Baldry Reviews




	FFWD Weekly LONG JOHN BALDRY Remembering Leadbelly Stony Plain http://www.ffwdweekly.com/Issues/2002/0117/cd3.htm REVIEW BY: David Bright Two giants clash, everybody wins Much as Anthony Hopkins managed to play the part of Richard Nixon without looking or particularly sounding like ol' Tricky Dicky himself, so Long John Baldry succeeds here in capturing the essence of blues pioneer Huddie Ledbetter without descending into mere impersonation. The result is a CD that matches and even, on occasion, surpasses the original artist. Mind you, at times Baldry does sound eerily close to Leadbelly's baritone growl, especially on "Go Down Old Hannah" and "Here Rattler." But he's never restrained by an inflexible reverence for the original, instead often modifying both the melody and lyrics of old standards that form the core of Leadbelly's considerable legacy. Thus "Midnight Special," "Rock Island Line" and "John Hardy," among others, get a good going over and are all the better for it. What emerges in the end is a curiously timeless album that sounds like it could have been recorded at any point over the past 50 years. This is only one of its many strengths. In a perfect world, Leadbelly would have died rich and famous, Long John Baldry would be a household name across Canada, and every serious music fan would have a copy of this CD. =========================================================== Remembering Leadbelly Long John Baldry \| Stony Plain Records All About Jazz http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=11294 REVIEW BY Charlie B. Dahan One of the nicest trends in blues is the exploration of modern artists into songbooks of legendary performers who came before them. One such homage that stands out is the exploration of Leadbelly's repertoire by Long John Baldry. Baldry comes from the '60s British invasion of artists with a greater appreciation and influence of blues and roots music than many of America's recording artists of the day. On Remembering Leadbelly he hits the ground running with the attack and spirit that so symbolized Leadbelly. Baldry successfully bridges the gap between emulating a great artist and bringing his own voice to the recording. You will never feel like Baldry is either simply trying to imitate or replicate Leadbelly and at the same time, there will be no feeling of an artist who doesn't care about the source of his remembrance. This is most evident on Baldry's takes on "Rock Island Line" and "Birminghamton Jail." While understandable, it's a bit disappointing that he didn't choose to record "Goodnight Irene", Leadbelly's signature tune. Sometimes artists feel that signature tunes are best left alone; however, I feel that Baldry would have knocked it out of the park and recorded a version that would make Leadbelly smile. Also, curiously included on this recording is an interview with Alan Lomax, who is credited with finding Leadbelly and you have more of a complete picture of the artist being paid homage to then your traditional tribute-type record. Remembering Leadbelly will appease fans of great traditional blues, as well as serve as a top-of-the-line modern day exploration of a legend and his music. ====================================================== Kevin McCarthy's Celtic & Folk Music CD Review http://www.surfnetusa.com/celtic-folk/fr-LongJohnBaldry.htm REVIEW BY: Dai Woosnam This is the second review in as many months where "chance circumstance" raised its bitter-sweet head. This time, just as I was about to listen to the CD, news came through of the death of the great American folklorist, Alan Lomax. And Lomax of course, was the man who, with his father, discovered Huddie Ledbetter (soon to be much better known as "Leadbelly") in Louisiana State Penitentiary, when they were touring the Southern States seeking to record folk performers for The Library of Congress. And the rest, as they say, is history. Richard Flohil, in his immensely readable liner notes, shows how Leadbelly's influence was such that his music would even jump continents, and be the cause of a new musical craze in Britain: the "Skiffle" of the 1950s. Leadbelly did not just change the world of MUSIC: he also changed people's LIVES. And one such was a young English kid called John Baldry, born at the start of the most perilous decade in British history. When the British Commonwealth stood alone against the Nazis. But when the austerity of the forties turned into the Bright New Dawn of the years 1953/54 the "British" conquest of Everest, the coronation of a new young Queen of England, and a Briton being the first man to run a 4 minute mile Britain became more confident and less insular. They looked to America for music: especially its jazz. (All those off-duty black "GI Joes" walking the highways and byways of Britain, often segregated from their white colleagues, had won the support of the ordinary British person. The British sense of "fair play" was affronted by the thought that many black American soldiers were stopped by their commanding officer from dancing with the British girls in the local church halls.) The 14-year-old Baldry heard two Leadbelly songs sung by the young Lonnie Donegan, noted the name of the writer, and then sought out his work. Soon he began to master the Leadbelly canon. And before many years, Baldry (now "Long John" Baldry) had achieved real fame in Britain. The early to mid Sixties were here, and I remember him vividly, seeing as I was only 6 years his junior. Very tall (hence the nickname) and singing what struck me then as being raw and uncompromising stuff. Girls screaming in the audience. Dressed a bit like a dandy. And then before I knew it, Flower Power was with us, and I had become a Fundamentalist Folkie: to the extent that I shut myself off from other genres. And Baldry disappeared from my consciousness. Until now. Where had he been all this time? Well, he had been in Canada, for nearly 30 years! He had built a respectable musical career there. It seems like just yesterday, he was sending the teenage girls wild here in the UK, on my little black and white TV. Now, checking with my friends who are BLUES aficionados, it turns out that THEY knew all along where he was, because he made almost annual trips to Europe to play the BLUES circuit. Isn't it sad how we compartmentalise music? We do not look into the next person's cultural garden. LJB might have been performing in the next town to me, yet I was too blinkered to notice. And this album proves that was MY loss. He delivers all the Leadbelly favourite songs of mine, playing authoritative 12-string guitar. (Not quite "all" alas: "Goodnight Irene" seems to have not made the final selection. I was particularly looking forward to hearing if Baldry sang "GET you in my dreams" a la Huddie, rather than the more antiseptic "SEE you", as favoured by most performers.) And do you know something? Baldry helped me REDISCOVER that old black rascal. Helped me listen to the songs afresh. In this, I was helped by the fact that Baldry NEVER tries to impersonate Leadbelly: indeed if his vocal style is redolent of anyone's, well, it could be said he comes across as a British-sounding Satchmo (well a "sotto voce" one, anyway). Throughout, his excellent backing musicians provide sterling service. No dud cuts. Track 11 ("We're In The Same Boat Brother") is my pick. Here, his phrasing and breath control prove top-drawer. But best of all are the two "bonus tracks" that occur after a two minute hiatus. Now, normally, these bonus tracks are invariably an excuse for some self-indulgent mumbo jumbo. Not here. We have two that are both around 6 minutes long, and two that are also both GEMS. The second one has LJB recalling the past, and doing so in a beautifully modulated "Oxbridge" English. No hint of the Maple Leaf about it. The kind of English that would get him straight into the Royal Shakespeare Company WITHOUT an audition. But it was the first "bonus" that really got to me. An interview from 1993 with Alan Lomax. He must have been in his late 70s then, but sounded a young 39. Especially when he hollered in an approximation of the early Leadbelly singing style. And it occurred to me that the day that I rediscovered Leadbelly (not to mention Long John Baldry too!), I was listening to the man who had discovered Huddie in the first place! And by some strange symmetry, as one ARRIVED, another DEPARTED. And now it is ME who departs this review. If you have never heard Leadbelly, and want to buy a "starter" album, I'll tell you something that might enrage true Leadbelly fans. Buy THIS one. Long John Baldry somehow picks the locks of the songs more quickly than The Master, and you are INSIDE each song BEFORE YOU KNOW IT. Somehow he makes them more accessible, without compromising their integrity. Good to know BALDRY'S alive; good to know the SONGS are alive: and heck, good to be made to feel that THIS REVIEWER TOO, is also very much alive. ======================================================== All Music Guide REVIEW BY: Chris Nickson Long John Baldry came of age as a singer during the British blues boom, and it's obvious that his love of the music hasn't left him. As he explains in the interview track at the end, Leadbelly was his first musical inspiration, and here he has his chance to pay homage to the man. In his sixties at the time of this recording, Baldry's voice has improved with age, deepening a little and sounding more gravelly -- just perfect for the grittiness of Leadbelly's songs, which ran the gamut from blues to folk, gospel, and beyond. It's an intelligent selection, ignoring the obvious "Goodnight Irene" and "In the Pines," while keeping defining moments like "Rock Island Line" (the tune that launched skiffle in England), "Birmingham Jail," and "We're in the Same Boat Brother" -- it's remarkable just how familiar so much of the material is. The version of "Gallows Pole" (much better known for its subsequent incarnation as a Led Zeppelin piece) roars with power and urgency, "Lining Track" and "John Hardy" (whose unusual arrangement centers around pump organ) are definitive railroad songs, while the hymns "Mary Don't You Weep" and "We Shall Walk Through the Valley," though springing from an older well, were very much a part of the Huddie Leadbetter repertoire. There's even a children's song, "On a Christmas Day," showing yet another facet of the big man. Add in an interview with Alan Lomax, the folklorist who discovered Leadbelly and helped his career, and you have something that stands as more than a tribute, but a full portrait of a seminal American artist. =================================================== Vintage Guitar Magazine http://www.vintageguitar.com/music/details.asp?ID=287 REVIEW BY: Dave Hussong The Brits, in at least as far as the blues is concerned, have always been our archivists. With a few exceptions in the '60s, including John Hammond, Butterfield and Bloomfield, Taj Mahal, and a select few equally articulate (but lesser-known), it wasn't until the '80s and the re-emergence of the West Coast and Texas and Gulf Coast schools that we really rejoined the blues roots party. It took perhaps a number of British invasions to hand back to the USA what we at least take for granted. It comes as no surprise that Chris Barber disciple Long John Baldry, would choose Leadbelly as a vehicle to whom he would repay a musical debt. That Baldry would choose an artist so well documented will certainly invite comparisons, and perhaps give rise to the question, what would be the need for this transplanted Canadians interpretations? This effort is obviously a labor of love from someone who's musical career has been significantly influenced by Huddie. Attention to detail is a big reason for this CDs attraction. Baldry does a laudable job on this Stony Plain effort, attaining the field recording ambience in a context that was certainly intended. One doesn't need to read the liner notes to realize Bill Broonzy and Huddie Leadbetter were certainly strong influences on the early British interpreters. Young enthusiasts that included Alexis Corner, Lonnie Donegan, John Mayall, and even Page and Plant have recognized the inspirational credentials that those two American artists wielded. This release represents one man's tribute to an artist he loves and respects, and the affection comes shining through. ======================================================= Blues on Stage REVIEW BY: by Mark E. Gallo http://www.mnblues.com/cdreview/2002/longjohnbaldry-leadbelly-mg.html Leadbelly was one of the foundational stones upon which the blues was born. As this exquisite tribute reminds us, however, Hudie Ledbetter was more than just a bluesman. He sang and composed material that was relatively far afield, as well, mostly notable the folk standard "Good Night Irene," conspicuously absent here. Long John Baldry ("don't try to lay no boogie woogie on the King of Rock and Roll") has a voice and demeanor well suited to the material. Sometimes as gruff as Tom Waits, he's an expressive and passionate singer who knows the subject well. From the opening "Lining Track," which inevitably reminds of Taj Mahal's version 30 years ago, he sets the tone. His version of "Gallow's Pole," on which he is joined by fiddler Jesse Zubot and vocalist Kathi McDonald, is as fiery as I've ever heard and the version of "Midnight Special" is a wonderful acoustic version that stands next to any other. "Rock Island Line" is done in a pretty straight ahead manner, rather than the skiffle style popularized by Lonnie Donegan. "Good Morning Blues," opens with a scratchy recording of Leadbelly's version before segueing into Baldry's superb take with harmonica player Butch Coulter. "Birmingham Jail" has a country waltz feel, "We're in the Same Boat Brother" is done in a hootenanny style and "John Hardy" benefits from John Lee Sanders' harmonium. He also does wonderful versions of "Diggin' My Potatoes" and "Mary Don't You Weep." All in all, one of the musical gems of 2002. ========================================================== Blues Revue/LivinBlues REVIEW BY: Eric Thom Huddie Ledbetter and Long John Baldry don't have a lot in common. One is tall, white, and willowy, while the other was short, black, and stout. One was an ex-con, accused of attempted murder, while the other has ... well, murdered the odd cover tune. One is dead and one's still doing nicely, thank you. Leadbelly was the first black musician adopted by a white audience, while Baldry first emerged from Folk, Pop, and R&B circles. Baldry has long been in awe of the work songs that helped the slaves endure hard labor: Who can forget his powerful treatment of Ledbetter's 'Black Girl' from 1971's It Ain't Easy, sung in duet with the like-voiced Maggie Bell? Sixteen tracks range from the simplistic prison song 'Lining Track' accompanied only by percussion, to the full-blown hymnal 'Oh Mary Don't You Weep,' with assistance from National Steel guitar, finger cymbals, and Sybel Thrasher's lush background vocals. Baldry's 12-string highlights the familiar 'Gallows Pole,' anchored by the aggressive fiddling of Jesse Zubot and given an almost Celtic feel by the slick ensemble. 'Take This Hammer,' one of the album's best tracks and some of the best Baldry in years. 'Good Morning Blues' begins with a primitive tape Baldry made in '58 featuring a scratchy lead vocal and guitar; when it gives way to a modern recording, it nicely sums up this entire exercise. =============================================== "Though many artists have covered Leadbelly's songbook, it's British Blues legend Long John Baldry's tribute, 'Remembering Leadbelly' that captures this great songwriters music." (LivinBlues Article on Leadbelly) http://www.livinblues.com/bluesrooms/leadbelly.asp =============================================== Remembering Leadbelly - 2001/02 Released: Canada 2001 on Stony Plain and released internationally in 2002. This brilliant album is the definitive Baldry. All sixteen songs are wonderful particularly Rock Island Line, John Hardy, and Gallows Pole. The first thirty seconds of Good Morning Blues comes from a 1958 homemade recording of a very young Long John Baldry (17 years old) singing and playing at a house somewhere in Cornwall, UK.