Gerald McClendon

Mother Blues: Sleeping While The River Runs

Sleeping Dog Records

Born and raised in Chicago, Gerald McClendon is one of the more versatile artists weaned on the Masters of R n’ B: Marvin Gaye, Wilson Pickett and  Otis Redding. Known as the “Soulkeeper”, McClendon embraces many  genre’s and is an interpreter of classic rock, soul, blues, country and jazz. His impressive highlights include 1999’s “Choose Love”; 2005’s “Mother Blues”, originally released and now celebrating it’s twentieth anniversary; 2019’s “Grabbing The Blues By The Horns”, and it’s 2021 follow-up “Blues  From All Points”, both recorded with saxophonist Vince Salerno; 2020’s  “Can’t Nobody Stop Me Now”; and 2021’s “Let’s Have A Party”.

The ensemble on this re-issue includes McClendon, vocals; Steve Bramer, guitars, bass, keyboards, and percussion; Gordon Patriarcha, bass;  drummers Gikas Marks or Jim Barkley; keyboardist Jerry Soto; harmonica ace Hurtin’ Burt; Baabe Irving, additional horns; and backing vocalists Carole Baskin. Lara Jenkins, and LaShann McNicholas.

On the opening track “Pass You By” McClendon sings “Someone’s been  stealing all of your time. Right before my eyes, I’m watchin’ dollars turn to dimes, don’t worry baby, take it slow. In the end, this’ll pass you by, time gets the best of most things, and in time this too will pass”. On “Smokescreen” McClendon moans “two things you can count on, you live and then you die, I feel a smokescreen falling, there is more than meets the eye”.

“Keep You from Harm” is a lullaby written by Bramer, as McClendon  chimes, “close your eyes say goodnight, let daddy keep you from harm,  only in time, you’ll find yourself, but for now I’ll keep you from harm”. On “Leaves Tremble on the Tree”, McClendon groans “I woke up at the  counter of a dunk and dime, I was wearing clothes I didn’t know were mine, my hands and knees were shaking as I left my seat, felt the floorboards rumble as I stumbled to my feet, words were posted on the front marquee, they said the water’s risin’, leaves tremble on the tree”.  “Going Down for the Last Time” includes the lyric as McClendon chants “were going down for the last time, we have done our best and more, were going down for the last time”. On the uptempo “Common Ground”  McClendon chirps “we’ve had a lifetime to learn, what it means to make  the best of things, we got bridges to burn…common ground”.

On the slow blues “Bed Down” McClendon cries “I layed down to the bed, you got a brand new mattress, I’m bed down with the blues, now I’m back  at your door-step, why don’t you bed down with the Blues”. On the title  track “Sleep While The River Runs” McClendon belts “Find the edge of the shoreline, under the haze of the Memphis sun, feel the drift of the water, sleeping while the river runs, you will be sleeping while the river runs”.

McClendon plays a great guitar intro on the easy going blues shuffle  “Come to Me” as he shouts “”early in the morning, I got one thing on my mind, in the wee wee hours baby, you got to do more than rise and shine”. On “Thin Line” McClendon bursts “When you toy with affection, you walk a  thin line”. “Me & Ian” is the first of two instrumentals.

“Glory Train” is a gospel infused ‘call and response’ as McClendon sings  “and when my time has come, I’m gonna’ hop that train and ride…I believe I’m ready, glory, glory, I’m gonna’ hop that train and ride”. “Habit of the  Heart, sports an addictive riff as McClendon cries out “you been a prisoner from the very start…your all alone, this is a habit of the heart”.

On my favorite “Chalk Line” McClendon whines “They put a chalk line  around him, now he’s no longer sleeping with my wife, he was a low down dirty snake, he’s no longer sleeping with my wife”. “Walk With Me” is a  boogie as McClendon croons “walk with me baby, I’ll be your friend, night  and day, the bad moon is rising, one more day is done, cast a long shadow, and I’ll be your setting sun”.

“Where’s the Fire” is the second instrumental featuring some great  harmonica from Hurtin’ Burt. On the closer, a reprised version of  “Sleeping While The River Runs” the Halstead Street National Uptown  Choir harmonizes with some great church like organ.

McClendon states “My goal is to reach and teach students of all cultures and backgrounds about the tradition of R n’ B Soul music and the Blues. He does that and so much more on this twentieth anniversary celebration.

Richard Ludmerer

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