The Groove: Sep Oct 2015

The Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter

The

GROOVE

2015 Blues Festival Draws 2000, Big Success 70’s but we took it because the following week temperatures soared. It was comfortable and about 2,000 blues fans made their way to Lyran Park to appreciate the myriad of sounds presented to them.

Albert Castiglia headlined; things were about a half hour late Albert Castigilia by then and Albert ran until after 10 PM The weather early Saturday with a superb effort. With Matt morning was awful. Torrents Shuler on bass and Chris of rain feel from the sky and Schnebelen on drums, they the noise woke me hours beare a tight power trio with a fore I planed to rise. Around 8 ridiculously wonderful sound.

AM the torrents became a The crowd went wild for them, sprinkle and by 9 AM it was loving each song and filling essentially done. The skies the dance area on each song. remained grey and temperaPowerful, high energy blues tures only reached the mid and the crowd waned more

September-October 2015

and more of it!

Dave Specter made his second appearance at a Crossroads outdoor event. Sharon Lewis joined him again and Brother John Kattke was on keys and vocals. The backline was star studded with Harlan Terson on bass and Kenny “Beady Eyes” Smith on drums. Dave had them on the edge of their seats and up dancing, playing stuff from his great 2014 release Message in Blue. He mixed up some classics and some of Sharon’s stuff to create a marvelous set of music that was greatly appreciated b the huge crowd. Dave’s guitar, Sharon’s vocals and Brother John’s keys really captivated the audience– they are always consummate professionals and everyone enjoyed their set!

The Mike Wheeler Band put on a funk filled set of Chicago blues that showcased his fine guitar work. Mike worked the crowd and built things to a frenzy with his continued on page 2

2015 Crossroads Blues Festival Recap  

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2015 Crossroads Blues Challenge The 2015 Crossroads Blues Challenge will be held on Sunday, October 11th at Mary’s Place. The times are yet to be determined. The winners will represent Crossroads at the 2016 IBC to be held in January in Memphis.

There will be a Solo/Duo Competition and a Youth Competition. Since we erred

in submitting the information for Jimmy Nick and Don’t Tell Mama to the Blues Foundation late for the 2015 IBC, our board unanimously voted that Jimmy and his band would be submitted for the 2016 IBC. Applications for the challenge must be submitted with required information by Friday, September 25th. The form is

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on page 3 of this newsletter and can also be obtained on our News Blog at: http://crossroadsbluessociety.blogspot.com

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Total Attendance: ~2,000 Five bands on the main stage:  Albert Castiglia  Dave Specter with Sharon Lewis  Mike Wheeler Band  Stormcellar with Jo Fitzgerald Dan Phelps between acts Justin “Boots” Gate Harmonica Workshop Merchandise Vendors:  Just Goods Fair Trade  Wild Bill’s Food Vendors  Smoke House BBQ  AnJan’s Eats  Take Outz  Juan’s Mexican  Gala Snack Shack  Italian Ices Over 10 straight hours of great music Lyran Park is a fantastic setting Great partnering with the Lyran Society From Crossroads perspective, this was our most profitable day ever!

Thanks to all who came out!

Inside this issue:

Jimmy Nick

News Music Reviews Playlist, Members Membership Application Upcoming Events

1-7, 25-27 8-24 27 28 28

The Groove- Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter

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2015 Crossroads Blues Festival continued from page 1

Opening the day was Jimmy Nick and Don’t Tell Mama, setting the bar high for

Rodney Brown and Jimmy Nick

Dave Specter

Mike Wheeler stellar axe work. The crowd went wild when Mike left the stage and testified to the crowd. These guys were charged up and ready to go! A great backline made the beat something everyone wanted to dance to and I am sure Mike has a large, new fan base based on his set with us!

Stormcellar from Australia is led by the great harp and vocal front man Michael Barry. Joining him on lead vocals was the six foot chanteuse Jo Fitzgerald; she is an

Stormcellar

beautiful and imposing figure on the stage who sings sweetly and with great emotion.

Rosie (Mike) and Mr. Wizard (Paul) on dual guitars, Theo on drums and the quiet Bill on bass give their roots blues country rock a savory sound that all enjoyed.

They commented that Jimmy Nick was a hard act to follow, but in truth so were they! Jet lagged and just in America a few hours, this band put on a stellar show and had the crowd wanting more and more!

the other bands that followed. Jimmy was great, doing his high energy act for the fans while playing his great blues, rock and rockabilly.

Rodney Brown on tenor sax adds a great dimension to Nick’s band.

This high energy act makes me tired to watch.

Dan Phelps Jimmy had the crowd on the edge of their seats with his on and off stage antics. The entertainment value of this band is high, but so is their talent and musicality!

Dan Phelps added his great Delta blues between sets and Justin "Boots" Gate led our harmonica workshop. I think we sold out of harmonicas!

These two packed the pavilion area with blues fans on every break!

Justin “Boots” Gates Phelps

was awesome and showed why he won the last Crossroads Blues Challenge to represent us in Memphis back in January.

Gates effervesces and captivates an audience, and at only 15 years of age one must wonder what sort fof great performer he will blossom into! The Pavilion was hopping due to the fine efforts of these two gentlemen. Several artists also stopped by to sit in with these guys and everyone had a great time!

Crossroads Blues Society Officers and Board Members Contact Info President: Steve Jones sub_insignia@yahoo.com Vice-President: Bill Graw williamjgraw@gmail.com Secretary: Bonnie Fox bonitafx@gmail.com Treasurer: Terry Keller terry@markpack.com Board of Directors: Denny Barker harkthebark@mchsi.com Rick Davis rick_davis_937@comcast.net Bob Haendler rhaendler@comcast.net Ken Pearson cntrylivng@aol.com Rick Hein mrrickhein@sbcglobal.net

September-October 2015

Page 3 off another cigar box guitar thanks to Hardtimes Cigar Box Guitars..

Sharon Lewis The great logo design made for some fantastic tee shirts once again. The teal guitar logos were a big hit and nearly sold out (which we never do but we were very close) and the alternate hot pink ones did sell out. We are making a special run of Mardi Gras colored tie dyed shirts to commemorate the event. Hardtimes Cigar Box Guitars and WNIJ were back. Just Goods also came in with Fair Trade Items.

The beer was flowing with a great selection of regular and craft beers, ciders, wines, and more. Food vendors sold out of some items due to the great demand and crowd, but there was plenty of "good eats" to go around! Smoke House BBQ, Take Outz, AnJan’s Eats, Juan’s Mexican, Italian Ice and Gala Snack Shack all provided some great foods. We also raffled

CBS Member Lenny Levinson Dances to Stay Young

A great crowd!

2016 is already in the works! Mark the date of August 27, 2016 for the 7th Annual Crossroads Blues Festival at Lyran Park.

Thank you to everyone who helped make the event a great success! Our Crossroads and Lyran Board Members, volunteers and our attendees all were instrumental in our

making this a great day!

Steve Jones Crossroads President and Festival Chair

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The Groove- Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter blues, and a hint of reggae. The music is powerful in both playing and singing, combining old elements from the delta with his modern take on music. Go try his first recording 1996’s Big Mama’s Door.

Top All Time Blues Albums

by Mark Nelson, courtesy of John M. Becker We continue with numbers 75 to 50. #73 – John Lee Hooker – Ultimate Collection (1948-1990) – 1991 - Compilation (1917-2001) This fine 2 CD, 31 track set is a great starting spot for your John Lee Hooker collection. “I’m In The Mood”, “Boom Boom”, and “One Bourbon, One Scotch and One Beer” are all included.

To dig deeper, give 1994’s The Legendary Modern Recordings (1948-1954) a try. #75 – Lightnin’ Hopkins – The Gold Star Session (1947-1950) Vol 1 – 1991 – Compilation (1912-1982) One of the Lone Star state’s finest released on the Arhoolie label.

These were some of his peak recording years. “Baby Please Don’t Go” and “Automobile Blues” are favorites. If you like this one, there is a Volume 2 from the same year. #72 – John Lee Hooker – The Healer 1989 (1917-2001) We have the big comeback full court media tribute to the great John Lee Hooker. Bonnie Raitt, Los Lobos, Santana, George Thorogood and others supported JLH on this one. He sold a lot of records. Keeping with the later JLH, go listen to Don’t Look Back his final recording. #74 – John Lee Hooker & Canned Heat – Hooker ‘n’ Heat - 1971 (1917-2001) Originally a 2 LP set, this is the last recordings of the great Alan Wilson from Canned Heat. The music has solo Hooker, duo Hooker & Wilson and the full band supporting Hooker. There is a great jam of over 11 minutes on Boogie Chillen’. There is a 2015 release of a 1971 concert called Live At Carnegie Hall. That will give you more Hooker ‘n’ Heat to enjoy.

#71 – Alvin Youngblood Hart - Territory – 1998 (1963 - Current) Hart shows an array of music on this his second release. He gives us his melting pot of country swing,

#70 – Corey Harris - Greens From The Garden – 1999 (1999 - Current) This is Corey’s 3rd CD on Alligator. The prior recordings were country blues, but he opens this recording up to bring in other styles. His ties to blues, New Orleans, reggae, gospel all come through here. It’s a modern and diverse CD. For more fun, try out the unique collaboration with Henry Butler Vu-Du Menz from 2000.

#69 – Buddy Guy - The Very Best Of Buddy Guy (57-81) – 1992 – Compilation (1936 – Current) Buddy is now the elder blues guitarist, and it is well deserved.

These are the many great tracks that earned him the title, and brought him recognition. Rhino did a great job of putting this together. All of these tracks are from before his Silvertone rebound of success.

“First Time I Met The Blues” and “Just Teasin’” are standout tracks. For more of his great work, 2006’s Can’t Quit The Blues gives you a 4 CD set of wonderful Buddy Guy music.

September-October 2015

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#68 – Buddy Guy - I Was Walking Through The Woods – 1970 - Compilation (1936 – Current) This is an early collection from Buddy’s Chess output. It is only 10 cuts, but has “Stone Crazy” and “First Time I Met The Blues”. His guitar work is killer. You might want to go for the 2 disc 47 cut The Complete Chess Recordings from 1992.

#67 – Guitar Slim - The Things I Used To Do - 1991 - Compilation (1926 - 1959) Guitar Slim (Eddie Jones) influenced most all the guitar players from Texas and Louisiana. “The Things That I Used To Do” is his top hit. He played for Specialty and later Atlantic.

This is a collection by Ace records of Specialty cuts. IF you need more, and you will…try out 1988’s ATCO Sessions.

#66 – Champion Jack Dupree – Blues From The Gutter – 1959 (1909-1992) A powerful boogie woogie piano, POW in WWII, and a fine boxer, Champion Jack Dupree was a well recorded piano player. He left for Europe in the late 50’s to live and finally came back to his native New Orleans in 1980.

“Junker Blues” is included here. Try out 1990’s Back Home In New Orleans from his last set of sessions recorded upon his return to home.

#65 – Willie Dixon - I Am The Blues – 1970 (1915-1992) One of the architects of the Chicago blues sound, Willie wrote, performed, produced and was a talent scout.

He was a commanding physical man with a wonderful heart. This set of recordings are made up of the songs Willie penned for other in the 60’s. “Spoonful” “I Can’t Quit You Baby” and “little Red Rooster” are all here. To get more quality Willie Dixon, go get 1983’s Mighty Earthquake And Hurricane for some more quality blues material.

#64 – Willie Dixon – The Chess Box – 1988 – Compilation (1915-1992) The full course of Willie’s best on a 2 CD set. Most recordings are by others with Willie writing, playing or producing. It’s a Chess best of with “Wang Dan Doodle” (Koko Taylor), several Howlin’ Wolf tracks, “My Babe” (Little Walter) and some work from Muddy Waters. You can go back to his beginning with his post World War II trio The Big Three Trio (1990).

#63 – Rev. Gary Davis - Pure Religion & Bad Company – 1991 (Recorded 1957) ( 1896 – 1972) Recorded in 1957, Rev. Gary Davis combines his blues and spiritual leanings into his performances. Near blind at birth and self taught on guitar, he was a leader in the ragtime guitar technique. He influenced many later guitarists, including Ry Cooder. Catch his Live At Newport from the 1965 Newport Folk Festival released in 2001.

#62 – James Cotton – 100% Cotton 1974 (1935 – Present) James Cotton is living blues history. From listening to the original King Biscuit shows, to recording with Sun Records, playing with Muddy Waters, and an almost 50 year solo career.

He plays “Rocket 88” and “One More Mile” on this recording. James should be on everyone’s bucket list to see. For more great blues, pick up 1984’s High Compression on Alligator Records.

Page 6 #61 – Johnny Copeland - Bringin' It All Back Home – 1985 (1937-1997) Johnny “Clyde” Copeland learned his blues in Texas, and gave them a funky type style blended with his Texas roots. His daughter is Shemekia Copeland, who is quite a talent too. Check out “The Jungle” and “Same Thing” on this recording. For more Johnny, Rounder’s Copeland Special from 1981 and the great Showdown recording on Alligator with Robert Cray and Albert Collins.

#60 – Albert Collins – Cold Snap – 1986 (1932-1993) “The Iceman” was an over the top blues guitar performer. His performances were legendary, and his music admired. “I Ain’t Drunk” and “Cash Talking” are prime cuts from this disc.

Catch more Albert Collins on 1980’s Frostbite.

#59 – Eric Clapton – From The Cradle – 1994 (1945 – Current) Eric Clapton needs no introduction to any music fan. He always loved the blues and it was an influence that showed during his career. He made a straight up blues record here, picking a trove of favorites to deliver. “Third Degree”, “Five Long Years” and “I’m Tore Down” are stellar. Need more Clapton blues?, pick up Me and Mr. Johnson his 2004 tribute to Robert Johnson.

The Groove- Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter #56 – Big Bill Broonzey – Trouble In Mind – 2000 – Compilation (1956-1957)

#58 – Cannon’s Jug Stompers – The Best Of Cannon’s Jug Stompers- 2001 – Compilation (1983-1979) Gus Cannon played banjo and jug. He was from Memphis, and was first recorded in 1927 on Paramount.

Cannon Jug Stompers was his band in the 20’s and 30’s. This music was the intersection of the old minstrels into the early country blues. “Walk Right In’, “Viola Lee Blues” and “Featherbed” are favorites. Check out his first full fledged album Walk Right In on Stax in 1962.

#57 – Paul Butterfield Blues Band – East-West – 1966 (1942-1987) Paul Butterfield built his own blues style, and helped bring the blues into to a forefront of music in the 60’s. They mixed blues, jazz and some rock influences to create their sound.

They interpreted many fine songs on this disc, including “Two Trains Running”, “Work Song” and “Walkin’ Blues”. If you loved this taste of Butterfield, go get the first LP 1965’s The Paul Butterfield Blues Band.

(1893-1958) One of the greats is Big Bill. His influence is all over the blues. Included in this collection is ”Key to the Highway”, “Digging My Potatoes”, “This Train” and “CC Rider”. We all should enjoy this set of recordings. For more Big Bill, give Big Bill Broonzy and Washboard Sam a listen.

#55 Bobby Bland – The Voice: Duke Recordings 1959-1969 – 1991 – Compilation (Ace) (1930-2013) One of the most distinctive and best voices in the blues/soul/R&B genre. These are some early tracks from the Texas label Peacock. “Turn On Your Love Light”, “I Pity The Fool” and “Ain't That Loving You” are top tracks. You will be tapping your toe and maybe everyone will be dancing. For more quality Bobby, grab a hold of Live On Beale Street from 1998.

#54 – Bobby “Blue” Bland - Two Steps From The Blues – 1961 - Compilation (1930-2013) Here is some more Bobby “Blue” Bland for your ears. This early compilation contains “Two Steps From The Blues”, “St. James Infirmary” and “Little Boy Blue”. I also enjoy Bobby Bland & BB King-I Like To Live The Love from 1974.

September-October 2015

Page 7 Compilation

(1903-1962) This is another compilation of Blackwell music.

It is similar to #52, For more, try some of the work with Leroy Carr like 1989’s Leroy Carr & Scrapper Blackwell (1930-1958).

#53 – Bobby “Blue” Bland - I Pity The Fool - The Duke Recordings-Vol. 1 – 1992 – Compilation (1952-1961) (1930-2013) This set of recordings covers a fair bit of the ground from #55. It is the first of 3 Duke volumes of Bobby “Blue” Bland. Go whole Bobby and get Vol. 2 and Vol. 3 for your collection.

#52 – Scrapper Blackwell – Mr. Scrapper’s Blues – 1962

(1903-1962) Scrapper is a guitarist who worked a fair bit with Leroy Carr and did his own recordings. He performs some special songs here, including “Blues Before Sunrise” (Written

By Carr), “Penal Farm Blues” and “Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out”. For more great guitar try Mr. Scrapper's Blues Guitar released in 2002.

#51 – Scrapper Blackwell – The Virtuoso Guitar of Scrapper Blackwell– 1991 -

Brother John Kattke

#50 – Kokomo Arnold - The Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order: Volume 1 – 1994 – Compilation (1901-1968) James ‘Kokomo’ Arnold was a fine slide guitarist that recorded 88 sides for Decca between 1934-1938. Included here are the classic “Milk Cow Blues”, “How Long, How Long Blues” and “Sagefield Woman Blues”. With this tasteful release you will want more, so get the rest with The Complete Recorded Works Vol 2, 3 & 4.

Mark Nelson continues his review of the Top 132 Blues Albums of All Time. Next issue we will have another installment!

Randy Schuld from Hard Times Cigar Box Guitars awards guitar raffle winner a custom 2015 Crossroads Blues Festival guitar!

Harlan Terson

The Groove- Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter

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Music Reviews Father’s Day Ronnie Earl And The Broadcasters Stony Plain www.stonyplainrecords.com 13 tracks; 80 minutes Barely twelve months ago we had the pleasure of hearing Ronnie’s “Good News” and now another album appears, more good news for Ronnie Earl fans. As we know, Ronnie does not sing, so much of his music has tended to be instrumental. Last time around he was joined by Diane Blue who sang on four tunes; obviously buoyed by that experience Ronnie has this time recruited Michael Ledbetter, vocalist with The Nick Moss Band, to join Diane and there is just one instrumental. With two such soulful singers Ronnie has added a two man horn section to most tracks: Mario Prett (tenor sax), Scott Shetler (baritone). The Broadcasters are again unchanged from recent releases: Dave Limina (keys), Jim Mouradian (bass) and Lorne Entress (drums). Nicholas Tabarias again guests on guitar on two tracks and two additional rhythm guitarists (Tim O’Connor, Larry Lusignan) beef up one track. The material is mainly covers from some of the blues greats such as BB King, Otis Rush and Magic Sam, dips into jazz, soul and gospel and includes three of Ronnie’s originals, one co-written with Michael Ledbetter.

The album opens with two Otis Rush tunes divided by a soulful original. “It Takes Time” shares some of its lyrics with “Little By Little” and bounds along with the additional rhythm players pushing the pace. Michael is at the mike and immediately shows us what a fine singer he is with his soulful tone. Michael and Diane trade verses on “Higher Love”, Ronnie’s tune with devotional lyrics that talk of the power of love – not many songs use ‘serendipity’ in the lyrics! This is a shuffle with some typical Ronnie flourishes and the horns adding a subtle flexibility. With such a generously filled album most of the tracks here are extended versions and the second Rush tune, the slow blues “Right Place, Wrong Time”, benefits from that approach, opening with some great playing from Ronnie which just gets better as he stretches out in a wide-ranging solo that never gets lost in self-indulgence. The horns add depth and Michael’s voice oozes regret at his inability to ever find the right woman – a standout version. Magic Sam was clearly as much an influence on Ronnie as Otis Rush and Sam is also represented by two tracks here: the often covered “All Your Love” has a suitably anguished vocal from Michael that

combines with a subtle approach from The Broadcasters, Dave’s piano eventually launching Ronnie’s ecstatic solo which is well supported by the horns. “What Have I Done Wrong?” has Diane asking the question of her departing lover in an up tempo version with what, for Ronnie, is a pretty wild solo. The BB King tune is "”I Need You So Bad” which lopes along in typical BB style with Ronnie adapting his style to add more bends to produce a tribute to the great guitarist while retaining his own distinctive approach. Michael shows us a slightly different vocal style here and does a great job.

Soul certainly does not lack on this album as Diane sings Brook Benton’s “I’ll Take Care Of You” in a wonderful extended version that may just be the outstanding cut on this fine album. Ronnie’s gentle guitar picks up the core riff as well as embellishing beneath Diane’s vocal, the horns and Dave’s organ assuring solid support to both. At nine minutes there is still ample space for Ronnie to range far and wide in his extended solo without ever straying from the tasteful approach and for Dave to add some churchy organ; Nicholas also adds a solo to this fine track.

Van McCoy’s “Giving Up” adds to the soul as it opens with Ronnie and Michael testifying and then builds slowly into a fine tenor solo from Mario. A revisit of Ronnie’s “Follow Your Heart” is a very upbeat track with more soul, especially through the horn arrangement and the two vocalists sharing verses.

Ronnie’s solo is positively sprightly, Nicholas adding a short solo at the end. The sole instrumental is Bobby Timmon’s “Moanin’” which is appropriately led by Dave’s swinging organ and features solo spots for both sax players, this one takes us back to the era of soul-jazz.

The title track is the co-write between Ronnie and Michael, a slow blues with plenty of piano and a lyric about reconciliation that is explained in Ronnie’s dedication of the album to his father: “Don’t ever give up on your family and don’t quit until the miracle happens”. Michael’s vocal is entirely appropriate for these lyrics and Ronnie is at his most beguiling in his emotional yet constrained playing. A short visit to New Orleans brings us Fats Domino’s “Every Night About This Time”, the horns and the piano giving the rolling rhythm that the song deserves, allowing Ronnie to embellish behind Michael’s excellent vocal. The album closes with some genuine gospel in the Rev. Thomas A Dorsey’s “Precious Lord”. Diane leads the congregation, Ronnie adding some impassioned notes behind her and Dave providing appropriately churchy organ and piano. Whatever your beliefs, you cannot fail to be moved by the feel of this piece.

Overall, another excellent album from Ronnie and his band. The addition of the vocalists might not suit all hard core Ronnie fans but for this reviewer the album is a complete success and comes highly recommended.

Reviewed by John Mitchell Muddy Waters 100 – A Tribute Various Artists - Featuring John Primer Raisin’ Music Records www.raisinmusic.com 15 tracks Producer Larry Skoller is back with another project that takes a fresh approach to the blues tradition. Skoller received a Grammy nomination for the first volume of his Chicago Blues: A Living History series, which utilized a bevy of musicians to explore the many facets and stylistic variations of the city’s rich history with the music. Now he is focusing on the legacy of the iconic Muddy Waters in honor of the centennial anniversary of the bluesman’s birth.

Like his other releases, this one comes with deluxe packaging – a hard cover booklet complete with numerous pictures of Waters at various stages of his life plus a lengthy essay from author Robert Gordon discussing Waters’ influence that extended well beyond the blues realm. Also included is a track-bytrack listing of the musicians that appear on each song, a welcome feature that sorts through the rotating cast.

Skoller also contributes a shorter commentary in which he discusses the extent of Waters influence on music, then sings the praises of several key members of the project - John Primer, James Cotton, and Johnny Winter. The producer zeroes in on his take on the project with these comments, “By design, this album has not taken a strictly archival approach in its treatments of Muddy’s songs. Some tracks are handled traditionally, in deference to the original recordings; there are also contemporary treatments and new arrangements that focus on today’s sounds. Whether it be rock, pop, hiphop….the earliest five-watt amplifiers or digital samples, drum loops, and electronica - ….these sounds all lead back to Muddy Waters”.

John Primer is the sole constant, handling the lead vocals on every track and plays guitar on most of them. His tenure as a member of Waters’ band provided an

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September-October 2015 immersion into the bandleader’s trademark sound, making Primer a logical choice to lead the project. He sounds right at home on “Rosalie,” a tune that dates back to Muddy’s Stovall Plantation recordings. He is backed

by Bob Margolin on acoustic guitar, Billy Flynn on mandolin, Steve Gibbons on fiddle, Felton Crews on bass, and Khari Parker on drums.

“Good News” finds Kenny Smith laying down a sturdy shuffle, Margolin ripping off a nasty solo, and James Cotton blowing some meaty harp licks. Cotton is back for “I Feel So Good,” a song he recorded with Waters.

Johnny Iguana gives his piano keyboard a workout on the cut. Things are scaled way back on “She Moves Me,” with Primer’s assertive vocal supported by Smith, Flynn on guitar, and Matthew Skoller filling the Little Walter role. Primer really captures the magic on “Feel Like Going Home,” supported by Crews and Smith. His slide guitar and moving vocal are the essence of the blues.

A cover of “Got My Mojo Working” is elevated by Primer’s spirited duet with Shemekia Copeland over Smith’s electronic drum patterns, which also appear on “Still A Fool”.

Derek Trucks adds his usual stellar slide playing on the latter cut. Johnny Winter’s distinctive slide is the highlight of “I’m Ready,” recorded shortly before the guitarist passed away. “Last Time I Fool Around With You” proves that Keb Mo can hold his own with the other distinguished slide players. The electronic drums create an eerie setting on “Forty Days And Forty Nights,” featuring a moody solo from Gary Clark Jr., joined by Primer and Vincent Buchner on guitar and harmonica. “Can’t get No Grindin’” gets an energized treatment lead by Iguana’s mesmerizing keyboard efforts plus the usual strong harp licks from Billy Branch.

There is quite a contrast when Margolin’s gritty slide guitar collides with drum loop programming from Blaise Barton on “I Be’s Troubled”. Barton also plays spoons and tambourine on the track while Keith Henderson fills in for Primer on second guitar. The drum programming becomes a real distraction on an otherwise powerful rendition of “Mannish Boy”. Barton handles synth bass, Farfisa organ, and drum programming on “Trouble No More”. Tim Gant on clavichord adds another modern element that is tempered by Branch’s harp.

In total, this is a first-class tribute to one of the giants of the blues. The list of top-tier guest artists certainly adds to the appeal.

Instead of rehashing classic tracks, Producer Larry Skoller makes the bold move to reimagine part of the program to project what Muddy Waters might sound like today. Listeners who share Skoller’s vision will be very pleased with this one.

Reviewed by Mark Thompson

A Bluesman Looks at Seventy Daddy Mack Blues Band Inside Sounds www.herschelfreemanagency.com/ daddy_mack/ daddy_mack.html 14 Tracks Daddy Mac (Mack Orr) is a guitar player from Memphis. He and his band have been playing for twenty years based out of Memphis. This is their 7th release, so they have built a large basis of music for their live shows. Daddy Mack plays guitar and sings, James Bonner also plays guitar, Harold Bonner joins on the bass and Fast Eddie Lester plays the drums. Songwriters Eddie Dattel and Wally Ford wrote the materials, with Daddy Mack co-writing one cut.

Albert King was an inspiration to Daddy Mack, and it shows up strong in the opening song “Champagne Fantasy”. This is a mid tempo Stax influenced blues tune. Jo Boogie adds some organ to the tune “She Loves Money”. It’s got a great lyric ‘crazy about the way the dollar folds’. “Muddy Waters” has some stinging guitar and thoughtful lyrics. ‘If that ain’t the blues my friend, then Muddy Waters wasn’t black’. Matt Isbell joins on guitar for “Fix It While You Can”.

This song has a bit of a rockier feel to it, and is enjoyable. The beat stays strong with “You Don’t Have To Love Me”. Vocals are good and overall a well played song.

The 5th cut is “Red, White, Blue & Green”. I like this one and it’s commentary about importance of money. The funky blues beat picks up on “Gamblin' House Blues”. It’s got blues throughout with the music and lyrics.

Hard organ and slow funky groove on “Hoodoo Blues” is quite a tasty song. There are some good guitar fills too. The pace picks up on ” What Kind Of Man”. The guitar is front and center on this cut. Daddy Mack is quite a fisherman, and “I Like Fishin'” is built for him. It’s a slow but powerful blues tune, and the longest cut at 5:46.

The horns really show up on “Pocketful Of Blues”, along with some nice guitar fills.

This southern soul influenced number is very good. Up next is “Lucky For You”. It slows down a bit, with a bit of the Willie Dixon type sound. It’s not my favorite song on the disc as it needs a slower or a faster pace. “Door Jam” is a funky soulful instrumental track that works out well. I liked the guitar work.

Closing out this disc is “After All These Years”. It might be a bit autobiographical of a tune written for Daddy Mack. James Bonner handled the led guitar on this one.

Daddy Mack and the band have cultivated a good name in blues circles. It’s great to see a band develop later in the life. This is not child prodigy group. This CD adds to their

legacy. Let’s hope for more in the future years from Daddy Mack. Listen to this disc and go back for some of the other six.

Reviewed by Mark Nelson Stranger’s Blues Hot Roux Hi Hat Records www.hotroux.com 10 Tracks Hailing from southern California, Hot Roux has developed a strong roots and blues reputation. As far as I can see this is their first release. All 10 cuts are penned by the band. Jerry McWorter sings and plays drums, with Brent Harding holding down the bass. Several guitar players appear on the recording. The band tours on the west coast. Their music brings an influence of swamp/country blues influence to the listener’s ears.

Ed Berghoff brings a fine guitar to support the first song “Broken Again”. This one churns along quite well. The title cut “Stranger’s Blues brings a sweet swampy with a bit of surf twang to it slower song.

Franck “Paris Slim” Goldwasser provides some sting guitar work on this one. The group lets it loose on “Woman Where You Been”, with Tommy Harkenrider on guitar.

Any blues fan will enjoy the guitar and harp work (Jacob Huffman) on this one.”Seven Lonely Night” is the 4th cut. It follow the tempo of the title cut, with a mid tempo county/swamp feel.

The next cut “Big Mamas” has Tommy Harkenrider back on guitar. It’s another mid tempo, but I think the vocals fall a bit short. I like “Tick Tock” with its Jimmy Reed guitar intro sound and good sax work provided by Bill Flores. This one has a 50’s swinging blues feel to it. The band slows it down a bit with “Anna Lee”. Harkenrider again provides some ice guitar, and the vocals are better on this one.

The band hits a rumba beat on “Red Pepper Baby”. It will keep your toes tapping. Paris Slim provides the guitar work on this one.

“Can’t Get You Off My Mind” hits a bit of Texas blues and finds a nice groove. I am sure this one is loved in their live show. Ed Berghoff is back on guitar. Closing out the CD it a reprise of the 4th cut called “Another Seven Lonely Nights”. This one has more of a New Orleans drumming and a bit more R&B feel. It is lively and enjoyable.

Overall this is a pretty good release. Vocals are overall good. The rotation of guitar players provides some different feels, but would not carry over as well live. I like that they wrote the songs, and showed some different influences. Maybe we will hear more songs soon, but until then enjoy this disc.

Reviewed by Mark Nelson

Page 10 Blues Just Happen Westside Andy Self-Released www.westsideandy.com 11 tracks/50:49 Westside Andy Linderman has emerged as one of the top blues harmonica players and this CD is evidence to his original sound. He creates a tone and style of play that is completely unique to him. There is no, “oh, that’s Andy doing Little Walter,” or, “That’s Andy Slim Harpo.” When Andy plays, the style and sound is all Andy.

Recorded live at the Armory in Janesville WI, Andy is joined by Billy Flynn on guitar, Barrelhouse Chuck on keys, Dave wood on bass and Steve Dougherty on the drums. A talented backline from the Dairy State makes this a tight sounding set of tunes. Billy and Chuck also provide vocal support as Andy was suffering from major bronchial issues when all this was being done. Andy does sing on one cut on the recording and he does a great job as do Billy and Chuck on theirs.

Opening to Little Walter’s “Just Keep Loving Her,” Andy tears up the harp lead. Chuck also has a killer solo and then Flynn shows us his stuff on guitar; his vocals are also well done.

Muddy’s “Mean Disposition” gets a gritty and dirty treatment as Andy wails in reply to Flynn’s vocals. Very traditional Chicago blues done as few can. John Lee Hooker’s “My Daddy Was A Jockey” has Andy on vocals with this song that has become a fixture of his live shows. Flynn adds thoughtful guitar solo work here to spice things up and then Chuck also punctuates with his piano. Little Walters’ “Sad Hours” drops the tempo and mood.

Andy does some thoughtful and introspective harp work here on this wonderful instrumental. Smokey Smothers’ “Got My Eyes on You” had Chuck on vocals and farfiza. He tears it up while Andy blows some gutsy harp. Chuck does some great organ solos and Flynn enters the fray, not to be outdone. “Liquor Store Blues “ (a Flynn song) features Billy on vocals and he and Andy trade vocals and harp licks with superb effect. Slow and Savory blues here will have you grooving to the music in no time.

“Lonesome” is a Memphis Slim cut with Chuck opening with some great barrelhouse boogie woogie piano. He does the vocal work here, too, as Andy and Billy interject their stuff along with Chuck’s solos. “Just Cuz” is a beautiful instrumental that Andy penned and does here next. It’s swings and sways a he, Flynn and Chuck support each other as a well -oiled blues machine. Chuck leads “Call My Job” with aplomb. He’s animated and fun on vocals and keys, making this Detroit Junior cover interesting and fun. Andy blows some dirty harp and Flynn picks out some great stuff, too. “Don’t Let the Green Grass Fool You” is a Wilson Pickett tune Andy has made into a signature instrumental where he swings and sways as his harp takes us to the stratosphere and beyond. Closing the album is

The Groove- Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter “Over and Out,” And original from Andy in the jump blues style. The band is jiving an wailing on this instrumental outro, giving us a slick performance as Andy leads the charge on his melodious harp. He weaves and darts his way around to the delight of the crowd.

I was unfortunately out of town when this was recorded; Andy complained to me that he was ill and said to me he was probably not going to release it. Well, he changed his mind and I am damn he did. This is an outstanding album by the smoothest harp player around with a killer band supporting him. Get this CD – you will not regret it!

Reviewed by Steve Jones Hot Dish The Jimmys Self Relleased www.thejimmys.net 13 tracks The Jimmy’s have upped their game in the world of their recorded music with “Hot Dish.”

This is by far their most creative and enticing musical release to date. A baker’s dozen of original songs written by Jimmy Voegeli, Perry Weber and Mauro Magellan highlight the bands skills and at the same time allows them be thoroughly entertaining.

If you don’t already know it, The Jimmys are a band hailing from Wisconsin. Led by the dairy farming B-3 organ wizard and singer from New Glarus Jimmy Voegeli, they are an R&B tour de force. Mixing blues, R&B, swing and rock, they are a hit wherever they appear.

Perry Weber plays guitar and sings, Mauro Magellan (from the Georgia Satellites) is on drums, and John Wartenweiler does duty on bass. And then there are the Amateur Horn Stars. Peterson Ross on sax es and some very cool clarinet, Mike Boman on trumpet and the always smiling Darren Sterud on trombone and vocals are a fantastic trio of horn men who provide outstanding musical support that take The Jimmys to stratospheric levels. The CD also features Al Falaschi on sax for 5 tracks and Alison Margaret and Faith Ulwelling on backing vocals for 4 and 6 tracks respectively.

The CD opens to the sounds of hot track entitled “Lose That Woman.” Voegeli impresses on piano and vocals and the band sets a high bar for the other dozen tracks to follow. Weber takes the lead on songs like “You Say You Will,” “What Gives,” “What My Baby Wants,” and “She’s Wild.” He gives his songs a very Chicago blues touch which hearken to his influences. His instrumental “”What Chur Doin’” that features him out front on guitar showcases what this great axe man can do. Tracks like “I Wonder” feature Voegeli fronting the band and swinging in a modern and ever cool manner, and then the horn section comes in. On that track all of a sudden we are grooving to an extended trombone solo and we are really digging it.

“Freight Train” features Voegeli and Weber trading vocal and guitar licks with each other while the band supports them. It, like other tracks on the CD, have become staples in their live shows.

“Funky Schway” is another instrumental that is heavy on the B-3 and just a load of fun.

Another instrumental follows it; “Jacqui Juice” opens with Weber on guitar and then the rest of the boys strut their stuff.

“Wrecking Ball” has Jimmy on the vocals as deoes “Saddest Man,” a down tempo blues.

The CD closes to a reprise of “Freight Train” and the fun ride comes to a stop. And what ride it was.

This is The Jimmys at their best. Run, do not walk, to your nearest Jimmys show and buy this album. It is a portable party you can take home and enjoy over and over again!

Reviewed by Steve Jones Live! at the Big Bull Reverend Raven & the Chain Smokin’ Altar Boys Nevermore Records reverendraven.com The Rev has taken some of his great performances in Wausau at the Big Bull Falls Blues Festival and sandwiched in a few tracks from Kochanski’s Concertina Bar to replace ones that did not transfer well from the Big Bull Falls recordings to create a very cool live album from 2012 and 2014.

The 2012 set is Earl Hookers’ “Hot and Heavy” and Bobby Rush’s “Chicken Heads.” from 2014 at the Big Bull are “Hawaiin Boogie,” a great Elmore James cover, Sleepy John Estes “Diving Duck Blues,” Gerry Hundt’s “Stomping and Shouting” and Muddy’s “She’s Nineteen Year’s Old.” The Kochanski’s cuts are Walking to Chicago (another r super Gerry Hundt tune), and two of Revs’ originals “You Didn’t Even Say Goodbye” and “looking for Love.”

Anyone who has ever seen the Rev and the Boys play know these songs as staples of the Rev’s live shows. Westside Andy handles the harp duties on half the cuts while Benny Rickun is on the other half. Big Al Groth makes one appearance on “Chicken Heads,” adding his soulful tenor sax to the mix. Along with the Rev are PT Pedersen on bass, Robert Lee Sellers on drums (and once vocal) and Danny Moore on the keys.

Captured here are the joy and energy that is so evident at one of Reverend Raven’s live shows. Thos band has emerged as my favorite blues band in the mid-west, putting on amazing, entertaining shows. I highly recommend this for Rev’s fans and his fans to be. If you listen to this (or listen to a live show) you will instantly become a fan. Don’t delay– get one today!

Reviewed by Steve Jones

September-October 2015 She Swings Blues Volumes 1 and 2 The Rhythm Rockets Brother Racoon Records 26 Tracks Jump blues was especially popular in the late 1940's and early 1950's, featuring legendary artists such as Louis Jordan, Big Joe Turner, Roy Brown, Charles Brown, Helen Humes, T-Bone Walker, Roy Milton, Billy Wright and Wynonie Harris. During that same time period, swing was well established with the well known bandleaders of the Swing Era like jazz greats Count Basie, Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Woody Herman, Glenn Miller, and Artie Shaw, as well as arrangers Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn. Even as far back as the 20's and 30's, major cities had their favorite night clubs like the Cotton Club in New York and Chicago's Civic Opera House.

Jump blues was revived, starting in the 1980s by artists such as Brian Setzer, Roomful of Blues, and Mitch Woods and His Rocket 88s. Contemporary swing bands such as Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, and The Mighty Blue Kings have continued that tradition.

One such group specializing in both genres is the Chicago based band, The Rhythm Rockets, playing their first gig New Year’s Eve of 1996. Over time, the group has established itself as the premier jump, R&B, and swing band in the "Windy City." What sets the band apart from the rest is the way they have put their own signature on the nostalgic post war blues, jump blues, and big band jazz arrangements. With a touch of class and precision, this majestic "little big band" has captured the essence of the music that defined a generation for years, from their outfits, to the delivery of their spectacular sound. The popularity of the Rhythm Rockets can be attributed to the strong yearning for the music from this era that is still alive and well. By assembling a band of this caliber, they have been able to keep these genres of music alive and vibrant. This Chicago band has been successful in recreating that nostalgic sound that could once be heard billowing out of upscale Chicago music venues like the Civic Opera House, the Boulevard Room at the Stevens Hotel, the Empire Room at the Palmer House, the Panther Room at the Hotel Sherman's College Inn, the Blackhawk Restaurant, and the famous

Page 11 Chez Paree, which reigned for nearly two decades as Chicago's hottest nightspot.

Fronting the band since 2000, with her alluring, sultry vocals, is the charming Nicole Kestler, covering the popular postwar tunes of such singers as Dinah Washington, Big Maybelle, Peggy Lee, Ella Mae Morse, Ruth Brown, and Etta James.

Sharing vocals with Kesler is the guitarist and founder Dave Downer who has assembled musicians like drummer extraordinaire Mark Fornek from the Jimmy Rogers and Dave Specter blues bands, Lou Marini and Michael Quiroz on bass, and on tenor sax Sam Burckhardt (from the Sunnyland Slim's blues band and founding member of the Mighty Blue Kings. Sharing the tenor sax position is Mike Bielecki and Marty Gierczyk with the Baritone sax handled by Ron Dublin, Ed Enright, and Justin Keirans.

It is a genuine treat to experience the energy of this band when they jump, jive, and wail their way to the stage with songs from their duel collection of contemporary jump blues She Swings Blue Volume 1: The Joint Is Jumpin', or their slower tempo, traditional post-war jazz classics from She Swings Blue Volume 2: After Hours.

They open She Swings Blue Volume 1: The Joint Is Jumpin' with the Biggs/ Thomas house-rockin' tune "In The Mood For You." Dave Downer goes toe to toe with jump blues guitarists like Duke Robillard or blues great T-bone Walker with his Epiphone guitar solos on this one. Nicole Kestler rivals the late great Dinah Washington on their arrangement of the Leonard Feather/Lionel Hampton tune "Evil Gal Blues." The rhythm and horn sections are spectacular in support of Nicole's torrid vocals on the 1951 Buddy Johnson number "Til My Baby Comes Back." Lou Marini opens the Sid Wyche tune "I've Got A Feelin'" with his upright bass, only to follow with Latin clavĂŠ rhythms, powerful saxophone solos, and Nicole's steamy vocals. You will want to put on your dancing shoes as the band joins Nicole on vocals for "Baby Baby Every Night," a song made popular in 1958 by Chess Blues recording artist Etta James. Saxophone, drums, piano, and rhythm guitar establish a high powered groove, as The Rhythm Rockets revive the 1952 Ravens juke box hit "Rock Me All Night Long" with an arrangement all their own. They blow the roof off with Dave Downer's original jump blues track "Jumpin' The Blues," showcasing Dave's rhythm and hot and spicy guitar leads to supersize the intense sax and piano solos. "A Rockin' Good

Way" offers the same soulful vocals from Nicole and Mark Fornek as it did when released on Mercury records, featuring Dinah Washington and Brook Benton, cowritten by Benton. Dave rekindles that 50's rock 'n' roll guitar style on the 1956 jump blues rocker "T'Ain't Whatcha Say It's Whatcha Do," released originally on Savoy by Little Esther Phillips. With her smooth vocals, Kestler is captivating on "I Just Couldn't Stand It No More," much like one of Dinah Washington's stellar performances at the Chicago clubs like Dave's Rhumboogie, the Downbeat Room of the Sherman Hotel, or even Chicago's Regal Theater in the 40's. Nicole Kestler and Mark Fornek team up once again on vocals to deliver a performance of "Ain't Nobody's Business But My Own," reminiscent of the classic 50's tune by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Jordan. All aboard for the "Cannonball Express." This vibrant rendition by the all-star band of the Rhythm Rockets is as well done as the original classic hit done in the 50's by Peggy Lee. Numerous jump blues artists have recorded "Good Rockin' Daddy," since the 1955 recording by Etta James, with The Rhythm Rockets now added to that list. With hot sequential saxophone solos, this latest track surpasses the older recordings in musicianship and outstanding vocals. What an ending to a superlative collection of jump blues on the first volume, with a no holes barred recording of the 1953 Ruth Brown classic "(Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean."

With Tony Kidonakis taking it to the house on keys, the sassy vocals by Nicole Kestler, and an amazing studio performance from the incredible horn section, The Rhythm Rockets finish the album in style.

She Swings Blue Volume 2: After Hours is the flip side of the coin with an equally classy studio collection of ballads. It opens with "Mean And Evil Blues," as Nicole sings with conviction in her voice, reminding her partner that she is tired of his "lyin talk." The song was done originally by Dinah Washington for the motion picture "On The Road."

Nicole sings the blues nice and easy with her passionate vocals, telling us "My Baby Left Me." She puts a magic spell on the audience with her enchanting lyrics much like her mentors with the 30's tune "I'll be Taking A Holiday From Love," composed by leader Dave Downer's grandmother, Muriel Granback. Dinah Washington, the co-writer of "Duck Before You Drown," is a song tailor made for both vocals and the piano solos of Tony Kidonakis as they offer a perfect meld with the rhythm section and saxophones.

Page 12 Downer starts things out with some tasty down home blues licks, followed by Nicole's alluring vocals on the song "Let's Rock Awhile," much more convincing than Amos Milburn's original in 1951. "Put Your Arms Around Me Honey" takes you back to Sun Record days with Ray Smith or the early Chess Record recording by Fats Domino. The Rhythm Rockets still have some early rock 'n' roll flavor remaining in their contemporary version, with Nicole giving the song yet another sound with her savory vocals. The Ollie Jones tune "Send For Me" seemed to be a cornerstone for recordings artists like Johnny Mercer, Nat King Cole, and later for Marvin Gaye or even the up tempo recording by the Stylistics. The Rhythm Rockets put their stamp of approval on this song that is a slower, mellow rendition created with both saxophone and piano and the voluptuous, sweet vocals from Kestler on this classic.

The Hoagy Carmichael track "Bread & Gravy" is the ultimate after hours tune with one of the smoothest tracks on the album.

This returns back to the 1930's with the Chicago R&B recording artist Martha Davis. The band has captured the essence of "You Was Right, Baby" with their arrangement of the tune originally performed and co-written by Peggy Lee. Downer opens with some stellar blues guitar riffs on the slow eight-bar blues song written by jazz pianist Richard M. Jones, covered over the years by a host of artists since the first known recording of the song in 1924 by singer Thelma La Vizzo, with Jones providing the piano accompaniment. The Rhythm Rockets were able to resurrect the 1943 Capitol recording "40 Cups Of Coffee" with the same vibrant vocals of Ella Mae Morse and explosive band of Jimmy Dorsey. Duke Ellington could not have performed the jazz instrumental any better than The Rhythm Rockets as they bring this brilliant album to a close with the Billy Strayhorn song "Blues In Orbit." Along with the entire band, Brian OHern's piano solos take center stage, complementing the tenor and baritone saxophone parts.

This two disc collection covers a multitude of material selected by this band of renown, celebrating a very successful tribute to the stars of yesterday's jazz and blues history. This monumental disc set marks a high point in The Rhythm Rockets long reign of performing these classic numbers live and in the studio. We can only hope the band can continue it's successful existence for years to come.

Reviewed by Rick Davis

The Groove- Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter Slow Burn The Betty Fox Band Self Released http://www.bettyfox.net/ 13 Tracks This is Betty Fox’s 2nd release. She works out of Florida and plays many local clubs and festivals. She can draw some comparisons to Janis Joplin, and I think an early Susan Tedeschi vocally. The music is soulful and bluesy. Betty plays acoustic guitar and sings, while the rest of the band is Kid Royal (guitar/bg vocals), Barry Williams (bass), Sam Farmer (drums) and Shawn Brown (keys). She and the band wrote 11 of the 13 cuts, which is great.

Betty opens up with “Think About It”. This is a soul mid tempo cut that will get your toe tappin’ as you enjoy Betty’s vocals and the driving interplay of the band. The listener will here some real soul work on “Sweet Memories”. I hear Tedeschi’s vocal style in this one. The title cut “Slow Burn” is a nice ballad, with good guitar work. The band digs into Betty’s gospel roots for “Solid Ground”.

She reaches deep vocally at the end of the song that could have been really special if she did it a bit longer.

On “Please Come Home” Fox shows off her vocal abilities with some jazz type scat with some old time feel jazzy blues. The band sets a soulful groove on “Our Love” that is okay, but not memorable. Otis Redding is one of the soul greats. The group takes on his great “Remember Me” on the 7th cut.

Fox does a enjoyable job here, and shows off her range as the song progresses.

Things get a bit of lighter R&B on “Take A Walk With Me”. It’s light and airy with some fine solo work and vocals.

I hear a bit more rock, with a bit less R&B in “Let The Light Shine On Me”. The Joplin comparisons come through on “Baby Please”. It’s one of those slow soulful songs that Janis would have loved. The band does well on this one too. The pace really bounces back on “Who's Holdin'”. This is a superb jump blues cut. Fox sings over a latin/rock/Texas beat for “Goodbye”. The song changes pace several times. Closing out is the Willie Nelson penned “Angel Flyin’ Too Close To The Sun”. This is an acoustic slow ballad staying faithful to the original.

I like the progress Fox is making from her last release in 2012. Her vocals are solid, and the band is working a great deal.

Maybe we can get her out to the rest of the country to hear. There is a great deal of soul here, with blues thrown in. Enjoy her great voice and give this CD a listen. We will hear more from her as time goes on.

Reviewed by Mark Nelson

300 Miles To Memphis Mississippi Fever Self Released www.mississippifever.com/ 10 Tracks Mississippi Fever is a trio from St. Louis. 300 Miles To Memphis is their debut recording. The band is made up of Brent Barker on guitar/vocals with the brothers Ted May (bass) and Tom May (drums). Members wrote 8 of the 10 cuts here, so we get a real taste of their abilities.

There are a few guests on the CD, including Brandon Santini on harp. Their music is powerful blues rock with lots of guitar.

The wah-wah pedal gets a workout in the opening track “I Feel Like Superman”. It has a funky upbeat sound. They pay homage to the blues recording Robert Johnson’s “Traveling Riverside Blues” with a slow electric feel, but then rocks out for the finish.

“Steal Away Your Love” is the 3rd cut. It is a slower bluesy number. Rick Steff adds some piano to this interesting cut.

The guitar gets cranked back up for “Downtown Train”. The bass/drum combo sets the base line for the guitar to float over.

It’s not over the top, but is powerful. The band presents a 70’s blues rock feel with “Till The Sunrise”. The guys play well together on this one. A funky groove jumps out for “Black Dress”. It is a pretty good track with plenty of guitar and wah-wah.

“Out All Night” kicks into a slow blues that should be enjoyed by blues lovers. It is the longest cut on the CD at 4:52.

The title cut is next. “300 Miles To Memphis” brings in Brandon Santini to add harmonica.

He helps this get a great older rockin’ blues feel to the song. It is upbeat, but in control.

The band returns to the 70’s blues rock feel for “The Devil’s Got You Now”. It has good blues lyrics and blues rock guitar work. The CD closes with a cover of the great ZZ Top classic “Jesus Just Left Chicago”. For almost the first minute there is some fine acoustic work leading into the more grinding electric work made famous by that Little Old Band From Texas. Rick Steff adds his keyboards in a good way to this track.

I liked this better than I thought I might from looking at the CD originally. It shows you can’t judge by the cover. They do mostly their own tunes which is a plus. Guitar work is not over the top, nor done just to show how fast you can play. They are blues rock which will be enjoyed by those fans. I look forward to a future release and a chance to see them live. They will rock the house I am sure. Traditionalist and purists will likely not enjoy this, but music lovers will enjoy a listen.

Reviewed by Mark Nelson

September-October 2015

September-October 2015

The Best Of The Stony Plain Years Jeff Healey Stony Plain Records 12 Tracks

Healey certainly pays homage to "Satchmo" with his superlative vocals and trumpet performance. The next selection is the highlight of the entire album. The entire band takes you to Bourbon Street with their arrangement of "The Sheik Of Araby," with each musician taking center stage for a solo, including Gary Scriven on washboard and drums, Healey on trumpet and vocals, Chris Barber on trombone, Drew Jurecka on violin, Reide Kaiser on piano, Ross Wooldridge on clarinet, and Colin Bray slapping the upright bass silly.

They change the arrangement on the 1929 instrumental "Guitar Duet Stomp" by Jones and Collins and the Astoria Hot Eight, with Healey being the driving force on guitar.

On the Harling/Collins tune "Sing You Sinners," The Jazz Wizards could easily take you back to 1930 to share the stage with The Harlem Hot Chocolates in the heart of New York. Their version of the 1932 Hill/ Williams hit "I Would Do Anything For You," would be a perfect track for the album The Music of Alex Hill 2 1928 -1932.

Let's go back to New Orleans and it's fabulous Dixieland Jazz for one of the many tunes from the American lyricist, songwriter, singer, and founder of Capitol Records, Johnny Mercer. Along with bandleader Matty Malneck, Mercer released "Pardon My Southern Accent" in 1934.

With Jeff Healey's world class jazz band, this song is a perfect fit for this album. I think Canadian composer of popular music and jazz, Shelton L. Brooks, along with publisher Will Rossiter might have had Jeff Healey in mind for the song "Some Of These Days" with Jeff's stellar vocals, serving up a little scat at the end. Tom Pletcher is given an opportunity to demonstrate his skills on cornet along with Jesse Barksdale on rhythm guitar for the Meyer/ Rudy tune "My Honey's Lovin' Arms." The Hoagy Carmichael ballad "Hong Kong Blues" tells the tale of very unfortunate Memphis man down in old Hong Kong, again done well vocally and instrumentally

by Healey. This collection is finalized with a live performance at Hugh's Room in Toronto in 2005, including that classic1925 song "Sweet Georgia Brown," with Jeff giving us some more scat as a part of his vocal performance, as well as spectacular solos from the other band members, especially jazz legend Chris Barber on trombone.

This collection of vintage jazz, swing, and blues shows us the other side of Jeff Healey's career and just how versatile he really was as a performer, revealing to the world his love for this timeless music. This one is reserved for all the jazz fans who never heard Jeff Healey at his best!

With all the blues-rock albums released by Canadian artist Jeff Healey, most blues fans associate Jeff as a master of his Fender Stratocaster for his extraordinary lap top style of playing guitar and razor sharp vocals. When you hear the name Jeff Healey, his 1988 platinum debut album See The Light comes to mind, featuring hits like "Angel Eyes," "Confidence Man," and the title track "See The Light." Many fans are not aware of the fact he also taught himself how to play trumpet so he could explore traditional 1920s and '30s jazz, a genre that he was passionate about. He later released the classic jazz recordings, his 2002 album Among Friends, the 2004 title Adventures In Jazzland, and It’s Tight Like That in 2006. As a vintage jazz record collector of over 30,000 78s of classic 20's and 30's jazz music and performer of this classic style, he opened a club in Toronto and formed Jeff Healey's Jazz Wizards. He performed throughout North America and Europe and at his club, "Healey's" on Bathurst Street in Toronto, where he played with his blues band on Thursday nights and his jazz group on Saturday afternoons. The club was moved to a different location at 56 Blue Jays Way and was renamed "Jeff Healey's Roadhouse," taken from the 1989 movie Roadhouse. The club was able to use his name even though Healey did not own or manage the bar.

The 2015 collection of the classic jazz that Healey enjoyed so much until his untimely death in 2008, has been released on a new album titled The Best Of The Stony Plain Years. It is a collection of both live and studio jazz recorded by Healey and his jazz band, selected from the vault of Stony Plain Records as a tribute to the talented Jeff Healey.

The band takes us back to the Jacques Renard and Orchestra era with the opening 1930 Kalmar/Ruby hit "Three Little Words." The band adds some Dixieland jazz flavor to the recipe with Healey going toe to toe with Chester Gaylord, who does the original vocals. They kick the tempo up just a bit on one tune, "The Wild Cat," from the long string of hits released by Lang/ Venuti. This opens things up for Drew Jurecka to strut his stuff on violin, along with Healey on acoustic guitar. You will be pleasantly surprised with the smooth vocals from Jeff on the 1928 Carmichael/ Parish classic "Stardust," done by many legends in the jazz world, with the Louis Armstrong release among the finest. Jeff

Reviewed by Rick Davis

Page 13 Finding Son House One Searcher’s Story Richard Shade Gardner ISBN-13: 9781494463168 CreateSpace Independent Publishing Plaform 2015 98 pages In Rochester, NY, in 1981, DJ Richard Shade Gardner was living the life of the blues. He was freshly divorced, working freelance as a writer and was doing other work that had limited income. He was a fan of Son House.

Son House had disappeared from his Mississippi Delta roots in 1943 and have resurfaced in the 1960s when Dick Waterman and other found him in Rochester and resurrected his career. This lasted until the alcohol demons got to Son again and he re-disappeared in the mid-70’s.

With a little detective work, Gardner found Son in Detroit in 1981. This short book chronicles that story.

While the book is short, it is a compelling and interesting tale of Gardner and and friend who make the trek to Detroit and find Son House living in a non-descript apartment. Son was suffer from some form of dementia, but he was able to recollect things and they visited with him.

They had brought guitars to use as phot props; Son picked on up and started his open tuning but then he could not longer play. Saddened but invigorated, he returned to Rochester.

Gardner wrote about the experience and it wound up as a magazine cover story. He planned a 3 hour radio tribute with John Mooney (also from Rochester and a Son House disciple) agreeing to play live. The day came and Gardner was accosted by an unnamed female guitar player who had repeatedly pawned returned Son’s steel guitar to him. She then wound up with it and verbally assaulted Gardner for ignoring her as part of Son’s story (there was no way to have known about her).

Mooney arrived and the show began aaas she left. 15 minutes later a telephone bomb threat ended things. No one every attempted to find out who did this.

Gardner has some other great tidbits he shares and some other info on Son. While not a bio of the man who taught Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters what they know and whose work gave birth to rock and roll, it is still an interesting work and worth reading for blues historians.

The Groove- Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter

Page 14 Born & Raised Omar Coleman Delmark Records www.delmark.com 14 tracks Omar Coleman’s sophomore release is a nice set of all-original tunes done up in a great Westside manner and shows us that the blues remain alive and well in the Windy City. Backed by Pete Galanis on guitar, Neal O’Hara on piano and organ, Ari Seder on bass and Marty Binder on drums, and three great guest guitar players, the album is a tight and jumping set of cuts.

“Tryin’ To Do Right” is a nice uptempo Chicago blues with some great guitar solo work by Galanis and harp by Coleman. It’s a great kickoff to the CD. “Man Like Me” features Toronzo Cannon on guitar and he comes in for his big distorted solo after a big harp solo by Omar. Coleman growls and the backline drives a hot beat here.

“Sit Down Baby” funks it up a bit. O’Hara’s organ and Galanis’ fuzzy tones add to great vocals by Coleman. He gives a dirty harp solo to add to the mood here. The tempo drops for “I Was A Fool,” a nice little soulful blues ballad. Thoughtful performances and restraint are the key here. One of only two songs to exceed 5 minutes length, Coleman uses the pace and phrasing to fill that time effectively.

Mike Wheeler has an extended one and then he and Coleman trade vocals for licks to close things out. “Wishing Well” is a tune where Omar talks about eating crow and working two jobs and perhaps even having to get some assistance via a wishing well to get his girl back. Another set of nice efforts by Wheeler on his solos.

“Slow Down Baby” opens with a dirty harp intro and then Coleman and the band get into a driving boogie woogie. O’Hara has been solid throughout and here he really nails the piano boogie. Coleman lays out some decent harp and later David Herrero offers a big solo with some mean echo for effect. “Lucky Man” is a forthright cut where Coleman tells us how lucky he is in his relationship. Galanis offers some huge guitar in support and the band builds up into a big finish for Coleman’s last chorus and his harp takes us out. “I Don’t Want No Trouble” is a mid-tempo blues with a forthright performance by Omar. He explains to his woman he will give his woman what she wants to keep things cool. He dirties it up again on harp, continuing to offer a very distinct tone that blends grease and dirt from the West Side of Chicago.

“You Got a Hold on Me” again starts with the harp intro and then Omar shouts out the lead. Bouncy and rocking stuff in this cut- it’s made for dancing. Toronzo Can-

non solos again in a big way. “Born and Raised” is a bio song of sorts, blending funk into the mix again as Coleman testifies he needs to make ends meet and Mayor ain’t helping. A big harp solo and a driving beat sell this one. Simple lyrics, yet they are direct and effective and the band pushes this along. Galanis offers a magnificent solo near the end, too.

Things slow down for “One Request,” another soul ballad. Coleman explains to his woman how he wants to have and raise a child with her. He’ll take the lead with a boy and she can do so with a girl, but either way he begs his woman to enter into this partnership. Galanis nicely solos late in the song again and O’Hara’s piano helps set the emotions here. It’s the longest cut on the album at almost 6 minutes. “Tell Me What You Want” goes back to funkiness.

Omar begins with a like spoken suggestion and then breaks into asking his girl what she wants and needs. Nice harp solo with organ and guitar backing and then the guitar gets to lead with the organ in support.

Dave Herrero is on guitar again here. “I Know You Been Cheating” is a samba of sorts with Omar telling his woman off. A big harp solo/lead lets Coleman set the tone. Galanis comes in later for his solo and then Coleman closes with another nice one. The set concludes with “Raspberry Wine,” a nice mid-tempo blues with a great guitar and then an organ solo. The band takes us out on the vocals as Coleman testifies about the wine.

Coleman and Company do a very good job here. The songs don’t drag, the pace is brisk and the musicians are together. The regular band is great and the addition of Cannon, Wheeler and Herrero add some of Chi-Town’s best blues guitarists to an already great mix. I liked the album a lot.

The mix is dirty and real, perhaps trying to get an old school sound to the album. It works. If you want to hear original Chicago blues done well, then go no further and pick this one up!

Soul Suga’ & Diane Durrett Soul Suga’ & Diane Durrett Blooming Tunes Music www.dianedurrett.com 11 tracks Soul Suga is Diane Durrett’s seventh album since 1993. With all originals except for one song, she shows her creative song writing and musicality in this CD. Younrico Scott provides much of the percussive help and Melissa Massey fils in the rest. Bass is mostly Ted Pecchio, with a little of Chris Price and hen one song each with Charlie Wooton and Gregg Shapiro. There are

several guitar and keyboard/organ players as I will note below. Backing vocals are also varied and play a big partin setting the tone of the album.

“Show Up Sexy” gets things started. It’s a very deep and steamy song with some funked-up guitar by Durrett and Critter Critenden and organ by Yoel B’nai Yehuida. Durett groans and moans to set a very intimate tone. “Butter’s In The Skillet” follows and keeps the heat on. Nice horn work here by Lil’ Joe Burton, Daryl Dunn and Miko Bowles and Diane delivers more good vocals. The ballad “All I Well” is next.

Brandon Bush does nicely here on organ (as he does on the next cut) and Durrett’s vocals remain solid. “Be Somebody’s Angel” follows, a breathy sort of mid-tempo rock/soul cut; the tenor sax impressed me here.

“Push the Push Back” opens the “Soul Suga”portion of the album as the DJ announces at the start (a little cheesy, but fun). It reminded me a little of the Philly funky sound of the late-70’s/early-80’s/ Vibraphone, flute and a lot of support sweeting things up. “Let Go & Let Groove” continues the retro soul. They pull it off pretty well but then it goes sort of Donna Summer disco-like for a bit, which is not my cup of tea. Outside of that, I liked the cut. ”Sassy Laurue” gets off to a New Orleanslike brassy start and is story of a big woman singer with an even bigger voice who predated Aretha. The song is fun and the horn section from the second cut gets to show off and Oliver Woods’ guitar also shows off for us. Tinsley Ellis makes an appearance on the bawdy “Woohoo” as Durrett tells of her issue where she’s “got a little woohoo in her hoohoo.” Ellis gives us a subdued but still very cool solo. “I Know Your Nothings” is a very melancholy ballad and Durrett delivers this with emotion.

Restrained and reserved all around, it’s really well done piece. Eric Frampton’s piano helps set the mood. “Bright Side” is the last original cut. Durett shows optimism in her lyrics and delivery. She builds a bit as the song goes on and concludes with a flourish. The album closes with the Lennon-McCartney classic “Let It Be.” At first I thought, “Really?” Randall Bramlett plays piano and sax and the cut works. It remains somewhat true to the Beatle’s approach until the sax comes in. Ike Stubblefield adds some Hammond B-3 to go along with all this and I enjoyed it.

At first listen I was a bit unimpressed. I must say that the album grew on me and after a few listens I really began to enjoy it.

Durrett is sometimes more of a rock than soul singer but the album takes us through a variety of styles. If you want to hear some soul done in an approachable way with great accompanying musicians, give this a spin!

Reviewed by Steve Jones

September-October 2015 Blues Thunder Brad Wilson Cali Bee Music bradwilsonlive.com/ main.html 12 Tracks Brad Wilson has built up quite a resume with his music. He has more than a dozen other releases. Songs of his have made it into TV and movies. Touring is also an important part of his year. The music played is Americana/blues-rock, with lots of guitar. The band is made up of Brad Wilson (guitar/vocals), Brian Beal (bass), Amrik Sandhu (drums), Kirk Nelson (keyboards) and Tumbleweed Mooney (harmonica). Wilson wrote all of the songs reviewed here.

“Is It Any Wonder” opens the disc with a slower soulful song. The guitar work is precise and tasteful, with no fast paced riffs. The music picks up its pace with “Change It Up”. Everyone seems to play within the song on this cut. Up next is “Blue Shadows”, a more jazzier number.

It’s a ballad with a more precise intricate sound. Things pick up on “Step By Step”.

Mooney adds some nice harp, that is allowed to take a center spot and not get stepped on by the rest of the band.

Things rock out on “Blues Thunder”. This one might have made the Top Gun soundtrack.

We get back to more blues with “Let Go Barefootin’ It”. Fine harp works continues on this with a Bo Diddley back beat. The 7th cut is “My Faith Has Been Broken”. It is a rock ballad song, not unpleasant, but not in the blues vein. “Cool Runnin'” continues in the melodic rock vein of the last cut. I like “Home” as a slow acoustic guitar story teller song. It’s much different than the other rock type songs. Jump blues put a bite into “Black Coffee at Sunrise”. I like this one, it really gets you moving. “Sugar Sweet” gets into a slow almost grinding beat. It is well played with some strong guitar and overall band play.

Thing close out with “Never Again” gets back to what I expected from Brad Wilson, a solid blues rock song. It is a great closing cut for the CD, and I would bet a strong live cut too.

If you are a lover of blues rock guitar that is not over the top, then this is one for you. I would go see him to see how all this comes across live. Playing the CD again, I would skip thru a few of the rock numbers, but many of us do that on a CD anyway. I like that he keeps things in control and not trying to set the stage

Page 15 ablaze with his guitar. Check it out if you like this part of the blues genre. It’s not for the purists, but certainly that does not make it bad.

Reviewed by Mark Nelson A Winning Hand The Lucky Losers West Tone Records www.theluckylosers.com 12 tracks/58 minutes The Lucky Losers brings together two San Francisco area musicians, Cathy Lemons and Phil Berkowitz. Both have played in the Bay Area for a number of years, Cathy having had some success with her albums with Johnny Ace and solo, her last being “Black Crow”, while Phil has toured with a wide variety of musicians as well as writing material with Danny Caron who was Charles Brown’s musical director. On this album Cathy wrote three songs, Phil (with Danny) three and there are six covers. Of course, these days musicians on the West coast (or elsewhere!) need look no further than Kid Andersen’s Greaseland studio and five of the tracks were recorded there, Kid producing the whole album with Phil and Cathy. A wide variety of musicians contribute with Kid, Marvin Greene, Steve Freund and Ben Rice on guitars, Chris Burns and Kevin Zuffi on keys, Steve Hazlewood, Joe Kyle and Steve Evans sharing bass duties and Robi Bean or Jay Hansen in the drum seat. A horn section of Michael Peloquin (sax), Tom Poole (trumpet) and Mike Rinta (trombone) contribute to two tracks and Lisa LeuschenerAndersen (Kid’s wife) adds backing vocals to the title track. On most tracks Cathy and Phil share vocals and the album is therefore something of a return to the duos of yesteryear.

Phil and Danny’s “Change In The Weather” opens the album in fine style with the horns adding to the soulful feel of the song and a catchy chorus that certainly gets your attention. It is to Phil’s credit that you have the impression that you’ve heard the song before even though you haven’t – something of a classic in style. One of the most celebrated soul duos of all time must be Sam & Dave and the remake of “I Take What I Want” (Porter, Hayes, Hodges, Mabon) fairly fizzes along, the harp solo taking the song in a different direction from the original.

Jimmy Rogers’ “What Have I Done” takes us into pure blues territory and Phil’s harp work here is great, as is Chris’ piano. The

title track is Cathy’s and it’s another excellent song, with Steve Freund’s nicely judged guitar and a rousing chorus, Phil’s harp work adding depth sufficient to make you check if there is a horn section working in the background. Perhaps it is the two voices or the chorus but you cannot help thinking of Grace Slick and Marty Balin in their prime on this one. Cathy’s second contribution is “Suicide By Love” on which Phil limits his contribution to harp work. The torch song feel is added to by Joe Kyle’s upright bass and Jay Hansen’s brush work while both Chris Burns and Kid find some jazzy chords.

Bob Dylan is the source for the funky workout on “What Was It You Wanted”, Chris on Hammond this time, providing a swinging rhythm to underpin the tune with Kid’s rhythm guitar while Marvin Greene and Phil both solo impressively. Allen Toussaint’s “What Is Success” follows the funky approach with more than a touch of Little Feat, Ben Rice’s slide sitting well alongside the piano and the two vocalists singing together impressively. Phil and Danny’s “Long Hard Road” brings back the horns on another soulful piece which tackles the hardships of the blues musician’s life, another solid track embellished

by Marvin’s solo and the stabbing horn arrangement (Michael Peloquin). Phil’s harp takes us into “Baby, You Got What It Takes” (Stein, Otis, Benton) which sounds like everyone had great fun recording with asides between the vocalists, handclaps from Cathy, Phil and Kid and a classic R&B arrangement. “Cry No More” (Brown, Shanklin) is another oldersounding song in more of a ballad style before the album ends with the last of the original songs, starting with Cathy’s harddriving “Detroit City Man” on which Phil delivers some tough harp and the whole piece has a John Lee Hooker feel as Cathy recounts the tale of a guy who obviously made an impression on her at the time though the romance did not survive his stealing from her! Phil and Danny’s “Don’t You Lose It” closes the album, Phil’s harp sounding like one of those Westerns when the cowpoke digs out a harp to serenade the cattle. With the ‘acoustic’ rhythm section of Joe and Jay back in harness this one has the feel of a relaxed country song.

This is a varied and enjoyable album with several excellent new songs and some great covers. The two singers’ voices work well together and the musicianship throughout is solid – check it out!

Reviewed by John Mitchell

Page 16

September-October 2015

Same Soil David Michael Miller Food For The Soul Records davemillermusic.com 11 Tracks

I like this slow but powerful ballad. I could see it as a quiet encore number. This is listening blues, and a tasty treat.

David Miller has been making music in Buffalo for many years.

He sang and played gospel guitar in church, with a rock band called Painting

By Moses and a jam/blues band Dive House Union. This recording is his second solo album. His first Poisons Slipped came out in 2014. All 11 tracks were written or co-written by Miller. Much of the release was recorded and played with pre WWII equipment. The songs bring a mix of Americana, soul and gospel. He is joined by talented musicians including Carlton Campbell (Drummer with The Campbell Brothers), Jason Moynahan (Sax with Buddy Guy), Jim Ehinger (Keys Bonnie Raitt & Albert Collins).

Opening up the CD is a cool acoustic song called “All The Blues To You”. The lyrics talk about all the music that is called make up the blues. Mike Brown adds some tasty mandolin on this cut. Ehinger adds some greasy B3 on “Just Ride. This song is a slow grooving song that picks up speed at times but keeps its basic groove.

Jeremy Keyes adds some nice harmonica to the song. “Got Them Blues Today” picks up steam with a gospel feel to it.

Carlton Campbell drives the song with his drums, and Miller gives us a fine slide guitar work. Ehinger is also great with his piano and B3 contributions. The 4th cut is “Friend Of Mine”. This is slow soulful ballad with fine sax by Moynihan. This is a fine treat.

Chicago electric blues shine with the song “Doing Me In, Doing Me Wrong”. This is Chess era stuff, and fine blues. “Shoes To Shine” takes a jazz feel and really takes off with almost some sacred steel styling near the end. It started almost too slow in the beginning but came on strong at the end. The next song “Needle To The Wheel” is dedicated to a DJ friend of Miller Anita West. It is a acoustic ballad, with fine musicianship. A funky groove of a song, with maybe a bit of Allman Brothers thrown in. is a fine description for “If’in You Hear Me”.

“Born To Lose” keeps the upbeat groove going for the CD. This funky tune should get everyone up dancing with fine sax, organ and guitar solos. The 10th cut is a fine blues shuffle called “Too Early In The Morning”. The piano work could be a bit louder, but is nicely done. The recording closes out with “Man’s Got Things To Do”.

The Groove- Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter pel song.

I reviewed Miller’s last CD and thought it more of a gospel record. This CD is a very strong recording both musically and lyrically. This one will stay in listening rotation. End of the year honors may await Miller for this fine release. All of you should hear it. Hopefully he will come near all pf us for a taste of his live show.

This recording is all over the musical map.

I think that is their style. IT’s a bit too spread out for me. There are some fine moments on the CD. At 9 cuts just at 40 minutes, there was room to add more music. If you like the eclectic styles and songs bouncing from genre to genre, you will enjoy a listen. If you are a straight blues listener jump to “Tell ‘em Shuffle” and “If I Died Today”, but skip the rest.

Reviewed by Mark Nelson

Reviewed by Mark Nelson

High Steppin’ Blinddog Smokin’ Silver Talon Records www.blinddogsmokin.com 9 Tracks Blinddog Smokin’ supported Bobby Rush on his 2015 Grammy nominated recording called “Decisions”.

This release is the band’s 11th. They come to us out of Laramie WY. Carl Gustafson is the band leader, singer and harmonica player. This release was recorded in Denver, Los Angeles and New Orleans. The band has many influences and they tell a good story with their music.

All cuts are written or co-written by the band. The band is a mix of American, country blues and funk.

Chicago Harp Blues Sessions Martin Lang Random Records www.randomchancerecords.com 12 tracks/50:17

The release opens up with “Pimp Shoes”.

Wild shoes adorn the album cover, but the song is more about attitude than fashion.

This is straight ahead old time funk, with bit of rapping vocals in it. Guitar player Shane Theriot from Louisiana joins the band o the swampy funky “Bayou Lady”.

Billy Branch adds some fine harmonica to the cut. The vocals on the New Orleans tinged “Don’t Put No Money On Me” harkens your ear to Tom Waits. David Torkanowsky (piano) and THeriot add to this cut. It seems a bit forced vocally. Up next is “I Caught Her Lyin'”. This is a country/ Americana type song, with fiddles. Torkanowsky joins in on this cut also.

The 5th cut gets down to some blues.

“Tell ‘em Shuffle” features Billy Branch again on harmonica. These are blues that make Chicago proud. This is my favorite on the release. The blues continue is a slow groove on “If I Died Today”. Branch continues on harmonica. This is the best vocals on the CD. We get a country tinged ode to the posterior of women called “Big Behind” as the next song.

“Lady’s Playin’” returns us back to the old funk side of the band. It is pretty good funk, but not what I want in a blues CD. Closing out the CD is a gospel “Tell ‘em Reprise”. Mo Beeks adds some tasty organ to the song. It is a pretty good gos-

Martin Lang has been waiting for an opportunity to make a splash on the blues scene and this inaugural album is certainly his vehicle for doing so! Featuring 8 original songs and 4 covers, Lang has assembled a beast of a band to offer them up to us. Billy Flynn and Rockin’ Johnny Burgin on guitars, Jimmy Upstairs and Yoshimi Hirata on bass, Dean Haas on drums, John Brumbach on sax, and special guests Willie Buck and Taildragger from Delmark Records all appear on this great album.

Lang first appeared with Jimmy Burns in 1996 on his Delmark CD Leaving Here Walking after graduating from the University of Chicago and playing with a bunch of local Chicago blues bands and with U of C classmate Rockin’ Johnny. He has appeared on 8 Delmark CDs, 2 Wolf labeled CDs and Harmonica Blues Orgy for Random Chance in 2002, doing 4 original cuts while backed by Dave Myers.

Original cuts like “Billy’s Shuffle,” “Sittin; Here Thinkin’,” “Not Gonna Wait for You,” Sundownin’,”Blues Hangover,” “Sluggin’ the Jug,” “Martin Leaps In,” and “Jumpin’ the Jug” are top notch songs. I was very impressed by all of them. And then putting great spins on “Scratch My Back,” “Ain’t Gonna Cry No More,” “Young Old Fashioned Ways,” and “Sloppy Drunk” with he, Taildragger and Willie Buck on vocals show he can make a tune his own.

I met up with Martin and he is quite the reserved and almost shy man. His talents on harp, vocals and song writing are phenomenal. He need not take a backseat to anyone on stage or anywhere else– he is the real deal! I loved this CD of fantastic Chicago Blues! Check this out ASAP! Reviewed by Steve Jones

September-October 2015 Broken Chains Kern Pratt Gigtime Records www.kernpratt.com 12 tracks; 45 minutes Kern Pratt hails from Greenville, Mississippi, and has competed in the IBC’s on three occasions, including a second place award in 2013. However, this appears to be the first CD under his own name. Kern takes most of the lead vocals and plays guitar and is joined by Denise Owen on vocals, David Hyde on bass, Nelson Blanchard on drums, Sam Brady on organ, Elaine Fowler on backing vocals, Lacy Blackledge on trumpet, Bob Henderson on tenor and alto sax, Pete Verbois on baritone, Chris Belleau on trombone and washboard, with guests Kenny Neal, guitar, Eden Brent, piano and Luc Borms, harp, on one track each. The CD was recorded in Baton Rouge, LA with David Hyde producing and Nelson Blanchard engineering the sessions. The material includes three familiar covers, five of Kern’s originals and four songs by artists who are presumably local to Mississippi.

The album opens with a snatch of resonator guitar and bird sounds on “Delta Mourn” before Eden Brent’s rollicking piano and Kern’s slide propel Kern’s tribute to his (and Eden’s) hometown.

Page 17 the song back to basics with Kern on vocals and acoustic guitar with just Luc Borms’ harp for company – simple but effective. A second song by Virgil Brawley, “Handcuffed To The Blues” follows a chugging rhythm, Kern recounting the rise and fall of a musician who has gone from stage to jail cell – perhaps the blues is to blame? Another solid horn arrangement makes for another strong song, Kern’s solo using some distortion to good effect. “Smokin’ Gun” comes from another friend from outside the band, Robin Blakeney and it’s another fine arrangement with the horns providing gentle support to Denise’s lead vocal as she equates her lover’s infidelity to the ‘smoking gun’ of the criminal. Kern’s solo matches the anguish in Denise’s vocals perfectly to provide another excellent track. An old favourite from the songbook of Delaney & Bonnie follows in “Soul Shake” (Smith/Lewis), Denise and Kern emulating D&B’s vocals, the horns again making a significant contribution to an outstanding version. Of course, D&B had the trump card of Duane Allman to provide the guitar solo on their version and Kern wisely does not attempt to compete on that aspect, leaving the solo honours to Bob’s sax to provide another standout cut. One wonders why this song is not covered more often! The album closes with the title track “Broken Chains”, just Kern playing resonator over some quiet chords on acoustic guitar.

“Greenville Mississippi Blues” follows the classic slide style of Elmore James but adds horns as well as that piano – great stuff!

Albert Collins’ “Lights Are On, But Nobody’s Home” is the longest cut on the album and gives Kern plenty of space to demonstrate his guitar chops with the horns giving a full band sound including a raucous sax solo.

Kern’s gruff vocals suit the song well in an excellent rendition that ‘The Master Of The Telecaster’ would have enjoyed.

“Somewhere South Of Memphis” (written by Ellis Hilton O’Neal) has a soulful vibe courtesy of the horns, swirling organ and tasty guitar but lyrically the song deals with some tough themes; murder, poverty and prostitution amongst others. Virgil Brawley’s “Black Hannah” is about T Model Ford’s guitar, a chugging rocker with horn accents and a catchy chorus: “Mr Ford, Mr Ford, I need to know one thing; please won’t you tell me what made Black Hannah sing”. Kern’s instrumental “Cotton Pickin’” returns to an Albert Collins feel with Kern’s guitar taking the lead the band and the horns providing a swinging chorus before his co-write with Denise “Don’t Leave Me Baby” which takes us down south to Louisiana, Kenny Neal adding the second guitar part. There are features for Sam’s organ and Bob’s tenor as well as both guitarists as Kern begs his girl not to leave and break his heart.

This is an enjoyable album with plenty of new songs from Kern and collaborators, skilfully blended with a few classics, each adapted to suit the band. The musicianship, especially the horn arrangements, is excellent and Kern should be proud of his first solo album which comes recommended by this reviewer.

Mel London’s “It Hurts Me Too” is a staple of many blues bands and Kern’s version takes

James Burton has played with rock & roll royalty – Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy

Reviewed by John Mitchell Guitar Heroes James Burton, Albert Lee, Amos Garrett, David Wilcox Stony Plain Records www.stonyplainrecords.com 11 tracks/64:02 Recorded live in July, 2013 at the Vancouver Island MusicFest, this package is a dream line-up of four top-notch guitar players whose influence has spanned numerous decades. Backed by Jon Greathouse on keyboards, Will MacGregor on bass and Jason Harrison Smith on drums, the legendary pickers get plenty of space to showcase their amazing skills. The deluxe, tri-fold packaging comes complete with a identifying the solo order on each track, eliminating the need to guess who is playing what.

Orbison, and Emmylou Harris and the Hot Band in addition to thousands of recording sessions. The group covers an early hit that Burton played on, Dale Hawkins’s “Susie Q”.

After fleet-fingered foray from Wilcox, Burton turns in a typically tasteful solo that recalls his licks on the original recording. Burton really shines on “Leave My Woman Alone,” first with country-style picking before engaging in a spirited exchange with Lee at the end.

The disc opens with Lee handling the lead vocal on “That’s All Right (Mama)” before taking the lead on a series of high octane solos from the guitarist with Lee having the final word. Another former member of the Hot Band, Lee also backed the Everly Brothers and spent several years in Eric Clapton’s band. His crisp, breath-taking playing combines country influences with the speed and improvisational skills of jazz player, which is readily apparent when you hear his fleetfingered playing on two solo breaks on “Country Boy”.

Guitar aficionados may remember that Amos Garrett played the memorable solo on Maria Muldaur’s hit, “Midnight At The Oasis”. Since then, he has also been a member of Paul Butterfield’s Better Days and backed artists like Doug Sahm, Bonnie Raitt and, once again, Emmylou Harris, who certainly knows fine guitar playing. Garrett stands alone in the spotlight on the instrumental classic, “Sleepwalk”. Originally done on a steel guitar with a slide, Garrett mixes vibrato with increasing complex lines that threaten to spin out of control until he breaks it down for the closing interlude. Another high point is his response to two Burton solos on an instrumental version of “Polk Salad Annie” that also features MacGregor and Greathouse.

The band slips into a solid blues groove on “You’re The One” with Wilcox featured on the vocal and slide guitar. One of Canada’s premier musicians and songwriters, he was a member of Great Speckled Bird, played with Muldaur and worked on the Ian Tyson television program. On “Flip, Flop, And Fly,” his husky voice rides over his idiosyncratic slide guitar that mixes equal doses of country and Elmore James. His “Bad Apple” is a humorous, hard rocking tune that brings out the best in everybody.

The disc falls short in a couple of areas. Lee and Wilcox are not very dynamic singers.

Even Greathouse struggles a bit on “Susie Q”. There are issues with the sound quality, which changes measurably on several songs depending on who is soloing. But these are minor quibbles since the real allure here is the opportunity to hear more than an hour from four guitar masters who haven’t lost a thing to age. Strongly recommended for every fan of fine guitar picking!

Reviewed by Mark Thompson

The Groove- Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter

Page 18 On The Move Joe Filisko & Eric Noden Self-Released RootsDuo.com 12 tracks The release of a new Filisko & Noden CD is always a big thing to me. Joe Filisko is the king of the traditional blues harp and Eric Noden is a master of pre-WWII blues.

Together, they can figuratively scale the highest peaks with their superb music. No one can spin old time blues like these two can, and adding the fine upright bass player Beau Sample to the mix just make the sound more genuine and cool. The duo has travelled the world together and appeared on many huge stages to the delight of adoring fans. This album further cements that legacy of fine musicianship.

The album opens to the freewheeling title track. A pumping harp sound, the beat of the guitar strings an d slap of the bass strings gives this an old time feel as the duo sings about being on the move. Both artists co-wrote this song and offer fine instrument solos and give us a nice opening taste of their fare. Filisko’s harp work here is utterly magnificent. “Mystery” follows, a Noden tune, where he explains he needs his women, “It ain’t no mystery.”

Filisko’s “Kick Myself” is next, another high energy and rollicking cut. Filisko gets the lyric lines out in rapid succession as Noden gives us a little kazoo for emphasis and two do a cool harp and kazoo duet.

Noden’s “Complicate” takes things down in tempo as he groans out that there is no reason to complicate. Filisko comes in for a sweet harp solo near the end and then Noden takes us home and into his next cut, “Sonic Breakdown.” This song picks up the beat as Noden sings and Filisko come in with more driving harp. The tune is a real sonic breakdown as the beat pounds and the harp blows intensely. Filisko’s “Always There For Me” closes out the first half of the album. Joe sings to us how his girl is his dream and always there for him. Very folky, very cool.

“Buckeye Rag” has Joe bending and blowing some mean harp in this jointly written instrumental cut. No one, absolutely no one, can make a harmonica do the things Joe can. This and several of the cuts on this CD reaffirm this. Noden is there with Filisko but Joe is the big star of this song.

Basic, primal and totally captivating harp work! “Peaceful Man” is a Noden cut with him offering up some gravelly vocals and sweet guitar pciking. Filisko pumps the harp to create a throbbing beat for Noden to build on and he does so quite well! “I Like A Woman” hearkens to a more mod-

ern time of the late 1940s and 1950s where Joe and Eric lay out some licks like Little Walter and Muddy but without the big electrification. It is urban and deeply Chicago blues. Filisko attacks on his harp and Noden picks out some great acoustic guitar here. Back to the old time sounds we go with the next track, “Sinkin’ In Love.”

Noden offers the vocals again and takes us back in time as he sings and picks and the low numbered harp holes keep the beat and time before a nice solo by Filisko.

“Worst Enemy” is the third and final Filisko solo written song on the CD and he takes the lead vocal as Noden does the response to Joe’s lead. It’s a simple and effective approach with Sample beating out a sparse groove for them. Slow and deliberate, the song winds back and forth with the singers calling and responding and then harmonizing a bit; I enjoyed this. The album concludes with Noden’s “Down in New Orleans,” a tune with a bit of a Cajun flair as Noden picks out some heavy notes as Filisko compliments him on the harp.

There is nothing to complain about here at all- this is an outstanding album! Joe and Eric are some of the best at what they do if not the best. I thoroughly enjoyed this album and if you like your blues in an old time style then you need to add this CD to your collection! This is really great stuff!

Reviewed by Steve Jones Solid Ground Eric Noden Band Self-Released EricNoden.com 12 tracks The album cover with an electric guitar prominently displayed on the back should have given it away; when I heard the opening chords of this album I knew it was going to be a little different album for Mr. Noden. This is a rocking album of original tunes that he’s assembled here, having written all but one of them.

Joining Noden are Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith on drums, E.G. McDaniel on bass and Joe Filisko on harp. I really found it intriguing and a lot of fun.

Noden opens with the title track. A big electric guitar intro with harp accompaniment sets the tone that this won’t be an ordinary Eric Noden album. It’s got a heavy groove laid out by Smith and McDaniel and Noden almost growls out the vocal lead. This is as dirty a blues sound I’ve heard from Noden and Filisko and I love it! “Second Day of June” has Noden testifying that he’s got a Terraplane so he doesn’t need any bus fare. His finger pick-

ing is very intriguing as he skillfully attacks the acoustic guitar with reckless but refined abandon. “Can’t Stand to Lose You” is in the style of 1950’s Chicago blues with Noden telling us of his baby and his allegiance to her. He swings a little bit in a slow boogie sort of way and then Filisko punctuates the proceedings with some big harp. McDaniel opens “Rhyme or Reason” and Noden gets a little funky for us as he tells the story of how he feels. Filisko give us a nice solo but later Noden gives us his best and then the two join up for duet on their instruments. Funky, electrified fun!

“Incident” is another grooving and rocking cut with a big rocking sound. Heavy guitar work and vocals by Noden on a dark groove and some mean harp make this an interesting cut. Noden layers in more guitar on top and makes the feel even heavier.

“Sikth Sense” is a very cool instrumental with Filisko and Noden going almost a little Peter Gunn on this one. I could see it being the theme song for an old B&W detective TV show. Loved it; this is the only cut penned by Joe Filisko and he shows us another side as well with the song.

“Alaska” is another rocking cut with a bit of a rockabilly beat. This followed by “Fix it Tomorrow,” a blues rock song of procrastination. Noden shows us where he can take his music to with these cuts, and then returns deep in the blues with “I Like A Woman.” He sings to us that he likes women who stay out all night and get him all worked up so his head is in the clouds.

He and Filisko then impress as they pick and blow together on the bridge. Noden gets the slide out for “Lost Turnpike,” a dark piece that he sells with an ethereal slide. “Deep Wells and Deep Pockets” is a big blues piece with some wailing harp work as Noden makes some commentary on the oil men running things. Filisko adds some big harp and Noden sells the vocals and guitar well. The album finishes up with “Sonic Breakdown,” a great high tempo cut with a thumping beat. Filisko does the first big solo and some more later; a great, driving song with a cool boogie beat. It’s another great song that concludes an album of winners!

I like Eric Noden playing with a more rocking side to his music. Going with a more modern sound, Noden shows us that he’s versatile and effective in a more contemporary setting. I enjoyed listening to a modernize d Noden with Filisko and two other very talented friends and think that most blues fans will, too. This is a really good album of all original tunes that will make you tap a toe or two- nicely done!!!

Reviewed by Steve Jones

September-October 2015 Blackwater Creek Mitch Mann Crazy Chester Records www.mitchmann.net 14 tracks, 13 songs Mitch Mann is an Alabama native who adopted the Muscle Shoals areas as how over 20 years ago.

And outstanding acoustic guitar player with an impressive finger-picking style, Mann delivers these 10 original tracks and 3 covers with style and grace. His work is impeccable; the guitar work is hauntingly beautiful and his vocals are well paced and sonorous. He’s got a little help here and there and the additions make the cuts even more interesting.

“Goin’ Down the Road Feelin’ Bad” opens the set. It’s a bluesy, traditional folk song.

It’s swinging and a lot of fun. “Baby Don’t Forget” has a little harmonium thrown in for effect and it’s well done. Mann analogizes all the good things his woman’s kisses are and asks here not to forget that she belongs to him. The slide here is a very nice addition, too. “Crows” begins with an intro track with harp and guitar doing a call and response and then it moves into the regular cut. Mann and Jimmy Hall on the harp work this one up into a very bluesy piece. The harp is crisp and the guitar remains fresh and clean.

Mann redoes the classic “St. Louis Blues” in his sweet acoustic style and Charles Rose pops in for some trombone, adding to the morose feel of the song. Nicely done! “Make This Last Minute Last” is a poetic ballad with a lot of deep feelings expressed. There is some beautiful finger picking here. “More Than I Could Ever Show” is similar, perhaps a bit more stridently expressed.

“Sometimes a Rock” changes things up with a blaring tenor sax being added to the mix. Harvey Thompson does the sax work and he’s got a great sound. The song was written in part by Andreas Werner ad she also shares he vocals.

“Black Water Creek” is a sweet instrumental. The title track is a mix of flamenco and folk, with some magnificent guitar work by Mann. “Detour You” mixes the blues with rockabilly in this cool cut and then “Hold You While You Got Her” switches to more of a rock base for the song. There’s some good variety here.

“Tom Clark,” a song about an Alabama sort of Jesse James anti-hero, saunters to a hoof-beating tempo as Mann again switches up the styles. “It’s Time” is a dark number about loss with some ghostly harmonies thrown in for effect. “Good

Page 19 Things” concludes the album, a nice ballad with a more positive outlook.

Fans of acoustic blues and folk tunes will love this album. Mann is a superb finger picker with a flair for making the guitar exude emotion. I enjoyed this album and recommend it to those who like really good acoustic guitar and vocals!

Reviewed by Steve Jones Bayou Billabong Clayton Doley Hi-Fi-Doley-T www.clayton doley.com 8 tracks/40:00 An original album of excellent tunes from an intriguing Australian keyboard player, singer and songwriter that is recorded in New Orleans and Sydney with a heavy dose of fine horns, and a lead digeroo ought to catch some ones’ attention. Well, it has caught mine, at least.

Doley has a heady and smooth sort of tone to his vocals, mixing a crooner’s style of jazz and the swing into his blues and soul. Recorded at The Music Shed in New Orleans with the Monster Gents and The Treme Funktet and at Free Energy Device in Sydney with The Clay-tones and The Hi-Fi-Doley-T Horns and special guests harry Manx, Ganga Giri (digeroo) and Lachy Doley. The backing vocalist Clay-tones are Mahalia Barnes, Jade Macrae and Juanita Tippins and I really loved them throughout. The Monster Gents are Derwin Perkins on guitar, Cornell Williams on bass, and Eddie Christmas on drums, a solid band for sure. The Treme Funktet are Corey Henry on trombone, Travis Hill on on trumpet, and Drew Calhoun on tenor sax. The Hi-Fi-Doley-THorns are James Greenling on trombone, Matt keegan on saxes and Nick Garbett on trumpet. Both horn sections did a great job.

“Disbelief” starts things off in a very straight up and honky tonk manner. The Treme Funktet are subtle on the horns; Doley’s piano and vocals are the feature here. The horns and backing vocals are great support, too. “I Live For You” is a swinging bluesy pop jazz tune with Doley crooning in grand style. Harry Manx appears here and the next tune giving us some Canadian slide. The Australian HiFi-Doley-Horns are excellent and Perkins offers a slick little guitar solo. The title track comes in with the digeroo and

blends Cajun and Outback styles into a Vegamite gumbo of funk and soul. Doley switches to organ and The Treme Funktet do the horn work here. The backing vocalists give a Philly sort of soul sound to the cut. Strange but cool. “Lose It” brings in the Aussie horns again as Doley again sets the pace with his piano and vocals.

Blending soul and blues, Doley offers another interesting cut up for us. He shows restraint, building as the song progresses but never out of control. He adds some really nice organ to the cut, too.

“Truly Amazing” is a slow soul song with some pretty organ work and nice backing vocals. Doley is solid, reminding me a little of Darryl Hall with a lower register here. “Waiting for the Coffee” offers up a very special groove and some nice solo work on guitar, trombone, piano. A funky piece and the girls give it a little push backing Doley. A Chicago-esque intro for “We’re Still Changing” switches more into a funky soul tune as it progresses Doley does a great job on the vocals and the Clay-tones remain solid with him. The horns add some cool chords of sound throughout. “Starting Right Now” starts with the organ tapping out a morse codelike beat and then gets in to a high paced groove and some beautiful vocals. This would have made a great tune for Diana Ross and the Supremes or a group like that; I love Doley’s songs. He turns in a nice performance with the Clay-tones.

The guitar plays lead for much of the funky groove. Doley lays out a super organ solo for us to enjoy and Doley is here on clavinet to add to the mix.

This is a great soul album with blues, funk and jazz blended into a great mélange of sound. One complaint- 8 songs, 40 minutes is a little short in this day and age, but other than that I liked it a lot. Doley is a fine vocalist and keyboard player and his soulful singing is really well done. The backing vocalists and musicians are in step and work well in this funk-filled album. I would not classify this as blues as much as I would soul, but it’s a fine album and fans of good soul, keyboards and vocals will find this a great album to sample and enjoy! Well done, mate!

Reviewed by Steve Jones

Page 20 Complete Recordings 1949-1962 B.B. King Enlightenment Records 6 discs/168 tracks The passing of BB King is pushing music lovers, collectors and labels to come up with many retrospectives of his work. This one intrigued me as it was touted as a complete collection of B.B. early years on Crown Records.

While it falls just a tad short of being complete, it is an immense and inexpensive collection of the vast majority of his releases for Crown and a great way to savor the flavor of the early King of the Blues.

Enlightenment Records is a London, England based label that specializes in retrospectives of blues, jazz and other artists.

The low price makes it appealing, and the recording quality is generally pretty good, considering Crown was somewhat of an infamous discount label. Crown Records was the budget LP label for the Bihari Brothers, the men who ran the Modern and RPM labels. Crown started in December, 1953; they began reissuing Modern and RPM hits but their albums were lacking in the quality standards. They issued and reissued albums in mono and stereo and their lack quality control overflowed into their numbering and labelling of their records and along with poor pressing and packaging.

RPM first recorded B.B. on 78 rpm records. There were 75 sides total; one record had an alternate B side so that is why the number is not even. They also released the singles on 45 rpm records under the RPM label. RPM 304 with “Mistreats Woman/B.B. Boogie” was the first one released in 1950 on both 45 and 78. They later they switched in 1958 to issuing sides on the Kent 45 record label instead of RPM, the first of which was “You Know I Go For You/Why Do Everything Happen To Me.” You can easily find these record labels and their complete discographies on the internet as I did and see the body of work with all the other artists they recorded. B.B. was one of if not their most prolific artist, issuing 38 records on RPM and 59 more 45’s on Kent, a whopping 194 sides! That was the equivalent of 20 albums.

Crown Records sold in supermarkets, drug stores and in the discount racks.

The fact that B.B. was relegated to the discount record racks may have worked to his favor. Despite the poor quality of the album pressings and cheaply made cov-

The Groove- Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter ers, they were more affordable and accessible to the general public because of their lower price. People who loved his singles could pick up albums at low prices to get more of the King. They waited over seven years from his first single to press an album for B.B.

B.B. King (10 versions) were released by them after ABC released Mr. Blues. That is the extent of this new release as his next Kent Albums were done in 1965 along with two ABC records. 13 albums were released in his name on Crown.

So much of B.B.’s stuff charted over the years and that is what gained him notice.

Despite his success, my research shows some of his early recorded stuff never made it to vinyl in the early days. This set has 13 tracks that Crown/Kent apparently never released on LP:  Boogie Rock  Don't Get Around Much Anymore  Got The Blues  I'm Cracking Up Over You  I'm Gonna Sit Till You Give In  It's My Own Fault  Miss Martha King  Pray For You  Take A Swing With Me  Talking The Blues  The Other Night Blues  Tomorrow Night  When Your Baby Packs Up And Goes

Singin’ The Blues in 1957 was the first album the Bihari’s released of B.B. King.

It was initially issued in mono only. It was reissued 11 more times by Crown and other labels over the years, and eventually it went from 10 to 12 songs. This was typical for all the reissues. In 1958 they released The Blues, the first of 8 releases of B.B.’s second album. 1959 saw the release of a B.B. King Wails and a Gospel album, B.B. King Sings Sprituals. It was released 8 more times. 6 versions of The Great B.B. King and 10 versions of King of the Blues were released in 1960 as was Compositions of Duke Ellington and Others. Sinatra was B.B.’s hero and he paid a little tribute with these standards; they would get 3 more reissues. 1961 saw the initial releases of My Kind of Blues and More B.B. King (they respectively would undergo 9 and 7 overall releases each). Easy Listening Blues and Twist with B.B. King were released in 1962. The former had five more releases but Twist was only released that one time. Created to cash in on the Chubby Checker dance craze, the twisting songs were unfortunately left off this new release. B.B. switched to ABC/Paramount Records in 1963, but Crown continues with Blues in My Heart (6 versions) and

From this set, 51 songs never made it to Crown’s LPs back in the day, but many had success as singles. Also, 104 of the tracks included appeared on one or more of the early Crown LPs. Next is a tally of what I found missing from the set.

The entire album of Compositions Of Duke Ellington And Others was entirely were left off this CD and were never released on singles. The tracks missing are:  Cotton Tail  Solitude  Jack The Bear  Sophisticated Lady  Jeep Blues  Take The "A" Train  Don't Get Around Much Anymore  Main Stem  Mood Indigo  Eastside Westside Twist With B.B. King included six songs from other albums and are included here.

Four other cuts were not:  A5 Groovin' Twist  B2 Do What I Say  B3 Rockin' Twist  B5 Oh Baby

September-October 2015 Sides from RPM and Kent’s singles apparently that were apparently not included in this set were:  Mashed Potato Twist  Mashing the Popeye  Tell Me Baby  Other Night Blues  Bim Bam  Dark Is The Night (Part 2)  Going Down Slow  Love Me Baby  Woman in Love  Sweet Sixteen Pt B  Got A Right To Love My Baby  The Road I Travel  I'm In Love  The Worst Thing In My Life  Christmas Celebration  3 O'Clock Stomp  Lonely From my tally, B.B. released 200 different songs. 168 appear on these six CDs, the other 32 do not. The ten from Compositions Of Duke Ellington And Others can be found on that LP which appears readily available used. Twist With B.B. King is not as readily available. Neither of these albums were released on CD. The other 18 songs are on RPM or Kent singles and may appear scattered in later recordings.

Two of the included cuts appeared three times as sides on singles from that era (“Please Love Me” and “Everyday I Have the Blues”). Another 10 appeared twice on singles during that period.

So while my junior investigative work shows Complete Recordings 1949-1962 may not really be a “complete” set, getting 84% of B.B.’s songs from 1949 to 1962 for around $20 or less still remains a great buy. Maybe someday the other songs will appear in one set with these tracks; until then, this appears to be the most complete set of B.B.’s early works for the Bihari Brothers on Crown Records.

Reviewed by Steve Jones Ghosts Of The Riverside Mick Kolassa Hotel Swing Suit Records 2015 www.mimsmick.com 12 tracks/51 minutes Mick Kolassa follows up his 2014 “Michissippi Mick” CD with another nicely judged mixture of original and classic songs that spread across a broad spectrum of the blues. Mick is a board member of the Blues Foundation, based in Memphis and, as last

Page 21 time around, he has managed to secure the services of the cream of current Memphisbased musicians on this CD. The core band is again producer Jeff Jensen on guitar, Bill Ruffino on bass, Robinson Bridgeforth on drums and Chris Stephenson on organ.

Joining in the fun are Eric Hughes and Brandon Santini on harp, Victor Wainwright on piano, Kirk Smothers on sax, Walter Hughes on slide guitar, Watermelon Slim on dobro and harp, Reba Russell on backing vocals and James Cunningham on percussion: on one track Logan Layman plays bass and Cole Layman guitar, with Annika Chambers and Tracey K Masteler on backing vocals. Mick takes all lead vocals, plays some guitar and wrote most of the material.

As for the previous release, all the gross sales of the CD will go to two worthy charities: the HART fund and the Generation Blues program.

The CD opens with an interesting take on Hank Williams’ “Rambin’ Man”. On the first verse Mick imitates Hank’s distinctive yodelling style and you begin to wonder how this one will turn out. However, as the chorus arrives Jeff’s guitar enters and with a crisp military drumbeat we are into rock territory, an approach that works just fine with Hank’s tale of wanderlust. Mick’s “Grapes And Greens” revisits the subject matter of Muddy’s “Champagne And Reefer” as Walter Hughes’ slide and Eric Hughes’ harp give us a touch of Muddy’s style as Mick explains how he also enjoys a bit of both stimulants himself! Returning to a far earlier period “One Meatball” (Lou Singer/Hy Zaret) is given an almost traditional treatment as Mick’s vocals convey the sad tale of the Depression and, in particular, the relish with which the waiter tells everyone present that “you get no bread with one meatball”, presumably completing the humiliation of the poor guy who only has 15 cents to spend on his dinner. With Reba Russell’s lovely vocal support and Victor Wainwright’s stately jazz piano the cover is a resounding success. Sticking to a gently swinging jazz style of blues Mick’s “I Always Meant To Love You” adds Kirk Smother’s smoky sax to the mix and Jeff demonstrates his versatility with a swing guitar solo, Victor again spot on with his piano stylings. Mick has a way with humorous lyrics and here explains that his own selfishness has prevented him from getting around to expressing his love for the girl in question. Another cover is Todd Snider’s “Trouble” which fits perfectly with Mick’s sense of humour: “When a girl like you walks into a place like this you can almost hear the promises break”. Brandon’s harp and Chris’ organ feature alongside more excellent vocal support from Reba. As if to demonstrate that he can be serious when he wants to Mick gives us a slow blues

entitled “Nothin’ Left To Lose (Robin’s Blues)”. We never really learn who Robin is or was, but he sounds as if he is desperate, on his last throw of the dice. The atmosphere on this ‘down’ song is hugely assisted by Jeff’s deft picking and the sax stylings of Kirk whose solo is a veritable tour de force.

“If I Ain’t Fishing” finds Mick in need of some rest and recreation: “If I ain’t fishing I’ll be sleeping; if I ain’t sleeping I’ll be drunk”. In a straight blues style we again find Victor tickling the ivories effectively and Eric this time on some country blues harp.

Randy Newman’s classic “Mama Told Me Not To Come” gets a real makeover to bring out the blues in the song with Brandon’s harp featured over some sterling organ work from Chris and a very effective vocal from Mick. On “Whisky Woman” the Laymans sit in on bass and guitar, Logan’s bubbling bass line a feature and Cole exchanging guitar notes with Jeff as Mick sings of his woman who “don’t want no champagne or chardonnay”. In the comic “Walkin’ (Dead) Blues” Mick gets bitten by a zombie and becomes a reluctant part of the ‘zombie crew’; “The zombie life ain’t simple, I’m hungry all the time but the stuff I gotta eat, it just drives me out of my mind. I ate my mother-in-law last night, she was stringy and hard to chew.” In a tough blues setting Brandon’s harp and Jeff’s guitar are both featured on one of the heavier tracks here.

“Mama’s Got A Mojo” is another keeper with some lovely guitar from Jeff and a tune that reminds you of Wolf’s “Who’s Been Talkin’”. Mick again sings this one well as he tells of his concerns that his lady has a mojo but he fears it may be aimed at him and does not know why! On the final cut “Delta Town” Mick is appropriately joined by Watermelon Slim on a tale of life in Clarksdale where Slim is now resident. Slim’s harp and dobro are set against an acoustic background which brings a real touch of the Delta to the disc as Mick namechecks several of the local nightspots and concludes: “Get to the crossroads, you know we got it going on. If you ain’t in Clarksdale now you better get here ‘fore too long”.

As with his previous release Mick shows that he has all the attributes to make a good blues album plus the ability to write interesting and amusing songs. With a judicious selection of covers imaginatively re-worked to sit alongside his originals and a crack band at his disposal this is another solid album that deserves to be heard and will bring some money to a good cause. Buy without hesitation.

Reviewed by John Mitchell

The Groove- Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter

Page 22 Wolf Den Danielle Nicole Concord Music Group www.daniellenicolekc.com 12 tracks/51:01 Many fans were surprised to hear that popular band Trampled Under Foot had decided to part ways. The three Schnebelen siblings had become a fixture on the festival circuit for their high energy shows that revolved around Danielle’s stunning voice. Last year she won a Blues Music Award in the Best Instrumentalist – Bass category. In short order all three had found new career paths, with Danielle staring her own band.

For her first release under her own name, Danielle decided she wanted to explore the musical magic that seems to flourish in New Orleans. Enlisting guitarist and awardwinning producer Anders Osborne gave her a direct connection to the cultural wonders of the city. Adding Stanton Moore, drummer for the band Galactic, meant that would be plenty of funk in the grooves. Her regular keyboard player, Michael “Shinetop” Sedovic, fits right in with the distinguished company.

This record marks the maturation of Danielle as a singer. Live on stage, she often was an unbridled force of nature, screaming and crying over men and their evil ways. Osborne’s production has her more focused, reining in her vocal powers to a taut edge that never quite erupts into the intense emotional outbursts of the past. She comes close on “Don’t Do You No Good,” delivering a powerful vocal over ringing guitar chords and a big beat. “Easin’ Into The Night” finds her in a more seductive mood while Osborne’s “It Ain’t You” is a solid rocker with Sedovic’s keyboards swirling around the singer as she empathically makes a declaration of freedom from heartbreak.

On the title track, Osborne creates another of his memorable sonic landscapes brimming with quirky sounds while Danielle educates listeners on a place on the wrong side of the tracks. “You Only Need Me When You’re Down” rocks hard with Danielle laying down a thick bass line while Osborne plays a hypnotic guitar lick. Danielle tears your heart out on “Take It All,” a simple ballad with a touching solo from Osborne. Another highlight is “How You Gonna Do Me Like That,” with Danielle displaying plenty of sass on a tune that harks back to the classic R&B tunes.

Luther Dickinson of the North Mississippi Allstars guests on two cuts. He adds some atmospheric slide licks on “Waiting For Your

Love”. The cover of Ann Peebles “Breaking Up Somebody’s Home” seemingly was tailor -made for Danielle, who packs plenty of punch in her delivery that gets tempered a bit by Dickinson’s darting slide lines. The ballad “Just Give Me Tonight” takes listeners to a calmer place but Danielle wrings plenty of emotion out of the song, showing her strength as a vocalist. “in My Dreams” sounds like an Allen Toussaint composition with the lazy, syncopated beat.

The disc closes with a heavy dose of funk on ”Fade Away,” again cycling some familiar riffs from classic New Orleans hits. Danielle has veered away from the blues-centric sounds of Trampled Under Foot in favor of a varied approach that consistently highlights her formidable vocal skills. There is plenty to enjoy for those who want more than straight -ahead blues as a steady diet.

Written by Mark Thompson Excuses Plenty Hank Mowery Blue Bella Records www.hankmowery.com 10 tracks/35 minutes In 2013 Hank Mowery released his first CD “Account To Me”, a warm tribute to his late friend Gary Primich. The CD was very well received and won the award for the best produced independent release at the 2014 IBC’s. Now Hank has released a second CD and this one features four of his own compositions, three co-writes (with Gary Primich, Keith Litteral, Nick Evans Mowery) plus three covers. Hank handles lead vocals and harp with his own band, The Hawktones, on half the tracks: Troy Amaro, guitar, Chris Corey, keys, Patrick Recob, bass, John Large, drums. On three tracks the rhythm section is Pete Curry on drums and Larry Taylor on bass and on two cuts Doug Deming & The Jewel Tones support Hank: Doug Deming, guitar, Dennis Gruenling, harp, Andrew Gohman, bass, Danny Banks, drums. Other guests are Mike Morgan, guitar on two tracks, Jimmie Stagger, guitar on one, Claude Nine, bass on one and guitar on another, Theo Ndawillie II, drums on one track and Matt Mason who adds backing vocals to two. The CD was recorded in Hank’s hometown of Grand Rapids, MI. The album opens in rocking style with “Anna Lee”, Hank’s tale of a wild child (“sailor’s mouth, bedroom eyes”) the Hawktones on great form with rocking piano, guitar and the bass lines doubled up with Patrick and Claude playing together. Hank has a good voice, here with a little echo on it, and plays swinging harp. We switch into more of a soul vibe with “I Don’t Want To Know”, a gentle ballad by David John with ‘twangy’

guitar mixing with some soulful chords, Claude and Troy working together. The title track “Excuses Plenty” brings a swampy feel courtesy of Troy’s guitar that sounds like John Fogerty in CCR days and Hank’s lyrics reveal some real concerns about his relationship: “Your excuses plenty, your reasons few for the life you’re living, the wrong you do. Confession can’t even up your score; I worry about my soul, baby; you worry about yours”. Hank sang with Mike Morgan & The Crawl some years ago and here Mike guests on two tracks: first we get some Texas blues with a Mexican vibe, especially in the guitar, on “Walk With Me” on which Hank’s excellent harp solo is a model of concision; “One And Only” has more swing, a short track with some more solid guitar from Mike, reminding us that we have not heard a release from him for some considerable time. It is also the first of three consecutive tracks with the Larry Taylor/Pete Curry rhythm section and is followed by “Little Bit Of Rhythm” and “Cry For Me”.

Hank does not play any harp on these two cuts though on the former he sings through the harp mike over some insistent picking from Troy and strong B3 from Corey; the latter is more upbeat, almost a touch of early era Beatles here and that slightly ‘oldfashioned’ feel is added to by the strange sounds of Corey’s clavioline (no, I had never heard of it either!).

On the next two tracks Doug Deming’s band takes over, recorded during a weekend off during a tour. The lovely ballad “Would You Still Love Me On A Rainy Day” has Dennis Gruenling on harp, demonstrating his ability to sound almost like a horn section at times, a well-judged solo from Doug and a superb vocal from Hank; mention should also be made of Danny’s delicate brush work on this late-night piece. Hank and Dennis share harp duties on a storming version of William Clarke’s “Telephone Is Ringing”, the Jewel Tones really kicking the tune along as both harpists take exciting solos and Doug again excels in his solo contribution. The final cut is a short solo rendition (1.43) of Skip James’ “I’m So Glad” by Jimmie Stagger on guitar – a nice finish though somewhat out of kilter with the rest of the album.

This is a very enjoyable album with some fine singing and playing from Hank, well supported by both his own Hawktones and the other guest musicians. The concise nature of the songs means that there are no drawn-out solos and that avoids any dull moments. However, the total running time is short by modern standards and this reviewer would have liked to hear a couple more of Hank’s songs to put the icing on the cake. Nevertheless, this is an album that it is easy to recommend Reviewed by John Mitchell

September-October 2015 Mojo On My Side Rick Vito Delta Groove Music www.rickvito.com 14 Tracks As a Grammynominated guitarist, Rick Vito worked in the 1970's as solo artist, songwriter, session musician, and a member of the bands of John Mayall, Bonnie Raitt, Bob Seger, Jackson Browne, Roger McGuinn, as well as numerous other rock Hall of Fame artists. From 1987 to 1991 he became the guitarist for Fleetwood Mac. Keeping this close connection with Mick Fleetwood, Vito became the front man for The Mick Fleetwood Blues Band, releasing the 2010 Grammy Nominated album Blue Again. Balancing a career with the two world renown bands, he has also managed a solo career. To his credit, Rick is the recipient of the W.C. Handy Award and has released 8 solo CDs and 2 solo DVDs. His latest project, Mojo On My Side, blends elements of roots blues with his unique slide guitar style. The album opens down New Orleans way with the title track "Mojo On My Side." He creates the spiritual mysticism that once shrouded Congo Square with his mystical vocals, tribal drums, and haunting slide guitar solos echoing with reverb. He takes you to Chicago with his slide magic on the follow up, Delmark recording artist Magic Sam's "Easy Baby" from the 1968 album Black Magic. It's party time with the fast pace R&B groove on "Pretty Women" driven by Jim Hoke on sax, Vito on guitar, and a powerful rhythm section. "My House" swaggers with authority, established by Rick's sensational slide guitar and Dan Serafini's B3. "Missy Brown" has a hypnotizing rhythmic groove that sets the pace for Vito's pulsating slide guitar. Vito draws on the song writing talents of New Orleans R&B singer and songwriter Chris Kenner and Frank Douglas, doing his version of the classic New Orleans R&B tune "Life Is Just A Struggle." "Femme Fatale" is a 60's instrumental reminiscent of Booker T. and The M.G.'s, this time with Vito's unique slide guitar. "Who Were You Thinking Of?" follows with a steady rhythm combined again with the slide guitar from Vito.

Page 23 "House Party" rocks and rolls with a rousing 50's style dance tune. It's time to get funky with "Let A Woman Be A Woman," a tune that would rival material from James Brown's songbook. "She's got It All" is a smooth shuffle with Vito adding a vibrant slide guitar almost like a lap steel guitar. "Help Me Lyran Park is a great setting for a festival!

Lord" hails straight from the Delta, with Vito wailing on vocals reminiscent of the haunting voices that could be heard from the fields of Mississippi. "You Can Run" is a perfect example of gospel meeting the blues. On the final tune, the instrumental "River Of Blues," Vito's guitar delivers a haunting sound much like that of a Northern India chant combined with a blues rhythm.

Due to the fact that Rick Vito is such a WNIJ’s David James in Blues Central versatile guitar player, Mojo On My Side combines elements of many genres of music fused with traditional blues to create a unique blues album. After listening to this album, as well as his previous blues releases, you are bound to become a Rick Vito believer.

Review by Rick Davis

Kenny “Beady Eyes” Smith

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The Groove- Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter

Thank you to the sponsors of the 2015 Crossroads Blues Festival!

September-October 2015

Page 25

Crossroads Shows and Events

Bobby Messano at 4th of July Celebration, Lyran Park, Rockford, IL

Bobby Messano at 4th of July Celebration Lyran Park, Rockford, IL

The New Savages appeared at the Hope and Anchor

Macyn Taylor at All Saints Lutheran Church

The Jimmys at Klehm Arboretum with Justin Gates Sitting In Rockford, IL

Jimmy Nick with Steve Jones, Blackhawk Meadows Park, Byron, IL (Rick Davis photo)

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The Groove- Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter

Martin Lang and Billy Flynn at the Lyran Club

Jeff JT Taylor at the Hope and Anchor, Loves Park, IL

RB Stone at the Lyran Club

Bobby Messano at Blackhawk Meadows Park

Bill Graw and Steve Jones have a pensive moment at Lyran Park

Justin “Boots” Gates at All Saints by Rick Davis

The Groove- Crossroads September-October 2015Blues Society Newsletter

Top Blues Releases July 2015 Sunday Morning Blues WKGL-FM 96.7 The Eagle Rockford, IL Muddy Waters 100 / Muddy Waters 100 / Raisin' Music Gerry Hundt / Gerry Hundt's Legendary One-Man-Band / SteadyGroove Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters / Father's Day / Stony Plain Bey Paule Band / Not Goin' Away / Blue Dot Buddy Guy / Born to Play Guitar / RCA Silvertone Boz Scaggs / A Fool to Care / 429 Records The Lucky Losers / A Winning Hand / West Tone Barrelhouse Chuck & Kim Wilson's Blues All-Stars / Driftin' from Town to Town / The Sirens The Cash Box Kings / Holding Court / Blind Pig Westside Andy / Blues Just Happen / Earrelevant Reverend Raven & The Chain Smokin' Altar Boys / Live at the Big Bull / Nevermore Sam Cockrell / Trying to Make a Living Playing My Guitar / Teletone The Luke Pytel Band / Live at Rosa's / Self-Produced This list is submitted to Living Blues Magazine for inclusion in the July 2015 National Radio Chart. This list is compiled from actual radio air play statistics. WKGL-FM broadcasts 2 hours of the blues per week.

Rich Gordon Sunday Morning Blues WKGL-FM 96.7 The Eagle 3901 Brendenwood Road Rockford, IL 61107

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: Freya Barger Patrick Caragher Neil Carlson Avis & Jeff Fisher Scott & Rogene Hamilton Muriel & Dan Messer Terry Sauffacher Dan Smelter Diane Swiderski Matt Webb Renewing Members: Paul Antonou Karl Dahlin Jim & Jamie Deming Ric & Donna Douglas Bill Futymoski Greg &b Mary Garrett Bill and Pamela Graw Bill Meyer Will Perren Kevin Pieterek Mark Rodseth Bret Winzenreid New members get a CD upon joining; family members get two CDs. Membership has been $15 (individual) and $25 (family) for over 15 years. Mail newsletter members have a $5 surcharge to help with printing and postage costs; it’s expensive to produce and distribute newsletters. We produce six newsletters a year with 25-30 reviews and all sorts of other great information related to the Society and our events.

Again, we thank our members for their support and helping us to keep the blues alive!

The Groove is a bi-monthly publication of the Crossroads Blues Society. The PDF version (typically 14 to 28 pages) is emailed to members of Crossroads. Hard copies (12 pages) are sent out members without email ($5 membership surcharge).

Editor in Chief: Steve Jones Music Reviewers: Dennis Barker, Rick Davis, Bill Graw, Rick Hein, Steve Jones, John Mitchell, Mark Nelson, and Mark Thompson All un-credited content by Steve Jones

www.bluesblastmagazine.com

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Hope & Anchor English Pub Monthly Second Saturday Blues The Hope and Anchor Saturday Blues Schedule is set through April 2015.

From 8 PM to Midnight, $5 cover after 8 PM or free prior to that for dinner guests.

Featuring fine English pub fare, the Hope and Anchor is a great spot for dinner, craft beers, liquors, and great live music! At 5040 N 2nd Street, Loves Park IL, USA, phone 815.633.2552 for info!

9/12/15 Liz Mandeville 10/10/15 Josh Hoyer 11/14 The Jimmys 12/12 Jimmy Nick and Don’t Tell Mama

Lyran Society Friday Blues

The Lyran Society has decided to add blues to their Fish Fry and Steak Dinners with performances generally twice a month on the first and third Friday of each month at their club. August is a special month with three shows!

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!

September 4: New Savages September 18: Dave Fields October 2: New Savages October 16: Roy Orbison Tribute November 6: Dave Weld and the Imperial Flames (CD Release Party) November 20: New Savages December 4: New Savages December 18: Blueshawks (Acoustic)

Crossroads Blues Society

The Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter

P.O. Box 840 Byron, IL 61010 News Blog with our Latest Info: http://crossroadsbluessociety. blogspot.com Music Reviews: http://crossroadsreviews.blogspot.com Crossroads Blues Festival at Lyran Park: www.crossroadsbluesfestival.com

The

GROOVE Keeping the Blues Alive Since 1994

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

Email us at: sub_insignia@yahoo.com Also on the web at: www.crossroadsbluessociety.com

Blues on Local Radio WNIJ - 89.5 FM  Friday evenings from 9 PM to midnight with Harold Brown  Saturday afternoons from 1 to 4 PM with Patrick Sheehan  Saturday evenings from 9 PM to midnight with David James The Eagle - 96.7 FM  Sunday Morning Blues now from 8 AM to 10 AM with Rich Gordon

News and Upcoming Events The 2015 Crossroads Blues Festival is over but we are already planning the 2016 event!

We have a number of bands under consideration and over the next 3 months we will probably be putting our lineup together. Stay tuned!

we are hoping to bring in are John Primer, Tad Robinson, Reverend Raven and the Chain Smokin’ Altar Boys, The Jimmys, and more!

The 2015 fest was very successful. Almost 2,000 people attended and we had a great year financially which means we can fund our Blues in the Schools Program and have a great year!

The Ice Hogs open their season soon and the Friday home games will once again feature Blues at the Blue Flame Lounge. The first four of eleven dates are: October 23- New Savages October 30- Recently Paroled November 27- Dan Phelps December 11– TBD

Our Annual Membership Meeting and election of Officers and Board Members will be held at 6:30 PM prior to the Dave Fields show at the Lyran Club. A review of the festival and the past year will be given and inputs for ways to improve the 2016 festival will be discussed.

Blues in the Schools starts up for the 2015/ 2016 School Year also begins on September 18th with Dave Fields and his band. We start at 10:30 AM at West Middle School and then at 2 PM we go to Thurgood Marshall School for a joint program with Maria Montessori School. This will be the first of many we are planning.

The Hope and Anchor Second Saturday Blues and Lyran Club First and Third Friday Blues are continuing into 2016 with a vengeance.

Great acts are being scheduled! Some acts

The third annual Crossroads Blues Challenge will be held at Mary’s Place on Madison Street in Rockford on Sunday, October 11th beginning at 4 PM. Se the article and application form inside this issue.

Lots of stuff is happening and more is in the works!

Check us out on Facebook!

Membership Application www.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____________________________________ New -or-

Returning Member

This will be a membership for an/a: Individual ($15) -orvia email

Family ($25) -orvia email

Individual ($20) -orFamily ($30) via regular mail via regular mail

Please cut out or copy and mail this form and payment to: Crossroads Blues Society Bring this to P.O. Box 840 our next meeting Byron, IL 61010 and get a free CD!