Blues Matters 54

BLUES MATTERS!

ROCKROOTSJAZZSOULWORLD-BLUES

Candye Kane (USA)

Chantel McGregor (UK)

Glen Patrik (USA)

Wilson T. King (UK)

Bassekou Kouyate (Africa)

Steven Dale Petit (UK)

Layla Zoe (Canada)

Cherry Lee Mewis (UK)

Henrik Freischlader (Ger)

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BLUES MATTERS!

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Founder/Publisher

alan@bluesmatters.com

Contributing writers:

Liz Aiken, Roy Bainton, Andrew Baldwin, Adam Bates, Duncan Beattie, Carol Borrington, Bob Chaffey, Norman

Darwen, Jamie Hailstone, Stuart A. Hamilton, Nat Harrap, Mark Harrison, Gareth Hayes, Steve Hoare, Sue Hickling, Duncan Jameson, Philippa le Marquand, Ben MacNiar, Vicky Martin, Martin McKeown, Noggin, Merv Osborne, Frankie Pfeffer, Thomas Rankin, Lionel Ross, Graeme

Scott, Andy Snipper, Richard Thomas, Kevin Wharton, Rhys Williams, Philip Woodford.

Contributing photographers:

Tony Winfield, Christine Moore, Liz Aiken,

Production-Art/Layout

Kitty Rae

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© 2010 Blues Matters!

Alan Pearce t/a Blues Matters. Original material in this magazine is © the authors. Reproduction may only be made with prior consent of the Editor and provided that acknowledgement is given of the source and copy is sent to the editorial address. Care is taken to ensure that the contents of this magazine are accurate but the publishers do not accept any responsibility for errors that may occur or views expressed editorially. All rights reserved. No parts of this magazine may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying recording or otherwise without prior permission of the editor. Submissions: Readers are invited to submit articles, letters and photographs for publication. The publishers reserve the right to amend any submissions and cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage.

Please note: Once submitted material becomes the intellectual property of Blues Matters and can only later be withdrawn from publication at the expediency of Blues Matters. Advertisements: Whilst responsible care is taken in accepting advertisements if in doubt readers should make their own enquiries. The publisher cannot accept any responsibility for any resulting unsatisfactory transactions, nor shall they be liable for any loss or damage to any person acting on information contained in this publication. We will however investigate complaints.

Our last issue was a great success but a little confusing. Our bar code showed correctly that it was issue BM53 but the spine told us it was BM54 and no-one noticed until it was printed! So this issue is now named BM54 (Pt.2). Those of you that collect the magazine go to your bookshelves and think you found one missing this will hopefully remind you that all is indeed ok!

Issue 53 sold out in just 2 days here at Blues Matters HQ but it’s still widely available in Menzies wholesaler’s stores. There are over 500 newsagents in the UK alone which now sell the magazine, so if your local newsagent does not have a copy then you may now order the magazine from within the stores. In the past this was a problem where stores who would have the magazine for one issue then not the next despite selling out. This is no longer a problem which is good news for all.

The spirit around the Blues community is strong and forever thriving and we have received a lot of support and we thank you all for your kind words and patience. We could not do this without you; you’re the biggest part of the Blues Matters family. There are now companies and ex subscribers who are getting back in touch with us due to the changes within the team, and the general feeling around is very positive.

You may have noticed some errors in the last issue. We had start from scratch building a new team and the contributors re-submitted their material to HQ so we could get on. Now that the teething process is over we can look forward to error free issues in the future. As you are aware the new issue bares a new design (which we hope you like). In the past people have mentioned that the magazine does not stand out amongst other magazines in the racks, so we hope this has gone some way to solving this problem with the new logo and layout. We are always open to ideas from yourselves, and to what you think would better the magazine or what you’d like to see in future issues.

So, here’s the latest issue in the Blues Matters timeline. It’s packed full of features and reviews covering all that the Blues has to offer. There are acts from all over the world ranging from the UK, America, Africa, and more!

It’s worth a mention again that all Material for submission should only be sent to our PO BOX address. After all things considered, we hope you continue to support the magazine where the Blues truly matters. A BIG thank you goes out to the people who make this possible.

Now enjoy this latest issue and its great interviews and reviews…

Alan & Geraint

and of course all the BM ‘team’

74

Rick Estrin, Geoff Mulaur, Joe Bonamassa, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, John

8 INTERVIEWS

Candye Kane, Stephen Dale Petite, Cherry Lee Mewis, Bassekou

Kouyate, Blues Power Band, Wildon

T King, Chantel McGregor, Henrik

Frieschlaer, Scott McKeon, Lalla Zoe & Glenn Patrik

18 FEATURE

Peter Green.

66 BLUE BLOOD

Lucy Zirins.

128

Eddie Martin, Elephant Shelf, Joe Bonamassa, Aynsley Lister, Jethro Tull, Hamilton Loomis, Gary Moore, Bare Bones Boogie Band, Rob Tognoni, Lisa Mills, Jon Amor & Chantel

CD REVIEWS

MICHAEL BURKS, MAGIC SLIM &THE TEARDROPS,THE HOLMES BROTHERS, AL COOK, HARRIET LEWIS & GREGORY HILDEN BAND, THE MUSTANGS,BLUES POWER BAND, PETE MOLINARI featuring THE JORDANAIRES, SANDI THOM, JOE BONAMASSA, ERIC McFADDEN, COREY HARRIS, JEFF BECK, GUITAR SHORTY, PHILIP SAYCE, MICHAEL

LANDAU, ROBBEN FORD, JIMMY HASLIP & GARY NOVAK, FEED ME, MITCH LADDIE, COCO MONTOYA, RORY BLOCK, DARRELL NULISCH, SCOTT MCKEON, SHAWN PITTMAN, ALI FARKA TOURE & TOUMANI DIABETE.....

Casey Bill Weldon.

CONTENTS Cover feature

Candye Kane, big beautiful, bbw singer and sex activist rocks the world! Kanes’ live shows are the stuff of legend. She honors the bold blues women of the past with both feet firmly planted in the present. She belts - growls - shouts - croons and moans from a lifetime of suffering and overcoming obstacles.

Layla Zoe

WilsonTKing

HenrikFreischlander

FEEDBACK

What you want to vent!

CD PRICES AT LIVE GIGS

Even though it is normally possible to obtain CDs more cheaply via Amazon for example, I have been happy to be charged £10 for a CD at a live gig to profit the artist directly and for the souvenir value, if signed for example. I notice recently however that many artists are asking for £12 (and in the case of several I could mention, a disgraceful and exploitative £14 > £18!) Particularly in these straitened times I would like to hear from any artist who feels they can justify this 20% increase.

I have refused to buy at this extortionate price and if everyone else were to do the same, artists would be forced to revert to a realistic sum for their product.

Bob Chaffey Plymouth

LATEST ISSUE

arrived to great anticipation after hearing of the major changes at the Editorial side of the magazine and the long wait for the issue. I have to admit that I was one of many amongst our group that were getting more than a bit fed up of the direction the mag was going over recent issues and several of us were talking about dropping out of ordering future copies, yes I’m afraid that is how bad it was getting. BUT on sight of the new issue I for one was delighted (despite several errors spotted and repeats oh and confusion as to what issue number this actually was 53 or 54 as both were shown on bar code and spine) to see a brighter and fresher style, less cluttered and more inviting were just a couple of things we came up with down at the pub. If this is anything to go by then the changes are most certainly for the best. The news of more outlets must be most welcomed by us all and the new logo will be instantly recognisable for sure. Well done at Blues Matters.

Fred Percy ( London)

BM says: Phew, thanks Fred, the team are grateful for your comments and to many similar comments and support we have received over this period. We will settle down. Yes the issue went to print and no-one noticed that the bar code showed issue 53 while the spine showed 54. So in order to hopefully not further confuse the issue, the one you now hold is BM54(Pt.2). For those of you that do collect the magazine you will notice a gap between 52 and 54 on the spine so hopefully 54(Pt.2) will soon remind you we cocked up but you will know that you have not missed an issue.

The support and encouragement we have been shown by so many readers, PR companies, record labels, artists, contributors etc has been gratefully received by all. Thank you from all at BM.

Hi BM JUST A NOTE TO CONGRATULATE YOU -

Not only on your first edition as editors but on a quite fabulous one at that. I love the new layout, things are easy to find, first class interviews, the usual excellent reviews of CD’s etc. Saw Kent Du Chaine last night now there’s one guy who packs ‘em in here, plays great blues,and has known and worked with many of the blues greats, currently on his 81’st tour here. Could have some really interesting things to say. Also an item on the wonderful 24 PESOS, saw them in March, great bunch of guys and creating and playing some pretty fine music. Just ideas because this as I’ve said is to congratulate you all on this excellent edition of the best blues-based magazine there is anywhere. The news section is always smack up to date which is one thing all of us record buying and gig attending blues fans love and appreciate.

Many thanks all round and keep up the great work.

Pete Clack (Oxford)

SO WAS IT BM53 OR 54?

What a difference an issue can make! First thing that hit me was the new logo, Much better guys. Found the interviews easier to read this time round and really looking forward to the next batch you’ve got coming. To coin a phrase from a well known song you are “picking up the pieces” and making a damn good fist of it.

Tom McAuley (Lanarkshire)

A GUN IN HIS HAND!

While being interviewed. Just what kind of situations do you send your writers into at Blues Matters? Loved Gianluca’s piece on Honeyboy Edwards and to contrast to read Davey Knowles after seeing him on BBC Breakfast show was a turn up I did was pleased to see. This young man has a great blues voice and to see him explain on TV what his Resonator guitar was all about to an unknowing presenter was a joy. He has to be one of the best young blues guns about today, better and moré deserving than Bonamassa surely. I wonder how many would agree. Then a week later they had Sandi Thom on, wow, I hope you will do something on her soon!

Simon Crowley, Solihul)

BM Says: Hey your wish is granted on Sandi Thom she will be in BM55!

Got something to say? Well send it in to -

editor@bluesmatters.com

Judith Owen’sBlues Top 10

1. Johnny Adams “Not Trustworthy (A Lyin’ Woman)”

There’s a great story behind discovering this song and this man, which is why it just had to be my number one choice. Years ago my dad, who happens to be a huge blues fan heard this on a London jazz radio program and blown away by the singer’s voice, recorded a snippet of it so he could find out who it was. It was just as well, as the show’s host made no mention at the end. When I visited my dad that week he played me the 40 second burst and I too was hooked. Well obviously neither of us would win the Sherlock Holmes ‘find the artist’ award, and this was pre Google (early 90’s) but 5 years later an amazing thing happened. Having moved to the US to be with my husband I was honeymooning in New Orleans during it’s world renound Jazz & Heritage Festival, (which I would play at myself in years to come) Walking between 2 stages my ear was drawn to the sound of something very familiar and I stood frozen, (half under the mistaken belief I was having a psychotic episode), and listened to that very song being sung by that very man live on the stage some distance in front of me!

So began a full blown musical love affair with Mr Johnny Adams, the most dapper of Blues men, (shoes, handkerchief, tie all matched often yellow) With a voice like velvet, they called him the ‘Tan Canary’ in the old, not so PC days. New Orleans was his home and I’m happy to say it became mine and I never missed a ‘Johnny’ gig when I was in town. I saw him sing one of the last gigs he did before succumbing to cancer a few years ago, and it was even more remarkable he was singing for his life’s worth. But of course that’s what the Blue’s is all about.

2.Aretha Franklin - “Trouble In Mind”

My favourite Aretha is the early Aretha, at the piano, straddling church and the blues. When I was young and battling depression, I searched out the kind of piano blues that was mid to up tempo and always uplifting. I still do really. (I have enough of the deep and dark in my own music!) So I would listen to this track cranked up loud and literally dance around the room. It made me feel alive and amazingly invigorated and it always got me out of a bad place that’s why I’ve always thought the act of getting your sadness and worries out through music (your own or others), was the best form of self medication!

3.Howling Wolf - “ How Many More Years”

I had to choose a Howling Wolf song, because of the experience I had when I visited his hometown in Westpoint Mississippi a few years ago. I was asked by a friend who knew I was a HW fan, to come and perform at a money raiser for the Howling Wolf museum. I jumped at the chance and drove the many miles from New Orleans to this very ‘tidy’ town, where the extremely white country club was the centre of everything. I drove to meet my host at the ‘museum’ which turned out to be the smallest cupboard-sized shack, close by the statue that a few of the locals had fought to erect and I mean fought! Seems a lot of Westpoint folks were still resenting the presence of this bronzed black man found it embarrassing even. The museum was crammed with some of the most remarkable pieces of memorabilia the curator had lived down the road from Wolf with his poor white family and loved this big kind man who sang to him and taught him to fish, as both child

and man. That night I played on the back of a flat bed truck to some well meaning, drunk people, and monies were indeed raised. It was the hottest of nights, the sweat ran down my face and back and the locust-sized moscitos, drawn to the heat from my keyboard, flew between the keys and vaporised. When I left the next day, it was with some relief feeling less than useful, and with a bad case of the blues.

4. Johnny Guitar Watson -”Gangster Of Love”

I love Watson’s funk classics from the 70’s and perhaps more, where he came from musically. Steeped in the Texan blues tradition, this song illustrates to me that even in the 50’s, Watson’s alter ego was already showing, the gangster figure, albeit of love. His full ‘pimped out’ souped up cadillac image was over a decade away, but the man and the music was all there...

5. Nellie Lutcher- “Fine Brown Frame”

Nellie Lutcher also comes to me via my dad and I guess you would describe her style as being -swing Blues, a sub genre of the Blues. Of course she’s another pianist (that is my instrument after all!) and I think her music just oozes the Blues. In fact when Lutcher was 14, she played piano behind legendary blues singer Ma Rainey, and her piano and singing never really departed too far from that place. And she was a real minx, a bit dirty double entendres, implication; the underlying message was sex, sex, sex!

And in that way she continued the Bessie Smith tradition of getting down and dirty in the nicest possible way! And my appreciation started with a record my dad bought when he was a kid. I just couldn’t stop playing it when I was little, and I loved to hear a woman accompanying herself at the piano, it gave me something to aspire to and hope for. Once again, years later, & in LA, I’m looking at the Calendar section of the Los Angeles Times to see if there are any concerts in town and I see the name Nellie Lutcher! Now I’m thinking this can’t be right she must be in her late 80’s at least, but get tickets for the show not really knowing what to expect. (I’d read somewhere that she’d retired in the late 40’s/early 50’s) What I saw that night was in fact the very woman, sounding and playing every bit as well as on this track. Wearing evening gloves and a gown, she hadn’t performed for around 40 years and had decided that now her children were grown (and grand children), she’d like to play some more before it was too late! Watching her I could only think one thought. “please god may I be doing the same at 80!”

6. Charles Brown-”Merry Xmas Baby”

- I used to see Charles perform at Tipitinas in New Orleans and hearing him sing this song, with his smokey voice and effortless way, was always a highlight. I remember him as being so typical of a ‘lifetime’ musician the kind who just can’t live without it an old man till he sat at the piano and opened his mouth to sing... becoming at once an ageless, timeless being.

7. Pearl Bailey “Tess’s Torchsong”

Again from my dad’s collection of 45’s a blues/jazz record that’s very hard to find today, unless you live in Germany, where it seems so many blues and jazz fans exist! On this song, Bailey really has an almost Bessie Smith like vibe on this and it’s totally a woman’s blues bad man done me wrong etc. plus it swings like a mother!

8. Meade Lux Lewis -”Honky Tonk Train Blues”

So when I went to live in California, I immediately started going to giant outdoor Flea markets at the weekend and it was at one of these that I struck gold and found a quite sizeable collection of 78’s..Specifically 1930s and early 1940s urban blues boogie-woogie. Jelly Roll Morton, Albert Ammons, Pete Johnson and this man: Meade Lux Lewis. I bought them all unheard and then tracked down a cracking 78 player at another market. I have to say, this is one of the most joyful findings I’ve ever had hearing this remarkable recordings, especially Honky Tonk Train Blues, always makes me smile, as I imagine a crowded shack at night, the dancing, the drinking, the sin...

9. Stevie Ray Vaughan- “Pride & Joy”

Quite simply a song I heard on the radio which made me want to dance around the room (I told you I like my Blues cut with pure joy!)

10. BB King -”There Must Be A Better World Somewhere”

Well this to me is King at his absolute best playing and singing like his life depends upon it, saying the things we all feel at one time or another when life just gets too hard and the thought of a better life, a place, a future, some kind of heaven, becomes the only thing you can hold onto this to me is the blues at it’s best.

CANDYE KANE

I’M GONNA BE JUST FINE! Carol Borrington learns on how to become a ‘Superhero’!

In May 2007, Candye Kane after a long career; released her definitive CD, “Guitar ’d and Feather’d”, which shot her into high profile in the Blues Community. At the beginning of 2008, the world looked rosy for Candye. She was on-tour with Blues Caravan, her drummer son had become engaged to fellow Blues Caravan musician and Britain’s new Blues hopeful Dani Wilde and finally she had got a 2008 Blues Foundation Nomination for “Best Contemporary Blues Female”. Then like a bolt of lightening, her life was on the verge of being reduced to ashes. She was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Candye throughout her life has been the master of self-preservation and aided by her strong will, support of family, friends, fans, love of music and the Blues, one year later, after a major operation she has been declared cancer free. Candye has returned to personal and musical acclaim with the CD, “SuperHero”. Candye told Blues Matters how you really get to be “The Toughest Girl Alive”!

BM: Can you give us an outline of what has been happening to you in the last twelve months, since your diagnosis with cancer?

Candye: I had the Whipple surgery on April 18 2008, at UCSD Medical Center. The Whipple is a radical surgery that removes parts of your stomach, pancreas, bile duct, 10 inches of small intestine and your gall bladder. I have lost a100lbs since the Whipple and so far am cancer free! I started working again on June 20th 2008, when I came to the Netherlands to do my “United By Music Project” with special needs kids. I knew my kids would not understand what cancer was or why I wasn’t there. So, I was in a rush to get better because of them.

Medical costs caused you difficulties, what was the problem. How did you overcome it and what are your feelings about money being an obstacle to good health for people?

It’s a shame that in a country as large as the USA, we let more than half of our citizens go without health care! Many of us don’t take that medication we desperately need because it costs so much. Luckily, our new President is trying to change things but the big healthcare, insurance companies and greedy people who want to make all the money for themselves, while their neighbors die, stand in the way of equal access to medical care for everyone! A society can only be judged by how we care for our poor and infirmed and I think the USA does a miserable job in this realm. Personally, I was extremely lucky because I have a high profile job and people knew about my plight. I had the ability to get out to others that I was struggling and people all around the world sent me money and did benefits for me, to help me pay for my medical care. Several organizations like “The Hart Fund”, through “The Blues Foundation” and “The Society Of Singers”, also helped to pay me bills!

How are you doing at present?

I feel great- if a little tired! I have to be very careful about what I eat, if I want to avoid nausea and discomfort. I am working very hard now but I wanted to prove, I could get back on-the-road and work hard again! I wanted to facilitate the income of the people in my band, who depend on me! I bit off a lot more than should have, but I am happy to be making music and grateful for every moment I have on this planet. I just need a bit more sleep!!!

Although, things went wrong for you at the time of the nomination, what did it mean to you to get this nomination?

It was hugely vindicating to finally be acknowledged by “The Blues Foundation” after so many years of touring and eight CDs under my belt. Sometimes, I felt like all of my hard work didn’t matter to the Blues Community. Although awards don’t really get you more work or do anything for your career necessarily, it’s still lovely to be acknowledged and to know that others notice how hard you work. My nomination was for “Best Contemporary Blues Female” and I was very grateful to be nominated alongside such great women like Betty Lavette, who won the award. I hope, “The Blues Foundation” will give me another chance with “SuperHero”.

You have just released a new CD. Describe for readers what went into the make-up of “SuperHero, from the psychological aspect of recording after your illness and from the actual musical dimension of recording it?

It’s a real triumph to wake up in the morning and still to be living, much less have a new CD!!! I am so grateful and I think the CD reflects that. It has the usual amount of heartache and revenge songs, which every Blues record needs. I was in the middle of a break-up from a ten year relationship when I got diagnosed with cancer. So, I had to shelve all of my heartache and sorrow. I had already started writing songs for a new CD and then had to focus on healing instead. I wrote songs about healing such as ‘SuperHero’ and ‘Toughen Up’, during the time I was convalescing and I then went back to some of the heartbreak songs and finished them. So, the end result is a nice balance of survival songs and love/ heartbreak songs. I am very proud of the CD!!!

CANDYE KANE

For “Superhero” you have written some of songs in collaboration with guitarist Laura Chavez. How did this come about and who wrote what?

Laura is an instrumentalist, so in most of the co writes, she came up with the music and I came up with the words. Some of the songs I had already written but Laura re-arranged them or contributed a line, so I gave her the co write. Like in ‘Trash Can Love’ she came up with the ‘liquidation love’ line. It was only one line but I feel if a person contributes even one line and you use it, you must credit them!

Can you tell us something about Laura as a musician and person?

Laura is an amazing young talent (27 years old) and every night that I stand next to her on the bandstand is precious. I find myself smiling all night and am constantly blown away by her versatility and sheer soul and heart as a guitarist. She has an incredible career ahead of her and I feel like I am along for the ride! As a person, Laura is equal parts shy and mischievous. Her assertiveness come thru in her playing but it takes a while to get her to open up on a personal level. We have a lot of fun together. She keeps me young! We play Pac Man and have pillow fights in our hotel room. She makes me feel like I am 12 years old again and she has an incredible heart! She volunteers at a local hospital and has done for years and she’s always sense, when I am feeling fragile.

You’ve chosen to cover Willie Dixon’s ‘You Need Love’ on the CD. Why did you choose this song?

I have always been a Willie Dixon fan but I recorded the Led Zeppelin version of “ Whole Lotta Love” for my CD with same name. I have wanted to do Willies version ever since. I think his version is way cooler and more low down Blues than the Zeppelin version.

“SuperHero” finishes with ‘I’m Gonna To Be Fine’, which you sing unaccompanied, why did you choose to end the CD in this manner and with this song?

This was the song I sang to myself every day and night when I was ill. It became my mantra. I had moments when I was filled with fear and self-doubt. Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest and I had moments that I thought I was a goner!!! This little song was comforting and I sang it to myself whenever I felt doubt creeping in. It was a private song but I wanted to share it with fans who may be going thru their own health challenges.

On the cover notes for “Superhero”, words and music seem to have played an active part in your healing process. Can you explain to readers what the power of both, actually means to you?

As I said in the liner notes, words are incredibly powerful. They sink into our subconscious mind and they influence how we treat ourselves. I was raised in a verbally abusive home and so words have had an effect on me from an early age. I have always been word conscious and I try to choose songs and words that build instead of tear down! I have always refused, for instance, to perform that pit women against each other or condone victimisation, i.e., “He beats me and mistreats me but I love him anyway” or “He may be your man but he comes to see me sometimes”. I just refuse to do these kinds of songs and I deliberately try to write songs that will empower myself and hopefully, other people. Music has the same healing power as words, so I feel so fortunate to be good at both. When I wrote “SuperHero”, I was so sick and fragile, I could barely speak. So, I strummed the guitar feeling like the vibrations of the guitar would be good for my incision. I also want the song, ‘SuperHero’ to speak to all women who go through each busy day being mothers, wives and workers, and getting it all done. We are all ‘SuperHeroes’ !

No one knows what the future will bring but we can be positive and plan how we would like it to go. What plans do you have from a personal and musical point of view for the future?

I am grateful for the chance to make music and to still have some time on this planet!!! My show seems to be really inspiring to people right now and that’s so wonderful. People are coming up and sharing their stories with me about struggling with cancer and losing loved ones to cancer. I feel like I am still to inspire others and give them hope. A lady came up to me the other night and hugged me and said, “I wanted to hug a miracle”. That was just so sweet. I am pleased people think of me as a miracle!!! Other plans include my stage play – “The Toughest Girl Alive”. We will be running in San Diego on a regular theatre season at Moxie Theater. Also, I will continue my work with my “United Music Charity”, which will take us to Dublin this Fall for “The World Congress For People With Downs Syndrome And Disabilities. My future daughter-in-law, Dani Wilde will also join me in my work with UBM.

Are there any other words or thoughts you would like to share with Blues Matters readers?

Words are very important and the thoughts we can shape our reality. We are bombarded by so much negativity in the media, constant messages telling us were not thin enough, rich enough, pretty enough – were too bald, we smell badly, etc. I think we need to counter each negative image with five positive ones every day. Pick one mantra like “I create my own magic!” “I attract successful, compassionate people around me!” “I am strong, beautiful and worthy!” “I alone make myself happy!” Say it every time someone or something tears you down with negativity. It works!!! CB

BM says :- Candye is an inspiration to men and women especially when they are facing adversity. We decided to print this letter on the following page which Candye sent out to her fans. All at BM wish her a full recovery. XX

CANDYE

KANE

NEWS!

Two years since cancer surgery!

Texas, Tennessee and Europe bound! Happy Spring!

Today is my two-year anniversary since my pancreatic cancer surgery on April 18, 2008! I am celebrating constantly and am so grateful to be alive! I couldn’t have been as successful on this journey without the incredible love and support I have received from YOU, my fans and friends. Please know how incredibly grateful I am for every kind thought and healing word you have sent my way. The band and I are getting ready to go to Memphis for the National Blues Foundation Awards on May 6. We are nominated in three categories and will perform our title song Superhero at the awards show! We are all so excited. Superhero is nominated for Best Contemporary Blues CD and I am nominated for BB King Entertainer of the Year and Best Contemporary Blues Female. I don’t expect to win but it’s so awesome to be recognized by my peers and the blues community. Thank you so much for voting for me! After the awards show in Memphis, we will fly to Europe where we will play a bunch of Blues festivals as well as do some workshops with my charity, United By Music. We are bringing some of our United by Music singers here to the USA this summer to showcase our charity and hopefully raise interest about it, stateside. It’s a wonderful opportunity for people with all types of disabilities to showcase their musical talents with a live band and realize their songwriting and touring dreams. We accept dancers, singers and instrumentalists. If you or someone you know has a disability and might be interested in auditioning for our program, or if you work in the healthcare or disability sector and would like to help us bring our worthy charity to the states please write me at candyekanetour@aol.com

Some of you have expressed concern about my health since I was recently in some emergency rooms on the road with Pancreatitis and was ill in Tucson and had to run off stage during a recent concert. I am feeling fine now but its true that I have been cutting back on my pancreatic enzyme medication because of the cost. Its about $800 a month for this medicine (Creon) and that’s a lot of money for me right now, with a kid in college on a musicians salary. I am hoping that the new Obama health care plan will make it possible for poor people like me, with existing conditions - to get reduced medications and maybe even health insurance. At any rate, I am feeling better and hopefully will make enough money soon to get another cat scan and the cancer tests I am supposed to get every six months. Keep me on your positive affirmation list, please!

I am excited about my upcoming show with Sista Monica, Earl Thomas and Charlene Moore with a 50 voice gospel choir at the Rio Theater, April 25 in Santa Cruz. Sista Monica has a new cd out and this one celebrates her own triumph over cancer and her beautiful faith. Its called “Singing in the spirit.” This is a very special show you wont want to miss!

Thanks again to all of you for your continued support. This is starting out as an incredible year for me musically and personally. Each sunset, each bike ride, each time I open my mouth and sing, I am reminded of how lucky I am to still be here on this planet. I hear incredible stories at my shows about people who are struggling with cancer or whom have lost a loved one to cancer. I am so grateful to hear these stories and to be in the position to share my message of gratitude and hope. Thank you for trusting me with your personal stories and please continue to share. I cant get back to everyone as quickly as I’d like but I am truly humbled and touched by your stories and kindnesses.

To coin a phrase from my own song: I’m Lucky.

I know I’m lucky.

Lucky to be loved by YOU.

XOXO

Candye www.candyekane.com

www.myspace.com/candyekaneband http://www.candyekane.blogspot.com/

Sherman Robertson Band

Eugene ‘Hideaway’

Aynsley Lister

The Stumble

Nicky Moore’s Blues Corporation

Little Stevie & The Business

Sean Webster

Trafficker

Chantel McGregor Band

Chix wiv Pix

The Jackson-Holler Band

Alex McKown

Plus late night jam sessions hosted by

Tim Aves

MC/DJ: Chris Powers

STEPHEN DALE PETITE

Interview By Hugh Fielder

If Stephen Dale Petit can walk it like he talks it then the British blues scene is in for an exciting few years. California-born Petit was playing in clubs and soaking up the blues from every direction before he moved to England in the early 90s, looking to pick up on the spirit of the British blues boom of the 60s that was a seminal influence for him. Instead he found “stale pub bands playing poor re-treads of the Beano album”. Undaunted, he set down his roots here and proceeded to build his career, playing in bands and with musicians that included Eric Clapton, former Rolling Stone Mick Taylor, David Gilmour and Phil May and Dick Taylor from the Pretty Things. He also regularly went busking at London Underground Stations. All the time he talked about the blues enthusiastically and incessantly to anyone who would listen.

In 2007 Petit combined his playing and talking on the BLUnivErSty tour, raising awareness of the blues among students. He released his first album, the chiefly instrumental Guitararama in 2008 and is set to release his second, The Crave, this summer, recorded with his band and guests. It’s a deliberately challenging album, whether he’s laying down his own abrasive blues or deconstructing one of the blues classics. There is no comfort zone around Petit’s blues, he’s on a crusade to restore that vital edge to the music. The Crave will ruffle feathers, feathers that frankly need to be ruffled. And, most important, Stephen Dale Petit is walking the walk…

How do you find the blues scene in Britain has changed since you first came to Britain?

There is a vibrancy in the blues scene now, which has been building for a few years, that simply wasn’t there after I got here and for many years after.

Is the legacy of the 60s a blessing or a curse when it comes to the modern blues scene in Britain?

Both, although more blessing than curse. 60’s ‘Swinging London’ in the 60s was fuelled by blues really. There are those who say that there can never be another blues boom, and that sort of stops them getting excited about the modern blues scene. Then there are those for whom nothing will ever measure up to the music made back then and want an almost tribute band-like adherence to the music as it was recorded. Really, though, without that time in 60’s Britain when blues was such a big part of mainstream popular culture we wouldn’t be having this conversation.

You’ve become quite a spokesman for the New Blues Revolution. How’s the revolution doing right now? The revolution is in rude health. A blues bar just opened in Camden in the last 6 months. Trivial as it may seem, I liken these sort of things to road signs and when one of the trend centres of London decides to do blues then something’s up, because such a thing was unthinkable until recently. There is a dedicated blues stage at Glastonbury for the first time ever this year. Another sign.

What’s holding the blues back when it comes to appealing to a younger generation? Blues appeals to young people. Very much so. It’s not yet on daytime radio with any regularity. When that happens there will be no real barriers.

Do you think theres a generation gap in the blues scene today, between the traditionalists and the younger generation?

When I was a kid I really did feel like I was excluded because of my age, that this was an adult music and so on. I don’t know how many feel that way now. When I did the BLUnivErSity tour in 2007 I always used to tell the students during the Masterclass part that they should feel completely free to explore the blues and make it their own. After all, that’s what Hendrix, Cream, Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac etc did. And it was the same for a lot of the guys we think of as “originators”. Robert Johnson, Son House were 24 or 25 years old when they recorded in the 1930s, and blues had been around since at least the 1890’s. The blues is not a museum piece. It’s a living, breathing thing. It’s alive. Now. Which means it will evolve and change. Any attempts to stop it doing so will fail. Because it is a very, very powerful music.

Were you pleased with the reaction to Guitararama? Was it what you expected?

I had no idea what to expect. When I was recording the album, there was nothing like the current atmosphere. I had no reason to think that anyone would be into an album of mainly instrumental blues guitar songs. So things have gone well.

When it came to recording the Crave, did you have any specific ideas about what you wanted to do?

I definitely wanted to explore different ways of approaching and presenting the blues, and I didn’t want it to be limited to a set formula like, you know, an album of acoustic blues, or an album that was essentially a four or five-piece electric band like a Chicago Blues band.

By the time I started recording The Crave I’d been touring with the band for 18 months, and so I wanted to make use of the musical chemistry we’d developed. You know, musically speaking on Guitararama I was basically on my own. There were other musicians but it wasn’t a band as such.

Also, some of the songs on the new album were road-tested before we went into the studio, and I wanted to put them

down with all the confidence that a road-tight band has. And since the band are such great players I wanted to do some totally unrehearsed, brand new songs. ‘Slide’ is one of those. I walked into the studio first thing in the morning, picked up my guitar and started fooling around with that groove, waited for everyone else to settle in, made sure we were being recorded, shouted out the key, suggested that for a change piano and drums should start the song, and away we went.

How do you feel that you have changed between Guitararama and The Crave?

Well, being a band leader changes you. I’ve changed as a writer. It’s clear to me that radio is the way forward, and coming up with blues that will be played on daytime radio is the new black.

You’ve covered three iconic blues songs from the 60s on The Crave. Is it wise to fuck with the Holy Grail? It’s 2010 for goodness sake. The versions of those songs that are special to people will always be there, so why not have a go at bringing something new to the table? Plus, there are plenty of young people who don’t know those versions. Are you saying that if a song is considered a classic then it’s untouchable, never to be done again? Bollocks. That sounds like a way to encourage stagnation and rot. Songs are everybody’s property. Obviously I invite comparisons by doing my own versions, but so what? I’ve got to step up and make sure I don’t embarrass myself, and if I’m going to record a cover of a song, I’ll make that song my own as much as I can. I totally get and understand people being besotted with special versions of songs, I’ve got some all-time favourites myself… you never know, maybe some of those people might like my versions too.

On ‘As The Years Go Passing By’ you’ve changed the rolling beat and added strings. Why?

This song has been a part of my set for a couple of years now and it feels more like it’s of a part of me. We do a slow tempo version on stage, but I wanted this to be a single, so it needed to be sped up. Also, I thought some more on what the lyrics were about and how I would be feeling, because I’ve been there in my own life, and so the music is tougher and angrier, because the sort of wise resignation that Albert King’s version conveys wouldn’t come to me for a long while in that situation!

‘Cross Roads Blues’ has an atmospheric start, almost like a soundtrack, but the song itself has a punk attitude. That’s quite a contrast.

Obviously you’ve got the Robert Johnson version, and then the Cream version that sort of sprang out of the Eric Clapton & The Powerhouse thing that he did with Stevie Winwood, Paul Jones and Jack Bruce in ‘66. I just thought it was time for a real fresh look at the song. ‘Cross Road Blues’ is perhaps top contender for ‘All-Time-Quintessential-Blues’ and it has become so entwined with so many myths. It is, actually, just a song, but I thought participating in those myths would be a bigger challenge. So I decided to put myself at this mythical place - at the cross roads where maybe the devil passes or probably, more realistically, where you are likely to get killed if you are caught there past sunset. So there’s a cinematic intro, which sets the scene like a movie set - you know, vast expanse, huge sky and so on. Then I really got into how I would feel in this situation. So you’ve got the guitar arriving like a squall in this setting, amped up & anxious and uneasy and aggressive, you know, out of sheer panic, and then the story unfolds. I worked closely with Chris Elliott on this. He’s done all the Amy Winehouse stuff and he did the strings and horn arrangements for me. A few of the lyrics are changed too, like the ‘Tell my friend Willie Brown’ line, I’ve always sung ‘Tell my friends all around’ even as a kid because that’s what I thought was being sung. So I stuck with that. Anyway that’s folk music in action really isn’t it? Apparently it’s called mondegreen when you mishear or misinterpret lyrics and poetry.

‘Need Your Love So Bad’ is indelibly associated with Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac and it sounds you’ve stayed close to him while also checking out Little Willie John’s original. Others have done versions which are so similar to the Fleetwood Mac version that they are essentially tribute band reproductions. I love Little Willie John’s version but obviously the Fleetwood Mac one is magical. I had a go at recording it with a new string & horn arrangement, a different one from the Mac version, but I didn’t like the results and that whole approach seemed stale, so I binned it. I know that Fleetwood Mac were not happy with having strings & horns put on their version, so I decided to do the version that perhaps they might have wanted to do without the orchestral arrangements.

I approached it the way I thought John Mayall might have at Decca Studios in West Hampstead, he always gave a lot of space to his guitarists, so that’s what’s going on there and we recorded all of us in the room at the same time, through vintage 60’s amps and mics. I added the Hammond organ & piano later. It was done at a fantastic place called the Smokehouse in East London.

Dick Taylor certainly seems to be enjoying himself on bass. Dick Taylor was definitely enjoying himself, as was Mark St. John on drums. I’ve known Dick for yonks. He and Phil May were really kind to me & treated me like family when I first came to the UK, so I’m really chuffed that he plays on this.

‘California’ sets up a funky guitar groove that gets more and more strident until it sounds almost like a Led Zeppelin track.

The riff is Chris Stainton’s from a Joe Cocker song, a real slice of James Brown-esque groove music, which was requisitioned by hip hop. I liked the idea of bringing it full circle. It’s just a killer groove. It’s the next single.

‘Gun Song’ smells like essence of Howlin’ Wolf, particularly with that rasping vocal. Funny you should say that. I’ve been going through a bit of a purist phase, getting very precious about the West Memphis Howlin’ Wolf stuff and dismissive about 95% of the Chicago stuff he did with Chess, so it seemed a natural thing to go for when I recorded this. It’s been opening our set for a while and I always sing it with a fair amount of attitude. The emotion and most of the lyric are true.

In contrast, ‘Looking For Trouble’ is a John Lee Hooker-style acoustic boogie. It’s your proverbial low-key 12 string acoustic murder blues. I love the texture of 12-string acoustic and I’m a fan of Bernie Besmen, who produced John Lee Hooker’s early stuff, so that’s the approach I took. I stole the opening line from a couple of Hooker songs. He cannibalised his own songs a lot, so it turns up a in a few of his songs.

There’s a Stonesy, Beggar’s Banquet vibe about ‘It’s All Good’ and your guitar solo is almost more Mick Taylor than Mick Taylor.

Mick did a tour with me last year where he was embedded in my band, and then we were his backing band for a part of the night. It was amazing for me. He was one of my idols when I was a kid, he is one of the best guitar players the UK has ever produced and this solo is pure love for Mick Taylor. ‘It’s All Good’ is Saturday night blues like the Stones used to do a lot of, especially during Mick’s time with them.

Mick Taylor himself shows up on ‘Slide’ which sounds like a Chess-style jam and a one-take job to boot. How did you get involved with Mick?

I went to one of his shows in north London late 2008 and I was introduced to him by mutual friends. We hit it off, and then the idea for the tour started to take shape. When the tour started in May 2009, it seemed natural that he play on a few songs for the album.

Most everything on this track is indeed live and first take, but Mick’s part was added later. Mick is a lovely guy. He stayed at my place in London off and on last year, and on the tour it was such an exciting thing for me because he is still absolutely brilliant, you know, solos that pull your heart to pieces.

You’ve got gigs lined up this summer. What band will you be using? Apart from the songs from The Crave what other stuff are you planning?

We will definitely be doing lots of songs from The Crave, and I am sure that there will be some new stuff and some surprises too. The band will be a five-piece with harmonica. I can’t wait to get back onstage, I’m really looking forward to it.

P:ictures by Tina Korhonen

CHERRY LEE MEWIS

Lovely and bubbly!

Interview: Jamie Hailstone

She might be just five foot tall, but Cherry Lee Mewis packs a massive punch with that voice of hers! The Welsh-born singer attracted rave reviews for her first album “Little Girl Blue”, which proved to be so popular, she even made the cover of Blues Matters! Now the small, but perfectly formed singer is back with a new album “Southbound Train” which mixes original songs and Blues standards by the likes of Memphis Minnie and Blind Willie McTell. Cherry has come a long way in a few years, from singing pop music to backing Walter Trout and appearing at the Shetland Blues Festival on the Shetland Islands! From her now home in Bedford, she is going out across the country, spreading her message. She’s taking control of her music career and making sure that the Blues really do matter. Are you ready to take a bite of her music?

BM: Is it true that good things come in small packages? Cherry: Yeah! Definitely! (laughs)

Is Cherry Lee Mewis your real name?

Yes, everyone thinks my mum and dad are huge Jerry Lee Lewis fans, but they didn’t realise until my christening. It’s mad. When I was doing R&B and pop stuff, I was using just my first name. Then I was doing some session work with a producer and my full name was on the contract. He said I should use my full name. I was starting to work with Max Milligan on my first album, I thought, yeah – why don’t I do that?

You are now based in Bedford. What’s the blues scene like there? It’s really healthy. There’s a venue called Esquires. Every Sunday, they have a blues band playing there. I find with blues band, a lot are electric and there is not many doing acoustic stuff. Music in general is quite healthy in Bedford.

You’re originally from North Wales. Why did you move to Bedford? The manager I had lived in Bedford. I had just passed my driving test and was up here every week. I got introduced to Max, my guitarist, and we started doing acoustic gigs in 2004/5 and then I ended up parting ways with my manager. I wanted to carry on, so Max and I decided to do an acoustic album. Last year, I decided to move here at the age of 23, thinking I needed to be near London. My band are all here. There’s Nicky Slater, who plays dobro. We have Robbie Mathews and he plays bass. And Max Milligan, who plays guitar! Then Flow on the drums and sometimes we have a guy called Jeff Bakin who plays blues harp. It’s easier for me being here. A couple of weeks ago, we did a gig with Walter Trout with 40 minutes notice. So that’s my whole connection to Bedford!

When did you first get bitten by the Blues bug?

It was quite a few years ago. It was about nine years ago that I first started exploring it. It was through my Dad’s record collection. He had a real mixture – rock, blues, and psychedelic. He would always be playing something mad. He would go ‘listen to this, I think it will suit your voice’. My Dad selected a couple of songs on the first album. I didn’t really go to a lot of gigs, growing up, because there wasn’t much going on.

What did your mates think of you listening to Blues records when you were 15?

It was weird, because I was into the same music that everyone else was into. No one really knew that I was into Blues music. I knew that no one else was into it, so I never really talked about it. They all knew that I sang. A lot of people have said it was unusual for someone to be so young and be into it, but I’m finding more kids are into Blues. Seasick Steve has brought a whole new audience to it.

Are you one of those people who said I’m going to be a singer and that’s it?

Oh yeah, especially after parting ways with my management. I’ve done it all myself. I do enjoy the background stuff, like the artwork and photos. You have to be focussed, otherwise there’s no point. If you’re happy doing pub gigs then fine, but I want to get as far as I can. I’m forever getting in touch with people about gigs. I’m always hands-on with everything. What’s been your favourite gig so far?

We’ve done a lot of festivals this year, which have been great. We did the Shetland Blues Festival, which was brilliant! The journey over there was an adventure in itself! Supporting Walter Trout was fantastic. We did the Cambridge Rock Festival as well.

Have you any plans to go over to the US?

I’m dying to get out there. A friend of mine just went to Clarksdale and I was so jealous. I would say hopefully next year! It would be great to get some gigs over there and play a couple of weeks. We’re going to Norway, which we’re all looking forward to. I really want to get out in Europe.

The festival circuit can be quite tough. A lot of bands only get £50 for a set…

It’s a hard one. When we got the Walter Trout gig, we just got expenses. But we couldn’t turn it down, because it was Walter Trout. There’s no point doing gigs in London unless you are doing them at venues that are worth doing. I don’t know how I would get started if I was from London. Back home in Wales, I was just doing pubs and clubs on my own. I got good pay for it. It would strengthen me as a singer. In London, you can’t do that.

Have you got a favourite Friday night record?

It depends what mood I’m in. I love dancing when I go out, so I’ll put on something like Keyshia Cole, Beyonce –anything like that. If I’m just at home, I might put on something chilled like Billie Holiday.

What about Sunday morning chill out records?

Ah Jeff Buckley! I love his voice. I don’t think anyone can touch him, vocally. I don’t think anyone can sing like he can.

Are you a big Bonnie Raitt fan?

Yeah, I like some of her stuff. I’m more of a Janis Joplin fan, really. I love her.

How do you find being on stage?

I like it, to be honest. A lot of people say I’m tiny, but I have the rest of the band on stage with me.

When you started putting together your new CD “Southbound Train” how hard was it to pick the old Blues songs?

We did a couple of Memphis Minnie songs on the first album. My favourite film is “The Rose” which stars Bette Midler and is based on Janis Joplin’s life. There’s a song from that film, called ‘Midnight In Memphis’. I really love that song. There’s a Blind Willie McTell song ‘Lord Send Your Angel Down’. My guitarist Max Milligan heard that song before I did. We just started doing at gigs and then put it on the album. Are there any Blues songs you are saving for the next album?

At the moment, no – we’re just playing the set. Actually, tell a lie – there’s a song called ‘Get Right Church’, which I think is an old traditional song. I heard Jo Ann Kelly do it. I would love for that one to go on my next album, because it’s a real crowd pleaser.

How does your songwriting process work?

I mostly get lyrics first. Something will come to me or I will hear something. I get a lot of ideas in the car, which is not an ideal situation! I start with the lyrics normally or a melody might come into my head. I either sing into my Dictaphone or pick up my guitar and see what I can come up with. Then I will go and play it to my guitarist Max Milligan and he will fancy it up a bit.

What does the spirit of the Blues mean to you?

It means passion, pain, hurt, happiness and honesty. You can express every ounce of emotion with how you sing, play and perform.

What was the last record you bought?

It was Seasick Steve’s “Man From Another Time” album. Fantastic! Did you have to drink Cherry Coke when you were younger?

Ha ha! I’ve got a really funny memory of Cherry Coke! I horse ride and I use to compete from a very early age. I remember being about five years old and I had a drink of Cherry Coke before I went into a class called Best Turned

When The Levee Breaks - The Story of Memphis Minnie

One of the biggest misconceptions about the Blues is that it is purely the domain of blokes, wailing about their women.

While this is sadly true in most cases today, it is easy to forget the impact of female singers like Memphis Minnie.

Along with Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Bessie Smith, Sippie Wallace and many others, Memphis Minnie blazed a trail and proved that when it came to the Blues, women could give as good as they got.

Memphis Minnie was born Lizzie Douglas on June 3, 1897, and from the 1920s to her retirement in the 1950s, she was one of the most popular and influential female Blues artists. She won respect from her peers, both as a singer and as a guitarist. During her lifetime, she released no less than 180 tracks, including ‘Hoodoo Lady’ and ‘Bumblebee’.

Minnie had something of a colourful life, she ran away to Beale Street in Memphis when she was just 13 years old. It was there that she started to sing and play the guitar as Lizzie ‘The Kid’ Douglas. She was also married three times. Each one of her husbands was a Blues singer; there was Kansas Joe McCoy, Casey Bill Weldon and Ernest ‘Little Son Joe’ Lawlers. Her last public performance was at a memorial for her friend Big Bill Broonzy in 1958. She died of a stroke in 1973. In October 1996, family members gathering for a ceremony at the New Hope Baptist Church Ceremony in Walls, DeSoto County, Mississippii to mark the unveiling of a new gravestone, which had been paid for by Bonnie Raitt.

The inscription on the back of the gravestone reads: “The hundreds of sides Minnie recorded are the perfect material to teach us about the Blues. For the Blues are at once general, and particular, speaking for millions, but in a highly singular, individual voice. Listening to Minnie’s songs we hear her fantasies, her dreams, her desires, but we will hear them as if they were our own.”

Like many other Blues singers, she recorded for countless record labels and her output was certainly prolific. By the time she retired in the 1950s, she left a legacy that is still being enjoyed by music lovers today.

One her most famous compositions was ‘When The Levee Breaks’, which was written by her and her then husband Kansas Joe McCoy in 1929. The song itself was inspired by the great Mississippi flood of 1927, but Led Zeppelin famously reworked the song later to rather spectacular effect for their fourth album. It is curious to think that even to this day, generations of kids are banging their heads to a tune first written by the late, great Memphis Minnie. She would have been proud of that. JH

CHERRY LEE MEWIS

Out. Well, it didn’t agree with me and I was sick all over my white pony!! Needless to say I didn’t win that one!

Have you got any tips for aspiring blues singers out there?

To continue to hone your craft, gig as much as possible in lots of different venues, surround yourself with great musicians, be determined, know what you want! Oh and always carry CDs and flyers around with you - you never know who you’re going to run into!!

Who would you most like to do a duet with?

Hmm! If he were alive, Jeff Buckley. I’d settle for Tina Turner though!

What is it about Janis Joplin and her music that appeals to you?

I love how she performed. She just totally lost herself in the music and didn’t give a damn what anyone thought; when she was on stage, nothing could touch her.

Do you think the Blues is coming back into fashion here in the UK?

Well it’s always been there. Live music is just becoming more popular and with the help of the Internet, it’s never been as easy to find new artists and find out which Blues festival is next on the calendar. I’m always amazed by how many Blues festivals all around the world there are. We did one in the Shetland Isles last year, THE SHETLANDS! It was fantastic. Also with the Blues, you can’t fake it; you can either sing or not, play or not, simple as.

What’s your favourite venue?

Hmm that’s a toughy! I like to think that there will be plenty more venues for me to gig in yet, so my favourite venue so far, has got to be The Assembly Rooms in Leamington Spa. We supported Walter Trout there - fantastic character, lovely big stage, heaven!

If you could catch a southbound train to any destination, where would you go? Most definitely to Memphis and Clarksdale. Where it all began!

JamieHailstone

Bassekou Kouyate

– Out Of Africa…

The West African virtuoso discusses the African Blues and working with Taj Mahal, Ali Farka Touré, Otis Taylor and others…

Over the last few years, ngoni player Bassekou Kouyate has taken the world music scene by storm, and he has also enjoyed great popularity with lovers of the West African ‘desert-Blues’ style. He has worked with several big names on the Blues scene and has released two critically acclaimed albums and toured with his group Ngoni Ba. Bassekou was born into a traditional musical family (the Kouyates are well-known hereditary musician family – called jali or jeli in Mali; shortly before Christmas 2009 he was interviewed by Norman Darwen:

How did you begin playing the ngoni and can you describe the instrument for me?

My music is Bamana music from Ségou, but played my own way, not in the traditional way of my father and grandfather, both ngoni players who were recognized throughout Mali.

I was brought up in Garana, a small village in the Ségou region where all of my jali family members were musicians so there was music around and there were instruments in the compound. Our family is part of the tradition of music produced for the courts of Bamana rulers living in and around Ségou, and for influential and wealthy men and leaders in the area. The ngoni was the key instrument in this type of music and it was natural that this was the instrument I began to play when I was between 9 and 11 years old. Once I had begun to find my way around the instrument, my father, Mustapha, began to teach me how to play in his tradition.

The instrument is known more precisely as the jali ngoni because it was the jali’s special domain, offering private music for a small group, enabling men with great responsibilities to relax and enjoy music made just for them. However, other groups began making their own versions for more popular music: the kamalen ngoni for young men’s groups, the donso ngoni for hunters – an association of older men in Bamana villages. None of this was intended for women!

There are several sizes and forms of ngoni that my family has developed and that are being adopted by other players, too. Counting the mini-sized ngoni for children, there are four sizes, each with a different range of notes. In addition we experimented with the double ngoni which we find is not necessary when my group Ngoni Ba plays with three sizes and thus an increased range of sound, but some players are using the double ngoni that was developed in the 1980s, rather like the double necked guitar.

My father explained to me that the form of the ngoni is very ancient, and reminds both the jali and his patron, who often had to play a military role in support of his political power, of two essential parts of the equipment that a warrior took to the battle field. He rode there and fought on horseback, so the horse had to be given rest and the rider took with him a wooden stake to use to tether the animal, and a deep elongated baara, or calabash to water the horse. So the parts of the ngoni are a visible symbol of the patron’s military role.

How did you get your group together? Tell me about kora player Toumani Diabaté - some people have said that kora music and the Blues are related to each other…

I owe a lot to both Ali Farka Touré and to Toumani Diabaté: it was with them that I got to know other musicians, went on tour, made recordings. But I never had any idea of becoming a solo artist. Toumani is a marvellous musician: a really great musician. Often you think he is playing with small rollers instead of his own fingers. He is an icon for a whole generation of musicians in Mali, including me. He is also a friend and a brother, and like lots of other Malian musicians, I owe him my introduction to the way Malian music is recognized as a pillar of World Music, and the experience of playing on 9 CD albums with him. In a way kora music and the Blues are related, but I feel the real roots of the blues are in

pentatonic, and the Bamana ngoni works in the pentatonic, while the kora does not really operate so easily in these scales. It was my friend, advisor and producer, Lucy Duran who encouraged me to think of getting a group together and working on an album. She followed this up bit by bit over several years, found a recording company that was prepared to take the risk, and finally we made “Segu Blue” in 2006. Getting a group together was not difficult: in addition to members of the Kouyaté family, I have had time to get to know musicians like Alou Coulibaly, the percussionist, who has played with lots of major Malian artists but had no regular group when we started Ngoni Ba, and an unknown percussionist, Moussa Sissoko, who has become quite a feature in the group.

We began performing as a group at Essakane (the Festival of the Desert) and then the Festival on the Niger (at Ségou: our home ground) in early 2006, then at some events in Bamako, before recording “Segu Blue” in Bamako.

Since then we have toured in Europe, but also in Africa, including the ‘Sauti wa Busara’ Festival in Zanzibar. The French Cultural Centre organized a tour for us, and it was a great success in Dakar, Accra, Ouagadougou and we had a wildly successful concert in Nouakchott, Mauritania, a few days before the election of Obama, when the audience asked us to perform a number for him: of course we did and it brought the house down! We would love to perform more in Africa and hope to play Ouagadougou again in 2010, but it is a matter of getting the schedule arranged. Our audiences of course are mostly middle-class because the cost of travel, hire of the site, etc. puts up the price of tickets. We’d like to play to wider audiences but the system of organising tours that pay their way with big concerts that have proper sound systems is not sufficiently developed throughout Africa.

How did you get to work with Taj Mahal?

It’s quite a story and may be the only time that a professional African musician met up with the Black American musical tradition in the US without having the slightest idea beforehand that it existed!

As I said, I was brought up in a small village and there was no school there. The only thing I was really instructed in was how to play the ngoni like my father, and how to use it for patrons in the old way. There was no radio or TV in the village so I had never heard other kinds of music but our own. Then I came to Bamako and did odd jobs, playing with older musicians as well, but we still had no outside musical influences, and I had only very hazy ideas about the outside world. We knew about the French, but were a bit afraid of Americans whose only image for us was cowboys with guns!

In 1985, there was an American in Bamako, Eric Charry, who went round all the groups, listening for the origin of the banjo sound. Looking back, it must have been he who recommended me to Taj. Anyway, all of a sudden I was called to the American Embassy to get a visa, and very soon I was on my way to the U.S. expecting to find lots of cowboys there. It is unbelievable how little information I had: I had no idea that there were any black people in America! How could a 17 year old from Garana know about that? I had never heard about the blues, either, never listened to jazz. It was an epic first international journey with a delayed flight so that I missed the connecting flight in Paris: the French police wanted to send me straight back to Bamako, I was rescued by an airline employee, put on a plane the next day for New York, and arrived without the Tennessee Festival people knowing where or when to find me. I didn’t speak much French then, and certainly no English. I couldn’t understand why the black people I approached at the airport, and who I presumed were Africans, couldn’t help and all wanted to talk English. A real nightmare! Finally a Senegalese appeared and sorted things out: I was met in Indianapolis by Charles Bird, who I now know is a distinguished West African language scholar, and he stayed with me, speaking Bamana, while I got to Tennessee, and was taken to a rehearsal. I had no idea who Taj Mahal was, and we had no language in common, so when I was to join in the music, I just played Bamana music, and Taj immediately recognised we have the same tradition. The performance we gave later was a huge success, and apparently Taj declared that he had found his own roots and that he, too, is a Kouyaté: his real name is Mohamed Dadi Kouyaté! I’ve no idea where he got the Dadi from. It was an exciting experience and must be one of the very few times the two ends of the African diaspora met “cold” without being influenced by prior information. In any event, it is clear proof to me that the roots of the Blues are in the Bamana area of Africa. Taj and I get on very well and have ended up both writing pieces of music that we dedicated to each other.

Is it right that President Barack Obama has praised your music?

Lucy Duran sent me a copy of a page on internet from Borders bookstore just before the U.S. election where President Obama gave his recommendations for books and one album that he enjoys and plays a lot. The album was “Kulanjan”, with Taj and a group of Malian musicians, including Toumani Diabaté and myself. We were all thrilled when we saw it and knew he recognises us.

When did you first meet Ali Farka Touré?

Ali was both a marvellous musician and a remarkable person and I knew him for years; it was Toumani who got me to play for him first. He was a really great guitarist and played a wide variety of Malian music: Fula, Songhoi, Tamachek, the music of the south, too - he knew them all, so his music represented the whole of Mali, and it didn’t seem a bit strange to me: he represented my country. In addition, his personal generosity was extraordinary; he was one of the few great musicians who really did what was possible to encourage and promote younger artists. He was the only experienced star musician I know who would literally take a step back on stage to let the younger musician take the stage to play under the spotlights. It was Ali who first encouraged me to think of playing and recording solo. A couple of years later, he said “What Bassékou, still no solo recording?” He took things into his own hands, calling Nick Gold of World Circuit to say he would record with me. So I went to the Bogolan Studio in Bamako, and after just two minutes of rehearsals, he announced to Nick that we were ready to record. Nick was surprised and asked if we didn’t need a bit more time, but Ali said, “No, good musicians don’t need a lot of rehearsal to play well together”. The recording that resulted was “Savane” (released in 2006) and on tour with Ali, again I had the experience of being pushed into the limelight by him.

He didn’t talk much about his music and I never heard him refer to it as blues; it was simply Malian and he just played. In fact he thought it was quite a joke that people from outside the area used to call it blues. The same thing has happened to a number of other Malian groups, including mine, but also Ali’s son, Vieux Farka, other members of his original band, and now Tinariwen, the award winning Tamachek group. We are all confident that we own our own music, and don’t feel we have borrowed this style.

You have played with Otis Taylor and his friends with the ‘Recapturing the Banjo’ project – did this music seem familiar?

I really love the banjo and I’m sure it’s a descendant of the ngoni. Perhaps it’s because of that that I feel it’s not complicated and it is easy for us to play in the same group: one important connection is that we use the same chords. It’s so like Bamana music and there is a family feeling for Ngoni Ba when we play with Otis Taylor and his group. That same family feeling is what I found in Tennessee at the festival with Taj Mahal. The audience recognized that too, which is why everyone was so excited and happy all at once.

Your sound is very traditional: but also very modern – is it important that music evolves?

Of course music should evolve: even if you learn much from them, you can’t go on playing like your father and grandfather! That way I’d have ignored all the possibilities that have been opened up to artists through modern technology: recording, reaching new audiences, taking advantage of YouTube and probably of e-merchandising albums in the future. And even if he didn’t authorize recordings of his own work, my father also moved the ngoni forward, adding a fourth string to the ngoni whereas for centuries older musicians had used only three. Like a lot of other Malian musicians, I am always for moving forward, but it’s also important to remain creative and inspired by our tradition.

And the future?

Well, I have a lot of projects for the future but first of all we have the enormously exciting development with distribution of “I Speak Fula” in the US and an extensive tour of about 60 concerts in North America. This is what I have been hoping for since Ngoni Ba started working together, and we are really looking forward to the whole experience!

Norman Darwen

The Blues comes from Africa, right? Well, yes and no - it’s not quite as simple as that.

The African roots have been recognised since the earliest days of black music in the Americas. 19th century minstrel troupes had names like ‘Ethiopian Serenaders’, and “Ethiopian” was synonymous with “African” at the time. Early jazz was often pejoratively dubbed “jungle music” by racist critics (as was, much later, rock and roll). The view of the Blues up until the 60s (at least) was that it was more primitive than jazz; therefore, runs the Darwinian logic, it must be an antecedent of jazz. At the same time, a glance through the jazz press of the fifties and sixties reveals that there was an underlying realisation that the black musics of the New World shared features in common - so in Jazz Journal and Jazz Magazine, there are occasional reviews of calypso and African recordings alongside Blues and jazz - and therefore, the common elements must be African. In the 60s, Blues researcher Paul Oliver identified the provenance of the American slaves as West Africa and found a tradition in the right general area comprising musicians using stringed instruments and playing a venerable repertoirethe griots of Mali and Senegambia who play the 21 string harp-lute called the kora (remember, at this time, African music was generally perceived as being drums, drums and more drums). The kora’s delicate, haunting music is perhaps not that far removed from some East Coast Blues. Paul also found other musicians using less sophisticated string instruments employing slurs, trills, hammer-ons and other techniques which can be found in Blues guitar playing. He wrote about the possible African roots in his ground-breaking and still very valuable book Savannah Syncopators: African Retentions In The Blues (Studio Vista, 1970). The subtitle is significant - it was African retentions that Oliver was looking for, not some ‘proto-Blues’ tradition. Some years later another researcher, Sam Charters, journeyed to Africa and in his book The Roots Of The Blues: An African Search (Marion Boyars, 1981) he also concluded that although some African techniques and attitudes had travelled across the Atlantic, the Blues itself just was not to be found in Africa. Then along came Ali Farka Toure and the ‘desert-Blues’ - which is more like long-lost cousins greeting each other rather than a continuing tradition. The Blues has always adapted and it is not to devalue a developing tradition of its own to suggest that rather than representing a backwards-looking music, the desert-Blues is already beginning to evolve in new and unexpected ways.

There is also precedent for this - another African-American music took root in southern Africa and thrives to this day. African-American missionaries took the bible and their music back to the mother continent and if you listen very carefully, the music of the likes of Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Zimbabwe’s Black Umfolosi still contains echoes of The Fisk Jubilee Singers (who sang for Queen Victoria) and the later Golden Gate Quartet. Let’s the hope desert-blues is as longlasting!

Norman Darwen

Blues Power Band

Frankie Bluesy Pfeiffer and Nat Harrap introduce a French Blues band with a difference.

Blues Power Band (BPB) is a French band, which has successfully created the chemistry necessary to mix blues and rock, acoustic and electric, songs sung in English and some in French. This band has also succeeded in releasing a concept album along the lines of those great rock operas but in Blues, and that must be a first! Blues Power Band is original in its approach, its music and its outlook. We met Bannish, the band lead singer, to tell us all about BPB.

BM: To start off with, can you tell us how you define Blues Power Band music and style?

Bannish: Blues Power Band is a band with a personality forged around a feeling of Blues, the energy of rock, the fantasy of funk and a very open attitude to any musical influence. And even if we have a strong taste for derision, we love a job well done. The public recognises us through a sound and identity which are very personal to us and I think they see us as an energetic band, cheeky, close and warm all at the same time, a group which can communicate laughter and sadness. That’s probably why our public has given us a nickname, the ‘Beeps’. It must be a sign that there is a connection between the public and us.

Can you tell us who plays in BPB and its history?

BPB is first and foremost five musicians who have known each other for quite a number of years. The rhythmic structure is made up of Nico on bass and Batthus on drums. Those two allow Papygratteux and Paco to slip in their guitars. As for me, I just lend my voice to the whole ensemble. In 2007, Damien Cornelis joined us on keyboards both in studio and live and I think he gives extra depth to our music.

And what about your nickname, Bannish?

That’s quite a story. Some years ago, I was singing Mannish Boy but slip of the tongue I said Bannish Moy. That’s where the nickname comes from.

You have a reputation for being very visual on stage, a band which likes to make a show. Where does that come from?

To be perfectly honest, it’s not something we’ve worked on. For us this visual dimension is obvious: you either go on stage or you don’t. If you do, it’s to share some powerful moments and you go for it. And we (laughs) go for it, we give it our all. It’s also true that we’re not beginners any more, we must have over 400 gigs under our belts, mostly in France but also some in Europe and even in China, since, in 2005, we were the first Frenchies to bring the Blues gospel to Shanghai.

Let’s look at your releases. In 2006 you brought out your first album, “Shoot, Shoot, Don’t Talk!”, an album voted Best Blues Album of the Year in France. How do you explain such a success? (smiles) Maybe, because they are only original compositions. It’s a little bit odd because we’d not done a lot of work in studio for this album and the sound was quite raw, you know what I mean. But there was real coherence there, real power and we had famous guests, well known in France and the States, people like Sax Gordon Beadle (from Duke Robillard’s Band), etc. In 2007, the album was featured in the ‘Discothèque Idéale du Blues’ (the Ideal Blues CD Collection) listing the Top 100 Best Blues albums. Can you imagine, here was our album among legendary names such as T-Bone Walker, BB King, Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan?

And the concept album, “Zee”, a kind of blues opera, how did it come about?

The idea came after a concert we did at the New Morning in Paris for the release of our previous album. As they were leaving the concert, people were telling us we would have to really do something to top the first album. Somebody suggested we should let ourselves go even more and imagine something which had never been done in Blues music before, something like a blues-rock opera. To start off, we didn’t take it seriously but after a while, we thought why not? And this is how a challenge became a project, then an album.

Tell us more about this blues opera?

“Zee” is a blues opera in 7 acts and it includes 21 compositions. I’ll tell you the story in just a few words: as everything seemed to be going well for the Beeps, Zee suddenly goes missing (Act 1). Of course, it’s really tough for them but it’s also the beginning of one of the best experiences of their lives, an adventure which will take them to the four corners of the world. After initially feeling down and depressed, they decide to go and look for Zee (Act 2). They start their search for Zee in Europe (Act 3), and then travel through the Americas (Act 4). The Beeps travel through the world, time and space (Act 5). They even look for Zee in the most mysterious worlds: the universe, the underworld, even their conscience (Act 6) before wondering whether Zee will ever be back in town (Act 7). As you can see, we are totally in a blues rock universe: losing somebody close, looking for somebody or something, travelling, life and its meaning. And all this is Zee’s world in 66 minutes… and you’ve only allowed me two or three to tell you everything (laughs).

But who is Zee? Is she a woman?

I could only reply to that question in the presence of my lawyer (laughs). Anyway, you’ll have noticed that the album concludes with a track called ‘Somebody Won’t Talk!’, so let’s say that if I told you who and what Zee is, the BPB boys would give me a really hard time, believe me (laughs).

How did you write this project? What was the process?

Writing “Zee” was a joint effort even if, as is often the case, Pappygratteux was the most prolific. Having said that, we kept being really demanding with the quality of the writing as we only wanted the best with a total coherence between the story, the rhythm, the texts, the atmosphere and of course the essence of BPB and all it represents. We knew that Zee’s story would lead us to an album with different musical atmospheres but we were adamant that it had to be perfectly coherent. It was ambitious and it meant demanding the very best from each of us, nothing less would be good enough.

How long did it take you to make the album?

I started the first script at the beginning of the summer of 2007. By the end of that year, all the compos from each band member had been written. At that time, we were on a big tour in France and for two months, we were on the road virtually all the time. It gave us the chance to talk and work on ideas with each other. That’s the way we managed to give each track its own personality. Then in May 2008, we started recording and the mastering was finished by the end of August. Because we didn’t want to let ourselves and our public down, we met the schedule we had set ourselves to the week. You know, for us, it was very important to set deadlines and keep them. I can tell you that if we added up the number of hours the five of us spent on this project over the last 15 months, it would be a big slice in the life of one man! (laughs)

Where and how did you record the album?

The recording was done at ‘Boys In The Attic Studios’. For most of the tracks, we started with takes for bass and drums, then we moved on to guitars, keyboards, arrangements and ended with vocals. Most of the time, it was Papygratteux with Bathus who led the recording stages and also the mix, even if the decisions were always made according to our majority rule! (smiles). The mastering was then done in London at the Abbey Road studios with Steve Rooke, a really great guy with an incredible life and who totally got into the story of “Zee”, and gave it its definite shape.

In the album, some of the tracks include brass and string instruments. Who took care of the arrangements?

To start off, I’d like to talk about the keyboards because it has been a vital part of this album and it’s a really talented guy

Blues Power Band

and a good mate of ours, Damien Cornelis, who covers all the keyboards. You could say he is virtually a ‘Beep’ now! (smiles). The arrangements have all been written by BPB, with a different arranger according to the tracks. For the strings, we worked with classical instruments: 3 violins and 3 cellos. It was really good and an unusual experience for us and for them too. After the initial shock, it gave us the opportunity to have a real exchange of opinions. Among the classical musicians, there was Marc-Olivier de Nattes, who was at the same time recording some of Beethoven’s symphonies conducted by Kurt Masur.

There were also quite a few guests from the French Blues scene. Did they accept to join you immediately? Yes, all the guests accepted immediately because they are all great artists, as you know (smiles). But it’s also true that, before asking them to come on board, we had a very precise idea of what we required from each of them. We wanted their talent to be made available to “Zee” because their presence on such or such track was necessary. For example, ‘The Missing’ is the moment when we find out Zee has gone. In real life, what do you normally do in such circumstances? You ask people close to you, your friends if they’ve seen Zee and that’s why we have written a dialogue between BPB and Nina Van Horn, Lord Tracy, Olive, Freddy and Alexxx. As the track also means that the pressure is rising, there’s a lot of rhythm and very sharp playing from Jean-Marc Henaux’s harmonica.

How did the guests react to the idea of a concept album when you asked them to join you?

In fact, the Beeps are a little bit secretive and we did not tell them what the album was about (laughs). They discovered it when they came to play.

When you’re looking for Zee, you go to Paris and sing ‘Reviens Zee!’ (Come Back Zee!) in French. Why not sing the whole album in French?

Even if within the group, opinions were divided, we were not for singing everything in French. But if you are in Paris and you ask people in English “Where is Zee?”, you soon find out that people don’t understand you. So, we decided that if we wanted to find Zee in Paris we had to ask in French (laughs).

In this album, your voice sometimes sounds like Lou Reed’s. A track like ‘Tchoga Zambil’, for example, reminds us of ‘Kashmir’ by Led. Zeppelin, whilst ‘100°F’ is more in the style of the Shadows. Was that a conscious decision or sheer luck?

You know, I think in life, nothing is ever really lost or wasted, everything changes and evolves. Each one of us is made up for the most part of what we have lived, listened to and admired. In music, it’s the same and I think you’re right when you mention that some of the performances can be directly linked to one artist and for others, it’s a more complex mixture of influences.

With “Zee”, it looks as if BPB has tried to break free from a Blues which is maybe a little too restricting for the group? Do you agree?

In fact, the project was the driving force. The music came all by itself, track after track after track. For example, with ‘Tchoga Zanbil’, we end the track with an American style rap, why? Well, first of all, you need to know that the world of Tchoga is real, historically speaking: in a land which is now Iran, the King of Elam, Untash Napirashah reigned in the city of Tchoga Zanbil in 1300 BC. The Beeps arrive in that great city but they are not welcome and the guards throw them out and tell them to ‘Go to Hell, go to Mars’, and to reflect the guards’ heavy handling, it seemed obvious to us to add some rap. There you are, you know everything now. (laughs)

This album with its own universe, sounds, arrangements, how are you going to perform it on stage? That’s another challenge, one more challenge! (smiles) In fact, we’re going to prepare a kind of scenario for this search of Zee, but not too much because “Zee”’s musical and graphic world suggests things rather than explain them. We’ll try to keep this spirit when we play ‘live’ but you’re right, it’s quite a challenge. As you’ve seen at the Réservoir in Paris, BPB is known for its explosive concerts and this is perfect to perform “Zee” on stage.

Would you also tell us who made this magnificent digipack with its really original design and its very graphic 28page booklet?

The guy behind it is called Dom SD. He is very accomplished and extremely well known in the music industry here in France. He has worked with us throughout the project and everything he has done for us has been absolutely necessary and an important part of “Zee”. To accompany this concept album, we needed a graphic universe which suggested the journey we had to do and that it was totally coherent beyond the worlds we travelled. And I think that not only the booklet but also the whole pack meet with what the public is expecting for such a concept album.

How is it going with the record companies?

For the first album, we collaborated with Why Note and Nocturne, a French record company and distributor and it worked out fine. For “Zee”, we are at the final negotiations’ stage and we hope to find a good partner in the UK as we are convinced that our Great British friends would like “Zee” too! (smiles)

WILSON T KING

Stuart Hamilton ventures inside the mind of born-again Bluesman, Wilson T King.

Wilson T King (born Tim Wilson) has spent the last ten years or so, playing on the indie scene, as a musician, composer and as a producer. However, he’s now returned to his first love - the Blues. The music that inspired him as a youngster. He’s just released his debut solo album “Follow Your First Mind”, a record that was inspired by a dream where he met Mitch Mitchell, and one that takes further inspiration from as far and wide as the poet and author Charles Bukowski to Stevie Ray Vaughan and beyond. Blues Matters sat down with Mr King, to find out why he’s still dreaming the Blues.

Wilson T King (born Tim Wilson) has spent the last ten years or so, playing on the indie scene, as a musician, composer and as a producer. However, he’s now returned to his first love - the Blues. The music that inspired him as a youngster. He’s just released his debut solo album “Follow Your First Mind”, a record that was inspired by a dream where he met Mitch Mitchell, and one that takes further inspiration from as far and wide as the poet and author Charles Bukowski to Stevie Ray Vaughan and beyond. Blues Matters sat down with Mr King, to find out why he’s still dreaming the Blues.

BM: Let’s go right back to the musical beginnings of Wilson T King. When did you first start pick up a guitar and start playing?

Wilson T King: When I was 17. In hindsight, it was a natural outcome from listening to blues from the age of six.

So, what sort of music were you listening to when you were a youngster?

Wilson T King: At six my headphones were kicking out the the Allman Brothers Band “Live At The Filmore East”. Duane Allmans cuts prior to the Allmans plus early Eric Clapton. Then at ten years old I began a five year immersion into everything Jimi Hendrix. To this day, I can still talk verbatim to every interview in the Jimi Hendrix documentary movie. I must have seen it over a thousand times! This led to Albert King, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Albert Collins, Elmore James, Peter Green, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jeff Healey, Jeff Beck and Dave Gilmour.

That all sounds very precocious! At six, I was listening to The Sweet. Now, you spent many years both playing in and producing an assortment of indie rock bands. Is there any particular band or record you’d recommend to someone wanting to investigate your Tim Wilson past?

Wilson T King: Yeah, probably the best band was FIN. We were trying to be an experimental U2. We wrote and recorded over two hundred and fifty songs. Normal music industry ineptness resulted in just two singles being released!

How did your past musical experiences in the world of indie help you create the “Follow Your First Mind” album? That whole experience helped me greatly as a writer and producer when I started to think about creating this record. I wanted it to be raw, intelligent, super loud with great lyrics, killer solos and void of all the karaoke blues singing, ‘Crossroads’ rewrites and that whole sad post Stevie Ray Vaughan genre. And God bless Stevie Ray Vaughan. A monster Blues man who must be spinning in his grave hearing the endless clones who doled out pathetic reruns of his career.

I take it that your chosen Blues name indicates an appreciation of the various Kings of the Blues? So is it Freddie, Albert or B.B.?

Wilson T King: All of them! Yeah the name is a nod to those guys, but in a very reverent way. They and their music will live forever. I still don’t think we fully appreciate the kick they gave Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Peter Green, The Allman Brothers, Santana and the Rolling Stones to take the Blues on those great journeys into the unknown.

Now, they were all Bluesmen who brought something different to the Blues table. Was that what you were hoping to do on your first contribution to the Blues?

Those guys and the three Kings are who inspired me on this record to be bold, adventurous and to push the Blues in some new directions. Tracks on the album like the ‘Light Behind The Sun’, ‘Hurricane’ and ‘The Devil Waits For No Man’ are my way of pushing the Blues into new places. Great bass grooves, lyrics and burning solos with amazing drums from Mr Wayne Proctor. I like to call it scifi Blues!

When you first decided to make a Blues album of your own, how did you set about it? What went into creating the music, the writing process?

Wilson T King: Because of my song writing and production experience, I’m very open to the whole process. Some of the songs came straight from jams and ended up being cut live. Others started with a lyric and vocal for which I then wrote guitar and bass parts. Afterwards I would work on the solos and when happy with it would bring in Wayne Proctor on drums for completion. With “Light Behind The Sun” it started with me writing all the bass riffs, so the songs came from all sources of inspiration.

And with your producers’ hat on, how did you go about capturing the sound in your head on to tape?

Wilson T King: As the producer I wanted a world class sounding record. I took the time with the tones and mix while the mastering was done at Abbey Road. ‘Vigilante Man’ is just one example of what I wanted raw, intelligent, super loud with great lyrics and solos, and void of all the cliches. That is the thread running through the whole record.

How exactly do you view the Blues? What is it about this particular style of music that makes it so special to you?

Wilson T King: You know, to me the Blues is this amazing force and to tap into it you have to dig real deep and play with fire, which was my goal with this record. It’s like when I hear ‘Machine Gun’ it’s as though Jimi Hendrix was smashing atoms! He was a one-man Hadron Collider equipped with a couple of Marshall Stacks and a Strat in his hands. Can the guitar solo kick our neural networks out of their slumber and take us to new places and dimensions for a few fleeting seconds? Most definitely, and I hope this record does that for people.

The album is coming out through your own record label, 19 Miles High. Are there any other acts you’re working with that readers of Blues Matters should check out?

Wilson T King: Martin Goodwin who plays bass on a few tracks on this album is writing his own Mahavishnu Orchestra meets Rage Against The Machine solo jazz rock album - the guy is a monster jazz / rock lead guitar player. Plus I’m looking to sign a few new acts that are in the Blues genre and who are up for kicking open some new doors.

Do you have any plans to take the Wilson T King Blues experience out on the road?

Wilson T King: We just had a few rehearsals and they sounded massive. Myself, Wayne Proctor on drums, who played like the unleashed bastard child of John Bonham and Mitch Mitchell, and James Hartley who grinded out thunderous low end grooves on bass. So yes, we will be touring in the coming months.

And after the tour is over, what’s going to be next in the pipeline for you?

Wilson T King: I’m just starting to cut a few early tracks for my next album, so that album is starting to take shape. It will primarily be a hard core scifi Blues power trio. I have one song finished called ‘Born Into This’ which is a quote from the poet Charles Bukowski who is a big influence for me. It sounds huge and the solos are killer, so it’s a great start to the next album.

Finally, is there else you’d like to say to the Blues Matters readers out there?

Wilson T King: Keep believing in the Blues as it’s one of the most amazing things mankind has ever come up with and I think we are heading for a renaissance in the Blues. Everybody from Blues Matters to artists like Ian Siegal and The White Stripes to Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton playing these jam shows is helping to push the Blues forward. Check out the albumyou will love it.

More proper Blues

Anders Osborne

American Patchwork - Alligator

Grammy-award winning guitarist/singer/songwriter blends blues, rock and roll and New Orleans funk with R&B to create a distinctive genre-bending style.

Brooks Williams

Baby O! - Red Guitar Blue Music

Blues Americana guitarist, singer and songwriter Brooks delivers the deepest and most intense interpretations of everything from early blues songs to his recent original compositions.

Buddy Guy

D.J. Play My Blues - JSP Records

The stunning and legendary 1981 Chicago studio session re-mixed and released in its entirety. No gimmicks, no sell outs, no Rock Star guests: just Buddy Guy.

Smokin’ Joe Kubek and Bnois King

Have Blues, Will Travel - Alligator

Hard-hitting Texas blues in the tradition of Johnny Winter and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Bnois is a deeply soulful vocalist and terrific guitarist in his own right.

Little Axe Bought For A Dollar Sold For A Dime - Real World Blues, soulful vocals, dub, reggae, gospel – in a space where the dirt roads of the Deep South meet the shiny lanes of the Information Superhighway.

Otis Taylor

Clovis People Vol 3 - Telarc

The uniquely sparse and hypnotic trance blues of Otis Taylor is enhanced by special guests Gary Moore on guitar, pedal steel player Chuck Campbell and trumpeter Ron Miles.

Out 28th June

Tour dates

Sun, June 27

Available on CD and 180gm 2LP set.

Glastonbury Glastonbury Festival

Mon, June 28 Milton Keynes The Stables

Thurs, July 1 Edinburgh The Queens Hall

Fri, July 2 Gateshead The Sage Gateshead

Sat, July 3 Oxfordshire Cornbury Festival

Sun, July 4 London Shepherds Bush Empire

Tue, July 6

Manchester RNCM Theater

Wed, July 7 Tunbridge Wells The Assembly Hall Theatre

For more information, news, competitions and much more visit www.propergandablog.co.uk

CHANTEL McGREGOR

Chantel McGregor busts open guitar mythology with Carol Borrington

She got a voice to die for, an instantly likeable private and public persona, and she can play an axe with the very best of the boys! BM meets Chantel McGregor and finds out what it is that makes her tick. Chantel began her musical career at the tender age of three got her first electric and discovered she could make a lot of noise with that baby! She was the first young person in the country to pass a ‘Rockschool ‘grade at eight. By twelve realised also needed to sing and find people to help her in her musical journey. So, she to start jamming with the local Blues guys at The Melton Hotel, in Bradford. Talent like Chantel‘s doesn’t go unnoticed and music hawks started to circle. Chantel though is no plastic doll, she’s a musician and refused to become part of the modern music sausage factor. She went off and gained her ‘A’ Levels and followed those up, with a First Class Honours in Popular Music from Leeds College of Music award to her last year. It’s now nose to the grindstone to carve a career and what a career that could be for this musical power-house!

BM: You first picked-up the guitar at the age of three, what draws you to the guitar?

Chantel: My dad used to play guitar when I were a kid, he used to play Ralph McTell’s ‘Alphabet Zoo’. So, I used to do ‘Kenny, The Kangaroo’ and I bounce around the lounge and then detune his guitar. He got me a half size at three and I plinked about on it and was right good! Then, when I got to seven, I got lessons and did my grade one at eight on his like 72 Strat. Yeah, that’s really what got me into guitar! Me, mum and dad always listened to like decent music, like Free, Zeppelin and Hendrix. We always had it on in the car on the way to the supermarket and it’s just what I was brought up on and what I love and that’s why I do it!!!

By the age of twelve, you were joining in Blues & Rock jams at Bradford’s Melborn Hotel. What interested you about the Blues?

Well, that’s what they were playing. I mean, I were into that sort of stuff anyway. Jam sessions are primarily run on Blues, you know. It gives everyone an opportunity to get up and jam ‘cause it’s not that difficult and people feel it and people can relate to it. It didn’t matter what background they come from, ‘somebody’s had some at bad done to them’ and sometimes they can relate to it!

Described as a ‘prodigy’ at 14, approached by a major record label and told, “Great voice, but girls don’t play guitar like that!” What was your reaction to this? Well, at that age my reaction were; “Right, well sod that. I’m gonna do, what I wanna to do!!!” That were my reaction, why do some’at that I’m not happy doing, when it’s what I love doing. I mean, I played Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Satriani and some Vai and they were like (BM: the record label), “Well, she sings good but you can’t play like that, men won’t like it!!!” Well, I do play like that and men seem to be liking it! So, I don’t see what the problem is.

You don’t attempt as many female guitarists do, to hide your femininity when performing. Is this a reaction to your early experience?

I don’t hide it because I’m a girl. You know there’s no avoiding that… I like to wear nice clothes, I like pink things, I like my hair done and I like makeup. So, I’m not going to hide that and to be honest, I’m comfier in a dress, than in leathers!!! So, I feel comfortable in a dress and its cooler on stage, as in you don’t feel as sweaty and hot!!!

Do you feel that the new wave of young female guitarists are viewed as a threat to the axemen? No, I think there’s a place for everyone!!! We’re all here to do the same thing, we’re all here to enjoy it, you know. I don’t think there’s a competition. I think we’re here, because we love what we do and we’re not a threat. Well, I don’t try to be a threat, I just try to play and do what I love doing!!!

You are no wilting violet when it comes to handling an axe. How much of a problem is it overcoming the muscle structure and physical strength differences between male & female guitarists, which are needed to play guitar? Well… women in general have a 45% reduction in forearm strength compared to males, which is one big difference. I don’t know, l I’ve never been a boy so I never really noticed a difference! I just play it. I use 9’s ‘cause they’re easier to bend. I’ve used 10’s and you know you get through it. The guitar, I use is quite a small body and quite a thin neck ‘cause that’s what I’m used to and that’s what I like playing. I don’t know if that’s a girl thing ‘cause it’s a male signature Music Man for John Petrucci!

You went to Leeds College of Music and achieved a BA first class Honours degree in music. What do you think were the advantages to learning your craft as a musician? Musically, no! Well musically it probably has and I ‘ain’t noticed is probably more to the point. I’ve probably picked stuff up and not realised it even. It’s probably backed me up with quite a bit of theory. We’ve had magazines and stuff. Asked

CHANTEL McGREGOR

what you think of this technique and this technique. I can give a genuine answer because it’s some’at I know something about. Having a first, my degree and everything, it gives me that behind me to do that. I would do a degree again ‘cause though it took up like three years of my life, I’ve got it and nobody can take it off me! If I ever need that to fall back on, I’ve got it. You know, nobody knows what’ll happen in the future, I might fall downstairs and break my wrist, you don’t know!

What are the disadvantages?

I think, the time thing is a miserable thing ‘cause you’re doing so much studying, it kinda restricts doing distance gigs, like here (Millers). I mean, we’ve wanted to play at Millers and we’ve wanted to play further afield and stuff before, but you’ve got to be up for Uni next morning. So you don’t do it and that’s been a shame. I don’t know, maybe, its swings and roundabouts because now I’ve got a reputation where I am, that means I can do these places.

One of your major influences is Joe Bonamassa and you have performed with Joe? Why Joe?|

‘Cause he’s ace!!! I’ve played with him four times and he’s just brilliant. He’s a lovely guy; he’s the most genuinely lovely person ever. He’s a fantastically talented musician, his band’s talented musicians. He’s just great, you know and he was willing to give me an opportunity, when he didn’t know how on earth I were gonna cope with it and chucked me in the deep end and luckily nothing sunk!!! But he’s just great and we’re still friends. Any other influences?

Hendrix is a big influence but I don’t listen to him that much cause I just don’t!!! I just listen to absolutely everything, just to absorb everything and if I can pinch one tiny bit from some’ and learn some’ cause everybody knows some’ that, I don’t! There’s always some’ to learn from everybody and if you can like soak up a tiny little bit from. I don’t know, some R n B person or some Blues guy or girl, then you know, great you’ve learnt some’and that’s what makes you unique. It’s if you can take a little bit from everyone, well, that’s what makes you, you!

Given the opportunity, living, dead or otherwise available, who would you like to play with?

I think, probably Hendrix, just ‘because I think, it would be really cool bouncing ideas off him. He were inventive and I like being inventive, so it would be nice to bounce some ideas around with him. Then, I’d like to play with a million other people like Richard Kotzen

GIRLS DON’T PLAY GUITAR LIKE THAT!

Time and tide is a great factor in taking false notions and turning them into truisms. This certainly is true about the myth that has emerged through the decades that girls can’t play guitar as well as their male peers. Chantel McGregor had to face up this myth early in her career and along with the numerous unsung guitar heroines that have gone before her; she is now proving the sceptics wrong. It is certainly true that a number of modern female singers, when you watch and listen to them play guitar do use it as a prop or a fashion accessory, but this does not explain why the top axe ladies are demoted to a lower status than their male counterparts, as there are many male singers who do likewise. You often hear female guitarists being described as playing beautifully; being a virtuoso but never discussed along side their peers. You often hear male guitarists described as the new Hendrix, Page or Clapton. But when did you ever hear this said about a female guitarist? So why is this so? Why, like in every other spheres, haven’t women pushed themselves to the top of the list? The lack of role models could be one factor. It’s certainly true in the USA that less than 10 per cent of girls buy an electric guitar. Could it be the ongoing stereotyping of guitar that discourages them? Certainly, the guitar is still on the whole designed for the male physique, but in the days of modern design and technology this should not be a problem and a good guitar teacher could easily help girls to resolve this problem. Maybe it is just that we have become indoctrinated that the guitar is simply the male preserve. It has historically acquired a very macho image and it’s just not feminine for girls to play it. Even my spell checker wanted to replace heroines with heroes! We got ourselves into the mindset that Rock is a male art form. The guitar has become a phallic symbol in society and its allure to especially young men has almost become a rite of passage, a way of attracting the opposite sex! Yet, young women like Chantel are openly proving that it is possible to have the technical precision of the boys, as well as the emotional drive, whilst at the same time retain femininity in the eyes of the punter. Chantel goes on that stage, not as a pseudo male, but as a full blown woman in an attractive dress, make-up and all the trimmings but still manages to wail her axe with the best of boys! Maybe, it’s time for a change of mindset! CB

Tell us something about your band.

Three piece, we’ve got Martin Rushworth on drums and Alex Jeffrey on Bass. I’ve known Martin for a couple of years that we’ve played together, he’s like a dad. Alex is on Bass, we were at university together, he’s like a big brother, I’ve known him for five years, and he’s a drummer normally. We just have good time and have a laugh and he’s a really talented guy, so he’s in my band!

ou write your own songs, from where do you draw your inspiration?

Well anything… Recently writing’s been a bit restricted to be honest because while you are at college they own the copyright on everything. So, everything’s been restricted for the last five years. It’s now a case of pushing it and pushing it and writing a lot and recording a lot. Just seeing where it takes me. Inspiration wise, just what’s going on? You know, what’s happening at the moment. What I’m feeling at that particular time or if I’ve watched something on telly, that I can nick a story from.

Why does college own the copyright, is it part and parcel of what you sign up to?

Yeah. A lot of colleges do it. It’s just an accepted thing that a lot of colleges do!!! It’s just one of them things and you learn to live with it, I guess. It’s a shame because I think it sometimes restricts people, but I think they must have their reasons for doing it…

Did it make you feel like you didn’t want to write?

Yeah a bit, it makes you think well why write ‘cause I don’t own it at end of it, but that’s just one of the things, you have to cope with.

What is on the horizon for the next twelve months?

Holiday, New car! Basically, the plan is we’ve got us gigs round where we live at the moment, to be honest it’s expanding further afield. We’re getting a lot of offers from Europe and stuff like that, so we might head over there. At the moment, I’m just throwing myself into writing. I’ve just got a load of recording stuff, Pro Tools and what not. Playing about on that, doing

some production stuff to see how it goes. So, I’m recording my own stuff, which is going alright, strangely enough! At some point, chances are, I’ll be going into a studio other than my own, but at the moment it’s just making more sense when I’m inspired to run to the studio, which is like two doors up the hall, go and bang it down.. convenience!!! Basically, I just want to keep improving ‘cause you can never stop improving and just spread my wings a bit.

Do you fell like a lot of young artists now, you want to look after yourself, manage yourself?

It’s probably gonna be contentious saying this in today’s climate, but music’s such a fragile thing that I don’t think there’s much money floating about. You don’t know where you are from one minute or the next and label’s are struggling and to be with a label maybe could be a mistake at this point. I don’t know. For me, I’d say look at Joe’s career and a girl called Kate Rusby, as well. She’s folk, not Blues but she manages herself or her dad manages her, you know her mum does the photography for the website and she’s doing great and it’s all within her family unit. She knows nobody’s gonna rip her off and she’s comfortable with it. I think if you can have that unit and be comfortable with it, then more power to you. Is there anything you want to say to Blues Matters readers?

Just keep going and letting people appreciate and enjoy live music ‘cause that’s what we love doing and without people supporting it, there ain’t live music!!!CB

PETER GREEN A Personal View By Richard Newman

What follows is my personal view of the impact of Peter Green in the history of Blues in the UK. Before we can look at Peter Green we need to spend some time looking at the arrival of Eric Clapton on the London Blues scene, and of some aspects of that scene.

Prior to the arrival of Clapton, Blues in London had been dominated by two performers: Cyril Davies, and Alexis Korner. Both worked together and had individual bands. What is important to realize about both of these bands, is that they were ensemble units, they did not feature standout individual virtuosos, rather what they were after, was an overall band sound.

Certainly Cyril Davies was a great harmonica player, but the intention was more to create a Muddy Waters vintage Blues band sound. The performance of Muddy Waters and his band at the ‘Newport Jazz Festival’ had become available in the UK and this was a great influence, particularly on Cyril Davies.

As far as audiences in London at that time were concerned, they were made up of people who had been used to going to see Jazz bands. Chris Barber who was a notable Jazz performer back then, had an interest in the Blues and brought to the UK some of the leading American Blues men, including Muddy Waters.

As for the guitarists concerned in the early scene, one name stands out, that name is Geoff Bradford, who played with Cyril Davies. Geoff Bradford played with a clean tone, the type at the time used by jazz guitarists, and by T-Bone Walker in particular. Geoff was playing a Fender Telecaster. Even though Geoff Bradford could play guitar with a dazzling virtuosity, Cyril did not feature Geoff as a soloist, rather Geoff was part of the overall sound of the band, and very much as he told

me, “playing under orders”.

However in Jazz, the American post-war generation had produced a number of stunning virtuoso performers, who were the featured performers within their bands. The names of John Coltrane and Charlie Parker resonated through the world of Jazz!

Many of the performers on the London Blues scene had an interest in Jazz including the likes of Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker. Alexis Korner’s bands would feature a fusion between Jazz and Blues.

When the next generation of performers arrived on the scene, something had changed. ‘The Yardbirds’ who had originally taken over from ‘The Rolling Stones’ in a small club at the ‘Station Hotel’ in Richmond, Surrey, played the Blues with much more attack, and featured a young guitar player called Eric Clapton.

When Eric Clapton became dissatisfied with the pop leanings of ‘The Yardbirds’ he left that band and joined John Mayall and his ‘Blues Breakers’. Eric Clapton’s playing in ‘John Mayall’s Blues Breakers’ was incendiary. I would point you all to a live recording of “Have You Heard About My Baby” that Clapton did with John Mayall’s band, and I would also point you in the direction of a live recording made by ‘The Cream’ for the BBC, that features a performance of Freddy King’s “Hideaway”.

Clapton’s playing was full of aggression, improvisation and emotional intensity, with one beautiful riff after another, strung together in a way which was more reminiscent of the performances of jazz saxophone soloists.

Here is another point of interest, try listening to the playing of Little Water both with the Muddy Waters band and also in his own right, on his own recordings. Much of what you hear should sound in the melody lines that he is playing, like a precursor of what we know as Blues lead guitar, both from the point of view of his attack, and the sustaining of the notes.

The London Blues audience had now become interested in the idea of the guitarist as a featured soloist. This of course started with Eric Clapton and the now famous phenomena of walls in London being graffitied with, “Clapton is God”, a reference to his phenomenal and extended guitar solos, while playing with John Mayall.

When Eric Clapton left John Mayall to form ‘The Cream’, John Mayall replaced Eric Clapton with a young guitarist from East London called Peter Green.

Both Peter Green and Eric Clapton had been able to listen to the likes of Otis Rush, Freddie King, JB Lenoir, BB King and Buddy Guy amongst many others. They both of course would have heard Muddy Waters and Robert Johnson.

Eric Clapton has often cited Robert Johnson as being a major influence, especially in relationship to Johnson’s intensity and the loneliness of his sound. Peter Green came at the Blues from his own, very different direction.

Peter was a great admirer of a guitarist called Hank Marvin, who was in a band called “The Shadows” that from time to time backed the English pop star Cliff Richard’s. Hank Marvin was playing a Fender Stratocaster. Hank Marvin’s beautiful clean tone and his phrasing, along with the fact that he was playing actual tunes, rather than improvising, was an influence, that was to show itself in Peter Green’s playing on his own composition “Albatross” Then of course there was BB King whose minimal lead guitar style and unique tone, resonates in Peter’s playing.

Peter’s guitar playing grew beyond these influences into a sound that was all his own.

The other thing about Peter Green was, he could really sing, and he wasn’t trying to sound American. Cyril Davies and Alexis Korner were featured vocalists in their respective groups. Of the two of them Cyril Davies was clearly the better singer but Cyril’s deputy singer Long John Baldry stood head and shoulders above both of them as a Blues vocalist. But they were all copying the American sound. Peter Green’s vocal sound was all his own, and very distinctive.

When Peter Green started to play with ‘John Mayall’s Blues Breakers’ the contrast with Eric Clapton’s playing could not have been more marked. Peter would play with a much more minimal approach that stressed his phrasing and his timing and above all the emotional value he gave to all his solos. Peter’s choice of notes sounded very deliberate. His recording of “The Supernatural” announce the arrival of someone with a different approach to the role of lead guitarist.

Peter Green never wanted to be a lead guitar hero, ironically, he was much more interested in being part of an ensemble unit, in other words just being part of the band. He told me that he just wanted “to touch people’s heart with a note of sorrow”.

Peter left John Mayall and formed ‘Fleetwood Mac’ with Mick Fleetwood and John McVie, also included in this band was another guitarist Jeremy Spencer, who’s playing was almost completely influenced by the work of slide guitarist Elmore James. Now according to people at the time Peter Green definitely had a healthy ego. He was competitive and wasn’t shy in making himself known, for instance to John Mayall.

PETER GREEN

However right from the start Peter’s attitude within ‘Fleetwood Mac’ was that he was one of the guitarists, rather than the featured guitarist. Later of course Danny Kirwan was to join the band, so now we have three guitarists. You could never imagine Peter Green in a three-piece band such as ‘The Cream’ playing long extended solos.

Recently I stood in an audience at a venue called ‘The Junction’ which is located in Cambridge, England. I was there to see the latest musical manifestation of Peter Green, which was entitled “Peter Green And Friends”. I had previously seen ‘The Splinter Group’ at the same venue.

I had gone there with photographer Fran May, so that she could see Peter Green on stage and take some photographs, which she did. What was of great interest to both of us was the intense emotions exhibited by the audience for Peter Green. Fran May found this fascinating, for here was a man who had played to audiences in the late 60s and early 70s, and then had to all intents and purposes disappeared. In our times Peter Green certainly does not play like the man I saw playing with John Mayall and ‘Fleetwood Mac’. Rather he resembles one of the original blues men such as Mississippi John Hurt, or Skip James rediscovered in America in the 60s.

So what was it about Peter Green that this audience was remembering, and why after all these years did these memories still resonate with these people.

For one thing the original ‘Fleetwood Mac’ certainly had the songs. Peter Green began to write his own music. “Black Magic Woman”, “Albatross”, and “Man Of The World” set Peter apart from his contemporaries. With performances of Duster Bennett’s “Jumping At Shadows” and his own song “The World Keep On Turning” and “ Looking For Somebody”, Peter Green established in the mind of the audience, his reputation as a guitarist and singer of great emotion.

To many of us at the time Peter sounded very vulnerable, there was an emotion in his playing and his voice that resonated with us, and spoke to the fact that sometimes life can be very difficult and painful. This of course is why Blues Music it’s called “The Blues”, that title directly refers to such feelings of rejection, pain and anguish.

Peter Green was English, he was from London, he did not sing with an American accent and he brought the Blues to us in a way but we could understand. He was from our culture and in my opinion he was the first great English Blues Man.

When I saw him playing ‘John Mayall’s Blues Breakers’ he made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck, that has never happened since. I remember he wore a rugby shirt and played his ‘Les Paul’ guitar with a quiet confidence. He was also very mysterious, with his dark brown eyes and his long flowing black hair

No one at the time could have imagined what he was going through in his own head. It was only later when his problems came to the surface, this after he taken LSD, that we all began to realize, where an awful lot of his emotions were coming from.

“The Green Manalishi ( With The Two Prong Crown )” written by Peter, deals with his rejection of materialism, and by the time it was recorded, Peter Green was close to leaving Fleetwood Mac.

It would seem that Peter had always suffered from a mild form of depression, although it was clearly not apparent to those around him. There are two tracks from the “Live At The Boston Tea Party” album, which if you haven’t got, you should immediately go out and buy. The tracks I’m referring to are “Black Magic Woman” and “Jumping At Shadows” which to me encapsulating all that is brilliant about Peter Green’s guitar playing and singing. His phrasing, his timing and the emotion in both his vocals and his guitar, have never come close to being equaled by anybody.

Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Carlos Santana and many others have all spoken of their admiration of Peter Green. It would seem that Peter had succeeded in touching our hearts with a note of sorrow. Speaking from my own point of view I loved the man.

If you are young and reading this, and have never come across Peter Green’s work, I invite you to explore it, and reach your own conclusions. If you’re like me and from a generation that was lucky enough to be able to see and hear Peter Green when he was a young, I hope this article has stirred some memories, he was and still is special to many of us.

This has been my own personal view of Peter Green, you of course may have your own, which is all to the good, but after all The Blues is a personal experience, is it not?

Richard Newman

Henrik Freischlader

Duncan Beattie encounters the great hope of German Blues.

When it comes to Blues music, it appears that we have a particular fascination with the music produced Stateside. This is understandable as the origins of the Blues derive primarily from that continent, increasingly however there is an impressive array of emerging international talent who provide their own slant on the genre. Henrik Freischlader is a superb example of this and is the great hope of German Blues. A childhood drummer, Freischlader’s unexpected encounter with the Blues at the age of 14 aspired to take up the guitar and later form his own band. The last few years has seen the Henrik Freischlader band play to large crowds at European festivals and support artists of the calibre of B.B King, Gary Moore, Peter Green, and Johnny Winter, and become a recognised name in his native Germany. After the completion of a jazz Blues based project 5Live, last year, Freischlader has just released his finest album to date,”Henrik Freischlader -Recorded by Martin Meinschäfer”. The album features the trademarks of his music to date, soaring guitar runs followed by melodic intervals, his soulful vocals and insightful lyrics combined into a superb collection of self penned songs. Freischlader himself played every note on the album and its quality fully vindicates this approach to his music to provide a optimal recording. Blues Matters were keen to catch up with Freischlader to discuss his career to date and aspirations for the future.

BM You are quite an instrumentalist. I was told that you started to play the drums at age 4, before learning piano and bass in your childhood, and finally started to play guitar at 14 years of age. Can you tell me what prompted you to learn these instruments? Also when did you start to sing?

HF: At my parents‘, there was a music room in the basement with a huge drum set and all kinds of instruments. I practically grew up in that room – a real “El Dorado” for me as a child. Since I didn’t attend kindergarten, my pre-school years were very much shaped by the involvement with these instruments and various other instruments. After a house move, I had to give up playing the drums and decided in favour of the guitar as my main instrument. I started to sing relatively late when I was 19 years of age.

At what point did you decide to play Blues music and why?

Gary Moore did not only make me play the guitar, but also gave me the Blues. When I was 14 years of age, I listened to his music for the first time on a holiday. I was in a bar where his album “After Hours” was being played in the background. I was absolutely electrified, bought all of his albums with my pocket money, and have been devoted to the guitar ever since

As a guitar player who are your main influences?

Gary Moore, Peter Green, Albert King, BB King and Keb’ Mo.

On all your recordings you sing in English. Was it an easy decision to sing in English, and did you find it a challenge initially to write lyrics in English?

There was no other option than to sing in English. If you ask me, English is simply the language of the Blues. It would be much more difficult for me to write my lyrics in German, which is not supposed to mean that I’m perfectly proficient in English, but for some reason, it is easier for me to write my lyrics in English.

It is clear from your early albums ‘The Blues’ in 2006 and ‘Get Closer’ in 2007 that rather than record cover versions of other peoples’ songs, you would write your own. I like this approach, which shows that you are a confident songwriter. When did you first start song writing, and how do you write the songs?

I doubt that this was a rational decision in the first place. I simply grew into it. The urge to make music has always been inside of me. Besides, I consider covering songs from famous Blues musicians mostly much more difficult since I have great respect for their songs. A cover version demands much more from me because I always expect it to be an authentic homage to the artist. I actually don’t “write” my songs. A song develops as a general structure in my mind, for instance on long car rides. In the studio, I then elaborate the song. I only write lyrics after I’m done with the whole song.

In 2008, you recorded your live album, which is a great representation of your live show, and it is 3 CDs! Was there a reason that you made it a three CD set?

That just happened. We recorded two nights. Originally, I had only planned on one CD, but since we got a lot of great material, the album turned out to be 3 CDs.

I read that in 2009 you bought a first row ticket to see BB King in Hamburg before then being chosen as the support act to his show. You have also supported other artists such as Joe Bonamassa, Peter Green, Gary Moore and Johnny Winter, some of which you have shared the stage with. What have you gained from the experience of supporting these acts and which other artists have been of particular help to you in your career so far?

That was really something with the BB King show. I only learned a few days before the show that we were chosen to be his support act. I was delighted. After we had played, I enjoyed the BB King show from the seat I had bought the ticket for! It was great to experience BB King on his final tour through Germany. I was moved by his calm, paternal nature and his genuine interest. I had to promise him to always be faithful to the Blues even though there is rather a small audience

for Blues music in comparison to other styles of music. This promise I gave him with pleasure. The different support acts were – beside the opportunity to reach out to a greater audience – truly fantastic experiences. Of course, my personal dream came true when I met Gary Moore. Without him, I would have never started to play the guitar, which is why I dedicated my new album to him.

n 2009 you formed a new band 5Live with Tommy Schneller (saxophone & vocals), Mickey Neher (drums & vocals), Moritz Fuhrhop (organ) and Olli Gee (bass). The album was somewhat of a departure from your Blues rock sound with a more jazz based approach. Why did you decide to form the band and how do you feel the album differs from your solo work?

This new band was formed as some kind of relaxation from hard rock. I realised that I could get increasingly absorbed in a slow Blues solo or an intro during my live performances while my bass player and drummer were impatiently waiting on me to finish. Then I met Tommy Schneller and we jammed the song “Get Closer”. Tommy played a sax solo that could have brought tears to your eyes. Of course, we had to collaborate – we could never have said goodbye just like that. This is how 5LIVE came into being. It’s great fun to play in a group of five. Playing with sax and Hammond were a great new experience to me. Back then; my band was still a trio. In the meantime, Mo has also become a member of my new band.

I hear that you set up your own record label Cable Car Records. Why did you choose to do this and what have been the benefits so far?

Beside the need to be independent, this was primarily an economic decision. I knew that the studio fees for my new CD would be immense, and so it wouldn’t have paid itself off if I had had to buy my own CDs from a different label later on.

Your new album “Henrik Freischlader - Recorded by Martin Meinschäfer” has seen you grow further international attention and is perhaps your most refined set so far. It is also notable as you wrote all the songs, performed all the instrumentation and produced it. Can you tell me why you chose to record the album in that way and how you feel about the album?

It is difficult to describe this. During my live performances and my studio recordings, I always had some kind of an optimal idea in mind. However, I could never explain this optimum to a bass player or a drummer. Since I had already recorded a CD completely by myself at the age of 16 and since this had worked out quite well despite the poor technical means I had, I had the desire to repeat such a recording professionally. It was just the right time for it.

There are some deeply thoughtful and emotive lyrics on the album, such as ‘Cry Again’ and ‘Desert Love’. Would it be true to say that these songs are an expression of your own personal feelings? Generally speaking, my songs are not autobiographical. For instance, I don’t look round for pretty women at motorway stations, and so on. However, it is, of course, true that important influences in one’s life often have a certain influence on the feelings that are addressed by music, and then, help to find the right words that complement the music. In contrast to this, I’d never add music to lyrics I would have written before. First of all, the music flows, and then, I write lyrics according to the needs of the music.

Please tell me a little about your favourite guitars.

My favourite guitar is an extremely used Stratocaster from 1963. Additionally, I also enjoy playing a Les Paul Reissue from 1959, which got a makeover from Florian Jäger who is Germany’s No. 1 guitar maker. I also have an ES-345 from 1963 and a neat Telecaster from 1969. I definitely like old guitars that were made with a lot of handicraft and soul. All of my guitars seem as if they’d want to grow old with me.

I hear you now have a new touring band. What are your plans for 2010? Will this include some dates in the UK? That depends on an invitation!

What are your hopes and aspirations for your music career?

I don’t really have great expectations. I would love to make a living with my music in order to continue making music…

Can you tell me a little about the Blues scene in Germany? From the outside it appears that perhaps Germany

Henrik Freischlaer

has a greater appreciation of the Blues than the UK, with more exposure in the media, more diverse age groups at the shows and some good German Blues record labels. Is there a good market for the Blues in Germany?

Yeah, I do believe that there is a genuine and widely spread interest in Blues music in Germany and that Blues audiences grow pleasantly fast. Gary Moore also tours Germany on a regular basis – his shows are always sold out. We probably just have some catching up to do in Germany. The market is large and offers good opportunities for many professionally committed people in this field. I’m very happy about that.

Despite the emergence of a younger generation of Blues musicians in the UK, at present it appears that most Blues fans are older. Do you have any thoughts as to how the Blues could be a more popular music genre for younger people?

I think this will happen automatically. Taste and zeitgeist change constantly. At the moment, there’s an increasing interest in real, handmade music, a groove that is truly absorbing. I am just rejoicing at this tendency as long as it’s there.

Which other current Blues artists do you admire?

Doyle Bramhall II and his band Arc Angels, Derek Trucks and Gary Moore.

Finally do you have any message for the readers of Blues Matters magazine?

Yeah, I’d be glad to: It is you who keep the interest in the Blues alive. Thank you for that!!

Deutsche Blues

Germany has had an important role in the modern development of Blues. German jazz publicist Joachim-Ernst Berendt first had the idea of bringing original African-American Blues performers to Europe. Promoters Horst Lippmann and Fritz Rau made this a reality after contacting Willie Dixon. Dubbed ‘The American Folk Blues Festival a number of black North American Blues musicians such as Muddy Waters, Son House and Buddy Guy came over to perform in European symphony halls in cities such as Hamburg, Paris and London. The festival and the ones that followed over subsequent years exposed European audiences to Blues musicians previously limited to playing the African-American “chit’lin’ circuit” and were attended, among others, by members of the Rolling Stones, who then proceeded to popularise Blues among white audiences in the USA. Crucially these performances were broadcast on television. Further exposure to more modern Blues acts was established through the creation of the German music television show Rockpalast in 1974. Little Feat and Rory Gallagher performed the first Rockpalast live concert at the Grugahalle, Essen, Germany in 1977. Other Blues related acts that have played at Rockpalast include Stevie Ray Vaughan, Aynsley Lister and Joe Bonamassa. The creation of Ruf Records by Luther Allison’s manager Thomas Ruf saw the European release of albums by US artists such as Allison, his son Bernard, Walter Trout and Eric Bibb. Since then Ruf has been instrumental in signing young British artists such as Lister, Ian Parker and Joanne Shaw Taylor. With such a Blues background and greater media exposure within Germany it appears it will not be long before the international emergence of other German Blues acts following the trail of Volker Strifler and now Henrik Frieschlader.

Duncan Beattie

NAPOLEONWASHINGTON MUD & GRACE

To be released on april 14th

Napoleon Washington is not your everyday bluesman. He’s a poet and a bard, an instinctive creator producing worlds haunted by literature, art and music. His latest album, Mud &Grace, is pure blues reinvented in the today’s world.

JIMMYTHACKERY &THEDRIVERS LIVEINDETROIT /“BIGLONGBUICK”

To be released on april 14th

The former lead guitarist with the Nighthawks is an undisputed master of the 6-strings. This live set, recorded in Detroit, showcases his distinctive style as his axe roars and whispers blues-rock riffs through the night with characteristic gusto. Jimmy pumps an incredible amount of energy into his groove, keeping his audience floating on a flying carpet. This album is pure dynamite, handle with care!

DIABEL CISSOKHO/RAMONGOOSE MANSANABLUES

To be released on may 12th

LTD 01380 728000

order direct from www.discovery-records.com

Ramon Goose, well-known for his work with experimental/alternative group Nublues and the production of Boo Boo Davis’s latest efforts, spices up the new recordings of Senegalese singer/kora player Diabel Cissokho with superlative blues guitar lines. A daring,seamless album that combines two musical idioms organically, Mansana Blues is both fresh and seminal. The poignant conversations between Diabel’s kora and Ramon's slide guitar are truly exhilarating. www.bluesweb.com

SCOTT McKEON

Improvisation is everything!

Interview: Carol Borrington

Scott Mckeon is a complex young musician, very talented, with humility to the point of shyness, but that hides a guy who spends time thinking deeply about his music and the world around him and often with a dry satirical humour when you get him into deep conversation. He’s just released his latest CD called, “Trouble”. Somewhat different in style to his past recordings, still Blues rooted but with a wider feel of the music that surrounds him outside the closed cloisters of traditional Blues. You get the feeling with Scott, that like many of his generation there is a turning back in time to the feet of 60s legends. To the period when things were experimental, interesting and not quite at the point where musicians where pushed into the music sausage factory, all turned out and wrapped identically in hype and glitz. Many of these young musicians seem to be taking their time, exploring their music again, letting it flow and grow. This also comes over in the way they are happy to egolessly share the stage with their peers just jamming and that is producing a wonderful mix and match and flow of new ideas. Very much like we saw back in the days of young Clapton, Jones, and Co. Scott and his generation are beginning once more, to think outside the commercial and ego-centric musical box!

What did you gain from playing with Derek Trucks last year?

Playing with Derek Trucks…, I think his approach to playing guitar and coolness that he has when he plays. I don’t know if you’ve seen him. When he plays guitar he’s so laid back and cool about it. It’s hard to put my finger on it exactly, it’s just when you see someone up close play like!!! and when you talk to them off stage and they are like the nicest person. To me, it was… quite inspiring!!!

There are many ideas of what the Blues is, what is the Blues to Scott Mckeon?

I was thinking about this the other day! I think, the Blues is really, a form of music where there is no other, nothing else… I don’t how to put this! It’s the most true, soulful music there is!!! There is no pretence with Blues. There’s no trying to jazz it up whatever. To me Blues music is someone just playing it to feel better! I think you can hear that to in music that is not strictly Blues but still has that in it. For example, I think Fiona Apple is still like a Blues artist, even though she doesn’t play Blues music.

Tell us about the other musicians that contributed to the production of the new your new CD “Trouble”. First off, there is Tom Latham who plays bass and Phil Wilson plays drums. We’ve played together now for a couple of years. This is the first time obviously we’ve recorded together. They did a great job in the studio. I didn’t know what to expect going in because we hadn’t really recorded together or worked in that environment, together before and it worked really well. They were great! We also had Robbie McIntosh from, I say John Mayer’s Band but he’s done a lot of other stuff. He’s played with Paul McCartney. He also played with The Pretenders in the 80s. I expect everyone heard Robbie play somewhere….. So, even if you didn’t know you heard him, you probably had! The reason Robbie came to be on there is that he lives in a little town called Weymouth, which isn’t too far from me, I live in Bournemouth. Basically growing up, I had a copy of his CD and it had a song on it called, ‘Scarecrow’. I’d heard the song and I always thought it was a really good song and I used to play it, when I was younger. I just remember thinking before the album, ‘oh yeah, it might be cool to do a little cover of it. The studio that we were recording in, which incidentally was the same studio that Robbie recorded, ‘Scarecrow’, with the same guy who engineered the album, called Steve Smith. I’ve got to know Robbie over the last few years and I just politely asked him, ”Would you be up for coming and playing on your song?

This CD has a different feel to your first CD was that your aim or was it the influence of your record company? No, it wasn’t anybody’s idea but mine. I love Blues music but I also love different kinds of music production wise. I love the production of Stevie Wonder and old soul records, Hendrix, Led Zeppelin. There were a lot of different things I wanted to do and I guess I wanted to do something that was a little more accessible for people who weren’t like just strictly into Blues music. That’s not to say people who just like old Blues, there’s nothing wrong with that because I love it too. I guess its like; I can’t compare myself to Clapton. Cos it’s Clapton! He’s just a ‘little’ bit better than me!!! Certainly, he would be an influence in such, that he could go back to the Blues in everything he does has that element of Blues in it .He can also, do an album, that was kinda ‘pop’, I guess in away, it crosses over. I don’t think there was too much thought behind it, it was just music that, I wanted to make really!!!

So, it wasn’t aimed at a particular market? Yes, it came together very quickly; I just didn’t want to go in, lay down twelve Blues shuffles. I wanted to do something and write songs that had a different feel to it. Again, that’s not to belittle Blues music at all. I just didn’t, I’m not ready to make that album, yet, I guess!

The track on the CD ‘Home’ is a self-penned instrumental and a very interesting composition; can you give us an insight into your mindset when composing this track?

SCOTT McKEON

It’s only a little snippet! It’s only a minute or two minutes long but I think that probably comes from a Derek Trucks inspired thing. I was basically messing with sounds on my computer. This is another thing that is cool about music today; it’s so easy to record stuff from home. So, I was just messing with the sound on my computer and to me it sounded a bit to me like Stevie Wonder, when he played harps kinda effect on the rhythm guitar and I was messing around with these chords and “ I like that!” and I added another guitar over the top. Whenever I play guitar, it’s just like coming ‘home’. It’s basically anytime when I’m not thinking about anything else. So, escape, it takes me that place where I feel comfortable again. I guess that’s why we all listen to music. It’s that sense of getting away from the day to day life. Life isn’t always bad but we’ve all got problems and things like that and it’s a total form of escapism! That’s were that particular track was.

Where do you get your inspiration for songwriting?

Normally the music, I’m a guitar player first of all, everything is based around a guitar riff. Sometimes I’ll have a melody or an idea for a theme of a song. I guess a lot of inspiration lyrically comes from relationships and stuff like that. I guess with ‘Trouble’, it’s about when you put your trust in somebody, they abuse that or don’t do the same back for you. That’s sort of depressing isn’t!!! There are a lot of songs on there that do have a semi-positive feel. Lyrically to me, it’s like a way of saying stuff, I didn’t say in real life. I’ve been in situations where I have been hurt or whatever and then I’ve written a song about it. It just a perfect way of getting back at someone (Scott laughs, ironically). It’s not being nasty, you could almost be a completely horrible person within the context of a song in a really poetical way, so they wouldn’t necessarily know you are talking about them. Or they might!!!

You did a podcast on ‘The Making Of Trouble’, which is available on iTunes. How did this come about? Basically, I guess the difference between doing stuff now and say ten or fifteen years ago, I think, you have to have an online presence. It’s quite important these days, with things like Facebook, Myspace, and podcasts. The people I’m into, the musicians they do stuff like that. We thought we’d all sit round a mic, me, Peter, Tom and the others and just have a chat and a joke about how we recorded the album. I think anything like that helps people trying hear the message you are trying to put across. Hopefully I don’t take myself particularly seriously. I don’t think that there is anything worst than, “I play guitar because errrrr!’ I find it totally self-obsessed and to the point when it’s just boring. It’s like Blues music and music in general should be like a form of escapism, it’s fun. We play guitar, but ultimately we love doing it, its fun. I think the podcast thing came about because in today’s world its one of these that you have to be do. You have to be online and build up that kinda stuff! I can’t imagine back in the days like John Lee Hooker doing podcasts but then maybe he did!!!

Is there any musician past or present you would really like to jam with and why?

I think Stevie Wonder would be one. I don’t think I’m capable of jamming with him because I don’t think, I’m anywhere near the musical level that he’s on. He’d be pretty cool. Guitar playing-wise, maybe, there’s so many, Albert King, SRV. It would be pretty cool if you could jam, go back to when Robert Johnson was recording in the hotel room. I don’t think I’d want to jam; I think I’d just sit there and watch. It would be pretty cool, if you played on ‘Crossroads’! Might get the copyright, because ‘Crossroads’ made a lot of money!!! Yeah, I’d like to go back jam with Robert Johnson on ’Crossroads and get fifty percent and come back!

How important to you is improvisation in your music?

It’s everything!!! I don’t think about what I play, especially in a live gig. I guess in a studio, you have a bit more of idea for sound in your head and follow certain routes and refine it as you go. I find that with solos in the studios, I’ll just do a take and have a listen and there might be a few things, where I’ll go, “ I can do that better” and I’ll just keep going until, I get it right. Live, I never think about it. I guess with my kinda stuff live, is I’ll just make it up and sometimes on the night it might not work but there again, when it does work. It’s like the best thing in the world. Cos, I play just how I feel the best, in the moment. I might go for really crazy lick that doesn’t work but that’s how other people that I look up to play. So, I’ve always tried to. I mean look at Hendrix! Again, that the Blues element, whatever I do I just keep in there. It’s that playing what you feel, playing for the moment. Improvisation, I can’t listen to music that feels like it’s been written down and worked out. To me, there is no soul in that. You have to feel like, whoever is playing it; it has come from their soul.

Which is favourite guitar and why?

I’ve got an old 62 Strat that I’ve had since I was about eleven. That’s got to be my favourite guitar! I’ve had it over twelve years and it feels like it’s moulded to me. I’ve got other guitars but when I play them, it doesn’t feel right.

Is there anything you want to say to Blues Matters readers?

Look at the website. I like to stress its not about selling albums. I don’t want people to think Scott’s just forgotten about Blues and gone off and done this. Anyone who likes Blues music will listen to this and still be into it. That’s what I want it to be. I want to be like a natural progression.

         

  

LAYLA ZOE

Layla Zoe talks to Carol Borrington about her labour of love, the Blues

Layla Zoe is another of the fine Blues exports coming out of Canada. Born in British Columbia she now resides in Toronto and has been progressively making a name for herself over the last few years. Layla Zoe has the Blues imprinted in every cell of her body; it is her reason to exist. Her self-penned music has an edgy, raw, intelligence to it and reveals a fine songstress. Her hard-hitting vocal has the power to stun audiences into silent admiration, as she weaves it round the magic of her lyrics. She also produces fresh innovative covers of class; this is a lady for all generations of blues fans. She has been often compared to Janis Joplin but anyone who knows anything about Layla Zoe will know that although she may have admiration and respect for her blues peers and those who have gone before her. Layla Zoe, is no clone of anyone, she is uniquely her own musician and woman. When funds allow she attempts to release a CD and this year is about to also release her first book of poems.

Why do you try to release new material every year?

It is very important to me to complete tangible art each year for my fans, as well for myself. For example “The Firegirl” album was made with a very low budget and was a labour of love. I absolutely had to get those songs off my chest, and onto disk. It is a struggle each year to release albums when my income is low and I am still independent. But I always find a way. Although the albums cannot always capture what is seen on stage in live performances, it is still important that the fans have a wide range of music to choose from and listen to if they cannot access live shows.

What is your definition of the Blues?

Hmmm, yes, good question. I guess for me, the blues is not a chord or song structure. It is what’s inside the music. I “have heard “the Blues” in all genres of music. Blues is a feeling. When you attend “Blues festivals” these days the music is SO varied, and ranges from rock to country to folk. The blues is represented in so many forms of music now. It is the root of all music, really. The blues was meant to be uplifting for it’s listeners and performers. The songs should reflect the hardships and the root of human emotion, but should always end with a hopeful, uplifting message if possible. Took me a while to see my responsibilities as a blues artist. I can take the fans to their darkest places, but then I must give them a light to find the way back home....

How would like to see your career develop in the next ten years?

Hmm, well, since I am a believer in the Mayan calendar, I look forward to simply seeing how we evolve in the next TWO years, ha-ha! But of course I would like to travel and perform in many of the places that I have not been able to because of the disadvantages of being an independent artist. I have fans contact me everyday from all over the US and in many parts of Europe asking me to perform in their homelands. If only they all knew how badly I want to make that happen. I am trying to get to as many stages around the world as possible. I want to continue making albums and singing, until I die. And although I would love to find some support in the music business, I am not sure I want to give up my independence. I have been doing it myself for so long, and it seems that the business is changing and to sign with a label is not always the best option. However I still look forward to working with someone to bring my music to a larger audience of listeners. All I can say is, one day at a time, and a love to sing, is what has brought me this far on my journey. Apart from your primary instrument, your voice, what other instruments do you play?

I can play very basic guitar, which has helped me in the song writing process. I played even simpler piano on one track on “The Firegirl” CD. (2009) and I play a bit of harmonica. My dad used to have harps around the house and I remember walking with him on the beach while he played “Somewhere over the rainbow” on his harp. So I picked it up and have opened some of my shows with acoustic guitar and the harmonica and mouth rack. But lately I am very spoiled to have amazing musicians to back me so I can excel at my stage show. I feel stronger on stage when I can focus on my connection to the audience, my voice, my freedom to dance, and perform. I tend to ad-lib a lot, especially during versions of standard songs. It is a way to make them my own.

You are about release a book of poetry & lyrics soon. What is the relationship between your poetry and song writing?

I have been writing poetry and short stories since I could first hold a pen. Many poems have later become songs. It has been a therapeutic tool for me throughout my life. I have really enjoyed reading through all of the poems, songs and journal entries that I have written over the years (as far back as 1989), while putting this book together. It is something that I

have wanted to do for a very long time. Thanks to the support of a few close friends and sadly the death of a few close friends, I feel inspired to self-publish the book this year just before my birthday on May 26, 2010. Also, I am not able to afford to release an album this year, so the book has been a good project, and many fans have already pre-purchased copies.

What inspires your song writing?

My life inspires my songwriting, as well as the lives of those around me and the world as whole.

I write what I know, what I have felt, and what I have seen. However I also write from the perspective of others, and not every song or poem is an exact situation or memory I have personally experienced. Still, I have been able to express much through my songs. I am very thankful to have the fans I do who have travelled with me on this musical journey. I have been learning a lot about myself along the way, and the albums reflect that. My songwriting is important to me, and so is my written body of work. I aspire to be known for my songwriting as well as my voice, as some of my favorite artists have accomplished this. (Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Tom Waits, Joni Mitchell, Zappa)

What future do you envisage for the Blues now it starting to get passed into the hands of your generation? Well, there has been a lot of talk about this lately. A slow and gradual death of the blues....less gigs, less numbers at festivals, etc..

But the blues will survive, just as Mother Nature will outlive us. We may destroy ourselves on many levels, but the blues and the earth will live on. I am trying to get my music out there and have many young fans, so I still BELIEVE. But that is what it’s all about. Faith. Belief. That IS the blues, he-he. Yes, most of the people who see my shows are in an older age bracket but many are sharing the music with their children and are bringing them to blues festivals where the kids can be exposed to the blues and roots scene. I make an effort to perform at venues that are all ages when I can, since it is very special for me when I can perform to youth and family audiences. It is important that the blues be accessible everywhere, not just in dark smokey bars, ha-ha.

It is all of our responsibility to keep the blues alive...

Which Blues musician would you say is your favourite songwriter and why?

Hmm, well that is an impossible question for me to answer. These are my top faves and why. Muddy Waters for his incredible sexuality and blues power. I have enjoyed listening to his music and performing his songs for years. Etta James and Billie Holiday for what they have taught me with their music. Janis Joplin for her unique and raw way of life and stage performances. Susan Tedeschi for her soulful sounds on guitar and voice, and her obvious love and passion for the genre of the blues. Derek Trucks band for their dedication and musical/spiritual abilities. They have been some of the best shows I have ever seen live. Felt like being transported to another place and time. King for his golden tones, solid strength and his work ethics. I would truly love to meet and sing with him someday. Harry Manx and Paul Reddick, two of my favorite Canadian blues artists to listen to live or on CD. And of course the following artists for pushing me to be my best: Frank Zappa, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and Tom Waits. There are so many more to mention but those are some of my biggest influences.

Your 2009 CD “The Firegirl” came second in The Blind Lemon Top 20 Canadian Blues Albums 2009. What does this accolade mean to you?

To me, the awards and kudos are a refreshing response from my listeners that my hard work and creative journey is on the right track. However I take it all with a grain of salt. It feels good, but it is not the most important part of my business as an artist.

I know that not all contests are fair, so I often just feel blessed to be nominated. It is hard to see how there could ever be a “best” or “winner” when it comes to music. The music we like is a very personal preference and is unique to each individual, so there can never really be a “winner” or “first place”.

Your vocal has a classic Blues feel to it, is this natural or have you developed it over the years?

I have heard many of my fans say that my voice has changed over the years. I am sure that is true. But often what I do on stage is not something planned. My voice has become a tool for something larger than me. Sometimes I just open my mouth and it comes through me. There are moments when I am aware that I am singing a bluesy sound or a softer sound. But most of the time I am merely a vessel that channels music. The music that I sing is not always the genres blues, but it IS the feeling “blues.” I sing of every tear, every heartache, every struggle, and so it is therapeutic for me as well as my listeners. It is something I love to do so even with it’s ups and downs, I feel truly blessed to be out there singing. I listen to ALL kinds of music and I assume that has helped my voice to evolve over the years as well.

When singing your Blues songs what do you find is the hardest thing to convey/express?

I have learnt that to truly bring an audience or listener to climax you must give them your toughest stuff as well as your gentlest.

It took a long time for me to see how powerful my voice could be if I could learn to master the softer side that it had to offer.

If you listen to John Lee Hooker’s version of “I cover the waterfront” you hear how powerful the softer side of the blues can be. But then listening to Janis belt out “Summertime” you hear how soft and rough vocal decisions make the song so completely powerful and orgasmic. I guess I still feel challenged by my voice when I sing in the higher registers or falsetto side. I believe you have a new band. Would like to tell us something about them?

Well, by new, I mean they are new to work with as they are the first guys I have been able to pull together since moving to Montreal. I pretty much have a band everywhere, ha-ha! BC, Toronto, Montreal, Germany, Finland. I have guys all over the world who I work with, as it is simply the only way to be able to book shows. Most promoters simply cannot afford to fly me and the band, so I have become a real pro at sitting in with different guys all the time. It has it’s ups and downs. But mostly

it has taught me how to sit in and sing under ANY circumstances, which in this business is a good skill to have.

What’s on the agenda for the rest of 2010?

I am really looking forward to singing in Germany again this summer. I will be working with Henrik Fresichlader and Tommy Schneller, both great blues musicians in Germany. (see myspace.com/laylazoe for tour dates) I am also very excited to perform in Halifax this summer (Aug.14) for the Dutch Mason Blues festival. There is an incredible line-up for that festival this year and I am honored to be on the same bill with James Cotton, Johnny Winters, Jonny Lang, Robert Cray, etc.

I will work to get the book self-published by May. And I am writing songs for an album for next year, and really hope to work with some friends in Germany if I can find some funding for us to go into the studio. One step at a time...

You appear very much in control of your life and career, how important is independence to you?

As I mentioned earlier, it is important to me that I am represented appropriately. I have worked too hard and for too long to throw myself into a dysfunctional or unhealthy “business relationship” with a label or agent. I am still searching for the best people I can find in this business, before I partner up. I think I deserve that. And I think that if I work hard enough and wait long enough, I will find just that.... Besides, it is about the music for me, not the money. Even though of course I need to survive...

Do you find a difference in the response of Canadians to your music to those in the rest of the world?

Hmm, not necessarily. Though it can be funny sometimes how artists find it difficult to get noticed in their own backyards. I have had incredible experiences with the European fans as they seem very passionate about music, and get out to see a lot of live shows. However I also feel very lucky to have the support I have had in Canada. I see beauty in everyplace I visit. I would love to live in parts of Europe or the United States that I have seen on my travels. But sadly there are invisible lines that we have created that make it harder and harder to work, visit and live in these places for me. Still, when my mind gets an idea, it tends to find a way to make it a reality...

Is there anything you would like to say to Blues matters readers?

First I would like to thank the fans who have supported me. There are so many people out there lately who are taking the time to email me, or purchase a CD, or join one of the fan pages. Without the support of these people, I would not be able to travel, make albums or do what I do! And sometimes when I am feeling especially low or tired, it is a message from a fan who will pull me out of my haze. There are still many places to play, and I really look forward to setting my feet on a stage in England, France, Australia, Spain, etc, someday soon! So please request my music or me, at your local radio station or blues festival. And keep listening to and supporting the blues! We can’t do it without you, and well, we wouldn’t want to, cause it wouldn’t be as much fun! Like I always say, “Music is the only thing that has always been there for me.... and so I will be there for Music, when it needs me”. I have a duty and a responsibility to use what I have been given, and that is a voice. I will do what it takes to share that voice with as many people as possible in my lifetime. See you on stage!

GLENN PATRIK

A True Blues Life

Vicky Martin meets a classic American bluesman

GLENN PATRIK’S life reads impressively; it’s the life of a true bluesman. Born and brought up in Kansas City it was a classic case of being on the wrong side of the tracks (he is half Choctaw Indian). He left home at an early age and travelled throughout the USA. He’s played music most of his life and has a fascinating list of acquaintances including, to a varying extent, such figures as Albert Collins, Albert King, Duane Eddy, and members of the Count Basie Band. Glenn is, surprisingly in the blues field, a classical trained musician. He concentrates on guitar now but in the past he has excelled on violin, trumpet, and piano. His album “Nuthin’ but a Thang!” was reviewed in the most recent issue of BM it seemed to me to capture the very essence of American music ‘true swing’. Our meetings went so well that he finished up doing an impromptu acoustic session with our band. That together with rich fund of stories that Glenn told made for a truly magical evening. We put the bulk of the interview together after Glen had got back to the States.

BM- Well Glenn it’s good to know that you got back safely from your holiday. Travelling over sea and land as you

did it is quite traditional and I imagine you and Kathy found it very refreshing. I’m going to ask you a bit about your life and background and then about the album. You mentioned that you were half Choctaw Indian. When you were young your mother told you not to tell anyone because, at that time, ‘It’s worse than being black’. Can you tell us how that actually affected your daily life, say at school or something like that?

Glenn: The real problem wasn’t so much in the school. It was the church that she was worried about. Back then, we attended a lot of church. And for years, we attended the white church, which was a very nice place and pretty much above our station in life. By the time I was in my late teens, we had moved to a very mixed race church and people were much kinder.

That’s a sad reflection on the ‘white’ church and, sad to say, it wasn’t so different here. In a social sense, at school

and as a teenager did it mean that you socialised much with the black guys? I’m guessing it did because of the almost family style relationships with Albert Collins, etc. When I was six years old, we moved into a two story duplex at 763 Gilmore, in the St. Margaret’s Federal Housing Development in Kansas City, Kansas. The families in the other half of the duplex, and the families living in each direction from our place, were black. I thought nothing of it because I had always lived in mixed neighborhoods.

The time when you were a youth approaching your teenage years, that would be the late 60’s the civil rights battles in the USA were at a peak, there was violence and a lot of tension. Were you very aware of that, did it affect you?

I was on both sides of the issue. Being from the deep ghetto, I was painfully aware of the plight of the American Negro. It was a rough time and I remember helping angry Black neighbors destroy a good amount of public property. But I was also singled out for revenge on occasion. One particular incident stands out; I was returning home on a bicycle from our egg lady’s house with a dozen eggs when a car from another neighborhood purposely bumped my rear tire hard and sent me over the curb. The eggs broke, they yelled a racial slur at me and warned me to stay of the streets or something bad would happen to me. I was 9 years old.

I’ve read that from a very young age you were trained in playing classical violin by a virtuoso Jewish musician who put you on stage with an orchestra at a very young age. It is intriguing that despite your amazing and technically highly accomplished musical background the blues and roots music is your real love. Is that because of your young life experience?

The one who taught me was the amazing Leopold Shopmaker. He has studied as a child prodigy with Leopold Auer and Willy Hess. He gave me free lessons for 10 years but was mad at me for life when I began to focus on other instruments. He felt that I had betrayed him and never spoke to me when I would run into him for decades and up to his death. The Blues just felt more natural to me. It was the music of my neighborhood. In an orchestra, you are one voice in a large group. Your part must be exactly the same every single performance. If not you stand out, and that’s no good in that circumstance. I’m just not a “play it the same again” type of guy. Plus, the Blues wardrobe possibilities are just hipper.

You had a very hard childhood with violence from your father, how did he react to your musical talent? He had been going deaf, and was mostly deaf, by the time I began practicing an instrument, and he was very angry about it. Many a time he has knocked my instrument out of my hands and told me to quit stomping my foot on the floor (then, sent ME to the floor). As a result I began to practice in a large storm sewer drain that came out at the Interstate 70 Highway. It had great echo and nobody could see me unless they were whizzing by at 70 miles per hour. I spent many years in there with my trumpet.

You were also a dab hand on the piano that together with classical violin is pretty heavy stuff. Yet you chose guitar as your true instrument. Was there a seminal moment that made you decide ‘Guitar is for me?’ The thing about guitar for me was- you could play it, sing, and dance all at once at various locations, on or off of the stage. Also, there just weren’t that many guitarists back then. Now, it seems that every house has one.

Can you describe life in Kansas when you were younger; you talk about meeting with Albert Collins and Albert King and others, but the relationship seems much more than just musical, it seems like you were part of the family, can you tell us a bit about that.

Especially when I was younger, I was extremely shy and more likely to stand behind a friend when I was around great musicians. I was afraid of the Blues and Jazz guys, but had no problem speaking with the classical/musically educated guys. So I didn’t actually speak much to any of these gentlemen until I was about thirty years old and felt that I could hold my own on as a musician. I had many friends in common with Mr. Collins and got to know him pretty well. He was an odd genius and knew what everybody in the room was saying, even though there could be five conversations going on. Mr King, on the other hand, never seemed like he wanted any friends and was somewhat abusive to musicians. One time in the dressing room before a show, he pulled a gun on a good friend of mine who was his bassist at the time. That’s how Albert was. But man, that music!

I said to you (about life in Kansas) that it sounded really glamorous and exciting, you commented that my life in London (meeting Hendrix and all that) seemed just as exciting to you. Can you tell us how you viewed England and English bands’ music when you were young?

As a youngster, all that I knew about England was Big Ben, King Arthur and Robin Hood. The Beatles seemed silly to me back then, but of course I enjoy them now. When I first heard the regurgitated Blues coming from England, it sounded staccato and sloppy to me. In retrospect the sloppiness I thought I heard was probably a misinterpretation of the laid back and care free styles of certain Bluesmen. I still jam with people today who don’t get it. However I had a few albums that were a valued part of my small collection and were amazing to me. These included Fleetwood Mac, Procol Harum, Ten Years After and Black Sabbath. Sabbath was always a fave due to the excellent melodies on top of scary riffs. I still follow Ozzy

Looking back to what is a really rich musical background could you cite one person as a truly seminal influence? My Uncle Peck.; he gave me my first guitar and fiddle and taught me to read tablature, even though he wasn’t a musician. I was eight years old and soon taught myself to read proper music notation. I was fortunate that it came pretty easily to me.

You’ve had a life almost exclusively in music, but unlike some promusicians you had some regular work experience that I would think added a lot of value to your life – you mentioned training as a paramedic and (I think) working as a hair stylist – can you describe what sort of value this added to your life in a musical sense, if any? I will have to say none. It was a waste of time taking me away from what I should have been doing, which was to focus on my music.

Let’s turn to the album; the band and I have all listened in depth and we think it is really good. Yet you said that its not getting FM airplay in America, can you comment on that?

Thank you. It is getting FM airplay in several world markets. It’s in the States that I’m getting limited love. Blues classics and rock based Blues seems to be the ticket on American Blues FM these days. Lyrics and subtlety don’t carry much weight with the stations now. I have had several DJs mention that my material was too laid back or too mellow for their show. It’s Blues you fool!

I’ve been listening to albums by US blues artists some of whom have the backing of some big names. Yet almost uniformly they don’t have the same qualities as yours, the drums are often too hard, they almost seem to be just a showcase for guitar solos – how do you react to that?

Anything can happen in the mix. Everybody hears something a little different and the moneyman always has the final say, even if he’s tone deaf. There’s plenty of time to showcase the guitar at live shows. When I hear a record, I want to hear melodies and clever arrangements. I’m a lyrics guy, as well. If you’re gonna showcase guitar, you better be Roy Buchanan, Jeff Beck or Joe Maphis!

I’ve listened closely to your guitar playing on the album and I think that I spotted two definite influences – Freddie King and Kenny Burrell. Can you comment on this please, especially the Kenny Burrell thing. There’s no doubt about the Freddie influence. He set me on fire when I first heard him around 1962. Our neighbor in the next duplex had a Freddie King record and he played it all of the time, very loudly. Over the years, I’ve had a lot of folks mention that they hear my Kenny Burrell influence, but as flattering as that is, I wasn’t even aware of Mr. Burrell until around 1986 and I’ve never studied him. I’ve since seen him perform up close and personal and he puts my style to bed without any supper. Now if you listen to Snooks Eaglin or Earl King, you can really hear where I am coming from in my style. Those are two guitarists that I’ve always chased.

Two tracks ‘Don’tcha Know’ and ‘Last Night’ both emphasised a particular aspect of your playing. Many albums in the blues field seem to be little more than a showcase for the guitar solo. But yours is not – it feels like a conversation between the instruments and the guitar ‘takes its place’, it never dominates. It’s obvious that everyone is listening to one another – can you comment? Well it is a conversation – its simply makin’ music. It gets no more real than that. I have a deep respect for the gentlemen that I perform with and when we come together, it is to make music, not pat ourselves on the back. For us, anything can happen at a live show because we riff off of each other’s ideas of the moment. But when we make a record, we come to make beautiful music.

We found the lyric ‘To Blessed to be Depressed’ interesting. What’s the story behind it?

My good friend, Annetta “Cotton Candy” Washington (1931-2007) was a Gospel singer turned Blues shouter and EVERYONE in K.C. had worked with her, including myself. Due to her health problems, she lost a leg and began performing from a stool. She soon lost the second leg and went to a wheelchair, barely cutting back on appearances. If anyone dared show her pity, she would proclaim “Don’t you worry ‘bout me; I’m too blessed to be depressed”. The day she died, I was moved to write this tune .http://adamblueproductions.com/cottoncandybluesband/

Is there any one song on the album that’s ‘extra special’ to you?’

They are all stories within my life or in the case of the instrumentals, the way that I felt at that moment in time. They are all equally important to me.

The track ‘One More Day’ almost acapella is very daring; definitely not FM radio is there a story behind it. A combination of severe back pain with a simultaneous tooth infection aggravated by the frustration of being behind schedule with the album gave me that song. It came into my head and was a finished recording in thirty minutes.

What have you got planned for the immediate future?

It happens that I’m opening a tattoo shop with my dear friend, the world renowned Wes Grimm, inside a casino in Bossier City/ Shreveport, Louisiana. The start date is 1st December 2009 and I plan to stay on until the shop is running smoothly. We were recently hired to headline the 4th Bangkok Blues Festival in March, 2010 and that will begin a new tour of Asia. We intend to stay on the road in 2010 and have a new record by the end of the tour.

What are your thoughts on coming to play in England?

I noticed that the English music fans, and not only the musicians, have a fairly keen knowledge of American Blues. I write and sing American Blues. So, I imagine that we are made for each other, English Blues fans and my band. We would be honored to take on an English tour. All I really need is an interested tour agent. My band is almost packed and ready to go. We are long-time friends and seasoned musicians and would love to expose our sound to a new market.

So, finally, I have to say both personally and on behalf of the band that meeting has been a privilege and a pleasure and we wish you every success.

It was wonderful for me to meet you and the band, as well. Let’s hope that we can meet again soon and do some work together!

FESTIVAL FEVER

EVENTS THAT HAVE HELPED SHOWCASE THE BLUES

THE 22nd BURNLEY NATIONAL BLUES FESTIVAL: 2010. @ Burnley, Lancaster. 2nd-4th April 2010.

The arts have always been low in the public funding lists, but often they are saved by money from sponsorship. That was until last year’s recession hit, and this year’s need for austerity. Burnley Festival learnt that the hard way last year, when they lost one of their major sponsors. Nil Desperadum, Burnley was determined to soldier on and put on its 22nd Blues festival, but in a scaled down form to live within their depleted budget. The publicans were determined that their normal three days of fringe activities would go on and you just had to stroll around the town on the Saturday afternoon to see that they had succeeded. The Blues filtered into the bright afternoon sunshine that Saturday, it even seemed to have an effect on the non-human population as well. A lone Blues busker sat in the square and was approached by two mounted police horses walking regally down the street. To the amusement of everyone, one horse broke from a trot into a canter, syncopated to the buskers music, and danced to the beat, much to the embarrassment of the police woman trying to restrain her. The busker called out to the assembled crowd, “I’ve never made a horse dance before!” Who says the Blues is not inheritant in the fabric of life!

Burnley Mechanics with its main hall and Press Room form the hub of events. The Press Room featured three nights of music, the main Hall was restricted to one night. Gone were the Americans of the past years, the budget wouldn’t cover the costs. This allowed for a British Blues event to be staged and the lineup was a sell-out.

The Stumble kicked off on the main stage and what a start. They transported their audience magically to the hustle and bustle of Chicago. The dynamism and sheer musical talent of their set, soon had the audience tapping their feet and grinning at the walkabout by sax-man Simon Anthony, serenading the audience with

the other greats. This was an acoustic set. Dave on electro acoustic guitar, and Paul on harmonica. Both supplied the vocals to songs individually or in duets, the audience was held in a reverent hush by the quality of the music. The commentaries in between the music were informative and interesting. This pair have returned to the Blues one of its original features; oral tradition. The original means by which humanity transmitted its history, culture and music.

For Blues Matters it was off to the Fringe for more observations.

FESTIVAL FEVER

hot Chicago Blues. Paul Melville as always the consummate frontman, powered his way through song after song with vocal clarity and passion. Hot Chicago guitar riffs coming down off the stage from Colin Black to an audience savouring every note. Jonny Spencer’s slide riffs adding a different dimension to the whole, while on bass Dave Heath, and Boyd Tonner on drums, augmented and kept the rhythm section really tight.

Paul Jones and Dave Kelly who presented a more traditional side of the Blues followed them on stage. Taking the audience on a musical journey to the Mississippi Delta, with the music of Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf and

Paul and Dave were followed on to the stage by James Hunter and the Mike Sanchez Band with special guests Big Boy Bloater, Andy Sylvester and Ricky Cool, the comments from the audience on leaving, was that they were more than pleased with these two performances.

In the Press room, a large crowd was gathering for the final performance of the night, the Chantel McGregor Band. Large is probably an understatement, sardines in a can is probably the better description, and a rota of when to lift up your drink so as not knock the person next to you would have been useful. On a rather cramped stage Chantel gave a belter of a performance, both vocally and instrumentally. You could actually hear the intakes of breath, and comments of appreciation, before the clapping and cheering started. She worked her way masterfully with technically correct and passionate guitar solos. Serenaded the crowd with soulful vocal’s, and amused them with her Yorkshire sense of humour. No battle of the Roses here, just an axe lady wowing a crowd! Chantel actually played half-anhour extra due to the demands of the crowd but then with the numbers there, they weren’t going to be moved until they had their fill of a true princess of the blues. It is time for Chantel to move onto the main stage and take that by storm, maybe next year?

Burnley may have had to downsize this year due to their budget, but the work, enthusiasm and talent of all involved was a wonder of the human spirit in times of difficulty, to still pull-off the best of the Blues!

Carol Borrington

FESTIVAL FEVER

GUISBOROUGH BLUES FESTIVAL 2nd May 2010

Guisborough is a small but perfectly formed festival, set in a pretty location on the edge of the North Yorkshire Moor’s with Roseberry Topping in the distance

The festival is held in Guisborough FC Clubhouse, an intimate venue that’s split into two parts,one part houses the festival whilst the second one was set up for local musicians to play with also a drums workshop hosted by Sam Kelly.

The festival started on Sunday at 12:30 with “The Cats” a lively and boisterous band with an animated front man. They soon had the crowd up dancing and this set the tone of the festival.

”Tantrum” followed with a rocky blues set, it’s amazing, the quality of this young trio. Full in your face tour de force of musical skills.

“Hokie Joint” was next, bringing the afternoon session to a close, by the reaction of the audience they should have been headlining the festival.Pure quality, strange, theatrical, somewhere between Tom Waits and Ian Drury but new and refreshing. This was the first time Hokie Joint had played Guisborough and they took the place by storm. I even bought their T Shirt at the break and that’s a first!

“Sam Kelly’s Primo Band” with “Val Cowell” were the first band on in the evening session. What can you say about this accomplished band of musicians that hasn’t been said before? But with the vocals of Val Cowell they lifted their game.

“Ian Parker” was the penultimate band. Ian is the most accomplished guitarist and vocalist, his self penned lyrics are sensitive and deep. This was his acoustic set, he enthralled the audience, Quality, Quality, Quality! Were the comments I was overhearing.

To round the evening off the talented “Blues in Trouble”, an Edinburgh band that took the Edinburgh Festival by storm a few years ago. They soon.had the crowd up dancing and in the groove, the perfect end to a perfect festival.

Hats off to Kath and Ralph who organize the festival, the bands, the catering and everything else that you could think of.

Damian Dark-Wind

BLUE BLOOD

Unsigned acts on their own Blues mission

LUCY ZIRINS

I was born in Burnley, Lancashire and am now 18. I am currently attending Nelson and Colne College studying on the Lancashire Advanced Music Studies (LAMS) course.

I started playing guitar at the age of 12 when my uncle died. He played accordion, and was learning to play acoustic guitar. When his stuff was cleared out, the guitar and his books and CD tutorials were about to be skipped and I asked if I could have them – I learnt to play I guess to keep his memory alive” I have been heavily influenced and helped by Saph Wright and her then husband Paul Corry. Saph was my music teacher at Shuttleworth College, and Paul is a musician, performing and writing for the Michael Roach Band and playing for Roy Wood, amongst other ‘big names’. Paul gave me a brass slide and said “just have a go”, then I bought my first resonator.

I then had the fantastic offer of a scholarship to attend Euro Blues Week, after attending a Michael Roach workshop at Burnley Blues Festival. The scholarship was in memory of the late great John Jackson (for young person’s playing blues) and in memory of Sam Mitchell for slide players. The week was phenomenal, being taught by greats such as Michael Messer, Orville Johnson, Steve James, Rick Franklin to name just a few.... “

My first paid gig was in a local Working Mens Club, a real “baptism of fire” when I was only 15. Since then I have performed at several festivals and opened for Louisiana Red and Michael Messer on their 2009 UK tour, as well as being invited on stage by Red to join them to ‘play some blues’. Michael Messer has been very supportive, and has given me opportunities to play and be introduced to a number of well known musicians.

I enjoy playing blues because it is music of the soul and there is nothing else quite like it in the world!

Lucy Zirins

BOOK REVIEWS

BLUES READING MATTERS! HOME OF THE BLUES – 35 YEARS OF THE DOUBLE DOOR INN

Debby Wallace And Daniel Coston

Outskirts Press, Denver, Colorado

This uplifting little book is the story of a man who has succeeded in the music business – at least to some extent – and managed to keep his ideals and retain his integrity. In 1973 Nick Karres opened The Double Door Inn in Charlotte, North Carolina, and it is still going – it now has the distinction of being one of the oldest Blues clubs in the United States. Obviously this is a celebration of that, and as such is going to be biased, but the picture that emerges is of a genuinely honest man, respected and loved by the staff he employs, the musicians he hires and the club regulars. The staff are mostly long-term employees, the musicians Blues and Americana artists (generally) and the club regulars – well, some of those not attending gigs are the children of the original punters. The reason for this incredible loyalty is detailed in interviews with many different people, and the physical club itself is attractive and unusual – set in a building that was originally a residence when it was built in 1911. Numerous photographs detail the changes in the club’s layout over the years, and of course the artists who have played there – from Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Roy Buchanan to R.L. Burnside and Link Wray. Reading this definitely leaves a warm feeling and a desire to take in a night at the club.

Norman Darwen

INDEPENDENCE DAYS: THE STORY OF UK INDEPENDENT RECORD LABELS

Cherry Red (Author: Alex Ogg) This is an in-depth look at the history of the independent British record labels and the successes and struggles they earned and endured. Focusing it’s time frame from the mid 70s to the mid 80s, this is an exhaustive undertaking that involved interviewing over 160 of the main players involved, such as Geoff Travis, Dave Robinson and Andrew Loog Oldham. It has separate chapters on labels such as Chiswick, Rough Trade and Stiff, but also

smaller and more boutique indies such as Zoo, Clay and Industrial. Because of the time period, the music itself tends to be based around punk and alternative bands, such as The Smiths, The Damned and Elvis Costello. The author regards an independent to be a label that does not resort to majors for help with its production, distribution or marketing, initially at least. The book begins with a lengthy introduction on the history of such labels and how they were eventually swallowed up by the big boys. Okeh, Topic (one of the oldest indies still active) and Immediate receive such coverage, as well as John Peel’s Dandelion, which Ogg believes was one of the real fore bearers of genuine independents. You could think that this book would be quite dull and tedious, but not so, the author keeps the reader interested with his relaxed writing style. You develop an interest in what happens next to these small companies, who are working hand to mouth in many cases, and on a DIY ethic. There are the inevitable collapses, as well as splits in partnerships, but much of this music might never have been released if it wasn’t for the likes of these ‘music fans’. People such as Lee Wood, founder of Raw Records are profiled, many artists showing their admiration for him, even though he ripped many of his stable off, owed thousands and eventually disappeared completely off the scene. Whilst Stiff partners, Robinson and Jake Riviera, acrimoniously went their separate ways with the latter taking some of the labels most prized assets. Some of the stories will amuse, and a myth or two is exploded in the meantime. This is a real coffee table sized book that will definitely appeal to people who might want to read another side of the music industry.

Andrew Baldwin

GIVE MY POOR HEART EASE – VOICES OF THE MISSISSIPPI BLUES William Ferris

The University Of North Carolina Press

William Ferris grew up alongside black families in Mississippi, and undertook field work in the sixties and seventies which formed the basis of the Studio Vista paperback ‘Blues From The Delta’ in the early seventies, with an album of the same name issued by the XTRA label. The book was revised and expanded around the end of the same decade, but even readers who possess those works will want this. It contains around 20 interviews with local Mississippi figures (the late James ‘Son’ Thomas being perhaps the best-known these days) – and also internationally recognised musicians BB King and Willie Dixon reminiscing about their early days – regarding Blues and gospel music, and local African-American culture, plus occasional transcriptions, such as a church service and a house party in Clarksdale. The presentation is absolutely beautiful, with some of the photographs as expressive as

the words. To complement and further expand the value of the book itself, also included are a CD of field recordings made between 1967 and 1974 and a DVD which contains many of the closely related documentary films that Ferris has made since 1968 (looking at, for example, Parchman Farm, a church service, and an examination of Black arts and crafts). This is an inspiring body of work and one which should be sought out by any Blues lover.

Norman Darwen

BLUES BEFORE SUNRISE – THE RADIO INTERVIEWS

Steve Cushing

University Of Illinois Press

Steve Cushing’s name may be familiar to some as a Chicago Blues drummer; he is also host of the long-running radio show ‘Blues Before Sunrise’. As such he has been in an excellent position to interview some of the most prominent figures in the music (as Living Blues magazine founder Jim O’Neal points out in his fine and informative foreword) – but for the dozen interviews selected for this book he has chosen figures who are perhaps less well-known but who still have important stories to tell. The focus of Steve’s show is the first fifty years of recorded blues – i.e. 1920 to 1970, and the book splits into three sections – ‘Ancient Age’, which looks at the pre-World War Two styles, including the these days seldom documented vaudeville Blues, ‘Postwar Glory’ examining the early years of the classic Chicago Blues sound, and the fascinating ‘Esoterica’ detailing the story of the promoter, producer and disc-jockey. Steve has selected his chapters as representing the definitive interviews with these characters, and I am not going to argue with him (though as someone who remembers Blues Unlimited’s interviews with Ralph Bass and Cadillac Baby, I’m not so sure…). Whatever, the wealth of detail is stunning, off-set by Steve’s own knowledge, and though the focus is always the Blues, there are fascinating little snippets throughout the book; for example, if you want to know how to make bootleg whiskey, or how to hop a freight train, do read the chapter on veteran Texas pianist Grey Ghost. Really though, if you have any interest in the older forms of the Blues, you need to read the whole book.

Norman Darwen

Shindig! No.16 - May-June 2010 - Out Now

PAUL REVERE & THE RAIDERS

Viewed by the rest of the world as just another garage band, but in the States they were one of ’60s pop’s biggest teeny-bopper sensations.

BILL KOPP speaks to MARK LINDSAY, PHIL “FANG” VOLK and JIM VALLEY about both the fun and seriousness of being a Raider.

CARAVAN

CARAVAN were accidentally responsible for the much-feted “Canterbury Sound”. MARCO ROSSI talks to founder members RICHARD SINCLAIR and RICHARD COUGHLAN about their legacy and music.

SHOES

Powerpop didn’t die in the mid-70s. BRIAN GREENE speaks with JEFF MURPHY of seminal Chicago DIY pop heroes SHOES.

SUN DIAL

Adored by even the most ardent psych purists SUN DIAL’s 1990 debut Other Way Out was one of those records that impressed all that heard it. JOHN REED speaks with GARY RAMON and RUSSEL BARRETT about Black Sabbath, garage-punk, shoegazing and sticking at it.

THE LEMON DROPS

TOM SANDFORD takes us on a journey into the candy acid meltdown of THE LEMON DROPS; through death, disbandment and missing drums, to psychedelic hits of every kind, if ever there was a group who should have made it, they were it. Garage Gods forgotten!

DVD REVIEWS

Releases with a Blues vision

LEADFOOT RIVET Live In Paris: Soul Blues At The New Morning DVD

VooDoo

Al Rivet was given his nickname “Leadfoot” by Larry Garner as a tribute to his car driving style, with a heavy right foot! Lead singer and occasional harp player Rivet is a European-based Blues survivor, who embraced Blues culture from an early age. Though he has perhaps not gained widespread international recognition as a sporadic recording artist, he is well known amongst his peers on both sides of the Atlantic and has remained almost entirely true to his Blues principles. Like so many others, the great Blues boom of the 1960s persuaded him that this was his calling, and since then he has performed in many European countries and shared the stage with many touring visitors to them. He was one of the first to employ an ethnically integrated band and also co-founded Dixiefrog Records. This live set was recorded originally for TV at the famous Paris New Morning venue in November 2003. Rivet has a soulful voice, which is well suited to the mostly well known material. The opening ‘You’re A Fool To Yourself’ sets the mood for a technically accomplished, but not overly exciting performance. Special mention must be made of the two excellent guitarists, Pat Boudot-Lamot and Stan Noubard-Pacha whose counterpart rhythm playing and soloing was delightful, and without stealing the limelight contributed to the overall tight feel. Examples of the material in this 53 minute show by the five piece Bluesmaniacs are ‘Just A Little Bit’, ‘The Things That I Used To Do’, the ballad ‘Do Right Woman, Do Right Man” and ‘Little Red Rooster’. The sound and filming are both good.

Noggin

JOHN FOGERTY Comin’ Down The Road: The Concert Royal Albert Hall DVD

Verve

Over a year after John Fogerty’s Royal Albert Hall performance on 24th June 2008 the DVD of the concert has finally been released. Fogerty, who has often courted controversy, was not the villain of this piece; rather it was director Michael Darren. Much has been written about the way that the paying customers were treated by him on the night. It is alleged that what was billed as a concert turned out to be more akin to a film or video shoot, with long interruptions, costume changes, pre-applause and other distractions. However, what emerges from the cutting room is a slick

and masterful DVD, displaying Fogerty at his best. Both vision and sound are exemplary, and all of the extraneous material has been erased. Fogerty seems somewhat tense in the earlier numbers like ‘Rambunctious Boy’, but by midpoint and especially during the catalogue of Creedence Clearwater Revival classics he is at his best, a genial and eternally youthful rocker, whose vocals are simply brilliant. The extended ‘Keep On Chooglin’ is vintage Fogerty, and other CCR gems like ‘Down On The Corner’, ‘Hey Tonight’ and of course ‘Fortunate Son’ are spot on. The band are as tight as one would expect, and with sidemen like guitarist / vocalist Billy Burnette and drummer Kenny Aronoff the performance is rock solid. Just occasionally typically American sentimentality surfaces, for example in his tributes to his wife and kids, but on the other hand sons Tyler and Shane Fogerty’s contribution to ’Up Around The Bend’ is well placed. Any set that ends with ‘Travellin’ Band’, ‘Rockin’ All Over The World’ and ‘Proud Mary’ is worth the money. Superb.

SOUL POWER

Eureka Entertainment

In 1974, a three-day music festival was held alongside the legendary ‘Rumble In The Jungle’ fight between George Foreman and Muhammad Ali in Zaire. The footage of the concert was never released, but now some of the film has been dusted off and edited into this feature length documentary. The festival featured the best African American entertainers of the day. Actually, scrub that. Make it any day. They had James Brown, BB King and Bill Withers. All of them were at the height of their powers. The documentary neatly switches between the bonhomie of the performers, who were clearly delighted to be taking part, and the chaos behind the scenes. Ali himself is as charismatic and as watchable as ever. He truly was a force to be reckoned with and one of the wittiest figures the world has ever known. Curiously, George Foreman is no-where to be seen. With it comes to sheer charisma, he really is the only man on the planet who can rival James Brown. There are some truly electrifying performances. BB King nails ‘The Thrill Is Gone’. The show though is well and truly stolen by the Godfather of Soul himself, Mr James Brown. The three tracks of his on this documentary show just how good he was, and how insanely funky the JBs were. Brown singlehandedly invented the funk. It’s a pleasure to watch James Brown in all his glory, strutting his stuff. It’s a shame there can’t be an entire DVD of his set, but that’s just a minor quibble. The picture and sound quality are excellent. The DVD also includes extra footage and a brief interview with the director about the documentary.

Jamie Hailstone

Noggin

THE NEW LOST CITY RAMBLERS

Always Been A Rambler

The Arhoolie Foundation

Before the ‘60s Blues boom, there was the folk revival. The two overlapped of course, and figures such as Leadbelly, Big Bill Broonzy, Josh White, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, and Brother John Sellers helped to establish a new audience for the Blues in the ‘40s and ‘50s, even if that audience did not actually realise it. The New Lost City Ramblers came together in 1958 as an old-timey string band, comprising Mike Seeger (who died on 7th August 2009), John Cohen, and Tom Paley, who left in the early ‘60s and was replaced by Tracey Schwartz. The NLCR have always been distinguished from their contemporaries by their earthy, authentic presentation of obscure material (documented on a whole slew of Folkways albums) and they continue to exert a strong influence on American roots music – everyone from Bob Dylan to The Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia to The Carolina Chocolate Drops! This film by Yasha Aginsky is an hour long celebration of the band’s 50 years together, focussing on them not only as musicians but also as musicologists. The film combines still photos with vintage footage in settings both formal and informal, clips with older musicians such as The Balfa Brothers with the Bluesy cajun accordionist Nathan Abshire, and Elizabeth Cotton, writer of ‘Freight Train’ among many others, interviews, and more modern footage. Bonus features on the DVD include a 24 minute film of the group from 1969 and previously unseen footage from 1959. If you are at all interested in Americana, this DVD is, quite simply, a must.

Norman Darwen

THE LICK LIBRARY Learn to Play

Jimi Hendrix Vols 1&2

Jimi Hendrix Slow Blues in B Hendrix The Solos Roadrock Music International

JOE BONAMASSA Live From The Royal Albert Hall

Provogue

This DVD encapsulates two stories, the performance of Joe Bonamassa and his band at The Royal Albert Hall in May this year, and his twenty-year journey to playing that prestigious venue. The two-disc package includes over two hours of live footage and an extensive interview. It commences with Bonamassa humbly discussing his long held ambition as the camera follows him travel ultimately to the stage. There’s a spine tingling moment as he starts to play the opening ‘Django’ and you view the sell out crowd rise to greet his appearance. The performance throughout is exceptional and includes the addition of a second drummer, Anton Fig and a brass section. Fig works perfectly in unison with Bogie Bowles; for example the synchronised introduction to ‘Highwater Everywhere’ while the horns enhance the slower songs, like ‘So Many Roads’ and ‘The Great Flood’. Bonamassa’s own guitar playing is flawless in spite the significance of the occasion to him and he is fine voice throughout. Eric Clapton is proudly introduced to the stage for ‘Further On Down The Road’ and receives further homage as a signature lick from Cream’s version of Crossroads from the same venue is repeated during ‘Lonesome Road Blues’. Paul Jones also makes an appearance later in the set as recognition for his part in achieving this goal before the fans’ favorite ‘Mountain Time’ delights the audience. The camera work and editing is excellent and helps maintain the viewer’s interest throughout the show. Whilst the majority of shots feature Bonamassa, these are balanced with those of the other musicians and the crowd in order to successfully capture what was a momentous occasion.

Duncan Beattie

These new guitar instruction DVDs from the Lick Library are well thought out and provide some very clear note by note instruction on how to play some of Jimi’s most popular stuff. The lessons are all presented by Danny Gill in a clear and informed way. It is easy to see what frets to hold, how far to bend a note and everything else you need to play these tracks note for note. The screen splits when you need to see what the other hand is doing too! The pace is sufficiently measured so enable you to play as you view. They all seem to be authentic interpretations too. Each DVD ends with a Danny Gill performance of all the tracks too, so can play along to that too. Volume 1 consists of five tracks, being ‘Purple Haze’, Little Wing’, ‘Voodoo Child’, ‘Hey Joe’, and ‘the Wind Cries Mary’. There are two hours of instruction and a slot on the Fender Strat and how to use the pick ups and tone knobs to sound like Hendrix. Danny Gill also reveals the ‘Hendrix Chord’ used by the maestro on many recordings! Volume 2 continues with instruction on ‘All Along The Watchtower’, Foxey Lady’, ‘Redhouse’, ‘Fire’ and ‘Stone Free’. The Solos DVD contains detailed instruction on some of Jimi’s solos with the addition of slow, medium and full tempo jam tracks on an accompanying CD. The tracks covered are those on Volume One. Slow Blues in B gives instruction on four solos with 7 or 8 licks separated for each for ease of learning. What I like best about these tutorials is their clarity. The music on the DVDs is true to what Hendrix did, No one would pretend that playing like Hendrix is easy, but these DVDs make it possible. You will need to put in some hours in front of the screen but it will be worth the effort!

Kevin Wharton

RICK ESTRIN

Reveals, Secrets, Subtleties & Tricks Of the Blues Harmonica.

Rick has been playing Blues harp for over 40 years, including a gig in 1970 with Muddy Waters who said “You outta sight, boy! You got that sound, boy! You play like a man, boy!” Since 1976, he has been playing with The Nightcats. He and his band are nominated for four awards in the 2010 Blues Foundation Music Awards. With that pedigree behind him, you get an idea of the quality of the musician and there is no doubt that quality shows through. This DVD is not for beginners; Rick is aiming it at the accomplished player who wants to expand their horizons. There some distracting things on the video i.e. when explaining a particular technique, he never stands still but sways from side to side and up and down as if still playing the harp. Also, each of the seven segments has a superfluous female hanging around in the background for Rick to leave with at the end of the segment. Complaints over, the content of the video is excellent with Rick demonstrating the various techniques with aplomb. The opening segment ‘Hold That Groove’ covers well the stylistic differences between playing in front, behind and on the beat and the use of chords to add emotive effect. Each segment thereafter continues with a bewildering array of techniques from which even seasoned professionals could improve their playing. The last teaching segment ‘Performance Tricks And Showbiz Devices’ is about communicating with the audience and like the old Blues players, shows some of the techniques of the showman to engage with a wider audience. Overall, it is a good DVD for professional musicians and even for fans who want to know what they are seeing and hearing on the stage.

Carol Borrington

TAIL DRAGGER Live At Rooster’s Lounge

Delmark DVD 1803

This is Tail Dragger’s second DVD for Delmark; his first was also the company’s initial foray in the visual side of things, and it is rather fitting for a label well into its sixth decade that it should present such a raw, uncompromising Blues artist. Tail Dragger – real name James Yancy Jones, born in Arkansas in 1940 – takes his name from the Howling Wolf song, and was known primarily as a Wolf imitator a couple of decades back. It was actually Wolf who gave him his stage moniker; previously he had been known as ‘Crawlin’ James’. He may have broadened his repertoire since then, though Dragger can still evoke Wolf easily – this set opens with ‘Louise’ just to underline the point. Then again, the singer obviously appreciates the fifties Chicago sound, especially Muddy Waters and Sonny Boy Williamson II. The band, led by Rockin’ Johnny Burgin, know just what to provide for this approach – two guitars, harp, and a kicking rhythm section, nothing too flashy and remember who the star of the show is. Not that the audience - regulars and blues

tourists alike - need reminding; Tail Dragger stalks the small club (and so aptly named too – even better as it says “Rooster’s Palace” in gold letters over the bar), dispensing down-home folk wisdom, serenading the ladies, falling to his knees, building up the excitement and coaxing the dancers up onto the floor, all the time his big voice testifying to the power of the Blues. Jimmy Dawkins adds some trademark guitar work to one number too. This is a wonderful set – it is also available on CD but the visuals are priceless.

Norman Darwen

THE GUITAR ARTISTRY OF GEOFF MULDAUR

Vestapol/Rounder DVD 93 minutes, one man, one guitar. But what a man, what a voice, what a player. The name Muldaur will resonate with some of us older folk because of his one-time wife’s atmospheric hit, Midnight At The Oasis. But this is a man with such skill, passion, and, above all, history, that he even transcends his past associations with the likes of Bonnie Raitt, Jerry Garcia and Paul Butterfield. As a raconteur, he’s peerless. In between his mesmerising renditions of songs such as Wild Ox Moan, Fishin’ Blues and I Can’t See Your Face Anymore, there are engrossing vignettes, fascinating yarns he tells about his life as a bluesman, the way he collected songs, and the various ways he became inspired. His friendships over the past half century read like a who’s who of the blues; Son House, Lonnie Johnson, Mance Liscombe, Mississippi John Hurt … and each story is a genuine gem, providing you with a real insight into what it really means to give up everything else and walk the pure blues road. There’s a comment by Richard Thompson on the cover: “There are only three white blues singers and Geoff Muldaur is at least two of them”. Attached to any other artist, such a statement might seem like overkill, but when connected with this man, it’s 100% correct. I’ve rarely enjoyed an hour and a half in front of a screen as much as this, and if you really, really, genuinely love true blues, then you need this – and I guarantee you’ll not be disappointed.

Roy Bainton

TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS Damn The Torpedoes

Eagle Vision

This DVD is part of the ‘Classic Albums’ series; Tom Petty and co. released their third album, ‘Damn The Torpedoes’ in 1979, when disco and punk were the most popular forms of music. It quickly sold two million copies, turned platinum, and became a recognised rock classic. The band owe a lot to their Florida origins, (“You had to come from the south to play that lick!” is one off-the-cuff comment about the guitar playing on ‘Here Comes My

Girl’) and lead guitarist Mike Campbell talks here about the genesis of their style, defining it with the words: “…Southern blues roots and this love of British rock… we liked both those types of music and we began to see how they were connected”. There are ‘talking heads’ interviews with the band members (usually with their instruments to hand), producers, managers, record men and others, interspersed with video clips - pretty boy Tom posing for all he’s worth! - live material, still photos and some vintage footage – that may sound dry, but the DVD is anything but. Discussing the album in general, it is noted that, “it has a lot of elements from a lot of different places. Every time I turn on the radio, I spot something else that I realise I took something from - but I think we make our own noise”, states keyboards player Benmont Tench. Names like Chuck Berry, Keith Richards, Bill Wyman, The J. Geils Band, Wilson Pickett and Boker T. are cited, whilst the 12 string Rickenbacker brings The Byrds in all their glory to mind. The genesis of the band’s hit ‘Refugee’ is lovingly detailed – it reaches back to Albert King’s Stax classic ‘Oh Pretty Woman’, believe it or not! In short then, this DVD is a must for anyone who has ever heard and enjoyed Tom Petty – or wondered just what he is about.

Norman Darwen

JAM WITH CREAM LEARN TO PLAY.....ERIC CLAPTON QUICK LICKS, UP TEMPO BLUES

Lick Library

THORBJØRN RISAGERTRACK RECORD

It’s only a matter of time before the secret is out on this guy. He’s already garnering raves overseas, but his music has mass appeal.

Bottom line: He’s dynamite. Don’t sleep on this one. (Blueswax, US)

A joke dissected and analysed is never as funny afterwards. Therein lies the rub with guitar tutor DVD’s; they dismember the classics to the extent that may never wish to hear them again. In the case of this trilogy of Claptonian studies, while enabling the watcher to reproduce note perfectly some vintage riffs, they can’t muster the passion that an apprenticeship with John Mayall, Cream, marriage, tragedy, drugs and redemption will infuse. That aside, of their type, these are as good as any. Concentrating extensively on 12 bar / up tempo Blues, the works of Cream and then general stuff by God including ‘Layla’, your hosts through the anatomisation are fully accomplished and agreeable in the way they explain it all. Michael Caswell and Jamie Humphries are lucid tutors who employ a handy split screen format. They play, they stop, they break it down and describe it all in an “Eric does it like this” sort of a way. By nature, DVD’s like this are elitist. You need to be a fairly adept player before any of it becomes intelligible; you are plunged straight into heavy technical jargon about pentatonic scales and the E7 sharp nine “Hendrix chord” in ‘I Feel Free’. At times it seems like the guitar version of “How To Drive Faster” for Formula 1 drivers. Without question however, worshipers of God himself will find some nifty embellishments here to give them an edge. There are too, some homespun mottos which never fall out of fashion; “before you can play a good lead learn to play a good rhythm” is pithy and always worth remembering. “Don’t learn the licks if you have a rubbish vibrato” is a lesson for life if I ever heard one. Useful and accurate, but however much you absorb, you won’t have a rhythm section like Bruce and Baker.

Richard Thomas

CD REVIEWS

Get your Blues ears on!

CANDYE KANE Superhero

Delta Groove

Candye Kane has named her latest album after herself, having survived pancreatic cancer. A lot to pull through, yet she’s still managed to lay down these fifteen tracks. The opening title track is a bright and breezy soulful Blues number, with saxophone and keyboards to give a Blues Brothers edge. A range of soft Blues feels, and with song titles like ‘Hey Toughen Up’ and ‘You Can’t Stop Me From Loving You’, there is a strong autobiographical feel. Her voice is strong on the heavier numbers, but some of the lighter numbers do drift into MOR territory. And while most of the songs are self-penned (and well written, too), Led Zeppelin fans will recognise the cover of Willie Dixon’s ‘You Need Love’. One of the heavier and direct tracks here, ‘Till You Go Too Far’, showcases Kane’s voice well, with strong harmonica and rhythms to match. More of this please!

Joe Geesin

BETH AND THE BLACK CAT BONES Off to the Moon EP Self Produced

This five track mini-album by the young London based group is very promising. The production does sound a little rushed but fortunately it captures the bounce and energy of what is a very good live act. The five catchy songs are all self-penned by vocalist Beth Packer and guitarist Jess Zubkevych. I particularly liked the title track ‘OFF TO THE MOON’ a very catchy tune. The artwork for this album really is very good in classic retro style; the same applies to the music. In fact the sound took me right back to the sixties and the sound of those singles and EP’s I used to buy with my pocket money.

In general I would have liked a slightly rougher production sound and the guitar sound maybe even more retro sounding. Nonetheless this band presents itself very well good songs, uncluttered arrangements, and bags of personality; very promising.

Vicky Martin

THE BLUE BISHOPS In the Red

Self Produced

This rising band of veterans features, among others, ‘Gentleman’ Jim Rodford of Zombies, Kinks et al fame. This is a really good production and is full of good ideas. In fact I reckon that several of the ideas have been on

the table for a while awaiting the opportunity to come to fruition. I say this because I hear clear echoes of that period when British Blues morphed into prog rock. There are some Cream style harmonies and a fair helping of the kind of broken rhythm patterns that characterised that period notably Led Zeppelin. It is all very well done but I really felt that the bands’ own songs were much stronger than their covers. In that sense I was disappointed that the album opens with a John Fogerty cover-: Chaps your own songs are better! Have confidence in yourselves you do not need covers. Two stand-out tracks emphasize this point – ‘WAKE UP CALL’ and ‘CREDIT CARD’, I’ve heard these two live, they really work and the recording has done them justice. Another good track is ‘THE SEA WILL RISE’ a song about the damage we are doing to the planet, the musical structure to this, by Simon Burrett, is very retro-styled, the doom-laden lyrics might induce some paranoia if we have a hot summer, but hey, just imagine you’re back in the summer of love for a while and it’ll pass. The best of the covers is ‘THE PRICE OF LOVE’; Simon Burrett’s guitar work is very good throughout. The album was produced and mastered by Stuart Epps and John Leckie at Abbey Road and the sound is of first quality. The artwork is interesting and there is even someone who looks like me but with half of a false beard in the centre spread: the mind boggles. Well done guys – a good debut

Vicky Martin

THE CONGO FAITH HEALERS Ju Ju Mix

Self Produced

Well known on the London Burlesque/ Club fringe, where it touches the fringes of the blues / retrorockabilly scene, this band’s style is best described as Voodoo tinged New Orleans meets European Gypsy/Balkan polka harmony; primarily minor key, trumpet strongly featured - European feel tending to dominate. Their music conjures fanciful images like the dark side of a New Orleans carnival; bright lights, revolving carousels and parading forbidding figures hinting of dark magic –and I find in this both strength and weakness. The strength is in the overall image of the band and album, everything works together. The opener; ‘MORNING TRAIN’ is up-tempo with a good melody, the following two tracks also up-tempo leading to the strongest melody on the album; ‘THE STREET ROBBERY’ but the album badly needs a change of tempo

here.

After this I find the next six tracks constant frantic tempo and similar harmonic structure becomes tiring, the music needs to breathe.

These tracks lead to what should have been the killer track; ‘BIBLE READER’ which has a great riff and starts really well but unfortunately the riff becomes a little submerged in over production; the sound is just too dense. The final track is very good but again too dense. Having seen this band live a couple of times I was a little disappointed with this album, a tiny drop in tempo and a bit more ‘air’ in the mixing mastering would have made a huge difference.

Vicky Martin

DELANEY DAVIDSON

Self Decapitation

Voodoo Rhythm

Records

Delaney is from down under and is a clever multiinstrumentalist / vocalist. He plays most of the instrumentation on this album and he wrote most of the music. Stylistically this stands in the same stream as UK bands such as Urban

Voodoo Machine, Congo Faith Healers and others at the fringes of Burlesque with influences relating to Voodoo, Mardis Gras, and all things pertaining. It is well played but the vocals are generally in similar tonality for most of the album and the attention begins to wander. This is accentuated by the opener ‘AROUND THE WORLD’ (best self penned track) and the second track ‘TONIGHT’ having a very similar harmonic structure and melodic motif. The artwork and some of the lyrical content appears to be deliberately aimed to shock and catch the attention –DIRTY DOZEN in particular with its excessive use of the ‘F’ word just turned me off – its old hat and its been done. This brings me to what I think is a weakness of this genre. It all works very well live and Delaney appears to be doing well in terms of live shows, etc. In fairness this album would work well as a souvenir of a live gig, but whether it stands up when listened to completely on its own is doubtful. In summary, Delaney will probably do well selling this album at gigs, and good luck to him, outside of that context it is OK but no more than that.

Vicky Martin

album shows more economy and restraint than many that we hear. He is particularly adept at building tension and then releasing it. His strongest influence seems to be Magic Sam, there’s a touch of Freddy King and on track, 7 ‘You’re Not the Only One’ there is a noticeable Mark Knopfler influence, the song’s structure and playing is strongly reminiscent of Sultans of Swing and the vocal here actually reminded me of Keith Richard. In general the album is pretty much standard stuff. The strongest tracks are the opener ‘GYPSY CURSE’, a mid-tempo swing based shuffle very much in the Magic Sam mould with excellent guitar. The second stand-out is track 2 ‘WALKIN’ THE FLOOR’; this has a mambo type of feel and a vocal track that recalls Levon Helm. Johnny’s version of ‘BO DIDDLEY’, the only cover, is more akin to the Buddy Holly version than the original. With ten songs written by Johnny and band keyboard player Sonny Williams this a satisfactory debut pointing to a future where Johnny may, hopefully, be tempted to discover a more individual sound of his own.

Vicky Martin

DARRELL NULISCH Just for You

Severn Records Inc.

MIDNITE JOHNNY

Lyin’ Eyes

Blue Midnite Productions

Midnite Johnny is Johnny Morana from South Florida, but according to his MySpace page he’s temporarily settled in Bolton where he’s doing acoustic gigs. He’s been around the Florida scene for a long time, gigging with several name musicians. This is his debut album. Johnny is yet another excellent guitar player and his playing on this

Darrel from Texas is pretty much an old hand at Southern style Soul and Blues; he is in line for a couple of soul blues awards. This is his 6th album. By present day standards this is very concise record at 37 minutes running time. It has ten tracks and six of these are self composed. It’s well produced and is exactly what it sets out to be - Southern Soul Blues. At times it borders on a smooth almost AOR commercial soul sound; especially on track 8 ‘ALL THE LOVE WE HAD’. Darrell has a line-up of fifteen top-quality musicians here; this includes the full range of horns and the notable Benjie Porecki on keyboards. With this wealth of talent available it is mystifying why it all sounds so predictable. It’s sad to say it but every nuance of melody, every figure of musical arrangement always goes where you expect it to go. Why among all of these musicians someone cannot just say ‘Let’s do it a bit different’ puzzles me. That said the best tracks are 6 ‘JUST A LITTLE BLUES’, an atmospheric slow minor key blues, and track 10 ‘LET A WOMAN BE A WOMAN’- a mid-tempo minor blues over a Jimmy Smith type keyboard groove. The opening track ‘YOU DON’T KNOW ME’ typifies the album with echoes of Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, and horns recalling Motown and Stax and the rest. But I wanted to hear Darrell’s own voice and also much more his harp.

Vicky Martin

LITTLE DEVILS This is How it Starts

World Domination Music

This is a relief from the predictability that pervades modern day music. It is not another in the endless line of would be guitar slingers with backing; it is a band, with quality ensemble playing. This is an imaginative and cohesive

CD REVIEWS

presentation; from the classy artwork to the music itself. This group of experienced players is led by Graeme Wheatley main writer works in partnership with guitarist Alex Brewood. Their crowning glory is vocalist – Dutch Diva – Yoka – a charismatic performer who is well worth catching live. For once the lyrics to the songs are really worth a read, they tell stories and introduce us to a range of quirky characters and events. Most importantly they have depth and ring of authenticity. There is a range of influences in the music, in particular (for me) Dylan and the Band, the Stones, Doors and much else. There is also a nice French Café music influence and a very welcome excursion into old-time waltz tempo. Altogether an interesting album that warrants repeated listens. Stand out tracks are the opener ‘LITTLE DEVIL’, ‘THE RIVER’ an excellent ballad, and the slow blues ‘ORPHANS OF THE STORM’. The sound quality is very good although for this writer it was a little too smooth; I would have preferred a slightly rougher edge reflecting their live sound. I also think that Yoka’s vocals could have been better further up in the mix – don’t hide your light under a bushel chaps. In summary this is a very good and interesting debut.

Vicky Martin

MICHAEL BURKS Iron Man

Alligator Records

‘Iron Man’ the latest album from guitarist/singer songwriter Michael Burks contains 12 tracks, that show of his strong voice, and snappy, overdriven guitar style to good effect. A backing band of Wayne Sharp on organ and piano, Don Garrett on Bass and Chuck ‘Popcorn’ Louden on drums are Burks’s regular rhythm section, and this shows on the tightness that the four players have. Burks has writing credits on seven of the tracks, and a carefully chosen version on Free’s ‘Fire and Water’ shows a new facet to the band’s sound. The album starts of with ‘Love Disease’ featuring Gary Moore style guitar, and a vocal style that brings to mind B.B. King, and a groove and musical interaction that sounds not unlike Albert King. Although many blues influence are on show, whether or not it is the slow groove of ‘Strange Feeling’ with its interlocking guitar and Hammond Organ lick, and or the Hendrix style ballad playing that opens ‘Empty Promises’ Michael Burks has his own style. There is also good time boogie blues on this disk. ‘Salty Tears’ is a fast paced rocking number, whilst ‘Don’t Waste My Time’ has a soul-based backing, a Hammond Organ solo and

a light drumming track that sounds similar to the good time groove of such bands as The Drifters. ‘Quiet little town’ is an ironically titled number, that is a closer ringer for S.R.V’s ‘The House is Rocking’. Blues songs are also in abundance, with ‘Ashes in my Ashtray’, ‘Hard Come, Easy Go’ focusing on what happens when love goes wrong. For fans of Blues, or guitar players looking for a few new ideas to borrow, ‘Iron Man’ is well worth further investigation.

Ben Macnair

HARRIET LEWIS & GREGORY HILDEN BAND

Soulful Stew

Acoustic Music

Harriet Lewis is a Philadelphia born singer who has, rather amazingly, released twelve CDs under her own name. I say, amazingly, as prior to this “Soulful Stew” album I had never encountered her name before. Even more amazing when you consider that she has shared stages with the like of Eric Clapton and Luther Vandross. Granted, she’s also shared a stage with Mariah Carey, but I won’t hold that against her. A woman who has the kind of back story most would think fictional, she’s went from recording with Philadelphia International Records in the sixties to singing backups to the Four Tops to joining the US Army! She appears to be based in Germany these days, and has linked up with Gregor Hilden and his band to make an old fashioned soul and Blues review album. It’s the kind of thing that The Johnny Otis Show got up to back in the day, and sees her going at the music with gusto. It’s all covers bar on Lewis number, ‘No Words Can Tell’, and the title track from Hilden. The rest of the record is taken up with songs like ‘Wade In The Water’, Gene McDaniels ‘Reverend Lee’ and Aretha Franklin’s ‘Dr. Feelgood (Love Is a Serious Business). Ms Lewis also likes a show tune which could explain the appearance of ‘On Broadway’ and ‘What A Difference A Day Makes’. And that’s what makes it a bit hit and miss. When tackling Jimmy Scott’s funky ‘Love Sneaking Up On You’, Ms Lewis and the band are fabulous. When singing a show tune, your hand strays towards the skip buttong. However, it’s considerably more hit than miss, and if you like your Blues brassy, funky and dripping with Hammond B-3 organ, then give this a spin.

Stuart A Hamilton

THE MUSTANGS Cut Loose

Cross Border Records

The Mustangs are a pretty heavy rock band with some blues influence. What distinguishes this CD from many others in this crowded field is that all the songs are their own originals and that there is a fair bit of variety on display in the 11 tracks. Another distinguishing feature is the excellent harp playing of Derek Kingaby, who adds different textures that complement the guitars very well, preventing the band from having a standard-issue guitardominated sound. The songs themselves are not just riffs with words, but are constructed as ‘proper songs’, the

main feature being almost anthemic, big choruses. The lyrics are printed in the booklet, showing that they take their songwriting seriously. Lead singer Adam Norsworthy has a strong, higher register voice that carries the material well. The CD kicks off with some fat riffs and big chords on ‘Canada Eyes’ and in general the band has what might be considered a pretty ‘commercial’ sound, delivered in a well-produced way to grab the attention. On ‘I’ll Meet You Anytime’, a ska rhythm guitar part blends very well with some excellent harp work on what is essentially a blues song – the combination works well. ‘Dream The Day Away’ is not unlike a slower Zeppelin number and is one of the more effective tracks. The general aim is for songs that have a simple and immediate impact. More variety kicks in with some of the later tracks, - the rock’n’roll ‘Thunder In The Air’, the soft rock of ‘Living With A Broken Heart’ and the acoustic closer ‘Precious Time’ which is in the country vein and features some good harmonies. Overall, the CD shows that The Mustangs do mostly good old-fashioned up-tempo rock music, but that they have a bit more to offer than that.

Mark Harrison

BLUES POWER BAND Where The Action Is (Live CD + DVD - Digipak format DVD)

Rue Stendhal

At last, the live album! Sure, Blues Power Band is at its most amazing when performing live, but until these Frenchies come over to this side of the pond to show us what kind of Blues they are made of, we’ll have to make do with this live CD and DVD. And you won’t be disappointed; it gives a pretty good idea of what you can expect when they eventually make the journey across the Channel. The CD is a recording of the concert they gave at the New Morning in Paris in 2009 and the DVD is a documentary which takes us along in the search for Zee in concerts and festivals throughout France. We’d already told you about Blues Power Band when they released their studio album “Zee”. To think that a French band could think of writing the first real Blues opera ever. Surely this can’t be right, this is France they come from, the land that produces the likes of Johnny Hallyday and Vanessa Paradis! But in their quest for Zee, they’ve done it and how. Just listen to ‘Tchoga Zambil’ or ‘Got A New Truck’, it has great panache, talent and vitality. They’ve produced something with such energy that it’s like a double dose of viagra and those wise American guys have certainly been given a run for their money. Many of the acoustic tracks you heard in the studio album are now performed in an electric version, blowing away everything in your sitting-room

including yourself. And when you get to ‘The End’, you’ll start believing you’ve gone to another world, a world where Jim Morrison plays with Blues Power Band. This must be one of the best Blues tracks of this first decade of the 21st century, a testimony to the talent of French Blues. The fact is that Blues Power Band has proved itself as a group who has managed to produce a superb studio album and an amazing inspiration when playing live. With its impressive graphics, the Digipak DVD easily rivals the latest collectors’ box sets and shows you what mad quest Blues Power Band started, a quest where Blues is like a Finnish volcano, bringing everything and everyone to a standstill. With this live album, Blues Power Band has reached another level and there’s no turning back. This is a must be heard and must be seen! We’re waiting for them, waiting to see them live and hopefully here in the UK.

Frankie Bluesy Pfeiffer and Nat Harrap

PETE MOLINARI featuring THE JORDANAIRES

Today, Tomorrow and Forever

Damaged Goods Records

The first thing to amaze you having listened to the pure, unadulterated Nashville of this album is that Pete Molinari is, in fact English. His American country credentials, however, are impeccable: inspired by Woody Guthrie’s “Bound for Glory” and Jack Kerouac’s “On the Road”, this son of Maltese/ Italian/Egyptian parentage abandoned his native town of Chatham, Kent to pursue his art, ending up, just like his hero Dylan, playing his trade to impressed beatnik crowds in Greenwich Village, New York, at venues such as the legendary Café Wha? (Hendrix, anyone?). Since then, Molinari has released several albums, with the E.P “Today, Tomorrow and Forever”, his third. The album is a peon to the Nashville sounds he listened to in his youth, so much so that he even went to the legendary bastion of country music to record the majority of it’s seven tracks, a collection of country standards and two self-penned tunes. However, he recreates the Nashville sound perhaps too perfectly, with nothing particularly inventive done with his interpretations, begging the question: why cover a song if you replicate hook, line and sinker the original? Indeed, the album only truly comes into it’s stride in it’s second half with the London-recorded original material (no coincidence), particularly the Dylan-esque lament of ‘One Stolen Moment’. “Today, Tomorrow and Forever” is no true representation of Pete Molinari (look to the predominantly original material of his first two albums, “Walking Off The Map” and “A Virtual Landslide” for this), but rather a love-letter to the Nashville sound - one not everyone else should have been made privy to.

Adam Bates

BOPOMOFO Hell Froze Over

BoPoMoFo

Listen to this album without looking at the cover and what have you got? You’ve got some pretty good if a little generic, Chicago bar-room Blues. Guitar work is clean and the lead obviously knows his/her way around the fretboard, while the organ sound is full and ballsy and the horns blow hot and tootin’. The vocals are a little full for my tastes, deep and dark but very clearly recorded and with a nice touch of vibrato. All pretty good but nothing to rave about and I really can’t see why they got to record at the legendary Sun Studios in Memphis – after all, you or I couldn’t just troll up and buy a session there. Look a little closer and the artists names leap out at you – Aki ‘The Flame’ Ikeda on lead guitar, Klaus ‘Mr Fixer’ Tseng on keyboards – this is Taiwan’s foremost proponent of Chicago Blues. Ok, so now we know why they got to record at Sun Studios but are they actually any good? Well, as mentioned before this is pretty good but if they were your local bar band you probably wouldn’t go rushing out to sign them up. The opener, ‘’Blues Floozy’, sets a scene as they play some fairly uproarious rock ‘n’ roll with DC ‘Deacon’ Rapier’s harmonica the best thing in evidence and ‘Back Alley Angel’ has a deep and brooding tone and it is a fine night-time blues with some excellent guitar work. ‘You Done Me Wrong’ drives along with some serious kick to it but the worst vocal I’ve heard in years. ‘Making My Ulcer Bleed’ gets the vote for strangest title of the century but for ‘notquitetheredness’ their version of ‘I Saw Her Standing There’ takes the biscuit and probably the whole éclair as well. A curio and I would check them out if I was in Taiwan but I wouldn’t travel to Chicago to see them.

Andy Snipper

PETE PRITCHARD Beat the Blues

Hanzon (no issue number)

Bass player and singer Pete Pritchard has been a stalwart of the UK rock and roll scene since the seventies, and in the intervening years he has played with just about every rock and roller of note, run a record company called Alligator Records (no, not that one!) and regularly visits the States. He is also Alvin Lee’s bassist of choice, and here Alvin replays the favour by supplying a wonderful rockabilly guitar break to ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Ruby’ – which also, as do several other tracks, features harmonica man Steve Matthews, adding a contemporary California blues flavour (the album also opens with Alvin’s ‘Choo Choo Mama’). Pete is of course very aware of the roots of rock and roll – try the slightly jazz-inflected ‘Ruby Baby’, which was originally a hit for The Drifters, for example. Other big names that Pete can call on are the ex-Elvis guitarist Scotty Moore, southern vocalist Billy Swan, famed Nashville guitarist Bucky Barrett, and the late ‘yakety sax’ man Boots Randolph – listen to the latter’s fantastic work on Lowell Fulson’s ‘Reconsider Baby’. There are four originals, and interestingly Pete also covers Tom Waits’ ‘Way Down In the Hole’; all the borrowed material is rendered in new and original ways, making this a very fine

and likeable set of chugging rockabilly, rocking r and b, and cool country and Blues.

Norman Darwen

MICK CLARKE Tell The Truth & No Compromise Beat Goes On Records

This is first chronologically of three double rereleases by the UK blues rock guitarist. Being entirely new to me it was an opportunity to track his career in a matter of hours not years. The first 1991 CD at twelve tracks over 49 minutes is tasty, no frills rocking blues with fluent fierce guitar. and adequate workman like vocals, if low in the mix, from the front man. He is aided and abetted by regular collaborators, Dangerous Dave Newman with some fine harp and Lou Martin on some lovely honky tonk keyboards. The tracks are largely self penned but leavened with classic covers, such as Willie Dixon’s ‘Gypsy Woman’. The album is great live audience fodder, foot tapping and danceable with some lovely shuffles and boogies sporting a tight engine room behind some sharp focussed soloing. Derivative maybe but good honest listening. Mick clearly has a penchant for instrumentals, two on this CD and three on ‘No Compromise’, which sadly I do not share, but in this case they are varied, do not outstay their welcome and are reasonably inventive, if not destined to live long in the memory. The latter album is two years later, and again twelve tracks over 50 minutes but there are noticeable changes. The vocal is determinedly grittier, there are subtle changes to the guitar style with more slide and more sophisticated rhythms from the band. ‘Talking With The Blues’ is a favourite with Mick himself and I can see why, with it’s catchy hookline and searing guitar over a pulsing engine room. Vocally reminiscent of Carl Verheyen ‘Producer Row’ has a nice rolling riff with harp and guitar boogie. Overall this release is more sophisticated and a more demanding listen but maybe sacrifices some immediacy of appeal.

Bob Chaffey

ZOE SCHWARZ & ROB KORAL Celebration

33 Records

This is a pure jazz album celebrating the artist’s favourite tracks of the genre. There are sixteen tracks over 56 minutes with just two originals. Classically trained Zoe on vocals and her guitarist husband, do a splendid job and their consummate professionalism and ability become glaringly obvious. Not being a jazz fan I feel unqualified to attempt a detailed review but their choice of ‘Sitting On Top Of The World’ as the closing track does give me licence to espouse a personal view. Cream’s ‘Wheels

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Of Fire’ was a cathartic experience launching me into a lifetime love of the Blues. Their treatment of this seminal Blues track as opposed to Jack Bruce’s passionate and soul rending vocal and Eric Clapton’s searing guitar contrasts the blues bon viveur’s joie de vivre to the ascetic aesthetic of the jazz version on this album. It is a question of physicality, to feel your whole body and soul respond to the gut wrenching feel of the three dimensional Blues or stand apart and admire the two dimensional icy perfection and delicate nuance of the version here. That said this is a late night listening treat for fans of the genre with classics like ‘Cry Me A River’, the scat singing on ‘Let’s Fall In Love’, ‘My Funny Valentine’ and so on. The two original self penned tracks ‘Let’s Explain’, Zoe on Billie Holiday, and ‘Empty Rooms’ co-written by Rob about the fall out from a relationship break up, sit seamlessly with the other material and indeed deserve to be classics in their own right. However beautifully produced, played and presented, the starkness of the arrangements began to blend together after a while. One for the connoisseur certainly. This talented couple apparently have a blues band, the baddestbluesbandever, and I feel sure that will be worthy

Bob Chaffey

of the rhythm section of Jimmy on bass and Gary holding the whole thing together at the back on drums it was guaranteed that juices would flow. With writing honours spread throughout the cuts everybody has brought tracks to the table. Whilst there is no doubt that the music would in general fall on the Rock side of the tracks there is so much room in the arrangements that the soloing often has a kind of Jazz and Blues feel to it. So I guess it is a bit of a hybrid of styles that keeps us, the listener, guessing exactly where a song is going. Time signatures change frequently in, for example, ‘Soft In Black Jeans’. For nice Blues check out ‘Destiny Over Me’ or ‘Who Do You Think You Are’. There are eight songs and two instrumentals. ‘Peace’ is kind of dreamy summer feel and ‘Brothers’ lulls you at the start into thinking it also is laid back before bursting into freeform life.

Graeme Scott

SANDI THOM Merchants and Thieves

Guardian Angels

Multi-instrumentalist Chris Joss creates a wonderful retro 1960’s Funk feel to this release, the instrumental album is predominately driven by the organ and the tracks feel like they have been lifted from American movies & TV shows of the era. Since undertaking some research I can acknowledge that his music has been used in recent film scores and he also wrote the music for the TV documentary ‘Inside Deep throat’, re-working the music from the original Deep Throat film soundtrack. All instruments are played by Chris and the sounds are typically what you would expect from a six piece Funk band to sound like, I am not sure what “market” this music is intended for but readers of Blues Matters do not be put off by the lack of blues here, this album is guaranteed to have your foot tapping within seconds of putting this disc on. The album is probably one of the easiest albums to listen to that I have reviewed, while each track has its own unique flavour the tracks seem to merge together to create one continuous Funk tempo. Interesting artist and definitely an album that should be heard, not unlike the early Shuggie Otis sound, albeit heavier on the organ.

Adrian Blacklee

LANDAU, FORD, HASLIP & Renegade Creation

It would be very easy to use a certain word when talking about this quartet of stellar musicians joining forces to see what happens when the playing starts. I don’t want to put such a label to what perhaps is a transient coming together of like-minded guys. So no labels but I figure you will all know the word that could be used. So with two fine guitarists in Michael and Robben coupled with the brilliance

Sandi Thom acquired some degree of mainstream fame a few years back via her internet podcast gigs at home, which created quite a stir, and subsequently some controversy concerning what lay behind all that. She had emerged from one of the country’s ‘Fame Academy’ schools and was situated somewhere in the areas of singer/songwriter and pop. On this latest CD, however, she appears to have embraced the world of roots music, and just about every style that could come under that umbrella is represented here. All the songs are originals, mostly co-written with collaborators. The CD kicks off with a country song ‘Maggie McCall’, all twangy guitars and a vocal that mimics authentic American country singers. The next track, ‘Runaway Train’, features bluesy slide guitar and is a boogie, the vocal strong and in a style wholly different from what went before. This sets the pattern, as one style of music follows another, each with the appropriate vocal style. The Blues is perhaps the dominant genre, with a number of tracks presenting varied Blues styles – ‘Gold Dust’ features lead guitars and lots of tremolo, ‘Show No Concern’ is an acoustic blues, and a good one, rather in the style of Rory Block, and ‘This Ol’ World’ is a storming blues shuffle featuring Joe Bonamassa (this track wouldn’t be out of place on one of his own records). Other tracks are in the folk area, such as the interesting and soothing instrumental title track and the stomping ‘Heart Of Stone’. The CD closes strongly, with the a cappella ‘Ghost Town’, which shows that the solo folk singer direction is one that Sandi Thom could bring a lot to. The best song for me is the closer, ‘Belly Of The Blues’, a song that starts off folky and ends up as a rock number. Overall, the impression is of an artist doing a bit of this and a bit of that without perhaps yet finding her true ‘voice’.

Mark Harrison

JOE BONAMASSA

Black Rock

Provogue Records

Now I think most of us would agree that it can be the case that when an artist keeps regularly pumping out the albums that there can be a drop in quality. In no way can that be levelled at Joe. Creatively he has consistently maintained the highest standards in all elements of his craft. The playing throughout this new release is never short of excellent; vocally his pipes continue to gain a more powerful delivery whilst maturing tonally. Keeping in line with his other releases Joe mixes fine originals with interesting and slightly unusual covers. Once again teaming up with producer Kevin Shirley aurally this is one belter of a CD. Cranked up the clarity is precise and clear from the top to the bottom. ‘Steal Your Heart Away’ the old Bobby Parker cut, was this also done by The Moody Blues (?) slams into your chest as the opener. Notes fly off the fretboard at an alarming rate of knots but never just for the sake of it. A second cover, John Hiatt’s ‘I Know A Place’ quickly follows up and it is not until ‘When The Fire Hits The Sea’ and ‘Quarryman’s Lament’ come along that we have the first originals. The former is a stomping groove that you never want to end which it of course does and the latter slows the pace down by several notches. Flutes and acoustic guitars float on the air adding an Eastern Mediterranean feel. I loved the pairing of ‘Spanish Boots’ and the lovely working of ‘Bird On A Wire’. Throw in BB King adding terrific vocal and guitar touches on ‘Night Life’ and you have Willie Nelson as never before. This album has class with a capitol C all through it.

Graeme Scott

QUEST FOR FIRE Quest For Fire

Teepee

This is an interesting album to review for Blues Matters as the music therein allies itself far closer to the early days of Hawkwind than the Blues. Canadian band Quest For Fire’s debut album is better described as stoner rock and is something I may have listened to in my student days when day segued into night then back into day, always with sounds in the background. Here, a song may meander for as long as it takes, following a groove until someone dares to break it. ‘The opener ‘Bison Eyes’ is relatively traditional and plain as the foursome set out on their journey. ‘Strange Waves’ is more Pink Floyd with the distanced and elongated guitar sounding much like Gilmore. ‘Hawk That Hunts The Walking’ and ‘I’ve Been Trying To Leave’ and ‘You Are Always Loved’ maintain that relaxed, laid back vein but each with it’s own menacing undercurrent and it isn’t until the closing track ‘Next To The Fire’ that the

menace is notched up a gear and the band gush into life for this nine minute whirlwind. Truth to tell, I would have liked this when I played with a luminous frisbee at 4 am on Clapham Common in the seventies.

Merv Osborne

JIMMY ZEE Devil Take Me Down

JZ Records

This was my first exposure to Jimmy and his music and what a good time I have had with this album since it dropped on my mat. If any prompting were needed for me to say that Canada is producing an excellent array of artists then this B.C. based musician would certainly be a good example to use. Overall there is a big sound on a lot of the tracks thanks to horns, keys, harps, layers of guitars, percussion and vocals. Jimmy growls his way through the songs in never less than an engaging way. ‘Working Hard’ drives the opening salvo, of mostly selfpenned tracks, quickly followed by the fine acoustic Blues of the title track and ‘Diamonds’. There is a kind of Blues Funk mix to ‘Bad End Boys’ that works really well. There is a credit on the sleeve thanking the Bad End Boys so perhaps they might be the horn section. Whoever they are they groove as do the two harpists that I recognised Harpdog Brown and somewhat confusingly Jimmy Z (USA). There are plenty of good lyrical hooks to keep you on the line. The acoustic opening with slide, harmonica drums and piano to ‘Drinking All Night Long’ tells a tale that perhaps we can all relate to and keeps it simple. The full band returns on ‘All My Love’ then the back up is stripped again for ‘Boston City’. I really liked ‘Roxy Roller’ for no particular reason and ‘Santa Fe’ with its spoken lyrics works in a kind of Robbie Robertson Somewhere Down the Crazy River way.

Not sure how many previous albums are maybe kicking around but on the strength of this go looking folks.

Graeme Scott

THE IMAGINED VILLAGE Empire & Love

ECC Records

This is a terrific record that succeeds triumphantly in its aims. To simplify, its aim is to create modern British folk music that incorporates elements of modern multi-cultural British society. Traditional folk is at the heart of it, and this is combined with Indian music and instrumentation, and the subtle use of electronica. The songs combine the traditional with the modern, not only musically, but also lyrically (witness the quite stunning opener ‘My Son John’ that show this project off at its very best). Folk luminaries Martin Carthy, Eliza Carthy and Chris Wood front the whole thing, and of course they are among the Premier League of the folk scene. In particular, it is hard to imagine that Martin

Carthy, veteran of many a decade in the vanguard of English folk, has ever sounded better or more vibrant. ‘Sweet Jane’ is a bit like vintage Fairport Convention, but as on every track, the attempt is not to simply replicate what has been done well before, but to put something new into the mix. The musicianship throughout is top class, the production values high, the sound beautiful and clear. Intricate rhythms and complex time signatures are carried off effortlessly, for example on ‘Byker Hill’, and the combination of guitars and sitar works as if the two were always meant to go together. Old favourite ‘Scarborough Fair’ gets an outing here (Martin Carthy was the creator of the arrangement that went on to fame and fortune when Paul Simon appropriated it) but it’s not a mothballed song, the arrangement and performances rendering it as something quite brilliant. Slade’s old pop hit ‘Cum On Feel The Noize’ gets the treatment too, showing that the Wolverhampton bard Noddy Holder is not out of place in this company. This is an excellent modern traditional folk album with interesting, well thought-out accompaniment, superlative singing and great originality that make it something entirely new.

Mark Harrison

ROBERT PECKMAN Right Where I Want To Be

Bonedog

This album simply oozes class and delivers the listener an hour of excellent horn-laden and soulful Blues. Peckman wrote all the songs here and he doesn’t come over as a tyro, rather these songs swing with absolute ease. His vocal style is sweetly soulful – that word again – with a limited range but effortless presentation. Steve Delach’s guitar work is excellent throughout and Brandon Barnes drumming is simple and efficient which is useful as Peckman is also the bass player and the pair carry the band along at a fine clip. The songs are modern classics and seem to be pitched in at the lounge audience rather than a spit and sawdust establishment. But he has an original and ‘real’ touch – ‘Old School Is Still Cool’ for instance is a soul belter celebrating the sounds of the soul greats on vinyl – I don’t think that they think P. Diddy when R&B is mentioned. The harmonies throughout are complex and terrific and coupled with an excellent horn section there are times that you feel you are listening to a Memphis soul orchestra. On trying to investigate Robert Peckman’s origins it seems that he originates from Pennsylvania and used to play with a disco band called Q but here he has his origins clearly out on his sleeve. If you are in the market for BB King style Blues or something with a Southern fried Soul feel this really is a collection of modern day classics – ‘I’m The Goat’, ‘Pickpocket’ or ‘Honeyboy’ stand up alongside much of the Stax output from the late sixties and unlike many modern takes on classic soul this bears repeated listening.

Andy Snipper

ERIC McFADDEN Train To Salvation

Bad Reputation

With such talent, creativity and charisma, it’s hard to believe that the exceptionally gifted Eric McFadden isn’t yet known in the UK even though the American is a name to be reckoned with both in the States and the rest of Europe. With over twenty sensational albums under the belt, McFadden has hit the jackpot again with “Train To Salvation”. He isn’t simply a guitar virtuoso (both acoustic and electric) and an amazing voice, he doesn’t play notes, he lives them. Listen to ‘Last Day Of My Life’ and feel those emotions perforating your soul. What about the double bass, violin and bandoneon adding just enough texture to the arrangements, leaving Eric’s voice fly over each song except for ‘Stealing From The Dead’, a musical track with such energy you feel the devil is leading the dance in one of Tim Burton’s black and white films. Each track means a different mood: ‘Drive’ and ‘All Those Tomorrows’ have a feel of intimacy, whilst others like ‘Fair Trade’ are more rocky, more like the old McFadden but the man has mellowed lately and life seems less dark these days. With a song as moving and powerful as ‘Where Is Ferdinand’ about the death of a son, you feel the tears rolling down your face, but there’s still a ray of hope… Life is worth living if only to listen to the monument that is McFadden. Let’s hope we’ll soon have the chance to see him perform in the UK.

Frankie Pfeiffer/Nat Harrap

POKEY LAFARGE and the SOUTH CITY THREE Riverboat Soul

Free Dirt Records

When an artist employs the Kazoo in one of their songs (as Pokey Lafarge does in ‘Claude Jones’…and numerous others, come to think of it), you know you’ve exited the mainstream and entered the esoteric world of folk. This is no bad thing of course: thigh-slapping ho-down music, all upright bass and washboard, is probably due a comeback. Indeed, if you like country blues of Mississippi John Hurt et al, this is the album for you – the call and response vocals of ‘Two-Faced Tom’ reminded me of John the Revelator or Black Betty (the Iron Head version, not the Ram Jam version). The musicianship is excellent throughout, with some truly brilliant guitar work on ‘Won’t Make Love At All’ and ‘Hard Times Come And Go’, and some impressive harp playing on album closer ‘Daffodil Blues’. The problem lies in the fact that all of the songs sound rather similar, often following the exact same tempo, the only respite being the beautiful ballad, ‘Bag of Bones’. Now one cannot accuse Lafarge of contrivance or insincerity - this is a man who does over 200 gigs a year – but surely the yodelling on ‘Sweet Potato Blues’ strays dangerously close to parody? This leads me back to my original point: if you love country blues, give this a go; if not, look elsewhere.

Adam Bates

BILL STEWART On Top Of The World

RGF

In a clean and understated manner this album is one of the most honest and pure Blues albums I have heard from a white Brit and it bears listening to time and again. Stewart’s guitar style is simple with a fingerpicking purity of tone and some wicked slide work as well and his version of ‘Sittin’ On Top Of The World’, at least in part because he doesn’t try too hard, is one of the best I’ve heard. He tells stories like a folkie – ‘Who Do You Think You Are’ is the story of a Northeastern coal miner, or maybe every coal miner, at the end of his ‘career’ while ‘The Man In His Pin Striped Suit’ depicts the eternal class war and the plight of the downtrodden lower classes. Stewart wears his political heart on his sleeve but I seem to remember Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger doing the same thing and they didn’t turn out too badly. All over the album Stewart’s guitar catches the ear whether he is playing a reggae/flamenco riff or classic slide and he has the feel of a man whose playing is as natural as singing or even talking – I would hazard a guess that when he isn’t performing then he is still picking away at the machine for the sheer habit and pleasure of it. The album is a combination of his own songs, mainly as a witness to the decline of his beloved North East, and very different versions of classics – ‘Rollin’ and Tumblin’ sounds many leagues away from Muddy Waters but he still puts it over with real brio and you ‘get’ the song as if it were one of his own. All round a superb solo album with a real regional sound and some fine playing.

Andy Snipper

COREY HARRIS blu.black

Telarc

He might be signed to one of the mainstream blues record labels, but Corey Harris is definitely not your average blues musician. If you’re expecting an album of twelve bar rip-offs, with lyrics about women, whiskey and song – then you’re going to be disappointed. “blu.black” is a very personal record, taking in all aspects of black music from around the world. There is a lot of reggae and world music styles. It showcases his strengths as a singer and as a songwriter. There are many genuine highlights, including the stunning Gospel-infused ‘My Song’. It’s a natural heir to Bob Marley’s ‘Redemption Song’ and beautifully sung. The final track, called simply ‘blues’ does exactly what it says on the tin. It’s the only straight blues track on the whole album. While it does demonstrate why an artist like Corey Harris is on a label like Telarc, it’s not the reason you should hear this album. He’s still a great guitarist, but this is an album about songs – not fretwork. Corey Harris has pulled off a stunning mixture of musical styles from Africa,

the Caribbean and the Americas. Like the aforementioned Mr Marley, he has made it look very easy and his songs demand to be heard.

Jamie Hailstone

VARIOUS The World Is Yours

Freeworld

I thought that the compilation of a more than decent label sampler (budget) release was a lost art- but Freeworld proves me wrong with this 18 track set which shows the breadth of the label’s output, ranging across the roots music spectrum from folk and cajun to jazz and Bluesrock. To name only those of most immediate interest to readers: UK Blues-rocker Robin Trower has an excellent Hendrix-flavoured track in ‘Freefall’, veteran rhythm & Blues man Gary US Bonds (one of Bruce Springsteen’s influences) is in top form, the great Beausoleil provide some rootsy Louisiana sounds, Mitch Ryder has some bluesy funk, and Bloodkin are represented with some very blues inflected southern rock. There is also plenty of Americana, some singer-songwriter styled material and one or two numbers that defy easy categorisation – you even have John Coltrane’s son to close out the set. Worth investigating, and proof that the Blues influence is wider than many people think. The sleeve helpfully directs the reader/ listener to the original albums, so be ready to spend more after you’ve enjoyed this!

Norman Darwen

JEFF BECK

Emotion & Commotion

Atco

Seven years since the master’s last outing and I was really hoping for something more. The opener, ‘Corpus Christi’ is string-bound and while his playing impeccable there is no humanity in the piece – it sounds as though he was trying to prove the spiritual side of his nature but for me it misses. ‘Hammerhead’ is a massive slab of fusion with the band creating a huge beat and his guitar doing those things that only Jeff Beck can do on a Strat; close you eyes and you can see the shark attacking and chasing you across the ocean floor. ‘Never Alone’ is still in fusion territory but back to the slow and soulful playing – it is played brilliantly but there isn’t anything that a hundred other guitarists don’t/can’t do; I know he invented the form but the rest of the world has caught him. Then we hit prime radio 2 territory with ‘Over The Rainbow’. OMG, what schlock! ‘I Put A Spell On You’ featuring Joss Stone on vocals addresses the balance a little – great vocal and a fine version – but again he uses strings where bare simplicity would have been so much stronger. I will give him his due for ‘Lilac Wine’ and ‘Nessun Dorma’ where his guitar is absolutely fabulous. Pavarotti showed that you could do Nessun Dorma without the audience understanding or knowing the words and Beck’s playing

manages to bring over all the emotion in this hugely overblown but occasionally great piece. ‘There’s No Other One’ kicks booty with Joss Stone’s vocals going apeshit against Beck’s guitar and the whole thing comes down again ‘Elegy For Dunkirk’ taking us back to the mood that he opened the album with. I really wanted this to be a great album by one of the true guitar greats but he feels to have taken an easy path too often and there are just too many strings.

Andy Snipper

HERVE SAMB Cross Over

Self prod.

Born in Senegal, Hervé Samb is one of many African musicians to have settled in France. From a very early age, it becomes clear that the young guitar player has talent and he soon becomes one of those guitar phenomena, but the story doesn’t stop here. A genius with a six-string, he is also fascinated by the links between African and French musical cultures and the ties between the rhythms of his native country and black American music. This album is born from Hervé’s wish to bring together African and African-American communities. “Cross Over” is in fact a concept album, a true musical performance where jazz meets funk, where Blues merges with ancestral African rhythms. Each of the twelve tracks on this album has its own individual sparkle on this musical crossroad, each with its own luminosity and intensity. Some open the door to percussions and African drums, others are peppered with scratches bringing them a kind of urban touch. Each track takes you on a journey of its own and lovers of good music will happily wander through the many musical paths leading to a crossroad which touches heart and soul, a heart and soul which Hervé wants to share with you. With this album, there is also a fascinating booklet written by Hervé, giving you all the explanations helping you to live the songs rather than just follow them. Make sure you don’t miss this exciting and touching album.

Frankie Pfeiffer/Nat Harrap

EMIT BLOCH

Dictaphones Vol 1

One Little Indian

Mad, crazed and rough as a dog’s bottom – but all in a good way! This entire album was recorded on Emit Bloch’s kitchen table – on a Dictaphone! - and he has managed to make an album that makes Seasick Steve sound sophisticated; but this is also as much fun as the average joe can handle. He sings about anything that comes to mind – ‘My Cabin’ is a series of instructions about the route to Mr Bloch’s cabin, ‘Right Next Door’ is a diatribe against his neighbour, ‘Bottom-Class Middle Feeding Top Hat Duet’ recounts the sad tale of a riches to rags couple bemoaning their misfortunes – and his playing is rudimentary at best but for all his caterwauling and strangulated vocal performance he has real charm.

The album embodies true spirit – the old Bluesmen sang of the things that they saw and felt directly with little abstraction, folk music is all about true occurrences and legends while punk was all about doing it whether anyone thought you could play or not and all these are here in spirit. Anyone who has heard Frank Zappa’s recordings of Wild Man Fischer will recognise this album for what it is – true music from the head and heart of a man who needs to be heard. All this might seem like waffle but in truth it is impossible to talk about the quality of the music; he is a rare talent with no filters in his music and he is great to listen to if not great to hear.

Andy Snipper

CLASSIC APPALACHIAN BLUES Various

Smithsonian Folkways

As far as I am concerned the imprint ‘From Smithsonian Folkways’ is a guarantee that the contents will be well recorded, completely authentic and absolutely essential listening – this doesn’t change my opinion one jot. 21 tracks of utterly compelling early Blues with the added intrigue that they were recorded high up in the Appalachian mountains where one might more normally expect Bluegrass and vocal trios. No matter – what do you get here? The aforementioned 21 tracks and all of them crackers – Sticks McGee weighs in with opener ‘My Baby’s Gone’ playing some superb harmonica as well as his clear and open vocals and closes the album as well in the company of Sonny Terry & J C Burris doing ‘Drinking Wine Spo-Dee-ODee’. Doc Watson is superb finger-picking his way through ‘Sitting On Top Of The World’ while Bill Williams version of ‘Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down’ has a home-grown flavour and a tremulous but rich vocal over furious banjo playing. Everywhere there are examples of Blues being played live and without any effects but the music and the emotional content comes through without any effort or impediment and there are some numbers that could easily have come from Chicago or Clarksdale – The Reverend Gary Davis picking his way through ‘Hesitation Blues’ or Brownie McGhee with a heartfelt ‘Pawn Shop Blues’ telling us how he pawned his clothes, radio and even his car before pawning his guitar. A favourite, through repeated listening, is Martin, Bogan and Armstrong with an eerie live recording of ‘Hoodoo Blues’ featuring Howard Armstrong’s fiddle and Ted Bogan on guitar - 5 minutes of Blues perfection. As ever with Smithsonian Folkways releases there is an excellent booklet with genuinely interesting tales to tell about every track as well.

Andy Snipper

GORDIE TENTREES Mercy Or Sin

Self Released

Gordie Tentrees is from Yukon Territory, the most north westerly part of Canada bordering Alaska. From this rustic and cold environment Tentrees has made an album of enormous warmth and depth. It is his third album, and though he may have passed under the radar in this country, he is well worth eventual discovery. There is great variety, from the folksy tale ‘Alfred’ to the percussive and Bluesy ‘No Integrity Man’. Slide guitar adds suitable cry to the maternal tribute ‘Hey Mama’, which treads a careful path between emotion and sentimentality. Rocking tracks like ‘Devil Talks’ combine a strong lyrical content with powerful backing and will be favourites at his live performances. As well as acoustic guitar Tentrees plays dobro and rack mounted harmonica, and the interspersion of reflective country Blues songs between the full band performances maintains interest throughout an excellent album, that seems to improve with every listen. All but two of the twelve tunes are written or co-written by Tentrees, and the highlight is a fine duet with Jennie Sosnowski in the title track, replete with light percussion and pedal steel it perfectly paints a picture...”Like touching earth against a prairie wind she’s full of trouble and hell I’m all in”. Wonderful.

Noggin

CURTIS JONES Live in London

BGO Records

This is a re-issued and re-mastered recording of a1963 gig at West Hampstead. Curtis Jones is a name that seems to have been somewhat lost in the sands of time and is a completely new name to me. I imagine that he was somewhat overshadowed by some of the more illustrious black blues artists who were touring in the UK at the time. Names such as Memphis Slim, Champion Jack Dupree, Roosevelt Sykes and others; it is sad to say it but Curtis Jones does not seem to be quite in their same league. The music on this is really rather ordinary although the package is lifted by Andrew Thompson’s excellent job of re-mastering and a cover graced by one of Val Wilmer’s typically stunning portraits. There is historical interest here with the presence of Alexis Korner on guitar and the album gives a good idea of the type of live blues that was extant in London at the time. The CD booklet contains two essays – Paul Oliver’s dating from 1964, and Tony Russell from 2009. Paul Oliver’s essay is interestingly detailed on what was a typically hard lived blues life. They tend to draw two rather opposite conclusions about Curtis Jones worth as an artist. There are 14 tracks of pretty standard piano led blues and I shall leave the listener to side with Mr. Oliver or Mr. Russell.

Vicky Martin

GUITAR SHORTY

Bare Knuckle

Alligator Records

It’s hard to believe when listening to the twelve tracks of this album that the singer and guitar player has just hit 70. Still, David William Kearney was born three years before Jimi Hendrix, in September 1939, and grew up to become one of the more established names in Bruce Iglauer’s record label, Alligator Records. And it is the same Bruce who co-writes the opening track of this album, ‘Please Mr President’. Heavily influenced by B.B. King, T. Bone Walker and Guitar Slim, who he toured with, Guitar Shorty has created a very personal and highly recognisable style. He has a fiendish fluidity with a guitar and releases sharp and tense notes which merge effortlessly in a background of powerful percussions. Nothing seems to stop him, just check out the tracks he has written with his bass player, Wyzard, which seem to have been made so that the old guitar player becomes a young prodigy of the six-string again. Keep an ear out for ‘The Sting’ and ‘Get Off’ which Guitar Shorty makes his own absolutely. It is one of the strengths of this album to make us believe that each track, whether covers or originals, has been especially made for this album. A quality of sound to which must be added the talent of the musicians who perform on this album and which names will help you understand why it deserves to be added to your CD collection: Keb Mo, Rickey Rouse, Alex Alessandroni, Spacey T. and many more.

Frankie Bluesy Pfeiffer and Nat Harrap

PHILIP SAYCE Innerevolution

Provogue

“Innerevolution” is the third album from the Aberystwyth born, former sidesman to Jeff Healey, and easily his best so far. While the high energy, fluid guitar playing and powerful guitar riffs from “Peace Machine” are present in spades; there is also a greater emphasis on song writing and melody. Collaborations with Richard Marx and Marti Frederiksen has undoubtedly contributed to a slight change in approach. The result is a cohesive and powerful release of Blues influenced rock, not for the fainthearted. A drum roll kicks off the opening ‘Changes’ before layers of feedback and a distinctive guitar melody. It’s immediately apparent from the opening lyrics that Sayce’s vocals are as impressive as his fiery guitar playing. The Hendrix influence that characterises his previous work can be heard on the funky ‘Scars’ and psychedelic Blues of ‘Little Miss America.’ There’s a catchy cover of the Automatic Man song ‘My Pearl’ whilst ‘Are You Ready’ features has a Celtic tinged melody. The pace does relent at times, particularly on the piano led ‘Daydream Tonight’ and insightful slow burner ‘Anymore’. Sandwiched between them is the hard rocking ‘Take You Away’, which has a pulsating trademark Sayce riff. This is Sayce’s most polished album in respect of song writing, sonics and performance with the balance of light and shade certain to widen his fan base. -

Duncan Beattie

MICHAEL LANDAU, ROBBEN

FORD, JIMMY HASLIP & GARY NOVAK

Renegade Creation

Provogue

Given the pedigree of the players on this album, it is somewhat a surprise that this release has slipped out with little fanfare. Robben Ford with top session guitarist Michael Landau, bassist Jimmy Haslip and drummer Gary Novak. It commences with Landau’s ‘What’s Up’ which features some great interplay between the guitarists, however, it’s not before track four, ‘God and Rock ‘N Roll’, that the disc really starts to heat up, with the initial verses being followed up by some powerful instrumentation. The centrepiece of the album is the slow Blues of the band co-write ‘The Darkness’. The lyrics, sung by Ford, speak of loneliness with an atmospheric mood of reflection provided by both guitarists. ‘Renegade Destruction’ is far more direct with Landau angrily snarling the politically tinged lyrics. The guitarists harmonise in more melodic fashion on ‘Peace’ while ‘Who Do You Think You Are’ builds up the momentum as the two guitarists exchange Blues guitar licks. The album will attract the fans of both Ford and Landau and general fans of electric guitar playing. However, as a consequence of the album primarily comprising songs by either Ford or Landau there are only periodic intervals in which they step beyond their respective musical styles. One example of this is the lengthy jazz fusion of ‘Brothers’ which does see each member throw of their shackles as the playing of Haslip and Novak is offered a greater stage, thus coming closer to the musical tour de force that was expected.

Duncan Beattie

FEED ME Blood On The Moon

myspace.com/ feedmerightnow

This review is of the 5-track EP that preceded the release of the full 11-track CD of the same name. Feed Me is a young five-piece from Cumbria, currently making their way in the Blues world. They’re more rock than blues, with heavy, riff-driven guitar to the fore. The songs are all originals written by the band, which is to be commended, and they exhibit bags of raw energy and enthusiasm. Interestingly, they describe themselves as ‘the nonblues blues band’. Their influences are clearly the great rock bands of the late 60s and early 70s. The singer J J Fletcher has a voice with some character that puts the band above the norm in this increasingly crowded field and makes them in some ways reminiscent of Free but perhaps not as distinctive as that great band. The guitars

work well together and the rhythm section is tight. The CD suggests that they are likely to go down very well live and tracks such as ‘Lonely Blues’ have the hallmark of crowdpleasers.. There is light and shade on this set too, with the pleasant acoustic guitar-led ‘Country Blues’ suggesting that the band can tackle different styles. Like a number of young bands and solo guitarist/singers emerging at this time, Feed Me would have fitted right in with the late 1960s/early 1970s scene as rock music developed from Blues. This isn’t to damn the band as doing something ‘old’ because for a great many young people, this kind of music is a whole new and exciting thing. As Seasick Steve often says ‘It’s all good’. Feed Me could well emerge as one of the more successful of the bands in this vein, especially if their songwriting develops into something with more individuality.

Mark Harrison

ALABAMA MIKE Day To Day

Jukehouse Records

Upon the basis of “Day To Day” the Bay Area Blues Society have recently selected Benjamin ‘Alabama’ Mike as 2010 Blues New Artist of the Year. This is his highly promising debut release, produced by Scott Silveira, who uncovered Mike in Berkeley, California. The majority of the songs on the CD are self-composed and they touch many of the regular Blues basis points. ‘Religion’ musically is a lengthened version of ‘How Blue Can You Get’ whilst ‘Lay My Money Down’ resembles the late John Lee Hooker. Elmore James is a strong influence and the album includes two of his songs in ‘Knocking At Your Door’ and the more laidback ‘Strange Angels’. The album features an array of Californian musicians; most notably John Lawton on slide guitar particularly prominent on the James inspired ‘Sara Brown’ and a fast tempo version of ‘Death Letter Blues’ while John Nemeth adds harp to ‘I’ve Been Rocked’. Although the arrangements may seem familiar, the lyrical themes are current, notably on the title track. Vocally Mike sounds close to Johnny Copeland and ‘Naggin’ could almost have featured on the “Showdown” album he recorded with Albert Collins and Robert Cray. Fans of the latter will also be keen to hear Mike’s interpretation of ‘Too Many Cooks,’ which is given a Latin flavour. Although it would be inaccurate to suggest that this album seriously breaks new ground, it is one highly recommended to fans of Chicago style Blues.

Duncan Beattie

THE ERIC RANZONI TRIO

Live At ‘Round Midnight Blues Bar’

Self Issued

Eric Ranzoni is an Italian Blues Pianist, living in London (from what I can glean) and playing music from all over the Southern States and Chicago. He plays music that you would love to hear in a bar at midnight, with a smoky haze

coming down from the ceiling and a large shot of bourbon in your gut. Classic jamming Blues with a big smile and knowing wink and played well enough if not exactly worldshatteringly well. Every number here is a well-worn piece of Blues history: Memphis Slim’s ‘Lonesome Traveller’ and ‘Mother Earth’, ‘Rollin’ & Tumblin’, a couple of Willie Dixon numbers – ‘Hoochie Coochie Man’ & ‘Little Red Rooster’ – and more. Ranzoni is a pretty fair pianist with a great left hand and good rhythm while Julien D’Imperio blows a mean and soulful harp – Lewis Fielding’s guitar is best as a melody instrument, solos not so good, but the thing that takes most getting used to is Ranzoni’s vocal; he definitely understands everything he is singing but he hasn’t got the raunch and dirtyness to get the best out of the songs while his accent tends to make itself known from time to time. But that is nitpicking; the overall result here is an album that is a good listen and makes you want to go and see the band live and in my book that is a winning roll. The Blues doesn’t need to be played with classical attention to detail and trios like this one are an ideal way to hear the great numbers played without slavish copying of the originals or blowing you out of your seat. Enjoyable and my guess is that they are a great night out.

Andy Snipper

DON RAY BAND On Top Of The Heap

Margdon Records

The opening track

‘The High Road’ is confident and introduces Don’s vocals and Steve Brewster on drums haven taken up the sticks from Don. The whole album allows all the members to demonstrate their solid musicianship and confidence each other’s skills; ‘I might Say Goodbye’ has the delightful combination of don’s soulful voice and burning guitar riffs supplied by Curt. Don Ray Band on tracks such as ‘Good Bad Boy’ have a distinct nod towards country though never leaving behind the blues, on this track there is the use of female backing vocals which is a layer of sound too many , the lyrics tell the story and do not need this embellishment. The title track ‘On Top Of The Heap’ rounds this CD of and is a skilful combination of traditions from Blues and Country lyrics (religion and poverty) with a modern relevance of the credit crunch and leaves you wanting to see the band live which I am positive would be a foot stomping energetic affair. Don Ray may have left the drums and backstage position behind him, this well produced Bluesy rock album with his strong vocals has proved the walk to the front of the band was the right one – “On Top Of The Heap” is a CD that may not challenge the listener but will definitely not disappoint in the competent delivery of songs written by Don Ray and Curt Ryle.

Liz Aiken

MARK SELBY One Night In Bonn: Live At Rockpalast

Pepper Cake

Mark Selby fronts a power trio that does no-nonsense straight- down-theline blues rock, with the accent on rock. He has a strong voice and decent guitar chops, as a lead player throwing out some nice clean lines. Within the blues/rock field, there’s some variety here. There’s the raunchy chord work in the Stones mould of the opener, ‘She’s Like Mercury’, plenty of rock boogie, some funky grooves such as in ‘I Stole Your Love’, and the odd slower number such as the ballad ‘Baby I Do’. There’s also some nice slide work on ‘More Storms Comin’, a particularly effective number. Mark Selby has some pedigree as a songwriter in Nashville in the area of country/pop, and he has written material for Kenny Wayne Shepherd. As a solo artist he’s firmly embraced the blues rock genre. All the songs are originals he has co-written with a variety of partners. There’s the odd well-crafted song such as ‘Blue On Black’ but much of the material is pretty generic and formulaic, both musically and lyrically, and he doesn’t appear to be trying to break any new ground. The rhythm section of Charles ‘Chopper’ Anderson on bass and Daryl ‘DB’ Burgess on drums is a particularly good one and would grace any band. The CD sound is very good and you get plenty of music for your money. Mark Selby and his band are perfectly good at what they do and this recording indicates that they go down very well live. Though it might be fair to say that this record is more competent than inspired, it would be a worthy addition to a blues/rock lover’s collection.

Mark Harrison

BLUE TRAFFIC

More Tales Along The Way

Unsigned

This much awaited CD from everyone who follows this exciting rock/blues bands from the Rhondda Valleys doesn’t disappoint. BLUE TRAFFIC have succeeded in “More Tales Along The Way”, transporting their distinctive loud sound into the studio. Dave Williams combination of lyrical rock voice with accomplished guitar playing shines out thanks to the solid support from Wayne Jones (Bass) and Meirion Sampson (Drums).Their signature live track, ‘Twist in The Tale’ opens the CD it is a strong fast track setting the tone of the CD and keeps on the Blues side of Rock as demonstrated when the track is repeated in acoustic form. The tracks ‘Toucan Moon’; ‘Drinking and Thinking’ and ‘Moon Over Mountain’ all demonstrate their skills with thoughtful lyrics and harmonised musicianship. The CD moves at a pace but is not a race with each track having a different tempo and ‘Tippie Taboo’ is a fun track alluding to Voodoo Chile with definite Hendrix inspired guitar licks combined with Dave Williams lyrics evoking

psychedelic rock. The CD ends with two unexpected Hawkwind covers that complete the first recorded out of BLUE TRAFFIC; hopefully not the last and the CD will enable these three talented musicians to have a wider fan base outside of Wales. “More Tales Along The Way” is a great CD for anyone’s collection who want a live sound through their living room stereo.

Liz Aiken

CHARLES WALKER I’m Available

Superbird Records

Veteran Charles Walker is a familiar figure from his UK tours. This reissue of his 1999 album with five extra tracks contains eighteen at 75 minutes. Tremendous value. This is stomping Soul Blues at it’s very best and ‘Homewrecking Legs’ sees him set out his stall at the outset. The backing band is refreshingly free from frills and is led by producer Fred James on rhythm, searing lead guitar and electric piano, who has a huge influence on proceedings, also writing the CD’s accompanying explanatory history. Bass, drums, organ, sax and various backing vocalists complete the ensemble. ‘Make It Rain’ is a real tour de force showing Walker’s vocal style to perfection, with impassioned and emotive power punctuated by equally evocative guitar work. Plenty of variety too, with the rap style vocal on ‘Nothing A Young Girl Can Do’ leading to the classic soul of ‘Need Somebody’.His phrasing is crystal clear with a warm, at times husky timbre, and good range, and is always totally at ease without being too much in his comfort zone. ‘The Tattler’ is a lovely catchy piece that I have hitherto associated with Linda Ronstadt. The original format closes with ‘The Very Thing That Makes You Rich’ in gospel style with lovely atmospheric background vocals from the Kinglets. The bonus tracks are no mere fillers and sit seamlessly with the original material. ‘They All Look Better In Greeen’ is a monster slab of R’n’B with Johnny Jones featuring on lead guitar and a great set ends with ‘The Blues Is In The House’ with fervent vocal and deft scintillating guitar runs. Many of the tracks are over four minutes giving the artist and the listener chance to really engage. Thoroughly recommended, you may even want to trade in your existing copy for this extended version. Wonderful stuff!

Bob Chaffey

SAM CARR’S DELTA JUKES Live In Europe

Superbird Records

The son of legendary bluesman Robert Nighthawk, drummer Sam Carr was blues aristocracy. Before his untimely death in 2009, Carr had, in a career spanning six decades, played with such talents as Sonny Boy

Williamson II, and of course, his famous father. Recorded in November 2000 at the Lucerne Blues Festival, Switzerland, this live album displays Carr’s formidable talents on the drum stool as part of his Delta Jukes Band. Before you have nightmarish visions of Moby Dick-style 30-minute drum solos however, rest assured that this is not the case: the consummate professional, Carr is content on this album to keep his rock-steady rhythm and let his bandmates do their thing. Indeed (and this is no criticism of Carr), the standout performers on this album are undoubtedly John Weston - who’s southern drawl fits the bill perfectly, and who contributes some more than competent harmonica playing – and lead guitarist Dave Riley, who’s smooth, soulful guitar licks are writ large on every song. The outstanding track on the album is surely ‘The Blues Got Me’, in which Weston (who wrote nearly every track) and Riley let rip over a relaxed, Sonny Boy Williamson-esque rhythm. Perhaps the only criticism one can have is that every song becomes ultimately a platform for the musicians’ formidable talents – every song having a guitar and harmonica solo. Indeed Sam Carr and bassist Jeff Davis are the only people in the band seemingly content to keep it simple. That said, there is genuinely not a bad track on the album, with the playing always tasteful in the jam-band format. This was a very tight band, making it all the sadder that in 2005, John Weston passed away too, leaving this snapshot of legendary musicians at the height of their powers.

Adam Bates

SUGAR BAYOU Nowhere But Gone and Dance Hall Incident

Vocalicon Records

If you like tea with one sugar, one is just right and two is one too many. These two releases by Sugar Bayou from Texas are separated by four years, and show that the long break was not wasted; there is a clear shift for the better between them, as though someone has rescued the undissolved second lump of granulated sweetness before it hits the fillings in your teeth.

‘Nowhere But Gone’ is a perfectly serviceable collection of particularly hard to pin down tunes which never elevates you as you guiltily feel it should. Bluegrass, country gospel folk may sum things up, but the thesaurus could be thoroughly tested; their own description of “eclectic acoustic Americana” is somehow a little ambiguous. The simple ‘Sometimes We’re Kids’ is simple, clean poignancy, and ‘To Have & To Hold’ is pleasantly gospel, but despite Joe Lindley’s affable mandolin and April Rapier’s milky vocal this may be a little sickly if you like entertainment a bit more hairy chested. ‘Dance Hall Incident’ is rather more engaging. Beginning with the notably catchy Galveston (not Glen Campbell’s classic) starting off proceedings, a lofty standard is set and adhered to throughout. ‘He’s Just Weak’ stands out for those of a less manicured persuasion

unmoved by its consistently precise finger picking, and John Mills’ ribald saxophone is a welcome dose of naughtiness. There is welcome light and shade not always evident in the first album, exemplified by ‘Salt Creek’- a traditional bluegrass instrumental to amuse and enchant with some dexterous musicality, beautifully complemented by some dreamy harmonies in ‘I Will Wait‘. ’Funny Thing About Love’ has a jazzy groove which showcases Rapier’s balmy voice in all its creamy glory. Sugar Bayou are traditional, undeniably accomplished but perhaps a little unsurprising and maybe too homogenized for rufty tufty blues audiences . We’re back to tea. A very pleasant pot for two, drink unsweetened for best results.

Richard Thomas

RADNEY FOSTER AND THE CONFESSIONS

Revival

Devils River Records

I was a little guilty of judging a book by the cover when this arrived first. The band and album titles plus some of the track titles seemed to indicate that this was going to be an album of music religious music. Instead of which it is a contemporary album of cuts that are happy and also lifts your spirits along the way. For sure Radney is deeply in touch with and in love with his music so much so that this just pours out of the speakers. This is an affirmation of all that is good within peoples, hope, love, support, forgiveness, fun etc. The music itself is certainly towards the Rock, infused with touches of Country, end of the spectrum rather than pure Blues. Whatever it is though it moves along at pace and I rather liked it. I suppose ‘A Little Revival’ is appropriate as the opener as being up-tempo it sets the stall out for what is to follow in ‘Forgiveness’ and ‘Until It’s Gone’. Bizarrely the start of the latter reminds me of the beginning of Ballroom Blitz by The Sweet, you know that highly catchy call and response thing followed by lines that you just have to sing along with. Anyway by the time ‘Second Chances’ comes by you are completely hooked by these songs. I loved the poignancy of the little boy at first “hiding from a whippin’” and his dad surprising him with only words of understanding in ‘I Know You Can Hear Me’. If you experience the same lift in your mood when you wrap your ears around this album as I did, then maybe, that is the kind of religion we could all do with. -

Graeme Scott

Force set out their musical vision with a no-frills performance of solid, out and out hard Blues rock. “Musica De Los Muertos” is this international trio’s third album and what a cracker it is, with thirteen original Southern styled songs. The band is made up of British singer and guitarist Mark Elliott, German drummer Hanns Haurein and Swiss bassist Beat Schaub. Lyrics of Whiskey, women, low down cars and sleazy bars abound as they paint an aural picture of outlaws and life outside the law. Indeed, the picture that accompanies the CD sleeve makes them appear to be a real bunch of bad boys. Tracks like ‘Break FreeThe Prisoners Blues’ the lament of being accused when innocent, ‘Gotta Go’ with its great slide solo, ‘Lemon Skies’ sounding like a Led Zep outtake, complete with wailing vocals a la Plant all add to the band’s hard rock status. ‘Lies’ is a slow Blues rocker with a tasty guitar solo middle. The Force have taken much of what was good about the seventies and added their own twist to provide a balanced and solid sound, somewhere between Michael Katon and The Almighty. Elliott’s voice is perfect vehicle for this style and the band gel perfectly together. I really enjoyed this release!

Merv Osborne

NICK GRAVENITES

Bluestar

Renaissance Records

THE FORCE

Musica De Los Muertos

Suisa

From the opening power chords of ‘Nightriders’, The

Although Gravenites’ name may not be automatically recognisable, he played a significant role in the blues revival in the USA in the late 1960s. Coming from the same white crowd of Chicago based musicians as Paul Butterfield and Michael Bloomfield; Gravenites composed their song ‘Born in Chicago’ before becoming a member of The Electric Flag and Big Brother & The Holding Company. “Bluestar,” was only his second solo album released in 1980. It features Gravenites on guitar and vocals with the contributions of bassist Pete Sears (Jefferson Starship), harmonica player Huey Lewis and John Cipollina (Quicksilver Messenger Service). Combined they produce a fine collection of rocking Blues tunes. It commences with the funky ‘Junkyard In Malibu’ which provides some upbeat San Franciscan swagger. ‘Bye Bye’ has a catchy chorus and some great interplay between guitarists Gravenites and Cipollina with Lewis on harp. A more conventional Chicago style is present on ‘Who’s Out There’ and a feisty take on ‘Down In The Bottom’. The more subdued songs really demonstrate Gravenites’ fine songwriting, in particular ‘Blues Back Off’ which reflects on the history of the genre and includes a stellar guitar solo before the autobiographical ‘Southside’ where the gravel throated Gravenites recalls those early days in Chicago’s blues clubs. This re-release of an album long out of print contains three bonus songs, the best of which is a sombre run through ‘Nobody’s Fault But Mine’.

Duncan Beattie

NICKMOSS

Privileged (BB1014)

After seven critically-acclaimed releases, Nick Moss is taking a fresh approach and heading in an exciting new direction on Privileged Includes a stunning version of Cream’s classic “Politician,” as well as powerful new Moss originals, “Tear ’Em Down,” “Born Leader,”“Georgia Redsnake” and “Privileged At Birth”!

“Nick’s new CD just rocks! He balances traditional roots blues with a fresh new approach and an ‘out of the trad’box’ sound.I applaud him.” –JIMMY

THACKERY

KILBORN ALLEY BLUES BAND

Better Off Now (BB1015)

Their third and best release to date! In the liner note, Bill Dahl writes,“These guys dish up back-alley blues,anguished soul ballads,and churning R&B workouts,comfortably playing all of them,because unlike so many of their peers,they comprehend the inexorable connections between each genre and make them their own.”

“This is not only KABB’s best album to date,it is one of the best blues albums I’ve heard for some time.” –BLUES IN BRITAIN

MATTHEW STUBBS

Medford &Main (BB1013)

As a bandleader and composer,guitarist Matthew Stubbs has earned himself a reputation for his ability to write tremendously catchy instrumentals—a cocktail of Memphis Soul,Blues,R&B,Surf,Rock n’ Roll and Groove,all perfectly mixed together. Winner of 2009 Blues Audience Mag Award for “Outstanding Guitarist”!

“This young man is a real find,an absolute master of his instrument,comfortable in a variety of styles,writes fabulous tunes… a real winner!” –BLUES & RHYTHM

CASH BOX KINGS

I-94 Blues (BB1016)

The Cash Box Kings are another sign the Chicago blues scene is alive and well! You can’t go wrong with a super-tight core group (Joe Nosek,Kenny Smith, Chris Boeger and Oscar Wilson),joined here by ‘honorary’ Kings like Billy Flynn, Barrelhouse Chuck and Steve Freund!

“A textbook lesson in classic Chicago blues, I-94 Blues is brimming with bravado and impulsive musical spirit… a can’t-miss effort.” –ELMORE

MITCH LADDIE This Time Around

Provogue Records

Last but not least of the four new arrivals from Provogue brings us up to the Newcastle area and this trio of fine Blues players. Mitch is not yet twenty but his skill over the fretboard is well advanced. It is clear that, while possessing undoubted natural abilities, he has been absorbing a lot of influences from players both old and new. There is of course no player on earth who has not learned from listening to countless records, practising for thousands of hours and then learning stagecraft by getting out there in front of audiences. Mitch, bass player Rhian Wilkinson and drummer Lee Clifford have done all that and it shows. Fireworks abound on the instrumental opening track ‘Awakening (Intro)’ and then the mood changes completely into a slow Blues ‘Here’s A Drink’. Interestingly the simple bass and drum lines fairly smoulder creating the atmosphere over which Mitch layers his vocal and guitar parts. ‘Get You Back’ is pure BB King but selfpenned. Talking of the great man the album closes with a fine extended live duet of BB’s ‘Rock Me Baby’ with the mighty Walter Trout. Trading licks and vocals you can hear Walter urging Mitch to ever-greater fretwork. This he more than accomplishes and at times, were it not for the stereo separation, it would truly be hard to say who was playing what. The only other cover is a Blues Funk take on ‘Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag’. It is always pleasing to hear home grown talent producing high quality music and Mitch certainly is doing that.

Graeme Scott

TAMIKREST Adagh

Glitterhouse Records

The album should be subtitled “Desert Blues” as these two words best describe the Band; firstly they are based in the Sahara desert area north of Mali and their music, sung in the Tamashek language, is about their plight and lives in exile. The band are led by Lead Guitarist and vocalist Ousmane Ag Mossa, accompanied by two Rhythm guitarists they integrate with the more traditional “loop” African drums & percussion , several female back up vocalist are on hand to provide the “wailing” tribal sounds, while this is not over used, it does start to grate at times. World music is starting to receive more air time and this album is a good example of the loose Blues style that is being played throughout the world, songs being song in the local language do not create a problem, especially as the excellent package has an English version lyric sheet. A thought provoking album that highlights that the electric guitar does have a role within traditional music.

Adrian Blacklee

LONNIE DONEGAN Just About As Good As It Gets Vol. 2

Smith & Co

A double CD, this collection takes us through over 50 of Donegan’s skiffle recordings between 1952 and 1959. Amongst the best known songs are the hillbilly ‘Does Your Chewing Gum Lose It’s Flavour’, ‘Grand Coulee Dam’ and ‘Sally Don’t You Grieve’, the latter one of several to feature Miki and Griff on vocal include the contributions Ian Menzies and The Clyde Valley Stompers. ‘ Of interest are songs of Ledbelly and Alan Lomax which feature prominently and include ‘Jack O’ Diamonds’, ‘Long Summer Day’ and ‘Go Down Hammer’, whilst his version of Terry and McGhee’s ‘Glory’ is also a standout. There are some interesting rarities, including a very different version of ‘Gamblin Man’, which appeared in the British film “Light Fingers”; three songs recorded for French radio in 1954, which included the standard ‘Midnight Special’ and a home recording of ‘Black Snake Moan.’ The latter track in particular indicates Donegan’s penchant for the Blues, in an era when the likes Blind Lemon Jefferson were still unknown to many British artists. Likewise there’s a hint of the songs of the future with ‘I’m Just A Rolling Stone’ and ‘The Sunshine Of Your Love. Aside from some great songs it is clear Donegan has a profound impact on the future direction of modern music and this collection will be welcome to casual fans and completists alike.

Duncan Beattie

AFTER MIDNIGHT

Classic Cream

Petagon Records

After Midnight is a Tynside based long standing tribute band to Eric Clapton formed by guitarist and frontman Mike Hall, John Forster on bass and vocals and Vince Mason on drums. Hall was a long-term fan of the band having seen them in 1967. Prompted by Cream’s brief reunion for Live Aid in 1985, he formed After Midnight later that year. Judging from the photo Hall features a great similarity with Clapton and from this recording it is apparent he can play very much like him too. Recorded at the Duke Of Wellington in Newcastle in 2004, this is a 20 song recording features primarily the repertoire of Cream with a couple of additional tracks from the Bluesbreakers, notably the legendry version of ‘Hideaway’. All the classics are featured including ‘Sunshine of Your Love’, ‘Spoonful’, ‘Badge’ ‘White Room’ and Politician’, combined with some lesser known tracks such as ‘Cat’s

Squirrel, ‘Sleeping Time Time’ and ‘Lawdly Mama’. The collection commences with a slow version of ‘Crossroads’ and closes with a fiery version of the same song. In addition there is electrifying versions of some of the Blues tracks that Cream made their own notably ‘Stepping Out’, ‘Outside Woman Blues’ and ‘Spoonful’. The sound on the recording is slightly muffled at times which could be argued adds slightly to the authenticity of the sound. If one was to ask does this accurately represent the live shows by Cream in the 1960s, then it would be fair to say it does not, the brilliance of the live improvised work is not fully explored, the original band would have been unlikely to have time to perform 20 songs in one evening. It would be unfair to look at it in that contest, as the playing here is more than competent in a selection that for the most part replicates the album versions of these songs. In summary this CD is both a testament to some of the original innovators and a fine indication that After Midnight would be a great live experience for fans of the original band.

Duncan Beattie

HUNGRY AND THE HAUNTED

Magic Bullets

Panic Music

Hungry & The Haunted are a quartet led by guitarist and front man Azam Khan who have in the last few years supported both Eric Clapton and Paul Weller. “Magic Bullets, mastered by Ace from Skunk Anansie is a hard edged affair which bridges Blues, rock and punk. From the opening lyrics of the upbeat ‘This Time’, where he verbalises “This time I’m ready for anything…This time I’ll take on anyone…” the album recites his isolation as a Muslim living in London during the war on terror. The theme continues with stories of living on the backstreets, the plight of the neglected and less fortunate and police intimidation. It’s a record that changes mood from anger and resentment to reflection and loneliness. Khan’s hoarse vocals are the dominant feature, yet underlying it is his impressive guitar work, which swings from the fierce sounding punk of ‘Bite The Bullet’ to the more melodic ‘Heaven’s Gate’. During ‘Laughing At The Hurricane’ Khan sings that Blues is his companion, yet it’s probably true to state the album is probably for those of a heavier musical taste. Certainly, while ‘Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned’ lyrically touches on the words of Skip James, musically “Magic Bullets” recalls far closer the sound of the Clash or Motorhead than Muddy Waters.

Duncan Beattie

the current vogue among some young American bands for all things late 60s/early 70s, with nods to all the great artists of that era, like Neil Young and the aforementioned Mr Dylan. The album’s lead single ‘Be Brave’ is the stand-out track and has an ‘Exile On Main Street’ era Rolling Stones swagger to it. The rest of the album has a rough, ragged and occasionally sleazy vibe to it. Singer Ryan Sambol’s vocals do have a tendency to lurch from early Bob Dylan (listenable) to late Bob Dylan (annoying). His voice is something of an acquired taste and people will either love it or loathe it. His croaking turn on ‘You Can’t Only Love When You Want’ will either make or break you. The album’s 12 tracks clock in at just over half an hour and while it’s a good record, but it’s also one that never quite reaches the levels of greatness that the single ‘Be Brave’ suggests. There are other outfits – like Delta Spirit and Blitzen Trapper – who are currently exploring similar musical avenues and they do so with more power and confidence.

Jamie Hailstone

TALLAN LATZ Demo (EP)

www.tallanlatz.com

This EP is the first release by Tallan “T-Man” Latz who at the age of 10 has received a large amount of attention in the USA including performing on stage with Les Paul and Jackson Browne and notably appearing in the 2009 series of “America’s Got Talent”. The four songs on this CD indicate his incendiary guitar skills where originals ‘Other World’ and ‘Kid In The Region’ are powerful statements of intent. It’s not all flash as the cover of Buddy Guy’s ‘Damn Right I Got The Blues’ ably demonstrates. As expected Tatz’s vocals reveal his youth, and it’s truly amazing to realise guitar work this good comes from one so young. The final take is ‘Voodoo Child’, many versions of this have been recorded and this version is up there with the best of them. We will hear far more of this young talent in the years ahead.

Duncan Beattie

ANDREW VLADECK The Wheel Ends Up

STRANGE BOYS

Be Brave

Rough Trade

The spirit of Robert Zimmerman haunts this second album by Texans garage rock outfit Strange Boys. It continues

Andrew Vladeck is a New York City, The Wheel is the first release in 4 years by New York City resident and former Urban Park Ranger Andrew Vladeck. In addition to playing guitar on this album, he pl, ukulele, autoharp and harmonica whilst ably backed by a fine set of musicians who provide bass, drums, organ and accordion. These contribute to provide a cohesive collection of songs with interesting arrangements and distinctive use of instrumentation. ‘Chinatown’ features a

banjo played through a Fender Twin amplifier providing the filling behind a slide guitar. The two takes of ‘The Twenty First Century’ are of interest, the electric version could be described as alt county, the acoustic version that closes the album is an altogether darker affair and sounds like a modern style of folk. Sadly though the collection is flawed by Vladeck’s vocal prowess, which in truth do make this album difficult to listen to in its entirety. It’s a shame as there is potential to tracks like the folk song ‘The Magnet and The Songs you Inspire’ which won 1st Place in an International Songwriting Competition. It is apt the opening track is entitled ‘Hold Me Back’ as it may well be that someone needs to do so until Vladeck makes a decision about this crucial and disappointing aspect to this musical output.

Duncan Beattie

BAMJIMBA Into The Dance

Bamjimba JIMCD3

Hailing from just north of Preston, Lancashire, Jimba has been around since the sixties, having had drumming lessons from Ginger Baker and playing a vast variety of music since then. He worked recently with Lancaster’s Bluesrockers Underground Ballroom, and this, his third album, moves more towards a Blues sound, though that was also discernible on his previous two outings, generally categorised as dub and reggae. Jimba is not one to be typecast though – here you will encounter North African ghita and North Indian flute passages, alongside slide guitar, some fierce Blues-rock, modern dance music, a funky New Orleans brass band, Celtic fiddle, bluegrass sounds, and a ghostly quote from Doctor John’s ‘Walk On Gilded Splinters’, whilst the pounding northern(ish) soul of ‘All That You Have’ contains quotes from just about every classic sixties soul record you have ever heard (and I’m not joking!) It is impressive to hear how Jimba has actually created a coherent and individual album out of these seemingly disparate elements; probably one of the most inventive albums you are likely to hear this year (or any other come to that!)

Norman Darwen

DIRTMUSIC BKO

Glitterhouse Records

Oh dear! Where to start! Sometimes you get an album coming along that just blows your mind and you are left feeling a tad inadequate in terms of how to write something coherent down. I have lived with this album for about a month now and each time I play it I get more worried. In the end perhaps the best way to approach this is as simply possible. This is a stunning body of work. Aurally it is wonderful with a tapestry of sounds

and textures that just enraptures you. As I understand it Dirtmusic were in Mali for a festival but beforehand just started to play with local Tuareg band Tamikrest. Luckily someone had a recorder in the tent and subsequently a lot of the sounds; chants and rhythms recorded at that jam have been integrated into what became known as the Tent Sessions Tapes. This album recorded a year later, again in Mali sees the two bands exchanging ideas on the ten songs which comprise the main CD part of this collection. Plus you get a DVD documentary and three songs from the album plus a further four audio only cuts not on the album. I realise that it may be copping out a bit not to review individual songs but all I can say is that there is not a bad sound anywhere. It is terrific. The cross-pollination of ideas works on all levels. Challenging in parts but always stimulating and I commend this as a must have in all collections.

Graeme Scott

BARNEY BENTALL The Inside Passage

Golden Cage Music

On first listening of this CD, I felt that many of the songs and guitar licks I had heard somewhere before; there is nothing distinctive it sounds like background ‘muzak’ being played in a themed pub. The title track, ‘The Inside Passage’, is not a statement that grounds the CD; it is placed four tracks in and does not motivate or inspire and gets lost in the monotone beat and voice of BARNEY BENTALL. ‘Catch That Train’ has an urgency that the preceding tracks do not have, neither does it evoke the common Blues theme of trains and the rhythm of wheels on the tracks taking you away from or towards hope. One track that does get feet tapping and paints a picture of a ‘Hoedown’ is ‘Papa Henry’s Boy’, with slightly harder percussive sound and the welcome depth the fiddle brings this is my favourite track of the album.“The Inside Passage”, as a CD is pleasant, well produced and unchallenging music which belongs in Country rather than the Blues. No one track stands out and the sound is rather flat and over produced, there is no feeling of movement through the emotions a song produces.

Liz Aiken

COCO

MONTOYA I Want It All Back

Ruf Records

It’s not surprising that Coco Montoya is so much in demand with the likes of Finis Tasby or Carlos Santana, as he is able to match his style to the personality of the musicians he performs with. In this latest album, you can feel this gift throughout the eleven tracks, seven of them being covers tinged with Coco‘s personal style and energy. Sure, “I Want It All Back” is not the purest of Blues, but it’s still a combination of a sensual

guitar with that special, incandescent voice. ‘Cry Lonely’ is simply amazing with its guitar tearing up the sky to show up every shade of blue. The superb ‘Somebody’s Baby’ with Stephen Ferrone on percussions and drums and Keb’ Mo on rhythm guitar is quite simply breathtaking. ‘Don’t Go Makin’ Plans’ is the only track written by Coco and Jeff Paris makes up for this somewhat lack of creative juices by offering two tracks of such energy, you’re all shaken up. With ‘She’s Gonna Need Somebody’ you can’t help but indulge yourself in the pure pleasure of it all. We have to mention ‘The One Who Really Loves You’, a track written by William Robinson Jr. who Coco pays a moving tribute to by performing with great faith, passion and respect. This is a song you’ll probably hear many many times on the radio, Blues or other, as one of the great achievements of this album is that it will undoubtedly open wide the doors of our Blues citadel.

Frankie Bluesy Pfeiffer and Nat Harrap

THE HEXMEN The Hexmen

(own label)www.mypace.com/thehexmen

The Hexmen, under the leadership of harmonica player and singer George Hexman, came together in the early eighties, in post-punk Liverpool. Eventually though George’s session work and the group’s shifting membership meant that the group did eventually split. But in 2008 there was a reunion of sorts and this is the result. This is a very enjoyable blues-based CD, containing lots of standards performed with plenty of punky energy in the vein of Nine Below Zero or the original Doctor Feelgood – and with plenty of wailing harmonica work and spiky guitar work.

Norman Darwen

PAPUA NEW GUINEA STRINGBANDS W/ BOB BROZMAN

Songs of the Volcano Riverboat Records

The world musicologist and slide guitar virtuoso Bob Brozman returns to the fray with an ambitious new project. The musician teams up with no less than five stringbands from New Guinea to record the music on this album. Although dozens of musicians are recorded and add to the whole sheen of the album’s eclectic musical nature, it still has a unified sound at the core. Brozman’s slide prowess is to the fore on some tracks, such as opener Alir Pukai, whilst the songs also contain strong vocal performances, the instrumental playing is of a universally high standard throughout the releases 16 tracks. There is though, a certain lack of diversity, with no percussion instruments or electric instruments to cut through the mix. The package also includes a bonus DVD which shows Brozman’s interaction with these musicians that he clearly holds in high regard. The relative lack of intrusion of modern popular western culture into Papua New Guinea means that this music sounds purer, and is perhaps closest to the guitar music that came out of Hawaii in the 1830’s. There is much for musicians and general music fans to treasure on this album, and it shows a musician perhaps best known for his work on an

instrument most closely associated with the blues finding a voice and way of working with musicians of a different language.

Ben Macnair

MIKE SPONZA Rough Souls

HCB69-013 www.mikesponza.com

Over the last few years, Italian singer and guitarist Mike has appeared on disc with a whole slew of guests, from Carl Verheyen to veteran members of Alexis Korner’s Blues Incorporated, from American soul singer Joyce Yuille to some of Europe’s most important Blues pioneers. This set shows what attracted them all though, as it finds Mike going back to basics, working solely with bassist Roby Maffioli and drummer Ale Maffioli; the three men have been working together since the late eighties, and that ease, mutual understanding and intuitive knowledge of what the others are about to play is plainly evident. Although Mike can and does play loud and rocky at times, he is far more subtle than most, and an early sixties Blues boom feel comes through from time to time; he is content to treat the material as songs – albeit with a raw and energetic approach - rather than vehicles for lengthy guitar improvisations. On the other hand, there are examples of the immaculately clean side of his guitar style, and some of his jazz and funk licks shine through too. This totally convincing set ends with an acoustic-based number just to further demonstrate the trio’s versatility.

Norman Darwen

STEVE HOWELL Since I Saw You Last

Out Of The Past Music

After “Out Of The Past” and ‘My Mind Gets To Ramblin’’, here comes the third album from a singer and guitar player who has made it his mission to record country blues and roots music. You’re left wondering why this is only his third album, as Steve Howell brings a breath of fresh air to old and popular songs such as ‘Wild About My Lovin’ or ‘Red Cadillac & Black Moustache’, originally written by L. May et W.B. Thompson. Steve performs each song with great understanding and finesse as well as a deep respect for its writers, giving each one an interesting light, making us feel he has a direct link with each songwriter. You feel as if you’re diving back in the deepest roots of Blues, a place where you meet the ghosts of those who wrote all those traditional songs as well as John Lee Hooker and Frank Stokes, who wrote ‘Downtown Blues’, the album’s opening track. Steve Howell took two years to select and record each one of the twelve tracks on this CD. And throughout this album, you can feel the work he has put

in, his patience. This album moves our souls as delicately as the first time Steve heard Mississippi John Hurt when he was just aged thirteen, over forty five years ago now. This was the song which changed his life and allowed him to treat us to this very beautiful album of ‘country blues and roots music’.

Frankie Bluesy Pfeiffer and Nat Harrap

RORY BLOCK – Lovin’

Whiskey A Collection of Songs from the Rounder Years

Continental Records

Now seen as a leading light in the country blues, Rory Block’s latest compilation release finds some of the best examples of her songwriting together on one disk. The songs feature her trademark soaring vocals, which sound like a cross between Linda Ronstadt and Bonnie Raitt, with strong support from musicians playing across a number of genres. The songs range from the plaintive ballads Silver Wings, and Lovin’ Whiskey, which is included as a full band arrangement, and in the live guitar/ vocal treatment that finishes the sixteen track album. The album also includes the celtic Misty Glen, and The Water is Wide, as well as the album’s lone instrumental, Catastrophe Rag, which show of Block’s acoustic guitar skills. Her singing features against a backdrop of an acappella male choir on God’s Gift to Women. The country rock of I’ll be Gone, and the slide guitar drenched Somebody’s Baby show the direction her solo career would later take. This album, which does not sound as dated as other compilations can do offers a good overview of Rory Block’s career to date, and it is worth a look for fans of mature music, and the blues which infuses the whole of this worthwhile re-release.

Ben Macnair

THORBJORN RISAGER

Track Record Cope

Judging by the cover I thought that this was going to be an album of solo acoustic train Blues as the sepia images of a young man walking the tracks carrying a guitar case suggested – oops! What I got instead was ten tracks of absolutely excellent Blues with some great playing and a wild and throaty vocal from Mr Risager. Martin Seidelin kicks things off with a heavy, thudding drum while Risager’s grumbling guitar and Svein Erik Martinsen’s slide lead into a Bob Seger-like growl on ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Ride’. The treatment continues on ‘Baby Please Don’t Go’ which has a real New Orleans voodoo feel to it and some fine horns courtesy of Kasper Wagner & Peter Kehl. If I give the impression that this album is pretty tasty I am pleased to announce that from here it gets even better! ‘Let’s Go Down’ has a great walking pace and deeply soulful harp and piano while ‘You Walked Right In’ has a Mick Taylor era Stones riff and those wonderful horns again. ‘7 Steps To Heaven’ is funky and jazzy, ‘Stand Beside Me’ gives Risager a chance to emote in some blue-eyed soul with a great bassline from Soren Bojgaard carrying the song along. All through the album the playing is superb but it also has great feel for the music and the sheer variety of moods and styles that the band

are capable of is remarkable – even more so that they manage to put over some classic Blues alongside soul and jazz. ‘I’ll Be Moving On’ is probably the most classic with a real BB King feel to the guitar and the band cooking like the best of swing outfits. These guys can really light up a stereo system and I wouldn’t mind seeing them live either.

Andy Snipper

MAURIZIO PUGNO Kill The Coffee

Pacific Blues

Maurizio Pugno is an Italian guitarist of some repute in his native land and for this CD he has collaborated with the singers Sugar Ray Norcia and Mark Dufresne, who each front the band on different tracks. It’s a very wellproduced album, recorded in an Italian opera house, with a big fat sound and some nice playing. The music is often in the swing/jump mould, and Maurizio Pugno’s playing is reminiscent of that of Ronnie Earl, which explains his collaboration with former Roomful Of Blues member Norcia. Within that general area, there’s quite a mixture of styles, including the shuffle of the opening track ‘The Lion’s Den’, the 1950s BB King style R & B of ‘Funny What Happens (When The Old Man’s Not Around)’, the out-andout rocker ‘Big Party At My House Tonight’, which features some excellent harp from Sugar Ray Norcia, and the light, jazzy ballad ‘Blue Soul’. In addition, there are a couple of effective instrumentals ‘Tronfy The Weeper’ and ‘From Norcia To Gubbio’, the latter featuring some nice interplay between Norcia’s harp and Alberto Marsico on organ. The tracks are split pretty evenly between the two vocalists and this adds variety too as they have contrasting sounds and styles – Dufrense a high-register vocalist, Norcia mellower. Pugno works very well with both of them, his guitar style marked by deft touches and a subtle and understated approach. The arrangements are well thought-out and in particular the use of an excellent brass section on several tracks is very successful. Pugno’s Italian bandmates, Gio Rossi on drums and Lucio Villani on upright bass, as well as Marsico on keys, show themselves to be excellent musicians. All in all, this is a collaboration that has succeeded in its aims.

Mark Harrison

CHASING PANDORA The Driver And The Dancer

Tickety-Boo

I must admit that I wasn’t blown away by the Chasing Pandora EP “Running In Circles”, although it had just enough goodness to recommend it, but this engaging and intriguing album is definitely a step up, in the right direction. Billed as “Malta’s greatest ever music phenomena”, Chasing Pandora are essentially a duo comprising singer Melissa Portelli and multi-instrumentalist Keith Anthony. They’re basically dealing in simple folk-

pop tunes, but they take on a new dimension through some adventurous and interesting arrangements and instrumentation. Straight from the opening ‘Time’, the Maltesers go about setting their folk/pop hybrid ditties in a captivating light. You see, there’s nothing big or clever about songs like ‘Lost Myself In You’, ‘The Distance Between Us’, ‘Running In Circles’ and ‘Dear John’. In fact, it’s quite the reverse, but these simple songs are topped off by the lovely voice of Ms Portelli and the inventive arrangements of multi-instrumentalist Anthony. Their song writing skills have also improved noticeably since the last EP, and this full length release is a record of emotion, highs and lows. If folk-pop is your thing, then it’s well worth setting aside some quality time for this, so you can absorb the many, many delights.

Stuart A Hamilton

BILLY BRANCH Satisfy Me

Gitanes Records

This recently rereleased album was recorded in 1996, and although it is now 12 years old still contains many virtues. Branch leads from the front, playing Harmonica and singing on a number of covers, as well as one instrumental of his own. It is a safe album, with nothing that threatens to break a sweat for the musicians, but many good bands make a good living playing music like this on a Saturday night. ‘It’s a Crazy Mixed up World’ by Willie Dixon opens proceedings, and songs by JJ Cale ((Hey Baby) Your Looking Real Good), Walter Jacobs (One Chance with you) and Bill Withers (Kissin’ my Love and Heart in Your Life) put the well drilled band through their paces. Only Highway Blues, by Billy Earl McClelland, Son of Juke, an instrumental by Branch, and closer Goin’ Down lift the beat, but they are worthy additions to an album that prizes good musicianship higher than many other concerns. The guitar playing of Carl Weatherby is a good foil to the Harmonica playing, whilst David Torkanowsky adds colour on a number of keyed instruments. A revolving cast of drummers and bassist gives the album something of a disjointed feel, and it may have been better for a consistency of sound to have stuck with a smaller group of people. All in all, this is a good album, the singing and Harmonica playing is fine, and it is more than ably supported by a talented ensemble, and it is worth checking out, if only to learn the art of musical under-statement.

Ben Macnair

HARRIET LEWIS & GREGORY HILDEN BAND

Soulful Stew

Acoustic Music

Harriet Lewis is a Philadelphia born singer who has, rather amazingly, released twelve CDs under her own name. I say, amazingly, as prior to this “Soulful Stew” album I had never encountered her name before. Even more amazing when you consider that she has shared stages with the like of Eric Clapton and Luther Vandross. Granted, she’s also shared a stage with Mariah Carey, but I won’t hold that against her. A woman who has the kind of back story most would think fictional, she’s went from recording with Philadelphia International Records in the sixties to singing backups to the Four Tops to joining the US Army! She appears to be based in Germany these days, and has linked up with Gregor Hilden and his band to make an old fashioned soul and Blues review album. It’s the kind of thing that The Johnny Otis Show got up to back in the day, and sees her going at the music with gusto. It’s all covers bar on Lewis number, ‘No Words Can Tell’, and the title track from Hilden. The rest of the record is taken up with songs like ‘Wade In The Water’, Gene McDaniels

‘Reverend Lee’ and Aretha Franklin’s ‘Dr. Feelgood (Love Is a Serious Business). Ms Lewis also likes a show tune which could explain the appearance of ‘On Broadway’ and ‘What A Difference A Day Makes’. And that’s what makes it a bit hit and miss. When tackling Jimmy Scott’s funky ‘Love Sneaking Up On You’, Ms Lewis and the band are fabulous. When singing a show tune, your hand strays towards the skip buttong. However, it’s considerably more hit than miss, and if you like your Blues brassy, funky and dripping with Hammond B-3 organ, then give this a spin.

Stuart A Hamilton

JJ MILTEAU Harmonicas

Dixiefrog Records

Rather obviously, this is for you if like harmonicas. If you prefer growling lead guitars, megawatt amplification and throaty vocals, 40 consecutive harp instrumentals will be like jamming your finger in the cutlery drawer. It doesn’t though, purport to be anything that it isn’t - Parisian Milteau is an established blowing/sucking master and all his tricks are here. The humble harp- musical weapon of choice for Mississippi slaves for its accessibility, mobility and cost, has long been the crowning adornment of soulful blues, and Milteau features variety and shade that will surprise the cutlery jugglers. The opening three tracks are a microcosm of his range - opener ‘Blue Hop’ is charmingly jolly, ’ Boogie Mix‘ a riotous celebration jig, then all the lamenting poignancy of Larry Adler is evoked with “Reunion”. Musical smorgasbord and worldwide travelogue - some of the Creole stuff you can almost taste and ‘Tennessee Fried Chicken’ is as deep south as ‘Parchman Farm’. The selection is arranged to command the attention but don’t attempt in one sitting, and don’t expect too much down and dirty Blues - raunchy R&B players may think him a little disinfected and countrified ; purists will admire his variety but may be a little punch drunk by the end. Inevitably, some tracks slip by unnoticed but the live numbers are welcome contrast and possibly Milteau excels most when being sentimental and French

like in ‘Rue Du Rendez-Vous’ and ‘Ars en Re‘, with no bum notes anywhere. It’s not coarse and earthy, but it should keep you out of the kitchen.

Richard Thomas

SIR OLIVER MALLY Ol’Dogs, Nu Yard

Office4Music-Hoanzl

It’s not often you get the chance to listen to such a breathtaking and meaningful album and when you find out it comes from Austria, you’re even more amazed.

Sir Oliver

Mally is sadly still virtually unknown in the UK. Surely, this latest release, “Ol’Dogs, Nu Yard”, must bring us this exceptionally talented and charismatic artist to perform here more often. This album is the result of a close partnership between the gifted guitar player and singer that is Sir Oliver and the brilliant string musician and arranger, Martin Moro. Each of the ten tracks, nine compos and one cover, are little gems shining so bright they make you feel you can be happy again, in love again and sometimes a little sad. From the opening track, ‘Butterfly Girl’, you’re under the spell, charmed by its many musical colours and timeless power of the lyrics.

‘Dreamer’s Lullaby’ and ‘Love Is A Devil’ take you on these long, beautifully bluesy journeys you never want to leave. The exceptional version of Lou Reed’s ‘Perfect Day’ showcases Sir Oliver’s haunting voice: simply perfect. There’s so much emotion and poetry in the final track, ‘Same Old Story/Same Old Song’, you can’t help but feel your heart break. One final warning, look out for your wives and girlfriends: after listening to Sir Oliver, they’ll all want to be his Butterfly Girls. Let’s hope we won’t wait too long to see him perform in the British Isles.

Nat Harrap

THE ROBIN THRUSH JR BAND Music City Jam

Chrysalis Music

Unable to play guitar for nearly a year after severing two tendons in his hand, Robin Thrush Jr gorged himself on the sounds of The Fillmore-era bands, and the likes of the Allman Brothers band can very much be heard in the sound of “Music City Jam”, the 20 year old’s third album. Yes, 20 - after listening to this you will struggle to believe that such virtuoso, nuanced playing (listen to MC Jam # 3 as Robin switches to an eastern scale near the end) can have come from one so young. Formed in 2000, The Robin Thrush Jr band have been a vehicle for his formidable talents for a decade now (Robin Thrush

Sr plays bass), with Thrush Jr assuming vocal duties once nature had taken its course. Even now, his voice is, it must be said, somewhat generic, but that will come with time: Robin Thrush Jr’s voice is in the six strings at his fingertips. However, despite the undoubted brilliance of his playing, there are times when this can stray into self-indulgence (there are, after all, four Jam tracks on this album), with the songs recalling the worst excesses of Gary Moore and seemingly build around the guitar solos, rather than vice versa as it should surely be; a more measured approach is necessary at times. That said, Thrush knows all the blues licks (and a few more) and applies them ably to this collection of blues standards. He displays his influences clearly with a cover of Clapton-era Bluesbreakers’ ‘Steppin’ Stone’; and ‘Music City Blues’ proves that he can adopt a more minimalist style too. At only aged 20, its scary to think how good he can be. People were saying something similar forty-five years ago about a lad from Surrey

LITTLE FREDDIE KING

Gotta Walk With Da King

Made Wright Records

There is no doubt that this man is a survivor. Years of hard living, touring constantly, raising all sorts of hell along the way and oh yes living through the horrors of Hurricane Katrina has given Freddie Martin, aka Little Freddie King, much in the way of experience of life to draw from when playing his Blues. With bucket loads of support from the crowd at this live set, recorded in Santa Fe, a certain amount of simplicity and rawness surrounds this collection. Straight-ahead Blues, with little in the way of frills, just works so well when done with the kind of skills honed from sixty years of plying his trade. Excellent back-up from his long time colleagues

Wade Wright drums, Anthony Anderson bass and Bobby DiTullio harp ensures that the music stays that beguiling mix of tightness and yet seeming looseness that many bands just never achieve. The slowish instrumental ‘Cleo’ gets things on the road with guitar and harp trading licks throughout. Counter to many CDs that you listen to the pace slows even further on track two ‘Bus Station Blues’ where Freddie’s vocal drawl draws out the pain of a much missed lady failing to appear as expected. A terrific groove behind ‘Walking With Freddie’ and ‘Kinghead Shuffle’ and you can just imagine how the crowd was bopping along to these. If you like your Blues very laid back and easy then this is right down your street.

Graeme Scott

Adam Bates

MITCH LADDIE “This Time Around”

STEFAN SCHILL “Don’t Say A Word” SCOTT MCKEON “Trouble”

Provogue

Dutch record label, Provogue, is notable as the European home of Joe Bonamassa and Walter Trout, however, these three releases indicate there is far more to their catalogue. “This Time Around” is the debut from young Tyneside based Laddie. This is primarily a Blues-rock affair which, after a powerful instrumental, eases in with the slow Blues number of ‘Ere’s A Drink’. Its mood is reminiscent of ‘Tin Pan Alley’ and is a great start to a very a promising debut. The uptempo shuffle ‘Get You Back’ will lead to comparisons with some of the UK’s other Blues-rock talent. However, there is enough individuality contained within the twelve tracks for Laddie’s work to be recognised in its own right, and moreover some great guitar phrasing and a large array of funky Blues riffs. A very credible version of James Brown’s ‘Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag’, and the delicate playing on ‘Mrs Johnson’ keeps the content varied. The album closes with a fluid live jam with the aforementioned Trout on the standard ‘Rock Me Baby’. Scott McKeon’s “Trouble” sees him broaden his sound from the power trio style that dominated his 2007 debut. It commences with the powerful guitar led ‘The Girl’. A reading of ‘Scarecrow’ includes the resonator of composer Robbie McIntosh, yet even better is the mellow ‘So Much More’ also featuring McIntosh. Its low-key instrumentation pushes McKeon’s ever-improving vocals to the forefront. ‘Giving Me The Blues’ is like a lost cut from Albert King’s Stax period with playful guitar leads and a backing horn section. A very different feel is evident on a modern R&B flavoured cover of Babyface’s ‘Talk To Me’ which includes the vocals of David Ryan Harris from the John Mayer Band. Indeed it could be the one that leads to increased airplay. More familiar is the rockier ‘Broken Man’ that features a soaring guitar riff and pounding backbeat. The album is a big step forward for McKeon and if he can match the dedication in constructing songs like the melodic ballad ‘All That We Were’ with an increased touring schedule, this may be the year he makes his mark. The pick of the bunch though is “Don’t Say A Word”, the assured debut from 20 year old Dutch guitarist, vocalist and composer Stefan Schill. The album is an introduction to the immense talents of this young band, and as intended, leaves Schill’s artistic and stylistic options open. From the opening bars of ‘Any Direction’ it is apparent that not only is Schill a talented guitarist, he is an excellent vocalist. His song writing is equally impressive throughout. ‘Take On My Beliefs’ has a very memorable hook, before some R&B on ‘U Don’t Mind’. It’s possible to detect the influence of artists like Prince and John Mayer, as he effortlessly moves from style to style. Schill’s Blues upbringing is easily encountered, notably in the upbeat swagger of ‘Game Called Love’ and the laidback country tinged ‘Gone By Tomorrow’. Bob Fridzema’s superb keyboard playing contributes to the rich sound on tracks like the powerful Kings of Leon resembling ‘It’s Gonna Be Alright’. This is stripped back to Schill’s voice, his Dobro and a harp as accompaniment on closing song ‘Last Goodbye’. It’s rare to hear these components blended with such confidence in a debut album, less so from a band of such tender years. Stefan Schill, Laddie and McKeon take contrasting approaches yet each indicates there is a very bright future for young Blues based musicians.

Duncan Beattie

SHAWN PITTMAN Too Hot

Feelin’ Good 011

‘Too Hot’ is a swift follow-up to Shawn’s ‘Movin’ & Groovin’’ album, which is hopefully an indication that he is breaking through to an international audience at last. This set is a studio recording, made in Italy in November 2009 on a rare day off from a hectic touring schedule, which places Shawn with the local musicians and the highly respected Italian Blues harmonica player Max Lugli. In the past, critics – especially British reviewers – have been particularly scathing about these kind of sets. There’ll be no complaints from this reviewer though – this set is a total success. Shawn tackles both standards and lesser-known numbers, and the treatment he gives them is may be raucous, raw, noisy and fun, but it also important to state that this is it is also a stone Blues set. I mean, come on – Shawn covers two Jerry McCain tracks, ‘Too Hot’ and ‘Geronimo Rock’, which should please the out-and-out purists. To be honest though, Shawn should please them anyway. He may be young, white and Texas-based, but he keeps well over on the Blues side; he is well aware of Texas Blues-rock, but it is not that evident in his playing – which is however rough-hewn but very skilful. He obviously knows and loves the Louisiana swamp-blues and his gritty vocals fit these enthusiastic, energetic Dallas Saturday-night bar-blues like a glove.

Norman Darwen

ALI FARKA TOURE & TOUMANI DIABATE

Al and Toumani World Circuit

There are giants in Africa, and here are two of them, straddling the World Music scene like kings or emperors. We could talk about the real roots of the blues, which much of this kind of music undoubtedly is. But let’s leave that out of the equation and talk about the sheer, pristine beauty of the 11 tracks here, impeccably produced by Nick Gold. Grammy award winner, the late Ali Farka Touré made music not only for his native Mali, but for the whole of Africa and the world. His guitar, as Chuck Berry once said, rings like a bell. But this isn’t Johnny B. Goode’s guitar; this instrument peals acoustically like gentle bells in an African sunset. Listen, and visualise. You can feel the heat and hear the waves along the beach on the first two tracks, Ruby and Sabu Yerkoy. Toumani Diabaté is a virtuoso on the Kora, and in conjunction with Ali’s guitar its soothing, mellow phrases completes a musical style which becomes totally hypnotic. These songs represent a musical culture which has flourished in Africa long before the blues was invented. They are about history and passion for the land. For example, Samba Celadio tells us of a struggle of a West African Prince with his Uncle Konkobo and his half brothers for his share of the kingdom. Kala Djula is ‘the hymn of the griots’ and is also a song in praise of the Diabatés; “Whenever or however you meet a Diabaté, there will be something golden, at least one gram of gold in his pockets.” So this superb album is aural gold, and like the memory of Ali Farka Touré himself, a real and genuine treasure.

Roy Bainton

CLIFF RICHARD Just About As Good AS It Gets: The Original Recordings 19581959

Smith & Co

This is another release in the “Just As Good As It Gets Series” and features the early year of the career of Cliff Richard. It’s a two CD set, consisting of seventy songs taken from the period of Cliff’s career 1958-1959. Many of the tracks feature The Drifters, Cliff first band and the songs mark the genesis of a career, which has span 52 years, from a musician who will be 70 years old this year and still out there on-the-road and still recording new material. The tracks mark an evolutionary period on the British music scene. Britain in the Post War 50s was the perfect breeding ground for new music to take a hold, with its just blossoming youth culture. The world was free again

and people were ready to live life to the full. American rock and roll soon found a foot-hold in this culture, especially with the import of US movies like “Blackboard Jungle” and “Rock Around The Clock.” At first, the British music scene tried to clone it own version of this music and then along came Cliff! His single, ‘Move It’ made No.2 in the UK charts. Britain had its first home-grown, roll and roll star and song. The CDs reflect that change to homegrown music and contain classics like ‘Living Doll’, ‘Move It’ and ‘Travelin Light’. More than this, they impregnated with the Blues, but not in its pure form but in the way that in the 50s and 60s, the Blues was dissected and put back together in many colours and hews, to form the basis of all modern music today. Not only is this a great record of one man’s early career, it’s a musical document of a period of change.

Carol Borrington

WILL KIMBROUGH

Wings

Daphne Records

He is a Nashville based singer, songwriter and producer apparently but my promotional copy was short of any musical detail. Not that it matters really, as this is pure Country music, pleasant enough in its own way, saccharine with bible belt undertones. With ten tracks lasting only 36 minutes it is one for his fan base presumably. A typically pleasant spoken country drawl is the vocal style throughout with some nice steel guitar over an acoustic guitar with typical female backing vocals. The first track is a bit twee “Everybody Has An Angel I’ve Got Three”, which I thinks refers to his family. ‘You Can’t Go Home’ has a serious lyric about not returning to your home town, perhaps more singer songwriter in style, with steel guitar over a chugging rhythm section. The title track has some Dylanesque harmonica with a cowboy drawl and rhythm. My favourite of the bunch is ‘It Ain’t Cool’ with its hypnotic drum beat and backing vocal matched again with some lovely steel guitar. The quavery vocal has a nice lyric about how “It Ain’t Cool To Talk About People When They’re Not Around”. ‘Open To Love’ with a brass section and Motown backing vocal is the odd number out with a real soul feel. The last track, ‘A Couple Hundred Miracles’ descends back into the saccharine “Every steps a miracle, every breaths a gift”. With its vocal and lyrical style and classic instrumental accompaniment this CD is too easy to pigeonhole and is only ever going to appeal to a Country audience. It is smoothly and professionally executed but really quite unmemorable. Short and sweet in fact, entirely lacking the dynamics and ascorbic, insightful qualities of Jackson Browne, for example.

Bob Chaffey

B. B. KING ON STAGE WITH LUCILLE

Blues Boulevard CD ell, what can you say about this man? He’s one of the greats, full stop. His albums are milestones, his repertoire groaning with the weight of classic songs. Here’s 11 of

them, all recorded back in 1983 in Cannes, France. This was one of B.B. best touring periods, when his musical director was trumpeter Calvin Owens, and this 8 piece ensemble swings like crazy. And fear not, The Thrill Is Gone is predictably here, as is Sweet Little Angel, and Caldonia. You can feel the buzz from this live set and the French audience are obviously loving it, as well they might. And the whole thing is topped off with a 13 minute jam session, which features none other than jazz supremo Dave Brubeck. OK, it isn’t Live at The Regal, but like all of B.B. King’s live work, it has a punch and class that few artists can match. If B.B.’s your man, then you’ll need this on your shelf. With some bluesmen, the thrill is never gone.

Roy Bainton

ERROL DIXON

Blues in the pot/thats how you got killed before

BGO 2 CD SET

Jamaican-born Dixon moved to New York when young and learnt the exuberant boogie woogie style piano playing which became his trademark. Dixon’s interests were rooted in American jump blues and R&B but interestingly he moved to the UK in the late 50’s and had some success singing and playing Blue Beat. His ambition was to make it as a blues singer and eventually in 1968 he got the opportunity to record ‘Blues In The Pot’. The album was produced by Mike Vernon and backing was provided by Chicken Shack complete with Stan Webb on guitar and an added horn section. The material is jump blues and opener ‘Confusion Blues’ features excellent rolling piano and earthy vocals from Dixon and tasty guitar fills from Stan Webb. The material is self penned and all the numbers are strong and most highlight Dixon’s superb piano playing. Tracks such as ‘The Pot’,’ Midnight Stroll’ and ‘Past Midnight’ show off Dixon’s chops which are very much in the style of Amos Milburn and Smiley Lewis. The bonus tracks on ‘Blues In The Pot’ include 4 tracks from a 1965 Decca EP of Fats Domino songs. ‘That’s How I Got Killed Before’ was recorded in 1969 with uncredited session musicians and the style is a little more rocky and the horn section are more predominant. ‘Ain’t Going Back To The Chicken Shack’ rocks along splendidly and features some great honking horns. Dixon’s vocals and piano playing are a little more restrained on this later album although he does let rip in exuberant fashion on ‘What’s Your Name’. There is a good slow number titled ‘A Tear For You’ which features soulful vocals from Dixon and good guitar work. Anyone interested in jump blues will enjoy this set of entertaining songs with crisp arrangements and standout piano playing.

Dave Drury

WHERE BLUES CROSSES OVER Various Ruf Records

This is a compilation celebrating some of the fine talent signed to the Ruf record label. The CD opens with North Carolina’s Big Daddy Wilson’s ‘Love Is The Key’ which was the title track off his 2009 CD. A number that takes you deep into The Delta, with Big Daddy’s emotive gritty vocal accompanied by slide and a gospel sounding catchy chorus. Jeff Healey’s, ‘I Think I Love You Too Much’ comes next. The music world mourned the loss of this highly talented Blues, jazz and rock, vocalist and guitarist in 2008. The inclusion of this track shows just how highly Healey was regarded as a musician and person, that they are still promoting his material and his legacy. The song comes from Healey’s “Hell To Pay” album. A blues rock ballad with hews of funk that reminds instantly what a superb talent both instrumentally and vocally Healey was. Ruf’s youngest signings are there too. Oli Brown’s highly popular ‘Stone Cold’, often referred to as ‘Roxanne’ gets an inclusion. A track that proves just why Oli finds his place among this level of talent. Axe lady Joanne Shaw Taylor appears with a track from her highly successful “White Sugar” CD, called, “Just Another Word”. A song with all the flavour and quality of the music of John Mayer. The CD ends with Coco Montoya’s title track from his latest 2010 album, “I Want It all Back”. These make up only half the tracks and other inclusions are, Meena, Luther Allison, Shakura S’Aida, Omer Dykes with Jimmy Vaughan. This line-up too only reflects part of Ruf Record’s wealth of Blues musicians signed to the label and is a sampler of the musical Kaleidoscope of class albums they have to offer.

Carol Borrington

JB3

Raised to the Ground

Independent

This Blues/rock trio are based in the Herts/Essex area and cite Lenny Kravitz, Jimi Hendrix, Freeand Cream among their many influences. The album opens with 60’s style rocker ‘Meaning For Being’ which sets the scene nicely complete with homage to Jimi with the lyric “Excuse me while I kiss the...”. Vocalist/guitar player James Bennett acquits himself well and the band provide a solid and uncomplicated backdrop for his fireworks. In The Reflection’ kicks in with some frantic guitar riffs as Bennett hits the wah-wah pedal and Stoph Demetriou lays down a funky bass rhythm. A burst of feedback introduces ‘Cold Kind Of Living’ and then the pace drops for ‘A Little Differently’ and the gentle ballad ‘Remember To Breathe’ which seems like good advice to me. I’ll keep that in mind when I go to bed tonight. ‘Little Smile’ opens with a catchy organ riff and is another slow number but I think this band are ar their best when rocking out. Happily there are plenty of powerful numbers on this CD, although, some of the riffs do seem eerily familiar. Closing track ‘Empire’ is a real stomper complete with phasing and a thunderous beat from Charlie Caine on drums. I did manage to find that in 2008 the band won the Harlow Star Jimi Hendrix

Award For Riffs As Big As Mountains which seems rather apt. Although the album appears to be all self penned I believe that live sets sometimes include some Jimi covers. Overall though it’s good to see young bands writing and developing their own material whilst still remembering and updating what has gone before. The band gig regularly around their home ground and I’m sure they are worth seeing and this CD will sell well at the end of a hot, funky and rockin’ night.

Dave Drury

OLI BROWN Heads I Win Tails You Lose

Ruf Records

This is Oli Brown’s follow-up to Open Road, and can be seen as another watershed in his career. It is far more mature than anything else we have heard from Oli. That is particularly true of Oli’s vocal and he joins the ranks of young musicians who are seeing guitar solos are not enough to produce a song of true musical genius. Oli’s voice on this CD has lost its adolescence sound and become that of an adult, fuller, deeper, and over flowing with emotional versatility. There is also a marked maturity in his songwriting and his guitar work. Oli always had the technique and the feel but now he’s found the confidence in his own ability. The Blues boy is now a Bluesman, it shows through every track. It has all Oli’s signature in tracks like ’Keep My options Open and ‘Real Good Time’. Take a listen to the quality of the couple of cover tracks, ‘Fever’ and ‘No Diggity’; they are innovative and classy renditions. ‘Speechless’ is superb with catchy hook, tender guitar and vocal but it has something special. It has the ability to be a commercially viable number to attract the young. ‘I Can Make Your Day,’ the drum work on this is superb, the beat hanging on every note Oli sings, subtle bass builds underneath and you add a driving emotional vocal and guitar solo and you have got one hell of a song. Oli joins the ranks of new generation being forged by Joe Bonamassa’s example that kills the myth that the young can’t play the Blues. If this CD is anything to go by not only can Oli play the Blues, he’s one who can help to keep it alive, move it foreword and most of all touch yet another generation with Blues magic.

Carol Borrington

from the historical tinges of their musical influences, the Blues does not form part of their musical vocabulary. That does not make it bad music, because it isn’t. All tracks are self-penned. There is no guitar wizardry on this EP but there is good solid lead and rhythm playing. Vocals are clear with good intonation and harmonies. Bass and drums are solid and tight with the lead. It opens with ‘Robin You Lie’ a 60’s Beatles influenced song with the ‘wall of sound’ production style. It follows with ‘Fizzy Moon’ an upbeat techno dance rhythm feeding into psychedelic guitar sounds. ‘Mr Pascoe’ follows in a slower vein sounding in some respects like the Kaiser Chiefs. The final track ’Struggling In The Sand’ is 50/60’s skiffle of which Lonnie would be proud. If you want a change in musical direction this would be a good choice, it leaves you feeling good, even if you don’t know why!

Carol Borrington

JIMMIE VAUGHAN

Plays Blues, Ballads and Favourites

Proper Jimmie Vaughan needs no introduction to Blues fans, a founder member of The Fabulous Thunderbirds, guitar tutor to his younger brother Stevie Ray and the person to whom Muddy Waters said, “When I’m gone, I want you to do that, and show everybody that’s what I did. I want you to do it for me,” when he heard Jimmie imitate his slide playing style. This CD is his first studio album in 9 years and with one exception is covers selected by Jimmie from artists he admires. ‘Comin & Goin’ is the self-penned instrumental number. It is Jump Blues style with clear precise guitaring by Jimmie and effective nonoverpowering brass delivered by Greg Picollo (Tenor Sax) Kas Kasenoff (Baritone Sax) and Ephraim Owens (Trumpet). ‘Wheel Of Fortune’ the Weiss & Benjamin song features Lou Ann Barton on vocals and they are clean and expressive ones at that, her Texan drawl adding interest and not detracting from the quality. Jimmie add a crisp and expressive melody line underneath whilst Sax, Trumpet and Hammond B3 (Bill Willis) complement the vocal and guitar well. ‘How Can You Be So Mean’ us an upbeat Blues with Jimmie singing and interspersing strong yet delicate riffs over a strong walking bassline from Ronnie James and effective brass and drum rhythm. ‘Funny How Time Slips Away’ features Bill Willis on Hammond and vocals on this Willie Nelson slow blues song. Bill’s vocal is ideal for this song in an almost talking Blues format with Jimmie’s guitar riffs symbiotically joining in a very expressive version of this song. If you like your guitaring clean and crisp without effects and histrionics, your brass and keyboards supportive not overpowering and your rhythm section strong and sympathetic and your vocal sound and understandable and your Blues is from the East side, then this CD is for you.

Carol Borrington

HOUDINI DAX Live BBC Radio Wales

Houdini Dax

This band are youngsters from Cardiff and musically very interesting they are too. This is not a Blues band. Apart

HOT SPOT BLUES BAND

Bluestime Records

You know, us old folks, the aged reviewer types, hanker after the old 12 inch vinyl LP days for many reasons. One is that once you’ve got your bus pass, it gets difficult

trying to read brown 2 point type faces set on a sepia background. No kidding, I had to get a magnifying glass and when I tried to read about the Hot Spot boys. Then I realised three lines in that I was reading Spanish. Looks like they’re from Brazil. What are they like? Bloody good! A feisty, punchy trio, with Luiz Andrade on drums, Gusto Andrade on guitars and vocals, and bassist Jonas Lima. There’s also several guest musicians and some mean harmonica, the player of which I can’t quite sort out. It’s straight ahead, fat-sounding city blues in the rolling urban mode of the Fabulous Thunderbirds, and there’s plenty of traditional fare among the 10 tracks, including Willie Dixon’s I’m Ready, Wolf’s Who’s Been Talking, Rollin’ & Tumbling and even a superb, stripped back rendering of Dave Mason’s Feeling Alright. This is one CD I’ll be playing in the car for weeks to come. These guys mean business. There’s much more to Brazil and nuts and naughty shaving!

Roy Bainton

MICA PARIS

Born Again Rhythm Riders

This is not my usual fare and that probably applies to most people reading this great Blues Mag. Mica

Paris is a name that has been around for over twenty years and she has released many successful albums as the UK’s Soul Queen. Recently she has been in great demand as a TV presenter and, surprisingly, this is her first album for five years. Her roots are in soul and gospel and she certainly has a great voice with plenty of power, range and soulfulness. Opening track ‘Baby Come Back’ is an up-tempo retro tune written especially for her by James Morrison which has already been successfully released as a single. ‘You’re The Only One’ is an altogether more soulful and smooth string laden affair complete with sweet backing vocals. Title track ‘Born Again’ is an epic ballad with sweeping strings and features a suitably big vocal performance from Miss Paris. ‘Breathless’ is an up-tempo dance track and ‘Hardest Thing’ is a scorching Motown type belter which would fill any dance floor. The inspirational ‘Hold On’ and the pleading ‘Stay’ both display her church influenced roots with gospel drenched vocals. ‘Nothing But The Truth’ is a pop song which has a country influence and builds to a big climax. The musicianship and production is first class throughout with its modern grooves allied to classic feel. Her signature tune ‘My OneTemptation’ is set to an acoustic guitar backing which works well and there is a bonus track n featuring the Gershwin classic ‘Summertime’ recorded live at The Royal Opera House for the BBC tribute concert. If you’re looking for Chicago

Blues then this is not for you but if you’re prepared to contemplate the more modern meaning of R’n’B then this is a fine album and one of the best of its type

Dave Drury

RARE BLUES & SOUL OUT OF NASHVILLE IN THE 1960’S Vol. 2

Superbird

There were more independent record labels in Nashville Tennessee From the 1940s through to the 60s than in any other US city apart from LA, Chicago and New York. We can easily make the mistake of thinking Nashville is just a country and western town, but as volume 1 of this series reveals, and this new volume 2, there was a whole lot of blues and soul cutting its way through the fiddles and banjos. Here’s 24 hugely enjoyable tracks, and whilst some of the names, such as Cornell Blakely Lucille & The Strangers and Robert Garratt may not be immediately familiar, the music they produced is memorable. Here you’ll also find a fine Somebody Help Me by Larry Birdsong, and the atmospheric So Much To Be Thankful for by Herbert Hunter. All in all this is a historic and hugely enjoyable glimpse into a decade in Nashville when creativity and variety were at their peak. Terrific stuff.

Roy Bainton

BILLY JENKINS

I Am A Man From Lewisham

VOTP

The CD itself made up to look like a pizza means from the outset, you have a soft spot for Billy Jenkins, like a four seasons or margherita. The man who the Penguin guide to Jazz called one of our national treasures, “along with the Princess Royal and Walthamstow dog stadium’ is the anchovies on the contemporary British R&B scene and should one day be the subject of a cracking good autobiography. For now though – more localised matters await – a slightly meagre 8 tack offering whose title anchors Jenkins’ to London roots. I am a manSleazy, slightly discordant –rich tongue in check, like his sleeve notes, brass section, polishing would ruin it – it sounds like it was performed in the back of a double decker – sound effects noises of a raucous south east London are richly peppered within a home tribute. Among the chaos is the odd quiet moment – Francis Drake Bowls Club is eulogised in a trombone and violin instrumental heavy on pathos, and there is a cast of many who clearly share the offbeat, and while this will not find perhaps much favour with the traditional blues crowd who will find

CD REVIEWS

avant-garde (‘On Catford Broadway’ is probably a track to miss) but cockney sparrers will love his irreverent invention and ribald roughness. ‘Deptford Market’ is quirky standout among this collection of long tracks, gear changes and unexpected turns. As charmingly mad as a box of jellied eels.

Richard Thomas

RICE MOOREHEAD You Make Me Feel

If this is an example of the new wave of music coming out of Austin, Texas, then it’s easy to see why the Lone Star State’s eclectic musical reputation has grown so much over the past few decades. You wouldn’t exactly call Rice Moorehead a bluesman, but it’s in there, lurking under some growling bass lines and cheesy Hammond organ. The most blues influenced offering is the title track, You Make Me Feel, but overall this CD put me in mind of other classic American bands of the past. There’s a flavour of Little Feat on tracks like You Can See and Unlearn, but there’s also cute surprises such as the cowboy humour of Molly The Cowgirl. And most of the musical backing here is by female musicians, Cindy Toth and Jill Csekitz. Overall it has a deep, pungent, gutsy guitar style and Moorehead’s vocals are clear and direct due to the good production. Country rock? I don’t know, but it’s as American as apple pie and none the worse for it. Give Rice Moorehead a listen – we’ll be hearing more of him, no doubt.

Roy Bainton

NEIL YOUNG Dreamin Man Live I992

Warner Brothers Music Ltd

Neil Young has never been a conformist and its typical of Neil Young to skip decades in his archive release with this CD.

There is no rhyme or reason to the logical mind but Neil Young is a master musician and logic does not come into the equation. “Dreamin Man” is a collection of songs that went on to make the studio album Harvest Moon. On this CD, they are solo acoustic versions, stripped right down and recorded out-on-the-road in 1992. It’s Young, a guitar, banjo, harmonica and piano, placing you in a timeless moment of musical history. The songs are not that different from the studio album, but they are in a different order and they contain nuances that you do not get on the polished finished studio release. Young’s voice has always carried his songs, his passion for his lyrics made real through his vocal and you get a more intuitive feel of the inner songwriter. It is a stunning collection, it very introspective and that definitely comes through on the instrumental solos and Young’s vocal. This gets you as close to Neil Young’s mindset as it comes. The CD opens with a cheering crowd and Neil playing electro acoustic on the beautiful title track ‘Dreamin’ Man’. Young has had many phases and crossed

genres but if Blues truly is a feeling and as James Blood Ulmer said, “It is the soul of a man”, this is as ‘Blues’ as it gets. The guitar work on this CD is exquisite. If you want to hear the classic ‘Harvest Moon’ or ‘You and Me’ at their best, try this CD. The CD maybe is not for the Blues purist but for music lovers a must.

Carol Borrington

JOHN BUTLER TRIO April Uprising

Because Music

It’s surprising that unlike other Antipodean visitors Russell Crowe and Rolf Harris, John Butler has not made more of an impact in the UK. With a credible message, attractively commercial sound and the more interesting element of celebrity, though now shorn of dreadlocks, he shows he has fallen victim of no power-sapping Delilah. Opener ‘Revolution’ develops menacingly, showcasing some breathless vocals- Soft Rock may be a little lily-livered for some, but not when it‘s like this. Butler‘s charismatic fronting is complemented by a impressively virtuoso rhythm section featuring drumming brother-in-law Nicky Bomba giving a truly accomplished performance with the sticks. Clear preferences abound but all good ones - traces of the Chilli Peppers and Barenaked Ladies are evident with Hendrix’ ‘Easy Rider’ riff smuggled in with panache. The passionate politicised message shines through, as befitting anyone who borrows the album title from his Bulgarian ancestors’ quest for autonomy. ‘Come On Now’ is a frenzied, dynamic highlight, but perhaps ‘To Look Like You’ will take the plaudits, or the emotionally charged ‘Ragged Mile‘with its earthy appreciation of nature. The thoughtful ‘Steal‘and the even dreamier ‘Star Is Born‘are also worthy of mention. Pedants may argue that the slow-burningstart-building-to-a-climactic-crescendo format is a little overdone, but compelling spirit pulls it off. Trimmed down from 22 tracks to a still generous 15, Butler calls it “his best work so far” - its rootsy quality and raffish rockiness suggests it could be an Australian import as momentous as Shane Warne’s googly. Outstanding.

Richard Thomas

DEAN HAITANI Dean Haitani

New Era Music

Dean is an Australian based singer, songwriter, guitarist who grew up listening to his parent’s post 1920’s records. He cites BB King’s ‘Live in Cook County’ album as a major influence. This CD recorded in 2007 in Victoria Australia with John Castle accompanying him on Bass, keyboards,

it a little to and Roger Bergodaz on drums. All songs are self-penned. It is a good early insight into a blues talent of whom we should be hearing more. The CD opens with ‘Set Them Free’ a social comment on love rather than a love song. It is a funky number with vocals reminiscent of Walter Trout and a middle eight solo of precise and expressive guitaring complementing the vocals. ‘Lay Me Down Slowly Mama’ a beautiful acoustic Blues ballad. Dean fully explores his mid to lower upper vocal range with passion and emotion and features clean, gentle slide guitar middle eight supported by gentle drums and expressive keys. ‘Reunion With The Blues’ is an urban Blues number with a strong swing beat. Straight down the line Blues with no guitar gymnastics and a grittier Blues vocal matching lyrics, featuring the lyric “You don’t choose the Blues, the Blues chooses you” In Dean’s case, the Blues chose very well indeed. The CD finishes with ‘Funky Jam” an instrumental highlighting the prowess of the whole band though Dean’s, Santanaesque guitaring predominates this is a tune for the whole band. This CD is eight tracks each of a different blues styling and all played with quality music and vocals. If your Blues desire is blistering fretboard runs then this CD isn’t for you. If your Blues are dug deep out of the Delta mud it isn’t for you, but if you love the Blues it is definitely for you.

Carol Borrington

MICK CLARKE Roll Again & Live In Luxembourg

Beat Goes On Records

1995’s ‘Roll Again’ reverts to the first release’s tried and tested blues rock format and largely succeeds as a consequence over twelve tracks at 49 minutes.. High speed rolling rhythms topped again with masterful controlled guitar riffs such as on ‘Blue Eyed Blues’ featuring a powerful performance from Chris Sharley on drums. ‘Mother Earth’ drops the pace for a slow blues with a marvellous picking guitar solo, intricate tinkling piano from Lou Martin and fine bass work from Mick Hawksworth.. The quality of the musicianship highlights the relative weakness of the vocal. ‘One Horse Town’ employs an echo on the vocal to excellent effect. ‘Gypsy Blues’ is atmospheric instrumental with some evocative shrill guitar work and I wonder whether the weakness on vocal is the subconscious driver here, certainly the title track cries out for an able rock vocalist. Classic blues is represented by ‘Down In The Bottom’ which fails to convince with the stop start rhythm and light vocal which does it no justice. ‘Stompin’ another instrumental closes and lives up to it’s title. Just eight tracks at 52 minutes on 2003’s ‘Live In Luxembourg’ the companion CD.

Recorded on an

ad hoc basis, it does serve to depict the sweaty, intense and passionate nature of the band on stage. More rock than blues throughout, but fine keyboard playing from Dave Lennox ranging from tinkling piano on ‘That’s Alright’ to gorgeous swirling organ on ‘You Gonna Miss Me’, coupled with some impressive guitar work and flashing pyrotechnics particularly on the latter track. The vocal quality is again merely adequate. The set stops short of over indulgence and is one for the fans. I understand Mick Clarke’s longevity with the musical ability on offer. I do wonder though what impact a class vocalist might have had on his fortunes. ‘West Coast Connections and ‘Steel And Fire’ complete the CD rereleases.

Bob Chaffey

MIDNITE JOHNNY

Lyin’ Eyes

Blue Midnite Productions

Midnite Johnny is Johnny Morana from South Florida, but according to his MySpace page he’s temporarily settled in Bolton where he’s doing acoustic gigs. He’s been around the Florida scene for a long time, gigging with several name musicians. This is his debut album. Johnny is yet another excellent guitar player and his playing on this album shows more economy and restraint than many that we hear. He is particularly adept at building tension and then releasing it. His strongest influence seems to be Magic Sam, there’s a touch of Freddy King and on track, 7 ‘You’re Not the Only One’ there is a noticeable Mark Knopfler influence, the song’s structure and playing is strongly reminiscent of Sultans of Swing and the vocal here actually reminded me of Keith Richard. In general the album is pretty much standard stuff. The strongest tracks are the opener ‘GYPSY CURSE’, a mid-tempo swing based shuffle very much in the Magic Sam mould with excellent guitar. The second stand-out is track 2 ‘WALKIN’ THE FLOOR’; this has a mambo type of feel and a vocal track that recalls Levon Helm. Johnny’s version of ‘BO DIDDLEY’, the only cover, is more akin to the Buddy Holly version than the original. With ten songs written by Johnny and band keyboard player Sonny Williams this a satisfactory debut pointing to a future where Johnny may, hopefully, be tempted to discover a more individual sound of his own.

Vicky Martin

MIKE STEVENS & MATT

ANDERSON Piggyback

Busted Flat Records

Canadian, Matt Anderson is winner of the 2010 Blues Foundation, International Blues Foundation Challenge. Mike Stevens is a Canadian harmonica player who is

up with the best. Together they have produced this self-penned CD and it is a ‘cracker’. All the guitaring is acoustic and with the exception of one track, there are no heroics, just pure quality, passionate Blues. Mike’s harp playing is varied, solid and emotive. ‘Livin In Sarnia’ starts with and has a droning kazoo sounding harp forcing the rhythm whist guitar plays a gentle affecting melody with a slight tinge of country. ‘Devils Bride’ is straight out of the Bayou Blues, with an almost shredded guitar solo and emotive wailing harp. Throughout the CD Matt’s vocal is clear lower register, polished with a slight gruffness but good intonation. ‘Going Home’ introduces Mike’s vocal in a talking Blues style as he relates the return of a soldier’s body to his home in Canada, all the time backed by a gentle melodic and highly emotive wailing and berating guitar. The chorus is sung by Matt and could easily become an anthem in itself. Whatever your beliefs about war I defy you not to be touched by this song. ‘Better Days’ is the exception to the heroics definition. Still acoustic but shredded riffs interplay with shredded chords and percussive and rapid strumming, whilst the harp shreds alongside. The CD finishes with ‘You’re a Best Seller Baby’ which is foot stomping iambic Blues straight from the Delta with slide guitar and harp wailing like a Robert Johnson duet with Sonny Terry. There are some amazing Blues musicians coming out of Canada recently, they have been for too long overshadowed by their southern neighbours. This CD shows that Canada matches them with ease.

Carol Borrington

ELVIS PRESLEY

Elvis 75th Anniversary Album

Sony Music 3 CD set

For the next generation of Elvis impersonators, if they want to get it right, then this is the collection they’ll need to study and absorb. 75 tracks and not a dud among them. Well, that’s not entirely true – there’s some of the movie tracks, such as Kiss Me Quick, Bossa Nova Baby and Kissin’ Cousins. Poor Elvis. Colonel Tom Parker had a lot to answer for. Of course, the Elvis impersonators will only be interested in Disc 3, because that’s the fat white sparkly flares and cloak collection – American Trilogy, The Wonder of You and all that sweaty Las Vegas stuff. They’ll not tackle the diamond-hard, solid gold young Elvis of disc 1, because being a middle-aged Elvis impersonator is nothing without the shades and the sequinned cloak, and few impersonators can emulate the sheer animalistic force of the Tupelo flash circa 56-59. It’s too much hard work. This is a wonderful collection, full of the sheer variety of styles and periods the King went through, but disc 1 is the one that does it for me. Listening once again to this true monarch, backed by the smooth Jordanaires, delivering All Shook Up, Blue Moon, Hound Dog and the soaring Lawdy Miss Clawdy, it brings back all the thrilling memories of the days when you couldn’t buy Levis or Wranglers, beer was

around 7p a pint, we all smoked Woodbines or Park Drive, and rock’n’roll made our parents absolutely apoplectic. He was great, great, great, and his recordings will last forever. Tread carefully, impersonators, for you tread on my dreams.

Roy Bainton

THE BLUES BAND Back For More / Fat City

BGO 2 CD set

Currently celebrating 30 years on the road, The Blues Band can rightly claim to be Europe’s premier blues outfit for many reasons. In some ways, they don’t just sing the roots – in British terms, they are the roots, because like John Mayall, Georgie Fame and Chris Barber they stormed the barricades on the first great blues boom in the 60s and actually played as sidemen to the US greats such as Wolf, Sonny Boy and Hooker. If any band knows their blues, then this combo know more than most. However, they have tried manfully in the past to do other things with the genre, sometimes successfully, sometimes not. They broke up for a while in the early 80s but soon bounced back with one of the albums here, Back For More. In contrast to their earlier outings on LP such as the stirring Bootleg Album and Ready, where they showcased the traditional blues repertoire with style and dynamic energy, by the mid 80s they’d decided to take that energy in a new direction and make much more of their own writing talent. So, with the exception of Gil Scott Heron’s Blue Collar and Willie Dixon’s Down In The Bottom, you’ll find all these tracks on both albums to be originals by Dave Kelly, Tom McGuinness, Paul Jones, Benny Gallagher, Tex Comer and Gary Fletcher. I remember the 80s release of Back For More – it was a time when the denims and dungarees had been replaced by double breasted Thatcherite suits. However, this music is still the blues but with an added patina of sophistication. There’s the popular Victim of Love, and the atmospheric Down To The River, by Paul Jones, inspired by an episode of Inspector Morse. And the Blues Band is a true musical democracy – you get even measures of Dave Kelly, Gary Fletcher, PJ and McGuinness. This double set is a bargain. It shows the finest British bluesmen at their very best, taking their knowledge, skill and experience and doing something new with it all. Here’s to the next ten years, gentlemen!

Roy Bainton

VARIOUS: WHERE BLUES CROSSED OVER 2010

Ruf Records

Ten tracks which, as this compilation’s title makes clear, represent where the blues is right now in 2010. It kicks off with a stirring acoustic/vocal pairing Love Is The Key with Eric Bibb and Big Daddy Wilson in full flight – the rolling,

sliding guitar and the gospel flavoured chorus would brighten anyone’s day. In contrast there’s the soaring playing of Jeff Healey on I think I love Too Much, and for a change, the men aren’t having it all their own way, 4 of these ten tracks will introduce you to some fine female artists; Meena, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Shakura S’aida and Erja Lyytinen. Other big names include the mighty Luther Allison and Coco Montoya, and by the time you’ve reached track ten you’re feeling slightly disappointed that there isn’t any more. This is a good overview of how Ruf Records are providing us with a welcome opportunity to sample the varied material coming out of their studios, and when you hear Omar Dykes Feat with the irrepressible Jimmy Vaughan on guitar, on the gutsy Big Town Playboy, you’ll soon be plundering the extensive catalogue listing printed on this album’s sleeve. Cracking stuff, play it loud and enjoy!

Roy Bainton

BLUES LUNCH Sideswiped

Wilberts Records

Blues Lunch is an eight piece band from Cleveland Ohio who have been on-the-road for twenty-five years. They play a mix of blues, swing, jazz, RnB and early RnR.” Sideswiped is the bands fifth CD and the first they have recorded since 2004. It is a fifteen track offering running to nearly an hour in length. It contains self-penned numbers written by lead guitarist and vocalist Bob Franks. The CD opens with the title track and is an instrumental. It is an eclectic combination of genres, blues rooted but with early RnR, RnB and jazz mixed in and reflect s the music of Chicago, New Orleans and RnR in the forties and fifties. There are covers of Bobby Bland’s 36-22-36, which has Blues, jazz and a take your partner and dance sensibility. It brings forth memories of GI’s on leave swinging their gals round the local dance hall. ‘The Best I Can’, is a Blues ballad, emotive vocal, wailing guitar and harmonica are topped with an interesting big band sound. ‘Monkey Hips and Rice’ is a doo wop number. ‘Chinese Knock –off’, mixes a lot genres in a good fifties orientated Chicago Blues number. The bouncy and tongue-in-cheek ‘Don’t Point That Thing At Me’ is a harmonica driven Blues number and throughout this CD, you get that wonderful feeling that even when dealing with the more sombre topics of the Blues, these boys just want you to smile. ‘My Baby Knows Lovin’ is a blues ballad with some low down harp and slide guitar, very Muddy Waters. Maybe more for the US market than UK but there is certainly a growing feel for music of the late forties and fifties again among the ‘silver’ pound and dollar.

Carol Borrington

DANIEL GOODMAN

Such A Fine Day & Other Days

self-released

Daniel Goodman graduated from Boston s Berklee College of music, with a focus then on jazz. Influenced initially by the likes of Miles Davis and Sonny Rollins he performed in that arena for while, before moving onto his

favoured genre of traditional American folk music. The impact of the so-called post-war Folk revival has had a strongest influence on him, and his subsequent work bares the hallmark of Pete Seeger and early Bob Dylan. This album of fourteen self-penned songs is just what one would expect from someone with that background. Whilst lyrically it is both socially and politically aware, it’ s topics are also tinged with personal regret and nostalgia. He accompanies himself on acoustic guitar on each cut and occasionally adds harmonica. He is joined by Pamela Bernardi on vocals on four of the songs, which adds some variety and interest. I enjoyed the ironic observations in The Super Superficial Man , the gentle longing of One To Love and rhythmic approach to San Casciano Blues. It is an earnest but ultimately introverted work.

TRENT MILLER & THE SKELETON JIVE Cerberus

Hangman records

This is the debut album of fourteen self penned tracks lasting 41 minutes. Trent is recorded here solo on guitar, harmonica and vocal. Skeleton Jive refers to his touring ensemble. The first track ‘Dark River’ sets the scene for the CD with it’s strummed acoustic guitar and a extremely limited vocal style reminiscent of latter

Noggin

day Shane McGowan. ‘Secret Fires’ has dark lyrical content just not matched by the potency or passion of performance either instrumentally or vocally. ‘Coyote’ and especially ‘Hangmans Shore’ are musically presented as 60’s Donovan but with a strident harsh vocal that fails to sustain any range or note even throughout a single word on occasion. Comparisons are indeed often odious but, for illustrative sake, one cannot help contrasting the vocal power of Marcus Bonfanti or the impassioned attack of Eric Sardinas as absolutely necessary on this kind of black lyrical material. The “Nights are much too dark” appeal to his ‘Little Queen Of Hearts’ has again no depth of feeling or conviction conveyed in the croaky vocal. Cerberus is the three headed dog guarding the gates of hell but Trent has no menace or emotive power to carry or convey that imagery. By the final tracks he descends to a gloomy tired drone – on ‘Calvary Mountain’ think Leonard Cohen devoid of wit and personality. There is no light and shade here, but that would not be a problem if the material had been performed with the passion, the emotional depth and dramatic intensity required. This is Folk music with a punkish undertone which regrettably fails to convince as a body of work, with the shortcomings on vocal not being compensated for with an intensity of performance. The listener is left a dispassionate onlooker and not brought onboard by the artist.

Bob Chaffey

THE HOLMES BROTHERS Feed My Soul

Alligator This latest album from the venerable brothers contains mostly self penned material featuring their usual blend of Blues, gospel, soul, rock and country. Not forgetting a touch of doo-wop and a dose of funk. This mix makes for a beguiling, glorious and rootsy stew as typified by the fantastic and funky vocal harmonies on ‘Something Is Missing’. Wendell Holmes had a recent battle with cancer and his songs ‘Living Well Is The Best Revenge’ and ‘Fair Weather Friend’ refer touchingly to his struggle. The Lennon/McCartney penned ‘I’ll Be Back’ is infused with soulful vocals from Popsy Dixon and is followed by a yearning cover of Johnny Ace’s beautiful ballad ‘Pledging My Love’. As always the Brothers bring a charm to everything they do. I was once told by someone who saw one of their gigs that at the end of the evening they insisted on shaking hands with and thanking everyone who had attended. Somehow that feeling pervades their music and the glorious title track ‘Feed My Soul’ is a perfect example of this. The Brothers are in good voice throughout and extra colour is added to the music with guest musicians on Hammond B-3, mandolin and harmonica. ‘You’re The Kind Of Trouble’ finds The Brothers rocking out to a Chuck Berry beat but those glorious vocal harmonies are back in place for the ballad ‘I Saw Your Face’. ‘Rounding Third’ is an uplifting rocker featuring wailing harmonica from Andy Breslau and closing track ‘Take Me Away’ is a gospel number featuring heartfelt vocals from Popsy Dixon. So we have Wendell’s gravelly vocals, Popsy’s soaring falsetto and amazing three part harmony singing which is spine tingling. It certainly makes for a very pleasing and exhilarating album which can be thoroughly recommended.

Dave Drury

GUITAR GABRIEL

The Beginning of the Music Maker Story (CD+DVD)

CD – Guitar Gabriel DVD –Toot Blues

Dixiefrog Records

This interesting package is designed to tell about

the founding of the Music Maker Relief Foundation. A charitable fund set up to support many of the very talented but largely forgotten blues musicians of Carolina and the surrounding areas. Guitar Gabriel was the inspiration to Tim Duffy who along with Denise Duffy and others set up the trust. Gabriel had a chart hit in the USA in 1970, under the name of Nyles Jones with his song ‘THE WELFARE BLUES’ which is on the CD. He received not a penny in royalties and became embittered enough to stop playing. The DVD tells the story of Gabriel’s coming back to performing and achieving a degree of success late in life. The DVD contains several striking cameo performances by such little known bluesmen as Boo Hanks, Cool John Ferguson, and several others. The spirit of these people, despite the poverty in which they live, is inspiring. The foundation has borne fruit and bought many of these folk and audience and at least some income. The CD is a mix of very down home acoustic blues and some of Gabriel’s older tracks. It sounds very informal and relaxed. I would highly recommend this package and especially the DVD in particular. There is one other gem in this set; the booklet contains a superb essay about Gabriel’s rediscovery ‘The Last Bluesman’ by John Creech.

Vicky Martin

SHAWN PITTMAN Movin’ & Groovin’

Feelin’ Good Records 009

Providing an overview of the four albums he recorded between 1999 and 2005, this collection features Shawn

on lead guitar throughout. It is jam packed with unmistakable Texan guitar slinging that hits the spot, the solid rhythm section lays the foundation for a seemingly omnipresent bass which seemingly relentlessly crunches away any opposition, leaving the way open for Shawn’s sweetly articulate guitar slinging. Whether he is playing a loose limbed toe-tapping shuffle or a fast moving blaster; his unmistakable passion is clearly evident, particularly so when he is playing a soul searching slow blues. Shawn eloquently displays his knack for choosing the right numbers for his particular interpretations of the music he plays, as displayed with the suitably raggedly, rough edged version of Hound Dog Taylor’s ‘Gimme Back My Wig’ to the extremely mellow feeling imbued by his heartfelt and sensitively rendered slide on ‘That First Drink.’ Shawn’s natural talents are certainly well highlighted by this collection and we can but only look forward to hearing more musical gems! If you like Texas Blues, then you are certainly in for an aural treat.

Brian Harman

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ARTISTS KEEPING THE BLUES ALIVE

EDDIE MARTIN

@Vale Blues, Jazz & Roots Society, Barry 04/03/10

Vale Blues, Jazz and Roots club once again pulled the rabbit out of the hat to a packed and appreciative audience as they enthusiastically welcomed the one man band with Eddie playing guitars, harmonica and foot percussion (his trusty suitcase!) The evening did not disappoint, and I know that all harmonica players had been enthralled, challenged and learnt something in the workshop Eddie held before the actual gig. The first set saw Eddie using his steel acoustic, with slide, rack harp and foot percussion he emulates bands such as Doctor Ross and Joe Hill Louis famous in Memphis in the 1950’s. A combination of traditional blues including Robert Johnson’s ’Little Queen of Spades’ and a brilliant rendition of Slim Harpo’s ‘Shake Your Hips’ and his own songs such as ‘Toy Ballerina’ demonstrating his skills in providing a modern update to the blues demonstrating all the expressiveness of this genre. “Eddie Martin” provided lots of background information about the blues artists and the songs being performed such as Lead Belly’s, ‘The Bourgeois Blues’ how it was written after Lead Belly went to Washington DC; and after finishing recording went out with Alan Lomax and their wives to celebrate, the song rails against racism, classism, and discrimination in general,. The acoustic set was a walk through the history of the Blues from Johnson through to today’s artists such as Eric Bibb demonstrating that acoustic blues are alive, and relevant to audiences. The second set was electric from including the harp with the ingenious use of copious gaffer tape! Demonstrating the versatility of “Eddie Martin’s” talents and the effectiveness of the one man band format. The audience was treated to a live premiere of ‘One Man Band’ from his new album, electric version of ‘Toy Ballerina’. The

evening was a celebration of “Eddie’s Martin’s” skills, virtuosity and confidence to entertain using a one man band with all the different skills, techniques and above all mental dexterity combined with the coordination require to play everything from rhythm to lead guitar and vocals shone through delighting the audience who wanted more....

Liz Aiken

ELEPHANT SHELF @Milkwoodjam, Swansea. 02/03/10

What an exciting, different and musical evening “Elephant Shelf” gave the audience. This most original of Rock and Blues / Roots bands. Led by two of Britain’s finest transgender musicians Vicky Martin and ‘Princess’ Diana Stone the legendary multi-instrumental virtuoso; both can link their names to some of the greatest names in rock history. The originality shone through on... ‘Best Worst Day‘ Rosie on lead vocals may be affectionately known as ‘Little Rosie’ her voice is anything but! And despite struggling with a sore throat her voice acted as the perfect foil to Vicky’s guitar and Di’s presence whether on keyboard or trusty violin. ‘Route 66’ incorporated great solos including Di on the violin bringing yet another dimension to this band who refuse to let one style dominant their live sound. The performance was disciplined with a strong rhythm section comprising of Rob Charles (Bass) and Terry McInerney (Drums) to provide a secure platform for the flamboyant antics of Vicky, Di and Rosie. ‘Mean Girl’, sees Vicky talking about Rosie and how mean she has been and is full of pathos and bluesy guitar riffs, this was quickly followed by what was aptly described by Vicky as Rosie’s revenge with ‘Poor Miss Guided’ with Rosie’s voice belting out her response ensuring Vicky’s guitar is going to take second place for a few moments.”Elephant Shelf”, entertained from the moment they stepped on the stage and produce two hour long sets that kept the audience second guessing what style was coming next, they may have sang ‘Fussing and Fighting’ but the audience certainly were not fretting, fidgeting in their seats or fighting to leave the venue as they enjoyed the musical feast “Elephant Shelf” produced on this Tuesday in Milkwoodjam and they will be welcomed back any time soon. To pigeon hole “Elephant Shelf” is an impossibility not only does the band embrace diversity, the sound that is produced ranges from gypsy violin to delta blues slide guitar blues whilst tipping more than your hat to reggae and full blown Rock n’ Roll, and on the way encapsulating every musical genre creating a majestic, exciting sound and will always leave you enthralled.

Liz Aiken

JOE BONAMASSA

BBC Maida Vale Concert for the Paul Jones Show

I left this show with ambivalent views about Joe Bonamassa, a young player who could really encourage youngsters to the guitar. I came without pre-conceptions having not seen him before, yet the overall performance left me with questions about Joe and what is being presented as ‘BLUES’. The opener ‘JOHN HENRY’ was a powerful heavy rock tune with echoes of Black Sabbath; for me the best number of the evening. Next up was a pounding Delta style boogie flavoured blues in Rolling & Tumbling vein. Very good, I recall a line ‘last kiss before I die’ but Joe didn’t tell us the title. It was slow blues time as Joe went into the Otis Rush song ‘SO MANY ROADS’. Top rate guitar break but the ‘song’ tended to become just a vehicle for that. Junior Wells’ ‘Sure Looks Good to Me’ was followed by a minor blues containing several Zeppelin

Photos on these pages by Liz Aiken & Christine Moore

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licks. An audience favourite was one of Joe’s classics ‘SLOE GIN’. This has a great build-up at the end, I heard echoes of John Martyn in the sound and structure and a very ‘Jimmy Page’ styled solo. Joe then introduced songs from his new album beginning with ‘STEAL YOUR HEART AWAY’. A minor blues with the line ‘No place to call my own’ followed. This had an interesting King Crimson type intro and a sprinkling of Led Zeppelin riffs. ‘YOUNG MAN’ and another minor blues ‘IT’S BEEN SO LONG’ led to the finale ‘MOUNTAIN TIME’. I had already found Joe’s singing of such lines as ‘I’ve seen suffering’, and ‘No place to call my own’ less than convincing and this tune ‘MOUNTAIN TIME’ focussed my ambivalence about the show. It is in no way, shape, or form, the Blues. It is AOR/Stadium Rock and obviously so. If Joe wants to play this then that is fine but why at the climax of a concert being made for a blues radio show? It was obviously very important as he did three re-takes of the tune. Joe is a very skilled professional, but it is surely time to apply some critical discernment as to what we are calling the BLUES.

Vicky Martin

AYNSLEY LISTER @Milkwoodjam, Swansea.

20/04/10

‘Aynsley Lister Band’ started at a full-on tempo to a packed house of expectant blues fans. From the first chord it was obvious to all that Aynsley meant business tonight. The rocky/blues ‘Soundman’ described by Aynsley as probably the first song he wrote, with signature guitar rifts and already using nano seconds of silence and the end of the phrase. Aynsley as ever combined dexterous finger movements with various speeds he does not feel that leading from the front needs to be done at one hundred miles per hour. On top of immense and innovative guitar skills is clear diction and a smooth melodic voice. The set combined a wide array of skills and demonstrated the power of the slide on ‘Sugar Low’, though rooted in the blues this modern man is delivering blues for the 21st century, with compositions that are relevant to audiences of today as shown in ‘Soul’, ‘Hurricane’; whilst ‘Big Sleep’ will satisfy the more traditional blues fan. Aynsley’s well loved rendition of Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’ gave him the opportunity to announce a new live album coming soon. The band supporting Aynsley throughout was solid as a rock, and obviously comfortable with each other Midus (Bass) and Simon Small (Drums) especially providing a stable and intuitive rhythm section. Daniel Healy (Keyboards) provides that edge of difference to the band giving another dimension and range of musicality for Aynsley to explore in his arrangements. The audience wanted more and were left with strains of great music in their ears, combining originality and great covers of Prince and Hendrix and the odd nudge to bands such as ACDC and Aerosmith. Aynsley Lister Band produced a great live sound, they set out to deliver and deliver they did as summed up by their encore with ‘Balls of Steel’.

JETHRO TULL @ St Albans Arena 07/03/2010

Liz Aiken

Tull in full flight are a wondrous machine and on Sunday they achieved lift-off almost immediately after taking the stage. Ian Anderson was every bit the front man and the primary focus for all that happened on stage, as he has been for over forty years. His voice wasn’t as rich and powerful as it once was but he got over the obvious shortcomings by strength of his personality and the easy recognition by the audience of all that they did. Martin Barre looked ever more the grizzled axeman but his playing was as inventive and flexible as ever and he played with an easy demeanor and no unnecessary histrionic – those were all for Anderson. With a history like theirs there wasn’t likely to any shortage of good material and as they reached back to the earliest albums and forward to the latest material it all sounded fresh and lively and very much of the ‘now’. Anderson gave us a little anecdote before most of the numbers, reminding us at one point that Jethro Tull have been seen as “Blues-Rock, Classical-Rock, Folk-Rock, and even, god forbid, Prog-Rock” but he failed to point out that they have always been rockers of enormous power and precision no matter what the context or content and with terrific versions of ‘Storm Watch’ and ‘Bouree’ alongside ‘Too Old To Rock & Roll And Too Young To Die’ the audience were happily rocking away. As ever, the stunning ‘Budapest’ had the smiles out all round and John O’Hara

featured strongly on keyboards. Duane Perry has a subtle touch on percussion and his linking with David Goodier gave the music a solid and hearty bottom line. The crowd pleasers closed the set; first ‘Aqualung’ and then ‘Locomotive Breath’ both showing that Ian Anderson hasn’t lost the mad movements and gurns and giving this reporter a huge lump in his throat – Tull were the first band I ever saw in a theatre, on the Aqualung’ tour. Saori Jo was the guest artist for the gig and her piano led songs were full of life and charm and it did her no harm when all of Tull came on to help out on a couple of numbers – the audience thoroughly enjoyed her performance and she will be worth watching out for in the future.

Andy Snipper

HAMILTON LOOMIS @Milkwoodjam, Swansea.

09/03/10

Opening the evening with a funky number got the packed audience impatient with anticipation and definitely in the mood to be entertained by “Hamilton Loomis” who was in a confident mood from the off. With his red and white shirt with shoes to match Hamilton was every inch the front man in total control. ‘Best Worst Day‘ demonstrated the excellent interplay between all the musicians on stage, a solid, imaginative rhythm section comprising Jamie Little (drums); Kent Beatty (Bass) and Stratton Doyle (Keyboard and Saxophone) producing a contemporary sound that blends and distils a mix of funk, soul and rock with a large dollop of the blues. His links with the blues reach back into the past and co-writing ‘You Got To Wait’ with Bo Diddley, keeps the link alive; as a young man who was mentored by and worked with one of the greats. His guitar playing is exciting and backed with his great voice and powerful harmonica playing demonstrates the complete package as demonstrated on tracks such as ‘Bow wow’; ‘No No No’. ‘Voodoo Doll’ saw a musical battle of Stratton’s saxophone versus Hamilton’s guitar, delivering all the tricks of the instruments, (including innovation of - an empty pint glass as a slide!) ending a strong first set with the audience wanting more, more... The second set was as dynamic with the audience appreciating Hamilton taking a stroll imitating a wandering minstrel through Milkwoodjam with everyone enjoying and appreciating his very modern funky, sound not traditional but great blues confirming once again that nothing beats the live sound to make music real; the interaction of crowds and musicians, nothing beats it. Ending the evening with two of his numbers ‘Get My Blues On’ and ‘Slow Lover’ reminding everyone once again what a talent ”Hamilton Loomis” is and can never can be described as boring, traditional or of someone who imitates, he is original and inventive. He is the antidote to anyone who says the blues is stuck in the past lost in repetitive 12bar structure and safe guitar rhythms; take them to one of his shows and they will have to eat their words!

Liz Aiken

GARY MOORE @ Charlotte Street Blues, London 06/04/10

It’s been many years since Moore played a venue with a capacity of only 150, but this relatively intimate gig provided the perfect warm up to a short tour of Russia and the Far East before his appearance at this summer’s inaugural High Voltage Festival in London. While Moore’s career has encompassed several musical genres, unsurprisingly it was the Blues that was on show at this one-off gig. Commandeering the majority of the small stage and relegating his sidemen on drums, bass and keys to the periphery, Moore blitzed the throng with ‘Oh Pretty Woman’ then the title track ‘Bad For You Baby’ and ‘Down The Line’ from his excellent current album. Moore’s vocals were almost completely lost in the mix during these opening numbers, but there was no mistaking the verbal tirade that he has become renowned for when a camera repeatedly flashed a few feet away. The sound improved markedly when Moore swapped his Gibson Firebird for a Les Paul on ‘All Your Love’ for an interpretation that was much slower and had more emotion than his studio recording of

Photos on these pages by Liz Aiken & Christine Moore

GOT LIVE

this classic. The improvement in sound was maintained as Moore picked up the pace with ‘Since I Met You Baby’ before treating the capacity audience to the slow Blues of John Mayall’s ‘Have You Heard’ and ‘I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know’ from “Bad For You Baby”, both featuring beautiful extended solos. A fiery ‘Too Tired’, with a particularly flamboyant solo, preceded a rendition of ‘Still Got The Blues’ that was faithful to the album version before an almost funky ‘Walking By Myself’ that had many at the front bopping along. All too soon the peel of Moore’s sustain on ‘Parisienne Walkways’ was ringing out and the show was brought to a close without an encore, despite a five minute ovation. Yes, there was a little shredding amongst the sublime guitar solos, but it was never out of control and for this reviewer it did not detract from what was a very memorable evening.

Philip Woodford

BARE BONES BOOGIE BAND Charlotte Street Blues October 5 2010

The band fronted by Helen Turner put on a class performance here. Opening with the self penned Simple Suggestion they then moved to covers including Move Over and two slow blues including Etta James I’d Rather Go Blind. These were sandwiched between originals Baby Be Mine and Throw Me a Line. A cover of the Stones’ Live with Me closed the first set. The second set Opened with Penicillin Blues and closed with a rousing version of Shake Your Money Maker. The highlight of the show was the three 2nd set originals, Sister Sunshine, Black Cat Strikes Back and Full Tilt Boogie Man, great riff that. This emphasized to me that the band’s own material is very much stronger than their covers – the originals really are good enough to form the bulk of the show, and I would have liked to have heard more. When I got home I remembered the evening for Full tilt Boogie Man and the other originals. This band can be fully confident in its own material, that and Helen’s superb voice is their strength. I also enjoyed Iain Black’s guitar, economical and with strong echoes of Free and Paul Kossoff. Helen Turner was extremely good; working the crowd hard to establish contact in what I considered difficult circumstances. I say this because the evening really opened my ears and eyes to a shortcoming at the venue. I made a point of viewing and listening to the gig from various standpoints. It was apparent that of the 350 or so in the venue only around a quarter or so paid attention to the music. Sadly in much of the venue ambient crowd noise drowned the band. Once you are, say, more than 30 feet from the stage you hear the crowd and very little of the music. That said the band played a very good show indeed.

Vicky Martin

ROB TOGNONI

Rob Tognoni hailing originally from Tasmania, Australia supported by Mike Hellier (drums) and Roger Inniss (Bass), delivered a 100% powerfully charged experience; there was simply no compromise. The enthusiastic crowd warmed to Rob’s charm as he built a rapport with the audience whilst delivering awesome guitar work with precision that is often lost when the guitar is played loud, fast and furious. The excellent interchange between Rob and his rhythm section was evident as from the beginning Roger wove his usual skilful magic funky sound on his six-string bass, as Roger says “It’s all about the spirit and the vibe” and with the solid drumming provided by Mike they definitely delivered the vibe in Swansea tonight. Rob Tognoni provided a lively set with a mix of his own songs such as Jim Beam Blues, Bad Girl and Itty Bitty Mama along with deft re-workings of firm favourites such as Red House & Hey Joe. As a trio these can play! As evidenced in their great rendition of rob’s old number ‘Dark Angel’ with Roger utilising his black box of tricks to the full creating a vibrant sound on the bass, whilst Rob gave an object lesson in how to use a Wah! Pedal. Rob Tognoni did not disappoint the Tuesday crowd with his Australasian wit and laid back style and we all knew we had listened to musicians who understood the blues and could rock the night away whilst varying the tempo and mood.

Liz Aiken

HAMILTON LOOMIS

Earl Haig Club, Whitchurch, Cardiff 17/03/10

There are those who roll up, plug in and assume your devotion because they evoke memories you want through music you love. Then they leave, respectful and grateful of their audience without ever having really engaged with it. Then there’s Hamilton Loomis, whose ethos is that having persuaded you in, his job is far from complete – he has to entertain, enthral and personally captivate. Promoted here by the well established and ever inventive Blues Dragon Club, he came to a venue in the ‘burbs currently gathering momentum – Welsh legends Sassafras and veteran rocker Steve Gibbons have both headlined recently. Finding the layout to his liking, Loomis employed his full bag of tricks to ensure a significant crowd of die-hards and curious first timers were sent away totally gratified. This was assisted in no small part by outstanding local R&B outfit The Fugitives who are making quite a name as rousing curtain raisers with a loyal fan base of their own. Loomis hit his stride with some funky killer runs, delighting blues zealots and those wistfully reminded of when The Average White Band and Steely Dan ruled the world. Standout numbers among this smorgasbord of influences were the accomplished ‘Bow Wow’, gear changing to near standstill before mellow jazz licks and table-to-table serenading enabled Loomis to make his personal connection. Ably supported by velvety bassist Kent Beatty, the night’s highlight for many was the sample-filled ‘Voodoo Doll’ where Loomis doffed an admiring hat to many of his heroes, leaving us gasping at the audacity and ingenuity of some back and forth musical jousting with silky saxophonist Stratton Doyle. Concluding with the Delaware Destroyer-like ‘Slow Lover’ (complete with synchronised bouncing in the chorus), Loomis was able to add another visual dimension to an expertly crafted show. Here is a new generation bluesman who understands that he is only one half of the equation, and while the other half disappeared into the fresh St Patrick’s night, they were smiling with delight at an excellent two-parted show at a friendly, welcoming new venue.

Richard Thomas

LISA MILLS @Milkwoodjam, Swansea. 13/04/10

“Lisa Mills”, opened her mouth and poured out, “Tennessee Tears”; and the audience was enthralled by her bluesy, soulful voice. Lisa, from Mississippi and now living in Mobile, Alabama bought with her considerable musical talents a little bit of southern charm, to a warm spring night at the Milkwoodjam. The interesting stripped down mix of Ian Jennings (Double Bass), and Lisa’s voice and Rhythm Guitar was in reality anything but stripped down. Lisa herself is a powerful, melodic springtime songbird who introduced the songs performed with interesting tales that kept the audience engaged and gave the evening an intimate feel. Following the long hard winter the lyrics Lisa and Ian wrote while she was in Kidderminster in February and feeling homesick ‘I Need a Little Sunshine’, struck a chord with everyone. The rendition of ‘I’ll Never Fall in Love Again’ showed her emotional voice and provided layers of texture to this faultless performance and was seamlessly followed with ‘You Need to Straighten Up’ with a great solo from Ian showing the full range of this marvellous instrument with its deep, deep notes resonating with the tears and sorrow of lost love. The evening included a tribute to the late great Freddy King, through to jazz influence tracks a little bit of country, Rock n’ Roll tempo and a whole lot of blues including classics such as ‘If I Had a Dollar’; ‘Sugar Coated Love’ and ‘Turn The Lamp Down Low’. The performances of Lisa and Ian were relaxed, they were obviously comfortable in each other’s company and complimented their musical skills; but there can be no doubt that it is Lisa’s amazing voice that shone through and readily identifies her as a true talent.

Encores can be a habit, the request came not for one more but ten more was for once truly meant – “Lisa Mills” responded by telling into audience she would play every blues lick and would continue with love and frustration rounding of this almost themed evening of hurt, pain and the powerful melodic voice of this southern belle songster. Take Robert Plant’s advice ‘You should all check her out - she has a wonderful voice’.

Liz Aiken

Photos on these pages by Liz Aiken

JON AMOR BAND Bell on the Green, Devizes. 17/04/10

The home crowd in Devizes were full of anticipation, waiting impatiently for the backroom door to open and the gig to begin. “Jon Amor”, started the proceedings off with, ‘Even a Child’; if any song was made for opening a live performance then this is it! Jon as ever was the ultimate showman even on this small stage, with an interesting addition to the percussion as Jon turned he managed to use his guitar to smash a cymbal, with perfect timing of course. With drums at a minimum, Jon sung, ‘If You Were Me’ the audience clapped out the beat and the rhythm of this well known and loved song which was delivered with confidence, with the drums reached to a crescendo with Bass and rhythm guitar bringing the first set to a professional and seemingly effortless finish. ‘Stitch in your Party Dress’, is becoming an anthem to predatory women everywhere, and tonight Jon was definitely on fire. The Doherty brothers, Chris (Bass) and Dave (Rhythm Guitar) and Mark Barrett (Drums) provided solid support allowing Jon to front the band with absolute confidence. Why does it happen? When the artist turns down the volume as with ‘Graveyard’, the audience turns up the volume, by not keeping quiet they miss the nuances and the delicate guitar work and above all they fail to give performers respect. Jon told the crowd that this was going to be the last gig in Devizes for a long time, with that there was a swap as Mark left the stage and original drummer Simon Small, who was in the audience joined the band once more, fitting in with the band once again like a glove. The evening was full of vim and vigour, though the last gig of the tour there was no sign of fatigue, there was passion in the playing without losing shape or structure whilst never being predictable

Liz Aiken

THE DELTA LADIES

@The Travellers Rest, Draycott, Derbyshire. 14/04/10

The Delta ladies are better known in their other incarnation as Vicky Martin and Diana Stone from Elephant Shelf. This was interesting gig because as well as the musical talents of both artists being brought into sharper focus than in the whole of the band setting, this gig also took one to the entertainment side of the Blues, that is hardly ever mention in polite modern day Blues society. The Blues over time has given its legends, an almost revered status, not just musical but also rather snobbishly in their performance. Forgetting that many of them earned their living alongside travelling Medicine Shows and were also entertainers. This set by Vicky & Diana, as well being musically superb, also resurrected that aspect of the forgotten past of the Blues. Their first set was very much the song and dance side; they doing exactly as the early Blues musicians did, earning their money by pure entertainment. Vicky & Diana’s second set saw them take on the traditional musically centred aspect of Blues and the contrast made for a good show and variety for what was mostly a none Blues orientated audience. Concentrating mainly on the Blues side of the performance, they open their second set with one of most amazing, creative and innovative covers of the @The House Of the Raising Sun’ you could imagine ever hearing and in doing so took it right back to the root stock of the Blues. Vicky’s emotive vocal and electro guitar playing allied to Diana’s haunting Violin performance made for a stunning number. From a cover to a new self-penned song, whose lyrics used the Blues to deal not with the past but a very present day phenomena as the lyrics suggest, ‘Hot Chat-line’, a bluesy ballad with a really boogie woogie feel and a real foot-tapper of a song. This was followed by the self-penned ‘Devil Calling Out My Name’, a number with contrasting highs and lows of tempos and some dynamic frenzied instrumental. Like Elephant Shelf this is a very different duo, but they are damn good.

Carol Borrington

Photo Liz Aiken

CHANTEL MCGREGOR

@ The Queens Hall, Edinburgh 24/10/2009

If you ever need a lesson in how to make friends and influence people, Chantel McGregor is a fine tutor. Appearing as a support artist in front of an unknown audience of Wishbone Ash fans, wowing them with her fine vocals and superb guitar prowess, her onstage banter and her willingness to meet and greet many of the audience afterwards, she provided a great example. There was a decent crowd there when her bass player Alex Jeffrey and drummer Martin Rushworth took to the stage and started a groove. McGregor then appeared barefooted and started the instantly recognisable riff of ‘Had To Cry Today’. Her interpretation was not unlike Bonamassa’s version of this song, but with enough variation to keep it from being a copy. Her guitar playing was impressive and as a fine demonstration she followed up with Joe Satriani’s ‘Up In The Sky’. She triumphed in adversity too, combining her impressive guitar licks with bass lines when Jeffrey paused to help Rushworth reset his bass drum mid song. Likewise a broken string caused a switch of guitar midway through a playful version of Sonny Boy Williamson’s ‘Help Me’. Despite these minor hitches, McGregor was unshaken and performed the song strongly. Her pleasant vocals on the song made it an enjoyable number. Next up was a melodic ‘High’, a song by Richie Kotzen before McGregor announced she would play a song by Stevie Ray Vaughan. The reaction to his name was muted, however the applause at the end of the song – ‘Lenny’ - was overwhelming – she had played the track beautifully. McGregor liked to move near to the edge of the stage so that the crowd could get a close look at her immaculate playing. The final song she played was a great interpretation of Robin Trower’s ‘Daydream’, slowly building up the guitar solo to a crescendo. McGregor mouthed “wow” as she left the stage, and the feeling from the crowd was very much mutual.

Duncan Beattie

Photo Christine Moore

HAPPENIN’

Latest news from our Blues world

BLUES ON THE FARM

the annual four-day West Sussex based festival, has announced its dates for 2010 as 17th to 20th June, running as follows:

Thursday 17th June 6.30 pm to 12 midnight

Friday 18th June 6.30 pm to 12 midnight

Saturday 19th June 12 noon to 12 midnight

Sunday 20th June 11.30am to 10pm

Staged in a 40 acre setting on the Sussex Coastal plain a couple of miles south of Chichester, Blues on the Farm has a big reputation for offering a family friendly, safe and relaxed festival atmosphere. In 2008, it was featured by The Sunday Times who dubbed it “The friendliest festival in the UK”; while The Independent has also reported very favourably on the festival, highlighting in particular the “astounding precision” of the event’s organization!

Announcing the dates for 2010, festival organiser Julian Moores said “Blues on the Farm is one of the biggest and longest running festivals in West Sussex and our simple objective is to stage high quality music from world-class musicians, in a warm and friendly festival atmosphere. We try not to be overly commercialised and there’s no huge ticket prices - Just great music, great food and drink, and a great mid-summer atmosphere!”

Always well attended, with a weekend capacity of c. 8,000, Blues on the Farm is now in its 19th year. The festival attracts families and people of all ages. The majority of festival-goers live in and around West Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire but a significant number arrive from all over the UK and Europe.

Over the years Blues on the Farm has also been known for a bit of ‘celebrity spotting’. The Rolling Stones Keith Richards is just one of many names from the world of music and showbiz who in recent years have mingled comfortably with other festival-goers in the Sussex sunshine!

Musically, the festival always features world class talent offering different musical styles centred around classic and contemporary blues, blues-rock, soul and roots music. “We’re gearing-up for another terrific festival”, said Julian.

MARYPORT BLUES FESTIVAL -Is proud to announce that the Robert Cray Band will headline the main marquee stage on Sunday 25th July.

Robert Cray, who has worked with such music legends as B.B. King, Tina Turner, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, and Willie Dixon, is known as one of the most expressive vocalists and impressive guitarists on today’s music scene. During his long-running career, he has blended rhythm and blues, rock, pop, gospel and traditional blues to create a really contemporary blues sound, writing memorable songs that tell the truth about love, loss and broken relationships.

Over the years, his daring musical innovations have won him five Grammy Awards and a worldwide fan base. In his own words: “Blues is one of the foundations of our music, but it’s not all that we play… When I first started playing guitar, I wanted to be George Harrison – that is, until I heard Jimi Hendrix. After that, I wanted to be Albert Collins and Buddy Guy and B.B. King. And then there are singers like O.V. Wright and Bobby Blue Bland. It’s all mixed up in there.” Visit our website and Robert Cray’s website for further details. http://www.robertcray.com/

The rest of the main stage programme and ticket information will be announced soon........Keeping the blues alive in Maryport

COLNE 2010

Young local musicians are being given a rare opportunity to take centre stage during this year’s Great British Rhythm and Blues Festival. And there are just two stipulations, you have to be good – and you have to sing the Blues! The Jessica Foxley Stage is being created in memory of the rising Colne star who was tragically killed last July. It will take place on the British Stage aty Pendle Leisure Centre on the closing night of the festival – Monday, August 30th. And, although this will be a lovely tribute to the local lass, it will mean that there will be no Blues Matters Stage this year. The Blues magazine usually takes control of the British Stage for one day of the festival, but for 2010 bands signed to the Blues Matters Label will step aside for this new initiative. Blues Matters, said: “We fully support the Jessica Foxley Stage and look forward to listening to some new , young, local talent.” It’s poignant that the stage is being held on the festival’s 21st Anniversary –Jessica’s age when she died. The talented musician, who worked at the Muni Box Office in Colne, was killed, along with her boyfriend Tom Petty and friend Philip Wright, in a car crash in Skipton Old Road. But it is hoped her momory will live on through her love of music. East Lancashire bands are now being asked to audition for one of a number of sought-after places. And not only will they win the change to play in front of hundreds of both national and international Blues fans, they will also win the chance to produce a demo at Studio 11 Recording Studios at The ACE Centre in Nelson. Festival organizer Alison Goode, said. “Jesica was a young artiste who had just started to climb the musical ladder. “ “W want to honour her talent and support other local people like her by giving them an opportunity to be heard and perform at such an established event.”

CARLISLE BLUES FESTIVAL 2010

In a short space of time it’ll be Nov 2010 an the Carlisle Blues Festival will b e starting its 4th year - this modest and friendly festival has earned a BIG reputation gaining worldwide recognition as one the best of its kind in the UK. The festival will take place on the 12th, 13th and 14th of November! For bands/artists it’s a must play, for music fans/ enthusiasts a must go there. Over the 3 years since it started in 2007, the festival has built its reputation on the strength and quality of its line ups, continually raising the bar and setting the standard for others. The festival is committed to continue in that vein. The 2010 line up is second to none with all genre’s of blues. Friday :- Kevin Thorpe’sTipping Point, Chantel McGregor, Mud Morganfield (USA), James Hunter. Saturday afternoon :- Lucy Zirins, The Revolutionaires, Nicky Moore’s Blues Corporation, evening Hokie Joint, Hamilton Loomis (USA), Michael Burks. Sunday afternoon :- Ben Prestage (USA) Marcus Bonfanti, Chris Farlowe with the Norman Beaker Band and Ian Siegal. Check out the website for details.

ELTON JOHN, STING & B.B.KING join SANTANA & THIEVERY CORPORATION - and many others at free Moroccan music festival

Moroccan music festival ‘Mawazine’ will this year be headlined by global superstars including Elton John, Sting, B.B.King, Santana, Mika, Julio Iglesias, and Thievery Corporation. The free music festival which is now in its 9th successful year, is held in the capital city Rabat offers a truly diverse and culturally exciting line up across nine days (21- 29 May, 2010). The festival was attended by in excess of 2 million people in 2008 and focuses on a diversity of sounds and rhythms and has become one of the world’s greatest international festivals in recent years. The festival is hosted throughout the capital city of Morocco, Rabat with 12 venues hosting 40 countries and in excess of 1,700 artists.

LARRY MILLER – It’s all happening!

It’s all happening for British Rock Blues fave Larry Miller. The next three months see an new album launch, a sponsorship deal with Marshall and he’ll also be doing time in Germany.

NEW ALBUM LAUNCH

His new “Unfinished Business” is provisionally booked” for a 8 July at London’s Borderline. Larry will be selling tickets exclusively to fans, and they must register with him on Reverb Nation to gain access to his online box office. Tickets will cost £18.00, and each comes with a FREE copy of the new album, and a limited edition golden VIP ticket. The limited edition golden ticket allows the bearer access to one Larry Miller gig of their choice absolutely free. This ticket will have no end date, so fans can use it to get access to any Larry gig at anytime in the future. Each ticket will have a unique code that is traceable back to the ticket holder, and to use it, fans will have to confirm that they are the original owner of the ticket. Should Larry become a mega star, then these tickets will remain redeemable, and will allow the bearer to have a full VIP backstage experience should they wish to. Tickets should be available from the beginning of May.

SPONSORSHIP DEAL

Larry recently signed with Eerie, an Artist representation and Management company from Cornwall. As a first step toward promoting Larry, Eerie has secured a sponsorship deal for Larry Miller with Marshall Amplification. He will now be using Marshall logos, and mentioning Marshall amplification in all of his promotional material, and on his albums. Larry says, “To me Marshall is the best, and always will be” and says thank you to everyone at Marshall for your support!”

DOING TIME!

Yes, it’s true – Larry will be doing time in a German prison. On 26th May at Justizvollzugsanstalt Rockenberg he will be an inmate for just an hour as he plays one of the most imposing venues on his German tour. The authoritarian edifice of Marienschloß is situated in the leafy town of Rockenburg. The brooding castle started life as a monastery, but became a prison in 1804, and still takes young offenders as inmates today. Marienschloß is fast becoming a favourite gig venue for artists touring in Germany, with concerts being held regularly within its walls. Will Larry get a standing ovation for good behaviour? Come along and find out. One thing is certain; he won’t be doing solitary!

US NEWS- ALASTAIR GREENE - Is Announced As New FullTime Guitarist For Renowned Progressive Rock Group, The Alan Parsons Live Project;

Santa Barbara-based guitarist Alastair Greene has just been announced as the new full-time guitarist for the Alan Parsons Live Project. The famed progressive rock band fronted by multi-instrumentalist Alan Parsons is known for such mega-hits as “Eye in the Sky,” “Time,” and “I Robot,” among others. Greene kicked off his guitar duties in the Alan Parsons Live Project March 7th with two shows in Tel Aviv, Israel. Greene is receiving great reviews for his just-released CD, WALKING IN CIRCLES. “You will be hard-pressed to find another young guitarist whose work demonstrates a better example of both from where the blues has come as well as to where it may be headed,” raves BLUESROCKERS. “Alastair Greene and his band aim to please as they dish out a swingin’ session of five feel-good covers and six originals…Greene sings with spirit and tells it like it is while his electric guitar adds a stimulating sizzle that punctuates hard,” writes SOUTHLAND BLUES. “Walking In Circles is anything but a rehashing of the long time S.B. stalwart’s multifaceted musical past,” states the SANTA BARBARA INDEPENDENT. Since his 2002 debut CD A LITTLE WISER, Alastair Greene (known as ‘AG’ by friends and fans) has released two live CDs and a collaboration with French blues guitar hero Frank ‘Paris Slim’ Goldwasser on Riatsala Music. Greene also

HAPPENIN’

played guitar on recent releases by the aforementioned Parsons (2006 Grammy-nominated ‘A Valid Path); Aynsley Dunbar (2008 release ‘Mutiny’); as well two CDs on the Delta Groove Record Label: Frank Goldwasser’s 2007 release ‘Bluju’ and Mitch Kashmar’s 2006 release ‘Wake Up and Worry’. The Alastair Greene Band has been performing live for over 10 years in various incarnations. Greene still performs regularly with Mitch Kashmar, Frank Goldwasser, and other blues and roots acts.

ROADHOUSE – ROCKING AND MOVING ONWARDS

It’s a busy time for Blues Rock favourites Roadhouse. Their year opened with a critically acclaimed performance on the Centre Stage at Skegness Big Blues Weekend. The band received huge applause after a rocking 90 minute set that featured many Roadhouse favourite. Building on their reputation as one of the most glamorous acts on the scene they have expanded their ‘squad’ of gorgeous and talented female vocalists from 3 to four; Mandi G, Kelly Marie Hobbs, and Suzie D have been joined by another young vocalist with a powerhouse delivery; Rachel Clark. They’ve been travelling far and wide in the UK with several new venues. This has enabled them to road-test material for their up-coming new album. That will kick off in September when band-leader Gary Boner and the Roadhouse boys and girls go into the Studio in September to record their 11th album. It’s to be called ‘Dark Angel’ and is scheduled for October release on BM records. Speaking recently Gary Boner was confident that it be their best ever album. You can keep a check on their forthcoming gigs etc... @~ www.roadhousegb.co.uk

BARE BONES BOOGIE BAND MEETS ROCK LEGEND

London favourites the Bare Bones Boogie Band secured a great gig at London’s legendary 100 Club as support for veteran blues masters the Groundhogs. It was their third visit to the much venerated venue. There was a full house to see Helen Turner and the band take the stage and their popular mixture of original material, and re-arranged classics was well received by the appreciative audience. Among the audience was no less than Jimmy Page and during the interval Bare Bones’ Helen Turner was seen in deep and animated conversation with the Led Zeppelin legend. We don’t know what was said except that Mr. Page was highly complimentary to Ms Turner. Tony McPhee and the Groundhogs rounded off a great night with a typical set of vintage Rhythm & Blues.

JOHNNY WINTER - to appear at Crossroads Guitar Festival 2010!

He’s back for more: after his hit appearance at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival, Johnny will return to the scene of the original crime this June. Details are still being sorted out, but this much we can tell you now: Johnny will appear, and he’ll be sitting in with the Allman Brothers Band. New record label! Paul Nelson, Johnny’s guitarist, says Johnny is joining Megaforce Records, a label whose roster includes — among many other great artists — the Black Crowes. Keep an eye out this year for a long-awaited studio release from Johnny, his first album since 2004’s ‘I’m a Bluesman’ Winters on the water! Johnny and brother Edgar a part of the incredible lineup for this October’s Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise. Be sure to get all the details on this remarkable event, which will feature some of the biggest names in blues and roots music

ROBERT JOHNSON’S 99th BIRTHDAY –

According to the official Robert Johnson –website – robertjohnsonbluesfoundation.org the man himself was born on 8th May 1911. This makes May 8 2010 his 99th birthday.

We don’t know what special celebrations are lined up here in the UK, except that Charlotte Street Blues have a special night on the 7th May when G.P. Johnson aka Robert Johnson Junior will be performing. According to the website Gibson guitars now have a Robert Johnson model on sale and will soon have an RJ Dobro model as well. Hopefully this news item will alert British Bluesers to be prepared for a real celebration in 2011, the great man’s 100th birthday.

MUDDY WATERS EXHIBIT AND MUSICAL TRIBUTE ON JULY 10 IN WESTMONT, ILLINOIS

The Godfather of the Blues lived the last 10 years of his life, and the most successful years of his career, in Westmont, Illinois. In the early 70’s, Muddy “McKinley Morganfield” Waters wanted to move out of Chicago and specifically chose Westmont for himself and his family.

On Thursday, July 7, 10am, One South Cass Avenue, there will be a VIP/Media debut of a new Muddy Waters Historical Exhibit and the official re-dedication of Cass Avenue as Honorary Muddy Waters Way. The exhibit will feature many oneof-a-kind artifacts on loan from Scott Cameron and the Muddy Waters Estate including rare photos, musical recordings, several of Muddy’s outfits, and even one of Muddy’s Grammy Awards. The exhibit will be open to the public July 8, 9 and 10, 4-7 p.m., as well as various dates to be announced through the rest of the year.

“Mud would be very proud,” says Marva Morganfield, Muddy’s widow. “He would be overjoyed.” Marva will be traveling from Florida to take part in the tribute.

Sunday, July 10 has been proclaimed “Muddy Waters Blues Night” at the Taste of Westmont. Live blues music will be played throughout the day and the evening will conclude with a performance by a Muddy Waters Tribute Band featuring former members of Muddy’s band.

“We’re very excited about this event!” says Larry McIntyre, Westmont Special Events Corporation (WSEC) President. “Muddy Waters is a true legend in American music and we could not be more proud to honor his name, his music and his

memory.”

The WSEC is also working to create a documentary featuring Waters’ life and music. “We are scheduled to interview many people including musicians, friends, family and more,” says McIntyre. The Westmont Historical Society encourages anyone who would like to share their Muddy Waters stories, pictures and memorabilia, to please contact the WSEC at 630-4170280 630-417-0280.

LOUISIANA RED - racks up awards and nominations!

Down-home blues master Loluisiana Red has always been an amazing force in the blues. With last year’s release of Louisiana Red with Little Victor’s Juke Joint / Back to The Black Bayou on Ruf Records, Red was propelled into great visibility. That was followed up later in the year with a collaboration with piano ace David Maxwell called You Got To Move on the VizzTone Label Group. Red has recently been recognized with these awards, nominations, and recognitions:

1) 2009 Grande Prix du Disque (for Blues music) in France. This is the French equivalent of the Grammy and it recognized Back To The Black BayouBack To The Black Bayou as the best blues album of last year. The award was signed by French president Nicholas Sarkozy.

2) 2009 Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik (quarterly critics award) in Germany.

3) 2009 Blues News Magazine (Germany) Poll ‘best national album of the year’ and ‘best international album of the year.’ This is the first time both awards were won by single artist!

4) Red was honored in March by the Oslo Blues Society in Norway with a “Lifetime Achievement Award”

5) Red will be have a feature interview in a forthcoming issue of Blues Revue Magazine!

6) Red received five Blues Music Award nominations this year! Winners will be announced May 6th in Memphis! Red’s nominations were in the following categories: Blues Album, Traditional Blues Album, Acoustic Blues Album, Traditional Male Blues Artist, Acoustic Blues Artist. Let’s hope that Red continues his winning streak and takes home some BMA statues! Thanks to Dora Minter (Red’s wife) Little Victor, Rainer Faust, and Art Tipaldi for this information Louisiana Red, his wife Dora and Little Victor will be traveling from Europe to attend this year’s BMAs. Red, Little Victor, and Bob Corritore will appear the following day, May 7th, at Alfred#s on Beale Street for an afternoon concert..

RIP WALTER “MISSISSIPPI SLIM” HORN, August 13 1943 to April 14th, 2010.

Beloved Mississippi based blues singer Mississippi Slim passed away on Wednesday. He was 66. Slim, known for his multi-colored suits and remarkable stage presence, was a crowd favourite at the Mississippi Delta Blues Festival in 2008. He was born in Shelby, Mississippi, raised in Greenville. He recorded for the Sunflower, LaJam, and G-Town labels. Thanks to Ales Thomas for providing us with this information.

HARMONICA SUMMIT DVD FILMING PLANNED!

Amanda Taylor (Kim Wilson’s wife) is producing a spectacular gathering of some of her favourite harmonica players. Included in this linup are James Cotton, Lazy Lester, Kim Wilson, Paul Oscher, Johnny Dyer, Bharath Rajakumar, Johnny Sansone, Jerry Portnoy, Dave Waldman, Bob Corritore, RJ Mischo, Steve Marriner, Billy Flynn, Vincent Bury and a few surprise guests. The excellent backing band for this event consists of Larry Taylor, Richard Innes, Billy Flynn, and Barrelhouse Chuck. The event will happen on Friday and Saturday, October 1st and 2nd, at the Rhythm Room in Phoenix. It will be filmed and recorded with Clarke Rigsby at the technical helm, and will be released in 2011 on CD and DVD on MC Records. This is a once in a lifetime gathering of some of the greatest living players of the blues harmonica traditions. There is a multi generational “fathers and sons” sub-theme running through this event with ages 22 through 76 represented. There will be limited tickets sold. A hotel deal will be made available and we expect tickets to go on sale via Ticketmaster

POINT BLANK

The 70’s Boogie Blues rock legend from Texas is definitively confirmed at Sweden Rock on main stage , band will be on tour only from June 10 ‘til 20 .US Flights are paid and band wants to promote their last release “ Fight on “ ( Dixiefrog ) ,

10/06 - Spirit of 66 , Verviers ( B )

12/06 - Sweden Rock Festival , Sölvesborg ( SWE ) w/ Aerosmith ,Guns & Roses , Billy Idol , Gary Moore ... http://www. swedenrock.com/

17/06 - Le Moods , Monaco TBC

19/06 - Rockland , Sala ( SWE )

TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS

Have announced their 2010 North American tour and the upcoming release of Mojo, their first studio album in eight years, set for release on Reprise Records this spring. The North American tour, produced by Live Nation, will take the band through a mix of top arenas and amphitheatres across the US and Canada beginning May 6th in Raleigh, NC. Tickets are on sale now at LiveNation.com.

Special guest artists on the tour will include a mix of appearances by My Morning Jacket, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Joe

HAPPENIN’

Cocker, ZZ Top, and Drive By Drive-By Truckers.

CYNDI LAUPER has an album of blues covers on the way.

On ‘Memphis Blues’, legends B.B. King and Allen Toussaint will join Cyndi for the classic ‘Early In The Morning’ and Toussaint makes a reprise later on the album with ‘Mother Earth’. Other guests include Jonny Lang and Charlie Musselwhite.

‘This is the album I’ve wanted to make for years,’ said Lauper in a statement. ‘All of these beautiful songs, and all of the great players on the album, were carefully chosen because I’ve admired them my entire life. And I knew from the moment Alan Toussaint hit the keys in ‘Shattered Dreams’ that we were creating something really special.’

Lauper recorded ‘Memphis Blues’ at Electraphonic Recording Studio in Memphis with producer Scott Bomar. Stax veteran session musicians Lester Snell and Skip Pitts play on the record.

‘Memphis Blues’ will be released through Indie label Downtown Records in June. The tracklisting is:

1. Just Your Fool

2. Shattered Dreams

3. Early In The Morning (Feat. Allen Toussaint and B.B. King)

4. Romance In The Dark

5. How Blue Can You Get? (Feat. Jonny Lang)

6. Down Don t Bother Me (Feat. Charlie Musselwhite)

7. Don t Cry No More

8. Rollin and Tumblin

9. Down So Low

10. Mother Earth (Feat. Allen Toussaint)

11. Crossroads (Feat. Jonny Lang)

STEPHEN DALE PETIT

Hugely acclaimed BritCal guitar supremo Stephen Dale Petit has announced the July 26th 2010 release of his new album

The Crave through Universal Music/Absolute.

The Crave follows Petit’s phenomenally well-received debut Guitararama, which was accoladed as Guitar Magazine’s 2008 Album of the Year. The follow-up’s release and tour will be backed by intensive media exposure – airplay, performance, interviews plus ad campaigns in all top-end music publications.

The tour will kick off with a sell-out London 100 Club launch (featuring special surprise guests), a prestigious appearance at Glastonbury 2010’s new Blues & Jazz Stage, and be followed by an O2 Academy tour in the following conurbations:

June11th London 100 Club

June 25th Glastonbury Blues & Jazz Stage

July 15th Bristol

July 16th Oxford

July 17th Birmingham

July 19th Liverpool O2 Academy

July 20th Glasgow O2 ABC

July 21st Newcastle O2 Academy

July 29th Islington O2 Academy

The Crave, which contains some ferocious, rocking New Blues monsters alongside updated classics by the likes of Robert Johnson, Fleetwood Mac, Little Willie John and Albert King (“updates of classic blues songs often don’t work but this one certainly does” Paul Jones, BBC Radio 2), sees Ian (Travis, Mumford & Sons, Clash, Manics, Fall, RHCP) Grimble share production along with the Chapel Studios, Lincoln hit factory team behind recent Arctic Monkeys, Editors and Kaiser Chiefs successes.

BLUES MATTERS FIRST SPONSORED VENUE FLOURISHES

Blues Matters’ first sponsored venue The Blues Room @ Harry Smith’s Bar in St. Albans opened in January with a well received appearance by the Welsh wonders ELECTRIC REVELATORS. Since opening Saturday night attendances have averaged between 80 and 100plus, ‘A huge jump from our previous attendance of ten men and a dog’, says the proprietor. The venue has now introduced Real Ales, together with Thursday and Friday night gigs –local Rockabilly favourites the Runaway Boys appeared on 6th May for a Real Ale launch party. One night later the venue started it’s ‘Mellow Jazz Nights’ a chill-out special for Friday nights. The idea, with the encouragement of Blues Matters, has been to create a distinctive musical venue not ‘just another pub gig’. With music running on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays the bookings policy is a mixture of national circuit acts and local favourites. So far there have been appearances by Blues Matters’ own ROADHOUSE, US Bluesman GLENN PATRIK, up and coming London acts ELEPHANT SHELF, the UNTOUCHABLES, and many more. Forthcoming attractions include LARRY MILLER, JERRY DONAHUE, EARL JACKSON, JAY TAMKIN and KRISSY MATTHEWS. Things are going well, add in Real Ale and the venue appears to be on a winning streak. @ www. thebluesroom.liveblues.info . If you’re interested in being a sponsored venue then just give Blues Matters a call

MOJO WEEKEND BLUES SCHOOL

The ideal way to improve your playing techniques

Do you enjoy playing the Blues, and have a desire to improve your performance skills. Mojo Weekends could be just the

thing for you .

If you play guitar, bass, drums, keys or other blues associated instrument, the Mojo tutors, all skilled professional blues players and corporate members of the Blues Foundation, can take you to the next level in your confidence, skill, knowledge, aspirations, and personal fulfilment.

The courses are designed for beginners to advanced players. Often the students learn skills and improve techniques to a level to find they also have the confidence to form bands and play at local open mic nights. Open mic nights are a great first step for many bands.

Concentrating on personal tuition, coaching and support, delivered via live performance workshops, Mojo Weekends located at the Performing Arts Centre Cranbrook Kent are running a series of weekends through the year. Next date is July 17th / 18th. Book before June 1st and receive a discount on the booking fee. All details can be found at www.mojoweekend. co.uk or you can call event coordinator Josh Jewsbury direct 01580 720525

POPA CHUBBY DATES

Sat Jun 05, 2010 Mecicali Live Teaneck US

Sat Jun 12, 2010

Rockamweier Festival Wil CH

Sat Jun 20, 2010 Gastroblues Festival Paks HU

Sun Jul 04, 2010 International Musik Festival Waidhofen Waidhofen AT

Fri July 09, 2010 Festival de Beaulieu Sur Mer Beaulieu Sur Mer FR

Sat Jul 10, 2010 Cahors Blues Festival Cahors FR

Sat Jul 17, 2010 Festival des Terres Blanches Guerande FR

Sat Sep 18, 2010 Bull Run Restaurant Shirley US

SIMON McBRIDE TO BE SPECIAL GUEST OF JOE SATRIANI ON UK TOUR

Simon McBride will open the UK shows of Joe Satriani’s European tour in October this year. Joe Satriani has been a worldwide guitar hero since his 1987 breakthrough album, Surfing With The Alien. Over 10-million albums and CD’s later, in addition to 14 Grammy nominations and numerous accolades, Joe continues to push the envelope of modern rock guitar playing.

Although he originally started his career by teaching some of the top rock guitar players of the ‘80s and ‘90s like Metallica’s Kirk Hammet and virtuoso Steve Vai, Joe Satriani is universally hailed as one of the most technically accomplished and respected guitar players in the history of rock music. Both Joe and Simon cite Jimi Hendrix as a major influence. The tour will visit Manchester, Bristol, London, Newcastle, Glagow and Birmingham

NOW BEFORE WE FORGET

Kevin Wharton explores the career of one the most well known names but least known characters of pre war Blues

Before We Forget - Casey Bill Weldon

Although very little is known of Casey Bill Weldon, he is regarded to be among the premier Hawaiian style lap steel guitarists who ever played pre war Blues. Will “Casey Bill” Weldon’s vocals, fluidity and tunings were creative and imaginative, as were his arrangements and he left behind a legacy of almost one hundred recordings.

Colne guitarist Graham Robinson gave me one of Casey Bill Weldon’s albums and his compelling music made me find out more about this enigmatic figure who seems to occupy the fringes of the Blues scene in the 1920s. Not too much is known about this guitarist/singer who primarily recorded from the 1920s through the ‘40s, and managed to straddle a line between Urban and Country Blues with nothing more than his voice and guitar. Casey Bill was born in 1909 and anecdotal evidence suggests that he was a native of Pine Bluff, Arkansas but others suggest that the name Casey is a shortening of KC, meaning Kansas City, and that he was born there or at least spent some formative time there. What we know for sure is that he was a former husband to singer/guitarist Memphis Minnie. They were married in the 1920s, divorced in 1938, and made some superb recordings during their time together. On her last recording for Bluebird Records in October 1935, Casey Bill accompanied her for the first time. He played on two sides, ‘When the Sun Goes Down, Part 2’ and ‘Hustlin’ Woman Blues’ although he dropped out of the following two songs. Casey Bill was also a veteran of numerous different jug bands. He played in medicine shows before starting his recording career with Victor and is believed that he recorded with Charles Polk and the Memphis Jug Band in 1927 when he led his first sessions. In 1930, the last year of the Memphis Jug Band’s contract with Victor, the band recorded twenty sides. The contract ended after a final recording session in November 1930 in Memphis just before the crash of the 1930s bankrupted Victor. Nothing was heard from him until 1935 when he re emerged as a steel guitarist and vocalist and recorded for Vocalion and Bluebird. He recorded sides with Charlie Burse, The Brown Bombers of Swing and Picaninny Jug Band around the same time. Casey Bill Weldon’s technique was adopted by many giants of the Blues scene such as Charlie Patton, Oscar Woods and Black Ace. This seems incongruous as his style was plainly heavily influenced by the sound of the Hawaiian steel guitar. Listen to ‘Has My Gal Been Here’ and you can almost see the grass skirts swirling in the sunshine – a different form of Blues! This raises the question of how this style actually influenced him and his exposure to it. The generally accepted theory is that that this was a style he heard first hand, possibly from one of the Hawaiian players who performed in the travelling shows on the Vaudeville circuits throughout the States in the 20s and 30s. in fact he was even known as the ‘Hawaiian Guitar Wizard’ on his 1935 recordings. Through 1935 to 1937 Bill recorded numerous songs for both Vocalian and Bluebird. His most well know was with Black Bob on piano, ‘Somebody Changed The Lock On My Door’, a side which also heavily reflects his Hawaiian influences. Some ten years afterwards Louis Jordan had a run of R’n’B hits which made him the biggest black star of the day. He recorded a slightly different version, ‘Somebody Done Changed The Lock On My Door’ which made number one spot in the new Juke Box Race Records chart. In 1935 Casey Bill also recorded with Tampa Red and Washboard Sam and cut four sides with them as ‘The Washboard Rhythm Kings’. Between 1935 and 1937 Casey Bill also cut records with Big Bill Broonzy and Charlie McCoy. The accompaniments with Broonzy, including ‘Big Katy Adam’ and ‘Can’t You Remember’ deserve special mention. He was also a sought out session man and accompanied people such as Peetie Wheatstarw, Bumble Bee Slim, Teddy Darby and of course Memphis Minnie.

The four sides he cut for Bluebird ten days before Christmas in 1938 including ‘Way Down In Louisiana’ and ‘I Believe You’re Cheating On Me’ were the last he did so far as is known and were the first recordings he had made for a year. After that session nothing was heard from Casey Bill Weldon. Some say that he moved to California to work on movie soundtracks, but many believe he moved to Detroit and disappeared form the music scene. One of the great Blues mysteries is why such a well recorded and plainly talented artist simply disappeared. His date of death is unknown, though assumed to be sometime in the 1960s.

The two CD set published by Document ‘Casey Bill Weldon: The Essential’ captures the heart of Casey Bill’s music. In its 36 tracks it covers the wide and varied breadth of his career. ‘Bottleneck Guitar Trendsetters Of The 1930s’ released by Yazoo in 1992 also showcases some outstanding playing from Casey Bill Weldon.

Casey Bill Weldon is primarily remembered for his jumping solo arrangements and finely articulated bottle neck slide lines. His playing is well controlled and fluid, and his vocals sweet and well phrased

INTERVIEWS COMING

SOON!!

IN THE NEXT ISSUE…….

FIND OUT WHAT’S COMING

JIMMY VAUGHAN (USA), AWEK (France), LARRY MILLER (UK) – one of our hardest working and consistent UK Bluesmen, MARCUS

BONFANTI (UK), MIKE ZITO (USA), NINE BELOW ZERO (UK) -30th Anniversary! SANDI THOM (UK) – after commercial success coming back home to the Blues, TOMMY CASTRO (USA) – the multiple Award winning slinger, BJORN BERGE (France).................and there will be the start of some new features over the coming issues including; The Hegemony of The Blues, Ladies in the Blues, Blues on Radio and so much more.....................

Don’t forget that we are now available in over 500 UK outlets via Menzies Wholesalers and all Barnes & Noble in USA. This means that you should be able to get your copies in any of the stores and if they do not have it or have sold out then they can order it for you. If you have Any problems let us know and we will pass it on to our distributor to address and solve.

Already lined up for BM56 we have: Ana Popovic, Dale Storr, Ian Siegal, Jimmy Bowskill, Mark Doyle,

McBride, W.T. Feaster and more......so order your copy or better still subscribe straight away to ensure you do not miss an issue. BM53 sold out in record time and previous/back issues are almost sold out.

Roadhouse, Simon

Jimmy Vaughan

Tommy Castro

Bjorn Berge

Sandi Thom