Folk and Tumble album reviews of the latest studio and live record releases from folk, Americana, blues, and country artists across the world.
Ringing slide guitar and soulful vocals combine on ‘Just Like That’ to make Bonnie Raitt’s new release a memorable one.
Her trademark slide guitar, which has made her the envy of players everywhere, remains a thing of joy, effortlessly on display throughout. When Bonnie chooses to rock, everyone knows it. Bonnie has championed many writers in the past, whose work may have been passed by. The Brothers Landreth is a case in point on this offering. Bonnie stays close to the Canadian band’s original on the soul-infused ‘Made up Mind’, and yet she still stamps her own identity on it with a beautiful velvet delivery.
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‘Love So Strong’ was intended as a duet with Toots Hibbert, but sadly following his death, it’s played here as a heartfelt tribute. ‘Something’s Got a Hold of My Heart’ by NRBQ’s Al Alderson is another ready-made standard for the seemingly ageless singer. This time around, Bonnie has written, or co-written 4 of the 10 tracks herself, more than on any other album.
‘Livin’ For the Ones’ is co-written with her long-time guitarist George Marinelli, for the friends and family she has lost. This is a song that will connect, and resonate with so many people. Both an upbeat celebration of life, and a love song to those lost to Covid, and beyond. A song that is universal in its scope, but so personal in its interpretation for each listener. And it rocks! ‘Down the Hall’ is a true story set in the hospice of a prison, with a prisoner caring for his dying fellow inmates with compassion and truth, a task that ultimately frees the narrator from his own bars.
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The title track concerns the impact of a heart transplant on two families, one the donor’s mother, and one the recipient. It’s a heart-wrenching story of loss and sacrifice, acceptance, and common humanity:
One can almost hear Bonnie’s great friend, John Prine singing that last line. But there’s resolution and closure too
Bonnie has spoken of the style of narrative in these songs:
“I’ve always loved the early guitar songs of Dylan, Jackson Browne, Paul Brady, and especially John Prine” she says. “With songs like ‘Angel from Montgomery’ and ‘Donald and Lydia’John was able to just climb inside and sing these people’s deepest lives. With his passing last year, finishing these songs has meant even more.”
Bonnie hasn’t written that much over her career, which is a shame, because it is such a gift to be able to write such succinct and eloquent distillations of the human experience.
Following two years of isolation and loss of loved ones from the pandemic, and mired as the world is, at the minute in conflict and hate, Bonnie’s songs speak to the grace and humanity that the heart can aspire to. ‘Just Like That’ is an album for these times, and all time.
Six years since her last studio album, the veteran singer-songwriter and slide guitarist returnswith a collection of robust professional rock that may inspire deep dives into her back catalog.
If the young feel hard and forget fast, adults feel hard and remember long. To her credit, Bonnie Raitt has never courted the youth market. Avoiding disco strings and guest raps, the slide-guitar legend has amassed a body of work immersed in the blues and fully committed to the Well-Written Song; both her chosen repertoire and the material she’s penned herself adduce a belief in adulthood as a well-earned grace. Her sunny, wide-open voice and the sparkling correctness of her playing have kept bathos at bay ever since she invested Eric Kaz’s “Love Has No Pride,” one of her chestnuts, with an aw-shucks sensual abandonment: She’s in love, yet damn straight she keeps her pride.
Thirty-three years after Nick of Time, which yielded perhaps the most career-changing Grammy coronation in history, and six years since her last studio album, Dig in Deep, Raitt returns with Just Like That…, a self-produced effort boasting most of her strengths: a fidelity to the material that borders on the idolatrous, a penchant for leading mostly male pros through unfamiliar paces, and the exquisite precision of her guitar. As for weaknesses—well, she could have ventured further afield with the covers, as she did with Dig in Deep’s sly take on INXS’ “Need You Tonight.” Still, she sounds good, she plays better, and her band, co-led by longtime foil George Marinelli, simmers. A fine career summation should she choose to stop, Just Like That… is robust professional rock, a demonstration of Raitt’s vitality, like, say, Catherine Deneuve’s recent film work.
Her 18th album cedes a few of the solos she and Marinelli might have played to Glenn Patscha, a first-rate organist whose fills have the lightness of Charles Hodges. On her own “Waitin’ for You to Blow,” she lays down the guitar so Kenny Greenberg and Patscha can exchange solos over Ricky Fataar’s hi-hats. “Something’s Got a Hold of My Heart” gets a lift from Patscha’s Fender Rhodes colors, given a mixing boost by Raitt and Ryan Freeland (the funereal “Blame It on Me” is the only lapse into heavy-handedness). A chugging little thing familiar to fans of her 1973 cover of Martha and the Vandellas’ “You’ve Been in Love Too Long,” her band’s take on the Bros. Landreth’s “Made Up Mind” greases up a melody “like a rainstorm tin-roof symphony.” But they falter with a static reggae-lite version of Toots and the Maytals’ “Love So Strong”; it has a skank but not much else.
When Raitt keeps things fresh with narrative writing, the cleanness of her melodies and lyrics deepens her empathy. With the help of an acoustic lick that’s the stepchild of the Beatles’ “Blackbird ” and Patscha’s shimmering organ, “Down the Hall” examines a man’s stint in a prison infirmary; he observes Tyrone, “cancer eatin’ him inside out,” takes time to shave Julio’s head and, “crackin’ him up,” wash his feet. The Springsteen of Nebraska might have smiled with recognition, but Raitt’s contralto repels attempts to imbue “Down the Hall” with existential portent. Its just-the-facts approach is closer to Springsteen influences like Bobbie Ann Mason than Nebraska.
Just Like That… may inspire catalog deep dives. Many fans’ relationship with Raitt began with 1991’s Luck of the Draw, the septuple-platinum follow-up to Nick of Time that remains a landmark of boomer pop outreach—as much a generational touchstone as Paul Simon’s Graceland, the sort of album Mom and Dad played on vacation road trips because here was a woman Mom’s age having fun making her most powerful music at middle age. In a summer when Bryan Adams strangled the top 40 with a mousy ballad sprung from Kevin Costner’s Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, “Something to Talk About” was a well-deserved hit, sexy in a mature, fully cognizant way; you’d have to go back to Fleetwood Mac’s “Little Lies” to find as worldly a Top Five hit sung by a fortysomething white woman. And her take on Mike Reid and Allen Shamblin’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me” is the kind of recording that comes along just once in an artist’s career, though it’s echoed in the pungent aphorisms of Just Like That…’s “Down the Hall”: “I don’t know about religion/I only know what I see.”
It’s okay if few performances on Just Like That… match that highlight. Most of her albums contain time bombs; even records like 1986’s Nine Lives, regarded as misbegotten, have miracles of grace like “Crime of Passion” that reward the digging. But Just Like That… will do—ostensible hand-me-downs like the Stones-y “Livin’ for the Ones” shame that band’s recent output, for example. The album title is the giveaway. Pros know their shit.
About The Author
Alfred Soto
Contributor
Alfred Soto is an assistant professor of communication at Florida International University. His work has appeared in Billboard, Spin, The Village Voice, the Miami Herald, and others. He was an associate editor of The Singles Jukebox. He lives in Miami.
Press Herald music columnist Aimsel Ponti interviews music legend Bonnie Raitt in front of a live audience at the Scarborough location of Maine record store chain Bull Moose on Saturday, Record Store Day, before Raitt’s sold-out show at Merrill Auditorium that night.
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(Edit: Tried to adjust volume level of Bonnie but that amplified cheering and clapping also which was recorded louder.)
Bonnie had a blast and and as an independent record label, Redwing Records is grateful for the important role indie record stores play in the music scene and in building community she said. Aimsel Ponti, knocked it outta the park with her stellar preparation and personal touch.
Face the Music: Here’s something to talk about – Bonnie Raitt’s coming to Bull Moose
Do you believe in miracles? Always a skeptic, I might have to rethink my opinions on them, because I am on the receiving end of a massive one: Maine record store chain Bull Moose asked me to interview Bonnie Raitt in person at its Scarborough location on April 23, and you could join me.
The event coincides with the release of Raitt’s latest album, her sold-out show at Merrill Auditorium and Record Store Day.
Record Store Day, now in its 15th year, is an an annual celebration of independent record stores, and Chris Brown, chief financial officer of Bull Moose Music, was one of its founders. The day is celebrated globally and many artists release special edition vinyl.
About 75 spots are available for fans to attend the Bonnie Raitt interview in person, and you have until Sunday to enter your name into the drawing for passes at bullmoose.com. The winners will be drawn on April 18. But don’t despair if you’re not selected; the entire thing will be livestreamed from the Bull Moose Facebook page.
Raitt is one of my musical heroes, and Bull Moose staff told me that she is thrilled that a woman is conducting the interview.
As a longtime music writer, I’ve had the opportunity to interview a ton of my favorite musicians, and I’m thankful for every conversation, but those are almost always by telephone before the artists come to Maine to perform. This time, however, I’ll be sitting a few feet away from Raitt, and instead of taking notes, I’ll be looking right at her as she answers my questions.
Speaking of questions, if you have any that you’re dying to ask Raitt, please reach out or leave a comment, as I’ll be making a list and checking it at least 87,946 times.
Raitt is set to release her 18th studio album, “Just Like That,” on April 22, the day before the visit to Bull Moose and her show at Merrill.
The first two singles, “Something’s Got a Hold of My Heart” and “Made Up Mind,” are out and stay true to the sound that made her one of the most enduring artists of the last several decades. One part blues, one part rock with contralto vocals and an unyielding commitment to solid lyricism and hooks, Bonnie Raitt sounds like no one else.
And aside from writing never-less-than-excellent songs, she sure knows how to choose others to record. In 2017, I visited the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville and saw the holy grail of lyrics: John Prine’s handwritten words to “Angel From Montgomery.” Raitt recorded it for her 1974 album “Streetlights,” and the song hasn’t lost any of its magic all these years later. This month marks the two-year anniversary of Prine’s death from COVID-19, and while that loss will always hurt, his music lives on, and Raitt’s take on “Angel” is a gold star in his legacy.
I’m also thinking about Raitt’s version of the early ’60s Del Shannon hit “Runaway” on her 1977 album “Sweet Forgiveness.” Raitt forged the song in her own brand of bluesy steel, and it, too, is pure dynamite.
I’ve been a Raitt fan since the late ’80s, dating back to my college radio days in Keene, New Hampshire. I’ve seen her live about five times and have always been entirely blown away by her shows. Raitt makes it look easy. From her smoking blues guitar to her vocals and tremendous band, these are real-deal rock ‘n’ roll events.
I remember when she released “Nick of Time” in 1989. It won Grammys for album of the year, best female rock vocal performance and best female pop vocal performance. Along with the title track, my favorites on it are the righteous “Love Letter” and the ballad “Cry on My Shoulder.”
Then came “Luck of the Draw” in 1991. Top to bottom, the album holds up. It’s home to quite possibly the saddest song in the world, “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” by songwriters Mike Reid and Allen Shamblin. I don’t know who brought it to Raitt’s attention – oh wait, I can ask her! – but, man alive, hearing Raitt sing it is a spiritual experience, especially live. Her vocals are so powerful and sincere that I’m not sure if the tears it brings are from the lyrics’ sadness or the joy of hearing something so divine.
Jumping ahead to 2005, Raitt’s album “Souls Alike” opens with a track I have adopted as a personal theme song. I have run to it, cried to it, celebrated to it and sung it at the top of my off-key lungs. “I Will Not Be Broken” includes the lines: “I will not be someone other than who I am/I will fight to make my stand/Cause what is livin’ if I can’t live free/What is freedom if I can’t be me,” and I can hear conviction and see the smile I imagine she had in the studio the day the track was laid down.
All of this is to say, my admiration and respect for Bonnie Raitt is immense. And I’m not alone. Her show at Merrill Auditorium sold out ages ago, and tickets are burning holes in pockets of fans for miles around.
If you’re selected to attend the event at Bull Moose, you’ll receive a sweet exclusive poster commemorating Raitt’s visit and also could win a signed poster or tickets to the show at Merrill.
But better yet, Bonnie, let’s give them something to talk about.
Aimsel Ponti is a music writer and content producer for the Portland Press Herald. She has been obsessed with – and inspired by – music since she listened to Monkees records borrowed from the town library when she was 6 years old. She bought her first Rolling Stones record at a flea market when she was in 7th grade and discovered David Bowie a year later. She’s a huge fan of the local music scene and covers it along with national musical happenings in her column. You’ll also find her out and about absorbing live music and shopping for vinyl at local record shops and flea markets. Aimsel regularly appears on the News Center Maine TV show “207” to preview upcoming concerts.
Bandana Blues is and will always be a labor of love. Please help Spinner deal with the costs of hosting & bandwidth. Visit www.bandanablues.com and hit the tipjar. Any amount is much appreciated, no matter how small. Thank you.
Bonnie has contributed a new recording of "Prison Bound Blues" written by Leroy Carr to a project called Better Than Jail, an extraordinary new album benefiting Free Hearts and Equal Justice USA. Better Than Jail is available everywhere today and features covers of iconic prison songs from Steve Earle, Taj Mahal,Margo Price, The War and Treaty and many more. The album seeks to raise awareness and support for the urgent need to reduce the harm of the criminal justice system. https://found.ee/BetterThanJail.
I'm so proud to have joined in with so many illustrious artists in creating this very special album in support of rural prison reform. Overlooked for far too long, this issue cuts across all cultural and political divides and deserves all our focused attention to finally bring about some swift and meaningful action. Better Than Jail is one of the most inspired and heartfelt albums I've been blessed to be a part of and I hope it sets a fire in hearts far and wide to join in our efforts." ~ Bonnie Raitt
Released on: 2024-10-04 Executive Producer: Brian Hunt Producer: Kenny Greenberg Producer: Wally Wilson Producer: Bonnie Raitt Recording Engineer: Jason Lehning at Sound Emporium Mastering Engineer: Alex McCollough at True East Mastering Production Assistant: Shannon Finnegan Mixer: Justin Niebank at Hounds Ear Music Publisher: Universal Music Corp. Composer, Lyricist: Leroy Carr ℗ Believe Entertainment Group and Wyatt Road Records
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The Fabulous Thunderbirds - Nothing in Rambling Ft. Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal, Keb' Mo' & Mick Fleetwood
In celebration of the band’s 50th Anniversary, The Fabulous Thunderbirds have just released Struck Down, their first studio album in eight years on Stony Plain Records. The ten-track album includes a wonderful cover of Memphis Minnie’s “Nothing in Rambling,” featuring longtime friends, T-Birds founding member Kim Wilson, along with Bonnie, Keb’ Mo’, Taj Mahal and Mick Fleetwood. — BRHQ
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Little Feat - Long Distance Call
“I’ve always loved Little Feat and this new incarnation of the band is bringing some serious heat, cred and new blood to their enduring legacy. Every Feat fan loves us some Sam. I’m so glad he’s now gotten a chance to step out front and center and put his spin on these wonderful blues songs. I loved singing "Long Distance Call" with him, always one of my favorites, and Scott slayed on slide. Know you’ll enjoy hanging out with us at Sam’s Place!" -- Bonnie Raitt
“Long Distance Call” was written by blues legend, Muddy Waters. It has Sam Clayton and Bonnie Raitt on vocals, Scott Sharrard on Dobro, Fred Tackett on acoustic guitar, Tony Leone on drums, and Michael “The Bull” LoBue on harmonica. The album also features Bill Payne on piano and Kenny Gradney on bass.
Little Feat have composed an album that’s their love letter to the blues entitled, ‘Sam’s Place.’ “Long Distance Call” plus many other blues classics are on this album. You can stream and order ‘Sam’s Place’ here: https://orcd.co/samsplace
Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows: Songs of John Prine, Vol. 2, the anticipated new John Prine tribute record from Oh Boy Records, is out today. Stream/purchase HERE.
Created as a celebration of Prine’s life and career, the album features new renditions of some of Prine’s most beloved songs performed by Brandi Carlile (“I Remember Everything”), Tyler Childers (“Yes I Guess They Oughta Name A Drink After You”), Iris DeMent (“One Red Rose”), Emmylou Harris (“Hello In There”), Jason Isbell (“Souvenirs”), Valerie June (“Summer’s End”), Margo Price (“Sweet Revenge”), Bonnie Raitt (“Angel From Montgomery”), Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats (“Pretty Good”), Amanda Shires (“Saddle in the Rain”), Sturgill Simpson(“Paradise”) and John Paul White (“Sam Stone”). Proceeds from the album will benefit twelve different non-profit organizations, one selected by each of the featured artists.
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Bonnie Raitt - Write Me a Few of Your Lines/Kokomo Blues
60 years anniversary celebration of Arhoolie
December 10, 2020
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Arhoolie Foundation celebrates it's 60th anniversary (1960-2020) with an online broadcast.
Bonnie Raitt - Shadow of Doubt
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival
October 3, 2020
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass celebrates it's 20th anniversary with an online broadcast titled “Let The Music Play On”.
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Bonnie Raitt & Boz Scaggs - You Don't Know Like I Know
Farm Aid 2020 On the Road
Sam & Dave classic written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter.
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Sheryl Crow & Bonnie Raitt - Everything Is Broken
[Eric Clapton’s Crossroads 2019]
Eric Clapton, one of the world’s pre-eminent blues/rock guitarists, once again summoned an all-star team of six-string heroes for his fifth Crossroads Guitar Festival in 2019. Held at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, the two-day concert event raised funds for the Crossroads Centre in Antigua, the chemical dependency treatment and education facility that Clapton founded in 1998.
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'A Tribute To Mose Allison'
Celebrates The Music Of An Exciting Jazz Master
Raitt contributed to a new album, If You're Going To The City: A Tribute To Mose Allison, which celebrates the late singer and pianist, who famously blended the rough-edged blues of the Mississippi Delta with the 1950s jazz of New York City.
NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro talks to Bonnie Raitt about her friendship with the Mose Allison. They're also joined by Amy Allison — his daughter, who executive produced the album — about selecting an unexpected list of artists to contribute songs to the album.
Recorded on tour June 3, 2017 - Centennial Hall, London - Ontario Canada