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.
J.T. Lauritsen & The Buckshot Hunters Blue Eyed Soul Vol. 2 Hunter Records Jan Tore Lauritsen, better known as JT, hails from Lillestrom, Norway. He began playing piano at an early age but soon switched to the Hammond B-3. Lauritsen had his first paying gig at the age of fourteen. Because the B-3 was too […]
The Jeff Benedict Big Big Band The Weather Is Here, Wish You Were Beautiful Groovy Panda Last year we brought you Paraphernalia, from the Dave Askren/Jeff Benedict Quartet as their tribute to the music of Wayne Shorter. Saxophonist/composer/arranger Benedict is a 30-year veteran of the L.A. music scene and is an educator at California State […]
The Grasso-Ravita Jazz Ensemble Jagged Spaces Self-released This is the recording debut for co-leaders guitarist Skip Grasso and bassist Phil Ravita. Each of the nine tunes was written by a band member in the quintet that also features saxophonist Benny Russell, pianist Greg Small, and drummer Nuc Vega. Four tunes are from Grasso, two apiece […]
John Fusco & The X-Road Riders John The Revelator Checkerboard Lounge Recordings Vermont bluesman John Fusco is also a screenwriter, and producer. His 17 movies include 1986’s semi-autobiographical “Crossroads” on which he collaborated with Ry Cooder and blues harp legend Sonny Terry. He was also screenwriter for “Young Guns”; “Young Guns II”, and 2019’s Netflix […]
New Faces New Sounds Posi-Tone Some of the first group of Posi-Tone issues in 2021 seem to take their cue from the vintage Blue Note. A forthcoming release in February is from the collective Out to Dinner, replicating the instrumentation of Eric Dolphy’s iconic Out to Lunch. There were several labels in the ‘70s and […]
Brian Smalley Chosen Independent Brian Smalley grew up in a military family; by the time he was eighteen, he had moved over twenty times. Smalley’s father played accordion, and his brother piano, and so he acquired his first guitar at the age of nine, and it became his best friend. Smalley’s music includes multiple genres. […]
Miguel Zenon and Luis Perdomo El Arte Del Bolero (Digital Release Only) Miel Music Last year we were late bringing you the eighth Grammy-nominated album, Sonero: The Music of Ismael Rivera, from reigning Saxophonist of the Year from the Jazz Journalists Association, Miguel Zenon. Zenon has also received four Latin Grammy nominations among his many […]
Peter Roland I Don’t Like What’s Going On Bluzpik Media Group Ex-New Yorker and multi- Instrumentalist Peter Roland has had a varied career. He opened for John Mayall, Eric Burdon, and Buddy Miles. As a Jazz Society member he played with John McLaughlin, Tony Williams, Jaco Pastorious, and Herbie Mann. He has also played in […]
Stax ’68: A Memphis Story Various Artists Stax Records/Craft Recordings One of my favorite holiday gifts was the nine cd box set, produced by Steve Greenberg, “The Complete Stax/Volt Singles, 1959 -1968” issued in 1991. This new box set rivals that as it features 134 songs on five cds. In fact, the set includes every […]
Charles Colizza Group Hug the Devil Self-released Montreal, Quebec -raised, NYC-based guitarist Charles Colizza makes his debut with a strong quintet that features the legendary Billy Drewes on soprano saxophone, Jake D’Ambra on tenor, Nick Panoutsos on double bass, and Lukas Akintaya on drums and percussion. Hug the Devil was recorded last December before the […]
Jimmie Vaughan The Pleasure’s All Mine The Last Music Co. While his younger brother Stevie was forming Double Trouble, Jimmie Vaughan was founding The Fabulous Thunderbirds. The T-Birds released their debut album “Girls Go Wild” in 1979, and Vaughan stayed with them for ten years. In 1990 he partnered with his brother to record “The […]
Pylon Poets Lucid Hallucinations Independent The Band: Pylon Poets are an Alternative Rock band from Torquay, Devon, UK. Dan Hughes – Vocals, Guitars, Synths Sam McIver – Drums, Backing Vocals Nathan Hughes – Bass, Backing Vocals With two previous UK tours and an array of festival appearances, the band has shared festival stages with […]
Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band Straight To You Live Provogue/Mascot Label Group Kenny Wayne Shepherd first heard Stevie Ray Vaughan when he was only seven. His father encouraged him to study the guitar and Shepherd was invited onstage by Bryan Lee when he was thirteen. Shepherd released his debut album “Ledbetter Heights” on the Giant imprint […]
Dave Keller You Get What You Give Tasty Tone Records Montpelier, Vermont’s Dave Keller has been schooled by the very best. He studied acoustic blues with guitarist Paul Rishell; and soul blues with guitarist Robert Ward. After releasing the Dave Keller Band debut in 1998 he began to be mentored by Mighty Sam McClain who […]
Andy Cohen Tryin’ To Get Home Earwig Records Andy Cohen grew up in a household where his parents listened to a lot of Dixieland Jazz. Cohen got hooked on the finger-style guitar stylings of the Reverend Gary Davis when he was only sixteen. Now considered a blues-roots music historian he has devoted his life to […]
Tom Mason Under A Mistletoe Sky Gas Station Music Born in Minneapolis, Tom Mason now makes his home in Nashville where he has been a sought after guitarist since 1993. He divides his time between playing solo shows; playing pirate festivals with his band Tom Mason and The Blue Buccaneers, and touring with several Americana […]
Hamilton Loomis This Season Ham-Bone Records Texas born Hamilton Loomis’ early influences include Johnny Copeland, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Albert Collins and especially Bo Diddley. In fact, he named his son Bo Jordan Loomis in honor of his mentor. Loomis released his debut recording in 1994. His 2007 Blind Pig Records “Ain’t Just Temporary” reached number […]
Richard Ludmerer’s Top Indie Blues Albums of 2020 In no particular order Read the Review! Read the Review! Read the Review! Read the Review! Read the Review! Read the Review! Read the Review! Read the Review! Read the Review! Read the Review! Read the Review! Read the Review! Read the Review! Read the Review! Read […]
Jim Hyne’s Top Release Picks of 2020 In No Particular Order Read the Review! Read the Review! Read the Review! Read the Review! Read the Review! Read the Review! Read the Review! Read the Review! Read the Review! Read the Review! Read the Review! Read the Review! Read the Review! Read the Review! Read the […]
A Gulf Coast Christmas Various Gulf Coast Records Gulf Coast Records was founded by Mike Zito and Guy Hale in 2018. In a relatively short period of time the label has amassed a fine roster of blues artists. Like other labels have done in the past, Gulf Coast Records has created a holiday album that […]
Alastair Greene The New World Blues Whiskey Bayou Records Southern California’s Alastair Greene was first influenced by seventies guitarists Duane Allman and Stevie Ray Vaughan. He found work backing James Harman before releasing his debut album “A Little Wiser” in 2001. He followed up with 2003’s “Bootleg: Live in L.A”. Greene also appeared on albums […]
Sam Barlow Faith in The Blues Montrose Records Twenty-six-year-old Sam Barlow is a West Texas based guitarist, harmonica player and vocalist, who started by sitting in with Austin legend Jimmie Vaughan and Blues Hall of Famer Elvin Bishop. In 2010 Barlow competed in the El Paso Guitar Center’s “King Of The Blues” competition winning first […]
Jon KT The Real Cover Up KT Productions Jon Lindley was born in England and currently lives in Wisconsin. He is an independent music producer and audio engineer. He started with music at an early age and taught himself to play drums and keyboards. After many years of working in the woodworking industry, he decided […]
Rhythm City Rhythm City Autumn Hill Drummer Rob Silverman released his own Drumology two months ago, an album that brought together jazz and rock drummers in primarily a jazz fusion vein. Now Silverman returns with a St. Louis-based trio, Rhythm City, featuring pianist Ptah Williams, and bassist Larry Kornfield for another mostly fusion inspired outing. […]
Markus Gottschlich Found Sounds Self-released The U.S.-based Austrian pianist, composer, bandleader, and Steinway Artist Markus Gottschlich leads his trio with guests across a concept album. Found Sounds aims at helping people examine and re-examine their relationship to their environment. In developing the album, his third as a leader, Gottschlich recorded and collected sounds (thus the […]
Terminal Station Brotherhood Hard Rain Records Terminal Station is a Vancouver based blues-rock band. They released their debut recording “Burnout Blues” in 2007. Their follow-up recording “Rolling All Night” was first released in 2009. “Brotherhood” is their third album. But who are these guys? The four principal players in Terminal Station are some of Canada’s […]
Charles Boulevard “Rendez-Vous!” The Band: Pavel Holada Songwriter, Composer, Lead Singer, Guitarist, Producer, Sound Engineer, Member of ASCAP. Dermot Condron songwriter, composer, guitarist. Berny PB. Drummer, percussionist, composer, singer. Pavel and Berny are from Prague, Czech Republic and Dermot is from Dublin, Ireland. With over 30 years of experience in the music business, these guys […]
Jeff Ellwood The Sounds Around the House Self-released Sometimes a musician can get comfortable as an in-demand sideman and it takes a little push to step forward as a leader. Such is the case with tenor saxophonist Jeff Ellwood who steps into that role for the first time with The Sounds Around the House. In […]
Paul Wilkinson 400 Bears Self-released This is a pleasant surprise from a local artist to this Pennsylvanian-based writer. Normally these kinds of efforts are hit or miss at best but Paul Wilkinson, longtime guitarist for the West Chester-based roots rock band Mason Porter, debut solo album , 400 Bears, impresses from the opening notes and […]
Randall Bramblett Pine Needle Fire New West Records Born in Jessup, Georgia in 1948, Randall Bramblett attended the University of North Carolina where he studied religion. He abandoned his theological studies to pursue a career in music as he was inspired by the songwriting of Bob Dylan, James Taylor and Carole King. Bramblett began working […]
By Adam Signore The Jim Weeks Band This Jim Weeks Band introduction comes to you via one pandemic, one national tragedy and one heart attack and very late to the planned writing, but no less important. Almost the gritty fodder for a rock song. In my typical style we are going to dig a little […]
Bill Evans Live at Ronnie Scott’s (with Eddie Gomez and Jack DeJohnette) Resonance Ah, Black Friday is here. This one features legendary, influential pianist Bill Evans across 20 tracks live at London’s iconic Ronnie Scott’s in 1968 with his short-lived but remarkable trio of Jack DeJohnette and Eddie Gomez, who were at Scott’s for a […]
Miss Emily Live at the Isabel Self-released Perhaps you have not yet heard of Canada’s 2019 Maple Blues Female Artist of the Year, Emily Fennell, known as Miss Emily. She has built audiences across Canada, some portions of the U.S, UK, and Western Europe with her blend of mostly soul and blues. Miss Emily also […]
MicroCorgi MicroCosmos Self-released MicroCorgi is a New York -based trio debuting and featuring Andrew McGowan (keys), Yuto Kanazawa (guitar), and Ilya Dynov (drums). They hail from far corners of the globe and have diverse influences such as European Jazz, Japanese rock, Afro-beat, and New Orleans brass band music. Having formed in 2018, they forged a […]
John Calvin Abney Familiar Ground Black Mesa Oklahoma has produced some of the best roots music in recent years. Think John Moreland, John Fullbright, Michael McClure, Jason Boland, Turnpike Troubadours, and Carter Sampson to name a few. Yes, some notices that John Calvin Abney was missing from that short list. He is the multi-instrumentalist, solo […]
Bob Corritore’s “From The Vaults” Series Chicagoan Bob Corritore studied blues harmonica and received playing tips from Carey Bell, Big Walter Horton, Junior Wells and others. When he was twenty-five he moved to Phoenix, Arizona eventually opening his own blues club named The Rhythm Room. With his house band, The Rhythm Room All-Stars, he backed […]
Deborah Silver Glitter and Grit (featuring Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel) Bismeaux Productions Rather inexplicably, considering that vocalist Deborah Silver reached #1 in Billboard on both the Traditional Jazz Album and the Heatseeker Album chart with her 2016 release, The Gold Standards, her latest release, Glitter and Grit, where she is backed by Ray […]
Paulette McWilliams A Woman’s Story Blujazz Chances are that you’ve heard Paulette McWilliams sing before. If you’ve heard Richard L’Hommedieu’s interview and/or seen the accompanying cover story (11/17/2020) you’re already aware of this but suffice it to say, McWilliams is the primary female voice on Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop ‘Til you Get Enough,” Aretha Franklin’s […]
The Silverbeets Halcyon Days Independent Release Today I have the honor to make a review about the brand new album from „The Silverbeets” The Band: Farnz Cordeaux – rhythm guitar, vocals, keys Nigel Hope – bass Ernie Oppenheimer – keys, synth Konrad Park – drums Kevin Barker – trombone Billy O’Brien – drums The Silverbeets […]
Duke Robillard & Friends Blues Bash! Stony Plain Records Guitarist Duke Robillard founded “Roomful of Blues” in 1967. Although Robillard left them in 1979 he started the band that Count Basie once called “the hottest blues band I’ve ever heard”. Since 1992 he has performed as The Duke Robillard Band accumulating 22 Blues Music Award […]
The Peter Leitch New Life Orchestra New Life Jazz House Heartwarming stories such as that of Peter Leitch deserve attention. Although the Canadian-born, New York City-based guitarist can no longer play his guitar for audiences, he perseveres, having been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer eight years ago. Due to remarkable work by his oncologist, […]
Carla Marciano Quartet Psychosis – Homage to Bernard Herrmann Challenge This one comes from across the pond and yes, saxophonist Carla Marciano and her quartet hail from Italy. This is this writer’s first exposure to her remarkable tone and passionate approach to her instruments – alto and sopranino saxes. It’s no surprise that she is […]
George Benson Weekend in London Provogue Records/Mascot Music During his six-decade career the all-time jazz great George Benson has amassed 37 studio albums, eight previous live recordings, 22 compilation albums, and countless recorded sessions as a sideman. Benson is also the holder of ten Grammy awards. The Pennsylvania born veteran has played the world’s biggest […]
Last Year’s Man Brave the Storm Self-released Last Year’s Man is the moniker for Eugene, OR-based producer and singer-songwriter, Tyler Fortier. The Northwesterner has had his music featured on major television and film outlets. He enjoys working with emerging artists such as Jeffrey Martin, Anna Tivel, Beth Wood, and Jeff Crosby. Fortier has been involved […]
Paul Boddy & the Slidewinder Blues Band Friends of Tuesday Slide Records The Slidewinder Blues Band was born solely for the purpose of starting the “Every Tuesday Funk ‘n’ Blues Jam” originally held at the “Puck Live” in the Philadelphia suburb of Doylestown. The weekly open blues jam, now in its fifth year, continues to […]
The Mariel Bildsten Quintet Backbone Outside in Music Maybe you are guessing that this is a debut and if so, you’re right. However, trombonist Mariel Bildsten has considerable side-woman experience and plays in several big bands, notably as the lead trombonist in Arturo O’Farrill’s Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra. She also plays in the Eyal Vilner Big Band, […]
Walter Trout Ordinary Madness Provogue Records/Mascot Music Walter Trout was born in Ocean City, New Jersey. The guitarist relocated to Los Angeles where he found work with Percy Mayfield, Lowell Fulsom, Big Mama Thornton, John Lee Hooker and Joe Tex. In 1981 Trout became the lead guitarist in “Canned Heat” and spent three years with […]
Susan Alcorn Pedernal Relative Pitch One does not think of the pedal steel guitar in the context of jazz with few exceptions, the prime example being the versatile Greg Leisz who is part of Charles Lloyd’s Marvels. Enter the creative, trailblazing Susan Alcorn, who like most associated with the instrument, had her beginnings in country […]
Malaya Blue Still Blue Heart Records/Nola Blue British singer/songwriter Malaya Blue released her debut recording “Bourbon Street” in 2014. That year she played the Great British Rock and Blues Festival in Lincolnshire and has since carved a path across England. She received four nominations from The British Blues Association and was a finalist in the […]
Erin Harpe Meet Me In The Middle featuring Jim Countryman Vizztone Label Group/Juicy Juju Records The Boston based Erin Harpe recorded five electro-pop albums with her first band “Lovewhip” before embracing the blues. Her transition began in 2002 when she released “Blues Roots”; and continued with 2008’s “Delta Blues Duets” recorded with her father Neil. […]