WHAT musicians & CRITICS ARE SAYING about "working bluesman"
Blues Blast Magazine
“An upbeat slab of modern urban blues ..ferocity in his guitar playing.”
REVIEWS
"THUNDER IN MY BLUES" REVIEW
It has been several years since we heard from Luther "Badman" Keith, a Detroit blues guitarist/vocalist who early mastered the greatest necessity of a real bluesman --- being larger than life. Every blues legend attends every blues performance and recording session, and every blues artist is in constant competition with those legends. Luther "Badman" Keith thoroughly understands this; he accepts and meets the challenge, rising above not only the mundane problems on which blues lyrics are based, but also the hot, hot talents he works with and his own gold-flecked dajiki, custom-made guitar, out-of-control persona. One must admire and enjoy the fascinating, impassioned result. The 13 song titles on Thunder In My Blues (BMB Records) and the synopses of their origins provided in liner notes seem incredibly innocent compared to the actual recordings ... like a small-type proviso reading, "adult supervision suggested" on a box of dynamite. Okay, "Gonna Give Up Drinkin'" really is about that idea of quitting that accompanies my hangovers and yours, but "Badman" gives us the idea that his hangover is worse, and the high that preceded it better than anything we mere mortals could possibly experience. Similarly, "Sleeping With The Devil" may be something we've all done, awaking with a highly unpleasant person, but, hearing him, one must believe that "Badman" actually woke up with a pitchfork-toting bitch with horns and a tail. It's a little big band format, with horns and keyboards joining Keith's guitar-driven power trio for the session. As such, it's an outfit capable of rocking any space with serious, urban blues. While only Marvel Comics could come up with a backing band that is truly Keith's equal in performance, this group comes pretty close. I don't think this man is capable of putting out a record that isn't great.
By Arthur Shuey
BLUES BLAST MAGAZINE
Guitarist Luther Badman Keith is back with a new recording full of spirited original material that melds traditional blues rhythms with lyrics that explore a number of contemporary issues, including some regarding his Detroit hometown. His backing band consists of Todd Glass on drums, Alex Lyon on bass, Josh Ford on slide and rhythm guitar, and Jim David on keyboards.
The leader’s exuberant vocal style fires up the opening track, “Wow Oui Ole,” blues in three languages with Billy Furman on tenor sax adding an additional boost. “Blues 2.0” is another humorous tune that takes a look at modern relationships as filtered through technology. Keith takes his time on the solo, exhibiting a clean fluid style. Furman and trumpeter Mark Croft also get chance to blow hearty solos. The up-tempo shuffle, “Omelet,”gives David some space and he dazzles with some piano magic while Keith keeps things loose and limber with an infectious delivery of the play-on-words lyrics.
The singer’s voice takes on a grittier tone that matches Ford’s slide licks on “Muddy Waters Blues”. The title track rolls along with horn accents backing another strong vocal from Keith describing his experiences as a blues musician, complete with another noteworthy guitar foray and a funky closing passage. “Last Call For The Blues” examines the palpable desperation of the late-night bar patrons, with Keith observing, “Talking to a girl over whiskey & beer – we both trying to fake a little cheer. She’s not too pretty but, you know, neither am I. We just want to try to get through the night.”
BLUESMEN ARE KINGS
There is an enthusiasm in his voice and guitar work that will make every listener want to be a bluesman and, thereby, a king. In fact, his delivery is so perfect in that regard, celebrating what he does, that a mini-review of this CD would read simply, “After listening to this CD, I want to do that.”
Keith pays his respects to some of the legendary blues artists on “Muddy Waters Blues,” complete with Ford’s wicked slide riffs. Furman plays harp on that cut as well as “Mojo Son,” where his hard blowing prompts one Keith’s best guitar solos. Another highlight is the leader’s fiery playing on “Detroit Blues,” a high-powered lamentation of the problems facing his hometown. Keith’s voice and guitar break it down on “Baby Walks Out,” reminding listeners what it feels like when the blues come calling.
A couple of tracks, “Bluesman Looking For Love” and “Room In My Heart,” have generic lyrics but pack quite a musical punch, especially the former that features a great exchange between Keith’s guitar and David on organ. “Blue-B-Que” is an instrumental that gives the two horn players and the rhythm section one last opportunity to impress. It all adds up to a disc that offers plenty of straight-ahead blues that come to life due to Keith’s energetic performances.
By Arthur Shuey
JOE BALLOR REVIEW, BLUESMEN ARE KINGS
From the opening horn riff that kicks off “Wow Oui Ole,” the first song on Luther Badman Keith’s new recording “Bluesmen Are Kings,” it is quickly apparent that the CD offers a new sound from the Detroit blues musician.
“Wow Oui Ole,” a jump blues tune inspired by Louis Jordan, is one of several on the 13-song CD that represents a variety of musical styles, featuring horns and keyboards as well as Keith’s vocals and electric lead guitar.
“The biggest thing with this CD, which is my fourth one, is that it shows my evolution as a musician, and represents the growth from when I started in 1998 until now,” Keith says. “It’s taken time. I couldn’t have produced a CD like this the first three or four years out. I needed time to grow as a musician and a songwriter.”
According to Keith, the biggest influence on the recording is that he worked with a producer for the first time. It was recorded at Josh Ford’s The Sound Shop studio in Macomb. Ford, who performs as Motor City Josh, worked with Keith on the arrangements.
“He is a tremendous producer,” says Keith, who wrote all the songs on the album. “He took the songs I wrote and helped bring out the best arrangements and refined my ideas.
“I can’t say enough about Josh Ford. Because he is a musician, he hears things well and is open to new ideas. If something is not working, he will tell you. And he is willing to take chances and be a little adventurous.”
The music features horns by Billy Furman and Mark Croft — members of Keith’s band, who also did the horn arrangements — keyboardist Jim David, and the studio rhythm section of bassist Alex Lyon and drummer Todd Glass. Motor City Josh also plays on the CD.
The result is a sound that incorporates the talents of all involved, producing a solid collection of well-crafted tunes.
“The greatest thing for me is to write great songs with great lyrics,” says Keith, a former long-time journalist who is now executive director of ARISE Detroit!, a community mobilization organization. “That’s what I get a lot of response to. I never fashioned myself as someone trying to be a guitar hero. I want to be appreciated more as a songwriter.”
Keith also hopes the CD brings appreciation for the many talented working blues musicians in Detroit, as well as blues legends of the past.
“Before Before I could play a note, I would go to shows and I could see that these blues guys were awesome,” Keith says. “I met Albert Collins and Luther Allison and other guys who were all great cats and nice guys.
“They were really more than average guys. They were people we should revere. I wanted to make that (title) song a tribute, that it is really special to be a bluesman. It is a wonderful experience to share with people the great feeling of blues music.”
According to Keith, “Bluesmen Are Kings” has gotten airplay in England and Australia as well as local radio stations WHFR, WEMU, and WDET.
“I wanted to produce something listenable and fun, as well as make each song stand on its own,” he says. “No two sound alike. There is jump blues, hardcore blues, and a little rock. All those elements merge for a gutsier, blusier sound.
“I wanted to open some ears with it and make people say, ‘Wow, oui, olé.’”