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

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"

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"

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"

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"

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

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"

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/