HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Eric Johanson Combining influences from an array of genres and his work as a touring guitarist for Grammy winning bands, New Orleans artist Eric Johanson creates blues-based alternative roots rock in his rising solo career. Following years spent on the road as a guitarist, having […]
Sugar Ray and The Bluetones featuring Little Charlie Too Far from the Bar Severn Records Sugar Ray Norcia formed the original Bluetones in 1979. They released their first full length album, “Knockout”, ten years later. This is the Bluetones eighth album for Severn Records and eleventh overall, their last being 2016’s “Seeing Is Believing”. The […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Sandra Taylor and LAW of A Band Called Sam! The DNA of Blues icon Sam “Bluzman” Taylor resides in every note of this inspired recording. His disciples, A Band Called Sam – equipped with love, passion and virtuosity – execute Taylor’s compositions with an infectious joy […]
John Daversa Quintet Cuarentena: With Family at Home Tiger Turn John Daversa has been amazingly impressive in his career by especially in the past couple of years. His 2018 American dreamers: Voices of Hope, Music of Freedom earned him three Grammys, Including Best Large Jazz Ensemble, Best Improvised Solo and Best Instrumental Arrangement of A […]
HOME PAGE Making A Scene Presents an Interview with Alecia Nugent Alecia Nugent is embracing her roots in classic country on The Old Side of Town, her first collection of new music in 11 years. Already familiar to bluegrass fans through three albums on Rounder Records, Nugent turned to producer Keith Stegall and a number […]
Making a Scene Presents the PODCAST of LIVE from the Midnight Circus Indie Blues Double Shot Show! This is the Voice of Indie Blues, the future of the blues. An Indie Blues double shot of artists who embrace the diversity of the blues that always has and still is being created from it’s roots. These […]
San Gabriel 7 Red Dress – Featuring Vocalist Songwriter Femi Knight JRL-SGS This is yet another new discovery not only for this writer but likely for most folks outside of California. Even though San Gabriel 7 was formed 14 years ago and have issued nine albums prior to this, Red Dress, they have carried on […]
David Sills Natural Lines Gut String Here’s another rather unique jazz configuration as prolific reedist David Sills forms his David Sills Double Guitar Quintet for the generous 70 plus minutes Natural Lines. At times, you’d think this was primarily a guitar album as Sills gives plenty of solo room to guitarists Mike Scott and Larry […]
New Moon Jelly Roll Freedom Rockers Volume 1 Stony Plain Records Luther Dickinson explains how this 2007 recording came to be. “The Dickinson crew doesn’t enjoy parties, but we dig potluck recording sessions… we invite a cast of characters to the session and ask each player to bring a couple of songs. Musicians take turns […]
Making a Scene Presents the PODCAST of LIVE from the Midnight Circus Featuring Lisa Mann This is the Voice of Indie Blues, the future of the blues. Artists who embrace the diversity of the blues that always has and still is being created from it’s roots. These artists understand the blues is a living […]
WEBSITE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Emily Zuzik Emily Zuzik is an L.A.-based Americana singer-songwriter who has planted her musical roots in a unique eclectic blend of alt-country, modern, rhythm & blues and rock music. She brings to her songs a woman’s vulnerability and strength in the tradition of Patsy Cline and Madonna. She […]
Making a Scene Presents the PODCAST of LIVE from the Midnight Circus Featuring Nikki O’Neill This is the Voice of Indie Blues, the future of the blues. Artists who embrace the diversity of the blues that always has and still is being created from it’s roots. These artists understand the blues is a living […]
Peter Parcek Mississippi Suitcase Lightnin’ Records Peter Parcek was born in New Britain, Connecticut. After graduating from high school Parcek relocated to London where the aspiring guitarist developed an appreciation for British Blues, especially the music of Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Peter Green. Once back in Connecticut Parcek began to appreciate American blues artists […]
Yana Distant Shore Today I want to introduce you to a wonderful singer/songwriter from the Czech Republic…Yana. When you listen to her music you realize very quickly that she has a strong connection to Ireland and she says about herself that she may have lived there in a previous life. Yana released her debut EP […]
WEBSITE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Lisa Mann Lisa Mann hails from blues-soaked Portland, Oregon. Originally from West Virginia, Mann’s vocals effortlessly straddle the line between the honey sweet warmth of the south, and the force-of-nature sound Mann has cultivated by mastering everything from hard rock to rhythm and blues. Her clever […]
Making a Scene Presents Social Media AI Technology is Getting Tougher on Copyright Infringement With the shutdown of the gig economy due to Covid 19 many musicians have moved to Live Stream platforms like Facebook, Youtube, Instagram and Twitch to get their music out. At the same time the social media platforms have been improving […]
WEBSITE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Dave Huebner and Julie Szewc of “The Two Tracks” Cutting undeniable grooves in the road of Americana music with their new release Cheers to Solitude, Sheridan WY quartet The Two Tracks bend genres into a sound both unique and immediately familiar, laced with a hint of that […]
Vanessa Collier Heart on the Line Phenix Fire Records Vanessa Collier hails from Clarksville, Maryland. Collier attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston where she graduated with degrees in Performance, Music Production and Engineering. In 2012, after graduation, she spent eighteen months touring the US and Turkey with the Grammy winning Joe Louis Walker. […]
John Warwick Mur Mur Fountain “I’m Down in the Basement In my Imaginary World I can’t Live in Your one Too Much Violence Everywhere” John Warwick Today I have the honor of reviewing John Warwick’s second album “Mur Mur Fountain” John is a brilliant singer songwriter from Poplar, London and he has already showed with […]
Making a Scene Presents the PODCAST of LIVE from the Midnight Circus Indie Blues Double Shot Show! This is the Voice of Indie Blues, the future of the blues. An Indie Blues double shot of artists who embrace the diversity of the blues that always has and still is being created from it’s roots. These […]
Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Nikki O’Neill For Nikki O’Neill, the musical highlights just kept on coming in 2019: recording at Royal Studios in Memphis; performing at AmericanaFest; getting her first interview in Guitar Player Magazine, and launching a guitar lesson channel on TrueFire.com called Nikki O’Neill’s Twang, Soul & Rock ‘n’ Roll. Her 2020 […]
Jon Strahl Band Heartache and Toil Independent As a teenager Jon Strahl’s musical experience was similar to our own. “I grew up in a house with music, there was always something new on the turntable and it was almost always rock and roll…but what really hit me…was this Sunday night radio show on WTTS called […]
The Flying Horse Big Band Florida Rays – featuring songs of Ray Charles Flying Horse Orlando’s own Flying Horse Big Band, on their seventh release, pay] tribute to perhaps the city’s biggest musical icon, Ray Charles on this expansive outing directed by Jeff Rupert, a tenor saxophonist who doesn’t play on the album, but conducts […]
Funnel Marketing For the Musician With the shutdown of the gig economy many indie artists have turned to the internet as a way to stay connected to their fanbase and to generate interest in their music. Unfortunately many of these artists are losing some important potential income as well as losing potential fans by not […]
Making a Scene Presents the PODCAST of LIVE from the Midnight Circus Featuring Bette Smith This is the Voice of Indie Blues, the future of the blues. Artists who embrace the diversity of the blues that always has and still is being created from it’s roots. These artists understand the blues is a living […]
Dianne Davidson Perigon: Full Circle Independent Born in West Tennessee, Dianne Davidson was singing and writing songs when she was just a child. She formed her first band when she was eleven. She completed her musical education by performing in bars, nightclubs and listening rooms from Tennessee to Greenwich Village. She recorded her debut album […]
Eleesha Prothero Electric Princess The world of music can be compared to a massive gold mine. There are lots of riches to found if you are lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. Now I know that Facebook gets a lot of negative press and maybe on occasion the criticism […]
Friends & Legends of Louisiana Various Artists L & M Star Productions Producer Lucas Spinosa is a songwriter, keyboardist and former bandleader of the Baton Rouge based “Southern Star”, a band popular in the 1990’s. Their albums include “Magic”, “Evangeline” and “From The Heart”. Way back in 1966 Spinosa was a member of the band […]
Making a Scene Presents the PODCAST of LIVE from the Midnight Circus Featuring JW Jones This is the Voice of Indie Blues, the future of the blues. Artists who embrace the diversity of the blues that always has and still is being created from it’s roots. These artists understand the blues is a living […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an interview with Bette Smith Wild rock & soul singer Bette Smith traces elements of her life-affirming new album ‘The Good, The Bad and The Bette’ to her childhood in rough Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. Musically, it connects to the gospel music she heard in church and the soul music on […]
Willie Nile Uncovered Paradiddle Records Willie Nile was born Robert Noonan in Buffalo, N.Y. in 1948. He attended the University of Buffalo; and afterwards relocated to Greenwich Village to pursue a music career. Nile frequented New York’s punk rock club CBGB’s were he was influenced by the music of the Ramones, the Patti Smith Group, […]
John Beasley and MONK’estra Plays John Beasley Mack Avenue This year seems to especially have many jazz artists turning to the music of Thelonious Monk but this is nothing new for John Beasley and his MONK ‘estra who have plied their first two volumes of Monk material into two GRAMMY nominations. Over the course of […]
A Band Called Sam Legacy Highlander Records Guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and bandleader Samuel Willis Taylor, Jr. a.k.a. Sam “Bluzman” Taylor was born in 1934 in Crichton, a suburb of Mobile, Alabama. He was the son of jazz and blues saxophonist Sam “The Man” Taylor, but was raised by his mother a vaudevillian. They moved to […]
R.B. Morris Going Back to the Sky Singular Recordings and songwriter, solo and band leader, and a sometimes playwright and actor Admittedly, the initial draw here is that RB Morris’ album is produced by Bo Ramsey. Yet, a small bit of research combined with listening to just the first full song, “Red Sky,” proves that […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with the Pros – Junior and Sugar of Big City Rhythm and Blues Magazine You would think that it would be unusual for a web magazine to interview the publishers of another magazine. But, Big City Rhythm and Blues Magazine is celebrating 25 years of print, which […]
Eric Johanson Below Sea Level Nola Blue Records While still in high school Louisiana native Eric Johanson was already a soulful blues guitarist appearing on stages throughout the state. When heard by Tab Benoit, the young Johanson became the first guitarist/singer signed to his then new Whiskey Bayou Records. In 2017 Johanson released his debut […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with JW Jones Fresh off the heels of winning “Best Guitarist” at the 2020 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, popular Canadian blues artist JW-Jones was looking forward to a huge year before COVID-19 hit and halted his tour schedule. “I knew I had to do something productive […]
Ron Thompson From the Patio, Live at Poor House Bistro, Vol 1 Little Village Foundation From the Patio – Live at Poor House Bistro, Vol 1 dates to two sessions in the summer of 2014 at the famed venue in San Jose, CA where the recently passed Bay Area Blues legend Ron Thompson often gigged. […]
Allman-Betts Band Bless Your Heart BMG Last year’s debut from the Allman-Betts Band, Down to the River, marked the first time the seven-piece ensemble played together, let alone record together. But even that is not entirely accurate as keyboardist John Ginty joined the band for the tour, after the recording was done. So, if that […]
Making a Scene Presents the PODCAST of LIVE from the Midnight Circus Indie Blues Double Shot Show! This is the Voice of Indie Blues, the future of the blues. An Indie Blues double shot of artists who embrace the diversity of the blues that always has and still is being created from it’s roots. These […]
Laura Green Green Eyed Blues Independent St. Louis’ Laura Green has been performing her own brand of rock, folk and jazz. Influenced by legendary blues women like Big Mama Thornton; and skilled contemporaries such as Bonnie Raitt, Lou Ann Barton and Janiva Magness, Green has spent the last ten years honing her craft. Inspired she […]
Bobby Rush Rawer Than Raw Deep Rush Records/Thirty Tigers Emmit Ellis Jr. a.k.a. Bobby Rush was born in Homer, La. in 1933. As a youngster, in the late 1940’s, he befriended and played with Elmore James. He formed his first band before relocating to Chicago where he worked with Freddie King, Luther Allison and Jimmy […]
Content Creation – The Future of Indie Music? With the Shutdown of the gig economy with the onset of Covid 19 many artists that would have never considered live streaming have jumped into this technology. Believe it or not, these artists have become “Content Creators”! As we move into this new world, it is clear […]
Making a Scene Presents the PODCAST of LIVE from the Midnight Circus Featuring Kirsten Thien This is the Voice of Indie Blues, the future of the blues. Artists who embrace the diversity of the blues that always has and still is being created from it’s roots. These artists understand the blues is a living […]
Various Artists Back to Paradise – A Tribute to Okie Music Horton Think Tulsa and inevitably the names of J.J. Cale, Leon Russell, The Gap Band, Jesse Ed Davis, and others come to mind. Today, it’ likely John Fullbright, John Moreland, Paul Benjamin, Jesse Aycock, and others. Fullbright, Benjamin, Aycock and six more pay tribute […]
Dan Penn Living On Mercy The Last Music Co. The seventy-eight-year-old Dan Penn was born Wallace Daniel Pennington in Vernon, Alabama. Penn found work at the Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals. He first recorded in 1960, and that same year wrote his first hit for Conway Twitty. He is among our most soulful songwriters. His […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Kirsten Thien Kirsten Thien’s unlikely path from a Georgetown University Business School graduate to a blues and roots rock singer/songwriter began just weeks before college graduation when she decided to forgo career on Wall Street for a life in music. Since then she has released four […]
Making a Scene Presents the PODCAST of LIVE from the Midnight Circus Featuring Sam Joyner This is the Voice of Indie Blues, the future of the blues. Artists who embrace the diversity of the blues that always has and still is being created from it’s roots. These artists understand the blues is a living […]
Champian Fulton Birdsong Self-released New York-based pianist and vocalist Champian Fulton celebrates Charlie Parker’s centennial with her latest, Birdsong., featuring her friend and saxophone luminary Scott Hamilton (who of course plays tenor, not alto liker Parker did). Hamilton appears along with Fulton’s long-standing quartet made up of bassist Hide Tanaka, drummer Fukushi Tainaka and her […]
Making a Scene Presents the PODCAST of LIVE from the Midnight Circus Featuring Peter Parcek This is the Voice of Indie Blues, the future of the blues. Artists who embrace the diversity of the blues that always has and still is being created from it’s roots. These artists understand the blues is a living […]
