Johnny Cash is an American legend. He stands head and shoulders above all other country musicians as a man beyond boundaries, outside the realm of category. He never released the kind of C&W recordings many of his contemporaries did. No string soaked ballads, no whining steel guitars, Johnny wouldn't have it. Just his band and that boom-chicka rhythm. That was enough for J.R.Cash! Sure, the record labels tried to adjust the sound. They tried to update him, and integrate him, capitulate him, and manipulate him, but Johnny was too strong for that; he has always been his own man. The man in black. An American legend.
In the past year there have been at least three tribute CDs created to celebrate the music of the man in black. Kindred Spirits (Columbia, 2002) found some mainstream artists doing Cash songs. It featured Dwight Yoakam, Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan, among others. Dressed In Black (Dualtone, 2002) was a similar album, from a little further down the food chain. Rodney Crowell, Rev.Horton Heat and Raul Malo, led the indie pack to honour the man. Johnny's Blues is a collection of the best blues artists around, put together by Canada's Northern Blues Music label, who are releasing some of the most vital new blues music available today.
Executive producer Colin Linden has established his credibility as guitarist/producer for Bruce Cockburn, a member of Blackie & the Rodeo Kings, taking part in the Down From The Mountain sessions, and a long solo career. I'm not completely sure what the job of executive producer entails, but talent coordinator, and sonic manipulator probably come into play! The tracks, substantially different in personnel and approach flow beautifully into one another and form a whole. This is likely a sign of successful executive production!
The album begins with Paul Reddick (harmonica virtuoso from The Sidemen) doing "Train of Love." The first notes we hear are a warmup, and then Colin Linden's electric Dobro finds a groove, joined by Reddick's harmonica, over a solid rhythm section (Bryan Owings on drums, Dave Roe on upright bass and the amazing Richard Bell on piano). Whenever anyone does a Cash song the first thing you notice is the difference in voice. Nobody sings like Johnny Cash. Nobody here tries. That's what makes a tribute album work. Listeners already know the originals, the people paying tribute need to take ownership of the songs. And the performers on Johnny's Blues do just that. Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown and Benjy Davis take on "Get Rhythm." They avoid the boom-chika beat and play it as a swinging blues. Nice mellow guitar solo from "Gatemouth."
Maria Muldaur (accompanied on acoustic guitar by Del Rey) makes "Walking the Blues" into a tribute to Sister Rosetta Tharpe as well as Johnny Cash. Very authentic. Chris Thomas King, from O Brother Where Art Thou, tunes his 12-string guitar down to Bb Standard (Leadbelly tuning) and turns in a choogling "Rock Island Line." A Cash tribute wouldn't be much without a rendition of "I Walk The Line," and Garland Jeffreys makes an arresting comeback. He replaces Cash's harmonica part with an accordion (played by Tony Cedras) and over twin acoustic guitars lightens the tone of Cash's deep voice, an almost zydeco interpretation.
"Folsom Prison Blues" is a heavy blues, lots of echo and distortion, as done by Linden and his pals Blackie & the Rodeo Kings. Powerful vocals by Wilson, Fearing and Linden, and a stinging slide solo from Colin! (It bodes well for their soon to be released third album BARK.) Again, Richard Bell shines! Harry Manx confesses that he has not listened to Johnny Cash very much. Manx has been interested in Indian music, and the blues, but he takes an interesting turn on "The Long Black Veil" that blends all his influences. Alvin Youngblood Hart does a solo "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down," Sleepy LaBeef rockabillies "Frankie's Man Johnny," and Corey Harris reggaes up "Redemption" adding African percussion and vocals.
Kevin Breit plays "Send a Picture of Mother" as an instrumental with lots of overdubbed mandolins, mandola, mandocello, and guitars. It is rich and exotic. Then Colin Linden makes an appearance under his own name with "Big River," fronting the same band as on the Paul Reddick track. He describes this song as "the greatest song ever written about the Mississippi River. The original recording has everything I love--wanderlust, lack of concern for authority, the spirit of discovery, cool places, tears, New Orleans and that woman." If it had a dog and a train it'd be the perfect country song, I guess! Linden turns it into an almost perfect blues. He is great at capturing that garage sound that suits blues so well. You nearly break out in a sweat just listening to this track. But it's not over yet!
The album concludes with a tip of the hat to Johnny's other influence...gospel music. Mavis Staples sings a smoldering "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" over a steady, subtle track. Slide guitar, Wurlitzer, a bass harmonica sets the beat. Ms Staples sings it brilliantly. Never overdoing it, she grabs you and doesn't let go. The track ends too soon...you want to play it again. In fact there's a lot of stuff here I'll be playing again.
