Blues harpist Rob Stone plays often around Chicago, tours from time to time, and records infrequently. Back Around Here is his first album since 2003’s Just My Luck, and only the third of his career; his long-time bandmates, Chris James and Patrick Rynn, have forged a new career as a duo act in the meantime. But all three of these original C-Notes are in tow for Stone’s new record.
You would probably expect an album steeped in the lore of Chicago blues, and you wouldn’t be wrong about that. Stone likes to move around in various styles, and he’s recruited several different musicians who bring their own approach to individual songs. Most prominently, he has three different drummers of distinction – Willie Hayes, Sam Lay, and Willie “Big Eyes” Smith. It seems appropriate to discuss the cuts on this record divided by timekeeper.
Rob Stone's Back Around Here
Willie Hayes, perhaps best known for his time in Big Twist and the Mellow Fellows, but also notable for stints with Luther Allison, Son Seals, and Carey Bell, is the youngest drummer here, having only just recently reached the age of 60. He appears on four tracks, three of which are the only cuts with a horn section of Rodney Brown on tenor sax and John Bowes on baritone.
Hayes is magnificent at sliding into the pocket of a tight groove, and his cuts are all sinuously danceable. “You’re No Good to Me” (like all the originals here, co-written by Stone, James, and Rynn) is a classic Chicago shuffle, with everything perfectly in place. Stone’s harp solo here soars almost like a trumpet. He sings “I’ve been told that you’re no good for me / I had to find out for myself, now everything is plain to see,” but the band’s good-time energy washes over his problem. “Back Around Here” is a jump blues fueled by those saxophones, and featuring a stunning extended guitar solo from James which burns over three choruses. Stone’s vocal, by contrast, is clear and direct, but not especially worried. He’s just stating his case and letting the rhythm carry him along.
Chicago All Night Long
You can’t blame Stone for writing a song guaranteed to please the patrons of every Chicago bar in which he plays it. “Chicago All Night Long” celebrates the after-hours life of his city. Hayes plies the cross-rhythms nicely, and this might just fill the dance floor even with different lyrics. Stone transforms an old doo-wop song, “It’s Hard But It’s Fair,” originally by the 5 Royales, into an R&B groove in which Hayes remembers the way people loved to twist back when he was an adolescent.
Willie “Big Eyes” Smith just turned 75, and has an extensive blues pedigree, including two stints in the Muddy Waters band, and appearances on countless albums. He likes to play with the beat a little, pushing and pulling the downbeat ever so slightly to add richness and nuance to the music. “I Love You For Myself” was originally recorded by the first Sonny Boy Williamson, and it’s the slowest blues on the record, though still upbeat enough to get people moving. Pianist David Maxwell sparkles particularly on this cut, as he fights against Smith’s beats and wrings even more emotion from the song. Stone’s harp solo here cries and bends notes especially beautifully, too.
Blues Legend Sam Lay
“I Need to Plant a Money Tree” shows what Smith can do with a shuffle, while Stone sings of his troubles holding on to the cash he earns. It’s not the most original song on the record, but it has a nice groove. “Lot to Love About You” rings a bit of a Little Walter vibe, and Stone has some fun alluding to the mysteries of allure, with references to the likes of Delilah and Helen of Troy.
Sam Lay, who turns 66 next month, was a member of the Butterfield Blues Band, and actually backed up Bob Dylan when he went electric at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965. He loves to play intricate rhythms which act almost as counterpoints to the groove, and the tracks he plays on here are all delights. “Give Me Time,” originally by the great Magic Sam, is a driving number with a clipped rhythm, exotic guitar riffs, and bubbly piano tinkles. Stone isn’t Sam, but he does a nice job singing this R&B style.
The instrumental “Dragon Killers” actually sounds very much like the Butterfield Blues Band of Lay’s era. Stone runs up and down and all around the melodic hills of the tune, and building up to an intensive blast of fury near the end. The song “Can’t Turn Back the Clock” is a fun boogie-woogie on which Maxwell, unsurprisingly, is featured; the album ends with “No Strings Attached,” a good-time groove for a song about having a good time.
Steve's Bottom Line
Rob Stone seems to enjoy his career just as it is – he gets to play the music he loves and make a living, and he gets flown to Japan now and again for a different experience. He plays with extremely talented compatriots, and holds his own as a singer and harp player. Back Around Here is just so solid and well done that we can’t be blamed for wanting him to record more often, but we’ll settle for what we have as long as he’s controlling his own musical destiny. (Earwig Music, released May 18, 2010)
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