CD Reviews INDIE Blues

GeminiiDragon Fighting Fire with Fire The bluesy hard-edged grooves and hearty power-filled vocals stand front-and-center on Fighting Fire With Fire, the latest release from Louisiana recording artist Jessica Harper aka GeminiiDragon.  Undoubtedly, that’s the winning combination which immediately drew my attention to this record.  This all-original album hosts eight splendid tracks co-written with producer/guitarist Christian Simeon.  With Harper behind the mic, and Simeon on guitar, the rest […]

The Nighthawks Established 1972 VizzTone There are not many bands that can mark a 50th anniversary but Washington D.C.’s legendary Nighthawks, have been carrying the flame for blues and roots music since 1972.  The only two blues festivals where this writer had a major production role were the Brass Monkey Blues Festivals of 1983 and […]

Prakash Slim Country Blues From Nepal Ram Prakash Pokharel aka Prakash Slim, an emerging blues artist from Lamatar, in the Lalitpur district of Nepal, has most definitely caught my attention with his new album Country Blues From Nepal.  With only a resonator guitar and slide in hand, he captures the pure essence of the blues with magnificent covers of legends such as Robert Johnson, Bukka […]

Tim Gartland Truth Taste Good Music Truth marks the fifth solo album for Nashville-based harmonicist, singer-songwriter Tim Gartland. The dozen songs were all written or co-written by Gartland, who learned from the best in Chicago, having been mentored by Jerry Portnoy. Gartland cites as major influences Little Walter for harp playing, Ray Charles for song […]

Mike Guldin Tumblin’ Blue Heart The tempting way to begin this review was to hail yet another Pennsylvania act living near this writer, and while we give an obligatory nod to that notion, we then learn that the album was recorded at seven different studios by over a dozen players, beyond just the usual Philly […]

Jose Ramirez Major League Blues Delmark Is there any more appropriate title than Major League Blues at the time of this writing amidst the MLPA strike and the news that baseball’s opening day will be postponed? That’s one way to look at. Another way is that 34-year-old Costa Rican bluesman Jose Ramirez has made it […]

Terraplanes Blues Band Stepping Stones The Terraplane Blues Band from Bristol, UK absolutely tears it up on their new album Stepping Stones.  Produced by Richard Parsons, this twelve-track album of hot, original blues features Nick Scrase front and center on guitar and vocals.  The rest of the band is comprised of Eduardo Allen on harmonica, Tom Turner on drums, and Andy Wood on Bass. Opening with “Highway 61” The […]

Reverend Nathon Volume 1 Volume 1, the debut album from Reverend Nathon swiftly grabbed my attention, and won my admiration with its kick-ass style of southern blues-rock.  This twelve-track, all-original recording is loaded with infectious rhythms and doused with Seventies psyche-rock.  It’s definitely a fun listen.  Hailing from the Lone Star State, Reverend Nathon is comprised of Nathon Dees on guitar and lead vocals, Gary […]

Paul Oscher Rough Stuff (with Pinetop Perkins and Willie “Big Eyes” Smith) Coolstreme Rough Stuff is a remastered re-issue of multi-instrumentalist Paul Oscher’s 1992 album of the same name. Oscher was a Covid-19 casualty, passing in April of 2021. Readers of these pages are undoubtedly familiar with Oscher, who first joined Muddy Waters’ band as […]

Bob Stroger & The Headcutters That’s My Name Delmark Bassist/vocalist/songwriter, ninety-two-year-old “Sir” Bob Stroger proves that it’s never too late to take center stage. Moving out from his comfortable spot on the back line, where he’s been a sideman on over 30 Delmark releases, That’s My Name marks Stroger’s first album as a leader. And […]