Published on Jul 1, 2005
Ramblin’ with Ricks… the man is a singing nomad. He’s
lived all over the world, but presently makes his home in the
Delta. Combining blues, gospel, R&B and a hint of jazz, he
performs the Delta Blues. He bears the name of “Philadelphia” due
to his birthplace, but the foundations of his music lie in the
South.
In the late 1950s his love of the blues started to form.
Lightnin’ Hopkins was a major influence. Ricks worked as a
dishwasher in his younger days at Second Fret Coffeehouse. But on
the side, he would book blues players traveling through town. He
observed their performances and his love for the blues grew, as did
his desire to perform. “Born With The Blues” expresses his wish to
not only play the blues but to live them as well. The blues are not
just his hobby but his life. And he says that he learned and
continues to learn from every player who crosses his path.
Simplistically laid out, “James Alley Blues” exemplifies that
meandering Mississippi rhythmic style. It is slow and free from
ostentation. “Empty Bottle Blues” combines fragmented jazz and
soulful blues. Neither are anything to cheer about. There’s not a
whole heck of a lot of life in these tunes — however, they are
elementary and that raw form can be interesting. The blues are
about pain and heartache and there’s nothing dull about that. In
this case, though, the songs lack expressiveness and quality and
rate as tedious.
Highlighting the gospel aspect, “Troubled Lord” announces the
effort to just stay alive and try to survive — “troubled to my
soul” pretty much says it all. “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” is an old
standard born from the fields of slavery. Evidently saving the best
for last, he quietly and with soft expression performs this popular
gospel oldie. It is seemingly performed with minimal effort, and
yet it is more fluid than any of the other songs on this CD. Why
couldn’t he have used that ability on the rest of the CD?
It is basically an easy album to digest because it gives you
nothing, and therefore requires nothing of you. It doesn’t make you
want to jump up and dance, or even empathetically bemoan your own
woes and hardships. It is a lazy-ass sort of entertainment. I
personally would like to see more energy put into the music, and
more consistency. Perhaps Jerry Ricks is just streamlining his
music. He is an uncomplicated soul and his music is unpretentious
and simply performed. But unfortunately this often contributes to
disjointed vocals that do not always flow in harmony with the
music.
Deep down there is still that charm — the sympathetic nature of
the blues that draws you with its sorrowful message. “Times ain’t
nothin’ honey like they used to be….I’ve seen better days.”
Haven’t we all? Maybe there are better days a comin’ for Jerry
Ricks. This was not one of them.