Levenson

If the great players who stamped out Chicago's West Side as their cutting fields in the 1960's - Magic Sam, Freddie King, Otis Rush, Buddy Guy, Albert King - had pushed their command blues melodies into new harmonic territory, one result may have been Barry Levenson's The Late Show. Interestingly, ten of the fifteen tracks here are instrumentals, although as befitting a 21st century roots stylist, Levenson has a broader, all-encompassing approach than your average blues album. In this way, The Late Show is a concept album that mines all facets of the blues and blues-based guitar. From the Meters-like groove of Meters Runnin' to the Bill Frisell-shaped twang of Steel Life to the Bobby Womack and Curtis Mayfield church-derived Whole Lotta Blues and the Les Paul sweep of Charlie's Ride, Levenson lays down line after line of single notes whose harmonic backdrop is Grant Green and Kenny Burrell's boplicity.

This is Barry Levenson's (Canned Heat) second Rip Cat Records release, featuring newly written and recorded songs. With special guest Billy Price. The Visit is Barry Levenson's tribute to the artists who set him on his musical path. Across a selection of the four cover songs (the first he has recorded), the guitarist puts his mark on material he learned from recordings by Albert King, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Lightnin' Slim, and Otis Rush. Original compositions make up the balance of the album. Levenson's instrumentals build on a foundation of T-Bone Walker, Magic Sam, Grant Green, Ike Turner, Mickey Baker, Freddy King, Kenny Burrell, and others, with results frequently unique - no one else could have imagined "Last Train to Nowhere" or "The Visit" - and always astounding. His lyrics demonstrate a rare thoughtfulness, with an imaginative, literary bent that can turn funny, or dark, or both.

On this wide-ranging set, guitarist Barry Levinson's debut, he is featured on all types of blues from lowdown to swinging. It is obvious, listening to these selections, that although Levenson is very much a bluesman, his roots are in jazz. He dedicates "Crawford's Grill" to guitarist Grant Green, uses the saxophonists liberally, and stretches out in his solos, sometimes hinting at Charlie Christian. The resulting music, which features Levenson with a strong rhythm section, should be of strong interest to collectors of both blues and blues-oriented jazz.