I just received and have been listening to the newest release, In Between Time, by Al Miller. Due to some family issues I found my self in sunny Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania last week and had the pleasure to listen to this release numerous time while on the road. While driving, I rarely have time to look at the liner notes but now that I am writing my review, some of my passing thoughts actually make sense. I'll begin by saying, I kept thinking that I was listening to a Mike Bloomfield or early Paul Butterfield album. In reading the press release, I note that Miller was a part of the '60's Butterfield scene and played often with Bloomfield. This does not sound at all like a clone. It sounds like the real deal. The release opens with McCracklin/Taub track, Rockin' All Day. A rockin' boogie, this starts the entire release with a great groove with Billy Flynn (guitar), Willie Big Eyes Smith (drums), Barrelhouse Chuck (piano), and of course Miller on vocal and harp. BB King's Need You So Bad has a nice foamy lope to it. John Primer leads the way on this track playing guitar and singing. Dave Specter plays some cool guitar riffs on this track joined by Mike Schlick on drums and Harlan Terson on bass. Definitely a hot track! Johnny Young's My Baby Walked Out features some of Millers best vocals and harp and Chuck really does a great job on the 88's on this track. Original track Old Friends has a Latin beat featuring Kenny Smith on drums, Ken Saydak on piano and hot Albert King like riffs by Dave Specter. Miller pulls out the stops on this track blowing some great harp riffs. In Between Time, another original by Miller, shows Miller with a guitar in hand playing some cool primitive slide work over a very stripped down track. Another Johnny Young track, I Got It, is a smokin' hot harmonica blowout. Pushed by Flynn, Smith and Saydak this is a great track. Willie Dixon's Dead Presidents finds Primer again at the helm with vocal and guitar. Accompanied by Mike Schlick on drums and Harlan Terson on bass Miller plays cool harp riffs and Barry Winograd and John Brumbach add a nice sax solo. Another Miller original, A Better Day,features nice guitar work by Flynn and Specter. One of the most enjoyable traditional tracks on the recording, Miller really gets into his vocal strength. On another Johnny Young track, Tighten Up On It, I can smell the beer and cigarettes. This is the Chicago blues just the way it was meant to be played. Never hear this on contemporary records anymore. Barrelhouse Chuck lays down the riffs and the mix is perfect.Flynn is also guilty of some superb riffage on this track with Big Eyes keeping the bottom tight. Elmore James' 1839 Blues features Primer again on vocals and he does a superb job. Ken Saydak shows why his piano work is in high demand and the tone from Millers harp is spot on. Primer takes a nice guitar solo on this track and it is solid and enticing. Billy Flynn's Billy's Boogie is a real rocker of course featuring some outstanding guitar work from Flynn ... not to be missed. Miller plays a hot solo on harp on this track as does Saydak and Mike Schlick keeps it all together. Excellent track! Percy Mayfield track Bachelor Blues really conjures up the feeling of the old Bloomfield days for me. Again Miller shows his best on vocals and harp on this track. Barrelhouse Chuck and Big Eyes are right on the spot and the track creates the feel of the real deal... it is! Eddie Taylor's If You Don't Want Me Baby fits perfectly into this set with a bit of a HD Taylor beat. It's a great pickup track before the great track by Miller, Lake Michigan Waters. Billy Flynn plays some flaming hot work on this track with what I'd even say sound reminiscent of old Bloomfield riffs. Along with the great playing of Miller and Saydak this track may be one of the most intense on the recording. Specter and Primer step out a little on guitar on Lawhorn Special. Miller knocks down some cool riffs as well but it's the guitars that take this cake. Al Miller original Blizzard wraps up this really coherent authentic Chicago blues release. Flynn and Primer playing some stinging guitar riffs over heavy reverb riffs on this track and kenny Smith is really particularly crisp with his beat on this track. This may be one of the best modern "Chicago" blues albums to come out in a long time.
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I apologize that the band featured is not the band on the recording, but Al Does play harp here so I'll post a new one when I can find it. Enjoy!
Barkin' Bill Smith (August 18, 1928 – April 24, 2000) was an American Chicago blues and electric blues singer and songwriter. Although he was born in Cleveland, Mississippi, Smith spent his latter years in Chicago Smith was raised in Mississippi, but later relocated to East St. Louis, Detroit and finally Chicago. He obtained his stage name from Homesick James in 1958, after the pair had worked together. Smith sang in front of various blues bands around Chicago for many years, having been initially influenced by Joe Williams, Jimmy Witherspoon and Brook Benton. He finally made his recording debut in 1991, providing the vocals on Dave Specter's first album, Bluebird Blues. His connection with Delmark Records then continued when they issued Smith's own solo debut, Gotcha!, in 1994. Gotcha! featured guitar work by Steve Freund.
In his latter years declining health restricted his live appearances.
Smith died in April 2000 in Chicago, from pancreatic cancer, at the age of 71. If you like what I’m doing, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band!- ”LIKE”
Dave Specter (born May 21, 1963, Chicago, Illinois, United States)[1] is an American Chicago blues and jazz guitarist.Hailing from Chicago's Northwest side, Specter began to learn to play the guitar at the age of 18. His teacher was Steve Freund, who taught Specter between the latter's duties at Jazz Record Mart, and Delmark Records. Freund ultimately organised a concert tour for Specter alongside Sam Lay and Hubert Sumlin. Contacts made while working at the B.L.U.E.S. nightclub secured gigs as a sideman to Johnny Littlejohn, Son Seals, and The Legendary Blues Band. By 1989 Specter had organized his own backing band, known as the Bluebirds.
By 1998 Specter had released five albums on the Delmark label, combining a mixture of blues (Specter listed his influences as T-Bone Walker, Pee Wee Crayton, Magic Sam, and Otis Rush) and jazz (Kenny Burrell is another inspiration).
Specter does not sing, and he enlisted Barkin' Bill Smith as his first vocalist, performing on Specter's 1991 debut album, Bluebird Blues. Specter then made a guest appearance with Jesse Fortune, providing accompaniment on Fortune Tellin' Man (1993). Harmonica player and singer Tad Robinson took over on the Bluebirds' Blueplicity (1994) and Live in Europe (1995). Following Robinson's departure, Lynwood Slim became the band's vocalist.
Jazz influences prevailed as time passed, and Specter invited Brother Jack McDuff to play the Hammond organ on the next album, Left Turn on Blue (1996). Lenny Lynn took over vocal duties on the following release, Blues Spoken Here (1998). In 2000, Speculatin' appeared, but here Specter eschewed vocals altogether, issuing thirteen instrumental tracks. Is What It Is (2004) was followed by Live in Chicago (2008).[1]
In addition to his recordings, Specter undertakes frequent tours to Europe and beyond.
