Mick Pini is a German-based, Leicester-born blues guitarist, vocalist, visual artist and photographer. ‘Papa Voodoo’ is his 26th album in a 58-year career and his 3rd with Audio 54.
The album was released on August 15. My review was done on the CD copy, which is a fine CD with a great cover and inner sleeve. I really liked the mood the packaging conveyed; it took me straight to that New Orleans back room where they do tarot readings and play smooth, funky blues.
My colleague Lorraine reviewed the last album Mick Pini completed: “Way Ahead.” However, I am more of a blues listener here at the magazine, so I am happy to have this one!
Let me first hand over the press release to give you all the background: Craig Marshall (Audio 54) is a fellow Leicester musician turned innovative indie producer who initially approached Mick to work on what has become the album’s title track.
The two enjoyed international success with Pini’s 55th anniversary ‘Back Track’ compilation album, which charted worldwide, and the duo have also released ‘The Way Ahead’ album and two EP’s. ‘Papa Voodoo’ sees Pini extend his Peter Green Blues influence into fusion, funk, soul, world, ambient music and even reggae.
As Mick explains, “Craig’s contemporary approach and innovative ideas pushed the music in a new and exciting direction.
I love playing behind the beat, working on a funky feel and exploring the ‘less is more’ approach and I think Papa Voodoo is a great example of that.”
Craig Marshall (Audio 54): “I think Mick was surprised by what digital technology has offered us.
The common ground was that we always support a song’s feel through the way he blends soulful guitar tones into the expanded sonic landscape.”
Now for my review, which runs alongside Mick’s track notes:
“Duck Soup:” “Pete Feenstra came up with the title and it suited an idea I had for a Jeff Beck fusion style thing, with hints of Zappa.”
This is the instrumental opener to the album. It’s sonically smooth and takes us on a walk down the main street of Orleans toward the Haiti voodoo shop with associated paraphernalia.
“Papa Voodoo.” “This song resonates in a Dr. John New Orleans kind of way. I think this is the third version of the song that we have done.”
I reviewed this when it was released as a single, and I am happy to stick to my original thoughts on a second listen! There is always something inherently exciting about jungle drums; they have this steady pound that keeps you on the beat. I don’t know what music from Haiti, the land of voodoo, is like, but I guess this would be it! It has an old style guitar sound and this dirty vocal that bumps along to the drums. I would say a video of this would need a snake moving to the beat (just a thought!).
The song closely fits the cover and the whole expectation of the title. It very much slots into that smooth and dirty blues sound, and if you relax to a forbidden cigarette, this one can take you to the land of tarot and zombies (oo err).
“Funky Delicatessen:” “Sometimes a funky groove just bubbles up, envelopes you and cries out for a particular kind of guitar tone.”
Funky in the title and funky in the delivery. It certainly has a gravelly, deep and funky vocal. The guitars
“Mornington Crescent 69:” “A true story of me as a penniless musician being chased down a workers tube staircase. I managed to leap on to a tube just as the doors shut, leaving me to worry about not having a ticket.”
I liked this one. It reminded me, title-wise, of an old game that used to play on a Radio 4 Quiz program. As to the song, it is a slow storytelling instrumental piece with a sway and more than a touch of jazz in the instrumentals. The instrumental carries throughout the song; the chord spirals and harmony tell the tale; you don’t always need words.
“Got To Get My Way Home:” “About the different journeys we take in life, I was stranded without a visa in Canada and faced deportation until some wonderful legal people stepped in and helped.”
A bit of swamp music is here, somewhere in those long rivers in the deep south. It is very old blues; the vocals are almost spoken and the story is told. It has a great drum kick that hits about halfway in, and anyone who reads my reviews knows that I do love some drums up in the mix!
“Spark:” “A lovely Latin groove from Craig, with a cool percussive feel that reminds me of Traffic. I worked on matching the guitar tone with the feel of the track.”
I’m not sure this reminded me of traffic; I’m going to note those tabla-style drums underpinning a sweeter harmony on the dual vocals. The song picks up a simple, effective and melodic beat.
“Make It Last:” “This was originally a tune full of rhyming couplets, but the groove and percussion were so strong that it demanded to be a danceable instrumental!”
This is a rocky little instrumental. I could certainly dance to this one. As Freddie Mercury once said, “I feel a little boogie coming on,” and this could well deliver that boogie!
“Blues for Peter Green:” “This is a fan favorite and expresses my sense of loss for both my mum and my hero, Peter Green.”
This is melancholic blues—blues that see the guitar notes floating over the horizon. Late-night blues as you relax with a drink before bed.
“A Cold Day in Memphis:” “is another deeply felt blues about lost love and loneliness that is set in Memphis but could be any time, any place.”
This one has a nice piano-led rhythm, blues vocals and a nice nod again toward jazz instrumentalization. I liked this one with its background harmonies and the general feel of the piece took me toward Chris Rea territory. It’s actually my favorite piece on the album.
“Never Goes Away” “Sometimes when you get the blues, you just have to have broad shoulders and toughen up—hence the aggressive vocal and tone.”
This one leads with a more rocky feel to the guitar, and the narrative has some angst kicking the tune. It’s a decent mid-album song with a strong beat.
“Theme from Icarus:” “I revisited this track nearly 30 years ago. I originally saw it as having potential for the big screen. It captures a moment in time, or maybe an era!”
Icarus, of course, flew too high. I agree that this instrumental would be great on a film score. It has hints of the guitar work of Hank Marvin.
“Yo Yo Love:” “Love can pull you up and down like a yo-yo! Craig came up with the McCartney-style bass line and eerie BV’s, which left just enough room for the wah-wah.”
Absolutely! This one has a bouncy feel to it. I loved the guitar feel on this one. It’s a vibrant number that holds that groove nicely.
“Memphis Jazztronica:” “We thought about bonus tracks, and I left it to Craig to do a remix on this one, which kind of pushes the project into a more contemporary mode.”
This was a bit unexpected. The background harmonies are lovely and the beat does provide a modern blues feel to the track.
“You No Betta:” “This is a joyful reggae track that reminds me of my youth in Highfields, Leicester.”
This completes the album with a definite reggae beat, showing the album has many different tastes. It’s a solid closer.
In summary, after 26 albums, Mick Pini is no longer searching to squeeze the lemon of success; he is very comfortable with what he does, and he knows what his audience expects. This is a long album by today’s standards. I rarely get 14 tracks to listen to on an album today, where the interest tends to be in fast-release singles. It’s beautifully packaged and really well delivered overall, with something there to connect to modern blues fans and those that enjoy those touches of jazz instrumental. It also appeals to those of us who enjoy sitting back and listening to an album, gaining a full meal rather than a snack. A good job from one of the most experienced modern blues artists on the circuit today.
Standout Tracks: “Papa Voodoo,” “A Cold Day in Memphis,” and “Mornington Crecsent 69.”
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By Stevie Ritson