CD Reviews on projects by Indie Blues Artists
Backtrack Blues Band Your Baby Has Left Vizztone Label Group Sonny Charles, founded the Backtrack Blues Band in 1980, while attending the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Among the first to join was his classmate “Little” Johnny Walter. The band is a Chicago styled blues band inspired by and named after the Little […]
Alex Dixon presents The Real McCoy Featuring Lewis “Big Lew” Powell Vintage Dixon Dixon Landing Music Born in 1975, Alex Dixon was raised by his grandparents Willie and Marie Dixon. Willie Dixon, blues musician and songwriter, passed in January of 1992. So Alex spent his formative years living with his grandparents in both Chicago and […]
Mark Telesca Higher Vibrations Independent Originally from New York City Mark Telesca held the “bass chair” in many Broadway productions. He attended Florida Atlantic University and now resides in West Palm Beach. His passion for the blues led him to be a member of the band “Blues Dragon” and they competed in the 2012 International […]
Clare Free Where Are You Now As a lover of music there is no greater joy for me,than the discovery of new music. It’s best described for me like uncovering a new treasure unknown to me until now. I love that feeling, it’s something that happens to me on quite a regular basis. Such is the abundance […]
Watermelon Slim Traveling Man Northern Blues Music William P. Homans III was born in Boston, the son of a civil rights lawyer. He was raised in North Carolina where the family maid would sing him John Lee Hooker songs. He rejected his family’s career aspirations and served in Vietnam. When he returned home in 1973 […]
Ryan Perry High Risk, Low Reward Ruf Records In 2007 The Tupelo Mississippi based Homemade Jamz Blues Band, comprised of sixteen-year-old guitarist Ryan Perry and his two younger siblings, fourteen-year-old bassist Kyle, and their nine-year-old sister Taya on drums; came in second place at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis. The following December they became […]
Rory Block Prove It On Me Stony Plain Records When Aurora “Rory” Block was fourteen she was part of the Greenwich Village folk scene. She was introduced to the music of the Mississippi Delta by Stefan Grossman. She made it her business to learn directly from Mississippi John Hurt, the Reverend Gary Davis, Son House, […]
Leroy Ellington’s Sacred Hearts Live and Kickin’ It Infiniti Group Records This is a live record with no overdubs of a gritty, potent band. At times unpolished, and with a sound quality that isn’t always the best, this is raw live music from one of Cincinnati’s best bands. Leroy Ellington does all lead vocals and […]
Bill Blue The King Of Crazy Town Conch Town Music In the early 1970’s a young Carolina based guitarist named Bill Blue toured with Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup. It was Crudup who wrote “That’s Alright Mama” in 1946 and it became the first song released by Elvis in 1954. After Crudup passed in 1974 Blue […]
Ben Rice & RB Stone Out of The Box Middle Mountain Music This collaboration is sub-titled “A Cigar Box Guitar Project”. The two principals mix three, four and six string Cigar Box Guitars to achieve an unpredictable sound. Ben Rice was a prominent member of the Blues community in the Pacific Northwest. In 2014 he […]
Sass Jordan Rebel Moon Blues Stony Plain Records Sass Jordan is a Canadian rock singer who was first inspired by listening to The Band and songs like “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down”. Other musical influences included Ozzy Osbourne, Judas Priest, David Bowie, and soul singer Al Green. Jordan’s debut recording was 1988’s “Tell […]
Casey Hensley Good As Gone Vizztone Label Group California’s Casey Hensley started singing when she was five. Considered a child prodigy she grew up listening to Etta James, Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin and Janis Joplin. She released her recording debut “Live” featuring guitarist Laura Chavez in 2017. Her drummer was her partner, Evan Caleb Yearsley, […]
Popa Chubby It’s A Mighty Hard Road Popa Chubby Productions Theodore Joseph “Ted” Horowitz a.k.a. Popa Chubby was born in The Bronx in 1960. His first instrument was the drums but after listening to the Rolling Stones he soon switched to guitar. He was mostly influenced however by Jimi Hendrix and The Cream. He won […]
Avey Grouws Band The Devil May Care Independent Guitarist Chris Avey met vocalist Jeni Grouws at a blues jam in the Quad Cities. The Quad Cities area is a region of five cities in southeastern Iowa and northwestern Illinois. They formed the Avey Grouws Band in 2017 and won the Iowa Blues Challenge sending them […]
Roomful Of Blues In A Roomful of Blues Alligator Records Roomful Of Blues, the perennial blues band was first started in 1967; fifty-three years ago. Begun by Rhode Island teens that shared a passion for straight ahead Chicago-style electric blues, they added a horn section in 1970. They released their debut album in 1977 and […]
Sister Lucille Alive Endless Blues Records Sister Lucille is a four-piece blues and roots rock band from Southwest Missouri. The band made the semifinals at Memphis’ 2015 International Blues Challenge; and was also voted “Most Promising New Artist” at the 31st Music Pioneer Awards, also held in Memphis, the following year. The band is centered […]
Mike Mattison Afterglow Landslide One of the clear highlights of the Tedeschi-Trucks Band’s great live shows is when vocalist and songwriter Mike Mattison takes his turn on a lead vocal. Through most of the set he backs Susan Tedeschi with harmonies and percussion. Most will also recall Mattison’s days as the lead vocalist for the […]
Liz Mandeville Playing with Fire Blue Kitty Music Inspired by both Koko Taylor and Luther Allison; Liz Mandeville relocated to Chicago in 1979. She started working with both Delmark recording artist Willie Kent, and Alligator recording artist Maurice John Vaughn. She started her own band in 1983. Mandeville has won numerous songwriting awards and only […]
Dave Keller Live at the Killer Guitar Thriller Tastee Tone Records Vermont’s Dave Keller is the protégé of two soul bluesmen; Mighty Sam McClain and Johnny Rawls. Keller’s album “Where I’m Coming From” won the award for Best Self-Produced CD at the 2012 International Blues Challenge. In 2014 Keller released “Soul Changes” and he received […]
Sonny Landreth Blacktop Run Provogue/Mascot Label Group Mississippi born Sonny Landreth has lived most of his life in the greater Lafayette, La. area. Landreth first played guitar as the only white member of Clifton Chenier’s Red Hot Louisiana Band. Landreth has since been nick-named “the King of Slydeco” as he plays guitar with a strong […]
Richard Ray Farrell Three Pints of Gin Blue Beet Life in Spain seems to be treating American bluesman Richard Ray Farrell well. You could almost say he is back where he belongs. Farrell was born to travel, having started as a street musician or “busker” in Paris, France in 1975. Totally fascinated with the music […]
Whitney Shay Stand Up! Ruf Records Whitney Shay began fronting a band and singing blues and jazz in 2009. In 2012 she released her debut recording “Soul Tonic”. She performs over 200 dates a year and is a four-time winner at the San Diego Music Awards. She released her follow-up album 2018’s “A Woman Rules […]
Dom Flemons Prospect Hill – The American Songster Omnibus Omnivore You might have a quick reaction to those preemptive words “The American Songster” but, in fact, that’s how Grammy winner time and two-time Emmy winner Dom Flemons is known. One wonders if there’s anything that’s beyond his immense scope of talents. He’s a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, […]
Bernard Allison Songs From The Road Ruf Records Bernard Allison was born in Chicago in 1965 and raised in the blues by his father the late Luther Allison. The elder Allison, who passed in 1997, was an 18 times Blues Music Award winner and a 1998 inductee into the Blues Hall of Fame. The younger […]
Val Starr & The Blues Rocket Lighter Side of The Blues Sandwich Factory Records Raised in Southern California Val Starr began singing and playing guitar when she was twelve. It was the bands of the 1960’s and 1970’s, and female singer/songwriters Carole King and Joni Mitchell that were her early influences. Her mom loved the […]
The Mary Jo Curry Band Front Porch Independent Springfield Illinois’ Mary Jo Curry is a classically trained singer, and pianist. In 2011 Curry heard music on the street, emanating from a small club, and the sounds pulled her in. That was the first time Curry heard the blues. She wound up becoming the band’s singer […]
Lisa Mills The Triangle Melody Place Mississippi native Lisa Mills spent ten years playing guitar and singing in the coastal areas of the south before releasing her debut recording in 2000. In 2004 she appeared as a vocalist on The Big Town Playboys 2004 album “Roll The Dice” featuring Jeff Beck and Robert Plant. She […]
PARADISE BOOGIE Eric Harabadian & Lisa Hagopian Vision 561 Prod. After you have lived in any metropolitan area for some length of time you begin to sense a certain rhythm that is the essence of the city. There are always sounds, smells, and visions that are unique experiences found nowhere else. Detroit Michigan USA is […]
Michael Doucet Lacher Prise Compass Records Louisiana born Michael Doucet is best known as the founder and leader of the Grammy winning Cajun band Beausoleil. Doucet has twenty-five albums with Beausoliel, one with the band Coteau, five with the Savoy-Doucet Cajun Band, and one with the Fiddlers 4. Doucet is a fiddler who plays an […]
Harper and the Midwest Kind Rise Up As soon as you hear the opening notes of “Rise Up,” the title song of Harper and the Midwest Kind’s new release 11, you will know it is something unique. After all, how many roots anthems start out with the didgeridoo? The album is coming out on February […]
Marshall Crenshaw Miracle of Science Shiny-tone Records The Detroit born Marshall Crenshaw released his self-titled debut in 1982. That first album included the Top 40 hit “Someday, Someway”. Crenshaw followed with 1983’s “Field Day” which contained the single “Whenever You’re On My Mind”; and his 1985 album “Downtown” containing the hit “Little Wild One”. His […]
Tinsley Ellis Ice Cream in Hell Alligator Records Tinsley Ellis was born in Atlanta in 1957 and raised in south Florida. His friend’s older brother took them to see B.B. King and the performance inspired Ellis to become a blues guitarist. Ellis returned to Atlanta in 1975 and joined his first band with bassist Preston […]
Climax Blues Band Hands Of Time I have to admit I’ve always been a fan of the Climax Blues Band ever since I heard “Couldn’t Get It Right” all those years ago. In recent years I’d lost contact on where the band was at musically or otherwise. That was until I saw them perform on […]
The Phantom Blues Band Still Cookin’ Vizztone Label Group The Phantom Blues Band originated as Taj Mahal’s backup band. They first appeared on 1993’s “Dancin’ The Blues” and won a Blues Music Award for Traditional Blues Album of The Year. They went on to appear with Taj again on two Grammy Award winning albums: “Taj […]
The Chris Bevington Organisation Cut And Run We all know that moment when we experience something that’s really special. These moments can be rare enough, but when they do happen,there can be no doubt. We know instantly that something magical happened. Last weekend in Skegness at their annual rock and blues festival, I had such an experience. The […]
The Wood Brothers Kingdom In My Mind Oh the things we tell ourselves. Kingdom In My Mind is the latest album release by The Wood Brothers. This is the seventh studio release by the band, and it is marvelously experimental. As favorite on mine, a Wood Brothers’ live show is captivating. For the band to […]
Mick Kolassa Blind Lemon Sessions Endless Blues Mississippi-based guitarist/vocalist and blues historian Mick Kolassa traveled to Germany to make this album, apparently the first of three that will result from his trip. Specifically it relates to the invitation from Thomas Schleiken, who runs Blind Lemon Records. (For those of you familiar with the artist Blind […]
Tas Cru Drive On Subcat Records Tas Cru lives in Chaumont New York not far from the Canadian border. He released his debut recording in 2006. Tas states his unusual stage name was bestowed on him by a Quebecois fan and roughly means “raw potato”. At the International Blues Challenge in 2014 Tas won a […]
Jeff Rupert – George Garzone The Ripple Rupe Media The Ripple isn’t trying to mimic that most classic tenor tandem, Sonny Rollins and Trane on “Tenor Madness.” That iconic piece stands alone. Instead, tenors Jeff Rupert and George Garzone pay tribute to the legendary “Prez,” Lester Young. In fact the title refers to the far-reaching […]
Lizzie Thomas New Sounds from the Jazz Age Self-released Lizzie Thomas is a jazz vocalist in love with The Great American Songbook as are many. Yet, she brings an improvisational take on these songs, never content to just do them the same way. As she says, “I can call a tune for the rest of […]
Mark Hummel Wayback Machine Electro-Fi Records Mark Hummel was born in New Haven, CT in 1955, but his family relocated to Los Angeles soon later. While in high school he studied the music of Muddy Waters, Little Walter and Sonny Boy Williamson. He frequented the Ash Gove, an LA nightclub, where he witnessed Sonny Terry, […]
Waylon Thibodeaux Here We Go Again Rabadash Records Waylon Thibodeaux was born on the Louisiana Bayou. A native of Houma, Louisiana he started as a drummer until he heard fiddlers Johnny Gimble and Stephan Grappelli. He began studying the violin at the age of eight and won the Louisiana State Fiddling Championship when he was […]
Bywater Call Gypsy Soul Records This is the new self-titled debut by Canada’s Bywater Call. The Toronto based southern soul, blues and roots ensemble has already made their mark at Blues Festivals including the Tremblant International Blues Festival; the Quebec City Donnacona Blues Festival and The Markham Jazz Festival. The band’s influences include New Orleans […]
Thorbjorn Risager & The Black Tornado Come On In Ruf Records Thorbjorn Risager founded, Blue 7, his first band in 2002. His debut album “Live 2004” resulted in Risager being named the Danish Blues musician of the year. When the band became an octet they took the name Thorbjorn Risager & The Black Tornado. They […]
G Love and Keb’ Mo’ The Juice Philadelphonic/Thirty Tigers This is the eighth album for Philly born and raised, now Cape Cod resident G. Love (aka Garrett Dutton), a masterful multi-instrumentalist with a diverse set of influences, a knack for reinvention and a penchant for collaboration. You may be familiar with him through his usual […]
Grace Potter Daylight From the first notes of the first song, Grace Potter’s new solo album, Daylight, it is obvious that this is a powerful and highly personal album. it is her first album in four years and her second since the break up of her band, The Nocturnals. It comes after a tumultuous break, […]
S.E. Willis and the Willing Too Much Love Mr. Suchensuch Records S.E. Willis was the piano player in the Elvin Bishop Band when they were named Band of the Year in 2015. He had been with Bishop since 1999. “Too Much Love” is Willis’ seventh recording under his own name the last being 2014’s two-cd […]
Andrew Robert Eustace Different Sides “Different Sides”is the latest offering from this young man from Glasgow Scotland. Scotland and Glasgow in particular has a fine reputation for being a hotbed of musical talent. Different Sides certainly fits in perfectly with that fine tradition of blues rock that is fiery, full of passion, and soul. The lyrics […]
Jimmy Johnson Every Day of Your Life Delmark Records Jimmy Johnson was born James Earl Thompson in Holly Springs, Mississippi in 1928. He played piano and sang gospel before moving to Chicago in 1950. He took a day job as a welder and played guitar at night. Since 1959 Johnson worked with Freddy King, Albert […]
Betty Fox Band Peace in Pieces Tony Cavanagh Productions Betty Fox recorded her debut “Too Far Gone” in 2012 and followed up with 2015’s “Slow Burn”. The St. Petersburg based Fox is a five-time winner of Tampa Bay’s “Best of The Bay” awards. For her third studio recording she decided to make a pilgrimage to […]