THE
THE BI-MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF CROSSROADS BLUES SOCIETY
SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2018 EDITION
Editorial
Steve Jones, Editor and CBS President
Whew! What a summer! The 2018 Crossroads Blues festival is over. Nine years and it seems to get better every year. I am at a loss as to how we’ll top this last one, but we will put our minds to it! Monster Mike Welch and Mike Ledbetter along with Toronzo Cannon co-headlined the event and made it a special day, not that Lauren Mitchell, Lurrie Bell, Kilborn Alley and Dave Fields had not already made it special. What a star-studded affair and what fantastic music. In between acts we had Riding Atlas, Joe Filisko, Wheatbread Johnson and Warren Beck rounding out an already fantastic day. 2,500 or 2,600 people who were there will attest to the memorability of the event! We set records on many levels with the event and funding for our 2018/2019 Blues in the Schools was successful so we are ready to get out to local schools once again! And to add to an already special summer, Jimmy Voegeli and I, along with Susie Weiss and the New Glarus Chamber of Commerce hosted the Inaugural New Glarus Blues, Brew & Food truck Festival. It, too, was a great success and featured the Birddog Blues Band with Mel Ford, Ivy Ford (it was a Ford, not Chevy, sort of day, I guess), Joyann Parker and Mike Wheeler with Dan Phelps between sets. All that along with New Glarus Brewing Company beer and great food made for an exceptional day! We hosted a pair of shows at the Burpee Museum with Jimmy Thackery and Chris OLeary and their bands putting on fantastic performances. That was a new adventure and it was so well received. Our regular Lyran and Hope and Anchor shows dipped in attendance a little due to summer, but we had some great music and all the folks in attendance for Don Collins, Ivy Ford, Paul Filipowicz and the New Savages got to hear some fantastic music. The second Annual Blues Block Party at my house also was a load of fun. Brats, dogs, and other great food, soft drinks and adult beverages along with two great sets by Ivy Ford and her band made for a memorable day! Many attended some great fests and outdoor summer mu-
sic events. 2018 was another great year for live music in our area. From the Chicago Blues Fest in early June to the Labor Day festivals, 2018 had some great stuff for everyone to enjoy! Coming up we have some cool stuff planned. At the Lyran Club we have Breezy Rodeo, Studebaker John and the Blues Disciples in September and October. Hope and Anchor has Howard and the White Boys and Ray Fuller and the Blues Rockers. Five great shows right there and the Friday Ice Hogs should be starting with live music, too. The 11th Annual Blues Blast Music awards are coming Saturday, September 29th to the Tebala Events Center. Info on the event is inside this issue. Don’t miss this show – it will be great! The night before that we have Ghost Town Blues Band at the Owly Oop Sports Bar in the UW Sports Center on South Madison Street in Rockford as a prelude to the awards show. This will be a lot of fun, too. Our fall planning includes a Black Friday Blues Show at the Nordlof Center’s J.R, Sullivan Theater and some more great shows at Lyran, Hope and Anchor. We have many ideas for the rest of the year and even more for 2019 as we celebrate Crossroads 25th Anniversary and our 10th Annual Blues Festival. Stay tuned for that. Other upcoming events include our annual election prior to the September 21st Lyran Club show. Our annual meeting will be at 6 PM before the show. And last but not least is our Blues Challenge which will be Sunday, October 14th at about 2 PM at the Lyran Society. Free chili and hot dogs for all of our blues festival volunteers at this event! Stay tuned for more info and thank you so much for your support! Very blues-ily yours,
Contents Editorial………………………………………..……………….…..2 Contents, Board, Local Radio & Application……………………………………….………...….3
2018 Crossroads Blues Festival………..………….…....4 2018 New Glarus Blues, Brews & Food Truck Festival………….………………………………………………….8 Upcoming Special Events..………………………….…...10 Music Reviews……………………………………...…….....12 Crossroads Blues Festival Photos……………………..30 July and August Crossroads Photos……....………..32 Member Update…………………………………..….….....39 Hope and Anchor Shows……………………..….……...39 Lyran Club Shows……………………………..….….…....39 Blues News and Upcoming Events……………...…..40 Cover photo by Lee Anne Flynn The Groove is a bi-monthly publication of the Crossroads Blues Society. The PDF version (typically 32 to 40 pages) is emailed to members of Crossroads. Hard copies (12 pages) are sent out to members without email ($5 membership surcharge). Editor in Chief: Steve Jones Music Reviewers: Rick Davis, John Mitchell, Marty Gunther, Bill Graw, Mark Nelson, Steve Jones and Mark Thompson. All un-credited content by Steve Jones
Blues on Local Radio WNIJ - 89.5 FM •
Friday evenings from 9 PM to midnight with Harold Brown
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Saturday afternoons from 1 to 4 PM with David Rosik
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Saturday evenings from 9 PM to midnight with David James
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Rich Gordon fills in regularly
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 Rick Davis Bob Haendler Ken Pearson
harkthebark@mchsi.com rick_davis_937@comcast.net rhaendler@comcast.net cntrylivng@aol.com
Rick Hein
mrrickhein@sbcglobal.net
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Crossroads Blues Festival at Lyran Park preciation for his enormous talent.
Welch Lebetter Connection, photo by Lee Ann Flynn
The 2018 Crossroads Blues Festival at Lyran Park is over. Lonnie’s CarpetMax and Stonecrafters were our main festival sponsors and we had a record breaking year because of their support! Many thanks go out to the Presson family for believing in us and supporting us; they already have indicated they want to help us again in the future and we are very thankful for that once again. Headliners were the Welch Ledbetter Connection and Toronzo Cannon. What a show they and all our acts put on for us! Monster Mike Welch and Mike Ledbetter put on one helluva show. Ledbetter’s vocals and Welch’s guitar were superb and amazed the big crowd that jammed the stage area and beyond. Water was evaporating like steam from Ledbetter’s head, creating a marvelous image of this insanely hot act. It was a truly amazing closeout to an overall wonderful day of music at our Guitarzapalooza! Before them was the next top Chicago guitar master, Toronzo Cannon. He held court and captivated the crowd with his guitar work and stage presence. Belting out his fantastic original music with exceptionally poignant and sometimes funny lyrics, Cannon was superb and the crowd Toronzo Cannon, photo by Lee Ann Flynn showed their ap-
Gracing the stage from Florida’s west coast was the enigmatic and talented soul singer Lauren Mitchell. She Lurrie Bell joined Lauren Mitchell grabbed hold of on stage, photo by Lee Ann Flynn the crowd and had them under her spell until it was time for her special guest, Lurrie Bell. Lurrie headlined our fest in 2014 and we were surprised and appreciative to see him as Lauren’s special guest. He also made the crowd get on their feet with his fantastic Chicago blues. What a great set with them and Lauren’s band! Kilborn Alley Blues Band was up before that, with Andrew Duncanson wowing the Kilborn Alley, photo by Lee Ann Flynn crowd with his vocals and both he and the talented Josh Stimmel on guitar. It was a superb performance and everyone enjoyed their set. Dave Fields opened the day on stage; his rocking blues made everyone take notice that this NYC bluesman is the real deal. Nixing his own music and covers, it was a magnificent set!
Dave Fields, photo by Lee Ann Flynn
Over in the Pavilion, the day began with our IBC Youth Act, Riding Atlas. The Dicklin Brothers Nicholas and Joseph on guitar and bass and Sam Petri on drums impressed the crowd with their rocking, youthful exuberance and talent. Joe Filisko held another amazing harp workshop for us. The many attendees got to learn Riding Atlas how to play a song along with the basics in mastering the Mississippi Saxophone. The kids there got some free harps to take home with them, so they were happy campers! The next break things moved to the stage. Wheatbread Johnson, with Steve Jones and Bob Haendler in tow, Joe Filisko go to reprise the short BITS programs they had done 57 times for the Rockford Headstart Program along with several other elementary schools who got to enjoy the program. Wheatbread did an exceptional job with this and all the programs and shows he Wheatbread Johnson, Steve Jones and Bob Haendler, has done photos by Rick Davis for us and we love him for all his hard work!
Last up between acts on stage was Warren Beck, our Solo/Duo IBC entry. Warren’s excellent Warren Beck, photo by Rick Davis vocals and barrelhouse piano made everyone in attendance sit up and take notice. Warren is a great talent and we appreciate him performing at the event.
Photos of Crossroads Members and Friends by Rick Davis
Photos of Crossroads Members and Friends by Rick Davis
We’d like to thank all our sponsors. They are listed on the next page. In addition to Lonnie’s, The Community Foundation of Northern Illinois and the Rockford Area Arts Council made the biggest financial donations to us. They and all our donors helped make this a record year for us and will enable us to have another fantastic BITS year! Our food vendors also dis a fantastic job serving up delicious meals. AnJans Eats, Veebo Woodfired Pizza, Olive Branch Food Truck, Hey Brothers Ice Cream, The Kiwanis Club of Byron, Maria’s Tacos, Smokehouse BBQ, Boy Scout Troop 620 from Roscoe and Gala Snacks served up great food; we did not hear one complaint about the food– it was super!
great day of music, food and beverages. 28 types of beer and wine were served and we had some great stuff available on top of the regular issue beers. It is a pleasure for Crossroads Blues Society to partner with the Lyran Society. We have now done 5 great festivals along with dozens of show at their club the past 5 years and we look forward to working with them many, many more times. Thanks to them for their park, club, Society and great members! We’ll see you next year on August 24, 2019 for out 10th Annual Crossroads Blues Festival. The theme next year will be Harp Attack and we will try to do our damnedest to make 2019 even better than this year’s event. Thanks once again for your support!
Our merchandise vendors also offered up a diverse set of items for perusal and purchase. Culture Shock Records, Kathy’s Purses, DeLeone’s Jewelry, Regina’s Scents, Wild Bill’s Merchandise and Sara Dady for Congress had good days and we enjoyed having them at our event. A big thank you goes out to all the volunteers who made this event a success. Close to 100 people were involved in making sure things happened when they needed to and where they needed to. We hired extra golf carts to assist with help getting up and down the hill, lit up the parking areas, and tried to make sure we had a safe and fun environment on top of a Drone photo by Eric Hetzler
New Glarus Blues Festival Jimmy Voegeli and I had spent the better part of 2017 and early 2018 trying to figure out what it would take to bring a blues event to New Glarus, WI. They have lots of other great events, they have great beer in the New Glarus Brewing Company and they are a great destination with restaurants, shops and a picturesque location in their Swiss themed village. We met with other interested parties, looked at venues and nothing came of it. An unsuccessful meeting with the brewery seemed to be the end of it, but Susie Weiss from the Chamber was there, too. Jimmy and I met with her shortly after that meeting with the brewery. The brewery draws huge summer crowds and adding 1,500 or 2,000 more people and trying to manage a festival there is impossible. But if we kept it simple and went downtown, we could make something work if everyone was willing to take a chance. No fences, it would have to be free, we did not have a lot of sponsorship; what would it take to make the event cover it’s costs.
No one expected a big event but we wanted enough people to come out, drink some beer and listen to music to cover the cost of having an event there. The Village park was inviting, offered an easy place to erect a tent for the bands, and we could use the streets to the north and south if needed. Food trucks are fun and everyone clamors for New Glarus beer, so we decided the New Glarus Blues. Brews and Food Truck Festival would be at the Village park. Farmers market and craft vendors offered some other interest and Pedal for PAWS event was on the morning of July 14th with nothing else going on in the County let alone Village. So with that the festival was born. So now we had a few months. 4 bands, noon to 8 PM sounded good, maybe a jam at Toffler's afterwards. A few phone calls by Jimmy and I and the Birddog Blues Band, Ivy Ford, Joyann Parker and Mike Wheeler were signed up. Dan Phelps said he’d love to play in between sets and voila! A festival was really born. Mel Ford was going to play with Birddog and they would be the house band for the Toffler's jam.
Birddog Blues Band with Mel Ford on guitar opened things up. They were well accepted by the blues fans there and they also did a bang up job at Toffler's later that night. Ken Olufs (Birddog) was on fire on harp and vocals and Mel Ford was a crowd pleaser on guitar and vocals. It was a fantastic set!
ing a talented young man! It was a remarkable close to a great day! Dan Phelps played in between the sets, delivering some great Delta Blues in his inimitable style. Everyone enjoyed his three short sets.
Ivy Ford and her band were up next and what a show she put on! Her guitar work, vocals and stage presence were awesome and she had the crowd eating out of her hand. She played drums, worked the crowd and just did an awesome job performing for the crowd. The blues have a bright future with this young lady!
Toffler’s featured Birddog and his and plus Joyann and some of her band members. They played from 8 until 11 PM after a long hot day I the heat and humidity. What a great day for music and what a great way to conclude the inaugural Festival. Thanks to all who came out and supported the event!
The third act was from Minnesota. Joy Ann Parker and her band gave us their all and it was an outstanding set! She has a powerful voice and an exemplary band. They also sat in for part of the second set at Toffler's. Mike Wheeler closed out the day with an inspired performance. His slick guitar work, solid vocals and great showmanship made for another super set of music. His grandson also sat in for some Prince and another song and he was adorable along with be-
It looks like this will be back in 2019 on Friday and Saturday June 28th and 29th in the same location. Stay tuned for more information as plans fall into place!
Upcoming Special Events
The Blues Blast Music Awards moving to Rockford are the biggest thing in the next couple of months that we have to enjoy. Jimmy Johnso n and Sugar Pie Desanto (pictured below) are getting Lifetime Achievement Awards and will be performing. I’ve not seen Sugar Pie in a couple of years but she says she’s ready and Jimmy Johnson amazed me at the Delmark 65th Anniversary Celebration at the Chicago Blues Fest in June. That alone is worth the price of a ticket! Add acts like Benny Turner (Freddie King’s half brother bass player), Karen Lovely wioth Ben Rice, Markey Blue & Rick Latina Project, Casey Hensley, Shaun Murphy, Patrick Recob, Ivy Ford, Heather Newman, Ben Levin, Orphan Jon, Ilya Portnov, Joyann Parker, Bob Corritore and the Ghost Town Blues Band and you have one helluva show. Each act will do a few songs, interspersed with the awards. The award categories and nominees are: Contemporary Blues Album Victor Wainwright & The Train Selwyn Birchwood - Pick Your Poison Chis Cain - Self titled
Danielle Nicole - Cry No More Bernard Allison - Let It Go Jason Ricci & The Bad Kind - Approved By Snakes Traditional Blues Album The Nick Moss Band featuring Dennis Gruenling - The High Cost of Low Living Kim Wilson - Blues And Boogie Vol 1 Rick Estrin & The Nightcats - Groovin' In Greaseland Oscar Wilson - One Room Blues The Cash Box Kings - Royal Mint Mud Morganfield - They Call Me Mud Soul Blues Album Wee Willie Walker & The Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra - After A While Johnny Rawls - Waiting For The Train Bettye Lavette - Things Have Changed Benny Turner - My Brother’s Blues Markey Blues & Ric Latina Project - Raised In Muddy Water Ivy Ford - Time To Shine Rock Blues Album Walter Trout - We're All In This Together Albert Castiglia - Up All Night Tinsley Ellis - Winning Hand Tommy Castro & The Painkillers - Stompin' Ground Ghost Town Blues Band - Backstage Pass Savoy Brown - Witchy Feelin' Acoustic Blues Album Curtis Salgado and Alan Hager - Rough Cut Doug MacLeod - Break The Chain Mitch Woods - Friends Along The Way Daniel Eriksen - Narrative Boogie Sonny Landreth - Recorded Live In Lafayette Sunny Lowdown - Down Loaded Live Blues Album Sonny Landreth - Recorded Live In Lafayette John Mayall - Three For The Road Ghost Town Blues Band - Backstage Pass Muddy Waters - Live At Rockpalast Nick Schnebelen - Live In Kansas City Casey Hensley - Live Featuring Laura Chavez Vintage Blues Album Muddy Waters - Live At Rockpalast Luther Allison Box Set Johnny Nicholas - Too Many Bad Habits Paul Delay - Live at Notodden '97 Reverend Raven & The CSAB - My Life – Twentieth Anniversary Debut Blues Album Patrick Recob - Perpetual Luau Ben Levin - Ben's Blues Heather Newman - Burn Me Alive Casey Hensley - Live Featuring Laura Chavez
Blues Band of the Year The Nick Moss Band featuring Dennis Gruenling Rick Estrin & The Nightcats The Cash Box Kings Ghost Town Blues Band Welch Ledbetter Connection Reverend Raven & The Chain Smokin' Altar Boys featuring Westside Andy on harmonica Best Male Blues Artist Victor Wainwright Chris Cain Walter Trout Oscar Wilson Kid Ramos Benny Turner Best Female Blues Artist Danielle Nicole Shaun Murphy Samantha Fish Bettye LaVette Beth Hart Karen Lovely Sean Costello Rising Star Ben Levin Joyann Parker Orphan Jon Ivy Ford Breezy Rodio Heather Newman
Tickets on line at crossroadsbluessociety.com and they are available at Owly Oop, Kortman’s Gallery on North Main Street, Culture Shock and Guzzardo Music on Charles Street or at any of our other shows prior to the event.
Our annual election for officers and board members will be held at our Annual Membership Meeting at the Lyran Society on Friday, September 21st. The meeting begins at 6 PM. Nominations for officers and board members is open and does not close until that night. The Board meets monthly on the second Tuesday of each month at 5 PM (start times flexible) to discuss and plan all our events and work. The meeting will also feature a review of the 2018 Crossroads Blues Festival at Lyran Park and cover upcoming shows and events. At 7 PM, the Chicago-based Italian bluesman Brezzy Rodeo with music from his brand new Delmark Records CD. Breezy is also a 2018 Blues Blast Music Award Nominee! We go back to twice a month shows at the Lyran Society on the first and third Fridays of the month at 7 pm starting October 5th. See inside the back cover for the complete schedule. Our Hope and Anchor events for September and October bring two acts to Rockfor who have not been here in a long time and who have never played Rockford. Howard and the White Boys will be there on Saturday, September 8th and Ray Fuller and the Blues Rockers appear there on Saturday, October 13th at 8 pm. Second Saturday shows are booked through February 2019 and are also listed inside the back cover.
Tickets available on line at http://www.thebbmas.com/ or contact Steve Jones at sub_insignia@yahoo.com for information. You will not want to miss this event! The night before Ghost Town Blues Band will be playing for us at Owly Oop Sports Bar inside the UW Heath Sports Factory on South Madison Street in Rockford. $10 advanced tickets, $15 at the door gets you two sets of their inimitable music beginning at 8 PM. They played at our festival in 2016 and had a big show for us at the Mendelssohn PAC in 2017 so we are happy to have these guys back to play for us once again. They will be at the Blues Blast Awards, but here we will feature them for an entire show. This will be a lot of fun and you can enjoy food and also beer from Prairie Street Brew House at the Pub! This will be a great show and it’s another event you will not want to miss!
Our 2018 Blues Challenge to supply our entrants to the 2019 International Blues Challenge in Memphis will be held on Sunday, October 14th at 2 PM at the Lyran Society. Admission is $5, food is free for Crossroads Blues Fest Volunteers and band/ act entry fee is $25. Contact Steve Jones by email at sub_insignia@yahoo.com or call 779-537-4006 for entry information. Information pertaining to eligibility is on the IBC portion of the Blues Foundation Web Site. Lots of great stuff is happening in September and October. Come out and enjoy the shows!
Music Reviews Damon Fowler – The Whiskey Bayou Session Whiskey Bayou Records - 2018 www.damonfowler.com 11 tracks/45 minutes It’s been a while since we heard from Damon Fowler. The last of his Blind Pig releases was in 2014 but he has kept busy live with his own trio, the Florida ‘supergroup’ Southern Hospitality (with Victor Wainwright and JP Soars) and was heavily involved in Butch Trucks’ Freight Train Band. Unfortunately Butch’s death brought that ensemble to an end but Damon has now signed on as second guitarist in former Allman Brother Dicky Betts’ band Great Southern. This album was recorded around the time he got the call from Dicky, was produced at Tab Benoit’s home studio and released on Tab’s new label Whiskey Bayou Records. The album is mainly Damon originals, six written with Tab and two with old Florida friend Ed Wright, plus two covers and an adaptation by Damon of a traditional gospel song. The band is Damon on vocals, guitar and lap steel, Todd Edmunds on bass and Justin Headley on drums; Tab steps out from the producer’s chair to add rhythm guitar to two tracks and acoustic to one. The album opens with Damon and Ed’s “It Came Out Of Nowhere”, a tuneful toe-tapper, the meaning of which is unclear: is this possibly a reference to Butch’s unexpected passing? “Fairweather Friend” is a funky number before we get two covers, both different but both excellent. Johnny Nash’s reggae hit “Hold Me Tight” is reimagined as a fast-paced shuffle which combines a little Caribbean lilt with a country feel and it suits Damon’s voice very well indeed but the version of Little Walter’s “Up The Line” is a real surprise as Damon steps out to plays some great guitar as the band cooks up a strong backbeat. Damon is double-tracked here and both his rhythm and lead work are superb – an early highlight. Damon switches to slide on the strutting “Ain’t Gonna Rock With You No More” which has an Allmans feel before he quietens things down with his interpretation of “Just A Closer Walk With Thee”, his lap-steel giving the song a country twang, Todd’s bass and Justin’s brushwork well up in the mix. “Pour Me” finds Damon seeking courage in the bottom of a glass over a busy core riff while “Holiday” also has an insistent riff which gives way to a quieter section on the chorus. Damon needs to get away from his problems and finds some solace even in a basic hotel room on the road. It’s a strong song lyrically and the band certainly nails the music. Damon finds a bright riff with hints of country over the band’s ‘down and dirty’ funk rhythms on “Running Out Of Time” as he tries his best to hurry home against all manner of traffic problems. Damon and Ed’s “Candy” is a gentle, wistful tune with Tab’s acoustic guitar the only instrument behind Damon’s touching vocals apart from a short lap
-steel solo. The album closes with Damon’s lap-steel playing again featured on “Florida Baby”, a song that pays warm tribute to Damon’s home state (and to his waiting ‘baby’), emphasising the gentle pace of life ‘down south’. This is a warm and engaging album, recorded at a difficult time in Damon’s life and deserves to do well for him. Reviewed by John Mitchell John Clifton—Nightlife Rip Cat Records www.johncliftonmusic.com 12 tracks Recorded iin Fresno, California except for the one track from Poland, John Clifton and his band dig deep into vintage blues, rock and soul. Natty dressers and consummate performers, the John Clifton Band is ready to deliver the goods. With John on vocals, harp and guitar are also Scott Abeyta on guitar, Matt Moulton on bass, John Shafer and Roman Rivera on drums and Bartek Szopinski on piano. Things start with a rousing version of Charlie Musselwhite’s “Strage Land.” a nice guitar, piano and them harp solo showcase the band well. “Sad About It” is a 1967 Lee Moses soul cut that Clifton howls and moans through effectively. Next is “Last Clean Shirt,” an old classic made famous by many an artist. The harp here is sweet and the song is fun. Harp and guitar solos are effective, too. Little Walter’s “Long As I Have You “is next. Clifton offers some beautiful harp here and another stinging guitar solo adds to the mix. “Brand New Way to Walk” is an original and has a cool rockabilly feel to it. Jumps and jives sweetly! “Swamp Dump” is next, another original and it is a swampy and interesting slow blues with a bit of a rhumba going. It’s an instrumental with the only lyrics being an occasional utterance of the title and a phone call. Three originals in a row with the jump blues of “How About That,” a really swinging instrumental. Muddy’s “Still A Fool” has some distorted vocals and a big guitar groove backing Clifton’s shout– well done. The title cut is next; it’s a Giant-Baum-Kaye song that Clifton makeshis own as he sings of the high rolling nightlife. “Wild Ride” is a harp and piano duo duo written by John and Bartek; very neat stuff with harp and barrelhouse piano. “No Better Time Than Now” has dirty harp and a funky sound, making this cover an interesting take on the song. Clifton shows versatility and the cut is very cool. He concludes with “every Now and Then,” an original song. A nice, slow blues that takes things out in a soothing and beautiful slow blues with some taught guitar work, vocals and harp. What’s not to like here? A very enjoyable set of tunes by Clifton and the band. They are tight, blend blues, soul and rock well and deliver delightful and interesting performances. I recomment tis one! Reviewed by Steve Jones
Cyril Neville – Endangered Species: The Essential Recordings Louisiana Red Hot Records www.worldorderentertainment.com 11 songs/53 minutes As the youngest brother in one of the world’s most important musical families, Cyril Neville has helped spread the sounds and spirit of New Orleans around the globe, and he puts it all on display with the release of the five-CD collection, Endangered Species: The Complete Recordings. While that retrospective of blues-flavored funk might be pricy for some music lovers, this CD, which was released simultaneously, boils that compilation down to its essence, delivering 11 tunes guaranteed to get your blood boiling and your feet moving from the jump. Now on the cusp of 70, Cyril rose to prominence in the 1970s along with siblings Art, Charles and Aaron first as a member of the Meters and then the Neville Brothers, two of the most influential bands ever. But his musical efforts when not at his brothers’ side, where he’s been a principal songwriter, are equally impressive. Since 2005, he’s been involved with Tab Benoit’s Voice Of The Wetlands project, which draws attention through music to the rapid loss of marshland along the Gulf Coast, and he’s recorded five CDs as a leader of Royal Southern Brotherhood, which teams him with Devon Allman and Mike Zito, since 2011. A recent honoree of a lifetime achievement award from the Grammy organization for his work with the Meters, he’s toured the world with U2 and The Police for Amnesty International, and he’s collaborated on projects with Jamaicans Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare, South African Ernie Smith and Ringo Starr’s son, Zac Starkey, in addition to sharing writing credits on tunes with Bono, Taj Mahal and others. Released on the World Order Entertainment label, which is owned and operated by Omari Neville, Cyril’s son, The Essential Recordings bubbles relentlessly with multi-layered rhythms and positive affirmations about life that mixes music, spoken words and rap into one cohesive package. The disc opens with “Love Has Got To Win,” a new tune that features Cyril’s sweet tenor that preaches unity in the fight against the mental shackles that haunt us from our past. The theme continues with “Ayiti.” Originally released by the Nevilles in 1996, its title is the original name for Haiti, and the song offers up hope and empowerment to the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere as it sings praise for its positive attributes. Written by Cyril and first appearing on his 1995 CD, The Fire This Time, “Second Line Soca” puts politics aside as it describes the significance of an important part of New Orleans heritage to the outside world, while “New Orleans Cookin’,” co-written with Allen Toussaint, sings praise for the bounty you’ll find on a Crescent City dinner table. The political message effervesces once more in “Funkaliscious,” which delivers that there’s nothing you can’t accomplish if you don’t go too far, before “Calling All Souls” – from Cyril’s 2000 release, Soulo – offers an aural break. A tender, quiet ballad that’s dramatically different than what’s come before, it delivers a plea from Mother Earth for humans to stop their foolishness and return the planet to its glory. He penned it with wife Gaynielle, a former member of The Diamonds, who adds her voice to the mix.
Also culled from The Fire This Time, “More Professor Longhair” honors the late keyboard legend before the fiery, tuba-driven “Running With The Secondline,” which includes a rap from Damien Neville. Gaynielle kicks off the gospel-flavored “Lift Every Voice And Sing,” which also features Dane Wilson and Yodonna Wise and samples a speech from the Rev. Martin Luther King, before two more tunes -- “The Road To Unity” and “Can’t Stop A Dreamer” – close the disc with positive thoughts. If you’re a fan of the Nevilles, you’ll definitely want to pick up this one. And if you’re craving more, like this one, the five-CD set is also available from most major retailers. Reviewed by Marty Gunther Rory Block—A Woman’s Soul (A Tribute to Bessie Smith) Stony Plain Records www.roryblock.com 10 tracks Rory Block is a super finger picking acoustic guitar player and has put together a number of tribute albums and now her imagined “Power Women of the Blues” project takes form. Exemplifying that the blues are not just for men, Block showcases ten of the songs that made Bessie Smith famous.
Block moves Smith’s tunes back from the stages she performed on with her band to a more simple an early blues style with a bare and more stark approach. She opens with “Do Your Duty” and then “Kitchen Man,” showing us that these songs stand the test of time and reminding us that Bessie was a success despite the business being a man’s business. Her fingerpicking here is exceptional and her voice transforms the songs from the power of Smith to a sparser Delta style of music. One can almost smell spilled stale beer and cigarette smoke from a juke joint as she sings and plays “Jazzbo Brown From Memphis Town” and “Gimme a Pigfoot and a Bottle of Beer.” She lays out the double entendres in “Need a Little Sugar in My Bowl” as she plays with a sprightly approach and sings with desire. “I’m Down in the Dumps” starts the second half of the songs. The five time BMA winner tells us how she’s depressed missing her man. She convincingly sings of the people of “Black Mountain” being “bad as they can be.” “Weeping Willow Blues” gives us some nice slide to listen to. The spiritual “On Revival Day” gets aptly covered as Block testifies nicely. She concludes with “Empty Bed Blues,” a lazy and slow for the deep sea diver man that left her bed and emotions empty. Produced by Block and Rob Davis, Rory plays all the guitar and bass parts along with all the added percussion. She took the band arrangements and reconfigured them for solo acoustic guitar and nailed each one. It’s quite interesting and different. Bessie evoked power, sex, and a an alternative to the machismo of the blues that predominated the era. She and her contemporaries blazed trails for women to to sing and tour and be a part of the blues music world. Rory Block effectively pays homage to that and puts her solo acoustic twist on the music of Smith. It’s quite different, but if you are fan of the music or Rory then I think you'll enjoy it. It’s a different approach to what you expect from Smith, but Block pulls it off. With each listen one can further contrast how Smith and Block approach this music and appreciate that there is a great variety in styles that can effectively adapt any song to their approach! Reviewed by Steve Jones
Al Basile – Me & The Originator Sweetspot www.albasile.com 25 tracks/73 minutes
Wrong For So Long’ acts as a confession for the narrator’s actions with an achingly beautiful solo from Al and in the closing ‘If It Goes, It Goes’ he seems to have accepted whatever the fates have conspired to bring him at the end of his time.
Poet, writer, performer, singer, cornet player – Al Basile has been producing outstanding albums for many years. In fact it is 20 years since he founded his own label Sweetspot and decided to mark that anniversary with something a little different. Me & The Originator could be called a concept album, combining words and music to tell the imaginary story of a musician who found a trunk full of handwritten stories and poems, set them to music and never admitted his plagiarism to anyone, the public or his bandmates. Al wrote all this material and alternates between narration and the songs, all linked to the core theme.
This is a really thoughtful project that combines Al’s abilities as poet, songwriter and music arranger. The combination of spoken word and songs is unusual but works well and the quality of the musicians involved makes the music just as good as on Al’s previous albums, so this is a definite winner for this reviewer.
As on his last two albums, 2016’s Mid-Century Modern and 2017’s Quiet Money, Al used Duke Robillard as producer and guitarist, Duke in turn bringing his own band to the sessions: Bruce Bears on keyboards, Brad Hallen on bass, Mark Teixeira on drums and Doug James on tenor sax; Jeff ‘Doc’ Chanonhouse’s trumpet complements Doug’s sax and Al’s cornet in the horn section. The playing throughout is stellar, just listen to Duke’s closing solo on ‘My J-O-B’ as one example. Duke also plays some short intros to each of the spoken narratives.
4 Tracks
The words start with the discovery of the trunk and then go back to the narrator’s early life, through the years as a struggling musician to the days of success (after the discovery of the trunk which enabled the band to create original material, as desired by the record company). Along the way Al describes a gig when the entire band deserted him and he had to play a solo show in order to get paid (reluctantly by the owner!) to a fallout with a longterm friend who had been fiddling gate receipts for years. In ‘Who Owns It?’the narrator runs into a super-fan who asks him all about the lyrics, yet he did not write them! Bad relationships, excesses, addictions, all are on the end of Al’s acerbic wit and commentary until the poignant end when the narrator finally gets to the end of the papers in the trunk as well as his own life. The songs range across blues shuffles, some with jazzy touches, even moving into Americana territory, as in ‘Lefty’s Nine Lessons’ and ‘A Go Of It’, both of which bring to mind The Band. We get back to the blues in ‘All Right’ the tune of which sounds a little like ‘Sitting On Top Of The World’, Duke’s solo a model of conciseness, and Duke’s intro to the slow blues ‘She Made Me Believe It’ is terrific as the horns growl behind Al’s vocal, both excellent tracks. ‘Here Come Your Trouble’, on the other hand, has a definite jazz undercurrent courtesy of Bruce’s piano work and Al’s cornet solo. ‘First One To Go’ is a beautiful melody with emotional lyrics about the end of a relationship which Al conveys well in his vocal as the horns and Bruce’s understated piano create a superb backdrop for Duke’s plucked guitar and Al’s Mexican-flavoured solo. Towards the end of the album ‘So
Reviewed by John Mitchell Branko Radovancevic / Marko Markoc / Pilip Nesvadba—High Steppers Martin's Garage Records
One of the earliest styles of rock and roll developed from western swing, boogie woogie, jump blues, and electric blues was rockabilly, along with rock and roll considered a direct descendent of blues music. There was a close relationship between blues and country music from the very earliest country recordings released in the 1920s. During the 1930s and 1940s, two new sounds emerged. Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys were the leaders of Western Swing, which combined country singing and steel guitar with big band jazz influences and horn sections, becoming very popular. Recordings of Wills's from the mid 1940s to the early 1950s include "two beat jazz" rhythms, "jazz choruses", and a guitar style that were forerunners of early rockabilly recordings. Wills has been quoted as saying "Rock and Roll? Why, man, that's the same kind of music we've been playin' since 1928!... But it's just basic rhythm and has gone by a lot of different names in my time. It's the same, whether you just follow a drum beat like in Africa or surround it with a lot of instruments. The rhythm's what's important." After blues artists like Meade Lux Lewis and Pete Johnson launched a nationwide boogie craze in 1938, country artists like Moon Mullican, the Delmore Brothers, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Speedy West, Jimmy Bryant, and the Maddox Brothers and Rose began began recording what was known as "Hillbilly Boogie", consisting of "hillbilly" vocals and instrumentation with a boogie bass line. One of the most recent 45 rpm extended play releases from Martin's Garage Records, features the rockabilly group High Steppers, with Branko Radovancevic on vocals and acoustic rhythm guitar, Marko Markoc on double bass, and Filip Nesvadba on electric lead guitar and vocals, who have renewed these treasured early music styles to develop a rockabilly style all there own.
"The Flea" bridges the gap between the early twang of Western Swing and the primitive rockabilly from the 1940s. This tune really exemplifies the powerful guitar finger picking style of Scotty Moore and Carl Perkins heard on the 1956 release of "Blue Suede Shoes." "He's Nowhere" captures the dynamic vocals of Robert Gordon and tightly wound twang of Link Wray's guitar on the classic rockabilly tune "The Way I Walk." "Gonna Ball" reaches back once again into the rockabilly vaults, connecting tunes like the extraordinary 1954 Elvis classic "Good Rocking Tonight" to the original jump blues version released in 1947 by blues writer, Roy Brown. Their rendition of Jimmy Johnson's "Too Many Honkytonks" blends the vocals of Buddy Holly and Jimmy Johnson (the former vocalist for the Jack Rhodes' Band), with the guitar style of Los Angeles based Jimmy Pruett, as heard on the rockabilly recording of "Guitar Boogie Woogie," released by T Texas Tyler & His Oklahoma Melody Boys in 1946. I even hear some guitar influence from Texas blues legend T-Bone Walker, who was developing the West Coast blues sound as heard in the 1946 release "Don't Leave Me Baby." There seems to be a resurgence of rockabilly music in Europe today, just like 1970s revival in the United States. The High Steppers have defined the new Honky Tonk sound, which tends to focus on working-class life, with frequently tragic themes of lost love, adultery, loneliness, alcoholism, and self-pity, focusing on those songs of energetic, up-tempo Hillbilly Boogie. With their musicality and vocals, this trio has done a spectacular job of bringing a fresh, new, modern day sound that allows us to travel back and enjoy that early nostalgic sound of roots music from yesterday. We can only hope to hear more from the High Steppers on a full album at a later date. They have blended the Western Swing from pioneers like Chuck Wills and His Texas Playboys with the raw and primitive rockabilly music of legends like Elroy Dietzel, Jimmy Johnson, and Johnny Fallin and combined that sound with the "Hillbilly Boogie" of artists like Jimmy Bryant with the jump blues of Roy Brown, Wynonie Harris, and all those rockabilly legends who followed in the 1950s. I have been very impressed with quality of music and the creative marketing of these new 45 rpm records presented by Martin's Garage Records. Check out all the new material available on their new label! Reviewed by Rick Davis Alastair Greene - Dream Train Rip Cat Records https://agsongs.com/ 13 tracks
A baker's dozen of rocking cuts grace Alastair Greene's latest studio album that will make your blood flow faster and get you on your feet and dancing! I first came upon Greene with his 2014 release Trouble at Your Door and went back
to sample his earlier stuff. The guy plays some wicked guitar and sings with confidence and a solid presence. All originals except for one track here. This CD leans heavily towards his rock influences. Starting with the title cut we get an explosion of vibrant, rocking sounds. Next is "Big Bad Wolf" has a ZZ Top sort of groove going and it continues the rocking onslaught. "Nome Zayne" offers a driving, mid-tempo beat and a gutsy set of vocals as he grits out "Know I'm Saying" and grinds out more vibrant guitar on this Billy Gibbons track. Walter Trout joins Green for "Another Lie" and we get some greasy, bluesy licks to get the ball rolling. It's a slow cut where Greene sings a sort of ballad and the dual guitar licks reach the stratosphere- pretty cool stuff. Up next is "Song For Rufus," a pretty acoustic instrumental with lots of charm and finger picking elegance. "I'm The Talker" follows, and things pick up the pace quickly here. Another driving, rocking cut with angst and anger. Greene shreds a bit here as things proceed along in rapid fashion. It reminded me of a 70's later English invasion rocker in many ways. Harp master Dennis Gruenling appears on "Daredevil" and lets his presence be know early. Greene lays out some big licks to match as he and Gruenling offer up their talents. Big time harp here along with some nice work on the Hammond organ. "Grateful Swagger" features Debbie Davies joining in on guitar. It's an instrumental guitar duet and it's not for the faint of heart. Mixing some classic Chicago blues guitars grooves and a rocking sound, the mayhem that ensues is quite enjoyable. "Rain Stomp" is Greene in an R.L Burnside mode sliding along and making for a fun ride. The hill country update is exciting and titillating. "Demons Down" follows, a slow to mid tempo rocker that's a little dark. Things brighten up with "Iowa," a dreamy guitar and drum cut where the band eventually joins in. It might be "Iowa" but I get a nice, big Southern rock vibe here. Tastefully done! The last of the cuts with a guest is "Down to Memphis" where Mike Zito joins the fray. A rousing guitar piece, the boys rock it out together, another rocking good cut. Things conclude with "Lucky 13," a jump blues rocker with Greene jiving it up and offers a couple of final guitar solos, the last of which closes things out. Joining Greene along with the guests are Mike Finnigan on organ for 4 tracks) and his band of Jim Rankin on bass and other accompaniments and Austin Beede on drums. They are a tight trio and the guests meld in as if they are regulars with the band. Ok, there's not really a lot of blues here but it's a rocking good time. Greene's vocals are clear and strident, perhaps too clean at times which makes the sound stray away from blues and more into the rock world. Don’t get me wrong- they are well done, but it's just not delivered with a greasy and down home style. If you are a fan of Greene's this will be in your wheelhouse as it will for all who like their blues heavily leaning towards rock. Purists will find some bluesy cuts here, too, but it's more heavily rock than blues. Greene is a great performer and musician whose exuberance embraces his music and makes it genuine sounding. If you want a good rocker CD with blues influences, go get this CD! Reviewed by Steve Jones
Dany Franchi—Problem Child Station House Records www.danyfranchi.com 13 Tracks
roots music at an early age. His world class musicianship did not just happen without a strong desire to reach the top. This album has some the strongest ties to traditional, authentic, roots music that I have heard for a while. You will want to pick this one up soon.
A native of Genoa, Italy, Dany Franchi has raised some eyebrows in the blues world lately. As a young musician, he has now performed in blues festivals all over the world including the U.S. and Europe. He has perfected his musical chops, taking his proficiency to a whole new level on guitar. With passionate, gritty vocals to match his guitar prowess, Dany delivers very solid blues that is convincing on his new CD, Problem Child.
Reviewed by Rick Davis
The new album is a mix of traditional blues and excellent soulful originals. The band consists of Jim Pugh, from the Robert Cray band on keys, veteran drummer Wes Starr, who has performed with Anson Funderburgh and Jimmie Vaughan, Nate Rowe on bass, formally with Warren Hood, and backed by Antone's Blues Club house band horns, The Texas Horns. Special guests on the album include Anson Funderburgh on lead guitar, Andy T. on rhythm guitar, and Greg Izor on harmonica who has shared the stage with blues legends too numerous to mention. Problem Child opens with "Back To The River," with Jim Pugh taking charge on keys and The Texas Horns establishing their presence, as Franchi takes you to the Mississippi Delta, building with his fiery guitar riffs and soulful vocals. "Give Me A Sign" blends fast paced juke joint blues with powerful boogie-woogie piano and Texas style guitar. With confidence, Dany tears into Eddie Taylor's "Big Town Playboy," playing note for note with great phrasing, allowing Greg Izor to make his guest appearance on harp. Dany shows us just how versatile his vocals are on a traditional sounding original R&B tune "Real Love," switching gears on guitar with some very soulful licks. With the rhythm section at the wheel, Franchi turns up the heat and lays down some mean Reverend Willy G. guitar style licks, secured with a B3 background groove. With a strong Texas guitar influence, this young Italian blues artist calls on the guitar style of Jimmy Vaughan for the original "You Don't Want Me." The jump blues is evident on the next original, "Don't Steal My Time," with a stellar sax solo by Kaz Kazanoff. As a tribute to the late great Freddy King, Dany Franchi establishes his presence on guitar with his rendition of "Sen-Sa-Shum." He continues his sensational guitar solos, supported once again by Jim Pugh on keys on the original tune "My Only One." "Big Kind-Hearted Man" combines Texas blues and New Orleans swagger, as Dany steps into the spot light once again for some smooth vocals and classic guitar work that rises above many blues artists performing today. The band travels back in time to the streets of Chicago, with Franchi paying tribute to the fabulous Magic Sam and his emotionally charged vocals and raw guitar style for the classic Willie Dixon tune "Everything Gonna Be Alright." The band's tight rhythm section establishes a steady groove for Franchi's Albert King guitar style solos on the original "Wanna Know." Franchi completes Problem Child with the title track, a deep, authentic Delta blues original, infused with haunting guitar overtones and raw, smoky vocals perfect for the final tune. It is very evident that Dany Franchi has researched past legendary blues artists and at some point was heavily influenced by American
Urban Zotel & Tommy Harkenrider Orange County Sessions Martin's Garage Records https://tommyharkenriderguitar.com/ 3 Tracks T-Bone Walker was a pioneer of electric blues, Texas blues, and Chicago blues, which eventually extended into the California jump blues or West Coast blues, creating that full, robust sound of his hollow body Gibson guitar. Urban Zotel best describes West Coast blues from his perspective as "the kind of music that I see as swingin', very jazz inspired style of blues that can reach even to country and surf." This single statement is very descriptive of the new 3 track 45 EP Orange County Sessions. Zotel, lead guitar for The Star Time Playboys, has been intrigued with West Coast blues enough to travel from Slovenia to Southern California to meet some of the best in West Coast guitar players, including TK Smith, Kid Ramos, Junior Watson, and lead guitar player for The Memphis Kings, Tommy Harkenrider. The guitars of Zotel and Harkenrider along with Dave Deforest on double bass, and Ron Felton on drums, have combined their European and West Coast blues styles melding them into one. All songs on Orange County Sessions have been written by Urban Zotel. The first tune on the extended play 45 is "She's Got The Biggest Coconuts On The Island." Along with the lap steel from Harkenrider and guitar of Zotel, they kick the session off on side A. This takes me back to an early live instrumental guitar medley done by Mark Knopfler and Chet Atkins or the live Chet Atkins and Thom Bresh guitar instrumental "Cannonball Rag," with an island and surf overtone. The West Coast blues guitar comes through loud and clear midway through the first track on side B titled "Paniolo Rock," with the rhythm section establishing a Latin groove throughout the song. There is a strong West Coast guitar influence heard on this track.
The guitar finger picking guitar style in "Saturday Night Boogie" goes straight to the Western swing vaults of Merle Travis and his classic "Guitar Rag." If you could strip down and slow the tempo of the Joe Maphis tune "Town Hall Boogie," blending it with the spectacular Speedy West & Jimmy Bryant number "Flyin' High," you would hear this new, refreshing track titled "Saturday Night Boogie." Urban Zotel & Tommy Harkenrider have done a superb job of bridging the gap between two entirely different cultures, proving that music is a universal language. By making their 3 song vinyl disc Orange County Session, they have tapped into the roots of Western Swing, blues, surf, and jazz music to compose a style all their own. Martin's Garage Records has an eclectic collection of music that you won't find anywhere else. Reviewed by Rick Davis
Kid Ramos—Old School Rip Cat Records 13 Tracks West Coast guitarist Kid Ramos has worked with groups like James Harman, Roomful of Blues, the Big Rhythm Combo, The Fabulous Thunderbirds , Mannish Boys, Bobby Jones, and Los Fabulocos, and has shared the stage with numerous blues groups like the 44s, The Memphis Kings, Ronnie Earl, Janiva Magness, Little Charlie and The Night Cats, Harpdog Brown, and Sax Gordon just to name a few. With a resume like that, he has appeared as a guest on my other blues albums in addition to his own in the past.
After taking a long hiatus from being one of the premier West Coast guitar players, David "Kid" Ramos is back with the new album titled Old School, the follow up to his 2001 album Greasy Kid Stuff. The Kid treats us to some that world famous Kid Ramos jump blues guitar with the opening instrumental "Kid's Jump." They go from there to Magic Sam's Delmark's West Side Soul album, selecting the tune "All Your Love." Johnny Ramos makes a guest appearance to cover the vocals, joining the Kid on guitar. Ramos joins up with blues legend Johnny Tucker on a tune they wrote titled "Tell Me What You Want." Ramos takes the lead on guitar, with Tucker belting out the vocals to a jump blues tune sure to be a classic in time. Bob Welch creates a 60's instrumental vibe on keyboards with Kid blazing away on guitar on the instrumental "Mashed Potatoes and Chili" written by the Kid. The band steps away from the blues for the Bob Montgomery and Norman Petty 1958 Buddy Holly classic "Heartbeat," with an opportunity to hear vocals and guitar both done by Kid Ramos. Johnny Tucker and Kid Ramos collaborate once again to write and perform a slower blues tune, "You Never Call My Name." The band opens the vaults once again and calls on R&B singer and songwriter Arthur Alexander for his 1962 tune "Anna (Go To Him)," only to be released a year later by The Beatles on their debut album Please Please Me. Joining Kid Ramos once again on vocals, is Johnny Ramos with the Kid taking the spotlight on a short guitar solo. For his next selection the Kid goes into the songbook of Wes Montgomery "(the softer side of genius)," for a very flowing solo instrumental of Montgomery's spectacular "Wes Side (Bumpin')," accompanied by Bob Welch once again on keyboard. From this instrumental tribute, you get a good idea of just how talented Kid Ramos is on guitar. Kid Ramos goes back to the musical vault to release a version of the 1949 Evans/Livingston "Mona Lisa," a big seller for Nat King Cole in 1950. Once again, the Kid takes center stage for a superb performance on guitar and vocals. Johnny Tucker returns to the vocals for a traditional hymn "Jesus Come By Here." One last time, Tucker and Ramos collaborate on the slow, smooth blues tune "I Can't Wait Baby," with Johnny covering the vocals for the last time, using his raw, soulful vocals that keep pace with the tight rhythm section and Kid's expressive guitar solos. Ramos completes the album with another emotionally charged tune written by Jon Atkinson titled "Weight On My Shoulders," spotlighting Atkinson on vocals. For the grand finale Kid Ramos covers the king of the West Coast blues (T-Bone Walker) with his classic "High Society" in the guitar style that blues fans have grown accustomed to hearing. Making guest appearances on this final tune are Kim Wilson on vocals and Danny Michel on rhythm guitar.
It was worth the wait to hear "Old School" blues mixed with other selected genres to signify that the Kid is back and better than ever. Be sure to pick up his latest album. Reviewed by Rick Davis
Russ Green—City Soul Self Produced Psychedelic Ghost Productions 10 Tracks Growing up on the West Side of Chicago, Russ Green is no stranger to some of the blues legends to come out of the "Windy City." Upon returning to Chicago, Green was mentored by two of Chicago's finest harmonica giants, Sugar Blue and Billy Branch. In addition to his day job in film production, Green's musical career is now growing, having played, recorded, and toured with John Primer and Lurrie Bell. He’s featured on the acclaimed album Chicago Blues Harmonica Project and has appeared at numerous blues festivals. All the tunes on his debut album Soul City are written by Russ Green, with the exception of "Goin Down South." Russ comes out firing on all eight cylinders with the first track "First Thing Smokin." His harp tone is sharp and vocals are delivered loud and clear on this hard driving boogie. His vocals are smooth and soulful on the R&B sounding tune "Believe In Love," with the same steady, propelling rhythm heard in the Bill Withers tune "Use Me." On this track, that strong Sugar Blue harp influence can be heard in his harp runs much like Sugar Blue's "Hoochie Coochie Man." The Edge" rocks the house with Green's explosive opening harmonica solo on this powerful funk-rock track. Green switches to the Delta for some Harmonica Phil Wiggins style blues harmonica, featuring Eric Bibb on vocals and acoustic guitar on the deep Southern tune written by Bibb, "Goin Down South." Russ returns to a funky blues format with strong B3 grooves from Joe Munroe, supporting a distinct funky lead guitar and power harmonica riffs on "Lover Man." With a pulsating rhythm established early by the rhythm section of Ricky Nelson on drums and Marvin Little on bass and Giles Corey on guitar, "Train Of Pain" portrays life in ghetto and all the struggles that are experienced. Giles Corey weaves a tapestry of guitar riffs throughout Marvin Little's deep bass groove and Green's edgy vocals in addition to hypnotic harp solos on the original "Up From the Bottom. "Lint In My Pocket" delivers a deep, driving funky style bass line from Marvin Little, really focusing on Green's harmonica expertise. Green's vocals and lyrics are reminiscent of Toronzo Cannon on "Somthin New," featuring the slide guitar of Vince Agwada. Russ Green completes his debut album with "Love To Give," a swaggering funk-rock number with Green delivering his penetrating vocals and dynamic harp solos, making this Soul City one the best debut albums I have heard in a while. After listening to the debut album City Soul, I'm firmly convinced it won't be long until Russ Green will be included in the select group of Chicago's finest blues artists. He has learned from the best and delivers that talent well as a singer, songwriter, and harmonica player on his first album City Soul. Review by Rick Davis
JP Soars – Southbound I-95 Soars High Productions – 2018 15 tracks; 70 minutes www.jpsoars.com JP Soars is a former winner of the International Blues Challenge and is based in South Florida. On his latest CD he demonstrates what a versatile player he is as the music runs the gamut from blues to rock, country, surf, jazz and Latin. JP plays all manner of guitars and bass on three tracks; Chris Peet is on drums but the absence of a regular bassist finds him also covering bass duties on seven cuts, Jason Newsted and Greg Morency playing on a track each. There are a lot of additional musicians involved: Travis Colby is on keys on seven tracks, Teresa James adds B/Vs to four and Lee Oskar harp to one; horns appear on several tracks, Scott Ankrom playing tenor, baritone and trumpet on two, Sax Gordon Beadle and Tino Barker (tenor and baritone respectively) are also on two and Terry Hanck plays tenor on one. Fellow guitarists Albert Castiglia, Jimmy Thackery and Paul DesLauriers sit in on a track each and percussionists Sam Harrison, Oscar Santiago, Jeremy Staska and Reza Filsoofi appear across six different cuts. JP wrote all the material (apart from two classic blues from Muddy Waters and Albert King) and produced the album with Jeremy Staska in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
with Reza Filsoofi’s array of drums and some eerie sounding guitar from JP, the main choruses of the song carrying a message of ‘peace and understanding’. The end of the album is a little strange. “Go With The Flow” opens with jungle drums and some more of JP’s fast-paced picking which develops into a gypsy jazz style instrumental, a feel increased by Scott Ankrom’s clarinet. Why JP then chose to add the hidden track of a conversation punctuated by farmyard animals I have no idea! We then get a radio edit of “Sure As Hell Ain’t Foolin’ Me” which seems little different apart from the potentially offensive word being replaced by “BS” and a clear finale rather than a fade-out. This makes one wonder whether most listeners will eject the CD after track 13! Nevertheless, there is plenty of fine material here and the CD is very good indeed, so still comes recommended. Reviewed by John Mitchell Carolyn Gaines—Beware of My Dog Polka Dot Records www.carolynbluessingergaines.com 11 tracks A student of the blues, Carolyn Gaines offers up 11 songs of which she’s written
JP’s gruff voice fits well with the music and his delivery is very clear on the opening “Ain’t No Dania Beach”, the places he visits while touring not reaching up to his exacting standards as he extols the virtues of his home base in Florida. JP’s guitar has a hint of country as Paul Deslauriers plays some sweet slide, an attractive start to the album. JP hits the wahwah to add some funk to the blues of “Sure As Hell Ain’t Foolin’ Me” as he detects the insincerity of the other person (“I can smell bullshit a mile away”) before the title track, a rocking surf-style tune with exciting guitar from JP as he looks forward to reaching home. “Shining Through The Dark” is a beautiful tune with Terry Hanck’s ecstatic sax and JP’s lilting guitar adding just a hint of latin feel. Teresa James deserves special mention for her harmony vocals which make a song with cursory lyrics into something special. JP then rocks out on “The Grass Ain’t Always Greener” with Travis Colby’s Rn’R piano and a breathless tenor blast from Sax Gordon. Showing a completely different side to his playing the instrumental “Arkansas Porch Party” finds JP duetting with himself on shimmering electric and acoustic guitars, supported by tambourine and foot stomp. “Satisfy My Soul” is an ultra-fast tune with Sax and Tino supporting the insistent rhythm set by Chris Peet’s drums, JP ripping a solo that sounds like it was culled from a 50’s rock and roll record, an impression reinforced by Sax’s passionate solo. “Born In California” is a song reprised from JP’s debut CD and gives an autobiographical account of his upbringing in rural Arkansas, a full-on blues with plenty of JP’s cigar-box playing.
the lyrics for 8 of them. Featuring Gaines
The two covers appear mid-album and are the cue for the guest guitar slingers. Albert King’s slow blues “When You Walk Out That Door” features Jimmy Thackery; Jimmy and JP both play well with Jimmy taking the first extended solo, JP getting something of Albert’s stringbending style into his. Scott Ankrom’s multi-tracked horns add a different, almost New Orleans, feel to Muddy’s “Deep Down In Florida” as JP and Albert Castiglia exchange vocal verses and guitar solos. The latinflavored instrumental “Across The Desert” features Lee Oskar’s highpitched harp and JP’s finger-picking style and serves as something of a break between the two covers and the closing tracks. The fast-fingered guitar work on “Dog Catcher” finds JP having trouble training his pet and playing some fine slide, another track with a hint of Latin rhythms while “Troubled Waters” has a North African feel in the middle section
tar and lyrics about touchdowns with some mean harp work. “Charlie
on vocals and special guest Big Jay McNeeley and Grady Gaines, Jr. on
sax, this is an interesting blend of new and old. The daughter of Roy Gaines, Carolyn is also joined by Del Atkins on bass, Fred Clark on guitar, Chad Wright on drums, Glen Doll on har and Rudy Copeland on organ. The title track opens things up. A take off on “Hound Dog,” Gaines shows sass and attitude to kick things off. McNeeley’s sax is a nice addition here and the next track. “I’m Your Cat, Baby” is similar to The Wolf’s “Back Door Man” as Gaines growls the lyrics out. Grady’s sax adorns the
next two cuts. “Stone Out Your Raggly Mind” (a Jimmy Reed takeoff) and “Catch That Train” (based on John Lee Hooker’s “Boom Boom”) have nioce harp and sax work to compliment Gaines. Muddy’s song becomes “Hoochie Coochie Woman” and Gaines again growls out the lead. “Done Got Old” reprises Buddy Guy’s take on the cut; the acoustic guitar gives it a down home feel. “I Want Your Money, Honey” is Gaines take on Bessie Smith and Ma’ Rainey. She is gritty and dirty in her blues here. “Mr. Dill Pickle” is a big double entendre and is based on Blind Boy Fuller’s “I Want a Piece of Your Pie.” “Jerry Rice “Busy Man”” is an homage to the legendary 49ers wide receiver, which I find interesting as I’ve not heard a blues song written about a pro footballer. Acoustic guiMae & Chicago” is a tribute to her Mom and her home town with more mean harp and vocal grit. The CD concludes with “Something On My Mind,” a Big Jay McNeeley song with him on sax, Copeland on organ and Gaines testifying on this slow and low down blues. Gaines gets a little over the top for my tastes with her growling and low down vocals. But that’s perhaps just me as she’s had some accolades, too. She does an interesting job modernizing classic tunes with new lyrics and her support musicians are good. With some coaching she’s got the pipes for folks to stand up and take note. Reviewed by Steve Jones
Little Red Rooster Blues Band – Lock Up The Liquor Self-Release www.littleredrooster.com 15 tracks/64 minutes Hailing from the Philadelphia area, the Little Red Rooster Blues Band is celebrating 30 years making music and their latest CD is a generous hour + of all original music. Lock Up The Liquor is the band’s seventh album and it’s a good listen. The band demonstrates a good sense of humour in several songs, shows they can get serious on some touching ballads and overall plays some fine blues that must also sound great live. The band is Kevin McCann on guitar and vocals, Dave Holtzman on harp (and vocals on two tracks), Jeff Michael on bass and Bob Holden on drums. Anthony Geraci guests on piano on seven tracks and Dave’s old mentor Steve Guyger features on harp and vocals on one. An interesting part of the band’s back story is Kevin McCann’s struggle with the debilitating Guillan Barré Syndrome which afflicted him for a long spell in 2015 and is well documented on the band’s website; fortunately he seems now fully recovered. The album opens with a bright instrumental “Pitchin’ Woo”, followed by the first of two strong songs about drinking (hence the album title and artwork!), “Drinkin’ Wine On My Dime”, both tracks featuring Anthony’s piano. Dave’s harp sounds suitably mournful as Kevin sounds aggrieved at the cost of his girl’s drinking habits and has decided he can’t afford to carry on with the relationship. “Rather Be Lonesome” finds Kevin again abandoning a relationship on a tune that recalls Muddy Waters, the rhythm section setting a furious pace and Kevin playing some fast-fingered guitar. “Cotton Mouth” is Dave’s tribute to the much lamented James Cotton with lots of fast harp action. A trio of songs all deal with lost love: Kevin shows us his sensitive side on the tearful ballad “Ready For Goodbye” which is enhanced by Anthony’s piano and Dave’s harp, again sounding suitably downbeat; “Just A Distant Memory” ploughs a similar furrow lyrically but on a far more upbeat tune and the extended slow blues “Nothing Left Between Us” finds Kevin with an empty heart: “There’s nothing left between us after all you put me through”; Kevin’s finely poised guitar solo, set against Anthony’s subtle piano promptings, paves the way for Dave’s highpitched harp solo and Anthony’s expansive solo. Perhaps to relieve the mood the hilarious “Thrift Shop Rubbers” sits amidst these three songs: Kevin’s partner is tempted by cheap protection but Kevin does not think they will work – wrong size, patched, holes everywhere! Turns out that they are not what the lady believed they were but in fact galoshes! Played as a fast-paced shuffle, this is a brilliant song that a master of comic blues like Rick Estrin might appreciate. “Oughta Be A Law” is a bright shuffle before Dave steps up to the microphone for two numbers: “Trouble In The Jungle” has the familiar Bo Diddley beat and Dave’s slightly gruffer vocal tone suits the tune well; “Six Strong Men” are the potential pallbearers when Dave’s time is through, Anthony’s piano and the handclap backing giving the song a suitably gospel feel. The instrumental “Livin’ At Jerry’s House” has a New Orleans feel before Steve Guyger takes the vocal and harp lead on the slow blues “4 O’Clock In The Morning”, his voice also well suited to the choice of song. The album closes on two uptempo numbers: the short and sweet “Can’t Believe She’s Mine” clocks in at under three minutes but still includes fine guitar and harp solos; the title track is terrific with piano fuelling the boogie as Kevin admits that he hid “the good liquor under lock and key, left out the cheap stuff for you to see” - an excellent finale to a good all round performance from the whole band. Reviewed by John Mitchell
Wentus Blues Band—Throwback Ramasound www.wentusbluesband.com 15 Tracks Wentus Blues Band has been in the blues arena for a number of years now and with their new album Throwback, featuring Niko Riippa on guitar, Robban Hagnäs on bass, Juho Kinaret on vocals, Pekka Gröhn on keyboards, and Daniel Hjerppe on drums, this band from Finland have put themselves in the limelight with superb musicianship and strong vocals. As a tribute to the many artists the band has performed or worked with over the years, they released Throwback to honor some of those legends. They open with Carey Bell's "Wrapped Up In Love," with Niko Riippa serving up some stinging guitar solos to match the vocals of Juho Kinaret. Their rendition of Canned Heat's "Future Blues" offers an up-tempo, high-powered track with a strong performance from the rhythm section. The Eddie Kirkland album track "Rainbow," features a strong performance from Pekka Gröhn on keys, with the band taking ownership without the live performance they did with Eddie himself. It is hard to replace that soulful voice of Sweden's excellent singer, guitarist, songwriter, and harmonica player Sven Zetterberg. I think the band did an excellent job rivaling Sven's "Let Me Get Over It," by making their own powerful soul version. If you have never heard blues performer and songwriter Rock Bottom and his raw vocals leading his unique New Orleans, swamp/R&B style with a hint of bluegrass banjo, you owe it to yourself to sample his tune "Frog Leg Man." Wentus Blues Band creates that same swamp fever in their version with a little more finesse. Up next is another Eddie Kirkland tune "Done Somebody Wrong," preserving that same dirty, raw blues quality done by Eddie and The House Rockers in 1959. Time for the house rockin' boogie track "Feel So Young," done originally by Hungry John and The Blue Shadows in 1991, with an added punch from Niko Riippa on guitar and Pekka Gröhn on keyboards. This one will make you a fan in seconds flat! They cover "Hard Working Woman" from the 1997 Carey Bell release Good Luck Man on Alligator Records as a tribute to the Chicago blues legend. Once again Pekka Gröhn is superb on keyboards on this "windy city" classic. The rhythm section is a driving force on the sole Eric Bibb number "Don't Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down" with their up tempo rendition. "I Think You Need a Shrink" is the second Sven Zetterberg & The Chicago Express track on the album from Sven's release Permanently Blue. The band includes the Louisiana Red shuffle "Thirty Dirty Women." They also add a pair of tribute tunes to the Chicago blues legend Phil Guy, with "Fixin' To Die" and "The Last of The Blues Singers," showcasing the electrifying blues solos from the fret board of Niko Riippa. Between those two classics they add "Time Was," the Canned Heat original with Larry Taylor and his bass solos, delivered this time by Robban Hagnäs on bass. As the 15 track tribute comes to a close for the Wentus Blues Band, they include one last tribute song, the everlasting 1962 "Red's Dream" by Louisiana Red. With many albums to their credit, this solid blues band adds many old school legends to their list of friends in the blues world. They open the vault to uncover some timeless classics and present them with precision, making them their own. This CD will keep you searching for more music from this superb band from Finland. Reviewed Rick Davis
Boz Scaggs—Out Of The Blues Concord Records http://www.bozscaggs.com/ 9 Tracks (Regular Release) 12 (Deluxe)
seen him live. If you cannot grab this disc and enjoy it.
From Texas in his teen years to college in Wisconsin at Madison to Europe and back to the states, Boz Scaggs has led a long and wondrous musical career. He played with Steve Miller during high school in Texas and college in Wisconsin. He went to London after school and finally landed a first LP release in Sweden. He came back for the psychedelic scene in San Francisco appearing on two Steve Miller releases. His initial US release on Atlantic featured the Muscle Shoals horns and a session guitarist name Duane Allman. His big hit LP was Silk Degrees on which he was backed up by the group of players who would become Toto. Over the years he has released 20 albums. This release is the final piece of an unofficial American roots trilogy, including 2013’s Memphis and 2015’s A Fool to Care. Boz handles vocals and guitar. Ghostbuster Ray Parker Jr., Doyle Bramhall II, Charlie Sexton and Steve Freund share guitar duties. Jim Cox (piano, organ), Eric Crystal, Thomas Politzer, Doc Kupka (saxophones), Jack Walroth (harmonica, percussion) Willie Weeks (bass) and Ricky Fataar & Jim Keltner (drums). This is an all star cast.
Trudy Lynn – Blues Keep Knockin’ Connor Ray Music www.connorraymusic.com 10 tracks/42 minutes
The release opens with “Rock And Stick”, a softer blues tune with, showing off Boz’s fine vocals. The horns team up for the slower soul ballad “I've Just Got To Forget You”. This is quality material written by the legendary Don Roby, and recorded by Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland in 1970. Jimmy McCracklin penned the fine tune “I've Just Got To Know”. Jim Cox tickles the ivories very well on this slower tune. “Radiator 110” is a well heated southern blues tune written by Jack Walroth (who plays a fine harmonica on this one). Scaggs and Walroth wrote the up tempo “Little Miss Night And Day”. It is a bluesy tune that will get your toe tapping. Scaggs dusts off the Neil Young 1974 classic “On The Beach”. Scaggs puts his vocal imprint to work on this ballad and makes it more of an urban feel than the country styled Young version. On the classic Jimmy Reed tune “Down In Virginia”, Scaggs stays a bit more urban in feel that the more country blues Reed version. It is well done. The soulful “Those Lies” is written by Jack Walroth. This one plays well into Boz’s vocal range and style. I t is a mix of soul and jazz to my ears. “The Feeling Is Gone” is the final track on the regular issue of this album. It is another Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland cover. There are 3 bonus tracks on the Target only sold CD. The first is a blues rocker written by Walroth called “Good Information”. I like this one, as it gets your body moving to the tune. Walroth also wrote the second bonus track called “25 Years”. It is a swampy blues tunes with a faster pace than most of the other tunes on the release. Closing out the release is a Scaggs penned tune “Good Lover”. This one seems to go back to his Texas days in style. This is a nice tune! Boz Scaggs is a long time performer and singer. He has had his hits, and a few misses over this long career. This one is pretty good as a soul/blues set of tunes. It is solid though nothing that will blow you away. Boz is on tour so try to get out and hear him if you have never
Reviewed by Mark Nelson
This is Trudy Lynn’s fourth CD for Houston’s Connor Ray Music and it may well be her strongest yet. The band is excellent with regular harp player Steve Krase joined by David Carter on guitar, Randy Wall on keys, Terry Dry on bass and Matt Johnson on drums. Guitarists Bob Lanza and Carolyn Wonderland sit in on three tracks and a two man horn section of Dan Carpenter (sax) and Jim Brady (trumpet) beefs up two tracks; house producer Rock Romano again oversaw the recording. “Blues Ain’t Nothin’” makes a strong opener with Steve’s harp to the fore and Bob Lanza on guitar, Randy double-tracked on pounding piano and warm organ in the backgound. Trudy’s gritty vocals fit the classic definition of the blues: “Blues ain’t nothin’ but a woman loving a married man”. Jimmy Rogers’ “That’s Alright” has been recorded many times and here is given a rolling treatment with Trudy sounding like she’s enjoying herself. The sole original song is Trudy’s title track, an uptempo romp on a familiar theme of the blues pursuing poor Trudy before she tackles a classic from Big Maybelle’s catalogue in “One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show”. The horns add a vintage feel, Dan blowing a great solo mid-tune, and Trudy is clearly relishing the familiar lyrics. “Never Been To Spain” is a Three Dog Night song, also covered by Elvis, but Trudy was probably inspired by Ike and Tina Turner’s version. David plays some nice licks on this relaxed version before a first dip into the Etta James songbook with Etta’s later period “I Sing The Blues” (from 1992’s The Right Time). Bob Lanza’s second guest spot is on the slow blues “Pitiful” before Big Bill Broonzy’s “When I Been Drinkin’”, the second song with the horns which again add that vintage feel that so suits the song. The album closes with songs from two of the all-time great female singers, Aretha Franklin and a second Etta James tune: Aretha’s “It Won’t Be Long” finds the rhythm section setting a fast pace as Trudy awaits the return of her man, Steve adding some harp accents to the Rn’B tune; “Would It Make Any Difference To You” takes us back to Etta’s mid-sixties soul output and makes a fine finale to the album, opening with some fine guitar by Carolyn Wonderland (whom Trudy refers to as her ‘daughter’ in the sleeve notes). This reviewer’s only criticism is the total lack of writing credits which is rather disappointing when the album is almost entirely covers of other artists’ material. Reviewed by John Mitchell
Keeshea Pratt Band—Believe Self Released http://keesheapratt.com/ 12 Tracks Out of Houston Texas comes Keeshea Pratt Band. This group stormed into Memphis last January (2018) and won the Best Band contest in the 34th Annual International Blues Challenge. The band has a 3 piece horn group that provides a full sound that few bands create today. Keeshea handles the vocals, and is supported by her musical director and bassist Shawn Allen. Brian Sowell (Lead Guitar & Vocals), Dan Carpenter (Saxophone), Misaki Nishidate (Trumpet), James Williams III (Trumpet), and Nick Fishman (Drums) round out the band. The band is out touring the festival circuit this summer and fall. Musically the sound moves through blues, soul, jazz, soul and gospel. The tunes are written and co-written by the band members, primarily Shawn Allen.
Tim Woods—Human Race Self Released https://timwoodsmusic.com/ 12 Tracks Tim Woods grew up in Pennsylvania with lots of music around him via his family. At age 18 his family moved to Macon Georgia, where he dived into the music scene. From 2002-2009 he was part of the The Mountain Jam Band which gained momentum as a blues based jam band. In 2019 his first release was The Blues Sessions on Earwig Records. It featured Honeyboy Edwards, Big Jack Johnson, Eric Noden and many more. Now back in the Pittsburgh area, he still making blues music. This release is his second and he handles guitar and vocals on it. Bobby Lee Rodgers handles guitar, bass, drums and keyboards. Peter Lavezzola handles drums on 4 cuts, with Don Coffman (bass) 2 cuts and William Newell Bates on drums for one cut. The songs are originals by Woods and his friends.
The music starts with a fine soul ballad called “Make It Good”. The sound jumps out at you, particularly the horn section. The blues shuffle in on “Have A Good Time Y'all”. I like the sax work of Dan Carpenter. “In The Mood” is not the old big band number, but is a funky tune with some Albert King feel to it. Pratt’s vocals are really good on this one. The soul continues on slow “It's Too Late”. This is a top rate tune with fine vocals and piano/organ work.
The opening cut “Can You Feel It” has a Chicago blues meets Robin Trower guitar feel to it. On “Every Day” we get more of a country acoustic guitar to a good tune. Woods time in Macon comes thru on this cut. “Step” is an all instrumental with a strong funky bass line for Woods guitar to jump over. It has a bit of a British rock feel to it. The 4th cut “Take A Minute” could have been on rock radio in the 70’s. It is a slower cut with an arena rock feel.
The fifth tune is pure New Orleans sound. “Shake Off These Blues” gets a fine New Orleans beat and great trumpet and guitar work. “Home To Mississippi” is old time delta blues. There is fine slide guitar supported by harmonica. The beat picks up on “Easily Replaced”. This is a good blues with horns tune. I like the horns on “Monkey See, Monkey Do”. It is a grinding R&B treat, with a bit of Koko Taylor in it.
The title track “Human Race” has a blues rock feel with a faster pace. There is a bit of psychedelic to it too. Perry Werner wrote “Black Maria”. It is a mid tempo rocker with a certain southern feel to it. The vocals are strong with a southern feel to his voice. “TW Funk” is another instrumental with strong organ feel added by Rodgers. This is a strong southern jam timing out at almost 5 ½ minutes. It is funky for sure. On “Image Is Clear” Woods, returns to the 70’s with a slower, but powerful blues rocker. His singing is featured in the mix.
The title cut “Believe” is a strong blues tune. I like the message in the lyrics, and the strong sound. “Out Of My Mind” is a bit frantic. It is an R&B sound, which resembles the great Earl King’s “Trick Bag” at a higher pace. The bass solo in it is pretty good. I like the powerful soul ballad “Can't Stop Now”. It slides into a short chorus that sounds familiar to the Allman’s “Hitching Post”. This would be a great set closer for the band. The CD closes with a live cut called “So Bad Blues”. Timing in at over 8 minutes, the band and Pratt really get to stretch out. The organ and guitar work is really good on this one. This is a strong nod to the band’s live appeal.
“Trixie is the final instrumental on the disc. There is stinging guitar work that has a bit of Allman Brothers feel to it. “Have Mercy” comes out of the gates with a strong guitar lead. Woods really gets a sharp sound from his guitar. The tune has some jam band feel with solid drum work by Lavezzola. I like this track! On “Where Did She Go” woods gives us a strong blues rock tune with sounding drums and guitar work. The disc closes out with an environmental plea called “Leave The Earth Alone”. There are jam band feels to this one with a bit of Doors feel in the vocals. I like it as a closing tune.
Keeshea Pratt Band will continue to make a blues impact. The strong musicians and her powerful voice should carry this group beyond this first full release. Get out and see this band, and pick up this powerful CD. Blues, soul and R&B lovers will dig this one, especially if you love booming voices and strong horns. I hope the group rides this wave of publicity to a long career. I think they will make it. Blues fans go pick this one up!
Certainly there is influence here from the Dead and Allmans. Blues is in there on top of those influences. This is a solid release by a local/regional bluesman. He has worked long and hard at his craft, and does a solid job here. Fans of the Allman’s and The Dead will be drawn to this release. It might not be a strong choice for Chicago Blues or country blues fans. Keep ‘em coming Mr. Woods.
Mark Nelson
Mark Nelson
www.bluesblastmagazine.com
Mark Wenner’s Blues Warriors EllerSoul www.ellersoulrecords.com 12 tracks/47 minutes
Johnny Fink and The Intrusion—JFI Self Produced www.johnnyfink.com 9 Tracks
The Nighthawks are taking a break as the band’s personnel changes but vocalist and harp man Mark Wenner has not remained idle. Bringing Nighthawks drummer Mark Stutso along, he recruited singer and guitarist Clarence ‘The Bluesman’ Turner, upcoming guitarist Zach Sweeney and experienced double bass player Steve Wolf who has jazz and blues experience with, amongst others, the late Danny Gatton. The intention was to make a fun record of straight blues and tunes from Muddy, Sonny Boy, Slim Harpo and Elmore James figure here, all played in authoritative fashion.
Johnny Fink is no stranger to the blues. In 2015, his band won the Cincy Blues Society band challenge. With the recent success in the 2016 IBC, the band also winning the 2016 Dayton Ohio Blues challenge, and Johnny winning the 2016 Cincy Blues challenge in the solo category, they decided to release their debut album titled JFI.
The CD opens with a relatively obscure Muddy Waters tune “Diamonds At Your Feet” which Clarence sings really well in a swinging version with Mark on chromatic harp. “Teddy Bear” will always evoke Elvis though it was also covered by Big Joe Turner and it is his version that inspired this take, a driving shuffle with Mark W on vocals and the double bass at the heart of the tune before a second Big Joe Turner tune, “Rock A While”. The band’s version of “Checkin’ Up On My Baby” leans towards the Junior Wells/Buddy Guy version rather than Sonny Boy Willaimson’s original (excellent guitar here from Zach) before a second Muddy tune, Bernard Roth’s “Just To Be With You” which Clarence sings convincingly, the slow blues allowing us to appreciate the booming bass lines underpinning the Warriors’ sound. Mark W then pays tribute to another of his early influences with a fine take on Slim Harpo’s “King Bee”, his vocals relishing the double entendre lyrics and his energetic harp work suiting this driving version. Mark S has sung BB King’s “It’s My Own Fault” with several previous bands, notably when he was in Jimmy Thackery’s Drivers but he had never recorded the song, an omission rectified here in an extended version that gives solo space to Zach’s guitar and Mark’s harp. Mark W based this version of Fats Domino’s “Hello Josephine” on Terry Garland’s which he played on. Blending some rock and roll and country influences with Fats’ New Orleans original gives us a bright and cheerful take, clocking in at less than two minutes, as many early Rn’R records did. Pity, I would have enjoyed more of this one! Mark shows off his harp skills on an unrehearsed take of another SBW tune, “Trust My Baby”, which ends rather abruptly. “The Hucklebuck” features Zach whose bright picking is beautifully presented against Mark S’ busy drums and Steve’s bouncing bass, Steve also getting a short solo spot. The only original on the disc, Mark W’s “Just Like Jimmy” pays tribute to Jimmy Reed, Mark giving us plenty of Jimmy’s high end harp style. The album closes on a stonking version of “Dust My Broom” which has more harp than most versions and another great vocal from Clarence whose strong rhythm work allows Zach to play some good stuff behind Mark’s echoey harp. Overall a very satisfying album which most blues fans should enjoy. Reviewed by John Mitchell
With deep vocals and a similar guitar groove to the late great John Lee Hooker, he adds an element of rock to his opening track "Oh No." With a steady boogie beat, the tune "Hey Hey Hey" builds with fiery guitar licks as the boys shout out the title with conviction. They slow the pace for some slow, down home blues, as "The Fall" unfolds as one of the premier blues tunes on the album. "Let's Hear Some Blues" opens with some Delta blues and continues to deliver some conventional guitar licks bringing the band members to their feet as they once again roar out the title much to Johnny's satisfaction. We get to the despondent portion of the program as Johnny mournfully declares, with brokenhearted lyrics, that he is "Damn Broke." Jimmy Rogers plays on our emotions with his additional keyboards as Johnny delivers his pleading vocals and melancholy guitar licks. Our spirits are kick-started once again with some high powered honkytonk Southern rock feeding into some tasty slide guitar on the track "Knew She Was Looking." The bands begins "Go Away" with a powerful opening, which is a prelude to gritty vocals and some of the hottest guitar solos on the album. This tune will grab your soul with its passionate vocals and spectacular guitar solos. The guitar solos engulf the track "Pain," after Fink lulls you into a trance with his vocals only to return to his calm yet hypnotic vocals time and time again as he lets you enter his world called pain. There are better days ahead as Johnny Fink concludes his debut album with reassuring words of advice and fiery guitar solos on the final tune "It's Alright." With this power trio of Fink on guitar and vocals, Matt Newman on bass, Doug Moore on drums and percussion, backed by Jimmy Rogers on keyboards, I think you will be sold on this blues band both in the studio and live. At the 2016 IBC, I was very impressed with this band's performance and anxiously awaiting this their debut album. The album is everything I expected and more on every track. Reviewed Rick Davis
Steve Krase Band – Just Waitin’ Connor Ray Music www.stevekrase.com 10 songs/41 minutes Veteran Houston-based harmonica ace Steve Krase ventures into new territory on this release, venturing from his comfort zone deep within mainstream blues, as he adds a taste of zydeco, roots and Americana to the mix on this release, the fourth in his solo catalog. A self-taught instrumentalist who caught the bug as a teenager in New York, Krase’s lengthy career has included lengthy stays in Louisiana, Ohio and California, where he built a solid following. A multi-time finalist in the International Blues Challenge, he’s developed his own distinct playing style that incorporates a little punk, country, soul and electronica into a delivery that’s both warm and relaxed as well as deeply rooted in the blues idiom. Brooklyn-born, Houston-based harmonica player Steve Krase delivers a highly entertaining collection of originals and carefully recrafted covers as he delivers a welcome follow-up to his 2014 release, Buckle Up. A frequent competitor in the International Blues Challenge, where he’s earned multiple spots in the finals, Krase began playing at age 16 after listening to Neil Young’s “Heart Of Gold.” He bought himself a copy of an instruction book by Tony Glover -- an instrumental part of the folk revival in the ‘60s with Koener, Ray And Glover, and began a musical adventure that’s spanned four decades with stops in Ohio, California and Louisiana. A first-call harp player in Houston for better than 30 years, he’s developed his own style in a world of Sonny Boy Williamson and Little Walter copycats. He spent a decade backing up Space City blues legend Jerry Lightfoot and another three with Matt Leddy & The Meatcutters before venturing on his own, blending everything from punk, country, electronica and soul into a warm, relaxed style firmly rooted in the blues. “As usual, we tried to weave in some good, old-fashioned rock-‘n’-roll in with our blues,” he says. “We kept it simple on this recording, going for a bit more of an edge – and I think it worked!” Produced and engineered by Rock Romano, who handles bass duties, and captured at Red Shack Recording Studio in Houston, this one features Krase on harp and vocals with Steve’s other regular bandmates: guitarist David Carter and percussionist Tamara Williams. The disc also features guest appearances from James Gilmer, Lyle Lovett’s longtime percussionist, as well as accordionist Brian Jack and rubboard player Mike Vee, who sit in on one cut, as does guitarist Kenan Ozdemir, who handles lead one cut. “Settin’ The Woods On Fire,” a tune that climbed to the No. 2 spot on Billboard’s country charts for Hank Williams in 1952, opens the action with a distinct Western feel thanks to a solo acoustic guitar intro from Carter. But it quickly erupts into a driving, uptempo rocker that features blistering harp and six-string solos mid-tune. Krase’s enthusiastic vocals match the tempo and swing from the jump. The tempo remains for the rapid-fire shuffle, “I Don’t Mind,” in which the singer is aware of his lover’s faults, but accepts them, primarily because he doesn’t have the time to deal with them. The first of three tunes on the disc penned by Romano, “Just Waitin’ On My Brand New Baby” is up next. It’s a steady flowing blues that gives Krase plenty of space to show his ample harp chops when he’s not singing about the arrival of a new woman now that the old one’s packed up
and gone. “Irene Irene,” which follows and was also penned by Rock, is a blues that describes the unwelcome knock at the door from the lady in the previous song. The band reinvents the Beverly Hillbillies theme, “The Ballad Of Jed Clampett,” next, giving it a full zydeco treatment, aided by Jack and Vee, before Steve delivers an uptempo take on “All In The Mood,” one of the swingingest numbers in Howlin’ Wolf’s catalog. A simple bass line and a few simple guitar chords, then an extended solo open “Dirty Dirty,” a harp-driven pleaser with stop-time breaks that sings praise about being bad. Roots come to the floor for Romano’s “Blame It All On Love” before Krase dips into the songbook of legendary Texas bluesman Big Walter Price for “Nobody Loves Me.” The message continues and brings the disc to an end with another Wolf cover, “My Baby Walked Off.”
Available from Amazon, CDBaby and other online retailers, Just Waitin’ delivers an interesting mix of love and heartbreak. But no matter the subject, it’s a pleasing, good-time package of tunes that will keep you up and dancing. Reviewed by Marty Gunther Dave Hole—Goin” Back Down Black Cat Records www.davehole.com 11 tracks The tenth album from Australian guitar slinger Dave Hole is the first he’s produced himself . A three year project to write the songs, record and engineer the album, and play all the instruments on 8 of the 11 cuts gave him an appreciation for the process and allowed him the time to craft something himself. Whether he is worried about relationships or climate change, he expresses himself with equal fortitude and skill. This is an excellent album and I am glad to hear from this great guitar player again! Anarchy Studio in Western Australia was home to three cuts. Joing Dave for them are Bob Patient on keys, Ric Eastman on drums, Roy Martinez on bass and Paul Millard on sax for the latter 2 of 3 cuts. As noted, Hole recorded and played all the instruments on the other 8 tracks. The first and last song are part of the same song. “Stompin’ Ground” brings us into his world while “Goin’ Back Down” is a 2 minute outro of the same. It’s a very cool set of sets that set the tone and then take us home. The slide guitar attacks and the simple, distorted vocal lines really show us less can be more. “Too Little, Too Late” is a driving blues rocker with some tasty and restrained but poignant slide. The lyrics are about how we’ve managed to mess up or globe’s climate. Track 3 is one of the Anarchy Studio cuts, entitled “These Blues Are Here to Stay.” A sweet, traditional blues, Hole rollicks and rolls and you can feel he’s having a lot of the fun for 6 minutes. Beautiful slide work and accompaniment! “Measure of a Man” is next, featuring Hole’s National Tricone. He quips he might me making comments on a certain US President here. It’s cool, very Robert Johnson in the approach and interesting lyrics. Another Anarchy tune follows, a swingingly wicked guitar ride and instrumental track where Hole showcases he’s still got it. For “Used To Be” he got rid of the slide he’s known for and decided to take an approach like B.B. King with the songs, using call and response, a Gibson 345, and a traditional approach with the cut. Well done! This was the final Anarchy track.
“Shake Your Money Maker” is lone cover. Dave has a blast slipping and sliding through this one and beating on the drum kit. Seminal Dave Hole with his pretty and well done slide guitar! The next cut is “Arrows In the Dark, the lone co-written song. It features pretty slide work that reminds me a lot of George Harrison. It’s a pretty little rocker with mellow lyrics and excellent slide. “Back Door Man” is up next. Listed as a bonus track, Hole howls out the lyrics and once again blazes on the slide. “Tears for No Reason” is a nice blues ballad with acoustic guitars and Jon Tooby on cellos making for a very noce sound on the 10th track. The music here is spot on– Dave Hole has not lost a beat. The songs are fresh and well done, the musical arrangements are tight, the vocals are really good, and then there is the stellar guitar work that just solidifies things. Dave Hole has always been one of the world’s renowned guitar players and his 10th album shows that that has not diminished one iota. If you are a Dave Hole fan, slide guitar lover or just someone looking for some fantastic guitar blues, then look no further– this albums is for you! Reviewed by Steve Jones
Big Harp George – Uptown Cool Blues Mountain Records www.bigharpgeorge.com 12 songs/57 minutes West Coast chromatic blues harmonica virtuoso Big Harp George has been a welcome and major force since easing into retirement after a lifetime working as a lawyer and educator. A nominee in the best new artist category for both the Blues Blast and Blues Music Awards after the release of his debut album, Chromaticism, he’s demonstrated beyond a doubt that the first was no fluke. And this collection of all new, original material – the third in his catalog -- is certain to place him in the stratosphere of top harp players in the world today if he isn’t there already. Now in his mid-60s, he’s one of the most highly educated entertainers in the blues with degrees from University Of CaliforniaBerkeley and Georgetown before attending Harvard, where he garnered both a law degree and a PhD in anthropology, graduating magna cum laude in the process. Born George Bisherat, he’s worked as a public defender and as a private-practice defense lawyer in San Francisco before a long career as a professor at University Of California Hastings School Of Law. The son of a Jerusalem-born Palestinian emigre doctor and American mother who hails from Topeka, Kan., he’s also an expert on ArabIsraeli legal and social issues and an author on the subject. He’s worked with the Palestinian Legislative Council in an attempt to develop a judicial system, and his frequent commentary has appeared in major news outlets around the globe. Despite his background, George remains a witty, sharp dressed and down-to-earth. He picked up a diatonic harmonica for the first time at age 12, and has been playing ever since. Influenced heavily by chromatic masters Paul DeLay, George “Harmonica” Smith and William Clarke, he delivers a highly polished brand of West Coast blues
that ventures into jazz with Chicago, Memphis and New Orleans overtones. As in the past, this one features an all-star lineup. It was produced at Greaseland Studio by Kid Andersen, who doubles on bass and guitar, and it also includes guitarist Little Charlie Baty, keyboard player Chris Burns (Maria Muldaur and E.C. Scott), bassist Joe Kyle (Mitch Woods) and drummer Alexander Pettersen (Rick Estrin And The Nightcats). Also in the mix are Michael Peloquin on sax, Mike Rinta on trombone and tuba, D’Mar on percussion and Loralee Christensen and Derek Hughes on backing vocals. All of the material deals with modern problems, which are delivered by George in warm, relaxed tenor voice from a unique and often humorous point of view. “Down To The Rite Aid” swings from jump as it delivers a thinly veiled complaint about aging with the singer headed to his pharmacy to fill a knee brace and another batch of prescriptions. George glides across the comb effortlessly, and he and his mates deliver a full horn band sound with limited instrumentation, something that’s audible throughout. “Internet Honey” tackles the subject of internet dating atop a propulsive shuffle before the stop-time “Alternative Facts” offers up praise for honesty and truth and criticism of the emergence of fake news and fake news claims that dominate America today. He throws in a little of his own tongue-in-cheek bogus information into the mix, too, with: “You might have heard of Little Walter? A little secret I’ll share with you: I taught him everything he knew!” The jazzy “I Wanna Know” comes across with a distinct Brazilian feel – influenced by Rio-born singer Angela RoRo – as it deals with sexual harassment before the tempo slows for “Nobody’s Listening,” a bittersweet blues ballad delivered at the end of lack of a long-term relationship with the singer no longer willing to clean up the messes his lady’s left in her wake because of the things she said. George shows off his chops in “In The First Place,” trading riffs with the horns in a jazz-influenced pleaser, before the powerful Latin shuffle “Standing In The Weather” finds him still searching for meaning in his life despite all of his experience. The feeling shifts in “Bulletproof.” This time, he’s invinceable – or so he thinks. The slow blues “Cold Snap By The Bay” gives Burns space to shine as George describes the tragedy of three men dying in freezing weather while he’s living comfortably a few miles away while “Just Calm Yourself” offers comfort to a lady who always wakes up angry. “Uptown Cool,” another jazzy instrumental, follows before “Lord Make Me Chaste” brings the action to a close. Available from Amazon, iTunes and CDBaby, this one’s a winner on all counts, a must have for any harmonica aficionado. Reviewed by Marty Gunther
Waydown Wailers – Backland Blues Woodstock Records - 2018 www.waydownwailers.com 11 tracks/44 minutes
Not all blues but enough to engage the purists among us, this album is full of good tunes and accomplished playing and certainly gets a solid thumbs up from this reviewer! Reviewed by John Mitchell
Waydown Wailers come from upstate New York, an area known as the “Backlands” from which the album title is derived. The quartet is brothers David and Christian Parker who both play guitar, David supplying the lead vocals; the rhythm section is Connor Pelkay on bass and Michael Scriminger on drums. Producer Aaron ‘Professor Louie’ Hurwitz plays keyboards and guests Miss Marie and Alexander Scriminger contribute to the backing vocals with Ron Keck playing tambourine on one track. The writing credits include eight originals written by David, Christian and Michael (Professor Louie chipping in on one track) and three covers. On their third album the band blends blues, rock, country and jamband and the three covers show their influences, coming from bluesman Elmore James, early Rock and Roll pioneer Larry Williams and country rocker and Byrds founder Roger McGuinn. The album opens with a definite blues as David tells us he has the “Back Door Woman Blues”, a classic tale of the unreliable woman who sneaks out to meet other men. Co-writer Professor Louie adds some piano to the slashing lead guitar work and the track makes a great opener to the album. Slide work and a strong chorus refrain mark out “I Want Your Soul” as a keeper before “Done Somebody Wrong” which is played at a jauntier pace than the Allmans version we all know and love, whilst maintaining the slide work that is the hallmark of EJ tunes. Two rocking originals follow: “Another Bump In The Road” is a strong song with solid vocals and a definite jamband feel to the guitar solo while “No Mercy” adds the first real country aspect with what sounds like a pedal steel solo within the rock shape of the song. Larry Williams’ “Dizzy Miss Lizzy” is very close to Little Richard’s “Good Golly Miss Molly” and was picked up by the Beatles in their early days, a fact not lost on the Wailers who get something of that 60’s Mersey sound here. The second half of the album has fewer blues influences but still offers some fine music. “Every Passing Mile” is a dynamic track with twin guitars, fine harmonies and, to these ears, something of a Tom Petty feel, especially with some guitar work that sounds like Mike Campbell. The pace slackens for “Somewhere In The Middle”, a piece of homespun philosophy with Professor Louie’s organ adding a Band-like element (not surprising as he worked with The Band in their later incarnation) before “I’m On The Hunt”, a song about a desperate man who’s “gonna hunt you down” brings to mind Zeppelin with the chorus riff that sounds a lot like “How Many More Times”. “State Of The Union” is an overtly political song with a frantic pace and was also the title track of the band’s first album so perhaps they felt that it was an appropriate moment to revisit the song. The album closes with an excellent interpretation of The Byrds’ “Lover Of The Bayou” which is well delivered with a sweeping finale, the guitars ringing out over the stirring organ accompaniment.
Vanessa Collier – Honey Up Self-Released www.vanessacollier.com 10 tracks/45 minutes Vanessa Collier made a strong impression when she was part of the 2017 Ruf Blues Caravan and has been tearing up festival stages across the US over the last two years.. A graduate of Berklee College of Music, Vanessa’s third CD has strong vocals and sax playing across one cover and nine originals that show a songwriter who has a good sense of humour and a range of styles. The formidable Laura Chavez is on guitar on most tracks and Doug Woolverton and Quinn Carson add trumpet and trombone respectively to Vanessa’s sax on five tracks. Other musicians involved include Nick Stevens on drums, Nick Trautmann on bass, Spanky Parker on guitar and William Gorman on keys. Vanessa’s sense of humour shows from the start with “Sweatin’ Like A Pig, Singin’ Like An Angel”, a song aimed at the raw excitement of gospel choirs rather than any form of self-portrait! “Don’t Got No Time To Waste” has exciting horn work as Vanessa’s multiple saxes duel with trumpet and trombone on an uptempo gospel romp and the title track moves into funk territory with some very 70’s sounding clavinet but Vanessa is not impressed with her suitor: “I already was somebody before you came along; thinking you built me, well you’re just wrong. You want me to honey up and kiss your behind, this is where I draw the line”. “Percolatin’’ is a funky instrumental but “Icarus” shows a different side to Vanessa who plays acoustic guitar behind her soprano sax as she transplants the myth of the little boy who dreams of flying to modern times. Vanessa also plays resonator guitar on “Bless Your Heart”, a back porch blues in which Vanessa puts a patronising guy in his place. “The Fault Line” is a heavier track as the horns return and Laura nails a great solo - impressive stuff! “You’re A Pill” is a superbly catchy soul tune, the man in question a real tonic for Vanessa whose tenor solo duet with Laura’s guitar lights up the closing section. Marcia Ball comes to mind on the homespun philosophy and solid piano of “You Get What You Get” before an extended reading of Chris Smithers’ “Love Me Like A Man” shows that Vanessa can compete vocally with others who have covered this song. A genuine triple threat on sax, vocals and songwriting, Vanessa is also a dynamite live performer and is definitely one to watch in the coming years. Her latest album commands attention. Reviewed by John Mitchell
Lawrence Lebo – Old School Girl On The Air Records www.lawrencelebo.com 8 songs/28 minutes Don’t be fooled by her name, Lawrence Lebo is a female vocalist with old-school sensibilities, as she states directly in the title of this CD. A lady who possesses a distinctive mezzo soprano voice, she’s the daughter of a Sears & Roebuck shoe salesman who grew up in the Los Angeles suburbs, where she’s still based. She studied at Grove School Of Music, Santa Monica College and UCLA, where she graduated with honors and took classes taught by guitar master Kenny Burrell. Since making her recording debut on a self-produced EP in 1989, entitled Don’t Call Her Larry, she’s carved a name for herself in jazz, pop and blues circles. While Lebo delivers plenty of the stylings fans have come to know her for, Old School Girl ventures far more deeply into blues drenched R&B as she pays tribute to one of her biggest influences: the classic sounds that emanated from the Stax studios in Memphis in the ‘60s.
Captured at NewZone Studio in West Los Angeles by Wayne Peet and Ardent Audio in Torrence by Rich Wenzel and, like her previous releases, produced on her own On The Air imprint, this one includes seven Lawrence originals, all of which are thoroughly modern while maintaining a strong foothold in the past, and one cover. Jazz man Tony Mandracchia, whose work has been featured in the movie soundtracks of Tarzan and Serenity, handles guitar and banjo duties with Denny Croy (Doug MacLeod, Fiona Boyes and Brian Setzer Orchestra) on bass, Steve Mugalian (Rod Piazza and James Harman) and Ed Eblen on drums, Larry David (Keb’ Mo’ and Smokey Robinson) on keyboards and harmonica, and Carl Byron and accordion. Sasha Smith and Phil Parlapiano share Hammond B-3 organ responsibilities on three of the cuts. A tasty guitar line opens the slow blues burner “You’ve Got A Secret” in which Lawrence finds herself in tears as she accuses her man of telling lies and wonders what the true might be. Her delivery is steady and slightly behind the beat as it accompanies the instrumentation to drive the song forward. The tune has a timeless feel and features extended solos from David on keys and Mandracchia on six-string. The tempo picks up slightly for the title tune, “Old School Girl,” which proceeds with a consistent feel and more fine fretwork. In it, she runs down all of the things from the past, like being kissed on the neck, that she still enjoys today. This one would have made a perfect fit in the late ‘40s or early ‘50s. Lebo tackles the T-Bone Walker warhorse “Stormy Monday” next, delivering the opening verses at a snail’s pace with succulent vocal accents before the pace picks up dramatically with jazz
-influenced harp and guitar solos midway. Byron’s accordion drives the cautionary original “Stop Shouting Your Business” next. It comes across with a zydeco feel and the warning that you’ll only make yourself out to be a fool if you do. Listed with a warning for explicit language, it’s actually limited to one fourletter word delivered on a single occasion. The band gets funky as Lawrence urges a prospective lover to “Give Me A Try,” describing her attributes in the process, before the uptempo shuffle “Bad To The Core” comes across with a driving blues beat. Lebo notes that she used to be good, but not any more, that her man’s got a dark side. It’s only natural that she does, too. The sweet love ballad, “Happy Anniversary, Baby,” follows before a cleaned-up version of “Stop Shouting Your Business” brings the set to a close. Available from Amazon, iTunes and CDBaby, this one’s short and sweet, but will please anyone who enjoy music that’s delivered with a classic upscale jazz-blues feel. Reviewed by Marty Guenther Joyann Parker—Hard To Love Hopeless Romantics Records www.joyannparker.com 13 tracks Fake news! The title of this album is opposite to reality. Just one listen to it will tell you that Joyanne Parker, her voice, her band and her CD are quite easy to love because they are so good. Now that I have your attention, go buy this album. Parker offers up a Baker’s Dozen of original cuts that she and her guitar player Mark Lamoine wrote. Joyann sings, plays a little guitar, piano and trumpet on this record. Others in her band are Tim Wick on keys, Michael Carvale on bass, and Alec Tackman on drums. They are a tight band with a superb front person! The album starts with a very cool cut entitled “Memphis” where Joyann testifies that as she approached Memphis the memory of her ex will be gone. She sings with power and guts making a big musical point with tis opening cut– super stuff! She then gives us some Memphis soul with “Envy,” showing us some variety and another very interesting song. A thoughtful guitar solo, keys that pace things along and Parker’s emotion make this a winner. “Home” is a pretty ballad that she gives us next. Parker is restrained but builds and builds. She continues that as the key changes and she takes us home with intensity. A staunchly nice guitar solo kind of launches the build up; another great cut! “Dizzy” is a Motown inspired song where Parker sings forthrightly and with joy. A bouncy cut, she, Lamoine and the band drive this one with abandon. Things slow down for “Jigsaw Heart,” another sweet and somber ballad with some poignant guitar and vocal work. “Who, What, When, Where, Why”features Gunhilld Carling on horns is a dance tune with a
Little funk and a lot of fun. “Bluer Than You” is a jazzy blues tune with Parker’s trumpet adding to the mix. She testifies nicely about a relationship gone sour in this one; a piano solo also blends well. “Ray” is a cut about a guy who left her named Ray. It reminds me a bit of a Marcia Ball sort of tune, being a bouncy piano tune but caustic about her ex. “Evil Hearted”is a solemn, apologetic tune where Parker confesses to breaking a man’s heart. Another tasteful guitar solo complements the feelings expressed by Parker. She goes to the Delta with “Take My Heart and Run.” Resonator and an expressive snare drum drive this cool little number along as Joyann sirily but effectively leads the charge. “Your Mama” is a bouncy, lounge song with piano tinkling and Joyann telling her man to get his mama ou the door; very cool and fun! Following that is “What Happened to Me,” with Chuck Berry riffs and more. Parker flies through the number as the piano does a little Jerry Lee Lewis and the guitar blazes with them. Parker ends with the title cut. A big, schmoozy piano intro gets the expectations going as Parker offers up a big, Broadway sort of ballad and she does this quite well. Lots of good things are happening here. I first caught up with Joyann in Memphis in January 2017 and have enjoyed her music since. This albums’ release shows she has the chops and ability to be a big force in the blues world. Late to discover the blues, she has embraced them and Memphis in her music. I think the sky’s the limit– I see great things in her future! Reviewed by Steve Jones Paul Filipowicz - Unfiltered Big Jake Records (Self Released) PaulFilipowicz.com 11 tracks Rough around the edges. Visceral. Gutsy. These are apt descriptors for the Chicago Blues Hall of Famer Paul Filipowicz. There is no room for wimps here- this is dirty, steaming hot Chicago blues served up to any listener brave enough to jump on the ride. Break those filters off your smokes- there is no way to protect yourself from inhaling this great stuff! Filipowicz now hails from Milwaukee, WI, after honing his craft in Chicago. Born in Lockport, IL in 1950, the young Paul first heard the blues on the radio one night from a station in Tulsa, OK. He tuned in night after night and got to hear The Wolf, Sonny Boy II, Muddy, and all the greats. At 14 or 15 he first got to see and hear the blues up close and personal outside a club on the South Side of Chicago. Otis Rush and all these dressed up people showed up at 2 PM and Paul boiled in the sun outside the airconditioned club listening to his first live blues. Later, he heard Magic Sam and as he said, "...(I)t clicked. The phrasing was what I was hearing.” He has played with many a great and many a great has played with him. He has traveled the US and the globe playing the blues and has earned a place among the stars with his self-taught guitar work and overall strikingly interesting musicality. It's not clean, it's not pretty, but it's the blues played like it should be. Joining Paul are Benny Rickun on harp, a great young Wisconsin harp player, Chris
Sandoval on drums (from Tommy Castro's band), Rick Smith on bass, and a few guests here and there make things interesting. These guys have played with the likes of Castro, the Chain Smoking Altar Boys, The Groove Hogs, Bryan Lee and Dave Mason. Things kick off with Magic Sam's "All My Whole Life Baby," the first of three Sam Maghett cuts. Filipowicz' guitar stings, his vocal howl and things kick off with a lot of energy. Benny Rickun's harp and the rest of the band join in the fray and it's a fun, fun ride. "Brand New Hat" is next, contrasting to Magic Sam's cut. It's a dirty and raucous cut penned by Paul with some major guitar, a deep groove and big time shouting by Filipowicz. The title track is another original cut. Things slow down a bit and Paul's guitar rings as the band responds to his calls on lead guitar. It's a sweet instrumental showcasing his guitar work, here with a measured and cool pacing. The sax here and on the prior track by Tim Sobel adds a roundness and richness to the band as does Jack Naus trumpet. Another instrumental follows, this time featuring harp player Benny Rickun. "Canal Street" has a big solo guitar intro and then the band joins in. Rickun blows some dirty and mean harp in this tasty and special slow blues. Filipowicz also wrote this one and the band and he deliver a fine performance. Willie's and the Wolf's "Howlin' For My Darlin'" is up next, a joyful and bouncing blues that the band starts off with nicely. Filipowicz comes in with the vocals and offers a clean and up front rendition on this classic. Guitar and harp continue to impress and the sax her and the prior track makes for a full sound. Tony Menzer takes the bass up for "Everything Gonna Be Alright," the second Magic Sam tune. Paul shouts in his authentic style and the guitar rings as Benny supplements things with his harp. Little Milton's "I Found a New Love," also made famous by Magic Sam, gets a very dirty and interesting cover here. The harp blows are filthy, the guitar is poignant and the band is tight. Slow and effectively dirty blues are what we get here. Up for us to enjoy next is an original entitled "My Woman." The guitar once again stings with a faraway and distant sound as Filipowicz growls out the vocal lead. Trumpet and sax return but it's the cool harp interplay with the backline that makes this one interesting. Bib Gedden's "Tin Pan Alley," first made famous in 1953 by Jimmy Wilson is a cut most are familiar with by Stevie Ray Vaughn. Filipowicz brings this back from Texas and delivers it in his own, direct Chicago style. Great guitar pacing and vocals make this both cool and fun. Lowell Fulson's "Reconsider Baby" follows, a delightful, slow blues with the horns blowing in support. Filipowicz guitar is thoughtful and metered, his vocals grab you and make this another winner. The set concludes with Paul's own "Riding High," with the horns in full swing and the band pushing Filipowicz into a striking and poignant performance. The groove is sweet, the guitar and harp are excellent and Paul's vocals are strikingly sweet.
If you don't like authentic, dirty, greasy Chicago blues delivered by a master of the style, then by all means avoid this one. But if you are a blues lover with a pulse, you will enjoy this one. After one listen you'll be checking Paul's website with see when he next lays in your area. You won't want to miss him when he comes to your town, and if he does not then you should make an effort to go see him live- you won't regret it! Reviewed by Steve Jones
Crossroads Blues Festival Photos All Photos by Lee Ann Flynn
Dave Fields
Dave Fields
Joe Filisko
Nicholas Dicklin (Riding Atlas)
Davis Roscik (WNIJ)
Joseph Dicklin (Riding Atlas)
Andew Duncanson (Kilborn Alley)
Sam Petri (Riding Atlas)
JoshStimmel (KIlborn Alley)
Bob Kieser (Blues Blast Magazine)
Steve Jones
Lurrie Bell and Lauren Michell
Lauren Mitchell
Lurrie Bell
Toronzo Cannon
Lauren Mitchell
Toronzo Cannon
Tas Cru get Teacher Involved Luca Chiellini
David Forte
Melvin Carlisle
New Glarus Blues, Brews & Food Truck Festival All Photos by Lee Ann Flynn
Dave Fields at Lyran Club Rick Davis Photo
Heine Anderson at Rockford Listening Room; Rick Davis Photo
Ivy Ford at Lyran Club Rick Davis Photo
Missy Anderson at Rockford Listening Room Rick Davis Photo
July and August Crossroads Shows Lizzie Neal at Byronfest Photo by Dave Sawtelle
Paul Filipowicz CD Release Party at The Hope and Anchor Photo by Dave Sawtelle
Danielle Juhre at Klehm Arboretum Wood Song Concert Rick Davis Photos
Paul Filipowicz CD Release Party at the Lyran Club
Music on the Rock with Chris O’Leary at Burpee Museum Rick Davis Photo
Ivy Ford at The Hope and Anchor Rick Davis Photo
New Savages at the Lyran Club
New Savages at the Lyran Club
The Jimmys at Klehm Arboretum Wood Song Concert Rick Davis Photos
New Savages at the Lyran Club Brandon Santini at The Grand Avenue Pub Rick Davis Photos
The Groove - Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter
Crossroads 25th Year
Membership News
We are finishing up our 24th year and 2019 will mark our 25th Anniversary of Crossroads. Our Silver Anniversary Year will be marked with a lot of great stuff, including a 25th anniversary event our in the neighborhood of Lanark, IL, where it all began for us. The Timberlake Theater and Facility is right next door in Mt. Carroll and looks to be the home for our Silver Anniversary Celebration. We don’t have specifics yet, but it will be a great time! More details to follow on dates and bands!
We continue to grow with new members and renewals continuing to sign on! Thank you for supporting live music and helping to keep the blues alive to all our new and returning members!
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THE BI-MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF CROSSROADS BLUES SOCIETY
New members: Curtis Carlson Michael Correnti Kim Drolsum Dave Fields Mike & Sandy Ferguson Tom Jessup Elaine Pannell Paul Pflipsen Renewing Members: Kevin & Eileen Ahlgren Robert Anderson Family Paul & Kathy Antonou Jim Chichock Jim Didier Delores Fair Avis & Jeff Fisher Jon Gates Bob & Roberta Haendler Art Herendeen Steve & Annette Jones Sandra Kelly Brian Kobishcka & Beverly Joyce Ted Kusner Wayne & Elizabeth Martin Kevin Moore Jeff Nielsen Mark & Cindy Nelson Kevin O’Neil Will Perrin Kevin Pieterek Mark Rodseth (2 years) Ed & Diane Swiderski Paul Thompson Bret Wizenreid Randy Zollar New members get a CD upon joining and new family members get two CDS. If you did not get any please let us know the next time we see you! The Email newsletter averages about 40 pages an issue and is in full color, delivered as a PDF to members. Mail newsletters are 12 pages and printed in greyscale. Mail members have a $5 surcharge to help with printing and postage costs. We produce six newsletters a year with about 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! See the membership form on page 3 of this newsletter to sign up. It’s a great way to help keep the blues alive!
www.bluesblastmagazine.com
Hope and Anchor English Pub Second Saturday Blues The Hope and Anchor Second Saturday Blues is a fun monthly event at a super restaurant and pub! Shows are from 8 to 11:30 PM. There is a $5 cover charge. Featuring fine English pub fare, the Hope and Anchor is a great spot for dinner, craft beers and liquors, and great live music! Located at 5040 N 2nd Street, Loves Park IL, USA, phone 815-633-2552 for info! 9/8/18 Howard & the White Boys 10/13/18 Ray Fuller & the Blues Rockers 11/10/18 Lil Ed & the Blues Imperials 12/8/18 Reverend Raven & The Chain Smoking Altar Boys Featuring West Side Andy Linderman 1/11/19 Blues Disciples 2/9/18 Mike Wheeler Band
Lyran Society First and Third Friday Blues (Once a Month In Summer) The Lyran Society featured blues, a fish fry, other great food and a lot of fun. The Lyran Club has great shows twice a month outside of summer. Located half a block east of 7th Street at 1115 4th Ave, Rockford, IL 61104, you can call (815) 9640511 for info. There is no cover charge, it’s a free show. Open to our members and friends, all ages are welcome! Shows are 7 to 10 PM. 9/21/18 Breezy Rodeo 10/5/18 Studebaker John 10/19/18 Blues Disciples 11/2/18 Dave Weld & the Imperial Flames 11/16/18 Billy Flynn 12/7/18 Trinadora Rocks 12/21/18 Madtown Mannish Boys 1/4/19 Written Warning TBD Dave Potter Band
Crossroads Blues Society P.O. Box 840 Byron, IL 61010 On the web at: crossroadsbluessociety.com/ Crossroads Blues Festival at Lyran Park: www.crossroadsbluesfestival.com Email us at: sub_insignia@yahoo.com Call us at: (779) 537-4006
THE
THE BI-MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF CROSSROADS BLUES SOCIETY
Keeping the Blues Alive Since 1994 2014 Blues Foundation Keeping the Blues Alive Affiliate Award Recipient 2014 Chicago Blues Hall of Fame Inductee 2005 Rockford Area Music Award Winner– Community Service
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Blues News and Upcoming Events September and October will carry on the fun we had this summer! Lots of cool events are upcoming. Friday September 7the the Blues and BBQ Fest in Lasalle features Ghost Town Blues Band and the Jimmys, free admission. The Hope and Anchor has Howard and the White Boys in September and Ray Fuller and the Blues Rockers in October. Specifics on these and other shows there are inside this back cover.
The Lyran Society has Breezy Rodeo on September 21st, Studebaker John on 10/5 and The Blues Disciples on 10/19. See inside for more info. We have a special show at Owly Oop with Ghost Town Blues Band on Friday,
September 28th as a prequel to the Blues Blast Awards on Saturday, September 29th. Don’t miss either of these shows– you will be sorry! More info inside. Our 2018 Crossroads Blues Challenge is Sunday, October 14th at the Lyran Society. More info again inside. Lots of great stuff coming up. Mark your calendars for these events and watch for weekly emails from Rich Gordon on upcoming events for that week. Help keep live music and the blues alive with your attendance. Without you, we can’t make these shows work!