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1.
Goin'
Home 4:17
(D. Madison, A. Walker, P.
Lacocque, K. Davis & C. Winters, Blue Angel
Music, Ransart Music & Blue Crane Music, BMI)
- Guitar solo Chris Winters
2. Jean's
Jive* 3:04
(P. Lacocque, Ransart Music,
BMI)
- Guitar solo Chris Winters
3. She's
Got Everything 4:00
(C. Winters, Blue Crane Music,
BMI)
- Guitar solo Chris Winters
4. What
Kind Of Man Is That? 4:58
(P. Lacocque, Ransart
Music, BMI) - Guitar solo Chris Winters
5. That
Ain't Love 3:45
(P. Lacocque & A. Walker,
Ransart Music & Blue Angel Music, BMI)
- Guitar solo Chris Winters
6. Blues
For George Baze 4:12
(P. Lacocque, Ransart Music,
BMI) - Guitar solo Chris Winters
7. Caribbean
Sunshine 3:28
(P. Lacocque, Ransart Music,
BMI)
- Guitar solo Carl Weathersby
8. Heartbroken**
5:10
(P. Lacocque, Ransart Music,
BMI)
- Slide guitar Chris Winters, exit solo Michael
Thomas
9. Madcat
Hop 4:52
(P. Lacocque, Ransart Music,
BMI)
- Slide guitar Chris Winters
10. Hobo
Blues 3:38
(P. Lacocque, Ransart Music,
BMI)
11. Still Havin' A Ball 3:48
(P. Lacocque, Ransart Music, BMI)
- Guitar solo Carl Weathersby
12. Gonna
Leave And Let Her Be 3:47
(P.
Lacocque & R. Covington, Ransart Music, BMI)
13. What
Else Can I Do? 4:18
(K. Davis, Katy-D Pub. Co.,
BMI)
- Guitar solo Carl Weathersby
14. Footprints
On The Ceiling 3:40
(J.
Ward & S. Bailey, Malaco Music Co., BMI)
* Dedicated to Jean Carey
** In Memory of Lawrence "Sonny" Wimberly
(1937-1991) |
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This talented
group of musicians has been working with Pierre for several
years; Kenny Smith for six years, Chris Winters, Steve
Howard and Michael Thomas for four years and Roger Weaver
for three years. Together they have traveled around the
world several times, performed at major festivals and
recorded twice. Since our last CD, Handyman, was so well
received, we again invited Carl Weathersby and Billy Boy
Arnold to work with us.
This recording worked out smoothly from the onset. Rehearsals
were efficient and good energy flowed. Pierre had charted
all the tunes, rehearsed them in small groups with Steve,
Michael, Chris and with the whole band at Roger's house.
Goin' Home, our opening song on this CD, was created at
one of those rehearsals. We then rented Thirty Fifth Street
Studio for more formal rehearsals with the band, as well
as with Billy Boy Arnold and Carl Weathersby. Michael
Freeman, sound engineer for Grammy Award recordings with
Bo Diddley and Billy Boy Arnold, and for our Handyman
CD (6th Annual Award for Best CD of the Year from Real
Blues magazine in 1999), was there taking notes on arrangements
and immersing himself in the project.
Pierre played bass lines and a constant melody so everyone
could latch on, and he organized the sequence of solos,
selecting those that had worked out best during live shows
emphasizing the turnarounds, the bridges and the endings.
The band recorded all the material in Chicago, at Tone
Zone on June 11, 12 and 13, 2001 and proved again that
they were great session musicians; they could do in the
studio what they do on stage. We are fortunate to have
a group that values music and harmony enough to work on
it honestly and earnestly.
In this sense, Mississippi Heat has remained true to its
mantra; all members collaborate and invite each other
to bring their own contribution and interpretation. Harmony
and a good working circuit do the rest.
Eleven songs are authored, or coauthored by Pierre, one
by Chris, one by Katherine Davis and the title track is
a cover tune previously recorded by Ruby Andrews. The
creativity that Pierre brings to the bandstand and with
it, the challenge of learning new tunes and preforming
them sometimes on the spot, keeps the band vibrant and
spontaneous. (Bob Stroger - a member of our original band
- used to tell me that Pierre kept him on his toes with
his new songs.)
Pierre always starts with the music before the lyrics
come. What he wants us to feel begins in the drums and
in the mood, and then finds its expression in words. Yet
he understands that voice is the most intimate expression
of the soul; he does not sing and so he has always relied
on a singer. Robert Covington, Deitra Farr, Katherine
Davis and now Inetta Visor, all bring their craft and
their talent and lend them to sing the songs Pierre wishes
he could sing. The business of music is a business of
debt and gratitude, of collaboration and of harmony. A
lot for us has been very hard work, moments of agony and
self-doubt, as well as moments of bliss; a lot for us
has also been good fortune and blessings.
Inetta Visor joined us and added the final piece to a
group of talented instrumentalists. Inetta has been singing
all her life. We are proud to introduce her here to our
fans for her recording debut.
Inetta Visor ... Remember that name! She has a voice and
she has a way to our depths. She loves to sing and she
has the power to stop us from doing whatever we are doing
and to make us listen. Inetta was the first person we
auditioned when it became clear Katherine Davis was becoming
too busy with her own career. We listened to Inetta's
renditions of some of our songs and the rest became dream
and possibility.
Kenny Smith has been Pierre's drummer for six years now
... the longest, continuous association in Pierre's musical
experience. Kenny has Pierre's complete trust; together
they keep the pulse and the rhythm of the band healthy
and harmonious. They have a wordless connection that reaches
deep. Kenny is in great demand as a studio musician. He
has performed on drums on more than fifty recordings.
Growing up in a home next door where Muddy Waters lived,
listening to his dad playing drums for fifteen years with
Muddy, all conspired to make him the perfect keeper of
our beat. Kenny holds the rhythm with the tips of his
fingers, lightly and with a simple ease. Yeat we know
that if it was as easy as he makes it look, he would not
have to concentrate so intently. In fact, is is in the
very intensity of his focus that we see the manifestation
of his gift.
Our bass player, Steve Howard, is Kenny's constant companion
on and off the bandstand. We see them together teasing,
laughing and listening to music on every trip we take.
They found a quick connection through their music. They
lock and play together in artful harmony, always in concentrated
and joyous effort. The work in the studio you hear in
this CD is typical of their inspiring association. Steve
is always on, ready to play. There is no fumbling around
to find his place in the music; he is there before Pierre
calls the next song. In times of constant change and hurried
pace, we are enormously fortunate to have him play so
calmly to sustain our group. He is twenty-six years old
(and Kenny is twenty-seven). Young enough to learn and
search for Pierre's pulse, and mature enough to keep it
with poise when the band rushes ahead with excitement.
Michael Thomas and Chris Winters have played guitar with
Mississippi Heat for the past four years. Michael plays
deep, soulful chords and blue notes with Chris' melodic,
driving and tasteful solo constructions. They both are
remarkable in part because they love to play rhythm for
each other. They challenge each other for the most tasteful
rhythmic accompaniment and their pleasure in performing
together often brings audiences to their feet.
Roger Weaver loves to play quietly with the rhythm; he
widens the field cleverly and elegantly; he finds ways
to sweeten the song while adding to its range. Roger is
comfortable in the back with our rhythm section, yet he
is always ready to add something at the top. Roger is
a creative soloist who needs little time to say a lot.
Billy Boy Arnold and Carl Weathersby were guests on our
last CD, Handyman, and they are here again with us. Both
sing here. Billy Boy also plays some harp and Carl plays
guitar on overy track.
Carl gave us all he had. He is an awesome musician and
soloist. But Carl is foremost a team player with extraordinary
skills in harmonizing all instruments by tying everything
together seamlessly. Carl has an inroad to the soul that
leaves him vulnerable some of the time and magnificent
all of the time.
Billy Boy is a rare gentleman who offers everything he
has every time we play music. We perform together often
and with a special fervor each time. He brings with him
all the Chicago blues magic of the golden years. We count
Billy as part of the good fortune we enjoy. We are proud
to have him as our friend and partner.
Katherine Davis, our friend and Pierre's partner on voice
for the past four years, has acquired such a reputation
as a leading lady that we had to agree to let her follow
her own star. We are deeply grateful for your friendship,
your gentle ways, your love and all the gifts you have
bestowed upon us. We plan reunions on stage, and we look
forward to all the family gatherings with you and yours.
Katherine's contributions to our band and to its harmony
is celebrated on Handyman! We are proud here to feature
her songs, What Else Can I Do? and Goin' Home, coauthored
by her as well on this CD. Both songs express deep, soulful
longing. Katherine has a knack for letting us in on her
private and personal lament and for making us want to
sing along! Inetta Visor sings her songs here with feeling
and conviction.
Here is a band that records as well as it performs live.
What you hear is what you get every night they perform!
Co-Producer's Notes
To be asked back to work on new recordings for an artist
with whom you have established a great rapport is always
a delight for any producer, and so it was with great enthusiasm
that I accepted Pierre Lacocque's offer to have me join
forces with him again to co-produce the next Mississippi
Heat album.
We had forged a fine working relationship together on
the previous outing "Handyman", to say nothing
of the fine friendships that followed along with both
Pierre, his brother and "co-conspirator' Michel,
and many of the band members and contributors.
Both of us felt strongly that we had to present the current
line-up of musicians and the new songs Pierre had written
in the strongest possible light and especially so, since
the extra attention we had paid to the recordings and
arrangements on "Handyman" had received wonderful
kudos from so many quarters and continue to do so.
Technically, the recordings demanded a well-equiped and
acoustically favorable room with some size to it. Tone
Zone was once a gain the obvious choice and made so much
happen for me so easily.
"Footprints on
the Ceiling" encompasses a huge body of very diverse
work indeed, drawing from a wide and deep range of influences
within that great musical family of the Blues. Without
Pierre Lacocque's unswerving and deep committment to his
unique, and I feel, exceptionally refreshing vision, Mississippi
Heat would not be able to take us on the rich musical
journey it now does.
For Pierre, as bandleader and main writer, Mississippi
Heat has always been a vehicle through which he can explore
and deliver to both the listener and the live audience,
a wide variety of his impressions and interpretations
of both traditional and contemporary Blues. Also as a
player, it allows us to see in no uncertain terms, that
he knows his instrument very well indeed and that the
roots of the music he writes and plays are deeply etched
into his musical being.
Providing us with such diversity on a record or throughout
a live performance, he invites all who particippate and
all who listen to really dig deep down inside to discover
their own influences and perhaps touch deep and passionate
feelings. The result is a wonderful journey through a
very different yet often familiar landscape of rich and
thoughtfully crafted pieces. He darres not to follow the
now well-trodden paths of predictability and gently challenges
the listener to consider a more diverse and perhaps a
more rewarding collection of work when all is said and
done. I admire this greatly.
Working together with Pierre is always a shared commitment
to the possible and to strive for excellence. It is thus
a truly rewarding experience. It is my sincere hope that
in addition to sharing the musical journey we have all
taken during the making of this record, the listener will
also taste some of the wonderful ingredients and feel
the passsion that has been poured and stirred into this
next chapter for Mississippi Heat.
– Michael
Freeman, January 2002
CrossCut
Records (CCD 11071)
"Best CD of the year"
and "Best Production of the Year" Award (Real
Blues Magazine).
Personnel:
Pierre Lacocque, Inetta Visor, Kenneth Smith, Chris Winters,
Michael Thomas, Roger Weaver, Stephen Howard. Guest
Stars: Billy Boy Arnold, Peter "Madcat"
Ruth, Carl Weathersby. Background Vocals and Horns. |
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