The Sunday Night Blues Project

Bert Deivert -- "Kid Man Blues"

2012-01-31T12:54:00.004-05:00

Bert Deivert is a blues mandolin player. If you have never heard of him, or his great music, "Kid Man Blues" is your invitation. Deivert is an international musician, born in Boston, now living in Sweden and recording this cd in the USA, Sweden and Thailand. He plays on this, his tenth cd, with great fire and passion and taste. Deivert shares these songs with some great guests, including Bill Abel from Mississippi, Memphis Gold from Washington, DC, the great Delta drummer Sam Carr, (RIP Sam) Tom Paley, from the New Lost City Ramblers, the great pianist Willie Saloman, Janne Zander, the great slide guitarist Brian Kramer, Mats Qwarfordt, Sven Zetterberg, guitarist Dulyasit "Pong" Srabua from Bangkok, and many other great Thai and Swedish musicians.

But enough about all that--how does it sound? In a word, delightful. If you are a fan of the early Grateful Dead, or those Old & In The Way-era David Grisman/Jerry Garcia collaborations, or those great old acoustic country blues of Mississippi John Hurt then you will love this cd. Deivert has created a big-hearted embrace of the joys and glory of real music played and sung, worthy to be compared to the music of John Hartford, Woody Guthrie, Rev Gary Davis. Timeless music. Deivert's singing is just wonderful, and his work on the mandolin is terrific. You could just as easily call this country music, or blues, or americana--labels don't matter. There's a great version of "Keep On Truckin'," and an equally great take of the traditional "Diddie Wah Diddie," a fine cover of R L Burnside's Goin' Down South," and deeply soulful readings of "Cypress Grove" and Walter Davis's "Come Back Baby" that brought tears to my eyes it made me miss Dave Van Ronk so much. Earlier today I played several songs from this disc for a friend. He listened, and then he looked at me and said "That's good stuff." Jim, you're right--this is good stuff.

You can buy this cd at http://www.cdbaby.com

James Armstrong -- "Blues at the Border"

2012-01-26T10:40:00.004-05:00

James Armstrong has been called 'The Ambassador of the Blues.' He has been playing guitar and singing the blues since he was eight years old, and by the time he was 17 he was touring across the country. "Blues at the Border" is his first release in 11 years, and his first release on Catfood Records after three cds on Hightone Records. This cd was recorded in two sessions, one set in New York with Armstrong's vocals and guitar backed by Michael Ross on guitar, George Papageorge on organ, Malcolm Gold on bass, and Warren Grant on drums, with Madonna Hamel on background vocals and Bennet Paster on piano and clavinet, Rich Zukor on tambourine and Sam 'Bluzman' Taylor's voice is sampled on one track. The other set was recorded in Texas, with Armstrong's vocals and guitar backed by top session musicians Dan Ferguson on keyboard, Richy Puga on drums, and Bob Trenchard on bass. Jessica Ivey and Jillian Ivey bring the backing vocals. Armstrong wrote 4 songs, Bob Trenchard wrote three.

The sound is urban, smooth blues--Armstrong sounds similar to Buddy Guy when he sings, and his guitar sound is similar to Robert Cray--but all this is hinting towards what you can expect. Armstrong is really good. He has his own style, a warm solid 'in the pocket' sense of how to put a song across honed by years on the road. Reminds me of Johnny Rawls, and I mean that in a good way. My favorite songs here are "Young Man With The Blues," in which Armstrong reflects back on all those miles and tells a familiar story, and the title song, in which Armstrong reflects on how difficult it is, post 9-11, to get from place to place. "Reflects" may be a key word here. This is a good cd in part because the writing is top-notch. A lot of thought has taken place before these these great musicians committed these songs to posterity.

You can buy this cd at http://www.cdbaby.com James Armstrong's website is at http://www.jarmblues.com

Added Friday January 27--I just found out that James Armstrong is scheduled to play here tonight! He will be at Blind Willie's. I'm going to go!

Reverend Raven & the Chain Smokin' Altar Boys -- Shake Your Boogie

2012-01-25T11:21:00.006-05:00

The first time I heard this disc it blew me away--an almost perfect slice of party blues, similar in feel to those great cds by The Bel Airs or Omar & the Howlers. These guys can all play great, and they've been playing together forever. Well, since 1966, anyway. "Shake Your Boogie" is their fourth release dating back to 1998--I recommend all of them. This time out they do exactly what they've done on all those previous discs, and what they do every night on the upper mid-western blues circuit--they play that good time blues music, lifting spirits and kickin' ass. The band is Reverend Raven on guitar and vocals, P T Pedersen on bass, Bobby Lee Sellers Jr on drums and vocals, Danny Moore on piano/organ, and sometimes the great Big Al Groth on sax. Madison Slim provides harp and vocals on four tracks, where an alternative rhythm section of Andre Maritato on bass and Spencer Panosh on drums sit in and the sax is absent. Piano and organ are provided by either Mickey Larson or Danny Moore on most tracks. Reverend Raven wrote three of the songs, and PT Pedersen wrote one song, the sole instrumental here. Gerry Hundt, former member of Nick Moss’ Fliptops is the author of two tracks. The covers this time out come from Hound Dog Taylor, Slim Harpo, Little Milton, St Louis Jimmy Oden, Robert Nighthawk and Sonny Boy Williamson. The album was recorded live on stage in Milwaukee, but from the absence of any crowd noise I assume that it was ‘live’ without an audience. Too bad. It would have been a lot of fun to watch these songs come to life in the hands of this great band.

It's hard to pick favorites. The opener, "Looking For Love," sets the table. By the time we're on the 4th track, the traditional "Just Count The Days that I'm Gone," I'm hooked, looking forward to "She's Murder," "Bricks In My Pillow" and "Like Wolf" and all the rest. I especially like "I Can Do You Right," which features a big slice of Big Al Groth on sax, driving through a great song with taste and tone. Big Al is the reason why I think all blues shouters really MUST have a great sax player in the band. Another standout song is "PTs Home Cooking," an instrumental with a lot of great cool bass and piano work.

I love the whole cd--the variety and the drive, the upbeat groove. Buy this one for the infectious joy they offer--the Reverend Raven and the Chain Smokin' Altar Boys are hot and tight and fun. This release came out in 2010. You can buy this cd at http://www.reverendraven.com/

Bruce's Top Ten from 2011

2012-01-05T15:39:00.014-05:00

Every year I post a Top Ten, normally in December. This year it's a few days late. Anyway, a lot of great music was released in 2011, and I want to thank the artists and the labels and everybody who helped make it such a good year to enjoy the blues. The following ten cds are the best of what I heard last year--these are the ones I enjoyed listening to the most. They were all released in 2011. Anyway, here goes, in no particular order!

Gregg Allman -- "Low Country Blues" (Rounder)
This should be in my top ten if all it did was get us a new batch of songs sung by Gregg Allman. But it did a lot more than that. The songs and the singing are all uniformly excellent, and it is an opportunity to hear/discover that Gregg is much more than the keyboard player and singer in the Allman Brothers. The man is a great singer, and here he is singing great songs, and the production by T Bone Burnett just burnishes the disc. This was ranked # 1 on the Roots Radio Airplay Chart for 2011. Music-making of the highest order.

Tom Hambridge -- "Boom!" (Superstar Records)
See my review on September 16.

Sean Costello -- "At His Best - Live" (Landslide)
Another reminder of the promise lost when Sean passed away in April 2008. This is a follow-up to the 2009 "Sean's Blues: A Memorial Retrospective." Both are really good discs, but I'd still rather have Sean with us and playing live. I love all of Sean's discs, and in my opinion he did the best Bob Dylan covers since Jimi.

The F & G Band (featuring Edlene Hart) -- "Grease Up Yo' Strutt" (indy)
See my review July 11.

D'Mar & Gill -- "Real Good Friend" (Airtight Productions)
See my review September 19.

The Cash Box Kings -- "Holler and Stomp" (Blind Pig)
See my review December 24.

Moreland and Arbuckle -- "Just A Dream" (Telarc)
See my review December 26.

The Duke Robillard Band -- "Low Down and Tore Up" (Stony Plain)
See my review November 14.

Davina & The Vagabonds -- "Black Cloud" (Roustabout Records)
See my review June 20.

Hadden Sayers -- "Hard Dollar" (Blue Corn Music)
See my review May 31.

It is difficult to pick my top ten releases, but it is even more difficult to pick one song of the year. Bruce's Blues Grammy. I listened this year to nearly 400 songs, and there were some songs that just stuck with me, songs with the whole package--great playing, great singing, and great songwriting. Songs such as Grady Champion's "Same Train," E. G. Kight's "Somewhere Down Deep," Lisa Mills' "Tennessee Tears," Joel DaSilva's "Every Night" and Tom Hambridge's "Never Gonna Change."

But after a lot of deliberation my favorite song of 2011 is "I Can't Wait" on Diunna Greenleaf's cd "Trying To Hold On."

Levee Town -- "Pages of Paperwork"

2011-12-27T16:34:00.002-05:00

Levee Town is a Kansas City based quartet: Brandon Hudspeth on guitar and vocals, Jimmie Meade on harmonica and vocals, Jacque Garoutte on bass and vocals, and Jan Faircloth on drums. This is their fourth release after forming in 2002. They were discovered at the 2007 International Blues Challenge, where they were finalists. Pages of Paperwork is a collection of fourteen original songs, three by Garoutte and ten by Hudspeth. Meade writes one song.

The guys in Levee Town have been playing together for almost a decade now, and it shows. These guys plug in, look around at each other, and hit it hard. They play tight, smooth and balanced. Listening to this disc on a grey rainy day here in Atlanta, I hear echoes of Led Zeppelin circa "Houses of the Holy." Everybody can flat-out play, and everybody gets a chance to shine--this is a musical machine and they're making the best music they know how. The vocals are deep and clear whether Hudspeth or Meade or Garoutte are leading. Hudspeth is on fire on guitar, especially on "Hurt But Strong" and on "Song She Sang." Meade gets to cut loose on harmonica, sounding like Sonny Boy Williamson on "Four Leaf Clover" and like Slim Harpo on "Show Them Whatcha Got." Cudos to Jan Faircloth and Jacque Garoutte for laying down the rock-solid foundation, playing with intensity and restraint, keeping everything hot and jumping on the bass and drums. I am looking forward to playing this disc for my friends. I already know that my friend Don will dig "It's Been So Long." But as impressive as the band is on this cd, I can only imagine that they really are best experienced live. I believe "Angel On My Shoulder" (and/or almost any other song here) would absolutely COOK in a live setting.

You can check the band's schedule for gigs in your area and you can buy this cd at http://www.leveetown.com

Moreland and Arbuckle -- "Just A Dream"

2011-12-26T18:38:00.003-05:00

Guitarist Aaron Moreland and harpist/vocalist Dustin Arbuckle are a musical force. This is their 3rd cd I have reviewed--"1861" and "Flood" and now "Just A Dream." This is their second release on the Telarc International record label, a division of Concord Music Group. On this album Moreland & Arbuckle take their latest step in the quest to unearth the rawest and most honest elements of the American music tradition – without getting caught up in definitions and categories that would only serve to limit the vision. It sounds like hard-driving blues to me--so here I am reviewing them again. This is the best thing they have done so far. So far. The next one will probably be even better than this.

“It’s hard to say exactly what we are and what we do,” says Arbuckle. “Blues is definitely at the core, but we’re huge fans of all sorts of American music, and all of that comes through as well. Obviously, there are elements of traditional country in what we do, elements of vintage rock and roll, soul and all that sort of stuff. We always try to stay grounded in that traditional blues center, and at the same time branch out and do as many different things as we can while still keeping it consistent with the sound we’ve developed.”

This time out the first thing I hear is a new depth in the lyrics. Especially compared to "1861," the songs here, opening with a tribute to Joe Louis, "The Brown Bomber" and continuing thru the title track and "Purgatory," are both more direct and deeper than were the songs on previous releases. By the time Moreland & Arbuckle do an awesome cover of Tom Waits' "Heartattack and Vine," things have picked up a few layers of sophistication to their roots-y sensibility. "Gypsy Violin" is a spoken-word song that is the most different moment on this disc, but even it works. Every song here is good and tough and strong.

The 12-song set showcases Moreland's dynamic and compelling guitar work - two tracks were recorded on his cigar-box guitar consisting of three guitar strings and one bass string - Arbuckle's emotionally charged vocals and edgy harp, which here often rteminds me of Little Walter - and drummer Brad Horner's rock-solid backbeat. Chris Wiser adds his swirling organ work on four songs, and Steve Cropper adds his guitar to "White Lightnin'."

Just A Dream is a really good release. These guys dig down deep and bring the goods. You can buy this cd at http://www2.concordmusicgroup.com/artists/Moreland-Arbuckle/

The Cash Box Kings -- "Holler and Stomp"

2011-12-24T14:34:00.002-05:00

The Cash Box Kings have made the best blues disc of 2011. After a decade of playing together, they bring to life the richest sound of anything I heard all year, a deeply vintage and yet clean uncluttered sound. The Cash Box Kings are still anchored by Joe Nosek, Oscar Wilson, and Kenny ‘Beedy Eyes’ Smith. The songs here are uniformly wonderful. Seven are written by band members and five are covers. The originals are all terrific, but the covers are off-beat and brave choices--did anybody else in 2011 cover Hank Willams, Ray Sharpe, Muddy Waters AND Lightnin' Hopkins all on one record, and do every one of them great? There is abundant variety of styles here, but everything here is deeply honest blues. Some of that variety comes naturally from having two fine and very different sounding vocalists, Joe Nosek and Oscar Wilson (and Nosek also plays harmonica); two guitarists, Joel Patterson (who mostly plays lead) and Billy Flynn (who mostly plays rhythm); a really good keyboardist, Barrelhouse Chuck; two good bass players, Chris Boeger and Jimmy Sutton; and three really good drummers, Mark Haines (on 4 songs), Alex Hall (on one song) and Kenny 'Beedy Eyes' Smith (on 5 songs). Kenny Smith is of course the son of the legendary Willie “Big Eyes” Smith (Muddy Waters’ drummer from 1968-1981). With this abundance of talent to draw from, The Cash Box Kings have the chops to make great blues records, and this one is exactly that.

I have heard it said that there is a great blues band on the East Coast, Roomful of Blues, and one on the West Coast, The Mannish Boys. Both of those are really good bands. Well, there is a great blues band in Chicago too--The Cash Box Kings. You can't go wrong buying all the music you can find by all three.

Extra credit for the cover here of the Rolling Stones' song "Off The Hook." Fabulous!

You can buy this cd at http://www.blindpigrecords.com

Boy Wells -- "blue skies calling"

2011-12-21T15:42:00.004-05:00

There are few names in the blues that generate more discussion than guitarist Danny Gatton. Gatton's chops were unassailable, top-notch, and he could play blues, jazz, or country and play them all great. But Gatton's star never rose to the degree it should. Like the other "unknown" great guitar player Roy Buchanan, it seems that Gatton's personality sometimes got in the way of him connecting with an audience. With all that said, I need to mention that Boy Wells was a friend and protege of Gatton's for over 20 years. After playing guitar professionally since the late 70s, Wells has been everywhere and can play everything on the guitar. "blue skies calling" is his debut, and Wells wrote all 12 songs.

The new album was recorded by Dave Hanbury at House of Jam Recording in Beltsville, Maryland, and features Boy Wells on vocals, lead, slide and acoustic guitar, joined by a cast of stellar musicians, including former Danny Gatton bassist John Prevetti, drummer Bruce Crump (Molly Hatchet) and Rickie Simpkins on violin and mandolin, whose credits include work with Emmylou Harris. Other players include Andy Hamburger on drums, Bill Watson on saxes, Brian Simms on keyboards, Jimi Lee on harmonica, Brad Clements on trumpet and Becky Taylor on banjo.

A special bonus on "blue skies calling" is the inclusion of a CD-ROM featuring a one hour guitar lesson given to Wells by Danny Gatton from the late 70s. Wells writes that "This lesson was me and Danny in the living room of his house; it's killer stuff."

The music on this cd covers a wide range of styles from Americana Music. Wells does New Orleans funk/jazz in the opener "Mr. Coluzzi;" blasts blues in "World Weary and Blue," "Love in Vain," (which is not the Robert Johnson song) and "Devil's Backbone Blues;" beautifully shows his southern rock roots in "Bring It Back," "Broke Down," "Mon Angel" and the title track; plays two instrumentals, "Marcel Marsupial" and "Tova;" and riffs a couple of bluegrass/country tracks "Tin Winter" and "Traveller." Special standouts include "Tova," which sounds as close as we are going to get in this life to hearing Duane Allman on acoustic guitar, and "Bring It Back," which sounds like how the Allman Brothers would if they had a great saxophone player. Throughout, Wells cooks on guitar when he needs to, but a lot of the time he allows the rest of the band to shine. On the opener, "Mr. Coluzzi," the horn section of Bill Watson and Brad Clements leads the way. On "Marcel Marsupial" things take a "Blow By Blow" era Jeff Beck jazzy turn, but the result is gorgeous playing by Bill Watson, Boy Wells on guitar and Brian Simms on keyboard. The title track reminds me of great early Marshall Tucker Band. All through the cd, the music is open and accessible and beautifully played.

This is an indy release. You can buy it at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/BoyWells

Lisa Mills -- "Tempered In Fire"

2011-12-20T10:41:00.004-05:00

Lisa Mills has a winner here. "Tempered in Fire" is a cooker. My first clue about Mills' voice is that she was the singer in Big Brother & the Holding Company for three years. She has been making music for a long time--her previous album, 2005's "I'm Changing" was also produced by Ian Jennings. The partnership is strong--Mills and Jennings make beautiful music together. This time, Mills & company channel classic R & B from Memphis Tennessee--especially the Stax studio sound. Mills sings and plays guitar, backed by Andy Fairweather Low on guitar, Ian Jennings, co-producer and double bass, and Eric Heigle on drums and backing vocals. They are assisted by Nick Payne on baritone and alto sax (on "Keep On Smiling") and Matt Winch on trumpet (on "Keep on Smiling") and flugelhorn (on "My Happy Song"). These are ten strong songs--there are no weak links here. The first song hooked me for the whole cd--"Tennessee Tears" is a keeper. It should be on every radio station everywhere. Then Mills does something I never thought I'd hear--she covers the Jimmy Hall/Wet Willie classic "Keep on Smiling." A contender for my favorite song here. But Mills also covers Otis Redding's "These Arms of Mine" in a vocal/guitar duet with Andy Fairweather Low and they do it great! Mills sings two of her own songs, "Why Do I Still Love You" and "My Happy Song," and three songs by the fine songwriter George Borowski, "Blue Guitars of Texas," "I'll Never Fall in Love Again," and "Someone Very Close."

Robert Plant is quoted in the press sheet saying, "You should check her out; she has a wonderful voice." Good enough for me.

This is a great disc. You can buy this disc at http://lisamills.com/

Leaflets Vol. 2

2011-12-12T09:19:00.003-05:00

Leaflets Vol 2 is a sharp new compilation from the artists on Blues Leaf Records. Leaflets Vol 1 came out in 2001. It was one of my favorite cds when I began as a blues DJ in 2006 because every track was good for airplay. It was on Leaflets 1 that I first heard Janiva Magness sing "Empty Bed Blues" and Stringbean & the Stalkers' great song "Great Change." Well here we are, ten years later, and Blues Leaf brings out Leaflets Vol 2. Like Vol 1, this collection is intended to get these artists some radio air play. It is a fine set, with a tight set of songs by a truly worthy group of artists. These artists are doing it right--making music, touring, working their butts off for not much money or recognition. Things start out with Steve Guyger, just like on the previous collection, this time singing and playing harp on "Sometimes I Wonder." Next up is Paul Oscher playing harp on "All Night." Man o man. Oscher has been playing harp since back in the day. He was with Muddy Waters' Band. Oscher and Steve Guyger made a cd together back in 2000 called "Living Legends." You ought to pick that one up. Next up is the Killer Blues Band, doing the instrumental "Don and Dewey" featuring a lead violin. When you do it right, you don't need to use words. Then three of the top artists in the blues--Sandy Mack "Keep holding On Baby" and Janiva Magness "Nobody Love You Like Me" and Stringbean and The Stalkers "Back On That Horse." Believe me, these tunes cook! Red Young is next, with "Organ Grind Blues," and he makes the Hammond B-3 sing. Then we have Janiva Magness singing the hell out of "Stormy Blues." Sweet! George Friend testifies to the woman who did him wrong with "Whole Lotta Trouble," and Stringbean and the Stalkers recreate the 60s blues sound of John Mayall with a fabulous take of "I Wish You Would." Taking the microphone at the end of that might be a daunting task for any band, but The Tonemasters are up to the challenge with "Goin' With The Flow," the title track from their 2004 release. It is a step back into the 50s Chicago style, a horn-driven song to remind us that blues was once music to dance to. Arsen Shomakhov, the Russian guitarist, steps forth with what I think is his best song so far, "Dangerous," title track from his 2006 cd. And then things wrap up with Albert Castiglia's "Big Toe" from his 2006 cd "A Stone's Throw," another slice of great guitar work and singing.

So that's it. Leaflets Vol 2 is really good. I recommend all the cds by each of these artists. If you are a blues lover and haven't got all these cds, or if you are a new to the blues student, here's a compilation that will introduce you to a bunch of people whose music you need to discover.

You can buy this cd at http://www.bluesleaf.com

Fiona Boyes -- "Blues For Hard Times"

2011-12-10T10:20:00.004-05:00

I came to "discover" Fiona Boyes by listening to fellow Australian guitar great Geoff Achison. Geoff was playing a backyard concert & tipped me to Fiona--all it took was one listen to "Live at Bluesville" (2008) and I knew Fiona Boyes was a keeper. That record was really good, recorded with Rich del Grosso and Mookie Brill (see my review August 2008), but this one is even better! It is her eighth solo release, a stripped back, traditional album featuring a mix of acoustic and electric small ensemble performances and six solo tracks. Again Boyes takes the listener on a road tour of blues styles, including Mississippi Hills, Delta slide and ragtime, late 20's women's barrel house, early Chicago, New Orleans/Louisiana country blues, and Piedmont finger-picking. Everything was produced by Kaz Kazanoff & Boyes and recorded at Wire Recording Studios in Austin Texas. The band this time out is a stellar bunch, including Fiona Boyes on guitar and vocals, Jimi Bott or Frosty Smith on drums, Dave Kahl or Larry Eisenberg or John Mazzacco on bass, Kaz Kazanoff on harmonica or percussion, Derek O'Brian on guitar, a terrific Nick Connolly on piano on "Guys Be Wise" and "Pony Ride." Mark Rubin on tuba and John Mills on clarinet bring a wonderful swing horn sound to "Guys Be Wise." Bob Margolin plays great electric guitar/slide on "Baptized in Muddy's Sweat." There is a solo acoustic cover of Rev Gary Davis's "Mean World" that I think is even better than the Eric Clapton/Duane Allman duet on Clapton's Crossroads box set. Boyes wrote eleven of the 16 songs here, and I am impressed by her songwriting. "Chain Gang" and "God & the Devil" feature Boyes on electric guitar. The rest of the songs feature Boyes on resonator guitar or acoustic guitar. With the variety of blues styles here, the constant connection is Boyes' wonderful singing and her sharp guitar playing. On every song she brings taste and skills. This cd has been in my cd player a lot over the past two weeks, and I really like it. Fiona Boyes is a triple threat. Check it out.

You can buy this cd at http://www.vizztone.com

Joel DaSilva & The Midnight Howl -- Self Titled

2011-12-03T12:34:00.005-05:00

Joel DaSilva & The Midnight Howl is both the name of the band and the title of their cd. DaSilva is a South Florida musician, probably best known as the guitarist for Hep Cat Boo Daddies from 1998-2008. He established during that decade that he was a fine guitarist and a good singer. While the Hep Cat Boo Daddies favored a raucous, even punky interpretation of the blues, his new project offers the genre straight-up. This time out, the band is DaSilva on guitar and vocals, bassist Tom Coughter, keyboardist Scott Rowell and drummer Stefano Rotati. They come out of the gate with a kicking guitar song--"Let's Not Fight, Let's Make Some Love." From those opening notes, things move along winningly--these guys play with talent and passion. There are a variety of blues styles displayed. On "Hard Time" DaSilva recruits Albert Castiglia aboard on guitar and vocals, and the result is what may be the strongest song here. The second time I listened to this song I was singing along. But there are several good songs here: "Heart Of My Father" is a slow blues where DaSilva exhibits powerful fretwork, and he remembers his father, who was also a musician and died when Joel was three. In fact, thanks to technology, that is his father playing the opening minute of the song. "Every Night" is a nicely written acoustic song that sounds a lot like SRV on "Life By The Drop"-- that's a high compliment. And "For Don" is a solo, slide swamp song. "That was my manager [Don Cohen, of the Musicians Exchange nightclub]. He died on his birthday of a brain tumor,” DaSilva says. “I made a promise to him before he died that I would keep doing what I’m doing and go on my own and win a Grammy for him. That’s something I still plan to do eventually.”

I like this cd, and I am already looking forward to the next one. These guys are going to be big. You can buy this disc at http://www.jdandthehowl.com/

Big Joe Fitz -- "This Is Big"

2011-11-25T15:29:00.004-05:00

I know this is a bit of a detour for me--an indy disc that came out in 2010 which I should have jumped on a long time ago, but for various reasons I missed it then. Please forgive me, Big Joe! This is a very fine disc--if you missed it, too, then let's get caught up! Big Joe Fitz is a New-York-area based blues singer and dj at WDST over the past twenty plus years. On "This Is Big" Big Joe is backed by his jumping band, the Lo Fi's: Big Joe on vocals, acoustic guitar and harmonica, Jumpin' Jack on piano, Mark Dziuba, Pete Hop, and Billy Hunt on guitar, Robert Bard and DeWitt Nelson on bass, (Bard is also listed as producer) and Tim Whalen, Phil Nestor and Steve Brown on drums. These guys play a disc full of smooth rich and deep blues. Big Joe's singing reminds me of John Hiatt--he knows how to sing with soul and taste and "put a song over." The songs are all covers, but they are NOT all safe choices--Fitz tackles Ray Charles' "Hard Times," Howard Harlan's "The Chokin' Kind," Eddie Vinson's "Kidney Stew," Delbert McClinton's "Leap of Faith" and Jerry Ragavoy/Mort Shuman's "Get It While You Can" best known in the version by Janis Joplin. These are not necessarily songs I might look forward to hearing by this or any other middle-aged guy, you know? But Big Joe plunges in, backed by a very good band, and he makes everything work out--even better, he actually makes these songs jump and move! My favorite here is the Doc Pomus/Dr John "Imitation of Love," on which Mark Dziuba, Tim Whalen, and Robert Bard make a beautiful creamy smooth groove for Big Joe to sing above. A fine song, part of a fine cd. Big Joe has been singing these blues all over New York & New Jersey for a long time, and his voice and his taste and this band all combine to make "This Is Big" a very worthwhile listen for any blues lover. There is a quote from Duke Robillard on Fitz' website, "I really like your version of "You Mean Everything To Me". Good Work!"

How could anything I say top that? You can buy this disc or individual songs at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/BigJoeFitz

The Duke Robillard Band -- "Low Down and Tore Up"

2011-11-14T16:42:00.003-05:00

This is another fine disc from the great Duke Robillard and his band, their 18th release on Stony Plain Records. The players include Duke on guitars and vocals, Bruce Bears on piano, Brad Hallen on acoustic bass, Mark Teixeira on drums and vocal. This time around the core band is assisted by DRB alumni Matt McCabe on piano and Sax Gordon on tenor and baritone sax. Everything is engineered/mixed by Jack Gauthier. Dick Shurman wrote the liner notes. The music here is simply wonderful, honest, and deep, featuring songs by Pee Wee Crayon, Eddie Jones, Dave Bartholomew, Sugar Boy Crawford, John Lee Hooker, Elmore James, Eddie Taylor, Jimmy McCracklin. It's like Duke & the band are trying to re-create a great jukebox that might have been in a Chicago club circa 1951--track after track that captures everything that went into that authentic, raw and real blues sound of the 40s and 50s.

This is an absolutely essential part of every blues lover's library. Actually, every Duke Robillard disc is terrific, guaranteed to be worth the price of admission. His 2006 cd, "Guitar Groove-A-Rama" was a Grammy nominee, as was 2009's "Stomp! The Blues Tonight," and he won the Best Traditional Male Artist at the IBC in Memphis last year. This guy is not coasting--he is still making great discs, touring, and creating great blues every time out. Go buy this cd. You'll love it. Play it for your friends. They'll love it too!

You can buy this disc at http://www.stonyplainrecords.com

Maria Muldaur -- "Steady Love"

2011-11-01T14:46:00.004-04:00

Maria Muldaur is an American musical treasure. There are few out there who have as extensive a history--maybe Dr John or Bob Dylan, both of whom have shared a stage with Maria over the years. Maria has now made 38 records, a magnificently broad collection, including a few records of children's music, some Jazz, some Big-Band swing, some Bluegrass, way too few R&B, and some wonderful Gospel. I have loved Maria's music for thirty years--I wish she might have recorded with Ray Charles, and I still hope that she might make some music with Dolly Parton. A wonderful singer, a song stylist, an honest and real voice.

Anyway, this cd marks Maria's return to the music of New Orleans. She sings a beautifyul set of songs with passion and spunk and taste, backed by an "A List" of New Orleans musicians: Dave Torkanowsky on keyboards and musical director, Shane Theriot on guitar, Johnny Allen of the subdudes on bass, drummer Kenny Blevins from John Hiatt’s all-star backing band, The Goners, on drums. There's also an impressive set of guests, including New Orleans traditional jazz’n’funk drummer Shannon Powell, local guitar ace Cranston Clements, an appearance on slide guitar by Rick Vito, an appearance by "Mighty" Mike Schermer on guitar, backing vocals by daughter Jenni Muldaur, Jolinda Kiki Phillips and Yolanda Windsay, and horns by Jimmy Carpenter and Ian Smith, all wrapped together in the final mix by veteran producer (and multi-Grammy winner) John Porter.

Especially notable on this disc are Maria's covers of Bobby Charles' "Why Are People Like That?" and Henry Glover's "Rain Down Tears." Either of those are, alone, worth the cost of the entire cd. And no other singer I know could cover Percy Mayfield's "Please Send Me Somebody To Love" and make it live and cry like she does here.

An A+ project all the way. You can buy this cd at http://www.stonyplainrecords.com

Sugar Ray & the Bluetones -- "Evening"

2011-10-31T15:46:00.005-04:00

Sugar Ray & the Bluetones have been around as a group since 1979, and in that time they have made a bucketful of great music. Sugar Ray's last cd, 2007's "My Life, My Friends, My Music" was terrific, earning four nominations for Blues Music Awards. This time out, Sugar Ray is back with the Bluetones, which means it is chock full of great playing and great songs by great musicians having a ball. Sugar Ray Norcia leads on vocals and harmonica. "Monster" Mike Welch is filling the guitar chair. Michael "Mudcat" Ward is on bass and Neil Gouvin is on drums. Anthony Geraci is on piano. There are twelve songs here, including nine originals and three covers--and the originals are all terrific, especially Welch's "Hard To Get Along With" and Norcia's "I Like What You Got." The covers are "You Know My Love," written by Willie Dixon and known best by the great Otis Rush, and MItchell Parish & Harry White's "Evening," known best by T-Bone Walker or Jimmy Rushing, and Johnny Young's "I'm Having A Ball." My favorite song here is "I'm Certain That I'm Hurting," which has some hot guitar by Monster Mike, a great piano turn by Anthony Geraci AND cooking vocals and a harp solo by Sugar Ray.

Sugar Ray's vocals may be an acquired taste to some blues lovers, but after 20+ years I say "Let the man sing." Me, I enjoy the way Sugar Ray sings. His harmonica playing is relaxed and spot-on throughout. On this new disc, everything is tight and right, with a heaping dose of Sugar Ray's blues soul, but without even one second of anything stiff or old fashioned. A very welcome addition to the blues library.

This cd was released on Severn Records on October 18, and you can buy it at: http://www.severnrecords.com/

Lil' Cliff & the Cliffhangers -- "The Lovin' Kind"

2011-10-27T09:35:00.002-04:00

Lil' Cliff & the Cliffhangers are a harmonica-based blues & R&B band based in metro New York. They have been bringing their unique blend of blues/swing and R&B for over 20 years in New York & New Jersey. The band were International Blues Challenge finalists in 2006, and in 2008 they released their first cd, "God Bless Women," (Shankbone Records). This is their second disc. Members of the band are Lil' Cliff Bernard on harp and lead vocals, Richard Street on double bass and vocals, Dennis Phelps on guitar and vocals, and Frank Patterson on drums and vocals. Also playing on this disc are Manny Focarozza on keyboards, Jack Licitra on accordion on three tracks, Sweet Suzi Smith on backing vocals on three tracks, Tex Sax on saxophones on three tracks, and John Abbey who edited "Spank That Monkey." Eight of the fifteen tracks are originals, written by Lil' Cliff or Richard Street, and they are wonderful songs, complete with robust harmonies and stomping spiritual fervor. The covers are done in the Lil' Cliff style, and they are stand outs, jumping out of the speakers with high energy and joy--including a ripping harp workout on Big Walter Jacob's "Up The Line," a beautiful take of Doc Pomus' "Lonely Avenue," a take of Leiber & Stoller's "Three Cool Cats" with Richard Street on lead vocals, and a lively, joyful bass heavy take of Willie Dixon's "Twenty-Nine Way (To My Baby's Door)."

The playing is silky smooth, and the baritone vocals by Lil' Cliff take center stage by storm. The harmonies are a wonderful addition to the genre. With a few more releases and some promotion, these guys could be right up there with Roomful of Blues.
This disc will certainly help get them in that direction. It is a fun, energetic jump-style disc, a full step forward from "God Bless Women." Completely delightful.

You can buy this disc at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/lilcliffandthecliffhange

Shane Dwight -- "A Hundred White Lies"

2011-10-17T12:13:00.002-04:00

Shane Dwight has made the best cd of his decade-long career. Writing and playing his way through a divorce at the Rock House Studio in Franklin TN with Kevin McKendree, Shane plays great guitar and sings better than I have ever heard him. Backed by Delbert McClinton's touring band--McKendree on keyboards, Rob McNelley on guitar, Lynn Williams on drums, Stephen Mackey on bass, along with the McCrary Sisters and Bekka Bramlett on exceptional background vocals. Shane wrote 11 of these twelve tracks, along with a rocking bluesy cover of the Dylan/Secor song "Wagon Wheel" that just might make you forget about the Old Crow Medicine Show's otherwise fine bluegrass version. The title track is in that wide and deep vibe of Moreland & Arbuckle or JJ & Mofro, and the rest of these songs will remind you of Keith Richards, The Faces, Leon Russell, Waylon Jennings, Albert Collins ..... do you get the idea that this disc pretty much blows me away? Everything here is smoking! My favorite song here is "True Love's Gone," which is a strong contender for Bruce's song of the year. "A Hundred White Lies" is the Saturday night companion to the Sunday morning disc by Mark T. Small that I reviewed last Saturday. Give it a listen and you'll know what I'm babbling about.

This cd is on R-Tist Records, and you can buy it at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/shanedwight6

Mark T. Small -- "Blacks, Whites & The Blues"

2011-10-15T15:27:00.002-04:00

This Mark T. Small cd is a small gem of acoustic guitar fire. If you are a fan of Mississippi John Hurt or Mississippi Fred McDowell, or the country music of Doc Watson or Leo Kottke, or any well-played acoustic guitar music this is musical nirvana.

Mark has been playing guitar for over 40 years. He started out in Massachusetts, playing fiddle tunes on the guitar in the styles of Doc Watson and Norman Blake, which led in 1981 to Mark joining a Newgrass Band called the Brown County Band. In the late 80s Mark started his own Chicago style blues band, The Lonesome Strangers, and they played the New England club circuit for over a dozen years. In 2000 Mark began to pursue a solo career, focusing on combining the fast clean flat picking bluegrass style and the soulful acoustic guitar blues music from the early 1900-1950s. This is Mark's third cd, after 2009's "Screamin’ & Cryin’ the Blues"(which hit # 19 on the National Living Blues Charts), and his 2007 self-titled debut disc.

This cd only one original Small song, "Boogie Woogie Guitar Man," but he sparkles as he plays a bounty of well-chosen covers, and plays them very well. The opener will sell you on the whole disc--Muddy Water's "Trouble No More" with a full-blooded guitar and a fabulous funky rhythm. Highlights include the Billy Smythe, Scott Middleton, Art Gillham "Hesitation Blues," the traditional song "Old Gray Mare," a beautiful presentation of Scott Joplin's "Solace," Mississippi Fred McDowell's "A Few More Lines" and a very nice acoustic take on Roy Hawkins & Rick Darnell's "The Thrill Is Gone." The entire cd is acoustic with one exception--an excellent cover of John Lee Hooker's "Bang Bang Bang Bang."

All in all, a very listener-friendly disc, chock full of beautiful guitar work. This is one of those "invite 'em" discs--play this cd for your friends who say they don't like blues. 45 minutes later you'll find a new blues fan.

This cd is an Indy release. You can buy this cd at I-Tunes.

Diunna Greenleaf -- "Trying To Hold On"

2011-09-26T12:28:00.003-04:00

Diunna Greenleaf has released a winner! She can sing, O God this woman can sing so good; AND she wrote or co-wrote 12 of the 14 songs; AND she is backed by a stellar group of musicians .... including Mookie Brill, Bob Margolin, Rich Del Grosso, John Del Torro Richardson, Smokin' Joe Kubek, Anson Funderburgh, Billy Branch, and most of The Rhythm Room All Stars, Bob Corritore, Patrick Rynn, Chris James. Every song is a beautiful slice of Diunna's soul. Diunna dedicates this cd to the memory of Koko Taylor, and like Koko did, Diunna delivers a genuine and heartfelt performance on every song.

"Be For Me" is an up-tempo song, featuring Bob Corritore's tasteful harp fills over Bob Morgolin's guitar leads. "Sunny Day Friends" is a warning, and "Growing Up and Growing Old" is a quiet thoughtful meditation on mortality, "Beautiful Hat" showcases Rich Del Grosso's mandolin, and then "I Can't Wait" is the showstopper; a fast loud powerful blues party packed in 3 minutes 45 seconds. "Taking Chances" features Smokin' Joe Kubek on guitar, John Street on piano, and Ron Jones on sax. Just fantastic. "Tryin' To Hold On" tells the story of a REAL blues band struggling to get by, and "You Don't Feel That Way About Me" is note-perfect Stax soul by Josh Preslar and Diunna. The rest of the cd is just great, song after song.

If Otis Redding had lived another decade I imagine this is exactly the sort of music he would have made. If you love vocalists, Diunna is a marvel. Buy this cd. That's all I can say.

You can buy it at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/diunnagreenleaf

Brick Fields -- "Gospel Blue"

2011-09-20T09:24:00.003-04:00

Brick Fields are an Eureka Springs, Arkansas-based band combining elements of blues, jazz and gospel into a remarkable roots music. The members are Rachel Fields Brick on vocals, acoustic guitar and flute; Larry Brick on guitar and backing vocals; Randy Fairbanks on keyboards; Johnny Ray on bass; Casey Terry on sax and Caleb Bomar on drums. Rachel and Larry met and started the duo in 2007, forming a partnership based around music and their Christian faith. The band was fleshed out in 2010 and won the Ozarks Blues Society of NWA Blues Challenge and competed in the 2011 International Blues Challenge in Memphis.

Gospel Blue contains nine original songs and a jazzy, bluesy cover of "Amazing Grace." Things open up with "On The Vine," which is a showcase for Fields' voice. She has a big but gloriously controlled alto, with a wide range, always deep in the pocket and wonderfully supported by the passion of Brick's guitar. Fields adds flute to the slow minor blues of "Cryin." "In The Light Of Love" is an up-tempo gospel number spotlighting Brick's jazzy guitar. "Hopelessly Addicted" is an old-school acoustic blues ballad, and probably Field's most effective vocal. Here her voice blends beautifully with Brick's guitar and Terry's sax to form a transcendent musical moment. "Talk About The Weather" features a sweet sax turn by Terry, along with good vocal interplay between Fields and backup singer Rain Equine. "How Long" is a sweet love ballad that could be addressed to a lover or the Creator. Again here Brick and Terry shine on guitar and sax. "These Are The Days" is an upbeat R&B number, and then the rest of the cd shifts towards bluesy gospel with "Go With The Soul," "Lord I'm Coming Home," and "Amazing Grace" wrapping things up.

Brick Fields are a welcome addition to the blues world, especially as a vehicle for the voice of Rachel Fields Brick. She stands out, worthy to be compared to Kris Schnebelen of Trampled Under Foot. If you are a fan of female vocalists and good guitar work, (and who isn't?) you will like this cd. I like this cd. Good job Brick Fields!

This cd is self-produced. You can see Brick Fields live at the King Biscuit Blues Festival in Helena Arkansas on October 8, 2011, and you can buy this cd at http://www.brickfieldsmusic.com/

D'Mar & Gill -- Real Good Friend

2011-09-19T10:32:00.004-04:00

I have to thank my friend Chris Puyear for hooking me up with this fine disc. He said the magic words--"Want to hear something a little different?" and I was hooked. Derrick "D'Mar" Martin on drums and percussion and backing vocals, Chris Gill on acoustic guitars and lead vocals--that's it. But these two master music makers carry you back to the 1930s in Mississippi, they show exactly how much can be created with just that spare instrumentation. And they do it with nine original songs and only one cover, Little Walter's "My Babe," which they re-create as a funky rumba. Of course, these are not your ordinary blues musicians. Derrick Martin has been a long-time session drummer, and for 15 years he played with Little Richard and Nu Funk. Chris Gill is the leader of the Sole Shakers and has a long career playing acoustic solo gigs. Together they create something altogether different than you might expect given their backgrounds--they play an acoustic, expressive, inventive and moody blues. "Every track presents a completely enriching musical experience cut live in the studio"--that's from the promo sheet, but it's right on the money. I was expecting something like an acoustic Moreland & Arbuckle, and what I found was not quite Moreland & Arbuckle--this is more like the roots music of Grant Dermody or Dave Gross. Here Martin weaves a deep pocket around the beat on a set of African drums. Gill works with a National steel guitar, or a National Tritrone guitar, and he sings off the beat, too, playing around that wonderful deep percussion. Everything is warm and well-played and thoughtful.

This cd would be good at your local Hi-Fi store, just so you can hear how wonderful those big-dollar speakers sound playing real music from honest-to-God musicians.

Just listen. You can buy this cd at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/dmargill

Bernie Pearl -- "Sittin' on the Right Side of the Blues"

2011-09-17T16:53:00.004-04:00

Bernie Pearl has a new cd! Those in the know need read no further--they're already going to get this disc. "Sittin' On the Right Side of the Blues" was recorded live at Boulevard Music, Culver City, on February 5, 2011 with Bernie on acoustic guitar and vocals, Mike Berry on upright bass. The song order was changed, but there are no overdubs. Pearl and Berry make beautiful acoustic music together, with abundant taste and style. This time out they feature several Mississippi Fred MacDowell songs, some Lightnin' Hopkins songs, Muddy Waters' "Can't Be Satisfied," Son House's "Shetland Pony Blues" the Baton Rouge artist Herman E Johnson's "I Just Keep On Wanting You," Mance Lipscomb's "Night Time Is The Right Time," and some Pearl originals. The cumulative effect is a sweet gentle musical blessing. Just listen.

The cd is just exactly what you get if you are lucky enough to be at Boulevard Music or one of the other clubs like Iva Lee's or Lucille's Smokehouse BBQ on a night when Bernie Pearl is playing. He learned everything he could about living the blues and playing the guitar beginning as a teen in the early 60s at the Ash Grove in Los Angeles, sitting at the feet of the greats like Mance Lipscomb, Lightnin' Hopkins, Fred MacDowell, John Hurt, Freddie King, Big Mama Thornton, John Lee Hooker and many more. Bernie is now 70 years old, but he is still learning and teaching those lessons to everybody who will listen.

There are several great acoustic artists out there--Steve Howell comes to mind--musicologists using 6 strings and their voices to share the old truths and make them new. Bernie Pearl is as good as it comes. Just listen. And if you're ever near Culver City, California, head over to Boulevard Music and catch Bernie playing live. You'll thank me.

You can buy this cd at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/berniepearl5

Tom Hambridge -- Boom!

2011-09-16T11:42:00.003-04:00

Tom Hambridge's cd Boom! is probably the # 1 cd I've listened to so far this year. Nashville-based, Hambridge tears things up from the start to finish. Hambridge is probably best known as a producer, songwriter, session singer, and drummer. He has produced albums by such luminaries as Buddy Guy, Johnny Winter, George Thorogood, and Susan Tedeschi. He has been nominated for four Grammy Awards and won for his production of Buddy Guy’s Living Proof CD in the Best Contemporary Blues Album Category. He has also carved out a nice solo career for himself. Boom is his sixth album release and he toured all summer as the opening act for Lynyrd Skynyrd. This month he is on the road with George Thorogood.

Hambridge weaves together all his blues, rock and country influences on Boom! He wrote all the songs, collaborating with Gary Nicholson, Delbert McClinton, Jeffrey Steele ands Lynyrd Skynyrd's Johnny Van Zant. The opener "I Keep Things" and the closer "I Had A Real Good Time" bookend the cd with real good time rock. Hambridge does the Southern rock/country thing proud with "I Got Your Country Right Here," which was a hit for Gretchen Wilson, and "Things I Miss The Most," which was a hit by Donnie and Johnny Van Zant. Hambridge does a bluesy turn with "Upside Of Love," "Two Thumbs Up," "Nine Pound Hammer" and "The Pistol." My favorite song here is "Never Gonna Change," which sounds like a great slice of ZZ Top. Inspired slide work by Rob McNelley.

A great cd. You can buy it online at http://hambridgetunes.com/boom/

Trent Romens -- "Aware"

2011-08-31T13:33:00.004-04:00

Trent Romens is a 19-year old guitarist from Edina Minnesota. This is his debut album, but he has been playing blues guitar around Minnesota's Twin Cities since he was 13. From his website: "Trent's greatest influences are the artists that have proven their music to be timeless, and whose songs hold great weight: the lyrics of Bob Marley and Dylan, the improvisational spirit of the Grateful Dead, and the scorching guitar grooves of the The Allman Brothers Band. “I respect the music that has come before me. It’s through these influences that I’ve learned: what goes in comes out. I pour myself into my music, it’s who I am.”

The band includes Romens on vocals, guitar and co-producer, John Wright on bass and co-producer, Toby Marshall on Hammond B-3, Jordon Carlson on drums, Tony Paul on percussion and Cate Fierro and Shalo Lee on backing vocals. The ten selections on "Aware" include eight Trent Romens originals and two covers, St Louis Jimmy Oden's "Going Down Slow" and Big Bill Broozy & Charles Segar's "Key To The Highway," given an acoustic treatment. The songwriting on the originals is solid. There are no lyrics here that will remind you of Bob Marley or Bob Dylan, but the lyrics set things up for the vocals and guitar to take center stage, and Trent's singing is just fine--the key is his guitar work, which is quite impressive for someone of his youth. He plays fast and slow, loud and quiet, electric and acoustic, even a little bottleneck slide, and the playing is spot on. Romens shows a remarkable range and taste, a lot of promise. Highlights include the two covers and "Love's Lost Cause," which does show a lot of Allman Brothers influence, and "Right Back Where I Started" which sounds to me like it could be an early Sean Costello track. There's a lot of soul in both.

This cd is on New Folk Records, and you can buy it online at http://www.trentromens.com

Jim McCarty & Friends -- Live From Callahan's

2011-08-10T08:23:00.007-04:00

If you're a guitar lover I've got a treat for you. Jim McCarty was the guitarist for Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels and The Buddy Miles Group and Cactus and The Rockets. He flat-out knows rock 'n roll, and here he shows that he knows his way around the blues. This cd was recorded live over a three year period at Callahan's Music Hall in Auburn Hills, Michigan. McCarty lists Callahan's Mike Moss as Executive Producer. The cd features McCarty on a dozen tracks "sitting in" with some of today's leading blues figures as they play at the club--Johnny A and his band, Jason Ricci & New Blood, Duke Robillard and his band, The Millionaires (Big Band), John Nemeth & his band, Johnny "Bee" Badanjek, Jimmy Thackery & the Drivers--and it closes with McCarty's own Mystery Train band.

Highlights? Are you kidding me? Everything here is a highlight! There's two jump instruments with Johnny A, a very hot and tasty "Help Me" with Jason Ricci & New Blood, two great cuts with Duke Robillard, "Hi-Heel Sneakers" and "West Helena Blues," three tracks with The Millionaires, including "tell Me What's The Reason," a cover of The Stooges' "No Fun" and T Bone Walker's "Strollin' With The Bone," John Nemeth singing the hell out of B B KIng's "Sweet Sixteen," Bee Badanjek teaming up with McCarty for "There's A Train Coming Down The Tracks," Jimmy Thackery & the Drivers' doing a kicking version of Chuck Berry's "School Days," and things finish up with McCarty's band Mystery Train covering Duke Pearson's "Cristo Redentor."

McCarty still plays rock & roll, but he plays blues too. "For me, rock ‘n’ roll and blues are both necessary. I need both of them to be musically happy."

This cd was released on June 25. You can buy this cd at I-tunes or contact Mike Moss at Callahan's Music Hall, 2105 South Boulevard, Auburn Hills, Michigan 48326

F & G Band featuring Edlene Hart -- "Grease Up Yo' Strutt"

2011-07-11T19:18:00.009-04:00

There are times when I really love this blog. I get to bring attention to some great blues, music that you might never hear about if not for me. This time out is one such occasion. This is a very fine cd! The F & G Band is Edlene Hart, lead vocals, backing vocals. She has toured the world, including Africa, as the lead with the Glory Gospel Singers based in Harlem, has won the world famous Apollo Theater's amateur night TWICE, and has sung with and for countless people, including Tony Bennett and Isaac Hayes...she even sang for the Pope! Sly Geralds bass, vocals and co-producer along with Suzanne & Tom Foscino. He has toured and recorded with Al Green, Maceo Parker, Cindy Lauper, Bill Perry and so many more. Tom Foschino, drums, performed, recorded and toured with the legendary Blues Hall of Famer, Sam "Bluzman" Taylor for many years before Sam's passing. Tom also performed with Sweet Suzi for many years, heading to the IBC three times. On guitar here are Bill Marino, Chuck Russell, and John Anderson--all of them very good players and they add their own style to the songs they appear on. Special guests include Lil Cliff Bernard, of Lil Cliff and the Cliffhangers, on harmonica and backing vocals on one song, and Tim Mitchell, on vocals, guitar, keyboards, and/or bass on eight songs. Tim is currently touring as the lead singer and bass player of the Javier Vargas Blues Band, playing all over Europe and Asia, recently doing a short stint of shows in Russia. During the 80s, Tim was James Brown's musical director. The songs are all written by Suzanne Foschino and Sly Geralds, thus the F & G in the title.

The songs are a departure from the current "lead guitar, bass and drums" style that seems to be in fashion. Nothing here is that simple. On this cd the players follow the vocals, providing a "deep pocket" to carry the songs along. It feels old-school at first, similar to the High Records sound by Al Green back in the day--but it sounds great. "Mama Said," the first song, is tight, sassy and rich, with Tim Mitchell creating a horn section and Chuck Russell and John Anderson's guitars surrounding Edlene with great playing. And Edlene really brings the goods. Here and throughout I am blown away by the way she sounds--strong, confident, awesome. We may not have heard her before, but Edlene makes the case that she is a singer to be reckoned with. Things continue to cook on the next track, "Can't Get Your Man Off The Rack." The next track, "Caught Between The Lost And Found" slows things down just a bit and features some great guitar playing by Chuck Russell. Things pick up again with "You Don't Sing The Blues, The Blues Sing You," which features Edlene's sweet soaring vocals along with Lil Cliff on harp and backing vocals and Bill Marino on guitar. "One Good Cry," the next track, is my favorite song on the disc. Edlene's vocals are terrific, but I am won over by the lead guitar on this slow blues, which is by Tim Mitchell. And the next six tracks are just as good as the first five! Of special note is the duet by Edlene and Sly on "Seeing Eye To Eye, Maybe Toe To Toe" which describes the current battle of the sexes in song. In a perfect world this would be a hit all over the radio....but anyway, it's a contender for Bruce's song of the year.

I enjoy this cd very much. I'm impressed by the cool heat of this band, and especially by Edlene Hart's vocal abilities. You need to hear this music. This an indy release. You can buy it at http://www.fandgmusic.com

Trampled Under Foot -- "Wrong Side of the Blues"

2011-07-06T10:01:00.003-04:00

Let me catch up on a really good blues cd that has been out since April by Trampled Under Foot. They are out of Kansas City, MO, and they have been on the fast track to blues stardom ever since, winning the 2008 International Blues Music Award, then releasing their 4th cd "May I Be Excused" (2008, Blue Edge Records) and "Live at Notodden Blues Festival" (2009) before "Wrong Side of the Blues." TUF have been nominated for two 2011 Blues Blast Music Awards, Blues Band of the Year and the Sean Costello Rising Star Award. TUF are siblings Nick (guitar), Danielle (bass), and Krin (drums) Schnebelen. This time out they have enlisted special guests Kim Wilson (harp), Johnny Lee Schell (cigar box guitar, engineer and backing vocals) and Mike Finnegan (organ). Tony Braunagel is in the production chair, along with co-writing eight of the songs with the band. He focuses on the band's strength's, which are considerable. Nick is a very strong guitar player, and Danielle sings like the sun shines, and Kris works the drums with power and drive. "Wrong Side of the Blues" is the best work by the band so far. It has been in my cd player A LOT since April, and I don't think it's leaving anytime soon. My favorite songs here are "Evil Train," and "It Would Be Nice," both of which just hint at the talent these young people possess. This is one of those cds you should share with your friends--this is not your father's blues, not the heyday of Chicago or Memphis blues--this is the current blues, and it's good stuff. Introduce your friends to TUF, open their eyes. This disc shows that the blues do have a long and exciting future ahead. Get this band into your collection, and enjoy the ride.

You can buy this cd at http://www.tufkc.com

EG Kight -- "Lip Service" (Blue South/Vizztone)

2011-07-02T10:26:00.004-04:00

I have been a fan of EG ever since I first heard her, back on KJLU-FM in Jefferson City MO. "Lip Service" is her sixth release, and like always, the center of the cd is her voice and song writing. The good news is that her voice is in great form, and the songs here are as good as any she has written. Eleven of the 12 are written or co-written by Kight. Paul Hornsby is in the producer's chair, and the band includes EG (vocals, rhythm guitar), Gary Porter and Bill Stewart on drums, Johnny Fountain and Marshall Coats on bass, Tommy Talton and Ken Wynn on guitar; with special guests John Nemeth (vocals), Randall Bramlett (Hammond B-3, piano, drums, guitar) Earl Ford (trombone), Marcus Henderson (Sax) and Gil Gillis (guitar, piano, bass, percussion). Hornsby also plays Hammond B-3, bass and piano, and Kimberly Welch brings soulful background vocals. The songs are in the typical EG Kight blues/gospel/country flavor, and they range from big band with full horn section numbers, such as "Goodbye" and "I'm In It To Win It" all the way to Kight vocals over keyboards bass and drum number like "It's Going To Rain All Night" and "I'm Happy With the One I Have Now." Every song has something to draw you in--the intensity of the vocal duet with John Nemeth on "Somewhere Down Deep," with a great guitar break by Tommy Talton, is my favorite track.

In my opinion, the top female vocalists in blues are Janiva Magness and CC James. EG Kight should be counted right beside them. Her voice and songwriting and tasteful music continues to shine. You can buy this cd at http://www.egkight.com/

Grady Champion -- Dreamin'

2011-06-30T11:23:00.005-04:00

Grady Champion was the 2010 International Blues Challenge Band winner, and now he has a cd to share that talent with the rest of us. Before I even opened the cd or heard a note, I was excited about this disc because of the presence of Zac Harmon on guitar, drums and vocals and co-production. He has golden ears and a wealth of taste about blues, and Champion involves both on every cut here. The songs are all written or co-written by Champion, (except for "Weight of the World"), and the band lineup is Champion (vocals and harmonica), Harmon, Gregg Wright (guitar), Buthel (bass), Christopher Troy (keyboards, drums and co-producer), and Sue Ann Carwell and Cedric Goodman (backing vocals). The playing is spirited and soulful, and they cover a wealth of different styles over the ten tracks here.

Things start off with "My Rooster Is King," which first appeared on "Payin' For My Sins" (1999, Shanachie), here presented as a Willie Dixon style hot party opener. Next up is the title track, in the style of Slim Harpo. Zac Harmon contributes a fine solo here. The next song, "Weight of the World," is a dose of Memphis soul with great harp and guitar. It sounds like a radio hit--is XM listening? "Guilty As Charged" keeps things rolling with some sweet harp work and features Sue Ann Carwell on harmony vocals and a nice guitar solo by Gregg Wright. "Same Train" is my favorite track, with every note chasing Champion's driving vocal and never quite catching up. "Make That Monkee Jump" sounds modern and old fashioned all at the same time, and Champion's great harp work keeps things bouncing along. "Cross That Bridge" is a soul ballad, and in "Thank You For Giving Me the Blues," Champion thanks the Lord for giving him the blues. The guitar here is by Zac Harmon in the style of Albert King. "Laugh, Smile, Cry Sometimes" features Champion channelling Sonny Boy II style harp work, and then things wrap up all too soon with "Walk With Me Baby" which has vocals by Zac Harmon and Champion's great harp work twisted with great organ work by Christopher Troy.

I've been waiting for this cd since the 2010 IBC, and it's even better than I thought it would be. Grady Champion is a delight.

Dreamin is on the GSM Music Group label. You can buy this cd at http://www.gradychampion.com

Davina & the Vagabonds--"Black Clouds"

2011-06-20T15:21:00.003-04:00

Davina & the Vagabonds have made another great cd! This is their fourth release, following "Songs From Thomas Ave." (2006), "Under Lock and Key" (2007), and "Live at the Times" (2008). The band is based in Minneapolis MN. They have been playing an energetic piano and horns based blues/root music together for 5 years. They are made up of Connor McRae on drums, Michael Carvale on bass, Daniel Elkmeier on trumpet, Ben Link on trombone, and Davina Sowers on piano and an incredible, totally unique voice. That's right--no guitar! Sowers wrote all the songs. To put it simply, this cd works to reel you in--the songs are built on a rock-solid rhythmic foundation, with an adventurous amount of horns, Davina's real good lyrics and piano and voice. Things get off to a rollicking start and finish with "Vagabond Stomp," and in between Davina & the Vagabonds take you on a wonderful musical journey. "Sugar Moon" is terrific in the same way as if Cyndi Lauper sang "This Land Is Your Land" with Ray Charles on piano. "River" might be the best song I've heard this year, and I'm not even sure it's the best song on this cd. "Pushpin" or "Crosseyed" might be even better songs--they both cause me to turn the cd player up every time I hear them. In fact, all the songs on here have that effect on me. If you are a fan of old-school gospel music, or Dixieland jazz, or old Phil Spector-ish R & B, or nearly any music of any kind, chances are that you will love this cd. If you are young or old or anything in between, you will love this cd. This is my 7 year old friend Nathaniel's favorite cd--in fact, I had to borrow it from him long enough to write this review. I was playing it last night and my wife asked me if it was blues--I honestly don't know and I'm not going to argue about it. This cd is great music, made with passion and taste.

If you go to their website http://www.davinaandthevagabonds.com you can also listen to other songs by the band.

Hadden Sayers "Hard Dollar"

2011-05-31T13:19:00.006-04:00

Hadden Sayers is a Texas-based blues guitarist, songwriter and singer. He was born in Nacogdoches, TX and was raised in Sugar Land. Following college Sayers began his “blues internship” with legendary BB King rhythm section “Silent Partners,” then he joined Bluesman Lucky Peterson’s touring band. After his stint with Lucky Peterson, Sayers returned to Houston, TX to concentrate on writing songs. It was there he began a 3 year association with regional sensation Miss Molly and the Whips making his recording and songwriting debut on her first 2 releases: “Miss Molly” (EFM 1992) and “In the Garden” (EFM 1993). Sayers began work on his own in late 1993 and the Hadden Sayers Band was born...touring the globe and going on to create 4 more albums of searing blues-rock.

His 5th cd, Hard Dollar, is the best of the bunch. Let me tell you, if you loved those great albums that John Hiatt made way back in the day -- "Slow Turning," "Bring The Family" -- then you are in luck because Hadden Sayers channels those great albums on Hard Dollar. That is high praise indeed. Hard Dollar was produced by Sayers using his touring band consisting of Tony McClung on drums, Mark Frye on bass and Dave DeWitt on Hammond organ. Sayers writes all the songs, and plays acoustic and electric guitars and sings. Special guests include Phil Clark on harmonica and baritone sax and Doug Kahan on bass guitar on "InsideOut Boogie," and Ruthie Foster adds vocals on "Back To The Blues." Every song on this disc is worthy of blues radio play--fine playing, good singing, smart lyrics. "Take Me Back To Texas" gets things started with a bang, and "All I Want Is You" has a great opening Elmore James slide riff, and "Back to the Blues" is a very fine duet with Ruthie Foster. Thereafter every song is just great--there are no weak links. Sayers writes a few words about each song on the inside cover. My favorite song here is "Room 155." Sayers says it is written in honor of Sean Costello. After you buy this cd you may find that you're listening to it all the time.

Hard Dollar comes out June 21st on Blue Corn Music/IODA/SonyRed.

Steve Dawson "Nightshade"

2011-05-20T13:58:00.003-04:00

Steve Dawson has made himself a national treasure in his native Canada, and his singing, guitar playing and song writing are all top-notch. In addition to his own work, the five time Juno award winner has produced albums by other luminaries, including Jim Byrnes, Kelly Joe Phelps, Old Man Luedecke, The Sojourners, and The Deep Dark Woods, as well as bringing the award winning Mississippi Sheiks Tribute Project to fruition. Dawson should be much better known than he is in the US--he reminds me of Ry Cooder, and this record reminds me of Cooder's "Into The Purple Valley, " both in the subject matter of the songs and the virtuosity of the playing.

"Nightshade" is Dawson's fifth solo release. All the songs are Dawson originals, except "Gulf Coast Bay," written by Walter Vinson. As always, Dawson's guitar work centers each song. The instrumental work on “Nightshade” is certainly the most nuanced and gut wrenching of his career to date. From the weissenborn that drives “Fairweather Friends” to the pedal steel that defines “We Still Won the War” or the 12-string slide guitar on “Darker Still”, “Nightshade” like all of Dawson’s recordings offers a veritable musical feast for string aficionados. Banjos dance through “Side of the Road” (a song that was inspired by the life of bluesman Skip James), and snatches of acoustic melodies can be heard from time to time, but given the serious tone of many of the songs, Dawson wisely opted for a harder more electric sound this time out. And Dawson is backed by some of the best players in the business. Frequent collaborators Chris Gestrin (keys) Keith Lowe (bass) and Geoff Hicks (drums) lock in from the first note to sympathetically complement the twists and turns posed by this challenging music. Acclaimed singers Jill Barber, Jeanne Tolmie and Alice Dawson each add great backing vocals.

This is the best Dawson release so far. I look forward to the next one. Steve Dawson is building greater stature with each cd. You can buy this cd at http://www. www.blackhenmusic.com/

Johnny Rawls "Memphis Still Got Soul"

2011-05-07T08:54:00.004-04:00

One Blues Music Award nomination means you made a good song or cd; two BMA nominations means you're good. How good does that make Johnny Rawls? He has received five BMA nominations for his past three releases. After being nominated for the Soul Blues Album of the Year award in 2009 for "Red Cadillac" Rawls won the Soul Blues Album of the Year award for "Ace of Spades" in 2010. I have been listening to Johnny Rawls since 2007s "Heart and Soul" and he just keeps delivering the goods, making good soul-blues every time out.

"Memphis Still Got Soul" may be his best cd yet. The new album features 10 original songs, plus a testifyin' take on "Blind, Crippled and Crazy," a song best known for the version recorded by Rawls' musical mentor, O. V. Wright. Like Rawls' previous releases, "Memphis Still Got Soul" re-creates the soul drenched Stax-Volt sound, and like those great old records the lyrics are true-to-life poetry delivered with sincerity. The playing and singing on this cd is top-notch.

This cd was recorded at two sessions, at Sonic Ranch Studios in Tornillo Texas and at Soul Tree Recording in Helena Montana.
The band at the Texas sessions includes Dan Ferguson on keyboards, Andy Roman on saxophone, and Richie Puga on drums, all alumni of The Rays, a band Rawls discovered in 1999 and subsequently produced for his own Deep South Soul Records label.

Among the many highlights of "Memphis Still Got Soul" are the title track, which salutes the musical heritage of Memphis; the Curtis Mayfield/Impressions feel of "Give You What You Need;" the deep soul sound of "Take You for A Ride;" the autobiographical "My Guitar;" the soon to be live show fan favorite "Blues Woman;" and the funky blues-driven "Burning Bridges."

This is a great release--it should continue Johnny Rawls' string of BMA awards. Winning soul blues. This disc is out now--you can buy it at http://www.catfoodrecords.com

Al Basile "The Goods"

2011-05-03T15:46:00.005-04:00

Here's a good cd that I don't want you to miss out on! Al Basile may be the best musician out there that you've never heard. Think of him as the current version of Southside Johnny back in the 80s--that underground artist that you just had to be hip to. Al Basile is that same artist now--a great singer, a great songwriter, a great cornet/trumpet player, front man with a great band--and once you're "in the know," he will be an indispensable part of your catalog.

This is Basile's seventh cd since 1998, following 2009's "Soul Blue 7" which reached # 12 on the Living Blues chart. He puts them out on his own label, Sweetspot Records, on his own schedule, with stellar sidemen. This time out features friend Duke Robillard on guitar and production, Basile on vocals and cornet, Doug James on horns, Bruce Bears on keyboards, Mark Teixeira on drums, Brad Hallen on bass, and special guests The Blind Boys of Alabama. Every song is intelligent, each lick is right on the money, and the lyrics tell the kind of stories worth hearing over and over. I like the opener "The Price (I Got to Pay)" which showcases the horn section and features sharp lyrics; and the crackling good piano-driven "Mr Graham Bell;" and the gospel-ish "Pealing Bells," which sounds like Basile has listened to Daniel Lanois' swampy roots-rock production with Bob Dylan. And there's even an original Christmas song! I especially enjoy hearing Basile and this great band with The Blind Boys of Alabama doing "Lie Down in Darkness (Raise Up in Light)" which sounds great, has a great message, and needs to become a modern classic.

This is a very strong release--even in a year with a lot of really good releases, this one is high in the running for Bruce's top 10 of the year! You can buy it at: http://www.albasile.com

Rory Block "Shake 'Em On Down"

2011-04-18T15:57:00.004-04:00

This cd is subtitled "A Tribute to Mississippi Fred McDowell" and it is a joyous celebration of two masters of the acoustic guitar blues--Mississippi Fred McDowell and Rory Block. This time out Block brings to vibrant bubbling life seven of McDowell's songs, along with Sonny Boy Williamson's "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl" and 4 Block originals that sound like they should belong in the McDowell catalog. This disc is part of Block's on-going project "The Mentor Series," a collection of, as she writes in the liner notes, "tribute albums to the masters who I had the priviledge of meeting face to face." Like Block's previous Mentor sets, one lifting up the music of Son House and one lifting up the music of Robert Johnson, this one is flawless and fabulous and spot-on. The singing and playing are up to typical Rory Block perfectionist standards, which means 99.5% of the guitar players out there can't touch it. This time out I'm not lifting up any individual songs--just buy this disc and listen to it, and you will soon love it. You may find that you need the other tribute discs as well. All three are highly recommended. Rory Block is a musical treasure.

This cd is on Stony Plain Records. You can buy it at http://www.stonyplainrecords.com

Burton Gaar "Fried Grits & Greens"

2011-04-09T16:39:00.003-04:00

On this wonderful cd Burton Gaar is singing and playing exactly what I needed--a Louisiana-flavored blues fest. The first time I heard this cd it reminded me of David Egan's great disc "You Don't Know Your Mind" from 2008. If you love that David Egan cd you know what I mean, and how good this Burton Gaar cd must be. I have been listening to it in the car the last week or so, and I even came the long way home from the BBQ contest this afternoon just to hear it some more. There are 15 songs, all originals, written by Burton and George Hollinshead (13) and Burton and Floyd Saizon (1) and Burton and Robert Felsonthal (1). The band is made of folks who have all worked with Burton before, and includes Tom Coerver, Robert Felsenthal, Larry Turner and Sean Brouillette on keyboards, Burton's brother John Gaar, George Hollinshead and O'dell Wilson on guitars, and Floyd Saizen on drums. They all sound great together--tight and loose, sweet and clean. I can only guess that hearing these guys play live in Louisiana must be a great treat. Burton's vocals are the key--perfectly spiced, emotive, solid. He sounds like Tommy Castro, in the best way.

I'm listening to this cd again now, and I like it even more. The best songs this time are "Sugarfied," "Strung Out On The Blues," and "That's All She Wrote." Part may be what it DOESN'T sound like--it doesn't have an ace guitar slinger that wants to slash every second of every song to ribbons to show off. It doesn't sound like they have a big budget. It doesn't sound like these guys are all 20 years old, trying to make a name for themselves. Nothing wrong with any of those things, but if you buy this cd looking for pyrotechnics or flash you'll be disappointed. It's a good cd precisely because Burton sings these 15 songs with taste and everybody plays with economy. You might find this cd on your player or in your car 5 years from now and you'll welcome it like an old friend.

You can buy this cd at http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/BurtonGaar

Nicole Christian "Run Rabbit Run"

2011-03-03T15:03:00.003-05:00

Nicole Christian is a Toronto-based singer/songwriter and guitarist. Her newest release, Run Rabbit Run, was recently voted the Best Debut Roots and Blues Album of 2010 award by the Underground Blues Network. There are 11 songs on "Run Rabbit Run," and all of them are written by Nicole, except one ("Barn Dance") which is written by Nicole and Stephen King. Yes, that Stephen King. Seems the esteemed writer has taken a shine to Nicole's work, which can't hurt anything. Some of the songs here are played solo and some are played by Nicole and the her band the Caravan--Roberta Hunt on keys, Vide on electric guitar, Alfie Smith on slide guitar and Jeremy Edwardes on harp and bass clarinet.

Christian's music is a little folk, a little roots, and a lot of bottle-neck blues. Remember the great music by The Band? Nicole Christian could be the Daughter From Big Pink. Listening to this cd is a treat--I played this cd straight through three times. There is an intelligence to her lyrics, a toughness to the music that is appealing. There is an acoustic vibe--similar to recent releases by Ernie Hawkins and Jay Gaunt--of music played for the joy of it. Highlights include "Shelter Blues" which has a cool violin and piano accompaniment, and "Lay Me Down" which reminds me of Ruthie Foster, and the title track, which has a great harp and guitar and piano thing going on and is, I think, the best song here. In a perfect world I could imagine several songs here getting radio play, some on blues radio and some on country radio, some on both.

This is an independent release. You can buy it at http://www./cdbaby.com/nicolechristian

Big Joe & the Dynaflows "You Can't Keep A Big Man Down"

2011-02-24T17:33:00.003-05:00

After an eleven year absence due to various illnesses, Big Joe is back! One of the great blues drummers and a super vocalist, Joe Maher & his band the Dynaflows were one of my favorites back in the 1990s-2000s. Their 1994 Black Top release "Layin' In The Alley" and the 1998 Severn releases "I'm Still Swingin'" and "All Night Long" (2000) were part of the soundtrack for my life. When this new disc arrived, it was like re-discovering an old friend! I've got to tell you, these guys can play that 40s-50s jump blues and boogie woogie like nobody else--they've been doing it for 30+ years. It may never have been the fashionable blues, but in Big Joe's hands it's an effective way to life people's spirits and get butts up and moving on the dance floor.

This new set of Dynaflows include keyboardist Kevin McKendree from Delbert McClinton's band, guitarist Rob McNelley, bass by Bill Campbell, and even a few honks from the vault of the late great Dennis Taylor on saxophone. They make a great full upbeat sound and everybody gets chances to shine. Big Joe writes or co-writes six of the 12 songs and they are uniformly excellent. Covers include BB King's "Bad Case of Love," Johnny Green's "Someday," Jimmy McCracklin's "I'm To Blame," Jay McShann's "Confessin' The Blues," and Delbert McClinton's "What the Hell Were You Thinkin'." It's a great and varied set. Right now I think "Someday" is the best song on the cd, but it only barely edges out "Face The Facts" and "Supercharger" and "Evangeline." Yesterday I was thinking "Confessin' The Blues" was the best song here. Tomorrow I'll fall in love with another one.

Anyway, this is a HOT cd, great music to minister to your spirit. You can buy it at http://www.bigjoem.com/CDinfo.html

John-Alex Mason "Jook Joint Thunderclap"

2011-02-22T09:23:00.004-05:00

John-Alex Mason's new release came out on February 15. This is the sixth full-length release for this Boulder, Colorado based one man band. Yes, I said one man band. According to his website, Mason started out as a singer, then learned guitar, then learned to play drums to get people dancing. On this self-produced disc Mason plays guitar and kick drums and harmonica, and fully 6 of the ten songs are played on his one man band rig. Mason is also assisted by Andy Irvine on bass, Gerry Hundt on harmonica and mandolin and nine-string guitar, Cedric Burnside on drums, Cody Burnside on vocals, Lightnin' Malcolm on guitar and bass, and Lionel Young on fiddle and bass. Of the ten songs, six are either written or co-written by Mason. He also covers Robert Johnson's "If You've Got A Good Friend," Oscar Brown's "Signifying Monkey," Fred McDowell's "Write Me A Few Of Your Lines," and rearranges and adds lyrics to the public domain song "Rolled and Tumbled."

So how does it sound? I really like this cd. It's played in Mississippi hill country style--fans of Moreland and Arbuckle or JJ & Mofro or Otis Taylor will find much here that speaks to them. Mason brings a freshness and an energy to the proceedings. The playing is crisp and tight, but never stiff or fussy. Special cudos go to Gerry Hundt's harmonica floating over a deep bed of great percussion in "Riding On," (which includes about 10 seconds of rapping and might be the best song here) Lionel Young's fine fiddle work in "Diamond Rain" and Cedric Burnside's very good drumming in "Write Me A Few Of your Lines."

By the way, there are two free bonus tracks available at Mason's website that are well worth picking up--he calls them tracks "zero" which is the song "Delta Bound" and "eleven" which is "When You've Got A Good Friend."

You can buy this cd at John-Alex's website http://www.johnalexmason.com

Pete Anderson "Even Things Up: The Deluxe Edition"

2011-02-20T13:18:00.003-05:00

This is a good cd you might have overlooked in January when it came out. It comes from Grammy-winning producer/guitarist Pete Anderson. All those great guitar lines snaking through those songs by country/rockabilly artist Dwight Yoakum, that was Pete Anderson. They worked together from 1986-2003. Now Anderson has re-released this "Deluxe" version of his fourth solo cd, with 4 additional songs cut live at the Starry Plough in Berkeley California last August.

Anderson sings, plays guitar and harmonica. He also plays drums on "Stop Me." He is backed by co-producer Michael Murphy on keyboards, drummers Herman Matthews and Jeff Donovan, and horn section Lee Thornburg and David Woodford, among others. All the songs are written or co-written by Anderson except "Room With a View," written by Michael Murphy & Lynn Coulter and sung by Murphy. The flavor of the disc is agreeably eclectic, veering from straight blues on "One and Only Lonely Fool" and the live "110 In The Shade" and "Live in Mississippi" to a jazzy turn on "Wes' Side Blues" to the Steely Dan-ish "Booker Twine" and the Tonight Show band-sounding "Dogbone Shuffle." Anderson acquits himself masterfully throughout--I like his vocals, and his guitar work is delicious. I love the instrumentals here, where the band gets to play and they all make some truly beautiful music. But the best song here is "Still in Love" presented twice--once in a studio setting with Anderson on vocals, and once in a live setting with Bekka Bramlett singing. I've played this song for three or four friends and their first response is to love it, then they all want to hear it again.

If you like recent releases by Dave Gross or Robben Ford, or if you liked Steely Dan, this record might be right up your alley. There's a lot here to like. Good musicianship, tasteful playing. I have a feeling this one will be in my cd player for quite a while.

You can buy this cd at http://www.vizztone.com

Junior Wells & the Aces "Live in Boston 1966"

2011-02-19T15:19:00.004-05:00

This Delmark release is a showcase for Junior Wells & the Aces as a FABULOUS live act. Junior Wells on vocals and harp, Fred Below on drums, and the Myers brothers Louis on guitar and Dave on bass--this is a great band, a band of professionals, and they play for an hour, bringing to the concert stage a dozen songs, and every one is a gem. The result is simply awesome. If you love the blues you need this cd in your collection just as a historical document--but it's a lot more than that. I think Fred Below is the best drummer Chicago ever produced, and Junior Wells belongs on the short list of the greatest harp players of all time. Here you get the chance to hear these great musicians at their peak, making the music they love. The set list is tremendous, including "Messin' With The Kid," "Look On Yonder's Wall," "Worried Life Blues," and "If You Gonna Leave Me." And Delmark smartly leaves in the between songs banter--the set is studded with Junior Wells' personality. And the whole set is covers. Please notice that Junior didn't write a single song here--all he does is play them all with passion and fire and power.

You end up wishing you were there. Many thanks to Delmark for putting this one out. l dream of hearing a similar set by Magic Sam and his band. Does that exist in a tape vault somewhere?

You can buy this at http://www.delmark.com But when you do, go ahead and buy Junior Wells' "Southside Blues Jam" like I did. I know you've already got "Hoodoo Man Blues." Simply great music, and essential to every blues lover. You know, one of these days I should put together on this blog The Essential Blues Recordings-- according to Bruce.

Rich DelGrosso & Jonn Del Toro Richardson "Time Slips On By"

2011-02-01T13:16:00.004-05:00

This is a great disc by two great players! Rich DelGrosso and John Del Toro Richardson have made a very good mellow Texas-flavored cd in "Time Slips On By." DelGrosso gets to show off his mandolin skills and Richardson gets to show himself as a very fine guitarist. They both sing. Eight of the 14 songs here are by DelGrosso and six songs are penned by Richardson. The band around them is top-rate: Carl Owens on drums and percussion, Ed Starkey on bass, Nick Connolly on keyboards, Joel Guzman on accordion, Sonny Boy Terry on harmonica, and the great Texas Horns--Mark 'Kaz' Kazanoff on tenor sax, John Mills on baritone sax, and Al Gomez on trumpet. The band makes a backing for the two feature players.

I was hooked by the first 10 seconds of the opened "Baby Do Wrong," a Texas shuffle played great. And after that things never drop off--the level stays hot all the way thru. DelGrosso does a mandolin history lesson in "Mandolin Man" and a very fine turn on the 'Yank' Rachell-inspired "Hard To Live With." Richardson burns up the guitar frets on "Baby Please" and does a very fine soulful vocal turn on the love song "Katalin." About halfway thru the set they play a great song for those of us blues lovers stuck in the cold and ice of wintertime, "Summertime Is Here." I've been listening to that one about 5 times a day for the past week, and it really does seem to help. Other highlights include the Richardson song "Where's Laura?" and DelGrosso's opening on "Good Rocking Johnny" and Sonny Boy Terry's great harmonica break on "She's Sweet." Things wrap up with the "Please Don't Go," with DelGrosso on acoustic mandolin and Richardson on acoustic guitar. Wonderful. Give this one a chance and it will grow on you--or you could get hooked by the first 15 seconds. Either way, this is a disc to enjoy and treasure.

You can buy this cd at http://www.mandolinblues.com or at http://deltoroblues.wortdpress.com

Todd Wolfe Band -- Live!

2011-01-10T10:20:00.005-05:00

The latest release by The Todd Wolfe Band, "Live!" was recorded live under a full moon one night last summer at McCoole’s Arts Place in Quakertown, Pennsylvania, in front a wildly appreciative audience and showcases The Todd Wolfe Band in all its blues-rockin’ glory, wailing on 10 tracks of original songs that have become fan favorites over the course of six previous albums.

Todd Wolfe, on guitar/vocals, Roger Voss, on drums and Suavek Zaniesienko, on bass/backing vocals, make up this power trio. There's no place to hide in a three piece band; every player has to shine at every minute, and this is even more true in a live setting. These guys make an incendiary music which is deeply rooted in the blues, but amped up. Things start off with "Ready For Love" and "Crowded In My Soul" which sound like they could by Delaney & Bonnie, gospel/blues burners. Next up is "Cold Black Night," where all the strengths of the band are front and center--fine song writing, incendiary playing, and really good vocals. "Beg Forgiveness" follows, and it sounds like Robin Trower on a good night. Song after song, these guys are in complete command and bringing it home to a live audience. One of the highlights of the set is the 14 minute closer, "Shame," which really doesn't feel that long. There's no drag anywhere, just a joyous celebration of the art of making and hearing great music.

Now, with his own band and releasing his seventh album, Todd Wolfe is front and center, and the critics have been paying attention. Hittin’ the Note magazine says: “Imagine some power trio mixed into a Texas blues foundation and overlaid with trippy psychedelia – that’s the essence of Wolfe’s music.”

Check it out, and you can hear and see the pure, unadulterated power of a band in its prime.

This cd/dvd will be available January 11, 2011. You can buy this at http://www.toddwolfe.com

Five more great CDs

2010-12-31T20:09:00.004-05:00

Ok, I'm going to admit it--I wrote up my TOP TEN BLUES RELEASES of 2010 the other day, and ever since then I have been kicking myself. I think I left out about 5 other great cds from artists who deserve your attention, artists who made great music in 2010......and artists that should get recognized but did not appear in the Top Ten I posted the other day.

So if you'll give me another chance, here are FIVE MORE GREAT CDs. In no particular order:

Robin Rogers -- Back In The Fire. See Rick Harmon's review Dec 16.

Buddy Guy -- Living Proof. See my review October 24.

Nick Moss -- Privileged. See my review March 30.

The Delta Flyers -- Sixteen Bars. See my review November 22.

John Nemeth -- Name The Day. I am sorry I really missed this one in 2010. I've been a fan of this guy since 2006. John Nemeth has set such a high standard over his past 3-4 cds, and this time out his singing, harp playing, and songwriting are all TOP NOTCH. Nemeth has always been one of the best singers around, and this time out he continues to cook. John leads a first-class band through his strongest batch of songs. Best song here could be "Heartbreak With A Hammer," which features great harp work AND a great guitar solo AND nice piano work AND a smooth horn section all riding atop a great groove, or it could be "I Said Too Much," which features a great old school R & B call-and-response vocal with the spirit of Otis Redding.

Ok, so now in my mind, anyway, I have suggested a Top Fifteen of 2010. These are all worthy of your purchase. I promise I'm not going to suggest 5 more next Monday.

Top Ten Blues releases of 2010

2010-12-25T12:07:00.005-05:00

It's time for the traditional end-of-the-year Top Ten list for 2010. This year has seen a lot of great music released. Some of these I reviewed earlier this year, and some of them are newly listed--anyway, in my humble opinion, this is the best of the good stuff. Support your favorite blues artists, and go buy these cds. Furthermore, if you have the chance, go see these artists live.

1. Ronnie Earl -- Spread The Love. Ronnie Earl is the most important blues guitarist alive, and this is his most beautiful release in a career of making great music. Fits equally well on Saturday night or Sunday morning. On Stony Plain Records. Any Top 10 Blues List that doesn't include this cd by Ronnie Earl is completely bogus.

2. Grant Dermody -- Lay Down My Burden. See my review September 12.

3. Cee Cee James -- Seriously Raw (Live at Sunbanks). See my review July 12.

4. Retro Deluxe -- Watermelon Tea. Featuring Bobby Joe Owens on vocals, Zach Sweeney on lead guitar, Jimbo Mathis on drums and songs written and/or arranged by Robert J Thompson, this one is more fun than anything else I heard all year. On the Rinkled Rooster label.

5. Peter Parcek 3 -- The Mathematics of Love. This one is for all you rock 'n blues lovers--a fantastic release, from a top-notch guitarist who has paid his dues for a long time in Boston. Starts off with a burning "Showbiz Blues" and never lets up. This one has turned up on several other Top 10 lists. No problem. It really is that good. On Vizz Tone Records.

6. Moreland and Arbuckle -- Flood. See my review Feb 23. Includes my favorite song of the year "Don't Wake Me," which will teach your soul everything there is to know about the blues in less than 4 minutes. Don't believe me? Listen to it again.

7. Jay Gaunt -- Harmonicopia. I am shocked that I did not review this earlier this year. A fantastic journey through the world of harmonica styles. Harmonica played with taste and chops, and the band surrounding Gaunt plays as well as he does. Includes a cool bluesy version of "Greensleeves." Yeah, that Greensleeves, the classical song. I love it, but I'm pretty sure than Jay could do a version of Kermit the frog's "Rainbow Connection" and I'd love that too. On JBG Music.

8. Albert Castiglia -- Keepin On. See my review August 19. Runner up for my favorite song of the year is "My Baby Is Now On My Mind," which is so good it reminds me of the late great Sean Costello.

9. Jim Byrnes -- Everywhere West. See my review December 15.

10. Studebacker John's Maxwell Street Kings -- That's The Way You Do. A great big Valentine to the early days of Chicago Blues on Maxwell Street. Studebacker John Grimaldi wrote all the songs, and he plays slide guitar and vocals and harp, with Rick Kreher on guitar and backing vocals, and Steve Cushing on drums. This three piece brings the classic Chicago Maxwell Street blues scene to throbbing greasy life. On Delmark Records.

Robin Rogers "Back In The Fire"

2010-12-16T11:23:00.003-05:00

(Note: The review following appeared on the yahoo group "Match Box Blues." I am re-printing it here because I couldn't write it up any better. Thanks Rick. The day after I posted this review Robin died. RIP Robin.)

by Rick Harmon

Robin Rogers new album for blues label Blind Pig records could not be a more bittersweet triumph. The recording is beautiful, powerful and probably the last she will ever record.

"Back in the Fire" is the follow up to "Treat Me Right," the 55-year-old singer's first recording on Blind Pig, which when it was released two years ago gave the performer her first smash hit in a professional music career that began in Miami in 1979.

She gave a wonderful performance in Montgomery a few months after her album debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard blues charts, where it remained for years. At the time she made it clear that while the newfound success was wonderful, she considered her true success freeing herself of a drug and alcohol habit that had once plagued her.

With the help of Tony Rogers, her musical partner and husband, she thought she had put those years behind her. But just months ago she was diagnosed with liver cancer, a complication of the hepatitis-C she contracted in the 1970s. The cancer is untreatable, and she is not a candidate for a transplant.

"Back in the Fire" is an even stronger recording than her first. It combines lyrics that represent a life full of hard lessons and courage but manage never to be preachy. The production is lower key than on her last album, reminding you less of a painstakingly recorded studio album than a stunning live performance.

Whether singing about others' mistakes ("Baby Bye-Bye) or her own ("I Know I Done Wrong") she sings with the sort of sultry experience that one associates with the great torch singers of old.

There are also deeper and sometimes more painful songs such as "What We Are Worth," which sums up some of the wisdom she has fought so hard to gain, and "Don't Walk Away Run," a warning to domestic violence victims to leave while they can.

Throw in some gorgeous covers - Little Willie John's "Need Your Love So Bad," Allen Toussaint's "Hittin' On Nothin'," a well-known Irma Thomas standard, and the Big Maybelle song "Ocean of Tears," -- some nice instrumentals from pianist Mark Stallings, guitarist Tony Rogers and a guest appearance by Bob Margolin to Tony Rogers on guitar -- and "Back in the Fire" is a passionate, powerful tour-de-force.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Blind Pig recording artist Robin Rogers has been diagnosed with liver cancer. She was hospitalized for complications caused by Hepatitis C, and a CT scan prior to surgery revealed an untreatable cancerous tumor on her liver. She is not a candidate for a liver transplant so she has been sent home for hospice care.

There has been a major outpouring of support and care since the announcement of the hospitalization by her husband Tony on Robin's Facebook page. Announcements were made of the establishment of a Robin Rogers Medical Trust Fund to cover medical expenses.

However, while this fund will help with astronomical hospital and medical bills, it does not cover other expenses such as hospice care and basic living expenses. Robin will not be able to return to the stage, and Tony, her musical partner, will be out of work for the foreseeable future. Like most musicians, Robin and Tony do not have health insurance and depend on touring income for their livelihood. Expenses for hospice care, medicine, and everyday living will be extremely high.

Fans who are interested in providing help directly to the family can donate by sending a check (made out to Tony Rogers) to: Robin Rogers c/o Piedmont Talent Agency, P.O. Box 680006, Charlotte, NC 28216. In addition, the Charlotte Blues Society has set up a PayPal account, with 100 percent of the proceeds benefiting Robin. PayPal donations can be made on the PayPal webpage.

Fans can also help by purchasing CDs from her website, www.robinrogers.com. Benefits and fundraising efforts are also being organized, and fans can follow developments on a newly created Facebook page: Robin Rogers Benefit Central.

Jim Byrnes "Everywhere West"

2010-12-15T12:36:00.003-05:00

Jim Byrnes is a guitarist, a singer, songwriter and a musicologist--and he is terrific at all. He is originally from St Louis, but he has been a Canadian blues treasure for more than 30 years. His latest cd "Everywhere West" is his fourth for Black Hen Music and his eighth overall. This marks the fourth collaboration between Byrnes and producer/multi-instrumentalist Steve Dawson, and this may be the best work they have done together so far. The band includes Byrnes on guitar and vocal & Dawson on slide guitar, banjo, and dobro, Chris Gestrin on organ, and Dawson studio regulars Keith Lowe on bass and Geoff Hicks on drums. On four songs they are augmented by a 3 piece horn section featuring Daniel Lapp on trumpet, Bill Runge and Jerry Cook on saxes. Lapp also plays a beautiful fiddle lead on "No Mail Blues." Four of the songs are Byrnes originals ("Hot As A Pistol," "Storm Warning," and "Me And Piney Brown"), three are traditional songs ("Bootlegger's Blues," "No Mail Blues," and "He Was A Friend Of Mine"), one is by Steve Dawson ("Walk On"), and there are covers of Jimmy Reed ("Take Out Some Insurance On Me"), Robert Johnson ("From Four Until Late"), Louis Jordan ("You Can't Get That Stuff No More"), and Lowell Folsom ("Black Nights"), and the Bass/Thompson "Yield Not to Temptation."

I listened to this cd four of five times before I even started thinking about writing a review of it. Now thatb I've written the review, I expect I'll be listening to it a lot more. Each song spins out and captures my ears. This is good music in a variety of blues styles, timeless music well played. As Byrnes writes in the liner notes, "Everywhere West" is dedicated to 'those who came before,' but this music doesn't belong in a museum. Check it out for yourself --this is the best cd to come out of Canada this year.

You can buy it at http://www.blackhenmusic.com

James Kinds "Love You From The Top"

2010-11-29T08:21:00.003-05:00

Bluesman James Kinds was born in Mississippi in 1943. He moved to Chicago in 1959 and was a fixture in the blues and gospel scenes there until 1983, when he moved to Dubuque Iowa. But James' kept performing in Chicago and all over the MIdwest, and between 2004 and 2007 he made three indy cds with the All-Night Riders, and he was inducted into the Iowa Blues Hall of Fame in 2008. James's biggest career hit is a song called "Ada" which he recorded in the mid-'70s for Cloud 9 and it's still James' show-stopping closer which he sang at the 2007 Chicago Blues Festival.

This is James' first major label cd, and it catches this veteran performer in superb form. Kinds wrote all the songs. Along with Kinds on vocals and guitar and Eddie Shaw on sax on four songs, the band includes Al Pool on guitar, Anthony Dotson on bass, and Claude L. Thomas on drums. Now if you happen to read liner notes like I do, you'll know that this is one hot band--Pool, Dotson and Thomas are all veterans of the Chicago blues, and they can each play the blues like ringing a bell, and Eddie Shaw is a legend, the long-time leader of the Howlin' Wolf Gang. So it is with a sense of anticipation that I dropped this one in the cd player, and this cd does not disappoint.

Things kick off with the title track, and wow, James Kinds can sing--he has maybe the best voice in the blues right now. The guitar work is spot-on, and everything is deep in the pocket, and Shaw blows a great solo. And it never drops off! Song after song, everything is sweet and strong and tasty. Kinds tells his story in "Mason Dixon Line Blues," and he does a humorous song about the perils of booze on "I Didn't Go Home" and he adds a gospel touch to the slow blues of "Take A Look At Yourself" and on "Johnny Mae" he brings forth another song as good as "Ada." Every note on this cd COOKS! On a normal CD there are 12 songs, and the last notes of "Johnny Mae" would be the end--but Kinds has been waiting too long to make this breakthrough to stop where everybody else might. He treats us to three more great songs, including "I Can't Take It" and "My Mama Told Me," and both of those songs are terrific. Every song on this cd is terrific.

A very fine release. You can buy this cd at http://delmark.com

The Delta Flyers "Sixteen Bars"

2010-11-22T15:59:00.004-05:00

The Delta Flyers are an awesome blues force. Let me tell you, if you like that sweet bluesy music made by Canned Heat back in the 60s you will love this disc. This is a great cd, and a great band. The music is built around the vocals and harmonica work of Steve DuPree and the guitar work of Travis Stephenson. The songs were all written either by DuPree or by DuPree/Stephenson. The Delta Flyers encompass an impressive range of rural blues and country styles supported by Jack Saunders (bass, percussion and backing vocals), Rick Richards (drums), Rich DelGrosso (mandolin) and Sister Tommie Lee Bradley (backing vocals). Things kick off with "61 Highway Blues," an electric slide guitar shuffle, then the jaunty country two-step beat of "Sixteen Bars," which is not about gin mills or the length of a blues progression but the number of bars in a jail cell door. "Mentone, Alabama" is a road trip song done up with joy and tight bluegrass-style harmony vocals. Things stay in a high energy mood thru "Baby's So Fine," a superb boogie shuffle. Then comes the best song on the cd, and a strong candidate for Bruce's song of the year, "Sunflower River Rag." By itself worth the cost of the whole disc! It sounds like it could be by the Marshall Tucker Band or the Pure Prairie League or the Doobie Brothers or even Alabama but it's better than all those others! DuPree's vocals and Stephenson's guitar ride over the rhythm, and when the chorus comes in with Sister Tommie Lee it blows my head clean off. I had to listen to it three or four times in a row, just to enjoy it again and again. Next comes "Poison Took My Baby," a cautionary tale about drug abuse. "Dockery Farm" pays tribute to that famous Delta plantation with a hypnotic, twangy hill country groove that will not quit. "Fishin' Little Mama" is a Chicago-style blues shuffle, and "Baby Jane" is another country two-step featuring great drumming by Richards. Then things close out with "I Got To Testify," a nice gospel-style song featuring great work by Rich DelGrosso on mandolin and backing vocals by The Fabulous Inebriators.

I love this one. A very strong release. This one will be released on January 4th on Soulbilly Records. You can buy it at the band's website, http://www.thedeltaflyers.com/

Todd Sharpville "Porchlight"

2010-11-10T16:03:00.003-05:00

Todd Sharpville's new cd "Porchlight" is a compelling release--partly because of the musical quality of his guitar and vocals, partly because of who and what Todd Sharpville is. According to Wikipedia, "Sharpville (born The Hon. Roland Augusto Jestyn Estanislao Philipps, 9 April 1970, London) is the younger son of the 3rd Viscount St Davids and younger brother of 4th Viscount St Davids, is a British musician, singer-songwriter and lead guitarist, mainly in the blues field." He's British royalty, and he plays guitar, writes and sings.

I really don't care about the royalty angle--what interests me is the music, and Sharpville has been making records since 1994's "Touch Of Your Love" (Red Lightnin' Records), which won "Best Album" in 1994 in the British Blues Connection awards (Britain's equivalent to the W.C. Handy Awards). He won the British Blues Connection "Best UK Guitarist" award in 1995. His second album was 2001's "The Meaning Of Life" (Cathouse Records), and featured guests Leo Sayer, Eugene "Hideaway" Bridges, Snowy White, Paul Lamb, Keith Dunn, and ex-Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor. Sharpville also appeared on Leo Sayer's "Voice In My Head" (2005) and Albert Hammond's "Revolution Of The Heart" (2006).

As an antidote to the mention of Leo Sayer, let me point out that Sharpville's new blues double album "Porchlight" was produced by Duke Robillard and features guests: Duke Robillard, Joe Louis Walker, & Kim Wilson. The Todd Sharpville Band includes Mark Teixeira on drums, Jessie Williams on bass, Bruce Bears on keyboards and a fine horn section consisting of Scott Aruda on trumpet, Doug 'Mr. Low' James on baritone sax, Carl Ouerfurth on trombone, and Mike Tucker on alto sax. That cast of characters and guests make this a pretty good double cd. Todd Sharpville writes all 15 songs, and I really like the majority of them, as Sharpville gets into various styles of blues with fine results.

Things kick off with "If Love Is A Crime" which features good work by Sharpville and Kim Wilson. That is followed by "Lousy Husband (But A Real Good Dad)" which features good work by both Duke and Sharpville and especially Bruce Bears on piano. Next up is "Used," in which Sharpville gets to show his major guitar talents. Then "Why Does It Rain?" which features the horn section--this may be the best song on the record. Things wander astray a bit with the next two tracks, "Can't Stand The Crook" and "Everything Will Be Alright," but everything comes back into major focus with the next song "Old Feeling" which is 5 minutes of great music.

The second cd is similarly strong out of the box, with "When The World's Not Enough" which is fine rockabilly, and "When The Blues Come Calling," which reminds me of Eric Clapton in a good way, and then things droop with the dreadful "If That Ain't Love What Is?" and the leaden "Legacy of Greed." But then things pick up again with "Whole Lotta Lady" which features that fat baritone sax and that great Duke Robillard sound, and the next three songs "Misery" and "Busted In Pieces" and "Porchlight" are all highlights--all great guitar and band burning the house down. "Misery" or "Porchlight" are the most personal songs on the disc, and there Todd Sharpville makes his stand. This guy is really good, even if he is a Brit and royalty. Grab this set, give it a listen, and see what I mean.

This cd is on MiG (Made in Germany) Records. You can buy it at www.Allmusic.com

Lance Lopez "Salvation From Sundown"

2010-10-29T12:34:00.004-04:00

Lance Lopez is a blues-rock guitar gunslinger, and "Salvation From Sundown" is a great blues-rock cd. I was tipped off to Lance's music back in 2007 by my DJ friend Mark Smith, the Blues Pilot at KJLU FM. Mark always has loved a hot 3 piece band. Turns out Lance Lopez has been around for quite a while, including a 3 year stint in Lucky Peterson's band starting when Lance was just 18. In 1999 Lance won the Southeastern Regional JIMI HENDRIX Electric Guitar competition in New Orleans sponsored by EXPERIENCE HENDRIX. Lopez has released 5 previous cds--the first one was "First Things First" in 1998 which should have been a big hit. Over the years Lance has continued to develop a hard-charging style, complimented perfectly by a gruff voice. This album is his best yet. It was produced by Jim Gaines, and the band is Tony Valdez on bass and Cody Norman on drums. The first song "Love Of Mine" sets out what's coming--a straightforward full guitar tone played with confidence, with the voice front and center, telling a story with fire and heart. After that comes what may be the best song here, "My Good Thang," and on song after song both the writing and the playing are just top-notch. A dozen sizzling cuts. If you like your blues heavy with a dose of rock on the side, this disc is right up your alley. If you like Todd Wolfe or Albert Cummings you should give Lance Lopez a listen. Really good stuff.

This cd is on MIG label. Release date is November 9, 2010. You can buy this cd at http://www.cdbaby.com

Ernie Hawkins "Whinin' Boy"

2010-10-25T10:27:00.003-04:00

Ernie Hawkins is a great finger-style acoustic guitarist. His new cd "Whinin' Boy" should establish him at the very top rank in the genre. Hawkins took lessons with Rev Gary Davis back in the 60s, and this time around he plays with a band. And what a great band it is! The band includes Dwayne Dolphin, the jazz bassist; Joe Dallas on trombone; Paul Cosentino on clarinet; Roger Day on tuba; James Moore on trumpet; Marc Reisman, on harmonica; and percussionist George Heid, who also produces "Whinin' Boy." They offer up a smorgasbord of great songs, starting out with the Jelly Roll Morton penned title track, the Naset-Kahn "Susie (of the Islands), the Donaldson-Kahn "Makin' Whoopie" in a Dixieland arrangement, a couple of originals, the Little Brother Montgomery "Vicksburg Blues," Louis Armstrong's "Weather Bird," Irving Berlin's "Blue Skies," Big Bill Broonzy's "Shuffle Rag," and the Rev Gary Davis' "There Is a Table in Heaven." The songs vary from fingerpicking blues to dixieland and back--and everything here is beautifully done. Check it out!

Ernie Hawkins has been featured in SingOUT!, Fingerstyle Guitar, Dirty Linen, Acoustic Guitar, Blues Revue and Vintage Guitar magazines. He has appeared on "A Prairie Home Companion", "Mountain Stage" , "Woodsongs Old-Time Radio Hour" and XM radio. Ernie appears on Maria Muldaur's Grammy and Handy nominated and Indie Award winning album "Richland Woman Blues."

This cd is on Corona Records, and you can buy it online at www.erniehawkins.com

Buddy Guy "Living Proof"

2010-10-24T14:22:00.004-04:00

Buddy Guy may be 74 years young, but this man is not old or tired--and this is no nostalgia act. A dozen dynamite songs loaded with amazing guitar work, passionate vocals and a great band adds up to a top-notch release. From the opening notes of the opener "74 Years Young" Buddy hits it out of the park on every song--the bragging, the storyteller, the guitarist with power and style and fire. I've listened to it half a dozen times now, and each time I'm literally exhausted by the energy and the effort Buddy puts fourth here. The band is super tight. The songs are all written or co-written by drummer and producer Tom Hambridge, who along with Michael Rhodes on bass, David Grissom on second guitar, and Reese Wynans on keyboards make up the Buddy Guy Band. Special guests include B B King on the wonderful "Stay Around A Little Longer," Carlos Santana adding a beautiful lyrical Latin-styled turn on "Where The Blues Begins," The Memphis Horns making things pop on "On The Road," and Wendy Moten and Bekka Bramlett adding backing vocals on three tracks. Then way too soon everything closes with this fabulous burning song "Skanky" where Buddy shows that he hasn't lost anything at all. He started out with Raful Neal in Louisiana nearly 60 years ago, and he has been one of the top guitarists around for over 50 years, and on this cd Buddy Guy reminds the world that he isn't done yet. Go see him live when you get a chance, even though he sometimes talks a little too much, because he's one of the GIANTS and they won't always be here among us.

You can buy this wherever blues cds are sold.

What's new?

2010-10-16T09:11:00.003-04:00

It has been a couple of weeks since I posted, and the stack of worthy discs just gets higher. Lately I've been listening a lot to these fine cds: Kenny Neal's latest "Hooked On Your Love," Tim Woods' "The Blues Sessions," and Chrissie O'Dell & One Hot Mess "If I Had A Dime." All three are really terrific work, with great singing and playing and a lot of blues fire.

Kenny Neal continues to be the pre-eminent Louisiana swamp bluesman out there, carrying the banner from his father Raful Neal. Raful gave Buddy Guy his first break into the business. I've been listening to Kenny Neal since 1989, and he continues to hold the blues banner high. Kenny continues another family tradition, with nephew Tyree and brother Frederick Neal on keyboards and brother Darnell Neal on bass. Top cut to my ears is " New Lease on Life," which sizzles. On Blind Pig.

Hard to believe this is Tim Woods' debut cd after playing guitar for 25+ years. Here he gathers a star-studded band in "The Blues Sessions," including David "Honeyboy" Edwards, Ike Stubblefield, Bob Stroger, Lee Williams and Big Jack Johnson. With players like that it would be easy to get overshadowed on your own record, but Woods' voice ties everything together. Includes a terrific "Deep Ellum Blues" and a wonderful cover of WilIie Dixon's "It Don't Make Sense You Can't Make Peace." Honeyboy Edwards sings lead and plays guitar on three songs here. This one will appeal to everybody on your Christmas list. On Earwig Music.

Chrissie O'Dell & One Hot Mess' "If I Had A Dime" is also a debut cd. When you hear Chrissie sing a few lines of the title track you'll know why she has suddenly been discovered--she is the best new female vocalist out there in years. She reminds me of Koko Taylor. Check out the song here "Sleep All Day"--a hot honking tour de force. The One Hot Mess band includes John Bendy on guitar, Bill Quinn on organ, Craig "Clutch" Costa on bass and Papa John on drums. They make a straightforward righteous blues. Catch her at the beginning of what we all hope will be a long and lustrous career. Indy release.

These three are all well worth your time and your money. You can buy these at
http://www.blindpigrecords.com
http://www.earwigmusic.com
http://www.chrissieodell.com/

J W-Jones "Midnight Memphis Sun"

2010-09-21T11:15:00.005-04:00

J W-Jones is the # 1 blues artist in Canada. He has released 6 cds since 2000, and as always the draw is his remarkable guitar playing. This time out Jones recorded much of the cd at Sun Studios in Memphis. He also wrote eight of the twelve tracks--and the originals hold up well alongside covers of Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee's "Burnt Child" and a Chicago-style cover of Jimmy Reed's "I Don't Go for That" and a Jump Blues cover of Lowell Fulson's "Love Grows Cold." Jones' songs on this cd exhibit a variety of blues styles, from the Stax/Volt style opener to the ‘50s R&B sound for "Kissin' In Memphis" to a blues-ish cover of fellow Canadian Bryan Adams' "Cuts like A Knife" to the Delta-flavored "Mean Streak" and the keyboard-fueled "Right On Time" and the B.B. King-styled "Make a Move." The core band features Jones on guitar and vocals, Jesse Whiteley on organ and piano, Brian Asselin on sax on three tracks, Nick Cochrane on trumpet on three tracks, Martin Regimbald on bass and Jeff Asselin on drums. Guests include Hubert Sumlin on three tracks, Charlie Musselwhite on three tracks--and they are both terrific, bringing great fire to every track--and the esteemed rhythm section of Larry Taylor on bass and Richard Innes on drums are here on 7 tracks.

This is a good cd and the guitar work is really good. The song writing is strong. The only weak link is Jones' voice. It's not bad, just that when he sings he sounds like a guy from Canada. When on "Make A Move" Jones turns the microphone over to Lisa-Gaye Pryce you get a hint of what might be possible here--she is terrific.

Check this cd out at http://www.jw-jones.com

Joe Lewis Band "Good News Blues"

2010-09-16T17:21:00.003-04:00

I've been enjoying this disc for wayyyyyy too long--I should have written about it months ago, but every time I put it on I forget to write about it! The Joe Lewis Band is a three piece blues band based in central Missouri. They play the instruments and use the structures and flavors of the classic blues songs, but the lyrics are all pure gospel. You really have to hear them to see how well they make this work. The band is Joe, who sings and writes and plays guitar, and Ken, who plays bass, and John, who provides the solid back beat on drums. These guys are a very fine band! It's the sort of music you wish got played in church, and the lyrics are all pretty theologically sound. No, they don't play your father's gospel music. This is current and fun and energetic music. The Joe Lewis Band has played at the United We Sing Fest in Jefferson City MO, the Mid Missouri Biker Blessing in Centralia MO, and at the Blue Note in Columbia MO, and each time they have made a righteous impression, tearing down the house with their great playing and testifying. This is my all-time favorite cd to listen to with headphones on while I'm writing a sermon in the middle of the night and the rest of the family is all asleep. I have shared some of these songs in church, in bible study with senior adults, in ministry with teenagers and college students, one on one with other blues lovers--and I always have received a very positive response. My favorite song here is "If Not For Mercy," which starts out pure Chicago blues and then Joe and his guitar and the band take things straight to church. It's wonderful.

This is an indy release, but you can buy it by contacting the band at http://www.joelewisband.com

Tell them Bruce sent you.

Grant Dermody "Lay Down My Burden"

2010-09-12T13:45:00.004-04:00

Grant Dermody plays harmonica and sings. On "Lay Down My Burden," his third solo recording, he brings together a wonderful set of acoustic country blues songs and a great group of players. The mood is gentle, but the playing is top-notch on every song. It's a Sunday afternoon kind of set, and it is Sunday afternoon as I write this review. The talent of the guests here is mind-blowing, and includes John Cephas (his last song is a great cover of Skip James' "Hard Times Killing Floor Blues") Eric Bibb, Darick Campbell, Rich Del Grosso, Rich Hill, John Dee Holeman, Orville Johnson, Louisiana Red, Del Rey, and a host of others. The songs range widely as well, from Rev Gary Davis' "I'll Be Alright" to Steven Gomes & Ronnie Earl's "It's My Soul" to a very nice cover of "Amazing Grace" to Stephen Foster's "Hard Times Come Again No More" (done a cappella in 4 part harmony) to Jimmy Reed's "You Don't Have To Go" and a Tibetan prayer "Vajra Guru Mantra" with a few traditional songs and three Grant Dermody originals. Louisiana Red sings and plays guitar on his original "Where Is My Friends?" There are a grand total of two songs here which feature drums--played quite well by Dale Fanning. Instead of the drums most of the time there are a few instruments, a few voices, and these great songs come to life. I think the best things here are a great spin on Dick Powell's "Waterbound" with Richie Stearns on banjo and Grant's harp and voice, and the traditional instrumental "David's Cow," with very fine violin by Scott Meyer, guitar by Forrest Gibson and Grant on harp. Both of those songs are as good as anything done by anybody I have heard this year. The cd is engineered by Garey Shelton and produced by Orville Johnson, who also plays dobro on "Amazing Grace" and "Vajra Guru Mantra" and mandolin on "Evening Train" and "First Light." Liner notes are by Phil Wiggins.

This is a terrific cd, full of humanity and dignity and art. Every time I play it I am reminded of the beauty of music played well.

You can buy it at http://www.bluebeatmusic.com/

Mitch Woods "Gumbo Blues"

2010-09-06T12:18:00.003-04:00

Mitch Woods' latest, "Club Gumbo," is a tribute to Smiley Lewis and the pioneers of New Orleans R&B, but this is no nostalgia trip. Instead, this is a ready-made party in a jewel box. Every song is guaranteed to get your ass swinging. Mitch Woods is one of the very best boogie-woogie piano players on Earth, and he and the band tear through a slice of the great music from the Big Easy. The immortal Dave Bartholomew wrote most of these songs, and the great singers Smiley Lewis and Fats Domino sang them way back in the day--they must all be smiling to hear this cd. Woods is ably assisted in this tribute project by a great band--the talent on this set is shockingly good. Herb Hardesty on sax--he was Fats Dominos' tenor sax man for over 60 years. Amadee Castenell and Brian "Breeze" Cayolle on baritone and tenor sax--they play horn in Allen Toussaint's band. John Fohl on guitar--he is Dr. John's guitar player. Cornell Williams on bass--he plays with Jon Cleary. Eric Bolivar on drums--he's the drummer for Bonerama. Even a casual fan of New Orleans music will recognize these names--and these guys can ALL flat out play this music. From the first note things are PUMPING and the level never drops off.

I played this cd for my friend, a New Orleans native, and you should have seen the smile on his face. He said "Just like going home again--and cheaper than a bus ticket!" If you love the city of New Orleans, or New Orleans music, or that great 50s style Rhythm & Blues, this cd will make your ears and your heart happy. You need this cd in your collection.

You can buy this cd at http//www.mitchwoods.com

Two-fer Reviews: Chris James & Patrick Rynn "Gonna Boogie Anyhow" AND Rob Stone "Back Around Here"

2010-09-01T13:50:00.007-04:00

Today we share the good news about two fine cds from a 3 man writing team that lays down the Chicago Blues in all its glory. Chris James & Patrick Rynn play guitar & bass respectively for the Rhythm Room All Stars in Phoenix. Rob Stone is a bandleader in Chicago. These three guys first got started together co-founding a band called the C-Notes in 1990. They continue to write together, and now James/Rynn and Stone have each released new cds on Earwig Records at about the same time. Both good cds, too, each built from many of the same elements. Both cds feature the James/Rynn/Stone writing team. Both cds have the James/Rynn duo on guitar and bass, and both cds feature Rob Stone and sometimes Bob Corritore on harmonica, David Maxwell and sometimes Henry Gray on piano, and the great Sam Lay and sometimes Edie Kobek on drums. On the James/Rynn disc Chris James handles the vocal chores. On his disc, Rob Stone sings and plays harmonica.

I really like these guys. They make good mostly up-tempo blues music with no pretense. I hope these partnerships continue to grow and develop. If these three guys could spend enough time together they could be the Chicago version of the Mannish Boys on the west coast--an all star ensemble with chops and taste and flair to spare. Highlights abound. On Rob Stone's disc, "I Need To Plant A Money Tree" has a real infectious groove, and "Lot To Love About You" is a wonderful harp workout with Aaron Moore on piano helping things move. On the James/Rynn disc the best songs are "Money Don't Like Me" (Parts 1 & 2) where the whole band swings and roars and everybody hits the mark. Another highlight is "Headed Out West," featuring only James & Rynn, on electric guitar and upright bass, showing another side of their massive talents.

Two winning discs--snap 'em up at Earwig Records. You'll be glad when these discs land in your mailbox.

My Top Ten "Desert Island Discs"

2010-08-31T22:18:00.003-04:00

I wrote this for Facebook this afternoon, and after I thought about it for a while thought I should post it here as well. These discs cover a wider spectrum of music than I usually discuss here--they aren't blues (well, the Sean Costello and Cee Cee James discs are blues) but this has been my personal Top Ten for a while now. Each is highly recommended.

Bob Dylan -- "Blood On The Tracks." Can it possibly be that I've spent 35 years with this record? Its music and words are just part of the substance of my life, they're in my blood like holy wine--to quote Joni Mitchell. I might have chosen five other Bob Dylan records, but this one will stand in for all the rest.

Emmylou Harris -- "Pieces of the Sky." It came out the same year as Blood on The Tracks, and over the years I have found so much in these two records that if I pick one, I better pick them both. l could have chosen only the single "Boulder to Birmingham" and that would be enough, but Emmylou's voice and the quality of her work over the length of this record--and her career--mean so much to me. One of my heros.

Uncle Tupelo -- "Anyodyne." First time I heard this it opened up the top of my head and rearranged the way I heard music.
Sometimes I listen for the faster Neil Young-ish songs, sometimes for the slower Gram Parson-ish ones, but I can never turn it off until I've heard the whole record. These guys and the Clash were just the top of the top for me, for a long time, and I still listen to them over and over.

The Clash -- "London Calling." To me it has always been scary how great this is. An amazing album, with a deep connection all the way back to Woodie Guthrie. Folk music for the 80s. You hardly ever find music this real, and almost never find music this deep.

James Brown -- "20 All Time Greatest Hits!" I'd pick this only for "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag," but I guess I need the whole record. If I'm on a desert island I've got to have some dance music. JB brought the joy--I miss him and Otis Redding nearly as much as I miss my own mother.

Otis Redding -- "Live in London and Paris." I've got to include some Stax/Volt. Booker T & the MGs and the Mar-Keys provide the music, Otis sings the enthusiasm and the love. Those lucky people in Europe got to hear some of the very best music made during my lifetime. They're another disc of Otis out there called "Live at the Whiskey" which is pretty good too.

Sean Costello -- "We Can Get Together." Has to be one of my desert discs, because I don't know how I got along without it before 2008. Sean could do it all--great guitarist, great singer, great writer. I was just beginning to look forward to the next twenty years of his musical journey when Sean died 3 months after this record came out. What a great send off.

Cee Cee James -- "Seriously Raw." This is a great live disc by a great singer. Cee Cee lays it all on the line, and she makes you believe every word. And she's backed by one of the best blues band around right now--Chris Leighton, Dan Mohler, Rob Andrews, Jason Childs. Heir to the throne that Janis Joplin used to occupy.

Sam Baker -- "Cotton." Sam Baker did something nobody else has ever done--the first time I listened to this record I wept at the beauty of it. I list this one to stand in for all the great singer-songwriters like Guy Clark, Steve Earle, Townes Van Zant, Robert Earl Keen, but Sam Baker doesn't have to take a back seat to any of them. My son Chris tipped me off to this one.

And last but not least: CSNY -- "Deja Vu." I've been listening to this one forever, and I've never grown tired of it.

If I added one more and could make it Top 11, I would choose the Allman Brothers Live at the Fillmore East.

Albert Castiglia "Keepin On"

2010-08-19T14:27:00.005-04:00

Albert Castiglia is a great guitarist and singer, but that's not the best thing about this new cd "Keepin On," out August 10 on Blues Leaf Records. The best thing is that Albert keeps getting better. I listened to Castiglia's work from "Burn" (2002) to "A Stone's Throw" (2006) to "These Are The Days" (2008) and now this new cd "Keepin On" (2010) and the growth is remarkable. Albert's guitar playing is hotter, better, cleaner and his singing stronger, more emotive than ever before. Albert and his band, bassist AJ Kelly and drummer Bob Amsel, kick things off with the Sir Mack Rice-penned "Cadillac Assembly Line." Check out the first time Albert did this song, on "Burn" and compare that take with this one. Albert did a good job of covering Albert King on the 2002 cd, and this time out he completely knocks it out of the park. Next Castiglia does a great job on a Bob Dylan song, this time with "Till I Fell In Love With You," a talent that he has used to good effect previously with "Catfish." Next up are a pair of originals, "Mojo 305," an instrumental which showcases the talents of this three-piece band, and "Keep On Keeping On," which features a great Credence Clearwater Revival-style guitar melody broken up by one of Albert's finest solos yet. That is followed by a cover of T-Bone Walker's "My Baby Is Now On My Mind," which in less than 4 minutes amply illustrates the genius of both T-Bone and Albert's guitar work, which is followed by a cover of Peter Green's "Could Not Ask for More," with guests Bill "Mighty" Quinn on piano and an uncredited Sandy Mack on harmonica.

Then comes a wonderful break--Albert on acoustic guitar with Toby Walker on dobro for "Sweet Southern Angel," a Castiglia original, followed by a standout cover of Robert Nighthawk's classic "Murderin' Blues." This is the direction I'd love to see Albert explore further--I already know he is one of the very top electric guitar players out there, but his guitar touch and his fine sense of dynamics, along with his remarkable voice, have both improved so much since 2002 that I think he could do a GREAT acoustic cd. Maybe someday?

The rest of the disc includes a John Lee Hooker cover "Goin' Upstairs," with Quinn on the Hammond B3, and concludes with two more Castiglia originals, "Gettin By" and "Closing Time," which each turn the heat up again with some great electric guitar work. These two songs are not just coda to all that has gone on before--they illustrate how Albert Castiglia is clearly on top of his game. He closes things down with 12 minutes of great guitar work on these 2 songs, 12 minutes of music that CUT everything that Eric Clapton, for example, has done over the past 4-5 years. It reminds me of the way Stevie Ray Vaughan would just spin out these great melodies and riffs like it was easy for him. Albert is terrific and this is a great cd.

Les Copeland "Don't Let The Devil In"

2010-07-23T13:25:00.004-04:00

Les Copeland is a fine guitarist and an underrated vocalist. He hails from Canada, but the blues he bring to life on this disc really are universal. This album is Copeland's first release on Earwig. According to the label, it "showcases Les’ fine finger picking, melodic sensibility and chordal finesse, and his wry and ironic lyrical observations about everyday people." Copeland shows a talent for all kinds of songs here--sometimes he's doing Chicago blues, sometimes jazz, sometimes old-style country, and sometimes folk music, but always the music and vocals are clear and strong and honest. All the songs but one are Copeland originals. On several songs Copeland's slide guitar playing reminds me of Ry Cooder--especially on "Ry Cooder" and "Riding The Sky Train." And on "Ginseng Girl" and "Wet Paper Bag" Copeland shows that he has listened to Barney Kessel, spinning out gorgeous jazz melodies. On "I'm The Little One" he even sings a children's song, and on the next song "Everyday People" Copeland takes a very nice folkish turn. His singing voice reminds me of Jimmie Rodgers, especially on "What's Your Name," "Long Lost Love," and "Distant Train." All these comparisons are high praise.

Helping Copeland here are guest Hall of Fame bluesman David 'Honeyboy' Edwards on second guitar on two songs, "Anna Lee" and "How's That Drummer." And Honeyboy's manager, Michael Frank, contributes harmonica on three songs, "What's Your Name," "Silently," and the title track.

Les Copeland has made an interesting and quite good disc. You can buy it at Earwig Music. Http://www.earwigmusic.com

Grady Champion "Back In Mississippi Live at 930 Blues Cafe"

2010-07-13T09:33:00.003-04:00

These men won the International Blues Challenge in Memphis in January 2010 so you know they play with fire and power. This show was recorded on 07-07-07 at the 930 Blues Club in Jackson Mississippi, and it captures a great time. Grady Champion and the Grady Champion Revue featuring Eddie Cotton Jr, as a band, are made of Mr. Champion on vocals and harp and Mr. Cotton on guitar, Calvin Wilson on keyboards, Marquis Champion on bass, and Frank White on drums. They have played together long enough to do things right. Things start off with the doubleheader blast of Willie Dixon and Jimmy Reed, with "I'm Ready" and "Baby What You Want Me To Do/Bright Lights" the way shows probably kicked off in hundreds of blues clubs back in the 50s and 60s. These classics are expertly done, and after that warm up the band brings out three Grady Champion compositions, "You Got Some Explaining To Do" "1-800-Blu-Love" and "Policeman Blues." Grady testifies, he tells the truth in each song; and then, as the audience is catching their breath, the Revue launches into a long and glorious cover of Howlin' Wolf's "Spoonful" and you think the show must be wrapping up. But the best is still yet to come! Led by a slow and terrific organ and guitar intro, the band digs into "Lonesome Bed Blues" where everybody gets a chance to shine, especially Eddie Cotton Jr. His guitar work here alone is worth the price of the cd. The rest of the show is all 100% top notch blues, mixing Grady Champion's original songs with the BB King classic "Why I Sing The Blues," which is where you get to hear Grady's great harp work. During "Wine and Women," co-written by Grady and Eddie Cotton Jr., Calvin Wilson plays a great solo on piano. Every song is fully realized... This cd is a great teaching opportunity too. Anybody who says "I don't like the blues, they're all sad songs" needs to hear this. It will lift your spirits! You can dance to it! And for all you blues DJ's out there, there's a good blues Christmas song here too--"Blues On Christmas."

Just yesterday (July 12) Grady Champion won the Jackson Music Award as "Local Blues Artist of the Year." Lucky people of Jackson.

You can buy this disc at http://www.gradychampion.com

Cee Cee James "Seriously Raw" (Live at Sunbanks)

2010-07-12T09:09:00.003-04:00

This is a terrific disc! It's an old-style live disc that needs to be played loud. Cee Cee burns the place down with her singing, and the band is great too. Cee Cee is backed by Chris Leighton on drums with Dan Mohler on bass and Rob "SlideBoy" Andrews on slide and rhythm guitar and Jason Childs on lead guitar. There's not a weak second anywhere. It feels almost as through you're hanging out at your favorite blues club on a hot hot Saturday night, and Cee Cee is singing to expel the demons and save her life. There's a lot of Janis Joplin in her soulful growl, but I think on this set Cee Cee does Janis maybe even better than Janis did. Especially recommended is "I've Got A Right To Sing The Blues."

My favorite live disc, not only of 2010 but maybe of the century so far.

You can buy this disc at http://www.ceeceejames.com/music.html

Marshall Lawrence "Blues Intervention" & Andy Cohen "Built Right On The Ground"

2010-06-30T13:17:00.005-04:00

Two acoustic guitarists, each with new cds, each one really good at what they do. Marshall Lawrence is from Canada and Andy Cohen is from Memphis. I have been listening to both discs a lot, going back and forth, and I decided to just present them both at once.

Marshall Lawrence writes 10 of the 13 tracks on "Blues Intervention." The writing on the originals is quite good. The playing by Lawrence on vocals, guitar, mandolin, banjo, jug and thigh slaps, with the terrific Sherman "Tank" Doucette on harp, and the equally terrific Russell Jackson on stand up bass, is very top notch. And Lawrence has gotten great support for this cd--"Blues Intervention" ranked #3 on The Blues List - May 2010 for Blues Underground Network's Top Picks for May 2010 and "Blues Intervention" has charted in the Top 10 on Canada's Roots Music Report for radio play. Lawrence deserves every bit of that. This is a good cd. My favorite tracks here are "Going Down to Louisiana," a Lawrence original, and the cover of Tommie Johnson & Mattie Delaney's song "Traveling Blues."

And if you are a fan of good acoustic guitar music, this new disc by Andy Cohen is very good. Cohen only writes one original song here--his style is, like Steve Howell, to find and play good songs that deserve resurrecting. Many of these songs are from the 1920s and 1930s. "Built Right On The Ground" is almost completely a solo effort--Cohen plays guitar on all tracks, and piano on two songs, and dolceola on one track. He is joined by his wife Larkin Bryant on vocal and mandolin on 2 songs, and Kurt Anderson on vocals and guitar on 2 more. The playing and singing here is absolutely stellar--it reminds me of Doc Watson in that from song to song it's either blues or country or ragtime or blues again. Every note here is good music, that's for sure. My favorite tracks here are "Mopper's Blues," a Big Bill Broonzy cover, and the Bobby Charles song "Tennessee Blues."

The Marshall Lawrence disc is an indy relese--you can buy it at http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/MarshallLawrence
The Andy Cohen disc is on Earwig Records--you can buy it at http://www.earwigmusic.com

Cathy Lemons and Johnny Ace "Lemonace"

2010-06-13T17:28:00.004-04:00

This is a perfect cd for a late night road trip. At least that's the way I first heard it, and the other night when I was making another late-night trip down the country two lane roads of South Georgia this cd was the first thing I packed for the trip. Johnny Ace plays the bass like it amplifies his heartbeat, and his heart has a lot to say. Cathy Lemons is one of those women singers who can sing anything and make it compelling. Pierre Le Corre plays great guitar all over this disc, with a little help here and there from Kid Andersen and Tommy Castro. The drum chair is ably filled by Artie "Stix" Chavez. Guests include David Maxwell, who contributes terrific piano work on "When Bad Luck Looks Good" and "Gimme A Penny", Paul Oscher, who contributes a great harp turn on "Gimme A Penny," and Ron Thompson, who contributes a typically understated sweet slide guitar solo on "Shoot To Kill."

When I first fell for the blues back thirty-five-plus years ago, this was the kind of music that hooked the teenage me--great vocals over a rich deep bed of bass and drums, with slinky great guitar and harp work weaving through everything and tying everything together. I remember the first time I heard the Butterfield Blues band as if it was just yesterday. Those guys knew the formula--they had listened to and played with everybody who was anybody in Chicago--and they brought the music to rich throbbing LIFE. It was new and yet it wasn't, and they didn't give a damn if you liked it or if you didn't. Well, this cd captures a bunch of that same feel. It's hard and deep and rich.

Tommy Castro writes the liner notes, and he calls this "a strong and soulful effort." He's right.

This cd is on Vizztone Records.

Annie Piper "Chasin Tail"

2010-06-11T09:10:00.002-04:00

From the first cluster of guitar notes this cd grabbed my attention, and then a wonderful thing happened--Annie Piper began to sing. She has the kind of voice and delivery that goes straight to your heart. The music is passionate in-your-face blues and blues rock, played well and best heard LOUD. The songs are originals, along with ripping good covers of Freddie King's "Hideaway" and Jimi Hendrix's "Voodoo Child Slight Return." If you are a fan of Janiva Magness just go buy this cd immediately--Annie Piper will, as my friend Don says, melt your face right off. The band is Sam Buckley on guitar, Annie Piper on vocals and bass, and Reuben Alexander on drums. Good stuff.

This cd is on Blues Leaf Records.

Rocky Jackson "Testify!" and Chainsaw Dupont "Acoustified Electrified"

2010-05-30T16:49:00.006-04:00

Two guitar players, they both sing. Rocky Jackson brings 13 songs on his Texas-based "Testify!" and 5 covers--by Muddy Waters, Jimmy Reed, Robert Johnson, Traditional, and Willie Dixon. Chainsaw Dupont brings 18 songs on the live from Chicago "Acoustified Electrified" and 3 covers--by Mel London, Albert King, and Howlin Wolf. If it's Mel London that must mean another cover of "Messin With The Kid," right? Right--that's one mark against Chainsaw. But Rocky Jackson's covers include another overdone song--Willie Dixon's "I Just Want To Make Love To You." That's one mark against Rocky.

But other than one over-obvious cover each, I like both these cds. Rocky Jackson and Chainsaw Dupont both have plenty enough talent and ability, they both can play and sing and write, they have have made solid listenable cds, I'm sure they both can put on a good live show. In the pantheon of the blues these guys are in the same position as middle inning relief pitchers in baseball. Nobody goes to the ballpark to see the middle relief pitchers. But we blues lovers, we need to be applauding these guys--because every day that goes by BB and Buddy and Hubert and Honeyboy are all one day older and closer to leaving us. Someday soon the top rank of living bluesmen is going to be Bernard Allison and Big Bill Morganfield and Corey Harris and Albert Castiglia, and when that day comes Rocky and Chainsaw and a dozen others just like 'em are going to be standing on that mound with the game depending on them, and they will be holding the ball.

If you love this music like I do, and you've loved it for over 40 years like I have, then seeing cds from Chainsaw Dupont and Rocky Jackson is a very good sign. These guys can play guitar pretty good, and they each front bands that sound good. Chainsaw and Rocky write good songs, and they sing pretty well. If pressed to choose I might say that Rocky is a tiny bit better singer, and Chainsaw is a tiny bit better guitar player. I think Rocky writes songs a tiny bit better, and I think he's a tiny bit more disciplined. Chainsaw has a little more marketing vibe going for him. (Yes, that is me listed on the inside cover among those Chainsaw would like to thank for their help. The only help I can give him is this review.) I would be very glad to go to my local blues venue and hear either one of them--and I urge everyone who reads this review to do the same. It'll be worth it to hear the joy in Chainsaw's voice when he rips into "Soul Check" and it'll be worth it to hear Rocky's solo on "Early In The Morning."

You can buy these cds at http://www.cdbaby.com

Stringbean -- Layin Low

2010-05-19T10:18:00.004-04:00

Ken Sorenson is a musical icon in New Jersey--whether on his own or in a band setting as the leader of Stringbean and the Stalkers. Over the past couple of dozen years Stringbean and the Stalkers have played everywhere and with everybody. Though this is billed as a solo disc, this cd features regular Stalkers Dan Mulvay on stand-up bass, Joe Murphy on guitar, Sim Cain on drums, and Neil Thomas on accordion and organ. Stringbean plays guitar and harmonica and sings. One of the things I have always appreciated about Stringbean is that he puts a lot of songs on each cd. Here he brings the goods on 15 songs, mostly originals, and as might be expected from a group who play sometimes with the great New Jersey guitarist Sonny Kenn, lots of styles are evident. The title track ("Lay Low") sounds like it would fit on an Albert Castiglia cd, and it features a guitar figure that I can't quite place. There are Chicago style songs ("Heart Has Been Broken," "Going Over The Hill," "Mean Red Spider") an acoustic song ("The Rain Outside") Texas style shuffles ("Kill Me (Baby)," "Pain Killers") some funk ("Funky Mama") soul blues ("Live Till Tomorrow," "How Can I Be So Stupid") a fast harp and guitar boogie ("Showplace Boogie") and there's even a reggae number, "Off My Back," which may be my favorite song here. There's also a nice cover of Leadbelly's "On A Monday" that reminds me of Johnny Cash or Ry Cooder.

This is a very fine release--it belongs in my top 10 of the year so far. Every time I listen to Stringbean's music I get hooked by his great harp work, but on the second listen I'm just as impressed with the guitar playing. Then I'm listening to the singing. Every time I put it in the cd player things just move right along--I keep finding myself at the end of the disc and I need to hit start over. I tell myself "One more time." Buy it and see if you don't end up doing the same thing.

You can buy this disc at http://www.bluesleaf.com/

Jimmy Warren Band "No More Promises"

2010-05-10T13:16:00.002-04:00

Jimmy Warren may be the best guitar player you never heard of, and this cd "No More Promises," is a very tasty introduction to his tremendous talent. This is Jimmy's second release following "Live At Last" from 2009. Prior to that he took a decade off from the music business to help his wife Lynn raise their family. For this review I listened to both discs, and there are moments when I think I'm hearing Roy Buchanan, and that is very high praise. Jimmy Warren has it all down--a wonderful thick expressive guitar tone, incredible touch, a perfect sense of timing, and a good voice--and he uses it here to share a dozen original songs. There are fast songs and slow songs--but all all the songs are meat--no filler, no waste. The band is really good. Jimmy Warren is on guitar and lead vocals, John DiGregorio is on rhythm guitar, Mike Boyle is on bass and Charles Price is on drums. In addition, Warren's son Jimi Dill plays a great slide guitar solo on "Mean Mistreater" and Bob Margolin adds a guest spot on "It Ain't Fair." The best song here in my opinion is "Darker Shade of Grey," which has an entire encyclopedia's worth of great guitar work packed into less than four and a half minutes--but listen to it yourself.

This release is on Electro Glide Records. You can buy it at http://www.jimmywarrenband.com/

Fathead "Where's The Blues Taking Me?"

2010-04-26T19:35:00.004-04:00

This is the second Fathead cd I have reviewed. I loved 2007's "Building Full Of Blues." It won a Juno award in 2008 for best blues cd--the second one for the band. The first time I heard "Building" I actually laughed out loud for pure joy. Since I started blogging in 2007 there have been three cds that stand out--when I want to listen to get joyful with the blues these are the discs I go to--Fathead's "Building Full Of Blues," Sean Costello's "Cuttin' In," and John Nemeth's "Magic Touch." Well, Fathead's new disc includes what I loved about the previous release. Again John Mays is on vocals, Al Lerman is on harp and tenor sax, Lance Anderson is on B-3 organ and piano, Omar Tunnoch is on bass. On "Building" Darran Poole was on guitar and Hayden Vialva was on drums--this time around long time member Teddy Leonard is back on guitars and Bucky Berger is on drums. (Poole does deliver a sizzling guest turn on lead guitar on the title track.) So how does it sound? Well, everything still sounds like Fathead, and that's a very good thing. There are 15 tracks here, courtesy of the long-time writing team of Omar Tunnoch and Al Lerman--and again the band executes a wide variety of blues styles. The Electro-Fi Records web site says it like this: "The release demonstrates that the Fathead sound is constantly evolving and provides a generous supply of everything within Fathead’s wide musical sphere including straight up Blues, R&B, 50’s framed Rock & Roll, Funk, Gospel, and even some cabaret Soul/Blues. All selections are delivered with the warmth and accessibility listeners have come to identify with the band." That sounds about right to me. And the band closes things out here with a wonderful cover of Jackie Wilson's "Lonely Teardrops."

Fathead is one of the very top blues bands anywhere. Spend some time listening to the Fathead catalog, and you'll remember why you fell for this music in the first place. This new disc is as good as anything they have ever done.

You can buy this cd at http://www.electrofi.com/

Billy Lavender "Memphis Livin"

2010-04-14T15:11:00.004-04:00

This disc came out in January/February while I in the doldrums and somehow it got buried under the other stuff on my desk. I overlooked it then, but I have been enjoying it a lot lately! Billy Lavender brings together an all-star cast of Memphis' finest musicians and great singing and playing ensues on a batch of mostly Lavender/Brad Webb originals. The backbone of the band is Russell Wheeler on Hammond B-3 organ, Brad Webb and Billy Lavender on guitars, Vince Johnson on harmonica, Dan Cochran on bass and Tony Adams on drums. If you have read the back of nearly any cd that came out of Memphis over the past twenty years you have seen these names, and if you have listened to any cd that came out of Memphis over that same time period you know these guys can seriously bring the goods. This great band is augmented here by some great guest talents--Reba Russell sings on three songs, and Blind Mississippi Morris plays harmonica on one, "Let's Party." The first four songs set up the rest of the disc--everything starts off with the Rolling Stones-ish "Singin The Blues" written and sung by Tony Adams. That is followed by the aforementioned "Let's Party" with strong harp work by Mr Morris and vocals by Reba Russell. That's followed by "Tonight" sung by Ken Dinkins and featuring dynamite guitar work by Lavender. Then comes my favorite tune of the bunch in "Just Chillin," which I have been listening to back to back four or five times in a row every day for weeks. After that opening 15 minutes the rest of the cd just flows out seamlessly, just as together and smooth as butter.

I really wish I could have been a fly on the wall when these sessions took place--it sounds like it must have been a great time.

You can buy this cd by going to: http://www.memphislivin.com

Johnny Charles "Stratified"

2010-04-12T14:44:00.003-04:00

Winner of the 1995 W.C. Handy Award for best blues guitarist in the NYC Metro area, New Jersey’s guitarist extraordinaire Johnny Charles is no newcomer to the blues. This latest "Stratified" is a his third disc, and his second for Blues Leaf Records. This is a guitar lovers' tour de force, with burning lowdown blues interspersed with rockin' blues and The band is Johnny Charles (guitar, keyboards); Nasty Ned (vocals on two tracks); Rob Kondor (keyboards); Charlie Blackwell, Bill Blum, Chris Epler, Ron Howden (drums). Everything starts with "Stinger," a cooking instrumental that gives Charles plenty of room to show off. That's followed by "Step On It," a tidy rockabilly number, and then the classic "Take It Easy Baby" with vocals by Nasty Ned and loads of passionate and tasty guitar work. "The King Shuffle" is another instrumental with lots of Albert King styled blues work, and that is followed by "You Move Me" with great guitar by Charles, great vocals by Nasty Ned, and great uncredited harmonica. Then we make a stylistic shift to mid 70s Jeff Beck "Blow by Blow" era guitar jazz for "The Cat" before returning to the bluesy "Texas Blues" which takes that Johnny Winter style for a walk, and "Yardbird Stroll," which tips its hat to the jazz work of Jim Hall, before wrapping things up with the jazzy "Metro City" and then title track returns to the blues strat work we started with on "Stinger."

Johnny Charles has made an enjoyable and interesting record--i wish there were a couple more songs here, (there are only 10 songs) and the jazzy forays seem a bit dated, but overall the guitar work is terrific. I think Johnny Charles should be much better known--there is plenty here to nourish the blues lover who values musical taste above pyrotechnics.

You can buy this cd at: http://www.bluesleaf.com/johnnycharles

Nick Moss "Privileged"

2010-03-30T17:09:00.005-04:00

Nick Moss is a great guitarist and singer. For the past decade he was the front man for the Fliptops, who with him were the premier Chicago blues band around. After they made seven very fine discs together, evidently the Fliptops are no more. This is Nick Moss's second solo effort--after his debut in 2001--and it is possibly the best thing he has ever done. The lineup for this new disc is: Nick Moss: guitar, vocals, harmonica; Nick Skilnik: bass; Willie Oshawny: piano, organ, vocals; Travis Reed: organ; Bob Carter: drums. The playing is up to Chicago blues standards, which means it sounds terrific, solid, committed, full. The sound here is funkier, but still recognizably blues. In the promo materials, Moss indicates that he wanted to broaden the pallete of the blues, and in line with that there are a few interesting covers here--Cream's "Politician," Steven Still's "For What It's Worth"--each done with passion and taste. In fact, I am surprised that anybody in this day can cover "For What It's Worth" anymore and make it work. It might be the best thing on "Privileged." Then you listen to the rest of the disc, and every song is that good. This is a great effort, but I think it's transitional too. You really ought to hear this cd for yourself. Nick Moss has been one of the premier band leaders and guitarists in the Chicago blues for the past several years, at the absolute top of that game--there was nothing more for him to prove by continuing with the Fliptops, making great records one after another. By taking this step, Nick can challenge himself, explore the various opportunities and directions out there in front of him. I think Moss has an absolutely jaw-dropping disc ahead of him, at least one, and this is a necessary step to get from the "Live at Chans" discs to fulfilling that promise. My hat's off to him, and I applaud his guts taking this step.

All of Nick Moss's music is available at http://www.bluebellarecords.com

The Mannish Boys "Shake For Me"

2010-03-29T20:22:00.005-04:00

This is the Mannish Boys Five Year Anniversary as a band, and their fifth cd release--it seems hard for me to believe that
a.) there was a blues world not all that long ago which somehow existed without The Mannish Boys? and
b.) how did we get along without all these great songs?

Because the fact of the matter is that most of the songs the Mannish Boys have committed to disc since December 2004 were pretty obscure prior to The Mannish Boys reviving them. That was the reason for bringing the Mannish Boys into the Delta Groove world--for the sake of the songs. Remember that. There will be a quiz later.

The Mannish Boys make real blues music by people who love the blues as much as we do. They are a Los Angeles based blues band who record for Delta Groove Music. They play in the West Coast style, with occasional forays into 40s and 50s jump blues and Chicago blues. Returning on this release as the constants in the revolving door of great musicians who have been in the Mannish Boys are Randy Chortkoff on harmonica, Kirk "Eli" Fletcher and Frank "Paris Slim" Goldwasser on guitars, Finis Tasby, Bobby Jones and Johnny Dyer on vocals. New to this release is the rhythm section of Willie J Campbell on bass and Jimi Bott on drums, replacing Ronnie James Webber and Richard "Big Foot" Innes.

Anyway, this disc is great, just like all their other discs. All five cds have featured top-notch musicianship and great songs done with joy and respect and verve. This time out the highlights include Muddy Waters' "Champagne and Reefer" with a terrific piano line by Fred Kaplan and sung great by Johnny Dyer, Little Walter's "Last Night" with a great harp turn by guest Rod Piazza and vocals by Finis Tasby, and a really fun Bo-Diddleyish "Mona/Willie & the Hand Jive" by guest Mike Zito and Bobby Jones.

I listen to the Mannish Boys cds a lot, and I enjoy them all---but one disc I keep finding in my cd player is Kirk Fletcher's "Shades of Blue" from 2004 on Delta Groove. It features several members of what became the Mannish Boys--Kirk Fletcher, Finis Tasby, Ronnie James Webber, Richard Innes, with production by Randy Chortkoff. It's a really good cd. In fact, if there is an artist whose music you enjoy who plays for, or played for, or guested on a cd by The Mannish Boys, you should pick them up. It's a great franchise--everything is really good. I especially encourage everybody reading this to buy the cds by The Hollywood Fats Band and The Hollywood Blue Flames and Kim Wilson. You will thank me later.

The Mannish Boys music is available at http://www.themannishboys.com

Saturday Night Mojo--"Neighborhood Sweetie"

2010-03-02T21:50:00.004-05:00

Saturday Night Mojo have made a fine cd that showcases their fun, up-tempo, rocking brand of the blues. These guys have plenty of experience--they used to be The Porkchops, a well-regarded cover band from Cleveland Ohio. Then they began writing their own songs, and in 2002 they evolved into saturday Night Mojo. The band is made up of Ed Durma, (drums and harp) Ray Fisher, (bass) Denny Klisuric, (guitar) and Joe Piete (guitar). The songs are all originals. Things get off to a rocking start with the title track, written by Joe Piete and featuring a great Hendrix styled funky guitar sound. Next up is "Just The Way We Like It," written by Ed Durma, a harp showcase with another great guitar solo and hot drums. This one has potential hit written all over it. Then the Ray Fisher-penned "I Ain't Lying," a barroom blues shuffle that showcases the twin guitar attack. Then Denny Klisuric's song "Fool No More," it starts out rocky but soon is redeemed by a very nice guitar solo. "Boston," written by Joe Piete, is another of those eternal "gotta get back home" blues songs. Then a very cool things happens. The rest of the cd just takes off--Ray Fisher's "Nobody Got Dem Blues" and Ed Durma's "Ashtabula Blues" and "Old Black Moe" and "Never Givin' Up," both written by the band, are clearly the highlights--strong harp and guitar songs, great vocals, blues all over the room. And how many bands do you know who have the chops to close their cd with an instrumental? A really good instrumental--"Never Givin' Up" sounds like the Butterfield Blues Band on a good night! I truly expect these songs to get Saturday Night Mojo plenty of blues radio play. These guys are really very good. They play a variety of styles, they write good songs, they all sing. It's an independent production and that does show--I think the cd could sound a little better, especially in the vocals, with more money spent on production. But the future Iooks bright. I like this cd, and I'm already looking forward to where these guys will go with their next one.

You can buy this cd online at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/saturdaynitemojo1

Moreland and Arbuckle "Flood"

2010-02-23T11:58:00.006-05:00

I have been waiting for this. Moreland & Arbuckle's last cd "1861" came out in February 2008. It was great, and ever since then I've been looking forward to their next outing. Well, after 2 years, "Flood" continues right where "1861" left off, and it is great to have them back. This is their first cd for Telarc, but don't think they have compromised anything to get here. Aaron Moreland on guitar and Dustin Arbuckle on harmonica and vocals, with the powerful driving help of Brad Horner on drums, have made another mighty, rootsy Delta blues-fueled cd. Highlights are plentiful, from the sizzling Little Walter cover opener "Hate To See You Go" and a "Legend of John Henry" that literally could be 25 minutes long and still never get old. The tune "Don't Wake Me" has some great slide guitar, some great harp playing, a few vocals and a piano--in less than 4 minutes this single track alone will pay you back the cost of the cd. There are two versions of "Can't Get Clear"--one electric and one acoustic featuring a banjo--and both burn with a devilish intensity. Everything here sounds just exactly RIGHT, like it is not new at all but years and years old and it has just waiting to be re-discovered and presented again to a world that needed these songs. A big part of why I have complete faith that the blues will never die out is the music like this. These guys can stand before a microphone or a crowd and flat out play--they deliver the living breathing GOODS. M&A have been playing together for almost a decade now, and it's time for the blues world to get excited about them. Don't even hesitate--go buy this disc and listen to it a couple of dozen times. Go see them live.

You can buy this cd at: http://www.morelandarbuckle.com/

"Chicago Blues A Living History"

2010-02-15T09:31:00.005-05:00

This 2 disc set was released in April 2009 and it is fabulous. Fabulous. I can understand that a lot of the focus has gone to the featured artists on this set--Billy Boy Arnold, John Primer, Billy Branch and Lurrie Bell--and that is as it should be, because those guys truly bring the Chicago Blues history to living and breathing LIFE. But if I might make this comparison, the Living History Band on this set (Matthew Skoller on harp, Billy Flynn on guitar, Johnny Iguana on keyboards, Felton Crews on bass, Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith on drums) should get some of the credit too. They create a sound, a feel, a pocket that seems deeper than deep. They surround the featured artists with such sensational support that everybody had to raise their game to the a new level. These guys may end up doing for Chicago Blues what the Mannish Boys have done for West Coast blues. I have played this set non-stop in the house, in the car, always for nearly a week, and it still knocks me out. The last blues cd that had this kind of effect on me was "Breakin' It Up Breakin' It Down" with Muddy Waters, Johnny Winter and James Cotton. Like that disc "Chicago Blues A Living History" is a perfect tool for evangelizing people to the blues, too. Just play the opening of Howlin Wolf's "Moanin' At Midnight"--when John Primer hits that first vocal line he actually stops TIME. There are moments exactly like that on every song here. I wish I had bought this set months ago. If you haven't got your copy yet, check out this list of awards.

Most recent awards and nominations:

Grammy nomination:

Best Traditional Blues Album 2010

Best Traditional Blues Album 2009

Blues Music Award nomination:

Best Album 2009

Best Traditional Album 2009

Blues Blast Award:

Winner, Best Traditional Album 2009

L'Académie du Jazz de France:

Winner, Best Blues Album 2009

Now go buy it at http://www.chicagobluesalivinghistory.com/

Little Joe McLerran "Believe I'll Make A Change"

2010-02-09T14:15:00.005-05:00

I'm probably late writing a review of Little Joe's disc--it has already been # 1 on the Roots Music Report for the week of January 29--but let me add my own praise. Little Joe is an up and coming artist out of Tulsa. He was the 2009 International Blues Challenge winner in the solo/duo category. He is a great Piedmont style blues guitarist and vocalist, and he is only 25 years old! This disc has plenty of traditional songs, including the title track, "Jesus Make up My Dyin Bed," "Blue Railroad Train," Down at the Village Store," and "Blues Before Sunrise," a few good songs written by Little Joe, some up tempo tunes, some slow tunes, and a touch of Jimmy Rogers-style country blues in the way he sings just behind the beat. This disc reminds me of Dave Gross' "Crawling The Walls" (2008, Vizztone) in that both artists are immensely talented and both have a huge future ahead of them. Don't be fooled, though. This is not a solo disc. Joe is backed by a capable combo made of Robbie Mack on bass and vocals, Ron McRorey on drums, Dexter Payne on reeds and harmonica, and Jack Wolfe on keyboards. David Berntson and Jimmy Junior Markham each guest on harp on one track.

Give this disc a listen and you'll love it. A strong early contender for Top 10 in 2010. You can buy it at http://www.LittleJoeBlues.com

Steve Howell "Since I Saw You Last"

2010-01-31T17:05:00.004-05:00

Steve Howell is back with this, his third cd of country acoustic blues, and I think it's his best work yet. His first two discs, 2006's "Out Of The Past" and 2008's "My Mind Gets To Ramblin'" lay out the formula--Howell on guitar and vocals backed by a small combo consisting of some combination of Joe Osborn (bass and 12 string guitar), Darren Osborn (drums), Chris Michaels (electric guitar and bass), Dave Hoffpauir (drums and vocals), Arnie Cottrell (mandolin and guitar), and Brian Basco (keyboards). This disc was recorded between September 07 and September 09, so it surrounded the "Ramblin'" set. I listened to both of them in preparing this review, and I discovered again that I like Steve Howell's sound--it feels like everything was recorded in somebodys living room, relaxed and quiet. Each of Howell's discs has great playing and good singing--the quality rises or falls depending on the songs. This time around, he records songs by, among others, Mance Lipscomb, Frank Stokes, Blind Lemon Jefferson, John Lee Hooker, Taj Mahal, Buddy Johnson and Gus Kahn--it's a strong collection, and Steve's playing with Arnie Cottrell is terrific throughout.

On his last disc the highlight was when Steve brought in Buddy Flett for Robert Johnson's "Steady Rollin' Man." There is nothing on this disc as superlative as that, but this set of 12 tunes are stronger. You can't go wrong buying a Steve Howell cd, but be prepared to discover the disc will burrow its way into your brain with happy results. Nowadays I can't listen to Robert Johnson's tune or Rev. Wilkins' "Prodigal Son" without hearing Steve Howell's warm, winning way with the melody.

This disc is available on Out Of The Past Music.

Derek Davis “American Blues Box” (2006)

2010-01-24T10:18:00.002-05:00

For this disc I need to thank my new friend Don de la Leaumont, a fellow fan of Bob Dylan and a good singer-songwriter. Don showed up at my house last Thursday with a cd in his hands--the “American Blues Box.” He told me I would love it, and after I listened to about 45 seconds of the opening cut “Mississippi Mud” I knew he was right. This is some fine rockin’ blues! The band is made of Derek Davis on vocals and slide guitar, James Pacheco on drums, Kyle Bates on lead guitar, Eric Pacheco on bass, Charlie Knight on harmonica and Rob Lansing on bass. The band was formed by Davis & Pacheco in late 2004 and they are based in the San Francisco Bay area. The music feature some great guitar playing, gruff but powerful vocals, fine rocking percussion and some wailin’ harmonica. If you love old early Aerosmith or more recent Kenny Wayne Shepherd this is right up your alley--it sounds like primo J. Geils Band, seriously blues AND rock and roll. And this disc includes the best version of “Some Kind of Wonderful” by any band ever.

This cd is on Apocalypse Records. You can buy it at http://www.cd baby.com

The Juke Jumpers "Villa Acuna, 1963"

2010-01-19T09:50:00.004-05:00

Man o man, this is a great band! Where do I start? I've been working on this review since New Year's Day and I can't stop listening long enough to write anything down! The Ft Worth based Juke Jumpers have been making great Texas music since 1977. They are back on this disc with their original members--Michael Bartula on drums, Sumter Bruton on guitar and vocals, Jim Colegrove on guitar harmonica pedal steel and vocals, Jim Milan on bass, Johnny Reno on saxophones, and Craig Simcheck on keyboards. Of the twelve songs here, eight are originals including the title track, which is done up in true Tex-Mex style. "Pink Heart Days" starts things off with a rockin' instrumental with super guitar and saxophone work. The band follows that with "Luck in a Hurry," which sounds old and new at the same time, and "Standing at the Crossroads Again" by Mickey Jupp, then the evergreen "Dr Feel Good" by Curtis Smith, then two by Jim Colegrove, "I Wonder What She Looks Like Now" and "Nowhere City Night." After "In Walked You" comes "Go Ahead On" by Tommy Cassel, then "Screen Door Jesus" by Johnny Reno and "Red Light" which if it doesn't make you smile you might be in a coma. Then (finally) we get the title track, and then they wrap up this great disc with a cover of "Rock n Roll Ruby" written by Johnny Cash and recorded by these guys back in 1980. There is no loss of sizzle, no drop off at all in the intervening nearly 30 years. Everything here is energetic, fun and it is all played great! Check out the effortless dance groove by Bartula and Milan, the great guitar work by Sumter Bruton, the amazing musicianship of all star Jim Colegrove, the list goes on and on. Every time I put this cd in the player I am knocked out. These guys are Texas sized legends.

Pick up this disc at Cool Groove Records, http://www.thecoolgroove.com.

Top Blues Releases of 2009

2009-12-29T15:15:00.004-05:00

It’s time again for Bruce’s famous end of the year list. Let me begin by noting that there were LOTS of good blues discs in 2009, some from expected sources, some from newer artists, some from the dead. (Thank you to Landslide Records for “Sean’s Blues.”) Each of the following discs are worth your time and money. These are the discs that have stayed in my cd player and on my mind all during this year.

10. DAVID MAXWELL & LOUISIANA RED -- “YOU GOT TO MOVE” (Blue Max/Vizztone)
Essential tracks of terrific guitar and piano blues by two of the coolest blues cats on their respective instruments. Louisiana Red may not be the fanciest guitar player around, but he sings and plays and tells blues stories as well as anybody. David Maxwell has been at the top rank of blues piano players for several years now. He reminds anybody who forgot that the piano can play lead or follow or anything in between. Old school music-making by masters of the art. These guys could have made this record in any year between 1952 and now and they still would have earned a spot on this list. Special note--the last two tracks on this disc are Red talking about blues in the old days, and I need to give the record company cudos for putting this on the cd. Red talking about the blues, talking anything about the blues, is well worth having. This is history first hand.

9. HAMILTON LOOMIS -- “LIVE IN ENGLAND” (Ham-Bone Records)
Live disc of the year. Recorded at Famous Monday Blues in Oxford and Liverpool Marina in Liverpool. Loomis on guitar and harmonica and vocals, and Stratton Doyle on tenor sax, keyboards and vocals, Kent Beatty on bass and Jamie Little on drums and vocals all together make a joyous, lively, warm and happy blues sound in front of a small and very enthusiastic audience. Loomis shows his fine guitar work, and his singing is the best I’ve ever heard from him. Stratton Doyle gives clear evidence throughout --especially on “What It Is” and “Best Worst Day” -- that a saxaphone should ALWAYS be part of every blues band playing live. Part of why I like this disc is that it reminds me of another one of my favorites cds that at the time seemed to come out of nowhere and make listening to music enjoyable again--the cd by Billy Vera & The Beaters from 1981.

8. MARSHALL LAWRENCE -- “THE MORNING AFTER” (Indy)
Marshall Lawrence is a fine acoustic guitarist and blues singer from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and on "The Morning After" he continues his successful formula: fiery slices of delta-flavored acoustic slide guitar with just enough backing to fill out the sound. Lawrence writes nine of the 13 tracks here, and the originals are wonderful--modern, bluesy, inviting, expressive. The tone is exactly right--and the covers are very fine, including Blind Willie McTell's "Blue Sky Is Fallin'," Tommy Johnson's "Bye Bye Blues," Charlie Patton's "Moon Goin' Down," and Taj Mahal's "Light Rain Blues." The Tommy Johnson track is the highlight of the disc, as Lawrence absolutely reinterprets the classic number. It's still delta-style country blues, but new. This disc has been my Sunday morning soundtrack most of the year.

7. MAC ARNOLD & PLATE FULL O’BLUES -- "COUNTRY MAN" (Vizztone Records)
Mac Arnold & Plate Full O’Blues have “it”--they play together with a big full blues sound. This is the 3rd cd by Arnold’s latest band, made up of Austin Brashear (guitar), Max Hightower (harmonica), Mike Whitt (drums), and Danny Keylon (bass), assisted by producer Bob Margolin. Twelve of the 13 tracks are originals. The band plays the hell out of every song, and Arnold’s voice is a national treasure. Mac Arnold should be heard on every radio station in America. Special credit for "If Walls Could Talk," my favorite blues song of the year.

6. GEOFF ACHISON -- “ONE TICKET TO RIDE” (Jupiter 2 Records)
This new cd "One Ticket One Ride" is Geoff's response to the experience of living in the US. He wrote all the songs, and he recruited the recording band, which included the red hot rhythm section of Ted Pecchio & Tyler ‘Falcon’ Greenwell with guest spots by Oliver Wood and legendary drummer Yonrico Scott. It's a really wide-ranging cd, stylistically, and the highlights are many. My favorite so far might be "Bootbanger," which is a powerful instrumental blues a la Jeff Beck, but all the songs here feature great song writing and great playing. This is Geoff's best cd so far--it keeps slipping into my cd player while I’m not looking.

5. JOHN NEMETH -- “LOVE ME TONIGHT” (Blind Pig Records)
John Nemeth brings the goods on this, his second cd on Blind Pig. His previous disc, "Magic Touch," was one of my favorites from 2007. Here he is more confident....and tougher. In the blues these days the guitar is front and center. But as Nappy Brown showed us, this music is first and foremost made up of songs, stories made believable by the singing. And how many blues artists out there WANT the microphone in their hands at crunch time? Nemeth sings the hell out of everything here, and he plays an awesome overdriven harmonica. All the songs on this disc but one are originals, even though everything here sounds on the edge of familiar. Bobby Welsh (guitars and keyboards), June Core (drums), Dmitry Gorodetsky and Kedar Roy (bass), help Nemeth spin out every song so that it is powerful and believable. I especially enjoy "Fuel For Your Fire" and "Blues In My Heart," two tracks that would just sound silly if sung by lesser singers. in Nemeth's hands they are highlights. Elvin Bishop guests on guitar on two tracks.

4. BIG PETE PEARSON “FINGER IN YOUR EYE” (Vizztone Records)
Big Pete Pearson may be the finest living blues shouter out there. He has been making great music snce back in the 50s, but this is no nostalgia act. "Finger In Your Eye" is produced by Bob Corritore. Pearson wrote all ten songs here. Backing Pearson is the Phoenix-based Rhythm Room All-Stars--Bob Corritore on harp, Chris James on guitar, Patrick Rynn on bass, and Brian Fahey on drums--along with guest appearances by a who's who of great players: Duke Robillard, Johnny Rapp, Eddie Taylor Jr and Billy Flynn on guitars, Pinetop Perkins, Henry Gray (whose piano work almost steals the show on "Heartaches"), Matt Bishop, Michael Kocour, and Bruce Bears on piano and organ, and Doug James on bari saxophone. Everybody plays great, and every song is a timeless slice of Chicago style blues.

3. NICOLE HART -- “TREASURE” (Blues Leaf Records)
Nicole has always had a great voice, and a way to "sell" a song, and a really good band leader in Lance Ong. I've always thought that the key for her is strong material. Well, "Treasure" is her major label debut, and she has captured all that Nicole Hart magic on one disc. Nicole sings her ass off, and she gets strong musical support from a group of New Jersey's A-listers, including Sonny Kenn, Ron Rauso, and Marc Shulman on guitars, Swami and Ian Carroll on drums, and Sandy Mack on harmonica on two tracks. She covers a wide range of styles, and the strongest songs here include a hot cover of Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground," featuring the aforementioned Lance Ong on keyboards, and Albert Castiglia brings his tasteful guitar to one track, a wonderful Patsy Cline-ish cover of Percy Mayfield's "You Were Lyin' To Me,” and Hart does a bravura take on the Fletcher Henderson/Henry Troy song "Gin House Blues," and there is a sweet cover of Paul Kennerley's "Heart Trouble" which cuts the take by Martina McBride. And there are two Hart/Ong originals, including the title track, which fit right in.

2. LEVEE TOWN-- “LEVEE TOWN" (Indy)
Levee Town’s third release in a career that goes back to only 2002 has to be good to make this list. These guys are good enough to be International Blues Challenge Finalists in 2007 and 2010 from Kansas City. The quartet consists of Brandon Hudspeth (guitar & vocals) Jimmie Meade (harmonica & vocals) Jacque Garoutte (bass & vocals) and Jan Faircloth (drums& vocals). They wrote these 14 tracks that sound like a bunch of old guys--and then they all sing and play them like a band of brothers. When I hear these guys I think of NIck Moss & the Flip Tops, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Sugar Ray and the Bluetones and a dozen other bands that travel the land, telling the blues truth on stage every night.

1. SEAN COSTELLO -- "SEAN’S BLUES” (Landslide Records)
My number one disc of the year because of the dozen songs here that were previously unreleased. There are five tracks from 1998, including a great "Walking Blues" featuring Susan Tedeschi on vocals and Paul Linden on harmonica. There are three exceptional live tracks, "All Your Love (I Miss Loving)" and "Mojo Boogie" from a show in Marquette Michigan in 2000 and "Motor Head Baby" from a show in Chicago in 2001. In fact, "Motor Head Baby" might be not only the highlight of this disc but of Sean's entire recorded output so far. Incredible. And then there are four studio tracks from 2002, including a marvelously understated and passionate "You Don't Know What Love Is" and two songs that appeared on later cds in re-arranged form--"Feel Like I Ain't Got A Home" and "She Changed My Mind." When the last notes of this disc fade away I am sad all over again at what we have lost, but I am grateful for what we have. Thank you Landslide Records, for a wonderful addition to the Sean Costello discography.

Texas Slim: "Driving Blues"

2009-12-09T12:06:00.005-05:00

On "Driving Blues" Texas Slim brings his authentic Texas blues guitar and vocals! This is Slim's second cd, after 2002's "I Have Arrived," and it is great to get another slice of Slim's top-notch rockin' blues guitar styling. Slim sounds great--every track shows the variety of that smoking Texas blues, with all the grit and growl and that great Texas guitar sound. The band is Aaron Comess from the Spin Doctors on drums bass and production, Alan Comess on keyboards, Pat Daughery on electric piano on "Deville," and Todd Horton on trumpet on "Cool With The Flow" and "Deville" and they give Slim a great sympathetic backing throughout. Every song is hot--things start off with "Welcome To The Game" and it just keeps going. The title track and "Three Bridges Blues" are big time SRV homage--they would fit in with any set of SRV songs, on every radio station in the country. "You're Hip" sounds like the Fabulous Thunderbirds, and "Funky Love" sounds like the master himself--Johnny Winter. On "Deville" Slim nods toward Tom Waits, just a bit, a fine soulful ballad featuring great work by the Mr Daughery and Mr Horton and a guitar solo that Jeff Beck would be proud to claim. And that's just the first half of the disc! Believe me, it's all good--check out "Coffee Shop Girl" and you'll have that tune running in your head all day long.

In my humble opinion, this is one of the best cds of the year, and the best cd to come out of Texas since Jim Suhler's "Dirt Road" in 2002. Top Cat Records has another winner. You can buy this disc at http://www.topcatrecords.com

Todd Wolfe "Stripped Down At The Bang Palace"

2009-11-05T08:37:00.003-05:00

This is the best disc Todd Wolfe has made, and that is saying quite a lot. Again Todd Wolfe brings the guitar fire and the searing vocals he is known for, although everything here is better than I expected it to be. It's a blues trio disc with Todd Wolfe's regular band--Todd on guitars and vocals, Suavek Zaniesienko on bass and backing vocals, and Roger Voss on drums and percussion. The only guests on this set are Sarah Ayers on vocals, (and she adds a great Bonnie Bramlett-style vibe) and Rich Frikkers on percussion. It was recorded and engineered by Theo Aronson at The Bang Palace in Bethlehem, PA. It is obvious that Todd Wolfe and the band feel very comfortable in the space--things are smooth and powerful and tightly musical throughout.. Highlights include a great version of Muddy Waters' "She's Nineteen Years Old" that updates the original, a spooky "Black Night" that would have been perfect for Halloween, a very fine version of Howlin' Wolf's "Evil" that is like the proverbial watched pot--it's a slow boiler, but it gets there. There's a fine cover of BB King's "Three O'Clock Blues," and a soulful Delaney & Bonnie duet style take of "Come In My Kitchen," and a fun cover of the old Mountain chestnut "Mississippi Queen" with Wolfe playing what sounds like an acoustic National steel body slide guitar. There's a powerful cover of "It's All Over Now" that sounds like it could be by Tommy Castro--and shows just how far Todd Wolfe has grown from his days as Sheryl Crow's guitar player. And he throws in these little touches--a bit of the Allman Brothers on "It's all Over Now," a bit of Led Zeppelin on "Roll Over"--that remind me how this music is supposed to be fun.

Todd Wolfe is big time already--he makes great music. This disc is on the Blues Leaf label, and it comes out next Tuesday November 10. Grab this one!

Sean Costello "Sean's Blues"

2009-10-14T10:05:00.004-04:00

Readers of this blog will know that I love the music of Sean Costello, and it was an immense loss when he died in April 2008 one day short of his 29th birthday. Luckily there is this release from Landslide Records, which is a retrospective of Sean's career from 1996 to 2002. Of the 20 tracks here, three come from the disc "Call The Cops" (1996) three from the disc "Cuttin' In" (2000)" and two from "Moanin' For Molasses" (2001) and the remaining dozen are previously unreleased, including three live cuts from 2000 and 2001. I hope you already have the official releases--they are really good--and if you don't, go grab them immediately. This was one artist who knew the blues, who played and sang with talent and taste and authenticity. Sean was one of the very brightest players in blues.

So when I picked up this disc I was nervous--is this a cleaning out the vault, a package of second rate material trying to capitalize on Sean's untimely death? In a word, is it worthy of his legacy? YES YES YES! This is a wonderful addition to the Sean Costello discography. The re-released songs are all fine, and the other dozen are all absolutely wonderful. There are five tracks from 1998, including a great "Walking Blues" featuring Susan Tedeschi on vocals, Paul Linden on harmonica. There are three exceptional live tracks, "All Your Love (I Miss Loving)" and "Mojo Boogie" from a show in Marquette Michigan in 2000 and "Motor Head Baby" from a show in Chicago in 2001. In fact, "Motor Head Baby" might be not only the highlight of this disc but of Sean's entire recorded output so far. Incredible--Sean's ability to sizzle and burn are here on full display! And then there are four studio tracks from 2002, including a marvelously understated and passionate "You Don't Know What Love Is" and two songs that appeared on later cds in re-arranged form--"Feel Like I Ain't Got A Home" and "She Changed My Mind." When the last notes fade away I am sad all over again at what we have lost, but I am grateful for what we have. Thank you Landslide Records.

All in all, a really nice package. I hope this is not the last disc of Sean Costello music--I'm hoping for a companion disc or two (or three) of material from 2003-2008, hopefully including an entire live concert. Hey, a guy can hope, can't he?

A portion of the royalties from this disc will benefit the Sean Costello Memorial Fund for Bi-Polar Research. To learn more about that, go to http://www.seancostellofund.org

Dave Riley and Bob Corritore "Lucky To Be Living"

2009-09-19T15:27:00.002-04:00

Dave Riley and Bob Corritore have made another old-fashioned blues record, the kind of guitar and harmonica record you just don't find out there very much anymore. Their first cd together, 2007's "Travelin' the Dirt Road" was a Blues Music Award nominee for Acoustic Album of the Year and Blues Blast Music Award nominee for Best Traditional Blues Recording. This one takes off right where that one left off, and that's a high compliment. Again it's mostly an acoustic outing, rich and deep blues, full of love and loss and infectious joy. There is a big dose of Jelly Roll King music here--four of the songs here are by Frank Frost. Riley's guitar and vocals and Corritore's harp are all perfectly together like one three-part musical monster--that guitar, those deep as a well vocals, and the harp all fit together seamlessly, every part helps tell the story. Other members of the Rhythm Room All Stars Chris James (guitar), Henry Gray (piano), and Patrick Rynn (bass), guest on various tracks, but the whole disc feels like Riley and Corritore just sitting on the front porch and playing. It's MUSIC, friends--good real music. If you want to make yourself deeply happy, get both this cd and The Jelly Roll Kings cd "Rockin' the Juke Joint Down." You will not regret it. A wonderful treat.

The cd release show for this disc is October 10 at the Arkansas Blues and Heritage festival in Helena, Arkansas at the Delta Cultural Center. The cd is on Blue Witch Records, and you can buy it at http://www.bluewitchrecords.com

Dennis Jones "Pleasure & Pain"

2009-08-29T11:57:00.004-04:00

Dennis Jones' "Pleasure & Pain" marks a big step forward for this blues guitar slinger. File this one with Todd Wolfe and Corey Stevens--all are rising guitar aces following in the considerable blues-rock shadow of Stevie Ray Vaughan. But unlike the hundreds of wanna-bees playing the same thing over and over again, Jones has the goods to break through. He writes all the songs here, and he has FUN featuring enough variety of styles in the 11 songs to hook fans of all kinds of blues. I can hear a little Jeff Beck, a little ZZ Top, a little Jimi Hendrix--but not so much that listening becomes an dull exercise in recognizing sources. There's a lot of Dennis Jones in every song here, a lot of Jones' inventive guitar work and good singing. This cd stays in the "hot stack" near my cd player way after the review was written. I especially enjoy "Kill The Pain," which has an especially fat guitar hook, and "Home Tonight," which has nice harmonica work by guest artist Jimmy Z, and "Hot Sauce," where Jones' burns it up like a demented Johnny Cash singing over stinging hot guitar work and that wonderful rockabilly beat from way back in the day. Every song here is worthy of your time, and those three are recommended for radio play.

I like Dennis Jones, and I enjoy this disc. I look forward to his next steps. You can purchase this disc at http://www.cdbaby.com

J P Soars "Back Of My Mind"

2009-08-06T12:41:00.004-04:00

Fairly often I come across someone who has the idea that "The blues are dead!" I've always responded by playing some great music for them--music by newer artists like Albert Castiglia, Ruthie Foster, Dave Gross, the Insomniacs. Well, I have a new disc to add to that list--J P Soars' "Back Of My Mind." J P hails from Boca Raton Florida, and he surely has the chops--he & his band, The Red Hots, won the 2009 IBC in Memphis last February, and he also won the Albert King award there as best guitarist. So it is comes as no surprise that "Back Of My Mind" is a fine cd, with a full compliment of great swinging guitar moments. Soars is joined here by A J Kelly on bass, and Chris Peet on drums. Together, this trio makes up J P Soars And The Red Hots. Other musicians on the project include: Gary Rimmington on electric and upright bass, Terry Hanck on saxophone, Billy Burns on harmonica, Greg Kingsolver on piano, John Epstein on Hammond organ, and Guillermo Lojo on backup vocals. Four of the songs are J P Soars originals, and they fit in quite well with a wide-ranging batch of cool covers, including T Bone Walker's "Low Dirty Deal," J B Lenoir's "Been Down So Long," and Johnny Guitar Watson's "Gangster Of Love." My favorite tracks are the superb Muddy Waters' "Gypsy Woman," with great guitar work, and the original "Baby I Used To Love You" which features an old-timey acoustic feel. The focus throughout the disc is on the whole band, playing music as an ensemble, and some great solos are taken by sax man Terry Hanck and harp ace Billy Burns. Soars brings the great guitar playing that he is known for, and his singing is pretty good too. I'm not sure we really needed another cover of Willie Dixon's "29 Ways" or the Reverend Gary Davis's "Cocaine," but that's just a quibble. Everything here is terrific--top ten nominee for 2009.

You can buy this disc online at http://www.myspace.com/jpsoars

Missy Andersen self titled cd (Main Squeeze Records)

2009-08-03T10:36:00.004-04:00

Missy Andersen's debut cd came out last January, and it is as cool and welcome on my cd player as a wintery breeze in August. She is from San Diego, and she got her start working there with Earl Thomas. This disc, recorded in Copenhagen Denmark, features Missy singing with a full band--Heine Andersen on guitars, Asmus Jensen on drums, Soren Bojgaard on bass, and Jeppe Juul on Hammond B-3 organ, along with Robbie Smith on trumpet and Bob Mathes on saxaphone for five tracks. The results are sometimes Lou Rawls smooth, as on "Tell Mama," sometimes sublime, as on "Same Old Blues," sometimes too busy, as on the O V Wright tune "Ace of Spades," and sometimes too cautious, as on Ann Peebles' "I Can't Stand the Rain," where the arrangement seems just a tad too stock. The standout tracks here are "Same Old Blues," the Nix-penned classic, on which Missy makes a joyous and righteous noise, and her cover of the Junior Wells' classic "Little By Little," which she changes around and makes fine indeed. Those two songs alone make this disc worth seeking, and all eight songs show a lot of promise. I'm looking forward to Missy Andersens's next steps. You can hear more of Missy Andersen's music at http://www.myspace.com/missyandersenlive

Big Pete Pearson "Finger In Your Eye'

2009-07-16T08:25:00.002-04:00

Big Pete Pearson is the King of Arizona Blues. This is only his 3rd cd in a career that began back in the 50s, but this is no nostalgia act. "Finger In Your Eye" is a fine disc, produced by Bob Corritore. Pearson wrote all ten songs here. Backing Pearson is the Phoenix-based Rhythm Room All-Stars--Bob Corritore on harp, Chris James on guitar, Patrick Rynn on bass, and Brian Fahey on drums--along with guest appearances by a who's who of great players: Duke Robillard, Johnny Rapp, Eddie Taylor Jr and Billy Flynn on guitars, Pinetop Perkins, Henry Gray (whose piano work almost steals the show on "Heartaches"), Matt Bishop, Michael Kocour, and Bruce Bears on piano and organ, and Doug James on bari saxophone. I would have LOVED to be a fly on the wall at these sessions. Everybody plays great, every song is a timeless slice of Chicago style blues, and Big Pete may be the finest living blues shouter out there. If you hesitate because you haven't heard of Big Pete before, it's time you got wise. What else can I say? If you have even one drop of blues-loving blood in your veins, you will love this disc. A welcome addition. You need to buy this cd at http://www.vizztone.com

The Mojo Roots EP

2009-07-08T13:00:00.003-04:00

The Mojo Roots are a really good 'n hot 4 piece band that hails from Columbia Missouri. They came together in the summer of 2008 and have been playing together since then all around mid-Missouri. Thanks to my friend Chris Puyear I recently came into possession of their EP, five tracks that show a lot of energy and potential. The members are: Andy Naugle on drums, Peter Bermudez on bass, Trevor Judkins on lead and slide guitar, and Jordan Thomas on vocals, harp and guitar. These guys play an ear-friendly twin guitar and harp blues with a big fat back beat. It sounds like they have listened to The Bel Airs and learned a lot--the Mojo Roots' sound is perfectly made for live performances. The songs are all originals, written by Jordon Thomas--kicking things off is "Green Eyed Baby," a twist on the jealousy angle--sample lyric: "you better think twice before you chase me, because it just might get you killed." The next couple of songs are about different types of addiction: "Can't Quit Cigarettes" and "Fishnets." The rest of the EP is filled out with "She's Got A Smile," a love song with some especially fine harmonica playing. Last but not least is the best song on the EP, "Ain't New To The Blues," sample lyric "I may be a young man, but I ain't new to the blues." All together a very fine start indeed. On my next trip to Missouri I want to make sure I get to catch these guys live. The band is currently unsigned. Check them out at http://www.myspace.com/themojoroots

Mia Vermillion "Alone Together With The Blues"

2009-07-06T13:38:00.003-04:00

If you like the music of Patsy Cline or K D Lang or Norah Jones you need to check out this cd. Mia Vermillion's cd "Alone Together With The Blues" features two terrific talents--the vocals by Mia, and the guitars by Orville Johnson. They both come out of the Seattle, Washington area, and from the liner notes it appears that most of this disc was recorded in one or the other's living rooms. The combination of Mia and Orville is quite magical. It's not a loud or rushed presentation. It's a fine acoustic music cd, rounded out with a gentle and perfectly swinging rhythm section by Chuck Deardorf and Ben Smith. The tempos are relaxed, the vocal is front and center--and the guitar is sweet and grooving. The resulting music is tasteful and richly rewarding. Vermillion writes only two of the songs here, but they fit the overall vibe very well--and one of them, "Love's Lost And Found," might be the best track on the disc. The covers are well-chosen: a terrific take on Lil Green's "In The Dark," Leroy Carr's "In The Evening," Big Bill Broonzy's "When I Have Been Drinkin'" and a really well-done take of "I'm Going To Copyright Your Kisses," Mary Lou Williams' "Walkin.'" The cd's last track is another winner--the Lew Pollack/Paul Francis Weber classic "Two Cigarettes In The Dark" with a wonderful guest turn by Hans Teuber on clarinet that wraps up the song and the cd just beautifully.

This one may not appeal to the folks who love loud guitar pyrotechnics, but in its quiet and winning way this is a really good cd. Available online at http://www.miavermillion.com

Big Bill Morganfield "Born Lover"

2009-06-25T08:05:00.004-04:00

I didn't really know what to expect with this disc. I have seen Big Bill Morganfield live, and on stage he is a big powerful bluesman--a powerful singer, perhaps a little one dimensional. But I was wrong. On this cd he continues his transformation from Muddy Water's son to becoming his own artist. "Born Lover" is a very fine disc of Chicago style blues--Big Bill's best disc so far. Big Bill has an unerring ear for blues songs which suit his big voice well--his baritone has a lot more nuance than I expected. He sings the blues with truth, a dose of heart and soul. Big Bill wrote three songs here, "High Gas Prices," "Who's The Fool?" and "X-Rated Lover," and he and the band bring to life Willie Dixon's "One Kiss," Buddy Guy's "My Love Is Real," Howling Wolf's "My Last Affair," and his father's song "Born Lover." I think Big Bill's take on "My Love Is Real" is even better than Buddy's original. Of course, Big Bill doesn't do it all by himself--he is backed by a great band consisting of Chuck Cotton on drums, Mookie Brill on bass, Clark Stern on keyboards, Brian Bisesi and Bob Margolin on guitars and Steve Guyger on harmonica. The band sounds absolutely spot on throughout--this is the living Chicago blues, y'all! I want to recognize the great harp work by Guyger on "Born Lover" and great piano work by Stern on "Who's The Fool?" There are moments such as when Stern and Guyger weave piano and harp around Morganfield's slide guitar on the ending of Snooky Pryor's "Peace of Mind" when I am reminded why I love this music.

A very good disc. Available 7-7-09 from Vizztone, at http://www.vizztone.com and at http://www.bigbillmorganfield.com

Geoff Achison "One Ticket One Ride"

2009-06-16T21:53:00.003-04:00

Geoff Achison has carved out quite a niche as a guitar player and as a singer over the past dozen years. Originally from Australia, he moved to Decatur Georgia for a couple of years, arriving at about the same time I moved to Decatur from Missouri. I knew his music with the Souldiggers, and I had played him on my show "The Sunday Night Blues Project" on KJLU--but in person he is such an incredible guitarist and such a great songwriter that he still impressed me. While he was in town I must have heard him play half a dozen times--electric, acoustic, solo, with a band--and each evening was a treat. Those in the know about Geoff already know how great he is. What I'd love to do is get him better known by the rest of you. The music Geoff plays is not exactly blues music, not exactly folk music, not exactly rock music or jazz--but he plays all of those genres and he weaves a powerfully personal music. This new cd "One Ticket One Ride" is Geoff's response to the experience of living in the US. He wrote all the songs, and he recruited the recording band, which included the red hot rhythm section of Ted Pecchio & Tyler ‘Falcon’ Greenwell with guest spots by Oliver Wood and legendary drummer Yonrico Scott. It's a really wide-ranging cd, stylistically, and the highlights are many. My favorite so far might be "Bootbanger," which is a powerful instrumental blues a la Jeff Beck, but all the songs here feature great song writing and great playing. This is Geoff's best cd so far, and that's saying something profound. Right now he is on a six week tour of the Southeast United States, and I'm going to go see him this Thursday at The Melting Point in Athens, Georgia with the Yonrico Scott Band. Check him out!

You can buy this cd directly from Geoff at: http://www.geoffachison.com/

Joe Price "Rain Or Shine"

2009-06-02T14:55:00.004-04:00

Joe Price's cd "Rain Or Shine" should be in the hands of every bottleneck slide guitar blues lover--and every slide guitar blues student, and every blues lover. This guy lays it down with passion and exuberance and taste. He has been playing the blues in and around Iowa for over 35 years, beginning with the Rocket 88s (through 1974) and continuing with Mother Blues (from 1975-1981) opening shows for Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Koko Taylor and a host of others. He reminds me of Bernie Pearl and Geoff Achison--really good guitar players who have paid their dues for years and years despite never getting their props, players that the national media have never heard of, players who can and do take the stage and bring the real-deal blues out of a lifetime of experience and give their listeners a joyous good time with playing that is always new, always old, but most of all true to life. Price should be wayyyyy more well know than he is. So what if his singing voice reminds me a little bit of Leo Kottke? Blues is not about notes, it's about FEEL and LIFE. On this disc Joe, along with his wife Vicky on vocals and second guitar, brings old-school blues to clattering, rocking, screeching LIFE, built around that acoustic and/or resonator guitar slide sound, full of joy and lament, alternating between instrumentals and vocals. Highlights for me include the songs "Steel Guitar" and "Blues On Twelve" and "Beer Tent Boogie Woogie." But my favorite song is the last one, "Rock Slide," when you actually get to hear what Joe & Vicky can do working with a band--and Keni Ewing on drums and Al Naylor on trumpet really add a funky spice to the proceedings. I hope next time out the whole disc is a full band outing!

It all makes me wonder--why does this guy languish in relative obscurity while we get a seemingly endless parade of crap singers on the radio?

You can buy Joe Price's cd at http://www.cdbaby/cd/joeprice4

John Nemeth: "Love Me Tonight" *****

2009-05-28T03:35:00.004-04:00

John Nemeth brings the goods on this, his second cd on Blind Pig. His previous disc, "Magic Touch," was one of my favorites from 2007. Here he is more confident....and tougher. In the blues these days the guitar is front and center. But as Nappy Brown showed us, this music is first and foremost made up of songs, stories made believable by the singing. And how many blues artists out there WANT the microphone in their hands at crunch time? Nemeth sings the hell out of everything here, and he plays an awesome overdriven harmonica. All the songs on this disc but one are originals, even though everything here sounds on the edge of familiar. With a touch of Sam Cooke's spirit, Bobby Welsh on guitars and keyboards, June Core on drums, Dmitry Gorodetsky and Kedar Roy on bass, Nemeth spins out every song so that it is powerful and believable. I especially enjoy "Fuel For Your Fire" and "Blues In My Heart," two tracks that would just sound silly if sung by lesser singers. in Nemeth's hands they are highlights. Elvin Bishop guests on guitar on two tracks.

I have been looking forward to this release for a long time, and "Love Me Tonight" is worth the wait. An impressive disc.

The Insomniacs: "At Least I'm Not With You"

2009-05-09T16:57:00.005-04:00

I need to thank my friend Mark Smith for telling me about The Insomniacs. Mark is the longtime "blues pilot" on KJLU at Lincoln University in Jefferson City Missouri, and back in August of 2007 Mark handed me the Insomniacs' first cd and told me "Listen to these guys. They've got the goods." That same night I sat in the dark and listened to "Left Coast Blues" through the headphones--and I heard smooth swinging west coast blues, the authentic real deal. Ever since then I've been looking for the next disc by these guys. Well, it's here and "At Least I'm Not With You" is even better! That debut disc was recorded on a shoestring budget, but this one has the clout of Delta Groove behind the guys. Since 2007 the Portland, OR-based band, led by 27-year old vocalist/guitarist/songwriter VYASA DODSON, together with bassist DEAN MUELLER, keyboardist ALEX SHAKERI and drummer DAVE MELYAN, has been on the road playing and honing and shaping their sound. This disc just jumps from the very first notes, and it never lets up! The Insomniacs bring to life a lively, jumpy, energy-packed bunch of originals and a few selected covers, aided by special guests Al Blake and Mitch Kashmar on harmonica, Joel Paterson on pedal steel guitar, and Jeff Turmes on tenor/baritone sax. The highlight is "Hoodoo Man Blues"--the first time I heard this take of that tune I had to get up and dance around the room! To my mind, the Insomniacs are soon to be THE premier West Coast blues band--the Mannish Boys, Kim Wilson and all the rest better start looking in their rear view mirror. The Insomniacs remind me of The Hollywood Blue Flames when the Blues Flames were starting out, and I mean that as the very highest compliment.

Fontaine Brown "Tales From The Fence Line"

2009-05-04T16:08:00.002-04:00

I should have reviewed this cd several months ago, but maybe late is better than never. This cd is crunchy rock-blues, with really strong vocals and playing. And a great band! Backing Fontaine Brown on vocals, guitar, harmonica and piano--are Jim Brock on drums, Don Dixon on bass, Mitch Easter on guitars, Kelly Ryan on backing vocals and Peter Holsapple on Hammond B-3 and keys. You've heard of all those guys before--those guys are all stars, veterans of making great music. And here they deliver a tight lithe supple sound that supports and carries the songs, all written by Fontaine Brown.

Mr Brown has been writing songs and making music since 1962, and the experience shows--these songs are uniformly tight and loose and fun all at the same time. Things kick off with "Ain't No Brakeman" which sounds like it should have been a hit on college radio back in the mid 80s. Then the title track, a fun blend of mandolin and Hammond B-3 with the vocals floating light. Then "Detroit Saturday" which hangs together around a greasy harp riff and a fat drum thump. Then "Closer To The Flame" a Stax keyboard riff with Wet Willie-style vocals. By now you begin to get the idea--this is a wide melange of styles, rooted around those great vocals and that great band. Special points go to "Lost In The Sensation" which is a sweet ballad in the style of "Bare Trees" era Fleetwood Mac.

There are no great surprises here, but it is a joy to hear this cd. You can get it on Manatee Records, or at www.cdbaby.com.