Blues Matters 109

Photo: © Mark Seliger

Indeed, it is that time again, what do you know!? Seriously, what do you know? Sometimes you find you know something you never realised you knew and that proves: what do you know? Never mind, your new copy of BluesMatters! has just arrived so put the kettle on.

We hope you enjoyed our trip down memory lane on the design side of the Rory Gallagher issue 108, it seemed relevant. Now we are back up to date and plying our latest furrow to sow you more new Blues seeds. We announce in this issue the lineup for the BluesMatters!stage 2020 at Skegness. January can be bitterly cold there, but the event and the blues is ‘hot’. Join us between 17th and 20th January.

One sad note is that the actual building we have known and loved as JAKS all these years has been threatened with being demolished for a few years now. This time the Blues Matters!Stage will be in what is known as ‘Hotshots’ venue whose entrance is inside the ‘Skyline’ itself, so no cold walks across and the capacity is similar. If you’ve ever been in there I am told that it is being re-designed and fitted out over the coming months.

If anyone reading this has good images of the BluesMatters!stage in JAKS we knew and loved it please do send them in so we can do something with them. I have never heard an artist say anything bad about it with everyone loving the layout and that ‘roadhouse’ feel to it. The wide and shallow stage and the atmosphere. Some walked in and wondered what the hell but once the crowd stepped in it was good. If when Jo Bywater sat there on an Acoustic Sunday with buckets surrounding her collecting the rain coming through the roof (temporarily) the spirit was never dampened.

Check out the Contents pages for another well-packed issue of varied articles and enjoy and spread the word.

Thank you always for your support and let’s all hope that New Orleans will be safe through storm Barry when you next open our pages.

ALAN PEARCE Founder, Publisher, Editor-In-Chief, Fan

www.bluesmatters.com

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Contributing Writers: Liz Aiken, Tim Arnold (USA), Roy Bainton, Eric Baker (USA), Steve Banks, Adrian Blacklee, Eddy Bonte (Bel), Colin Campbell, Iain Cameron, Laura Carbone (USA), Martin Cook, Norman Darwen, Dave Drury, Ben Elliott (USA), Barry Fisch (USA), Sybil Gage (USA), Jack Goodall, Stuart A. Hamilton, Trevor Hodgett, Rowland Jones, Brian Kramer (Sw), Frank Leigh, John Lindley, Gian Luca (USA), Mairi Maclennan, Ben McNair, John Mitchell, Glenn Noble, Toby Ornott, Merv Osborne, David Osler, Iain Patience (Fr), Alan Pearce, Dom Pipkin, Simon Redley, Darrell Sage (USA), Paromita Saha-Killelea (USA), Pete Sargeant, Graeme Scott, Andy Snipper, Dave Stone, Tom Walker, Matty T. Wall (Aust), Don Wilcock (USA), Dani Wilde, Steve Yourglivch. Contributing Photographers: Arnie Goodman, Laura Carbone, Jennifer Noble. Others credited on page. Cover image: Arnie Goodman

© 2019 BLUES MATTERS! Original material in this magazine is © the authors. Reproduction may only be made with prior Editor consent and provided that acknowledgement is given of source and copy sent to the editorial address. Care is taken to ensure contents of this magazine are accurate but the publishers do not accept any responsibility for errors that may occur or views expressed editorially. All rights reserved. No parts of this magazine may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying recording or otherwise without prior permission of the editor. Submissions: Readers are invited to submit articles, letters and photographs for publication. The publishers reserve the right to amend any submissions and cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage. Please note: Once submitted material becomes the intellectual property of Blues Matters and can only later be withdrawn from publication at the expediency of Blues Matters. Advertisements: Whilst responsible care is taken in accepting advertisements if in doubt readers should make their own enquiries. The publisher cannot accept any responsibility for any resulting unsatisfactory transactions, nor shall they be liable for any loss or damage to any person acting on information contained in this publication. We will however investigate complaints.

FEATURES

46

BLUE BLOOD

New bands that we’d like to introduce to you in this issue are: Emma Wilson (UK); Jo Carley & The Old Dry Skulls (UK); Frank Fotusky (USA); Rumrunners (UK); The Cornbread Project (DK)

10

74 KEB MO

The Grammy- award winner to talks about his new album Oklahoma

76

IN THIS ISSUE:

Alvin Lee’s 50th Anniversary of Woodstock; Blues Down Under Pt.3; The Blues Foundation Awards; Greek Blues Scene Pt.1; Harmonica Blues Scene Pt.1; Phenomenal Blues Woman – Trixie Smith; Scandinavian Blues Pt.6; Val Wilmer INTERVIEWS

52

58

62

68

KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD

The US blues-rock guitar ace takes time out from his busy schedule to talk track by track about his new album Traveler

86

90

BARBARA NEWMAN

President and CEO of the Blues Foundation in Memphis, TN

EDGAR WINTER

Edgar talks to BM! about the new record he’s making in memory of his brother Johnny

WARREN HAYNES

Bring on The Music – Live at The Capitol Theatre is the latest record out by this popular outfit

JOVANTIOUS WILLIS

We caught up with the 23-year-old to hear about working with Taj Mahal and touring with Keb Mo.

94

98

SAVOY BROWN

Kim Simmonds co-founder of the British blues-rock staples chats

SUPERSONIC BLUES MACHINE

We reconnect with bandleader, producer, and bass guitarist Fabrizio Grossi to hear about their new album Road Chronicles

WILL KIMBOROUGH

The Alabama native has released a new album following a five-year hiatus, but he has been busy

HOLY MOLY

This home-grown talent took a decade to become an overnight sensation, thanks to a Hollywood blockbuster REVIEWS

105

124

CDS AND BOOKS ALBUMS

Check out some new music here with our extensive list of album reviews

FESTIVALS AND CONCERTS SHOWTIME

Bands, artists and gigs that simply sparkle with pure blues brilliance

LAURENCE JONES

A decade long career, a solid line-up, and a new self-titled album

PHOTO:TIM ARNOLD

PHOTO: LAURA CARBONE

TAMPA BAY BLUES FESTIVAL

BARBRA NEWMAN

PHOTO: TINA KORHONEN

KEB MO

Trixie Smith

PHENOMENAL BLUES WOMAN

VERBALS: DANI WILDE

TRIXIE SMITH AND THE ORIGINS OF ROCK ’N’ ROLL

Some people say rock ’n’ roll began with Bill Hayley. I love Bill Haley and his Comets, but I wholeheartedly disagree. Haley’s Rock Around The Clock was recorded in 1954 and it was the first No.1 rock and roll record on the US pop charts. It stayed in the Top 100 for a then-record 38 weeks and propelled rock into

mainstream youth culture - but it was not the first record to define the genre. Others look a little further back and argue that the first rock ‘n’ roll record was Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats’ Rocket 88, recorded at Sam Phillips’ Sun Studios in Memphis Tennessee in 1951 –if Phillips does say so himself! Alan Freed, the Cleveland DJ definitely helped to make

the term ‘Rock ’n’ Roll’ part of mainstream popular culture in the early 1950’s. Freed first started playing the music in 1951, and by 1953 the phrase "rock and roll" was widely used to market the music beyond its initial African-American audience.

In 1944, Rock Me Mamma by Mississippi Blues-man Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup, became the blues singer's first and biggest R&B chart hit. Crudup also released some less successful (at the time) self-penned songs including That's All Right (1946), My BabyLeftMe and So Glad You're Mine; all of which were later recorded by Elvis Presley! Looking back, there was so often a blurry line between 1940’s rhythm ’n’ blues and the new 50’s rock ’n’ roll stars. Bill Hayley’s hit Shake Rattle and Roll had already been an RnB hit for Big Joe Turner. Elvis’ HoundDog had already been a huge rhythm and blues hit for Big Mama Thornton. In 1949, Fats Domino released The Fat Man, which is widely regarded as the first million-selling rock 'n roll record despite Domino calling his style at the time Boogie-Woogie or New Orleans Rhythm and Blues!

In the 1930’s Sister Rosetta Tharpe was playing a guitar

TRIXIE SMITH

style within her pop-Gospel genre that inspired the likes of Chuck Berry. In her 1938 song Rock Me she is arguably playing rock ’n’ roll two decades before rock ’n’ roll officially existed! As a child, Elvis used to rush home from school to hear Tharpe play on local radio.

But the Phenomenal Blues Lady I would like to tell you all about in this feature is Trixie Smith. Almost 100 years ago, in 1922, New York – 27-yearold Trixie Smith recorded her best-known song MyMan RocksMe(WithOneSteady Roll), which was released on Black Swan records. Trixie sang:

Mydaddyrocksme withonesteadyroll. There’snoslippin’when he once takes hold. I looked at the clock and the clock struck one. Isaid“NowDaddy, ain’twegotfun.”

Hekeptrockin’with onesteadyroll.

The steamy lyrics make a clear link between the blues, and sex and rock ’n’ roll. Written by J.

Johnson and Rock Me Mama by Ikey Robinson. The release also added momentum to the movement of Blues Women who made a living on the road, singing so freely about sex and relationships with sass and humour in their ‘hokum’ songs, at a time where women were typically expected to be at home in the kitchen. Being the first artist to sing about rock ’n’ roll three whole decades before Elvis is quite a claim to fame, and yet Trixie Smith fell somewhat into obscurity. Blues fans don’t celebrate her in the way they do Bessie Smith (no relation) – but maybe they should! I’d like to tell you a bit more about her:

and theatres’ in Harlem and Philadelphia.

Berni

Barbour over three decades before Hayley released Rock Around The Clock, Trixie’s release became the first secular recording to use the terms Rock and Roll. This went on to inspire other blues songs to use the phrase such as Rock That Thing by Lil

Born in 1885 in Atlanta Georgia, Trixie Smith was an AfricanAmerican blues singer, recording artist, vaudeville entertainer, and actress. Smith came from a middle-class background, and was well educated, attending Selma University, in Alabama, before moving to New York City at the age of twenty where she found work at cafés

Casino, billed as ‘The Southern Nightingale’. She sang her own song Trixie’s including Lucille Hegamin and Daisy Martin. She was awarded a silver and contract with label. Trixie encouraged to get into the Born in 1885 in recording studio, where she tracked several One Steady Roll). Her songs Railroad Blues and The World is Jazz Crazy were big

She began her singing career in 1916, as a vaudeville and minstrel entertainer in traveling shows. She had a sweet yet powerful and incredibly emotive voice. In 1922, Trixie entered a talent contest at The Manhattan Casino, billed as ‘The Southern Nightingale’. She sang her own song Trixie’s Blues and, won a competition against better-known talents including Lucille Hegamin and Daisy Martin. She was awarded a silver cup and a record contract with Harry Pace‘s Black Swan label. Trixie was quickly encouraged to get into the recording studio, where she tracked several big ‘race records’ hits, including My Man Rocks Me (With One Steady Roll). Her songs Railroad Blues and The World is Jazz Crazy were big hits in the era of Prohibition and speakeasies. Trixie was a hugely popular artist, recognised as a true talent, albeit in the shadow of Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey. She was always accompanied by a world-class band, which featured heavyweight jazz musicians including Louis Armstrong and Fletcher Henderson.

SHE BEGAN HER SINGING CAREER IN 1916, AS A VAUDEVILLE AND MINSTREL ENTERTAINER IN TRAVELING SHOWS

THE BLUES MAT TERS! STAGE

LIVE ON STAGE IN THE NEW VENUE ‘HOTSHOTS’

(SADLY JAKS HAS REACHED IT’S END SO WE RE RE-HOUSED AND THE ENTRY IS FROM THE SKYLINE, SO NO MORE CROSSING TO OUR VENUE IN THE COLD, WIND AND RAIN)

THESE ACTS READY AND EAGER TO PLAY FOR YOU:

CATFISH

HOWLIN’ MOJO BONES

GERRY QUIGLEY

THERE’LL BE THE ANNUAL ‘ROADHOUSE JAM’ ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON

JO CARLEY & THE OLD DRY SKULLS

BACK BY POPULAR REQUEST (AND BECAUSE SHE WANTS TO):

DANA GILLESPIE

DAWSON SMITH & THE DISSENTERS

ACOUSTIC

Trixie went on to make four dozen for Black Swan, Paramount and Decca. As an actress she appeared in films that challenged racial stereotypes, by pioneering African-American director Oscar Micheaux, and she performed on Broadway with Mae West in The Constant Sinner (1931). Trixie Smith crammed so much into a short life; after a brief illness, she passed away quite suddenly at the age of 48.

My favourite, Trixie Smith recording, is a Cannabis themed track called Jack, I’m Mellow. It seems Trixie didn’t just sing about rock ’n’ roll in the 1920’s but she also enjoyed and promoted the lifestyle. The song begins:

I’msohighandsodry, I’msailin’inthesky. Justsmokesomegage, come around babe Jack,I’mmellow.

The word “gage” back in the Cotton Club-era, was slang for marijuana. Some blues historians argue Trixie’s recording dates back to the late 1920s, making it one of the original Marijuana songs, but it was more likely recorded in 1938.

We are all aware of musicians and hippies smoking cannabis in the 1960’s, but actually it was a very popular choice of drug amongst blues musicians in the 1920’s. From as early as

1850, cannabis had been used for recreational purposes in the USA, but in the 20th century its reputation changed considerably. In 1930 the first commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, Henry Anslinger, campaigned for prohibition of the drug. Anslinger spouted many unproven claims about its effects whilst scapegoating African-Americans and Latinos, in particular jazz and blues performers, for its popularity. In 1937, the Marijuana Tax Act effectively criminalised marijuana by only allowing those who were in a position to pay an extortionate tax on hemp to carry it. So, the fact that Trixie was singing with such joy, a year after the law was passed, about being so high she “can’t come down” was a fabulous way of sticking it to the man!

In one verse she sings:

I'mgoingtoputmynickelina slot machine

Andplaymysolidsender

I'mgoingtostrut,peckand Suzie-Q

Have alone a bender

The Suzie-Q was a popular new dance step in the 1930’s that originated in AfricanAmerican Juke Joints such as the Big Apple Club in South Carolina. It was used in popular new dances including The Big

Apple and The Lindy Hop. This is perhaps why the song gained such popularity; it reflected the youth culture of the time.

Strangely enough, the song has more recently become popular amongst young people yet again. In 2017, 70 years after Trixie Smith’s death, Netflix launched a new comedy show entitled Disjointed. The show’s lead character was a female cannabis activist and the production team decided to feature Trixie’s song as its theme-tune. Her feel-good prohibition song has once again struck a chord with a whole new generation of young marijuana smokers!

CHECK THESE OUT:

JACK I’M MELLOW

RAILROAD BLUES, Ft. Louis Armstrong

(Potentially her most inspired vocal performance)

MY MAN ROCKS ME (With One Steady Roll)

TRIXIE WAS SINGING WITH SUCH JOY, A YEAR AFTER THE LAW WAS PASSED, ABOUT BEING SO HIGH SHE “CAN’T COME DOWN”

Wizards of Aus

BLUES DOWN UNDER – PART 3

VERBALS: MATTY T WALL

I’M GOING SOMEWHERE DIFFERENT IN THIS MONTH’S ARTICLE, SO BEAR WITH ME AND IT WILL ALL START TO MAKE SENSE… WELL, WE LOVE BLUES MUSIC. WE ALL KNOW IT AND WE ALL FEEL IT. WHEN A BLUES RECORD GOES ON, IT JUST FEELS RIGHT

You all know exactly what I’m talking about if you’re reading this magazine. Something in blues music just pulls us in and makes us feel good, makes us feel part of it.

In this day and age, in the politically correct and partisan modern era, accusations are thrown around about musicians and cultural appropriation, music that apparently, we shouldn’t be playing and so forth. As a musician, I can tell you that all the notes in the musical scales are fair game. Music is playful and original. We are also a result of our influences, so if we love blues music, it comes through in our songs, lyrics, music etc. So, when an artist such as Australian legend Dave Hole was signed to the epicenter of American Blues, Alligator Records, in the 1990s (the first international artist on the label) for example, what does this mean? I know it inspired the heck out of me. So, do we have the blessing of the blues gods to take this music further?

It could well be a Pandora’s box, you know, asking questions like that.

TORONZO CANNON

PHOTO: CHRIS MONAGHAN

Since Australia is literally the furthest country from the USA and the birth of the blues, I feel it is only fair to ask some of the modern and genuine blues artists in the US about their thoughts on overseas artists and scenes, does the blues belong in America, what about blues scenes and countries that have zero connection to the US and the modern African American history?

So, I asked my good friends Tomiko Dixon (granddaughter of the great Willie Dixon and youngest Blues Hall of Famer in history); top gun & new rising giant of the blues, Kirk Fletcher and, the legend of modern Chicago blues & Alligator Records superstar, Toronzo Cannon about their thoughts on this very topic.

We know the blues style is 100% an African/African-American artform, borne out of the struggle of slavery and then promoted as an artform into the mainstream last century. As a current-day torchbearer of this music style and culture, how do you feel about far-away countries (such as Europe and Australia) having a ‘blues scene’, when it is such an iconic American sound?

Kirk: Well thank God there is a scene around the world! I feel countries around the world have contributed to preserving this art form

for decades. I feel some American's have turned their backs on this music. But I'm not sure it's all their fault. I feel in today’s time people don’t value history in the same way as they did. If people valued American history and valued substance, it would be undeniable to value Blues as the mother of American Roots music.

Toronzo: I feel everyone has their own specific “Blues” in their lives. Everyone has problems, happiness, and achievements. All the components that make for a good Blues song. Relationships, challenges, and struggles of everyday living are not unique to one country. We all know the history and where it came from and we all have a part to keep the genre alive and vibrant with new songs/ stories and voices from every “Blues person” around the world.

Tomiko: I think it's awesome and I feel the same as my grandfather did. I am truly grateful that they are keeping the Blues thriving. When my grandfather and his comrades were being kicked down and mistreated here in the US, they always spoke with such joy about the other countries and how warm and welcoming they were always treated when they travelled. I'm thankful to these countries for taking good care

of my grandfather and others. I will always hold that in the most-highest regard. The blues music started off as a feeling and then became an expression of the suffering and struggles of my people. Our music is rich from our ancestors’ pain, it's incredible and undeniable. That’s why others can't help but navigate to the music, because it tells a story. It takes strong people to make it through, endure, and live to tell and write about it, especially in my grandfather's case. Nowadays the blues music belongs to all those who honor and vow to keep it going. As long as it's done with positive intentions and it's from heart. I'll respect the effort. Just remember that when you perform the blues it should be delivered with the responsibility to honor the roots.

As a genuine US blues artist, what are some of the differences you notice in the way blues is played in other countries?

“BLUES IS MORE-BROADER THAN JUST 1-4-5, BLUES TO ME MEANS SOUL AND YOU CAN FIND THIS IN ALL KINDS OF MUSIC”

DAVE PHOTO:HOLE GARY PETERS

Toronzo: There’s really no difference to how it’s played. Some like more traditional Blues, some like contemporary Blues. We all have our influences of who brought us to the Blues, from Robert Johnson to The Rolling Stones to Gary Clark Jr. and all the Blues artist in between. Every Blues artist is a product of their Blues heroes.

Tomiko: I've noticed the different instrumentation, pronunciation of language and most of all the love and respect that other countries have for US artists and musicians. I've also noticed the eagerness to learn from us, which I personally find quiet flattering.

Kirk: I feel people are passionate about blues and love it with all their heart. Blues is about saying what’s on your mind and telling a story in a beautiful and direct way. A lot of us miss this point even in the US. At this point there are virtuoso musicians playing blues as good as anybody. Just go to Norway!

It seems that the Blues of the last century headed into rock ’n’ roll territory. Where do you see the sound of blues headed today and into the future?

Tomiko: I believe that the traditional Blues will remain the same and the new Blues will head into Americana and Country Music.

Toronzo: I think there’s going to be a shift in that way of thinking. I think artists are going to write more traditional sounding Blues. I feel the stories shine better in a more traditional format sometimes, and when it’s presented that way other artists will feel more comfortable in writing and composing songs that way too.

Kirk: I really don't know, but I will do my best to contribute to keeping Blues fresh and exciting and tell my personal story.

Is the future sound of Blues confined to the US? Or with the explosion of Blues internationally in the last 60

years, has it become now an international sound and has it lost anything in the process?

Tomiko: No, I don't believe that Blues music is confined just to the US. I've noticed that the Blues has captured the love and ears of all races, nationalities, gender and creed worldwide and is still bleeding. So, it's now a universal music.

The future of the Blues has and always will need and depend on the continuous support and exposure of others to remain relevant. We need everyone to continue to expose the Blues music genre to the world and the stories of its original pioneers, showing the struggles, and influences of these artists. I know it will take a collective effort by all who care about the longevity of the genre.

“THE FUTURE OF THE BLUES HAS AND ALWAYS WILL NEED AND DEPEND ON THE CONTINUOUS SUPPORT AND EXPOSURE”

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The key is balancing it while continuing the tradition which makes it so special and injecting today's influences into the music so it can remain relevant while allowing it to evolve.

Kirk: Blues is more-broader than just 1-4-5, Blues to me means soul and you can find this in all kinds of music. I think it's been an international sound for many years, the UK comes to mind. I feel it has lost a lot of what it was built on, but I could say that about a lot of music today. I feel we all could benefit from digging deeper into the history of Blues and American music in general. I don’t mean trying to copy records. I feel learning the language is important but not being defined by how well you can copy it is important. Make and leave your own musical mark.

Toronzo: I don’t think it’s confined to the US, but we are the template and mold for Blues. I don’t think it’ll lose anything in the process, the Blues genre has sonically bled into other genres throughout the years but if you consciously write and arrange traditional Blues sounds in your shows the genre will not lose out or be lost.

What is the ‘Blues sound’ to you?

Kirk: The Blues sound to me is when something moves me, and I feel it in my soul. Like when I hear Bobby Blue Bland

sing or when I hear Otis Rush's vibrato. Or when I would hear my father preaching in Church.

Toronzo: Even though I’m considered a contemporary Blues artist, I think acoustic, Chicago Blues and gospel tinged Blues singers is the Blues sound I love. Can’t forget a heavy guitar presence but I like more story in my Blues and the guitar as an accompaniment.

Tomiko: The Blues music is an expression. The Blues is a music that you can feel, it is something that comes from deep inside of a person. It's the knowledge, wisdom and understanding of life. I'd describe the Blues sound as every genre of music created past, present and future. My Grandfather Willie Dixon was always known for quoting...'The Blues are the true facts of life expressed in word or song'. So in my eyes no matter what a specific genre of music maybe called, if it's describing someone or something, a thing that's happening, happened or usually happens or if it's the truth in reference to a real life situation then it's all still the Blues to me.

Finally, I want to thank you for your time, and for providing insight and inspiration to all the Blues lovers around the world. My final question is for them. What is your advice to any European and Australian artists doing their

best to perform/write Bluesinfluenced music?

Toronzo: To get a passport and visit America and the Blues clubs of America: Chicago, Memphis, Texas, St. Louis and talk to the Blues artists that are here and get a sense of what’s going on here, and mix it with what’s going on in their country and take it from there.

Kirk: Try and really get the music in your heart and soul and mind. And write about your experiences and tell your story. This is something I'm just starting to do myself. And don't judge your career by other people around you. Create your own lane shall we say. And stay passionate about music.

Tomiko: First of all, I'd like to personally thank each and every one of them for doing their part of keeping the Blues music alive. My advice is to continue to help each other and remember to respect your fellow musicians. Keep on playing and singing the Blues and don’t forget to pitch a 'Wang Dang Doodle' for me. Last but not least, be sure to learn how to protect all your intellectual properties and share the knowledge. 'Long Live The Blues'

Well, there you have it, some great advice and pointers from some of the leaders in our blues community. Stay tuned, because next issue, I will let you know what some of the top blues artists in Australia have to say about these topics and more. Long live the blues indeed!

“THE BLUES IS A MUSIC THAT YOU CAN FEEL, IT IS SOMETHING THAT COMES FROM DEEP INSIDE OF A PERSON”

Howlin’ at the Sun

THE GREEK BLUES SCENE

VERBALS: MICHAEL LIMNIOS

CAN'T PLAY THE BLUES (IN AN AIR-CONDITIONED ROOM)

The blues nowadays don't have a country or colour. If you feel it, you can play it! A local scene does exist, but I fear that it is in a state of siege, so to say. We all feel that we are underground and underdogs.

This of course is nothing new to the old bluesmen who inspired us all. The late 60’s and 70’s were probably the high point of popularity but as B.B. King told me one night in the dressing room: “I play the blues, that is what I do, there were times over the last 60 years that the Blues were popular and times when we all had to scramble to make a living but I am still here.”

Greek-Irish writer Lafcadio Hearn was one of the first journalists who wrote and dealt extensively with the Afro American music and culture in the late 19th century.

The outbreak of the Blues in Greece is connected with

a popular national music of Greece called ‘’Rembetiko’’ which began at the coasts of Asia in 1920, even more with two main ports of Greece: Piraeus and Thessaloniki. The Greeks are deeply connected with marine life and many had traveled to New Blues by its fore comers. ‘’Rembetiko’’ was considered underground music and was mostly listened to by pimps, alcoholics, drug addicts, lovesick people and bullies.

The songs had lyrics mostly about women problems, hashish, prisons, or trips from one town to another. Recordings were made in Astoria, New York, and ‘’Rembetiko’’ music,

which lasted till 1941, was named ’The Greek Blues’. I can still remember Charlie Musselwhite telling me that when he was in Chicago, he listened to Rembetiko from the radio and understood the similarities it had with the blues (mostly instrumental parts). Kostis, the leader of Hawaiian ensemble The White Birds, and undoubtedly Giorgos Katsaros' majority of their recordings were in a variety of tunings where the blues feeling is everywhere.

When artists such as Johnny Otis, Nick Gravenites, John Beloushi, Frank Zappa, and Alexis Korner exists, how can one not be proud – a nation with a population of 10 million people, where we can

THE OUTBREAK OF THE BLUES IN GREECE IS CONNECTED WITH A POPULAR NATIONAL MUSIC OF GREECE CALLED "REMBETIKO’’

keep the keep the Blues alive. Guitarist/producer Nico Lyras (Memphis, TN) is today’s ambassador of the Greek scene around the US circuits. Roviros Manthoulis, a Greek filmmaker, gave a special status to blues with the film “Le blues entre les dents” (1973).

All above-mentioned artists who are of Greek origin have been an inspiration to many musicians and the reason for their playing Blues. In Greece, groups started playing the blues in the mid ‘60s, mostly influenced by the sound of California and Chicago where many Greek immigrants lived.

The Greeks felt closer to the black culture, the black community and the black way of life much more than they did to the European immigrants. Therefore, people like Muddy, Wolf and Jimmy Reed became the main inspirers of the local blues scene.

Also, the British Blues (Rock) Boom of the

CONTINUES OVER...

1960s, and the famous pub Rock Blues era of Dr. Feelgood. Blues in Greece is synonymous to one band, Blues Wire, they started out as Blues Gang in the early 80s and now with the internet explosion you can find many more that are into the Blues scene.

There's a new generation of really excellent players out there and that's very hopeful for the future. While from 1967 and 1981 with the presence of American military bases in Athens everything arrived almost simultaneously from the USA to Greece, then groups such as Socrates, Drunk The Conium, Dimitris Poulikakos, and many others always played songs from the

Kings and Rory Gallagher, to John Mayall and Hendrix etc. Many new bands and many talented musicians have risen. One of the first Greek blues bands was Blues United Musicians, however, they did not last long. Unfortunately, the market is small and therefore only eight or nine bands have recordings Blues Wire, Sakis Dovolis, Small Blues Trap, The Jumpin’ Bones, Mickey Pantelous, Blues Cargo, and Nick & The Backbone.

Some local bands have also from time to time accompanied American artists who have performed in Greece and they are not a few! Some of the more popular artists who have visited our country are Louisiana Red, Hubert Sumlin, Joe Louis Walker, Big Time Sarah, Phil & Buddy Guy, R.L. Burnside, Junior Wells, Albert King, Screaming Jay Hawkins, Luther Allison, Lazy Lester, Otis Rush, Dr. John, Magic Slim, Snowy White, Paul

JOHNNY OTIS

THERE’S A NEW GENERATION OF REALLY EXCELLENT PLAYERS OUT THERE AND THAT’S VERY HOPEFUL FOR THE FUTURE

Lamb, John Mayall, Van Morrison, Lucky Peterson, Beth Hart, Eric Gales, Son Seals, Koko Taylor, Carey & Lurrie Bell, Eddie C. Campbell, John Hammond, Katie Webster, Shemekia, Odetta, and more!

A lot of people here in Greece like the blues, however the mentality in general does not help the situation since the majority of live stages promote commercial music which is more profitable.

Most artists have been coming to Greece since 1981 from the Half Note, DiDi Music, and Red Rooster agencies. Nowadays more promoted acts such as Rockin’ Blues (Simos Pavlidis), and Menta (Dimitris Syrengelas) are on the road and visit different clubs each time since there has never been a permanent Blues club with live music except for The Blues Hall which operated only two years.

The Blues People Club only operated for three months. There is the Half Note Jazz Club, Kyttaro, 8Ball, Gagarin, Gazarte and the historian Blues Club with local blues and rock ’n’ roll bands. There have also been some outside of Athens like Mylos and Paralarma (Thessaloniki), Cafe Santan (Volos), Blue Barrel (Kozani), Rastoni (Karditsa), Nisi (Kavala), Patra, Lamia, Crete, and Xanthi. There are no festivals or record labels familiar with this sound or anything close to it.

The Blues is loved by the same people who love jazz

music or salsa, the same people who love southern rock and the psychedelic 60s, so it is easier to listen to the Blues on the radio than pop music. Blues the Rose Of Music at Epikoinonia FM was one of the oldest daily Blues show in Europe. You know, in Greece, we say, ‘’we don’t like the Blues, we ARE the Blues!’’

Only a few magazines from the 70s to now, such as Jazz & Τζαζ , Music Life, Pop & Rock, HXOS, and Mousiki refer to the blues in their monthly issues, but this reference is limited. There is no magazine though that deals with Blues exclusively and this is why fans of the Blues read the more popular

American and British magazines. The website blues.gr keeps the culture of the blues alive in the country. All the international record labels can be found on the shelves of record stores. Most of these labels are distributed by A&N Records which belongs to Nick Vozikis.

We Greeks are enriched with the DNA of our forefathers and so we first like to look at the philosophical side of things. This is why the Blues for us means both Ernest Hemingway and Big Bill Broonzy, Jack Kerouak and Robert Johnson, Che Guevara and Brownie McGhee, Bukowski and CONTINUES

BLUES WIRE

New

Eleven tracks, including ‘Doin’ Alright’ ‘Earth’, and ‘Night Moves’ plus new bonus live-in-the-studio track.

Tim Staffell first came on the scene in the ‘60s with The Railroaders, then went on to blues-rock band 1984, he then formed Smile with Brian May and Roger Taylor. He (famously) departed from Smile, moving on through Humpy Bong before becoming singer of progressive rock outfit Morgan formed with Morgan Fisher and Maurice Bacon from Love Affair and Bob Sapsed, then a stint with Jonathan Kelly’s Outside alongside Snowy White and on…

Release date: 12th July, 2019

timstaffell.com

MOSCD4016

Leadbelly, André Breton and Junior Wells, Jesus and Champion Jack Dupree.

The most characteristic example of this perception of the blues is George Pilali who revives “Rembetiko’’ today together with the sounds of folk-classics and uses lyrics that have a lot in common with the beatnik literature.

Today things are in a transitional state since there are many bands who hope to make a step towards an international career such as Boogie Sinners, Gregg Giarelis, Small Blues Trap, Nikos Tsiamtsikas, Blues Revenge, Lazytrains, The Bluesberry Duet, Boris Voutsinos, Daddy’s Work Blues Band, George & The Dukes, Tubescreamers, Yannis Monos, Mickey Pantelous, Blues Bash, Tony Panopoulos, Big Nose Attack, The Jumpin’ Bones, Shady Roots, Dimitris Rousopoulos, Blues Family, Saridakis Brothers, Simos Kokavesis, Blues Trackers, Dustbowl, Giotis Kyttaris, Bag of Nails, Dimitris Epikouris (songwriter), Blue Flames, Nous, The Lost Boys, Eliana Nikolopoulou, Deep In The Top, Full Houze, and many more.

In a future issue we will look in greater detail at groups in the modern Greek blues scene. As I said before musicians of all kinds of music

other than pop have a hard time promoting their music. In our country, musicians can’t make their living just by playing Blues music most of them teach music too or even do something completely irrelevant to music.

And of course, there are many jazz, blues, rock and even classical musicians who make their living by playing pop music. Of course, it is not

impossible but it’s a difficult and insecure business. The 1st National Blues Challenge allowed winner Sakis Dovolis to be part of the European Blues Challenge in Portugal (2019), and the Greek Challenge of 2019 will run again.

Outlaw Blues Society (Greece) collaborates with Wichita Kansas and is the only official community, also an active member of the European Blues Union. Greece has world-class musicians plus musical virtuosity and all parties involved should capitalise on it wisely.

NICK GRAVENITES

WE GREEKS ARE ENRICHED WITH THE DNA OF OUR FOREFATHERS AND SO WE FIRST LIKE TO LOOK AT THE PHILOSOPHICAL SIDE OF THINGS

Brian Kramer’s Scandinavian blues retreat

VERBALS: BRIAN KRAMER VISUALS: JANET PATIENCE (ABOVE) FREDRIK HESSELVIK (REST)

MY MOVE FROM BROOKLYN, NEW YORK TO STOCKHOLM OVER TWENTY ODD YEARS AGO WAS A BIT OF AN ADJUSTMENT TO SAY THE LEAST, BUT NO DOUBT ONE OF THE BEST DECISIONS I HAVE MADE FOR MY MUSIC AND FAMILY LIFE

I’ve been able to create music relationships here and tour all around Europe that would certainly not have manifested from the other side of the pond. I’ve witnessed Stockholm become a bustling, Blues

rich community with dozens of venues and Blues Jams throughout the city, originating from my initial concept and first of its kind Blues Jam that I started up in 1998. However the decision to relocate from Stockholm to

the Swedish countryside of Dalarna; the heart of Sweden a little over a year ago was a radical departure for this born and raised city boy and I was leaving a lot behind that had been cultivated over the past twenty three years.

FOR MONTHS I’VE BEEN CONDUCTING REGULAR BI-WEEKLY ACOUSTIC CAFÉ CONCERTS THERE WITH VARIOUS GUESTS

None the less, thank goodness Sweden has a rich and engaging music, roots and Blues scene with great players spread out in just about every community.

When my wife and I decided to buy a house here in the town of Hedemora, one of the first things that came to my mind as I looked out over our large garden was that this would be a great environment for the possibility of outdoor workshops and Blues retreats. I had been conducting many courses over the years in various schools and by the time I left Stockholm, I had seven individual courses and workshops going every week. I missed that interaction and was longing for it again, but where to start? When I put some feelers out there to my former students, I was pleasantly surprised that many were interested and willing to travel a few hours to participate, and right away I had a dozen slots filled for what would be Hedemora’s first ever two-day Blues Retreat. A few months earlier I was hired to conduct a fourweek workshop on ensemble playing at a local music school and made some connections with participants there as well.

The plan came together beautifully and on Sunday June 16th at 10:00 am, participants travelling from Stockholm, France, as well as the surrounding area of

Dalarna arrived and were greeted with freshly brewed coffee, tea, and home baked Swedish cinnamon buns by Mrs. Kramer, along with some eager and thirsty mosquitos.

The weather was absolutely gorgeous and for the next two hours I imparted my insights into the philosophy of improvisational Blues guitar techniques, varied levels of players now coming together with a single focus; how to find and recognise their own voice within these Blues.

At 12:30 after a short break, the entire crew filled with motivation headed over to the ultra-cozy Café Wahlman’s; a favorite revered lunch and pastry spot built in one of the oldest established structures in the area.

For months I’ve been

conducting regular bi-weekly Acoustic Café concerts there with various guests, recently including Bottleneck John, who I profiled in a previous issue of BM. I arranged a show here as part of this Blues retreat with special guests as well as having all the participants perform and put their newly found workshop skills to the test. Local harp maestro Christer Ring joined me in opening up the event for a set before introducing another special guest, none other than Blues Matters! own editor, Iain Patience who gave an enthusiastic Blues talk revolving around many of the fascinating one-on-one interviews he’s personally done with legends like Carlos Santana, Robert Plant, Bill Wyman, Ry Cooder, Keb Mo and others. He gave us colourful insights into his process, humorous anecdotes, as well as strictly

CONTINUES OVER...

informing us NOT to mention the “Bill Wyman” incident to anyone (I believe we have that on tape too…shh).

The whole event at Café Wahlman’s, with over a dozen players spread throughout the room and strapped into their beloved acoustic guitars, soon became a huge acoustic jam with everyone interacting and enthusiastically trading songs and licks, culminating in a roof-raising “Got My Mojo Working”.

5:00 pm and our happy retreaters headed back to my house along with additional guests where I fire up the grill for a big Blues BBQ with all the trimmings. BK’s Deluxe Blues Cheddar Cheeseburgers topped with caramelised onions, tarragon mushrooms and a spring potato salad. Beer and wine start to flow and soon again the guitars came out as more endless, joyful jamming commenced late into the evening, until folks retired to the hostel that was pre-booked for their stay, and conveniently located just across the road from my house.

9:00 am Monday morning June 17th, yet another beautiful day and all participants who stayed over once again arrive to my home for coffee and an all-out American style Blues breakfast in the garden; Eggs any style, French toast with maple syrup, freshly plucked

strawberries, and crispy bacon, then one final workshop round, focusing on aspects of the major pentatonic scale and more in-depth improvisation insights.

Creating the opportunity to bring this kind of event alive was like a dream for me, to see so many satisfied and inspired participants feel pampered and who had escaped into a little oasis of Blues while leaving all their cares behind.

Other than an organised Blues Camp held here many years back, which had fresh young participants like Lisa Lystam, and Felicia Nielsen, who have both been interviewed in past issues of BM. I was part of this as an instructor, this is the first of its kind as a personalised Blues retreat in this part of Sweden.

The great fingerpicker/ slide guitarist Homesick Mac has enthusiastically initiated Guitar Retreats over the past few years in the south of Sweden in Helsingborg, escaping to the tiny island of Ven to great success, which I have also had the privilege to being a part of (he will be profiled as well in an upcoming issue of BM). I look forward to creating more events like this in the near future as well as expanding an invite to other guest instructors, like the incredible

Steve James who I have arranged a concert for in Stockholm, in October at Club Engelen as well as a possible Blues workshop with him.

Yes, you can take the boy outta the city. But he’s gonna drag those Blues with him wherever he goes! “Goin’ up to the country, baby don’t you want to go”.

I would like to add that Iain Patience and his wife Janet were my house guests during this time and en-route to cover the Åmål Blues Festival for BM when unfortunately, they had to forgo all plans and leave Sweden suddenly to pursue some urgent health related tests.

This was not actually my piece to write and I had looked forward to Iain’s perspectives on this whole wonderous thing, I thank both him and Janet for being a part of this, and I’m eager to cover more of what has been going on within the Scandinavian Blues scene.

Wishing them both the absolute best!

FOR MONTHS I’VE BEEN CONDUCTING REGULAR BI-WEEKLY ACOUSTIC CAFÉ CONCERTS THERE WITH VARIOUS GUESTS

Boarding the blues train

BLUES HARMONICA – PART ONE

VERBALS: SHAUN FREKE ALONGSIDE THE SIX-STRING GUITAR, WHICH HAD ITS ORIGINS IN THE SINGLE STRING DIDDLY BOW THAT CAME ACROSS TO AMERICA FROM AFRICA WITH THE SLAVE TRADE, THE HARMONICA IS POSSIBLY THE MOST RECOGNISED INSTRUMENT USED IN EARLY BLUES

Harmonica were cheap, easy to get hold of and carry around. Over the forthcoming issues, we will be looking at the origins of the harmonica, its birth in the Far East and the journey it took to change into the instrument we recognise today. We’ll also reflect on the Blues harmonica players of the early Delta and Chicago Blues, take a look at the modern Blues Harmonica players of today and how they are leading the renaissance of the instrument.

Who would have thought that a blade of grass in Asia ten thousand years ago would be so significant in the collision of Afro-European music that we now know as the Blues today? It is believed that the origins of the harmonica came from the development of a simple free reed wind instrument used in China,

where they used a bamboo reed inserted into resonating pipes. Early examples of wood pipe instruments dating back to 1100 BCE have been found and were introduced into Europe by the French Jesuit Jean Amoit and by early travellers who brought these instruments, or similar variants, back along the Silk Road to Europe in the late 18C. The

harmonica as we know it was developed in Europe in the early part of the 19th century with Christian Buschmann often cited as the inventor of the modern harmonica in 1821, but other inventors developed similar instruments around the same time.

Whilst we recognise the Harmonica as a Blues instrument it was originally

EARLY EXAMPLES OF WOOD PIPE INSTRUMENTS DATING BACK TO 1100 BC HAVE BEEN FOUND

THE HARMONICA'S ORIGINS BEGAN IN THE FAR EAST’

played as a classical instrument and was often used in Austria and Germany as a seminal folk instrument. It was then redesigned by German engineers Hohner and Seydel, both of who continue in business today, this became the instrument that Muddy Waters once described as the ‘Mother of the band’. I assume he was being complimentary.

The banjo, the forerunner of the guitar was the Blues instrument of choice, and originally came into America with the slaves from West African, although there is still much debate over the exact origin. What we do know is that the Banjo as we know it today and the modern Harmonica came together in the cotton fields of the Mississippi Delta at the end of the 20th century to form the tools that created the genesis of a musical genre that we now call the Blues.

There are many great early exponents of the Blues harp that deserve a mention. In future issues we’ll take a look at these further, but it’s difficult to point out one that might be titled ‘the father of the Blues harp’, mainly because this is such a subjective title. When you think of early harp players you might include Henry Whitter, Palmer Mcabee and DeFord Bailey, although the list is nearly endless. There are many great recordings from the 1920’s that feature these early masters, each bringing their own style, feel, and tone to their playing styles.

The one commonality that appears to be a constant in their playing is the rhythm of ‘the train’. Possibly the sound

of a train running on the track, the howling of the whistle or the dream and romanticism of a better life further up the Mississippi to Chicago. Later, it was this sound that was to form the rhythm and beat for the more driven form of music that became Rock and Roll.

Within this melting pot of musical creativity there were players like Sonny Terry, who came from the Carolinas and was to become an eminent blues harp player in his own right, was listening to DeFord Bailey performing in the Grand Old Opry and aspiring to musical and financial success.

It’s interesting to note that DeFord Bailey is believed to be the first Afro-American to play at the traditionally white Grand Old Opry and was to have an extended residency there, such was his draw.

Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee who played together for years, had a massive global influence on blues and folk music, alongside harmonica players such as

Leadbelly and Woody Guthrie. It’s interesting to note that skiffle and later rock borrowed a lot from those early folksters. By the early thirties the southern states of America had become a breeding ground for Blues harp players spawning famous players like Little Walter and Sonnyboy Williamson. Such was the influence of this new breed of musician that there is a famous interview in which Charles Connor, Little Richard’s drummer tells the story of how blues turned into rock for his band. The story goes that Little Richard asked

Charles to come down to the train station and had him listen to the rhythm of the trains. He asks, what is that rhythm called, and could the drummer recreate it in the studio? This straight eight rhythm with none of the swing associated with blues was used on Richards next hit, and so ‘Lucille’ was born.

charles recounted that the beat ‘sounded like a damn earthquake’. They found kids could dance to it better than the swing feel of the Blues. There must have been other countless stories like this as rock started to emerge from the Blues. You can imagine Chuck Berry would have sensed the same as he left Little Walter out in the cold sensing a change in mood.

It’s extraordinary to think that Little Walter whose instrumental ‘Juke’ was in the charts for thirteen weeks was at his commercial peak for less than ten years in the 1950s, only getting the limelight again in the UK on tours in the 60s as the great British Blues revival rekindled the fires. Pretty much every pop band, which really meant Blues band in the early 60s, had a harmonica player or at least a singer who could play a little harp to give their feel a distinctly ‘Blues flavour’ such was the growing influence of Blues in the sixties and early seventies.

With the birth of electro pop in the eighties and British Indie music in the nineties, the harmonica took a massive downturn in fortune. In some way this mirrored the downturn of interest in the Blues. But

there’s good news, Blues has started to stir again and is becoming something of interest amongst a new trendy audience.

In the next issues we’ll look at the Blues harp greats, and the new emerging Blues harmonica players and how their brand of fusion based Blues is creating a new interest and a renaissance in the pubs and clubs. New Blues bands seem to be forming monthly, forging new expressions of Blues that bring in influences from other forms of Blues, jazz, rock, folk and street music.

We live in exciting times. If you want to know more

about the rhythmic train sound of the early twenties blues or you’ve always wanted to have a go at playing the harmonica but don’t know where to start, check out www. playharmonica.co.uk and Ben’s Harp Club.

WE’LL BE RUNNING A COMPETITION IN ISSUE 110 TO WIN A FREE HARMONICA AND MEMBERSHIP TO PLAYHARMONICA, THERE’S NEVER BEEN A BETTER TIME TO GET BLOWING!

LITTLE WALTER

EDDIE MARTIN, ONE OF THE NEW BREED OF BLUES PLAYERSHARP

Underlining a rich heritage

THE 2019 BLUES MUSIC AWARDS

VERBALS: DON WILCOCK VISUALS: ARNIE GOODMAN & LAURA CARBONE

ABOUT HALF-WAY INTO THE BLUES FOUNDATION’S 40TH ANNUAL BLUES MUSIC AWARDS (BMAS) IN MEMPHIS RONNIE EARL BEGAN HIS VERSION OF JR. WELLS’ “IN THE WEE HOURS."

There’s almost always an undercurrent of conversation at the BMAs, not offensively loud but there in the background. This time it was like someone had gently laid

a huge comforter over the Cook Convention Center. The audience collectively realised in an instant that we were experiencing one of those moments we will treasure for life. One of those moments

that remind you of why you love this music.

“In The Wee Hours” is on Jr. Wells’ 1965 Hoodoo Man Blues debut album on Delmark Records. That release nudged modern

JOE LOUIS WALKER

PHOTO: ARNIE GOODMAN

DENNIS GRUENLING

PHOTO: ARNIE GOODMAN

electric Chicago blues beyond the pioneering efforts of Chess artists like Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters while incidentally introducing Buddy Guy to a waiting world. Ronnie Earl’s studio version of the song appears on his 2014 Good News album on Stony Plain Records. At this year’s biggest international blues event, it was as if time stopped, and we were transported at warp speed into a nine-and-ahalf- minute opus, smooth as Vaseline on chrome. It took the crowd’s collective breath away and slid us into another reality.

“It’s a spiritual thing,” says Earl, looking back on that moment. “I bring the band way down and not play a lot of notes. And not loud. Just bringing the audience into the mix at a spiritual level like a church kind of thing.”

One by one, three other guitarists took more than a thousand people into Earl’s smoky, transcendent journey. Two of the guitarists have a long history of playing with Earl, Peter Ward and Nicholas Tabarias. The third was Laura Chavez, a BMA nominee in the Guitar Instrumentalist category and former Candye Kane lead guitarist. Dave Limina played the Hammond B3. His credits include the Mighty Sam McCain and Michelle Willson as well as world tours with Ronnie Earl. Paul Kochanski played bass and Forrest Padgett handled drums. But it was vocalist Diane Blue who influenced Ronnie Earl to pick the Jr. Wells classic for this particular occasion.

“I changed my mind about 20 times,” says Earl. “We were gonna do a Magic Sam tune,

but we decided to do a song that would include Diane’s beautiful singing, and I had the other guitarists up to give all a little taste.”

Ronnie Earl has played with both Jr. Wells and Buddy Guy throughout his storied 40-some-year career. And Diane Love appears on several of his albums. In finally choosing “In The Wee Hours,” he created a perfect showcase for artists he felt should be given notice at this premier event. “I talked to a bunch of guitarists who weren’t going to play at the show, and I felt for them, you know? I said, ‘Well, you’re going to come and play for me since you weren’t asked to play at the show.’ I felt bad that they’d come all that

CONTINUES OVER...

KID ANDERSEN BY

PHOTO: ARNIE GOODMAN

SHEMEKIA COPELAND

PHOTO: LAURA CARBONE

way, and that they didn’t get a chance to play, so they played with me.”

By sharing his consummate skills as a legacy guitarist with three other guitarists he felt were under represented, Ronnie Earl defined why the guitar has so come to represent the emotions that the best blues artists wear on their sleeves. He opened his set with a clarion testimony, declaring himself 30 years clean and sober, having more recently overcome the effects of bipolar disorder.

Earl calls Laura Chavez “a great guitarist.” And as the BMA week progressed, she gained deserved status as an important player. She sat in on an opening segment that featured each of the

MOMENTS LATER, THE WOEFULLY UNDERRATED DETROIT BELTER THORNETTA DAVIS SANG A VERSION OF “SPOONFUL”

Best Emerging Artist Album nominees. That cluster of performers made it clear that Amanda Fish would be the winner. Supported by Laura’s amazing guitar work, Samantha’s sister Amanda cut through the chaos of a crowd still finding its seats with a blistering presentation that set the tone for an almost six-hour marathon that passed as if it were two. It was a stunning example of The Blues Foundation’s Joe Whitmer’s skill as the show’s producer who turned the evening into a virtual encyclopedia of the

genre’s ever-expanding pool of diverse talent.

Also, in the opening segment was Iowa’s 2018 International Blues Challenge winner Kevin Burt who played his IBC winning “Real Love” original on guitar and harmonica with a voice enormously influenced by Bill Withers of “Ain’t No Sunshine” fame. Lindsey Beaver gave a leather, lace and tattoo aggressively hard blues-rocking performance on vocals and drums. Ben Rice had trouble cutting through the crowd noise with his soft vocals and slide guitar, and Heather Newman had the difficult task of opening the show with a rousing rockin’ blues that cut through the chaos and set the upbeat tone for the evening.

The performances in general were like Forrest Gump’s definition of a box of candy. You never know what you’re going to get. Lurrie Bell gave an uncharacteristic solo performance dedicated to the late Michael Ledbetter: “I’m tired and so weary, but I must go on.” His raw, folky take on “Peace in the Valley” was breathtaking.

Shemekia Copeland performed “We Ain’t Got Time for Hate” nominated for Song of The Year. Her album America’s Child won Album of The Year for its penetrating

SUGARAY RAYFORD

PHOTO: LAURA CARBONE

Feature BLUES AWARDS

songs – many written by her manager John Hahn. That album is a trail marker that has propelled her and blues in general towards a more eclectic Americana fan base.

Bobby Rush, Nick Moss Band, and William Bell all were standouts. The finale jam had Steve Cropper and Little Stevie Van Zandt playing off each other with traditional artist Dom Flemings on spoons.

The winners’ comments underline Willie Dixon’s definition of blues as truth. Paraphrasing some of the winners’ comments:

Eric Gales, Blues Rock Artist: He hesitated for almost a full minute fighting back tears. “I stand before you as humble as I can be. I almost killed myself five or

six times. I was addicted to everything you can imagine… all those years dedicated to getting high. I’ve been three years clean and sober…all those years on the road, nasty bathrooms, nasty dressing rooms…Black, white, yellow, all races come together. Music is the way to make this country great again.”

Amanda Fish, Best Emerging Artist Album Free: “It’s not how many awards you win but who you drink champagne with. I’m gonna go get drunk.”

Michael Ledbetter was posthumously awarded both Instrumentalist and B.B. King Entertainer of the Year. His father said the only credit he could take was giving Michael his name. His sister said. “My

brother deserved this. From the time he could make noise, he was entertaining the family.”

Kenny Neal, Contemporary Blues Male Artist: “I wasn’t expecting this at all. I took a break last year. We’re keeping the blues alive. Thank you.”

Dennis Gruenling, Instrumentalist –Harmonica: “I hate speaking in public. That’s why I picked the harp.”

Vanessa Collier, Instrumentalist – Horn: She gave a shout out to her grandmother in the audience and her mother on the phone. “All right! Holy crap! I’m shaking! This is amazing.”

Nick Moss, Traditional Blues Male Artist: “Traditional Blues Male Artist? I play guitar. Life is more than awards, but this is pretty cool.”

Rory Block, Acoustic Artist: “I can’t believe it, I’m shocked,” she said even though this was her fifth win in almost half a century of playing acoustic guitar. “I’ve dedicated my life to this,” she said calling out her mentors Bessie Smith, Skip James and others.

Annika Chambers, Soul Blues Female Artist : “I learn every day that anything is possible.”

Shemekia Copeland, Contemporary Blues Album America’s Child: “I’m excited about this album. Having a baby, changes you. I want the world to be a better place for my little guy.”

Each year the BMAs expand on events surrounding the awards ceremony. Beale Street comes alive with jams at the various venues that bring disparate artists together

BOBBY RUSH

PHOTO: ARNIE GOODMAN

in intimate club settings. The night before the awards ceremony I saw Kevin Burt nominated for Best Emerging Artist Album Wish The World Away host a set at the Jerry Lee Lewis club that featured him and his band backing among others harmonica player Giles Robson who took the Acoustic Album of the Year Award with Joe Louis Walker and Bruce Katz for Journeys to The Heart of the Blues. Moments later, the woefully underrated Detroit belter Thornetta Davis sang a version of “Spoonful” to die for. She was nominated but didn’t win Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year.

Vanessa Collier, winner of Instrumentalist – Horns, sat in for much of this one set playing as if she’d been the sax player with the band for years, adding nuance to “Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone” and “All Along The Watchtower.

Fiona Boyes, nominated for Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female Artist), did a knee to knee set with Doug MacLeod at Silky Sullivan’s on Friday. Both are wonderful, larger than life intense performers who did a great job under difficult circumstances. That club is not artist friendly with a stage directly behind the main aisle handling heavy traffic from the front to the back of the club.

The Blues Hall of Fame

Museum hosted three iconic blues industry legacies, Chris Strachwitz, founder of Arhoolie Records; Dick Waterman signing his new biography A Life in Blues by Tammy L. Turner; and Alligator Records founder and CEO

Bruce Iglauer signing his memoir Bitten By The Blues. Strachwitz called the blues and ethnic music he recorded in the late ’50s and early ’60s “literature of the people.” He said some of his records sold only 200 copies and as soon as many creative black musicians recorded, their music was co-opted by white artists for a pop market. The rhythmic intensity of the blues was what attracted him to the sound. He sees the wisdom of African American lyrics in phrases like “If it were raining soup I’d be caught with a fork” and “picking cotton from can’t, to can’t;” you can’t see when you start picking and you can’t see when you stop for the day.

Dick Waterman described his elation at discovering Son House 30-some years after he’d last recorded and how that led to a Columbia Records release in 1965. Waterman singlehandedly sought out Delta blues giants like House, Mississippi Fred McDowell and Charlie Patton, brought them out of “retirement” and booked them into folk festivals and coffeehouses during the folk boom of the ’60s.

Bruce Iglauer ran out of books to sell before he began his talk, and the scheduled one hour turned into two and a half as he recalled half a century as CEO of arguably the most important blues label in America. He credited Bob Koester of Delmark Records with being his mentor and hero. He started his career as a $30 a week shipping clerk at Delmark.

Koko Taylor’s daughter Cookie credited Iglauer with

saving her daughter’s life by helping to pay her cancer treatment bills, and Saffire the uppity Blueswomen’s Gaye Adegbalola testified to Iglauer’s honest handling of royalties. Iglauer told his rapt audience, “Don’t let people tell you blues is sad. It’s the happiest music.” He described his memoir by saying, “In my book I’m a camera taking pictures of giants who walked the earth.” Asked what he looks for in signing artist, he said, “I look for originality and passion, artists who don’t know how to hold back with honest statements and a musical sound so original it captures attention around the world.”

He admitted that when he first heard Stevie Ray Vaughan, he thought he was an Albert King imitation, and he’s sorry he didn’t at first hear what he became. He said he’s known only four musicians who could read music, and he claimed if you played a song for James Cotton once, he could play it right back. And he likes to record musicians facing each other in a circle looking into each other’s eyes.

The 2019 Blues Music Awards are testimony to the contemporary relevance of a genre that recognizes creativity inspired by an African American heritage and enriched by men and women of all colours, races, creeds and national origins.

If my friend George Scism smiles, that’s my litmus test of a great event. At the 2019 Blues Music Awards George rarely stopped smiling.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: WWW.BLUES. ORG/BLUES-MUSIC-AWARDS/

Woodstock Remembered

50 YEARS AFTER

VERBALS: THE BISHOP VISUALS: WIKIMEDIA

THE 1969 NEW YORK FESTIVAL WAS BILLED AS "THREE DAYS OF PEACE AND MUSIC" BUT IT WOULD SUBSEQUENTLY TAKE ON A MUCH GREATER SIGNIFICANCE BY BECOMING A DEFINING SYMBOL OF THE BABY BOOMERS GENERATION

Woodstock is universally regarded as the most important rock concert ever held, representing the socalled 1960s hippie culture of ‘sex, drugs and rock and roll’. Young people wanted a life that was very different to that of their parents and they were prepared to protest against inequality and conflicts such as Vietnam, and to support civil rights movements. Woodstock became the catalyst for escapism into music and provided the opportunity to spread the message of unity, love, and peace.

Despite a star-studded line up which included Jimi Hendrix, The Who, and Santana it was the lesserknown provincial blues-rock band Ten Years After who were the real showstoppers. Frontman Alvin Lee addressed the 500,000 crowd at the end of their short set to introduce the band’s national anthem, I’m Going Home, an adrenaline fueled vintage blues and rock and roll extravaganza. This high-energy, virtuoso performance propelled TYA to global stardom and cemented Lee’s reputation as the fastest guitarist in the west with his fleet-fingered fretwork of a velocity rarely witnessed.

When the smash hit documentary, Woodstock was released the following year, Lee’s reputation as an iconic axe man was preserved for posterity on film. Not only that, his distinctive red 1961 Gibson E-335 adorned with a peace symbol sticker and dancing hippie man motif made ‘Big

Red’ almost as famous as its owner. Alvin was one of the first popular musicians to promote universal peace through songs such as I’d Love To Change The World. Gibson would later nominate Alvin as the greatest ever exponent of its ES-335 model, deservedly ahead of Eric Clapton, Chuck Berry, and B.B. King.

During an interview with Blues Matters in 2004, Alvin Lee talked about Woodstock. “It was a good festival, a spectacular event and I enjoyed it. The main thing to me that made it different was flying in by helicopter. It was an open sided helicopter, so I had a safety harness on and was hanging out over a half million people and there

was an amazing smell of marijuana coming up; not the kind of thing you forget easily. We had to hang around for several hours due to a storm and they’d run out of ciggies backstage, so I volunteered to go out into the audience and blag some and I came back with about 30, so I was quite popular.

We were then told that we couldn’t go on stage in case we got electrocuted as there was still some rain and I just said, ‘Oh come on, if I die at Woodstock, we’ll sell lots of records.’ Actual playing wise it didn't seem that special, and the solo on the movie sounds pretty rough to me these days, but it had the energy which

TEN YEARS AFTER: (TOP, LEO LYONS, LEFT, CHICK CHURCHILL, RIGHT, RIC LEE, FRONT, ALVIN LEE)

was what Ten Years After were all about at the time. Even after we'd done the gig, apart from being declared a national disaster by the US government, it didn't seem that big a deal. I think the movie is what made it big and suddenly I was on all three screens. I never wanted to be singled out but when you are the lead guitarist and the singer you get the spotlight whether you want it or not.”

Co-founder of TYA, bassist Leo Lyons now fronting his own band Hundred Seventy Split recalls his memories’

“I think the film gives a taste of what it was like to be around at that time. Young people were optimistic about changing the world for the better and the youth culture had its own music, language, ideals, and fashion. You were either part of that group or against it and I loved the whole period. To get to the site we flew into New York from St Louis the day of our Woodstock performance and drove from La Guardia to the Holiday Inn, Bethel which was as close as we could get so from there, we took a helicopter. I hadn’t eaten since

the night before and was thinking about going over to the catering area when Pete Townsend came striding purposely towards me.

before and catering area

‘Leo don’t eat any of the food, or drink anything that’s not from a sealed can. Everything is spiked with acid!’ Just before we were due to play, the storm broke. The roadies and I sheltered in the back of a U Haul truck as the drizzle turned into a torrential downpour which shut down all the music. By the time we

performed, the stage floor was soaked from the downpour and steam was rising from the band and the audience.

Because of the humidity, Alvin and I had tuning problems and I recall we stopped the show several times in an attempt to tune our guitars. Nevertheless, the crowd reaction was fantastic, and I’ll always remember that. At the end of our show the helicopters had stopped running. Leaving the site was not easy. There were long traffic jams heading back to NYC and no room in local hotels. By the time we got back to Manhattan, the hotel had given my room to someone else and I slept on a table in someone's office. Playing the gig was exciting. On the negative side

“THE PLAN WAS FOR THE BAND TO PLAY ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON BUT A STORM OF BIBLICAL PROPORTIONS ERUPTED”

I remember the mud, no food, no sleep and sheltering in a truck during the storm but most of all I remember the great reception we got.”

Loraine Burgon met Alvin in Nottingham in 1963 when they were both living with their parents. A talented seamstress she made Alvin’s tapestry trousers and styled his beaded top for Wodstock. She takes up the story:

“The whole event was organised by hippies, not a straight person in sight! The plan was for the band to play on Sunday afternoon but a storm of biblical proportions erupted so we just hung about smoking weed and listening to the crowd singing.

When the storm ended, it was still daylight, and Joe Cocker followed by Country Joe and the Fish were next to perform. It was dark by the time TYA started their set; I had followed Alvin on to the stage and went to the front, finding a place, hidden behind some stacks of PA speakers, to dance.

From there the view across the crowd and up the hillside was spectacular, bonfires were burning, smoke rising, flags flying, the immense crowd scene resembled a medieval painting by the Dutch Renaissance master Hieronymus Bosch. Alvin's pent-up energy from waiting so many hours, resulted in an intense and extraordinary

set, Alvin singing from the depth of his being and playing like a force of nature. Big Red was a part of his body over which he had compete mastery, moving from slow, drawn-out feedback to mindblowing speed and dexterity, bending the strings.

Alvin never used foot pedals or effects boxes on stage, Big Red went straight into his Marshall amp, set up to produce sonic extremes, and the rest was technique. I’m Going Home was one final intense, sweaty workout, to triumphantly end a completely magical set. The biggest stoned hip audience at this extraordinary event had danced, screamed, shouted and sung along.”

A BRIEF HISTORY OF BIG RED... AND IT’S FOR SALE!

Alvin talks about “The guitar that ate Woodstock”

“My original Woodstock guitar, Big Red, is covered in old stickers because fans used to throw them on the stage and afterwards, I gathered them up and stuck them on. Then one day I sent the guitar to Gibson to have some repairs done and when it came back, they had lacquered all over the stickers so they would never come off. I thought it was pretty stupid at the time but now I am quite pleased about it. I stopped taking Big Red out on the road several years ago because it became so valuable even though it had only cost me £45 in 1964 when I bought it in Nottingham. I was offered half a million dollars for it quite a few years ago but I thought the guitar would be worth even more in the future so now I keep it in a vault.”

His then-girlfriend Loraine Burgon explains the meaning of the stickers

“As soon as TYA gathered fans, I started a fan club, under the pseudonym “Vicky Page”, calling it Ten Years After Music Lovers Society. I designed a logo and wrote and compiled a magazine called Palantirwith pieces by the band and poetry, etc. from their fans. That logo became the first sticker that Alvin stuck on Big Red underneath

the strings at the back of the bridge, to be followed by the peace sign decal. There were only four stickers on Big Red at Woodstock, and this is the model that Gibson is making into a limited edition for the 50th anniversary.”

on stage to play three songs. Reportedly a big

Hendrix

In April 2019, Joe Bonamassa surprised the audience at the Royal Albert Hall by bringing Alvin’s original Big Red on stage to play three songs. Reportedly a big Lee fan, he said, “Needless to say I am extremely honoured to be able to play this guitar tonight for the first date of my tour.” It had been over quarter of a century since Big Red had last been taken out on the road by Alvin. His family recently decided to sell the guitar on which Lee’s fabled fingers had weaved his magic. Given that the Woodstock guitar played by Jimi Hendrix fetched $2 million at auction, what is the value of this Gibson E-335 given its even more unique place in rock and blues history as Lee’s one and only guitar, defining a generation and stealing the show? Lee’s legendary status has been further enhanced by the estimated 13 million YouTube viewings of I’m Going Home since his untimely death in 2013.

The RumRunners

VERBALS: THE BAND VISUALS: COLIN CAMPBELL BORN OUT OF THE BACKSTREETS OF EDINBURGH’S ROCK AND BLUES CLUB SCENE, THE RUMRUNNERS HAVE MOULDED A FAMILIAR BUT ULTIMATELY FRESH SONIC TAKE ON CLASSIC TONES, ROCKING RIFFS AND MOODY SWAGGER, COMBINING A CONTEMPORARY GRITTY INDIE EDGE WITH VINTAGE ROCK AND BLUES ROOTS AT THEIR HEART

Forming back in 2016 as a jam band trio, guitarist Will Howard, drummer Jim Shemilt, and bassist Pete Lugg, met after a chance encounter attending a gig in the heart of Leith.

Bonding over the blistering sleazy blues of Irish rockers The Bonnevilles and a shared passion for bands. Born out of the British Blues boom including Free, Hendrix and Gallagher mixed with a clear love and understanding of 70s rock, laid a framework for their early jams. As the band began to compose their own material by osmosis the grunge/alternative and indie scene that was a staple during Howard and Shemilt’s formative years began to mould with vintage bombastic guitar rock to shape their first E.P. Embers released in early 2018.

Promoting their first record the trio played a slew of gigs around Scotland, cutting their teeth on the rock scene supporting the likes of Bernie Torme (Ozzy Osbourne), Chuck Mosely (Faith No More) followed by a tour with Glasgow rockers Anchor Lane, finishing with a sold out hometown show with festival stalwarts Mason Hill. Though commanding a generally positive response from the shows and E.P. the band felt their more melodic style was getting lost in the feedback of Marshall stacks that followed them.

Looking to develop their sound the band returned to the studio aiming to create a more open and atmospheric style, ditching the guitar solo fireworks for textural exploration and

stripping the core of the recording session back to a single live-room take, accumulating in a rounder, darker, more driving sound. Building on the resurgence of alt blues rock acts such as Rival Sons, Royal Blood and Nothing But Thieves, the band wanted to make their own mark on what it means to be a contemporary rock band wearing their blues heart on their sleeve. The result, the lusciously smoky and sway-inducing new single ‘Voodoo Mystery,’ released earlier this year in March.

Although Howard has traditionally led the band with his much-loved white Stratocaster and clean vocal style, he and the band felt they needed a true vocal powerhouse to carry them forward sonically and improve their live performance. After months of searching, the classic trio has now given way to an all-out rocking quartet employing the enormously talented vocalist Eddie King who brings a chameleon like vocal range to their older material and fresh soulful injection to their newer songs. Sitting somewhere between Paul Rodgers and Jeff Buckley, look out for live videos of Come Back Runnin for a tasty musical treat.

RumRunners are currently rehearsing, writing and recording new material with King, and looking ahead to further gigs. They have also just played to a packed-out Edinburgh Blues Club audience with industry legends Savoy Brown.

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

Emma Wilson

VERBALS: STEVE YOURGLIVCH & EMMA WILSON VISUALS: JOHN FINLAYSON

EMMA WILSON IS A NAME THAT WILL ALREADY BE FAMILIAR TO FESTIVAL AND GIG GOERS UP AND DOWN THE COUNTRY AND JUDGING BY THE AMOUNT OF RADIO PLAY HER CURRENT MINI ALBUM LIVE & ACOUSTIC IS RECEIVING THE WORD WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD

The measure of respect that her vocal abilities are held in can be measured by the quality of the artists she has been invited to perform with live, the list includes Terry Reid, Pete Brown, Malcolm Bruce, Will Johns, Mark Barrett and Mat Hector among others. She classes Pete Brown, the singer and famous Cream lyricist, as her mentor, proud of the fact he invited her to perform together at the hugely successful An Evening For Jack event at Shepherds Bush Empire in 2016.

Emma hails from Teesside, an area famous for producing great singers like Paul Rodgers, Chris Rea and David Coverdale. She fondly recalls being sold a copy of Aretha Sings The Blues by record shop proprietor Ottie McLaughlin, becoming enthralled reading and absorbing the liner notes and imagining working with such talented musicians. Emma says today, ‘I wrote out the lyrics neatly on A4 paper and sang along trying to emulate Aretha’s tone and licks. I strongly believe that stretching my voice as a teenager singing along to Aretha altered the development of my voice for the better.’ The tracks Muddy Waters and Today I Sing The Blues remain firm favourites in the set list to this day. Another big influence is Ann Peebles, whose version of Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down inspired Emma to record her own interpretation on her mini album.

The success of that release is only the start of a big year ahead, Emma says she is now inspired to write more and is hoping to record an album of her own songs with her regular band at the core and bringing in some of those she has worked live with. Later this year Pete Brown will be joining Emma on some live events and there are plans for some shows with Andrew and James Pipe of Mentulls fame. Her regular band include Adam Featherstone, John Daniel and Al Harrington.

Final words from Emma, ‘I am so excited to be part of the British Blues scene and so grateful to the DJs, photographers, journalists, promoters and music lovers who have supported me. I’m on the lookout for gigs and festivals all the time, I am totally independent and doing all of the background work myself from the kitchen table.’

FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: WWW.EMMAWILSON.NET. LIVE & ACOUSTIC IS AVAILABLE FROM: STORE.CDBABY.COM/CD/EMMAWILSON2, ALSO: WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/EMMAWILSONBLUESBAND

Frank Fotusky

VERBALS: IAIN PATIENCE VISUALS: FRANK FOTUSKY

FRANK FOTUSKY PLAYS ACOUSTIC BLUES IN THE STYLE REMINISCENT OF THE GREAT EAST COAST "PIEDMONT" PLAYERS SUCH AS REV. GARY DAVIS, BLIND BOY FULLER, JOHN JACKSON, BLIND WILLIE MCTELL TO NAME A FEW, WITH VINTAGE ROCK AND BLUES ROOTS AT THEIR HEART

Amajority ofFrank's material is culled from the '20's, '30's and '40's and Acoustic Blues and Guitar Rags are the foundation of his music. Along with this repertoire, his original compositions are rooted in this era and still carry a contemporary feel. East coast or "Piedmont Blues," as it is so often called, consists of sophisticated syncopation with fingerpicked guitar. The result is a sound that resembles that of the ragtime piano.

Frank Fotusky is a US picker, a fretwork master with his feet firmly planted in the world of acoustic blues and roots music. An inspired and inspiring Piedmont picker, Fotusky has worked with many of blues music’s true greats over the years: Hubert Sumlin, Roy Book Binder; Taj Mahal; Bonnie Raitt. This is a guy of immense talent, a US festival favourite who always brings a sparkling energy and imagination to everything he plays from ragtime, roots and blues to his own compositions, perfect examples of his deep understanding and clear mastery of the genres he draws his inspiration from.

Fotusky has been around a while now, always working hard and steadily expanding his fan support base. His recordings are generally widely praised and an excellent introduction to his music might be his most recent offering, ‘Meet Me in the Bottom,’ a wonderful release featuring Fotusky on both six and twelve-string acoustic guitar, always with a blues-infused power and purpose.

Fotusky is pushing hard now, hoping and planning to visit the UK and Europe as soon as possible. That can only be good news for us all and all lovers of top-dollar acoustic blues guitar. This is a major US bluesman. Get out and catch this guy if you can, you won’t be disappointed.

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

FOTUSKY HAS BEEN AROUND A WHILE NOW, ALWAYS WORKING HARD AND STEADILY EXPANDING HIS FAN SUPPORT

Jo Carley and the Old Dry Skulls

I USED TO WATCH BLACK AND WHITE FILMS WHEN THEY WERE ON THE TELLY EVERY WEEKEND. MAE WEST WAS ONE OF MY FAVOURITES AND I ALWAYS LOVED HER MUSICALS. YOU TAKE IT FOR GRANTED AT THE TIME, BUT LOOKING BACK, THE MUSIC THAT WAS USED IN THESE FILMS AND EVEN THE OLD CARTOONS WAS PHENOMENAL

Iused to watch black and white films when they were on the telly every weekend. Mae West was one of my favourites and I always loved her musicals. You take it for granted at the time, but looking back, the music that was used in these films and even the old cartoons was phenomenal. It has definitely crept into my singing and the direction that we are heading into with our stage show. Well, I say stage show, ha ha! We are just a band, but I do like to draw the audience into the underworld that we have created by telling stories about the creepy songs. We play the music that we

ourselves want to hear rickety music played by working class people. It has different rhythms than what classically trained musicians would play.

I think there are plenty of fine musicians replicating what’s already been done, but we have a burning desire to create something new, using elements of Blues, Bluegrass, Country, Skiffle, Ragtime, Vaudeville and Old-Time. The lyrical ideas come from dark imagery, old horror and black & white films. It was the blue notes and the syncopation of the early blues artists which inspired me to pick up the mandolin. I can’t get enough of the

rhythms that come out of Yank Rachell, Johnny Young, Howard Armstrong and the like. Then there is Bill Monroe, I am totally in love with his style of playing, this led me onto Bluegrass and Old-time.

So, the driving force of the band is Tim Carley’s one-man-band set-up with kick-drum, foot tambourine and guitar. It’s a long story of how we got playing music together but let’s just say our first attempts ended up in blazing rows and we vowed never to play music together again. Then after about fifteen years as a couple and playing in separate bands, something musically clicked between us and two albums later we are on a roll! I am the lead singer where I use my sweet melodies to tell of terrible things and I switch between mandolin, fiddle and washboard.

We’ve played with a few double bass players, but our current doublebass player James Le Huray is by far my favourite. He totally gets what we are trying to do and his style of playing fits us perfectly. He is a great all-round musician and he also plays a tenor banjo in the band, kinda jug band style. He is also a better mandolin player than me which keeps me on my toes. YOU CAN CHECK OUT OUR MUSIC ON ITUNES OR BUY IT DIRECT FROM THE BAND. WWW.OLDDRYSKULLS.COM

VERBALS: JO CARLEY

The Cornbread Project

VERBALS: PETER NANDE, STRAIGHT SHOOTER VISUALS: THE CORNBREAD PROJECT THE CORNBREAD PROJECT WAS FORMED BY MUSICIANS/PRODUCERS LAUST “KRUDTMEJER” NIELSEN AND PETER NANDE IN 2018. THE PAIR MET IN NOVEMBER 2017 AT MOJO IN COPENHAGEN AND QUICKLY DISCOVERED A SHARED INTEREST IN EXPANDING THE BOUNDARIES OF THE BLUES AND ROOTS MUSIC THAT THEY LOVE

Nielsen explains: “There’s a gap in the blues world when it comes to the production side of things. The goal is to give blues productions a lift, give them more impact and make them stronger using ideas and inspiration from the development of the production approaches of other Afro-American genres, such as soul, R&B, hip-hop, and reggae.”

With this approach, he says, “I think it's possible to reach blues purists but also to reach a wider audience and get people outside the blues realm in on it.”

Nande, meanwhile, has 15 years of experience recording and producing his own albums and those of other artists, with James Harman being a primary influence. While Laust had working tracks without vocals, Nande had access to released and unreleased recordings with Harman, Gary Primich, Big Joe Louis, Mud Morganfield, Big Creek Slim and others. The pair decided to put their resources together to see what could happen.

“I sent Laust some tracks including ‘Hobo Blues’ from an unused version by Big Creek Slim,” Nande recalls. “When Laust sent me the first draft of ‘Hobo Blues,’ we both knew we had something special here, and worthy of further development.”

A year later, Nande and Nielsen, as The Cornbread Project, are releasing “Hobo Blues” as a single, and an album is well underway, scheduled for release later this year.

The tracks will feature samples, loops and beats drawn

from existing material, merged with layers of newly recorded music. The backbone of the music is roots, blues and soul, steeped in the American South of a time long past, but presented with contemporary production concepts.

The ambition is to create new, full productions in collaboration with a wide range of musicians, songwriters and singers. The Cornbread Project hopes to “take the devotions and love I have for the blues and all good music in general and create a fresh high-quality contemporary blues sound that can reach out and touch larger audiences,” says Nande.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: THECORNBREADPROJECT.COM AND WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/THECORNBREADPROJECT/

THE GOAL IS TO GIVE BLUES PRODUCTIONS A LIFT, GIVE THEM MORE IMPACT AND MAKE THEM STRONGER

THE BLUES FOUNDATION BARBARA NEWMAN

THE BLUES FOUNDATION HELPS, THE BLUES FAMILY TO GROW. THE BLUES FOUNDATION IS THE INTERNATIONAL FAMILY FOR THE BLUES. IT BRINGS FANS, ARTISTS AND INDUSTRY PEOPLE TOGETHER IN AN EFFORT TO GROW THE GENRE AND KEEP IT HEALTHY IN EVERY NUANCE OF THAT WORD

VERBALS: DON WILCOX IMAGES: LAURA CARBONE

Located in Memphis, Tennessee, it presents two huge events a year: The International Blues Challenge that brings bands and solo acts from all over the world together on Beale St. for a contest that casts a bright light on new and emerging talent, and The Blues Music Awards, also in Memphis, which is The Grammys of the blues.

Barbara Newman has been the President and CEO for about three years. When she took the job, she said to give her a couple of years to learn the ropes before asking her to comment on the job, the genre, and the people who make it happen. Well, it’s been three years. The organisation is thriving, growing and becoming more eclectic in its fundamental definition of the genre. Here is an edited version of our conversation.

When you first took the job you said, ‘Give me a year or two before I make any comments about the genre in general because I’m just learning.’ Give me three important things you’ve learned in those three years that were a surprise to you or that are important that you didn’t realise I don’t know that they were a surprise. They haven’t surprised me, but I think they’re important. One is that blues has a reach that extends around the entire globe, north, south, east and west. There’s not an area of the world that isn’t familiar with the blues. The level of engagement depends on what’s

going on in that part of the world, but everybody knows the music, and there is a worldwide love of the music.

That was something that I didn’t fully comprehend, the reach of the music and what it means to people everywhere, not just people who speak English, and not just people in the United States.

There are people trying to create this music in areas of the world that are not of the same background of either the United States or Africa which is where the original musical family came from. When you see a Korean band from Asia, or you know there’s blues in Australia or all through Europe or Scandinavia, the dots connect because it’s such a true form of music. It speaks to the heart of some commonality among people.

The second thing is that the blues is very much alive. It is not close to dying. This concept of “Keeping the Blues Alive” is a moniker we need to let go of. It comes from a negative place.

There is wonderful fresh new blues music being created every day, and that there are wonderful bluesmen and women that are standing on the shoulders of those who came before them, and that this music is going to continue on ad infinitum because it is pure music.

There are only 4000 Blues Foundation members. What can we do to make that number go up? We’re not for profit. Membership is a form of donation. So, what we need to do is help people feel connected to the music and donate to the organisation that is preserving the past and ensuring the future of the music. It’s on our shoulders to tell that story and engage people if they want to share their resources with us for the good of the music.

And the third thing you’ve learned?

I think the blues music community is one of the tightest, most supported and caring communities I’ve come across within the large music world. I think there is a family nature to it. And, I think we have to help the musicians take that to the next step and professionalise what they’re doing so more people come into it.

Let me define what I mean by professionalising it. I don’t mean promote it. I don’t mean sell it like pop music. When I say professionalise it, I mean really good

blues musicians taking care of themselves. They sign contracts. They hold the business accountable, whether it’s the label, whether it’s the club owner, whether it’s a festival promoter. They create agreements with their bands and there’s an understanding of who is responsible for what. They create agreements when they write their music. They make sure they get their music copyrighted. They protect themselves and they protect their art. Something they can earn a living off appropriately so they can keep doing it.

You rub shoulder now with the Folk Alliance. You’ve been to the Grammys. You’re hanging out with Americana people. What has that experience done in terms of increasing your purview of the eclecticism of the blues?

What it’s done is it’s given me the opportunity to see how other music organisations function, and to assess what they do well, and what they don’t, and to bring back the positive stuff to the Blues Foundation and use that as a model for how

we can improve. There’s always room for improvement, always. When I’m long gone, there will be room for improvement after me. There will be people I’m standing on the shoulders of, people who came before me. There will be people standing on my shoulders once I leave. As long as we take the good, and we keep working with what works well and be willing to let go of things that don’t serve us so well, the organisation will continue to grow and expand.

It’s also allowed me to connect with people across the industry because a lot of those people are dancing to music that is blues. They might not be universally blues. The label might not be exclusively blues the way Alligator is, but they might have enough of a reach that they do a little Americana, and they’ve got the blues artists, and they’ve got the folk artists, and we’re able to engage in what our mission is, and they want to come to the table with us.

What’s your view of labels like Americana and folk music and how the nomenclature is always changing?

I think good music is good music. I think that we need to be open to dabbling in each other’s world. That doesn’t mean we give up blues by any stretch of the imagination. It means from my perspective the blues is one style of Americana music. It was created in America. It’s an American music form same as bluegrass, same as the hybrid that’s been formed through Americana since country music sort of went its own way. And, it’s the same with folk. Blues is the original folk music of America and the Folk Alliance is expanding this reach. They’re not just American folk music. They’re international folk music. The folk music in America is different than the folk music in Croatia.

Folk music is the music of the people.

Every culture has its own folk music. Blues is a type of folk music. I remember talking to the executive director of the Folk Alliance a few years ago. He told me that Bobby Rush was going to be playing at the Blues Showcase, and I said, “Whoa! Bobby Rush? I mean I’ve been at Folk Alliance Conferences for 12 years before this. How are your folkies going to take to Bobby Rush’s electric guitar playing on the stage when everything is all acoustic?”

And he said, “Barbara, blues is the original American folk music and you’re going to have to get over it. We’re a folk organisation, and that is folk music.”

I think music is not something that we can easily wrap our heads around with words. We can’t even define music. How do you explain music? How do you define music? It’s hard to describe with words. It’s an emotional response that we get to put labels on to help describe it, to help define it, to help explain it.

I remember when fusion came out, it defined a genre. Then, it got so overrun, and it got mainstream in a way that lost track of what jazz was all about in the first place so that the whole term became a pejorative after about three years. That’s why I don’t get too wrapped up in labels. I know when I walk into one of these organisations from a different genre that we

“If you love the blues, you’ll want to support the organization that works on an international scale”

fit within their definition. The blues is part of it, and therefore we are welcome there, and we want to be there, and we want to come and have a seat at the table. Let’s make sure people recognise that blues is at the table so that people are conscious that blues is at the table. We want them to know that blues is at the table at the Grammys. We want them to know blues is at the table at the Folk Alliance.

You’ve said that becoming a member of the Blues Foundation was like giving a donation. What does that donation do to make it worth it for the average blues fan to plunk down his money?

When somebody becomes a member of the Blues Foundation, there are benefits to membership. Depending on your membership amount determines your seating at the Blues Music Awards. Also, what you’re doing is supporting the organisation, and preserving, celebrating, and promoting an awareness of the blues which means that the money goes to the nonsexy things, the turning on of the lights and making sure we have staff that can actually execute the work. It also goes to the things that are important to people, making sure that the Blues Hall of Fame opens its doors every day and that people travelling around the world can come up to this museum and interact with the artefacts and with the music and learn about these great musicians that are in the Hall of Fame.

Membership also makes sure that we can host the International Blues Challenges and produce the Blues Music Awards and make sure we can curate and manage the Heart Fund. Even though the money from the Heart Fund goes toward the people, we have to have staff manage it.

That comes from the Blues Foundation to make sure we blues musicians stay healthy, and make sure we can support Generation Blues and promote education, and make sure we keep our website current where you can find information and find photos and listen to music about blues, and make sure that we can send out the monthly newsletter to keep up with who passed away in the blues world as well as what are our blues societies are doing, and where exciting blues activities

are happening, etc. And then it goes on and on. It just expands and makes sure we get out publicly to other blues communities to share what we’re doing, and every dollar of membership supports that.

If you love the blues, you’ll want to support the organization that works on an international scale to head the mission. Preserve blues heritage, celebrate blues recorded and in performance, expand worldwide awareness of the blues and ensure its future, $25 a year is a basic membership. That’s not a lot of money per year. Think of what that translates into per day. It’s a pittance. Become a member. Support the work we’re doing. Be a part of it by voting for your favourite artists in the Blues Music Awards. Spread the word. Put a sticker on your bulletin board or your car and be a part of the bigger blues family. We’re all in this together.

The Blues Foundation’s stated goal is to preserve blues heritage, celebrate blues recording and performance, expand worldwide awareness of the blues, and ensure the future of the uniquely American art form.

Interview EDGAR WINTER

As of this writing he’s pursuing Buddy Guy, Derek Trucks, Jeff Beck, Billy Gibbons, and John Mayer. Numbers include songs that defined Johnny Winter’s more than half century career of advancing slide guitar from its blues origins into mainstream rock and roll including “Got My Mojo Working,” “Johnny B. Goode,” “Still Alive and Well,” Rock and Roll Hoochie Coo,” “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,”

“Highway 61,” “I’m Yours And I’m Hers,”

“Mean Town Blues,” “If I Go Away,” “SelfDestructive Blues,” “A Stranger,” “Bean Town Blues,” and “Stormy Monday.”

“Joe Bonamassa played on “Self-Destructive Blues” and he just killed it,” says Edgar, obviously excited to be working with legacy artists who are creating with him a fitting homage to his bother.

“When I talked to Joe, it was the weirdest thing. We had talked about two or three songs and then toward the end I said, “SelfDestructive Blues” and he said, ‘You want to do ‘Self-Destructive Blues?’ That’s the first Johnny Winter song I ever learned. That’s what turned me on to Johnny, and we learned it and played it, and I recorded a version of it and everything.’”

Veteran blues artist Bobby Rush plays harp on the Muddy Waters standard “Got My Mojo Working.” Johnny produced and played on two of Muddy’s comeback albums in the early ’80s. “Johnny loved Muddy, and

Muddy was like his hero,” explains Edgar. “Getting to record with him and produce that Hard Again album I think was the high point. It meant more to him in his career than winning awards or anything else that he did.”

Edgar says his brother’s efforts to reinvigorate Muddy’s career late in his life was important not just to both Muddy’s and Johnny’s careers but to the evolution of blues in general. “Blues has always been that way. It’s always been around since the British Invasion rekindled interest in blues. It’s just so ironic. Blues and jazz are the two great American musical contributions and blues and jazz musicians are so much more highly respected everywhere else all over the world more so than they are here in America. When we go to Europe, it means something.

MUDDY’S ANTHEM

“I know it meant the world to Johnny to be able to work with Muddy and come alive like that. For that reason, I felt “Mannish Boy” was the one, but that’s just so unique. I decided “Mojo” was like Muddy’s anthem. So, we did that. Mike Carden was the one who suggested Bobby Rush. I’d heard his name. I wasn’t familiar with him, but I felt (having him on the cut) was a tribute to Muddy.” Edgar hopes to get Buddy Guy to play guitar on that cut.

CONTINUES OVER

EDGAR WINTER PAYS TRIBUTE

REMBERING JOHNNY

SOME OF ROCK AND BLUES MOST ELITE ARTISTS ARE COLLABORATING WITH EDGAR WINTER TO CREATE A TRIBUTE ALBUM FOR HIS BROTHER JOHNNY WINTER FIVE YEARS AFTER HIS PASSING. A TOTAL OF 16 TRACKS ARE PLANNED WITH GUEST APPEARANCES BY JOE BONAMASSA, BOBBY RUSH AND RICK DERRINGER.

VERBALS: DON WILCOCK VISUALS: ARNIE GOODMAN

As of May, Edgar had laid down scratch vocals on all the cuts and was filling in with many guest artists. “I’ve always wanted to record at Capitol, that big room. It’s such a great sounding acoustic room. And I did some scratch vocals on there in that vocal booth where Nat King Cole sang all of those great songs, and that was really a trip. It meant a lot for me to start out there, and then we’re recording in other studios now.

CAPTURING THE ESSENCE

“The important thing is we did 16 tracks, and I may even do more before it’s all over. There are certain songs that have stories behind them that are associated with Johnny like “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” and “Highway 61.”

The song that comes closest to capturing the essence of his brother is Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode.” “When we were kids, our first band was Johnny and The Jammers, and there was this local talent contest, this Johnny Melody Contest, and the prize was you got to record a record. “Johnny B. Goode” was the hot song, so we played that

song, and won the contest and got to record our first local record in Beaumont, Texas. So, that song has always meant a lot to me. It’s a Chuck Berry song, but it almost sounds like it could have been written for Johnny, you know?”

It took Edgar five years after his brother’s passing to come to grips with doing this album. “I had been approached after Johnny’s death and it just seemed to smack of exploitation to me. Trying to exploit Johnny’s memory and name just to sell records was not something that I wanted to do, and I just felt somebody is going to do it, but it’s not going to be me.”

But when Edgar met Bruce Quarto of Quarto Valley Records, he changed his mind. “My whole attitude changed because it wasn’t a business thing to him. He wanted to do it for all the right reasons. One of those unique visionary people that have just an honest love of music and classic rock and blues and real roots music.

“My whole thing is if I’m going to do this, I want to do it in my own time in my own

way. I don’t want to collaborate with anybody. I don’t want any deadlines or targets. I just want to let it unfold naturally, and it may take a year. Bruce said, ‘Whatever you want to do. Wherever you want to record, you just let me know. We’ll make it happen.’

Quarto is quoted on the label’s website as saying, “I want to change everything about the record industry, everything about the way artists are treated. The artists create music and basically need someone to shepherd, nurture and take care of them, so they have the room to blossom and create for the world. The problem with the current record business is that money rules their every thought. I can’t understand why the industry has been so cruel to the people who create so much great music.”

Edgar and Johnny had been close from the time they were toddlers learning licks on the ukulele from their father. “It became apparent to me that Johnny was going to become the guitar player. He just took to it immediately, and I said, ‘Well, I’ll just play everything else.’ So, I played bass for a while and I played drums. This is like when I was 10 or 11, and then we had a piano in the house, so I learned to play piano, and the electric piano came out.

“That was the easy thing because I remember hearing Ray Charles doing “What’d I Say” (He scats.) That’s a cool sound. What is that? I didn’t even know what it was. And I remember playing on one of those old upright pianos that they would have, and you’d try and stick a mic in it, and it wouldn’t stick. There was no way to amplify it, and it was not a fun deal. And then electric piano Wurlitzers came out, and organs and all of the R& B you know – Wilson Pickett and Otis Redding and all those rhythm and blues.”

Edgar’s biggest hit was ‘Frankenstein,’ an electronic keyboard number that went to number 1 in 1972. To Johnny, music was his life’s ambition. To Edgar music was more personal. He didn’t have the same drive or rock star ambition as Johnny. “When we were kids, Johnny had the dream. He had the ambition. He read all the magazines and he watched “Bandstand,” Johnny Cool Daddy with the guitar, and I was the weird kid that played all the instruments.”

It just took Edgar time to come to the realization that he was the obvious one to do a tribute album for his brother. “Johnny has always been my all-time musical hero and as anybody knows, he passed away in 2014. He may have departed this physical plane, but his spirit, his music and his presence will live on in my heart forever. He was a true bluesman. He played the music, and he lived the life, and he came in and went out the same way. Truth to the blues, and I love him for that, and I first want to make this record to honor the music that he played.

FAVOURITE SONG

“Playing the music is pure joy. It’s such a revelation to me and it’s like a beautiful full circle healing process, and I just feel like it’s absolutely something I was meant to do, and I just decided because I was sort of thinking, ‘Why don’t I want to do this? Why wouldn’t I want to do this? I love my brother,’ and it seemed like the universe was actually calling for that music to come into existence.”

Asked what is his favorite song on the album, Edgar pauses for a long time and then answers. “I think probably the most emotional song for me is gonna be “Drown In My Own Tears.” I can be singing that to Johnny. It’s a song we did, I did in a lot of his bands, and he did as well. Besides when he said he wanted to do it on the first record, but it doesn’t have any guitar on it. It was like him saying, ‘We’re doing all this stuff that is more country blues, and I know how much you love Ray,’ and I sort of felt he was doing that song for me, you know, to give me a chance to play, to arrange the horns and play piano on it.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO WWW.EDGARWINTER.COM/HOME.PHP

“I want to change everything about the record industry, everything about the way artists are treated”

TRACK BY TRACK WARREN HAYNES

AS GOVT MULE RELEASE A LIVE CD AND DVD ON THE MASCOT / PROVOGUE RECORD LABEL, BRING ON THE MUSIC – LIVE AT THE CAPITOL THEATRE – BM AND WARREN CATCH UP TO TALK PLAYING LIVE, THE SONGS ON THE NEW RELEASE AND MUCH MORE...

Great to catch up, bud – where are you right now?

At home, Pete and about to set off for Cincinnati…we’re getting a plane as we are playing there tomorrow.

Before we talk about the new live releases which prompts this chat, it was good to catch up with you and Joe Bonamassa just before the Mule gig at the side of The Forum. How was that show, for you?

Oh, I enjoyed it, great crowd I recall. Enjoyed it quite a bit. It was nice to see Joe and get him up to join in the show. I thought it was a fun night! Glad you were both there for it.

We didn’t tell anyone who was about to guest!

Whose idea was it to do Beck’s Freeway Jam? We’ve done that tune a few times, here and there. I was just looking for something fun, to play with Joe.

The audience went crazy!

Yeah! I think it’s a good vehicle, no pun intended, for the interplay thing. For that sort of thing. And we also did If Dimes Were Nickels which is a cool blues tune, on the spot with Joe.

In passing, we spoke about that Splinter Group album I gave you with the acoustic versions. Thanks, I love those takes on the songs.

A great song, you can enjoy it in different settings.

It will stand up. Absolutely it will. If you can interpret a song in a different way, it will stay fresh. Which is a plus, whichever way you consider it. A new approach, every great song can be considered for that.

What put me on to that, was listening closely to Miles Davis. He seemed to hear in certain popular tunes tonal possibilities for stretching out.

(Ponders) Yes, in jazz Pete if there’s a good melody, then an interesting foundation, you can make it into whatever you want. The other evening, I happened to hear Wes Montgomery’s take on The Beatles’ A Day In The Life.

Oh, I know that! It’s magical!

(Warmly) It’s like a whole other world, where he takes it, prompted of course by the mood of that melody.

I agree and I’m thinking what Miles did with Time After Time (‘You’re Under Arrest album’– PS)

Right! That’s a great example. Some people might think that song’s way too poppy for Miles to be drawn to it, but you can hear how he spins it, oh and I was thinking of Miles doing Guinevere.

Dave Crosby considers that to be a major career

VERBALS: PETE SARGEANT VISUALS: JACON BLICKENSTAFF (PAGES 62-63)

JAY SANSONE (PAGE 64) / GEOFF TISCHMANN (PAGE 65)

highlight, Miles doing his song! As anyone would be! He takes it somewhere else, of course.

Let’s look at some of the Mule live selections –Thorazine Shuffle, now how did that come about? Initially, it was a rhythm that Matt Abs had put together and sent me a tape of. It was this bizarre time-signature, everybody debates over what exactly it is! Three bars of five and one bar of seven, is how I figure it to be. But he sent me that pattern and I wrote music to it.

Then I decided it shouldn’t just be an instrumental, did some lyrics and so that is how Thorazine Shuffle came about. It was meant to be tongue in cheek. Humorous, I guess, but I was looking through some archive stuff the other day and we have our 25th anniversary coming up, so we are going back to try and locate some unreleased items for all that. Literally starting with the first album. It will be twenty-five years next year. There’s all these tapes and cassettes and

DATs and stuff, and on that song the original title, on any recordings was ‘555 – 7’.

The other striking one for me is Endless Parade. Well that has always been one of my favourites. It’s a cool version and it balances out in a way some of the shorter selections in the programme. Didn’t make the actual movie but the audio is there, as you say. BUT it was filmed, and could be released in the future, somehow. It was really hard to decide what was going to go on the film or be audio only. In some cases, the choice was determined by what might have appeared on previous DVD releases. Both those you mention turned out very well.

You might recall when we met to discuss that album, I absolutely LOVE Revolution Come, Revolution Go. I do. We decided to include two versions of it, as they were different from each other. That song is really growing all the time. It’s played a little differently night after night. You know, we didn’t repeat any songs, the

original concept was to not repeat any songs over the two nights recorded. Except that number. Oh, and Travelling Tune.

It’s a pretty intense kinda song, revolution in the air. I wrote that song when we were travelling around all over the country in America and realising how the country was becoming so divided. Not so much judging the signs though I have leanings to one particular side. But looking at it in a way that the division being something more than it has been in my life up to now…I wrote it before the election. Knowing in my heart that the election outcome wasn’t going to solve anything. That division was going to be as wide or wider whoever won the majority. So, the fact that we didn’t expect Trump to win didn’t change the intensity of that song. Until things change, it’s a little bizarre here, people are so far apart in their stances, it makes you wonder where it’s all heading.

We have polarisation here right now. Respect for the other side diminishes. The Labour politician Denis Healey says it was different in earlier generations, because in the last War, you found yourself fighting alongside people of all shades having to form a team and fight the enemy

That has to be true, considering it. Now when folk allow their convictions to encroach into their daily lives, it’s causing friction. There has to be an enemy, it’s a terrible way of looking at it. BUT when you’re not happy with your life, you blame someone else! I also feel that the Internet is a big part of it. People don’t feel outnumbered, there’s someone out there supporting their outlook.

When Glenn and I first met you, Danny had just joined, and wow does he add to the colours! Yes, when I asked Danny to join the Mule, he didn’t have any hesitation at all, he wanted to do it. He loved the original trio’s and didn’t

want to spoil the vibe. He wanted to figure out what his role would be, to not change that. In the beginning, we talked about what keyboard sounds he would be using to enhance the ensemble sound. Mostly organ, Wurlitzer…then it expanded to clavinet, then to guitar and horns, and he’s doing more background singing as well…and of course, we write a lot together. What he does allows us to do is head off in a lot more directions when it suits. We can be anything, at any moment.

He’s your Brian Jones? (Laughs) I think he would love that comparison…yes!

There was a guy, Mark, in Crowded House sitting at the back with an acoustic guitar, an electric piano, a Rick 360 – 12...I was fascinated by what he came up with in their shows. I often change a setlist, particularly solo shows, by the sound of the room. I just know what songs will sound best in that individual room

Yes. I understand that, entirely. Now one of the reasons that we don’t put a setlist together too far in advance is so it’s tailormade to the gig. It will vary according to the audience, the city, the venue, and its sound qualities. Even if we have decided on a programme before the soundcheck, it can change just ahead of the actual performance.

“One of the reasons that we don’t put a setlist together too far in advance is so it’s tailor-made to the gig”

Especially if it is in a place we have never played before. We can omit or replace if we get that feeling, on an inclusion.

I was talking with Billy Gibbons about Santana and at a soundcheck Carlos will wander about to find the sweetest spot for sustain and mark it on the floor.

Oh yes, I saw Carlos once at Budokan and he must have done that, also the tech did something to the amp setting on some solo’s, some kinda adjustment.

There have been three acts that I never mind what they play in a show, with frank Zappa I never knew what numbers he would include, the two hours would always be entertaining. Then Phish, your Phish, seems to have an endless choice of material, own and versions... And govt. Mule. Well I’m honoured that you feel that way about us! The thing that all those acts have in common is that each and every show will be unique, not to be repeated, ever. It’s part of The Mission!

Would you make a live album with Grace Potter?

Hmm... I’ve never thought about it, but you know we both enjoy working together. We are actually doing something together coming up in the near future. We are doing a set just the two of us. This is at an outdoor festival. It will be the first time that we’ve ever done that. I’m curious to see where that will lead.

Finally, was that a 12 string Les Paul?

Yes. At the time that Gibson made it for me there were only two in existence, of that model. After that they started making a 12 string Les Paul, but it wasn’t the same as that one that I have. The headstock was smaller and there were other compromises. To my knowledge there’s still only two originals, in the world.

Thanks for the chat, Warren. Hey, great to talk with you as always.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO WWW.MULE.NET

TAKING THE BLUES BACK TO ITS ROOTS

JONTAVIOUS WILLIS

23-YEAR-OLD JONTAVIOUS WILLIS IS ONE OF A HANDFUL OF HIGHLY TALENTED CONTEMPORARIES WHO ARE PRESERVING THE ROOTS OF THEIR MUSIC FROM AS FAR BACK AS RECORDED BLUES GO

VERBALS: DARRELL SAGE VISUALS: JEREMY COWART

Discovered by Taj Mahal, Jontavious grew up singing gospel music in the Mount Pilgrim Baptist Church. Endowed with a thick country accent from growing up in Georgia’s tall pines, his new album, Spectacular Class is indeed good. Currently touring with Keb Mo he laughs easily and was an absolute delight to interview. We hooked up a couple times by phone in early spring and this is his story.

Good Morning Jontavious, thanks for the call. How are you doing today?

Well, pretty good. I just got in from North Carolina yesterday. Charlotte, my friend has a studio up there and I was just playing around really. I didn’t have anything else to do so I took a little trip up there.

Where are you calling from?

My apartment in Columbus, Georgia. I’m going to school here. I started in August of 2014 and graduate May 16th.

Congratulations. What subject are you majoring in?

Ahh, thank you so much. I’m ready to get out of here too. I’m majoring in sociology.

Why not music?

I figured if I wanted to go the formal route… (laughing) you know I hate for somebody to tell me what I’m doing is wrong, so I figured I’d just stay in my line and not be bothered.

Where are you from? The song, Take Me To The Country on your album describes it as ‘nothin’ but skies and pines’. How big of a town is it?

Greenville Georgia, about 60 miles southwest of Atlanta with 943 people.

So, when you make it big time are you still planning on being a Greenville area resident?

Yeah, I plan on it. There’s a lot of land out there. I like being by my family. You know, like I sang, I travel everywhere, but I like being at home.

How old were you when you started singing and playing music?

I started singing when I was three, in church behind my grandfather and started playing when I was 14. Let me rephrase that. My first instrument was piano, and I started playing that when I was about 8, and then trombone around middle school, and then I started guitar when I was 14. Then harmonica at 17, and banjo at 18.

I didn’t stick with piano or trombone, but I am resuming piano right now. But trombone, probably never. I was first chair for about one week. I could hear the music, but I couldn’t read it, so I was last chair for the rest of the year. I stopped playing piano when my piano teacher died. I’m now trying to learn how to play a little bit again. But I went about 10 years without touching the piano.

Let’s talk a bit about how you were discovered by Taj Mahal.

Me and Taj have some mutual friends and they did a video of me playing Lucy Mae Blues that’s on YouTube. Taj noticed it and saw that I wasn’t in standard tuning, but alternate tuning. A Dobro tuning actually. I learned later on, but at the time I didn’t know how to tune the guitar the way I wanted to tune it.

But from there he gave me a call and it was like he was going to be playing in Atlanta in August. That was in a few weeks and he told me to come out and bring my guitar. I knew Taj didn’t allow people on stage, so by letting me go on stage, it was something, and he liked me a little bit.

I got on stage and I got a video of it and I think I’m the only one that night that got a video. Taj was on the side and he hamboned it for a while as I was playing. I did Lucy Mae and Key To The Highway. That was my first big show. Before that I was like playing to 70 or 75 people. There must have been 1,500 to 2,000 people out there.

Little bit nervous?

(Laughing) I was more nervous that Taj was sitting next to me than all those people.

How would you describe your style of guitar playing? I do a variation of styles. I play a lot of country blues, but I also like the early electric blues from the 40’s and the 50’s. The Texas style, you know, East Texas. I kinda fool around with the diminished chord stuff, guys like T Bone Walker. I really don’t lock into one style. I do the piedmont style, the East Coast finger picking. I do the Delta style from down in Mississippi and Louisiana.

Your album opens with Low Down Ways, an electric blues tune, and I’m thinking, all right, here we go! Yeah (laughing), we did a little variation of stuff in that. In the album or even in my set I like to let people understand that blues isn’t just one thing. Most of the blues gets overshadowed by the Delta blues for various reasons. A lot of those guys that came out of the Delta had a lot of songs that were covered. You know, rock bands and a lot of those songs lived longer than from other

parts of the South. There’s more out there than just Delta blues.

Sometimes you remind me of Mississippi Fred MacDowell when you let your guitar sing the words Yeah, you know you can do it with your hands too, but I like to do it with the slide. The slide is kinda like a fiddle when the fiddle player gets to bowing on there. You can emulate the voice a little bit. I really like that a lot, and the crowd really enjoys it too.

Do you use a glass or a metal slide?

I use whatever I can find. I used to have glass, but I’m clumsy and I always dropped them. So, I have a socket that I got that’s real heavy up top that works pretty good. I got a brass one, a copper one, let’s see what else I got.

I haven’t got a ceramic one. Sometimes I use my pinkie, sometimes I use my ring finger, but mostly my pinkie. I got a real small pinkie so it’s real hard for me to find one without having to cut away the top for my pinkie, so it won’t fall off. But I really don’t play as much slide as I should.

You can get different sounds out of different slides, but most of the sound comes from my right hand.

What brought Keb Mo into your life and as the producer of Spectacular Class?

Well, it was on the Taj bus during the TajMo tour and I would talk to Keb and we got to know each other a little bit. Keb threw out the idea and I said, yeah, sure. He became the producer and Taj the executive producer. Working with Keb was wonderful. At first, I had to get used to it, but I had been with him on the road for so long, over thirty shows so it worked great. He plays guitar and mandolin some on the album. I’m touring with him through September.

“I feel that there is so much stuff to be covered from the 20’s to the 60’s that I still haven’t got it all”

What inspired the title of the Album? You have both Taj and Keb working with you and that’s certainly some class

It came from one of the lines from the song, Take Me To The Country on the album. I was talking about how my home was spectacular class.

Who were the major musical influences in your life? A lot of the old folks, but the majority came from the church and my grandfather. I sang in the church with my grandfather when I was three years old. Also, my father would play a lot of music, not instruments but recordings and records.

Who were some of those old folks you mentioned as influences?

As far as the blues are concerned I kind of stop in the 60’s. I feel that there is so much stuff to be covered from the 20’s to the 60’s that I still haven’t got it all. So, I’m still trying to find my way around in it. Like I said, there’s so much stuff that’s been made over, like Tin Pan Alley, a song that goes back

to the 40’s. And Rock Me Baby a song based out of Texas by a guy, ‘Lil’ Son Jackson. There’s Catfish Blues by Robert Petway. B.B. King had a song called, Sweet Little Angel. That was a song that came from Robert Nighthawk called Sweet Black Angel that he got from Tampa Red who got it from Lucille Bogan who recorded it in the 1930’s. B.B. King took the word black out of it because he said black wasn’t a popular word back then.

Your song, Long Winded Woman made me laugh. We all have one of those in our lives and I was wondering if you might have?

Ahh well, my girlfriend would likely get in my face, so no, I did not! (big laugh).

Friend Zone Blues is pretty cool too because I think we can all relate to that one. Maybe an old relationship?

No, this was something that I hear people talking about. Friend Zone is a relatively new term, but an old concept. I wanted to

put something out there that people could relate to.

Your song, Liquor reminded me of an old one by sax man, Lou Donaldson, Whiskey Drinkin’ Woman. Yeah, there’s a lot of those songs in the blues. Whiskey Headed Woman, Whiskey Drinkin’ Man. Canned Heat Blues is one too by a man named Tommy Johnson. It’s about drinkin’ Sterno. He recorded the song in 1928. They used to get this thing called jake legged. That’s when they drank so much Sterno that their legs actually started to fold on ‘em. They would strain the Sterno with a sock and get drunk off it. So, it’s a lot of those old songs, I think I pulled it from them.

What else inspires your music and lyrics?

There’s an album, I think it’s called Chain Gang. Its prison songs. A lot of those folks in prison, man they could play. There’s one on there, called Georgia Chain Gang. He has to be a trained musician just based on his guitar level, and you never know who they are. I like a lot of the country blues. I got some old 78’s, like Memphis Minnie, Lonnie Johnson, BBQ Bob and Texas Alexander. Some of them I find online, but most of them I go to record shops cause a lot of the people that go to record shops are only looking for Robert Johnson and Son House. I go there looking for the people they don’t necessarily know about.

Who are some of your contemporaries that you’re listening to?

Oh yeah, I like Christone “Kingfish’ Ingram. He’s a wonderful player. He has a vast range of variety, not just blues. He came out of church also. More of a Quartet church while I was from a Baptist Hymn church. He’s wonderful and

currently opening up for Buddy Guy. I wrote one of the songs on his album that comes out next month on Alligator Records. Another guy I like is Marquise Knox out of St. Louis. He’s studied Honey Boy Edwards, Pinetop Perkins, and Homesick James. He’s more urban blues and wonderful. There’s so many out there that I get lost and the only reason I listen to these guys is I know them personally.

DISCOGRAPHY

Spectacular Class 2019 Blue Metamorphosis 2017

Jontavious, thank you for taking time from your busy schedule. When you buy that home in your land of spectacular class, I want you to kick back on the front porch and reflect on all the hard work and studies that brought you home. Ahh, thank you so much. Call me anytime. Count on it!

FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO WWW.JONTAVIOUSWILLIS.COM

“I got some old 78’s, like Memphis Minnie, Lonnie Johnson, BBQ Bob and Texas Alexander”

“I like a musical cocktail. Maybe a little blues, a bit of jazz, a bit of rock...”

KEB MO IS ONE OF THOSE REMARKABLE BLUESMEN, A GUY WITH TOP TALENT IN BOTH WRITING AND GUITAR PICKING. SEEMINGLY A NEAR-PERMANENT FEATURE ON THE GRAMMY AWARD STANDS, HE DELIVERS WONDERFUL MUSIC WITH A VOICE THAT CAN BE MELLOW AND GRITTY BY TURNS WHILE ALWAYS DEEPLY ROOTED IN THE BLUES TRADITION. BLUES MATTERS CAUGHT UP WITH KEB AT HOME IN NASHVILLE, FOR THE FIRST TIME, AS HE GETS READY TO EMBARK ON A EUROPEAN TOUR TO PROMOTE HIS LATEST ALBUM, OKLAHOMA.

VERBALS: IAIN PATIENCE VISUALS: JEREMY COWART

Catching Keb Mo proved kinda tricky. Out on the road on the US West Coast Highway, I ring and miss him twice, instead speaking to his voicemail before giving up with a shrug. A few days later, I’m out messing around when Keb rings me and I miss his call. It’s as if we’re doomed to fill each other’s voice-mail. And then, it happens. I catch the guy at home in Nashville, Tennessee, where he’s working on a fitness regime, walking a treadmill at home as he prepares for a grueling European tour to promote his latest release, Oklahoma. And he’s instantly everything you could hope for – relaxed, laid-back, laughing, warm and friendly.

Turning to his latest album, we discuss the Grammy process when I say I reckon he’s well on the way to his twelfth nomination and fifth award. Keb laughs at the idea, shrugging it aside with a confirmation that the awards are great, they’re recognition of his music but more importantly they also serve to introduce

more people to his music: ‘To me, I just make records, I don’t expect any accolades. That’s not what it’s all about. The Grammy, well that’s for other people, I think. It’s like being recognised by other people. It sort of inspires people, fans mostly’.

Mo then snorts with pleasure as he thinks about some of those others with Grammy Awards: ‘Well, Bonnie Raitt got a Grammy. Then I got a Grammy. I’m a big fan of Bonnie Raitt, she’s inspiring to me. I often think of Bonnie as my mamma, and Taj as my daddy!’ An interesting thought when you spot Taj Mahal again working with Mo, guesting on the new album, and recall that their last collaboration, ‘TajMo’ picked up a Grammy in 2017. ‘It’s all about the music,’ he adds. ‘It’s not about me!’

But for many, it is at least partly about the man himself. Now a seasoned, even nearveteran performer, Keb Mo has weathered

the changes and dipped his toe into modern Americana and dug deep into the world of traditional blues and roots music for almost half a century: ‘I’ve been a performer now almost fifty years. I started out playing clubs, bars and such, a long time ago,’ he laughs at the thought and the memory, before adding: ’Certainly at least forty-five years since I became a professional, playing for a living, making a living from music now for around forty-five years. A long time.’

He recalls his album Bluesamericana, in 2014, as showing his capacity to look broadly across the music spectrum and is absolutely adamant that what matters most to him personally is just the quality of music: ‘I guess I’m pretty open-minded. I don’t like the idea of genres. What matters is the music. It’s like Taj, he’s a musician’s musician. He’s real openminded, loves the music. He’s a bluesman, he has that vibe, but it all comes back down to just the music. I think much the same. It don’t matter about genres, it’s about good music.’

With the new album, Oklahoma, about to launch, Keb’s happy to share the credit for the recording: ‘Colin (Linden) brought so much energy to the whole project (as producer.) He knows what he wants in the studio. It all came together pretty easily, I guess. He definitely brings a vibe to it.’

Add country-cum-Americana singer, Rosanne Cash and Mo’s wife, Robbie Brooks Moore, to the mix and you have yet another album that pushes boundaries aside and, while rooted in blues and traditional music, highlights Mo’s refusal to sit back comfortably in any single music school, niche or genre: ‘A lot of people think of music in terms of genres. I get that. I like to think of it as just music that I like. If that often happens to be blues, well, that’s just how it is. It’s that vibe. I just follow it, see where it flows, where it takes me. I like a musical cocktail, I’d say. Maybe a little blues, a bit of jazz, a bit of rock, gospel, country or whatever. I think I sort-of

opened up more to the music generally many years ago. Look at it this way – when you’re labelled as one thing, it can be hard to escape that description and break-out, back to the music you maybe love most.’

And having already tried his hand at production work, he confirms he enjoyed the process and sees himself doing more in future. “I’ve produced a few albums and enjoyed it. It’s all good. I would like to do more, looking ahead to the future.’

Keb Mo seems happily able to switch from acoustic guitar, through slide-work to electric fretwork with an enviable ease. When I ask about his own personal preferences, he chuckles and says: ‘I guess I like acoustic more, though electric is good as an accompanying instrument. But acoustic guitar is more spirited, more independent, if you get that. If I’m into blues, it’s pretty much gotta be acoustic.’

THE WRITING PROCESS

And, what about his own personal favourite musicians, who does he turn to for inspiration and music? ‘Well, Bonnie Raitt, always inspires me. Taj always the same. And with electric guitar stuff, I like early electric… nothing after, say, (a short pause, as he gathers his thoughts) Little Milton, that’s about it,’ he laughs again.

Turning to the writing process, and the new album in particular, Mo explains his approach and attack: ‘It’s all pretty good, solid stuff, I think. I was trying to feel my way, feel what the record was. Once I get going with an idea, a theme maybe, the record sort-of takes over. You gotta let it take you, follow a stream of consciousness. This album has been around five years in the making. It took a long time coming but it’s the better for that, I reckon.’

Preparing to hit the road again to promote the new release, Keb finds pleasure being out there, playing for the fans, but knows it’s always good to get back home and relax a bit with the family: ‘It can be difficult. You can get too much of one thing or the other,’ he jokes. ‘On the road there’s sometimes an anxiety build-up. Getting back home to my wife and dog, is always good. I get back home and that dog, it snuffles and the tail wags. I know, at least, that it’s pleased to see me again!’

“I often think of Bonnie (Raitt) as my mamma, and Taj (Mahal) as my daddy!”

As we close, Keb returns to the theme of personal music heroes: ‘I think I said I see Taj as my ‘daddy.’ Well, I think he’s the man. He’s been around over four decades, playing and working the music. A genuine inspiration. A great guy, a great musician and, now, a great friend. I can hardly believe at times that I’m working with the guy. That I’m recording with Taj Mahal. How cool is that! I get to share a stage with a true great. If anybody’d told me that would happen, forty-five years ago, I’d never have believed them! To me, Taj is the whole game. He’s been keeping the flame alive for over four decades now. That’s something else!’

And to end, I suggest that some might see Keb and Taj as mirror-musicians, maybe a generation or so apart, but part of the same continuum. Keb laughs at the thought and immediately straightens me out: ‘We ain’t a generation apart, nothing like it.

There’s only about ten years between us. When I was a kid learning, say around 17, Taj was still only 27. He was already moving fast musically but we’re not that far apart in age, like some people might think.’

For the future, Keb is looking forward to hitting the blues highway and then returning home to Nashville where he already has plans to take a sabbatical break: ‘I know a lot about music. I’ve taken courses, I’ve read a lot. I’m a self-taught musician but I’ve also had some private teaching down the years. I’ve been saving up so I can take some time out, a sabbatical that will allow me to study a lot more, to learn more about the music and its history. It’s something I’ve been planning for a while now and the time’s maybe right for me to do it.’

FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO WWW.KEBMO.COM

Hi Kenny, thanks for finding time to speak. Always a pleasure, Pete, I think you’ve heard the new album (The Traveller)? I hope so.

Yes indeed, and the previous one was SO good you have set yourself a high watermark. (Laughs) Well I hope we don’t disappoint then!

Ah no, this collection seems to bring in a fresh air / Allmans element that just works. Well, thank you! That wasn’t deliberate in any way, but if you’re hearing it that is kinda good. We didn’t want to just repeat the previous studio record. To make the songs the star, that was my intention as we discussed together in London.

This time the aim is pretty similar, over my career of twenty-five years now I have progressed to this stance or approach, many of my fans have been with me all that time, and grown up with me, I’m grateful for that. Always.

The overall feel of the album to me, you can disagree of course, has this open air, open road thing happening, it keeps everything in motion.

Hmm...well I guess the cornerstone of the record might be the four out-and-out rocker’s we include this time. Like the first song on the album. We have Mr Soul which is the old Buffalo Springfield number. Turn To Stone, which is the Joe Walsh tune. Those four songs right there are a big part of the sound picture. Tailwind yes it does maybe have an Allmans tinge to it, yes.

It’s not city music, is it?

Absolutely not, in some ways it is a continuation from Lay It On Down in that we want to explore where we can take our sound, our ideas…it’s one of the reasons why we chose ‘Mr Soul’.

Well that band had a limited life due to personal frictions, but what an assemblage of talent! They always had a sense of direction, of purpose. Exactly AND based upon such strong melodies, that have endured, so here’s the challenge, to stay as productive and adventurous as those classic outfits. If you need a goal well that’s it!

CONTINUES OVER

TRACK BY TRACK

KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD

KENNY HAS A BRAND-NEW ALBUM OUT ON MASCOT/PROVOGUE CALLED THE TRAVELER AND IT TYPICALLY FINDS HIM AND THE BAND MOVING ALONG WITH A SENSE OF PURPOSE, GREAT VARIETY AND IMMENSE MUSICAL COMPETENCE, NEVER SWAMPING PURE FEEL. PETE CAUGHT UP WITH KENNYTO TALK ABOUT THE NEW RECORD

VERBALS: PETE SARGEANT VISUALS: MARK SELIGER

Let’s talk about some of the songs from The Traveller...

WOMAN LIKE YOU

An almost Yardbirds feel and I love the horns, it’s very dynamic.

There’s a horn section on quite a lot of this record. I have used horns to various degrees on several of my past records. It seemed a good idea to incorporate them here, on the right songs. And I’m thinking the rock songs. They’re not overcomplicated parts, they’re designed to enhance certain moments, I’d say.

I WANT YOU

The horns work well here. With the Albert King swagger, you have to play guitar behind the beat. Yeah when you solo you have to lean into the phrases whilst the band groove on. The handclaps sound kinda cool, emphasising the tempo. It’s a lighter feel that we were aiming at here.

TAILWIND

Tell me about this, it has a lovely roll and melody and the ensemble singing is terrific. Thanks, now that song is unique, originally, I just played the whole thing on acoustic. Then we thought we might put some electric guitars on it. I then decided to play some slide on it.

Unusual for you!

(Laughs) Now I am a very elementary slide guitar player, I would say. Nothing dazzling going on, it’s just complementary to the tune.

You’re too modest. It sounds just right. I think it was the right thing for the song, let’s say that.

GRAVITY

This is so moody! It sounds dense, claustrophobic Now that’s a difficult song. It’s open to a few contrasting interpretations. There’s a veiled storyline behind it. In one scenario it might be about a guy who dies. After a complicated relationship. The guy is literally jumping in and dies from the jump. OR did he jump into a relationship? Or is it about redemption? They love each other but damage each other at the same time, there’s so many ways to look at it.

The sound reminded me of Afghan Whigs, Greg Dulli, that darkness, sonic David Lynch maybe? I’ll buy that.

WE ALL ALRIGHT

Now, how great is Chris Layton’s drumming on this? Yes, he’s absolutely fantastic! He’s been with so many bands and line-ups and ALWAYS lifts things to another level…always.

BTW how good is that new B.B. King Blues Band album with you on Irene,Irene?

I haven’t heard that whole record yet!

It’s warm, plenty of cool singers, it swings, oh and I was with Reese (Wynans) in London a few weeks back re his own Mascot album release and he said you were great to have aboard for some cuts. It was a lot of fun contributing to those sessions. There’s so much history with

Reese, he’s done so much in his time, as you know better than me! Playing the song Say What was a gas, with those people. I tried not to copy the original but throw in a few bits of my own thing here and there.

Surely, In Step was SRV’s best album?

Oh yes, the energy, the songs, the moods, it’s a landmark record.

The Reese record owes a lot to Joe Bonamassa. Well he can play blues, rock, country, jazz, any style. He’s a guitarist, a singer, a songwriter, a producer, the whole package. And he brought that to the productions.

What’s coming up?

Well we have a tour in the States with Buddy Guy. We’re over in the UK in July. We are on a cruise thing with Joe, and we’ll be on the road with this new album through to the end of the year.

Do your children dig your music? (Brightly) Oh yeah! They don’t tell me that all the time, but they know what I do and how and why.

Good to speak again, Kenny. As always, keep rocking!

FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO WWW.KENNYWAYNESHEPHERD.NET

“We didn’t want to just repeat the previous studio record. To make the songs the star, that was my intention...”

IN A BEAUTIFUL PLACE

LAURENCE JONES

IT’S SOMETIMES OVERLOOKED QUITE HOW HARD OUR OWN ONE-TIME YOUNG PROTÉGÉ LAURENCE JONES WORKS. IT’S NOW TEN LONG YEARS SINCE AS A FRESH FACED SEVENTEEN YEAR OLD HE STARTED THRILLING BLUES FANS UP AND DOWN THE COUNTRY AND SEVEN YEARS AGO UNLEASHED THUNDER IN THE SKY TO MUCH ACCLAIM.

VERBALS: STEVE YOURGLIVCH VISUALS: WWW.BLACKHAMIMAGES.COM

Since then he has toured virtually nonstop and has released a phenomenal four high quality album in the four years between 2014s Temptation and last years groundbreaking The Truth. Never one to rest on his laurels Laurence has spent the last few months writing and recording another chapter in his career with new album Laurence Jones Band set for release on September 27th. He found time in his busy schedule to talk to Blues Matters about it.

BM: Hi Laurence, good to catch up, we all want to hear about the new album.

LJ: Hi Steve, thanks. It’s always a pleasure to talk to Blues Matters.

I’ve had a promo copy for a few days and my first reaction is that the whole album has a real retro vibe going on in a really good way. Yeah, it has, that’s what we were aiming for. I’m glad that really came across. When we recorded it, we did things like using just three mic placements for the drums like John Bonham did. We really tried to get an overall sound for this album no matter if we did something that was more rocky, more bluesy or more poppy. The sound is consistent throughout the album which is what we wanted to achieve.

In the press release you mention Stevie Winwood in reference to one of the tracks. I think that kinda Soulful, Bluesy early to mid-seventies feel is there all the way through.

Ahh cool. My main influences for this album

were Clapton, The Stones and Winwood. We wanted to do a British album, you know growing up it was mainly the English guys I listened to rather than the American ones. Seeing as we’re home grown we thought why not ? Lets just do what we do. I’m really pleased with how it’s come out and I can’t wait to get it out there.

Some tracks reminded me of those first Jeff Beck Group albums as well. Ah wicked, that’s nice. Thanks man.

Also, I have to say Bennett Holland has really come into his own on this album. He seems to have had more influence.

Yeah, definitely. I mean this is the first time I’ve used the same band on a record. That’s why I’ve called it Laurence Jones Band. We’ve been through a lot together, on the road as a band, we’ve lived in each others pockets. The whole experience has been as a band so I didn’t want to hold anybody back.

I believe I’m Waiting is gonna be the first single? That’s really high energy with some lovely swirling Hammond going on. I guess when we did that we just rocked out. That whole song was completely done by the producer Gregory Elias. The energy he brought to it was awesome, We couldn’t have done that without him. He’s a massive influence, he’s like the fifth member of the band. He’s a big part of our progression and

sound, we’ve talked about the direction we want to go in for three years. How we want to record at the same studio, how we want to get the vintage sounds, we’ve all done our research and Gregory has guided us.

That’s interesting, because it’s a bit over a year ago we were talking about The Truth album that had just come out. You had been through a huge amount of change in the run up to that, new line up, new management, do you feel now we’re seeing a culmination of those things?

You know when you make changes you take a massive risk. I think taking a risk in this game is one of the best things you can do if it pays off and I really think it’s paid off you know. I’ve got great people around me, great record label, great management, great band. A great team and everyone is just pulling together, we all want the same things. That’s quite rare, I’ve been in situations where it’s hard to get the balance right. All of us have worked together for over two years now and built up a relationship, that can’t happen overnight. You can tell that on the record.

As I said I think there’s that retro feel to it. There are a couple of really bluesy tracks, one that stands

out to me is Mistreated. Yeah that’s one of my favourites too!

It’s slow and a bit understated but very classy. I’ve been lucky enough to support some of my hero’s recently like Buddy Guy, Bonamassa, Jeff Beck and Van Morrison. Watching them do it from the side of the stage I learned I lot. Also that song has a strange structure to it that Gregory brought in. That’s got a cool edge to it that was hard to play but I just went with the flow.

And the track Quite Like You, that’s another good one. I love the backing vocals by Di Reed. She flew out to Miami and spent three days in the studio with us. She’s amazing to have around. She’s played for everybody you can imagine, Rod Stewart, Stevie Wonder to name just two. She nailed everything in one take. There was a bit of pressure on me doing vocal takes in front of her but she was brilliant.

You mention the vocals, we talked when you recorded The Truth about the work you were doing with a vocal coach. I feel we are hearing the fruits of that on this album. On the last album I had loads of vocal

coaching, on this one I didn’t want any, I wanted to find my own voice, somewhere where I was comfortable singing in range. Gregory really pushed me, you can hear that on some of the songs. I’m pushed to my limits on some of the vocals. I’m really proud of that, a lot of emotion went into that. You know, getting the diction right, there was no autotune or anything like that. Getting the feel was most important rather than a crisp perfect pop album.

Credit where its due, you know I listen to a lot of releases and there are loads of guitarists who sing vocals and a few albums in they become lazy vocally. You’ve turned that on it’s head and worked hard on the vocals and the songs really suit that. Thank you. You know I’m 27 now and people don’t just want to come out and listen to a wailing guitar, cool as that is, all night.

Looking down the track list there’s a couple we should talk about. Beautiful Place is a very personal song for you, can we talk about that?

Sure, that song is dedicated to mu Mum. She’s suffered with depression for many years and she’s finally coming out of it. It’s been really hard especially when I’ve been away and my Dad was driving the tour bus for us. I wanted to find something lyrically that connected to something and it came to me one night, sometimes the longest roads lead you to a beautiful place.

Actually the whole album seems to carry a message of hope and is uplifting. The first track Everything’s Gonna Be Alright has that message. Yeah, it’s a positive album. A lot of my previous albums have been about relationships but this is different. I don’t like to say exactly what each song is about, I’d rather people find their own interpretations, I hate boxing things in. But that song you mentioned Everything’s Gonna Be Alright shaped the whole album. As soon as I wrote that I was like I know what this albums gonna be. We had a theme then, I don’t like making records that all sound the same. So many releases now sound the same

throughout, the same tempo, the same genre.

Another track we have to mention is Day Tripper. That’s quite an amazing cover. Again that was Gregory. He came to us with this song and I thought wow, that’s a huge song to cover, but he was like yeah but we’re gonna do it like Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Crossfire. We’re gonna do it with the drums and bass pumping through and the Day Tripper lyrics. When I listen back to it it’s really cool, it does sound English and Di and Bennett really opened it up with the backing vocals.

When I saw it on the track list I wasn’t too sure but I really loved it. I guess everyone are Beatles fans and those songs are built into our mental circuitry. Especially for me being born in Liverpool! There’s something in the air there in Liverpool, you have to go there, go to the Beatles Museum and you have to be where they were. It was a massive challenge doing that song, if it wasn’t for Gregory I would never have taken that song on but I love what we did with it. I can’t wait to play that live, I think people will really dig it.

I do too. The album comes out on 27th September, and you’ve got a UK tour set up towards the end of the year.

We’ve actually got a full European tour from September onwards going into the UK from late November and December. It’s probably the biggest tour I’ve ever done. France, Holland, Germany, Spain, Sweden, UK all in one big, big continuous album tour. It feels like we’re stepping it up in every area, production, the tour, it’s definitely a progression. The new single has been A listed on Planet Rock and it feels that after ten years of hard graft this album and tour has come together easier than before.

Well everyone at BM wishes you every success and I look forward to seeing you on the tour somewhere. Thank you.

FOR MORE INFO, GO TO WWW.LAURENCEJONESMUSIC.COM

NEON & SHADOWS

SAVOY BROWN

Welcome back to London, brother. Thank you, Pete, it feels great to be back!

This is a rather splendid looking Les Paul, what’s the history here?

It’s not particularly one of the old vintage ones, I went back to playing it, there’s nothing like a Les Paul. It has an energy of its own. I used it for the forthcoming album. And I guess you’d say it’s just got bite you know? I find that separates it from my other instruments.

But you have this mellow sound and it morphs into something more serpentine doesn’t it?

(Ponders) Perhaps it does, as a number develops, yes! You’ve sussed that I guess but I can’t talk about my own playing, because like everything else, you look in the mirror and you don’t like what you see! With your playing, you don’t like what you hear…in fact I had a guy who played through my amp and this was after the show, one of the crew, and for some reason I said – and he could play guitar - and so for the first time I could hear my guitar sound, although he had a different style from me, but you can never hear your own sound truly, because when you hear it you’re listening to the overall band.

Ah well I saw some footage of B.B. King playing a Strat, and he sounded exactly like B.B. King! And that’s the other thing, it doesn’t matter what guitar you are playing, you are stuck

with your own personal touch.

I advise young players to spend money on the best strings, it’s the only thing the audience hears! Now, I’ve been going through the new album and first off, this is quite a stable line-up now, after all these years, with Pat and Garnet.

(Warmly) Yes, it is!

And what I like about this is they can slip off into almost hip-hop beats here and there and funk AND the mellow stuff as well. So, playing the record, it was a very familiar sound to me and thus you know the music chemistry is there SO it’s down to what the songs are like, their impact.

I’m with you there, it’s a cohesive unit, that we have all refined.

Walking On Hot Coals, that’s a real stomper, what prompted that number?

Three of the songs came together about eighteen months before the album sessions. The follow up to Witchy Feeling. Then three of the songs came just two weeks before the recording. Brand new songs. I got lucky, in that respect. Walking, Neighbourhood and Payback arrived shortly before the sessions. It was a thrill to get that kind of inspiration. Walking, well I still don’t know quite what it’s about. I asked my daughter ‘what’s this all about?’ What often happens, you’ll get a lyrical idea that you sense is working, and

WITH A BRAND-NEW ALBUM, CITY NIGHT OUT ON QUARTO VALLEY, KIM SIMMONDS BRINGS THE VIBRANT SAVOY BROWN TRIO TO LONDON FOR A SPECIAL GIG. PETE AND KIM CATCH UP BACKSTAGE TO DISCUSS THE NEW RECORD AND RELATED MATTERS

VERBALS: PETE SARGEANT VISUALS: ARNIE GOODMAN

Interview SAVOY BROWN

you start playing with the lyric. Sometimes the title is somewhere in that lyric. Before you know it, the song starts to morph. So, it is a very simple song. Three blues verses. Tonight’s only the third time we have played it live. I’m still trying to understand it!

What it is to me, there’s always been this Savoy penchant for voodoo, for mystery now and again. (Laughing) Yeah OK! I go with that.

Do you ever read detective stories? Oh, I read them all the time!

Rory used to love them. He did! Absolutely! You can hear that in his lyrics. It’s obviously a staple at one end of the blues spectrum. You go back to the Thirties, I can’t remember names right now but there’s one particular female artist who draws on that, what’s her name? This is annoying me. (a later email from Kim names Memphis Minnie). Nothing’s that much different now compared to then. The themes are there, John The Conqueroo, the mojo thing, all I’m drawing from is the stuff I grew up liking.

You know one of your biggest fans is George Thorogood?

I know he’s a Savoy Brown fan, yes.

I once bribed him to leave me alone when I was interviewing another act, by giving him a Savoy Brown album!

(Laughs) I met him and he’s a lovely guy…

And Blue Cheer, HUGE fans of Savoy. I didn’t know that!

Don’t Hang Me Out To Dry has a great edgy tempo. I’ve had the song for a long time, you write a lot of songs and some of them you don’t think you’re going to like, that’s one that did last the course and make the programme. It’s a good title. A good groove.

My notes say: fluid guitar, fine bass tone. Well it was based around the bass, yes. That whole line drives the song along.

Payback time, sweet revenge! I always find if people let me down, fate catches up with them. Not always!

Ha! It happens. That was one that came late in the day. The lyric says it all.

Red Light Mama is a slide rocker. It put me in mind of Dave Peverett. Did it really? Might have sounded better if Dave sang it!

Ah not at all, but it’s the sort of song he did well. I’ve always wanted to, I know Roger Earle (ex SB drummer) very well and I’ve never brought it up, but I’d love to write songs for Foghat. I’m sure if Dave was alive now. He’d be in a record shop! Buying Atlantic label 45s!

Yes, he would be, but we were close, again, and I imagine I would indeed be giving him some songs, his voice remains in my head, still today.

At this point I have a present for you, a copy of BM with Robin Trower AND Roger Earle! Oh wow! I shall be reading this later.

Conjure Rhythm. Now that’s got the touch of voodoo.

I like the insistent drumming on this. Oh cool, the guys do work very hard at finding the right parts that fit the mood of the song. They do a fantastic job. Garnet’s always thrilled when he locates the part that really fits.

Neighbourhood Blues, fantastic Albert King swagger to this. That deterioration thing, yes, it’s happened to me. And I have friends who complain to me about where they’re living. I lifted a lot of the conversations for the theme here. I’ve lived in bad areas myself and I know what the story is.

Selfish World, a most desolate sound.

As we all get older, we all have views of the world and what’s happening in it. You can be disappointed, in the world. The news can be depressing. I’ve recently completely reversed my way of thinking. Instead of dwelling on the negative I consider how beautiful the world is. How beautiful is it that we are sitting together, right here and now, that it’s

all come together? You have to look at the big picture, the small picture might be some poor kid being shot in a side street. The song is about the times when you have lost that perspective.

Wearing Thin, a very robust tempo. I’m glad it made the album, because in the end it went in and it fits. I’m waiting for people’s reactions to it. You’re the first person I’ve spoken to that’s heard this stuff so, it’s interesting.

City Night, a very jumpy tempo. New York City inspired it. All the images, they’re exactly what I’ve experienced in the Metropolis. I don’t live there, but I do spend a lot of time there. To this day, ever since my parents took me to Piccadilly Circus in the 50s, the neon lights and the bustle, I’ve still got that image of wonderment in my mind. City Night brings all that to the fore. I’ve become a country person, a family man. But I could easily have been a city person. You’re half and half as a Londoner in the country.

Hang Tough, pure Bo Diddley. Of course! the very first thing I ever did, a guy in Wandsworth put together a band for a wedding. The only thing I could play well was the Bo Diddley beat. So, we’re in 6/8 the whole night! I was 15 or 16. It’s in my bones!

Superstitious Woman, it’s shadowy. It’s about a woman I’d heard about third-hand that had some problems. I was thinking about her and the story. A poetic title and it all came together into what you hear.

This record, you seem to be using the

music to deliver a set of stories, not trying to be showy players.

You hit it right on the head, Pete, when you said in the beginning that the band works well, so it has to be the songs. You know how I play the guitar by now and how the group can lock in and invent around the songs, so this album if it’s going to mean anything it’s about the songs. You read it right! It continues my legacy, the band’s legacy, it’s not about the guitar playing. That’s incidental! I hope you’re around for the show.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO WWW.WWW.SAVOYBROWN.COM

“How beautiful is it that we are sitting together, right here and now, that it’s all come together?”

ON THE ROAD WITH...

SUPERSONIC BLUES MACHINE

IT’S SOMETIMES OVERLOOKED QUITE HOW HARD OUR OWN ONE-TIME YOUNG PROTÉGÉ LAURENCE JONES WORKS. IT’S NOW TEN LONG YEARS SINCE AS A FRESH FACED SEVENTEEN YEAR OLD HE STARTED THRILLING BLUES FANS UP AND DOWN THE COUNTRY AND SEVEN YEARS AGO UNLEASHED THUNDER IN THE SKY TO MUCH ACCLAIM.

VERBALS: COLIN CAMPBELL VISUALS: ALEX SOLCA (THIS PAGE), THE CONCERT PHOTOGRAPHER, IMRE BARTA (OVERLEAF, LEFT), SCOTT ROSENBAUM (OVERLEAF, RIGHT)

With the release of their first live album entitled “Road Chronicles: Live”, it was time to reconnect with bandleader, producer, and bass guitarist Fabrizio Grossi. The album follows them on their first European headline tour and was recorded during their shows in Brugnera Italy on 20th July 2018. It captures the band at their best and what they do best playing live, and by spreading joy and peace.

Thanks for taking time out to chat to Blues Matters magazine, what are you up to where are you? Good to talk to you again for a catch up.

Hanging out with my family, it’s Father’s Day! I’m busy with Supersonic Blues Machine. We’re only doing a few festivals over the summer, and we will be going back into the studio in 2020 sometime to record a new album.

Talk about the live album, what made you choose the tracks that are on it?

Some, of the tracks are always on our live repertoire. This is not a traditional blues

band as you know; we are a contemporary blues rock band with soul and funk. All the elements are brought together in our live shows. We love playing funk and soul and psychedelic stuff that always works for us in live shows. We leave the blues repertoire for when The Reverend Gibbons does his thing. These songs include Dust My Broom and Got My Mojo Working.

You now have Kris Barras playing in the band, how did that come about?

Last year when we released Californisoul, we sealed a deal with Mascot Label for Lance Lopez. Opportunities came for him. I was on the telephone to Steve Marsh from Mascot Records who suggested I listen to Kris Barras. I phoned Kris and we talked, and I found out he was a fan of the band. I asked him how he would feel about playing some guitar and singing in the band with us. He said, “Hell Yeah” and was over in the States within a week. Billy Gibbons and I took him to some Mexican restaurants and gave him a

tequila drenched welcome and that was it. We love him dearly, great personality, we locked in no bother. On stage he’s great; we can’t wait to get to the next level with him now!

There are so many friends and colleagues who could be a fit for the band. Thing is it’s not difficult to play with the people we record with, it’s part of the DNA of our group. We had Joe Bonamassa and Robben Ford play we have many friends who would fit in. With Kris it was destiny. It was beyond being a good guitar player, I went with a gut feeling. We need a band that we can bond with. We plan things two years in advance with the band. The decision was natural. Blues has been around for hundreds of years.

There is a distinction though, that if you don’t play like B.B. King, then you are not traditional, but they were the first public generation of blues. It’s like thinking that Motley Crue were the first bad boys of rock and roll if you hadn’t heard that Aerosmith and The Rolling Stones had existed. They had their sound for their era. For our band to do things clear cut with amps and things would be preposterous.

I was born near Milan, in Italy, and as much as I love blues music and the likes, I never grew up in a friggin’ plantation. I don’t know what it means to be a black guy in the Sixties era. Kris is coming from the way we look at things, he is not wanting to sound like some old black guy playing guitar, he is closer to Robben Ford, that turns me on. There are too many similar guitarists, make your own music don’t be a copycat. We’ll never go anywhere if we keep looking behind!

You still enjoying playing with Billy Gibbons, he brings the band to a different level?

The guy’s a tank! The music I prefer is from the late 60s, early 70s. Around that time The Beatles were my heroes especially George Harrison. There is so much “stand still” in today’s music. On our first record we liked to

“We gave him (Billy Gibbons) a tequila drenched welcome and that was it”

WITH BILLY GIBBONS...

play live the song “Let It Be”. We experienced this first with Robben Ford and it had a trippy Grateful Dead type vibe. Well, then Eric Gales played the same song and it goes the opposite. A song won’t sound the same every night we play it live. We are trying to have fun not find a cure for cancer and people who watch us engage in what goes on, when we are on stage.

Reinterpreting your own songs is a great thing you’re always evolving. Going back to the track Elevate sung by Eric Gales on the record is totally different to Kris Barras singing it with the band live, this seems to go with your take on other songs? It is a very respectful thing to do to reinterpret tunes. Hardest thing is getting the band together and making a schedule to match. We’re always happy after a recording but logistics are difficult. For a musician, I think music is the easiest thing to handle.

Any favourite venues you’ve played on your recent tour?

Every place is special for all types of reasons! We were not really scheduling a live album. I can’t say I prefer venues, sound wise and technical wise they are all different. It was great playing the festival in Spain thousands of people were there and all losing their shit! It was an open-air thing, really hot, the enthusiasm of the public was great. In Poland there were a thousand people and their own welcome was priceless.

Shepherds Bush Empire show was special. As I said previously to you, what made me want to play England was when I saw Whitesnake play at Donnington. Being in that theatre meant so much and being three blocks from where I used to stay, it was surreal.

I walked past it as a kid and now we are a part of it, it’s just incredible. We had lots of friends at the concert it was very special.

Where next for the band?

As I say we’re only playing a few

festivals this summer. Noches Del Botanico in Madrid in July. We go back to Notodden Blues Festival in Norway. We love it there; we didn’t know when we started this tour that Billy Gibbons, Joe Louis Walker, and Eric Gales were all going to be winning blues awards this year! Joe is great to work with, and at 70 the way he is doing it, he keeps it real.

You got any plans for future production projects?

I am working with young groups and this is a learning experience. I am working with guitarist Josh Ramos from California. I’m working on producing an album for him, its pure hard rock. There’s a lot of guests on this one too. He has an old school approach. I’m also going into the studio with Supersonic Blues Machine! I hope people who love music listen in an open way. We’re a bunch of hippies really!

Thanks for that it’s been fun chatting to you, good luck for the future, catch you again when you come over to the UK.

Thanks that was great, goodbye!

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: WWW.SUPERSONICBLUESMACHINE.COM

WILL KIMBROUGH - I LIKE IT DOWN HERE

always a place for real good music, whatever might be going down”

WILL KIMBROUGH IS ONE OF THOSE GUYS... A NAME MANY WILL KNOW BUT SOME WILL BE SURPRISED TO LEARN LIVES IN NASHVILLE, WHERE HE’S PLAYED WITH MANY HUGE COUNTRY AND AMERICANA STARS WHILE ALWAYS HAVING HIS FEET FIRMLY PLANTED IN THE STATE OF HIS BIRTH, THE DEEP SOUTH, ALABAMA

Amusician’s musician, Kimbrough loves his heritage and is passionate about the history and life down South, so much so that he’s recently released a stunning new album, ‘I Like It Down Here,’ reflecting his thoughts on the region. Blues Matters found Kimbrough travelling through his home-state and enjoying every minute.

Chatting to Kimbrough, it’s pretty much impossible not to mention the sheer variety of players he’s been involved with over the time, it’s now around thirty years, that he’s been a resident of Music City, Nashville. Huge country-cum-Americana star names fly around, Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell, Radney Foster and others, all leading-edge musicians who value his work and employ his services as a session-man and bandmember when needed. But as we talk about these truly remarkable music giants, the talk turns inevitably to his roots in the Deep South and his love of his home-state,

Alabama, a region with a strong blues legacy and a troubled recent history, much of which is reflected in the lyrics of Kimbrough’s recent release, ‘I Like It Down Here,’ where the past collides with the present in a singularly revealing way at times.

LEGENDARY BLUESMAN

And with a background in the Deepest South, it comes as no real surprise to learn that blues has always played a central role in Kimbrough’s thinking and his life: ‘There was always lots of music around when I was young, living and growing-up in Alabama. There was always someplace or other with music going on. I guess, looking back, I had a typical US background, coming from Rock ‘n’ Roll. But I remember playing guitar, being real taken with that slide sound, blues music, when I was starting out, learning to pick, probably around twelve years old. I

“There’s

VERBALS: IAIN PATIENCE VISUALS: STACIE HUCKABA

was hearing Alabama blues, I guess!’ And he recalls meeting and playing with one of the state’s greatest bluesmen, the late Johnny Shines, a guy who both played and travelled on the road with legendary bluesman, Robert Johnson. ‘Johnny was great, a lovely guy and a great musician, wonderful voice and great guitar picker.’

But Kimbrough was a restless youth. Having mastered guitar, he set out into the vast musical world of the USA: ‘From Alabama, I remember sort-of looking away from it. I was interested in other places, seeing everything, hearing more, playing more. But then, I came back to it,’ he says with a laugh. ‘Looking back now, there was no true start, no end! I found I liked all kinds of music. It’s really all a joy to learn, to develop. It’s an unending pleasure.’

When I suggest that he’s not just a guitarist but a multi-instrumentalist,

Kimbrough is clearly pleased by the thought but also modestly dismissive: ‘I play guitar mostly. I see myself as a guitarist. I can get by on banjo, and I can play a bit of mandolin. All of them are and can be interesting. But I don’t see myself in that multi-instrumentalist kind of way,’ he says. ‘I know how to play them and, more importantly, I know how to do it on other people’s records. But apart from guitar, I’d say I’m a writer. I enjoy writing songs.’ All true, no doubt, but it may be worth considering that he plays guitar,

“I’m from Mobile, in the south of Alabama. It had its issues, but like I said, everywhere has them”

banjo, mandolin, bass, Dobro, harp and accordion, with more than a splash of dash and pizazz.

‘I co-wrote the song ‘Southern Wind’ with my buddy, Dean Owens. It picked up the Americana Music Award as song of the year earlier this year. And I’m pleased about that, for sure. It doesn’t hurt at all, having that kind of recognition,’ he adds. Kimbrough also picked up an award in 2004 from the Americana Music Association as Instrumentalist of the Year.

ALABAMA-BASED

And it’s certainly not just the quality musicianship that genuinely stands out on his new album. The lyrics are powerful and at times almost unsettling, focussing on some of the darker sides of Southern life, heritage, history and culture. This is an album that takes no prisoners and is very likely to be a well-deserved, Grammy contender: ‘It’s Alabama based,’ he says. ‘The songs are about Alabama. Sure, it has its rednecks and its racist history but you’ll find that everywhere. After all, Randy Newman wrote the song, ‘Rednecks’ many years ago. And that said it all! Others have covered it too – Ry Cooder, JJ Cale – I love his stuff, his music, never too fast. I’m from Mobile, in the south of Alabama. It had its issues, but like I said, everywhere has them. You can find the same thinking in, say, Texas and maybe New England.’

Of course, Kimbrough’s also known and greatly admired for his work with many others including both Daddy and Willie Sugarcapps, bands with an Alabama and Nashville-rock background respectively and a huge following. In addition, he’s also worked with artists as diverse in taste and talent as Billy Joe Shaver, Emmylou Harris, Buddy Miller, Mavis Staples and Mark Knopfler. In short, this is a musician with a remarkable pedigree and a versatility that is hard to match.

With Daddy, Kimbrough finds himself alongside Tommy Womack, a bunch of rock ’n’ rolling songs and sounds where Kimbrough says

he always follows the ‘holy trinity of rock ’n’ roll: Dylan, Stones and Muddy.’ It’s a format that serves the guys well, with a blues-bias that always shines through and highlights the guys personal music preferences and loves. Asked about his personal approach to playing, and in a band setting, he is typically modest: ‘I guess what I do is just try to be part of the band. I aim to support the other guys, always support the song, rather than any of that kind of show-off stuff – you know those guys with their virtuoso solos. For me, too many guys can get lost. They can come from a faux perception. I think I come to it with a lifetime of playing and, real important, listening. We’ve all got our chops. We can all come at it from our different places but we all know that it’s part of it to be in the right place. That’s what it’s all about.’

Currently out on the road working his latest solo release, ‘I Like It Down Here,’ Kimbrough is an optimist at heart, sure the music will always flourish and with a love of Alabama and its music that gives him a sense of pride, purpose and belonging: ‘There’s always a place for real good music, whatever might be going down. Good music brings people alive,’ he laughs with more than a hint of certainty.

A BLUES HOUSE PARTY

HOLY MOLY & THE CRACKERS

A BAND AT THE THE CROSSROADS OF

VERBALS: THE BISHOP VISUALS: CRAIG NEWTON

It has taken Holy Moly & The Crackers almost a decade to become overnight sensations, their high octane, raucous, theatrical shows ensuring a fan base of tens of thousands across Europe. Turning points include sharing a festival stage with Bob Dylan and Patti Smith, an appearance at Glastonbury and writing Cold Comfort Lane as the soundtrack for a blockbuster Hollywood movie. Their latest, highly acclaimed, innovative album, Take A Bite is a best seller, BM describing it as “an old fashioned, riotous blues house party and a significant piece of creative, dynamic, interesting and original music covering themes, experiences, and emotions which are central to the blues tradition.”

Hi Conrad, can you start by describing your early life and your first musical experiences including learning an instrument?

My early musical education was fairly classical as was that of my co-founder and now wife to be, Ruth Patterson who started learning to play the fiddle when she was five. I started taking piano lessons when I was seven years old and then it was the cornet. As I am from Yorkshire, I was interested in brass bands so when I was at school, I learned to play the trumpet and played in orchestras and big bands. I learned to read music but

when I was about 16, I got really bored, lost interest and stopped practising but when I was about 17, I discovered Bob Dylan and that changed everything. My favourite album of his is Blood On The Tracks. I stopped playing trumpet and started learning the guitar with three chords and I fell in love with that whole scene of Woody Guthrie and Jack Kerouac.

Through them I got into the old blues and discovered Lead Belly, and Mississippi John Hurt and that lit my imagination and then I discovered The Doors, and The Clash and I started to see those bands and Woody Guthrie in exactly the same way. The genres might have been different but the themes their music covered were the same. I went to university and took part in open mic sessions which no one listened to, and I was studying literature and poetry and planned to go into academia or become a teacher, but all the time I was passionate about the music and especially blues and folk. John Martyn was a hero and then in my final year I had my exams coming up and didn’t want to revise.

Tell us about where and how the founding members of HM&TC got together and what your musical ambitions were at this stage?

FOLK, BLUES AND ROCK – BM! RECENTLY MET UP IN NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE WITH THEIR CO-FOUNDER CONRAD BIRD, POET, MUSICIAN AND ACTOR

I already knew Ruth and we were playing and listening to music together when we met Rosie Bristow at a house party, and she had an accordion and I had never seen one before in the flesh; she was playing Fairport Convention songs and I thought: “wow, this is it”. We invited her to jam with us and we started doing small gigs and the band started from there. Although Ruth and I had started out classically trained, the passion and education came from the records we had played.

We had the technical skills, but the love came from the type of music we were listening to. Rosie was self-taught and with that comes a real imagination in the way she plays and her uniqueness. She is a circus performer and the circus themes, the clowning, theatre and Balkan influences all come from her; lyrically she is incredible. Ruth is the real musician and she nearly went to music college to become a professional classical violin player, but when she contracted arthritis when she was 16 that put an end to it because she no longer had the strength to rehearse and

practice to the highest level needed to fulfil that career path.

Ruth picked up folk violin playing after I met her and now, she makes the violin sound like a guitar solo; give her the key and the chord sequence and she will just rip into it. We are playing more rocking music, inspired by Jack White. Violins are usually used played with a soft texture, but Ruth has thrown that out of the window and is the ‘lead guitarist’ but on the violin which gives us our unique sound. Ruth has Ehlers-Danios syndrome which means considerable pain and limited mobility, so she has to conserve as much energy as possible in order to perform at gigs with such power, flair and passion.

Can you talk us through the backgrounds and musical qualities of the latest recruits since I last saw you?

A lot of the rock and indie influences have come from Tommy Evans the drummer. Structurally, he knows how drums and bass and guitars work, he listens to music obsessively and he is also an incredibly good

singer. The guitar players Jamie Shields and Nick Tyler are gifted players who come from a jazz/punk background, technically gifted on their instruments and this is why we have changed so much which is why we never stand still and stick with one particular genre as we can do what the hell we want to do and mix and experiment. We haven’t yet scratched the surface of what we can do given our potential as musicians.

Your music has been described as gypsy folk, blues, indie, rock, punk: how would you sum up your music, talk us through your progression route through the genres and their connections?

I like to think of our sound as a melting pot of great music, authentic music that makes you feel and makes you think, and genres are vessels for those emotions. I think genres can be twisted and distorted through history but the universal emotions of being human remain. When I was at university, I did a study on a Caribbean poet called Derek Walcott who won a Nobel Prize for Literature and I was reading his acceptance speech and he used this metaphor which made a lot of sense to me. He said time is like the sea and it takes pieces of art like flotsam and bits of wood boats. Time takes these pieces of art and smashes them up on the shore, breaks them up and distorts them. The role of contemporary artists is to walk along the beach, take some of these old pieces and remake them into a modern sculpture, so you are using art of the past to make art of the future. That is my philosophy when it comes to any sort of making including the music we make with Holy Moly.

It is hard to believe that it is only just 10 years ago that your career started taking off. What have been your main highlights and disappointments during this period of time?

When we started out, we had no expectations, so we haven’t really had any disappointments, we were just thrilled that people actually liked us. Every year we think this has happened, that has happened. We only realised about three years ago that there was something in this band that had longevity in it because until then we were playing purely for enjoyment and thought it was ridiculous that

people continued to book us. The first major highlight was in 2012 when we put together a couple of demos and won this competition to play on one of the main stages at the Hop Farm Festival where Bob Dylan and Patti Smith were headlining. I thought, wow, we could quit tomorrow, and I would be happy, so since then everything has been a bonus. It is expectations that lead to disappointments, so we avoid those and just enjoy what we are doing now.

In this era of music streaming and, in some cases, diminishing live music venues, what do you see as the biggest challenges facing you at this point in your professional career?

I think that in a lot of ways the music industry couldn’t be more accessible and exciting than it is right now. The thing with streaming is that it means that you don’t sell records to the same extent, but it means that anyone can listen to your music very easily without spending much money and the barriers are down. You therefore have to make money by playing live and I believe that is how music should be consumed, on the live stage. Records should just be a gateway into a good and exciting live show which should be the way. Some venues are closing down, but people do buy tickets and there are enough good venues fighting for survival and with the love of people running these and good quality control, it will happen.

How did Ocean’s 8 come about and what impact has it had on your career given the million hits for Cold Comfort Lane on Spotify?

Ocean’s 8 is something I still find difficult to compute and the fact that Cold Comfort Lane has had over one million hits on music streams. The opportunity came about entirely by random and chance. We have a publisher who sends our music off to adverts and films. The Hollywood director Gary Ross somehow got this at Warner Brothers and at the same time Ruth had been doing some disability music awareness panels because she speaks at these for a charity called Attitude Is Everything. The director thought it fitted the theme of the film about the empowerment of women with its all-female cast. To have our music in the soundtrack of a blockbuster

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movie was a big deal for a folk band from Newcastle and in some ways, it changed everything but in another it changed nothing. It has given the band some weight and legitimacy; it is something that always stands out and is a talking point. A lot of people who watched Ocean’s 8 and liked that song aren’t necessarily fans of folk bands, so it is more important to grow our fan base organically and not rely on any popularity arising from the film.’ It doesn’t always translate so again it is all about keeping your expectations real. We could have thought we are going to be huge now and then been really disappointed but at least we got there, it was amazing and added to the band’s value, but we are still working as hard as we can.

You write poignant and memorable lyrics and tunes can you talk us through your process of writing songs/instrumentals?

The creative process occurs over years of making music and art and can change from song to song, painting to painting and poem to poem. We have various individuals working on projects. Rosie and I write a lot of the songs, but we bring them to Ruth who shapes and refines the music and lyrics. The boys compose a lot of music too and we work mainly by inspiration.

My method of writing is that I will listen to a record and go, oh my, that is amazing, almost copy it at the beginning and then develop it. People talk about copyright and being original but if you look at the old heroes like Dylan and Lead Belly, they were all redeveloping work already around and reworking it in a modern context, and that for me is how an art form moves through history. If you strive to make something completely original it has no context and no connection with the past which is a powerful trait of a piece of art. It’s like a spider’s web.

What are your plans for the rest of 2019 and early next year?

Earlier this year we released our new album, completed a UK tour and have a busy summer of festivals which are important for us as a live entertaining band before setting out on a big European and UK tour in September and October. After that we plan to go back into

the studio to record an EP and use that as an opportunity to explore new genres and ways of doing things. We make our living from the live shows and keeping ourselves engaged in the art form hoping that people get on board.

Where do you hope to be in 10 years, time?

I would like to think that Holy Moly will still be working and writing. I think we all have plans in the next five years to develop our own projects as well because the band has grown into its own monster.

We have our collective identity and write for the entertainment and for the dancing in our live shows, but I know that Ruth would like to write a singer songwriting project of her own for the piano, Jamie and Nick want to write jazz and funk music. I want to do more poetry writing and publishing again. The future is always a blank slate and always will be.

How would you like to be remembered by future generations?

I would like to be remembered as a band that kept tradition alive. I want people to listen to us in the same way I listen to Dylan. Through him I discovered a whole world of music and I want people to listen to us and ask who we were listening too to make our kind of music. When you are younger you find excitement in the discovery of the world because that opens everything up.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: WWW.HOLYMOLYANDTHECRACKERS.COM

IBBA TOP 50

THE BIG BLUES REVIEWS GUIDE – ACCEPT NO SUBSTITUTE!

AJAY SRIVASTAV

KARNIC BLUES

Scion

This album originates in a trip that singer and guitarist Ajay Srivastav made to his father’s hometown, Varanasi in the east of India, a holy city. That spirituality is strongly in evidence on this set – the opener states, “I bow down to the divine in you”, which sure beats “Baby, I want you”. Throughout Ajay tears down the musical borders, so that here is a set that recalls (inevitably) some of Beatle George Harrison’s work (lend an ear to the string accompanied, nicely positive Accept Yourself), much of it is a very successful and seemingly unlikely mixture of blues and Indian music.

However, things become clearer when we learn that he leads a Bollywood/ soul fusion band and has been a musical associate of Jamiroquai and Jah Wobble, among many others. He has a warm voice, and plays excellent slide guitar, accompanied by upright bass, drums, and the tabla drums of Vinod Kerai, the latter adding a strong Indian flavour of course. Sometimes tracks can lean a little towards the work of V.M. Bhatt and Ry Cooder, at other times he can play Mississippi Hill Country style. Often they fall somewhere in between, and a wonderful track like the rocking, joyful Six Arm Goddess could really only come from an Indian artist. This is a warm, thoroughly enjoyable, ground-breaking album; it never feels like a fusion, rather just an organic set that’s just turned out the way it has. It works, it’s bluesy and it’s familiar but different. Oh, and it’s recommended, of course.

NORMAN DARWEN

ROBERT RANDOLPH & THE FAMILY BAND BRIGHTER DAYS

Provogue/Mascot

It feels like Robert Randolph has gone back to his musical roots on this outstanding new release. It is produced by Dave Cobb, who has produced lots of bands including Chris Stapleton.

Robert brings his family again, adding to feeling of love and togetherness here. His cousins here are bass player Danyel Morgan, drummer Marcus Randolph and his sister Lenesha Randolph on vocals. Robert plays gospel via his pedal steel guitar, some call this sacred steel music, certainly makes for a joyous sound and if you catch them live their shows are very

eclectic, powerful and energetic a theme throughout this release.

BrighterDays features ten songs with one cover, Pop Staples song, Simple Man a deep and powerful tune with hypnotic beats. It starts with Baptise Me, a redemption tune, with strong harmonies and rasping vocals. Don’t Fight It is upbeat. Have Mercy is full of soul and takes the overall sound to another dimension; lyrics are just so real and uplifting.

Cut ‘Em Loose is heavier blues rock style. Second Hand Man is funky and there are throwbacks to Staple Singers. Their sound is authentic and genuine none more so than on the haunting Cry Over Me, a highlight, vocals superbly sung by Lenesha. I Need You, has beautiful harmonies. I’m Living Off The Love You Give, has subtle note changes and very catchy. Lastly,Strange Train, is hard rocking blues with a twist, again harmony is the key to this song. Another release destined for honours and they are fully deserved.

Fantastic sounds and a groove throughout make this very special.

COLIN CAMPBELL

TERRY ROBB

CONFESSIN’ MY DUES

NiaSounds

Imagine the unique guitar style of John Fahey, the fingerpicking technique of Stefan Grossman and the electrifying speed of Tommy Emmanuel all rolled into one. Canadian acoustic and resonator guitar virtuoso Terry Robb exemplifies these qualities on his 15th recording representing

Albums REVIEWS

the apogee of his musical achievements. The album comprises mainly original compositions drawing on Delta blues, ragtime, folk music, country and jazz traditions. On several tracks drummer Gary Hobbs and stand up bassist Dave Captein accompany Robb, their contributions on It Might Get Sweaty particularly skilled and intricate.

The opening instrumental, Butch Holler Stomp is an inspirational rag incorporating Delta and Piedmont fingerpicking which redefines the possibilities of the range of sounds one person and a guitar can produce. Still On 101 is traditional blues whilst Heart Made Of Steel is a heavier blues groove with Terry’s fabled fingers flying across the fretwork. Three Times The Blues is more jazz oriented and by contrast, the inventive High Desert Everywhere is a fast and furious slide resonator driven raw blues extravaganza. The title track showcases Terry’s vocal and lyrical prowess: “Church bells ringing in the morning/ Been up all night confessin’ my dues/ Rain outside been pouring/ Lookin’ for the sun to come bustin’ through.” Electric guitarist Adam Scramstad makes a fine contribution on Keep Your Judgement which has more of an Americana country feel. A laconic instrumental, Blood Red Moon with its cool vibe provides a fitting conclusion. It is impossible to overstate the significance and sheer delight of this outstanding, clever and creative album from a true blues legend at the top of his game.

THE BISHOP KATE RUSBY PHILOSOPHERS, PETS AND KINGS

Pure Records

Louis Armstrong famously quipped “All music is folk music - I ain’t never heard no horse sing a song…” Yes, old Satchmo was right. As this magazine’s name Blues Matters is supported by the strapline ‘Our name says it all’ then that can easily cover folk music. What’s blues in any case?

This exquisitely packaged CD offers a dozen examples of just what folk can offer when performed, interpreted or written with maximum skill and talent. Take the traditional Bogey’s Bonny Belle, a pastoral story of country love, passed on through the great folk revival tradition from Kate’s parents. I defy anyone to absorb Kate’s own composition, Until Morning, and not at least get a lump in the throat, let alone a flood of tears; the lyrics are spun silk. For example:

‘So we will claim the night for ours and we won’t see the dark for stars.. and I’ll hold your hand until the day comes dawning.’

The recording is crystal clear, and the musicians, including Damian O’Kane, Duncan Lyall, Nick Cooke, Ron Block and Michael McGoldrick’s celestial flute, all add to the ethereal quality; a twilight summer night in a quiet village. There’s a song by Noel Gallagher, Don’t Go Away, a Richard Thompson/Dave Swarbrick composition, Crazy Man Michael, and track 12 is the monumental folk tragedy of a mining disaster, Halt The Wagons, with its poignant brass section. What we call The Blues comes in many forms, but Britain’s folk tradition has much to be proud of: The Watersons, The Unthanks, Coope, Boyes and Simpson, and sharing equal billing the splendid Kate Rusby.

ROY BAINTON

KING BEE & THE STINGERS

MEET ME IN MEMPHIS

Midwest Audio Recordings

This is the debut album from King Bee & The Stingers and very good it is too. The music is very much grounded in the Memphis sound but they sound fresh and quite vibrant, no pastiche or ‘retro’ here. Mark Menefee particularly grabs the ear with some excellent harmonica playing and lead singer Sarah Menefee has a fine, expressive voice – very sexy and seductive when she drops down a register as she does on Meet Me In Memphis (the title track). DK Buchanan’s lead guitar has echoes of the Memphis

greats and the engine room of Ken Meadows on bass and Buddy Mitchell on drums gives the band a solid grounding. There are a couple of classic covers among the locally sourced material (mainly Tim Remmy) – Smokestack Lightning, for me, doesn’t quite cut it simply because Sarah Menefee is not Howlin’ Wolf but their version of Hound Dog is treated very differently to the original and her voice is perfect for this take on it. Of the rest of the album, the opener You’re All I Need kicks the album off in a solid groove and adds some terrific horns from Tom Clark, Leave This World Tomorrow is a lovely old style Blues with some great harp work and Devil Train closes the album out brilliantly with a train beat, howling harp and Sarah Menefee’s best vocal on the album. I get the feeling that these guys are really a live band at their core and I can see how this would translate to the stage pretty well but as an album it has more than a few fine moments.

ANDY SNIPPER

LENA & THE SLIDE BROTHERS IV

RetroU Art

The very first surprise on listening to Lena & The Slide Brothers is the fact that they are a Finnish band and not British or American. Lena Lindroos has a great voice for singing/shouting the Blues, sounding very much like Connie Lush, or Joanne Shaw Taylor and the band heavily project slide guitar as perhaps the name would suggest, Matti Kettunen and Yka Putkinen both featuring on guitar. The fourth member is Juha Litmanen on drums. The second surprise here is the true quality of song writing on the album, with all songs written by Lena and Matti, producing what, to me, is a first class collection of well written songs, enhanced by some superb musicianship. Formed in 2009 in Helsinki, Finland, IV is their fourth release and I am surprised that we have not heard more of them before, for they have played a number of European

BEN HEMMING THE DEVIL BESIDE ME

The Blues Studio

Ben Hemming having written all the tracks in this album, is to be congratulated on producing a fairly visceral and gut-wrenching musical experience that has blues overtones but is in reality a pretty unique form which doesn’t fall into any pigeon hole. If anything, there is a sort of bleakness to this album which is his third, but that ought not to be a barrier as the quality of the music and lyrics is anything but dark. This is the product of a musician whose journey thus far has created a richly dynamic ability in a cross of Blues/Americana. If the lyrics written by Ben are reflective of his own feelings then there is a form of

countries, but not here in the UK, yet with such a group of musicians I hope that it won’t be long before they tour here.

The music is heavily steeped in the classic Blues styles and the band have used a wider instrumentation in the production of IV, incorporating harmonica and keyboards as well as backing vocals to enhance their overall sound. Outstanding tracks are the strut and magnificence of Late Night Watchdog Blues, a rhythmic stomp that all Blues lovers will know well and incorporating some great guitar and harmonica; Not Your Fault, a track with an almost American native rhythmic pulse emerging from the swamplands and a story line about a young boy blaming himself following the loss of his world in 1939 and his fall into being a refugee, and the closing track Bourbon River Blues Jamboree, a smouldering slow Blues that highlights every fine point with this band. As previously mentioned, there is some absolutely fine musicianship on this, a great album by a band I’m sure we’ll hear more of in the future.

MERV OSBORNE

vulnerability in this musician, though in real terms he ought not to be vulnerable since he has quality in abundance.

The opening track Dead Man Blues really sets out this sombre mood, but track 3, Feeling Holy is anything but religious in tone with superb guitar playing. There is a drive and raw energy about this album which is epitomised in my opinion by track 4 Never Had A Heart. Hemming is superbly aided and abetted on this album with James Hosking on Bass and Luigi Rampino on Drums with former Depeche Modes Mark Waterman overseeing the production. All of the tracks are quality and it would be trite to suggest that any particular one was a favourite. The whole album is worth a punt of anyone’s money and despite the relative darkness suggested, has light in his ability.

TOM WALKER

SPIKEDRIVERS ACROSS THE WATER

Scratchy Records

I came across the Spikedrivers 2005 album A’int It Real by chance a couple of years ago and at the time I found their Blues influenced music refreshing and very entertaining, so when their latest release dropped on my doormat for reviewing I eagerly awaited the first play to ascertain whether the band style had changed in the ensuing years.

I’am encouraged to validate that the Spikedrivers still deliver an eclectic mix of music that focuses on traditional Blues although the band do tip their toes into some subtle Folk and Jazz influences, the three piece band have been together for almost two decades and this familiarisation shows in the relaxed but slick way they perform together.

The band is fronted by Guitarist Ben Tyzack who handles the majority of vocals, the Bass is covered by Constance Redgrave with Maurice McElroy completing the rhythm section on the Drums, the track that showcases the band to perfection is the six minute All About A

Lonesome Train that incorporates some deep chugging rhythm with Ben providing some juicy slide guitar playing, the only cover on the album is the Gershwin favourite Summertime, the band have included it as it is a crowd favourite, I found their arrangement fascinating as it maintains the body of the original work but the band have put their own twist on it with some subtle echo effect guitar work.

There are no additional musicians used on the album the three band members cover all the instrumentation and share the vocals depending on the song requirement; Constance puts in an eerie vocal on the Warrior Song which is very ecclesiastical in its delivery and sends a shiver down your spine. This album is a treat for any discerning Blues fan; it is full of strong songs and superb musicianship.

ADRIAN BLACKLEE

REVIEWS EXTRA

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Albums REVIEWS

LENY’S GIRL WALK OUTSIDE AGAIN

Independent

First one off from a batch of recent stuff from that great Blues nation Australia! Seems like we are getting more and more good Blues out of the world down under. Lenys Girl is a five-piece Blues band and this appears to be their first album. Kasey McKenzie is the front woman and she has a great voice, It is a squeeze pushing them into a Blues category as they are more Country rock but it’s so good that nobody cares! Ten tracks here with a varied feel and Kasey does justice to them all, the backing that she gets from the band make us all too aware of some of the great music coming up from down under. My favourite track was Walk Outside Again which I would class as slow Blues, and they really do it justice. I don’t review as a song list as I personally find that boring, but try to

summarise what I am hearing so that you will hopefully go and seek out the source. So, we have a great album from a very accomplished band but it is questionable whether we are going to see them over here at any point in the future, it’s a big old world, but the Blues is big enough to spread it.

DAVE STONE

THE LEE BOYS LIVE ON THE EAST COAST

MC Records

Blues music is meant to be experienced in company – ideally in concert, so your writer is always a huge fan of live albums. They capture the immediacy and impact of a band interacting with an appreciative audience, and that’s certainly what is going on with this particular set. The band start as they mean to go on with In The Morning and Walk With Me Lord, both provide a dense lush soundscape

of peerless musicianship and that elusive ingredient – feel – for Derrick Lee to intone over. One wouldn’t wish to in any way take for granted the pure exuberance and passion with which this band play, much less to assume that their top-line technical skills and seamless interaction are the result of anything less than serious amounts of practice, in private, and as a musical unit.

The result is a joyful gospel-infused (the Lees’ father was a pastor) mix of religious fervour and down-home funk and blues, where every player adds the sauce and sugar to the recipe being cooked up on these performances. The Staples’ classic I’ll Take You There is re-arranged to suit the band’s choppy funky remit, and it refreshes the Stax classic, and puts the Lee Boys’ musical stamp firmly across it. The strongest cut on the collection is Testify, which rolls out on a carpet of funky drums and

EGIDIO “JUKE” INGALA & THE JACKNIVES SWITCHAROO

Rhythm Bomb Records

Egidio “Juke” Ingala is the frontman and virtuoso harmonica player with his band The Jacknives. They mix Chicago and West Coast blues styles and their concerts are high energy ones, they are in high demand at International Festivals. Their sound is very authentic and traditional and interestingly they all come from near Milan in Italy. Egidio has had several solo albums but formed the Jacknives in 2010.They comprise; Marco Gisfredi on guitar, Max Pitardi on upright bass and Enrico Soverini on drums. They are a very tight and Professional unit. Egidio has stated, “Every member in the band is very knowledgeable of the type of music they play” and this radiates through all fourteen tracks on this catchy up-tempo release. It is produced by Little Victor who also guests on guitar on some tracks and does vocals on Seasick And Waterbound also on Feel So Bad. Pianist Carl Leyland adds keyboards to the opener

setting the tone on Can’t Get You off my Mind and Money Takin’ Mama. He also mixes well with saxophonist on the tongue in cheek I Don’t Know, a real highlight in a release full of good humour and oh those harmonica tones are sublime on Hold Out Mama. I Was Your Fool is a great Chicago style shuffle, a definite crowd pleaser interspersed with Egidio style harmonica linking with deep bass.

Treat Me So Bad and Miss Daisy have traditional blues at the heart of them. Feel So Bad a cover of an Eddie Taylor song is given an overhaul. As is the Billy Boy Arnold song, Crying And Pleading with a searing guitar riff. Finishing with another of their own compositions, Sleeping Beauty, this is a very stylish instrumental by an extremely talented band. Reinterpretation is the key to this release and as such you get caught up in the frantic pace and humour in the lyrics, no wonder they are a popular live act to catch. An honest release, full of punchy tunes. Italians are known for their style and this release oozes it by the track load.

COLIN CAMPBELL

bass, with sweet harmony vocals, it underlines the Lee brothers’ and friends’ deep commitment to their faith, and it sounds like something Stevie Wonder at his artistic peak would have put out to an appreciative audience. I always think live albums serve two functions – to capture the essence of a band’s stage persona in aspic, to be enjoyed many times over, and also to inspire the listener to go and check out the band in concert, and some more of their recorded work for studio versions of the songs on the live selection. This album succeeds on both those areas, I shall be looking for more records, and hoping the band hit the UK for some shows. I suggest you join me.

ANDY HUGHES

RAY FULLER & THE BLUESROCKERS PAY THE PRICE

Azuretone Records

Ray Fuller and the Bluesrockers, have been playing the blues for forty years. The play on whatever is happening including divorce all provide fuel for the songs as they release Pay The Price. They have paid the price of playing blues on the road. This is roadhouse blues that entertains his slide guitar adds a magic to the tonal dexterity. Fuller and the band deliver on his latest album, in which the tone and textures are mixed across the twelve tracks, as the first three tracks demonstrate. Opening with Hoodoo Train, we are on a fast-paced journey full of musical anticipation we are on the journey of mystery down to Louisiana. We are now engaged with Fuller’s vocal prowess and the musicians around him. The title track, gives the album a solid base with Fuller’s own distinctive rocking blues fueled music.

Pearlene is a high-kicking rocking jive number as he pleads for Pearlene to come home the song is the bedrock of the blues and rock and roll; this is a number that will fill the dance floor. Devil Women is the stand-out track for me, dirtier with the luring mix of guitar and vocals as the venom is delivered by the devil woman!

CURSE OF LONO 4AM

AND COUNTING

Submarine Cat

I finally got to see Curse of Lono live recently, supporting the wonderful Samantha Fish, and their strong yet laid back sound was more than a little impressive. This album was recorded live in Toe Rag studios, London, and clearly shows just how good the experience of 5 musicians actually playing together can be. Led by Felix Bechtolsheimer on guitar and vocals with Dani Ruiz Fernandez on keys, Charis Anderson on bass, Joe Hazell on guitars and Neil Findlay on drums, they sit in a general Americana groove but there is something a bit special about them and the quality of the playing on the album is absolutely superb. Ms Anderson’s bass is fluid and clear, Felix gravelly vocals are never ‘loud’ but often crooning and Joe Hazell’s guitar playing really catches the ear with short and punchy solos. Fernandez keyboards add a great texture and depth to their music and Neil Findley’s drumming is surprisingly subtle. BJ Cole adds some fine lap steel. This is good stuff. Then you come to the music itself, and the songwriting really stands out. Numbers such as Valentine have a great melody as well as stirring harmonies and Welcome Home is actually kind of dark, more so than the musical accompaniment suggests. London Rain reminds me of many other bands, especially Ace with terrific harp playing and guitar. Probably my favourite track is the closer, Don’t Look Down. Slow and balladlike, there is a wistful feel to the lyrics, a looking back and a huge feeling of regret. Everything about the track, especially the guitar playing, just nails the soul and groove of the band. Curse of Lono are a superb band, very tight and somehow loose as well and one of the best British Americana acts, I’ve heard in a long while.

ANDY SNIPPE

The album is a mix of eight Fuller originals and six covers. They all meld into a fluid mix of songs that definitely lift the spirit. Do not expect anything outstanding, or lyrics full of deep meaning as too often platitudes and well used phrases are used. The covers include Rolling And Tumbling (again!) but he has included a lesser known Chuck Berry number, I Will Not Let You Go, he captures the feel and energy, played live the dance floor will be rammed every time. Another train song is always welcomed especially when it is juicy and delightful version of Louisiana Red’s Alabama Train and other highlight on the album. That said, it works this is music that if you go to a club and hear

played live at the end of a hard week you will leave with spirits uplifted and your toes still tapping to the beats. An album that will never disappoint when you hit that play button with its verve and energy captured as you Pay The Price.

LIZ AIKEN

REVEREND FREAKCHILD ROAD DOG DHARMA Floating Records

The first time I heard this form of album where tracks are interspersed with radio clips & samples was probably Spirit so

Albums REVIEWS

it isn’t ‘new’ but what counts is whether the music is any good and whether the radio clips bear listening to more than once – on both counts I would have to give it a resounding ‘Hell Yeah!’. Reverend Freakchild has actually been around for a long while, growing up in Hawaii, taking his degree in Religion and Philosophy in Boston and now resident in Colorado.

He has a great history with local bands all over the US including Bananafish & The Lucky Devils and now spends time either on the road or preaching on the radio. The interview segments give a great insight into who he is and where he comes from –definitely more interesting than random snippets. Musically, this is a mix of Blues, psychedelia, good times road music and all overdrawn with Reverend Freakchild’s hard twang and harp playing. The album includes a great version of J.J. Cale’s Call Me The Breeze and a superb rendition of Lennon/McCartney’s White Freight Liner/Tomorrow Never Knows. Most of the rest is written by the Reverend himself including a number of versions of Dial It In. He is clearly a very unique talent, with a great sense of humour and self-deprecating sense of self any I would have to say that this is an album I will happily be dipping back into fairly regularly.

ANDY SNIPPER

KATEY BROOKS REVOLUTE

True Speaker/ Robar

Out of Bristol (England), Katey is a gay singer/ songwriter who has had a pretty traumatic upbringing. She admits that singing has been cathartic for her, but that did not prepare me for such a passionate, soulful album as Revolute, the follow-up to 2016’s EP, I Fought Lovers. Stylistically she reminds me a little of late Etta James in places. Just listen to the beautiful mix of gospel/ soul on the opener Never Gonna Let Her Know, where Paul Quinn’s big-sounding mix really impresses, along with the performance itself, or the deep soul of All Of Me. Golden Gun is a

strong, rock-pop-soul amalgam, and the simply beautiful folky, country-tinged in Your Arms builds and maintains intense emotion – again, the vocal here is simply amazing! The Sweetest Things also has tinges of folk and country, whilst the impassioned Burn It Down has harrowing but ultimately defiant lyrics, and Jeremiah and Call Out are quieter, piano-based numbers – at a guess, I’d say these are Joni Mitchell inspired.

In Light Of You is ostensibly a ballad, until it suddenly, surprisingly, explodes into a joyful country/ Americana hoedown, whilst Vera Hall’s traditional Trouble So Hard (previously covered by Moby) sounds as though Katey is channelling the great Nina Simone. It is a suitably stunning performance to end what is undoubtedly a highly personal album that should, if there is any real sense of justice and merit in the mass media these days, see Katey Brooks’ name and music become far more widely known. Yes, she really is that good!

NORMAN DARWEN

RICK VITO SOULSHAKER

Vizztone

Rick is one of those guys that comes into the studio, records an album of his own and then disappears out into the ether to play on countless other works. This is his 9th solo album ( there are also 2 DVDs out there) Rick has played on in excess of 100 recordings and is in great demand when some super cool slide work is required. He played in Fleetwood Mac between ‘87 and ‘91 before going on with Mick Fleetwood in his Blues band, earning many accolades along the way.

But here we have twelve tracks with nine originals, all of which have superbly smooth slide guitar all played on Ricks own artist signature guitar the so-called Soul Shaker from Reverend guitars, and a fine and tasty machine it is. It is the guitar that gives the album its name, so it is only right to tip it a nod. This is one of those albums that I can’t put a finger on any track as being my favourite, because they

are all so good that a further listening will change your mind all over again. Suffice it to say that I wish I could play slide half as well as Rick. Another one for the current CD play list in my car.

DAVE STONE

ROD MELANCON PINKVILLE

Blue Elan Records

Louisiana native Rod Melancon is a southern songwriter and storyteller rooted in the oral tradition of Cormac McCarthy and Larry Brown. His songs are dark and detailed, and his voice which veers between a spoken-word delivery, a croon, and a rough-fever howl is every bit as diverse as the material it delivers. Joining Rod on this ten track album is Adam Burrell on drums, Scott Davis on bass, Jaron Marshall on keys and Will Walden on guitar, keys and percussion also co-producing the album Pinkville begins in the swampy backcountry of Louisiana, it was there, deep inside Vermillion Parrish, that Melancon grew up making trips to his family’s crayfish pond, This is where Pinkville starts, with a swampy Louisiana rock groove to the spoken-word tale of an army vet who fought in Vietnam and returned home in a warped state, “His boots were on American soil but his mind was in the burning villages of Pinkville, having had a stint acting, he does a fine version of Tom waits Goin’ Out West, a homeboy slice of Americana on Westgate with aggressive dirty guitar riffs, with the theme of addiction,

Rehabilitation is apart from a fuzzy guitar solo, quite laid back, following with the true story of Freddy Fenders working at a car wash, as Melancon croons his way through the country tinged Corpus Christi Carwash, another tribute follows with a homage to Tom Petty on The Heartbreakers given a grungy rockabilly feel, there’s a cinematic feel to Lord Knows, its lyrics draw you into the unfolding story as the music struts and swaggers looking for revenge, my favourite track, on Manic Depression

Melancon turns his own mental struggles into an upbeat Roadhouse roots rocker, recorded using analog equipment a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s 57 channels gets a nice lo-fi sound that I enjoyed, finishing the album with a tale of bank robbers riding a silver El Camino, coming up quick, while Melancon rides a snake-charming groove during the loud electrified Cobra. Not for everyone, but well worth looking into. I really enjoyed this.

SHIRL

BLUE ROCK ROLLING BACKWARDS Independent

We don’t always remember that Australia has a thriving blues and rock scene, mainly because it is halfway round the world, so we don’t get as many visitors from that fair isle as we might like. Here we have Blue Rock, a two-piece consisting of father and son Caelan Irrang and his dad Michael, with the heavy lifting in the instrumental department being carried by Caelan. On stage, Caelan plays guitar and drums, by virtue of six electronic pedals, and his dad plays bass and guitar. For this album, Caelan plays kit drums. At seventeen, Caelan Irrang is a talented musician, that is beyond dispute, but this self-produced album would have benefited from an external producer to tighten up the timings here and there.

On Losing Time, the drums are not synched correctly, and some of the bass and guitar interplay is out of time. But that really is nit-picking – as a musician of his tender years, making his first foray into the studio, this is an excellent beginning, showing a maturity of instrumental technique and an inventive sense of musical dynamics and arrangements. Caelan’s youth shows through in his vocals, on Losing Time, which again suffers timing issues, he sounds young, although the potential for development is clearly in evidence. Track Four is Drysdale Station, and once again its ambition is not entirely matched by its execution. A re-working of the Bo Diddley classic Who

Do You Love as a slow burning blues, complete with some skilful scuzzy slide guitar is the best track on offer here, although Lonesome Blues runs it close, but is spoiled again by mis-timed drums. Maybe bringing in a session drummer would solve that particular issue – you can get away with sloppy timing on stage in a club where no-one is really analysing what is going on, but the studio – and listeners’ speakers, are unforgiving, and mistakes show up, and that’s just how it is. As an opening offer, this is a great

showcase, with nothing in the minor errors that can’t be fixed next time. Album Two is awaited, with anticipation. ANDY HUGHES.

THE MATT WOOSEY BAND LIVE IN GALLAGHERS NEST Independent

This album follows on from his acclaimed eighth album Desiderata which was

ERIC STREET BAND EYE OF THE STORM Independent

When you listen to and write about music for a living, one of the first and most important lessons you learn, is never to assume anything. On that basis, when you unpack an album from a band that hails from Berkshire in the southern end of our fair isle, and slot it into the player, and wait to see what comes out, you have long ago learned not to assume that what you will get is polite English uptight songs in cut-glass accents. And that’s just as well, because the growly soulful vocal of Dennis Siggery could hold its own in any blues band anywhere in the US of A, or indeed anywhere else for that matter. The band similarly, have a slinky gritty feel about them as they unfurl the slow hand-jive timing of Man With No Name, some lovely double-tracked slide guitar underpins the story as Dennis tells the tale, and then a fuzzy slide solo adds the sweetness to a sad song – that makes perfect blues listening. The major appeal of this collection of songs is the diversity in theme, arrangement and execution.

The only constant is that unique vocal technique that Dennis Siggery brings, if you can imagine a young Rod Stewart singing on the first couple of Free albums, you’re probably in the right aural ball park, and if that intrigues you enough to check out this album, then good, it deserves your attention. Sadie is as sad a song about heartbreak as you could find, with its perfect country blues setting, it’s one for a late-night reflective listen. The highlight of the album though is Child Of Yesterday, which chugs powerfully through a moral tale, with a sinewy fuzzy guitar solo to add to the enjoyment. Yet again I have found a band who are far too original, inventive, and talented not to be enjoying seriously big success. I can only hope that someone puts them out on the road with a major draw so more people can enjoy their wonderful sound and style. Buy this album and see this band, I insist!!

ANDY HUGHES

JO CARLEY & THE OLD DRY SKULLS SHAKE THEM RATTLIN’ BONESE

Old Higue Records

Well, sometimes you get an album you do not know what to make of and I reckon this is one of those. I could not hold my hand up and tell you good folks that this is Blues but you may guess from the title that it carries some Swamp, Voodoo and general good times etc and what I can tell you is that it is INFECTIOUS!

Whatever they are on I want some of it! That is why I am reviewing it for you. It’s got riffs and rhythms, stomp and tap, crazy woman on vocals you find yourself waiting for her to cast a spell on you, eerie guys doing background that make it just a compelling album. Having glanced at YouTube I see the double bass player’s instrument (his double bass!!) has a skeleton painted on

released in 2016. Now we have a real gem a double live album, Live at Gallagher’s Nest recorded in Germany in August 2018. This is Matt Woosey with his full band so the songs that are at the heart of Matt’s work are accompanied by long-time partner ‘Big Dave Small’ and joined by Luke on bass, electric guitar from Ralph and Michi when not playing the Wurlitzer electric piano adding layers of tone and texture to Matt’s captivating vocals and acoustic guitars

The thirteen tracks include two covers on disc two the rest are written by Matt. The album opens with the gentle, classical playing of the acoustic guitar with a clarity that rings out of the speaker like sunshine after rain. We are now immersed in the Woosey magic. The lyrics of Cruel Disposition have a biting edge, poisoned waters and a cruelty that acts as a foil to the upbeat full rhythms. The album is conjured in the long instrumentals and the lyrics that are captured live. We have acoustic colliding with high energy electric guitar

it! They are an odd and game looking trio and I reckon on this showing make for a damn good night out if they get near you do try them out. One thing for sure is you will not sit still nor will you get bored. Opening with Want Things Done, Jo sings / talks and explains about spells to cure certain ills.

You get a fair bit of ‘instruction’ on what spells to use and what they can do in the lyrics and with he music there is so much energy to make you dance and jig about that it could explode, if you could bottle it you’d be on to something (weird). Too Much Blues has great accordion, stomp box, mandolin and bounces along and off into the distance. Poor Man’s Corner is eerie and very effective with sparse acoustic guitar, stomp box and a rousing chorus. I really enjoyed the instrumentation throughout this joyful album. Oh yes I like this a lot, try it out and let them cast their spells on you!

DR. EADNIGHT

and drums that put a sting in the tail of the beat. The second album with the two covers given the Woosey treatment also includes the rockier Hook, Line and Sinker a song about the rat-race and how it captures you in its allure of its lifestyle, so you have no time to see.

This is an album that requires time to absorb, get to know the layers of musical complexity combined with sublime simplicity. A live album that has captured music you need to take time out to listen and understand the lyrics.

No review can do the power of the music justice as English Folk collides with American tradition and world beats held together with the power of the pen distilling the thoughts of a songwriter with consummate skills and deep thoughts. I recommend you buy the album shout out the world and immerse yourself in Live in Gallaghers Nest and let the band do the talking and thinking for you.

Enjoy the moment!

LIZ AIKEN

TRUE STRAYS HOMESICK BLUES Independent

If we go right back to basics and ask ourselves just exactly what we would want as entry level to the world of creating collective music I think most of us would answer with the essential drums, bass and guitar combination. Of course vocals have to be added into that equation as well. That is exactly what this Bristol based band have done. From what I can glean this is their second EP following on from 2018s Where The Wild Things Hide And Hunt seven track debut. Ok so this time around we get five no frills strongly Blues based low down and dirty, even grungy Rock ‘n’ Roll cuts.

Music to be enjoyed in some backstreet club or pub which is hot and sweaty and it will get your juices flowing. For sure there is absolutely nothing sophisticated here and it is all the better for that simplicity. The spoken intro ‘You all get ready for some dirty, dirty True Strays… get at it’ sums it all up

rather nicely. The band is based around childhood pals James Cameron and Joe James supported at the back solidly by Matt Cooke all of whom share vocal duties. There is also some organ in the mix as well supplied by various players and I suspect on the road they may in fact be a four piece. Never mind though the tuneage is straight ahead and a lot of fun. The material itself covers the kind of subjects you really would expect in these troubling disruptive times socially. We need bands like this to keep us very aware of just how fragile a hold we have on what might be construed as normality. A fine way to lose yourself in music for twenty odd minutes.

GRAEME SCOTT

WICKED RUMBLE BLUES METAL ORCHESTRA BLUES MEETS METAL Independent

The Russian Blues rock is in lively hands with Wicked Rumble. They are a band that blend blues and heavy metal, with a forceful brass section, incendiary, pyrotechnic guitar playing, and fast boogie metal beats. Although it is probably too heavy for blues fans, and to bluesy for metal heads, what they do, they do very well indeed. Although there are some originals here, the better tracks are the ones that take liberties with the originals. Black Velvet is a lot heavier than the Allanah Myles one we are all familiar with, whilst Alright, Okay You Win is a keyboard and brass heavy rave up, with enough harmonica to please fans of Little Walter.

Hit the Road Jack starts with a slow Hammond organ refrain, before the sassy background vocals and brass come in at quite a fast pace. Ray Charles’s, Leave My Woman Alone, which closes this album is a great rendering with all of the musicians giving it some welly behind Roman Polinko’s spirited vocals, and the never heavier guitar of Egor Kalino. Although most of the tracks here are something of an acquired taste, they are

JONTAVIOUS WILLIS SPECTACULAR CLASS

Kind of Blue Music

23 year old Jontavious Willis, a student of the Blues grew up singing Gospel in his church choir and was forever enamored with the Blues when first hearing a Muddy Waters record. Spectacular Class was produced by Keb Mo with Taj Mahal as the executive producer, both taking Jontavious under their knowledgeable wings. This album is a blend of the many forms of the Blues ranging from Delta to Electric Blues and all between. Young Willis delves deep into the roots of Blues on both electric and acoustic guitars, vocals and slide while writing all songs. He opens with Low Down Ways, a rollicking hill country song about moving on from a love gone bad with both Keb and Jontavous on electric guitars.

The Blues Is Dead?, a bar room piano, harp and Jontavious’ amusing vocals tell us that ‘The Blues ain’t dead, their just takin’ a rest’, and being roused by his earthy resonator slide work. Resting On My Mind is a slow rolling love ballad with friends, Martin Lynds’ drums, Phil Madiera’s B3, Keb again on electric guitar and Eric Ramey on bass, all reappearing throughout the 10 tracks. Straight out of the Delta 20’s comes Daddy’s Dough that will leave you smiling with Jontavious’ witty lyrics, acoustic guitar work and Andrew Alli blowing harp. Friend Zone Blues is a highly relatable, don’t get mad, get even slow Blues number with Thaddeus Witherspoon keeping time on the drums and our usual suspects playing electric guitars. Get up and get down with Jon’s Boogie and a barrel house groove.

We ease into the tastes, sounds and sights of Jontavious’ home during Take Me To The Country while he sings and picks Piedmont Blues, gives us hot water corn bread, a south bound train, a cloud as our pillow and the grass as our bed. You can’t have good Blues without track 8’s, Liquor and a friend to drink with. You also need a Long Winded Woman to keep you company during those times when The World Is In A Tangle, Keb Mo is on mandolin, a delightful young blues-man is picking and singing his heart out and you suddenly realize you just heard the past, present and future of the Blues.

DARRELL SAGE

certainly fun, and characterful re-treads of familiar material, and sometimes, that is all you need.

BEN MACNAIR

ELLIS MANO BAND HERE AND NOW

Suisa

Ellis Mano are essentially vocalist Chris Ellis and guitarist Edis Mano, both of whom have long successful careers in

the Swiss and German music scene. They are joined by Nico Looser on drums (Tracey Chapman, Scarlet Rivera) and bassist Severin Graf, a top session player known in Switzerland as Mr Groove. The sheer quality of these guys shines brightly throughout this very listenable and enjoyable album. Whiskey is the perfect opener with its epic bluesy rock intro,

KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD

THE TRAVELER

Mascot / Provogue Records

Kenny’s problem is self-made, how on earth does he top his last studio album, Lay It On Down? That had such great songs, arrangements, playing, and singing it was the best release in that genre of that year. On this new collection, Shepherd seems to incorporate a fresh air country rock vibe that occasionally evokes The Allmans or Marshall Tucker Band in amongst the hard blues and driving rock. And boy, it works. There is an airy punch to this set of songs and some ace guitar, as you might expect.We set off with Woman Like You which displays a Yardbirds chugging beat and an insistence worthy of Blake Shelton. A sharp horn sound adds to the momentum and the guitar spills out of the mix. A fabulous dynamic outing. On to Long Time Running with its staccato introduction and feisty joint vocal. A heavy hand clap brings in I Want You, crisp horns to the fore with addictive riffing. The Albert King style licks behind the beat are hard to resist. Tailwind has a lovely rolling feel and melody. The acoustic guitar and Hammond bass are organic and warm with rich ensemble singing.

All this plus some rare slide work from Kenny! Gravity is maybe the moodiest segment, with a claustrophobic vibe using density almost in the style of The Afghan Whigs. The guitar steers in a shadowy Alice In Chains direction. I am loving the range of all this. We All Alright sees the return of a lighter feel, over the riffing is a superb performance by drum ace Chris Layton, a real band sound. Take It On Home is a strong country ballad with guitar flowing and a lyrical appreciation of the joys of home. Mr Soul is the old Buffalo Springfield warhorse, once a live favourite of Steve Wynn’s Dream Syndicate and here slammed out with venom, sparks flying. Better With Time has KWS reminiscing over a cool piano sound with the number having a definite Southern soulDelbert McClinton tinge. The set ends with a churning take on Joe Walsh’s Turn To Stone. Variety, power, vocal passion, it’s all here, folks. A nod to Marshall Altman, who works with our buddy Eric Paslay, for production prowess.

PETE SARGEANT

Chris Ellis with just enough gravel n grit to keep it authentic but at the same time intimate and drawing you in, a hard skill to perfect. Here And Now itself changes pace slightly, a balladesque, observational song with slower and gentler but equally mesmerising vocals from Chris whilst Edis Mano picks out subtle but memorable passages throughout. Where We Belong includes some beautiful keys from guest Manual Halter supporting a heartfelt but upbeat love song. A Lifetime

is a great track, Mano creating a great blues tone backdrop and Ellis opening with a retrospective vocal before the song breaks into an almost Coverdale era Deep Purple epic with loads of breadth and depth provided by all.

Badwater has a Southern feel which is perfect for Ellis vocal with lyrics like ‘dust in the well’ and ‘strangled flower buds’. As the songs develops, he hits some of the highest notes on the album, with Halter again providing superb

Hammond back up. Among the other tracks on this ten-track album are Bad News Blues, an amusing tale of a break up with some wonderful horns providing just enough pizazz, and Jeannie, closing the album with a fun, good time bit of Mardi Gras styling to finish with. This is more the rock end of the blues spectrum but not another out and out blues rock fare, avoiding all the obvious bombast and clichés. This is pure class that definitely rewards repeated listens and deserves to be a roaring success.

STEVE YOURGLIVCH

HOLLY HYATT WILD HEART

Big Fir Records

Just as the great Bo Diddley taught us that You Can’t Judge A Book By The Cover, it seems you can’t judge a CD that way either. The artwork on the sleeve of Wild Heart positively screams singer-songwriter introspection; what you get instead is a tasty helping of Canadian blue-eyed soul and RnB that bears comparison with Randy Crawford. If nothing else, this album confirms all those stereotypes about women’s infinite capacity for multi-tasking, with Holly Hyatt writing all the songs, doing all the singing right down to the backing vocals, and playing all the bass while she’s about it.

Of the 12 songs on his collection, the standouts are Get Funky, a lust song that gives the distinct impression that more than dancing is on offer, and the hugely catchy Midnight Moonsong, laden with electric piano chords belting out a progression that wouldn’t sound out of place on a compilation of the Jazz Crusaders’ greatest hits. River Flows is straight-outta-Memphis brass sectioninfused soft soul, written in celebration of the beauties of Sweet Home British Columbia. There’s even a couple of lyrical forays into low-level politics, courtesy of It’s Time For Love and the reggaeinflected Create Unity. This album is said to mark a change of direction for Ms Hyatt, until now largely a club-level blues

belter, as the YouTube footage of her tackling Koko Taylor’s Voodoo Woman testifies. I’ve no idea where she’ll go next, but she’s one to watch.

DAVID OSLER

AL LERMAN NORTHERN BAYOU

Independent

From the first phrases of this eleven track album we are taken by Al Lerman down to the Northern Bayou. We are taken down to the river as the album sets out its credentials. The music has a swing with an upbeat swampy feel, this is combo mix of acoustic and electric combining to make a tasty musical feast for your ears. Al is joined by musicians that just want to join the party and add infectious layers of tone, augmenting the lyrics that unfold into a story. Expect to be entertained with tales of fishing, death and the pure joy of music supplemented with honky-tonk piano as Lance Anderson brings in the fun of the keyboards and hot searing harp playing from Al himself.

As the album unfurls your feet are tapping then a true highlight pops up to assail your ears, for lovers of blues-harp Delta Stomp hits the mark on so many levels it leaves your feet excited and your mood up lifted on an instrumental that swings and sways with the an upbeat mood. In the mix is the only cover that slots in perfectly Deep Ellum Blues the story unfurls in an infectious musical hug. This traditional song takes us deep into a Dallas neighborhood, rough and tough and home to Blind Lemon Jefferson & Leadbelly.

Often covered from Jerry Lee Lewis to Grateful Dead and beyond Lerman adds his own stomping flow to the song. Closing Northern Bayou with Hand Me Down Hate Lerman confronts hate that has been inherited and how we should shed the bigotry and treat people like you want to be treated. So break though chains is the message from a fine blues infused album.

LIZ AIKEN

JON GINDICK

LOVE AT THE ALL NIGHT CAFE Old Chimney

The twelve original songs on this CD are a delight for your ears to get around. They move through a wide selection of styles, which in lesser hands could indicate a lack of a clear focus, however here that variable serves to stimulate the sense of wanting to know where this talent is taking us on the musical journey. Jon is new to me however, from what I can find out; this is his second album We All Come Back As Music back in 2010. No way was he kicking his heals though as he has also written around eight books on the art of playing Blues Harp.

Ably assisted throughout by Pete Gallagher drums, Franck Goldwasser guitars, Ralph Carter on bass, keys and production Jon’s harp, guitar playing and engaging singing delivers a very fine album. I really like the opening cut I Was Born To Wail which is like a history lesson on the all time greats of The Moothie. Some of you may balk at my use of the Scots vernacular but I use the term with all respect. Jon name checks so many terrific players throughout this tune that you don’t need me to list those giants of the instrument. Feeling Her Gone moves through you like a summer Soul groove. Things get a little darker on Baby’s Got The Blues where Jon wistfully reviews a failing relationship. A total surprise comes along with feel of the title track Love At The All Night Café. Here we have a wonderful pure Latin American vibe. It is a very detailed description of life within the café and I loved it. There is some real classy music to be enjoyed on this highly recommended fine album.

GRAEME SCOTT

HAMISH ANDERSON OUT OF MY HEAD Independent

Hamish Anderson was born, and grew up in Melbourne, Australia. He started to learn the guitar at the age of 12, at the age of 17, he started singing and song writing,

in 2013 he released a Self-Titled EP, Anderson left Melbourne in 2014 to further his musical career in America.

Anderson’s second EP Restless was recorded live in L.A. and released in 2014. His critically acclaimed debut album, Trouble, released in 2016, was produced by Grammy award winner Jim Scott, who again teams up with Anderson for this new release Out Of My Head, the eleven original tracks explore melodies, hooks and choruses without committing to one specific genre, No Good, released as a single last year starts the album in fine style, opening with guitar and organ it maintains a good rock groove that highlights his vocal tone and rocking guitar riffs, on Breaking Down Anderson swaps the electric for an aggressive acoustic guitar, keeping the tempo high with a 60’s R&B feel running through it, softening the mood next with a beautiful sounding soul ballad What You Do To Me all gentle guitar and swirling organ with smooth vocals and harmonies, with its grungy rock feel, the aggressive fuzzy guitar drives along the beat on You Give Me Something, title track Out Of My Head and The Fall showcase Anderson’s song writing abilities as he draws you into the songs with his mellow playing and rich voice.

Rune Westburg co-wrote and plays bass and keys on Damaged Goods, sparse keys and percussion lets the guitar and vulnerable voice take you on an emotional evocative journey, my favourite, with fierce organ and driving guitar lifting the tempo on World Gone Mad, the simple hypnotic rhythm beat and underlying organ leave room for some melancholic guitar and wistful vocals on the bittersweet Happy Again, the infectious You Really Know What Love takes us to Dark Eyes with some delightful piano and acoustic guitar creating an ambiance for contemplative lyrics closing the album wonderfully. A very good album.

SHIRL

Albums REVIEWS

J LEE AND THE HOODOO SKULLS BLACK MOON

Hoodoo Records

No wonder that the lead singer of this band, J Lee Barratt, would wish to forge a career in music for he’s been around roots music all his life, being the son of the legendary Shakin’ Stevens. The Hoodoo Skulls were first formed in 2016 and J Lee, along with long-time friend Harun Kotch (lead guitar) began writing and developing ideas for their debut album, Black Moon. Their sound, as a four piece is very electric and full-on, the music being basic but with a definite edge, not falling into any specific style but being loosely classed as Blues Rock, they remind me in many ways of the Feelgoods, all energy and bluster. At times it’s difficult to imagine just the three instruments and a voice producing this wall of sound. J Lee’s voice is within the same range as his father’s but with much more edge.

Opening with 2 Bit Lovers, the guitar creates a threatening solid wall of slide over stomping percussion before the vocal breaks, creating a sound that grows as the track develops. This is followed by Woman, their first single release, a very Blues influenced strut over a heavy guitar riff. Guilty Pleasure smacks of a Southern feel almost as if it has crawled out of the swamp. There are no slow tracks here, as if the band wishes to prove that they can give more than 100%.

My favourite track is The Closer Down, a song driven by a heavy distorted riff but with simplistic return in the chorus, a great sing-along when done live. The focus of this band is very much that fact, they are a band, not relying on the solo prowess of the guitarist and each song is very much about the total sound. With ten tracks all around three minutes in length, this album is full of songs that could easily feature in the world of radio.

MERV OSBORNE

KELLY BELL BAND KNOW MY NAME

Phat Blues Records

The opening bars of the first track, Long Train, on this CD from The Kelly Bell Band has swirling organ, followed by heavy guitaring, echoing harmonica and a drum beat reminiscent of When the Levee Breaks. Versatility is obviously a feature of the band as the second track, Last $4, shows. It’s got a Mose Allison flavour with some brass backing and a lovely guitar break. It’s still the blues, but from a different time and place. First Moments heads off in yet another direction. It’s a soulful ballad with some soft strings in evidence and lazy laid back guitarwork. Good Thing heads Texas way, with a driving beat and great gospel-style backing vocals, combining with the brass section, harmonica and guitar to create a very powerful sound. (This is a really good tune and sounds lifted straight from The Blues Brothers). You Don’t Know is a brilliant 70’s funk inspired tune, which grooves along nicely. (They don’t make them like that anymore; apparently, they do!) The title track Know My Name is a slow number with a lovely, haunting guitar/harmonica duet and the storyline has a flavour of a cross between The Temptations’ Papa Was A Rolling Stone and Cash’s Boy Named Sue.

As if they had to prove just exactly how versatile they really are, the next track I’m Gone has a real Chicago sound to it, with more great interplay between the brass section and the guitar. Dead Man Walking returns to the heavy sound of the opening track and does it rather nicely. Just Ain’t The Same returns to a brassy funk style and has a long fadeout, by which time the message “I don’t love you mama” has been quite forcefully made. P.H.A.T Blues has some nice electronic piano and sax on it, but veers too uncomfortably close towards rap in parts for my taste. Gimmick Infringement is a weird 6 second collection of sounds. The remaining two tracks are also on the soul side. If you like the soulful side of the blues, you might well like this one.

STEVE BANKS

JULIA TITUS

LIVE AT MARLOW JAZZ CLUB

Independent

Ma Bessie and her Blues Troupe live at Marlow Jazz Club as Julia Titus delivers the songs and blues of Bessie Smith. Some albums, you put on not knowing what to expect from the package that unfolds. Not this time the music is as described on the cover. We are treated to sixteen tracks that define the repertoire of the great Ma Bessie. Julia Titus has surrounded herself with a troupe of musicians that unfurl a warm melodic backdrop to the lyrics and songs delivered in a way so we are stepping back to the clubs, tents and roadshows Ma Bessie performed to adoring crowds. As Julia has travelled from singing reggae to owning Bessie Smith’s style and verve she has captured the essence of early blues.

The album reminds you of the wonderful classics that Bessie Smith made her own. Not surprisingly that since the first cover album in the 1950’s by Laverne Baker there have been many more and the songs continue to stand the test of time. Julia with her six-piece band have added a collection of Bessie Smith classics that will add an album that will not disappoint as we go retro with a twist of modernity so the beat, tempo and arrangement is perfect for the modern ear.

The album reminds you how varied the tempo and orchestration of the blues has been since the days of Bessie Smith adding her touch to classics from the opening number, Ain’t No Bodies Business through to St. Louis Blues as the album draws to a stylish close. A live album that has the energy of music loved by the performer to an appreciative audience. Album for Bessie Smith and Blues fans.

LIZ AIKEN

SUNJAY DEVIL CAME CALLING

New Mountain Music

This album is an amalgam of Blues and

Folk/Country. It opens with “Ghost Train” and from the first notes you can feel and hear the quality of musicianship, from Sunjay and his assorted support. There is an innate quality to his guitar playing and vocals that are simply a real pleasure to listen to.

To my ear it is more folk and country than blues, and it was a real surprise to me to find it such an easy sound on my ears, since in truth it is really not my bagatelle. Even more surprising is the fact that he is so young at a mere 22 years of age! With a variety of formal musical nominations to his credit already and to be spoken so highly of by the hierarchy of the UK music in both

JOHN PRIMER

THE SOUL OF A BLUES MAN

genres of Rock and Folk is a testimony to his musical and vocal ability. Track 3 “Big Road” did venture more into the blues and even that vocally was more than enough for me with Lee Southall excelling on harmonica to give it that “je ne sais quoi”. In truth though every single track on this album is smooth, easy to listen to and the future is extremely bright for this highly talented all-round musician. In some respects, it could be argued that it is unfair for someone so young to be so talented, but we should be grateful for this blessing. This is a definite one to have in your collection!

TOM WALKER

THE FORTY FOURS TWIST THE KNIFE Rip Cat Records

The Forty Fours are a band from Los Angeles who bring rhythm and blues to everything they play. Here after seven years since their last release comes Twist The Knife. Johnny Main is the band leader guitarist and vocalist. He is joined by Eric Von Herzen on harmonica, Mike Hightower on bass, Gary Ferguson on drums and Junior Watson on guitar. Eight tracks full of energy and vitality this will get your feet tapping and want to go and see them live, they are

There is plenty here to satisfy John Primer’s traditional fans and he has also included some great R&B tracks in the style of the early Stax, Atlantic and Cotillion artists that were John’s youthful influences. John joined the Muddy Waters band in 1979 until Muddy passed in 1983, then Magic Slim until 1995. His previous solo albums have mainly built on his infectious, driving hot Chicago Blues sound honed with those bands, but he was also influenced (as we all are) by the contemporary sounds of his youth, the early Stax Rhythm and Blues and blues-based soul. The album includes three originals; You Shouldn’t Tell A Lie, and Please Don’t Leave Me Baby are both examples of what Primer is known best for, jaunty rocking Chicago blues and medium paced blues, sung with skill and emotion, with great Chicago blues piano, guitar and slide guitar too. The third original, Meet Me In The Park, is great fun and bounces along with strategic pauses and familiar riffs, and displays John’s mischievous side with some great lyrics.

There are another three songs that may be familiar to UK fans. Leon Russell’s Help Me Through The Day was on Jo Ann Kelly’s last album and John Mayall and Peter

Green both recorded it. Primer’s version stands up well against them all, his voice is superb, and Charlie Kimble really surpasses himself on saxophone. Rainy Night In Georgia is familiar to everyone, and here it is sensitively and faithfully performed with Steve Bell’s harmonica living up to the Toots Thielmans original. Stagger Lee is a real classic rocker. Leadbelly sang it in the 50’s and even PJ Proby had a go! John uses Lloyd Price’s 1959 hit as a base. Horns are replaced by meandering guitar and chord filled harmonica to create a real Chicago slant with solos from both and romping honky-tonk piano. Great Stuff. The other covers are of artists like Freddie King, Bob Dylan, Toussaint McCall, Larry Addison, B.B. King and several from the repertoire of Bobby Blue Bland.

They are all good blues or rich melodic examples of that early blues-based soul that came out of Memphis, executed with precision, and with a pleasant few musical surprises without spoiling the soulful vibe…they evoke an era of great Rhythm & Blues forgotten by many as it was swamped by the later big production soul and funk age. I recommend this CD to anyone who has enjoyed John Primer’s previous albums. It continues to display his expert Chicago Blues and adds a little more I think that most will enjoy. If you haven’t heard him before then this is a great starter. And yes, despite the “Soul” in the title it is also a damn good blues album!

JOHN HABES

Blues House Productions

KERRY KEARNEY

SMOKEHOUSE SERENADE

New Highlander Records

Considering he’s been around so long and that he’s picked up so many plaudits along the way it’s surprising that Long Island, NY native Kerry Kearney doesn’t have a bigger profile. Back in 1999 he was voted Best Guitarist by the Long Island Voice and Bluesman of the Year in 2004 by the Long Island Blues Society. His band was even inducted into the New York Blues Hall of Fame in 2013. So why are his slide guitar skills not globally renowned? Haven’t a clue because this record is just downright fabulous. He’s been touring and recording for decades now and not once has his name appeared on my radar. Which is most definitely my loss.

If you like the sounds that Sonny Landreth makes then this is one for you, with bells on. Turns out that some

the real deal. Cuttin’ Deep starts the release, a self-penned instrumental. The other songs are covers, done with impeccable reinterpretation, starting with the harmonica toned Sugar You, a sheer delight. Howlin’, keeps the tone upbeat very traditional Johnny Mains rasping vocals are a joy just like the guitar solos. Champagne And Reefer has Muddy Waters signature throughout a wonderful rendition from a smoking band.

Lightning Hopkins cover next, Too Many Drivers is classic Chicago blues done in style, with that subtle twist. Rosie, is a Doyle Bramhall tune with a bassline introduction that continues through and introduces stylish vocals and has a heavy rocky feel and superb guitar work. Helsinki Blues a James Harman cover is good mellow contrast. Vocals are sharp and exquisite, a perfect balance in tone and melody on this. 44’s Shuffle is the final tune and a rightful homage to T-Bone Burnett, the band has

of the songs came out on a six track EP last year called Black – Revised but it’s now doubled in length to make a full album featuring the core band of Kerry Kearney on guitars, banjo and vocals; Mario Staiano, drums and percussion; Gerry Sorrentino, bass; David Bennett Cohen, piano; and Charlie Wolfe, harmonica. There are also some guest appearances taking care of brass, piano, harmonica and more.

It’s mainly original material with three covers making up the numbers but it’s his own songs that really leave their mark. He has a gruff lived in voice which really suits the material and I defy anyone to listen to Shakin’ Like Jelly without having their, um, jelly shaken. Despite the title the other (original) highlight is Goin’ to the Mardi Gras and who wouldn’t want to hear the banjo intro that heralds Camptown Races before he launches into the title track, a delicious slow blues instrumental. A record that has you constantly hitting repeat, this is an out and out winner.

a natural ball on this one. This is a real feel good release, choice of songs are just right and show a band that are sharp and gritty in good measure, the vibe is great, a quality release.

COLIN CAMPBELL

TULLIE BRAE REVELATION

Endless Blues Records

Tullie Brae is a multi-instrumentalist who is as adapt on the Hammond Organ as she is on the Slide Guitar Cigar Box but her true talent lies with her vocals which were cultivated in her youth by singing at an Apostolic Church where her father was a pastor. She has a distinct soulful style and range that allows her to handle a variety of Blues, from crunchy rocking Blues to more laid-back Gospel.

The album opening track Price of the Blues is a cracker, real high energy rocking Blues that gets a full band backing, the following track Seven Bridges highlights Tullie’s versatility as it is a slower Gospel

inspired track that is sung superbly, there are an assortment of supporting musicians who support Tullie well, standout for me is Brad Webb who adds some inspiring slide guitar on a couple of tracks one of which Devil in Deville is the stand out song on the album, a driving Blues about a battle between a Country preacher and the Devil.

All ten songs have been written by Tullie and as a collective they demonstrate that she is an outstanding storyteller as well as having an excellent appreciation of the Blues, at times she reminds me of a female version of Robert Cray, very cool and soulful. No pun intended but this album has been a revelation to me it is a fine collection of Blues material and has been skilfully produced by Jeff Jensen a Blues musician and band leader in his own right. The final song Thank You Mum is a stripped back and heartfelt emotional song that does not need any further analysis but highlights the appreciation Tullie has for her family.

ADRIAN BLACKLEE

STUART A HAMILTON

KELLY’S LOT CAN’T TAKE MY SOUL Independent

This Lot are based in Los Angeles and this is their 14th album and features twelve original songs with an eclectic mix of blues, roots, rock and Americana. Opener All I Want Is The Blues is a radio friendly rocker with vocalist Kelly Zirbes paying tribute to her heroes as she growls out the vocals and the band play up a storm behind her. All Hope Ain’t Lost is a heartfelt political rebuke about hard times which opens with a funky little guitar riff from Perry Robertson as Kelly implores “Don’t Give Up”. Alyssa is a loping slow blues with Kelly’s superb vocals ranging from a whisper to a growl and features a stirring solo from Robertson and good organ from Bobby Orgel. Guest Eddie Baytos adds accordion and washboard to the jumping Cajun romp Woe Is Me and then we are treated to Kelly’s honeyed tones in a tender ballad Safe And Warm which has a slight country twang and envelops the listener in a warm glow.

Jean-Francois Thomas adds his distinctive French vocals to the duet on Rise Up (Leve Toi) featuring sublime guitar from guest Rob Zucca. The drums of Mike Sauer and the bass of Matt McFadden lock into an edgy groove and Frank Hinojosa provides sleazy harp riffs for the hard driving R&B of Broke Myself with Kelly’s powerhouse vocal making this my favourite track. A gentle acoustic guitar intro to Let It Breathe lulls the listener into a false sense of security but Kelly soon takes this bittersweet ballad to another level as it builds to a climax before dying gently away. Phew! The songs are all written by Zirbes/Robertson and this album is a winner and everything about it tells me this is the real deal. Title track Can’t Take My Soul is an energetic, rabble rousing slice of surf rock with Kelly snarling out the vocals and Robertson spitting out chunky rhythm guitar chops. Closing track Mon Ami transports us to a Paris sidewalk with the accordion of Jean Paul Monshe as Kelly croons her words of love seductively in French and English. A stunning finish to a wonderful album.

DAVE DRURY

JJ CALE STAY AROUND Because Music

Reviewing CDs can be a very varied experience, going from the great to the other end of the scale. It’s always fun to receive new material, but this month Christmas came early. A new CD by JJ Cale, which was made even better by the fact that I wasn’t even aware a new release was imminent. It’s called Stay Around and is the first posthumous album by the beloved songwriter, guitarist and singer. It’s been compiled by his widow, Christine Lakeland Cole and his friend and long-time manager, Mike Kappus. It comprises of 15 previously unreleased tracks and the good news for JJ fans is that apparently there is more unreleased material to come. Mike Kappus explains “often Cale would reserve outtakes from one album for later release on another.”

Roll On, the title track of his last album was 34 years old. The only song not written by JJ is the track My Baby Blues, which was written by his wife in 1977, the year they met. The album opens with Lights Down Low and has that unmistakeable Cale vocal sound and some lovely laid-back guitar work from the master of the laid-back sound. There’s also some atmospheric steel guitar in the background. Chasing You is a more upbeat track and moves along like a summer breeze along with more typical understated guitar work. Winter Snow is an acoustic number and has more of the country style Cale about it, with some beautiful overlaid vocals, sounding like JJ backing himself, a knack which he used to perfection. The title track Stay Around opens with some haunting guitar/steel guitar work, which is indicative of the simple, but honest love song that follows. Tell You ‘Bout Her hits that unmistakeable JJ Cale groove and maintains it very nicely throughout. Oh My My has a slightly Spanish sound and eulogising lyrics about the female form, which were perhaps reflections of a former era. All the fifteen tracks are relatively short and sweet, but somehow manage to encapsulate the beauty, variety

of styles and simplicity which made JJ so well respected both with the music loving public and his fellow musicians. A great posthumous release.

STEVE BANKS

THE RYK MEAD BAND ME &THE BLUES

Independent

Ryk Mead is an experienced player having started out five decades ago. His last release was in 2015 under the name of Ryk Mead & The London Blues Band; here he has produced an album that is predominantly a trio affair with Ryk on guitars and vocals, Steve Cooper on bass/B/Vs and Adam Bond on drums. The 16 tracks, total 65 minutes, so could have been fitted on to one disc, but the music is nicely presented in a two-CD gatefold package.

The disc is well produced and falls into the melodic rock-blues area; Ryk sings well and plays some good guitar (sometimes both rhythm and lead parts) and there are hints of several famous guitarists here. Highlights on Disc 1 include the chugging If That’s What It Takes, clearly a love song to someone dear to Ryk, Fire & Rain which has a fine, soulful vocal and some insistent lead work that sounds inspired by Mark Knopfler to these ears and the opening pairing of Climb That Hill and Callin’ which both up the blues quotient. On Disc 2 Last Man Standing has a superb classic rock core riff, a good example of Ryk playing over his own rhythm guitar – not an easy one to reproduce live in a trio! Looking For My Baby is a short and sweet shuffle that recalls early Fleetwood Mac and Time Will Set Me Free is enhanced by the warm saxophone of Larry Tomko. Although all the material is credited to Ryk, Rollin’ is a clear amalgam of two classic blues, Ryk using Clapton’s unmistakeable riff from Crossroads while the lyrics are a mash-up of Crossroads and Rollin’ And Tumblin’. The final track is an instrumental version of a gentle ballad from Disc 1 where it is called

Albums REVIEWS

Before You Go; the instrumental version is After You Go and allows you to hear very clearly the influence of Gary Moore on Rick’s approach to this ballad where he duets with himself on guitar. A pleasant and listenable set.

JOHN MITCHELL

MEG WILLIAMS TAKE ME AS I AM: THE MUSCLE SHOALS SESSIONS

Nola Blue Records

Hailing from New York State but now living in Nashville, singer songwriter and guitarist Meg has been in Fame Studios to cut this fine new release. Selfproduced with engineer John Gifford this has twelve self-penned songs of distinction and has an eclectic sound fully based in blues. Her band includes Will McFarlane on guitar, Bob Wray on bass, and Clayton Ivey on keyboards and Justin Holder on drums. Come On Over

To Me is the opener, a gentle slide guitar driven melody, with sassy vocals from Meg. Tell Everybody, has a good groove and fine harmonies, bit country blues

here, with fine organ playing. Shame is more up-tempo a fine funky riff on this a crowd pleaser. Little Bit Of The Devil, shows off the rhythm section some good licks there.

A favourite would be Played By the Blues, full of retrospective loss of relationships, grinding bass marries with a big sound. Sometimes I Need You Too has a laid back vibe very catchy chorus and fine guitar playing. Take Me As I Am, is a country blues ballad sweet slide guitar work. What About Me rolls along with a catchy groove accentuated by Ivey’s keyboards. Can’t Keep Waiting On You is sung with venom and is a more rocky number.

I Feel A Heartache Coming continues in that vein. Make A Move, is stylish and exhibits a tight band, live this will be a showstopper. Lastly, Take A Chance On My Love is a sultry sexy blues ballad and the backing vocals soar to a perfect ending for this release. A very listenable release, a grower, full of passion and excellent musicianship.

COLIN CAMPBELL

THE WILBUR PROJECT STRAIGHT DOWN THE LINE

This self-deprecating R&B band from England’s smallest county claims to keep 70s pub rock alive, the quartet enjoying every minute of a journey which has already earned places on UK festival stages and as support act to The Voodoo Sheiks at the prestigious Half Moon in Putney. Not bad for a bunch of Rutland blues rockers who are seriously competent musicians who don’t take themselves too seriously, a breath of fresh air on the current scene.

The hard rocking Lead On Me is the perfect platform for charismatic vocalist ‘Wilbur’ Williams, the pace continuing with guitarist Rick Simpson’s witty Monday (Gets To Me) and its dazzling harp solo. Incredibly,

WHITEY SOMERS DOWN THAT ROAD Motorhome Records

This is a follow up to the 2015 release Happy Man, and sees Whitey Somers keeping up that similar emotion on this eleven-track new release. He has been in the music business for four decades and involved in many bands. Well known in Canada, he is a nephew Of Harry Somers a Canadian composer. His band includes himself on guitar and vocals, Nick Dokter on drums Larry Blatchford on organ and Nico Rhodes on piano. Bass is shared on tracks by Todd Sacerty and Brian Whitty. This is a very up-tempo release with some excellent guitar work and with a full band very crafted in their approach.

Whitey’s lyrics are very humorous in parts but he can really play a guitar. Highlights a plenty starting with, I Got The Blues, this is a slow and mellow starter with catchy lyrics and good piano. Can’t Make My Payment Blues is full of humour about being a band member and associated tales. Six Months Pregnant continues a humorous take, very uplifting.

Wilbur’s voice seems to come down at least an octave on Born Lucky before rising again on the infectious Stella: “I don’t want you in the morning, you were bad last night/you banged my head you wet my bed/you got me in a fight/but I love you so that’s alright.” The cleverly arranged Leavin’ On A Train with its tannoy station announcements is a real highlight, sung in conversational style.

Wilbur tells his life story in The Plan interspersed with some tasty harmonica interludes. Simpson proves he can sizzle that axe on Nothin’s Cooking before the irony of the finale Take Me Home which sums up life on the road for a provincial band, bassist ‘Sponge’ Selby and drummer ‘Tuzzy’ Tyers maintaining a solid, no nonsense backing throughout. Straight Down The Line is an unpretentious and original debut album which could take these guys further than they expect.

THE BISHOP

Frozen Toenail Blues is another up-tempo number foot tapping joy.

Loving the piano on If You Leave Me, again lyrics very funny, a country style to this one. My Baby Likes To Boogie is maximum rhythm and blues, the band really moving now adding a pace. Undecided is a love song of sorts with good harmonies. Testify, has a gospel feel very upbeat. Sweet Mama’s Blues is sung sweetly but the tune is dark but with a subtle slow guitar vibe. Final song, Down That Road is a storming tune. Altogether a good shot of pure enjoyable tunes, keeping up the blues rootsy tradition, rich and melodic.

COLIN CAMPBELL

CHRISTONE ‘KINGFISH’ INGRAM KINGFISH

Alligator Records

Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram is barely thirty years old but upon hearing his debut album you would swear he’d been around for decades. Born in Clarksdale, Mississippi he certainly has the blues in his soul. Now some albums are a slow burner gradually pulling you in but this just grabs you by the throat from the off. Outside Of This Town is the opening belter of a track. Superb vocals with crashing blues/rock guitar grabs your attention straight away. When you release your debut album it’s nice to have a guest appearance somewhere along the way. Well if you can get Buddy Guy to play on your debut album it’s quite obvious that you are already held in great esteem.

Fresh Out ft. Buddy Guy is absoloutley wonderful. Combined with the co-writing skills of Tom Hambridge who also produces the album Buddy Guy and Kingfish together make a formidable pairing. Most of the tracks are co-written by Hambridge and Ingram but also having great musicians to back everything up is extremely important on your first album when you need to be taken seriously. And boy this album is serious stuff. Been Here Before is a nice slow acoustic song which finds Ingram almost re-telling a family story

PETER FRAMPTON BAND ALL

BLUES

Frampton faces a loss of dexterity in his hands, so has been in the studio with his bandmates recording material for future release. This particular set finds the group performing blues standards BUT with their own stamp. Peter’s crackling version of Dimples on a recent Cliff Richard album gave a pointer to his approach to a classic number. Hand on heart, the track listing here does evoke a third-rate pub blues band stuck in the dusty past – an all too common syndrome – BUT what matters here is what the ensemble does with the songs. I Just Want To Make Love To You gets a very traditional treatment with Kim Wilson harp and what sounds like an early l to lV over a steady beat. Frampton sings with an edge.

He plays his Gibson with insistence. She Caught The Katy is the familiar softly swaggering most of us know from Taj Mahal. It’s delivered to the original template. Georgia On My Mind is another warhorse and tenderly performed here with lyrical guitar. But Ray got here first! You Can’t Judge A Book By The Cover has the expected choppy Bo guitar but with slide guitar overlaid, presumably by Frampton. Me & My Guitar evokes Shelter label days of Freddie King at al. Maybe the best vocal here and a lively take. Then we get Miles’ All Blues with guest Larry Carlton another Gibson man. It’s a welcome change of mood and gets the best out of the players.

This is late night pensive stuff and I like it a lot. Then the inevitable The Thrill Is Gone but Sonny Landreth sits in. It’s a semi-funk version close to the tempo of the original, but these days I can only listen to the Chris Duarte take on this tune. Going Down Slow a slashing slowie, with a decent vocal, almost bittersweet in context. Next up I’m A King Bee which swings on booming bass and rattling snare. Same Old Blues is not the song I first heard by J J Cale before falling for the edgy Captain Beefheart version, but a mellow Don Nix composition, sung well by Peter. It’s all a pleasant listen, but does play things too safe for my humble tastes.

PETE SARGEANT

from his childhood about singing the blues. Not content with having Buddy Guy along for the ride, another guest in the form of Keb Mo joins the magic. Listen ft. Keb Mo is as good as anything I.ve heard in a long time. What strikes me about this fine album is the maturity with which Kingfish delivers and plays every tune with the confidence and swagger of bluesmen of days gone by. Being born into a blues community such as Clarksdale is evident

on every song, especially the mesmerizing Hard Times which sees Kingfish duetting with Keb Mo again. Mo on resonator guitar and the silky vocals of Kingfish bring Clarksdale and the Mississippi Delta back to life in what is a magnificent song. Every blues fan should have this album in their collection. Bravo young man.

STEPHEN HARRISON

Book Review:

GUITAR KING: MICHAEL BLOOMFIELD’S LIFE IN THE BLUES

BY DAVID DANN

University of Texas Press

I was first taken by Mr. Bloomfield when Electric Flag launched into the world, then came that marvellous piece of vinyl called Super Session which is still held aloft as one of the most notable albums ever released. Mike Bloomfield (1943–1981) was very rightly named one of the world’s greatest blues/rock guitarists by Rolling Stone and over forty years later he remains an icon of the fret board after his untimely death.

David Dunn takes you everywhere (backstage, onstage, and into the recording studio) with Mike bringing

you riveting and historical stories behind Bloomfield’s work with Paul Butterfield and his seminal Blues Band as well as the siezmic Electric Flag. The Super Session album with Al Kooper and Stephen Stills, Highway 61 Revisited is revisited when Mike worked with Bob Dylan, and even soundtrack work with Peter Fonda and Jack Nicholson. Bringing Bloomfield’s worlds alive, with sections drawn from his meticulous (you can feel this is more than thorough) research, including over seventy interviews with Bloomfield’s friends, relatives, and band members the author deserves a medal for this work. From his comfortable Jewish family upbringing on Chicago’s North Shore “to the gritty taverns and raucous nightclubs where this self-taught guitarist helped transform the sound of contemporary blues and rock music. With scenes that are as electrifying as Bloomfield’s music, this is the story of a life

lived at full volume”. A true trailblazer in so many ways musically as well as in tragedy of life he lives on as do Hendrix, Vaughan and Joplin. I noticed a comment by Charlie Musslewhite on this book worth repeating: “I love this book. It’s the best thing I’ve read about Mike Bloomfield and about the whole era.”

And finally a few (copied) words on the author: David Dann is a commercial artist, music historian, writer, and amateur musician who worked for many years in the news industry, including serving as copublisher of an award-winning Catskills weekly. Most recently, he was editor of Artenol, a radical art journal described by the New York Times as “a cross between The New Republic and Mad Magazine.” He has produced radio and video documentaries of Michael Bloomfield and served as a consultant to Sony/Legacy on their recent Bloomfield boxed set.

FRANK LEIGH

MICHELLE D’AMOUR & THE LOVE DEALERS

HEART OF MEMPHIS

Blueskitty Records

If Tito Puente’s Oye Como Va had been written as a southern blues jag with horns and a bluesy female vocal, it would be Another Sleepless Night, the opener in this album. Since Mr Puente’s work executed by Santana is one of my favourite tracks of all time, I was very well disposed to this record from the off. Jeff Cornell continues to embellish each subsequent song with his tasteful and considered guitar soloing, and keyboardist Brian Olendorf can play a Gregg Rolie’esque solo with all the spikey urgency and flow of the original. Michele D’Amour sings about wanting some ‘company’ on Come On Over with all the assurance of an independent woman who is happy to ask for what she wants, no strings.

Again, the instrumental break is gorgeous, understated piano and drums, and out of nowhere comes a muted trumpet solo, it just speaks of a smoky blues

joint somewhere in Beale Street. Yes, there are plenty of blues bands in that famous strip, but this rises well above the average, due in no small part to the arrangements and skills of the musicians playing, but it is really Michele D’Amour’s voice that makes this album so addictive. She sings like a woman who is strong enough to know who she is and where she is going in life, but not so hard that some shyness and vulnerability can’t shine through. Heart Of Memphis is the song to showcase all her vocal abilities in one place.

Once again, the band provide a peerless instrumental interlude, the unmistakeable atmosphere of musicians who know just how good they are, and playing just what the song needs, no more and no less. The band do get to show off with the King Curtis chestnut Memphis Soul Stew where they are let off the leash a little, and they run free and clearly have a blast doing it. The album ends with Strange Angels, another slow-burning gospel blues, with Michele D’Amour finding some soulful vocals to prophesy with, over a churchchoir set of backing vocals. Class act. Class album.

ANDY HUGHES

THE BM! ROUND-UP OF LIVE BLUES

THE SIXTH LINCOLN BLUES, RHYTHM AND ROCK FESTIVAL LINCOLN DRILL HALL

11TH MAY 2019

It was a welcome return to Lincoln for the sixth one day blues, rhythm and rock festival, situated in the city centre, the venue of choice is the excellent drill hall and again put together by Solid Entertainments showcasing another varied mix of musical styles. Steve once again runs the event with great efficiency, coupled with good all-around amenities and friendly staff this always makes for an enjoyable festival. There was a very good sized crowd in from the start giving their support for

the earlier bands, unlike me, who missed the first two tracks of Thr3e the opening act, with Steve Woodward on vocals and guitar, Carlos Linnet also on vocals and guitar, Pete Castle on drums and percussion, and Rik King on bass. Political song, Picket Fence had a good southern boogie feel about it, with a slide guitar intro and some good drum rhythms. Do That Walk had some punchy blues harp from bassist Rik King, including grittier vocals, this was a stop start upbeat number that went down very well with the crowd. Sometime Long-time was played at a good tempo and to me had an indie vibe running thru it. Next up was 30 Day Hop described by Steve as poppy blues, a number that

was very popular with the crowd.

The laid back slower Black Dog Blues just edged it for me as best track, finishing the set with a rocking Open highway, with its Deep Purple influence, a very enjoyable closer. Thr3e treated us to a set of original tracks mostly off the new album that went down well with the audience who showed their appreciation, making it a good start to the day. After a short interval it was the band Snake Oil, with Hugh Evans on vocals and harp, Rusty Strings on guitar, Bo Tomliks on bass, and Shotgun Purdy on drums. We had a set of high energy blues and soul covers opening with a solid version of Green Onions. Rollin’ Drunk came across with a ZZ Top

STEVE NIMMO TRIO

KEN GROUNDHOGSPUSTELNIK’S

feel, and southern rock vibe with some good vocals that went down well with the crowd. My favourite track was a cover of Mose Allison’s Parchment Farm, driven by a fast-paced harp, Rusty used the guitar as a drum while Bo’s bass played call and response with the harp, again well received. A mid-tempo bluesy Riot In Cell Block 9 brought out the best of the band before finishing with Flip Flop Fly and some audience participation.

Next onto the stage was Elles Bailey, with the combination of Joe Wilkins on guitar, Matthew Waer on bass, Craig Connet on drums, and Johnny Henderson on Organ. We had a solid band that delivered a quality set of Americana, blues and country, starting with the drum driven upbeat southern country of Wild Wild West. Going down well with the crowd was What’s The Matter With You a soulful blues ballad with some wonderful keys, and a slow driving guitar complimenting the husky vocal delivery.

The band excelled on crowd favourite Medicine Man, a foot stomping blues rocker featuring a slick slide solo from Joe. A pounding drum intro began Road I Call Home and carried the song along with its thumping back beat creating a fast tempo which saw a few up and dancing, realising she had not prepared a long enough set list we had an audience request for Howlin Wolf. This was followed by an excellent version of Girl Who Owned The Blues, my favourite song, before closing with Woman Like Me, an excellent set that the crowd loved. Next, we welcomed Ken Pustelnik’s Groundhogs, backing Ken are the solid trio of Latch Manghat on bass, Sol Latif on guitar, and Chris D’avoine on guitar and vocals. Strange Town opens the set with verve and passion, bringing the crowd to life for an hour of unmistakable powerhouse blues-rock and psychedelia. The catchier Soldier was played with gusto and had some dancing at the sides, more of the same came in the shape of Garden with some heavy slide guitar licks. Ken played like a man possessed, the tempo was remorseless with throaty vocals and superb grungy slide from Chris bringing a

great response from the crowd. Split was a rock out number that had the band coming from all directions much to the pleasure of the crowd. A slight equipment failure was soon overcome, to the delight of the crowd before carrying on with Eccentric Man featuring some excellent interplay between the band segueing into Cherry Red and giving them a jamming vibe. An excellent performance with the crowd up showing their gratitude. The Stevie Nimmo Trio were up on stage next, after Stevie’s unfortunate mountain bike accident and subsequent healing process, it was good to see the big man back onstage having fun again.

Today we were treated to a bit of blues, soul, funk and rock. With Stevie was Kelpie McKenzie on bass and playing his last gig with the trio was Olly Dixon on the drums. The set started with Roll The Dice Again with rocking guitar grooves and some splendid wah wah in the solo.

Make It Up To You was a mid tempo bluesy number that had a few of the crowd whooping, a wonderful slow driving guitar gave atmosphere to the mellow tones of Stevie’s vocals on the slow blues ballad Running On Back To You. Kelpie added backing vocals on Change a well played soul number. Crowd favourite Still Hungry was a rocky track that had some excellent guitar playing throughout. There was some good interplay with the crowd on Lovin’ Might Do Us Good, a funky number that had the crowd dancing. Finishing with the old favourite Going Down, a tight trio that had fun playing together and it came across during the set leaving the crowd very happy. With a seven-piece line-up which includes Chaz Jankel on guitar, keyboard and vocals, Nathan King on bass, John Turnbull on guitar, Mick Gallagher on organ and keyboard, Gilad Atzmon on saxophone, John Roberts on drums, and Derek the Draw Hussey on vocals. The Blockheads played a mixture of carefully selected classics and some Blockhead favourites starting with an excellent Wake Up And Make Love To Me. The crowd were up, and dancing as funky vibes took us through Hold Up, Express Yourself

and Inbetweenies. We are also treated to a superb version of Billericay Dickie my favourite of the night and getting a great response from the crowd. Following this with What A Waste featured some good call and response between guitar and saxophone. Sex and Drugs and Rock n Roll took us into a few Blockhead favourites, an uptempo Sweet Gene Vincent was followed by an alt jazz country flavoured Clever Trevor which the crowd lapped up. A bluesy version of Reasons To Be Cheerful pt3 featured good crowd participation, finishing with Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick and a standing ovation saw an encore of Don’t Put It Off and their Blockheads anthem. A happy crowd left having enjoyed another day of entertaining music, varied in style, but all played with passion and fun, roll on next year.

WORDS: SHIRL

BLUES ON THE FARM 2019

WOOLTON FARM, BEKESBOURNE

14TH TO 16TH JUNE 2019

After several days heavy rain across Kent, it was beginning to look as though this was going to be a wet weekend, but ever the optimist I took the day off work and was one of the first punters to show up on site. I was heartened by the comparatively dry ground in the car park, and the arena set out where you go downhill to the stage, which was an impressively large inflatable, that looked firmly anchored down. I walked round the arena making myself known and was heartened by the still dry conditions and a few promises of sun shine? 22 bands were scheduled, each allowed between an hour and 70 minutes or so and the day’s events kicked off with a seven piece band called MACK who had apparently set the stage alight the previous year (No don’t panic, that is a figure of speech, the Fire Brigade weren’t put to the test!) True to expectations, they hit the ground running and the fact that they were playing in a field in daylight with perhaps 40 people

watching did nothing to slow them down, leaning heavily towards Soul, they gave their all and were every bit as good as their PR material had promised.

Chris Jagger band were up next consisting of Chris on guitar with violin and double bass and drums, with, would you believe a Didgeridoo! Chris kept telling us that they weren’t really a Blues band, but the audience didn’t seem to mind as it was entertaining, and the audience had slowly got bigger. While the next band were setting up (Robin Bibi Band) I was aware of how quick the sound checks were being completed and more to the point, what a great sound they had in a farmers Field, there are plenty of indoor venues that aren’t that good so well done to the sound and light team. Robin Bibi needs no plugging from me and was his usual high energy self, unable to play standing on a table, as per usual, but that didn’t stop him coming out into the now larger audience and swapping hats with people. It was around about here that I noticed that there were more Les Pauls about than Strats and barely a telecaster to be seen?

Early evening and Geno

Washington and the Ram Jam band took the stage, I saw Geno in High Wycombe Town Hall in 1964 and they blew the house down then, it may not have the same members as before but by God, are they good! You better believe it I couldn’t believe how energetic Geno still is. Time to grab a bite to eat from one of the several food stalls around the arena and to have a quick chat with the organisers. The earlier glum faces were beginning to be replaced by smiles as not only did the rain hold off, but we had sunshine, and ticket sales at the gate were on the up.

Jawbone were the next band and they are a new four-piece formed by Marcus Bonfanti on guitar, with Paddy Milner on keys, Rex Horan on bass, and Evan Jenkins on percussion. They sounded as though they’d been together for a while as the music just gelled and the sound was superb with some awesome harmonies between them and some very thoughtful lyrics in their self-penned set. I

could tell you how much I enjoyed the next two bands (Climax Blues Band and Skinny Molly) but truth to tell I had to leave early, but I am assured that they were every bit as good as I would have expected.

Day two dawned with yet more blue skies and as I only live about a half hour drive from the site, I had time for a nicely cooked breakfast from my favourite café... Home! Arriving on site in good time and pleased to see more cars in the car park and more smiles from the organisers. First off was Southbound, a fairly new fivepiece from London who lean perhaps more to the rock side of the Blues, but hey when you’re that good, who cares?

Close on their heels was yet another five-piece band, Big River hailing from the local scene in Kent, starting off life as a rock covers band (It’s a dirty job, but someone’s got to do it!) and do it they certainly did, and we began to see dancers on the ground, even though it was soft underfoot in places.

“Blues from the Medway Delta!” cry the four-piece from there (Bad Pennies) and they topped up the desperate yearning for good quality Blues/Rock. Dr Schwamp were due to be next on the bill but had to pull out at the last minute (That reminds me of a dirty joke). Too late to replace them, so it was decided to simply add an extra ten minutes or so to each set so next up were the Mentulls, now I had heard many good things about this band, but I had not expected the performance that they gave. From the opening notes to the phenomenal twin guitar work, this was a performance to be remembered, albeit more prog rock than Blues, absolutely jaw dropping!

They were followed by Sam Kellys Station House who were everything that we have come to expect from this tight band. Now its confession time again, but I

have to admit that I had to be somewhere else and so I didn’t get to see Elles Bailey or Nine Below Zero, but you can believe that they were as good as they were promised to be.

Sunday dawned bright and I had some sun burn to take care of from Saturday, and I was looking forward to the closing day of this delightfully well organised and run festival, I know from bitter experience how the weather can bugger up all of your plans, and in some cases leave you well out of pocket, so good luck to the organisers Dave Rees, Ian Will, and Frank and Angela Smith. First up on stage was ART who proceeded to give me what I was hoping for, namely some good old-fashioned Blues and I wasn’t disappointed, Rock on Guys! One of my favourite guitarists next and we have the John Verity Band who kicked the shit out of the Blues and Rock n Roll, and all stops between!

More highly entertaining playing from Lightning Willie & the Poor Boys with their own take on the Blues as well as some of that old-time religion!

Then Deborah Bonham was up next, and she was wearing a black outfit, and singing on a black stage, and when she turned to face the rear, she practically disappeared from sight! However, you couldn’t miss her vocals and she gave a thumping performance. I had time to stay and see part of the performance by the Maas/Moody Band, formed by singer Ali Maas and Micky Moody but unfortunately was unable to stay to see the end of their show and missed the closing act, the great Dr Feelgood. I didn’t feel too bad about that as I have these guys before and can confirm that they are good! And so, it ended for another year, will it live to come again next year? let’s hope so.

WORDS: DAVE STONE

C.J. CHENIER, CREOLE PROGENY OF HIS OLD MAN, CLIFTON, IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD. JOYFUL, SOULFUL, VOCALS

TAMPA BAY BLUES FESTIVAL

ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA

3RD - 5TH APRIL 2019

This year, the twenty-fifth, Tampa Bay Blues Festival offered up an eclectic bunch of road-tested performers, and once again provided a weekend audience of some 30,000 with some soul-shakin’ music that spared nobody. Each artist dug deep and pulled stuff up out of their hearts, and souls, and histories, and dared us not to feel it. No chance. None. We felt it. The music. The stories. All of it.

Curtis Salgado, Samantha Fish and Jonny Lang left us spent on Friday night. Boz Scaggs capped a fabulous Saturday, on top of Shemekia Copeland, and Mr. Sipp, and Tab Benoit closed on Sunday. The Tampa Bay Blues Festival coup des coup was Sunday – which Chuck Ross and his wife, Tracy, founder, producers and promoters – dedicated to… a Louisiana Experience! Yep, Zydeco! Pure joy - on Palm Sunday! Praise Jesus!

C.J. Chenier, creole progeny of his old man, Clifton, in every sense of the word. Joyful, soulful, vocals. And

jammin’ on his accordion like there was no tomorrow. And there wasn’t, not for this gig.

And then there was Tony “Young Buck” Stewart on his washboard, who brought an energized and soulful core to the entire band, at once kicking and scratching the beat along with the rhythm, and then climbing up on top with some incredible lead jams that took the band and the entire audience with him.

Not sure where we went, but damn it was a fine good place. I spent some time with this young man after their gig, and he’s got as much human soul as he does musical soul, which we talked about Tony ‘Young Buck’ Stewart. I was reminded of my long-deceased brother in law, Backdoor David Gebben, who played washboard for years with St. Louis’s best band, The Geyer Street Sheiks. Tony’s is one of those Zydeco Rubboards he slings around his neck; David’s was a genuine antique washboard which Tony says is worthy of worship.

A day earlier, Monster Mike Welch and The Connection brought the kind of honest emotions to the stage that makes the blues what it is. Wide open,

unpretentious, heart-felt expressions that would make most people get all vulnerable and look for cover. Not Mike. He’s been telling stories through blues music since he was a pre-teen in Boston (he played at the House of Blues club opening in Cambridge when he was 13), weaned on Keith and Eric and Jimi. Soon enough he found T-Bone and B.B. and Albert and Freddie, and Otis Rush, and he was off and runnin. And nabs the 1995 Boston Music Award for Best Blues Act. And many more since. His jamming takes you there and there’s no way back. Don’t want a way back. His searing high notes are ethereal, in a raunchy kind of way. And he picks enough stuff down on the bottom end of the neck to ground it all in a south side Chicago funk. He mixed it up, too. Here he is with Curtis Salgado, another blues legend, with his own raw pipes and a mean harp, and Vanessa Collier on sax. This lady’s telling us somethin with her solos that’s impossible not to feel (and later that night they truck over to the Ringside Café in downtown St. Pete and now she’s singin and wailin her vocal pipes every bit as good as her tenor sax).

Salgado is one of those genuine legends. Back in 1977 he met John Belushi, and Belushi created his Blues Brothers character, “Joliet Jake,” based on Curtis. True story. (Years later it was Dan Ackroyd that tagged Mike with Monster, at his House of Blues in Cambridge. Simpatico!). They remained friends until Belushi’s fatal overdose in 1982. Accomplished professionally by any measure, but way beyond that: Salgado’s wrestled his own demons, and he’s winning: his abuse of alcohol and drugs led to a bout with Hepatitis C and a liver transplant. A few years later he battled lung cancer, twice. He’s been cancer free for five years, and he’s been clean and sober since 1988, something he has in common with more of these guys than you’d think.

Later Mike plugs in with Shemekia Copeland, who’s won every blues award possible and who’s known Monster Mike

TAMPA BAY BLUES FESTIVAL

FESTIVALS

since she was 16. They cooked on a song from her newest album, America’s Child –You’ve Got the Wrong Idea - cept it was a fabulous idea. The album was recorded in Nashville, where Steve Cropper (see Blues Matters! issue #107) sat in on Promise Myself, written by Shemekia’s father, Johnny Clyde Copeland.

Monster Mike shared a touching, personal story of his own with us - which he later elaborated on in a follow up conversation with me. Back in 2012, Mike is in Memphis for the Blues Music Awards, and he’s jammin with Curtis at the Rum Boogie Café, down on Beale Street. Salgado spots Mike Ledbetter in the audience and calls him up to join them with his guitar and do some vocal harmony on “You’re Gonna Make Me Cry.” For Ledbetter, it’s cake – he was trained in opera! For Phelps, who’s meeting him for the first time, it’s an immediate connection. Same page. Same mojo. “Sure, wish we could play together,” he’s telling Ledbetter. Alas, they were both in long-time bands of their own.

They stayed in touch, and finally got invited to appear together for an Otis Rush Tribute at the Chicago Blues Fest in June 2016. With their first note, up there on stage in front of 20,000 instant fans, there’s no turnin’ back. They don’t want to turn back, ain’t gonna. It’s an intense connection, and Ledbetter named them The Connection.

Soon they’re in the studios and record their first – and only – album together: “Right Place, Right Time,” with five originals and seven covers and backed up by an all-star band. It wins that year’s Blues Music Award for best album, and now they’re nominated for 2019’s Band of the Year, and Ledbetter’s up for vocalist of the year and the “B.B. King Entertainer” award. Can’t get any better than that. Except Mike Ledbetter won’t be there. He died in January, after a medical emergency stemming from his bout with epilepsy. Phelps holds on to Ledbetter’s spirit as a permanent member of “our big family of blues genius weirdos,” who shared a brief life together, and the bitter sweet pains

that come with it. Embracing these kinds of connections among people, they made decisions out of a genuine bro love for it all, and for each other, Mike tells me.“There will never be another Mike Ledbetter, so there’s no sense in waiting for one. But I’ll carry him with me for the rest of my life. Our connection remains a genuine blessing.”

Like Ledbetter writes and sings in “Cast Iron (unreleased, but available on YouTube),” “I believe it’s my time, it’s my time, to move on down the road.” A time much, much too soon.

Kenny Neal was born in New Orleans, and he had to be born on the blues side of the tracks. Slim Harpo gave him his first harp when he was three yrs old (to stop him from crying); at 13 he was playing in his father’s band (Raful Neal, harpist and Baton Rouge blues mainstay); and he’s playing bass for Buddy Guy by the time he’s 17! Multiple albums and tour dates followed, including a Broadway gig, and now here he is at the Blues Festival.

Serious guitar, harp, and vocals. Kenny’s got a gravelly set of pipes that sound way beyond his years, which is a good thing. He’s been likened to the Neville Brothers, and he’s that good, at least. Maybe it’s cause two of his own brothers back him up, on keys and bass.

“Blues is not about fallin down. It’s ‘bout feelin better ‘bout yourself,” he’s singin and sayin, and he knows. He dropped out of sight some 12 years ago. Had to. “Couldn’t get out of bed. My hair’s fallin out,” he’s telling us. Turns out he’s got stage-four liver cancer – the final stage, where life expectancy well, ain’t promising. He’s out for a whole year. And then he’s blessed with a full recovery. “This is all my own hair,” he says, tugging on his dreads with a grateful smile. He tells us, “Let life flow. Let it go, and let it be.” He’s earned all of that, the hard way.

Then he cranks up another one. “The Blues is Fallin Down Like Rain.” And it does, half way through Tab Benoit’s next, closing set on Sunday. It rains like hell and sends us all runnin for cover. But not before he blows us away with four numbers - expressions of the kind of

IAN SIEGAL

swamp blues he’s lived on and created.

I’d never seen Tab Benoit live before, and damn! His guitar licks are prodigious and come from somewhere I’ll never understand, only feel. Of course, he’s legendary, recognised, awarded. Commercially successful. All of that.

At his core he is one amazing bluesman. More like Delta Blues. Picker and singer. He plays drums, too, although not this night. No pretenses. Just the real deal. Here I am, feelin’ good, hope you do, too. Another Louisiana boy (he played for a while with Kenny Neal’s father, Raful Neal), Tab does a lot of original stuff in his gigs, and on his albums.

Benoit closes the festival, down. Well, him and the rain. But he nailed it. His amplified sound overcame the rain with full clarity and reached the last row of concert goers, the last bus in the back. I asked him later, “How the hell do you guys get so much sound from just a guitar, a bass and drums?” “What else do you need?” he said. And he’s right. He gets it all from the mere trio of instruments that’s as old, and basic, as the blues itself.

Tab’s got a story, too. He has dedicated himself for years to his state’s wetlands and the growing threats from the receding coastal perimeters. Early on he received the Governor’s Award for Conservationist of the Year, 2009, by the Louisiana Wildlife foundation, and later founded the not-for-profit Voice of the Wetlands Foundation (VOW) to support outreach and education about these threats to their rich culture. His unplanned break after four songs leaves us all wanting more. Much more.

Ain’t nothin’ like the blues. And the stories about the people who bring it to us.

WORDS AND IMAGES: TIM ARNOLD

DAVE KELLY

& CHRISTINE COLLISTER

THE KARDOMAH, HULL 27TH MAY 2019

The Blues Band, featuring Paul Jones and Dave Kelly, are currently celebrating 40 years on the road. Not bad for an outfit

who got together back in 1979 ostensibly ‘for beer money’. But the permutations which emanate from this distinguished quintet of veterans speak volumes for a broad menu of talent and erudition.

As well as The Manfreds, featuring Tom McGuinness and Rob Townsend, there’s the Gary Fletcher band, or you can choose Paul Jones and Dave Kelly as the ultimate acoustic blues duo, then occasionally the Dave Kelly Band, or Dave solo or touring alongside the magnificent Maggie Bell or, as in this instance, the delectable Christine Collister. The Kardomah is a superb, intimate venue which even provides leather armchairs (well, what would you expect from the City of Culture?). The Collister/Kelly combination gives Dave a chance to play country. As he tells tonight’s audience, “I don’t get to play much country in The Blues Band - the harmonica player doesn’t like it …” Ms. Collister, whose musical flair was honed alongside Richard and Linda Thompson and guitarist Clive Gregson, among others, is one hell of a singer. Tonight’s set list included some vocal gems from Townes van Zandt, John Fogerty and others.

There were soaring vocal summits with 110 In The Shade, Gold Coast Highway and the beautiful harmonies of Boulder to Birmingham and an exquisite rendering of the Everly Brothers, Let it Be Me. Listening to Dave Kelly delivering classics by Robert Johnson or John Lee Hooker is thrilling enough, but when Christine lets rip with Memphis Minnie or the duo hit us with the force of Kicking In My Stall you realise you are in the presence of powerful talent.

It is also fascinating when Dave Kelly relates stories from his long career. Few British musicians can lay claim to being sidemen for Howlin’ Wolf, Hooker, and more recently James Burton. This was a terrific evening in the company of a pair of well-seasoned, gifted artists. It’s an amiable show (the singalong to City of New Orleans was a shared delight) and you shouldn’t miss if it comes your way.

WORDS: ROY BAINTON

IAN SIEGAL SINGS PRE-WAR BLUES DINGWALLS, CAMDEN (LONDON)

12TH JUNE 2019

A rainy night in, well, London rather than Georgia, but the evening’s triple bill of entertainment would blow the clouds away. The location was the legendary Dingwalls in Camden Lock, a mainstay of the London music scene through the 70s and 80s with its eclectic booking policy and late opening hours. Happily, it has survived into the 21st century and provided a comfortable, intimate setting for a night of (mainly) acoustic blues.

Opening the show were The Jujubes, a trio with vocalist Nikki accompanied by her two instrumentalists Sandy (guitars) and Pete (harp/guitar). Nikki possesses a delicate, precise voice, nicely balanced by the more vigorous guitar work deployed by the other two. They made the most of a set of blues standards (Spoonful Why Don’t You Do Right, etc) and set the ambiance up nicely for the rest of the show.

Mark Harrison (accompanied tonight on snare by Ben Weldon) is a superb songwriter. He has a dry, wry sense of humour and a particular flair with language. His guitar picking is pretty decent as well! In a set of mainly his own material (there might have been one cover of a Reverend Gary Davis song, which should give an idea of Mark’s musical taste), he touched on topics including depression, the decline of the British car industry, the role of Chinese immigrant labourers in the construction of the US transcontinental railroad and his father’s memories of the WW2 blitz in Coventry, closing up with a dedication to the late Dr. John, asking who would be in your second line. All in all, a delightful, entertaining and thoughtful performance.

Ian Siegal, everybody’s favourite bad boy, topped the bill, He took the stage in a beige three-piece suit, pocket square, open neck shirt and shades, looking way too cool for school. Despite this he was at pains to point out the shades were prescription

CONCERTS

and definitely not an attempt to emulate certain blues guitar heroes(!). The show was promoted as being pre-war blues, and what this meant was that Ian had the chance to bring out songs by the “blues heroes” who have inspired him, reaching into the catalogue of the likes of Son House, Charlie Patton, Mississippi John Hurt, Tommy McLennan and Leadbelly. As wonderful as this catalogue is in its own right, the real gold was in the way Ian treated us to insights and shared the meaning of the songs to him. He described himself as a “blues fan” rather than a “blues man” and I believe this is what invests Ian’s performances with such authenticity and integrity.

Big thanks are due to DMP UK & Balling The Jack, for putting this gig together and many other fine events as part of their second annual Future Juke: 21st Century Blues Festival - here’s to much success in the future, and also to Dingwalls for providing a superior concert-going experience.

WORDS: GLENN NOBLE

PHOTOS: JENNIFER NOBLE

LIL’ JIMMY REED THE KARDOMAH, HULL

6TH JUN 2019

For a man of 81, with dozens of grandchildren and great grandchildren, (the title’s a misnomer, he’s quite tall) guitarist, and singer, Lil’ Jimmy Reed plays like a lad in his 30s. Hull’s Kardomah is a superbly intimate venue perfect for showcasing one of the deep South’s surviving originals. He’s been on tour for a long time as part of a trio with legendary UK blues piano master Bob Hall and the diminutive dynamo Hilary Blythe on bass.

This all combines to make a packed blues show which feels much bigger than it is. Naturally, Jimmy gives us a stirring rendition of one of his namesake Jimmy Reed’s big hits, Big Boss Man. He moved the audience with How Blue Can You Get and Tell Me What’s On Your Mind, then left the stage to wander through the delighted audience as he performed Muddy’s Hoochie Coochie Man. His confident guitar

playing runs through every number, but Bob Hall’s driving grip on boogiewoogie underpins everything, whilst Hilary Blythe’s thumping acoustic bass adds an authentic Louisiana club ambience to the proceedings. This was a thrilling performance by mature musicians who know what the blues means and exactly how it should sound. If they come round your way, buy a ticket, you’ll not be disappointed.

ROY BAINTON

MUNGO JERRY BRUDENELL SOCIAL CLUB, LEEDS

14TH JUNE 2019

If anyone had turned up on Friday evening at the Brudenell Social Club, a thriving ex-working men’s club in the heart of Leeds student land, expecting to hear Mungo Jerry churn out a few hits from the seventies and some other pop stuff, they would have been very disappointed. What they did get was a selection of tracks from Mungo’s latest album, which is due for imminent release, along with excellent reworkings of some of Mungo’s classics. The evening was kicked off by the punk inspired Loz Cambell trio. It was a very energetic start to a Friday evening, although Loz was suffering from a bad throat, which restricted her set. (Personally, I thought this seemed to add a distinctive, gravelly Yorkshire tone to the vocals.)

Loz had been kind enough to lend Ray Dorset her amp, since his had inconsiderately blown during rehearsals. Mungo Jerry then came on stage and it was obvious that Ray was feeling on good form, exchanging light-hearted banter with the audience. (“I’ve got more hair than most of you lot!”) and even allowing on stage the three Mungowannabees, who had dressed for the evening, wigs ‘n all. The first number, Stray Dog, was fresh from the new album and was a good bluesy rocking tune, a great way to start the set. The band consisted of, Toby Hounsham on keyboards, Franky Klassen on cello, Darren Jones on bass, Bob

MUNGO JERRY

Davy added a saxophone to the line-up. The next track up, Gotta Have A Plan, was a slightly funkier number, with some lovely electric piano. Come To The Party had a New Orleans/Fats Domino feel to it and by this time the audience were definitely ready to join in the chorus line of All Night Long and were having a great Friday evening. Ray was giving his all on vocals, kazoo, harmonica and guitar (surely not all at the same time? Although it did somehow seem like it!) Then followed some more tracks from the new album, mixed in with some of Mungo’s earlier stuff, interspersed with teasing fragments of the unmissable In The Summertime, which Ray playfully interjected.

Ray rolled back the years with his Elvis style version of the song I feel Like I’m In Love, which he wrote and was a massive hit for Kelly Marie back in 1980. Little Miss Hipshake had a T-Rex style funky groove to it and rocked the room. After a terrific set and a resounding encore, which included Alright, Alright, Alright, Ray and the band had entertained the audience for the best part of two hours.

True professional that he is, Ray courteously came out to talk to all those who had stayed to buy merchandise or just to get a selfie with the legend that is Mungo Jerry. What incredible stamina.

WORDS & PICTURES: STEVE BANKS