Big Harp George: In tune with the merry and bright side of things in a rather unconventional way…
By David McGee
BIG HARP GEORGE DOES CHRISTMAS
Big Harp George
Blues Mountain Records
Coming up hard on the convivial, rocking side of the season, Bay Area blues stalwart Big Harp George (George Bisharat) doesn’t have much truck with the seasonal standards (although he does blow a mean chromatic harp interpolation of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” in the opening track, “Bad Santa”) but is definitely in tune with the merry and bright side of things in a rather unconventional way n Big Harp George Does Christmas. The aforementioned “Bad Santa,” for instance, kicks off the festivities in a hard swinging way behind George’s harp, Kid Anderson’s rocking guitar solo and some pumping horns as George makes it clear Santa “ain’t welcome in my home,” thanks to the big man’s lusty ways. “Imagine my daughter/imagine my wife/stop chasing the family dog or I’ll deny you your life,” George advises in no uncertain terms.
‘Carioca Christmas,’ Big Harp George, from Big Harp George Does Christmas
‘Where’ll I Be for Christmas,’ Big Harp George, from Big Harp George Does Christmas
The tone thus set, George and his inspired mates turn up the heat on succeeding numbers, such as the infectious “Carioca Christmas,” which seems to have copped few rhythmic tricks from the Brook Benton-Dinah Washington Top 10 hit from 1960, “A Rockin’ Good Way,” and adds a cool flute solo to the upbeat, jolly vibe. In the grinding groove of “Reindeer on Strike,” George makes a stand for better working conditions for Dancer, Prancer and friends; rather than “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” George posits the query, “Where’ll I Be for Christmas?” in a bluesy lament with a swaying, lowdown groove and the singer lamenting, “Your daddy he won’t have me/don’t deserve his little peach/as my plan to marry up is looking more like a reach…” in which solos by George, keyboardist Chris Burns set the stage for guitarist Little Charlie Baty, in his sole appearance on the album, to lay on some six-string fury as subtext to the lyrics’ despairing reports; in the midst of some interesting textural maneuvers, Baty also tips his hat to Bill Doggett’s guitarist by dropping in a quote from Billy Butler’s influential guitar solo on Doggett’s 1956 hit “Honky Tonk,” the first great instrumental classic of the rock ‘n’ roll era. Although “Thee Three Kings” opens with a hint of “We Three Kings of Orient Are,” it expands into a far different journey than the carol documents. In George’s hands, it’s a tribute to three Kings, for sure, but these are named Freddie, Albert and B.B., each of whom is honored with an eloquent verse lauding their signature sounds, with Kid Anderson fashioning impressive, soulful solos in each King’s style. It’s a perfect addition to the short course on blues and R&B history underpinning this seasonal effort.
‘Thee Three Kings,’ Big Harp George, from Big Harp George Does Christmas
‘That Grinch is Me,’ Big Harp George, from Big Harp George Does Christmas
And on an album more focused on an alternative view of Yuletide, why not end with a beauty of a blues…not ballad, but rather a confessional. Spiced with affecting, warm baritone sax solos (by either Doug Rowan or Michael Peloquin or both), “The Grinch Is Me” is the penultimate word on the narrative George has pushed throughout: in this slow, horn-rich blues, George’s mock-serioso vocals pinpoint his aggravation touchstones (“cheap wine and stale cookies,” “tired jokes and stupid songs,” “kids whine for decorations,” et al.), with the capper being “You see pretty presents wrapped in ribbons and bows/I see recycling and the landfill where it goes.” Well, that’s one point of view. But leave it to Big Harp George to go out with a big heart, on the live recording “It’s New Year’s Eve,” a swinging, rollin’ and tumblin’ workout fueled by George’s piercing, buoyant harp work supported by surging horns, Chris Burns’s lively keyboards and Kid Anderson’s stinging guitar punctuations appropriate to underscore George’s declared intention to “have a ball” with his baby, “grab us some champagne, open the bottle with the big, loud pop/I’m gonna grab us a bottle of champagne, I just love to hear that big, loud pop/we’re gonna get on the dance floor, shake that thing ‘til we drop, yeah!” No humbug here. Big Harp George indeed does Christmas and his grinchness is scant cover for the spirited performances that give the lie to the titular artist’s curmudgeonly musings. Always merry and bright, George. Always merry and bright.
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JINGLE ALL THE WAY
Various Artists
Blue Heart Records
If you’re looking for a splendid multi-artist anthology of holiday music done to a T, check out the 15 choice tracks featuring artists from the Blue Heart and Nola Blue labels on Jingle All the Way. The songs are a mix of originals and vintage seasonal chestnuts and pretty much all the moods of the human experience are represented.
‘Amazing Grace II,’ Tomislav Goluban, as featured on Jingle All the Way
‘River,’ written by Joni Mitchell, performed by Tiffany Pollack and Eric Johnson, featured on Jingle All the Way
‘I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus,’ Teresa James & The Rhythm Tramps, from Jingle All the Way
‘Even Santa Claus Get the Blues,’ The Texas Horns featuring Teresa James, from Jingle All the Way
Highlights? Try an exceedingly lovely, folkish take on Joni Mitchell’s “River” by the impressive Tiffany Pollack and Eric Johanson, with Ms. Pollack, who sounds uncannily like the young Joni at points, navigating the self-lacerating lyrics of love, loss and regret as if they were torn from her own experience. Croatian bluesman Tomislav Goluban injects a beloved hymn with a driving beat and his own sinewy, robust harp work and, voila! You have “Amazing Grace II.” A Crescent City flair with a rollicking second line animates a frisky, très engage reading of “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” by Teresa James & The Rhythm Tramps. The Texas Horns are featured twice, first in opening the album with a funky, shambling, irresistible workout on “Silver Bells” with Ange Kogutz adding an easygoing vocal; and then closing the album with “Even Santa Claus Gets the Blues,” a tough, topical (you got kids living in camps/homeless on the streets/how can they have Christmas/they got nothing left to eat/hard times here, everywhere you go/even Santa’s got the blues”) take on our turbulent time delivered authoritatively by Teresa James, with some added heat courtesy guitar and sax solos. Bobby Gentilo checks in with a percolating take on James Brown’s “Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto”; Vanessa Thomas offers a gospel-drenched plea for “Peace and Goodwill” that brooks favorable comparison to Mavis Staples’s formidable testifying; Laura Tate, with some outstanding piano and sax work behind her, wails a merciless “Merry Christmas Baby,” in a version closer to Elvis’s acerbic take than to Charles Brown’s bereft balladry. There’s more where this came from, in one of the finest seasonal anthologies released in recent years.
‘Peace and Goodwill,’ Vanessa Thomas, as featured on Jingle All the Way
