Musicians often become restless and continually search for new directions. Restlessness is a chronic state for Sugar Blue, who in this case, finds both new sounds and new places to record. The harmonica virtuoso wrote and recorded on four continents, U.S. (Chicago), China, Europe (Italy), and Africa (South Africa) for Colors. As we’ve come to learn Sugar Blue, expect his albums to be eclectic but he takes it to another level here. Sure, you’ll hear some blues, but you’ll be surprised by many other sounds along the way.
Mick Jagger says this about Sugar Blue: “He’s a very strange and talented musician.” Sugar Blue, who is famous for his riffs with the Stones, had this to say about them when I did a radio interview with him several years ago, “They’re a bunch of blues guys with British accents.” Given that Sugar Blue resides in Chicago and plays lots of blues clubs and festivals, he’s labeled as a blues guy too. However, that’s way too easy. His signature harmonica style has as much to do with jazz, given his mentors like Dexter Gordon and Lester Young, as it does with blues. He blows as many notes on the harmonica as these great saxophonists do. His playing is far more lyrical than other harp players and he doesn’t even sing like most bluesmen. He’s at the intersection of blues, jazz, pop and we can now add ‘world’ to his repertoire. Add that all up and maybe it explains the ‘strange’ reference. It’s impossible to compare anyone to him.
This follows the equally adventurous Voyage from 2016. Sugar Blue, aka James Whiting, wrote or co-wrote 10 of the 11 tunes here, also covering The Beatles’ “Day Tripper.” Given the breadth of the project, there are several musicians in the credits including renowned session bassist Johnny B. Gayden (Albert Collins) his stalwart guitarist Rico McFarland (James Cotton, Lucky Peterson, Albert King, Tyrone Davis). The latter plays on all tracks as does drummer Brady William with drummer/percussionist Yan Bodhoo joining on four. The other core band member with McFarland and Williams in keyboardist Damiano Della Torre. Most interestingly he features a choir named Afrika Riz on “We’ll Be All Right,” recorded in Johannesburg and Ling Bo playing the sheng, an ancient Chinese reed instrument from which the harmonica descends, on “Shanghai Sunset,” recorded in the city of the same name. There are several other contributors we’ll mention below.
You might expect that the material doesn’t just center on the usual blues subjects of struggles, love and lost love. In keeping with the eclecticism, he’s all over the place. The opening Bo Diddley beat of “And the Devil Too” was co-written with Nick Tremulis (Rick Danko/The Band), who along with Rick Barnes plays guitar on the tribute to Diddley. “Bass Reeves” is the tale of the Lone Ranger from the famed TV show…a liberated slave turned U.S. Marshall. “Day Tripper” is done Chicago blues style with an arrangement inspired by the late Junior Wells, and two background vocalists on harmonies.
The brief “Good Old Days” features fingerpicking guitarist Max De Bernardi and NOLA washboard from Washboard Chaz. De Bernardi returns on guitar and dobro for “Downhill.” While bassist Gayden plays on two tracks, more of the load is carried by Ilaria Lantieri who plays on four tracks and is a co-writer and arranger on some of them. The middle of the disc features one of his co-writes, the fine “Man Like Me” which is followed by “Dirty Ole Man,” which, while being a classic blues as a rebuttal to masculinity, puts a slight stain on the classiness of the other material.
Catch Sugar Blue and band live. He and his band are riveting, often delivering at breakneck tempos while Sugar Blue soars along, hitting more notes than you can possibly imagine.
