CD Reviews on projects by Indie Blues Artists
Ivor S.K. Mississippi Bound Vizztone Label Group Hailing from Sydney Australia, and now living in New Orleans, Ivor Simpson-Kennedy takes story-telling to the highest level with his music. There’s a unique spin he has on blues and roots which is very refreshing and quite captivating. The attention he pays to details in his songwriting, pairs perfectly with his laidback […]
Annika Chambers and Paul Deslauriers Good Trouble Vizztone Label Group Annika Chambers and Paul DesLauriers have both been on my radar a while. I covered Chambers’ 2019 album Kiss My Sass, and DesLauriers’ 2016 release Relentless, as well as his 2019 release Bounce. I embraced all three of those recordings. The spirited couple met at the 2018 International Blues Challenge in Memphis and started working together in 2019. Within the […]
Billy Truitt Abstract Truth Gutbukit Billy Truitt is a veteran musician who goes as far back as Jack Ely and Kingsmen of “Louie Louie” fame. Hailing from southern Idaho, he spent time in the Bakersfield honky tonks and L.A. club scenes. Truitt moved to Las Vegas in the ‘90s and began working with the roots/rockabilly […]
Buddy Guy The Blues Don’t Lie RCA Records “The Blues Don’t Lie” is the follow up album to the “Blues is Alve and Well” featuring producer, songwriter, and drummer Tom Hambridge. Also featured are Reese Wynans Hammond Organ; Michael Rhodes, bass; and Rob McNelley guitar. Guest artists are Mavis Staples, Elvis Costello and James Taylor. […]
Lee Fields Sentimental Fool Daptone The venerable classic soul singer Lee Fields has joined the Daptone roster. Few things are more fitting. Sentimental Fool finds the septuagenarian Fields in fine voice, backed by the roster’s house band that brings out the singer’s best. The album was produced by Daptone’s Gabriel Roth (AKA Bosco Mann). He […]
Angela Strehli Ace of Blues New West Records Angela Strehli “Ace of Blues” is Strehli’s first album in 17 years co-produced by her and her husband Bob Brown. Many will remember her 1990 album “Dreams Come True” with Marcia Ball and Lou Ann Barton and as part 2009’s Blues Broads also featuring Tracy Nelson. Strehli’s […]
Mud Morganfield Portrait Delmark Records This is Mud Morganfield’s newest album. Included are seven originals and seven covers. The covers include Muddy Waters “You Can’t Lose What You Ain’t Never Had” and John Lee “Sonny Boy” Williamson’s “Good Morning Little School Girl. This is Mud’s first album for Delmark Records. All but the first track […]
Sara Niemietz Superman Self-released Singer-songwriter Sara Niemietz has had widely eclectic musical tastes since childhood. So, it should not be surprising to see her deliver one of the most purposely diverse, genre agnostic we’ve heard with Superman. Partnering with top-notch co-producer, co-writer, and guitarist Linda Taylor, the duo brings us fourteen tunes. Niemietz, though a […]
Yates McKendree Buchanan Lane Qualified It was the singer-songwriter Kevin Gordon who first sang Yates McKendree’s praises to this writer, describing Yates’ searing guitar playing on one of Delbert McClinton’s Sandy Beach Cruises. Whether the 2019 clip of Yates’ thumb work on “Sweet Little Angel” is the right one or not (it was likely even […]
Jeremiah Johnson Hi Fi Drive By Ruf Ah, the guitar slinger – too many notes, too much repetition, and too loud. That was my previous impression of Jeremiah Johnson. Hi Fi Drive By conjures a different one because Johnson comes to this recording with a bunch of infectiously good songs. So, it seems that Johnson […]
The Claudettes The Claudettes Go Out Forty Below The Claudettes Go Out, the quartet’s sixth album, is their follow-up to their 2020 High Times in the Dark, described by this writer in another outlet as their best yet. While that was a coming-out party for trained jazz vocalist, turned pop singer Berit Ulseth, this one smooths […]
Serabee Hummingbird Tea Rabadash The next great female soulful singer in the mold of Bonnie Bramlett, Bonnie Raitt, and Susan Tedeschi may well be Serabee (short for her real name, Sera Buras). She’s a songwriter too, having penned the 14 originals on this destined to be breakout album, Hummingbird Tea. Just look at these credentials […]
Dave Keyes Rhythm Blues & Boogie Blue Heart The artist with the perfect name for his craft, Dave Keyes, returns with his sixth album and debut for Blue Heart Records, Rhythm Blues & Boogie. Keyes, here playing piano, Wurlitzer, B3, and accordion has earned three BMA nominations, has played in the Broadway pits, done television […]
Malaya Blue Blue Credentials Blue Heart Unfortunately, the songs on Blue Credentials are the swan songs for the late noted blues songwriter Dennis Walker (Robert Cray, B.B. King, Bettye LaVette) unless someone unearths undiscovered material. Award-winning U.K. vocalist Malaya Blue follows up her 2020 critically acclaimed collaboration with Walker, Still, making this her fourth release […]
Annika Chambers and Paul DesLauriers Good Trouble Vizztone Label Group Annika Chambers and Paul DesLauriers are the lovers featured here. DesLauriers is the winner of many Maple Blues Awards and 2-time winner of the MB “Entertainer of the Year”. Annika is a 2-time winner of the Blues Music Award for Soul Blues Artist of the […]
The Lucky Losers Standin Pat Vizztone Label Group The Lucky Losers “Standin’ Pat” is the latest from our duo also featuring guitarist Ian Lamson on 2 tracks, Chris Burns keyboards, Endre Tarczy bass, and Jon Otis, drums. Produced at Greaseland, producer and guitarist Kid Anderson appears on all tracks with a horn section including saxophonists […]
Michael Kaeshammer The Warehouse Sessions Linus Entertainment Readers of these pages have likely heard or seen the expression ‘the blues comes in many colors.” As you well know through this writer, there are literally tons of ‘jazz’ albums that could easily be filed under ‘blues’ if one has a broad definition of the latter. That’s […]
Taurey Butler One Of The Others Justin Time Taurey Butler is a Montreal-based pianist who originally hails from East Orange, NJ. One of the Others is his second release for Justin Time Records, with his self-titled debut hitting in 2011. This is a trio album, featuring his usual performing band with Wali Muhammad on drums […]
Crystal Shawanda Midnight Blues True North Now recognized as a vocal blues powerhouse, Crystal Shawanda has had a split career. She began as an indigenous musician growing up on the Wikwemikong reserve on an island in Ontario, CA in a house filled with both blues and country music. She tried the latter first when moving […]
John Fullbright The Liar Blue Dirt/Thirty Tigers Grammy-nominated John Fullbright returns after a eight year hiatus and a year when he garnered numerous awards with The Liar. Fullbright was beginning to build a reputation as a Red Dirt Randy Newman, or closer to home, fellow Okie Leon Russell. While that year, 2014, produced a solo […]
The Ron Kraemer Trio w/Reggie Murray Sarasota Swing Poquois Publishing At the outset of this year, 2022, this writer in another outlet penned 2022 as “the year of the organ-oriented bands.” While the Ron Kraemer Trio is centered around the leader’s guitar, the addition of Reggie Murray on Hammond B-3 and tenor saxophone puts Sarasota […]
Grant Geissman Blooz Futurism/Mesa/Bluemoon This is not one that we expected given guitarist Grant Geissman’s mostly mainstream, film, and television work, including sixteen albums of his own. Geissman first came to prominence with his guitar solo on Chuck Mangione’s 1978 hit “Feels So Good” and went on to work with the likes of Quincy Jones, […]
Corky Siegel’s Chamber Blues More Different Voices Dawnserly Corky Seigel, harmonicist who first came to fame with the Siegel-Schwall Blues Band in 1965, has long been the sole pioneer of fusing blues with classical music with this history – Chamber Blues on Chicago’s Alligator Records in 1994. 1998’s Complementary Colors (Gadfly Records), 2005’s Corky Siegel’s […]
John Nemeth May Be the Last Time Nola Blue The aptly named May Be the Last Time, along with being a great recording is, as much as anything else, a testament to the warmth and communal sharing of the blues community. Responding to a possible career-ending and life-threatening illness to award-winning bluesman vocalist, John Nemeth, […]
Rory Block Ain’t Nobody Worried Rory Block’s “Ain’t Nobody Worried” celebrates the great women of song with 10 covers and one original. Block opens with “I’ll Take You There” originally a crossover gospel song now with a rhythm track. The next song is Gladys Knight and The Pips “Midnight Train to Georgia”. Other covers include […]
The Hungry Williams Let’s Go Rochelle You might not think that New Orleans and Milwaukee have much in common. Once you’ve heard the band Hungry Williams, however, you’ll change your mind. That’s because bandleader and drummer John Carr heard the New Orleans Chess Anthology in 1995 and was completely transformed. Yet, he played all over […]
Blue Moon Marquee Scream, Holler & Howl Blue Moon Marquee Music Okay, based on several reviews in the past few weeks, this writer is a bit humbled as traditional blues releases are more plentiful than originally indicated. Here’s another, this time with an augmented duo. Blue Moon Marquee is a Canadian Gypsy blues duo with […]
Bob Corritore and Friends You Shocked Me Bob Corritore and Friends features harp master Corritore and various vocalists including Alabama Mike, Diunna Greenleaf, John Primer and Sugaray Rayford, and Johnny Rawls. Additional vocalists include Willie Buck, Oscar Wilson and others. Contributing musicians include bassist Bob Stroger, and guitarists Bob Margolin, Jimi Primetime Smith, Kid Ramos, […]
South Island Rhythm Kings Still That Way Today Self-released Having begun a review recently with – “There are still traditional blues albums,” we now find a new surge of them. This writer can point at least four more that will be forth coming in the next month. The South Island Rhythm Kings bring that count to […]
Bad Daddy It’s a Mad Mad Bad Daddy World PieHole Records With roots in Maine and Chicago, Paul Waring, aka Big Daddy, has fully captured my attention with his stunning new blues album, It’s a Mad Mad Bad Dad World. Big Daddy packs a hell of a wallop with Waring on guitar and vocals, featuring engineer Pete Galanis on guitars as well. The rest of […]
Mike Morgan and The Crawl The Lights Went Out in Dallas MC Records Mike Morgan and The Crawl: is brought to us from Mark Carpentieri and MC Records. Although he never won a Blues Music Award I was overwhelmed upon meeting his harp played the great Lee McBee at the award show in 2007. Guest […]
Jimmy Carpenter The Louisiana Record Gulf Coast Records A two-time Blues Music Award-winning sax player Jimmy Carpenter, who’s also been nominated recently for a Blues Blast Magazine award for best horn player, has something special in-store for his fans with the release of his new CD Jimmy Carpenter was an important part of Mike Zito […]
The Rock House All Stars Let it Bleed Revisited: An Ovation from Nashville Back in 2003 an album appeared on Telarc Records. It was various artists covering blues renditions of songs made popular by the Rolling Stones. The vocals were by blues artists including the late Lucky Peterson, Tommy Castro, Tab Benoit, Joe Louis Walker, […]
Marcus King Youngblood American Records/Republic We don’t hear too many of these kinds of rock records anymore. In fact, there are probably better writers on these pages than this one to cover it. But, given Marcus King’s previous forays into blues and his collaborations with Dan Auerbach are compelling factors in giving this, Youngblood, a […]
The Dig 3 The Dig 3 Self-released There are still traditional blues albums. John Primer has one coming as does Bob Corritore, John Nemeth, and a handful of other artists who ply their craft apart from the blues rockers who dominate the airwaves. This is not to diminish other “real deal” efforts we’ve heard this […]
Herman Hitson Let the Gods Sing Herman Hitson is a psych rock and funk pioneer who worked the chitlin circuit with James Brown, Wilson Pickett, Joe Tex and others. The recovering addict also worked with Hank Ballard and is a music maker foundation partner artist. Co-producer and guitarist Will Sexton calls Hitson a music communicator […]
John Primer Hard Times John Primer “Hard Times” is produced by Rick Barnes at his Rax Trax Studio in Chicago. Featured are Primer’s brother Steve Bell, Harp; Lenny Media, drums; and Dave Forte, bass. Special guests include Rick Kreher, rhythm guitar, the sensational Johnny Iguana, piano; and Primer’s daughter Allya on one vocal. Primer is […]
Shemekia Copeland Done Come Too Far Alligator Records Today Shemekia Copeland is the soul blues voice of her generation. A sort of understatement since early on she has won numerous accolades. She is the second female Entertainer of the Year and first black woman to combine her talent and deep social conscience. Most of the […]
Demetria Taylor Doin’ What I’m Supposed to Do Delmark Blues vocal powerhouse Demetria Taylor is back, following up her Delmark debut, Bad Girl, with Doin’ What I’m Supposed to Do. Yes, it’s been a decade between albums, but the debut earned a BMA nomination for Best New Artist Debut. This release has many of the […]
The Texas Horns Everybody Let’s Roll Blue Heart Everybody Let’s Roll is the third album for the vaunted three=piece horn section, The Texas Horns –Mark “Kaz” Kazanoff (tenor saxophone, harmonica, vocals), John Mills (baritone saxophone), and Al Gomez (trumpet). Each of these members pens originals, together making up eleven of the thirteen tracks. You’ve likely […]
Breezy Rodio Underground Blues Windchill/Bloos The Italian born blues, soul and reggae guitarist Breezy Rodio first made his mark with Linsey Alexander for a decade before debuting solo in 2011 and importantly on Delmark in 2018. So, yes, he is steeped in Chicago blues with a unique guitar style that according to producer of this […]
Color Green Color Green I love it when music like this new self-titled album from Color Green comes my way. Their music is cut from the same fabric as many of my favorite bands, such as Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers, Phish, and Flaming Lips. Formed in Queens, but now based in Los Angeles, Color Green is comprised of co-founders Noah Kohll and Corey Madden. Together this duo creates a […]
Cliff Stevens Better Days Montreal-based blues-rocker Cliff Stevens has recently released his fifth studio album Better Days. Loaded with eleven brand-new originals, this record is a genuine dose of heart-tugging blues, reminiscent of the album-oriented music popular in the Seventies. The music ranges from old-school delta blues to that inspired by the likes of Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan. It surely makes for […]
Mick Kolassa I’m Just Getting Started Endless Blues Eleven albums in, bluesman Mick Kolassa is proclaiming a reset of sorts with his latest, I’m Just Getting Started. Having just moved to Memphis from Mississippi and having overcome his wife’s passing due to cancer and his own battle with COVID-19 in recent years, no one can […]
Derrick Procell Hello Mojo Catfood This is a powerful blues triumvirate – blues singer/songwriter/instrumentalist Derrick Procell, BMA winner and producer Zac Harmon, and label owner/bandleader Bob Trenchard collaborating on Procell’s Catfood Records debut, Hello Mojo. As you likely realize, given those names, the album was recorded at Trenchard’s go-to studio, Sonic Ranch in Tornillo Texas […]
Kirk Fletcher Heartache by the Pound Ogierea Kirk Fletcher is in a bit of a paradox. While he has all the tools of the best bluesmen and the acclaim to prove it as a five-time BMA nominee and one hailed by such outlets as Guitar World Magazine and Guitar.com, he seldom rises to the top […]
Silent Partners Changing Times Little Village Little Village unerringly brings us genuine blues and soul once again with Silent Partners and their album Changing Times, yet another example of sidemen reaching the bright lights. But these aren’t just any sidemen. Between the three of them, they have over 100 years of experience on the road […]
The Steve Strongman Blues Remedy Volume 1 Stony Plains Music “Hard Luck” opens this rocking good time. On most of the tracks Strongman plays guitar, harmonica and bass and takes writing credit. The only co-writes are when he features a special guest. Special guests include fellow Canadians; Steve Marriner on one track. Vocalist Harrison Kennedy […]
Starlite Campbell Band LIVE I’ve been hooked on Starlite Campbell Band since reviewing their first album, Blueberry Pie five years ago. That was such an amazing album. For their third release, wife and husband Suzy Starlite, and Simon Campbell took their songs on the road across the UK and wove together this delightful eight-track album of live performances with drummer Steve Gibson (Buzzcocks, Jack Bruce) and […]
Matty T Wall LIVE down Underground Since Matty T Wall’s debut release in 2016 of Blue Skies, I’ve reviewed each of his albums. I’m sure not going to break tradition with his latest, Live Down Underground. Wall very much deserves the kudos. He is a force to be reckoned with and his prowess behind the […]
