a roundup of recent local releases

‘Over the Years: A Retrospective Collection’
by Bob Halperin

Local bluesman Bob Halperin’s new retrospective disc chronicles a career that has been steeped in blues tradition for decades. From the opening notes, the CD is remarkably rich and soulful, harkening back to the music’s Delta origins. Halperin begins with a cover of Curtis Mayfield’s “People Get Ready,” complete with lush backing vocals from a female chorus. Next comes the upbeat “Drop Down Mama,” originally by Sleepy John Estes, followed by a slower instrumental guitar melody by the artist himself, titled “Maybe Next Time.” The first chapter of the album is rounded out with a traditional gospel rendition of “Jesus On the Mainline.” 

The album is divided into sections based on four different recordings. The first four songs come from “1983,” which was recorded at Baker St. Studios in Watertown, Mass. The next three come from “I Got the Will,” recorded at TKO Studio in Hampton. The next two songs come from Halperin’s former band, Homeless Bob & The Livingroom Gypsies, recorded by Jon Nolan in Newmarket. The final five tracks are from “I Just Can’t Stop,” recorded at Electric Wilburland in Newfield, N.Y.

When the second portion kicks off with Otis Redding’s “I Got the Will,” a new variation on the blues tradition emerges, with saxophone accompaniment lending the song an R&B quality. The subtle transition illustrates that Halperin has immersed himself in all kinds of blues over the course of his long career. Among the disc’s 14 tracks are a handful of Halperin originals, accompanied by a splash of blues covers that includes songs by Blind Lemon Jefferson, Muddy Waters, Elmore James and Jimmy Cliff, among others.

Every song features Halperin on guitar, whether it’s an acoustic slide or an electric ax, and certain tracks have him doubling on harmonica, piano and organ. Long known for his guitar mastery, Halperin also shows off his smooth but muddy vocal reach. If you want to hear him up close and personal, just pop into The Press Room or any number of other Portsmouth venues. Halperin’s career is far from over, and he still plays around town with regularity.

‘Joseph K Murphy and The Best Friends Ever’
by Joseph K Murphy

Primarily known as front man for Murkadee, Joseph K Murphy released a joyful side project earlier this year with a little help from his friends. Teaming with The Attic Bat on bass and Dan Murphy on drums, the bandleader put together a creative album that seems to represent a different shade of the Murkadee style.

Murphy wrote and recorded all six of the original tunes on the EP, contributing vocals, keyboard and guitar. The songs are both playful and inventive, with quirky, rhyming lyrics that add a welcome zaniness to the poppy style. The music’s environment is perhaps best described in one of the first lines of the disc’s opening track, “A Morning Begins.”

“When everyone is odd, well then nothing is odd, normal becomes strange, everything has changed,” Murphy sings.

The second song, “Come On Cadette,” begins with a synthesized beat and keyboard-driven rhythm that is irresistibly catchy. Then come the semi-sensical lyrics, all about the meticulous but euphoric art of lawn care. “Come on cadet, cut the blades of grass down to size, two inches would be wise,” Murphy sings in the chorus.

The third track, “Capes and Masks” begins with a heavy electric guitar riff but quickly relapses into the peppy, poppy sound and fast-paced lyrical drive of the other tunes. “What Seems To Be” is rife with references to local communities, sketching a sort of cartoon soundtrack for the Seacoast. “All the Stars” sounds like a cross between Modest Mouse, Ween and Pee Wee Herman, paving the way for the final track, “Just To Be With You,” which is perhaps the highlight of the disc.
Based in Epping, Murkadee has a new album due out in June. Visit www.murkadee.com.

‘Proceed With Caution’
by Cantonese Traffic

Listening to the debut disc from Rochester’s Cantonese Traffic, it’s not hard to deduce some of the young power trio’s prime influences. From the opening guitar chops, a rich aura of classic 1960s and ’70s blues-based rock suffuses the room. With Mike Allard on guitar and vocals, Zac Arnault on bass and vocals and Ian Martin on drums and backing vocals, the band comes out of the gates with a style that echoes Hendrix’s Band of Gypsies, The Allman Brothers Band, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band and countless others.

Released this year on the band’s own indie label, Abdul Jabbar Records, the album has drawn early praise from respected local musicians like Pondering Judd’s Marty England and Equal Time’s Thom Keith. When Allard rips a prolonged, spine-tingling solo midway through the first track, “And I Stay,” it’s easy to see what all the hype is about.

The next tune, “Sudden Cry,” has a darker and less celebratory tone that communicates the band’s social conscience. “If Satan is the prince of darkness, then man must be the king, and as humanity crashes down, the cries of the children ring,” Arnault sings before a torrent of screaming guitar strings blots out the words.

But the first couple of tracks also illustrate some of the CD’s technical glitches. The overlap of the vocals on “And I Stay” seem disproportionately patched over the instruments, and (unless it’s just my copy) the volume sporadically fades out and returns on “Sudden Cry.”

Of course, these are just production issues, and the young musicians clearly have a promising future. Their instrumental force channels the power of historic trios like Cream and The Jimi Hendrix Experience, but all eight songs are originals by Allard and Arnault. The album closes with “Play It, Don’t Say It,” a mantra that calls to mind the preachy funk stylings of Sly Stone.
With a little fine-tuning, Cantonese Traffic is sure to gain steam in the Seacoast music scene. Visit www.cantonesetraffic.com.