CD Reviews on projects by Indie Blues Artists
Tony Holiday Soul Service Vizztone Label Group Salt Lake City’s Tony Holiday used to play guitar and front his band the Velvetones. When he switched to harmonica he recruited the young prodigy Landon Stone as the band’s guitarist. The band was named 2016’s “Best Blues Band” by the Salt Lake City Music Awards. After relocating […]
Dion Blues With Friends Keeping The Blues Alive Records Dion DeMucci better known as Dion was one of the first musicians that formulated my musical preferences. As part of the post doo-wop group Dion & The Belmonts, this Bronx soul, mesmerized myself and my peers with singles like “I Wonder Why”; “A Teenager in Love”; […]
Gerald McClendon Can’t Nobody Stop Me Now Delta Roots Records Born and raised in Chicago Gerald McClendon is one of the more versatile artists weaned on the Masters of R n’ B: Marvin Gaye, Wilson Pickett and Otis Redding. He embraces many genre’s and is an interpreter of classic rock, soul, blues, country and jazz. […]
Dr. John Ske-Dat-De-Dat/The Spirit of Satch The Last Music Co This weekend marks the first anniversary of the passing of Mac Rebennack better known as Dr. John. In order to commemorate the event The Last Music Co. is re-issuing the six time Grammy Award winner’s 2013 album in a limited edition vinyl format. Dr. John […]
Eddie 9V Way Down the Alley Many of us have been craving live music these days when we can’t safely gather, so it is lovely to hear Way Down the Alley. Close your eyes and imagine you are at Atlanta’s famous Blind Willie’s Blues Club, where it was recorded, listening to Eddie 9V (pronounced 9 […]
Duffy Bishop I’m Gonna Do What I Want! ‘Lil Spinner Records Born in Redding, Ca. Duffy Bishop began performing in rock bands when she was sixteen. Roadside Attraction, Toulouse Lautrec and The Rhythm Dogs were but a few. In 1975 she moved to Los Angeles, and later to Seattle. She first formed the Duffy Bishop […]
Gina Sicilia Love Me Madly Blue Elan Records The Philadelphia born Gina Sicilia released her debut recording “Allow Me To Confess” in 2007. That well received album earned her a Blues Music Award nomination as “Best New Artist”. Three more studio albums followed before Sicilia relocated to Nashville, a songwriter’s city. Newly inspired she signed […]
Charlie Bedford Good To Go Blue Heart Records Charlie Bedford hails from Melbourne Australia. The guitarist began playing in clubs, seven years ago, at the age of twelve. The Melbourne Blues Appreciation Society sent Bedford to Memphis to compete in the International Blues Challenge Youth Showcase in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Bedford returned to Memphis […]
Johnny Burgin No Border Blues Delmark Records Johnny Burgin attended The University of Chicago where he soon fell into the Chicago Blues scene. The guitarist’s first professional gig was backing the vocalist Tail Dragger. Burgin toured Japan in 1996 with his Tail Dragger bandmate Ken Kawashima. Burgin states “I realized just how intense and dedicated […]
VICTOR WAINWRIGHT AND THE TRAIN MEMPHIS LOUD Ruf Records 2020 Blues Music Award winner for Instrumentalist Piano and Grammy-nominated keyboard player/songwriter/singer VICTOR WAINWRIGHT AND THE TRAIN’s MEMPHIS LOUD releases MAY 22, 2020 on Ruf Records. From the opening tap on the keys to the last lingering hum of the Hammond B3, Memphis Loud hits you […]
Jose Ramirez Here I Come Independent At the age of thirty-two Jose Ramirez is Costa Rica’s premier blues guitarist and vocalist. In 2020 he represented the D.C. Blues Society at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis and he finished second place in the band competition. He has played with Buddy Guy, Janiva Magness, Mark Hummel […]
Mark Telesca Higher Vibrations Mark Telesca has a new solo acoustic blues album, Higher Vibrations, out, and it is a smooth-sailing winner. With a total of sixteen songs, 9 of them originals and the other 7 pre- WWII blues songs, the whole album fits together perfectly. Mark is a skilled finger-picker and an amazing storyteller, […]
Linsey Alexander Live At Rosa’s Delmark Records Linsey Alexander is a classic Chicago bluesman. Born in Mississippi he moved to Memphis with his family when he was twelve. He has played with everyone from B.B. King, to Magic Slim and Buddy Guy. After being part of the Chicago scene Alexander released his solo debut “Someone’s […]
Otis Rush All Your Love, I Miss Loving Live at The Wise Fools Pub, Chicago Delmark 781 It was a “cold day in hell” on Chicago’s West Side in January, 1976. Otis Rush was about to take the stage at The Wise Fools Pub. Otis Rush was a guitarist of unquestionable talent and a singer […]
Shirley King Blues For A King Now that I got past the 1700 mark on my reviews, let start working on the 1800 mark with the new album by Shirley King, the blues-singing daughter of the legendary blues artist B.B. King and has earned the title “Daughter of the Blues,” but she is an outstanding […]
Ruthie Foster Big Band Live At The Paramount Blue Corn Music The sensational Ruthie Foster has a total of twelve Blues Music Award nominations. She won her first BMA for Contemporary Blues Female Artist in 2010; but between 2011 and 2019 she won The Traditional Blues Female Artist Award a.k.a. The Koko Taylor Award seven […]
Robert Jon And the Wreck Last Light on the Highway Last Light On The Highway is the May 8, 2020 album by blues and country-infused rock n’ roll quintet Robert Jon and the Wreck out of Orange County, California comprising of Robert Jon Burrison on vocals and guitar, Andrew Espantman on drums, Steve Maggiora keyboards and vocals, Henry James on lead guitar and vocals, and Warren Murrel on […]
Willie Nile New York At Night River House Records Willie Nile was born Robert Noonan in Buffalo, New York in 1948. He attended the University of Buffalo and later moved to New York’s Greenwich Village to begin his recording career. He frequented the nightclub CBGB’s were he was first inspired by the Ramones. He released […]
E D Brayshaw Fire Without Water Fire Without Water is the May 1, 2020 debut solo release by guitarist E D Brayshaw. Having spent over thirty years as the guitar to go sideman for many other artists, E D Brayshaw finally put other projects aside to record his thoughts and emotions on this eight-track album. I first got turned […]
Peter Karp Magnificent Heart Rose Cottage Music Peter Karp’s music is fueled by blues and inspired by the Americana and roots music he grew up listening to. He writes about personal experience with detailed observations. This collection of songs is about people he met and experiences encountered “the triumphs and tragedies that you leave behind […]
Grant Dermody My Dony Self-released Just listen to the opening title track and it’s immensely clear that this is a deep blues album. Tread in a little further and learn that multi-Grammy award winning musician and producer Dirk Powell partnered with Dermody in the production, songwriting, and, as per usual, brought an arsenal of instruments, […]
King Solomon Hicks Harlem Provogue/Mascot Label Group Twenty-five year old Solomon Hicks is from New York Cities upper west side. He started playing guitar at the age of six. When he was fourteen he recorded “Embryonic” with the seventeen-piece Cotton Club All-Star Band, and toured Europe and Japan. His first mentor was Melvin Sparks. The […]
John Primer & Bob Corritore The Gypsy Woman Told Me Vizztone Label Group John Primer was born in Camden, Mississippi in 1945. He moved to Chicago and was a regular at Theresa’s Lounge. He also played in both Willie Dixon’s Chicago Blues All-Stars and The Muddy Waters Band. After Muddy’s death he joined Magic Slim […]
Mark S. Black Wheels Keep Turning “Wheels Keep Turning”is the fourth studio album from Mark S. Black. This album sees Mark reunite with Mark Ward who hails from Melbourne Australia. Mark mixed his debut album called “The Midnight Ramblings Of A Demented Irishman “ recorded back in 2004. Wheels Keep Turning was mastered by Paul Gomersall. Paul has […]
Mike Zito Quarantine Blues Gulf Coast Records Over the year’s guitarist/vocalist Mike Zito has become a true force in the blues world. He won his first Blues Music Award in 2010 for “Song of the Year”; for the title track off his Eclecto Groove album “Pearl River” co-written with Cyril Neville. He formed “The Royal […]
Anni Piper Blow Up Doll Sugar Daddy Records Australian born Anni Piper was first influenced by listening to the blues-rock of Stevie Ray Vaughan. The bassist released her debut recording “Jailbait” in 2004. She signed with Bluesleaf Records and between 2008 and 2013 released three albums. Due to her wardrobe and pin up modeling she […]
Tyler Morris Living In The Shadows Vizztone Label Group Boston born Tyler Morris began playing guitar at the age of ten. Influenced by his father he started playing in blues clubs a year later. He released his debit recording 2015’s “And So It Begins” when he was only fifteen. The next year he followed up […]
Steve Howell, Dan Sumner & Jason Weinheimer Long Ago Out Of The Past Music Texas born Steve Howell lives near Shreveport, La. He has immersed himself in the rural blues of the south and is normally content to re-create obscure country blues with his warm vocals and finger picking. He recorded his debut album “Out […]
The Nighthawks Tryin’ To Get To You Eller Soul Records The R n’ B and roots music legends, The Nighthawks, were first formed in 1971. They recorded their debut album in 1974. My favorite recordings of theirs include 1986’s “Hard Living” with Jimmy Thackery; 1996’s “Pain and Paradise”; and 2009’s “American Landscape”. In 2014 they […]
Tom Gilberts Old School Polymerase You know this will be a different kind of blues record as it opens with the slow blues “Lady Luck,’ suggesting a confidence that few blues guitarists have as not many would dare to open with a simmering slow one. Tom Gilberts is a master of tone and nuance and […]
Andrew Alli Hard Workin’ Man EllerSoul Emerging harmonica sensation Andrew Alli hails from Richmond, VA, the same area of his mentor, the Piedmont harp master, Phil Wiggins. Alli not only blows his blues harp in an intense, county rooted style, he can sing with passion too. He’s a young cat with an old soul. Allie […]
Be Sharp Band Ashes The Blues may well have originated in the southern states of the USA, but today we all live in the modern world and the same issues effect our lives, day in day out. Because right now the Blues is global, it doesn’t matter whether the music is created in Louisiana, London, […]
Crystal Shawanda Church House Blues True North Records/New Sun Records Crystal Shawanda is an indigenous Canadian born in the Wiikwemkoong First Nation, an unceded territory, on Manitoulin Island in northern Ontario. She moved to Nashville and signed with RCA Records in 2007. Her debut album “Dawn of a New Day” reached the top 20 on […]
The Proven Ones You Ain’t Done Gulf Coast Records The Proven Ones released their debut recording “Wild Again” in 2018. The all-star ensemble is led by Jimi Bott, drums. Bott has twenty Blues Music Award nominations for Best Instrumentalist – Drums, winning that award in 2015. His longtime partner Willie J. Campbell has four of […]
#Bloomerangs Moments and Fragments Instru Dash Mental It’s unusual to begin your band name with the pound sign but in this age of text messaging and digital communication perhaps, it’s not odd. (and, for those who file CDs alphabetically like this writer, how do you deal with a #? Suggest you just go to ‘b’). […]
The Claudettes High Times in the Dark Forty Below Records The Claudettes were founded by Brian Berkowitz known professionally as Johnny Iguana. He had previously played organ in the Indie rock band “Oh My God” but is a highly regarded Chicago blues pianist having recorded with Junior Wells, Carey Bell, Lurrie Bell, Matthew Skoller and […]
Jay Willie & James Montgomery Cadillac Walk Zoho Music Connecticut based Jay Willie is the frontman for The Jay Willie Blues Band first formed in 2001 with Bob Callahan and Bobby T. Torello. They are a Texas styled blues band playing both traditional and contemporary blues. The JWBB released their debut recording in 2011 with […]
The Reverend Shawn Amos & The Brotherhood Blue Sky Put Together Music Shawn Amos is the son of Wally Amos founder of the Famous Amos chocolate chip cookie brand and singer Shirlee Ellis professionally known as Shirlee May. Born in New York City Amos returned and attended film school at New York University. After reading […]
John Blues Boyd What My Eyes Have Seen… Gulf Coast Records John Blues Boyd was born in Greenwood, Ms. in 1945. He began working in the cotton fields when he was seven years old. He relocated to California in 1980 where his primary occupation was that of a hot tar roofer; singing the blues whenever […]
Beano Mojohand Beano Mojohand How do I find the words to start this review, normally I’m not a person lost for them Ok ok,for those of you who know me,you have had your laugh. Seriously though the quality of this debut album is simply amazing. “Beano”delivers a level of playing ability, talent and heart that […]
Albert Castiglia Wild and Free Gulf Coast Records A young Albert Castiglia served his apprenticeship as guitarist in both the Junior Wells and Sandra Hall bands before embarking on his own solo career. He released his solo debut in 2004. In 2006 he signed with Blues Leaf Records and released four albums the last being […]
Jim Gustin & Truth Jones Lessons Learned Self-released Jim Gustin’s force-of-nature voice evokes Long John Baldry and perhaps Canadians Big Doug McLean and Jim Byrnes. There’s some Joe Cocker in there too. He has a natural smoky rasp in his baritone that’s simply perfect for the funky blues he and his band lay down. So, […]
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 […]
