Lisa Mills -- "Tempered In Fire"

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

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"

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

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"

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"

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"

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