CD Reviews on projects by Indie Blues Artists
Vanessa Collier Heart on the Line Phenix Fire Records Vanessa Collier hails from Clarksville, Maryland. Collier attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston where she graduated with degrees in Performance, Music Production and Engineering. In 2012, after graduation, she spent eighteen months touring the US and Turkey with the Grammy winning Joe Louis Walker. […]
Jon Strahl Band Heartache and Toil Independent As a teenager Jon Strahl’s musical experience was similar to our own. “I grew up in a house with music, there was always something new on the turntable and it was almost always rock and roll…but what really hit me…was this Sunday night radio show on WTTS called […]
Dianne Davidson Perigon: Full Circle Independent Born in West Tennessee, Dianne Davidson was singing and writing songs when she was just a child. She formed her first band when she was eleven. She completed her musical education by performing in bars, nightclubs and listening rooms from Tennessee to Greenwich Village. She recorded her debut album […]
Friends & Legends of Louisiana Various Artists L & M Star Productions Producer Lucas Spinosa is a songwriter, keyboardist and former bandleader of the Baton Rouge based “Southern Star”, a band popular in the 1990’s. Their albums include “Magic”, “Evangeline” and “From The Heart”. Way back in 1966 Spinosa was a member of the band […]
Willie Nile Uncovered Paradiddle Records Willie Nile was born Robert Noonan in Buffalo, N.Y. in 1948. He attended the University of Buffalo; and afterwards relocated to Greenwich Village to pursue a music career. Nile frequented New York’s punk rock club CBGB’s were he was influenced by the music of the Ramones, the Patti Smith Group, […]
A Band Called Sam Legacy Highlander Records Guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and bandleader Samuel Willis Taylor, Jr. a.k.a. Sam “Bluzman” Taylor was born in 1934 in Crichton, a suburb of Mobile, Alabama. He was the son of jazz and blues saxophonist Sam “The Man” Taylor, but was raised by his mother a vaudevillian. They moved to […]
Eric Johanson Below Sea Level Nola Blue Records While still in high school Louisiana native Eric Johanson was already a soulful blues guitarist appearing on stages throughout the state. When heard by Tab Benoit, the young Johanson became the first guitarist/singer signed to his then new Whiskey Bayou Records. In 2017 Johanson released his debut […]
Ron Thompson From the Patio, Live at Poor House Bistro, Vol 1 Little Village Foundation From the Patio – Live at Poor House Bistro, Vol 1 dates to two sessions in the summer of 2014 at the famed venue in San Jose, CA where the recently passed Bay Area Blues legend Ron Thompson often gigged. […]
Allman-Betts Band Bless Your Heart BMG Last year’s debut from the Allman-Betts Band, Down to the River, marked the first time the seven-piece ensemble played together, let alone record together. But even that is not entirely accurate as keyboardist John Ginty joined the band for the tour, after the recording was done. So, if that […]
Laura Green Green Eyed Blues Independent St. Louis’ Laura Green has been performing her own brand of rock, folk and jazz. Influenced by legendary blues women like Big Mama Thornton; and skilled contemporaries such as Bonnie Raitt, Lou Ann Barton and Janiva Magness, Green has spent the last ten years honing her craft. Inspired she […]
Bobby Rush Rawer Than Raw Deep Rush Records/Thirty Tigers Emmit Ellis Jr. a.k.a. Bobby Rush was born in Homer, La. in 1933. As a youngster, in the late 1940’s, he befriended and played with Elmore James. He formed his first band before relocating to Chicago where he worked with Freddie King, Luther Allison and Jimmy […]
Dan Penn Living On Mercy The Last Music Co. The seventy-eight-year-old Dan Penn was born Wallace Daniel Pennington in Vernon, Alabama. Penn found work at the Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals. He first recorded in 1960, and that same year wrote his first hit for Conway Twitty. He is among our most soulful songwriters. His […]
Kirsten Thien Two Sides Screen Door Records Born in Germany, and educated at Georgetown University, Kirsten Thien writes and sings her own songs. She released her debut album “She Really Is” in 2002 and her follow-up “You’ve Got Me” in 2005. After relocating to New York City Thien released 2012’s “Delicious” with bassist/producer Erik Boyd. […]
Crooked Eye Tommy Hot Coffee and Pain Blue Heart (Nola Blue) Crooked Eye Tommy is the brother guitar duo of Tommy and Paddy Marsh, hailing from Ventura County in California. The duo has placed as semi-finalists in the IBC in 2014 and 2019, reaching the finals earlier this year. They leverage that respect with this […]
Savoy Brown Ain’t Done Yet Quarto Valley Records The British blues band Savoy Brown was formed by Kim Simmonds in 1965. Their U.K. debut was 1967’s “Shake Down” featuring originals mixed with extended length covers of songs by Willie Dixon; B.B. King; Albert King, and John Lee Hooker. Savoy Brown began to achieve success in […]
Johnny & The Mongrels Creole Skies Independent This is the full length debut recording by Johnny & The Mongrels. The band was founded by Fort Collins, Colorado residents Johnny Ryan and Jeffrey Bostic. The two singer-songwriters, vocalist Ryan, and bassist Bostic first met in April of 2015. The seasoned bassist had already toured with his […]
Downchild 50th Anniversary CD: Live At The Toronto Jazz Festival Diesel Management Productions Donnie and Hock Walsh founded The Downchild Blues Band in 1969. The band’s name comes from the song “Mr. Downchild” by Sonny Boy Williamson II. The band is also known as Downchild as the name was shortened in the early 1980’s. Dan […]
Dave Fields Force of Will FMI Records Dave Fields first came to national attention when he produced Roxy Perry’s “Back in Bluesville”. That cd won the Best Self-Produced CD award at the 2006 International Blues Challenge. Fields released his own debut recording “Times A Wastin’” in 2007. At the 2009 Blues Music Awards Fields played […]
Sam Joyner When u Need a Friend Sam Joyner Music Sam Joyner was born and raised in Chicago. His father, the Reverend Joyner, made sure that Sam spent his summers down South. So Joyner’s original music is a combination of urban Chicago blues and Louisiana styled R n’ B. Internationally known he spent twenty-three years […]
JW-Jones Sonic Departures Solid Blues Records Canadian JW Jones released his debut album in 2000. Since then he has recorded with Kim Wilson, Charlie Musselwhite, Little Charlie Baty, Hubert Sumlin, David “Fathead” Newman, and others. His eighth album, “High Temperature”, won the award for “Best Self-Produced CD” at the 2017 International Blues Challenge. His last […]
Chris Bevington Organisation Sand And Stone I remember a night in January of this year, I had made my annual trip to the fantastic “Skegness Blues And Rock Festival” over in the north east of England. Unmissable date in my musical calendar as far as I’m concerned. But that’s another story as they say over […]
Samoa Wilson with the Jim Kweskin Band I Just Want To Be Horizontal Kingswood Records During the early 1960’s there was a thriving folk music revival coming out of New York’s Greenwich Village. In 1963 the “Even Dozen Jug Band” released their album on Elektra Records. The music was fun, and among the band members […]
Cary Morin Dockside Saints Dockside Saints released August 7, 2020 and features an all-star cast of soulful players. Cary Morin releases the best album of his career at a time when promoting new music will take a higher power. There is something special at play here, perhaps something ancestral was captured, some ancient Native culture […]
Eliza Neals Black Crow Moan Eliza Neals has produced an album of soul stirring blues and rock n’ roll. You know that your in for a treat from the opening track “Don’t Judge The Blues” when it blast’s off with the meanest slide guitar that you are ever likely to hear, add in some hand […]
Jeff Fetterman Southern Son Self-released Hailing from western Pennsylvania, not exactly a blues hotbed, comes vocalist/guitarist/songwriter Jeff Fetterman, a self-taught bluesman, with his fourth album and one that may break his name out there beyond the regional success he’s had. Fetterman has placed highly in IBC in both 2017 and 2018 and won Rock Erie […]
Kat Riggins Cry Out Gulf Coast Records While growing up in Miami, Katriva Tabitha Riggins’ was instilled with a love for music. Her parent’s record collection included R n’ B, soul, gospel, hip-hop, country and rock n’ roll. Her primary influences soon became Nina Simone, Tina Turner, Etta James and Koko Taylor. Riggins landed a […]
The Lucky Losers (w/ Cathy Lemons & Phil Berkowitz) Godless Land Vizztone Label Group The Lucky Losers are a band fronted by vocalists Cathy Lemons and Phil Berkowitz. Lemons is originally from the Dallas area where she used to run with Stevie Ray Vaughan and Anson Funderburgh. In 1987 she toured with John Lee Hooker. […]
Scott Weis Band Simmer Me Down Sleepy Lodge Records Scott Weis began playing professionally in the 1990’s. Early on he worked with, or opened for, Jerry Garcia, Junior Wells, John Lee Hooker and Buddy Guy. He formed the Scott Weis Band in 2005; and recorded their well-received 2006 debut “Have A Lil Faith” with co-producer […]
JD Taylor The Coldwater Sessions Vizztone Label Group JD Taylor is the harmonica ace, vocalist and front man for the Tennessee based blues band “Little Boys Blue”. Originally formed in 1993 they’re popularity continues to grow. In 2016 they released their fourth album, and first for Vizztone, “Tennissippi”, and followed up with 2018’s “Hard Blue […]
Wily Bo Walker & Danny Flam Ain’t No Man A Good Man Mescal Canyon Records Wily Bo Walker is a Scottish born singer/songwriter who has had success in both Europe and the U.S. He combines Rock, Americana, Blues, Gospel and R n’ B into his own hallucinogenic stew. He performs his swamp and stomp “VoodooVille” […]
Mark May Band Deep Dark Demon Gulf Coast Records Guitarist Mark May was born in Columbus, Ohio. As a young man he was already playing nightclubs before he turned fifteen. He relocated to Houston, Texas where he spent twenty years playing country music and rock in biker bars. Influenced by Albert Collins May turned to […]
Libby Rae Watson & Bert Deivert She Shimmy Hard Danger Studio Word is surely getting around in this ever smaller world of ours. In the past few months, this writer has been contacted by artists and/or producers in Russia, Cuba, and Sweden. We have covered some of the jazz artists on the Russian label, Rainy […]
Shawn Pittman Make It Right! Continental Blue Heaven Shawn Pittman was born in 1974, in Talihina Oklahoma, approximately 100 miles from Tulsa. His grandmother played boogie-woogie but instead of learning piano he picked up the guitar. He was influenced by the musicians he heard on the radio including Jimmy Reed, Elmore James and Hound Dog […]
Gravel & Grace Bringing The Blues Ava Grace Music Modesto California’s Big Earl Matthews is a twenty-year veteran of the local blues scene. He is bandleader of “Big Earl and the Cryin’ Shame” and an intense organizer of jams and events. He is also a member of the blues and roots band the “Poorhouse Millionaires”. […]
CD Woodbury World’s Gone Crazy Independent CD Woodbury developed a reputation as a sideman on the Pacific NW blues scene. He founded his own band in 2009 and released his debut Sunbanks Live! In 2010; resulting in winning the first of his eleven Washington Blues Society “Best of The Blues” awards and the moniker “The […]
Laura Cox Burning Bright “Burning Bright”the latest album by French blues rock sensation Laura Cox. Right from the opening track Fire Fire the pace is relentless, song after song of explosive high voltage rock n’ roll. The most difficult tasks for me, is to pick a favourite track, as the standard set is so high. But […]
Too Slim And The Taildraggers The Remedy Vizztone Label Group Too Slim And The Taildraggers were first formed in 1986 by Spokane, Washington’s Timothy Lee “Too Slim” Langford. They released their debut recording “Swingin’ in the Underworld” in 1988. The prolific band received a 2012 Blues Music Award nomination in the category of “Blues Rock […]
Gregg Martinez Mac Daddy Mojeaux Nola Blue Records Gregg Martinez a.k.a. Mac Daddy was born in Lafayette, Louisiana in 1956, where he graduated from high school. His powerful tenor vocal style was inspired by soul icons Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye and Al Green; and contemporary Louisiana artists Johnny Adams and Luther Kent. His musical gumbo […]
Tony Davis Golden Year Posi-Tone Most jazz listeners are surely acquainted with one of the genre’s foremost trombonists, Steve Davis. The good news is his 25-year-old son, guitarist Tony Davis (hence referred to as Tony to avoid any confusion) has also picked up the mantle and is continuing the family’s musical legacy. Not only does […]
Bridget Kelly Band Dark Spaces Alpha Sun Records Bridget Kelly and Tim Fik met in May of 2007 and were married later that year. After producing two Americana albums for Bridget, Tim was convinced she should sing the blues. Thus the Bridget Kelly Band was formed. They recorded their debut album “Back in the Blues” […]
Mick Hayes My Claim To Fame Move The Needle Music Upstate New York’s Mick Hayes was gifted his first guitar by his parents when he was only seven. By the time he was twenty he was a member, and songwriting contributor, to the Buffalo based band “Only Human” who opened for both Marshall Tucker and […]
Ten Penny Gypsy Fugitive Heart FUGITIVE HEART is the new full-length release from five-time Arkansas CMA nominee TEN PENNY GYPSY. The album releases July 10th, 2020 and is available on all streaming services and on TEN PENNY GYPSY’S official website. This is the Americana groups second album, and they again teamed up with renowned multi-instrumentalist […]
Mandi Strachota Pictures Mandi Strachota is a very talented Atlanta singer/songwriter and musician. She was the winner of the Atlanta Blues Challenge and represented the city nobly in the International Blues Challenge 20220 in January. Her new album is called Pictures and it is a real treat, for the most part much lighter than her […]
Anthony Geraci with Dennis Brennan Daydreams in Blue Shining Stone Music Group Pianist Anthony Geraci is both a founding member of Ronnie Earl and The Broadcasters, and Sugar Ray and The Bluetones. He has been with the latter band for over thirty-five years. Geraci has been featured on over fifty recordings with both blues pioneers […]
Michael Kaeshammer Live In Concert Linus Entertainment The classically trained pianist Michael Kaeshammer grew up in Germany. At a young age he also developed an interest in the boogie-woogie and stride piano of Albert Ammons, Meade Lux Lewis and Pete Johnson. In the mid-1990’s he and his family moved to Canada where he began playing […]
The Forrest McDonald Band fea. Andrew Black Blues In A Bucket World Talent Records Forrest Howard McDonald was born in Austin, Texas the son of a Constitutional historian. He first picked up the guitar when he was fourteen and studied at both the Dick Grove Conservatory of Music in Studio City and at The Guitar […]
Hurricane Ruth Good Life American Showplace Studio Ruth LaMaster a.k.a. Hurricane Ruth is from southern Illinois. Her father Milt owned the Glendale Tavern in Beardstown. On Sundays Milt would host jam sessions and sit in on drums. Ruth who was inspired by Bessie Smith, Ray Charles, Dinah Washington and Ella Fitzgerald, began singing Blues, Jazz, […]
The Staples Unlock Your Mind Omnivore Recordings/Warner Records The American musical treasure, The Staples Singers a.k.a. The Staples, are Lifetime Grammy Award recipients and inductees in both the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and The Gospel Hall of Fame. Roebuck “Pops” Staples founded the folk/gospel group with his children Cleo, Pervis (who left the […]
Louisiana’s Leroux One of Those Days Gulf Coast Records First formed in 1977 the Baton Rouge based band changed its name to Louisiana’s LeRoux “the French term for the thick and hearty gravy base that’s used to make a gumbo” just before releasing their 1978 eponymous debut. The album contained their single “New Orleans Ladies”, […]
Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne Go, Just Do It! Stony Plain Records Spokane, Washington’s Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne was born in 1944. His mother instilled in him a love for the music of Nat King Cole, Little Willie John and Fats Domino. He was further influenced by the music he listened to while growing up including […]