CD Reviews INDIE Blues

Ilana Katz Katz Subway Stories: All Trains Blues & Roots Fiddle Vizztone Label Group The modest Ilana Katz married Warren Katz to become a double Katz. She started as a busker and still plays fiddle in the Boston subway system. In 2014 Ronnie Earl included her song “Running in Peace”, about the bombing at the […]

Indie Blues CD Review Alastair Greene Dream Train Rip Cat Records Alastair Greene is from southern California. Influenced by seventies guitarists, especially Duane Allman and Stevie Ray Vaughan, he found work backing artists like James Harman. Greene recorded his own rockin’ debut “A Little Wiser” in 2001. His follow up live album “Bootleg: Live in […]

Howlin’ At Greaseland Various Artists West Tone Records Chester Arthur Burnett a.k.a. Howlin’ Wolf was a Chicago blues singer, guitarist and harmonica player. Musician and music critic Michael “Cub” Koda said it best “no one could match Howlin’ Wolf for the singular ability to rock the house down…while simultaneously scaring its patrons out of its […]

The Original Blues Brothers Band The Last Shade of Blue Before Black Severn Records The Original Blues Brothers Band is a band that began as a one time skit on “Saturday Night Live” in 1978. They backed up Joliet Jake (John Belushi) and Elwood Blues (Dan Aykroyd). The band was an overnight sensation making several […]

George Thorogood Party of One Rounder Records George Thorogood was born in Wilmington, Delaware in 1950. He began as a solo acoustic performer in 1970 and soon later formed his band The Delaware Destroyers. Thorogood signed with the roots oriented Rounder Records label in 1976. It was a departure from the labels usual folk and […]

Albert Castiglia Up All Night Ruf Records Albert Castiglia was born in New York City in August of 1969. Castiglia was only five years old when his Cuban American parents moved to Florida. Castiglia joined the Miami Blues Authority in 1990 and was named “best blues guitarist” by the Miami New Times. In 1996 Castiglia […]

Al Basile Quiet Money Sweetspot Records Al Basile grew up in Haverhill, Massachusetts a suburb outside of Boston. He received a Master’s degree from Brown University in 1970. He first met Duke Robillard in 1969 and Robillard talked Basile into joining Roomful of Blues in 1973. Basile became Roomful’s first trumpet player and while with […]

Tommy Castro and The Painkillers Stompin’ Ground Alligator Records Tommy Castro is a guitarist and vocalist from San Jose, California. Castro became a member of The Dynatones in 1980 but by 1991 had left to form his own band. Castro released “Soul Shaker” on Blind Pig Records in 2005 and received his first two Blues […]

Gregg Allman Southern Blood Rounder Records Gregg Allman had some serious health issues. He was diagnosed with hepatitis C in 2007. He had a successful liver transplant in 2010. Allman who at the time had six previous solo recordings achieved even greater success with the Grammy nominated “Low Country Blues” released in 2011. When Allman […]

Cassie Keenum & Rick Randlett Hauntings Fox Run Records Cassie Keenum hails from Alachua, Fl. sixteen miles outside of Gainesville. She is a singer songwriter with a soulful voice who performs in a duo with Rick Randlett. Randlett discovered the blues while in college. He listened to bands like Cream, The Yardbirds, and early Fleetwood […]

Chris “Bad News” Barnes Hokum Blues Vizztone Label Group Chris Barnes has been a writer and performer for The Carol Burnett Show, Saturday Night Live, Seinfield, 30 Rock, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. He began his blues music career opening for acts at the legendary blues club, Tramps, where he would take audience suggestions and improvise […]

Corey Dennison Band Night After Night Delmark Records Corey Dennison hails from Chattanooga, Tennessee. He got his first guitar when he was six years old. He used to hang out with his harp playing uncle so his early influences were Junior Wells, Albert Collins and Albert King. Dennison also fell in love with the soul […]

Jimmy Carpenter Plays The Blues Vizztone Label Group Saxophonist Jimmy Carpenter began playing professionally in 1980. He toured with both Tinsley Ellis and Jimmy Thackery. In 2004 Carpenter played on “Whiskey Store Live” with Thackery and Tab Benoit. He settled in New Orleans shortly thereafter and found work with Walter “Wolfman” Washington and Eric Lindell. […]

Benny Turner My Brother’s Blues Nola Blue Records Once Benny Turner and his older brother Freddie left Texas for Chicago his brother began to make a name for himself as Freddie King. Freddie became a guitar god while Turner backed him up on bass. Turner left for awhile to play with R n’ B singer […]

Wee Willie Walker And The Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra After A While Blue Dot Records  Born in Hernando, Mississippi Wee Willie Walker’s career spans six decades as he is one of our last real soul singers. He recorded nine sides for the Memphis based Goldwax label in 1968. More recently between 2004 and 2011 Walker […]

Milligan-Vaughan Project Mark One Records Malford Milligan is a Texas based soul, blues and rock singer who attended the University of Texas. He started a local Monday night blues jam and wound up beginning a life in music. In 1994 Milligan helped form the band Storyville with David Grissom, David Holt and Stevie Ray Vaughan’s […]

Johnny Rawls Waiting For The Train Catfood Records Johnny Rawls was born in Hattiesburg Mississippi in 1951. Having mastered the guitar Rawls’ schoolteacher arranged for him to back musicians when they were on tour through Mississippi. In 1975 Rawls joined O.V. Wright’s band and became his musical director until Wright’s passing in 1980. The Ace […]

Mindi Abair and The Boneshakers The East-West Sessions MindiAbair.com In 1979 Randy Jacobs was a core member of the funk pop band “Was (Not Was)” an early project of producer Don Was (Bonnie Raitt, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones) where he worked with singer Sweet Pea Atkinson. He was also a member of 1993’s Soul […]

Jonny Lang Signs Concord Music Group Jon Gordon Langseth, Jr. a.k.a. Jonny Lang was born in Fargo, North Dakota in 1981. He started playing guitar at the age of twelve. His father took him to see the Fargo based “Bad Medicine Blues Band” and Lang was hooked. He started taking lessons from the bands guitar […]

Steve Howell and Jason Weinheimer A Hundred Years From Today Out of The Past Music Texas born Steve Howell now lives in the greater Shreveport, La. area. He has immersed himself in the rural blues of the south. Howell re-creates obscure traditional country blues with his finger picking style and warm voice. His third album […]

Walter Trout We’re all in this together Provogue/Mascot Label Group Walter Trout was born in Ocean City, N.J. After moving to LA he worked with Big Mama Thornton, John Lee Hooker and Joe Tex before becoming Canned Heat’s guitarist in 1981. In 1985 he left them and joined John Mayall and The Bluesbreakers where he […]

 Scott Ellison Good Morning Midnight Red Parlor Records Scott Ellison hails from Tulsa, Oklahoma. In 1977 guitarist Ellison backed up country music star Jesseca James and in 1981 joined up with Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown. In the mid 1980’s Ellison relocated to Los Angeles and found work with The Box Tops, The Marvalettes, The Drifters, The […]

Double Duty  Kim Simmonds Jazzin’ on the Blues Panache Records Savoy Brown Witchy Feelin’ Ruf Records Guitarist Kim Simmonds was born in Wales in 1947. In 1965 he founded the band Savoy Brown. Their first album was 1967’s “Shake Down” which wasn’t issued in the U.S. Both “Blue Matter” and “A Step Further” were released […]

Paul de Lay Band Live at Notodden ‘97 Little Village Foundation De Lay was an original, a chromatic harp player who incorporated a jazzy tone into his music; and an inventive songwriter with the ability to express his personal feelings in the songs that he wrote. He had a keen sense of humor, loved a […]

Lew Jetton & 61 South Palestine Blues Coffee Street Records Lew Jetton is a former local radio and television meteorologist and news anchor. In 1994 Jetton joined the Paducah, Ky based blues band “61 South”. When their lead singer left the band Jetton became their frontman. The band opened for Luther Allison, Koko Taylor, Little […]

Rick Estrin & The Nightcats Groovin’ in Greaseland Alligator Records Rick Estrin was born in the San Francisco area in 1949. He fell in love with the Blues and began playing harmonica at the age of fifteen. His style has been compared to both Sonny Boy Williamson II and Little Walter Jacobs. Early in his […]

Parnell is a Bluesman too!  Lee Roy Parnell Midnight Believer Vector Recordings Lee Roy Parnell was born in Abilene, TX. in 1956. His father toured with Bob Wills and Parnell appeared on Wills’ radio show when he was six years old. In 1974 Parnell moved to Austin where he played with Kinky Friedman. He moved […]

Don Bryant Don’t Give Up On Love Fat Possum Records Don Bryant was born in Memphis in 1942. He began singing in his father’s gospel group at the age of five. The Five Bryant Bothers sang on Cane Cole’s radio show as The Four Canes. They later sang secular songs as The Four Kings and […]