Soulful Femme Attitude Funk, soul, and blues form a magical convergence with the sounds of Soulful Femme. Comprised of lead vocalist Stevee Wellons and guitarist Cheryl Rinovato, Soulful Femme was formed shortly after the two women met at a blues society event in 2014. Attitude, the follow up album to their 2021 release It Is […]
Scottie Miller Carnival Cocoon Carnival Cocoon, the latest release from Minnesota poet/pianist Scottie Miller, has me gob-smacked with amazement and delight. This companion set features an eighty-three-page book of poetry coupled with a twenty-three track album featuring those poems eloquently set to music with a classic beat-inspired delivery. Miller, a three-time inductee of the Minnesota […]
The Hurricane Party Cat 2 Tall and Mean Records Hailing from Richmond, Virginia is a new ensemble called The Hurricane Party. Their debut album Cat 2, brings a bit of rock, blues, funk, and R&B to the table in a twelve-track collection of songs. Rocky Pleasants and Gainesville, Florida songwriter Rob Marlowe teamed up to […]
Jimmy Bennett Sunday Morning Sessions Junkyard Dog Productions Sunday Morning Sessions, the new album from Jimmy Bennett (Bennett Brothers, Alexis P. Suiter, John Ginty, Bruce Katz) stole my heart from the first listen. Bennett, an original member of Levon Helm’s Midnight Rambles in Woodstock, New York, began writing this record on Easter Sunday 2020 as a response to the beginning days of the Coronavirus outbreak. […]
Micke Bjorklof and Blue Strip Colors of Jealousy Hokahey! Music Productions I’ve been writing about the music of Micke Bjorklof since 2014 with the After the Flood release. I love the way his crafted lyrics and musical arrangements are brought to life with Blue Strip. Their latest album Colors of Jealousy has again captivated me with every listen. Bjorklof has a unique way to […]
Jan James Time Bomb Blue Palace Records It has been over thirty years since Jan James released her first album Last Train. That record gained her a rather large fanbase in Europe. With creative partner guitarist Craig Calvert by her side, her latest and twelfth release Time Bomb is drenched with feeling and soul. James’ musical-wheelhouse is centered in American roots, and embraces each petal: […]
Leonard “Lowdown” Brown Blues is Calling Me Music Maker Foundation Born in Arkansas and raised in Indiana, Leonard “Lowdown” Brown has been surrounded by music most of his life. In 1980 he moved to Houston, Texas for his work with General Electric and became in involved in the local music scene. In 1988, he acquired […]
Eric Johanson The Deep and the Dirty Ruf Records Louisiana blues-rocker Eric Johanson has a ridiculously cool album with his latest release The Deep and the Dirty. Enlisting Jesse Dayton (Rob Zombie, X, Samantha Fish) surely accounts for the badassery which abundantly flows out of the dozen original tracks contained on this record. With Eric Johanson on guitar and vocals, the band is […]
Jan James TimeBomb It has been over thirty years since Jan James released her first album Last Train. That record gained her a rather large fanbase in Europe. With creative partner guitarist Craig Calvert by her side, her latest and twelfth release Time Bomb is drenched with feeling and soul. James’ musical-wheelhouse is centered in American roots, and embraces each petal: R&B, Soul, Country, Rock, […]
Boo Boo Davis Boo Boo Boogaloo At almost eighty years old, St. Louis bluesman James ‘Boo Boo’ Davis is still busy creating some of the most authentic blues being recorded today. Born in Drew, Mississippi in 1943, Davis grew up being surrounded by music, playing drums in a family band. In 1972, he landed an eighteen-year-long gig playing weekends at Tabby’s Red Room in East St. Louis. In 1999, Davis cut […]
Dean Zucchero Electric Church for the Spiritually Misguided Originally from New York City’s East Village, Dean Zucchero now calls New Orleans his home. I first became aware of him through his work through the music of Ghalia Volt. I had reviewed two of her albums, and Zucchero had made a big impression on me with his performance on bass guitar. His debut album Electric […]
Nick Schnebelen What Key is Trouble in Vizztone I’ve been a fan of Nick Schnebelen’s work for twelve years. His guitar mastery and song-writing make for some exciting electric blues. Schnebelen’s fourth album for Vizztone What Key is Trouble In was co-produced by BMA winner Chris Hardwick, featuring Nick being backed by drummer Adam Hagerman, and bassist Cliff Moore. Guest appearances from keyboardist Red Young, saxophonist Buddy Leach, and organist Aaron Mayfield lend […]
Eric Bibb Ridin Ridin’ the follow-up album to Eric Bibb’s award-winning Dear America continues to captivate me on a myriad of levels. His lyrical prowess and instrumental finesse are indeed a powerful combination. Ridin’ contains fifteen tracks, and an impressive list of guest musicians consisting of Taj Mahal, Jontavious Willis, Russell Malone, Amar Sundy, Harrison Kennedy and Habib Koite. I knew I was in for a treat as soon as […]
Angela Strehli Ace of Blues Angela Strehli who helped found Antone’s, the legendary blues venue in Austin, Texas, recently released Ace of Blues, her first album in seventeen years. Her voice is deep and buttery on this twelve-track recording as she pays tribute to those musicians who were an inspiration to her, such as O.V. Wright, Elmore James, Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Jimmy […]
Steve Hill Dear Illusion Canadian bluesman Steve Hill has pulled down an impressive number of awards over his twenty-seven-plus years of playing professionally. In 2015 he was awarded the Juno Award for Blues Album of the Year. In 2013 he received the Best self-produced CD award at the Memphis International Blues Challenge. And as far as the Maple Blues Awards go, he’s secured eight of […]
GeminiiDragon Equinox Equinox, the follow-up album to GeminiiDragon’s earlier release this year Fighting Fire With Fire continues to rock out with music fortified with a heaping helping of funk, soul, and blues. Lead vocalist Jessica Harper and guitarist Christian Simeon absolutely shine as writing partners on this ten-track recording of all original songs. Harper and Simeon are joined by bassist Dougie V, drummer E Sass, and backing vocalist La La Thomas. […]
Mud Morganfield Portrait Delmark Records Mud Morganfield, the oldest son of the legendary bluesman Muddy Waters takes his music seriously. Closely following the path of this father, Mud sets the bar high when it comes to performing the blues. Additional influences of Motown, soul, and R&B are absorbed into his songs. Portrait is a remix of Mud’s entire debut album Son of the Seventh Son topped off with […]
Skip James The Complete 1931 Sessions Org Music This year Record Store Day Black Friday has something exciting for Blues fans and vinyl connoisseurs. ORG Music is re-releasing Skip James – The Complete 1931 Sessions on transparent orange vinyl. This is a great introductory record for the music of Skip James. Born in 1902 near Bentonia, Mississippi, he learned to play guitar in his youth and later […]
Emanual Casablanca Blood on my Hands Kings County Blues Blood on my Hands, the debut album from Brooklyn-based blues-rocker Emanual Casablanca has quickly garnered my admiration. Casablanca’s all-in approach to music produces deep and personal songs. That’s what makes his blues honest and real. This album contains sixteen tracks of all-original material featuring an amazing arsenal of guests which include Eric Gales, Albert […]
John Primer Hard Times Blue House Productions Hard Times, the very latest release from Chicago Blues great John Primer captures my ‘real-deal’ blues-loving heart with thirteen new originals. With Steve Bell on harmonica, Lenny Media on drums, and David Forte on bass, this recording also features special guests Rick Kreher on 2nd guitar, Johnny Iguana on piano and organ, and John’s seventeen-year-old daughter Aliya Primer on vocals. Primer states: “The name of my new CD […]
Ivor S.K. Mississippi Bound Vizztone Label Group Hailing from Sydney Australia, and now living in New Orleans, Ivor Simpson-Kennedy takes story-telling to the highest level with his music. There’s a unique spin he has on blues and roots which is very refreshing and quite captivating. The attention he pays to details in his songwriting, pairs perfectly with his laidback […]
Annika Chambers and Paul Deslauriers Good Trouble Vizztone Label Group Annika Chambers and Paul DesLauriers have both been on my radar a while. I covered Chambers’ 2019 album Kiss My Sass, and DesLauriers’ 2016 release Relentless, as well as his 2019 release Bounce. I embraced all three of those recordings. The spirited couple met at the 2018 International Blues Challenge in Memphis and started working together in 2019. Within the […]
Bad Daddy It’s a Mad Mad Bad Daddy World PieHole Records With roots in Maine and Chicago, Paul Waring, aka Big Daddy, has fully captured my attention with his stunning new blues album, It’s a Mad Mad Bad Dad World. Big Daddy packs a hell of a wallop with Waring on guitar and vocals, featuring engineer Pete Galanis on guitars as well. The rest of […]
Skye Pollard Masquerade Hailing from the Ozark mountains in Eureka Springs, Arkansas is Skye Pollard, an artist who I just recently became aware of. His latest release, Masquerade is such a fine-crafted work, I took to it immediately. With song-writing chops that equally match his musicianship, his masterful lyrics beautifully flow along a country-roots-rock stream. With Pollard on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, […]
Color Green Color Green I love it when music like this new self-titled album from Color Green comes my way. Their music is cut from the same fabric as many of my favorite bands, such as Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers, Phish, and Flaming Lips. Formed in Queens, but now based in Los Angeles, Color Green is comprised of co-founders Noah Kohll and Corey Madden. Together this duo creates a […]
Cliff Stevens Better Days Montreal-based blues-rocker Cliff Stevens has recently released his fifth studio album Better Days. Loaded with eleven brand-new originals, this record is a genuine dose of heart-tugging blues, reminiscent of the album-oriented music popular in the Seventies. The music ranges from old-school delta blues to that inspired by the likes of Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan. It surely makes for […]
Starlite Campbell Band LIVE I’ve been hooked on Starlite Campbell Band since reviewing their first album, Blueberry Pie five years ago. That was such an amazing album. For their third release, wife and husband Suzy Starlite, and Simon Campbell took their songs on the road across the UK and wove together this delightful eight-track album of live performances with drummer Steve Gibson (Buzzcocks, Jack Bruce) and […]
Matty T Wall LIVE down Underground Since Matty T Wall’s debut release in 2016 of Blue Skies, I’ve reviewed each of his albums. I’m sure not going to break tradition with his latest, Live Down Underground. Wall very much deserves the kudos. He is a force to be reckoned with and his prowess behind the […]
The Harpoonist and the Axe Murder Live at the King Eddy It’s a rare occasion where a live album is my first experience with a band’s music, and it turns me into an instant fan. Live at the King Eddy, the latest release from The Harpoonist and the Axe Murder is definitely the center point of one of […]
Gary Cain Next Stop Next Stop, the latest release from Canadian blues-rocker Gary Cain, takes off like a rocket, and soars to the heavens. His guitar prowess is extraordinary and an absolute treat to hear. Cain, a 2018 semi-finalist at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee, has talents which run much deeper though. This ten-track album reveals just how much. Written […]
Ryan Lee Crosby Winter Hill Blues It was two years ago I first heard Ryan Lee Crosby play at the virtual Juke Joint Fest in Clarksdale, Mississippi. The annual event was thrown for a spin in 2020 due to Covid 19, so organizers cleverly decided to take the festival online in a virtual sense with free live Facebook streams, and […]
Diunna Greenleaf I Ain’t Playin’ Little Village I Ain’t Playin’, the latest release from Texas blues artist Diunna Greenleaf is a must-hear. This three-time Blues Music Award winner, dishes out thirteen wonderful tracks, incorporating blues, soul, funk, and southern gospel. Her amazing vocals are backed by a stellar lineup of musicians which include producer Kid Andersen on guitar, Jerry Jemmott on bass, Jim Pugh on keys, and Derrick […]
Vaneese Thomas Fight the Good Fight Blue Heart Records There was a definite magic in the air when Vaneese Thomas recorded Fight the Good Fight at the famed Royal Studios in Memphis, Tennessee, a place once home to Hi Records and the Hi Rhythm Section. The album represents all which I love about Memphis music: the soulful melodies, the funky intoxicating rhythms, the horns, […]
Jarkka Rissanen Tonal Box feat. Kalle Fält Bones Humu Records Having reviewed Finnish guitarist Jarkka Rissanen’s 2021 album Cargo last year, I was quite anxious to hear his latest release Bones with his band Tonal Box featuring Kalle Fält. Like his previous album, this one is comprised entirely of instrumentals divinely steeped in jazz fusion leaning into funk and blues. Tonal Box is comprised of Rissanen on guitars, lap […]
GeminiiDragon Fighting Fire with Fire The bluesy hard-edged grooves and hearty power-filled vocals stand front-and-center on Fighting Fire With Fire, the latest release from Louisiana recording artist Jessica Harper aka GeminiiDragon. Undoubtedly, that’s the winning combination which immediately drew my attention to this record. This all-original album hosts eight splendid tracks co-written with producer/guitarist Christian Simeon. With Harper behind the mic, and Simeon on guitar, the rest […]
Eliza Neals Badder to the Bone E-H Records Eliza Neals is an artist who consistently delivers album after album of solidly-written, exquisitely performed blues-rock. Badder to the Bone marks my fourth album from Neals which I have made a point to review, and the title is very much on the mark. She is a total badass in the music world, and […]
Hurricane Ruth Live at 3rd and Lindsley Live at 3rd and Lindsley, the sixth and most recent album from Ruth LaMaster aka Hurricane Ruth lands a ferocious punch with a fistful of raw, hearty blues. This fourteen-track gem was recorded at 3rd and Lindsley in Nashville, Tennessee and produced by two-time Grammy winner Tom Hambridge. It features Scott Holt and Nick Nguyen on guitar, Calvin Johnson on bass, Lewis Stephens on keys, with Hambridge also […]
The Boxmasters Help…I’m Alive Help…I’m Alive, the twelfth and latest release from The Boxmasters, ushers in a dozen new original songs from J.D. Andrew and Bud Thornton. With each of their recordings, I’ve always been delighted to listen to the guys navigate through their spectrum of influences. This album most definitely carries on that tradition. An infectious hook, powered by a […]
Prakash Slim Country Blues From Nepal Ram Prakash Pokharel aka Prakash Slim, an emerging blues artist from Lamatar, in the Lalitpur district of Nepal, has most definitely caught my attention with his new album Country Blues From Nepal. With only a resonator guitar and slide in hand, he captures the pure essence of the blues with magnificent covers of legends such as Robert Johnson, Bukka […]
Lady A Satisfyin’ I’ve been a fan of Lady A since my first listen when I reviewed her 2016 album Loved, Blessed, and Blues. Her ninth and latest album, Satisfyin’ continues to capture my affection for her music as it perfectly pairs her songwriting expertise with her special blend of funk, soul, and blues. With Anita White aka Lady A front and center on lead vocals, […]
Buckmiller Schwager To Memphis and Back Together Tom Buckmiller and Brian Schwager are taking the Iowa blues scene by storm with their original working-man blues. This Des Moines, Iowa – based blues duo pulled down first place in the 2021 Iowa Blues Challenge Solo/Duo category, securing their entry into the 2022 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee coming up in May. Buckmiller has authored three blues books and […]
Terraplanes Blues Band Stepping Stones The Terraplane Blues Band from Bristol, UK absolutely tears it up on their new album Stepping Stones. Produced by Richard Parsons, this twelve-track album of hot, original blues features Nick Scrase front and center on guitar and vocals. The rest of the band is comprised of Eduardo Allen on harmonica, Tom Turner on drums, and Andy Wood on Bass. Opening with “Highway 61” The […]
Reverend Nathon Volume 1 Volume 1, the debut album from Reverend Nathon swiftly grabbed my attention, and won my admiration with its kick-ass style of southern blues-rock. This twelve-track, all-original recording is loaded with infectious rhythms and doused with Seventies psyche-rock. It’s definitely a fun listen. Hailing from the Lone Star State, Reverend Nathon is comprised of Nathon Dees on guitar and lead vocals, Gary […]
Bob Corritore Down Home Blues Revue I’ve really been enjoying the ‘From the Vaults’ albums spearheaded by blues harmonica marvel Bob Corritore. The latest in the series, Down Home Blues Revue, features thirteen tracks of real-deal blues recorded between 1995 and 2012 in Phoenix, Arizona. The amazing roster of southern blues artists on this album had all played Corritore’s blues club The […]
Grande Revival Liberty Station Renowned recording artists Craig Erickson, and ‘Dirty’ Dave Osti recently teamed up as Grande Revival to record a hands-down, kick-ass album of guitar-centric blues-rock songs called Liberty Station. Penning five tracks each, Erickson and Osti take turns singing their songs, rocking the sound of dual guitars with Anthony James Tuco on bass, and Cosmo Benz on drums. Having two alpha powerhouse guitarists on each song […]
Micke Bjorklof and Blue Strip Whole Nutha Thang Ruf Records I’ve been a fan of Finnish, award-winning blues artist/bandleader Micke Bjorklof since reviewing his 2014 release After the Flood. Bjorklof and Blue Strip had recorded four albums prior. One of those being 2007’s Whole ‘Nutha Thang, originally released only in Scandinavia. That album is now remastered and re-released by Ruf Records to help celebrate Micke Bjorklof […]
Bernard Allison Highs and Lows Ruf Records Bernard Allison is one of those artists who I totally admire, and I’m absolutely thrilled to hear fresh music from him. Highs & Lows, his latest album is hands-down fantastic. Produced by Grammy Award winner Jim Gaines, this eleven-track blues album is a slice of perfection. The core of Allison’s top-notch band consists of George Moye on bass guitar, Dylan […]
Roy Roberts Covering the Years Growing up in Tennessee, Roy Roberts was exposed to a variety of music, but it was Jimmy Reed’s song “Baby What You Want Me to Do” which inspired him to get his first guitar. Over the years, Roberts has backed acts such as Solomon Burke, Eddie Floyd, “Little” Stevie Wonder, Dee Clark, and Otis Redding. His From the mid-sixties Roberts worked as a session man […]
Robert Connely Farr Ain’t Enough Ain’t Enough was recorded at Hipposonic Studios in Vancouver, BC, and marks Robert Connely Farr’s ninth studio album, and first solo acoustic album. What I love about Farr’s music is that it’s deep, meaningful, and baptized in the blues. Nominated for 2019 Maple Blue Awards for Songwriter of the Year and New Artist of the Year, Farr was mentored by 2021 Grammy […]
Carolyn Wonderland Tempting Fate Texas blues sensation Carolyn Wonderland has certainly been on the fast-track these past few years. After holding a highly-coveted spot as guitarist in John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, a position previously held by legends such as Eric Clapton, Peter Green, and Mick Taylor, Wonderland signed to the beloved Alligator Records label. That just does not happen by chance. This kind of positioning only happens with talent, and […]
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