Larry Wilson Band After many years of playing with Jimmy LaFave, Larry Wilson launched his own band. Growing in popularity in Austin quickly, Larry is performing across Texas and national tours are being planned. His album was received with great reviews and shows all his incredible versatility playing original tunes and twisted covers.
Credits:
Larry Wilson - Guitar, Vocals, Percussion Jill Bates - DrumsRick Wood - Bass
Tracklist:
01. Queen of the Class 04:51 02. Drug on Wars 05:16 03. Closing Time Dream 03:52 04. Tuck and Roll Dream 04:52 05. High Maintenance Girl 04:19 06. Attitude Blues 04:18 07. Blue Rose Tattoo 03:56 08. Emotional Novacane 05:41 09. Holly's Song 04:23 10. Neptune's Darkest Blue 04:13
The 44s The 44s have it down with some of the most original sounding, hard driving, blues bending material out there. Guitarist Johnny Main fronts the band with flashes of guitar work that ranks among some of the best, while his vocals are guttural, sharp and sometimes have a witty sound that really lends to the bands overall persona. The rhythm section are hard driving, blues pounding titans plying their craft with amazing precision to help keep the 44s original sound in check. Kid Ramos can really stretch his guitar playing out covering everything from hot boogie blues, California hep-cat swing and dirty sounding roots rock. A musical experience that adults can listen to...big sound.
Credits:
Johnny Main - Guitar, VocalsTex Nakamura - HarmonicaJason Lozano - DrumsMike Turturro - BassKid Ramos - Guitar
Tracklist:
01. Pull My Strings 05:5402. So Low Down 04:0103. Take It Easy 04:0004. Boogie Disease 03:4705. Commit A Crime 06:2606. Goin To The Church 03:4607. Blowin Like Hell 02:4008. Automatic 04:0909. Johnny Cochino 03:43
Glenn Kaiser After 40+ years of playing music, Glenn Kaiser is known for his raw, bluesy vocal, fiery guitar chops as well as his harmonica work, Glenn is comfortable playing traditional and modern blues, original worship music and R&B.
Tracklist:
01. O Babylon! 02:0502. I Hear Talk 03:2003. Educated Guess 02:0704. White/Right (History Lesson) 03:2005. Working Poor 01:4806. Fake 03:3107. Mother of Exiles 03:3508. Money to Burn 01:5509. Great Again 02:4310. Self Defense 03:3311. Loser's Game 02:2512. Thug 02:0213. Straw Man 03:2414. Oil Today 01:5015. Market Value 03:4516. The Principal Principle 03:1917. You Ain't 03:2518. Mud and Spit 03:29
Dylan James & Co. Dylan James & Co is lead by 17 year old front-man Dylan James Smucker. His songwriting, which is mature beyond his years, is backed by an infusion of blues and jazz with just a touch of pop. He started playing music early on and he recorded his first EP in Nashville, TN when he was just 14 years old. Other band members include Adam Wojcik, and his brother Caleb Smucker.
Recorded live at Chaplin's Music Cafe in Spring City, PA - 2011
Tracklist:
01. NYC Skyline 04:0602. Blue Eyes 04:1803. Lonesome Road 03:0004. Russian Roulette 04:0705. Ain't No Sunshine 09:0906. Heat Waves 04:0307. Bury My Love 05:17
Rory Gallagher Rory Gallagher: Loreley Open Air Festival, St. Goarshausen, Germany 1982-08-28
Tracklist:
01 Intro - Knockin' On Heaven's Door 08:2702 I'm Ready 04:3103 Lucille - Dust My Broom 04:0804 I'm Movin' On - Be Bap A Lula 04:3605 Slow Down 05:4106 I Have The Blues 11:04
Credits:
Eric Burdon - VocalsWolfgang Niedecken - VocalsRory Gallagher - GuitarDavid Lindley - Slide GuitarKlaus Heuser - GuitarGerry McAvoy - BassJohn Cooke - PianoAlexander Büchel - KeyboardsBrendan O'Neill - DrumsIan Wallace - DrumsSchmal Boecker - PercussionRay Beavis - SaxHarold Casey - Sax
Burton Gaar Baton Rouge, Louisiana's Burton Gaar broke into the music industry playing bass for Blues great Slim Harpo and has never looked back. The year was 1959, and Gaar was only 16-years-old. He has gone on to play in R&B band the Boogie Kings, as well as alongside the great Percy Sledge and Zydeco kingpin Rockin' Sydney Simien. Burton Gaar has also fronted his own bands, as well as recorded solo records - his debut being 1995's Still Singing The Blues. Despite the fact that Gaar made music for almost four decades, he has 450 songs in his catalog (he has written in excess of 2000 songs during his musical career), and started recording his songs in the mid 1970's, he didn't record a solo album of his own until 1991, when the Louisiana Cajun influenced "Still Singing the Blues" was issued with his brother John Gaar on guitar and the Mud Kats. The power and honesty of his unmistakable voice, combined with the meaningful lyric content of his songs, powerful grooves, and clever arrangements, authenticates Gaar's unique brand of Louisiana blues. In 2000 Black & Tan put out "One Hundred Pounds Of Trouble" and two further acclaimed LPs followed until Gaar's 2011 death.
Tracklist:
01. Midnight's Coming 04:0902. 99 To Life 06:1903. A Man With Two Women 03:4204. You Know The Rain 05:1205. No Money Honey 03:3006. Home Of The Blues 04:0407. Stone Cold Blues 03:2508. I Will Be There 04:2509. Walking On The TRuth 03:4010.Still Singing The Blues 04:1411.Hard Money 03:5812.Down On My Luck 03:32
Edgar Winter & Johnny Winter Individually, Edgar Winter and his brother Johnny Winter are powerful artists, but combined, they are virtually unstoppable. On this live set, the brothers are just having the time of their lives.
Credits:
Johnny Winter - Guitar, VocalsEdgar Winter - Saxophone, VocalsRick Derringer - GuitarFloyd Radford - GuitarRandy Jo Hobbs - BassDan Hartman - PianoRichard Hughes - DrumsChuck Ruff - Drums
Tracklist:
CD. 01
01. Good Morning Little Schoolgirl 04:3602. Mean Town Blues 09:0003. Roll With Me 04:4704. Rock And Roll People 05:3605. Undercover Man 04:2806. Tell The Truth 06:3007. Hideaway 07:2708. Sensational Got My Mojo Workin' 06:5109. She Likes To Boogie Real Low 06:3910. Just A Little Bit 05:0911. The Sun Is Shining 06:1412. Johnny Guitar 04:3013. Drop The Bomb 05:16
CD. 02
01. Skyscraper Blues 03:5202. Bonie Moronie 06:4903. Frankenstein 14:2704. Free Ride 04:0405. Hang On Sloopy 05:4506. Highway 61 Revisited 03:1507. It's All Over Now 06:1708. Johnny B Goode 03:2309. Jumpin' Jack Flash 04:2810. Keep Playin' That Rock And Roll 03:5411. Rock And Roll Hootchie Koo 07:0612. Rock And Roll Medley 06:47
Stacy Mitchhart Mitchhart began his professional career in Cincinnati, Ohio, playing the club circuit there and gaining widespread attention in the early 1990s. In 1996, he moved to Nashville to take up residence as house band at the Bourbon Street Blues and Boogie Bar in famous Printer's Alley.
In 2003, Mitchhart received the 'Albert King Most Promising Guitarist Award' at the Blues Foundation's International Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee. His album, Gotta Get The Feeling Back Again album was considered for a Grammy Award in 2008. Stacy Mitchhart was inducted into the South Canadian Blues Hall Of Fame in 2016.
Credits:
Walt Coleman - Bass, Backing Vocals Moses Mooney - Drums Stacy Mitchhart - Guitar, Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals Larry Feldner - Keyboards, Backing Vocals Leroy Ellington - Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Backing Vocals Brooking Reindollar - Trumpet, Trombone
Tracklist:
01. It's The Groove In The Blues 03:4402. Give Up What You Got 05:0203. It's A Three Dog Night 05:5304. I've Just Got To Let You Go 05:3005. You Ain't Gotta Be Poor (To Have The Blues) 04:4606. I'm Your Blues Doctor 04:5407. Conversation With The Doctor 04:0708. The Park Avenue Stomp 05:0609. I Got Pain 03:2410. I'll Be There For You 05:5411. Final Welcome 04:1112. Girl I've Got To Leave You 05:5413. They All Want Something 03:5214. Steatopygous (Big Butt) Woman 03:51
B.E.P. (Black, Estrada & Pini) Hamburger Midnight represents the recording and performing reunion of Jimmy Carl Black and Roy Estrada, in other words a grafting of roots from the original Mothers of Invention. While Black has been actively playing music ever since he started in the '50s, Estrada apparently laid off the bass for quite a few years, some of which he spent incarcerated. The third member of the triumvirate that created this recording is Mike Pini, a British bluesman who has been active since the mid-'60s. Unfortunately, the cover of the record doesn't mention any of their names above and beyond the B.E.P. acronym; those in-the-know will figure out the deal from the cartoon drawing on the front, but that won't help the many unfamiliar listeners who would find this CD appealing. The first bite of this Hamburger Midnight is tasty: a cover version of the neglected Cream tune "Politician" that is incorrectly listed as "Political Man" in the credits. Pini shows he is able to provide electric guitar with the kind of strong psychedelic edge associated with Eric Clapton's Cream and Blind Faith days. Elsewhere, many of the same guitarists who appealed to Clapton also seem to be providing inspiration for Pini, including Freddie King and Hubert Sumlin. Some of these references come off as a bit arbitrary, however, such as a cover of the King instrumental "Hideaway." Musicians as good as the ones involved here can play this type of material all night, but not every track here is as sublime as a medley of two Howlin' Wolf songs in which a superb mix, Pini's tasty licks, and Black's awesome vocal stand up alongside the original recording. "On the Road Again," a hit for Canned Heat that was based on the Skip James song style, is a great choice, sped up slightly and again mixed with natty style. The title tune is presented as some kind of a trippy medley in which conversation, crowd and street noises, and a stoned singalong of "Don't Bogart That Joint" turn up. More of this kind of silliness might have livened up the proceedings, particularly in moments when such a heavy dose of blues-rock gets boring. "Enron Blues" closes the album so perfectly it leaves regret in its wake, regret that Black and Estrada didn't get into more sarcastic political material, as it suits the jamming and is altogether more lively than the classic covers. Pini's original numbers also expand the harmonies and mood in a positive way, but wind up being a bit too different, standing out like something stranded that doesn't quite fit in.
Credits:
Mick Pini - Slide, Lead Guitar, Harmonica, VocalsPeter Bruder - Rhythm Guitar, HarmonicaGregor Wittner - Piano, OrganRoy Estrada - Bass & VocalsJimmy Carl Black - Drums, Vocals
Tracklist:
01. Politician 01:5502. Hey Baby, I Feel So Good 03:0303. Directly From My Heart To You 04:5404. Blonde Haired Woman 03:5805. 44 Blues/How Many More Years 05:4906. Is It Me Or Is It You 03:3007. Hideaway 04:0408. Hamburger Midnight Blues 04:3609. I Won't Be Your Fool No More 04:1910. Evil 03:2311. On The Road Again 04:1512. Slinkin' Around 02:3213. Enron Blues 03:37
Motor City Josh Josh is a straight up singin', guitar slingin', songwriting, crowd-pleasing Blues man. Son of a preacher man and woman, at 35 Josh has achieved incredible success and proves to be one of the most skillful yet animated Blues performers around. An absolute entertainer, Josh manages to keep everyone happy no matter what their age, race, or music taste - Everybody loves him!
Tracklist:
01. Like A Rooster On A Hen 07:4402. Goin' To The Country 06:5703. Mannish Boy 06:4404. Catfish Blues 17:5105. Still Drunk From Last Night 03:1706. "Buckle Up" It's The Law 05:5807. Real Love 04:2708. Someone Else Been Gettin' That Good Thang 06:2409. Little Hoochie Mama 04:4410. Work Is A 4 Letter Word 05:09
Jay Gordon This CD gives listeners a pretty strong overview of the music of Jay Gordon, a guitarist dedicated to the blues whose wide range of intense sounds at times recalls Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan. The music on this disc is divided into two parts. Drippin' Blues has 11 selections taken from a variety of sources (including a television performance), and is highlighted by "Message to Collins" (dedicated to the late Albert Collins), the swinging instrumental "Jaybird Stomp," the extended "Blacktop Alley," and "47 Beers." The second part, Savage Resurrection, is dedicated to Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis, and John Coltrane, displaying Gordon's explosive guitar on three intense instrumentals and the title cut. Highly recommended to fans of modern electric blues.
Credits:
Butch Azevedo - DrumsJay Gordon - Guitar, Harmonica, Slide Guitar, VocalsRuss Green - Bass
Tracklist:
Part I (Drippin Blues)
01. Message To Collins 04:2702. Drippin' Blues 04:3903. Lucky Thirteen 03:3804. Strech Neck Lill 05:5505. Jaybird Stomp 04:0306. El Diablos Blues 03:4107. Upside The Head 03:1908. Blacktop Alley 08:2109. Farmdog 02:5510. Tears 03:5011. 47 Beers 01:48
Part II (Savage Resurrection)
12. Drivin' Force 02:3313. Savage Resurrection 05:1914. Blues For The Eternal Angel 03:4715. Electric Redemption 04:42
Bobby Schnitzer Soul of a Man is the great CD by Minnesota guitarist Bobby Schnitzer.
Tracklist:
01. Rollin' and Tumblin' 03:5602. Hair Down Low 03:2303. I Got Those Slinky Blues 04:1404. Cristo Redenter 04:0505. What Is the Soul of a Man 03:25
Robin Banks ROBIN BANK$ is one of the country’s most exciting and hardest working female Blues entertainers! Award winning and internationally renowned, this songstress has 3 CD’s to her credit and performs some 240 nights each year throguhout Canada, Europe, the Caribbean and the U.S.!
Tracklist:
01. Rompin' After Dark 03:3502. My Daily Wish 07:5603. Rock This House 07:3404. I'm Walkin 05:0805. Built For Comfort 06:4806. The Whiskey Song 05:1007. Ain't Nobody's Business 06:0108. Hey Little Girl (Boy) 04:5209. Blue Bird 07:3810. Work It Out 05:1111. Whole Lotta Love 07:46
Sture Elldin Sture Elldin plays in a style that is rarely heard nowadays. His trademark is an extremely fat and compressed tone, almost only heard from greats such as Walter Horton. His phrasing is suggestive in its simplicity - he can repeat a sequence over and over until you're mesmerized. He is a truly powerful interpreter of the Chicago blues tradition. This, his first full-length release, featuring tracks from a number of session cuts, was primarily recorded in Stockholm between 1999 and 2001. (The closer, a cover of Little Walter's "Everything's Gonna Be Alright," was waxed in 1995). Sture plays some very fine harmonica, and the players acquit themselves quite well.
Credits:
Sture Elldin - Harp, VocalsHank Jansson - GuitarStephen Rosenberg - DrumsLennart Fagerstrom - BassClaes Parmland - GuitarConny Aidanpaa - GuitarMika Savinainen - BassUlf Sandstrom* - Piano
Tracklist:
01. The Creeper Returns 03:0202. Crazy Legs 03:1403. Two Headed Woman 03:55 04. M&O Blues 04:32 05. Summertime 04:3906. Things Ain’t What They Used To Be 04:13 07. Too Much 03:26 08. West Coast Jump 03:01 09. Quarter To Two 05:24 10. Don’t Say That No More 02:51 11. Hound Dog Baby 02:26 12. Out On The Road 04:07 13. C. C. Rider 03:4314. Tin Pan Alley 04:38 15. You’re So Fine 03:18 16. Hard Hearted Woman 03:42 17. Sugar Mama 03:58 18. Everything’s Gonna Be Alright 05:46
Blues Bag Great blues rock album from Sweden.
Tracklist:
01. Originell 02:28 02. Glida 02:37 03. Kom In I Koket 04:03 04. Bort fran stan 04:23 05. Jag vet 03:50 06. En Ny tid 03:24 07. Ringa pa 03:46 08. Nymfoman 04:46 09. En Man i manen 03:53 10. Politikerpolka 02:22 11. Bla 05:23
Pete Anderson Great, funky, twang from Dwight Yoakam's guitar player.
Tracklist:
01 Working Class 05:0202 Where the Crows Go 04:0403 Our Day Will Come 03:5604 Stateside Charlie 04:2305 She Belongs to Me 03:5206 Muddy Night at the Opera 02:4307 Fire 04:3008 Somewhere a Long Time Ago 02:4309 Blue Hour0 4:3310 Tomorrow Night 04:2311 What About Me 03:10
Johnny Moeller & Paul Size Although Moeller's the latest in a long line of six-string wizards to hail from Austin, he upholds the Texas music tradition not by imitating the licks of legendary Lone Star State players who've influenced him - like Albert Collins, Lightnin? Hopkins, the Vaughan Brothers - but by being a maverick. "The truth of the matter is I've never really tried to emulate anybody else," explains Moeller. Now with The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Johnny has proved his worth as a top-flight blues guitarist. Paul Size hails from The Red Devils and the lead singer on this album, Rhett Frazier, definitely has a career in front of him. This amalgamation of soul, jazz, funk and rock 'n' roll represents a great construct.
Credits:
Bret Coats - Bass Jason Moeller - Drums Johnny Moeller - Guitar Paul Size - Guitar Mike Flanigin - Organ [B3], Piano Rhett Frazier - Vocals (tracks: 03, 07, 11, 12)Hash Brown - Harmonica Paul Size - Bass
Tracklist:
01. Sweet Sugar You 03:4402. Return Of The Funky Worm 02:3203. I Stand Accused 04:3404. Dallas 02:4405. Watch My 32 02:3806. Nate's Song 03:5907. Stand Up 04:3808. Hop On 02:3709. My Backscratcher 02:3810. Hot Potatoes 03:0211. Three Day Binge 04:4012. Right Now 02:46
Jerry Forney Blues Band A classic Gibson Lucile with a custom guitar strap reading ‘Jerry Forney' fits the man as naturally as his full black outfit and bowler hat. Jerry Forney is the real deal: an authentic bluesman, a pedal steel legend, a treasure to St. Joseph, a ‘sultan of swing, yeah he knows all chords', and he's a bit of a character too.
He has such a warm guitar sound where notes seem to bubble out of his amplifier sustained by a secret delay. Every note is chosen with tender consideration in a luxurious leather-tone, thumbed in classy Wes Montgomery octaves, or triple-stopped with masterful combined use of fingering and guitar pick. I find Forney to be one of the most tasteful players around: comping colorful and clever chord voicings with mature melodic music-making during solo sections..
Jerry's Sunday blues show at the Ground Round on Belt and Fredrick has been consistently good for longer than I know, and last Sunday was exceptionally solid. The band usually includes Doug Ward on 5 string bass, and Wilbur on drums with Chili on the mouth-harp, and the evening could also bring in special guests. The musicians are incredible, and the sound doesn't overwhelm the space (though' they did get louder with a new PA).
Chris Moore (drummer for Charlie and the Stingrays) and Mike Huffer (piano extraordinaire and fearless bassist, wielding a seafoam longhorn Danelectro) joined Jerry for Leon Russell's Masquerade . The smooth R&B tune was intricate and beautiful; morphing into funk, it was one of the evening's highlights –nice harmonica solo, Chili.
Forney truly has fun when he performs, it is entertaining to catch his grins, and the tight shuffles grooves incite dancing in the little space the Ground Round provides. I was surprised to hear a reggae tune and Forney's playful use of feedback: even happening upon a major7th that rang out at the end of a tune. The show brought out some true blues tunes, folk-country ballads, and smooth grooves, early rock hits, and infectious shuffles.
Tracklist:
01. El Diablo 03:54 02. Ice & Steel 04:04 03. Red Headed Woman 02:33 04. Hard Times Ahead 03:07 05. Mean Low Rider 03:18 06. Old Number 39 02:52 07. Juannita 03:22 08. Roll On 03:24 09. South Bound 03:50
Jay Ray Great album, ideal for those who like Texas blues and good guitars.
Tracklist: 01 Second Hand Love 03:11 02 Get a Grip 04:12 03 Alimoney 03:51 04 Between the Pipes 02:08 05 Uptown Yankee 04:08 06 Dance With Me 05:01
Frank Raven Raven Desmond Songs Raven/Desmond Songs represents the coming together of two reknowned Chicago music talents. Originally teaming up to write songs for the Blue Watusis, a progressive blues group they co-led in the early 1990's,releasing the critically acclaimed 'Welcome to the House of the Blues',they have since expanded their songwriting repertoire to include country, rock, soul, and gospel and have 4 post-Watusis cds 'New Country and Blues', 'More New Country','Shake It Down' and the new compilation 'Best of the Blues'. Frank Raven is a veteran of legendary Chicago bands bohemia, Slammin'Watusis, The Blue Watusis, Iggy Yokam and His Famous Pogo Ponies, and The Frank Raven Band. The Blue Watusis 'Welcome to the House of the Blues', Frank Raven and the Blue Watusis 'Blues on a Stick', The Frank Raven Band's 'Sunday Driver' and Chicago Breakdown', Frank Raven and Dave Menet's 'Cadillac Baby...Live & Raw' and the just released compilation CD Frank Raven 'Blues x 2' all feature songs written by Frank Raven and Jim Desmond. His solo recordings include the highly acclaimed 'The Sadness of Winter' and 'This Dream's on Me'. As a guest soloist he has played on countless recordings for groups such as The Insiders, The Juleps, Texas Rubies, Pat Hall & The Fat Guys, and Prong. Jim Desmond is an important and charismatic figure on the Chicago music scene. Playing and writing in many different musical genres he is known for his powerful voice, his outrageous performance style, and his witty, literate take on songwriting. His blues influenced Desmond group was one of the highlights of the '80s-era Chicago punk scene. His solo recordings include original songs on the WLUP 'Chicago Rocks' CD and his early signature song 'God Made Me Do It' was featured on the indie compilation 'Jay's Garage'. His 7-piece r&b group The Hightones released '7 x 7' and he also currently performs with rock band The L & L All Stars who are recording an all original CD featuring two Raven Desmond songs. 'Raven Desmond Songs return to the roots of the Blues.' Reviewer: Illinois Entertainer Dec 2005/Sweet Home/Beverly Zeldin-Palmer 'Shake It Down' is the latest from local acoustic blues duo Raven Desmond Songs.Frank Raven (harp,vocals)and Jim Desmond (guitar,vocals) are Chicago stalwarts,with a Zappa-esque bent.Formerly songwriters and co-leaders of the progressive blues group the Blue Watusis,in their current incarnation, they return to the roots of the blues,with some wacky '60s-style acoustic tunes. Here's some info on The Blue Watusis 'Chicago The Blues Today' is the 'lost' Blue Watusis CD consisting of previously unreleased studio & live tracks recorded from 1992 to 1994. 'Live at Lounge Ax' is a rare treasure unearthed during the search for 'Chicago the Blues Today'. The Blue Watusis,our original band bio circa 1992. 'A rockin Chicago band of the 90's with it's roots in the classic Chicago Blues tradition.At the core of the Blue Watusis are Raven,Desmond and d'Buddah,pioneers of the alternative Chicago rock scene,who bring a rockin' edge to the Chicago blues styles they grew up with.The energetic presentation and interplay of Desmond and Raven's personalities,vocals and harps are driven by the snarling attack of d'Buddah,Slattery and Susala.The Blue Watusis are celebrating the release of their first recording'Welcome to the House of the Blues',an eight song cassette of original Raven/Desmond songs produced,engineered and mixed by Jay O'Rourke.' Review of 'Welcome to the House of the Blues'. Living Blues #105 sept. /oct. 1992 Short Takes by Bill Dahl Comprised of Chicago blues & rock veterans, the Blue Watusis bid Welcome to the House of the Blues on their new self-produced cassette. With Jim Desmond and Frank Raven switching off on vocals and harp duties, the all original set also showcases the stinging lead guitar of Lee D'Budda. Desmond's convincingly lived-in pipes power the shuffling I'm A Howlin' Wolf, and an introspective Chicago Breakdown, while Raven delivers the doomy minor key title track.
Credits:
Dave Menet - GuitarFran Kondorf - BassGreg Campbell - DrumsFrank Raven - Vocals, Harp
Tracklist:
01. Sunday Driver 04:16 02. Whatever Happened to Yesterday 06:31 03. Chicago the Blues Today 03:45 04. Good Old Days 04:57 05. Chicago Breakdown 05:36 06. Blues Attack 03:28 07. Missed Opportunities 02:20
Scott Holt Band Longtime Buddy Guy sideman Scott Holt certainly doesn't suffer from a lack of talent. He's got the voice, the chops, and the look to be the next "great white hope" of the blues world. What Holt lacks is direction. This album is full of bristling guitar work and strong vocal stylings. What's missing is a sense of identity. Holt rips through a selection of house-rockers and choice cover songs without ever letting the listener know what exactly should separate Holt from the packs of wannabes in his wake. Most of the songs are penned by Scott with a few notable exceptions, including a cover of Dylan's "Blind Willie McTell." There maybe is the problem. That particular song has been done to death in recent years. Holt's first album was more adventurous. The standout song on that collection was probably the Clash's "Train in Vain." That sort of musical adventurousness promised strong things from this performer. This album, alas, doesn't deliver on that promise. All is not lost, however. Holt's voice is strong, and listeners will probably find themselves humming the title track some hours later. Hopefully, his next record will put his talents to better use.
Tracklist:
01. Baby Let's Go 03:2202. Too Far Gone 02:4303. Angels In Exile 04:4004. Dress You Up 03:1805. The Unforgiven 03:5306. I'll Make Love To You Anytime 03:1607. Up In Flames 05:0908. Spanish Moon 05:4409. I've Got A Mind To Give Up Living 06:1010. Blind Willie McTell 07:1511. Who You're Thinking Of 03:5412. Strong Enough For Goodbye 05:09
Johnny Barnes This Willie Dixon Tribute CD features Boston’s blues man Johnny Barnes interpreting Dixon’s music though his own ears instead of recording them as a cover band. Dixon wrote songs for other blues artists, and his songs were covered by many American and British musicians during the 1960s and 1970s. Barnes was influenced as much by these 60s and 70s interpretations as he was by Dixon’s original recordings. Wisely, he gives a nod to those who covered Dixon.
Wasting no time, Barnes jumps right into the groove with a punchy version of “I Am The Blues.” It has the trademark blues guitar riff, a melodic phrase played down and dirty Chicago style. Like most Dixon songs, the tune holds together around the rhythm section. Dixon, a house bass player for Chess Records, could turn a song in any direction with the accents he plucked from his stand-up.
“I Just Want To Make Love To You,” written by Dixon for Muddy Waters, again gets its central oomph from the thrust of the rhythm section. Barnes’ version was clearly influenced by the Foghat version, as its frenetic pace indicates. Gordon Beadle’s sax line and Barnes lead guitar phrasing were clearly influenced by classic rock.
“Back Door Man,” a Willie Dixon tune popularized on The Doors’ first album, gets another fresh interpretation here. Beadle wails out a blistering sax melody as Barns’ sings these verses with authority, properly pausing just before the lyric “the men don’t know what the little girls understand.”
Three tracks in and you know you’re listening to a very fine tribute album. Barnes infuses these new interpretations with a modern energy that couldn’t be captured on the equipment Dixon had available to him in his day.
Barnes’ version of “Let Me Love You, Baby” could have been a hit on the free form radio station programming in the 1970s. Barnes’ bold vocal take matches his fierce lead and rhythm interplays.
Brandon Pritchard is masterful on bass and Joe Pet smacks his skins with rumbling authority. David Maxwell is here too, and he’s not just along for the ride. He drives some of these tunes with his piano and organ. He tinkles the ivories with a lot of class and control.
“I Can’t Quit You, Baby” features the same energy level of Led Zeppelin when they recorded it for the 1969 debut and “The Hootchie Cootchie Man” features Jon Butcher playing lead guitar with his simmering style.
“I’m Ready” jumps out of the gate like a wild stallion. Montgomery puts heart and soul into this, and Beadle plays it like there’s no tomorrow. If this song doesn’t make you want to punch out that school boy, check your pulse.
“Mellow Down Easy” is a tasty mash of snappy harp, sly sax, and funky drum fills. Pet owns this one. His manic drumming keeps this tune spinning, jumping, and bumping. A lot goes on around him, but Pet is paying it all out with his backbeat.
“I Ain’t Superstitious” gets a heavy dose of Barnes guitar caterwauling and the oomph from the rhythm section is beyond the call of duty. Pritchard pays out a lot of Knobby bass notes here and he creates a respectable rumble for Barnes to go crazy on top.
“You Shook Me” gives the same lilting backbeat that made this song great, and Maxwell’s piano keeps the song rooted in blues idioms. Led Zeppelin recorded this one on their debut too and they played it on two world tours before they wrote and recorded their own “original” blues song. Barnes’ interpretation pays homage to Led Zep’s high octane arrangement.
“Evil” is another wild romp and “Third Degree” is closer to traditional blues, Pet and Pritchard putting the energy on a leash and walking it around the block.
“Little Red Rooster” has been recorded and or performed live by many of the 1960s bands, The Rolling Stones, The Doors, and several others. Barnes brings this one back to its traditional roots. Maxwell plays it bluesy and takes his time, trading spaces with guest guitarist Forrest McDonald’s slide. It helps to have Montgomery putting his harp lines alongside that sweet slide.
This is simply a fantastic tribute album that will sell a lot of copies to blues and rock fans alike. It will also put a lot of pressure on Barnes to harness this music in a series of live shows.
Tracklist:
01. I Am the Blues 05:3702. I Just Want to Make Love to You 03:3303. Back Door Man 06:0504. Let Me Love You, Baby 04:5205. I Can't Quit You, Baby 04:2806. The Hootchie Cootchie Man 03:2607. I'm Ready 04:2608. Mellow Down Easy 05:2109. I Ain't Superstitious 05:1410. You Shook Me 04:5311. Evil 03:2912. Third Degree 04:1813. Little Red Rooster 04:43
Ben Blake Ben Blake came to national attention at age 22 with the "Bostown Sound" band Phluph (Verve/M.G.M. Records) making Newsweek Magazine in the psychedelic 1960`s. He was a persistent figure on the Boston music scene through the mid 1970`s, and then in Hollywood, California through the 1980`s, returning home to the East coast in the 1990`s.
Be it Blues, Rock, R+B, Soul, Jazz, or Fusion, from classical training in piano to over 50 years playing guitar, Ben Blake`s roots are deep and his experience is wide ranging. He has backed up The Coasters, The Drifters, and Bobby Lewis; opened for Bo Didley and The Paul Butterfield Blues Band; and sessioned with Ornette Colman, and Harry Neilsen. He has jammed with Lowell George (Little Feat), Boz Scaggs, Bonnie Raitt (turned down offer to join her band,`76), Joe Sample (The Crusaders), Bobby Womack, Otis Rush, Ronnie Montrose, Jeff Baxter, David Maxwell, Jay Geils, Nic Connolly, Billy Colwell, Jimmy Woods, James Montgomery, and Ritchie Hart -- to name a few.
Ben Blake has worked clubs, colleges, and concerts for 45 years. A published Singer/Songwriter (BMI) since 1968, recognized by the American Song Festival in the 1970`s, today he administers Ben Blake Music.com, with several hundred compositions in his catalogue. Soundtracked in Austria, on the radio in Germany, and reissued in Italy, his music has made it abroad.
His pedigree is preeminent. A direct descendant of Francis Scott Key (author--The Star Spangled Banner, ie the Bradley Flag) and the lineage of Stephen Rowe Bradley (from Vermont) his music and politics run deep. With a BA from Boston University in political science (CLA1968) his student activism placed him in the cauldron of change sweeping the nation. Countless "pro bono" gigs saw him contribute to the civil rights, anti-war, gender equality movements. Currently, he is a committed environmentalist and local activist dedicated to the preservation of "Open Space" land and hiking trails.
His values are true to his roots and shape the artistic musical expression so evident throughout the extensive catalogue of BenBlakeMusic.com.
Never complacent, his life long work continues unabated, regardless of commercial success, good times or bad.
Called "...cool...and classy" this CD is an effort to build on tradition, but move the sound and form forward, and to reflect the breadth and depth of his Blues influences.
Tracklist:
01. Midnight (Part 2) 03:4902. Prime Time Love 04:4003. It Should Have Been Me 04:0904. Confusion 03:3905. New York Shuffle 03:4906. Snow Blind 06:0507. Tongue Tied 05:1308. Ms. Strange 03:5709. Bakersfield Blues 03:3110. Late Night Lament 04:3611. Rasta Pasta 03:40
Ron Hacker Friends The Old U.S. Mint in New Orleans is home to the Louisiana Historical Center, one of America’s great archives, particularly for colonial-era manuscripts and maps. It also houses the New Orleans Jazz Museum. Ron Hacker took a job booking acts at the Old U.S. Mint in 2015 and, as he drily notes on his CD sleeve notes: “I was told I could book myself also, and that they liked to do residencies, so I booked three nights. Seemed like a good way to introduce myself to New Orleans.” The result is Hacker’s new CD, his eleventh release, Live At The Old U.S. Mint, which contains songs recorded on each of the three nights.
Hacker sings with a ragged, husky voice that suits his material perfectly and plays powerful, muscular guitar. On each of the three nights, he was accompanied by different musicians. The first set, recorded on 01 April 2016, features Johnny Sansone on harmonica and accordion, Kennan Shaw on bass, Tony D’alessandro on drums. Opening with the traditional “Broke & Hungry”, arranged by Hacker as almost a one-chord stomp with just a hint of chord changes, the sound is closer to the early electric blues of Chicago than the lazy, fluid sound more commonly associated with Louisiana. Little Walter’s “Hate To See You Go” is another nod towards early Chicago blues with some lovely swooping harp from Sansone who then picks up his accordion for the jumping “Keep Your Hands Off Her” which adds a distinctly Louisiana feel to the song. Likewise, the presence of the accordion on Willie Dixon’s “Evil” gives the song an entirely different flavor from previous versions.
The second set, from 22 April 2016, sees Hacker backed again by Shaw and D’alessandro, this time with John Fohl on guitar and Nancy Wright on saxophone. “Miss You Like The Devil” is played with a harder edge than Slim Harpo’s original classic while Hacker’s own elemental “My Bad Boy” features some vicious slide guitar and fine interplay between Hacker and Fohl.
One of the album highlights is the bare reading of “It Hurts Me Too”, with Wright’s aching sax to the fore, more duelling guitars and lovely support from Shaw and D’alessandro. As a young man, Hacker studied with Yank Rachell and he pays tribute to Rachell’s old partner Sleepy John Estes with a raucous rendition of “Goin’ To Brownsville”.
Hacker is backed in the third set by Jason Ricci on harp, Steve Ehrmann on bass and Kevin Hayes on drums. The combo blaze through the old Jimmy Rogers gem “I’m Goin’ Away Baby”, Estes’ “Ax Sweet Mama” (with more top notch slide from Hacker) and two Hacker originals. One of the Hacker songs, “Sing Like Elmore James” features some very Elmore-esque slide guitar even if Hacker can’t actually fulfil his stated wish to sing like James (then again, who can?). Ricci pulls out a particularly powerful solo as the band lays back on the classic 12 bar structure.
The closing track, “Two Timin’ Woman”, is the only song to include a spoken introduction (aside from the three announcements by Rafael Dobard announcing the date of each set), which is perhaps a shame because he clearly has a knack for story-telling and a good line in self-deprecating humour.
Tracklist:
01. Introduction 00:0702. Broke & Hungry 04:4503. Hate To See You Go 05:2504. Keep Your Hands Off Her 04:3205. Evil 04:4506. Introduction 00:0607. Miss You Like The Devil 05:2908. My Bad Boy 06:5709. It Hurts Me Too 05:4910. Goin' To Brownsville 05:0611. Introduction 00:0812. I'm Goin' Away Baby 06:0513. Ax Sweet Momma 05:2814. Sing Like Elmore James 05:2115. Two Timin' Woman 07:18
Rollin' Phattys The band’s set list features some “phat” original tunes as well as renditions of blues and rock covers from artists like Eric Clapton, J.J. Cale, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Delbert McClinton, and great Southern rock from the Allman Brothers, Gov’t Mule and Marshall Tucker Band.
Tracklist:
01. Plantation Girl 06:18 02. Red Hot Joe 04:44 03. Paradise Street 03:29 04. Cochon de Lait (Down on the Bayou) 04:17 05. My Heart Is on Fire 06:27 06. Black Bear River 04:21 07. Greta 04:56 08. Sugar Babe 03:44 09. Cherry Street Blues 03:04 10. Kim's Cowtown Shuffle 03:39
