Mike Guldin and Rollin’ & Tumblin’

The Franklin Sessions

Blue Heart

The Franklin Sessions comes a little more than a year after Mike Guldin and Rollin’ & Tumblin’s release, Tumblin’, which has sessions recorded at Kevin McKendree’s Rock House studios in Franklin, TN. It’s difficult to pick up a roots or blues album these days without seeing Grammy-winning McKendree involved in some capacity as a producer or sideman. The new Tracy Nelson album, Live Don’t Miss Nobody, is just one example. Bucks County, PA singer-songwriter and guitarist Mike Guldin is fortunate to have McKendree in his camp as the versatile keyboardist and producer has produced albums for Delbert McClinton, Tinsley Ellis, and John Hiatt, to name just a few. This is Guldin’s fifth album, and likely boasts his most talented musical lineup yet as McKendree calls on his talented son, Yates McKendree, as well as Delbert compadre James Pennebaker, bassist David Santos, the three McCrary Sisters for one track. Guldin, in turn brought his band – bassist Bill Sharrow, keyboardist Tim Hooper, and drummer Billy Wear as well as harmonicist Mikey Junior on one track and the four-piece Philadelphia Funk Authority horns on two tracks. Vocalist Su Teears sings on one track.

Guldin’s “Franklin Shuffle” opens with the father-son team, Yates on drums and Kevin on his signature barrelhouse piano (McKendree’s sound is immediately recognizable, no matter the context). The album then unfolds as a mix of originals and covers with Guldin’s band doing most of the heavy lifting on Howlin’ Wolf’s “Killin’ Floor” where Hooper on organ and Kevin on piano provide the dual keyboards. The standout title track, a gospel raveup has the McCrary Sisters (Regina, Ann, Alfreda) and Yates’ lap steel to lift it up. The NOLA styled “Sometimes You Gotta Roll the Dice” is a Rollin’ & Tumblin’ rendering with the keyboards reversed as Hooper is on piano and Kevin on organ. Drummer Billy Wear is clearly in his element here and ups the ante pushing Yates on his guitar solo for Muddy’s “Blow Wind Blow.” The young guitarist Yates cuts his lines on the soul ballad “Prisoner of Love” with the horns making their first appearance. (Dale Gerheart -trombone, Kyle Hummel – baritone sax, Neil Wetzel – tenor sax, Andrew Kowal – trumpet.)

Guldin kicks off the second half with another of his shuffles, this one Texas style as the band lays into “Smokin’ Woman.” Vocalist Teears makes her presence felt as the horns also join for the powerful duet “Two Hearts.” “Sad and Lonely” brings guitarist Pennebaker into the fold for a burning guitar solo, and Guldin applies his characteristic witty wordplay to “Getting’ Over You Is Workin’ Over Me.” The band goes out in rocking style on Sleepy John Estes’ “Divin’ Duck Blues,” a feature for Bucks County favorite, Mikey Junior on his wailing harmonica.

Good times were had by all at The Rock House where a group of musicians just got down and let loose.

• Jim Hynes

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