Every week our staff of CD Reviewers bring you the best in Independent CD releases. Making a Scene is considered the number 1 resource for the independent musician and the fans that love them.
Jonathon Long Jonathon Long Wild Heart We should know better than try to predict what Samantha Fish will do next. This is her first foray in the producer chair and as label owner. That’s right. She’s started her own label, Wild Heart Records. And, conventional wisdom (let’s say from two or three years ago) would […]
The Bob Lanza Blues Band Kids, Dogs & Krazy Women Connor Ray Music Bob Lanza hails from New Jersey. This is his fifth studio recording and third for the Connor Ray Music label. His last album was 2016’s “It’s Time To Let Go”. Once an artist has full control of their music and has several […]
Gina Sicilia Heard The Lie Blue Elan Records Philadelphia’s Gina Sicilia released her first recording “Allow Me To Confess” in 2007. That well received debut, resulted in her receiving a Blues Music Award nomination as “Best New Artist” and begin touring. Today she tours all over the world playing over a 150 shows a year. […]
Karrin Allyson Some Of That Sunshine Kas Records Karrin Allyson Schoonover was born in Great Bend, Kansas and raised in Omaha Nebraska. She attended the University of Nebraska at Omaha and studied classical piano. At night she sang in her own jazz ensemble at various Omaha nightclubs. She moved to Kansas City where she released […]
By Adam Signore Shinedown Recently had the pleasure of catching Shinedown in concert opening for Godsmack and in a word, I was floored. Shinedown puts on a rock solid show that kicks A**. They were a perfect complement to the show. Circumstances prevented me from seeing the whole performance unfortunately but what I did see […]
Roseanna Vitro Tell Me the Truth Skyline Grammy nominated jazz vocalist Roseanna Vitro is releasing her 14th album and this one is quite different than her last few tribute efforts. The constant is her pianist and arranger, Mark Soskin, who was aboard for The Music of Randy Newman (Best Vocal Jazz Grammy Nomination 2011) and […]
The Imperial Sound The New AM Pravda This is AM radio pop for the 21st century. For their debut, Chicago-based The Imperial Sound deliver brassy, shiny, vocally bright arrangements with hooks that linger in your head for days. In fact, some of the riffs and chords seem to reappear in several songs, as a means […]
Tobias the Owl Safe Harbor for Wayward Echoes Megaforce The band name connotes mystery and intrigue and Elijah Dhavvan’s collective sound, as Tobias The Owl, doesn’t let the listener down. It can be deceptively straightforward, built around an acoustic underpinning, but can also move into engulfing, ethereal realms. A Safe Harbor for Wayward Echoes, while offering some […]
Billy Hector Some Day Baby Ghetto Surf Music Billy Hector was born in Orange New Jersey. He started taking guitar lessons at the age of nine. In the 1970s Hector was the guitarist for “The Shots” the house band at the renowned Stone Pony in Asbury Park. Hector began to identify more with the blues […]
Ernest McCarty Jr. and Theresa Davis I Remember Love BluJazz This is the second album for BluJazz pairing superb vocalist Theresa Davis with composer, guitarist, and keyboardist Ernest McCarty Jr. The first, “A Reunion Tribute to Erroll Garner” was done for McCarty’s mentor, with whom he played as a bassist for five years. Davis sings […]
Terry Blersh Play It All Day Independent Terry Blersh is a Canadian guitarist who formed his first band in 1992. He also worked with both Rita Chiarelli, and the Cameo Blues Band. His self titled debut album, released in 2008, received three stars from Frank-John Hadley of DownBeat Magazine. Blersh while Blues orientated is not […]
Jason Ricci and JJ Appleton Dirty Memory Dirty Memory is as different as possible from Jason Ricci’s Approved By Snakes, so if that is what you are expecting, get it out of your head! Ricci has teamed up with New York City singer/songwriter JJ Appleton to give us something much more laid back. This one […]
Midnite Johnny Morana Long Road Home Mosher St. Records Johnny Morana a.k.a. Midnite Johnny has had a long career playing the blues. From 1986 to 1988 Morana worked with Harvey Mandel of Canned Heat. Morana was also a fill-in guitarist for both James Cotton and Bo Diddley. From 1990 to 1994 Morana was a member […]
Joey Morant Forever Sanctified BluJazz Trumpeter, composer, producer, entertainer Joey Morant is a veteran presence in the current NYC jazz scene. Morant works as a soloist, in duet and trio settings, and in larger bands and orchestras. It’s not only his trumpet playing, but scat singing, and his on stage banter that sets him apart. […]
Vinyl Hampdin Red Armored Steve Wiest, the founding member of the jazz-rock collective Vinyl Hampdin, sums it up this way, “What would Chicago, Blood, Sweat & Tears and Tower of Power sound like if they started out today?” That’s a tantalizing question that probably describes the band’s approach better than this writer can. In any […]
Jimmy LaFave Peace Town Music Road Posthumous albums that come barely a year after the artist’s passing can be difficult to listen to. My tears are welling up while writing, knowing how much we’ll miss Jimmy LaFave. He, in the words of Gretchen Peters, possessed not only a “singular voice” but was arguably the best […]
Kevin Kearney Band “Black – Revised” DWAZ Entertainment Slide guitarist Kerry Kearney has been writing and performing for over 40 years. Although not as well-known as Sonny Landreth or Roy Rogers, Kearney first formed The Kerry Kearney Band back in 1997. In 2001 Kearney released his breakthrough album “Welcome to the Psycodelta” on Relix Records. […]
Vince Bell Ojo Mulatta When a Texas singer-songwriter is produced by Bob Neuwirth, one does not likely guess it would be a spoken word jazz album. Bell is a poet and his version of the spoken word resembles the early Beat era in San Francisco with artists like Kenneth Rexroth. Yet, the musical concept of […]
Willie Nile Children of Paradise River House Records Willie Nile was born Robert Noonan in Buffalo New York in 1948. Nile attended the University of Buffalo and latter moved to Greenwich Village to begin his music career. He frequented New York’s CBGB’s were he first heard the Ramones. The singer songwriter Nile released his self […]
The Radiators Welcome to The Monkey House Radz Records In 1978 five New Orleans musicians jammed together in a garage for over five hours. The next day they all quit their respective bands to form a new one. The Radiators became the number one rock band in New Orleans by combining the traditional music of […]
Zak Trojano Self-released Wolf Trees This is as solo as one gets for a solo album – just Zak Trojano singing and accompanying himself on a Martin or Weissenborn lap steel guitar. The Rusty Belle co-founder’s third solo album has low open C modal tuning on any guitar he uses, and foundationally has simple arrangements […]
The Allman Brothers Band Fillmore East February 1970 Bear’s Sonic Journals – Owsley Stanley Foundation It’s nearly impossible to resist one more chance to hear the Allman Brothers with their original lineup, featuring Duane Allman. The question many would have though, given the track selections, is what’s new here? Haven’t we heard most of this […]
Katie Martin has a new album called Hope, and hope is the thread that binds her powerful songs together. Martin says that she writes from her life, about things that she has overcome, to let other people know they can overcome as well Martin’s music is unique in the way she uses looping and layering […]
Jimmie Smith Live in Music City: Jimmie Smith Plays Jimmy Smith Woodward Avenue The inevitability of this concept will likely bring a “you must be kidding” chuckle at first but it’s a terrific show by Hammond B3 organist Rev. Jimmie Smith honoring his almost namesake, the iconic jazz organist Jimmy Smith. “Tribute to the Hammond […]
Walter Salas-Humara Walterio Rhyme & Reason Walter Salas-Humara is both a musician and visual artist. Hence, his songs are imagery rich and ply some different styles with it all being essentially rooted in rock n’ roll. After all, he is a co-founder of the Silos and has rock, pop, and punk deeply seeded in his […]
Whitney Shay A Woman Rules The World Little Village Foundation As a child Whitney Shay witnessed a Shakespearean play, and she has been performing ever since. In 2009 she began fronting a band and singing blues, jazz and swing. In 2012 Shay released her debut recording “Soul Tonic”. In 2015 she recorded an album with […]
Trudy Lynn Blues Keep Knockin’ Connor Ray Music Trudy Lynn was born Lee Audrey Nelms and raised in Houston’s musically rich Fifth Ward. Originally the neighborhood was settled by Creoles forced to leave Louisiana because of The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927. In the mid-sixties Lynn sang with Albert Collins. In 1989 she released her […]
Jim Lauderdale’s new releases “Time Flies” and “Jim Lauderdale and Roland White” (originally recorded in 1979) are bookends to a career well sung. – Yep Roc Records This latest release, “Time Flies” is aptly named and bundled along with his first album as still-life to a career just visible on the radar. Jim Lauderdale has […]
The debut album from Ashleigh Flynn and The Riveters is coming out in September on Home Perm Records. The first thing to get out of the way is that this is an all-female band. now let’s talk about how good they are an how much you will love this CD. Lead vocalist and acoustic guitar […]
Shemekia Copeland America’s Child Alligator Records Shemekia Copeland’s education occurred while growing up in a household surrounded by music. She is the daughter of famed bluesman Johnny “Clyde” Copeland. She inherited the urge to perform and in 1998, at the age of eighteen, released her Alligator Records debut. This new album is her eighth studio […]
Los Cuates – the latest release by singer-songwriter sometimes guitar slinger Sergio Webb paints the landscape of the American West. These are songs written from the road. Whether you’re traveling through this landscape on horseback or car listening to Los Cuates will transport you to a place somewhere on the road that’s as comfortable as […]
Jim Stanard Bucket List Self-released Even relatively late in life, it’s not too late to make a singer-songwriter record, no matter what the walk of life. Take Jim Stanard, for example. He sounds as if he’s a contemporary of this writer and the two Richards you seen so prominently on this site. Stanard grew up […]
Yvette Landry & The Jukes Louisiana Lovin’ Soko Music Yvette Landry hails from Breaux Bridge, Louisiana close to the Atchafalaya Basin, our largest swampland. Growing up there she has an appreciation for the music of her Cajun culture. Her debut album 2010’s “Should Have Known” was named Offbeat Magazine’s “Best Country/Folk Album” and The Yvette […]
Boz Scaggs Out Of The Blues Concord Records Atlantic Records signed Boz Scaggs in 1968 and released his self titled debut. The album featured guitarist Duane Allman and The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. Included were his versions of “I’ll Be Long Gone” and “Loan Me A Dime” and they received a considerable amount of airplay […]
Brigitte Purdy Dirtshack Still I Rise Terrific singers are often comfortable in several genres, but most want to be blues singers to showcase their emotive power. That’s why versatile, gifted, and downright sultry vocalist, Brigitte Purdy, is belting blues and seductive R&B on her debut, Still I Rise. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Purdy […]
Damon Fowler The Whiskey Bayou Session Whiskey Bayou Records Damon Fowler was born in Brandon, Fl. eleven miles east of Tampa. He first picked up the guitar at the age of twelve and has since also mastered lap steel and Dobro. His songwriting reflects influences from blues, gospel, soul, country music and swamp rock. His […]
Al Basile Me & The Originator Sweetspot Records In 1970 Al Basile received a Master’s degree in Creative Writing from Brown University. Three years later Duke Robillard asked him to join Roomful of Blues to become their first cornet player. While with them Basile got to play his horn with many of the greats most […]
Bruce Katz Band Get Your Groove! American Showplace Music As a child Bruce Katz studied classical piano. He later studied jazz piano and Hammond organ at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. His first professional gig was playing bass guitar for Big Mama Thornton. He also played with Barrence Whitfield and The Savages, and […]
Big Apple Blues Manhattan Alley Stone Tone Records Big Apple Blues’ 2015 album “Energy” was a “creative fusion of instrumental blues, soul, funk and rock”. This new album “Manhattan Alley” continues to celebrate the genre defying soul of the city that never sleeps. The five principal band members include Hammond B-3 player and keyboardist Jim […]
Eddie Palmieri Full Circle Uprising Music (Ropeadope) Multi-Grammy Award winning pianist and music legend Eddie Palmieri delivers a new album of Salsa classics, expanded and refreshed, at the age of 81. These eight tracks feature many of his long-term band members and some of the best players in New York and beyond. They include trumpeter […]
Cyrille Aimee Live Mack Avenue Records This new live recording from Cyrille Aimee marks the end of an era. The performance was the last from her with this great band. “I want to find new inspirations and a new energy, I feel like you always have to search further, and that’s what I constantly try […]
Tilt and Shine Crowville Media Kevin is an artist who immerses himself into a performance. There are bits of him left on stages at concert halls and dive bars around the country. The Kevin Gordon band is well oiled and loose, you can get lost in the groove of these songs. All the better to […]
Elvin Bishop’s Big Fun Trio Something Smells Funky ’Round Here Alligator Records In high school Elvin Bishop won a full scholarship to attend The University of Chicago and he arrived there in 1960. Three years later he met Paul Butterfield and joined his band. Bishop left the Paul Butterfield Blues Band in 1968 to start […]
It’s been a long time since John Prine released an album of original material, and some long-time fans, like me, might be worried that he might sound different, or the material might not be as true and touching. Well, stop worrying. The Tree of forgivenesss is as wry and wise as Prine has ever been. […]
The Little Red Rooster Blues Band Lock Up the Liquor Self-released The Little Red Rooster Blues Band has been perhaps the Philly area’s most prized blues band for three decades now. This CD, which is their seventh, marks their 30th year as a band. It’s essentially a miracle that band leader Kevin McCann was able […]
Big Harp George Uptown Cool Blues Mountain It’s as if the melody and refrain to Paul Simon’s “Graceland” has taken on this verse for so many blues musicians – “We’re going to Greaseland, Greaseland …we’re going to Greaseland.” Yes, Big Harp George is the latest in a growing number of mostly emerging artists that are […]
Biscuit Miller “Live” At The North Atlantic Blues Festival Independent David Miller was raised on the south side of Chicago. He was nicknamed “Biscuit” by his grandma as he wouldn’t get out of her kitchen. He learned to play bass from his friend’s older brother. Biscuit played with Mojo Buford formerly with Muddy Waters. One […]
Rory Block A Woman’s Soul: A Tribute to Bessie Smith Stony Plain Records Aurora “Rory” Block spent her formative years as part of the Greenwich Village folk music scene. At the age of fourteen she was introduced to the music of the Mississippi Delta by Stefan Grossman. She made it her business to seek out, […]
McClenty Hunter Jr. The Groove Hunter Strikezone This is drummer McClenty Hunter Jr.’s first album as a leader. For the past decade Hunter has been an integral part of the New York City jazz scene, having logged three years with Kenny Garrett’s Grammy nominated quintet, and performing with Jim Snidero, Lou Donaldson and Dave Stryker, […]
Jared Gold Reemergence Strikezone The title suggests re-entry after a hiatus but that’s not the case with Jared Gold’s ninth album. Yet, there is a method to it, given that Gold’s prior work appears on the Posi-Tone label, better known for radio friendly tracks than fully conceived albums. Perhaps we could also think of the […]