Review: 'Porch Sessions Volume 2' Tony Holiday

Tony Holiday

By Mike O’Cull

Memphis-based harmonica ace Tony Holiday shows us what the blues is all about on his brand-new record Porch Sessions Volume 2. Released September 17th, 2021 on Blue Heart Records, it’s a follow-up to Holiday’s previous Porch Sessions effort that found Tony traveling around to several great musicians houses and literally setting up mics on their porches and recording live, one-take hardcore blues the way it was meant to be. This time out, Holiday has more than 35 outstanding players and singers involved including Grammy-winner Bobby Rush, Victor Wainwright, Kim Wilson, Vasti Jackson, Kid Ramos, Johnny Burgin, Ben Rice, Kid Andersen, Willie Buck, AJ Fullerton, Watermelon Slim, and James Harman (R.I.P.). Holiday understands that the best blues music comes from capturing something human happening and Porch Sessions Volume 2 overflows with one amazing moment after another.

Originally from Salt Lake City, Utah, Tony Holiday fell in love with the blues at just 13 years old when his mother brought home a B.B. King record from the local library. He started on guitar at 16 and has been chasing blues greatness ever since. He didn’t pick up the harmonica until he was 29, which is hard to comprehend after experiencing his considerable skills. His inspiration for switching instruments came from his musical contemporary John Nemeth. “I was washing dishes in a barbecue joint,” Tony relates “and I heard music down the hall and peeked my head around the corner to see what that sound was. And it was Nemeth playing the harmonica. I sold my guitar the next day.” Clearly, it was the right move, as Holiday has built a solid reputation as a harp master that now precedes him wherever he goes. By making records in the old-school way he’s adopted, he also demonstrates that he gets the soul and spirit of the blues all the way back to their source and can rock the house/porch in that setting.

The album gets started with a sparkling cover of The Fabulous Thunderbirds’ gem “She’s Tuff” featuring piano man Victor Wainwright and his rhythm section. Wainwright and Holiday are a stomping combination that gets all the way underneath the tune’s shuffling groove and shows love to the real Texas blues. Holiday’s harp is smoking hot and Wainwright matches him lick for lick in intensity. Vocalist Willie Buck runs the table on the Sonny Boy Williamson classic “Honey Bee.” Kim Wilson of the aforementioned Fabulous Thunderbirds throws down some killer harp of his own here that sits nicely against Rusty Zinn’s guitar. The rough-and-tumble way of recording used to capture this one-take wonder makes it sound like it was cut decades ago and is just now coming to light. It’s haunting vibe and overload of soul will burn you up inside.

Watch the mini-doc about how Tony Holiday Made Porch Sessions Vol. 2

Bobby Rush and Vasti Jackson give a lesson on romance, cooking, and justice on “Recipe For Love” that goes from playful to serious very quickly and spotlights two of the blues community’s actual living legends. It’s level of cool is beyond belief and is likely to make even ardent pop fans start to understand life from a three-chord point of view. The mighty Watermelon Slim uses his dobro to get down on Howlin’ Wolf’s signature song “Smokestack Lightnin’” and turns in an intimate solo performance. Slim is always worth hearing and his light is still shining brightly.

“Going To Court” is a jumping, improv-heavy jam that contains one of the late James Herman’s last recorded performances and also features Holiday and twin guitar titans Kid Ramos and Landon Stone tearing up this light-hearted rocker. It has that wonderful in-the-moment feeling blues fans live to experience and kicks like a living, breathing thing. Chicago blues star Lurrie Bell teams up with harp slinger Mark Hummel for an authentic run at the 12-bar standard “Every Day I Have The Blues” that’s solid and true and is also one of the record’s best cuts. Other can’t-miss numbers include “Brazilian Brothel” with Richard “Rip Lee” Pryor and “Bad Girl” with Nightcats’ guitar guy Kid Andersen (on bass), Holiday, and Johnny Burgin. Tony Holiday has another winner on his hands with Porch Sessions Volume 2 and gives fans a tight, lively record that does more to keep the blues alive than any set of extended guitar solos ever could. If you get it, you need to get it.