Every week our staff of CD Reviewers bring you the best in Independent CD releases. Making a Scene is considered the number 1 resource for the independent musician and the fans that love them.
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 […]
Bob Baldwin Henna City Sketches Bob Baldwin leads this sizeable project with no fewer than 21 musicians and/or singers in the credits with a repertoire that’s as justifiably wide. This is the 31st album for the New York state born contemporary jazz pianist, composer, author and producer. His dad was also a jazz pianist, having […]
Chris Moyse Bitter Ballads & Cynical Prayers Self-released Bitter Ballads & Cynical Prayers is the debut from Nashville-based singer-songwriter Chris Moyse. Before you quickly dismiss this out of hand because you’re not inclined to listen to a depressing singer-songwriter in this period of self-quarantine, go ahead and proceed because, despite the tone of title, there […]
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 […]
Mojo Nixon The Mojo Manifesto 10-CD/DVD Box Set Manifesto Count on the unconventional Mojo Nixon to do the outlandish. The now Sirius/XM radio host of “Outlaw Country” and NASCAR decides to essentially cap his recording career with not just a single or double alum set but instead package all ten of his albums plus a […]
Mark Telesca Love Music Hate Cancer Mark Telesca is a well-respected blues Guitarist, bassist and vocalist who, in 2017, was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, which required surgery and a series of chemotherapy treatments. He was confined to his house for the better part of the year, during which time he began working on this book. […]
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 […]
Vito Dieterle Anemone and Status Sphere with Joel Forrester Ride Symbol Yes, you read the title correctly. We are covering two separate albums from NYC-based saxophonist Vito Dieterle that he is choosing to release at the same time. Anemone has the classic organ quartet sound of the ‘60s while Status Sphere with Joel Forrester is […]
Bill Blue The King Of Crazy Town Conch Town Music In the early 1970’s a young Carolina based guitarist named Bill Blue toured with Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup. It was Crudup who wrote “That’s Alright Mama” in 1946 and it became the first song released by Elvis in 1954. After Crudup passed in 1974 Blue […]
Carla Olson Have Harmony Will Travel 2 Sunset Blvd. Have Harmony Will Travel 2 is Carla Olson’s successor to her acclaimed 2013’s Have Harmony, Will Travel which featured two-part vocals with Peter Case, Richie Furay, John York, Scott Kempner and Juice Newton. This one includes comparably renowned names such as Timothy B. Schmidt (The Eagles), […]
The Legendary Ingramettes Take a Look at the Book Virginia Folklife Program Some of us first heard of the gospel group The Legendary Ingramettes when they appeared on Sherman Holmes’ 2017 The Richmond Sessions. Yet this group has been with us for more than six decades now, held together through generations of determined African – […]
Funk Shui NYC Shark NATO on a Plane ZOHO Funk Shui NYC is a 15-piece ensemble led by co-leaders trombonist Rob Susman and bari sax/flutist Dave Morgan. They are ostensibly a jazz unit but it’s their wide-ranging repertoire that sets them apart. The five tunes composed by band members here ring with funk, classic rock […]
Ben Rice & RB Stone Out of The Box Middle Mountain Music This collaboration is sub-titled “A Cigar Box Guitar Project”. The two principals mix three, four and six string Cigar Box Guitars to achieve an unpredictable sound. Ben Rice was a prominent member of the Blues community in the Pacific Northwest. In 2014 he […]
Clairdee A Love Letter to Lena Declare Music San Francisco jazz vocalist mainstay Clairdee bursts forth with an expansive project honoring Lena Horne, with a supporting cast of no fewer than 20 musicians or singers, including some stirring narration from actress/director/playwright Margo Hall. Clairdee spent three years shaping the project, originally envisioned back in 2009, […]
Juliana MacDowell Leaving Home Conch Town Music Juliana MacDowell releases Leaving Home on Conch Town Music and it’s as fresh as spring itself. This, her second studio album, explores familiar themes and presents them in a beautiful light. Released on friday the thirteenth in the middle of a pandemic, touring to promote the album is […]
Sass Jordan Rebel Moon Blues Stony Plain Records Sass Jordan is a Canadian rock singer who was first inspired by listening to The Band and songs like “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down”. Other musical influences included Ozzy Osbourne, Judas Priest, David Bowie, and soul singer Al Green. Jordan’s debut recording was 1988’s “Tell […]
Casey Hensley Good As Gone Vizztone Label Group California’s Casey Hensley started singing when she was five. Considered a child prodigy she grew up listening to Etta James, Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin and Janis Joplin. She released her recording debut “Live” featuring guitarist Laura Chavez in 2017. Her drummer was her partner, Evan Caleb Yearsley, […]
Jenny Boyd Jennifer Juniper: A Journey Beyond the Muse Jenny Boyd has lived quite a life, and in Jennifer Juniper: A Journey Beyond the Muse, she invites us into it. She was born in Kenya and spent her early years there with her sister Pattie (later to marry George Harrison and then Eric Clapton), Paula, […]
J D Walter Dressed in a Song Self-released This is a comeback for jazz vocalist JD Walter, the unexpected kind. With a reputation for being somewhat eccentric, adventurous, and the so-called “progressive electronic vocalist,” Walter returns from a life-threatening heart condition and surgeries on his heart and vocal cords to deliver an intimate album of […]
Popa Chubby It’s A Mighty Hard Road Popa Chubby Productions Theodore Joseph “Ted” Horowitz a.k.a. Popa Chubby was born in The Bronx in 1960. His first instrument was the drums but after listening to the Rolling Stones he soon switched to guitar. He was mostly influenced however by Jimi Hendrix and The Cream. He won […]
Avey Grouws Band The Devil May Care Independent Guitarist Chris Avey met vocalist Jeni Grouws at a blues jam in the Quad Cities. The Quad Cities area is a region of five cities in southeastern Iowa and northwestern Illinois. They formed the Avey Grouws Band in 2017 and won the Iowa Blues Challenge sending them […]
Rose Tattoo Outlaws There is a lot of chatter in the world of high voltage rock n roll right now that AC/DC have a new album completed, and a possible world tour in the offing. Now around 1978 there was another rocking Aussie band by the name of “Rose Tattoo”in fact for a while they […]
Roomful Of Blues In A Roomful of Blues Alligator Records Roomful Of Blues, the perennial blues band was first started in 1967; fifty-three years ago. Begun by Rhode Island teens that shared a passion for straight ahead Chicago-style electric blues, they added a horn section in 1970. They released their debut album in 1977 and […]
Sister Lucille Alive Endless Blues Records Sister Lucille is a four-piece blues and roots rock band from Southwest Missouri. The band made the semifinals at Memphis’ 2015 International Blues Challenge; and was also voted “Most Promising New Artist” at the 31st Music Pioneer Awards, also held in Memphis, the following year. The band is centered […]
Mike Mattison Afterglow Landslide One of the clear highlights of the Tedeschi-Trucks Band’s great live shows is when vocalist and songwriter Mike Mattison takes his turn on a lead vocal. Through most of the set he backs Susan Tedeschi with harmonies and percussion. Most will also recall Mattison’s days as the lead vocalist for the […]
Chasing Trane – The John Coltrane Documentary In 2016, 50 years after John Coltrane died of liver cancer, “Chasing Trane” was released. It is now available to stream on Netflix. Documentarian John Scheinfeld has done a tremendous job in presenting the man and his music for fans and other music lovers alike. Coltrane. To Jazz […]
Maya De Vitry How to Break a Fall Self-released Two years ago, the gifted Americana band The Stray Birds left us with the parting Let It Pass, the last of their great albums. A central figure in making those was co-founder and often frontwoman, multi-instrumentalist and superb vocalist/songwriter Maya De Vitry. Last year De Vitry delivered […]
Liz Mandeville Playing with Fire Blue Kitty Music Inspired by both Koko Taylor and Luther Allison; Liz Mandeville relocated to Chicago in 1979. She started working with both Delmark recording artist Willie Kent, and Alligator recording artist Maurice John Vaughn. She started her own band in 1983. Mandeville has won numerous songwriting awards and only […]
Dave Keller Live at the Killer Guitar Thriller Tastee Tone Records Vermont’s Dave Keller is the protégé of two soul bluesmen; Mighty Sam McClain and Johnny Rawls. Keller’s album “Where I’m Coming From” won the award for Best Self-Produced CD at the 2012 International Blues Challenge. In 2014 Keller released “Soul Changes” and he received […]
Sadler Vaden Anybody Out There? Dirty Mag/Thirty Tigers Guitarist/singer-songwriter Sadler Vaden is best known as the lead guitarist for Jason Isbell’s 400 Unit, but fans will also recognize him for his time with Drivin’ N Cryin prior to joining Isbell’s band. Anybody Out There? Is his second full-length album, a follow-up to his 2016 self-titled […]
Letters from Jett Ghosts of the South Music in it’s purest form is the telling of a story, a life experience put into words and song. If you are lucky enough to have that talent, then you have a special gift indeed. Real life experiences connects with the listener,in a way that no other can. […]
Sonny Landreth Blacktop Run Provogue/Mascot Label Group Mississippi born Sonny Landreth has lived most of his life in the greater Lafayette, La. area. Landreth first played guitar as the only white member of Clifton Chenier’s Red Hot Louisiana Band. Landreth has since been nick-named “the King of Slydeco” as he plays guitar with a strong […]
Richard Ray Farrell Three Pints of Gin Blue Beet Life in Spain seems to be treating American bluesman Richard Ray Farrell well. You could almost say he is back where he belongs. Farrell was born to travel, having started as a street musician or “busker” in Paris, France in 1975. Totally fascinated with the music […]
Whitney Shay Stand Up! Ruf Records Whitney Shay began fronting a band and singing blues and jazz in 2009. In 2012 she released her debut recording “Soul Tonic”. She performs over 200 dates a year and is a four-time winner at the San Diego Music Awards. She released her follow-up album 2018’s “A Woman Rules […]
Mike Bond The Honorable Ones Bounce Castle Pianist Mike Bonds is making his debut as a leader with The Honorable Ones, and it’s a quite impressive one. Joined by NYC-based first callers, the core quintet has acclaimed reed man Steve Wilson on alto and soprano, rising trumpet star Josh Evans, renowned bassist and bandleader Ben […]
Dom Flemons Prospect Hill – The American Songster Omnibus Omnivore You might have a quick reaction to those preemptive words “The American Songster” but, in fact, that’s how Grammy winner time and two-time Emmy winner Dom Flemons is known. One wonders if there’s anything that’s beyond his immense scope of talents. He’s a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, […]
Bernard Allison Songs From The Road Ruf Records Bernard Allison was born in Chicago in 1965 and raised in the blues by his father the late Luther Allison. The elder Allison, who passed in 1997, was an 18 times Blues Music Award winner and a 1998 inductee into the Blues Hall of Fame. The younger […]
Bill Curreri Hard Road Home Self-released This is singer-songwriter Bill Curreri’s third album, his most ambitious and thoughtfully rendered album to date. And, what a circuitous route to reach this point! Raised in Greenwich Village during the socially turbulent 1960’s, Bill always dreamed of someday being recognized as an accomplished singer-songwriter. But as often happens, […]
Val Starr & The Blues Rocket Lighter Side of The Blues Sandwich Factory Records Raised in Southern California Val Starr began singing and playing guitar when she was twelve. It was the bands of the 1960’s and 1970’s, and female singer/songwriters Carole King and Joni Mitchell that were her early influences. Her mom loved the […]
The Mary Jo Curry Band Front Porch Independent Springfield Illinois’ Mary Jo Curry is a classically trained singer, and pianist. In 2011 Curry heard music on the street, emanating from a small club, and the sounds pulled her in. That was the first time Curry heard the blues. She wound up becoming the band’s singer […]
Sinne Eeg & The Danish Radio Big Band We’ve Just Begun BFM Jazz Jazz vocalist Sinne Eeg has been spreading her spell beyond her native Denmark where she is a huge star, to other locales in Europe and the U.S. Now that she’s combined songwriting with her classy interpretations of standards, she is quickly becoming […]
Chickaboom Tami Neilson Outside Music Canadian-born, New Zealand-based vocalist Tami Neilson releases Chickaboom! through Outside Music on February 14, 2020. Valentines Day! What’s not to love about that! Chickaboom! is revivalist rockabilly with clickety-clack percussion and a stomp-n-holler groove. With a vocal range that sways and phrasing that evokes artists like Amy Winehouse, St. Paul […]
Lisa Mills The Triangle Melody Place Mississippi native Lisa Mills spent ten years playing guitar and singing in the coastal areas of the south before releasing her debut recording in 2000. In 2004 she appeared as a vocalist on The Big Town Playboys 2004 album “Roll The Dice” featuring Jeff Beck and Robert Plant. She […]
Sam Hirsh Quite Frankly Umadas Music Pianist, composer and educator Sam Hirsh makes his debut as a bandleader with Quite Frankly, recorded to celebrate the pianist’s thirtieth birthday and tenth year as a staple musician in the jazz scene in Los Angeles. Joined by a bicoastal cadre of world-class improvisers, Hirsh introduces a set of original tunes inspired […]
Robin McKelle Alterations Doxie Alterations is jazz vocalist/composer Robin McKelle’s follow-up to her 2018 Melodic Canvas which we covered on these pages. While that was mostly an album of originals, McKelle chooses here to, as she says, “fuse jazz, soul, r&b, blues and rock while keeping continuity in the music.” These are mostly familiar songs […]
Robert Vincent In This Town You’re Owned Thirty Tigers If it’s possible for an Englishman to be an Americana artist, then singer-songwriter Robert Vincent would be the first in line. Vincent continues to put his distinctive stamp on the genre as evidenced by the reception and acclaim received at this past year’s AmericanaFest. He is […]
PARADISE BOOGIE Eric Harabadian & Lisa Hagopian Vision 561 Prod. After you have lived in any metropolitan area for some length of time you begin to sense a certain rhythm that is the essence of the city. There are always sounds, smells, and visions that are unique experiences found nowhere else. Detroit Michigan USA is […]
The Pilgrim: A Wall-To-Wall Odyssey Marty Stuart Marty Stuart’s book – The Pilgrim: A Wall-To-Wall Odyssey, releases on Valentine’s Day. A coffee table book that through real stories and Marty’s personal archived photos, help chronicle the spiritual and artistic journey that culminated in Stuart’s 1999 concept album, The Pilgrim. Based on true events from his […]
Pacific Mambo Orchestra The III Side Self-released The Grammy-winning Pacific Mambo Orchestra (PMO) was founded in 2010 by Mexican-born pianist Christian Tumalan and German-born trumpeter Steffen Kuehn. The 20-piece ensemble is the only active Latin Big band on the US West Coast, comprised of some of the Bay Area’s top talent. In addition, this aggregation […]
