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.
Monkey Junk Tiger in Your Tank Stony Plain Records Monkey Junk is an Ottawa, Ontario based blues band that won the 2010 Blues Music Award for Best New Artist Debut. This album is a re-issue of their debut recording originally released in 2009. They have three albums on Stony Plain Records their latest being 2013’s […]
Rob McCoury The 5 String Flame Thrower McCoury Music Rob McCoury is the son of Del McCoury and the banjo player in The Del McCoury Band. “Kansas City Railroad Blues” is the hard driving vehicle that sets the stage for this album of mostly banjo instrumentals. The song credits include Earl Scruggs, Don Reno, J.D. […]
Wishbone Ash: “Live Dates II” Paper Sleeve – 2CD Deluxe Vinyl Replica – Import – Limited Collector’s Edition, Original recording re-mastered (LMLR) www.CultureFactory.fr Digitally re-mastered and expanded in a mini-LP sleeve. “Live Dates II” was the second Wishbone Ash live release. These songs are from a variety of concerts from 1976 to 1980. During the […]
Grady Champion Bootleg Whiskey Malaco Records This is Grady Champion’s sixth studio recording and first for Malaco Records. Malaco is the southern soul blues label that brought us Bobby “Blue” Bland, Little Milton, Johnnie Taylor and others. Producer Tommy Couch Jr. heads up the Jackson, Ms. Studio and has given Champion the full Malaco treatment. […]
Esther Phillips “Alone Again, Naturally” Expanded Edition www.RealGoneMusic.com Released on the Kudo Record label imprint (a subsidiary of Creed Taylor’s legendary CTI record label) in 1972, “Alone Again, Naturally” by soul-blues-jazz singer Esther Phillips, produced by Creed Taylor, recorded with all-star session players and solo artists like George Benson, Maceo Parker, Ron Carter, and Billy […]
Rob Stone Gotta Keep Rollin’ Vizztone Label Group In 1993 Rob Stone, harp and vocals, began touring with veteran Chicago bluesman Sam Lay. They toured worldwide for four years. Also included in Lay’s band were Chris James, guitar; and Patrick Rynn, bass; and they have been with Stone ever since. Stone’s last release “Back Around […]
Jesse Winchester A Reasonable Amount of Trouble Appleseed Recordings In 1970 Jesse Winchester released his debut recording on the short lived Ampex Record label. He recorded a total of ten studio albums. This last recording was completed shortly before his death on April 11th, 2014. Winchester grew up in Memphis, Tennessee but as a conscientious […]
Missy Andersen In The Moment Main Squeeze Records Missy Anderson states “Something about Soul speaks to me, and if you dip it in some Blues, it’s even better…it’s about the story and the feeling”. Andersen’s first album was the self titled “Missy Andersen” released in 2009. This is Andersen’s second studio recording. Andersen was born […]
This year would be Muddy Waters’ 100th birthday and his son Mud Morganfield wanted to pay tribute to him, so he teamed up with Kim Wilson of the Fabulous Thunderbirds to create For Pops. Aside from Mud’s vocals, which sound very similar to his father’s while not sounding like an imitation at all, Wilson provides […]
Del McCoury Band The Streets of Baltimore McCoury Music In 1963 Del McCoury was the rhythm guitarist and featured vocalist with Bill Monroe and His Bluegrass Boys. His replacement was Peter Rowan. He recorded as Del McCoury and The Dixie Pals and in 1972 released his fifth album “High on a Mountain” on Rounder Records. […]
EG Kight A New Day Blue South Records EG Kight, a.k.a. the Georgia Songbird, was the recipient of the 2013 Georgia Music Legend Award. Kight started in country music and has worked with George Jones; Conway Twitty; Jerry Lee Lewis; and Merle Haggard. Since switching to the Blues she has performed with Luther Allison; Koko […]
St. Paul & The Broken Bones Half The City Single Lock Records St. Paul and The Broken Bones are a soul band from Birmingham Alabama. An EP was released in 2012. This is their first full length recording released earlier this year. As a result the band received a 2014 Americana Award nomination as Best […]
Dom Flemons The American Songster: Prospect Hill Music Maker Relief Foundation Dom Flemons was one third of The Carolina Chocolate Drops who formed in 2005 immediately following the first Black Banjo Gathering. They’ve recorded five albums; three for The Music Maker Relief Foundation and two for Nonesuch Records. This is Flemons second solo recording and […]
Rip Lee Pryor Nobody But Me Electro-Fi Records Richard “Rip Lee” Pryor, the son of the late Blues harp legend “Snooky” Pryor, was born in 1958. Rip Lee learned the harp by listening to his fathers records and even did some touring with his dad. Rip Lee released his debut album “Pitch a Boogie Woogie” […]
Grateful Dead “Dave’s Picks: Volume 11” Wichita, KS 11/17/1972 (3 CD’s) www.Dead.net – www.Rhino.com Recorded by the legendary Owsley “Bear” Stanley these original tapes have been re-mastered in HDCD, like many of these rerelease series (Dave’ Picks, Dick’s Picks, Road Trips, and etcetera) the sound quality noticeably improves as the evening wears on, similarly the […]
Dave Keyes Right Here Right Now Keyesland Music Dave Keyes has been a part of the New York music scene for over twenty years. His cd “Tear It Up” was released in 1997. In 2000 Keyes won the International Blues Challenge band competition. Keyes’ third cd “Covered in Blue” received 3 ½ stars from Downbeat magazine. […]
Elvin Bishop Can’t Even Do Wrong Right Alligator Records Elvin Bishop first came to my attention as a member of The Paul Butterfield Blues Band. He appears on the first three Butterfield albums and left in 1968 to form the Elvin Bishop Group. In 1974 Bishop released the album “Let It Flow” on Capricorn Records. […]
John Ginty Bad News Travels/The Showplace Sessions Live American Showplace Music On June 11, 2014 John Ginty entered the studio to record this DVD. Ginty recreated music from his Bad News Travels cd released this past September. Guesting are Albert Castiglia, Todd Wolfe and Alexis P. Suter. This is the first in producer Ben Elliot’s […]
Sugar Ray and The Bluetones Living Tear To Tear Severn Records Ray Norcia, harp, was appropriately nicknamed Sugar because of his sweet vocals. A former member of “Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters” he left them to form his own band “Sugar Ray and The Bluetones”. Their first album was 1989’s “Knockout”. After two albums Norcia […]
Chris Smither Still On The Levee Signature Sounds Recordings “Still On The Levee” is Chris Smither’s 16th studio album. This is a 50 year retrospective. Smither has selected 25 of his best songs and re-recorded them. Smither’s band “The Motivators” includes Billy Conway, drums; Jimmy Fitting, harmonica; David Goodrich, guitarist/producer; and Anita Suhanin, background vocals. […]
Eric Clapton & Friends “The Breeze – An Appreciation of JJ Cale” www.Surfdog.com www.EricClapton.com Starting with Eric Clapton’s 1970 self-titled debut solo album, Clapton started a decade’s long affection for JJ Cale. They also recorded together on the ’06 “The Road to Escondido.” Last year Cale passed-away so it was not a stretch (but a […]
Jeremy Baum The Eel Flying Yak Records Jeremy Baum is a world class Hammond B-3 and piano player who is also a first call session musician. Baum’s first cd was 2002’s “Lost River Jams”. Baum’s music is rooted in the funky soul jazz of Booker T and The MG’s, the Meters, Jimmy Smith, and Jack […]
The Iguanas Juarez Piety Street Files and Archaic Media Based in New Orleans, La. The Iguanas are a roots rock band. They combine Conjunto and various other Latin styles with R n’ B. Imagine a cross between The Sir Douglas Quintet and The Blazers of East Los Angeles. The Iguanas consist of Joe Cabral, vocals, […]
Dave Van Ronk Down in Washington Square The Smithsonian Folkways Collection As an adolescent my interest in music progressed from The Kingston Trio to The Weavers, Pete Seeger, Bob Gibson, Ian and Sylvia, Joan Baez, Phil Ochs, Mississippi John Hurt, Reverend Gary Davis, The Blues Project, and Dave Van Ronk. As a guitar student I would […]
Jaco Pastorius “Modern American Music … Period! The Criteria Sessions” Omnivore Recordings Jaco Pastorius’ major solo debut appeared in 1976 on Epic Records, many of the tracks had their beginning two years earlier when a twenty-two year-old Pastorius booked time at Criteria Studios to work out songs and jam. Eventually six of those session tracks […]
Catherine Russell Bring It Back Jazz Village Catherine Russell is a Jazz singer who will appeal to Blues aficionados. It has been a long time since Jazz has had a singer like Russell. Russell is the daughter of Luis Russell the former musical director for Louis Armstrong. Her father died when she was very young […]
JP Soars Full Moon Night in Memphis Soars High Productions JP Soars first album was “Back of My Mind” released in 2008. JP Soars and The Red Hots won the 2009 band competition at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis. In 2011 his “More Bees with Honey” album was released. That album garnered Soars a […]
Selwyn Birchwood Don’t Call No Ambulance Alligator Records Selwyn Birchwood first picked up the guitar when he was 13. By the age of 17 he was into Jimi Hendrix, Albert King, Freddie King, Albert Collins, Muddy Waters and Buddy Guy. He met Texas-born blues legend Sonny Rhodes two years later and Rhodes took him under […]
The Mannish Boys Wrapped Up and Ready Delta Groove Records The Mannish Boys were formed to be a Muddy Waters tribute band. They’re named after a Muddy Waters song so they are readily identifiable with Waters. Individually they were already veterans of the west coast blues music scene when they decided to band together. They […]
Cannonball Adderley “The Black Messiah” Live at the Troubador – 1972 – 2 CD’s www.RealGoneMusic.com The year was 1972 when Cannonball Adderley’s quintet (there were more than five musicians) took the stage with Cannonball’s alto and soprano saxes, brother Nat’s cornet, a rhythm section of Roy McCurdy’s drums, Walter Booker’s bass, and direct from a […]
Mud Morganfield and Kim Wilson For Pops: A Tribute to Muddy Waters Severn Records The most important figure in modern Blues is Muddy Waters. Waters took the music from rural Mississippi to the northern city of Chicago. As a bandleader his band included Little Walter, the most influential harp player of our time. Waters’ electrified […]
The Holmes Brothers Brotherhood Alligator Records Wendell Holmes, guitar, and his brother Sherman, bass, met Popsy Dixon one night in New York City when he sat in on drums. They formed The Holmes Brothers band in 1979 and began as an opening act at music clubs like Dan Lynch’s and The Bottom Line. In 1990 […]
Before Full Moon Night in Memphis, I have to admit I was woefully unaware of JP Soars, even though he and his band The Red Hots won the International Blues Challenge in Memphis in 2009. But now that I’ve heard the album, I am truly impressed! The title and title tune, “Full Moon Night in […]
Mack Avenue Superband Live From The Detroit Jazz Festival 2013 Mack Avenue Records The Mack Avenue Superband is an ensemble of jazz artists from the Mack Avenue roster. Each of these participants is a seasoned leader in their own right. This album documents a live concert at Detroit’s Hart Plaza. Virbraphonist Warren Wolf composed “Soul […]
The Alexis P. Suter Band “Love The Way You Roll” American Showplace Music On Labor Day weekend 2007, my wife and I drove to Woodstock, New York. Levon Helm had just released “Dirt Farmer” his comeback album. The ex-Band vocalist and drummer had recovered from surgery and regained full vocal powers. Opening for Helm at […]
Billy Joe Shaver Long in the Tooth Lightning Rod Records This is Billy Joe Shaver’s twentieth album and his first since 2008’s “Everbody’s Brother”. Shaver has recorded albums for Monument, Capricorn, Columbia, New West, Compadre, and other labels. He is mostly known as a songwriter having penned songs for Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Willie […]
Bobby Patterson I Got More Soul Omnivore Recordings Bobby Patterson is a Texas, Rhythm and Blues, legend in the soul tradition of Bobby “Blue” Bland, Otis Redding, and Wilson Pickett. As a producer Patterson worked with Fontella Bass, Chuck Jackson, Little Johnny Taylor and others. He has also been a Dallas area DJ. Patterson’s first […]
“Where the f*** this chicken come from ? I THOUGHT I ORDERED RIBS” – Morris Day “Chocolate (Live On SNL)” The year was 1990 when it was announced that Prince would be doing a sequel movie to “Purple Rain” called “Grafitti Bridge”. To make it even more official, Warner Bros. insisted on reuniting the original members […]
Dr. John Ske-Dat-De-Dat: The Spirit of Satch Proper Records/Concord Music Dr. John is known as the embodiment of New Orleans’ musical legacy. He is the winner of six Grammy awards the last being in 2013. Every few years however Dr. John feels the need to reinvent himself. In 2006 Dr. John released “Mercenery” a tribute […]
Paul Thorn Too Blessed to Be Stressed Perpetual Obscurity Records “It’s April 14th, 1988 and we’re live from The Tropicana in Atlantic City New Jersey. In one corner, the former Lightweight, Welterweight, and Light Middleweight Champion of the World, Roberto Duran with a record of 82W-7L, in the other corner, Paul Thorn with a record […]
Dave Specter sets out to deliver a “Message in Blue” on his new CD, and the message is that he can write and deliver great instrumentals in a variety of blues moods. Here, he delivers songs that are defined by their titles: “New West Side Stroll,” “Chicago Style,” “Funkified Outer Space,” “The Spectifyin’ Samba,” “Jefferson […]
Jarekus Singleton Refuse To Lose Alligator Records As a reviewer for Making A Scene there is nothing I like to do more than inform our readers about a great new talent. Sometimes I do not get it on first listening. Such is the case with Jarekus Singleton, the former 6-3 point guard from The University […]
Murali Coryell Restless Mind Shake-It-Sugar Records In 1999, Murali Coryell released “2120” an album by The Murali Coryell Blues Band on Chess Records subsidiary CZYZ Records. This was the well executed but basic blues band that first turned me on to Coryell. They were booked as an opening act at BB Kings in NYC and […]
Grateful Dead “Dick’s Picks Eighteen” 2/3 & 2/5/78 (3 CD’s) www.RealGoneMusic.com This Dick’s Picks edition is somewhat unique in that disc one is taken from two shows that are combined to “create” a first set of performances. Disc two contains the entire second set from 2/3, and disc three is the entire second set from […]
Dave Fields All In FMI Records Dave Fields is a highly skilled guitarist and vocalist. Field’s 2012 recording “Detonation” established him as a major player in the world of Blues Rock. This is Field’s fourth recording. Today Field’s band consists of Andy Huenerberg or Tony Tino, bass; Kenny Soule or Dave Moore, drums; and Vladimir […]
Davina and the Vagabonds are different from the very start. There are no guitars in the group, which consists of Davina Sowers on piano and vocals plus horns, drums, upright bass and even sousaphone and vibraphone. The analog sound on their new CD, Sunshine, is excellent and the acoustic nature of the music adds to […]
Davina & the Vagabonds Sunshine Roustabout Records I first heard Davina & The Vagabonds at Boston’s On The Beach in Delray Beach, Florida. Originally from Key West Davina Sowers spent her formidable years in and around Minnesota’s twin cities where she studied to be a classically trained pianist. Sowers is a prolific songwriter and her pop […]
Willie Nelson Band of Brothers Sony Legacy Records Now an octogenarian Willie Nelson is a country music icon. A great vocalist and performer my own interest began in Nelson by listening to other artists. He is the author of manysongs which became country music standards including the megahit “Crazy” originally recorded by Patsy Cline and […]
Recently, I had the opportunity to see The Jeff Jensen Band live at Darwin’s in Marietta, GA. I got the opportunity to talk with Jeff briefly before the show and he gave me an autographed copy of his CD, Road Worn and Ragged. This is my review of that CD. Road Worn and Ragged is […]
Janiva Magness Original Fathead Records This is Janiva Magness’s 11th album. Formerly on the Alligator Records label, her 2012 “Stronger for It” album garnered her two Blues Music Awards. Magness won the “Contemporary Female Blues Artist of the Year” for the fourth time having also won that award in 2006, 2007, and 2009. “Stronger for It” included three […]