Showing posts with label Blues Blogger. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blues Blogger. Show all posts

Friday, March 15, 2024

#667 : Rocky Athas - Livin' My Best Life (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 


2024 – Cherryburst Records

By Phillip Smith; Mar. 16, 2024

Release Date : Mar. 10, 2024

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

Rocky Athas is one of my all-time favorite blues-rock guitarists. He’s played with musical legends John Mayall, Glenn Hughes, Buddy Miles and Black Oak Arkansas and whether performing with someone else or recording his own solo work, he always manages to amaze me. Livin’ My Best Life is his latest release. It contains ten bodacious tracks of high-octane music and I absolutely love it. He puts the ‘rock’ in blues-rock. With Rocky on lead guitar, his son Rocky Athas II on bass guitar, Walter Watson on drums and lead vocals, and his son Jared Watson on guitar and vocals, the band could not be a tighter unit.

Title-track “Livin’ My Best Life” gets the album rolling with a big juicy dose of Texas-style blues with a ZZ Top vibe. Hearing Rocky shred on this one makes for a damn good listen. The fun ensues when they break out a smokin’ cover of Don Nix’s “Black Cat Moan”. I love how Rocky coaxes the most amazing tones out of his vintage 1969 Gibson Les Paul Custom Black Beauty using a vintage Vox Wah Wah to pay tribute to the late Jeff Beck on this track. From its infectious riff to its poignant lyrics, “Dark Days” is a fantastic original spawned from fatherly advice about remembering who we are regardless of the insanity surrounding us. This is indeed a favorite. It made me happy to hear John Mayall making a guest appearance on harmonica for the spectacular cover of “Long Gray Mare” originally recorded by Fleetwood Mac with Peter Green in 1968. He can sure make that harp sing. The solo guitar Rocky creates is outstanding. For an unexpected treat, I love the cover of Bob Dylan’s “Watching the River Flow”. The original was produced by Leon Russell and recorded at Blues Rock Studio in New York City at a session in 1971. From the beginning couple of bars of “Walk in My Shadow”, I am immersed in the groove created by Rocky II and Walter Watson. There is not a Free cover that ever sounded better to me. I feel as if Rocky is pouring everything he has into this performance, and it sounds terrific. First recorded by Freddie King in 1971, the cover “Palace of the King” makes for a riveting closing song. The twists and turns, Rocky takes with his guitar keeps me tightly glued to this track.

With Livin’ My Best Life, Rocky Athas wins me over once again.  This album certainly gets my highest recommendation.  

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For more information about the Rocky Athas, visit this website : https://www.rockyathas.com/

For past reviews mentioning Rocky Athas on PhillyCheezeBlues :

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/search?q=rocky+athas

 

 

 

 

Saturday, March 9, 2024

#666 : One Dime Band - Side Hustle (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 


One Dime Band

Side Hustle

2024 – Toneblanket Records

By Phillip Smith; Mar. 9, 2024

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

One Dime Band from Boston, Massachusetts has caught my full attention with their third and latest album Side Hustle. In serving up thirteen all-original tracks, the band delivers a savory bowl of musical gumbo made from assorted blues sub-genres gathered along the Mississippi River from St. Louis, through Memphis, and down to the Big Easy.    

The core of the band is an acoustic duo comprised of John Brauchler on guitars, resonator, and banjo and Paul Gallucci on vocals, harmonica, percussion, and rhythm guitar. In 2022 they were winners of the Boston Blues Society Blues Challenge in the solo/duo category.  In 2023 they were winners of the Granite State Blues Society Challenge in the same category.  In 2024, they entered the International Blues Challenge in Memphis and made it to the Semi-Finals. Their backing band consists of Romeo Dubois on drums, Paul Kochanski on upright bass and electric bass, Alizon Lissance on piano, organ, and accordion, Ilana Katz Katz on fiddle, Holly Harris on percussion, Johnny Blue Horn on trumpet, Mario Perrett on saxophone, with Robin Hathaway and Tim Curry on backing vocals.

A blast of horns and a buttery Stax-fueled groove kicks the door in with a fist-full of funk on title-track “Side Hustle”. I absolutely love this one. Visions of cypress trees wading in the swampy waters of Mississippi come to my mind with each listen of “Blackfoot Sun”. Powered by Brauchler on resonator and, Gallucci on harp, this favorite is topped with a delectable fiddle performance by Katz. I’m drawn in to Kochanski’s crawling, infectious bassline on “Dr. Shine”.  It remarkably creates an ominous feeling of impending doom in this brilliant blues song about escaping reality. “Soul to Keep”, a slow-cooked blues duet with the lovely Robin Hathaway, sweeps me off my feet.  Brauchler digs his heels in deep and releases some gorgeous tones on this one. The smell of late Sixties funk wafts through the air on the instrumental “Rib Grease”.  An intoxicating rhythm, blasts of brass, and a groovy riff all adds up to a fabulous listen. 

Loaded with musical twists and turns, Side Hustle is terrific from beginning to end.

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I wouldn’t say that review number 666 is a milestone, but the number does have some significance to some. In order to establish the connection to this review, I will share this story. When I first saw the cd cover featuring a pool table with red and green neon-lettered windows behind, a wave of familiarity washed over. I knew I had played on at that table before, I just wasn’t immediately sure where.  I then made it a mission to figure this out. The letters on the windows in reverse order were the first three letters of a place I have frequented occasionally on Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee called The Absinthe Room. Once I located photos of The Absinthe Room on Google, I was able to verify that the cover photo was in fact taken from the inside of that exact establishment.

This is where the synchronicity begins. A piece of blues historical trivia I know about this place is that at one time this was Hooks Brothers Photography Studio. Hooks Brothers took the only known studio photo of the legendary blues player Robert Johnson. And for those who don’t know, Johnson allegedly sold his soul to the devil at the crossroads to achieve his guitar mastery. And that’s the tie-in to review #666.

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These photos featuring the Absinthe Room on Beale Street are ones I took of this location myself on two different visits to Memphis.

 



·       * Photos by Phillip Smith

Saturday, March 2, 2024

#664 : Brothers Brown - Nowhere Left to Go (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 


2024 – Woodward Avenue Records

Release Date Jan 12, 2024

By Phillip Smith; Mar. 2, 2024

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

It’s been eight years since Brothers Brown released their debut album Dusty Road. Their follow-up record Nowhere Left to Go recently landed and is very much worth the wait. Founded by Grammy-nominated keyboardist/synth-master Brother Paul Brown of the Waterboys, and two-time Grammy-winning singer-songwriter/guitarist Paul Brown (George Benson, Al Jarreau, Norman Brown) the band also includes bassist/rhythm guitarist/vocalist David Santos (Billy Joel, John Fogerty, Elton John) and drummer/percussionist/guitarist Peter Young (Loretta Lynn, The Burrito Brothers). Together, they approach music much like Grateful Dead and Little Feat pushing genre-specific boundaries of rock, blues funk, and country.

I’m captivated from the beginning as the record rolls in on a super-melancholy wave of regret and loneliness with “Wrong Side of Town”. The way the guitar notes seem to float in mid-air with a Mark Knopfler-ish way sounds amazing as they naturally join forces with the keys. “Junior’s Back” puts me in a happy space with every listen. Once the bridge hits, I am thrown into the Phish-zone, and relish every bit of its expansive and wonderful jam. The Brothers Brown zero in on the Sixties Chicago blues sound with “My Baby”. It hits the bullseye dead center. “Chitlin’ Pickin’” is a grateful instrumental which fills the sky with sunshine and smiles. A driving rhythm slathered with grease and a cookin’ pulse pulls me into the delectable blues-rock anthem “Black and Blue”.      

The great Bobby Rush joins the Brothers Brown on title-track “Nowhere Left to Go” making for a soulful, funky treat.  Rush’s history of working with Brother Paul Brown stretches back for over twenty years, culminating in four albums, three Blues Music Awards, a Grammy nomination, and multiple concert tours.

Nowhere Left to Go receives a high recommendation from me. It’s a terrific album that just gets better with every listen.                                     

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For more information about the artist, visit this website : https://wbaentertainment.com/brothers-brown/

 

Read the PhillyCheeze review for Brothers Brown’s Dusty Road album 

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2016/03/brothers-brown-dusty-road.html



Saturday, February 24, 2024

#663 : Memphis & the Misfits - Halfway to Number Nine (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)



2023 – Memphis & the Misfits

By Phillip Smith; Feb. 23, 2024

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

Loaded with a fistful of swagger, Halfway to Number Nine, the debut album from Memphis & the Misfits has really caught my attention. Singer/songwriter/standup & electric bassist Gary Davis aka ‘Memphis’ explains “Every song on this album is based on real life events or inspirations…”. That explains why I can feel the DNA of the Mississippi Delta intertwined with every song. Born in the Delta and based out of Nashville, Tennessee, singer/songwriter/bassist Davis aka “Memphis” is joined by his band the Misfits comprised of guitarist Ryan Sise, drummer Dave Halstead, and additional guitarist Chris Voorhees.  

Davis pines for the slow-paced living in Number Nine, Arkansas as he brings the listener into the album with his cooking title track “Halfway to Number Nine”. Hearing Sise’s slide guitar on “Walk That Line” is an absolute treat. I love the way he baptizes this song in swamp juice.  The smoldering Texas blues of “Good Love” hits with a solid ZZ-Top/SRV-inspired wallop. It sounds great. Davis conjures up memories of good times with the swing-blues of “Ride these Mississippi Backroads”. I’m rapidly hooked and reeled in to “Hongry”, caught in the net of its infectious riff. I love when Sise lets loose and unleashes his blues-soaked performance.               

Memphis & the Misfits’ Halfway to Number Nine is an impressive eight tracks of original delta roots music. I’m already looking forward to their next album. 

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Gary Davis aka 'Memphis'


For more information about the artist, visit this website : https://memphisandthemisfits.com/

 

Saturday, January 6, 2024

#654 : Patti Parks - Come Sing With Me (featuring Johnny Rawls) (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 


2024 – Vizztone Label Group

By Phillip Smith; Jan 6., 2024

Release Date : Jan. 5, 2024

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

When Patti Parks sings, her voice pulls me right in to the song.  I love to hear her sing.  Her latest album Come Sing With Me is a wonderful album of soul blues.  Muti-Blues Music Award recipient Johnny Rawls produces, arranges horns, and appears on several songs contributing his smooth vocal and guitar stylings.   With Rawls at the helm, the album surely has a vintage southern charm.  The recording also features guests Anthony Geraci on piano, and Richard Rosenblatt on harmonica.

Drummer Hugh Arther and bassist Tony Cammilleri lay down a buttery groove for Parks and Rawls’ duet “I’m in Love With You Baby”.  Topped off with a nice blast of horns, and a Steve Cropper-ish guitar performance from Aaron Flynt, the song shines bright and is perfectly fitted for an opening track.  From the opening sounds of the swirling organ played by Aaron Blackmon, I’m grooving to “Sing Around the World”.  It is a feel-good anthem I can’t help but smile to.  Flynt, along with Guy Nirelli on organ, create a sort of Stevie Ray Vaughan meets Ray Manzarek vibe for “I’m Sorry”.  Parks sings this Texas blues masterpiece with an unbridled fearlessness and she sounds terrific.  The sultry double-entendres Parks unleashes on “Hamburger Man” add spice to an already hot bowl of slow simmering blues.  I love the way the heavy bassline and Rosenblatt’s harp accompaniment fit tightly in with Flynt’s smokin’ guitar.  Parks’ voice sounds amazing on “Why”.  Her classic soul-singer approach injects a sense of timelessness into the song.  When Parks and Rawls join forces as a duet on Rawls’ “How Much Longer”, the stars are perfectly aligned.  I love the bursts of sax that pepper their smooth-as-silk performance.

Patti Parks’ Come Sing With Me featuring Johnny Rawls is a terrific album to break the new year in with.  I highly recommend giving it a listen.                  

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For more information about the artist, visit this website : https://www.thepattiparksband.com/

 

 


Saturday, November 11, 2023

#644 : Ghalia Volt - Shout Sister Shout! (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 


2023 – Ruf Records

By Phillip Smith; Nov. 11, 2023

 

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

I have been enamored by the music of Ghalia Volt since her album with Johnny Mastro and Mamas Boys Let the Demons Out crossed my desk for review five years ago.  She is a musical force on guitar and vocals with a mastery of songwriting.  Ghalia’s talent shines bright with on her latest release Shout Sister Shout!.  The album is loaded with a dozen all-original tracks.  Each one is a gem.  Backing Ghalia is Danny Frankel on drums/percussion, Ben Alleman on keys, and special guest on guitar David Catching.   

With a funky, slide-slathered riff, the record opens with “Every Cloud”.  The Ray Manzarek-inspired keys Alleman contributes makes for a groovy touch.  “Can’t Afford to Die” pulls me in fast and tight with its upbeat delivery and dire, matter-of-fact lyrics.  “Insomnia” is a true masterpiece.  Ghalia’s dobro performance is beautifully guided with Alleman’s poly-rhythm beats, setting an Eastern musical landscape for this wonderful blues song.  Catching’s cosmic guitar splashes add a psychedelic Pink Floyd feel.  The North Mississippi Hill Country sound of “Can’t Have it All” opens up in a genius way.  I think of the moment in The Wizard of Oz when Dorothy is instantly transported from a black and white world to one that boasts the full glory of Technicolor.  With guitar in hand, Eddie 9V makes a guest stop on “Hop on a Ride” for a searing blues performance fit for a juke-joint.    

Shout Sister Shout! is a stellar album that stays strong from beginning to end.  It is such a terrific release; I feel it should land Ghalia on several awards lists.     

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 For more information about the artist, visit this website : https://www.ghaliavolt.com/

 

Check out other PhillyCheeze reviews for Ghalia Volt at : https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/search?q=Ghalia

Sunday, November 5, 2023

#643 : Avey Grouws Band w/ The Wilted at Wildwood Saloon - Nov 3, 2023 (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 

Avey Grouws Band w/ The Wilted

Live at Wildwood Smokehouse & Saloon – Nov.3, 2023

Iowa City, Iowa

 

By Phillip Smith; November 5, 2023

 

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

After nearly a year and a half, I was finally able to catch Avey Grouws Band again this weekend.  When I saw they were going to be playing at the Wildwood Smokehouse & Saloon in Iowa City, I knew I had to go.  They are absolutely one of my favorite live acts to see.  The show was the perfect mix of favorites, rarities, new songs, and covers.   

Opening for Avey Grouws Band was Iowa City-based band The Wilted.  They played a most impressive set.  When this band releases their first album, I’ll certainly be buying a copy.  

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* photos by Phillip Smith

 The Wilted

 












 

 Avey Grouws Band


























                          * Photos by Phillip Smith


Saturday, November 4, 2023

#642: The Dig 3 - Damn the Rent (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 


2023 – The Dig 3

By Phillip Smith; Nov. 4, 2023

 

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

A wave of nostalgia washes over me with every listen to Damn the Rent, the latest album from Illinois bluesmen The Dig 3.  Their all-original songs range from traditional blues, to the funky R&B sounds of the Seventies and Eighties.  Consisting of Andrew Duncanson on vocals and guitar, Ronnie Shellist on harmonica, and Gerry Hundt on Farmer foot drums, percussion, bass VI, guitar, harmonica, mandolin, and organ, the trio makes quite a positive impression.       

An intoxicating Bo Diddley-inspired rhythm welcomes the listener in for a musical road trip through The Prairie State on “Take a Ride”.  Shellist’s harmonica performance on this is fabulous.  I love the warm tones on “Big Water” and how Duncanson’s smooth vocals pair with Shellist’s masterfully injected harp.  The ingredients all cook up into a big bowlful of vintage Chicago Blues.  The funk rises to the top on the instrumental “Blanco Boogaloo” with a rhythm that is sweetly unescapable.  The Dig 3 throw in a remarkable pre-war blues style curve ball with “Old Dog”.  My ears immediately perked[P1]  up and a smile grew across my face once I heard the familiar sound of kazoo.  A disco-infused beat guides the groovy rhythm of “Southern Fantasy” directly to the dance floor when vocalist Lauren Dukes, bassist Aaron Whittier, and drummer/percussionist Rick King join The Dig 3 to form Dig 3 Big Version.  I like this one a lot.

The Dig 3’s Damn the Rent won me over on the first track and left me wanting to hear more from the band.  It’s a splendid listen. 

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For more information about the artist, visit this website : https://thedig3band.com


Saturday, September 30, 2023

#637: Chad Rupp & The Sugar Roots - The Devil Won't Get You (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)



2023 – Lightning in a Bottle Records

By Phillip Smith; Sep. 30, 2023

Release Date : Aug. 1, 2023

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

The Devil Won’t Get You is the second release from Portland, Oregon’s Chad Rupp & The Sugar Roots, and it’s stocked full of high-energy, all-original blues.  Headed up by Chad Rupp on vocals and guitar, this seven-piece ensemble is also comprised of Brady T. Goss on piano/Rhodes/Wurlitzer, Louis Pain on organ, Timmer Blakely on bass, Jimi Bolt on drums/percussion, Scott Franklin on saxophone, and Joe-Mack McCarthy on trumpet. 

Johnny Wheels from Johnny Wheels and the Swamp Donkeys makes a guest appearance on “Blues Men in Black” in which he lends a smokin’ dose of harp and vocals.  Rupp tears it up on guitar while Bolt lays down a big beat on drums.  The song is so hot, it’s downright nuclear.  “Leopard For Your Love” is solid blues through and through.  I dig the vintage Chicago Blues sound which pulses through the veins of this track.  Thing really begin to jump on “At the Candlelight Room”.  This bodacious track pays homage to the well-known blues club in Portland which unfortunately closed its doors in 2012.  Title-track “The Devil Won’t Get You” pays tribute to the music and locales of the Mississippi Delta.  It’s cool to hear Rupp name-drop locations in Clarksdale such as Abes BBQ and Ground Zero, along with performers Lala Craig, and Stan Street.  The album closes in style with a swinging, horn-infused treat called “Tighten It Up”.  Everyone comes together on this for a grand finale and I love every bit of it. 

Chad Rupp & The Sugar Roots have another winner with The Devil Won’t Get You.  It’s a fabulous listen. 

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Saturday, September 9, 2023

#634: Anthony Rosano and the Conqueroos - Cheat the Devil (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 


2023 – Whiskey Bayou Records

By Phillip Smith; Sep. 9, 2023

Release Date : July 7, 2023

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

The latest album from Anthony Rosano and the Conqueroos is appropriately named Cheat the Devil, ‘cause it is hot as hell.  Produced by Tab Benoit, this record is packed with ten searing guitar-centric blues tracks that will shake the floor underneath the speakers.  With Rosano on lead guitar and vocals, the Conqueroos are comprised of Kyle McCormick on drums and Jake Fultz on bass.

“Sweet Little Devil” rolls in with the sound of cowbell paving the path for a riveting electric intro from Rosano on guitar.  It plays through like a homage to Moutain’s “Mississippi Queen”.  I love how he grunges up the blues, setting the stage for an emotional rollercoaster of heartbreak in “What Kind of Fool”.  Rosano rips it up on “Sin City” and takes the listener for a Hendrix-inspired musical voyage.  After hearing the funky and ominous “Jonesboro Road”, I’ll certainly be looking over my shoulders on my next visit.  Shortly after a gospel-infused hand-clap kicks off “Cheat the Devil”, the torch is lit and Rosano fearlessly tears into an amazing performance of slide guitar.  His vocals are surely meant to sing the blues as they belt this title-track out.  McCormick drives a crushing beat on their paramount cover of Slim Harpo’s “King Bee”.  The track rocks on many levels with Fultz’s bassline blazing a fascinating journey of its own as Rosano takes his guitar in a cosmic direction.

Cheat the Devil from Anthony Rosano and the Conqueroos is a must-hear for blues fans, rockers, and guitar aficionados.         

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 For more information about the artist, visit this website : https://conqueroos.com/

 


Wednesday, September 6, 2023

#633: Willie J Laws Jr. - Too Much Blues (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)



2023 – Pilot Light Records

By Phillip Smith; Sep. 6, 2023

Known as the “Last Prophet of the Funky Texas Blues”, Willie J Laws Jr., certainly lives up to his title in regards to his latest album Too Much Blues.  His blend of blues is enriched with a blast of funkdafied grooves, and I like it a lot.  The record, produced by Paul Nelson, features Laws on guitar and vocals, with Dave Johnson on bass, Brooks Milgate on keys/piano/organ/synth, and Justin Blackburn on drums/percussion.

Laws’ vocals ring out with smooth finesse as he breaks out his briefcase of soulful blues on “Better off Blue”.  “Stuck in Traffic” is a clever piece about the frustration many of us face each day.  I love the jazzy instrumental play between Laws on guitar and Milgate on keys.  Laws’ musical approach on this song reminds me of George Benson,  “Getcha’ Knee Off My Neck” invokes a classic George Clinton vibe to it.  With Erik Lawrence on sax, and Mark Berney on trumpet, Laws leads his ensemble to a large-scale P-Funk track.  His puts his own unique spin on his cover of Willie Dixon’s “I Want to be Loved” and it sounds great.  “Sorry Charlie” is a bodacious bowlful of real-deal blues featuring Jerry Portnoy on harp along with Paul Nelson on slide guitar.  The album closes with Laws’ velvety voice breaking out a stunning cover of The Isley Brothers 1973 hit song “Who’s That Lady?”. 

Too Much Blues has everything it needs to be nominated for Best Soul Blues album.  It really is a terrific recording. 

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For more information about the artist, visit this website : https://www.williejlawsband.com/