Blues Matters 88

ISSUE #88

WELCOME

So welcome to the New Year and the first issue of Blues Matters! for this year of 2016.

Congratulations to everyone on surviving Christmas. If you managed without an increase in waist size even more congrats! If you’ve got any booze left, we’ll be round for a drop later okay!? We promise to bring only good Blues!

Wow, No.88! – Sixteen years! Over 9,300 CD reviews! Over 730 interviews! Many and varied features. Three recognitions in the USA! Pretty good going for an independent publication being read around the world in print, digital and App versions.

Our team certainly deserve the reputation they have earned over the years for good, honest and accurate reviewing and we thank them all. Sadly there are those ‘team’ members no longer with us but we remember them still. First ‘name’ casualty of the New Year Lemmy who will be off in his ‘Silver Machine’ we imagine. He was shortly followed by Otis Clay and now David Jones (Bowie), a huge array of talent to remember over such diverse music.

Our last issue sold out within weeks and took us by surprise. Here we are again with another issue brimming with content and enthusiasm for you. A new name for you in Simo who are backed by no less than the mighty Mr. Bonamassa to be a big thing. We talk to exciting young talent of Ray Goren, the mighty and legendary Leslie West. A young lady who is not eating Humble Pie but is the talented daughter of Steve Marriott, which would be Mollie! Then add in Hundred Seventy Split or HSS as they are also known who are doing big things in the USA [and stem from the legendary Ten Years After (or TYA as they are also known) who it happens will appear in our very next issue]. We have pleasure to chat with the entertaining Connie Lush and the bursting LaVendore Rogue. We have the ever varying selection of features for you and the best CD review section you can find so settle down, put a record on and delve in…

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Welcome CONTENTS

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CONTRIBUTORS

WRITERS

Liz Aiken, Roy Bainton, Kris Barras, Adrian Blacklee, Bob Bonsey, Eddy Bonte (Bel), Colin Campbell, Martin Cook, Norman Darwen, Dave Drury, Carl Dziunka (Aus), Sybil Gage (USA), Diane Gillard, Stuart A. Hamilton, Brian Harman, Gareth Hayes, Trevor Hodgett, Billy Hutchinson, Peter Innes, Brian Kramer (Sw), Frank Leigh, Andy Mann, Mairi MacLennen, Ben McNair, John Mitchell, Christine Moore, Toby Ornott, Merv Osborne, David Osler, Iain Patience (Fr), Thomas Rankin, Clive Rawlings, Darrell Sage (USA), Paromita Saha (USA), Pete Sargeant, Dave ‘the Bishop’ Scott, Graeme Scott, Ashwyn Smyth (Fr), Andy Snipper, Dave Stone, Suzanne Swanson (Can), Tom Walker, Dave Ward, Liam Ward, Rhys Williams, Steve Yourglivch.

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Christine Moore, Liz Aiken, Annie Goodman, others credited on page.

COVER PHOTOS

SIMO photo by Ed Rode. Danny Bryant photo by TX63 Music Photography. Hundred Seventy Split photo by Arnie Goodman.

© 2016 BLUES MATTERS! Original material in this magazine is © the authors. Reproduction may only be made with prior consent of the Editor and provided that acknowledgement is given of the source and copy is sent to the editorial address. Care is taken to ensure that the contents of this magazine are accurate but the publishers do not accept any responsibility for errors that may occur or views expressed editorially. All rights reserved. No parts of this magazine may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying recording or otherwise without prior permission of the editor. Submissions: Readers are invited to submit articles, letters and photographs for publication. The publishers reserve the right to amend any submissions and cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage. Please note: Once submitted material becomes the intellectual property of Blues Matters and can only later be withdrawn from publication at the expediency of Blues Matters. Advertisements: Whilst responsible care is taken in accepting advertisements if in doubt readers should make their own enquiries. The publisher cannot accept any responsibility for any resulting unsatisfactory transactions, nor shall they be liable for any loss or damage to any person acting on information contained in this publication. We will however investigate complaints.

LARRY MILLER

34

66

CONNIE LUSH

86

MICAH KESSELRING

CONTENTS Welcome

CONTENTS

REGULARS

HAPPENIN’

Regular features Harp Attack and Kitchat plus Blues news from around the globe and those blues heroes that have played their last notes.

BLUE BLOOD

The new bands that are worth keeping an eye on including Charlie Farran, Black Circles, James O’Hara and more.

RED LICK TOP 20

The top sellers from the most comprehensive blues catalogue in the world.

RMR BLUES TOP 50

The Roots Music Report with the chart that really matters.

IBBA BLUES TOP 50

The very best, most played blues compiled by The UK Independent Blues Broadcasters.

LAVENDORE ROGUE

Bourbon soaked bluesy rock n rollers of the highest order.

INTERVIEWS SIMO

The new kids on the block causing something of a stir with jam band blues fans.

DANNY BRYANT

One of the UK’s favourites tells us about Blood Money, the blues album he has always wanted to make.

JORMA KOUKONEN

He Ain’t In No Hurry but the former Hot Tuna man has a great new album to tell us about.

TILL BENNENWITZ

He’s been compared to Springsteen and his debut album received rave reviews. One to watch.

56 62 70 74 78 82 16 24 91 116

LESLIE WEST

Soundcheck in on the former Mountain titan still unstoppable despite adversity.

FEDERAL CHARM

Manchester’s finest Blues rockers take a break from constant touring to catch breath and tell us what the future holds.

RAY GOREN

The most exciting young guitar talent to emerge for some time. Remember the name.

MOLLIE MARRIOTT

The gifted young lady looks and sounds like she is upholding the family tradition as she gives us the low down on her new release.

HUNDRED SEVENTY SPLIT

The Leo Lyons (Ten Years After) led band tell us about the new forthcoming album..

FEATURES

WIZARDS OF OZ

Part 6 of the engrossing round up of top quality Aussie Blues news.

GUITAR TECH

Part One of a brand new regular feature for all our guitar enthusiasts.

REVIEWS ALBUMS

As usual simply the biggest and best review section available anywhere.

SHOWTIME

08 28 90 96 102 38 42 46 50 BLUES MATTERS! | #88 | PAGE 7

ISSUE #88

VERBALS: STEVE YOURGLIVCH

HAPPENIN’

ALL THE BLUES THAT’S

FIT TO PRINT, FROM AROUND THE WORLD

NEW STEVIE NIMMO RELEASE

Award-winning blues rock guitarist and singersongwriter, Stevie Nimmo, will release his second solo album “Sky Won’t Fall” via Manhaton Records on Friday 4th March. One half of The Nimmo Brothers, this will be Stevie’s second solo release since 2010’s debut acoustic album, The Wynds of Life. Stevie will embark on a co-headline tour with Ben Poole throughout the months of February, March, April and May.

HARPIN’ BY THE SEA

Richard Taylor and Stuart McKay are co-producing the Annual Harmonica Festival and Learn To Play Day in Brighton on Saturday 6th February. This will be the sixth year of this event. Last year’s successful theme was Vintage Harmonica, this year it’s Back to the Future, looking at solo harmonica looping, and beat boxing, also known as harp boxing. Special guests are Son Of Dave and Lonesome Dave Ferguson from Cape Town, South Africa. It all happens at the Brunswick Music and Arts Bar.

ANTONE’S BACK IN AUSTIN

The club that closed it’s doors after the illegal shenanigans of its owner Clifford Antone re-emerged New Year’s Eve at 305 East Fifth Street. The famous club that nutured the talents of SRV, The Thunderbirds, Gary Clarke Jr etc will have its official grand opening later, but C. J. Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana band broke the ice. Not only one act, but a collection of local stars made up the Antone’s All-Stars for the evening including, Marcia Ball, Kaz Kazanoff, Denny Freeman, Riley Osborne, Derek O’Brien, Sarah Brown, and Damien Lianes, add to that, special guest stars Lou Ann Barton, Georgia Bramhall and Eve Monsees. A club that was able to book Chicago Blues acts by giving them an almost unheard of week long residency. Gary Clarke Jr along

with Susan Antone, Will Bridges, Alex Shoghi and Spencer Wells are behind the new venture. The acts are presently being booked by musician, and the talent buyer of the Paramount Theatre, Zach Ernst. The new venue is several blocks away from where Antone’s used to hold court, in a previously abandoned lot. With room for 400 downstairs in the music club and 300 upstairs, original and new features including the classic Antone’s sign and marquee out front. It was the club that believed in Hubert Sumlin after many clubs turned their backs on him when Howlin’ Wolf passed on; along with being a showcase venue for B.B King, Muddy Waters and Buddy Guy.

ERIC BELL TOUR

Former Thin Lizzy and Them guitarist Eric Bell is touring mainland UK kicking off at The Borderline, London on February 26th. Other dates throughout February and into early March see the band taking in Pontypridd, Bristol, Oxford, Evesham, Wakefield and Darlington before finishing up at The Dreadnought Club in Bathgate on March 5th.

As well as Eric the band includes former Pirates and Spellkastors drummer Romek Parol and on bass former Wurzels player Dave Wintour, whose recording and playing CV also covers Rick Wakeman, Roger Daltry, Pretty Things, Stealers Wheel and Leo Sayer. Eric Bells new album Exile is out now.

NEW REBECCA DOWNES RELEASE

Rebecca Downes UK Blues rock sensation, the brand new second album “BELIEVE” due for release March 4th 2016 via Mad Hat Records.

NEW WILL WILDE RELEASE

Live in Hamburg, recorded at the Downtown Bluesclub in Hamburg on February 13th 2015. The official release date 29/01/16. The line is confirmed as: Will Wilde – Vocals and Harmonica. Guitar on The Girl

I Love and Jealous Woman. Danny Giles – Guitar and backing vocals. Victoria Smith – Bass. Alan Taylor – Drums.

Label – Rock The Earth Catalogue Number – 471188-2

OTIS CLAY

11 Feb 1942 - 8 Jan 2016

Another great man has done a full go-round. With the passing of Chicago soul-blues singer, Otis Clay on January 8th, music lost one of its true greats, a guy who lived for the music he loved and was on the road till the day he died.

Born in backwoods Mississippi, Clay kicked-off his career, like many before him, with gospel at its core before moving on to the developing world of soul music, initially with Chicago label One-derful in the early 60s, followed swiftly by Atlantic Records as the decade came to a close.

Clay had a voice that mirrored his own loves, soulful, bluesy and always searching and strong. He was a noted humanitarian and helped many young aspirants by mentoring them as they found and forced their way onto the stage. He was a guy with simply no front. What you saw was genuinely what you got from this guy. His work with soul-buddy Johnny Rawls, both live on-tour and in the studio with the excellent ‘Soul Brothers’ release on Catfood Records, in 2014, was in

MARION JAMES

8 Oct 1934 - 31 Dec 2015

Marion James, known as the Queen of Nashville Blues died on December 31st following a massive stroke. She was 81 years old. A young Jimi Hendrix got his first break as a member of her band and her most famous song was the 1966 hit, That’s My Man on the Excello label. She was responsible for setting up the long running Marion James Aid Society that supported many blues musicians in severe need. Albums included ‘Marion James and the Hypnotics’ ( on Appaloosa Records) in 1996 and more recently ‘Essence’ in 2003 and ‘Northern Soul’ in 2012, a record that reached no 10 in The Living Blues charts. She was a popular and well known performer in the once famous Jefferson Street alongside the likes of BB King, Jimi Hendrix and Little Richard.

STEVE YOURGLIVCH

Ian will tour in Europe April-June as a duo with Mississippi native Jimbo Mathus. An album (titled “WAYWARD SONS”) recorded on their previous tour together will release March 4, 2016.

OBITUARIES

many ways a highlight of his career and he clearly enjoyed the partnership and music they did together.

I last spoke with Otis in July 2015 when he played a storming set at France’s premiere blues festival, Cognac Blues Passions. Here he turned up with a full-blown ten-piece band (who does that on tour these days!) including three soul sisters on support vocals and Rodd Bland (son of Bobby Blue) on drums. After over an hour under fierce strobes and sweltering French summer evening temperatures, he returned to the stage for a stunning encore where he slipped effortlessly from ‘Amen’ to Steve Croppers’ wonderful ‘Dock of the Bay’ - a track generally associated with yet another legendary soul-singing Otis - before literally staggering, exhausted, exhilarated and happy, pouring sweat, swaying from side to side down the backstage ramp to meet applause from Selwyn Birchwood, among others, who had earlier that evening opened the event.

Inducted into the Blues Music Hall of Fame in 2013, what he told me before going on-stage that evening, remained true - a mantra he lived by - till the day of his passing: ‘I don’t think of myself as a soul singer or a blues singer. If it’s good music, that’s what matters.’ Amen, indeed.

VERBALS: IAIN PATIENCE | VISUAL: JANET PATIENCE

LONG JOHN HUNTER

13 Jul 1931 - 4 Jan 2016

Texas guitar legend Long John Hunter died in his sleep at his Phoenix home. His playing was fuelled by single-note solos and drawling vocals, he recorded seven solo albums and a large number of singles. In his long career he played for many famous bluesmen especially during a 13 year spell leading the house band at The Lobby Bar, in Juarez, Mexico. He also mentored a young Bobby Fuller. He was renowned as a great showman as well as a highly respected musician. John was born in Ringgold, Louisiana but grew up in Arkansas and Texas. It wasn’t until he was taken to see BB King when aged 22 that he became interested in becoming a professional musician. Less than a year later he was headlining the same venue, The Raven Club, where he had seen BB play. He is survived by his wife Gayle and brother Tom.

STEVE YOURGLIVCH

STEPHEN CHARLES LAVERE

Dec 11 1943 - Dec 27 2015

Stephen (Steve) Lavere was the son of a jazz pianist. The California based business man was the re-issue co-ordinator for Imperial, a Memphis record store owner, show promoter, record producer and all around blues music entreprenuer. It was he who was instrumental in persuading Sony (CBS owners) to issue Robert Johnson’s complete known works, handling Johnson’s copyrights all the way through to the court case where Claude (Robert’s son) successfully gained copyright control to his father’s estate. Mr LaVere was the owner/operator of the Blues Museum in Greenwood, along with the “Shack Up Inn” styled “Tallahatchie Flatts” three miles out of Greenwood, MS. Through his “Delta Haze Corporation”, Steve was a publisher, record dealer and copyright owner - holding

licences on many songs/ phonographic records and images. Many of Steve LaVere’s important items in his collection were bought several years ago by John Tefteller. Steve helped me greatly in his knowledge of Richard “Hacksaw” Harney with his first-hand accounts, and came up with the epitaph on his Hacksaw’s grave marker, along with giving a speech at the unveiling. There are stories of Mr LaVere acquiring Robert Johnson records and photograph from Johnson’s half sister Carrie Thompson very cheaply in Mississippi, and Mac McCormick’s recollection of Steve LaVere taking and not returning his photograph of Johnson in suit and guitar. Steve was also a published interviewee in Blues Matters magazine. Steve left a wife, Regina, along with a son, three daughters and two grandchildren.

STEVE YOURGLIVCH

BLUES IN THE SCHOOLS

VERBALS & VISUALS: LIAM WARD – LEARNTHEHARMONICA.COM

WOULDN’T KIDS BE BETTER OFF WITH A HARMONICA?

Most of us recall the piercing shriek of recorders in the school music room. Music education for me in school was always stale and old-fashioned. Things are largely the same for children today. Isn’t it time for a music education rethink? In an age of widespread YouTube tuition and computerised music-making, why does music education still cling to a Victorian model of traditional songs on unpopular and outdated instruments? There is another way: blues harmonica.

As a professional harmonica player and teacher, I may be biased. Maybe we should switch the causal direction. Why would anyone get into harmonica in the first place? For me, it was a couple of things: cost, and the as-natural-as-breathing instinctive nature of the instrument. Both reasons to get more harmonica in schools.

And it’s hard to make harmonica sound as bad as a bad recorder. Simply breathing into a harmonica produces a chord – notes which harmonise (the clue is in the name!). And getting notes on both exhale and inhale is always endlessly fascinating to younger children.

For most students the basics of harmonica can be picked up fairly fast. As Miriam Forbes pointed out in the recent Music Teacher article, ‘Beyond the Recorder’, most recorder students spend “half

a term getting the correct hand at the top and playing B”. With harmonica, kids can be playing a rough and ready tune within a day.

Another advantage of harmonica over recorder is no tricky hand positions to master – songs are intuitively familiar. No little hands hopefully stretching on big keyboards or fret boards. The lack of visual cues – perhaps from afar seen as a negative –actually encourages learners to trust their ears more than their hands, an essential skill in music. And the small size of the harmonica make it easier to transport than most instruments. Children may feel self-conscious carrying a violin, whereas a harmonica slips into a schoolbag – or a pocket – easily.

There’s also lots of fun to be had with the humble harp. However lovely a recorder

may be, it can hardly be called spellbinding, whereas the sound of harmonica can capture a child, as I have found with my own students.

Cardiff-based harmonica teacher Aidan Sheehan says, “Harmonicas are great for children due to the small size of the instrument, portability, versatility and its user-friendly aspect.”

Kids are often keener than adults. At a recent wedding gig, a lady arrived with her three-year-old daughter as we were sound checking. The little girl saw my harmonica and ran towards the stage. Her excitement was such that we had to protect all our instruments from her flailing limbs. “She carries one around with her everywhere,” the mother explained, showing me the toddler’s harmonica. This raw connection to the instrument is common among

children, and schools would do well to exploit it.

So how do kids deal with the fiddly nature of the instrument? I’ve found that even relatively young children can get to grips with a standard instrument, but happily for those who want a specialised model, Suzuki already produces the AW-1 ‘Airwave’ Harmonica with bigger, well-spaced holes and more robust casing. This model means children as young as four can take part, and the simple, major-scale structure makes it easy to play in tune from the first lesson.

From around age eight, a standard instrument is usually suitable. One of my private students, a nine-yearold boy with autism, finds the standard diatonic harmonica extremely engaging and shows a real flair, benefitting from his family’s interest in nurturing his musical talents. Sadly, most parents won’t even think harmonica is an option, as not many schools offer it.

So what about school teachers? There is no need for standard notation with the harmonica, as the instrument is generally played to tablature (tab) using basic symbols to indicate the hole and the direction of airflow. These days, lack of funding can often mean non-music teachers have to take on that role for their class. Tab makes this easier with harmonica than recorder. The teacher needn’t have formal music training. Harmonica lends itself just as intuitively to teachers as to students.

This, together with the history surrounding the instrument, means harmonica fits readily into a multi-disciplinary approach. The history and culture of the blues is a fascinating

thing for children to study, and combining these with harmonica playing links subjects effectively.

Then there’s the money – or lack thereof. Children get the satisfaction of owing an instrument outright, instead of paying a premium for borrowing from the local music service. Even pros use relatively cheap instruments: As a rule of thumb £20 or more will get you a good harp, and they are available for £2 or £3 for absolute beginners. Besides a kazoo, there really isn’t anything cheaper. Perhaps this is why in Asia the harmonica is already the instrument of choice for most schools.

Given the accessibility of suitable programmes, and the success in Asia, it’s really a surprise that more schools in the West don’t use harmonica as part of music programmes. So how does a school project look in practice?

Harp Academy is run by Richard Taylor in Sussex primary schools, teaching small groups and individuals from 5-11yrs. Taylor describes a typical set up:

“Lesson times vary according to the school; some allow daytime lessons, releasing children for half an hour from regular lessons. Others prefer an after- school club scenario. We try to avoid lunchtime and breakfast clubs as these present logistical hurdles. Each term we publish our programme for parents, schools and Ofsted.”

Taylor says he combines national curriculum elements, with key instrument skills, standard repertoire learning and popular songs from the charts. For example, Jessie J’s Price Tag might provide the ‘cool’ factor, while the children

investigate theory such as note and rest values, techniques like trills and glissando, and skills like hand effects and songwriting.

The National Harmonica League also makes special provisions for children’s education. The annual festival in October each year at Bristol Folk House is family-friendly and includes a contest including children’s categories.

Harp Academy ensures content is current:

“What makes the harmonica great for children is partly to do with what’s perceived as trendy and cool… It’s astonishing though, how quickly trends change.”

The need for contemporary repertoire is crucial. As one harmonica teacher said to me, “Parents of school children quite commonly regard music as what’s on ‘X Factor’, have not heard of blues and do not know what a harmonica is!”

Perhaps the biggest school harmonica project in the UK is Ben Hewlett’s HarpsCool. Since 1996 he has been teaching children to play harmonica in schools in the South West.

“How many thousands have gone through our programme is hard to guess”, Hewlett says, “but HarpsCool peaked at 600 primary schoolchildren having a weekly lesson. That was just before the 2008 crash. It is half that now.”

There are other obstructions to the cause. Richard Taylor told me that some schools completely understand what the project is about, but others “would never entertain harmonica in a million years”a hard attitude to tackle.

Sheehan says, “I know from painful experience some school music services don’t regard the harmonica as a real

No o Ne shOuld face c A ncer aloNe

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Text TOGETHER to 70550 and donate £5 so we can be there for everyone who needs us.

Macmillan Cancer Support, registered charity in England and Wales (261017), Scotland (SC039907) and the Isle of Man (604).

MAC14175

instrument. Some teachers think the harmonica is a toy.”

Even twenty years ago, the knock-on effect of the folk and blues revival – Bob Dylan, Neil Young, the Beatles etc. – still held force in the mind of the nation. The harmonica had a presence in the media and the charts. Now what is there? Very little indeed.

In addition, harmonica has no graded programme and is not recognised by examination boards. So it ends up in a vicious cycle with schools steering clear, perpetuating a negative perception.

What does the future hold for blues harp in schools? HarpsCool are keen to speak to teachers of other instruments who might be interested in teaching harmonica as well, to broaden the programme’s net. Harp Academy have recently been increasing their teaching due to the doubling of yearly intakes by many schoolsthey are also dealing with the current baby boom in the Brighton & Hove area.

Technology is also opening up avenues. HarpsCool is currently trialling live video streams via Skype to schools as far flung as Thailand. Although funding is still up in

the air, there is still much to be done.

Until parents, teachers and exam boards accept harmonica as a respectable, worthwhile pursuit, its use in education will be minimal. And it’s worth remembering that beyond the bureaucracy and tradition lies a real demand among children for what harmonica has to offer. As Hewlett puts it, “Children when asked why they play harmonica, say because it’s fun. Nothing more. Occasionally they say because they want to be ‘noticed’, but then don’t we all?”

http://www.harpscool.co.uk

www.harpacademy.co.uk

http://www.suzukimusic.com

http://harmonica.co.uk/

VISIT WWW.LEARNTHEHARMONICA.COM

WIZARDS OF OZ # 6

THE BLUES SCENE IN AUSTRALIA BECAME WELL ESTABLISHED TOWARDS THE END OF THE 1960S WHEN AUSTRALIAN ARTISTS, INFLUENCED BY THE MUSIC COMING OUT OF AMERICA AND THE UK, PUT THEIR OWN ADAPTATION ON THE MUSIC AND AUSTRALIAN BLUES WAS BORN

Australia has some of the most talented musicians, artists who rank against musicians worldwide, and it is from festivals like this that people can see just how much significant, homegrown talent there is.

If you visit the state of Victoria in Australia, Bendigo is a major regional city that should be on your list. Bendigo’s development bloomed in the times of the gold rush. For the last 5 years, a new kind of rush is taking place. This is the Blues rush.

The Bendigo Blues and Roots music Festival comes alive in November and runs over 4 days. A mammoth event, with venues all over the city taking part, and even a few on the outskirts putting up their hand to be a part of this great showcase, this Festival is a home-grown grass roots festival showcasing Australian blues talent. The festival’s birth comes from renowned Bendigo musician

Colin Thomson. It become a reality in November 2011, and continues to grow at an increasing pace every year. The festival itself, like many, is a not for profit organisation headed by a dedicated committee and backed by an army of volunteers. Various shows are held throughout the year at a multitude of venues aimed at raising funds for the festival.

An estimated 15,000 people come along to this regional centre to revel in some great music and artists playing the event. This contributed over A$2million to the local economy. Figures like these illustrate the strength of Australian blues - it’s kicking strongly but needs continued support to ensure it stays that way.

One event at the Bendigo Blues and Roots Festival brings together three young guitarists, pitted against each other, to earn a very special prize. The competition is The Lazenby Young Blues Guitarist Award. The award is named after Phil Lazenby who passed away in 2013. Lazenby dedicated much of his life toward the development of the local community and especially its young people. He was an accomplished musician with a gift and a vision, an ability to grow and inspire local musicians to follow their dreams. Entrants to the competition must be 20 years of age or under at the time of the final. Heats are held at 3 different times during the year and each heat is restricted to three places per heat. The final is then played out at the festival with the winner being awarded an exceptional prize. This year the prize was a 2010 Fender American Standard Telecaster and case previously owned by the late Phil Lazenby but never played (retail value $2,699). The winner of this prize was Rhiannon Simpson who has put together her own band and is already moving up the ranks at a rapid pace as far as blues newcomers go. She is certainly a name to look out for in the future of Australian Blues.

With four days of music guaranteed, you know this is going to be a mega event. And you would

VERBALS AND VISUALS: CARL DZIUNKA

HAILEY CALVERT

be right in your thinking. The festival uses around 45 venues to showcase over 170 acts. From a punters point of view, everything seems to run like clockwork but there certainly must be moments of rising blood-pressure and distress during an event of this magnitude. The professionalism of the organisers ensuring all is on track for those attending the event brings the whole thing together perfectly. The range of acts is also a huge plus. It’s possible to move from venue to venue, with a virtual guarantee of finding something refreshingly different. Each artist has a different method of playing the blues and for a spectator it can be a real eye-opener, a great education, experiencing many different approaches to that one genre.

The great, standard icons of Blues music are never far from anyone’s thoughts either: artists play, as always, tribute to blues greats with songs by Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Robert Johnson, Bessie Smith, Willie Dixon and not forgetting the recently departed, B.B. King. One of the events over the weekend was a tribute concert celebrating B.B’s life and music. This concert showcased unique versions of King’s best loved songs by Australia’s dedicated blues purists including Geoff Achison, Josh Owen, Dukesy and the Hazzards, Liz Violi and Marc Leon.

As well as using pubs, clubs,

café’s and side streets, one of the main attractions of the festival is a major Saturday afternoon concert in the town’s Rosalind Park. This is a truly spectacular showcase of blues in a perfect setting on an impeccable spring day. There’s not much better than this. The show itself kicks off at 11 in the morning and runs through until 7 at night with 12 performances, and The Lazenby Young Blues Guitarist Award Final in the middle as a breather of sorts. Once you have positioned yourself in a prime location and made sure you are armed with supplies, your day is absolute. The best part about this is that it is free.

Most of the festival is free with only a very few minor events that charged for. You can wander around for four days, enjoying the best blues Australia has to offer and still come away with money in your pocket. You can’t say that at too many events these days.

Two events requiring tickets played out at the Capitol Theatre and a brand new venue that opened for the first time this year, the Ulumbarra Theatre. The show at the Capitol Theatre was held on the Friday night and featured the music of Lucie Thorne & Hamish Stuart, Owen Campbell, Jeff Lang and Sal Kimber & the Rollin’ Wheel. On Saturday night, the show playing at the Ulumbarra Theatre, publicised as the Main Event, featured three major performers in Australian Blues

and Australian music as a whole. The Ulumbarra Theatre was born out of a huge redevelopment project that saw the old Sandhurst Gaol turned into a magnificent 1000 seat theatre. The design blends the old and the new with many of the old cells remaining while the rest of the building is developed into a space accessible for many patrons to enjoy. This Saturday night, people had come to enjoy the blues. Many people who had been here over a century ago had also probably experienced the blues but in a decidedly different way.

Entertainment on show before the main event started with Hailey Calvert, bringing things together, getting people in the right frame of mind performing a set of songs in the foyer. The Main Event consisted of Hat Fitz and Cara, The Backsliders and Joe Camilleri & the Black Sorrows. To complete the evening, Grim Fawkner was carrying on where Hailey Calvert had left off with a show in the foyer bringing the night to a close.

A festival of this magnitude shows the Australian blues scene is moving along, collecting new talent on the way. Through these events people not only see their favourite artists but also experience something different, a musical education of sorts. By supporting the next generation of artists, the flow of music continually moving through, Australian blues continues to thrive and develop. The genre never drops into a dark void, a hole it might struggle to recover from. It’s heart-warming to see and know there are dedicated people working hard to keep live blues alive, and in doing so, fostering a path for future generations to follow.

JOE CAMILLERI & THE BLACK SORROWS

RHIANNON SIMPSON

“GOLDEN OLDIE OR GROOVY NEWBIE?”

VERBALS: DAVE WARD

That is the question (as someone once said) facing this episode of KitChat folks. More precisely, should we invest in a vintage or modern instrument to give our enthralled audiences the best possible listening experience despite invoking green-eyed rage and accusations of unnecessary posturing from our rival blues entertainers. Well what a dilemma to deal with – or maybe not for the skint muso’s out there who manage to titivate the eardrum with the homemade cigar-box, single string whatchamaycallit with great aplomb! To those of a slightly deeper pocket, however, there may be some fun considering their dream prezzie to themselves. Walk this way ladies and gents.

Those of guitar based interests will undoubtedly be aware of the wallet-bursting levels attached to “vintage” instruments. Indeed, only recently we learned of the all time record attained in the recent auction for John Lennon’s 1962 Gibson J-160E, which sold for more than $2m in a California auction house£1.7 million in our parlance. Higher amounts have changed hands in the Middle East for Artist signed instruments, but usually at charity auctions etc. Even when you deduct the artist/owner provenance value, and bear in mind the guitar would have cost little more than £100 or so in the early 60’s, the appreciation factor is still pretty eye-watering. This is confirmed if you look for a current equivalent – (not Name owned) - J-160E on the internet where you will find a selection of early sixties examples at around

£2 – 3K – a little better return shall we say than on your 1962 Vauxhall Viva at auction today!!

Many such collectors instruments are owned by companies, individual musicians and private collectors, many of whom offer rental services for top name artists who wish to be seen either playing - or being photographed - with such iconic pieces. Many others are the property of collectors - some of whom – sadly in my opinion – never even play them. They are kept exclusively for private viewing like valuable, treasured artwork.

However, can we honestly say that the vintage instrument produces a better sound than a current, new, equivalent model? Good question friends, and you could obviously site the matter of 2 “Stradivarius” violins being the finest available anywhere at any price. Well maybe, but there are the practical issues to be addressed and certainly when it comes to our friend the guitar – the building process today is so far in advance of 1960’s and earlier luthiery that on quality, today’s guitars are hugely more advanced - in terms of materials, precision tooling availability, durability and playability. Yeah, Yeah, I hear you say – but they don’t sound the same! No they don’t, and I don’t sound the same as Mark Knopfler or Eric Clapton or whoever, even if I play exactly the same instrument. So much of the quality of sound is in the musicians’ hands and fingers - that is why they (the musicians) are famous – not the instruments. It is people/players firstly who make the instrument

famous – not the other way around, hence “Artist Signature” endorsed instruments in current times where artists acquire financial reward for “preaching the gospel” on behalf of the manufacturers. Playing Devil’s advocate, I’m not too sure that Stradivarius had much lira to chuck at Paganini or whoever in return for the maestro flogging his products!

But the central question remains: do they REALLY sound better? Well OK some do and some don’t. There are some occasions where you find an old Gibson, Martin, Guild or whatever that just HAS it! It’s very difficult to describe unless you are a player; but when you find tone –you know it instantly – eyes across a crowded bar-room and all that! Now then Doc, don’t go getting too romantic! Again, I have encountered far more bad ones - and I do mean BAD - than good uns. As I said, current production methods are so advanced that it is more difficult to find bad instruments today than 40 or 50 years ago. I remember my very first electric guitar (no names) was so appallingly made it didn’t need a tremolo arm – you just pulled on the neck and it raised the note by about a full tone and a half!!

There are also other, more pragmatic issues currently concerning wood-based instruments which didn’t apply back in the day – and that has to do with sustainability of timber, particularly in relation to “tonewoods”.

These woods are so called because the density and nature of the timber has a marked influence on the ultimate tone of the instrument built with it. For

instance, Mahogany and many darker coloured woods give a deeper, richer tone than, say, Maple or maybe Ash. Both produce a lighter, “springier” tone. In this respect world resources of wood – e.g. South American rainforests - have over many centuries been depleted and authorities have placed restrictions on the harvesting of certain woods. As a result, instrument makers must now look to sourcing different timbers, even substituting man-made materials on occasion (a good example is Ebony often used in the past for guitar, violin and other stringed instrument fingerboards now often replaced by equally durable man- made materials). It should be remembered

that this is a difficult position for the manufacturers. Most timbers have to be stored for a number of years before being considered ripe for producing a quality instrument. The cost and quality of the instruments reflect this today and can be seen, for example, in cheaper instruments being partially or wholly built from thin laminates of wood (plywood) as opposed to the solid tonewoods. The pricing comparison is often seen in the cheaper “copy” instruments coming out of the Eastern manufacturing bases of better known popular instrument manufacturers. It applies much more in acoustic instruments than, say, solid-bodied electric guitars, basses etc.

I often wonder where the “vintage” pricing of instruments is leading – as the term as applied and understood in antiques is usually held to be more than 25 years old and in terms of a quality built instrument 25 years is hardly “antique” these days. Added to that is the huge proliferation in the major manufacturers model lines – how many variations of the prime brands we know and love do you find in stores today? Surely there can’t be a “Vintage Marketplace” for each variation that exists today?…. Or can there? Maybe you know better, dear reader.

All the best for this time.

AMERICAN SHOWPLACE MUSIC

American Showplace Music

is a new record label in town specializing in the blues. Its founder, Ben Elliott, has been involved in the recording of great music for over 25 years and is known for his expertise in diverse musical genres. Specializing in Blues, his history includes associate producer and engineer on Hubert Sumlin’s Grammynominated release ‘About Them Shoes’ where he worked sessions with Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, and James Cotton among others. In addition, he’s also recorded classic blues albums featuring artists such as Knights of the Blues Table, Rattlesnake Guitar: The Music of Peter Green, among others. He engineered and mixed the song ‘You Win Again’ as featured on the album ‘Timeless’, a Grammy awardwinning, all-star tribute album to Hank Williams.

American Showplace

Music was born out of Ben’s recording studio ‘Showplace Studios’ based in New Jersey. In a recent conversation with Ben, we asked how all this came about; starting a recording studio and having it evolve into a music label.

“It was formerly a rock club through the 70’s & 80’s where CBGB’s bands played; it was one big room. I knew the owners from going to concerts there. They knew t I was an engineer. So they approached me about going into business as a recording studio there. They divided the place in half. We built the studio. They put up the money and I did the work. There already was a built-in reputation because a lot of bands played there throughout the years, everyone from the Ramones to Jack Bruce. So now it’s been about 25 years the studio’s been running”.

Ben has recorded and/ or mixed countless artists through the years at Showplace Studios, just a stone’s throw over the bridge from Manhattan. Rock and Blues artists such as Leslie West and Mountain, Peter Green, Mick Taylor, Savoy Brown, Jack Bruce, Warren Haynes, Luther Vandross, and Ben E. King. He’s also worked with legendary jazz artists including Al Caiola, Sonny Fortune, Louis Hayes, Bucky Pizzarelli, Houston Person, and Bill Easley, and has mixed a series of ‘Live at the Blue Note’ albums.

“With the changing music business, at some point we decided to reinvent ourselves” Ben told us. “We started doing a lot of in house projects. We started signing people and putting out blues records”.

The project that got Ben off the ground was in 2012 when he produced, recorded

VERBALS: BARRY FISCH VISUALS: ARNIE GOODMAN

ALEXIS SUTTER

and mixed the all-analog ‘Thank You Les...’ a Tribute to Les Paul CD and DVD documentary, featuring Lou Pallo, Keith Richards, Steve Miller, Slash, Billy F. Gibbons, Blondie Chaplin, Jose Feliciano, Eddie Bragati and Nokie Edwards among many others. “That documentary was the launching pad for the label. Then I started signing individual acts. Todd Wolfe (formerly of Sheryl Crow’s band) was the first one we signed. Then it was John Ginty. We’re up to eight blues acts now. Todd, John Ginty, Alexis P. Suter Band, Bruce Katz, Chris O’Leary, Slam Allen, and early next year Chris Jacobs; he’s a singer/ songwriter, formerly in a group called the Bridge, and has been doing opening slots for Stevie Winwood. We have Marcus Randolph, the drummer from the Robert Randolph Family Band.”

Ben then pointed out the label isn’t limited to just the blues. “We have a jazz division as well. On that part of the label we have Sonny Fortune (ex- Miles Davis), and legendary drummer Bernard

Purdie. Bernard records with Jerry Jemmott, Grant Green Jr. and Reuben Wilson. We also have Louis Hayes who was with Cannonball Adderley for years”.

We asked Ben to describe what his mission is with this new label: “I’m trying to introduce the public to some artists that are extremely talented. I want these artists to put their best foot forward and show off their strengths and talents. A lot of them have been famous sidemen like John Ginty and Bruce Katz. John is currently with the Dixie Chicks. Basically, I choose artists that are rooted in the blues because I love that music, but also ones that go beyond the blues. I try to show a different side of them. I believe in putting out exciting records and not just the same old blues stuff. I look for unique characters that are one of a kind. Someone like Alexis P. Suter; nobody looks like that, nobody sounds like that. She’s very unique; not your typical blues artist. I try to go with the unique thing rooted in the blues; certainly things that are more creative. I’m not

interested in doing the same song over and over again”.

Ben also explained in addition to the special talents of his artists as a producer and engineer he knows the sound of the recordings play a large part in what he’s striving towards. “In the studio I get a unique sound because I use a lot of vintage equipment. Even though I do record with Pro Tools, all my front end stuff is heavily processed through analog gear. I try to make a unique sounding record so they really stand out. The sound is sort of on the “classic” side but still has a modern fidelity to it. I’m sort of on the “dirty” side of things. I’m not afraid of noise. I’d rather the record have a lot of character to it than being pristine. It’s real”. If you think about it, all music recorded in studios had been done this way throughout history until a relatively short time ago when digital came in. The music released on American Showplace Music certainly lives in a mostly non-digital, auto-tune free zone.

Recently, at a venue in New York City called “The Cutting Room”, Ben held his first label showcase with many of the artists signed to the label performing both individually and with each other. Seeing these artists perform live exemplifies what Ben has described about

JIMMY BENNETT

TODD WOLFE

Features AMERICAN SHOWPLACE MUSIC

his label. From songs that were originals to well-known covers, these performers displayed a calibre of talent not often found packed into one bundle on the same stage in one evening. John Ginty played a Hammond B-3 like no one else. Todd Wolfe displayed some blazing electric guitarwork. Chris O’Leary belted out some great blues harp. Bruce Katz marvelled the crowd with his amazing keyboard skills. Slam Allen (with a style of blues that is modern yet simultaneously maintains authenticity) further entertained the audience by actually playing his guitar in the audience. And Alexis P. Suter with her deep soulful voice and funky swamp-like sound peaked the evening with her emotionally charged

vocals, the kind most blues fans hope to experience from live performance.

Hopefully we’ll be seeing more of these artists onstage playing together at various venues throughout the world. Until then you can enjoy the music at home with the recordings that are currently available from American Showplace Music. Their catalog is available in both physical and digital formats. “I’m a big believer in the physical CD” says Ben. “I think one thing that sets us apart is we try to do very nice packaging and artwork on the covers. I think it’s something you would want to own and not have sitting in a cloud somewhere”. The records are available worldwide.

We asked Ben what the

future holds for his label: “To keep producing great music. I look for people who have great things to say. For instance, I think what sets Chris O’Leary apart are his lyrics. He’s been through a lot. He’s been a Marine for seven years; he was on the road with Levon Helm for six years. He’s able to convey his experiences in his lyrics and to me he’s one of the most believable singers ever. If you watch a guy like Slam Allen, you come away with a smile on your face, and yet he’s probably the most traditional blues artist I have. I think blues as a genre to survive needs to be fresh. People have a big misconception of the blues; they think it’s about a guy crying in his beer. But it can be very uplifting.”

from the soul of america

Tommy Castro & The Painkillers Method To My Madness

“Spits enough hellfire to forge an incendiary phase two in the guitarist’s career” –Living Blues

Shemekia Copeland Outskirts Of Love

“Spectacular, stirring, sanctified and sassy...at the crossroads where funk meets blues rock” –MOJO

The Kentucky Headhunters

Johnnie Johnson Meet Me In Bluesland

“The greatest sideman in rock ‘n’ roll” (Rolling Stone) joins forces with “The great American rock ‘n’ roll band” (Billboard)

New From Alligator Records, Chicago, USA

Elvin Bishop Can’t Even Do Wrong Right

“Irresistible...rollicking slide-driven blues/R&B with a healthy dollop of fun” –The Blues Magazine

AVAILABLE AT

Feb 16 CHISLEHURST | Beaverwood Club

Feb 17 ALDERSHOT | West End Centre

Feb 18 EVESHAM | The Iron Road

Feb 19 WARRINGTON | True Blues Club

Feb 20 NEWCASTLE | The Cluny

Feb 21 ABERDEEN | The Tunnels

Feb 22 EDINBURGH | The Caves

Feb 24 SUTTON | Boom Boom Club

Feb 25 MILTON KEYNES | Stables

Feb 26 DERBY | Flower Pot

Feb 27 DEVIZES | Long Street Blues Club

Feb 28 ILMINSTER | Square & Compass

Feb 29 WOLVERHAMPTON | Robin 2

GUITAR TECHNIQUE PART 1

GUITAR TECH

Aname that has been synonymous with Blues guitar for over 50 years, B.B King has more than earned the title “The King of the Blues”. With an instantly recognisable sound, King’s relentless passion for the Blues has inspired countless Guitar players worldwide. I would say every Blues guitarist for the past couple of decades has in some way, shape or form, been influenced by B.B. King.

Eric Clapton, Joe Bonamassa, Stevie Ray Vaughn, the list goes on. These are all guys that have paid homage to The King and publicly

BB KING

stated his profound influence on their playing. Kings’ playing has filtered down through the generations of blues guitar players and is likely to continue for years to come. That’s why, for the debut article in this Blues Guitar technique series; there was really no competition on who to look at first.

Born on a Mississippi plantation in 1925, Riley B. King started out from humble beginnings. In his youth, he performed on street corners for dimes, often playing in up to four towns in one night. Memphis was the city that all southern musicians would aim

to make a pilgrimage to. It was a musical hub where every style of African-American music could be heard. In 1947, B.B. hitchhiked his way there and stayed with his cousin, a much celebrated Bluesman of the time, Bukka White. After appearances on Sonny Boy Williamson’s Radio show, eventually leading to him having his own small show, King started to build a strong legion of fans. He needed a catchy radio name and what started out as the “Beale Street Blues Boy” was eventually shortened to “Blues Boy King”. The moniker “B.B. King” was born.

VERBALS: KRIS BARRAS VISUALS: ARNIE GOODMAN

King was one of those very few guys that can play one note and be instantly recognisable. He borrowed licks from Blind Lemon Jefferson, T-Bone Walker and others, integrating his precise and complex vocal-like string bends and his left hand vibrato, both of which have become indispensable components of rock guitars legacy and vocabulary. His economy, with every-note-counts phrasing, has been a model for thousands of players. In B.B.’s words, “When I sing, I play in my mind; the minute I stop singing orally, I start to sing by playing Lucille.”

“Lucille” is the name given to every one of his Gibson ES 355 guitars he has owned over the years. However, the original Lucille was a beloved $30 acoustic. The name came about after performing at a dance in Arkansas. Two men got into a fight and knocked over a kerosene stove, setting fire to the hall. B.B. raced outdoors to safety with everyone else, and then realized that he left his guitar inside, so he rushed back inside the burning building to retrieve it, narrowly escaping death. When he later found out that the fight had been over a woman named Lucille,

PART 1 Guitar Technique

he gave the name to his guitar to remind him never to do a crazy thing like fight over a woman. Ever since, each one of his trademark Gibson guitars has been called Lucille.

King developed a unique vocabulary of licks and runs largely derived from the upper half of the less commonly used hybrid major/ minor pentatonic scale pattern located two-and-a-half steps above the standard minor pentatonic blues box. Using an example key of A, Ex. 1 shows the commonly used Minor Pentatonic Scale (position 1). I have included this shape as a reference point for “The B.B. Box”

outlined in Ex. 2. Most guitarists are very familiar with the position 1 shape, so it is useful to know where the “B.B. Box” lies in relation to that. Watch him play and you’ll be surprised by how many “Blues Box” licks King squeezes out of the compact pattern. The shape features the following intervals: R 2 b3 4 b5 5 6. Any essential tones not included, such as the Major Third and Flattened Seventh can be achieved by bending the existing notes within the shape. The licks in the next three exercises are representative of ideas that B.B. King frequently used. I recommend not only learning the phrases as they are written, but also experimenting with the licks to come up with your own ideas.

Ex.3 begins with a ‘pickup lick’. This is a short phrase that leads into the first chord of a Blues. These types of phrases are used to lead into a solo or back to the root chord after the turnaround. In

bar 3, we have two types of bends from the same note. The first bend is a full tone up to a Major 3rd; the second bend is a semi-tone up to a Minor 3rd. Hitting the minor 3rd really helps to add to the ‘Bluesyness’ of the phrase. The last bar includes a very B.B-esque idea, where he hits the root note of the scale a full octave higher. For full effect, you should aim to ‘rake’ into the note with your picking hand, glancing over muted G and B strings, and sliding away down the neck.

Ex. 4 is a typical ‘call and response’ phrase. B.B. King was very ‘vocal’ in his soloing. He wouldn’t use solos as a chance to widdle endlessly, he believed in using the guitar to talk or sing to the audience. This phrase is made up of short licks which are similar but vary slightly each time. Quick slides in to notes are used, as well as the inclusion of the b5 note in bar 4 to further enhance the Blues sound.

B.B. King didn’t just stick to his box when soloing; he also made great use of the Minor Pentatonic scale (position 1). He would include extra notes, such as the Major 3rd, often sliding up from the minor 3rd. This gives a sweet ‘resolving’ sound over the Dominant 7 chords used in a standard Blues. I transcribed this lick from an interview that B.B. King gave in the 90’s. It was played over the root chord (on the video it was in the Key of G, in this case it is in A). Notice how he lands on an ‘E’ note in the last bar. E is the 5th in a chord of A and this is great example of how landing on notes, other than the root note, can produce a sweet sound. You could also try using this lick as a lead into the turnaround (last 4 bars of the 12 bar progression).

Next issue we will be looking at the explosive style of Blues Rock Kingpin Joe Bonamassa. I better start warming my fingers up now!

CHARLIE FARRAN’S RHYTHM AND BLUES BAND

VERBALS: AMANDA MOLINEUX VISUALS: JOHN BRUCE

Drummer, Charlie Farran started Charlie Farran’s Rhythm and Blues Band in 2014, with the aim of playing blues and Rhythm and Blues music in a swinging style, influenced by artists such as Jimmy Witherspoon and Ray Charles. Now in his late 60s, Charlie started playing the drums at the age of 10 and was gigging regularly in his early teens. Charlie was a very early convert to the emerging blues scene in London, and when not gigging with his band, the King Snakes, he would be found in the London clubs, and in particular, the Marquee Club, listening to the music of Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames, Geno Washington and Zoot Money and his Big Role Band. As his career developed, Charlie became a first call studio drummer, laying down tracks for 60s bands, who sometimes struggled in the recording studio. Charlie toured throughout Europe and the USA in the late 60 with many named artists.

International touring in those days was a difficult gig, and it took its toll on Charlie who decided to give his music career a break. Forward now to 2014, when his passion for music, could be put on hold no longer, and he decided to form his dream band, bringing back the memories of bands that had influenced him in his younger years. During 2012 -2014 Charlie played with a blues trio based in Dorset. The bass player in the trio was Ray Russell,

Charlie and Ray quickly locked in together as a rhythm section, and when the trio broke up, Charlie invited Ray to join him in his new venture. Charlie had always wanted a big blues & R&B band, so keyboards and a horn section and guitar were essential for the new band. Great sax players, Paco Read, and Nick Smith joined the band along with an amazing young keyboard player, Will Sear. The band struggled to find the right guitarist, but eventually, guitarist, Phil Beards joined the band in 2015. In recent months, female vocalist Gill Whitney has joined the band completing the line-up.

Today at the age of 69 Charlie has his dream band, with fabulous musicians and vocalists playing the music that he loves so much. In Charlie’s own words, “this band swings like hell and is not about the past, but the future”. The band is rapidly gaining a great reputation for playing rhythm and blues and blues music with a swinging jazzy vibe.

Charlie Farran’s Rhythm and Blues Band members are, Charlie Farran drums, Ray Russell double bass and bass guitar, Paco Read tenor sax, Nick Smith, baritone sax, Phil Beards guitar, Will Sear keyboards and vocals, Little Dave lead vocals and blues harp and Jill Whitney lead and backing vocals.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: WWW.WWW.CHARLIEFARRANBAND.COM

THE BLACK CIRCLES

VERBALS: GIGMULE VISUALS: MELANIE SMITH

SAID TO BE ‘ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING PROSPECTS ON THE BRITISH BLUES SCENE TODAY’, THE BLACK CIRCLES HAVE A BIG AND ENERGETIC SOUND THAT IS PACKED WITH ATTITUDE.

Guitarist & Vocalist Sam Bratley has been compared to the likes of, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Buddy Guy, Albert & Freddie King.

‘Sam Bratley, one of the best singers on a British blues record I have ever heard. He is inventive too and creates fireworks on that fret board as though it is November 5th. ’ – Simon Redley, Blues & Soul Magazine.

Renowned for his solid bass lines, bassist Martin Saunders holds together the rhythm section unfailingly along with drummer, Phil Wilson.

“They’ll get signed by one of two major European blues labels by the end of this year. You can quote me on that too.” - Blues & Soul Magazine.

Live performances are exactly that. Live! The audiences come alive to the high energy songs, but the pace can change to slow intimate blues numbers giving a subtle interlude to the raunchy songs. The Black Circles are definitely a band to look out for as they make their mark in the blues/rock scene.

The Black Circles are a modern blues rock band from Warrington, UK. Their sound is big

and packed with attitude. The Black Circles have roots firmly planted in the rock and blues genres but, while their music is clearly influenced by their love of blues, they have a unique sound of their own.

Since the release of their brand new EP, ‘From The Top’ in March 2015, The Black Circles have been making their mark quickly on the British blues scene. With a 2015 UK Tour including shows under their own right and supporting British blues guitarist Laurence Jones. With the release of a new album coming in March with the addition of over 30 UK & European shows already in the diary, 2016 looks to be a successful year for blues trio, The Black Circles.

“A must see!” - Lancashire Blues Archive.

“A Real Radio XS faviroute!” - Paul Carlin, Real Radio XS.

“One of the most exciting prospects on the British blues scene today. They are already a force to be reckoned with; a gale force wind.”Simon Redley, Blues & Soul Magazine.

“The Black Circles successfully chase a vibe to nail their musical vision!” - Pete Feenstra.

TALE OF TWO COUNTIES

Formed in late 2013 by lead vocalist and mandolinist Graham Thompson and guitarist and vocalist Jayke Cox. Joined by Joseph McManus and Daniel Loftus on double bass and drums respectively, they have been performing their energetic set to audiences as far and wide as Edinburgh and London garnering them a strong reputation at the Fringe Festival and London’s upcoming scene.

Tale Of Two Counties formed shortly after Jayke and Graham graduated university. Pooling Jaykes experiences of live performance and his love of rock music and Graham’s experiences of being a session musician alongside his love of bluegrass music, they started to write several songs that would eventually go on to become the bands signature style.

A few months into the new venture, they were joined by Joseph and Daniel. Joseph, an avid performer himself around the Lancashire music scene, contributed to the bands musical style and dress attire. His input of influences helped shape the folk side of the band and gave the music an edge not seen often in an

upcoming band.

Their drummer, Daniel Loftus, an accomplished player and performer, was the last member to join TOTC and in doing so completed the sound their fans have come to adore. His style of playing brings the whole ensemble together. Hailing from rockier roots Daniels drumming creates a powerful diversity in the bands songs that helps make the band stand out from other groups.

The songs, written by Graham Thompson and Jayke Cox, are all derived from actual events in their lives. Giving the music a personal meaning that audiences can’t help but empathise with, mostly consisting of the usual broken heart story but always with a twist that make the songs both amusing and genuine to the listener.

The band have released several EPs and most recently their very first music video entitled I’ll Be Gone.

They are currently in progress with their debut album and are looking towards furthering their horizons, with potential gigs overseas in the US and a small UK tour to promote it upon release.

VERBALS: GRAHAM THOMPSON VISUALS: CRAIG SHAW

TALES OF TWO COUNTIES IS A FOLK, ROCK AND BLUEGRASS BAND FROM LANCASHIRE AND YORKSHIRE.

JAMES O’HARA

VERBALS: LAURENCE OF LEEDS VISUALS: CHRISTINE MOORE

BORN IN YORKSHIRE IN 1970, JAMES O’HARA IS OF IRISH AND SCOTTISH DESCENT.

James’ obsession with guitar started at a very young age, his first memory was playing his grandmothers boiled egg slicer aged 3. His family background is steeped in musical history, James’ grandfather was an opera singer who after WW2 managed forces sweetheart Gracie Fields.

Aged 15, James’ fascination with a guitar was complete, he remembers watching BB King on TV and knew instantly where his career path would lead, his first ‘real’ guitar, an Epiphone Sheraton looked identical to the one his hero played. He then discovered and devoured the vaults of Chess Records.

In 1986 James formed his own band Fingerpoppin’ Daddies and broke into the UK Blues circuit. They later changed their name to The Detonators. By a stroke of luck in 1995 they happened to fill in for Georgie Fame at the Alexis Korner Memorial Concert and were signed on the spot by Del Taylor of Indigo Records. They then went on to play with artists such as Lonnie Donegan, Chris Barber and Peter Green at UK venues; Ronnie Scotts, The 100 Club, Band on the Wall, and made countless festival appearances.

The Detonators broke up in 1998 and James formed The Giantkillers, after several successful years the band went their own way, which also coincided with James’ first divorce.

Looking for positive influences James took the plunge in planning his first trip to Chicago… welcomed by some of the great Chicago blues artists Phil Guy, Lurrie Bell, Billy Branch and Jimmy Burns into venues; 2120 South Michigan Ave, Buddy Guys’ Legends, Rosa’s, Artis’, Kingston Mines and B.L.U.E.S. He now revisits as often as possible.

The James O’Hara Band have recently recorded an original album. The band is consistent and dedicated. An unbeatable line-up of Paul Corry guitar, Marc Layton-Bennett drums, Clinton McFarlane bass and Jon Burr harmonica. The album was written in collaboration with lyricist Joanne Thomas and

celebrates James’ thirty years in the blues. To be launched in early 2016 the band are looking forward to public reaction especially from fans, the press, agents and festivals, who all demanded new original songs. The album is strongly influenced by Chicago blues but with a modern unique feel in both music and lyrics. James describes the songs as assassinations of his own character! New genre: “IndieBlues”.

JAMES O’HARA Blue Blood

BESSIE’S BLUES

Bessie’s Blues are an acoustic traditional trio honouring the blues of many women and some men of the past. Think Big Mama Thornton, Little Water, Memphis Minnie and of course Bessie Smith and you are on the right tracks

The trio came together through friendship and mutual friends. Vocalist Sheila McFarlane and bass player Pete Taylor had met and played together in the Bonnie Mac Band back in 2010. They parted company as band members after a couple of years, but continued to work on music production.

This was an opportunity to play together again sharing their love of the blues. The call went out for a third leg to this trio, a passionate experienced guitarist in the form of Gerry Cooper. Mutual friend and artist Lucy Zirins recommended Gerry, who has a strong history of playing and writing blues and ragtime as a solo artist and as a duo with his friend Phil Snell. A trio seemed to be the next addition to his musical career.

So the scene was set to explore all the historical catalogue of delta style blues with

a strong female twist. Once launched; the offers of work have come in at a steady pace and quality settings. The group’s diary boasts radio appearances on local Blues radio show; blues club opportunities such as Ripley Blues supporting Chantel McGregor, Redcar Blues Club, Bradford Blues Club, Marsh Folk and Blues Huddersfield and their first festival appearance at the Great British Rhythm and Blues Festival, Colne.

So what next for Bessie’s Blues? In 2012, Barry Middleton (RIP), leading light in the UK blues scene had spoken live on Trent Sound’s blues programme to Sheila, requesting an album celebrating the Divas of the Delta. A recording of their sets at the Great British Rhythm and Blues Festival has the potential for a live EP would/could see his request realised. Though, there is nothing like writing your own material so this could be in the pipeline too. A fitting tribute to a man who cared deeply about traditional blues and will be remembered for his avid support of all blues artists.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: WWW.BESSIESBLUES.WORDPRESS.COM

VERBALS: SHEILA MCFARLANE VISUALS: LES TAYLOR

SONS OF PIRATES

In 2011, Lloyd and Brad Green - the sons of the legendary Pirates’ guitarist and veteran session man, Mick Green; joined forces with ex-Pirates’ drummer Mike Roberts to form The Green Brothers. Their first performance (and Brad’s first ever gig after only taking the guitar up a couple of months earlier!) was to a packed audience at the tribute concert for their late father at the famous 100 Club. They were joined on stage by Pirates’ vocalist Johnny Spence and support acts included The Animals and The Wilko Johnson Band.

Lloyd remarked “We wanted to do a musical tribute to our father and were trying to decide on guitarists as at that point in time Brad had never played the guitar. Brad called me up a couple of weeks later and asked me to pop round to the house as he said he had been practising to The Pirates songs. I was really surprised to hear this and didn’t know what to expect. When I arrived – he put ‘Drinkin Wine’ on the CD and proceeded to blast it out – sounding exactly like dad and like someone that had been playing for at least 20 years. My jaw hit the floor and I called mum upstairs to witness it. This time he played ‘Don’t Munchen

It’ and mum stood there in shock remarking ‘It’s just like watching dad!’. To this day, no-one understands how you can get to that level of playing in just weeks. Brad doesn’t try to play like dad – that’s just how he plays and it comes out sounding like dad. It’s in the genes (or should I say Greens!).”

Following the success of that night, the boys changed the name of the band to ‘Sons of Pirates’ and set about recruiting a singer eventually finding the perfect shipmate in a cheeky Essex chappy. Dean’s soulful, bluesy, gravelly voice and dynamic personality, combined with the band’s own unique powerful rhythm and blues, makes Sons of Pirates a real tour de force.

Brad’s simultaneous rhythm and lead playing has been described as ‘reproducing Mick’s style with unnerving accuracy’ with even Wilko Johnson himself remarking ‘He’s managed to achieve in a few months what I’ve failed to do in over 30 years!’

Sons of Pirates are truly a powerful combo who relentlessly blast out full throttle 70’s style R&B/Garage Rock at a blistering pace. Be sure to check them out.

VERBALS: DAVIS COLES VISUALS: KEITH CHAPMAN

Larry Miller

LARRY MILLER FIGHTS BACK

Guitarist Larry Miller has been on the live gigging circuit for as long as many can remember, with his mesmerising guitar playing and full on live shows. He’s renowned for his brand of blues rock, incorporating fast paced rockers and heartfelt ballads, captured on nine CDs over nearly 20 years. Larry Miller is lauded by the press and fans alike as one of the best blues rock guitarists in the UK and his live shows are like no other. He’s a unique character that loves to play guitar and to entertain, and as many will tell you time and time again, one of the nicest guys on the blues scene.

It was with sadness that we heard that on 10th August, Larry had suffered a severe stroke on his birthday, two days after playing The Cheese And Grain in Frome, It seemed impossible that the guitarist with boundless energy should be dealt this cruel blow. The early prognosis wasn’t good but after a few critical days, Larry began to rally round. He was paralysed down his right side, unable to speak or move his right leg and arm. However after 10 days he managed to get up and walk without having to learn to walk again and has been progressing ever since. After three months in hospital he was discharged and has now started to play guitar again.

It will take him time to re learn his guitar skills but he is determined to make it back on stage at some point in 2016.

Music writer Phil the Quill caught up with Larry at a gig three weeks before his stroke:-

Apart from the fact that Soldier Of The Line is arguably his best work so far, I was particularly interested in the story of Larry’s Grandad, a violin player who served in the Great War, which inspired the title track. I asked Larry if the superb title track (which I describe as a kind of Progressive-Folk lament), was to be part of a new direction for him: i.e. experimenting with genres outside the Blues-Rock field of which he is a recognised master –bearing in mind that there is also an

interesting and unexpected brassy, Jazzy ending to the opening track on the album, One Fine Day. We are all influenced by multiple genres – even those who claim to be purists in a particular field. People always think that if you play one type of music, that’s what you’ve been listening to all your life….we all listened to the same things if you grew up in this country – The Beatles; The Stones; Abba; Mud; Sweet – what was playing in the charts. I can write most forms of music really but if you’re making a living (from music), you’ve got a fan-base; and you know what your fan-base want to hear. Some of them look at The Soldier Of The Line album cover and think oh this isn’t Larry! One bloke said he threw it away! Then he went back to one of my old records and thought oh I’ll give it another go; and then of course he hasn’t stopped playing it ever since! It’s a fine balancing act: you’ve got to move forward, but at the same time keep the guys who pay your bills happy!”

Surely you’ve got to go where your heart takes you?

INTERVIEW: PHIL THE QUILL VERBALS: DELBERT BLACK VISUALS: SIMON REED

Yeah, if you’ve got an ounce of creativity about you – you are an artist.

I never did music so that I’d become rich – it would be nice though! It’s like any artist, like Picasso. He never painted pictures to make a lot of money – that would be soulless.

It’s quite clear then that Larry wouldn’t do anything he didn’t want to do. And quite right too. So I asked what Larry had in the pipeline? I’m working on a double album right now – The Sinner And The Saint. I’ve got about sixteen tracks on it. I consider it my best ever. It’s got my normal Blues-Rock content, and there’s a mandolin track on it. I’m a Christian; so it’s going to be a spiritual one as well.

Larry had anticipated my next question as I’d planned to ask about the religious subjects/references that I’d noticed in some of his earlier songs – Bathsheba for example.

American bands sing quite happily about these subjects but English bands don’t. Everything I write comes from within.

What are your thoughts about young guns like Virgil McMahon; Laurence Jones; and Oli Brown. I know ’em – all nice guys. It’s great that they’re playing the blues, but I wish their mates would get into it. It’s weird … they’re playing to all these old guys!

Next I asked about his guitars. Yeah, well, I’d always been a Strat man because of Rory Gallagher, they just looked so awesome! I’ve had loads of Strats, but you see lots of Strat players with a slightly thin toppy, grainy sound. I liked Stevie Ray Vaughan’s sound,

but …then I saw Bon Jovi at Wembley Stadium. He had all these guitars; and this one guitar sounded really lovely, and it was a Gibson Les Paul ’59 – it was obviously the best sounding guitar there. So I bought a Les Paul in 2002, but I could play a Strat faster, so it took me a while to get used to it. Then people started to say “Oh you’ve got a great guitar tone”; well they never say that if you’re playing a Strat. But with the Les Paul it’s a brilliant thick, creamy sound. And if you back off the volume, then it cleans up like a Strat anyway. So now I’m a bona fide Les Paul Player! I have three Les Pauls – one of which, a Gold Top ’57 Reissue, is my main gigging guitar. It’s absolutely wonderful.

What about acoustics?

I used a 1931 National for slide work on the forthcoming album and for playing the Soldier Of The Line track live, I use a Yamaha acoustic tuned to DADGAD.

Finally, I asked Larry to sign my CD copy of ‘Soldier Of The Line’. He stared at the cover for a while deep in thought; then smiled and wrote To Phil The Music Quill, from Larry The Music Mill! As well as everything else, Larry has a great sense of humour.

The new album ‘The Sinner And The Saint’, has been put on hold as there are still tracks that need finishing and Larry hopes to do this as he gets back up to speed with his guitar playing. In the meantime a compilation album is planned which will include tracks across his nine albums and maybe a couple of tracks that have never been released.

Larry Miller being a professional musician earns most of his money from live shows, around 100 per year in the UK and Europe. With little income since August and as he is unlikely to be playing again until at least summer 2016, Larry’s bass player Derek White decided to stage a fundraising gig for Larry. The Stables at Milton Keynes seemed a good venue for the event, especially as this is a theatre where Larry sells out each year with nearly 400 people. He was due to play there on 15th January 2016 so the date was kept and once musicians heard about the fundraiser, offers to play for Larry rolled in. Amongst those who took part were Bernie Marsden, Stray’s Del Bromham, Oli Brown and Barry Barnes from Rory tribute band Sinnerboy backed by Larry’s band of Derek White on bass, Graham Walker on drums and Ian Salisbury on keyboards. The gig sold out in early December with fans of Larry’s coming from all over the UK and Europe.

Fans have been asking for Larry Miller fundraising gigs in other areas of the UK and there are plans for more events to help Larry financially during his rehabilitation. Larry has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of thousands of kind supportive messages and this is helping him with his determination to recover and get back on stage. Watch out for Larry Miller in 2016 as he will be back later in the year and if in the meantime you want to show your support by buying a CD or T Shirt, please visit his website.

ROCKING UP FROM THE SOUTH

PETE SARGENT AND HIS GUITARIST SHAKEY HOWELL ARE JOINED BY SIMO GUITARIST J D SIMO, BASSIST ELAD SHAPIRO AND DRUMMER ADAM ABRASHOFF.

Rock-blues trio SIMO are in London on a promo visit and we met them for a chat about their forthcoming album release on Mascot-Provogue, song lyrics, playing live, Duane Allman and much more…

PS: Welcome to London, chaps… my son saw you open for Walter Trout on Saturday, I was at Warren Haynes BUT you’re playing here tonight, so.

ES: Oh cool!

PS: I’ve been listening to your album that’ll be released in January. Let’s start with a spiky question – Joe Bonamassa is tipping you for great things and as a good signing, how are you guys going to live up to the hype?

JDS: You don’t, you just do the best you can. You do what you do and try to do it as best as you can manage. Joe’s been extremely gracious; he’s a very good friend of mine. I have a lot of respect and love for him as a brother and regardless

of what happens next, I will be forever grateful to him for going to bat for us, and he didn’t have to.

PS: Years ago he helped me do a piece on Rory Gallagher, who he loved and I saw often. The fact that you chaps are not eighteen anymore means that you have enough experience and stage time to overcome any hype and just play out. I hope!

JDS: Yeah, one would hope! As far as experience is concerned, I have been playing since I was very, very young; I also left home at a very young age, just to play. I spent years playing on records in Nashville and then I went on to play in a club band there that several other

successful session musicians preceded me in. For most of my early twenties I’d do two sessions a day and then play four hours at night.

SH: Was that in Don Kelley’s? (Aka Robert’s Western World, Nashville)

JDS: Yeah!

SH: I visited there last year, in Nashville. I was told I had to go and see Daniel Donato! I also saw a video of you playing there, last night.

JDS: Wow! I did five plus years there, five nights a week. I have been playing bars and stuff since I was 8, 9 years old…but that core time spent there, that’s something no one can take away from you. As the world continues to change it is harder and harder for young musicians to get that kind of exposure. In varying degrees that is something we’ve all had, yeah.

VERBALS: PETE SARGEANT VISUALS: ED RODE

SH: When did Daniel follow you there?

JDS: I finished about two years ago AND Daniel had been coming to see us since he was 12, 13. He’d come with a recorder once a week. Eventually he met Don and was invited to play. Johnny Hyland, Guthrie Trapp and Kenny Vaughan who plays with Marty Stuart, all played there. I hadn’t played that style of music before but I had no money and was about to be homeless. Then they needed someone and I got the chance, so I followed Guthrie Trapp who plays with Jerry Douglas. It was initially intimidating playing that style of music, Bluegrass, Western and Swing but such a great experience!

SH: Did you get the sessions from playing with Don?

JDS: Yeah, because producers would go to see his band, to find someone new to use. You’d start of on minor stuff than after a while you’d get to play on masters…

PS: The Stranger Blues that starts this record is Elmore James,

of course. Do you play slide in standard tuning?

JDS: Yes, just so I don’t have to change guitars a lot. I try to make it so if I want to use a slide at any time, then I can.

PS: You have a G chord sort of with the D, G and B. JDS: Oh yeah, so you base off that and there’s ways to fudge around it.

PS: The sound is Elmore but the feel is closer to I Wish You Would, the tempo. And that’s down to these guys isn’t it? Elad, how do you approach this number, it’s a real groove?

ES: I took a pick, even though I’m not a pick player usually, this sounded like it need it.

PS: Two Timing Woman is choppy, with the slide. Adam, do you go into double time here?

AA: There’s not any real double time there …ah wait! There are the breaks… (Goes into elaborate demo mode on various tempos), much hilarity ensues.

ES: He’s a teacher! So we get this!

PS: Can’t Say Her Name, I like the emphatic chording on this.

JDS: That’s our Free tribute.

PS: But there’s a James Gang track called My Door Is Open, Dom Troiano days.

JDS: Yes!!! Well they’re hugely influential on us, for sure.

PS: I was convinced you knew the James Gang stuff…

JDS: What a great band they were!

PS: And they didn’t get in each other’s way?

JDS: (enthused) Very sympathetic players to one another and if you listen to the Live In Concert record, they had these great songs and you’d get a short well-crafted song then they’d go off on some odyssey…they did both really well.

PS: There’s a Hendrix-like riff on I Lied, you’re using Duane Allman’s gold top Les Paul on some of this disc?

JDS: On a lot but not this one. We wrote that as we were recording.

AA: Weren’t we sound

checking or something?

PS: I was talking to Edgar Winter, and Frankenstein comes from a Ray Charles riff, originally. Are you using an octaver on Please?

JDS: No I don’t use any pedals, a wah wah occasionally. But on that one there’s a backwards guitar bit, I plugged straight into the mike prerecording then at the desk added the overdrive.

PS: Great vocals on Long May You Sail, but the guitar sounds a bit like bagpipes!?

JDS: That’s exactly what I was trying to make it sound like!

AA: We had a guy play actual bagpipes, on the original version…

PS: I liked I’ll Always Be Around, but the slide bit sounds like a Derek Trucks tribute! But it is my favourite track as it has terrific dynamics in it. I hate bands that don’t look at each other, live.

JDS: Oh thank you. With improvisational music, you just HAVE to listen to each other, what the other does will then influence what you do. We don’t really have defined parts at times.

PS: Who’s Becky?

JDS: Er……oh yeah Becky’s Last Occupation, there’s no Becky; it’s about the Banks bailout we had in America.

PS: Kind of a nod to Led Zep, isn’t it?

JDS: Absolutely! But lyrically it’s about the frustration of common people; it’s against what happened in America.

PS: Yes, we had that here! I’d Rather Die In Vain has that pinched B Gibbons guitar; I don’t do a lot of that but its effective here. Today I’m Here is a lovely acoustic track, but on the other softer track Please Be With Me, it doesn’t sound like it’s you singing, was it your brother? or?

JDS: There’s an explanation –we had recorded most of the record at The Allman Brothers old home, in Macon. We had only gone down there to record some bonus tracks but we recorded a lot of material in a couple of days, so we ended up scrapping a lot of what we’d finished earlier. Please Be With Me is the last song we recorded and it was meant as a tribute to the space and the house, and the reason why my voice sounds funny is that I had been singing for too long and my voice was shot, so I was sitting on the stairs in this beautiful old house, looking into Duane’s old bedroom and it’s just me and a guitar and a microphone, the song is about asking for help. The take met the frailty of the piece.

PS: OK, JD that makes sense to me now, I wasn’t an Allmans fanatic BUT Duane on John Hammond’s Southern Fried and moreover Johnny Jenkins’ Tonton Macoute, is just fantastic!

SH: Did Duane play slide in standard tuning?

JDS: Sometimes or in Open E on occasion. I agree, Duane just in general, with his work on Layla, with Aretha Franklin.

PS: Wilson Pickett!

JDS: He was just a great musical force, burned brightly and quickly, unfortunately.

PS: Adam, what’s your favourite track on the album?

AA: That’s a tough one. I really like I’d Rather Die In Vain. That’s probably my favourite song that we play. If I had to pick one!

PS: Elan, if I’m playing a cut on the radio to put over what you guys do, which track do I choose?

ES: Maybe, Peace, because it projects this hippie vibe. It’s a

vibe thing, more than a sound thing…cool, peace & love.

PS: Generally speaking JD, your songs and lyrics are about the human condition, it comes across very strongly.

JDS: (Surprised) Thank you for saying so, Pete…I am a hippie, I’m very much a humanist, someone who’s positive. I’m a hopeful person, even in times like these that are very heavy, with negative things happening.

PS: Randy Newman or say John Hiatt...or me...will write about human situations, breakups, and troubles, whatever. But you don’t seem to have been soaked in vinegar yet, like many of us.

JDS: It’s a conscious decision. I do love and respect their work but there’s a ying and yang involved and I do think that the world needs both, y’know? I try really hard not to go to a dark place. Being a fan of music and being a voracious listener of music, what seems to give me lift is anything that’s conveying the positive to me. We three have been given an opportunity to make some music that is being exposed to gentlemen like you and other people, and we don’t take it at all lightly.

PS: Are you pleased at the welcome you’ve had, here?

JDS: Overwhelmed! It means a lot that there’s interest.

Thanks to all present and to Lee, Steve and Lulu.

Back with a brand new album ‘Blood Money’, Danny Bryant reaffirms his blues credentials and precedes a major touring schedule that would challenge many less focused and determined artists. I caught up with Danny while he had a little down time between recording and preparing for the tour to talk about the new record.

Hi Danny, hope you’re well? Thanks for agreeing to the interview. Steve, good to hear from you. It’s always a pleasure to talk to Blues Matters. I’m really well thanks.

I’m enjoying the new album, it sounds like a return to basics, to roots. Is that fair would you say? Yeah, that’s kinda what we were shooting for with it really. The last two albums have tended to lean a bit more singer/ songwriter in style, this is really my blues album as it were.

I think when people mention you they always think about the connection you have with Walter (Trout), and he is on the opening track Blood Money, but there are a lot more influences showing

through and being given space on here.

That’s right. This is really the album I have wanted to make since I was about 15. Obviously, I didn’t set out for it to be like that but that’s how it’s turned out. When you start out you wear your influences on your sleeve and then after a couple of albums you read reviews, good or bad, and you become more aware that you need your own style. When you’ve grown a bit more and made more albums you feel comfortable about wearing those influences on your sleeve again. I’m in a position now where I don’t worry as much about does this sound too close to Albert Collins, Albert King or whoever, I just made

Danny Bryant

the album I wanted to make. Someone said the other day it sounded like my love letter to all the music I love which is kinda what it is really.

That’s interesting, I guess that is a process lots of recording artists have to go through. For me there was a point, in my twenties, where I was very determined to find my own voice. The Walter connection has been great for me but every time anything is ever written about me there’s always going to be that association. It’s the same for other artists because we have this lovely blues thing where we get mentored by someone. This album I think just says that I have many different influences and listen to lots of different artists. Blues generally, not just in what I play, is a huge passion of mine. In terms of its history, and everything that it encompasses.

BLOOD MONEY

DANNY BRYANT HAS LONG ESTABLISHED HIMSELF AS ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR AND EXCITING PERFORMERS ON THE BLUES CIRCUIT, NOT ONLY IN THE UK BUT IN EUROPE AND THE USA.

VERBALS: STEVE YOURGLIVCH VISUALS: TX63 MUSIC PHOTOGRAPHY

When you first started out it was the Red Eye Band and your Dad was part of the band, he must have been a big influence on your tastes and musicality growing up?

Definitely yeah, both my Mum and Dad have a collection of music that impacted on me growing up. They weren’t so much into the very early stuff, they were more into Rory Gallagher, Clapton and people like that. Then I went back and discovered the earlier stuff. It’s become a lifetime obsession, reading about blues, studying it, I collect different pictures of old blues guys, I’m really quite a geek about it.

There’s a lot of us who are a bit like that!

Yeah, I’m talking to the right person here aren’t I?

For me, listening to the album as a whole, it reminds me of a lot of the early Alligator label records. Albert Collins you’ve mentioned, but also Son Seals, Hound Dog Taylor and a few others.

Well that’s what we went for, even down to the cover. When we were taking the photos I said I wanted it to look like one of those early Alligator covers. You’ve completely nailed it, that’s exactly what I was going for.

The whole sound I think has that vibe about it.

Yeah, I’m glad you picked up on that because that’s what I was aiming for. The whole thing about making a straight ahead blues record is that you have to be creative within that structure. Proving to yourself that you can do a lot within it. A funky approach like Albert Collins, a sassier, brassy approach in the style of BB King or Albert King, or a very drunk lazy vibe of someone like Jimmy Reed.

“THE WONDERFUL THING ABOUT MUSIC IS THAT PEOPLE CAN MAKE WHATEVER CONNECTIONS THEY WANT TO”

And I think you’ve covered all those bases. You can hear a lot of blues/ rock albums that are quite samey. I was conscious to try not to do that. A lot of the credit for that is down to Richard Hammerton who produced it. He’s always vigilant that I don’t do that. He doesn’t come from a blues background so we find some common ground which is what I like about working with him.

Richard plays some great Hammond on a couple of the tracks too. Yeah he does. He plays on ‘On The Rocks’, he’s really great on that. As I said he isn’t from a blues background but he’s worked on three albums with me now, so he’s getting all the right sounds. On record a lot of the tracks call for that sound, whether we’ll do it live or not I’m not sure. A lot of these songs do require a Hammond sound.

It fills the space so well. Definitely, it allows other textures and feels. There’s a lot of guitar on the album and it doesn’t need anymore.

Going back to the title track, ‘Blood Money’ that features Walter Trout. That’s such a powerful opening track.

It’s always hard making the album knowing where to slot in the songs but it always had to be the opening track. Originally we were going to write a song together, then he recovered quite quickly and started working on his new

album. I’d already made a start on the song so I finished it on my own but it was always going to be a duet. If he hadn’t been able to play on this album due to scheduling or whatever I would have saved it for the next one. I always had him in mind for that song.

Lyrically is that about Walter? No it’s not. I mean you can’t always write from personal experience, you have to look at friends and others around you. If I was just writing about my everyday life it’s not always that exciting. A lot of people think because of the lyrics and the title that song is about him but they are not.

Is it a bit of a millstone that people make that connection?

They do and that’s fine, it has it’s benefits and it’s drawbacks. The wonderful thing about music is that people can make whatever connections they want to. There are a couple of break up songs on there and I am genuinely happily married, you have to write about this stuff but you don’t have to have had it happen to you to be able to write about it. It’s kinda like being an actor, you put yourself in that position.

When you write, is it lyrics first or music first?

It really depends, I don’t have an order for it. It can be one way or the other. Generally speaking it’s the lyric first but not always. On this album it was mostly lyrics first. When you’ve got a few albums under your belt you’re conscious not to make it sound like something you’ve already recorded.

I think you’ve succeeded in that. I hope so, to a certain point you create music to please yourself but your audience is

the most important thing to you. I would hate the thought of someone buying my album with their hard earned money and being disappointed, that’s the worst thing in the world. But equally you have to please yourself before you can please anybody else.

It’s nice on the album that you aren’t afraid to put a couple of slower numbers on there. No, I’ve always enjoyed doing that. ‘Slow Suicide’ is one that is a kind of personal experience. I’m 35, and I had a school friend who died from cancer recently. We weren’t close in latter years but I did see him a couple of months before he died. So I wrote the song from his parent’s perspective really.

‘Fool’s Game’ starts off with a subtle intro to it.

Yes, that’s the whole Albert Collins influence again. A lot of these songs because we tour a lot need to be fun to play live. We’ll probably do almost all of these live on tour. Even the ones with a lot of piano and keys we can adapt to a three piece format.

The other guest you have on here is Bernie Marsden on ‘Just Won’t Burn’.

Obviously I’m aware of the whole Whitesnake history now but I came to find Bernie through an album called ‘Green And Blues’, so I really knew him as a blues guy and his recent album ‘Shine’, I’m a big fan of that. I bumped into him at various festivals and chatted, he e-mailed me once after a meeting so I had his e-mail details. So eventually I plucked up the courage to e-mail him and he agreed to play. He turned up at the studio and that song was the one I wanted him

on, his playing is so melodic I wanted him on a ballad. I was thrilled to have him on there, I’m so in awe of his playing, and he says so much without so many notes.

The final track is ‘Sara Jayne’ another very slow one. A ballad that at first I thought fitted better on the previous two albums but I decided to put it on at the end. I’ve always loved song titles with a woman’s name as the title, you feel as if you’re into a film story type of thing. It’s influenced a bit by people like John Hiatt who I love listening to. I listen to lots of those guys like Tom Waits.

My main guitar is still the Fret-Kings which I have a signature model, that’s my main live guitar. The Gibson Firebird on the cover I bought in America when I was on tour last year and I fell in love with it instantly. It very much features on the album, it’s very much the sound of the album. I also took in a Gold Top Les Paul, and a BB King Lucille. The Gibson is very comfortable to play.

They are outstanding wordsmiths aren’t they?

It’s whole different artistry, they amaze me. Early Springsteen for instance, some of the things he wrote in his twenties, I wonder where he found such perspective on things. It’s staggering really.

It’s interesting because a lot of people assume because you are known as performer of a certain genre of music that must be all you listen to.

They do assume that. People are surprised even that I listen to other blues styles like the older stuff or Hill Country Blues just because I don’t play it live. But I love it all and I absorb it all.

Can I ask you about guitars? I notice on the cover you have a Gibson which isn’t normally connected with you.

Since we last spoke you’ve been out in America fronting Walter’s band while he was ill. Yes I did, six weeks I was out there. It was a fantastic experience. We played in fifteen different States, and did something like 40 shows in six weeks. Playing House of Blues in Chicago was very special. Mostly we played Walter’s material with a few of mine, mainly to keep his band working and to promote his album at that time as he wasn’t able to.

UK tour coming up in February? Yes, kicks off in February, a whole load of shows and then into Europe. 54 shows between the end of January and May, I’m going into much of Europe too. Really looking forward to that. I love being out on the road, I live to play live and travelling. I played in China last year, the blues seems to be spreading everywhere.

Well good luck with the album, I really enjoyed listening to it. Great, thanks for the feedback. I always value your opinion, not many people have heard it yet so it’s good to hear.

“I WAS THRILLED TO HAVE HIM ON THERE, I’M SO IN AWE OF HIS PLAYING”

Jorma Kaukonen

STILL ON TOP

That mighty fine acoustic bluesman, Roy Book Binder, used to quip that he didn’t know what a Jorma was. Times, of course, change and now they are great buddies, jamming, playing and teaching guitar together while Jorma has recorded songs in the traditional-style written by “the Book.”

Jorma has continued to weave his own magical spell, with lightening licks and downlow blues picking that simply seems to get stronger by the day. Now approaching seventy-five years of age, Kaukonen remains at the top of his game, garnering Grammy nominations with almost every album he releases and crossing seamlessly from Blues to modern Americana and Country with complete ease and confidence.

As frontman and, central figure in leading US band Hot Tuna, he is still partnered by one of the finest Bassmen on the planet, Jack Casady, a partnership that goes back to the days of Buddy Holly and has stood the test of time and musical change and challenges.

“Jack and I go way back. He’s from DC and I lived in Washington DC when I was young. We are best of friends and began playing together in a band back around 1958,” he says with a sparkling chuckle. When asked if he ever imagined he’d still be picking

that ole guitar so far down the line, Jorma laughs: ‘Well, it sure feels good. I’m still able to do it, and now I have more time on my hands to play guitar, I’m loving it.’

Kaukonen of course is one of the too few survivors who played the legendary Woodstock Festival back in 1969 as guitarist with San Francisco, psychedelic rockers, Jefferson Airplane. Indeed, the band took their name from Jorma’s then nicknames connected to old blues masters like Blind Lemon Jefferson and others, echoing his early, developing love of the music way back then. So where does the blues interest and love come from, I ask?

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee laughs: ‘I was playing some guitar and luckily met the late Ian Buchanan up at Antioch College in Ohio. He sort of introduced me to the music of Rev Gary Davis. Ian was a great player and a buddy of Gary Davis.’ “It just sort of grew out of that initial contact and listening to him play and then finding more and more of

the music. And now, Hot Tuna is a big part of my life.”

But Kaukonen is probably equally revered and known for his involvement as guitarist with Jefferson Airplane, the only band to play all of the three, major World-renowned US music festivals of the 1960s: Woodstock, Monteray and Altemont, the latter sadly remembered for all of the wrong reasons, swelling Hells Angel violence, gunshots and Rolling Stones included.

He reckons, with hindsight, that Woodstock was a genuine ‘once ever’ moment, a truly unique event and remembers the thrill and buzz of playing before a huge, growing, happy, carefree-feeling crowd. Altemont was equally memorable but more because, as he recalls, with the situation fast deteriorating and clear panic setting in amongst much of the crowd, Airplane tried to continue playing - a personal mantra of Kaukonen’s being, ‘Never stop playing, try not to worry about what else is going down around you on-stage. Keep it rolling.’ - until the inevitable occurred and they had to hustle from the stage only to find no obvious way of escaping back to the safety of San Francisco. Having arrived by helicopter, which had then left, and with all that was by then going down, Jorma and

VERBALS: IAIN PATIENCE VISUALS: SCOTTY HALL

Interview JORMA KAUKONEN

Jack wandered around the parking lots till they found a guy asleep on the hood of a Mustang. Luckily, when roused from his torpor, he agreed to run the guys back to the city, in return for a Mexican dinner!

Back then, as Kaukonen recalls, there was no ‘music industry’ as such. There was a music business but it was early days, nobody knew the likely shelf-life of the product and nobody would have predicted that half a century or so later, it would still be there, vibrant and growing. Nor would they have predicted that they, too, would also still be there making music and earning a living from the love of their lucky lives. Some, of course, never made it, passing away along the road. Kaukonen recalls meeting Jim

Morrison and, Jimi Hendrix (a Woodstock favourite), although he doesn’t consider himself to have been a friend or buddy of either. They just met because they were all musicians in the same area at the same time. However, a true friend, now long gone, he also remembers clearly, another old West Coast musical partnership that drifted apart fairly early on but left lasting memories.

Along the way, he also played guitar with one of modern blues music’s iconic greats. As a youngster, preAirplane, Kaukonen picked, or rather ramped up the volume competing against the immense voice of the late, great Janis Joplin in the San Fancisco Bay area. Joplin and Jorma while never a permanent music fixture,

nevertheless, did a number of gigs in small venues as each kick-started their own individual careers. Indeed, Jorma recalls being paid for a few gigs at ‘The Tangent’ (a small club venue) in Palo Alto in the Bay area, in the early sixties, where he was expected to accompany Joplin who failed to turn-up. The result being more paid bookings for Kaukonen as a solo artist. ‘So, thanks, Janis,’ he quips.

Asked if he could see the quality, power and strength back then, at the beginning, of Joplin, and whether he thought she would make it big some time, he replies without hesitation: ‘No question. It was absolutely obvious. She could sing. She was a real singer. What a voice.’

He describes playing with Joplin as needing one of ‘…

those Bluegrass moments,’ when he’d have to push her aside to aim his guitar at the mic to capture and release the sound over and above her soaring voice.

“THESE DAYS KAUKONEN STILL HITS THE ROAD, TOURING AND

It’s perhaps surprising to learn that back then, with the birth of Airplane and Jorma’s position in the band, he initially at least found it easier to hack a living from guitar lessons than from playing and/ or recording sales. Lessons have always remained a part of his personal philosophy, a tribute to those who showed the way, introduced him to the music and an aspect he feels is part of his own personal legacy, the ability to pass on the knowledge, the passion, the tradition.

These days Kaukonen still hits the road, touring and gigging for about one hundred days a year, he reckons. Much of the remainder of his time is taken up with work on his personal project running a near-legendary guitar/music teaching camp in the Appalachian foothills of Ohio: Fur Peace Ranch was his brainchild, a way to pass on performance skills, confidence-boosting chances and keep the music fresh and alive for generations of new players. ‘I don’t make enough from Fur Peace to survive on’, he says. ‘But it’s great fun and an important side of my life. But I still tour, festivals and gigs mostly, around the States for about a third of each

year. ‘Kaukonen confirms he loves playing Europe and has recently gigged in Italy and also had a blast in Scandinavia a few years ago with gigs in both Finland and Sweden.’ “I’ve never played Ireland or Scotland,” he shrugs with some evident surprise. ‘I’d pretty much cover the costs for gigs there’, he hints, in what must surely be a tempting possibility for some promoter out there.

He is particularly proud that these days, with a significant blues-based back-catalogue out there, he is in the position to introduce music fans to the music of Gary Davis.

‘I think it’s important to make Rev Gary Davis more accessible to others who might never have discovered him.’ When I suggest he plays more in the style of the Rev than as a copyist, he agrees, adding that he does have freedom to pretty much play whatever takes his fancy now, without in any way feeling constrained by musical tastes or whims and without limits or musical boundaries.

‘We’re (Hot Tuna) not like the Eagles who must play note for note, the same stuff all the time. I can vary it at any time, chop and change how I do it and give it much more variety,’ he says with evident satisfaction and veracity.

Jorma also now has the honour of a Martin Signature guitar on the market, an honour shared with the likes of Eric Clapton, David Bromberg (one of his old buddies) and a handful of others. And yet, he remains mostly noted as a Gibson guitarist, I point out with a hint of devilment: ‘Yea, that was one of those things. Gibson kept saying they planned to put something out but just never got around to

it. So when Martin approached me, I said yes.’

As for the future, with his current new album, ‘Ain’t In No Hurry’, rolling well, gathering critical acclaim, he takes each day as it comes. Now easily one of the most influential and inspiring, gifted guitarists of his generation, Kaukonen pauses to reflect on the longevity of his career to date. ‘You can’t plan for stuff like this,’ he simply says.

CHECK OUT WWW.JORMAKAKONEN.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION

DISCOGRAPHY

SOLO ALBUMS:

Ain’t In No Hurry 2015

River Of Time 2009

Stars In My Crown 2007

Blue Country Heart 2002

Live - Jorma Kaukonen Trio, 2001

Too Many Years 1998

Christmas With Jorma Kaukonen 1996

Land Of Heroes 1995

Magic Two 1995

Embryonic Journey - Jorma Kaukonen & Tom Constanten 1994

Magic 1985

Too Hot To Handle 1985

Single (Love Is Strange/Barbeque King/ Runnin With The Fast Crowd), Jorma

Kaukonen and Vital Parts, 1980

Barbecue King, Jorma Kaukonen and Vital Parts, 1980

Jorma, Jorma Kaukonen, 1979

Quah, Jorma Kaukonen/Tom Hobson, 1974

GIGGING FOR ABOUT ONE HUNDRED DAYS A YEAR”

Till Bennewitz A NEW GENERATION OF BLUES

HIS NEW CD MEETING IN THE NIGHT WAS PRODUCED BY WAYNE PROCTOR AND AYNSLEY LISTER WHO INCIDENTALLY ALSO PLAY ON THE ALBUM, IT WON’T BE LONG BEFORE HE IS A HOUSEHOLD NAME ON THE UK BLUES CIRCUIT.

This 22 year old young singer/songwriter makes no excuse for the parallels drawn with Bruce Springsteen, as he is a massive fan of his, which is reflected in the style he has settled on at the moment. Knowing the UK blues scene I have no doubt that Till will appeal to the blues circuit and do very well over here once he tours.

Where were you born?

I was born in a city called Erlangen, which is in the south of Gemany. But we only lived there for a year or so and moved further up a bit. So I was raised in a very small village called Osterhagen.

What were your earliest memories of music and the Blues, who influenced you?

Well I think my mother was the first person who introduced me to the music. She had a guitar and used play a bit. There was this church group, where people could come together and play guitar

and sing together. I think I went there once with her. So she had the guitar and for whatever reason, we had a microphone and a stand and an acoustic amp. So I plugged in the guitar and mic and just started noodling around, without a clue of what I was doing, but I pretended to be a singer and started playing to Eric Clapton. I had a Rolling Stones Album...Bridges “To Babylon”, which is great, by the way.

How long have you been playing guitar and what inspired you to start playing?

I think I´ve been playing guitar since I was seven or eight. I guess it was my mother´s guitar and the fact that I wanted to play what I heard on the records.

When did you start writing music? That must have been at the age of 14, I guess. Very bad stuff, but these were my first attempts.

How does the Song Writing Process work for you? What comes first, the song or the music? When you construct songs? Do you have any method you use to help you? That is very different and depends on each song. Most of the time, I´ve got some chords and just play around with them until I get an idea of a melody. For me the toughest part is the first line. It sometimes takes a while to

VERBALS: CHRISTINE MOORE VISUALS: GIBSON GIRL PHOTOGRAPHY

find the right words to begin a song with. From that point on it gets easier. But, I don´t have any certain method that helps me. I try to record every idea on my phone to ensure I do not lose it.

Your CD “Meeting In The Night” is excellent and I see it was produced by Wayne Proctor and he and Aynsley Lister play on this CD. Can you tell me how that all came about?

Thank you very much. I appreciate that. Yeah, it was absolutely fantastic to have these guys on the record, for they are not only excellent musicians, but also very cool guys and I´m happy to have some friends in the UK now. It was produced by Aynsley and Wayne.

I got in touch with Aynsley in 2013 at a show of his in Germany and shortly

afterwards we were making plans to make an album. So we were looking for a band for the studio and since we were recording at “Superfly Studios”, which is run by Andrew Banfield and Wayne Proctor, we decided: Why don´t we just get Wayne on the Drums? So he was up for it and put a band together with James Hartley on the Bass and Bob Fridzema on the Keys, and then Ayns added some extra guitars here and there. So we had a fantastic time there.

What was your first experience of recording?

I think when I was 14 or 15, I had the chance to record some songs that I´ve written. It was a small studio from a friend of mine, but that was really exciting for me.

Can you tell me a bit more about your band and your other musical associates?

Oh yeah, absolutely. On the Guitar we have Sebastian Schweyer. He´s a student at the famous “Pop Akademie”, which is a university for popular music. He´s a great guitarist and actually a great singer as well. On the Keys we have Daniel Gräupner. He´s the youngest in the band, but he´s a very talented player and is also student at the “Pop Akademie”. On the Bass we have Antonio Di Santo, who moved to Germany from Italy this year. Great player, great feeling and a great stage performance. Now last, but not least, we have Marc Egloff on the Drums. He´s from Switzerland and is a beast. He´s absolutely tight and so professional. I think for my music there is no better drummer.

It’s obvious from listening to your CD you are a Bruce Springsteen fan. Are there any other artists that have influenced your music? Yeah, I am. But of course, there are many more artists that have influenced me. As I said, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan. Bon Jovi, Dire Straights, Eric Clapton, Tom Petty and I guess my absolute favourite bands at the moment are the Foo Fighters and The Gaslight Anthem.

Is there any song writer you admire?

There are many. But I think Brian Fallon from The Gaslight Anthem is a great songwriter. He´s able to fill a lot of words with emotions and I love that. So, if I had to pick one it would be him now.

How is your album being received? You can order it on my website www.tillbennewitz.com. It will

be available as a digital version on all the download platforms soon.

Are there any songs that you are particularly proud of, that have a particular resonance for you?

I´m really proud of “Old Tattoos”, because it´s a very personal story and means a lot to me. Musically, I´m very proud of “Midnight Promenade”. It really comes along with some sort of mystery, which peaks in this simple. but relieving, melody. I guess that´s my absolute favourite on the album and it´s even better to perform that one live.

Have you ever played in the UK? Do you have any plans to play in the UK in the future?

Yes I have. When we recorded the album here I´ve supported Aynsley Lister in Bracknell at the “Cellar Bar” and at “Greystones” in Sheffield. That was a great experience for me as an unknown German guy. But both gigs were amazing. The people enjoyed what I did and everybody had a great time.

In the future I´d love to come over again, because I have a great band and it would definitely be great to play in the UK. I´ve received some requests already for England and I will play at the “Scarborough TOP SECRET Festival” next March.

You must have a few guitars, can you tell us what they are and why you chose them?

Yeah. Well mainly I play a Fender Telecaster. I like it when it is kept simple. Not too many options to chose from, in terms of the sound. Teles are kept simple. I´ve got a Fender 52´ Reissue from 1994. It´s not a very special model, but it sounds just like I want it. I´m

particularly proud of another Telecaster which I got from a guitar builder from Austria. It is a Linus Guitars Tele. He made a guitar for Aynsley and was at a show that opened up. He sent me a mail a week later and said if I like Telecasters I should try one of his. He sent me the guitar to Germany and I told him that I really liked the guitar. So he said “Well then keep it”. I was blown off my feet, because this was my first guitar that was ever given to me and I´m so happy with it and so humbled to own this guitar. Then I own an Epiphone Les Paul, which was my first electric guitar. It´s not a Gibson, but sounds great and is rock solid and I´m very happy about it. In terms of acoustic guitars I play Takamine. I own two and they´re both fantastic.

good for the clubs and venues we play.

You play guitar and sing, do you play any other instruments on stage? Well, I play the harmonica here and there. Sometimes a little bit of piano. But mainly guitar and vocals.

I know you play solo gigs, duo’s and with a band. Which do you prefer? Can you tell me a bit more about your band and your other musical associates?

I really prefer to play with the whole band. It´s fun to play solo shows, but to cover the whole range of the music, you need your band. And I particularly love to play with my band, because it´s so much fun. Not only the playing itself, but everything around the show. The travelling, hanging out before the gig. That´s simply more enjoyable than being alone.

Have you customised any of your guitars?

No not really. The only thing I did was to tune down my Les, Paul. It´s not that I haven´t considered it yet, but I´m simply quite happy with what I have at the moment.

What is your favourite guitar and amp?

Oh, that´s a good question. I think I haven´t played enough amps and guitars yet. But at the moment my setup, as it is, is fantastic and works pretty well. I´ve got my Tele and the Les Paul and I play it over a Fender Blues Deville.

Do you have a preferred mic? Yes, I´m definitely going for Shure Beta 58. I´ve got a wireless system which is very

I am sure our readers would love to know which venues or festivals in Germany you believe are worth visiting, just in case they ever visit your home country?

I think there are many great venues. For me the most enjoyable shows were at the “Harmonie” in Bonn, or “Downtown Blues Club” in Hamburg. Oh, and the “Grünspan”, which is also in Hamburg. That is a beautiful venue. Not from the outside, but on the inside.

Is there a local music scene where you live that you are involved in?

Well I live in Mainz. They have a huge carnival scene here. But there are definitely areas with a bigger scene. But I´ve learned that I love living there and if I need the scene I can just go to other places. There are some very good local

“FOR ME THE TOUGHEST PART IS THE FIRST LINE.”

musicians but, as I said, there are probably cities with a bigger scene.

What has been your best musical experience to date?

Playing at the “Grünspan” in Hamburg in front of 800 people. That was a great night.

Do you have a favourite song you love to perform?

Right now it´s “Midnight Promenade”, because live it is even better than on the record.

I am interested to know what the age range of audiences is in Europe as we have such a hard time in the UK encouraging younger audiences. It´s difficult, I guess. When you go to a blues concert the majority belongs to the older generation. Here in Germany many young people totally dig German Pop Music. I think it is the image of Blues and Rock music that seems a little old fashioned to the younger audience.

You have toured many countries, where have you toured? Well of course, Germany. Then I´ve toured the UK, Netherlands, Belgium, France, Luxemburg and Austria.

How different are the audiences in each country you have visited? Oh very different. There are even huge differences when you go to the different areas here in Germany. When I first played the UK I was really nervous, because I was told that the English audiences can be really tough. But from the first note I´ve played, they were with me and I had an amazing time!

think that would be fun.

Which artist have you been most excited to meet?

I haven´t met any of my heroes yet. So that´s really hard to say. I think meeting the “Foo Fighters” would be amazing. I think they´re really cool guys to hang out with.

Which gig would be your dream to play?

The biggest I want to play is a big stadium. Or some huge festival like “Glastonbury”.

Do you have any hobby that is outside of singing i.e. painting or walking in the countryside?

I used to horse ride. I had an American Quarter Horse, but it died a couple of years ago. I used to play soccer when I was younger and I still love to play it. But I don´t have a team anymore. So I go to the gym as often as possible and try to stay fit.

What does the future hold for you? What is your ambition for your career, or where do you see yourself in 10 years from now?

I´d like to see myself playing arenas and big festivals. But that´s a long way to go and ten years is a long time. I´d rather like to know where I am in one year! Ha-ha. But in ten years I´d like to see myself playing shows and making records. Just as today but always a bit more.

What would be your dream band of players, you can choose living or dead musicians? Is there anyone dead or alive you would love to meet?

Oh wow. I think I have a dream band right now. But there is one that I would really like to play with. It´s Dave Grohl from the “Foo Fighters”. I’d sit him on the drums and just let him do his thing. I

Thanks Till. It’s been a real pleasure talking to you.

Thank you for having me.

CHECK OUT WWW.TILLBENNEWITZ.DE FOR MORE INFORMATION

DISCOGRAPHY

Meeting in the Dark 2015 New York Sessions 2012

“I THINK IT IS THE IMAGE OF BLUES AND ROCK MUSIC THAT SEEMS A LITTLE OLD FASHIONED TO THE YOUNGER AUDIENCE.”

LaVendore Rogue LIGHTING UP THE BLUES SCENE

THEIR ENERGETIC STAGE PERFORMANCES HAVE BEEN DESCRIBED AS VAUDEVILLIAN AND THEATRICAL AND THEIR NEW ALBUM LIGHT UP WITH LAVENDORE ROGUE IS RECEIVING CRITICAL ACCLAIM ACROSS EUROPE.

LaVendore Rogue members, Jojo Burgess, British Blues Awards vocalist winner 2015 and band leader/guitarist award winner Joel Fisk talk to Blues Matters about the end of Hokie Joint and the beginning of their new band with a new sound. We discuss song-writing, band influences, festivals and more. A great band to look out for in 2016, that’s for sure.

Well I’m sure everyone would like to know why the name LaVendore Rogue?

JoJo: Joel and I had many “discussions” regarding the name of this band. I originally wanted to call it “The Lavender Scare” after the purging by the Hoover Administration in the USA, but Joel thought it was a bit heavy. We’re still not sure how that ended up as LaVendore Rogue, other than the fact it’s a made up word!

If you look at any posters of our gigs, you’ll see we go

by many names…LaVender Rouge being the favourite! To find out the true meaning, you’ll have to buy our debut EP, “What’s The Meaning Of LaVendore Rogue?”!

When and how did you all get together?

Joel: JoJo, Stephen and I worked together in Hokie Joint, which occasionally featured bass player Rob “Tank” Barry as a stand-in. We wanted to work with Rob for a while, so when Hokie Joint dissolved, we decided the time

was right to get him on board. We’ve known Warren (Lynn) for several years, and always liked the idea of bringing a keyboard player into the band. After a couple of rehearsals, we knew Warren was the perfect fit!

How would you describe your music?

Joel: The main focus of this band is song-writing. The songs start out on acoustic guitar, and end up with the full band, generally sounding nothing like the original idea. That’s the fun part. I suppose you could loosely label us as Roots Rock, but we’ve never been one for putting our music in a box…that’s your job!

Can you share with our readers your thinking behind your music

VERBALS: CHRISTINE MOORE VISUALS: CHRISTINE MOORE AND JOHN ASHTON

and your live performances?

JoJo: There’s not that much thinking involved. Many people have described our live performances as theatrical or vaudevillian, although I’d probably says it’s more of a travelling circus and we are the clowns.

Joel: I think one of the biggest differences between us and a lot of acts is the fact that we have a dedicated front man, as opposed to being a guitarist/singer-fronted band, so that in itself brings a completely different element to what we do.

How difficult is it when a successful band like Hokie Joint break up, to start again to get gigs and festival bookings?

Joel: Hokie Joint was a double edged sword for us – aside from the fact it was a great band to be part of, it’s certainly helped us to get bookings with LaVendore Rogue just on the basis that three fifths of

Hokie Joint are still in a band together.

Having said that, I think we’ve split the Hokie fans down the middle, because for many people, Giles and Fergie were a big part of Hokie Joint, because they were familiar faces on the Blues scene, and in some people’s eyes, are greatly missed.

JoJo: It’s also proven difficult as LaVendore Rogue is not the new Hokie Joint, it’s a completely different sounding band, even though some of the faces are the same. That said we do still throw a few of the old Hokie songs in our sets, they always go down a blast. The other thing is the industry is moving so quickly and if you’re out of the scene for too long, you can be quickly forgotten. So we’re really starting from the ground up.

Your album Light Up With is a great album, how is it being received?

Joel: The album has sold

very well since its release, and is currently the subject of some great reviews in The Netherlands and Belgium. We’re hoping 2016 will see it continue this trend.

What festivals are you doing in 2016?

JoJo: One of the highlights of our UK dates this year is Maryport Blues Festival. It’s certainly one of our favourites, and was a big turning point for the band when we played there in 2014. There’s going to be a surprise in the line-up of the band too, so watch this space! We’re also looking forward to returning to Upton Blues Festival as well, which we played with Hokie Joint several years ago. Keep this to yourselves though, as I don’t know if they’ve announced the line ups yet.

Joel: We’re also playing at one of the fastest growing festivals in East Anglia, Bures

Music Festival, which featured Jo Harman and Marcus Bonfanti in 2015 and where we also played with the Pretty Things in 2014.

a discussion with another singer recently, who was adamant that I should find the best microphone for my voice and take that to gigs. But personally, unless you are actually making studio recordings I really can’t tell any difference. In hindsight, maybe he was politely hinting that he didn’t like my singing; he wouldn’t be the first or the last.

I know the band members play in different bands, how hard is it to get the band and gigs/festivals organised?

JoJo: The past couple of years have been difficult what with one thing or another and it isn’t just other bands that make things hard. We’ve all made the decision that 2016 is going to be the year of the Rogue though, and have a few irons in the fire to help take things up a step. Joel is very much the bandleader, both musically and logistically, which is only fair as he is the one with the most outside interests. It’s all very incestuous as most of the other bands feature at least one other Rogue. Thankfully, social media makes it very easy for us to stay in touch and get answers regarding availability pretty quickly. It can be difficult though, we’re a band, so don’t necessarily want to have to get deps in if we can avoid it.

What microphones, guitars and amps do you use?

JoJo: As a singer, I use anything that’s available live. Preferably an SM58 – but as long as I can hear myself through the monitors I don’t really care what it is. Funnily enough I was having

Joel: I use Hofner Guitars (with Rotosound Strings), through a slowly expanding pedalboard into Dr Z amplifiers. They’re the best amplifiers I’ve ever heard, which is why I’ve got three of them! I’ve started using two at gigs now, which doesn’t go down too well with Warren, but he’ll come round to the idea eventually!

Rob uses Fano Basses, which are without doubt, the coolest bass guitar you can find. Through his TC Electronic rig, his sound is monstrous!

Warren uses a real Hammond organ, which is a sight to behold, and Stephen uses his trusty Gretsch kit.

One of the great things about LaVendore Rogue is your original songs. How long do you have to play venues before the crowd gets the music or is it an instant appreciation?

JoJo: We try to structure our sets so that we hit people in the face right from the word go, so they don’t have the chance to know what’s going on. A lot of songs have a big chorus or hook, which I think helps to draw people in. Once we’ve got our claws into them, we don’t really let them go until about four or five songs in, when we’ll generally slow things down with a nice miserable number.

Joel: It’s sometimes difficult to get people to adjust to hearing material that’s completely new to them, but one of the things we’ve found with this band is that the songs stand up on their own anyway. We enjoy playing them, which certainly rubs off on the audience.

What would be your dream band of players, you can choose living or dead musicians?

“WE’RE STILL NOT SURE HOW THAT ENDED UP AS LAVENDORE ROGUE, OTHER THAN THE FACT IT’S A MADE UP WORD”

JoJo: No one, everyone I’d liked to have collaborated with would put me out of a job. That said if Mick Jagger ever decided to retire, I’d be happy to sing with Keith, Ronnie and Charlie behind me.

Joel: If Ronnie was unavailable for JoJo’s dream gig, I’d happily take his place!

What were your earliest memories of music and the Blues, who influenced you?

JoJo: My earliest memory was probably when I was about 11 or 12 and I got my first stereo in my bedroom. Not having the money to buy my own music, I routed through and listened to most of my parents CD’s. One day I stumbled across a John Lee Hooker compilation and I was sucked in after a few bars on tracks like Boom Boom and particularly Boogie Chillen, which was like nothing I’d ever heard. As I got into my teens and started playing in bands, I was listening to a lot of bands like the Chilli Peppers. I started digging into the roots of their music;

people like James Brown and Sly and the Family Stone, and then further digging into their roots brought me full circle and back to the blues when I was about 18. Which, funnily enough coincided with when I first met Joel, we both had to live in the same house share at university.

Do any bands or singer songwriters inspire you today?

JoJo: For me Tom Waits has always been a huge inspiration and thanks to Joel’s input, the twisted and jaded lyricism of Warren Zevon has been another massive influence.

Joel: Likewise - Zevon has been a huge influence on me since I was introduced to his music by Ian Siegal. His approach to lyrics and simple melodies still astounds me.

How does the Song Writing Process work for you? What comes first, the song or the music?

JoJo: It’s funny really, with Hokie Joint we always used to jam together collectively and I would piece together the lyrics off the cuff and then

refine them afterwards. For LaVendore Rogue though I’ve tended to write lyrics independently of any music and consequently have far more sets of lyrics than we currently have songs.

Do you write collaboratively as a band or is it individuals that write for the band?

Joel: It seems to vary really, but recently, I’ve been recording a few ideas in my studio then bringing them to the band for their input. It really depends on what sort of a mood we’re in, sometimes we’ll just turn up for a rehearsal and play through something and have the makings of a song within minutes. Other times, we’ll struggle through an idea for a song, and still be no further forward six months down the line!

You’re stage performance is very expressive. Do you think stage craft is important?

JoJo: I think people want to be entertained when they go to watch a band. Be it through an energetic live performance or through story telling between songs. When you’re onstage, you need to engage with an audience or they will quickly lose interest, especially if they’ve never heard you before.

Joel: One of the things I found with Hokie Joint is that the show is more important than the ability of each member. When I was a kid, I wanted to play everything note perfect, but that came at a cost of not really moving around on stage.

The influence of bands like The Rolling Stones and The Who made me realise you have to compromise a bit of virtuosity to achieve a great show.

ONSTAGE,

NEED TO ENGAGE WITH AN AUDIENCE OR THEY WILL QUICKLY LOSE INTEREST”

What has been your best musical experience to date?

JoJo: For me there are a few. The Peer Festival with Hokie Joint in Belgium was pretty amazing, we were on the same bill as many notable players, including Steve Winwood, Jeff Beck, Roger McGuinn and Derek Trucks, the crowd went absolutely wild and refused to let us leave the stage. With LaVendore Rogue, the Maryport Blues Festival was pretty special too, again the audience loved it and the queue for our merch after the show was unbelievable. Joel and I were also lucky enough to be invited to play Paul Jones annual charity Christmas show, where we got the opportunity to share the bill with Paul Weller and the stage with Paul Jones. That show was particularly special for me, as it helped to raise funds for the charity appeal I was running for my daughter Roxi who needed an operation. So I can’t wait till she is old enough to appreciate the fact that Mr Weller and Mr Jones helped to raise money for her. Not to mention all the other people, a lot of whom I’d met through music also helped.

Joel: That gig was pretty special for me too, walking into Cranleigh Arts Centre to see Weller chatting to Kenney Jones a truly surreal moment! Drinking and chatting with The Pretty Things after our gig was

also a great moment, Phil May and Dick Taylor reliving stories of their youth really was a treat!

Just to finish off, what are your plans for the future? What is your ambition for your career, or where do you see yourself in 10 years from now?

JoJo: In the near-distant future we’ll continue to plug away ourselves as we’ve done for the past three years. Our main aim is to find partners that we can work with, that truly believe in what we do and can help release some of

the burden of running things independently. We also need to get LaVendore Rogue gigging as much as possible in the next 18 months. There are some interesting opportunities floating around at the moment, so hopefully something will come to fruition.

Thanks JoJo and Joel, for giving us an insight into the new direction. It’s been a real pleasure talking to you.

CHECK OUT LAVENDOREROGUE.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION

LAVENDORE ROGUE

The demise of Hokie Joint left the British music scene with a big hole in terms of originality and off the wall performances, but with the release of Light Up With by LaVendore Rogue, it seems that maybe that hole is about to be filled. Not surprising, considering that three members of Hokie Joint are the mainstay of LaVendore Rogue. The unforgettable vocals of JoJo Burgess are there aplenty, along with Joel Fisk on guitar and Stephen “Cupsey” Cutmore on drums. Making up the band are Warren Lynn on keys and Rob “Tank” Barry on bass. The album explores a myriad of different themes with nine original songs and a cover of Warren Zevon’s Play It All Night Long to close the proceedings. The band offer a potent voice in covering socially

difficult subjects ranging from drugs and the power of wealth to marriage and being jilted at the altar. Opening in a very Rolling Stones rock style, Dead Man’s Chest has a very strong guitar lick that sets out their stall, no prisoners to be taken here, just a bottle of rum on a pirate’s chest. The Maze is a more up-tempo pop styled song with weaving guitar, a very tight danceable track. Next up is Animal, with a short but effective use of Cello in the opening bars, with Jo Jo narrating over solo piano. The band ramp up when the subject of the song is found out to be a fraud, mistreating his women. The message here is very potent and relevant in today’s society. Maintaining the social conscience, and possibly my favourite track, Honey Murder opens with great distorted guitar and strong bass line. Joel’s guitar solo is superbly controlled and threatening, without ever losing the thread of the song. Up next is Riot, a song about riots in London following the shooting of a black youth. Listen to the words here because they tell a gruelling story of an underclass within this society. A.S.A.D deals with drugs and the horrors that surround that world, a world that will even control those with power and money. This is a truly excellent release and with ten tracks on the album, I have to admit to finding the first six extremely addictive, returning time after time to those songs.

MERV OSBORNE

“WHEN YOU’RE

YOU

Leslie West has a new album ‘Soundcheck’ out on Mascot/Provogue, our man called him in New Jersey to catch up and talk about the content. As ever, Leslie is dry, direct and informative…

Are you in New Jersey right now, Leslie?

Yeah, in Englewood, right over the bridge.

How’s your health? How are you doing?

I’m OK, Pete. My leg hasn’t grown back.

A Mr West classic answer! I want to thank you, Leslie for putting me on to the version of Who’s Next that you play on, I did find it and yes it was a gas.

That’s fine, I thought you would enjoy it.

Now I’ve been listening to your new album, it’s not really a compilation, it’s actually What Leslie West Can Do, isn’t it?

Well that’s what I wanted to create, yes – the new songs I had worked on and the extra stuff I chose that you might call uncovered or new to listeners. Material others may have done like Goin’ Down but with people got to play with,

Don Nix wrote Goin’ Down.

Yes, I have that Alabama State Troupers album. And here, we use Brian May’s tracks, on this version, so you hear me and then Brian plays, we put that together to include here, it was great having Max Middleton (J Beck keys man –PS) and Bonnie Bramlett.

Max is on that Jeff Beck Group album version, with Cozy Powell –he did that Beiderbecke style piano intro.

He sure did! I had to re-sing my part to try to match with Bonnie’s… also we have Bobby Whitlock, Layla! On the organ.

And David Hood on bass, the Muscle Shoals man. His son Paterson is in Drive By Truckers, of course.

A magical family! Very creative.

I call these things not covers, but versions.

Better word, man.

So it’s Leslie West colours on the templates?

That is exactly what I wanted to do. See, even on You Are My Sunshine which I do with Peter Frampton. I changed it from a major key to minor. I was watching this TV series called Sons of Anarchy, about a motorcycle gang and it was playing in the background and I thought I could really do a great job on that song. I had never played with Peter even though we have known each other for many years. Coupla years ago he was doing a tour called Frampton’s Circus and he invited me to come along and do a couple of songs with him, Mountain songs that he was going to sing. I think we did Mississippi Queen, I’m not sure. But that led to Peter playing on my album. What the two of us played on that, I get a chill when I listen to it…

Well Albert King didn’t record much outside the blues format BUT he did a lovely take on The Very Thought Of You.

Yeah – and with Sunshine I

A RAINBOW OF BLUES ROCK

VERBALS: PETE SARGEANT VISUALS: JUSTIN BORUCKI

wanted to maybe bring out a sad side to the song, reinterpret on the delivery. The first song on the new set.

Now People Get Ready, I love that song and do it live when it’s requested, but it’s so tempting to use Beck’s motif.

Oh I stay away from that! I love the way he did it with Rod, that melody. I’m thinking, what can I put in that song, of mine. Curtis Mayfield’s words, man – you just picture the train pulling in slowly.

Left By The Roadside to Die?

I felt a bit that way when I lost my leg, y’know – life leaving me on the roadside. The guitar riff, it’s kinda like a keyboard playing at the beginning. And the words are by my wife who knows better than anybody what I went through then.

It seems like Life is lurking around, sometimes, just waiting for a chance to give us a kicking. When friends die, especially Jack Bruce…

What a great guy he was! Knew so much about jazz. Jack as you well know was a wonderful person and so great to be with whatever you were doing. He didn’t stand still, he kept creating. Makes you realise just how precious life is. How you can get knocked down. I had this track from years ago, of Jack and I doing the song here.

Spoonful, isn’t Joe on that, too?

Yeah – Joe Franco on the drums. (Laughs) I tried to be Eric Clapton on that.

But as we have discussed before, you do mix Anglo and American much better than most! And what about Eleanor Rigby, here? That’s my bass player Rev Jones and he does do that as a solo when we play live… there’s no overdubs on that, by the way.

You watch Sky News or CNN here and you see those refugees… (Sighs) Oh My God! We see these poor folk every night on the news, just wanting to be somewhere peaceful. This was happening 50, 60 years ago and here it is now, still going on.

Did you know Ben E King?

I didn’t know him but he lived in the town next to me. On Stand By Me I had my 16 year old niece singing on that. I thought it might be interesting to have that sweet voice featured. I have that gravelly voice. It’s funny, I listen to a much wider range of music now than I did, say 20 years ago.

I was talking to Dave Davies about the pastoral feel of some of his solo songs and he happily owned up to liking Vaughan Williams. Well there was a poll in a magazine on the best guitarists and it was Dave Davies strangely enough who said some very complimentary things about my playing style. I haven’t met him.

May I ask you about Stern Warning? Was it triggered by Howard, I wonder?

Y’know that is exactly how it came about – Howard called me one day and talked about a Guild 12 string that Felix said I could have if I recorded with it. I thought I’d use it again. It’s a phrase my Father used to

say when admonishing me!

I think it’s my favourite on the album, although I do like this Here For The Party…

You know whose song that is? Gretchen Wilson. Country rock biker chick. I came up with a new riff and changed the gender and now it feels like it’s my song! Worked out well and was the first new song we recorded for this.

Hearing as much as I do, I am not so much interested in the notes and the technique but the heart, with a song.

Yeah, I got it. My roots weren’t so much from Alabama or Mississippi, more 60’s Rock ‘n’ Roll. So that is the basis of what I do but not all of it by any means.

With the latest albums, I like the range and that you’re brave on the choices.

Me too. I have ended up liking and doing and reshaping music that I didn’t think I ever would. Thanks for catching up.

DISCOGRAPHY

Soundcheck 2015

Still Climbing 2013

Unusual Suspects 2011

Blue Me 2006

Got Blooze 2005

Guitarded 2004

“MY ROOTS WEREN’T SO MUCH FROM ALABAMA OR MISSISSIPPI, MORE 60’S ROCK ‘N’ ROLL”

Interview MICAH KESSELRING

Micah Kesselring CABIN FEVER BLUES

Micah Ian Kesselring was born on August 27th 1993 around the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. He is a real likeable guy, with an affinity for traditional acoustic blues guitar. Blues as a living is often a mountain to climb. This guy has the chops to scale both the mountain and the fret board. Micah has been featured in “Guitar Player” magazine, and voted 2014 winner of the “Comin’ up Youth Award” from Blues411 in the U.S.

Are there any musicians in your family, and what people or events guided you to where you are now?

My Dad is a drummer, but he never played professionally. Apart from my Dad and my Great Grandfather, I am the only musician in the family. My Great Grandfather was a banjo player. And I actually have his banjo. Really, what guided me to the kind of music I play was through digging deeper and deeper into the music I was listening to, tracing stuff back, and the blues bug bit me when I was about 14 or so. When I was starting to learn to play slide guitar I was inspired by Duane Allman and what not, but when I heard people like

Charlie Patton and guys like Son House play slide guitar, especially people like Tampa Red and Sol Hoppii from Hawaii, that kind of lead me to get on track with the blues.

You play acoustic as well as electric guitar. Do you consider yourself both or more of an acoustic player? In my heart I feel I am always going to be rooted in that Delta and Piedmont blues, because I really love it and it comes pretty natural to me when I play it. I love the electric blues, I am kind of exploring with the electric guitar, but I am kind of a purist in both senses. I kind of like to keep traditional with

the acoustic, and also with the electric.

What are the advantages and disadvantages you face as a selftaught musician?

Well, I feel like I can learn things pretty quickly. I have always worked on developing my ear from a young age and that is what I teach most of my guitar students. I think the advantage to that is that I can always play something new. Sometimes I will be playing at a concert, and I will play a certain guitar lick that I have never really played before, but I thought of it while I was playing. The disadvantages to that would be being placed in sheet music situations. There are a lot of people who can read sheet music, but I am not really good at that.

Give us your musical highlights and any mentoring.

Well, Sean Carney has been a big mentor. He is from Columbus, Ohio and I live about an hour away from

VERBALS: BILLY HUTCHINSON VISUALS: DUSTY SCOTT

Interview MICAH KESSELRING

Columbus. There have been a whole lot of highlights like playing with Hubert Sumlin, Bob Margolin. Going to Columbia was a major highlight this year. Going to Memphis for the IBC’s when I played the Blues Music Awards back in 2009 with the Otis Taylor band that was really cool. That is when I met B. B. King and Koko Taylor. That was actually one of Koko’s last performances. She passed away soon after that. I also got to meet Corey Harris, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Guy Davis, Keb Mo and Roy Book Binder. Just being able to do it as a living is a highlight in its own. The whole experience has been good for me. I play full time, I don’t have a job. I usually play about two gigs a week, sometimes less, sometimes more, but I still live with my parents. We live in a log cabin out in the middle of the woods, so it is easy to get by. I am looking to play more

and more. Luckily, I can fully devote all of my time, in my mind-set even, to creating new music and to studying the masters and kind of work the business side of it too.

I believe you gained a blues music scholarship.

Yeah, I have about three Blues Generation Scholarships, and two John Cephas Scholarships. Those have always been great. I have always gone up to the Port Townsend Acoustic Blues Festival out in Port Townsend, Washington with those scholarships. Funny thing about that is, when I first started playing blues music back around 2008/9, I went off to the International Blues Challenge and I’d been talking to Otis Taylor’s daughter, Cassie Taylor (Cassie was on the Blues Foundation board at that time) on Myspace, of all things, and she told me about the IBC showcase that they were doing that year.

We went down to Memphis and I did that. I ended up getting a scholarship to go up to Port Townsend and they told me they had never done that before. I was told I was the inspiration behind the Generation Blues Scholarships that they have today, to keep going on with that and offer more kids scholarships. So I feel kind of proud to be the very first recipient of that. I think that is really cool.

Do you think a lot of the future gigging blues musicians will be coming out of the guitar camp situation?

Absolutely yeah, like Sean Carney’s Blues Camp that he does every year here in Columbus. He will have kids that are nine years. old drumming and playing Freddie King songs. You will have 14 year old girls in there who play guitar, playing Johnny Guitar Watson’s stuff. So it is really cool. I see

three or four kids in Ohio that I know who went to the Camp Blues who really love blues music, and seem to be pursuing it.

“IN MY HEART I FEEL I AM ALWAYS GOING TO BE ROOTED IN THAT DELTA AND PIEDMONT BLUES”

You have been a semi-finalist at four IBC events. Are you competing this year?

I am not doing it this year to compete, but I am going to go down there to network and mingle with everybody, but I do have plans to do it in 2016. I hope I am going to make the finals. I mean I hope I can stop saying four-time semi-finalist and start saying finalist, but who knows? I might not have time to do it if things keep going the way I want them. I want to do it again though because it is so much fun. I love doing it and it is such an experience every time.

I see you are on Bandcamp and Reverbnation. Is that working for you?

It’s really good, I really like Bandcamp. It’s a bit of a better deal for artists as opposed to ITunes, and I don’t have my songs on Spotify. So the only way I released it was on Bandcamp and I like it. It is really cool as I set a base price for a CD or download and people have the option of paying more if they’d like to. For instance I sell my digital thing for $7, but sometimes people will pay 20 bucks. It’s a great platform. I recommend it to a lot of people who ask me about it. Reverbnation is cool too, just because it is a nice easy site. I don’t have an official website right now, but

Reverbnation kind of does it all for you. It has your show schedule, songs from your CD and bio. It’s kind of like a press kit website in a way.

You recently got to play Buddy Guy’s Legends. How did that come about, and how was it? Oh, that was really cool. There was a man in Cleveland, OH. who booked that gig for me. I usually handle all my own bookings. The club itself was great. Everybody said it was pretty nice. What can I say? It’s Buddy Guy’s Legends! I wished I’d bought a T shirt. It was cold, though.

Did you record your recent live EP as a tool to secure gigs?

Not really. I was given a couple of full show recordings of my music from when I was in Washington this year. I was just sitting on those tracks I am a big Sean Costello fan. And I have a couple of his live concerts that I listen to every time. So I was in this live blues bug, and I was just sitting on it, so I thought I can release this in some way. I didn’t necessarily want to print out the CD’s, so I thought it would be kind of nice to just put it out on the internet. And if people wanted to pick it out they can. I just thought it was kind of a cool document of where I had been that year and I felt I had done some pretty good renditions of songs that I had done on “Log Cabin Blues”. You know, it’s funny, there is a song on that live CD that Alvin Youngblood Hart did, that Big Mama’s Door song. That was almost going to be on “Log Cabin Blues”, but I decided against it, so I found a little release for that song. There were some songs I did from those live shows that are going to be on my upcoming CD that I thought

about releasing on the EP, but I save those songs. I have been writing ever since my “Log Cabin Blues” came out. I usually write quite a bit, but I really like to refine my songs before I commit to even performing them live. I will work on a song for about three or four months and really get it comfortable before I will play it live. There is some cool stuff on this. There are some eight bar raggerty stuff and there are a lot of originals. I have about 10 original songs so far that I am considering for the CD and then I have some selected cover songs that I really like. I am doing a version of Big Road Blues that has Tommy Johnson’s verses and then it has the Mississippi Sheiks song, Stop And Listen. If you listen to that song, it’s the same song, even Willie Lawson did it as Dark Road Blues and he had some really interesting verses in that. So I kind of put a whole bunch of different verses that you don’t normally hear people singing on Big Road Blues. Yeah, there is some stuff like that and there is some stuff that was influenced by Blind Gary Davis, Blind Willie Johnson, and Blind Boy Fuller. I didn’t necessarily want to make “Log Cabin Blues number two per se,” but it is similar in some ways and different in others. I think this time I might want to keep it more traditional and a little less of the over dubs that were on Log Cabin Blues. I also don’t plan on recording this one at home. I am going to a studio to record it.

Federal Charm WILL THEY CHARM ACROSS THE DIVIDE

FEDERAL CHARM BURST ONTO THE BLUES SCENE IN 2013 WITH THE RELEASE OF THEIR SELF-TITLED DEBUT ALBUM.

Reviews regularly used terms like swaggering riffs, sleazy guitars etc. to describe the simmering blues rock vibe. After relentless touring and festival appearances album number two, Across The Divide, is out. I was a big supporter of the band in its early days so it was good to catch up with how things are going.

2015 has certainly been a jam packed year for Federal Charm. The new album, Across The Divide, came out towards the end of the year. It’s getting lots of good reviews, are you pleased with how it’s been received?

Hi! Yeah it’s been a very busy year. We set ourselves some goals and we feel we got a really nice album. I’m really pleased with how it’s been received. These tracks have been in the FC camp for over a year and it was great to get them down for album two, there was a little pressure as the debut really hit the right buttons and I’d hoped it resonated well with our core fans.

I was surprised by the softer ballad style tracks on the album, like These Four Walls, they are very different to anything on the debut album. Also a very surprising banjo intro! What was the inspiration behind these?

These Four Walls was just a very natural progression. It’s still 6/8 blues. Its multi layered with a lot of different guitar notes that intertwine. That was the goal for that song, to make it a little more out there sonically. Nick’s lyrics and vocals on there are just fantastic. The banjo was an idea we had back in 2014 when we were demo-ing the debut. It just felt right to expand on the riff and take a

chance as we love all aspects of that genre.

You’ve been touring like crazy this past year and secured some high profile support slots, not only with recognised blues artists like Joanne Shaw Taylor but with acts that are definitely more heavy rock. Do you see your fan base shifting into that area or are you still rooted in the blues?

Without our blues rooted fans from day one we wouldn’t have had as many opportunities to tour and record and for that we are very grateful. We really don’t want to be restricted to a specific fan base. Blues is a very narrow word and it is 100% the blood that fills the vein from the ‘song’ perspective but from the meat and bones we’ve always been a heavy groove riff based band. So I don’t think we have diversified or developed into a rock band with ‘Across The

VERBALS: STEVE YOURGLIVCH VISUALS: PHILIP GODDARD

45 MILES

“THE ROAD NOT taKEn neEDS THE PERFeCt SOUNDTRACK”

Divide’ it feel like a natural album too which I hope blues fans and rock fans alike can enjoy.

You’ve just announced another support slot for 2016, with Aussie rockers Tracer. I guess the only downside of being support is the limited stage time afforded to you. Are there plans to headline your own tour in 2016?

Yeah that’s correct. As you know the last 2 years we’ve toured so much but with a 30 minute set list tied round our necks. We absolutely love playing but it can be frustrating when you want to show what you’ve got but have to vanish soon as you hit peak. We are touring UK this March with Tracer and then through to June another tour yet to be announced. We’ll hit Festival season before headlining our first tour this autumn/winter.

As a band the four of you have been together a while now and live you are a tight knit unit. How did the band first come together and what musical backgrounds are you all from?

I was subjected to 60s/70s/80s rock n roll and it changed my life. Those days spent with my dad and uncles vinyl collection were mind blowing moments. My first band ‘Hiatus’ which Danny Rigg was a member of toured and recorded for over 10 years, things didn’t work out. I met Nick 4 years ago through mutual girlfriends and we hit it off instantly. I’d heard Nick sing covers at a blues rock bar in Stockport called The Bakers Vault and was totally gob smacked. We had the same musical goal and after attempting to be just straight up blues after an idea we had about celebrating the greats Federal Charm was born. Suffice to say we didn’t stick with the 12 bar format.

There is a big Led Zep and Free vibe to your sound. Apart from those obvious influences who else has been a musical inspiration both to you individually and the band collectively?

All four members have very different musical inspirations which span all kinds of genres. LD is a very interested in EDM, Danny enjoys rock, metal, acoustic, indie. Nick and I pretty much have an identical taste in music. Personally I’ve always looked up to 4 players in my life who I’ve taken inspiration from. Ritchie Blackmore particularly his Rainbow work, Jimmy Page, early Eddie Van Halen and Tom Morello. All these players are song writer’s not just guitarists and the songs they craft are varied and riff based and not one of them is a ‘paint by numbers’ artist. I’ve always admired their originality which I believe has always been very difficult to achieve.

I guess in the short term the plan now is to promote the new album and get out playing in front of as many people as possible. Looking at the bigger picture where do you want to be in another two years? In two years’ time I’d like to upgrade from a white transit van and maybe not share a bed with 3 men for 2 months. Joking aside I’d

like to assume we’d have grown as a band and made a mark as an international act. Making a living from recording and touring is still what it’s all about. We’ve not even scratched the surface as a band professionally. A lot more work to do.

What advice based on your own experiences would you offer to young upcoming bands about to start out?

Cliché as it sounds just keep banging on the door. If you love what you do and you feel like a team it’s massively rewarding. It can be extremely hard work. Financially and emotionally it can be taxing, disheartening and sometimes you just want to throw the towel in, but the good outweighs the bad. Find people to help you who believe in your work. Above all treat it like a business. If people see a well-oiled machine you’ll get more out of it. Doesn’t mean you can’t have fun!

CHECK OUT WWW.FEDERALCHARM.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION

Ray Goren BLUES PROTEGY

RAY GOREN, IS THE MOST PROMISING BLUESMAN TO HIT THE SCENE SINCE A YOUNG KENNY WAYNE SHEPPARD.

Goren carries a rarely matched talent and work ethic forward with a soulful voice and a vision to create his own style of music. Ray plays guitar and keyboards and started writing his own music before the age of 7, at which time he appeared onstage for MTV. By 15 the guitar phenomenon had twice played the Chicago Blues Festival, LA’s Central Avenue Jazz Festival as well as the Doheny Blues Festival. At only 12 years old he played on stage with sax man and vocalist Bobby ‘Hurricane’ Spencer. To date Ray has played with musical legends, BB King, Buddy Guy and Bonnie Raitt. The singer, songwriter, guitar slinger, and multi-instrumentalist recently released his third EP titled, Songs For You. The five song album was produced by Steve Jordan who has worked with names like Keith Richards and Bob Dylan, who says of Ray, ‘One of the most gifted artists I’ve ever witnessed’. The album is a blend of Soul, R&B, Funk and Blues amid songs of teenage miseria amare along

with a mellow cover of Light My Fire done Ray Goren style with a surprising guest on guitar. I hooked up with the Southern California resident by phone as he was being driven home by his dad after a guitar lesson.

Hey Ray, thanks for the call. Yeah man, no problem.

I see you’re going to be 16 in the near future. You looking forward to getting your driver’s license? Sure, I’ve already got my permit and everything. In a few months I get my license.

What’s your choice of automobiles going to be, a Mercedes or a Toyota?

It depends, I wouldn’t want to get a Mercedes for my first car. Maybe later on in life.

Your publicist mailed me a copy of Songs For You and I was quite impressed. You’re a little more aware than the average teenager. Lyrics on the opening track, Those Days shows us that you’re paying attention to what’s happening in our nation and around the world as well

as in the music business. Yeah, I definitely pay attention. You got to. There’s a lot of bad stuff going on these days and you have to be aware of your surroundings and what’s going on.

Do you go to public or private school?

No, I’m home schooled and take on line classes.

Tell me about your band. Well, I have two bands, a Blues band, The Soul Fixers and my other band with session members which is my own original music, The Generation Blues Experience. Members vary because they have other shows and go on tour.

Do you have any touring planned for the future?

I just ended a tour last week. LA, San Diego, Cincinnati, Chicago, Minneapolis, and more. I don’t really remember them all just off the top of my head. But no, nothing in the future yet.

VERBALS: DARRELL SAGE VISUALS: ROB SHANAHAN

After I watched a couple of your videos I thought, WHOA, then watched again while closing my eyes. You don’t play guitar like the average 15 year old up there on stage. You’ve jammed with some pretty interesting and influential people. Who is you favourite?

I mean honestly, I love them all. Every single moment with different people brings a different experience. For better or worse you grow from that experience. I’ve taken something from it and grown from them all.

Whose current music are you listening to now?

Justin Bieber’s new album is amazing.

Yes, Bieber gets a bad rap from the media and some of his peers for off stage antics, but he is a great talent and even I like the cut, What Do You Mean and I don’t often care for most of the new gen’s music. Who Else?

The Weekend, Drake, Ed Sheeran, Kendrick Lamar and J Cole.

Who do you consider you greatest

influences?

I really like, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Miles Davis. Hendrix of course, Buddy, Albert King, BB, all the blues greats and John Coltrane, Oscar Peterson and Stevie Wonder.

Ahh yes, nobody doesn’t like Stevie Wonder. At your age I think you are like a sponge and would imagine that in a few years you will develop a style of your own. What do you think your style is right now? Yes, my own style, that’s really the goal. Right now it’s somewhere between Rock and Soul, R&B and Blues.

Maybe a little Jazz thrown in there as well?

Yeah, for sure.

You started playing a keyboard at the age of three, but what brought you to the guitar. How did that happen?

I was looking on the internet for a trombone player named JJ Johnson and instead of JJ I typed in BB by accident and BB King showed up. From there I saw BB King,

Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Albert King and Jeff Beck all playing the same song, Sweet Little Angel and I begged my parents for a guitar for half a year.

How many hours a day do you practice now?

I try to go 4 to 6 hours, 4 hours minimum and that’s just with guitar. Then there’s song writing and vocals. That could be another few hours.

You have a nice expressive voice. Do you have a vocal coach?

Yeah, I’ve been singing since I was about 12. My vocal coach works under The Seth Riggs programme.

Sweet. His program has mentored some greats, Ray Charles, Diana Ross, even Stevie Wonder. How long have you been playing guitar? About 7 or 8 years. That’s crazy cause it seems like just yesterday that I picked it up, you know.

Who do you take lessons from?

My guitar teachers are Steve Trovato and John Sosin.

How supportive of your music is your family?

My parents are extremely supportive. Which I’m blessed you know, cause not everybody is. Without them I could just be playing in my bedroom.

Simple questions, burritos or pizza? I love ‘em both. I can’t choose, because those are some of my favourite foods. What I really would like is a pizza burrito. That would be pretty awesome. But, I love all food. If it won’t give me a stomach ache I’ll eat it.

Cool, your mother must be a good cook?

Yeah, she’s a great cook, but my grandmother is the best.

Computer or Television? Computer.

Facebook or Instagram? Instagram for sure.

Gibson or Fender? I love them both. They are good for different things. Obviously I play a Fender and my main thing is a Fender but in the studio if you want a really good distorted power chord I’d say Gibson. But for playing like a solo on a Hendrix type of thing or on a song I’d say a Strat, but it really depends. I love them both.

How many guitars do you have? I don’t even know. Like, probably six or seven. I practice on a couple of specific ones, but they all have their own purpose.

When you are writing songs do you write the lyrics first or the music? It really varies. Sometimes I get a lyrical idea in my head and I’ll write the hook and then I’ll construct chords behind that. Or sometimes I’ll write chords and then I’ll take them and make it a song, you know.

Do you write more on the guitar or the keyboard?

Lately I write more on the guitar, but I used to write primarily on the keyboard. On my EP, most of the songs were written on the keyboard.

Listening to the lyrics on a couple of those songs it seems you were writing them for a girlfriend. Teenage love can be quite brutal sometimes.

Umm, no comment.

It was really a pleasant surprise listening to your version of Light My Fire. What inspired you to pick that one of all the possibilities?

Ahh thank you man. I appreciate it. Well, I felt like I could really make it my own, you know. And I love Robbie to death. He’s really a great guy and kinda took me under his wing. And he played on it as well, Robbie Krieger from the Doors. He saw me playing at the Greek Theatre and we’ve kinda been in touch ever since.

“IF YOU DON’T WRITE YOU DON’T EXIST”

Grammy Winner Steve Jordan produced Songs For You. How did you hook up with him? We met at the bands show in 2011 or maybe 2012 and stayed in contact since then. My Aunt lives in New York so when I visited one time I played him some songs and he said we should cut them.

So where are you going to take your music to from here, got any idea? I really hope to do rock and soul music and really kind of find a way to combine modern music and modern elements with them and try to experiment around. And then one day create a new style. You know like Jimi Hendrix or the Beatles. I want to innovate. You know those cats, they really innovated. Without Jimi Hendrix guitar playing wouldn’t be what it is now. Without The Beatles, song writing wouldn’t be what it is…without Queen, you know. So I want to be in that category. Like one day when I die, OK, without Ray Goren this style of music or this style of something wouldn’t have been nearly as big. I want to be like that innovative guy.

It’s nice to know you want create your own style and if you keep

working at it I’m sure that will happen. I watch you play and see your facial expressions. You’re feeling what you’re playing rather than simply playing it. You’re probably not even aware of it. For sure, I mean you have to feel it. There’s no other way. I can’t control it, unfortunately.

No, no! Not unfortunately. That’s a good thing, it’s real. Not some affectation learned from another source.

I’m glad you think so.

Anybody in your family musical, play an instrument?

Nobody in my family plays. I wish somebody did. It would be fun if somebody played.

Those are some pretty strong genes you inherited from someone. You writing anything at the moment? Yeah, I’m constantly writing. Both lyrics and music. If you don’t write you don’t exist. That’s what somebody once told me. Life inspires me. If I see or hear something that touches me then I write about it.

Well young man, I really appreciate your taking some time out here to chat it up for Blues Matters! You have an incredible gift. I’m absolutely certain that with continued efforts you will play a big part in the future of music and we all have high hopes for you.

Sure, no problem and thank you.

The surname may be familiar. Yes, this is the singing daughter of the Small Faces and Humble Pie great Steve Marriott.

You are on an album set I have celebrating Ronnie Lane? What are your memories of that all-star show?

Oh my gosh I was so very young, I was 17 I think. I remember it being kind of crazy backstage. A lot of people who shouldn’t have really been there and pissing people off. It was a night of firsts. The first time I performed at The Royal Albert Hall. The first time meeting Simon Fowler, I love Ocean Colour Scene and was in awe of Simon’s voice. He was so drunk and kept cuddling me saying how he was going to make it his duty to look after me all night, whilst using me as a leaning post. It was funny. The first time Ronnie Wood, my step sister Sam and I shared the stage which was amazing. It was very emotional for all involved.

How do you look after your voice?

Any tips for aspiring singers heading for the stage? Before, I used to smoke and drink and never bother warming up but then I realised, to do this properly you literally have to think like an athlete and train. Eat well, quit the s*** and get your head in the game. I don’t have sugar or dairy as I found these really screwed up my voice. I stopped drinking, not that I did much anyway and stopped smoking. I stretch every day. Full body and all the muscles around your throat. It has made a big difference in my range. I tend to carry stress around my shoulders and throat so I tend to see my sports therapist for deep tissues massages twice a month.

An acoustic gem? What song/tune and who by? What’s the appeal?

Either ‘Heart of Gold’ by Neil Young or ‘River’, Joni Mitchell. Both have this warm sadness that pulls you in. I always tend to listen to these more in the winter I find.

Best 2nd or follow up album of all time? and why? (I love The Doors

‘Strange Days’)

Hands down ‘Rumours’!! I know it wasn’t Fleetwood Mac’s second album but with the new line up it was so I’m cheating a bit but they completely transformed adding the girls and the writing was just spellbinding and beautiful. That album will never get old and will stand the test of time!

Which artist did you go to see perform with low expectations but ended up impressed? Where and when was this?

I wouldn’t say I had low expectations as I know how loved they are, I just wasn’t sure what to expect but I

WHAT’S SHE GONNA DO?

THE TALENTED SONGSTRESS WITH A LEANING TO BLUES AND SOUL FIELDS QUESTIONS FROM BM’S PETE SARGEANT.

Mollie Marriott

VERBALS: PETE SARGEANT VISUALS: SAM ATKINSON

recently saw Jethro Tull in London and thought the band were epic. Proper folk rock! It was a Rock Opera and hands down the craziest I’ve seen but great!

Where in the world in your opinion is live music best received? What venues appeal?

Nashville I think. The music scene in Nashville is just mind blowing. Every bar you walk into there is someone who will blow your mind vocally or musically. I remember Emmylou Harris just suddenly appearing out of nowhere and getting up. I fan girled a lot and this women turned to me, laughed and said “Honey, welcome to Nashville.”

Germany are also fantastic supporters for live music!

Has a radio DJ anywhere, any era ever impressed you and if so why?

I am very close to “Whispering” Bob Harris. He impresses me every day with his knowledge of the industry and the catalogue that is stored in his brain. It’s very important to me that he likes my music as I respect him so much. Luckily he does.

Suggest a song that reminds you of your childhood and why might this be?

Toto ‘Hold the Line’… my Mum loved it!!

Also your favourite recording by your father, Steve?

Without a doubt ‘Rocking The Fillmore’ Humble Pie. One of the best live albums ever recorded in my opinion. Captures the energy and the bands magnetic vibe between musicians. My Dad’s vocal on it just blows me away. He does this vocal run just before ‘I’m Ready’ to introduce it and it goes right through me and

just frightens me how it can come out of such a tiny little person.

What have you worn on stage that makes you laugh now?

I’m very picky on my stage outfits to make sure that never happens. Anything I’ve worn, even if it’s a little wacky was how I wanted to express myself in that moment so I just roll with it!

Is there a book or novel that you would like to create songs or the score for and why is this? Yes… Dracula, Pete! Can you imagine!! I’d love it. As I always say, I love the beauty in darkness and I tend to lean more towards that when writing so I’d love to write for it and have someone like Lana Del Rey sing it. She is the best for movie songs of that kind of feel I find.

Did you enjoy school? Whether you did or not, which song reminds you of schooldays?

I LOVED my secondary school in Henley. My whole year cried when we had to leave, it was devastating. I recently went back there to perform so they could see there is an after life after school, ha. One of my teachers was still there and I lost instant cool point off the students for running and jumping on her. I had wonderful teachers. Probably the whole album ‘Californication’ by Red Hot Chilli Peppers. We were absolutely obsessed with it.

Mollie’s single A Million Miles is out now and her album Truth Is A Wolf is out early 2016, both on MITA Record.

MOLLIE MARRIOTT THE TRUTH IS A WOLF MITA

Records

The interesting thing about Mollie to me is that she seems to dig deep and sing in a bluesy way without aping black female singers. This means the notes don’t get twisted every which way, as the horrific ‘soul’ singers on X Factor etc. tend to be steered. Mollie hits the notes and makes them count. Indeed on the opening cut Broken with its warm electric piano and steady drumming the delivery is like Elkie Brooks, an octave up. Transformer mines a dirtier blues sound, again with a clear vocal. The ethereal slow-burn funk of Love Your Bones has intertwining minor chords whilst Ship Of Fools goes for a brisk Muscle Shoals style mood, with a story lyric and heavy Free influence. The psych intro to King Of Hearts flows into a stealthy blues tread minus any grandstanding. An aching sadness runs through Give Me A Reason.an introspective ballad. Title track The Truth Is A Wolf is a steady rocker with an ace vocal and amp tremelo’d guitar. Sustained guitar notes haunt My Heaven Can Wait. Final number Gravity has sombre beauty equalling any Sandy Denny masterwork. Only criticism? A preponderance of sad songs. A few bouncier cuts would balance things up. Not that this stops the maudlin Adele from flogging her albums!

MOLLIE MARRIOTT A MILLION MILES

CD Single – MITA Records

The Marriott daughter certainly has the pipes of her Dad but a much purer tone. This single from her forthcoming album is set to a subtle and steady tempo, with a touch of harmonics on the guitar chording and sparing piano. It’s a sad song in later Fleetwood Mac vein BUT undoubtedly radio-friendly. The earnest vocal has an almost Judy Collins style quality giving this cut an aching beauty. All it needs is a Lindsey Buckingham style guitar coda and live it’s odds on it will get one…

PETE SARGEANT

PETE SARGEANT

Hundred Seventy Split MORE THAN TEN YEARS AFTER

From the ashes of the legendary band Ten Years After comes Hundred Seventy Split, consisting of bassist extraordinaire Leo Lyons, the tasteful guitar licks of Joe Gooch, and the impeccable drumming of Damon Sawyer. Active now for six years, with three albums out and a fourth one coming, Leo Lyons took some time to talk to us from his home in Nashville to tell us about HSS and catch us up on what the bands plans are for 2016.

How did Ten Years After evolve into Hundred Seventy Split?

From mostly frustration on my part and also on Joe’s part. It was becoming very difficult working in Ten Years After, it had become a little bit of a negative situation. We were on a different page musically. Not that I dislike playing Ten Years After songs, but I like to move forward and progress. There was a little bit of opposition towards that. So we started HSS as a side project. To get our frustrations out if you like and do something out of the Ten Years After box that wasn’t restricting us. So we were quite happy doing that, but enough said….the other two guys weren’t too happy

about that. So it came to the crunch and we had to give up our Ten Years After thing and do HSS. It’s a continuation really. I started Ten Years After with Alvin, maybe four or five years before we changed the name to Ten Years After. So it’s a continuation of what I started out doing with Alvin. Well that totally makes sense. Mental sense, yeah.

Well as long as you’re at peace Leo. I am. I’m much, much happier! I enjoy my music more. Oh we still play Ten Years After songs you know, but we do whatever we want to do. Without restriction and without any opposition.

So you’ve been in the studio lately with HSS? This would the fourth HSS album then?

Yeah, it will be. We actually start recording in the studio on the 18th of this month (January). We had already been in to run through some material we had already written, then went out on the road and started to play again, and then we’ll get back in the studio and record. So that’s the plan.

Material wise, it’ll be pretty much the same vein as your previous work or will you be doing some covers?

If we could think of a good cover we might throw one in. I think we’ll probably do a song that Joe and I wrote for Ten Years After that was on a Ten Years After album. I don’t suppose you could call that a “cover” as Joe and I wrote it. It’s a song that I didn’t think Ten Years After did justice to, so we may record that. We’ve played it out live and quite enjoyed it so we may add that. We’ve got too many songs for

VERBALS: BARRY FISCH VISUALS: ARNIE GOODMAN

one record, so, you know how it goes, you over record and then pick what you think turns out best for the record.

“WE’RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT THIS YEAR”

Well that’s a much better problem to have than not having enough material.

It’s not a question of having enough material; it’s a question of time. Time is…. “oh you’ve got to have the artwork in by so and so….”

Otherwise it won’t get in the press and that kind of thing; that’s what seems to put us up against it.

There’s always got to be some kind of deadline.

Yes. Which is not too bad. Otherwise you could go on forever can’t you?

So this new material you’ve been playing on the road; how have the audiences been reacting to it? Very well! One thing is the songs always develop on the road. Sometimes you think “we should have played that out before we recorded it”; that so often happens with every band I know. So it’s been well received. I’ve been using contrabass too, so there will be a few tracks with contrabass. This will be the first time I’ve recorded with contrabass since the very early days of Ten Years After.

Contrabass is upright bass? Yes. Doghouse; whatever you want to call it!

You’ve done a fair amount of touring in 2015. Anything lined up yet for 2016?

There are a few things lined up. We’re going to do something different this year. We’re not going to do a spring tour; an extended run of dates. We’ll just do a few odd shows here and there. I’m hoping to do more festivals this year and then do an extended tour in November. We’re always in the hope of being able to sort some U.S. dates out. The problem with that is stringing the dates together to make sense, and also the getting the visas

in time, which was a real problem last time.

In the summer of 2015 HSS played their first North American date in Canada at the Blues Fest in Windsor, Ontario. But you couldn’t continue into the U.S.A. because of visa problems. Hopefully that will work out. There has got to be people in the States that would love to see HSS. Oh I’m sure. I get emails all the time….people saying “when are you coming to the States”. Even promoters saying they want to book us. It’s a visa problem and it’s a common thing, not just with Hundred Seventy Split. European bands wanting to come to America. They make it almost impossible to get the visas together in time. There’s about a 160 day processing time for a visa, and often the dates aren’t set up 160 days ahead. Therein lies the problem.

If you are able to get visas for the U.S. would you prefer to play festivals? It seems you enjoy that. It makes sense to do festivals really, because that way we make more people in the States aware of who Hundred Seventy Split are. I mean they know me from Ten Years After but they may not know the music I’m doing currently.

What about the fans? Do you sometimes get a sense they’re disappointed it’s not Ten Years After?

You know I talk to the fans. The older ones tell me “well yeah, we know it’s not the same, but we like to go along, have a few drinks, and listen to the songs.”

For your upcoming performances in 2016…obviously the new HSS material will be incorporated into the show, but will there be any Ten

Years After chestnuts that perhaps you’ve never played live before, either with HSS or ever? Yeah. We drop a few different ones in every set. Last tour we added a song that we hadn’t done before because a long term fan kept asking and asking for it and in the end we put it in. So we enjoyed playing it and then that went into the set. The problem is with three albums of our own plus an extensive catalog of Ten Years After songs, the set’s getting longer and longer. If we could do two shows in one place maybe we could fit all the material in that we’d like to play! We’ve taken to doing two sets a night now just to give the audience a break.

Leo, what music are you listening to these days? What shows do you go to see? Now everyone’s issuing archival releases of artists and bands from back in the day. Are you into that, or are you into current artists, or somewhere in between? I’m somewhere in between. I don’t go to that many shows. Most times when I see a band, it’s when we’re out on tour when we’re supporting them or they’re supporting us or we’re on a festival or something like that and then I’ll watch the show. Like a lot of people, I hear about a band, I watch it on YouTube or Spotify and if I like it I buy the record. That’s how I discover music now. I think some of the rereleases, some of the old material I grew up with I like to listen to. Particularly country music; I like country music, and blues of course. I’m fairly open on music. I hear something I like, I buy it.

Is your appreciation of country music directly as a result of your home in Nashville, or were you always a country music fan?

Seventeen years ago I came to Nashville because I like

country music and started writing. I was a staff writer here. The first record I heard as a nine year old was Jimmie Rodgers. The second record was Leadbelly, so I guess those were the two influences before rock and roll took hold.

Well that explains it then!

Yes those two are a mixture of what became rock and roll I guess.

Are there any artists recording today that you’ve come to enjoy?

I like the Cadillac Three, Jack White. Some of Joe Bonamassa. I like Beth Hart stuff.

Leo Lyons, when you‘re not playing, not gigging, not recording, what are you doing?

Sleeping! That’s about it. I don’t do much other than playing. Playing is my first love, and recording second.

And eating Italian Food third perhaps?

I like Italian food, yeah. I do a little bit of martial arts. But everything else has to take precedence.

Well Leo, this has been fun. Thank you for your time!

Oh, no problem. What I’d just like to say to the readers of Blues Matters! that are into the blues and into the music of the blues (which is the basis of all rock music as we know); is that if you’re a musician, don’t be put off by people telling you’ll never get anywhere!

CHECK OUT WWW.HUNDREDSEVENTYSPLIT.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION

The Road Live 2015

Hss 2014

The World Won’t Stop 2010

Connie Lush has been at the top of the UK blues scene for more years than she or I would care to remember. In that time she has performed at many prestigious venues and been on stage with some of the greats in the business, including BB, who said “That woman makes my heart sing”.

She has won many awards in the UK and Europe, being voted European Blues Vocalist of the Year twice, beating off male and female challengers. With a new album and a new zest for performing, Connie and the band are hitting the road in the UK and Europe to showcase this masterpiece of music, their new CD, “Renaissance.”

How is the album being received and how do you see “Renaissance” Well, the reception so far has taken us all by surprise, both from the music press and the public! To be honest, we couldn’t have asked for more. It’s knocked me off my feet! And the Album was only released the 4th of December! So, Babies, keep knocking me off my feet!

People ask me about the title “Renaissance” but for me it’s meant opening up and expressing some deep feelings which I normally save for performing on stage, if that makes sense! And of course, we have a whole new band

which has shed light on a lot of things, so my lyrics book is booming!

Which is your “fave” song?

It’s got to be “Lonely Boy”, the production and space of itand of course it means a lot to me. I wrote it about a boy who sat next to me at school. He was different and we became friends but he suffered for being different and when I moved schools I missed him. I have wondered down the years how he is - it’s not good to be lonely and he was. I like different.

What is the song writing process?

The process is I hate it! I lock myself away in a cupboard. But the tune always comes first, the lyrics take second place. “Fish fingers and toast” etc. have been substituted till the right lyrics arrive. Saying that, I luv writing lyrics...it’s a constant.

What is the method?

The method I usually like to use is rhythm, it’s the king in our house. The drums and

bass have always drawn me in first (sorry, Steve) and I have lots of basic rhythm bits and pieces. I also have my very own bass player at hand, so we work it together. We all get together when we can and bring it all to the table and things change.

The Band

We formed two years ago. Of course Terry Harris is my husband and bass man - we have travelled the world together on the stage and then some! Steve Wright on guitar we have known and worked with at Mersey TV forever. Steve is known for composing music for Brookside which is where we originally met, also Grange Hill and Hollyoaks and, currently, Moving On. Were now also working with Wayne Proctor, “House of Tone”. Roy Martin, our drummer, was introduced to us by Steve and has worked with so many musicians it makes your mouth water, including Aretha Franlkin, Snowy White, Modern English, Patricia Cass and it goes on. I have three heavy duty musicians and am proud to have them on stage with me,you owe me a drink guys!

How do you preserve your voice?

BLUES REVIVAL

Connie Lush

VERBALS: CHRISTINE MOORE VISUALS: EYE IMAGERY

I use my own method which I call the three S’s - “Sleep, Steam and Shut up” although I find the latter difficult - and of course a glass of red calms the soul!

Specific mic.?

SM58 - the older and dirtier it is the better - especially one with lipstick stains!

Singing lessons?

I had them once - they literally told me “not to give up my day job”…so I never went back!

First experience of recording? One thing to say about “Recording” - “Don’t like!” but it’s part of the processthe exception to the rule is working with Steve Wright at his studio, he changed it for the better.

How healthy is the Blues scene in Europe?

European Blues scene is much healthier, true, but it’s suffering now too. They have always had government funding for the arts and music which, due to the financial crisis, has been taken away. Live music and the recording of it is still finding its way back through the landscape of digital - but I have every confidence in live musicit feeds the soul.

Which gig would be your dream to play?

Anywhere in Chicago. - Buddy Guy’s would be YES!

Where have you toured etc.?

I have toured forever and everywhere, I think it’s over 33 countries now. Memphis was special and I’m happy to say I have lots of favourite gigs to play still, but to be honest, I just want to be on stage, or in the van with the guys and yes, maybe France has a little spot in my heart.

Your first memory of your first gig? I was always in choir’schurch and school, from the age of 6....so I remember doing my first solo at Midnight mass, “Away in a Manger” at 8 yrs of age. Memories of our organist, Miss Vickers hissing, to me “too jazzy!” - it was always a constant throughout my choir days, “too jazzy” and “blend in”, but I just kept turning up and getting louder and more jazzy - wonderful!

I know what goes on the stage stays on tour but….. Ok, a girl never tells, no names mentioned! The place was Russia and it involved 3 bands, a Russian Orthodox Bishop, a Stetson, a Russian hat, a lift, vodka, Russian police with AKG guns, a lot of snow and very relieved musicians that there were no cells involved!

That’s all I can say, Babiesbut there have been so many crazy happenings. Maybe one day I will tell. The one about the bikers club in the Swiss mountains!!!! Now that’s a memory!

Most fun musical experience? Has to be Ireland...we played at the Dublin and Cork Jazz Festivals for over 7 years running - regularly doing morning TV there, which was hilarious - and being picked up at Dublin Airport in a hearse! The Irish know how to party and play a tune. There is Irish in me so I guess I am biased - but then there is Irish in nearly everyone in Liverpool!

Favourite heroes/heroines?

A huge influence was Ray Charles from an early age and, then later, John Lee Hooker but I think I would have to choose Nina Simone simply because her music is what I play most of on a daily basis. I did a version of “Hush

Now Don’t Explain” that was recorded by Nina with “Sense Of Sound Choir” as the instruments. - Singing a Billy Holliday classic with a Nina Simone twist, was a heavenly experience. I have also watched Nina Simone perform live in the wings. She made my skin tinglethat proud back of hers bent over her piano - and then she said “hello” as she was whisked away in the arms of two security men and a bottle of Champagne. Now that’s class, Babies!

What are you proud of achievements - wise?

Being a founder member 20 years ago of “Sense Of Sound” in Liverpool - a choir for women, but not just musicians, which gave support as well as help. I left two years after but it has gone from strength to strength and I still go back. The last time I joined them was a couple of years ago for a project of “Joni Mitchell”. Also let’s not forget my husband, Terry Harris on bass who has played with style and heart and also been a great part in my career and continues with me - he is my greatest achievement.

Any Unusual hobbies you can share?

One of my hobbies is collecting sound effects, be the Hollywood or plain old tug boat or snow globes, but they have to be musical - of course. Thanks Babies. See you in 2016 somewhere xxxxxxx, and thanks Christine. I enjoyed those questions!

Thoroughly enjoyed talking to you as usual Connie. You are full of surprises.

VINTAGE 2015. IN FIGHTING FORM. Their first studio album for 7 years, and the 12th studio album in a career spanning 52 years. A thundering and potent new recording from the legendary band. Recorded as true as possible to their ‘live’ sound - a cool, vintageedged sound. The band is extensively touring in the UK and Europe in 2015.

OTHER COLLECTABLE PRETTY THINGS RELEASES

LIVE AT THE BBC Remastered 4 CD set. 60 track collection of archive and rare recordings. Detailed liner notes with band quotes.

LIVE AT ROCKPALAST 3 Disc set. Restored film + Remastered soundtrack. Rockpalast Christmas Special 1998 (DVD+CD)

Plus 2 Bonus concertsCrossroads Festival 2004 & 2007 (DVD).

www.repertoirerecords.com

ALBUMS

THE BIG BLUES REVIEWS GUIDE - ACCEPT NO SUBSTITUTE!

SIMO LET LOVE SHOW THE WAY

Mascot/Provogue

Youngish but seasoned rock-blues trio Simo have a bit to live up to as the same label’s star act Joe Bonamassa flew their flag and helped them sign. This is something we talked about when J D Simo and the guys flew from Nashville into London for promo. The great essential dynamics are present here, improvisional stuff can happen at any point but they sound disciplined and linear. Simo doesn’t drown out his voice with his own guitar, Elad the bassist can’t talk enough about Andy Fraser and the drummer Adam knows about Bill Bruford as well as Mitch Mitchell. Their overall sound does to me sound like a James Gang for the here and now and they hands up to the reference. Opener Stranger Blues takes Elmore somewhere else; Long May You Sail has a euphoric vibe and chest-out psych delivery and fine vocals. I’ll Always Be Around has a more back porch ambience once the D Trucks nod is out of the way and could be classic Marshall Tucker Band. Please is a real stomper with ace slide and boy does he sing well! I’d Rather Die In Vain has a sonic noblesse and buckets of punch with pinched note guitar and insistent vocal, reeks of Texas ! As much emphasis on tone and space is given to the music here as to impressive playing, on this collection, makes a change from the ‘we desperately want you to love us’ schtick that too many major label debuts seem to have. Yet. They don’t sound cocky. What a find!

PETE SARGEANT

LAVENDORE ROGUE LIGHT UP WITH Independent

The demise of Hokie Joint left the British music scene with a big hole in terms of originality

and off the wall performances, but with the release of Light Up With by LaVendore Rogue, it seems that maybe that hole is about to be filled. Not surprising, considering that three members of Hokie Joint are the mainstay of LaVendore Rogue. The unforgettable vocals of JoJo Burgess are there aplenty, along with Joel Fisk on guitar and Stephen “Cupsey” Cutmore on drums. Making up the band are Warren Lynn on keys and Rob “Tank” Barry on bass. The album explores a myriad

of different themes with nine original songs and a cover of Warren Zevon’s Play It All Night Long to close the proceedings. The band offer a potent voice in covering socially difficult subjects ranging from drugs and the power of wealth to marriage and being jilted at the altar. Opening in a very Rolling Stones rock style, Dead Man’s Chest has a very strong guitar lick that sets out their stall, no prisoners to be taken here, just a bottle of rum on a pirate’s chest. The Maze is a more up-tempo pop styled song with weaving guitar, a very tight danceable track. Next up is Animal, with a short but effective use of Cello in the opening bars, with Jo Jo narrating over solo piano. The band ramp up when the subject of the song is found out to be a fraud, mistreating his women. The message here is very potent and relevant in today’s society. Maintaining the social conscience, and possibly my favourite track, Honey Murder opens with great distorted guitar and strong bass line. Joel’s guitar solo is superbly controlled and threatening, without ever losing the thread of the song. Up next is Riot, a song about riots in London following the shooting of a black youth. Listen to the words here because they tell a gruelling story of an underclass within this society.

A.S.A.D deals with drugs and the horrors that surround that world, a world that will even control those with power and money. This is a truly excellent release and with ten tracks on the album, I have to admit to

finding the first six extremely addictive, returning time after time to those songs.

MERV OSBORNE

ERIC BIBB & JJ MILTEAU

LEAD BELLY’S GOLD –LIVE AT THE SUNSET AND MORE

Dixiefrog

Eric Bibb is a superb blues singer and guitar player and on this tribute album to the blues legend, Huddie Ledbetter, better known as Lead Belly, he is accompanied by the world class harmonica playing of Jean-Jacques (JJ) Milteau. The original idea was from Philippe Langlois who brought the two legendary artists together. It is very appropriate that JJ is French, since Lead Belly was one of the first US bluesmen to visit Europe, when he played in Paris in 1949, just before his death, at the age of 61. This fact is even more remarkable when you consider that Lead Belly, born in the Deep South in the late 1880s, was originally discovered in Louisiana’s infamous Angola prison farm in 1933. A remarkable life changing turnaround in just 16 years, which left us with a rich storytelling/musical heritage of rural blues songs,

LESLIE WEST SOUNDCHECK

Mascot/Provogue

Another welcome release from the American rock-blues titan and here the variety of material staggering. Some very well-known numbers are Westicised, sometimes in the company of other stars. You cannot help but like West as a conversationalist, he is sort of blunt but so very informative (and occasionally) appreciative that his music makes much more sense when you know the stories. Here he does at last release Don Nix’ Goin’ Down with May, Middleton, Bramlett, Whitlock and bass ace Davis Hood aboard for the plunge. Next moment he’ll play You Are My Sunshine in the company of Pete Frampton! Leslie, you really should do something with our Joe Brown. A Tracy Chapman tune is given the treatment and it aches; radio shock Jock prompted a reappearance of the Guild 12 string on a number Stern Warning. West tackles the sublime People Get Ready, without paling to the Jeff Beck/Rod take. The guitar tones throughout the record are really soulful and his philosophy on soloing upheld. Empty Promises out-sparks AC/DC whilst the trio cut of Spoonful is not only live but has Joey Franco and dear Jack Bruce pumping smoke from the song. West says that the longer he lives, the wider range of music he appreciates and this album underlines the notion. Maybe one of the most musical releases of this year.

IAIN PATIENCE

helped by the architects of his success, famed folklorists John and Alan Lomax. The 16 track album, containing 11 live tracks at The Sunset, a famous Parisian jazz club and 5 studio recorded tracks, features Eric and JJ playing a selection of Lead Belly’s better-known and classic songs: Good Night, Irene, Rock Island Line, House Of The Rising Son, Bring A Little Water, Sylvie plus a few of Eric’s own songs, including a tribute song to Lead Belly: Swimmin’ In A River Of Song. It was also great to hear Big Daddy Wilson singing on a few tracks as well as Gilles Michel bass, Larry Crocket drums and percussion, Michael Robinson backing vocals, Glen Scott Wurlitzer and Michael Jerome Browne guitar and mandolin. They make a fantastic attempt to recreate the music of Lead Belly, whilst still maintaining their own individuality. It is an album to just sit back, listen and enjoy. It is not a great surprise that it is already climbing the charts. Finally, my

thanks to the CD designers who have included excellent detailed accompanying notes, which always make the reviewer’s job easier!!!

ANDY MANN

support from such luminaries as singers Joss Stone and Van Morrison, the latter on a touching tribute to BB King, Flesh & Bone. Billy Gibbons is recruited, complete with trademark growl for Wear You Out. From blaring horns on Thick Like Mississippi Mud to the mic distortion on Smarter Than I Was, what you get is pure Chicago blues. The majority of the tracks could be deemed to be autobiographical, Come Back Muddy referring to Muddy Waters and the aforementioned Flesh & Bone being obvious examples of two of Buddy’s contemporaries no longer with us. Born To Play Guitar chronicles Buddy’s life and how he got to singing the blues. After a career spanning some fifty years, it’s difficult to change direction, in Buddy’s case, why bother? Here we have a set of classic blues tracks, with fantastic musicians, what more could you wish for?

CLIVE RAWLINGS

ZAKIYA HOOKER

LIVE IN EUROPE

Boogie With The Hook

BUDDY GUY

BORN TO PLAY GUITAR

Silvertone/RCA

Buddy is one of the last pioneers of the musical expression that became the blues. At the age of 78, let’s face it, he doesn’t need to keep churning out album after album at the rate he does. He is very proud of the fact he has come up through the ranks, influencing many on the way. This fact is well illustrated on this album, calling, as he does,

John Lee Hooker’s daughter is a fine blues artist, with the obvious advantage of having such a famous father, but she has forged her own path, as underlined by this release, recorded at the International Bluesfest, Eutin, Germany. It is Zakiya’s seventh album, and features her husband Ollan “Chris James” Christopher on bass - and he takes the vocal on the jazzy funk (or funky jazz) of Johnny “Guitar” Watson’s Ta Ta You (Thank You), the opening track. He was the former singer with Chicago soul band The Natural Four in the 70s, so the results are certainly worth hearing. Zakiya herself comes to the fore on the rabble-rousing Let The Good Times Roll, gets a bit jazzy on Funny But I Still Love You, nods towards blues-rock with a slightly Cream inflected cover of Robert Johnson’s

Crossroads, pays tribute to Etta James with a fine version of Damn Your Eyes, and sings the blues pure, simple and nicely relaxed with Z.Z. Hill’s Down Home Blues, whilst the band hit an excellent forceful, but also rather laid-back groove –guitarist Federico Bozas takes a brittle solo and keyboards player Fabricio Laborde adds a fine break and grounding; they are Argentineans, as is drummer Willy Bozas. Zakiya is canny enough to realise that a large proportion of the audience may have been initially attracted by her father’s music, so she includes One Bourbon, One Scotch (as the sleeve puts it), associated of course with the King Of The Boogie. The encore Big Boss Man hits a fine groove and sports strong vocals from Zakiya and her husband, though a full-blown duet would be nice! Proceedings close out with one of her father’s songs that Zakiya has recorded before, Hug You Kiss You, here given a nicely humorous treatment, and a wonderful eight minutes long tour-de-force blues medley to provide a very impressive end to a fine set.

NORMAN DARWEN

CELSO SALIM BAND TO THE END OF TIME

GRV Discos

Opening track To The End Of Time is a lovely laid back and swinging jazzy blues underpinned by acoustic bass, slinky dobro and vocals from Salim plus rolling piano from Ari Borger and light drums from Jason Sterling. An early highlight comes with the soul infused slow blues

Fool Of Me featuring Salim’s emotional vocals and killer guitar chops laid on top of Borger’s Hammond B3 organ and Denilson Martins’ smooth sax. The band are Brazilian, the musicianship is stellar and there are eight original songs plus three covers. Red Light Blues is a Chicago shuffle with an extra helping of blues authenticity added by Darryl Carriere’s wailing harp. A change of style and pace finds guest vocalist Bia Marchese contributing her sultry, smoky vocals to the jazzy late night feeling Leave it To The Moon. Blind Man With A Gun has an acoustic feel with dobro, mandolin and piano trading licks on a smooth piece of Americana. Barbecue Bob’s classic blues It’s Just Too Bad is followed by another largely acoustic approach on Sleepy John Estes jaunty Liquor Store Blues with superb picking from Salim on mandolin and dobro. These guys may not be from the traditional home of the blues but they are absolutely the real deal. Standout track from this fine album is the epic slow blues Devil In You with all the required elements in place. Heartfelt vocals, wailing horns, and stinging guitar breaks lead to an emotional and climactic finish. Great stuff! Elmore

James favourite Talk To Me Baby is still popular in any bar all over the blues world but you won’t hear too many versions better than the rollicking cover here with slashing slide guitar, wailing horns and raucous vocals from guest Rafael Cury. Closing track Rest My Bones is a big production funky workout with the whole band partying but special mentions for Martins’ sax solo and Borger’s B3 Hammond work and Salim’s BB King inspired guitar licks. The blues scene in Brazil has produced a cracking album, which is thoroughly recommended.

DAVE DRURY

AL BASILE B’S EXPRESSION

Sweetspot

It used to be that I knew the name Al Basile for his cornet playing on some of the more interesting albums in my collection – Roomful Of Blues, Ruth Brown, Duke Robillard provide good examples of what I mean – but then a few years ago I became aware of his own solo recordings, and he rose in my estimation from being a top-notch sideman to a fine blues artist in his own right. This set is an excellent place to make the man’s acquaintance. As usual, the guitar star and master of taste

Duke Robillard has a large supporting role, playing on and producing the CD, and supplying the accompanying musicians - and sax man Doug James should be instantly familiar to many readers… But this is Al’s album, for the very good reason that he is the real star of this show, singing in a rich, warm voice and contributing cornet playing that adds a different but highly effective tone to these thirteen tunes. The quality of Al’s song-writing is worth noting too, far, far above average. Stylistically the tracks range from modern-sounding soul tinged blues like the opening Whole Lot Of Good Good Lovin and the funky Not Like I Do to the jazzy final number, You Know – You Don’t Know, inspired by a comment made by Eddie ‘Cleanhead’ Vinson, another former associate of Al’s. There are also a couple of numbers with gospel lyrics. All the performances on this CD

CONNIE LUSH BAND RENAISSANCE

exude class and confidence, but a word of caution, maybe. This is Al’s twelfth solo album, so make sure you’re on good terms with your bank manager as you are likely to be buying more Al Basile after hearing this.

NORMAN DARWEN

DAN TREANOR’S AFRISSIPPI BAND BORN TO LOVE THE BLUES

Independent

They say that the blues is a broad church and Dan Treanor’s Afrossippi Band are exponents of the whole church. Mr Treanor himself plays some

Independent Renaissance is the French word for rebirth; it is the revival or renewed interest in something. In Connie Lush’s case this is not only the name of her fantastic new album; the album itself is the ignition of a new spark in her career. If you thought Connie had lost her lust for writing then you’ll be pleasantly surprised by this new work, which anticipates much critical acclaim. This album is truly a milestone in a career of both ups and downs. Her voice is full of passion; she is able to express every emotion that one can feel in their entire life through the powerful delivery of every song she performs. Engineered and produced by Steve Wright, mixed by House of Tone’s Steve Wright and Wayne Proctor, recorded at Y Dream Studio Wales and Mastered by Jon Astley at Close To The Edge Mastering. Already you can see this album is a winner with a superb personnel list. Connie’s favourite track is Lonely Boy. This beauty is performed straight from the heart, it’s slow and expressive. It also features some wonderful guitar from Steve Wright. My favourite on this CD is Blame (It All On Me), it is easy to identify with the lyrics, I’m sure most will agree. The next two numbers are slow numbers to catch the listener’s attention Don’t Cry for Me and I Don’t Say Goodbye, these perfectly showcase Connie’s smooth delivery and represent her vocal talent down to a tee, complimenting Steve Wright’s classy guitar riffs. Shine A Light On Me a bouncy dance number that will keep your feet tapping, another one for the shufflers, is Give Me a Minute. Crying Won’t Help You has some wonderful heartfelt guitar solos from Steve. Falling Down Like Rain with a heavy bass/drum intro and smooth guitar inserts all in the right place. I Can’t Make You Love Me has a great guitar intro and fabulous vocals, Connie and Steve with a perfect subtle acoustic performance. The album has Roy Martin on drums and Terry Harris on bass keeping that back beat tight and holding the songs and delivery together beautifully. I thoroughly recommend this album for anyone who enjoys great music delivered with passion and feeling.

CHRISTINE MOORE

fine guitar and the guests on this album, Erica Brown and Merrian Johnson (MJ) are vocalists of massive talent in blues, soul, gospel and rock. Add to that Michael Hossler’s lap steel, Gary Flori on congas and a wicked rhythm section of Scott Headly and Jack Erwin (drums and bass respectively) why they achieved 3rd place in the International Blues Challenge. The album touches on just about everything that we normally call blues and the best parts of the album are where they try to stretch the format a little or where they do a little of the unexpected. Take Mississippi Fred’s Dream, a delightful piece of North Mississippi with fife and drums at the heart and superb slide geetar. But it is the way that they develop the song, bringing rock & roll, soul, gospel & jazz et al to show the roots of today’s music is in blues. These

are not just excellent players who have great heart for the music, they understand it as well. Right from the opener Can You Hear Me you can hear traces of the classic players and singers but it has a fresh feel to it, thoroughly energised and you can feel the pleasure in every note. Treanor’s mouth harp on Done Got Old is stunning; dynamic and carrying the song brilliantly. Hurt Like Mine plays hard, dark and powerful with more of that wonderful harmonica and Erica Brown’s vocals spitting and angry but soulful as well. On the ballad side they do a fabulous version of Sam Cooke’s A Change Is Going To Come – soulful and loaded with feeling and everything the song needs; Merrian Johnson sounds like one of the few soul vocalists who can sing a note without a Whitney warble and the song hits directly to the

ANDY POXON MUST BE CRAZY EllerSoul

This is a crafted album of vintage blues from Washington. Andy Poxon is a traditional blues guitarist/vocalist with a mixing up of beats and approaches his blues is predictable, superbly played and the mood is created that fits every track. Cold Weather Blues, the guitar work is measured and controlled with drums and keys adding a layer of sound underneath this urban blues and then the vocals from Andy Poxon warming up the coldest listener who loves blues slow, mournful. An album that has style, and flows with beat and changes of tempo, but for me there is no energy it is all a bit too laid back. For me blues needs anger, frustration and attitude, Andy Poxon and the band never miss a beat. Must Be Crazy is vintage blues from an artist who loves to play music that has a feel of the past giants including the opening track You Must Be Crazy that is fueled by the spirit of BB King. There is some New Orleans heating up the album on Living Alone and Making The Fool has an upbeat slightly funky feel. The lyrics are at times contrived there is no story and everything is just too clean and tidy. That said if you like blues tinged with soul and spiced with jazz plus a crooner then this album will hit all the right spots, beautifully produced creating a clean studio sound with musicians who can play and a vocalist with a voice that will always hit the right note with the soul of vintage blues evoking a time gone by.

LIZ AIKEN

listener’s heart. A gorgeous album, one I’ve been waiting around three years for, and I can only hope it is nominated for a stack of awards – it really is that good.

ANDY SNIPPER

THE PRETTY THINGS

LIVE AT THE BBC

Repertoire

Yes indeed more of The Pretty Things who have been in the recent issues with their latest, and terrific, album as well as other re-releases and an interview to boot! You got to love these guys. Their more recent album The Sweet Pretty Things (are in bed of course!) was a real return to form and in true Pretty Things tradition. Here we have no less than three re-issues again from Repertoire but this time (and I checked my other copies of these albums) there are even more bonus tracks than the last release of these two albums. On Savage Eye, not the typical Things sound but more aimed at the AOR and US market, and Silk Torpedo, which was probably one of their best of the period after SF Sorrow and Parachute and lived up to their distinctive style while Balboa Island is, I think, the first re-release for this album and it stands as the original with no bonus material. The BBC set can be counted as the fourth re-issue but this time it is a four disc set with informative liner notes, and band quotes, by Richard Morton Jack, sixty remastered

tracks that span over four and a half hours of music with rare BBC archive material this is the most comprehensive set of live Things and even has some previously unreleased tracks all covering the 60’s and 70’s live sets from Saturday Club, Top Gear, The Peel Sessions, Sounds of The Seventies and the In Concert series and even Old Grey Whistle Test. Jon Astley was the man in charge of the remastering and what a terrific job he has done for Repertoire and the band here as well as us, the fans of this institutional British band who continue to defy the odds and the years. Thank you Repertoire and thank you to The Pretty Things, this is most certainly recommended TOBY ORNOTT

SON LITTLE SON LITTLE Anti-Records

Son Little, the artist formerly known as Aaron Livingston, has worked with various hip-hop and RnB bands and recently wrote and produced an EP for soul legend Mavis Staples. She said of him “He writes from the heart, he’s a great singer who sings from his heart”. He lists his heroes as Hendrix, Dylan, Prince and Nas and his music is an eclectic mix of soul, jazz, blues and rock which is sometimes described as nu-soul. The first thing that stuns the listener on the opening track I’m Gone is the voice of an angel which straight away makes me think, at times, of a modern day Sam Cooke. The backing is spare and atmospheric, the vocals are multi-tracked and the

sudden unexpected, bursts of angular, distorted, rock guitar give the track an eerie feel. Nice Dreams opens with a metronomic beat and almost settles into a corny pop style soul opus before bursts of distorted guitar break up the schmaltz. Your Love Will Blow Me Away

When My Heart

Aches opens in a pleading acapella style before anguished wah-wah guitar licks add to the bluesy feel on this outstanding track. Carbon is a thumping blues-rocker with heavy riffing guitars and impassioned vocals. In contrast Lay Down is a gentle ballad featuring softly crooned vocals which is given a hint of gospel by the responding backing vocals. A funky drum beat and catchy guitar riff lead into Doctor’s In as Son Little tells his lady that he’s back in town. The sweet soul sounds of O Mother find Little asking plaintively “Is there anybody rooting for the kid?”

The music is interesting and often edgy, barring one or two clunky moments, with the emphasis on the outstanding vocals. Go Blue Blood Red has a sparse, jerky backing with the vocals taking centre stage and then comes the atmospheric Loser Blues which is set to a steady drum reminiscent of a beating heart and also features a restrained guitar solo. The River is a bluesy rocker which features drum machines and shimmering synthesisers but, rightly, nothing is allowed to get in the way of the obsessive mantra like chant “walk me to the river darling”. Album closer About A Flood opens to the sound of gently running water and Little’s impassioned vocals asking “what am I supposed to do if I’m in love” as the intensity builds to a crescendo. This is not the sort of music which would normally attract my attention but the material is eclectic and sometimes challenging and the voice is always sublime. I shall certainly look out for future releases as I

suspect Son Little will become very popular with people in a younger age bracket.

DAVE DRURY

ANDRA FAYE & SCOTT BALANTINE COULDA WOULDA SHOULDA

Vizztone

BERT DEIVERT & COPPERHEAD RUN

BLOOD IN MY EYES FOR YOU

Rootsy Records

A simply cracking release from a sparkling blues-roots band from Sweden. Acoustic, slide, resonator driven jumping stuff here with 12 tracks of generous goodness. Bert Deivert is a personal favourite of mine and with his last offering, Kid Man Blues now a few years old it’s encouraging to know he’s still producing the Scandinavian goods with this album. Tracks included range across the spectrum of traditional old-time acoustic blues classics from the everpopular Baby Please Don’t Go by Big Joe Williams - here given a positively modern, attention-grabbing slant - to Sleepy John Estes, Mailman Blues and Milkcow Blues and Bo Carter’s album title track. Sideroads take in tracks from RL Burnside and Deivert’s own fine compositions. With Deivert, US-Swede and highly talented resonator guitar and Mandolin picker there’s no surprise to find a track from the late blues-mando master Yank Rachell squeezed into the mix. Praise for this release has been pouring in from many of Deivert’s blues-peers in the USA, including mandolin master Rich Del Grosso and Harp wonder Charlie Musselwhite, both guys who know a thing or two about quality blues, for sure. This is

The pairing of Andra and Scott is a match made in heaven from a Country Blues perspective, Andra is a multiinstrumentalist, primarily mandolin and Double Bass who has a powerful and distinctive vocal neutered when she was a member of Saffire, often referred to as The Uppity Blues Women, while Scott plays an assortment of guitars with pure dexterity, while adding a second vocal, which is far from second rate. There are thirteen tracks on the album the majority of which are self-written, these songs offer a much lighter perspective than you normally associate with traditional blues material and have plenty of humour, particularly Blues For A Crappy Day and Too Much Butt For One Pair of Jeans, still blues but with some modern and witty lyrics. The track that most emphasises the duo’s sound is the balled track Take It Slow which has a thumping bass sound with some intricate guitar playing fronted by a strong vocal from Andra, another highlight is their rendition of John Hiatt’s Feels Like Rain, played slightly slower than the original but which really draws out the lyrical content of the song. A very entertaining album by two accomplished artists who have enhanced their careers by pairing up and performing together, delivering a modern take on Country Blues.

an album that romps along at a fair lick from start to finish, featuring top-quality playing from a band of clearly talented musicians equally at home with acoustic material and electric driven music: Deivert’s twelfth release to date, he is joined here by Fredrik Lindholm on percussion; Janne Zander on guitar and Per-Arne Pettersson on Bass. The result is a marvellous melange of quality blues.

IAIN PATIENCE

VARIOUS JAMMIN’ ON THE HIGH C’S Club

88 Records

Now I have to admit to having a real love affair with cruising for holidays, and been fortunate to have been on more than a few. That said, the entertainment on those was never this good, or if it had been I’d have spent less time in the theatre and on deck with infinitely more time in the lounge that these guys were playing in. Therein lies the fundamental difference between American Cruises and British ones. The UK ones tend to be a wee bit formal whereas the Yanks just let it all hang out. This CD does that without sophistication but with the verve and sparkle that comes as second nature to them. I couldn’t help but visualise Jerry Lee Lewis on first hearing Mitch, but that isn’t fair to Woods as he is a far superior piano player. This album of water borne boogie woogie with some blues is the ideal long cool drink while meandering round the Caribbean on a liner. His

ADRIAN BLACKLEE

guests include none other than Tommy Castro, Victor Wainwright, Popa Chubby (this stage name is a wee bit risqué) and on track seven Eyesight

To The Blind, the musical wizardry on the harmonica of Billy Branch. My own favourite in this cornucopia of musical magic is Boom Boom on track fourteen, featuring Branch, Woods and Coco Montoya with a little choral help from the audience. Maybe it’s time for me to cast off the dinner suit and sail American!

TOM WALKER

at it too.

DAVE STONE

rolling consistent with flow of release definitely fills a niche in solid rock music.

COLIN CAMPBELL

CHARLIE WHEELER TRIO REWIND

Independent

BLUES BUSINESS WHO’S BEEN TALKING

LoArt Records

A Four piece band hailing from my part of the world (Kent & Sussex), and they have been together for some time, playing as far as I can tell covers. Now one of the songs what I wrote has got the line “ just give me some of that twelve bar Blues with a little bit of Rock n’ Roll” and that is just what they do.11 tracks, every one of which is a cover, which would normally make me flinch and moan “Not another one”, but to the boys credit, they have not only selected covers that aren’t generally well known, they have arranged them in such a way that you start thinking, Why wasn’t that a hit the first time round?, they aren’t afraid to tread on the toes of the greats either, with a spirited version of the Stones Down Home Girl (Yes I know they didn’t write it, but who else can you think of who played it?)

Title track courtesy of Howling Wolf, closing with one of my favourites Six Days On The Road, and that probably says a lot about this band, Road Dogs one and all, and bloody good

There are so many sound alike young generation type acts nowadays that it is very difficult to find a band that has the honesty and determination to put a new slant on things. Maybe these three have done just that with their take on blues-rock, with added rhythm and attacking vocals by Charlie Wheeler, an awesome bass guitarist Dave Fink and solid drummer Rad Akers. On this their third and best release their first two releases were as a five piece outfit, but they are confident as a trio bold and brash as the opening bars of bass infused Love Letter proves a taste of things to come. Produced and engineered by Anthony Brown this is high-octane stuff. Title track is a particular pleaser laid back infectious lyrics with downtown Southern style beat. Lead vocals are solid aggressive and on the Ghost Of Who You Were sardonic and sneering about growing old and reflecting on life generally very poignant with snarling guitar work. Makin Love In The Afternoon takes a funky groove on with notes of a difficult relationship this has a lazy guitar riff and soft vocals. I Like To Wander is a bit pedestrian compared to the driving guitar solo on Rivers Gonna Rise and swaggering vocals by a confident songwriter who wrote all twelve songs. The final track So Glad To Be Here is steady

ANDRE BISSON LEFT WITH THE BLUES

Independent

After guitarist/pianist Andre Bisson graduated from the Applied Music Program at the Mohawk College in his hometown of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, he went on to record, compose and arrange five studio albums.

DANNY BRYANT BLOOD MONEY

Jazzhaus Records

These in turn have led him to becoming internationally known and receiving awards and nominations from countless sources. Left With The Blues, his latest release is an album steeped in both the blues and Motown, his major influences, but arranged with an ear to orchestration, something that hits when the sleeve liner is first read. His use of the brass section is a major positive to the sound he has achieved here. Opening with the title track, Bisson demonstrates through this slow blues his understanding and appreciation of the genre. His smoky gruff voice aches and his rolling piano upholds that feeling. It catches fire when the sax solo starts bringing the whole to an extremely soulful place. The mood changes for up-tempo rocker Borrowed Time but this song has a wall

Blood Money is the third studio release produced by Richard Hammerton. Ten tracks of differing intensity but all power guitar driven by one of the finest British blues guitarists and songwriters around. Danny Bryant seems to have never stopped touring even filling in for his mentor Walter Trout when Walter was very ill. With this bond between them Walter has duetted on title track Blood Money an honour and the track is a heady mix of emotion and drive sharing vocals and guitar riffs. This release seems to be a retrospective tribute to the blues music genre paying homage to some of his greatest blues guitarist influences. For example On The Rocks is an unashamed interpretation of Albert Collins style sharp licks and mixing a lovely organ solo by Richard Hammerton. Holding All The Cards has Jimmy Reed lilt and thunderous vocals on this one but more laid back groove. Getting away from blues rock Unchained has Albert King style down and funky with undertones of soul. Guesting on Just Wont Burn is Bernie Marsden this is a slow haunting ballad certainly a highlight. Master Plan rolls along well with trademark whining guitar and tight bass by Alex Philips with Dave Raeburnzs’ percussion percolating through the rocky Sugar Sweet .Sara Jayne the last track is another ballad co written with Richard Hammerton reflecting on a lost relationship guitar work excellent fading out with a weeping raw tone. A blues rock master class; Superb.

COLIN CAMPBELL

of brass behind it, his guitar solo smoking in a truly Rock way. Play Me A Fool recalls a Tom Waits vaudeville style, full of sass and punch. Again, the New Orleans style piano adds finesse to a great track. On All I Need, his Motown influence shines through loud and clear on what could easily be a Jackie Wilson classic for a great dancing song. Again the horns and the backing vocals add to the flavour, making it very memorable. Jerome Godboo features on Deepest Kind Of Mean, playing some great harp on a blues that rips through the heart of this album. His softness shines out in both There For You, a slow but heartrending ballad and Ordinary Day, which opens with a tasty horn tapping and with a Ray Charles style piano solo. Nice! The only cover here is Albert King’s Crosscut

Saw, possibly the weakest track of all whilst the album is wrapped up with the Gospel tinged Brand New Day. Just wish the backing vocalists were given more prominence in the mix. It’s difficult to pigeon hole this release, as it sits very comfortably in the blues, soul, and R’n’B areas, all with a little jazz thrown into the mix for good measure. Nevertheless, it’s a superb album.

MERV OSBORNE

MIKE ZITO AND THE WHEEL KEEP COMING BACK

Ruf Records

Honesty and integrity are values to be proud of and Mike Zito has learned the hard way to deal with such emotions now he seems happier in himself and

MICHAEL MESSER’S MITRA CALL OF THE BLUES

Knife Edge Records

Many BM readers will remember multi-award winner Michael’s seminal series on resonators in the blues; he now has his own guitar range as well as maintaining a hectic schedule of touring, producing, recording and tutoring. On this new fusion album, slide guitar guru Messer joins forces with Hindustani classical musicians Manish Pingle on Indian slide guitar (the Mohan veena) and tabla player Gurdain Rayatt. Pingle’s rhythmical, silvery, strings enhance the vibe of the blues, starting with Mississippi Fred McDowell’s You Got To Move. The ethereal water bubbling background sound of the tabla intensifies the mood of Lucky Charms. Messer excels with brilliant lap steel technique on the traditional Rolling In My Sweet Baby’s Arms and the beautifully arranged instrumental, Sweetheart Darling. The only double tracking on this otherwise live studio recording re-creates perfectly the vocals of the original JJ Cale classic, Anyway The Wind Blows. Messer’s vocals throughout match the emotion of the songs, exemplified by Blue Letters. Bhupali Blues and McDowell’s You Gonna Be Sorry are where eastern and western cultures and music blend seamlessly. Michael’s blues roots run deep in Rollin’ and Tumblin’ and I Can’t Be Satisfied, both master classes in bottleneck style guitar. This journey to the Ganges Delta is unique, inspiring and innovative without losing the authenticity of rural blues.

THE BISHOP

a hectic schedule of touring,

this release certainly exudes a sense of fulfilment. This sees him hooking up with his excellent band The Wheel. Seven self written three with Anders Osborne and two covers this rocks. It is music that matters and though not entirely blues this is a very fast flowing release with bits of country rock noted in the collaboration with Anders Osborne on the poignant I Was Drunk a powerful reflective tune. Opener Keep Coming Back sets the tone with saxophone infused tones by Jimmy Carpenter underpinning a very joyous togetherness of the band. Chin Up moves effortlessly a sure favourite with sassy bass licks by Scot Sutherland. Get Busy Living has that Texan swagger with backing vocals from Suzie Simms. Early In The Morning is reminiscent of The Eagles at their best. Lonely Heart has good rhythm and soulful gut wrenching vocals. Girl From Liberty has a powerful approach whilst the Bob Seger cover Get Out Of Denver harkens to good old rock and roll style. Nothin But The Truth has a catchy riff whilst Cross The Border is a slow burner. Whats On your Mind is heart wrenching blues. It finishes with the upbeat Southern jazzy tones to John Fogarty tune Bootleg. A masterpiece of emotional high octane musicianship; A gem.

COLIN CAMPBELL

CHRIS O’LEARY

GONNA DIE TRYIN’

American Showplace Music

If you like your blues with a substantial side order of Memphis soul stew and sundry other Americana trimmings, Chris O’Leary has just the album just for you. The Hudson Valley-based band leader is a vocalist, songwriter and harp merchant, who has seen

service with both the US Marines and the late great Levon Helm, and seemingly picks sidemen on the basis of their ability to emulate the classic output of Stax and Hi. And with economics forcing many bands to keep the instrumentation sparse these days, it’s nice to see this mob go the other way. Want brass section, keys, slide and foxy female backing vocals? You got it, and it makes for a great sound. Hook, Line And Sinker alone would be sufficient to establish this outfit’s credentials as hipsters, flipsters and finger-poppin’ daddies, featuring as it does some particular fine Cropperesque lines from guitarist Chris Vitarello. The horn guys also blow up a storm. 19c A Day is built on that familiar Green Onions riff, and lyrically highlights the concerns of blue collar America faced with competition from cheaper Asian labour. Walking Contradiction has all the hallmarks of Blue Sky period Muddy Waters, and blues praise doesn’t come much higher than that. True, the seven minute-plus slow blues number Letters From Home drags a little and could have used some hotter soloing to perk it up a little. But The Devil Drove Into Town in a V8 Ford, the very next track, picks up the pace again with a truckerbilly groove, while Harvest Time put me in mind of original line-up Little Feat. Good work all round, then, and possibly a marker for great things to come.

DAVID OSLER

DEB CALLAHAN SWEET SOUL

Blue Pearl

Sweet Soul is the fifth album from this Philadelphiabased blues and soul singer and a good ‘un it is too. Originally from the

Boston area, she made her debut album If The Blues Had Wings in 2002, and Sweet Soul is her fifth. Deb’s powerful and soulful voice tackles a programme of largely original material, backed by a crack Los Angeles band including the well-known producer and drummer Tony Braunagel, slide guitarist Johnny Lee Schell, Mike Finnigan on keyboards and Reggie McBride on bass. These guys have worked extensively with the likes of Taj Mahal, Etta James and Bonnie Raitt (with whom Deb was often compared in her early days), and they are joined by Deb’s regular guitarist Allen James, who is in no way overshadowed by the illustrious company. He is a fine versatile player with a noted influence from the British blues boom outfits. Although every track here is certainly worth a listen (usually much more than one!) there are some real high spots on this CD – try Deb’s own up tempo Shackin Up, or lend an ear to her bluesy cover of Candi Staton’s Sweet Feeling, with its strong southern approach, which contrasts well with the R & B feel of Tom Waits’ Way Down In The Hole and the no-nonsense Crazy ‘Bout You Baby, a straight ahead rocking Chicago blues performance, whilst the closing I Been Hoodood veers a little towards blues-rock, and boasts some fine Hendrix styled guitar work. A nicely varied set, and it is pretty obvious then that I am going to recommend this!

VICTOR IAN LEYLAND

ANDY BROAD EVERY PENNY OF THE DEAL

Reverbnation

This is my first time of hearing Andy Broad, despite his having had a career that most musicians would give their eye teeth for, with its longevity. You really

don’t stay the course of over a quarter of a century musically without ability, and this guy has more than his fair share of that. His guitar playing is reminiscent of such luminaries as Robert Johnson with some overtones of Howling Wolf and even BB King. The opening track, Woman I’m Loving is as good a Delta representation as you’re likely to get from someone this side of the pond. The delicacy of his guitar playing hints at least six fingers on each hand as opposed to the standard five, such is the quality of his playing. This is particularly so on track five Holding These Feelings, where his Gibson is featured in all its glory and he has support from Sandy Walker on the organ. Lyrically these are all his own work too, with Sally Strawberry providing them on track eight Shake. Track eleven Mosquito Hunt is an absolute cracker with the slide guitar work sounding exactly like the title, and having worked in Africa and India I know what a mosquito sounds like. All the tracks on this, his third solo album, are clear, precise productions of Blues with a hint of Jazz and while his work probably won’t make the top ten charts where anodyne pop bilge with boy bands predominate, it will appeal to the discerning listeners of the blues.

TOM WALKER

HAROLD MIKE SIZEMORE THAT OLD MAN & ME Independent

Generally we would expect to come up with around 250 words or so to review a CD and sometimes that just isn’t enough, but on the other hand, sometimes you just can’t find enough to say about a particular CD, and that is the case here. Don’t get me wrong, I actually like this CD, which seems to be a tribute to Harolds Dad. Ten tracks all self-penned with Harold playing all of the instruments himself except for drums, and bass on track 4 Red Stag. There is nothing complicated about any of the songs, no fancy drawn out solos, no filling, and just good honest working man’s music.

DAVE STONE

ELEANOR MCEVOY LOVE MUST BE TOUGH Moscodisc

If you’re unfamiliar with Eleanor McAvoy’s work, here’s what you need to know:

she’s one of Ireland’s most accomplished contemporary singer/songwriters and the composer of Only A Woman’s Heart, from the album of the same name, the best-selling Irish album in Irish history. Listening to this fine collection of 14 tracks it’s easy to understand her popularity. I’m already a convert. Here she’s backed by a superb outfit, The South King Street Band, consummate musicians every one. I loved her version of the Jagger/Richards classic, Mother’s Little Helper. She slips easily into country mode with the thoughtful Lubbock Woman. The band are on fine form on every song, loved the arrangements on Roll Out Better Days and the title track, Love Must Be Tough. Her talent as a singer in total control shines on If You Want Me To Stay, which is simply accompanied throughout like a drumbeat. There’s some romantic Mexican flavour with He Never Spoke Spanish, and if you need confirmation of just how uplifting this whole album is, try these lines; ‘Roll with the punches, Ride out the waves, Hold out, life will roll out better days.’ This is a terrific record by a superb singer with great musicians. What more could you ask for …

ROY BAINTON

JACK BON SLIM COMBO

WHAT A GOOD LIFE!

COLORS OF BLUES

Starasso

French singer and guitarist Jack Bon Slim has been leading his trio (Laurent Falso on bass and Chris Michel on drums) since 2012, having previously been leader of the 70s/80s hard rock band Ganafoul and he has sometimes been referred to as “the French Rory Gallagher” (if that interests you, listen to Rain Blues). What A Good Life! dates from 2014 and contains all original material. The set is best categorised as a bluesrock release, albeit one heavily (pun intended) leaning towards the rockier end, with plenty of loud guitar work and vocals that occasionally recall Bob Dylan and/or Mick Jagger on mainly up- or mid-tempo numbers. The opener even cops its riff from Michael Jackson – and it works! – whilst When You’ve Got No Money brought to mind David Bowie’s Suffragette

ANDY T NIXON BAND NUMBERS MAN

Blind Pig Records

This is the latest release from the Andy T Nick Nixon Band and is an outstanding one full of professional differing tones and quality of music. Guitarist Andy T Talamantez arrived in Nashville from Southern California some years ago and teamed up with local famous Rhythm and Blues guitarist and vocalist Nick Nixon in 2011. It has not taken them long to establish themselves on the blues scene and this release compounds the success of previous acclaimed Livin It Up release. Andy T exhibits different guitar styles mixing jazz and blues influences reminiscent of T-Bone Walker and others. This is more than complemented by Nick Nixon singing style tone and range to me resembles BB King. The quirky upbeat opener Shut The Front Door introduces a very fine tight band each section playing it straight ,with guest appearance and producer of release Anson Funderburgh whose wife penned Deep Blue Sea a slow mellow song incorporating wonderful backing by The Texas Horns and versatile Hammond B3 organ played by Larry Van Loon The zydeco feeling on the infectious Tall Drink Of Water is a toe tapper which leads to title track Numbers Man a more mellow tune sung with passion and soul feel, this flows well. A favourite track Sundown blues finds Kim Wilson adding cool harmonica licks marrying in well with awesome growling vocals by Andy Nixon. Great value for fourteen tracks intense but uplifting and energetic a true musical treat.

COLIN CAMPBELL

City. 2015’s Colors Of Blues is billed as an “acoustic tribute”, which really does not describe the generally tough and enthusiastic sound of this hugely enjoyable collection of blues standards. Some might quibble maybe at the inclusion in that list of Bob Dylan’s Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right and Mr Zimmerman’s Living The Blues, perhaps also at The Jive Bombers’ Bad Boy, which is done rather nicely as a gipsy-jazz performance, but the remaining nine tracks are from Billy Boy Arnold, Howling Wolf, Robert Johnson, Huey Smith & The Clowns, Taj Mahal, Chuck Berry, Tommy Tucker and Bo Diddley – and no-one can dispute their inclusion! On the surface the sound is rough and ready, but after several plays it becomes apparent that these guys really know their stuff –and more importantly, how to put it across. And that applies

to both of these very likeable releases.

NORMAN DARWEN

is ballsy and belts out of the speakers with enough range and edge that the hairs on the back of your neck stand to attention. Listening to her belting out Blues Blues Lovin’ I placed her voice somewhere around Memphis but with a large element of New Orleans and maybe a soupcon of Washington. Nope, she hails from Huddersfield but on the big soul numbers you really can’t tell it. On slower numbers such as Summer Nights you hear a little more of the ‘English’ in her voice but she carries the emotion and you can’t help but feel the song. This isn’t one of those “Oh my lord I’ve never heard anything like THAT before” albums, it is rather in a conventional vein but enlivened by some fine playing courtesy of Chris Carter on drums bass and guitar and Alasdair Pickering on lead guitar but the whole album revolves around her voice and the way she can put a song over. Very good, very classy and definitely one of Yorkshire’s finest.

ANDY SNIPPER

JOE LOUIS WALKER EVERYBODY WANTS A PIECE

Provogue/Mascot Records

ANGELA LEWIS BROWN SET ME FREE

Blue Sun Rising

There is a lot of ‘by the numbers’ Blues out there at the moment, especially in the area of female vocalists but Angela Lewis Brown is definitely a voice to be listened to and a presentation to go with it. Although she is definitely a she, her voice

Here’s a record upon which the likable veteran blues man Walker manages to include versions of two of my favourite songs ever. In conversation with Joe, it’s clear he wanted to make a disc full of variety and character and you have to concede he delivers on this. Opener

Everybody Wants A Piece is funky as whatever and Walker laughed and nodded when I cited Ernie Isley, it certainly has the St Louis axemaster’s drive. He’s in good voice, too, as the 6/8 passage punches in over a bed of Hammond chording. Do I Love Her is a Taj Mahal gem

which strikes an unusual mood – broody and emphatic. The reedy harmonica sounds cool. Joe does capture the fire this song demands. Buzz On You has a neat rolling tempo and is catchy with a NO vibe and rocking piano; whilst Witchcraft takes a sinister turn and uses space for impact. One Sunny Day is as controlled-funky as you could ever be and reflects an edgy situation, with Brit Blues riffing. Churchy organ takes us into Gospel Blues with as laidback a tempo as you’ll ever find, easy going talking guitar fills to the fore. The intensity builds but the groove is gripped. The gospel tune Wade In The Water is given an airing, with a harder tempo than you might expect. Then we get Buddy Guy’s Man of Many Words which hasn’t been attempted by many although I recall discussing Ana Popovic’s take on the number with her backstage one time. Young Girls Blues is a true foot-tapper almost in Freddie King vein and closer 35 Years has Joe giving the slide an outing on a real down home number. A great aural scrapbook of a vital performer putting out.

PETE SARGEANT

JON CLEARY GO GO JUICE

FHQ Records

Jon was born and bred in the rural county of Kent but has spent the past thirty plus years soaking up the culture of New Orleans where he now has garnered a growing reputation for playing authentic and accomplished Funk influenced Rhythm and Blues music and has been accepted by New

Orleans as one of their own. As a multi-instrumentalist and soulful vocalist Jon has a lot going for him and on this release he demonstrates these skills which draws in influences from other artists of this genre including Dr John and Art Neville, his band is formed of some of New Orleans finest musicians including guitarist Shane Theriot and percussionist Danny Sadownick. Additional quality has been added from producer John Porter who has done a fantastic job with the sharp sound clarity and Allen Toussaint has written and arranged the horn sections on the album, my only gripe is that with just nine tracks of average length the album is on the short side and with such an array of fine musicians available this would appear to be an opportunity missed. Difficult to highlight any particular track as they are all excellently crafted songs but Boneyard for me is the most authentic and representative track that encompasses everything that is good about Jon Cleary and the New Orleans music scene, a five star album.

ADRIAN BLACKLEE

has four covers the rest are originals that have all the credentials of blues from the past. Opening with The Bullfrog a track that feels you have known it for a long time but is as fresh as a daisy after a rain shower, his voice is measured and the guitar has a twang and the frogs are singing thanks to the twang of the mouth harp. Every track has plenty of interest with a mix of guitar sound keys and a strong rhythm section, giving the album hidden musical depths to explore. The lyrics on his own songs are ironic, with a sardonic wit as he explores feelings and hurts that are timeless and given a modern feel. The first cover opens with keys and we are into familiar territory of He Ain’t Heavy (He is My Brother) the addition of backing vocals lightens the deep tones of Leadfoot’s vocal interpretation of this Russell/ Scott classic. The closing number is over eight minutes and as The Game Of Love the voice is centre stage as the lyrics explore the game that is love, keeps your attention and a fitting climax to an album that celebrates the style of blues that is classic and here given Leadfoot Rivet’s hallmark of authenticity. There are no stand out tracks for me as they all deliver in a style that suits the music and artist but that said nothing stands out for the wrong reason either!

LIZ AIKEN

LEADFOOT RIVET SOUTHERN ECHOES

DixieFrog

The echoes are Southern France as Leadfoot Rivet brings blues hot from a southern sun and filled with reverberations from the southern states of America, sitting on the porch and unveiling through guitar and vocals the hurts and travails of life. The fifteen track album

LI’L CHUCK – THE ONE MAN SKIFFLE MACHINE BLUES IN FULL SWING

Backyard Records

Strange to relate, but I was sitting there one day, bemoaning the lack of a one man band featuring harmonica, resonator guitar, kick drum, hi hat, kazoo, singing, whooping and

hollering. Preferably from New Zealand, where a branch of my father’s family emigrated to work in the coal mines, which ties in with a pet project of Li’l Chuck. And then what should pop through my letterbox but this album. Although it turns out that David Mitchellthorpe is actually a UK expat, which could explain a lot. Or at least the odd Mungo Jerry moment that pops up hither and thither. And that is high praise in my book. The all original material, bar a cover of San Francisco Bay Blues by Jesse Fuller is timeless, and sounds like it dates back to the thirties, with its folk, ragtime, blues, jug band, country and folk hybrid. It’s an absolute delight as he stomps his way through cheery songs like My House Is Falling Down, which is all about the Christchurch earthquake and how, um, his house fell down. Elsewhere, there are some thirties jazz influences on numbers like Delia Jane and No Such Thing As Goodbye, but wherever you drop the

D.L. DUNCAN D.L. DUNCAN

South Records

needle, you’re guaranteed to have a good time. As befits the music, it was all recorded live in the studio, and if you happen to find yourself down New Zealand way, I’m sure a live show would be an absolute blast.

STUART A HAMILTON

DALANNAH AND OWEN BEEN AROUND A WHILE Quest

It all sounds completely unpromising; a game old biddy pushing 70, accompanied only by some middle-aged bloke on bass and no other instrumentation, taking on a bunch of songs that include cover versions of stuff that

Now this is the kind of record that gets slapped right into the Hi-Fi. How could it not when the names of David Hood, the McCrary Sisters, Delbert McClinton and Sonny Landreth are listed in the credits. And it certainly doesn’t disappoint, straight from the opening I Ain’t The Sharpest Marble. Mr Duncan has written most of the material himself, and with a strong songwriting pedigree, particularly in the hard fought country market, it’s no surprise that there are a lot of good songs here. However, this record sits firmly in the blues-rock sphere, albeit on the less aggressive side. Sure, his vocals may not be the best you’ll ever hear, but they’re heart felt, and he is a fine guitarist. It veers from Chicago to Allmans styled southern rock meets blues, and when Delbert wails away on the harmonica drenched You Just Don’t Never Know you can’t help but tap your foot and try to wipe a big grin off your face. Oddly he also finds room for a cover of a Frankie Miller tune, Sending Me Angels, which Delbert covered on his One Of The Fortunate Few album. This is one of those records that seems to sneak into the repeat play pile without you noticing, and it’s turned into one of my favourites of the year.

STUART A HAMILTON

Blues Top 50 DECEMBER 2015

has already been done to death. And yet … it works, it absolutely works. Dalannah Gail Bowen has been singing blues, jazz and gospel for almost half a century, and if I tell you that her voice sure sounds that way, rest assured I’m saying that like it’s a good thing. Any blues fan can be forgiven for thinking they never need hear another rendition of Come On In My Kitchen, Walkin’ Blues or Early In The Morning ever again, right? But this woman packs a powerful vocal range that can run from a whisper to a scream, and manages to extract something new even from these old warhorses. And as Dr Spock might have said of the playing of the man who bills himself on the sleeve as Owen Owen Owen: ‘It’s bass Jim, but not as we know it.’ Sheer technique conjoined with studio wizardry keeps it interesting all the way through. The original tracks - of which That Ain’t It is perhaps the catchiest - don’t wander far from standard blues harmonic progressions, but then you wouldn’t want them to. Put everything together and you have a cohesive package that grows on you with repeated plays. Yes, the debut offering from this Vancouver-based duo is certainly different, but just don’t call it a novelty record. High standard stuff.

DAVID OSLER

BRAD WILSON BLUES THUNDER

Cali Bee Music

Looking at Brad’s back catalogue reveals the fact that Blues Thunder is very far from being a debut release. Thirteen have come before yet for me this is indeed my introduction to this artist. Straightaway I need to say that I like the album a lot however when I first put it on my system I was expecting a full in the face/ears onslaught

of hard rocking Blues. That was totally based on the Thunder part of the title. Instead what we have here is a multilevel feast of Blues, Soul, Jazz and yes Rock. I like it when you are never exactly sure what will be rolling on down the tracks on a CD. It’s good to be wrong-footed. Very ably assisted by Brian Beal bass, Amrik Sandhu drums, Kirk Nelson keys and the wonderfully monikered Tumbleweed Mooney on harmonica the album contains twelve self-penned tracks. For sure the title track is very much on the harder rock side of things but the opener, Is It Any Wonder, is much softer and almost in Chicago (the band) territory. Change It Up has a Latin groove with shades of Carlos Santana style guitar. The absolutely gorgeous Blue Shadows is a smoky Jazz infused ballad that tugs at the heart strings. Step By Step kind of shuffles along with a fine interplay between harp and guitar. Cool Runnin’ is surefooted and very radio friendly whilst the jump-jive feel of the pretty hot Black Coffee At Sunrise is pure fun before the band close out the set with Never Again. Whilst Brad is the obvious leader I feel that this is a nicely balanced band CD from five talented Californian based musicians who perhaps deserve to have Band added as a suffix.

GRAEME SCOTT

OLE FRIMER BAND LIVE AT BLUES BALTICA Long Life Records

Danish blues veteran Frimer and his band won a Danish Blues Album Of The Year Award for this live recording from Germany in 2014. This is surprising because overall it is a fairly mediocre performance which suffers from comparisons with the top European and American blues bands on the current scene. Vocals are no better than average and the guitar solos are stilted and too predictable. The saving grace is the excellent Palle Hjorth on organ who stands out like a colossus on every track with his energy, improvisation and innovation. His virtuosic playing on Al Kooper’s; I Can’t Keep From Crying Sometimes is worth the price of this whole CD on its own. By contrast, the self-penned songs are lightweight and derivative, his pleading to his woman on Workin’ Too Much bordering on the pathetic. “When I came home late last night she’d packed all her stuff and gone…I’ve been working too much.” Perhaps Ole needs to spend less time on the road. This Danish blues is cheesier than Danish Blue.

JAY STOLLMAN ROOM FOR ONE MORE

Number 7 Records

When Johnny Winter’s band re-formed for a remembrance tour to celebrate Johnny’s life it was the American East

Coast vocalist Stollman who was chosen to fill the lead role. Winter had called Jay, “one of today’s most soulful and powerful blues singers – the real deal.” From the opener, Walter Trout’s Ride ‘Till I’m Satisfied’ Stollman sets the standard as a full on soulful, rocking blues singer. It helps that an impressive array of lead guitarists to join the band as guests, notably Debbie Davies who is at her dazzling best throughout. Andy Abel plays tasty slide on Stollman’s self-penned I’m Done and Can’t Slow Down. Harpist Kevin Totoian excels on Winter’s Tired Of Tryin’ and it’s a shame he does not feature more prominently. The many highlights include Eddie Miller’s I’d Rather Drink Muddy Water, the funky arrangement of Chuck Berry’s Back To Memphis and the haunting, anguished vocals on Lonnie Johnson’s Can’t Slow Down. However, it is the title track which steals the show, proving that Jay Stollman is a class act in his own right with a bright future ahead of him.

THE BISHOP

MALTED MILK AND TONI GREEN MILK AND GREEN

Neuva Onda Records

Memphis soul diva Toni Green (backing vocals with Isaac Hayes, Luther Ingram, Millie Jackson, The Bar-Kays, Dennis Edwards) meets French R ‘n’ B ensemble Malted Milk, an amalgam that is just so very right on every level. If anyone tries to tell you that les Français can’t play the blues, just you send them to see your Uncle Pete, I’ll sort them out, PDQ. Arnaud Fradin vox/guitar, Igor Pichon bass guitar, Eric Chambouleyron guitar, Richard Housset drums, Damien Cornélis keyboards, Pierre-Marie Humeau and Vincent Aubert horns are Nantes-based, and here

THE BISHOP

TOMMY CASTRO AND THE PAINKILLERS METHOD TO MY MADNESS

Alligator Records

This is as good an R&B disc as I have heard in all my years. There are no frills nor fripperies on this disc, which has an almost visceral edge to it from the opening track to the closing one. Vocally, Tommy Castro hits the spot with every single offering, but especially with track 2; Shine A Light, which is also featuring superb slide guitar work from Castro with keyboard mastery coming from Michael Emerson. The Two-time B.B. King “Entertainer of the Year” award winner and his band truly does entertain throughout this disc, with a combination of funk, rhythm & blues and rock overtones. His vocal output must be straining his voice to bursting with a rawness which the anodyne pop charts can never reproduce. Track 5 Got A Lot is the epitome of real American rock and fairly belts along without ever losing control. The fact that this is the fifteenth album produced over four decades lets you know that this is a group of real musicians who know not just their instruments, but what the public want and deliver the goods with feeling. Track nine Ride is a smoke ridden ballad which induces visions of the sort of clubs where the Blues permeates throughout and features all four maestros Castro, Michael Emerson on keyboard, Randy McDonald on Bass and Bowen Brown on percussion creating a real diamond of an album. This is an absolute corker of an album and is a must for fans of the genre.

TOM WALKER

combine impeccably with an extremely able shoulda-wouldawill be heartache chanteuse.

Just Call Me is swampy, funky, with a new (to me) soul voice to simply love, slinky guitar and a groove that’s in the pocket throughout. Then comes I’d Really Like To Know, and I’m thinking “where have you been all my life, Lady?”, with your testifying, gospel-influenced vocal that invites you to simply sit back and dig the stellar band, a perfect foundation for Ms. Green’s resonant purr. Hold Back This Feeling has an ice-cold message deceptively camouflaged in warm music, and I’m well on board, agreeing this must be the soul recording of the year. The Weather Is Still Fine is an irredeemably deep blues, and the restrained brass and discrete wah-wah guitar heaven of Wake Up To Your Love, with its lyric “too many weekends talking to myself”, is a torch song of some

magnitude. This is a great album – c’est magnifique.

PETE INNES

Ricci and slinky vocals from Malorie Leogrande. That same pair also light up a version of Jimmy Reed’s You Got Me Dizzy with sly, sexy vocals and measured harp work as the band cook up a rocking brew. Jay Willie takes the vocals and puts in some great guitar on Muddy Waters’ One More Mile. Malorie’s sultry vocals smoke on the original slow blues Upside Of The Ground which is followed by a romp through Bobby Parker’s dance classic Barefootin’. Willie’s brother Tod supplies superbly soulful vocals on Curtis Mayfield’s inspirational gospel song People Get Ready. Superb slide guitar from Jay Willie leads the way on Johnny Winter’s rocking I Love Everybody and Malorie smoulders on vocals. Oh yes! Drummer Bobby T provides suitably gruff vocals for the funky Junior Wells/ Buddy Guy comical song I Got A Stomach Ache. The album closes with the high energy boogie instrumental Succotash and the deep blues of Robert Johnson’s Me And The Devil which gets a superbly reverential treatment with acoustic guitar and soulful harp and vocals. This is a convincing and very fine album indeed which will probably feature in future award listings.

DAVE DRURY

MICHAEL CHAPMAN

THE MAN WHO HATED MORNINGS

album featuring Andy Latimer and Mick Ronson on guitars, Pete Wingfield on keyboards, Rod Clements on bass, Keef Hartley on drums and of course the man himself on vocals and guitar. Opener Northern Lights features a catchy guitar hook and typically gruff vocals and then gets even better when Johnny Van Derek’s violin comes in and the pair trade licks in fine style. Chapman’s world weary vocals are perfectly suited to the jaunty cover of Danny O’ Keefe’s I’m Sober Now. One of the real treasures here is Chapman’s reading of Bob Dylan’s early song Ballad In Plain D which is set to an eastern/modal style acoustic guitar figure and leads straight into the beautiful instrumental Steel Bonnets featuring B J Cole on steel guitar. Other highlights are the sardonic, folk rocker While Dancing The Pride Of Erin and the jaunty piece of nonsense Why Do You Bob Your Hair Girls which closes the album. Actually there is also a bonus track with a hard rocking early version of Dogs Got More Sense which features Ray Jackson on harmonica. Not much blues here but plenty of great songs and great music worth listening to.

DAVE DRURY

JAY WILLIE BLUES BAND

JOHNNY’S JUKE JOINT

Zoho Roots

Vocalist and guitar player Jay

Willie is a huge fan of Johnny Winter and this album features drummer Bobby T Torello and harp player Jason Ricci who both played with Winter in recent years. The album opens with a rockin’ cover of Sam The Sham And The Pharaohs Tex-Mex classic Wooly Bully featuring superb harp from

Secret Records

You may well ask what a Michael Chapman album is doing in Blues Matters! CD reviews. Fear not - for those not already acquainted this is good stuff from one of our greatest 70’s folk troubadours who is still touring regularly. I saw him earlier this year and he is still at the top of his game. This CD is a reissue of the 1977 classic

MODOU TOURE & RAMON GOOSE THE WEST AFRICAN BLUES PROJECT ArcMusic

There are a great many crossovers between African music and Western Blues, some more successful than others. The recent collaboration

between Vieux Farka Toure and Julia Esterlin or the linkup between Dirtmusic and Tamikrest both stand out as complete successes, the former taking a Western singer and developing a rapport with Malian music to create a wonderful hybrid of both styles and the latter subsuming Western electric Blues in a Saharan trance style and coming out with a stronger Saharan style – both albums proving that two very different styles can share a root and make music superior to the elements on their own. This album is definitely one of the successes and I found myself mesmerised from the opening notes to Believe through to the closing of Western Comfort. This is a magical and delightful album and a true collaboration between highly experienced and respected musicians who just happen to come from different places but who complement each other at every turn. Modou Toure is from Senegalese musical royalty as son of the mighty Ousmane Toure and Ramon Goose is a British guitarist and songwriter who has been experimenting with styles and producing some remarkable collaborations for years. That these two hadn’t come together before is remarkable but equally serendipitous as both were in the right musical place at the same time. Toure’s vocals are strident and sweet while Goose adds exceptional guitar skills, sometimes playing in the Senegalese styles and sometimes bringing a Western shape to his playing. On tracks such as Kayre they are bolstered by horns, bringing the music into a groove that bubbles and ebbs with Goose’s guitar picking gently under a powerful bass line and Toure’s vocals calling out like a bluesgrass caller. Then on to We Walk In The Sahara with the guitar creating a sad and empty landscape and Toure

seemingly describing a loss of hope and wonder. Satan seems to bring the strongest merger of West and Africa and that triple hit of songs at the heart of the album seem to sum up the very real strengths. It is an album that I found myself playing over and over for the sheer pleasure of it all.

ANDY SNIPPER

it evokes the 1930’s Country Blues sound but it also has a contemporary feel to it, his song writing is particularly strong and has been recognised in recent years by artists like Bonnie Raitt and Katie Melua who have recorded his material. Highly recommended.

ADRIAN BLACKLEE

JOHN CEE STANNARD & BLUE HORIZON STONE COLD SOBER BUS DEPOT BLUES

Cast Iron Recordings

JOEL ZOSS FLORIDA BLUES

Bluzpick

Florida based Joel Zoss has had a long career as both a musician, songwriter and prose writer although this is only his third album release in forty three years, the wait has definitely been worth it as this acoustic Folk based Blues album has some excellent original material interspersed with a couple of blues classics originally performed by Leadbelly and Big Bill Broonzy. Joel is supported by two musicians on Bass and Drums respectively and between them they gently weave the songs into a peaceful pastoral sound that acts as an immediate relaxant, Joel shows plenty of dexterity on the guitar and has a very precise singing style, particularly impressive is Vodka And Red Bull which has a really infectious chorus of “I Got a Good Buzz on” and is one of the albums standout tracks, the other is Albert’s Song which has a strong Country blues style with some delicious finger picking guitar and sorrowful vocals. Joel is probably at a stage in his career where he is classified as a veteran although the music throughout the album is timeless, at times

These two releases from English threesome Stannard and the Blue Horizon both feature Stannard as vocalist/resonator guitarist front man and songwriter supported by Mike Baker on guitar and Howard Birchmore on Harp. Bus Depot comes from 2014 while Stone Cold Sober is a new offering recorded earlier this year. Both are twelve-track releases with a powerful 1920s/30s

ROY ROGERS INTO THE WILD BLUE Chops Not Chaps Records

ragtime/country-blues feel and influence. Stannard has written most of the material here save for Crudup’s classic That’s Alright on the 2014 issue and Lead Hearted Blues from Blind Blake on the latest offering. He writes with a clear grip and understanding of the tradition while the band’s playing is clearly accomplished and always interesting. Stone Cold Sober also features the guy who is probably the UK’s finest Mandolin master, Simon Mayor. However… The problem with these albums is just that: they are album….s, with an s. For me, one would be about as much as I could take of this stuff. Two is just one too, too many, I fear. That said, I’d struggle to choose between them. Both are good, solid bits of work from a band that knows its stuff and produces the goods with confidence and seeming ease. This is the kind of band that will no doubt be a popular live act and probably excel in that arena. Worth checking out, but try one first.

IAIN PATIENCE

Slide guitar maestro Rogers’ first solo album in five years is a superb collection of beautifully arranged genre busting material. Roy crafts his lyrics poetically, for example, on Love Is History: “There’ll be no bitter tears and no retribution/But don’t waste my time and try to find another solution.” In his youth, Rogers hung out in the vibrant San Francisco music scene and during the last half a century has worked with John Lee Hooker, Carlos Santana, Ray Manzarek and many other diverse musicians. It is this lifetime experience which permeates Into The Wild Blue although Roy blazes his own trail of rock, blues, and soul whilst foraging into broader territory. He even manages to sound cheerful when he is treated badly or haunted by Dark Angels. Not surprisingly, the instrumentals Dackin’, High Steppin’, the poignant Song For Robert (A Brother’s Lament) and the title track are pure guitar heaven with slide magic and worth buying this CD for alone. As Roy says, “I want to celebrate life through music” and this is quite a celebration.

THE BISHOP

NICE AS PIE A BODY OF WORK

Doobie Music

English born musician and producer Steve Porter is living and working in Copenhagen where he opened a recording studio. This is only his band’s second album since the 2006 debut release Stand Well Back. The talented guest musicians on this latest offering include Charlie McCoy on harp, Leo Sayer, vocals/harp, guitarist

Todd Sharpville and keyboard player Paddy Milner. The opening track, Drunk Stoned Stupid sets the scene: “we don’t need a reason why, it’s the only way to die.” The frenetic Sexy Sally is old fashioned rock and roll with brilliant guitar interludes from the Danish duo Johnny Walther and Kasper Damgaard. The first recognisable piece of blues is Rich Man’s Blues and even this turns traditional blues on its head by celebrating how fortunate it is to be wealthy; “I’m so glad it’s me.” Davey Graham’s vocals are strong and rasping or light and conversational depending on the mood and genre. Porter’s mesmeric drumming and Martin York’s driving bass underpin the faster songs whilst

SALLY BARKER LOVE RAT

Old Dog Records

If you watched the BBC’s The Voice, you may remember Sally Barker as the singer/songwriter/ guitarist who reduced Tom Jones to tears with her live performances, highlighted by a memorable, wide ranging voice. Sally has been singing since the age of 10 but, in later life, as a widow, took a break to bring up her two sons, who repaid her love by persuading her to enter the competition. The rest as they say is history!! Sally’s songs are at the folk end of blues but her appeal stretches across many musical genres, with her influences including Gladys Knight, Bessie Smith, Bonnie Raitt, John Martyn and Aretha Franklin. On stage, she performs as the consummate professional, particularly excelling in live performances. Her television appearances have relaunched her career, which already featured six solo albums to her credit and supporting gigs with the likes of Bob Dylan and Robert Plant. When not performing as a solo artist, Sally can be found singing Sandy Denny songs in the reformed folk rock Fotheringay band; as lead singer/songwriter with femfolk band, the Poozies and occasionally fronting Leicester based blues combo, Strange Blues. Love Rat is her new six track solo EP, which was release in September 2015. It includes four new selfpenned songs, Love Rat; Kissing A Stranger; Jealous Bones; Heart And The Shell and two covers, featured on The Voice: Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood and the classic Walk On By. Of her compositions, the one I enjoyed the most was the EP’s title track, Love Rat. Sally is touring in the UK during February to April 2016, promoting the EP which she describes as “a continuation of her journey.” ANDY MANN

the ballads are characterised by beautiful harmonies and tasteful arrangements. The latter include All In The Mind, Like Children and the glorious finale, Hold Me Tonight. Some blues purists might not find the ‘Pie’ to their taste given the ingredients of vaudeville, pop and boogie-woogie alongside their favourite genre. For me, a 16-track album which is engaging, never less than interesting and both fun and a serious piece of music is worth a listen.

THE BISHOP

double Live album and the Lost Elektra Sessions there is so much that is so good here you could not choose one of these as the best at all, they have all been a sheer joy to play and left me a bit stressed as what to say or what to pick on so I pick on The Paul Butterfield Blues Band as an essential buy to any Blues fan and considering you can get ‘the works’ for £30 or less that is incredible value for your ears, most definitely a recommended purchase.

FRANK LEIGH

PAUL BUTTERFIELD COMPLETE ALBUMS 1965-1980

Warner Bros

This is musically a MAGNIFICENT box set of the complete works containing fourteen albums (one is the double Live, oh yes!) The bulk of his albums plus two live releases. The box is pretty solid and sized so it will fit into your regular CD rack. Art work is all original. Problem is if you want to read the sleeve notes. No thought seems to have gone into reproducing the sleeve notes with the text in a size you can read without a magnifying glass and with the quality of the rest I for one find this surprisingly short sighted of Warner. The music however is undeniably some of the best Blues recorded and makes for one of the very best box sets I have come across and in those of recent years I must include the super Johnny Winter set in the book style cover and the SRV set as well. This has more pedigree though in my mind, from the initial Paul Butterfield Blues Band album through the classic East-West, the super

THE MUDBIRDS STUMBLE TRIP

Independent

Over 14 original tracks, the duo of Alan Laws and Rene Tweehuysen who make up The Mudbirds weave their blues/folk magic. With Laws on vocals, acoustic guitar, harmonica and shrutti box, and Tweehuysen adding colour and decoration with dobro, slide guitar and weissenborn this is a fine album for anybody who likes acoustic music. However, with only two musicians, there is not really much variety of mood on the album, with the soundscape being closer to ambient music, rather than full on rock and roll, although they do try, with the rhythmic blues stomp of songs such as Time Comes, Time Goes, Money Talks In Your Head, and Climb To Your Decline. These songs are all co-writes, but their solo compositions are some of the best on the album. Flatlands is Tweehuysen’s contribution, a moody, melodic guitar instrumental for dobro, and the type of thing that Ry

Cooder does so well, whilst Reed Shunting is Laws’s piece, a harmonica instrumental, full of drones, aches, and fast technical playing. Most of the songs have a minor chord feel, which perfectly suits Laws’s vocal delivery, and the mood of the whole album. Driving Wheel has a neat unison guitar and harmonica part, whilst album closer Fast Times has a great feel, and some fine harmonica and dobro interplay. If you are in the mood for some great acoustic blues, and quite a lot of inventiveness, then this album should be on your list.

BEN MACNAIR

WEBB WILDER MISSISSIPPI MODERNE

Landslide Records

The guitarist and singer Webb Wilder has put together an album of immediately catchy blues rock on Mississippi Moderne, but he has included unusual instruments and song choices to separate the album from the pack. With electric sitar used on many songs, and baritone guitar adding its distinctive twang, and fuzzed up bass solos, this is an album that is full of pleasant surprises. Stones In My Pathway, a slow blues original bookends the album, whilst Rough And Tumble Guy is a bluesy rocker, and Too Much Sugar For A Nickel sounds like the E Street Band in full flow. I’m Not Just Anybody’s Fool is a slow blues, with a classy 1950’s ballad production, whilst Otis Rush’s It Takes Time is a classy swinging blues, with plenty of Wilder’s stinging guitar work, which find him trading licks with the group’s rhythm guitarist Bob Williams. None of the songs are over five minutes in length, and there is enough variety between the grooves of these 14 songs to please many music fans. This is in your face bluesy-rock, but with a softer,

more delicate soundscape. All of the musicians play for the song, rather than themselves, and the covers, by such performers as The Kinks, The One way Street, Charlie Rich, and Conway Twitty find themselves well served by this band of talented musicians, who clearly love what they are doing.

BEN MACNAIR

HEATHER CROSSE GROOVIN’ AT THE CROSSE ROADS

Ruf Records

MIKE BROOKFIELD LOVE BREAKS THE FALL

Golden Rule Records

A Liverpudlian relocated to Dublin, Mike Brookfield is a virtuoso blues rocker who succeeds in staying within the boundaries of his chosen genre, while avoiding the clichéd riffage that all too frequently goes with the turf. Technique never gets privileged over tastefulness, even though you suspect this guy could shred with the best of ‘em if that’s what he wanted to do. Instead, Brookfield has chosen to showcase his song writing skills, evidencing a particular ability to craft hook-laden big blues ballads. Thus the title track, which opens the set, clearly owes something of a debt to Gary Moore. Blue Skies is in similar vein, albeit with just a touch more added soul goodness than the late Irish rocker would probably have injected. Brookfield can also get his funky groove on when the mood takes him, as shown on the Hendrix-inflected The Killing Line, one of the album’s highlights. Meanwhile, there is undeniably something of Mark Knopfler’s DNA in No Candle Burns In The Rain. The

Although born in Louisiana this bass playing, band leading lady decided to live, play and create her music in Clarksdale, Mississippi, where the heart of the music that is in her heart still healthily beats today. Since being a resident there she has worked with such artists as; Bob Margolin, Jody Williams and James Super Chikan Johnson, She also regularly performs with her own band under the moniker Heavy Suga And The Sweetones at the Ground Zero blues club, that is championed and part owned by actor Morgan Freeman. Although, Heather toured Europe with the Girls With Guitars Blues Caravan earlier in the year, Her own particular style is a bold, blasting and swaggering old fashioned blues and soul approach, as was so wonderfully delivered by such legends as Big Mama Thornton and Etta James. In fact her statement of intent is emphatically delivered on the Big Mama Thornton opener, My Man Called Me, her raw, soulfully enticing raucous roaring grabs you from the start, her band who are; Dan Smith; guitar, Mark Yacovone; keyboards and Lee Williams on drums lock into the earthy and swinging early fifties groove with such ease and compelling attractiveness that you are toetappin’ from the very start, Heathers interpretation of another Big Mama Thornton number You Don’t Move Me No More is just as captivating, for her sweet, growling, rolling vocals are a perfect match for the rolling and tumbling interlaced guitar and piano. On Why Does A Woman Need A Bass Guitar, Heather captivates as she slow burningly answers all your questions on the subject. Clarksdale Shuffle, is just that, a Friday night juke joint beer swiggin’, hip swingin’ relaxer. Gwen McCrae’s Rockin’ Chair, is wonderfully very rocking. Recommended!

BRIAN HARMAN

instrumental Bare Witness is a strange stylistic hybrid, centred around a shedload of prodigious rockabilly chops. That should sit oddly in a track as organ-heavy as this one, but this man has the talent to get away with it. While Brookfield’s voice is easily good enough to carry the material, all of which is self-penned, vocals are not his strong suit. If you buy this album, it will be for what he can do with his Stratocaster, which is bloody impressive. Making up the rest of the personnel are Keith Duffy on bass, Jason Duffy on drums and Cian Boylan on piano and Hammond, with guest vocals from the missus, Grainne Brookfield.

DAVID OSLER

FULL TRUNK TIME FOR US TO MOVE Independent

This is a four piece band from Israel, chosen by the Israel Blues Society to represent the country in the prestigious 2014 International Blues Challenge in Memphis. Whilst I congratulate them on this honour, the cynic in me asks the question, how much competition did they

TODD WOLFE BAND LONG ROAD BACK

Hypertension

For many folks the name Todd Wolfe will be well known. Others might not be aware that for many years Todd was lead guitar in Sheryl Crow’s touring band, or that he worked extensively with Leslie West so for sure he has been around the block a time or two honing his considerable chops since beginning his career in 1979. With a raft of albums under his belt on this new one his core band consists of drummer Roger Voss, John Ginty various keyboards and a pretty damn funky bass player in Justine Gardner. Together they have produced a fairly heavy and yet melodic set of original Blues tunes plus two covers. I like it when artists pick slightly different covers and here we have beautifully executed Cream’s Outside Woman Blues and the seldom heard Black Queen by Stephen Stills here sounding a bit like Walter Trout no bad thing in my book. Moving on to the rest of the tracks, the album opens in fine style with Poison and I particularly like the little stabs of Hammond which weave in and out supporting the strident guitar lines, pounding drums and solid bass. Mercy, a co-write with Sheryl, which has a cracking pace great vocals and could be a good choice for a single. Peace Unto You sees us in acoustic territory and laid back with a little Gospel feel, nice. Fire Me Up despite the call to arms of the title never catches alight but never the less slides past the ears pleasantly. Long Road Back, Gone and Annalee are stonking’ tunes but the mighty instrumental Hoodoo River, which closes out the album, allows their collective virtuosity to shine and is truly their Magnum Opus.

GRAEME SCOTT

have? Formed as a trio in 2010, mostly playing covers, vocalist/guitarist Gal Nisman, bassist Ofer Vayner, drummer Yotam Elazari and keyboard player/producer Ariel Keshet, have moved to a more mainstream blues format, sorry to say, I’m not too impressed. All the ten tracks on here are originals, mainly composed by Nisman, but I get the feeling we’ve heard it all before. The title track has political undertones, which might be expected given the nationality of the band. I was hoping for more from this, but at just under thirty four minutes duration, some tracks not even clocking in at three minutes, feel a chance to gain a more international audience has been missed.

CLIVE RAWLINGS

SHEMEKIA COPELAND OUTSKIRTS OF LOVE

Alligator Records

Purely on a personal note, despite her many awards and Grammy nominations, I’ve never been too sure of, convinced or taken by Copeland. Until now, that is. With Outskirts Of Love, she has turned me into a fan, a follower, a supporter. This is a genuinely scorching release, full of great music propelled raucously along a riotous road by Copeland’s searing voice, a voice that hits the spot more

than nicely with deep-throated, full-throttle soul and blues, Memphis to Chicago, swampy New Orleans to twanging Tennessee. In many ways, this is a fairly typical Alligator release: thumping, driving, rock-blues played with passion and power. Where it differs is in Copeland’s evident strength, maturity, subtlety and sheer muscle-power. Her voice soars above the band when needed and yet never detracts from the overall effort. Musicians on the cut include the likes of Robert Randolph, Alvin Youngblood Hart and the wonderful Will Kimbrough, players of real deep quality who know their way through the music every which way. Copeland’s voice reigns supreme here, though, despite the assured backing of her renowned blues-peers. The album is about a fifty/fifty mix of self-written stuff and classic covers including takes on her late father, Johnny Copeland’s Devil’s Hand; Solomon Burke’s I Feel A Sin Coming On; Sonny & Brownie’s The Battle Is Over; Albert King’s Wrapped Up In Love Again and even Credence Clearwater, with a great cover of Long As I Can See The Light, and a tongue in cheek country twanger, Drivin’ Out Of Nashville. This is a certain winner, a great album that marks Copeland’s return after a few years absence to the Alligator fold.

IAIN

PATIENCE

PHILLIP HENRY & HANNAH MARTIN WATERSHED

Dragonfly records

Every now and then, we get an album to review that doesn’t really fall into any convenient genre, and this is one of them. It isn’t really a Blues record, although with slide and lap steel guitars and harmonica, there are certainly elements of Blues

here. So how do you describe it? Well in this case, in a single word; BEAUTIFUL! There are many other words that I could have used, but that sums it up.12 tracks all written by either or both, impeccably recorded, with strong Celtic overtones, ethereal voice of Hannah and the ridiculously talented Phillip on various guitars. The songs are for the most part quite short, and the lyrics deserve your full attention, and handily are all included within the nicely presented sleeve. Everything about this record screams class, from the sublime double bass playing, through to the atmospheric almost Native American of the song Tonight, and very, very Joan Baez! Did I like it? Well what do you think? I am not sure where you will find this, but a good place to start would be PhillipHenryandHannahMartin. co.uk. Go buy it!

DAVE STONE

BANJO BONES THE PLACE OF DEAD ROADS

Boneyard Records

As the label tells us, Banjo Bones (what a cool name…) ‘sings themes of the present in a voice of the past’. This is dark, malevolent stuff, and when you hear the opening track, Dead Roads, you can’t help conjuring up early Tom Waits. These songs are an infusion of blues, folk, and a touch of country and a whiff of home-made whiskey. Bones doesn’t ‘sing’ exactly; he ‘tells’ his songs in a gruff, restrained voice like some stranger who accosted you in a remote bar

REVIEWS Albums

you wish you’d never wandered into. But this is what makes this album so unusual. The album, Bones tells us, is influenced by a William S. Burroughs novel, The Place of Dead Roads. Listening to him telling me ‘It’s a Bomb’ was slightly scary, and it has a cutting guitar solo, too. Someone Knocking on My Barn Door, which has the old Bill Justis Raunchy riff throughout made me imagine the story almost as a movie by Hitchcock. This is the kind of album you’d play by candlelight on Halloween. I hope he’s not as menacing in real life, but I bet he’s very entertaining if this is anything to go by.

ROY BAINTON

certainly no extended jamming or soloing, just a selection of material that Smoky has previously recorded during his ten album career, a couple of further tracks to highlight are; Peter Gunn the Harry Mancini instrumental track, which has the best Saxophone playing on the album and the offbeat Between Iraq and a Hard Place, which has some anti war undertones but highlights Smoky’s strong song writing skills. The two CD set includes a DVD of the live concert recorded in February 2014, which was not available to be reviewed although as the CD alone is an essential purchase of New Orleans Blues, the DVD will just add the finishing touches to this highly recommended album.

ADRIAN BLACKLEE

SUGAR BROWN POOR LAZARUS

Sugar Brown

SMOKY GREENWELL’S NEW ORLEANS BLUES JAM LIVE AT THE OLD U.S.MINT

Independent

If you cannot make the trip to New Orleans this live album is going to be the next best thing to soak up the Mardi Gras atmosphere, this is a cracking live album recorded in the heart of the City at the historic venue that also houses a museum. The band are led by Smoky Greenwell a band leader since the 1970’s, who besides vocals delivers sultry Harmonica and Saxophone, the sounds here are enhanced by guitarist Mark Pentone and renowned Accordion player Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes, who adds that special Zydeco ingredient. The reference in the album title to ‘Jam’ is slightly misleading as all the songs are well structured and there is

Toronto-based bluesman

Sugar Brown is very obviously not of African-American extraction, as you can probably guess from his real moniker of Ken C Kawashima, and the inclusion on this album of Tokyo Nagaremono, a movie theme sung in Japanese.

Nevertheless, the righteous anger of the Black Lives Matter movement has clearly been an inspiration to his work. That much is plain from the title track, a remake of a Lomax-archived folk song from 1911, which documents the shooting of a black man by a law enforcement official. Kawashima uses the liner notes to make the pointed parallel with the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, last year. Sadly, some things in America have stayed rather more constant over the last century than most of us would like. The track is perhaps the strongest on the CD, showcasing as it does some

nifty chromatic harmonica work from Bharath Rajakumar, a name that doesn’t exactly come across as African-American, either. Elsewhere, The Mad Gardener’s Song: Part 1 and The Mad Gardener’s Song: Part 2 inventively sets lyrics by Victorian children’s author Lewis Carroll to a couple of grooves blatantly nicked from Bo Diddley. It’s different, I’ll give it that. Poor Lazarus is undeniably charmingly quirky in places, and is even recorded in mono, just to make a point. But it largely sticks to tried and tested formats. This is old time rhythm and blues, with the emphasis very firmly on the ‘rhythm’ aspect of the deal. The influences of many of the giants of 1950s blues are writ large, and that is where its appeal squarely lies. In short, no confirmed blues fan isn’t going to like it, but don’t expect the conventions of the genre to be transcended.

DAVID OSLER

THE DELTA SAINTS BONES

Ear Music

This is the second studio album from this multi talented five piece band from Nashville. Following on from the much lauded Death Letter Jubilee release this is a raw energy production. Little wonder because it has been produced by Eddie Spear who has produced recordings by Jack White a major influence to the band especially in twisting and distinctive vocals by Ben Ringel on these ten definitive tracks with its blues rock fusing with folk and southern styles of music this is a work

TIM WILLIAMS SO LOW

Lowden Proud Records

simply has to be one of the finest pickers on the planet these

An excellent ten track album of traditional acoustic blues from Canada, Tim Williams simply has to be one of the finest pickers on the planet these days. A former double award winner at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, this release highlights his captivating style and talent to full effect. Both of Williams’ previous recent releases, Blue Highway and Evenings Among Friends - a re-release of an earlier effort - were wonderful bits of striking resonator and acoustic guitar-led blues work. With So Low Williams confirms his clearly well-deserved place at the hi-end of the acoustic blues-tree. Tracks covered include the jazz-inspired If You Live from Mose Allison; Broonzy’s My Big Money - a lesser-known gem; Blind Boy Fuller’s Pistol Slapper, here titled Pistol Snapper, with Williams’ own take on it as part of the ever-evolving folk-process; Johnny Cash’s Big River; and Tampa Red’s classic The Witching Hour. Many tracks are self-penned and showcase the guy’s deep absorption in and understanding of the music and traditional blues in general. Closing with his own composition, Lightnin’, a clear homage to his own personal hero, Texan Lightnin’ Hopkins, this album is a genuine revelation, filled with neat guitar chops and intricate picking in styles that range through Delta to Piedmont, Texas to Chicago and most of the USA’s notable blues-posts in between. A positive delight.

IAIN PATIENCE

ALEX WELLKERS WHAT Independent

This has been a hard CD to review for me. The bio which accompanied the release gave very little in the way of background information. I think he may be German but don’t quote me on that. It appears from the bio that this five track EP is his third outing following on from Pre & See. Apart from that I can only point you to the internet if you feel inclined to seek him out. Ok so moving on to the actual music I think the first thing to say is that it is very hard to actually define this as Blues. It is as far removed from the Mississippi Delta, Chicago or wherever most folks would figure our beloved genre to have sprung from and certainly far from the generally accepted sound of the Blues. Having said all that there is a certain level of darkness to Alex’s fairly beseeching lyrics and, instrumentally, the grungy guitar adds to the gloom. All the songs are sung in English but he retains an element of his natural language in the pronunciation. There are no details on the CD as to whether he is the sole writer, or indeed who, if any, additional personnel may be. As a whole package it has a kind of demo feel to the production leading me to think that Alex has done the whole thing himself at home. Alex shows promise but requires development along with the ear and values that a good producer would bring to the table. An interesting listen for sure with good ideas but for the most part more mainstream music not Blues.

of genius. Sometimes I Worry opens a box of tricks providing soul slanted appeal with dark fuzzing guitar combining with strong vocal tones. Bones the title track has a distant voodoo rolling feel well underpinned by Nate Kramer on keyboards it rolls around and catches the listener in its grips an outstanding track. Another piano solo infused track Heavy Hammer rolls along with screeching guitar. Zydeco track mixes smart backing vocals and some mellow tones and ethereal sounds. Butte La Rose is another haunting slow song with great acoustic riff. Dust starts off slowly with a drum influenced tune that flows well into a hazy howling vocal crescendo. My Love has an intricate acoustic tone whereas the next track Into The Morning is a detour into experimental echoes of psychedelia. A more blues infused Soft Spoken leads to final track Berlin with an African tone and some very

rhythmic drumming by Vincent Williams the musicianship on this release is superb.

COLIN CAMPBELL

Steve Rodford drums. They are probably best remembered for their 1964 British and American hit: She’s Not There and for their 1968 album, Odessey And Oracle, which is ranked number 100 on the Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. A fantastic achievement!! But The Zombies have not rested on their outstanding laurels, continuing to make music and on 9 October 2015, released their latest CD, Still Got That Hunger. The album has seen them featured in the US charts for the first time in 50 years, clearly showing that their music is still relevant today as it was in the 1960s and is being welcomed by a whole new generation of music fans. This response has been echoed by rave reviews during their recent US and European tours, where new CD tracks were well featured. Key songs I particularly enjoyed included Moving On; New York and Maybe Tomorrow but the most memorable for me was Edge Of The Rainbow. Whether it is performing for fifty years or fifty days, song writing talent, arrangement and musicianship is still the main criteria for a successful band and as The Zombies have clearly shown, they have Still Got That Hunger.

ANDY MANN

THE ZOMBIES STILL GOT THAT HUNGER

Cherry Red Records

For our younger readers, who may not be acquainted with The Zombies, they are an English blues rock band, formed in 1961 in St. Albans and the current line up (formed in 2011) features the original members: Rod Argent piano, organ and vocals, Colin Blunstone vocals alongside Tom Toomey guitar, vocals; Jim Rodford bass, vocals and

GARY CLARK JR THE STORY OF SONNY BOY SLIM

Warner Brothers

The reputation that Gary Clark Jr has built amongst musicians as well as the regular fans has been built on ceaseless and

radical experimentation. When you first hear him you have to wonder if this deserves even to be called Blues music veering so far from the mainstream as he does. After a couple of listens though you have to accept that this is a very able musician and that his music is absolutely Blues. He brings in elements of hip hop alongside screaming guitar solos, massive rhythm and oh so powerful production but there is no shortage of subtlety, even on a song such as Grinder where his guitar is amplified to the point of breakdown and his vocals take on the timbre of a modern day R&B performer – while you are grooving to the rhythm you hear some sweetness and desperation in his singing. The power and angst of Grinder leads into Star which has the feel of a Funkadelic number and once again shows Clark’s vocal dexterity and his willingness to deal with material that shouldn’t exist in the Blues arena but somehow does. His guitar playing has elements of Jimi Hendrix embedded deep within it and the thought that comes to mind, often, is whether this is where Jimi might have been if he had lived on and it is not unrealistic a concept. The music takes you back and forth from hard Blues through soul and R&B both modern and classic but he never seems to shy away from adding new touches to even the most stock number, a song such as Our Love straying deeply into gospel territory and leading naturally into the FolkGospel of Church where Dylanesque harmonica replaces the organ you would expect to feature. This is already one of my favourite albums of the year, largely due the fresh approach and magnificent playing. Every time I listen to it I discover something else that enthrals and pulls me deeper into it and I just want to listen again and again.

ANDY SNIPPER

GRAEME SCOTT

VARIOUS ARTISTS SINGER SONGWRITERS FROM HOME

Hemifran

A bit of a curiosity, a deep, poignant collection of 18 original songs by four singer songwriters, Bob Cheevers, Keith Miles, Barry Ollman and Greg Copeland. OK, this isn’t a total blues album. But it is a catalogue of musical and lyrical craftsmanship. Listening to Bob Cheevers singing the superb These Are My Words more or less outlines what being a musical troubadour is all about. With these performers, the words are clear, they have meaning, and they haunt you long after the song’s finished. There are tracks with just simple guitar backing, such as Greg Copeland’s Wait For Me which will put one in mind of Springsteen’s Nebraska, and then the lonesome fiddle comes in and there you are, in some golden sunset of reverie. Bob Cheevers’ Legend of Sleepy Hollow is a gritty piece of Americana with some nice slide guitar and soaring vocals. Test Of Fire stands out as an electric, driven blues outing with searing harp which contrasts nicely to Greg’s live renditions of Pretty Girl Rules

The World with it’s nice spoken intro. This CD is a good indication that the art of the singer songwriter is alive and in robust health. Very enjoyable, highly recommended.

ROY BAINTON

WILLY PORTER HUMAN KINDNESS

Weasel Records

This is an album that celebrates and resonates with kindness, why?

You may ask. The answer is after witnessing an act of human kindness of a man

pulling a women out of the path of a bus Willy Porter was struck with the inspiration of The Year Of Kindness calling everyone to get involved in giving back to communities. Opening with a whistle and a cheerful sunny number Willy Porter brings Human Kindness to your musical repertoire, on the opening track Chippewa Boots. The album brims over with positivity with the music full of qualities and tones that define American music, little bit blue, country but above all songwriting and delivery of the song that is honest and wraps around you like a massive embrace. The supporting cast on the album are talented artists that include Martin Barre, Natalia Zuckerman, and more. The guitar work throughout is crisp and contoured and the track Eloise has this with percussive punctuation that draws you deep into the lyrics delivered with a drawl. This is a twelve track album that is like walking with the artist, Walking With The Man is stripped down to a walking beat and delivered with rasping vocals that tell the tale and once again the instrumentation is just perfectly formed. After this we are treated to horns that are full of warmth on A Love Like This as the tempo goes up and this is a pop dance tone that certainly gets the feet tapping. We are now on the tracks on a journey, the pace is that of the tracks, and the vocals gentle on This Track, ending the album with Roses in The Rain once again feet are tapping, fingers are clicking and the fiddle adds the glimpse of sunshine behind the clouds. It is reminiscent of the style of Paul Simon as the album finishes with a true American sound Willy Porter has created an album that will be listened to again that is for sure.

LIZ AIKEN

BOOGA RED THEY’RE RED HOT

Booga Red

Twenty first century Chelmsford in England may not be Chicago of the thirties but like anywhere you need to start somewhere to keep the blues alive. Booga Red consist of a barrelhouse duo. The musicians involved on this self-produced sixteen track release are Steve English who wrote four songs and plays guitar, kazoo, stomp box and vocals the other artiste is his sidekick Claire Hamlin a virtuoso piano player. Only

DAVID GOGO VICKSBURG CALL

Cordova Bay Records

formed in 2015 they have played professionally although separately for about thirty years and they complement each other perfectly. This is mostly up tempo blues with tinges of roots and rock and roll. Covers of Big Bill Bronzy songs are well executed I Feel So Good and the quirky take on Good Liquor Gonna Carry Me Down particular highlights raw in their intensity. There does exude a passion for delta and Chicago blues especially on Robert Johnson title track of this release. Sure they are songs that any early blues fan has heard before but played in a public bar environment would bring these songs alive again and the word will be spread which is a testament to the blues genre. The fingerpicking guitar and driving lyrics of the best self-penned songs You Know What You Can Do also

I suppose with a name like Gogo it’s no surprise that this one races out of the traps like a greyhound with mustard applied to it’s gonads. Canadian blues/rocker David Gogo’s 14th album opens with the blistering power chords and fierce slide guitar of Cuts Me To The Bone. If you think of George Thorogood with lashings of slide guitar riffs but without the flat vocals you’ll get the picture. Next up is hard driving shuffle Fooling Myself featuring special guest Kim Simmonds on lead guitar with some tasty licks. Neil Young is a particular favourite of mine and his song The Loner seems an unlikely choice of cover but Gogo does a great job with his muscular version which features plenty of Crazy Horse style heavy, but melodic, guitar riffing. Nice one! The atmospheric, stripped down, There’s A Hole features mournful vocals, lonesome acoustic slide guitar and yearning harmonica from Shawn Hall. Steve Stills song Jet Set (Sigh) gets a sturdy workout with some superb fiery fretwork and gritty vocals from Gogo. The crunching rocker What’s Not To Like is followed by the lengthy slow ballad Our Last Goodbye which features soulful vocals and a tense, restrained, guitar solo. The material is good and the band excel throughout with Gogo adding his pyrotechnic fretwork and gruff vocals as on the insistent title track Vicksburg Call. An unexpected cover of Annie Lennox emotive song Why features convincing vocals and tasteful guitar licks to close out this excellent album. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and will certainly look out for more.

DAVE DRURY

showcases an interesting boogie woogie edged piano take. Steve English seems to overegg innuendo on Let Me Play With Your Poodle but no need for the kazoo. Traditional hardworking and honest performers.

COLIN CAMPBELL

ZAC HARMON

RIGHT MAN RIGHT NOW

Blind Pig Records

This is a really classy Blues album by an artist who is not dissimilar to Robert Cray in his style and delivery, which is predominately dishing out sharp and smooth electric Blues with a soulful background, besides his four piece backing band Zac has an assortment of guest and additional musicians playing for him here, they include; Bobby Rush, Anson Funderburgh, Lucky Peterson and Jimmy Z, on some occasions guest players can take over an album but on this release these

musicians have enhanced the material without taking the limelight away from Zac Harmon.The opening track

Raising Hell is a cracking rocking blues track that sets the album up perfectly, it is full of bristling guitar and keyboards that is in stark contrast to the silky soulful vocal from Zac, whose vocals are one of the main reasons why this is such a standout album, another worthy track is Feet Back On The Ground that has more than a passing resemblance to Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac era. There is one track which is in stark contrast to the rest of the tracks, this is John Lee Hooker’s I’m Bad Like Jesse James on which Zac tones down his smoothness to deliver a gritty and worthy rendition of this song, in turn demonstrating his versatility. On the evidence here Zac is an excellent songwriter and musician who has got to be up there with the premiership U.S. Bluesmen.

ADRIAN BLACKLEE

TOMMY EMMANUEL IT’S NEVER TOO LATE

When it comes to truly amazing guitar players, few are as emotionally satisfying as Australian maestro Tommy Emmanuel. There has been so much written and said about him, and it’s all good, and rightly so. The PR hand-out which came with this beautiful record covers all the Emmanuel high points. For example, none other than Chet Atkins gave him the honorary title of CGP, (Certified Guitar Player), and although it’s a long way from the outback, Tommy’s an honorary Kentucky Colonel, which makes this album as tasty as the finest fried chicken. The opening track Blood Brother lowers you into a summer hammock of relaxation, and both El Vaquero and Hellos and Goodbyes sustain the mood. If you’re a guitarist yourself, you’ll be inspired listening to these tunes (all instrumentals, no vocals) because you can imagine the sheer joy in being able to play like this. The dazzling arpeggios on One Mint Julep (no, not the Ray Charles organ solo) take your breath away. The velvet smooth flow of the ragtime Old Photographs is just one delight out of 14 dazzling. Blues, classical, down home, jazz, front porch, call it what you will, but with skills like this to look up to, in the Kingdom of the guitar, Tommy Emmanuel reigns supreme.

ROY BAINTON

BILLY THE KID & THE REGULATORS I CAN’T CHANGE

Independent

BERNIE TORME BLACKHEART

Independent Rule book torn up music classification not needed Bernie Torme is back with vengeance and still rocking with his distinctive and trusty Stratocaster. This new release sees him mixing heavy rock anthem tunes putting them into a melting pot of psychedelia and undertones of pure blues and even folkways this is just power driven mayhem a joy to listen to by one of the best rock guitarists alive. Showy riffs evident in most tracks no more so than opener Golden Pig which sets the tone for the rest of this release a real gutsy gem. Alright he is better known for being in other noteworthy bands such as Ian Gillan Band but he has garnered in likeminded musicians Chris Hellman and Ian Harris on drums forming an already powerful trio. Growling vocals guitar solo and singalong chorus make 1985 Keeper Of The Flame a cert that flows into the southern twist to On Fire. Half way through the release a highlight song Fire appears a slow and melodic tune with signature guitar solo in the middle. A more psychedelic grungy bluesy tone to Into The Sun is interesting but vocally not so good. A blues song Steady Roller Blues has a great slide guitar start then increases tone later. Miles To Babylon is another slow burner laid back acoustic tones. Partys Over closes the release with a self-reflective song played with passion and has a folky feel. Dynamic and diverse in your face rock band.

COLIN CAMPBELL

Named after the famous outlaw and the gang he rode with this collective, out of Pittsburgh, appear to have been together since the early to mid noughties. For sure they had an album out in 2012 so I think and hope I’m correct in saying that I Can’t Change is their third. Whatever the case this is a fairly typical nicely produced grooving set of Blues tunes similar to any number of other albums which cross my desk. Now that sounds like I could mean that it is bland and even boring. That is not the case at all. I like this kind of album a lot. It is straightforward good time rocking Blues, good on the ears, melodic, easy to get involved with but not different enough to lift the band to a much higher level of international fame. They will do very nicely around their own Pennsylvania State and those surrounding it and that is great. This album will sell enough units at live shows to cover the cost of creation keeping the guys in beer and happy. This six piece band fronted by Billy Evanochko guitar and vocals are pretty damn tight. Opening with the title track it is immediately apparent that you will not be disappointed with the mix of originals and a few covers including Who from Bernard Roth (he of Forty Days & Forty Nights fame) and a rather tasty Can’t Stand To See You Go (Jimmy Reed). Ain’t Gotta

Prove Nothing and Story

Of The Blues being particularly strong originals. Standout for me is a brilliant take on Dave Mackenzie’s Slender Man Blues. A strong punchy, energetic album which I hope does well for the band.

GRAEME SCOTT

DAVID GOGO VICKSBURG CALL

Cordova Bay Records

I suppose with a name like Gogo it’s no surprise that this one races out of the traps like a greyhound with mustard applied to it’s gonads.

Canadian blues/rocker David Gogo’s 14th album opens with the blistering power chords and fierce slide guitar of Cuts Me To The Bone. If you think of George Thorogood with lashings of slide guitar riffs but without the flat vocals you’ll get the picture. Next up is hard driving shuffle Fooling Myself featuring special guest Kim Simmonds on lead guitar with some tasty licks. Neil Young is a particular favourite of mine and his song The Loner seems an unlikely choice of cover but Gogo does a great job with his muscular version which features plenty of Crazy Horse style heavy, but melodic, guitar riffing. Nice one! The atmospheric, stripped down, There’s A Hole features mournful vocals, lonesome acoustic slide guitar and yearning harmonica from Shawn Hall. Steve Stills song Jet Set (Sigh) gets a sturdy workout with some superb fiery fretwork and gritty vocals from Gogo. The crunching rocker What’s Not To Like is followed by the lengthy slow ballad Our Last Goodbye which features soulful vocals and a tense, restrained, guitar solo. The material is good and the band excel throughout with Gogo adding his pyrotechnic fretwork and gruff vocals as on the insistent title track Vicksburg Call. An unexpected cover of Annie Lennox emotive song Why features convincing vocals and tasteful guitar licks to close out this excellent album. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and will certainly look out for more.

DAVE DRURY

ELLIS HOOKS NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK

Blues Boulevard

Ellis Hooks hails from Bay Minette, Alabama, scion of a Cherokee mother and an African-American father, the thirteenth child in a family of sixteen, he began singing in the church choir. He spent his teen years busking around America, ending up in Central Park, New York, where who but Diana Ross heard him. You couldn’t make it up. However, he turned his back on that, and headed to Europe before a return to New York saw him linking up with producer Jon Tiven for his debut album. He seemed on the cusp of the big time, but turned his back on fame once again. But now after a seven year break he’s back with album number seven, and it’s a very enjoyable release, mixing up blues, soul, some Muscle Shoals rhythms and more. Time may have passed but he hasn’t lost any of his mojo, although this seems sturdier than the soulful route he headed down in the past. Across thirteen new songs he shows just why he was lauded the first time around. There are a few standouts including the soulful title track, some Stax guitar licks on the Steve Cropper co-write To You Who Have Wronged Me, which is no surprise considering they are also played by Mr Cropper. Granted, the album is a tad too long, and loses its way a bit in the middle, especially on the dreadful (and potty mouthed) Time Is A Mofo, but when it’s on song, it’s great. It also boasts a fantastic sound, but then he has reunited with Jon Tiven who has worked in the studio with Robert Plant, Wilson Pickett and Little Milton, which could explain an assortment of talent appearing including Steve Ferrone, Chester Thompson and Free/ Bad Company drummer Simon Kirke.

STUART A HAMILTON

ALEX WELLKERS WHAT

This has been a hard CD to review for me. The bio which accompanied the release gave very little in the way of background information. I think he may be German but don’t quote me on that. It appears from the bio that this five track EP is his third outing following on from Pre & See. Apart from that I can only point you to the internet if you feel inclined to seek him out. Ok so moving on to the actual music I think the first thing to say is that it is very hard to actually define this as Blues. It is as far removed from the Mississippi Delta, Chicago or wherever most folks would figure our beloved genre to have sprung from and certainly far from the generally accepted sound of the Blues. Having said all that there is a certain level of darkness to Alex’s fairly beseeching lyrics and, instrumentally, the grungy guitar adds to the gloom. All the songs are sung in English but he retains an element of his natural language in the pronunciation. There are no details on the CD as to whether he is the sole writer, or indeed who, if any, additional personnel may be. As a whole package it has a kind of demo feel to the production leading me to think that Alex has done the whole thing himself at home. Alex shows promise but requires development along with the ear and values that a good producer would bring to the table. An interesting listen for sure with good ideas but for the most part more mainstream music not Blues.

HILARY JAMES

YOU DON’T KNOW

Acoustics Records

You’d think by my age I’d know better than to try and pigeon hole musicians, so with humble apologies to Hilary James let me offer a mea culpa. This lady defies categorising other than to say she has the voice and range of an angel. She has crossed many musical rivers from Big Band, Blues, Irish and British Folk and a fairly strong hint of Classical, and I trust she’ll forgive me for being slightly ungallant, she’s been doing so for a quarter of a century. This album is her latest full carat gem which even the broadsheets like. Her

interpretation of the Hoagy Carmichael/Johnny Mercer number Skylark on track four is as sultry as they had intended it to be. The esoteric nature of this album is further cemented with Hilary’s version of believe it or not, a Gracie Fields number as track six with the beguiling title; This House Is Haunted By The Echo Of Your Goodbye. Surely the longest song title in the history of music. Deep River Blues features in track eight with harmonica support getting the feel of the blues from Brendan Power. Throughout this quite beautiful album, Hilary is in tandem with her long term partner Simon Mayor, whose guitar and mandolin playing with occasional violin delicacy amply demonstrates their obvious empathy with each other. This isn’t solid blues for the purposes of our magazine, but if you buy this album for the lady in your life, then your star will surely be in the ascendency with her.

TOM WALKER

GRAEME SCOTT

JAKE SHIMABUKURO TRAVELS

Hitchhike Records

For years, the humble ukulele has not had the best image. It is seen as a fun instrument, nothing to take seriously, or artistically, so we see Ukulele orchestras selling out concert halls, with a fun sized version of punk, rock, blues and folk songs. Jake Shimabukuro, the ukulele virtuoso has sought to address this imbalance with the 17 tracks that take up the largely instrumental Travels. The mood of the album ranges from the moody, neo classical introspection of the three pieces that make up Departure Suite, and the shorter, but no less musically challenging Interludes parts 1 and 2. The tracks vary in

MIDNITE JOHNNY SO COMPLICATED

Mosher St Records

length, from less than a minute to more than 6 minutes, so the listener gets their money’s worth of music. Jake Shimabukuro is clearly a talented musician and composer, and his studies of traditional Hawaiian music are a joy to listen to. However, in between the complicated tone poems, there is also a sense of fun. A solo, musically fulfilling version of the Jackson Five’s I’ll Be There shows of Shimabukuro’s talent to the fullest extent, but he also finds time to play with other musicians, on a rocking version of War’s Low Rider, whilst his own Haven’t We Been Here

Before? is intelligent rock music, fusing catchy jazz Ukulele lines with a full band of drums, bass, and guitar, with the Ukulele being a particularly strident voice on this track. The closing Dinner And A Movie is a noir study in story-telling, perfectly suited as a fine closing piece on this album which shows just how serious a musical instrument the Ukulele can be when it is in the right hands.

BEN MACNAIR

DVDs

ERIC CLAPTON SLOWHAND AT 70 LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL

Eagle Vision

A long standing blues veteran of the South Florida blues scene, with two earlier albums under his belt, John Morana aka Midnite Johnny has worked with the likes of Bo Diddley, Harvey Mandel (Canned Heat), Warren Ceaser and many more. Nowadays you will find him playing the likes of Bolton, Northallerton and the Royal Oak in Fleetwood, as for the last six years he has been based in England. An unlikely home for someone whose music is replete with nods to the likes of Freddy King and Otis Rush, but a very welcome addition to the British blues scene. Because this is a very enjoyable release. It’s largely self-penned, with a couple of covers from the Sleepy John Estes and Willie Dixon songbooks on Everybody Oughta Make A Change and Ain’s Superstitious respectively, and it really showcases his influences, easy vocals and great guitar work. There are some seventies Eric Clapton vibes on songs like the aforementioned Everybody Ought To Change and Through With Love, and he has a great rhythm section pushing things along on the guise of bass player Norm Helm and drummer Paul Burgess, who will be familiar to fans of 10cc, Camel and Jethro Tull.

Unbeknownst to the general public, many of whom believe him to be the world’s greatest blues musician, there are plenty of blues buffs who don’t rate Eric Clapton. Too genteel, they say. Too lacking in the raw, unrestrained power of a Magic Sam or a Buddy Guy. Listening to Slowhand at 70, recorded in March 2015 and available in multiple formats, one can sort of see what the non-believers mean. The performance begins with a very sedate stroll through JJ Cale’s Somebody’s Knocking On My Door, for example, followed by a comfortable, angst-free interpretation of Big Bill Broonzy’s Key To The Highway. Later on we have a somewhat lifeless version of Steve Winwood’s Can’t Find My Way Home, a strangely genial Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out, one of four tracks on which Clapton plays acoustic guitar, and an enjoyable, but middle-of-theroad, Paul Carrack-sung interpretation of Billy Preston’s You Are So Beautiful. And yet, there is nonetheless plenty to enjoy about Clapton’s performance. He is a warm, conversational singer, for example, his guitar tone is beautiful and he is a player of notable sensitivity and fluency who, at this gig, does finally move through the gears. Thus the self-composed Let It Rain and Robert Johnson’s Crossroads are played with a bit of energy while on Joe Cocker’s High Time We Went, again sung by Carrack, the band rock out impressively. Indeed, the band, who also

include ex-Grease Band keyboard player Chris Stainton and ex-Steely Dan session drummer Steve Gadd, play sumptuously throughout, although without the fire, unpredictability and quirkiness of the great blues bands of earlier eras. Ultimately, if you like your blues classy, tasteful and immaculately played, then this performance would be hard to better.

TREVOR HODGETT

JOE LOUIS WALKER LIVE IN ISTANBUL

MVD Entertainment

Whenever we get review copies of CDs or DVDs, it isn’t always certain that we are looking at the product that you the punters will end up buying, and this DVD is a case in point. The copy that I have consists of the disc in a plastic case, with a front and back page, there is no further information, no song writing credits, no band member information, in fact no info at all. Now for some of you that won’t matter, but I like to have that detail to hand. Anyway, what’s it all about? First recorded live in Istanbul at The EFES Pilsen Blues Festival in 1995, I don’t know if it was released at the time or if it just got lost, but this is a hard working band playing for all they are worth, only 10 tracks, but they run out over 85 minutes and there is barely a pause for breath. The poster behind Joes head says Joe Louis Walker and the Boss talkers, but about halfway through the set, the

STUART A HAMILTON

keyboard player (Mike Eppley) announces the band as Walter Wolfman Washington and the Roadmasters! Now I don’t know if this was an in joke amongst the band, but the audience didn’t seem to notice, perhaps it’s just me? Overall a great recording of a lively concert, why didn’t it get out 20 years ago?

DAVE STONE

RITCHIE BLACKMORE

THE RITCHIE

BLACKMORE STORY

Eagle Vision

Blackmore isn’t short of heavy duty fans. On this enjoyable and informative documentary Brian May describes him as ‘one of the great originators of the wild electric guitar’ and observes that ‘his technique was incredible’; Joe Satriani declares that ‘his precision was stunning’; David Coverdale hails him as ‘the Caucasian Hendrix’; Steve Lukather calls him ‘way ahead of his time’; and so on. Blackmore’s career is satisfyingly tracked through the blues-derived heavy rock of Deep Purple, the metal/pop of Rainbow and the Renaissance music of Night with expert direction by John Peel’s brother Alan Ravenscroft. The film, mind you, is credited to Blackmore Productions so it’s not surprising that it doesn’t dwell on any criticisms of the great man but although he comes across openly and pleasantly in the interviews, he’s clearly an awkward character. He himself tells of breaking down Purple bassist Roger Glover’s bedroom door with an axe (he wanted to borrow a cross, if you really want to know) and of throwing a plate of spaghetti in Purple singer Ian Gillan’s face, for example, and he seems to have fallen out with most of the

musicians with whom he’s played. He speaks of Gillan in particular with great disdain, indiscreetly mocking the singer’s alleged propensity for nudity, and he also sneers at Rainbow singer Joe Lynn Turner and admits he wanted to smash the head of another Rainbow singer, Graham Bonnet, with his guitar, onstage, because he didn’t like Bonnet’s hairstyle. The idea that he might himself have been responsible for some of his fractured relationships with other musicians seems not to occur to him. The DVD is also available in Blu-ray and digital formats and in a deluxe edition which additionally includes a hardback photo book, amidst much else.

TREVOR HODGETT

Book

RAWA BLUES FESTIVAL – 35 YEARS!

Presented to you in a decent black case from which the ‘album’ slides out this is indeed an impressive piece of work. This is an astonishing, and heavy, book of images and words (in Polish and English, main body in Polish with English to the side and shaded) covering 35 years of one of Europe’s biggest indoor festivals. The name of Rawa comes from the river which flows through Katowice. The festival director is Irek Dudek, a Polish singer, composer, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter. He is well known in Poland and western Europe for his blues achievements. In the 80s, his artistic alter-ego, rock ‘n’ roll band called Shakin’ Dudi gathered an incredible popularity in Poland. The band still performs and records LPs. Ireneusz Dudek is also recognized for his activities for popularizing the blues music in Poland, where Rawa Blues Festival is his greatest work. The Festival takes place every year at the beginning of October, in the city of Katowice, Poland. Since its’ very beginning in 1981, Rawa Blues became the biggest and over time also the most recognizable blues event in Poland. For the first 10 years it was organized as a network of nationwide all-day blues sessions in several venues. With time it evolved, becoming an International Blues Festival at the beginning of the 90s. Then, the organizers started to invite the world ‘s greatest blues artists. The organizers and independent journalists claim that Rawa Blues Festival is the world’s biggest indoor blues festival. The other organizers are Rawa Blues Association and a team of dedicated enthusiasts and volunteers who serve the cause so well indeed. The photographs contained are stunning, the pages are quality, this feels of the quality that 35 years of dedication and delivery of such an event deserves. Justifiably Irek was the honoured recipient of a Blues Foundations’ Keeping The Blues Alive Award in 2012. I have to say this was well deserved if a bit overdue.

TOBY ORNOTT

THE BANJO BANDS OF MALAWI FIELD RECORDINGS BY MOYA

ALIYA MALAMUSI

Stefan Grossman’s Guitar Workshop

The ‘Field Recordings’ tag on this DVD immediately brings me to thoughts of Alan Lomax and the incredible recordings he made of artists he found in the depths of Mississippi and across the US (as well as the rest of the world after the US Library of Congress withdrew his funding). These are recordings of itinerant musicians in Malawi in Southern Africa and, on largely homemade or locally built instruments, the music is completely natural, fresh and joyful. The banjo was a common instrument in the days

of the European colonization of Southern Africa but later became increasingly difficult to find so the musicians of Malawi and Zimbabwe started to make their own. If you consider the instruments made by the legendary Super Chicken in Clarksdale Mississippi, one stringed basses and unique guitars using cigar boxes for a body along with oil cans and broom handle necks, these are in the same family. Personally I would put the instruments closer to a Ukulele than a Banjo but there is a definite familial link so if they want to call them banjos then that fits as well as any other. Musically the instruments are used almost as percussion instruments to back up the chants of the musicians with

very little soloing although the individual talents of the musicians is undoubted. One instrument that appears often is a one string lap played bass banjo which is played with a slide action that actually mimics the sound of a talking drum when plated slide style. The voices are all individual and the handmade nature of the instruments means that there is a symbiosis between the voices and the music. This is music for the enjoyment of the musicians as well as the crowd and almost all these recording are in a street situation so one can imagine the dancing happening out of shot. Great music and captured with real understanding of the music and the players.

ANDY SNIPPER

SHOWTIME!

THE BM! ROUND-UP OF LIVE BLUES

BLUES AT SEA STOCKHOLM/SWEDEN

17-18 OCTOBER 2015

October can be a tricky month to visit Sweden’s capital city with the likelihood of chilly, wet weather always on the cards. This weekend however bucked the trend with sunny days and plenty of boiling blues onboard the Viking Line MS Cinderella spread over two days as she sailed into the Baltic and back with a huge hoard of fans and musicians all intent on having themselves some real fun.

Almost from the off, as the ship slipped its lines to leave the quay the music began as it was to continue with US-born guitarist/ harp player Dr Harmonica belting out some fine traditional material mixed with his own compositions in one of the countless bar-rooms.

Later that evening, Denmark’s current rising blues star Thorbjorn Risager and the Black Tornado

produced an explosive, full-on set to a packed crowd crammed into the main stage area. Risager was joined on-stage by Zimbabwean blues-gospel singer Miriam Mandipira, a lady with a huge voice and presence.

From the USA, Memphis outfit the Jeff Jensen Band also turned in a cracking set as a mini-power-trio, with a strong, rocking blues set mostly based around their current, excellent album ‘Morose Elephant’. This band and this album were one of the true discoveries of the trip for me, clearly a band to look out for in future.

Chicago’s Lil’ Ed and the Blues Imperials, originally down as headliners were replaced towards the last minute by Gene ‘Birdlegg’ Pittman, a worthy bluesman from Texas who showed many of the younger performers how to shake it all down with a full-tilt, high

energy blast of blues at its best. This guy ‘Birdlegg’ sure knows how to blow a harp, belt out a song and hold a crowd in the palm of his hands. Another fabulous blues discovery who more than made up for Lil’ Ed’s non-appearance.

An excellent Swedish Blues Ladies set highlighted and featured Sweden’s 2016 European Blues Challenger Ida Bang paired alongside last year’s challenger, Lisa Lystem, and many others, delivering a powerful, roaring performance full of confidence and conviction.

From Colorado, the always wonderful, fun-fuelled bluesdulcimer player Sofie Reed - a Swede by birth - also rocked the boat with her self-penned material, while another very fine young Swede, Shoutin’ Red , (a personal favourite of mine and one to watch for sure) here perfectly partnered by veteran Swedish harp man Bill

SHOUTIN’ RED

PHOTO: JANET PATIENCE

Ohrstrom, produced a positively excellent, warm set of traditional country-blues from the 1920s and 30s, strong on deceptively simple picking and Mississippi John Hurt’s back-catalogue..

Overall, this was a quality gig with bags of artists and variety. A positive winner with more than enough music to keep everyone both occupied and satisfied. IAIN PATIENCE

5TH BLACKBURN BLUES, RHYTHM & ROCK FESTIVAL

BLACKBURN KING GEORGES HALL

4 OCTOBER 2015

I had been looking forward to attending this Festival but was slightly disappointed by the poor attendance. The venue was accomodating and the bill included some great blues acts that need our support to keep music live. Come on Lancashire, you need to demonstrate your commitment to the blues! For those of us who did attend, I thought it was very enjoyable, being opened by Matt Woosey (singer songwriter of acoustic blues, folk and rock), who was the Blues Matters solo artist of the year in 2014. Matt was followed by The Luke Doherty Band. Luke was an early convert to the blues and started performing at Festivals when he was 12. Unfortunately due to a radio commitment, I missed them perform but I was told they were great.

Red Butler was on next and the band demonstrated why they have just won the 2nd UK Blues Challenge and will represent the UK in Italy in April 2016 at the 6th European Blues Challenge. They have a burning desire to entertain and are a great live act. Fronted by the energetic Jane Pearce vocals and the brilliant Alex Butler guitar, the rest of the band comprises Charlie Simpson drums, and Mike

Topp bass. They played songs from their debut album Freedom Bound and new material from their follow up album, which will be released in early 2016. They are certainly in demand and have won several recent accolades, including in September 2015, runners up in the Emerging Artist category of the British Blues Awards, with Alex Butler runner up for Young Artist. In February 2016, they will be supporting Danny Bryant on tour. If you get the chance, you should go see them live!

Following Red Butler was another up and coming, hardworking band, Albany Down, a contemporary UK blues-rock

band who released their debut album, South of the City in 2011. The band members are Paul Muir vocals, Paul Turley guitar, Donna Peters drums and Billy Dedman bass. They have what has been described as a Zeppelin-influenced sound and they played many of their self-penned songs from their well-received second CD, Not Over Yet, which is aptly titled since this band still has a long way to go. Not surprisingly my favourite song was the acclaimed mandolin-led Man Like Me.

The Graveltones are a two piece heavy blues rock band, formed in 2011, consisting of Australians Jimmy O vocals/guitar

CONNIE LUSH

PHOTO: CHRISTINE MOORE

ALEX AND MIKE FROM RED BUTLER

PHOTO: CHRISTINE MOORE

MATT WOOSEY

PHOTO: CHRISTINE MOORE

FESTIVALS

and Mikey Sorbello drums who are currently based in London. They can certainly make a lot of noise for two people but if I’m honest, received a mixed reaction. They were new to many audience members and since they tended to just play rather than engage with the audience, they left the stage as still a bit of a mystery to all of us!

The same cannot be said of Danny Bryant, the British blues guitarist and singer songwriter. His professionalism and talent left everyone in awe. It is not surprising that he has been dubbed a “National Blues Treasure”. Having first performer on stage as a teenager, Danny is becoming a major European blues star, selling out many venues, with a loyal fan base around the world. He also recently toured the USA for five weeks fronting Walter Trout’s band, while the blues legend recovered from liver transplant surgery. Danny’s last release was Temperature Rising, which had glowing reviews and his next, Blood Money is due for release on 29th January 2016.

To close the Festival, who better than Liverpool legend, Connie Lush and Blues Shouter, including husband Terry Harris on bass. She is one of the finest blues singers to come out of the United Kingdom and is our uncrowned “Queen of the Blues,” with her incredible voice, quality song writing and fantastic stage presence. She sang many of her classics including Love Me Like A Man; Send Me No Flowers, Shopping and Lonely Boy and some new tracks from her forthcoming CD, Renaissance. As the chorus from her closing track echoed, she certainly made us all feel good.

ANDY MANN

UPTON-ON-SEVERN BLUES FESTIVAL 2015

As this years’ festival was bigger

and better than previous according to the organisers promo material then I would take up too much of BMs Festival fever space for this copy! Yes the weekend was superb in many ways. Over a hundred bands, every pub club and hall utilised to accommodate them and that does not count the main stages (Riverside) and (Rugby Field). The camping field was filled to maximum capacity and bus/ car loads and bikers poured in and out all weekend. The tolerant and friendly locals survived the whole mass of humankind accompanied by kids and dogs descending on the small town swamping it for the hottest days of this year so far! It was a success –BUT for me it was also overwhelmingly crowded with severe bottle necks at the riverside venue that in the end I did not want to be jostled by a large pushing hoard of people. But there were other venues I could get into and enjoy the fantastic bands duos and solo performers. The Cruises were a lovely get away for me and friends. Afloat we had the remarkable talents of Tommy Allen and new bass player Emil Engstrom from Denmark sing and played a superior set of Blues songs and fantastic acoustic tunes to relax and refresh your senses far from the madding crowds! I successfully managed front River stage to see Stevie Nimmo and his band – so too The Mustangs thundering great set, and most of Honey Boy Hicklings’ brilliant wild harp blowin’ performance. The Last band on at the River stage was Northsyde and I sat with friends half way up the road outside the Star to listen and have a quiet talk. It was their first time at Upton and they really had a good time and said they will make it a definite in their diaries for 2016. We could still hear the amazing Lorna hitting those demonic Joplin crescendos and her dropping down to a gasping dirty lowdown Blues note even there! Lovely stuff. All top rate bands and entertaining.

I was disappointed that due to the crushing and intimidating (intimidating for me - female who stands 5’2’’) push and shoving by gangs of mostly men whilst Eugene Hideaway Bridges was singing and playing blindingly tip top guitar licks and runs that were intermittently interrupted by a faulty mic alas! That’s when I left to find safer territory and space. At the social club Tommy Allen and Trafficker (Emil Engstrom, bass and dynamic drum wizard Damon Clarige) played a set that to all accounts of those present was the ultimate performance of the whole festival. Tommy was on startling good form and his rhythm section too sensed the reaction of the audience and all went into another higher dimension. The dance floor was full all afternoon and passers bye stopped in their tracks and tried to get in but had to come round to the emergency side doors (wide open to allow much needed air through) to see who, what and be wowed by an amazing memorable Blues music moment. It was all the talk that day and after. AWESOME. Folks who know me and that I write for BM would stop me and ask if I saw or heard this band or that group as they found them to be the bees knees but in all honesty I could not be everywhere at once. That gives you some indication of just how good this ‘free’ blues festival is despite my few whinging observations. I caught small windows of bands performances whilst negotiating around the thronging streets and side alleys – Local hero (for me) Luke Doherty playing his socks off giving Hendrix anthems a right bashing and thrilling the crowds. The Hereford Gospel Choir again – a beautiful set of soul and a few funky thumping hymns and praises that pleasantly eased us into the final Sunday soothed and stirred gently those trouble alcohol fused and fuzzy brains. Jamie and the Worried Men (unofficial fringe) at The Talbot singing and playing

STEVIE NIMMO

PHOTO: CHRISTINE MOORE

SONS OF THE DELTA

PHOTO: CHRISTINE MOORE

ADAM NORSEWORTHY FROM THE MUSTANGS

PHOTO: CHRISTINE MOORE

FESTIVALS

(to the Gods mostly!) to a rapt and wondrous full house. He has a great army of fans who travel far and wide to see him (them). Panic Stations – Portalbots’ finest and one of the best South Walian’s R&B outfits – tight as a Ducks… As they say. Dancers at their gig had a field day in the packed Social club. Lead guitarist/vocalist Owen allowed three harmonica virtuosi from the audience play with them (not all at once!) and even his niece got up and sang a belter of a blues song or two. Not all bands are as accommodating as they are. Then there was Slowburner at the Swan – sweltering heat did not deter them- nor the lack of shade for their audience diminish the enthusiasm they are shown for their stonking strident and stirring rendition of Blues rock at its very best. Nice ‘n’ Sleazy did their usual set of high octane rock/ blues and clowning about amusing and entertaining a massive crowd who stand twenty or so deep in front of them and the Plough Inn backed up by another crowd on the road bridge over the mighty Severn overlooking down on them! I apologise to those bands I have had to omit but no one had a bad word about any of the performances this year or ever for that matter. This is just the tip of the iceberg of the Upton on Severn Blues festival 2015. It is a grand feat and testimony for the team who put this together. I have been present at all of them and seen it grow from six tents on the rugby field and mostly local bands contributing and playing originally inside the pubs and clubs. Today the Meadow campsite is capacity full by Thursday evening and not a B&B free in the town centre or for a ten mile radius of the Pepper Pot Tower. Being a river side venue with a marina they attract a flotilla of river craft of every description. The calibre of bands playing have always been good but has shown a marked increase in so much that it now attracts some of the

bigger named stars of the Blues circuit. This festival (Blues) is one of four or five (Rock, Folk, Jazz, Boat and River are others) that this small town organises and hosts each year. The Blues festival is the Biggest and the Best so tradesmen, landlords and locals tell me! Congratulations Upton you’ve done it again.

DIANE GILLARD SISTER FEELGOOD.

BIG BLUES FESTIVAL ATKINSON SOUTHPORT

9-10 OCTOBER 2015

The studio at the Atkinson at Southport is a great blues rock venue, with tables and seating downstairs and an upstairs balcony with plenty of space in the foyer to chat, eat and drink. Their first Big Blues Festival featured a great array of predominantly British blues talent and was memorably opened on the Friday night by the Nimmo Brothers. Stevie and Alan are ironically celebrating 20 years playing together by holding their farewell tour! A further irony is that Stevie and Alan (guitar and vocals), Wayne Proctor (drums and well known producer!!) and Matt Beable (bass) have just again won “best band” in the British Blues awards. Guys take the hint – make it a rest rather than a possible farewell! I’m sure all your fans would like this since you were fantastic at Southport, and even though you have well established solo careers, together is something else. For me, you were the highlight of the festival. As a combination of your songs would say: All I Want for my Reason To Believe is that you are Still Here Strumming and that you don’t Slow Down!

So how do the Saturday artists follow that? To be honest, very well was the cry. Tipitina, a local New Orleans style five piece blues band from near Preston, ably demonstrated why they can sell out Ronnie Scott’s in London. Fronted by the great voice of Debbie Jones, Sweet Lover was

clearly in the air because Justin Randall, their excellent pianist was later going on his stag night! The rest of the band included Olly Collins bass, Andy Jones guitar and Bryan Hargreaves drums and they provided a superb start to the day, including the Amy Winehouse cover: You Know I’m No Good. The band has performed in New Orleans and has been greatly influenced by that fantastic city. I particularly like their version of the song recalling the devastating flood, Louisiana 1927 and one from the late Allan Toussaint –Brickyard Blues.

Tipitina was followed by Dave Migden and the Twisted Roots, a five piece band, playing a lot of their own material. They were the Blues Matters best newcomers of 2013 and are clearly continuing to make good progress. The band comprises David Migden vocals, Graham Mann keyboards, Joe Gibson guitar, Phil Scragg bass and James Sedge drums. For me, the songs I enjoyed the most were Rougarou; Top Of The Mountain and the one about a little brown mouse, The Reverand Jack Crow.

Next up was another local band, The Stumble from Preston, with their superb Chicago style of blues. Led by Paul Melville vocals, Colin Black lead/slide guitar, Simon Anthony sax, Antony Scapens guitar, Cameron Sweetnam bass and Boyd Tonner drums, they played numerous songs from their existing CDs and their forthcoming one, out in January, ending with two great tracks My Life and Bus Stop, which had the audience dancing in the aisles! A performance to stay in the memory.

It was hard to follow them, but Marcus Malone is known to be a born entertainer and he did not let us down. Supported by Sean Nolan guitar Mike Horn drums and Jamie Lawrence bass, they played a lot of tracks from their latest CDs: Stand Or Fall and Walking Shoes, where Marcus’s song writing talent comes to the fore.

Again I particularly enjoyed Detroit City Blues and another song, which reminded me that a certain Blues Matters editor was also in the audience – Christine, a worthy final number.

Chantel McGregor closed the Atkinson at Southport’s first Big Blues Festival, playing a lot of tracks from her recently released CD, Lose Control as well as many favourites such as Caught Out, I’m No Good For You and Fabulous. As a fellow Yorkshire person, I really enjoyed this shift to a more rock and darker side to her music but it was not everyone’s cup of tea! I think you should buy the album and judge for yourself!

In summary, a great first Festival held at an ideal venue. Congratulations to Emma Lloyd and her team for organising it and I can’t wait for it to return next year.

ANDY MANN

CONCERTS

BRIAN KRAMER’S BLUES-JAM STAMPEN BAR, GAMLA STAN, STOCKHOM, SWEDEN

17 OCTOBER 2015

US, Brooklyn-born Kramer is no stranger to Blues Matters; many will have read his tour featurearticles about life on the road in Siberia and be familiar with his recent, excellent self-released album ‘Full Circle’. But for over 17 years, the guitarist/songwriter has been hosting what must be one of Europe’s finest free blues music events at Stampen Bar in the Swedish capital, Stockholm’s old town (Gamla Stan). This is a genuine all-out, rollicking, sweaty, noisy juke-joint sort of affair led by Kramer with help from loads of his local buddies and many visiting musicians passing through the city. Previous guests to

join the fun have included Alvin Youngblood-Hart and Kramer’s old road and studio mate, Eric Bibb, for example. On the Saturday I squeezed into the packed pub another very fine US-Swedish blues-import, Bert Deivert, also turned up to add his Yank Rachell inspired, blues-Mando-weight to

the top-quality action. Together with howling harp player, Mats Qwarfordt, they were partnered by bassist Peter Frej and Miceal Oberg on drums. As the afternoon drifted on more and more musicians arrived toting guitars, saxophones and just voices to make their way on to the stage and

MARCUS MALONE

PHOTO: CHRISTINE MOORE

PAUL MELVILL THE STUMBLE

PHOTO: CHRISTINE MOORE

BRIAN KRAMER

PHOTO: JANET PATIENCE

jam together. The result was and, I was assured by many audience members and participants, is always a simply superb afternoon of stunning quality blues music, all available for the cost of a drink. Even at eye-watering Swedish prices, this is truly remarkable value for money and cannot be recommended too highly. In fact, it’s almost worth grabbing a cheap flight to Stockholm just to take-in the music and the atmosphere created at this roaring jam session. Probably the best value event in Europe without doubt. I, for one, can’t wait to make a return trip! IAIN PATIENCE

diamonds. Kicking off with Robert Johnson’s Crossroads, followed by Key To The Highway, over two hours in intimate surroundings he took us through acoustic and electric territory with injections of passionate country such as Two More Bottles Of Wine, Steve Earle’s My Old Friend The Blues, more Robert Johnson, a poignant rendition of Otis Redding’s Dock Of The Bay and had the audience singing in full voice on the Kinks’ Sunny Afternoon. By the time he rounded off with a blistering Hooker classic, No More Doggin’, a hundred happy punters raised their glasses in stunned admiration. Are you listening, BBC? Have you even heard of The Blues Band? (But they’ve only been going 35 years!)

ROY BAINTON

JOANNE SHAW TAYLOR JAZZ CAFÉ, LONDON

OCTOBER 2015

suspect relish of sourness. At times tonight the guitar runs are just dazzling, approaching prime Zappa in ideas and execution. The only sour note of the evening is when Joanne admonishes an unlicensed and inconsiderate gig-filmer – and she was still angry about out it when I spoke to her a few days later! The Dirty Truth was the show’s climax, brutal and driving. I always laugh when some metal fans tell me about the amazing guitar players they have seen. THIS is the hard stuff and without a stage to perform on, I do wonder where on earth this lady would channel all this fire and venom…

PETE SARGEANT

MIKE ZITO AND THE WHEEL VOODOO ROOMS EDINBURGH

1 MARCH 2015

DAVE KELLY THE SHIP, LOWDHAM

8 OCTOBER 2015

Here’s a question. If everyone who sings and plays blues from Robert Plant to Seasick Steve has been applauded on BBC2’s Later With Jools Holland, then why, after 50 years in the game, has a man who actually played with John Lee Hooker, Howlin’ Wolf, Buddy Guy and others, recorded with Son House, recently shared a stage in Vancouver with James Burton, remained uninvited? What have the BBC got against Dave Kelly? All that deep experience, blues virtuosity and power were on display tonight in a packed room in rural Nottinghamshire. One man, a superb guitar and the best blues vocals this side of Memphis. Kelly’s massive repertoire throws songs into your lap like a billionaire chucking out

The second night of two at the JC, and Joanne is ripping it up. My (musician) companion tonight has not seen JST before and declares her ‘astonishing’ after the performance. From Mud, Honey onwards this is a pretty relentless set of performances in power trio setting, using the Les Paul for the fluid, torrent-of-notes stuff and the Tele for the choppier, more soulful grooves. By luck or whatever, one of the side speakers carries the vocal very clearly and this is a plus as sometimes the singing can get a tad overwhelmed in the instrumentation with this act; and this bonus is particularly pleasing during the additional acoustic sit-down part of the set. This must be kept, please! Wrecking Ball is not the Miley horror; Tried Tested & True is an ache of a song, beautifully put over. Jump That Train a dynamic highlight. Diamonds In The Dirt really takes off, with breath-taking soloing. Army Of One strikes home whilst Watch ‘Em Burn has an almost

This was held at Edinburgh Blues Club which has been running for nearly two years now, with an eclectic mix of blues influenced artists performing it is gaining a great reputation on the blues circuit. The venue is certainly very grand and sumptuous in design with good lighting, excellent sound engineering and more importantly a full house of eager fans anticipating another night of tremendous music.

Mud In Your Ear locals Allan Jones and Richard O’Donnell were the supporting act for the evening, a very popular and respected acoustic duo whose repertoire covers the early blues period. Both very accomplished musicians with anecdotes relating to the songs. Charlie Patton cover of Moon Going Down and Memphis Minnies Kissing In The Dark were particular crowd pleasers just enough blues to please any purists. After a short break it was time for the main band Mike Zito and The Wheel consisting of Jimmy Carpenter

DAVE KELLY

PHOTO: ROY BAINTON

JOANNE SHAW TAYLOR

PHOTO: JOHN BULL

CONCERTS

WALTER TROUT THE ASSEMBLY, LEAMINGTON SPA

24TH NOVEMBER 2015

Last year, Walter was close to death, partly paralysed, brain damaged and awaiting a liver transplant. The prospect of him ever performing again, never mind touring the UK, seemed an impossible dream. Tonight, several hundred fans witnessed their idol restored to health, rejuvenated and back to the peak of his career. Help Me set the scene with Trout’s strong, booming vocals and scintillating fretwork interspersed by piercing blasts of Sammy Avila’s Hammond underpinned by Michael Leasure’s thunderous drumming and Johnny Griparic’s sinewy bass. “I’m glad to be here, I’m glad to be anywhere,” quipped Walter to unbridled applause before launching at 100 mph into Luther Allison’s I’m Back, a song transformed by new meaning. A slow blues was dedicated to BB King before the brief appearance of YouTube sensation 10-year old blues boy Toby Lee, representing the next generation. The next part of the set comprised tracks from the Battle Scars album, including Almost Gone, Omaha, Tomorrow seems So Far Away, Playin’ Hideaway and Haunted By The Night. They tell the heart

wrenching narrative of Trout’s darkest period, the vocals matching each emotion to perfection and his screaming guitar licks recreating the entire harrowing experience. This is an intensely personal story rooted in the old blues tradition of true life. Despite the underlying gloom, the atmosphere overall was one of thanksgiving, optimism and joyful celebration of life as the show transmuted into one mega house party. Special guests Jon Trout and Bernie Marsden dueled in turn with the ebullient Walter, part playful but also competitive, It was a pity that Stephen Dale Petit did not participate in this ultimate blues jam given that he had opened the extravaganza with the excellent Lord Of The Bass, Sophie Lord and the technically brilliant Pretty Things drummer Jack Greenwood. Spectacular, extended versions of the classics, The Blues Came Callin’ and Rock Me Baby preceded the encore demanded by the baying devotees. Freddie King’s Going Down metaphorically brought down the curtain after over two hours of hard-edged blues. Walter’s all consuming determination to make music again was remarkable, with him clearly loving every second conveying his passion, pain, struggle and joy to the audience. THE BISHOP

on vocals and silky toned saxophones, Scot Sutherland playing a mean in your face bass guitar and the excellent drummer Rob Lee. The stage presence of the band was bold and brash as they launched straight into the title track of their new release Keep Coming Back, this is a no holds barred opener with slide guitar mixing with dulcet saxophone tones underpinned by an emphatic baseline greeted well by a receptive audience. Going To Texas sung in Mike Zito’s signature drawl showcased the tightness and joy of a band who love their time on the road and sharing music. Stylishly strong with Southern twangs a plenty throughout the set.

The tone mellowed with the slow and saxy Never Knew A Hurricane, vocals with achingly heartfelt guitar licks. New tune Chin Up changed the pace with its hard driving chorus and duelling sax and biting bass. The award winning Pearl River co-written with Cyrille Neville was mean and moody heightening the intimacy between band and audience.

Jimmy Carpenter took over vocals on his own song Walk Away intertwining New Orleans rhythms with Mike Zito’s engaging slide guitar. Another crowd pleaser was Get Out Of Denver with Chuck Berry type grooves. The guitar playing and swagger of Mike Zito makes you feel, yes this man is a consummate professional.

Judgement Day a saxophone driven tune which is as he says as religious as he gets but what a song belted out with vigour and drive. Nothin But The Truth rocked the crowd and the second encore of Bootleg had the audience thoroughly entertained. A phenomenal gig and if this is the shape of things to come from the Edinburgh blues club the future looks very good.

COLIN CAMPBELL

SONNY LANDRETH UNDER THE BRIDGE

NOV 2015 LONDON

I had been singing the praises of this venue to Sonny for quite a while, the first thing he said to me after the show was how much the band liked the sound and vibe. Landreth doesn’t do a lot of chatting tonight besides the odd song history and impeccable Southern greetings and thanks to his audience. It’s been a while since he played here, so a lot of first-timers in the room and all pretty much leaving as fans, I reckon as Sonny wisely mixes up gritty blues outings, back porch musings, country rattlerides, Saturday Night Rock ‘n’ Roll and exquisite ambitious soundscapes. Whatever brought you to Landreth’s music, it was in the listing tonight. Other star musicians like Eric Johnson and Robben Ford will tell you in hushed tones of their appreciation of this player’s skills and enthusiasm. It does rather help that like Joe Bonamassa, Landreth is a fan and it’s a pleasure to give him a Taste album he doesn’t/ didn’t have. Cherry Ball is given a joyous batting round the room; Walkin’ Blues remains a stroll out in the country in tonight’s take. The Johnny Winter tribute Firebird aches with lovely slide runs. Congo Square still sounds ominous and broody. Brave New Girl is quite a sound adventure and he sure knows his way around his floor FX. Pedal To Metal takes flight early and the trio keep it in the air like a sonic drone. Plenty dynamics, no lack of soul. Sonny is his own man

PETE SARGEANT

STOMP AND HOLLER

LICHFIELD GUILDHALL

24TH OCTOBER 2015

With a good time rock and roll sound, exemplary musicianship, and a broad-minded attitude the six piece Stomp and Holler played their last gig to an appreciative audience when they appeared at the Guildhall.

The group, with three front-men blended guitar pyrotechnics, a full time brass section, virtuoso keyboard and accordion playing, and a hard working rhythm section into a concert that included Jazz, Funk, Rock, Blues, Cajun and New Orleans with an eye on a danceable beat. Led by the vocalist/trumpet player Oliver Carpenter, Dave Carroll on guitar and vocals, and Phil Bond on keyboards, accordion and vocals, the rest of the band featured the saxophonist and flute player John Sanderson, bassist Frank Walker and Martin Ball on drums and percussion.

It would have been easy for a band with so many musicians, for the concert to become a showcase in virtuosity, but a distinct lack of ego, and some strong song writing meant that this was overcome. The set was largely their own material, but also included some choice covers, such as the spine-tingling version of St James’s Infirmary, which was a fine showcase for Oliver Carpenter

Tom Wait’s like vocal, and filigree trumpet, whilst the original Beasts of The Southern Wild was a song of stirring, brooding music, and Dave Carroll’s slide guitar work. Crazy up in here was a fine set opener, a dance focussed beat, and singalong chorus. The first set closed with Why’s It Always Me? a showcase for the band’s appreciation of Cajun music, and Phil Bond’s fiery accordion playing.

The second set had more of a feel-good mood to it, with many in the audience out on the dancefloor. Lonesome Town was a brooding song of longing, whilst Original Sin was a fast boogie number with a message, the set closer, Evangaline saw Oliver Carpenter and John Sanderson walking around the audience, their tight unison playing suiting the mood of the music perfectly. This was a fine night of music from some very talented performers and writers, and a very fitting swansong to their playing career.

BEN MACNAIR

SONNY LANDRETH

PHOTO: KIERAN WHITE

GREAT BRITISH BLUES

IN TWO AMAZING KOMPILATIONS

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