Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson - Kidney Stew is Fine

Delmark 631

Not to be confused with the younger "Fathead" who also buttered his first slices of musical bread with the palate-pleasing spread of early R&B, "Cleanhead" came from an earlier era, initially plying his booting Texas-tinted sax in the company of Arnett Cobb and Illinois Jacquet in the Milton Larkin Orchestra. Subsequent stints included apprenticeships with bluesman Big Bill Broonzy and Ellingtonian Cootie Williams before going the solo route in 1945 and waxing a string of jukebox hits for Mercury. This session, originally released on the French Black & Blue imprint, dates from nearly a quarter century later. Vinson strolls easily through a studio set list that relies heavily on his routine repertoire of swing and jump blues numbers from borrowed from the likes of Broonzy, Big Joe Turner and others. The versions here differ from earlier renderings primarily in terms of production and recording quality and program has the pervasive feel of colleagues getting together with no greater purpose other than to jam for their own satisfaction.

Ringers T-Bone Walker and Jay McShann, royalty from roughly the same era as Vinson's ascendancy, supply steady, if largely pedestrian support. Tenorist Hal Singer has the chops to spar easily with the leader, but receives a secondary seat. Bassist Roland Lobligeois and drummer Paul Gunther are even more of a background pair, but both provide the band with dependable support. The focus rests firmly on Vinson who plays adequate alto on nearly every piece, but devotes even more time to vocals, singing in a colloquial style that sounds uncannily like Screamin' Jay Hawkins without the histrionics. Lyrics deal with perpetual blues topics including the vagaries of alcoholic women, the virtues of soul food and the yearning for better personal circumstances. It's a well-played and enjoyable date, but ultimately interchangeable with other Vinson efforts from throughout his career.

~ Derek Taylor