#592 > Damon Fowler & Friends - Live at the Palladium (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

2023 – Landslide Records

By Phillip Smith; Jan. 14, 2023

Release Date : Jan 20, 2023

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

I been preaching the gospel of Damon Fowler for almost ten years.  In 2013, Fowler, J.P. Soars, and Victor Wainwright unleashed an outstanding record under the name of Southern Hospitality, called Easy Livin’.  The CD had landed in my mailbox for review and after giving it a listen, I was smitten with his work.  Fowler’s latest release features this master guitarist playing live at the Palladium alongside bassist Chuck Riley, drummer Justin Headley, and special guests Jason Ricci on harmonica, Eddie Wright on guitar, and Dan Signor on keys.  Live at the Palladium features eight original songs, and two bodacious covers.

Early in on this set, Fowler breaks out a handful of my favorites from his prior album Alafia Moon.  His fabulous cover of Guy Clark’s “The Guitar” puts a gigantic smile on my face.  Clark ranks up there among the best when it comes to songwriters, and I absolutely love this song which Fowler has breathed a new life into.  “I’ve Been Low” gets wonderfully intense as Fowler lets loose on his guitar.  His no-holds-barred approach never ceases to amaze me.  Jason Ricci steps in for a four-song run starting with “Somethings Change”.  It’s always a joy to hear him play harp.  The performance of Fowler and Ricci on “Somethings Change” is exquisite.  Ricci does what Ricci does best, pouring his heart and soul into the smoldering, slow blues of “Tax Man”.  Fowler sings and plays this one with fine precision.  Both Wright and Ricci join in on the closing song “Sugar Shack”.  This title-track off Fowler’s 2009 Blind Pig release clocks in at just under twelve minutes, and magnificently paves the way for a blues-soaked southern-rock jam.  It definitely makes for a grand finale.

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For more information about Damon Fowler, visit his website at :  https://www.damon-fowler.com/

Check out other PhillyCheeze reviews for Damon Fowler  https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/search?q=damon+fowler

 

 

#583 > Ivor S.K. - Mississippi Bound (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 

2022 – Ivor Simpson-Kennedy

By Phillip Smith; Nov. 5, 2022

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

Hailing from Sydney Australia, and now living in New Orleans, Ivor Simpson-Kennedy takes story-telling to the highest level with his music.  There’s a unique spin he has on blues and roots which is very refreshing and quite captivating.  The attention he pays to details in his songwriting, pairs perfectly with his laidback style.  Mississippi Bound, his latest release, was created during his downtime due to the pandemic.  It features fifteen stellar tracks, all written, arranged and performed by Ivor. 

The listener is taken on a journey which begins with the ska-infused, Caribbean-flavored track “Mississippi Bound”.  Ivor’s smokey vocals define that of an experienced, weathered traveler.   A delightful melody coupled with frank, from-the-gut lyrics lend a Randy Newman-esque vibe to “Talkin’ Shit Again”.  Easily lured into Ivor’s infectious guitar riff on “Wheelin’”, I thoroughly enjoy his swampy slide play and beat poet style.  There’s a sort of Robert Hunter/Jerry Garcia aura to “Taste Your Lips”.  It’s an absolutely gorgeous song.  Cloaked in a thick slathering of slide, evil suits itself up on the concluding track “Dead Pig”.  The music alone transports me to a cypress-filled swamp in the middle of Mississippi.

Ivor S.K. fills Mississippi Bound with substance and originality as he builds a musical landscape where outlaws and poets intermingle.  It’s downright fascinating.

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For more information about Ivor S.K., visit this website :

http://www.ivorsk.com

 

Check out past PhillyCheeze reviews for Ivor S.K.

Montserrat

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2017/07/ivor-sk-montserrat.html

 

Delta Pines

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2016/05/ivor-sk-delta-pines.html

#573 > The B. Christopher Band - Snapshots from the Second Floor (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 

2022 – Guitar One Records

 By Phillip Smith; Sep. 3, 2022

 Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

Snapshot From the Second Floor is the brand-new album from The B. Christopher Band.  I’ve been grooving to it all week long and savoring the sounds of its smokin’ guitar blues.  The B. Christopher Band is a five-piece ensemble with Christopher on lead guitar, Ellard James “Moose” Boles on vocals, Anton Fig on drums, Studebaker John on harmonica, and Nick Douglas on bass. 

Christopher wastes no time getting this album fueled up and launched as he lights the fuse to the instrumental “All Twisted Up”.  Accented by a healthy dose of hot harp, he gives a downright dazzling performance topped with a side of slide guitar.  “Where You At” steps up to the plate next, bringing the heat of the Mississippi delta with it.  Moose’s gravelly vocals secure the authenticity of this killer swampy tune.  It’s a superb feeling to get lost in the hypnotic rhythm of “Take it Home’ as it effortlessly transports me to a funky, sweaty juke joint somewhere in the hills of North Mississippi.  This band is so unbelievably tight and versed in the blues, it pours out on “Late Night Crying”.  The song drips with pure emotion slathered on every note.  B. Christopher Band brings this all-original thirteen-track record to its end with a beautifully haunting slide-blues instrumental called “Smoke”.  This one begs to be listened to over and over.  I absolutely love it.

As a guitar aficionado and blues fan, I totally embrace this album.  Snapshot From the Second Floor has certainly put The B. Christopher Band on my radar.

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For more information about The B. Christopher Band, visit this website :

https://www.bchristopherband.com .

PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com #547 > Prakash Slim - Country Blues From Nepal

2022 –DeVille Records

By Phillip Smith; Mar. 19, 2022

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

Ram Prakash Pokharel aka Prakash Slim, an emerging blues artist from Lamatar, in the Lalitpur district of Nepal, has most definitely caught my attention with his new album Country Blues From Nepal.  With only a resonator guitar and slide in hand, he captures the pure essence of the blues with magnificent covers of legends such as Robert Johnson, Bukka White, Charley Patton, Mississippi Fred McDowell, and Blind Blake.  The originals which appear on this thirteen-track album are beautifully performed as well.         

An instrumental called “Blues Raga” starts the album off with lovely sitar-like bends and a hypnotic North Mississippi hill country groove.  Prakash’s original songs emit a vintage country blues essence as he sings them with a sincere delivery.  There’s an air of legitimate struggle in Prakash’s “Villager’s Blues”.  His hard-scrabble beginnings are laid out as he becomes the bluesman he is with the autobiographical song “Poor Boy”.  In addition, Prakash recorded a Nepali version of that song called “Garib Keto” which also appears on this album.  In this age of the Corona virus, it makes total sense there should be a straight up blues song on the topic.  The response Prakash has to the COVID-19 pandemic is brilliantly laid on the table with “Corona Blues”.        

Prakash takes on two classic Robert Johnson tracks, “Crossroad Blues” and “Me and the Devil Blues”.  With an amazing fearlessness he digs in and performs the hell out of these songs.  His guitar prowess surely grabs the spotlight.  I absolutely love his cover of Fred McDowell’s “You Gotta Move” too. 

Country Blues From Nepal is an utter gem of an album.  I’m excited to see the direction Prakash Slim takes with his music on his next release.     

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For more information about Prakash Slim, visit this website :  https://www.prakashslim.com/

  

 

PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com #545 > Buckmiller Schwager - To Memphis and Back

2021 – Buckmiller Schwager

By Phillip Smith; Mar. 5, 2022

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

Together Tom Buckmiller and Brian Schwager are taking the Iowa blues scene by storm with their original working-man blues.  This Des Moines, Iowa – based blues duo pulled down first place in the 2021 Iowa Blues Challenge Solo/Duo category, securing their entry into the 2022 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee coming up in May.  Buckmiller has authored three blues books and teaches a class on the Blues at Drake University.  Schwager, lead guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, has a list of influences which reads like my record collection, naming guitar legends such as BB King, Jimmy Page , Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, and Stevie Ray Vaughan.  He has shared the stage with acts Blake Shelton, Thomas Rhett and Eli Young Band.  To Memphis and Back maintains a high level of excellence both lyrically and performance-wise on all ten songs.

A big dose of swampy slide blues leads the record in on “Whisky Man” before becoming electrified, Texas-style.  Buckmiller’s vocals take charge as Schwager absolutely rips it up.  “Thrill of the Thrill” intensifies the pace, and steps it up a notch, making for a barn-burner of a song.  A lush bluesy groove rolls in and hangs tight on “Tylenol and Templeton”.  This salute to hair-of-the-dog remedies proudly displays its Iowa roots with the mention of Templeton Rye.  Templeton was a total whisky game-changer in the state, touting a recipe that originated during the prohibition era and was supposedly enjoyed by Al Capone.  Topped off with horns and a hip soulful rhythm, “These Are the Good Days” catches me off guard in a very good kind of way.  The Velvet Underground vibe is absolutely delightful.  The album closes out with “Time To Come Home (Memphis Mix)” which absolutely cooks.  Heavy doses of resonator guitar, and hard-driving, George Thorogood-friendly riffs bring this one to a boil. It’s plumb terrific.

“To Memphis and Back” is a solid-as-hell album, and I certainly look forward to hearing more from Buckmiller Schwager in the future.  

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For more information about these artist, visit their websites :

https://www.tombuckmillerblues.com/

https://www.brianschwager.com/

 

 

Available on Bandcamp

PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com #544 > The Terraplanes Blues Band - Stepping Stones

2022 – Terraplanes Blues Band

By Phillip Smith; Feb. 25, 2022

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

The Terraplane Blues Band from Bristol, UK absolutely tears it up on their new album Stepping Stones.  Produced by Richard Parsons, this twelve-track album of hot, original blues features Nick Scrase front and center on guitar and vocals.  The rest of the band is comprised of Eduardo Allen on harmonica, Tom Turner on drums, and Andy Wood on Bass.

Opening with “Highway 61” The Terraplanes Blues Band takes off with a driving rhythm, outlaw lyrics and humongous servings of searing harp.  It’s what one wants to hear from the first track.  Next up is “My Malaise” which grabs my attention with its playful and infectious riff.   This is indeed the makings of a Mississippi delta juke-joint jamboree.  Then “Get Along” rears its head and bites like a rattlesnake.  With the ferocity of those classic George Thorogood songs we all love, this one is entirely a big bowl of bliss.  Title track “Stepping Stones” has a bit of a North Mississippi hypnotic groove.  Its strong gravitational force pulls me right in to its lava-filled core.  Closing with “The Lonesome Crow”, the album comes to its end.  I can’t help but think of the final episode of Sons of Anarchy when I hear this one.  It’s such a beautiful song.

Stepping Stones is an absolutely brilliant album, and I highly recommend taking a listen to The Terraplane Blues Band                    

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

Available on Bandcamp

#538 : Micke Bjorklof & Blue Strip - Whole 'Nutha Thang

 

2021 – Ruf Records

By Phillip Smith; Jan. 22, 2022

I’ve been a fan of Finnish, award-winning blues artist/bandleader Micke Bjorklof since reviewing his 2014 release After the Flood.   Bjorklof and Blue Strip had recorded four albums prior.  One of those being 2007’s Whole ‘Nutha Thing, originally released only in Scandinavia.  That album is now remastered and re-released by Ruf Records to help celebrate Micke Bjorklof & Blue Strip’s thirty-year anniversary of being a touring band.  Recorded in London and produced by Neil Brokbank, this landmark record redefined the band’s sound.  With Bjorklof on lead vocals and harmonica, the band consists of Lefty Leppanen on slide/guitars, Seppo Nuolikoski on bass/piano, Teemu Vuorela on drums, and Roiko-Jokela on percussion/vibraphone/keys.  The eleven-track album also features guest appearances by Geraint Watkins (Paul McCartney, Bill Wymann ,Van Morrison, Mark Knopfler) on keys, and horn players from Van Morrison’s band at the time, Matt Holland on trumpet/flugel horn and Martin Winning on saxophone.  

With a Dylan-esque swagger, “Jungle Cat” strolls through with a delicious dose of twangy slide and barrel-house piano.  Bjorklof goes into full swing on “Back to my Room”.  Leppanen’s guitar performance is stunning and the rhythm section is amazingly tight.  This is one to jump, jive and wail to.  A whimsical, hypnotic melody speckled with slide creates the dreamy quality in “I Fell Down From the Tree (When I Saw Robert Johnson Pass Me By)”.  “Grapesugar Love” breaks out the funk in a big juicy way with bodacious blasts of brass mixed with a huge dose of swampy slide.  It’s vibrant and absolutely wonderful.  Time stands still as a melancholy wave washes over me with each listen of “Silver Moon”.  Bjorklof’s silky smooth vocals sound fantastic against this beautiful piano-led melody which brings Whole ‘Nutha Thang to its end.

Micke Bjorklof and Blue Strip never cease to amaze me.   They are surely among my favorites. 

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

 

Previous PhillyCheeze reviews featuring Micke Bjorklof:

 

Micke & Lefty (feat Chef ) – Let the Fire Lead

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2020/10/465-micke-lefty-feat-chef-let-fire-lead.html

 

Micke Bjorklof & Blue Strip – Twentyfive Live at Blues Baltica

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2018/08/348-micke-bjorklof-blue-strip.html

 

Southpaw Steel ‘n’ Twang – Stat(u)e of Mind

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2016/01/southpaw-steel-n-twang-statue-of-mind.html

 

Micke Bjorklof & Blue Strip – Ain’t Bad Yet

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2015/11/micke-bjorklof-blue-strip-aint-bad-yet.html

 

Southpaw Steel ‘n’ Twang – Hale’s Pleasure Railway

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2014/09/southpaw-steel-n-twang-hales-pleasure.html

 

Micke Bjorklof & Blue Strip – After the Flood

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2014/08/micke-bjorklof-blue-strip-after-flood.html

 

 

#536 : Roy Roberts - Covering the Years

 

2022 – Rock House Records

By Phillip Smith; Jan. 8, 2022

Growing up in Tennessee, Roy Roberts was exposed to a variety of music, but it was Jimmy Reed’s song “Baby What You Want Me to Do” which inspired him to get his first guitar.  Over the years, Roberts has backed acts such as Solomon Burke, Eddie Floyd, “Little” Stevie Wonder, Dee Clark, and Otis Redding.  His From the mid-sixties Roberts worked as a session man and recorded several 45’s.   When disco music became more popular, he switched over to country music for ten years, and toured with O.B. McClinton.   This new eleven-track album Covering the Years is a collection of his songs commemorating sixty-plus years in the music profession.  It captures his journey quite nicely. 

Roberts’ horn-infused Seventies soul ballad “You’re So Sweet” is absolutely delightful.  This feel-good song puts a grin on my face with each and every listen.  “Love on the Line” hearkens back to the smooth sounds of The Cornelius Brothers.  It’s definitely one of my favorites.  Roberts serves up some straight-up Porter Wagoner-style country with steel guitar accompaniment by Rick Nathy on “Can’t Find My Angel”.  There’s a hint of B.B. King and Robert Cray in “Born to Sing the Blues”.  Roberts totally owns the vocals as Eric Callands brings it on keys.  The sweet sound of southern soul oozes out every pore of “Can’t Go On” in a magical way.  I really like this one. 

It’s most interesting to hear Roy Roberts as he visits the musical touchstones of his life.  Whether rooted in R&B, blues, country, or soul, the songs in Covering the Years are all from the heart.  

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

#535 : Robert Connely Farr - Ain't Enough

 

2021 – Robert Connely Farr

By Phillip Smith; Jan. 1, 2022

Ain’t Enough was recorded at Hipposonic Studios in Vancouver, BC, and marks Robert Connely Farr’s ninth studio album, and first solo acoustic album.   What I love about Farr’s music is that it’s deep, meaningful, and baptized in the blues.  Nominated for 2019 Maple Blue Awards for Songwriter of the Year and New Artist of the Year, Farr was mentored by 2021 Grammy nominee Jimmy ‘Duck’ Holmes.  This mentorship with Holmes is key in Farr’s devotion to keep the Bentonia Blues legacy moving forward.  Holmes, owner of the world’s oldest juke-joint The Blue Front Café in Bentonia, Mississippi, was mentored by Henry Stuckey who also taught Skip James.  One can feel the history of the handed-down teachings in Farr’s songs.   

Like Townes Van Zandt, John Prine,and Bruce Springsteen, Farr has the magic to pull the listener in to his world to experience the good with the bad.  This is very much so as Farr reels me in with title-track “Ain’t Enough”.  It totally sets the tone of the album.  Performed on a twelve-string, his cover of Jimmy ‘Duck’ Holmes’ “Going Away to Leave” is absolutely breathtaking with its ominous and hypnotic riff.  A wave of emotion overcomes me when I hear him sing about his gut-wrenching battle with cancer in “I Get By”.  Farr’s infectious rolling melody swoops me up as he paints a clear picture of economic inequalities in “Getting’ Richer Blues”.  It’s such a badass song.

Ain’t Enough is a striking album of real-deal blues.  Farr’s lyrics cut to the bone and his melodies are beautifully haunting.               

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 For more information about the artist, visit this website: www.robertconnelyfarr.com

 

Available on Bandcamp

#526 : Corey Harris - The Insurrection Blues

 

2021 – M.C. Records

By Phillip Smith; Oct. 31, 2021

Recorded in Atri, Italy in the early months of COVID shutdowns, Insurrection Blues the twentieth release from Corey Harris, marks his first record for M.C. Records.  Harris keeps this recording a solo-effort which features just him and his acoustic guitar, making for a beautiful and intimate listening experience.  This fifteen-track album is a really nice mix of deep blues covers, traditional songs, and original pieces.

From the first song “Twelve Gates to the City”, Harris has my full attention.  I love the tone of his guitar as he performs this spiritual traditional.  His cover of Charlie Patton’s “Some of These Days” is a pure delight.  Harris suavely slips into troubadour mode, breathing new life to “When Did You Leave Heaven”, the song which launched Tony Martin’s career as a recording artist in 1936.  His velvety vocals on this track are backed by guest Lino Mugio on mandolin.  Harris performs the instrumental “Toubaka” with an elegant grace.  I really like “Mama Africa” too.  This original has flavors which remind me of Led Zeppelin.  The trance-friendly groove of Skip James’ “Special Rider” is fabulously intoxicating.  With a Robbie Kriegler-like guitar approach, Harris instills a Doors vibe into title-track “Insurrection Blues”.  Harris’ affinity for the classics shines brightly as he pays tribute to Blind Blake on a couple of tracks: “You Gonna Quit Me Baby” and “That Will Never Happen No More”.  

We need an album like Insurrection Blues every once in a while, to remind us of where the blues began.  I can certainly see this one grabbing an award for best traditional blues.                              

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 For more information about the artist, visit this website : https://www.coreyharris.net/

 

#524 : Larkin Poe & Nu Deco Ensemble - Paint the Roses

 

2021 – Tricki-Woo Records

By Phillip Smith; Oct. 23, 2021

I’m always excited to hear about new music from Larkin Poe.  I’ve been a fan of this duo since hearing them open for Elvis Costello at the Paramount Theater in Cedar Rapids, Iowa five years ago.  The original songs Rebecca Lovell and Megan Lovell write are beautiful, sometimes intense, and cut deep to the bone.  Lead vocalist/guitarist Rebecca captivates me with her beautiful, yet fearless voice.  The vocal harmony she shares with lap-steel wizard Megan is magical.

Paint the Roses is a seven-track release which Larkin Poe recorded live at the North Beach Bandshell in Miami, Florida on December 12, 2020 with the orchestral backing of Nu Deco Ensemble.  Once I heard their new take on Bessie Jones’ “Sometimes” which also appears on their 2018 Venom & Faith album, I knew I was in for a real treat.  The infusion of clapping hands, strings, and horns took me to church in a big way.  Next up on the track list is “Back Down South” an original off their 2020 album Self Made Man.  Megan’s lap slide is performed with perfect precision as Rebecca rips it up on guitar and delivers the song with her enchanting voice.  It sounds fantastic with the enrichment of the Nu Deco Ensemble as the song takes a dip into the Allman’s “Blue Sky” for a brief intermission.  Before diving into a four-track superfecta of songs, all off Self Made Man, Larkin Poe introduces a new song called “Mad as a Hatter”, which I absolutely adore.  The pulse of this homage to Alice in Wonderland runs with a rapid pace, and dips momentarily into psychedelic territory.  “Every Bird That Flies” is such a beautiful song, and surely earns its wings with the accompaniment from the ensemble.  I love the slow build-up of tension accomplished with the instrumentation, which is then then slowly released to send the song skyward.  Larkin Poe closes out the show in an amazing performance of “She’s a Self Made Man”.  Cloaked in a horn-laden suit, this hard blues-rocker is a perfect fit for a future 007 theme song.  

I knew I would like Paint the Roses, but I was surprised at just how much I liked it.  This is surely a record folks will want to add to their collection.         

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 For more information about the artist, visit this website : www.larkinpoe.com

#523 : Hector Anchondo - Let Loose Those Chains

2021 – Vizztone

By Phillip Smith; Oct. 17, 2021

Five years ago, in July of 2016, I heard Hector Anchondo for the first time, and instantly became a fan.  His band was playing the North Liberty Blues and BBQ Festival in North Liberty, Iowa.  Less than a month later, I would hear him again at Tommy Bolin Festival in Sioux City, Iowa.  Again, he dazzled me with his unique style of blues.  In 2020, Anchondo entered the International Blues Challenge in Memphis for the third time, and righteously awarded the top prize in the best solo/duo category.  It was very well deserved. 

Let Loose Those Chains is the brilliant all-original, self-produced new album from Hector Anchondo.  With Anchondo on guitar and vocals, drummer Khayman Winfield, and bassist Joe Corley comprise the rest of this well-oiled three-piece band.            

Title-track “Let Loose Those Chains” opens the album in a very poignant way, capturing my full attention.  Anchondo’s writing and performance of this message of breaking free is absolutely striking.  The tension is broken with the fabulously swinging track loaded with delicious twang called “I’m Going to Missouri”.  It’s such a fun song.  Anchondo breaks out the resonator and slide for his song of infatuation “Sweet Tooth”.  I love this sound that feels like it’s straight out of the Mississippi Delta.  Time seems to stand still as he slows things down for “Sometimes Being Alone Feels Right”, a beautiful ballad of self-reflection.  Praise and gratitude are bestowed on single mothers everywhere, receiving a heart-felt acknowledgment in “Momma’s a Hard Man”.  Anchondo makes this solo effort feel very personal. 

Let Loose Those Chains is one of those records that shine brightly from every facet and elevates Anchondo to a whole new level.  I highly recommend it.  

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Link to the PhillyCheeze review of Hector Anchondo’s 2017 Roll the Dice album : https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2017/03/hector-anchondo-band-roll-dice.html

 

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

 

#519 : Miss Lady Blues - Moe Betta Blues

 

2021 – Miss Lady Blues

By Phillip Smith; Sep. 25, 2021

Moe Betta Blues, the latest album from Georgia-based songstress Kesha Boyd aka Miss Lady Blues, is an absolutely fabulous listen.  Steeped in a delicious brew of blues and soul, her brand of music represents a fine art in music which seems to have been slowly disappearing over the past few years.  Honored as the 2021 Best Female Blues Artist of the year recipient from Alabama Music Awards, Miss Lady Blues’ talents run deep as singer/songwriter/composer.  Produced by Ronald G. Suggs Jr., Stephen Richardson, and Antonio Turner, the album features Miss Lady Blues on lead vocals with Dexter Allen (bass/acoustic guitar/backing vocals), Sam Reynolds (bass), Trevor James (bass), and Joey Robinson (drums, piano, organ).        

Releasing her powerful and sultry vocals on “Back It Up with That Lip”, Miss Lady Blues bursts on the scene in a Chicago blues fashion with a cracker-jack ensemble of electric guitar, piano, and horns.  From the viewpoint as the ‘other’ woman, “Addicted” is Seventies-style soul at its best.  Its infectious hook quickly takes ahold, while the groove comfortably settles in.  “What I Want” is another track I truly enjoy.  With Miss Lady Blues in ‘Aretha’ mode, the song has a Motown-slathered-in-funk essence.  With lyrics like “This may not be Burger King, but you can sure have your way”, the love song “Baby” makes for another stand-out track.  I love the multi-faceted gem called “Can’t Be Love”.  This ominous album-closer features Eddie Hazel-inspired guitar and touches of psychedelia embodied in a full orchestral sound.  It’s truly a masterpiece.

It’s refreshing to hear new albums of this magnitude.  Miss Lady Blues certainly delivers the goods with Moe Betta Blues.    

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For more information about the artist, visit this website : http://www.missladyblues.com/

Available on Apple Music

#518 : Tony Holiday's Porch Sessions - Volume 2

 

2021 – Blue Heart Records

By Phillip Smith; Sep. 18, 2021

 

I’m so excited to see Tony Holiday continue his Porch Sessions project.  I loved the first installment and was very happy when I learned there would be a follow up.  Recorded in various locations which include Memphis TN, Bristol VA, Fort Collins CO, Clarksdale MS, Anaheim CA, San Jose CA, and Jackson TN, it’s quite the pleasure to hear the results of Holiday’s ‘raw with no overdubs’ approach.  It’s very reminiscent of the early twentieth century Lomax field recordings which captured those early blues artists we came to know and adore.  Dedicated to Holiday’s friend and mentor the great James Harman who passed earlier this year, this sixteen-track collection features an all-star lineup of blues artists: Victor Wainwright, Willie Buck, A.J. Fullerton, Bobby Rush, Watermelon Slim, James Harman, Jon Lawton, Lurrie Bell, Richard “Rip Lee” Pryor, Johnny Burgin, Rae Gordon, Ben Rice, Mark Hummel & Dennis Gruenling, J/D. Taylor, Southern Avenue, Kim Wilson, Kid Ramos, and Kid Andersen.

Porch Sessions Volume 2 hits the ground swinging with Victor Wainwright pounding the keys and singing Jerry McCain’s “She’s Tuff”.  It’s great to hear Wainwright and Holiday jam together on piano and harmonica while bassist Terrance Greyson and drummer Andrew McNeil makes for a tight-as-hell rhythm section.  “Change is Inevitable” is a poignant and wonderfully delivered song, with A.J. Fullerton on vocals/guitar and Jake Friel on harmonica.  It’s always a pleasure to hear Watermelon Slim, and his cover of “Smokestack Lightning” is a delight.  He masterfully makes this a creation of his own.  “Going to Court 2”, with James Harmon on vocals, Kid Ramos and Landon Stone on guitars, and Tony Holiday on harp, is so good, it pretty much transports me right to the scene with every listen.  Jon Lawton (vocals/guitar) and Andrew Ali (harmonica) deliver an exquisite dose of stripped-down Delta Blues with Lawton’s original piece “Go”.  This one really makes me think of RL Burnside.  I dig the twangy groove Johnny Burgin pours on top of “Bad Bad Girl”.  Backed by Holiday on harp, Landon Stone on guitar and Kid Andersen on bass, this Burgin original is a lot of fun.  Rae Gordon’s voice is such a dynamic one and sounds so good as she belts out “Find Me When the Sun Goes Down”.  I’m also quite drawn to J.D. Taylor’s “Family Tree”.  When I hear him sing “I ain’t got nobody ‘round.  I ain’t got no family tree”, I hear the blues in its purest form.  When Southern Avenue performs their amazing stripped-down version of “Peace Will Come”, I can’t help but smile.  It’s such a good song.  I remember when they originally released it on their first album, just hearing it made things a little bit better with its positive message in a world of conflict.

Tony Holiday’s Porch Sessions Volume 2 is a very enjoyable listen.  I’m already looking forward to Volume 3. 

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  For more information about Tony Holiday, visit this website : https://tonyholidaymusic.com

Available on Bandcamp 

#515 : Seth Lee Jones - Flathead

 

2021 – Horton Records

By Phillip Smith; Sep. 4, 2021

 

Years of playing weekly gigs at The Colony in Tulsa, Oklahoma has most definitely awarded a solid cohesiveness to the sound of Seth Jones and his bandmates Bo Hallford (bass guitar), and Matt Teegarden (drums).  Recording straight-to-tape in under seven and a half hours with no overdubs, Jones and his band forged an extraordinary nine-track album of fire-roasted blues-rock.  Its name is Flathead. 

For starters, Jones busts out with his own open-tuning version of Muddy Waters’ ”I Can’t Be Satisfied”.  I love hearing the licks this luthier and third-generation guitarist tosses into the song.  “It Was Raining” is absolutely beautiful.  This is pure blues served up Texas-style and slow-cooked to perfection.  I can’t help but hear a little Stevie Ray Vaughan on the intro of their cover of Howlin Wolf’s “You Gonna Wreck My Life”, and that’s just one of the reasons I like it.  Jones’ redux of this classic is a quite powerful one, complete with blues-soaked vocals and an attention-grabbing guitar performance.  The slide guitar on “Tulsa Time” is plumb terrific too.  A number one hit on the country charts for Don Williams in 1978, and covered by Eric Clapton the same year, this song is timeless classic.  Flathead wraps up with a head-turning performance of Ray Charles’ “Mary Ann” with guest guitarist Mike Satawake.  This infectious, melodious song takes a short detour off the main road so Jones can let loose on guitar, and it sounds wonderful.

Flathead is surely one of those records every blues-rock fan will want in their collection.  It’s that damn good.

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Official video for “Tulsa Time”

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

 

 

Available on Bandcamp