Published on May 21, 1998
Hubert Sumlin might be the best-known bluesman that you’ve never
heard of.
The longtime guitarist for Howlin’ Wolf has influenced so many
musicians’ styles, but unless you’ve really followed the blues
closely, you might not have been aware that he has maintained a
solo career for some time now. (I remember playing songs from his
album
Heart And Soul when I was in college radio.)
Now, Sumlin storms to the forefront with
Wake Up Call, his latest solo effort. Sumlin shows he can
easily be considered one of the best guitarists in an older-style
form of blues – the style that is sometimes the hardest to develop
a taste for.
Sumlin kicks off things with a touch of slide guitar on “I’m
Going Home,” possibly tipping his hat to the late Hound Dog Taylor.
Sumlin’s vocals are smooth, even on the rough edges, and his
playing is powerful without being overtly flashy. When Sumlin lets
his guitar do the talking for him, such as on “Makes Me Think About
The One I Had” and “Let Your Fingers Do The Talkin'”, the formula
clicks quite well. A solid backing band, including rhythm guitarist
Jimmy Vivino, help Sumlin’s case.
When the band vamps on one or two chords for the entire song,
however, the formula tends to break down quickly – again, Hound Dog
Taylor comes to mind. Songs like “Gonna Move” and “I Just Need Your
Love” don’t hit the target like they could have. In fact,
Wake Up Call isn’t always the easiest album to get through
in one sitting when the sound changes from 12-bar blues to the
single-chord vamping.
Wake Up Call still is a very solid showcase for Sumlin –
from what I remember, this album is much better than anything I had
heard from him almost ten years ago – and his live show is
supposedly incredible. And although it’s occasionally difficult to
get through, this is an album that is worth putting the effort into
listening to.
Sumlin might not have all the polish that other blues artists
seem to have, but the vibe of this album is genuine. To an artist
like Sumlin, honesty isn’t in getting a take perfectly with lots of
overdubs, it’s pouring your all into the one take and leaving it as
is, flubbed notes and all. That is a refreshing change of pace –
and I’m not insinuating that this album is sloppy; no, it is very
well performed.
Wake Up Call is an album you might have to do some searching
for, and is an album you’ll have to listen to more than once to
truly appreciate. But in the end, it’s a journey worth taking.