#741- > Southern Avenue - Family (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

2025 – Alligator Records
Release Date : April 25, 2025
 
By Phillip Smith; April 19, 2025
 
Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

I’ve been a fan of Memphis’ Southern Avenue since 2017 when their first album landed on the revitalized Stax Records. Their live shows are always exhilarating and their studio albums have always been impressive. It’s no wonder they have been nominated three times for the Blues Music Awards Band of the Year. With Family their fourth and latest album, the band has landed with Alligator Records. Recorded at the legendary Royal Studios (Al Green, Ann Peebles, Willie Mitchell), the new fourteen-track record strongly reflects their Memphis roots. Lead singer Tierinii Jackson, guitarist Ori Naftaly, drummer/vocalist Tikyra Jackson, and percussionist/violinist/vocalist Ava Jackson note as Southern Avenue  “These songs chronicle our evolution—not just as a band, but as a family.”. This recording also features Jeremy Powell on keys, Blake Rhea on bass, and special guest Luther Dickinson (North Mississippi Allstars) on bass for four tracks.

I love the harmonies, infectious groove and positive energy which flows through “Upside”. This one always gets turned up a little louder. Naftaly’s guitar performance sure shines, as he lets loose on this wonderful track. I dig the Isaac Hayes-inspired rhythm imbedded in “Found a Friend in You”. Tierinii’s voice rings soulful and heavenly. I adore the swampy, blues-soaked slide guitar and jukin’ rhythm which holds the fort down on “Late Night Get Down”. This is another fabulous track which begs to be heard at a higher volume. One of my favorite places to hear music in Memphis is at Rum Boogie Café. I went there many a time in the Eighties and early Nineties when I lived in N.E. Arkansas. That being said, “Rum Boogie” is another track which quicky drew my attention. Topped with thick slide guitar and party atmosphere, it perfectly sets the scene. Even though “Believe” is only forty-eight seconds long, it is a beautiful and captivating mantra. Tikyra’s boldly-cast “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” beat on the intro instantly draws me in to the final track “We Are”. This definition of family holds strong and makes for a glory-filled closer.

 Family delivers soulful, bluesy goodness with every song, making this Southern Avenue’s best record yet.   

 

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Photo by Rory Doyle

Photo by Rory Doyle

For other PhillyCheeze reviews and photos of Southern Avenue, visit https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/search?q=southern+avenue

For more information about Southern Avenue, visit their website https://www.southernavenuemusic.com

#740- > The Westbound Sound (Various Artists) - Foundations (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 

2025 – Westbound Records

Release Date : April 12, 2025

 

By Phillip Smith; April 12, 2025

 

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

Be on the lookout this Record Store Day for this groovy compilation album from Westbound Records called The Westbound Sound – Foundations. Packed with ten terrific tracks dripping with funky goodness, this release was curated specifically for RSD, and lands as the second installment of this nature by Westbound. I love the mix of the familiar and the unfamiliar with each track freely flowing right to the next down to the end.

The ride begins with the 1971 horn-infused, keyboard-centric instrumental “Pack of Lies” by The Counts. This track absolutely cooks as slices of psychedelic guitar licks take a dip into the furious percussion. I love the 1976 Fuzzy Haskins track “Love’s Now Is Forever” featuring P-Funk’s Bootsy Collins on bass and Bernie Worrell on keys. Strings and horns give this one a big sound. Hearing the 1977 selection “Well, Have A Nice Day” by King Errisson instantly transports the listener to the disco era with its Latin beat, smooth vocals, and inescapable rhythm. I can definitely feel the funk on Caesar Frazier’s “Funk It Down”. This one is so buttery, I melt with every listen. Hearing Funkadelic always puts a smile on my face, and it makes me gleam with delight to hear the playful low groove of “Nappy Dugout” from their 1973 Cosmic Slop album (which by the way was their first album with cover art by Pedro Bell). The 1976 song “Suzie Thundertussy” by Junie Morrison, a one-time member of The Ohio Players and member/musical director of Parliament-Funkadelic” blends freaky funk with roller-rink disco and totally captivates me. Foundations concludes with the slow dance favorite “Mixed Up Moods and Attitudes” by The Fantastic Four. Long hanging notes soaked in a cosmic brew usher the song in. Accompanied with strings and soulful harmonies, it surely makes for a very beautiful song.

Enjoy Record Store Day, and if you find this treasure, I highly recommend it.

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#739- > Sean Chambers - Live From Daryl's House Club (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 

2025 – Quarto Valley Records
Release Date : Feb. 28, 2025
 
By Phillip Smith; April 5, 2025
 
Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

The Blues is most definitely part of Sean Chambers’ DNA.  For five years between 1998 and 2003, he was Hubert Sumlin’s guitarist and bandleader. Recording at Daryl Hall’s place in Pawling, New York, undoubtedly injects a very positive energy to the final sound.  With that in mind, Live From Daryl’s House Club, the seventh and most recent release from Chambers is an extraordinary example of live blues-rock at its mightiest. With Chambers backed by the Savoy Brown Rhythm Section, bassist Pat DeSalvo and drummer Garnet Grimm, this album pays a great honor to the late, great Kim Simmonds who sadly passed away in December of 2022.  Being that Chambers and Simmons are label-mates on Quarto Valley Records set the stage for this exciting partnership.   

The record opens in a with an amazing instrumental called “Cobra”. It totally ignites the stage with a brute force. I love the driving locomotive rhythm of “Red Hot Mama”. Chambers’ fiery guitar riffs and whiskey-soaked vocals absolutely shine on this Texas blues song. Hearing them play “Louise” brought a smile to my face. Passed down through the ranks from Howlin’ Wolf to Sumlin to Chambers, the song surely stands the test of time and this performance is fabulous. Dedicated to Simmonds and all the Savoy Brown fans in the house, “Street Corner Talking” quickly targets the soul with its hypnotic groove and digs right in for nearly eight minutes of musical bliss. In a tip of the hat to Rory Gallagher, Chambers lets loose on “Bullfrog Blues”. Grimm fills the song with his own thunder and lightning, making this a stellar performance. Chambers then rolls into “Sweeter Than a Honey Bee” and “Trouble & Whiskey” to wrap up a very nice three-fer of tracks from his 2017 album Trouble & Whiskey. I love the deep bass groove and crashing drum fills that pour over Chambers’ searing guitar on Muddy Waters’ “Louisiana Blues”. This one is a sure favorite as well.

Don’t let this record sneak past you. Sean Chambers’ Live From Daryl’s House Club is an album one will want to listen to loud and listen to often.

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Photo by Arnie Goodman

Photo by Alain Broeckx

WEBSITE & SOCIALS.

Sean Chambers

https://www.seanchambers.com/

Daryl’s House Club

https://darylshouseclub.com/ 

Past articles on PhillyCheeze Rock & Blues Reviews featuring Sean Chambers

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/search?q=sean+chambers

 

Past articles on PhillyCheeze Rock & Blues Reviews featuring Savoy Brown

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/search?q=savoy+brown

 

#738- > Tony Holiday - Keep Your Head Up (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 Tony Holiday

Keep Your Head Up
2025 – Forty Below Records
Release Date : Apr. 18, 2025
 
By Phillip Smith; Mar. 29, 2025
 
Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

There is new music from Tony Holiday and it is outstanding.  Keep Your Head Up, the fifth album from the Memphis-based bluesman pulls me tightly in with its soulful grooves and expressive blues. This eight-track release, produced by Eric Corne, features Jad Tariq on guitar on each song and includes an amazing guest list consisting of Edde 9V, Kevin Burt, Laura Chavez, and Albert Castiglia.

From the beginning of the album, I’m onboard. In a splash of Seventies dramatic R&B, Holiday is joined by Eddie 9V on “She’s a Burglar”.  I love the fiery guitar licks Eddie lets loose on top of the horns and keys. “Twist My Fate” brings Kevin Burt, triple winner of the 2018 International Blues Challenge, to the microphone to join Holiday in a fabulously blues-soaked duet. I absolutely love the cover of Little Sonny’s 1971 single “Woman Named Trouble”. Previously recorded on Enterprise Records, a subsidiary of Stax Records, this version strongly emits that Stax rhythmic sound fueled by drummer Andrew McNeil, keyboardist Sasha Smith, and a horn section comprised of Mark Pender and David Ralicke. That Memphis soul-driven sound carries on as 2023 Blues Music Award winner for Best Guitarist Laura Chavez steps in on lead guitar for “Shoulda Known Better”. It’s great to hear Albert Castiglia join in for a riveting cover of the Snooks Eaglin 1971 cut “Drive It Home”. This one absolutely cooks.

Tony Holiday’s Keep Your Head Up sits among my favorite albums of the year. I highly recommend it.

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Photo Credit -  Mary Gunning

WEBSITE & SOCIALS

Tony Holiday

https://tonyholidaymusic.com/

 

Past articles on PhillyCheeze Rock & Blues Reviews featuring Tony Holiday

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/search?q=tony+holiday

 

#737- > Rashad The Blues Kid - Live in Clarksdale (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

2025 – Little Lightning Production

Release Date : Jan. 24, 2025

By Phillip Smith; Mar. 22, 2025

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

It puts a smile on my face to see the younger generation carry the blues forward.  Thirty-seven year old Mississippi bluesman Larry McGill aka Rashad the Blues Kid is doing just that, and doing it quite well. His fourth and latest album, Live in Clarksdale, was recorded in the ‘Cradle of Blues-land’, at Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale, Mississippi. This winter, he was awarded second place in the band division at the 2025 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee. After listening to this release, I can certainly hear why. His smooth vocals and guitar prowess pair up for an outstanding listen.

This thirteen-track record begins with a splash of funky harmonica-accompanied on “Feel Alright”. Topped with hot guitar licks, and a tight backing of harmonized vocals, this track properly sets the stage. Rashad keeps me tightly tuned in as he sings about partying on “Juke Joint” with a high-energy performance reminiscent of Mr Sipp. Rashad pours a big dose of blazing guitar over a smoking side-dish of keys on “Bad Girl”. I love the slow, swaying R&B which Rashad delivers in “That’s What You Are”. With guitar solos which quickly reminds me of Prince, this one is quite nice. They bring the set to its grand finale, tearing the roof off the sucker with “Juke”. It’s indeed a ripping good time.

Blues fans are highly encouraged to give Rashad The Blues Kid’s Live in Clarksdale album a listen. It is soulfully delicious.

 

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WEBSITE & SOCIALS

 

Rashad The Blues Kid

https://www.rtbkblues.com/

  

#736- > Janiva Magness - Back For Me (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 

2025 – Blue Elan Records

Release Date : Mar. 28, 2025

By Phillip Smith; Mar. 15, 2025

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

Janiva Magness has been one of my favorite blues singers for quite a while.  Her amazing talent has earned her seven Blues Music Awards including the BB King Entertainer of the Year in 2009, and a Grammy nomination for her 2016 album Love Wins Again.  Magness’ seventeenth release Back For Me shows she is still as innovative and fierce as ever.  Produced by her longtime friend and collaborator Dave Darling, this record teams the blues icon with an amazing short list of guests comprised of Joe Bonamassa, Sue Foley, and Jesse Dayton.  With a mission to shine a light on the B-sides of a few of the heavy-hitter songwriters such as Bill Withers, Ray LaMontagne, Allen Toussaint, Doyle Bramhall II, Tracy Nelson, and Irma Thomas, Magness creates a fabulous listening experience. Backing her in the studio for this release is Darling on guitar, Ian Walker on bass, and W.F. Quinn Smith on drums.    

“Masterpiece”, featuring Bonamassa on guitar and accompanied by Sasha Smith on B3, welcomes the listener with an infectious walking blues rhythm and smoking-hot guitar licks.  Her cover of Bramhall’s “November” from the 2016 album Rich Man, is beautifully performed and expertly approached in such a way which leaves me in a melancholy state.  I love the infusion of the Latin beat and Santana-like guitar from John Schroeder.  It’s great to hear Sue Foley guesting on blues-rocker “Holes”.  Magness sings this with a fearless delivery as Foley mesmerizes me with an amazing performance.  A jazz-fueled bassline, and side of masterful percussion instill a brilliant cadence for “You Can Bring Me Flowers”.  It’s a splendid slice of beat-poetry put to music with Robert ‘Chalo’ Ortiz on guitar.  Smith pours a little barrel-house over Allen Toussaint’s “Hittin’ On Nothing’”.  This selection originally sung by Irma Thomas, features guitar-slinger Jesse Dayton and brings the record to a searing end.

Back For Me is a blues album which absolutely shines in every aspect. It is sure to be an instant classic.

 

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WEBSITE & SOCIALS

 Janiva Magness

https://www.janivamagness.com/

https://janiva-magness.bandcamp.com/music

For other PhillyCheeze reviews featuring Janiva Magness follow these links  :

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2016/03/janiva-magness-love-wins-again.html

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2016/03/janiva-magness-live-riverside-casino.html

#735- > Will Wilde - Blues is Still Alive (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 

2025 – Vizztone Records

By Phillip Smith; Mar. 8, 2025

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

Will Wilde’s latest release Blues Is Still Alive is definitely among the most exciting records I have heard this year. This self-produced album of all-original songs represents the genre of blues-rock at its best. Wilde’s fearless vocals and searing harmonica takes the spotlight on this ten-track album of all original songs. Accompanying Wilde is Bobby Harrison on guitar, Steve Rushton on drums, Russell Carr on bass, Greg Coulson on keys, and backing vocalists Lindsey Bonnick, Chloe Josephine, and Dani Wilde.  

As the sounds of Wilde’s smoldering harmonica rolls in, things are kicked off with title-track “Blues Is Still Alive”. The legendary Walter Trout steps in as guest on lead guitar for a riveting listen. This is absolutely wonderful. Things heat up for “Don’t Play With Fire” with a rhythm which barrels through like a locomotive and I love it. Wilde slows things down with the sweet-sounding blues of “Gypsy Woman”. His buttery vocals sing of searching for answers by means of palm readings and crystal balls. The blues most definitely heats up for break-up song “Trouble Of That Girl”. Listening to Wilde wail on the harp strikes me with awe. “Learn How to Love” is a fabulous song which is tight as hell. Everyone crushes it on this track as Wilde completely dazzles me on harp and vocals.  

Blues is Still Alive is one of those albums which I believe will land on many best-of-the-year lists. It certainly will be on mine.

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WEBSITE & SOCIALS

 

Will Wilde

https://www.willharmonicawilde.com/

 

 

#734- > Dean Zucchero - Song For the Sinners (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 

2025 – Pugnacious Records

By Phillip Smith; Mar. 1, 2025

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

I first became aware of Dean Zucchero through his work on Ghalia Volt’s Let the Demons Out and her One Woman Band albums. It was Zucchero’s Electric Church for the Spiritually Misguided which really brought him into the forefront of my awareness. His talents as a songwriter and bass player are strongly coupled with his talents for song arrangement and music production. Zucherro’s latest release Song For the Sinners serves up a luscious feast of a dozen blues-soaked tracks. The record features an amazing list of guests such as Jimmy Vivino, Johnny Burgin, Bobby Rush, Victor Wainwright, Albert Castiglia, Little Freddie King, Mike Zito, John Nemeth, John Boutté, Tiffany Pollack, Glen David Andrews, Sean Riley, Ron Hotstream, Jake Eckert, and Jerry Dugger.    

Zucchero leads the album off in a blast of heavy blues-rock with “Biting Through”.  With Vivino on the mic, lead and rhythm guitar, along with Burgin on second rhythm guitar, this searing track oozes with true grit, reminiscent of bands like Mountain and Blue Cheer. The funky blues of “South Side” draws me in with a welcoming New Orleans-flavored groove and keeps me tuned in with its depiction of the city’s warzones overrun by pushers and criminals. Topped with the brassy sounds of The Roadmasters’ Horn Section and the whisky-soaked vocals from Andrews, this track is indeed a favorite. Another standout selection is the folk-blues track called “Lullaby” with Dugger on vocals, Rush on harmonica, and Eckert on dobro/electric guitar. This ode to making through the night brings to mind the writings of Taj Mahal. Castiglia and Pollack are paired for the glorious duet “Shine”. Pollack’s voice is absolutely illuminating and Castiglia also joins on lead guitar culminating in a free-wheeling Grateful Dead-like jam. Unspeakable acts and an unescapable situation result in a girl’s dire fate in “Suicide For Jesus”.  Hotstream, on acoustic guitar and vocals, beautifully performs this melancholy song in troubadour fashion.

The depth that Zucchero goes to in developing his songs is a stand-out reason I admire his work. From the very first listen, Song For the Sinners had my full attention. I highly recommend this record.

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WEBSITE & SOCIALS

 

Dean Zucchero

https://www.deanzucchero.com/

 

 

Read other PhillyCheeze reviews featuring Dean Zucchero here >

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/search?q=dean+zucchero

 

 

 

#733- > The Big Ol' Nasty GetDown - RepurposE Purpose Vol 1 (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 

2024 – Org Music

By Phillip Smith; Feb. 28, 2025

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

Mardi Gras is coming up in a few days, and one of the best new records to celebrate with is with the new EP RepurposE Purpose Vol 1 by The Big Ol’ Nasty Getdown, featuring members and former members of many of my favorite bands. Some of the musicians who appear on this spectacularly funky record are drummer Jack Irons (Red Hot Chili Peppers/Pearl Jam), guitarist Leon Nocentelli (The Meters), bassist Cody Wright (Chris Cain Band), guitarist Eric McFadden (P-Funk), Philip Lassiter (Prince) on horns, bassist Freekbass (Bump Assembly), bassist Norwood Fisher and vocalist Angelo Moore from Fishbone, bassist Ra Diaz (Korn/Suicidal Tendencies), keyboardist Peter Keys (Lynyrd Skynyrd), guitarist Larry LaLonde (Primus), guitarist/percussionist Bobby Easton (Delta Nove), keyboardist Matt Slocum (Railroad Earth), guitarist Jimi Hazel (24-7 Spyz), and keyboardist Jamar Woods (The Fritz).

This seven-track record kicks off with a riveting bass and horn-centric jam called “All Together Now”. With Nocentelli laying down a searing bit on guitar and Frank Mapstone behind the Rhodes, this song absolutely cooks. “Body Magic” immediately follows with a groovy taste of Eighties R&B loaded with horns and an infectious beat. When “420 Ocean Drive” hits the ears, my mind seems to take a 180 degree turn in a magnificent way. A flurry of precise notes flows effortlessly from McFadden’s guitar as they dodge the pulsing sounds from Irons and Freekbase. This is an amazing listen. The song that sticks in my head the most though is “Spirit Stain’. With Moore on vocals, this song hits me like an old-school Funkadelic favorite. With a driving beat from Irons and a taste of prog-rock guitar from LaLonde, “Ten Hits” scrambles the brain and turns the tensions on high, leaving the listener in awe. The EP wraps up with instrumental versions of “Body Magic” and “Spirit Stain” which I appreciate greatly.

It is impossible to not totally dig The Big Ol’ Nasty GetDown’s RepurposE Purpose Vol 1. I love it!

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WEBSITE & SOCIALS

 The Big Ol’ Nasty GetDown

https://thebigolnastygetdown.squarespace.com/

#732- > Mark 'Muleman' Massey - Been a Long Long Time (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 

2024 – Muletone Records

By Phillip Smith; Feb. 21, 2025

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

I first heard about Mark ‘Muleman’ Massey on episode six of Moonshine & Mojo Hands a ten-episode 2016 Mississippi Blues series from Roger Stolle and Jeff Konkel. Damn that was a great series too. I encourage everyone to watch every show. It took about eight years, but I finally had an opportunity to see Muleman this past summer in Clarksdale, Mississippi at the Sunflower River Blues & Gospel Festival. Massey, a Clarksdale native put on a fantastic electrified show. That being said, I was excited to hear his latest album Been A Long Long Time. Slathered in southern soulful blues, this eleven-track record was recorded at Wishbone Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Alongside the Muleman on guitar are guitarists Billy Lawson, Travis Wammack, and Kelvin Holly. The rest of the band is comprised of bass player Bob N Weaver, drummer Roger Starr, The Webster Street Horns, Robbert Fossen on harmonica, and background vocalists The Avalon Sisters.

The slow blues of “Baby’s Gone” drips with pure emotion as Muleman beautifully sings this with a heart-felt delivery. The temperature rises on “Can’t Tell Me Nothing About the Blues”. The Allman-esque slide guitar and juicy keys on this delightful track put me in the zone. I love his cover of Tom T. Hall’s “That’s How I Got to Memphis”. He surely makes this his own vocally. The Steve Cropper-inspired guitar licks win me over every time. “My Used To Be”, his ode to his ex, is a real-deal blues song with an infectious groove. “Going Back to Memphis” puts a smile on my face with every listen as he mentions all the things he loves about the Bluff City. The song is topped with a hot serving of harp, and makes for a hell of a checklist. The album ends with the funky, dance-friendly break-up song “Your Good Stuff”. It really is a fabulous tune.

Mark ‘Muleman’ Massey’s Been a Long Long Time stole my heart at first listen. It is a wonderful album with masterfully written songs served to perfection.   

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* Photos of Mark 'Muleman' Massey by Phillip Smith , 

Taken at Sunflower River Blues & Gospel Festival, Clarksdale, MS 2024

 

WEBSITE & SOCIALS

 

Mark ‘Muleman’ Massey

https://markmulemanmassey.com/

 

Moonshine & Mojo Hands

https://www.moonshineandmojohands.com/

 

#731 : Winter Blues Fest 2025 (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 

Downtown Marriott

Des Moines, Iowa

February 15, 2024

 

By Phillip Smith; Feb. 16, 2025

 

Original source: phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

I made the trek to Des Moines this weekend for my second visit to the Central Iowa Blues Society’s Winter Blues Fest, and had a spectacular time.  Although the festival runs for two days, I was only able to make it over to the Saturday shows again. Acts I was able to catch included Hudspeth & Taylor, Cedar County Cobras, Duke Robillard, Altered Five Blues Band, Orphan Jon & the Abandoned, Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal, John Nemeth & the Blue Dreamers, and Anson Funderburgh & the Rockets featuring Big Joe Maher.

 * All Photos by Phillip Smith

  

Hudspeth & Taylor

Duke Robillard

Cedar County Cobras

Altered Five Blues Band

Orphan Jon & the Abandoned

Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal

John Nemeth & the Blue Dreamers

 

Anson Funderburgh & the Rockets feat. Big Joe Maher

w/ Duke Robillard

* All photos by Phillip Smith