Blues Matters 90

eleanor mcevoy music

Paintings by Chris Gollon

Naked Music a collection of songs

performed by Eleanor McEvoy at the Grange Studios

Naked music a collection of paintings by Chris Gollon

“...simple effective arrangements which are perfectly suited to the artist’s crystal clear vocals.”

— MAVERICK H H H H

“A display of emotion and intimacy as naked as the title suggests, this CD happens to sound astounding too.”

— Hi Fi News

CD mastered at Metropolis London by Tony Cousins

Vinyl album mastered at Abbey Road, London by Miles Showell

eleanormcevoy.com

chrisgollon.com

WELCOME

Welcome to your copy of Blues Matters! No.90. Wow and what a journey we are having!

Who’d have thought it particularly after Founder (Alan Pearce) almost lost his life more than once to an aggressive (nasal) cancer. It is now over nine years since that ordeal and his fervour for the blues has not diminished (though he has daily struggles even now). No wonder then that both he and the magazine (which was more of a thrill to him) are in the Blues Hall of Fame (NY).

It brings things home to remember times like those and hits hard when Alan had become closer to Alfie Falkenback who was founder of Blues Boulevard had kept quiet about his illness in a similar way and they talked about survival while Alfie had been suffering with chest problems over a period of time and was finally diagnosed with cancer toward the end of last year. Mails were exchanged on the subject and a developing bond emerging so it was with shock that we heard Alfie lost his battle so quickly on 1st March. Our deepest sympathies go to his family and colleagues.

A fabulous issue in your hands with such a variety within the pages, but then you’d expect nothing less would you!?

Ok so we have to mount up for The Rides, we have words with Ron Hacker, talk to award winning Canadian songwriter and songstress Romi Mayes, the delightful Eleanor McEvoy chats with us (and was sadly one of the last guests on the Terry Wogan Sunday show on Radio 2), we cover more of the globe talking with Dan Patlansky, home chats with TYA and Ben Poole, catch up with Eric Burdon and take a trip with Supersonic Blues Machine and there’s more… Tedeschi Trucks and Happy Traum and that is without all the CD reviews and Blue Blood etc. AND the Features!

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The Rides by Eleanor Stills. Romi Mayes supplied by artist. Eric Burdon by Arnie Goodman.

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CONTENTS

WHO PLAYED ON TOM WAIT'S GRAMMY NOMINATED CD “ORPHANS”, AND PERFORMED HIS MUSIC AT “THE SALOON” BEHIND REESE WITHERSPOON & MARK RUFFALO IN THE FILM “JUST LIKE HEAVEN”.

REGULARS

BLUE BLOOD

REVERED BY MOST IN THE MUSICAL KNOW, HE IS EASILY ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT ACOUSTIC ROOTS MUSICIANS AND GUITAR PICKERS OF HIS AND MANY OTHER GENERATIONS.

INTERVIEWS

ROMI MAYES (CAN)

New blues artists, or old faces in new bands, keeping you up to date with what’s new on the scene. Ali Clinton, Hailbails Michael Rossiter, Joe Crib and the Seed Drills and more.

RED LICK TOP 20

RMR BLUES TOP 50

IBBA BLUES TOP 50

FEATURES

FEATURE ARTICLES

Raw Guitars (Bob Angell talks about Hubert Sumlin), Australian Blues, Blues Harmonica, Guitar Tech, Radiating the 88s and Blues workshop.

Back in 2011 it was said of Romi - If Keith Richards, Joan Jett and Ray Charles could somehow spawn a love child, it'd be Romi Mayes (suitably pronounced RAW-ME).

ERIC BURDON (UK)

Talks about the Lead Belly Festival held in New York City’s Carnegie Hall in the USA.

SUPERSONIC BLUES MACHINE (USA)

Check out this hot outfit talking about their new studio album with such luminaries guesting on it such as Lance Lopez, Billy Gibbons, Warren Haynes and Walter Trout.

TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND (USA)

With an impressive fi xed line-up of twelve band members the TTB have been selling out concerts wherever they play. Let Me Get By is their third studio album.

IRISH SINGER-SONGWRITER, ELEANOR MCEVOY TALKS NAKED MUSIC, ART COLLABORATIONS AND HER CAREER LEADING UP TO HER 12TH STUDIO ALBUM.

RON HACKER (USA) HAPPY TRAUM

ELEANOR MCEVOY (IRL)

THE RIDES (USA)

DISCOVER WHAT THESE THREE MAJOR ARTISTS PRODUCE WHEN THEY COME TOGETHER.

64 68 72 76

TEN YEARS AFTER – RIC LEE (UK)

Drummer with TYA for many years has plenty to say about on and off stage.

ERIC BIBB (USA)

Smooth Soulful Simple but a WOW to behold on stage. Always a religious experience to watch him perform.

BEN POOLE (UK)

Not the new kid on the block anymore. Find out where he’s at now!

LAZER LLOYD (ISR)

Born in the USA but now firmly rooted in Israel. Find out about his emotional journey to find his soul.

DAN PATLANSKY (ZA)

South African blues/rocker cooking up a storm. Touring the UK in May/ June supporting King King.

REVIEWS ALBUMS

Always the biggest selection from our great gang of reviewers.

SHOWTIME

80 89 115 34

LITTLE WALTER’S JUKE & IMITATING THE MASTERS

Verbals: Liam Ward – LearnTheHarmonica.com

Visuals: Supplied by author

is that the technique of the great players can seep into and become part of my own playing. There are certain contentious points with this song – is there actually a 6+9 blow octave rather than a 3+6 in the opening riff ? Should you play that weird skipped beat in the second chorus? I’ve gone with my best intentions, though perhaps you’ll see things slightly differently from me. It’s all in the interpretation, and that’s what makes music great.

This month I want to share something a little different with you. I’ve been holed up in what Adam Gussow calls the ‘woodshed’: that place – real or figurative –where you go to think, to analyse, to study. In my case that means studying the harmonica playing of the masters, and there is no greater master than Little Walter Jacobs.

Resurfacing from the shed means I'm nearing the end of a long journey, tabbing out the whole of Walter’s mammoth ‘Juke’, and I’d like to share some with you. (I’m also recording a video lesson, which will be available for download at www. LearnTheHarmonica.com for $4.) You can skip straight to the bottom of this article for the tab, but I want to discuss a few key points first.

Firstly, I’ve not tabbed the song out roughly, cutting corners; I’m going note for note, with all the subtleties (or at least all the ones I can catch!) and that brings difficulties, such as hearing every last note or breath at sometimes lightning pace. I’ve got my money’s worth out of Transcribe just with this one project! In the tab I’ve tried to reflect every aspect of Walter’s playing, and I hope I’ve done him justice. But I don’t intend to play the song live – the learning process is fulfilling enough in itself. I don’t want to clone what Walter did in my playing, even if I am learning what he did in my practice room. This way, the hope

A few final points about the tab: in my sessions I pitch-shifted the original recording slightly because it comes out slightly off-key. The song is in E (played on an A harp in second position) but something (warping materials?) has made the record sit slightly between keys. Bear this in mind if you want to play along to the original. I’m giving you the first twelve bars, which I’ve called chorus 1, but there are only three phrases as the first phrase is repeated eight times. Don’t let that make you complacent. There’s still a lot to learn! The tab key is included, and the bracketed notes are chords, grace notes or notes I generally came to see as ‘breathes’ rather than melodic notes. You can use your discretion with these. Most of all, enjoy!

JOURNEYMAN INSPIRES IN WORKSHOP FOR BLUES APPRENTICES

Verbals: Keith Blundy Visuals: Keith Blundy

Internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter and guitarist Richard Townend, used part of his recent mini-tour of the North East of England to visit Northumbria University Students’ Union where he hosted a songwriting and blues performance master class.

Richard poured out his wealth of knowledge, passion and humility in a workshop designed to deconstruct the song, giving participants an opportunity to explore the art and craft of songwriting, lyrics, structure, melody and performance first hand.

Starting the workshop

with a musical history lesson, Richard charted the course of African roots through gospel, delta and electric blues into popular music, rock and hip hop - giving those that knew nothing of the importance of the blues a grounding on why this genre is so important to the foundations of today’s music.

The Students’ Union building was mobbed by visitors to a series of sports and other events being hosted that day and Richard’s workshop fitted right alongside them as a culturally significant event. An event that was very much at home on a University

Campus with its insights into the structure of songs, their purpose, emotion and style all washed down with a bit of rapid fire music theory.

Those attending all shared one-thing in common - an appreciation of the power of music to tell a story, change mood and appeal to people regardless of age or previous understanding of the blues. The mix of abilities, styles and ages led to a thoroughly enjoyable day for all.

Using a series of musical examples drawn from blues standards, Richard demonstrated how a song can be shaped by the musical progression, key and melodic

elements: at one point he showed a chord progression which when changed in tempo and rhythm became songs by the Beatles Let It Be, The Police So Lonely, Bob Marley No Woman No Cry and Robert Johnson’s Walking Blues! That simple

of the students was writing about loneliness and that was every bit as real as the words of Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Keb Mo or many other songwriters, reflecting on their life experiences and putting it down in the form of a poem or song.

Emma-Jo was given a picture of a window in an otherwise blank wall - with just a hint of a river adjacent to the building; she penned:

“Peering out of the window, sun shining bright, watching over the river as waves dance in the light. Get me out of

demonstration was like a big light bulb going on in the mind's eye’s of the audience - you could almost hear the penny drop. So Richard is not only a good bluesman - he’s a pretty good teacher too!

Richard said: “I was delighted to be back in the North East – the welcome is always so friendly and people here really know their music. The region has a rich heritage in terms of music but also for its excellence in songwriting – from Dire Straits to Lindisfarne and everything in between.

“Songwriting workshops are something I am passionate about – I want to give budding songwriters an introduction to this and to be inspired by exploring lyrics, structure, melody, and performance.

“In a small way, I hope that working with students and other participants is doing my bit in opening up the blues to the next generation of fans. One of the things that really impressed me was the passion for writing about very real issues that face young people and how that resonated closely with the stories of the blues masters themselves. One

“You never know there maybe a song that emerges from the seeds sown at these workshops that changes the life of the songwriter or the listener; that is after all the motivation of most musicians.”

It seems to me that opening up the blues to a new generation of potential fans is what the great blues journeymen have been doing since Robert Johnson went down to the Crossroads, Clapton got Bad Love and Paul Rodgers was Alright Now. Journeyman here in its truest sense, that is the process of a learning journey - an apprenticeship in the blues - where, maybe one day, expert status might be achieved. For Richard the journey is all important to his own, personal development as a blues artist; his group of workshop blues apprentices playing off each other learning and collaboratingas Leonard Cohen would say it was Almost Like The Blues. Using a series of pictures, Richard got his blues apprentices to explore the meaning of the image and reflect their own lives, feelings and emotions into their lyrics. One student

here - eyes burning from glare - I want to move away from these four walls - bigger and better things call.”

Chorus:- “Breaking away from the same old routine, getting to find the real me, opening up the window to set myself free. Who will I be? Will I be?”

Another student Ryan wrote whilst talking about an image of a sad looking lady:

“Looking at her thinking what to do, all I really know is that she misses you.

“His look, his face, his amazing grace, all overshadowed by his big disgrace!”

Chorus:- “She must move on, as time goes on - wondering about all of the things, she wished she’d done.”

Revd Jim wrote about a shuttered window opening with: - “I’m better outside here in the light, hearing of others - their miserable plight ... If you're looking for others to show you the way - don’t bank on it - seize the day.”

Chorus:- “The windows are big but the shutters are down, the light is streaming in but barriers abound.”

Stunning words written by novices in songwriting

I WANT TO GIVE BUDDING SONGWRITERS AN INTRODUCTION TO, AND BE INSPIRED BY EXPLORING LYRICS, STRUCTURE, MELODY, AND PERFORMANCE.

but each song, each writer was perhaps reflecting some of the their own heart-felt issues - Emma-Jo about the loneliness of students in University; Ryan about mental illness in young people and Jim reflecting on society as a whole.

Richard worked with each of the apprentice’s in turn adding melody and phasing and coming up with a set of very different but equally very good songs.

Asked about the workshop during his radio session appearance the following evening on Zetland FM’s ‘Still Got The Blues’ show with Harry Simpson, Richard said: “I am amazed at what was achieved - five really good song starters came out

of the workshop - which I am thinking about turning into an album project at some point in the future.”

The workshop was arranged in conjunction with the University and with the Church of England Diocese of Durham’s Arts Chaplain, Revd Jim Craig. Jim, also a participant at the workshop, said: “This was a great way to bring people together to share a common love of music and song whilst growing the fellowship of working together under an arts umbrella. The blues is such an important bedrock to modern music that having Richard come to the region to spread the Blues Music word - was really exciting and something that really

spoke to the students.”

The workshop concluded with a performance of the songs written on the day as well as a collection of his own penned work from the recent Bossman and 7 Deadly Sins albums to the great delight of the audience.

Together with the workshop, Richard also played a dual headline gig with Midnite Blue at Mainsforth Community Centre (The former miner’s institute) near Ferryhill and said to be one of the most haunted venues in the North East - what could be more blues than that. He also performed a series of songs in session on Harry Simpson's Zetland FM ‘Still Got The Blues’ show.

IGUITAR TECHNIQUE PART 3

STEVIE RAY VAUGHN

In this issue, we are going to take a look at the style of Texas bluesman Stevie Ray Vaughn. Igniting the blues revival of the 80’s, SRV had a unique, eclectic and fiery

sound. Drawing influences from such artists as Albert King, Buddy Guy and Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray was the leading light in the American blues scene throughout the decade.

Inspired by his older brother Jimmy, SRV began playing guitar at the age of seven. A high school dropout, he performed around the cities of Dallas and Austin in various acts. However, it was the formation of Double Trouble in the late 70’s that set Vaughn on his way to legendary status. After performing around the Texas club circuit in the early 80’s, Stevie Ray and Double Trouble got their first big break performing at the Montreux Jazz festival in 1982. His performance caught the attention of David Bowie, who went on to invite SRV to perform on his forthcoming album, “Let’s Dance”. After playing lead guitar on 6 of the 8 tracks, the album went on to become Bowie’s biggestselling record to date.

Verbals: Kris Barras

Generated using the Power Tab Editor by Brad Larsen. http://powertab.guitarnetwork.org

After signing a recording contract with Epic, Vaughn released his fi rst album, “Texas Flood” in 1983. The album received a lot of publicity after his management pulled him from David Bowie’s world tour, for him to concentrate on his own career. The album was a blockbuster blues success, reaching number 38 in the charts. The debut release was quickly followed by a significant and important tour. His second album following shortly afterwards.

'Couldn’t Stand The Weather' was released in May 1984 to even greater acclaim than his debut release. Peaking at 31 in the charts, the album went gold by the end of 1985. Spending 38 weeks in the charts, it cemented Vaughn's growing reputation as a blues giant. This album features Vaughn’s much acclaimed version of the Hendrix classic Voodoo Child (slight return).

Although his career was soaring, like many stars before him, he began to sink deep into alcoholism and substance abuse. A 1986 European tour was halted abruptly, after he suffered from near-death dehydration, following a show in Germany. Following medical treatment, he was admitted into a rehab clinic in London, before moving on to another clinic in the States. Returning to sobriety, Vaughn’s confidence was sadly on the wane, and he was concerned he had nothing left to offer the music world. However, after gaining some momentum on the “Live Alive” tour, he found new inspiration and motivation.

His wife, Lenny, was said to be the inspiration for the now-blues classic 'Pride And Joy', however, she believed the song was written about one of his ex-girlfriends, and so he penned another great tune for her, simply titled 'Lenny'. With a messy divorce in 1987, SRV found himself unable to write or record until the proceedings were finalized, a development that kept Vaughn out of studio action for almost two years.

Stevie Ray’s tragic and un-timely death occurred August 26th 1990. After performing alongside Eric Clapton in Wisconsin, he boarded a helicopter in the early hours, heading for Chicago. A mixture of bad fog and a mis-timed attempt to clear a 1000ft hill, led to the helicopter crashing 50 feet from the summit. Everybody on board was killed instantly, including members of Eric Clapton’s entourage.

Vaughan owned and used a variety of guitars during his career. His guitar of choice, and the instrument that he became most associated with was of course the Fender Stratocaster. Vaughan was a catalyst in the revival of vintage amplifiers and effects during the 1980s. His loud volume and use of heavy strings required powerful and robust amps. Vaughan favoured two black-face Fender Super Reverbs, which were crucial in shaping his clear, overdriven sound. He would often blend other amps with the Super Reverbs, including black-face Fender Vibroverbs and brands such as Dumble, and Marshall, which he used for his clean sound. He would also mix in pedals such as the Ibanez

Tubescreamer to give him a boost for solo sections.

In the first exercise, we take a look at a fiery, open position E minor pentatonic lick. The use of the open strings can help you get some speed, without the need of super left-hand dexterity. The use of the slight, ¼ tone bends, give the phrase a more ‘bluesy’ feel. Finishing of the lick is an E7#9 chord. This is widely referred to as the ‘Hendrix’ chord, so it can be seen as a nod to Jimi’s influence on Vaughn.

Exercise two is based around the third position of the G minor pentatonic scale. Despite the minor tonality, due to the extra chromatic notes and most importantly the 1/4 bends, Stevie would use these ideas in a dominant chord setting too (ie 12 bar progression using ‘7’ chords, like G7). The majority of the lick is played using 16th notes (4 notes per beat) so would be fairly quick, even at moderate tempos.

The third exercise is loosely based around an excerpt from the solo to 'Lenny'. As with the previous lick, this phrase mixes the major/minor pentatonic notes in the key of E, which is very common in blues soloing. Although largely played using triplets (3 notes per beat) watch out for the faster hammerons on the top string.

The final lick demonstrates SRV’s use of double stops; playing two notes together at the same time. The first part can be initially tricky to grasp. Play the notes together, then quickly slide the lower note down one fret, whilst leaving the higher 12th fret note ringing out.

AUSTRALIAN BLUES PART 8

Verbals and Visuals: Carl Dziunka

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.

The only thing better than watching

Australia blues

Musicians play for a full day is knowing there is another full day of great music yet to come. At the Festival of the blues (hosted by Edwards Tavern, in the Victoria border town of Wodonga) - a two-day event - following some of the finest music played by Australia’s best musicians on day one, expectations ran high for day two.

Kicking off with dirty swamp-rockin’ blues, the group who opened the event, Cleveland Blues, is a rocking duo comprising Ihaia W Pirere (Cleveland) and Andrea J Norden (Bam Bam). Although they are newcomers to the Australian blues scene, they are real movers and shakers. Always out on the road, they play numerous blues festivals and are certainly getting a positive audience response.

This festival was no exception. They set the day off on the right track, smashing out a solid beat to create a unique hi-energy listening experience. With a debut EP under their belt, 'Rattle Snake Shaker,' there is talk of a new album on the way.

To follow a high energy performance like this was always going to be hard but, as they say, someone has to do it. The band given the task was Dog Gone South.

Cleveland Blues

Comprising Dave Dorman and Chris Canning, this duo is one of the busiest blues acts in the South clocking up around 120 gigs annually all around the country. A well- honed touring blues duo, with Dorman on guitar, double stomps and vocals, and Canning on harmonica, their music has a Chicago blues style to it and their set included tracks from their latest album 'Bring Ya Foot and Stomp It' released in late May 2015. Dorman is also one of the main organisers of the even itself.

Another one of Australia’s next generation of blues performers was next to take to the stage. Shaun Kirk has built a substantial following since he came onto the blues scene in 2010. He may look the picture of innocence but when he starts performing, it’s like a blues explosion. With four albums already released, he had plenty of material to draw on and had the growing crowd starting to move when he played songs including 'Going Back To The City', 'Smokestack Lightning' and 'Cruisin''. Kirk says his biggest influence when learning blues was native Australian blues legend Dutch Tilders. One of Tilders Guitarists, Greg Dodd, then fittingly joined Kirk on stage for a couple of songs.

It’s great to see such a good reception when the new generation of blues performers takes the stage, especially when pitched alongside well-established, known names in Australian blues. It’s all about giving this generation the support and encouragement to carry on and keep playing the music

they love, keeping the blues alive. The internationally renowned Fiona Boyes also played a set on the opening day, a blueslady who has done so much for blues music in Australia and worldwide. She is clearly an immense talent, someone younger, aspiring blues musicians can look up to, showing what can be achieved when passionate about something you deeply love. Boyes had the crowd under her spell, playing solo, showcasing her talent on many different types of guitars.

Dreamboogie were next up, a modern blues band from Melbourne. Featuring

Rebecca Davey on Vocals, Sam Buckley on Guitar, Connor O’Neill on Bass and Robert B. Dillon on Drums, this band re-interprets songs of the great trailblazers of blues with a modern edge. Davey bases her performances on the great women of blues of the 1920’s and 1930’s. Taking evident influence from the likes of Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, Victoria Spivey and Mamie Smith, she delivers her songs with emotion, drama and wit to produce an incomparable set. With colourful costume from a bygone era, the band shows that blues from the early days is there to be

Shaun Kirk

embraced and delivered to a new audience. The band played a set based on their twin albums 'I’m Ready' (2011) and current release 'Ain’t Nobody’s Business' (2014) highlighting links to blues legends Howlin’ Wolf and Robert Johnson. This is a band leading the way in Australian blues having already picked up a number of awards, including the MBAS blues performer of the year challenge in both 2011 and 2015. They've also represented the MBAS at the International Blues Challenge (IBC) in Memphis, USA in 2012 and 2016.

Another award winning blues band delivering a wonderful set was Greg Dodd & The Hoodoo men. The band recently won the 2016 Chain Award Group of the year together with the 2015 Vic/Tas Band of the year MBAS, in addition to the 2014 Age Music Vic awards Best Blues band. An outfit that might be described as having a Chicago style sound, having been influenced by the greats of the Windy City, it comprises Greg Dodd, guitar, Dan Dinnen, vocals and harmonica, Clint Healey, bass, and Rob O’Toole on Drums. With a band of this calibre everyone is guaranteed a quality, solid performance - exactly what was delivered. Playing a selection from their two albums, '3am Blues' and 'Movin’ On' alongside their arrangements of popular blues classics, they delivered a hi- energy, intense performance. At times, they were also joined on stage by another Australian legend, Chris Finnen, who added

his own style to the mix. With the day moving towards a close, and with only a few more performances remaining, the last acts had to be very special indeed. Next to step up to the plate was Sweet Felicia and the Honeytones. Sweet Felicia is one of the mainstays of the industry and has played alongside many well-known blues performers. She also plays bass in the Chris Wilson Band and today Chris Wilson is featuring in her band bringing bluesy harmonica to the songs.

The last band of the night was pretty much the outfit that started Australian blues when they first came together in 1968. Chain has now been contributing to the Australian blues scene for around 48 years. They are still performing and haven’t lost any of the dedication that has seen them achieve such a high status in the history of Australian blues music. Their performance was musical excellence, and with many years experience between them, you couldn’t hope for anything less.

Phil Manning and Matt Taylor

also had highly successful careers as solo performers and are regarded as amongst the finest exponents of their respective instruments that Australia has produced. All the recognisable songs were played which became the perfect finale to a huge weekend of Australian blues. The song 'Black ‘n’ Blue' made Chain the only blues band in the world to have a number one in Australia. Even new material they've put together retains the same raw edge as music they made when starting out.

You couldn’t have asked for a better festival filled with the best Australian blues; and you couldn’t have a better band to close a festival than the one band that virtually started blues in Australia in the first place. It’s refreshing to know that blues music is still appreciated in Australia and that a new generation is now embracing it. Events like these are essential for showcasing home-grown talent allowing the people of the country to appreciate just what they have out there in the way of quality blues performers.

Dreamboogie

RADIATING THE 88 s

PART 1: DIGGING DOWN INTO THE BARREL FOR SOME HISTORY

Verbals and Visuals: Dom Pipkin

Hello everyone, I’m your new piano feature writer in Blues Matters! I shall be covering all kinds of piano news –interviews with artists, thoughts on new releases, the state of piano (and keyboards, too) in the varying and wonderfully all-encompassing world of blues music: interviews, insider technical know-how, and much more. I am, myself, first and foremost a player; gigging all the time, covering everything from bars and pubs to fullon theatre solo shows, and regular rabble-rousing club and festival appearances with my band Dom and the Iko’s, guesting with other blues acts, and sessioning with all kinds of artists such as Morcheeba, Ray Davies, Paul Weller, and Paloma Faith. And so to the piano, oh the piano! Perhaps you can’t

sling it over your shoulder, or pull it out in a boxcar whilst hoboing across America. Perhaps you can’t swagger with it in tight pants on stage, mimicking all kinds of private human activity (although Jerry Lee Lewis could persuade us otherwise), but you can (or at least could) find one in every self-respecting bar or public gathering house, and it has been central to all forms of music from the time of Beethoven through to Coldplay or Adele today. The guitar might rightly hold the position as the king of blues instruments, with it’s bends, crunch, sustain and twang, but I’m not here to debate that nor detract from it - I’m here - as the piano guy! - to polish up the reputation of the instrument, to reveal its huge range of emotion and deep blues feeling. Man, we’d be nowhere, I

mean nowhere without it.

I’m going to cover the main categories of blues piano over the coming months, so right now let’s start with something unaccompanied and raw. Imagine America still under “Reconstruction” from slavery and civil war. It’s a strange bridge in time between the old world and the new. African musical traditions were colliding with European hymns and polkas, and it happened in the dark. It happened along freshly laid railroad tracks in worker’s huts, and it found its very own rhythm through natural evolution. I say it happened ‘in the dark’ because no-one was writing it down, and no-one was recording it. What we call boogie-woogie was cooking up all over Texas from as early as the 1870s in logging and turpentine camps –Brahms and Tchaikovsky were composing massive symphonies at the time. It’s an astonishing thought.

We call this music

‘barrelhouse’ piano – named because it was cooked up in the simplest of bars serving cheap whisky straight from the barrel. The players travelled to find the work, and the style was robust in order to grab attention in noisy environments before the advent of amplification. By the time we get to actual recordings of barrelhouse in the 1920s, we’re hearing a synthesis of ragtime, boogie-woogie, early stride and vaudeville – the results of already a few decades of incubation. And the blues is readily there, which in my mind is the storytelling element, the down to earth reality of the emotional

experience. There are other signposts too. The popular polkas and rags of the time would never hang their melodies on the blue notes (the flat 7th and flat 3rds) as this music does, and the music has already gravitated to the 12 bar structure.

Listen to Charles ‘Cow Cow’ Davenport and the ‘Cow Cow Blues’ - it’s all there.

In fact, it isn’t just all there – so too is the entire blueprint for Ray Charles’ hit ‘Mess Around.’ The breaks, the ruffs or glissandos (slidey bits), the structure, and the powerhouse broken octaves (the drumming, rising left hand bass pattern). All that was needed 25 years later was a slick backing band, some borrowed lyrics from Pinetop Smith’s ‘Pine Top’s Boogie-Woogie’ and all of this creative energy could be presented to the world as something new.

These early piano blues have a kind of ‘pioneer rhythm’ that speaks of freedom and individuality, a pulse less defined by the later chug of the Chicago sound, and more by a stompy, scampering feeling, nearly always hard-driving. Listen to ‘Texas Shout’ or ‘State Street Blues,’ also by Cow Cow. They’re almost boogiewoogie in places, but keep that stomp, and in fact seem to exist at three different speeds simultaneously.

Like the separating out of some chemical process, at the time of the first recordings, the definitions and directions of ‘blues’ versus ‘jazz’ have yet to be clearly written. The future signs are there – blues piano has the sound of trains inside it – the two hands

hammer rhythmically, the dance style evoked by the sound is less ‘zingy’ than the direction early jazz was to take, and the form is more frequently 12 bars. Also, a certain degree of straight talking always seems to be at the root of the blues sensibility – jazz seems to become a little more ‘uptown’ at this time. You would be less likely to hear a title like Robert Shaw’s ‘Whores Is Funky’ in jazz, although that said the great New Orleans piano player Jelly Roll Morton would have had no problem with the subject matter. The slow ‘drag’ style which is a kind of slowed down stride piano seems to connect these two worlds at this time. Listen to Jelly Roll’s ‘Winin’ Boy’; ‘Easy Drag’ by Herve Duerson, and Cow Cow’s ‘Mama Don’t Allow No Easy Riders’ and feel that connection.

I don’t want this to be a lecture or a dusty history lesson, but I can’t help feeling that the barrelhouse era may well have been the high point in blues piano – ironically at the very beginning of it’s history! I’m not saying that we haven’t had many many greats since then, in all blues genres, but in terms of the standalone player, with great virtuoso skills, a varied range from perky to down home, and some of the weirdest time and hand shifts around, the barrelhouse school was wide-ranging and beautiful, with a multitude of players. There are books on the subject. Try ‘The Story of Boogie-Woogie:

A Left

Hand Like God’ by Peter J Silvester, or the intro to ‘Deep South Piano’ by Karl Gert

zur Heide if you can scour for a copy. Have a listen to Skip James ‘If You Haven’t Any Hay Get On Down The Road’ and hear that standalone Robert Johnson troubadour style, rolling and ‘picking’ the piano, the stride/ boogie combo of ‘The Ma Grinder’ by Robert Shaw, or the extraordinary ‘Avenue Strut’ by Herve Duerson, a great showcase of barrelhouse style with fine spicy 5th intervals in the left hand. When Leadbelly plays the piano, he’s essentially a barrelhouse player, as is early Roosevelt Sykes (try ‘D.B.A. Blues’ or the original ‘44’ Blues’).

These styles influenced music for years to comecountry piano, some of Otis Spann’s reworkings in the 1950s -60s. The character and range of this music, repeated across scores of forgotten and gifted players from Texas, Mississippi and a whole raft of southern states was a uniquely open musical period, and we lost something as boogie-woogie powered to the fore (to be covered next time) , and amplification and bands smoothed out the creases and quirks. I urge you to check out these tracks, find more by the same and associated artists, and enjoy some barrelhouse blues!

Got an opinion? Agree? Disagree? Want to join the discussion? Well, yes please. I’ve set up a facebook group linked to Blues Matters called Radiating the 88s. Come and join!

https://www.facebook.com/ groups/radiatingthe88s

https://www.dompipkin.co.uk

https://www.facebook.com/ domandtheikos

A PICTURE PAINTS A THOUSAND WORDS!

BOB ANGELL TALKS TO SIMON RAW ON HIS FRIENDSHIP WITH “UNCLE HUBERT”

Verbals: Simon Raw Visuals: Bob Angell

Bob Angell and I have been friends for a while. We came across each other on Facebook when I launched The Raw Guitar Co. a few years ago. We instantly bonded because we share a love of the blues! Bob's a mighty fine guitarist and we were honoured when he flew over to the UK in May to play at our Further On Up The Road promo show. We all made a big fuss of him and showered him with Yorkshire hospitality. (Check out our YouTube channel and marvel at his finger picking technique).

Just before he flew over, we talked about his career, who he admires and who he has played with over the years. It reads like a real who's who of blues. As a result, I suggested he should sit down one day and write his memoirs. When he came over to do the show we found time to sit, chat and share the odd beer or two. During our time together, one name kept

coming up in conversation; Bob's inspiration, mentor and close friend, 'Uncle Hubert'. “Uncle Hubert” being no less than Howlin' Wolf's legendary guitarist. Hubert Sumlin.

Before Bob flew back to his home in Rhode Island, I suggested, paradoxically, that there may be one or two people who might be interested in learning how they became close friends – a

friendship lasting over forty years, until Hubert sadly passed away in 2011! Time passed, then out of the blue my phone pinged. It was a private message from Bob with various photograph attachments. He had been looking through his private archive: the photographs he sent me that day accompany this article. The main photograph, alone, illustrates how close they were and was taken just before Hubert died. He was very ill at the time and they were saying their final goodbyes: a picture

paints a thousand words. Thank you Bob for letting me share one of your most treasured possessions. What you are about to read are a number of anecdotes I jotted down during my conversations with Bob. Apart from being a very accomplished musician, Bob Angell is a former journalist, editor and Professor of English. Therefore, I must

ensure I write this piece correctly with no sloppy English or he will mark me down! Bob first got to know “Uncle Hubert” in the 1960s, a time when he attended many Howlin' Wolf gigs. When The Wolf passed away in 1976, Hubert, along with Eddie Shaw and the Wolf Gang, continued playing, promoting Wolf's legacy. Bob had the good fortune to sit in with them many times. Playing with Hubert was a dream come true, and Bob told me on several occasions that Hubert was the most amazing player he had ever seen. He was also a great teacher. According to Bob, Hubert never played the obvious licks; and he accelerated Bob's learning curve exponentially. Hubert was an exceptionally friendly man who took to Bob immediately. He vividly recalls one backstage moment before his band, The Blues Outlet, supported Sumlin at one of his solo gigs. Bob was in his dressing room warming up, playing various Hubert licks when the man himself started to chuckle. “Man, the Lord give

you them 10 fingers, and if you don't use 'em all, he just might take 'em back”! Soon afterwards, Bob was backing Hubert at a show in Boston. Hubert, knowing Bob had taken his advice on board, pointed to Bob's guitar and said: "You sure know your Hubert now!” Bob was gob-smacked as you can imagine. Picking with fingers was something Hubert learned from The Wolf, giving flexibility of tone, note selection and sonic variety.

Wolf and Hubert were kindred spirits. They had

a near-father and son relationship. Hubert told Bob many times that he would almost bow his head whenever he mentioned Wolf's name. Bob recalls one poignant moment when they were together. Hubert, looking into the distance deep in thought, suddenly said very softly, "I don't really believe The Wolf is dead. I really don't. I feel him with me every day, man. Every single day. He's always here with me. That's just how I feel."

day of recording, Clapton walked into the studio and sat down next to Hubert. He leaned over and said “I'm Eric.” “I'm Hubert”, replied Sumlin. “Oh, I know who you are!" said Clapton. The London Sessions album has gone down in folklore and remains a seminal blues recording, arguably one of the most important of all time. Hubert told Bob one day, while talking about the album, that he was “The Onliest Somebody

Another story that Bob recalled dates back to May 1970 and the famed, nearlegendary Howlin' Wolf London Sessions recordings. Hubert played on the Sessions but it could have been very different had Eric Clapton not intervened. The producers didn't want to pay for Hubert to come over from the US. But Clapton made it very clear, no Hubert - no me, no Clapton! Hubert always thought the world of Eric after that. On the very first

that they didn't make too much of my name (on the cover). But I know I was on it." That was one of Bob's fave rave Hubert lines!

I have many more stories and anecdotes that Bob told me. I guess I'll have to leave them for another day as I have reached my quota of words! Before I sign off, I'll close with a personal favourite Bob Angell quote: “Uncle Hubert was the greatest blues guitarist ever. And I mean ever!

I’m Mike Rossiter and I’m the lead vocalist, guitarist and songwriter for Hailbails. We are a band that began in 2013 in Leeds. Although I’m from a village in west Wales called Llandybie, near Ammanford, where I grew up visiting folk clubs with my father who, from a young age, got me hooked on fingerstyle blues and ragtime from the likes of Rev. Gary Davis and Blind Blake but also introduced me to family friends like John James and Newport country punk rocker Jon Langford. I delved into electric blues such as Howlin’ Wolf, Chuck Berry and Little Walter then later moving on to hillbilly twang from the likes of Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash. My tastes were fifties/forties based and no matter what I listen to, I always return to those classic sounds. Which is why my band Hailbails has a

HAILBAILS

Verbals: Mike Rossiter Visuals: Kate Rossiter

specifically vintage sound. On double bass I have my close compadre and Formby’s best David Broad who is also a whizz at fi ngerstyle blues guitar as well as writing his own solo material. He regularly visits blues clubs around the country. Then on drums we have Yorkshire’s own Bruce Renshaw who has played in many legendary Leeds indie bands such as Ultrasound and the Lodger and routinely leaves us for more tropical climes to perform around the planet! Our current sound is a fusion of our taste for rockabilly and classic R&B from the fi fties as well as later acts like Crazy Cavan via the Paladins as well as modern jump blues guitarists like Hollywood Fats and Junior Watson. I really love listening to that West Coast jump blues sound. Guys like William Clarke and George ‘Harmonica’ Smith

are big influences. And I adore guitarists like Alex Schultz, Sean Costello and Kirk Fletcher. When they kick off into a jump blues jam – I could listen to that forever! Thus far we’ve played all sorts of weird and wonderful places from house parties to festivals and even in our local record store at a showcase for the label Ace Records. We’ve been working with some good friends to produce our fi rst EP which is only available on 7” vinyl and was recorded entirely analog and direct to reel to reel on Gin House Records. We’ve had some great support shown to us on the back of the four original tracks we recorded by local radio and by magazines across Europe and are hoping to get out on the continent soon as well as performing up and down the country as much as possible.

You would be forgiven for mistaking him for a much older man - his deep, husky voice tells tales way beyond his 16 year age and his music reflects the struggles and pleasures his life has already brought upon him. He writes and performs his own original material with influences from Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Buddy Guy, Johnny Cash, Elmore James, Little Walter and Junior Wells. Young Tom picked up his very first guitar at just age seven and five years later he put together his first song. Tom has been a dynamic and rapidly growing blues performer ever since he began gigging in November 2013 and his passion for playing blues all stemmed from watching a YouTube video of BB King. Tom’s music has excelled and at just age 16, he is certainly building quite a name for himself.

A year ago, whilst still only 15, he reached out to the music scene of Nottingham and brought together four exceedingly talented and skilful musicians in order to form an authentic, original backing band to support Tom’s old-school music; they create a cutting edge sound that supports Tom’s husky voice. The band now features sounds from various different instruments such as a harmonica, an organ and a double bass.

Last December, Tom appeared live on Notts TV where he performed for the 189,000 who tune in each week. In the past couple of years, he has spread his love for blues and country music around the Midlands, playing

numerous festivals and shows to local audiences, who have been blown away by his monumental talent. He has intentions to hit the UK blues music scene in 2016 and has plans to be performing at various different festivals and gigs throughout the year. There is definitely something in the water Tom McCartney, at only 16 has broken through

to the blues music scene with a lot of life to live Tom McCartney – and still much to learn – Tom looks to be well on his way ... and will hopefully be bringing the next generation of blueslovers with him. If he’s playing a town near you, catch him while you still can; while you can still afford to.

Verbals: Lucie Nicholson/Red Burley Visuals: Lois Webb

Describing himself as "a bluesy rock 'n' roll artist with some country twang", Tom McCartney is a young, up and coming blues, country and rock 'n' roll artist from Nottinghamshire, UK.

TOM McCARTNEY

JOE CRIBB AND THE SEED DRILLS

Formed last year in Bristol Joe Cribb and The Seed Drills have been recording and gigging their own take on blues and roots music.

Verbals: Joe Cribb Visuals: Matt Jones

The trio were formed in Bristol and started playing in and around the local area but have been touring the UK and European festivals since early 2014.

The trio comprises of Cigar Box Guitar, Bass and Drums. Joe Cribb, vocals and 3 string Cigar Box Guitar has been part of the Cigar Box Guitar community for a number of years, performing solo and teaching online. The Cigar Box Guitar is an old American instrument that dates back to the early days of blues music. When people couldn’t afford to buy a guitar they would build their own instruments out of empty cigar boxes, attach a piece of wood as a neck then attach strings. The

instrument traditionally has 1 to 3 strings and is played with a slide/bottleneck.

The music produced is raw and hard-hitting. Full of passion and honesty. Trying to keep within blues tradition yet giving the music an original and fresh approach. Matt Jones, Drums has worked in Bristol for a number of years with many different bands and the trio record at his studio in Clifton. Spencer Brown, bass has performed with many bands over the years from jazz to rock and toured all over the world. Together the trio pull in all their influences and experience to create a unique sound.

For us blues music has to

be real, about real things and feelings. We respect all the blues traditions and pull from these all the time but we are also trying to say something different and new. Our sound and songs contain blues, rock, soul, bluegrass and country influences. We are very proud of how our first album is shaping up and really looking forward to touring our music next year. Our music has the ability to cross over many music genres, rock, pop, country and blues.

www.joecribbandtheseeddrills.com www.joecribbandtheseeddrills. bandcamp.com

www.facebook.com/joecribbandtheseeddrills

ALI CLINTON

Ali Clinton is a lead guitarist, singer and songwriter.

Verbals: Ali Clinton Visuals: Mick Schofield

Picking up the guitar at age 7, Ali quickly drew influence from his early heroes: Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix and Rory Gallagher. By the age of 12, Ali had played with the Irish legend Pat McManus of The Mamas Boys and Celtus, Bernie Marsden of Whitesnake and Andy Powell of Wishbone Ash. At the age of 13, Ali made his first album appearance on Pat McManus’ 2PM, playing rhythm and lead guitar on a cover of Bob Dylan’s Blowin’ In The Wind.

Since Ali began performing he has been playing in various bands across the country, one of these included his early band Brother. As a young three piece, they gigged around the country

making a respectable name for themselves across the circuit. However, after a few years the band disbanded.

At the age of 16, Ali auditioned for the role of rhythm/duel guitar for the legendary Uli Jon Roth. With only days to learn a full set, Ali got the gig, pulling off solos from early Scorpions classics such as We’ll Burn The Sky, In Trance and many other virtuoso pieces. Within months of touring with Uli Jon Roth in the UK, Ali got offered to tour with Uli across Northern America and Canada for 6 weeks for the recording of Uli Jon Roth’s 40th anniversary Scorpions live album, where he played with guests such as Michael Angelo-Batio,

Wayne Findley, and Cofi Baker (son of Ginger Baker). Ali has recently released his debut EP under the veteran production skills of Mudd Wallace, and is currently writing and recording his debut album. Ali’s style is quoted as containing “fire, passion and real expertise” and has been sighted by many as “one to watch”.

Ali’s band consists of a three piece line up, including Richard Kirk on drums and Will Ganner on bass. Drawing influence from funk, jazz and rock, Will can easily adapt to the various moods and styles in Ali’s set. Coupled with Ali’s raw talent, the band makes every performance seem effortless, making them a must-see upcoming band for the years to come.

http://aliclinton.com/

JOE BONAMASSA

HOGHTON TOWER, PRESTON

SAT 2 JULY

CLYDE AUDITORIUM, GLASGOW

SUN 3 JULY

COLSTON HALL, BRISTOL

TUE 5 JULY

GREENWICH

MUSIC TIME, LONDON

THU 7 JULY

NEWARK CASTLE, NOTTINGHAMSHIRE

FRI 8 JULY

If it wasn’t for certain British musicians of the early 1960s, the Blues may well never have exploded into Rock music as we know it today, and indeed may have passed into history.

THE SHARPEES

Influenced in equal measure by George Thorogood, Dr Feelgood, Rory Gallagher, the Stones and Tom Petty’s melodic sensibilities, the Sharpees are a straight to the vein shot of self-penned, guitar and harmonica driven rhythm and blues. Rightly termed one of the hardest working rhythm & blues bands in the land, they pour all their energy into some wellcrafted songs from front man and vocalist Bill Mead.

The Sharpees is a London based band, formed from the ashes of the 70s band Rebel, who had some success with their single Rocka Shocka, released by Bridgehouse Records. After forming in 1980, the Sharpees were signed by Fischer Z Management and wrote and recorded an album called Strangers in New York, which was released by Red Admiral Records. At this time the Sharpees were Bill Mead playing bass, Pete Goodey guitar

and John Smith on drums.

Gig's were played all over the south of England including many prestigious venues in London including The Marquee in Wardour Street, Dingwalls at Camden Lock and the Nashville Rooms, Kensington, Where Motorhead's Lemmy liked the band so much he tried to buy Bill's Rickenbacker! However, due to irreconcilable differences, the band suspended activities in 1984, which became a twenty year resting period and thereby temporarily curtailing Bill’s upwards momentum.

He reformed the band in two thousand and three, but this time with Baz Payne on bass, Spencer Blackledge on drums and of course Bill Mead, but having changed instruments to play guitar.

Two further albums were recorded with this line-up. The first called Open For Surgery which was recorded in 2011 and then the latest album called Mississippi Thrill, which was recorded and released during 2014

and peaked at No 9 on the Independent British Blues Broadcasters Association play list, which is a worthy placing for an album.

The current band line-up has Brendan O’Neill (Rory Gallagher/Nine Below Zero) occupying the drum stool and Billy Boy Miskimmins (also from Nine Below Zero and the Yardbirds) plus Baz Payne and Bill Mead. The core of the band is sometimes augmented during live performance and/or recording by Brian Willoughby (Strawbs), Richard Hayes (Bad Influence) and Roger Cotton (Pete Green’s Splinter Group).

The band enjoys an extremely busy touring schedule throughout the UK and Europe. It’s not difficult to pinpoint why they do so well in mainland Europe, as they strip things down to the bone, with riff driven songs, a tight rhythm section and good hooks and motorvatin’ rhythms. Delivering much more than the standard rhythm and blues package.

Verbals: Baz Payne Visuals: Karim Hamid

Traveling light, solo artist Pete Robson only needs one guitar, a microphone, and his self-made stompbox. His performance and album are stripped back, simple blues, rich in influences from the Delta. Playing exclusively bottleneck-slide on a resonator guitar, there is no question that Pete has studied the likes of Son House and Bukka White to develop his authentic sound. But Pete has also benefited from seeing blues musicians of today perform live. Kent Duchaine who regularly tours the UK has been a major influence, giving Pete the opportunity to see traditional slide guitar techniques in person. Pete has since gone on to develop his playing, adding his own character which was recently under

the spotlight from Sky Arts television programme Guitar Star where he progressed to the quarter-finals.

Pete's vocal is equally matched to the early blues sound he strives for, deep, gritty and sincere. You would be forgiven for thinking this young Englishman is an old American. Pete attributes his deep singing style to two factors. "I listened to nothing other than old blues records for more than five years, when all you listen to is old blues singers it's inevitable that all you're gonna sound like is an old blues singer". The second contributing factor came after Pete's wife bought him a singing lesson. "Receiving professional advice, guidance and above all reassurance increased my confidence, which allowed me to sing in a style I was comfortable with".

Having achieved an authentic sound, it's surprising to learn that Pete's main focus is on writing new songs. His debut album 'The Red Album' is comprised entirely of original material and there are plenty more selfpenned songs in Pete's live performances. This comes from a lifelong passion of song writing, it was artists such as Bob Dylan and Tom Waits who peaked Pete's interest in song writing. They proved a song could be descriptive and emotional without the need for long fancy words. Nor does a song need to be cryptic with hidden meanings to unravel. Pete believes lyrics should read like a diary entry, with no fuss, just facts, description and a clear narrative. This is the essence of every good blues song.

PETE ROBSON

Verbals: Pete Robson Visuals: Pete Hare

RUZZ GUITAR’S BLUES REVUE

Verbals: Ruzz Evans Visuals: John Morgan

Ruzz Guitar's Blues

Revue are a new, powerful, Soul-injected Blues/R 'n' B/Rock 'n' Roll band hailing from Bristol UK and fronted by Gretsch wielding guitarist 'Ruzz Guitar'. After many years of playing around the UK and Europe with various bands, Ruzz has decided to put together this band to showcase his unique guitar playing and multi-genre song writing. Taking inspiration from many artists such as Dr Feelgood, Brian Setzer, Paul Pigat, The Fabulous Thunderbirds and Nine Below Zero, Ruzz Joined forces with drummer Holly Carter and upright bassist Joe Allen from the Bristol music scene to create the unique sound that is “Ruzz Guitar's Blues Revue”.

A lot has happened for the band in the short time that they have been around. To date they have played all over the UK and Europe including a successful tour of Holland and Belgium in July 2015

which has led to future tours being put into motion.

They have also recorded a new, all original, self-titled album which has quickly started to get airplay on various independent radio stations from all over including “Hanks Americana Radio” broadcasting from Houston Texas, “Rock and Roll Riot Radio Show” broadcasting from Melbourne Australia and on various stations from the UK. The album features many different areas of blues music including the Bo Diddley feel on Leavin' Town, a more jump-Blues feel on the instrumental Made It Through and a more Soulful/Motown feel on “Broke Again”. With more of a Bluesy/Rockabilly feel on songs such as Sweet As Honey, The Last Stand and Hard Times this album brings a lot of aspects of Blues music all into one place.

With plans on expanding the band from a three piece to a six piece, which will

include a two piece Brass section, Keys player and a sound reminiscent of the big Blues band sounds of BB King, this band is surely one to watch out for!

"That young man can pick! He tears it up like a pro and plays way beyond his years!!" - Paul Pigat (Cousin Harley/Gretsch Endorsee)

"Ruzz Guitars Blues Revue comes out smokin' with 10 great blues and rockabilly tracks that we can't stop playing. This three piece band is tearing it up on the air waves for all of us over here in the USA" - Hanks Americana Radio - Houston, Texas (USA).

"When I've seen Ruzz play live, what's great is that it’s obvious he has his influences, but he never just copies, he has his own style and you can guarantee it'll get your attention" - Johnny Hop (UK Rock)

https://www.facebook.com/ thebluesrevue

https://thebluesrevue.bandcamp.com/releases

The Rides ON A JOURNEY

The Rides latest album Pierced Arrow is due for release on 6th May 2016. This is the second offering from rock icons Stephen Stills, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Barry Goldberg. Pete Sargeant catches up again with guitarist and singer Kenny Wayne Shepherd to talk about the songs and their recordings.

Verbals: Pete Sargeant Visuals: Eleanor Stills

Hey Kenny, how are you man? Are you on the Experience Hendrix tour at the moment?

Hi Pete – yeah, we are about two weeks into the tour run right now and we have a show tonight.

Well, thanks for making time and please say hello to Jonny Lang for me and Glenn. Will do! No worries! We have blues legend Buddy Guy, this time out and it’s such a great thing to be part of, with all these fine performers and all those songs. They are all timeless to me. It’s a cool evening out for fans old and new, we get all ages attending the shows.

Just quickly, how was the New York Leadbelly show?

Oh, it was the coolest event, at Carnegie Hall in NYC – and it was so good to catch up with your friend Laurence Jones and the band, there. I am so proud of that guy, he is such a good performer and we really enjoyed touring there with them.

He’s never afraid to step out and be brave and

get back to the theme. Yeah, it’s that intuition thing Laurence has, it’s spot-on. We had such a good time with them in the UK and it was great to see him coming here to play.

There are cuts on the new record Pierced Arrow that are a step on from the debut collection. Yeah, that is totally correct – the first record was to get things started you know, but here with the next album we are surer of the direction, more comfortable playing together and working on arrangements. It all starts to naturally evolve as the band gets more used to each other as players and singers. It then becomes more creative and we develop our own identity. So that is what you are hearing, we do all respect each other a great deal, as people and as players. So that is the platform for us to dig deep, to experiment and to pool ideas. What you hear now are indeed songs that couldn’t possibly have been on that first album. They’re on our own new template and we do not have to fit any preconceptions as to what we do or how we sound or anything like that.

It kind of reminds me of the step from Are You Experienced to Axis Bold As Love, the group character has gelled and then all sorts of influences can come in? Well, that’s it, the writing together and pooling ideas, it’s not ever something you could manufacture, or would want to. So now we can do a song like Virtual World and achieve the sound we aim for.

Kick Out Of It has a sort of Stones feel to it, doesn’t it? Yeah I guess it is kinda in that vein, on the tempo and all. It’s a fun song to do, for sure.

Can you tell me about There Was A Place? It gets to me. Now there are a few reasons why that song is on the record – it has some very profound lyrics and some introspective material about a guy who has lived life. We are definitely playing to the songs on this one and I know you like that approach. Not showing off, but playing what feels appropriate to the music.

Who wrote I Need Your Lovin’?

Barry and I wrote that song, in the studio. It has that old school vibe to it that you hear, the piano man.

Barry without really knowing it can summon up that Johnny Johnson thing that is all over the fi rst Chuck Berry 45’s. It just sparkles. He plays it so well, the whole Chicago thing, rock-a-boogie, barrelhouse, ragtime –Barry does all that so very well, don’t you think?

It never detracts from the guitars; it adds this topline of brightness where it’s right. Stephen talks about The Rides with contentment and a touch of pride, saying it gets some of his best sides working. And with his track record, if he says that it’s meaningful. Music is a powerful thing and you just want to do it right if you care enough and have people around you that care enough.

Riva Diva?

Ha, that’s about feisty female stuff.

The single is Virtual World, pretty harmonic. Yes, we are pretty happy with that song, Stephen and I get to sing in a more reflective mode and it is still part of what The Rides are able to produce, it’s within our range….so it’s good and positive to include that in the album programme. There again we can do something like By My Side with the acoustic guitar start to it. There are no egos we’re just in it for the music and we’re having a ball. I’m sharing the guitar and the vocals with Stephen and I love being part of a unit where everyone weighs in with their thoughts and opinions.

Mr Policeman?

Yeah, this is Stephen, doing his thing! It’s very much his sense of humour and sense of fun. The lyrics are really funny, the guy is paranoid about being pulled over by the Law and he certainly doesn’t want the car to get searched!

Reminds me of Bo’s Cops & Robbers. I’ve Got To

THE RIDES PIERCED ARROW PROVOGUE

From the opening Stonesy burst of Kick Out Of It, it is clear that this outfit is back in town, guns blazing and creative. It is a dream lineup – Barry Goldberg on keys, adept Jackson Browne and CSN bassist Kevin McCormick with Double Trouble/KWS drum baron Chris Layton, topped off with Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Steve Stills on the guitars. Having spoken to Stills at length when the group formed, it is evident he has the highest respect for the whole band as pals and professionals. The sound is sparky as opposed to smooth. Riva Diva is a hardnosed number. Virtual World

Use My Imagination –now this was a big hit for Gladys Knight back in the day, but, of course Gerry Goffi n and Barry Goldberg wrote the song! Yes, that’s the history, there are lots of versions as you will know but Gladys had a big seller with it.

The reason I know the number and have played it is that it was on a Spirit live bootleg, with Randy California on lead vocal. Really? I have never heard that, wow….I certainly haven’t heard that version.

Randy told me it was from Ray Charles…he liked Ray and James Brown, hence the cut on Kaptain Kopter. Game On?

That’s a roadhouse sorta sound on there, with the harp and Stephen’s vocal.

has a fresh harmonic sound and single status. By My Side leads with a tender acoustic touch before the firepower arrives. Mr Policeman finds Stills tongue in cheek. I’ve Got To Use My Imagination was co-written by Barry and more of this elsewhere. The nod here is to Bobby Bland. Game On has gritty harp in the mix which produces a raw roadhouse brew. I Need Your Lovin’ takes a rockabilly route, with guitar tones to suit and that joyous Goldberg 88s sound. There Was A Place shows a soul leaning and a reflective Stills. My Babe celebrates females and not all blues singers do. No pun intended, readers but this crew really are driven…

PETE SARGEANT

Then on My Babe the Willie Dixon tune, womankind is celebrated. (Laughs) Yeah, and that doesn’t happen on every blues song, Pete! I really like the positivity, the affection and everything that’s in the lyric. It’s not complicated at all, but it’s heartfelt…and that Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland arrangement feel is kinda right for what we want and how we want to do the song as The Rides.

So the elephant in the room question is this, when do we get to hear The Rides live on this side of the water?

That is the idea, the tour dates over here have come over really well with the audiences and the group have enjoyed them so much. I think we are looking at dates and possibilities to see what might be arranged.

Romi Mayes DRIVES THAT DEVIL OUT

If you haven't heard Romi Mayes' music yet, it's time you did!

Verbals: Alan Pearce Visuals: Supplied by artist

Hailing from the prairies of Canada, born in Winnipeg, Manitoba and currently residing in Wolseley, Romi began performing on stage at the age of 15, and tours throughout the US and the UK/Europe. Devil On Both Shoulders is her 6th full-length release and another testament to why her albums garnered three Western Canadian Music Awards for Songwriter of the Year and two for Album of The Year, a Juno nomination for Album of the Year, and various Canadian Music Award nominations.

Known for her powerful lyrical ability that gives life to what she sings. Her insightful sweet and edgy vocals paint pictures of her heart on sleeve sincerity and roads well travelled. Surrounded by talented players is another confirmation of how her honest abilities draw the best of the best towards her authentic brand of roots music.

She has shared the stage with the likes of Levon Helm, Derek Trucks, Ricky Skaggs, Jim Cuddy, Gordie Johnson, Guy Clark, Sue Foley, Fred Eaglesmith, Corb Lund, Blackie and The Rodeo Kings, and many more.

Back in 2011 it was said of Romi - If Keith Richards, Joan Jett and Ray Charles could somehow spawn a love child, it'd be Romi Mayes (suitably pronounced RAW-ME).

Bob Harris, BBC - "Music from the heart and soul, Romi Mayes makes it look easy."

Hello Romi, my introduction to you was the Live album Lucky Tonight that joined my collection as it was one of the standout albums of 2011 for me. You’ve changed a bit since then. So let’s talk… It’s been four years since that album and a lot has changed for you, so let’s start with a big one: how was giving up smoking? What drove you to do so? The worst parts and how you coped?

To be honest, I have bad news. I started smoking again last summer. I managed to stay off the nicotine sticks for about 8 or 9 months but touring started again and it made it really difficult to stay quit. I would like to stop again soon though. I definitely noticed an improvement in my vocal abilities. (Damn, that’ll teach me to go reading background information online)

I read (and it can be heard on the new album) that your vocal range and power has improved, how has that impacted on you and your music, and those around you? Well, as I mentioned, it’s kind of back to same old, same old now… where I lose my voice by the end of every tour. I think it had improved for a while there and hopefully it isn’t so shitty now that people don’t notice I’m back on the smokes! Ha!

You’ve played across the spectrum of roots/blues/ country/rock with your own style. Just how hard do you fi nd this itch for people to categorise music when you are making your way? It has been hard to put myself into a cornered genre when explaining my music. Some people still mistakenly call what I do country or bluegrass, which is a large error in my opinion. I think

I have pulled from all of my favourite styles over the years… rock, blues, country, roots…hard to label it for sure. But I end up telling people if you like The Stones and the way they did rock, blues, and country… then you will like our band too.

How revitalizing have you found the changes in your life giving you new range to your writing and how far you can go lyrically and vocally now? Well the album itself opened up some new writing styles and some vocal attempts that even though I am back on the smokes, I still feel I go for it more. I spent the winter singing cover songs that are hard to sing so I can expand my vocal range, as well.

Devil On Both Shoulders was a crowd funded project that seemed to go well raising about $30,000 with the aim to record in Austin, Texas but you ended up doing it in Winnipeg with long-time friend and producer Grant Siemens. How was that process? The crowd funding itself was a very humbling process that I hope I don’t have to do it again I hated asking everyone for money. I understood the mission behind it and what I had to do to raise the moolah needed but I don’t envy anyone in that boat. It is a grueling process and feels wrong most of the time. The reward is incomparable, though. I can’t tell you how honored I was and still am that so many people wanted to see that album get made. As for working here in Winnipeg instead of

ROMI MAYES DEVIL ON BOTH SHOULDERS INDEPENDENT

Moody cover in a lot of shadow of back of head and shoulders. Symbolic? On the inside Romi has a large hood over her head so mystery here then!? What is no mystery is that this is a damn fine CD. I loved her last album the live Lucky Tonight from four years ago that exuded gripping riffs and smoking sounds and great lyrics. Here we have changes. The voice has opened up and I find that Romi ceased smoking and getting used to her wider range and, I must say, putting it to good use. Here then are ten tracks of fine stature and content. Very accessible sounds that stand heavy repeat playing. Romi has caught a groove and it’s infectious yet not driven so more accessible. Time exorcising her demons shows and you can hear the relief which is why this really pulls you in. The rasp of her voice and the clever underlying tensions you can hear make this a pretty gritty and emotionally charged set that shows her stronger and gentler sides. Opening with the title song that is a smouldering 3:59 about refusing to grow up or conform (sounds familiar to many I reckon), Monkey Of A Man is

Austin, it sort of just fell into that path of least resistance category. The plans with Gordie Johnson (of Big Sugar) to produce the album were secure but the timing was tight and I wanted more time to develop the songs and get some constructive advice. Grant offered to produce and I realized it was the right way to go. Gordie and I plan to work together in the future.

The album title suggests that you had burdens to

about what a woman can do to one. Let You Down is about getting out of a relationship while Gonna Miss Me is what happens afterwards. Romi does cover relationships well from all sides. There is stinging dobro in Soul Stealer, seduction instruction is the theme to Make Your Move while Bee Sting is a slide driven plea for the man to come home. We get dueling slide on Wonder How and the consistent, dogged rhythm portrays the eternal question we all ask which is the title. Produced by Grant Siemens, who doubles guitars with Romi we have Marc Arnold on keyboards and the rhythm section of Bernie Thiessen on bass and Damon Mitchell on drums and they are tight and on fire. The album closes with the gorgeous piano led Walk Away which is a strong statement of independence. I read in an interview that Romi said: “If I never made another album, I would be really happy that this was my last one,” and that cannot happen there is too much talent here. Somewhere else this album was described as a 70’s Bonnie Raitt, which is some tribute to this lady. This album must be highly recommended to you.

FRANK LEIGH

dispose of with Devil On Both Shoulders so how do you think the album has helped you to shed those demons? Does it prove once again that music is the greatest therapy bar none? Well of course music is the best therapy in the world. Every time you write a song, you shed a layer of stress, guilt, hate, anger, remorse, etc… The album was definitely a flushing out of sorts… I felt a lot of contempt for many folks and had a couple of

rough years so it was that core feeling that leaned the songs into that area. Devil On Both Shoulders is something I think most of us feel all the time. It’s hard to be good… and sometimes you have to work a little harder to hear that tiny angel on your one shoulder’s voice… if she’s there at all.

I read that you started performing at fi fteen but how long had you been playing and writing before you took that big step and how did it come about?

I was literally playing around with an acoustic for a handful of months before I got up on stage for the first time. I was working at an iconic music establishment in Winnipeg called The Blue Note and this older hippie friend of mine Bobby Stahr told the audience I was coming up to play a few songs. I nearly shit my pants and said noooooo way. But he, along with an encouraging room, convinced me and I got up and played three songs I had written. They were heavy subjects for a 15 year old and not a dry eye in the house. I went home sure that night that my life had forever changed and that was what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.

What got you started and inspired you?

I was on a canoe trip the previous summer out in Lake of The Woods, Ontario and the out tripper that was in charge of us had an acoustic guitar. She mostly sang campfire songs and strummed G, C, and D… but I thought she was the coolest chic I had ever seen. When I got back

home from the canoe trip, I begged my Mom to buy me an acoustic guitar. It was a $150 Fiesta guitar. Game changer!

You have been learning piano and were persuaded by Grant Siemens, your producer, friend and guitarist on the album as well, to include Walk Away when you had not planned to do so. How confident are you now on the keys and do you ever play on stage? Actually, that isn’t me playing piano on Walk Away on the album; it’s my very talented friend Marc Arnould. Grant did convince me to include the songs in the album though. I played it for him on my piano at home and he loved it. I was on the fence. But it turns out, he was right, since a lot of people tell me they really like it. I did, however, play piano on the 2011 album’s track I Will. That was the first time I had performed or recorded piano. I’m not any good at it really; it’s just a fun thing to play on sometimes. I must have practiced 1000 hours to get that one song good enough for stage.

The techy question, your favoured guitar looks like a classic Guild or Gretsch, they each have their own sound but how do you get that earthy, swampy sound from yours? What strings, tuning and amp do you use? I play a Gretsch Electromatic. A fairly inexpensive great guitar that plays well and warm and dirty. It’s my main guitar. I wouldn’t trade that in for anything. I have an endorsement with D’Addario, so I use all D’Addario strings and capos,

etc. I had been using Fender Blues Jr’s forever but they were always breaking down so I made the switch over to a VOX AC15. I love it. I do use a different BOSS reverb pedal because I don’t like the reverb on the VOX as much, but it crunches and warms up just how I like it.

How does your song writing approach work? Well it’s hard to say. Often some lyrics or a couple of lines on a scrappy piece of paper I’ve found in my back pocket after a night of drinking leads the way. Sometimes it’s illegible and laughable but every so often a good line makes the cut. Then it’s all about cushioning the song around that one good line or riff.

What song out there do you wish you had written?

If you could have anyone record one of your songs who would it be and which song and why?

I wish I had written Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around written by Tom Petty and Mike Campbell. Stevie Nicks had it on her Bella Donna album and sings it with Mr Petty. It has all the groove and edge a song needs to be a winner. I also think Don’t Let Me Down by The Beatles is an epic anthem and I love the way it feels to sing it. I probably would want Joan Jett to record one of my songs. I don’t care which one. She’s just been my hero for the entirety of my life so that would be the acme of my career.

Grant Siemens, who you’ve known for over 20 years, is possibly best known from Corb Lund’s band who have a large role in the music of the hit TV series Nashville (love it to bits!), did Corb get involved with or influence your album at all and if so how?

No, Corb and I are friends but he had nothing to do with my album at all. He writes country music and tells tales of history and geography and lives two provinces away from me… I don’t know where that would fit into my music. Ha… Grant has played guitar for him for almost 15 years but he has various styles he can play and conquer. He is a true rocker at heart and knows all kinds of music very well.

be lucky enough to hear, let alone play with. Now that we’re getting older, it was time for some of my long time players to want to stay home with new wives, new children, etc… So it was time to find and employ young bucks who could keep up with the road time. I love Jesse Millar, my drummer; he is the most positive human in the world. All the guys are super fun and great and help keep me young, they are devoted to the band and devoted to the music. You can’t ask for more than that.

So what do you enjoy outside of music when you get the chance?

Outside of music, and the obvious answer of spending

You had years of success with Jay Nowicki as an electric duo across the globe, but with the new album came a new sound. Jay Nowicki, Jimmy Bowskill, Chris Carmichael, and Kyler Tapscott taking turns taking the reins on lead, with the rhythm section of Micah Bell on bass and Jesse Millar on drums! Tell the readers a little about your band members. What’s to say? I’m the luckiest gal. Jay and I, as well as Chris and I have been playing on and off for 10, 15 years. They are two of the most talented guitar players a gal could

time with family, I like watching hockey a lot. I like traveling… particularly to Mexico and I love drinking cold beers and Irish whiskey. I love hangin’ with my friends, shooting pool, playing games like scrabble, cribbage and cranium and I love watching copious amounts of movies. I am a movie buff for sure and hard pressed to find movies I haven't seen these days.

What’s next for Romi Mayes and when can we hope to see you in UK/Europe again? I know it has been a really long time since I have come to UK/Europe but a few things have changed for me over

there. I got ill and had to cancel a couple of tours and in doing so lost my labels and booking agents out there. I do really want to come back but I just need to come up with a new plan of attack. I sure would love to hit Holland, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, Italy and the UK again. All places I’ve loved playing in the past and was well received. As soon as I have something in the works, I will definitely let you know! Meanwhile, I am touring Canada and US fairly steadily. I have a tour in Canada and US in about a month and again in the fall.

See www.romimayes.com for more information.

DISCOGRAPHY

DEVIL ON BOTH

SHOULDERS – 2015

LUCKY TONIGHT – 2011

ACHIN’ IN YER BONES – 2009

SWEET SOMETHING

STEADY – 2006

LIVING ROOM SESSIONS – 2005

I SURE WOULD LOVE TO HIT HOLLAND, GERMANY, BELGIUM, SWEDEN, ITALY AND THE UK AGAIN

No o Ne shOuld face c A ncer aloNe

No mums. No dads. No brothers or sisters. Not your next-door neighbour or the lady from the corner shop. No grandmas. No grandpas. Not the chap from the chip shop or the noisy lads at the back of the bus. Not your best mate. Not a single stranger. No one whatsoever. No one should face cancer alone.

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

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Eric Burdon

TALKING LEAD BELLY

After a successful event at London’s Royal Albert Hall in 2015, the Lead Belly Fest descended upon New York City’s Carnegie Hall this past February 4th, a spectacle both entertaining and educational.

Verbals: Barry Fisch Visuals: Arnie Goodman

After a successful event at London’s Royal Albert Hall in 2015, the Lead Belly Fest descended upon New York City’s Carnegie Hall this past February 4th, a spectacle both entertaining and educational. An impressive list of twenty performers or so took to the stage, each giving the crowd one or two songs. Some were performed by Lead Belly himself, others were somewhat related to him and his influence on music today. In between acts, informative films were projected on the white Carnegie Hall backdrop, teaching the audience who this Huddie William Ledbetter, the King of the 12-String Guitar is, and how he has influenced many musicians and song writers today - some of whom performed this evening, others speaking on film.

Everybody was waiting for the arrival on stage of Eric Burdon, one of the announced headliners. Backed by the evening’s house band of excellent musicians, Burdon performed a killer version of In The Pines, followed by one of the songs that catapulted him to fame with his group the Animals, House Of The Rising Sun, a tune also made famous by Lead Belly.

Shortly after the performance, we asked Mr Burdon about his performance and the influence Lead Belly has had on his career:

Can you tell us the story of how House Of The Rising Sun was chosen as a song for the Animals to record?

We were opening a tour of the UK with our hero, Chuck Berry, and I wanted to find a song that would really stand apart. I came up with House Of The Rising Sun, a ballad that I'd heard numerous times in folk clubs in my hometown. It was such a haunting song that captivated the audience immediately from the opening chords. I knew such a song that was so different from any Chuck Berry tune, would be instantly noticed... and it was. I did my research. Bob Dylan had done his

version of the song and we, the Animals, took it to the next level. It did the trick. I could hear people leaving the venue talking about it so we knew it would be a success. So the first chance we got to take a break from the tour, we loaded our equipment and the members of the band on to a milk train down to London to record in the city.

We borrowed a British Railways handcart, loaded our equipment on to the handcart and pushed it through the early morning of the deserted streets of the city to the recording studio. We took it down the stairs, off loaded it, plugged in, did one sound check, one take and that was it. Minutes later we carried the stuff back upstairs, back on to the handcart, back

attitude, so we were alone in our belief that this record would cut through and put us where we wanted to be, on the charts, as the Animals. The rest is history.

At the Carnegie Hall show, you were introduced as being the fi rst to accept the invitation for the previous Lead Belly Fest at the Royal Albert Hall. Other than the obvious association you have with “House of the Rising Sun”, is there any connection you have with Lead Belly that you can share (how much of an influence, etc.)? I said yes right away, because I think it's important to remember the greats who have come before us.

It's crucial that we honour our predecessors and keep them alive for future generations. I've always believed in doing that, from our earliest days recording with Sonny Boy Williamson and saluting Bo Diddley, to my latest album, where I wrote an updated homage to Bo, after attending his memorial. Don't forget that the Animals always took it as our mission to promote

to the railroad station and caught the next train to Bournemouth where the next stop of our tour with Chuck Berry was scheduled to be.

Mickey Most, our producer, rejected it as being too long and the wrong subject matter.

The record company joined in, with the same

the originals. We would go on stage and announce a John Lee Hooker song and tell the audience where they could find his records. Lead Belly wrote topical songs when it was not a popular thing to do. It was all Making Whoopee and Stardust Melodies in those days. A

IT'S A TALE OF ROMANCE, BETRAYAL, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE “ ”

black man in a prison work suit singing songs about the nitty gritty of life was a huge influence on everyone, from Woody Guthrie to Dylan to the Stones and beyond. It is our duty to carry it on and I will do so every chance I get for the rest of my life.

What about In The Pines? Why did you choose that one to perform at Lead Belly Fest? It's one of many of his songs that I've always loved. It could be taken straight from today's headlines. It's a tale of romance, betrayal, domestic violence. It could have been written today if people were still writing songs that were about real life matters.

Do you have any new or upcoming projects you’d like to tell us about?

Inspired by the Tribute to Lead Belly at Carnegie Hall, I went in to the Magic Shop in Soho where Bowie spent his final months, to record a vocal for a new version of House Of The Rising Sun. I will be collaborating with a DJ to give it a fresh approach. I am in search of a new sound, and that's why I just formed a new young and energetic band to help me achieve my musical vision, so I will definitely be back in the studio. And throughout this busy schedule, I hope to find time to work on my book.

DISCOGRAPHY

ERIC BURDON

DECLARES WAR – 2015

TILL YOUR RIVER

RUNS DRY – 2013

ERIC BURDON AND THE GREENHORNS – 2012

MIRAGE – 2008

SOUL OF A MAN – 2006

MY SECRET LIFE – 2004

TILL YOUR RIVER

RUNS DRY – 2003

LIVE AT THE ROXY – 1998

SOLDIER OF FORTUNE – 1997

LOST WITHIN THE HALLS OF FAME – 1995

BEST OF ERIC BURDON & WAR – 1995

ACCESS ALL AREAS – 1993

Ron Hacker WAY DOWN YONDER…

Gutbucket bluesman Ron Hacker is no stranger to Blues Matters. Billy Hutchinson got back in touch with him, after he made the decision to leave San Francisco for New Orleans.

Verbals: Billy Hutchinson Visuals: Scott Palmer

Ron Hacker has not had an easy life, and has followed his musical path as bluesmen of old did - moving to where the gigs and the money were. Tutored and befriended by Yank Rachell, he has written a gritty biography, played slide guitar on Tom Wait's Grammy nominated CD “Orphans”, and performed his music at “The Saloon” behind Reese Witherspoon & Mark Ruffalo in the film “Just Like Heaven”.

What were the reasons for your move?

San Francisco has lost its soul. The once haven for free thinkers, art, and culture, is gone. Some would say it has been gone for a long time and I would agree. I was able to hang on because I was well established in what was left of the blues scene. My love of the beauty of The City was overcome by the weight of the money it took to live there.

Had you done much research on New Orleans before you took the decision?

Tennessee Williams said something like, “There are only three cities in the U.S. - New York, San Francisco and New Orleans”. When San Francisco was a music town, we would get a lot of the best from New Orleans playing our festivals and clubs. There were even New Orleans-themed festivals. There are still restaurants and bars with the New Orleans theme. So, the choice to move here was easy. I had lived here for six months in 1968, in a second-story apartment over the El Monico club on Bourbon Street, so I was aware of the beauty of the town. When I lived here in '68 I was on the run from Indiana after jumping bail over some trumped-up charges a cop in Indiana had put on me because I was slipping it to his ex-girlfriend. I’ve had the blues all my life.

What were your fi rst impressions? Any surprises, stand out impressions?

I moved here in September. My first impression was, 'My god it’s hot!' July, August and September are so hot it’s almost unbearable.

Have you checked out the music scene yet? This town is all about music. It’s everywhere. I’ve been lucky to have gotten the job of booking the music at The Old Mint, a recordingperformance room in the old U.S. Mint. My lady partner, wife-to-be-someday got me the gig - she works for the Museum Foundation who sponsors the Music at The Mint program. I’m meeting the local players and getting to know the scene. I also have the option of booking myself at The Mint. I have booked myself to play three Fridays in April. I'll have Johnny Sansone as my guest playing there on April 1st playing his badass harp. Then April 22nd I'll have John Fohl as my guest. April 29th will be a special Friday show - Roy Rogers will be in town for the Jazz Festival, and his band is going to back me at The Mint. It will be Steve Ehrmann on bass (John Lee Hooker), and Kevin Hays on drums (Robert Cray). All three shows will be streamed and recorded, video and audio. I plan to get my next CD from these recordings. I

hope to play more than I was able to in SF, and there are a lot of places to play. A bass player I know who works all the time tells me there are over a hundred gigs a day. It’s not really a blues town, but with that many gigs and the birth of the blues a couple hours away in Mississippi, my blues is very welcome.

What about being in the hurricane alley, and how does being situated near sea level sit with you?

It doesn’t sit well at all, but after living in SF for forty years, never knowing when the big one would hit, this isn’t all that different, but, that said, I’m not looking forward to any big storms. It’s scary.

What advice would you give to foreign tourists contemplating visiting New Orleans. I would tell them to explore the French Quarter. It's one of the coolest places in the world, but take the time to go to the other clubs around town, the Maple-leaf, Chickie Wah Wah, Rock n’ Bowl, and there are many more. Find Johnny Sansone, John Fohl and John Mooney.

How hard is it to fi nd the true New Orleans? Not hard at all. It's all around you. You just have to pay attention.

What is your particular neighbourhood like?

I live at the end of the Saint Charles trolley line, the oldest continuously operating line in the world. It’s a nice hood but a few blocks away it’s not so nice, and this seems to be

the way it is here. It’s a mixed hood, we have black families on either side of us. All my neighbours like my music and I don’t have to worry about making too much noise.

I guess you have been told the on-the-ground story of Katrina by the locals by now. How much of the heart has been torn out of New Orleans by the destruction, and those never being able to return? Is there still reconstruction to patch things up?

I was having dinner with some new friends the other day and I asked the lady of the couple about Katrina. She had lost her home. She started to tell me about it, but had to

stop and have her husband finish the story. A lot of people lost a lot and it’s still hard for them to talk about it. They’re still working on the sewer and water lines all over town, a lot of the streets are still full of holes, and there are a lot of empty lots that used to have houses - also a lot of houses that look like they might fall down at any second. One of the things that I learned talking to the couple was about the refrigerators. They were everywhere. People had left in a rush and didn’t empty them, so when they got back to their homes the first thing they had to do was throw out the refrigerators with all the rotted food.

DISCOGRAPHY

RON HACKER & THE HACKSAWS

GOING DOWN HOWLIN' – 2015 RON HACKER LIVE IN SAN FRANCISCO – 2011

FILTHY ANIMAL – 2011

MY SONGS – REMASTERED SONGS – 2008

MR. BAD BOY – 2007

THE HACKSAWS LIVE IN HOLLAND – 2007

BURNIN' – 2003

BACKDOOR MAN – 2000

I GOT TATTOOED – 1995

BARSTOOL BLUES – 1990

NO PRETTY SONGS -1988/1994 – 1999

Happy Traum GETTING TO THE ROOTS OF IT

Happy is one of those rare musicians, a musician's musician.

Verbals: Iain Patience Visuals: Supplied by artist

Harry P. Traum is unlikely to register with many, a name that slips past with neither a nod nor a glance perhaps. Shorten it, however, pulling it together to read HAPPY TRAUM and it rings the bell, bangs the drum and resonates with roots music lovers worldwide.

A New Yorker, Happy is one of those rare musicians, a musician's musician. Revered by most in the musical know, he is easily one of the most significant acoustic-roots musicians and guitar pickers of his - and many othergenerations. His guitar mastery is without equal or question and his importance to the development of many world famous - and aspiring musicians, is genuinely astonishing.

Traum recalls with evident glee and deserved wonder and amusement how as a young guitar aspirant himself in late 1950s/early 1960s New York, he picked up a phone book and rang Brownie McGhee to ask for guitar lessons with one of modern blues music's notable greats.

'At college, New York University, I'd heard Brownie's Folkways album 'Brownie McGhee's Blues'. I loved it. I rang him up and he said, "Come on down. Let's see what you can do and I'll decide." I spent the next two or three years with Brownie, visiting him every few weeks or so, just playing together. He'd tell me if I was going wrong and I'd ask him to show me what he was doing and where he was going. We'd spend two or three hours like that. It was wonderful. Sometimes Sonny Terry would turn up and we'd all just play along together.'

Back then, as the sixties folk boom began to explode on the world

music stage, bringing with it a remarkable wealth of talent, inspired music and unsurpassed genius, New York was certainly the place to be. Liverpool and the UK music rocket had yet to surface let alone take off into the stratosphere.

Happy remembers sharing licks and verses with almost every one of note, then relative newcomers, unknowns before the music industry had even developed. John Sebastian, Maria Mauldaur, John Hammond,

he's still around playing and picking.' Paley, now approaching 90, is indeed still out there. Now based in London, he has an excellent new album recently released on UK roots label Hornbeam Recordings, 'Paley & Son' - his first since 2012 - where those same picking skills are ably to the fore supported by his son, Ben, on fiddle, and Welsh singer/songwriter, Cerys Matthews. He is also booked to play the Lead Belly Festival at New York's Carnegie Hall in a few months’ time, his first visit to his old hometown in many years.

Rory Block, Mary Travers (Peter, Paul & Mary), Dave Van Ronk, Bill Keith, David Bromberg, Phil Ochs and a rough-edged, fledgling guy, destined to become a lifelong buddy, with a strident voice and desperate desire for success, Bob Dylan.

Tom Paley, one of the original members of leading, radical band The New Lost City Ramblers, also gave his time and encouragement freely to the young Happy Traum. 'I remember Tom as a really nice player, a very fine picker. He did a great version of 'Railroad Bill', running through it many times for me, always helpful, never dismissive, bored or irritated. It's great to know

At this time, the beginning of the 1960s, many of these seminal musicians would meet up, jamming, busking and simply having fun in New York's Washington Square most weekends. Happy Traum was always there, picking his guitar, alongside his fairly recently passed brother, Artie, and picking the brains and fingers of others who also converged on the park each weekend.

He remembers Izzy Young, who ran the Folklore Centre in the city being around always and how they all had a run-in with authority when attempts were made to outlaw the weekly music meetings. And he recounts how the young, unknown Bob Dylan - soon to be given his first professional gig thanks to Young - first pitched up in New York in the early sixties: 'He's on one of my 'Broadside' records. I did a duet with him and he wrote the sleeve/ liner notes for another with Atlantic Records.'

Never surprised by Dylan's extraordinary success, he says: 'We are friends. We

THE ACOUSTIC MUSIC SCENE SEEMS TO BE THRIVING, WITH SOME FANTASTIC STUFF COMING OUT

HAPPY TRAUM JUST FOR THE LOVE OF IT INDEPENDENT

Happy Traum is easily one of the most important acoustic pickers around. A guy who learned guitar with Brownie McGhee (Sonny Terry sitting in at times) in early sixties New York, this guy has played, performed and recorded with almost everyone of note in the USA during a career that now approaches almost 60 years. Just For The Love Of It aptly sums up Traum's feelings and belief in this music. He plays for both the money and the love of it, of course, and on this 14-track album he is joined by many of his old Woodstock buddies. Artists supporting him here include John Sebastian (ex-Loving Spoonful), Larry Campbell and his partner Teresa Williams (ex-Dylan & Levon Helm) with Campbell also responsible for production. Material covered crosses blues, roots and modern Americana with wonderful takes on Careless Love

(a superb opener), In The Evening When The Sun Goes Down, Jay Gould's Daughter, I Ain't Got No Home, Crash On The Levee and Lead Belly's old In The Pines. Add a pinch of Tennessee Waltz - here a stunningly pared back, beautifully picked version, and you have a simply wonderful album. Traum, of course, was pretty indispensable to Dylan back in the day and his astute playing features on many of Bob's albums. Not for nought did Rolling Stone describe him (and his work with his late brother, Artie) as music that….'defi ned the Northeast folk music style.' With this, his fi rst album in many years, Traum cements his position at the top of true acoustic roots music. This is an album that blues purists or members of the blues police might not fully engage with but a must-have album for lovers of quality authentic, acoustic blues-roots-based music.

IAIN PATIENCE

were real close for about six or seven years and Bob lived nearby (in Woodstock, where Traum has been resident for around 50 years). I did a lot of work with him, in the early 70s. In 1971, I think, I did the sessions with him that became his 'Greatest Hits' albums. We always got on well together.'

Amongst his other neighbours at the time were John Sebastian, still a resident - and Dylan's backing band, The Band's drummer and singer, Levon Helm. Larry Campbell, another Dylan sideman and stalwart of the Americana Music Awards annual blast, also lives nearby. The Band's famous - or infamous - 'Big Pink' house was another local landmark and spawned Dylan's famous 'Basement Tapes' album. Traum also recalls working with Beat poet Allen Ginsberg around this same time.

For many years, he has been involved with what is probably the single, most influential, important roots and blues music teaching resource, Homespun Tapes: 'I initially set it up about fifty years ago as Homespun Tapes, we did it all from home, reel-to-reel. Then came cassettes, followed by video and now CD and DVD,' he laughs with evident pleasure. 'We've about 200 artists now.'

Of particular pleasure and a source of some evident satisfaction is the fact that one of Traum's own personal roots music heroes, Pete Seeger, signed over the rights to his famous 5-String Banjo tuition book to Happy's Homespun operation before he died a few years ago. 'I was always a great fan of Pete's and it

was amazing that he did that, it means a lot to me.'

These days, apart from his teaching brief and Homespun, Traum still enjoys getting out and about, picking guitar, passing on the music and playing US festivals like Merlefest in North Carolina, and teaching at Jorma Kaukonen's famed Fur Peace Ranch in the Ohio hills.

He believes the music is in a safe place, with young students eager to keep it alive and give it new meaning, and he still derives great pleasure from recording, even as a seasoned veteran. Traum has just released his latest album, 'Just For The Love Of It', a fourteen track master-class in tasteful fretwork and delicious covers including takes on 'Careless

Love', 'In The Pines', both from Lead Belly's back catalogue, and a stunningly beautiful, pared-down version of the old standard, 'Tennessee Waltz'. Recorded mostly without overdubs and as close to live performance as a studio allows, Traum says of it: 'My idea was to play and sing, alive, and live in the studio. To try to capture that wonderful interaction that happens spontaneously with musical friends. There are a few obvious places where overdubs were inevitable, but for the most part the music on this CD reflects the way it happened in the moment - no frills, as honest as I could make it.' Looking ahead, to what might yet be in store, Happy Traum remains upbeat and

from the soul of

optimistic: 'I don't know what the future holds, maybe not much more for me at my age,' he laughs. 'But the acoustic music scene seems to be thriving, with some fantastic stuff coming out. It always ebbs and flows. It's just how it is.'

DISCOGRAPHY

JUST FOR THE LOVE OF IT – 2015

I WALK THE ROAD AGAIN – 2005

BUCKETS OF SONGS – 1987

FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS – 1983

BRIGHT MORNING STARS – 1979

AMERICAN STRANGER – 1977

RELAX YOUR MIND – 1975

God Don’t Never Change: The Songs Of Blind Willie Johnson

featuring Tom Waits, Lucinda Williams, Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi, Cowboy Junkies, Blind Boys of Alabama, Sinéad O’Connor, Luther Dickinson featuring The Rising Star Fife & Drum Band, Maria McKee and Rickie Lee Jones

Toronzo Cannon The Chicago Way

“Deep, contemporary Chicago blues...razorsharp guitar and compelling, forceful singing”

– The Chicago Tribune

“One of Chicago’s new greats”

– The Chicago Sun-Times

Supersonic Blues Machine ZONING IN ON THE BLUES

Mean, lean and well-connected, US blues-rock outfit Supersonic Blues Machine are out promoting their new studio album on Mascot West Of Flushing, South of Frisco. Mainman Fabrizio

Grossi has much to say on the recording of the collection, our Pete pays attention…

Verbals: Pete Sargeant Visuals: Alex Solca

Hi Fabrizio, where are you at the moment? Los Angeles, California.

Your album – in sound – has what I would call Nashville Clarity, how did it come together? Well now, as regards Supersonic Blues Machine, I’m not that keen on genres or limitations, Pete - it’s many shades of blues, there’s many different things in it, in the music…it reflects all the strands of music that we’ve done in all our lives, in the band. There is a big element of R&B in itthat’s Old School R&B - and also what you might term Americana…a New Orleans influence at work too and a BIG amount of soul!

Kenny and I are big suckers for Motown, then again there is a major rock element too….that’s what we are at heart. So we take all that, put it in the blender and let it roll, and that’s SBM!

The separation of the instruments and high quality of recording is very Nashville BUT in a grittier mode. Sometimes in recordings the guitar merges with the bass too much. This though is more 3-D in sound?

Well firstly then, thank you, cos that is one of my aims, to capture the sound that well. We were out to make a record like the records that we loved when we started out, when we were younger. There are very few overdubs here. It’s the band and, here and there, a coupla other guys playing with us. My school, if you like, is pretty

much that Less Is More. We approached the recording in a very Old School manner.

So everything was miked and then recorded in a particular way, and also direct mastering - we ran everything to tape to contain that kind of feel. We wanted to make a black kind of record, in the sense of say Bobby Womack/ Donny Hathaway, those recordings from the midsixties and early seventies, THAT style, that magic. So everything was indeed clear, not muddy at all. And we are really happy with the result. Good that you noticed that as you heard the tracks.

Let’s talk about the cuts –Miracle Man has powerful guitar and slide and all but these are proper songs, not just vehicles for chops? Well we are, here and there, featuring guests who we have jammed and played with throughout all our music careers and we try to bring something really good to each other. The reason it sounds pleasant and not pressed together is that it was not pressed together - everything you hear was

years ago with Leslie Westhis comeback record. We went for not just fine playing but melodic songs, the kind that Leslie can bring to life. My favourite bands in the whole world are The Beatles, Queen and Led Zeppelin. Those guys record with the personal skills they have gained that mean really it’s all about the songs, that’s the aim always.

That’s what struck me… if I knew a girl or bloke who liked, say, Eddie Money, I could say try this. It’s a great collection of songs - with top-notch players. I Ain’t Fallin’ Again, a rousing tempo on this and great vocals, are you singing? No, I do bv’s and so it’s mainly Lance Lopez, then on Running Whiskey of course it’s Billy Gibbons, on Remedy it’s Warren Haynes, then on Can’t take It No More we have Walter Trout. I Ain’t is a special song for me. It has the blues thing but also the California Sound - Mamas & Papas. There is soul and kind of anthemic elements, hard rock drive, and also the lyrics - for me it’s a personal song that I relate to.

WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH VERY HAPPY TIMES BUT ALSO SOME DARK AND HARD TIMES, TOO. WE CALL THIS A REDEMPTION RECORD.

put there for a reason. I try to avoid the standard heavy blues-rock production and it's all to get people to appreciate the messages behind the songs more, regardless of the mega-shredding of pentatonic scales and all that kind of stuff. I did a record about five

On Remedy, you really have captured Warren’s melodic leaning.

(Sighs) Warren is something else. He’s one of those guys that no matter what he does it’s very musical. Whether he wants to go soulier, or bluesier, or folkier or to the

moon and back! - the man has music sliding out of his pores. Warren is the co-writer of that song and as soon as Serge and I started working on it, we felt those double guitars, that Lynyrd Skynyrd / Allman Brothers thing there, so we were thinking of Warren. He just took it home, with us. I appreciate your enthusiasm for this song, nothing was patched together, it was more crafted. Everyone in the band and all of our guests here, we have been through very happy times but also some dark and hard times, too. We call this a redemption record.

Tell me about Eric Gales please, because on Nightmares and Dreams it seems to hit somewhere between Jimi Hendrix and Leslie West. He’s been working with Doug Pinnick of Kings X of

course…to me it’s the best song here, almost like a Whitesnake classic?

Eric is a force of nature. He really has the Hendrix feel inside his own style - he took it to a new world, a new planet. He comes from a place where I have no idea what’s inspiring it all, he just connects to the guitar and flies. He’s the person on this planet who reminds me most of Jimi, and THEN... yes he’s very like Leslie West (laughs) minus the grouchiness.

Eric and Robin Trower are painters, using guitars instead of brushes. When they play, they take you somewhere different. You have recorded him well, here. I learned from Sir George Martin, it’s not HOW you record, it’s WHAT you record. With Gales, or West or Lance

Lopez who I regard as in this class, I could record them on a cheap mike from Walmart, or with the most expensive model I have in the studio, and the guy’s going to deliver the message. It’s the emotion in it that enriches you. I can record something cleanly or whatever, but if the performer doesn’t have much to say, I’m sorry – it’s just gonna sound like a Disney record. Eric and Leslie just play whatever they’re doing like it’s the last note they’re ever gonna play, that’s their approach.

Now I do believe that the fi rst version you heard of Ain’t No Love was probably by our own Whitesnake? Yes! It was 1983... I was over in England for a couple of weeks and I was into heavy music. Ended up going to Castle Donington and even saw Ronnie James

Dio, promoting his album Holy Diver and that was just insane. So then I saw Whitesnake in maybe their best line-up, to me anywayMoody, Cozy Powell, Bernie Marsden, Neil Murray and Jon Lord and David! It was an incredible show. When they played that song, everything just stopped and everyone was singing along… thousands of people! It was so moving. I said to myself that I wanted to do music like this - that connects like this. So we are in the studio and not intending to record anyone else’s songs for the record, but talking to Lance, I said there IS one song that I have always wanted to do and explained about Ain’t No Love. Lance looked at me and said ‘you’re kidding me, right? – my first professional gig was with Bobby Blue Bland!’ Lance said that gig got him into

the blues circuit and that he was still close to the family and that they would surely bless any version we did. And that intro you hear is just the way that Bland loved Lance to play guitar for him… it’s therefore a kind of tribute to his original mentor and closes the circle, musically. We love the song!

I listened to the last cut which is Watchagonnado and thought, why don’t these guys give this to Willie Nelson? It has a real ache to it. If you know Willie Nelson, do us a favour and send the song over to him! Somehow it was a Stevie Wonder/Tower of Power moment…that song is all in service to the actual lyric. Now we are not pushing any kind of religion ever, OK? - but there is this kind of exploitation that

goes on, of Christianity, and then you find that some of the people doing it can be the worst ****holes on the planet! I cannot forget the action of Jesus in the Temple, getting angry at the guys working it for their own benefit. If Jesus came back now, he would see the way these characters are acting…using his name to make their own agenda! What would he say??

We have religious arguments around us all the time, here. We say it’s a kind of contest – Who’s got the best invisible friend? (Laughs) Yeah that’s what it is! They can’t all be rightwhatever works for you, go for that, I guess. As long as you’re respectful. We’re all sharing the same space. Anyway, thanks for this, you’ve been asking me things no other writer has!

Tedeschi Trucks Band LET ME GET BY

The Tedeschi Trucks Band journey began on April 1 2010 with their first gig at the Savannah Music Festival and led to the recording and release of their Grammy award-winning debut album, Revelator, in 2011 and Made Up Mind two years later.

Verbals: Clive Rawlings Visuals: Supplied by artist

During their five-year rise, the group have toured incessantly, raising their profile and being handpicked to play with the likes of Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, and Santana; to appear on television shows hosted by Jay Leno, Conan, and on the premiere of Stephen Colbert's The Late Show; and hosting special all-star musical salutes themselves, including Bonnaroo's Superjam in 2014 (with Chaka Khan, Anthony Hamilton, Taj Mahal, and others), and Lockn' Festival's Tribute to Joe Cocker's Mad Dogs & Englishmen in 2015 (with Leon Russell, Rita Coolidge, and many other original members.)

What began as an eight-piece group has now expanded to an onstage lineup of twelve musicians—a lineup that has remained unusually consistent. In 2015, for the fifth straight year, they were on the road for more than 200 days and sold more tickets than ever before. Swamp Raga, the recording studio that Trucks and Tedeschi built from scratch next to their house, has been expanded and updated to the point that no other facilities are required. Bobby Tis, the band's long time, on-theroad monitor engineer has become their full-time studio engineer; Trucks himself now serves as sole producer. All tracks on Let Me Get By, to be released on January 29, 2016, are credited to Trucks, with three tracks co-produced by guitarist and long-time collaborator, Doyle Bramhall II. Prior to the band leaving for Australia, where they are due to appear at the long-running Byron Bay Festival, Derek took time out to answer a few questions put to him by Clive Rawlings.

The previous time I spoke with you (telephone) you were holed up in a hotel somewhere, the headcount for the band was eleven, is it still the same?

We’re actually up to 12 now. We added Alecia Chakour

as another singer, she came down to record with us on the new album and it was just a natural chemistry with our other singers, Mike Mattison and Mark Rivers. Alecia can handle the high parts effortlessly, so it frees up Mike and Mark to sing in their natural registers.

Derek, you're down to one band now, was it a wrench when the Allmans disbanded? It's been nice to be able to focus on just one project. There's so much history there with the Allmans, it certainly wasn't an easy decision, but it's been a positive thing for me to be able to put 100% of my energy into TTB.

entire process brought us all closer together and the final product is an album that is really representative of what we do as a group.

Loving the artwork on the sleeve, is there a hidden meaning in there?

It's certainly open to interpretation, but the sense of liberation in the artwork and title speak to me.

I see Doyle Bramhall II collaborated on a few tracks, you can certainly pick them!! Doyle is a huge part of our group, he’s not an official member but he’s as close as you can get without actually being in the band. It’s just a natural process when we get together to write and record, we’ve worked together so much at this point. We’re defi nitely lucky to have him helping the cause.

Mike Mattison does lead vocals on a couple of tracks (another first), was he bursting at

Let Me Get By is your third studio album, the fi rst time you (Derek) have produced, and all original material, was it fun putting it all together? We made a decision at the start to work within the group instead of turning to outside songwriters and producers, and I feel it’s worked out well for everyone. Getting the band more involved in the

the seams to do it?

When Mike brought those songs to the table, he was assuming that Susan would sing them, but we felt they just worked so well with him on lead vocals that we didn’t want to mess with it. We know how talented Mike is as a singer and a songwriter, and how much our fans love his work, so it was an easy call to have him singing lead on those tracks.

GETTING THE BAND MORE INVOLVED IN THE ENTIRE PROCESS BROUGHT US ALL CLOSER TOGETHER

DISCOGRAPHY

LET ME GET BY – 2016 MADE UP MY MIND – 2013 REVELATOR – 2011

Can you comment/ enlighten us as to how your bassist, Tim Lefebvre, came to play on Bowie's Dark Star album?

Tim was playing with Donny McCaslin’s band at the 55 bar in New York and I guess Bowie came in to see them play. It’s no surprise to us that Tim would end up in that situation. He’s one of those guys that can fit in perfectly in any situation, and cover every style with ease.

When will we get to see you over here in the UK?

I’m not exactly sure, but we’ll be back in Europe in June. We definitely hope to be back in the UK soon, we love the audience there and I’m sure we’ll be back before too long.

Favourite biscuits?

Beach Road Chicken in Jacksonville. If you’re ever in the area, it’s a must visit.

TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND LET ME GET BY

FANTASY/CONCORD

As their website proudly declares, the release of this album boasts a lot of firsts. It's the first Tedeschi Trucks Band album on the Fantasy label, first since Trucks departure from his fifteen year stint with the Allman Brothers Band, and the first Tedeschi Trucks Band album he has produced plus the first original album from the band. Add in the fact that Doyle Bramhall II helped on production for three tracks and you have real quality about the whole venture. Recorded in their own Swamp Raga Studios, with engineer Bobby Tis, the arrangement for the now twelve piece band was a task that has paid off in bucket loads. It becomes apparent that Trucks is afforded more freedom to express himself than with the

Allmans, as illustrated on the raga-style acoustic Swamp Raga For Holzapfel, Lefebvre, Flute and Harmonium segued, as it is on the end of Cryin' Over You, an eight minute slow burner. Special mention to Mike Mattison's vocals on Cryin' Over You, incidentally. The title track started out at a sound check one day, the riff coming from Kofi Burbridge's keyboards, to which lyrics were quickly added. There is a noticeable increase in Tedeschi's powerful guitar playing, especially on Don't Know What It Means, where she prefaces her husband’s guitar statement. Another first is the debut of bassist Tim Lefebvre, who along with the drumming duo of JJ Johnson and Tyler Greenwell, make for a tight rhythm section. All in all, a cracking album, no more than expected, to be fair.

CLIVE RAWLINGS

Ten Years After PART TWO – RIC LEE

With the current TYA lineup chomping at the bit to get out and gig around Europe, this second conversation is with original and present drummer Mr Ric Lee – a man with great recall, as you will discover as he chats with our man and longtime fan Pete…

Verbals: Pete Sargeant Visuals: Arnie Goodman / Supplied by artist

The idea of this, Ric is to have a two-parter with Marcus in one issue and you in the next, so thanks for stepping up, I appreciate it. Sounds good, Pete.

I remember a great TYA show in Alvin days at the Toby Jug where a long set was played as you off to play ‘some festival in Americ’? Well yes, I remember where it was on that corner, and have vague memories that far back…on the A3?

Yes, and as regards Woodstock, some friends of mine in the American group Spirit had turned it down - ’some pig farm in New York??’. But that was the big-time for TYA. We’d had a very grim night before. A mini-riot. We had been part of the Newport Festival, you see and George decided to take it on the road. That night we were playing with Nina Simone. Who was actually not the most pleasant of people - on that particular occasion, anyway. But anyhow, we were closing the show and what they’d done is they’d put some barriers up by the stage, it was an indoor gig. I can’t remember the name of the venue and at the end of the set, Chick and I used to work on the audience to encourage them to walk up to the stage and join in with us. When they did that, the bouncers on that place got nervous. It was a predominantly black audience and one of the bouncers – stupidly – threw a chair into the crowd! Quite why, we never found out, and after that there was absolute

madness. One of the crew got hit with a brick. It was a nasty blow and he was bleeding but it didn’t do him any serious damage, luckily. We had to stop playing and vacate the stage so we headed for the dressing room, in the hope it would die down. In fact we ended up making a run for it to get to the hotel as fast as we could. The next day we were up very early about six o’clock to get through to New York and then we got two cars, to drive us up to the Holiday Inn which was about six miles from the Woodstock site. When we got there we had nowhere to kip, all the rooms were taken, sold out. Only day rooms available

to find something to eat as we hadn’t had anything for hours. When the storm came up, it knocked out all the power and we couldn’t use the stage for quite a while. Country Joe went on and did a bunch of stuff to keep things going. So we ended up going on about ten o’clock at night. Johnny Winter snuck on before us which delayed us playing. Then Joe and the Fish…they had played with us at The Fillmore and they swore they’d never go on after us, again! We finally got on, the atmospherics were still pretty grim and it was still raining, we played a number and then had to start Good Morning Little Schoolgirl

and even they had people in them! Then we heard via our manager that we were wanted on the site and going on in the afternoon. So we went to the helicopter pad and the chopper came in and we were about to board when some American guys pushed in. Crosby Stills & Nash. I was about to protest but the guy said not to worry another one was coming in. So we get the next helicopter and a medic was with us and he warned us not to drink anything there. And not to eat anything that wasn’t cooked, because hepatitis was breaking out. So we got there and it was a really nice day, y’know, so I sat on stage and watched Joe Cocker’s set which was fantastic. We were trying

about four times because the guitar wouldn’t stay in tune. No tuners, so Alvin would tune off Leo’s bass and put the headstock right by his ear. We got through it eventually and I’m sure you know the rest…

Yeah I’ve seen the footage. It put us on the world stage from that moment.

The film took you around the world and everyone wanted to book you. Indeed! This year I hope to be putting out my own book – From Headstock To Woodstock. Headstock? Well.

It’s a mining term for the large tower with the wheel on the top. Correct – so the miners would

WHEN THE STORM CAME UP, IT KNOCKED OUT ALL THE POWER AND WE COULDN’T USE THE STAGE FOR QUITE A WHILE

be in the bowels of the Earth, getting the coal up to the surface via cages lowered down by the headstock. Michael Lang’s book was helpful, for research.

What struck me about the Toby Jug gigs – especially looking back on it now – was how many of the acts eg. TYA, Jethro Tull Mk 1, Aynsley Dunbar

Retaliation all had jazz drummers, or drummers who had absorbed jazz. Absolutely right! I always wished I had been born earlier so I could have been around for the Big Band jazz era. That was very where I was at, in those days certainly.

Louis Bellson?

Yes and Buddy Rich. Philly Joe Jones, they were the guys we listened to as they had gone just before us AND not only did they swing, they were great technical players.

Hence these groups were far more versatile than they might otherwise have been. That’s correct. And there were a lot of fi ne Liverpool drummers in the groups, too. Rick in The Mindbenders. Tony, with Billy J…er. The Dakotas.

Yep….Bobby Elliott, The Hollies…one of my heroes and also Bunker’s hero. I used to go round to Clive’s when he lived in Kentish Town and every time he’d put The Hollies on and say ‘Have a listen to this!’. So we had all that going on, it was a really good era, it was.

Let’s talk about the current lineup – Chick is one of those keyboard players who doesn’t blot out the guitar and bass frequencies, with block chords. Jimmy Smith was his hero and inspiration but also he is a big fan of Oscar Peterson – great technical players but also, as you say, able to make a group work. For the last dozen or so years we have had a really good German sound man who works with Chick to get the sound exactly right. If you listen to the track I Wanna Know from the fi rst album –and that was written by Paul Jones - the keyboard playing on there is just terrific.

And you now have Colin (Hodgkinson) who I used to see in the trio Back Door from up North and latterly with Spencer Davis. It is amazing playing with Colin, his timing is incredible. Someone commented yesterday on Colin ‘He’s a black man in white man’s clothes’.

Well yes, he’s heard Herbie Hancock as well as Jerry Lee Lewis, you could say. He just loves all the early stuff, like we all do – and we used to run into him when we met up with Spencer. I never heard him in the Back Door days though.

He would do Robert Johnson tunes just on the bass, three parts at once! 32-20 and all that. He was fi rst choice for us and we got very lucky as Spencer has disbanded the group and Colin was looking for a more permanent gig. I saw Alan Pearce at Skegness and was talking about guitar players and he suggested a list of quality players and coincidentally a PR contact knew Marcus as a singer, so...

Well Marcus just loves it … the way to approach TYA I venture, is as a contemporary creative band with a history, not a nostalgia act, as you write new material and that’s what people like me respect. I wondered whether you chaps might lean on Marcus to use gear like Alvin’s, but apparently you didn’t?

(Emphatically) That’s right – we wanted his own sound. Obviously to play the key riffs on the well-known numbers, that’s integral to the songs BUT for solos it’s do yer own thing mate, make it yours.

I thought you as players would be good for Marcus, as he’s at that level where he needs the adrenalin?

To a degree, but he’s so good in his own right and it works. We get on. We have a lot of fun…

MARK NOMAD #9

“Nomad is a fine singer /songwriter and master slide guitarist and this excellent album should win him more accolades.”

- Blues Matters, Issue 90

Available from CD Baby, iTunes & Amazon

www.marknomad.com

Eric Bibb

HEART AND SOUL

Eric Bibb is an internationally acclaimed bluesman who just can't seem to break the habit of life in the Nordic states.

Verbals: Iain Patience Visuals: Jan Malmstrom and Keith Perry

Since moving to Sweden from his native New York in around 1970, Bibb has travelled the world playing, touring, recording and generally making a name for himself while always scratching the itch that is Sweden. Again based in Sweden, near Nykoping, he laughs when asked about the region and why it seems to work so well for him and his music: 'I guess Scandinavia's been good to me and I've been good to Scandinavia,' he says with evident satisfaction and a hint of humour.

He acknowledges the important - possibly seminally important - role that many

of his countrymen have played in the development of modern, roots-based and blues music in the region generally over the course of the past half-century. Many American musician's and musically significantly connected guys moved there, some clearly avoiding/ dodging the US draft and the ferocious and appalling Vietnam war years, others simply because Sweden was a singularly welcoming nation at a time of need and change. Bibb recalls playing, recording and touring the region with Brooklynborn resonator-man Brian Kramer who is still based in Stockholm; US-born blues mandolinist Bert Deivert, now based in Karlstad, and meeting up with the legendary New Yorker Tom Paley - the only remaining musician alive to have played and shared a stage with Lead Belly - at yet another New

York/Brooklyn transplant, Izzy Young's Folklore Centre.

Bibb agrees that this melting pot, which also included figures like Stefan Grossman for a while, has made its mark, leaving a lasting legacy of bluesinspired music that seems to thrive in the country.

Now something of a seasoned veteran, Bibb has been a professional musician, guitarist-songwriter for more years than he cares to remember and picked up his first guitar when still a kid aged seven or eight years old; 'I've never really stopped playing. It's always been with me though I won't say I was a

to some great music at the time he was developing his own interests and passion for mostly pre-war acoustic blues music. Visitors to his home included the likes of Odetta and he also met and looked up to Dave Van Ronk, Reverend Gary Davis, Mississippi John Hurt (whose music clearly resonates with him still in his own sensitive, melodic fretwork), Pops and Mavis Staples, Ritchie Havens and a near-lifelong friend, still of enormous importance and influence to Bibb, Taj Mahal.

He describes Havens as being a considerable influence but as being 'the King of Strum,' an apt analysis of the

diligent student. The guitar's my third arm,' he quips, playing down the simple fact that he is a partially trained musician who previously studied classical guitar (he still employs an unusual three-fingers plus thumb-style of playing, a hangover from those days) with a love of Debussy, Faure and many others from the modern classical range. 'I work on my picking, keeping it simple but it's never a random thing. I like it to be melodious. I work it all out.'

Growing up in a family led by his late father, Leon Bibb, a noted New York civil rights activist and showbusiness character, meant the young Bibb was exposed

late heavy-hitter's guitar style and delivery, but singles out Taj Mahal for his immense input and support at a time when the music was, if not dying out, certainly in need of a black musician with a keen eye to both the past tradition and its place in the future.

Of the current crop of pickers, black blues-based musicians carrying the tradition forward, he singles out another near-lifelong buddy in Guy Davis, ('He's from a similar background to me') adding Alvin Youngblood Hart and Keb Mo' to the mix; all being guys who have grasped the tradition but made genuine efforts to move it forward, to keep it alive with a new purpose and relevance at its core.

With over thirty albums behind him - even he struggles to say exactly how many - he says he still enjoys getting out on the

I WORK ON MY PICKING, KEEPING IT SIMPLE BUT IT'S NEVER A RANDOM THING. I LIKE IT TO BE MELODIOUS. I WORK IT ALL OUT

road, touring and playing around the world and his schedule remains as busy as ever. When we talked, he was having a few days downtime before heading off for Berlin, and confirmed he enjoyed the adrenalin-packed life of a live, gigging musician but generally preferred the studio to some extent, albeit there are always constraints to consider in both cases: 'On

develop, to remain fresh and important and for that reason is happy to be able to write in the style of the tradition but without ever aiming to simply ape the old masters: 'I don't consider myself a true traditionalist, just playing the repertoire of the old pre-war heroes,' he says. 'It's important to take inspiration from that but blues needs new songs

Belly's Gold', a project part live in a Parisian club and part studio recording accompanied by French Harp player Jean-Jacques Milteau, gathering accolades, he is never one to sit still for very long and already has another release waiting in the wings entitled 'The Happiest Man In The World' Due to launch in April, Bibb will again be out there, putting it about, with his trademark mellow, soulful delivery and deceptively simple guitar-picking style. (Bob Dylan once advised Bibb to 'keep it simple'). He confirms dates in the USA for both June and August are lined-up and a visit to Australia is also on the cards. Meanwhile, he'll be touring and working extensively throughout Europe.

DISCOGRAPHY

BLUES PEOPLE – 2014

JERRICO ROAD – 2013

DEEPER IN THE WELL – 2012

THE HAVEN – 2011

BLUES BALLADS AND WORK SONGS – 2011

BOOKERS GUITAR – 2010

the road you are never sure what's up ahead, what the hall might be like, or the sound system, or the engineer. In the studio, I see the recording process as being a perfect counterbalance to touring. I get to hear what I'm playing out there at live gigs, in an optimal setting, with great sound and ambiance. It's a bit of a vacation to me. I'm real relaxed in the studio,' he says.

As to his approach to the music, Bibb reckons there is a need for it to continually

too. That's important, it's got to live and move ahead.' Now nearing his sixty-fifth birthday, Bibb expects to remain in the business, health permitting, for another decade or so and sees no reason why he can't be out there enjoying the music, the life and contributing to the growth and development of blues and roots-based music like his old mentors, buddies and influences, Taj Mahal and Mavis Staples included. With his current album, 'Lead

SPIRIT I AM – 2008

GET ON BOARD – 2008

12 GATES TO THE CITY – 2006

DIAMOND DAYS – 2006

A SHIP CALLED LOVE – 2005

NATURAL LIGHT – 2003

PAINTING SIGNS – 2001

JUST LIKE LOVE – 2000

ROADWORKS – 2000

HOME TO ME – 1999

ME TO YOU – 1997

GOLDEN APPLES OF THE SUN – 1983

RAINBOW PEOPLE – 1977

AIN’T IT GRAND – 1972

I DON'T CONSIDER MYSELF A TRUE TRADITIONALIST

ERIC BIBB & NORTH COUNTRY FAR WITH DANNY THOMPSON THE HAPPIEST MAN IN THE WORLD

DIXIE FROG RECORDS

Eric Bibb may have good reason to be the Happiest Man In The World, with top quality music seemingly pouring from the guy on a regular basis. This is his second release inside twelve months, following hot on the heels of the highly acclaimed Lead Belly's Gold which featured French harp-man Jean Jacques Milteau and was released on the same label (Stony Plain in USA). This time round, Bibb is joined by one of the fi nest double-bass

players on the planet with England's Danny Thompson thumping along rhythmically throughout. Thompson has played with almost everyone of note in the modern roots/folk music world from his days with Pentangle, through Richard Thompson (no relation) and Scotland's late John Martyn. The result, is pretty much as might be expected. An album of simply wonderful blues-tinged acoustic music featuring Bibb's distinctive and mellow vocals

alongside his fi ne fretwork on both guitar and banjo. All fourteen tracks are penned by Bibb himself here, and as usual with the man he sticks to tradition at its core while always moving the music forward with thoughtful lyrics and plangent melodies that linger. An absolute gem and a must-have album for lovers of Bibb and his refreshing style of acoustic roots/blues music.

IAIN PATIENCE

Ben Poole THE TIME HAS COME

…the young man said, and so it was that I came to interview Ben Poole on the eve of the release of his third album (second studio album). I caught him just as he was sorting out some insurance matter.

Verbals: Dave Stone Visuals: Tony Gardener and Laurence Harvey

Hi Ben, did you manage to get it sorted? Getting there, fun fun, rock'n'roll eh?

You were hailed as the latest great white hope for British Blues back in 2013, the latest in a long line of up and coming guitar slingers. That is three years ago now, so I presume that you have now outgrown that title? I hope so.

I have been looking on the web at your bio, to try to get some background for the interview, and there’s not a lot there apart from some great photos. Perhaps I’m looking at the wrong sites, but they all seem to start from the time that you exploded on to the scene as it were, so what is your background, what came before the guitar? Well, I started playing when I was about 8 or 9 years old, just on a classical nylon strung acoustic guitar, and it wasn’t until I was about 12 or 13 when I first heard Jimi Hendrix, which started me really getting into guitar and I bought an electric guitar and learnt Voodoo Child. You know, that was it right there, and then I got into all of the blues rock guys, and around 14/15 it was Gary Moore and Stevie Ray Vaughan of course, then I started getting into Soul music, Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, Donny Hathaway.

I moved to Brighton about 8 years ago to do a degree in Professional Musicianship at the Brighton Institute of Modern Music. I was there for 3 years and as soon as I came out of there, I was straight

out on the road with Dani Wilde, you probably know her? I was a session player, playing for her for the next 3 or 4 years, cutting my teeth in the business - she had just been signed to Ruf Records at that point so it was tours all over Europe. We were pretty busy doing all sorts of festivals and touring, so that was my first introduction to doing the whole blues circuit. How did your fi rst record come about? I sort of started doing my own thing in and around then. So you weren’t the fabled overnight success, you went straight into a music career? Yes, well that happens with a lot of people. They assume that you just came out of nowhere, but there is a lot of build up behind the scenes to get to this point, so it’s been 3 or 4 years out on the road building up a fan base, getting enough money together to put up to fund my fi rst studio album, recording myself and managing myself until I signed to Manhaton Records about a year and half ago. Alan (Robinson) sort of took me under his wing to help me to get to the next level and it has been great working with him. With the new album, it has been a long time coming in that Alan, myself and Wayne Proctor (producer of the new album and drummer with King King) have been talking about doing this album for a long time now, even back before I was signed to the label. I think that Wayne must have put in a few words - Wayne is signed to Manhaton with

King King. We fi nally managed to get it done and even though it has taken a long time, it has been really worth it. I am really happy with the outcome - it is the best thing that I have done. I have had the chance to play the promo copy through two or three times and it really is a great record, I really liked it. Excellent, thanks for that.

One thing though, when we get our review copies come through, they are usually just in a card sleeve with very little information attached, and this one was no different. Of the ten tracks on there, are they all self-penned or do I detect the odd cover there? No it’s kind of a combination really. I mean we discussed the songs at great length, as we didn’t want this to be just another guitar slinger type record - trying to get out of that box, especially as there are an awful lot of awesome young guitar players out there at the moment - so it was a case of trying to get myself out of that box and be more rounded, as an artist in general. So it was a question of working with several different songwriters that I was writing with. We had a list of maybe thirty or so songs to choose from which is awesome, to be able to pick the ones that work the best. There are quite a few cowriters on there. I did quite a lot of work with a guy called Ritchie Watts who is a singer with Robin Trower. There is one track, Whoever Invented Love, which is a collaboration between myself, Robin

Trower and Ritchie Watts. There is another song that I wrote with Tony Visconti’s engineer Time Might Never Come (I seem to have missed his name, sorry!). Stay At Mine is one of my own songs.

Yeah, I really liked that one. Yeah, I know that there was a big rush to get the promo copies out. I know there’s a lack of information - I don’t think it says which ones the guests were on?

Well, that was my next question. You have got some stellar guests. I guess that Aynsley Lister was the one playing on track 2 I Think I Love You Too Much? That’s right yeah.

I thought that, but I gave up trying to work out which ones your other guests were on. Yeah that’s Ainsley on there. The first track, Lying To Me is a co-write with Todd Sharpville and a colleague. I had Todd play guitar on it - he plays the last solo and does backing vocals and choruses as well. Then Henrik Freischlader's part is on track 8 'Just When You Thought It

Was Safe'. He does the really lovely jazzy solo at the end.

And you’ve got Stevie Nimmo on backing vocals too? Yeah, you know I’m going to get everybody asking who is playing what!

You’ll have to whack it all up on the website quick. Is this your normal touring band or is it just a studio band? It was quite nice as I have got my usual touring guys, Craig and Matt, on Stay At Mine and Time Might Never Come which are two songs that we have been touring, so they know them inside out, and then for the rest of the album it was Wayne Proctor on drums, Steve Alladay on bass (Aynsley Lister's band) and Ian Parker. So yeah, I was lucky enough to have a host of really talented guys on there with me.

You can’t go wrong with an A team like that.

I tend to play mostly at open mic nights and jam sessions and my most memorable back line was Sam Kelly on drums, Spy on bass and Paul Jobson on piano! I remember

thinking 'this can’t be bad - I could get used to this!'

Looking at the sleeve of the new CD, I have been trying to work out what the music is in the tattoo on your upper arms, but I can’t make sense of it? That’s Voodoo Child by Jimi Hendrix. Like I said earlier, that song was really my inspiration.

Are there any songs on the album that you would particularly like to bring to my attention - any that you are especially proud of?

I think that myself as well as everybody else keep changing which one is our favourite. A lot of people that have heard it, have pointed out the last track. Actually I can’t remember what it’s called now!

The Question Why?

That’s it - there are still only a handful of people that have heard the album but that track seems to have touched a nerve for whatever reason. I was listening to it through again yesterday trying to work out what it was. There‘s some really cool lap steel on there which Bob the keys player played. He made it, and we were going to get some lap steel player from the States but we got Bob to have a little play around and it came out really well, so we kept it on there. It adds an eeriness to the song. It's got the driving groove that Wayne laid down, so it has become one of the high points of the album I think. I’m hoping that it will be judged as a complete album - that it will help to set me apart a little bit. It’s not as rock as people expect from me or

-

compared to a lot of the guys that I am in the same box with.

More Robert Cray than Joe Bonamassa?

Exactly, that’s it totally, which I think is a cool thing. I mean I am a big fan of Bonamassa, but I don’t really do that sort of thing - I’m a bit more on the soul side. I don’t want to say pop as that’s a bit of a dirty word, but when it comes to the songs, having good hooks and good melodies and the vocals too.

Yeah well pop might be a dirty word, but it’s where the money is! If it can get me to a wider audience, that can only be a good thing. Some of the tracks wouldn’t be out of place on Radio 2. Lying To Me - the opening track - is the most rocky number on there. It is so far away from the rest of the album, but it grabs you by the bollocks at the start.

You are holding a Tele on the CD cover. Is that your main axe or do you have other guitars? Yeah it’s pretty much my main guitar, although I use a Les Paul a lot as well, but I have always been a Tele man really and that particular one has been much shown, and is well abused. I have had it for a long time.

Well, you certainly get a nice sound out of it for sure. Thank you.

You have got a 26 date UK tour coming up shortly? We have already started it.

Ben Poole and Stevie Nimmo

a double header across the

UK. Then I am off on an 18 date tour across Europe.

Do you fi nd much difference between UK and European audiences with regard to the blues? I think it’s all going really well in the UK at the moment, but it’s difficult to get the numbers up, whereas out in Germany the numbers seem to double every time. It’s really building fast - Holland, Switzerland, France and Luxembourg. It’s always good to get out into Europe. It takes longer to get the audiences on your side in the UK, but I guess that they are spoiled for choice. There’s a lot of talent over here now. They can go and see amazing musicians pretty much every night of the week, so you’ve got to really fight to win them over.

BEN POOLE THE TIME HAS COME MANHATON RECORDS

Here we have the third album from Ben, who hit the scene in 2013 in a blaze of publicity about Britain’s new young guitar slinger. Well this album has been over 2 years in gestation, having been thrashed around between Ben, producer Wayne Proctor and label boss Alan Robinson. It consists of ten tracks that are all new and has Bens touring band together with guest appearances from Aynsley Lister, Henrik Freischlader and Todd Sharpville with the added bonus of Stevie Nimmo on backing vocals. So it would be true to say that the young gun has come of age and in the process has matured into a seriously good and versatile performer, showing the range of his

Just going back to the CD, I was looking at the notes that I made while I was listening, and I have got the impression that there is a lot more to come from your voice - that it seems as if you were holding back on some of the numbers? Well, it was a deliberate approach that we took in the studio. I probably sing a bit harder live, but we decided that I should be a little more quiet into the mic in order to get a more intimate feel in the vocal instead of a shouty blues rock thing. Slightly more mainstream to appeal to a wider audience maybe.

Well it has been a pleasure talking to you and listening to your album. Good luck with the tour.

talents by encompassing material ranging from blues rock through to almost pop sounding songs, this is definitely more Robert Cray than Jo Bonamassa. Lying To Me is the opening track and is still a wah fuelled blues rocker, with Ben squeezing some great tones from his trusty Telecaster. Duelling call and response guitars with Aynsley on the second track I Think I Love You Too Much. While this remains a blues album, there are certain tracks here that wouldn’t be out of place on Ken Bruces’s Radio two show, and why not? Why should Paul Jones have all the good stuff? All in all a great album that got me ordering Ben’s previous two albums from Amazon. Looking forward to meeting Ben on his current UK tour.

DAVE STONE

Lazer Lloyd WE ALL HAVE OUR OWN BLUES

Lazer Lloyd (born Lloyd Paul Bluman) is a US born, Israeli singer/ songwriter and an international recording artist, influenced by blues, gospel and southern rock.

Verbals: Colin Campbell Visuals: Supplied by artist

He cites B.B. King as one of his biggest inspirations in music and in life. Lazer is a genre-defying artist who plays with a killer tone and has his own unique style. He is a trailblazing soulful singer, songwriter and guitarist whose live shows and own brand of blues and psychedelic roots rock are legendary. If you’ve not heard of him then you should seriously check him out. BM’s met with him recently and we talked about his early days, influences and how meeting the singing Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach changed his life and spiritual direction. Lazer recently signed with Chicago-based, independent label Lots of Love Records and has received critical acclaim and chart success with his 2015 self-titled album. Look out for Guitar Jams which will be released in 2016!

Hi Lazer thanks for taking time off from a busy schedule. Where is your next concert?

I’m on my way to Haifa, Israel. I’m then away to do a two week tour in America in March, things are going well.

Could you give some background about how you got interested in music and who were the earlier influences in your career?

I grew up in East America; I was born in New York, and then raised in Madison, Connecticut. My father was my first influence he was a music lover and although not professional he played a lot of jazz and blues at home. He also had an extensive record collection incorporating blues, folk, jazz and rock. He took me to a Stevie Ray Vaughan concert and from there I wanted to play guitar and to sing the blues. Guitarists like Carlos Santana, George Benson and BB King were also influential, but it was Johnny Winter that inspired me most with his cross over from blues to jazz guitar technique. I wanted to go to Texas when graduating from High School, but my mum made me go to Music College in New York where I got a jazz

and blues degree. I had some great teachers there such as Milt Hinton who was Louis Armstrong’s bassist. I then went on to play support for bands such as Johnny Winter. I eventually made a demo with my band at the time, The Last Mavericks, playing a mixture of Springsteen and Nirvana. And, then a record company in Manhattan wanted to sign the band but they wanted to pigeon hole us into what they wanted and not my philosophy so it was a no go.

You were brought up in America but have ended up living in Israel, how did that come about?

It’s a long story but it started out with me talking to and spending time with a homeless man in Central Park, who taught me the basics of Judaism. He then taught me some phrases every day and it made me think. He also introduced me to legendary singer/songwriter Shlomo Carlebach, (who played the Berkley music festival in 1966). He loved the way I played blues to his style so much that he wanted me to play with him in Israel. But that’s like war and desert over there I said, but he asked me to come and check it out. I likened this to

BB King’s attitude to getting band members together. It wasn’t about how good they could play, he had to go and see them first and if they were good men, then they were good players. I must have done something right because I’ve stayed in Israel ever since and I’ve lived here for twenty one years, I’m married and have five children. I began playing festivals in Israel and went on to self-release my solo debut album, Higher Ground in 2004. I played lots of shows while touring and enjoyed this. It was not purely blues though, there was a bit of Americana in there. Lost On The Highway in 2013 I really enjoyed doing, but the biggest break was last year and signing with Lots Of Love Records. They let me do my own thing to the point of getting me the best equipment to play with. The result was a Lazer Lloyd record that got chart recognition, with the single Burning Thunder being number one on blues chart.

What Does blues music mean to you and what makes it important to you?

Blues is a healer, I had a traumatic experience when I was young and I was in deep pain. Something that helped me was listening to BB King; something was released from my soul, not to get too spiritual. It is a medicine and for me shows the pain of the world. I paid my dues for a long time which was not easy as I wanted to be authentic and true to the music. Many people asked me to change my style but I stuck to my guns, for many years I was barely paying bills and the first

winter here I slept in my car. Then all of a sudden the gates just opened up for me in my career and I felt very blessed.

Is your on stage persona different and do you prefer playing large Festivals or to small crowds?

For gigs there is no planning

acoustic guitar as I try to open tune the guitar and link Arabic tuning to the blues style, mixing tones of major and minor chords some at the same time.

What is your process for writing songs and recording them?

I WANT PEOPLE TO HEAR THE WORDS AND EMOTIONS

to feel that by putting my stamp on spiritual feelings and my individuality that hopefully it all makes them feel good. I would say a riff comes fi rst, and then I begin singing along without knowing, then I write the words. Sometimes it’s like the heavens let it flow in a phase. of sets, I get bored with playing the same songs all the time. I try to change my style to suit the audience numbers.

The show is a lot more intimate with an audience of say sixty people compared to one with thousands. I play acoustic guitar in smaller venues and I want people to hear the words and emotions, I especially like playing them the track, Living Is A Struggle. I like the

Writing songs and playing in Israel brings a different soul and vibe to my song writing. For example, I once wrote a song whilst in a bomb shelter listening to kids screaming outside. After a while you sometimes have to let it go and live for the moment. I like an audience

Freedom Child is an acoustic anthem to Johnny Winter who also open tuned and stretched original chord patterns of

the Delta blues something I try to do. I sing in a lower register as well.

Tell us how your new single America came to being and what it is about?

I wrote the song whilst driving in America on Martin Luther King Junior’s

birthday; it feels like Rome is crumbling sometimes. I feel people are naïve to think the President of America can solve everything himself. I don’t like people bashing America and saying how bad it is, likewise those who are blindly patriotic. My Israeli fans seem more patriotic than Americans in general due partly to Jewish history and the openness to a free country. The song deals with these issues I feel and as musicians we are no smarter than anybody or more righteous. Sometimes the beauty of being a travelling musician is you get to see the inside picture not what is shown in the media; musicians have a duty to tell people what is really going on. If you’re pleasing all the people, all the time, you’re not really an artist.

Sticking with your music one of my favourite songs is My Own Blues this seems to sum up what is fundamental to the blues as it is full of emotion and drive is that the case?

I was a young shallow person in America but soon realised that everyone has their own blues. And, when I got in touch with my Muslim friends, some who have their own struggles as they may get killed for their views makes me feel humble. At concerts my message is not to paint it black and white, it’s not just about the good guys, everybody’s got their own blues.

Who do you listen to presently that makes an impression on you?

I’m crazy about the

traditional mixed style of Gary Clarke Junior and also a more country guy Chris Stapleton. I also like an Israeli band, Funk Truck they’re a young band who are very talented musicians. What is your most memorable concert and why?

I think it was this summer at the Russel Harvard Blues Festival in San Fransisco. The unique thing was it was an all-black ethnic audience and was pure old blues. The guy who ran the festival, Ronnie Stewart, saw me in concert and loved my music and convinced people to get this white guy from Israel to come and play. He faced a lot of opposition but I got a standing ovation. I was very nervous, this was a turning point for me, and the blues is not just for black people everyone has their own blues. It is universal and this concert proved that to me and made me feel stronger as a person.

What does the future hold? Stick to my guns as usual. I want more success by playing different music genres, Americana, blues and maybe something different as a three piece band. I know that’s what to do because that’s how I am. I also want to keep my family together despite working, hard touring and recording. Thanks Lazer all the best for the future.

DISCOGRAPHY

GUITAR JAMS

(EXPECTED SUMMER 2016)

EXPECTED

AMERICA – 2016 (SINGLE ONLY )

LAZER LLOYD – 2015

INSIDES OUT – 2014

LOST ON THE HIGHWAY – 2013

MY OWN BLUES – 2012

BLUES IN TEL AVIV – 2011

LAZER LLOYD

UNPLUGGED – 2011

REAL PEOPLE – 2008

PASSIN' OVER – 2007

HIGHER GROUND – 2004

Dan Patlansky

COOKIN' UP SOME MEATY SOUTH AFRICAN BLUES

South African blues/rocker Dan Patlansky is set to release the follow up to his critically acclaimed Dear Silence Thieves on 6th May.

Verbals: Clive Rawlings Visuals: Stephen Fourie and Riehan Bakkes

To dovetail with the release of Introvertigo, Dan will also be touring the UK in May as a special guest of King King. He took time out from his busy schedule to carry out an interview with BM's Clive Rawlings on a temperamental phone line from his home, having just done a soundcheck for a festival over there.

Congratulations on the new CD, I like it, but before we get onto that, I'd just like to ask you a couple of general questions, is that OK? No problem, fire away.

First of all, how does a young South African find himself fronting a power trio? With all due respect, South Africa's not renowned for its blues/rockers - apart from Dave Matthews, I suppose? It was quite straightforward, really. I grew up with blues/ rock and classic rock through my parents. But the market for blues/rock here is probably the smallest anywhere in the world, so for me, the most natural thing for me to do, was to pick up a guitar and play.

You've probably already answered my next question, by saying what your parents listened to, but were there any inspirations there? Yes, bands like Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, that kind of stuff, blues stuff like BB King, Freddie King, Albert Collins and back further to Robert Johnson and Son House and guys like that, right up to electric players like Clapton and Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan. I had a fantastic upbringing.

I read somewhere about how you refer to a quote from Count Basie, re how he treats the blues. How do you treat the blues? The blues purists will listen to my album and probably

say it's not a blues album - it's definitely not a traditional blues album by any stretch of the imagination. For me, the foundation for all the songs come from the blues, but drawing from other genres, i.e. classic rock, punk and soul. I'd say 70% of my material is drawn from the blues.

Going on to the new album, why the title Introvertigo and the cover shot of you ablaze with your head in the sand, very reminiscent of the Floyd's Wish You Were Here? The picture represents a guy getting away from society and the fire represents a personality trait that we all seem to have in degrees. They're the two sort of elements on the cover. I guess the album title best describes that.

For a self-confessed introvert, Dan, you're not bad at expressing yourself in your music. Good question, my introversion tends not to show in my music, more in a crowded shopping mall or a nightclub, when I'm not on stage. That's where it tends to come out.

I've also seen a quote from you referring to yourself as being a chef and your music being food. How would you categorise the new album, say, on a menu? That's another good question. I think what would come to mind straight away would

be red meat, yes, a lot of red meat, mixed up with some finer dining, with the odd delicacy rolled in.

Delicacies like giving ladies advice in the bedroom on Stop The Messin' to the last track Queen Puree, a song about your daughter, I get a connection there? Much laughter.

I played the opening track Run, on my radio show last week, segued into an AC/DC track. I thought it was a dead ringer for a classic rock track. Where did that come from?

It was probably the last song I wrote for the album. I guess it refers to mob mentality and running away from that. When people gather in numbers, their IQ's tend to drop and they say and do stupid things. There is definitely a more aggressive edge to the lyrics.

Do any of the tracks have a deep personal meaning to you?

No, not really, it's more like a social commentary and things that really bug me. In South Africa there are lots of things going on. It's very apparent from mobs on the streets who tend to destroy or vandalise everything they see. If you met one or two of them individually, they're not that tough really, but when they're in large numbers they lose their heads for a while.

I see you've dedicated a track to your baby daughter, how does family life sit with touring? Do the family come on the road with you? Unfortunately not. My wife's an interior architect, so she earns a good wage... someone's got to!

I see this is your second international release, your others being available online and at gigs. You're not with a major label, is that a conscious decision, does it bug you at all, do you want to be with a label? In South Africa we tend to be independent. It's a bit different in Europe in general and the UK particularly where we work with a distribution agency who look after the publicity etc. I suppose it's more a question of finding the right label to get us out there, understanding what we stand for and the type of music we play.

Your new album is produced by a guy by the name of Theo Crous, is he South African? Yes, I've worked with him before, for the past two years, I suppose. His work is more streamlined, we both understand each other's work.

Dear Silence Thieves (your last album) was voted album of the year by Blues Rock Review, beating off the challengers such as

Bonamassa, Walter Trout, Robert Cray and Kenny Wayne Shepherd to name a few. Obviously you'll hope to set the same standards with Introvertigo, how do you think it rates?

I guess it's a tough call - the competition out there is massive. We just hope it stands up alongside our contemporaries. You just hope people will like it and I can't ask for more than that.

Speaking of your contemporaries, a standout track for me on the new album is Poor Old John, which, to me is pure blues/ rock, albeit with the content of the cheating wife and what her husband will do to her lover, John. Thanks for that, yes, that was written with my tongue firmly in my cheek, a well trodden path for any blues writer.

I see you also managed to recruit none other than Rami Jaffee to play keys on the new album. I remember him from the Wallflowers with Jakob Dylan years ago,

how did that come about?

Well, I know him from the Foo Fighters and Soul Asylum. We asked him to come on-board for three tracks requiring Hammond. He agreed and it was a privilege to work with him.

Are there any plans for a live album in the near future?

Yeah, man, I think it's on the cards. I've actually been thinking about that for quite some time now. I think it would be a cool move to do something like that.

If you were in a supergroup, who would you have with you, living or dead?

OK, I'd have two guitarists, BB King and Stevie Ray Vaughan, Gregg Allman on vocals and Hammond organ.

Anything else you want to say to your fans in the UK? Yeah, come along to the shows, we're sounding good as we speak, looking forward to coming over to Europe.

Finally, my signature question, what is your favourite biscuit?

A very, very good question, it's got to be Jolly Jammers.

DISCOGRAPHY

INTRO-VERTIGO – 2016

DEAR SILENT THIEVES 2015

WOODEN THOUGHTS – 2013

20 STONES – 2012

MOVE MY SOUL – 2009

REAL – 2006

TRUE BLUES – 2004

STANDING AT THE STATION – 1999

GREAT BRITISH BLUES

IN TWO AMAZING KOMPILATIONS

RED VINYL EFFECT PRESSING!

FEATURING:

ZOE SCHWARZ & BLUE COMMOTION, DAVE THOMAS BAND ROADHOUSE, TOM GEE, SHARON COLGAN BAND, THE WHITE KNUCKLE BLUES BAND, RED BUTLER, THE IDLE HANDS, INNES SIBUN, ALEX McKOWN BAND, DOVE & BOWEEVIL, ROY METTE BAND, JACKSON SLOAN, PLANET GRAFITTI, LITTLE DEVILS, ABSOLUTION KAT & CO, JO BYWATER, SPLIT WHISKERS, JED THOMAS BAND, SAIICHI SUGIYAMA, THE MIGHTY BOSS CATS, DR. A’S RHYTHM & GROOVES, ROBIN ROBERTSON BLUES BAND, SPACE EAGLE, PAUL LAMB & CHAD STRENTZ, JACK J HUTCHINSON BAND FRAN MCGILLIVRAY BAND, ANDY TWYMAN, SHORTSTUFF, GWYN ASHTON THE BARE BONES BOOGIE BAND

www.bluesmatters.com/krossborder-rekords

Eleanor McEvoy NAKED MUSIC

Irish musician Eleanor McEvoy talks Only A Woman’s Heart and her collaborations with artist Chris Gollan.

Verbals: Mairi Maclennan Visuals: Shane McCarthy

Eleanor McEvoy born in Dublin on 22 January 1967 is one of Ireland's most accomplished contemporary singer-songwriters. McEvoy composed the song Only A Woman's Heart which appears on a compilation album of the same name, which is still the best-selling Irish album in Irish history. In a world where the word star and the gift of talent are often devalued, McEvoy is neither an overnight success nor a two week wonder. She’s the real deal, possessing all of the qualities that make up the complete artist.

Hi Eleanor, thanks for taking time today to answer some questions for Blues Matters. I believe your music career began with being a member of Ireland’s National Symphony Orchestra, were you classically trained and what then motivated you to seek a singer/ songwriter career?

It’s true I worked in the orchestra for 5 years, but prior to that I’d been writing songs and playing

in bands etc. so I guess in truth, my heart and soul wasn’t in orchestral playing. Having said that, I did love the orchestra and

I’m so happy to have had that experience in my life.

I guess we should also start with mentioning the famous Irish standard from 1992 that really launched you and your career in a big way, Only A Women’s Heart. I believe this track is part of a Mary Black compilation of female artists and that this album is still Ireland’s biggest selling record of all time. You also won the Irish Record Industry, ‘Best New Artist’ award with this song back in 1992. This must have been a huge accolade for someone just starting out, could you

tell us about this time in your life and what inspired you to write this song?

It was an extraordinary time. I had worked as a session musician for a couple of years, and one of my main gigs (and one of my favourite gigs) had been working in Mary Black’s band. I played 2nd keys, violin and sang backing vocals. I had also been working away writing songs and gigging with my own band. Suddenly, everything happened at

Sophie is another classic track from the nineties that’s also done incredibly well after being picked up by people with eating disorders, and has now become an anthem song for them, it’s helped many people understand that they’re not alone on this journey and it’s stopped some people from becoming more ill and has encouraged some people to seek health advice. I believe the track has not been a commercial success for you though – why was this and what was your personal inspiration behind writing the lyrics for this one? I get more messages and letters about Sophie than any other song. I wrote it about two different

people who had anorexia. For the sake of the song, I morphed them into one person. I was particularly conscious of how

once. I was signed to Geffen Records the same week that A Woman’s Heart was released. Because I was ready to go, with literally hundreds of songs and a four piece band that had been gigging regularly, things moved pretty quickly. My fi rst album was signed, produced and recorded very soon after that. Then I hit the road, mostly in the USA, but also in Europe and the Far East.

With regards to inspiration for the song “A Woman’s Heart”…. Ireland was a very different place then, especially for women. I guess I was down at the time. Music has always been a wonderful form of release for me.

it’s a disease that affects the whole family and how the dynamic of every relationship within that family alters. It’s a huge thing on the internet; people make videos to the soundtrack of the song. Some of them are extraordinary. It’s also used in treatment centres to treat patients with eating disorders. I’m a huge believer in the healing power of music. I know that in times of stress etc. I’ve turned to music and it’s lifted me out of my difficulties. Even though I don’t get any royalties from it, I’m glad that it’s helped people. The letters

MUSIC HAS ALWAYS BEEN A WONDERFUL FORM OF RELEASE FOR ME

I get about the song mean a great deal to me.

Could you tell us about the musical inspirations and influences that have shaped your career over the years, from the early days to the present?

I get inspiration everywhere and I listen to every type of music, not just my own genre, but everything; classical, hip hop, traditional Irish music, ethnic music in general, jazz, rock. It feeds my soul and keeps me company when I’m

alone. When I was a kid, I was obsessed with pop radio and Top of the Pops. I loved bands like Slade, The Sweet. I was a big Simon and Garfunkel fan early on too. As I grew older I got into Dylan, Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen. A few years later I started listening to bands and guitar players. Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, I loved the Irish ones too, Rory Gallagher, Thin Lizzy etc. I then discovered Billie Holliday and Ella Fitzgerald. With me, it was Warren Zevon one day, Elton John another day, Loudon Wainwright the next, topped off by the Bach Brandenburg Concertos. I loved music, once it was good music.

You signed to Geffen records following the success of Only A Woman’s Heart and your fi rst solo

I GET INSPIRATION EVERYWHERE AND I LISTEN TO EVERY TYPE OF MUSIC, NOT JUST MY OWN GENRE, BUT EVERYTHING

album - a self-titled release which was out in 1993 and then re-released in 2003 with 2 extra tracks added, why was it necessary to rerelease this? Well, I bought it back from the record company and that took quite a few years, a couple of lawyers and a lot of money. I thought that it would be fun to put some of the foreign language versions on there, and Cat’s Eyes was a song that I’d wanted to put on the album first time around, but the record company wouldn’t let me because of the ‘drugs reference’. There actually wasn’t a ‘drugs reference’ in the song. When I sang about “white lines to bring me home” I was referring to the white lines in the middle of the road. I tried to tell them this, but in America, the road markings are yellow, so they didn’t believe me. This is the label that had Kurt Cobain and Guns ‘n Roses and they wouldn’t let me put Cats Eyes on the album because of a ‘drugs reference’. You couldn’t make it up.

Following your departure from Geffen you signed with Columbia in 1996 and released another 2 albums the first being What’s Following Me, a success in the States but not at home. Do you think this was because this was a more contemporary (nineties) grunge inspired album? Yes, I think that’s probably true. Remember, at this point, most people knew me through A Woman’s Heart, which had a much ‘softer’ acoustic based sound. I

think they expected to come to a concert and see me sitting on a stool singing folk songs, so sometimes people were surprised to see a Telecaster round my neck, and they weren’t expecting songs that were critical of the Catholic Church or songs about domestic violence. At a time when every radio station across the States was playing Precious Little, not one station in Ireland was playing it.

However, in 1999 you also released on Columbia a more commercially successful album entitled Snapshots this was very well received on both sides of the Atlantic and had musical and production contributions from Rupert Hine (who’s also worked with Stevie Nicks, Tina Turner & Suzanne Vega). I particularly like Please Heart Your Killing Me, which was co-written with Rodney Crowell. What was it like to work with Rupert Hine and to write with Rodney Crowell? Rupert remains an inspiration to me. His whole approach to music has had a massive effect on me. He is incredibly intelligent and he also has enormous musical intelligence. For instance, I wasn’t sure about putting Sophie on that album. Firstly, I didn’t think Columbia Records would go for it and secondly I already had a few dark songs on the album. Rupert disagreed; he felt it should be on the album and that if we put it well down the track listing

that the record company wouldn’t care too much. It was also Rupert’s decision to leave it just vocal and piano. No band, no backing at all. Most producers would want to add things to it, but he has a great instinct for what will work best. Rodney is a stunning writer. I had been a fan for years before I met him, so I was dead chuffed to get an opportunity to write with him. The writing session was brilliant fun from start to finish. Another songwriting legend, Delbert McClinton sat on the floor in the room the whole time we were writing. He kept giving whiskey to Rodney. The previous day, Rodney had said something to me and then said, “Please heart, you’re killing me” and Delbert said, “There’s your title, right there”

SEE PART 2 IN ISSUE 91

DISCOGRAPHY

NAKED MUSIC – 2016

STUFF – 2014

IF YOU LEAVE ME – 2013

ALONE – 2011

I’D RATHER GO BLONDE – 2010

SINGLED OUT – 2009

LOVE MUST BE TOUGH – 2008 OUT THERE – 2006

EARLY HOURS – 2004

ELEANOR MCEVOY (SPECIAL EDITION) – 2003

YOLA – 2001

SNAPSHOTS – 1999

WHAT’S FOLLOWING ME? – 1996

ELEANOR MCEVOY – 1993

Red Lick Records, PO Box 55, Cardiff CF11 1JT sales@redlick.com www.redlick.com

GOD DON’T NEVER CHANGE – THE SONGS OF BLIND WILLIE JOHNSON Alligator CD 02 BONNIE RAITT DIG IN DEEP Redwing CD 03 ROGER HUBBARD IF I HAD A DOLLAR Deep Mud CD 04 SWAMP POP BY THE BAYOU – TROUBLES, TEARS & TRAINS Ace CD 05 BLIND ALFRED REED APPALACHIAN VISIONARY Dust-To-Digital Book & CD 06 HEAD RAG HOP – PIANO BLUES 1925-1960 JSP 4CD 07 JAMES HUNTER SIX HOLD ON! Daptone CD

08 ARTHUR ‘BIG BOY’ CRUDUP THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION 1941-1962 Acrobat 4CD

09 CHARLIE FEATHERS JUNGLE FEVER 1955-1962 RECORDINGS Hoodoo CD

10 BEEF BALL BABY! THE NEW ORLEANS R&B SESSIONS – THE KING & DELUXE ACETATE SESSIONS Ace CD

15 TORONZO CANNON THE CHICAGO WAY Alligator CD

16 ROBERT CRUMB, EDEN BROWER & JOHN HENEGHAN

JOHN’S OLD-TIME RADIO SHOW East West 2CD

17 FATS DOMINO THE BIG BEAT – FATS DOMINO AND THE BIRTH OF ROCK ‘N ROLL Shanachie DVD

11

TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND LET ME GET BY Concord CD

18 IAN SIEGAL & JIMBUS MATHUS WAYWARD SONS

Nugene CD

12

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TRAX – STAX-VOLT 45RPM RARITIES 1964-1968 Kent CD

13 STEVE NIMMO SKY WON’T FALL Manhaton CD

14 GROOVIN’ THE BLUES Bear Family CD

19 OTIS SPANN LIVE THE LIFE + CHICAGO BLUES

Floating World 2CD

20 BIG BOY BLOATER & THE LIMITS

LUXURY HOBO

Provogue CD

ROWLAND JONES YOU GIVE ME THE BLUES INDEPENDENT

An EP crammed with six tracks of acoustic blues, You Give Me The Blues, is simply the true Rowland Jones. There is a twist in the tail of Rowland’s approach to the blues with its syncopated rhythm hinting at a 'jazz' influence. This is essentially Rowland on acoustic and electric guitar, and adding to the mix and filling out the sound are Chris Hilllman on pedal steel and dobro, and double bass, courtesy of Mark Lewis. Opening with Too Much To Do, we are off at a fast tempo - a high octane trip with the pedal steel adding interest and movement. His almost 'spoken' approach works well with the instrumentation, as the story unfolds. Closing with the title track, the double bass is full and the jazz feel sits comfortably with this blues. Again, with the lyrics almost spoken, the voice is at the heart of You Give Me The Blues, creating as he has throughout the album a mood and an atmosphere that is engaging. In between these two songs, there are four carefully crafted numbers all with a slightly different approach. Where’s The

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REVIEWS

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Why? and How It Is are based on insistent guitar rhythms, with Hillman's Dobro adding colour on the latter. True True Blues, with its Latino/salsa feel adds another element of musical variety. Rowland's blues is warm in tone and rich in musical shading and Feelin’ Blue is yet another example of the range of approaches that Rowland Jones has crammed into this E.P.

LIZ AIKEN

SUPERSONIC BLUES MACHINE WEST OF FLUSHING, SOUTH OF FRISCO

STEVIE NIMMO TRIO SKY WON’T FALL MANHATON

RECORDS

Six years after his much acclaimed debut The Wynds Of Life Stevie Nimmo is back with vengeance and from start to finish there is just so many musical styles to enjoy. Opening with Chains Of Hope which includes the title line of the release. The band kicks in the door and plays loud and resonating blues rock, a trademark noted in the next tune Roll The Dice Again dealing with peoples drive to chase their own goals. The theme through the release looks on change, such as the

Dr Z presents Supersonic Blues Machine, as it says on the cover and the Machine has many friends who are key figures in o=ur world, just check the names below. That doesn’t mean that the session is automatically a success, it all depends upon the production, arrangements, material and approach of the contributors. The core band here includes bassist and producer Fabrizio Grossi, guitarist and writer Lance Lopez, drummer Kenny Aronoff, The Slam’s Serge Simic. The aim was avowedly a spirit of camaraderie rather than a musical shoot-out. Miracle Man has a gorgeous mix of electric and acoustic guitars and harp stabs with a gravelly vocal. I Ain’t Fallin’ Again takes a crisp tread towards an insistent riff and another great lead vocal, very catchy too with honed backing vocals. Running Whiskey features Billy Gibbons no less and his driving fuzz axe riffs smoking the tune, quality

stuff. Then Remedy has Warren Haynes aboard, on a lovely country rock cut with harmony guitars and relaxed singing, with the band making him sound terrific. Bone Bucket Blues is a harsh thrash of a selection, high register harp and electric slide. Let It Be has a Trowerish ambience, fabulous drumwork and deep bass runs. That’s My Way brings Chris Duarte in for the recording and his distinctive stingray guitar is to the fore on this dirty groove. Ain’t No Love has special meaning for Fabrizio and Lance, all explained in my chat with them. Nightmares & Dreams finds galactic blues rock star Eric Gales in action and there are few players as fiery and insistent. Can’t Take It No More stars Walter Trout and of course it is an eerie highlight, with glorious dual guitar melodies. Let’s Call It A Day showcases Robben Ford, respected by this crew for his subtle paying and musicality and this truly is a wonderful and affecting song. Closing cut Watchagonnado is upbeat, funky fun –wrapping up a beautifully recorded collection.

PETE SARGEANT

gentle countrified Running On Back To You. Stevie’s vocal tones are melodic and pure heart felt emotion in relation to thinking of home and what that indeed means to him. He packs a punch in the rockier tracks such as Still Hungry. The way he can just bring the tempo down on the next track Gamblers Roll is a tribute to the songwriter Greg Allman, with a gut wrenching guitar solo mid song but also there are dark foreboding undertones here. This release is not for the faint hearted it deals with real people and emotions. Probably the most catchy dare I say commercially viable song Lovin Might Do Us Good. By far one of the highlights is the last song Love You More Tonight, it is song writing at its very best each word sung with passion and sharing a connection with all of us who have suffered loss. A stunning one by three consummate musicians a sure fire winner.

COLIN CAMPBELL

AL BROWN SCUFFLIN’

JUMPIN’ CAT RECORDS

Al Brown is a first-tier blues and jazz guitarist who has forged a highly respectable reputation working as sideman to artists such as Rev Doc & The Congregation, Tam White, The Rhumboogie Orchestra and The Jenson Interceptors. A further co-collaborator Alan Nimmo had deemed his fellow Glaswegian the best blues guitarist he's ever seen. Irrespective of

who he has worked with Brown has always brought intelligence and sharp, crisp playing to the fore like a sort of contemporary version of T-Bone Walker.

Scufflin’ is his long awaited first solo album, which showcases Brown’s love of classic Chicago blues with a subtle inflection of jazz. Key to this release was the involvement of bass player and producer Alan Thomson who has worked alongside John Martyn, Long John Baldry, Jerry Donahue and latterly Martin Barre. The recording alternates between some highly fluid instrumentals composed by Brown and some less oft covers by some of his key influences. The title track is an excellent recording featuring superb interplay between the guitarist, bassist, Richard Dunn on Hammond and drummer Jim Drummond. It recalls the invention of such long departed instrumental composers such as Magic Sam and Mel Brown. Another fantastic instrumental Tell It, bookends the album. After a mellow start it brings the recording to an exhilarating climax. Between these are some carefully selected interpretations of both classic and contemporary bluesmen that are often overlooked including Jimmy Rogers and Ronnie Earl. Favourites include the upbeat jazz tinged version of Earl King’s Is It True and a smooth take of Dave Specter’s 'Till The End Of Time' a song which truly highlights Brown’s excellent vocals.

All the hallmarks of Brown’s highly impressive back catalogue are delivered through Scufflin’ stands which balances between the upholding a tradition and improvised invention. It leaves the listener wanting for more from Brown and keen to delve into the work of the artists that have been his inspiration.

DUNCAN BEATTIE

MEMPHIS MINNIE KEEP ON GOIN’ 1930 - 1953

SOUL JAM

Memphis Minnie has been dubbed “the Queen of the country blues” and in several decades I have never heard a dissenting voice. On the contrary, I have heard many in support, from West Coast psychedelic rockers Jefferson Airplane who covered her Me And My Chauffeur Blues (Minnie’s strong 1941 version is included here) and Muddy Waters – he cut a romping version of her What’s The Matter With The Mill?, though Minnie’s 1930 record is just as catchy – and Homesick James through to the UK‘s own Jo Ann Kelly, who always professed taking a huge inspiration from her. I am sure readers can think of many more (a certain Led Zeppelin comes to mind!) This set runs to over 70 minutes, 26

tracks, and cherry picks her discography, offering up songs recorded for Okeh, Columbia, Vocalion, Decca, Bluebird, J.O.B. and Checker, all remastered, so there are no worries about the sound quality. Minnie truly was a blues great, with her strong voice, excellent guitar picking and first-class song-writing –as the notes put it, “(she) did everything the boys could do, and she did it in a fancy gown with full hair and makeup”. The music runs from a couple of solo recordings to full band accompaniments, from a rural sound to a very urban one, the booklet is profusely illustrated, and the notes well –written and researched. Minnie’s talent deserves such treatment. Now all that you have to do is to go out and buy this. You certainly won’t regret it NORMAN DARWEN

B.B. KING SINGS SPIRITUALS PLUS TWIST WITH B.B. KING

SOUL JAM

Those who revere B.B. King for his economical, emotion-drenched guitar playing may be wrongfooted by Sings Spirituals, which was originally released by Crown in 1959, for on it King’s guitar is totally absent. Those, however, who recognise that King was as great a singer as he was a guitarist will relish the album which features the great man revisiting the music he had sung as a teenager. Lead instrument on most tracks is organ (the player is uncredited) but prominent also are The Southern

California Community Choir and The Charioteers, a female backing group, with urgent hand-clapping adding to the feverish, transcendent excitement on several tracks. On a repertoire that includes Thomas Dorsey’s Precious Lord and Servant’s Prayer, Archie Brownlee’s Save A Seat For Me and traditional songs like the exhilarating Ole Time Religion, King’s impassioned singing and his ability to communicate utter spiritual conviction are simply awesome. His ecstatic-sounding performance of Army Of The Lord, in particular, is quite extraordinary. How strange that this is, I believe, the only gospel album in King’s huge discography. Soul Jam have paired the album, on a single CD, with another King rarity from Crown, 1962’s Twist With B.B. King, which compiles tracks released as singles between 1952 and 1961. Included are classics like You Upset Me Baby and Woke Up This Morning. Seven bonus tracks, from the fifties, including Sixteen Tons, are added.

TREVOR HODGETT

BOB MARGOLIN MY ROAD

STEADY ROLLIN’ RECORDS

No-one can doubt the blues credentials of Bob Margolin who joined the Muddy Waters Band in 1973 as a young 24 year old. His tenure there lasted seven years during which he experienced and learnt a vast array of the musical core of the blues. But like John Primer, another

DEBBIE BOND ENJOY THE RIDE

BLUE ROOT PRODUCTIONS

Often likened to Bonnie Raitt, Alabama blues-lady Debbie Bond’s latest release, Enjoy The Ride, kicks off strongly with an upbeat, optimistic surge of soul and passion on the title track before shifting a few gears with introspective inner searching reaching out in tracks Start With Love,

Waters sideman, being in the band with a great man does not necessarily mean that everything you do carries the label of greatness, indeed, all you do is compared to that era and at times this can be a lead weight around the neck of the artist. So it is with My Road, an album relating to the fifty year journey that Bob has undertaken in his musical quest. Opting to record as a trio, the instrumentation is of interest. Bob on guitars, Chuck Cotton on drums and Tad Walters on harp. In so doing, Bob has reproduced an interesting take, harking back to the original blues sound without mass instruments; bass only appearing on two tracks. The guitar does not feature as much as expected, as if the focus of the album is more on the vocals and the stories

the dizzying despair and combative edge of Left Me In The Dark, and the reflective beauty of Remedy. Throughout, Bond’s fine fretwork is confident and compelling, carrying the whole mix along with power and purpose. Recorded in Muscle Shoals, with full-on horns and Shoals-sounding quality, Enjoy The Ride is easily Bond’s finest effort to date, bursting with sensitivity and a soulful delivery that show heartache and hurt, love and loss will always be winning combinations. Bond’s previous album, That Thing Called Love, featured her partner Radiator Rick

Asherson on Harp and Keys, and he again figures strongly here. Her love and affection for the late Alabama bluesman Willie King, whom she played with for many years, is also evident with an excellent cover of one of his anthems, I Am The Blues included in the mix. Add some quality support guitar flourished from Will McFarlane, (ex-Bonnie Raitt), Spooner Odham on organ, one of the US’s finest sidemen, and you have an album of considerable class, style and quality. IAIN PATIENCE

told therein. Bob’s voice however is not his forte, with some of the vocals sounding forced, although he nails it with the solo country/blues ballad of Goodnight. The album opens with My Whole Life, a shuffle that could have come straight from Muddy’s bandstand and tells the story of his life as an itinerant musician. The first five tracks are originals, the best being the syncopated beat of Understanding Heart before his first cover, Sean Costello’s Low Life Blues, Tad having his moment, blowing throughout the song. Paring back with only harp accompaniment, Nappy Brown’s Bye Bye Baby gets an outing, Chuck getting to join in on vocal. Young And Old Blues tells of Bob’s luck to sit in with the “old” B.B. King, when Bob was only 20 years old, a song telling

of how age is seen through the eyes of the beholder and what effect it has when one has aged oneself. My Road tackles modern challenges, aging, love mourning and much more, but does it cut the mustard for someone as regaled as Bob, that’s to be decided!

MERV OSBORNE

CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE I AIN’T LYIN’

HENRIETTA RECORDS

Charlie Musselwhite, a man who needs no introduction. Reportedly the inspiration behind Dan Aykroyd’s character in The Blues Brothers, 50 years of touring and Grammy

nominations Musselwhite has truly sealed his place in blues history. After rising to prominence in the 60s as one of the white bluesman who made it big in that era, Musselwhite has released roughly 30 albums of pure gold blues, his latest I Ain’t Lyin’ is no exception. Although the album contains nothing particularly new or out of the ordinary for Musselwhite, it is a work of exceptional quality, great grove, blinding harmonica playing and all the sleazy, passionate lyrics you would expect from a great blues record. The opening

HOMELESS BETTY NOT QUITE LIVE BLUES

BIG D RECORDS This is a five track release by Homeless Betty otherwise known under an alias of Bermuda Dunes he is a Californian based multi musician Michael Robert Pierson. Always interested in furthering his music career he had various jobs and has published poetry and is well entitled to play the blues. His musical influences vary from Blind Willie Johnson to David Gilmour via Muddy Waters. This seems a bit of a concept work in progress all played by him so that includes rhythm and lead guitar vocals drums bass guitar and harmonica. These tracks are stripped back blues and very true to

track Good Blues Tonight, kick-starts the album with a fat Samba beat. Musselwhite showcases his skills from the get go with tasty harmonica licks complimented by the classic dirty harp tone which could send the listener to a Chicago Blues Bar in the 1960s. His voice is exceptional and a lifetime of experience has given incredible warmth to his almost raspy voice. Musselwhite’s backing band, comprising of Matt Stubbs on guitar, Mr Junior June Core on drums and Steve Froberg

this tradition. It really is a masterclass and shows great talent and experimental technique. Blues In C starts things off and expands the twelve bar blues range with a hefty dose of harmonica and lead guitar you would really think there is a group playing these songs the music is so tight. Next track is Rock Blues In Am and is full of bending strings loud drums and good vibe. Blues In G has a harmonica lead style and smooth rolling guitar sound. Slow Blues In A keeps this vibe going with sweet riffs. The final tune is a cover of a Sonny Boy Williamson song Help Me showcasing a bass vocal and different interpretation truly unique. An interesting blend of music but too short hopefully not long before he brings out a fuller repertoire of songs.

COLIN CAMPBELL

on bass are ridiculously tight. The guitar playing of Stubbs is incredible throughout the entire album complementing Musselwhite every step of the way. The album keeps the same mood throughout; it’s typical blues with no big surprises. If you’re a keen listener of quality, classic blues from the real deal, you’ll certainly enjoy this latest offering from Charlie Musselwhite.

MIKEY MACLENNAN

DAVE SAUNDERS WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS

MOJO.UK RECORDS

Founder member and bass player of The Producers, promoter and jobbing bass player Dave Saunders has played with some talented musicians over the years and this album reflects on some of those performances. Stompin’ Dave is well known to readers of BM! his track There’s Still Some Wonder is a superb bluesy acoustic ballad featuring him on slide guitar and vocals backed by Saunders on acoustic guitar. Sugar Mama were an acoustic duo featuring Dave Carson on guitar/ vocals and Kyoko Monk on 12 string acoustic guitar and they enlisted Bob Hibbit on drums and Dave Saunders on bass for I’m Going Home a wistful folky song. The same

musicians also feature on Let It Roll a bluesy reflection on a wasted life. As the name implies The Rolling Drunks are a goodtime party band and If You Want To Get To Heaven features blues wailing harp, buzzsaw guitars and a shouted chorus with Saunders on tambourine, percussion and backing vocals. Saunders toured UK, Europe and USA regularly with Atlanta singer/ songwriter/bluesman Bill Sheffield and he features on five cuts here with Saunders on acoustic bass. Saunders co-wrote 3 Man Band with Sheffield and this driving song of life on the road features Sheffield on playful vocals and superb slide guitar. The same pair also play a wonderful acoustic version of the emotional Just Walk Away Renee. Two Producers slow blues songs showcasing Harry Skinner’s superb guitar and vocals feature here with Saunders bass featuring on Sometime, Somewhere and bass and acoustic guitar on the pretty Winter Is Coming. Harry & Dave also play as an acoustic duo and the lovely and optimistic Hopes The Road is taken from their first album. Fittingly the album closes with a couple of live Producers tracks featuring Harry using his guitar pedals on the atmospheric London Blues and his fierce slide guitar on the wicked How Many More Years. There are lots of compilation albums out there and they don’t all work but this

one is well sequenced with good sound and is truly a little gem.

DAVE DRURY

JAKE GREEN BAND PLUGGING IN DME

Copenhagen blues scene stalwarts the Jake Green Band offer listeners an intriguing aural cocktail comprised of two parts riff-based power trio rockouts to one part Tom Waits, topped off with an added dash of Gary Moore. It’s all original material, too, with 11 of the 12 songs penned by the band leader, who sings and plays guitar, and the other writing credit going to drummer Hans Rosenberg. Making up the remaining third of the line-up is Jens Simonsen on bass. Both of the rhythm section guys are established musicians in Denmark, having played on hundreds of recordings between them. This - the band’s first studio album - wasn’t a case of love at first play for me. On an initial spin, it presents as a set of fairly ordinary modern blues. But give it a few more listens, as the quality of the songwriting and the strength of the playing do ultimately shine through. Still Hung Up On You, Break Me If You Can and boogie workout Blues Don’t Bother Me showcase this outfit’s heavier side, while Got To Get You Out Of My Heart is a good example of how to do a slow minor key number with panache. Can’t Prove A Thing details tell-tale signs of infidelity on the part of Jake’s baby over jazzy changes. Overall highlight of the CD is

When The Morning Comes, built around a hook that eventually mutates into an earworm and a tastefully melodic solo. In short, not quite there yet, but there is probably better to come.

DAVID OSLER

JAS PATRICK INKY OVINE

TINY LION MUSIC

Jas Patrick was a new name to me so I wasn’t sure what to expect from this 6 track EP. The heading on the press release says, a diverse EP from an independent artist who defines DIY. That is a pretty accurate summing up. Jas is more indie with some nice country vibes on some tracks rather than blues, and plays all manner of guitar, drums, banjo, mandolin and keys as well as vocals. Opening track Harpy is the most rocky, a strident beat that suits Jas vocally and promises much. Second track Part Line (Classified) is more laid back, the jangling guitar giving an Americana country vibe which is quite atmospheric. By track three, Inky Ovine we are slipping into an almost Ska area but with some tasteful acoustic guitar. On Little Bug Jeff Peterson adds some steel guitar which brings another twist. The steel guitar is more to the fore on the quirky country of Didn’t Ask. Closing track Snow Day is more a straight indie

rock track. The diversity is admirable but might just be a distraction for some listeners. This has obviously been a labour of love for Jas, who with the help of bass player Jake Willemain and producer Brad Bass has been working on this since 2012 and recording since 2014. A new album is in the pipeline and hopefully Jas will find the niche he needs to fulfill the promise on show.

STEVE YOURGLIVCH

JASON VIVONE & THE BILLY BATS THE AVENUE INDEPENDENT

Another contender at this year's International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Jason Vivone & The Billy Bats were there to fly the flag for their home-town of Kansas City. The title is taken from a former Mafiosa retirement street in the burg where Vivone himself pitched up and bought a house back in the 90s. This eight-track release reflects life and love, despair and hope in equal measures as lived on the Avenue over the years and features a full-blown seven-piece outfit with a soaring sense of humour and an astute eye on the world around them. Most tracks are written by Vivone himself and his slide-guitar work hints at more than a passing nod to the fretwork of former Kansas City resident picker Casey Bill Weldon. Vivone wields his beloved cigar-box guitar with style and clear class here, supported by some neatly pitched electric banjo - an

otherwise troubling thought, perhaps - from Ben Hoppes. The remainder of the band comprises Matt Bustamante in percussion, drums and backing vocals; Paula Crawford on backing vocals, percussion and guitar; Rick MacIvor again backing vocals, and keyboards, piano and organ; Jeremy Clark on bass, and Joanna Berkebile on percussion and vocals. This is a mighty fine album, a tad quirky in places and at turns but an overall charmer worth discovering.

IAIN PATIENCE

JJ APPLETON AND JASON RICCI DIRTY MEMORY

OLD BOY NETWORK

Guitarist JJ Appleton, a music biz veteran who has worked as a session man and as a jingles writer, and harmonica player Jason Ricci, who has worked with Johnny Winter, Walter Trout and Susan Tedeschi, form a formidable partnership on Dirty Memory, a highly accomplished, live-inthe-studio acoustic blues album. Leaning Blues, an Appleton composition, is a raw and wildly exciting opener with flamboyant harmonica from Ricci, Just Enough, again by Appleton, is amusingly philosophical, there’s a great raunchy version of The Rolling Stones’ Black Limousine and Ricci’s

Sonny Terry-influenced solo instrumental showcase, entitled, reasonably enough, Jason’s Solo, is spectacular. Appleton’s voice though is rather light, although he sings passionately, and he doesn’t quite carry off Blind Willie Johnson’s Nobody’s Fault But Mine. Ricci, whose heroin addiction once led him to being placed on probation, under the terms of which he was unable to leave Indiana for seven years, sings on his own compositions, New Man and Demon Lover. On the former he sings of his plight admitting “I can only blame myself” but the desperate sadness of his situation is implied rather than convincingly conveyed in the lyrics. The latter song also, which features dramatic, ominous harmonica, seems to refer to Ricci’s catastrophic love affair with junk but, frustratingly, the lyrics are mostly hard to make out. The exceptional bassists Tim Lefebvre and Neal Heidler, who play on several tracks each, are the only other musicians on the album, which was beautifully produced by Appleton.

TREVOR HODGETT

MAGIC SAM BLUES BAND BLACK MAGIC DELMARK

Virtually every major blues guitarist nowadays names Magic Sam as a major influence, certainly those who have come to prominence over the last three decades or so – yet

he only had eleven singles and two albums released before his untimely death.

Black Magic was his last album, recorded in 1968 and released the following year, though he and Delmark did have plans for a third album before a move to a larger label – the notes mention Stax! Ultimately these plans came to nothing though as Sam died on 1st December 1969 at the early age of 32. Since then his reputation has grown steadily, so that even if you are not familiar with Sam himself, you have most likely heard younger blues guitarists playing his songs or playing in his style. That style is plainly evident here, with his instantly recognisable vocals and guitar work backed by a stellar group of

JOE BONAMASSA BLUES OF DESPERATION

PROVOGUE RECORDS

Well he has come out of the Nashville studios dusted himself down and brought out another stunning studio release produced again by Kevin Shirley. He seems to challenge himself each recording and reinventing and fine tuning similar tracks from his extensive back catalogue a real shape shifter. Compare and contrast this release with his debut A New Year Yesterday and listen to the difference in style. What inspired him to get two drummers Anton

Chicago musicians, playing unadorned West side Chicago blues, including some remakes of his earlier material, stretching back to 1957. This album doesn’t really need any recommendation from me though; it has been, quite rightly, elected to the Blues Hall Of Fame. This version supplements the original ten tracks with six from 1997s release The Magic Sam Legacy and then adds two previously unissued numbers. The handsome booklet gives us Jim O’Neal’s very informative original notes, the notes from the 1994 reissue on CD, and new comments from producer Bob Koester, putting everything into context, and there are plenty of photos, including some not seen before. In

Fig and Greg Morrow playing on certain tracks such as the steady rolling steam train led This Train is a stroke of genius as it accentuates the rhythm and pitch. Sure there are the long drawn out guitar solos such as on No Good Place For The Lonely but the track is mesmerising as it adds a classical music background. His vocals are still sharp and maturing. The title track Blues Of Desperation has a haunting vibe throughout and accentuates the bond his other band members Michael Rhodes bassist and Reese Wynans on keyboards. On You Left Me Nothin But The Bill And The Blues there is a barrelhouse blues riff. All

short, this 68 minutes of bliss is essential if you want to understand the modern blues, and a bit more than essential if you’ve not already made the Magic Man’s acquaintance - if you have, you’ve probably already bought it!

NORMAN DARWEN

CLARENCE

GATEMOUTH BROWN

GATE WALKS TO BOARD

1947-1960 ALADDIN & PEACOCK SIDES

HOODOO

I think it fair to say that Texas blues would not be Texas blues without this man. His influence was

eleven tracks were written by Joe and every song has differing music genres like the slow soulful ballad Distant Lonesome Train with backing vocals melting into the slipstream and the gospel infused vocals on The Valley Runs Low. Another change in mood on the laid back boogie woogie and saxophone led Livin Easy swaggers on with underlying acoustic guitar something very melodic and a total departure from his norm a highlight. What I’ve Known For A Very Long Time keeps the low tempo going on the last track more soul and horn. Another winner by a real blues master.

COLIN CAMPBELL

wide as he incorporated blues, R&B, swing jazz and even a little bit of Cajun in there as well. Now unlike a previous review in this issue these styles were distilled down into a coherent whole that is fully realised listening to these twenty nine cuts culled from the period 19471960. There is still a raw energy throughout and they certainly never messed about with extra-long workouts with everything under 2.57. Two early singles Guitar In My Hand and Without Me Baby both showcase his fine single note picking and they are most interesting as they feature still a kind of big band arrangement whereas once you hit Boogie Uproar the big band has gone to be replaced by sheer rock and roll in your face driving power. True horns are still in evidence but they are more pared back in numbers. The slower blues drenched numbers such as Win With Me Baby or Taking My Chances are a joy. Listen out for Okie Dokie Stomp to hear a master class in how to propel the guitar through a wonderful horn heavy arrangement. Whilst modern technology has ensured that a lot of these early cuts sound pretty fresh it was still good to hear the odd crackle and scratch adding to the authenticity of the whole. There are no fillers in this collection at all. Judicious selection has resulted in a fine collection which includes a terrific Dirty Work At The Crossroads.

Clarence Gatemouth Brown is in a league of his own

and I’m mighty glad to have been sent this collection.

GRAEME SCOTT

COUSIN HARLEY THE DUTCH SESSIONS

LITTLE PIG RECORDS

Live for their fifth album, Cousin Harley are back with The Dutch Sessions, recorded direct to tape in the village of Scipluiden, Netherlands; a long journey from Vancouver, Canada. Cousin Harley are a rocking and rolling vintage fuelled trio who just play good time rockabilly very well. It defies the rule of musical physics to sit still and listen to the album. By the second track in the volume is up and the feet are tapping and few can resist getting up for a dance. This is party hop music. The ten tracks selected are the band’s favourites and I for one will not disagree. The slap bass adds that layer of sound redolent of 1950’s dance halls delivered with a swing by Keith Picot. Guitarist Paul Pigat adds a zing to the proceedings and his vocals cajole you to have some fun. The drummer, Jesse Cahill makes up the trio adding a beat that drives the music along. The ten tracks each have an individuality so there is not the feeling of I have just heard this. The tempo changes but the

quality remains the same. Mer Morte is a slower instrumental track that catches the ears attention whereas I’m Coming Home the opening track is a classic anthem that drives the music along as the journey is about getting home. Rock Therapy gets you up rockin and a jiving the party is hotting up. Then there is some vintage country with Yonder Comes A Sucker nodding to Jim Reeves. This is a must for everyone who loves blues that boogies with a fun-filled attitude.

LIZ AIKEN

CATFISH WHEN B.B. SINGS THE BLUES

INDEPENDENT

A tribute to the late, great BB King it says on the cover and it does exactly what it says on the cover. Only better, it would have been so easy to have got this wrong but Catfish, in covering four of Mr Kings most well-loved songs and ending with their self-penned tribute and by performing the songs diligently and with clear affection, have produced an EP that rewards repeated listens and reminds us how timeless these songs are. From the opening bars of You Upset Me Baby the superb production stands out. The interplay between guitarist Matt and keys playing Paul Long is

highlighted wonderfully well, and Matt delivers the song with a world weary vocal way beyond his years. The Thrill Is Gone is arguably BB Kings most covered song, and often badly so, not this time. The lovely paced, almost Albatross like intro, really sets the tone. Another great vocal by Matt, this time showing a gentler more controlled side with disciplined but emotive guitar to complement the message within the lyric perfectly, never faltering throughout this seven minute version. Track three, Never Make A Move Too Soon, sees Paul on vocal and has keys to the fore to great effect, albeit supported by more top notch guitar work going on throughout. The final cover is How Blue Can You Get?

This is another superbly well-paced delivery with Matt back on vocal duties, the unhurried almost twelve minute mini blues fest allows the listener to immerse themselves into the groove. Outstanding brushes by Kevin Yates on this too. In fact Kevin on drums and Dusty Bones on bass deserve special mention, they are rock solid throughout allowing Matt and Paul the space to do their thing. The title track, written and sung by Paul Long brings proceedings to an end. It is a clearly heartfelt tribute to one of the giants of the blues music we all love and admire. I’m never a huge fan of releases top heavy with covers but this is an exception, and in Matt Long we have a dedicated young

guitarist who has the ability to grow and develop into an outstanding performer.

STEVE YOURGLIVCH

LINDA

HARD ROCKIN’ WOMAN

LANARK RECORDS

Jerry Lee’s little sister dishes up some tasty rockabilly and rock ‘n’ roll flavoured with a touch of country and a smidgeon of blues. Opener Hard Rockin’ Man is a hard drivin’, fist pumpin’, booty shakin’, rock ‘n’ roller with Linda Gail singin’ up a storm and Danny Harvey twangin’ his guitar furiously. In complete contrast Spellbound is a country flavoured pop song featuring Linda Gail harmonising prettily with her daughter Annie Marie and this pair continue the harmonies on the speedy shuffle Lovesick. Danny Harvey and Quentin Jones trade Chuck Berry guitar licks as Linda Gail pounds the ivories on the rocking instrumental Little Baby Rock. The album was recorded live in the studio and the energy of the performances shines through. A cover of big brother Jerry Lee’s Rocking My Life Away is a high octane thrash and then we get a C&W/gospel flavoured And Now I Win. The blues shuffling instrumental Linda Gail Blues was written by guitarist Danny Harvey. The rockabilly stomp of

What Can I Do is followed by gospel standard This Train which is propelled speedily along the tracks by drummer Blair King with Linda Gail in close pursuit as she rattles the 88’s. Battle With The Bottle is a honky-tonk country rave up with Quentin Jones switching from bass to provide some raw cutting guitar licks and Linda Gail hollering furiously. The album closes with a complete change of style with the atmospheric self-penned Heartbreak Highway a song of dark despair as Linda Gail sings “there’s a dark and lonely feeling in my soul”. An unexpected but excellent end to a very fine album which is thoroughly recommended.

DAVE DRURY

BONITA & THE BLUES SHACKS BONITA & THE BLUES SHACKS CROSSCUT RECORDS

The Blues Shacks are a well-known blues band in Northern Germany, having been on the go since the nineties. They’ve even reached a point where they host their own blues festival in Hildesheim. However, after South African soul singer Bonita Niessen made a cameo appearance on their 2012 album Come Along, and a live appearance at their blues festival, they snapped her to become Bonita & The Blues Shacks. And it was a wise move as this CD, their first album together, is an absolute treat. Ms Niessen has one of those

early seventies styled soul voices that can lift a song from the good to the great. This, coupled with the excellent work of the band - Michael Arlt harmonica, vocals, Andreas Arlt guitar, Fabian Fritz piano, organ, Henning Hauerken upright & electric bass and Andre Werkmeister drums – on a set of well-chosen tunes, and this makes for a fantastic listen. Alongside the two originals, they’ve cast their net wide, bringing in songs from the Magic Sam, Ruth Brown and Barbara Lynn songbooks amongst others. So whether it’s Turn The Lamps Down Low, This Little Girl's Gone Rockin or Never Let Me Go, this is a record that just keeps delivering.

STUART A HAMILTON

BRILLEAUX PICTURES OF THE QUEEN

INDEPENDENT

Well here’s an interesting one with a name like Brilleaux you kind of know what you’re getting. Yes that is pure rhythm and blues but this time with a twist to this mainly British phenomenon this five piece band hail from New Zealand. Hard to get away from the feeling they are a Dr Feelgood tribute band but there are more diverse and subtle arrangements

here. Twelve songs of mainly covers on their eighth release it really has a good vibe to it. This is high voltage stuff well produced by keyboard player Tim Julian. The distinctive growling tones of founder and lead vocalist Graham Clark who also plays harmonica and slide guitar adds to a joyous feel. Starting with Cheque Book with a heavy dose of rhythm guitar it moves into the Bo Diddley unashamed tribute Ellas McDaniels with a powerful rock and roll take. The hollering of the band mixing with a fine harmonica brings tempo down on A Certain Girl. What a contrast next a sweet version of their own Hand Me Downs a stripped down acoustic style lead by Bruce Rowlands on mandolin is a real winner. Liking the piano style on Strapped For Cash and general laid back approach. Other highlights are title track Pictures Of The Queen a reference to money with a fine guitar burst. Finishing with She’s Got The Ump which seems out of place though comedic in content with cockney accentuated tones this certainly makes for an eclectic rhythm and blues release.

COLIN CAMPBELL

JULIAN SAS COMING HOME CAVALIER RECORDINGS

As far as I can tell, this is the 21st album from Julian and the band, and if you aren’t familiar with them, they are a Dutch blues band and Julian is the lead guitarist,

GAIL LEWIS

THE NORMAN BEAKER BLUES TRIO LIVE IN BELGRADE

JNR

Norman Beaker has been a great and perhaps sometimes undervalued stalwart of the European blues scene for decades, his expert band the preferred accompanists for the likes of Chris Farlowe, Larry Garner and Maggie Bell. The band also tour indefatigably in their own right and Live

In Belgrade records an excellent performance in Serbia, in 2015, on which the trio play a repertoire that includes four Beaker originals and songs by Kevin Brown, Little Milton, Booker T, Muddy Waters and others. Beaker is a fluent, expressive guitarist whose playing on a solo version of Peter Green’s Love Her Like The Sky

singer and songwriter, with the band getting co credits. Julian is noted as being a red hot guitar slinger and while that is undoubtedly true, this is a much more subdued album, no that’s not right, it would be better to say that this is a more grown up album than some that have gone before, with some very thoughtful almost wistful lyrics, all concerned with the theme of home. Julian is much more restrained

is positively dazzling. His singing is less consistently impressive, however. Eddie Boyd’s Five Long Years is sung powerfully with Beaker sounding appropriately anguished and bitter but he doesn’t quite have the vocal chops for Lonnie Mack’s soulful Tough On Me Tough On You on which he sounds strained. His own songs, like the storming opener Only I Got What The Other Guys Want, are often cleverly phrased (“I ain’t got nothing but I got everything I need,” he sings) but Break It Down, about the hatred and suffering in the world, while noble in its sentiments, doesn’t quite meet the challenge of expressing those widely-shared sentiments in a refreshingly original way. Bassist John Price and drummer Steve Gibson excel, both in accompaniment and in their solo showcases.

TREVOR

HODGETT

in his playing, but that isn’t to say that his guitar work is anything short of impeccable, because it isn’t. This is a superb offering and the rest of the band are tight in behind him all the time. A nice varied album, not too much of the same old thing and some great slow blues.

Julian and the boys will be in the UK later this year, so do yourself a favour and get out to see and hear them, you won’t be disappointed!

DAVE STONE

JANIVA MAGNESS LOVE WINS AGAIN

BLUE ELAN/FATHEAD RECORDS

Janiva Magness is an A-List artist in the States where she has been a frequent nominee and regular winner at the Blues Music Awards. She is less well-known to UK audiences but her body of work across labels such as Northern Blues and Alligator is well worth checking out. Since her 2014 Original Janiva has remarried and is clearly extremely happy, the songs here being fiercely optimistic about relationships. Janiva has again worked with producer Dave Darling who had a hand in writing all but two of the eleven songs here. Whether the writer is Dave or Janiva (who contributed to five) the message remains consistently upbeat about her relationship. The title track sets the tone with a great melody, rousing chorus and soulful attack and that soul style continues on the impressive Memphis-style ballad When You Hold Me which adds some discreet sax work to the mix. If you want some James Brown funk try Your House Is Burnin’ with its insistent rhythm and smouldering guitar work; Janiva can handle a power ballad like Say You Will equally well and sounds positively seductive on the sexy Real Slow! In complete contrast Just Another Lesson finds Janiva backed by simple acoustic guitar which shows off the power and beauty of her voice. The anthemic Rain Down is

a big production which stretches Janiva’s vocals before the lone cover, a sparse reading of John Fogerty’s Long As I Can See The Light which brings the gospel overtones of the song really to the fore with a fine piano solo and ringing baritone guitar. The closing track Who Will Come For Me retains that gospel feel to Janiva’s vocal as she contemplates time running out on us all, accompanied by some great sax and guitar. This is not a straight blues album but will certainly appeal to anyone who enjoys well-crafted songs and a strong singer who uses her voice effectively without recourse to histrionics.

JOHN MITCHELL

MARK NOMAD

# 9

BLUE STAR RECORDS

This is an album of mostly self-penned material from Massachusetts based veteran bluesman Mark Nomad who was a co-founder of the original blues rock band Little Village back in the 70’s. Shrine is a blues-rocker which opens with a catchy guitar riff from Nomad and thumping drums from Sturgis Cunningham and features a wah-wah solo. Phew! It’s Time drops the tempo a little and features slide guitar and harmonica from Nomad and upright bass from Peter King

and maybe it is time for Nomad with this album. By way of a complete change comes DADGAD a pretty acoustic guitar instrumental the title of which will mean something to the guitar players. What’s A Man To Do? is a swinging jump blues featuring saxes from Dave Trenholm and crisp guitar and vocals from Nomad. The sole cover here is that old favourite Look Over Yonders Wall and it gets a good working over from Nomad’s excellent slide guitar and great honky-tonk piano from Dan Fontanella. Nomad takes up his acoustic guitar again as he sings about the hippy dream in the aptly titled My Clouds Have Denim Linings. Groovy baby! More slashing slide guitar lights up the fast and furious Valley Of Tears and then the album closes with the heartfelt plea We Gotta Live Together. Nomad is a fine singer/songwriter and master slide guitarist and this excellent album should win him more accolades.

DAVE DRURY

MATT ANDERSEN HONEST MAN

TRUE NORTH RECORDS

Canadian singer/songwriter with an album of ten original songs mixing Americana, blues, soul and pop. Break Away is a gentle but funky and heartfelt song about getting away from old haunts to find new places and new faces.

Title track Honest Man is a horn driven up tempo soul number but Andersen’s rich gospel soul vocals

are heard in their full glory on I’m Giving In a stunning slow love song with Andersen accompanied only by piano. Quiet Company opens with the sound of crickets and then a steel guitar plays to lend this ballad a slight country flavour. A drumbeat introduces Let’s Get Back which also features a banjo and a trombone solo backing up Andersen’ demanding vocal. The songs on the album are occasionally political but mostly personal as with All The Way where Andersen pleads “there’s a promise in the air, we’re already halfway there, let’s go all the way”. My favourite track is Last Surrender a beautiful soul-ballad with heartfelt vocals and pretty horns in the background setting the mood. The rocking hard edged Who Are You Listening To was written during an election campaign and implores people to make up their own minds and not be swayed by political rhetoric. Closing track One Good Song finds Andersen admitting “I’ll take any road, I won’t ever go home just give me one good song”. Previous albums have already won several awards and I think this fine effort is likely to follow that same path.

DAVE DRURY

CÉCILE DOO-KINGUÉ ANYBODY LISTENING PART 2: DIALOGUES

CDK MUSIK

Born in New York City to parents from Cameroon,

and now based in Montreal in Canada, Cécile is a singer, guitarist and songwriter, and she has been nominated in various categories for the Maple Awards. I was not quite sure what to expect from this CD (this is the second release of a proposed trilogy. Its predecessor, Part One Monologues, was a solo acoustic recording) but it certainly wasn’t such a tough, uncompromising, raw and blues-rocking opening as this album has in the heavy, slide driven, up tempo Riot & Revolution, swiftly followed by the strutting boogie of Sweet Talkin’ Devil! As the set progresses, Cécile can be tough, jazzy, playful, sensual and certainly committed, tackling themes of self-gratification, religion and sexual orientation – do take a listen to Bloodstained Vodka for the latter, and to Six Letters Fit, a response to the shootings of young Black men by US police, and both of which had acoustic treatments previously. The album’s one cover version is Jimi Hendrix’s Manic Depression, chosen specifically to highlight the issue of mental health as well as highlighting a favourite guitarist. It also reaffirms Cécile herself as an accomplished bluesrock guitarist though it is by no means a straight copy, and also highlights her mellow but forceful vocals; the band powers this along too, and the use of backing vocalists adds to the individuality of the approach. Canada has

had Cécile as a well-kept secret for far too long, but hopefully the buzz surrounding this release will ensure that she becomes deservedly far better known on the international stage.

NORMAN DARWEN

JONN DEL TORO RICHARDSON TENGO BLUES

VIZZTONE RECORDS

Debut release for this Houston Texas guitar man and what a find. His roots are steeped in the blues tradition but also with a twist of Latino there for good measure. With backing from a superb band with Jonn on lead and rhythm guitar and vocals Wes Starr on drums Nick Connoly piano and Nathan Rowe on bass guitar this makes for a big sound and highly recommended release. Not only did Anson Funderburgh produced this and also guests on rhythm guitar he co-wrote two songs. There also is the added bonus of having the Texas Horns who add style to the opener Behind The Curtain. A steady rolling I’m Her Man has sweet guitar tones reminiscent of an early Albert King and lilting soft vocals .Love If You Want is a highlight with a laid back honky tonk beat over ridden with powerful guitar licks. Triple Lindig keeps up mellow tempo on this jazzy instrumental

IBBA TOP 50

exhibiting the talent of the band especially horn section. The Moment changes things completely with Latino beats very up tempo and great dance track. Can’t Run From Love rolls on into Get Me Back To Texas which has a strutting twangy riff to it. Another highlight is the slow and moving ballad This I Know piercing guitar solo hits the spot. Finishing with Tengo Blues an instrumental that shows effortless guitar fret work from Jonn .A powerful heart felt debut a true classy release one that deserves much acclaim.

COLIN CAMPBELL

MORRY SOCHAT & THE SPECIAL 20S DIG IN GALAXIE RECORDS

Morry is a USA Vocalist and harmonica player based in Chicago who has pulled together some of the finest local musicians on this, his second album, of blues and 1950’s style swing rock ‘n’ roll tunes, the material mixes well and this is a very polished slick release of high quality music played with great enthusiasm. Of the swing style tracks the pick is Little Melody which is a slow paced song that maximises the twin Saxophones of Chris Neal and Doug Corcoran and has a mellow vocal from Morry, in contrast the band can play more straightforward blues which is perfectly illustrated on two tracks; The Last Time which has more of a chunking Chicago blues feel with some excellent

harmonica playing, not sure who played it as there are two band members down as playing harp, the second is She’s Got It which has a sparse arrangement with keyboards to the fore. The majority of the material has been self-written by the band which highlights promise for the future, as there are certainly no filler tunes amongst the eleven tracks, my only reservation with this style of blues is that it is quite an acquired taste and has a restricted market, at least in the UK but it is evident the band have belief in their music and they should be congratulated for digging in and releasing this good collection of songs, expertly performed.

ADRIAN BLACKLEE

PETER KARP ( WITH MICK TAYLOR) THE ARSON’S MATCH

KARPFOLEY MUSIC

Peter Karp has produced several well-received CDs in recent years, particularly his collaborations with Sue Foley. He originally only wanted to write but was obliged to play live to get his music noticed. This live set was recorded for Sirius Satellite Radio in NYC in 2004 and takes songs from two albums only released locally or sold from the bandstand and finds Peter fronting The Roadshow Band: Peter sings and plays guitar and piano

with Jim Ehinger on keys, Daniel Pagdon bass, Paul Unsworth drums, Dennis Gruenling harp and special guest Mick Taylor on guitar. Whilst Peter’s description of Mick as ‘the John Coltrane of Rock Blues guitar’ may be over the top his playing here is always clean, tasteful and ear-catching, reminding us of arguably the finest period of the Stones when Mick was in the band. The songs are all interesting lyrically, from the slide-driven title track

MATT WOOSEY DESIDERATA ROBAR MUSIC

The original Desiderata described a passage through life and gave clues as to how to tread gently and avoid conflict. Similarly, this album describes a journey as Mr Woosey, a very fine singer songwriter, has met new challenges and leaned to cope. That the new challenges included getting married and fathering a baby might give a hint as to the level of his changes. So, enough philosophy. When we come to the music he shows remarkable talent on this, his eighth album. I am reminded at times of John Martyn in his use of music to sit behind the vocals and take on a life of its own but then the vocals are pretty damned special and as a lyricist he is a dab hand at creating word-moods and making the listener

which is a great start to the cynically amusing Your Prettyness which has Dave Keyes’ piano added to the fun. The tongue-twisting Gee Chee Gee Chee

Wawa takes the theme of the Faerie/Voodoo Queen with a rousing chorus while The Turning Point is a moody ballad with great organ from Jim which takes us back to mid-60’s Dylan blended with Ryan Adams’ more lyrical moments; both songs feature scintillating solos

think twice about what they are hearing, A stellar backing band includes Clive Deamer (Robert Plant) the ever magnificent Danny Thompson (John Martyn & Richard Thompson) and RSC’s Bruce O’Neil on piano. He sounds throughout as though he is working both with and against the musicians, taking influences from them and moving in different directions completely out of his comfort zone. Musically he touches on jazz, country, folk and a place that sits between and links all the different styles but he always feels as though the direction of the song was meant and not accidental or forced. A delightful album, loaded with character and integrity and in Lighthouse one of the best tracks I’ve heard this year as it meanders around effects and some beautiful droplets of piano and bass.

ANDY SNIPPER

BIG BOY BLOATER & THE LIMITS LUXURY HOBO

MASCOT/PROVOGUE

Bloat and I talked about this album in depth in our last issue but to my way of thinking if the Stiff label was still going then this act would be totally at home within their roster. It’s blues and rock and R&B but it’s not face-pulling angsty stuff, it is much more goodtime and partyready. Notwithstanding

from Mick. Peter’s vocals are excellent throughout but nowhere better than the extended blues ballad I’m Not Giving Up which also has another brilliant cameo from Mick. Whenever Dennis’ distinctive harp is featured the blues content rises high, good examples being his clear as a bell solo over the catchy groove of Rolling On A Log and his very appropriate train sounds on the closer Train O’Mine which rocks along wonderfully. (If Dennis Gruenling is a new name to you, do check him out, arguably the finest harmonica player on the scene today.) Whether tackling ballads or full-on

some of the lyrics refl ecting troubled times. The Limits are a sparky band with a barrel-load of rhythms, tones and energy which makes every cut come home to full effect. At times a Southern Soul vibe is conjured up – I don’t mean Eastbourne – and elsewhere a defi nite Noo Awlins drive surges forward. It Came Out Of The Swamp is a springheeled B Movie nod and the title track a natural set-starter. Incorporating some slide guitar work is a good move and suits the ambit of the collection. Probably a good contrast act for the label, this aggregation sound so festival-bound you can smell the onions and real ale.

PETE SARGEANT

rockers, every track on this album is excellent and all proceeds from sales of the album will go to Ovarian Cancer Research – go get it!

JOHN MITCHELL

GILES ROBSON FOR THOSE WHO NEED THE BLUES INDEPENDENT

Some commentators of the blues world tell us that the blues need to change, that the blues need to evolve to survive. Well, that’s one

opinion. I like my blues cut just the way it was by Muddy’s Headhunters in 1950s Chicago. Listening to current blues radio shows, the genre gets broader by the month, but Giles Robson has put out an album of good old fashioned bar-room blues that doesn’t need to evolve. There are familiar-sounding hooks here, which establish the Chicago feel, but rather than pay homage to the classic style, Giles refreshes it with new songs and his tight and lively harp runs. The opener Shady Heart gets straight down to business with a meaty southside shuffle. Sarah Lee is cleaner with more space, and the quality of the guitar starts to shine through. Giles channels Little Walter with the sublime 2-hole shakes in Where You Been?

The solos in one-chord chugger Bound For The Border have some fantastic cascading descents and inventive tucks and turns. Start A War is another great slow blues, it’s cool and sassy with jazzy horn-like harp licks reminiscent of Gershwin on Broadway. Rocking boogie Summa That Good Stuff will get your leg-bone twitching and should please any Dr Ross fans. The album closes with the wonderful A Walter Shade Of Blue – an obviously heartfelt tribute to The Man. It’s chock-full of the splits, warbles, deep barks and rising bends that you expect from a Little Walter tune and it’s the best slow blues instrumental I’ve heard in a long time. A great

finish to a highly enjoyable album. Giles rightly credits the great band that came together specifically for this material. Recorded live in the studio in a day, it’s got just the right sound and spontaneous feel of blues done right. I’ve had it on heavy rotation for days but when it comes out of the CD player I’ll be putting it on the top shelf alongside the Muddy Waters Band and Lester Butler’s Red Devils.

ANDY SMITH

PINETOP PERKINS & JIMMY ROGERS WITH LITTLE MIKE & THE TORNADOES

GENUINE BLUES LEGENDS

ELROB RECORDS

This is a very worthwhile release highlighting two Blues greats performing with a great band called Little Mike & The Tornadoes, this is a live concert recording from Ellsworth in Maine from May 1988 at which time both artists were well passed their retirement age but you would not have noticed as their energy and stage presence is magical, in fact both artists were still not in their prime as they came more popular during the 1990’s. The artists are given lead slots during the ten tracks, some of which are lengthy meandering style songs that allow both musicians and the supporting band to play freely, the sound quality is good throughout but on the raw side, on one song I can definitely here children shouting in the background. I was particularly impressed

with Jimmy Rogers Guitar playing, he was a member of Muddy Water’s band during the 1950’s and he clearly learnt a lot from this experience, the track that emphasises both artist at their best is For Your Love, a good vocal and stomping ivories from Pinetop and some sharp guitar breaks by Jimmy, completing the picture is the rasping Harmonica of Michael Markowitz. Having the two artist performing in partnership with a four piece rocking blues band was a master stroke, they really jell and make this CD a must buy purchase.

ADRIAN BLACKLEE

SLIM HARPO BUZZ ME BABE

SOUL JAM RECORDS

Digitally remastered this is the Excello Sides 1957 to 1962 release and is really a compendium of songs by a master singer song writer harmonica player and guitarist. Original name James Isaac Moore he has been a huge influence on such bands as The Rolling Stones especially with their cover of one of his best known cuts I’m A King Bee a classic in its own right. With comprehensive liner notes by James Chumet this is a definitely fine addition to anybody’s music collection. With twenty four songs this certainly is value for money. This is Louisiana swamp blues and other music genres mixed into a musical gumbo sung and played in an echo chamber with his distinctive singing style a mixture of nasal tones and

in the tenor range of vocals. Such steady rolling guitar strumming on classics like Cigarettes. His harmonica playing has also been influential and copied a lot especially with the much covered I Got Love If You Want It and Raining In My Heart with sweet emotional singing and steady bass line just sublime listening. There are also obscure hard to find singles such as Wondering And Worryin’ the haunting Strange Love and pure honesty of You’ll Be Sorry One Day which have been on many Best Of compilations but stripped back they sound vibrant and new interpretations. His legacy lives on in this faultless historical collection just a joy to behold from a master of the blues genre.

COLIN CAMPBELL

THE PRODUCERS 25 YEARS

MOJO.UK RECORDS

There have been seven line-up changes during their 25 years but the founder members Harry Skinner vocals, guitar and Dave Saunders bass are still in place. Along with Ray Drury keys and Biff Smith drums the band have produced an album of Rhythm & Blues which takes the music back to their early roots. Rocking opener Change, Change, Change crashes in with a horn riff straight

out of the Stax locker and tears along at a furious pace with great solos from Ray Drury on organ and Skinner on guitar. Bees And Honey features a funky piano groove, tasty guitar chops and great drum work from Biff Smith. She Ain’t Back Yet is another one for the dancers and throws a touch of rock ‘n’ roll in to the mix with barrelhouse piano, Chuck Berry guitar riffs and honking horns and all in under three minutes! “Go, go, go little Queenie” indeed so. Roller Coastin’ Blues is an exhilarating ride as it swoops up and down the tracks and round the curves with Harry having fun on harmonica. The previous four tracks are new songs from Skinner and the rest of the album features songs used live by the band over the past 25 years but never previously recorded. A funky cover of Down Home Girl features great slide guitar and then comes a real highlight with You Don’t Miss Your Water where Dave’s controlled bass and Harry’s wonderfully soulful vocals are matched by his exquisitely tasteful guitar and Ray Drury’s understated piano and organ work. Wow! A sturdy working over of Lazy Lester’s favourite rocker Sugar Coated Love is enlivened by a distorted guitar solo. A dense and atmospheric version of One Kind Favour builds in intensity and is a standout track featuring droning organ and harmonica topped off by fierce slide guitar in what Harry calls

the Hawkwind treatment. Van Morrison’s jazzy Moondance has always been a favourite at gigs and this song together with a lovely swinging version of My Baby Just Cares For Me shows that The Producers can happily cover different styles. There are four bonus tracks with stripped down demo versions of songs from the acclaimed London Blues album. This is an excellent album which connects The Producers to their past but also shows their development as a band and proves there is much more to come.

DAVE DRURY

MALCOLM HOLCOMBE ANOTHER BLACK HOLE

GYPSY EYE MUSIC

With a voice that has the same care-worn timbre as Dylan, Johnny Cash, and Tom Waits, and an energetic Americana backdrop, the singersongwriter Malcolm Holcombe has assembled some fine material on Another Black Hole. The Banjos, Mandolin, and Dobro of Jared Tyler provide most of the musical colour, whilst the surefooted drums of Ken Coomer, and bass of Dave Roe provide the forward momentum. Add in two special guests in the shape of percussionist Future Man, and the swamp rock legend

Tony Joe White on electric guitar, and this is an album of some pedigree. The album slips from the upbeat country of Sweet Georgia, to the more downbeat title track Don’t Play Around, with one of those twangy, distorted guitar solos that builds on the tension of the rest of the track, and some perfectly placed female harmony vocals. Someone Missing uses a swift beat to tell a sad story, and September is one of those haunting guitar and vocals songs that packs a lot into its short running time. There is a lot to recommend this collection of songs, from the distinctive vocals and song writing, to the general upbeat feel of the music, and the high quality of the musicianship, so if you like Dylan, Ry Cooder, Johnny Cash, or general Americana, this could be the next album you add to your collection. It is going in mine.

BEN MACNAIR

TORONZO CANNON THE CHICAGO WAY ALLIGATOR RECORDS

The Chicago Way is the perfect title for the new Toronzo Cannon release, his debut on Alligator Records. Toronzo really is the real deal, born and brought up in the Windy City, holding down a day job as a bus driver, paying his dues as a musician,

first as a sideman then 15 years leading his own bands. Never taking a step backwards, progressing and winning fans along the way. He is Chicago through and through. This is his fourth album overall but is without doubt a giant step forward and should gain him the recognition his talents deserve. Opening with the observational The Pain Around Me, a summary of modern day Chicago, it is clear that Toronzo processes the full armoury of a voice that perfectly suits the material, a natural song writing ability that puts him above much of the competition and a stinging guitar delivery. His playing drips authentic blues over every song on here but he never ever overplays anything, it’s always just enough to make you listen and want more. The eleven tracks are a great blend of some humour and some introspective deep blues. Track two, Bad Contract, epitomises this blend and showcases some first class urban blues guitar. There are touches of class throughout, the brass on Midlife Crisis spring to mind, but for me the run of three songs, Chickens Comin’ Home To Roost, Strength To Survive and When Will You Tell Him About Me? Is the highlight of the album. On Chickens Toronzo hits some notes that are heavy with menace, real tough edged blues, it moves wonderfully into Strength, a powerful introspective, honest look at how hard it’s been to

get to this point, you can feel the truth in every word. When Will You is a classic slower blues that tells it story in a heartfelt never clichéd way. I Am is the perfect album closer, a laid back slightly dreamy track showcasing the mega tight band who have been superb throughout. Special mention for Brother John Kattke whose Hammond and piano playing is outstanding throughout.

STEVE YOURGLIVCH

THE DANA GAYNOR BAND POWER TO THE PEOPLE

EUPHORIC REBEL RECORDS

It’s jam band meets the blues now, and to give us that vibe, it takes a trip to Pennsylvania, home of the loveable Sylvanian Families, the former lead singer of Japan, and the Dana Gaynor Band. New to me, but turns out that Dana Gaynor is a well-respected slide guitarist, who has teamed up with Tony Mancino, Frank Zelasny and Michael (The Pozz) Pozzbon, who between them have toured with members of the Grateful Dead, the Smithereens, and the Classics Four amongst others, while Dana has performed with Dan Hicks, Vassar Clements, Keith and Donna Godchaux, John Cipollina and countless others. So they’ve got the pedigree and they’ve got the chops, which makes tunes like the title track, Black Moon and Good Time Feeling really spring to life. This is their second album in as many

years, as they make up for lost time, after playing with other musicians for a long time. Apparently, their live shows are where they really do turn into an out and out jam band, with a free form approach to music, but they’ve done well at restraining their impulses in the studio environment. Granted, the album is a bit overlong, and could have lost a couple of tracks along the way, but when something like Rockabilly Billionaire bounces into earshot, you can’t help but enjoy.

STUART A HAMILTON

THE JUMPIN’ BONES MARROW

INDEPENDENT

Blues as clear and hot as a Grecian sky. It is obvious why the blues is so fine, The Jumpin’ Bones come from Athens, not Athens Georgia but Greece playing the rhythm and blues that shines from 2014. The Bones are Orestis Tsikouris vocals, harmonica, Dimitris Dakopoulos guitar and rhythm section, Konstantinos Aloupis bass and Spiros Gavalas drums, blues runs deep in the Marrow of their Jumpin’ Bones. Their debut recording Marrow has seven tracks, six of which are originals. Opening with a driving riff T.I.N.A Boogie has the harp curing around this rapid rendition of boogie blues. The shuffling drum and squealing guitar shapes the blues on Little Big Man. The blues is strong in the beat and guitar of Drummers Heart Blues with changes the tone with

rhythms curling around the harp and vocals. All seven tracks have a contemporary feel. This is blues that hits the hotspot. Closing with Hell I Feel Right, the blues atmosphere is built with the bass line. Shuffle and melancholy harp. The vocals curl around the rhythm as the music sweeps around you in a blue mist with a jazzy vibe. A debut album that allows Jumpin Bones to explore the shades of blue colouring in the shadows with their own distinctive tones. Marrow will certainly make you look out for the band and what else Greece has to offer in the way of the blues.

LIZ AIKEN

THE ROBERT J. HUNTER BAND BEFORE THE DAWN INDEPENDENT

Powerful blues-rock album featuring ten original tracks complete with strong vocals and overdriven guitars. They Think That I’m Fine is an angst ridden stomper featuring multi-layered guitars and subtle touches of organ from Hunter which fill out the music and make for a very dense sound. Rumour Mill is a riff laden rocker which features distorted vocals and a storming guitar solo from Hunter. The longest track on the CD is Preacher

a rock ballad with good back up work from Greg Sheffield on drums and James Le Huray on bass who also plays suitably churchy organ on this number which is probably my favourite track on the album. The excellent rhythm section set up a funky backdrop for Three Shake Fold and this is certainly another standout track with Hunter’s rough edged vocals and wah-wah guitar solo. The material is well written and the playing is good with plenty of blues riffs and the band setting up a deep groove. Breakdown is a heavy rock ballad featuring a chiming guitar solo from Hunter. Feathers is also a slow song with a lighter touch added to the mix with Le Huray’s mandolin playing. Grows features distorted guitars and pained vocals from Hunter and Running Gun features a funky backbeat with Hunter producing an explosive guitar solo. Closing track Draw The Line is a big production slow number which builds to a climax with the band going into overdrive. This power trio will appeal to many and is great stuff for those that like the heavier end of blues with lots of good grooves and bluesy riffs.

DAVE DRURY

BROKEN BACK DADDY SCRUFFY CAT BLUES INDEPENDENT

Broken Back Daddy originate from Lille, Northern France, but play the kind of Chicago Blues that BB King, Otis Rush

and Buddy Guy have made their careers from. The band have been playing the blues for over ten years now and are living proof that this music is universal. Scruffy Cat Blues spans ten songs and covers traditional blues numbers and self-penned songs. Opener You Don't Have To Go is drenched in the city-harp playing of Laurent Desprez, whilst Stephane Louis hits some amazing guitar throughout. Stop

That Truck swings along a treat, Frozen Shoes carries a neat solo (simplicity is the key to this album, nothing too flashing, just the right amount of notes). Gotta Have Money boogies along in the style of Canned Heat and I Got Drunk is a classic in waiting, whilst album closer I'm Leaving You features more blistering harp playing and carries the bar room boogie sound that ZZ Top made good use of before the synths arrived.

THE MIGHTY BOSSCATS BOSSMAN

TRAPEZE MUSIC

More new music from the prolific Richard Townend, this time again with his band The Mighty Bosscats. Opening track Ask The Bossman kicks things off with a great bluesy number, perhaps one of the most authentic straight blues songs Richard has written, I love the harp and backing vocals (Alex Outlaw) on this, they really add to the atmospherics. Then we are into You Are You And I Am I, a lovely cool opening, nice acoustic guitar, beautifully textured musically. You know with Richards writing it’s never clichéd or lazy. He has a knack of joining traditional blues values

with a contemporary twist that reflects modern living with an understated Americana vibe running throughout. Other highlights for me are the uplifting, almost celebratory Cigar Box Blues, the piano led Valentine and the haunting Americana/ country of The Guitarist. There are 14 original songs on here, all perfectly blended together to take the listener on a journey. As usual with Richard every song offers more with repeated listens, there are often strong messages to be found within the lyrics, they are never in your face, but are there none the less, challenging the listener to interpret the song in their own way thus personalising it for themselves. The sign of great song writing. Hats off to the other musicians too, Phil Pawsey keys & harp, Phil Wilson bass, Glen Buck drums.

STEVE YOURGLIVCH

Broken Back Daddy have been getting some welldeserved press in their own country. Now it's time for the rest of the world to sit up and take notice.

MARTIN COOK

TOBY WALKER MILEAGE

INDEPENDENT

New Jersey-based Toby Walker started out on the road many moons ago under the moniker Little Toby Walker, a title he’s long outgrown. With this latest release, Mileage, he again shows just how astonishingly talented he is. Easily one of the finest acoustic guitarists in the blues and roots world, he simply grows stronger with

every album. I’ll confess to being a huge fan of this guy’s wonderful music and have the pleasure of knowing him well. That aside, however, since first discovering him, following a tip-off from a US buddy of mine many, many years ago, I’ve constantly been surprised by the sheer quality of each release and the clear, evident improving fret mastery he displays. While many pickers seem to reach a plateau and then sit on their butts seldom moving further or exploring musical possibilities, Walker is always exploring, changing, charging ahead; at times he sounds like ole Doc Watson as he cross-picks, fingerpicks

and switches effortlessly from Americana, folk with an Irish edge to straight blues. Tracks included here in this seventeentrack disc include his own compositions, See My Grave Is Kept Clean, Irish reels, Daley’s Reel/ Stoney Lonesome and even an exceptional and surprising solo take on Fats Waller’s old classic, Lulu’s Back In Town and Muddy’s marvelous She Moves Me. Overall, this is a sparkling, strong bit of acoustic driven fretwork from an absolute master who cannot be contained or disappointing. What in reality we have here is little short of genuine treasure. Grab it while you can.

TRUDI LYNN EVERYTHING COMES WITH A PRICE

CONNOR RAY MUSIC

I have to confess that I hadn’t come across this lady before, but a quick trawl on YouTube and I find that she is very much a veteran in the very real meaning of the word! Coming into her 70th year, Trudi is billed as the First

lady of Texas blues and has been recording in her own right and as a session singer and backing vocalist for some considerable time. She is very old school female blues singer and Etta James is the obvious comparison that springs to mind, but several plays of the album and you quickly realise that she has a style all of her own, and it would be easy to imagine her back in the Fifties fronting a hot jazz/blues band, and as if that weren’t enough, she has actually written four of the ten tracks here. She doesn’t appear to have a permanent band as there are several musicians credited on the album and at least three different lead guitarists, but none of that matters because the overall effect is a very good album that will sit happily in my car CD player for weeks to come. It isn’t very likely that we will see her in the UK as she seems to be keeping busy enough at home in the States, but I will certainly track down more of her work.

DAVE STONE

WILL WILDE LIVE IN HAMBURG ROCK THE EARTH

No less a blues luminary than Ruf Records boss Thomas Ruf has dubbed Will Wilde ‘the Hendrix of harmonica’. That’s huge advanced billing, to put it mildly. But set the hyperbole to one side, because there is no denying this guy’s talents as one of Britain’s premier exponents of the gob iron. In addition, Wilde

WENTUS BLUES BAND

LUCKY STRIKE

MAMA

SUPER SOUNDS RECORDS

On Lucky Strike Mama the Wentus Blues Band have delivered a no-nonsense, in your face collection of original songs, using the blues as a stepping off point. This is the group’s 11th album, and they play more than 150 gigs a year, so the quality of the playing

possesses a strong voice, reminiscent in timbre of Phil Lynott, and doubles on guitar. His sidemen - who include a sidewoman on bass, actually - are no slouches, either. What you get here is a set featuring seven original and four covers, recorded live in Germany in February last year. The bill of fare is largely slanted towards medium-tempo 1970s heavy blues rock, and even the token slowie isn’t particularly slow. On the plus side, not one song can fairly be described as filler, with every track earning its place on the CD, so I’m guessing it was a heck of a show. On the other hand, a little more variation in pace might have lifted the set that crucial last notch or two. Highlights include an enjoyable take on Rory Gallagher’s Philby, and that old Canned Heat warhorse

is not that surprising. Led from the front by the persuasive tones of singer Juno Kineret, Nikki Rippa on guitar, and Pekka Grohn on keyboards and a tight rhythm section of bassist Robban Haghas, and drummer Daniel Hjerepe, the band cover a lot of sonic ground. The funk rhythm of Sparrows And Swallows sits nicely alongside the slower groove of Saints And Sinners, whilst the virtuoso guitar and keyboard provides plenty of interest, without becoming a sterile lesson in grandstanding. This is very lively blues,

On The Road Again serves as the suitable if hardly obscure closer. Originals such as If I Get My Hands

On You and Angel Came

Down are equally meaty, with the latter showing clear signs of being inspired by the guitarist Mr Ruf cited, both in its lyrics and Danny Giles’ fretwork. If you like the genre on offer, Wilde does it very well, and no fan will be disappointed with this album.

DAVID OSLER

AMELIA WHITE HOME SWEET HOTEL

WHITE WOLF RECORDS

On Home Sweet Hotel the singer-songwriter Amelia White has put together a set of 10 originals, that are full of regret, longing, and the feelings that life on the road can bring about. With a voice that sonically sounds like a mixture of Chrissie

played by a group of musicians who know what they are doing. Star In The Night is a slower song, allowing for the gravel voiced Juno Kineret to show off his vocal prowess, whilst Johari Window is a jazz number, full of drama, and drastic changes in time signature. Set closer Abigail is a slow blues, with Hammond Organ, and tasteful guitar to the fore. The sounds of BB King, Jeff Beck, and other guitarists abound throughout the album, and it offers plenty of interest for fans of the blues.

BEN MACNAIR

Hynde, and Emmylou Harris, and a band that fuses musicianship with swagger this is an album for anyone who likes the more grown up side of country. Although the album is brilliantly produced, with polished playing, this is still enough grit in the mix to give these songs a life, both on the stage, and in the studio. The guitars of the title track, Love Cures, and Leaving In My Blood owe something to the wide open sound of the Eagles, whilst both Road Not Taken and Melissa are gentle ballads with some aching harmony vocals, and a soundscape that brings to mind early Everly Brothers, and Rainbow

Over The East Side is one of those songs, with haunting pedal steel guitars and vocals that you think you have heard before. Dogs Bark is a rocking

song, with everything in the right place, and is the type of song that Bonnie Raitt would record, the clean slide guitar being a particularly strong part. This is a fine release, with enough interest, character, and musical variety to reward repeated listening.

BEN MACNAIR

AULD MAN’S BACCIE RESONATING WITH THE BLUES

INDEPENDENT

Well, there is no denying that Auld Man’s Baccie is a great name for a band. As

TOM KILLNER HARD ROAD CLEOPATRA RECORDS

Tom Killner may need little introduction to UK blues festival fans where he spends much of the year on the road, touring, working his youthful butt off, gigging at clubs and blues venues throughout the country. Hard Road is, surprisingly perhaps, his debut release. Recorded in LA, it features Killner's trademark guitar and raw, passionate vocals ripping it up to full effect with eleven tracks that are roughly split fifty-fifty between covers and self-written material. This is, as might be expected from this guy, one of those albums best played with the volume cranked way up high. Killner himself describes the album as being about……the

the custodian of my great grandad’s clay pipe, I can empathise with the working class vibe. Davey Curtis guitar and vocals and Nick Phillips slide guitar hail from Seaham Harbour in the North East of England, and are a rather enjoyable acoustic blues duo. Rather endearingly they call themselves the Reverend Curtis Humbucker and Nick the Baptist when they’re stomping their feet and howling their way through a live set, and this album which is split between originals and covers,

struggle, the knockbacks and the pain involved as a working musician these days, with the writing reflecting his thoughts and takes on life on the road and beyond. This is rock-spirited blues with wailing guitar exploding with hi-energy bursts of elemental force every step of the way. The band favours the well-worn and successful power-trio format - a grouping that can be tricky to pull off with success due to the baggage that it inevitably carries and brings to the table. With Oliver Tallent on bass and Jake Ashton on drums, Killner manages to avoid sounding like just another wannabe Hendrix or Cream substitute and instead brings soulful subtlety to the mix when needed at times. A very strong album and a debut, first release worth catching.

IAIN PATIENCE

should encourage a few more folk to nip doon the pub for a look see. Cleverly, they’ve put the originals all at the beginning of the album so you get a flavor of their own music first. They’ve augmented their two handed acoustic blues sound with Jim Bullock on harmonica, Magic Dave Curle on drums and Rhiannon Phillips on backing vocals where needed, and by the time you reach the second half of the album, where they enter the world of Muddy Waters, Jimmie Rodgers, Tampa Red and Taj Mahal, you’re already a convert. The best of their own tunes are 51st Time and Mama Moonshine, while their best covers are romps through Champagne and Reefer - Muddy Waters and In The JailhouseJimmie Rodgers. A very enjoyable release.

STUART A HAMILTON

ED BARKER FEATURING ANNABELLE & ELOISE BARKER FEEL IT IN YOUR GENES

INDEPENDENT

Hmmm. Nice. Time for some eighties jazz funk here, courtesy of Ed Barker, a saxophonist who has some form, having been principal alto saxophonist for Britain’s National Youth Orchestra and National Youth Jazz Orchestra. He’s also released his own album which featured Lance Ellington from the Strictly Come Dancing band, and done an orchestral tour with George Michael. So, he

can play the saxophone. We won’t mention his time in Westminster as a special adviser, because he did the decent thing, packed it in, and moved to America to follow his musical muse. But he started to feel homesick, wrote a song, and then asked his sisters (one of whom is a midwife and one an estate agent to sing on it). Luckily, for all, they can sing, and Annabelle and Eloise do a fair turn here, alongside some well-regarded musicians including bass legend Laurence Cottle (Black Sabbath, Alan Parsons Project, Eric Clapton etc). What they’ve ended up with is a very poppy, eighties sounding jazz funk single, which would have done very well, back when Light of the World, Level 42, Shakatak and Freeez were having hits. Of course that was then and this is now, but it made for a pleasant three and a half minutes.

STUART A HAMILTON

JASON ROSENBLATT WISEMAN'S RAG INDEPENDENT

Starting at the beginning, it has to be said this is not a true blues album. Instead it's a peculiar mélange of styles and influences that are used as a vehicle to showcase the virtuosity of Rosenblatt on harp. This is cross-genre

stuff led by Canadian Rosenblatt on harp and sometimes vocals, with all of the baker's dozen tracks composed by the man himself. Rosenblatt is noted back home for his taking the harp from blues into jazz, eastern oeuvres including Turkish music, and even bluegrass. From this release, it's immediately clear that the guy has a mastery of his instrument and even, at times, flashes of southern blues sounds percolate through the overall mish-mash that otherwise make up this offering. The problem for me is that by adding some fairly assured barrel-house rolling piano - also pitched by Rosenblatt - and tasteful guitar touches from Joe Grass, Rosenblatt appears to believe he's crossed the Mason-Dixon Line and produced an album that turns and boils to the sound of the mighty Mississippi for inspiration and influence. Sure, there are interesting rag timey flashes that take inspiration from the southern states but for the most part Wiseman's Rag is a ragbag of styles, genres, lacking grit or blues truth.

IAIN PATIENCE

LIGHTNIN’ HOPKINS MOJO HAND + BLUES IN MY BOTTLE

SOULJAM RECORDS

Lightnin’ Hopkins (Sam John Hopkins) was undoubtedly one of the greatest Bluesmen of his generation. Rolling Stone had him at #71 on the list of 100 all-time greatest guitarists and he has been raved over by the likes of

Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters and all. Texas Blues is different from the delta variety, more tuneful and less reliant on slide and Hopkins epitomises that. His guitar style is based on finger picking and his country-blues rhythms are less frantic than the Chicago or delta players. As usual with the Souljam label they have combined two of the artists best albums from the golden period, in this case the early 60’s where Mojo Hand was recorded in 1962 and Blues In My Bottle 1961, and the recording quality is average at best but his music shines out of the speakers and the remaster has brought his dark and tuneful voice out brilliantly. The character of the two albums is quite different with the later one sounding more reflective and darker, Hopkins voice has more of a bitter edge and his picking is slower and more detailed. Awful Dream is desperately harsh in tone and his playing leaves a dark hole out of which comes a stirring voice – this isn’t good time music. He then follows up with the jaunty Black Mare Trot featuring some beautiful picking. Shine On Moon has many of the attributes of delta music but again his voice takes it in a different direction entirely. Blues In My Bottle definitely has a lighter tone but nonetheless his strident singing carries it on. A great version of Wine Spodee-O-Dee follows on from the hard and desperate Buddy Brown’s Blues to give very different

directions to his music in the opening tracks. Lightnin’ Hopkins deserves all the plaudits normally reserved for the Delta and Chicago bluesmen and this package makes his talents and music clear.

ANDY SNIPPER

JOE CRIBB & THE SEED DRILLS

JOE CRIBB & THE SEED DRILLS INDEPENDENT

A brand new band not only to me but I suspect to most folks as well. Formed in Bristol circa 2014 and I think that this debut eponymous album has possibly been available at gigs etc. since mid-2015 but don’t quote me on that. What you can quote me on though is the fact that this album has a real home grown rough and ready garage feel to it. That is exactly what it needed. To have placed any degree of sophisticated veneer to the recording process would have detracted from the raw, slightly edgy punk energy of the proceedings. Eleven tracks of which seven are originals coupled with four non expected covers. This trio formed by Joe, cigar box guitar, harp and vocals, Matt Jones drums alongside Spencer Brown bass, really rip into these cuts putting their all into things Rootsy and Bluesy. I was really taken by

the passion on display and clearly they love what they do. I can imagine leaving one of their gigs drenched in sweat having bounced uncontrollably around for the evening. Great stuff indeed. The writing is strong with the simple pared down instrumentation driving things along like a manic Seasick Steve. Tracks like Ain’t That A Bitch, Angel In The Night which as an opener sets the tone for what follows, Am I Wrong, Jesus Just Left Chicago, and Seal Baby are terrific. For me the highlight is the cover of Blue Night to be found on the High Rize bluegrass album but written by oldtime country performer David Kirk McGee. No idea how they found it but I’m sure glad they did. Listen to something new and innovative that I know you’ll enjoy.

GRAEME SCOTT

JZ JAMES A GREAT NOTION

HEY! BAND

JZ James is a German musician and writer who has fully integrated himself into American roots music, this is his second album release, his first was released way back in 2008 so he has had plenty of time to write, develop and structure this album, the fifteen tracks have been

self-written covering several different styles ranging from 1930’s Trumpet led jazz to more modern acoustic folk and blues. The supporting musicians cover instruments like banjo, double bass, bongo, violin in addition to the more traditional instruments you would expect from this style of music, JZ James has a commanding brusque vocal style that suits the songs well, lyrically they are excellent, the track Christmas Night In Hanoi is particularly impressive, as is its short acoustic guitar intro that is not unlike Zeppelin’s Stairway To Heaven. The authenticity of the album is remarkable, while I am not an expert of American roots music I am sure this will stand up well to any USA based artist releases, tracks like Pakawau Big Shark Candy Mountain and Tunica Mississippi really conjure up the traditional American sound for me.

JZ James is a master of his genre and these fifteen tracks are a superb showcase highlighting his musicianship and song writing skills, a faultless and highly recommended album that has been worth waiting eight years for.

ADRIAN BLACKLEE

REV FERRIDAY AND THE LONGDOGS

UNFORGETTABLE

TRUES AND EVERYDAY LIES INDEPENDENT

An album that stands out from the crowd, blues with a deep dark edge contemporary British

acoustic blues rooted in the early Southern blues.

Unforgettable Trues And Everyday Lies is a long title reflecting how many feel about modern living shaped by media, advertising and politicians all grabbing the soundbite. This is an album infused with the legacy of lyric driven blues music. The beat is driving the journey is full of dark crevices and devil infested vices. The music infuses itself into your musical lexicon with the feet tapping and the urge on some tracks to get up and holler. This is a blues album unfettered by conventional prejudices of what acoustic blues should sound like. Rev Ferriday has played with many including lap steel on Michael Messer’s National Debt album. He has experienced a veritable feast of sounds and influences that seep into the music a touch of Johnny Cash a blurring of Seasick Steve and the tone of Nick Cave. Above all Rev Ferriday is true to the music he wants to deliver. Surrounding himself with the Longdogs; Neil Sadler on bass, Scott Hunter on drums, the fabulous Owen Bray on harmonica and Else Black adding deeply contoured backing vocals. This is an album that improves with every listening as you notice a riff, lick or the meaning of the lyrics a treasure trove of hidden musical delights that just grows and grows. Every track is a winner the ones that linger in your memory are for me Broken People what an opening

it is music that compels, Buy Me Love the rhythm is so infectious and shaded with blues deep in its structure and then Rose’s hill country inflections that make you want to join in the fun. My favourite - well it has to be Shooting From The Hip this is music that makes you smile.

LIZ AIKEN

mix has a little something for almost everyone, and Mark's harp-work is always at the forefront but never overpowering or distracting. Add a positively cracking cover of the old but never stale Tom T Hall song That's How I Got To Memphis, and you have a genuinely special album from a guy immersed in the tradition and a confidence that shines at every turn. Mark is joined by Kirk Hawley, who also produced the release, on guitar, John Rumbaugh on drums; with Brendon McBride and Gordon Lynde Jnr sharing the honours on bass.

WALKIN' CANE MARK TRYIN' TO MAKE YOU UNDERSTAND

ENABLE RECORDS

This here is a real interesting bit of work, for sure. Originally seeing life as a self-produced compilation largely put together for family and friends back in 2010, this new, remastered version is bound to make most blues lovers envious of those limited but lucky people who have been tuning in to this twelve-track delight for all these years. This is a guy who seems to live, breathe and eat blues, a staple diet that evidently keeps him fresh and full of strength and purpose. Tryin' To Make You Understand is an excellent album highlighting Walkin' Cane Mark's power and consummate control of the music he clearly loves so much. With eight tracks self-written and others including some early JJ Cale - Rock and Roll Records - the overall

IAIN PATIENCE

VARIOUS CLASSIC CHICAGO BLUES LIVE & UNRELEASED

WOLF RECORDS

Wolf are an Austrian outfit and have put together previously unreleased material from a band that consists mostly of Magic Slim and the Teardrops, together with additional input from Bonnie Lee, Nick Holt, Earl Howell with John Primer on guitar. The recordings were made between 1990 and 1996 and were all made in Austria, where the Teardrops seemed to be based at that time. So what do we get then? Thirteen tracks played by what was at the time vaunted to be “The Best Blues Band on the Planet” Well that’s a lot of hype, did they live up to it? Bonnie Lee who was brought over to guest on the shows opens it up, following several

introductions, before she hits the stage, opening with I’m Good and she is, quite definitely a blues shouter, but with the power to back it up. Nick Holt who was Magic Slims younger brother puts in an equally powerful performance on five of the tracks, with a really heartfelt version of As the Years Go Passing By. Bonnie, who is also on five of the tracks comes back with a belting version of Rock Me Baby. Earl Howel takes the vocals on the remaining tracks, and at times you could think that you were listening to a BB King concert. Why did they wait so long to put it out? And are there any more where that came from?

DAVE STONE

CHRIS YAKOPCIC THE NEXT PLACE I LEAVE YAKO RECORDS

Chris Yakopcic is an American blues acoustic guitar musician, vocalist and songwriter, based in Dayton, Ohio. He mainly performs as either a story telling solo act or with a rhythm section of Brian Hoeflich drums and Leo Smith bass. When he is not touring or writing songs, he produces other musicians, teaches guitar and holds workshops on acoustic fingerstyle blues, helping to keep the tradition alive. His inspiration comes from touring solo acts, particularly if they include tracks from pre-war Delta and Piedmont blues players, such as Robert Johnson, Blind Blake and Big Bill Broonzy. This is a

clear statement of the type of blues he prefers to play. Chris has risen to blues fame recently, following his fourth appearance in the finals at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee. He released his second and latest CD, The Next Place I Leave, on 16 October 2015, on his own Yako Records label. The quality of the tracks is clearly high, since the CD has already been selected as the North East Ohio Blues Association’s entry into the 2016 Best Self-Produced CD contest. Good luck Chris and your first two tracks certainly set the tone, with the first track, being the title track and the second, a great cover of the Robert Johnson’s standard, Preachin Blues. This combination sets the theme for the 11 track album, with a further six more originals and three covers, including Mississippi Fred McDowell’s Write Me A Few Lines and Leonard Cohen’s Tower Of Song. If you are a fan of story-telling finger style acoustic blues, you’ll love this album.

ANDREW MANN

NEBOJŠA BUHIN FEAT LANDON SPRADLIN CROSSING OVER

LAUDATO

I call my radio programme World Of Music and I try to bring to my audience as wide and varied content as possible. For sure though as far as I can remember I have never played anything by a Croatian artist before. That will now change having received this album.

THE JAMES HUNTER SIX HOLD ON!

DAPTONE

Colchester’s finest and his all British band have now signed with New York label Daptone and his smooth R&B/soul material gets a sympatico Gabe Ross production. The ten songs are all self- penned and the uptempo opener If That Don’t Tell You immediately hits the spot with those smooth soulful vocals so reminiscent of Sam Cooke. An opening organ flourish and a catchy sax riff feature on the beautiful This Is Where We Came In with the uncluttered production proving that less is more with Hunter’s silky vocals. The jumping Latin tinged (Baby) Hold On swings mightily with a touch of Ray Charles in Hunter’s falsetto shrieks and squall’s. By contrast

Checking up on the internet

I find that mainly Nebojša is more commonly known for instrumentals in the blues, jazz, soul and funk area. That feel is very evident on this fine album however there are also touches of gospel in there as well on the eight songs and one instrumental.

Something’s Calling is a much smoother soulballad affair with Hunter’s achingly pleading vocals setting the scene. A Truer Heart is a funky pop song featuring a short, but very sweet, harmonica break from Hunter. Free Your Mind (While You Still Got Time) is a Motown dance floor stomper featuring an excellent guitar solo from Hunter. The loping Light Of My Life features a superb organ solo from Andrew Kingslow and the Northern Soul stomper Stranded will keep the dancers happy. The remaining members of the band not already mentioned are Lee Badau and Damian Hand on sax, Jason Wilson on bass and Jonathan Lee on drums and the whole Six do a great job. The joyful instrumental Satchel Foot is followed by closing track In The Dark a swinging and relaxed blues ballad in the manner of Bobby Bland. This is a quality album all the way through from the writing to the superb vocals and excellent musicianship from everyone involved.

DAVE DRURY

The lyrics have mostly been composed by his brother Dražen Buhin who, as far as I can ascertain, was fighting an ultimately terminal illness. Vocals are handled throughout by Landon Spradlin who really connects with the lyrics and the whole package oozes sophistication

with a host of excellent Eastern European guest musicians on each and every track. The deeper and more frequently you listen it is clear the lyrics are penned by a man refl ecting on his coming end, however in no way is this a depressing album. The songs are at once uplifting, full of hope and with a belief that he will transit soon to a pain free happy place without being preachy. For those not possessing a religious

faith tracks like Last Train, Heal The Pain, Wake Up In The Morning and indeed the titular Crossing Over I would say that musically they, and the rest of the album, sit very nicely on the ears. Underpinned by his fi ne bluesy guitar playing throughout Nebojša certainly has produced an album which should, all things being equal, cross over to a much wider appreciative audience. Nice stuff!

GRAEME SCOTT

THE JIMMYS HOT DISH

BROWN COW PRODUCTIONS

SHERMAN ROBERTSON TAKING YOU TO TEXAS

JSP RECORDS

A while back JSP Records started to release a series of DVDs called Blues Archive, with the intention to release material that was filmed by Paul Reed and his team in the nineties and this latest is the seventh to be released so far. This particular set was recorded at Blues on the Farm in 1999 and consists of a series of short interviews with Sherman, between concert footage shot in a tent, the lighting

was obviously the ambient lighting at the scene as the colour is quite noticeable by its absence, and with the combination of a lot of strange camera angles it takes a short while to realise that Sherman is actually standing up and not bending over backwards. If you have never seen Sherman Robertson playing, it is a great introduction to his style and the sound quality is top notch, so much so that there is very little bleed through from the audience although you do get to hear the applause and occasionally see some of the punters. As a concert DVD it is a little disappointing as there are only 6 tracks, albeit rather long tracks! But if you want a collection of what was going down in the nineties, then this would be a good place to start looking.

DAVE STONE

Thirteen tracks, sixty-one minutes of big band blues and groove that kicks up a storm. The seven piece Wisconsin band The Jimmys serve the blues on a Hot Dish steaming with 1950’s attitude. The Jimmys have a mix of tones horns, keys and guitar all supporting the vocalists. All originals written by band members starting with the first Not Lose That Woman, the Latin beat shapes the number and gets you interested in the sound they are creating full of vim and vigour. Closing Hot Dish with a reprise of Freight Train the journey is coming to an end with the music from The Jimmy’s soon falling silent. This has been an enjoyable trip with them, songs flow through the speakers and time flies by in the blues tones they produce. The music ebbs and flows as the beat changes across the tracks, there are no standout numbers and not one disappoints. Let’s go and explore some of the tracks with two instrumentals Funk Schway allows the drums to shuffle and the horn section have front and centre stage as they soar away funking up the rhythm. The music flows with flavour in Jaqui

Juice, the vocals are not missed with this swinging blues beat. The mood changes with Wrecking Board electric keys add a Steely Dan feel, for me it is a shame that they were not more experimental and then this would have stood out from the pack. Fancy a ballad - The Jimmys are flexible and Saddest Man will deliver as with everything in the album everything is there for a quality moment with your sound system and the music, it is always a Hot dish with The Jimmys.

LIZ AIKEN

DVD s

ANDREW JR BOY JONES LONE STAR GUITARMAN

JSP RECORDS

This is the sixth release in this fascinating series of Blues archive material from the Nineties and features Andrew Jr Boy Jones, a Texan guitar slinger that I hadn’t previously come across. But reading the sleeve notes it seems that I am not alone as Andrew spent a large part of his early playing years as back up guitarist for Freddie King, Charlie Musselwhite and many others, that’s a hell of a background to any musicians CV I think you’ll agree! 8 tracks showcasing his playing and his singing and songwriting skills, with the second track being delightfully non PC entitled as it is Big Legs, Heavy Bottom! The DVD is rounded off with an interview with Andrew. Like the Recently reviewed

Sherman Robertson

DVD, there is a lack of colour due to the lighting in the gig washing it out, I spent some time trying to determine if Andrews very flashy Les Paul was blue, black or purple, as its sparkly front was all of each at various times .Look out for more releases in this fascinating series.

DAVE STONE

BOOKS

BLUES HANDS JOSEPH A. ROSEN

SCHIFFER PUBLISHING LTD. Many books have been published over the years pictorially depicting blues artists at work and play. So you might well ask, what is different about Blues Hands that would make you buy another? The clue is in the title. All musicians need hands to play and often vocalists too, to visually amplify aspects of the lyrics. The book opens with a quote from Willie Dixon; “The Blues is the roots, everything else is the fruits.” So here are some of the fruits in a unique perspective from the camera of Joe Rosen, drawn from over thirty years of covering the American blues scene. What lifts a photograph from a mere visual recording of a subject to an art form is the skill of the photographer. Inherent in that skill is a

passionate interest and understanding of the subject matter and the technical abilities to fulfil it in the final print. Joe has it all in spades. In an eloquent introduction by Bob Porter, an Emmy awarded writer/ producer, he writes; “The soul of a bluesman tells us about his feelings, and it is those feelings that gets transmitted to the hands – and ultimately to the listener.” Blues Hands is his (Joe’s) gift to us, whether present at those events or not. Until you come across a book of this nature you don’t realise how hands are as unique as faces and often reflect the character and experiences of the owners, especially those of the older generation. I was lucky enough to meet Joe when I sailed on the Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise in the Caribbean in 2012 and covered the experience in episodic form for this magazine. Joe was my guru for the trip as he has become a personal friend of most of the musicians featured in this book and introduced me to those aboard. The photographs are enhanced towards the back of the book by potted histories of the artists’ careers to date and in some cases eulogies, drawn from Joe’s knowledge of them. You’ll want this one on your bookshelf. sales@gazellebooks. co.uk to order a copy in the UK. Worldwide –Amazon books. http:// josepharosen.com/books/ MIKE OWENS

“THE

KIM LEmBO 45

MILES

ROAD NOT taKEn neEDS THE PERFeCt SOUNDTRACK”

LEAD BELLY FESTIVAL CARNEGIE HALL, NEW YORK

4TH FEBRUARY 2016

After a successful event at London’s Royal Albert Hall in 2015, the Lead Belly Fest descended upon New York City’s Carnegie Hall. It was entertaining as well as educational. It was also very long, as the expected 2 ½ hour length ended up stretching out to nearly four hours.

An impressive list of twenty performers or so took to the stage, each giving the crowd one or two songs. Some were performed by Lead Belly himself, others were somewhat related to him and his influence on music today. In between acts, informative films were projected on the white Carnegie Hall backdrop, teaching the audience who this Huddie William Ledbetter, the King of the 12-String Guitar is, and how he has influenced many musicians and song writers today; some of whom performed this

SHOWTIME

The BM! Round-up of live blues

a survivor of a deadly disease. Dana Fuchs almost stole the show with her amazing rendition of Gallow’s Pole to end the first part of the evening.

evening, others speaking on film.

The show’s opening performance came from guitarist Nick Moss and his vocalist Michael Ledbetter (who also happens to be a distant relative of Lead Belly). An acoustic version of CC Rider set the evening into motion. Dom Flemons of the Carolina Chocolate Drops gave a banjo rendition of Poor Howard, in addition to being part time host of the evening. The young Liverpudlian blues guitarist Laurence Jones and his band brought it up a notch with an energetic two song electric blues set. Tom Chapin took on two of the more popular Lead Belly numbers; Rock Island Line and Midnight Special. After a heartwarming introduction by his lovely wife Marie, Walter Trout took to the stage with some dazzling lead guitar work. Opening with his dedication to B,B. King Say Goodbye To The Blues, he finished with T.S.Blues, a song he identifies with as

Highlights of the second part featured Edgar Winter, though his version of Tobacco Road, a standard from his own set, did not work well with the house band tonight. Jerron Paxton was thoroughly entertaining. Everybody was waiting for the arrival on stage of Eric Burdon, who performed a killer version of In The Pines, followed by one of the songs that catapulted him to fame with his group the Animals, House Of The Rising Sun, a tune also made famous by Lead Belly. Vocalist Sari Schorr stunned the crowd with her powerful voice covering Black Betty, augmented by the blues guitar wizardry of Innes Sibun. This was followed by Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s electric set, the acoustics of Carnegie Hall echoing to the notes of his lead guitar playing.

The evening began to close with a touching set by the 87 year old Tom Paley, the last man alive who has played with Lead Belly, and who played on this same stage with him in 1949. Then finally it was Buddy Guy and his band to instill in us all what the blues is all about.

The planned encore with all participants of Goodnight Irene never took place due to timing issues, but it was a good night for Irene and everybody else nonetheless. The last show Lead Belly ever played was at Carnegie Hall in 1949 and this evening showed how his music (and his influence on it) has come full circle.

BARRY FISCH

Dana Fusch and Laurence Jones by Arnie Goodman

ILFRACOMBE BLUES

RHYTHM & ROCK FESTIVAL JOHN FOWLER HOLIDAY PARK

13TH TO 15 TH NOVEMBER

2015

The festival is in its second year and is held in the John Fowler Holiday Park Ilfracombe on the beautiful Devon coast. It truly is a lovely setting for an indoor festival, which is just as well in the winter. Starting at 1:30 pm on the Friday, the holiday facilities include the usual holiday park accommodation with a small indoor pool which is available over the weekend. The café serves full English breakfasts from early morning and also has a plentiful choice during the day, serving generous portions of wholesome food. The ballroom is spacious and well suited for entertainment, with good lighting and sound. The bar is well stocked and inside the venue, so very handy for the audience. Festival tickets include accommodation and at a very reasonable price, in holiday chalet style - but remember your towels.

Friday: A night of young bands starting with Matt Woosey, who is becoming a mainstay of festivals, and rightly so as he has a very engaging stage presence, great guitar work with wonderful self-penned

numbers. Texas Flood followed and enlivened the proceedings with a typically rocking set. Hailing from Wales, The Luke Doherty Band are enjoying moving further afield, travelling to gigs and festivals all over the UK. I saw them several times in 2015 at other festivals and they are musicians and a blues singer able to hold their own at any gig or festival. Luke is a great exponent of the guitar and really does hold the audience attention. Breaking for tea, you can choose to partake of food inside the venue, or, in the seated area just outside - with a view of the pool.

Rainbreakers started off the evening proceedings and I was very impressed with this four-piece from Shrewsbury, with their distinctive blues rock 60’s/70’s style. Watch out for them. I predict great things for these young musicians. Southbound were the penultimate band of the evening, and they have an increasing following for their blues/rock covers. They also have a healthy - and growing - repertoire of self-penned songs, written in their own style. Their musical influences range across blues, southern rock, rock, funk, and jazz genres, both old and new.

Corky Laing, drummer with Leslie

West as well as many other bands, is a character who improves the blues/rock genre, not only with his drumming, but with his interaction with the audience. His particular rock style is to masterfully play any type of music, which he ably showcased with his band while holding the audience in the palm of his hand.

Saturday: Before the main event of the afternoon there was an impromptu session by Corky Laing giving a drum lesson, which consisted of more talking than drumming, but he absolutely captivated me and the rest of the audience with his tales of drumming and touring. This session, believe it or not, was one of the most entertaining parts of the weekend! All too soon it was over, as he had to get back on the road and head for another gig that night. Jack J. Hutchinson Band were first on stage for the afternoon session proper. I have seen Jack a couple of times doing his solo set, but this time it was great to see him with his band and they certainly gave the crowd a rousing start to the Saturday's proceedings. This was a very enjoyable performance from a guy who is honing his craft and gaining fans on the way. I have also seen

Kyla Brox by Christine Moore

Matt Woosey by Christine Moore

Catfish a few times this year and they are an excellent band who improve with every outing. Matt Long’s voice is a great foil to his lead guitar playing. It’s rare to see a great guitarist who also has a great voice - either of his skills would be envied by many. He shares the singing with his father Paul, who plays keyboard and they play some great covers, but excel in their own compositions. Make sure you buy their new CD So Many Roads. The Della Grants had a hard act to follow, but they stepped up to the challenge and gave a sterling performance. They're real crowdpleasers and another young band who are going to go far. Headlining the afternoon session, Red Butler showed everyone why they won the British European Blues Union heat. They are destined to fight for the 6th European title in April, which will be held in Tuscany at the beautiful Italian town of Torrita di Siena. I wish them every bit of luck in their endeavour and I believe they have every chance of winning this prestigious award. To help them get to this event, they have set up a crowdfunding page to raise funds towards their trip.

A meal break is in order again, followed by a great set from Innes Sibun. He has been on the scene for quite a few years now and is an accomplished guitarist, as anyone who has seen him will testify. Next on the schedule was Danny Bryant who has matured into a seasoned guitarist with a host of gigs and accolades behind him. Since his young days of constant UK touring, he has settled with a family and is now concentrating more on larger tours and travelling the world. In 2015 he fronted Walter Trout’s band while the man himself was recovering from a serious liver complaint. Danny will continue touring in 2016 to promote his CD Blood Money, which he says is the CD he has wanted to make since he was 15. Connie Lush Band headlined the Saturday and they gave a show stopping performance in which,

along with some old favourites, they showcased songs from their new CD Renaissance - which if the audience reaction is anything to go by, should propel them back to their rightful place at the top of the awards tables.

Sunday: The day’s proceedings kicked off with Stark, a young trio from Bristol whose take on some of their covers is truly refreshing. They are no mimics, rather they take standards and give their own interpretations. Not only do they make you sit up and take notice of the covers, their own original material makes them stand out from the pack. They are very versatile and stay close to the roots of the blues. Next on the bill, Ruby and the Revelators hail from West Sussex. Ruby Tiger - real name Olivia Stevens - with her passionate voice can set the room on fire, or just as easily slow it down to a sultry jazzy mood. Rebecca Downes with her amazing 5-piece band do some covers, but really excel playing their own compositions covering blues, jazz, soul and rock. Rebecca has been making a name for herself with her performances in 2015 supporting King King and Ryan McGarvey - as well as being asked by The Norman Beaker band to join them on their Baltic tour. Watch out for her, as I reckon she is destined for great things and she has a new CDBelieve - which is out early 2016.

Sunday seems to be ladies' day at the festival, as Kyla Brox and her husband Danny were next on stage. They were just back from playing Paris after the shocking killings at a music event there and they dedicated their performance to the victims. When you see a performance by Kyla and Danny you just think “Pure Class.” Kyla has poise and total command of the stage, her voice can soar or hit the depths, and every note is perfect. She keeps you spellbound from the first note to the last. She is also an accomplished flautist who uses this talent to augment some of her renditions.

Last year, Paul Lamb suffered a serious stroke and was out of action for a while, but with hospital and ongoing care from medical staff, as well as help from family and friends, he is back on the circuit with his band Paul Lamb and the King Snakes. Paul is widely acknowledged as one of the UK’s greatest exponents of the blues harmonica and he and his band gave us a taste of their soulful blues, which the audience will remember for some time. Last band of the festival were The Blockheads! “They are not blues” I hear you say, but what an inspired finish to the festival. It was party time and everyone was up for it - the band as well as all the audience. They created a fantastic party atmosphere and had a full dance floor. Nobody left the festival disappointed!

Space limits me from going into great detail on each band but check them all out - on the internet and at gigs and festivals. Every one of the bands that played at this festival deserves a decent live audience.

Will I be going to the Ilfracombe Festival in 2016? Most certainly. Looking forward to it already!

CHRISTINE MOORE

SCARBOROUGH TOP SECRET BLUES FESTIVAL

11TH TO 13TH MARCH 2016

High on the Esplanade, enjoying the sun and fresh sea breeze, views across South Bay take in the harbour overlooked by its ancient castle. A curve of golden beach leads back to the promenade where the Victorian Spa complex is situated. Wide hillside paths ramble down through woods while the cliff lift was available for the less energetic.

The festival was once again based in two rooms of the complex; the large Ocean Room main stage and Promenade ‘acoustic’ stage on the ground floor. This year saw more time between acts allowing movement between the two stages, more accessible ‘merch’ stands with a meet the bands area. Food and drink were

available; the sound as ever was superb and with designated dance areas within sight of the stage it was excellent.

Friday

Last year’s post-festival closers Leeds City Stompers provided pre-festival entertainment, while those on the upgraded ticket package enjoyed a curry supper, in the Promenade room. Switching between stand-up bass and resonator, with drums taking occasional washboard their set included Kansas City boogie, polka hokum, Don’t Mean A Thing, and massed kazoo madness on He’s In The Jailhouse Now.

Aynsley Lister began the Festival proper in the Ocean Room, seated with an acoustic guitar. With a strong rhythm hand and slide he delivered a set which variously visited impressive Empire State Express and fast stomping stadium thrash of AC/DC’s Whole Lotta Rosie. Chris James & Martin Fletcher played the first of two weekend sets in the Promenade trading good humoured quips

between numbers. Red cable slung across his shoulder Fletcher blew his way through a selection of covers and James originals. Run Here Mama featured slushed-up harp while James provided slow slide on original Simple Man. Their Saturday early afternoon slot had James standout Michael Waits with tumbling harp and ticking clock melody. Rebecca Downes and her band in the main room gave a set of original material from her first two albums. New number Believe saw her on rhythm guitar while A Thousand Years featured barrel house piano. Karl Moon & Jen Low, accompanied by George Beaston on upright bass, played a short set downstairs. Mixing gypsy-jazz and swing styles, Moon picked guitar while Low danced and sang, captured by the music. Marcus Malone Band closed Friday night to a full house, their rock-blues benefiting from the twin guitar attack of Stuart Dixon and Sean Nolan. Back To Paradise got all funky while Jealous Kind was a slow blues with measured delivery from Malone.

Boogie number Slow Down You Move

Too Fast brought out the dancers and the house was jumping for encore Christine. The late night jam was led by Tim Aves and Wolfpack and became a revolving door of artists and old standards into the early hours.

Saturday

The Ocean Room filled up steadily for a lunch time set from Matt Woosey. Falling between the beds musically, self-penned hill-country Cruel Disposition contrasting rhythmic belter Same Old Blues. Atmospheric Black Smoke Rising stood out with heavy strumming and slide mixing blues standard lyrics. Later Tim Aves & Wolfpack played a lively set on the main stage, Aves leading the band through delta thrashes with dirty riffs; mic stand on his shoulder, towel tucked in the back of his pants. Full Time Lover with cymbal and snare had a Joel Fisk solo taking lazy pirouettes. Aves added slide guitar to Robert Johnson’s Shoes before returning to haunted house harp

Ed Stephenson of the Revolutionaires by Christine Moore

for Never Saw Chester. Jon Amor helped out on closer Poor Boy. In the Promenade Benjamin Bassford played competent covers cap tipping his peers, while an original about the crumbling beauty of his student digs was full of Tom Waits imagery. Wille & The Bandits are assassins of the senses. The trio mixed box-cutter subtlety and Django acoustic finesse in a fine set. Angel a dream shot through with night sweats, acoustic slide, power house bass, gypsy rhythms and fast paced drums. All three creating a percussive pressure cooker against feeding back guitars. Waves of interstellar Floyd returning to the piercing opening lick, and a cymbal shimmer. They received a deserved standing ovation. Marcus Bonfanti brought warmth and a laid back attitude to the Promenade adding his distinctive gravel growl and attack-dog rhythm hand to Jezebel. There was jazz styled Now I’m Gone Is Your Life Better, and old time rag on Bitter Sweet. Dead Man’s Chest led Jon Amor & Joel Fisk on an amble through Jon’s back catalogue and Hokie Joint favourites as they moved between guitars taking lead lines and vocals. Force Of Habit featured Amor on electric while Fisk added sensitive slide to You Can Bring Me Flowers. Marcus Bonfanti lent an effortless solo to final number Stop Breaking Down complementing Fiske’s slide. Adam & Greaves Band played the first of two Promenade sets with an Americana slant on Cold Cold Heart, Dylan’s Cry A While and original Northern Days. Sunday afternoon featured Greaves Fools Gold with sweet guitar interplay. The main stage saw Connie Lush and her band deliver a strong set including Ray Charles I Cry Over You featuring a well constructed Steve Wright guitar solo and a bass line jumping the tracks. Dog, smouldered with emotive delivery, Blame It On Me rocked with rasping vocals, and closer Feeling Good, passed through Summer Time and Hit the Road Jack. Tom Attah attacked the strings on

How Long Has It Been Since You Been Home with percussive intensity. I Cant Wait To Get Back Home used loop effect over which he played strong blues workouts. Mojo Working had audience participation, and there was more of the same Sunday afternoon. The Revolutionaires Big Band took each number like a mad half-hour before bedtime, radiating energy and enthusiasm which saw the house rocking for two encores. Trumpet and saxophones augmented keyboard, bass, drums and the larger than life personality of frontman Ed Stephenson, on guitar and vocals. Tequila took a bow and What’d I Say hit the right spot. They encored to a heaving mass of jivers with Keep A Knocking and Joe Turner’s Jump For Joy before coming back for Shake Rattle And Roll. The late jam continued along the same format as Friday for those still eager to party.

Sunday

An Ocean Room start for Till Bennewitz. With Springsteen cut-ups and Brian Fallon throaty whispers he played a selection from inaugural album Meeting In The Night. Away from the confessional sixth form poetry he impressed most on two John Mayer songs, tonight’s opener Why Georgia, and Slow Dancing In A Burning Room with Aynsley Lister on Friday. Kyla Brox with husband Danny Blomeley on guitar in the Ocean Room and gave an outstanding set including offerings from her new CD. Whether coaxing sultry late-night mood-music or funky movers Brox shines. Change Your Mind dipped deep into her register and included a sparkling stream flute solo. New number 365 had a shout-out title, while Lifted ByThe Blues was a slow sensitive ballad. Jerome Marcus beefed up percussion for Choose Me and they encored with Wang Dang Doodle to a standing ovation. Sam Kelly’s Station House proved an ensemble outfit. Real Mother For You had Paul Jobson on vocals

and vampire keys, Marcus providing gentle touches on bells and cymbals. The washed away organ on Long Grey Mare featured vocals from guitarist Tony Kinter. Kyla Brox was invited on stage and threaded her way through Spoonful and Texas Special with swing boogie percussion led by Kelly and bassist Richard Sadler. Downstairs Guy Tortora and Ben Tyzack played off each other confidently with finely embroidered finger-picking and slide. Tyzack was on resonator for Blind Blake’s Police Dog Blues while Tortora took mandolin and trilled harp for Sleepy John’s The Girl I Love She Got Long Curly Hair. Red Butler brought a large helping of blues rock energy to Sunday evening. Vocalist Jane Pearce, in black biker jacket with attitude, lit up the stage like ball lightning to the jet-engine guitar of Alex Butler. Jaywalker was shouted stomp-rock while Last Page Of The Blues had deep smoky vocals over smudged guitar. Big Bad Wolf gave more formula rock, driven by the war drums of Charlie Simpson and steady bass of Mike Topp. Aynsler

Lister guitar duelled with Butler, before more snake fingered soloing on Show Me The Money to close. Book-ending the festival Aynsley

Lister brought a tight band, including drummer Boneto Dryden and bassist Steve Amadeo, for more blues rock. Standing-out however, was the gentle patina solo which introduced What’s It All About Anyway. Jon Amor joined for Champagne And Reefer, while encore Purple Rain saw Lister solo surfing a church organ swell. With Andy Price’s classical piano introductions and Lister’s pyrotechnic scything guitar solos, there was a sense of landing on the same square twice sometimes, but he played to an appreciative packed house. The after gig session featured the consummate T C and The Moneymakers who played harp led numbers to close this great weekend and friendly festival.

MEL WALLACE

BOWNESS BAY BLUES

18TH TO 20TH MARCH 2016

It was generally agreed that the fifth Bowness Bay Blues set a new standard for the event. And the organisers couldn’t have wished for better weather – especially in Cumbria, which usually gets more than its fair share of rain!

Friday kicked off at the Lake District Boat Club, with Tommy Allen and Emil Engstrom playing the perfect laid-back set on acoustic guitar and bass, against a glorious backdrop of pleasure cruisers gliding past on the shimmering waters of Lake Windermere. The Boat Club staff had done an incredible job of refurbishing the premises after the recent floods, apparently only just getting the bar reopened that morning.

In the early evening we set off for the Hydro Hotel for an accomplished set from veteran Scottish bluesman Al Hughes. Next on the bill were Xander and the Peace Pirates, a relatively new name for many seasoned blues festivalgoers. Hailing from Liverpool, the Pirates are a sight to behold and a joy to hear. They simply blew everyone away and were the talk of the festival. Frontman Keith Xander was born with no right arm – and plays the guitar using a plectrum held in a metal hook. Despite this (or maybe because of it?), his playing is sublime – and his vocals are rich and mellow, even when singing falsetto. His brother Stu is an excellent rhythm

guitarist and their set was enhanced by gorgeous slide playing from Mike Gay. Their self-penned songs blend soul, funk and blues – and their haunting harmonies are reminiscent of the Eagles. Not surprisingly, they have been signed to V2 Records and were racing off to record their first album in Holland. Watch out for these guys – I predict that they are headed for the big time.

Topping the Friday night bill were longtime blues festival favourites Trafficker, fronted by superb singer songwriter and guitarist Tommy Allen. In this relatively new line-up, Tommy and versatile Swedish bassist Emil Engstrom were joined by ace drummer Damon Clarridge and delivered a high-octane blues rock set, taking in some of Tommy’s trademark blues standards, along with some interesting new original material. The audience went to bed tired but happy after a great first day at Bowness.

Saturday opened at the Quayside Bar with talented young Cumbrian guitarist and singer Dean Newton, playing a mellow mix of pop, blues and jazz, including a very touching version of Georgia On My Mind. It was good to be reminded that sometimes all you need is a guy with a guitar, who makes a real emotional connection with the audience.

By all accounts, the free minitrail up the road in Windermere (a new addition this year) was a great

success. There were good reports of solo acts Graham Straughton and Benjamin Bassford and the top-class Christian Sharpe Trio. The other new feature this year was a Blues Cruise, which was certainly a highlight of the weekend. Brilliant sunshine, stunning lake views, a well-stocked onboard bar, and wonderful acoustic blues from two masters of the genre, Jon Amor and Sean Webster, definitely made for a winning combination. Sean and Jon are long-time friends and musical collaborators, which enabled them to back each other effortlessly –and their rapport was clear for all to see. It is to be hoped that the Blues Cruise becomes a regular feature of this very special festival. Meanwhile, back on land, there were some very talented bands kicking up a storm in various trail venues. Young West Country trio The Blue Horizon won over lots of new fans with their highly original brand of rocking blues. Long-haired frontman Iain Eccleston is an extremely gifted guitarist and vocalist, and he was very ably supported by Ed Gerlach on bass and Josh Armitage on drums. With Pete Feenstra championing their debut album, this is another young band who are definitely going places. Scottish/Cumbrian band Redfish played a pleasing set at Beresford’s, local outfit the Elderly Brothers drew a crowd at the Hole in t’Wall, the Della Grants and Paul Rose won several encores at the Hydro, and last-minute booking Secure Unit put on a stupendous performance at the Boat Club. Fronted by the aforementioned Dean Newton, Secure Unit’s line-up includes veteran bassist Gordon Colquitt, legendary Cumbrian drummer Frank Hall (ex-bandmate of one Ozzy Osbourne) and on keyboards Jon Marcangelo (ex-Violinski member). At this gig they were also joined by virtuoso saxophonist Roz Sluman. What a treat!

In the early evening, we headed

Wille and the Bandits by Jan Fialkowski

off to the Wheelhouse for a joyous rendition of old-school, goodtime blues from vocalist/harmonica player Simon Honeyboy Hickling and his band. Simon has been on the blues scene for a good many years but he’s still firing on all cylinders – and bursting with energy, charm and charisma.

Finally it was time for Saturday’s main event – and Sean Webster and the Deadlines took to the stage. Sean has gone from strength to strength since he formed this line-up and it’s no surprise that he and the guys are in ever more demand on the European blues circuit. Sean and Ash Wilson traded brilliant guitar licks and banter on stage, while Greg Smith kept up a rock-steady rhythm on the bass. Phil Wilson is currently drumming for Laurence Jones but his shoes were very capably filled by Joel Purkess, who lives in Holland (like Sean) and played one of the best drum solos we’ve heard in quite a while. To make the gig extra-special, Jon Amor loped onto the stage halfway through – and he, Sean and the band played an electrifying version of Jon’s song Juggernaut. Another unmissable moment in a weekend that was full of highlights!

Sunday started with acoustic duo Chris James (guitar and vocals) and Martin Fletcher (harmonica and vocals) playing a great selection of blues and gospel standards, interspersed with drily humorous anecdotes and jokes. They are a class act – well worth catching if you get the chance. It was hard to tear ourselves away but Sean Webster was playing a solo acoustic set next door – and we couldn’t resist another dose of his husky, heartfelt vocals. He always casts a spell over his audience at these intimate gigs, particularly when he plays his signature version of I’d Rather Go Blind.

By 2pm, John Verity and his band were tuning up at the Wheelhouse and they proceeded to play a very enjoyable, crowd-pleasing blues

rock set, including hits like Hold Your Head Up, which had Argent fans nodding their heads and singing along enthusiastically.

Sunday headliners Wille and the Bandits then took us to another level, with their superlative musicianship and highly original take on the blues, incorporating meltingly beautiful lap steel guitar, upright bass and imaginative percussion, not to mention Wille’s powerfully expressive vocals. They deserve all the acclaim they’ve been getting recently, as they have swept all before them at rock, roots and pop festivals, as well as blues events. It’s so refreshing to see a young band show that they can span musical genres and escape the pigeonholes that people so often want to trap them in. More power to their elbow!

For those who wanted to party on, Lancashire favourites Tin Pan Alley (fronted by Nigel ‘Tanny’ Tanton) were laying down juicy guitar riffs at the Boat Club, and Chris James and Martin Fletcher were playing another acoustic set, bringing Sunday to a mellow close.

This little festival is now punching well above its weight in terms of the artists it attracts, and blues fans would be well advised to make a note of the dates for next year’s festival – 7th to 9th April 2017.

Thanks to healthy ticket sales and enthusiastic bucket rattling by Windermere Rotary Club (who organise the event), the festival succeeded in raising around £8,000 for this year’s charities, St Mary’s Hospice and the Calvert Trust.

Finally, here’s one more 2016 date for your diary. As those who love the Lakes will know, the area has recently suffered a great deal from the effects of flooding. To their credit, Windermere Rotary Club are organising another music event, Rock On Windermere, specifically to raise money for Cumbria Flood Relief. This will be held on 17th and 18th June 2016 and will feature

Status Quo, Toploader and several other acts still to be announced. Tickets are available from http:// www.rockonwindermere.co.uk/ KELLY

DAVIS

CONCERTS

HARPIN' BY THE SEA

THE BRUNSWICK ARMS, BRIGHTON

6TH FEBRUARY 2016

On Saturday February 6, in a very windy Brighton, at The Brunswick Arms, I attended my first Harpin' by the Sea event. This was the sixth year running for the one day harmonica fest. Previous years have seen such distinguished luminaries as Joe Filisko and Steve Baker. 2016 was dubbed the 'future of the harmonica' with workshops on harmonica looping. I went along, wondering whether the future looks bright for the world of harmonica.

The workshops leaders were Dave Ferguson, flown especially in from South Africa. Dave used to live in London where he met another of the workshop leaders, Canadian Benjamin Darvill (aka Son of Dave), who started Dave Ferguson on the path to harmonica looping (I don't think they're related!) The final workshop leader was Mat Bezants, who delivered a more traditional blues harmonica style.

The event was split into two parts. The daytime saw three workshops for the three streamed levels of ability: beginner, intermediate and advanced. One of the scheduled workshop leaders took ill, so Dave Ferguson ably stepped into the breach to cover. I attended both of Dave's workshops. In the first of which he shared his extensive technical knowledge of microphones and amplifiers, before showing us the guts of the harmonica with some embossing and reed gaping. Dave's second workshop focused on his approach to looping and the use of his various pedals to create some out-of-this-world

The Boulton Center in Bayshore NY presented a rare Long Island appearance by the now 83 year old legend himself, the “King of British Blues” John Mayall and his band. As expected, Mayall put on an energetic performance worthy of somebody half his age.

One thing that has been certain since the early Sixties is that John Mayall would always tour with a great band. John will always be known for the Big Three –Eric Clapton, Peter Green, and Mick Taylor, but more importantly it has been Mayall's keen eye to pick great talent. When he picked many of these legends, they were still unknowns. Mayall also has the ability to come up with a great body of songs that bring out all his musician's talents. Last, but not least John Mayall is a great all around musician himself; vocalist, guitarist, keyboard player and harpist.

John’s current band is a great one with Rocky Athas on guitar,

Greg Rzab on bass and Jay Davenport on drums. John says this is his best band. They came out roaring at the Boulton Center with Why Did You Go Last Night, Parchment Farm and Dirty Water. Other favorites were Walking On Sunset and Congo Square. He ended the set with Room To Move, which gave everybody in the band a chance to solo and the tune everyone in the crowd was waiting for. The encore was the John Mayall standard, Hideaway. Nobody in the audience was disappointed, other than still wanting more!

John Mayall is a must see for any music fan. He has certainly done his part in saving American music. Make sure you pick up his brand new album on Forty Below records; ‘Find A Way To Care’, and go check out his show when he comes to your town. Especially if you’ve missed seeing him over the last fifty five or so years!

VERBALS: BARRY FISCH

VISUAL: ARNIE GOODMAN

effects. He demonstrated how he builds up layers of sounds using the harmonica and some vocal effects, including beat-boxing drum patterns.

The final workshop of the day brought all of the many attendees together to witness Son of Dave provide a masterclass on his looping style. By his own admission, Son of Dave delivers some caustic sarcasm, all part of his enigmatic and satirical stage presence. We were all left wondering quite what he would provide to us in the evening concert. Mat Bezants provided the intermediate workshops on some fundamental harmonica playing techniques, from which I heard good reports from my friend Harry.

So on to the evening concert –which certainly didn't disappoint. Dave Ferguson opened proceedings with a rousing set and some supersonic sounds. Mat Bezants brought us back to earth, playing some excellent traditional blues harmonica with his musical accomplice Adam Franklin. These guys played a storming set, showing there is still a place for old-style harmonica against all this high-tech competition. Son of Dave topped the bill. What a show! He knows how to entertain and how to draw the audience into his idiosyncratic universe. The amount of energy and drive he delivered in a one man show was quite astonishing. During his workshop earlier he said he doesn't practise the harmonica. He did himself an injustice. The harmonica is central to his show and he uses it to great effect. The audience was spellbound throughout.

So what did the Harpin' by the Sea event bring me? It certainly opened my eyes to the possibilities of looping and effects pedals. A lot of harmonica players, myself included, tend to shy away from such modern interference, favouring a more traditional approach to the beloved tin sandwich. I don't currently see myself going down the path of solo looping performing, but the use of pedals and other such technical

wizardry are becoming an essential part of many musicians armoury in the twenty first century. Now, just on to eBay to buy more gear...

Plaudits must go to organisers Stuart McKay and Richard Taylor (see http://www.harpsurgery. com). A tremendous job, with some quality MC-ing during the concert by Richard.

Stuart and Richard promised some surprises for next year’s Harpin' by the Sea event. On this year’s evidence the only problem I can see is how they will fit everyone into the packed Brunswick Arms.

Harpin' by the Sea is the first of numerous harmonica events run by NHL members in the UK in 2016. Next up is the well-established Chromatic Weekend in Birmingham on June 25-26. Blue Saturday in Bucks on July 9. The Edinburgh Harmonica Workshops, including tutor Adam Gussow, July 22-24. Culminating with Harmonica 2016 in Bristol on October 28-30. See http:// www.harmonica.co.uk/diary.htm for full details and even more events.

NEIL WARREN

THE STUMBLE/THE FOREGATE STREET BLUES BAND

LICHFIELD GUILDHALL

6TH FEBRUARY 2016

The blues is a musical form which comes in various different styles, and this was illustrated to fine effect when a near capacity audience turned up to see The Stumble at Lichfield Guildhall.

The popular band had sterling support from The Foregate Street Blues Band, whose commanding stage presence, and fine musical instincts kept the audience enraptured during their short acoustic set. The three piece of David Bristow, Darren Mather and Andy Dent, playing two guitars and harmonica provided a fine line of their own music, as well as songs from such luminaries as Robert Johnson, and many trad/ arr songs. Songs such as Easy Going Mama and That’s The Blues

blended with a jazzy syncopation and a foot stomping beat.

The main attraction of the evening, though were the Stumble, who played a rousing near 100 minute set of their own songs, and pieces from the soul, blues and rock repertoire. With vocalist Paul Melville, guitarists Colin Black and Ant Scapens, saxophonist Simon Anthony Dixon, drummer and songwriter Boyd Tonnor, and bassist Cameron Sweetnam, the band meant serious business from their first notes. Three new songs opened the set, with Just Stop and The Story of New Orleans being particularly strong, blending no nonsense rhythms, with guitar and saxophone solos.

The soul ballad side of the group’s sound was shown during such songs as Under Your Command, whilst they played a rousing You Upset Me Baby as a tribute to the much missed B.B King. All Over was a slow and brooding exercise in intensity, giving the vocals of Paul Melville a solid workout, whilst the first set closer of This Is My Life started of as a slow ballad, before a coda that ramped up of the song’s intensity and speed.

The second set featured many of the group’s older material, with the slide guitar driven Lie To Me and the brooding The World Is Tough opening the set. Heat Of The Night was another new song that featured

some strong harmony guitar, whilst Evening was a showcase for the talents of Simon Anthony Dixon, retro surf guitar featured in Only You, whilst the concert was finished with Sam Cooke’s Bring It On Home To Me, a song which played to the band’s strengths of musical integrity, and giving the audience a good night out.

BEN MACNAIR

SARI SCHORR

THE CUTTING ROOM, NEW YORK

18TH FEBRUARY 2016

BLUES FROM THE BALCONY

With the almost daily passing of our musical greats, one could wonder if we will ever see that level of talent again. A rightful question. There has been a buzz about Sari for over a year, since last February when it was announced that she would be recording with Mike Vernon, the godfather of British blues. The Cutting Room was the logical venue for Sari to unveil the new songs on the Vernon-produced debut album - in her hometown, in front of an attentive NYC audience. The set began with Ain’t Got No Money, a perfect introduction to the power of Sari’s amazing voice, followed by Demolition Man and American Boy. Both songs have a traditional blues feel that are right in Sari’s vocal wheelhouse. She can swing from unbridled joy to

The Stumble by Ben MacNair

deep sadness, believability oozes as she draws you into her world. I Ain’t Ready and Letting Go, both co-written with Vernon, are soulful, poignant songs that are much more than blues, a fusion of styles she works to perfection. Kiss Me is a trippy-blues jam that affirms Sari’s ability to display raw emotion as she lays her heart and soul out for all to see. On the Lead Belly classic Where Did You Sleep Last Night? she was focused and calm at the start –hypnotic - believability oozes as Sari’s voice paints the spellbinding story. Oklahoma is a funky blues tune with a staccato rap towards the end that fits perfectly. Next, another Lead Belly song, Black Betty. This is Sari’s song now, as she skillfully shares her pain visually with the audience while taking blues to a new level, getting very close to operatic blues. The final song of the evening was ‘Aunt Hazel’. Sari’s powerful voice easily accelerates through her vocal range, and at one point came an intense yell of despair from the depths of her soul. We are not born with the blues, someone or something gave them to us, and this song is troubling proof.

Backed by the Sari Schorr band –Chris Bergson on guitar, Craig Dreyer on keys and sax, Andy Huenerberg on bass and Diego Voglino on drums – this was a very special New York City debut of her soon-to-be-released album. Sari made the choice to strike out on her own, and Vernon chose to come out of retirement and produce Sari’s first solo album. Thanks to them, the future of blues is in good hands. Sari is a gift to all of us from the Blues Gods, catch her at the upcoming festivals in June.

ERIC BAKER

JOE BONAMASSA BOURNEMOUTH INTERNATIONAL CENTRE

20TH MARCH 2016

Since first seeing Joe in the early noughties, when he played to the proverbial one man and a dog, it is with great pride that I join a sell-out 3500 capacity crowd at this superb venue. The transformation is amazing, he has become such a slick artist, both musically and visually, through his success he's able to command the best musicians to accompany him. On this occasion he has the brass section

of Lee Thornburg trumpet and saxist Paulie Cerra. Along with the amazing rhythm section of long-time drummer Anton Fig and bassist Michael Rhodes, the band is completed by recent Rock 'n' Roll Hall Of Fame inductee (for his work with Stevie Ray Vaughan) Reese Wynans on keyboards. The stage remained dark for a full version of Johnny Cash's Ring Of Fire, before the band walked on to Locomotive Introduction - and they're off and running to This Train, the opening track on the new Blues Of Desperation album. As the song title suggests, there is a breathless guitar riff and a ripper of a solo that sets the scene for what is to come. Looking at the set-list, it appears he wants to get the quota of new material done and dusted early in the set, not a problem there, as Mountain Climbing, Blues Of Desperation and No Good Place For The Lonely, which follow, are all stunners. It's then back to more familiar territory with Freddie King's See See Baby, BB King's Never Make Your Move Too Soon and Albert King's Angel Of Mercy from his Three Kings project. Not to be outdone, three tracks from

Joe Bonamassa by Marty Moffatt

his Muddy Wolf album follow, in the shape of Hey Baby, the classic Oh Beautiful and Love Ain't A Love Song. By now Joe's had enough of us sitting, signalling us to stand for his stunning take on Going Down, always guaranteed to work! No Bonamassa show is complete without his take on Sloe Gin (often wonder if anyone has heard the spicy original by Tim Curry?) and the extended version of Ballad Of John Henry. What a way to end, or not quite. Joe threw a curved ball for the encore. Instead of the usual rousing rock, perhaps because it was a Sunday night, he chose the beautiful, melodic Hummingbird. Have to admit that apart from the Barclay James Harvest song, which this was not, I had to research on this. Turns out it's a cover of a 1970 song by Leon Russell and deserves to be released sometime soon. Overall, I detected a somewhat calmer approach and no bad thing. All in all, you know what you're getting with Joe; the guy puts on a magnificent show. His next project is in July with his five date tour, his salute to the British Blues Explosion, a homage to the music of Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page. Catch that if you can – details on Joe's website.

CLIVE RAWLINGS

POPLAR JAKE & THE ELECTRIC DELTA REVIEW/ AULD MANS BACCIE

NEWCASTLE CLUNY 2

18TH MARCH 2016

A night to savour in the small downstairs Cluny 2 tonight where around forty people witnessed two bands from opposite sides of Watford Gap give incendiary performances.

Support slot, local-ish, Auld Mans Baccie from Seaham are Davey Curtis on guitar and vocals, and Nick Phillips on throat clearing delta slide. They performed a set of acoustic blues, quirky originals and covers, with an easy going relaxed stage presence. Backing vocals were supplied by Rhiannon Phillips and Sean Mullins

added harp. Sell My Monkey was a personal favourite with audience call and response and a rowdy beat.

Poplar Jake and the Electric Delta Review played a main set of raw power. From East London, Jake provided guitar with occasional slide on a selection of old fashioned amped-up blues. Most of the original material came from their latest album See What You Done. Dan Collins was ever present on harp, whether ghosting behind the guitar giving gritty rhythm or blowing lung bursting solos. Seemingly able to breathe through his ears he galloped through Tommy Johnson’s Big Road Blues. The Duchess provided plucked cello bass, her fingers walking the neck and giving distinctive bottom to complement Dave Sims no nonsense drums. Swamp Thing rolled and tumbled, I Was A Fool had squealing slide and See See Mama featured more mosquito harp buzzing around the guitar riff. Brooding Hard Man was a witty tale about Jake Senior complete with underscored harp.

A night of good-time blues complete with ‘Geordie’ wit and barrow-boy banter. Vaulting the language barrier Jake and the band puzzled over the term ‘bobby-dazzler’ referring to one of his guitars. They decided it meant ‘ansome! Which just about summed up tonight.

MEL WALLACE

BETH HART – BLUES FROM THE BALCONY THE TOWN HALL, NEW

28TH FEBRUARY 2016

YORK

“Why do I get so nervous playing in New York City?” Beth asked the audience after opening her set with the bluesy Sinner’s Prayer. She has a unique relationship with her faithful fans, whether it’s because of her well documented struggles, or in spite of them. The sold out crowd was ready to make Beth feel right at home. Her next two songs, Spirit Of God and I’ll Take Care Of You showed off the talented band - Jon Nichols guitar, PJ

Barth guitar, Bob Marinelli bass & Bill Ransom drums. St Teresa is one of Beth’s tear-jerker ballads with lyrics so pure and simple, you have to admire this woman’s honesty. The next three songs Beth sat in a chair with her acoustic guitar and group therapy was in session, beginning with Today Came Home, then Broken & Ugly. The pace picked up with Ugliest House On The Block, an unpretentious song with a nice reggae influence. Beth then strolled over to her piano, and sitting alone with the candles flickering, she becomes a chanteuse. Everything Must Change, Baddest Blues and Better Man, all from her Bang Bang Boom Boom release, and Waterfalls from 37 Days, are songs so personal that if you closed your eyes you would swear you were dreaming. Stepping away from the piano, Beth becomes the ultimate blues broad again. Pulled out of the closet was her kick-ass version of the Tina Turner classic Nutbush City Limit, rocking this 95 year old theater all the way up here to the balcony. Beth was having fun now, cursing like a sailor and sweating like Elvis in a jumpsuit. A couple of older tunes were next - Take It Easy On Me, from her 2010 release My California and Leave The Light On from her ’03 album. The lighthearted Stinky Feet was a fun honky-tonk tune about her husband and savior, Scott. You know Beth is a survivor, you know she is tough, and it’s all out there on the final song of the set - Mamma This One’s For You - another very personal, emotional song. Her encore was Might As Well Smile, which was the overall theme of the evening. By the end of the night, Beth feels like your favorite sister, you love her because of quirks and believability, and really, there’s no need to be nervous Beth, your New York family loves you. Beth Hart is making a short visit to England for an already sold out show in Brighton on May 25th, she will return to the UK in November with a slate of 7 not to be missed shows.

ERIC BAKER

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