The Ohio Untouchables with Robert Ward (far right): Toledo, 1964

In previous posts, we covered a lot of fertile ground in southwest Ohio – King Records, Fraternity Records, Lonnie Mack, Roger Troutman… But the picture wouldn’t be complete without the man who introduced Lonnie to his first Magnatone amp – Robert Ward.

I first discovered Ward through his recordings for the New Orleans-based Black Top label, starting with the much-acclaimed “Fear No Evil” in 1991. Then I tracked down an outstanding collection of singles that Ward recorded in the Sixties. The compilation was released in ’95 on the tiny Relic label, an offshoot of a vintage record store in Hackensack, NJ. And the title, “Hot Stuff,” actually falls short of describing the raging inferno within. This is hard-grinding, hair-raising soul music of the highest order.

Let’s start with an incendiary workout recorded in 1962 at Cincinnati’s King Records studio. It features Ward and the Ohio Untouchables backing up one of the greatest vocal groups ever assembled – The Falcons, with eventual soul stars Wilson Pickett (lead), Eddie “Knock on Wood” Floyd and Sir Mack Rice: I Found a Love/The Falcons

I suppose a little background is in order here… It’s not hard to find a decent bio of Ward (and “Hot Stuff” includes excellent liner notes by Bill Dahl), so I’ll try to stick with the high points:

• Born in Luthersville, Georgia, in 1938 and grew up in poverty with four brothers
• Inspired by gospel-singing dad and guitar-pickin’ mom, who gave him his first axe when he was 10 years old (a gift from a white family whose house she was cleaning)
• Also exposed to blues and gospel through his parents’ 78 RPM records – Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the Dixie Hummingbirds, John Lee Hooker, Jimmy Reed and Muddy Waters, among other favorites
• Played on a local radio station with a country and western band, using his slide guitar to mimic a pedal steel
• Served in the Army from ‘57 to ‘59
• Returned home to form his first serious band, the Brassettes, which shared a gig with James Brown before touring steadily with the legendary bluesman Piano Red

Which brings us to Dayton, Ohio, where Ward moved in 1960 to find “a better way of living.”

Down the road in Cincinnati, Lonnie Mack was perfecting his lightning-fast runs on guitar with stunning instrumentals like Wham and Memphis. Meanwhile, in Dayton, Ward had formed the Ohio Untouchables with bassist Levoy Fredrick (replaced by Marshall Jones in ’61) and drummer Cornelius Johnson – and later rounded out by Pee Wee Middlebrook and Clarence Satchell on horns. “I was thinking about Robert Stack and ‘The Untouchables’ on TV,” he told Dahl. “I said ‘Well, they’re the untouchables in stopping crime. I want to accumulate a band where we’ll be up there with the best and be unstoppable.’”

Here’s more evidence that Ward had achieved his stated goal: Forgive Me Darling/The Ohio Untouchables

Ward’s signature sound involved the thick, organ-like vibrato of the Magnatone amp. And Mack didn’t hesitate to get his own Magnatone after catching Ward’s act in Indiana. On this tune, recorded in Cincinnati in 1963, you can hear Ward’s obvious influence on his protégé Mack: The Bounce/Lonnie Mack

After listening to Black Top-era Ward, it was a revelation for me to hear earlier versions (both with and without the Ohio Untouchables) of his originals like Fear No Evil, Your Love is Amazing and My Love is Strictly Reserved for You. These and other standouts first appeared in the early to mid ‘60s on Detroit-based labels LuPine (whose producer, Robert West, first signed the Ohio Untouchables in 1962), Thelma and Groove City. Here’s the original version of My Love, with powerful singing by Ward. Should’ve been a massive soul hit… My Love is Strictly Reserved for You/Robert Ward

Ward and the Ohio Untouchables parted ways in 1965, with his former band destined for fame and fortune as the superfunky Ohio Players (Love Rollercoaster) and Ward eventually moving on to Detroit to do session work at Motown. If you think you’re new to Ward, think again – you probably heard him on Papa was a Rolling Stone by the Temptations and this unavoidable hit from 1971 by the Undisputed Truth: Smiling Faces Sometimes/the Undisputed Truth

Ward’s life took some tragic and unfortunate turns in the ‘70s and ‘80s with the death of his first wife in ’77 (cerebral hemorrhage) and a year in a Georgia prison, where he played in a band with former hitmaker Major Lance. But much like our recent subject Snooks Eaglin, Ward was rescued from near-obscurity by Black Top co-owner Hammond Scott.

Those who take their blues straight up tend to have pretty strong opinions about the Black Top sound. I’ll share the musings of our friend The Hound about Robert Ward’s recordings for the label:

“I find Black Top one of the most offensive labels of the 90′s blues revival in that they could make lame records with some of the finest artists of all time (Snooks Eaglin being another who comes to mind) by attempting to make their discs 90′s radio friendly, as if Robert Ward’s record was going to get airplay next to Madonna.”

A little harsh? Maybe… and I’ll cop to being a fan of Ward’s ‘95 release, “Black Bottom,” which includes a rock-solid remake of Johnnie Taylor’s soul classic Toehold: Toehold/Robert Ward

But my favorites on that album are a couple of heartfelt ballads with spiritually inclined lyrics and soulful singing by Ward. Here’s one that always knocks me out: Silver and Gold/Robert Ward

On Ward’s final album – the 2000 Delmark release “New Role Soul” – he dispenses of heavy horns and other Black Top flourishes in favor of a more stripped-down sound. With a little less production gloss, this number wouldn’t sound out of place on a Groove City single: Never Found a Girl/Robert Ward

In his last years, Ward lived in rural Dry Branch, Georgia (not far from my mom’s hometown Milledgeville), with his second wife, Roberta, who contributed to “New Role Soul” as both a singer and songwriter. He suffered a stroke in 2001 and never really recovered. Ward passed away in 2008 – leaving behind an amazing musical legacy that seems to grow more vital as each season of American Idol drifts by.

Here’s the only live footage of Ward on youtube – from the Chicago Blues Fest, probably not long after he signed with Black Top. Many youtube videos of tattooed nimrods aping Stevie Ray Vaughan, and only one of Ward. Guess that’s why I do what I do. It’s not even a particularly great video of Ward. Just good enough to remind you how special this guy was. What a wonderfully soulful voice. Crank it up…

Don’t get me wrong… I like to hear John Lee Hooker do the boogie over a driving beat or Allen Toussaint comp behind a funky New Orleans horn section or Thelonious Monk make seasoned jazz professionals sound like a group of toddlers with toy instruments (and I mean that as a compliment).

But every once in a while, I need to hear the artist straight up, no chaser.

Nothing lays bare a musician’s strengths and weaknesses more than a solo performance. No overblown arrangements to hide behind. No programmed beats or pointless gospel choirs. Just the artist, usually with an instrument of choice – stepping out on the thinnest tightrope imaginable. And several foul-smelling carnies nearby to clean up the mess.

Washington Phillips

Going solo was far more common in the country blues tradition than it is today – partly because it was difficult for highly original artists like Charlie Patton, Robert Johnson, Skip James, Blind Lemon Jefferson and Son House to play with other musicians (not to mention travel together in the pre-WWII south). And the most distinctive country bluesman of all might have been zither-strumming evangelist Washington Phillips.

Here’s a guy who “completists” like me can appreciate… Although the native Texan lived for 73 years, Phillips only recorded 18 songs (16 of which survived) during a two-year period – from 1927 to 1929. So if you pick up a copy of “I Am Born To Preach The Gospel,” you’ve got the whole deal in one package. That’s not to say we could’ve used more of these quirky originals that were built around Phillips’ gospel sermons. This one was covered by guitarist Ry Cooder on his 1971 album “Into The Purple Valley.” It’s an ecumenical plea that seems especially appropriate today: Denomination Blues/Washington Phillips

Bluesman John Lee Hooker might be my favorite solo performer. His earliest recordings have an almost trance-like intensity to them, with one foot in Africa and the other literally pounding out the future of amplified, urban blues. So many great performances to choose from (in a previous post, we included one that may have given birth to the power chord). For my money, Hooker’s best solo stuff was recorded for the Modern label from 1948 to 1954. Occasionally, Eddie Kirkland (who passed away in February) filled in on second guitar. But Hooker did just fine by himself, thank you… Boogie Boogie/John Lee Hooker

They called Etta Baker the Queen of Southern Appalachian Piedmont-style guitarists (that’s a mouthful). And she was a big influence on contemporary artists like Bonnie Raitt and Taj Mahal, who covered this next song on his album “Ooh So Good ‘N’ Blues.” It’s a traditional ballad that Baker rearranged into a brisk finger-pickin’ workout that many guitarists have tried (including yours truly) and few have mastered. Safe to say that Baker’s version remains the gold standard. Railroad Bill/Etta Baker

Big Walter Horton

You don’t often come across a recording session that features non-stop blowing on harmonica, from beginning to end. Thankfully, this one features blues harp virtuoso Big Walter Horton – with minimal backing by Robert Nighthawk on guitar (OK, I cheated a little here). In the early ‘50s, Big Walter recorded for Sam Phillips at Sun Studios in Memphis, where he cut the classic instrumental Easy. Then he moved to Chicago, where he collaborated with Muddy Waters, Jimmy Rogers (Walking By Myself: another classic), Eddie Taylor and Johnny Shines, among others. He even showed up in “The Blues Brothers” movie, playing with John Lee Hooker on Chicago’s Maxwell Street. I have no information on when and where the sessions with Nighthawk were recorded (they were released on “An Offer You Can’t Refuse” along with live cuts by The Paul Butterfield Blues Band) … Anyone? Walter’s Boogie, This Is It/Big Walter Horton

When I think of the lonely, tortured jazz artist, I always go back to the iconic image of Sonny Rollins blowing his horn while strolling on the Williamsburg Bridge, where he reinvented his sound for the groundbreaking album “The Bridge.” But I have an even better example of unadorned jazz sax. It’s by one of Rollins’ mentors, Coleman Hawkins. The Hawk’s big, burly tone was there for virtually every major development in 20^th Century jazz – big band, be bop, post-bop, avant garde (although he didn’t have much affinity for the last category, he gamely went toe-to-toe with a very adventurous Rollins on the album “All The Things You Are”). Here’s Hawk alone with his horn on a majestic tribute to another great artist: Picasso/Coleman Hawkins

Django

Gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt is best known for his stunning duels with violinist Stephane Grappelli, backed by a swinging bass and a couple of chunking rhythm guitars. It’s also hard to ignore the fact that he played for the Nazis during the French Resistance (even those heartless bastards couldn’t fathom screwing with an otherworldly talent like Django). But let’s not head down that rabbit hole… I’d rather focus on one of his “improvisations” on solo guitar. These performances seem to place his amazing gift in a whole new light. Then again, I’d pay to hear him play scales. Improvisation/Django Reinhardt

Miles Davis practiced his black magic with hand-picked accomplices like John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter, Tony Williams… essentially, the best musicians available. So there’s really no such thing (that I’m aware of) as a truly solo performance by Miles. But once again, I’ll cheat a little bit by singling out the stark opening to Generique – one of 10 compositions by Miles on the soundtrack to the 1958 Louis Malle film “Ascenseur Pour L’Echafaud (Lift to the Scaffold).” It’s an achingly beautiful sound that transcends both the man and his instrument… Proof of a higher force: Generique/Miles Davis

Allen Toussaint

A few posts back, we featured Dr. John’s legendary solo sessions on piano. Now it’s Allen Toussaint’s turn. His name crops up quite a bit in this blog – both as a performer and producer. And when you consider all of the brilliant arrangements he’s done for artists ranging from Lee Dorsey to The Band, it’s easy to forget the guy can captivate an audience with just a piano and a few basic ideas. Here’s a solo performance from “Our New Orleans,” a compilation released in 2005 that also served as a benefit for Katrina relief efforts. It’s a minor-key version of a Crescent City classic that Dr. John also covered in his solo sessions: Tipitina and Me/Allen Toussaint

When my oldest daughter was married in 2008, everything about the experience tested my natural cynicism. I get a little twitchy in churches, but that feeling went away when I walked Meghan down the aisle. I like to critique the sermon, but was too busy admiring the sight of my family and friends in one place. Tuxedos usually give me a rash, but mine felt pretty damn good as I posed for pictures with my wife and the new couple. Of course I started to revert back to wiseass mode at the reception as the drinks flowed and chops were being busted. Then the DJ played this next song, and I started crying like a baby. It’s by a 700-pound man who played a tiny ukulele – and despite that jarring image, it somehow reminds me of everything I love about being a dad. This one goes out to Meghan, David and everyone who joined us for the Big Day in Cincinnati, and to the memory of Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, who passed away at the young age of 38. R.I.P., IZ. Over the Rainbow-What a Wonderful World/Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwo’ole

The one-man Son of Dave band… Here’s a guy I found out about through our good friend Rick Saunders at Deep Blues (and brother James). Not only is it a mind-blowing solo performance, it also answers the question posed in our previous post: Has blues music evolved since Guitar Junior taught us how to crawl? If only Doctor Ross had a digital looping delay:

Is there anything scarier than singing a capella? Probably images of the coal miners Hazel Dickens fought for as a singer and activist since the 1960s, when she left her 10 brothers and sisters in West Virginia to join the bluegrass and folk music scene in the D.C. area. Clearly, her heart and soul remained in Appalachia. Dickens passed away in April at the age of 75. R.I.P., Hazel.

In honor of Zimmy’s 70th b-day – from the Rolling Thunder Revue tour. With a guitar, harmonica and a pen, Dylan forever changed the art of performing solo.

John Primer

Let’s deal with a few basic facts about the Windy City. The Cubs are hopeless. Rahm Emanuel’s approval rating can only go down. There will never be another Muddy, Wolf or Walter (Big or Little). And it’s time to pay more attention to Chicago’s second generation of hard-working blues artists.

I have to admit, I wasn’t looking forward to another album featuring a makeshift group of all-stars, even in my favorite genre. But I’m really digging into “Chicago Blues: A Living History – The (R)evolution Continues” – a two-CD set available June 7 on the Raisin’ Music label. It follows up on a Grammy-nominated project in 2009 that featured local luminaries Billy Boy Arnold, John Primer, Billy Branch, Lurrie Bell and Carlos Johnson.

Those guys are back with the new release, and this time they’re joined by a few special guests, including Buddy Guy, James Cotton, Magic Slim and Ronnie Baker Brooks. “The (R)evolution Continues” also benefits from the unifying presence of a rock-solid backing band – Billy Flynn on guitar, Matthew Skoller on harmonica, Johnny Iguana on keyboards, Felton Crews on bass and Kenny “Beedy-Eyes” Smith on drums.

Billy Boy Arnold

Guy and Cotton are blues royalty who need no introduction. In a more perfect world, Arnold would be as well-known as those two, having played on some essential recordings by Bo Diddley and penned a few classics himself. I Wish You Would was covered by The Yardbirds, Eric Clapton and even David Bowie, but none of them could top Arnold’s original from 1955: I Wish You Would

Most of the other “Living History” artists have led their own bands in Chicago and have joined forces on a number of other projects – including the Sons of Blues, which featured Bell (son of harp wizard Carey) and Branch. More important, all of them have direct ties to the first generation of Chicago bluesmen and women. Primer played in Muddy’s band for a number of years and also was a member of Willie Dixon’s Chicago All-Stars, which included blues harpist Branch. Bell played guitar with the Queen of the Blues, Koko Taylor. And Flynn recorded with Otis Rush and John Brim, among others.

Thankfully, everyone came to play for the follow-up album – especially slide guitarist Primer, who tears into Muddy Waters’ Canary Bird like an underfed alley cat: Canary Bird

Guy revisits one of his signature songs, First Time I Met The Blues – singing and shredding like a man much younger than 74: First Time I Met The Blues

Billy Branch

And Branch gets to strut his stuff on Yonder Wall, an Elmore James tune that Junior Wells “funkified” on his groundbreaking album from 1965, “Hoodoo Man Blues”: Yonder Wall

I wouldn’t describe anything on the new album as groundbreaking, and I’m sure some will debate whether the blues has evolved as the title implies. Just for argument’s sake, let’s take the form through two generations of the Brooks family.

Those of us who can’t get enough of Louisiana swamp blues might be partial to the elder Lonnie’s early recordings as Guitar Junior – and especially this blistering workout recorded for the Goldband label in ’58: The Crawl

Lonnie "Guitar Junior" Brooks

Lonnie went on to become one of the more memorable characters in the Chicago blues scene, with his tall cowboy hat, gritty voice and slashing guitar. Meanwhile, son Ronnie Baker Brooks took a different path, even working with a hip-hop producer and rapper to give his blues a more contemporary sound. He plays it fairly straight on “(R)evolution,” though, with this hard-driving remake of a tune by his dad Lonnie. Has mankind evolved beyond “the crawl”? You be the judge: Don’t Take Advantage of Me

Me? I’ll take an old swamp record over new jack blues any day of the week. But I can appreciate “The (R)evolution Continues” for what it is – a joyful romp through virtually every style of Chicago blues. It’s also good to know that the city’s greatest cultural asset is in the capable hands of some serious players who love this music more than life itself.

Then again, maybe it’s all about the everlasting power of the jelly roll. Let’s close with Billy Boy Arnold’s take on a song by the legendary guitarist Lonnie Johnson, who lived and recorded in Chicago during much of the ‘30s and ‘40s. It sings the praises of the most popular man in town: He’s a Jelly Roll Baker

Both “Living History” albums were produced by Raisin’ Music’s Larry Skoller and recorded by Blaise Barton at Chicago’s JoyRide Studios. Look for “The (R)evolution Continues” in stores and online beginning June 7.

Primer and Branch with the Living History Band – at the 2009 San Javier Jazz Festival in San Javier, Spain:

The original Chicago blues rebels – Buddy Guy and Junior Wells, at the 1974 Montreux Jazz Festival (the “Drinkin’ TNT ‘N’ Smokin’ Dynamite” band, with Pinetop Perkins, Bill Wyman and Dallas and Terry Taylor):

Time for our long-overdue follow-up to this post, in which we reported that the soul music revival had finally made its way to the Rubber City. I wasn’t suggesting that Eighties Rock is now out of favor – it’s still the dominant soundtrack in most theme bars (Scorchers, Scoreboards, Skittles, Scooters, Scumsuckers… must I go on?). But a few enterprising DJs are starting to make people far younger than me appreciate classic Stax-Volt soul and its many mutations.

As I noted in Pt. 1, I have no real evidence of said revival – other than I recently stumbled into a local club where I was stunned to hear the DJ playing rare, out-of-print soul and funk albums by artists I’d never heard of. Mostly hard-core southern soul, but also a few tunes that were clearly conceived many miles from Memphis. Songs like this one, recorded in ’93 by a band of funky freaks from Munich, Germany (you heard it right – German funk): More Mess On My Thing/The Poets of Rhythm

My first direct exposure to soul and funk was as a student at Miami University, where I only lasted two years (I never felt comfortable at a school where the students were more conservative than my parents). Although campus was a non-stop parade of kids named Muffy, Buffy, Bif and Skippy (another name for a theme bar?), the music scene around Oxford, Ohio, in the mid-‘70s was something altogether different. One band, Medicine Wheel, included refugees from the Lemon Pipers (Green Tambourine) and Ram Jam (Black Betty). You could also find guitar legend Lonnie Mack or his keyboard player Dumpy Rice playing at a dive just down the road in McGonigle.

But the most fearsome act of all was Roger and the Human Body, a family funk band from nearby Hamilton, Ohio. The band’s charismatic leader, Roger Troutman, could play Hendrix-like runs on guitar, then tear it up on keyboards, harmonica and even the flute… sometimes in the same extended jam. But his main innovation was combining the talkbox (think Joe Walsh’s Rocky Mountain Way or Peter Frampton’s Do You Feel Like We Do) with a keyboard-driven synthesizer.

He eventually turned that contraption into gold in the early ‘80s with his hugely popular band Zapp and songs like this one, which reached number two on the Billboard Soul Singles chart in 1980: More Bounce to the Ounce/Zapp

But back in ’75, Roger was playing bars, freshman mixers and student union parties with his brothers Larry, Lester and Terry, along with several other musicians from the fertile southwest Ohio soul and funk scene that produced the Ohio Players, Robert Ward and Bootsy Collins, among others. We’d often catch the Human Body at the King of Clubs, right across the street from the dive where Lonnie and Dumpy would play. And when things were really cooking, you felt like you had to lean into the stage to keep the band’s energy from knocking you over. Freedom/Roger and the Human Body

Although Troutman took his funk machine around the world, he kept his home in southwest Ohio and recorded hits for other artists – including Sugarfoot from the Ohio Players and Shirley Murdock – at his studio in Dayton.

Roger on guitar

In 1999, Troutman was shot dead outside of his studio, the victim of a murder/suicide involving his older brother Larry – a former member of the Human Body and Zapp. The tragedy appeared to stem from Larry’s financial problems and Roger’s efforts to distance himself from them. Roger was cut down in his prime, only 47 years old and the toast of rappers and hip-hoppers ranging from Tupac Shakur and Dr. Dre to Snoop Dog and The Notorious B.I.G. He had recently jump-started his career through his contribution to a huge Tupac/Dr. Dre hit, California Love, and his deep grooves served as the foundation for West Coast hip hop. Rapper Ice Cube became a fan at the age of 11, when he saw people dancing to More Bounce at a party… “I just think that was a rush of adrenaline for me, like a chemical reaction in my brain.” Much like the reaction I had when I first saw Roger and the Human Body turn the bright pink sweaters of Miami coeds into twisted knots of sweaty funk. (For more on Roger Troutman, read this article in SF Weekly).

Rather than end on a low note, I decided to feature a few quick samples of soul and funk gems I’ve been listening to lately…

Here’s a tune that was covered by the Neville Brothers on their classic album “Live at Tipitina’s.” Surprisingly, the original is by Little Esther Phillips, who tackled a number of genres over the years but was probably best known for her ‘50s R&B sides. I found this one on a “Raw Soul” compilation put together by the UK music magazine Mojo. Makes you wonder what the geniuses at Atlantic Records were thinking when they weaned her off of this hard stuff in favor of jazzy pop. Mojo Hannah/Little Esther Phillips

God bless David Byrne for rescuing the early ‘70s recordings of Shuggie Otis from complete obscurity by releasing “Inspiration Information” on his Luaka Bop label in 2001. Simply put, this is some of the greatest soul and funk ever committed to wax. Shuggie’s beautiful, mind-blowing arrangements were way ahead of their time (I’m sure he learned a lot of the basics from his dad, Johnny – a legend of post-war R&B and early rock). And he was an amazing guitar player, mainly because of what he didn’t play. If Shuggie had less taste, he would’ve been a huge star… Sparkle City/Shuggie Otis

Here’s a cautionary tale from Betty Wright, better known as the “Clean Up Woman.” It’s from her debut album released in ’68, “My First Time Around.” The Miami native remains active in the music biz, recording backing vocals for Erykah Badu, David Byrne, Jimmy Cliff and many others. She’s also a two-time Grammy nominee, as both a producer (Joss Stone’s “Mind, Body & Soul”) and vocalist. Girls Can’t Do What The Guys Do/Betty Wright

Charles Bradley

We touched on Brooklyn-based Daptone Records and Sharon Jones in a previous post. Here’s another great cut from the label’s outstanding stable of artists – essentially, a rotating cast of musicians totally dedicated to keeping the spirit of funk alive… and maybe more important, playing it the way god and James Brown intended. This tune is by Charles Bradley, a J.B. devotee who spent much of his life either living on the streets or working as a chef. Hopefully, he’ll finally get the break he so richly deserves: The World (Is Going Up In Flames)/Charles Bradley

“The Heart of Southern Soul” is a fine collection of long-lost soul nuggets recorded in Nashville, Memphis and Muscle Shoals for Nashville-based Excello and its affiliated labels. Among other obscure artists, it features The Wallace Brothers, a duo from Atlanta who recorded this steamy little number at Rick Hall’s legendary Fame Studio in Muscle Shoals. Soul music of the highest order… Line Between Love and Hate/The Wallace Brothers

No soul selection is complete without something from the Stax-Volt catalog. But let’s bypass the usual hits by Otis Redding or Sam & Dave in favor of a lesser-known artist, Ruby Johnson. She recorded some first-rate soul for the Volt label, including the minor hit I’ll Run Your Hurt Away, but never really caught on and left the music business for good in 1974. A couple of interesting factoids about Johnson – she practiced the Jewish faith throughout much of her life, and she eventually ran a federal program called Foster Grandparents, which helped handicapped children connect with the elderly. Nothing particularly respectable about this song… certainly not Steve Cropper’s gutbucket guitar, one of his finest moments on record. I’d Rather Fight Than Switch/Ruby Johnson

They called him the Tan Canary… one of the most extraordinary voices to come out of New Orleans. But Johnny Adams was little known outside of the Crescent City, probably because he was so damn eclectic. He sang R&B, jazz, blues, country – and, for the purposes of this post, hard southern soul. I almost included a sample of this song in our “Great Moments in Modern Music” post. It’s the little vocal melisma he does with the word “leave” (“do you want me to leeeeave…”) and then shouts “baby”! Knocks me out every time. A Losing Battle/Johnny Adams

Deep soul on video… Here’s another tune from “The Heart of Southern Soul” compilation. It features The Kelly Brothers, who started out as a gospel quintet from Chicago and went on to record gospel-infused soul for the Sims and Excello labels. Robert Plant must’ve had this one in his archives – he covers it on his “Band of Joy” album…

Here’s Charles Bradley backed by the Menahan Street Band, performing at Mellow Johnny’s Bike Shop in Austin as part of this year’s SXSW. The Menahan Street Band includes bassist Nick Movshon, who tours with The Black Keys. Wish my local bike shop would book these guys…

Just in case you were wondering how that whole talkbox thing worked out for Roger…