Blues Matters 99

Our name says it all!

ROBERT PLANT STILL ON FIRE

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

THE METEORIC RISE OF TEN YEARS AFTER

ALSO …

Caribbean Blues

Women in the Blues

Summertime Blues

ALBUMS, FESTIVALS AND CONCERTS

The BIGGEST collection of blues reviews including the Woodstock Rhythm & Blues Festival and the Carlisle Blues Rock Festival

MAGNESS

BLUES

SUPERSONIC BLUES MACHINE

Michael Biggar Mark “Porkchop” Holder London Blusion Big River John P Taylor Band

LOVE TO PLAY GUITAR?

Then get properly serious with the world’s finest tuition-only magazine. Every issue’s packed with blues, rock, jazz, country, classical and folk lessons from the very best tutors, all with audio and backing tracks.

Guitar Techniques with moving tab, synched to quality audio for every lesson, is also available for iPad and iPhone via the App store

WELCOME

Issue 99!

One more step closer to that magic 100! … and here we are again with our tour of the blues world in words and photos. You know what they say about buses – you wait for a while and then all of a sudden they come at ya in bunches – well we’ve got some great interviews for y’all again. I mean check it out! We have Warren Haynes, Jonny Lang and for the first time in our pages, the mighty Janiva Magness relaxes and opens up for us. We catch up with Marcus Malone and talk to Samantha Fish about her latest album paying homage to old favourites. Hamilton Loomis talks about his latest release and we discuss his son’s rare illness and his hopes to raise awareness of this condition. We’ve also got those ‘superstar’ bands Supersonic Blues Machine as well as Black Country Communion. Another first timer with us is Scott Holt and then along come the battling, slide master Chris Rea and the ever spiritually diversifying Robert Plant, with what is a lovely relaxed chat. We are positively overflowing with wonderful insights in these pages.

Take it further with our features and the latest part of Women In Blues plus ‘The Bishop’ returns on the new Ten Years After box set and takes you on a taster tour of this collection of out-takes and rarities. We catch up with the long-serving Ray Dorset who is still out there jugging along AND we cover that exemplary fellow Bobby G, who released his first album at the ripe old age of 73 – and it is a superb body of work steeped in the traditions of the blues which is seriously worth checking out of you haven’t already.

We cannot forget our live section of gigs, festivals, Blue Bloods and of course the CD review pages, so enjoy this 99th issue as we set sail for the next issue (already being worked on due to deadlines and bank holidays etc.).

My thanks to ALL of our ‘team’ here at Blues Matters! for your efforts to the cause that are appreciated by our readers around the world.

Enjoy this issue and we will see you in the 100th, meanwhile we wish you all a VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS and NEW YEAR. Happy reading!

Alan Pearce

Founder / Publisher / Editor-in-Chief

Note: The Digital version has been available to all print subscribers at no extra cost for some time now but this offer will end on 31st December 2017 and will require a separate action. Subscription details can be found on the bluesmatters.com website.

BLUES MATTERS!

PO Box 18, Bridgend, CF33 6YW. UK

Tel: 00-44-(0)1656-745628

Opening Hours: Mon-Fri 11am-4pm

FOUNDER/PUBLISHER/EDITOR IN CHIEF

Alan Pearce: alan@bluesmatters.com

EDITOR/INTERVIEWS/FEATURES/ CD/DVD/BOOKS/GIGS/FESTIVALS/ BLUE BLOOD/SOCIAL MEDIA

Christine Moore christine@bluesmatters.com

SOCIAL MEDIA/PR/MARKETING/WEB

Mairi Maclennan marketing-PR@bluesmatters.com

PROOF READERS

George Cook, Benjamin McNair, Steve Banks, Jack Goodall

PRODUCTION-ART/LAYOUT DESIGN

Chris Pettican: design@bluesmatters.com

ADVERTISING

Alan Pearce: ads@bluesmatters.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS/ORDERS

Warners Group: 01778 392082 subscriptions@warnersgroup.co.uk

ORDERS (OTHER )

Jenny Hughes: orders@bluesmatters.com

FESTIVAL STAND MANAGER: Christine Moore christine@bluesmatters.com

WEB DESIGN MANAGER

Ian Potter: webmanager@bluesmatters.com

MEDIA MANAGERS

Mairi Maclennan, Christine Moore

IT SUPPORT OrbitsIT

Website – http://www.bluesmatters.com/ Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/bluesmattersmagazine

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/bluesmattersmagazine/ Twitter – https:// www.twitter.com/bluesmattersmag

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Liz Aiken, Roy Bainton, Eric Baker (USA), Steve Banks, Adrian Blacklee, Bob Bonsey, Eddy Bonte (Bel), Colin Campbell, Iain Cameron, Norman Darwen, Dave Drury, Carl Dziunka (Aus), Ben Elliott (USA), Barry Fisch (USA), Sybil Gage (USA), Jack Goodall, Stuart A. Hamilton, Gareth Hayes, Trevor Hodgett, Andy Hughes, Billy Hutchinson, Rowland Jones, Brian Kramer (Sw), Frank Leigh, John Lindley, Gian Luca (USA), Mairi Maclennan, Ben McNair, John Maroney (USA), Mercedes Mill (USA), John Mitchell, Christine Moore, Paul Natkin, Stevie Nimmo, Toby Ornott, Merv Osborne, David Osler, Iain Patience (Fr), Thomas Rankin, Clive Rawlings, Darrell Sage (USA), Paromita Saha (USA), Pete Sargeant, Graeme Scott, Shirl, Andy Snipper, M.D. Spenser, Dave Stone, Beau Theige (USA), Suzanne Swanson (Can), Tom Walker, Mel Wallace, Darren Weale, Don Wilcock (USA), Dani Wilde, Rhys Williams, Steve Yourglivch, Mike Zito (USA).

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Christine Moore, Arnie Goodman (USA), others credited on page.

COVER PHOTOS

Robert Plant by Mads Perch, Supersonic Blues Machine by Robert Knight, Janiva Magness by Shelby Duncan.

© 2017 Blues Matters!

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

Printed by Pensord

Distributed by Warners Distribution Group

THE GREAT BRITISH ROCK & BLUES FESTIVAL

THE BLUES MATTERS! STAGE AT JAKS

FRIDAY NIGHT: ROBIN BIBI BAND

JACK HUTCHINSON BOOM BOOM BROTHERHOOD AS H WILSON BAND

SATURDAY AFTERNOON: THE EVER POPULAR ROADHOUSE JAM SESSIONS

have become synonymous with this super weekend and always in great demand and very well supported, including short sets by Roadhouse themselves to start and close (always popular – and w ith many festivals under their belts, always crowd pleasers). The JAMs get packed out every year!

SATURDAY NIGHT:

MATT EDWARDS BAND TROY

REDFERN BAND RAINBREAKERS

SUNDAY AFTERNOON ACOUSTIC: AL HUGHES

BENJAMIN BASSFORD BAND

BACKWATER ROLL

SUNDAY NIGHT: ROADHOUSE

JAMES O'HARA

ELLES BAILEY

YOUR BLUES MC FOR THE WEEKEND CLIVE RAWLINGS

ROBERT PLANT (UK)

CHRIS REA (UK)

BLUE BLOOD �������������������������������

It’s all about some of those you may not have seen or heard yet.

Big River (UK), John P Taylor Band (UK), London Blusion (UK), Mark ‘Pork Chop’ Holder (USA), Mike Biggar (CAN) and Voodoo Blood (UK).

INTERVIEWS

ROBERT PLANT (UK) ������������������

The former rock-god talks to Iain about his new album and the importance to him of keeping his music rooted and real.

CHRIS REA (UK) ������������������������� 42

Despite the Northern Slidemaster's physical restrictions following a stroke, Chris is still going down that road.

SUPERSONIC BLUES MACHINE (USA)� 48

Fabrizio Grossi, the band's spokesperson, talks about the band and their reason to get this project together. He has some fascinating stories.

JANIVA MAGNESS (USA) ������������

What a tale this lady has to tell, and she shares some of it with our reviewer and DJ Clive Rawlings.

SCOTT HOLT (USA) ���������������������

Find out why Buddy Guy took this guy under his wing some thirtyeight years back, when Scott played second guitar to him.

MARCUS MALONE (USA) ������������

68

Read how Marcus believes he has been on a musical journey to become ‘A Better Man’.

54

60

BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION (USA) 64

Glenn Hughes, Joe Bonamassa, Jason Bonham and Derek Sherinian make up this super group. Glenn gives us the lowdown on the band.

GOV’T MULE (USA) ��������������������

72 Warren Haynes talks about Gregg Allman's influence on him. Plus all the inside gen on the new album straight from the Mule's mouth!

JONNY LANG (USA) ��������������������

Thirty-six years old and twenty years in the business. Now there are bound to be stories there...

SAMANTHA FISH (USA)��������������

Eight albums on and this young lady is still handing out ‘Chills And Fever’. Find out if she's just another girl with a guitar.

76

80

HAMILTON LOOMIS (USA) ��������� 84 Hamilton opens up about his son and the rare condition Congenital Hyperinsulinism (HI) that he has, as well as his new album.

FEATURES

Bankie Banx Blues, Bobby G, Summertime Blues Ray Dorset, Ten Years After, The New York Connection and Phenomenal Blues Women.

REVIEWS

ALBUMS ���������������������������������������

11

89

Check out all of the latest blues CD releases.

SHOWTIME ��������������������������������

117

FESTIVALS – Carlisle Blues Rock Festival (UK), Saltburn ‘Howzat’ Festival (UK), Day of the Blues (UK), and Woodstock Rhythm & Blues Festival (IRL)

GIGS – Chastity Brown, Funke and the Two Tone Baby, Lucky Peterson, Ricky Cool and the In Crowd, Wille and the Bandits, Ten Years After, and William Bell.

BANKIE BANX BLUES

To Bankie Banx the blues is a feeling. Beyond chord shapes and bar structures, it floats in the air. It is a feeling he first encountered during the British occupation of his home island of Anguilla in the late 60’s. The top 40 would come on on Saturdays and with it, the sounds of Ray Charles and others, wafting through the air. He started playing music at age fourteen, and by then he was already a writer, often scribbling poems down onto pieces of paper that he would later put to music. He made his first guitar himself, measuring the distance between the frets and learning the chords in the empty spaces of the Anguilla days. He started performing his own compositions at age

20, but it was his Mother that was to be his guide. “People will never listen to your songs at the dances on a Saturday night,” she said, “they only want to hear the music, the beat of the drum and the sound of guitar, they’re not listening to the lyrics. If you want them to do that you have to put on a concert.”

Bankie’s music career took him from Anguilla, all around the Caribbean in the 70’s with his band Roots and Herbs, then all around Europe and eventually an eight year stint in New York in the 80s and 90’s before he came back home. It was on this journey he gained the nick name "The Anguillian Bob Dylan", which has stayed with him till the present day. His mother’s words also stayed with him

and so he built the Dune Preserve: a wooden shrine to music and creativity, right in between the five star hotels and villas of Rendezvous Bay. Now he still performs twice a week, on Wednesdays with a guitar and a harmonica and on Fridays with a full band, he still fills the air with his wistful lyrics.

“F*** my colonial ambitions" Bankie said "I’m just going to build the best treehouse EVER and chill here making music for the rest of my life". And that he did! The Dune is truly a unique place. Built piece by piece and section by section onto a sand dune towards the west of the island. It faces south towards the French/ Dutch island of St Martin/ St Maarten and unless the

Verbals: Ada Lo Visuals: Arnie Goodman

rain is thundering over the sea the other islands hills are always visible and at night the individual lights of the houses light the horizon. Bankie lives right next to his creation, in a house he designed himself, beautiful construction of varnished Guyanese hardwood. The Dune itself is a beach bar and performance space built around the sea grapes, coconut trees and Lignum Vitae that grows naturally in the spot. It is made using recycled materials: A lot of old guitars and the like prop up seats and the bar itself is actually half a boat.

The Rendezvous Folk & Blues Fest, introduced as a way to stimulate tourism in Anguilla, was well received by residents and visitors alike. Inspired by the Blues Cruise that sailed past Anguilla

a few years ago (featuring Marquise Knox), Bankie's three day blues picnic provided a great introduction to any blues novice. Music lovers are a plenty on Anguilla but typically reggae-centric. Using the Blues Fest as essentially an education tool, Bankie demonstrated how blues permeates and influences most other musical genres, much to the surprise of our younger audience! Featuring the hugely talented Scott Holt on Guitar and breathtaking vocals from Felicia March, who performed an eclectic mix of blues, soul and gospel, you can easily see why the Rendezvous Blues Fest received island-wide critical acclaim. With Leo Lyons, Jeff Simon and Solomon Hicks all named as possibilities for next year, the festival is set

to develop massively. It is no surprise that Bankie expects the Blues Fest to become one of the islands most preeminent festivals within the next five years and, knowing Bankie, anything's possible! Unfortunately, the Dune Preserve, was ravaged on 6 September 2017, by the biggest hurricane in the last decade, Irma. The Dune has been wrecked and rebuilt several times as a result of hurricanes that haunt this part of the world but every time they have blown it down it has been built back up by Bankie and his crew. Various fundraisers have been established in an effort to rebuild as soon as possible. Regardless of recent activities, as hurricane season comes to an end, the organisers expect to hold the second annual Rendezvous Folk & Blues on June 21 - 24 2018."

Extra From Arnie Goodman to the People of Anguilla

Over the years I have been lucky enough to attend music festivals throughout the world. Last July, I had the opportunity to attend the first annual Anguilla Blues and Roots Festival promoted by none other than Bankie Banx, known as the Bob Dylan of the Caribbean. The festival site in Anguilla was second to none. The fans couldn’t do enough for any of the artists. The Bankie Banx Dunes was one of the most unique settings for a festival. I hope that all the music fans can get behind Bankie and the people of Anguilla to help them restore their homes and celebrate a 2018 second annual Anguilla Blues and Roots Festival.

GENUINE HOUSEROCKIN’ MUSIC SINCE 1971

Selwyn Birchwood

Pick Your Poison

“Searing guitar and gritty vocals...this album screams quality as it rips and roars along”

–BLUES MATTERS

The Cash Box Kings Royal Mint

“Classic Chicago blues played fulltilt with palpable exuberance. A band that understands the past without merely mimicking it”

–CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Rick Estrin & The Nightcats

Groovin’ In Greaseland

“Superb...hefty urban blues distinguished by the fat, meaty harp sound Estrin blows so well...truly satisfying”

–BLUES MATTERS

Tommy Castro & The Painkillers

Stompin’ Ground

“Swaggering, razorwire soul, simmering deep blues and hard-grooving house rockers” –ALLMUSIC

PHENOMENAL BLUES WOMEN

Ida Cox – Wild woman and uncrowned ‘feminist’ queen of the blues.

Verbals and Visuals: Dani Wilde

Ida Cox was a phenomenal blues woman who overcame racism and sexism to become a successful recording artist and a role model for women. Her feminist blues songs remain just as relevant today as the day she wrote them!

In 1896, just 31 years after the abolition of slavery, Ida Cox was born Ida Prather in Toccoa, Georgia. Ida’s parents were sharecroppers and their family lived and worked on the Riverside Plantation, the private residence of the very wealthy Prather family. The surname ‘Prather’ was the ‘slave name’ given to Ida’s

family. Growing up in the shadow of the plantation, Ida faced a bleak future of dire poverty. Like most AfricanAmericans in the late 1800’s, she had very few educational or employment opportunities.

At the age of 14, Ida, who enjoyed singing at her local church, decided to leave her home when she was offered the opportunity to tour with White and Clark's Black & Tan Minstrels. In an interview, Ida recalled, "I ran away with a minstrel show… They told me how I could get away, and they'd help me. So I told them what they would have to do was to come to

my house one night... I told them what night to come. I'd leave my clothes packed sitting outside the window, and for them to just take the bag with my clothes in it back to the car. And later on, I'd be on out. Oh, dear, that's how I got away."

When asked what her mother had thought about it she responded "Of course, she didn't want to hear about it – anyway, I had just gone."

Ida began her performance career on stage by playing Topsy, a "pickaninny" caricature, often performed in blackface. The term pickaninny was a popular racist slang term of the era, used to describe children of African descent. Blackface performances in minstrel shows had begun with white performers using burnt cork and later greasepaint or shoe polish to blacken their skin. They would often wear woolly wigs, and ragged clothes whilst delivering disturbingly derogatory stage performances which mocked African-Americans, making them out to be lazy and buffoon-like. As well as undeniable racism, minstrel routines would often include sexist material against black women and suffragettes. By the 1840’s these blackface minstrel shows were considered an American national art!

It may seem strange then that talented black

performers like Ida, also began performing in blackface. White audiences considered all-black minstrel shows ‘authentic’, but why would an African-American in the late 1800’s choose to reinforce these awful racial stereotypes? The fact was that touring in these Minstrel shows provided a much more enjoyable and relatively lucrative livelihood than the menial labour most African -American’s endured. Ida went on to travel with many touring shows including the famous Rabbit Foot Minstrels.

In 1916, Ida married fellow Minstrel performer Adler Cox, a respected trumpeter. Sadly, their marriage was cut short by Adler’s tragic death during the First World War. Ida Cox chose to keep her married name throughout the rest of her performing career. She channelled her grief into her music, composing some heart wrenching, biographical songs such as Graveyard Dream Blues and Death Letter Blues.

I received a letter that my man was dyin'

I received a letter that my man was dyin'

I caught the first plane and went home flyin'

He wasn't dead, but he was slowly dyin'

He wasn't dead, but he was slowly dyin'

And to think of him I just can't help from cryin'

That was the last time I saw my daddy's face

That was the last time I saw my daddy's face

Mama love you, sweet papa, but I wish I could take your place

Many women could relate to Ida Cox’s songs of death and heartache. One third of the 9.7 million soldiers killed or declared missing during the Great War left behind a widow. The Great War’s widows suffered not just emotionally but also financially, because men were usually paid much higher wages than women. Ida Cox however, remained a strong and independent woman who was keen to forge her own solo career in music.

Whilst working the Southern tent shows and vaudeville circuit as a comedienne and singer, Ida developed her stagecraft and song-writing skills. It was unusual for female vocalists of the day to write their own material, and so Ida stood out, soon impressing some very influential people. At 19 years of age, she settled in Chicago. It was there that she became acquainted with young trumpeter Louis Armstrong and the successful blues and jazz pianist Jelly Roll Morton. Ida’s commanding stage presence and emotive vocal

style made her very special; she could be singing to a thousand people but would make each audience member feel the intimacy of her words as if she were singing just to them – she would later achieve the same magical connection with her listeners through her recordings. This talent is what earned her a star billing alongside Jelly Roll Morton at the 81 Theatre in Atlanta, and in 1923 she signed a recording contract with Paramount.

Ida Cox was greatly inspired by Ma Rainy – The Mother of the Blues, and Bessie Smith – The Empress of the Blues. Both Smith and Rainy had cultivated their craft touring with The Rabbit Foot Minstrels before signing big record deals that launched them to stardom. Following in her heroes’ footsteps, Paramount billed Ida Cox as ‘The Uncrowned Queen of the Blues’. The following year, 1924, Ida Cox wrote and recorded what I consider to be her most inspiring and influential song: Wild Women Don't Have the Blues.

I never was known to treat no one man right I keep 'em working hard both day and night

You won't get nothing by being an angel child

You better change your ways and get real wild Because wild women don't worry Wild women don't have the blues.

Cox’s song has a clear feminist message. Most African-American women in 1920’s society experienced not only racial prejudice but also sexism. Here, Cox reaches out to all women, telling them to stand-up to male dominance. She insists that by being "wild", women can be strong and free, taking no orders from men.

I h ear these women raving 'bout their monkey men

About their trifling husbands and their no good friends

These poor women sit around all day and moan

Wondering why their wandering papa's don't come home

But wild women don't worry, wild women don't have no blues

In calling African-American men “Monkey Men”, Ida refers back to her roots of blackface minstrelsy. She

makes a stand against male dominance as she mocks those men still gigging her old circuit, dressing up in blackface makeup and acting like buffoons. Meanwhile, Cox rose above the male dominance of the minstrel shows, to the prominence of her own recording career. Her song paints a portrait of an independent, nonconforming wild woman, and in doing so, challenges the gender stereotypes put on women by men. Cox says that women do not have to be good to men who do not treat them as equals in order to succeed in their lives.

Cox’s message was not only relevant to AfricanAmerican women but to women in general. During 1920’s America, great steps were made in the development of women’s rights. In 1920, all women were given the right to vote. In 1921, the University of North Carolina opened housing to white female graduate students, however they were not made to feel welcome; the student newspaper headline read, “Women Not Wanted Here.” Very few women earned degrees during the 1920s, but times were changing,

and each year more women received a college education. Throughout the 1920’s, the number of working-women increased by 25%. Divorce rates doubled because women were no longer content to stay at home with bad husbands. Through her songwriting, Cox became a positive role model, inspiring women to make bold and independent choices. Despite this, most women remained housewives who did not have the freedoms of their men. Marriage remained the goal of most young women, and magazine articles and movies encouraged women to believe that their financial security and social status relied upon a successful marriage.

During the 1920’s, Cox’s contemporaries such as Bessie Smith performed cover versions of ‘Wild Women’, and much more recently, country artist Lyle Lovett and pop singer Cyndi Lauper have recorded their own versions. In 2017, Cox’s song continues to resonate with women across the globe as the campaign for equal gender rights continues. In the USA, Women with full-time jobs are still only paid 77% of their male counterparts’ earnings, and African-American women earn just 64 cents for every dollar earned by a Caucasian man!

Recommended listening:

l Ida Cox – Wild Women Don’t Have The Blues

l Ida Cox – Death Letter Blues

l Ida Cox – Graveyard Dream Blues

EXCLUSIVE UK TOUR 2018

WEDNESDAY 21 MARCH WHITBY PAVILION THEATRE

THURSDAY 22 MARCH COVENTRY THE ALBANY THEATRE

FRIDAY 23 MARCH LONDON UNDER THE BRIDGE

SATURDAY 24 MARCH LINCOLN ALIVE

SUNDAY 25 MARCH DURHAM GALA THEATRE

TUESDAY 27 MARCH BURY ST EDMUNDS THE APEX

WEDNESDAY 28 MARCH BRISTOL THE TUNNELS

THURSDAY 29 MARCH KEIGHLEY THE OCTAGON

FRIDAY 30 MARCH SOUTHPORT THE ATKINSON

TICKETS (ALL CARDS) 01472 349222

• WWW.SOLIDENTERTAINMENTS.COM

EACH VENUE AND ALL USUAL AGENTS

THE NEW YORK – ROBERT JOHNSON BLUES CONNECTION – PART I

Verbals: Brian Kramer Visuals: Cathy Wittenberg Schein

To tell you this story, we need to start from the very end…

Monday September 11th, 2017

I have just a few short hours left of this intense, six day trip before my flight, that brought me back over to NYC and decide to stop in one last time to see Zeke Schein, thank him and pick up a T-shirt from Matt Umanov Guitars for the road (the one I had was getting a bit faded and tattered from good use).

Zeke had just written and published a book; Portrait of a Phantom (Pelican Publishing), a somewhat controversial release centered on the authentication of a third photograph of blues legend Robert Johnson along with his travelling partner Johnny Shines.

Zeke greets me with a smile and we both immediately recap the performance we did together at the Washington Square Park Folk Festival the day before, one of two great events I was invited to be a part of in celebration of the book’s release. Within minutes, without prior notice, other musicians fold into this famous Greenwich Village Guitar store, who were also a part of Zeke’s show and the atmosphere becomes charged. Chris Lowe, a longtime Village resident, brilliant songwriter, blues fingerpicker and friend/

protégé of the great 1960’s icon Dave Van Ronk is amongst these friends and we are buzzing with good energy in the company of some of the most incredible vintage guitars, lining the walls and floor all around, which we freely begin to pass back and forth.

Zeke then mentions to me “Brian, I forgot to tell you; Eric Bibb is in town and stopped by on Saturday to pick up a copy of the book. He sends his regards”. As if on cue, a dapper silhouette of a man in a broad brimmed hat stops momentarily in the doorway of the store entrance and there he is; Eric Bibb!

Zeke, Eric and I are all old friends, but it is truly rare for all of us to be here on this spot at the same time.

Everything is a delight at this moment and after warm greetings Mr. Bibb turns to Zeke; “I came in for another copy of the book for a friend. I started reading it last night and just couldn’t put it down!”

Pointing to Zeke expressively Eric continues; “Zeke, you definitely have at least two more books like this in you!”

More musicians who were specifically part of the Festival yesterday, as well as the book release event on Friday at Caffe Vivaldi filtered unscheduled into the room, like it was a catered RSVP affair and joined the

impromptu celebration. Matt himself even dropped a loaf of fragrant, fresh baked bread onto the counter for us all to share. Eric and I lock eyes with smiles and he states “Let’s break bread!” as we both pull a piece off from each end.

We were gathered around the front counter, clinging to every word as Zeke told us of other amazing instances surrounding the obstacles he has faced over the past ten years with the advent of this mysterious third Robert Johnson photo he discovered leading this journey.

We pass guitars around, Eric and Chris then jammed spontaneously on the song Come Back Baby; one of Eric’s signature pieces that both of these artists learned directly from Dave Van Ronk.

It is a moment in time like no other in the middle of Greenwich Village, and yet there is a timelessness that harkens back to this scene and community that has attracted so many greats since the 60’s.

Sunday Sept 10th

Washington Square Park has been an integral watering hole scene of Folk music and blues since the mid 1950’s. The aforementioned Dave Van Ronk, Richie Havens, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Chris Whitley, John Hammond Jr. and countless others have

entered this circle of concrete and grass with guitars on their backs and to this day it still has a noticeable infectious vibe through all the constant changes and gentrifications in this city.

I have a special connection to this place and since the late 70’s for two decades have cut my teeth on the blues here, in the shadow of the great looming arch. Today I was invited by Zeke and a host of other guests to perform in an unusual setting for us veteran park buskers; with microphones in front of us, PA speakers and bleacher stands filling up with folks to enjoy the 7th Annual Washington Square Park Folk Festival.

We gather on a beautiful sunny day just a few metres away from the stage on park benches, a more usual setting, though without the open guitar case to catch any coins or folding money, and quickly run through a series of songs that I will back up Zeke on guitar along with friend Blake Brocksmith on harp.

Robert Johnson’s Walking Blues, Kindhearted Woman, When You’ve Got A Good Friend, these are classic Johnson songs that don’t need a lot of prepping; we’ve been playing them through our whole music journey, which somehow auspiciously feels like it has led to this very moment.

The park is packed on this day, the stands and seats in front of us are filled and our tributes to Robert Johnson feel a little more intense and purposeful than usual.

Zeke is not a professional musician and does not claim to be, but it does not diminish his love of the blues and he

is a fine picker and slider. He’s stood alongside Patti Smith playing slide as well as bending strings on a Strat alongside Ronnie Earle and so many countless greats have plucked guitar with him as he usually can be found, a fixture on a wooden stool, behind the counter in the store he’s managed for almost three decades.

I was there from the start of all this, we always talked “Robert Johnson” as we eagerly shared newly discovered fingerings on vintage guitars he’d hand over from just behind him on the wall.

Zeke writes; “I got to know the local blues musicians through the store as well as the clubs and they taught me their music. John Campbell showed me open G tuning. Chris Whitley gave me a slide that he made from an old bicycle handlebar, and Brian Kramer showed me how to use it.”

I was there shortly after he’d discovered this photo and three years before it was officially published I got to view the image in a little café called Rocco’s, a staple in the Village just down the street. One of the most difficult things I was ever asked to do was to keep it a

secret -that I bore witness to a possible third Robert Johnson photograph.

Zeke was visibly a little nervous before we started the set, just the two of us side-byside with resonator guitars in our laps. He intuitively turned around and behind us, off stage was a seven foot tall man dressed full-out like Abraham Lincoln, tall top hat and all and Zeke just lit up a smile; “Hey Brian look, there’s Abe Lincoln” Then he shouts out “Hey Abe, love you on the money!” That was just the right thing to lighten the moment as Zeke kicked off Robert Johnson’s Walkin’ Blues.

I was humbled and honored he had chosen me to be his guest and back him up on this great occasion. Doing this event in Washington Square Park had an intense feeling of coming full circle, somehow.

Update; As of the time I submit this article, news has come that Matt Umanov Guitars after 50 years has decided to close its doors permanently, according to Umanov’s website. The end of an important watering hole environment and era for so many guitarists

Continued in the next issue; BM 100

THE METEORIC RISE OF TEN YEARS AFTER:

A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE ON THE GOLDEN YEARS OF BRITISH BLUES ROCK

Verbals: The Bishop Visuals: David Scott

TEN YEARS AFTER – 1967-1974: 50TH

FROM CHRYSALIS RECORDS

Let’s cut to the chase, this collection is a masterpiece, a veritable cornucopia, a Pandora’s Box; however, unlike the Greek myth it is a box that can be opened to find untold treasures inside as well as Hope! It is a reminder that life was good in those eight short years when four young men had a go at changing the world through their music.

Alvin Lee was the charismatic talisman whose solo career after the band split up took him to another stratosphere until his untimely death in 2013. By this time Gibson had voted him the most influential exponent ever of the legendary E-335 guitar ahead of such luminaries as BB King, Clapton and Chuck Berry. Posthumously, The Blues magazine included Lee in the top 100 all time greatest blues singers. Thankfully, the true spirit of Ten Years After can now continue to survive for posterity with this stunning and beautifully presented box set; the luxury edition includes signed artwork.

The story starts with a virtually unknown band from Nottingham moving to London, securing a residency at the legendary Marquee Club in1967 and playing the famous Windsor Blues and Jazz Festival. I started my teacher training course at Clifton College in Nottingham the same year and, coincidentally, one of the prized possessions I took with me was Ten Years After’s first, eponymous, album. In many respects it is their best because its freshness and authenticity reflect the British blues-rock

explosion of that era. What stands out is the emergence of founding member Alvin Lee as an all round musical genius. His vocal range is immense through songs of various genres whilst his trademark guitar tricks are all there at this early stage. Alvin plays superb harp on Love Until I Die and his carefully crafted lyrics are evident on tracks like Feel It For Me. However, it is the influence of Lee’s father Sam who loved American blues and introduced his son personally to Big Bill Broonzy which is manifest on Spoonful and Help Me. Like most students, I formed a band and started playing small gigs in the city including the Milton’s Head where Alvin had jammed with various local aspiring musicians. Everyone I met waxed lyrical about Nottingham’s favourite son and expressed pride and joy at his achievements. I found out why when I saw Ten Years After return in 1968 to perform at The Boat Club on the River Trent which hosted rock bands such as King Crimson and Deep Purple. The set reflected the first live album, Undead, released because the band was touring regularly in America and needed a follow up album, hence this live recording. This combination of blues and jazz jams culminating in what was to become the band’s national anthem, I’m Going Home cemented Lee’s reputation as the fastest guitarist in the west with fleet-fingered fretwork of a velocity rarely witnessed previously. Standing there in the crowded, compact,

sweaty venue, the home crowd roaring Lee on like football supporters, I was in musical heaven.

1969 saw Stonedhenge, the second studio album which was much more experimental and psychedelic than the first, representing the trends in progressive contemporary rock whilst also being innovative. Going To Try set this scene with various effects added to improvisations such as No Title and the finale Speed Kills, the ultimate train song. My favourite album was and still is Ssssh, released in August 1969, because it confirmed the British quartet’s definitive bluesrock direction epitomised by the extended jam on Sonny Boy’s Good Morning Little Schoolgirl and the classic blues finale of Hopkins’ I Woke Up This Morning. The same month saw Ten Years After performing the now legendary set at the Woodstock Festival. Lee’s scintillating guitar solo on I’m Going Home was given high profile in subsequent soundtrack and film recordings, thus securing his place in music history as well as boosting album sales. By now, the band was already promoting the next album, Cricklewood Green. Combining blues-rock and clever sound effects, 50,000 Miles Beneath My Brain and the number 4 chart success Love Like a Man are classics of what had become a distinctive TYA genre thanks to Alvin’s lyrical prowess and unique guitar licks and riffs. In 1970 Watt, with its powerful mixture of blues, rock and roll and jazz influences showcases Alvin’s

incredible vocal range. The opening tracks, I’m Coming On and My Baby Left Me sets the scene for a more laid back approach which many fans appreciated.

I had started teaching when A Space In Time hit the record shops, an album which reflects the popularity of the hit single I’d Love To Change The World. It has a more acoustic guitar feel relative to previous albums alongside some axe grinding jamming. I felt that I was moving in the same direction as Ten Years After. I also welcomed the back to basics of Rock & Roll Music To The World with its classic title track plus Choo Choo Mama and Standing At The Station from a tight and powerful band. Positive Vibrations from 1974 will be remembered most as the final album before the band split up (although a re-formed Ten Years After recorded About Time in 1989.) If vibrations were negative given that Alvin was already pursuing other projects, then

it did not show and there are strong compositions here, notably Nowhere To Run. This brings us to the jewel in the crown which all fans will be enthralled to hear and desperate to get copies of: The Cap Ferrat Sessions are five previously unreleased Ten Years After songs which did not make the Rock & Roll Music To The World album due to vinyl time limitations. The titles are, Look At Yourself, There’s Somebody Calling Me, Holy Shit, There’s A Feeling and Running Around. Those last two did appear on Alvin Lee’s In Flight album but the grooves are different enough to give them special appeal here. Most TYA fanatics will already have the nine albums in the box set but they won’t have this most prized possession. Are these 30 minutes of new music worth the price of the whole set? (£80 or £150 with signed artwork) You bet they are! The drumming of Ric Lee is so clear and precise,

enhanced by the acoustics of the south of France recording location, and he plays technically complex rhythms with aplomb. The interplay between Leo Lyons and Alvin reaches new levels and the extended solos from Alvin and Chick Churchill flow with an ease and beauty rarely surpassed on the other albums. Alvin is in fine form both vocally and on harmonica, his guitar riffs as distinctive and compulsive as his most acclaimed works. This is half an hour of some of the best music from the band’s era although it was soon to come to an end; the words of the Nobel Prize laureate Faulkner are appropriate in this context: “The past is not dead. In fact, it's not even past.”

Ten Years After had become a global phenomenon and since splitting up their influence has continued due to brilliant song writing, mesmerising live performances and outstanding, creative musicianship. All of this is encapsulated for posterity thanks to record producer Chris Kimsey’s expert remastering and mixing which makes every track sound as if it was recorded yesterday. Evi found the lost recordings in the vaults of her husband’s studio and together with Alvin’s daughter Jasmin and her mother Suzanne, started the process of ensuring that they would be included in this glorious legacy. I am proud and privileged to have known Alvin in the latter part of his life in Spain and to have shared music, memories and happiness with his family.

Worthing

SOUTHERN

SUMMERTIME BLUES RAY DORSET (AKA MUNGO JERRY)

Verbals: Steve Banks Visuals: Phillip Dorset

Achance encounter whilst on holiday in Bansko, Bulgaria gave Steve Banks a great opportunity both to see Ray Dorset perform with his band at the Bansko Jazz Festival and to interview him the following day. The Concert: Sunshine, temperature in the 30s, beautiful scenery, a great stage in the heart of the Bulgarian mountain town of Bansko, a music festival… what more could anyone ask for? The music festival,

featuring top international artists during the week, was also free: definitely a recipe for a great time. (Oh, sorry, I should also mention that a large beer and a G&T together cost £2.50 in one of the very pleasant restaurants that surround the square, where the concerts took place. Enough said!)

The Mungo Jerry Blues Band, the headline act, who closed the festival, certainly did not disappoint. Even at the sound check earlier in the day a crowd gathered in the

town square to hear the band prepare for the evening. Those who returned for the evening performance were treated to an energetic performance of some of Mungo Jerry’s best material. The band, which consisted of Ray Dorset on guitar and vocals, Jon Playle on bass, Toby Hounsham on Keyboards, Bob White on drums and Franky Klassen on electric cello, came on stage just after 10pm on a hot summer’s evening and were given a very warm welcome, by a very receptive Bulgarian audience. The opening number was Let’s Roll, a jamming, bluesy rocking number which really got the audience in the mood for the set that was about to follow. Rock Me Mama was the next number and it did exactly what it said on the tin. I’m Kicking Back really set the tone for the evening and Ray and the band were obviously there to let the people of Bansko enjoy a great evening of bluesy rock. The tempo slowed a little for the bluesy ballad One More Night, which was performed with the flames from a fire performer shining through from behind the stage, creating a surreal image on a beautiful summer’s evening. The Wind is Blowing showed that Ray’s unique vocal talent has lost none of its power over the years and it was complimented by Franky Klassen’s electric cello and Toby Housham’s haunting electric piano, with echoes of The Doors.

Over the remainder of the evening, the crowd was treated to a mixture of blues and Mungo Jerry hits. The classic In The Summertime, even after 45 years in existence, had a freshness about it that somehow defies logic. Even after 2 hours of top quality rock and blues, the final number Hippie Till I Die had the whole audience on their feet dancing and reluctant to leave.

The Interview: This took place the day after the concert at the Premier Luxury Mountain Resort, Bansko.

Ray kindly agreed to talk about The Bansko Festival, musical influences on his early career and other things blues related.

Hi Ray, how come you are playing in Bansko in Bulgaria?

About 10 years ago I was guesting here with an Austrian drummer called Heini Altbart and it went down a storm. They’d billed it as Mungo Jerry’s Blues Band, but it

wasn’t; I was doing it as a guest for him and then 3 years later they got me back again and this time the pressure was on me, so I said to Emil (Lliev, the Bansko Jazz Fest manager) I want to bring my own band. I don’t know why they wanted me for their 20th anniversary-haven’t got a clue.

Who would you say were your biggest influences in music?

Let me give you a list, because I go back a long way from my interest in music. I’ve been impressed and influenced by just about everybody I’ve ever seen and heard, whether it’s good or bad, coz I’ll have either learnt something good off them or something bad. As a musician I never studied anything much, anything really deeply to do with music whatsoever and this is the bad thing, I find. I should have learnt a lot more about the basic fundamentals of music and composition, but I do everything by intuition and spontaneity. I doubt if you probably even noticed the way I perform, it hasn’t got any set pattern or set thing. I mean I get the songs in there, you know, some of the beginnings are worked out and some of the ends are worked out, but a lot of it really just seems to happen.

When I was a kid I liked anything that had some kind of rhythm and groove to it. I really think I wanted to be a drummer and without getting too complicated, let’s say, when Rock ’n’ Roll started my cousins had some early Elvis Presley records, that had been recorded in the Sun Studios (and Fats Domino, Little Richard) They didn’t have any Gene Vincent, but I got into Gene Vincent. So my whole thing was based on rock “n” roll, but proper rock “n” roll, Jerry Lee Lewis and all those people. And all those people had their own way of performing-like conveying their personality. They had their own individual singing style- Gene Vincent had his own very special singing style. And then you start finding out “Where did it come from?” Where did Rock “n” Roll come from? It all starts going back and gets mixed up. As a song writing thing and a groove and everything I was 100% into Buddy Holly stuff and I got this cheap Buddy Holly record (coz I didn’t have any money when I was a kid) at 11 or whatever it was. The thing was on a label called Ace of Clubs. It was called That’ll Be The Day and what it was, Buddy Holly had

gone into the studio and recorded for Decca and did some tracks that got turned down and he did a version of That’ll Be The Day. And on it there’s a song called Ting A Ling (I don’t know who wrote that song), which is like a slowish rockabilly song, and a song called Rock Around with Ollie Vee (I didn’t know the genre Rockabilly as a title then.)

And round about this time the music skiffle came to be. So the purveyor in England was, who they christened The King of Skiffle, Lonnie Donegan. I started reading some stuff about him and found out a lot of the songs he did came from an older source; he might have changed them round a bit, and skiffle came to be out of Jug Band music and Spasm music. The idea was, because they didn’t hardly have any money to buy instruments, they would use for example a suitcase or a washboard and things to get the percussion. They didn’t have a bass, but they discovered that if you blew into a jug and made a raspberry noise…. they didn’t have glass jugs then, they used metal ones that carried Kerosene. So I started learning about that and then there were other skiffle groups in England, like The Vipers that Wally Whyton was in, they tried to do the pop side of it. Lonnie Donegan used an electric guitar and a stand-up bass. He played acoustic guitar normally; he was the banjo player with Chris Barber. What Lonnie had was an unbelievable sense of dynamics. He was able to sing out loud or quiet and speed

the song up a bit and always generate so much excitement towards the end of the show. And there was this guy, who I considered copied Lonnie Donegan, called Johnny Duncan and he did Last Train To San Fernando and the clothes were a bit of a cowboy thing, with the tie lace, like Maverick. All this kind of stuff, when you are young, you get impressed by it.

So to take it a step further, I started playing when I was about eleven. I got my first guitar when I was 10. It was like a skiffle group, with a tea-chest bass. We started to play Rock “n” Roll-whatever was going the charts at the time-just songs that we liked. You didn’t have to say you were “this kind of a band”; people just played songs that worked.

To move on further; when I heard my first Bob Dylan album, I was away for a few days down in Margate and a mate had a portable record player and one guy had this Bob Dylan album and I said “Who is this guy?” I was really interested! A little while later I saw Ready Steady Go and Jesse Fuller was on and he played San Francisco Bay Blues-it was fantastic! And then there was Donovan. I got friendly with Peter Eden and he discovered him in the queue and signed him up and got him on Ready Steady Go. Donovan didn’t have any money-he had to hitch-hike to the TV studio and he played a Woody Guthrie song, Riding in My Car. And there was a connection; Jessie Fuller and Woody Guthrie.

And then a guy gave me an album to listen to. A guy called Alan Gibbs, he had a music store in Staines called Melody Ben, and he gave me an album called Leadbelly Sings

Folksongs, with Sony Terry, Brownie McGhee, Woody Guthrie and Cisco Houston. I didn’t have any money then, I’d just borrow stuff and I had a tape recorder and I’d record them and I was learning everything, so by the time In The Summertime came out, I was learning every Leadbelly record I could get hold of.

Thank you very much for your time, Ray. It’s been a great privilege to talk to you. Ray happily talked for quite a while about blues and all things related, but didn’t want to go into too much detail, since a biography is currently underway and the topic is covered in much more depth. It’s due out soon and has the extended title” You don’t have to be in the army to fight in the war; the life and times of Ray Dorset aka Mungo Jerry”

STILL STANDING… AND IT FEELS SO GOOD: THE LIFE AND BLUES OF BOBBY G

Verbals: Mercedes Mill

BLUESMAN BOBBY G REFLECTS ON A LIFE’S WORK ON HIS NEW RELEASE, “STILL STANDING”, WITH CURTIS GRANT, JR. AND THE MIDNIGHT ROCKERS

Strength. Love. Hard work. Resilience. These are just some of the things that come to mind while listening to Still Standing, the exciting new blues album featuring Mississippi-born bluesman Bobby G with Curtis Grant, Jr. and the Midnight Rockers on Third Street Cigar Records. The story of this record spans a long road, from Mississippi to Ohio. With Bobby G on vocals, songwriter Johnny Rawls on keyboards and

guitar, Curtis Grant, Jr. on drums, Larry Gold on guitar, and Johnny Newmark on bass, the album radiates a deep, knowing connection to the blues and reflects the decades of experience of these talented and seasoned musicians. There is a great variety of feeling and intensity in the ten songs on the album, from the grooving I Almost Love You to the upbeat, energizing Party Man. Bobby G’s voice is movingly expressive and

features a relaxed authority that comes from decades of both living and singing the blues. From the lonely sound of the raw and honest The Worst Feeling to the jubilant and energetic blues shuffle of Feels So Good, Bobby G’s vocals are at turns tender and fierce, intimate and powerful. The slow burning Good As Gold digs into sultry down-home blues, while Love, Love, Love bites with a cool vocal growl. Curtis Grant, Jr. and the Midnight Rockers provide powerful instrumentation on each song that highlights Bobby’s raw and passionate vocal delivery. Still Standing reflects the

Bobby G & Crawdaddy

grit and resilience of a life lived on a path ever-faithful to the blues. While technically a debut album for Bobby G, it’s been a long time coming. Bobby G has been a passionate music lover and blues singer since his earliest years, and a lifetime of music comes through on the album.

Born Robert Lee Gray, Bobby first discovered his calling to music and his deep love of the blues during his childhood in Mississippi, the very heart of blues country. Bobby recalls, “If you had the money to get in [to the juke houses], you went in. If you didn’t, you sat outside and listened to the blues… That’s where I first heard it.”

Bobby was raised on a plantation, where he began working in the cotton fields at the age of seven. He always felt the pull to music and a deep sense that there was something else for him on the horizon. When he wasn’t working in the fields, he sang at parties around his hometown of Winterville.

Bobby notes that as his love for music grew and deepened, musical giants such as B.B. King, Mississippi Slim, Bobby “Blue” Bland, and Elmore James were lasting influences. What was it about those artists in particular?

“They touched me,” Bobby says. “I loved the way they delivered a song. Everything they were singing about, that’s what I felt. They were the big dogs in my day. I loved everything about them.” To this day, many of Bobby’s favorite covers hearken back to those days, including Downhearted Blues, The Thrill Is Gone, and Dust My Broom.

Many Mississippi blues musicians moved north in those days to seek new opportunities, carrying with them the enduring roots of Mississippi blues. Like many of his musical heroes, Bobby also felt the pull from a young age to head north to fulfill his musical dreams. Working in the cotton fields was a way of life in Winterville, Bobby explained, and there was an expectation that you would follow in your parents’ footsteps and do the same. One day when he was nine or ten, Bobby recalls, “I was standing in the middle of a cotton field. As far as I could see there was cotton. I didn’t know if the cotton went up to the sky or the sky went down to the cotton. And I said, ‘Lord have mercy. Is there anything else for me?’” Bobby recalls a realization that he had in his midteens: “Something came

to me to say, Robert, you’ve got to leave here and leave here now.”

Not long after, Bobby’s uncles came to visit from Toledo, Ohio, and Bobby determined that he would return with them to begin a new chapter there. Bobby still vividly remembers the day his uncles were headed back north, when he waited at his childhood home in intense suspense to hit the road with them. They pulled up in a ’55 Ford. “They said, ‘You ready?’ ‘Yeah, I’m ready!’” Bobby recalls. They set out on what would be a major turning point in Bobby’s life. Bobby was about fifteen when he made that fateful trip north to Toledo. He immediately went to work, doing a series of odd jobs including working as a garbage collector. Each day, Bobby would wake up at four in the morning and call on

Bobby G’s birth home in Mississippi

his grit and determination to walk the five or six miles to the refuse barn. Bobby’s wife, Dorothy, recounts that, “These are some of the things that impressed me about him.” After many early mornings and a lot of hard work, Bobby secured a position with the City of Toledo where he remained for thirty-nine years. Once he found work and settled into his new life, Bobby started singing in the clubs of Toledo and the surrounding area. It wasn’t long before Bobby was singing lead for several bands, including the Creation of Soul, the Jamm Band, and Big Boz Bluz, as well as for his own band, Bobby G and Friendz. When Bobby and his wife Dorothy started a family in 1980, Bobby took a break from music to focus on family and working. Music was never far from him, though, and he returned to its call in the 1990s, sitting in with the legendary blues band, The Griswolds. Bobby G met Curtis Grant, Jr. in the early 2000s, and when Bobby retired in 2006, he became the front man for Curtis Grant, Jr. and the Midnight Rockers. It was through these performances that Bobby met John Henry, an Ohio businessman and blues enthusiast who has been instrumental in the making of Still Standing and served as its executive producer. In addition to being a businessman, John Henry is co-owner of Third Street Cigar Records in Waterville, Ohio. Henry shared, “Third Street Cigar Records is the latest stop on a blues journey

that started with a passion for the blues a long time ago. My freshman year in college at the University of Toledo, I signed up for the college radio station and was assigned a shift. They told me to play ‘all these jazz records’. Well, they weren’t jazz records. They turned out to be great and legendary blues albums. That’s where my love affair with the blues began.” Henry did his first recording with Big Jack Reynolds in the late 80s/early 90s, and also produced a compilation for charity featuring many blues players. Henry combined his love for the blues with a love for cigars and created Third Street Cigars in 2014, which has been described as a living blues museum. Still Standing, featuring album photography by the accomplished music photographer John Rockwood, is the first record pressed on the Third Street Cigar Record label. “We’re very proud of it,” Henry says. Recorded at the Toledo School for the Arts, Still Standing is a powerful reflection of Bobby G’s enduring call to the blues. That devotion inspired the other musicians who collaborated with him on the record. Award-winning soul blues songwriter and singer Johnny Rawls, also originally from Mississippi, wrote or co-wrote all of the album’s ten tracks, and co-produced the album with John Henry. Rawls first met Bobby in the summer of 2016 at the annual Blues, Brews, and Brats festival hosted by Third Street Cigar. Johnny Rawls was one of the featured performers and he was invited to sit in with Bobby and the band. From there, the

idea for the record and the Third Street Cigar Record label organically grew. Rawls selected four of the ten songs on the album from his extensive catalog for Bobby. The remaining six songs were written specifically for the record. He and Bobby had not worked together prior to the making of the album, but he had seen Bobby G perform and he chose songs that he felt Bobby G could relate to and would deliver with feeling. That comes through intensely in Bobby’s interpretation of these songs. A brand new, never-beforereleased song, Still Standing

was written specifically with Bobby in mind. Bobby delivers it with a time-tested, weathered, and ultimately triumphant tone. “It’s perfect for me,” Bobby notes. “Most of the people that [I knew] as a young guy in Toledo-musicians, singers-- they’re no longer there. They’re gone” John Henry shares, “We’ve lost a lot of our legendary old time musicians over the last fifteen or twenty years. Guys that came up in the 50s, such as Roman Griswold and Big Jack Reynolds.” Yet, Henry adds, “There’s a group of young players on the scene that are coming

up and playing the blues. The scene is vibrant and there’s a lot of good music.” There is a great variety of expression and emotional intensity throughout Still Standing. Bobby’s vocals are deep and intense, pulling from his wide range of life experience. It’s all there on the record. Each contributor to the album has kept the blues alive in their own way, and shares that personal connection in the music, creating a distinctive sound and feel. The album cover features Bobby in a deep shade of blue, looking square into the

camera, a strong yet gentle smile upon his face, with Still Standing in bright, glowing gold. To borrow from the title track, Bobby "wouldn't change a thing". The blues are the pain and the struggle that are unavoidable in life. But the blues are also the strength, the beauty, and the love that grow out of that struggle, and that grow stronger with the years. Still Standing offers wideranging and honest reflections on endurance, faith, and resilience. “Are y’all with me?” Bobby G asks on Feels So Good. Absolutely. At 73 years old, Bobby G

Bobby G and John Henry by Dave Webb

Described as a definitive live performer, soulful roots singersongwriter Mike Biggar is known for intense, rolling live performances, signature soaring vocals and his disarming on-stage humour. With the release of his third full-length album Go All In on Busted Flat Records he offers us a fresh helping of his songwriting prowess that has twice before earned him Music New Brunswick Awards, an East Coast Music Award and numerous nominations and acclaim.

Go All In is a roots music evolution for Biggar, achieved by connecting more deeply than ever with his own musical history. In both style and substance he pays particular attention to his childhood roots in gospel music and the cultural influences of life on Canada's East Coast. The result is a delightfully eclectic

MICHAEL BIGGAR

offering that comprises a compelling representation of Biggar's musical lineage. Track to track, Go All In tells a stylistic musical story - from the foot-stompingly fun bluesy acoustic lead-off Blood From A Stone down through brass-backed, soulstirring Memphis nods like Go All In and If It Was Easy. Biggar's penchant to mingle heartbreak and intimacy is well displayed with ballads like Leaving These Days and Kinda Sad. And his noted tradition for top level cowriting continues on Go All In, pairing with East Coast blues marvel Charlie A'Court, Newfoundland producer/R&B artist Chris Kirby, and country hit-maker Chris Cummings. Of his production and arrangements Biggar says "It was a total delight to craft such a diverse musical narrative with this album. I was proud to highlight my band's skills, and the various

song stylings led to some wonderful collaborating, such as Scott Neubert's marvellous Nashville work on traditional strings like mandolin and pedal steel, and the Martin Brothers’ power-packed horns. And I am so proud of the fantastic fellow East Coast artists with whom I got to write for Go All In. I can't wait for friends and fans to hear it!" A featured performer on major East Coast festival stages, Biggar has shared the stage with artists such as Steve Earle, Gordie Sampson, Matt Andersen, Stephen Fearing, Lynn Miles, Dave Gunning, The Brothers Landreth, and more.

2017-2018 sees Biggar touring like never before, with extensive booking throughout Canada and into the USA, and plans are at an advanced stage to visit the UK and Europe. Watch this space.

Canadian Blues N Roots giant Verbals: Michael Biggar & Steve Yourglivch Visuals: Peter Doyle

MARK “PORKCHOP” HOLDER

Verbals: Tony Bonyata Visuals: Patrick Boissel

Mark Holder originally turned the blues on its head more than a decade ago as a founding member of punk/blues band Black Diamond Heavies. He’s been tearing up juke joints, festivals and dive bars since then with his own fiery brand of the blues yet it wasn’t until earlier this year that the Tennessee musician released his debut solo album, Let It Slide, an acclaimed effort that the No Depression journal described as, “...fire in a barrel. If the Rolling Stones camped with Howlin’ Wolf and Billy Gibbons on trucker

speed for the weekend with a fuzz pedal, this would be its precious procreation.”

Now just nine months later, the guitar-slinging, harp-shredding bluesman is releasing his followup album, Death and the Blues. On it, Holder, along with Travis Kilgore (bass) and Doug Bales (drums), builds on the success of his previous album with eight newly penned tracks, along with three rousing covers: a stripped-down acoustic Delta-blues reimagining of Don Nix’s Nobody Wants To Cry; Jr Kimbrough’s Sad

Days And Lonely Nights

and the traditional song Billy the Kid, originally recorded by Marty Robbins.

Despite the fact that this was recorded in the same studio as their last album (Tiny Buzz in Chattanooga, TN) and by the same line-up, the results are much heavier and tighter on this affair, with Holder’s inventive slide guitar-work snarling and baring teeth over rock-solid rhythms from Kilgore and Bales. “The philosophy of recording this album,” Holder explains, “was to document the live dynamic of a band that has now played a couple of hundred shows together. It's a power trio record.

“Blues is the music of poor people, and poor people live closer to death than other people do,” Holder admits. “The message of the title track is simple: death and the blues are real. I have a personal connection with the symbols of death; they remind me not to waste my time.

“This record, like all blues music to some degree, is a consideration of hard times. The best reason to listen to music like that is because the enjoyment of it will make you have a good time. We hope you enjoy this record. Life is short.”

Mark ‘Porkchop’ Holder’s Death And The Blues will be available November 3rd on limited vinyl, CD, digital and streaming formats via Alive Naturalsound Records.

London Blusion have been winning many new friends and receiving great plaudits following recent head turning performances at HRH festival headlining stage 2 at Sheffield O2 Academy and Cambridge Rock Festival.

The band was formed in 2015 after Turkish born British guitarist & composer, Mete Ege’s debut release London Blues in 2013 which included many guest musicians from London’s jazz, blues and rock live music scene and was mastered by Andy Jackson of Pink Floyd. The band released their second album in April 2017 titled Second Time Lucky under their new and current band name, London Blusion.

Founder members Mete Ege on guitars and vocals (George Michael, SKY TV, BBC ...) and Nick Marangoni on drums (2012 London Olympics Ceremony, Underworld ...) are both well-known and established

LONDON BLUSION

Verbals: Steve Yourglivch & Mete Ege Visuals: Lady Gigger

session/studio musicians who played/recorded for many known artists, record companies & broadcasters

The rest of the musicians on the Second Time Lucky album are also noted and respected musicians within London and international music scene including Elliot Randall of Steely Dan (on second guitar on the opening track Oh Why?), Costa Tancredi (Amy Winehouse, Eric Clapton….), Luigi Casanova (Joanne Shaw Taylor), Cem Tuncer, Fethi Okutan (Fethi Okutan Project) on bass guitar, Aaron Liddard (Amy Winehouse, Prince), Leszek Kotarski and Gabriele Virgilio Pribetti on saxophone, James Lawrence on trombone, Yelfris Valdes (Gilles Peterson), Bodo Maier and Sam Warner on

trumpet, Joe Bickerstaff, Chicco Allotta, Danny Mattin, Danillo Mazzone on piano and organ, Claudia Zanonni, Magdy Abdel-Rehim (Cairo Son), Lisa Yves and Batu Akdeniz (Heavy Sky) on vocals. Mete also invited fellow guitar players Mo Nazam (Jazz Warriors), Nigel Price (James Taylor Quartet), Ugur Karaman (Fethi Okutan Project) and Steve Kelly (Stevie K Band) to play on the track Guitarmen. Alexander Ferragamo (Cashmere) on guitar also contributed on the track Jimi. The albums, Mete Ege“London Blues” 2013 and London Blusion - “Second Time Lucky” 2017 are both available on iTunes. More info via www.londonblusion.com

BIG RIVER

Big River were formed early in 2016 by Kent-based Guitarist Damo Fawsett Verbals: D Fawsett Visuals: Jenny Ellis

Joining Fawsett in the band are Adam Bartholomew- vocals, Ant Wellman- bass, and Luke Calvert- drums.

They captured hearts instantly with a live radio broadcast session that made people sit up & say "who the

hell was that?" Comparisons were made to early Led Zeppelin and Free which helped them on their way and secured support slots to Dr Feelgood & Frankie Miller's Fullhouse, including a very successful appearance at The Half Moon in Putney.

Big River's mission is to keep the spirit & passion of British blues/rock bands such as Free & Bad Company alive but with the modern influence of Rival Sons, Vintage Trouble and Clutch.

The West Sessions live EP was released to very positive reviews in Summer 2016 & the debut single Mama was played on US Radio within 24 hours of release.

They were signed to Roulette Media Records in late 2016 & won two awards voted by the people of Kent for Best Band in Kent 2017 & Best New Band of 2017, voted top place out of 100 Bands.

The band have attracted the attention of a number of well known artists including members of Cats in Space, Bad Company, The Quireboys, UFO, Back Street Crawler, and Absolute Radio DJ Leona Graham who wore the band T Shirt during her radio show & shared the picture on social media.

Their latest single Hometown Hustler had over 5000 download clicks within a week of release and made the HRH Radio Top 20 in the same week. As well as regular radio play in the U.K. / Europe and the USA and very positive reviews in the music press.

A very successful appearance at The Cambridge Rock Festival attracted attention from the mainstream rock media and this has resulted in current discussions with a professional artist management team.

Big River’s debut album will be released in Early Spring 2018. Definitely ones to watch in the next year.

John P Taylor band are a musical melting pot of like-minded musicians and songwriters, creating what they describe as ‘original Americana based blues with a groove.’

North Yorkshire based founder member John P Taylor, an established musician and producer for over thirty years, assembled the collective as a writing and recording project back in 2015. With a fine pedigree of players and composers, the album Realtime was conceived, recorded and finally released in February 2017.

Guitarist Geoff Keeler was first on board having already worked with Taylor on various projects, including Sods Law. Fronting his own blues-rock band Outside In, has given him considerable experience writing and performing, making it an

JOHN P TAYLOR BAND

easy collaboration. Having a healthy penchant for session work and recording in general made the prospect a no brainer for Keeler.

The hugely experienced Kevin Leach joined on keys. With half a dozen albums alongside the multi platinum selling Chris Rea under his belt, the input from Leach has been invaluable. His background of jazz and soul has also brought an interesting slant to some of the tracks’ arrangements. This can be heard particularly on numbers such as Unforgiven and Café Jura.

Bassist Chris Ringer, along with his harmonic prowess adds a further dimension to the soulful sound of this group. His CV reads like a who’s who of songwriters and performers, particularly with a roots background. Notably contemporary folk outfit Prelude.

A solid partnership has been forged with drummer and percussionist Dan Higgins also of Deever. Once again, having worked with Taylor live and in the studio environment, Higgins is a musician who thrives when writing and recording but comes into his own when playing live. Unfortunately, recent health issues have resulted in Kevin Leach having to withdraw from the band’s touring schedule. This has led to the introduction of brilliant pianist and writer, Chris Groom. His style and diversity have made it a seamless transition and going forward, there’s a keen anticipation within the band, as writing and recording material gets underway for a new album release next year.

Verbals: G P Sarto Visuals: Jess Brown

Voodoo Blood think rock music should be dirty, exciting and something that moves both your body and your soul….and Voodoo Blood do exactly that. Drawing on their deep-rooted electric blues and rock influences, the Manchester based four piece are determined to push the music forward and take the world by storm. Listening to Voodoo Blood hurts. A good hurt. A really good hurt. First the music kicks in with a bone crunching intensity that feels like you’ve been hit by Ali at his peak…and then…and then…the sensual banshee wail of the vocals come in and flail the skin off your face… you know that this is

VOODOO BLOOD

Verbals: Voodoo Blood Visuals: Gaz Davies

something special. It’s not all brutal violence though…this band take the swagger and soul of some of the 70’s rock giants and turn it into an irresistible (gumbo) of truly ferocious and blistering heavy blues rock, matched with superb song writing and huge hooks. Live, Voodoo Blood give off enough energy to light up a small city, frontwoman Kim prowling the stage whilst the boys, Sean, Chris and Will, crank out the riffs over some truly monstrous grooves. This really is truly feral blues, played hard, heavy and with absolutely blistering commitment. In a very short time the band have proven themselves to be a fresh and

exciting live draw, cramming over 150 gigs into 2 years and packing venues as the word spreads. The band's headline slots at Bloodstock, Festwich and Cambridge Rock festivals (not to mention playing at the Royal Albert Hall in London), have cemented their reputation as a force to be reckoned with. Voodoo Blood are closing 2017 in style with a string of UK dates including their Groove Medicine single launch party which took place at Rebellion, Manchester on October 20th, a year after their sell-out debut EP launch at the same venue. The band insists their performances are not to be missed. Prepare to be thrilled, battered, bruised and breathless...

Robert Plant STILL ON FIRE

There are stars, superstars and even megastars. Then there is Robert Plant, a guy who is, or has been, all three of them together, and who remains at the very top of the universal musical tree.

Verbals: Iain Patience Visuals: Mads Perch

Refreshingly, speaking with a relaxed Plant, on the near-eve of the release of his latest album, Carry Fire on Warner/ Nonesuch, the man himself is a genuine delight, a man with no axe to grind, no selfobsessed front to maintain and none of the precious barriers that all too often seem to come with fame. Much to my relief, Mister Plant is an instantly likeable, friendly, chatty sort-of guy next door. Exactly the kind of guy you feel you’ve known most of your life. Which, if you’ve been listening to music for much of it, is pretty much the case.

Catching up with the man himself, he is enjoying the beauty of the misty Welsh Mountain hill country, an area he is constantly drawn towards and where he clearly feels completely both at home and at ease. We joke about local highlights, having both lived in the area off and on for many years, about his love for a local tipple (a brand of organic Herefordshire cider) and then move on to the music and his love of life, travel, discovery and musical experiment and excitement.

‘About three weeks ago I was driving in the Atlas Mountains in Morocco, near Fez. I was listening to FM radio when suddenly this wonderful music came on and I had to pull in, stop, and grab my phone so I could record it. It was fantastic,’ he says, highlighting his love of music and his own receptive nature to it generally.

In many ways, this is probably a typical example of Plant’s thinking and his open-to-all-new-music-

vibe way of working and thinking. Still repeatedly, and unnecessarily, viewed as Mister Led Zeppelin, since leaving the legendary band many years ago Plant has been carving out an immensely successful international solo career that has seen him gather huge international acclaim in the ever-harsh, demanding world of Nashville Americana with Alison Krauss and Band Of Joy, where their joint efforts produced Raising Sand, a release that swept the boards at the Americana Grammy end of the business and delivered clear evidence of a questing talent and voice that was up for more, much more, than just rock’n’roll music.

If Plant still has a whole lotta love, it’s without doubt a passion focussed firmly on the music itself. Describing his current thinking and where he sees himself, he evidently remains locked into the possibilities of music and its power to move and excite:

‘This is not a job,’ he laughs in all seriousness. ‘It’s love, a love affair. A pleasure, a passion, pulsing to the heartbeat of music. To be thrilled still. Hearing something that’s new. Something that still has the power to grab you, to literally stop you in your tracks; having to swallow hard, to hold back the tears, because of the beauty of the music,’ he explains with pleasure and the delight of fresh discovery. Who’d’a’thunkit?

For Plant, music and its iridescent rhythms and rippling waves are what life is all about. There is no self-satisfied feeling or suggestion here. This is

a musician who has ears always open, searching expectantly and knowingly for the next explosive surprise. A man who seems always to have the power to explore, ignite and excite. A musical flame few can match or carry with such evident passion or commitment.

Once again currently working with his band of musical brothers, the Sensational Space Shifters, Plant is quick to correct me when I suggest they are a ‘support band’: ‘They’re no support band. We all support each other. They support me and I support them. We work together as one, as musical equals. We each know now what the other might be thinking or about to do. It’s organic and immediate, a real musical understanding,’ he confirms. This time round the band is joined by young English folk-musician, Seth Lakeman, whom Plant adds, will be touring with them all later this year.

‘We’ll be working hard with the new album, on the road. I’m really looking forward to that,’ he says. And when I ask if the touring and travel doesn’t become onerously tiring, and if maybe age might begin to take its toll in that respect, he again swiftly rejects such thoughts: ‘I only do what I want to do and I love the touring and playing.’

Plant describes his current musical interests as being attuned to ‘music from the earth,’ by which he seems to mean world-music or indigenous, organic, roots music of whatever colour or stripe. Turning to his latest recording, Carry Fire, we talk about the

use of an electric oud as a lead string instrument, a heady change from driving electric guitar or blistering string-bending fretwork:

‘With the oud it really is music from the earth,’ he explains. ‘Because it’s fretless, there’s only one way to go with it and that’s got to be the right place. It’s delicate but with complexities. There’s shades of T-Bone Walker coming through, like Chuck Berry,’ he believes. ‘It’s all part of a musical journey, a way of life.’

‘I remember at T-Bone’s funeral, Chuck Berry went up to T-Bone’s daughter and told her that if it hadn’t been for her late father, he wouldn’t have had a job.

Music is really so important, central to life itself. I get that. I’m in much the same position myself,’ he quips.

Looking back on his time with Alison Krauss, Band Of Joy, and the world of modern Americana generally, a connection that gathered world-wide plaudits including multiple Grammy awards in 2009, Plant is happy to have moved on, hinting that the Sensational Space Shifters seem more open to fresh musical influences, inspirations and experiences:

‘It all became, well……just too American, if you know what I mean. Playing with Alison and Band Of Joy was a joy. It was wonderful, a great time. We all enjoyed it, I know. But it was all centred on Nashville, Music City. They were never as keen on travel, as me. I still love getting out on the road, seeing and meeting new people, new cultures and experiences along the way. With Band Of Joy it was different, more a studio band, maybe. They just didn’t have the same gypsy in them as I have, always happy to be out on the road working.’

And he also confirms that there is at least one more possible album he has squirrelled away in his personal archives from his time with the band. When I ask if we’re likely to hear it any time soon, Plant is mildly cautious: ‘I have a second Band Of Joy album but I’m not sure if it will see the light of day.’

And with a guy like Robert Plant there are always more than a few surprises in store. One track on the new Carry Fire album harks

back to an earlier age, a time before rock ‘n’ roll was king. From the midfifties, Bluebirds Over The Mountain is nothing short of simple, pure rockabilly at heart. When I ask about this somewhat surprising inclusion Plant snorts with laughter and clear pleasure:

‘I love the song. Pure and simple. I’ve been singing it most of my life. I’ve been doing the song since I was a kid. It’s sort of cheery, part of the roundabout of life. I always pull it in at some time, maybe during rehearsals, with every band. I can almost hear them all collectively groan, “Oh, no. Here we go again.” I always loved the Ricky Valance version, I used to sing it at home in the West Midlands as a kid and I still enjoy singing it now.’

On the latest newly recorded version of the number, Plant is joined by a surprise guest on vocals, ex-Pretender, Chrissie Hynde. ‘Chrissie has such a beautiful voice. She fitted the song perfectly, giving it a cheery sort of bounce,’ he says.

But while Plant laughs about adding upbeat songs from his childhood to the mix, he always remains firmly and fully focussed on the need to keep up to date, to be open to new sounds and interests:

‘With music there’s got to be a sort of intimacy. The music might be old, traditional or whatever, but it must always be interesting and moving, emotive at times. I can put my spin on it, but not in a way that’s ever fraudulent. You have to be true to the vision, true to the music at all times. It doesn’t have to be fraudulent in any

way. It’s always possible to make enough of an individual noise, I think. These songs are about what we do. They have a sort of synthesised good-feeling about them, I hope. They can be tender, moving, touch a spot. Music and my love of it is a given, it’s not going to go away.’

Considering his latest offering, and the writing process with the Space Shifters, Plant is in a philosophical mind frame: ‘The album was all done in a natural way. Someone will lead with an idea and we all add a bit, till we all end up in the same place. These days music – at least, how I see it - is like a Lingua Franca. Because of what we play and how we play it, the depth and kind of music we do, we’re never going to have to play, say, a night-club or even a strip-club sort of place. Everybody now knows the groove. In the 1960s, before Zeppelin was Zeppelin, there were great numbers of people around in London, in particular, interested in each other and their individual cultures. There was an open, supportive, mutual interest, that seems to be harder to find nowadays. I’m no anthropologist, I’m not trying to say I’m like Sir Richard Burton, but I’m intrigued by other cultures and their music. Music carries the message. If you listen to some of the African rhythms and instruments, they’re totally amazing. And yet, we all share this same musical love and foundation. Whether we’re in Africa or London or the Middle East, music has a sort of universality; a power to move and affect your life.

I worry at times about an alienation that seems to be developing but I’m always optimistic about the music.’

In every way Robert Plant remains an iconic musical figure, no simple frontman or totemic figure-head. He is clearly central to the musical world he inhabits and roams the world with an open eye and ear, always aware of the possibilities that might just be waiting around the next corner. Nothing appears to be musically taboo to this guy, save perhaps thoughts or suggestions of a Zeppelin

reunion, a subject we never broached, despite the near-constant media speculation. After all, Plant has been a soloist for something now approaching forty years during which time he has shown himself to be a towering musician with a huge global appeal and outlook. The time for backward glances are long gone, and Plant himself shows absolutely no interest or suggestion of ever looking back. There’s simply too much new, fresh stuff out there to be mined and explored.

ROBERT PLANT CARRY FIRE WARNER/NONESUCH RECORDS

The world is peppered with musical magpies, musicians who are ever searching, listening out for new, refreshingly interesting rhythms and tones, the next nugget of aural treasure lurking just around the next corner. For most, there might, if lucky, be a sudden awakening, a new discovery that torches the flame once again and pushes them into a challenging new area or zone. But when you’re Robert Plant your pickings tend to produce pearls. With Plant’s latest offering, Carry Fire on Warner/Nonesuch Records, we have an album that ricochets from area to area, never sitting lazily in any one softly sagging musical zone. From the opening track, with its sparkling, up-beat, up-tempo shades of modern blues and

Americana, through the scorching passion of the title track to others that are mesmerising at times and haul indefinably intriguing eastern scales and instrumentation into the forefront, this is an album that is instantly disarming and delicious. Plant includes a take on one of his own personal, life-long favourites, the mid-fifties number, Bluebirds Over The Mountain, where he shares the vocals with New Yorker and ex-Pretender, Chrissie Hynde. In short, this is Plant working his balls off with an evident love, interest and immersion in the changing rhythms of the world around him. Again working with the excellent, wide-ranging and free-thinking Sensational Space Shifters, Plant is clearly in a comfortable place musically, despite the demanding nature of the music he now embraces these days. Carry Fire is a release that moves the man, the incredible voice and his music yet another huge step forward, shrugging off any backward-looking thoughts of rockn’roll superbands and Zeppelinesque surety or security. A truly remarkable release from a modern music giant.

IAIN PATIENCE

Chris Rea DRIVE TIME

The title of the Northern slidemaster’s new album is Road Songs For Lovers but don’t be fooled, there is real bite in with the romance and glad-to-be-alive moments.

Rea is one of music’s survivors and I have been glad of his advice when in my own dark times. The love of music and of communicating through music still beams out of the genial songwriter when we meet up once again in London to trade records and chat…

Verbals: Pete Sargeant Visuals: Talgarth

First question, as ever, must be – how are you matey?

(Sighs) Not very good. I had a stroke this time last year, which they say is part of not having a pancreas for fifteen years. I knew it was going to happen. We always knew there would be complications, down the line, y’know. So I had a stroke and my balance is dreadful. It’s slowly coming back, but only slowly. So, that’s been my year.

You’d changed your diet when we first met after your major ops and you were off on The Blues Adventure, let’s call it, does this situation affect you travel wise?

When I’m sitting down, I’m fine. I wouldn’t know I’d had a stroke. If I stand up, I have to be really careful. (Rea hands me a double-vinyl edition of the new record – PS).

Well here I am looking at this lovely, lovely vinyl record set, and I think it’s beautiful. It’s got the mark of Rea all over it. What inspired this design? What do you think of it?

Well you know I’ve been painting my album sleeves for ages – you came down to the gallery for the Blue Guitars era ones. And when I had the stroke, I can’t paint anymore, so! (laughs) that’s my first sticky collage effort!

It has freshness vibe about it, almost like you want to put these segments together, but that gives some movement, in it. Yes, it could have been called Motels And Blue Sky.

On the new record, I have listened to the stream, you can probably guess my favourite song on this, the band has got the Ahwai brothers who you and Mick Taylor like to work with. What do they bring to the party? Well Robert brings his fantastic unique guitar feel, and I tell him every day but he never listens and he is a classic example of what we’re just talking about. Robert Ahwai is as good a guitar player as anyone you have ever heard, really. He has got his own feel, but he’s not a showman and so a lot of people don’t know about him! But I do and he IS fantastic.

I think he has a lot in common with Grant Green, on Blue Note. Yeah…not showbiz, y’see, a craftsman.

No ‘Look at me! I can play the guitar! Admire me!’ He’s forgotten more about scales than most people ever learn.

If he brought a foot-onmonitor vibe to your studio it would screw all these recordings. And! the other brother James is one of my great discoveries. I don’t know how many others knew but he is a magical bass player, so tight. And it’s not often that an older geezer meets a young geezer who knows what you do and likes the kind of music we’re all trying to do. In a funny way although he’s young; he’s got a head on him like a 65-yearold and understanding the music I’m trying to do, at my

age. His bass playing is very Jamerson, Willie Weeks.

Yes, ask what’s a good live record and you’ll get the same answer from Ronnie Wood and me – Donny Hathaway Live on Atlantic, with Weeks, Dupree. Absolutely, everything cooks.

Let’s do the songs –Happy On The Road, lovey accordion so it’s a gentle swamp/Cajun ambience about it. Exactly. Lowell George slide guitar.

It’s almost a laidback Los Lobos. (Brightly) I’ll have that. Thank you.

Nothing Left Behind

– there’s a great pedal steel sound on there. That’s me, using the little finger for the volume swells here and there (a brief discussion on that technique vs. Slow Engine ensues – PS) I did try a volume pedal, Pete but for some reason I can’t get on with it.

A very reflective song, I like the piano on that.

(Animated) Neil Drinkwater is great!

The only person who plays like that is Max Middleton. Woo! You’ve hit a vein there, I was just waiting for a thunderbolt! Max Middleton, I’ll tell Neil. That will go down very well.

I can only ever tell you what I’m hearing, now, Road Songs For Lovers, reminded me of Marc Cohn the Silver Thunderbird man. It’s that

relaxing thing, what I would call gentle strength. It’s me and my wife when we were eighteen. And we used to go to an island off Spain ’cos it was cheap and it was quiet. No discos, nothing like that and we’d hire a little budget car and there’s a certain moment in the afternoon when the sunburnt feet are on the dashboard, y’know romantic, in a nutshell. And it’s a kind of blues song in as much

as you’d like to go back to that moment again.

Sort of connects with that one of yours I used to do, On The Beach. Where it’s not quite what it seems. Oh yes, I remember. Do you still play it with…? With The Healer, John Lee Hooker blended in, yeah.

On to Money, a very elegiac sound, it’s not a Mardi Gras/gumbo thing, it

sounds filmic, steady funk. Gil Evans influenced that.

‘Accountants rule the world and you and I aren’t going to change it’, was it Wilde? They know the price of everything and the value of nothing.

I’ve got a Gil Evans DVD and it’s great, like young kids say to me ‘What new stuff do you like?’ and I always say, if you love music whatever you hear is new. So I can hear

something that’s fifty years old. It’s new to me! I don’t need to listen to Radio One to hear stuff that I haven’t heard before. I heard a guy three weeks ago and I wrote to Richard Williams about him. And said tell me about this fella. It’s a guy called Leon Pellegrino. He was playing this baritone sax as if he was Jimi Hendrix! Richard knew about him, to me he’s brand new.

Two Lost Souls, it has this fine clipped beat to it. Story of a female. True story? They’re all imaginary,

they’re people in a car as the thread, if you like.

Novelettas about people. It does happen, and we shouldn’t judge people in a story like this.

I love the brush drumming on Rock My Soul, ‘sitting in a gridlock’. Martin Ditcham! I couldn’t do stuff like that without Martin. The way Martin plays brushes is unique to him. He’s fantastic.

The only guy near to this that I recall was

Chris Karan who played drums for The Dudley Moore Trio. Dripping colour out of the wash. Energy, as well! No bang, bang. The impact is from an alternative route, makes the song.

Moving On, it’s got the congas, some string patch stuff. I like the Curtis Mayfield vibe of this. That’s exactly what I was after! Thank you.

I admit that’s my favourite track here. And doesn’t he play bass well on it?

Heatbeat bass. When I got SuperFly I played Pusher Man thirty times! I wanted that driving underlay thing. To put the guitar on top.

The Road Ahead, maybe this is the closest moment to Lowell George, that loping slide sound. That’s a lovely track. Are you going to do that live? Yeah. I think we just have to, don’t you?

Last Train, uses that jazzy cymbal wash. Is that a flageolet or Irish pipe playing in the background? No, it’s a little old Roland Juno. I always used to use a Juno on the old songs, y’see. When Davey Spillane couldn’t get to a session. The sound is unique to the Juno. They’re worth a lot of money, if you can find one, that is.

Hang on mate – when did you last catch a train?

(Laughs) Well that’s the only one I’m really pleased

with, but nobody gets what I’m pleased about! It’s about life being SO bad that you’re prepared to jump on a train, cos it’s the last one. You don’t even know where it’s going ’cos most songs have the last train home. This one ain’t going home. But life is so bad…

I’ve written ‘lonesome sound’ but I didn’t realise it was an escape song. (Challenging) What would make a man jump on the last train not knowing where it was going?

Desperation. Like a refugee situation. Absolutely! I see that there’s something he is really scared of.

Angel Of Love – I expected J J Cale to start singing!

It’s a jukebox song. The players bring that home, I just said what I needed to each of them and that’s what results.

There’s a lovely tremolo sound on Breaking Point. It sounds like film music. Yes it’s meant to convey that as well, definitely. I’d like to have done all that. That’s what my ambition was. The first interview I ever did, tender age of twenty six, I did say I intended to do film music. The voice came along and f***ed up everything.

No! It’s part of you. It did, no-one talks about my film music or my guitar playing I do!

(Laughs) I know, that’s different! They all talk about His Voice.

CHRIS REA ROAD SONGS FOR LOVERS

JAZZEE BLUE RECORDS

Virtuoso, and earthy slide guitar, soulful vocals, rocking accordion, drums, and bass, songs about the road, and about love. All of the ingredients that we have come to expect from a Chris Rea album are present and correct on Road Songs For Lovers. Using his long-serving road band, of Robert Ahwai, Martin Ditchum, and Neil Drinkwater, and producing the album himself, there

Your voice made people fall in love with you, listen to your words. (Sighs) I accept that.

Beautiful, excellent sax on this one. I could hear Louis Armstrong singing this number. (Ponders) I know what you mean. I’ll let you into a secret. It’s actually about a dog. A one-eyed dog. The mutt of the litter. And I fell in love with him. Post-stroke, I needed something to get me to walk. I didn’t want to. I just wanted to stay in bed. This little thing would come to the bedroom and pretty much order me on to my feet.

That’s the greater need of another. The dog wants exercise, you can facilitate it. Cos she wants to run round outside and smell things

is nothing here to scare Chris Rea’s many, many fans. Although his health has not been what it was once, his voice still has the same gravelly patina, and his slide guitar is still as lushly melodic as it always was, drawing out influences from the blues, jazz, celtic music, and film music, filling the twelve songs on this release with the same sense of melancholic wistfulness. From the rockier Happy On The Road, or the reworked more gospel Moving On, to the accordion parps that highlight The Road Ahead, to the more stately songs such as Beautiful, Nothing Left Behind, or the gospel infused Rock My Soul, there is some good feel-good music, full of what we have come to expect from one of the formost slide guitarists in the country.

BEN MACNAIR

and live! It really helped me, motivated me. For the song, it’s how we all find beauty in things that other people might not. It’s my daughter’s dog,

What gear did you use?

the ‘Pinky’ Strat?

Yep, the Maranello, that’s about it. It’s getting less and less, for what I’m up to.

It doesn’t sound like a guitar player’s record as such. No, it isn’t.

It sounds like someone blues-influenced with a set of songs to deliver. I think that’s dead right. I think that’s why these (label) people wanted it. And I was happy to let them have it. No skin off my nose. Now everyone can hear it that wants to.

Fabrizio Grossi of Supersonic

Blues Machine

CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’ WITH 150 SHADES OF BLUES

Fabrizio Grossi is a multi-talented Producer and great bass player. He is the spokesperson for The Supersonic Blues Band. He has worked with the best musicians in the business. I caught up with him via Skype in Los Angeles, a fascinating and informative discussion ensued, please read on…

Verbals: Colin Campbell Visuals: Robert Knight and Vikram Chandrasekar

Thanks For taking time out of your busy schedule. Let’s get down to business and get you to talk about Supersonic Blues Machine and how it all began, the philosophy and ideas behind getting the band together. Hi thanks, well it all came about when I was in a band called Goodfellas. There was Kenny (Aronoff), Steve Lukather, Steve Weingert and me. We wanted to work on a project but there wasn’t enough time what with Steve in Toto and Ringo Starr Band at the time about 2010. It was Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top who was the real motivator for getting a band together. Billy came around to the studio with a song they were doing for a commercial but due to other reasons they could not publish it. This song was called Running Whiskey and ended up on the first album by Supersonic Blues Machine, West Of Flushing, South Of Frisco. Billy also said he had been collaborating with a Texas blues guitarist Lance Lopez who I knew when he was a teenager so I got in touch with him and shared a few ideas.

The idea was not to form a band as such but to continue that spirit that Kenny and I wanted to continue earlier with Goodfellas, more a Jamming band with guest musicians, a family! Easier to tell you who Kenny hasn’t played. He’s played with everyone- John Fogerty, BB King, Dr John and all those cats. We do our own songs and make it a band that is always evolving. We did not want to be a glorified cover band. We were happy with

the way the first record turned out and had to turn people down for it. Matching schedules was difficult to arrange, as producer a lot of the time is bounded by the project you’re in. With the new band it was more just a do your thing mentality. Let It Be was the first song we played as a band and no guests but when we play it live Robben Ford usually plays with us and it has a trippy feel to it. Yet when Eric Gales plays with us it takes a different sound. At a recent blues festival in Kalamazoo we had to draught in Steve Perkins from Jane’s Addiction playing on it. It took on a sixties California hippy vibe.

The true meaning of why this band started is when you see one of our shows regardless of who is playing; we are the vehicle that lets the personality evolve. We don’t play specifically blues, we played to a rock crowd a Led Zeppelin Black Sabbath medley and Robben Ford was playing jazz licks on War Pigs. The Houston press dubbed us Jazz Sabbath. Supersonic Blues Machine is blues based but it doesn’t know how fast it’s gonna hit you. That’s the Supersonic part.

First album was well acclaimed and seemed very emotionally driven. Where do you get your ideas for song writing? Life experience! And listening to bands like The Beatles and Queen, the lyrics were honest and from the heart. I admire James Taylor and Carole King as song writers. Seventies music, there was less exploitation when

Peter Frampton brought out his live album in 1976 and music really changed. I lost my birth mum when I was young. That changed my attitude to things and I got into using alternative remedies and “dark works”. Possibly writing lyrics was a purge like an alcoholic coming to terms with his addiction. Some songs on the first record are old ones but still have meaning. I still believe in World Peace and understanding and tolerance. Late sixties summer of love is my philosophy. Emotional songs such as on our new album, Californisoul, mix blues with a more social feeling. On the Robben Ford tune Somebody’s Fool there is a blues language all of its own. It references different blues rock songs but with a modern twist. Like most of the new album it is positive, spiritual and uplifting.

Is the new album a continuation on a theme? How would you compare the two and what influences are there of note? There is a rocky blues and Southern rock music mix to the first album. I had like a warehouse of songs built up over ten to fifteen years, enough for three different records. The ideas for the second album come from that time and what’s on in the news. When talking with the band and guests we thought fifty years later we’re still talking about the same shit what happened then that’s still going on. So we compiled a soundtrack of an imaginary trip between San Francisco and Los Angeles in 1970 to ’71 with sounds of Allman

WE WERE FED CORPORATE MUSIC AND HAD TO STICK BY THE RULES. YOUNG MUSICIANS CAN MAKE NEW RULES

Brothers, The Rolling Stones and Janis Joplin. There’s also funk type music- Tower Of Power and Sly Stone style, these are all influences on the band as such. The song Cry is soulful and written with the social rights movement in mind. When writing it I watched a documentary on Martin Luther King, a major influence. The new album is soul of the California spirit and movement. As a producer I let songs evolve and play on the record as we would do live and get that adrenalin going and the performances are looser. We want to take the music to the next level. Emotionally it was great working with Walter Trout and arranging Say Goodbye To The Blues was a real honour, so passionate. Then playing with us at one of his first gigs after his near death experience was a thrill.

What does the blues mean to you as a musician and who are your influences? Also talk about your new collaboration on the film Sidemen, how did you get involved with that?

All the music Supersonic Blues Machine plays is blues based. We play 150 shades of blues. There will be

fundamental blues fans that may argue this but I always look at music evolving. Look at Clapton and The Stones they are taking their lessons from say Howlin’Wolf. If not for somebody like Hubert Sumlin, Jimi Hendrix may not have done his thing. Before that Robert Johnson brought out his interpretation of folk music and though I’m not a fan of the genre, it is blues heritage at the end of the day. Every time I want to listen to something that hits home is to do with blues. I admire when Joe Bonamassa can go back and recreate a traditional blues sound because people of our generation were not born with that in mind. So for him being able to go backwards but in a positive way keeps things fresh. To be honest 80% of music would not exist if there was no blues. But I did not grow up immersed in it like say Billy Gibbons. I am influenced by soul music and original rhythm and blues and funk. It’s all derivative. It’s all part of the legacy.

On that, I have been privileged to have worked on the film Sidemen: Long Road To Glory about three bluesmen in particular. These being Joe Willy “Pinetop”

Perkins, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith and drummer and guitarist Hubert Sumlin. I was introduced to Producer/ Director Scott Rosenbaum and it started from there. It has just been released this week in America and reviews are great. Scott was very passionate about making sure the world knew about these bluesmen and that they would not be forgotten. There is a push now to get Hubert Sumlin into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. He should have been in ages ago. The film took six years to make and we’re very proud, what an experience. It was therapeutic for me; I was able to bring in a bunch of friends including Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi and Joe Bonamassa. All these guys pretty much were saying how much they owed to these three bluesmen; it was not just me that felt this way, blues touches everyone. All of us are the grandchildren of these blues men. Blues is music of the survivors. Winds of change are rooted in blues, that’s why there seems to be resurgence in the music and sound nowadays. Hope and resistance are still the meanings that live on. Blues music is a connection only separated at birth by Gospel, its heritage music by people who were let down by a system. During the filming we felt guided from beyond. When you see the film you will understand why it was a great honour.

How did you get involved with the production side of music? What do you prefer doing nowadays producing or playing in a band?

As a youngster in Milan I was always interested in music. I recorded bands and got my own gear together and went over to the States to record a house band in a studio in Long Island. With my own recording studio, bands were desperate to get recorded by my team because we did things differently at that time. When I moved to Los Angeles I ended up getting a production deal with Warner Brothers, I focussed on that and learned from other people as well. It’s a passion just like playing to a live audience with a band. Production is always a part of me, it won’t take the place of being in a band. I enjoy doing both equally. I produce the records I like to do so can be my own boss and that’s artistically gratifying. If I hear a song, say an artist playing acoustic guitar and singing, I can plan it, mix it and master it in my head straight away that’s my thing. It’s almost like a spiritual feeling that’s very important to me. Playing live is how you prepare mentally for it days in advance. That’s key. I have so many projects on the go my hard drive is getting full. You get to connect with everyone on stage and the audience when playing in the band and let the music do the talking.

Outside of music what else do you have time for doing, say hobbies or interests? It goes back to the lyrics in songs we are writing, I am talking here of social injustices. Not saying I would go into Politics but I would be active with that stuff, that’s a big passion of mine. The other is cooking, I like to recreate dishes. A major

stress release for me is to cook for family and friends. Music, activism and cheffing!

What’s the best advice you have had and given in your life? The best being at particular times in my life there are a whole bunch of them. One is from my mentor and “Guru” Stevie Vai: “use your vision, you can see what a finished product can be by just listening to a note of a song”. Also from my “Uncle” Billy Gibbons. I’ve always been conscious about my Italian accent living in the States. I can sometimes fit an East Coast accent to it or whatever suits. Gibbons said “You were born in Italy. What’s with doing the New York accent thing?". Mostly “Why are you trying to stick in when you can stick out?” Now I don’t hide my Italian accent I let it flow and let the spaghetti get into the words. My best advice to give is always look at the big picture never judge others or yourself on the way. You’re not in a position to judge anybody, you’re not in their shoes. Look ahead and on the bright side.

What is your best advice for young musicians trying to make it in the music business nowadays?

I think younger folk have been given back the power to let music do the talking, that’s where it starts from. It starts with you getting people together to make music. The quality of the music separates you from the rest. Business advice would be never do anything for free. I wish I was twenty years old today, possibilities of doing songs

with jazzy rock or other music types this was not possible twenty thirty years ago, we were fed corporate music and had to stick by the rules. Young musicians can make new rules.

What other music do you listen to or not?

Not a lot of pop music, that is packaged for the masses anyway. Some hip hop I don’t like and the whole sexualising stereotypes thing. It seems wrong because I think originally Miles Davis was hip hop’s inspiration. Loved Arrested Development and The Fugees. It might be a generational thing. Old School rhythm and blues, funk, sixties music, The Beatles and Queen I listen to still. I am my own worst critic and others and not much new music thrills me. But, and you may laugh, I think Bruno Mars is fantastic. Toto are one of my favourites, nobody comes close to them. Harry Styles’ production and performance really kicks my ass. He has a wow factor. He got lucky and now he is a great artist. My daughter tries me out on new bands we agree on this point. She is not star struck.

It’s been great talking to you. Hope to catch you in the UK sometime soon. Thanks a lot Colin. Goodbye.

Janiva Magness THE REAL MEANING OF THE BLUES

Verbals: Clive Rawlings Visuals: Jeff Dunas and Shelby Duncan

Janiva Magness has been described as a living, breathing, one-woman master class in blues performance and, not coincidentally, overcoming staggering odds and finding ways to help others. Magness has won several plum Blues Music Awards from the Memphis-based Blues Foundation over the last several years, including the coveted B.B. King Entertainer of the Year award (only the second woman to win it, Koko Taylor being the first) in 2009, Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year in 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2013, and Song of the Year for “I Won’t Cry” in 2013. She is currently nominated for Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year. After her recent show at the Borderline in London, our Clive Rawlings caught up with her.

We’re here at the Borderline in London and it’s the last night of your tour. Is that your first tour of the UK?

First tour of the UK, yeah, not the first time playing here, but absolutely the first tour. This is the third of three shows. We came over and played a festival in Belgium and then up north to Colne British Rhythm and Blues festival and then a Club date here in London at the Borderline. It’s been fabulous.

Obviously I have read a lot about you, about your past, about your history and maybe, maybe in a certain way we are singing from the same hymn sheet. Basically, what don’t I know about Janiva Magness?

(laughs) A lot. Probably. Because there’s a lot now I can’t possibly tell you everything, but it’s true that I decided several years ago to go public about a lot of my early experiences in life. Very pointedly, for a very pointed reason which is specific to the idea of helping other people. There is still a difficult journey to understand that it’s not the end of the journey. That is a simple, basic idea I never knew. And so it turns

out that it’s a critical piece of information while we are in a struggle to understand that (a) we are not alone, we are not the only ones (b) it is not a permanent condition. If we persist we will come through, we will be on the shore. That was never information I had, it was never information, certainly as a young girl, that I understood. And so that was

healing, more healing, you know. To watch the light go on in someone else’s eye is literally priceless.

OK. I will be perfectly frank, and I know this is being recorded. It’s alright.

I'm a survivor myself. I am sorry.

I was never open about it until I was well married. I have now been married for 45 years. Congratulations.

the reason for me to become publicly open about certain parts of my life and certain parts of my experiences.

Because you felt that to go public was to perhaps lift something from you? Well, I wasn’t looking for that, truthfully, but that is one of the gifts, as it turns out. It’s like a fantastic surprise to me. I wasn’t expecting that. I did not know that that would be part of the return, you see. But it has been, it’s been beautiful. It turns out that by making the effort to help other people, it also helps me. And that’s wonderful. It’s really helped to bring

I’ve got two beautiful sons, but I just could not bring myself to admit to my wife what had happened. I'm now being counselled due to flashbacks. Do you suffer? I am very grateful that that is not the case now. That it is in fact very rare for me to suffer from the memory you see. It’s not that I don’t have the memories, but to suffer them. It’s very rare now. It’s not that I don’t suffer them. I certainly do. Nothing is y’know - I love the Japanese craft. I don’t know what the name of it is, but there is a way the Japanese have of when a precious thing, just use a bowl for example, breaks. They have a technique of repairing things and they use gold.

Oh right. OK.

And in fact, literally piecing for example a broken bowl back together, soldering it with gold, which quite literally makes it stronger than it was in the first place and I sort of feel like that. I feel like I have a story. We

TO WATCH THE LIGHT GO ON IN SOMEONE ELSE’S EYE IS LITERALLY PRICELESS

all do. I have y’know, a lot of broken bits, and I am stronger than I ever imagined or ever expected to be.

So your communication presumably is through music? Much of it. Much of it. It speaks to the place where there are no words and as a young person, as a child who was abused, as a young person who was put through Shit?

Yes. Some very wrong things. But many of us are. Ah. Y’know. Yeah. I feel very lucky. I believe that I am very very very fortunate. To come out through the other side of the tunnel, we hope stronger.

You see, like that Japanese craft of repair and so the idea of talking about my early experiences and having served… as a way to be of service to someone else. That’s the only reason I opened my mouth. There wasn’t any other reason, and it turns out that there are so many other gifts as a result.

Brilliant. And if we could go back into your history…

The history that’s been published, it was Otis Rush who turned you on to the blues, when you were aged about fourteen?

Otis Rush was a revelation. I’d been listening to live blues for a while. I’d been drawn to it for some time. I lived in an area in Minneapolis St. Paul at that time where that was a routine stop. Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis, Des

Moines, there was a route there that touring blues artistes … Otis Rush was a revelation to me. I had no idea who he was, I just happened to go to the show. A friend said C’mon you gotta go. I was like OK, so I went. I was by myself, I didn’t go with anyone.

You were fourteen? I was fourteen, I trekked across town. It was like a Tuesday or a Wednesday night, in the middle of a snowstorm. I didn’t care about any of that.

Did you meet him?

No, not that night, but I

I HAVE A STORY. WE ALL DO

have since and I remain quite speechless in his presence because there is no way for me to explain to him what he has done for me. I don’t think he would understand

BB King?

Same year. At fourteen. So imagine in 2009, all those years later, when BB King is there, and he opens the envelope and he calls my name.

So you go back thirty years?

Well, forty,

y’see because it was 2009. I am really bad at maths, especially after a show. My head kinda flatlines, but 2009. I am sixty years old now, so what was I fortyeight? Thirty four years later, I hear the man call my name. Not only is he calling my name, he’s actually pronouncing it right, he’s enunciating it properly. And Bonnie Raitt is on his arm as the Trophy Girl. So this was for me. The heavens stopped. Time stopped and came to a screeching halt and I... yeah. That was that moment.

So, communication through music. What about inspiration through your songwriting? Well, I didn’t want to be a songwriter, I had a great deal of resistance to it, kicking and screaming. You could say I got dragged into it kicking and screaming and that wouldn’t be necessarily off the mark.

So who dragged you kicking and screaming to it?

I think the Universe and I think that my Producer was a tool (giggles) for the Universe to do that. My producer Dave Darling, whom I trust deeply. He is a dear friend, I have so much respect for him. Because of that trust I allowed him to lead me, which I don’t do easily, and I certainly don’t do that readily. But he said, ‘you know, you need to start writing because let’s just face it, where are we going’.

What stage were you at then?

This is like he’s been my producer since I signed with Alligator, but he’s been my friend longer than that. So for the first Alligator signing we did What Love Will Do then we did something else that I can’t remember right now, then we did Stronger For It and on Stronger For It I began the songwriting journey. He talked to me about it for the record before but I was still ‘I don’t want to do it, no, no, no.’ I was afraid that I would suck, but even heavier than that, inside of me, was I was afraid I wouldn’t suck and what if I didn’t suck, what if I wasn’t a terrible writer. To me, then it’s an automatic responsibility.

And you had insecurities? Of course. Like everyone. Suppose that’s the human condition.

Anyway, the blues fan base. What do you call yourself? What would you describe your music as? Where I am now?

Contemporary blues? Americana soul? Both.

How do we get that style of music to a younger fan base because a lot of the younger people, the youngsters now will say blues is pigeonholed into the old black guys?

The first mistake there is the idea that they understand what it is because they don’t. Marketing has to be current. It has to be marketed in a current fashion. It has to be, and it is, formulised on a social media platform and so forth. However, I want to say

something. I want to speak to this which is a greater problem. In my view, there is the craft of music that quite frankly who gives a shit what you call it? In the sixties, blues was folk music.

Alright. But the business of music, the bean counters. A basic element of the business of music is to find a way to profit, and in order to profit, not saying profits are bad, but it is a basic thing of the business of music that in order to profit, one must quantify. In order to quantify, one must label. I’ve said this for a very long

time. I don’t care what you call me, but I hope you call me. I hope you call me.

What a quote!

I’m to the point where internally, spiritually speaking, the gloves are off. I don’t care. I’m sixty years old, OK, what are you going to do to me? What exactly are you going to do to me that probably haven’t already been done? And here I am so screw off. If you don’t like what I say, f*** it. If you don’t like what I say, then change channel. Change the channel, that’s fine. But

yeah Contemporary blues, Americana soul, that’s where I’m quantified right now.

What you’re probably pointing back to, and the immediate line that went on in my head when you started that answer was Dylan going electric back in… Yeah. I know. Sixties. Newport Folk Festival. Yeah.

Yeah, and everyone booed him.

Yeah, because people are frightened of change. They don’t want it, they are scared of it, and they don’t understand it.

We’ve got over the subject of the rebranding. I think we’ve covered that. Yeah, but that is about the quantification and… I do… I love my work and I want to be paid, because that is how I make my living. However, I will not allow myself to be a slave to that system of quantification, I won’t do it. I will not do it. Other people do it. I understand it. I just do not, I’m not having it any more. I’m so grateful to the blues audience, and I love them and I want them and they are me and you will prise the Son House, Robert Johnson, Bessie Smith records out of my cold dead hand. Fine.

Brilliant, absolutely brilliant. Part of the old legacy of your upbringing?

You know my view on it now, and I think this is accurate. My parents weren’t bad people, they were sick. They were very sick, but they weren’t bad human beings.

They did some bad things. They made some really rotten choices, really rotten choices, y’know. But they weren’t bad.

Did you have any siblings? Yeah, one sister, three brothers, none of them ended up in foster care. It was just me.

They were older? Younger brother. My sister was older. My two older brothers were already gone from home.

So how come you ended up in foster care? Because when my mother killed herself, I was home for about, less than a year, then I hooked up, literally, kids, with the drug dealer across the street who was 23 years old. I was fourteen. My father came home one day, and it was me, my Dad and my little brother, and I was in charge of everything. It was much too much for me and I needed to get out so when my father discovered that I was (long pause) hanging out with the guy across the street.

And he’s the guy who made you pregnant? No no no. My father had a fit, rightfully so. I wasn’t gonna have it, I wasn’t gonna stand for it so I ran away with that guy and I never went home. I went into foster care. After about six months with that guy I realised he was crazy and a real bad idea. So I turned myself in to the State and they put me into foster care. I told my Dad I wasn't coming home. I couldn't stand him and I will not be home with him. I went through twelve foster

homes in two years but not before my father and I were reconciled. My father and I were reconciled meaning we had a conversation that was one simple conversation where I said I don’t want to hate him any more and he said I don’t want to be mad at you either, I love you I love you. We had that conversation and he died two months later. What a gift that was.

You had a daughter? I got pregnant at sixteen and had her at seventeen.

Are you reconciled with her? We have had a reunification. It’s one of the most beautiful and one of the most painful things ever. Like a little mouse? One of the most wonderful and one of the most painful things ever. And right now she is not in my life.

Have you had more children?

No. Just the one.

Because we must add at this point that you are now happily married. I am very happily married, yeah. He’s lovely. TJ Norton, he’s a UK blues musician. He has a one man show called TJ and the Suitcase.

Very quickly. The new album. The new album, Blue Again. Playing some of my favourite covers.

Yeah, covers. And that is through your life?

Yes. Throughout my life. You know I’ve always been a person, like many of us, that collects these songs like little gems and I stash them away,

keep them in a little secret box under the bed and then pull them out every once in a while, and that’s what the collection on Blue Again is.

No Otis Rush?

There are other people that ‘can do’ Otis Rush far better than me. Far, far better than me.

If you had to do a duet with a fellow female musician/singer, who would it be with?

There’s lots out there. Maybe Annika Chambers, she’s Texas born and raised, and the greatest female blues and soul artist. You need to check her out.

I will

She’s wonderful, absolutely wonderful.

Unfortunately, time ran out on us and we had to leave the venue.

DISCOGRAPHY

BLUE AGAIN – 2017

LOVE WINS AGAIN – 2016

ORIGINAL – 2014

STRONGER FOR IT – 2012

THE DEVIL IS AN

ANGEL TOO – 2010

WHAT LOVE WILL DO – 2008

DO I MOVE YOU? – 2006

BURY HIM AT THE

CROSSROADS – 2004

USE WHAT YOU GOT – 2003

BLUES AIN'T PRETTY – 2001

MY BAD LUCK SOUL – 1999

IT TAKES ONE TO

KNOW ONE – 1997

MORE THAN LIVE – 1991

Scott Holt

BUDDY GUY’S FIRST PROTÉGÉ

Verbals: Don Wilcock Visuals: Arnie Goodman

When most artists cover Jimi Hendrix, Jimi’s sand castles in the sky turn to lead. And when these fledgling blues guitarists cover the Stones’ “Wild Horses” they become 21st century minstrels. Carlos Santana once told blues artist Scott Holt that a guitarist’s tone is his face. And it was a jam with Buddy Guy and Larry Coryell early in his 38-year career that made Holt realise that ultimately a musician’s mettle is defined in being himself.

In blues terms, Holt was a kid when he first started touring with Buddy Guy, as his second guitarist. At 23, he not only was backing the most charismatic blues guitarist alive, but he was rubbing shoulders with many of his own record collection heroes like John Lee Hooker, Eric Clapton, and Albert Collins. But it was the night he found himself jamming with Buddy and jazz guitar master Larry Coryell that taught him perhaps his most important lesson from his mentor Buddy Guy.

“Larry Coryell starts taking a solo. He’s a jazz guy and this is a slow blues. So, that’s like a big meatball for a jazz player because they can do everything on that. And he does. He starts building the solo, and just going and going and going, playing more and more stuff. I’m looking at Buddy out of the corner of my eye, and Buddy’s just playing rhythm and smiling. He’s not really showing any kind of concern at all.

“I’m thinking like a guitar player. If I’m Buddy, I got to answer this guy. So, what am I going to do that’s going

to bring the shine back on me? Larry Coryell plays this brilliant solo, ends it with a big flourish. Everybody applauds and it’s great.

“Now, it’s Buddy’s turn. He drops down, turns around, takes a drumstick and starts banging “Sunshine of Your Love” on the guitar. “And the place goes bananas.”

The revelation hit Holt like a bolt of lightning. It doesn’t matter who you’re on stage with. It doesn’t matter what situation you’re in. Be yourself because that’s when you’re the strongest.

“When you start out, you want to be somebody else. That’s part of the reason you picked up an instrument in the first place,” says Holt. “You hear John Coltrane, and so you start on that path. It’s only when you realise what your sound is, what your tone is, what Santana calls your face. Nobody can be you better than you. So, you’re playing with Larry Coryell. Don’t try to be Larry Coryell. Be you! Do what you do and don’t try to be anybody else to one up ’em. I learned that from Buddy.”

I remember touring with Scott Holt, Buddy Guy and Junior Wells in 1990 when I was researching my authorized Buddy Guy biography Damn Right I’ve Got The Blues, and I’d see the two of them off hours sitting together, Buddy teaching Holt licks, some of which he says he’s yet to master.

“It was the times Buddy and I were sitting there talking, and he was telling me stories, or he was showing me something on the guitar. Those are the times I cherish now. I was young

and naïve. I was sitting at the feet of a master, but I was too young to appreciate it. So, I didn’t get intimidated by it. I took advantage of every opportunity I had to sit with Buddy and just quiz him relentlessly, and he had amazing patience looking back on it.

“I’d never seen anybody do dynamics the way Buddy does where he goes from ear splitting volume to nothing, and what I learned from watching him do that was you really get a crowd’s attention when you do something like that. A lot of times when I do interviews, they ask me what I learned from Buddy. Like I could sum it up in one sentence! There’s so much I learned from Buddy from how to order in a Chinese restaurant to how to entertain a crowd, and I can’t separate any of it.

“He’s one of the best three entertainers I’ve ever seen in my life, him, Elvis and Prince. After that, there’s everybody else. But I saw those three guys live, and they were the best I’ve ever seen.

“I was lucky. My parents took me to see Elvis. That was my very first concert when I was eight or nine years old. He wasn’t in his prime, but when we were going into the arena where he was playing, I was just feeling the energy, and when the lights went down, and they played that “2001 Space Odyssey” he had them hanging on everything he said and did. The same thing with Prince. The same thing with Buddy Guy. With Buddy, I stood at his elbow for 10 years and watched him do it every night. I learned the discipline

of that, too. The stage is no place to mess around.”

Piano lessons at an early age pretty much turned Scott Holt off music. “The guitar stayed in the closet until I was 19, and then I heard Jimi Hendrix for the very first time. It was like that scene in Wizard of Oz when Dorothy steps out of the house, and it goes from black and white into color. I got lessons from a guy name Doug Thurman who is still one of the best players I have ever heard in my life.

“That started me on a path, and that’s when I was 19. So, within six months, my dad’s living in Florida, and he called me up and said, ‘Have you ever heard of Buddy Guy?’ And I said, yeah. I had just watched a documentary on Louisiana blues, and Muddy was featured on it. They showed Buddy at his club, The Checkerboard, and all this stuff.”

Holt soon finds himself in a Florida club listening to Buddy Guy. The year was 1987. “I’d never been in a club before. I’ve never seen live blues before. It was all new to me. “He’s playing this Guild Guitar, and he’s got a hundred-foot cable. He goes out in the street playing this guitar, and he’s laying up against this car, out on the sidewalk talking to this girl. And I’m standing there watching this. I’ve never seen anything like this in my life, and he comes back in, finishes his set, and he introduces Junior. They play a little bit together, and then Buddy leaves and goes upstairs to the dressing room. So, my dad says, ‘Come on. Let’s go and say hello.’”

Holt’s dad didn’t know much more about Buddy than his son did, but he knew Scott loved guitar. “My dad, if he thought there was something he could do to help me or that would help me realise my dreams, he would move heaven and earth. If he found out I liked blues, he went and found the greatest blues player he could find and said, ‘My son wants to learn how to play like you.’ If I’d wanted to be a brain surgeon, he’d be shadowing the greatest brain surgeon.”

Dad had set his son up, and soon Holt found himself on the road with an act on the verge of great popularity. And he was just along for the ride. “I got a passport. I left Nashville with a suitcase, a guitar amp, a guitar and a one-way plane ticket. I didn’t know if I was even coming back. I didn’t know if I was going to get payed.

“So, I got to Chicago in October of 1989. Buddy picked me up at the airport, pulled up in a van. We threw my gear in the back of it, and he took me to his house and cooked supper for me. After supper he had a stereo with this really cool record collection. He had a box set of Muddy Waters records from Japan, and he said I could play whatever I wanted from it. I put on these Muddy Waters records and slide guitar started playing. I was like, ‘Wow. Is that Muddy Waters?’ ‘No, man, that’s Earl Hooker.’ And that’s how I learned about Earl Hooker was sitting in Buddy’s den playing his record collection.

“So, after that, he took me to the club. I got in the van with a bunch of

musicians I’d never met before, and we headed for Canada. My first gig was in Toronto the next night. It was something I knew in my gut I wanted to do. The minute I picked up the guitar I knew I wanted to do that.”

Holt spent 10 years on the road and recording with Buddy from 1989 to ’99 before going independent. “I still love getting up in the morning and walking out in the hotel parking lot and jumping in a van and heading to the next town. I get off on the smell of diesel (chuckle) I love the whole thing.”

Holt recorded his second solo album Dark Of Night with Mitch Mitchell and Billy Cox, drummer and bass player respectively from the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Eddie Kramer who produced Hendrix was at the controls.

“I had been told all of this stuff beforehand about Mitch. ‘Don’t Mention Jimi Hendrix. Don’t say anything about him whatever.’ I had so much slant on it that I was scared to do anything.

“We all picked up our instruments, and we started playing some really lame sort of (typical) blues thing. It was really boring and not going anywhere. And I’m thinking, ‘Wow, this is gonna suck. This is not what I thought it would be’ and kinda being a little bit disappointed. We ended the song, and Mitch started playing the drum intro to “Spanish Castle Magic,” and I just automatically fell into playing it. I remembered the whole don’t say anything about Jimi Hendrix thing. I was horrified, and I looked back at Mitch. He peered up over the drum kit and pointed

his drum sticks at me and he said, ‘I was testing you.”

They went on to play Voodoo Chile. After recording that, Holt asked Mitch when the last time was he’d performed that song. Turns out he hadn’t played it since Jimi died. “Now, all of a sudden, I’m walking a little bit taller.”

Holt sings on two songs and plays on three or four of numbers on the latest Foghat album Upside Of Lonely. He, drummer Roger Earl, rhythm guitarist and singer Charlie Huhn, guitarist Brian Bassett, and bass player Rodney O’Quinn all from Foghat also have a second group called Earl & The Agitators. “Foghat can’t really do Johnny Cash songs,” explains Holt. “People want to hear Slow Ride, and they want to hear I Just Want to Make Love from

Foghat. We do a version of Sunday Morning Coming Down, Kris Kristofferson’s song. I probably would have never played that on my own. So playing with Earl & The Agitators gives you the latitude to do things like that. We did an EP of Earl & The Agitators stuff, but we still wanna finish the album and do a proper record on it.”

Buddy Guy constantly reminded me when we were working on Damn Right I’ve Got The Blues that the rock acts of the British Invasion were not stealing his music or that of his mentors Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters, but rather they opened the door for a larger fan base to embrace his music.

“I definitely have obviously a similar view of Buddy’s because,” says Holt, “that’s who I learned from, but I think if you trace it all

back far enough, we’re all borrowing from somebody. That’s the nature of music. It’s a hand-me-down thing. If it wasn’t for the Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton some people like Robert Johnson would have disappeared into anonymity altogether. But those artists came over here, and the kings were enamored of them, and then they mentioned Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf, and those kids went back and found those records.

“And Stevie Ray Vaughan was like a gateway drug for blues for me ’cause I read the liner notes on his record and tracked down Guitar Slim and tracked down Albert King and found out about Buddy Guy and found out about all these artists that I wouldn’t have even heard of if I hadn’t picked up a Stevie Ray Vaughan record.”

Black Country Communion ONE FOUR ALL

MATTERS!

Verbals: Pete Sargeant Visuals: Neil Zlozower

“Watch this space,” whispered BCC singer and bassist Glenn Hughes a while ago, after we had been discussing amps, Tommy Bolin, Andy Fraser, BCC and all manner of things in London. Soon afterwards, the musical four-piece reconvened in the studio to start work on new material and a vision to develop the potent BCC brew of rock, blues, prog, folk, soul that the act can draw on and deliver the album BCC 4. Recently and after I had listened to a stream we chatted about the new record over tea. I always learn a lot from Glenn who is as usual grounded, friendly and direct…

Thanks Glenn, I’ve been listening to the record, my overall response is that it is a collection full of pictures, i.e. atmospheric tracks and now and again a hint of Ronnie James Dio and maybe Led Zep 3.

(Ponders) That’s interesting, no disrespect to Ronnie who as you know was one of my best friends, but I am not sure where that would come from, we can discuss that certainly.

Let’s run through the tracks, maybe – first one Collide, where you’re singing, it’s a great full-blooded start and has what I call this kind of Black Dog lope.

(Warmly) Of course it is! Of course it is,

The prog keyboard part, strikes me as a very romantic sound. Now the use of the keys on this BCC album is a little different to those on the other albums we have done, how do I say this, Pete? We wanted the album, the songs to be more organic-sounding rather than synthesizerbased, a bit more mellotron, more piano and more organ. That’s why you hear a lot more piano. Derek, by the way, as we were recording this, he hadn’t heard any of the songs before then. Noone had heard these songs

that Joe and I wrote, just the two of us. So we went in to start the recording and Collide was the first song we worked upon, whilst we were recording them, Derek would look at me just to see if this was the right keyboard or the right tone, feeling his way in the moment. And without telling him what to play he would, from his many, many keyboard sounds, and then of course Kevin has to sign off on it. What Derek said to me after the album was done was “Did I embellish your songs, appropriately?” and all I could say was “You did! “So he was throughout really of service to the song.

So I guess what that does is give a little boost of adrenaline which can be sensed in the recording, he’s watching what is developing. (Firmly) Oh very much so. Derek on this particular album was just, right there. And I was right here. Eye To eye…Joe’s over ‘ere and Jason’s over ‘ere. And it’s me and Derek like this! (Demonstrates)

One of my favourite tracks on this set is Over My Head, the singing is just amazing, the power, the lyric is Man On A Mission, it bursts with intent, is there a tinge of Trapeze in there, Glenn?

Well thank you. I appreciate that…I woke up at about three in the morning going (sings) “Over my head…”and I went in my studio and finished it! It was out of a dream I was having, woke up singing it, there you go! The only time I’ve ever done that.

And this is where your approach to singing links in with the likes of Marvin Gaye. The falsetto thing, yeah. And that celestial element…Curtis had it. I am not frightened, as you know, to use the different Glenn voices, you know my work from way back.

Also it nudges Joe to draw upon all those guitar stylings that you and I know he is aware of, to complement the composition. On this one, he suddenly uses that Pat Thrall legato sound and its dead right! As used on the Automatic Man albums. Oh wow! It is a great break.

You bet your life he knows those records just as he does say Cornell Dupree, Little Beaver…. Yes, you know Joe would be the first to say “I’m just giving you stuff back now what I’ve been hearing, from other people “. He’s very generous in acknowledging that. He can tap into so many styles.

This epic track Last Resting Place, now this is the one where I sense a touch of Dio. (Sighs) Ah!! Ah, I see!

It’s a romantic piece, it’s very European sounding,

a story of old, which Ronnie had such a handle on. (Hughes nods) Who’s the violin player? A guy from Ireland. From The Dubliners. I’m not joking! Oh and when Joe told me he was writing a lyric, it was going to be about the orchestra on The Titanic and the lost Stradivarius, I said it does sound like we ought to have a violin on this song. So, we recorded the track, recorded the mandolin and then I had to go back to England as my Mum was sick. And when I get back home after the funeral they send me some dude playing the fiddle! I’m thinking there’s going to be a violin on this track and it’s going to be really nice and mellow. This fast leprechaun type stuff! Kevin wanted that element, I was a bit surprised.

That Mellotron touch too, it does give a touch of The Moodies, who you know. Oh yes I do indeed, you’re very close, we are rockier. Does almost sound like a lost gem from the LZ3 sessions. Yep, the mandolin, you know every album we do there’s a Joe song on there and he’ll nod to those sounds he likes or grew up with and now you got this one and it’s like, it does follow the thread of what BCC have achieved and this thing of the range of each collection. Joe just opens up and plays, y’know. It’s very instinctive on his part.

What I like is the ability to use say, minor elevenths on a bridge. Yeah nice changes… that work.

Sway - your lead vocal on this one, you sound very fired up. I am!

You’re playing bass low down the neck, and the vocal is sort of detached from the flow of the song. Correct – it’s a very free song for me to sing. Yes, I am singing against the groove. It makes sense to do that, here. A lot of rock guys wouldn’t do that.

Very few could! I love that song it’s going to be a big one for us.

I’ve got a note re the keyboards having a Hitchcockian vibe, you know, Bernard Herrman used to do the scores for Alfred. (Laughs) Derek was kind of joking around, but we kept it in!

Now The Cove, this is more my zone, what a track! That sinister intro. (Emphatically) I said to Joe “I want this to be as dark as possible” and it’s my song about the dolphins.

Oh is it? This is adding up now. It’s a song about the killing of the dolphins that happens in Japan every year. Over four months they kill over a thousand dolphins. Bring them in to the cove and kill them. There’s going to be an HD video for this song, to maximise its impact. It will hit, trust me on that.

The Crow - there’s a dirty bass tone on, is that the box you showed me? (Glenn

nods) I like the ascending bridge with the piano on this. Four or five albums in, you should be slowing down, yet this record has tougher moments than the previous ones! Yeah, The Crow is a very vicious track. It’s ballsy, really ballsy.

Wanderlust – it has a real nobility about it. Jason sounds really upbeat on this. It’s one of my favourite songs. Jason and I always speak afterwards about the albums and he called me one day and said “I love Wanderlust.” Privately it’s one of our own favourites, y’know. By the time that Joe and I wrote that song we knew we were going to have a great album.

Air-punching stuff – you opening with that then? Well, you never know with us! Man, there’s so many things you can open with. Not a bad idea, Pete!

Love Remains – I’ve written down ‘beautiful’. Clouds of music. One of the best vocals here. The coda’s great. Could be a great male-female duet. Hmm yes there’s definitely a female side to the high chorus (sings it clearly) and Kevin said “Can you sing it in natural voice? “To which I explained that it then wouldn’t mean what I wanted it to mean. It won’t be sensitive enough. I don’t fight with him.”

You do a bit!

Yes!! (Laughs) We don’t argue, we discuss.

Awake - sounding like you’re off on an adventure. It’s a song about coming back and never resting on my laurels. It’s just about being alive. Pacing into the moment. Joe came up with that guitar figure.

Clever as it doesn’t dominate the song. Yes! And when the two vocals come in …very Jack and Eric.

My favourite Cream song – and it’s Pete Brown’s I found when talking to him – is Dance The Night Away…those two voices!! I hear ya, man.

We get to When The Morning Comes…

My Big Daddy voice.

The guitar solo is pure Paul Kossoff. Of course! Look, we wrote these songs at my house and as we’re writing Joe goes into what he feels is right and without even talking to each other, we both know where it’s going. Every now and again it’s ‘yes, we’re going into the Free territory’, that groove. From writing those kind of chords, he just knows where I’m headed.

Andy always said to me “I will find the groove.” Andy Fraser was the greatest white bass player of all time, he was a one-off.

Is this project still on the ascendant, for you? It is. So much so we’re talking No. 5. I think we’ve found ourselves now.

Marcus Malone A BETTER MAN

Marcus Malone is now touring with his band in the UK and Europe to promote seventh album A Better Man. He talks about the album and his journey to get to this point in his life. He started out in the USA and now firmly at home in the UK.

Verbals: Christine Moore Visuals: Monika Piotrowska and John Bull

What turned you on to go down the path of music as your chosen career and was guitar your first chosen instrument?

Well I started singing in the church choir at an early age and was urged on by my mother, and choir leader who became my instructor as well and I began doing solo spots. I was extremely nervous, but I loved feeling the attention from the congregation. Hallelujah son…. Amen. I consider my voice as my first instrument. The voice is just as important if not more so than any instrument you can purchase in a music shop. It is what every musician attempts to emulate when they learn to play a guitar, horn, string or keyboard instrument. The best musicians try to sound like a human vocalist. And the best ones do sound like a human voice. If they cannot sing they refer to the instrument as ‘their voice’. I started singing in various talent shows with 3 other school friends. We loved Motown and we would practice the harmonies of the Temptations and enter talent shows in the city. I was spotted by some older guys who had a band and they asked me to front it and sing at some of the local clubs (Chitlin Circuit) in the Detroit/Ann Arbour area. I was inspired to take up the guitar much later in my teens after hearing the Detroit/Ann Arbor bands like MC5, Iggy Pop, Ted Nugent and all the then garage/punk bands of that era. Shortly after I put together the Marcus band

which was spotted by Ike Turner Management and we were shipped off to Los Angeles and signed to his record label – ‘United Artists’.

You have a great voice, have you ever had singing lessons?

Besides the church choir instructor when I was 6 years old, I had an instructor from University of Texas. He instructed all of the vocalists in an opera I signed up to do for fun in LA – La Boheme.

at school who turned me onto Hendrix, Zep and the Beatles all in one listening session. Then there was the Grande Ballroom where all the English bands and West Coast bands used to stop and play, so much musical candy for my ears and mind.

Your new album title A Better Man. Why this for a title, does it have some significance with where you are at this point in your life?

He was very influential in getting me to understand the importance of projecting your voice to the back of the room/auditorium/arena……. Look for the exit sign and sing to it….. (smiles). That was for opera, but it works to a point for what I do now. I do let the microphone do some of the work though…(smiles).

Your home town of Detroit is where I believe you still have family. When you visit now is there a hotbed of music in your hometown? Detroit is, has been and always will be a melting pot of musical interest. Despite the rebuilding of the inner city there are still very large venues where big bands from the Foo Fighters to Herbie Hancock stop to play. The radio stations range is just as reflective. Stations play classic rock to rap. It’s all going on. I grew up listening to Motown, soul, metal and classic rock, all a station apart it seemed. I met a guy

When I moved to London after not having a record or management deal in LA for a few years I was looking for change and a clean slate to write on. Better Man is an autobiographical song about those last few years in LA, the move to London until now. When William Burke (guitarist and co-writer) came by with the riff for the song the lyrics fit right in and I just needed to help compose and arrange the music. “Let your troubles make you a better man.” I’ve conquered quite a few bad habits idleness can cause, sorted myself out and have a lovely family in the process and amazing musicians around me to work with and carry on producing what a lot of interviewers and reviewers say is my best work. In other words I would like to think I have become a better man with my song writing, performance and personal life.

How is the release and tour going?

The release has gone better than any other release I’ve made in the UK and EU, I

I CONSIDER MY VOICE AS MY FIRST INSTRUMENT

have an excellent promo man in Dave Hill of Tenacity, distribution through Cadiz and of course Pete Feenstra, my almost next door neighbour has been very helpful keeping me on the straight and narrow (smiles). This release is also on ‘vinyl’ which has been very exciting for me personally. I feel I’ve gone full circle. I was surprised when the sales show that the vinyl is actually selling mostly in the EU – NL, BE, and FR. It is selling in the UK but by half I would say. I’ve doubled the sales of the Stand Or Fall CD and its only been out 5 months. It helped as well that A Better Man was picked as one of the IBBA picks of the month for May 2017.

The gigs have been going great as well. We played the album in order in its entirety on the first few gigs in April and May. I also used all the musicians who actually played on the album - Sean Nolan, William Burke and Julian Burdock on guitars; Stevie Watts on keys; Chantelle Duncan on vocals; Winston Blissett on bass; Christopher Nugent on drums; Alan Glen on harmonica. We did this at the Boom Boom Club in Sutton and again at the Beaverwood in Chislehurst. I loved having an eight piece band. I also started doing an acoustic section in the show and at some venues and entire set of acoustic versions of the songs. People really loved it I think because they can hear my voice and lyrics to the songs much better. I am continuing to do this next year at some of the Arts Centres. I love doing acoustic versions of my songs.

The song The Only One has a very retro psychedelic feel to it. It’s not your usual style. What was the thinking behind this one? Well Christine I love a bit of ‘flower power’- West Coast vibe. This song really takes me there. One reviewer said it reminded him of Crosby Stills Nash and Young. I was very proud and felt my mission was accomplished. The music was written by Sean Nolan a few years ago. I was going through my files for something to work on and ran across the intro lick for this song. It struck me at the right time and I immediately constructed the lyrics and the song. It’s about LA once again and the music suits the feeling and the vibe I have for LA now.

Do you find writing songs an easy process? What is your process for writing?

I don’t have a specific formula for writing other than write something every day. Keep the wheels turning as it were. I write with various guitarists here and I still write with one of my guitarists in LA. With today’s technology, you can write with anyone online.

I also write alone of course, sometimes lyrics first or sometimes a guitar riff or sometimes I’ll see or hear something that inspires me to put pen to paper.

Do you have a favourite song you have written or album which you think defines you as a songwriter and performer? Well that’s a tough question. I like them all of course….. favourites change on a daily basis I suspect. Just recently

Heartbreak Kid from the Let The Sunshine In CD was my fav and I actually remixed it. Oddly enough at a gig a week later someone asked if we would please play it. It was their favourite song as well. One More Time from the album of the same name and Redline Blues Effect from the same album are two of my favourites. I guess that might still be my favourite album (this week). Reviewers say that A Better Man is my best album and it’s nice to know that everyone feels my songwriting and performing/producing has grown in the eyes and ears of others who have followed me. I gotta say it is very rewarding hearing it on the airwaves. Sounds mega! My favourite album this week!! Especially The Only One and Shine Your Light.

I am sure everyone who follows you and readers of Blues Matters are interested in what is your preferred guitar, strings, amps and other equipment you use. Could you share those with us? I’m primarily a vocalist before guitarist…but I use a Gibson 335 most of the time, D’Dario 10.5’s and a Friedman Dirty Shirley amp with a Dr Z 4x10 speaker cab. I also have a Gibson Custom Gold Top single coil, and a Custom Strat. Acousitic guitars are a Lowden O series and a 63 Gibson J45.

Do you have a special vocal mic you prefer?

As far as live work I use Shure SM58 beta. A lot of venues and sound companies don’t have ‘beta’ so I always have

one with me. For recording I use an AKG ‘TUBE'. Most producers/engineers and gear nerds know it as a C12. I A B'd it against a C12 in a posh studio where I knew the engineer and got the same result. I gained possession of it when a studio I had recorded with it in went bust about 20 years ago.I was doing lead vocals for another original band project and found I was doing everything in one take. Everything was just super. The engineer said “man that microphone and your voice are a match made in heaven you should try to get it off the owner of the studio”. I did at the time but he wasn’t having it on my budget. About a year later he called me and said he was closing down and thought about me before selling

the mic.He let me put half the agreed price down as a deposit and pay the balance off in two months. A little here a lot there. He kept the mic until I paid it off. Oh what a happy day that was!!!! 20 years later the microphone is worth a small car now! AKG only made a limited amount of these microphones when they suspended making the C12 for a year or so. They just changed the name I think. Even when I go out to do vocals for another project I take it with me.

Do you have any hobbies outside of playing music? Outside music I do a lot of swimming and yoga. I swim about 3K 4 days a week. The other days I go to the gym. Don’t know if that would be considered a hobby

though. I like buying and listening to vinyl whenever I can afford a new record. It’s like candy. Mmmm but that’s back to music.

Thank You Marcus. Good luck with A Better Man. Thanks for sharing with Blues Matters! readers. Thank you!! Blues Matters Rocks!

DISCOGRAPHY

A BETTER MAN

CD & VINYL – 2017

STAND OR FALL – 2014

LET THE SUNSHINE IN – 2011

HURRICANE – 2007

BLUE RADIO – 2005

WALKIN’ SHOES – 2002

ONE MORE TIME – 1999

Govt Mule

COMING ROUND AGAIN

Verbals: Pete Sargeant Visuals: Jacob Blickenstaff

Arock solid but constantly inventive ensemble, led by the remarkable Warren Haynes, Govt Mule are set to release their latest album Revolution Come… Revolution Go, with a two-disc Deluxe Edition option. Our Pete having heard the stream of disc one heads to Universal to meet up again with the American musician. Haynes is gifted a Splinter Group special edition album with acoustic versions of Albatross and more – which he has not heard and is pleased to receive. Warren is first and foremost a fan!

Welcome back, Warren. Before we talk about your record, I invite you to say what you wish to about Gregg Allman. (Ponders) Well, we knew this was coming, Pete. Gregg had been ill for a long time but that just does not make it any easier to bear, not a bit. He was a major figure, for ALL of us playing this music or these musics and I am so proud to have known him, worked with him, stood alongside him on stage, made recordings with him. He is just SO important to so many players and singers and then moreover of course there is the family aspect, it is so very hard for them, especially the children. The major loss must be there.

I was with Devon after a show just a few days back, over here. He has such a nobility about him yet he’s friendly and musically, such a craftsman. He just connects with the audience and makes it look so easy. It’s probably in the genes. Gregg was a huge inspiration to me personally.

Well I did get a stream through of the new GM album and without any info I have scribbled down some thoughts on the cuts as I hear them. Last time out we were discussing the Ashes

record under your name, of course. This set seems bursting with urgency a lot of the time AND wideranging guitar tones. (Laughs) Yes I can see how your ears have happened on that! We wanted each song to have its own setting, its own atmosphere if you will. With the band together now for such a long time it doesn’t take long to formulate ideas and create arrangements from that perspective. Yes,

so you hear what maybe a fan might expect from The Mule BUT a lot of new sounds and creations as well. Now some of those influences never made it through onto our recordings before.

Drawn That Way: Chordwise very Who-like at its start, this strident number settles into a heavy blues groove. A questioning lyric, here. The drumming is a display of great skill that never loses the swing and yes that vocal delivery has more than a hint of Daltrey in its directness and engagement.

I don’t know if any of that is conscious, to be honest. But yes we are Who fans, so I suspect you are correct. Thinking about the song, it makes no sense to quarrel!

the material does cover some bases, much in the way our other records have taken that path.

Stone Cold Rage: Pounds into life with much chugging wah wah guitar and a strong vocal, over a fat Hammond backdrop and maybe a hint of early James Gang. We had been apart for about a year and a half, I had been making the solo record. Anyway we decided to revisit some of our earliest roots, musically and then maybe weave those in, somehow if it worked out. Also to try some new things we may not have attempted before. It became a sort of half and half thing,

Pressure Under Fire: What a big sound! sharp use of dynamics and some haunting wide chords. ‘Just another song about the same thing’ it goes. I can’t get enough of The Mule in this mode! It’s the authority in the delivery. Thanks. The many years we have made music together all contributes to the dynamic of what you hear, of course it does. Sounds like a group. It is a group.

The Man

I Want To Be:

Very reflective mood and unearthly guitar vibe to the fore, such an ominous sound.

(Softly) This song has a LOT of meaning for me, man, maybe you can tell that from the singing. Someone wins

GREGG WAS A HUGE INSPIRATION TO ME, PERSONALLY

and someone loses, all too often in life. So this song is to address all of that, to make a stand for the future in a way. The band locked into the mood and that’s the result.

Is it about loyalty, steadfastness?

Yes, exactly. For which one has to be grateful, nobody is entitled to that, when it comes – just got to be thankful.

Traveling Tune: Elemental piece ‘Just another highway song.’ which has a good-tobe-alive ambience. Love the high bass runs, they kinda sing! The ensemble vocal sounds graceful, heartfelt. I don’t know why but Jerry Garcia comes to mind. Ah well he did work in this mode, after all. Part of what he could do. It’s good to include a song in this vein for contrast.

Do you remember Old & In The Way?

Sure do. Great band, its own sound. He had that feel for so many styles. This is in a way a nod to The Dead and maybe The Allmans…having played with these great outfits, you do soak up a lot of what their sound is all about. It’s organic, I guess.

Thorns Of Life: Martial drumming, eerie feel. You sure this isn’t for a new version of War Of The Worlds? Then that great twelve-string comes in and the song starts, by which time I’m hooked. Some very spacey chords… That’s why I sing the song that way, that element of wondering what’s going down.

You a David Crosby fan? Oh you bet!! What a talent, master of moods. Glad you like it.

Dreams & Songs: Ah that buzzy slide! So laid-back: ‘My whole life has been filled with songs and dreams.’ That came together fast. The piano sound is great, isn’t it? It’s another bittersweet song. We wanted to put two or three on this album as part of the programme.

Sarah, Surrender: Almost tropical beat here…a nod to Curtis Mayfield?

(Smiles) Well yes, it’s a love song but Curtis could do all that. That and Al Green were mixed in with what we all heard growing up, so much part of the fabric, Chicago, Memphis, whatever.

I love I’m Here But I’m Gone, from his last record after his accident, recorded a phrase at a time. An irreplaceable artist, in every way you could think of.

Revolution Come..

Revolution Go: The album title song. Based on that elastic bass riff and the funk chording. That grinding figure and the Hammond has that ‘stepping along’ progression you hear. The guitar is using distortion variants, which lend themselves to that style of soloing. The jazz change makes it different. Then we change tempo! And again!

Turning Point: Is that Jimmie Vaughan aboard here?

Oh yes, that’s Jimmie. We had this great dark blues and

he could play on it. He steps out, too – as you can hear. Hmm…yes, at 3:18! great rattly riffing.

Easy Times: Taken slow and steady, the guitar playing is so reflective. Thanks. It’s about thinking back to more care-free times, I guess. Maybe there’s a hint of, say, James Taylor somewhere in there… never a surprise there.

Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground: Wow this takes me back! early Ry Cooder… Blind Willie Johnson. I wanted to add lyrics and sort of honour the tune, which I love, that lonesomeness but very human thing that the tune has. It ends the set up pretty well, I think.

The album artwork intrigues me, Warren. Ah! Now, you have the soldier on the busted toy mule and he’s facing the wrong way and hollering down the orange street cone. We got the artist Richard Borge to create that. It’s to really reflect the state of the country at present, it just makes you think! That’s the notion, glad you brought that up.

I see you are down to play at the London BluesFest 2017 so I guess we will see you there...I was with Kenny Wayne Shepherd a few days back and I know he’s looking forward to it. Playing in the UK is always – as you well know – a gas for us. We figure we can take a chance or two on material and be listened to. Can’t ask for more!

Jonny Lang FOLLOWING THE SIGNS, TAKING THE RIGHT DIRECTION

Jonny Lang might still be only be 36 years old but he celebrated twenty years of performing at the very highest level this year having exploded onto the global blues scene as a gifted 16 year old. His new album Signs is his first in four years and marries his blues roots with the more soulful writing of his recent works, I think it’s a marriage made in blues heaven. I was lucky enough to have the chance to phone Jonny trans-Atlantic for this interview. Time was very limited so apologies that we couldn't cover more of his career, maybe another time.

Verbals: Steve Yourglivch Visuals: Daniella Hovsepian

Hi Jonny, it's good to get to talk to you. How are you doing over there?

Hi Steve, yes, I'm good. Great to hear from you.

Time is a bit limited I know, so let's get straight to the new album Signs. I've been really enjoying the fact that parts of it are a return to your more blues based roots as well as combining some of the more recent direction. Well yeah, I feel that's a pretty cool observation of the album.

Was that a deliberate process you decided upon or just how things worked out?

For the most part it's pretty much how the songs came out. But there was a conscious effort on my part to make this more of a guitar-centred record and I did want there to be a bit of a return to the rockier blues style and country blues stuff you know. Yeah, that was intended for some of those songs. Other than that we had no idea how the record would turn out.

For me the album takes you on a journey. Opener, Make It Move is very raw almost in a juke joint kind of way, and by the time you get to the beautiful ballad Singing Songs the listener has travelled with you from one place to the other. Did you feel that way?

I think so. The previous albums did that less so. This was just an honest attempt to chart where I'm at and make good music. I know a lot of these songs are pretty different but I think they have a direction through it all.

Certainly. It felt to me that the first half of the album, up to maybe Stronger Together was about suffering disappointments and overcoming them, being defiant. From there onwards tracks like Into The Light and Wisdom were more about lessons learned. I wondered if there was an element of that journey that was autobiographical? There is certainly a reflection of personal experiences. None of the songs are about exact events but there are elements of things that are included for sure. The sequence of the songs was more to make different sounding things flow together. It's very cool that you think the flow works, thank you.

It's been about four years since the last album I think. Are the songs on Signs collected over that time period or do you take a break away from writing and then try to write over a relatively short time? Yes, its around a four year gap. It’s a mixture really, a couple of things I had sketches of lying around for about three years. Others like Wisdom for instance, that was written, arranged and recorded all in one night. It's so strange how the songs come to you sometimes, it's often just a little seed of a thought but somehow you know that's the one worth pursuing. Songwriting is something I always want to get better at.

The songwriting is really important. What happens a lot is the songs become

vehicles for lots of flashy guitar playing and long solos. You've always avoided that and marry up the guitar virtuosity and the value of the song itself. Thanks a lot man. I've certainly tried to apply that to lots of songs on this album. You never really know what you're gonna get starting a song, you hope it's gonna tick all the boxes.

When your album Turn Around came out in 2006, I read several interviews you did then where you talked in depth about making big lifestyle changes and embracing Christianity. Is that still a big part of where you're at or have you moved on again?

It’s definitely still a big part of me. I have changed such a lot as a person since then. I now have kids and I've settled down, my own kind of journey if you will and a lot of that has gone into this record.

It must have been an incredible time when you first broke onto the scene and you were talked about as a prodigy, I hate using that term but there was a lot of that. Looking back was that both a blessing and a curse? How do you feel about that now? Well I really don't regret any of it. Sometimes I wish it had happened in a different way. I feel really lucky and blessed to be doing what I do for a living, it's crazy to me. I had great support from my family and I had grown up seeing them and other people doing jobs they didn't necessarily like, doing things because they had to.

You've had the opportunity to play with lots of top artists. The Hendrix Experience is something you've been involved with quite a lot. That must impact on you. Yeah absolutely it does! I think of it as an adult Summer Camp. In truth I didn't know how it was going to go, you know? So many guitar players in one place but its turned into a really neat reunion thing for all of us. I've learned a lot from it, especially from the other great guitar players. It's been an awesome experience for me.

It's twenty years now you've been a performer at the highest level which seems crazy. What are the stand-out moments for you? There are many since starting out, and it may seem strange but a lot of the highlights for me are just shows along the way, not necessarily ones opening for or playing with prestigious stars, just outstanding shows and relating to the people that come to see us play. Career wise I've got to do some incredible things, playing along with The Rolling Stones on a couple of occasions, Aerosmith

and others, travelling all around the world.

Thanks for your time Jonny, I know this is a busy time for you. No problem, thanks for your kind words, I appreciate it.

DISCOGRAPHY

SIGNS – 2017

FIGHT FOR MY SOUL – 2013

LIVE AT THE RYMAN – 2009

TURN AROUND – 2006

LONG TIME COMING – 2003

WANDER THIS WORLD – 1998

LIE TO ME – 1997

Samantha Fish

DON'T MAKE NO FISH JOKES!

Verbals: Clive Rawlings Visuals: Alysse Gafkjen and Jerry Moran

Samantha Fish began her career as a professional singer in 2009. She recorded and produced her debut album Live Bait in 2009. She then collaborated with Ruf Records who released her second album, Girls With Guitars with two other female blues artists, Cassie Taylor and Dani Wilde. The three guitarists then formed the Samantha Fish Band. In 2011, she released her third album Runaway, which won the 2012 Blues Music Award for Best New Artist. Samantha has released eight albums till now. She released her fourth solo album, Chills & Fever on March 17, 2017. The album was recorded with members of the band The Detroit Cobras. Busy touring the new album, Samantha took time out to speak with our Clive Rawlings.

Hello, Samantha, I first met you on the 2011 Blues Caravan Tour with Cassie Taylor and our own Dani Wilde, I'm very impressed with the progress you've made since then. Your previous albums have served as a showcase for your guitar and songwriting skills, but in my mind you've matured since your last album, even taken the huge step of recording an album of lesser known covers. Yes, Chills and Fever is an album made up of obscure rock n roll and soul covers from the 50's and 60's. We recorded songs by the Ronettes, Barbara Lewis, Ronnie Love, The Cinemas etc. Every song sounded like a hit, even though they didn't necessarily get that recognition back when they were released.

Earlier in your career you were pigeon-holed as being another girl with a guitar, or yet another blues/rocker, do you agree with me that this album will, hopefully, put all that to bed?

I've always found it pretty silly to be pigeon-holed for your gender. If people get stuck on that, then they just aren't challenging themselves enough. I've got so much to say as an artist. The world needs more badass female instrumentalists to kill the stigma. As far as genre and style, I think my body of work and our live shows have defied peoples' expectations. I've grown so much in the last few years, Chills And Fever was a huge step. I've always loved soul music, but felt somewhat limited in a

trio. I've had the opportunity to not only step up as a guitarist, but as a singer and an entertainer. A bigger band allows me so much room to branch out. I think our fans see that and they connect to the passion put forth.

You've recruited the Detroit Cobras on the album. Can you introduce them to us? Not to forget the horn section. Bobby Harlow the producer introduced me to their music and band. We had former members Joe Mazzola, guitar; Steve Nawara, bass and Kenny Tudrick, drums on the album. Bob Mervak played keys. We brought in a horn section from New Orleans: Mark Levron, trumpet and Travis Blotsky, sax.

Is the choice of songs a nod to your personal situations or references?

Bobby and I handpicked these songs. We looked for hooks and hit material. We looked for powerful lyrics and beautiful arrangements. I had to have a personal connection to the songs, that's the only way for me to deliver them with the same conviction as the originals.

The only true blues cover on the album is the Skip James classic Crow Jane. Was that a conscious decision to let the blues take a back seat?

I really feel the root and foundation of everything is blues. It's where my heart lies. Believe it or not, Bobby and I listened to a lot of Junior Kimbrough during the session. A lot of the soloing had this tough, jagged approach that was

inspired by Mississippi. So it's always there and it's probably always going to be there.

You still hear the blues in your solos, though, albeit they're minimalistic. Not every song should be a vehicle for a guitar solo, but I love taking the trip when the song calls for it.

I hear you're bringing another album out in the autumn, can you tell us about that?

It's called Belle Of The West. It comes out November 3rd. I recorded it at Zebra Ranch in Mississippi. Luther Dickinson (North Mississippi All-stars) produced. We brought in Jimbo Mathus, Lillie Mae, Lightin' Malcolm, Sharde Thomas, Amy Levere, Tikyra Jackson, and Trina Raimey to play. It's a mostly original, semi-acoustic Americana roots/rock record. Nashville meets North Mississippi. It's a really personal record. It's another step and I'm really proud of it.

Are there any future plans to record with your sister Amanda? (Maybe you already have?)

We haven't talked about it in a while, but nothing is off the table. She is doing great things with her music and she is busy!! I'm really proud of her.

Throughout all this, who would you say has been your biggest influence?

It's hard to pinpoint one single influence. I grew up loving rock n' roll. I think that started me down this path: The Rolling Stones, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers,

AC/DC... everything loud and aggressive, that made me want to play guitar. Soul made me want to sing. country made me want to write. RL Burnside and Fred McDowell keep me rooted to blues music.

Tell us about your first experience with cigar box guitars? What reception do you get to it?

I first saw those in Arkansas. I attended King Biscuit and saw people playing them. I thought it was the strangest, most guttural guitar sound. I found one a couple years later and it just kind of stuck. People are usually freaked out by it.

The guitar made from an oil can? Someone gave that to me, and it had a raspier, resonator quality to it. I actually haven't played that one in a while. Not sure when or if it's coming back to the live set.

How do you musicians get kids interested in the blues? I think we let it evolve. We introduce kids to it then allow it to take the shape of their generation. There will always be traditional blues in the world but I think Jack White, Gary Clark Jr, and Dan Auerbach are doing a lot of good by taking it out of the box.

You've played with the Detroit Cobras on this new album, who would you like to hook up with next?

I wouldn't mind going to Nashville to work with some of my favourite songwriters. I loved the punk rock experience of Detroit so

much, it would be fun to continue down that path. That's a tough call. We'll have to wait and see where the creative winds blow.

Well, here's wishing you all the best with the new album. You have just toured the UK in November. Yes! It went really well.

Finally, my signature question, what's your favourite biscuit (cookie to you!)

Old school! Easy!

Chocolate chip!

DISCOGRAPHY

CHILLS & FEVER – 2017

WILD HEART – 2015

THE HEALERS CD/DVD – 2013

BLACK WIND HOWLIN’ – 2013

GIRLS WITH GUITARS

LIVE CD/DVD – 2012

RUNAWAY – 2011

GIRLS WITH GUITARS – 2011

LIVE BAIT – 2009

Hamilton Loomis BACK TO BASICS

Verbals: Christine Moore Visuals: Anthony Rathbun

Hamilton Loomis is well known for his deep-grooved funk and soulful blues/rock. His new album Basics is full of this trademark funk style but much more, as it suggests, back to basics. With great vocals and groovy harmonica interludes, amazing sax and great band behind him. It’s always great to catch up with Hamilton. So let’s hear what he has to say about the album and life.

How did you first become interested in the blues?

My first exposure to blues at an early age was my parents’ record collection, which included blues. I also grew up during a time when the blues scene was thriving in Texas, and many of the blues masters were alive and well, so I got to learn from and play with many of them first hand.

Which came first, the voice, the guitar, the songwriting, and why the blues?

I think the voice came first, because I used to harmonise with my parents when I was little. Songwriting definitely came later, probably late teens/early 20s. Even though I learned so much from playing with blues masters, I knew I didn’t want to play and sing traditional blues, because I didn’t live the same life as the masters did. They created that music from their lives and life experiences, so I knew early on that I would have to write and perform in a different direction, while still honouring and respecting blues. Bo Diddley was really the one who encouraged me to be an artist. He told me to not sound like others, “Sound like YOU!” That was really the beginning of my journey as an artist. So I wrote music that was influenced by all the music I grew up with: blues, soul, rock, funk, and pop. I’m thankful to still be embraced by the blues community, because even though my

music is not traditional blues at all, it still honours blues and one can hear the influence there, especially in my guitar playing.

Do you have a process you follow when writing? There’s no process...every song is different. Every song is born a different way for me. Some start with an idea or inspiration, some start with one great line I’ll use for a chorus, some start with a melody or a groove. Some are fiction, some are real experiences or feelings. Basics has the most personal subject matter of any CD I’ve ever done. There is some fiction on there, but the bulk of it is just me wearing my heart on my sleeve.

Your new album – Basics – can you explain why you chose this title, does it have some significance? Basics has many meanings. It started with my son being born in 2014, which, as others will agree, changes your life, your purpose, and way of thinking. For me, it made me focus on the basics of life and what’s really important to me: love, family, harmony, togetherness, music, etc. So, I went with that theme and it runs through the whole project. The lyrics and most of the chord progressions are pretty basic and so are the melodies. The instrumentation is basic, mostly just guitar/

bass/drums, with a little harmonica and sax here and there. Even the artwork is black and white with a basic font.

Did you write this album all yourself, or did you collaborate with others?

I wrote most of it myself but there are contributions from my band members on there too. I also got to collaborate with the great Tommy Sims, who wrote Change The World for Clapton/Babyface. He’s amazing...his resume is a mile long. Tommy played bass on my Give It Back CD, and we hit it off and kept in touch. For this project, I got to spend three days with him writing and arranging songs. He made the songs I’d already written better, and I’m proud of what we came up with together. I learned a lot from that guy!

While every track is excellent, one that particularly stood out is Sugar Baby, can you tell me about this track?

On the surface that song sounds like a typical “sugar” song about your lover, but it actually is about blood sugar. My son Bo has a rare disease called Congenital Hyperinsulinism (HI), which causes dangerously low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). If not diagnosed early, it can cause brain damage and even death. Fortunately he is responding well to treatment, but he has learning disabilities because of the disease. There’s a wonderful nonprofit organization called Congenital Hyperinsulinism International (CHI) who helps HI families worldwide,

HAMILTON LOOMIS BASICS

HAM-BONE RECORDS

Hamilton Loomis needs no introduction to UK audiences, having toured regularly here over the last decade. Always a first class live act, his latest studio album uses his regular US band: Armando Aussenac on drums, Fabian Hernandez on sax. Both toured here earlier in the year plus Sabrina LaField on bass, everyone contributing backing vocals. Ham’s trademark funky approach is evident on the first two cuts, one of which, Sugar Baby, is dedicated to his young son who suffers from a rare condition called congenital hyperinsulinism. Candles And Wine is also funky but then develops into a fine chorus that you find yourself singing along to after barely one listen. Tommy Sims co-wrote several songs here and Reason is a romantic ballad with superb guitar before Ham’s harp blends with

and educates doctors and hospitals about the disease. They call HI kids “Sugar Babies” so I wrote Sugar Baby to honour them for the help they’ve given us and other families around the world. Their site is www.congenitalhi.org.

I must admit I have never heard of this condition, I guess it is like most rare diseases until someone you know has it then you never

guest Chris Eger’s slide on the foot stomping Ain’t What It Ain’t. Getting So Big is perhaps the standout song with its autobiographical lyrics over a country-tinged tune, great harmonies and sizzling guitar. Ham’s guitar is featured on the slow Breaking Down but thus far we have heard little from saxman Fabian who is more involved in the second half of the album, starting with Looking Into A Dream which has good interplay between Fabian and Ham and there is some wild alto sax work on Cloudy Day. Come And Get Me has some nice piano as well as lilting guitar from Ham on the extended outro of a great tune with a Stevie Wonder feel. Armando’s heavy drums introduce Love Can Do which finds Ham in thrall to a cool lady, his tormented wah-wah work building into another memorable chorus. Prayer is a beautifully played slow tune with tender and thoughtful lyrics before Funky Little Brother in which Ham features a host of young players from the Houston area as well as our own Alex McKown – a nice ‘paying it forward’ gesture but the track is best considered as a bonus. Overall this is a strong album with several outstanding songs, possibly Hamilton’s best album to date.

JOHN MITCHELL

think about it. Do you have any watch-outs for anyone who’s child is born with this condition and how can they spot it, or is it totally down to medical staff to spot it? Low blood sugar is often overlooked by hospitals/ doctors in general, so parents have to be advocates for checking your child’s blood sugar. Red flags are babies who are lethargic, and babies that are hungry all the time and seem to be very upset

before feeding time. In an ideal world, protocols would be changed for checking children’s blood sugars more often, and we are working on that. Early diagnosis is crucial and can prevent brain damage and even death. If you have any history of blood sugar problems in your family, demand that the pediatricians check blood sugars on your infant.

Back to the album. Do you have a favourite, or maybe when you play them to an audience, which one do the audience enjoy the most?

I love playing Reason, which is basically a love song for little Bo – it’s really funky and the chords are pretty different and unique. I think so far the crowd favourite is Funky Little Brother, which ironically is the least serious tune on the CD and pretty tongue-incheek. On stage, we go into a James Brown-type groove and Fabian (saxophonist) does a face-melting solo. The version on the CD features some talented young musicians I’ve worked with over the years, including 2 English guitarists, Alex McKown and Michael Bryan-Harris. I think there’s a YouTube video of us playing it with Alex on our last tour...it’s a fun song.

Yes I was going to ask you about the youngsters on the last track on the album. How did that come about and why?

In addition to the three young guitarists on the track itself, at the very end of Funky Little Brother I recorded a jam by four very young musicians that I’ve worked with in music camps in my

hometown. They’re ages 12 - 16 and really talented, and I wanted to feature them jamming a little bit.

It is important to encourage young players and to impart your experience to them. I think we would all like to encourage youngsters to come out and see and listen to blues artists. Do you see any country you visit that there is a younger mix in the audience?

I haven’t really noticed more young people coming to blues shows from one country to another, but I think over all we are starting to see more of that and that’s a good thing. The music and traditions need

to be passed down to the next generation and fortunately right now there are also a lot of talented young musicians coming up who have an interest in blues and will carry on those traditions.

What else have you got planned over the next few months? When are you back in the UK? We do mostly Texas shows during the holidays so we can spend more time at home with family, but we have a couple of US tours at the start of 2018, a Europe tour planned for May, and we already have a UK tour planned for September of 2018, so we’re excited to come back!

Thanks so much for taking time out to speak to us. Blues Matters! readers wish you lots of good vibes in your personal and professional life. Thanks so much for the opportunity!

DISCOGRAPHY

BASICS – 2017

GIVE IT BACK – 2013

LIVE AT THE HUB DVD – 2012

LIVE IN ENGLAND – 2009

AIN’T JUST TEMPORARY – 2007

KICKIN’ IT – 2003

LIVE: HIGHLIGHTS – 2002

ALL FIRED UP – 1999

JW-JONES HIGH TEMPERATURE

SOLID BLUES RECORDS

This is Jones’ ninth recording overall. Once again Jones chooses to use a producer and this time has chosen fellow Canadian Colin Linden. His production credits include his own albums, the Rodeo Kings albums, Lucinda Williams and Janiva Magness. The band includes Jones, vocals and guitar, Linden, guitar, Kevin McKendree, keyboards, Dominic John Davis, bass, and Bryan Owings, drums and percussion. On several tracks Jones chooses to use his touring band of Laura Greenberg, bass and Mathieu Lapensee, drums. There are a few covers. The title track was written by Little Walter and appears on his 1957 album Confessin’ The Blues. Midnight Blues was written by country artist Charlie Rich in 1962 and

ALBUMS DVDS BOOKS

REVIEWS

The big blues reviews guide – accept no substitute!

it’s a great performance by Jones. The instrumental Wham is from Lonnie Mack’s 1963 debut. On these the rhythm section of Greenberg, bass and Lapensée, drums, feature. Moby Grape's Murder

In My Heart For The Judge tells the tale of a defendant whose desire for vengeance goes from dim to deadly. With a growling lead guitar with a broken-glass edge, track four is one of those guilty-pleasure songs that people can’t help singing along to, despite its dark title. There’s some great barroom harmony going on here. Then there are the songs co-written by Jones and Dick Cooper. Who I Am is an introspective look into Jones. My favourites Same Mistakes and Leave Me Out are both fabulous. The other two by them are Already Know and Where Do You Think I Was. But for this reviewer, the real favourite is the closer, Wham, cover of a surfer-style instrumental by Lonnie Mack, and it’ll get crowds, live and at home, on the dance floor.

Greenberg and Lapensée go all out on drums and bass, thrumming and crashing to a grand

THE WILDCAT O’HALLORAN BAND HOT PULLDOWN

DOVE NEST

I am a little ashamed to admit that this is the first time I have heard anything new from Massachusetts based singer and guitarist Wildcat since 2012’s Cougar Bait Blues, which is still a personal favouritewhere’ve I been? Because right from the opening instrumental (the title track) and Shaped Like A Woman, I realised that the Wildcat and his crew still have that same mix of musicianship, blues nous and humour that got me back then and that I enthused about in these very pages. Sherlock Holmes is a memorable blues grind, with fine sax from Emily “Dr. Luscious” Duff helping to vary the sound, leading nicely into the powerhouse boogie 51 Right, 49 Wrong - some

nice Freddy King styled playing on this one too, plus harp from Ottomatic Slim, who also crops up on Buy A Dog: lyrically this swampy blues is a typical O’Halloran number. Jimmy Reed’s classic Honest I Do is given a fine workout - and presumably that is the Cat himself on harp before we are treated to a vocal/ guitar blues with a fine cover of Lightnin’ Hopkins’ Prison Blues, allowing Wildcat the opportunity to show off his strict blues credentials and to play some downhome licks (and throwing in some swamp-blues styled playing too). Grover Washington’s hit Mr Magic allows the band - and particularly the aforementioned Ms. Duff - to get down with the the funk, the wry (and silly) Livin’ In A Blues Song is Howling Wolf styled, whilst another blues legend, James Cotton this time, is the source for the up tempo Here I Am. This very fine and extremely entertaining set closes out with a revision of Signifying Monkey.

NORMAN DARWEN

SAMANTHA FISH WILD HEART

RUF RECORDS

Kansas City's own Samantha Fish first came to my notice on the 2011 Girls With Guitars tour, this is her third album and she has improved with each release. Having previously worked with Mike Zito, she's enlisted the wonderful Luther Dickinson to produce on here. He adds a hill country feel to the release, contributing bass, mandolin, lap steel and guitar. Ten of the twelve tracks are originals, the others written by Fish or her songwriting partner Jim McCormick. The line-up is completed by Brady Blade on drums, with guest appearances from guitarist Lightnin' Malcolm and drummer Sharde Thomas on Charley

finale. Definite grower.

CLIVE RAWLINGS

LIGHTNIN' WILLIE NO BLACK NO WHITE JUST BLUES

LITTLE DOG RECORDS

Well this latest release from the veteran bluesman is just splendid. Real authentic blues from a performer showing his quality and playing to his strengths. Long time Willie fans will I'm sure be

Patton's Jim Lee Blues Pt.1 and Junior Kimbrough's I'm In Love With You. Those two tracks possibly give a clue to the rootsy direction this album takes, it is a stunning example of that genre. The slide work on her own Blame It On The Moon is enticing, in fact the guitar playing throughout is tight and crystal clear. These two facets combine perfectly on Bitch On The Run, a reminder of her blues/rock style which initially endeared us to her. The gospel backing vocals of Shontelle NormanBeatty and Risse Norman add to the mix. Turn It Up, Show Me and the title track go to prove that Samantha hasn't gone completely unplugged. In conclusion, we have here an Americana/Blues/Roots album recorded in four different locations across Mississippi, Tennessee and Louisiana, truly a collection of love songs from the road. Without leaving her comfort zone, Fish has matured in it. A fine album.

CLIVE RAWLINGS

drooling over it. Ten great tracks, all sharp and to the point, little space between taking the listener on a journey through Texas tinged boogie, Chicago urban blues and up tempo Country rockin'. Willie and the band stamp their authority from the first with Can't Get That Stuff, great piano here by Michael Murphy supporting Willies fierce boogie guitar riffs. Second track, Eyes In The

Back Of My Head, with its snapping drums takes us into a Chicago feel. On track three, Locked In A Prison, sax player Ron Dziubla is let loose, gorgeously. The ageless subject matter of the blues, relationships, don't sound at all dated or cliched in the hands of a master, Heartache, Fuss And Fight and Phone Stopped Ringing are fresh and vibrant, never indulgent but sharp and focused. Many of the blues younger exponents could learn some lessons listening to this album. Closing track Shake My Snake is another good time heads down boogie and a great choice of a finishing track, it makes you want to go back and start all over again. Special mention for Skip Edwards for sublime Hammond and Pete Anderson not only for rock solid bass throughout but what a fab job on production duties. STEVE YOURGLIVCH

OMAR AND THE HOWLERS HARD TIMES IN THE LAND OF PLENTY/ WALL OF PRIDE

FLOATING RECORDS

Kent Dykes was born in 1950, in McComb, Mississippi, the same town from which Bo Diddley hails. Kent started playing

guitar at seven, he first set foot into neighbourhood juke joints at twelve, he joined his first band at thirteen with the next youngest player being fifty, and started learning his trade. By the time he was twenty he joined up with the party band 'The Howlers' playing r&b, rock & roll and even the occasional polka and western swing tunes but Kent mostly wanted to play the blues, after disbanding omar kept the Howlers name. with over 25 releases Retroworld have re-released two albums on one disc starting with 1987's Hard Times In The Land Of Plenty. Joining Omar are Bruce Jones bass guitar and Gene Brandon on Drums with the help of Reese Wynans organ and Neil Pedersen synthesizer. Starting with the title track Hard Times In The Land Of Plenty, A hard rocking riff based song with vocals reminiscent of one Brian Johnson of AC/DC, Border Girl has a catchy rhythm, Mississippi Hoodoo Man is a swampy voodoo blues of the southern style with some stinging guitar riffs, Don't You Know, with gritty vocals is a strutting Texas blues with slashing guitar riffs, You Ain't Foolin' Nobody is more rock & roll, with the tempo dropping for the ballad Lee Anne. Released in 1988 Wall of pride see's Eric Scortia : keyboards added to the band, again opening with the title track Wall Of Pride is a don't mess with us driving Bo Diddley rhythm

blues rocker Don't Lead Me On, brings to mind Dr Feelgood, A cover of the Jimmy Reed tune Down In Mississippi a lazy paced stomper with some Howlin' Wolf inspired vocals, I also like the cover of the animals hit We Gotta Get Out Of This Place, Followed by a slight Latin feel Bad Seed, more swampy blues with Dimestore Hoo Doo, before finishing with a Seger style rocker Meet Me Down At The River. A good intro to Omars music, one for the blues rockers.

SHIRL

3:53. The instrumentation is full – guitar, bass, drums, organ, trumpet and a couple of saxophones, not to mention backing vocals. While her website describes her as “a soulful, blues-driven songstress,” the vocals here owe more of a debt to Ella Fitzgerald, say, than to Etta James. The trumpet, too, on the first track, Take My Hand, is pure jazz. The

lyrics are hard to make out, but the singing too is jazzy. On the opening track, Take My Hand, Van Etten scats in a way worthy of Fitzgerald. The other tracks are equally jazzy. Van Etten would seem to be a major new talent. But, for the record, it ain’t blues. And it is hard to recommend shelling out any money for an EP with only three songs on

SIMO RISE & SHINE MASCOT

GEORGIA VAN ETTEN LIVE AT THE POOL STUDIO

LANDER RECORDS UK

This four-song EP – well, three songs, really – is far more jazz than it is blues. But Georgia Van Etten is a gifted and atmospheric singer. And a good songwriter, as well. Van Etten is an Australian transplanted to London, and is so far unsigned. But she is a significant talent. She wrote all of the songs on this EP, and they are good. There are four tracks on this CD, but only three songs – one of the songs, Sugar, is on here twice – once on the album cut, at 5:15, and then with the radio edit, at

In mid-2015, Nashville trio Simo (pronounced Say-Mo) signed to the Mascot Label and released their second album Let Love Show The Way in 2016. Fast forward to July 2017 and SIMO have just announced their next fulllength release Rise & Shine which sees the power trio widen their sound with slow-smoked soul ballads, Stax-worthy funk rockers, psychedelic desert rock instrumentals and hard edged bluesy barn burners. The album began taking shape on the many roads travelled in 2016, with band members singer, guitarist and namesake frontman JD Simo, drummer Adam Abrrashoff and bassist Elad Shapiro working on new music

along the way, hashing out chord changes in hotel rooms and tweaking song arrangements during soundchecks. From the opening, warbling strains of Return and Meditation, the band have you hook, line and sinker. The two tracks are wandering odes to psychedleic funk, but with a modern twist. The album then turns around a much darker, more rock based corner with Shine. This is the song that's probably the most radio friendly, with a hook that will get stuck in your head for hours. People Say is undoubtedly one of the highlights of the album, the lyrical content is quite intense against the backdrop of their rock/funk hybrid, but the jarring contrast just serves to make it the song that much more of a punch in the guts. Don't Waste Time is more of a smooth, soul-heavy track, followed by the sultry, moody I Want Love, allowing Shapiro to show off on the bass. The whole band get to show off their musical skills with the psychedelic blues of

it. Better to wait for a full album – and be sure you enjoy jazz before you buy it.

M.D. SPENSER

THE JAKE LEG JUG BAND BREAK A LEG

LAKE RECORDS

The Jake Leg Jug Band don’t claim to be a blues outfit, but rather the purveyors of “the authentic sounds of 1920s & 30s

The Climb which is strictly an instrumental, with some spoken words, and more of the freakish guitar-work, before the opening riff of Light The Candle delivers a raucous modern blues stomper that makes you wonder how three people can make so much noise, and has more than a taste of Hendrix in the playing, in particular in the way the solo keeps building into a more explosive driving rhythm up and through the false ending to the feedback-heavy close. I Pray offers more of the vintage psych-rock vibe under the spoken word vocals, before the chorus slams out the heaviest riff of the album over some off-beat drums, as an instrumental solo break that takes us on a 13 minute exploration featuring a bit of jazzrock, some eastern-rock influences, and the expressive playing of both Shapiro and Abrashoff behind the multiplicity of guitar-styles of the main man. Great stuff!

CLIVE RAWLINGS

GREGG ALLMAN SOUTHERN BLOOD INDEPENDENT

Once again, another pre-release review copy that comes with minimal information. Well we all know who Gregg Allman is, part of rock n roll Royalty, so perhaps it isn’t necessary anyway? Here are ten songs all apparently written by Gregg and played with an unnamed backing band, normally I would have checked all of this out on my computer, but as luck would have it, the hard drive has had to be replaced and I am still waiting to get it back!

America”, serving up helpings of jazz, blues, gospel and ragtime. Much of the blues element on offer is of the urban blues variety whose development drew on hokum bawdiness and jazz, including songs by Georgia Tom Dorsey, Clarence Williams and Big Bill Broonzy. The Jake Leg gang clearly have a zest for this material, and their musicianship is up to the job. Neil Hulse brings nifty, jazzy acoustic guitar to the likes of I Love Me and the double entendre fest of I Had To Give Up Gym, while Liam Ward delivers good harp playing throughout,

So does Gregg live up to his fearsome reputation?

By God yes he does, as this is a really smooth easy listening kind of blues meets country with a bit of swamp boogie. It isn’t a slide fest either as there is a nice mix of slide, straight electric and some very tasty acoustic too. Every now and then, I heard traces of Willy Nelson, and the image that comes to mind is of laying in a hammock or sitting in a porch rocking chair by the side of a big old slow flowing muddy river down South. You only get woken up rudely on track nine which is called Love like Kerosene, and this one catches fire. My other stand out track is actually the closing song on the album Song For Adam. Yeah, this one is going be in the car for a long time.

DAVE STONE

as with his wistful asides on the slow and dreamy I Hate A Man Like You. To these ears though, the vocals, and with them the mood, often seem too neat and tidy – too English - to convince. Sarah Miller’s delivery is good on Jelly Roll Morton’s I Hate A Man Like You, matching the subtlety of the arrangement, but numbers like My Handy Man tend towards nudge-nudgewink-wink music hall rather than the necessary sass. Banjo and dobro player Toby Wilson brings a decent sense of the blues with his vocals on On The

Road Again and Sweet Honey Hole, which also features strong acoustic slide and harp playing, and the restrained folk-blues arrangement of Little Black Train is similarly convincing in its meditation on death. Elsewhere though, there’s a throwaway feel to songs like Stovepipe Blues, the gypsy jazz tinged I Want To Ring Bells, and the chirpy My Four Reasons. The Jake Leg Jug Band may be keen to curate songs of murder, betrayal, gambling, liquor and redemption, but more rough edges and less polish would do the job better.

IAIN CAMERON

THE SHERMAN HOLMES PROJECT THE RICHMOND SESSIONS

M.C. RECORDS

Debut album from Sherman Holmes aged 77. Why the wait? Like many things that compels to try something new, it is life’s sadness is what propels you into trying something different. As was the case for Sherman Holmes. The multi-instrumentalist a member of Holmes Brothers Bands for decades. Then the grim Reaper stepped in as two of the band’s members his brother Wendell and Popsy Dixon left this mortal coil.

The eleven tracks bring Sherman’s warm vocals in every track from Rock Of Ages through to Homeless Child that closes the album. Holmes continues the musical journey of the Holmes Brothers. Joined by an impressive array of musicians including Rob Ickes on dobro, Sammy Shelor on banjo, Jacob Eller on upright bass, Calvin “Kool Aid” Curry on electric bass, DJ Harrison on Hammond B-3 organ and percussion, Stuart Hamlin on piano, David Van Deventer on fiddle, and Clarence Walters on drums. We are showered with blues infused gospel, soul and songs delivered with joy. The songs are familiar but Sherman Holmes makes them very special. The bluegrass fiddle opens Rock Of Ages a foot stomping version of this traditional number. Blues dominates the re-interpretation of Little Liza Jane with scrumptious dobro. Holmes dips into a wide variety of sources from Marvin Gaye’s Don’t Do It and Green River from Creedance Clearwater Revival. Albert King flows through the re-imagined Breaking Up Somebody’s Home. Once again the album with the songs re-shaped demonstrates the versatility of the blues. Re-recordings work when taken in hand by Sherman Holmes, he understands the music and then recreates using his skills so the songs have a freshness as we become acquainted to this new approach.

One for your collection as

the tracks are sung with love and remembrance.

LIZ AIKEN

SETH WALKER GOTTA GET BACK

ROYAL POTATO FAMILY

Seth Walker has been around and active since the mid-nineties, his first album released in 1998. He plays in many genres including straight blues, Americana, jazz and even gospel and doesn’t seem to have any weaknesses in any of them. The album kicks off with a funky little tune, High Time, a sort of Western swing meets New Orleans jazz – the thing that came to mind was Dan Hicks, that sort of happy swing/blues. Fire

In The Belly is harder and definitely more of a blues, again with a touch of funk about it – his guitar break is spare but excellent and the band around him cook up a fine gumbo to go with it all. Suddenly we are in a church – Back Around is full on soulful gospel blues, handclaps, harmonized backing vocals, swelling organ and super tinkling piano. So, in three tracks we have visited three very different genres, all of them featuring his instantly recognizable voice and all three of a very high quality. It is easy to see why Delbert McClinton was so impressed when he heard him in Nashville a few years back. Every track has character and there really isn’t a weak song here. His sense of tune and melody is infectious, you find yourself really focusing on the music

and diving deep into the little changes and touches that permeate the whole set. I get the feeling that I would really enjoy seeing him doing these songs live, they all have a vibrancy that really infects and in a gig environment I think they would come over brilliantly.

ANDY SNIPPER

with something of a Chuck Berry approach; then there is the slow mournful Lay Down And Die, the gospel tinged acoustic Americana of Shine Your Light On Me and another strutter in Tryin’ before the wistful, philosophical closer, Who Am I. Throughout the album, the inventive blues harmonica of Dave Forrest provides an effective counterfoil to Oliver’s vocals and guitar electric and acoustic, and

DRY RIVER PRAYIN’ FOR THE RAIN INDEPENDENT

Orange County, California based four piece Dry River, under the leadership of singer/songwriter/ guitarist Oliver Althoen, have a variety of styles, from hard rocking blues to reflective singer/songwriter material. For the former, lend an ear to the second numbers of the set for starters, following on as it does from the Robert Johnson inflected opener, Lift This Stone. The third track, Lost In The World, is an excellent example of slower-paced southern rock. So far, so good, but unfortunately after this the album seems to lose direction a little with a couple of acoustic nonblues items, just when it could have been building up a real head of steam. Things do pick up again though with Lovesick Blues, a wonderful strutter

GRAINNE DUFFY WHERE I BELONG INDEPENDENT

The very first time I heard Grainne Duffy, her voice captured my attention, reminding me of three top women vocalists - Shania Twain, Sheryl Crow and Bonnie Raitt. Grainne’s voice just gets fuller and rounder as her career progresses and her lyrics and music are outstanding on this album, suggesting that her punishing work schedule is paying off. So what can you expect from this, her third CD release? Where I Belong, is an honest, heartfelt album with more than a touch of Americana about it. It’s more acoustic than her previous albums and the classy production

is showcased on Dave’s acoustic instrumental Makin’ Biscuits, and the rhythm section of Joel Helin, bass and Ruben Ordiano, drums pushes things along where necessary. A decent set though and we can forgive a little inconsistency, can’t we? Beware though - the lyrics on a couple of tracks mean that this might only get restricted airplay, and that is sadly avoidable.

NORMAN DARWEN

really highlights Grainne’s voice, guitar playing and songwriting abilities. The title song, Where I Belong, is a beautiful piece of storytelling about feelings of belonging. Open Arms, is, as you may have guessed, a love song about being there for someone. Grainne must be in a reflective mood, as just reading the track titles give you a strong flavour of what this album is all about - the other tracks are: My Love; Home; Can’t Blame It On You; All Of My Life; Don’t Want To Be Lonely; Canyon Road; Shine and Don’t You Wanna Know. There is some wonderful slide guitar work by Paul Sherry and Doyle Bramhall, which perfectly complements her strong lyrics. It’s an album ideally suited for late night appreciation. If you want powerful vocals, beautiful playing and wonderful storytelling, this CD is definitely for you. Highly Recommended.

CHRISTINE MOORE

BLUES TOP 50

AL BASILE QUIET MONEY

SWEETSPOT

Al Basile, “the bard of the blues” (well, he is a published poet) makes wonderful albums. For this set, he has gone right back to his roots. The original trumpeter for ground-breaking band Roomful Of Blues, he has enlisted the help of several long-time buddies; this album is produced by Duke Robillard, who also supplies his customarily classy, vintage sounding guitar leads in the vein of masters like Clarence Gatemouth Brown and Johnny Guitar Watson, and also present are renowned sax players Doug James, baritone and tenor and Rich Lataille tenor. Al himself is a clear and warm singer, and he has plenty of opportunity to show off his cornet playing, adding a different flavour to this blues, whilst Duke’s regular rhythm section drives proceedings along. All the songs are originals - and the music itself? Well, Al draws on the likes of Lowell Fulson - try Simple Ain’t Easy - Jimmy McCracklin, and especially Buddy and Ella Johnson; Al refers to them several times in the useful sleeve notes detailing his thoughts on the individual songs. Blues

Got Blues is Al’s comment on the current state of the music and musicians as he sees it, and a plea for the younger generation to pick up the baton, a praiseworthy theme he has tackled before - and aging is certainly another of his concerns, as a number of these songs reference it either directly or indirectly. As you might have guessed then, not a guitar shredfest, or a quick bunch of twelve bar jams, but rather a mature, thoughtful and very satisfying release.

Recommended.

VICTOR IAN LEYLAND

JASON BUIE DRIFTIN' HEART

INDEPENDENT

Vancouver Island based guitarist, singer-songwriter Jason Buie has been performing throughout Canada, America, Japan and Europe for the last 20 years performing with the likes of Buddy Guy, Taj Mahal, Robert Cray and John Mayall to name a few. Jason's music is a well-seasoned gumbo of blues, funk, rock and soul. Debut release Urban Blues in 2002 received critical acclaim, 2009 saw the release of Live At The Blue Gator. In 2017 he is proud to release his third CD Driftin' Heart Consisting of eleven blues rockers of

which seven are originals, co-written by Buie and Hunter. Swampy blues/ rocker Fool From The Start Opens Driftin' Heart John

Hunter on drums and George Finn on bass laying down a driving groove for Buie's blistering guitar riffs with Dave Webb pounding

TOMMY CASTRO & THE PAINKILLERS STOMPIN’ GROUND ALLIGATOR

In the USA Tommy Castro is top of the food chain, a best seller with every disc and a fixture on the Blues Cruise, yet he remains relatively unknown in the UK. On this album Tommy wrote seven songs with five covers that reflect his youth in California. The Painkillers (Michael Emerson, keys, Randy MacDonald, bass and Bowen Brown, drums) provide strong support alongside several cruiser guests, horns on three tracks and the ubiquitous Kid Andersen co-producing and adding all manner of additional instrumentation throughout. My Old Neighbourhood is perhaps the key track with lyrics that recall Tommy’s youth, superb horns with fine sax by Nancy Wright and lovely piano though several cuts run it close: Fear Is The Enemy is a socially conscious song which should be heard by all those who fear what is different, Tommy’s guitar

solo a model of how to excite without outstaying your welcome; Blues All Around Me expresses how tough life can become over a bouncing rhythm and Nonchalant makes an impressive opener, both these tunes featuring great horn arrangements. Of the covers check out Soul Shake which runs Delaney & Bonnie’s version close with Tommy and Daniel Nicole handling the vocals or Elvin Bishop’s Rock Bottom on which Tommy and Mike Zito share vocals and duel impressively on guitar. Veteran harpmeister Charlie Musselwhite was probably one of those that Tommy saw in his youth and on Live Every day he brings his down home harp and vocals to a plea to take every opportunity you get. Taj Mahal is another regular on the Blues Cruise and his Further On Down The Road is superb with lilting organ and guitar and a fine vocal from Tommy. Buddy Miles wrote Them Changes for Hendrix’s Band Of Gypsies album and the song reflects the optimism of the late sixties in a funky version with David Hidalgo (Los Lobos) sharing guitar and vocals. If Tommy Castro is a new name to you this is a good place to start your discovery of a major talent.

JOHN MITCHELL

MARK “PORKCHOP” HOLDER DEATH AND THE BLUES

ALIVE NATURALSOUND RECORDS

Heavy, visceral and highly electrically charged this is the perfect follow on from his debut album Let It Slide. To say this band is a power trio is an understatement they are the real deal and mix traditional with grungy punk blues and just let it rip. They describe themselves as a rock band with a blues player, but they are as tight as a drum. The band comprises Mark Holder on lead vocals, guitars and heavy duty harmonica riffs. He is ably assisted by bass player Travis Kilgore and on drums Doug Bales. There are eleven songs on this eclectic mix with three covers incorporated. It was recorded in Tiny Buzz studio in Chattanooga where the band was assembled. It kicks off with Captain Captain a boogie harmonica stomping song that sets the high tempo for

the key's. There's a fine piano solo by Hunter on the excellent cover of Amos Millburn's House Party but it's Finn on bass that makes the track for me. With a nice touch of

this release full of slide and pulsating drums. Sad Days And Lonely Nights is a tad slower a true interpretation of the Junior Kimbrough song with a very trippy guitar tone. Coffin Lid is pure rock induced power the slide on this will make your eardrums bleed even on the smallest speakers. Big Boat growls into action with signature riffs not for the faint hearted. A joy is the pure delta driven tones on the Don Cox cover of Nobody Wants To Cry. Be Righteous starts quietly then takes on a life of its own rock meets blues indeed. Bless Me Santasima is a small instrumental prelude to the next song Billy The Kid another cover overladen with gutsy vocals and sharp guitar work. James Leg has a Texan twang to it an ode to a fellow musician. What Is Wrong With Your Mind keeps a good pace and packs a punch. Final track Death And The Blues brings the listener back to harsh reality and is probably the most accessible track very evocative lyrics in the old tradition. A refreshing tonic of a release not your usual blues highly recommended, play loud and enjoy.

COLIN CAMPBELL

filtered voice Government Man is a mid tempo blues rocker. Westcoast

Daddy really gets the toes tapping, a good little jump blues workout. Changing pace with subtle playing

on the cover of the Sue Foley track Driftin' Heart country blues given a Randy Newman edge. Keeping it mellow, Buie oozes soul drenched vocals and pleading guitar on the ballad Stay The Night. Bringing the tempo back up, a blues shuffle with some gritty vocals and attitude She Suits Me To A Tee. On the blistering guitar riffs of 12 O'clock Checkout you can hear the influence of Albert king, another solid band rocker with the final original track Last Love Affair, next a cover of Jimmy Rogers Your So Sweet a Texas shuffle with Webb stomping the piano keys again, ending with Jesse Mae Robinson's Cold Cold Feeling leaving you anything but cold, a damn fine way to finish a real gem of an album. Jason has a great voice and is an excellent guitarist, with a solid band backing him, well worth a listen or three.

SHIRL

CHICKENBONE SLIM THE BIG BEAT

INDEPENDENT

A US offering self produced and all 9 songs written by Larry Teves (Chickenbone Slim), this colourful name led me to conjure up images of cigar box guitars and loads of

slide playing, but no we have a Telecaster on most tracks with an occasional acoustic thrown in, and rarely any slide to be heard? There is nothing earth shaking on here, all songs conform mostly to the twelve bar format and the lyrics are quite often predictable, now that doesn’t mean that there’s anything wrong with that, it just gives a comfortable listening experience without resorting to any sonic trickery. My favourite track was Hemi Dodge which is about a guy running bootleg in a big old Dodge pickup, Do they still do that anywhere?

DAVE STONE

JIMMY CARPENTER PLAYS THE BLUES

AMERICAN BLUES ARTISTS

For most UK blues fans, the electric guitar tends to be the instrument of choice, turned up loud, mixed at the front, and played with dazzling skill and feel by the endless highly accomplished guitar players who play this revered and adored style of music. So it’s a pleasant change when a musician like Jimmy Carpenter brings that familiar, but rarely lead instrument, the saxophone to the party. The natural home for the saxophone is jazz, but it

has wandered across the floor to the blues section and made itself completely at home, settling down best in the soulful r ‘n’ b forms popularised by labels like Stax, and blues giants Johnny and Edgar Winter. It’s that rockin’ mix of sax and guitar that drives this record, especially on Willie Dixon’s skip-along Too Late, followed by some wonderful blues blowing on Jimmy Plays The Blues, possibly the finest cut here. More contrast with a four-to-the-floor rocker on Kid In My Head, and a wonderful slow blues, Little Walter’s Blues With A Feeling, showcasing some tasteful guitar from John Del Toro Richardson. This record is clearly a labour of love for Mr Carpenter, paying homage to his idols with some of his favourites from their lists, and a couple of originals as well to show he is no slouch at cutting a blues riff himself when called. Guitar and sax interplay is always a plus when available, and it is here, on Surf Monkey, long-time collaborator Tinsley Ellis putting in the shift on lead guitar. Another masterful slow blues is the evergreen Sam Cooke classic Change Is Gonna Come, perfectly executed with all the feeling and respect it deserves. The album has more of that lead/sax interplay, this time a snakin’ All Your Love which brings echoes of Peter Green’s finest with Fleetwood Mac. The phrase ‘exactly what is says on the tin’ probably sums up the

album as well as anything. Looking for a break from guitars? Look no further.

ANDY HUGHES

KILBORN ALLEY BLUES BAND THE TOLONO TAPES RUN

IT BACK

Recorded in Tolono, Illinois - hence the title of course - over three sessions between February 2015 and September 2016, this album presents pretty much straight-up, no frills blues by a band now in its seventeenth year, aided and abetted by a bunch of special guests. For example, the mid- to up-tempo, rolling opener features pianist Anthony Geraci and guitarist Monster Mike Welch, and the same two guests contribute mightily to the seasonal tale of woe that is Christmas In County. Not that the band can’t cut it themselves of course, and just to prove the point, Going Hard has all the style and intensity of vintage Otis Rush - regular contributor to the band, Ronnie Shellist supplies some excellent harp playing too, and does the same on the joyously rocking Terre Haute. Misti has Delmark Records’ Corey Dennison sharing vocals with the band’s singer Andrew Duncanson on a lilting soul number, and female vocalist Jackie Scott has a sultry 70s sound on Been Trying To Figure Out, with a more direct blues feel on Easy To Love You. Town Saint adds some hefty funk to the repertoire, and Sure Is Hot is again soulful,

and comes complete with a rap (it works). Veteran pianist Henry Gray, and his harp playing regular accompanist these days, the consistently excellent Bob Corritore, help make Home To My Baby a lovely straight-forward blues success. They repeat the achievement on Henry’s own old school blues Cold Chills, with the added bonus of Gray’s own vocals. This top-notch album

ANDY TWYMAN LIVE INDEPENDENT

Not heard of Andy Twyman before but I will be watching out for him if he is playing in my manor. One man bands are fairly big at the moment with Steve Hill making big noises but in the case of Mr Twyman his minimalist percussion lends itself to his jocular and chatty guy personality but he is a pretty good guitarist and blows a mean harp. All bar three tracks are written by him, making great play of the ‘lad next door’ persona he puts over. The songs are all humorous, class ridden ditties that you can listen to occasionally to bring out a smile. Tracks such as opener Stand Up is, as he describes it, “87% to do with chickens” are

rounds off with the crazy knockabout funk and blues amalgam of Nightcreeper. Do check it out!

NORMAN DARWEN

MIKE ANDERSEN DEVIL IS BACK NORDIC

This is the seventh album from Danish singersongwriter Mike Andersen and contains 11 tunes which range from funky blues via rock and soul. His vocal style is reminiscent of

jokey but have a stronger sociological bent to them when you get under the lightness of the lyrics. Even Wanking Your Pain Away which is loaded with some horrible images – you’ll have to listen to it – actually speaks to the darkness of depression! I Eat Pot Noodle With A Plastic Fork takes you back to the political and class ridden state of the average white British male. His versions of Willie Dixon’s Little Red Rooster, Willie Newberg’s Rollin’ And Tumblin’ and Junior Parker’s Mystery Train actually indicate that he has a good handle on the blues, his slide of Little Red Rooster is superb. His voice though, lets him down on straight blues where his is a little too light and folky to do the songs justice. He definitely sets himself in a different place to many solo performers although I would hesitate to call him a Bluesman but definitely an act I’d like to see live.

ANDY SNIPPER

ALVIN LEE & CO LIVE AT THE ACADEMY OF MUSIC NEW YORK 1975

RAINMAN RECORDS

Released for the first time on CD, this classic performance is both the icing and cherry on the cake in a year which also marked the 50th anniversary of the formation of Ten Years

After. The legendary blues rockers had broken up in 1974, signaling the beginning of guitar god

Alvin Lee’s long and illustrious solo career as he started rehearsals with a new band of exceptional musicians. The bass and keyboard players for their inaugural 1974-75 world tour were the sensational Steve Thompson and Ronnie Leahy respectively. Who can forget Steve’s thumping, mesmeric riff on John Mayell’s classic blues/jazz number, California? Leahy, like

the late Robert Palmer and is not afraid to experiment with different song genres. When You’re High It Don’t Count starts this collection with a nice funky riff and has the Muscle Shoals horns supporting him. This Time has a blues/ soul feel with the brilliant

Thompson, had found fame with Stone The Crows. The band also included iconic former King Crimson members Mel Collins on flute and saxophone and the late Ian Wallace behind the drums. Not surprisingly, Alvin’s powerful vocals and trademark blistering and incisive guitar solos steal the show. However, standing out front, Lee also taps his foot gently and takes time finding the right notes, his fluid, versatile and inventive playing highlighting the difference musically between this band and Ten Years After. New versions of songs like Let’s Get Back and Time And Space give a real sense that all of the players are going back to their roots, with Collins’ atmospheric flute playing and changes of tempo on his saxophone solo a tour de force on the latter. The mellifluous All Life’s Trials with its sumptuous flute accompaniment confirms Alvin’s status as a consummate wordsmith. Lee is clearly at home when playing the music passed on to him by his blues-loving dad, none more so than

Jos Stone vocalizing. Wake Up has some lyrical magic. ‘I’d kill for some of your zen. My heart’s about to pop out of my chest. Wake up, wake up how can you sleep now’ I Will Give It Up For Love is pure love-torn angst. Boyhood Friends is what teenage

Every Blues You’ve Ever Heard. Pure rock and roll influences are evident in Elvis’ Money Honey, albeit originally a Drifters’ recording, which starts with a simple snare drum and hi hat rhythm before bass and vocals kick in. Alvin does not dominate the entire show and on the 18 minutes of Percy’s Roots, Mel’s lengthy improvised saxophone solo is reminiscent of John Coltrane, such is the musical freedom of the band. The full-on aural assault of I’m Writing You A Letter is raw energy from start to finish, Alvin and Ronnie stretching their chops and dueling like Wild West gunslingers. The show ends with one hell of a rollercoaster journey, Ride My Train with its mesmeric rhythm, screeching vocals, crunching chords, bent notes and sinuous solos. Thanks to expert mastering, mixing and executive production, the original tapes are transformed into a crystal clear, high quality recording which is far superior to most live albums from that period.

THE BISHOP

boys speak of. ‘Every Friday I was a millionaire We’d buy candy with money to spare. When Miss World down the street took a bath We would peek at her through the glass. ’The title track Devil Is Back is his interpretation of a

nightmare. Every song is lyrically perfect on this album and I am amazed I have never heard of him before and I will personally be searching out more of his previous albums.

BOB BONSEY

ELI COOK HIGH-DOLLAR GOSPEL

C.R.8 RECORDS

Like previous releases, High-Dollar Gospel is expertly produced and tastefully played. Cook has a great sense of rhythm in his guitar playing whether he’s chugging out Alvin Youngblood Hart-like acoustic slide on King Of The Mountain or creating electric ambience on Mixing My Medicine. The standout track Pray For Rain takes the electric guitar into epic rock ballad territory with a modern twist and would sound good on contemporary radio. His gritty voice shows the influence of Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell and has a macho good ol’ boy quality that would appeal to the country fans. It’s a strong, familiar and clichéd sound. Cook’s covers of Muddy’s Can’t Lose What You Never Had and Roosevelt Sykes’ 44 Blues are real departures from the originals. He slows them both down and focuses on his slow slide playing.

The rest of the songs are originals apart from Bob Dylan’s I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight which is a good fit with the careworn quality of his voice. In general the album doesn’t reveal very much of Cook’s character instead it’s his playing and production skills that make an impression. Praise should also go to co-producer Zach Samel who’s also credited with drum loops, percussion and random noise.

JACK GOODALL

CLIFTON CHENIER KING OF ZYDECO THE RHYTHM AND BLUES YEARS.1954-60

DISCOVERY RECORDS

Hailing from the French speaking part of Louisiana, Chenier has been around this mixture of genres all his life. Zydeco is a mixture of Creole, Cajun, jazz swing and authentic blues with more than a hint of French thrown in. This album is a collection of material recorded by Chenier during his long career. Out of the 24 songs on offer there is only one not written by the man himself. As well as having great musicians around him Chenier is accomplished on a few instruments. Accordion, fiddle, washboard and guitar. Throw in singing

and lyric writing you soon see how gifted Clifton Chenier is. Throughout the whole collection on offer you feel the mix of all the genres in every song. Short, catchy jump, swing all thrown together works on every level. There are also 8 instrumentals littered around this collection. The stand out one for me is Squeeze Box Boogie which does exactly what it says on the tin. Awesome playing, tight band and a swinging groove Every song on this album gives one a sense of the Cajun/ Creole life back in the day. No matter what instruments are being used on a particular track the blues shines through time after time. For me the standout tracks are Baby Please, Goodbye Baby and last but most definitely not least, the only cover on this compilation Worried Life Blues. When anyone does a cover of a blues classic one can sometimes be apprehensive about how it will sound upon hearing it. Have no fear regarding this awesome rendition. Taking into account it has been performed by such blues legends such as Eric Clapton, Chuck Berry, John Lee Hooker and more importantly the man who penned this classic Maceo Merriweather.

Clifton Chenier performs this standard with great aplomb and an energy that leaves you wanting more and more. This is my first introduction too Clifton Chenier, but I can assure you all that it will certainly not be the last time I’m

enjoying this fine artist.

STEPHEN HARRISON

AL BLUESMAN PETERS & JOHN HODGSON THE CHAINED COLLECTIVE GROOVIN’ RECORDS

Al Peters is a likeable character with a lot of personality. On Last Train

To Dingle Lane he shouts to his fellow hobos telling them to get ready to jump aboard. The fuzzed up backing vocals sound great, however the train

DIRK DIGGLERS BLUES REVUE CUBA NEILS

INDEPENDENT

This fine album owes debts to rock and blues in equal measure. The opening track, Nuthin’ Too Untoward, for example, is straight ahead hard rock reminiscent of the 1970s. It checks all the boxes –guitars, piano and drums, an excellent guitar solo during one break, electric organ during another. The sound is so full that the lyrics, sung by bass player Darrel Wheatley, are nearly impossible to make out. He might as well be howling into the wind. But this music rocks. This is the first album by Dirk Digglers Blues Revue, a British band, and an auspicious debut it is. It is worth noting that there is no one in the band named Dirk Diggler. One can only assume that the name was taking from The Dirk Diggler Story, a 1988 mockumentary film

about a well-endowed porn star modelled on the real American porn actor John Holmes. (Cuba Neils, the album’s title, is the name of the studio where it was recorded.) All thirteen tracks are originals, credited to the band as a whole. Quite a number of the songs are, like the opener, full-on rock, reminiscent – for those old enough to remember – of the Spencer Davis Group doing I’m A Man. And if some of the songs are full-throated rock, others – such as If You Don’t Wanna Dance, Black Cat Blues – do indeed feature the standard blues progress. But even those rock out. Ain’t No woman (Gonna Treat Me Like You Do) is a hoppin’, rockin’ blues accented by nice work on the saxophone. There’s nothing slow or contemplative on this album. It’s all wall-ofsound type stuff, generally featuring guitars, harp, sax, piano and drums. It all makes for a good listen. This album is well worth adding to your collection. And it makes the listener eager to hear a follow-up, whenever it comes. This band delivers the goods.

M.D. SPENSER

IBBA TOP 50

noises which follow are not quite so well judged. The album is full of moments like this, moments that don’t really fit. Things aren’t helped by the mix which is often disorientating and boisterous. John Hodgson’s electric guitar on the more conventionally bluesy numbers such as I Need A Doctor by Phil Chittick who drums on the track, has an easy cool feel to it. These simpler songs are most successful. The Devil Still Squeals has a Latin American feel to it with a catchy harmonised trumpet melody played by Peters himself. The melodramatic lyrics are incongruously set against the pleasant exotic rhythm, which is a stylish touch. On The Ballad Of Al & Janine the influence of Bob Dylan’s late 1960s work is very apparent in the delivery and lyrical theme of protest, peace and love. The Boho Café Blues (with the subtitle- Sweet Memories), travels further down memory lane and on the aforementioned I Need A Doctor, Peters and the band sound more like Dylan today with a similar afflicted bluesy croak but rather than merely imitating Dylan, Peters seems committed to the ideals expressed in his lyrics. They’re consistent and heartfelt pleas for a more caring world.

JACK GOODALL

JOAKIM TINDERHOLT AND HIS BAND HOLD ON RHYTHM

BOMB RECORDS

Joakim Tinderholt is Norwegian, but you’d never guess from the sound he makes with his excellent band. The cover art for this album has a nicely retro feel about it, which is entirely reflected in the music inside. Joakim sounds as American as apple pie, his band rock along with a fifties sound epitomised by the spare but effective piano playing that runs through each song. Jungle Bo has a Bo Diddley signature and Joakim is careful here, as with all the other songs, to harness his obvious skills as a guitarist, making sure he plays just what is required, no more and no less. Farmer John is a re-working of the sixties Premiers’ number, Joakim takes the original sliding r ‘n’ b groove and strips it back, putting a vintage early Little Richard style arrangement on instead, it works superbly well. Ruth Brown’s Sweet Baby Of Mine from 1956 is given such a faithful workout here that it’s impossible to tell the two versions apart until the vocal kicks in. But Tarheel Slim’s soft and gentle 1940’s Number Nine Train gets some serious life kicked into it here, and is all the better for it. The somewhat sugary sweet arrangement of Johnny Rivers’ Poor Side Of Town is similarly re-drawn with a sobbing vocal and doo-wop backing and once again, the band stamp their own personality and identity on it. So seamless is the respect and adoration for

the genre woven into the material on this record, it’s impossible to discern which are original cuts and which are lovingly re-worked oldies from the

golden age of rock and roll. But honestly, does it matter? Of course, tracking back to find original versions of songs is all part of the joy of exploring

STEVE TRACY & THE CRAWLING KINGSNAKES I BLEED THROUGH MY SOUL INDEPENDENT

If ever there was a man steeped in blues history then Steve Tracy is the man. from singing, writing and playing harmonica on this album.12 of the 17 fine songs on here were written by Tracy himself. Surrounding himself with fine blues musicians Steve Tracy comes over as a superb band leader in every way. In his formative years, he has opened for the likes of B B King Muddy Waters and Albert King too name just three. The opening track The Same Blues is in my opinion the weakest on the album but my no means a poor song by any stretch of the imagination. From that point on this album gets better and better with each song. Swing Low Sweet Chariot is superbly performed by Tracy on just the harmonica. It’s haunting and mesmerising and probably something you have never heard or expected. It shows exactly

just how good this guy is as a blues harmonica player. There have been many great harmonica players in blues history, most notably Sonny Boy Williamson, yet Steve Tracy can sit alongside theses kind of people. Another unexpected song is performed on just harmonica Amazing Grace. Without doubt one of the best ever versions of this old classic. Going Down To The Graveyard for me is the best song on the album. Superbly written by Tracy and delivered faultlessly by this wonderful band.10/10 is the only thing I can say about it, even a cover of Steve Cropper and Eddie Floyds 6345789 is impeccable in its delivery. Throughout the whole album, one can hear and feel the influences of Blind Lemmon Jefferson, Otis Rush and both Sonny Boy’s. Sliced to Shreds is a melodic moody song that would grace any blues album such is its superb tone and expert playing from the band. The final song Going To Cincinnati finishes off a brilliant album. If you buy this masterpiece of an album you will not be disappointed. Steve Tracy And the Crawling Kingsnakes. Class Incarnate.

STEPHEN HARRISON

ANDREW CHAPMAN WELL IT’S ABOUT TIME

UPISLAND RECORDS

If you have ever wondered what a Bonnie Raitt album might sound like with a male singer, then this album provides some clues. Andrew Chapman, who has writing credits on five of the thirteen songs on this album has a gravelly voice that also has elements of pop in it, tonally similar to such singers as Don Henley, Elton John or Bruce Hornsby, whilst the slide guitar heavy arrangement have that same mature, wide-screen production that defines a lot of bluesy rock albums. With support from musicians with rich pedigrees, such as drummer Tony Braunagel, guitarist Steve Bruton, and multi-instrumentalist and song-writer Terry Wilson,

music properly, but make sure you take the time to enjoy this album for its own very considerable merits. This collection is expertly arranged and played, and its homage is never second place to the art and skill used to make it.

ANDY HUGHES

MILLIGAN VAUGHAN PROJECT MILLIGAN

the listener is in very safe hands. So, the songs move from the bluesy rock of the opener That’s The Kind of Day I Had Today, to the meditation and lap steel guitar of the ballad Plane Ride of Paris, which has same production values of 1970’s era Elton John, which is not a bad thing. Although there are no real solos on this album, it is a suite of songs that fit together really well, with each dynamic peak scaled for best musical effect, and the players all supporting the message of the song. The Hammond organ heavy That Takes Some Balls is a romping song, whilst the closer Butterfly is a love song with an expansive piano outro. This is music making and storytelling of the highest order, with all of the songs being less than five minutes long, with Chapman’s vocals being emotive and musical at all points. If you like music that stays with you, and rewards repeated listening, this album delivers on all counts.

BEN MACNAIR

VAUGHAN PROJECT

MARK ONE RECORDS

It has been said that the sum is always greater than the parts. The parts can be good but together they are exceptional and that holds true in the case of MVP. The Milligan Vaughan Project, or MVP, is a musical partnership between Austin’s highly acclaimed vocalist Malford Milligan and guitar slinger

Tyrone Vaughan, both of whom have a rich musical history steeped in The Blues and Rock and Roll. It was at an early age that both were introduced to music that would become an integral part of their lives. The pair have known each other since the ‘90s while knocking around the Austin music scene and playing in some semi-famous groups, Malford with Storyville, Vaughan with the Royal Southern Brotherhood. After Vaughan suggested they get together in 2016, the result is the MVP's selftitled debut CD. It features nine studio and two live tracks of blues busters, smoky torch songs and house-rockers. In addition to Malford and Vaughan, who have one co-writing credit, writers include the album’s producer, guitarist David Grissom, Dan Dyer and Davey Knowles. There are also covers of tunes originally performed by Buddy Guy, Freddie King and Tower of Power. Rough toned vocalist Malford Milligan co-leads with boogieing guitarist Tyrone Vaughan along with a rotating band of Chris Maresh/Jeff Hayes bass, Brannen Temple/ Kenneth Furr drums and Jay Stiles/Michael Ramos keys. Voices and guitars wail on pieces like opener Soul Satisfaction and the team sounds urgent during Here I Am while some vintage blues/boogie gets laid down low on Driving You and the gritty Dangerous Eyes. A couple of live bonus tracks has

the audience stomping on Palace of the King and the Storyville classic What Passes For Love. This is a fine debut album from two music veterans who complement each other well. Recommended for anyone who likes their modern days blues powerful and Texas style. CLIVE RAWLINGS

JARED JAMES NICHOLS BLACK MAGIC

LISTENABLE RECORDS

Blues music is a broad church, and since the 1960’s and the might of bands like Cream, and the 1970’s and the irreplaceable Led Zeppelin, there has been a strong affection for blues with its boots on, everything turned up, and some feisty soulful vocals howlin’ and a-shriekin’ over the top to ice the cake. The ingredients are not complex – you need a drummer who can hit hard with that hint of drag on the beat, a bass player who is inventive enough to be mixed up at the front with the guitar, a guitar player who can riff and shred with ease and conviction, and one of them needs a blues-rock voice that can deliver the essence of machismo from the off to the end. So Jared James Nichols is in luck, because

VARIOUS ARTISTS DOWN HOME BLUES CHICAGO; FINE BOOGIE

WIENERWORLD RECORDS

There’s a less than subtle cultural feature UK visitors to the USA always notice, and that’s the generosity of the helpings in American restaurants compared to our more frugal approach. When it comes to music, we blues fans feel well done by with a double album, but here’s a gutfilling 5CD box, enough to satisfy the widest appetite. This sterling labour of love on the Wienerworld label is the work of two men, blues aficionado Peter Moody and renowned writer/ blues historian Mike Rowe, who have been compiling blues albums for over half a century. Here, spread across 134 rare tracks, is a complete overview of Chicago’s down home blues golden era. There may well be similar sets but they often include repetition, popular tracks but ‘the usual suspects’, but in this hefty set there are many previously unheard gems, alternative takes and unissued material. All the big names

are here; Muddy Waters, Elmore James, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson, Jimmy Reed, in fact the whole Chicago royal family tree, plus John Brim, Birmingham Junior, Baby Face Leroy, Dusty Brown and other less familiar names. There are some superb performances such as John Brim’s Ice Cream Man and Life Time Baby, and the terrific femininesounding tracks by Lazy Bill. The sessions span the brilliant blues decades, the 1940s-50s, and as well as discovering such powerful yet forgotten acts such as Georgia Boy McCain, Mildred White or Gray Haired Bill, on these five disks you’ll find Sunnyland Slim and Little Walter rubbing shoulders with Memphis Minnie or Jimmy Rogers. There is also the sheer delight of the accompanying 88 page book by Mike Rowe, which is a stand-alone work of art in itself, containing a fascinating selection of previously unseen photos and a full sessionography. Fifty years ago, when we older folk started discovering the blues, a set of recordings like this would have seemed like some rich man’s science fiction dream. But here it is - all the Chicago blues you can handle in a smart box. Indispensible!

ROY BAINTON

with his friends Erik Sandin and Dennis Holm, he has the complete kit in place,

and they are at top level on this album. All the legends can bring up blues rock

from the soles of their motorcycle boots to the roots of their long hair, but to really nail it, you need to be able to funk it up – and Honey Forgive Me is the song that shows that Mr Nichols and cohorts have that style locked down with the rest. Right after that is the sparsely backed Honey Forgive Me – letting the vocals shine and the drums just underline the beats while the bass walks around underneath. The style may be vintage, but it is nothing if not durable – and in the right hands, blues rock with its tales of men coming home to their women, has a place in the blues cannon. Right now, Jared and the boys are doing a fine job of keeping the sound, the style and the vibe right up to date for an upcoming audience who want to discover their own heroes. This record is traditional red-blooded blues rock, and it adds to the history with unashamed inheritance and invention in equal measure. Rock on gentlemen!

ANDY HUGHES

LEW JETTON AND 61 SOUTH PALESTINE BLUES

COFFEE HOUSE RECORDS

The ten original tracks on this release skip between slow blues, rock blues, with elements of jazz thrown

in for good measure. The talented singer-songwriter and guitarist Lew Jetton has put together a fine band, with bassist Otis Walker, drummer Erik Eicholtz, and sharing soloist and vamping duties is the fine harmonica player JD Wilkes. With musical references ranging from traditional blues to such bands as Free, or more rocking moments, when the guitars and harmonica really lock into a tight groove, and provide great driving blues. The songs were all written in Palestine, in rural America, but the themes of conflict, the sacred and the profane which affect Palestine also imbue this record. From the narrative songs of Mexico, or Sold Us Out which looks at how the American business culture has changed, this is modern blues steeped in the tradition. Drinking Again is another song of redemption, whilst Will I Go To Hell? and Don’t Need No Devil look at how much human behaviour is to be blamed for the state of the world these days.

If you like your blues to look at modern concerns with drive and conviction, which don’t sugar coat the issues that effect us around the world, then there are ten songs on this release which offer a real insight into life on the edge.

BEN MACNAIR

MICHAEL BROOKFIELD BROOKFIELD

GOLDEN RULE

This, the follow up to last

year’s Love Breaks The Fall, finds this Dublinbased Liverpudlian (and Bryan Adams look-a-like!) calling on former Horslips drummer/lyricist, Eamon Carr, whilst Brookfield added the music and plays all the guitars, credit must also go to drummer Andrew Lavery for his sterling work. Beaten to Death By The Blues is an upbeat tribute to the all those bluesmen and rockers who have passed before their time. There's a Texas Blues feel to the frenetic Zombie Craze a comment on obsessions such as social media and some of the tunes pushed out nowadays that passes as music. Things slow down for the poignant Suitcase Blues, resplendent with soloing in keeping with the mood. And so it goes throughout the album, song after song of great performances that are not just confined to the blues. In fact, perhaps the only track here anywhere near the traditional 12 bar blues vibe, is the Muddy Waters Mannish Boy sounding Hi Class Shoes. One criticism I could lay at the door of the lyrics, is that they are spawned from Carr's notebook dating back to his time in the so-called Liverpool Scene in the seventies, along with the likes of Adrian Henri and Pete Brown. This is illustrated best on Living In A Better World, a protest song rooted in that era. Don't let that detract from the brilliance of tracks such as Don't Close The Gates, Letter From The

Devil with its exquisite guitar, drum and bass intro. Here you have an album that is introspective with some deep subject matter. There’s plenty of interesting things happening on this album to keep you entertained for a while.

CLIVE RAWLINGS

THE MIKE ELDRED TRIO ELVIS UNLEADED

GREAT WESTERN RECORDS

It is a brave band that tackles the work of one of the best known singers in rock and roll history. Through the twenty tracks of this album, the Mike Eldred trio breathe new life into the arrangements. Eldred sings in a convincingly King like fashion, and supplies guitar that is a modern up-date of Scotty Moore, with a twist of Stevie Ray Vaughan, whilst the bass of John Bazz and the stripped back drum sound of Jerry Angel adds something of the original Sun Studio sound and the songs are further enhanced by the piano of Gene Taylor, the Tenor Sax of Jerry Donato the trumpet of Scott Yandell and the close vocal harmonies of The Jobs Quartet. There are some of the big hits here, from Jailhouse

Rock, and Heatbreak Hotel, but the ensemble sound at their best on the bluesier numbers, such as Burning Love, and the pure rock’n’roll of Rip It Up, Lawdy Miss Clawdy and Long Tall Sally. Bands can fall into any number of traps with projects like this, from out-right copies that bring nothing new to the songs, or covers that change everything, and the Mike Eldred Trio have avoided both of those issues. The songs have enough to be both new versions, and deferential enough to the originals. If you are looking for an Elvis

RAMSHACKLE AT THE ELEVENTH HOUR INDEPENDENT

All I know about this band is that they are a UK based 4 piece consisting of Guitar, Simon Noble, Keyboards, Andy Lewis, Bass, Craig Robinson and last but not least Pete Thomas on Drums. All apparently also sing, but it is not apparent from the sleeve notes who is singing on any given song? So that is the set up but what do they sound like, the CD presented is 9 tracks, of which 5 were written by the band, and I think it fair to say that the 4 cover

Presley fix, played and performed by musicians who clearly love the music this is an album that fills both requests admirably.

BEN MACNAIR

WARDEN MARTIN & WALKER UNDERNEATH THE DEEP BLUE INDEPENDENT

This deeply atmospheric

versions are not generally amongst the world’s best known songs. Initial impression is that this is a tight band, comfortable in their various roles and with nobody needing to shine more than any other and the overall feel is of a well put together package showcasing the instruments without anybody hogging the solos, and a good mix of songs to boot. Unusually the CD title is not reflected in any of the songs featured? One of my critical yardsticks is to see how long I can leave a CD playing in the car before my wife says “Can we have something else on please?” and this one passed the test with flying colours, so well done lads, look forward to meeting you on the circuit.

DAVE STONE

GUY BELANGER TRACES AND SCARS

BROS

There are two types of harmonica player. First there is the suck-andblow style such as Dylan, Donovan and Neil Young who use the harp as an accompaniment to their songs; and then there is the person who uses it as their instrument of choice such as Stevie Smith, John O’Leary and the stylemaster Larry Adler; and now we have Guy Belanger. Quebec-born

album of slow, smoky, swampy grooves would make a welcome addition to anyone’s blues collection. This music, by three highly experienced British bluesmen, is bluesy in the extreme. It relies almost exclusively on guitar, drums, harp and vocals, and all three players are superb, with long blues pedigrees. They are collaborating here for the first time, so one could call this a debut album, except that all three of the bluesmen featured have long experience – so this is, in essence a debut for none of the players. Neil Warden, who plays Weissenborn lap steel and other guitars, has been performing and recording

Guy Belanger is a musical genius and on this album he gives a master class in less is more. Most of the tracks are instrumental but Guy’s harmonica becomes a vocal in itself. The title track features cellist Eric Longsworth and is a revelation of two different musicians and entirely opposite instruments complimenting each other in a beautiful piece of music. Fat Boy is an acoustic bluesy tune; Who’s Left Standing has a vocalist Luce Dufault who gives a memorable performance. The whole album covers various genres from folk, blues and Cajun influences all with a subtle feel. Definitely an album to treasure.

BOB BONSEY

for more than 40 years, so he’s hardly a neophyte. Gary Martin, on vocals and harmonica, has similar experience, as does Jim Walker, a Canadian who is the trio’s drummer. Five of the nine songs here are originals, credited to Warden and Martin. The others were written by such luminaries as Willie Dixon I’m Ready, Howlin’ Wolf Everybody’s In The Mood, Curtis Mayfield People Get Ready and the late Scottish bluesman Tam White Working Class White Boy. No pyrotechnics needed; the groove on all nine songs is slow, swampy, smoky and deep. These guys know what they’re doing. Though it is a trio, the sound is

never thin or spare. This is due in part to Warden’s skill on the guitar, but all three players contribute greatly. Martin’s vocals and harp work are superb, as is Walker’s drumming. Some might consider the album skimpy, with just nine songs and 38 minutes of music. But better that than including some filler just for the sake of padding it out. It’s an excellent album. This is blues that moves the soul, not the feet – slow, deep, top-drawer, first class. If you like your blues swampy, real and deep, get this album. It’s a keeper.

M.D. SPENSER

RAY WYLIE HUBBARD

TELL THE DEVIL I’M GETTING’ THERE AS FAST AS I CAN BORDELLO RECORDS

Authenticity is everything in blues music, so first appearances are promising – Ray Willie Hubbard stares moodily from the sleeve of this album with what may well be black wings attached to him, a hint of an attitude, rather than anything overtly barbaric. So, if we do judge this album by its cover, we can confidently expect some gritty country Texas blues, sparse guitar backing, mumbled whiskey-tinged vocals, some harp and tales of a vengeful Old Testament God and a tricky Any Testament Devil, and maybe Mr Hubbard deals with both on different days. Ray Willie is about as far from the notion of ‘commercial’ as its possible to get, and that is

the strength of his musical appeal. This is music populated by, and written for, the dispossessed, the people who never got an even break, and it speaks to them from obvious and hard-won experience. Lucifer And The Fallen Angels recounts a conversation between Ray and the head Devil, wherein Lucifer reminds Ray that commercial success didn’t really happen, and proceeds to interrupt his hitched ride with Ray to hold up a liquor store before advising Ray that his style of honest stripped-down country blues would be better appreciated in Texas. Luce (they are on shortenedname-terms) probably has a point. The story told in Old Wolf captures Ray Wyllie Hubbard’s biggest strength as a song-writer, he can set an atmosphere and populate it with vibrant characters in three or four lines. It shifts the overall vibe of the set away from mournful country blues and beats along just fine, it’s for toe-tapping rather than hustling off your stool to kick up the sawdust. He may be off the country or rock airwaves, but Mr Hubbard knows the right people to guest on his songs – Lucinda Williams offers a bruised and aching harmony on the title track, and Patty Griffin steps in to provide some much-needed optimism to finish off the album with In Times Of Cold. Singular, uncompromising, and utterly essential listening.

ANDY HUGHES

THE ORIGINAL BLUES BROTHERS BAND THE LAST SHADE OF BLUE BEFORE BLACK SEVERN RECORDS

Here’s a genuine curiosity. Its 37 years since the release of what was arguably one of the most comically entertaining movies for blues fans ever, 1980’s The Blues Brothers. It remains in a similar cult bracket to Withnail and I; a great film where we quote the lines whilst enjoying a few beers with the volume up, because it’s funny and has a brilliant soundtrack. Since John Belushi’s death in 1982, that magic could not be duplicated. The sequel, Blues Brothers 2000 was a complete turkey. But one thing has remained as a living franchise; the Blues Brothers band. Of course, like Vegas-era Presley impersonators, there are a lot of Jake and Elwood + backing tracks ‘tribute’ acts around. But if you want to hear the authentic Blues Brothers band in their essential glory, this new album offers you 14 tracks Jake & Elwood would have loved, and the originals, such as Steve Cropper, and ‘Blue Lou’ Marini plus a stellar cast of guest musicians will bring all that 1980 excitement flooding

back. There’s Matt Guitar Murphy, Joe Louis Walker, Eddie Floyd. Between the brassy, punching soul there’s a terrific, cheeky rendering of Fats Waller’s Your Feet’s Too Big, and on track 12, Qualified, Dr. John The Night Tripper adds piano and vocals to die for. This is a loud, strident album, sung and played with verve by some of the best musicians in the game. As the movie had it: Elwood: ‘It's 106 miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark... and we're wearing sunglasses.’ Jake: ‘Hit it!’

ROY BAINTON

King James show. Each track is quick on the tails of the last and even more fun than its predecessor. They sound like musicians intent on having a good time with little consideration for

anything else, however singer/songwriter and guitarist Jim Horn is also a great producer, getting distinctive sounds out of his guitar and expertly capturing the band’s

JAY JESSE JOHNSON DOWN THE HARD ROAD

GIT REAL RECORD

KING JAMES & THE SPECIAL MEN ACT LIKE YOU KNOW

SPECIAL MAN INDUSTRIES

When listening to this album it’s immediately apparent where King & The Special Men come from. Everything screams New Orleans and is played with the expertise and sense of fun that’s synonymous with the city. The album case doesn’t reveal any song titles and the design looks like an afterthought but perhaps not revealing very much is their intention, after all it is called Act Like You Know. This also adds to the feel of being at a

Born in rural Indiana, Jay Jesse Johnson started playing guitar at the age of ten and grew up listening to the sounds of blues, country and rock & roll. Moving to the east coast at eighteen, Johnson started gigging in the New York City/New England bar scene. Recognized for his powerful guitar work, he began playing on many studio recordings and became guitarist for Archangel, before been guitarist and songwriter for Deadringer. Appearing on many recordings Jay Jesse Johnson released his first solo album in 2004 Strange Imagination which set the stage for his back to the roots, blues/rock ascent. Down The Hard Road the sixth solo release consists of eight originals and two covers of guitar laden killer blues/rock, featuring keyboard player Lee Evans, Bassist Reed Bogart and drummer Jeff 'Smokey' Donaldson. With guests

Jim Norcross Alto and Baritone sax track two and Jimmy D Rogers on the piano tracks five & seven. Opening with a slide solo Down The Hard Road ends up a full on foot stomping slide boogie. Soaring guitar features on Anyway The Wind Blows. Been broke and woman less, provides a heartfelt soulful voice and guitar on the slower The Blues Is A Damn Sad Thing Following with a cover of the Albert Collins hit Born Under A Bad Sign, some fine piano introduces Drive Me Home a foot stomping boogie. An emotional guitar meanders its way through the wonderful slower strutting blues of Tears Of The Angels, a delta blues intro brings us to Guilty Of The Blues a mid tempo shuffle. Following on with an energetic full on country blues instrumental Bull In The Barn, with more fine piano and slide on the uptempo Beer Bottle Blues, closing the album with a cover of Roy Buchanan's The Messiah Will Come more a homage to Gary Moore than Roy but no arguments from me. A good solid album that will appeal to blues fans and those who love their blues rock with more than a sprinkling of guitar axe.

SHIRL

DUDLEY TAFT SUMMER RAIN

AMERICAN BLUES ARTISTS

The more blues music you listen to, the wider the range of sounds and styles that live under its welcoming inclusive umbrella come past your ears. Of course, there are touchstones – the instrumentation, the basic lyric subjects, the top-end musicianship, the visual style – but the potential for varying any and all of these makes discovering new music and new artists an endless pleasure. Dudley Taft sounds a lot smoother than he looks from the cover of his fifth studio album, and his guitar work is a real discovery, he manages to fit some blisteringly complex licks into short phrases that compliment his pleasing vocal presentations. The smooth boogie rock beat of Live Or Die encapsulates Taft’s skill in bringing the elements together. As mixer and producer, there is no doubt that Taft has a great grasp of what works in terms of getting

sound. On the initially downbeat Tell Me (What You Want Me To Do)

there’s a piano breakdown which sparks a joyous gospel jam with punchy lead guitar. Baby Girl

his sound down in the studio. Recorded in a studio he inherited from Peter Frampton when Taft bought Frampton’s house, he has taken time to experiment with mics and guitars, and his care yields wonderful results on this album. Live Or Die is a slow burning blues that recalls early Robin Trower with its full fat guitar sound, and Pistols At Ten Paces, showcasing the seminal keyboard work of Reese Wynans. fully deserves to be heard live, when it’s a sure bet that Taft will stretch things out to give his guitar work some breathing space. The last two songs dial down from the heavyweight blues rock sound, and bring Taft’s beautifully sensitive vocals to the front. An album from a musician who has hit his peak, no doubt greater music will follow this. It appears that Taft is very popular in Scandinavia where regular readers will know, there exists a thriving and growing blues music scene. Fingers crossed Dudley and the band will make the short hop over to the UK and make a brand-new fan base with this wonderful album, and a doubtless incendiary live show to go with it.

ANDY HUGHES

shows the influence of Guitar Slim’s The Things That I Used To Do and Slim’s plaintive insistent playing style is also brought to mind in the guitar solo of The End Is Near, an

exuberant typically New Orleans groove which unexpectedly ends in a wild Funkadelic-style distorted discordant freakout. Things then continue in psychedelic motion with last track 9th Ward Blues mixing the Stooges’ 1969 riff with Bo Diddley rhythm and outrageous death threats. It’s a brilliant mixture especially when the overdriven guitars add a bit of dirt. The track then spirals into a second line horn parade dance with a funky swaggering brass section propelled along by Jason Jurzak on tuba. The brass band parade for a good ten minutes but sound like they could have gone on even longer they’re so full of energy. Horn’s songwriting is firmly rooted in tradition but the arrangements are really effective and they’re played with a vigour that is fresh and exciting.

JACK GOODALL

AMELIA WHITE RHYTHM OF THE RAIN

WHITE WOLF RECORDS

Out of East Nashville

Amelia White is part of the growing phalanx of singer songwriters that have blended styles around the distinct tonal qualities of their vocal style and range. The album is full of compelling originals, a

mix of her own and those co-written with a number of collaborators. This mix helps to give the album variations and different approaches can be heard so that the songs captivate and never fall into the singer/songwriters trap of being in a rut of similarity. Opening with Little Cloud Over Little Rock we are introduced to her very distinctive vocal tone. Smokey, warm and full of country vibe and intonations. This is country not blues, not Americana. Rhythm Of The Rain is an exploration of life but that does not make the well-crafted album blues. The title track opens with a spoken word “Don’t think too much people”. I suggest you take White’s advice. Sit back and enjoy the music and never over analyze, if it suits your mood, music collection and more, then it is a good album. What you do need to do is listen to the carefully crafted lyrics. There is more to the words than being said, as the gothic side of life is explored under the beat of the drum and violin swirls. Yuma, co-written with Ben Glover has a lilting quality as she asks “are you still listening?” Yes, I am and will return to this album. The beat picks up with a catchy number harnessing the feel but slowed down this is not frenetic rock n’ roll as White, Said It Like A King. Closing the album with a number she wrote with Worry Dolls we are given hope as they Let The Wind Blow. The

LARA HOPE AND THE ARK TONES LOVE YOU TO LIFE Ark Tone Records

Brassy, sassy, self-assured and offering a good time, Love You To Life is a record that is packed full of good things. With a rockabilly sound, straight out of Sun Studios, a brass section mixed to the front, and eleven songs written by Lara Hope, this is music designed to get feet tapping. Incorporating a swinging rhythm section, some lively guitar work from Billy Riker, and even a sitar solo, there is something here of Imelda

album has a completeness and complete package of compelling music. The songs let you get to know Amelia White. But only what she wants to share, as underneath there are untold stories and unshared stories and memories.

LIZ AIKEN

BILLY PRICE BAND ALIVE AND STRANGE

NOLA BLUE

This live album recorded in The Club Café, Pittsburgh by Billy Price and his band really shows the musicality of these boys. Kicking off with It Ain’t a Duke Joint Without The Blues is r&b

May in her best rockabilly days, but also something of the Stray Cats in the mix. Songs such as opener Fast, Cheap or Well Done is pure rockabilly, whilst Love You To Life is one of those ballads that were popular in the 1950’s, and Till The Well Runs Dry has joyful guitar and sax and spirited backing vocals from the rest of the band. This album is a breath of fresh air, and although it can be loosely described as blues, it also has elements of soul, gospel, and rockabilly to it, with Lara Hope’s strident, musical voice and song-writing talent never in any doubt to the listener. If you want eleven tracks that will have your feet tapping, this album is a definite contender.

BEN MACNAIR

at its best featuring Steve Delach on guitar. The CD has some good covers such as Percy Mayfield’s Nothing Stays The Same Forever; James Brown’s Never Get Enough; Roy Milton’s RM Blues, which are not the usual songs included in gigs by other bands and shows Billy Price’s education in the outfits he has been involved with in the past which included the late Roy Buchanan. His own tunes such a Makin’ Plans and Something Strange are gems in their own right. The collective musicians David Ray Dodd on drums; Tommy Valentine on bass and backing vocals; Jim

Britten on keyboards and the brass section on various tracks namely Eric DeFade; Joe Herndon and Matt Ferrero makes this a collection of tunes played with expertise and passion.

BOB BONSEY

LEONARD GRIFFIE BETTER LATE THAN NO TIME SOON INDEPENDENT

A singer-songwriter and master blues guitarist from Oregon has produced a gem of a recording here with this fine album.13 out of the 14 tracks on offer were written by Griffe. From the opener Look Me sn The Eye my immediate thoughts drifted back to a certain B B King. Such is the content and guitar work one could be forgiven it was long lost recording by King getting a cover. But far from it, Leonard Griffe puts his stamp firmly all over this song as so he should, being the writer. With an electric blues album such as this it’s very refreshing to hear piano/ organ saxophone/trumpet complementing each other perfectly. I Got News is the only track not written by Griffe. It’s such a slow melodic number that has an amazing guitar piece running right through it. On every tune the sax and trumpet are so entwinned around it all that it just makes the listening to this so enjoyable. Leave This Town is a tale of woe and desperation you want to hear on a proper blues album. It could have easily been my favourite song on the album but

that title must go to the tenth song, Ain’t No Happy Home. Griffie has such a gravelly growl of a voice it lends it perfectly to this masterpiece of a song. With the rest of this awesome group of musicians at the top of their game it really is a gem. Gordon Greenley on sax and Randy Scherer on trumpet are as good as any you will see or hear anywhere. The only instrumental on the album is Up And At Em. It has a distinctly jazz type laid back feel that is certainly not out of place here. The title track Better Late Than No Time Soon is just another example of how awesome this band is. I would be very happy to watch the whole album performed live in its entirety. Not a bad song on the album.

STEPHEN HARRISON

ROBERT HOKUM TRIPPIN’ BACKWARDS: A LIVE RETROSPECTIVE INDEPENDENT

What do you do, the veteran British bluesman Robert Hokum wonders in the liner notes to this fine blues-rock album, when you turn 65 and you figure that a greatest hits album is in order?

But all your releases have been independent and

you’ve never actually had something that could be called a hit? The answer he came up with was to issue a retrospective of his finest live performances. And an excellent album it is. The 12 tracks cover Hokum’s work in his various incarnations – as the leader of Robert Hokum & The Guv’nors, as the leader of the Robert Hokum Blues Band backing the vocalist Dorris Henderson, and as the leader of Blues Sans Frontieres. The material here ranges from originals – including Kickin’ It Back and the title cut, the rhythmic rocker Trippin’ Backwards – to traditional numbers such as Wayfaring Stranger to Bob Dylan’s song All Along The Watchtower. Through it all runs superb bluesrock musicianship and a passion for the music that cannot be missed. Most of these twelve tracks are up-tempo, and are carried by Hokum’s fine vocals and rockin’ guitar work, as well as a heavy bass line and some excellent saxophone. The lead guitar and sax trade licks on the Dylan song, to great effect. This compilation avoids the pitfalls into which live albums so frequently fall – the five-minute drum solo that was great in person but is less so in person, calling out each musician’s name, and songs that are great live but too long for album play. Some of the most moving tracks are taken from a recording on which the Robert Hokum Blues Band backs up the vocalist

Doris Henderson, who is in fine form despite being fresh from chemotherapy and having less than a year to live. Her vocals on four traditional numbers, including Careless Love and Wayfaring Stranger, are nonpareil. A confession: This reviewer is not normally a fan of live albums. Things that work live don’t always work in the living room. This album, though, is an exception. This is great stuff, beginning to end.

M.D. SPENSER

slide – and it carries the record. All ten tracks were written by Feldmann, but these songs have the feel of music from a century ago. They are by and large uptempo tunes. Hands In Hand is a slower number, a

more contemplative tune. On the other end of the scale is Have Ourselves A Time, which is jaunty and quick. Throughout, the craftsmanship is extraordinary, the skill on the guitar exceptional.

LLOYD SPIEGEL THIS TIME TOMORROW

ONLY BLUES MUSIC

TOM FELDMANN DYED IN THE WOOL

MAGNOLIA RECORDING COMPANY

This fine record owes more to folk than it does to blues. But get it anyway. It is superb. The music is fresh, the musicianship beyond compare. Although Tom Feldmann’s website says he has “immersed himself in country blues for over 20 years,” this music – built around guitar, upright bass, washboard and, on one track, fiddle, sounds more like Appalachian folk than blues. It must be said, however, that there was a lot more cross-pollenization between white and black folk music in the early 20th Century than is generally acknowledged. Feldmann’s guitar work is superb –brilliant fingerpicking with

This atmospheric electric album is one of the finest blues recordings I’ve run across in a long time. Kinda makes you wonder where Lloyd Spiegel’s been hiding. The answer, to some extent, is in his native Australia, where he’s won numerous awards. But he deserves a global audience. Spiegel’s accomplishments on this album are almost too numerous to list. The songwriting is excellent – he wrote nine of the 10 tracks. The singing is emotive. And in the playing, he manages, through insistently repetitive riffs, to make the guitar a lead instrument and a rhythm section at the same time. This is not about pyrotechnics. This is about guitar so syncopated and moody that the beat pulses through the listener’s body. The spaces say as much as the notes – and sometimes more. Spiegel,

38, became entranced by the blues at age 6, when he found an album by Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee in his father’s collection. He formed his first band at age 13 and recorded his first CD two years later. On this album, many of the songs are inspired by life on the road. The opening track, Devil On My Shoulder, is about temptation: “Ain’t a lot of views here/At the Bristol Hotel,” he sings, “But the barman has my recipe/And the Devil knows me well.” Kansas City Katy, about the way one changes as life goes on, is blues with a rock-a-billy sensibility. The narrator runs into an old friend, in one example, and notes: “He don’t look so different/He’s just the way he used to be/But I feel just like a stranger/I guess the thing that’s changed is me.” And in Lost Like Me, Spiegel – in Los Angeles –notes, “The bigger the city/ The lonelier a man can be.” But the most impressive aspect of the record is how the man gets a groove going on every song – the guitar rhythmic, insistent, pulsating – and captivates the listener with the beat. From beginning to end, this album is superb.

M.D. SPENSER

OVER THE MOON MOONDANCER INDEPENDENT

Over The Moon are basically duo Suzanne Lavasque and Craig Bignall who both provide top class and contribute bass, guitar and banjo between them. On this album various friends and collaborators contribute other instruments with Aaron Young adding guitar to most tracks as well as mastering and mixing the final product. The cartoon cowboy in the artwork and presence of banjo, fiddles, accordian, violin and steel guitar on various tracks gives a good indication of what to expect and for the most part is spot on. Its Country Americana with no apologies. Suzanne in particular has a wonderful voice, well augmented by Craig and when they harmonise it can really hit the mark. The word that keeps coming into my

Highly recommended.

M.D. SPENSER

STORM WARNING TAKE COVER INDEPENDENT

Based in Buckinghamshire, Storm Warning have produced a number of original albums since their debut in 2004 but this time

mind about this album is sweet and that might be a double edged sword. Perhaps the work overall could have benefited with a little more sourness to bring some contrast and balance? They do that on Turtle Mountain, a song based on fact about a disaster at Crowsnest Pass in 1903 and it works really well. On a couple of tracks, Over The Moon itself and You Didn't Even Know the feel is distinctly swing era jazzy and cover By The Mark (co-written by Dave Rawlings and Gillian Welch) they go into gospel territory but still sprinkling that sweetness into the mix. Highlight for me was the Henry Hipkens cover That's How I Learned To Sing The Blues, where the addition of Wurlitzer and accordian add a Euro Romany feel that takes the song into a new dimension. All in all a feel good album with lovely vocals and top quality playing with maybe limited appeal to blues readers. This is the duos first album and shows considerable promise, I'm sure we'll hear more from them.

STEVE YOURGLIVCH

around they have gone for predominantly covers with just one original tune. Is this a sound strategy? Well, it depends what you do with the covers and the band has produced some good and different versions of the selected songs. Few songs are more frequently covered

than Big Boss Man but this version is beefed up with plenty of Ian Salisbury’s swirling organ, giving it both a prog rock and a jazz twist, vocalist Stuart ‘Son’ Maxwell adding a more traditional blues dimension with his harp work. Bob Moore gets the echoey style of Hendrix’s guitar on Stone Free before an extended take on Otis Rush’s Double Trouble is well done with strong vocals and superb piano. The traditional Jack Of Diamonds has slide guitar and harp underpinned by the solid rhythm section of Russ Chaney on drums and Derek White on bass who also excel on the band’s version of Led Zep’s Custard Pie that reminds us that the song is made up of snippets ‘borrowed’ from several classic blues. Junior Wells’ Hoodoo Man Blues appears in a country blues version with down home harp and swaying slide whilst a muscular version of Dylan’s Maggie’s Farm puts some funk in the rhythm work, Stuart singing this one particularly well and Bob pulling out an impressive solo. The sole original is Stuart’s Big River and it’s as impressive as anything here with Stuart’s bluesy harp, Ian’s rolling piano and Bob’s solo hitting the spot as Stuart’s lyrics use the river as a metaphor for life’s challenges. Overall some impressive playing on a very well produced album; Storm Warning are a good live band and this collection shows that they can reinterpret well-

known songs as well as producing original material. Let’s hope that the next album will continue with great musicianship and more songs as good as Big River!

JOHN MITCHELL

THE HEXMEN KING BEE

MY SOUND-MYSEYDEL (reprinted due to an error in issue 98)

I was instantly transported back to 1964 when the opening track of King Bee blasted out of my CD player. Baby Please Don’t Go by Them was one of the songs that I attribute to a growing awareness of music in my teens. The energy and ferocity of that song intrigued a young man used to the bland rubbish of sixties radio and that feeling was there when I listened to it here, for The Hexmen take no prisoners. They are so out there, that you almost sweat with them after the second number. This four-piece from Liverpool have described this release as “Harmonica stinging Guitar buzzing Blues”. I have to admit that on looking at the track listing before playing the album I was more than a little disappointed. I thought I don’t need more covers, and subsequently placed

the CD on my player. However, what a result, I wasn’t expecting this ball of energy, power and fine musicianship. Fronted by George Wickstead (aka Hexman) on vocals and harmonica, they comprise Ian Fuller on guitar, Mike Cain on bass and Mat Shaw on drums. Although the band has been a revolving door of members, the current line up boast a prestigious number of artists between them including Fuller on guitar who is certainly a leading luminary of that instrument, and with George’s harmonica and piercing vocals, they remind me of early Dr. Feelgood, the urgency between Wilko

and Lee Brilleaux, all the time underpinned by a tight rhythm section.

Tracks here include Ray Charles’ Lonely Avenue, Messin’ With The Kid, Ridin' On The L & N and 29 Ways amongst others. I can’t fault any track here and likewise, I’m unable to pick a favourite. They are all excellent. From expecting a poor covers album, I’ve been completely surprised by this display. So dig in and be stung by the King Bee.

MERV OSBORNE

BETTE SMITH JETLAGGER

BIG LEGAL MESS

Bette Smith is from Brooklyn and has a raspy,

soulful voice, a bit like Tina Turner, and this is her debut album, recorded in Mississippi with Jimbo Mathus and a crew of local musicians. The material ranges from gospel to stomping rockers, including six originals, two by Bette, four by Jimbo, with four covers. Bette’s I Will Feed You has soaring choral vocals supporting Bette’s superb lead as she offers “whatever you need, I will feed you with whatever I got” while Jetlagger adds horns to a catchy tune about the problems of travelling. Jimbo and drummer Bronson Tew contribute two uptempo cuts: the stomping Manchild has a strong horn

arrangement that takes you back to the days of Stacks, Bette sounding almost threatening as she promises to teach her manchild what to do; the outstanding Moaning Bench has superb horns and Jimbo’s slide on a salacious tale of a girl who had little chance in life: “Your Momma was a titty dancer, your Daddy was a guitar man”. Jimbo also contributes the infectious Shackle & Chain with more fine horn work and Durty Hustlin’ which builds into a tune that sounds like an out-take from a 70’s Blaxploitation film. Talking of which, the master of that genre was Isaac Hayes whose Do Your Thing is

TREVOR SEWELL NASHVILLE

CALLING: AN AMERICANA ADVENTURE

INDEPENDENT

Singer, guitarist and bandleader Trevor Sewell is originally from Sunderland in North-East England, but you would not guess that from this release - here he shows a real affinity for Americana. Of course, that may come as no real surprise to some, as he has been an in-demand session musician for many years, and he actually started out as guitarist with new wave band The Revillos back in the 80s (when he was known as Max Atom). So, he has a wide musical foundation, though of course he is known primarily as a blues musician. Blues and Americana can be closely linked, but sometimes here he is a

covered respectfully, Jimbo even pulling out a very 70’s wah-wah solo! Bette moves into gospel territory with The Staples Singers’ City In The Sky where churchy organ builds into a gospel romp and Flying Angel Of Joy, a song written by the obscure Fat Possum artist Famous L Renfroe. A less obvious

long way from the blue side – though that does not matter as long as you appreciate good, classy songs and musicianship. The album title should lead the average listener to expect a strong country influence, and they will not be disappointed – though sometimes it is mixed with the blues, as on Some Day and Stand Next To Him, and You Ain’t What I’m Looking For is indeed a blues performance. Singer Tracy Nelson guests – she will be known to some for her work with the 70s band Mother Earth, and more recently she has cut straight blues material. Janis Ian may not be a familiar name to blues lovers – she is a singer/songwriter known for tackling what are sometimes seen as “difficult” topics. She contributes some jazzy piano playing, and the closing ballad Shadows is just her and Trevor, piano and vocal respectively. As I said, it is difficult to recommend this as a blues set, but if you go by the album title, it is class.

NORMAN DARWEN

cover is I Found Love, a song from Maria McKee’s Lone Justice back in the 80’s that betrays its origins as a Steve Van Zandt tune with a rousing chorus, frenetic Jersey Shore rhythms and wild horns – great stuff! This album is a real find for fans of soul, gospel and R‘n’B and is terrific throughout

– highly recommended!

JOHN MITCHELL

VARIOUS ARTISTS DOWN HOME BLUES DETROIT SPECIAL WIENERWORLD

JOHNNY RAWLS WAITING FOR THE TRAIN

CATFOOD RECORDS

A new Johnny Rawls album is always a delight, and this latest collection is no exception. Now in his mid-60s, he began playing professionally while still in high school with such stars as ZZ Hill, Little Johnny Taylor, Joe Tex and the Sweet Inspirations and O.V. Wright. He has a fine, mature expressive vocal delivery which imbues lyrics with genuine meaning and emotion. Arranger, guitarist, he’s an award winning artist whose work is often nominated, and rightly so. Here his urbane image on the album cover, Rawls in gentlemanly get-up, Homburg and walking cane, on a railroad platform, totally matches the soulful sophistication of ten finely arranged songs, from the relaxed velvet lyricism of Rain Keep Falling and Waiting for The Train to the very danceable California Shake. His band, The Rays, are exemplary, with a stirring four piece horn section. Rawls has a mission - ‘keeping the blues alive’. It seems to be succeeding, because this is 21st century grownup blues at its best.

ROY BAINTON

It’ll take you just over five hours to drive the 282 miles from Chicago to Detroit, and in terms of American geography that’s a mere walk to the corner. When it comes to the blues, of the two cities Chicago springs to mind, whilst over recent decades we tend to associate Detroit more with Berry Gordy’s Motown label. However, here’s three CDs which balance up the cultural reputations of these two mighty industrial centres. As with Chicago’s bustling club and venue scene in the 40s and 50s, so it was with Detroit. Once again this fine box of 82 stirring tracks comes to us through the dedicated work of Mike Rowe and Peter Moody. The most famous Detroit name included here is John Lee Hooker, with five youthfully energetic offerings which include the atmospheric Graveyard Blues and 609 Boogie. There’s Eddie Kirkland’s fine Mercy Blues and James Walton’s very danceable Papa Doo, with a stirring harp solo, plus Dr. Ross’s lively Cat Squirrel. Many of these names may have been neglected over the decades, such as Baby Boy Warren, Martee Bradley or Detroit Count, but now we can hear them in their pristine restored

glory just as they were on the day of release. Above all, this is a quality release which entertains, inspires and informs. Mike Rowe’s erudition is packed into the 45 page accompanying book, with its terrific period photographs. Perhaps the most exciting and atmospheric tracks is piano man Detroit Count’s (Bob White) Detroit Boogie which takes us back to the once bustling, motor city, a far cry from the ruined urban wasteland it appears to be today. A very worthwhile addition to any blues fan’s collection.

ROY BAINTON

MOLLIE MARRIOTT TRUTH IS A WOLF AMADEUS MUSIC

Listen to the album in full, then again and then start to consider what you think. Why? Get to know Mollie Marriott the musician, singer in her own right. Forever connected to her famous father. Judge the music for what it is. This is the work of an independently minded woman who has overcome struggles and darkness in her life that shapes the music. The album has a wolfish grin throughout, a little bit dark, a smidgen of hunger and a wildness that needs to be tamed as Mollie gets personal with the lyrics.

From the opening this is a singer taking control of her destiny. Turning up the heat, beat and building from a rhythmic bass that lets the wolf in Mollie free grabbing control of her own destiny. Mollie the songwriter and singer explores throughout the album the hurt and pain of loss and life’s bitter, sometimes dark experiences. She empathises in vocal tone pulling on the hurt until scars are revealed. Importantly for the integrity of the music she never wallows or sinks into a pool of despair. Mollie is stronger and will Run With The Hounds fashioning her own distinctive creative pathway. Never masquerading as the blues this is a singer who knows how to sing a song with contemporary musical influences. Her vocals give inner meaning and shape to the lyrics. As her voice howls with crystal clarity that would be the envy of many a pop diva. She is no diva.

Truth Is A Wolf, explores different styles and tempos. Having explored the darker side of life.

Truth Is A wolf surprisingly leaves you feeling content, uplifted with a spring in your step and ear-worm repeating guitar riffs. This debut album sets Mollie Marriot firmly on the road as a solo singer.

LIZ AIKEN

A three-piece band such as these do not come around every day. Van Bergen himself wrote eleven of the twelve songs on the album. He also, plays guitar, sings and plays percussion. Accompanied on bass by Rodelf Klin and Jody Van Odijen on drums. Rock Me Right is the first song on offer and it’s an absolute cracker. Outstanding lyrics put together with a funky guitar riff this sets the pace for the rest of the album. For me this is arguably the best song on here. That doesn’t mean that it goes downhill from her on in, quite the contrary. It is solid all the way down the line. Maybe Someday for example is a great answer to the opener. Bergen growls the vocals and also throws in some quite magical guitar word. As good as any on the CD. Along with the three main guys there is also fine backup musicians playing piano/Hammond and the obligatory harmonica. That’s What You Do to Me has a definite fifties/skiffle feel running through it. Can’t Keep Up brings the Hammond to the forefront on a great song. All the

way along the Hammond holds it all in place. The title track Walk On In delivers train track blues at full speed. The imagination runs to a bar room full of people cavorting around whilst watching the band take up the pace and give it some real edge. Hey Baby is a proper blues number that could easily have come from the back catalogue of Howlin’ Wolf. But it’s Bergen himself writing and singing with a force one would expect from Wolf. A stunner of a number that hopefully will become a mainstay of their live set. Junk In The Trunk is a solid funk groove that is very catchy. Right On Time is a foot-stomping floor filler. This song would be a perfect end to a live performance from this trio of fine musicians If you love blues/funk boogie woogie and great guitar this is a must of an album.

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.

“A deep, rich album with equal tastes of blues, the swamp and straight up rock & roll.”

THEROCKDOCTOR,August112017

Texts cost £5 plus your network charge. We receive 94p of every £1 donated in this way. Obtain bill payer’s permission first.

Macmillan Cancer Support, registered charity in England and Wales (261017), Scotland (SC039907) and the Isle of Man (604). MAC14175

WOODSTOCK RHYTHM & BLUES FESTIVAL BELFAST

16TH – 20TH AUGUST 2017

Love brought South Carolinian singer Dana Masters to Northern Ireland in 2008. Luck subsequently brought Van Morrison to the small Belfast bar where she was singing with the resident jazz band. As transfixed by her talents as the rest of the audience, Morrison became a frequent attender at the gig and eventually hired Masters as his backing singer. Now she tours internationally

SHOWTIME

The BM! Round-up of live blues

with him but in addition she has developed a solo career and has become something of a crossover star in Northern Ireland.

“My least favourite audience is a well-behaved one,” she announced good-humouredly before her set and, as if to put her mind at rest, the capacity crowd at her festival concert whooped and hollered their appreciation throughout.

A glamorous figure in a gold crop-top, massive hoop earrings and voluminous blue trousers Masters has a vibrant personality

and is a wonderfully engaging performer whose original compositions impressed.

The Two Of Us, about falling in love with the Northern Irishman who is now her husband when they were both living in Los Angeles, was sweetly romantic, for example, the gospel-influenced Carry You In, inspired, she explained, by how she had observed Northern Irish people rallying round when their friends were in trouble, was performed with real fervour and Crossing Lines

Dana Masters by Trish Keogh-Hodgett

was sung with soulful intensity.

Allowed few soloing opportunities, Masters’ quartet accompanied very competently on both the original material and on her impassioned, heart-rending interpretation of Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child and on a version of A Change Is Gonna Come which was sung with hair-raising soulfulness. “We need to remind ourselves of this truth

with all the hatred going on in the world,” noted Masters of the song.

The near-unanimous standing ovation at the end of the set was the least this great singer deserved after a performance that was at times sublime.

The Grand Cameros, a quartet, played accomplished versions of Cream’s Badge, Ace’s How Long and Steely Dan’s Rikki Don’t Lose That Number and

My Old School. There was also a dramatic interpretation of B.B. King’s You Upset Me Baby and a medley of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s Find The Cost Of Freedom and Ohio – two songs of course that feel ever relevant. The same repertoire could of course have been played in the mid-70s – and often was – but if the performance wasn’t cutting edge it was certainly entertaining. And that’s not a crime.

The Ronnie Greer Band combine musical sophistication and a refreshing lightness of touch with irresistible power, the quintet further distinguished by its members’ improvisational prowess. Johnny Shines’ Evening Sun was sung by Greer with an anger that was shocking, the emotion in his voice matched by the ferocity of his guitar playing while Leroy Carr’s How Long Blues was performed with a restraint that was moving.

Keyboard player Kyron Bourke sang Tom Waits’ Clap Hands and Robert Johnson’s Kind Hearted Woman with louche charisma while on Jimmy Reed’s Good Lovin’, on which the band hit an immaculate groove, he soloed marvellously, with characteristic unpredictability. The latter was sung persuasively by Anthony Toner whose slide playing on Blind Alfred Reed’s How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times And Live and elsewhere was very eloquent.

Guitarist Pat McManus achieved some fame in the 80s with metal band Mama’s Boys, who were popular on the European circuit, and he remains every inch a rock star, bare-chested under a skimpy waistcoat, with shoulder length hair and skin-tight trousers. Backed by a tight, hard-rocking rhythm section of bass and drums McManus’s onstage persona and musicianship are both flamboyant and much of his set was about

Grainne Duffy by Trish Keogh-Hodgett

Ronnie Greer by Trish Keogh-Hodgett

spectacle and excitement rather than about conveying emotion. But his technique was dizzyingly virtuosic and on the occasional slow blues his inventiveness was at times exhilarating. Gary Moore’s Still Got The Blues (For You) was played beautifully and a down-and-dirty medley of I’m A King Bee and Back Door Man showed what a convincing blues player he can be.

McManus also played fiddle very skilfully on a few Irish traditional themes (Gary Moore and Rory Gallagher, McManus’s predecessors as Irish guitar heroes, never did that!) and a version of Thin Lizzy’s Don’t Believe A Word brought the house down, while The Bolt, inspired by watching Usain of that ilk, was a witty, finger busting instrumental.

McManus’s mediocre singing, however, with most of his lyrics indecipherable, undermined several of the songs.

“You’re in for a night of rock‘n’roll,” promised Grainne Duffy at the start of her set but in fact her performance also included plenty of expert blues, rock, reggae and country.

Good Love Had To Die was sung with raw intensity with Duffy also contributing a lovely lyrical guitar solo that built inexorably in emotional power while her co-guitarist and husband Paul Sherry added a dramatic, raunchy solo. Indeed Sherry’s playing added an edge, a sense of danger, to many of the songs.

Along with high quality Duffy originals like Each And Every Time and Driven’ Me Crazy, the latter of which featured a striking blues piano solo from John McCullough, there was a feisty performance of Koko Taylor’s Voodoo Woman and interpretations of the Rolling Stones’ Wild Horses and Etta James’s I’d Rather Go Blind that were harrowingly emotional.

There were, however, moments during the set when the volume obscured the exceptional quality of Duffy’s voice.

TREVOR HODGETT

CARLISLE BLUES ROCK FESTIVAL CARLISLE

29TH AND 30TH SEPTEMBER 2017

The Carlisle Blues Rock Festival had lain dormant for two years whilst numerous ‘blues’ events popped up around the country. It took only one weekend in September for the event to re-establish itself amongst the elite of UK blues events. Two magnificent days of blues and classic rock left attendees ecstatic and clamouring for the event to re-establish its annual status.

The festival was forced to relocate into the centre of Carlisle when it last ran in 2014. For the re-incarnation it had stayed in the centre at two top class venues. The Friday venue was the aptly named The Venue, a

purpose built concert hall just off Carlisle’s main street.

The Eddie Martin Band had the unenviable task of kicking off the festival. Frontman Eddie gave a virtuoso slide guitar-driven performance interlaced with harmonica whilst championing tracks from his latest album Black, White & Blue. The band was well received and set the bar high for the rest of the weekend.

The sizeable crowd in The Venue welcomed New Yorker Sari Schorr & The Engine Room and what followed was a stunning performance from a force of nature. Sari and her band blew the audience away with a powerful mix of blues and rock. Sari with her Janis Joplin/Tina Turner flavoured vocals captivated the shell-shocked crowd with notable numbers such as Demolition Man and Damn The Reason. The set ended with a barnstorming take on Leadbelly’s classic, Black Betty.

The highlight of the first evening was headliner Bernie Marsden

Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado by David J. Morgan

who enjoyed huge success with Whitesnake. Bernie’s terrific band included FM’s Jim Kirkpatrick. Playing a mix of self penned works from the current album Shine and popular classics, it was easy to see why Bernie Marsden is held in such high esteem in both the blues and rock fields. Superb guitar interplay between Bernie and Jim on the Albert King classic Born Under A Bad Sign followed a fabulous version of Peter Green's Oh Well and Bernie's own There's A Place In My Heart, recorded by Joe Bonamassa.

The band pulled off a stunning show and ended it with a selection of Whitesnake classics which had the crowd in fine voice and celebrating the end of a wonderful first day.

The hard working festival crew performed a logistical miracle by moving the whole show to The Crown & Mitre Hotel, the host venue for day two and a midday start. The hotel, in the heart of historic Carlisle, proved an ideal situation for the event and the splendid hotel ballroom was transformed into a magnificent arena for live music.

Redfish got proceedings underway in style with a lively, upbeat half hour of classic, down to earth, good time rhythm and blues featuring the ridiculously talented Martin McDonald on guitar and the lovably eccentric Fraser Clark on keys.

Gerry Jablonski & The Electric Band were next up. Gerry on guitar and Peter Narojczyk on harmonica were immediately into their stride delivering their high energy take on R&B. The Saturday crowd were with the band from the start and obviously enjoyed the guitar and harmonica interplay.

The pace didn’t slacken when Del Bromham’s Blues Devils took the stage. Del, The veteran Stray guitarist, showed why, after

50 years in the game, he is still regarded in such high esteem, he had the whole place rocking and singing along from start to finish.

Del is a great frontman who knows how to work an audience with his cheeky wit and humour. The highly entertaining set was a mix of Del’s solo work and classic covers. A couple of the many highlights being a superb rendition of his Ballad Of JD and Everybody Has To Sing The Blues: pure showmanship. The band finished with a deserved encore, the classic Traffic track, Dear Mr Fantasy. Wonderful stuff!

The award winning Belfast girl Kaz Hawkins headlined the afternoon session. Kaz and her talented band have taken the UK and Europe by storm over the last year. They were winners of both the UK and the European Blues Challenge and reached the semi finals of the International Blues Challenge in Memphis USA. The band opened the show before Kaz, as large as life, bounced onto the stage with Drink With The Devil. Her voice has an incredible quality and range; she can belt out raunchy raw blues and delicate ballads with equal distinction. The piéce de résistance was a rendition of her own composition Lipstick and Cocaine, written about the troubles she’s had to deal with in her life. With only piano accompaniment from Redfish’s Fraser Clark, she delivered an emotionally charged performance which had most of the audience unashamedly mopping away tears. A superb performance and two thoroughly well deserved standing ovations.

The evening session got underway with another set by the hard working Redfish. Following Redfish were Catfish, a way above the average blues band with Hammond drenched blues and epic guitar solos. Sharing

the front were Paul Long on keys and vocals and the young, highly talented Matt Long on guitar and vocals. Playing tracks from their two recent albums interspersed with some blues classics, they showed how blues rock should be played and set the scene for the penultimate act of the weekend, Thorbjorn Risager and The Black Tornado.

The Danish band were without doubt the surprise of the event. Unknown to most of the crowd, the seven piece outfit complete with a super tight horn section delivered 75 minutes of pure joy; a wall of sound, high energy and a highly infectious mix of blues delivered with great showmanship and fantastic musicianship; The opening track was the stomping If You Wanna Leave and other highlights were, Change My Game and Baby Please Don’t Go; live music at its very best, an altogether stunning performance.

The final band of the evening needed no introduction, this collective of top class musicians are something of a 'super group'. The Boom Band, with four guitarists in the shape of Marcus Bonfanti, Jon Amor, Matt Taylor and Mark Butcher fronting the band, had the unenviable task of following Thorbjorn. However, they did so in style, delivering a quality set of originals and classic tracks by the likes of The Band and Little Feat. The Boom Band finished the evening and the festival in style with the anthem like We Can Work Together which had the euphoric crowd singing along; an excellent set and a great way to end a most wonderful day on the main stage.

That left only the late night jam session which rolled into the early hours. Just like the main event, it was outstanding. The hard working Redfish took the house band role and from the off were joined by no end of ‘star’ guests: Kaz Hawkins,

Jon Amor, Matt Taylor, Matt Long and Christian Sharpe on guitars, Connie Lush who had been in the audience for the day, a superb horn section of Roz Sluman on sax and Peter Kehl, of the Thorbjorn Risager band on trumpet made it a session to remember and provided a magnificent climax for the highly successful return of the Carlisle Blues Rock Festival.

HAPPY DAZE

SALTBURN ‘HOWZAT’ FESTIVAL

3 RD SEPTEMBER 2017

Held fittingly in the cricket club practice hall, rolled nets in the rafters sharing space with lighting rigs, twenty-five or so long tables set out at angles on the astroturf. With hot beef sandwiches, cold buffet food and drinks all extremely reasonably priced this was the first ‘Howzat’ festival.

A collaboration between Saltburn Cricket, Rotary and Saltburn Blues Club, it aimed

to provide an afternoon and evening of music while raising over £4,000 for The Great North Air Ambulance Service.

Blues Club founder Harry Simpson introduced an eclectic mix of, predominantly Northern artistes with a clarion call of “Howzat”, which may follow him around for a while!

After initial stage sound problems the afternoon got a rousing start with young Cowdenbeath singer-songwriter Reece Hillis. Hunched over an amped-up acoustic he produced some aggressive rhythmic-rock of standard covers. Each number introduced with a flourish of picked grace notes before the rhythm attack which invariably had choked strings producing a pulsating percussive beat.

Locals, John P Taylor Band delivered a mix of non-standard covers together with their own well-crafted songs. Original Slow Time Tonight featured

boogied electric piano from Chris Graham, and when Taylor moved from acoustic to electric for Jon Amor’s Hard Hat there was balanced counterpoint with lead guitarist Geoff Keller. Certainly a band to re-visit.

Sporting bright pink high heels, all floating hands and swooping vocals, Emma Wilson’s versions of I Put A Spell On You and Rather Go Blind were well received by an appreciative audience who boogied to High Heel Sneakers. Emma is trying to make time to put her own material on disc but is increasingly side-tracked by touring vocal duties, recently with Will Johns.

Newcastle’s GrooveTrain brought a mix of soul and spacedout jazz next. For funky opener, Hall & Oates I Can’t Go For That vocalists Micky Lavery and Angela Newbrook sang in smooth unison. Original Oil with its shimmy-rumba beat featured James Peacock, on energetic keys, Mitch Laddie’s

Kaz Hawkins by Christine Moore

free-jazz guitar and the spider hands of bassist John Dawson adding to the controlled chaos.

What Made You Do It, awash with organ keys, had a bursting Johnny Davis sax solo, all honks and squeals over the steady solid drumming of Ian Halford. Energetic feel-good music it proved a little too unfamiliar to tempt up the dancers.

Big Red & The Grinners, were a different matter, taking the room to a surreal world of what-if.

What-if, as larger than life Big Red claimed, an expansive list of songs ‘originally penned’ by his Grandpappy in South Shields were given to the famous and fortunate, who messed with them.

What could be a one trick pony was kept fresh by riding a dangerous curve of mashed-up genres delivered with wit and verve. In amongst guitar, double bass and stand-up snare was a full-flexed accordion led Pump Up The Jam careering across the stage with volte face time changes and Red’s breakneck vocals.

They Walk (ed) This Way at a fast zydeco pace, Tex-Mex’d the Beatles and visited Paradise

City on banjo and accordion complete with barbershop chorus. Country Roads’ saw an audience playground circle speed-dancing as the chorus, stuck on repeat, gained velocity. Closing number Crazy summed up the set.

European Blues Challenge winners the Kaz Hawkins Band continued the evening. The brothers Uhrin on jackhammer bass and drums, and the fluid guitar breaks of Nick McConkey, were joined by Kaz, the consummate performer.

The room vibrated to Shake with dancers up for a slab of rock n’ roll that ended in operatic squeals.

With a voice moving between the gritty, Can’t Afford Me and silky, Because You Love Me, Hawkins touched all bases. Whether sitting on the edge of the stage coaxing audience participation, stepping off it to pose for a ‘selfie’ or shimmying across it with her pink petticoats shaking, she held the crowd in her spell.

The Jar Family, minus Max Bianco, closed the day. The benefit of multi-instrumental vocalists caused minimal

disruption, perhaps losing the delicacy of Bianco on the more folky numbers. The Jars, now almost all re-located from their Hartlepool roots, took vocal duties with a finger flick through their song book.

From the acoustic lilt

of In For A Penny and gentle Footsteps

In Snow to the sonic grungebusk of Machine and screamed paranoia of Moya Moya the band added their ensemble spirit to the inevitable closer I Have To Go.

Hopefully this little festival will return next year, spotlighting both regional talent and headline acts, while helping to raise funds for deserving causes.

MEL WALLACE

DAY OF THE BLUES ASTOR THEATRE DEAL

14TH OCTOBER 2017

First off, I must start by thanking Andy Lester and his team for putting together this second event in what I hope is going to become a regular feature of the blues scene in the South East. It was well organised, well run and had a great programme, so once again, a big thank you. So to the programme itself, kicking off the bill was a young singer songwriter by name of Sam Brothers, who offered us a mixture of his own material mixed in with blues classics including a tasty version of Summertime. Sam has an album launch at the Troubadour in London with the Pretty Things as part of the bill!

Next up was a true acoustic act in the form of King Size Slim sat on a chair in front of stage with a very battered tricone resonator, no amp, no mike, just the power of his voice and the great sounds from his guitar. Tuning was as King Size said, “part of the stream of consciousness, if you think its in tune, it probably is!” Well in or out of tune it was a very entertaining

Big Red & The Grinners By Christine Moore

act and received worthy applause. Then it was full on electric as Andy introduced his own band the Midnight Crawlers who despite not being in the first flush of youth, acquitted themselves with a great sense of a talented band out to enjoy themselves and entertain the audience, and that’s just what they did! Keeping to the timetable admirably, we next had on a four piece from Reading called 3 Buck Shirt, led by guitarist Jason Manners who proceeded to show that he knows his way round a fretboard and they gave a varied and impressive set. Then it was time for local girl Katie Bradley to take the stage with her band tonight being the Chris Corcoran Trio, a band that Katie has recently

been touring with and who are featured on her new album. If you haven’t seen the band before, they are a traditional rockabilly type band with Chris playing a battered electro acoustic, Dave Lagnado on double bass and Pete Greatorex on drums. Each song showcased their talents and Chris had more than one chance to show off his astounding guitar prowess, whilst Katie continues to belt out the songs and still playing a mean harp – great band, great singer and very popular with the audience. Then came the band that I had been waiting for, since I last saw them they have recorded another album and Matt Long, now very much the frontman for the band proceeded to set the

stage alight with his absolutely jaw dropping guitar playing, together with his powerful vocals. As I watched them, I realised that I was seeing the true successor to Gary Moore as Matt weaved his way up and down and round with all of the Rock God posing and tortured expressions that are deemed essential. Absolutely astounding and if they had been allowed an encore I am certain that they would only have added even more fans - far and away the best blues/rock band that I have seen for many years. Matt is still only 22 so can only get better. If they are playing in your area, you owe it to yourself to get out and see them! I felt sorry for Sharpeez who had to follow Catfish, and although they tried, the audience were still reeling from the sheer virtuosity that they had just witnessed and at times it was as if the band were aware of this and had just let things drop back a notch. Then up comes Robin Bibi with Tony Martin on bass and Wes Johnson on drums and Robin showed us why he is the Stratmaster, playing it up and down the neck, over and under the neck, on a chair behind his own neck and generally wandering round the auditorium whilst playing at his usual high standard. He worked through the last twenty years of his own material, looking at times like Keith Richard but without the hair extensions! Another great show from Robin. Then finally it was time for the closing act, and it was bass player and singer Lisa Mann, all the way from the US of A, with a backing band formed with Dudley Ross on guitar who had also largely organised her current UK tour. Did I say that it was a 6 string bass? Lisa was like Suzi Quattro but without the leather and is a hell of a performer and they closed the show dead on time in fine style. Roll on next year!

DAVE STONE

Matt Long by Dave Stone

CONCERTS CHASTITY BROWN THE BORDERLINE, LONDON

13TH JUNE 2017

The Borderline is one of those small, some would say intimate –with good cause – clubs in central London that has hosted many of music’s greats from Rambling Jack Elliott to Jarvis Cocker and Elvis Costello over the years. On 13th June, young US singersongwriter Chastity Brown turned up in town pushing her latest Red House album, Silhouette Of Sirens to a warmly welcoming crowd who positively benefitted from her roaring full throttle set and sheer class and quality.

This is a lady who can sure sing: a wonderful voice, raw and emotive, soulful and searching, passionate and nuanced in turns as she ripped through a set that was the ending to an excellent night of truly memorable music. Opening act and support billing went to a young UK duo, Ray

Hughes and Sian Chandler, aka the Black Feathers, who turned in a delightful, melodic and tight-harmonied modern Americana set based around their own compositions and current album, Soaked To The Bone. As a warm-up act, they were more than capable and ensured the place was already buzzing by the time Brown herself appeared clutching her guitar.

But what really made this a stand-out gig and evening was Brown’s own strength and confident self-assurance as she set off with a huge voice and driving rhythmic fretwork to deliver a set that was pretty much as powerful and polished as her studio release despite the lack of sidemen and studio gizmos. This was soul-cum-rock-cum-blues pitched damn near perfectly and delivered with class and poise.

For me, Brown’s current album Silhouette of Sirens is clearly an album of the year and Brown’s live performance here

simply cemented that belief and feeling. A wonderful night of great music performance from a young lady who must surely be going places real fast.

IAIN

PATIENCE

FUNKE AND THE TWO TONE BABY & AMELIA HARRISON LICHFIELD ARTS

Lichfield Arts opened its Autumn 2017 season with an evening of music to appeal to the most broad-minded of audiences.

Local singer and guitarist Amelia Harrison opened the concert with a set that belied her tender age. With a soaring voice, and dextrous guitar playing she held the audience’s attention with songs by the likes of The Beatles, and Cee Lo Green, but the highlights of her set were the guitar instrumentals, Classical Gas and Anji by Davey Graham. The one man sonic boom box that is Funke and the Two Tone Baby was a completely different proposition, both in terms of

Chastity Brown by Michael Hingston

sound and performance style. Dan Turnbull, the singer, songwriter and musical life force behind Funke and The Two Tone Baby played guitar, keyboards, and harmonica, over an increasingly relentless beat of looping pedals and organic sounds. With a lively rhythm, from his own beat-boxing skills, and a soulful, bluesy voice, and some Dylan like harmonica, his incessantly dance filled rhythms had the lively audience going from the first song.

Many of the songs came from his latest release, Balance, with the songs being honed over a season of festivals in 2017. He remarked that this was his first gig with a proper roof since April. His songs ranged from the bluesy inflections of I’m Not Well, the sonic exploration and glitch laden rhythms of Cut the Signal, or the auto-biographical Tales of the Place I live. The story telling song, If You Are Nice to Me, I will be Nice to you called for more understanding in the world, and the set closer of Not Enough Bonobo, too Much Chimpanzee had the crowd singing along, and a man dressed in a Chimpanzee costume on stage with him, which is not usually something seen on the Guildhall stage on a Sunday night.

BEN MACNAIR

LUCKY PETERSON ACAPELLA STUDIO, PENTYRCH, WALES

31ST AUGUST 2017

In a little chapel in a little Welsh village some little speakers are pushed to their limit with the massive sound of Lucky Peterson. On this leg of his world tour Lucky is backed by French guitarist Bassam Bellman and his band. They warm up the audience before Lucky’s arrival. During Otis Rush’s All Your Love Bassam’s playing keeps building in intensity taking

the song to unexpected places with seemingly improvised lines so melodic you could sing along. When Lucky makes his entrance in Love Me, he seems merely an added attraction, however his charisma and connection with the audience is immediately apparent. He turns his organ up full tilt and jams with the keyboard player Rachid Guissous. Lucky’s playing amazes and energises the crowd. He doesn’t let up until his relaxed take on Ray Lamontagne’s Trouble.

Lucky’s wife Tamara Tramell joins them before the end of the first set and sings Ann Peebles’ I Can’t Stand The Rain among others.

The band, again without Lucky, starts the second half and covers Messing With The Kid. Lucky arrives, this time with a guitar during his own Locked Out Of Love. He takes control of the band and like the blues master he is, disregards structure, unpredictably flitting from one song to the next. He begins Got My Mojo Working and strolls into the crowd sitting in a chair next to me. The music changes on a whim and he calls out to Bassam and bassist Cyrille Catois “No, no, listen!”. He plays the melody

of Johnny B. Goode and leaves the choruses for us to sing before taking it into Voodoo Child.

This is music without boundaries. There’s no lines between genres or concessions made to cliché or tradition. Lucky is a true American showman but keeps things fresh and idiosyncratic.

Tamara returns for the show’s finale and is clearly annoyed at not being told what she’ll be singing but she’s an imposing character and still manages to power through Rufus And Chaka Khan’s Ain’t Nobody. She jokes that Lucky fantasises about her being Tina Turner before ending with Proud Mary.

The show is a real experience and the venue is already angling for a return visit.

JACK GOODALL

RICKY COOL AND THE IN-CROWD A NIGHT AT THE FLAMINGO

LICHFIELD GUILDHALL

15 TH SEPTEMBER 2017

With a repertoire of classic soul, and blues songs, musical talent and charisma, and Jamaican grooves the six piece Ricky Cool and the In-Crowd turned Lichfield

Lucky Peterson by Christine Moore

Guildhall into a heaving sixties club when they played there as part of their tour on September 15th.

The six piece of lead vocalist, harmonica and saxophone player

Ricky Cool, guitarist and vocalist

David Parry, animated drummer

Harry Weston Cotterell, bassist

John Roy Porter, keyboard player

Nigel Darvill, and saxophone and flute player Ted Bunting played songs and instrumentals by the likes of Bobby Parker, Booker T and the MGs, the Skatelites, and Ramsey Lewis.

The first half of the concert

Ricky Cool by Bradley Pearce

Ten Years After by Arnie Goodman

was really a capsule history of the Flamingo club, set up by leading jazz singer and keyboard player Georgie Fame, who played the latest sounds coming from America in the 1950’s and 1960’s. It fed the music of the blues boom into an eager audience of Mods, who in turn bought their own interpretations to the music, with the music and grooves of Jamaica being an equally popular draw. Starting with the classic grooves of Sounds Like Locomotion, to the blues stomp of Is Everything Allright? This was music where the ensemble sound, and danceable rhythms aimed at getting the audience on their feet took top priority. Pieces like Time Is Tight by Booker T and the MGs, or their own song, The Coconut Question mixed easily with original takes on the themes of such films as From Russia with Love and The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. The In-crowd featured Nigel Darvill’s fleet fingered piano playing which was a highlight of the second half, as was a novel version of Keep On Running, replacing the urgency of the Steve Winwood version with a laid-back groove.

BEN MACNAIR

TEN YEARS AFTER BB KINGS NEW YORK

An enthusiastic crowd was out to see Ten Years After in New York City, they have not performed in New York City in many years. New York has always been a stronghold for the band. They were led on stage by Ric lee, however there was no Chic Churchill (was having heart surgery) no Joe Gooch (long time replacement for the late great Alvin lee) and Leo Lyons (founding member). The replacements were Marcus Bonfanti on guitar and Colin Hodgkinson on bass. They came out roaring and played all the classics: One of These Days; Love Like A Man; Good Morning

Little Schoolgirl; I’d Love to Change the World; Going Home. They also added an acoustic part to the show - In Portable People right in the front of the Stage which was a great change of pace. Of course Ric Lee came out played his signature tune The Hobbit - the crowd was into it. Marcus Bonfanti proved to be a fine blues guitarist and Colin Hodgkinson held his own on the bass with a great version of 32-20 Blues. They ended the set with a rockin version of Choo Choo Mama. All in all it was a good night. I still missed seeing Chic Churchill on keyboards and the energy of the band Leo Lyons on bass. Catch them live and see what you think of the new version of Ten Years After.

JOHN MARONEY

WILLIAM BELL SAGE GATESHEAD

22 ND JULY 2017

Based solely on his co-write of a ‘Classic’ blues title more than 50 years ago, I joined a full house in Hall One for the Stax legend. With a pick-up band including a brass section, Mr Bell could only be described as ‘dapper’ as he moved easily through an illuminating set. Dressed in checked sports jacket, fedora and shades he radiated early 60’s style with a voice which did nothing to betray that he is well into his seventh decade. Re-visiting his back catalogue as well as more recent numbers we were entertained to a history lesson in hit making.

His debut single from 1961, You Don’t Miss Your Water, with warm Dave Lennox Hammond organ, featured a Bell vocal delivery straight from the pulpit, and similar sentiment came in the slow pained blues of Poison In The Well, from 2016’s album This Is Where I Live.

With work at Stax as a songwriter interrupted by two

years military service Bell returned, he informed us, to ‘a whole new scene; Carla; Rufus; Otis. I had to catch up!’ He dedicated Everybody Loves A Winner to Johnnie Taylor, a fellow traveller who wasn’t so lucky. Led by tenor and baritone sax he took vocal swoops and curves in a song ultimately about hope amid desperation.

Backing singer Suzie Furlonger took alternate verses on Private Number, a song Bell originally shared with Judy Clay in 1967, and there was a gospel-rock through Everyday Would Be Like A Holiday, again with solid brass punctuation.

He showed shades of soul, particularly on I Will Take Care Of You, a moving number of dedication benefiting from both experience and age in expressing its sentiments.

Inevitably, the staple of all late-night blues jams was kept for the end. Co-written with Booker T and hopefully a steady royalty pension- provider, a hit for Albert King, Cream and Homer Simpson; Born Under A Bad Sign got the full band treatment. Bell teased the lyrics out and kept the band circling on solos a little too long – but hey, why not?

For a man of seventy-eight he had the vocal richness that comes with age while still having the stamina to deliver a professional, entertaining set.

Brought back to the stage by a standing ovation for a climax that was hard to beat Bell turned in a powerful Otis attack on Hard To Handle.

MEL WALLACE

WILLE & THE BANDITS

CLUNY 2 NEWCASTLE

11TH OCTOBER 2017

In the darkened under-croft of Cluny 2 around sixty folk were treated to the sonic surges and masterly crafted music of this

young band, part way through an extensive British tour before leaving for Australia later in the year.

A quick word on support act Australian Claude Hay. It’s a disservice to describe him as a one-man-band, his virtuosity on looped foot and hand drum, bass and lead runs built layers of accompaniment to his steady slide guitar and solid field holler vocal. Using a guitar self-built from eucalyptus wood and a B.B.Q lid over resonator cones he delivered a set of originals with instrumental 207, all swampy discord and ethereal moans.

Following the break, Wille and the Bandits took the stage. It would be an equally bold statement to describe them as a guitar, bass and drums trio; their music ranging from full-on thrash rockers to beautifully crafted mini-symphonies. Being surrounded by one of their mood pieces is highly recommended.

Switching between acoustic and electric guitars, Wille Edwards had his lap-steel mounted to play while standing, swinging into place when a song passage required it, giving access to his foot pedal rig.

Matt Brooks’ use of both six string electric and five string upright basses gives him extended range to contribute more than just beat. Meanwhile Andrew Naumann provides percussive asides in addition to holding the line.

Brooks’ 6-string flirting among the high notes was picked up by guitar riffing and heavy drums before Edwards’ cracked vocal announced Bad News. Switching to lap-steel a frenzy of slide powered the song to a close.

Scared Of The Sun featured a delicate bass motif and sharp lap steel, Edwards feathering the strings and gently teasing the slide.

A personal favourite, Gypsy Woman, with its catchy chorus was a tight rocky number that

ended amid thrashing guitar and a shimmer of cymbal tinnitus.

An assortment of percussion, all raindrops falling into pots, accompanied Chillout with upright bass sawn with a bow and lap steel on sustain.

Final number Angel saw the bass picking a melancholy melody and an acoustic slide of gentle sobs with gallows drumming. The pace quickens, guitar speaks in tongues, chaos descends in squalls of noise to leave a venting pressure vessel throb of bass.

More guitar and controlled panic channelled by the drums led to an expansive and expressive bass solo which gained deserved applause. Swirls and eddies of guitar fused into a final maelstrom of jet engine glow.

Encore 1970 was a straight forward paean to rock from a time and ethos the band associate with. With obligatory solos and audience clapping it was a rousing rocking number to close the evening.

MEL WALLACE

Wille of Wille and the Bandits by Christine Moore

One Year From £23.49 Your bi-monthly companion bursting with 132 pages of Blues including interviews with the hottest artists, festival and gig guides,

and the

PRINT

year

subscription

Email: subscriptions@warnersgroup.co.uk

One year subscription for six issues: £23.49