CD Reviews on projects by Indie Blues Artists
JW Jones Live Solid Blues Records At thirty eight years old JW Jones’ influences include fellow Canadians Ronnie Hawkins and Colin James. He has also absorbed most of the roots rock, blues, and country music that has come before him. He has recorded with Kim Wilson, David “Fathead” Newman, Little Charlie Baty, Hubert Sumlin and […]
Colin James Miles To Go True North Records One of the best Canadian interpreters of traditional blues is Colin James. On his last album 2016’s “Blue Highway” James paid tribute to some of his influences. That album spent ten weeks at No. 1 on the Roots Music Report’s Blues Chart. This is James’ sequel to […]
Tony Joe White Bad Mouthin’ Yep Roc Many of us have long thought of Tony Joe White as a blues artist. After all, Eric Clapton covered White’s “Did Somebody Make a Fool Out of You” and more recently Robert Cray covered two songs and invited White to play on his album with the HI Rhythm […]
Josh Smith Burn to Grow VizzTone Put versatile southern Californian guitarist Josh Smith together with brilliant players like Davey Faragher and Pete Thomas from Elvis Costello and more recently their band, Jackshit, and other top L.A. musicians and you have the makings of some inventive, genre-crossing blues influenced music. Smith proves to be a quadruple […]
Philipp Fankhauser I’ll Be Around Sony Music/Funk House Blues Productions Philipp Fankhauser is a Swiss soul blues singer, guitarist and songwriter. He began singing in 1987 and produced his bands first album “Blues for the Lady” in 1989. After touring with Johnny “Clyde” Copeland in 1994 Fankhauser recorded his first solo album. Four of his […]
Celso Salim Band Mama’s Hometown Tower High Music Based in Southern California for the past four years, Brazilian guitarist Celso Salim and his band introduce their first album recorded here in the states. This is deep blues, not Brazilian music, and it’s fused with elements of soul, country, jazz and rock. There are eight originals […]
Billy F. Gibbons The Big Bad Blues Concord Records Guitarist/Vocalist Billy F. Gibbons formed the rock band ZZ Top in 1969. Their debut recording “ZZ Top’s First Album” was released two years later. Their discography includes fifteen studio albums and four albums recorded live. The rock n’ boogie band has sold over twenty-five million albums […]
Rachelle Coba Blink American Showplace Music Rachelle Coba hails from Fon du Lac, Wisconsin. She is the daughter of a Kansas mom and a Cuban born dad. As a child she studied the violin but got her first guitar at fifteen when her mom took her to see Lonnie Mack and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Rachelle […]
Scott Sharrard Saving Grace We Save Music Scott Sharrard was born and raised in Michigan and attended the High School for the Arts in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He played and sang with touring musicians, when they came to town, including Clyde Stubblefield, Buddy Miles, Luther Allison and Hubert Sumlin. He and his band moved to New […]
Various Artists Chicago/The Blues Legends/Today! West Tone Blues collectors will recognize the cover art work reminiscent of the Vanguard three album set, compiled by Samuel Charters and released in 1966. That project, like this one, shed light on some artists that didn’t have the reputations of Muddy or Wolf, who later went on to become […]
Eric Lindell Revolution in Your Heart Alligator Records Eric Lindell was born in San Mateo, California and spent his formative years in the greater San Francisco area absorbing sounds and learning how to craft a song. He formed a few punky garage bands as his influences included rock, blues, soul and R n’ B. In […]
Barbara Blue Fish in dirty H20 Big Blue Records Barbara Blue moved to Memphis in 1997 and has been performing there ever since. She has been named “The Reigning Queen of Beale Street” and on Friday, May 8th, 2015 after the ribbon was cut on the brand new Blues Hall of Fame, Blue was honored […]
By Adam Signore Who is Joanne Shaw Taylor? Joanne Shaw Taylor, a young 30 something Rock & Blues guitarist from England, who bounces back and forth between Detroit, MI & England for residence is kicking butt on the music scene. She has been impressing audiences from the start. Discovered at age 16 by Dave Stewart […]
Frank Bey Back in Business Nola Blue Records Frank Bey was born in Millen, Georgia in 1946. His mother, gospel singer Maggie Jordan, had him singing with The Rising Son Gospel Singers when he was four years old. Bey was brought up in a strict household, and at the age of fourteen he had to […]
Anthony Geraci Why Did You Have To Go Blue Duchess/Shining Stone Records Anthony Geraci is both a founding member of Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters and Sugar Ray and The Bluetones. He has been with the latter for over thirty-five years. Geraci also has six albums of his own the last being 2015’s “Fifty Shades […]
Mick Kolassa & The Taylor Made Blues Band 149 Delta Endless Blues Records On Mick Kolassa’s last two albums he collaborated with fellow musicians and recorded covers of both Beatles tunes (with Mark Telesca); and blues classics (as duets with various contemporaries). On this, his sixth studio album, Kolassa and The Taylor Made Blues Band […]
Geoff Achison Sovereign Town Landslide Geoff Achison hails from Down Under and his album from last year, Another Mile, Another Minute was nominated for Album of the Year in the 2017 Australian Blues Awards. It was brilliantly eclectic and wide ranging, clearly one of the best albums in 2017. His electric guitar tone was so […]
Jonathon Long Jonathon Long Wild Heart We should know better than try to predict what Samantha Fish will do next. This is her first foray in the producer chair and as label owner. That’s right. She’s started her own label, Wild Heart Records. And, conventional wisdom (let’s say from two or three years ago) would […]
The Bob Lanza Blues Band Kids, Dogs & Krazy Women Connor Ray Music Bob Lanza hails from New Jersey. This is his fifth studio recording and third for the Connor Ray Music label. His last album was 2016’s “It’s Time To Let Go”. Once an artist has full control of their music and has several […]
Gina Sicilia Heard The Lie Blue Elan Records Philadelphia’s Gina Sicilia released her first recording “Allow Me To Confess” in 2007. That well received debut, resulted in her receiving a Blues Music Award nomination as “Best New Artist” and begin touring. Today she tours all over the world playing over a 150 shows a year. […]
Karrin Allyson Some Of That Sunshine Kas Records Karrin Allyson Schoonover was born in Great Bend, Kansas and raised in Omaha Nebraska. She attended the University of Nebraska at Omaha and studied classical piano. At night she sang in her own jazz ensemble at various Omaha nightclubs. She moved to Kansas City where she released […]
Billy Hector Some Day Baby Ghetto Surf Music Billy Hector was born in Orange New Jersey. He started taking guitar lessons at the age of nine. In the 1970s Hector was the guitarist for “The Shots” the house band at the renowned Stone Pony in Asbury Park. Hector began to identify more with the blues […]
Terry Blersh Play It All Day Independent Terry Blersh is a Canadian guitarist who formed his first band in 1992. He also worked with both Rita Chiarelli, and the Cameo Blues Band. His self titled debut album, released in 2008, received three stars from Frank-John Hadley of DownBeat Magazine. Blersh while Blues orientated is not […]
Jason Ricci and JJ Appleton Dirty Memory Dirty Memory is as different as possible from Jason Ricci’s Approved By Snakes, so if that is what you are expecting, get it out of your head! Ricci has teamed up with New York City singer/songwriter JJ Appleton to give us something much more laid back. This one […]
Midnite Johnny Morana Long Road Home Mosher St. Records Johnny Morana a.k.a. Midnite Johnny has had a long career playing the blues. From 1986 to 1988 Morana worked with Harvey Mandel of Canned Heat. Morana was also a fill-in guitarist for both James Cotton and Bo Diddley. From 1990 to 1994 Morana was a member […]
Kevin Kearney Band “Black – Revised” DWAZ Entertainment Slide guitarist Kerry Kearney has been writing and performing for over 40 years. Although not as well-known as Sonny Landreth or Roy Rogers, Kearney first formed The Kerry Kearney Band back in 1997. In 2001 Kearney released his breakthrough album “Welcome to the Psycodelta” on Relix Records. […]
The Radiators Welcome to The Monkey House Radz Records In 1978 five New Orleans musicians jammed together in a garage for over five hours. The next day they all quit their respective bands to form a new one. The Radiators became the number one rock band in New Orleans by combining the traditional music of […]
Zak Trojano Self-released Wolf Trees This is as solo as one gets for a solo album – just Zak Trojano singing and accompanying himself on a Martin or Weissenborn lap steel guitar. The Rusty Belle co-founder’s third solo album has low open C modal tuning on any guitar he uses, and foundationally has simple arrangements […]
Jimmie Smith Live in Music City: Jimmie Smith Plays Jimmy Smith Woodward Avenue The inevitability of this concept will likely bring a “you must be kidding” chuckle at first but it’s a terrific show by Hammond B3 organist Rev. Jimmie Smith honoring his almost namesake, the iconic jazz organist Jimmy Smith. “Tribute to the Hammond […]
Whitney Shay A Woman Rules The World Little Village Foundation As a child Whitney Shay witnessed a Shakespearean play, and she has been performing ever since. In 2009 she began fronting a band and singing blues, jazz and swing. In 2012 Shay released her debut recording “Soul Tonic”. In 2015 she recorded an album with […]
Trudy Lynn Blues Keep Knockin’ Connor Ray Music Trudy Lynn was born Lee Audrey Nelms and raised in Houston’s musically rich Fifth Ward. Originally the neighborhood was settled by Creoles forced to leave Louisiana because of The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927. In the mid-sixties Lynn sang with Albert Collins. In 1989 she released her […]
Shemekia Copeland America’s Child Alligator Records Shemekia Copeland’s education occurred while growing up in a household surrounded by music. She is the daughter of famed bluesman Johnny “Clyde” Copeland. She inherited the urge to perform and in 1998, at the age of eighteen, released her Alligator Records debut. This new album is her eighth studio […]
Yvette Landry & The Jukes Louisiana Lovin’ Soko Music Yvette Landry hails from Breaux Bridge, Louisiana close to the Atchafalaya Basin, our largest swampland. Growing up there she has an appreciation for the music of her Cajun culture. Her debut album 2010’s “Should Have Known” was named Offbeat Magazine’s “Best Country/Folk Album” and The Yvette […]
Boz Scaggs Out Of The Blues Concord Records Atlantic Records signed Boz Scaggs in 1968 and released his self titled debut. The album featured guitarist Duane Allman and The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. Included were his versions of “I’ll Be Long Gone” and “Loan Me A Dime” and they received a considerable amount of airplay […]
Brigitte Purdy Dirtshack Still I Rise Terrific singers are often comfortable in several genres, but most want to be blues singers to showcase their emotive power. That’s why versatile, gifted, and downright sultry vocalist, Brigitte Purdy, is belting blues and seductive R&B on her debut, Still I Rise. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Purdy […]
Damon Fowler The Whiskey Bayou Session Whiskey Bayou Records Damon Fowler was born in Brandon, Fl. eleven miles east of Tampa. He first picked up the guitar at the age of twelve and has since also mastered lap steel and Dobro. His songwriting reflects influences from blues, gospel, soul, country music and swamp rock. His […]
Al Basile Me & The Originator Sweetspot Records In 1970 Al Basile received a Master’s degree in Creative Writing from Brown University. Three years later Duke Robillard asked him to join Roomful of Blues to become their first cornet player. While with them Basile got to play his horn with many of the greats most […]
Bruce Katz Band Get Your Groove! American Showplace Music As a child Bruce Katz studied classical piano. He later studied jazz piano and Hammond organ at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. His first professional gig was playing bass guitar for Big Mama Thornton. He also played with Barrence Whitfield and The Savages, and […]
Big Apple Blues Manhattan Alley Stone Tone Records Big Apple Blues’ 2015 album “Energy” was a “creative fusion of instrumental blues, soul, funk and rock”. This new album “Manhattan Alley” continues to celebrate the genre defying soul of the city that never sleeps. The five principal band members include Hammond B-3 player and keyboardist Jim […]
Cyrille Aimee Live Mack Avenue Records This new live recording from Cyrille Aimee marks the end of an era. The performance was the last from her with this great band. “I want to find new inspirations and a new energy, I feel like you always have to search further, and that’s what I constantly try […]
Elvin Bishop’s Big Fun Trio Something Smells Funky ’Round Here Alligator Records In high school Elvin Bishop won a full scholarship to attend The University of Chicago and he arrived there in 1960. Three years later he met Paul Butterfield and joined his band. Bishop left the Paul Butterfield Blues Band in 1968 to start […]
The Little Red Rooster Blues Band Lock Up the Liquor Self-released The Little Red Rooster Blues Band has been perhaps the Philly area’s most prized blues band for three decades now. This CD, which is their seventh, marks their 30th year as a band. It’s essentially a miracle that band leader Kevin McCann was able […]
Big Harp George Uptown Cool Blues Mountain It’s as if the melody and refrain to Paul Simon’s “Graceland” has taken on this verse for so many blues musicians – “We’re going to Greaseland, Greaseland …we’re going to Greaseland.” Yes, Big Harp George is the latest in a growing number of mostly emerging artists that are […]
Biscuit Miller “Live” At The North Atlantic Blues Festival Independent David Miller was raised on the south side of Chicago. He was nicknamed “Biscuit” by his grandma as he wouldn’t get out of her kitchen. He learned to play bass from his friend’s older brother. Biscuit played with Mojo Buford formerly with Muddy Waters. One […]
Rory Block A Woman’s Soul: A Tribute to Bessie Smith Stony Plain Records Aurora “Rory” Block spent her formative years as part of the Greenwich Village folk music scene. At the age of fourteen she was introduced to the music of the Mississippi Delta by Stefan Grossman. She made it her business to seek out, […]
McClenty Hunter Jr. The Groove Hunter Strikezone This is drummer McClenty Hunter Jr.’s first album as a leader. For the past decade Hunter has been an integral part of the New York City jazz scene, having logged three years with Kenny Garrett’s Grammy nominated quintet, and performing with Jim Snidero, Lou Donaldson and Dave Stryker, […]
Vanessa Collier Honey Up Independent Vanessa Collier graduated Boston’s Berklee College of Music with degrees in Performance, Music Production, and Engineering. In 2014 Collier released her debut album “Heart, Soul and Saxophone”. Her mixture of blues, rock, soul and funk resulted in being named a 2014 Best of Blues Breaker on Dan Aykroyd’s House of […]
Lady A Doin’ Fine Independent Anita White a.k.a. Lady A makes her home in the greater Seattle area. She has been a Pacific NW Blues favorite for over a decade and has been called “the hardest workin’ woman in Blues, Soul & Funk”. Her high energy performances showcase her husky but sultry voice. Lady A […]
Steve Howell and The Mighty Men featuring Katy Hobgood Ray Good as I Been To You Out of The Past Music Steve Howell is from the area around Texarkana. That region is steeped in tradition and so is Howell’s music. Howell finger picks the guitar and usually is content to recreate traditional country blues. This […]
Dharmasoul Lightning Kid Independent Dharmasoul is guitarist/vocalist Jonah Tolchin and drummer Kevin Clifford. They met in 2008 at the National Guitar Workshop in Connecticut when they were fifteen. This is their first album together. Tolchin was just out of high school when he released his debut an EP called “Eldawise”. In 2012 he followed up […]
