The Groove: Mar-Apr 2018

The Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter

Ike

The

GROOVE

BITS Continue in Earnest

Tas Cru and His Tortured Souls at Conklin ES 2018 BITS began with a bang.

On the 9th and 10th of January Tas Cru and His Band of Tortured Souls were at Thompson and Conklin Elementary Schools in Rockford.

On the 10th Mark Dvorak and David Causey presented The Life and Times of Leadbelly program at Thurgood Marshall Middle School and Elementary Schools for the Gifted. On the 18th and 19th Wheatbread Johnson was at East High School for a short

residency with choral and guitar students, conducting 4 programs. He will do 4 more follow-up programs on March 1st and 2nd. Then on the 25th, Johnson was at Whitehead ES for two programs that were given to their student body of 600 students. 2,370 students attended these 10 programs.

January was a great month.

On February 12th Blues in

the Preschool started up. It will run through March 12 at the Rockford Head Start Facilities. The schedule: Monday February 12 Orton Keys all day Tuesday February 13 Hand n Hand AM Thursday February 15 Rockford Day AM Tuesday February 20 Trinity AM Thursday February 22 Rockford Day AM Friday February 23 Dennis all day Tuesday February 27 Hand n Hand AM Tuesday March 6 Trinity AM Thursday March 8 YMCA AM Monday March 12 Fairgrounds all day Wheatbrerad Johnson is our preschool man for 2018. The kids loved him and we finish up soon!

Also coming up are Bobby Messano April 6th (Lewis Lemon ES and McNair ES), Dave Fields May 4th (Simon ES and Rolling Green ES) and Ivy Ford May 18th (2 HS). continued on page 2

2018 IBC Was Hot Despite the Cold Crossroads was well represented at the International Blues Challenge with The Ivy Ford Band, Warren Beck and Riding Atlas giving it their all. Ivy and the Band made it to the Semi Finals and amassed a huge set of new fans and listeners with her three great performances.

Ivy had the crowds captivated with her sets. Warren Beck’s two Quarter Finals

appearances were stellar and many in attendance noted his piano playing was the best they’d seen at the venue. Riding Atlas also had a strong performance for their continued on pg 4

March—April 2018

Crossroads Blues Festival 2018 Guitarzapalooza •

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Our 2018 headliners are Monster Mike Welch and Mike Ledbetter and Toronzo Cannon, two of the hottest acts in the blues world.

Soul blues diva Lauren Mitchell from Florida will be in town and her fantastic act is spiced up with the addition of guitar great Joe Moss.

Kilborn Alley Blues Band bring their great blues to us from Champaign, IL. Opening the day on stage from NYC is the blues rocker Dave Fields.

Between acts we have Riding Atlas, Joe Filsko’s Harmonica Workshop, Wheatbread Johnson’s guitar workshop, and keyboardist Warren Beck. 9 great acts in all!

Inside this issue:

The Ivy Ford Band ; photo by Rick Davis

News Music Reviews Members, Shows Membership Application Upcoming Events

1-5, 24-39 6-23 39 40 40

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The Groove- Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter

BITS Looks to Be Our Biggest Year Yet!

Wheatbread Johnson at Hand n Hand Head Start Facility BITS began May 1st, 2002 at Carlson Elementary in Rockford with Fruteland Jackson. Our 50th program was 3/1/07 at West View Elementary in Rockford with Ann Rabson, almost 5 years later. Our 100th program was 1/30/12 at Martin Luther King Elementary in Rockford with Fruteland Jackson almost 5 more years later. Our 150th program was 1/22/16 at McNair Elementary in Winnebago with Dan Phelps almost 4 more years later. Our 200th program was 2/21/17 at Orton Keyes Childcare Center for Rockford Head Start with Dan Phelps just over a year later. Our 250th program was 10/25/17 at Washington Elementary in Rockford with Gerry Hundt and Ronnie Shellist less than a year later. Our 300th program was 2/23/18 at Dennis Child Care Center for Head Start with Wheatbread Johnson about 4 months later.

By school year's end we should have completed 334 programs for over 68,000 students. We will have done 91 programs in 2017-2018 for over 10,000 students, a new record up from 61 last year (the old record).

39 artists or bands conducted the 328 programs. Dan Phelps leads with 76, Wheatbread Johnson is second with 72. Hawkeye Herman and Fruteland Jackson are tied for third at 19 each. East HS leads with 45 programs. Orton Keyes has 18 and the Daycare Centers we’ve been to have had many programs. The top ES is Carlson in Rockford with 11. Rockford leads the Districts with 167 programs. Head Start has had 83 programs. Harlem has had 20 programs. Byron has had 12 and Meridian 11.

Most programs have been at Elementary Schools, 143 total. 81 have been Head Start and other childcare centers and 60 have been in High Schools.

The Blues in the Preschool program was designed by Crossroads Blues Society for the Rockford Head Start Program. The program consists of about 20 minutes of

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interactive music and discussion. The program can be presented in individual classrooms or as an assembly in gyms, cafeterias or auditoriums. These programs are fully funded by CBS and there is absolutely no cost to area schools for these programs. The purpose of this particular program is to educate and inform pre-school students about blues music. Three age appropriate blues songs are used:

Little Red Rooster Barnyard Boogie The Blues Had a Baby and they Called it Rock and Roll

The program begins with a brief Introduction

by Crossroads President Steve Jones. Steve explains how the blues are the first original music form created in the United States and came to us from African American slaves who blended their music with European church music and Field Hollers. He will explain what each of the components are, and then introduce Wheatbread Johnson. Wheatbread will do a brief introduction and do an explanation of how to keep a beat on the 2nd and 4th measures and what call and response is. Crossroads will pass out instruments for the students to use. Wheatbread will then play “Little Red Rooster” for the students. This will serve as an introduction of the blues as a music form for students. He will then play “Barnyard Boogie” and have them keep the beat and have them do response to his Barn Yard Boogie in the choruses and sing along the responses on the chorus. Lastly, Wheatbread will explain how the blues gave rise to rock and roll and all the forms of current American popular music. He will play and have the students sing along with “The Blues Had a Baby and They Called it Rock and Roll.” Students will then stand with one hand on their hip and the other hand pointing and dance in place to the song. We will close briefly and tell them to sing the song at home for their parents/guardians.

Wheatbread Johnson Biography: He was born in Madison, Wisconsin and raised in Rockton, Illinois. He spent most of his childhood playing guitar and fishing, because there wasn’t much else for a legally blind kid to do in the 1970s. He fell in love with the Blues at 8 years oldafter seeing Muddy Waters perform on PBS. He took a year of guitar lessons when he was 9, but

he quit because his teacher didn’t know who Albert King was. He decided to teach himself and drove his family nuts playing to the same Jimmy Reed record for weeks on end.

As a teen he apprenticed with the legendary musical Cole Family from Freeport, Illinois.

They taught him how to be a professional musician and gave him the name Wheatbread, because he had soul and didn’t play like a small-town white bread kid. In 1986, at 16, he formed his own blues band, Stormy Monday, with, harmonica virtuoso, Downtown Ernie Brown, also from Freeport, and bassist/vocalist Sheft-hat Khnemu, the eldest Cole Brother. After graduating high school, Sunnyland Slim invited Wheatbread to Chicago with promises of helping him in any way he could. There wasn’t a lot of work for a young Blues guitarist in Chicago at the time, even with Sunnyland’s help. So, he decided to learn electric bass to get more gigs. He played Jazz and Blues gigs in Chicago for ten years as a bassist to make ends meet while attending UIC, earning a Bachelors Degree in music. He won the Chicago Bar Association’s Young Musician competition in 1992.Toots Thielemans, Jazz harmonica legend, told him the scene in Europe was “happening” and Wheatbread moved to Belgium in 1996 to see if it was true. It was, and he worked a lot with Toots.

But, two years later, Wheatbread missed playing Blues, the music he truly loved, and grew tired of being a sideman. He quit playing Jazz bass and started playing Blues guitar exclusively and found that American Blues artists were in demand everywhere outside the U.S. He spent the next eight years traveling to 30 countries on five continents with his band, and he gained a reputation as a soulful singer and fiery guitarist.

He became an educator there as well, serving as clinician and artist-in-residence for several blues festivals, including the Cork Jazz and the Blackstairs Blues festivals in Ireland. The Heinrich Boll Foundation awarded him a grant in 2004 for original work in the Blues genre. His first fully original CD, “Jesus Loves a Survivor”, was written as a result. Wheatbread moved back to Illinois in 2006, wanting a break from touring. Rock Valley College, in Rockford, Illinois, invited him to teach Blues and Jazz guitar there. Recently, he is readying his third CD, “Wheatbread Johnson is a Boogie Fool”, for release in January 2018 on his own Whole Grain Records label. Guest artists include: Chicago drummer Jim Richardson, Rockford, Illinois’ own Justin “Boots” Gates on harmonica, and New Orleans saxophone legend Edward “Sweetbread” Petersen. In 2018, he will publish the first in a series of books called “Creative Blues Guitar” and tour in Europe in support of his latest book and CD. Wheatbread is also a proud participant in Crossroad Blues Society’s Blues in the Schools program in the northern Illinois area which brings the good news of the Blues to thousands of kids.

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2018

Blues Blast Music Awards

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Rich Gordon Returns to Radio The impetus for his Sunday Morning Blues Show started out when he broadcast the Sunday Night Blues on WYBRFM in 1987. It was a once a month specialty show that alternated with a new music show, a jazz show and heavy metal show. As the people who did the other shows left, the Sunday Night Blues went from once a month to twice a month to three times month and eventually to every Sunday night. After several years it then went from Sunday night to Sunday morning on WXRX-FM.

The eligibility period for specific recordings is music released from May 1, 2017 to April 30, 2018. Categories such as Male Blues Artist, Female Blues Artist, Blues Band and the Rising Star Award are not tied to these specific dates but instead are based on our nominators recent observations of performances of touring artists over the past year.

NOMINATION CATEGORIES: • Contemporary Blues Album • Traditional Blues Album • Soul Blues Album • Rock Blues Album • Acoustic Blues Album • Live Recording Of The Year • New Artist Debut Album • Historical or Vintage Recording • Male Blues Artist Of The Year • Female Blues Artist Of The Year • Blues Band Of The Year • Sean Costello Rising Star Award More information at: http://www.bluesblastmagazine.com/2018blues-blast-music-awards-submissioninformation/ REMINDER: The Blues Blast Music Awards have moved to Rockford and will be held on Saturday, September 29th at the Tebala Shrine Temple. Ticket information and start time is forthcoming.

Rich Gordon returned to the local Rockford area airwaves, becoming part of the Blues Radio Staff at WNIJ 89.5. He piggie backed with Harold Brown the last Saturday in Janaury and he will take over Harold’s Friday evening show for the month of February while Harold is on hiatus and travelling. After that, he will work into a rotation with the other DJs. Rich has been on the air about 42-1/2 years. WNIJ is his ninth station that he has broadcast on. The complete list:  WRWC-FM  WYFE-FM  WDEK-FM  WYBR-FM  WXRX-FM  WYHY-FM  WRTB-FM  WKGL-FM  WNIJ-FM In the fall of 1975, Gordon started at WRWC-FM in Rockton, IL running the board for Big Bill Korst’s Big Band Show.

Once he got his broadcast endorsed FCC license, he went to Y-95 in the summer of 1976 doing weekend broadcasts.

Rich then went on to doing podcast broadcasts that were downloaded across the earth. It was truly global. The show had regular listener in Norway, Sweden, Russia, India and the Middle East. He would get emails about the songs on the shows from all over the globe. When asked about pod cast versus live shows Rich said, “It was really neat, but it is not the same as being on the air which is much more alive.

There is a feeling of immediate response from the listener. You get to hear what they hear at the same time. It is a real time thing.”

His last stint prior to WNIJ was on the Eagle. He began at 6 AM and then the broadcast moved to a later start time at 8 AM. The Eagle show lasted for seen years; the owners of the national radio station chain decided to drop blues as we reported last issue. We did not have to wait long as WNIJ offered Rich a position on their Blues Radio. They do nine hours of broadcasting the blues each week, 9 PM to Midnight Friday and Saturday evenings and Saturday afternoon, from 1 to 4 PM. That was the original blues show Dan Klefstad began about 26 years ago which has become 3 programs and some of WNIJ’s most successful programs.

Congratulations to Rich! We are all so happy to have him back on the air. His first solo show on WNIJ-FM on 2/3/18 was a pleasure to listen to!

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The Groove- Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter

2018 IBC Was Hot Despite the Cold Weather we did; Rick Davis and Steve Jones were able to get down to the IBC and represented Crossroads Blues Society in Memphis.

Every act who participated is really a winner.

Riding Atlas; photo by Rick Davis Congratulations to all particiAppearance in the Youth Showcase. pants for the 2018 IBC for their hard work!

Beale Street was frosty and temperatures were pretty much the same as we experienced here in Illinois. About 4 inches of snow fell as the event was getting ready to start and the fans on the first few nights spent little time outdoors. Things warmed up a bit and by Friday and Saturday folks were more daring outdoors and crowds increased in size overall.

Warren Beck; photo by Rick Davis

Ivy Ford went out into the street during all three of her sets, garnering attention and showing spunk and energy as she and the band amazed the fans with their music.

More photos are included later in the issue.

Beale Street; photo by Rick Davis Keeshea Pratt Band was top Band and Kevin “B.F.� Burt won the Solo/Duo category along with the Lee Oskar Harp and Cigar Box Guitar Awards. Artur Menezes won the Gibson Guitar Award/

Willie Rauch (above), ; photos by Rick Davis

Ivy Ford; photo by Rick Davis We are proud of all three of our acts and we know that everyone who saw them thoroughly enjoyed their performances as

Ivy Ford; photo by Rick Davis

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More BITS Photos from Crossroads Members Mark Dvorak and David Causey; photos by Bob Haendler

Donna Herula; photos by Rick Davis

Wheatbread Johnson; photos by Bob Haendler

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The Groove- Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter

2018 Blues Blast Music Award Submission Information submitted . Please GO HERE:

www.bluesblastmagazine.com/2018 -blues-blast-music-awardssubmission-information

The Blues Blast Music Awards honor contemporary Blues artists and their recordings. Artists with major labels and indie artists are eligible to be considered.

The eligibility period for specific recordings is music released from May 1, 2017 to April 30, 2018. Categories such as Male Blues Artist, Female Blues Artist, Blues Band and the Rising Star Award are not tied to these specific dates but instead are based on our nominators recent observations of performances of touring artists over the past year.

Information on line: www.bluesblastmagazine.com/2018blues-blast-music-awards-submissioninformation How To Send Your Releases To The Blues Blast Music Awards Nominators Blues Blast is now accepting submissions from labels and artists until April 15, 2018.

If the BBMA nominators do not know about your release, they can’t nominate it.

Artist do not necessarily have to submit their releases to be considered but any that do will have their recordings screened by the nominators. (Our Nominators can’t nominate something they haven’t heard!)

There are 30 nominators so you need to send 30 individual copies to the address below before April 15th, 2018. Any received after that date may not get sent to the nominators.

Fees For 2018 For 2018, there is a $30 charge to have your music sent to the 30 nominators.

This $30 charge is for each recording submitted, not for each copy of the recording!

So if a label sends in 30 copies for two of their artists releases, it would be $60.

Please make checks payable to Blues Blast Magazine.

You must include one copy of the submission form for each recording or album

and print a copy of the submission form.

Please fill out a separate copy of this submission form for each recording submitted. (Only one copy is needed per submitted recording!)

Fill in all the information and include ONE COPY in the packing box with each submission. It is recommended that you send the submissions First Class Mail and

include delivery confirmation in your mailing to be sure we receive your submission. CD’s received after April 15th, 2018 may not reach the nominators so hurry and get your submissions in today!

Nominators begin returning their nominations May 1st and final nominations will be announced after June 1st, 2018. Fan voting Begins in July.

Mailing Address For Submissions 2018 Blues Blast Music Awards P.O. Box 721 Pekin, Illinois 61555 Call (309) 267-4425 if you have questions

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2018

2018 Blues Festival Update We are so appreciative of the support of Lonnie’s and our lineup is improved top to bottom because of them and their financial assistance. In addition to Festival Level Sponsorship by Lonnie’s Carpet Max and Stone Crafters, Crossroads has secured two grants to help cover festival costs.

Crossroads Blues Society is proud to announce that it has received a $2,000 grant for the 2018 Crossroads Blues Festival at Lyran Park from the Community Grants Program of the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois with support from the Community Arts & Humanities Fund.

The mission of the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois is to serve as a catalyst for giving in order to attract, preserve, and grow an endowment for the current and future needs of the people of Northern Illinois. Since its founding in 1953, CFNIL has granted more than $65 million for charitable purposes in the region.

Crossroads Blues Society has also been awarded a 2018 Community Arts Access Grant in the amount of $1,000. The Rockford Area Arts Council receives support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency, the City of Rockford, and RAAC members.

Our project will help the Arts Council to meet our mission to support, promote, and develop the arts for everyone.

“The support from the Community Foundation and Rockford Area Arts Council along with businesses in Rockford like Lonnie’s Carpet Max and Stone Crafters have enabled us to grow the festival each year,” stated Crossroads President Steve Jones. “Our festival this year will be our biggest and best yet. We expect at least 3,000 people will attend at the beautiful setting of Lyran Park that we’ve been at since 2014.”

Tickets for the 2018 Crossroads Blues Festival at Lyran Park brought to us by Lonnie’s Carpet Max and Lonnie’s Stone Crafters are now on sale! Tickets are available on line at CrossroadsBluesSociety.com and at www.CrossroadsBluesFestival.com for only $5 each. This is the ninth year for the event and the fifth year it will be at Lyran Park. Mail orders are also available with a SASE at Crossroads Blues Society, PO Box 840, Byron, IL 61010.

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The Groove- Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter

Music Reviews The Luckiest Man Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters Stony Plain Records www.ronnieearl.com 12 songs/70 minutes Guitar virtuoso Ronnie Earl proves once again that he’s one of the most sensitive and loving musicians on the planet as he pays tribute to beloved bassist Jim Mouradian on this bittersweet, but profoundly beautiful release.

A longtime fixture in Earl’s rhythm section as well as a gifted guitar technician, Mouradian – whose grinning image fills the back cover of The Luckiest Man – died suddenly of an apparent heart attack immediately after one of Ronnie’s shows a year ago, creating a deeply felt void in the New England music community where he was based. To honor him, Earl gathered several friends to produce what, in his own words, would be “a traditional blues album of remembrance, love and unwavering resolve to live with faith and gratitude.”

A deeply spiritual man himself, he took the title from one of Mouradian’s favorite expressions: “I’m the luckiest man you know – and I don’t even know who you know.”

Like the release that preceded it – Father’s Day, which celebrated Ronnie’s dad, this one is an understated masterpiece that weaves together originals and carefully chosen covers into an emotional package that’s as mellow and uplifting as it is deep.

He’s backed here by Broadcasters Dave Limina on keyboards, Nicholas Tabarias on guitar, Forrest Padgett on drums and full-throated alto Diane Blue handling vocals with Paul Kochanski taking over the bass chair. They’re augmented by guitarist Peter Ward, sax players Mark Earley and Mario Perrett. Sugar Ray Norcia and his Bluetones – pianist Anthony Giraci, guitarist Monster Mike Welch, drummer Neil Gouvin and bassist Michael “Mudcat” Ward – also make a guest appearance for one number.

Recorded at three different studios in the Boston area, the album opens with a cover of Bobby “Blue” Bland’s stop-time classic “Ain’t That Lovin’ You.” Ronnie’s sweet, deliberate guitar run’s aided by subdued horns before Diane’s voice swings from the jump. The pace continues and them brightens for the Earl original instrumental, “Southside Stomp,” before a

haunting, modern redo of Rev. Gary Davis’ “Death Don’t Have No Mercy” with Blue at the mike.

The somber tone continues with the sweet original instrumental “Jim’s Song” before the atmosphere changes immediately with a silky smooth keyboard-driven cover of the Little Willie John classic “Heartbreak (It’s Hurting Me).” A version of the traditional “Howlin’ Blues” features interplay between Earl’s guitar and Limina’s keys before Ronnie and Diane turn Bryan Adams’ “Never Gonna Break My Faith” into a full-on blues ballad.

Penned by Norcia, “Long Lost Conversation” is another ballad. He handles vocals and harp as his own unit melds seamlessly with Earl and The Broadcasters. “Sweet Miss Vee” and “Blues For Magic Sam” – a pairing of two original, unhurried instrumentals – gives Ronnie space to shine before covers of “So Many Roads,” recorded by everyone from Son Seals to The Grateful Dead, Fenton Robinson’s familiar burning blues, “You Don’t Know What Love Is,” bring the set to a conclusion.

Marvelously mellow throughout and available through all major retailers, The Luckiest Man definitely isn’t music for the dance floor. But if you’re interested in bathing yourself in some warm, loving music in front of a roaring fire on a cold winter’s night, you won’t go wrong here.

Reviewed by Marty Gunther Let It Go Bernard Allison Ruf Records https://www.bernardallison.com/ 12 Tracks Looking at my collection of Bernard Allison music, I count 21 releases since the 1990 release Next Generation. Many of you will know already that he is the son of the great Luther Allison. He grew up in Peoria and played guitar there with his dad during his teen years. Next he joined the great Koko Taylor as part of her Blues Machine. Bernard followed his dad’s love of Europe and moved to Paris in 1989.

He has a long and successful solo career as a guitarist, singer and writer. For this recording he is joined by John T. McGhee on rhythm guitar, George Moye on bass and Mario Dawson. Allison wrote or cowrote 8 of the cuts. There are two covers of his father’s songs. This is guitar laden

blues rock with plenty of power. Jim Gaines produced this disc.

“Crusin’ For A Bluesin” is the opening cut.

It is a mid tempo blues rocker, with a strong solo in the middle of it. It has a strong bass line that gives lift to Bernard’s soaring guitar licks. There is funkiness to the next cut “Same Ole Feeling”. The rhythm section shines on the slower and fiery tune. On “Backdoor Man” I hear a southern rock influence in the tune. There is some Clapton or at least British blues feel to “Let It Go”. This one is a bit more rocking and a bit less blues, but still a pretty good tune. It is a mid tempo tune ripe for rock radio.

“Night Train” brings us a tight up tempo funky groove. The band hits on all cylinders on this one. The great soul singer Brook Benton has a hit with slower, jazzy “Kiddeo”. On Allison’s version he is joined

by Jose Ned James on saxophone. This is a nice change of pace for the CD. Ronnie Baker Brooks co-wrote “Leave Your Ego”. The two sons of blues greats put together a powerful tune here. The tune revolves around Luther Allison’s saying ‘’Leave your ego, Play the music, Love the people”. I really like this great tune. You feel Texas blues from “Blues Party”. This will be a crowd pleaser in his live show.

On “Hey Lady” has an R&B feel to it. Allison shows off his guitar in a good way here. “Look Out Mabel” is an old Checker single played by G. "Davy" Crockett in 1965. It is a bit more R&B than blues, but none the less a nice tune. The final two cuts are covers of Luther Allison tunes.

First, “You're Gonna Need Me” goes back to the Rumble Records 1979 release Gonna Be A Live One In Here Tonight on which Bernard sat in and was recorded on 2 other songs for that live LP. It is a slower blues tune. The last cut is Luther’s “Castle”. It is a slower acoustic tune. The last two cuts are a fine tribute to Bernard’s father.

Bernard Allison certainly has made his own path in the blues. He is arguably the most successful offspring of any blues performer. He has done it his way, with his writing, performance and love of the fans. This is a mix of old and new, powerful and delicate tunes. It is a pretty good album of music. Take a good listen and enjoy a modern master of the blues. Go see him when you get a chance, I am sure he will enjoy you saying hello and thank you.

Reviewed by Mark Nelson

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2018

Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven Peter Parcek Lightnin’ Records www.peterparcekband.com 10 tracks/44 minutes Boston Massachusetts-based guitarist Peter Parcek made a good impression with his 2010 album The Mathematics Of Love which received a nod at the Blues Blast Awards with a nomination in the Debut Release category. Seven years on Peter has produced another solid album, albeit with generally depressing themes.

Peter’s strong guitar playing is supported by drummer and producer Marco Giovino and a large cast of additional musicians assembled in Nashville for the sessions: Luther Dickinson adds guitar to four tracks, Spooner Oldham is on keys, Mickey Raphael on harp and no fewer than four bassists are involved – Mark Hickox, Joe Klompus, Dominic John Davis and Dennis Crouch. Russ Pahl is on pedal steel and jew’s harp, Andy Santospago lap steel and John Jackson electric mandolin. Deanie Richardson and Jeremy Van Cleave play violin and the McCrary Sisters add backing vocals. Peter wrote six of the tunes here and there are four covers.

As noted in the review of The Mathematics Of Love Peter spent time in London and became a fan of early Fleetwood Mac and Peter Green whose “World Keep On Turning” opens the album in a heavy version with Hendrix influences as Peter and Luther duel on guitars. Blind Lemon Jefferson’s “See That My Grave Is Kept Clean” (aka “One Kind Favour”) is a familiar song, even BB King used it as the title track of his final studio album; Peter’s extended slow version accentuates the funereal lyrics with moody guitar work from both Peter and Luther. “Ashes To Ashes” shuffles along with some interesting drum work, slide working against the main riff underneath another downbeat lyric about being “about to drop”, some real Mississippi blues going on here!

“Every Drop Of Rain” is slower-paced with some memorable playing as the title reminds Peter of a lost love, his guitar expressing his angst perfectly. In similar territory lyrically “Things Fall Apart” is much more uptempo, probably the most accessible song here with bright, ringing guitar.

The two other covers are both interesting takes on the songs: for the title of the album Peter’s slowed-down interpretation of a Don Nix song best known from Albert King’s version emphasizes the lyrics with torrid guitar/slide; “Aunt Caroline Dyer Blues” comes from The Memphis Jug Band and features the violins, lap steel

and jew’s harp as Peter talks of “going to Newport News catch a battleship across the sea ‘cos bad luck and hard work don’t appeal to me”, apparently the result of visiting the eponymous fortune teller!

Possibly to break up the generally ‘down’ nature of the lyrics and to act as a showcase for his fine guitar skills, Peter does three lively instrumentals across the album: “Pat Hare” is named after Muddy Waters’ sideman who influenced many guitarists and is a fine upbeat tune with Mickey Raphael’s harp featured alongside Peter’s guitar; “Shiver” is a slinky instrumental with staccato guitar and “Mississippi Suitcase” is a boogie worthy of John Lee Hooker with a hint of rock and roll coming in at the end, the title possibly coming from what is being used as drums which sounds like it could well be a suitcase!

There is no denying Peter’s ability as a writer and guitarist and the blend of interesting cover versions with his originals makes for a good album. Not a cheerful listen but lots of fine playing to appreciate.

Reviewed by John Mitchell Make My Home In Florida Backtrack Blues Band Harpo Records backtrackbluesband.com 9 tracks/49 minutes (CD); (DVD) The Backtrack Blues Band makes their home in the Tampa Bay area and this CD and DVD set is from a live event at the historic Palladium Theater on January 6, 2017 in St. Petersburg, Florida. A raw and honest presentation of their chops with no studio enhancements, the CD gives us a snapshot of the talents of this fun band.

Featuring Sonny Charles on lead vocals and harp, Kid Royal on guitar and lead vocals on tracks 2 and 4, Little Johnny Walter on rhythm guitar and backing vocals, Joe Bencomo on drums and Stick Davis on bass, the CD is a mix of original songs and covers that the band embrace and love. Blending the sound of Chicago on harp, bass and drums and Texas on guitar, they create a sweet blend of musical sounds than blues fans from anywhere could enjoy. The band takes their name from Little Walter’s song of the same name.

The CD and DVD are the same tunes, with the DVD having a bit more of the between song interplay. Opening the night up is Sonny Boy Williamson II’s “Checking On My Baby,” a huge harp lead and gritty vocals along with a smooth shuffle make this one a winner. The harp

is authentic and cool, the guitar is swinging and it’s just a lot of fun to listen to.

B.B. Kings “Woke Up This Morning” follows with Kid Royal on vocals. He’s got a cool approach and nice bluesy tone to his singing. The guitar and harp once again are spectacular and just so well done.

Royal also sings on the 4th track, another cover “T-Bone Shuffle.” This one is similarly done well, with blazing guitar and harp solos once again. Royal sings and plays with equal conviction. In between those songs is Sonny Charles singing his cut “Make My Home In Florida,” the title cut. Two parts cool blues and one part local schmaltz, it’s a fun slow blues.

Charles opens with some mean harp and then gets into the testimonial vocals describing how and where he makes his home in the Sunshine State. Lots of harp overblows and fun, and then Royal comes in for an equally tasty and sublime guitar solo that is just so well done. Next is “Nobody But You,” a song made famous

by Little Walter. Charles does it justice and figuratively blows his brains out as he gives an inspired performance. The guitar work is also up to par, but the harp is star here.

“Your Funeral And My Trial” is another Sonny Boy cut, featuring more sweet harp sounds and Charles husky vocals. Royal gets to show his stuff on a long and pretty guitar solo of his own. The final three cuts are all Charles originals. “Heavy Built Woman” is a testimonial to big women with big legs. A timeless blues subject, it never ceases to be a fun song topic. It’s got some more really well done guitar and harp; I am especially impressed with Kid Royal’s guitar here and throughout the set. And Sonny Charles is obviously not a slouch on harp. “Shoot My Rooster” is a cool mid tempo cut with more of what they are known for, great guitar and harp. Finally, “Tell Your Daddy” concludes the CD and the show. Straight up Chicago blues, the band shows us they can play with the best of them in this classically constructed and played tune.

I really enjoyed this CD and DVD set of their concert. The band is solid, Charles is a really good harp player and gutsy singer, Kid Royal is a great guitar player and can also sing quite well. This is a really enjoyable CD/DVD set and blue lovers anywhere will enjoy it!

Reviewed by Steve Jones

Ike Page 10 Too Many Bad Habits Johnny Nicholas & Friends The People’s Label www.johnnynicholasblues.com 26 songs/90 minutes Texas-based blues and roots master Johnny Nicholas delivered a major Christmas present to the world with the recent release of Too Many Bad Habits. A twoCD gem, it includes the remastered rerelease of one long-lost album and breathes new life into a trio of legends – Big Walter Horton, Johnny Shines and Boogie Woogie Red – with the release of new material that was seemingly lost to the world after being captured more than 40 years ago.

A native of Pawtucket, R.I., who’s called Fredericksburg, Tex., -- where he owns and operates the Hilltop Café, a combination roadhouse, restaurant and bed-andbreakfast -- home since the early ‘80s, Nicholas’ career began by fronting a succession of popular local ensembles in the ‘60s, including Black Cat Blues Band along with high school classmate Duke Robillard and Guitar Johnny And The Rhythm Rockers with Ronnie Earl and sax superstar Kaz Kazanoff.

He spent considerable time in Chicago in the early ‘70s, touring with Robert Lockwood Jr., his primary instructor, Howlin’ Wolf, Roosevelt Sykes, Horton and Shines when not working with his own bands on the East Coast, playing guitar, mandolin and keys in addition to providing solid vocals. An originator despite his traditional background, he was also a prime mover in the famous Ann Arbor Blues Festivals during that era, leading the Boogie Brothers.

The first disc of Too Many Bad Habits was recorded in Austin, Detroit and Farmington, Mich., in 1976 for the Blind Pig imprint and features several members of Asleep At The Wheel in addition to Horton and Shines. Released in 1977, it was pulled from distribution when Johnny decided to stop touring under his own name a year later to join guitarist Ray Benson and his legendary Texas swing band fulltime in a marriage that lasted two years.

Nicholas produced Shines’ and Snooky Pryor’s W.C. Handy Award winning album, Back To The Country, and released a handful of his own albums in the time since, but always wanted to put Too Many Bad Habits back in listeners’ hands. He finally gained possession of the masters two years ago, quickly discovering that they contained several unreleased treasures, resulting in the second disc described here.

The Groove- Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter The Nicholas original, “Mandolin Boogie,” swings from the jump to open the set with Johnny backed by Benson and Wheel compatriots Lucky Oceans (drums), Bill Mabry (fiddle), Link Davis Jr. (tenor sax) and bassist Tony Garnier, who’s been Bob Dylan’s band leader for the past 25 years. The lineup varies from cut to cut and also includes bassist E.P. Jones and drummer Martin Gross who hold down rhythm for much of the compilation, which includes 15 originals about its 26 cuts.

Two more originals -- “Looks Can Be Deceiving” and the cover tune “Too Many Bad Habits” on which Horton and Shines make their first appearances – clearly show that there’s plenty of great, straightahead blues in store. Big Walter, who died at age 60 in 1981, is in absolute top form as he delivers lilting response to Nicholas’ vocals and Shines, who died at 76 a year later, provides superb guitar runs. The familiar “Sitting On Top Of The World” gives way to three more originals -- “Got The Train,” aided by Wheel, a strippeddown “Rock My Blues Away,” with Johnny on guitar and piano backed by rhythm only, and “Blues Walk,” another sweet harmonica fiesta.

A quintet of blues classics – Son House’s “Grinnin’ In Your Face,” Tommy Johnson’s “The New Canned Heat Blues,” “West Wind” (written and sung by Horton in duet with Nicholas on guitar), “Blues Came Fallin’ Down” (written and sung by Shines) and the traditional “Careless Love” precede the original “Gettin’ Out Of Town” (both Nicholas/Horton duets) before Robert Johnson’s “Hellhound On My Trail” brings the first disc to a satisfying close.

As valuable as those tunes are, however, the true treasures lie ahead. Disc two opens with a run of six Nicholas originals that feature Horton and Shines. “Move On Down The Line” is a duet with Nicholas and Walter at the mike. Detroit-based keyboard master Boogie Woogie Red, who was 66 when he passed in 1992, makes his first appearance to help power the stop-time pleaser “Pump Jockey Blues.” Then the walking “Believe I’ll Make A Change,” slow “Prisoner Blues,” uptempo instrumental “Apple Groove Rhumba” and walking “Looks Can Be Deceiving” give Shines and Horton plenty of space to stretch out behind Nicholas’ vocals.

A stripped-down version of Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup’s “That’s Alright Mamma” finds Nicholas accompanied solely by a drummer before Red’s in total command of the keys and mike for a version of Jay McShann’s “Hootie Blues” and backed by Nicholas and Horton. Jimmy Rogers’ “Money Marbles And Chalk” follows before the originals “Lonesome Traveler” (another Nicholas/Horton duet) and

“Froggy Bottom.” St. Louis Jimmy Oden’s “Soon Forgotten” features Big Walter and Red to bring the set to a close.

Available in both disc and LP formats through CDBaby or direct from the artist at the website above,Too Many Bad Habits is a treasure. If your tastes run to traditional Chicago blues, this one will have you yearning for more – even after the hour-and-a-half of music you’ll hear here has run its course.

Reviewed by Marty Gunther

Seven Day Blues Johnny Tucker Highjohn Records https:// blindraccoon.com/ clients/johnny-tucker/ 15 Tracks Johnny Tucker has been in the business for over 50 years, mostly based out of California. This is only his second recording on his own. He has played with Phillip Walker, Johnny Otis, Floyd Dixon and Robert Cray over the years. His rookie release was back in 2002 called Why You Lookin' At Me. Tucker wrote all 15 of the cuts here. They were recorded live in Big Jon Atkinson’s studio in California.

Atkinson supports Tucker with his guitar playing and as producer/engineer. Scott Smart (who play both guitars and bass on different tracks), Troy Sandow on harmonica & bass, Malachi Johnson and Marty Dodson on drums play across the record.

Bob Corritore also contributes harp to five tracks. Scott Smart (who play both guitars and bass on different tracks), Troy Sandow on harmonica and bass, and Malachi Johnson and Marty Dodson and drums. Bob Corritore and Kid Ramos make some guest appearances also. This is old time blues and soul music. Tucker will remind you of Howlin’ Wolf with his growling vocal style.

The opener “Talkin’ Bout You Baby” really takes you back to Memphis and 60’s Howlin’ Wolf blues. The band really is sharp supporting this high powered tune.

Troy Sandow puts down his bass and gets out his harmonica for the rolling Chicago blues tune “Tired Of Doing Nothing”. This could have been on Chess/Checker Records back in the day. The electric Chicago blues continues on” Why Do You Let Me Down So Hard” Bob Corritore handles the harmonica on this one. This is a powerful blues tune. Things get a bit lighter

Ike March—April

2018

on “Love And Appreciation (To Georgia)”.

This one has Sam Cooke all over it.

Tucker does a good job with the vocals.

Bob Welch handles the keyboards. My guess this is not the Fleetwood Mac Bob Welch, but he does a good job. Sandow is back on harmonica for the title cut “Seven Day Blues”. This one has a bit more modern electric blues feel to it.

I really like the 6th tune “Come On Home With Me”. Corritore is back on harp, and Atkinson on guitar really shine on this one.

Kid Ramos sits in on guitar, and Bob Welch gets to it on his organ for “Tell You All”. This one has a bit of Booker T in it, and is easy on the ear. “Something I Want To Tell You” is a medium paced blues tune. It relies on Sandow’s harp.

Tucker’s voice at times seems a bit back in the mix. “Gonna Give You One More Chance” is a low down late night greasy blues tune. I’d like Tuckers vocals a bit more out front on this one too. “I Want To Do It” is a south side Chicago funky blues tune. Marty Dodson provides some fine stick work on this one.

“Do Right Man” is a bit more country than city blues. It is a shuffle with some nice guitar work. The music turns to slow burning blues on “One Of These Days”.

This is one of the longer tunes, and it is filled with slow guitar based blues (west side stuff). I hear some Junior Wells in “I Can't Wait”. The band plays this slower paced tune very well. On “Listen Everybody” the harmonica of Sandow is again featured. “You Can Leave My House” is a slow tough blues tune. It is the longest tune and the band really stretches out on it. It is a nice way to close out the disc.

Overall this is a solid disc of blues. I had expected it to be more funky and bluesy, but it is a real tribute to the blues of the past. The band gives fine support. I bet they would all be pretty hot live, but not sure they would ever all be able to tour together. This CD is enjoyable, and electric Chicago blues fans will enjoy it.

Thanks to Johnny Tucker for getting this one out after 16 years or so. Let’s hear some more real soon.

Reviewed by Mark Nelson

Page 11 Muddy Gurdy Muddy Gurdy VizzTone Label Group www.hypnoticwheels.com 15 songs/62 minutes The blues world is an interesting place – both because of the musicians who make the music and the diversity of sounds that emerge when different musical styles seemingly collide.

The latter’s the case for this different and extremely interesting production, which combines some of the biggest names in North Mississippi Hill Country blues with a trio of Europeans who’ve melded French folk music with the American sound they’ve come to love.

Muddy Gurdy is composed of a trio who reinvented themselves after a successful folk career in France under the moniker of Hypnotic Wheels. The unit includes Tia Gouttebel on guitar and vocals, Marc Glomeau on percussion and Gilles Chabenat, who provides vocals in addition to playing the hurdy-gurdy, the instrument that provides half of the band’s name.

Commonly played on the Continent, but not often heard in the Western World, the hurdy-gurdy is an instrument driven by a hand crank that functions like a violin bow as turns a rosined wheel against its strings. An attached keyboard enables the musician to alter pitch to play melodies.

It’s often compared to a bagpipe because of its multiple drone strings, and it was immortalized in song by Donovan in his 1968 hit, “Hurdy-Gerdy Man." The group produced their first blues-hurdy gurdy album as Hypnotic Wheels in 2014, and have planned this release since 2015, when Glomeau struck upon the idea of traveling to Mississippi to cement the union of musical styles that often had been compared to one another, but never fused before.

Muddy Gurdy was recorded live and on location without augmentation at homes in Como, at the Highway 61 Museum in Leland, Dockery Farms in Cleveland and Club Ebony in Indianola and includes contributions from a quartet of younger generation Hill Country stars, all of whom contribute vocals: Sharde Thomas (fife), Cedric Burnside, Cameron Kimbrough and Pat Thomas (guitars).

Produced by Chantilly Negra and recorded on an eight-microphone preamp and mixed on computer by Pierre Blanchi, the release includes tunes written by all three of the Missisippians and covers of songs penned by several legends.

“Tia In The Rocking Chair” opens the set, and is exactly as titled: 46 seconds of peace, quiet and the sound of Gouttebel rocking gently in her seat on a porch. It’s a great mood setter for R.L. Burnside’s “Goin’ Down South,” which follows. From the first notes of this one, you realize quickly that this trio understand their medium and deliver it with great feel.

Chabenat’s hurdy-gurdy mimics guitar lines in a warm, haunting manner as he trades licks with Gouttebel’s guitar atop a repetitive drum pattern. Gilles and Tia share vocals, and the hurdy-gurdy adds new, deep sounds to the traditional feel.

The instrument takes on the air of a violin as Cedric takes to the mike for his uptempo original “That Girl IS Bad,” which would keep folks up and moving on any juke dance floor, driven by syncopated drum patterns and his acoustic runs on slide.

He also handles vocals for dad R.L.’s “See My Jumper Hanging On The Line” and Muddy Waters’ “Rollin’ And Tumblin’,” delivered much like the acoustic 1940s original, but taken to a different level because by the hurdy-gurdy sound.

Fife and drum master Otha Turner’s “Station Blues” is up next, aided by granddaughter Sharde. Her voice graces his one as well as her own “Shawty Blues,” a moving ballad about chasing a dream but being misunderstood by the older generation, and a hurdy-gurdy and fife-powered take on the traditional “Glory Glory Hallelujah,” delivered in Hill Country style.

Cameron Kimbrough’s at the mike next for a cover of his original, “Leave Her Alone,” which has a more modern feel with him on electric guitar, and a droning take on granddad Junior’s “Gonna Love You.” Pat Thomas, son of the legendary James “Son” Thomas, joins the action for his ballad “Dream” before Tia holds her own on vocals for an uptempo cover of Jessie Mae Hemphill’s “She Wolf,” Mississippi Fred McDowell’s “Shake ‘Em On Down” and Charles Singleton’s “Help The Poor” before a 3-minute, 45-second outro entitled “Highway 61,” which includes sounds of crickets, traffic and a solitary singer/ picker delivering “Standing At The Crossroads,” brings the disc to a close.

If you love Hill Country blues, you’ll love this hour-long CD, which is available through most major retailers. The two artforms combine seamlessly and the production will have you feeling like you’re kicking back with the musicians on a warm summer’s eve. If you prefer your tunes urban and electrified, however, this one is definitely worth a listen but might be outside your comfort zone.

Reviewed by Marty Gunther

Ike Page 12

The Groove- Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter

Burn Me Alive Heather Newman VizzTone Label Group www.heathernewmanband.com 12 Tracks/51:59

song becomes noteworthy. On the evidence here, her solo career is off to rousing start. Make sure you jump on the bandwagon now. I suspect that we are going to be hearing from Heather Newman for a long time.

Between her older brother and BluesEd, a musical education program in Omaha, NE, Heather Newman got started at a young age. After a stint as a member of guitarist Nick Schnebelen’s band, which lead to a move to Kansas City, the bass player decided the time had come to form her own band. The first recording under her name puts her striking voice out front, backed by Keith Ladd on guitar, Ryan Flemmer on keyboards, and Cole Dillingham on drums and guitar, on a program that highlights Newman’s abilities as a songwriter.

Reviewed by Mark Thompson

Right from the start, Newman’s vocals dominate the proceeding, roaring with a fierce intensity on the swampy “Willie James,” then using a lighter touch over a rolling beat on “Bring The Swing”. Flemmer takes his piano for a ride on “Howling For Love” while Ladd impresses on his solo passage on “Love Strong”. The title track is a standout with a resonating bass line underneath a majestic vocal performance that erases any doubt listeners might have about Newman’s singing skills.

“How Many Times?” may have a quirky rhythm but Newman again proves that she understands the art of singing, her voice generating plenty of emotional weight as it easily transitions from note to note without any hint of strain.

“High Mountain Blues” is a rugged shuffle with the leader’s sassy vocal playing off Ladd’s biting licks. Newman can barely contain herself on “Dirty Blues,” railing against life’s miseries with Michael Lefever’s sax creating a late-night vibe that brings to mind Tom Petty’s “Breakdown”.

The band breaks out another familiar shuffle groove on “Share Your Love,” dominated by Flemmer’s reverberating organ fills. “’I Don’t Know Why” is another highlight, as Newman tears your heart out with a perfectly executed, emotionally intense performance. She swears off another another no-good, cheating lover on “I’m Through With You,” leaving no doubt who is better off. She trades phrases with Ladd, moaning the blues to a fadeout ending, then the band returns for a brief dialogue between Ladd and Flemmer on piano.

Newman certainly straddles that middle ground where blues and rock intersect, but for once, the blues influences have the upper hand. Heather Newman has written a solid batch of tunes – and when they are fleshed out by her compelling voice, every

Cry No More Danielle Nicole Concord www.daniellenicolekc.com 14 tracks/62 minutes On her first solo album Wolf Den Danielle Nicole recorded in New Orleans with Anders Osborne but this time round she opted for LA and the experienced Tony Braunagel (who also produced two of Trampled Under Foot’s albums). A great set of musicians was assembled for the sessions: producer Tony played drums throughout and Johnny Lee Schell engineered the sessions and played guitar on most of the album with guest slots for a slew of great guitar players - Luther Dickinson, Sonny Landreth, Brandon Miller, Nick Schnebelen, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Walter Trout and ‘Monster’ Mike Welch; keys come from father and son Mike (Phantom Blues Band, CSNY and many others) and Kelly (Monophonics) Finnigan and Mike ‘Shinetop’ Sedovic. Danielle handles bass and lead vocals throughout and Maxanne Lewis and Kadisan Kai add backing vocals to four songs. Danielle wrote nine of the songs, working with Tony on five songs, with John Lardieri on one, three on her own and there are five covers.

Danielle has one of those voices that could ‘sing the phone book’ and sound great. She uses her voice across a range of styles here and delivers excellent quality on every one – soul, blues, Rn’B , rock and country are all present here, even touches of jazz and gospel.

We start with Jeff Paris and Tamara Champlin’s “Crawl” with heavy drums and the twin guitars of Johnny and brother Nick giving an ominous feel appropriate for the bitter lyrics. Danielle’s “I’m Going Home” also has some desperate lyrics about going down to the Crossroads as Sonny Landreth’s slide and Mike Finnegan’s organ create a swampy sound. Bill Withers apparently dropped by the studio and was so impressed by Danielle’s voice that he produced an unpublished song for her to sing and “Hot Spell” is well named as Danielle adopts a seductive role over her own funky bass and Shinetop’s organ work. Indeed, Danielle’s bass work deserves a mention as throughout this disc

you can hear how good a groove player she has become and the next track demonstrates that perfectly as she and Tony underpin a rousing rocker with Walter Trout adding some fine guitar to “Burnin’ For You”. The title track follows and it’s a definite highlight, a soulful piece with bouncing bass and a great chorus amplified by the backing vocalists – sounds like a classic Memphis tune, a song and style that suits Danielle to a T. “Poison The Well” is a cover of Maia Sharp’s original from her 2015 album The Dash Between The Dates, a big ballad with a touch of country, and “Bobby” follows on with Johnny’s ‘cig fiddle’ which sounds like mandolin. The touching song is a tribute to Danielle’s late father, well written and performed with genuine feeling in stripped back mode. After that acoustic interlude we return to big guitar sounds as KWS nails a magnificent solo on the rousing rocker “Save Me”. A Prince cover follows in “How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore”, the first of two outings for Mike Welch on guitar, playing here with great subtlety behind Danielle’s almost strident vocal. “Baby Eyes” brings a touch of jazz with Shinetop’s angular piano and regular tour band guitarist Brandon Miller’s echoey sound as Danielle shows that this is another style she can master easily as she adds a knowing tone to her vocals.

“Pusher Man” is a lively Rn’B tune as Danielle offers to be the drug of choice for her man: “You try to play it cool, you’re falling all over me. I don’t think you understand, I want to be your pusher man”.

Johnny Lee Schell takes a striking solo on this one before Danielle gives Susan Tedeschi stiff vocal competition on “My Heart Remains”, a ballad with delicate guitar from Mike Welch and swirling Wurlitzer from Shinetop, another fine song written by Danielle on her own. Kelly Finnigan plays organ and duets with Danielle on “Someday You Might Change Your Mind”, a churning Rn’B/Soul piece before the album closes with the gospel of Blind Willie Johnson’s “Lord I Just Can’t Keep From Crying” with Johnny and Luther Dickinson playing some great slide guitar and cig fiddle as Danielle’s pulsing bass and Tony’s trash can drums lay down stripped-back support.

This is a tremendous album which places Danielle’s vocals in a wide variety of contexts and shows just how good a singer she is. With a crack team of players and an impressive guest list of guitar players this really has something for everyone and comes strongly recommended.

Reviewed by John Mitchell

Ike March—April

2018

Three For The Road John Mayall Forty Below Records www.johnmayall.com 9 songs/60 minutes Sometimes, even the best recorded music comes about by chance. That’s the case with his new, live set from British blues legend John Mayall. He was all set to kick off a tour in Europe late March when his plans were derailed.

Weather problems cancelled plane flights and kept his longtime guitarist Rocky Athas back home in America when the rest of Mayall’s band were in Dresden and Stuttgart, Germany, all set to lay down a follow-up to his star-studded 2017 studio release, Talk About That, for Eric Corne’s Forty Below Records imprint.

“We opted for recording in East Germany purely as a convenience and availability of a company (All Orange Music) that specialized in live recordings,” Mayall says.

Instead of scrapping his plans, he decided to go ahead as a three-piece with John on vocals, harmonica and keyboards and backed solely by rock-steady Chicagoans Greg Rzab on bass and Jay Davenport on drums.

Far less formal than his prior release, which included Joe Walsh, and a full horn section, this CD, the 66th album in Mayall’s illustrious career – not counting compilations – delivers a polished, but laid back set of the Blues Hall Of Famer’s favorite songs: two of his own and others culled from the catalogs of old-timers Eddie Turner, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Henry Townsend and Lionel Hampton as well as 21st Century superstars Gregg Allman, Sonny Landreth and Curtis Salgado.

It’s actually a new chapter in his recording career, which began with a live LP, John Mayall Plays John Mayall in 1965 after a fistful of singles, because the alignment forced him into the spotlight far more than in normal performance. A brief introduction brings him to the stage as he launches into Taylor’s biggest hit, “Big Town Playboy,” accompanying himself on harp, delivering runs in his own style rather than the upper-register lines laid down by Jimmy Reed. He turns to the keyboard for a mid-tune solo and finishes the tune in instrumental duet with himself.

Hopkins’ “I Feel So Bad” is up next with Mayall filling the vocal breaks with techniques on the ivories he picked up after studying the work of Albert Ammons, Pete Johnson and Meade Lux Lewis, doubling down on harp and keys in the extended break, displaying far more energy than most folks his age.

A silky smooth keyboard intro kicks off Salgado’s “The Sum Of Something” and

Page 13 shines throughout as John makes the tune his own, giving space for Rzab and Davenport to put their talents on display during the break. The familiar Mayall anthem “Streamline,” first recorded with the Bluesbreakers in 1967, is up next with John at his funky best on the organ. An unhurried, traditional cover of Townsend’s “Tears Came Rollin’ Down” follows before a rock-steady version of Hampton’s bigband era classic, “Ridin’ On The L&N.” Mayall’s back on organ for the Allman mainstay, “Don’t Deny Me” – penned by Jerry Lynn Williams – before covering “Lonely Feelings,” a song John first recorded in the ‘80s, and launching into an 11-minute version of Landreth’s “Congo Square” to bring the show to a close.

There have been so many high points in Mayall’s career that it’s all but redundant to claim another. But Three For The Road is special in its own right, giving listeners ample space to appreciate his skill as a keyboard player, something that’s often lost in the mix in full-band setup. Available wherever fine music is sold, and a disc guaranteed to keep you grooving from the jump. This one’s most definitely going to go down as one of the top live-performance CDs of the year.

Reviewed by Marty Gunther Gravity Laurie Morvan Screaming Lizard Records www.LaurieMorvan.com 12 tracks This is guitar slinger Laurie Morvan’s sixth CD. She wrote all the songs and is featured on guitar and vocals. Tony Braunegal produced the album and is part of the band; they are Bob Glaub on bass, Braunagel on drums and percussion, Mike Finnigan and Jim Pugh on keys, and Barry Goldberg on piano for “Money Talks.” Braunegal has brought in his “crew” of musicians and they deliver a smooth and tight performance in support of Morvan. Recorded at Ultratone Studios, this project was slated for 2014 but an unfortunate wrist fracture sidelined Morvan and required two surgeries to correct it.

Hailing from Long Beach, California Morvan first came into the limelight as a finalist in the 2008 IBC as a band and for best self produced CD with Cures What Ails Ya. In 2010 her album Fire It Up won the Best Self Produced CD award and was again a semi-finalist in 2012 with her 2011 release Breathe Deep.

Things begin with “My Moderation,” a cut where Morvan sings that her moderation needs to be held in check with moderation. She tells us life is too short to take it slow so instead of holding back just let go.

There is some nice guitar work here and the B3 by Finnigan stands out, too.

Morvan delivers a stellar solo on “Twice the Trouble” that is up next. “Stay With Me” follows, a cool, slow blues with Finnigan on B3 and Pugh on piano. Morvan offers a thoughtful solo on this one.

“Money Talks” features Goldberg on the piano and he delivers a fine performance as Morvan bemoans her money waving goodbye as it flies out the door. Her guitar wotrk is spot on once again, Finnigans B3 lends a great hand, too. Next is “The Extra Mile,” a song with a bit of a funky, slow groove. Morvan’s guitar plays a big part in this one. The title track concludes the first half of the set. Morvan mixes physics and emotions to express the attraction of her to her love. It’s a pretty blues ballad with her wife Lisa singing along with her.

Things pick up a bit with “Dance in the Rain” as Morvan sings and picks in this lively cut. Morvan is featured with another big solo on guitar and Pugh’s B3 fills in admirably. Up next is “Gotta Dig Deep,” a slower tempo-ed piece about having to gut out thing when life gets tough. Another tasty solo for Morvan here, too. “The Man Who Left Me” features Morvan and four backing vocalists. This is a mournful tune about the first man who loved her and then left her after 5 years, her Father.

Morvan and Company take us to church as she tells us about her search for her father. “Shake Your Tailfeathers: is a bit more positive and picks up the pace a tad.

This is a song about shaking your tailfeathers to break the spell of being down.

A soulful guitar a la BB King, B3 and a little piano are up front. “I Want Answers” follows, a more up tempo cut but still with some negativity to the topic. The quartet of backing vocalists return to respond to the call and provide a cool backdrop.

Pugh’s piano and organ gets some time and Morvan’s guitar is center stage as the song builds to a big conclusion. The final cut gets a little funky; “Too Dumb to Quit” is a slow to mid tempo song about not being able to recognize that the relationship needed to end and that it went on too long. More mournful guitar with some well done slide and vocals filled with despair are displayed here for all to witness.

Morvan’s guitar work is solid and never overdone. Her vocals take on a breathy sort of husky tone. The songs here tend toward being down tempo and somber in nature which could give the listener a good case of the blues. The album is quite good but could have used a little more upbeat and uptempo approach here and there. Morvan is a pro, though, and Braunegal’s watcheful ear made sure everything sounds and plays out tightly and succinctly. It’s good to have her back after that layoff!

Reviewed by Steve Jones

Ike Page 14 Blues With Horns Vol. 1 Chris Daniels and The Kings Moon Voyage Records 10 Tracks Since I have been an avid disciple of the blues, and in particular jump blues with an up-tempo beat, I have followed groups with strong horn sections, tracing back to Louis Jordan, Wynonie Harris, Big Jay McNeely, Joe Liggins, or on the contemporary scene, groups like Roomful of Blues, Big James and The Chicago Playboys, and most recently the Ghost Town Blues band. In reviewing CDs today, it seems horn sections are reappearing more in the recording studios.

When it was brought to my attention that I needed check out Chris Daniels and the Kings in the early 80s, it did not take long to become a fan. A Colorado native, Chris Daniels has covered genres from big band jazz to blues, with an all-star band releasing some great material over the years. You won't find a more versatile band taking the stage anywhere. One of the keys to their success is the fact that they are always reinventing themselves, keeping their music fresh. In an interview Chris says their music goes back to call and response, tracing it back to the field hollers in the beginning of roots music.

For a long time, Chris Daniels and Freddi Gowdy, the co-founder of the funk band, the Feddi Henchi band, have crossed paths on the road and finally made a decision to collaborate on the CD titled Funky To The Bone, combining the classic funk of the Freddi Henchi band with the Chris Daniels jump blues style infused with his Chicago style horn section. The result was the best of both worlds together on one album focusing heavily on the funk genre.

Given their recipe for success, they decided to release a second album with Chris providing the blues and Freddi adding the soul. Their new album titled, Blues With Horns Vol. 1, focuses more on the blues end of the spectrum with other genres added. This marks the 15th album for Chris Daniels and the second with Freddi Gowdy. The driving force behind the album was keeping the New Orleans and Memphis tradition in blues, dating back 100 years. Hopefully the Volume 1 indicates that they have only begun, with much more to follow.

The album opens with a taste of Delta blues and the band performing the original vivacious shuffle "Sweet Memphis," which combines the haunting Southern slide guitar of Sonny Landreth with the vocals of Chris Daniels and powerful horn section

The Groove- Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter dedicated to the birthplace of rock and roll and the home of the blues. They travel deeper into the South for tribute to juke joints and the down home blues that drifted throughout the Mississippi Delta in days past. "Fried Food/Hard Liquor," a tune written by a Colorado blues artist Rex Peoples, opens with the stellar horn section, adding smooth harp work from Clay Kirkland, with Daniels and Gowdy painting a perfect image of the juke joints in the South. The third track includes a continuation of their first album, Funky To The Bone. "Get Up Off The Funk" is a Wilkins/Gowdy tune that gets your feet movin' with its deep electric bass lines often serving as main riffs along with the powerful horns. Freddi Gowdi handles the vocals for this track as well and the next track "Soothe Me Baby." A tribute to the late great Sam Cooke, this song sets the bar very high in terms of sweet soul music. Following up with the R&B Bobby Blue Bland signature tune, "Wouldn't Treat A Dog (The Way You Treated Me)," did not require much adaptation for Chris Daniels, with the two equally great horn sections and soulful vocals to match from both Bland and Daniels. The Chris Daniels band features a horn section with a little less focus on funk than the original, with the Johnny "Guitar" Watson tune "Baby's In Love With The Radio." Daniels calls on a fairly recent tune "Can't Even Do Wrong Right," the title track from Elvin Bishop's 2014 release, delivering those humorous tongue-in-cheek lyrics, featuring more horn solos than Bishop's version.

Daniel's calls on more funk from the horn section as he opens with another tune from the Johnny Watson's songbook to include Watson's early R&B classic "You Can Stay But That Noise Must Go." Daniels keeps the same funky guitar and deep base lines but once again pumps up the horn section for a very fresh, clean sounding version of the Buddy Miles classic "Them Changes." Chris Daniels finishes the release with the original acoustic ballad "Rain Check," selecting clever lyrics for his final selection.

Blues With Horns Vol. 1 packs a lot of punch from an all-star band with a powerful horn section throughout the album, which is no surprise from the Chris Daniels band since they have been performing swing, country, funk. rock and roll, R&B, soul, jazz, and blues since 1984. I applaud the band for offering a fresh new approach to a lot of genres on each on every new release. If you are a fan of blues with horns, you will enjoy this one!

Reviewed by Rick Davis

Slings & Arrows Michele Malone SBS Records

www.michellemalone.com

10 Tracks

Out of the great state of Georgia comes Michele Malone. She is a musical veteran with her first release dating back to 1988 (New Experience) and now numbering fifteen. Her website calls her “A singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer whose music is informed by blues, roadhouse rock & roll and Georgia soul”. Malone can rock her audience on a big stage, bar or in a backyard using her voice and guitar. She may retain an Americana music label, but her music can touch music listeners of all types.

For this release she is joined by Doug Kees (guitar), Robby Handley (bass), Christopher Burroughs (drums) and Trish Land (percussion). Shaun Mullins adds vocals on one cut. All but one of the tunes is an original. Malone has run her own label since the beginning, being a true independent. You go girl!!

“Just Getting Started” is a rocking opening number. This is a boogie-woogie number showing off Malone’s slide guitar work.

There is certainly some Lowell George feel to “Love Yourself”. It is a mid tempo rocker with more slide guitar work. I hear some old southern soul in “Sugar On My Tongue”.

The songs bouncy tempo serves up well with Malone’s vocals. I like the “Beast's Boogie” beat. This os an older blues tune with a bit more modern instrumentation and of course a cleaner sound. Branch tosses in some fine harp work too.

The lone cover is from the immortal Otis Redding. Branch does a nice remake of “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long”. Shawn Mullins adds vocals to this one as they trade off on the vocals. The instrumentation is top notch with a great reverb feel. “Fox And Hound” gets the boogie feeling going after a softer introduction. Nice slide work my Malone distinguishes the tune. Michelle breaks out her mandolin on “Civil War”. This one has a bit of Robert Plant’s later work in it with the building up of the song. The lyrics about a bully are quite modern. On “Matador” Branch puts together a rock tune with some nice production work. “The Flame” is a darker ballad, with lots of personal meaning for Malone. “Boxing Gloves” closes out the CD. This is another message song that is pretty good. The lyrics need some deep listening. There is a pretty good jam at the end of the tune.

This was a solid piece of music, though not a bunch of blues here. I do like how she has made her way through the music business on her own terms as an independent artist.

Malone is an Americana type artist, and she fits into that groove very well. The music has variety and some solid lyrics. She is a good story teller, and I like how she handles her playing too. Those with a wide musical net that casts beyond the blues might enjoy this. If you are a traditional blues lover, this may not be your cup of music.

Reviewed by Mark Nelson

Ike March—April

2018

Double Standards Mick Kolassa Swing Suit Records www.mimsmick.com 13 tracks/55 minutes Starting with his debut disc in 2014 Mick Kolassa has produced a series of albums which have all donated profits to the Blues Foundation’s HART Fund and Generation Blues programs, so not only are his albums enjoyable but they also aid worthwhile causes. As with his earlier efforts the studio band remains producer Jeff Jensen on guitar, Chris Stephenson on organ, Bill Ruffino on bass and James Cunningham on drums. Memphis stalwart Eric Hughes adds harp on three tracks, Jeremy Powell plays piano on two, Alice Hasan violin on three and guitarists Colin John and David Dunavent contribute to one track each. On most of his albums Mick has provided some amusing originals but this time he has opted for classic blues songs recorded in duet format with an array of friends, either fellow Memphians or who were passing through the city. Consequently the album took quite a while to complete but was worth the wait as we hear a wide range of guests.

Apparently the original inspiration for the album came from Sugaray Rayford with whom Mick had joked about doing a ‘supersized’ version of the Willie Dixon classic (both men carry some additional weight) and the resulting “600 Pounds Of Heavenly Joy” is a definite success with sweet guitar from Jeff and Colin. Heather Crosse sounds suitably seductive on “I Just Want To Make Love To You” as Eric’s harp weaves in and out of the vocals while Victor Wainwright and Mick sound like they are having great fun with Tampa Red’s “It’s Tight Like That”, the violin and harp adding a definite country feel. Willie Dixon and Tampa Red provide six of the songs here but “Fever” is not one of theirs and Annika Chambers uses her magnificent voice to great effect on it, combined with Jeff’s excellent guitar. Mick is nowhere near as good a singer as someone like Sugaray or Annika but clearly knows his limits and holds up his end OK. Tas Cru is a more even match vocally for Mick and their take on “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out” is well supported by violin and piano before Eric Hughes gets his duet spot on a relaxed “Key To The Highway”.

Three less well-known singers feature: Tullie Brae joins Mick for “Rock Me Baby”; Erica Brown sounds terrific on “Spoonful”, one of the more unusual covers, the swirling organ and the tones from Jeff’s guitar giving a slightly jazzy feel which contrasts with Jeff’s rockier solo; the final violin contribution comes on “It Hurts Me Too” as Patti Parks joins Mick. David Dunavent is

Page 15 featured on guitar and vocals on a rocking take on “Early In The Morning” and Gracie Curran is on a funky version of “Don’t You Lie To Me”, the last of the Tampa Red tunes. Jeff gets his own duet spot on “Outside Woman Blues”, the Blind Joe Reynolds song best known from Cream’s version on Disraeli Gears and Jeff plays some guitar that takes us back to the swinging sixties. Perhaps because the song is less familiar than some here it was one of the strongest cuts for this reviewer.

“Ain’t Nobody’s Business” serves as a vehicle for all the vocalists to trade verses on an extended version that closes the album.

Whilst there are few surprises here in terms of the material there are certainly some good performances and, with this all being in a good cause, the project is worth checking out.

Reviewed by John Mitchell Slow Cookin’ AJ Crawdaddy Renown Records www.ajcrawdaddy.com 10 songs/40 minutes AJ Crawdaddy cooks up a pleasing mix of roots music for this release, his second solo effort after a self-imposed exodus from the limelight. But that should come as no surprise for anyone familiar with the man behind the moniker.

Born Angelo J. Rossi, Crawdaddy is a gifted guitarist/vocalist who reached the pinnacle of the music industry in the early 1990s as a member of the multi-platinum poprock group Pablo Cruise. A native of Palo Alto, Calif., that’s him in the mix of Cruise chart-toppers “A Place In The Sun,” “Whatcha Gonna Do (When She Says Goodbye)” and “Love Will Find A Way.” A man who’s recorded with Jefferson Starship and worked with Jaco Pastorius, Hughie Lewis, Airto, Kid Andersen and Flora Purim, among others, he walked away from the music business for a career in sales after the release of Cruise’s last album. But his love for the business hasn’t waned. As gifted in studio as he is on stage, he’s owned and operated The Cave Studios in Mountain View, Calif., for years, recording many Bay Area artists, including two-time Blues Music Award nominee Terrie Odabi and guitarists Steve Freund and Terry Hiatt, just to name a few.

As a performer, Crawdaddy made his debut as a band leader with the release of the well-received Vaporized three years ago and his kids now grown. Firmly entrenched in the blues despite his pop background, he melds jump, West Coast and Chicago techniques into a style that’s modern,

pleasing and all his own, his tone fat and delivery smooth and relaxed.

Recorded in his studio, but mixed and mastered by Brett Brown at Renown Sound in Cape Coral, Fla., Slow Cookin’ mixes four originals and six covers into a rich musical stew. He shares vocals with keyboard player Baxter Robertson and harp player Jimmy Dewrance. The unit also includes Greg Jones on bass and a horn section composed of saxophonist Michael Peloquin and trumpet player Marcel Marchetti.

Several top Bay Area artists make guest appearances, including Andersen on guitar for four cuts along with keyboard players Nate Ginsberg, Endre Tarczy and Jim Pugh and guitarist Simon Govan Smith, all for one cut each.

Crawdaddy’s self-penned instrumental “AJ’s Shuffle” kicks off with some impressive swinging, single-note runs. One listen and you’ll be heading for the dance floor. It features a stellar mid-tune solo from Ginsberg, but AJ’s playing is the true star here.

Robertson’s at the 88s and handles lead vocal for a slow-and-steady cover of Wynonie Harris’ “Drinkin’ All By Myself” before Dewrance takes command on mike and reeds to deliver his self-penned medium-tempo blues, “Talk To Me Baby,” highlighted by more fine picking.

Four tunes into the disc, AJ makes his first vocal appearance for a take on Lowell Fulson’s “Too Many Drivers At The Wheel,” accented by powerful horn lines and an Andersen mid-tune solo. Robertson’s back in charge for a speedy version of Robert Nighthawk’s “Someday,” with Crawdaddy’s guitar answering vocal riffs before delivering more fine fretwork. Next up, Dewrance is at the mike and Pugh on Hammond B3 for a cover of Jessie Mae Robinson’s “Cold Cold Feeling.”

B.B. King’s “Fine Lookin’ Woman” features AJ in his only other turn at the mike, providing plenty of space for Robertson and the horns to take the instrumental lead throughout. A swamp-flavored take on Jimmy Reed’s “She Don’t Want Me No More” features the keyboard player on vocals before two more originals — Dewrance’s “Hard Luck Lover” and Tarczy’s jazzy “Slow Cookin’” – bring the disc to a close.

Short, sweet, in the pocket and a fine group effort throughout. Available through CDBaby, Slow Cookin’ will keep you satisfied if you like your blues modern with a West Coast feel. And it wouldn’t hurt to play it loud while wearing your dancing shoes, too!

Reviewed by Marty Gunther

Ike Page 16 Casey Hensley Live featuring Laura Chavez Casey Hensley and Laura Chavez VizzTone Records www.caseyhensleymusic.com 11 Tracks The blues is undoubtedly one of the greatest sensations to come out the 20th century. It started out as such simple music and seems to be timeless. The ever changing history of the blues has given us countless genres and remarkable artists laying down the foundation of American music. During the early beginnings of the blues, there was a continuous stream of legendary and powerful female singers on stage, becoming established in the New York recording industry in the 1920s. They would sing about sex, sadness, domestic violence, and the blues, with legends like "Ma" Rainey, Bessie Smith, and Big Mama Thornton leading the way.

As blues followers, we want to keep the authenticity of this music, making it difficult with this ever changing 21st century and the direction music is taking today.

Fortunately we continue to see young blues artists emerging that are trying to preserve the genuine roots that the blues were based on at the onset of 20th century.

If you believe history repeats itself, we can only hope that the traditional music we call the blues lives on in the souls of the next generation of blues artists. One of those artists emerging on the blues scene is 25 year old Casey Hensley, who is no stranger to the music, starting her career on stage at the age of 5 and entering the studio at the age of 9. With her career in high gear, she just released her debut album on the VizzTone label entitled Casey Hensley Live featuring Laura Chavez.

Like Big Mama Thornton, Casey surrounds herself with some of the best musicians in the business. She is fortunate to have one of the best West Coast blues guitarists in the business with Laura Chavez (former guitarist for Candye Kane) and on drums is Candye's son Evan Caleb Yearsley, with the dynamic Johnny Viau on saxophone, and Marcos C defining the groove on bass. With Casey and Candye sharing the same passion for blues, she has dedicated this her first album, to the memory of Candye Kane.

She opens and closes Casey Hensley Live featuring Laura Chavez with a dedication to Big Mama Thornton. She has the same grit and raw power in her vocal delivery of the song "Big Mama's Coming

The Groove- Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter Home," that only a singer like Casey could accomplish. That brings us to the spectacular guitar solo of Laura Chavez that I have waited to hear for a long time. With Big Mama Thornton, most of focus was on her vocals. With Casey and Laura they are a perfect match for a live or studio performance, with neither one overshadowing the other. For their second track, Casey does her original "Put Your Lovin' Where It Belongs," with Casey laying down her vocals with authority and Laura laying down riffs hot and heavy on guitar like only Laura can do. The classic Dorothy LaBostire tune, "You Can Have My Husband," features a sax solo from Johnny Viau, leaving you wanting more. Many artists have covered the Screamin' Jay Hawkins classic tune "Spell On You" but Casey sings this one straight from the heart, showing the power of her vocals.

Johnny Viau once again takes the spotlight on sax making this track a strong part of the live program. In 1958, Claude Demetrius wrote the famous rockabilly tune "Hard Headed Woman" for Elvis, which become a signature tune for him. Laura Chavez along with the entire band add another dimension to their version, showing just versatile they can be with this rock and roller. The live album features the second original ballad "Don't Want It To Stop," demonstrating the incredible vocal range of Casey Hensley. They open the vaults of Chess Records to include the Willie Dixon cornerstone number "I Just Want To Make Love To You," a hit for many of the legendary blues and rock artists alike. The band creates a very distinct groove for Casey's gritty vocals and Laura's smoldering guitar solo. The final original track "Hot! Hot! Hot!" is just that, with a wild rockabilly guitar solo, demonstrating why this duo is one the new dream teams of the blues.

The band taps into the past once again to include Koko Taylor, another legend in her own time with her hit "Voodoo Woman." Laura takes the spotlight once again on this one to put an exclamation point on her guitar skills. "Too Tired," another classic for many legends, written by Maxwell Davis, Sam Ling, and Johnny "Guitar" Watson,

makes my all time list of blues favorites.

The two standouts that come to mind are the live Gary Moore rendition and the live one on this album, with it's West Coast explosion on guitar, the saxophone madness, and solid backline that are a perfect fit for Casey's powerful vocals. Casey builds to a dramatic vocal finish on the Big Mama Thornton conclusion to this album.

It would rival the Big Mama Thornton or Janis Joplin's version of "Ball And Chain," but those are no match for the guitar performance delivered by Laura Chavez or the vocal execution from Casey Hensley.

The only regret that I have with this live show is the fact that I was not there!

Throughout the history of the blues, there have been superb duos but with a band this tight, it makes the team of Hensley and Chavez even more dynamic. With this the debut album, it leaves the door open for the combined talents of this group to produce award winning blues. With Laura and Casey on the same album, it is like hearing two CDs in one.

Reviewed by Rick Davis

Ike March—April

2018

My Life—Twentieth Anniversary Reverend Raven & The Chain Smokin’ Altar Boys Nevermore Records ReverendRaven,com 16 tracks/65 minutes On any given weekend if had to pick one band in our area to go listen to I would track down where Reverend Raven and the Chain Smokin’ Altar Boys (CSABs) are playing and go out there and sit down with them to listen to them for some blues done the way they are supposed to be. This CD celebrates 20 years in the life of the best blues band in the Mid West. Rooted deeply in the sound of old school Chicago blues and based out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Reverend (Richard) Raven has spent the last two decades honing a sound that is unique, sublime and enticing. The vocals and instrumental work is never over blown or over done. The solos are tasteful and authentic. The band knows what everyone is supposed to do and does it. No one steps on each other’s toes and everyone works to make the sound better.

In 1993 Chief Raven got out the Navy and supplemented his separation pay with gigs in Milwaukee and Wisconsin’s Fox Valley area. He honed his sound as he replaced the 16 year old wunderkind Scott Sharrard with the Blues Disciples. He worked on his chops and tried to avoid getting his head cut off by special guests like Perry Weber, Billy Flynn and Mel Ford. The Chief then ventured out on his own a bit with Jimmy Rogers’ harp man Madison Slim. Slim was still touring with Rogers so the work with Slim was a side project for both the Rev and Slim.

When Rogers passed away the CSABs were born 20 years ago in a South Side of Milwaukee tavern called Jim Dandy’s. Larry “The Legend” Taylor was on drums. They were playing in a country bar but when George Stancell walked in with a gold fur coat and sang with abandon and Slim killed them with his sad and blue harp solo and the band began it’s trek across the Cheese Curd Circuit of the upper Mid West.

Lamont Cranston helped get them noticed and the crowds grew and grew. They worked their way up to playing Buddy Guy’s Legends and opening for B.B. King at the Surf Ballroom. They tour the Mid West and South East with annual tours to the Virgin Islands and now Jamaica. From a poor kid on the South Side of Chicago hanging out at the Checkerboard Lounge to today, the Rev never dreamed he would get this far.

A half dozen CDs, many awards and packed houses wherever they go are the norm now. Life is good and the Rev is thankful for his hard won success.

The bands have changed over the years.

Cadillac Pete Rahn played harp with the

Page 17 Rev after they met on Bourbon Street with Bryan Lee at the Old Absinthe Bar. Madison Slim was from Jimmy Rogers and the Legendary Blues Band. Benny Rickun was a harp protégé of Mid west harmonica legend Jim Liban and he and the Rev spent time together when Slim moved south. Big Al Groth played sax with the CSABs after the Rev met him with Bobby Sellers in the Rhythm Dawgs in Kenosha, WI playing that old style honking sound. His current harp cohort is westside Andy Linderman who he met when Andy was with Paul Black and Flip Kings. They tour today joined at the hip with the swinging-est and coolest sound on the circuit. Each of the players added their talents to the band and are represented on this CD. Piano and organ players also came and went in the band. Ron Kovach, Danny “Pork Chop” Moore, and Mickey Larson have each spent time playing with the Rev and appear here. Jimmy Voegeli also makes a special appearance. On bass are Andre Maritato, Brad Bull and his long time bass man PT Pedersen. Vic Span, Spencer Panosh, Bobby Lee Sellers Jr., and now Spencer’s brother Craig Panosh have played drums for the CSABs. Jeff Roberts appears on rhythm guitar on a couple of tracks. Each has brought their enormous talents to the band and this CD. All the songs were written by Rev Raven who produced the album with help from Steve Hamilton. The first three tracks with Cadillac Pete are completely remixed and sound fresh. Track 4 with Madison Slim has never been on a CD before. The stuff with Benny is on tracks 5 through 10 and Andy is featured on tracks 13 through 16.

Moore is featured on tracks 6, 7 and 9 through 16. While these songs all appeared on other CDs with Benny, Andy and Pork Chop, tracks 7, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 are brand new versions of the songs for us to enjoy.

“Handyman’ opens the set. A long-time staple of the Rev’s shows, this is a sweet and bouncy little shuffle with some dirty killer harp from Pete. He gets the first solo and then the Rev lays out a tasteful and restrained solo of his own. “Bee Hive Baby” and “Creature of Habit” also feature Cadillac Pete. The former has a driving beat and the Rev’s vocals are sublime. The solos are Pete and then the Rev with some chicken scratching thrown in for good measure.

The latter is a nice jump blues with Pete and Rev trading off solos again. “Bad Little Girls” is an older recording that was never released before. Madison Slim greases up his harp and the Rev delivers the lyrics in his ever-captivating baritone style. Slim takes the lead first and blows a mean solo and then the Rev rings clear with his own and takes us home.

The “Rickun Era” songs are next. “I Want To Love You” starts us off with a winner with a driving beat. “Once Women Start

Talking” is another CSAB standard his fans have all grown to love that is well done here, too. It’s got a rumba sort of beat and just a great vibe to it. “My Life” is another Rev Raven classis. It begins with a nod to his sailor days, “I’ve been around this world, I’ve sailed the seven seas,” as the Rev embarks on a tune where he searched for the woman of his dreams. Danny Moore blazes on the ivories and Benny is quite effective on the harp, but the Rev sells one with his slick vocals and guitar. “Here Comes My Baby” is another rumba-styled tune with Jimmy Voegeli coming in for some pretty organ work. The Rev stings with his big time guitar solo and overall work here.

“Praying For A Princess” is a jumping cut that Benny launches with abandon. He, the Rev and Moore once again blaze as this song goes 100 mph with reckless abandon for a very fun ride. “Big Bee” is classic CSABs, a take off of Slim Harpo’s “King Bee.” Distorted vocals dirty this up nicely and the big harp sound from Rickun also makes this one special.

“Looking For Love” and ”Slow Burn” are the two saxophone pieces with Big Al. The sax is awesome on both and Pork Chops piano interplay with him is also spectacular. The Rev jumps and jives with his guitar and vocal work as the boogie woogie of “looking For Love” unfolds. “Slow Burn” is a mid tempo piece strident guitar and the sax and organ adding a lot to the mix.

The last four cuts are the Westside Andy tracks. “Someday When I’m Dead and Gone” is a blues shouter tune as Andy’s harp responds to the Rev’s vocal calls.

Andy plays some wicked harp to complement the well-paced and strident guitar.

They take things way down with the slow blues of “I Can Do You Right” where the guitar, harp and organ all take us to church.

The rumba returns with “She’s Moving On,” with a testimonial that the Rev testifies to us about how his heart was torn out by that woman in red Ferragamo pumps. This is another staple of his fine live shows that his fans (and I) love. All good things must come to end and so does this great CD. “I’m Your Honeyboy” is a swinging jump blues with Danny Moore on piano and Jimmy Voegeli delivering backing vocals. Andy’s harp work is spectacular here once again.

The Rev’s guitar takes a long solo to take us home as he, Andy and Pork Chop help him fade into the sunset. Wonderful stuff!

What can I say? This is some great stuff to commemorate 20 years of some of the blues worlds best music from one of my all time favorite artists and his band. As I said earlier, this is blues the way blues were meant to be played. Run do not walk, and go buy this one NOW! You will not regret it!

Reviewed by Commander Steve Jones (AKA “The Skipper”)

Ike Page 18

The Groove- Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter

Next In Line Tyler Morris Band Vizztone www.tylerdmorris.com 10 Tracks

The Ice Queen Sue Foley Stony Plain https://suefoley.com/ 12 Tracks

Tyler Morris is a 19 year old blues guitar player.

This is his third release. Based in the Boston area, Morris has branched out to play in other parts of the country. He listened to his father’s records collection at an early age, with both main stream rock and blues classics. This is guitar based music with lots of volume and intensity. Morris wrote all but one of the tunes here. Joe Louis Walker guests and offers assistance. The band includes Morris on guitar, Morten Fredheim (vocals), Scott Spray (bass) and Tyler MacNeal (drums). Hold onto your hats on this one.

I have followed Sue Foley’s music for many years. She got started in her native Canada, but has spent many years in Austin soaking up those Texas blues. This release is her 11th solo offering.

She recently did 2 releases with Peter Karp.

Additionally she did a Blues Caravan release with Deborah Coleman, Roxanne Potvin in 2007. From that first release in 1997, she has always had a great edge to her guitar playing. This new release teams her up with many blues guitar greats as guests. Jimmie Vaughan, Billy Gibbons, Derek O’Brien and Charlie Sexton all answered the call to record with Sue. This is a guitar set for sure.

Mike Dimeo guests on keyboards and provides the opening riff on the first song “Ready To Shove”. This is an 80’s rock song with soaring guitar and keyboards.

“Livin’ The Life” is straight out of Richie Blackmore and Deep Purple. It is a pretty good rock tune. Joe Louis Walker handles the vocals on “Willie The Wimp”. This song was made famous by Stevie Ray Vaughn, and is well handled here.

The opening cut is “Come To Me”. Charlie Sexton (Arc Angels Bob Dylan) joins this one. The song is a slower swampy tune, with lots of great slide guitar work by Sexton.

Sexton also plays on “81”. Chris Layton (SRV) handles the drums on this one. The tune is a slower blues tune with Foley’s vocals well presented. “Run” sounds like a live in studio rocking Texas tune. It has an older feel to it with Johnny Bradley on upright bass. Up next is the fine title cut “The Ice Queen”. This is a slow grinding blues tune, with a bit of an old blues & soul feel to it. It really gets stretched out at a 6:23 length, with Foley handling all the guitar duties.

Up next is “Down On My Luck”. This song is more in the blues rock vein, though heavy on the shredding guitar. The vocals seem weaker on this one. On “Choppin'” the Uptown Horns lend a hand. This one has more blues in it for sure, and is an instrumental.

Guitar is still center stage. The 6th track is a mid tempo blues rock shuffle. The background vocals really help out on” Talkin' To Me”. This one is not unpleasant. The band really rocks out on “Thunder”. This is power electric guitar runs that borders on excess.

The guitar power continues on “This Ain't No Fun”. This is more 80’s power hard rock.

The trend continues on the 9th tune “Truth Is The Question”. This is getting to be a bit much. On the closing track “Keep On Driving” we get a change of pace. This one is a jazzy rock song, not sets of power notes.

This one will be popular in the blues rock world. I am glad to hear the guitar as a part of the song, rather than the song being one long solo.

I have not heard the 2 earlier releases, but I would guess them to be close to this one.

Way too many power rock riffs for me or for what I want from my blues rock. The kid can shred it on his guitar, but is a times way too excessive. I know Joe Bonamassa is a hero of his and is very popular. It certainly is not my cup of blues. I do like older rock material, but this is not yet to a strong mature level.

Morris will continue to grow and mature. He is only 19! He can shred it, but I want more touch with my guitar listening. Many of you will like this, and if you are in that category enjoy it. It’s not yet my cup of tea.

Reviewed by Mark Nelson

Jimmie Vaughn joins in on “The Lucky Ones”. He sings and plays guitar on this Texas gem. Mike Flanigin adds his organ to this cut. The upbeat feel continues on “Gaslight”. Trumpet and sax get added to this one, along with Flanigin’s organ. This is a great change of pace for the CD. The great Billy Gibbons joins in on guitar and vocals on “Fools Gold”. Layton and Flanigin also return to this fine piece of blues. The back and forth vocals between Gibbons and Foley are pretty good. The 8th cut is “If I Have Foresaken You”. Vaughan is back as they are joined by Kaz Kazanoff & The Texas Horns. This one is a treat with its slow and a bit eerie feel. Foley’s vocals really shine here. This is a good one!!

The great Bessie Smith made a classic out of “Send Me to the 'Lectric Chair” in the late 20’s. Sue Foley does a credible job on this classic. Derek O’Brien adds his guitar licks on this one. “Death Of A Dream” is a slow acoustic type ballad. Foley gets to show off her voice in this good song. “The Dance” is an acoustic number with Spanish style acoustic guitar work. It carries long at almost 5 ½ minutes, maybe a bit too long.

Closing out the disc is “Cannonball Blues”.

This is another acoustic blues number.

Overall Sue Foley delivers here. She is a blues performer of many skills and delivers true thoughts and ideas through her music.

Her adopted state of Texas plays well into her music. Stony Plain is her new label.

She and the label will be pleased with this

new project. Blues fans, especially Texas guitar fans will like her work and those guest stars that helped out on the project. Check this one out!!

Reviewed by Mark Nelson Usual Suspects Lex Grey and the Urban Pioneers Pioneer Productions http://lexgreymusic.com/ 9 Tracks Lex Grey and the Urban Pioneers operate out of New York. This is their 7th release. The band is a mix of blues, rock and soulful vocals. This is powerful music with and edge.

Lex likes her black leather outfits, and cracking a whip onstage while adding steamy growling vocals. She is joined by Vic Mix (guitars), Kala Updike (bass), Walter Tates Jr. (sax) and John Holland (drums). Grey wrote or co-wrote all of the tunes.

The title cut opens the CD. “Usual Suspects” starts out with a low sultry tone, but turns things up in the chorus with Lex’s strong vocals and a more rocking spurt of music. It’s more rock than blues, but it is pretty good. Up next is “Chow Down”. This is an old time rocking tune about eating and enjoying it! Brian Dewan adds piano and accordion. “Dirty Secret” shows off Grey’s growling Janis type vocals in a blues based soulful slow tune.

The band hits us with full force on “SRV”. It is their tribute to Stevie Ray. Vic Mix provides strong guitar work to support the strong vocals of Grey on this hard driving Texas blues song. The lighter blues rock tune “Warrior Squaw” is different style for the CD. There is some nice percussion on this dreamy tune as it stretches out to almost 5 minutes. Things slow down on the jazzy “Sunshine and Blue”. Chris Pasin adds a nice trumpet to the tune. Grey shows a different style of vocals for this tune.

On “Cheap Thrills” the band goes country. It is an up tempo tune about a character Tommy Tucker that the female character met and had adventures with. It is a good story song.

“My Jellyroll” has a strong blues riff, and some good harmonic work care of Rick Surrano. It is a stronger hard driving blues tune with some sexual innuendo lyrics. The closing tune is “Renegade Heart’’. It opens with a ukulele (Foggy Otis) and horns. It is a slower sultry tune, with solid vocals and a bit of gypsy jazz feel.

Lex Grey has taken us on a versatile set of songs. Her voice is strong, and the musicianship is good throughout. There is some blues here, not all of it, but enough to keep heavy blues fans interested. I like the character development she does in some songs.

On stage I suspect Grey commands attention. Go out and see her performances if you can. Until then enjoy this CD. Reviewed by Mark Nelson

Ike March—April

2018

International Blues Challenge #33 CD Various Artists The Blues Foundation Frank Roszak Promotions 14 tracks 2014 Keeping the Blues Alive recipient Frank Roszak produces an annual compilation of tracks from artists in the IBC Finals for Bands and Solo/Dup Acts. These artists all were finalists in January 2017 and the CD showcases their talents.

The set starts off with Dawn Tyler Watson’s “Shine On.” We can understand why she won the Band competition with her fantastic vocal work and her amazing backing band. Guitar, horns and organ blaze as she lays it all on the line in this cut. Johhny Fink & The Intrusion give us “Let’s Hear Some Blues” is a dirty and hopping shuffle with a sing along and stinging guitar. Randy McQuay’s “’Til I Get To Memphis” is a Delta Blues styled song with heavy slide and percussive accompaniment. Lots of feeling and passion here! Brody Buster’s One Man Band follows, another cool solo act with harp and guitar that is traditional blues given a futuristic makeover in “2029.” Al Hill won the Solo/Duo Competition and we can see why with “Don’t Dig Today.” Heavy piano work and impassioned vocals. The Sobo Blues Band from Israel offer up “Catfish Boogie.” The band reportedly had been a matal band and switched to the blues, retaining an edge that is evident in this driving boogie woogie cut. Ruth Wyand and The Tribe of One give us “”I Don’t Have Proof,” a song of infidelity with some nice finger picking, too.

The Souliz Band with Sugar & Spice took second place in the Band Category and were quite impressive. “Good Lovin (Hot & Fresh From The Oven)” shows us this hot rhythm and blues band with a soulful influence can dish it out– they were fantastic to hear live and their recording picks up their energy and feeling. Spaniard Felix Slim does a Delta Blues influenced original “I Hate You Because I Love You,” showing us a bit of his tongue and cheek lyrics and humor while he growls out the vocals and picks out the tune wickedly on his guitar. I loved this kid! Wes Lee is another acoustic artist who follows with “Chains That Bind.” This is some more nice Delta Blues to savor. Sam Joyner’s keyboard work is layered over his guitar in this big and soulful cut entitled “Onions Ain’t The Only Thing,” where he tells us that these are not the only things that make us cry. Rae Gordon & The Backseat Drivers’ “Elbow Grease” is a gritty and fun cut with a nice little groove.

“Dangerous” by King Bee is a huge blues rocker, with some stratospheric guitar work. The album closes with Sugar Brown and “Meet Me In The Country.”

Page 19 This is traditional, down home blues with a lot of grit and guts.

These songs show us why the annual IBC is an amazing event, bringing talent from all over the earth to compete and get exposed to a wider audience. Kudos to Frank and the Foundation producing this great set of tunes from 14 of the finalists of last year’s Challenge! For those who were there they have a chance to relive the feeling of the event and for those who were not there they can see a little bit of what they missed.

Reviewed by Steve Jones Strip It Down Casey James Self-Released www.caseyjamesofficial.com 14 tracks For those readers who watch American Idol, Casey James will be someone you might remember; he was a finalist in the ninth season and made the final three before elimination in May 2010.

Born in Plano, Texas and raised outside Fort Worth, James is returning to his roots with this independent release after working with Sony after American Idol. Idol opened up stardom for James. He opened and toured with top artists in the pop world. But he became increasingly unsatisfied.

In his Q&A for Idol, James listed blues guitarist Doyle Bramhall II as a major musical influence, the one whom he would most like to perform with. He listed Stevie Ray Vaughn as another major influence is and he said Vaughan's In the Beginning (1992) was the album that most influenced him in his early years. “I got an album called “In the Beginning” and I learned every note on it, which was easier to do because it was early on in his career. I learned all those notes and it opened me up to the blues. When you look what he was doing, a lot of it was covers, and then you go back and start listening to those guys -- the originals Albert King, Freddie King, Albert Collins -those influences changed me, too.”

So now James is on his own back in the blues, mixing his experience with his roots. Recorded live in 5 days, this is James as he is– real, honest and live. He began writing to bring back the person he was after he broke away from Sony. He got introduced to a guy named Tom who might write blues songs with him. That turned out to be Tom Hambridge who would produced James’ record. James worked with him and now there were 13 new songs and a cover of Little Willie’s John’s “Need Your Love So Bad” to record, so Hambridge brought in guitarists Pat Buchanan and Rob McNelley, bass player Tommy McDonald and keyboard

player Kevin McKendree. They did each song in three takes or less and as noted, were done in five days. Funded completely by a Kickstarter Campaign, with his own hand in each of the 13 new songs, this is a renewed and revived Casey James.

The album opens with a song of redemption where love is “All I Need.” James sings he may not be rich but has all he needs in his woman. The guitar work and solos are huge. The song is a major blues rocking piece. Delbert McClinton steps in to help next. “Bulletproof” opens to some greasy harp and then the two of them break into a honky tonk boogie woogie with guitar, harp and piano tearing it up. “Hard Times, Heartaches & Scars” is next, a funky R&B cut with pretty guitar and horns. “Hurt Me More” follows, a gritty slow to mid tempo blues. The harp opens “I Got to Go,” a cool Texas blues with guitar and harp trading licks. There’s a nice harp solo and them later an organ solo followed by a guitar solo. “Messin’ Around” is a good cut with a really nice groove. Horns abound backing things well, but James and the backing vocalist sell this one, and the guitar solo does not hurt, too. The title cut is next where James sings of removing the layers that cover up what is real. Well done!

“Need Your Love So Bad” is a slow blues testimonial of sorts, just so soulful and pretty. Mournful guitar, emotional vocals; James is comfortable in his blues.

“Different Kind of Love” is up next. It reminds me a bit of an old Chicago sort of song, with horns nicely punctuating the vocals along with some funky guitar. Next up is a big rocker- “Supernatural.” Not much blues (compared to rock) here, but it’s a big, bouncing song with a lot of feeling. “Killin’ Myself” follows, a driving cut with a big guitar solo which leans more to rock than blues. Boogie woogie piano gets things going in “Makin’ Up, a jumping and jiving blues tune that James does a great job on vocals with as do the piano and guitar solos. Bonnie Bishop joins James for “Stupid Crazy,” a song that is more his than hers but it’s cool and fun.

Restrained guitar and good vocal interplay here! The CD concludes with “Fight You For The Blues,” a big cut with anger, emotions and angst.

I enjoyed this album. I’m not an Idol watcher and this is my first exposure to Casey but I enjoyed what I heard. I’m glad he’s back in a place he’s comfortable with. He certainly is making music that he seems in tune with and he delivers the goods song after song. The songs are varied and well crafted, the performances are all solid and the musicianship is spot on. I think this is one is well worth a listen!

Reviewed by Steve Jones

Ike Page 20 Soul Of A Man Billy Walton Band Vizztone Records http:// newjerseyrockband.com/ 13 Tracks From the New Jersey shore we have the big R&B sound of The Billy Walton Band.

This is their 6th release over their 10 years of performing. They play on the east coast and make many trips to Europe. Walton at one time was a member of Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes, and it shows in his own music. This release has 11 originals by band members, so this is mostly their music. Billy Walton (guitars/vocals), William Paris (bass/ vocals) and Johnny D’Angelo (drums) are the core band members. Various horn, keyboard players and a harmonica player support the sound.

Walton’s guitar takes us to first gear on the opening of “Save The Last Dance”.

This is a contagious R&B high energy tune. Listeners will be dancing or tapping their foot on while this tune plays. The band flew out of Newark to New Orleans for the intro t ‘’I Don’t Know”. The tune then jumps into some high octane bluesy R&B. The guitar works soars, and the horns keep the music moving. There is no rest with the next tune. “Hell N Highwater” is more of a Texas horn driven blues, than East Coast. I like this one.

The band goes up river for more of a Memphis sound on “Something Better”. It is a tune about getting second chances in love. The 5th tune is the slow dance. “My Little Bird” is a tender love ballad about taking wings and flying away.

The pace revs back up on “Let’s Go”.

This is another high energy tune. The horns really punch up this rockin’ soul tune. “It Ain’t True” starts off like “Rockin’ Pneumonia” and stays high energy in more of a blues rock style. It is almost too fast of a tune for me. “Shine the Light” is a slower, but powerful rock tune, with some harder rock edges to it. There is some shredding guitar work on this one.

The first cover on the CD is John Fogerty’s ‘’Green River”. I imagine it keeps their crowd dancing. The vocals will not touch Fogerty’s but the horns add to the tune.

Things get a bit slower and simmer a bit on the tune “Poison Pill”. The organ playing dominates this tune. The horns are a bit more Chicago. The 11th tune is a modern blues rock style cover of “Minglewood”. This tune goes back to a 1930’s performed by Noah Lewis's Jug Band. The guitar work again, is modern blues rock. “Can't Keep A Good Man Down” is a simpler rocking tune. The

The Groove- Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter horns kick in later in the tune. This one is OK, but nothing special. Closing out in a delta country blues tune was not expected. “Days Like This” is a simple but well down tune.

Billy Walton and the group did pitch up some variety in music styles for this release. I applaud that. The vocals are OK, but not great. Their power is in the rocking horn section and some strong guitar.

This band is good. There is something hear for all blues listeners. If you are not a horn fan, this may not be for you. Their up tempo sound overall will keep most any feet tapping. If that type of music grabs you, then this is one for you. Catch them on the road when you can.

Reviewed by Mark Nelson Blue Flame Peter Karp Rose Cottage Records https://peterkarp.com/ 13 Tracks Peter Karp is a songwriter/story teller and guitar player. He grew up in New Jersey, and spent some time in Alabama with his dad. The music bug bit him, but after playing around New York/New Jersey he went on hiatus to raise his family.

Later in 1998 he released a live disc. It got the attention of Mick Taylor (Rolling Stones).

They did some touring and recording.

Karp released 2 projects with Sue Foley in 2010 & 2012. Overall he has 9 releases (including the Foley projects). The first two are very hard to find. Blues Blast Magazine described him simply as “One of the most well-respected songwriters in America.” This new release features Karp on guitar piano vocals harmonica. He is joined by John Zarra (mandolin), Daniel Pagdon (bass), Paul Unsworth (drums), Jim Ehringer (keys/organ) and Joanie Coleman (background vocals). Among the guests are Todd Wolfe, Kim Wilson, Mick Taylor, Dave Keyes and Dennis Gruenling. On to the music!!!

The opening song is “Rolling On A Log”.

It is a blues rock tune with Kim Wilson adding his fine harmonica. The music on this one is fine. The fast paced “Train O’ Mine” rocks out like old school Dave Edmond or solo Bill Wyman. Dennis Gruenling hits it on his harp, with Dave Keyes flashing the keyboards. On “Your Prettiness” Gruenling stays aboard and puts in a fine harp solo. This one a bit of a cha cha within this rocking love story.

“Valentine's Day” is full blues, with a slower musical ride. I like the pace of “Treat Me Right”. This blues tune really cooks

and Mick Taylor puts his guitar to good use on this one.

“The Turning Point” slows way down and features acoustic music. This one is a bit country tinged and nice to the ear. “Loose Ends” has the blues/rockabilly feel with some mandolin thrown in by John Zarra.

This one cooks! The heat stays on high with the rockin’ blues of “The Arson's Match”. This one reminds me of Johnny Winter & Elmore James with the strong slide guitar. Kim Wilson keeps it hot on this one too. Things slow back down with the softer “From Where I Stand”. Karp grabs his accordion and John Zarra his mandolin. Together they make a good old time country love song.

I like the slow “You Know”. It has a cool modern blue feel. Dennis Gruenling shows his skills on this one. Thing really cook on “The Nietzsche Lounge”. Karp shows off his skills on the 88’s. Karp sounds a bit like John Prine on the slow intro of “Round And Around”. It is a country tinged good story tune. Karp visits the delta with the acoustic “Young Girl”. He breaks out his resonator for this blues tune.

I really first heard Peter Karp on the 2 releases he did with Sue Foley. I’ve grown in appreciation with those and this new release. This one has blues and some rock and a bit of country. He is a fine musician and some fun people came to play with him on this release. Blues fans, give this a listen. I think you like it.

Music styles are meshing together more and more these days. This is a good example of that. There is plenty of blues for all blues fan. Enjoying the other influences of music here will be good for your ears!

Reviewed by Mark Nelson

Ike March—April

2018

Step On It Big Shoes Biglittle Records https:// bigshoesnashville.com/ 11 Tracks Big Shoes is a band based out of Nashville. Their name comes from their start as a Little Feat tribute band. The seven band members have played with a wealth of music royalty such as Van Morrison, Etta James, Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal and Delbert McClinton.

The band members are Rick Huckaby (Vocals, acoustic guitar), Will McFarlane (Vocals, slide and electric guitar), Mark T. Jordan (Keyboards, vocals), Tom Szell (Bass guitar, vocals), Kenne Cramer (Electric and slide electric guitar, vocals), Andy Peake (Drums, vocals) and Bryan Brock (Percussion). The backgrounds here are all top notch. This is their second release, following 2015’s Shoes' Blues. All tunes are written or co-written by the band members. The music will be influences by blues R&B, rock and the entire Americana spectrum.

“Duplex Blues” is a fantastic tune. This bluesy shuffle has a Shoals feel, with lyrics that would make Rick Estrin smile.

Rick Huckaby sings this one, which was written by Keene Cramer and it is a good one. “There You Go” gets a bit funky, with maybe a bit of Isley Brothers tossed in. It will get people up and dancing. There is some swamp pop in “The Last One To Leave” soulful ballad. It is a pretty tune.

There is some New Orleans beat to “Don't You Do Me That Way”. This one has some Professor Longhair piano (Mark T. Jordan) and sharp guitar work too.

“Too Early For The Blues” is the 5th tune.

This one has a strong B.B. King influence with a tinge of country thrown in. I like the lyrics by Keene Kramer. On “Bad For You” we hear about a terribly love sick man. I hear a bit of the Honey Island Swamp Band on this one. The pace changes on “Dixie Melody”. Mark T. Jordan reaches back to old timey piano music. You can hear some Scott Joplin and others in this short piano piece. The 8th tune is “Walked Out The Front Door”.

Mark T. Jordan co-wrote it, and it was recorded by Bonnie Raitt for her Home Plate album in 1975. This one has strong piano parts and a bit of a gospel feel to it.

I like the tune “Ain't Nobody Loves You Like Me”. This one could have been a cut

by The Band. The horns add a good feel to this one, and some top notch slide guitar. There is a country rock feel to “Give It To Me Now”. It might even get some modern country play today. Closing out the set is “Honey Pie”. Strong guitar work

Page 21 opens up this Little Feat influenced tune.

It tells the tale of love.

This is solid American music. It mixes blues, rock, R&B, country and gospel.

The recipes come from Nashville, Memphis, New Orleans, Muscle Shoals and the delta. This is good music from a group of strong veteran musicians. It is hard to put a label on it, because it is a gumbo. Just sit back and enjoy it, because your favorite music taste is a part of this somewhere. Thanks to the band for a pleasant musical treat. It’s not all blues but it is fun.

Reviewed by Mark Nelson Winning Hand Tinsley Ellis Alligator Records TinsleyEllis.com 10 tracks It’s hard to believe it’s been 30 years since Tinsley Ellis had his first Alligator release.

This new CD was recorded in Nashville and was produced by his keyboardist Kevin McKendree. The album features 9 originals and does a freddy King styled version of Leon Russell’s “Dixie Melody.”

Raised in South Florida after being bornin Atlanta, the British Invasion was Ellis’ first exposure to the blues. Born in 1957, the big Southern rockers like the Allman Brothers also influenced him. While listening to records one night with a friend, he was told if he really liked the blues he should listen to B.B. King. As luck would have it, King appeared in his town on the next Saturday afternoon in a show for local teenagers. Sitting in the front row, Ellis was handed a string from Lucille after it broke after B.B. shanged it without missing a note. He spoke with B.B. after the show and then went to see all the big blues stars. He still has the string, too.

He went back to Atlanta in 1975 and joined the Alley Cats, a local blues band.

He started the Heartfixers in 1981 and Atlanta fell in love with them. He did two albums with them and then headed out on his own. 1988 saw him release Georgia Blue on Alligator and the rest was history.

Four more Alligator CDs got released and then he moved to Capricorn Records in 2000 for a CD and then Telarc in 2002 for two more. The last of the Alligator releases in 1997 included the first appearance of Derek Trucks at 14 (Fire It Up). He returned to Alligator for three albums, selfreleased four more and now he’s back for a third time with Bruce Iglauer and Alligator.

“Sound Of A Broken Man” gets things kicked off with that familiar Tinsley Ellis guitar grabbing us and not letting go. Ellis sings with passion and emotion as he sings of the plight of a man broken by love lost. Big time guitar soloing on a 1973 Les Paul Deluxe and just a great cut tell the listener this is going to be good.

“Nothing But Fine” is a bouncy cut where Ellis sings of how he can’t get his woman out of his mind. The guitar stings as Tinsley attacks the strings of his 1967 Gibson ES and delivers a poignant pair of solos.

The tempo comes downa notch or two for some slow and delectable blues in “Gamblin” Man.” Ellis testifies vocally and on his guitar in this big and bold cut that builds and builds superbly. Next up is “I Got Mine” with a bit of a breathy vocal and a long and tastefully done solo on guitar.

“Kiss This World” begins with a somewhat frenzied attack on the same 1959 Strat Ellis used in the prior cut. A big and distorted guitar is presented here for great effect.

The second half kicks off with the Start once again in “Autumn Run.” This is a melodic ballad that Ellis offers up with restraint on vocals and guitar. Its’ a pretty little number and Ellis sells it as few can.

He switches to a 1996 Telecaster for “Satisfied.” This is a rocking, honky tonk song with piano and a driving beat that gives us a little variety and is really a load of fun. The Tele rings as Ellis blasts out his solo for us. “Don’t Turn Off The Light” slows us down again for another slow blues ballad. Ellis paces out the vocals well and then offers up another stellar solo on his guitar, a 2000 Les Paul Standard.

The Leon Russell cover is a pretty little jumping and jiving number with the guitar, organs and piano melding nicely. The guitar solos has Ellis holding back a bit to stat and then building to fit the mood of the cut; he delivers so many great solos on this album from top to bottom. Here he once again used the1967 Gibson ES. Tinsley ends with “Saving Grace,” a fine slow blues done with his 200 Les Paul again, but this time with some reverb/echo effects to spice things up. A fine ending to a fine album!

McKendree does all the keyboard work and baritone guitar on Nothing But Fine.”

Steve ackey plays bass and Lynn Williams is on drums and percussion. These guys are all pros.

Ellis does an amazing job here with his return to Alligator Records. All ten songs are finely crafted and played. Tinsley Ellis has delivered so many fine records in his career and this is one of the best– I highly recommend it!

Reviewed by Steve Jones

Ike Page 22 Tree Of Life Patrick Coman Self-produced CD www.patrickcoman.com 10 songs/45 minutes Patrick Coman was a longtime fixture as a vocalist, rhythm guitar player and radio personality in Boston, but walked away from it all to move to Charlottesville, Va., where he’s been a stay-at-home dad by day and musician by night. But he celebrates his return to the limelight with this disc, which puts his laid-back blues and roots stylings on display for the world to hear.

This entertaining disc was produced by Peter Parcek, the world-class guitarist, and Marco Giovino, the percussionist who’s kept the beat for Robert Plant and Buddy Miller. Both men contribute their instrumental talents to the mix in this collection of 11 originals and one cover, and it was recorded at Giovino’s studio in rural Massachusetts.

Coman’s been working extensively in the past year, opening for a host of top roots artists, including Joan Osborne, Teresa Williams, Del McCoury, Robbie Fulks, John Fullbright and Larry Campbell. He penned all of the new tunes here in the time surrounding the birth of his son, piecing them together in the quiet hours early in the morning or late at night.

Despite his background in New England, the songs reflect a heavy influence drawn from Woody Guthrie, JJ Cale and Leon Russell, all of whom hail from Patrick’s home state, Oklahoma, while others hint of Lou Reed or Little Feat.

Parcek and Giovino are on lead guitar and drums throughout in a lineup that includes multi-instrumentalist Neal Pawley on baritone, lap steel and traditional guitars, mandolin, tuba and trombone as well as Joe Klompus of Letters To Cleo on upright and electric bass. Tom West (Peter Wolf and Susan Tedeschi) sits in on keyboard and accordion for five songs, Lorne Entress – who mixed the CD -- on synthesizer for one, Abbie Barrett and Kylie Harris provide backing vocals and Christine “The Beehive Queen” Ohlman shares the vocal lead for one cut.

A simple, steady drumbeat opens “Heartbeat.” Slow-paced and barebones, it generates a haunting, cosmic feel as it describes a desperate man who realizes the time has come to end his pain. Parcek’s uptempo guitar riffs open the bluesy “Don’t Reach,” a cautionary warning not to go places you can’t see. Patrick handles vocals before the break, which features

The Groove- Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter plenty of tasty fretwork and a brief organ solo, before Ohlman helps power the tune to conclusion.

The medium-tempo “Trouble #2” lopes along steadily as Coman describes a rabbit being chased by a hound, which is closing fast, across his backyard. It’s a catchy Southern rocker with heavy blues overtones that states: “Every rabbit has a couple of tricks/And every dog has his day/But this ain’t the first time this little rabbit’s done/He up and got away.” As it progresses, you learn that like the hare, the singer’s got troubles – and tricks – too.

The theme continues with “The Judge.” A tune that Johnny Cash might have enjoyed, it’s a blues with a true old-style Nashville country feel. The percussive “95ers” comes across with a rockabilly feel that praises folks who work until the job is done, not simply by the light of day.

The rootsy title tune, “Tree Of Life,” is a cautionary description of spiritual transitions that advises the listener always to beware because “it’s a jungle out there.” It precedes “Rock When I Roll,” which, despite its title, is a ballad with a hint of country that wonders why a lady’s apparently always being contrary no matter what the singer’s trying to do.

Pawley’s trombone accents the humerous “Dirty Old Bedbug Blues,” which describes a night in an infested New York City apartment. The trip continues with the rocker “Chelsea Street” before Russell’s 1972 hit, “Magic Mirror,” delivered as a ballad.

“Keep My Soul,” a desperate plea to land a gig, and the sweet love song, “Let It Ring,” bring the disc to a close.

Coman’s tunes are all little treasures, and the musical talent here makes all of them shine. Available through Amazon or direct from the artist (address above), Tree Of Life deserves to root in your home if your tastes run to blues with a heaping dash of roots. It’s different, and totally enjoyable.

Reviewed by Marty Gunther

Ike March—April

2018

Jubilee Greg Sover Self-Release www.GregSover.com 7 tracks/33 minutes This EP follows on from Greg’s 2016 Songs Of A Renegade and he is again backed by the members of Deb Callahan’s band: Allen James on guitar, Garry Lee on bass and Tom Walling on drums; Wally Smith adds keyboards and guests Mikey Junior (harp), Joseph Arnold (violin), Yoni Draibiate (cello) and François Zayas (percussion) each contribute to one track.

Greg is on lead, resonator and acoustic guitars as well as lead vocals. The material is all Greg’s apart from one collaboration with Garry and there is one cover.

Greg and Garry produced the album which was recorded in Philadelphia. The EP certainly shows several facets to Greg’s talent and therefore acts as something of a showcase for him.

“Emotional” is a chugging rocker with lyrics about some of the things in the modern world that cause Greg to show his emotions, a tune that could have been on a Bon Jovi album, even down to the fleetfingered rock guitar solo. The title track is definitely blues as Greg shows his resonator skills and Mikey Junior adds some down-home harp. To add to the diversity “Hand On My Heart” is an acoustic ballad complete with strings that Greg sings well; the song appears in two versions but the second is simply a radio edit. “I Give My Love” is again very different with an island vibe from the additional percussion and a happy tale of a chance meeting on an island – not blues but good fun. Having shown several different sides to his musical personality Greg then covers “As The Years Go Passing By” and whilst the world hardly needs another version of this classic song Greg does a good job on a slow-paced reading of the song and a strong guitar solo and his blues credentials are further underlined by a live version of “Temptation” which is a rough and tough piece of blues-rock with a frenzied guitar solo.

There is certainly promise here and Greg shows that he can play blues as well as other styles. He has a strong and pleasant voice that adapts to all these styles effortlessly, so it will be interesting to see which way he heads on future recordings.

Reviewed by John Mitchell

Page 23 Rough Cut Curtis Salgado and Alan Hager Alligator Records www.curtissalgado.com 13 tracks Curtis Salgado is one of my favorite vocalists out there and I always enjoy his harp work, too. I was intrigued to see he was doing a scaled down, mostly duo album with Alan Hager, a long time compatriot of Salgado’s and a fellow Oregonian to boot. When the album came in I gave it a spin and immediately fell in love with it.

Salgado and Hager produced the album.

They have played and jammed together since 2003 and it shows. These two guys really sparkle and shine as a duo. Salgado wrote 5 of the 13 songs here and Hager also wrote one, ranging from slightly humorous to very emotional. Also appearing are Jim Pugh on piano. Keith Bush on bass, Brian Foxworth, Jimi Bott and Carlton Jackson on drums and percussion, and Larhonda Steele on vocals.

Salgado is a survivor, having beaten liver cancer in 2006 and lung cancer in 2998 and 2012. The opening song “I Will Not Surrender” showcases how he feels and how he is resolved to fight. Thoughtful, sweet slow blues with gritty vocals and tastefully restrained guitar. A very nice yet haunting opening cut that sets a tone for things to come. “So Near to Nowhere” is next, a song that feels like it could be heard on a hot summer day on a Mississippi porch while sipping lemonade or sweet tea. Harp and acoustic guitar joined by more gutsy vocal work. Sublime, simplistic and superb. The pace picks up for “One Night Only,” with Bott on drums and Pugh on piano. A little honky tonk number with barrelhouse piano, a thumping beat and a jumping lyrical line.

The hard and guitar remain restrained and authentic. Well done! “I Want My Dog To Live Longer (The Greatest Wish)” lists all the things that Salgado wishes for. The title sums up what his greatest wish is (over world hunger, lost loves and parents and other things). It’s cute and fun, because, “dogs just don’t live long enough.”

Muddy’s “I Can’t Be Satified” gets a cool, somewhat stripped down cover with Kleiner on drums and Brush on bass.

Salgado gives us an earthy and down home effort on vocals and the slide work is just perfect.

“Too Young To Die” starts with some harp over blows and then Hager’s guitar joins the fray on this Sonny Boy Williamson II cut. Nicely done! Son House’s “Depot Blues” follows with pretty finger picking by Hager and vocals by Salgado. Another

really outstanding cover of a classic with great taste and authenticity. The traditional “Morning Train” is next. Larhonda Steele shares the vocals and the two singer take us to church. Basic, simple and so freaking cool. The beat throbs behind them and then almost halfway through things pick up and the train and emotions shifts speeds. Another very cool number!

Elmore James’ “You Got To Move” gets made over in a cool way with the same backing as in the Muddy Waters cut. Salgado strains and growls out the vocals oh so well.

Salgado mans the piano on “Hell In A Handbasket,” a humorous song wher e he says when he dies he doesn't want a casket, he wants to go to “Hell In A Handbasket.” Vocals and piano only, it’s funny yet stark. “Long Train Blues” is next, the lone cut featuring Hager on vocals. He shows his chops on tehi Robert Wilkins cut, offering up down home vocals as Salgado blows some cool harp. Hager penned “The Gift of Robert Charles,” a beautiful guitar solo instrumental that starts slow and shifts into a higher gear. It’s quite nice and well done. “I Want You By My Side” concludes the album, a Big Bill Broonzy song. Salgado squeaks out the opening on harp and shifts to the vocal lead in this final down home and cool piece. The harp work and solo is spectacular; Hager is also no slouch in his guitar solo. Things end on an upbeat and positive note, concluding an overall superb album and set of tunes.

As I said, I loved the album. Delta blues fans will eat this up. Fans of music with a down home sound will also love it as will any of Salgado’s or Hager’s fans. There is absolutely nothing not to like here. This one is a winner. Showing a range of feelings and emotions, this may be my favorite work by Salgado yet and that is not easy to sy as he’s had some truly great prior CDs. The album is what the title4 says– Rough Cut. I would recommend getting a copy and playing it as soon as possible because you will enjoy it and want to play it a lot. Most highly recommended!

Reviewed by Steve Jones

Ike March—April

2018

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Crossroads Shows and Events January and February 2018

Don Collins and the Night Shift at Lyran

Duct-Taped Cadillac/The New Savages at the Lyran Club

Reverend Raven and Westside Andy at Hope and Anchor; Dave Potter sitting in

All Star Benefit for Puerto Rico Hurricane Relief at Lyran

Blues Disciples at Lyran

Tas Cru at Blind Eye’s Blue Note

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The Groove- Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter

Recently Paroled at Lyran Crossroads On The Road Rick and Dennis at Shank Hall with Samantha Fish

Ken and Pat brave the warmth in Bradenton with Mark Thompson

Donna Herula at Lyran; photos by Rick Davis. Dave Hanson and Joe Poluyanksis on Harp

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International Blues Challenge– Rick Davis Photos

Ivy Ford

Torrey Casey and The Southside Hustle

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The Groove- Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter

Warren Beck

Riding Atlas

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2018

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The Groove- Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter

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The Groove- Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter

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2018

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International Blues Challenge– Steve Jones Photos

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2018

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The Groove- Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter

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2018

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The Groove- Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter

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2018

The Blues Return to the BMO Harris Bank Center and Ice Hogs Friday Pregame Shows For the fourth straight season there will be pregame music events featuring blues and blues rock artists playing from 5:15 to 6:45 PM prior to each Friday home game for the AHL Hockey Affiliate Rockford Ice Hogs. The season kicks off with music at the Blues Flame Lounge on October 20th with the first Friday home game. Music will be featured prior to each Friday home game this season, twelve dates in all.

Admission to the shows is free with a ticket to the game. Check out the schedule and get info for these events here: http://icehogs.com/tickets/Blues-FlameFridays/ and go out for some great music and hockey!

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Membership News We continue to grow with new members and renewals continuing to sign on!

Thank you for supporting live music and keeping the blues alive to all our new and returning members!

New members: Lonnie Givens Warren Heinke Steve Keppen Renewing Members: Steve Dougherty Mark Dvorak Peter Edwards Rosemary Edwards Camille Einoder Robery Gray Family Jim Hardy Family Paul Kegel Stephen Langley Ted Lawrence Len Levinson Matthew & Sandy Mace Rev Milhone Christine Olson Dennis Peabody Gregg Riverdahl Michael Smith Roger Thompson John Ulferts New members get a CD upon joining and new 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 the 12 page print newsletters.

We produce six PDF version that varies from 28 to 40 page newsletters a year with about 30 music reviews and all sorts of other great information related to the Society and our events.

Hope & Anchor English Pub Second Saturday Blues

The Hope and Anchor Saturday Blues runs from 8 PM to 11:30 PM, $5 cover for all shows. 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!

Mar 10th: John Primer Apr 14th: Chicago Wind w/Matthew Skoller and Deitra Farr May 12th: Cash Box Kings Jun : Don Collins and the Night Shift Jul: Paul Filipowicz Aug: Ivy Ford Band

Lyran Society Friday Blues

The Lyran Society continues their Fish Fry and Steak Dinners with performances mostly on the first and third 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.

Mar 2: Olivia Dvorak Band Mar 16: Paul Filipowicz Apr 6: Bobby Messano Apr 20: The New Savages May 4: Dave Fields May 18: Ivy Ford Band The Groove is a bi-monthly publication of the Crossroads Blues Society. The PDF version (typically 24 to 32 pages) is emailed to members of Crossroads. Hard copies (12 pages) are sent out to members without email ($5 membership surcharge).

Editor in Chief: Steve Jones

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Music Reviewers: Rick Davis, Marty Gunther, Steve Jones, John Mitchell, Mark Nelson and Mark Thompson.

All un-credited content by Steve Jones

www.bluesblastmagazine.com

Crossroads Blues Society Ike

The Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter

P.O. Box 840 Byron, IL 61010 The

On the web at: http://crossroadsbluessociety.com Crossroads Blues Festival at Lyran Park: www.crossroadsbluesfestival.com

GROOVE Keeping the Blues Alive Since 1994

2014 Blues Foundation Keeping the Blues Alive Affiliate Award Recipient 2014 Chicago Blues Hall of Fame Inductee

Email us at: sub_insignia@yahoo.com

Blues on Local Radio WNIJ - 89.5 FM • Friday evenings from 9 PM to midnight with Harold Brown and Rich Gordon • Saturday afternoons from 1 to 4 PM with David Rosik • Saturday evenings from 9 PM to midnight with David James • Playlists: http:// northernpublicradio.org/

News and Upcoming Events March and April will have some great blues events for local fans and members of Crossroads to enjoy.

The Lyran Society features the country roots of Olivia Dvorak and her band, Chicago Blues Hall of Famer Paul Filipowicz, New York Blues Hall of Famer Bobby Messano and the return of the New Savages!

The Hope and Anchor will have John Primer in March and Chicago Wind with Matthew Skoller, Dietra Farr and Tom Holland in April.

The Nordlof Center features a special show with Wayne Baker Brooks on March 14th at 7 pm.

Tickets are at Kortman’s, Culture Shock, Guzzardos, Pig Minds Brewing and Grand Avenue Pub. They are also on line at crossroadsbluessociety.com.

In March and April we have some great live events– please help us to keep live music going and support these shows!

See inside the back cover for more info!

Tickets are also now on sale for the 2018 Crossroads Blues Festival at Lyran Park!

Membership Application

http://CrossroadsBluesSociety.com Yes! I’d love to be a part of the Crossroads Blues Society!

Name_____________________________________________ Street Address___________________________________ City________________ State______ Zip Code________ Phone_____________________________________________ Email Address____________________________________ Date_________________ This will be a membership for a: New -or-

Returning Member

Type of Member: Individual ($15),

Family ($25),

Band ($25)

$5 extra for newsletter via regular mail Please check all applicable interests:

Festival Volunteer BITS Volunteer Review CDs Edit Newsletter

Serve as Officer/Board Volunteer at Events Public Relations Other:____________________

Please cut out/copy & mail form & payment to: Crossroads Blues Society P.O. Box 840 Byron, IL 61010

Bring this to our next meeting and get a free CD!