"...Mean
Old Levee...Caused Me To Weep And Moan..."
I
had to dig deep into my record company catalogues of some half-century vintage
to find the actual release dates for both of these uber-obscurities.
UK
Blues Man Dave Kelly released his debut album "Keeps It In The
Family" in July 1969 - while the second self-titled set "Dave
Kelly" (recorded between June 1970 and January 1971 in England) would have to wait until September 1971 – both issued in Blighty on
Mercury Records.
But
of course the real reason they have been clocking in at prices between £150 and
£350 on original vinyl is the association on both albums with his sister - the
legendary and much revered JO ANN KELLY (she is featured prominently on each).
That, and there is a cool list of other period luminaries bolstering up
proceedings - Keith Tillman of John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers and Aynsley
Dunbar Retaliation, Bob Hall and Bob Brunning of Brunning Sunflower Blues Band,
Adrian Pietryga of The John Dummer Band (went by the name of Putty Ryga), John
Altman, Kenny Wheeler, Alan Parker, Herbie Flowers and Alan Hawkshaw (of The
Mohawks). And more (see details).
The
listen is Mississippi Delta-influenced Acoustic Blues for the magnificent debut
(most tracks with minimalist accompaniment) to a Blues Rock Band feel on the
second album that actually seemed like a good idea at the time and a natural
progression from the debut - but actually does for the record oddly enough. The
second platter is disappointing after the rattling strings Robert Johnson Blues
gutsy debut – to a point where when I listen, I program out at least four
of its twelve cuts (I play 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11 and 12).
But
do not let that put you off. I have to say that I am seriously impressed with
BGO and their smarts on this reissue – two hugely desirable albums Remastered onto 2 separate CDs to genuine clarity perfection by ANDREW THOMPSON in 2021. The audience may
be small, but I would say expand your horizons and dig in. To the moaning levee
details...
UK
released December 2021 - "Keeps It In The Family/Dave Kelly" by DAVE
KELLY (featuring Jo Ann Kelly) on Beat Goes On BGOCD 1463 (Barcode
5017261214638) offers 2LPs from 1969 and 1971 Remastered onto 2CDs and plays out
as follows:
CD1
"Keeps It In The Family" (45:14 minutes):
1.
When The Levee Breaks [Side 1]
2.
Fingerprint Blues
3.
Travellin' Blues Part II
4.
Hard Times
5.
Hitch Hike Blues
6.
I've got My Mojo Working
7.
Fixin' To Die Blues [Side 2]
8.
Treat Me Right
9.
Where's My Good Man At
10.
Fred's Worried Life Blues
11.
Double Time Night-Time
12.
Money & Fame
13.
Lock Your Door
Tracks
1 to 13 are his Debut Album "Keeps It In The Family" - released July
1969 in the UK on Mercury SMCL 20151. Produced by BRIAN SHEPHERD - it didn't
chart. Tracks 3, 5 8, 11 and 13 are Dave Kelly originals - Track 12 is a Putty
Ryga original - the rest are Blues and R&B covers - "When The Levee
Breaks" and "Where's My Good Man At" by Memphis Minnie,
"Hard Times" by Skip James (originally as Hard Times Filling Floor
Blues), "I've Got My Mojo Working" by Muddy Waters, "Fixin' To
Die Blues" by Bukka White and "Fred's Worried Life Blues" by
Mississippi Fred McDowell.
Band:
DAVE
KELLY - Guitar and Vocal
(All
Tracks except "Fingerprint Blues" and "Where's My Good Man
At")
JO
ANN KELLY - Guitar and Vocal (Lead Vocals on Tracks 2 and 9 only)
PUTTY
RYGA [real name Adrian Pietryga] - Guitar (Vocal on Track 12 only)
KEITH
TILLMAN - Bass
BOB
HALL - Piano
CD2
"Dave Kelly" (43:53 minutes):
1.
Gotta Keep Running [Side 1]
2.
No Fun For Me
3.
Fair Theme
4.
You Got It
5.
Way I Feel Today
6.
The Fields Of Night
7.
Poor Old Bill [Side 2]
8.
Hello L.A. Bye Bye Birmingham
9.
It's You
10.
Green Winter
11.
Brooklyn Bridge
12.
Get Right Church
Tracks
1 to 12 are his second studio album "Dave Kelly" - released September
1971 in the Uk on Mercury Records 6310 001. Produced and Arranged by DAVE KELLY
with Brass Arrangements by JAMES CLARKE - it didn't chart.
Band:
DAVE
KELLY - Guitar and Vocals
JO
ANN KELLY - Vocals only on Tracks 1, 2, 6, 11 and 12
PETER
GEE - Guitar on Tracks 1, 4 and 10
ALAN
PARKER - Guitar on Track 6
ALAN
HAWKSHAW - Piano and Organ on Tracks 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8
BOB
HALL - Piano on Tracks 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9 and 12 - Harpsichord on Track 3
STEVE
RYE - Harmonica on Tracks 5 and 12
PETER
SNELL - Harp on Track 6
KENNY
WHEELER – Flugelhorn on Track 6
JOHN
ALTMAN – Flutes on Tracks 3, 5 and 7
BOB
BRUNNING - Bass on Tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 12
HERBIE
FLOWERS - Bass on Track 6
BARRY
GUARD - Drums on Tracks 1, 4, 8, 10 and 12
RANDY
JONES - Drums on Tracks 2, 5, 7 and 9
CLEM
CATTINI - Drums on Track 6
JOHNNY
DEAN – Percussion, Tambor, Bells on Tracks 3 and 12
The outer card slipcase and the 16-page booklet reproduced all the original artwork and credit details (I've provided a few more in the lists above) and the new ROY BAINTON liner notes from September 2021 do a lot to flesh out the details - stuff like Harmonica player Steve Rye being a regular with Tony McPhee's Blues Rock band The Groundhogs. But the big news here is a gorgeous transfer from original tapes by ANDREW THOMPSON - both albums in tremendous shape and sounding glorious - especially that debut. To the tunes...
I
haven't been able to keep the debut off the CD player - utterly brilliant
acoustic-based Blues from the Delta via Radio Luxembourg. Two stunners come on
Side 1 of "Keeps It In The Family" - howling and moaning Killing
Floor vocals on the Traditional "Hard Times" where for four minutes
he just uses an Acoustic and his voice, itself followed by fantastic slide
acoustic that feels like Buddy Guy or even Jeremy Spencer or Danny Kirwan from
Fleetwood Mac having a wig-out on a National Steel (big-time impressive stuff
taken as a duo). Oh lord, I'll be satisfied, he sings – well, I am.
Piano
from Bob Hall comes a mojo rolling in for the Muddy Waters cover "I've Got
My Mojo Working" where Dave and his small band sounds like Paul Jones and
Manfred Mann or Alexis Korner and Friends having a ball as they sock it to you.
Another rattling-strings slide weeper is Dave on Fred McDowell's "Fred's
Worried Life Blues" - poor Fred having lady problems with a mistreater the
whole neighbourhood knows about. Jo Ann Kelly knocks it out of the Judy Henske growling foot-stompin' park on her two vocal turns - "Fingerprint Blues" and getting down with Memhis Minnie and her chap-and-his-gear troubles on "Where's My Good Man At" - fantastic stuff and I can so hear why collectors go nuts for her. But Dave Kelly holds his own admirably on the rest - and as I say on that "Hard Times" cover - is superlative.
The second album starts out badly with a fairly plodding "Gotta Keep Running" (written by Kelly, Bob Hall and Dave Cotton) where the band feels like a tired Blues Band in a pub trying to squeeze life out of a format that is already overdone. But then Dave kelly's own "No Fun For Me" steps up as Track 2 whilst the short hippy blues of "Fair Theme" is an acoustic blues instrumental. Better is "Way I Feel Today" which comes on like Blodwyn Pig (in fact Kelly's voice is close to Mick Abrahams) and so on. And you gotta love those duet vocals from Jo Ann on "The Fields Of Night" and the sparse "Brooklyn Bridge" - the only tune on the LP that features only Dave and Jo Ann - him on Guitar and Vocals and she just dueting.
For sure in my books, the second LP lets the side down a tad and stops this 2CD reissue of Dave Kelly's rare albums from being a solid 5-star barnstormer. But I can't stop playing both records with a programming list for CD2. Way to go boys...(and gal)...
