The Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter
The
GROOVE
Blues Fest Will Be Groovin’at Lyran Park March-April 2015 Castigilia! Albert’s great guitar style and original songs have topped the charts time and again and we are excited to have him at our event! Albert takes the stage at 8 PM on Saturday, August 29th. His latest album was one of the top 2014 rock blues albums! Another great guitar player will take the stage at 6 PM, the one and only Chicago Albert Castiglia great Dave Once again we will be Specter! Joining Dave will groovin’ to the blues at Lyran be none other than Sharon Park for the 6th annual Lewis, one of the finest feCrossroads Blues Festival! male vocalists in the blues Headlining the event is none world! Brother John Kahtke other than the gun slinging will also appear on keyyoung guitar player Albert boards and vocals, rounding
out a great band. Dave’s last Delmark Records release was chosen as our favorite blues album for 2014! At 4 PM we have a treat– Mike Wheeler and his band will appear for the first time in Rockford. Their Chicago styled music will delight listeners! Mike was inducted into the Chicago Blues Hall of Fame in June 2014 at the same event that Crossroads was! Returning to the stage will be Sydney Australia’s Stormcellar with the great Jo Fitzgerald joining them on vocals. This band is a hot commodity and will have another new album by fest time, including the singe they wrote while here last year entitled “Rock River!” Opening the festival will be 2014 Crossroads Blues Challenge winning band Jimmy Nick and Don’t Tell Mama! Jimmy Nick is a great, young talent and puts
2015 Blues Festival Highlights
Gate Opens at 11 AM on August 29th Albert Castigila 8 PM Dave Specter and Sharon Lewis with Brother John Kahtke 6 PM Mike Wheeler Band 4 PM Stormcellar with Jo Fitzgerald 2 PM Jimmy Nick and Don’t Tell Mama Noon Dan Phelps and Macyn Taylor in the Pavilion between acts Harmonica workshop with Jason Ricci at 3:30 PM $5 advanced tickets, $10 at gate Friday & Saturday primitive camping available (tents $10, campers $20) $4 beer, $1 pop and water Free parking and food available for purchase; no coolers or pets please
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2015 International Blues Competition Dan Phelps was the lone competitor in Memphis at the 2015 International Blues Challenge (IBC) for Crossroads. Paperwork errors limited competition by our other Blues Challenge winners. Dan made the trek and did well despite not moving on to the semifinals. Both of his sets were well received and he got to network with a
lot of blues industry folks and other artists. In fact, Dan signed a deal to produce a new CD and to market his existing CDs. He also appeared on Vinny Marini’s “Music On The Couch” program. Congrats to Dan and thanks for representing us in Memphis!
Inside this issue:
Dan Phelps at IBC Photo by Mark Thompson
News Music Reviews Playlist, Members Membership Application Upcoming Events
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The Groove- Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter
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2015 CBF at Lyran Park on a great show! In between acts we have the other two 2014 Crossroads Blues Challenge winners, Dan Phelps (solo/duo) and Macyn Taylor (youth) who will perform in the Pavilion. At 3:30 PM we also have our harmonica workshop, and this year it will be conducted by none other than Jason Ricci!
Jason always puts on a great show and he will be performing on Friday night prior to the fest at the Carlson American Legion
Post on Alpine Road in Rockford. Stormcellar also has a follow-on gig in our area, playing at Leombruni’s Italian Village on Sunday, August 30th. Support live music and come out for the fest and two great associated shows! Crossroads is having a March Madness advanced ticket sale. With our $5 advanced tickets if you buy two you get a free tee shirt from a prior year's festival. Buy 4 and get two tees, etc, etc. First come, first served in sizes and styles. Pick up only on shirts (we'll have them at the fest for you in a bag with your name on it) or we can arrange local pickup (Rockford, IL area). If you want them mailed then you'll have to pay for postage. Buy via mail with a SASE at Crossroads Blues Society, PO Box 840, Byron, IL 61010. Tell us what size and style. Buy at http:// crossroadsbluessociety.blogspot.com and we'll send you an email asking what size and style. Now through March 31st only!!!!!
Hope and Anchor Solidifies 2015 Monthly Blues Lineup The lineup for 2015 is solid now at the Hope and Anchor Second Saturday Blues Shows. As you can see, the lineup for 2015 has some new faces and some great returning artists. One perturbation to the schedule is that Sena Ehrhardt’s show in March is on the 21st, the third Saturday, as their annual saint Patrick’s Day Party is scheduled for the second Saturday. The Jimmy’s are in town twice and we are featuring some local talent over the summer. A mix of young and old local artists for June, Altered Five (winners of the IBC for Best Self Produced CD) in July and the New Savages in August comprise our summer shows. We are holding off on announcing the annual Christmas party artists, but other new faces for the H&A are Taildragger with Rockin’ Johnny, Liz Mandeville and Josh Hoyer and the Shadowboxers. Come out for a great meal and a great monthly show!!!
March-April 2015
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Music Reviews Tough Love Tinsley Ellis Heart Fixer Music www.tinsleyellis.com 10 tracks/46 minutes Tinsley Ellis epitomizes the music of his home state of Georgia. Filled with soul and a vibe that embraces and yet goes beyond the blues, his work is masterful in both technique and feeling. Born in 1957, his career took off in 1988 with Georgia Blue and has not looked back since. Having produced CDs in several stints for Alligator, one with Telarc and other labels, Tough Love is his third offering on his own label. In 2013 he released Get It! and then he gave us Midnight Blue in 2014; this third release in three years has Tinsley backed by some of Delbert McClinton’s band. Kevin McKendree on keys, Steve Mackey on bass, and Lynn Williams on drums are also complemented by Jim Hoke (sax) and Steve Herman (trumpet) on “All In The Name of Love.” Using vintage, classic equipment, the sound here ranges from smooth to rocking yet each has its’ own uniqueness and charm. “Seven Years” kicks things off and Ellis begins with a finger picking, soulful groove. He sings of his relationship of seven years that is thrown away after a one night stand by his woman. He sings with emotion and a hollowness in his soul that represents having his feelings ripped out from him. The song brings it all out as he bares it all and then he gives us a stinging solo on his six string. “Midnight Ride” is a jumping and jiving song that bounces and gets you wanting to dance. There is lots of that great Tinsley Ellis signature guitar work that really burns it up here! “Give It Away” follows; Ellis takes it down several notches and gives us a distinctively soulful ballad to savor. Well done! In “Hard Work” Ellis gets another groove going as he sings how hard it is to live when you have no work. Some excellent commentary surrounded by some excellent music! The big hit song for this album is next: “All In The Name of Love” is quintessential Tinsley Ellis. It is a really soulful, bluesy slow cut with a distinctive beat that grabs you and does not let go. Great vocals and
the added horns with sweet organ work make it a big time hit. Add in Ellis’ guitar and vocals and it goes right over the top- in my estimation it is one of his best songs ever. “Should I Have Lied” is slow blues done up sultry and sweet. A dirty guitar solo opens things and sets the tone. He then similarly guts out the lyrics as he wails on about lost love. He picks it up again with “Leave Me.” The tempo is certainly built up and the intensity grows as the song completes. More great guitar work with everyone in solid support. “The King Must Die” takes things back down as Ellis offers a big time solo with echo and reverb that gives an even broader feeling to the solo. He apparently sings of mythical times gone by here in a dark and strikingly cool song and performance. Ellis plays a little harp for us in “Everything.” It’s a jumping swing cut with some barrelhouse styled piano and Tinsley squeaking out some cool harp. “In From the Cold” concludes the set and Ellis adds a little Wurlitzer piano to the mix. Another slow, bluesy ballad again here as Ellis emotes and asks to be taken in from the cold. He goes into the stratosphere with his guitar solo and the band is right there with him, building up to great heights on the chorus. Lots of bass makes this darker and cool and the organ adds more layers of feeling. Ellis claims he has never been prouder of his work and I can see why. This is an album of original cuts that focus on the theme of the album, Tough Love. Ellis has hit another home run here. This is really a super set of tunes that build on and complement each other. Every listen seems to offer up something new and enjoyable. I highly recommend this one, blues fans! Reviewed by Steve Jones
Crossroads Blues Society Officers and Board Members Contact Info President: Steve Jones sub_insignia@yahoo.com Vice-President: Bill Graw williamjgraw@gmail.com Secretary: Bonnie Fox bonitafx@gmail.com Treasurer: Terry Keller terry@markpack.com Board of Directors: Denny Barker harkthebark@mchsi.com Rick Davis rick_davis_937@comcast.net Bob Haendler rhaendler@comcast.net Ken Pearson cntrylivng@aol.com Rick Hein mrrickhein@sbcglobal.net
The Groove- Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter
Page 4 Fat Man’s Shine Parlor Smokin’ Joe Kubek & Bnois King Blind Pig - 2015 www.blindpigrecords.com www.smokinjoekubek.com 12 tracks/48 minutes Smokin’ Joe Kubek and Bnois King return to Blind Pig after a gap of nine years in which time they have released four albums, two on Alligator, two on Delta Groove. Named after a store in a disreputable part of Dallas, the new album finds Kubek and King doing what they do best, rocking out in Texas roadhouse style on a series of tough blues, boogies and rockers. All the material here is original with Steve Hecht aiding on one song. The band is Joe and Bnois on guitars, Sheila Klinefelter on bass, Eric Smith on drums and Kim LaFleur who adds yet more guitar to three tracks. Bnois, as usual, handles all the vocals in his distinctive style. Joe produced the album which was recorded and mixed right at home in Dallas, Texas. The album opens with a trademark boogie, Bnois singing of how he “Got my heart broken” by a girl. However, we soon learn that this is far from an unusual event: “I wish I could say this time was my last but I can’t be sure, judging by my past. I get so turned on it feels just like magic, but if I get caught the ending could be tragic.” The twin guitars intermesh excitingly to give us a great start to the album. Big fat chords open “Cornbread” which extols the virtues of that great southern accompaniment, Bnois assuring anyone unfamiliar with the delicacy that they are missing out. Kim’s additional guitar provides a sound that is almost like keyboards to this cut. “Diamond Eyes” drops the pace on a mid-paced ballad which Bnois sings really well and the two guitars play off each other superbly. “Crash And Burn” is extremely catchy as the guitars again interact over Sheila’s rumbling bass, Bnois taking a nimble plucked solo; “River Of Whiskey” finds Joe on slide adding a touch of country to the tune. Some great guitar from Joe introduces the bluesy “Don’t Want To Be Alone” which has an attractive lilt to the tune and an outstanding solo with lots of sustain. Steve Hecht is credited alongside Joe and Bnois on “Brown Bomba Mojo” which has a long instrumental intro before Bnois enters on vocals – lots of fun guitar to enjoy on this one, from catchy rhythm work to leads from the two guitarists that range from delicate picking to amped up rock. “How Much” finds Bnois objecting to the costs of everyday living for the travelling musician, from cab fares to excess baggage charges for transporting guitars. Musically this is a solid shuffle with drummer Eric right in the pocket, another good track. Some echoey guitar introduces another tale of lust and infidelity
as Bnois confesses that he cannot be satisfied by “One Girl By My Side” – “the magic disappears however hard I try”. “Lone Star Lap Dance” is aptly named as the band shuffles along in support of some light picking that sounds a little like a lap steel guitar, followed by some fine, stinging guitar in the main solo to provide another highlight. Bnois returns to that familiar theme of infidelity in the classic slow blues “Done Got Caught Blues”. Bnois sings of getting caught “with my pants down” as Joe emotes on guitar between the verses and Bnois finds some jazzy chords to support him. That style of guitar duetting is typical of Joe and Bnois and this is one of the best examples. Bnois’ vocals are slightly distorted and distant on “Headed For Ruin” though the guitars are present and correct, a touch of twang reminding us where the album was recorded. As one might expect, Smokin’ Joe Kubek and Bnois King deliver another solid album with much to enjoy. Long-term fans will lap this one up and the album has enough solid tunes and playing to attract some new fans to the band. Reviewed by John Mitchell Lucky Dog Brad Absher & Swamp Royale Montrose Records - 2015 www.montroserecords.com www.bradabsher.com 12 tracks/49 minutes It is very surprising that Brad Absher is a new name to me as his music is right up my personal street! In fact this is Brad’s fifth album release and it’s a keeper. Raised in Louisiana and based in Houston, Texas, Brad’s music combines many elements of blues, soul and R n’ B with horns added to several tracks. The album was recorded in Houston and produced by Brad, label head Richard Cagle and Larry Fulcher. Larry is, of course, bassist in The Phantom Blues Band and is ever-present on this album. Brad’s regular bandmates Mike Patton on drums and Barry Seelen on keys form the core band with Brad (guitar and vocals) and Larry (bass); Andy Saad (tenor sax) and Anthony Terry (baritone sax) appear on half the tracks. Additional musicians are: Kyle Turner, tenor sax on one track, Nicoya Prolar, B/V on five tracks, Ed Starkey, bass vocals on one track, Samantha Banks, percussion on one track, Brian Thomas, pedal steel on one track. Brad wrote six of the songs, Larry and fellow Phantom Tony Braunagel contributed one, there is one traditional gospel song and four covers. For guitarheads Brad has provided the details of which guitar is used on each track. The album opens with four outstanding cuts. First up is Brad’s “Woman Who Loves Me”
which opens with Brad’s choppy guitar (and later slide), Barry’s organ and the horns on a mid-paced rocker with a powerful chorus to which Nicoya’s backing vocals add considerably. Next up is “I Need A Drink” which is simply superb, definitely the top pick from the album. Propelled by a funky bass line and wonderful horn arrangement, Brad’s vocals are right on the money as he sings of how he can get past the current difficulties in his life: “I need a drink and I need some time, a quiet place where I can ease my mind. I really don’t have any kind of plan, gonna try to come out of this thing, come out a better man.” A rasping sax solo and Brad’s emotional guitar solo top off this great slab of Memphis soul. Bill Withers’ “Same Love” is well done with Kyle Turner’s sax featured and Larry’s funky bass driving the song, Nicoya’s soothing accompaniments blending well with Brad’s main vocal. “I Can’t Wait” is another solid soul-blues tune written by Brad with Barry’s piano and the rising horns pushing the tune towards its uplifting chorus. William Bell’s classic “You Don’t Miss Your Water” is often covered and Brad’s version takes the song back to its gospel roots on the longest track here. “Wanna Be Your Man” has swirling organ, growling horns and Brad’s strong vocal on another winning original. There is then a run of tunes without the horns. Leon Russell’s “I’d Rather Be Blind” (covered by Curtis Salgado on his 2001 album “Soul Activated”) suits Brad’s voice well, another slice of soul-blues with a fine solo from Brad. Brad’s own “Not Tonight” has a distinctly country feel, accentuated by Brian Thomas’ weeping pedal steel, and a classic chorus for a country song: “I know you want my love, not tonight, I’ve got a heartache.” Allen Toussaint’s “Lipstick Traces” features a stripped down quartet with Larry’s funky bass, Brad’s choppy rhythm work, Barry’s Hammond and Mike’s crisp drumming. The traditional “Jesus On The Mainline” adds Ed Starkey’s bass vocals to good effect, especially on the acapella opening section; Brad’s slide work here is excellent and fits the tune well. Larry and Tony Branaugel’s “Trouble” is an uptempo piece which rocks along well with solid backing vocals supporting Brad. The album closes with “Memphis On The Way” which sees the return of the horns to beef up a tale of travelling south to avoid cold winters, Memphis being a logical stop en route. As befits such a theme there is a sax solo and the piano work also shines. Brad’s vocals are again spot-on, as they are throughout. This is an excellent album that deserves to be widely heard. Anyone who loves soulblues will enjoy this one and it comes highly recommended by this reviewer. Now, I’m off to find some of those back catalogue Brad Absher CDs! Reviewed by John Mitchell
March-April 2015 Modern Classic Robin Banks Self-Release 2014 www.facebook.com/ missrobinbanks www.reverbnation.com/robinbanks 12 tracks/48 minutes Robin Banks is a vocalist and songwriter who has lived in Texas and Jamaica but is now back in her native Canada though she still returns frequently to Jamaica where she is a popular performer. If you had to name a dream team for a studio band you could well be thinking of the following ensemble: Duke Robillard on guitar and production, Bruce Bears on keys, Brad Hallett on bass, Mark Teixeira on drums, Doug James on baritone sax, Mark Earley on tenor sax and Doug Woolverton on trumpet – i.e. Duke’s current touring band + Roomful Of Blues horns on half the tracks! This was the band assembled in Rhode Island to back Robin on twelve originals and they play brilliantly throughout. The CD opens with “A Man Is Just A Man”, the horns doing a superb job, especially Doug Woolverton whose trumpet is featured. Duke’s guitar leads the tune which has a touch of Caribbean lilt as Robin advises the ladies not to get too attached: “A man is just a man, much like a bus another one will be right along”. The horns sit out “Superhero”, a gentle tune that might fit into the songbook of Lionel Ritchie, Duke’s guitar and Bruce’s keys providing shimmering accompaniment to Robin’s relaxed vocal. A jazzy “I Really Dig You” has Bruce digging deep on piano and the horns giving warmth, including a fine tenor solo by Mark. Doug James’ bari leads the way on a latinflavoured “Crazy” on which trumpet and tenor get solos and the listener can’t help but tap along with the insistent rhythm. The bluesiest track to date is “My Baby Loves Me” though there are equally jazz touches in Bruce’s piano, all the horns adding their individual touches to the music. Lyrically Robin seems to have found a fan: “My baby loves me, not just my cooking. He thinks I’m sexy looking, that blows my mind”. Duke’s sinuous solo is the final touch of class on a fine tune.
Page 5 “A Little Bit Of Heaven” is a classic ‘Great American Songbook’ style song. You can imagine Dinah Washington having sung this one as Duke’s band excels without the horns who return strongly on the soulful “I’ll Meet You There” which has a touch of the great Memphis soul ballads, Bruce’s organ and the horns carrying the melody as Duke stabs out some licks from the Steve Cropper handbook and Mark delivers an excellent tenor solo. It’s the longest cut on the album and you really don’t want it to end though the later “Bite Your Tongue” is another Memphis R n’ B piece with a dash more funk. The horns are absent on the intervening “Tonight” which returns to a jazzier style and Robin’s voice works perfectly on a small band piece in which the whole band takes short solos. The last three cuts cover a good range of styles using just the core band without the horns. “You Boogie Too Fast For Me” does what the title suggests, Robin doing a great job on the vocals as Bruce is the featured player on a superb piece of swing. Try as hard as you may, your feet will not stay still through this one! “A Place In The City” is a country ballad with Duke’s guitar in suitably twangy mode and Bruce’s piano echoing “The Green Green Grass Of Home” as Robin sings of settling into a new apartment in the city. The final track “Some Day Soon” is a short jazzy piece with Bruce again outstanding on piano. Duke’s production skills are in evidence here as every nuance of the band’s playing can be heard clearly beneath Robin’s perfect vocal. If you are looking for a hardcore blues album this is not for you but if you are a fan of the area where jazz meets blues (with a couple of detours into soul) this album is definitely worth checking out. Fans of Duke Robillard will enjoy this one and the presence of the Roomful horns is an added bonus – works for this reviewer!
Denver, Colorado. It is the first outing for this band. The CD has a very plain cover, but it is a strongly produced set of music. John Weeks grew up in France, and played guitar in Paris. He is joined by Andras “AC” Csapo (Keys, Harmonica, Vocals), Curtis Hawkins (Bass), and Tim Molinario (Drums). The group was formed in 2013, and the music was recorded in July/August 2014. All 7 cuts are written by members of the band. The disc opens with “All Night”. The cut has a great guitar driven roadhouse feel. The instrument separation in the production is quite good. The keyboard solo in the right channel is great. “Devil In My House” shows off some acoustic guitar and harmonica interplay. It has some north Mississippi/Memphis slow funky feel to it. The band charges ahead at full speed with “Why Don’t We Sleep On It”. It is an instrumental that will get your soul moving with the guitar/ harp interplay. A fine track this one is. The band gets slow and funky with “How Can You Love Me?”. AC gets the organ groove and holds it through the song. The vocals by Weeks are clear, but could be a bit more snarly and emotional to really kick in with this song. Up next is “I Want To Get Back Home”. I am reminded of some Average White Band guitar licks as this song opens up. The harp work by AC really kicks in on this song. There is some rock and some funkiness here, along with some fine guitar. I hear a bit of Santana guitar with the Latin tinged song “You Never Say What You Mean”. I like the fine guitar and a tight drum beat by Molinario. The vocals again are OK, but not top notch. They stretched this song out nicely, without it getting boring. Closing out the recording is “Moving On”. The B3 plays a prominent role in the song. It is a mid tempo song, with solo guitar work by Weeks again very enjoyable.
Reviewed by John Mitchell John Weeks Band John Weeks Band Self Released www.johnweeksband.com 7 Tracks Here is an CD/EP from a new band that is based in
I liked this one a lot. This is tasty guitar work without being overwhelming or show off. Let’s hope we here more again soon by the band. On their website, the shows all seem to be in Colorado. Maybe this CD will bring some exposure to them in the rest of the country. Reviewed by Mark Nelson
March-April 2015
Page 6 For A Change Brad Hatfield Self-Release - 2014 www.bradhatfieldband.com 12 tracks; 49 minutes Cincinnati-based bluesman Brad Hatfield was left paralysed after an accident at work. Forced to abandon the guitar, Brad learnt harmonica from scratch at age 30 and his first album “Uphill From Anywhere” was so well received that he won a BMA nomination in 2013 for Best New Artist. For his sophomore album Brad has enlisted go-to producer Tom Hambridge who assembled a great team of players to back Brad on this album. Tom plays drums with Tommy McDonald on bass, Bob Britt on guitar and Kevin McKendree on keys. Brad sings and plays some harp though the main focus is on Brad’s voice. He contributed three of the songs, one in collaboration with Tom who supplied all the remaining material, mainly with his usual writing colleagues, Gary Nicholson and Richard Fleming. The result is a solid album of blues that should have wide appeal. The album opens with the short rocker “That’s My Home” which lets us hear Brad’s gravelly voice on a track that has lashings of aggressive drumming from Tom and a wild solo from Bob. The song is lyrically a close cousin of Marvin Gaye’s “Wherever I Lay My Hat”, Brad preferring to leave his suitcase as a marker! Tom and Gary’s “Back Door Scratchin’” is a great rocker with Kevin’s organ providing a swirling background to Brad’s vocal and harp. “Behave Yourself” has a country blues feel with Kevin’s rolling piano and Bob on slide. The song demonstrates that Brad can adapt his vocal effectively to a gentler style. “Smarter Than I Was” has some excellent guitar from Bob whose echoey slide is double-tracked over an insistent rhythm part, Tom’s drums adding to the generally menacing tone of the tune. The rocking “Devil On Both Shoulders” has a great hook and an amusing chorus: “Looking for some loving, she’s ready to shop; like Coke in a bottle she’s ready to pop. Devil on both shoulders, what’s a woman to do; Devil on both shoulders, her good girl days are through”. Everyone plays superbly, Kevin pounding the 88’s and Bob’s keening slide both featured. Brad and Tom wrote “So Much, So Little”, a tale of a small lady with a big heart: “How she does so much, man, so much with so little”. Brad plays some high pitched harp on this one but Kevin’s honky-tonk piano is the star turn here. Brad’s own “Never Finished Nothin’” is a slow blues with Kevin double tracked this time as his piano solo
is beautifully framed by his own organ, Brad singing of how he did manage to finish with the girl, despite his track record! A fine harp solo from Brad completes the song well. The guitar on “Good Love After Bad” recalls classic Allman Brothers with Brad’s voice sounding quite a lot like Gregg and the organ and guitar blending well. Andy T and Nick Nixon used “Drink, Drank, Drunk” as the title of their 2013 album release but here Tom and Gary’s song is played at a much faster rhythm to create a very different feel. Some moody electric piano introduces the title track “For A Change” which namechecks several familiar blues images (‘Crawling Kingsnake’, Back Door Man’, ‘Mean Mistreater’, etc.) as Brad offers to bring some comfort to his girl. Bob plays some appropriately swampy slide guitar to accompany the imagery and more slide from Bob features on Tom’s “Swamp Poker”, entirely appropriately as Brad sings of playing cards in the swamps, more crawling kingsnakes appearing alongside the inevitable crocodiles. Brad’s own “Burbank’s Boogie” features Kevin’s piano on a frantic boogie tune to close the album. There is plenty to enjoy on this lively album. Give it a listen. Reviewed by John Mitchell You Keep The Money Tas Cru Crustee Tees Records tascru.com 12 tracks/56 minutes Keeping The Blues Alive Award winning music educator Tas Cru’s sixth album is all original music and is a study in styles and forms. Whether he is soulfully singing and playing a ballad or rocking out in a grand manner, the music is always something to savor and enjoy. On this CD we have Tas on guitars and vocals, Mary Ann Casale on backing vocals and dulcimer, Alice “Honeybea: Ericksen on backing vocals, Dave Olson and Bob Holz sharing duty on drums, Dick Earl Ericksen on harp, Ron Keck on percussion, Chip Lamson on piano, Guy Mirelli on organ, and Bob Purdy on bass. The album opens to the title track. Inspired by Delta legend T-Model Ford, Cru gives us sage advice in musical money matters. It is a funky little shuffle that bounces and moves along in a cool progression. The harp work is greasy and mean and Ericksen earns his money blowing his part. Trading licks with Cru, the two are very tight. The organ fills in well and the vocals by Tas and his backers are quite good.
A ballad follows, “A Month of Sundays.” Cru begins with a soulful guitar solo. He growls out the vocals, complaining about the woman who has ignored and blown him off for a long, long time. The organ hangs around behind the scenes as an ever-present spirit and Tas’ guitar work is impeccable. “Half The Time” is a love song of sorts as Tas sings that his love’s kisses move him to insobriety half the time. Sweet guitar and harp solos; the song builds to a nice, big conclusion. What Tas calls a “gorgeous instrumental” follows. It’s called “La Belle Poutine” and he’s correct. “Heart Trouble” is somewhat comical and is about maintaining one’s health for their new love. Funky and fun! Tas goes gospel with “A Little More Time.” It is a thoughtful homage to the elder bluesmen and women who have done their time making great music for us. He doesn’t take us full out to church but thoughtfully “prays” and laments. “One Bad Habit” is a shuffle and it’s very cool. Singing about his “lone” fault is humorous and fun; more great harp work by Ericksen and great vocals by Cru and his backing duet. “Take Me Back to Tulsa” starts out slow but works into a rocker. Cru tells of his travels back to Tulsa and gives us a taste of his encounters along the way. Piano and guitar lead the trek and the harp gives us some spice. “Count On Me” is pure blues shuffle and is soulfully rendered ever so sweetly for us. Guitar and piano lead the offering, and the organ play punctuates things quite well. Another neat ballad follows, “Holding On To You.” Country and blues blend thoughtfully and seamlessly here. “Bringing Out The Beast” is a deep groove where Cru tells us he’s a hound dog and then likens his desires to a Tom Cat. Sexy and sultry innuendoes flow throughout; it’s a great cut. Cru wraps up with hill country blues in “Thinking How To Tell Me Goodbye.” The harp, guitar and vocals intertwine and meld together in this unrequited love song. Lots of layers of guitar fold over each other as the harp and vocals deliver the message. Another really good cut! This is a really good CD from top to bottom. Each song gives us something to savor and latch on to. Cru delivers a fine dozen new songs and his renditions are all spot on. I enjoyed this CD and think that blues fans everywhere will, too! Reviewed by Steve Jones
March-April 2015 The Best Of Donald Ray Johnson Mar Vista Music http:// www.donaldray.com 13 Tracks
Page 7 you enjoy soulful blues, this is one for you to give a listen to. It’s not for guitar hero fans, but it should be enjoyed by blues fans. Sit back with good company and good wine and enjoy the music. Reviewed by Mark Nelson
Donald Ray Johnson has a Grammy award. That is quite an achievement. He was part of A Taste Of Honey which was Best New Artist in 1979. Calgary is his current home. 6 releases preceded this Best Of release. He has been a drummer and a fine blues vocalist. Originally from Texas, he also played in Los Angeles and San Diego. On stage he has performed with Percy Mayfield, Lowell Fulson and Phillip Walker. An Al Green tune “Ain’t No Fun To Me” opens the CD. The vocals are fine with some tasty supporting harmonica. I like the smooth soulful “Gone So Long”. The guitar works blends with the song, and does not overwhelm it. It was written by Johnson, as is the 3rd cut “These Blues”. I like both with their soulful singing and playing. Willie Nelson made “Always On My Mind” famous. With just an acoustic guitar in support, Johnson does a nice job on this oft covered ballad. The next 3 songs are written by Johnson. A nice saxophone solo adds to the soul mid tempo “Slow Down Baby”. A Clarence Carter type song is next “Here To Stay”. It is the type of southern soul song I love. “Me And Jack (Daniels) is the last of this trio of tunes. It is very up tempo and full of fun about a night out with Jack Daniels. One of my favorite Johnnie Taylor tunes is “Last Two Dollars”. There is some fine saxophone on Johnson’s version of that fine tune. “No Guitar Blues” is a soul circuit song written by Johnson. It’s full of B3 and an interesting discussion of life and the blues. The soul keeps coming with this Johnson original “It Ain't Easy Being Blue”. As a listener you can really get that blues feel with “Thrilling You Killing Me”. It is a fine song, lyrically, instrumentally and in delivery. The song is a Johnson original also. Da funk is visited with “Working Girl Blues”. It adds to the disc giving the listener a bit of a different blues taste. The CD closes out with Johnson’s original “It’s Time”. This song is much more an R&B cut with some nice guitar riffs. I was not familiar with Johnson before this review. I’ll keep an eye open for his other releases. Johnson’s tours seem to be in Canada and occasional trips to Europe. If
After All This Kyle Jester Self Released www.KyleJester.com 14 tracks/52 minutes Kyle Jester offers up fourteen cool and fun tracks that showcase his talents along with the talents of his supporting cast. Kid Andersen on bass, Brian “Nucci” Cantrell on drums, Aki Kumar on harp, and Sid Morris on piano swing, jump and jive as Jester lays out some classy vocals and guitar. Kid Andersen recorded, engineered and mastered the album and the sound is coolhe’s create a classic blues and early rock sound! The sound transports us back 50 to 60 years to a time when music ruled the airwaves and bands traveled from town to town impressing the youth of America with their wares. Originally from San Diego and playing in the southern California area, Jester was weaned on all the acts touring the area. He became part of Candye Kanes’ band and after a five year stint with her he moved to Chicago to support his wife as she attended medical school. He took a break from music but did spend a year with Perry Weber and the Devilles from Milwaukee. He recalls the time and his playing with Jim Liban and Gerry Hundt which he said, “Was super cool.” Now it’s seven years later he’s back in California (Bay Area) and he apparently has not missed a beat! He begins with Eddie Taylor’s “You’ll Always Have A Home.” The guitar and harp lead into a great little boogie with an almost rockabilly feel to it. As Jester began singing about his baby with “hair as long as his right arm” I was sold after just a few bars. He sings extremely well, the guitar is impeccable and the band is totally solid. Ahmet Ertegan’s “Whatcha Gonna Do” swings like it’s 1958 with Jester and his backing vocalist harmonizing and the sweet guitar sounds. They get into a great groove with the keys and hand claps and even I felt like dancing! “Drive It Home” is a Snooks Eaglin cut and Jester nails it. The vocals are spot on as he wails and Kumar’s harp punctuates the vocals nicely. Jester of course solos and it is solid as he is throughout. Professor
Longhair makes an “appearance” in Hadacol Bounce” and we get a little New Orleans swing flavor to savor. Very cool cover with great piano in the mix! “Big Fat Wallet” follows, the first of two originals. The piano goes full barrel house style s Jester’s guitar effort goes back and forth with Morris. Snooky Pryor’s “You Tried to Ruin Me” and it’s time for more harp along with some great blues vocals. “Ace of Spades” is an old O.V. Wright (Don Robey) song that Jester gives new life to. Thoughtful, soulful and cool- Jester really has some chops! The Lee Baker (Guitar Jr.) tune “Knocks Me Out” takes us back to Memphis with another swinging groove. Great piano, guitar and vocals again! “Number Nine Train” (Bobbie Robinson, aka Tarheel Slim) gets moved into the rockabilly realm with this cover. Jester’s interpretations are really well done! “How Can You Be So Mean” by Johnny Ace hails from 1955 but songs fresh as a daisy as Jester spins it his way. Kumar’s harp and his gritty vocals make this great and then Jester gives us a huge and ringing guitar solo to suck up and love. The other original is a sultry “After All This” where Jester picks out some sweet guitar and then sings lovingly to his woman. The Don Dally Orchestra adds to the mood with strings and a full sound to make another special cut for us! “BB Boogie” lets Jester give us his interpretation of Lucille and Mssr. King’s classic. The song rocks as he and the band lay out the boogie so well. The piano really makes this one over the top. Lester Butler’s “No Fightin’” is very west coast and Jester pays homage to the Red Devils of two decades past. The harp is amazing here and Jester is just right there in the mix, making this just another outstanding cut. The wrap up cut is Jerry “Boogie” McCain’s “Turn Your Damper Down.” Dirty harp, a little distortion on the vocals and mix and some super musical effort and we have another great cut! This a a swinging albums of blues with enough variety and spice to keep even the fussiest of blues fans interested. Jester offers up some fine performances on originals and covers alike, having chosen a superb set of songs to cover and interpret for us. He is entertaining and the musicianship is excellent. I really enjoyed this CD a lot and I think blues fans all over will also really appreciate it! This is a noholds-barred fantastic album that you must own! Reviewed by Steve Jones
The Groove- Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter
Page 8 So Close To It Breezy Rodio Windchill www.breezyrodio.com 15 tracks/67 minutes Italian guitarist Fabrizio (‘Breezy’) Rodio started out in New York but relocated to Chicago where he has worked with Guy King and Linsey Alexander, as well as working on an emerging solo career. His latest blues album (he also plays reggae!) follows on from 2011’s “Playing My Game Too” which featured Chicago greats Lurrie Bell and Bob Stroger. This time around the guests again include Lurrie as well as Billy Branch, Joe Barr and Carl Weathersby. The core band is Breezy on guitar and vocals, “Ariyo” Sumito Ariyoshi on piano, Chris Foreman on organ, Light Palone on bass and Lorenzo Francocci on drums. A horn section of Bill Overton on sax and either Art Davis or Doug Scharf on trumpet appears on six cuts; Billy Branch and Quique Gomez play harp on one track each, Lurrie Bell handles vocals and guitar on one track and Joe Barr and Carl Weathersby share the vocals on one track. There is also a ‘live in the studio’ bonus track featuring Breezy’s regular band of Luca Chiellini on piano, Brian Burke on upright bass and Rick King on drums. The album was recorded in Chicago and produced by Breezy, Pete Galanis and Steve Wagner. Kate Moss’ artwork is evocative of many Delmark and Blue Bella releases and the musical content is very much straight ahead, modern Chicago blues. Breezy wrote eight of the tunes and there are seven covers. Breezy seems to have a fondness for BB King and T-Bone Walker. The CD opens with a solid version of “When My Heart Beat Like A Hammer” (Sonny Boy I) which has excellent guitar, piano and organ to make an excellent start to the album; “Sneakin’ Around” (JM Robinson) is beautifully played, Breezy’s guitar superb in BB style and the horns providing a warm background; “Please Accept My Love” (Jimmy Wilson) has some fine churchy organ from Chris Foreman and a chorus embellished by the horns. These ballads make considerable demands of Breezy’s vocal abilities and he betrays more of an accent here than on some of the songs that are vocally less taxing. TBone Walker is the source for the bonus track, a late-night “Evil Hearted Woman” on which Breezy’s regular pianist Luca stars, as well as the comical “Too Lazy” – “I’m too lazy to work, too nervous to steal” – on which Ariyo and the horns, especially
Art Davis’ trumpet, lead the way. Ray Charles is also represented with a short, snappy run through of “Just About To Lose Your Clown” (J McRae) with Chris doing sterling work on the organ and the horns emphasising the latin feel of the tune as Breezy unleashes a super solo. Even Elvis is not too far a step for Breezy to try as he tackles Otis Blackwell’s rockabilly classic “One Broken Heart For Sale”. Breezy does a great job on the vocals here and Ariyo’s piano and the horns deliver a rocking punch over which Chris lays out a fine organ solo. Breezy’s originals stand up well alongside the selection of classic covers. The title track “So Close To It” is a fine shuffle with Quique Gomez’s harp and additional backing vocals from Jen Williams featured, a song that asks the question: “If you don’t like the music, why do you stand so close to it?” Breezy’s clean, plucked solo impresses before developing into a series of bends. “Walking With My Baby” features some high note blowing on harp by Billy Branch and twinkling piano from Ariyo, a rolling blues that namechecks well-known Chicago places like Halsted and State Street. However, in this song Breezy has come prepared for trouble: “I’m walking with my baby, she’s so fine. You better stay away because I’ve got my 38.” The horns propel “Time To Come Back Home”, an uptempo swinger featuring Chris Foreman’s organ and Ariyo’s piano, Breezy giving us another fine solo before the coda takes the pace up yet another notch for a final rave-up. “I Can’t Get Enough Of You” is another swingstyle tune with more of Ariyo’s superb piano and Breezy’s relaxed and inventive guitar. “Mary” is a mid-paced piece with some stinging guitar at the beginning, very Albert King in style and the extended “The Day I Met You” (a co-write with Pete Galanis) is a fine ballad on which Joe Barr and Carl Weathersby share the vocals. Lurrie Bell shares guitar duties and handles the vocals in his inimitable style on the slow T-Bone influenced “I Win Some More”. A final slow blues, the stately “How Much More Can A Poor Boy Take” completes the originals with a wry look at how relationships can go astray. This is a very good album of Chicago blues mixing classic styles across a blend of original tunes and covers. The playing is consistently excellent and Breezy writes some interesting songs so there is plenty for fans of Chicago blues to enjoy here. Reviewed by John Mitchell
Live! At the Red Rocket Reverend Raven and the Chain Smokin’ Altar Boys Self Released 8 tracks The first of the Rev’s live “bootleg” series, this CD features Rev Raven and his current band live plus two cuts from the live session at Blues on Grand with Madison Slim on harp. The CD captures the emotion and feel of Rik Raven and his band at their live shows. I don’t think I’d be bored watching and listening to this band 365, 24/7! Featuring Benny Rickun on harp, Danny Moore on piano and organ, PT Pedersen on bass and Bobby Lee Sellers Jr on drums forthe current band cuts, the sound is tight and phenomenal. The Red Rocket is not a real bar; it is a place of legend with free food and drink and the equipment never needs hauling. Rik Raven has created this place as the “home’ for his live bootleg series of CDs that he is planning to release. The band starts slippin’ and slidin’ with great slide and some excellent barrelhouse piano on “Hawaiian Boogie #2.” An impressive start, followed by classic Chicago blues in “Who’s Muddy Shoes.” “Diving Duck” then follows where Danny and Benny do great work in support as the Rev lays it out. “Stompin’ and Shoutin’” is a standard as Rev’s shows how it’s done well here. He gets in to that groove that mystifies you in an almost hypnotic fashion and captures your attention! “Bad Boy” is classic Rev at his best. Benny’s harp is immaculately done in that cleanly dirty style that sounds so mean and good. Rev is wailing as he testifies to his behavior. “Lookin’ For Love” is another Rev standard. Danny is a standout on the piano and the song is a swingin’ testimonial to the joy and fun at one of the Rev’s shows. The last two songs switch bands with Madison Slim on harp; “Brick in My Pillow” has Slim doing some absolutely slick and dirty harp licks as no one else can. The duo of Slim and the Rev are really special together as they wind their ways through this and the next cut. “Another Mule” features Slim on vocals as he extends the story of Muddy’s woman cheatin’ on him; another mule kickin’ in his stall becomes the topic for the whole song. Kid Panosh on drums and Andre Maritato is on bass for the final two cuts, too. Phenomenally hot stuff. If you love the Rev, get this album. If you’ve never heard him, you’ll love him after getting this album! Great CD– recommended for all blues fans! Reviewed by Steve Jones
March-April 2015 Traveling South Mikey Junior Vizztone www.mikeyjunior.com 12 Tracks Mikey Junior, harmonica player/singer-songwriter, has his feet planted firmly in the East Coast blues scene with seven previous blues albums. He was self taught, learning from an extensive blues vinyl collection, was working as a full time musician before he graduated from high school. In his early twenties, he became very sought after by blues societies on the East Coast. Since he is very knowledgeable about old-school blues style, he continues to carry early blues traditions into the 21st century. Mikey Junior is very supportive of blues and new blues artists, making The Twisted Tail in Philadelphia his venue of choice, hosting regular blues jams.
Page 9 powerful harp he lays it on the line with "The Cheat. "You" does a great job of tying in all facets from the band members with a slow beat and deeply soulful vocals. "She's Good At Being Bad" echos harp solos with added reverb, again with a slow beat, this time interjects some haunting guitar solos. They pick the pace up on "Please Come Back," with the entire band performing an electrify tune both musically and vocally. Guitar and harp solos are spectacular backed by the solid rhythm section and keyboards. Wrong Number" is an a soulful R&B tune that shows just how versatile Mikey Junior and band can be. They end the new release with a strong bass line on the acoustic country number on "Trying To Do The Best I Can." It is evident after listening to this CD that Mikey Junior is very experienced in the blues world and will be one of the new generation stars in days to come. Reviewed by Rick Davis
His latest and eighth released CD is titled Traveling South on Swingnation/VizzTone Records. Produced by guitarist Dave Gross, who also appears on guitar and percussion, along with Mikey Junior on vocals and harmonica, Dean Shot on guitar, Jeremy Baum on keyboards, Matt Raymond on bass, and Michael Bram on drums. Instrumentally the music is reminiscent of the Chicago post-war era guitar legends Earl Hooker, Magic Sam, and Otis Rush. With harmonica skills similar to William Clarke or Paul Butterfield and powerful vocals like that of Paul Butterfield, he is rapidly headed for the top as heard on his recent 8th release. With chromatic in hand, Mikey and the band opens with the title track "Traveling South," with Mikey strutting his fat harmonica tone. The tune is rich with guitar solos, a deep, dark steady rhythm groove, stirring vocals and harp, tied together into a hypnotic blues ballad. He slithers with confidence into the next slow blues tune "Nobody Does It Like Me," reminding his lover that he is assured she can't stay away. "Morning On My Way" is a little more rousing with a New Orleans voodoo presence, building to a strong crescendo. After losing the love of his life, desperation can be heard in his voice in "Mill Tavern," when his girl is no longer around. "Katie Lynn" offers a deep flat rhythm groove, surrounding distorted vocals like those created with the early 1960s vocal microphones, in a dedication to his past lover Katie Lynn. "Bad Time Blues" opens with stinging guitar riffs typical of Robert Cray's guitar style and continues with Mikey's strong vocals. With convincing vocals and
20 Years Anniversary Ruf Records 28 Tracks With 220 releases, over three million albums sold, Grammy nominations, and numerous blues music awards to his credit, Ruf Records founder Thomas Ruf celebrated his 20 year milestone in November, 2014 with a double CD appropriately titled 20 Years Anniversary with disc one titled Girls With Guitars and disc two titled Guys With Guitars. Ruf hails from the small community of Lindewerra, Germany and developed a passion for blues music after hearing the late great Luther Allison at The Black Forrest, a local blues venue. Since Allison was the first blues artist to influence Ruf, the founder made the statement "Luther’s name will always be connected with our history, marking our birth and growth." Twenty years later Ruf pays tribute to many new and well established blues artists across the globe. With his creative approach to presenting blues artists young and old, he has made Ruf Records a world wide leader in the industry with Blues Caravan, Girls and Guys with Guitars, and his award winning, live CD/DVD series Songs From The Road. Spoken in his own words for a recent interview he sums up his recipe for success with "Work hard and be honest all the time. Speak the truth. Make the best quality possible your goal in everything you do." Over the
years, Ruf's integrity has captured artists to numerous to list. For the 20 Years Anniversary album, Thomas Ruf has chosen Dani Wilde, Samantha Fish, Cassie Taylor, Eliana Cargnelutti, Candye Kane and Laura Chavez, Sue Foley, Roxanne Potvin, Deborah Coleman, Dana Fuchs, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Meena, Ana Popovic, Joanna Connor, Eliana Cargnelutti, Eria Lyytinen, and Sue Foley to represent the female blues artists on disc one. The flip side or disc two represents primarily the male artists Thorbjorn Risager, Cyril Neville’s on lead vocals for Royal Southern Brotherhood, Bart Walker, The Spin Doctors, the late great Jeff Healey, Walter Trout, Oli Brown, Laurence Jones, Mike Zeto, Aynsley Lister, Eria Lyytinen, and Ian Parker from the Blues Carvan, Devon Allman, Kim Simmonds and Savoy Brown, Albert Castiglia, and Luther Allison closing with the Rolling Stones song "You Can’t Always Get What You Want" which was his final recording. Ruf Records "20 Years Anniversary" provides an overview of the first 20 years and the ambitious dream of Thomas Ruf, and a glimpse into the future for many current newcomers to the blues scene, with many more on the horizon. With this collection, we get a better picture of contribution one man has made to the blues industry, using the slogan "Where the blues crosses over." Review by Rick Davis Above The Fold Blue Lunch Rip Cat Records www.bluelunch.com 15 Tracks Blue Lunch formed in 1984, starting as a group called The Cruisemasters, a party band created by Pete and "Hoss" Ostrunic. When current guitarist Bob Frank joined in 1995, the band decided to become a West Coast Swing band mixing it with Orleans music, R&B, and deep Chicago blues, adding more original tunes. The only original band members left are Frank and co-founder Pete London. The West Coast Swing band Blue Lunch has played around the Cleveland, Ohio area for 30 years. They have done all of their studio albums in the Lava Room Recording Studio, a studio with quite a bit of history in Cleveland. Artists like Duke Ellington, Bing Crosby, even
The Groove- Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter
Page 10 Clayton MacMeecham have played the Lava room. They have opened for James Hunter and Buddy Guy and worked on stage with leading performers like Little Milton, Candye Kane, Long Tall Deb, Michelle Wilson, Murali Coryell, Tad Robinson, Omar Coleman, Sax Gordon, Pinetop Perkins, Sean Carney, and Robert Lockwood. They have worked with local groups such as Walkin' Cane, Becky Boyd, Jake Frier, Miss Butterscotch, Mississippi Reese, Blues Boy Lonnie, and Wallace Coleman. They combine the vocals of Rick Estrin or Sugar Ray Norcia and the music of bands like Room Full Of Blues, Canada's Downchild Blues Band, or Powder Blues to create a hybrid sound of their own. The band's lineup on their newest CD Above The Fold released on Rip Cat Records consists of Ray Deforest on vocals, guitar, and violin, Bob Frank on vocals and guitar, Peter London on vocals on harmonica, Chris Burge on saxophone, Mike Rubin on trumpet, Bob Michael on trombone, Mike Sands on piano, and Scott Flowers on drums. Above the Fold CD is a splendid collection on a single disc, loaded with a variety of blues, jazz, and gospel on 15 tracks. The only three tunes not written by band members are "Love No More" written by New Orleans band leader Dave Barthowmew, the 50's R&B Andre William's tune "Tossin' & Turnin' & Burnin' All Up Inside," and the closing song, a traditional gospel song "Good New" sung acappella. The group kicks into full swing with the hot number "Ain't Trying To Kill Nobody" establishing the full orchestra sound for the entire album with superb guitar solos from Bob Frank and sax solos from Chris Burge. "One Fine Day" is an jazz infused instrumental demonstrating just how tight all the band members can perform. They head over to the blues side with "The Long Game," featuring Pete London on his Mississippi saxophone. "Everybody's On The Phone" is calling all those fans who want to jump, jive, and wail on this swing tune with modern day lyrics. The blues ballad "Woman I Bleed" starts slow and changes tempo only to return at the end. Opening with piano and muted trumpet from Mike Rubin, Dixieland/swing style jazz instrumental "No Time Like The Present" takes you right to the dance floor. Another original tune "Seven Times" leans more to the soul/R&B music genre. Spiritual/R&B "Where Do You Think It's Going" is an uptempo highly spirited number. "Lake Erie Highball" is a sensational fast pace jazz instrumental written by Chris Burge and features Burge on saxophone throughout the song. "Venita" switches back to a slow
blues tune written by Bob Frank, featuring Frank on smooth guitar solos. The follow up is another Frank tune "All I Needed," a number that could easily be a 40's classic jazz standard. The last original blues instrumental "Kattin' Around With Moe" is a Pete London song, showcasing London on harp with a solid performance from the rhythm section and extraordinary rhythm guitar from Bob Frank. The final tune "Good News" is worth mentioning for a second time simply because it is the only all vocal acappella gospel song with London, Frank, DeForest harmonizing to perfection. This CD is special because listening to it makes you appreciate how this close knit group has evolved into an award winning band. Even if it is your first exposure to Blue Lunch, you can enjoy and appreciate their achievements after only 8 albums and many live performances. Keep it going gentlemen! Reviewed by Rick Davis You Can't Keep A Good Woman Down Low Society Icehouse Records https:// lowsocietyband.bandpage.com 12 Tracks Singer Mandy Lemons, along with guitarist and producer Sturgis Nikides, former guitarist for John Cale of The Velvet Underground, formed the group Low Society out their shared passion for Texas and Delta Blues, soul music, and rock 'n' roll. Rounding out the band in 2015 from Memphis are Mike "Drummerlife" Munn on drums and Nick Dodson on the bass guitar. The group has done extensive touring, performing juke joints and stages across Eastern Europe and the US. Some of the highlights of their past tour dates are Clarksdale Mississippi's Juke Joint Festival, 2012 Bluesalive Festival in the Czech Republic and Poland, as well as NYC's Howl Festival. They also participated in the 30th International Blues Challenge in Memphis. You Can't Keep A Good Woman Down is the follow up to their debut album High Time. Among the album's guest appearances are Dr. Herman Green on the saxophone, Lucero's Rick Steff on keys and accordion, John Shaw on piano, Brian Hawkins on harp and vocals, and Lee Booth on vocals. I think the best description of Mandy Lemons and her highpowered vocals would be "an emotionally
charged powerhouse voice that mixes original southern fried soul and northern attitude." For the most part she can keep pace with the blues vocals of Big Mamma Thornton and the late great Janis Joplin. You have to experience the blazing slide guitar of Sturgis Nikides as he explodes on stage. They open with no holes barred on the most volatile tune on You Can't Keep A Good Woman Down, as they rip into "Crammed & Jammed" that would shake the dead. Beware as they follow up with all the mystery of authentic voodoo on the tune "Voodoo Woman," as Mandy does her best to cast a spell on your soul and Sturgis creates a hypnotic ambiance with his haunting slide guitar. With Mike Munn riding the cymbals and Rick Steff on organ they add to the aura of song. "Need Yer Love" falls right into that web of the magical spells of New Orleans. They keep the Delta blazing with some funky guitar riffs and Mandy's passionate vocals on "Son House Says." They keep your heart pounding with the roadhouse blues title song "You Can't Keep A Good Woman Down." If you still need to be convinced that the Mandy can sing the blues, listen to the slow simmering heart felt tune "This Heart Of Mine," bringing the purest of blues guitar center stage. On to the high stepping slide guitar extravaganza, "Up In Your Grave," the rhythm section drives the tune on both drums and wood g端iro. Sturgis brings out the resonator and is joined by John Shaw on piano for the down home Delta blues number "Let Me Ride," as Mandy demonstrates her powerful gospel vocals. The old dance hall country music "western swing" is quite a switch both vocally and in guitar style on the song "No Money Down." Low Society returns to a Memphis style blues on the song"You Got A Right," with Sturgis taking charge on some stinging slide guitar solos. The band takes you South of the border with their band of musicians on "El Diablo." The album would not be complete without the growl of some hot Texas blues, as the wrap up this eclectic CD with "Should've Known Better," featuring Dr. Herman Green on saxophone. There isn't a music genre that Low Society can't handle, as you will hear when you experience the tunes from You Can't Keep A Good Woman Down. This latest release contains all the raw power and soul that you will hear in their live performances. This is an album you won't be able stop playing over and over again. Reviewed by Rick Davis
March-April 2015 In The Dog House Mike Osborn JE Gagne Records 11 Tracks At an early age, Michael W. Osborn, a native of Illinois, was influenced by the country and blue grass music, cherished by his parents. The exposure would later become an influence in developing his musical career, which actually started at the age of 13, when his family moved to Woodland, California. He was a lead guitarist in a county rock band at the age of 16, later moving into rockabilly, metal, as well performing in church, refining his guitar playing skills. He evolved into a blues rock guitarist, influenced like many guitarists by Stevie Ray Vaughan. In 1991 he played professionally for two years before leaving the music industry, only to return in 2006 to reestablish his music career. He is not to be confused with the Michael Osborn who played guitar for John Lee Hooker’s Coast to Coast Blues Band back in the 80s. His first release as a blues rocker was in 2009, Fast And Furious, which is very descriptive of his live performances. His debut album consisting of a blend of blues, rock, R&B, and country was highly acclaimed, receiving solid reviews in magazines and both on radio and television. In The Dog House is the second and newest album released, as a follow up to his debut album Fire And Fury. The lineup for In The Dog House kicks thing off with vocalist and lead guitar player Mike Osborn, Johnny Griparic on bass, Lee Spath on drums, Teddy Andreadis on keys, and Randy Mitchell on slide and electric guitars. The track listing opens with the fiery Mike Osborn blues rock tune "Love vs Ego," with Osborn leading the way on his blistering guitar, supported by Andreadis on organ. This tune sets the pace for Osborn's guitar prowess throughout this high powered blues CD. It is followed by a hard drivin' roadhouse boogie "Company Graveyard," throttled by Texas style vocals and guitar licks matching those of ZZ Top's own Billy Gibbons. "Lovin' Time" thoroughly establishes Osborn's strong, clear vocals with this perfect blend of his roots blues, rock, R&B. "Cold Man Cold" is fueled by Mike's guitar and wah-wah pedal fused with powerful, gritty vocals, driven by his strong and steady rhythm section. That hard driven roadhouse rock and roll is the force
Page 11 behind "Fire & Gasoline," much like Robby Kreiger on "Roadhouse Blues." Osborn is turned loose with his explosive blistering guitar style on the down home blues tune "Tied Up" with Griparic and Spath keeping that steady rhythm and Andreadis taking center stage on his organ. "Cheap Women" does a good job of combining the rock and roll guitar of Chuck Berry and the boogie woogie piano style of Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis into a honky-tonk classic. Mike Osborn pays a heart felt tribute to all the returning veterans with his self-penned tune "Veterans Song," switching gears with his Mark Knofler influenced guitar licks. They bring Randy Mitchell on board with his slide guitar on the western ballad "Satin & St. Paul." The Hooker 'N' Heat style original tune "Jump In Your Fire" is a perfect fit for what could be a new "contemporary blues album of the year." The new album is completed with another tune written by Osborn. The title track "In The Dog House" is the only instrumental on the album, capturing the deep rhythm sections of 60s groups and the rock and roll guitar, with rockabilly instrumentals made famous from the same time period. With an album like this, Mike Osborn has proven that a musician of his caliber can rekindle a musical career at a later stage in his life, given their drive and passion to write and perform music. In The Dog House is a welcomed addition to any blues collection. Reviewed by Rick Davis Wanted Woman Niecie Ride The Tiger Records http://www.niecie.net/ 10 Tracks
drives this song with fiery guitar work rocking the tune. “You Wouldn't Know It” has Neel’s southern rock imprint on it. The keyboard and drum timing fit that mold. The title track “Wanted Woman” shows off Niecie on vocals on a more midtempo song. Neel pushes it along with his B3, with Kim Morrison supporting with backing vocals. One of the two covers is “Crying For My Baby”. Harold Burrage wrote this in the early 60’s and is well covered here by Niecie. The band is hot on this one also. The 5th cut is “Strange Way”. It gets a bit Muscle Shoals in the soulful music and vocal delivery by the group. New Orleans shows up in “Blues Ain’t Nothin’”. The keys and guitar wotk remind of the R&B/ Blues from the Crescent City. I enjoyed “Just Can’t Walk Away”. It is not a big rocker but there is power in it. Maria Mudaur or Bettye LaVette would be at home with this fine tune. There is a hint of B.B. in the guitar work. The CD picks it back up next with the rocking “Typical Chick”. It might be a bit autobiographical for Niecie. This is good blues rock. Little Milton provide the next song. This is down home soulful blues at it’s finest. It clocks in at just over 9 minutes. The band stretches out and do a great job. Closing out the CD is “God Got This”. I enjoyed this funk infused song with a hint of feel good gospel. The band has it going on for this song too. Overall an enjoyable blues rock CD. Niecie is gaining traction with her career. Neel has his fingerprints all over the music, which is good. If you are new to Niecie, this is a good place to start. I know there is another CD just coming out, which should bring in even more accolades to Niecie. Reviewed by Mark Nelson
Niecie is a music veteran, spending time in Detroit, Chicago, Las Vegas, Boston, and Nashville. She has put out 3 discs prior to this one. She is joined on this CD by Johnny Neel (Allman Brothers, Dickie Betts, & Govt. Mule). Between Neel and Niecie, they wrote 8 of the 10 songs on the disc. Other musicians appearing are: Chris Anderson (guitar) Dennis Gulley (bass) Daryl Burgess (drums) Kim Morrison (backing vocals) and Danny Hamlen (guitar) and Jon Conley (guitar). This is a high powered rocking blues CD. Johnny Neel is the producer of the CD. Opening the CD is the hard charging and catchy “Traffic Light”. The drumbeat
The Groove- Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter
Page 12 ReDrova Balkun Brothers Independent/Balkun Studios ww.BalkunMusic.com 12 Tracks/50:33 "ReDrova" is the Balkun Brothers first fulllength, self-produced album that includes an impressive array of musical styles sure to satisfy many a listener. From pushing the boundaries of blues to traditional Delta and electric, the brothers infuse their brand of rockin' blues with energy to boot. An award winning band from Hartford, CT, they were originally formed in 2010 by brothers Steve and Nick Balkun along with bassist Caleb Battersby. Four years later, they are playing over 150 shows, having shared the stage with such names as Johnny Winter, Joe Bonamassa, James Cotton, Popa Chubby, Eric Sardinas, Albert Castiglia, and many more. reDrova was mixed and mastered at More Sound Studio in Syracuse, NY by accomplished engineer/producer Jason "Jocko" Randall. Since 2012 the Balkun Brothers have amassed several notable awards and accolades. The opening song, "Oh Yeah", sounds as if it came straight off the early Black Sabbath albums but, I had committed to listening so let's get on with it! The second, and title cut, "ReDrova", opened with what could have been a Pink Floyd number. But then opened into a blues sounding rhythm. Track three, "Got My Boots On", began with the sound of trdding boots then broke into some upbeat slide blues. You can't go wrong with slide and blues. This number certainly kicked off the blues nicely. Track 4 "Keep Me Warm" was a slower blues tune and also had a dark quality present. Steve Balkun on guitars and vocals, Nick Balkun on drums, and Caleb Battersbyon bass showcased a mix or rock and blues and somewhere in between. "S.F.T.A." was a swift tempo done with wailing slide and typical bar room lyrics. The next cut, #6, "Bippidee Bopp", once again featured Steve's satisfying slide work. A seemingly confused little ditty. "Keep It Up", picked up the pace with the boys playing at a snappy pace both vocally and musically. Track 8, "Sally's Blues", now we're talking hurting, howlin', deep down feeling Chicago blues. This is the best number on this album. "Fried Pickle Party", has a real down home kinda layed back acustic flow. All instumental and short but sweet. Track 10, "Slidin" Butt", another instrumental featured Nick's drum work and Steve on slide. Quickly transitioning into a Canned Heat sounding,"Tell Me", the good times
continue to keep one's feet moving. I can't compliment the slide work enough. The last number, "Too Damn Long", ties this album all together as they sing about going home. The more I listened to this band the more I couldn't wait to hear them again. I believe the Balkun Brothers will be here for a while. Reviewed by Bill Graw Live & Extended Brandon Santini Vizztone Label Group www.brandonsantini.com 12 tracks It has been eleven years since Brandon Santini made the permanent move to Memphis to further his career. The singer and harp player has toured constantly, honing his talents and putting together a band that is as sharp as the crease on Rick Estrin’s pants. The move has paid off in recent years with several Blues Blast and Blues Music award nominations, giving Santini a much higher level of visibility throughout the blues community. Last summer the band headed north for an engagement at the le Petit Imperial, a concert venue in Quebec City. It is obvious from the start that the band is loaded for bear. Nick Hern on bass and Chad Wirl on drums lay down a mean shuffle on “One More Mile” while guitarist Timo Arthur lays down some tantalizing rhythmic phrases. The leader unleashes his deep, expressive voice before attempting to blow out the reed in his harp with two edgy solos. Santini co-wrote “This Time Another Year” with Charlie Musselwhite, which means there is plenty of dirty harp before they break things down to give Arthur an opportunity for some delicate guitar interplay. Santini is right at home on a laidback take of “Elevate Me Mama” until his wailing harp kicks things into another gear. “Evil Woman” keeps things down in the alley and Arthur finally gets to run through his arsenal of guitar chops. He sets the pace as the band races through “Have A Good Time” before finishing off the first part of the program with a swinging rendition of “Help Me With The Blues”. The second set is more of the same as Santini hits the stage blowing with galeforce intensity on the classic “Got Love If You Want It,” which glides into “No Matter
What I Do,” another romping shuffle complete with a vocal dripping with soul. “What You Doing To Me” provides a needed respite as the band slips into a country blues groove, the ideal setting for one of Santini’s best vocal performances. “My Backscratcher” features more of the leader’s fat harp tone and another blistering solo from Arthur. The frantic pace of “I Wanna Boogie With You” undoubtedly got the audience out of their seats, especially when Santini summons up the intensity of one of his harp mentors, James Cotton. Most performers would have stopped on that high note. But Santini and his cohorts tear through one final number, “Come On Everybody,” just to make sure that their fans got their money’s worth of highoctane blues. Throughout this masterful performance, Brandon Santini displays the sheer artistic command of an artist in complete control. His thick-as-molasses vocals and muscular harp playing combined with a band that backs his every move make this package a real gem that stands solidly in the blues tradition. Recordings like this are hard to come by, so make sure you don’t miss out on a disc that is sure to lead to a few more award nominations for Mr. Santini. Reviewed by Mark Thompson Wish For What You Want Billy Walton Band Vizztone Label Group www.BillyWaltonBand.com www.vizztone.com 12 tracks/46:45 Fans of Southside Johnny & the Ashbury Jukes will be familiar with guitarist Billy Walton, who is a former member of that formidable organization. Blues Blast Magazine readers in Europe may have seen Billy with his own band on one of their frequent tours overseas over the last eight years. Now the band is looking to capture the ears and hearts of listeners throughout the USA. They burst out of the gate with the title track, complete with an organ wash courtesy of guest Mike Finnigan that simmers underneath Walton’s fierce guitar licks. “Mountain” is a relentless, grinding number that finds Walton armed and ready to defend himself if necessary. He preaches about letting go on “Forgive And Forget,” adding some wah-wah flavoring to the guitar part while Sean Marks on sax, Steve Hyde on trumpet, and Ian Gray on trombone strut their stuff.
March-April 2015 On cuts like “True Lovin’ Man” and “Till Tomorrow,” the band unveils their rock & soul nature. Walton’s higher pitched vocals floats over the solid rhythm support from William Paris on bass and John D’Angelo on drums. One of the singer’s finest moments occurs on a touching rendition of “Walk That Little Girl Home,” cowritten by Willy Deville and Doc Pomus. The other cover, Felix Cavaliere”s “Come On Up,” is certain to get the dancers feet moving at live shows. “Blues Come A Knockin” settles into a laidback, country blues mode with Walton on slide and Southside Johnny blowing some fine harmonica. The country feel is even more pronounced on the opening of “Hudson County Star,” with Walton and Paris trading vocals. After two minutes, the band kicks it into gear and the song morphs into a surging, up-tempo rocker. “Change” establishes a melancholic atmosphere but would have benefited from a stronger set of lyrics. Things get a bit better on ”Worried Blues” with Walton making several strong statements on slide guitar. Joey Stann on sax fills the Clarence Clemons role on ‘It Don’t Matter,” celebrating the famed New Jersey musical tradition. Producer Tony Braunagel makes sure that that each arrangement has a fat sound and the band stays focused. There is plenty to enjoy here – and all indications are that the Billy Walton Band can bring some of the same energy to the live stage as several other renowned New Jersey groups. Reviewed by Mark Thompson Heart of Memphis Robin McKelle & The Flytones Doxie Records/Vizztone Label Group www.vizztone.com www.RobinMckelle.com 13 tracks/49:34 It certainly is rare to read about a soul/ blues singer who once finished third in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocal competition. Originally from Rochester, NY, vocalist Robin McKelle migrated to France, where two recordings of big band swing material made her a star. Five years ago she began a transformation that took her through songs from composers like Willie Dixon and Doc Pomus to this latest recording that celebrates the musical legacy of the city of Memphis. McKelle’s band, the Flytones, quickly serve notice that they have an innate un-
Page 13 derstanding of sweet soul music with Al Street on guitar, Ben Stivers on a multitude of keyboards, Derek Nievergelt on bass and Adrian Harpham on drums 7 percussion. Producer Scott Bomar certainly brings a wealth of experience to the project. He is the bass player for the BoKeys and learned how to work a studio alongside the legendary Willie Mitchell, leading to Bomar engineering two Al Green recordings. Two other members of the Bo-Keys add their considerable talents to the mix – Mark Franklin on trumpet & flugelhorn and Kirk Smothers on saxophones & flute. Sounding like a modern-day version of Dusty Springfield, McKelle possesses a rich, resonant voice that is used to tell stories, minus most of the vocal gyrations that infect many current vocal performances. She is a singer’s singer with a voice that can break your heart on “Easier That Way,” which borrows a horn riff from Rev. Green, or breathe fire into the dancefloor stomper, “Good Time”. On the title track, McKelle offers a reverential tribute to the people and magical sounds of the famed city over an easy-rolling rhythm punctuated by horn accents. “About To Be Your Baby” sounds like it was borrowed from one of Ann Peebles classic recordings on Hi Records. The full scope of the singer’s voice is revealed on “It’s Over This Time,” which starts out simmering at a slow boil as it builds to the climatic coda. The addition of a string section give tracks like “Control Yourself” and “Down With The Ship” a more contemporary R&B feel. McKelle’s powerful voice cuts loose on “What You Want” as she demands some answers from a reluctant lover. Two covers head in opposite directions. O.B. McClinton’s “Forgetting You” adds a soulful country flavor while the Animal’s hit, “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood,” gets an updating complete with Stivers on Farfisa organ injecting an eerie feel to the proceedings. The band is hitting on all cylinders on the up-tempo romp “Good & Plenty” while “Like A River” sports a stone -cold, seductive Memphis groove for more of McKelle’s forthright testimony on love and happiness. This project validates McKelle’s decision to move on from her jazz roots and embrace a new career course. Her gorgeous voice and spirited delivery combined with an exceptional brew of original material puts this one in the “Highly Recommended “category! Reviewed by Mark Thompson
Imagining Robert Johnson: A Fictional Account Of the Bluesman David Singer Self-Published http://imaginingrobertjohnson.blogspot.com/ ISBN 9781505417654 The mysteries of Robert Johnson’s life abound. David Singer, writer of weekly music reviews for the Daily Gazette in Schenectady, NY, covers nearly 50 concerts a year and the mysteries of Johnson’s life and music drove him to write this book. It contains three stories on how he supposed Johnson lived, got inspiration to write his songs, and how he performed. We know Johnson performed far and wide, probably lived under many assumed names, did not stay anywhere too long, and as he made his circuitous tours he faced challenges of scorned lovers, fathering children, problems caused by liquor, money or both, and inter-racial issues in the heavily prejudiced times he lived in (not that today seems much better in some regards). Singer represents Johnson as he imagines him. The stories are rich written and depict Johnson fairly. He is not deified nor scorned. Singer attempts to portray life in the deep south and America as it was back then. He shows us RJ as a busker, as a juke joint musician and as a man driven by his music. The songs of RJ are mostly sad and lonely, so he depicts Johnson in his life explaining why happy songs do not work for him. He tries to delve into the psyche of a man shrouded in mystery whose music lives on through both rock and roll and the blues. No one knows what Johnson’s life was like beyond second and third hand accounts from some of his contemporaries. We get some accurate depictions from people like Honeyboy Edwards and such, but here we get a flavor for his daily life and the grind of being an itinerant musician. While it is merely fiction, we get a feeling of how RJ may have lived his life from the eyes of a beloved beholder in upstate New York. Available in hardcopy or digital download at the link above or on Kindle, RJ’s fans will enjoy this book! Reviewed by Steve Jones
Page 14 Here Me Calling Nathan James & The Rhythm Scratchers Sacred Cat Recordings www.nathandjames.com 11 Tracks Natural Born That Way Nathan James Sacred Cat Recordings http://www.nathandjames.com 11 Tracks Hailing from Southern California, Nathan James has made a name for himself. He played in local San Diego bands and then got a chance to join up with James Harmon. After almost 4 years he went solo, and continued to build his reputation in the blues community. Later Ben Hernandez joined him on harmonica to augment the sound and shows. In 2007 they went to Memphis for the International Blues Challenge and they were awarded first place. They released 2 recordings. Later James released 2 others on his own, one solo and one a group effort. As James was planning his next CD, he was torn between a solo or group effort. He chose to one of each. We have these 2 new recordings here and will review them both. Here Me Calling This is the solo recording from Nathan James. He recorded it in the lunch room of his studio direct analog to reel to reel. He performance is as a one man band with guitars, harmonica and foot percussion. A Washboard Guitar (his own invention) is used on this recording. Eight of the 11 cuts are originals. The CD opens with “Hear Me Calling”. It has harp and national steel guitar, and a nice pace to it. I hear some New Orleans in “Look, Before I Leap”. The pace of the guitar on “Still I Wanna Know” is great. Foot percussion and a hint of rumba influence the playing on “Doing The Same To You” is very good. On “Baby Where Did You Go” is straight delta blues with fine guitar. James shows off his slide talents on “No No Blues”. The national steel guitar gets quite a workout on this Curley Weaver tune. A Lonnie Johnson tune is covered quite well by James. “She’s Making Whoopee In Hell Tonight” is certainly not a regular love song! James gives us a good original with “Look out Your Win-
The Groove- Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter dow”, though the vocals could be a bit more out front in the recording. “Don't Believe What People Say” returns us to the Delta with a great message. Harp skills are shown off on “She Don't Make A Scene”. The foot percussion gets a workout too. The CD closes with an old gospel number. “I Know I've Got Religion” gives us a bit of Keb Mo’ vocals meeting old time religion. I enjoyed this disc. It covers acoustic blues very well. I like that James wrote most of the material and found great ways to supplement his guitar work with the harp and percussion. If he cruises through your neighborhood, hope he does an acoustic set before bringing out the rest of the band. Enjoy this release. Natural Born That Way Nathan James plugs in for this CD. He is joined by Marty Dodsen on drums, Troy Sandow on bass/harmonica, the great Carl Sonny Leyland on piano, and rhythm guitar Big Jon Atkinson. Six songs are originals, with 4 of them repeating from the acoustic set with electric versions. A swamp pop song from Freddy Fender called “I’m Gonna Leave” opens this CD. Carl Sonny Leyland tickles the ivories on this one with his great touch. The first of the repeats from the first CD is “Look Out Your Window”. I like this version a bit better. On the title cut “Natural Born That Way” James lays down a Latin/bluesy guitar line which reminds me of some Jon Cleary tunes. This is a very good tune. “Look Before You Leap” drips of New Orleans and Allen Toussaint, with Leyland’s piano keeping the song moving. Earl King wrote “Take You Back Home”. The New Orleans feel continues on here with piano and guitar playing off of each other. The rumba influence felt in the acoustic version of “Doing The Same To You”. I hear some John Mooney and Jon Cleary in this group effort. I have always enjoyed the Long John Hunter tune “Ride With Me Baby”. James gives his guitar a workout, with Leyland bangs on the piano on this one. Next, James returns to Earl King, and performs the slow ballad “It Must Have Been Love”. A Bo Diddley beat rhythm supports the 5 Royales tune “I’m Gonna Tell Them”. James really cuts loose on his guitar during this song. Troy Snowden and Nathan James wrote “Cow Pies”. It was not on the acoustic CD, and is a fine blues shuffle instrumental. The CD closes with “Don't Believe What People Say”. This is a fine blues song, done well by the band.
This is a good CD, that shows a well rounded look at the blues. I am a big New Orleans fan so I really enjoyed that influence on the music. Leyland on piano was a great addition to the recording, I enjoyed it and you should too. Which one so I like best, not sure. They both have merits to me. There are tasty covers on the electric CD, and some uniqueness on the acoustic CD. I have not seen James live, but sure hope to soon. Reviewed by Mark Nelson
So how do you like our new name? For years we’ve just called our newsletter nothing. It had been the Blueseye for it’s first iteration and then when we reformatted the newsletter we just called it the Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter. A catchy name with a modern sound was something we’d hoped for. A recent article discussed the fact that aging white boomers make up the vast majority of blues fans and that many think that the blues is something old and not fun to listen to when they hear that word and yet when they are asked about well known blues songs they love them. We are faced with both a generational and an educational crisis. The article went on to talk about promoting “Indie Blues.” I liked what was discussed but the term “Indie Blues” just seemed to jump on the bandwagon of “indie” everything that seems to be popping up. Maybe that is good. Maybe it’s not. If we want to promote the blues and all the forms of music it has become, we’ve got to get in the groove. As we thought about this concept and the word “groove,” it came to us that The Groove would make an excellent title for our newsletter/ magazine. If our newsletter is picked up by someone they will see the name first and not have the word blues stuck in their faces first. We still have an education process and we still need to get the blues into the psyche of a new generation. So enjoy our periodical and tell your friends what’s in The Groove! Steve Jones President, Crossroads Blues Society
March-April 2015
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Music from the Film Harlem Street Singer Empire Roots Band Acoustic Sessions Recordings www.harlemstreetsinger.com 11 tracks
mental, it's a refreshing ditty that automatically will make your foot tap. "I Am the Light Of This World/ I Belong To The Band" end the soundtrack and are some more sweet praise songs. "Orangitang Rag" is a great instrumental bonus track with some nice finger picking by Mann and piano work by Keyes.
The Reverend Gary Davis took the blues and gospel from the deep south to New York City. He took what he learned in South Carolina as a child and teen up to the Big Apple during the height of the folk and rock scene in the 1960's. The film Harlem Street Singer is a biography of the great musicians life and impact on American music. Four "Noo Yawkers" provide the music for the film and it is captured here in this "soundtrack" of sorts.
Gary Davis was a legend and these guys do a great job showing us why he
was. Whether you went out and saw the movie or not, this is a finely crafted album by some really good musicians who deliver Davis' work with feeling and authenticity; they go beyond giving us straight up note for note covers. I enjoyed this CD and I give it a big "thumbs up!" Reviewed by Steve Jones
Billy Sims, Jr. provides the vocal duties and does an admirable job delivering great performances with his own style and charm melded into Davis' work. Sims pays homage but also shows what he can do with these cuts while both being fresh and retaining a period feel to the songs. Woody Mann is on guitar and sings background, Dave Keyes is on piano and also sings background, and Brian Glassman plays upright bass. The four of them do a fine job delivering an authentic feel to the music while also making the music theirs. The CD features the unedited takes from the film and previously unreleased tracks. All the songs were written or are traditional songs performed regularly by Reverend Davis. They get things started with the classic, "Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning" and let me tell you that if you don't have any spiritual feelings you might be moved otherwise after listening to this song. Sims does a superb job while Keyes, Mann and Glassman show restraint as they do yeoman's duty in support. "Search My Heart" follows, a spiritual with some grit to it, and then they get into "Mean Old World." Very soulful stuff! The latter is done very down tempo and subdued and it works well. "There's Destruction In This Land" is great commentary along with being a judgement day song and "Soon My Work Will Be Done" is a great lamentation. "Trying to Get Home" then follows, picking up the pace a bit. A Sunday church medley keeps the pace going and gets more than a bit of a groove going. "Twelve Gates to the City" is another deeper spiritual with "Hesitation" sandwiched in between it and the medley. A ool little instru-
The Groove- Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter
Page 16 Real People Music Lady Bianca Magic-O Records www.ladybianca.com 8 tracks Lady Bianca Thornton’s latest effort is a short but interesting set of tunes delivered by a woman with a powerful voice. Six originals, an Otis Redding number and a traditional tune are featured here. When Bianca is singing, the show is smoking. Along with Ms. Thornton are Billy Young on organ, Charles Spikes on guitar, Oshmin Oden on bass, Joey Truso on drums, Juan Escovedo on percussion, Nancy Wright on sax, and Paul Lozano on backing vocals. Bianca sings and narrates, plays piano and clavinet and also does backing vocals. The soulful and funky original “Missing You” starts things off on the album. Bianca’s empathy and emotions are deep as she lays her heart out here. Nice organ and guitar work give this a Philadelphia sort of feel to it and I liked it a lot. Redding’s “These Arms of Mine Follow” and Bianca gives the cut her own special interpretation. Her breathy vocals and intense feelings really grab the listener. She plays the piano in support of her vocals and it’s quite cool; a very restrained guitar and support by the band maintain the feeling she is trying to achieve. “I Know You Don’t” is another soulful and dark song full of feelings from broken relations. Bianca again lets her emotions come out as she delivers an outstanding performance. “Party Like You Wanna” is a spoken cut. Bianca gives us an almost stream of consciousness sort of dialogue that encompasses virtually the entire song. While it was cool, I thought it was a bit much as the dialogue went on for over four and half minutes. Bianca opens the next cut with about three minutes of spoken dialogue with “You’ll Be Leaving With Her.” However, she also delivers another four minutes of very deep and soulful vocals in another heartfelt original number. “This Time I’m Gone For Good” was co written by Thornton and she delivers a very gritty performance. Spikes’ guitar solo and overall work her is also spectacular and the backing organ is quite cool, too. “Frying Pan” is the last soul number and the first and only real up tempo cut (not that that matters). Bianca sings about a relation where she’s gone “out of the frying pan and into the fire.” A great groove and more well done support make for another sweet tune. The sax really burns it up on this
number, too. Lady Bianca closes by taking us to church. “Woke Up This Morning With My Mind Stayed On Jesus” is a beautiful performance filled with real feeling. I was really moved by her work on this one. She goes on for eight minutes but it’s eight minutes well spent in soulful praise. While I’m not a huge fan of spoken cuts, they may be your cup of tea. It’s not mine but I can’t say that that sort of stuff is badBianca really gets into it. Her singing, however, is spectacular and if I have a real complaint it’s that there is only about 38 minutes of music here. The good thing is that Thornton packs a helluva lot of soul and feeling into 8 cuts over the 38 minutes. I enjoyed this CD and any lover of well done soul and blues will too! Reviewed by Steve Jones Watch Me Lexi Parr Self Released www.reverbnation.com/ musician/lexiparr 10 songs Lexi Parr is a sassy young singer from Galena, Illinois with a great voice that belies her age. This is her first CD and she’s off to a great start! The album features all new cuts except for one well done cover. The new songs were written by Lexi and Bobby Messano except for “Guess Life” (which was penned solely by Messano). The tunes here are all very solid and well-crafted; there are no clinkers in the bunch. Ranging from country ballads to all out rockers, Lexi has produced great songs and delivers them with a style and flair that really impressed me. Backing Lexi are Bobby Messano and his band. Bobby’s talents as a guitar player, singer, song writer and performer are legendary. His 30 year career in rock and blues has produced numerous nominations for Grammy Awards for his fine CD releases. He has toured with greats like Steve Winwood and is arguably one the finest guitar players in the industry today. He and band mates Suavek Zaniesienko (bass), Dave Hollingsworth (drums and percussion) and Freddie Gasparini (keys) provide ample musical and backing vocal support to Lexi on her inaugural CD. Lauren Parr also appears on violin, Megan Bilodeau provides mandolin and 5 string violin, and Dan Peterson also does some backing vocal work. Geoff Wilbourn and Bobby Messano produce the album. Recorded at The Sound Emporium Studios in Nashville, Tennessee, the sound is rich and full.
“Dirty Touches” is a driving rock song with blues influences showing a mature voiced Lexi in strong form. She is gritty and almost growling in her vocals, emoting to the theme of the song. “Signs” is a very nice ballad with acoustic guitar, piano and strings setting a country mood backing Lexi. Heart-felt vocals are the order of the day as Lexi tells us of relational issues in this song. Next up is “Watch Me” which reminds me of a late ‘70’s rock song. Lexi is effective in her strident and forceful approach. There is a really nice guitar solo as Lexi growls about her enemies and lack of supporters as she works to show them up. Fourth on the album is “Fairytale,” a very cool song. Lexi sounds young and exposed here. There was a little of that in prior song, more so here. She does a good job expressing feeling. “Guess Life” is a great duet with Bobby Messano. Bobby starts the vocals and then Lexi comes in and the two swap leads and sing together as they belt it out in this excellent song. The second half of the album opens with “Guitar Curse.” This cut is big bluesy rocker with Messano baring it all as Lexi blares out convincingly that, “a Guitar through the head is all you’ll get.” I’d get more into the lyrics but that alone tells you that this is not a love song. “Mama” begins with acoustic guitar and piano, a pretty ballad where Lexi again shows off her country side. It’s a very thoughtful approach, quite breathy and cool. “Papa Was A Rolling Stone” goes funky in typical Messano style. Lexi chose this to cover and displays some real attitude here; she spins it her way nicely through it. “Me And You” is next and it’s a country and blues rocker. Guitar and organ backing make this a big production and Lexi presents a sultry side. The backing vocals go a little into the Who as the song closes, a neat little touch. “Flower and Candyman” is a song that reminds me so much of very Joni Mitchell. It’s heady, ‘60’s sort of stuff. A very cool song- I liked the acoustic guitar and mandolin accompaniment. Lexi is young. That’s sometimes evident, but she’s got the chops and I really like her voice. Backed by Bobby Messano, his band, and a few others, Lexi demonstrates her ease in a wide range of genres from rock to country and blues along with a little funk thrown in to spice things up. A college student with a super voice, this fine young artist has a great career ahead of her. I recommend you check her and this album out. She’s a fantastic new talent that I am sure you will hearing a lot about her very soon! Reviewed by Steve Jones
March-April 2015 The Last Shot Got Him Scott Ainslie Cattail Music http://scottainslie.com/ 14 Tracks There are many stories about how an album came about. None will get your attention more than this one. Ainslie heard a rare 1934 Gibson archtop guitar played by a friend. Five years later he was able to purchase the guitar. The CD is made up of songs that would have been played when the guitar was made and it’s prime years. All but one of the songs on the CD is from the 30’s and early 40’s. Many of the songs are from John Hurt. There are a few instruments that accompany this special guitar on the recordings. Ainslie is a musician and blues historian from Virginia. This is his 6th solo recording. He also did a DVD for Robert Johnson’s Guitar Techniques in 1997. I enjoyed the opening song from Mississippi John Hurt “The First Shot Missed Him”. The guitar sounds wonderful, and Ainslie is in good voice on this classic. The next song is also from Hurt and is called “Avalon Blues”. He sings of times in New York. The vocals are crisp and clear. A Robert Johnson composition “Love In Vain” is the next tune. Ainslie is partial to Johnson’s playing and he does a great job on this song. We move to a popular song from the era next with an Irving Berlin composition. “Say It Isn’t So”. Ainslie learned the song from hearing Sippie Wallace perform it. For the 5th another John Hurt song is presented. “Let The Mermaids Flirt With Me” retains a melody from a Jimmie Rodgers tune “Waiting For A Train”. A faster pace song is next. “Got The Blues: Can’t Be Satisfied” talks of whiskey and women, the basis for many a great blues song! Reach back to your Disney movie days and recall the Dumbo movie. “When I See An Elephant Fly” comes from the movie, and is an enjoyable tune. Rev. Gary Davis provides the next tune about a obtaining a favorite beverage. “Sally Whiskey” has some great guitar playing on it, and provides some fun lyrics. A 5 string banjo supplements the song “Honey Right Away”. It adds a nice touch to the guitar work. I have always liked the Fats Waller classic “Ain’t Misbehavin’”. This acoustic guitar version is a nice change, with quality vocals. The last John Hurt song on the CD is “Monday Morning Blues”. It is an early
Page 17 song from Hurt about being in jail on trumped up charges and awaiting trial. Ainslie provided the lone original song next called “Late Last Night”. It is a jazzy number about war. “Cross Road Blues” is the many times covered song from Robert Johnson. Ainslie picks his way through a credible version of the warhorse tune. The CD closes with the classic song from The Wizard of Oz, “Somewhere Over The Rainbow”. The beautiful old guitar shines with this wonderful song. I enjoyed this CD, and recommend it. It is acoustic music made with love. I will go see Scott Ainslie and grab a front row seat to best see and hear him. Run and get this CD if you like the music of that era and enjoy it. Those not familiar with the music go get it, too! Reviewed by Mark Nelson Ghosts Bill Phillippe Arkansas Street Records www.billphillippemusic.com/ 13 Tracks As recorded blues go back near a century from now. It is great to see an artist not forget some of the older blues tunes that are a foundation of a great deal of music we have today. Bill Phillippe reaches back to 1920's and 30's acoustic blues and offers up 6 original compositions in those styles. For the past 20 years or so, Bill has entertained blues audiences in the San Francisco area. Prior to that he cut some blues chops in Chicago from 1984 to 1991. Bill also spent time paying New Orleans funk and avant-groove jazz. This is a musical guy, that has dug back to the roots for this first solo CD. Bill plays guitar and sings all of the tunes. The opening song on the CD is “Come On Into My Kitchen”. This oft covered Robert Johnson classic is treated with respect, and a softness. Bill wrote the next 3 songs. “Fathers Lament” is a tribute to the end of life for a Father. It is heartfelt. A love song follows. “Wedded Heart” is another slower soft song, maybe a bit more folk than blues. “Broken Cup” is another slow song. I did not enjoy it as much as the others. “Keep Your Lamp Trimmed And Burning” is known from Blind Willie Johnson. These vocals seem a bit more heartfelt, maybe it is because it is a more familiar tune.
Another original by Phillippe is next. “Tightrope” continues the folk-blues vein of music. It’s pace follows the previous tunes. On the 7th tune, “Big Bill’s Dreams”, the song continues the softer side blues. It is a tune that could easily have been written back in those early days. Both Reverend Gary Davis and Blind Willie Johnson recorded “Motherless Children” in 1927. Since then it has been covered by many blues musicians, including Eric Clapton. Phillippe stays true to old time versions. “The Ballad of Blind Willie” follows next on the CD. This is Phillippe’s own tune in tribute to the old blues master. I like it the best of the originals by Phillippe on the CD. A Blind Willie Johnson song “God Don’t Ever Change” offers a nice arrangement of song by Phillippe. The pace picks up a bit with “In My Time Of Dying”. This gospel tinged tune is true to the roots of the song that go back to the mid 1920s. “Death Letter” comes to us via Son House. Phillippe tells the tale of a man hearing of the death of a woman he loved from a letter. It is one of the best covers on the CD. To close out the CD, we hear “You’re Gonna Need Somebody On Your Bond”. This Blind Willie song follows the path of the CD with it’s consistent pace. This CD is a loving tribute to the music of the past. I admire that Phillippe plays and sings everything on the CD. The pace made this a hard listen. Each song had nearly the same speed of playing and singing. With 13 songs, the pace could get mixed up a bit. I had trouble it all being minimum arrangements and overall so somber. This is not a CD I’d play over and over. Reviewed by Mark Nelson
Page 18 Spaghetti Juke Joint Fabrizio Poggi & Chicken Mambo www.appaloosarecords.it www.chickenmambo.com 13 tracks/64 minutes Fabrizio Poggi has been playing the blues for many years in his native Italy as well as across Europe and the USA. In 2013 he worked with Guy Davis on his BMA nominated CD “Juba Dance” and over the years he has played with many leading American blues artists. His 18th album was recorded in Milan with his regular Italian band Chicken Mambo, a recording of mainly covers from the classic blues canon, with three tracks credited to Fabrizio. The band is Fabrizio on harp and vocals, Enrico Polverari on guitar, Tino Cappelletti on bass and B/V, Gino Carravieri on drums, with Claudio Noseda adding accordion and keyboards to some tracks, Stefano Spina singing B/V’s on one track and adding percussion to two others, Claudio Bazzari adding slide to one track and Sara Cappelletti adding B/ V’s throughout and singing lead on one track. Special guest guitarists on one track each are Sonny Landreth, Ronnie Earl and Bob Margolin. Fabrizio’s vocals are not particularly strong and he sometimes adopts more of a spoken than sung approach; his accent is discernible but does not prevent us understanding the words. That is not an issue on opener “Bye Bye Bird”, a tune by Sonny Boy Williamson II which has very limited lyrics but bombs along with some wild guitar from Enrico and convincing harp from Fabrizio. Slim Harpo’s “I’m A King Bee” finds Sonny Landreth adding some appropriately swampy slide to the mix and it’s arguably the strongest cut on the album. Claudio Noseda’s piano is added as well and the whole band plays a storm, inspired by a typical Landreth performance. The cover of Little Milton’s “The Blues Is Alright” fares less well, despite the presence of Ronnie Earl on guitar, as Fabrizio intones the familiar words (plus an additional verse of his own) in his semi-spoken mode of delivery. Ronnie’s picked guitar is in contrast to the full-on electric approach that Enrico generally adopts on the album but the track does not really spark into life. The first original is “Devil At The Crossroad” which blends some familiar Robert Johnson lines like ‘hellhound on my trail’ and ‘devil at the crossroad’ with a typical Muddy Waters riff. Junior Parker’s “Mystery Train” (here
The Groove- Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter spelt ‘Mistery’) starts well with some nice organ supporting the rapid rhythm section. Fabrizio gets some good train sounds from his harp solo and the country hoedown feel of the track is well done, including some whooping from the leader. Tom Waits’ “Way Down In The Hole” is a less obvious choice and finds Fabrizio playing in the higher register and Sara singing some strong harmony vocals against Fabrizio’s lead. The band returns to SBW II for “Checking Up On My Baby”, another frequently covered tune which swings along well, the organ again adding to the basic quartet. Blind Lemon Jefferson’s “One Kind Favour” is less often covered than many of the songs here and the band uses a version that has additional lyrics by Guy Davis. It is very different to some we know and love like Canned Heat, played in laid-back style with some gentle rhythm guitar and warm organ. Enrico’s distorted solo seems at odds with the rest of the tune. “Mojo” is claimed as a Fabrizio original but takes so much from Muddy’s tune of a similar name that it is hard to say that it is not a cover. However, few musicians honour Muddy’s legacy better than Bob Margolin and if he was happy to add some trademark slide work to the tune it must be OK! If there is a tune which should be protected against any further covers it must surely be “Rock Me Baby” and the version here does not add significantly to the many fine versions recorded over the years though the use of accordion is different. The traditional “Nobody’s Fault But Mine” features Sara Cappelletti whose shared lead vocal demonstrates Fabrizio’s limits as a vocalist. Enrico’s solo is wild and rocky. Fabrizio’s “I Want My Baby” uses a familiar blues riff and has very repetitive lyrics but the band plays it well with guest Claudio Bazzari adding some nice slide work.. The CD closes with a short run through of Big Joe Williams’ “Baby Please Don’t Go”. And why the title? Fabrizio explains in the liner notes that after the abolition of slavery plantation owners were short of manual labour and recruited poor Italian agricultural workers who were often treated as badly as the slaves who had preceded them. Fabrizio imagines that one Italian might have indeed opened a juke joint and if he had, might it not have been called “Spaghetti Juke Joint”? There is nothing startlingly new here but some solid versions of old favourites. Reviewed by John Mitchell
Live At Kingston Mines Vance Kelly Wolf Records www.wolfrec.com 13 tracks Vance Kelly has nine Wolf Record releases blending blues, soul and R&B. With this, his second live effort on CD, Vance lets it all hang out and puts on an energetic show with his band and with a special appearance by his daughter Vivian Vance Kelly. Live At Kingston Mines offers up Chicago blues classics in a live performance at one of Chicago’s classic (albeit at times tourist oriented) clubs. A protégé of Buddy Scott and Little Johnny Christian, Vance has fine tuned his craft since he picked up a guitar at age seven. He entered and escaped the disco scene and became part of A.C. Reed’s band prior to venturing out on his own. His first Wolf release was recognized by Living Blues Magazine as best contemporary CD of 1994. Since releasing Call Me, Vance has given us seven more CDs prior to this one. Vance does not blaze any new paths for us here, but offers up blues and soul classics that please the crowd at Kingston Mines. They will also please fans of the Chicago blues scene who enjoy hearing them done right. Blues like “Ain’t Gonna Worry About Tomorrow” pays tribute to his mentor Johnny Christian are the majority of cuts here while soul tunes like “Members Only” (a Malaco Records hit by Bobby Bland) provide a cool counterpoint to the blues. Ballads like that and “I’ll Play the Blues For You,” slow blues like the stuff he does by Jimmy Reed along with big rocking tunes like “Let The Good Times Roll” and “Mustang Sally” show us his range and the diversity of styles he is comfortable with. “Clean Up Woman” features his daughter on vocals; she is an exemplary singer and performer in her own right and she does a bang up job here, too. Anyone needing a fix of straight up Chicago blues done by a “second generation” Chicago blues artist will enjoy this set. Along with Vance and his daughter there is Jowynne Scott on bass, Tyrone Mitchell on drums, Delby Littlejohn on keys and Ethel Reed on percussion and backing vocals. While there is nothing new here, the performance is energizing and fun; it offers the listener a window into the realm of the big Northside Chicago blues clubs of today. Reviewed by Steve Jones
The Groove- 2015 Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter March-April
Top Blues Releases March 2015 Sunday Morning Blues WKGL-FM 96.7 The Eagle Rockford, IL
Membership News We continue to grow with new members and renewals continuing to sign on! Thank you for supporting live music and tp keeping the blues alive to all our new and returning members!
Alligator
New members: D
This list is submitted to Living Blues Magazine for inclusion in the March 2015 National Radio Chart. This list is compiled from actual radio airplay statistics. WKGL-FM broadcasts 2 hours of the blues per week
Renewing Members: Don Collins (2 years) Rich and Monic Gordon (2 years)
Rich Gordon Sunday Morning Blues WKGL-FM 96.7 The Eagle 3901 Brendenwood Road Rockford, IL 61107
New members get a CD upon joining; family members get two CDs. Membership has been $15 (individual) and $25 (family) for over 15 years. Mail newsletter members have a $5 surcharge to help with printing and postage costs; it’s expensive to produce and distribute newsletters. We produce six newsletters a year with 25-30 reviews and all sorts of other great information related to the Society and our events. Again, we thank our members for their support and helping us to keep the blues alive!
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Hope and Anchor English Pub Monthly Second Saturday Blues The Hope and Anchor Saturday Blues Schedule is set through April 2015. From 8 PM to Midnight, $5 cover after 8 PM or free prior to that for dinner guests. Featuring fine English pub fare, the Hope and Anchor is a great spot for dinner, craft beers, liquors, and great live music! At 5040 N 2nd Street, Loves Park IL, USA, phone 815.633.2552 for info! 3/21/15 Sena Ehrhardt (3rd Saturday) 4/11/15 Tail Dragger with the Rockin’ Johnny Band 5/9/15 The Jimmy’s 6/13/15 Generation Blues with Justin Gates, Macyn Taylor, Dan Phelps, Bob Levis and Steve Ditzell 7/11/15 Altered Five 8/8/15 New Savages
Lyran Society Friday Blues The Groove is a bi-monthly publication of the Crossroads Blues Society. The PDF version (typically 14 to 24 pages) is emailed to members of Crossroads. Hard copies (12 pages) are sent out members without email ($5 membership surcharge). Editor in Chief: Steve Jones Music Reviewers: Dennis Barker, Rick Davis, Bill Graw, Rick Hein, Steve Jones, John Mitchell, Mark Nelson, and Mark Thompson All un-credited content by Steve Jones
www.bluesblastmagazine.com
The Lyran Society has decided to add blues to their Fish Fry and Steak Dinners with performances on the first or second Friday of each month at their club. Located half a block east of 7th Street at 1115 4th Ave, Rockford, IL 61104, you can call (815) 964-0511 for info. There is no cover charge, it’s a free show. Open to the public, all ages are welcome! 3/13/15 Basement Blues Band 4/10/15 New Savages 5/1/15 Dave Fields
Crossroads Blues Society
The Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter
P.O. Box 840 Byron, IL 61010 News Blog with our Latest Info: http://crossroadsbluessociety. blogspot.com/ Music Reviews: http://crossroadsreviews.blogspot.com/ Crossroads Blues Festival at Lyran Park: http://crossroadsbluesfestival.blogspot.com/ Email us at: sub_insignia@yahoo.com
The
GROOVE
Keeping the Blues Alive Since 1994 2014 Blues Foundation Keeping the Blues Alive Affiliate Award Recipient 2014 Chicago Blues Hall of Fame Inductee
Also on the web at: www.crossroadsbluessociety.com/
Blues on Local Radio WNIJ - 89.5 FM Friday evenings from 9 PM to midnight with Harold Brown Saturday afternoons from 1 to 4 PM with Patrick Sheehan Saturday evenings from 9 PM to midnight with David James The Eagle - 96.7 FM Sunday Morning Blues 6 AM to 8 AM with Rich Gordon
News and Upcoming Events
Friday May 1: Dave Fields at the Lyran Club on 4th Avenue Rockford 7 to 10 PM
Membership Application www.crossroadsbluesociety.com Yes! I’d love to be a part of the Crossroads Blues Society!
Name_____________________________________________ Street Address___________________________________ City________________ State______ Zip Code________ Phone_____________________________________________ Email Address____________________________________ New -or-
Returning Member
This will be a membership for an/a: Individual ($15) -orvia email
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Individual ($20) -orFamily ($30) via regular mail via regular mail
Please cut out or copy and mail this form and payment to: Crossroads Blues Society Bring this to P.O. Box 840 our next meeting Byron, IL 61010 and get a free CD!