Blues Matters 112

FEB/MAR 2020 ISSUE 112 £4.99

Our name says it all!

Dani Wilde

Being in the right place

CARROLINE SHINES BORN TO THE BLUES

DEBBIE BOND

ALABAMA BOUND

TERRY ROBB – SONNY LANDRETH – ALBERT CUMMINGS – JIMMY CARPENTER – GERAINT WATKINS

Editor’s comment

WELCOME to BM 112

So, how’s your New Year going folks?

Following on from the last issue, the news is we are now on sale in Italian stores too.

We also welcome our new Design Manager, Ian Potter who has been our web developer and manager for some time now. Also, adding to the team we welcome Erik De’Scathebury as writer, photographer and Copy Editor, he takes on this role from issue 112. We have also made some changes to our internal system with the aim that you see the benefits.

Ears recovered from all those jingling bells and carols? I asked someone if they had family round for Xmas and the reply I got was “we call them pigs in blankets because some had to sleep in blankets we didn’t have enough beds and they were a ‘bl**dy’ nuisance!” He’s over it now and trying to live up to his New Years’ resolution!

There’s never a dull moment in the BM world as we roll along, singing our song... tell your pals to join in the fun - subscription info is below, and it’s easy to enroll!

You may notice the choice of talented ladies to grace our cover with interviews inside. We also celebrate one of our own, Jennifer Noble, who has written the first book called 50 Women in the Blues and is published to the world and has a review and short feature in this very issue. Do check it out!!

Well I’ll leave you good folks to turn the pages of this volume and sink into our thrilling new layout and content. As always, as we move forward, we strive to continue to improve and after having gone through some changes over the last year we hope you see and feel as excited about this issue as we do as we continue to gain ground out there.

Keep on keeping-on folks and enjoy another vitality packed issue.

BLUES MATTERS!

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Contributing Writers:

Tim Arnold (USA), Roy Bainton, Eric Baker (USA), Steve Banks, Adrian Blacklee, Eddy Bonte (Bel), Colin Campbell, Iain Cameron, Laura Carbone (USA), Norman Darwen, Erik Damian, Dianne Dodsworth, Dave Drury, Ben Elliott (USA), Barry Fisch (USA), Sybil Gage (USA), Stuart A. Hamilton, Stephen Harrison, Trevor Hodgett, Rowland Jones, Jean Knappitt, Brian Kramer (Sw), Frank Leigh, Andy Lindley, Gian Luca (USA), Ben McNair, John Mitchell, Glenn Noble, Toby Ornott, Merv Osborne, David Osler, Iain Patience (Fr), Alan Pearce, Dom Pipkin, Sharon Ponsford, Simon Redley, Darrell Sage (USA), Paromita Saha-Killelea (USA), Pete Sargeant, Glenn Sargeant, Graeme Scott, Andy Snipper, Dave Stone, Matty T. Wall (Aus), Don Wilcock (USA), Dani Wilde, Steve Yourglivch.

Contributing Photographers:

Arnie Goodman, Jennifer Noble, Erik De’Scathebury, others credited on page

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.

INTERVIEWS

42 |

48 |

52 |

56 |

MALONE SIBUN

A new band, a new UK pairing with power and purpose

JIMMY CARPENTER

The US soul doctor is in the house and we talk to him ahead of his UK tour

DEBBIE BOND

An Alabama blueslady with an international history and blues intention

CARROLINE SHINES

A US soul-blueslady with a voice and a legacy like no other

DANI WILDE

Cover girl, BM writer and the Belle of British Blues gives us the low down on her career, motherhood and more

62 |

ALBERT CUMMINGS

US blues-rock guitarist says ‘Believe’ in the other guy, it’s Albert’s music!

66 |

BLUES CARAVAN TIME

We hear from three international blues ladies

72 | RUBY TURNER

it’s a New Year Hootenanny from a blues-soul great

78 |

SONNY LANDRETH

Another US master chats about the music and life.

82 |

GERAINT WATKINS

We speak to the Welsh keys wizard about life, music and a career at the top

86 |

TERRY ROBB

‘Confessing My Dues’ from the US acoustic blues master

90 |

GRAHAM LILLEY

Gary Moore’s right-hand man reveals all

PHENOMENAL BLUES WOMEN

Elizabeth ‘Libba’ Cotten

Elizabeth Cotten wrote the classic blues song Freight Train when she was just 11 years old, and won a Grammy at the age of 90. In between, she worked as a store assistant, a nanny, and a maid - until that is, she was discovered by the famous Folk singing ‘Seeger’ family whilst she was working for them as a housekeeper!

This is her fascinating story:

WORDS: Dani Wilde PICTURES: Supplied

Elizabeth Cotten wrote the classic blues song Freight Train when she was just eleven years old; and won a Grammy at the age of ninety. In between, she worked as a store assistant, a nanny, and a maid – until, that is, she was discovered by the famous Folk-singing ‘Seeger’ family whilst she was working for them as a housekeeper! This is her fascinating story:

Elizabeth Cotten was born Lil Sis’ Nevills in 1893 to a musical family in North Carolina. She was the youngest of five children and it is said that she named herself on her first day of school. When her first-grade teacher asked her name, she decided upon Elizabeth, because at home she was only called Lil Sis!

When Elizabeth turned seven, although forbidden, she began to play her elder brother’s guitar and banjo when he was away: ‘From that day on,’ she would recall, ‘nobody had no peace in that house!’ Being left-handed, she would hold the guitar and banjo upside down to make them easier to play. She began to develop a unique guitar style whereby she plucked simple figures played on the bass strings in counterpoint to a melody on the treble strings. Sixty years later, this method would become widely known as ‘Cotten style.’ Elizabeth played with a reversed technique - picking the bass strings with her fingers and the treble (melody strings) with her thumb, creating a sound that was all her own.

At the age of nine, Elizabeth was forced to quit school to contribute to the family’s income. She began working as a maid alongside her mother. Although self-taught, she was disciplined at keeping up her guitar practice and song writing. By the age of eleven she had saved up $3.75 (equivalent to

$105 today) and was able to purchase a guitar of her own from the local dry-goods store. In the evenings, Elizabeth and her brother would go outside and chop wood for the fire. As they worked, they would make up songs and Elizabeth used to sing about the trains that passed through her town. In 1906, from the bedroom of her childhood home in North Carolina’s Carrboro, eleven-year old Elizabeth Cotten listened to the locomotives clacking along the track outside her window; she picked her new guitar and composed as a child what would eventually become her most successful song Freight Train.

‘When I die, oh bury me deep

Down at the end of old Chestnut Street

So I can hear old Number Nine

As she comes rolling by’

Young Elizabeth could never have imagined that her song would become a standard in American folk and British skiffle music. It would one day be covered by The Quarrymen (Lennon/McCartney), Joan Baez, Peter Paul and Mary, and Odetta to name but a few.

Turning fifteen years of age, Elizabeth married Frank Cotten and they had a daughter called Lilly. Elizabeth found she no longer had the time to pursue her passion for the guitar, instead dedicating her time to motherhood and church. The Church also influenced her decision, impressing on her to stop playing ‘worldly’ blues folk songs, in favour of Christian hymns. It wasn’t until her daughter had grown up and married that Elizabeth took up her guitar playing once more. Her relationship with Frank had become tempestuous and eventually she decided to divorce him and moved in with her daughter’s family. Other than the occasional performance in Church,

Elizabeth had taken a twenty-five-year break from her music before finally finding the time to rekindle her passion. Despite this, she was not performing publicly and she would not make any recordings until she was in her sixties. As if by fate, Elizabeth Cotten was to be discovered in the most unlikely scenario. Whilst working selling dolls at Landsburgh’s Department Store, Elizabeth Cotten came across a lost child who was wandering the aisles, desperately looking for her mother. The child happened to be a very young Peggy Seeger, and her mother, the folk singer-songwriter Ruth Crawford Seeger. Elizabeth comforted the child and returned her to Ruth. The two women then struck up a life-changing conversation that resulted in Ruth Seeger offering Elizabeth a job working as a maid in their family home. Ruth’s husband was the successful musicologist and folk songwriter, Charles Seeger. Elizabeth was employed to keep house and helped to care for their children Mike, Peggy, Barbara, Penny and Pete. When Elizabeth picked up one of the many guitars in the house and began strumming, the legendary musical family were blown away, and they all encouraged her talent. ‘Peggy was learning to play,’ Mike Seeger would later reminisce, ‘and it was Peggy who discovered Elizabeth playing.’ As if by fate, Elizabeth was in the right place at the right time, and the Seeger’s welcomed ‘Libba’ (Penny Seeger’s nickname for Elizabeth) into their musical fold.

By 1958, Mike Seeger had begun making tape recordings of Elizabeth Cotten in her house. These recordings would soon become her influential debut album Freight Train and Other North Carolina Folk Songs and Tunes which set the stage for the 1960s Folk Revival - Elizabeth was now 62 years old. Her voice was haunting and dry – she wasn’t a fancy vocalist– but like a ‘Bob Dylan’ she was emotive; a wordsmith and a storyteller. What really shone on this album though was her unique ‘Cotten-Picking’ guitar style that would be hugely influential to musicians of the 1960’s folk revival and future generations of guitar players. You can hear her influence for-example in Bob Dylan’s Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright. Although labelled as folk-blues, Elizabeth Cotton’s guitar style had a strong ragtime influence, and a softened, classical-like guitar sound achieved by light strings, beautiful technique and the fact that she was a left-handed guitarist, picking a right handed guitar.

Meanwhile, across the pond in England, Peggy Seeger was performing a cover version Freight Train in her live set. Scottish folk singer Nancy Whiskey was inspired by Peggy’s version and

decided to record her own interpretation which became a hit in 1957 - but the credit for the song was given to two men who had once persuaded Peggy to sing into their tape recorder. Around the same time, Freight Train became a hit in the United States for country singer Rusty Draper, who also failed to credit Elizabeth Cotten. Elizabeth began hearing her song on the radio…

Mike Seeger, who had begun inviting Elizabeth to perform alongside him at his concerts, recalled how he had helped her to be paid the publishing for her song: ‘there were lawyers - Elizabeth was given a third of the credit for Freight Train which she graciously accepted.’ In 1963, folk superstar’s Peter, Paul and Mary had a hit with their cover version of Freight Train. Mike Seeger explained how ‘Peter Yarrow called and asked to give full credit for the song to Elizabeth, even though they had added something. That was very nice.’

At last Elizabeth was gaining the recognition she deserved. Following the success of Peter Paul and Mary’s cover, The New York Times published an article celebrating Elizabeth Cotten’s music and her journey from hired help to renowned musician. Throughout the 1960’s Elizabeth Cotten shared the bill with Mississippi John Hurt, John Lee Hooker and Muddy Waters at venues including the Newport Folk Festival and the Smithsonian Festival of American Folklife. On stage, she would proudly tell her audience ‘Nobody did teach me. Everything I know, I learned all by myself, so, I give myself all of the credit.’

Elizabeth Cotten’s Blues and Folk songs have since been celebrated and covered by artists from Bob Dylan, to The Grateful Dead and Taj Mahal. She toured and performed to the very end of her life. In 1984, at the age of ninety, she won a Grammy in the category of Best Ethnic or Traditional Folk Recording.

Looking back with fresh perspective, the sad song lyrics she had written as a child suddenly take on a new, more hopeful meaning - because Elizabeth would never have dreamed of the route she was to travel:

‘Please don’t tell what train I’m on They won’t know what route I’m going’

Elizabeth Cotten’s last concert was held in New York in 1987, just before her death at the age of 94.

Be sure to check out: Freight Train, Oh, Babe, It Ain’t No Lie, Shake Sugaree. Like so many other baby.

Strings Things &

Like so many other baby boomers here in the UK, my body and soul were first exposed to the blues in May 24, 1964, the very moment Muddy Waters burst onto my TV screen live and kicking from the platform of Chorlton railway station not far from Manchester and my home town of Preston. The American folk-blues tour had come to Britain and the north courtesy of Granada television (destiny and fate would ensure that a young man called Joe Boyd employed to look after Muddy on that tour would, 20 years later, sign me to his fledgling Hannibal records).

Discovering this music and art form from the Mississippi Delta could not have come at a better time. Having already been strumming guitar for a few

years under the primitive but functional tuition of Bert Weedon’s iconic manuscript ‘Play in a Day,’ I was eager to soak up everything I could as it seemed to resonate with me very strongly. The release of John Mayall’s Blues Breakers LP two years later saw me taking note of the musicians Clapton mentioned, and from that point I immersed myself further in everything the Delta had to offer - books, LPs and like-minded friends became important threads in a mind previously occupied by Tom Finney and all things Preston North End. My time on the planet, part two had begun.

Vinyl records littered the front room of our family home. Leadbelly, Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee, Son House and Robert Johnson all became my guard-

WORDS & PICTURES: Kevin Brown

ian soulmates. Being an only child meant I could concentrate without sibling distraction on the task of unravelling methods and techniques of the great Delta masters.

Eager to test my skills I would often venture down to London’s Portobello Road on busking adventures and on one particular day whilst struggling with a rather lame rendition of Walking Blues, a Son House classic, I was suddenly confronted with an astonishing vision of that vary same living legend, standing before me with an outstretched hand of greeting. It was Son House himself, accompanied by his manager

Muddy Waters, Otis Span, Willie Dixon and Sister Rosetta Tharpe all those years ago. Having lived and worked in Austin, Texas, during its heyday of the late seventies to mid-80s, I was fully aware of how beneficial trips to the sources of inspiration can be. Apart from being invaluable and beneficial to one’s own interpretation and manifestation of a performing art, the enjoyment and experience of being within and around other like-minded people is so good for the soul and rich in much-needed inspiration for writing.

With the company of a lifelong companion and fellow blues lover, Stuart Fiddes, flights were booked in late September, in time to take in the local deep blues and the King Biscuit Festival in nearby Helena, Arkansas. Landing in Memphis meant just a short ninety-minute drive to Clarksdale, and from the moment one enters the peace and tranquillity of this historic town you can feel the aura and energy that still vibrates throughout its streets today. Comparatively speaking, the town is in good health as, thankfully, many small businesses and entrepreneurs have answered a calling to this holy grail making it one of the most vibrant centres of Mississippi culture, and signs of future growth are constantly emerging.

and friend Dick Waterman. I couldn’t believe my ears when they invited me to join them in a nearby hostelry resulting in Dick entrusting my colleague and I with the care of a personal hero for the rest of the afternoon. I have on many occasions made public the secrets he unravelled to me that day.

After relocating in 1978, some years later to Bath and the West Country, I was to embark upon my first steps into a recording career. And, in 1983, handing me the pen that signed me to Hannibal records was none other than Joe Boyd the guy who all those years before had looked after Muddy Waters as he burst from my TV screen to christen the start of a lifelong journey in blues.

So now, thirty-five years and thirteen albums later, the time to pay my dues had finally arrived. Inspired and encouraged by my good friend Mark Cole, I planned a trip to celebrate all the joys and pleasures my association with the Mississippi Delta, its artists and culture had brought me since my encounter with

One soon realises the blues and its many strands are well covered here: from the gospel hollers of Rev John Wilkins to the Sam Cooke stylings of guitar virtuoso Lucious Spiller and Hill Country influenced Kenny Brown, you will soon be aware that the flame is very much being kept alive. Here. Sounds of Junior Kimborough, RL Burnside and Robert Belfour still pervade the air. With live music every night in a well organised shared venue programme you simply cannot go wrong. Lovers of rural Mississippi Delta blues will not be disappointed. Neither will those in search of hill country blue styles for which this area is so famous for.

Thankfully, in current times, Clarksdale is being kept alive by the enthusiasm of a growing number of individuals who seem to have answered a calling to live, work and help revitalise this once thriving community. Few will deny the legacy bestowed upon Cat Head store-owner Roger Stolle. Arriving in town in the early 2002, he single-handedly began the enormous task of bringing to the world’s notice the importance and significance of this humble North Delta community that has left us with such rich golden threads of cultural history. Amongst others Roger was later joined by Art and Carol Crivaro, and Stan Street, both from Florida, to help provide much needed venues bringing the dream of live music seven-nights a week to reality.

So, in 2019, many regional styles are still employed to good effect in the current live music set up around town. You will find everything you need here from the Jimmie Reed inspired Robert Lee, ‘Lil Pooch Watson and Ezekiel Early to the highly honed grooves and vocal renditions of Terry Harmonica Bean. Evidence of past vibes abound when you hear the soul gospel roots of Lucious Spiller recreating memories of Sam Cook and Al green with his soulful vocals. Fans of Mississippi hill country can still get their kicks from R.L. Boyce, Lightnin Malcolm or Alvin Youngblood Heart.

When locals, Louise Johnson, Willie Brown and Son House set out for Grafton, Wisconsin, in 1930, under the guidance of Charlie Patton little did they know that decades later visitors the world over would still be acknowledging the power and legacy that these local legends left behind for future generations to enjoy.

A further advantage this town has to offer is the constant influx of touring artists longing to return to the roots of the culture that has provided them with such a profound purpose in life. Robert Plant, Jack White, Dave Stewart, Charlie Musslewhite and many others have paid homage and offered support to keep this living, breathing temple of culture alive. This makes it a constant hotbed for both visiting and unsung talent. Seasick Steve, C W Stoneking, all bring whole new interpretations. Mississippians Kenny Brown and Libby Rae Watson, Bill and Shy Perry, Johnny Rawls, all come to share the inspiration and help spread the gospel amongst the constant stream of visitors from all corners of the globe. Modern craftsmen of the genre such as residents Watermelon Slim and Deak Harp have chosen to live close to their musical roots. But whilst live music is recognised and appreciated, there is an underlying element that must never be forgotten, and that is the southern hospitality to be found within Clarksdale.

Walk into any store, restaurant or bar and don’t be surprised if you walk out a lot later than expected. Each day brings new friends, stories, connections, invites, and future dates. Imagine waking up one morning and all the venues in your hometown have been turned into live blues joints portraying every style of blues imaginable, with affordable cover charges, complementary food, plus the opportunity to tip the artist. It all makes sense, keeps musicians in work and ensures good footfall. It’s a great system and I love it. For example, Monday nights at the Hopson plantation is free with complementary food, and the audience supports the artist through tips and

CD purchases, plus the added bonus of local historian, retired firefighter Robert Birdsong, running the entire show whilst serving the customers with historic blues facts thrown in for free.

Next door lies the amazing collection of Americana currently presided over by co-founder Bill Talbot and known the world over as the Shack Up Inn. This is where my journey started and where I eventually had a residency. Being provided with a bed and truck and a nightly happy hour audience enabled me to get a foot in the door in this blues Disneyland. If Americana paraphernalia is your bag, then this is the place to visit. The plantation here provided the test bed for the mechanised cotton-picking prototypes, remnants of which can still be seen around the grounds (and inside your rescued sharecroppers shack if you’re lucky).

It’s a good hour walk into Clarksdale from here, and these journeys provided me the opportunity to ponder on my good fortune with only the sound of my footsteps and the rustle of the crops in the nearby cotton fields to keep me company. Whether it be the eerie lonesomeness of the original and long forgotten Highway 49 or the peacefulness of Clarksdale’s downtown artisan quarter there is so much to enjoy in this little piece of North Mississippi heaven.

Like many other wonders that have fallen before my path, Clarksdale and its people will always be an inspiration to me. For all those who long for a return to the simple joys of life as the outside world and its troubled times drift slowly by, I cannot recommend this living, breathing, cultural theatre highly enough, it holds a worthy position on your bucket list. Tick it off before it’s too late.

BLUES

WORDS: Matty T. Wall PICTURES: As Credited

While we are being scorched down here with incredible heat and burning bushfires, I can see many places I have been to that have been impacted in this present moment and spanning back over the many decades. I recently had the opportunity to play at a couple of festivals in Victoria, the home of the beautiful city of Melbourne.

Marysville Jazz and Blues Weekend is in its early years, but is becoming a staple in the Melbourne blues and jazz scene as a top-class jazz festivalrising like a phoenix from the ashes - on its way to becoming another epic festival in the already very full festival calendar in Victoria.

Marysville is situated in the stunning hills and mountains in the region known as Yarra Valley, well known for its amazing wines and forested national parks. But it was only recently, in 2009 that this whole area was pretty much wiped off the map in horrifying and catastrophic bushfires. I even have family that live there who were impacted in a major way through this devastating event. But, since that time, through donations, goodwill and hard work, Marysville has been rebuilt to become an amazing destination, not only to the new buildings and regrown landscapes, but the people, who have an enduring and gentle spirit. And it is in this spirit that the Marysville Jazz and Blues weekend takes place. This year featuring class acts such as the Vika and Linda Bull Sisters, Karen Lee Andrews and others, the event was another success and I had the chance to see many vibrant acts. I had a new experience too at this festival, doing my first workshop on blues guitar. I have done workshops in the past, but only alongside other guitarists,

so this was very memorable to me. I shared all my knowledge of the blues and the guitar and spilled the beans on all my secrets to tone and combining genres. It all starts with the guitar and the pick!

Mike Elrington was halfway through his set when I got to see him play, this is a big man with a very big voice. He plays and sings solo with great intensity and talent and I am always struck whenever I get to see him play. The next artist worth mentioning was Julian James, who does a throwback to the blues of the past in the acoustic realm, this time, joined by an incredible trombonist from Melbourne, Lisa Baird – she is amazing! Really enjoyed the performance and hopefully I can get her on one of my recordings someday. After this it was time for my band to jump on stage and do the contemporary blues tinged with rock thing. Bear in mind, we had been up since the prior morning, as it is an overnight flight from Perth to Melbourne, I don’t know if any of you out there sleep on planes, but I know I certainly don’t! Anyways, all that aside, the show was a success and we were off to the next show, whilst catching some more cool acts. Another cool act and another solo artist was Charlie Bedford; he seems to be making waves these days. As a representative of the International Blues Challenge, he has really stepped up to the plate, nice and loose, bluesy but very contemporary sounds, which is something I really like to see. Young artists pushing the boundaries of the blues, and the perception of the blues.

Well, Marysville Jazz and Blues Festival ended for us with a manic and outrageous night where we played to a packed house and even had

people dancing on tables for half the set, which was a ‘thing’ last time we played here – such a killer show and we enjoyed every minute of it. Gotta love a gig where people are dancing on tables – epic!

The next festival I want to share with you is the fast-becoming legendary Bendigo Blues & Roots Music Festival, this year featuring John Butler and many more. Bendigo is a town only 2 hours out of Melbourne, which really is another city. Bendigo grew from the gold rush days in the 1800s to be one of the largest regional centres in Victoria. Now, this blues festival

is special to me, because I’ve had the opportunity to play the festival all the way from my first steps in the Australian blues scene. And I’m very thankful of that.This time, we came bearing gifts in the form of my new album Transpacific Blues Vol.1 with special guests Walter Trout, Eric Gales, Kirk Fletcher, Dave Hole and Kid Ramos. Long story short, the new album went down a treat, but I am sure you will get to read about that in Blues Matters soon.

The Bendigo Blues & Roots Music Festival is BIG.

We’re talking hundreds of artists, all playing dozens and dozens of

MATTY T. WALL BY SEAN CLOHESY

venues throughout the town simultaneously and non-stop. It’s one of those festivals where you would walk past a venue and hear something cool and say ‘what is that?’, and then that happens all weekend. Very fun, but also very intimate as most of the venues are not large festival stages – it is done in quite the reverse –which is refreshing.

There were some stellar acts that I had the pleasure of seeing that weekend including the electrifying Claude Hay. Claude is a class act, and I think he does tour the UK and Netherlands quite frequently, so if you get a chance to see him live, go and check him out. Very down to earth, unpretentious and real, but with this feel of music that just makes you want to dance and move. His gigs are always a full floor of dancing and grooving and he keeps the beat pretty intense – I am a fan of his live shows and he is a gun on the slide guitar too. He also builds his own guitars which is pretty cool, I have seen him play some pretty crazy instruments made from all sorts of things.

Another cool band from the festival was Rambal – featuring Justin Yap on guitar (who I have written about before in this magazine) and Nardia Brancatisano on vocals – this is one truly class act band who have not received the international accolades they deserve just yet. Justin plays in the style reminiscent of Derek Trucks, but without the slide, which makes for a very jazzy and classy take on Derek’s bluesy slide style. I could literally spend all day just listening to Justin Yap play the guitar, very easy on the ears but very interesting phrasing that just nails it every time. Combine that with Nardia on vocals who has a huge powerful soul sound that is Gospel and Soul and Blues all at once – the sort of thing you hear when Etta James sing. Just a mixing pot of everything that is powerful female vocals from the heartland of the blues.

We had a great time playing the Bendigo Blues & Roots Music festival and I’ll leave you with one little moment, a moment that seems to happen over and over again whenever I play the Bendigo festival. You see, it seems that every finale gig I do at the festival, I have this tendency to climb the nearest towering speaker stack and let rip with a guitar solo. I don’t know what compels me to do it, but I am pointing all the blame at my childhood hero Angus Young, who, to this day,

at 60+ years of age, still delivers electrifying performances whilst nailing all the guitar solos. Hey, some blues police might scoff at that sort of thing, but to me it just feels right. They have just got to stop putting big towering speaker stacks right next to the stage when I play! Hahaha.

So, I’ll leave you with that thought – just do what feels right – and maybe we can all make this world a little kinder and a little more interesting which is what we need in the age of hyped sensationalism.

In the meantime, though, come check out my new album Transpacific Blues Vol.1 – Eric Gales, Walter Trout, Kirk Fletcher, Dave Hole and Kid Ramos joined me for a blues-guitar jam fest that you just have to hear to believe. See ya next time!

LISA BAIRD BY LU-ANN RANDALL

CLAUDE HAY BY JOSANNE VAN DER HEIJDEN

ROOTS FRUITS AND THE

WORDS: Stephen Harrison PICTURES: Supplied

When we talk about blues music, we automatically lean our minds towards the Mississippi Delta and quite rightly so, for that is where the American blues scene first came into existence. The slaves working in the cotton fields and living in and around the sharecropping communities began a ‘Field Holler’ as a means of communication between themselves, that over time became more musical through the church services that were attended by the migrant workforce. But even though this was the genesis of the American blues scene, it had manifested itself many years before that from much further afield. In fact, it all stemmed from West Africa from the likes of the Jora tribe that had developed the ‘Field Holler’ as a means of call and response.

During this period such instruments as the Ngoni and banjo were used as part of the musical heritage of the region. This gave birth to what we now call the blues. From such unthinkable beginnings came a genre of music that has lasted for over 150 years. Indeed, one of the most acclaimed tunes regarding blues and gospel music began its life in West Africa as a warning song to the people working in the fields in order for them to avoid capture from the overseeing landowners. The song we now know as Wade in The Water was an emergency call to immerse themselves underwater so as to avoid capture. As we all know, the slave trade began in earnest and resulted in people from West Africa being enslaved and transported to America to work in the cotton fields of the Mississippi Delta.

The first known enslaved people arrived between 1870-1890 and were the originators of what we now call the blues. During this time the blues manifested itself into what we know today. In Mississippi the slave workers developed what was already

well known to them from their roots in West and North Africa into a more common sound. For instance, the use of a knife blade along the strings of a rudimentary guitar became the norm and is still alive and kicking nowadays, but in the form of slide guitar. It can be argued who was the first person outside of the slavery that heard the blues, began to listen with interest, and start bringing the genre to a wider audience. Some say it is the Godfather of the blues, W.C Handy. Others point towards Jelly Roll Morton who definitely started playing a style of blues around the turn of the century. Jelly Roll Morton recounts the tale of hearing a prostitute singing the blues at around 1900 with the lines...Can’t give me a dollar give me a lousy dime/You can’t give me

Ali Farka Touré

a dollar, give me a lousy dime/just to feed that hungry man of mine. In and around that time W. C Handy Heard Yellow Raw Blues which later became Yellow Dog Blues in Tupelo, Mississippi. All of the songs around that period had African elements within them having been brought to America and passed down through generations of slave workers. Yellow Dog Blues became a sort of ragtime tune as opposed to a straight blues song, but the blues DNA was still running right the way through it.

Going from West Africa to Mississippi, the blues has been well documented through the years but what is really good to know is that in places like Mali the blues still retains its true beginnings and meanings. This is no more evident than in the African musician Ali Farka Toure. His style of singing and playing could so easily have been heard in the deep south of America instead of West Africa. Born in 1939 in Timbuktu, Mali, he is widely regarded as a musical bridge between the two continents that between them produced a genre of music that spans the whole world and is ever growing amongst new audiences. His album African Blues, released in 1990 optimizes the true DNA of African and American blues as we know it today. Even to this day African Blues Festivals attract global fans and artists such as Eric Bibb, Eric Burdon, Justin Adams, and Robert Plant to out of the way places that are virtually only accessible by following camel tracks in the

desert. It is almost unbelievable that the whole of western musical culture owes its life and history to places that we have hardly ever heard about. It’s like things have gone full circle encompassing the blues from birth to life and back again. And the amazing thing about all of this culture of blues music is that it can literally trace its biological DNA from West Africa to the Mississippi Delta through the people who live on both continents. This is so evident in the song written by J C Johnson and recorded by Bessie Smith in 1930, Black Mountain Blues. The song has such strong elements of Africa and the journey to its cultural new home of the deep south.

To close this short journey through the birth of the blues one must not forget its origins. From West and North Africa, across to the vast plains of the Mississippi Delta, the blues can trace its humble seeds to the mighty rivers and cities that helped forge the blues as we know it today. What is very important to remember is where it all began, and where it comes from; Africa, The Motherland of all civilization. That in itself describes just how powerful and meaningful the blues are as a musical genesis and giver of life. People often say I like the blues. But to like the blues you first have to understand the blues and feel the blues otherwise it’s just another form of music. A wise man once said, when you got the blues you play the blues, but when you play the blues you don’t got them no more.

Jelly Roll Morton

WC Handy B by Carl Van Vechten

My Journey

I have spent a lifetime being passionate about the blues. I was lucky to grow up in Chicago where I was able to experience the greatest blues music in the world. As a teenager, I lived in the same town as the late, great Muddy Waters which was Westmont, Illinois.

I used to go often to see him perform along with Willie Dixon, Junior Wells and so many other Chicago blues legends around then. I never thought to take one photo of those legends at that time. It’s Muddy Waters I have to thank for showing up to our local music festival called Pow Wow Days back in the mid-1970s with an amplifier and his electric guitar (no band), which led to me falling in love with the blues right then and there. I have never

Fast forward to the mid-1990s. I couldn’t believe that I did not have one photo of the many blues acts I had witnessed since the mid-70s, including my favourite, Muddy Waters. I decided to take up photography and so began my mission to capture as many legendary blues artists with my camera as I could, whether they lived in Chicago or were just passing through. For many years when I was out there taking photos in the Chicago clubs and at festivals, there were few other women blues photographers. The only one I can recall is Susan Greenberg, who by the time I started had stopped taking photos. I used to look at her photos on the wall at B.L.U.E.S. on Halsted Street and I wanted my photos to be on that wall. I found I loved taking photos of artists performing and tried to get out to the clubs two to three times a week.

Credit: Vanessa Champion

We still have several important blues clubs in Chicago, providing stages where both new and established artists can perform. They welcome tourists, with music fans coming from all over the world just to listen to live blues music. Some of the clubs I frequented over the past three decades include the Harlem Avenue Lounge and Fitzgerald’s Night Club both in Berwyn, Illinois, as well as Kingston Mines and B.L.U.E.S., which are across the street from each other on Halsted Street, making it easy for me to visit both in one evening. Other notable clubs are Buddy Guy’s Legends, Rosa’s and the House of Blues. Soon after I started taking photos, there was a restaurant very near where I lived in Downers Grove called Founder’s Hill Brewing Company, and for about four years they brought in all the great blues acts from the city to perform there. It was an incredible opportunity for me to be able to photograph so many legendary artists there, only minutes from my house.

There were also countless outdoor music festi vals in the vicinity of Chicago, and most of them featured a blues act or two. I could literally go out seven nights a week and always find exciting blues to photograph. I never took it for granted. I felt really lucky to live in the Chicago area and be able to capture incredible live performances with my camera. It was great to feel a part of the music scene that enlivens the city.

As a result of my passion, I’ve created a comprehensive collection of photographs over many years. It’s taken me all over the world including to some fantastic blues festivals in Europe. My photographs have been published internationally in magazines, books, journals, in publicity and online and they have been featured on the covers of many CDs and some DVDs; I’m particularly proud of my collaboration with Chicago’s Delmark Records. They bought my first photo for a CD cover. I am also a co-founder and Director of Photography of Chicago Blues Guide. Since its debut in 2008, my photos have been featured in the guide on a regular basis.

Eight years ago, I moved to London, and now I attend music clubs in and around the capital to photograph the blues. I’ve also covered the blues at many festivals like the Ealing Blues Festival in London and on the continent the Blues Heaven Festival in Denmark, the Lucerne Blues Festival in Switzerland, the Beautiful Swamp Blues

Festival in France and the Moulin Blues Festival in Denmark. I have also been fortunate enough to be on all the European Blues Cruises since they started in 2014. You can’t beat sailing around the Mediterranean listening to great blues acts that hail mostly from the USA.

Women in the Blues

I have always supported women in blues because I felt there needed to be more women blues artists out there performing and being booked at festivals. Women could always use more representation in books and documentaries about the blues, and by capturing their live performances with my camera, I thought it might help them to promote themselves

and keep on sharing their artistry. I would rarely pass up an opportunity to see a woman artist perform. Thankfully, there were many brilliantly talented female blues artists in the Chicago clubs giving tremendous performances. They were always exciting to photograph too.

From memory, Koko Taylor was the first woman blues artist that I ever saw perform and I went to see her frequently, along with Lonnie Brooks. They both seemed to be at a festival somewhere in Chicago almost every weekend in the summertime. That’s why I am dedicating this book to her. She passed in 2009, but I am always looking for another woman artist who can sing her songs well. I really miss her.

During my time spent in the Chicago blues scene, some of the artists I was able to regularly see perform and photograph were, in no specific order: Nellie Travis, Zora Young, Deitra Farr, Chick Rodgers, Mavis Staples, Peaches Staten, Katherine Davis, Joanna Connor, Demetria Taylor, Holle Thee Maxwell, Delores Scott, Shemekia Copeland, Sharon Lewis, Mary Lane, Grana Louise, Lynne Jordan, Nora Jean Wallace, Sharon Lewis, Claudette Miller, Liz Mandeville, Shirley King and Ivy Ford, and, before they passed, Koko Taylor, Bonnie Lee, Patricia Scott and Big Time Sarah. I know there are more, but those are ones who come to mind while writing this.

How did this book come about?

I came into contact with publisher Cheryl Robson of Aurora Metro Books/Supernova Books due to her involvement in promoting and preserving the musical heritage of Eel Pie Island in Twickenham, where her office is based. She noticed the photos of blues musicians which I posted on my Facebook account and invited me to her office. On seeing my portfolio, she suggested we might include my photos in a book, and we discussed the kind of books that might work. I thought she was going to say, “Let’s do a book on Chicago Blues”, but when I mentioned to Cheryl an exhibition on women in the blues, organized by Lynn Orman Weiss, which had featured some of my photographs a few years previously in Chicago, she said, “What about a book about today’s women in the blues?” We did a search online and found that there didn’t seem to be any books out there on the subject. Although, there has been much written about the early blues artists like Mamie Smith, Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, Victoria Spivey, Alberta Hunter and Memphis Minnie, there seemed to be very little

about the amazing women who perform the blues all over the world today, with the exception of highly popular artists like Bonnie Raitt. So, we decided to do a book about contemporary women in the blues, inviting them to contribute their own words too, while of course paying homage to the women blues pioneers who had inspired them.

How did we make the selection?

Having spent most of my time photographing blues artists in Chicago, my book was undoubtedly going to feature more women artists from Chicago than anywhere else. However, I knew that in order for the book to be interesting, I would have to work very hard to get as much of a range of women in blues as I could, in terms of age, ethnicity and background. As I have been living in the UK since 2010, I had the opportunity to photograph women performing both in the UK and on the continent of Europe, to add to the many artists I had already photographed in the USA. I not only wanted to feature women who inspired me with their singing but also to include the many talented women musicians who played piano, guitar, saxophone, harmonica and drums along with the flute and frottoir.

Of course, I began my selection with the artists whom I had photographed many times in my home city. With such an extensive collection to choose from, it wasn’t easy to narrow it down to only fifty women and I’m grateful to my editors for their help in selecting the interviews and photographs to feature in this book, but space, time and budget are all constraints within a book. If you’d like to see more of the blues artists in my portfolio, please check out my dedicated Facebook page where I can also arrange to autograph the book for you. The book is also available on Amazon.

Jennifer Noble & Lynn Jordan by Roman Sobus

No o Ne shOuld face c A ncer aloNe

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BILLY PRICE

I have been attracted to and involved with blues and soul music, both as a fan and as a singer, from the time I was a child through the present day. From the beginning of my career, I have modeled myself after the great soul singers whom I saw performing when I first began attending concerts—Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, James Brown, Otis Clay, Tyrone Davis, to name a few.

I had the opportunity when I was in my 20s to sing, record, and tour with the great blues guitarist Roy Buchanan, with whom I recorded two albums for Polydor Records. I also was able to perform many times with Otis Clay, who was a friend from 1983 until his death in 2016. I collaborated with Otis on the last album of his career, This Time for Real, which we released in 2015 and which won a Blues Music Award from the Blues Foundation for Best Soul Blues Album of that year.

I’ve recorded and released a total of 17 CD, DVD, and LP projects. In 2018 and 2019 I did two albums that were produced by Kid Andersen at his Greaseland Studio in San José, California—Reckoning, on Vizztone Records, and Dog Eat Dog, on Gulf Coast Records. Reckoning and Dog Eat Dog were both nominated for Blues Music Awards in the Soul Blues Album category, and I also received a nomination this year for Male Soul Blues Artist. The recording experiences I’ve had at Grease-

land have been the most rewarding and satisfying of my career. Kid has a rare combination of appreciation for the classic soul and blues recordings and great facility with modern computer-based recording technology. There is wide diversity of race, gender, and nationality among the people who worked together on these recordings, and that is one of the sources of their richness and depth.

In 2019 I performed at the Lucerne Blues Festival in Switzerland, and I am looking forward to more great shows this year. I play frequently with my two bands, the Billy Price Charm City Rhythm Band based in Baltimore, Maryland, where I live, and the Billy Price Band, based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where I used to live. All of my dates are always listed on my website, billyprice.com.

In 2021, I will celebrate 50 years as a professional singer, and I’ve been thinking about putting together a nicely packaged retrospective CD set that will include a longish essay looking back at my career. I’ll be thinking more about that over the next few months, and also working on writing some new songs with my longtime collaborators, Jim Britton of the Billy Price Band and the French guitarist Fred Chapellier, for my next project.

WORDS: William Pollak PICTURES: Guy Hale

A NEW DECADE OF TRAILBLAZING WOMEN IN THE BLUES

3TIMES7 BLUE BLOODS

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WORDS: Supplied PICTURES: Supplied

3TIMES7 are a five-piece blues and soul band from Surrey, UK. Born out of a love of local jam sessions, and a love of blues music, the line-up includes Jenny Lawrence on vocals, David Holdstock on guitar, Jackie Taylor on saxophone, Phill Marks on bass, and Richard Coomber on drums.

The band is heavily influenced by the Chicago blues and New Orleans jazz sounds they picked up during a Stateside road trip, as well as a love for the blues, rock, and soul music they were brought up on. Their latest trip travelling the blues cornerstones of the USA helped shape and inspire the twelve-track album, Rain in Chicago, released in October 2019. The deluge of rain in Chicago, and the tales of serial killers on the Bayou, helped create an album celebrating the country’s music and culture.

Rain In Chicago expands upon their acoustic, self-titled debut album, which explores a classic blues sound, and was recorded, mixed, and mastered in just 24 hours. The stripped back delta sound of the album is augmented with the Harmonica playing of Mr Bruce Wraight, and the Bass and Cajon playing of Robin Thornton. The band quickly gained momentum in the local

blues jamming scene and electrified their sound. This led to their second release, the hard rocking blues EP, Dirty Money, which explores the louder more energetic sound in the title track, as well as playing with a softer and soulful sound featured on Jazz.

Blues music is designed to be emotive; it is a vessel to tell stories and share experiences. 3TIMES7 make sure this connection is prevalent in their live shows and recordings, whether audiences are moved to tears by the bands unique cover of Etta James I’d Rather Go Blind or dancing the night away to the rock and roll riffs of Dirty Money.

When the band aren’t performing, they will often be found organising gigs and jam sessions, supporting other bands at live music events, and working hard to keep the blues and local live music venues alive.

2020 is going to be an exciting year for 3TIMES7 with a European tour on the horizon, album number 3 in the works, and plenty of gigs and festivals to keep them out of mischief!

For more information about the band, and upcoming gigs please visit www.3times7.co.uk

BENJAMIN VO BLUE BLOODS

WORDS: Samuel Campbell PICTURES: Supplied

I met Benjamin Vo about four years ago. He had just put together a band with the intention of playing traditional and old-style blues. It needed to have “that slow swing and smoky feeling”, as he would put it. Benjamin and the band were making their debut at the Lancaster Roots & Blues Festival that year – a three-day music festival held here at home in Pennsylvania.

Their performance that night was purely magnetic and held the attention of everyone in the room. It wasn’t bombastic or flashy, but more like a quiet flame that drew people in. With his Les Paul plugged straight into a cranked Fender amp, he played understated, with restraint, until the tension grew and he finally let the guitar scream. His vocal work, expressive and emotional, had a warm tone and was the equal attraction to his guitar playing. I realized I was not only listening to someone musically gifted, but there’s a spiritual energy being tapped into when he plays.

In a conversation soon after, he told me “Playing the festival meant a lot to me. This past year, I’ve been deeply depressed and being able to get out and perform again was very healing.” Unassuming in nature, Benjamin has always struck me as being an old soul. In today’s music climate, it was a little odd but refreshing seeing a young 20-something playing blues and making it sound and feel like it’s from the 60’s. Feel being a key element.

His sincerity and earnest approach to his playing shows a blues that comes out of him naturally – not someone who was schooled or resorts to clichés. Concerning how he got into blues, he explains “I was always aware of blues music since I was a kid, especially because I played guitar then. However, growing up in the 90’s, I was just discovering music in general so I didn’t give blues much attention then.

When I was 19, my friend Mike Hickman exposed me to his delta blues CD collection that included Skip James, Son House, and Robert Johnson. I

DISCOVER THE UNDISCOVERED

loved it and was really fascinated by it.” It wasn’t until a few years later that he got into playing it seriously. “I didn’t feel I had the grit to really do it justice. But then, life gets hard and you go thru terrible times. Your loved ones die, you get your heart broken, and so on. The blues became my comfort music and medium to express my sadness.

When I discovered early BB King and Peter Green, I realized blues can be beautiful and it wasn’t one-dimensional.” Benjamin’s latest album “Blueberry & Country Sugar” is pure expression and soulful music – it’s a must hear.

www.benjaminvo.bandcamp.com

STEVE WATTS ORGAN TRIO BLUE BLOODS

WORDS: Steve Yourglivch & Stevie Watts

Stevie Watts will be a familiar face and sound to followers of UK Blues music. He will have been seen most recently on tour with Danny Bryant and prior to that with artists such as Jo Harman, Sari Schorr and Malaya Blue. He has performed regularly with his Organ Trio Band in the South East and now feels that the time is right to release their debut album. Nine tracks are written and recorded and the album Mission To The Moon is scheduled for release in the Spring of 2020. The Stevie Watts Organ Trio are all highly regarded session players having individually worked with names ranging from Steve Winwood to Archive to The Spice Girls.

Stevie Watts and Nat Martin met when they were

PICTURES: Martyn Baker

both booked as sidemen on a gig with singer Jo Harman and Stevie knew straight away that he wanted Nat in his trio when they clicked musically and personally. Two or three years after playing soul, jazz and blues around the pubs in Brighton and the south east with drummer Vinnie Lammi, the trio met on the YouGig studio boat in Shoreham by Sea to play through some ideas that Stevie wrote at home and their debut album started to form. That Christmas in 2017 the trio had a show in Sussex when Alice Armstrong happened to be opening the show with her duo. Stevie was blown away by Alice and asked her if she would like to co-write on the tracks that required vocals. After a few writing sessions, Mission to the Moon was made containing all original tracks and was recorded live in the studio.

These are four musicians that perform from the heart. “We just play what we wanna play and each performance is different every show”. Influences come mainly from sixties soul, funk, blues and soul jazz. The fire and energy of sound that the three of them make defies the fact that they’re a trio and when Alice joins in they turn into something that no other band using this format with organ-bass sounds. Take outstanding players with great songs that make you dance as well as cry (in a good way!), include infectious funk and rip-roaring solo’s and you have something that you would be absolutely crazy to miss!

LESLIE ‘MISS BIX’ BIXLER

WORDS: Betsie Brown PICTURES: courtesy Blind Raccoon

Leslie Bixler aka Miss Bix, is the singer-songwriter, and co-producer of Miss Bix & The Blues Fix. Bixler took the long way to find herself a home in the blues. Her first album, under maiden name Leslie Letven, was categorized as Adult Contemporary Jazz. Bixler didn’t consider her sound smooth jazz, but the album did well, charting at number twelve. Soon after, Bixler, a new mother, found herself writing kids’ music. Releasing two albums with Dick Van Dyke and Chad Smith (RHCP), Moon Food and Rhythm Train, she earned a Parent’s Choice Award. Thankfully, Bixler returned to her roots and here we are; great writing, singing, and musicianship come together in a perfect marriage between the blues, and Miss Bix’s stunningly distinctive style. Her latest album, We Don’t Own The Blues, is magical. Embodying both a classic and contemporary feel, the songs reflect the aura of the Mississippi Delta, where she spent much time tapping into a well of creativity that breathed new life into her music.

Smoky and sensuous, Follow Me Down hints at the mystical, trancey feeling of hill country blues. Slave to the Grave, with its swampy slide is a plaintive cry from one trapped in marital abuse. Hendrix-inspired You’re A Child celebrates life in its contradictions: “We are all part of the rapture

BLUE BLOODS

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and the rage. We are prisoners of longing, our hearts beating in a cage.” Drummer Chad Smith propels the driving feel of this tune in a cameo. Voodoo Man, a swampy Southern ode, features slide guitars, swelling B3 organ, and wailing harmonica to create a rich, delta vibe. It Wasn’t Me is a ballad of unrequited love, with heartbreaking lyrics and haunting keyboards by John JT Thomas. Black Widow retells the old story of lost innocence. Crazy Bout You revisits the aching power of longing. The title track takes a light-hearted look at the push and pull of lovers, with an infectious groove; “That’s how it rolls. That’s what lovers do. Ain’t nothing special ‘bout us, honey we don’t own the blues.” Alongside the talents of producer Ralph Carter, (previously with Eddie Money and Sugaray Rayford), the album also features the impressive guitar work of Franck Goldwasser, Gary Mallaber on drums (of Steve Miller and Van Morrison), and RJ Misho on harmonicas. With songs influenced by the likes of Sheryl Crow, Bonnie Raitt, Peter Gabriel, John Mayer, among others, Miss Bix offers something for everyone. Make sure you look her up!

For more information please check out her website: www.missbix.com

JOHN ‘BLUES’ BOYD BLUE BLOODS

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WORDS: Kid Anderson

When l first met John Blues Boyd, about six years ago in San Jose, CA, my mind was blown and my life changed forever. Here was a Blues singer of the OLD school. He sounded as authentic as they come, his vocal power was in a league with the very best that ever sang it.

And nobody had heard of him, he wasn’t even a professional musician. From that moment on he became a permanent part of my musical family, and it was my mission to let the world know about this incredible gem of an artist. As it turned out, his background was also authentically “blues” as it could be. John Blues Boyd was born in Greenwood Mississippi in 1945 and grew up through hard times and much turmoil in the South. As a young boy, he used to sing the blues in the fields while he and his father picked cotton, and at night he would jump at any chance to catch all the popular artists of the day that would pass by Greenwood.

Those artists included Bobby Bland, BB King and Junior Parker, and young John had a natural ability for picking up on their vocal phrasing and tone. In 2020 there are very few that come close to John Blues Boyd when it comes to invoking the spirit of the singers of that era. Unlike his famous cousin, Eddie Boyd, John forwent a career in music and spent most of his life in favour of manual labour, this included hot tar roofing which he sings about in one of the songs on his new record. He moved to California with his wife Donna Mae in the early 80’s and worked as a roofer until he retired in his early 60’s.

Just before Donna passed away in 2014, she had told John that he should pursue his music and

PICTURES: Supplied

he has been writing and singing new blues songs ever since. His Gulf Coast debut “Through My Eyes”, written about Johns life by Guy Hale, myself and John just garnered him a nomination for “Best Emerging Artist Album” at the Blues Music Awards in Memphis at the ripe old age of 74. The

album tells John’s story, from being a child and young adult during the 50’s in the Southern USA and being part of the civil rights movement, the assassination of Dr Martin Luther King and then the rest of his life right up until today.

It’s a story that’s more relevant today than ever. It’s the story of a man, but its also the story of the suffering of many men and women and John sings it with the undeniable authenticity that could only be conveyed by someone who had actually lived it. John Blues Boyd is the real deal, there are very few blues singers of his calibre left in the world and he has a story to tell!

Marcus Malone & Innes Sibun

OF JOY A PURE EXPRESSION

Blues Rock group Malone Sibun have released their debut album. Featuring ten bright, warm, and uplifting songs, Come Together is a feelgood release. As a listener it is easy to enjoy, as it not only has a great energy, but it’s full of the love of the music being played, and it comes across as a pure expression of joy.

Discussing the album, Innes Sibun (lead guitar) explains: “We recorded all the songs completely live, and most of them are either the first or second take, so you really get the energy there, and feel the excitement.” Marcus Malone (vocals and rhythm guitar) adds: “it was great being together with the guys. We had played some of the songs live before, so after a brief rehearsal to tighten everything up, we went into the studio and it went off great!” That’s what hits you most as the album expands; that live feeling that many modern albums lack because everything is often done separately. Innes agrees: “I just don’t understand why people would want to put the drums down first, and then the bass, and so forth. When you go see a band live, you want to hear and feel that interaction, so I think it’s important to capture that for the recording.”

Another striking feature of the album is how strong every track is. While you have stand-out tracks like Come Together, Let Me Love You, Jodie, Love Light, Everyday’s A Miracle, and the darkly humorous Rabbit Hole, there frankly isn’t a bad track on the entire album.

Come Together and Everyday’s A Miracle not only form natural bookends to the album, but represent opposite sides of the same coin. While the title track explores darker themes, Everyday’s A Miracle conveys a real sense of hope and optimism which underpins the feelgood vibe of the album. Discussing the writing and production of the songs, Marcus explained that he really likes it when he instantly connects with a song: “As soon as I heard that riff, it just hit me, We Can Come Together. I figure when something drops in your head like that, then it’s a sign. So, I went with it and the song has a bit of a Led Zeppelin quality about it. They’re one of my favourite bands. But Everyday’s A Miracle is the complete opposite really. It has a kind of Curtis Mayfield, or Motown, or even the Philadelphia sound about it.” And that’s true. Everyday’s A Miracle, has that Detroit Rock City meets Motown vibe. It blends really well, and it takes you right back to that sound quite effectively. Marcus agrees, explaining: “That’s what I was trying to get out of it in the production as well, because Innes does several

WORDS: Erik Damian PICTURES: Simon Webb

thousand guitar parts and I have to sift through them and figure out which of those works. So, yeah, that was the idea anyway when I started mixing it, and I think it came off.”

Rabbit Hole in particular really took me for a bit of ride, and Innes agrees, revealing that it almost didn’t make it on the album: “Rabbit Hole is such a great song. It’s like Robert Johnson meets Lewis Carol. It’s so original, and he didn’t want it to go on the album, but I convinced him that we needed to put it on there. I love that about Marcus, that in his lyric writing, he’s not afraid to go into something like Alice In Wonderland in a Delta Blues setting.” Marcus further revealed that the song ‘has a partner track, Queen Of Hearts, so you will probably see it on another album at a later point.’ For me, all these tracks pale in comparison to Taste Of Your Love. Not only is this my favourite track, but it is truly stunning, and takes me right back to my youth when I was discovering music and the bands and artists that would eventually influence me. With a timeless sound, and striking vocals by Marcus, this track truly shines. Innes agrees: “Marcus does these fantastic vocal harmonies that take it to another place.”

The ever-humble Marcus seems genuinely surprised by my admission, suggesting that ‘I’m the first one to say that to him,’ adding, “I love that song. I’m really glad you liked it. Originally it was an acoustic song, and it’s the only song that’s co-written with someone else on the album. Innes threw all the tricks he knows in on that one. He plays the mandolin, the slide, and electric guitar.”

Come Together was produced by both Innes & Marcus, with Marcus finishing up the mixing. It is obvious that it was a labour of love, but it’s clear that the two friends have very different ideas about how to produce an album. Innes admits that he is the ‘more slapdash person with the production, where Marcus is the person that will do it again until the take is right.’ Before adding: “I love the fact that he’s always trying to push me creatively, and that we exhaust all the possibilities.” When asked if he was the perfectionist of the team, Marcus wryly quipped: “Compared to Innes, I certainly am!” Continuing, Innes adds, “I think a lot of it is a case of not over producing it as well, because the albums that I like, from Sly

And The Family Stone, to Free, they’re all pretty raw, you know, and like I said earlier, playing in the same room. That’s the kind of thing that I like, and so the production that I know and love are from the bands that play like that. I don’t want something that’s going to come across as sterile.” Marcus goes on to discuss the process a bit more, saying that he does “All the mixing and arranging,” adding, “as the album is coming out on vinyl, I had to edit all the songs down to fit, but it’s gonna be great.”

It’s clear the two work well together, largely due to the fact that their individual influences not only complement one another, but also crossover at crucial points. Marcus explains: “With Innes it’s great. He got it from a different place, because he didn’t exactly live it the way I did, but he just loves it. He loves Stacks, Otis Rush, all those old Blues players, and Soul music. We have so many of the same influences.” And when he says he lived it; he wasn’t kidding. Being from Detroit, Marcus grew up in a melting pot of Motown, Soul, Blues, and Rock worlds that he would find himself forever part of as he grew and matured as a musician. Marcus confirms: “Well I started off with the Motown sound, and I was singing that kind of Soul music, and as I grew older, I guess it was a bit of a rebellious time for me, and I decided to get into rock music. I used to go see the MC5, Scot Richard Case, and Iggy Pop, and all those guys, and when I was a kid, I used to run up to Ann Arbor, and all the bands had band houses. All the bands lived together, played together, and so forth. One of my bands got spotted by Ike Turner’s management, and they moved us to LA, and we rehearsed at his studios. That became the Marcus Band. We were signed by Ike’s label, United Artists, and that became my first contract. So, yeah, my roots were Motown, and I’ve moved back a bit towards that mixed with the metal and all that. It’s a real crossbreed of music in Detroit, and it still is.”

Innes concurs: “Yes, exactly! Musically we both come from the same places, but I think that when I was a kid, I was listening to Reggae, Punk, Jazz, Rock, and the Blues. I wanted to listen to everything, and Marcus is from the same place. So, yeah, it’s great, especially when we’re on the road together. We’ll go from listening to the Beatles, to listening to Queens of the Stone Age, to

real old gospel stuff, to Luis Armstrong, to Stevie Wonder, and so there aren’t any musical barriers. It’s all good.” The resulting sonic convergence means that it sounds like the two friends have been playing together all their lives.

As the album expands you can hear all the different textures these influences create. Discussing the album’s sound, and the character it creates, Innes explains: “Marcus and I always try to put a lot of thought into how to get different sounds. Things like putting the microphone in a different position on the speaker, just to get different tones and textures, the type of amps, or even what guitar a particular song might call for. It’s just experimenting like that. There’s no right and no wrong. If it sounds good, we just go with it. That’s the rule.” Marcus chimes in, adding that for instance: “I put distortion behind some of the vocals, by doubling the vocal tracks and distorting the tone on the secondary vocal.”

However, adding to the intricate tapestry of the album are an incredible cadre of musicians. Both Marcus and Innes couldn’t agree more, with Innes saying: “We had Roger Inniss on bass, and, you know, I don’t think I’ve ever heard him make a mistake. He’s Mister One Take. We had Chris Nugent on drums. He’s so powerful. But the two of them together, it’s just a pleasure to play the songs with those two backing you up, because it’s a powerful thing. We were also lucky enough to have Stevie Watts who put Hammond organ on some of the songs, as well as piano. And Chantel Duncan did some backing vocals as well. She’s worked a lot with Marcus in the past.”

Instantly accessible to both fans of Rock and Blues, Come Together may well have something for everyone. This powerhouse of sound has created what may yet prove to be touted as one of the best blues rock albums of 2020. It already has Marcus looking ahead to what comes next: “I’m really looking forward to working on the next one. I’ve started planning it in my head. I’ve got some ideas, and I want to co-write with Innes a lot more. So now that I have this idea in my head, I’m going to pursue it!” And I for one cannot wait to see what music this partnership is going to produce. Perhaps we’ll start to hear some of those songs on the road, as 2020 is shaping up to be a busy year for the band: “We’ve got some shows booked already, we’ve got some festival dates, and some club dates, and the

good thing is, that Marcus and I, with our separate careers, have played a fair bit in Holland, and Germany, and Eastern Europe, so we’re building on that,” says Innes. So, keep an eye out blues fans, because Malone Sibun may be coming to a town near you, and this is a show you don’t want to miss.

THE

SOUL DOCTOR IS IN THE HOUSE!

Blues Matters! caught up recently with the multi-talented saxophone player, singer songwriter and President of The Las Vegas Blues Society, Jimmy Carpenter. Usually known as a sideman for such luminaries as Mike Zito and Jimmy Thackery, here amongst other topics he talks about his fourth solo project Soul Doctor.

WORDS: Colin Campbell | PICTURES: Paul Citone, Jeff Fasano, Mikel Samel

Hi Jimmy, how are you and where are you today? Things are good; I am in the middle of Arizona at the moment! Looking forward to playing the UK, with my own band in 2020. Am very excited, have spent most my life being a sideman, so this is a chance to reinvent myself here.

There must be some significant differences between being a sideman and being your own band leader?

As a sideman they tell you things to do, like when to be at an Airport. The leader has already done a bunch of stuff to get that in place. Its different from the business side, I do that naturally anyway! I’ve tour managed a lot of different people before Let’s go back to your childhood, do you come from a musical family and if so what music was around for you when growing up?

My mother was musical, she played piano and sang. My father had no musical ability, but had an ear for jazz. He had a bunch of Dave Brubeck records featuring Paul Desmond on the sax and that’s what started my infatuation. At ten years old, I said I wanted to play the saxophone, so I started in elementary school. My parents were very supportive, and I was lucky to be in a school system that had their own bands. Sadly you can’t take that for granted any more.

Obvious question, what made you choose the saxophone as an instrument of choice?

I loved the sound of Paul Desmond. There was also a guy Boots Randolph who had a hit with Yackety Sax. He had a network TV variety show and played this song, he had go-go girls dancing in front of him, and I thought that was amazing, so I was hooked! When I was a teenager, I wanted to be a rock star so started playing guitar. When I wanted to go to music school, I found I was not too good at the guitar, so got the sax back out and didn’t look back. I still play guitar and I write songs on guitar.

How did you get a job with Walter Wolfman Washington and how much has he been an influence on your career?

First real road band I played in was with Tinsley Ellis, then I played with Jimmy Thackery for six years. I had moved to New Orleans by then, that’s when I got the gig with Walter, a week before Hurricane Katrina hit. That was so cool, it gave me street cred in New Orleans. I had an outlet to write the tunes for his horn section. He is a lovely man.

You are now an accomplished songwriter as well as talented musician, what comes first the tune or the song?

Different with most songs, most time I get a lyrical idea, then with the melody if that sounds good, I work backwards from there. Instrumentally, I come up with the groove and a chord progression first. I like songs with melodies and hooks. For this record I collaborated with Guy Hale. He sent me tonnes of lyrics and tunes, and

I trimmed this back and found the groove, and it fell into place.

Tell us about the making of the new album Soul Doctor and what was Mike Zito like as a producer, was the relationship different to that of being in his band?

We’d been talking a while about doing the Soul Doctor album. He wanted me to go to Texas and do it with his guys, but I was playing in Las Vegas with my band, and we just did it in Vegas. The recording is a series of joyful and painful moments. We were also on a tight timescale to release it. It turned out great, and I’m happy with it. Jason Langley on bass and Cameron Tyler on drums, are essential to making it work. If you surround yourself with smart talented people it makes you look really good! I can’t do this stuff on my own as a saxophone player!

Is your nickname going to be the Soul Doctor now?

Tell us about other songs on the new release.

Evidently a lot of press call me that, but there are worse names to be called! I had written When I Met You, a few years before, but it had a different vibe. My records have been scattered in style recently. I wanted to lean to the soul side. It was written about my girl Carrie. When I started changing it, she didn’t like it, but she now thinks it’s wonderful! Been playing the New Orleans one, Love You So Much so that wasn’t difficult to fit in. The funky one, Wanna Be Right, was written when writing the album. Wrong Turn was written at last minute. Julep, I played with Walter a lot, needed an instrumental. It’s a mix up of the Ray Charles version . My favourite is Need Your Love So Bad, I loved Little John. Chris Tofield played the BB King guitar line.

The Bender Brass are on the album, how did you get them involved?

I am the Musical Director of The Big Blues Bender Festival in Las Vegas. I lead the Bender

Brass, there’s a full rhythm section. The Bender Brass section (Doug Woolverton, trumpet and Mark Earley on baritone sax) are amazing players. We did the recordings remotely, so it was a challenge, but I am very happy with the outcome.

You are heavily involved with the Las Vegas Blues Society care to talk about how that came about?

When I first came to Las Vegas, Carrie suggested I get involved with the Blues Society. I realised back in the nineties they had 1500 members, and did a couple of Festivals in a year. When I joined there were eighty five members, so I got more involved. I was Vice President, then President. The more successful it is, the more work there is to do.

How do you see blues music evolving in the future, how can you keep it fresh for different generations?

That’s the trick. It’s the generation thing that matters. We do youth outreach education. If we don’t add young people, eventually it will fade away or just have some old people doing it. There is hope, it’s the foundation of all popular music, making it hip for kids is difficult! I want to do a presentation that draws a straight line from blues music to hip hop. Blues is the basis for all American music.

How do you deal with life on the road, you still enjoy touring?

I wrote a song on the new album called Love It So Much about that very subject! I’m sixty years old. I love having a home and some normality to my life, but the other part of me is I really love the road. It’s what I do. I’m walking around a grand hotel and it seems home to me. I don’t know if that’s good or bad, it’s just how it is. In Europe the tours are strenuous, but it’s worth it when you do the show. I’ve always found it important to gig. We set up and play for free! It was a never-end-

“When I first heard Otis Redding, I lost my mind”

ing party when we were young; we survived. It is a blessing to do this and go to places, meeting people. The music is a connecting factor. I’m not a good tourist, but I enjoy eating and getting a feel for different places and cultures.

You manage to get time for any hobbies or interests or does music encompass all aspects of your life?

I enjoy travelling and eating local food. I’ve eaten odd things! My whole life is wrapped up in music. I’m one sided in that regard.

What advice would you give to a young Jimmy Carpenter now reflecting on your career that he didn’t know about then?

I would have learned more theory at school. I went the gig way and not school way. You have to develop your voice and listen to all aspects of music. When I first heard Otis Redding, I lost my

to focus on my solo career. I’m a huge Rolling Stones fan, and would have liked to work with them. I think it would be a good fit. Eric Lindell was a good fit for me. I like fitting into bands and developing songs.

What are your hopes and fears for the future where do you see yourself in five years say?

The whole idea of being a musician for a living, it takes over. I’ve always said I’d rather be poor and doing what I love than doing something I don’t enjoy and making a lot of money. I want to keep playing. In my head I’m nineteen still. If I’m lucky I can play for another twenty years and enjoy myself. I consider myself to be blessed. You have to find what you love to do. Life is much more rewarding if you pursue what you love. One fear I have is of mediocrity, I don’t just want my work to be okay.

mind. The Stax vault was what I really got into, then Ray Charles. I like doing cover versions, but like the obscure ones. Eddie Hinton is one of my heroes as well, I cover Yeah Man on the new album.

If you hadn’t chosen music as a career what would you have done?

I like to write and read; I would probably be an English Professor! I don’t do as much these days. My dad was an engineer. I was never going to do that.

Anything you haven’t achieved in music that you would like to do, say producing or such thing?

It’s a pleasure and pain process. I would love to produce someone else’s record. Now is the time

Good luck for the future. Look forward to you coming back to the UK.

All the best Colin, see you and thanks.

For further information about his UK tour, see his website: www.jimmycarpenter.net

“he had go-go girls dancing in front of him, and I thought that was amazing”

Alabama Bound

Sitting down to chat with Alabama blueslady Debbie Bond is, in my case, simply chatting with a good friend. I’ve had the good fortune to know Debbie – and her blues partner, keys and harp player, Rick Asherson – on a personal level for many years now. Last year, I spent some time with them down-home in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where they introduced me to many local music characters, the local soulfood and the uniquely Alabama blues culture. So, catching up once again is a true pleasure and it’s great to hear that she’s working on a 2020 UK tour plus a new album which she plans to release in a few months time.

Debbie Bond is nothing if not absolutely passionate about blues music generally but even more so about the place of Alabama in the blues world. For many years she championed the cause as a founder and mover behind the highly regarded Alabama Blues Project, an organization that nurtures and promotes the genre throughout the state, providing opportunities to learn, absorb and become involved in the local music culture by example, with tuition, instrument provision and help and a rounded, general introduction to the music. Noted supporters include Bonnie Raitt and the late Willie King, a guy both Bond and Asherson played with for many years until his death in 2009.

DEBBIE BOND

But bond is much more than this, laudable though it may be. As a kid, she made her debut playing on television in Sierra Leone as a thirteen-year-old, in 1969, when living there with her late mother, a noted and respected social anthropologist and civil libertarian. Bond believes that she first became aware of the importance of African roots music around this time, an awareness that only grew deeper as she developed an

WORDS: Iain Patience PICTURES: John Earl

interest in blues and soul music. She recalls first hearing Wilson Pickett around that time and being immediately drawn into the soul-end of the music. Some years later, she found herself playing blues guitar in a band in the Brighton area when a student at Sussex University in the 1970s. (Oddly enough, this is where we should have first met, as I, too, was a student there at an overlapping time – as indeed was her now husband/partner, Rick Asherson. But that’s another story.)

At this time, she became increasingly immersed in blues, discovering BB King, Muddy Waters, Millie Jackson and others, and falling readily under their spell.

“I developed a real interest in the music back around then. I began to hear more and more great US soul and blues music. I was in a band and I was always worried about it while the others were more laid-back. I’d get pissed off if they didn’t turn up for the rehearsals like I did,” she laughs at the remembered thought.

Graduating from Sussex, she moved back to the USA – her father was in California, where she herself was born – but straight to the deep south state of Alabama. Here, she found herself totally enthralled by the blues and its extraordinary heritage and power. Throwing herself into the Alabama melting pot, Bond found a wonderfully inspiring musical world at her ambitious, eager feet, a move that was to lead to encounters aplenty with some truly significant bluesmen and women: “I had a blues band, the Kokomo Blues Band, playing around the Tuscaloosa area. I learned that Johnny Shines lived in the area, out in Holt, and tracked him down, went to his place, knocked on his door. He was a real sweetie. He invited me into the house and introduced me to the family and his wife, Hattie. They were all so warm and generous spirited. We became great friends and Johnny joined the band. Eventually Johnny also hooked up and began to play with Kent DuChaine too. We were all great friends till Johnny passed in 1992.”

And as if that wasn’t enough, Bond found herself also playing with another couple of local, Alabama bluesmen, Little Wit and Big Bo: “They

were both so lovely. We worked together a lot and we even toured the UK – England, Scotland and Wales – and Europe – Belgium, Holland, Germany and Luxemburg - together. It was a great trip and unforgettable time really,” she recalls.

Soon afterwards, Bond was introduced to yet another Alabama bluesman of some stature: “In effect between the states of Georgia and Alabama I was funded for an apprenticeship playing with and learning from the late Eddie Kirkland. He was great. I learned so much about the music, about writing and about performing from Eddie. It was a really amazing time and an awesome experience. We were due to go out and play again together when Eddie suddenly passed in 2011. He’d played with John Lee Hooker for many years, played with Otis Redding, the Butler Twins, and just knew so much about the music. He was a blues maniac really but he found time for me and for me to learn and play along with him, how to play with touch, feel, expression –all things I try to teach and pass on myself,” says Bond. “The Butler Twins were a local blues act. They lived in the attic of a local club called The Attic Bar,” Bond laughs and adds, “I’d hang out

there and they’d teach me some guitar. Eddie would come round and join in too. And we first became friends that way. Eddie was always moving between Detroit and Georgia and Alabama at the time.”

Next came a period with the late Willie King, another great Alabama bluesman – a guy we both knew and loved, and who introduced her to her

CREDIT - JAN VENNING

partner, Rick Asherson – Willie was great. I absolutely loved him, as you know. I’m so pleased you also knew him. He was such a great musician, an Alabama bluesman. I played with Willie’s band till he passed in 2009 and I think I first met him when we both did a benefit concert for Johnny Shines a few days after his death in April 1992. I then started to play with his band. We toured Europe, playing the main festival in France, Cognac Blues Passions, a few times, though Willie used to get in a real mess of anxiety about travelling and flying out to Europe every time. He had the Freedom Creek Festival here in his hometown of Aliceville, Alabama. And we always looked forward to that one every year. I still miss Willie so much. He was another who taught me the importance of always giving your very best no matter what the gig. We played the local juke-joints together – most are now closed – and always thought they were such important places for the music. He was also very involved with the Alabama Blues Project.

Winding up, Bond looks back with some genuine surprise at her blues journey and where it took and led her down the years: “I do feel my ultimate training was with Willie King playing the juke-joints and back wood parties in Alabama and Mississippi. That spirit of the blues that

over and over- ‘if you can do it in the juke joint and make the people move and groove, you can do it anywhere. You have to take the juke- joint feeling to the big and small stage alike. Play with feeling - make your instrument talk.’

So that’s always my goal. I learned so much from each of the musicians I worked under. Big Bo always said ‘you got to be yourself, can’t be no one else.’ He practiced what he preached and had so much charisma as a bluesman. Eddie had that same juke-joint feeling - what an improviser -and channelled that creative in-the-moment spirit. Johnny Shines showed me his professionalism. Even if there was only a couple of people in the audience he gave it his all. What a dignified person he was. He would have been a professor if he had had an education - but he was always educating himself, learning new skills and reading. In the hospital he was reading In Search of Robert Johnson in his last days. Johnny also stressed the importance of acknowledging your roots and the people who came before. I am honoured to be part of a legacy. Really some kind of a dream come true. I am still amazed by it all.”

BORN TO THE BLUES Carroline Shines

WORDS: Iain Patience PICTURES: As Credited

It was one of those moments, a time that’s hard to forget. Sitting alongside Alabama blueslady, Carroline Shines, in the old family home on the outskirts of Tuscaloosa, I ask out of curiosity who she remembers coming round to see her late father, the legendary bluesman Johnny Shines. Carroline smiles with that huge smile so reminiscent of her late father’s, shrugs and rattles off a veritable who’s who of modern blues music, the guys who make most blues-lovers go weak at the knees.

“Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, BB King, Robert Junior Lockwood, Larry Johnson,” she says before going on to explain: “ It was just how it was. They didn’t mean much to me. But it was how it was when I was a kid growing up. They were his old buddies and friends. They’d sit together outside the house here and play guitar together.”

‘Wow,’ I reply, almost stunned by the details, the names, the weight of pure blues-power these guys represent even now, many years down the line.

And given a history so truly rich it comes as absolutely no surprise to learn that Carroline Shines is herself a blues musician of some stature. Well, could she really be anything else? We relax and chat generally about her late father, Johnny, and his importance to the music generally and his impact on her. Carroline is nothing if not frank and straight-forward: “He was wonderful. A man who couldn’t do enough for us kids and who loved being here back home when he wasn’t out on the road performing. He loved fishing most and he’d go off down the pond back

CREDIT - ROGER STEPHENSON

there – (she waves a hand in a rough direction) and spend the day sitting and fishing. Always for food,” she points out with another huge smile and shake of her head.

Of course, Carroline Shines is a southerner, born and bred in Alabama, a leading but often overlooked blues state with a heritage and significance that really should and easily could challenge its near-neighbour Mississippi for the title of home of the blues. And Carroline, like so many before her, started out on the usual well-trodden route of singing in church. We joke about the simple fact thereabouts – as often echoed by southern blues musicians – that not attending church and singing was never an option. It was and remains an expected, important part of normal life and is one that Carroline enjoys and revels in every Sunday morning. As we chat about this, she insists that I, too, come along with her to her local church where the gospel music turns out to be loud and clearly loved by a hearty congregation with a singing, clapping preacher up front, a choir and a band that could grace many a stage with ease and comfort. Included in the choir, as a solo vocalist is her husband, Lafayette, another smiling, welcoming guy with a foot in both the gospel and the blues camps.

Of course, the name Shines is one of the most revered in blues music globally and Carroline’s late father until his passing in 1992, was one of the last surviving bluesmen to have travelled and worked with his old buddy the legendary Robert Johnson. So, I ask if that extraordinary heritage has been a blessing or a burden perhaps? Again, Carroline smiles, beaming from ear to ear: “No, it’s never been a problem for me, though I used to miss him when he went out on the road. He’d pack up his guitar, warn us all to be good and take care, and disappear for however long it took to raise the money we needed as a family to get by. We never really knew where he was or where he’d gone off to. Now, I know he travelled all over the world, playing his guitar. But back then we didn’t know how all that stuff worked. Even now, I’m still learning about countries he played in and went to when we were young.”

Carroline also recounts the truly remarkable tale of how when her father, Johnny, would go out touring, on the road, she and the family were told they could always rely on a local storekeeper to help out with food and vital supplies if things

were tight while he was away: “Yea, we could always get his help. And he was a Klan member,” she explains with an understanding smile and an extraordinary revelation, referring to the Klu Klux Klan, a threatening Deep South organisation never noted for its acceptance yet alone support of the black population or culture.

In 1992, Johnny sadly passed after undergoing surgery and a leg amputation. Surprisingly, it was an unexpected thrombosis, blood clot, that did for him, rather than the original issues that led up to his hospital admission and surgery. Unbeknown to him, as he lay in hospital, generally recovering until the fateful day he passed, his friends had arranged a surprise gig at a local venue in Tuscaloosa, where there was to be a gig featuring many local blues musicians. Carroline remembers the sheer shock of his passing so unexpectedly given the apparent strength of his post-operative recovery: “I just couldn’t hardly believe it,” she recalls. “Everything was going

CREDIT - JAN VENNING

so good, he was looking great and was really looking forward to getting out of hospital and back home.”

Now, looking back Carroline appreciates the difficulties that being a professional musician often brings. A leading blues musician in her own right in Alabama, she has a following and a bunch of blues-music buddies – including Debbie Bond, a Tuscaloosa resident who played with Johnny for many years - who all gather round and support her when needed. Her voice is rich, strong, powerful and passionate and she is a blues-singer who can truly sing the blues with a background and history that puts her slap-bang in the centre of the music itself in many ways. Of course, with her history, it’s hard to see what else she could have done. Music must surely be in her blood and blues and gospel are both clearly firmly entrenched, embedded in her heart.

A few years ago, in 2009, Carroline canvassed all of her neighbours in the unadopted street, in an unincorporated small town-cum-suburb where she has lived entire her life in the family homestead in the small town of Holt, Alabama. Her quest was to persuade all of those dozen or so residents to support her campaign to have the street where she lived, the uninspiring but typically American, 11th Street, renamed, Johnny Shines Street, after her late father. Her campaigning eventually paid off and all street residents agreed to the change so she now has the deserved and remarkable pleasure of living on the street named after her late father: “It sure

took a while, a lot longer than I thought it’d take. Some people were not around and I had to track them down. I put messages in mail-boxes. I sent letters out of town, I spoke to everyone when I could. But it must have worked ‘cos everybody said yes. I had to find court records to track some of them down. I got the news from the local County Commission just before Christmas and it was like a great present, ‘cos my birthday’s on December 26th,” she roars with laughter and clear pride and pleasure. Now, how’s that for a cool achievement?

But with Carroline, everything is viewed through the joint prisms of her late father and his enormous musical heritage and personal influence and her unshakable faith. Although, she herself, would probably hesitate to call herself a gospel singer, being more than content to be known as a blues singer, she is steeped in that old time southern religion and gives her all at church each week with a powerful voice belting out the lyrics and complimenting the local choir and church band. A personal high for me was our invitation and attendance at church one Sunday morning with her, sitting alongside, being welcomed by the entire congregation when we were urged to stand up and be counted as visitors, and just joining in, singing along to the irrepressible power of the music.

She took us on a tour of the places Johnny had played in the area, the small now closed, juke joints, the halls, the church he’d attended, the church where his funeral was held. Every place was indelibly marked in her heart and is now etched in my memory. Places of pilgrimage, in so many ways.

We found a small, off-the-beaten-track food stall where we all shared some soul-food and more than a few laughs. And laughter is another constant feature and pleasure about being around this lady. With a smile that is eerily reminiscent of her late father’s own wide, welcoming smile, Carroline Shines is an Alabama blueslady maintaining the spirit of her late father and his legacy while simultaneously carving out her own place in the southern blues world of Alabama, Mississippi and beyond. She hopes to make it out to the UK and Europe before much longer and I, for one, certainly hope she makes it. I can’t wait to meet up with this remarkable lady once again and share a few laughs and memories…oh, yes, and hear her hit those high notes too!

CREDIT - ROGER STEPHENSON

GUITAR KING

Guitar King

Michael Bloomfield’s Life in the Blues

BY DAVID DANN

This first comprehensive biography of the late, great Michael Bloomfield brings to life a dazzling electric-guitar virtuoso who transformed rock ’n’ roll in the 1960s and made a lasting impact on the blues genre.

Hardcover $39.95

MICHAEL LIFEBLOOMFIELD’S IN THE BLUES DAVID DANN

Dani Wilde

Photo by Richard Ecclestone

Inspired by the Blues

WORDS: Colin Campbell PICTURES: As Credited

For over a decade Dani Wilde, singer songwriter and blues guitarist, has been playing her music to masses of people in different countries ranging from United Kingdom to Kenya. Voted Best female Vocalist in 2015 in the British Blues awards, she is also a fellow contributor to Blues Matters Magazine. Here she talks about juggling her music career, teaching career, and being a mother on tour with her band. Various other topics were discussed:

Hi Dani, thanks for taking time to have a chat with Blues Matters, where are you today and how are things with you?

I’m good, am at my home in Brighton getting ready for Christmas. I’ve got a two year old; it’s going to be different this year. She is aware that Father Christmas is going to be coming down the chimney! Having a family time at Christmas.

Maybe something about you that readers don’t know is you are a lecturer in Music History and also you lecture about Music In Context at Britain and Ireland’s Music Institute, am I right in saying this? You still doing this, care to discuss this?

So, I did my Degree, I have a Sussex Degree in Music. I’ve taught for a long time now. I teach about from the beginning of the blues to modern day music in context. It’s fun, I love it! Regarding music history I enjoy looking at Motown era and soul during the civil rights movement, through to Bob Dylan. Also look at punk music and Politics. Where music has a social conscience then that’s cool.

You are still out there touring, you still get a buzz out of that? How does this sit with you being a mum and musician, do the roles blur or is it easy to separate the two?

Love touring, it’s hard work now I have my daugh-

ter. When the balance is right it’s fantastic. Every now and then, I’ll be overwhelmed by the teaching or touring or being a musician. When the balance is off it’s just exhausting. My little girl came and toured with me for three weeks in Europe recently that was really cool. Don’t know how long that can last for but really the older she gets she’d be better getting into a different routine than being with a band at Slovakia!

How did your interest in music initiate? Did you always want to sing and play guitar?

It’s something I’ve always had. It’s a genetic thing. My grandfather would be the one I inherited it from. He was really into his jazz, loved Fats Waller. He played in the Air Force band in wartime. It skipped a generation as my dad is tone deaf, he can’t even stamp his boot in time. I watch him in an audience - it makes me giggle! My brother Will Wilde and I always played music. I started out on drums, my brother on guitar. We taught each other what we knew then swapped. First gig we played I was on guitar Will was on drums before he played harmonica. He toured in my band; Will could play drums as well. I needed an instrument I could write songs on so chose the guitar

You also write some great songs, what are your inspirations for them, have you a formula or is it intuitive? Where do your ideas originate?

I write my best songs when I really have something to say, using strong emotions joy or anger, sadness. At those times, melody, chords and lyrics just come together. As I have got older I think more critically about my song writing, I look at melodies and hooks more. I wish I had done that on my first records for Ruf Records, I would have arranged songs differently now. I’m still learning and improving!

What is the key element to making a good song

great and memorable?

For me, strong hooks and repetition of these are vital. Having something to say with the lyric. Especially with writing blues music, it’s the dynamics. Whether it’s country or blues music it’s about the performance. If the person singing doesn’t sing with feeling then that’s not good.

How would you describe the kind of music you play? You have brought out blues infused releases and had awards and nominations in blues but there’s more to your music style than that, care to talk about that?

than used on original blues music, so I like that as well. I don’t like putting a label on the music I do, although I know you have to, so you know which shelf it will be in HMV shops! I just love music!

Your recent album, Live At Brighton Road, mixes acoustic guitar tracks and electric. Simply, what is your preferred guitar to play?

The concept of making the album half and half was it was my first vinyl release. I wanted to show the two sides of playing that I do. I wanted to bring out an acoustic album when at Ruf but they were not

I’ve had a few transitions. I’m starting to be true to the blues in its truest form. Half my last album was based on twelve bar blues. As a vocalist, the traditional blues voice was as blues shouters. If you listen to Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey, they didn’t use wispy head voices or they wouldn’t be heard over the band. For me I like using wispy vocals and dynamics and the way the blues scale is used in pop and modern R&B is a more riffier way

interested. I brought it out anyway and was very pleased with it.Tours recently I have been doing one set acoustic, then a break and getting into the electric side in the second part. Seems to suit our audiences this way as well. They can reflect on the acoustic numbers and then rock out after ten o’clock as well!

Who has been the most influential person musically you have listened to?

“It’s easier to write songs when you’re not content and happy”

Photo by Richard Ecclestone

Somebody who changed my musical path was Susan Tedeschi. I saw her live at Bishopstock Festival in early 2000’s. Up until that point, I’d been playing blues music, like Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker, but didn’t really know the direction I wanted to take; listening to Susan Tedeschi made my mind up. Sean Costello played in her band, it was insanely good!

What has been your best advice musically?

Some is hard to pinpoint. But the first big tour I did was the Blues caravan tour with Candy Kane, Sue Foley and Deborah Coleman. We did America and

emerging that you like?

A lot of blues, not necessarily through choice, that’s what my parents listened to, especially my dad. Born in 1985, I listened to pop, especially female singers. Loved Sam Brown, Whitney Houston also; it was that kind of mixture, blues inspired me but especially female singers.

Best advice you would give an inspiring musician nowadays, reflecting on advice you got growing up?

Being in the right place at the right time, means putting yourself in every potential right place. In regards to the blues scene and wanting to get things happening you have to get gigging, busking or such, opportunities will happen.

How do you see blues music evolving and how can you keep it fresh and make it pertinent to a younger audience?

A lot of female members are, Samantha Fish and Joanne Shaw Taylor to name two. It can be a struggle. Our demographics are the radio 2 listeners older than the students I teach - they also buy albums! Younger fans are finding my music but not really going to the gigs. My students want the big hook to be in the first few seconds of a song, they don’t want to have to listen a full minute into the song. It’s difficult.

What’s your kind of blues, what does blues music conjure up for you?

For me it’s a feeling. If you are pouring your heart out in a song and this gets across then that’s good. You need to pick your songs carefully. I did cover Memphis Minnie’s Bumble Bee. That’s about sex and is just as relevant to sing today. I don’t think all blues songs are as relevant today as back when. It depends on your personal story!

What are your thoughts on the music business in general? How do you cope with pressures of album releases and such like for deadlines?

Europe. I grew up playing their records. Deborah Coleman kept me humble with her advice. She was a good business woman and wouldn’t take any crap regarding record deals. She gave me a lot of advice about being strong in the music industry. She also made me appreciate the fans and what it is to be an artist, not being rude, not being a Diva.

What music did you listen to growing up and what do you listen to nowadays? Anybody really

I’ve got more things to juggle but I’ve been lucky. With VizzTone Records they are very good to work with as most are musicians anyway. Looks like we are going to release three singles in the future. Hopefully in March, because we are playing a Festival in Looe, Cornwall, then. It takes the pressure off me. We won’t be releasing an album until 2021. The singles are great, my band is fabulous. Any titles for these three single releases?

Photo by Philip James

One is a Bob Dylan cover and two originals. I played Bob Dylan covers when I started singing in pubs at thirteen so it’s good to look back. ‘Brave’ is a personal song about being brave when things are falling apart, especially now I’m a mum. The other is called ‘Howling At The Moon.’ It’s edgy. I said to my band I’m sick of being promoted as Blues/Rock. This song started out with a heavy riff then it was overdubbed and it has turned out more blues rock with a Paul Weller influence. You can still hear the singer songwriter influences coming through, though!

Is your persona on stage the same as it is off stage?

Probably not, it used to be. Being a mum has changed me and I’m happier with life now. It’s easier to write songs when you’re not content and happy. I’m blissed out. Brave was written when my little girl was in Hospital but she’s alright now.

Do you have any rituals before you go on stage? What makes a good concert great?

I get social anxiety in social situations but on stage, no problems. I am surrounded by music fans. Wherever you go in the world the blues community is so friendly. We played BB King’s Club in Moscow. Russian society is not that acceptable in society but in the blues club they are likeminded people joining together.

Is there a discernible difference between your audiences in the UK and other parts of Europe?

Eastern European audiences are younger, but no real difference.

What are your preferred venues, intimate clubs or big festivals?

It’s all about the sound quality! When the sound is great I’m in heaven. This happens more in small venues. Fehmarn Festival (No longer exists) in Germany was the biggest I’ve played. Apparently it was where Jimi Hendrix last played a Festival. There was a real hippy vibe but a lot of children there. I like seeing children at Festivals. It reminds me of my childhood and growing up.

You have played with many a talented musician and have even played BB King’s guitar is that right, how did that come about?

Bill Wax a radio DJ in the U.S got this started on our tour Girls With Guitars with Samantha Fish and Cassie Taylor. We were invited for dinner at

Bill’s. He was given one of BB King’s Lucille guitars at his house. Me and Sammy were taking it in turns to play this guitar instead of having dinner!

Hypothetical question, if you could choose a super group to play with what musicians would you pick?

Tough, Bob Marley’s backing singers. James Jamerson on bass. Sean Costello on guitar. The drummer would be Richard Newman, I’ve played with him; he played with Steve Marriott, you can’t beat him. Very difficult question. I played with Pee Wee Ellis. This was through my music teacher, a Bill Bagley, who performed with Maddy Prior. Years later he wanted me to do coaching sessions at Womad Festival.

You also met Johnny Winter how did that come about?

In New York on Girls

With Guitars tour. We asked to get backstage. That was lovely. A week later in Spain, there he was again at a Festival, amazing!

Away from music you are heavily involved with charity work, you want to talk about that? My dissertation when getting my musical degree was using music as a fundraising tool. This was to help provide a school education in a town in Kenya. When I went there more often I found that, yes, music can help and inspire kids but first they need sanitation, food and clean water. Toto love orphanage is the bulk of my fundraising now. The blues community have helped enormously at my gigs giving time and money. It makes a big difference.

What are your plans for the future?

Need to get these three singles out if possible. Not so much pressure to make an album. Stick with VizzTone Records if they keep me. Still want to keep the acoustic project playing with my brother Will Wilde, he had a bad motorbike accident earlier in the year but is recovering. Gigging with him is easy because we’ve always performed since young kids together.

Is there anything you want to tell readers that they don’t know about you?

I’m going to dish the dirt here. I’m not usually a

bitchy person and in the blues community everyone is usually great. Recently I was invited to do a session vocal on a Spanish blues guitar player’s album. He invited me out to Madrid. Sometime ago I had done a duet on his record with Chris Jagger, and done a few gigs with this guy and he seemed a cool guy to gig with and it was good exposure for me. Five years on, do I want to come out and sing on this record? He didn’t offer cash or money. If you can cover my flight and hotel, I’m happy to sing. The song was a cover of a Eurythmics song and I’m a big fan, so I said ‘Yes, let’s do it.’ He knew I had a baby and was in a relationship but the moment I came to the airport he was inappropriate. He grabbed my arse in the studio, saying stuff he shouldn’t. I made myself clear. I walked away and said I wasn’t interested! It got to the point he was being rude. About the accommodation, I felt I didn’t have to spell it out that I meant my own room! When I get to the Hotel he meant you sleep with me. He said there were no other rooms and that was why. I’ve done that with my band before. But after a day of him pushing his luck, I was just going to get a taxi to the airport and stay there. I went to the hotel reception and asked if there were any other rooms available and she said ‘YES!’ I wish I had just slapped him and not paid for the room. This is not a reflection on men in blues music business just something people don’t know about me!

Thanks for talking, it’s been a blast. All the best Dani, take care.

It’s been lovely talking to you. Have a good Christmas!

For further information see website: www.daniwilde.com

“Being in the right place at the right time, means putting yourself in every potential right place”

Albert CUMMINGS

Other Guy

Don Wilcock caught up with raging rockblues guitarist Albert Cummings on the eve of the launch of his latest album Believe, his first with label, Provogue.

My favorite line from Albert Cummings’ new album Believe is in his original song ‘Call Me Crazy’ where he sings, “You think I was born yesterday, but I stayed up late last night.” He’s one of the most exciting blues-rock guitarists in the business. And he certainly wasn’t born yesterday. In fact, he has seven albums in a 20-year career that signals that he just may have stayed up all night last night producing this latest album, the best of a long and productive career. Believe finds him in good company with other label mates on Provogue Records, part of the Mascot group, who include Joe Bonamassa, Gov’t Mule, Beth Hart, Eric Gales, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Jonny Lang, and Walter Trout.

Albert becomes ‘that other guy’ when he’s on stage. Gregarious and laid back off stage, this Clark Kent figuratively takes off his glasses and becomes a rootsy Superman in front of his adoring fans. ‘The other guy’ plays and sings from deep inside and adheres to the saying if you’re thinkin,’ you’re stinkin.’ Believe recorded at Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, captures that infectious live spirit better than any of his previous studio LPs. “That other guy usually comes out on stage,” acknowledges Albert. “And you’re right. There’s some of that that came out in the studio, and I think I’ve been trying to become that, and just be that all the time. Usually, it’s happening in a crowd, and there’s something happening with the energy and all that. So, I’m happy to have that stuff come out in the

studio because that’s always a hard part for me because it’s such a separate environment.

“Usually, my better stuff comes out when I’m not thinking about it. It just comes out. So, yeah, there’s a difference (on this CD). I did the scratch vocals, and then I got to take that album home with the basic tracks. I just listened to it and studied it, just switched everything and changed everything and whatever. I don’t know. I more wanted to make an album that had good songs on it than putting a lot of thought into it.”

Billboard magazine called Albert’s second album for Blind Pig, Working Man, one of the top blues albums of 2006, crediting it as ‘the calling card of a blues star who has arrived. Cummings’ guitar work is sizzling.’ By 2007, he’d opened for B. B. King 19 times, inspiring the King of the Blues to simply call him ‘a great guitarist.’ No Regrets in 2012 debuted number 1 on several international blues charts and number 5 on the Billboard blues chart. Last year, his Live at The ’62 Center CD was nominated for Blues Rock Album of The Year Award at the Blues Foundation’s Blues Music Awards up against ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons who took the prize.

Albert’s first commercial break came in 2000 when I, as President of the Northeast Blues Society, booked him to play with Double Trouble’s bass player Tommy Shannon and drummer Chris Layton. Cummings had seen Double Trouble back Stevie Ray Vaughan at Troy, New York’s Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1989 and been inspired to become a professional blues rock guitarist 10 years later. To play that same hall with Stevie’s band was a life changing experience for

WORDS: Don Wilcock PICTURES: Arnie Goodman

him. He went on to record the album True to Yourself with Tommy and Chris on Blind Pig Records.

“If you’re thinkin’ you’re stinkin,” says Albert about his freewheeling style that comes from deep in a soul that’s so natural he never goes on stage with a setlist. He gets up there, connects with his fans and rips. It’s like he fuses with the crowd, smiling broadly as if he has some inside joke with us.

Perhaps the most telling example of Cummings’ John Wayne/Everyman/right stuff connection is his 2008 live concert at the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, in front of an enthusiastic hometown crowd. Blind Pig released it as Feels So Good. He had a 103-degree fever that night, but he hit a home run. He was so sick from strep throat that he looked like a wilting violet under the stage lights, sweating so hard he had to change towels several times through two sets.

To make things even more challenging, he had only one shot at getting it right. Most live recordings are done over the course of two or more nights of performance. Not Albert. It was one show and done! Everyone in that audience was on his team. The band merged with the soldout throng, and the whistling, cheering, singing crowd became a driving element of the band. The space between the seats and stage disappeared and we all flew above the balcony.

In my review of the album, I said, ‘Albert Cummings doesn’t go over the top, he slices cleanly through it. He flies above the bridge between the two genres of rock and blues. This ‘vehicle’ never touches the road long enough to leave skid marks. The sleepy Berkshire Mountains city never knew what hit until after veteran producer Jim Gaines closed down the sound board. The beer was sold out before Cummings struck a note.’

Albert recorded Believe before he signed with Provogue. He wanted to record in Muscle Shoals, Alabama with his go-to producer Jim Gaines, whose credits include Buddy Guy and Stevie Ray Vaughan. “Jim’s like, ‘We gotta have horns

on this. We gotta have backgrounds.’ I’ve done four albums with him, and I never saw him get into it so much as he did on this album. So, there’s a lot of them I do with him, but this one he was like a conductor in an orchestra. He’d describe what he’s hearing, and then two days later he’d have a horn section sitting in a chair, and he’d say, ‘Give me something,’ and hum something on the fly. It was just funny to watch him, how fast he worked. I wouldn’t even know what he was doing until after it was happening. He’s just such a master at it, such a smart guy.”

“When I told him, I wanted to go to Muscle Shoals, he was like, ‘Well, you know they’ve got a certain sound down there, Albert,’ and I was like, ‘Well, that’s fine. That’s ok. I don’t mind the different locations because every place has different music like every place has different architecture. You know what I mean? It’s just a different thing.’”

The album is old school made with seasoned studio musicians. The five covers and six originals work together, maybe not as ‘concept album’ but it definitely warrants listening to all the way through. “I don’t think anybody thinks about it. I mean, why do they call it an album,” questions Albert. “It’s stuff that goes together. You don’t have to skip through the tracks. There’s something for everybody in there. My music doesn’t stick to any genre. That’s what I was trying to say. This is just me, whatever! This is just Albert’s stuff. And I want to explore more of it.”

I more wanted to make an album that had good songs on it than putting a lot of thought into it.

Believe

Albert Cummings

Provogue Records

CD review by Don Wilcock

He has the same sting and sling as B. B. King, but Albert Cummings’ seventh CD is a “smart” album with five covers and six originals that should appeal to a wide-ranging audience. Hard core blues guitar aficionados will love his take on Howlin’ Wolf’s “Red Rooster” in that he doesn’t try to copy Hubert Sumlin or Keith Richards on guitar, but rather makes you fall in love with its switchblade deep cuts. He accomplishes the impossible in that you feel you’re hearing it for the first time while also delivering the same rush that the original gave you.

Cummings chose to record at Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals to capture its southern soul ambiance with backup female vocalists, horns and keyboards that lift both originals like “Queen of Mean,” “Get Out of Here” and “Do What Mama Says” with covers that range from the classic soul of Sam and Dave’s “Hold On” to the Van Morrison ballad “Crazy Love.”

Albert is old school in that he’s paid his dues to play the blues for more than two decades. On the other hand, he’s contemporary in the over the top way his guitar playing enervates an audience. He calls his on-stage persona “the other guy,” a difficult effect to pull off in the studio, but veteran producer Jim Gaines has done just that with Santana, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Buddy Guy George Thorogood, and Albert on four other occasions.

Cummings’ voice here is beginning to show a weathered sound that make lyrics like “You think I was born yesterday, but I stayed up late last night” on his original “Call Me Crazy” sound like he’s one of the boys. He’s everyman without attitude.

It is interesting to note that Cummings cut this album before signing with Provogue, but it’s easy to see why they like him because he fits right in with their “sound” if labels these days can be credited with having a sound. In other words, if you like Walter Trout, Kenny Neal and Eric Gales, you’re going to like Albert Cummings.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

WORDS & PICTURES: Adam Kennedy

The notion of a Blues Caravan sounds like the very idea of a purist’s paradise. But once again this year Ruf Records pushed the boat out with a tour that encapsulated the very best of the international scene. With a trio of artists and labelmates hailing from the USA, Finland and Serbia coming together for Ruf’s annual jaunt across Europe, not only were each of the artists featured geographically diverse but they also brought something different to the proceedings musically.

We recently sat down with Ally Venable, Katarina Prejak and Ina Forsman before their show at the Hartlepool Supporters Club to get the lowdown on the tour, their latest releases and their plans going into 2020.

So, you are currently out on the Ruf Blues Caravan tour across the UK. I just wondered how the show’s going so far.

Ally Venable: It’s been really fun. A lot of travelling for sure. This is my first time in the UK, so it’s been a cool experience and it’s been really fun.

Ina Forsman: Yeah, it’s been good. Edinburgh was great at the Voodoo Rooms; I love that venue - it’s a very special. It was nice to get to do that again and also a nice experience for the girls to play it for the first time.

Katarina Pejak: It seems to me that a lot of the people who come to the shows are real music lovers. Some shows are packed, a couple of them haven’t been so packed, but the quality of the crowd is usually very good. They’ve been very appreciative.

What is it about this tour that makes it so special do you think?

Ally Venable: What makes it so special is that each of us brings our own version of what blues is. Ina is a great R & B soul singer, Kat is a really deep, singer-songwriter, and then I bring the rock element to it. You get a little bit of every

type of blues that you want in one show.

Ina Forsman: Yeah, and I love to work with female artists because, of course, the field is more filled with male players. It’s nice to have someone backstage who understands the frustration and happiness over certain things. You know, I’m not going to start telling them, but all of the women readers will understand.

Katarina Pejak: It gets girly everywhere but on stage, all three of us are in our own way pretty strong as band members. We’re not just doing our own sets; we’re participating in each other’s sets.

Ally Venable: And it’s like one collective show.

Katarina Pejak: It’s really fun. There’s a lot of singing together, a lot of female power type stuff.

Do you collectively have a favourite moment in the show?

Ally Venable: My favourite part is when we get the audience to sing The House Is Rockin’. My drummer Elijah plays on that song. He has this steady beat and everybody claps with it.

Then he is like, all right, you’re going to help us out. And so, they sing with us and I think it’s cool because we go to different areas in the world and they all have different accents when they sing it. It’s really fun.

Ina Forsman: And you never know what’s going to happen. Sometimes it’s a full crowd of people and you think they’re going to be the loudest and they end up barely singing with us - we have to force them to sing with us three different times. And then yesterday, we were in this small venue, and there weren’t that many people, but they ended up being the loudest. Sometimes it’s scary because I have to be the one to start it out, so it’s me that’s going to look stupid if no one sings along. But usually, they do.

Ally, I understand you’ve just returned from the Big Blues Bender in Las Vegas. What was that experience like for you?

Ally Venable: Oh, it was really fun. It’s a big festival in the States and there’s a lot of great players and we were excited to play it this year. It was at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and it was cool to see it a lot of my friends there. I played with Albert Castiglia over two days. I played with

him, and then we had our own sets. I got to see my friends Jonathan Long and Tab Benoit. I met Popa Chubby, which is cool and just a lot of players that I love to listen to. And my family came with me, everybody gambled, and it was great!

Your new album a Texas Honey debuted at number two in the Billboard Blues charts. Have you been overwhelmed by the response to the record so far?

Ally Venable: Yeah, it was cool. We didn’t expect that to happen. My last album, Puppet Show got to number seven on the Billboard Blues charts, which for my second album it was like what the heck? And then this one happened and went to number two and I was like, that’s so cool. And we were excited that it happened for sure.

I see Eric Gales features on the record on the song Come and Take It. I mean he’s one of the best guitarists in the world right now. What was it like working with Eric and how did that collaboration come together?

Ally Venable: Well Mike and I wrote the song

in the studio because he said you need to go with more of a Texas theme. Have a song, like Come and Take It with a Texas-style. And so, I said okay. So, we wrote the song together and then I thought, oh, this song is perfect for Eric to be on. Because we had talked about it before. So, I asked him, would you like to be on my album? That would be so cool. He’s like, yeah, I’ll do it - you’re awesome, I would love to be on your album. So, he sang on it and played on it. It was just so great.

Do you have a favourite track on the album? And if so, which song?

Ally Venable: When you go into the studio, they’re your babies and then even after you make them in the studio, then they grow up, as you play them live, they can continue to grow and evolve. But I think my favourite one, maybe it’s, I like Broken and I like Come and Take It a lot. That one’s really fun. And Texas Honey.

Ina, you recently released your latest studio album, which is Been Meaning To Tell You. Can you tell us a little bit about what the starting point for that album was musically?

Ina Forsman: Well, a month after I released the first album, I started writing songs. That was during the first Blues Caravan I did, and just two or three months later, I was kind of ready to go into the studio again. But then I lost my phone in New York where we were touring at the time, and all of my stuff was on there. I ended up losing all the songs. After that, I started over and it took me three years more. At the time I was pissed at myself because I thought that all this work and all this great stuff is now missing.

Ina Forsman: But I realised that if you don’t remember something then it wasn’t that good. I ended up writing a lot of new songs and taking a lot more time, to live my life, and have something new to talk about rather than just forcing myself to write a bunch of songs so I can make a new record. I do love to work in a studio, but sometimes you kind of have to sit down and be like, okay, so what do I want to say on this album? So, I took my time with it and tried to learn a bit more about music and myself.

Do you feel that you ended up with a better album

as a result?

Ina Forsman: Oh yeah, for sure. Now I still remember some of the song ideas and they were not that great.

Would you agree with that old phrase where everybody says that the second album is always the hardest to make?

Ina Forsman: Yeah, it is in a way, because there’s the pressure of making the album, but at the same time, I wanted to make something new. Of course, my record label would have been happy if I just made a second one that is exactly like the other one because it sold well and all that stuff. But I can’t do that. I kind of have to evolve as an artist even if it means that some people might not be that into the new stuff as the old, but it’s very necessary for me to kind of find myself in my music and see where it takes me.

Katarina moving onto you. I understand that you came from a more classical upbringing growing up in Belgrade. I was just wondering how did you discover the blues?

Katarina Pejak: Well, my dad is a blues promoter and I grew up with musicians going in and out of our house with their instruments and listening to blues. My dad would put music on when he got up in the morning. So, blues was always there. But when I was a kid, I wasn’t that into it. I was more into rock and prog. Also, because I played classical piano, I liked Jethro Tull and bands like that. But then, as I realized that’s not quite my thing, I started listening to Janis Joplin and then through her I started listening to more female soul and rock artists. And that’s how I got into blues because they all were influenced by Betsy Smith and Big Mama Thornton and all those great female blues performers.

I understand you’ve moved back to Serbia now, what’s the blues scene like back there?

Katarina Pejak: Well, it’s a very interesting question because people don’t expect that there would be much, but there is a very rich blues scene. The blues scene is kind of smaller now. It was really big in the 80s and the 90s. I guess blues was worldwide more towards mainstream back then with Gary

“What makes it so special is that each of us brings our own version of what blues is”

Moore and Stevie making it popular again and stuff like that. There are a lot of clubs, there are many bands, and blues is still kind of popular among the local people there. But if we’re talking about a scene and the market there isn’t much there.

I know Ana Popovic comes from there. That was the only other Serbian blues artist I could think of.

Katarina Pejak: She’s a trailblazer. She’s the first Serbian blues artist who has made it that big. I think if it wasn’t for her, it would be a lot harder for me to just get out there and be like, Hey, I’m from Belgrade, Serbia. Now it’s more like, Oh, we know someone else who’s from there too. And she’s, really, really big. You recently released your fourth studio album Roads That Cross earlier this year. Can you tell us a little bit about that album and kind of the inspiration behind it?

Katarina Pejak: Half the album are songs that I’ve had with me for a long time. The rest are songs that are written/were collected for the album. Of the 11 tracks, nine are original songs. The inspiration for the album came from meeting Mr Ruf. He was like, what do you do is unusual for the blues scene. It’s kind of Norah Jonesish, kind of easy listening, but grittier. And as we talked about the direction I came up with a couple of other rockier, more bluesy songs that are on the record. But also, songs like all Old Pain and She’s Coming After You are songs that I had been performing and living with for a while. I also collaborated on two songs with Mike Zito, who produced the album.

All of you, would you consider doing the Blues Caravan again if you have the chance?

Ally Venable: Yeah, it’s a great experience for sure. For me, I’m learning Ina’s songs and learning Kat’s songs. Those are songs that I probably would’ve never have learned on my own because that’s not what I do for my music. And I think that was a good learning experience for me as a guitar player to learn other genres that I necessarily don’t play right now. So, I think that in itself was a good experience and getting to work with awesome musicians as well.

Katarina Pejak: Same for me - learning their songs. On Ally’s songs, I get to be a rock and roll keyboard player and on Ina’s songs, I get to be a jazzy keyword player. And also, what’s great about the experience is this very particular atmosphere that we’re inbeing in the van together like forever.

Ally Venable: Probably more than we are with our families.

Ina Forsman: Yes, I agree. This was my second Blues Caravan. So, all love to Blues Caravan, these girls and Ruf, but this will be my last for sure. I said that also when I did it the first time. I think also but where I’m taking my music is getting a bit further away from blues. And although I think that it is a great opportunity and it’s a great way to find new places and new contacts. It’s the first time for Ally to do so many new countries and for her and Katarina to get connections in countries where it’s really difficult - like the UK is so difficult to get here if you don’t have connections. So, this kind of tour is where you can get your foot in the door. Is that how you say it? But my foot is now in between the door and, yeah, that’s all I will say.

We are three-quarters of the way through this year have you kind of got the next 12 months mapped out, what’s on the cards?

Ally Venable: Yeah, I have some plans - writing my next record and making my next album. I have several shows in the States that I’m doing after this and we’re working on another tour for me next year to come back. So, and just continuing to write songs, and play with my band is my plan. And also, I’m playing on the Joe Bonamassa cruise, which I’m excited about for the first time. It’s in February, it’s going to The Bahamas. We found out we were going to play it. And then within a few months after they announced everything, it was sold out.

Ina Forsman: Well, I also have some dates and tours in the plans in Europe and France, Switzerland, Germany. One special thing we’re planning to take a tour of Brazil. They played one of my songs from my first album called Now You Want Me Back on a soap opera there and it became a lot bigger

“We’re not just doing our own sets; we’re participating in each other’s sets”

than normally my songs are anywhere and it was a bit weird. And apparently, there is a small fan base there waiting for me to get there. But yeah, it’s a bit difficult to arrange something like that. But we hope to make it happen.

Katarina Pejak: I’m still working on my European tour for next year. I have a teaching thing lined up which is this whole other thing that I do for an international school in Belgrade. I have a show in Paris in April, so it’s still all very loose. The show that I’m doing is with my good friend and collaborator from Serbia, who’s an amazing singer and bass player. So, we have a duo act and it’s a lot softer and a little bit

different genre-wise than the stuff that you get to hear on the Blues Caravan. So, I’m going to try and tour in a couple of different settings and see what works for me. And yeah, just writing songs, playing shows at the end of this year. I think I’m going to visit all the Tennessee again.

The Ruf Blues Caravan tour will return to the UK in April with three new faces including Jeremiah Johnson, Whitney Shay and Ryan Perry.

For further details and ticket information please visit www.rufrecords.

Ruby Turner

WORDS: The Bishop PICTURES: Supplied

Jamaican born R&B soul queen, songwriter and actress Ruby Turner MBE is enjoying an illustrious career. Ruby announced her arrival on the UK music scene in 1986 with her first solo album which included a sensational version of the Etta James classic I’d Rather Go Blind. By 1990 Turner had topped the USA charts with It’s Gonna Be Alright and for the past quarter of a century she has travelled the world as vocalist with Jools Holland and his R&B Orchestra.

Millions celebrate New Year’s Eve with Ruby on BBC TV’s Jools Annual Hootenanny making her one of the nation’s best known, respected and popular entertainers. Her serious blues credentials include recording with Seasick Steve and presenting a documentary about Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Ruby Turner’s latest album Love Was Here is her 20th solo release and draws inspiration from B.B. King and Ry Cooder. It is one of Ruby’s most personal recordings to date, rooted in blues emotions with an intimacy generated by her small backing group of exceptional musicians.

Hi Ruby, thanks for taking the time out to talk to Blues Matters; how are things where you are just now?

Things are getting back into the groove here, I’m thrilled and so humbled that you’ve taken the time to organise this interview and to listen to and review my latest album. It’s deeply appreciated thank you.

Please talk a bit about yourself, your early memories of Jamaica, how you became involved in music and your musical experiences when you first moved to England.

I love Jamaica, the place of my birth, and I hold dear the memories of my childhood growing up there. I go back occasionally to visit family and take time out. It’s lost none of its beauty. The lush green parts of the island with its characteristic wooden houses like the ones I grew up in are still there. The shorelines with driftwood and white sandy beaches are as I remembered! Playing in the school yard on days when it got so hot, we had lessons outside

underneath the mango tree. That cool breeze I remember well. We’d sing old folk songs and the teacher would read poetry by Louise Bennett better known as Miss Lou. I think that was the start of my love for words and music. As a child, coming to live in a new country certainly took some adjustment but children are very adaptable, and I figured it out to fit into my new life.

The Pentecostal church was a part of my upbringing. I felt the love and the power of the Word! Gospel music is still very much a part of my life and my go-to place when I’m in my solitude. My early years in schools were great, and music and drama were my biggest love. We had a piano at home which I messed around on more for fun then a considered career choice. I wrote songs that were poetry in form, and I loved the English language, I enjoyed singing too with my school friends as we learnt the latest Motown songs by our admired artist. Little did I know it would be my life’s work.

Can you remember the first record you ever bought yourself?

The first record I brought was Moon River by John Holt. He has a voice so inviting, smooth and beautiful and I loved the lyrics. Andy Williams’ version was delightful too.

Who most influenced your development as a singer and actress?

My great friend and mentor Gareth Owen, along with my headteacher Mrs Hinchcliffe, are responsible for setting me on the road into music and theatre. She sent me to the Crescent theatre in 1975 and there I met Gareth Owen. He heard me singing in A Streetcar Named Desire and the musical production of Putting on the Ritz and Gas Lights and Garters. I saw him playing Sherlock in the Merchant of Venice. He was a playwright too and wrote me into a rock opera he was working on, which his own theatre company took to the Edinburgh festival in 1977. There I received my first review in Punch Magazine and BBC Arena filmed our little show. Many great after-show parties were spent in Gareth’s house in Moseley Birmingham. He had the best record collection I’d ever heard. It was Chicken casserole and music! We listened to Etta James, Dylan, Van the Man, Ry Cooder, the Neville Brothers, B.B. King, Billie Holliday, Rolling Stones, Dusty, Cream, Santana, Sarah Vaughan, Bob Marley and the Reverend Al Green. I had a music library that would set my soul alight; that was my music diet of jazz, blues, soul and rock which influences my

own music today.

You had a number one chart success in the USA, can you say what that meant to you and what you think about the current music scene over there?

Getting that number 1 in the US R&B charts in 1991 was unbelievable and extraordinary for a girl like me. After spending three weeks touring 21 states doing promo, we came home, and the record had made it to the top of the R&B charts.

What is the best advice musically you have had in your career?

I never feel comfortable about giving advice to any artists. I just simply say, for me, it pays to work hard. I respect the gift I’ve been given and serve the music. Search for the truth.

Your latest album Love Was Here is receiving the highest possible accolades and is clearly a very special piece of work. Can you tell us more about the story behind how the album came about, the meanings behind the songs you wrote with Nich Atkinson and Kat Eaton, and its production?

I can honestly say I never wanted to make another album. The industry has changed. With the new dominance of young vibrant reality stars, I thought, “Where do I fit in?” I felt no one was waiting for another Ruby Turner album. But I was encouraged by the producer Nick Atkinson to give it a try and see how things developed. His approach to my ideas, melodies and grooves was really great but more importantly he listened and got to understand my vibes and what I wanted. It began to flow, and we were rolling, enjoying the process. There was no pressure just enjoying the exchange of ideas on the phone or via email, and fitting in recording the demos when time allowed as they too were busy working on other projects and doing gigs. But we made it work somehow. I had the lyrics for Love Was Here’ half finished, for about two years. It was like a jigsaw puzzle, in fact most of my ramblings are a bit like that! Kat was great at helping me unscrambling and making additions. Runaway was in fact two melodies I’d recorded that they turned into the song.

With Love Was Here and Under Your Sky sounding so great, I knew then I was going to make the album. I felt was free and honest with no expectations, just trying to recapture moments of days gone by and reflections of thoughts and what’s makes us find the strength to survive and get through it. Working

with these two very driven, hardworking, talented, ambitious, focused, young people, my confidence retuned, and I had to see this album through to the end. I was loving what we were coming up with.

The album has a strong rootsy bluesy vibe; was this a conscious move or is it that the songs’ reflections about love are by definition very personal and often associated with blues themes?

My gospel/ blues roots have always coloured the music I make, and this is no exception. It’s all over this album and it’s who I am, I guess. Reflections about love sits nicely in this vibe.

How did you feel about the opportunity to have a role in the Pearl Pictures movie The Host?

The soundtrack Chasing Love was written around the same time. I was dipping in and out of different creative projects. I was co-writing again with the composer Wan Pin Chu for the film The Host, My Theatre agent sent over the script which I found time to read on tour in Europe with Jools. I was offered a small part in the film and they also wanted me to sing an original track or something I had already in my repertoire. I guess when opportunities knock you have to make time, snatch and grab it as they say! It was a case of multitasking, juggling everything to achieve something. A real challenge I was standing in situ on a film set ready to perform a song I’d written in three hours that day! It had to be done and we did it. Sounded great in the film too.

I feel that the musicians on your latest album make a significant input, can you talk us through their individual key strengths and contributions to the overall sound?

Nick Atkinson took sole responsibility for the production on this album, so he called in his chosen musicians who he knew and worked with and I was confident he got this under control. And boy, did they deliver! I met them all for the first time in the studio. What was wonderful is they didn’t behave like some players whose attitude is in and out, hope you like it, here’s my invoice. These guys cared! No egos, they are seasoned professionals and contributed to the whole session, fully engrossed, listening, fine tuning and getting it right. I love them for that, and I think they genuinely loved the project too. You can hear it in their playing.

What are the main differences for you musically between performing with a small group and starring with the Jools Holland full orchestra?

Working with Jools’ R&B orchestra was one of the best decisions of my life. I learnt so much and grew so much more in confidence as a performer. I remember the first time in rehearsal, hearing the might of his rhythm section layered with the horns on top! How was I going to cut through that sound? This was going to demand a different kind of vocal approach. I can just sit on the groove with my fourpiece band with ease but for the orchestra I had to root and centre myself and use my technique to project the sound to the back of the room with the aid of the front of house sound engineer. It’s all quite wonderful and makes you feel it’s good to be alive and doing this amazing, rewarding job of singing.

You are an excellent songwriter and your recent collaborations with Nick and Kat have been successful. Can you talk us through the process of writing a song and how lyrics and tunes come about?

I have several notebooks filled with verses, quotations and lyric ideas collected over the years. Notes made from conversations, observations, or an emotional reaction to a situation. I write what I see, how I feel, how it makes me feel! That’s how I approach song writing. This collaboration with Nick and Kat was great and it worked.

How do you find life on the road touring with the band and do you enjoy the touring life?

Touring has become my life and it’s a strange feeling to be in the house for any longer than two weeks. It’s like holidays, 10 days is long enough for me, but I need to work. So, I guess touring really is a part of my life and so it’s never that much of a problem. You just have to make more of an effort to catch up with family and friends.

Is there a song or achievement in your illustrious career that you are particularly proud of?

I’d Rather Go Blind, the Etta James standard is a song I can attest to being one that’s kept me in the frame for so many years. Every artist needs a song people can relate to and associate with. That’s my song.

You must have seen an enormous amount of change in the music business. Are these for the better or worse?

The industry is very different today as there is a lot more freedom and artists can forge ahead independently. I guess they have more control of their music. But compared to back then, I think there was longevity and you could say you had a career. I’m not sure the same can be said for today. It’s so very short lived it seems. We’ve moved from analogue to digital, extravagance to minimalist, physical to streaming! I’m totally perplexed by it all. I’m labelled ‘nostalgia’ now, but you roll with it. I remember when it was oh so simple.

What are your plans and touring schedules for the rest of the year?

The diary Is looking pretty healthy for the year so far, thanks to Jools whose got the energy of 10 men. Between his shows and my own I think I’m a busy little bee this 2020. I’ve also got thoughts of putting together some book of my verses, it’s either that or an autobiography! Can’t see that myself!!!

Do you have a message for Blues Matters readers?

Thank you all for your kind support over the years. It’s wonderful to know people are still interested in my work. Believe me it’s most appreciated. I could not say my career would have lasted hadn’t it not been for people encouraging and supporting me and you’ve kept me going.

DISCOGRAPHY

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Ruby Turner has had a prolific recording career and space only permits us to print her most recent albums.

RUBY TURNER LOVE WAS HERE

RTR Productions Ltd

This is the Jamaican born chanteuse’s 20th solo album, and one which she has always wanted to make, its feel and grooves drawing on influences including BB King, Ry Cooder and Reverend Al Green. It is a bluesy, soulful, R&B masterpiece from a singer who is a national treasure in her UK homeland and a number one best seller in the USA.

What makes this album so special is the quality of its production, the emotional depth of the song writing and the intimacy created by the small group of backing musicians. These features provide the perfect platform for Turner’s breathtaking vocals of virtuosic range, intensity and timbre; a singer right at the top of her game.

The jaunty opener, Got To Be Done celebrates a positive state of mind, the optimism continuing with Don’t Cry Over Yesterday, the softly spoken verses contrasting with the powerful crescendos of the chorus and organ accompaniment.

Won’t Give You My Heart To Break sees Turner in defiant mood and not allowing anyone to break her heart or make a fool of her: “You can’t pull the wool over my eyes/I know your every disguise my dear”, the words enhanced by Nick Atkinson’s piercing empathetic guitar interludes.

Under Your Sky with its sumptupous slide guitar and poignant lyrics is pure nostalgia for the Caribbean blue skies and turquoise sea of Ruby’s childhood.

The blues run very deep on Love Was Here with its reflections on love and why neither party can let go, beautifully written, as are all 10 tracks, by Turner, Atkinson and Kat Eaton, the Sheffield singer also sharing the smoky backing vocals with considerable aplomb.

Make You Happy is both upbeat and uplifting courtesy of Ruby’s coolly sensual voice and appropriately atmospheric keys from the multi talented Joe Glossop.

The superb arrangement of Runaway with its compelling harmonies and dynamic rhythms, the latter courstesy of the excellent bassist Jeremy Meek and drummer extraordinaire John Blease,

sets the scene for getting back to a happier and simpler life.

Anger and frustration are evident in Turner’s voice on A Better Way as she warns about history repeating itself and pleads, “Why don’t we listen to each other/Instead of shouting louder?”.

Why Didn’t We Try is another blues-infused song, this time of memory and regrets, which tugs at the heart strings, Glossop’s emphatic piano chords complementing Ruby’s angst to create the unbearable tension of the climactic ending.

Ruby calls the shots on Time Of Your Life expressing no bitterness in a relationship which has ended as she gets on with her own life. A bonus track is the ethereal Chasing Love, the soundtrack to the motion picture The Host, its string section heightening the singer’s sentiments of “Chasing love, losing love/ Dying for love” in an overall showstopping finale.

Whilst it looked as if Ruby Turner might have peaked in 1986 with her sensational cover version of Etta James’ I’d Rather Go Blind it was only the beginning. The reality is that the inimitable Ruby was destined to create not imitate and to lead rather than follow.

This is why the 2020 release Love Was Here is a celebration of ground-breaking songs destined to become classics of the genre in their own right and hewn from a gem who is the genuine article. An early contender for album of the decade.

- THE BISHOP

REFLECTIONS OF A LOUISIANA BLUESMAN REFLECTIONS OF A LOUISIANA

Credit: Greg Miles

An interview with Sonny Landreth

WORDS: ColIn Campbell PICTURES: As credited

Sonny Landreth’s recording career has spanned over forty years now and the self-confessed King of Slydeco just seems to be endlessly busy, whether it’s touring, teaching guitar, or making videos, albums, or collaborating with other musician’s projects, he is a workaholic.

The celebrated slideman first came to notoriety playing with The Red Hot Louisiana Band, led by the Zydeco king Clifton Chenier, an early influence on the youthful Sonny Landreth. A consummate bandleader and singer-songwriter, he has since toured and recorded with artists ranging from John Mayall, to John Hiatt. His latest album, Blacktop Run, follows on from his last release the much-acclaimed double album, Recorded Live In Lafayette, a mixture of electric and acoustic guitar tunes. Here, Blues Matters caught up with Sonny recently for a discussion at his home in Louisiana as he was getting some “down time” he explained, with his South Louisiana drawl, “Sometimes it’s good to get off the road”. Throughout the discussion he was very laid back, knowledgeable about the music business in general, and what makes him continue to inspire others around him to be their best, and why he now is probably one of the best slide guitarists in the world. His inspiration to others was especially noted when talking about the up and coming generation of musicians, “They need to believe in themselves and in the music, they play”. No wonder, as he really is a musicians’ musician and it certainly was a privilege to talk to him for a short while.

Starting out playing the trumpet which he suggests he used for “Educational purposes”, his guitar work was soon his main own interest and of course his profession! He was influenced by jazz and blues heroes. “I loved Chet Atkins feel for music, it was him who I was most influenced by, I have my trumpet but don’t use it now, and the valves have gone”. There was always music around when he was growing up and he also listened to Elvis Pressley. His influences by jazz and blues men helped him on his way to play the guitar. “My finger picking style on right hand was influenced by Chet Atkins and my left hand, by Robert Johnson and those Delta blues men”. The slide guitar tries to mimic or at least enhance vocals, Sonny realised this, I presume at an early age. He is always creative and wants that to continue.

As to the methodology of playing slide, he jokingly recalled “I got a handlebar from a bike, cut it with a saw and made slides back then”. He even got his father to help him! He said that he started with metal slides but far “prefers the bottle neck slides as they seem to give better vibrato and that’s cool” But his roots of playing slide guitar are very much to do with the guitar being a vocal point also. “I got turned onto playing chordal tuning; it opens up the sound more and helps with the solos.”

Certainly, listening to his tunes, some are so multi layered it is mind blowing but this a testament to his creativity. He is very honest and

Credit: Robley Dupleix

passionate when he talks about his music and collaborating with friends. “Yes, Eric Clapton is a good friend, I’ve learned a lot from him and the way he plays guitar. I’ve played all The Crossroads Festivals and enjoy being the opening act. It means you can listen to your friends play and then jam with them on stage at the end”. We talked about being on stage and being in that moment when guitar solos go on and it’s hard to know when to finish. He recalls Peter Frampton doing just that when they jammed to While My Guitar Gently Weeps, “Peter got a bit carried away and didn’t want to stop, it was a magical moment”

As to writing his songs, he has no particular set out technique. “It can be a note in my head when I wake up, and a song can be written around that, you just let it happen when an idea comes to you and it just flows.” He does however rely on intuition when writing songs and does not find it difficult. “I’ve lots of ideas for songs and there are plenty I’ve written at home; I get inspiration there. On the last album, Recorded Live At LaFayette for example I wanted to capture the electric guitar on one side, and acoustic on the other, and that happened. I was also able to reinterpret older songs with a newer take to them; that was good.” As to playing on stage in general, his take on this was clear. “I like the intimacy of a small venue, but when I look out, I want to see people enjoying themselves, dancing, singing, and getting into the music; that’s the best feeling.”

Asked about keeping music fresh, and advice to

young musicians wanting to join his journey in music, Sonny’s approach is very prophetic, “You have to be true to yourself and hang on in there.”

When discussing the blues genre in general he feels musically people have to feel what they are singing about and “The struggles and hardship that the likes of BB King had gone through in early life”. He is a very passionate and empathetic advocate of this, and you can only admire him for this. That is where the authenticity shines through in his guitar work and intricate lyrics.

We talked about the new album Blacktop Run, and how this came about. There are just so many layers to this release; it is an amazing compilation of ten tracks. Again it mixes electric guitar and acoustic tracks; there are four instrumentals that are pretty seamless and very experimental. He said of the new release, “It took longer than it should have due to band commitments, but I hooked up with my old Producer RS Fields, and the process went smoothly. Co-Producer Tony Daigle put the finishing touches to it. I am happy with the new album. I got to do two new arrangements of songs by my piano player Steve Conn, and I really like “Somebody Gotta Make A Move.” Asked if there was a theme to the release Sonny implied that it was a lifelong musical journey full of twists and highs and lows. As to the future, Sonny will still be touring extensively; He has a show at Islington Assembly Hall London on January 23rd 2020. Definitely a date for the calendar, he’s not sure if it is the only UK event but as always he’s working on it.

For more information see website: www.sonnylandreth.com

Credit: JasonCohen

RYTHYM KING GERAINT WATKINS

WORDS: Iain Patience PICTURES: Chris Musto

Geraint Watkins is a UK roots musician who has covered the gamut of styles and approaches from his early years in Cardiff with blues and Cajun music to the rockier end of the business where he has been an in-demand side and session man for many of the world’s biggest names, Paul McCartney, Bill Wyman, Van Morrison, and more. Recently, with a new solo album about to drop, Geraint took some time out to chat with Blues Matters! for the first time.

Sometimes known as ‘the Godfather of UK Americana,’ Welsh roots and blues keyboard/piano wizard Geraint Watkins is a guy who has more than paid his dues. After over forty years as a professional musician, he remains one of the most busy side and session men in the business with a pedigree behind him that includes working with ex-Beatle Paul McCartney, ex-Stone, Bill Wyman, Nick Lowe, Van Morrison, Eric Clapton, Dave Edmunds and just about everyone of note in the modern music world. From time to time, however, he steps sideways and delivers a solo album that generally confounds many, with a variety of influences splashing around in the mix. Watkins is no easy-to-categorise player. Instead he’s that rare thing, a genuinely interesting and interested musician’s musician, a guy who is receptive to everything flying around the ether with an acute ear for often unexpected musical twists and turns.

Speaking with Watkins can be tricky, not least because of his busy schedules, but also because he’s immediately friendly and hugely entertaining, a real bundle of laughs and more, a sort of musical cracker-cum-joker with a serious undertow and pull. For many years, Watkins has been an integral part of Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings where he takes over keys duties from luminaries like the legendary Georgie Fame and ex-Procol Harum voice, Gary Brooker. As he looks back at this development Watkins laughs in an unexpectedly self-denigrating near-surprised way, exhibiting a remarkable humility given his own, personal status: ‘Oh Blimey! Georgie Fame, he’s a real musician. Lovely bloke too. He has always been a sort-of hero of mine. It’s hard to believe that I know him, play with him and play with Bill in his stead,’ he explains.

“as a musician you’ve always got to be open to new things”

And in many ways there’s likely to be a similar range of musical influences that the guys also share with Watkins singling out Fats Domino, Doctor John and Ray Charles, when pushed to confirm his own preferences and what kind of music makes him tick and provided initial inspiration to him as newcomer many moons ago. With Wyman seemingly taking longer between tours these days, Watkins is cautious when he remarks: ‘Bill’s more or less retired now, I think. But playing with that band has been a huge pleasure and a privilege.’

He remains always on the look-out for new influences and sounds but is vaguely critical of much of modern music too: ‘Sometimes I listen to or hear something and ask myself, just what’s this supposed to be,’ he says with a peal of laughter, before adding: ‘But as a musician you’ve always got to be open to new things. There’s always a surprise maybe waiting just round that next corner.’

Although he started out as a young kid playing some guitar, like countless others back in the day, he soon switched allegiance to piano, and spent a considerable time as the UK’s principal squeeze-box player

because of familiarity with the keyboard: “I always enjoyed that time. Accordeon was like a piano, same keyboard, so it came to me fairly easily and naturally. I loved playing with the Balham Alligators and also Red Beans and Rice and Juice on the Loose. Those were really learning, formative years, I guess.’ He confirms with evident pleasure and more than a deserved hint of pride.

With a new album on Last Records just out, ‘Rush of Blood,’ Watkins says it took him around eighteen months to put it all together with help of co-producer, Simon Ratcliffe, and support from a near-neighbour, George Sueref. When I suggest the album has an unusual feel and range of musical styles on display, Watkins again laughs gleefully, and it’s hard not to think, a tad mischievously: ‘My brother plays guitar, he’s better than me! When he first heard it he told me it was a Country album, real Country & Western. I didn’t see that myself! I thought it was more roots and maybe rock’nroll. It was rock’nroll that first got me going. Listening to that music – Fats Domino, Carl Perkins (with whom he also played), Little Richard. All those great guys. Then there’s the Beatles and the Stones, the Who,

all that stuff too. Blues runs through much of it, whoever it might be.’

Nearing the end of our time together, we share a laugh about our individual encounters with ex-Beatle, the late George Harrison, both oddly similar in different ways: ’I was on-stage with, I think Bill’s Rhythm Kings maybe, when a guy was shuffling around, kicking cables and the like. He stretched out a hand and said, “Hi, I’m George.’ I shook his hand but basically ignored him thinking it was a roadie or something and I was just too busy preparing for a sound-check. Shortly afterwards one of the other guys told me that it had been George Harrison!’ Watkins rumbles with laughter at the memory and the surprising error but notes that George, of all the Beatles, always had the ability to blend into the background: ‘George was just George. He could sort-of disappear into things unlike John Lennon or Paul McCartney. But about a year later we met again and this time I recognised him immediately. To my total surprise he came up to me and said, “Hi, you’re Geraint!” He’d remembered my name, a huge surprise!’

Geraint Watkins Rush of Blood

Last Records

Geraint Watkins is probably a name largely unknown to many music lovers. But the likelihood is they will have heard him play somewhere down the road as one of the businesses most in-demand international session men. With a career that now stretches back over forty years, UK roots musician Watkins has played with such names as Eric Clapton, Van Morrison, Paul McCartney, Nick Lowe, Mark Knopfler, Tom Jones and Carl Perkins. Add to this the fact that Bob Dylan has said he’s his personal favorite UK keys man more than once and you begin to get an idea of how significant he really is.

A regular feature in recent years with ex-Stone bassist Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings, Watkins comes from the unexpected blues and Cajun end of the music where he kicked off as a guitarist-turned-squeezebox player before turning to the rockier end with piano. Watkins began as a kid with guitar but was soon overtaken, he says, by his brother. Having also always played some piano, he elected to concentrate on that instrument and often played squeeze-box with a variety of blues and Cajun bands because of

Often cited as the UK’s finest piano player by no less than Bob Dylan, who admires his work enormously, Watkins is already working on his next album though he’s not sure when it will see the light of day: ‘I think you’re always working on another, the music’s always around. It just takes time and effort to put it all together at times,’ he notes. ‘And I’ve just recorded another release with my brother on guitar. That will be out soon. For now, ‘Rush of Blood’ is taking up my time and I’ll be getting out on the road to promote it soon, in early 2020. I love being on the road. It’s still great fun,’ he laughs again as we say goodbye.

familiarity with the keyboard. In the past few years he has put out a couple of albums that hint at his ability but have been overwhelmed by the support musicians included in the journey. Here, with ‘Rush of Blood,’ Watkins has gone for a decidedly more stripped-back style, a feature that allows his own writing, vocals and keyboard skills to amply excel.

If there’s a true surprise here it might come with the way the eleven-track release starts with a stagecoach-y, classic Western sound and vibe, a musical theme that remains central to the album till around the half-way mark when it veers off into a positively more rock and R&B feeling, with more than a touch of soul at its heart. That said, this is not an album that can be readily categorized. It romps along through genres, crossing from country & western, through soul to rock and blues with a deft, light touch that in many ways belie the sheer ability on offer. When speaking to Watkins recently, he told me his brother had laughed and told him it was a country album, a suggestion that he himself had never had in mind. In reality, that might be partly true but in effect ‘Rush of Blood’ covers far more ground than that, to deliver an enjoyable album that steadily grows in stature track-on-track. - Iain Patience

Confession Time

WORDS: Tim Arnold PICTURES:

“Sometimes I wish… that my heart was made of steel… keep my feelin’s close to me…” But it’s not. And he can’t. Terry Robb is a walking, talking, singing, guitar playing blues encyclopedia. Delta blues, ragtime, country, swing, jazz, acoustic, electric, R&B. From country blues to Coltrane, from ragtime to Hendrix. The rhythm that is Terry Robb’s blues.

He spans the ages, and the genres. He’s toured with legendary greats, collaborated with Grammy winners. He’s a learned educator of all of it. A multiple awards winner, he’s topped the charts with many of his own releases. Originals. And a few covers. His latest album, ‘Confessin My Dues’ (Niasounds, 2019) is racing up those charts as this is written. You would not have predicted any of it based on the first ten years of his suburban, white boy childhood. But there were hints. By the time he’s ten, his Dad’s taken him to see Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong live, and then he takes him to a Beatles concert on their first US tour, where King Curtis opened for them. Then his uncle – who was a swing guitar player for the live Lawrence Welk Orchestra, buys him his first guitar. Soon he’s got himself a ’54 Les Paul Jr, and then his uncle takes that one over to Paul Bigsby’s house, yeah, that guy, a family friend, who puts a very early Bigsby tail piece on it for him.

Terry Robb gets into his first band at age 12 and he’s never looked back. A self-taught finger-pickin’ blues boy who’s still kickin’ ass some 50 years later. “So, where’d you find the blues, man?” I’m asking him, in a recent conversation: “My parents had a lot of records, jazz, blues, played them all the time.” One day his grandmother puts one of her vinyl 33 1/3 records on the turntable. “Who’s that?” he asks her. ‘Ray Charles,’ she tells him. ‘This one’s Drown in My Own Tears.’ “Whoa, what kinda music is that?” ‘The blues,’ she says. ‘An old woman told me… said sit down and listen here… sometimes a man can cry… don’t try to hold back yo tears.’ (From ‘Confessin My Dues,’ Heart Made of Steel, Terry Robbins,

Terry Robb

some of those jazz guys would interpret some of them, so I went with some vocals and a couple of backups, and mixed them like a live band. Then, on the way to the studio one day I just happened to put in Jimi Hendrix’s ‘Band of Gypsies,’ in my car, and I thought, wow, this is how I want this one to sound, like an acoustic, live band of gypsies. Really live, in your face, big...”

Desert Everywhere’ is pure Robert Nighthawk. Listen to ‘Still On 101,’ or ‘Now Vestapol’ and you’re going, how many guitar players are on these tracks? Well, there’s just one, and it’s Terry Robb, and there’s no multi-tracking over-dubbing whatever. It’s just him live, and the most spirited, free-flyin’ pickin’ digits you ain’t likely to hear anywhere else.

‘Butch Holler Stomp’ is the lead track, and there ain’t no turning back. There’s a synergy to the range of notes he squeezes out of his guitar that’s damn near beyond comprehension. In fact, it is beyond any notion of trying to play like that, so you just gotta listen. It’s one of four tracks on the album that include his long-time soul mates Gary Hobbs on drums and Dave Captein on stand-up bass. The title song pairs him with their drums and bass, and he rides their mojo with his vocal and guitar licks. Same drum and bass on ‘It Might Get Sweaty.’ And you’d swear he’s taking Robert Johnson right back down to the Highway 61 crossroads on his ‘Darkest Road I’m Told.’ ‘Three Times the Blues’ is, well, a collective journey of blues rhythm licks and chords and picking that demand a round trip. And his slide on ‘High

And then, just when you think you’ve gone to blues heaven, and don’t care if you ever come back, here’s ‘Keep Your Judgement,’ a rockin’ trio thing complete with a back-up vocalist and some electric rhythm guitar. Turn it up! Then he lands back on a bluesy instrumental, ‘Blood Red Moon,’ some classic slide lead and bottom string chording. “I really work at it, I zero in on it, like Blind Blake, guys like that, how they’re going from one chord to another, and what fingers they’re using, and then… it just seeps into my body and comes out in everything else. I never try to copy anybody else. Like I learned somewhere… ‘know note for note what they’re doing, but don’t do it that way’.”

“Do you ever use picks? I ask.

“the lyrics get right to the point”

“No. I don’t know how. Every time I put one on it falls off…”, which he shrugs off with a laugh.

Of course, he plays electric, too, especially in the studio. His favorite electric is his 1960 Fender Strat: “To me, I don’t see any difference. Acoustic and electric. I approach them exactly the same. I play T-Bone Walker licks on acoustic, and Charley Patton rhythm stuff on electric. And I’ve still got my very first electric guitar, the one I got when I was 10, the Les Paul Jr, a ’54 from the first year they were made. And the Bigsby’s still on it.”

“When I got my Les Paul, they weren’t making them anymore, but then guys like Eric Clapton and Mike Bloomfield were playing - The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, with Elvin Bishop backing him up on rhythm. So, Gibson started making them again. Elvin was an interesting guy. A real farmer kind of dude (who at the time was attending the University of Chicago as a National Merit Scholar, majoring in physics!). I hung out with him some. He was always telling me how many turnips he’d grown that year. He used to drink a lot of Budweiser,” Terry tells me. “I remember his roadie used to have a bottle of Budweiser everywhere on stage he might possibly be” (No wonder - Budweiser was this writer’s advertising client back then, and we hooked Elvin up with the brewery).

Is there a concert experience, a music thing, that stands out from all the rest? I wonder:

“Well, I’d have to think about that one.” And he does. But first - “I can tell you the best compliment I ever got. I did a record in Sam Phillips’ studio, called ‘Resting Place’ (Yellow Dog Records, 2006), and the engineer was Roland James, who played guitar with Jerry Lee Lewis and engineered a lot of Sun Records. He also worked with my hero, Charlie Rich, and he turns to me and he says, ‘Man, working with you reminds me a lot of working with Charlie Rich.’ “I said, I like Charley Rich. I recorded ‘Lonely Weekends’ (‘Stop This World,’ Burnside Records, 1996). And Roland says, ‘I played guitar on that record.’ And I said, ‘I know, I copied your part’.” So, what about that groove thing?: “Well… it… you just feel like… you’re floating… you’re moving… you’re not really conscious of what you’re doing… it’s really just pouring out… you can’t control it… you don’t want to stop… you’re thinking two notes ahead…

Any suggestions for us blues wannabes? “I used to hang out with Zap (Frank Zappa, Mothers of Inven-

tion) and he told me one time, ‘Be weird at work, normal at home’. It’s a good way to be.”

And before I go, I gotta tell you the best compliment this writer ever got. From Terry: “I just want to tell ya what a joy it was talking with you, Tim. It was fun. This Bud’s for you!”

Sure ain’t nothin’ like the blues.

An interview with GRAHAM LILLEY

Graham Lilley was a long-time friend and associate of the late Gary Moore. He was also guitar tech for Gary and took care of all his guitars on and off the road. I recently caught up with Graham to chat about his time with Gary Moore and the up-coming release of Live In London which was recorded about 18 months prior to his untimely death.

How did you first become involved with Gary Moore?

I started working with Gary part way through the After The War album in 1988, taking care of his guitars and stuff right up until he died really. I was his guitar tech, then became stage manager, and did a bit of producing towards the end. It was a really enjoyable time and we went all over the place, especially on that tour 2009 when the album was recorded. We were all over Europe, Russia and also did two UK tours that particular year.

Do you think he was happiest playing in a live environment as opposed to the studio?

Oh, very much the live environment. You get that instant feedback from the audience. I think it was Pete Townsend who said he loved the playing but not the touring which probably goes for most bands really.

Gary had a fine collection of guitars; did he have a particular favourite to play?

I think it changed considerably over the years. He was constantly buying new stuff and picking up bits and bobs from all over the place, especially when we were in Germany, he’d be like wow have you seen what I’ve found. Then he’d play it and, bang, it was in the show that night, and that would be the new toy for a while. And that way he built up a sizeable collection as opposed to just having one to play on-stage.

Do you think he was more at home playing blues rather than the rock stuff?

He started off with that John Mayall Blues Breakers stuff and listening to Peter Green and Eric Clapton as well as the Albert king stuff but then got into Skid Row and that was quite progressive and heavy. Then he dabbled in the jazz/rock in between his times with Thin Lizzy.

Did he play much acoustic guitar in his live shows?

No, not so much in his live shows. The first tour I did with him was the After The War tour where he did a track called Johnny Boy, and then a track called Victims Of The Future, which had a twelve string acoustic intro before all the fireworks and pyrotechnics went off, after that it was straight into the rock part of it so not really a great deal of acoustic playing live. He did a little bit on the Blues For Greeny one-off show.

WORDS: Stephen Harrison

www.propermusicgroup.com

TOURDATES:

May 5 London / 100 Club

May 7 Glasgow / Hard Rock Cafe

May 6 Bilston / Robin 2

May 8 Hartlepool / United Supporters Club

May 9 Lincoln / Blues Rhythm & Rock Festival

May 10 Milton Keynes / The Stables

May 11 DK – Kolding / Godset

THORBJØRN RISAGER & THE BLACK TORNADO Come

BERNARD ALLISON - SONGS FROM THE ROAD RUF 1276

He actually opened the show with an acoustic guitar which was a bit brave because everyone knew all of Peter Greens music so well and it went down really well.

Who do think had the biggest influence on Gary’s playing?

I would have thought that Peter Green would be the obvious one and then Eric Clapton, the Cream stuff, but the Blues Breakers album with Eric Clapton was the one that really shook him. He’s been in print so many times saying that was the album that made him sit up and go, wow. I don’t think he got to see Eric play with John Mayall. Peter was the first one he saw because Eric was on holiday or maybe had left at that point. Then obviously Hendrix and Jeff Beck had arrived on the scene and they were all huge influences on Gary. But nowadays there is hardly anyone around like those guy’s that make you want to pick the guitar up, except maybe Joe Bonamassa, but that’s about it really.

I know that Joe Bonamassa is a huge fan of Gary’s playing, did he use one of Gary’s guitars to play Midnight Blues a couple of times?

I think he played the ex-Peter Green Les Paul and it did belong to Gary at the time. I do know that he recorded Midnight Blues with the Peter Green Les Paul, so he perhaps played it at a few gigs.

Were you at the gig in Japan when he did a blistering version of Don’t let Me Be Misunderstood?

No, unfortunately not. He did that on one of the first tours before I joined him. He did a version of that when he was signed to Jet Records in the early 80s. He was with the band G-Force who were signed to Jet at the time, and then he did some solo stuff. Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood was released as a single which was kept over for the live shows along with some stuff from the Corridors Of Power album.

I’ve just reviewed the Live In London album, what do you think made that such a special gig?

The band had been on tour for much of that year, having started off in March, and we were on the road constantly with little breaks here and there. We did a couple of tours in England, then a load of dates in Europe and Russia so the band were pretty on it at that point; so that particular show was in the December, so everyone really had it nailed down by then. It was a bit of a smaller venue so that adds to the feel of the place and Gary was really on fire that night and the band were firing on all cylinders.

What would you say was your fondest memory of being involved with Gary Moore?

Oh, I don’t know. There are quite a few. Some of the shows we did. One that does stand out is the Fender at Fifty gig at Wembley in 2004. He’d just come back from a hand infection so he hadn’t played for a while and he did Red House as a Hendrix tribute and literally brought the house down, people were going, oh, my goodness, and quite rightly so. But the daft thing about that night was, we were doing the rehearsals and Gary, Brian May and Mike Rutherford from Genesis all standing with mouths wide open, chins on the floor watching Hank Marvin with a we are not worthy moment. And now its kind of like he’s almost overlooked.

Well thank you so much for taking time out to speak to Blues Matters Magazine. I’m really looking forward to the release of Live In London.

It’s been my pleasure. You take care.

ROCK, RHYTHM & BLUES

Stoney Broke

The Dogz

Jon Bowie & Phil Saunders

Nights

£189.00 per person

Albums,REVIEWS DVD’s & Book Reviews

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MIKE ZITO AND FRIENDS

ROCK ‘N’ ROLL: A TRIBUTE TO CHUCK BERRY

RUFF RECORDS GMBH

Celebrated blues musician

Mike Zito has returned with a jam-packed album of Chuck Berry classics performed by himself and a host of some of the best that the blues have to offer, including Joe Bonamassa, Walter Trout, Eric Gales, Robben Ford, Sonny Landreth, Luther Dickinson, Albert Castiglia, Anders Osborne, and Charles Berry III – Chuck’s grandson. Recorded at Mike’s Marz Studios, it was mixed and mastered by David Farrell, and produced by Zito himself. Opening with current single and absolute stonker of a cover, Johnny B Goode, the song features the indomitable Walter Trout. Dripping with passion and energy, this bombastic number creates an absolute wall of sound created by Mike and

Walter’s duelling guitars as they drive the song all the way home. It’s clear listening to the track that they had a hell of a lot of fun recording it, and it’s no surprise that it’d be the first song to be featured off the album. Havana Moon has always been one of my favourite Chuck Berry songs for its smooth, rolling groove, and Latin beat influence, and Mike has found a way to elevate it to a whole new level with the help of Sonny Landreth. With silky smooth vocals and stunning guitar work, this track breaks the mid-point of the album in sublime style, making it one of the stand-out songs on the album. Down Bound Train stands in contrast to most of the album, with its darker themes and melancholy guitar, but as the train-like rhythm of the bass and drums pick up pace, the guitar launches the song into the stratosphere as Mike and Alex Skolnick make it their own. Topping the album off on an excellent and fun note, the album comes to a close on the ever tongue-in-cheek My Ding A Ling. Featuring Kid Andersen, if this song doesn’t give you a chuckle and put a smile on your face, then I’m not sure what will. Overall this album is a joyous celebration of the music of one of the most influential singer-songwriters of the last century. Every track is full of love and appreciation for the legacy that is being preserved, and I cannot recommend it enough.

- ERIK DAMIAN

MISS BIX & THE BLUES FIX

We Don’t Own the Blues Independent

STEVE STRONGMAN TIRED OF TALKIN’

Ontario Creates

Leslie Bixler, a.k.a. Miss Bix, has worked in areas of music not always associated with the blues. For example, she worked with pre-school age children establishing music circles. Among those who knew of the teacher’s blues talent was Chad Smith, the high-octane drummer of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, who helped her progress her blues career. This album has a really deep feel for the blues because it is the result of several months Miss Bix spent in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Did she spend time down at the legendary crossroads? Damn right she did, and the evidence is here. The track If You’re doing what I’m Thinking rolls along like a locomotive with some fine harp by a player known simply as Mischo. Gotta Get off This Ride is a classic mid-tempo blues and the title track, We Don’t Own The Blues has fine lyrics with the band on relaxed, rolling form featuring a smart guitar solo from Franck Goldwasser. Sounds like we’ll be hearing much more of Miss Bix, because she’s a modern blues talent with a lot to offer.

- ROY BAINTON

Steve Strongman has long been at the top table of Canadian Blues artists, producing a string of world-class award-winning albums in both electric or acoustic settings. New release Tired Of Talkin’ cements his position. The twelve tracks are divided equally between recording sessions in Nashville and Hamilton, Ontario. The Nashville tracks include contributions from the gifted Audley Freed and Jim Haggerty om guitar & bass. Jesse O’Brien (Colin James Band) adds sparkling piano to the gritty opener, title track Tired Of Talkin’. Paid My Dues is next, in lesser hands this could’ve been a standard blues but Steve’s crisp guitar playing and excellent vocals take it up several levels. Still Crazy ‘Bout You benefits from more of O’Brien’s tasteful piano playing, while Steve picks out sublime guitar runs. Just Ain’t Right is from the Nashville sessions and Audley Freed on second guitar adds great depth and breadth as Steve delivers another classy blues. Can’t Have It All is more up-tempo allowing Steve to open up on guitar and add some tasteful harmonica. Tell Me Like It Is, a slow lost love blues and is the third and final

track to feature Jesse O’Brien, Steve takes it home on guitar and vocally is heartfelt. Livin’ The Dream is autobiographical about being on the road and is upbeat and positive. Hard Place And A Rock is a swinging blues and is another where Steve’s class elevates the song above where it would be in lesser hands. Highwayman is great, delivered sparsely with vocals and acoustic (I think provided by Pat Sansone). Bring You Down is a epic song and another from Nashville, slow paced but with twin guitars keeping you hooked right through to the fade. The album closes with Let’s Stay Together, the Al Green classic. Steve delivers the higher key vocals confidently and with aplomb and band perform it with the perfect balance of attack and restraint. All in all, this is a tip top quality album from a world class artist. If you’re not already familiar with Steve Strongman is a good place to start.

- STEVE YOURGLIVCH

SUE DECKER OUTSKIRTS OF LOVE

Independent

Sue Decker has one of the most remarkable voices I have heard for many a day. She has a warm

voice, deep and strong and there is a haunting quality to it that gave me chills when I first put the album on. It is perfectly suited to the opening track on the album Lay Me Down In The Indigo where she creates a smoky and eerie image accompanied by herself on slide guitar, a wailing harmonica courtesy of producer Wynn Gogol and a thumping Indian-esque drum beat. This is her debut album following on from a previous EP & single and she has crafted a dozen very different, but also very good, songs to tell the various stories of her life so far. Together with producer Wynn who also plays keyboards, bass, banjo, accordion, the previously mentioned harmonica and drums the album has the feeling of a life that has it’s ups and downs but it resonated with me because she avoids overplaying the stories, settling instead for the day to day and creates an atmosphere that is welcoming and reconcilable. Although I would place her music more in the Americana bucket than Blues, she clearly has had enough Blues in her life to count. It feels very much like a collection of songs rather than a single entity but every song stands on its merits and the whole thing is a terrific listen. The album doesn’t really make enough of her wonderful voice but when she simplifies, as she does on Too Close To The Bone, she reminds me of Bonnie Koloc in the natural emotion and personality she puts into a simple voice and acoustic guitar. The title track is a full band number that still manages to feature her voice rather than obscuring it. Overall, a fine debut set and it shows a lot of potential, a really good listen.

- ANDY SNIPPER

JORG DANIELSEN BLUES STRAIGHT OUTTA BUENOS AIRES

Wolf Records

couple of enjoyable curve balls, one being the Jump Jive sound on Houseparty Tonight, which is very infectious and fun, the other is the final instrumental track Donde Merda Esta Mi Cerveza which has an Albert King feel to it, but I’m unsure what the title translates to other than the reference to Beer. An enjoyable Blues album played by some excellent musicians led by one of Austria’s finest blues performers, who besides his playing has written some authentic blues songs.

- ADRIAN BLACKLEE

Jorg Danielsen is an Austrian based Blues guitarist and vocalist who has previously recorded under the Vienna Blues Association name. On this release he is supported by some talented Argentinean blues musicians who he recently toured the country with and by all counts took it by storm. The album was also recorded in Buenos Airies by Daniel De Vita who also adds some guitar on the album. While the majority of songs are self-written, the album kicks off with a fine version of She’s Tough, a song written by Jerry McCain but made famous by the Fabulous Thunderbirds on their Live album. This track and another called The Fuse Is Lit make the most of Harmonica player Jorg Costales who really drives these songs forward with his skilful playing. The latter track is the albums stand out, its a meandering slow Blues punctuated with guitar and harp solos. The fourteen tracks on the album give a good insight into Jorg Danielsen’s Blues style, which is a light upbeat electric guitar sound not too dissimilar to the aforementioned Fabulous Thunderbirds. There are a

RALPH DE JONGH ROADTRIPPIN – 4ology Independent

Normally I would expect a 4 CD set to be a compilation or trawl through a major artist’s back catalogue. But not on this occasion, however, as this prolific Amsterdam based blues, rock and soul man has already produced several lengthy albums this year. I guess he is from the “let’s get it done and move on to the next project” school of thought with this offering clocking in at over 5 hours and 43 new songs. CD 1 features mostly De Jongh’s vocals only accompanied by Chi

Ron Schut on guitar. We open with It Must Be Me featuring De Jongh howlin’ out his lyrics in a stream of consciousness ramble. Most of the tracks here are around 7 mins and De Jonghs vocals vary from a growl to a croon and the guitar work is good but the backing is often lacking in any form or groove. Soultroubles features softly crooned vocals and melodic guitar and No More Troubles rocks mightily featuring some great slide guitar. The vocals are often soulful and the playing is good. The problem for me is that most of the songs lack any sense of form or groove and frankly I am not finding this an easy listen. The wonderfully named Elmore James Van Dodewaard adds drums and percussion to some tracks. In many ways this album is an incredible achievement but then again many people also thought the same thing about Captain Beefheart’s magnum opus Trout Mask Replica. I loved Beefheart but never got to grips with that one and nor did many others. Look At Me In The Blue Sky is a funky blues featuring a great guitar solo and This Is The Way Life Goes is a thumping rocker. If you have 5 hours to spare then pour yourself a very large drink and have a listen and you will probably find some gems.

- DAVE DRURY

RANDY MCALLISTER AND THE SCRAPPIEST BAND IN THE MOTHERLAND

SPITBALL, SHATTER AND PATCH

Reaction Records

East Texan singer-songwriter Randy McAllister, a new name

to me, but a guy with over a dozen albums under his belt over the last two decades, delivers a set of ten polished blues originals that consciously draw

on personal experience and southern soul in roughly equal measure. Gifted with a register that easily stretches to falsetto when it’s called for, he’s also no slouch when it comes to the harp, which features on five songs, and he even drums on a couple as well. Tasty six-string work throughout by slidemeister Brandon Hudspeth and backing vox from Heather Newman on three tracks add considerably to the overall quality of the package, although sadly some of it gets lost in rather a muddy mix. I particu-

JIMMY CARPENTER SOUL DOCTOR

Gulf Coast Records

Well known as a sideman saxophone player with such bands as Jimmy Thackery and Mike Zito’s Wheel, Jimmy is also a very accomplished singer songwriter and here he has his best work to date on his fourth solo release. He mixes blues, jazz and soul into a melting pot sprinkles some New Orleans heat and here you have a great ten track soundtrack to his talents. He joined Guy Hale for the songs Soul Doctor and Wrong Turn, with Al Ek on harmonica, sure show stoppers. It helped Guy was co-founder of Gulf Coast Records with Jimmy’s longtime friend Mike Zito who plays his Texas blues guitar on Love

It So Much, a real highlight. But there are so many layers musically here. He is backed by The Bender Brass of Doog Woolverton on trumpet and Mark Earley on baritone sax as well, adding pure rhythm and groove, on When I Met You, full of Memphis soul. The musicianship on this release resounds

through all tracks. Need Your Love

So Bad exhibit Jimmy’s vocals superbly. Also the funkified, Wanna Be Right has a real swagger about it. Wild Streak has a good fifties boogie woogie feel with Red Young on piano. Another cover, One Mint Tulip is full of West Coast jump jive. He also pays homage to Eddie Hinton on last track Yeah Man with a heartfelt interpretation. Just a classic release that delivers on so many levels, his saxophone solos and interplay with the rest of the band is outstanding. We all need a tonic sometimes and the soul doctor delivers this in heaps, a gem.

- COLIN CAMPBELL

lar liked opener Relax Watch

The Crash, an acoustic guitar and tuba-as-bassline celebration of those times when it’s best to take an attitude of ironic detachment to a world as things go wrong all around you. My

11 GUYS QUARTET

SMALL BLUES AND GROOVES

Independent

Drawl Caused It All laments the trouble that having the ‘wrong’ accent can land you in, while The Girl’s In Love (With Herself) is a rocker that goes out to nightmare girlfriends everywhere. Hudspeth particular shines on

Pactola, perhaps the only blues song ever written about a reservoir in South Dakota. All round a commendable effort, and it could have been taken into killer territory had the budget extended to a kick-ass horn section.

- DAVID OSLER

Back in the early 1980’s The 11th Hour Band played around the Boston area and later carried on playing on and off as time permitted as the four members pursued other interests, some musical, some not. In 2008 they decided to record some original material live in the studio, the accent on small, no self-indulgent soloing, just good-time blues that reflected their interests and influences. The 11 Guys Quartet includes Richard ‘Rosy’ Rosenblatt on harmonica whose day job is with record companies, once Tone-Cool, nowadays Vizztone, where this album has now been released. This all-instrumental album is a treasure trove of great music and it is fun to spot the influences and references

that the guys put into the music. Road Trippin’ opens proceedings with a Freddie King style groove, Paul Lenart’s rhythm work building on classic guitar instrumentals like Hideaway; Sleepless links to Sleepwalk in its relaxed approach and the short Doggin’ It has a Rn’B feel that perhaps references Roscoe Gordon’s No More Doggin’. The quartet adds some country flavours with Jackrabbit and a soul-blues element on the very catchy groove of Sweet Taste that screams out for Junior Walker to appear on sax. If you want some solid Chicago style blues check out Down And Dirty or if some Latin elements attract you the guys serve up a Rhumba Boogaloo which showcases Chuck Purro’s drum work and some lung-busting harp work from Rosy. The title Swing Low might suggest a detour into gospel music but in fact it is a swing tune with Chuck’s busy brush work behind Rosy’s low register harp, Midnight Streetcar brings together a loose, late night New Orleans feel with some great guitar work while Swamp Ride closes the album with some of those rhythms so familiar from Slim Harpo records. This is an album that you can play from start to finish or dip into at any point and dig out a gem - these fourteen short but sweet tunes should bring a smile to all lovers of traditional blues.

- JOHN MITCHELL

REBEKAH MELDRUM REBEKAH MELDRUM

One could be forgiven when seeing the vintage style picture on the album cover for the first time that the sleeve held something more from a 1970’s County artist. Even though this album may have a vintage feel about it, but it is solid Blues. This self-titled collection may only have 7 tracks, but each one is a stand-alone force in its own right and Rebekah delivers the wide-ranging array with a deep warmth and resonance in her voice reminiscent of Beth Hart. A swampy guitar pulls you into the first number Set Your Soul Free. This is followed by Whisky And Wine which has attitudes we could all get behind: “I love my whiskey and my wine” and “you mind your manners and I’ll try to mind mine” being just two. Ain’t Thinking About You is almost a declaration of personal independence and shows how

Slippery Noodle Inn

free someone can be without negative personalities pulling them back. My personal favourite is Gypsy which is a lovely classic slow 12-bar. Once again, the theme is of a woman totally in charge of her life and destiny. Rebekah’s family gospel blood flows clearly through into her music with an almost a devotional reverence. There is no other music style that allows the feeling of pain to be poured into song quite so profoundly as the Blues. I’m Here is one such song and was written in memory of friends and family who were lost to suicide. Wrapping their music around this gorgeous voice is long-time collaborator Paul Holdman on guitar, David Murray on bass, Kevin Kouts on drums, PJ Yinger on trumpet, Richard Dole on trombone, Patrick Long on harmonica and Tad Robinson on harmonica and vocals. This album gives us flawless music from a strong woman who is not afraid to share her gift.

- DIANNE DODSWORTH

ANGEL FORREST HELL BENT WITH GRACE

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menopause. That very situation, which all women have to transition through, is the subject of the opening cut, Menie The Monster, on this rather tasty outing from Canada’s Angel Forrest. Having a lovely lady in my life who has just experienced this first-hand I can totally get the emotion being evoked on the track. Mind you Angel makes it fun for us all as the lyrics drip with ironic humour. She may well be in her very early autumnal years now but for sure the lady ain’t for taking it easy, she wants to rock and rock hard, but with a certain grace and style. This, her eleventh album in a career entering a fourth decade, shows a maturity and confidence, beautifully produced by Ricky Paquette and Denis Columbus. A much more cohesive outing than 2016s Angel’s 11, this feels like a band working together towards a common goal. Vocally raw, for those who don’t know her, she is cut from the Maggie Bell, Janis Joplin, Bonnie Raitt cloth, which is right up the smoky Blues street. I suppose, having listened to this album several times now, lyrically Angel is looking back at her life’s highs and lows through broken relationships and mental well-being. Of course, there has to be highlights on any album and for me it is the triple whammy of Bea, Ain’t No Doubt and the gorgeous Grace. The album closes out with Bane Lorraine which, in the extended middle section, has an almost psychedelic freakout where wailing guitars spiral ever outwards amidst pounding drums, distortion, feedback and whispered lyrics. Great stuff.

- GRAEME SCOTT

JACK BROADBENT MOONSHINE BLUE Creature Records

Well this is a first for me as I have never written before, as far as I can remember, about the

Crystal clear sound and amazing production helps make this album a good listen. The slide guitar is there, and then some. The maturity of the collection of musicians and their talent shines through, lending support to a confident lead singer who has perfect control of his guitar. All of the above should spell a great, great album and it is competent and professional and had moments of depth, however, I was left wanting a little more. There is a real basic feel to the voice and guitar, which runs like a heartbeat through every track and gives the album a consistent feel. Given all the instruments obviously involved somehow, the two things that just stand right out are the guitar and voice. The musicianship is first class but never overlaps, simply supporting the guitar and the voice of Jack throughout. With a phenomenal sax player involved track three is one of the stand-out tracks for me, painting a vivid mental image and sense of a humid, hot day in New Orleans, this track has a real jazzy feel. Other tracks have tones of rock n roll and others a 70’s kind of doors, you can feel the mix of influences through the album. I read Jack’s bio after

I listened to the album and was interested to read a reviewer had wrote, Jack’s music “defies strict genre”, that I would agree with. No major complaints but up against some of the other new Blues album releases I was left a little flat. If you are looking for a laid back, ultra chilled collection of songs that don’t make you ‘stop a moment’ then this will be fine for you. If you like your music mainstream, a little commercial and are not a blues purist I would suggest that, as an easy listening album that is beautifully produced and full of great musicians, this might just be your ‘thang’.

- JEAN KNAPPITT

RAE GORDON BAND WRONG KIND OF LOVE Independent

The Rae Gordon Band is a seven-piece based in Portland, Oregon. Keyboard player Pat Mc Dougal wrote most of the material here, three with Rae, who is a powerhouse vocalist who moves easily between up-tempo belters and moody ballads. Her voice has just the right amount of grit to deliver convincingly songs mainly about the old mainstays of love and relationships. Guitar, trumpet,

sax, bass, and drums complete the line-up. Comin’ Back For More is a funky opener with stabs of horn work over a percolating bass, but Don’t Look Now is even better, as Rae shows how well her voice is suited to the big band R&B style. The strolling rhythm is well supported by horns and piano, as Rae belts out the lyrics which make it clear that this guy is on his way out; later we get Last Call, a rolling blues with more great horn work and a memorable chorus: “So it’s last call for alcohol and it’s last call for you too”. The soul-drenched ballad How You Gonna is well sung by Rae, and the swirling organ featured in the middle section is a striking moment on the album. The fastpaced Might As Well Be You, finds Rae on the lookout for a causal relationship, expressed in a really cynical set of lyrics. The horns sit out Sea Of Blue, a slow tune with plenty of keyboard work and an intense guitar solo, which fades into the title track which is driven by slide guitar and a pounding rhythm section. Insistent piano underpins How Much I Love You So, giving it a 50’s ballad feel, the horns adding power to the choruses, before Rae adopts a temptress character on Got To Have You, another powerful song that suits her voice perfectly. The album closes with Get Right With The World, a plea for us to all do the right thing, another track on which the horns sound great. A strong voice and a band with horns, great combination.

- JOHN MITCHELL

SON ROBERTS THREE’S A CHARM Independent

Recorded on a dead-end street in downtown Toronto amid raucous revelry, in a former earth worm farm affectionately known as the Meatlocker, Son Roberts continues his mission to honour the Blues by creating original music relevant to this time and place. Son is a true storyteller’ recognising the brutality and hardship that gave birth to the Blues and through his stories and music he aims to honour the legacy that created such a beautiful musical form by writing a modern Blues style for the here and now. He has brought together a veritable crew of musicians, sixteen in total, to help him produce this album of ten original compositions, with Son on vocals and his daughters on backing vocals. One of the first pleasing aspects of this is the prominence of bass, which plays a very important part in the overall drive and impact of Son’s tunes. The album opens with a very reverent acapella style song called Morningstar, with Son accompanied by harmonica in a song memorialising the passing of Sharon Morningstar in 1983, known to Son because her father worked with. Down On

Vaughan Road follows, a tune ably driven by some hardass bass. This won 2nd place in the Cobalt Blues song competition. This is followed by Bad Hard Town, a song written in light of a local murder and the poisonous tenure of the Toronto mayor of the time. Breaking from the Blues/Rock style, Tied Up In A Song is a total contrast. An autobiographical story about family and memories, Mandolin and Accordion are the instruments to the fore in this Country infused song. Funk rears its head in the danceable Not Nuff Night, along with enough comic nuance to make the listener smile. Changed My Mind opens in a very funky style with some excellent keyboard over harmonica, whilst the tempo changes in this instrumental. Son recognises the fortune he has, and through his often direct and hard hitting stories, is hoping to pay back some of the love and trust he has received from Toronto and from further afield in the future.

- MERV OSBORNE

Katy Hobgood Ray is a busy lady. Away from the folk blues on offer here, she performs children’s music with a band called Confetti Park. She sings with Steve Howell & The Mighty Men, and along with the featured Dave Ray, she’s a member of the Friends of Leadbelly. This is, loosely and

ALBERT CUMMINGS BELIEVE

Provogue/Mascot

This album was recorded at the world-famous Muscle Shoals studio in Alabama. What Cummings has delivered is a trip down memory lane, putting his own unique stamp on some of the studio’s classic cuts. Starting proceedings is the iconic Hold On. Originally sung by Sam and Dave, this version stays close to the original, but far enough away to have its own identity. The horns are superb, as are the backing vocals. What makes it more appealing is the lovely funky guitar supplied by Cummings. Do What Mama Says stays on the same path with the horn section giving a real sense of blues/funk and soul. Red Rooster needs no introduction as a blues song, but what is so pleasing is where Cummings takes it. Every man and his dog have done a version of this, and with huge aplomb. Does this version make the grade? You betcha booty it does. Crazy Love has more of a country, almost gospel feel to it. This is largely down to superb backing vocals and arrangement. Van the man would be very proud of this rendition. My Babe is given the royal treatment that it so richly deserves. Such a bluesy/

thematically, a concept album about water and its mystical shapes and forms. Appropriately since they spend a lot of time performing in Louisiana. All the songs are originals, bar a visit to the aforementioned Leadbelly. That’s Little Children’s Blues and it says a lot for the original material, penned solo and

soul vibe that is so silky and smooth. Add to that sweet guitar licks from Cummings, and brilliant musicianship from the rest of the band it is a joy to behold. The last three songs on the album are just pure blues. Going My Way swings and jumps all over the place with great vocals and wonderful blues guitar. Albert Cummings has been playing and recording for twenty years, so in essence this album has brought him right to the place he should be. At the heart of blues and r&b. Me And My Guitar finishes the album in style. Originally recorded by Freddie King this is a fine rendition of a classic. Albert Cummings has come of age here. ‘Makes Me Feel Mellow In My Soul ‘is a line from Crazy Love. This is album is medication for the soul. I suggest you take it in large amounts.

- STEPHEN HARRISON

KATY HOBGOOD RAY featuring DAVE RAY I DREAM OF WATER Out Of The Past Music

together by the two Rays, that it fits seamlessly into the album. Musically, it’s low key and low tempo with the supporting cast of musicians seemingly in full empathy with the leads. Things are coloured with piano, trumpet and saxophone all of which brings the songs to life. At times they bring is some jazzy licks and a touch of gospel and there is an old timey feel to proceedings. When they do change pace as on the sprightlier Oh Devil, it works well with that particular tune benefitting from some tasty slide guitar. My favourite was the horn enhanced Des Allemands, which also has a lead vocal from Dave Ray. A very enjoyable release.

- STUART A HAMILTON

BREEZY RODIO IF IT AIN’T BROKE DON’T FIX IT Delmark

CHANTEL MCGREGOR BURY ‘D ALIVE

Tis Rock Music

When I got this album, I had no idea what to expect, never having heard of Breezy Rodio, but two songs in I was hooked. The collection of songs on this album are like a smorgasbord of classics, like a Time Tunnel of different eras. There are horns, guitars, and large productions;

This is Chantel’s third album release and it is a real cracker. It is a live album recorded at a gig at the Apex in Bury St

almost like a Cab Calloway meets James Brown meets BB King, there’s funky, there’s soul and there’s blues. Breezy Rodio has been earning his stripes as a Bluesman over time, with a nine year tenure as a guitarist in Linsey Alexander’s band, and boy he’s working it.This is an album packed with stellar guests, the likes of Mike Welch, Kid Anderson, and Corey Dennison all bringing their own unique touch, lending this album a really professional feel. I haven’t seen this many tracks (sixteen) on an album in a long time, all of which made me want to strut my stuff, or play air guitar, and dream I was BB King. The Production of this album is first class, with each song flowing into the other like streams to a river. If you are looking for an album that does exactly what it says on the tin, If It Ain’t Broke Don’t Fix It, has it in spades.

- BARRY BLUESBARN HOPWOOD

Edmunds in March 2019. It includes eleven tracks drawn from her earlier albums and crowd favourites. Do not let her shy demeanour fool you, she is an absolute bundle of dynamite on stage, performing in a power trio who play crunchy Blues rock, with occasional dalliances into laid back sections not too dissimilar to Led Zeppelin. The lengthy track Eternal Dream being a prime example. Chantel is an excellent vocalist being able to tackle the quieter moments along with the thundering rock tunes without any impact on her diction, when you add on her awesome guitar playing you start to appreciate what a wonderful talent she is, which is highlighted throughout this album. Her playing is enhanced by the solid and unfussy rhythm section of Colin Sutton on Bass, and drummer Thom Gardner. Being a live album, this does give the band some licence to stretch their muscles and there are several tracks which highlight this, notably Inconsolable, with its rambling lead guitar breaks and the yet to be recorded instrumental April which starts with a slow progressive rock style before igniting into a frenzy of instruments. Chantel has written all but one track on the album, and this is another facet that should hold her in good stead going forward. On first listening, this album has had the same effect on me as did The Brew’s Live in Europe album a couple of years ago, both live albums and both full of artistic energy that almost took my breath away. As good a live album as you are likely to hear and comes with superb sound quality.

- ADRIAN BLACKLEE

DANA GILLESPIE UNDER MY BED

Ace Records

CLARE FREE WHERE ARE YOU NOW?

RY COODER THE BORDER MUSIC FROM THE ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK BGO Records

Serious fans of Ry Cooder will probably possess this album already, but a re-mastered

Some of us old lads who’ve been circulating in the blues world for over half a century become particularly attached to seasoned acts with deep roots and staying power. The Earth Mother of European blues, Dana Gillespie, is one such artist. She’s been enriching musical line-ups across 60 albums since she was a teenager. Born Richenda Antoinette de Winterstein Gillespie, on 30 March 1949 she’s seen and done it all; starred in several films, and today is a huge favourite on the Festival scene. This earthy blues collection features a dozen superb songs written by Dana and Jake Zaitz. Dana’s evocative voice and clear diction pull you right into the lyrics, with lines like “Yes I’ll miss you and I’ll kiss you, and I’ll see you on the other side.” Another great song which more or less sums Dana up is Va Va Voom. The six-piece band plays with verve and jazzy confidence, with Mike Paice’s sax and harmonica enhancing the whole project. This is grown-up, highly enjoyable modern blues by a performer who, by experience alone, knows how to deliver. Highly recommended.

- ROY BAINTON

Funky Mama Records

The title track just happens to be the opening track on the album. Nothing unusual in that I hear you say. But this smacks you right between the eyes from the very first note. In your face thundering blues/rocker with a heavy driving beat. Great guitar and vocals tell you that she has plenty to say. And boy does she have something to say. Almost without drawing breath, the second song on the album Did The Right Thing, with its harmonica intro, draws you straight back into raw blues. Blues vocals and harmonica make this writer a very happy bunny every time, but when you throw clever lyrics into the mix, it really is the icing on the cake. What you are left with is blues at its pulsating best. She Can’t Buy, is a different kettle of fish altogether. The vocal style reminds me somewhat of a late 50s type of song. What this demonstrates is the vast vocal range and song-writing skills she possesses. Thank You, is even more of a different style. Soft acoustic guitar with mellow lyrics is a mile away from the blues, but it’s a good song nonetheless. Gimmie Rock ‘n’ Roll,

as the title suggests is a bit of a rocker to say the least. Apart from vocals and lyrics, Clare Free is a very accomplished guitarist. While keeping the blues structure, she also let’s rip her guitar shredding skills here. Bitch is an all-out blues rock song. Now not every track is out and out blues, but when the blues button is pressed it certainly delivers. For me the standout track on the album is Little Miss Jealousy. Lovely funky guitar, great vocals, and sharp lyrics make this a wonderful tune. As I attested to earlier, when the blues button is hit it delivers in spades, and you get a shovel full of that here. Nice Girls ends the album. Short sharp and to the point. Up-tempo foot stomping song that leaves you with a satisfied smile on your face. Fantastic debut album.

- STEPHEN HARRISON

version will enable fans to enjoy pin-sharp versions of the original material, which is thirty-seven years old, and as timeless as any of Cooder’s music. Ry Cooder is a giant in Americana and roots music, and his contributions to this album show very clearly why

GARY MOORE LIVE FROM LONDON

Provogue/Mascot

that is. Collaborators like John Hiatt lend the sort of aching blues vocal on Too Late that can only be produced by people who know of what they sing. The passionate Spanish voice of Samudio Domingo adds a melancholic atmosphere to the album, readers of a certain age

This intimate gig at the Islington Academy is one of the finest examples of how to perform live. Gary Moore kicks off the proceedings with a stunning version of Albert King’s Oh Pretty Woman. Straight out of the gate, Moore shows us exactly what he is all about. It’s blindingly obvious that this guy has the blues deep within his soul. Backed by some wonderful musicians this is a momentous way in which to grab the audience’s attention. Continuing with tracks from what was to be his last studio album, Bad For You Baby, and Down The Line, provide us with the god given talent that Moore had at his disposal. Going from blues/rock to a slightly up-tempo country

boogie on the aforementioned tracks, this for me demonstrates the perfect balance that he possessed. Having sat at the feet of Albert and B B King, among others it’s easy to see where his influences lie. Since I Met You Baby, from the album After Hours is simply exquisite. Indeed, it’s such a blues classic that in later years Gary would perform this live with his hero B B King. The guitar solo that finishes the song will leave you with goose bumps. Not only is Gary very adept with blues guitar, but he also has the voice to go along with it. This can only come from someone who not only feels the blues, but understands it as well. Have You Heard is another tip of the hat towards a blues legend. John Mayall was a huge influence on Gary’s playing, and his rendition here shows that he never forgot the blues schooling that he used like a sponge. Mayall, himself would be extremely flattered by Gary’s version on this album. The rest of the gig is filled with stalwarts such as Still Got The Blues and of course Parisienne Walkways. The only sad thing about this live album is that 14 months later Gary left us. But what he left behind was a catalogue of blues music that will live forever. Do yourself a favour, put this last testament to a blues legend in your collection

- STEPHEN HARRISON

will know him as Sam The Sham of Wooly Bully novelty hit fame (he actually had seven US singles hits) ands his voice on here, together with backing vocals on Skin Game harking back to his one-hit-wonder status over here. The musicianship is every bit as top drawer as you expect from players invited onto a Cooder project, but there is no coasting, or resting on laurels here, everyone brings their top game to the studio, none more than the late Jim Dickinson, now eleven years passed. A veteran session musician who has graced Aretha Franklin and Rolling Stones sides with his rolling blues boogie playing, his anchoring of the Skin Game brings the entire song home in style. It goes without saying that the real genius of this album rests with Cooder himself, still one of the most adventurous musicians making music today. Proof, if any were needed, of the ability of Ry Cooder to provide atmospheric accompaniment to atmospheric movies, is the fact that this is only one of his soundtracks there are seventeen more to explore, and as a varied and excellent introduction to his mercurial talents as a writer and guitarist, this one has to rank among the best. As someone whose first ever album was a soundtrack (Vanishing Point), this record holds a particular place in my musical history, I am delighted that new listeners can discover its magic, and pass it on a little further.

- ANDY HUGHES

THE PAPA CHARLIE JACKSON COLLECTION 1924-34

PAPA CHARLIE JACKSON AND GUESTS

Acrobat Music

This triple-CD collection is one for purists, and anyone who wants to look back to the time where every single blues song they have ever heard, came into being. Papa Charlie Jackson deserves close attention, as one of the very first solo guitar-accompanied blues singer ever to record, it’s true to say that recorded blues really did start here in 1924. There is nothing so sophisticated as over-dubbing, everything is done once, on one mike, and all the better for the no-nonsense approach. The quality brings a new meaning to the term lo-fi, but its primitive acoustics enhance the feeling that this is living history, which it clearly is. Some songs are virtually children’s nursery rhymes, such as The Cat’s Got The Measles, some are seriously rudimentary blues laments, and all are accompanied by rudimental banjo and ukulele strumming. Mister Man Part One exhibits the absence of male domination even in early blues turnouts, this cut features Ida Cox, ‘The Uncrowned Queen Of The Blues’ as she was billed. Jackson’s timing on the instrumental break is all over the place, and he drops notes here and there, but again, that simply adds to the authenticity of the experience of listening. There are some band performances, New Orleans style, on cuts like Salty Dog, which does help lighten the tone a little from the very basic

production and delivery up to that point. Songs like Skoodle Um Skoo were doubtless crowd pleasers, jaunty and cheeky, a style picked up by Cab Calloway and others. On the third disc, a duet with Ma Rainey, herself billed as Mother Of The Blues, shows that Papa Charlie Jackson moved in exalted blues circles, Ms Rainey was one of the first professional blues singers, seriously ground-breaking stuff for the 1920’s. With comprehensive biographical sleeve notes, this collection is the portrait of a musical innovator breaking several boundaries simultaneously, and it is a tribute to the compilers who have tracked down such a wealth of material from a musician who saw himself simply as an entertainer, but should be rightly lauded as one of the originators of the musical style we call The Blues.

-

ANDY HUGHES

SAMANTHA MARTIN & DELTA SUGAR RUN TO ME Gypsy Soul Records

When I receive CDS to review they invariably come with some record company blurb. I sometimes have a quick glance over what is said but usually I take

not a jot of notice because I like to form my own opinion on the album in question. I’m so glad my instincts proved me right again. You’re The love kicks off the album and I was somewhat taken aback. I was expecting something laid back and mushy but this was not to be. A singer with an eleven-piece band can deliver all sorts of possibilities and this is what happens here. Sweet soulful vocals with a great ensemble introduce themselves very well. Gonna Find it has gospel and soul within its genes as quite a few of these original songs do. The next few tracks had me wondering where this was going and kind of lost me for a while. They had a more middle of the road approach to them and lacked the dynamism of earlier songs. But then Chasing Dreams and Good Trouble came along. The first of these tracks had a slight reminiscence of Janis Joplin in it’s vocals with gospel and a tinge of blues about it. Samantha’s voice can fit into anything because she has a range and feel for every genre but here is where it should stay in my opinion. When you have a god given talent as a singer-songwriter then stick to what suits you best. Only So Much is gospel personified. A beautiful song delivered with such strength and feeling, backed by an amazing bunch of musicians make this the standout track on the album. Simply wonderful. All Night long finishes on an equally high note. It hammers home just what Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar are all about. If you are looking for an out and out blues album then this is not for you. But there is enough here to see the potential she has to deliver such an album. It grew on me. It will on you.

- STEPHEN HARRISON

NAPPY BROWN THE NAPPY BROWN SINGLES COLLECTION 1954-62

Acrobat

Born Napoleon Brown Goodson Culp in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1929, Nappy Brown was brought up by his grandparents Fred and Maggie Culp after his mother died when he was very young. The family attended the Gethsemane African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, where a young Napoleon first experienced music singing gospel from an early age. Being an inquisitive teenager, he learned about the low life and the music often accompanying it by hanging around the Charlotte jukes and chicken shacks. Brown was a blues and R&B singer who began his career singing gospel before turning to the blues in the mid-50s, his powerful and adaptable vocal style is widely seen as a key strand in the development of soul music. This excellent 52 track 2CD set comprises the A and B sides of his Savoy singles from these years, including two titles recorded at the beginning of his recording career as a member of the Heavenly Lights gospel group, before signing to the label as a solo artist. It includes the No.2 R&B hit Don’t Be Angry, plus his other hits

Pitter Patter, Little By Little, It Don’t Hurt No More, I Cried Like A Baby and the classic (The Night Time Is) The Right Time. Backed by some fine musicians, bands, and orchestra’s these tracks were recorded in sixteen sessions over seven years, showcasing a period that covers blues, soul, gospel, R&B and rock n roll. Brown had a unique voice that expresses the moods and styles with an ease, which leaves one to wonder why Brown did not go on to find more acclaim than he did. Perhaps it was because some of the excellent soulful and slower blues tracks to be found on these recording seem to be hiding away on the B sides. There are enough quality gems on this compilation to please the blues, soul and R & B fans alike, apart from the music there is a superb comprehensive booklet to go with it, very good indeed,

KINGSBOROUGH TAKE THE RIDE EP Kingsborough Music

Take the Ride. The San Francisco band take in influences that range from Led Zeppelin, and The Beatles, and rock bands of the late 1970’s, which closing track Across the Headlights is testament to, with its strong and catchy harmony guitar parts, and rocking bass and drum sounds. Opening track So High is a funk rocker with definite traces of Bad Company, and a more laid back ZZ Top, with Billy Kingsborough lively singing style adding depth and colour to the song. Open Invitation is a more sophisticated song, with a second guitar part, rich in ringing harmonics, and haunting tones, and a slight brooding narrative tale in the song lyrics. Only Light is a hypnotic rhythm part, and interesting secondary guitar parts. If you like your band to be rocking, with enough dynamic build to provide interest and repeated listening, then this well produced EP is a great example of what Kingsborough can do.

- BEN MACNAIR

VARIOUS ARTISTS

SEAN COSTELLO TRIBUTE DON’T PASS ME BY

Landslide Records

The four tracks on Take the Ride are a taste of Kingsborough’s blues and rock sound. Lead vocalist Billy Kingsborough and lead guitarist Alex Leach, take the lead on the four exciting songs that make up

This record has taken nearly ten years to make such was the dedication of Producers Dave

- SHIRL

Gross and Jon Justice. Here are fifteen stunning interpretations of Sean’s life work by artists who worked with him or were influenced by him, they all chose their favourite track and monies gained go to benefit The Sean Costello Memorial Fund to Benefit Bipolar Research. This is a celebration of his legacy and his amazing vocal range and powerful guitar playing. Albert Castiglia opens things with his Texan blues take to Same Old Game. Next Steve Marriner puts his stamp on, How In The Devil. Watermelon Slim takes on, Who’s Been Cheatin’. Victor Wainwright’s soul take on Don’t Pass Me By, is full of feeling the late Candye Kane teams up with Laura Chavez on I’ve Got To Ride. Bob Margolin adds flair to Low Life Blues with added harmonica by Dennis Gruenling. Seth Walker puts a jazz spin to All I Can Do, just sublime. Sonia Leigh’s vocals on No Half Steppin’ are down and dirty. Nick Moss Band roll on with Hard Luck Woman. North country meets delta blues on North Mississippi Allstars version of Father. The Electromatics chose, She Changed My Mind full of rhythm and blues old style. Debbie Davies almost croons Don’t Be Reckless With My Heart. The Morning Life Band slow the tone on You’re A Part Of Me.Can’t Let Go is covered by Sean’s old rhythm section including Matt Wauchope on piano. Feel Like I Ain’t Got A Home the final tune is a very haunting version by Oliver Wood and Amy Helm.

- COLIN CAMPBELL

KAMARA Jr & THE VOODOO SNIFFERS

PIEDMONT BLÜZ ACOUSTIC DUO

AMBASSADORS OF COUNTRY BLUES Independent

The New York based Piedmont Blüz Acoustic Duo comprises Valerie and Benedict Turner, with the former an excellent guitarist whose mentor was the great John Cephas and who can play in a variety of old-time blues styles, but particularly the melodic blues of the Piedmont area. She also has a warm voice, with a very appropriate southern accent noticeable in places. Benedict is a nicely subtle percussionist, a basic but effective harmonica player, and a useful backing vocalist, sometimes adding flavours that recall washboard player Bull City Red’s playing with the king of the Piedmont Blues, Blind Boy Fuller. Elizabeth Cotten is an audible influence on Valerie and this fine set opens with Ol’ Freight Train, a mix of Cotten’s classic Freight Train and Wilson Rag. Memphis Minnie is another strong source of inspiration, and her work with Kansas City Joe supplies this duo with Joliet Bound, and When The Levee Breaks. The latter very much in the style of the original, is one

This is an oddity in that it credits the band on the album sleeve (Voodoo Sniffers) but in the PR material that came with it, singer/songwriter Bai says that he played all of the instruments on the recording. Either way, what we have here is a 15-track album of material entirely written, produced and performed by artist Bai Kamara who hails from Sierra Leone by way of England and Belgium,

of several songs here that may be familiar from rock versions. Valerie’s Georgia background is referenced via Blind Willie McTell’ s Statesboro Blues, though she also looks further afield. Mississippi John Hurt’s delicate picking style is recalled through Avalon Blues, Beulah Land, and C.C. Rider, and the tougher side of the Mississippi sound comes with a cover of Tommy Johnson’s Canned Heat, whilst deeper still is the version of Geeshie Wiley’s Last Kind Words. Valerie also shows off some fine slide guitar technique on the well-known Needed Time, and the closing rendition of Reverend Gary Davis’ Whistlin’ Blues. Yes, a rather wonderful album all round, and can we see them over here soon, please?

- NORMAN DARWEN

IBBA TOP 50

Promoting blues radio across the UK and worldwide

living and performing there as far as I can tell. He has released at least a further 6 albums prior to this one, and with Salone, has produced a blues album that carries with it some of the African flavours from Sierra Leone. So, what do we get? Well, it’s all good, and I do mean all of it, there is a whole range of themes and sounds and some wonderful lyrics. I particularly liked the quirkily titled Morning School Bus Blues as until this week, I was an escort on a local school bus! Although the band don’t appear on the album, they have a great pedigree covering all types of European and African stages, and I would like to see the full set as it were. Did I like it? Yes, I did, are we likely to see them over here? Who knows, but look out for the name, I am sure we’ll be seeing and hearing a lot more from them.

- DAVE STONE

NEW COPASETICS TWANG-UCOPIA (BALANCED DIET)

Globe Records

because this CD is roots Americana of a high order. It’s light on blues content in the strict sense, but there’s plenty of good stuff in such adjacent genres as soul, rockabilly, country and get this,1970s English pub rock. Indeed, I’m guessing New Copasetics are the only outfit in California to credit Rockpile as ‘one of the original inspirations for assembling this band’, but as a credible cover of Play That Fast Thing (One More Time) establishes, they ain’t kidding.

POPA CHUBBY IT’S A MIGHTY HARD ROAD

Independent

You also get their takes on soul standards Soothe Me, as made famous by Sam Cooke, and Don Covay’s Mercy, Mercy. Then it’s down to the honky tonk for (Tonight I’m) Drinkin’ Tomorrow Away and Wine Do Your Stuff, two booze-sodden exercises in modernised C&W. But for me, the standout track is The Trouble With The Truth, a number penned by Texas troubadour Gary Nicholson, which offers listeners a timely warning of

I had to Google up what Copasetic meant, and it turns out to be a $30 synonym for ‘very satisfactory’. I’m going to let these guys get away with that,

Popa Chubby celebrates over thirty years of playing his style of blues with his latest release of fifteen tracks inclusive of two covers, the funky take to Leon Russell’s I’d Rather Be Blind and Prince’s tune, Kiss where he even manages to add harmonica to an already pacey melody, a fun tune and apt homage. Elsewhere he opens with, The Flavor Is In The Fat, full of a Texan shuffle and swagger with his trademarked subtle lyrics. The release is punctuated with fantastic guitar riffs and his band play effortlessly on It’s A Mighty Hard Road, Dave Keyes on piano particularly shining through and rhythm section Steve Holley on drums and Brett Bass on bass guitar mixing well. Buyer Beware is an up-tempo tune with Popa’s narrative particularly apt. It Ain’t Nothin’ is a very catchy tune flows well with some good slide work. Let Love Free The Day is full of soul a slower number with more intricate guitar work and Popa’s vocals are powerful. Bluesy

rock is evident on If You’re Looking For Trouble. The Best Is Yet To Come is a highlight, a mean and moody tune. I’m The Beast From The East is another self-parody tune and possibly another nickname for himself, but those guitar riffs just keep on giving. The instrumental, Gordito shows his gentle touch on guitar, a real tonic. Enough Is Enough mixes a reggae beat mixing up the vibe. More Time Making Love builds up well with a good chorus, very commercial. Why You Wanna Bite My Bones lifts the tempo, another song full of innuendo just fabulous. Lost Again, is a slow Tom Waits’ style number, slow and sultry. Something for any music lover on this superb release.

- COLIN CAMPBELL

the dangers of dishonesty in personal relationship. Won’t lie, Twang-Ucopia is very much a bunch of mates having a good time knocking out their set live in the studio with minimal overdubs, and nothing here is pathbreaking. But there’s nifty guitar work throughout from Sean Allen, and most of the songs feature Robert Cray alumni Kevin Hayes on drums.

- DAVID OSLER

MITCH WOODS A TIP OF THE HATS TO FATS

Blind Pig

I should point out right away that there are two sub-titles to this album. First off Mitch has his The Rocket 88s band alongside him, and also Live From The New Orleans Jazz And Heritage Festival 2018 is emblazoned on the cover. Okay now that is out there, on to the music. I tend to shy away from live albums, as to be honest, for me unless you happened to be there at the time, often, no matter how good the recordings are, they just don’t work in the cold light of day. Here somehow the warmth of the sun, and the obviously ecstatic crowd, mixed with stomping good music absolutely comes pouring out of the

speakers. The mixing of early Rock ‘n’ Roll, Swing, Blues and Bayou grooves together makes you just want to dance and grin. With boogie-woogie piano, and solid brass underpinned by a fine rhythm section, not only do

SISTER LUCILLE ALIVE

Endless Blues Records

The Sister Lucille Band is a fourpiece soulful Blues and Roots band hailing from Southwest Missouri. Wedded duo Kimberly Dill’s soulful, heartfelt vocals and Jamie Holdren’s melodic, tasteful guitar riffs are underpinned by the soulful rhythm section of Eric Guinn on the bass Guitar and Kevin Lyons on the drums and percussion. Their debut album Alive contains nine originals and two covers that encompasses the entire band’s influences in Blues, Country, Rock, Soul and Funk. On Alive Sister Lucille have put together a strong and playful set of fresh modern blues with a little help from some Memphis friends. The vocals on Alive were produced by Reba Russell who also sang background vocals, with Chris Stephenson on keyboard. Four of the eleven tracks feature the brass section of Peter Climie on Tenor/Baritone Saxophones, Jared Dover on Trumpet and Andrew Earle on Trombone. Adding some terrific stax style horns to a driving funky rhythm on album opener Won’t Give It.Title track Alive was written by Kimberly as a love song to the beauty of California which helped her to deal with a serious illness, with Jamie’s restrained guitar giving a different texture to the passion and heart-

you get Fats’ tunes Walking To New Orleans (of course), and Blue Monday, sitting alongside Jackie Brenson’s Rocket 88, but also from 1946 a rare cover of Ella Mae Morse’s House Of Blue Light. My real problem with

felt vocals from Kimberly. Jamie takes on lead vocals and tasty cigar box guitar slide on See My Baby, a southern rocker which leads into my highlight, the New Orleans Gypsy jazz style blues recounting the mystique of the devil’s midnight mistress with a smouldering sultry vibe. Wanna Love You is a retro 70’s slice of funk, a fine cover of the Ann Peebles classic. 99 Pounds follows, moody harmonica from Eric Hughes compliments the shuffle Respect Your Woman ,while Fussin’ & Fightin’ see’s an intensity in Jamie’s guitar playing which harmonizes with his passionate vocal plea on this stop start rocker, Think About You is a soulful R&B duet with Mark ‘ Muleman’ Massey sharing vocals, the Etta James classic W-O-M-A-N gets a splendid interpretation, closing with the reality blues of Lost an emotional heartfelt song about suffering and loss. Very good album indeed.

- SHIRL

this collection is that it came to an end after only nine songs. Somehow I felt cheated. The quality is high, and I’m sure on a normal show the band would have played for much longer but I guess their slot down in NOLA was kept pretty tight. Hey ho that is the way it goes, but damn

it was really great while it lasted. Now where did I put my bank book? Gotta see if I can get over for the 2020 festival. Well I can dream can’t I?

- GRAEME SCOTT

JAY GORDON’S BLUES VENOM SLIDE RULES

Independent

Shady Deal is a follow up album to the 2017 release Downloaded. Now when you open an album with a cover of an iconic song such as Satisfaction then you need to make it count. This version is as far away from the original as you can imagine. Delivered in a slowed down blues style this is a terrific opener to the album. In total there are eleven tracks on the album six of which are original songs. Christmas Eve Blues is one such original track. If you wanted to get as close to Charley Patton, Son House and Robert Johnson then this is the tune for you. Acoustic blues, melancholy lyrics and understated vocals are just a joy to

behold. Throw in deep meaningful guitar and you have the whole package. Two songs in and I’m already in love with this album. Sad Letter is a version of a song originally done by Muddy Waters, but once again Lowdown puts his own stamp so firmly all over this. It’s clear to me that having played with such icons as Pinetop Perkins and Hubert Sumlin then Lowdown has become a blues artist with his own identity because he understands so well the structure and the feel of blues music. Lightnin’ Hop is a lovely instrumental that pretty much says it all in the title. With the focus primarily on Lowdown the guy’s around him have the space with to provide the perfect back-up to him. Clip On Man Bun Blues is not a title that rolls off the tongue easily. Who’d have thought a title like that would fit so well into a blues song? This is the genius of a guy that has blues running through his veins. Chicken In A Basket ends what is a stunning album. I cannot find anything I don’t like about this artist or his music. Therefore, it would be remiss of me to try and pick out a favourite track. The whole album is so good. Get this into your collection. You won’t be disappointed.

- STEPHEN HARRISON

Guitarist Jay Gordon’s recording career dates back to the mid-90’s, and this is the third release by his current trio Blues Venom. Based in Nevada, Jay handles lead vocals and slide guitar, with Sharon Butcher on bass and B/Vs, and Tom Parham on drums. With his gruff vocals and aggressive slide work, you are reminded of Johnny Winter on tracks like Pain, and opener Dripping Blues, where Jay talks of playing in a place where he can see “blues dripping from the walls”. Jay wrote ten of the tracks, and there are three covers: two staples for slide players are Elmore James’ Stranger Blues, Jay’s version having a rough and tough approach, and Robert Johnson’s Travelin’ Riverside Blues which is more delicate, played solo on acoustic slide; Train Train was composed by native American harmonica and banjo player Shorty Medlock for his grandson’s band Blackfoot, and makes a stomping closer to this album. The centrepiece of the album is the extended Dockery’s Plantation, a slower tune about the Delta blues inheritance but still chock full of menacing slide

SUNNY LOWDOWN SHADY DEAL

CoolStreme

work as Jay sings about the legend of Robert Johnson, life, music, deals with the Devil and early death. Pure Grain Alcohol has some uncredited piano but otherwise we are in power trio mode throughout, with plenty of heavy slide-driven rockers like Voodoo Boogie and Six String Outlaw. Most of the material is upbeat and the slide is everywhere so this is definitely one for slide fans though a full hour of this may not appeal to those who prefer more variety in their blues.

- JOHN MITCHELL

BETTY FOX BAND PEACE IN PIECES

Independent

great Spooner Oldham on the very distinctive and atmospheric Wurlitzer electric piano, Clayton Ivey on piano and organ and the Fame Studios horns and backing vocalists. And that really would give the game away, if the quality hadn’t already. This sweet soul music was indeed recorded in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, try the title track for a real gospel-permeated pounder. You might hear a faint echo of Beth Hart on this CD too, or even a tinge of Tina Turner on Feels So Good. Let’s note too that Betty isn’t just a fantastic vocalist, she wrote or co-wrote all but the album’s gospel closer and co-produced too. Let’s not overlook the band,

VINCE FLATTS FINAL DRIVE Independent

guitarist Josh Nelms can be as subtle as required, as for example on the quieter Let Go Or Be Dragged, or the southern-styled Sweet Goodnight. The rhythm section is spot-on throughout and do take a listen to the fine Latin-blues of Shattered Dreams & Broken Toes, as well as the shuffling Rising Strong. Fireflies is the odd track out on this oh-so soulful album, and not just as the longest track at eight minutes, but because it is actually a fine piece of Americana. Not that that should upset anyone listening to this very tasty album.

- NORMAN DARWEN

Just take a listen to the opening track, Green Light, in a blindfold test and you’d swear that it is a remastered recording from back in the late 60s by one of soul music’s true greats, Aretha probably, or possibly Etta. Then as the album, Betty’s third, continues, the Florida based singer’s soul-steeped voice continues to soar, wail and testify in time-honoured fashion. The musicianship also inspires admiration, and it becomes no great surprise to note that Betty’s regular band is augmented by the likes of the

A four track EP from a band that originates from around the London area from what I can gather. Wow. Blues in Technicolor hits you like a throat punch with its heavy riff and thundering bass line. Highoctane R & B that is highly polished. Guitar keys and bass feature heavily but the other noticeable thing about this opening gambit is the strength of the powerhouse vocals. Bottle O’ Beam is the second tune which puts me in mind of a roadhouse type of gig where the audience are drinking and dancing on tables and basically having a right royal knees up watching a great blues band do their stuff. Back In A Cadillac, originally done by Coco Montana continues in much the same vain. What this band bring to the table is as good as anything you will hear for a long

time.

Woman To Love

is the final track of the four on offer. It’s almost as if the band are pausing for breath. A slow blues ballad that leans ever so slightly towards gospel. That shows the diversity that these guys have in their pocket. The only problem that I have with this EP is that it needed to have another six songs thus making a full album. I’m really impressed by this CD. Hopefully a full album is on the horizon in the near future. And what a band these guy’s must be in a live setting.

- STEPHEN HARRISON

GARY FLETCHER RIVER KEEPS FLOWING Repertoire Records

introspective composer who knows instinctively just what instrumentation he needs to create the right mood. If you need romance, just bask in Back to Your Heart, with its ecstatic violin solo from Tom Leary. And among the starry line up, there’s Paul Jones playing harp on two tracks. Gary Fletcher, solo artist, is worthy of much wider recognition, and The Blues Band are lucky to have such talent in their ranks. One of this year’s finest albums, without a doubt.

- ROY BAINTON

When you’ve spent four decades of your musical career playing bass in a band which includes Paul Jones, Dave Kelly, Tom McGuinness, and Rob Townsend, venturing out on a solo limb requires confidence and talent. Well, that’s never been a problem for Gary Fletcher. Here’s some well-seasoned quality from a musician and composer who, as a cornerstone of the immortal warhorse of British blues, The Blues Band, is as steeped in the genre as a Mississippi hog roast. But there’s a wider emotional landscape on offer with this album. The recording quality and production are impeccable. The sinister, haunting opening track, No Shadow On The Wall, reads like a dark thriller. Don’t You Come Creeping seems to continue the theme with lines like Maybe I’m Crazy, maybe not, paranoia seems what I got. The song is beautifully framed with an almost orchestral ambience supplemented by Alan Glen’s eerie harmonica. Full credit for the top-drawer production on this CD goes not only to Gary but is massively aided by the engineering and mastering skill of Bill Gautier. Fletcher is a thoughtful,

TERESA JAMES & THE RHYTHM TRAMPS LIVE

Jesi-lu Records

Originally from Houston, Texas, Teresa is based in Los Ange-

les where she has assembled a group of some of the top LA based touring and session musicians in her band, The Rhythm Tramps. They have been working in the LA area and at blues festivals and clubs throughout the US and Europe for many years. Teresa has assembled an eclectic mix of musicians, who have worked with artists such as Jimmy Reid, Eric Burdon, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne and Taj Mahal. Teresa has featured on albums by Eric

Burdon, Tommy Castro and Walter Trout. This is Teresa’s tenth album and is a carefully chosen selection of numbers played with various line-ups of her band The Rhythm Tramps at Bogie’s club in Westlake Village, California, just a bit north of Malibu, up Highway 101 from LA. It’s taken from four separate sessions at the venue and I’m pretty sure the audiences at all of these sets will have enjoyed every minute. Listening to the crystal-clear recording, I sort of wish I’d been there too! The collection consists of six originals and seven favourite covers from Teresa’s two decades as a recording artist. The opening track In The Pink, written by her husband and bass player, Terry Wilson, contrasts having the blues, but being “in the pink”. It’s a lively, funky number, with some lovely horns, giving it a real big soul band sound. I like It Like That follows and has a classic rock’n’roll sound, with a hint of Fats Domino. Teresa’s vocals have an infectious sort of happiness to them, with more than a hint of Lulu at her soulful best. The guitarwork from Billy Watts on this track is pared down, but with humour, which definitely fits the mood. Put The Squeeze On Me is another soulful ballad, which showcases Teresa’s great vocal range. Easier Said Than Done loses the heavy horn section and has some funky electronic piano. There’s a great duet on the Etta James hit If I Can’t Have You. There’s a lovely version of the Alain Toussaint song Shoorah Shoorah. The whole album of 13 varied tracks is a delight from start to finish and seems to have captured some great evenings at Bogie’s, Ca.

- STEVE BANKS

HONEY CREEK RATTLESNAKE AND THE JUNKYARD DOG

Kawumm Records

Honey Creek is a German based rock-influenced blues band, comprising James Boyle on Vocals, harp, and acoustic guitar (and looking like a contender for a place in ZZTop), Michael Reufsteck on guitar, Sebastian Mitzel on bass, with Martin Donner on Drums. Their first two albums did well on the International download charts. They have played at the Russian Blues Festival in Suzdal, and have toured extensively in Germany, France and Luxembourg. The title track, Rattlesnake and Junkyard Dog is firmly based in the blues/rock genre and hits the listener full on. (This would definitely make a good opener for a live show). It has bluesy, gruff vocals, and is backed by powerful guitar work, and solid bass and drums throughout, with a great harp break in the middle section. The clarity of the vocals also allows the lyrics to be fully appreciated. Foolin’ Around is a slower and less raucous number, and is another relationship-going-wrong tune. Sailor For Your Love opens in a slightly menacing tone and plays this card throughout. Alley Cat slows the pace right down, and has a somewhat cabaret/Brechtian

(Mack the Knife) feel to it and provides a bit of an interlude between the heavier tracks, in a Stray Cats type of vein. South Of Nowhere has some nice acoustic guitar (slightly reminiscent of a track from Led Zep’s third?) and hints at the band’s versatility. All That I Want is another departure from the rock/blues format, with some very gentle harmonics at the start, before heading towards a much heavier finish. Burn The Castle Down heads back down the rocky riff road with some very selective, but well-placed bass notes. Don’t Come Around Too Slow is a rumba style tune (Think Chuck Berry’s Havana Moon). On the Road is in a slow country ballad style and is possibly incongruous with the rest of the album. The closing track, Honey Creek Groove is a more upbeat track to finish the album and has some nice slap bass and would make for a great track to hear live.

- STEVE BANKS

LAURIE MCVAY EAST SIDE BLUES

Reef Bay

Laurie McVay is a stalwart in the South East of England Blues scene having performed as a solo artist, duetting with

Tony Farinha, and performing in several bands such as Ducks Soup. While this release is showing as a solo album, he is supported here by his regular band The High Rollers, which include talented guitarist Andy Charles, and keyboard player Stephen J Parkes. Laurie has written ten of the twelve tracks on the album; the covers are Willie Dixon’s Hoochie Coochie Man, and an unknown to me, L.C. McKinley song So Strange from 1964. Unusual choices in the scheme of things, but the latter song does allow Andy Charles to throw in some sharp lead guitar solos. Laurie’s song writing is excellent, his material covers a variety of subjects but is fairly upbeat and has a feel-good factor, none more so than the track Back On My Feet Again, which incorporates good chunks of Laurie’s Harmonica which is an instrument he enjoys playing. He really excels with it on the final instrumental track Monroe Blues, where he evokes the 1960’s Excello sound of Little Walter. All the vocals on the album are performed by Laurie, which he handles with ease. He does not have a “belter” style, but gets plenty of emotion into his songs especially on the slow blues ballad Leave My Dreams Alone, which is beautifully sung and is the standout track on the album, just for good measure he also performs the harmonies on the song. Laurie’s style of Blues is fairly laid back, which makes the album an easy listen, and has certainly put the Isle of Wight on the UK Blues map where this album was conceived and produced.

- ADRIAN BLACKLEE

GHOST TOWN BLUES BAND SHINE

Gtbb

The Ghost Town Blues Band enjoy the double whammy of having headlined the Blues Stage at the Montreal Jazz Festival, and including Montreal blues legend Paul Deslauriers as an additional vocalist on this album, so they are ticking boxes for me before my headphones pick up any sounds. When the music starts, the immediate impact is the horns / Hammond interface that decorates this album and provides the musical bed for Matt Isbell to prophesy over, and lay some tasty guitar lines down on. The expression ‘whiskey-soaked vocals’ is seriously over-used, and often applied to singers who have spent too much time drinking and smoking in blues joints. Matt Isbell has a really intriguing vocal style – it sounds both lived-in and fresh and original, no mean feat. The sleeve notes confirm serious respect from a large number of award-givers, matched only by the calibre of top-notch musicians the band has opened for in its career. Stand out track on this collection is Givin’ It All Away, the reflective narrative fascinatingly at odds with the up-and-at-it arrangement, punchy horns,

and cheerful vocalising. In fact, for a blues band, this album demonstrates a willingness in the band to embrace the more optimistic side of the form. My Father’s Son is a bottom-heavy funky tune with a thoughtful lyric exploring life as it is for a man with questions, including a gorgeous guitar solo. Mr Isbell’s southern roots shine through his love song Evangelie, and again on the delicious slow blues that is Carry Me Home. There is a Springsteen-esque feel about this collection – none more so than on the final cut Hey There Lucinda, it’s songs of love and fun, and it’s clear that this band must be a wonderful experience live. I missed them at Montreal, being otherwise occupied musically elsewhere in the city, but if they rock up in 2020, they will be top of my list to see – a review in these pages is assured. I expect to be seriously entertained, and I know I will not be disappointed.

- ANDY HUGHES

DARRIN BRADBURY TALKING DOGS & ATOM BOMBS

Anti-records

Bradbury grew up in New Jersey with an early interest in performing, partly because

of his mother’s career as a circus clown. Learning to play the guitar as a vessel to tell his stories, he hit the road at 18, seeing 38 states within a year. At 25, he moved from Charlottesville, Virginia, to Nashville, to try making it as a songwriter. For three months in the dead of winter, he slept in his ford focus in a Wal-Mart parking lot. Darrin Bradbury writes about the way things really are in America. He has a singular perspective shaped by a natural gift for storytelling, a lingering battle with depression and a sly sense of humour. A self-described folk satirist who has toured the country for more than a decade, Bradbury on vocals and acoustic guitar, collects his oddball observations on debut release for Anti-Records, Talking Dogs and Atom Bombs. Produced by Kenneth Pattengale (The Milk Carton Kids), who also contributes on mellotron and vocals, Jeremy Ivey on bass and piano, Alex Muñoz on additional guitars, and Dillon Napier on drums making up the musicians, with guest vocals from Margo Price who adds a sombre harmony on The Trouble With Time. The album is not long at just over 26 minutes but still manages to contain 11 tracks. Musically the album varies in tempo and texture to emphasize the message of the song while not straying too far from a folksy, country, Americana style. Bradbury’s lyrics are what makes this album stand out. A dark humour is woven through many of the songs on Talking Dogs and Atom Bombs, Bradbury says it’s an album trying to combat depression, to laugh your way out of depression, and to be honest and accurate with that depression. However, the album is surprisingly upbeat due to Bradbury’s wry sense of

humour, as he writes about the existential dilemma of both the times and life in general. The songs on this album are rather unique and it’s an album you will either get or you won’t.

- SHIRL

DIANE BLUE LOOK FOR THE LIGHT

Regina Royale Records

to much of the music. Ronnie Earle also adds guitar on I Never Knew and If I Could Talk To My Mama. All told, it is a damn good listen, and if they were playing in a club anywhere within reach, I would certainly beat a path to go and listen. This is classic soul & blues and the lady has a great feel for her stuff.

- ANDY SNIPPER

BYWATER CALL BYWATER CALL

Gypsy Soul Records

the ballads, such as Forgive. Talking Backwards features some sterling piano work, and Bring Me Down features cello like guitar parts, to create an atmosphere of brooding melancholy. Nightmare sounds like a lost band song, with its gospel like chord pattern, and Megan Parnell’s vocals on fine form, with a sympathetic brass sound all around her. Over and Over starts with a Stevie Wonder like bass and clavinet, whilst the album closer Swing Low is a slow acoustic ballad which ends the album on a whisper rather than a roar. Bywater Call are an incredibly talented band, with a lot of musicianship, song writing skills, and a sound that is instantly appealing.

- BEN MCNAIR

Diane Blue is a very well-established singer and harp player whose many tours around the US and Europe seem to have kept her a secret from these shores. The photo on her ‘blurb’ shows a mumsy looking white lady with a big smile, but these 10 tracks definitely feature a lady with a huge soul voice, brassy and dirty in equal elements, and a terrific harmonica player. Musically, it isn’t anything new. Big band soul/ blues with a very ‘live’ feel and real punch, but it is very well presented and has a freshness about it that makes it really well worth the listen. Apart from Ms Blue’s vocal and harp I really enjoyed Chris Vitarello’s guitar playing, Dave Limina on Hammond organ, Lorne Entress, who lays down heavy and subtle drums, and Jesse Williams adds acoustic bass for a jazzy feel

From the Derek Trucks like slide guitar sound that starts this album, you can tell you are in for something special, and the album and the band do not disappoint. Arizona starts slow, but has a jam band looseness to its groove. The band is fronted by the energetic vocal of Megan Parnell, who evokes the sounds of Janis Joplin, Bonnie Raitt, or Aretha Franklin, often within the same songs. The brass heavy arrangements also feature the singing slide guitar of Dave Barnes, with his solid rhythm playing adding a swagger to the song. A strong rhythm section of drummer Bruce McCarthy, and bassist Mike Meusel power the rockier, louder songs, but also add sympathetic parts to

VARIOUS 50 YEARS OF COMO MS BLUES

Como’s a place in Mississippi where you either picked cotton or played the blues. That may be a bit of a blasé generalization but listening to this 19-track compilation of legendary artists and scanning the atmospheric photos in the liner notes, the blues just seems to rise like

Wolf records International CD

swamp gas from the soil. The two opening tracks by Jessie May Hemphill, Get Back to your Used to Be and Shame On You Take 2 seem to drop that cottonfield sun straight onto you neck, but they hardly prepare you for the wild storm of Fred McDowell’s Frisco Lines and the classic You Gotta Move. The latter was taken up by The Rolling Stones and it’s nice to know that McDowell picked up a hefty royalty cheque from Mick and Keith before he left us. There are six rugged songs by the lesser-known Ranie Burnette, another five by Jessie May Hemphill. Othar Turner’s heartfelt Rooster Blues is superb, as are the two offerings by RL Boyce, Child of God and Baby Please Don’t Go. This album is a collector’s delight. Considering the age of some of these cuts, they’re in find audio shape. The country blues doesn’t get any earthier than this.

- ROY BAINTON

RICHARD RAY FARRELL

THREE PINTS OF GIN

Blue Beet Records

few years now. Farrell is mostly based in Spain these days but this latest release was mastered, produced and recorded with no overdubs as a live album in the USA, where Farrell’s own roots lie. Always a truly excellent performer, here Farrell turns out a full sixteen-track album that features his wonderful, inspired acoustic picking and harp playing alongside a gritty, edgy, raw delivery that works perfectly and really illustrates the guy’s sheer strength and quality. In the past, Farrell has worked with others and his album, Down Home Old School Country Blues recorded with Steve Guyger remains maybe one of his best, though I always have a personal preference for a later release, I Sing the Blues Eclectic. That said, Three Pints Of Gin just might be the offering that beats the bunch with a superb display of fretwork virtuosity and some genuinely stirring lyricism that just lifts the entire project out of the ordinary and lifts it head and shoulders above the crowd. Farrell himself believes this may be his best to date and in truth it’s hard to disagree. Tracks are mostly self-penned with a few exceptions where he covers Lonnie Johnson’s Lazy Woman Blues, Fulton Allen’s Funny Feeling Blues and the old traditional blues standard He’s In The Jailhouse Now. Whatever he turns his hand to, Farrell masters and at times the picking is near-breathtaking with countless examples of absolute mastery and ease rippling throughout the release.

- IAIN PATIENCE

ANDY KNIGHT and THE REMEDY WOUND TOO TIGHT

Three Pints Of Gin is the first new release from US bluesman, Richard Ray Farrell for a

Well somebody certainly likes to get down, dirty and funky. One listen to the opening Wait… Hold On! and they are ready to testify. The keyboard work of Martin Jenkins is incredible reaching back to the Stax sounds of the sixties. It seems as though they have changed keyboard players since this was recorded so fingers crossed the new man is up to the high standards on display here. The title track then arrives to reinforce their blues credentials and it sounds like a long lost Howlin’ Wolf beat. Granted, Andy Knight has a very melodic voice but listen to what’s going on behind him and prepare for a spoonful of the blues. It’s an absolute peach of a track. Much like the rest of this record. The rhythm section of Jeff Walker on bass and Darren Crome on drums are also perfectly in sync, allowing the guitar work of Knight to take flight. Seems as though the band first got together working with harpist Giles Robson appearing on his album, For Those Who Need The Blues. A record which I shall be locating imminently, before they decided to set out on their

own musical journey. It’s mainly a funky soul meets blues stew although they’re perfectly capable of throwing in some jazz licks when the song needs it. The various members have plenty of form working with the likes of Matt Schofield, Joe Louis Walker, Magic Dick, Dana Gillespie and many others but it seems as though they’ve found their true home. Outstanding.

CASS CLAYTON BAND PLAY NICE

Far and Away Studios

control, doing what she wanted and loved, inviting you to go on the journey with her, wherever it goes. A strong woman, and an individual who will sing what she pleases and those of you that like it, great. Those of you that don’t, there’s other stuff for you. There is a definite jazz feel running through a lot of the tracks, however, some of the songs have a soul and funk edge to them, others, not sure you will agree with me on this, but a slight punk edge to them. This is a lady who is doing things her own way and this album will be loved by some and not hit the spot for others. If you like a mash up of styles and an album that at times has you feeling like you are sitting in a Smokey Jazz joint, then you will like this album.

- JEAN KNAPPITT

GUY BÉLANGER ELDORADO Bros

well-performed vocals, such as Van Morrison’s Bright Side of the Road, which has some stirring harp playing. He even tackles Prince’s classic Sign O’ The Times, which lends itself excellently to a blues arrangement. This features Mathis Haug, and the sparse undercurrent of the lyrics, punctuated by Guy’s precise harmonica, adds a terrific bluesy depth to the proceedings. When he slows it down with the moody song Four Little Words, you get a real feel for this artist’s versatility, and the piano and Wurlitzer of Bob Stagg adds extra quality. The dark and atmospheric track Hummin’ is classic blues with overtones of early Chess recordings (and it even has strings). This is a nicely packaged, balanced collection by an artist who knows his blues inside out. What more could an aficionado ask for?

- ROY BAINTON

Play Nice is an album that makes you just want to sit back and let the music wash over you. Cass Clayton has a slightly masculine sound to her voice, reminiscent of Alison Moyet, which lends a real soulful element to the tracks, sounding mature and totally at home behind the mic. If you are not looking for pure blues to build the undertones, then you will enjoy the feeling that Cass has the confidence to use freedom of influences to feed the tracks, thereby allowing the songs to “go where they go”, as suggested by her comment “Because we are not a label, no one’s telling us what to do.” There is a feeling throughout that Cass is in

Canada has a rich blues scene, and some fine harmonica players. Guy Belanger plays a mean harp and sings well. A recipient of 14 blues awards over a forty-year career, he’s appeared with many stars, including Celine Dion. This album offers a good mix of instrumentals and

BAD TEMPER JOE & FERNANT ZESTE HAUNT

Timezone

This European singer-songwriter duo features Bad Temper Joe from Germany, specialising in playing slide, lap style, on his Weissenborn guitar; and

- STUART A HAMILTON

Fernant Zeste, from Belgium, who plays some very fine guitar too. The two men complement each other extremely well, mostly alternating composer credits on this twelve-track set recorded in both a Belgian studio and various hotel and apartment rooms. To listen to them, you’d be surprised that it’s the first album they have recorded together, because they have an excellent understanding of each other’s music and work together seamlessly. The material ranges from fairly straight-forward but individually distinctive indie blues to Americana flavoured numbers with tinges of mainly JJ Cale, and a little twist of Ry Cooder maybe. Winterblues at #5 (Or Maybe Not) is one of those blues numbers, but then something about composer Jonathan Scheerlinck’s melody and vocal delivery (to give Fernant Zeste his real name) towards the end reminded me very strongly of mid 60s electric Bob Dylan – not a bad thing in the slightest! Then too there is Been A While Since We’ve Talked which brought to mind Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac circa 1969 or 1970, especially in the excellent electric guitar work. To sum up then, this is a very listenable blues and blues-based album. A little different from a run-of-the-mill blues set maybe, but there’s nothing wrong with that at all. Quite a lot right, in fact, where Haunt is concerned.

- NORMAN DARWEN

BAD BLUES QUARTET BACK ON MY FEET Talk About Records

The Bad Blues Quartet was formed in the summer of 2014, and consists of Eleonora Usala on vocals, Frederico Valenti on guitar, Gabriele Loddo on bass and Frank Stara on drums. As their names would suggest, they hail from Italy, more precisely the beautiful island of Sardinia. They name their influences from Elmore James to John Mayer, Ray Charles to Muddy Waters. They have been gaining experience and paying their dues at various blues festivals in Italy, having won the Pistoia Blues festival competition in 2016. The album Back On My Feet is their second offering, their first, Bad Blues Quartet, appeared in 2017. The opening track, Frenzy Dance is a lively number, which has jazz-influenced bass work and some groovy/funky guitaring, but what is most instantly noticeable is the voice of the singer, Signora Eleonora Usala, who sounds like a mixture of Lene Lovich and Noosha Fox, with a hint of Björkishness. Needless to say, it’s idiosyncratic and not your typical blues sound, but nevertheless not unpleasant, if not somewhat marmitish. The second track, Birthday Present is enhanced

with Hammond organ, trumpet and tenor saxophone and has a jazz feel to it; the brushed cymbals being mostly responsible for this. (Janis singing Bobby McGee gets a mention in this one.) On track three, Basic Man, Eleonora is assisted with some backing vocals, whilst she both gives a spelling lesson and at the same time makes quite clear exactly what she wants and what she doesn’t. Track four firmly establishes the band’s blues credentials by covering Vera Ward Hall’s song I Been Drinkin’, made famous by the ethnomusicologist John Avery Lomax, to whom all blues afficionados will forever remain indebted. In My Silence has a lovely searing guitar intro to a slow blues number. The album finds its title in the song Louse, it’s an upbeat song about recovering from a dodgy relationship. The Count has an Elmore James feel to it. The last track S.O B turns into a bit of a hoedown, with additional banjo, mandolin and violin.

- STEVE BANKS

Independent

stall in support of lead vocalist/ front man and songwriter Paul Buchanan. Not to be confused with Edinburgh’s own PB from The Blue Nile this Paul shows how heavily he is inspired by Muddy Waters. I really enjoyed Nullabor Blues which, as the title suggests, is very redolent of the Australian Outback in sparseness and brought a differ-

BEN POOLE TRIO /// LIVE ’19 (DOUBLE LIVE ALBUM)

ent area of the world into view other than the Mississippi. No question these guys enjoy playing together. They make fine music although not particularly boundary pushing there is still much to enjoy and I may go to explore the debut as well.

- GRAEME SCOTT

I can’t remember ever having an Australian Blues band drop through my letter box for review before now but that could just be down to the sheer volume of releases I have to process. This straight ahead workman like band cut these twelve cuts over the course of a twenty four hour intense period in the studio after which the albums title is derived. I like the no frills approach and this general lack of sophistication add a rawness and authenticity to the results. Close your eyes, open your ears and you are transported to a hot sweaty club somewhere in the Melbourne area which is home to this very good six piece. As far as I can find out from the internet Hailstone is the sophomore release following up 2015s debut We Still Remember. The somewhat brutally direct I Never Loved You Anyway, detailing the collapse of a relationship kicks us off on our journey. This is a situation many of us have been through perhaps so it resonates nicely. Following on comes a slow smoky groove Two Trains Running (Still A Fool) has the band really setting out their

BEN POOLE

Hailing from the school of the modern British Blues scene, Ben Poole is an international bluesrock singer-songwriter and guitarist with a funky soul vibe about him. Preceded by the critically acclaimed albums, Anytime You Need Me (2018), Time Has Come (2016) and Live At The Royal Albert Hall (Recorded by the BBC in 2014), TRIO /// LIVE ‘19 is Ben’s latest album, due to be released on Friday 31st of January 2020. The double album certainly reflects the hard work that Ben Poole has put in over the past eight years, and is a testament to how he has grown as an artist. Recorded at Barnsley’s Old Schoolhouse, London’s The Half Moon in Putney, and Bootleggers in Kendal, Cumbria between the 23rd and 25th of July, the albums were produced by Wayne Proctor of King King fame, who also features on the drums. This album truly captures the essence of his live sound. Featuring a showcase of Ben’s most popular songs from his past two albums, which include Win You Over, Star The Car, Lying To Me, Found Out The Hard Way,

and Anytime

You Need Me, the album comes to a spectacular close on the epic Time Might Never Come. Throughout, Ben’s vocals are as smooth as caramel, backed by crunchy fuzz and vibrato tones, thrumming bass, and punchy drums. This more recent material truly illustrates that Ben is one of the leading blues rock guitarists of his generation. These three nights produced a spontaneous and energetic live performance, and the resulting recording is stunning. At times I was reminded of early Lenny Kravitz, Gary Clark Jr, and Walter Trout. Containing over ninety minutes of electrifying live blues rock at its finest, this is a soulful and mature album with amazing sound and production values. It is a must have for any fan of the contemporary blues scene.

- ERIK DAMIAN

DANA GILLESPIE

TAKE IT OFF SLOWLY

After a long wait finally great new recordings by the Queen of UK/European Blues with the great Al Cook Band! After a very long time this brand-new CD from the  great Dana Gillespie. This time she is singing some erotic songs, which are nice to listen to. Brand new material, but also great covers. Dana is in a great form! There is no soul blues or rock blues, just pure traditional blues!

www.wolfrec.com/produkt/ dana-gillespie-take-it-off-slowly/

Dana Gillespie advert.indd

SHOWTIME! THE BM! ROUND-UP OF LIVE BLUES

NORWEGIAN BLUES ADVENTURE

Royal Albert Hall, London November 11th, 2019

With a full weekend of events spread around the capital aimed at highlighting the quality, standard and players of blues in Norway, the Norwegian Blues Adventure closed with an evening of truly inspired and inspiring music at London’s Royal Albert Hall.

With a more than acceptable crowd of mostly Scandinavian blues music fans, the hall – always a challenge to fill – was pretty full and the music greatly appreciated by everyone in attendance. Viewed in the round, the gig was a genuine eye-opener, with excellent sets being produced by almost all of the acts on display. In some ways it was strange to be in the hall where almost everyone was speaking Norwegian and few English voices were in evidence. And that was a truly missed oppor-

tunity for UK blues lovers because this was indeed an evening of great music. Each act set the bar higher, clearly feeding on each other and the energy that was rippling through the place for the few hours available. A few acts were names some will already recognise while others were relative unknowns here but already hugely appreciated and admired in their homeland. The night kicked off with a short introduction which mentioned the fact that these musicians were treading the boards where the ghosts of many absolute blues giants were waiting in the wings, and that it was only right and just that their Norwegian cousins should be working there. Young near-prodigy, Magnus Berg, turned in a rocky-end set that was a winner, while Kid Andersen was on positively storming form with maybe the finest set of the evening. Most acts performed only two numbers before giving way to the next act, a result that made the gig particularly powerful and enjoyable as any chance

of ennui or sag for the crowd was absolutely eliminated by the sheer range of material and styles on offer. Bjorn Berge delivered a trademark acoustic set that held more than a passing hint of USA picker, Charlie Parr, at its heart. Ronnie Jacobson was an electric picker with a stirring, fiery blues understanding as was one of the country’s greatest bluesman, Knut Reiersrud. Other outstanding performances came from Amund Maarud, a guy who worked singularly hard with many others through the night, and a delightful duo, Trudy and Dave, with a more smoky, near-Americana edge, a couple who also provided cool harmonies and support vocals for many other players on the night. As a closer to the night, all acts came together to deliver a superb bit of wild blues that had the hall on its collective feet demanding more. For me, the highlight of the night was the truly outstanding sets delivered by another of Norway’s huge favourites, a guy who delivered total quality with consummate ease and purpose, Vidar Busk. Busk is a revelation and anyone looking for a new blues experience could do far worse than look out for this guy and the rest of the great acts who all worked their butts off to provide a night of wonderful blues music. If this gig is ever repeated, all UK blues fans should bust a gut to get along –don’t be concerned about language issues, it’s all blues – with a fabulous night pretty much guaranteed.

- Iain Patience

CREDIT: Jennifer Noble

JO HARMAN

Lichfield Guildhall

With a talented band behind her, the powerhouse singer songwriter and performer Jo Harman played a set that varied between hard rock, blues, jazz and gospel when she made her Guildhall debut on Saturday 30th November. Support for the evening came from the local blues singer and guitarist Tom C Walker, who played a well-received set of music, which ranged from the slow burning Sweet Angel, to fitting covers of Bob Marley’s Stir it Up and the Rolling Stones Miss You. Tom is still in his twenties, and already has a storied musical career behind him. The acclaimed singer Jo Harman has built up a steady reputation, which she more than lived up to on the night. With her band of pianist and backing vocalist Emily Francis, Nat Martin on guitar and backing vocals, bass player Sonny Winslow, and drummer Dave Gimbey were all able to follow their leader with

startling musicianship, the sudden endings to some songs showing just how tightly drilled the quintet was. Songs included the opening salvo of Silhouette and No-One Left to Blame, whilst Through the Night was a much more funkbased song, that allowed for some deft soloing. Things were quietened down for a reading of Carole King’s Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? with its wellknown piano part being expertly played, whilst the more jazz based Cloudy showed the group’s strong harmony, singing to great effect. An a cappella solo of Bless Ma Soul was an attention-grabbing display of Jo Harman’s facility with gospel, and soul singing. The lively set was closed with the more pop based, feel good groove of When We Were Young, before the encores of I Can Let Go Now and the love song Say That You Want Me. This was music making of fine quality, with finely honed song and stagecraft all added to a very entertaining evening.

- Ben McNair

THE KIM CYPHER BAND

Lichfield Guildhall

December 4th 2019

The talented saxophonist and singer Kim Cypher led her exceptional band through a series of jazz pieces, pop songs revisited in unusual ways and the odd festive favourite when she made her Lichfield Guildhall debut on

Wednesday December 4th. With her band of guitarist Chris Santo Cobbson, electric and double bass player Mike Green, keyboard player John Paul Gard, husband Mike Cypher on drums, and Kym on alto, tenor, and soprano saxophones and vocals they played music that appealed as much to the feet as it did the head. With influences ranging from the likes of Pee Wee Ellis, Andy Sheppard, Courtney Pine and Grover Washingon Junior, showmanship and stage presence were just as important to the band as musical precision and technique, shown

in the one piece that segued from Charlie Parker to familiar quotes from the Muppet Show. Mr Magic by Grover Washington was an incendiary piece allowing for plenty of musical fireworks from the band. A radically reworked version of the Zuton’s Valerie into a mournful torch song was even more of a departure than the hit that Amy Winehouse had with the song, and Chris Santo Cobbson original piece, A Time to Reflect,

SWEDISH BLUES TRIO

Brian Kramer’s Blues Trio Stallet, Hedemora, Sweden

October 9th, 2019

Hedemora, in southern, central Sweden, is fast becoming a go-to town for hi-end, quality blues music. With some blues history behind it, now there seems to be a steady stream of worthwhile gigs and blues music events coming down the line on a regular basis. US-Swedish import, Brooklyn-born Brian Kramer is not only Blues Matters! Swedish writer in residence but a major, significant player in the Scandinavian blues world. Now a fairly recent resident of Hedemora, he has perked the local scene up no end.

ing the close of an excellent night of welcome blues, Kramer’s trio earned a well-deserved ovation and demand for more from a happy, well-served blues fan crowd, all already looking forward to the trio’s next outing. This is now a regular fortnightly gig and one I felt positively privileged to have attended.

- Iain Patience

DEBBIE BOND Potteries Blues Club

a Time to Forget was a tone poem that allowed for brooding melancholy, and some sympathetic saxophone and guitar interplay. James Brown’s Funk masterpiece I Feel Good was played at a less frenetic pace than usual, but was no less effective for all of that, whilst a spirited White Christmas, complete with wholly appropriate sleigh bells saw the audience joining in, before the pace and intensity was raised for the closing song, an instrumental reading of Gerry Rafferty’s Baker Street.

- Ben Macnair

On a wet, dreary, mid-week evening, he delivered a truly excellent night of quality blues music to a surprisingly good crowd who had turned out despite the inclement weather. Aided and abetted by another local, the wonderful harp player, Christer Ring, Kramer was also able to draw on the experience and nuanced picking of Jan-Olof Jonsson, to complete a new blues trio that is both talented and assured. Jonsson put down his guitar from time to time and brought his upright acoustic bass skills to the stage, a delightful and decidedly welcome extra. Originally from the Bluegrass end of the business, Jonsson’s, picking is at times clearly structured around some accomplished flat-picking that often held more than hint of true Americana in its range and breadth.

Material covered the whole blues gamut with some Lightnin’ Hopkins, John Hurt and even Muddy falling easily and readily into the evening mix. When reach-

This was my first visit, I’m ashamed to say, to a relatively new venue in my hometown of Stoke-on-Trent. It is the brainchild of among others, Jim Gillespie, a blues musician himself and strong supporter of the blues for many, many years. Debbie has been performing for over thirty years in and around her native home of Alabama. It’s here that she was taken under the wing by noneother than Johnny Shines. Her husband Radiator Rick accompanies her on keys and harmonica. Add to that, Micky Barker on drums and you have a mighty fine trio of musicians. Straight from the off I felt as though this was something special. Such a magical chemistry between Debbie and Rick and it’s there for all to see. Songs such as Help Me by Sonny Boy Williamson brought the harmonica talents of Rick to the fore, then it got more serious on Free At Last, a lasting lament to Martin Luther King Jr. Being in such a small club room made the atmosphere much more vibrant and the feeling of blues music almost engulfed you. The way Debbie plays, and sings has led in the past, to comparisons with Bonnie Raitt. On this viewing I

have to agree, but don’t be fooled that Debbie is in anyway a parody of Bonnie. Far from it. She has her own style and puts he own unique stamp on everything she does. Her slide guitar playing is superb and her sweet vocals combine with Rick on keys and harmonica in equal serenity. At the interval I had a chance to introduce myself and have a brief chat with Rick and Debbie. It was like we had met years ago. All three of us chatting about blues music and the feelings that go with it. The second set comprised of songs from her albums including, Going Back, The Train Song - with superb harmonica from Rick, Wind Of Change, and to finish the set, a magnificent rendition of I’d Rather Go Blind. Johnny Shines would be very proud of his protégé. Get to see her as soon as possible.

- Stephen Harrison

SUGARAY RAYFORD

SELBY TOWN HALL

WEDNESDAY

13TH

NOVEMBER, 2019

Having previously had the privilege of seeing the incredible blues powerhouse, that is Sugaray Rayford, I was aware of the type of performance that lay ahead, but was the audience in the lovely, cosy little venue of Selby Town Hall also prepared to be hit by the human hurricane? I was about to find out! The band, consisting of Drake ‘Munkihaid’ Shining (keyboards), Gino Matteo (guitar), Allen Markell (bass), Lavell Jones (drums), Aaron Liddard (saxophone), and Giles Straw (trumpet), somehow squeezed itself onto the compact stage, and played a

great bluesy intro to launch the proceedings. I wondered if there’d be room for the man himself. Then a big guy walked in from the back of the hall, dressed in an overcoat and hat. He stood between the stage and the audience, like someone who had just walked in from the street. What an entrance! It was Sugaray himself! This just typified the whole evening. Not just brilliant blues music, but an entertaining performance with bucketloads of charisma. Sugaray then jumped onto the stage and launched into the very heavy funky (and menacing!) version of Who Is He? The whole venue shook as Sugaray stomped the intro beat on the stage floor. He also left the stage mid-song, making the room his own. He assured the audience that this wasn’t an ordinary concert, more of a party. It definitely wasn’t jazz, which didn’t seem to figure too highly on his preferred genres list. Is It Just Me from his latest album was a brilliant Motown-style song. It was such a convincing performance, that Sugaray even introduced the non-existent trio of beautiful backing singers. He was so convincing that I felt I

could see them as well as hear their backing vocals! The track I’d Kill For You had a great slide guitar intro from one of the best guitarists around. It also elicited a positive response from a member of the audience, who assured the big man that she’d do the same! Part of Sugaray’s great appeal is his interaction with the audience, and despite berating the attendees for wanting to remain seated, he also connected instantly, and was able to impart his words of wisdom, before launching into the philosophically inspired Don’t Regret A Mile. Its muted trumpet solo intro, was seriously in danger of heading off into the dangerous realms of smooth jazz, but all joking aside, Sugaray was backed by a group of seriously talented and very versatile musicians, who changed styles with just a word from the maestro. Further example of this was a spontaneous version of Goin’ Down Slow, with Yorkshire’s very own Guy Warren guesting brilliantly on guitar. Sugaray’s albums are great, but you’ve just got to catch him live to appreciate the full range and presence of this incredible performer.

- STEVE BANKS

JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE

THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL

OCTOBER 21st 2019 SPECIAL MOVIE PREVIEW

I remember the instant impact when an older and cooler hippy cousin played me his cassette copy of Hendrix In The West at some point back in the mid-1970s. That may not even be one of Jimi’s best albums, being essentially a collection of live cuts that didn’t really fit anywhere else. Nevertheless, hearing him take a bunch of old songs, pull them apart and then put them back together again transformed the musical perceptions of a nerdy schoolboy still under the impression that Uriah Heep represented the last word in sophisticated rock. I remember asking if it might be possible to see this genius live. No way, I was told. Already dead, you see. But for those my age and younger,

attending the premiere of this film - and in the very location in which it was shot, to boot - was as close as we will ever get to that dream. Any rational Hendrix fan will want to catch this movie as soon as it reaches their streaming service of choice. Jimi’s two RAH gigs in 1969 are the stuff of legend, of course, and scrappy concert footage has long been available on YouTube. But the visual quality here leaves everything else you will have already seen far behind. This is Hendrix at the peak of his prowess, perhaps the greatest performance ever of a man still regarded by many as the greatest electric guitarist of all time. From the moment he straps on his upside-down Stratocaster and launches into Stone Free, in a version longer and more improvised than any studio cut, every second is riveting. It also becomes clear that the Jimi Hendrix Experience were an artistic unit and not just a big name with a bolt-on

rhythm section. Mitch Mitchell’s drumming in particular is central to the performance. The band launch into multiple classics, including Foxy Lady, The Wind Cries Mary, Voodoo Child and Purple Haze. Inevitably, there is also a rendition of Red House that will leave you wondering what might have happened had Hendrix not joined the 27 club and gone on to take a bluesier direction. The show climaxes with the brutal destruction of a Stat, in a sequence that somehow still retains the power to shock. All of these highlights are interspersed with footage of Jimi fooling around with friends at his London flat, and of the afterparty at the Speakeasy club, at which Hendrix looks visibly low rather than high. Tragically, he had less than two years longer to live. His influence on other players, of course, can be heard to this day.

- DAVID OSLER