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Continued from page 18
lights on a album crammed with them are
the juke joint finger picking on "Yeah Now
Baby," the pure, Chicago blues of
"Nowhere To Go" and the swinging Latin
rhythm of "Recession Blues." An unexpected offering, "Birthday Song," which Pierre
wrote for his grandchildren, offers such a
deep blues groove that it should be included in the birthday song tradition.
Austin "Walkin' Cane" Charanghat is
Cleveland's best kept secret. Although the
soulful blues artist performs all over the
world, he consistently plays his home
town and if you don't get to Cleveland too
often, you're missing out on a real blues
treat. Fortunately, his newest release, One
Heart Walkin' (Wire & Wood Blues) is now
available for blues fans everywhere. A
booming baritone, slide guitar chops and
clever songwriting make his Delta blues
sound a rousing experience. Born with a
birth defect that had him walking with a
cane for ten years, it was fittingly, on
Bourbon Street, where he was gifted with
the nickname of "Walkin' Cane." He's since
had his left leg amputated below the knee
and no longer needs a cane, but the name
is now part of his blues persona.
And, what a persona it is. On the
swinging opening track, "Sweet Tea &
Bourbon," his husky vocals call out convincingly to try, "sweet tea and bourbon to
cool you off in the summer heat." He plays
tight guitar riffs on "Who's Gonna Love
You," a '50s jump blues number and cajoles
women to "shake yo jelly mama/shake it
all over me," on "Doing The Lindy Hop"
with the spirit of a man born in 1930s era
Natchez, Mississippi. He translates weariness and pain through his slide guitar and
soulful notes on "Living, Working, Dying"
and convincingly recalls his mother's
advice on the blues ballad, ("mama taught
me wrong from right/still I drank too
much last night") "Do What Your Mama
Says." Cleveland has never been on the traditional blues fans map but Austin Walkin'
Cane manages to give his town lost of
blues appeal.
60 illinoisentertainer.com october 2014