Racontourism: Tales Told in Blues, Roots, and Heart Music to Heal the Spirit and Make the Body Dance by Lozelle Jennings

I like this album. It grows on you. What are we to make of the title, an odd, portmanteau word? One guesses we must be in the land of the storyteller, but a storyteller who maintains the detachment of the tourist. Odd idea. The lyrics contradict it. Most are first- person narratives and filled with emotions, not detached at all.

The songs are an interesting melange of styles and genres and a good many are obsessed with sex, with which, of course, the music of the people has always been obsessed. “Sugar Bee,” for instance, chases a set of sexual metaphors that have been around for a long time, back through Fats Waller and “Honeysuckle Rose,” at least. “Baby, What’s that Knife” takes a turn at the violence and betrayals that sometimes accompanies sexual obsessions. Even Santa Claus is in on it–”that dirty fat man put his hands right where they should never be/And momma didn’t stop him–said his hands were wild and free.” Well, there has always been that confusion about who those cookies are for.

The music centers around blues. Dr. Jennings is an accomplished harmonica player and his stylings range from sweet to raucous. In “When the Blues Gets Bad,” harmonica is an effective second voice to Jennings’ plaintive voice. The solos he takes are judicious and if there’s a complaint, he doesn’t take enough of them. He’s accompanied by a competent and worthy group of sidemen. Perhaps we would like to hear guitarist George Friend really cut loose. He certainly has the licks. This isn’t a complaint. His work here is competent and, more important, it fits. But my ear heard moments when it sounded like he really would like to wail. We would like to hear that happen. Johnny Bazz on bass and Steven Hodges on percussion provide an excellent set of frames for Jenning’s performances. They are masters of their craft.

Dr. Jennings–whom I have known in previous shells of the Karmic adventure, when we played together in a little known band in Muncie, Indiana–has evolved into a unique artist. You will do yourself well by taking a listen.