blues

Bruce Katz Connections Dancing Rooster Keyboardist Bruce Katz has a new trio that he’s unveiling on his latest, Connections, which was recorded at the famed Capricorn Studios in Macon, GA, familiar turf to Katz from his tenures with Gregg Allman’s Band, Butch Trucks’ Les Brers, and Jaimoe’s Jasssz Band. While an integral member of those […]

Monster Mike Welch Nothing But Time Gulf Coast Records With Nothing But Time, Mike Welch cements the legitimacy of the Monster moniker that comedian and “Blues Brother” Dan Aykroyd dubbed him with when Welch was a 13-year-old blues guitar prodigy. Welch had recently come off a tough year and a half of long Covid when […]

Larry Taylor and The Taylor Family Generations of Blues: West Side Legacy NOLA Blue Arguably, no single family has been more important to the blues than the Taylor family, headed by Jimmy Reed’s renowned guitarist and bandleader in his own right, Eddie Taylor, Sr. and his wife, singer Vera Taylor, part of the Great Migration […]

D.K. Harrell The Right Man Little Village It’s refreshing to find a youthful talent that embraces the blues tradition. The Right Man is the debut for 25-year-old D.K. Harrell of Ruston, LA.  As a blues singer/guitarist/songwriter Harrell has somehow absorbed not only the history of the blues but its nuances too. While he is still […]

Leonard “Lowdown” Brown Blues Is Calling Me Music Maker Foundation Houston-based blues and soul singer Leonard “Lowdown” Brown is making his debut at age 70. In the tradition of Music Maker Foundation artists, he is again proving that it is never too late. Brown has been performing for four decades but finally made it to […]

Duke Robillard & His All-Star Band Six Strings of Steel M.C. If you’re a follower of Duke Robillard, you’ll notice that he’s changed labels and is back on M.C. Records, where he issued his 2017 Duke Robillard & His Dames of Rhythm. The label change doesn’t produce many other changes, thankfully, as his regular bandmates […]

Arlen Roth and Jerry Jemmott Super Soul Sessions Blue Heart Okay, maybe the title is bit of borrowed interest from the classic Super Sessions album featuring Stephen Stills, Mike Bloomfield, and Al Kooper but it too boasts its share of gems and “super” talent. Guitarist Arlen Roth has long been hailed as a Master of […]

Nic Clark Everybody’s Buddy Little Village Young roots/blues singer-songwriter Nic Clark has seen more than his share of troubles, heartbreak, and derision as anyone, but you’d never necessarily pick up on that from the positive, bright outlook in his songs. It’s as refreshing as when Steve Forbert first burst on the scene. Clark’s music is […]

Mike Guldin and Rollin’ & Tumblin’ The Franklin Sessions Blue Heart The Franklin Sessions comes a little more than a year after Mike Guldin and Rollin’ & Tumblin’s release, Tumblin’, which has sessions recorded at Kevin McKendree’s Rock House studios in Franklin, TN. It’s difficult to pick up a roots or blues album these days […]

Jan James TimeBomb It has been over thirty years since Jan James released her first album Last Train. That record gained her a rather large fanbase in Europe.  With creative partner guitarist Craig Calvert by her side, her latest and twelfth release Time Bomb is drenched with feeling and soul.  James’ musical-wheelhouse is centered in American roots, and embraces each petal: R&B, Soul, Country, Rock, […]

Doug Deming and the Jewel Tones Groovin’ at Groove Now Endless Records Recorded live in Switzerland, this is the follow-up recording to “Complicated Mess” on Eller Soul Records. After a short introduction from the band they open with an instrumental including solos from bassist Gohman and saxes played by “Sax” Gordon and Terry Hanck. Deming […]

Boo Boo Davis Boo Boo Boogaloo At almost eighty years old, St. Louis bluesman James ‘Boo Boo’ Davis is still busy creating some of the most authentic blues being recorded today.  Born in Drew, Mississippi in 1943, Davis grew up being surrounded by music, playing drums in a family band.  In 1972, he landed an eighteen-year-long gig playing weekends at Tabby’s Red Room in East St. Louis.  In 1999, Davis cut […]

Tracy Nelson Life Don’t Miss Nobody BMG      Ms. “Mother Earth” may have taken a long break, but she sure hasn’t missed a beat. Tracy Nelson celebrates her calling with Life Don’t Miss Nobody, her first new album since 2011’s Victim of the Blues. Nelson began recording acoustic blues in 1965 in her hometown Madison, […]

Gaye Adegbalola Satisfied An Anthology Vizztone lable Group Gaye Adegbalola was a member of “Saffire – The Uppity Blues Women” from 1984 thru 2009. The Anthology includes selections from her nine solo projects. Songs include the classic blues of Ma Rainey “Prove It On Me” and “Jelly Bean Blues”. Born Gaye Todd, Adegbalola, got her […]

Dean Zucchero Electric Church for the Spiritually Misguided Originally from New York City’s East Village, Dean Zucchero now calls New Orleans his home.  I first became aware of him through his work through the music of Ghalia Volt.  I had reviewed two of her albums, and Zucchero had made a big impression on me with his performance on bass guitar.  His debut album Electric […]

Nick Schnebelen What Key is Trouble in Vizztone I’ve been a fan of Nick Schnebelen’s work for twelve years.  His guitar mastery and song-writing make for some exciting electric blues.  Schnebelen’s fourth album for Vizztone What Key is Trouble In was co-produced by BMA winner Chris Hardwick, featuring Nick being backed by drummer Adam Hagerman, and bassist Cliff Moore.  Guest appearances from keyboardist Red Young, saxophonist Buddy Leach, and organist Aaron Mayfield lend […]

Eric Bibb Ridin Ridin’ the follow-up album to Eric Bibb’s award-winning Dear America continues to captivate me on a myriad of levels.  His lyrical prowess and instrumental finesse are indeed a powerful combination.  Ridin’ contains fifteen tracks, and an impressive list of guest musicians consisting of Taj Mahal, Jontavious Willis, Russell Malone, Amar Sundy, Harrison Kennedy and Habib Koite. I knew I was in for a treat as soon as […]

Fenton Robinson Somebody Loan Me a Dime Alligator Records      Fenton Robinson first recorded his now-classic blues “Somebody Loan Me a Dime” in 1967, releasing it on one of the dozen or so singles he began cutting ten years earlier. Two years later, Boz Scaggs recorded the song for his self-titled debut album. Scaggs’ version […]

Lady J Huston Groove Me Baby Earwig/Unisun Productions Lady J Huston (pronounced like the city Houston) is a well-decorated though sparsely recorded woman who sings, writes, plays trumpet and flugelhorn, arranges, and produces. She has a Music Theory/Composition major from Howard University and at one point was the musical director for Albert King’s band. Her […]

Pat McDougall In the Key of Sorry Self-released Keyboardist, vocalist, and masterful songwriter Pat McDougall teams with co-producer Jimi Bott for his dozen originals on In the Key of Sorry. McDougall impresses this writer as the best blues lyricist today apart from Derrick Procell. Yes, McDougall has a gift for songwriting, especially in breakup songs, […]

Lil’ Jimmy Reed with Ben Levin Back to Baton Rouge NOLA Blue Pianist Ben Levin cut his fifth album last year while still attending his hometown University of Cincinnati. Guests on Take Your Time included Chicago blues luminaries Lil’ Ed Williams, Bob Stroger, and Rockin’ Johnny Burgin. Lil’ Jimmy Reed, one of the elder statesmen […]