax – another Dixon song
“Baby Let’s Go down To The Wood” encourages the listener to
“mellow down easy” with it’s mellifluous piano and
beautifully understated guitar – whilst Leiber &
Stoller’s “Too Much Jelly Roll” is a lascivious horn
fuelled slab of R&B.
“Piney Brown Blues” has Heid sounding like a laid-back
blues shouter underpinned by smokey sax and lascivious
trumpet whilst notes cascade from his piano like showers of
rain – Rudy Green’s “Meet Me Baby” generates an
irresistible swing as it melds piano and sax in an almost
sexual coupling – whilst Andre Williams’ “You Know I Can’t
Refuse” is a slab of greasy R&B on which Johnnie
Bassett excels.
If classic R&B is your particular penchant then this
set is a “must purchase” that obviously comes highly
recommended. (www.eastlawnrecords.com)
Rating 9
Mick Rainsford
http://www.blueprint-blues.co.uk/
