Blues Matters Issue 142

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Cover image by Scott Lukes

RONNIE BAKER BROOKS MARK HARRISON

VANEESE THOMAS

BOB ANGELL

TOBY WALKER

QUIQUE GOMEZ

SAMANTHA FISH

BIG BLUES BENDER

JOACHIM COODER

CEK & THE STOMPERS

ERIC BIBB

BIG BLUES REVIEWS

RONNIE BAKER BROOKS BLUES IN MY DNA

 Paul Natkin

Ronnie Baker Brooks is a name synonymous with the next generation of Chicago blues royalty. The son of the legendary Lonnie Brooks, Ronnie has carved out his own path, blending the rich, soulful traditions of the Windy City with a contemporary edge that speaks to today’s audiences.

With his blistering guitar work, commanding vocals, and a stage presence that exudes both charisma and authenticity, Ronnie has earned his place as one of the foremost torchbearers of modern blues.

His music is a powerful testament to the genre’s enduring legacy, while also pushing its boundaries into new and exciting territories. Here he discusses his blues lineage and more, including references to his newest release, Blues In My DNA.

RONNIE’S BACKSTORY

I was born into the blues my father, Lonnie Brooks, introduced me to the blues genre at the age of six. My first stage performance was at nine, at Chicago’s Pepper’s Hideout. My dad was over in Europe. He did a tour over there for six weeks or so.

 Colin Campbell

He would call home, and I always asked him, take me with you, dad, I want to go on stage with you. He always replied with you’re not old enough or, you can’t do it. But this particular time when he called home, he said, if you learn two songs, by the time I get home, then you can come on stage with me. I learned, Messing With The Kid and Reconsider Baby. So, they had a welcome home party for him, and he kept his promise and allowed me to come on stage with him at Pepper’s. And I was sitting there with my mom, in a packed audience in a small club. I had a mood ring on, they used to change colours on how your mood was. My mom saw it; I was nervous, and she said, son, just relax and play like you do at home with your dad. I relaxed and got on stage with him, and they threw money on stage to me, and I made more money than I did my dad on tips! I was the only child in the club, so I was very nervous. That was my first time playing with him. Ever since then, I was hooked. I just wanted to be like my dad. I wasn’t sure, there were not many people my age playing blues. Feeling discouraged by the older, more experienced musicians around him, he temporarily shifted his focus to basketball, unknowingly breaking his father’s heart. “He didn’t tell me that I broke his heart until I got back into music. It wasn’t until I turned 18 or 19 that I realised, I knew I wanted to do it for the rest of my life”.

WHEN DID YOU GET YOUR FIRST GUITAR?

My dad bought me my first guitar when I was seven or eight years old. It was a Gibson SG, the one I’m posing with on the front cover of my new album on Alligator

Records. That’s the same guitar that Dad used on all his Alligator recordings, it became a part of my father’s signature sound. After I quit playing music to focus on basketball, he took it back saying, “Well, you’re not using it, and I’m using it.” However, when he returned to music, his father gave it back, saying, “Since you’re back, son, I’m going to give you your guitar back,” I just kept it.

DISCUSSION PROCEEDED TO THE PRODUCTION AND RECORDING OF RONNIE’S NEW RELEASE, BLUES IN MY DNA

It was an honour to work with the great Jim Gaines. I had worked with Jim on my dad’s record, Roadhouse Rules. My dad allowed me to do a lot of work on that album and besides, Jim was very cool. At the end of making that record, he was like, man, we should work together someday; that was over 30 years ago. Finally, when I signed with Alligator, Bruce Iglauer suggested to Jim Games and I was like, yes, I would love to work with him! I love the way he works. It’s very smooth and he creates a vibe, and he knows how to get some great guitar sounds. Bruce trusts me and that means a lot. I have been able to express myself better on the new release. I try my best to be as authentic as I possibly can to the genre and to the music. I learned from the blues master’s but especially my father. I pushed myself to be able to deliver that and infuse those influences in the songs on this album. The latest record reflects this maturity and growth, a process aided by the guidance of Jelly Bean Johnson on earlier projects.

BLUES IN MY DNA

TIMES HAVE CHANGED

DOING TOO MUCH

LET’S TALK ABOUT SONGWRITING

My dad was very influential with that from the beginning. The first time I even tried to attempt to write a song, it was during Thanksgiving in Chicago. I asked my dad for money to buy candy, and his response was “Candy? They are cooking all this food. What you want some candy for? I tell you what, if you write me a song, I’ll give you a dollar.” I wrote the song on the spot and earned the dollar. That kind of instilled that work ethic in me right there. You got to write and tell your story... you can’t tell a story about picking cotton because you didn’t do that. I love the writing process just as much as performing. I love to see an idea become a song and then a song touching people and people reacting to it or singing back with you. I try with every song, every album, I try to push myself to be a better songwriter, a better guitar player and a better singer. I think we accomplished some good things on the new record. I wrote every song, except for one, I co-wrote All True Man.

HOW DO YOU GET YOUNGER PEOPLE INTERESTED IN THE BLUES AS SUCH NOWADAYS?

Now you can find everything on the internet. I think they understand where a lot of the music comes from, a lot of the music came from the blues. You go back to the basics, and I think they’re trying to find the truth and they find the truth in the blues, you know, and that because that’s what hit me at an early age. when I heard Lightning Hopkins and I heard Muddy Waters, the acoustic stuff that truthfulness hit my soul, man, I never forget. We did a show with John Lee Hooker early on in my career. I was playing rhythm with my dad, rhythm guitar in his band, and we did a show with him, John Lee Hooker, and Elvin Bishop, and we were backstage talking to John Lee, and it was time for John to go on. He goes on, and right when he starts singing, the song Serves Me Right To Suffer, I was walking past the speakers and his voice went through my body, and I couldn’t move. I was like, wow I felt the truth, I felt the soul, the feeling. I think that’s what the kids are looking for today. They’re so much more advanced now because they got so many tools that we didn’t have coming up, with YouTube and the internet. I mean, being the

son of Lonnie Brooks, it came with a lot of pressure, when I decided to become a musician and that’s not easy to cope with. The fanbase is getting older. So that’s why it’s good to have these young guys coming up that’s playing the blues, you know.

WHAT KEEPS YOU MOTIVATED TO BE A BLUES MUSICIAN?

The love of playing! When I look back, I’ve been blessed to be around the best and they inspired me and encouraged me, they taught me, and I feel like I gotta give that back. Blues wise, my dad started the fire, Albert Collins put gas on it and Koko Taylor put it on the grill, that’s my take on my influences. I learned a lot from them, Junior Wells, Buddy Guy, BB King, and Albert King.

DO YOU HAVE ANY STORIES YOU CAN TELL US ABOUT YOUR MENTORS?

Here’s one about Albert King from 1992. I was in my dad’s band, and he got sick. We were down at the New Orleans Jazz Fest, and he was unable to do the show. Albert King was on the show with us, the promoter allowed me to do the show, and we had to leave there and go to Memphis. Albert King came back to Memphis after his show, and he heard about my dad being sick. So, when we got to Memphis, I’m opening for Al Green. My dad’s in the hospital. I don’t know what’s going to happen with him. I’m worried and I got to do the show. Albert King comes down and says, son, I heard that Lonnie was sick, and I had to come down here and check on you and make sure you’re all right. You’re, okay? I said yes, and he stood on the side of the stage where I could see him, encouraging me on every note, encouraging me on every song. I’ll never forget that day until the day I die. You heard so many people say so many mean stories about Albert King, but that part right there was from the soul, I really appreciated that.

WHAT ABOUT FUTURE PLANS?

Got a tour coming up for the release of this record. I’m excited to share the music with the audience. This is my first record with Alligator records. I grew up on Alligator, I learned a lot because of my dad’s, relationship with the company and what he contributed to the Alligator legacy. It enabled me to experience a lot of great things also.

Feel the soul-ssrring blues rhythms of New York City’s The Hitman Blues Band: modern masters of the blues experience!

FOOLS & CLOWNS

An interview with Mark Harrison

Mark Harrison is a unique figure in the contemporary roots music scene, blending blues, folk, and Americana with a distinct British sensibility. Known for his storytelling prowess and fingerstyle guitar playing, Harrison’s songs resonate with authenticity, drawing on the rich traditions of early 20th-century blues while bringing his own perspective to modern life.

 Colin Campbell  Mike Newman

With a career that’s seen him release critically acclaimed albums and perform at major festivals, Harrison’s music is both timeless and refreshingly original. In this interview, we delve into his influences, creative process, and the stories behind his songs that continue to captivate audiences worldwide. Here we talk about his musical journey, influences and his new release, Fools & Clowns.

WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO BECOME A MUSICIAN?

Well, I had a go at it when I was young, and then I stopped because it wasn’t a good time to be doing anything I liked musically. Technology had seemed to have taken over, and I thought that was horrible and still do. I just got on with a different kind of life completely. Then I bought this, National Resonator guitar just for the hell of it. I played a bit, put it in open tunings and had my kind of Joni Mitchell revelation. I wrote some songs on that, and I went out a little bit in London and played a few blues jams, met a lot of good young musicians, a whole scene I didn’t know existed. I wasn’t trying to do anything, just do a bit of playing, and I got offered things and we made an album, and I got offered some decent gigs, and then more out of London and some festivals. So, it had its own momentum really, which is extraordinary, as most things in life are a grind and ultimately pointless; this one has gone well.

IS THIS A PURSUIT YOU ENJOY?

There are elements to it that nobody enjoys! I think if you’re a person who has taken to the whole social media thing and that means a certain generation, it’s not all young people. But that is a necessary part of what you do now. If it’s not a thing that comes naturally to you, that is a bind. The actual music part of it, of course, is great. The gigs and the audiences are fantastic. The experiences, the playing with your mates in bands and all of what happens,

some experiences that you can’t have in any other field of life.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR MUSICAL STYLE?

I started off by revisiting my enjoyment of the early blues people and the whole history of blues music. So around about the year 2000, I started to buy things that I couldn’t have afforded when I was younger, because now you could get them all on CD. I built up a collection of early blues music that I would love to have had when I was at school. Back in those days, to be interested in blues music wasn’t unusual because all rock music came from it. The people that did rock music talked about the original blues people, you could hear it on the radio, too. I started to play a little bit, then I didn’t want to try and write anything.

My instinct is to create things, I didn’t want to write something that would be silly, that would be a pastiche, that would pretend I was from Mississippi, which I’m obviously not, I’m from Coventry. I don’t like copying; I don’t like people pretending to be something they’re not. I had this kind of revelation that you could take some element of the style and write a song about absolutely any topic and that’s what I set out doing, that’s what I still do.

YOU ARE A SINGER SONGWRITER HAVE YOU A PROCESS?

A preferred one is to have an idea for words first. I don’t like to have a tune and, some of the ones that take forever in that order. Sometimes they can end up then having 4 or 5 different sets of lyrics before they go in the bin, it doesn’t seem to work. But a title, or one line can kick you off, in my case, anyway. You can like the sound of the words; they suggest a tune that the line can have

a rhythm. I had one song where all I had was the word turpentine. I don’t even know why, but it seemed to sing well. So, for ages, I just had this phrase of turpentine with an ascending sequence, and I built a whole song around that. I pretended that it was always intentional, you know, and that made it! You think the words sound good. They don’t necessarily mean anything. It’s just the Bob Dylan school of songwriting, where you pretend that it isn’t all just because you like the sound of it, but that’s what it is. A line that sings that goes around in your head has a rhythm, and then by the time you start to write the music for it, some of it’s already formed in your head, that’s my preferred method. Ideally, there are ones where I’ve sat around playing and thought, that sounds good, but I prefer it the other way because then, the whole thing comes in one go, as it were. You have the words already, I mean, we’re talking here about the bare bones and just the beginning, but that’s enough to kick you off. I might end up with half a verse, then you think, what could this be about? What could I build from here, it could go in any sorts of directions.

STATION

HOUSE RENT PARTY

MORE FOOL ME ROAD AHEAD CLOSED

ARE YOU A SELF-TAUGHT GUITARIST?

Oh yeah. Nobody could teach you to play like I do! It’s not recommended for children at home. I started when I was fourteen years old. I did injure a finger at school, my middle finger. So, my picking is just thumb and forefinger. I think the only person to have done that was Mississippi John Hurt. I can’t do what he does, I’ve tried it. God knows where he got his from because it all sounds deceptively simple. I do have a lot of people, sitting up close when I’m playing. They can’t believe that it’s just me and extraordinary what I can produce. It’s one of the few things in life that hasn’t been an effort. It’s just come naturally, and you really couldn’t teach it.

ARE YOU FROM A MUSICAL FAMILY BACKGROUND?

No, not at all, you know, you didn’t get music much from school either. I liked various things, and lots of us got guitars like you do. I never really hankered after an electric guitar like most blokes do. I thought of people like Blind Willie McTell, Robert Johnson, Skip James. I couldn’t believe how difficult what they were doing sounded. I always thought, electric guitar playing is easy compared with that, I still think that. I can’t tell the difference between one apparently brilliant lead guitar solo and another. Some tend to go on forever. But I have a policy of not being critical of anybody else.

But honestly, I’ve never got that, but there were some great guitar players sound wise. I could see the point of Peter Green, for example, because it was terribly melodic and such a nice sound. But someone pulling a face and picking fluff out of their navel for 20 minutes, I can’t see any music in it, I can’t see the musicality. But I do understand that people like that. Of course. I’m being flippant here. There are lead guitar moments and solos and you know there are. There’s no doubting the brilliance of Hendrix, for example, it’s the shapeless, formless for its own sake solo that I don’t get and that’s kind of 95% of what’s out there, where the song is an inconvenience. It gets in the way of someone pulling a face. I understand I’m being silly here, but I know why people like that, but I didn’t hanker after it. I felt this finger picking thing was

just way better and much more interesting. The idea, that a bloke on his own could do the rhythm part, the middle part, and the melody, I thought that was worth trying. So that’s what I’m doing!

ANY INFLUENCES ON YOUR MUSICAL CAREER?

I think it’s wrong to try to co-opt the music of somebody else who you have not really got anything in common with. What I liked about the original blues and through to the Chicago days; was I took joy in reading about Muddy and Wolf and how they ran their bands. These were people who could have been captains of industry, in a different society. Seriously, these were illiterate guys with incredible leadership skills and amazing ways of running their lives, and their musical lives. There’s Wolf with his band they had medical insurance. Muddy had this whole policy around sidemen that gave them liberty to form their own careers. The late, lamented John Mayall had similar bandleader skills. All these people interested me as much as the music and the kind of grown-up ness of it, and a fundamental, realistic world view. I think that’s what I got from coming from the Midlands. So, the combination of the musical skills and the general attitude appealed to me.

ANY MUSICAL ADVICE FOR THE READERS?

I probably shouldn’t say this… “don’t call yourself blues,” Mark reflected on advice he received when entering the London blues scene. He recalls wandering into a blues

jam at The Green Note, where he encountered “brilliant players” of all ages. Despite the scene’s vibrancy, he soon learned that being labelled as blues wasn’t commercially desirable, as audiences often had “a false picture of what that meant.” Promoters reinforced this notion, telling him “Blues doesn’t sell,” particularly outside traditional blues venues. Yet, Harrison’s music defies categorization, playing theatres and festivals far beyond the standard blues circuit.

WHAT

DOES THE BLUES MEAN TO YOU?

I think it’s an attitude and a certain musicality because all this rock music stuff, this kind of amorphous stuff that kicks off with Allman Brothers mangling Statesboro Blues and that whole thing that was picked up on, all of that’s a very different vibe, to what I like about the original music. There wasn’t this genre division back then. Nowadays, Mississippi John Hurt would probably be regarded as a folk singer and Hooker would be blues. But, in their day, they didn’t see any difference because they thought they were doing songs. I like songs, so that’s what I’m doing! I like to write songs about any subject. A lot of these are things that other people don’t even occur to write songs about, because I think I’m dealing with the 99% of life that the rest of music isn’t about. Popular music is historically all about what might be called relationships, I don’t have anything to bring to the table on that particularly.

WE WENT ON TO DISCUSS SOME OF THE NEW SONGS ON THE RELEASE, FOOLS & CLOWNS:

I always have a song or two about a blues artist, an episode in their lives, or some detail that I found in a book that seems interesting and something that I see a parallel with our lives and the modern world. So, it’s taking an individual case or a small detail and amplifying that in a way that might be interesting to us now. I’ve got the song Sunny Boys, which is about the two Sonny Boy Williamson’s, where one appropriated the name of the other, that has its kind of message, if you like, people who will swear that something that is manifestly untrue is, in fact, true! It’s not just a modern phenomenon, but it seems to me, now it’s reached epic proportions.

House Rent Party is about those parties that John Lee Hooker played at, they sounded like a lot of fun. despite the abject poverty. So, I guess the song is about how sometimes people who have nothing or next to nothing can have more fun than people who have quite a lot.

There are some songs about, the cult of management especially, Them And Us. I’ve been on BBC radio talking about that. I think people haven’t looked at me funny in the studio, but I am fooling myself. I sat with Gaby Roslin, who’s a brilliant professional, great broadcaster. She seemed to be very interested in this notion, but no one wants to comment on it in case their boss hears. So that’s a song about how badly run everything is.

For further information see website: www.markharrisonrootsmusic.com

CRAFTING “STORIES IN BLUE” WITH SOUL VANEESE THOMAS

Vaneese Thomas, daughter of Memphis music legend Rufus Thomas, continues to enrich the blues with her unique blend of soulful storytelling. In an exclusive interview with *Blues Matters Magazine*, Vaneese shared her thoughts on her latest album *Stories in Blue*, her musical upbringing, and her deep-rooted passion for live performances. Reporter Stephen sat down with the iconic artist, covering topics ranging from her family’s legacy to her diverse musical influences.

 Stephen Harrison  Adam Kennedy & Sandrine Lee

GROWING UP IN THE HEART OF MEMPHIS MUSIC

Vaneese grew up surrounded by the finest musicians, and it’s no surprise that her music reflects a variety of genres. She reminisced about her childhood in a vibrant Memphis music scene, where her father, Rufus Thomas, hosted the legendary amateur hour at the Palace Theater on Beale Street. She vividly described how she was exposed to everyone from jazz greats like Ella Fitzgerald and Cab Calloway to blues legends such as B.B. King and Bobby “Blue” Bland.

“My father was a DJ, and we had records coming in all the time,” Vaneese shared. “I was listening to everything from bebop to blues. It’s all in me, and it comes out in different ways.” It was clear that her diverse upbringing shaped her music, which she describes as an evolution of the blues.

Her Memphis roots run deep, and Vaneese believes her hometown played a key role in shaping the modern music landscape. “Memphis in the 1950s was a golden era,” she explained. “It was a time of great change in music, where blues, jazz, and rock ‘n’ roll started to merge and cross over. The musicians who came through the city during that time laid the groundwork for what we hear today.”

Vaneese’s pride in her hometown is palpable, and she recognises the unique legacy Memphis has contributed to the world. “Memphis gave birth to a sound that resonated globally,” she said. “The musicians of that era—people like my father, B.B. King, and Elvis—opened doors for so many, including the British invasion with bands like The Rolling Stones, who took what we had in Memphis and brought it to the world.”

THE EVOLUTION OF BLUES

Vaneese is passionate about the idea that blues, like all art forms, is constantly evolving. When asked about her music blending blues, gospel, and soul, she replied: “The blues isn’t static. It evolves, and I try to express that in my writing. Blues isn’t just about sadness. It’s about life stories, and that’s why I named the album *Stories in Blue*.”

Her ability to blend different genres into her music is a testament to her deep understanding of the blues’ evolution. Stephen remarked how the album took him on a journey, particularly songs like *1917*, which transported him to a smoky jazz club, and *End of the Road*, which gave him a sense of hope rather than darkness.

“It’s so gratifying to hear that people connect with my music in that way,” Vaneese responded. “I want people to feel like they’ve stepped into another time or place when they listen. *1917* is about more than a year—it’s about an era when jazz and blues were coming into their own, and it coincides with my father’s birth, which makes it even more personal.”

Reflecting on the song *End of the Road*, Vaneese explained that while some might interpret it as dark, her

intention was quite the opposite. “People often think of ‘the end of the road’ as something negative, but for me, it’s about moving forward—on to another chapter, another journey. It’s more about hope and faith.”

COLLABORATION AND MUSICAL ROOTS

Although she grew up with siblings who were also musically inclined, Vaneese revealed that she didn’t initially see herself following the family tradition. “At an early age, I didn’t want to do music at all,” she admitted. It wasn’t until college that she “got the bug,” performing with friends and realising the importance of music in her life.

In addition to her solo work, Vaneese has worked with some of the biggest names in the industry, including Aretha Franklin, Eric Clapton, and Stevie Wonder. However, it’s her 10 years working with Aretha that stood out as a highlight in her career: “Every night was a learning experience. Aretha had a way of performing that taught you something new every time.”

She described her time with the Queen of Soul as “a masterclass in music and performance,” noting that Aretha’s prowess on the piano and her ability to control a room were beyond anything Vaneese had ever witnessed. “She could take a song and transform it, and it was different every time. That’s what made her truly great. She wasn’t just singing; she was communicating something deeper.”

Vaneese also reflected on her experience working with legendary Muscle Shoals musicians. “They had this amazing ability to lay down the perfect track, no matter the genre,” she said. “They were a part of Aretha’s iconic recordings, and working with them was like being a part of history.”

THE MAGIC OF LIVE PERFORMANCES

For Vaneese, the stage is where her music truly comes to life. While she enjoys the creative process of songwriting and producing, it’s the live performances that complete the circle for her. “The end of the road for me is always performing live. That’s when you realise what a song is really about,” she said with palpable passion.

She also reflected on the intimate connection she shares with her audience, often finding smaller venues to be more impactful. “I recently performed at the Big Blues Bender in Vegas. The smaller venues gave me the opportunity to really see and feel the audience’s reaction. It was incredibly fulfilling.”

Vaneese highlighted the unique energy of small, intimate venues. “It’s one thing to perform at a large concert, but there’s something magical about smaller venues where you can really connect with the audience,” she said. “Those are the performances I cherish the most.”

She shared a story of seeing gospel and soul icon Mavis Staples perform at London’s Union Chapel, a venue

known for its incredible acoustics and intimate setting. “To watch someone like Mavis perform in that space was transformative. The energy in that room was electric,” she recalled. Vaneese expressed a desire to perform there herself someday, calling it one of the best venues she had ever experienced as an audience member.

LOOKING AHEAD: WHAT’S NEXT?

With the success of *Stories in Blue*, Vaneese is already thinking about what’s next. While personal challenges may limit her ability to tour extensively, she is excited about the upcoming debut of the album in Memphis and hopes to continue performing in select venues. Her husband, who played a key role in producing the album, is especially eager for the world to hear it. “He’s really intent on getting this record out there, and I’m happy to go along for the ride.”

She emphasised how special the Memphis debut will be. “It feels right to bring this album to Memphis first, where it all began. It’s like coming full circle,” Vaneese said. “I

don’t know what’s next, but I know that this album is just the beginning of a new chapter for me.”

Despite some personal responsibilities that may keep her closer to home, Vaneese is determined to continue sharing her music with the world, whether through live performances or future albums. “Music is what I live and breathe,” she said. “And I don’t think I’ll ever be able to step away from it completely. It’s in my blood.”

FINAL THOUGHTS

As our conversation drew to a close, Vaneese shared some touching memories of her time with other legendary musicians, including the late Aretha Franklin. It’s clear that, while she may have learned from the greats, Vaneese Thomas is now one of the names future generations will look to for inspiration.

Blues enthusiasts around the world will be eagerly awaiting her next chapter—and no doubt savouring every note of *Stories in Blue* in the meantime.

BOB ANGELL

Got Brand New Blues For Ya!

In 1966, guitarist Bob Angell started Blues Outlet, the first electric blues band to come out of his native Rhode Island, USA. He was heavily influenced by Chuck Berry and Jimmy Reed records that regularly played on local radio stations. But it was seeing Muddy Waters at the world-famous Newport Jazz Festival in 1960 that truly sealed his fate. Whether you prefer your blues with Southside swagger or London aggression, with a dash of Memphis spice or big city swing, you’ll find it here – and in spades. As Angell’s longtime mentor, the legendary Hubert Sumlin, once said, “He really is one of the best.” Angell was inducted into the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame in 2015.

 Michael Limnios  Supplied

His second release with Rawtone Records, *Brand New Blues* (2024), features the exceptional Kelly Knapp alongside a star-studded roster of guests, including Duke Robillard, Buddy Whittington, Doug James, Joe Yuele, Mark Cole, Chris Stovall Brown, and Charlz Ruggerio. Deeply rooted in the classic blues tradition, this collection pushes up against old boundaries and explores new ground. Each musician brought their own unique personality and individual take on the blues.

How has the Blues and Rock Counterculture influenced your views of the world and the journeys you’ve taken?

First off, I completely reject the idea that music is intrinsically tied to politics or, as you put it, “counterculture.” Yes, topical subjects often appear in music—J.B. Lenoir and Billie Holiday come to mind—but preaching or proselytising is something I find revolting. It’s a major turn-off. Just because someone enjoys a particular style of blues or rock doesn’t mean they align with a specific political viewpoint. I resent assumptions, even if they’re correct. (laughs)

What does the Blues mean to you? How do you describe your sound?

Blues, to me, is nothing short of American Classical Music. It has a very strict, well-defined structure that a musician must adhere to. Although playing the music of storied bluesmen is important, one cannot reach musical

maturity without bringing their own emotions and life experiences into the music. Without that personal touch, you’re just another cover band, and we’ve seen enough of those. It’s in the process of pouring your heart and soul into the music that you find yourself as a musician. For me, there’s no other genre that interests me as much. I always try to tell a story from my life that listeners can relate to—because everyone has the blues at some point, right? Some of us can express it for others and help them find peace. It’s part of a universal healing process.

If I have a “sound,” it probably comes from all my influences—particularly Muddy Waters, Jimmy Reed, and especially Uncle Hubert (Sumlin). I’ve borrowed liberally from Hubert’s style (laughs), though my playing doesn’t sound nearly as good as his.

How would you describe your music philosophy and approach to songwriting? Where does your creative drive come from?

With this album, I made a conscious decision to focus on original music, deeply connected to my blues roots. There’s no sense in rehashing the same material, no matter how fertile the ground. I love classic blues standards, but I want to sing *my* blues, not someone else’s. I’ve tried to stay true to the traditional blues form, but with my own twist. When you ask about “creative drive,” it’s about creating something uniquely my own within the structure of the blues. I think *Drinkin’ Shoes* and *Blue

Memphis* are good examples of what I mean.

I’ve always thought the blues, despite its flexi bility, has boundaries much like classical music, and crossing those boundaries can disrespect the forefathers. That’s why I often call blues “Ameri can Classical Music.”

Why do you think the East Coast Blues Scene continues to attract such a devoted following?

The East Coast has always been a great area for blues for a few reasons, including the Newport Jazz and Folk Festivals here in Rhode Island. Legends like Mississippi John Hurt, Ray Charles, Muddy Waters, and B.B. King were regulars. This influence spread into the coffeehouses and clubs. Radio also played a huge part. I remember hearing Chuck Berry, Jimmy Reed, and Slim Harpo on the airwaves when I was just a kid, which was key for me and many others. The local scene has always been vibrant, with musicians proliferating since the 60s. Blues is alive and well in countless venues and corner bars across the Northeast.

Your latest release, *Brand New Blues*, features a stellar list of col-

Bob Angell & Lazy Lester

Bob Angell and Muddy Waters

Bob Angell and Big Walter Horton

Bob Angell and Hubert Sumlin

laborators. How did this come about?

The album is called *Brand New Blues* for a good reason. While I love the old blues music, it felt like the right time to push the boundaries of the form a bit, and that’s what the album does. One of the clearest examples is *A Woman Alone Without Love*, featuring the incredible Kelly Knapp on vocals. The entire album has a fresh, new approach. Of course, it didn’t hurt that I had some of the world’s leading blues stars helping out. Along with Kelly, who is easily one of the most exciting new female blues singers around, I was lucky enough to have my lifelong friend Duke Robillard join me on a two-guitar tribute to Hubert Sumlin. It was a magical, one-take cut that flowed naturally. Buddy Whittington and Joe Yuele, both from John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, also contributed their immense talents, which was great fun. Doug James, of Roomful of Blues and Jimmie Vaughan’s band, added some outstanding tenor and baritone sax on the opening track. Mark Cole, my Rawtone Records label mate, flew in from the UK to lay down some world-class blues harmonica on several tracks.

The rhythm section featured Chicago Vinny Earnshaw and Jack Moore, who were my regular band for years. Sadly, Vin has passed away, so his performance on this record is a bittersweet remembrance of his incredible playing. Charlz Ruggerio, who played with me in the mid-seventies, also returned to contribute some fine bass lines. We spent over a year getting the album together, really focusing on breaking the mold. It’s exciting music to play and, hopefully, to listen to. As it says on the label,

“For Best Results, Play Loud.” It’s the best work I’ve ever done—hence the title *Brand New Blues*.

Do you have any interesting stories about the making of “Brand New Blues”?

The whole process of making this album could make a great (and zany) movie. Steve Rizzo, our engineer and studio chief, was a joy to work with. He took my scattered ideas and somehow made them brilliant. One moment I clearly remember was when Kelly finished her vocal on *A Woman Alone*. I turned around to see everyone in the studio standing silent, jaws dropped. It was a powerful moment, and groundbreaking. You’ll understand when you hear it—it’s a brand new, yet instantly recognisable, take on the blues.

What has been the hardest obstacle for you to overcome as an artist, and how has it shaped you as a blues musician?

The hardest thing is always writing and performing your own blues. It only makes sense when the subject matter comes from your own life. Blues, by its nature, requires you to bleed a little into the material—or to laugh at life’s absurdities. It’s about feeling it and not being afraid to shout it out.

What moment changed your musical life the most? What keeps you going?

Bob Angell and Stevie Ray Vaughan

The moments that changed my music and my dedication to the blues can be traced back to the wonderful giants who have helped me along the way. Hubert Sumlin and John Mayall were two who went out of their way to encourage me, both personally and musically. Though they’re both gone now, they live on in my heart and, I hope, in my music.

What’s

more important in music—technique or emotion?

Why is it vital to preserve and spread the blues?

Emotion always trumps technique. Sure, you can walk into any bar and see players with dazzling technique, but the real magic happens when someone reaches deep into themselves and speaks a truth. It’s about soul, about feeling. Technique can take a back seat. Ask any musician on this album, and they’ll agree. The blues doesn’t need preserving—it lives within itself. As long as people live, love, and feel, the blues will be with us.

Do you think there’s a future audience for the blues? Is there potential for younger generations to embrace it?

The blues audience is always evolving. It doesn’t matter where you find your entry point—whether it’s B.B. King, The Rolling Stones, SRV, or Bonamassa—once you’re hooked, the music gets you. Dive into the records, and let the blues take you on a journey. It’ll enrich your life, just like literature or fine art.

THE ILLUSTRATED BLUES OF BRIAN KRAMER PINETOP PERKINS

One of the all-time greatest Mississippi Blues piano players: Joe Willie “Pinetop” Perkins actually began his career as a guitar player in the 1940’s but got injured in a knife fight with a chorus girl, damaging the tendons in his left arm.

Switching to piano, he started playing with Robert Nighthawk, then toured with Earl Hooker in the 50’s, and in the late 60’s replaced Otis Span in Muddy Waters line-up. He formed The Legendary Blues Band with drummer Willie “Big Eyes” Smith and a host of other veterans from Muddy’s Blues Band.

After his passing in 2011, The Pinetop Perkins Foundation, out of Clarksdale Mississippi was founded, creating opportunities to foster young blues enthusiasts, guided by blues masters like long-time Muddy Waters guitarist Bob Margolin.

Also, The Pinetop Perkins Assistance League nobly provides support and financial relief for aging musicians struggling with housing and medical costs.

I got to see Muddy Waters when I was a teen at the Beacon Theater in New York and witness Pinetop’s smooth, svelte, soulful chops in action.

A night that is indelibly etched into my being and put me on the path of this lifelong blues journey.

I’ve had the priveledge to be asked by the Pinetop Perkins Foundation to do some illustrations, notably a surprise gift portrait of Bob Margolin presented to him by the students of his master class during their events.

So, this is a tribute illustration I created out of personal appreciation and respect of an incredible, influential artist, whose namesake is still inspiring and creating value beyond the Blues.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN TOBY WALKER

 Iain Patience  Larry Sribnick

Monster USA acoustic picker Toby Walker is due a rare visit to our shores here in the UK, with tour gigs booked in England and Scotland, kicking off at Kent’s Riverside Rhythm Club on October 2nd, with a stream of gigs finishing in Shipston on Stour’s Thirst Edition on the 21st. This is a picker worth catching anywhere and any time possible.

I’ve had the pleasure to know Toby for many years following an initial introduction via a good pal in the USA and developed with meetings at a French festival followed by gigs in the UK. Every time, I’ve been hugely impressed by his humour, attention to detail and seriously stunning fretwork.

Speaking with Toby these days is tricky, following a move from the north in New Jersey to North Carolina the home of many guitar greats from Rev Gary Davis and Blind Boy Fuller. To Etta Baker. Mostly known for the Piedmont style of picking, NC is also the centre of some of the finest bluegrass and modern Americana music – think Doc Watson and Charlie Poole!

Originally self-billed as ‘Little’ Toby Walker, the guy has long since shrugged that moniker aside with good merit. When the great Hot Tuna guitarist and former Jafferson Airplane picker Jorma Kaukonen says – ‘Flat out…you have to hear this great musician…I’m blown away,’ and the great John Hammond adds – ‘A real killer with fantastic technique. He just knocks me out.’ You know you’re on to a winner.

When this is mentioned, Toby he just smiles and accepts the accolades with a mixture of pride and downright humility. Steady Rollin’ Bob Margolin has also praised Walker and his approach,saying: ‘As a blues guitar player, I am stunned and in awe of Toby Walker’s picking. Not only does he master diverse blues styles, but plays them with both flash and depth.

That’s the advanced class – few players can do both. Add to that his fine songs and singing and friendly presentation, and it’s obvious that Toby Walker is one of the most enjoyable artists in today’s blues world.’

Internationally and nationally acclaimed, Toby Walker has been hailed as an award-winning , roots music finger-style guitar virtuoso who has toured the USA, the UK, Canada and Europe. Blending the styles of blues, ragtime, country, bluegrass, old-time jazz and rock, he has developed his own style. And as such received numerous awards including a first place at the Blues Foundation IBC in Memphis and a NY music award for best instrumental CD. Walker has also been inducted into the New York Blues Hall of Fame.

Heading south to the Mississippi as a youngster with an enquiring blues mind, he tracked down and learned from many old blues masters including Eugene Powell – a truly major influence – James ‘Son’ Thomas, Etta Baker and RL Burnside among many others. A voracious appetite reached its natural conclusion with a mastery of all of their individual styles and guitar fretwork approaches, leading to working with Homespun Tapes and its range of music tution DVD recordings and that company’s founder, the late Happy Traum, to describe him as ‘A finger-picking guitar virtuoso!’

When asked why he turned to guitar playing as a youth, Walker is both serious and flippant at the same time, confirming “…I was watching all these new bands and the rock music and could see they were getting all the chicks hooked on. The guitar was the way to get some of that action.. So, I figured I wanted a bit of that, so guitar it was!”

With a rare chance to catch this superb acoustic blues master now possible in the UK this month, I recommend everyone to get out and see this virtuoso picker do his stuff!

QUIQUE GOMEZ

COOKING UP THE BLUES

Blues Matters caught up with Quique Gomez, a multi-talented musician and harmonica virtuoso whose deep-rooted passion for the blues has taken him around the world. Known for his soulful performances and ability to fuse traditional blues with a modern twist, Quique has built a reputation as one of the most captivating artists in the genre.

 Colin Campbell  Bárbara Sánchez Palomero

His journey from the heart of Spain to the global blues scene is a testament to his dedication, creativity, and respect for the music’s rich history. Here we discuss his musical journey, his move from Spain to Chicago in his quest to fulfil his achievements on this journey. Also talked about his newest release Cookin’ In Greaseland with Little Charlie Baty. It went something like this.

Tell us about your musical journey

I started playing harmonica when I was 17 or 18 years old when I was studying at university. I’m a computer science engineer to trade but started playing music. I was doing more than 100 shows per year with my own band, and I started to sing, this felt like a different option in my life to do, as I was a Bar Manager as well at the time. But the bar changed my mind a lot; I learned to do different stuff by myself, and it worked very well. So even though I got tired of working in a bar, I quit, and that’s when I went to Chicago. Basically. I moved to Chicago when I was27. I was looking for the old guys that I have the recordings at home. Like, I mean, I knew that most of them had passed away. But when I started looking seriously; I found great people like Bob Stroger and Eddie C. Campbell they became close friends and John Primer, I spent a lot of time with them, I love the tradi-

tional Chicago blues style and wanted to learn more.

What influenced you to become a harmonica player?

I had a friend in the high school that was playing guitar, and he had a little harmonica. So, I took the harmonica, his harmonica for a while, and I broke it, so I had to buy him another one that I kept for myself, too. It was cool because this one was my own one and nobody played it before. I play guitar a little bit too, but preferred playing harmonica. My first real band that was called Juan Bourbon Juan Scotch Juan Beer. It was a kind of a kind of joke, that’s the band I started with my friends from the high school days, a Spanish take on the blues genre. I started to book things around Spain with the band, we became well-known fast. They were professional players like me at that time. The band split up after two recordings and like nine years playing together.

Do you come from a musical family?

Not at all, my mother wanted me to stick in with my studies! Younger, I listened to grunge bands like Pearl Jam and Sound Garden but

also other 90s bands like Blur and Oasis. I also listened to the Rolling Stones, Ramones, Billy Joel, and Bruce Springsteen from my brothers record collection! I tried listening to where Led Zeppelin got their influences and followed that root. Once you get to the root you can look from there to the top of the tree and see everything and decide, what you like more. I was listening also jazz at the beginning because my brother was playing a lot of jazz recordings, then I started knowing more about Frank Sinatra, whose vocal style influenced mine! I was a crooner in a big band when I was twenty! Unfortunately, the blues scene in Spain is not so good that’s why I moved to America.

Coming To America

I went to see James Wheeler one day at Rosas Lounge and he was doing a jam session with Melvin Smith, a Louisville bass player who played with Koko Taylor. He invited onstage for a jam session; I made the full set! James told me, you stay there the whole set with me. I started to do the jam session every Thursday with them. But the nice thing that was that Melvin told me, look, tomorrow we are playing here with the rebels. And I didn’t get to see Lowry yet and I was looking for him to. So, I went there. Lurrie Bell called me for a song or two, as a special guest, when they left the stage, this guy came to me and asked, are you from Spain? I looked at him and it was Eddie C. Campbell. He took me to our table, and we start talking. The next year, he came to Europe to play with my band. We had a tour together in Spain, we went to Lithuania, and we became very good friends. I met a lot of blues guys that I consider family now.

Collaborating with Little Charlie Baty

Quique Gomez reflects on his journey through the U.S. blues scene, saying, “After nine years in a row, going to Chicago and starting to play a little bit more under my own name,” he began performing in various states, including Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi, and Texas. He recalls a pivotal recording session in Austin with Johnny Bergen, where they recorded Two Hombres. After a California tour, Gomez connected with musicians like Kid Anderson, booking “a 25-day tour in one month in California.” A standout moment came when guitarist Charlie Baty joined him for a couple of shows. “We got together very well; he was very surprised about my playing and my singing.” Baty even made a Facebook post praising Gomez, describing him

as an “incredible” discovery. Even Rick Estrin commented how much Charlie loved playing with Quique, very high praise indeed!

Cookin’ In Greaseland

I was talking with Charlie for one month, about music, and the possibility of putting an album together. We crafted a few tracks, with Gomez writing some originals, while Kid Andersen made his magic in the Greaseland Studio. During the recording sessions, the experience was particularly enjoyable. Special guests like Robert Wells and Jim Pugh also added to this fantastic album. Playing alongside one of my favourite guitarists, Charlie, was a dream come true. I really like the recording too, for me, it’s hard to say this because it’s my own recording, but I really like the sound. It’s a little bit sad because when we were going to release the album and the death of Charlie it was pretty sad and very hard. But I’m incredibly happy with Gulf Coast Records that they released this. I’ve really wanted people to listen to this. It’s the last recording of Little Charlie Baty and he was on the top of his career at that time.

Track Talk

Bloodshot Eyes:

I never thought that I was going to sing that kind of song when I was younger, because these are sophisticated. My love for jazz and rhythm and blues eventually led me to embrace songs I never imagined would suit a harmonica player. I stopped thinking that there was a problem. This song became a favourite, it’s a very funny song, Charlie Baty loved it too.

Thirstiest Man In Town:

This is one of my songs. I wanted to put some blues in there, even though the blues is all around the recording. The concept of blues extends beyond traditional forms. When we talk about blues, it doesn’t have to be a 12-bar blues or a blues of three chords. The blues is in the music. Charlie Parker and Oscar Peterson embody the essence of blues. Including blues in his project was also a tribute to my time in Chicago.

Jack You’re Dead:

This is a Louis Jordan song. Charlie chose this one, but we added a Spanish language twist to this at the end another fun tune.

Remembering Babs:

My tribute to Be Bop a style of music I love. Especially Babs Gonzalez, I loved his phrasing, and his musical approach so wrote this song it’s a jazzy blues number.

Spaniard In The Backyard:

Another original tune. When I stayed at Greaseland I couldn’t afford California prices and stayed in Kid’s backyard, I had to go into the main house to use the bathroom, it’s based on my experiences at that time. It’s a kind of Charlie Parker take.

What Does The blues mean for you?

The biggest movements in the world happened because something bad was happening. The blues is an example, an answer from the Black community to the segregation issues. Despite the hardships and suffering, including witnessing racial violence, the people I met, like the 94-yearold musician Bob Stroger, remain happy people with an incredible energy. Stroger’s personal stories revealed deep struggles, such as not being allowed into stores because he was Black and living in the outskirts of town, but the resilience and positivity of those involved are still emphasised. the blues is an immensely powerful music, born from a society that was extremely hard at the time. It isn’t just about music, but also the language, connecting artists like Charlie Parker to the blues tradition. They feel fortunate to have lived during that period because they believe it’s hard to imagine that something good is going to happen. In today’s music, where it seems unlikely, we’ll see another Charlie Parker, or Blind Blake because society has changed, making it hard for the new generation to discover the roots of the blues, especially when modern music is not referring to the blues at all. Without exposure to instruments like the guitar, it becomes difficult for people to connect with blues legends such as Lonnie Johnson or Mississippi John Hurt

Future plans?

Looking to make a new recording with Duke Robillard in the future at some point. Also, I have a tour with Johnny Bergen in in Europe in February. In March I have a tour with John Primer in Europe. In the meantime, I’m doing everything with my quartet. I’m playing in festivals, I’m doing whatever I, I can do, keep busy! The more you play, the better you play, if I don’t play one day, I don’t know what I would do. I don’t practice at home but prefer to play with and for people. I don’t get focused only on one thing, I play multiple instruments like the mandolin and perform in various styles. I sing with a big band, performing Frank Sinatra songs and blues like Joe Williams. My ongoing pursuit is to learn more and more while also trying to afford a living, which is not easy nowadays!

THIRSIEST MAN IN TOWN

SAMANTHA FISH PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM

This year has been a whirlwind for US-based guitar-slinger Samantha Fish. From rubbing shoulders with guitar heroes and rock and roll royalty to touring the world with creative counterpart Jesse Dayton, there is no stopping the current queen of the blues.

 Adam Kennedy  As credited

“It’s been pretty rock and roll. I’ve had some amazing gigs. We got to go on the Slash Serpent tour, and Slash is one of my guitar hero icons from all the way back, and that was a really cool experience,” explains Samantha. “And then we got to open for the Rolling Stones twice this summer. We played at Jazz Fest, we were part of the lineup that opened for the Stones. And then we actually got direct support at the Ozark show, their last show in the States. And other than that, it’s been copious amounts of touring and just moving, moving, moving.”

Earlier this year, Samantha performed at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival. “It was, again, super humbling. I was so nervous about that whole thing because I remember watching the one in 2008 on DVD. And I took that with me when I was recording the Girls With Guitars album back in 2011/ 2010,” said Samantha. “I remember watching it in my room, like, wow, this event, if only I could ever play there. It was just a bucket list thing for me. I put it on this imaginary list in my head, and then to be invited to perform at it was shocking and weird and humbling. And it’s just a beautiful thing. It’s cool to see so many musicians come together for the singular purpose and all the fans that come together. And that event, in particular, was really about the celebration of the guitar. I felt like it’s very guitar-centric, and it was just really special, and I was pretty honoured to be a part of it.”

When it comes to guitar greats, Guns N Roses guitarist Slash is right up there with the best of them. Samantha

Fish recently joined forces with the top hat-wearing guitar maestro as part of his live blues extravaganza named the Serpent Tour. The run featured peers such as Eric Gales, Larkin Poe and Warren Haynes, to name but a few. “There was a ton of acts on the festival poster. I think every day the idea was to set it up like a miniature festival, where it’s got the same hours as a club show or an evening performance, but we’re really packing in a lot of music. And so, there were four acts a night,” explains Samantha. “And the bulk of the time I was there with Eric Gales, Warren Haynes, and then Slash’s band. And it was almost like shorter teaser sets.”

Samantha elaborates: “It was a celebration of guitar, yes, but it was also a celebration of blues music because we were all coming together to put out this blues record. Most of the acts were kind of blues-oriented or rooted in that. To me, it was like a celebration of the genre, showcasing how diverse it is, and I thought that it was really cool and really smart of Slash to do that because he’s a big blues fan. He’s talked about it a lot; it’s something that’s shaped his playing. And I thought it was a cool way to pay homage to something that’s special to him and to bring all these different artists together. It was a diverse musical showing, for sure.”

Following the release of their collaborative album Death Wish Blues, Samantha Fish has toured the world alongside musical counterpart Jesse Dayton. “It was great. It was something different for me, personally, because I’ve

been doing my solo tour for my whole existence as a musician, and really since Girls With Guitars. So, to go back into this collaborative setting, to me, it just was like, let’s put on an amazing show. We’ve got each other to play off. It’s this different dynamic that I hadn’t really had the opportunity to explore. And it was just really cool,” declares Samantha. “It’s nice to be able to change my perspective, where usually I’m doing all the heavy lifting. And at this point, it’s cool to get to back somebody up on guitar and think about my role in the band in a different way. And playing different parts. As a musician, it was just cool to stretch in that way and think about harmonies. It’s like not all just me, me, me, me, me 100%.”

What are the chances of the dynamic duo working together in the future? “I feel like we left it on really good terms. I feel like we did it for the appropriate amount of time. There are people now complaining because they didn’t get to see the show. And I’m like, well, don’t sleep on us if we come around next time, because it’s a limited thing. It’s special,” confirms Samantha. “But we have talked about, will we revisit this down the road? I say 100 percent. I’d love to. It just depends on everybody’s availability.”

“okay, now I have to figure out how to do this material justice”

In a year that has witnessed Samantha Fish performing alongside a multitude of greats, she will also have the opportunity to celebrate the music of perhaps the greatest guitarist of all time on the Experience Hendrix tour. “I’m really looking forward to it. When I first started playing guitar, I would go around the scene and sit in and play. And of course, I would listen to a lot of Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan,” she says. “When I was young, I started noticing a lot of people pulling inspiration from those great guitar players. So, at a point, I kind of stepped away and tried to find other influences. And so now, coming back to revisit something that had a stronghold on me when I was younger, and I still love listening to it, it’s a little intimidating to be like, okay, now I have to figure out how to do this material justice. And I’ll do it my way. But it’s a little intimidating because he’s such an iconic guitar player - people have expectations. So, I’ve got to figure out how to deliver in a way that meets the needs of the people.”

During a year that has been full to the brim of bucket list moments, a pair of dates with the Rolling Stones

 Kaelan Barowsky

was perhaps the cherry on top of a stellar year. Performing alongside the Stones at Jazz Fest in New Orleans took a while to come to fruition. “This thing has been in the works for about four or five years, something like that. Quint Davis at Jazz Fest in New Orleans reached out to me years ago when they originally were going to book them for the 50th anniversary of Jazz Fest. And he called me and said, I want you to be on the same stage as them. And he worked so hard. I owe a lot to Quint Davis at Jazz Fest. He really wanted that to happen. And I can’t believe he worked for years to continue to make it happen. Because what happened originally was the Stones had to cancel. And then he finally got them back this last year. And he kept his word. He said, I told you I’d put you on the same stage. So, he brought me into that,” said Samantha. “And honestly, it was then Quint Davis, again, he told one of their tour publicists, if you guys add any extra dates, you should really have this artist come in open for them. And he stayed on it, and then they added the extra date. He kept after them, and they called me.”

From performing alongside the Rolling Stones and Slash, Samantha Fish will return to our UK shores for a run of headline shows in October. “So, this is the first time I’ve ever put a show together that wasn’t part of an album cycle, where I had a new show or new music like we did with Jesse,” said Samatha. “Right now, I’m currently working on something new, but these things take time. So, this is the first time in my career that I’ve gone out on tour and been like, alright - what am I going to play?”

Of course, the artist has a vast discography encompassing many different musical styles to draw from. “It’s kind of exciting because I get to reimagine older material, put together a show that encompasses my favourites, some fan favourites, and just really put together the best show possible from the material that I’ve worked so hard on my entire career. And it’s sort of fun because I’m looking back at these songs that maybe I haven’t played in five, six, seven, eight, ten, whatever years. And it’s like, they have a new meaning because I’ve lived through the thing I wrote about, which

gives you a new perspective. And I’ve got a new band to reimagine them with,” confirms Samantha. “I’m going to put together a blues rock and roll show that you’re going to have a ball at, and you really shouldn’t miss.”

“what am I going to play?”

Ahead of the tour, Samantha Fish has unveiled several live versions of her tracks via the Crowd Control EP. “I feel like everybody has shorter attention spans, me included,” declares Samantha. “And so, I feel like it’s important to give people music to listen to. And we had these live recordings, and the record label had this idea to start releasing them and just to give the fans something to listen to, something to look forward to while I was between album cycles. And we have quite a few lined up, which I’m just excited about because everybody’s been on me for years to do a live record. I’ve been trying, but if I can’t do one right now, this is the best next thing for sure.”

While there are plenty of exciting things in the pipeline for the US-based artist, Samantha is keeping her cards close to her chest for the present time. There’s some really cool stuff coming up next year. I’m not allowed to say anything. The rug will be ripped out in front of me,” she said. “I’m very careful about what I say, just because I feel like every time I get excited about something that I think is going to come when I talk about it, it goes away. So, I’m just going to zip it up. You’ll see. And so will I.”

Samantha Fish will embark on her “Bulletproof UK Tour”, which starts Friday, October 4th at Birmingham Town Hall. Tickets for all of Samantha’s upcoming October UK tour are available from –https://www.samanthafish.com/tour/

2024 BIG BLUES BENDER

People crave the raw energy and the emotional connection to artists that only live music can bring. Knowing that, AJ and Laurie Gross work hard each year to bring the ultimate experience to fans in the form of the Big Blues Bender, an annual blues festival that takes place in a Las Vegas Casino. With 39 different artists/bands and five stages, everything is, as their motto states, “just an elevator ride away.” This year marked the tenth anniversary of this celebration of the blues, and it certainly was one to remember.

The party began with a pre-Bender fundraiser for the HART Fund (a division of the Blues Foundation that reimburses blues musicians for medical, mental health, dental and funeral expenses they cannot afford to pay). The star-studded event not only provided phenomenal music, but also raised over $100,000 for this wonderful cause.

This year the attendees had a unique surprise when movie/TV star, Bill Murray, walked out on stage to assist with the fundraising and to also try his hand at singing a couple of songs. When he launched into Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone,” the audience packing the venue could sit still no longer, and stood as one, caught up in the magic of the moment. Murray would later appear at unexpected times during various shows, joining his new friends, those talented “Blood Brothers” (Albert Castiglia and Mike Zito) to play percussion and to provide some backing vocals.

As usual, the Bender offered some opportunities for education regarding music-related topics, and this year the informational panels included a Harmonica Showcase, a Piano Showcase, and a Women-in-the-Blues Panel. Each year the Bender also offers the opportunity for a “deep dive” into a special topic or sub-genre, written and organ-

 Anita Schlank  Laura Carbone

ized by the busiest man at the Bender, Musical Director/ Saxophonist/Singer/Songwriter Jimmy Carpenter. This year’s focus was soul blues, and host Sugaray Rayford did an exceptional job narrating, singing, and providing interesting information about this musical form. An old video clip of Bill Withers giving advice to Kevin Burt was a heart-warming lead-in to Burt’s excellent interpretation of Withers’ songwriting. And other trailblazers of the soul-blues were honored included Ray Charles, Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, OV Wright, Al Green and Aretha Franklin, just to name a few. A particularly memorable moment occurred when rising star, Dylan Triplett, appeared to channel superstar James Brown, and Sugaray Rayford acknowledged Triplett’s similarly dynamic style by putting a cape around him, James Brown-style.

Those consummate professionals, the members of the Bender Brass Band (Jimmy Carpenter, Nick Schnebelen,

Doug Woolverton, Red Young, David Kida, Mike Merritt, and newly added member, Eddie Rich) once again stunned the audience with their apparently effortless ability to quickly learn a huge catalogue of songs. The manner in which they backed all of the special guest singers, (including Vanesse Thomas, Curtis Salgado and Jimmy Hall) would lead you to assume they had been performing together for years.

Many attendees noted that the artist they most wanted to see this year was Beth Hart, who was originally scheduled to play last year’s Bender, but had to cancel. As usual, Beth did not disappoint her fans as she threw herself fully into her performance. She has always been willing to speak openly about her mental health and addiction struggles, and her willingness to display that vulnerability at the Bender only led to her fans feeling that much closer to her, and even more appreciative of

her heartfelt lyrics.

Eric Gales is regarded by many as one of the best blues guitarists in the world. With a skill level that is often compared to Jimi Hendrix, plus unique phrasing and lyrics that bare his soul, his show was one not to be missed. Those in attendance were transfixed until his very last note.

Trombone Shorty made his first appearance at the Bender this year, and he and his band left the audience breathless and in awe of their non-stop, high-energy, well-choreographed and highly visual performance. They seamlessly transitioned between R&B, hip-hop, and marching/dancing traditional New Orleans jazz, never seeming to stop to take a breath, and with impressive vocals as the cherry-on-top. If anyone was initially hesitant about this band not being specifically a blues act, that hesitancy was long forgotten halfway through their exciting first number.

Everyone’s favorite couple (second only to AJ and Laurie), Annika Chambers and Paul DesLauriers, took a quick break in the middle of their set to renew their marriage vows with the audience serving as witnesses. Two other

couples also celebrated their decades of marriage by taking the opportunity to renew their vows at Sugaray Rayford’s inspirational and uplifting Gospel show on Sunday morning.

And, of course, the “Mayor of Benderville”, Tab Benoit, performed several times. This year he featured songs off his long-anticipated and exceptional newly released album I Hear Thunder, which recently hit Number One on the Billboard Charts. He appeared in collaboration with his long-time co-writer, Anders Osborne, and the synergistic effect of their combined chemistry was mesmerizing. Benoit also hosted the finale during which numerous guests appeared ready to jam, including the sensational violinist Anne Harris, who joined Benoit for a beautiful rendition of “Long Lonely Bayou”.

There were so many other wonderful musicians at the Bender who deserve to be mentioned in any description of this event, although it is impossible to cover them all in a brief article. Maybe readers should just check out this unbelievably stunning array of talent for themselves. Pre-booking is available now for 2025’s Big Blues Bender at www.bigbluesbender.com

INSIDE THE DREAMER’S MOTEL

JOACHIM COODER

With his young children sound asleep upstairs, Joachim Cooder is talking to me about his new album, Dreamer’s Motel, from his entirely painted in blood red basement room. It’s in keeping with Dreamer’s Motel’s final track, Down In The Blood, as he reveals the origin of this macabre song title.

 Paul Davies  Supplied

“My daughter came home one day and she said, ‘Daddy, Eleanor bit Weston, and it was almost down to the blood’. And I was like, oh my god, that is the weirdest blues lyric I never would have thought of. And I just took it out of her context and created my own.” Out of the mouths of babes the essence of a mesmeric song and its title is created: “You hear this voice going on the whole time, this slow voice singing this melody, and it comes around in an odd number of bars, and I kept listening to it,” he says. “I don’t know why I did it, but I had taken something else I’d done and then just slowed it down. And I was listening to my slow voice, and I heard the melody in that, and I thought this would be a good chorus. It was like a New Orleans kind of blues march and I started singing over it.” recalls Joachim on the making of this significant final check out track on Dreamer’s Motel.

To begin the checking in at the start of this deceptively arranged ambient, folk-blues album, the inspiration for the naming of it and the title track derived from a personal Cooder family experience as Joachim reveals to me: “It started with this little motel that my parents would take me to when I was a kid. It was always there, north of Los Angeles, right on the beach, and a train would go by it. I had a feeling it would always be there. Then one day it got sold and these developers bought it and tore it apart. Then they lost all their money and then it just sat there like these carcasses. And every time I would drive by it going north, I would look away because there was something so depressing about it. And I thought, ‘What are these places that we can no longer go back to, and we can only imagine them?’” Cooder turned this greedy

act of destruction into a cathartic creative adventure via muscle memory moments of inspiration as he continues: “And you sort of walk through the rooms and you picture all these memories and all the songs kind of fit into that kind of contemplative place we can’t go back to, or people we can’t see anymore, and we just have to visit them in our in our minds.”

It’s right at the beginning of the opening track that his famous father, Ry, walks into this imaginary space as Joachim gets round to telling me: “I had gone out with my dad on some touring, and one tour was with Ricky Skaggs and the musical family band The Whites. It was such a rich musical experience, being with those people and hearing those harmonies. I took a lot from that and listened to everything they had to say and wrote down little notes about songs to go listen to and I think that was a big musical influence on this record.” He adds: “Then making the Taj Mahal record, with my dad on board, was a shortlived experience because we made the record and then only played two live shows and that was it. But there’s something about being around Taj...he must constantly do new things he’s like, ‘what about this song’? And we would play it, and then, maybe, we would never play it again, but it would stick with me. So, it shaped the musical part of how these songs grew.” As compositional proof, he further tells how the title track took shape: “I would be at sound checks, and I would record people playing, then I take that home and kind of re-sample it and make things out of it and that’s how the Dreamers Motel song starts. It’s just my dad playing a guitar by himself in a big concert hall, and because it has this great ambient quality

to it that you could never get in a recording studio.” He furthers: “He was like, ‘What? What is that’? Because it starts off with his guitar that I had sampled and looped from one of the shows. He’s like ‘That’s beautiful. What is that’? And I was like, ‘that’s you from the Chicago soundcheck’. He got a big kick out of that. Then he would come in and play mandolin on a few things and it was a very easy process. We would drive over to (Producer) Martin’s (Pradler) house and he listens and he’s like, ‘I’ll try this’, and then he leaves.”

Joachim details the importance of his creative relationship with his co-producer Martin Pradler: “He’s very important. Martin has such an incredible ear. Sometimes when I come into his studio with a song that’s maybe 40% or 50% there, I say here’s what I think... I have a verse and

a chorus, and then he will do some great chord change for a bridge that I never would have heard. Or I say, ‘I don’t know how to deal with this’. Then he’ll just do something, and he has an incredible musicality, and I have so much trust in him that it’s hard to imagine working with anybody else at this point, because we’ve been working together for decades. He’s from Austria and is always threatening to move home, and I’m always hoping that’s not going to happen.”

I inform Joachim that I think there’s a playfulness and an innocence about the sounds that translate these song ideas into musical form. What’s enchanting is there’s not a huge amount of instrumentation, but there’s the right amount and in the right places. It consciously possesses a minimal feel. I enquire if this was something he was ex-

ploring or did it occur by happenstance: “I wanted it to be very easy to listen to in a good way, and let the stories be the main focus. But that’s good that you said it’s the right amount, because sometimes when I listen back, I think, did I not do enough to these songs. Was I unfinished? But then I think, no, I think it is finished, and there’s also nothing you can do about it now.” He continues: “ I also think with the Mbira being my main instrument on my records and my live show, it has an inherent quality; there’s something like a lullaby to it. I put my fingers down on the Mbira, and instantly you get a meditative, playful quality. I also think some of the songs come from things that my kids say. They’re now a little older: six and nine, but they have this way kids have of saying things that are just not quite right. It’s somehow psychedelic. I’m always inspired by them with my lyrics.”

Joachim also sings throughout this sublime set of songs which is something of a new experience: “My singing just occurred one day. I had never sung before, because I’d always been a drummer and never attempted singing or writing songs. Then, one day after singing to this plant in our yard that wouldn’t grow, I found myself chanting at first, and then turned it into a song. I found myself singing as if I had always sung in this voice that I had never used before. It was this pure expression that came out and I hadn’t worked on. It was just there, and I found it. It’s just me singing and my wife, Juliette (who is a highly respected musician and recording artist in her own right), singing all the harmonies.”

I’m interested in the title of track three, Godspeed Little Children Of Fort Smith, Arkansas and ask him about its origins: “That comes from when my wife was pregnant with our daughter, our first child, which is probably about

ten years ago. We drove across the country to Nashville to produce a friend’s record and stay there for a while and see what it was like to live there.” He continues with this inspirational road tale: “We were driving along Highway 40 and go through all these towns that are sort of boarded up. The industry, whether it was farming or whatever this town was built around, had disintegrated. And we would go through these little towns, and nobody was there. I think because we had a baby on the way, we were thinking about what the young kids of these rural American towns were going to do. Will they leave? Will these towns eventually die out?” He says: “The night before we got to Nashville, we stopped in a town called Fort Smith, Arkansas, and we were eating in this place called the Texas Roadhouse. It’s like a chain restaurant and we saw this family come in, and we were so transfixed by this girl. She was probably seven years old, and the family looked like they had fallen on hard times, but she had this incredible look in her eyes: so bright. And we thought, God, what if we could follow her into the future, she would be a really good answer to this question about what happens to these young people. We never knew what happened to her, of course, because we left the next day, and it just ended up being a tale that I would tell my daughter as a bedtime story. It would change every night, and it was a meditation on young people, but through the prism of this one town, Fort Smith, Arkansas.”

With the telling of this dreamscape narrative of post-modern America, it felt right to allow Joachim to escape his basement red room and to climb the wooden hills to bed-ford-shire and hit the hay and, perhaps, dream of another sublime song to sample in the bright light of a fresh new day.

CEK AND THE STOMPERS

 Colin Campbell  Supplied

Cek Franceschetti the magnetic frontman of Cek and The Stompers, has been shaking up the blues scene with his raw, gritty vocals and electrifying stage presence. Hailing from Italy, Cek channels the soul of the Mississippi Delta through his powerful voice and masterful guitar work, blending traditional blues with a modern twist. His dynamic performances and undeniable charisma have earned the band a dedicated following across Europe, making them a standout act in the contemporary blues landscape. Here we catch up with hm to discuss various topics including the new release Mr Red.

FROM CLASSIC ROCK TO THE BLUES

Cek’s musical journey began in his childhood home, filled with the sounds of American and British music. “Growing up, I listened to a lot of classic rock from England,” he recalls. Bands like the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, and the British blues from artists like John Mayall and Alexis Korner were staples in his household. But it didn’t stop there. His parents’ eclectic taste exposed him to a variety of genres, including jazz and reggae, shaping his early musical inclinations.

“My parents would always have music playing,” he says, reminiscing about the bebop of the 1940s and the

soul-stirring voices of blues legends like Bessie Smith. This rich musical environment laid the foundation for his lifelong passion. It was at the age of 14 that he first picked up a guitar, setting him on a path that would eventually lead him to the heart of the blues.

DISCOVERING THE BLUES

Despite his initial love for classic rock, he soon found himself drawn deeper into the roots of the music he loved. “I started with English rock and blues from the 60s, but then I went back to discover the origins,” he explains. Artists like John Lee Hooker and Muddy Waters became his guiding lights. “I’d go out looking for their records,” he recalls fondly. It was this exploration that solidified his love for traditional blues.

As his passion grew, so did his record collection. “I’m kind of a freak, a blues lover. I have a good collection of records and attended many blues festivals since I was a kid,” he says with a laugh. “It’s my life; I love the blues.”

THE EVOLUTION OF A MUSICIAN

Cek’s early years in music were defined by his love for electric guitar and classic rock blues. “My first band played classic rock blues,” he says, describing his teenage years. However, as he matured as a musician, he began to explore new sounds. “During my early twenties, I moved

to Brescia and started gigging everywhere,” he recounts. Over the next few decades, he played with numerous bands and toured extensively, but something was changing within him.

“In the last 12 or 13 years, I’ve really shifted towards traditional Delta blues,” he explains. This shift was not just about changing instruments but a deeper, more personal transformation. He traded his electric guitar for a resonator and a dobro, embracing slide guitar and open tunings. “I wanted to focus more on my voice and writing original songs,” he says, noting that this new direction has been more fulfilling.

FORMING CEK AND THE STOMPERS

Franceshetti’s transformation culminated in the formation of his newest band, Cek And The Stompers. “I’m very happy with them,” he says with pride. Together, they have been exploring a raw, authentic sound rooted in the blues but also infused with their unique energy. Their latest album, Mr Red marks a significant milestone for the band. “This is a band record,” Franceshetti emphasises. “We did a lot of pre-production at my house, and then we went into the studio in Brescia to record.” The process was intense but rewarding. “Luca Manenti, our guitar, and mandolin player produced the album. We had all the songs ready but changed a little bit in the studio. In

just eight days, it was done.”

CREATING MR RED: A LABOUR OF LOVE

The making of the new release was a collaborative effort that showcased the band’s cohesion and creativity. “We did everything ourselves.” While they initially considered adding guest artists for backing vocals or a gospel choir, they ultimately decided to keep it within the band. “Once we were in the studio, we realised we could do it all,” he says proudly. The album not only captures the band’s authentic sound but also marks a new chapter in Franceshetti’s ongoing love affair with the blues.

THE ROAD TO GULF COAST RECORDS

For many musicians, landing a record deal is a dream come true, and for Cek Franceshetti, it was no different. His journey to signing with Gulf Coast Records, a respected name in the blues world, came about in a rather serendipitous way. “It happened two years ago,” Franceshetti begins, his voice filled with the kind of excitement that only a lifelong passion can bring. He had been invited to feature on an album by the Italian band Bad Blues Quartet. The producer of the album was Mike Zito. “Meeting Mike Zito was a turning point,” he recalls. Zito, a celebrated musician and producer, was immediately captivated by Franceshetti’s unique style and soulful

voice. “He really enjoyed my performance and the way I played slide guitar.” They exchanged contact information, and Zito encouraged him to send over some of his own songs. “A year later, I sent him some songs, and he was very interested.” Zito was so taken by what he heard that he asked for the master recordings. “He liked them very much,” Franceshetti says with a smile, “and he sent me a contract for the record.” The deal with Gulf Coast Records has been a significant change for Franceshetti and his band, Cek And The Stompers. “We are very happy because our music is being released much more widely than before,” he says. For him, this collaboration is more than just a professional milestone, it’s a validation of his dedication to the blues.

DEFINING CEK’S BLUES: A UNIQUE SOUND

When asked how he defines his music, Franceshetti pauses, as if considering the vast tapestry of influences that have shaped his sound. “I call it Cek Blues,” he finally says. “It’s really personal,” he continues. While his music is deeply rooted in the blues tradition, it’s infused with a variety of other elements that reflect his unique background and influences. The band itself is unconventional, featuring an upright bass, cocktail drum, harmonica, electric guitar, mandolin, and his signature resonator guitar. “We don’t follow the typical blues band setup,” he explains. The absence of traditional drums and the

addition of instruments like the mandolin give the band a sound that is both fresh and familiar. “You can feel some Louisiana mood, some border sounds like Ry Cooder,” he says, describing his music’s diverse influences. There’s even a hint of Italian melodrama, something he attributes to his heritage. “Maybe I have Giuseppe Verdi inside me,” he jokes.

EMBRACING HIS OWN STYLE

Franceshetti is clear about the distinction between being a blues musician and being a true bluesman. “The real bluesmen must have lived certain experiences, certain times, in the United States,” he says. He’s quick to acknowledge that his life in Italy has been very different from the origins of the blues. “I love the music, I’m a player, but I’m not a bluesman. I’m just a blues player,” he clarifies. It’s a humble acknowledgment of his position within the broader blues tradition.

BRIDGING GENERATIONS

One of the challenges Franceshetti faces is connecting with younger audiences. “Blues festivals are mostly attended by older folks,” he admits. Yet, he’s noticed a shift in recent years, especially in his hometown. “I see more young people getting interested in the blues,” he says. He believes this is due in part to the unique sound of his band, which blends indie elements with traditional blues. Songs like Please Me, which was written by a local songwriter specifically for him, highlight his versatility. “It’s a different kind of song, with a pop structure and a very sad theme,” he says. The track is about a man who, stripped of pretence, seeks love and acceptance. It’s a departure from the classic blues themes but retains the emotional depth that is a hallmark of the genre.

BLUES ROOTS AND DELTA INSPIRATIONS

His passion for the blues is unmistakable. His track Once Upon a Time in the South is a testament to his deep-rooted love for the genre. He describes the song as having a sound reminiscent of RL Burnside drawing a parallel to the Fat Possum recordings from the late 90s. “It’s a Delta blues melody with a down-home blues ambiance,” he explains, adding that the track evokes a “spaghetti western” feel with its rugged, raw edge. The inspiration behind the song, he says, came from the final scene of Sergio Leone’s The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. “That kind of picture inspired me,” painting a vivid image of Clint Eastwood’s iconic stare and the tense standoff. This cinematic influence combined with a live performance that changes every night keeps the song alive and dynamic. “Every night it’s different,” he says with a smile. “The harp, the wild blues, it’s all there.”

THE CIRCUS: A PLACE OF MELANCHOLY AND REFLECTION

While blues often tell stories of heartbreak and hardship, Franceshetti’s Going to the Circus takes a slightly different path. It’s a song he began writing years ago but only

recently completed with the help of producer Luca. He describes the circus as a place of joy and sadness, where people go to reflect on life’s ups and downs.

“The circus is a place where you can have fun, but it’s also a very sad place,” he says, reflecting on the melancholic image of clowns washing off their makeup and animals being led away. The song captures this bittersweet sentiment, with lyrics that tell of loneliness and a longing for something more, a theme that resonates deeply in his music.

LIVE PERFORMANCES AND EMOTIONAL EXPRESSION

When it comes to live performances, Franceshetti describes himself as “very emotional.” He loses himself in the music, allowing the blues to flow naturally without overthinking technique. “You have to let yourself go and let the blues flow out,” he insists. This raw, unfiltered expression is what makes his live shows so compelling. “I like writing my own songs and feeling them when I play,” he says, emphasizing the importance of authenticity in his music.

With his band, Cek and the Stompers, Franceshetti finds a space where he can truly express himself. “It’s different when I play at weddings or clubs; I play famous songs,” he explains. “But with the Stompers, I can write and play in my own style of blues.” His influences are vast, ranging from Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker to more contemporary artists like J.J. Cale, whose song Thirteen Days Franceshetti covers with a unique, dobro-infused twist.

SONGWRITING AND THE CREATIVE PROCESS

His approach to songwriting is both spontaneous and meticulous. It usually starts with a melody or a riff on his guitar, often singing “fake English” or random words until the structure of the song takes shape. “The words always come last,” he says, admitting that lyrics are the most challenging part for him. “The problem is not how to

write the lyrics but finding something to write about,” he confesses.

Despite these challenges, Franceshetti sees himself as a songwriter. “I’m a blues performer, guitarist, and singer, but I’m a songwriter too,” he asserts. His records, which he describes as emotional and true to his experiences, showcase his evolution as an artist.

THE ROAD AHEAD: TOURS AND NEW RELEASES

Looking ahead, Franceshetti is optimistic about the future. With summer festivals behind him, he’s focusing on new projects, including a vinyl release of Mr. Red with Cek and the Stompers. A release night at a local theatre in Brescia is planned for November, followed by a tour in Germany in January. And while a UK tour isn’t confirmed yet, Franceshetti is eager to bring his music to new audiences.

“I’d be very happy to come to the UK,” he says, confident that people will connect with the band’s authentic sound. “We sing and play what we really are with no imitation, no pretending.”

A PHILOSOPHY OF BLUES: LISTEN, PLAY, AND FEEL

When asked for his advice to aspiring musicians, Franceshetti keeps it simple: “Listen to a lot of music that you like, go in person to see people you admire, and spend a lot of time on your instrument every day.” For him, it’s all about absorbing music, letting it influence you, and then finding your own voice.

As he prepares for another busy year of touring and recording, Cek Franceshetti remains a true ambassador of the blues, embodying the spirit of the genre in every note he plays and every story he tells. Whether in Italy, the United States, or beyond, one thing is certain: wherever he goes, the blues will follow.

For more Cek, see website: www.cekfranceschetti.com

IN THE REAL WORLD ERIC BIBB

Eric Bibb, a renowned figure in the blues world, sat down with Colin Campbell for a candid conversation that spanned decades of musical history, personal reflections, and his hopes for the future.

 Colin Campbell  Supplied

Known for his soulful voice and deep connection to African American folk traditions, Bibb opened up about his musical inspirations, the importance of connection through music, and how his work has evolved to reflect not just his personal journey but also the broader human experience.

THE IMPORTANCE OF CONNECTION

When asked about his favourite venues, Bibb emphasised his preference for intimate settings, where a genuine connection with the audience is possible. “I like venues where people are seated, like a concert setting, and about that size. I’m not a big fan of huge venues. I like to have a bit of contact with the audience,” he shared. For Bibb, music is much more than just sound—it’s a vehicle for creating a collective feeling. “Music is a wonderful vehicle for connecting to people,” Bibb explained, noting that the magic of live performance lies in both the music itself and the indescribable energy that comes from being in sync with the audience.

A RICH MUSICAL UPBRINGING

Bibb’s journey into music was deeply influenced by his family and the incredible circle of musicians surrounding him from a young age. Growing up, his father, a talented singer, introduced him to legends such as Pete Seeger, Josh White, and Bob Dylan. “I went to the Newport Folk Festival when I was 15. I saw Son House and Bob Dylan,” Bibb recalls. His uncle, John Lewis of the Modern Jazz Quartet, also played a significant role in his early musical education. Bibb’s exposure to a wide range of genres— from classical to folk to jazz—helped shape the versatile artist we see today.

THE ENDLESS DEPTH OF AFRICAN AMERICAN FOLK MUSIC

Bibb’s passion for African American folk music runs deep, and it continues to fuel his creative fire. “The music

I’m inspired by most—African American folk music—is bottomless. It’s an endless journey where you can always go deeper into the spirit of it,” Bibb said. This genre, with its rich spiritual roots, allows Bibb to explore nuances in music that reflect not just historical struggles but also broader human truths.

His songwriting process is, in his own words, a mystery. Often, a simple guitar riff or chord progression will spark a new creation, which Bibb then allows to develop organically. “I’ll be playing the guitar and something excites me about a movement or chord, and then I’ll see if a story comes up spontaneously,” he explained. Much of his inspiration comes from reading, especially historical texts. “I’m a big history buff. I like writing historical songs to tell people what really happened,” Bibb shared, noting that understanding history is key to addressing the challenges of today.

A REFLECTION ON SOCIETY AND THE ROLE OF MUSIC

Bibb’s music has always carried a message of love, unity, and social justice, themes that are central to his latest work. He believes that understanding the true history of race relations in America is crucial to overcoming the divisiveness that plagues society today. “The reason Americans are in such a dire predicament in terms of divisiveness has everything to do with not being truly aware of how horrendous the history is,” Bibb explained. For him, music serves as both a refuge and a tool for healing. “Music is always going to be the refuge and the medicine,” he said.

His latest album, *In the Real World*, recorded at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios, is a reflection of this philosophy. Produced by Glenn Scott, Bibb describes the album as his best work yet, with a cohesive sound that goes beyond just music to pull at the heartstrings. “Glenn Scott, my producer for many years, is a genius at framing songs in a way that goes beyond just making music,” Bibb

SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC NEAR YOU

THE BIG BLUES CHART

THE TOP 50 BLUES ALBUMS

POS ARTIST ALBUM LABEL

#1 CHRIS CAIN GOOD INTENTIONS GONE BAD ALLIGATOR RECORDS

#2 ALBERT CASTIGLIA RIGHTEOUS SOULS GULF COAST RECORDS #3 SHEMEKIA COPELAND BLAME IT ON EVE ALLIGATOR RECORDS #4 SONNY GULLAGE GO BE FREE GO BE FREE BLIND PIG

#5 COLIN JAMES CHASING THE SUN STONY PLAIN RECORDS #6 MARK HUMMEL TRUE BELIEVER ROCKINITIS RECORDS

#7 THE FABULOUS THUNDERBIRDS STRUCK DOWN STONY PLAIN RECORDS #8 ZAC HARMON FLOREADA’S BOY CATFOOD RECORDS #9 TAB BENOIT I HEAR THUNDER WHISKEY BAYOU RECORDS #10 TORONZO CANNON SHUT UP AND PLAY! ALLIGATOR RECORDS #11 MEMPHIS ROYAL BROTHERS MEMPHIS ROYAL BROTHERS ROYAL RECORDS #12 CURTIS SALGADO FINE BY ME LITTLE VILLAGE #13 CHICAGO BLUES LIFTERS. BLUES SCOUTS BIG EYE RECORDS #14 RICK ESTRIN & THE NIGHTCATS THE HITS KEEPS COMING ALLIGATOR RECORDS #15 JOHNNY RAY JONES MYSTIC CHIEFS. MOONDOGG RECORDS #16 SUGARAY RAYFORD HUMAN DECENCY FORTY BELOW RECORDS #17 JOHNNY BURGIN. RAMBLING COAST TO COAST STRAIGHT SHOOTER RECORDS #18 BOBBY CHRISTINA’S CARAVAN TRUE BLUES BROTHER NOLA BLUE RECORDS #19 CHRIS DANIELS AND THE KINGS BLUES WITH HORNS VOLUME II MOON VOYAGE RECORDS #20 GUY DAVIS THE LEGEND OF SUGARBELLY M.C. RECORDS #21 PIPER AND THE HARD TIMES REVELATION HARD TIMES RECORDS #22 JONTAVIOUS WILLIS WEST GEORGIA BLUES STROLLING BONES RECORDS #23 EDEN BRENT GETAWAY BLUES YELLOW DOG RECORDS #24 DAMON FOWLER BARNYARD SMILE LANDSLIDE RECORDS #25 AMANDA FISH KINGDOM VIZZTONE LABEL GROUP #26 KID ANDERSEN/LISA ANDERSEN

SPIRIT/SOUL LITTLE VILLAGE FOUNDATION #27 DUKE ROBILLARD

ROLL WITH ME STONY PLAIN RECORDS #28 SUE FOLEY ONE GUITAR WOMAN STONY PLAIN RECORDS #29 BILLY PRICE

PERSON OF INTEREST LITTLE VILLAGE #30 GERALD MCCLENDON DOWN AT THE JUKE JOINT

DELTA ROOTS RECORDS #31 LARA PRICE HALF & HALF GULF COAST RECORDS

#32 MICK KOLASSA ALL KINDS OF BLUES ENDLESS BLUES RECORDS #33 CHRISTOPHER WYZE & THE TELLERS STUCK IN THE MUD

BIG RADIO RECORDS #34 SIERRA GREEN & THE GIANTS HERE WE ARE BIG RADIO RECORDS #35 STEFAN HILLESHEIM BAND

SHEPHERD S/R

LIVE AT ROSA’S LOUNGE S/R #36 BYWATER CALL

#37 DOUG DUFFEY AND BADD AIN’T GOIN’ BACK SUMNER MUSIC #38 CANNED HEAT

#39 DEB RYDER

FINYL VINYL RUF RECORDS

LIVE AND HAVING FUN VIZZTONE LABEL GROUP #40 DENNIS JONES ABOUT TIME BLUE ROCK RECORDS #41 LITTLE FEAT

SAM’S PLACE HOT TOMATO PRODUCTIONS #42 JOHN PRIMER & BOB CORRITORE CRAWLIN’ KINGSNAKE VIZZTONE LABEL GROUP #43 BIG HARP GEORGE COOKING WITH GAS BLUES MOUNTAIN RECORDS #44 JOVIN WEBB DRIFTER BLIND PIG RECORDS #45 MISTY BLUES I’M TOO OLD FOR GAMES: GUITAR ONE RECORDS

#46 CHRIS O’LEARY THE HARD LINE ALLIGATOR RECORDS #47 ANTHONY GERACI TEARS IN MY EYES BLUE HEART RECORDS #48 JOHN MAYALL & THE BLUESBREAKERS BLUES BREAKERS DECCA MUSIC GROUP LTD. #49 ALTERED FIVE BLUES BAND TESTIFYIN’ BLIND PIG #50 DANIELLE NICOLE T HE LOVE YOU BLEED FORTY BELOW RECORDS

BIG BLUES REVIEWS

ANDY PEAKE POCKET CHANGE

Biglittle Records

CEK & THE STOMPERS

MR RED

Gulf Coast Records

Cek Franceschetti leads this Italian based traditional blues band who play a good selection of mainly acoustic based music, while deep rooted in the Blues, they do incorporate some Jug Band and Rock n Roll influences into their sound. The title song is a dedication to the great late American Bluesman Louisiana Red. It is an excellent up-tempo song with guitarist Luca Manenti switching to an electric guitar on this track, Cek handles the vocals and plays a Resonator guitar, which he does with plenty of skill and enthusiasm. These guitars have a distinctive sound and for me are under used by Blues bands, so it is good to see its usage on this album. All but one of the thirteen tracks has been written by Cek and Luca which allows for some uniformity across the album. The remaining band members are Andrea Corvaglia on Harmonica, Fredrica Zanotti on Standing Percus sion and Upright Bass player Pietro Ettore Gozzini. The only cover is JJ Cale’s Thirteen Days which is fitting as there are definitely some “Cale” influences across this album, particu larly on the song Once Upon A Time In The South, where Cek creates a “breathless” sound to his vocals on

is an excellent original album on which the band have created a very distinctive sound for themselves, drawing on traditional Blues Roots and then applying a twist resulting in a dark and captivating sound that grabs your attention, the song Breaking Deal is the standout track and one that emphasises their sound perfectly. With an American label behind them this album could be a very successful release.

ADRIAN BLACKLEE

Andy Peake, a seasoned drummer, singer, and songwriter, finally stepped into the spotlight in 2021 with his debut album Mood Swings, a collection that showcased his knack for original material. Now, Peake returns with Pocket Change, another impressive album steeped in blues but not confined to it. With his signature ability to weave the blues into diverse musical territories, Andy Peake delivers a rhythmically rich experience. He’s joined by an impressive lineup, including Will McFarlane on guitar and Paul Ossola on bass guitar, with a host of guest artists adding their different musical flavours to these ten tracks.The release opens with As Good As It Gets, a track defined by its infectious rhythm and Tim Gartland’s evocative harmonica tones. Steve Eagon’s guitar work and the dual bass of Dave Abo and Bob Marinelli create a lush soundscape here. Peake’s lyrical wisdom shines, particularly in The Scuffle, a rollicking tune that namechecks musical icons like Chuck Berry and Bonnie Raitt, with Jody Nardone’s keyboards driving the track’s playful energy. Peake’s ability to blend genres is evident in Somebody’s Gotta Do It, a soulful, funky number penned by Dan Penn, featuring a classic saxophone solo by Brad Guinn. Peake’s cover of Jordan Chassan’s One Fine Day exudes warmth and optimism, while So Many Drummers, is a rhythm-driven ode to life’s fleeting nature. Tracks like The Blues Is Here to Stay and Neighbor to Neighbor further showcase Peake’s thoughtful songwriting, blending social commentary with infectious grooves. The whole release is a testament to Andy Peake’s musical depth and versatility.

COLIN

CAMPBELL

ANNONYMOUS MAESTROS BAD SALOON Independent

With influences ranging from Ry Cooder, The Byrd’s, and the Blues, the tuneful set of covers found on Bad Saloon, the latest release from Anonymous Maestros is a lesson in a tight band sound, good musi-

cianship and doing something interesting with the material. Led by Pete Hull on vocals and guitar, with guitarist John Hall, bassist Mal Wignall and drummer Gary Cole they offer Americana with an English sensibility. So, we have the tuneful slide guitar of opener, Reverend Robert Wilkins Ain’t No Way to Get Along, a version of People Get Ready which owes as much to Ry Cooder as it does to Curtis Mayfield, and Dylan’s My Back Pages is a fast country rocker, with a stinging guitar solo. Songs by Sleepy John Estes, Son House and Johnny Guitar Watson keep the blues flame going, but a version of Chain of Fools is the only real musical misstep on the album. John Hiatt’s Feels Like Rain is delivered as a slow country, and another Dylan song, It Takes A Lot To Laugh, it takes a Train to Cry is a medium paced blues song, and the album’s closer Stand Back by Jimmy Byfield is a Cajun blues stomper with plenty of slide guitar. This is a good, if not world-shattering selections of songs, delivered by four players with a love of their sound and their influences.

BEN MACNAIR

BETH HART

YOU STILL GOT ME

Provogue Records

I have been a huge fan of Beth Hart for many years, going back almost to her appearance on Star Search in America. I’ve seen a raw, fiery Blues singer evolve into a brilliant musician and songwriter, but still with that burning desire to shake the world of Blues music to its foundations. Beth Hart has this gift, she can make you cry, laugh, reflect on the meaning of life, and shake the shit out of you with her unique vocals and heartfelt lyrics. Take all of the things that I have just mentioned, and in essence, you have, You still Got Me. This album is a very personal album, it tells stories of being low and down, of young people with struggles, and hope, with a large dose of humour added for good measure. There are two guest guitarists on the album, both of whom have worked closely with Beth before, Slash, and Eric Gales. Ironically, both guitarists feature on the first two tracks. The opening track, Savior With A Razor, has Slash shredding his axe for company with Beth seemingly trying to take the devil down once and for all with her fiery lyrics and gravel-like vocal delivery. This is a match

RONNIE BAKER BROOKS

BLUES IN MY DNA

Alligator Records

Ronnie Baker Brooks new release is a masterful testament to his legacy as one of modern blues’ most dynamic torchbearers. The songs capture the raw emotion and virtuosity that Brooks is known for, with a tight blend of contemporary flair and classic blues grit. The opening track, Blues In My DNA is a personal and powerful statement, underscoring the generational ties that bind Brooks to his father, the legendary Lonnie Brooks, who he also pays homage on the next short introduction, Lonnie Brooks Blessing. His guitar work commands attention, each note steeped in the traditions

A must-listen for blues aficionados and newcomers alike

of Chicago blues while carving out fresh sonic territory. His voice, gravelly, soulful, and unmistakably authentic, guides the listener through tales of heartbreak, resilience, and self-reflection. The production is slick without being overproduced, maintaining a live, organic feel that pays homage to blues’ roots in smoky clubs and juke joints. Tracks like Instant Gratification and My Boo; hit hard, with deep grooves and piercing solos that showcase Brooks’ undeniable skill. Yet, it’s on slower, more introspective cuts like, My Love Will Make You Right, that his songwriting truly shines, revealing a vulnerability, this is full of groove also. Robbing Peter To Pay Paul has a swagger of its own, full on classic blues tones here. This release is not just another blues record, it’s a declaration. Ronnie Baker Brooks is both honouring the past and pushing the genre forward with heart, soul, and undeniable skill. A must-listen for blues aficionados and newcomers alike.

COLIN CAMPBELL

BLUES IN MY DNA

ROCKET 88 & THE ROCKETTES

SECOND COMING OF ROCKET 88 & THE ROCKETTES - CHAPTER 1 & 2

Rocket

First things first – this is nothing to do with the late Alexis Korner’s band, rather it is a Swedish outfit, formed as a straight blues band in 1998, with only Jim “Grandpa” Fontaine (Oman) now surviving from the original line-up. Following numerous personnel changes, the band re-remerged in 2020, hence these two closely related albums, the first containing songs from singles and EPs since the re-launch and Dreams Of Country Living containing new material from around the same time. 21 original songs in

the band’s creativity had gone into overdrive

all - the band’s creativity had gone into overdrive! The line-up is now Jim on guitar with Klas Gunnerfeldt vocals and guitar, Lar’s “Lee” Eriksson bass, drummer Tobias Grahn, and Beatrice Oman and/ or Anna Arespang take most of the lead vocals – The Rockettes. These albums are being promoted together, and it makes sense - there is a cohesive approach across them. The sound of the first set is certainly bluesy, drawing on blues, rock and R’n’B; many songs sound quite sixties-ish, whether that is the raw energy of the beat bands or more often, late 60s rock outfits like Jefferson Airplane (try The Road Ahead). There are also a couple of fine, straight-ahead blues in I’ll Be Gone and Still I Sing The Blues, a grinding, blues-rocking title track and a Blues Pour Mon Père in French. Dreams Of Country Living is in the same vein, with a lovely moody Latin-tinged blues in By-Blow (Grandma’s Boy), a tough, inspirational blues-rocker in Mind The Gap (excellent electric slide guitar too), the R’n’B styled If You Please, and a Rolling Stones flavoured I Smell Envy. To sum up, two extremely enjoyable, interesting and varied sets.

NORMAN DARWEN

made in Blues/Rock heaven, then along comes Eric Gales on, Suga N My Bowl, playing as if his life depended on it, whilst allowing Beth to steer the song vocally and lyrically. Beth Hart has always worn her heart on her sleeve, it’s what endears her to people, they see their lives in her songs, good, bad, sad, and spiritual. Drunk On Valentine is a sweet lament, a soulful expression of how life can be turned upside down in the blink of an eye, leaving one to reflect on what troubles you, the effects it has on you, and, ultimately, the consequences. Wonderful World, which has been released as a single, and Little Heartbreak Girl, bring out the tender side of Beth Hart, both songs relate to, when you are on your knees, and don’t know which way is up, there is always hope. The title track, You Still Got Me, is a personal love song to her husband Scott, at her lowest ebb, he’s always there, a beautiful love song, bringing out the best in her vocals. This is a truly magnificent album brought to you by an artist who has the musical world in the palm of her hands. Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Memphis Minnie, Big Mama, and Sister Rosette, all play a part in the DNA of Beth Hart. Ladies, I suggest that you tip your respective hats to the Queen Of The Blues, her name, is Beth Hart. Long may she reign.

STEPHEN HARRISON

BLUES BIZARRE

BLUES BIZARRE

Bluelight Records

The Pop & Jazz Conservatory in Helsinki gave birth to Blues Bizarre when founders Sylvi Saarekas & Marko Karppi first decided to put a band together. Sylvi is a rootsy guitarist and awesome vocal talent while Marko is primarily a slide player. They found a rhythm section in Nikolas Rissanen (bass) and Leevi Heikkila (drums) also studying at the conservatory and so, in 2021, Blues Bizarre was formed. Now I have heard many, too many, bands who have studied Blues and Pop and Jazz at university, and in the main I have found them to be inflexible, sticking to the patterns they have been taught and proving the old adage “you can’t teach feel or groove”. On the other hand, Blues Bizarre are the exception. Inevitably, I hear many influences, but the usual ones. They claim to be influenced by Allman Brothers and Tedeschi

Trucks, and there are definitely touches of those fine bands, but I also hear touches of the English psychedelic era – bands such as Dr Strangely Strange, Incredible String Band and even Quintessence, all of whom were quite successful in Nordic and Scandinavian climes. Silvi Saarekas has a deep and sultry vocal style, well suited to the Blues but also with a slight Finnish edge to the way she shapes her words. Marko plays fine slide but also straight Blues and really lights up tracks such as Poor Boy. Leeva Heikkila plays drums with a lot of ride cymbals, in many ways reminiscent of Mick Fleetwood. Rissanen is a fairly straightforward bassist but hits the right points, especially on the regulation Blues of Don’t Go Blaming On Me. My favourite track is probably Good Memories which seems to encapsulate all the best things about the band, including some lovely flute from Pope Puolitaival, with Trip To India running it close with superb guitar work and percussion from Santeri Saari. It is an intriguing album, best when they stray away from stock Blues statements and well worth checking out.

ANDY

SNIPPER

BRAVE RIVAL FIGHT OR FLIGHT

Independent

Brave Rival has been collecting nominations and awards for the last couple of years, in fact, they have taken the world of Blues/Rock by storm. This five-piece band from Portsmouth released their latest album in August of this year, and what a mighty fine album it is. Twelve songs, superbly written and executed I’m sure will attract more nominations and awards as the year goes on. Bad Choices is the first track out of the blocks, with Chloe and Lindsay producing a monumental vocal performance, indeed their entwined vocals are in perfect harmony which allows the rest of the band to play as if their lives depended on it. This track is a statement of what is to come on the album. Searing guitars, heavy drums, and bass are all the things that you need in a Blues/ Rock band, and these guys have got it down to a tee. Now, as I said earlier, I’ve been lucky enough to catch this band in a live environment, as well as listening to earlier recordings. As I sat down to listen to Fight Or Flight, I was a happy guy in the knowledge that I was

RANDY LEE RIVIERE

CONCRETE BLUES

Wilderness records

Singer songwriter Randy Lee Riviere’s newest release is a testament to the power of thoughtful songwriting and seasoned musicianship. Supported by an impressive lineup, including Kenny Greenberg and Bob Britt on guitars, Stephen Mackey and Robert Kearns on bass and Mike Rojas on keyboards. Riviere delivers a blues and rock release that feels as modern in its message as it is rooted in classic traditions. This was also produced by Tom Hambridge who was co-writer and drummer and comprises of twelve well-crafted songs. The overall sound blends seamlessly between bluesy grit and rootsy Americana, offering a musical palette that complements Riviere’s reflective lyrics. Tracks like Moccasin Lake and Concrete Blues showcase his ability to weave personal and societal themes into a cohesive narrative, the latter being an insight into the affect dams and

feels as modern in its message as it is rooted in classic traditions

watersheds have on Western America. The authenticity of his voice, coupled with the top-tier instrumentation, elevates this release beyond typical genre boundaries, equally at home among today’s blues/rock anthems on the opening tune, Mania and Americana’s storied lineage. Riviere’s unique perspective as both a seasoned musician and a wildlife biologist adds depth to his work. Splitting his time between his Montana farm and Nashville, he brings a sense of organic delivery to the album, informed by his work on conservation efforts to protect Native American landscapes. This connection to the land and a lifetime immersed in music shines through this release, capturing both the pulse of modern life and the soul of timeless American music.

COLIN CAMPBELL

BOB ANGELL WITH KELLY KNAPP

BRAND NEW BLUES

Rawtone

Records

For many years now, Bob Angell has been establishing himself as the leading Blues guitarist in and around the Rhode Island area. And now he has teamed up with some of his Blues buddies, all of whom are noteworthy in the Blues arena, and produced an album that features Kelly Knapp on vocals. Jack Moore, Charlz Ruggerio, and Buddy Whittington are some of the most notable musicians on the album. An album of seventeen songs, yes, you read that correctly, seventeen tunes of pure class. It is very unusual to have so many songs on a single album, but I, for one am mighty glad. Twelve of the songs are written by Bob Angell, with a couple of nice covers thrown in for good measure.

certain that I’d enjoy it. Stand Up, FT, Will Wilde, sees the band thundering through its paces like a runaway train, the bonus being that Wild is a passenger aboard this musical locomotive. As the album progresses, I swear that it gets better with each following track, usually, you get an album of peaks and troughs, and this keeps raising the bar song after song. All I Can Think About shows the gentler side of the band’s make-up, a lovely ballad, with Chloe and Lindsay once again giving the listener goosebumps. It’s a very rare occurrence that a particular album can produce this level of perfection, but Brave Rival has managed that with consummate ease. I stated that I was a happy guy at the beginning of listening to the album, but not anymore, I’m ecstatic. I predict a barrow-full of awards for Fight Or Flight, take it from me, Brave Rival is at the cutting edge of Blues/Rock. They are about to become a major force to be reckoned with.

STEPHEN HARRISON

Good As I Been To You opens the festivities with Angell and Knapp combining on vocals and belting out a song of raw Blues, just as it should be played. On Drinkin’ All Alone, Kelly Knapp takes the vocals on what is a dark and brooding song, telling a story of a person who has succumbed to the darker side of drinking, ending up, as many do, very alone, and very sad. Shake For Hubert, is a tip of the hat to Bob’s musical hero, Hubert Sumlin, and I’m sure that Hubert would have loved to hear this being performed in his honour. There are a few nice and short instrumentals on the album which I found to be a great way of taking a breath from the relentless onslaught of brilliant Blues songs. Now you would not normally associate, Abide With Me as a Blues tune, and it is not portrayed as one here, instead, Kelly Knapp performs it gently, and softly, as if she were in a place of worship. John The Revelator has been sung by many artists, too many mention, but this acapella version accompanied by everyone handclapping in the background is one of the best that I’ve heard in a long time. This has been a joyous album to listen to, if you have not yet heard anything by Bob Angell, this is as good a place as any to start.

CHEATING AND LYING BLUES

CHAD RUPP AND THE SUGAR ROOTS GATE23

Lightning In A Bottle Records

These eleven tracks are firmly rooted in the timeless traditions of American roots music. This release certainly exhibits Rupp’s gritty guitar work, soaked in soul and raw emotion, while his vocals pack the punch blues fans crave for hopefully, that of earthy, unvarnished, and authentic tones.The Sugar Roots complement Rupp with tight rhythm sections and a groove that seamlessly melds blues, funk, and soul. The title track, an original, Gate C23, is a six-minute journey through electrifying blues riffs and a slow-burning groove, embodying the essence of blues with a modern twist. It is a song about getting help with getting on plane, just listen to the lyrics. Meanwhile, other original tracks like She Got That Business Handled and Do Whatcha Daddy Say, inject some playful swagger into the mix, keeping things lively. Paul Delay’s tune, 14 Dollars In The Bank, adds to the tonal swagger and highlights what a tight unit the group is. Rupp’s prowess on guitar and harmonica is on full display, especially on the O.V. Wright song, Blind, Crippled, and Crazy, this morphs into a nine-minute blues jam that feels spon-

STEVE HARRISON

taneous yet tightly woven, giving the release a live organic session style energy that fans of real deal blues will really get to grips with. This is a masterclass in modern blues, highly recommended.

COLIN CAMPBELL

ERIC BIBB IN THE REAL WORLD

Stony Plain Records

The new release’s title is a play on words as it was also recorded in Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios near Bath in England. The production arrangements, mixing and a lot of the instruments involved Glen Scott. These songs shine as a vivid representation of his evolvement as artist and songwriter. Every release he is striving to get across how much the connectivity with being human is so important and strife’s of his influencers and predecessors musical works mean so much. The theme is love and a sense of bonding between all races and creeds of people, sticking to his blues rooted folk ethics. Here his guitar playing soars through such tracks as Stealin’ Home and Walk Steady On. Make A Change, deals with spreading the truth, vocally so emotional and a sweet groove. The opener, Take The Stage has intricate musicality with a gospel feel and Robbie McIntosh on lap steel. Everybody’s Got A Right, takes a philosophical look at racial issues. King Of The Castle, is a reflective tune he wrote about the disparity in rich and poor living side by side, powerful tune. Eric Bibb’s music seamlessly blends classic influences with a modern edge. His songs reflect the world around him, infused with commentary on current events and personal experience, yet always managing to remain entertaining, uplifting, and deeply inspirational. Just listen to the track, This River, lyrically superb. His sound not only honours the past but stays profoundly relevant today.

COLIN CAMPBELL

GARY NICHOLSON

COMMON SENSE

Qualified

This is a truly very fine album indeed. However is it a Blues album? Well the answer is sort of, but no. It is a brilliant

THE PAT FULGONI BLUES EXPERIENCE

PAT FULGONI BLUES EXPERIENCE

Chocolate Fireguard

Sometimes it is really nice to put on a new release by artists that are completely new to you. As you listen, you let go of all pre-conceived ideas of what to expect letting the new wash over you. So it proved with this album. Completely open minded I put it on and settled in for the ride and what a good ride it proved to be. You could argue that it is short on content but give me quality any day over volume. Nine tracks in total mixing originals with some covers. Whilst those covers may be well known, I liked the different arrangements bringing a welcome freshness. For example

well worth parting with some of your spare cash for!

The Thrill Is Gone is stripped back to just truly strong, heartfelt vocals and a deeply resonant piano. Pat sure can sing soulfully and on this kind of arrangement there is absolutely no hiding place. This is as close to the best version I have heard, sorry BB. In a similar vein, but with added harmonica (Alex Eden), the original Bleeding Heart begins slowly in a honky-tonk style shifting gear midway then ends slowly. We have a touch of Gil Scott-Heron with the cover of Lady Day & John Coltrane showcasing the really tight playing of the collective Blues Experience supporting musicians. Keep The Blues Alive is as you would expect a fine slow(ish) Blues workout again showcasing the fine support gets throughout from his band. The lengthy Stickin’ The Knife In Blues rounds out this excellent collection of Yorkshire Blues. With fine soloing from Jacob Beckwith, guitar and Sam Bolt keys underpinned by the solid combo of Rory Wells bass and Zebedee Sylvester drums would be well worth parting with some of your spare cash for.

GRAEME SCOTT

JOACHIM COODER

DREAMER’S MOTEL

Temple Of Leaves

There’s a woozy ambience that envelops the Dreamer’s Motel. Like a warm duvet on newly fitted cool sheets and soft pillows, it awaits with its soothing and comforting refuge of dreamy sounds. Keeping things smartly simple, Joachim Cooder takes a minimal approach in utilising the right amount of instrumentation at their most effective compositional moments. The title track, and first single, Dreamer’s Motel, is an entrancing summation of this record’s intentions with its lyrical dreamscape where ‘a radio awaits In every room’. From its Ry Cooder guitar loop opening, it’s a switch on moment to this alluring musical mission. Sight And Sound follows with a trance like echoey percussive throb and sweet vocal melody. Stripped back to its bare essence, the naked truth of these

Dreamer’s Motel is an unforgettable check-in recording

songs’ charms reveals melody and rhythm intertwining in a true rapport. Then comes the strangely titled Godspeed Little Children Of Fort Smith, Arkansas with its lilting banjo and Cooder’s impressive vocal narration extending the charmful ambience herein. As does Cool Little Lion with its deeply anchored bass line, haunted sonics and dreamy female backing vocals courtesy of Joachim’s wife. Elsewhere, there’s a tinge of gospel on Let Me See My Brother Walk and a catchy reverb groove on Sea Level Man that, not unlike the entirety of this album, grows on you like a glistening second skin of sounds. To finish, Joachim takes a chip off the old Ry blues block with the found sound playfulness on Down To The Blood. Dreamer’s Motel is an unforgettable check in recording.

PAUL DAVIES

mix of Americana, Folk, Gospel, Country and of course Blues. The name may not be familiar to everybody but suffice it to say Gary has been on the music scene successfully to garner a Grammy, he was inducted into the Hall Of Fame, has film credits and has a massed over seven hundred artists covering his songs. On this new album, aside from a core band of truly excellent musicians, he is joined by the likes of John Jorgensen, Hutch Hutchison, The McCrary Sisters and Rick Vito. So he has clearly got class and oodles of respect and clout. Here, on this brand new album, he attempts to address the strong divisions in American society, not in a preachy way, but with humour. All cuts are originals or co-writes and so you have The Truth About A Lie, We Don’t Talk About It, Worry B Gone, Woody’s Dream and the album title cut Common Sense. All are beautifully produced and engineered with Gary’s strong vocals front and centre. What A Little Love Can Do opens that album with a lyric and arrangement straight out of the top-drawer 1970’s singer songwriter drive. Get the top down and enjoy the ride. Wait a minute, this is the UK so perhaps not the top down but it’s still a fine driving song. I had no idea that Bob Dylan Whiskey is an actual drink. Sure hope it is as good as this song with it’s wailing harmonica and Dylan lyrical references. Like a fine dram this album will warm your soul as winter begins to draw near, Slàinte Mhath

GRAEME SCOTT

J.P.REALI BLUES SINCE BIRTH

Independent

American Blues singer, Guitarist and Songwriter has performed the Blues for over 40 years, mainly in the Washington DC area. On this album he is joined by lifelong friend Jim Larson who plays drums and has jointly produced the album with JP, in addition to this duo Gill Glass and Josh Borden play Bass and Keyboards respectively. All but one of the nine tracks has been self-written. The album gets off to a cracking start with The Devil’s Take, a pulsating John Lee Hooker style song with strong lead guitar work and a solid vocal from JP. The following track is called The Virus Blues playing reverence to the COVID epidemic, which includes some clever lyrics surrounding the periods of isolation due to lockdowns and travel restrictions,

covering the period perfectly. While JP predominately plays electric guitar throughout the album, he does dabble with some acoustic work on his Steel Guitar and plays a mean harmonica, both highlighted on the final two songs, the moody Cold Steel Blues, and the autobiographical song Blues Since Birth. For me he is at his best when playing electric guitar, the song emphasising this is Blues In A Minefield where JP draws inspiration from the greats like Albert King and Robert Cray to create a very smooth “floating” guitar sound alongside his menacing vocal, this is a standout classic blues song which deserves to be heard by a wider audience, hopefully this review will start the progression. This is a standout release full of excellent playing and meaningful lyrics, you can understand from this why JP is such a sought after “Blues Teacher,” a role which enables him to pass on his passion and skills to the next generation.

ADRIAN BLACKLEE

JAKE SHIMABUKURO AND MICK FLEETWOOD

BLUES EXPERIENCE

Forty Below Records

On this new release, Jake Shimabukuro teams up with legendary drummer Mick Fleetwood to deliver a fresh take on the blues, blending Shimabukuro’s ukulele virtuosity with Fleetwood’s iconic rhythmic precision. The result is an electrifying and innovative album that both honours blues traditions and pushes the genre into new sonic territory. From the opening track, Stevie Wonder’s, Cause We’ve Ended Up As Lovers, Fleetwood’s deep, groovy beats ground Shimabukuro’s intricate, melodic ukulele work. The contrast between the delicate strings and the powerful drums creates a dynamic interplay. Shimabukuro, known for expanding the boundaries of what the ukulele can do, brings a fusion of jazz, funk, blues, and rock elements into the mix, while Fleetwood’s drumming lends a solid, driving force to each of the ten instrumental driven tracks. These are mostly reinterpretations, such as the wonderfully sonic Whiter Shade Of Pale an astoundingly intricate version of Rollin’ And Tumblin’ and the slow bluesy, Need Your Love So Bad, the instrumentation and production of this release is top

MARK HARRISON BAND

FOOLS & CLOWNS

Highway Records

Mark Harrison is a bluesman with a twist, a singer, songwriter, and guitarist whose music defies the usual expectations. Supported by his regular bandmates, multi-instrumentalist Charles Benfield and drummer Ben Welburn, with additional contributions from guitarist and keyboardist Guy Bennett, Harrison delivers something fresh and captivating on his newest release. His music, though original, is steeped in the traditions of the Mississippi Delta, with a dash of London grit. The result is an astounding release, that takes listeners on an unexpected journey. The opener, House Rent Party, sets the tone with its lively rhythm, masking a deeper social commentary on renting accommodation. Harrison’s National guitar adds a festive vibe, but the lyrics cut through with a protest spirit.

With Them And Us, the gloves come off as he tackles inequality, while tracks like Small Deals echo the same resigned, yet poignant, reflections. More Fool Me and All My Days offer introspective moments, with autobiographical hints, while The Great Stink, blends historical roots with a modern political critique. The instrumental, The Rocket provides a brief, deceptive lull before the narrative picks up again with The Wild West. As the songs unfold, tracks like Road Ahead Closed and Fancy Hotel explore metaphorical and literal crossroads, with the latter offering a nod to blues legend Blind Willie McTell. By the time you reach the tune, Ricky, a tale of dashed dreams and missed opportunities, Harrison’s unique storytelling has firmly taken hold. This is a release that surprises and delights, blending the old and the new with finesse, an astounding piece of work.

COLIN CAMPBELL

QUIQUE GOMEZ AND LITTLE CHARLIE BATY

COOKIN’ AT GREASELAND

Gulf Coast Records

delivered with modern sensibility and technical brilliance

With this release, Quique Gómez and the late Little Charlie Baty deliver a smoking slice of blues excellence. Recorded at Kid Andersen’s iconic Greaseland Studios, these tracks radiate raw talent and a deep reverence for the roots of blues. Joining them are Andersen himself on bass and Alexander Pettersen on drums, laying down tight, groove-filled rhythms that perfectly complement the electrifying guitar work and soulful harmonica. Quique Gómez’s harmonica playing is exceptional, blending Chicago blues influences with his own distinct, modern edge and rich vocal deliveries. He delivers rich, soulful tones that dance effortlessly between subtle, understated phrasing and fiery, commanding solos. Baty, known for his time with Little Charlie & the Nightcats, shows off his legendary guitar prowess. His playing is both relaxed and razor-sharp, blending jump blues, swing, and traditional electric blues in a style that’s fluid and timeless. Spaniard Of The Backyard is a harmonica punctuated instrumental where the band just let’s rip, displaying wonderful musical solos as well, just sublime. Tracks like Thirstiest Man In Town exemplify the tight interplay between Gómez and Baty, with groove-laden guitar riffs intertwining seamlessly with harmonica runs. On slower, more emotive cuts like, Jack You’re Dead, the band taps into a deep well of emotion, creating a rich and immersive blues experience. These eleven tracks are a vibrant celebration of old-school blues, delivered with modern sensibility and technical brilliance. For fans of traditional blues, this release is a must-listen, capturing the spirit of a great blues jam session.

drawer. I Wanna Get Funky, has so many layers to it and an infectious groove. Still Got The Blues, the Gary Moore cover, is crisp and clear and Jake has an uncanny knack of making his ukelele sing, drenched with emotional tones. Then, you get the highlight, Neil Young’s Rockin’ In The Free World, this just rocks up the release, a fantastic version that is punctuated with Mark Johnstone’s keyboards, a treat. Kula Blues is a new song written by Jake about Maui, where Mick lives, an up-tempo number. An outstanding quality release that packs a punch.

COLIN CAMPBELL

LIGHTNIN’ HOPKINS

THE SINGLES

COLLECTIONS VOL. 1 –1946-53 & VOL. 2 1951-62

ACROBAT MUSIC

We are blessed to live in a technological age, where historical and vitally influential artists like Sam “Lightnin’” Hopkins can have their entire massively prolific careers encapsulated in album collections like these. Lightnin’ Hopkins was born in 1912 but didn’t get to record his music until after the Second World War. But he certainly didn’t hang around! In less than twenty years, he laid down a massive collection of sides, estimated to be at least five hundred recordings. In an attempt to marshal some semblance of order, the collection compliers rounded up identifiable singles released between 1946 and 1962, to make up this amazing library of country blues music. Thanks to his early career as a solo artist, Hopkins developed a singular style as a guitarist, vocalist, bassist, and percussionist. In fact, it’s clear to hear from these historical atmospheric blues songs, that he created the template for country blues that has been copied by his peers, and down the generations to today. That degree of importance and influence in blues music sees Hopkins rightly revered by his contemporaries, and the luminaries that have followed in his footsteps, carrying on that unique delivery and musical invention forward through the generations.

As time passed, Hopkins clearly learned the ways of studio recording, and embraced electric guitar, which he played with exactly the same level of unique talent that he brought to his acoustic output. The thread that runs through the

COLIN CAMPBELL

collection, encapsulated in the track The Blues Is A Mighty Bad Feeling, is Hopkins’ ghostly emotional vocal, putting every ounce of his hard experience into his voice. Apart from Robert Johnson, Lightnin’ Hopkins is probably the only blues master who can invoke that mixture of pain, despair and loneliness that inspired the music he loved and played and sang so well. Hearing these songs resurrected makes us grateful to live in the enlightened times we enjoy, and even more grateful that the historical art form of country blues has been captured so perfectly here. Plenty of listening to be enjoyed.

ANDY HUGHES

MICHELLE MALONE

SOUTHERN COMFORT

SBS Records

Michelle Malone returns with a stunning release; a deeply southern-infused album, brimming with eleven original songs written or co-written by the artist herself. Backed by a talented ensemble featuring Doug Kees on guitars, Tom “Panda” Ryan on bass, Mike Rizzi on drums, and an array of instrumentalists, she crafts a warm, rootsy soundscape. Special guests like Rick Richards, Will Kimbrough, and Randall Bramblett add even more depth to the release’s rich textures and tapestry of songwriting. The album opens with the title track, Southern Comfort, a heartfelt country-rock anthem about longing for home. Featuring Rick Richards on slide guitar and Charlie Starr on electric guitar, it captures that nostalgic pull of returning to familiar places. Malone’s powerful delivery of the line “I’ve got to get back home” is both emotional and commanding, setting the tone for what’s to come. Emotionally laden tracks such as Like Mother Like Daughter celebrate southern roots with spirited storytelling and a playful fiddle, while I Choke On My Words dives into reflections on the past, backed by Buddy Miller on electric guitar. Throughout the album, it is the songwriting that stands out, especially on songs like Believe and Wine And Regret, where themes of loss and introspection are paired with stirring melodies and evocative lyrics. This heartfelt release balances joy and heartache with musical grace, all wrapped up in Michelle’s unmistakable southern charm and powerful vocal delivery. Each track

TERRY MARSHALL & FRIENDS

LIVING THE BLUES

Marshall Records

Now, the name Marshall needs no introduction in the world of Rock and Blues music. Marshall Amps have made one of the greatest impacts on sound that the world has ever known. Music has always played a huge part in the Marshall household, and not just because of amplification. Terry Marshall began earning money as a musician at the age of 14, turning professional at the age of 16. Fast forward to the 21st century, Terry Marshall has released his debut album, with a little help from his friends. Don’t think that this is just a rehash of old Blues covers with a bunch of muso’s,

this is an exceptional album with some of the best musicians who are now forging their paths in the Blues world. Alice Armstrong, Emma Wilson, Robin Bibi, and Laurence Jones are just a few of the guests on the album. Hoochie Coochie Man opens the proceedings, with Alice Armstrong leaving you in no doubt as to why she is in such high demand, delivering a powerhouse performance on vocals with Terry Marshall on Sax, Krissy Matthews on guitar and vocals, with Robert Hokum sharing blistering guitar work through this classic. Emma Wilson also leaves us in no doubt as to her amazing vocal talents on, Phone Booth (Robert Cray), and on and on this fabulous album goes. The artists that accompany Terry are the cream of the Blues and Blues/Rock world in 2024, each one giving their last drop of sweat to the cause. Having listened to the album in its entirety I can, with a hand on my heart, honestly, not pick a favourite track, the album is just too damn good. Worried Dreams ( Peter Green), Dr, Feelgood ( Aretha Franklin), and the ridiculously sublime, Me And My Gin, left me craving already for Volume 2. One thing did leap to mind at the end of this tumultuous piece of music, wouldn’t it be great if everyone involved performed the album in a live setting? Over to you, Terry Marshall.

STEPHEN HARRISON

is a journey, either personal or universal, totally anchored by her authentic voice and the soul of the South. Highly recommended.

COLIN CAMPBELL

PETE JOHNSON ALLSTARZ

TIME AND MONEY RECORDS

Peter Johnson has been playing the harmonica for five decades and performing with bands on stage for more than four of those, including a long-time partnership with Gary Martin (Hubert Sumlin’s nephew). On this album he steps out to lead his own band on a varied selection of Harp-heavy tracks, while Pete handles all of the harmonica and vocal. The band consists of stalwarts of the Calgary Blues scene, Mike Huston (guitar), Kevin Belzner (drums) and Bill Price (bass), he takes several songs which were not recorded with harmonica and makes them harp tunes. With twelve covers and one original, Pete pays homage to the harmonica greats with Sonny Boy’s, Keep It To Yourself and Little Walter’s Sad Hours, a beautifully performed instrumental, before putting a different twist on Little Walters It Ain’t Right, rearranged with a slower hypnotic wood block percussive rhythm, incorporating some fine guitar and harp work, Dues are paid to Billy Branch for his influence on Pete’s playing by covering his version of Pay Or Stay, a grooving toe tapper with a couple of big harp solo’s. He also tips his hat to Chicago players, such as, Jerry Portnoy’s Poison Kisses, and Sugar Ray Norcia’s slower blues ballad Seeing Is Believing. The opening track, Don’t Cha Know by Jimmie Vaughn, and My Eyes Keep Me In Trouble by RL Burnside, are both catchy toe tappers while the Maurice John Vaughan track Watching Your Watch, Is a soulful break-up track played with feeling and restraint. title track and only original, Time And Money follows, a laidback shuffle is underpinned by a grooving drum and bass beat, with some more cool guitar and harp fills. The album closes with the band having fun on the instrumental and multi harmonica version of Trombone Shorty’s Hurricane Season, a very enjoyable album indeed, with a variety of styles and grooving beats to get the body moving, well recommended.

SHIRL

RANDALL BRAMLETT

PARADISE BREAKDOWN

Strolling Bones Records

Randall Bramblett has long been a cornerstone in Southern rock, lending his immense talents as a session musician to icons like Greg Allman, Sea Level, and Steve Winwood. While his instrumental prowess is legendary, his skill as a songwriter has left an equally lasting impact, with artists such as Bonnie Raitt and Bettye LaVette transforming his compositions into career-defining hits. At 70, Bramblett shows no signs of slowing with his newest release, his thirteenth solo project of eleven well-crafted songs. The release beautifully encapsulates his lifelong musical journey, blending the rich flavours of the American South, mixing soul, blues, rock, and jazz into a cohesive, masterful musical gumbo. Fire Down In Our Souls opens this release and mixes rhythm and soul setting the scene to a crescendo later in the song. We Had it All The Time, is a slow burner, a particularly haunting saxophone solo blends in with the tone of this broken love song. His voice, now more textured and mature than ever, complements the album’s lush, genre-spanning instrumentation, proving that age has only enhanced his artistic range, noticeable on tunes, like the slow tempo to, The Circus, the songwriting is superb. Another highlight is Throw My cane Away, a homage to Dr John. This release is not just a testament to Bramblett’s musical evolution, but also a reminder of his ability to craft songs that transcend time and genre. While others have turned his songs into hits, this release underscores the fact that Bramblett himself remains the finest interpreter of his own unique work.

COLIN CAMPBELL

RICHIE KOTZEN NOMAD

BMG Records

Written, recorded, and produced entirely by Richie Kotzen, his stunning new release is an eight-track journey that highlights the breadth of his musical prowess. Known for his technical mastery and soulful voice, Richie gives each song a distinct, personal touch. A

multi-instrumentalist, singer songwriter he just oozes tonal musicality with his unique style. The opener Cheap Shot sets the scene an electrifyingly infectious riff with distinctive snarling vocals. Rock infused style with a touch of funk on the tune, These Doors, underlying keyboard adds to the sonic vibe later in the song, stylish guitar solo blends well. Insomnia has a haunting driving vocal set to a funky beat, and soaring searing vocal full of emotion. Title track, Nomad blends his soulful vocals with some driving grooves throughout. Escape keeps the driving beat raging but to a slower bluesy feel. On The Table, hits the listener with guitar artistry and soaring vocals, an anthemic catchy chorus here. This Is A Test changes the tempo totally, here he brings out his acoustic guitar, on this heartfelt love song, lyrics are so bittersweet, a highlight on this release. Final track, Nihilist mixes progressive rock notes and even adds jazz tone to this song, just an amazing piece of work, a sonic soundscape by an artist confident in his musical ability and artistry. At its heart, this release is a statement of his ability to blend genres seamlessly, creating music that feels both timeless and fresh. He has once again proven that he is a musical nomad, untethered by genre but always grounded in quality.

COLIN CAMPBELL

STEFAN HILLESHEIM BAND

LIVE AT ROSA’S LOUNGE

STELLA BLUE MUSIC

Band leader Hillesheim transplanted himself from his native Germany to Los Angeles, to study at the world-renowned Guitar Institute of Technology, and then relocated to Chicago to pursue his love of the blues. And very good he is, too. He channels the greats effortlessly and can throw in plenty of flashy jazz runs to boot. But the clever clogs key changes and cycle of fifths chord progressions make it obvious he learned his trade at music school rather than juke joints, pool halls, barrel houses and honky tonks. Here he is at Rosa’s Lounge, one of my favourite venues on the planet, on the once scuzzy but now rapidly gentrifying West Side of his new hometown. It’s an all-original set, although the inspirations for the songs are readily apparent. There’s the southern rock inflected

You’re My Family, while Harlem Avenue Lounge is overt homage to the immortal slide work of Duane Allman. Favourite Hiding Place has a marked 1970s Clapton vibe. Seduced By The Blues demonstrates that Hillesheim has spent a lot of time copping the licks of Albert King, while Put Some Respect On My Name proves he can do funk as well. Let me recommend this one tentatively. Yeah, it is good, but there’s nothing that particularly stands out from hundreds of other young guitar players I come across, and his voice is sometimes too thin for the material. I suspect he will develop as an artist in the years ahead.

DAVID OSLER

SUNJAY

I’M JUST LIKE YOU

Mighty Tight Records

This new album from UK based singer/ songwriter and guitarist Sunjay is billed as a tribute to his hero and mentor Chris Smither and covers 15 of his songs performed in Sunjay’s own Folk/Blues style. Opening track Link Of Chain is a jaunty upbeat bluesy shuffle featuring Sunjay’s warm but assertive vocals backed by Josh Clark on drums & bass, Jonny Henderson organ and piano and Lee Southall on harmonica. No Love Today is a rueful plea which adds backing vocals and fiddle by Katriona Gilmore. The bluesy Love You Like A Man features a more gritty, urgent vocal and the band cooking splendidly. A chiming guitar lick introduces the steady rocking Mail Order Mystics with Sunjay almost spitting out the lyrics backed by wailing harmonica and organ. Father’s Day is a heartfelt, gentle, ballad reflecting on a father who will “check out soon it won’t be long” and offering thanks for help along the way. Sunjay has a long history with Smither having originally seen him in concert and eventually playing with and supporting him on stage. The songs are superb and well served by Sunjay and his excellent band. Up On The Lowdown is a bluesy rocker which is followed by the gentle country flavoured song Rosalie featuring heartfelt vocals and keening fiddle. The thoughtful, pretty, Small Revelations is followed by the joyful skiffle like Open Up with the band romping along. Don’t Call Me Stranger has a touch of menace in the lyrics but the contemplative What

THE SHEEPDOGS

PARADISE ALONE

Right On Records

This rightly lauded Canadian blues, country-rock harmonious quintet return with a heady mix of all these musical ingredients across five unique tracks on their Paradise Alone EP. They expertly blend twisty and knotty lead guitar motifs with sweet and tight vocal harmonies, buoyed by classy rhythmic delights. Uplifting is the byword for this

collection as soaring melodic vocals elevate the spirit on Take Me For A Ride. The breezy easy feelin’ lying in a hammock swing on Darlin’ Baby emits twinkling sun on lapping waves vibes of a feet in the sand kind. Elsewhere, ethereal wah-wah sounds introduce ‘My Baby Is Gonna Save

this EP is the sound of Paradise Regained

Me’ with close harmonies on this Doobies and Allman Brothers inspired tune. Adept at keeping the listener on their twinkle toes, The Sheepdogs also channel the wackiness of the beloved Barefoot Jerry on a humorous off-beat road tale on Let Me In. Alas, all good things come to an end, until you spin it again, and final track POS is a monumental country- rock ballad narrated by Ewan Currie’s warm vocal tone. It’s a contemplative joy. To summarise, this EP is the sound of Paradise Regained.

PAUL DAVIES

It Might Have Been is a gentle, late night, jazzy, meditation. Help Me Now is an earnest plea for understanding stating, “I can’t do it alone”. The speedy, rhythmic, Train Home travels along taking us to closing track Leave The Light On an upbeat number with a request to “wait up I’ll be home soon”. A very enjoyable album which leaves me looking forward to hearing more of Sunjay and his own songs.

DAVE DRURY

THE WILD FEATHERS SIRENS

New West Records

On their new release, The White Feathers deliver the release they’ve been building towards for over a decade or so. This ten-track masterpiece captures the spirit of the open road with its tales of life, love, and lessons learned along the way. This is their most expansive and vivid work to date, blending heartland rock, classic guitar riffs, and rootsy jams, and a whole lot more styles noted, but steeped in country blues and eclectic Americana styles. It has a summer season vibe throughout, designed for long drives with the windows down and the music cranked up. For their fifth studio album, the band; Ricky Young, Joel King, Taylor Burns, Ben Dumas, and Brett Moore have set out to create something fresh, pushing beyond their past efforts. They headed to North Hollywood to work with friend and first-time collaborator Shooter Jennings at Dave’s Room Studios. With nearly 30 rough song ideas, they shaped these into a head-turning collection that perfectly fuses country storytelling with rock ‘n’ roll swagger. Tracks like, Don’t Know showcase their signature energy, with surf-punk vibes and powerful vocals, while the track Pretending, stands out as a powerful piano ballad destined to light up concert venues. Comedown is a highlight, mixing a great groove and it has a very upbeat feel. This is a testament to The White Feathers’ growth, a harmonised and well-crafted culmination of years on the road and in the studio, proving the band is still at the top of their game.

COLIN CAMPBELL

THE YARDBIRDS

THE ULTIMATE LIVE AT THE BBC

REPERTOIRE RECORDS

The 1960’s BBC hated the new ‘pop’ music with a passion, and resisted playing it on their radio stations as much as they could. But the regulation ‘needle time’ –restricting the number of recordings they could play in any one day, to protect Musicians’ Union jobs, meant the birth of the ‘live’ session. Emerging groups like The Yardbirds embraced it completely. And that in turn, gives us this mammoth collection of live recordings from those BBC radio shows from the early 1960’s. And it absolutely captures the invention and urgency that The Yardbirds brought to the growing R ‘N’ B boom in post-war Britain. Honed to perfection by endless club gigs. The Yardbirds could, and did, replicate the excitement of their gig performances in various BBC studios. The tone is set from Track One, the choppy and frantic drums and bass underpinning the endless creativity of the guitar lines. This is the veritable template of British Rhythm And Blues, the one everyone else followed. The minor-chord atmospheric For Your Love is featured several times over the collection, the various versions signposting the development of the band. A glance at the back sleeve detailing all the different outlets that The Yardbirds enjoyed shows how popular they were with radio listeners. Throughout every song shines the intricate and unique sound of Jeff Beck, until Disc Four, when a young Jimmy Page takes over. Mixed in with the music are informative interviews with Keith Relf and Jimmy Page about the band. There is everything in this collection that anyone with even a passing interest in the formation and evolution of British music could want. The packaging is superior, and features a detailed and informative booklet to enjoy while the history of guitar music creates itself on your player. There is even a sign of things to come with an embryonic Dazed And Confused showing what was around the corner for Mr Page. British R ‘N’B starts here, and this is a wonderful collection to showcase it as it deserves.

ANDY HUGHES

SILVER BULLET BLUEGRASS

Lonesome Day Records

Bob Seger is an American Roots Rock singer hailing from Detroit, Michigan. Now Detroit as we know is referred to as the Motor City due to the massive car production plants. This gave birth to another genre of music, Motown, deriving from the phrase, Motor Town. There have been so many artists that have originated from Detroit, Glen Frey being one of the most famous. So, Detroit has always had a Rock and Roll heart. Now, Bluegrass, or as it is sometimes referred to, Mountain Music, is a million miles away from Rock and Roll, and never the twain shall meet was pretty much the mantra. That was until the people at Lonesome Day Records hit upon the idea of having the top Bluegrass artists cover a bunch of Bob Seger classics. What could possibly go wrong with that? Let me enlighten you, absolutely nothing. Whoever came up with the idea deserves a medal. The album kicks off with, Long Twin Silver Line performed by Carson Peters. Now, I have to admit, I know very little about Bluegrass music or the artists, but that has to change. This is brilliant, and a great way to pay kudos to a singer-songwriting legend such as Seger, giving a brand-new insight into his back catalogue of amazing tunes. The album continues with song after song being delivered by Bluegrass artists such as Shonna Tucker (Hollywood Nights), Keith Garrett, (You’ll Accompany Me), and Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man (Bo Bice). It is like I have been given the keys to a brand-new world of musicians, a world I know nothing about, but a world that I want to immerse myself in. Main Street remains a firm favourite of Seger’s tunes, and Josh Shilling, reaffirms my love for this tune which has the added bonus of Shawn Brook playing acoustic guitar here, providing the perfect ambiance. I would like to think that Bluegrass, Rock and Roll, and Blues can join together in future projects such as this in the future. As well as the amazing vocal performances, I must also mention the mix of Banjo, Fiddle, and Mandolin players that contribute hugely to this album. Delve into another world of musicians and relive the classic tunes of one of America’s greatest singer-songwriters and performers.

STEPHEN HARRISON

BLUES MATTERS 

Listen to some amazing interviews with the artists we’ve been lucky enough to speak to for the magazine.

SUE FOLEY

Paul Davies sits down with acclaimed blues guitarist and sing er-songwriter Sue Foley. Join us as they discuss her latest album, One Guitar Woman, and her experiences touring as a solo artist.

AMIGO THE DEVIL

This episode features a very special guest, Amigo The Devil, the acclaimed dark folk singer-songwriter known for his haunting melodies and compelling lyrics.

TROY REDFERN

In this exclusive interview, Paul Davies sits down with Troy Redfern to explore the inspiration behind his electrifying new album, Invocation.