Richard Cagle & The Voodoo Choir

Zia Blues

Montrose Records

You may not be familiar with Richard Cagle but quite a few folks in the Houston music community know him. He produced and recorded Carolyn Wonderland’s first two albums and won a Producer of the Year KLOL Music Award for her second album. He also recorded Uncle John Turner, Johnny Winter, and Joe King Carrasco and many others. Nowadays, Cagle lives and works in the cool mountains of Ruidoso, New Mexico where he owns Montrose Records. Not since Richard Cagle’s last release (DOS) in 2016 has he delivered such a collection of pure get it done big time blues. All of the songs are written by Richard Cagle unless mentioned otherwise.

“Zia Blues” opens with the song “Dance, Dance, Dance” with the lyric “baby, you’re on fire” featured are Eric Demmer, saxophone (who played with Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown); Arnold Cardon, guitar; Paul Goad, bass and piano; Danny Cresap, drums; and backing vocalists Wayne and Lou Ann Ellison. “Knockin Me Down” includes Tim Martin, guitar; and Dave Shanks, Hammond Organ, “well baby, you know you’re knockin me down, makin’ me frown, baby, don’t you treat me right”. “Hello Sunshine” is a great vocal from Cagle, with Martin on guitar; Shanks’ on organ and piano; and Sam Barlow on harmonica, “I say, hey little mama, where you go last night”.

“Downtown Groove” features Rich Chorne, guitar; and Grant Gerondale, bass; as Cagle croons “don’t you wanna go, it’s a downtown groove, gettin’ high, gettin’ low, you got me going crazy, I know you’ve been foolin’ around”. “Them Blues” once again includes Chorne and Gerondale, and Ron Ramelli, who toured with Lavelle White, on harmonica, “you treat me like a traitor, you know I love you like nobody else…rock n’ rollin’ lord you give me them blues”.

The lowdown ballad “Be With You” is written by Cagle with pianist Shawn Allen, again with Sam Barlow on harp, “It’s been a long time, I’m sorry you went away” but honey if you got the time, I want to be with you”. “Secret of Life” is from Steve Straker “I’m moving south at the speed of sound…I’m waitin’, waitin’ for the break of day…make the most of your time, that’s the secret of life”.

For those who travel “Route 66”, track eight starts in Chicago and weaves its way through St. Louis and Joplin, Missouri; Tim Martin plays guitar as Cagle sings “Up in the morning before the break of day…drivin down this old highway, tryin’ to get home to you”.

“Treat Her Right” was written and first recorded by Roy Head in 1965, once again Demmer is on sax, as Cagle sings “I want to tell you a story…” with Goad on piano. “Preachin’ Blues” from Son House was also first recorded in 1965, featured are Cagle’s vocal, with just Mark Kashmar on guitar, “I’m gonna get religion and join the Baptist Church”. “Wish I Was In Heaven” a.k.a. “Wish I Was in Heaven Sitting Down” is a traditional tune re-arranged by Cagle, again with Kashmar on guitar; and Kelley Wright, percussion “ain’t gonna do like I did before”. The closer “Whadda Think O’ That” by Sher Katz, is another fine vocal from Cagle, while he plays harmonica; with Goad, bass and piano; and Sam Shackelford, drums “know you know, give me a heart attack, tell me, whadda think o’ that”.

On “Zia Blues” Richard Cagle and The Voodoo Choir play with a lot of emotional depth. This could be Cagle’s best work to date. Cagle states record the best you can so that your audience can feel it. This is highly recommended listening.

Richard Ludmerer

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