Little Feat: Sam’s Place
Hot Tomato Productions (auditioned as CD). 2024. Little Feat, Charles A. Martinez, prods.
Performance *****
Sonics *****
It has been 12 years since the last time Little Feat went into the studio to make a new record. The passing five years ago of longtime member guitarist Paul Barrere caused Feat fans to worry that the band might never make another record of original music—that an ensemble that always embraced change might become a fixed museum display.
Sam’s Place is welcome not only for its inherent sense of fun but for ensuring that the band has much more to offer. Percussionist Sam Clayton, who has always added sonic spice and clever accents to the band’s comedic sense, steps forward and provides lead vocal on a blues-based record that never loses its “Feat.”
Running through a collection of classics—mostly from Willie Dixon and Muddy Waters—the band sounds sharper than ever. New members Scott Sharrard on guitar and Tony Leone on drums bring energy and power to each track; this version of the band can remain crisp across their whole catalog, in any setting. Sharrard, who has worked with Gregg Allman, delivers slide parts that melt in ways that grab your ear.
Bonnie Raitt, who at this point is practically an adjunct band member, appears on “Long Distance Call” and reminds us of how perfectly she has sat within the sounds that this band has made since 1969. The balance of her vocals with Clayton’s is natural; her track shows how this band known for playing big can unite genres and soar when things get intimate.
Charles A. Martinez told me that the album was recorded on a Spectra Sonics 1020 console that’s older than the band. It was in the Stax Records museum when Sam Phillips Recording rescued it to put it in use in their studio, where Sam’s Place was recorded. The result is a record for today made through a throw-back process, with good people, good equipment, and a good room.—Ray Chelstowski
Ohio Players: Pleasure
Westbound Records (auditioned as LP). 2023. Ohio Players, Andrew Rossiter, Rich Hansen, prods.; Arlen Smith, Howard Craft, engs.
Performance *****
Sonics ****
After Motown left Detroit, Westbound Records stepped in to prove that great sounds were still coming from the city. The Ohio Players helped anchor the roster.
Starting out as a backup to the O’Jays, the Ohio Players soon created their own musical identity, rooted in deep grooves. Pleasure, from 1973, reflects what the band did best. The album’s influence has lasted more than 50 years; “Funky Worm” has been sampled by N.W.A., Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, Redman, De La Soul, Kendrick Lamar, Nipsey Hussle, Beastie Boys, DMX, and countless others.
Following a decade-long process of rescuing, preserving, and restoring Westbound’s original master tapes, Pleasure, alongside other groundbreaking recordings, has been remastered. The original record from 1972 was heralded for the balance it struck between radio-friendly songs, jazz leanings, and all-out jams. With so much going on, finding a sonic center was always the challenge; the original release found its center in a more muted, less vivid place. This remaster is a bit brighter and sound separation is much better defined. This helps heighten the voice, showcasing the vocal capabilities and harmonies the band never received proper credit for. To that point: While the band was not known for its ballads, “Varee is Love” is an enticing departure from the same old funk and a great demonstration of the group’s range. The sound of the reissue has greater depth.
The Ohio Players were originally from Dayton, but this record could be a metaphor for their adopted city of Detroit. It’s gritty, at times grimy. It’s got something to prove. But it also has great lines, technical innovation, and tons of horsepower. There’s a lot going on under Pleasure‘s hood, and this remaster lets the engine roar better than it did before.—Ray Chelstowski
The Black Keys: Ohio Players
Nonesuch Records (auditioned as LP). 2024. The Black Keys, Daniel Nakamura, prods.; M. Allen Parker, Greg Kurstin, others, engs.
Performance ****
Sonics ****
When the Black Keys released the album El Camino in 2011, many longtime fans feared the indie act had gone mainstream. Thirteen years later, their new record, Ohio Players, won’t convince those fans that they were wrong.
Instead of music rooted in garage rock and blues, this record moves the focus from the garage to a groove reminiscent of the band named in the album title, with dance-hall rhythm parts, broad harmonies, and polished production. Credit a good amount of that to Beck Hansen, who co-wrote half the songs, and a technical staff twice as large as any they’ve previously used.
There’s a lot of songs on this record—14 of them—but most tracks have runtimes just over two minutes. In that short span, they deliver tremendous energy and occupy a vast sonic space. The songs unfurl with a 1960s underground “Go Go” vibe, delivering tons of soul alongside hazy psychedelic elements. Much of what you hear feels a bit out of reach, and that creates an atmosphere that feels like it could live in a Tarantino-directed James Bond soundtrack. It’s fun!
Side A, which is more approachable, less cluttered, and better thought through than side B, closes with a brilliant cover of the William Bell song “I Forgot to Be Your Lover.” After that the ride seems shakier, as if Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney, both notorious studio rats, should have stepped outside and grabbed some air to help keep things fresh.
As they did for 2022’s Dropout Boogie, the duo recruited a guitar ace: Noel Gallagher, who co-wrote the single “On the Game.” That song may be where the group strikes the best balance between the rockers they were and the artists they are apparently becoming. The song has majesty alongside gritty hints of what has always made this group great.—Ray Chelstowski
Sister Rosetta Tharpe: Live in France: The 1966 Concert in Limoges
Deep Digs (auditioned as CD). 2024. Zev Feldman, exec. prod.
Performance *****
Sonics ****
Live From the Harlem Square Club introduced the world to an artist they didn’t know existed. There, Sam Cooke performed in a small room attended by a “club audience.” His approach was stripped down and direct, in opposition to Live at the Copa, which was released at the same time. On that album, Sam was the polished crooner, backed by an orchestra and quick with midsong banter. Not here.
Singers like Sam struggled in America, but in Europe, especially Paris, they were welcomed. The only condition was that the music had to be good; if it was, crowds followed. The town gave Rosetta Tharpe plenty of attention.
Celebrated by audiences across Europe, Tharpe toured the continent relentlessly in the 1960s. Her ’66 performance in Limoges was her third concert there. It was captured on tape that night by the Office de Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française, and now it makes its debut. The result is more an experience than an album. The live exchange between artist and audience is communal, and the set of songs, largely spiritual, are filled with conviction and an allowable sense of preaching.
Tharpe, known as “The Godmother of Rock’n’Roll,” approaches this music and the crowd with a professionalism that respects the setting but also an authenticity that’s moving. It’s difficult to explain why this recording hasn’t surfaced before; whatever the reason, its arrival is best celebrated through the powerful performances found in songs like “Moonshine” and “Bring Back Those Happy Days.” The majesty of her music, the elegance of that room, and the power of her voice will make you shake.
Tharpe’s live talents would inspire generations of American artists, right down to Ruthie Foster and Brittany Howard, but her influence, as demonstrated here, was global.—Ray Chelstowski
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