4.0 out of 5 stars
One-Man Band and Blues Poet, September 24, 2011
This review is from: Sonet Blues Story (Audio CD)
Weldon "Juke Boy" Bonner was a Houston based one-and band who was a notable blues poet as well as a performer but who never was able to get out of his hard life. His recordings for Arhoolie demonstrate his approach a one-man band with his effective harp and guitar playing as well as his songs which often dealt with topical themes. Recorded by Arhoolie's Chris Strachwitz, the performances on Bonner's Blues Story volume are fine ones opening with I'm a Bluesman, singing about his hard life ("My father passed when I was two.") with an easy groove followed by Problems All Around (I can't get ahead from being held down) taken at a slow tempo. Besides his strong lyrics, Bonner provides strong boogie-laced guitar playing and tough rack harp playing that made him a fascinating purveyor of the one-man blues band idiom. Like his other releases, this is a gem that one should be delighted is widely available now.
This review originally appeared in the June 2006 Jazz & Blues Report.
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