I remember the first time I saw Johnny Winter. I was just a teenager at the time and it was 1970. It was an outdoor concert and he had these huge sunglasses to protect his eyes and this amazing pure white avalanche of hair. I was fascinated by his appearance but when he started to […]
If The Georgia Flood stays together and if they continue to work the way they work now, then I believe that they are one of the groups that people will still be listening to and enjoying 20 years from now. In fact, 20 years from now the group will still be fairly young. I don’t […]
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 […]
An Exclusive Interview with JP Soars LIVE from the Midnight Circus Talks with JP Soars by Richard Lhommedieu on Mixcloud This week we talk to the one and only JPSOARS! With his new CD just hitting the radio airways “Full Moon NIght in Memphis” JP is out touring to support this great new Blues CD. […]
Michael Cloeren’s Pennsylvania Blues Fest Part 1: Friday night and Saturday Previously called the Pocono Blues Festival, the Pennsylvania Blues Fest has been in existence for 23 years; now located at Blue Mountain just outside of Palmerton, Pa. Michael Cloeren produces the finest Blues Festival in the country. He doesn’t book the biggest names in […]
*EDITORS NOTE: L A W toured with Amy Winehouse as one of her backup singers, and he is the Funk and HIP HOP editor for Making a Scene. L*A*W’s Open Letter To Amy Winehouse Hey Lioness xoxo I just know that you are having the time of your life in Heaven not having to deal […]
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 […]
2014 Tremblant Blues Fest – First Class Blues! July 4th – July 6th This is my sixth consecutive Festival International Du Blues De Tremblant Festival. For twenty-one years the Festival International Du Blues De Tremblant has been assembling Blues festivals that are one the best Blues Fests in world. This year’s most known event headliners […]
Website – www.lolagulley.com Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/lolagulley?fref=ts Listen to the exclusive Interview Below Live From the MIdnight Circus Talks to LOLA Queen of Atlanta BLues by Richard Lhommedieu on Mixcloud Lola (just Lola) is a dynamic blues and R&B singer/keyboard player who has been igniting stages in the Atlanta area and is just beginning to break out as […]
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 […]
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 […]
Texas blues icon Johnny Winter, who rose to fame in the late 1960s and ’70s for his energetic performances and musical collaborations including with childhood hero Muddy Waters, has died. He was 70. His representative, Carla Parisi, confirmed Thursday that Winter died in a hotel room in Zurich a day earlier. The statement said his […]
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 […]
Making a Scene is proud to be interviewing Blues Guitarist DAVE SPECTER!! www.davespecter.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dave.specter?fref=ts Click Below to hear the Interview! LIVE From the Midnight Circus Talks with Dave Specter by Richard Lhommedieu on Mixcloud Blues guitarist, bandleader and producer Dave Specter has earned an international reputation as one of the premier young talents on the Chicago […]
Last night on Music on The Couch… First my friend, Mick Kolassa came by to give us a final update on the Oxford Blues Festival happening later this week Then Bob Eike came out of his basement to talk to us about his career and the new album “happy little songs of futility & despair” […]
Living Blues is a bi-monthly magazine focused on covering the blues tradition, and its America’s oldest blues periodical. The magazine was founded as a quarterly in Chicago in 1970 by Jim O’Neal and Amy van Singel. Alligator Records owner and founder Bruce Iglauer was also one of the magazine’s early editors. Howlin’ Wolf was featured on the cover of the first issue. In 1983, O’Neal and van […]
2014 Montreal Jazz Fest – 35th Edition July 2nd – 4th, 2014 The Legacy Continues This is/was my sixteenth consecutive Montreal Jazz Fest, and it began at Club Soda within the funky neighborhood that also borders Chinatown on Saint-Laurent Boulevard where the relative newcomer to the Blues Matt Andersen and his band took to the […]
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 […]
Making a Scene has an exclusive interview with Jill Siegel! Listen below as we talk with a powerhouse in public relations. [audio:JillSeigel.mp3] Jill Siegel is now the handling the Public relations in the US for Ruf Records. Ruf records has put together an impressive list of up and coming and established blues artists. No matter […]
LIVE from the Midnight Circus is honored to have interviewed UK blues artist and Walter Trout protégé, Danny Bryant! Listen to the Interview Below LIVE from the Midnight Circus Talks with Danny Bryant by Richard Lhommedieu on Mixcloud He will hit the road this summer to front Walter’s band while the legendary Blues icon recovers from […]
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 […]
Making a Scene has an exclusive interview with Rachelle Coba about her Debut release “Mother Blues”. LIVE from the Midnight Circus Talks with Rachelle Coba by Richard Lhommedieu on Mixcloud www.rachkellecoba.com Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/rachellecoba?fref=ts&ref=br_tf Rachelle represented the Topeka Blues Society as a solo performer at the International Blues Challenge in 2013 making it to the semifinal round […]
MUSIC ON THE COUCH – June 30, 2014 Elam McKnight, President of the West Tennessee Blues Society came by to tell us a little bit more about their Blues Society and their upcoming event on July 12th… Pork Chop Willie is led by singer-guitarist Bill Hammer and violinist Melissa Tong. The band is fueled by […]
Bobby Womack ” BluesWax Sittin’ In With Bobby Womack By Bob Putignano Robert Putignano does interviews like most people eat potato chips during Super Bowl. It’s almost second nature. In reality that’s what makes his stuff so good. He makes it look easy. But even I was shocked at how much he got out of […]
Andy T-Nick Nixon Band Livin’ It Up Delta Groove Records Last year Andy Talamantez and James T. “Nick” Nixon went into the recording studio with producer Anson Funderburgh. The result was their widely acclaimed debut “Drink, Drank, Drunk”. This is their follow up recording. Producer Funderburgh has once again assembled a stellar backing band. Larry […]
B.B. King “The Life of Riley” DVD www.MVDVisual.com “The Life of Riley” is a very appropriate documentary about the monumental life of B.B. King. Riley B King born on 25th September 1925 will soon be eighty-nine; so it’s about time. This DVD release is approximately two hours in length, produced and directed by Jon Brewer. […]
NRBQ “Brass Tacks” www.NRBQ.com Clang! Big Notes www.TerryAdams.com Terry Adams has been at the helm of NRBQ (New Rhythm & Blues Quartet) for forty-five years. But even though the Q has gone through several band-member revisions, this latest bunch has been with Adams for several albums now. What’s interesting is that these new members (while […]
Ilana Katz Katz Blues & Old Time Fiddle: I’ve Got Something to Tell You Independent This is a modern approach to old time fiddle. Katz incorporates Blues and originals to augment her repertoire of traditional tunes. Her guest musicians include Ronnie Earl; Jesse Williams; Diane Blue; Marylou Ferrante; and Dotty Moore. Earl sits in on […]
Janiva Magness has earned 6 Blues Music Awards including the BB King Entertainment OF The Year, Song Of The Year and Contemporary Female Artist Of The Year. She is about to release Original, an 11 song collection of incredible tunes that will gain her even more praise and awards. I am thrilled to have Janiva join me […]
Royal Southern Brotherhood Heart Soul Blood Ruf Records Cyril Neville, at 66, is the youngest of the four Neville Brothers. Although the “soul” of the Crescent City, they seldom still perform. Cyril however still has the passion to perform. In 2012 he formed The Royal Southern Brotherhood with Mike Zito, Devon Allman, Charlie Wooten, and […]
In January 2014, Marshall Lawrence went down to Memphis, Tennessee to be a judge in the International Blues Challenge (IBC) and also to perform a set for the Blind Raccoon showcase. It was his first time down there and he had a blast. The feeling of community and fellowship in the Blues was certainly prevalent […]
Ronnie Earl has been making great blues instrumentals for over 25 years. For the last 11 of those years, he’s been joined by Dave Limina on keys, drummer Lorne Entress and bassist Jim Mouradian, as The Broadcasters. With this newest release, Good News, Earl and his group deliver just that. Earl had some good news […]
LIVE from the Midnight Circus is proud to Talk to “Little Toby Walker”! www.littletobywalker.com Listen to the Interview Below!! [audio:toby.mp3] Internationally and nationally acclaimed Toby Walker has been hailed as a roots music finger-style guitar wizard who has toured the US, England, Wales, France, Germany, Belgium and Holland. Walker has been featured in the New York Times, […]
I have a special fondness for female musicians, and finding a new one who really soars like Canada’s Colleen Rennison just makes my whole day! Rennison has a pure alto voice that is capable of both vulnerability and edginess. On “See The Sky About to Rain,” she features songs written by other great Canadian songwriters, […]
Deanna Bogart Just a Wish Away Blind Pig Records I first heard Deanna Bogart on her “New Address” album released in 1996. The song that really got to me was “Checks and Love Letters”. Her 2002 “Timing is Everything” album reinforced my interest right from its opening track “Still the Girl in the Band”. In […]
Rod Piazza and The Mighty Flyers Emergency Situation Blind Pig Records The Mighty Flyers are the award winning Chicago styled blues band originally formed in 1980 by Rod and Honey Piazza. In 1998 Rod won the Blues Music Award for Best Instrumentalist – Harmonica. My favorite Mighty Flyer recordings are the three albums they recorded […]
Music On The Couch June 16, 2014 Joshua R Hoyer witnessed his first tornado funnel cloud and then sat and told us about his great history and the new band he is leading Josh Hoyer and The Shadowboxers Then Brad Stivers came by to talk about his rise in the world of the Blues from […]
Interview with Michael “Hurly” Hurwitz from Freddys Finest! [audio:mhurly.mp3] Live from the Midnight Circus talks with Michael Hurwitz Bassist and front man of Freddys Finest! Michael also has film credits as the bass player in the movie Joyful Noise with Queen Latifah and Dolly Pardon. Tune in and hear about his new project and listen to what he is […]
When I discover a new female artist who is bluesy and powerful, that excites me. And Kelley Hunt’s “The Beautiful Bones” definitely has me excited! Hunt explains in the press release that “the beautiful bones” are the songs that inspired her: blues, r ‘n b, and a hefty dose of gospel are the most apparent […]
Classic African American Songsters Smithsonian Folkways Records In 1987 The Smithsonian Institute, our national museum located in Washington D.C., acquired the Folkways Records catalogue from its former owner Moses Asch. This is the 23rd installment in the Smithsonian Folkways “Classic” series. This compilation has been mastered by Pete Reiniger. Barry Lee Pearson, scholar of African […]
Lazer Lloyd : Israel’s King Of The Blues Israel is a land of many wonders, both old and new . It is as ancient as the Dead Sea scrolls and as modern as it’s ground breaking development of cell phone technology. Blues guitarist Lazer Lloyd , although not born in the ” land of milk and […]
We are honored to be talking with Blues sinter Annika Chambers about her new CD and where she came from and where she is going!! This is a great interview!!The beautiful and talented Annika Chambers hails from Houston, Texas. As a child, she always wanted to sing, but her dreams of enlisting in the Army […]
Ronnie Earl Good News Blues N’ Soul Stony Plain Records It was sometime around 1987 that I went to The Abilene on 8th Avenue at 13th Street to hear a blues band called “Ronnie Earl and The Broadcasters”. The club was later to become “Chicago B.L.U.E.S.” Ronnie had been the lead guitarist for “Roomful of […]