Blind Lemon Pledge

Lemon Live!

Independent

Blind Lemon Pledge, aka Bay Area bluesman James Byfield, discovered a world of great music while still in his early teens. The pre-WarII Country Blues of Blind Lemon Jefferson, Son House, Skip James, and others had a huge influence on Byfields early musical development. He also absorbed an intoxicated mix of Rock, Country, Jug Band, Zydeco and Americana.  Byfield created the persona Blind Lemon Pledge, and began performing and recording under that name. His first album was “Livin’ My Life With The Blues”.

This is BLP’s tenth album and first live album. The quartet includes him on all guitar and vocals. Winston “Sioux City Slim” Andrews on harmonica;  bassist Mr. Peter Grenell; and rockin’ Juli Moscovitz on drums. The album includes five originals and eight selected covers.

The album opens with a tribute to Son House “Backyard Suzie” with guitar and vocals from Pledge, and harmonica from Slim, as he sings “She’s got a cold steel 44…black eyed Suzie is long and lean, she’s the finest woman I’ve ever seen…when she rides in the saddle, she’s a buckin’ mare, she can make a preacher swear”. Hard Heart Honey Bee” includes the lyric “she walks in the room like she owns the world, she’s a hard hearted honey bee …I lost my heart, she’s a hard, hearted, honey bee”. On the ragtime-ish Sugar Rush she chimes, “hush, hush, hush, sugar rush, I can’t get enough of your candy, can’t get enough of your little ass, can’t get enough of your candy”.

“Somebody Loan Me a Dime” was written and first recorded by Fenton Robinson, “I need to call my old-time used-to-be…I know she’s a good woman now, but there were times I just didn’t understand, somebody loan me a dime ’cause I need her helping hand”. “She Into Something” was written by Carl Wright and recorded by Muddy Waters “you should be into something too”.

“I Feel Like Goin’ Home” is an oldgospel number traced back to the Stanley Brothers bluegrass band, recorded by them in 1966, I’m sure other versions also exist, “the old river runs to the sea, if I don’t find my baby child, someone’s gonna bury me”. “Fever” written by John Davenport and Ed Cooley was a huge hit for Peggy Lee in 1958, “you never know how much I love you, you give me fever when you kiss me, fever when you hold me tight, fever, what a lovely way to burn”.

“I Know You Rider”, can be traced all the way back to a 1927 Blind Lemon Jefferson song, and was also recorded by The Mississippi Shieks, “gonna miss me when I’m gone…the sun gonna shine on my back door someday, and the sun’s gonna come and blow my blues away”. On another original “You Can’t  Get There From Here” Pledge chants “you hurt me so bad…now you want to come back, like nothin’ ever happened, but one thing I know for sure, you can’t get there from here”.

“Big Road Blues” was written by Tommy Johnson and first recorded in 1928, “ain’t going down that big road by myself…why do you treat me like a used to be…why do you take that poor boy’s money but you won’t take mine…if I can’t carry you, I’m gonna’ carry somebody else”. On the last original “Railroad Mama” “now she wants me to do just what she wants me to…she tell’s me I was cheatin’ but it just ain’t so…I do just what she tell me to”.

Willie Dixon’s “The Red Rooster” was first recorded in 1961 by Howlin’ Wolf and covered by The Rolling Stones in 1964, “I got a little red rooster, just too lazy to crow today, she got everybody in the barnyard upset in every way… the dogs begin to bark , the hounds begin to howl”. On the closer “Junkyard Dog” Pledge croons “I’m a junkyard dog…come on honey won’t you give me a little more…I’m a hardluck dog, come on kitty, kitty why don’t you give your love to me…I’m a junkyard dog and I’m howlin’ till the digs come home”.

On “Lemon Live!” Blind Lemon Pledge aka James Byfield proves that he continues to maintain his long musical career. He continues to receive international airplay and critical raves. He continues to surprise his listeners in exciting ways with his songwriting, adept guitar and vocals. This is the best I’v ever heard from Blind Lemon Pledge.

Richard Ludmerer
Contributing Editor/Making A Scene

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