Blues

The Soul Of John Black - The Good Girl Blues (2007)

2013-07-13T14:34:49Z

The Soul Of John Black - The Good Girl Blues (2007)


1. The Hole (05:44)
2. The Moon Blues (04:28)
3. I Got Work (02:47)
4. Good Girl (04:38)
5. Fire Blues (05:45)
6. Moanin' (02:50)
7. Slipin' And Slidin' (04:55)
8. Swamp Thang (02:47)
9. One Hit (04:12.12]
10. Feelin's (04:30)
11. Deez Blues (02:04)
12. The Hole(Short Version) (03:57)

Musicians:
Laura Jane Jones, Kandace Linsey, Jonell Kennedy (vocals); 
Adam Mcdougal (keyboards); 
Shawn Davis (bass guitar); 
C.T. Thomas (bass guitar);
J.B. (drums); 
Davey Chegwidden (percussion); 
DJ Phiz Ed (turntables).

John "JB" Bigham has had a long and varied career, a far ranging background reflected on his debut The Soul of John Black solo album. That set was a masterpiece of eclectic styles; in contrast, his follow-up, The Good Girl Blues, hones in on only one -- the blues, in all its shades of glory. In fact, the set is virtually a dissertation on traditional blues, as Bigham explores its many variations while deftly connecting it with more modern sounds. He does this brilliantly on "Swamp Thang," at its core a porch pickin' blues piece that surreptitiously threads its way straight into hip-hop, a style accented by the beats and Bigham's slipping towards rapping his lyrics. Likewise, "Slippin' and Slidin'" is pure swamp blues, except for the eerie effects and a touch of hip-hop scratching that slithers through. "The Moon Blues" is traditional blues to its very core, with a sensuous, smoky jazz club aura, but with Bigham's lead guitar licks hinting at the rock & roll that eventually expropriated it. "Fire Blues" gives a further nod to that progression, blues filtered through white hands for a decade and landing foursquare in the mainstream, although Bigham's vocals remind us that simultaneously, Black soul artists were pulling the sound back home. The fabulously funky "Feelin's" tips a hat to one of the first Black acts to cross the divide between blues and rock, Sly & the Family Stone. Widening his net, Bigham crosses the border, digging "The Hole" with Leadbelly's sweat and a shovelful of Latin rhythms. "Moanin'" digs even deeper to find a link between the blues and flamenco, capturing the emotion of both amid a blur of guitar strumming. It's all the blues, and Bigham plays them with a passion and delivers them at times with a decided humor, as on "One Hit," where gospel gets its due with a wickedly witty look at a crack whore. Then there's "Deez Blues," which arrives like an unannounced and unwanted houseguest who just won't leave, with the ever more desolate Bigham moaning out a litany of hilariously country-fried complaints, in a desperate attempt to chase the blues out of his home. The perfect blues primer, Good Girl Blues makes learning both effortless and effortlessly entertaining. Bigham's guitar work is stunning throughout, his drumming not so much, but more than good enough, with guesting musicians flawlessly filling in the gaps. Together they create the blues as they once were and still are, an integral part of the landscape that's colored virtually every genre since, all seen through the prism of one of it's most devoted fans and talented practitioners. --- Jo-Ann Greene, Rovi

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The Soul Of John Black - The Soul Of John Black (2003)

2013-07-07T14:12:35Z

The Soul Of John Black - The Soul Of John Black (2003)


1. Scandalous (No. 9)
2. Lost & Paranoid
3. Joy
4. Carolyn
5. Honey
6. The Bridge
7. Interlude
8. The Odyssey
9. Time (Losing My Mind)
10. Two Strikes
11. Glorious
12. Supa Killa
13. No Mo'

Personnel:
John Bigham (vocals, whistling, guitar, kazoo); 
Cree Summer, Jonell Kennedy, Laura J. Jones, Audra , Fanny Franklin (vocals); 
Alma Cielo (violin); 
Chelsea Rasmussen (cello); 
Tracy Wannomae (flute, saxophone); 
Keith Ciancia (keyboards); 
Oliver Charles (drums); 
Davey Chegwidden (percussion); 
DJ Kiilu Grand (loops, turntables); 
Truly Odd (turntables).
Chris "CT" Thomas (bass).

The debut effort by this collaborative duo -- John Bigham (late of Miles Davis, Everlast, and Fishbone), and Christopher Thomas (Betty Carter and Joshua Redman) -- is a seductive mash of old-school funk, minimal rhythms, Donny Hathaway-tough soul, roots-style hip-hop -- and a mess of rock and folk influences, too. Got your attention yet? No? Okay, the difference between this pair and the rest of the yobs on the block trying to raid the vaults of the past for ideas is simply that these cats can write their asses off -- not hooks, not beats, but songs, where melody, harmony, and rhythm add up to something that gets added to real, live lyrics and becomes something you can hum and groove to. The album's first two tracks are worth their weight in gold: there's the slippery loose acoustic guitar and bass groove of "Scandalous (No. 9)," where traces of Fresh-era Sly Stone meet Hathaway in the cut, and lay back to allow the tune to emerge from right outta the groove. On "Lost & Paranoid," greasy, vintage keyboards set the stage for a monster guitar chunka-chunka, before the soul choir kicks the chorus and leaves a door wide open and hanging for the lead vocal to just ease on down into the dark heart of the funk. The Soul of John Black is singing about love, brokenness, poverty, good times, more love, women -- and not in any blustery, gangsta, ignoramus way either -- heaven, and truth. Check out "Joy," a soul ballad that Terry Callier would have given a finger to record. Stevie Wonder's atmospheric spirit of bliss and peace wafts down on "The Bridge," and smiles with its profound lyrics about the wisdom of no escape. The slip-hop and shimmy of "Two Strikes," has a pairing of guitar and drum loops that underscores a chorus of male and female voices in one of the most infectious refrains to come out of the Urban League in a decade. "Gloria," with its faux-calypso psychedelia is off the hook like the Brothers Johnson, and the set ends with the dirty Delta blues and drum funk of "No Mo." Slide guitars, strummed to excess, ripple over punched up backbeats before P-Funk-styled choruses chant the truth at the listener. This is one hell of a record: it's smart, its fun, and it's the only record you'd need at a party. ---Thom Jurek, Rovi

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The Soul Of John Black - Black John (2009)

2011-01-24T19:44:45Z

The Soul Of John Black - Black John (2009)


[4:08] 1. Black John
[4:07] 2. Betty Jean
[4:19] 3. Ever Changin' Emotions
[3:46] 4. Last Forever                 play
[4:34] 5. Bottom Chick
[5:33] 6. I Knew A Lady
[3:51] 7. White Dress
[4:38] 8. Never Givin' Up
[4:43] 9. Better Babe
[3:58] 10. Push Into The Night
[5:00] 11. Holiday Inn
[2:28] 12. Thinking About Sou          play

Personel:
John Bigham (10-string bass); 
Bill Bottrell (guitar); 
Adam Mcdougal (keyboards); 
Chris E. Thomas (synthesizer, background vocals); 
Shawn Davis (bass guitar); 
Jake Najor, Scott Seiver, Oliver Charles (drums); 
Satnam Ramgotra (cymbals); 
Davey Warf Rat Chegwidden, Dave Chegwidden (percussion); 
Kandace Linsey, Laura J. Jones (background vocals).

The Soul of John Black is an American alternative soul, blues, rock duo formed by John Bigham and Christopher Thomas.

The Soul Of John Black is the nom de musique of John Bigham, whose impressive resume includes a stint as percussionist with the Miles Davis band, eight years of guitar and keyboard work with the pioneering rock-funk-ska band Fishbone, and touring and session work with Dr. Dré, Eminem, Nikka Costa, Bruce Hornsby and Everlast, just to name a few. The Soul of John Black is a celebration of the African American musical heritage. On Black John, JB masterfully combines soul, gospel, funk and hip-hop, while tracing its roots all the way back to its humble origins - the blues. JB infuses his uniquely crafted music with contemporary urban rhythms and hauntingly earthy acoustic slide guitar which at once pays tribute to a bygone era of such legendary figures as Leadbelly, John Lee Hooker and Muddy Waters, while boldly crossing over into new innovative territories and sonic frontiers.

Bigham pursues a rather loose definition of the blues with Black John, blending healthy chunks of soul, funk, and rock in the mixer alongside his Delta grit. The album-opening title track, for instance, is a folk-blues tale of old-school, Southern-style vengeance delivered with gospel fervor, a funky guitar line that would do Johnny Watson proud, and a backbeat like nobody's business. Bigham's six-string solos are an exhilarating cross between Jimi Hendrix and Ernie Isley, with a little juice of his own making thrown in for good measure. The rest of Black John plays in a similarly sweet vein, a throwback to the early-1970s when electrified Chicago blues collided with the loose-limbed funk sound of the era, with classic R&B hanging right around the corner. This is the kind of album that Chess Records wanted to make with Electric Mud, but although ol' Muddy had the mileage under his belt, he didn't have the funk in his heart like Bigham, and Waters didn't have the benefit of absorbing classic influences like Sly Stone, Larry Graham, Bootsy Collins, and even Prince, as is evidenced by the hardcore groove of Black John.

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