The Alvins Continue to Make Nice on “Lost Time”

Following up on their critically acclaimed 2014 release, Common Ground — a tribute to Big Bill Broonzy — the Alvin brothers are back to further explore their musical influences and the roots of American music. On Lost Time, out Sept. 18, Dave and Phil Alvin showcase the wide and varied range of their influences, covering some of the iconic songs of American blues, gospel-tinged bluegrass, and soul, as well as some more obscure tunes. 

The disc opens with a blistering version of “Mister Kicks,” originally by Oscar Brown Jr. Brown is one of those artists who never got the attention his talent deserved. Phil’s fine phrasing is matched by Dave’s nasty guitar, which has just the right tone. 

Next up is the always timely and topical “World Is in a Bad Condition,” a gospel number made famous by the Golden Gate Quartet. Phil has always been able to take a gospel tune and make it his own, and he has no problem here. Phil trades vocals for a harmonica and hands it off to Dave for the next number, a rolling version of Blind Boy Fuller’s “I’m a Rattlesnake Daddy.” Listen to Dave stretch it out with his incendiary guitar work, toward the song’s end.

But the real emphasis of Lost Time is on one of the Alvins’ other early influences and one of my personal music heroes: Big Joe Turner. 

One of the best things my alma mater, The University of Minnesota, ever did was sponsor a Summer Music series in the early 1980s honoring some of the greats in American music like Alberta Hunter and Big Joe Turner. Not only did these concerts serve to educate the public, but they gave a handsome honorarium to these living legends during the twilight of their careers, when it was so sorely needed. For the Big Joe Turner concert, they  even recruited Pete Johnson, Joe’s old orchestra leader to lead the band. I was fortunate to score a fifth row seat. Just thinking about that show nearly 35 years later still gives me goosebumps.

Although the Alvins had given a nod to Turner on Common Ground with “One Fat Stuff,” on Lost Time, they devote four songs to the great Kansas City Blues Shouter: “Cherry Red Blues,” “Hide and Seek,” “Wee Baby Blues,” and “Feeling Happy.” 

You have to admire the courage of anyone who attempts to tackle Turner’s material, not so much for its difficulty but rather the indelible impression Big Joe’s performances leave in the mind of the listener. It is virtually impossible to overcome that impression, even for someone with pipes like Phil. Don’t get me wrong, these are top notch performances on Lost Time and never do the Alvin brothers attempt to simply mimic Big Joe. Rather, they are smart enough to give their interpretation of songs their clearly love. 

Of the four, perhaps “Cherry Red Blues” strays the furthest from the original and works the best. As good as the versions of “Hide and Seek” and “Feeling Happy” are on this disc, I was left with the overwhelming urge to dust off the original versions and listen to them again. (I feel that Turner’s performance on “Hide and Seek” is one of the greatest performances in all of American music.) 

The set closes with an absolutely beautiful version of the Rev. Thomas Dorsey’s gospel song “If You See My Savior.” They do it in bluegrass instrumentation like the Dixie Travelers’ version, but with the Alvin brothers trading vocals like the Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee version.  It’s simply stunning.

If Lost Time has the same effect on you as it did on me, and you are compelled to discover — or rediscover — the original versions of songs by the likes of Big Joe, James Brown, Oscar Brown Jr., Blind Boy Fuller,  and Leroy Carr, then this record will have served its purpose.