#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

 

 

#591 > Diane Blue All-Star Band - Live! At the Fallout Shelter (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 

2022 – Regina Royal Records

By Phillip Smith; Jan. 7, 2023

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

Live! At the Fallout Shelter, the latest release from Boston-based vocalist Diane Blue has fabulously captured my full attention.  Recorded on February 26, 2022, at the Fallout Shelter in Norwood, Massachusetts, this live album contains two excellent covers, and seven original tracks written by Blue during the pandemic.  Blue’s smooth and soulful vocals are perfectly matched with a tight, rhythm and blues band which features Chris Vitarello on guitar, Dave Limina on Hammond organ, and Lorne Entress on drums.  When not fronting her own band, Blue also performs as vocalist for Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters.

A blast of Stax-flavored soul ushers the record in with “I Got a Good Thing”.  Blue’s Memphis-style approach sounds absolutely wonderful.  Vitarello, Liminia, and Entress have an instrumental chemistry reminiscent of Steve Cropper, Booker T. Jones, and Al Jackson Jr..  “Crazy,Hazy, Lazy”, a masterfully constructed love ballad, hits me with a beautiful wave of melancholy infectiousness.  I can’t help but feel the blues when I hear her cover of Millie Jackson’s “I Cry”.  An additional two verses are added by Blue to bring awareness to social injustices happening today.  Ronnie Earl makes a guest appearance on “Leave Me Alone” and nails down an exquisite guitar performance.  Each note he plays seems to sink right in to my bones.  This is slow blues at its best, making for an intoxicating seven-and-a-half-minute-long listening experience. 

Diane Blue All-Star Band is definitely now on my radar.   Live! At the Fallout Shelter is a super listen from beginning to end.  This album is one I highly recommend. 

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For more information about Diane Blue, visit her website : https://dianebluemusic.com

#576 > Too Slim and the Taildraggers - Brace Yourself (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 

2022 – Vizztone Records

By Phillip Smith; Sep. 17, 2022

Original source:  phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

I’ve only seen Too Slim and the Taildraggers perform one time.  That was August of 2018 at Harley Corin’s in Bettendorf, Iowa.  The memory of that show still hangs on tight.  The band has a take-no-prisoners approach as it slams open the gate for a fantastic rocking show.   Brace Yourself, the latest album from Too Slim, captures that potent live energy from a performance at Ohme Gardens in Wenatchee, Washington.  With Tim “Too Slim” Langford front-and-center on lead vocals and guitar, The Taildraggers are bassist Zach Kasik, and drummer Jeff “Shakey” Fowlkes.

They get the show started with the hard-driving rocker Mississippi Moon from their 2003 album Tales of Sin and Redemption.  The pulsing rhythm from Fowlkes and Kasik clear the way for Too Slim’s ferocious guitar, and slightly-gravelly vocals.  This homage to Robert Johnson’s “Cross Road Blues” lands a familiar punch like that from one of my favorite bands The Cult.  From the 2009 album Free Your Mind, the power-trios breaks out the fabulously-sinister and infectious “Devil in a Double Wide”.  Too Slims guitar licks are downright amazing as he absolutely rips it up.  From that same, album, they also unpack title-track “Free Your Mind”.  This Jimi Hendrix – meets – Black Oak Arkansas southern-rocker is slow-steeped in moonshine, and topped with a jaw dropping performance.  Too Slim releases his inner Neil Young on “Givers and Takers” from The Fortune Teller album, and it sounds magnificent.  I’m quite drawn to the three-fer of songs from the Blood Moon album as well.  “The Body”, a beautifully-dark song of death and the hereafter leads the pack.  Next up is title-track “Blood Moon” which Too Slim loads up with a tractor trailer full of scorching blues.  And lastly, there is “Twisted Rails” which features more Hendrix-fueled, hard-driving, sixties-era, psychedelic blues-rock.  It’s a sheer delight.

 Too Slim and the Taildraggers fill this twelve-track live recording with a dozen of his best originals, and nail every performance to the wall.  Brace Yourself is a damn good, must-hear album. 

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For more information about Too Slim and the Taildraggers, visit this website:

https://www.tooslim.net/

 

 

Here’s some links for past PhillyCheeze reviews of other Too Slim and the Taildraggers albums:

 

Remedy

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2020/06/448-too-slim-and-taildraggers-remedy.html

 

High Desert Heat

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2018/05/334-too-slim-and-taildraggers-high.html

 

Blood Moon

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2017/02/too-slim-and-taildraggers-blood-moon.html

 

 

#568 > Bad Daddy - It's a Mad Mad Bad Dad World (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 

2022 – PieHole Records

By Phillip Smith; Aug. 6, 2022

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

With roots in Maine and Chicago, Paul Waring, aka Big Daddy, has fully captured my attention with his stunning new blues album, It’s a Mad Mad Bad Dad World.  Big Daddy packs a hell of a wallop with Waring on guitar and vocals, featuring engineer Pete Galanis on guitars as well.  The rest of the band is comprised of Elton Jaan on Hammond organ, Ari Seder on bass, Jason “JROC” Edwards on drums, plus backing singers Andrea Miologos and Bree Gordon.

From the beginning of the record with “Blues at Home”, I snuggle right in to the vibrant organ, hot guitar licks, and smoky vocals.  The song is solidly cloaked in the spirit of the Allman Brothers and is sweet music for my soul.  I love that upbeat Chicago rhythm as it mixes with the swampy slide and steady-rolling Hammond in “Pork Pie Hat”.  It’s most definitely a signature track.  Time slows down to a beautiful crawl in “The Blues I Can Use”.  The mellow landscape Bad Daddy creates for this one is topped with a with a riveting electric guitar solo.  “Trip on Your Love” struts down the way in a chunky Seventies psychedelic blues-rock manner, reeling me in with its delightful, funky groove.  I totally dig it.  

It’s a Mad Mad Bad Dad World by Bad Daddy is a highly recommended listen with its no-holds barred blues.                     

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For more information about Bad Daddy, visit this website : https://www.badaddy.com/

 

Available on Bandcamp

 

#558 > Gary Cain - Next Stop (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 

2022 – Gary Cain

By Phillip Smith; June 11, 2022

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

Next Stop, the latest release from Canadian blues-rocker Gary Cain, takes off like a rocket, and soars to the heavens.  His guitar prowess is extraordinary and an absolute treat to hear.  Cain, a 2018 semi-finalist at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee, has talents which run much deeper though.  This ten-track album reveals just how much.  Written and recorded in Austin, Texas, Next Stop is all Cain.  He wrote the music and lyrics, plays all the guitar and bass parts, sings, programs drums, and handles percussion.

Rocking an infectious Texas boogie, “Billionaires in Space” blasts the album off by taking a satirical jab at Elon Musk’s and Jeff Bezos’ ego-centric race to boldly go where no man has gone before.  Cain seemingly draws inspiration from Jimi Hendrix on “Confusion”.  His powerhouse performance is so hot, it downright cooks.  Cain furiously throws everything he has into “Kitchen Sink”.  This fabulous instrumental brings to mind a favorite by The Aristocrats called “Kentucky Meat Shower”.  It’s an exhilarating experience to hear Cain’s intense guitar picking riding the bleeding edge of his barreling beat.  Reaching the tipping point of being fed up is a gradual process and that’s the way Cain goes with “Gone” a song with that exact theme.  The mellow and melodic atmosphere stretches outward and inward, taking heavy and funky turns with its cozy groove.  Next Stop wraps up with “A Short, Furious Goodbye” with special guest John Lee on B3 organ.  This cosmic instrumental clocks in at two minutes, seventeen seconds and beautifully lives up to its name.

Next Stop is one album guitar aficionados will definitely want to give a listen to.  It’s fantastic.  

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For more information about Gary Cain, visit this website :  https://www.garycainband.com

#557 > Gina Sicilia - Unchange (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 

2022 – Vizztone

By Phillip Smith; June 4, 2-22

 

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

Since reviewing Gina Sicilia’s 2016 album Sunset Avenue, I’ve made a point to check out her music as it is released.  Her latest record Unchange is rather spectacular.  Produced, recorded, and mixed by Colin Linden at Pinhead Recorders in Nashville, Tennessee, Unchange features Linden on guitars and vocals, Johnny Dymond on bass, and Bryan Owings on drums to back Sicilia’s beautiful voice.

The opening track “Healing Time” is a wonderous splash of slow, soulful blues with Kevin McKendree on piano.  Sicilia draws me immediately in with her sensational vocal artistry and she sounds fabulous.  She continues to amaze me as title-track “Unchange” follows up in a cloak of poignancy and a beautiful performance from Linden on guitar.  I love it when she breaks into the classic blues traditional “Make Me a Pallet on Your Floor”.  Guest backing vocalists Ann and Regina McCrary add a really nice touch to this extraordinary song.  Sicilia and Linden turn on the heat when they get to the cover of Reverend Gary Davis’ “Death Don’t Have No Mercy”.  Its twangy goodness is seared to perfection.  Sicilia takes crooning to the next level on “Don’t be Afraid to be Wrong”.  With Bohemian nuances sewn into its fabric, this delightful song is indeed a favorite.

The divine voice of Gina Sicilia hits all the right notes for a classic taste of pure Americana.  Unchange is an absolutely stunning album.

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For more information about Gina Sicilia, visit this website :  https://www.ginasicilia.com

#556 > The Groove Krewe featuring Nick Daniels III - Run to Daylight (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 

2022 – Sound Business Services

By Phillip Smith; May 28, 2022

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

Spearheaded by songwriter/musician/producers Rex Pearce and Dale Murray from Southern Louisiana, The Groove Krewe is a group of handpicked studio musicians selected to back featured artist Nick Daniels III (Neville Brothers, Dumpstaphunk).  This this funky New Orleans-style party record called Run to Daylight features Daniels on bass guitar and lead vocals, with the core of The Groove Krewe consisting of drummer Eddie Bayers, bassist David Hyde, guitarists Rex Pearce and Nelson Blanchard, and horn players Jason Parfait, Ian Smith, Pete Verbois, Chris Belleau, Lacy Blackledge, and Bob Henderson.  This ten-track album is packed with all original songs crediting at least one of the two producers Pearce and Murray with writing credits on every song.  

The Groove Krewe kicks things off in a delightfully funky way with title-track “Run to Daylight”.  The large band sounds lively and festive.  “That’s New Orleans” keeps the good times going in ‘Who-Dat’ fashion with shoutouts to Bourbon Street, Preservation Hall, and beignets.  There’s no doubt this is going to be a go-to album to spin this summer as the Krewe breaks into a chic Seventies-style disco groove on “Have a Party”.  It’s absolutely fabulous.  I love the album closer “Raising Cane on the Bayou”.  It hits the ground running in a surge of high-energy blues splashed with a bit of grease and topped with horns.  The Stax-meets-Muscle Shoals vibe on this one positively glistens. 

Run to Daylight is a feel-good album with puts me in a happy mood.  This is just what I needed to hear. 

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PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com #548 > The Boxmasters - Help...I'm Alive

 

2022 – Keen Tone Records

By Phillip Smith; Mar. 26, 2022

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

Help…I’m Alive, the twelfth and latest release from The Boxmasters, ushers in a dozen new original songs from J.D. Andrew and Bud Thornton.  With each of their recordings, I’ve always been delighted to listen to the guys navigate through their spectrum of influences.  This album most definitely carries on that tradition.

An infectious hook, powered by a driving beat and a lush soundscape, guides power-pop anthem “I Got a Girl” to the top of my favorites.  Frustrations, fueled by the pandemic and political duality, are vented in a twang-filled, Zappa-esque manner on the title-track “Help…I’m Alive”.  Then the solutions to said irritations are cleverly laid out in the unescapable groove of “Focus on the One”.  Letting someone down easily is one of the toughest things to do, and The Boxmasters turn such an occasion into a beautiful and melancholy ballad called “Turn Away”.  It’s absolutely stunning.  The upbeat Beatles-meets-Nashville sound infused into “Time” is very cool as well.  This ode to growing old together is vibrant and catchy.  I like it a lot.

Their unique sound, and homegrown lyrics inspire me to keep this one on heavy-rotation.  Help…I’m Alive is surely another homerun for J.D. and Bud.          

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For more information about The Boxmasters, visit this website :  https://www.theboxmasters.com

BOXMASTERS I GOT A GIRL 2021 Tour

More PhillyCheeze reviews for The Boxmasters:

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2020/11/470-boxmasters-light-rays.html

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2018/10/357-boxmasters-in-stereo.html

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-boxmasters-live-at-surf-ballroom.html

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-boxmasters-somewhere-down-road.html

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/

  

 

#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

#531 : Willie Jackson - All in the Blues

 

2021 – Willie Jackson

By Phillip Smith; Dec. 11, 2021

Hailing from Savannah, Georgia, Willie Jackson, the son of a reverend, had worked for the railroad until an accident ended that career.  It was then he decided to dedicate his time on his music and the Blues.  Jackson’s brand-new album All in the Blues, follows up quite nicely to his debut 2017 EP release Willie Jackson Blues.  His lyrical mastery and deep velvety vocals quickly grabbed my attention upon the first listen of this twelve-track album.  Carrying a torch for the early post-war blues songs and cleverly utilizing the literary tool of the double entendre, Jackson is a true wordsmith.   

The album opens with “I’m Your Landlord” in which Lomax Spalding lays down a funky groove on guitar while Jackson sings about alternative methods of collecting rent.  Jackson keeps the humor in his music as “The Whole Book is Wet” follows up.  This horn-infused song about wet matches is definitely not about camping mishaps.  A hot rhythm section keeps the party going as Jackson shoos away would-be suiters from his woman on “Sticky Hand Blues”.  “Hey Gangsta” takes a more serious turn, as Jackson sings about settling up with his daughter’s violent-prone boyfriend.  This song absolutely swings with a full band and Trosky Lane’s smokin’ guitar performance.

With one foot firmly planted in the past and one tethered to the now, Willie Jackson’s All in the Blues is one-hundred percent real-deal Blues.     

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

 

#530 : Gov't Mule - Heavy Load Blues

 

2021 – Fantasy

By Phillip Smith; Dec. 4, 2021

I’ve been a Gov’t Mule fan since seeing them live at the 1998 HORDE Festival at Alpine Valley in Wisconsin.  Warren Haynes is such an astonishing performer, and I consider him one of my favorites.  Heavy Load Blues, the title of the new Gov’t Mule album, is perfectly matched with the contents inside.  For the first time ever, the band has made an album comprised solely of blues, and it’s plumb terrific.  This thirteen-track release is also available as a deluxe edition which features eight additional songs, some recorded live and some in studio.   

In a bodacious fashion, this record gets rolling with a cover of Leroy Carr’s “Blues Before Sunrise”.  Joined by the sounds of pounding piano keys and a fierce harmonica accompaniment from Hook Herrera, Haynes belts this one out of the park.  His vocals are surely meant for the blues, and he often reminds me of the great Howlin’ Wolf.  This is one of the reasons I am really drawn to the band’s take on Wolf’s classic “I Asked For Water (She Gave Me Gasoline)”.  I love the dirty, bass-laden, drum-crashing, organ-slathered groove which drives this one.  Their cover of Tom Waits’ “Make it Rain”, is a stand-out as well.  This version still maintains a tiny bit of that original industrial vibe, all-while flipping the song into a bona fide blues track.  Haynes’ guitar licks are hot and his voice is fearless on their performance of Albert King’s “Feel Like Breaking Up Somebody’s Home”.  This is one funky delicious treat indeed.

“Street Corner Talking”, the title track of a 1971 Savoy Brown release is dusted off and shined up for a riveting jam which only appears on the deluxe edition.  Also included as a bonus track is a smoldering performance of “Good Morning Little School Girl” by Sonny Boy Williamson I, with Hook Herrera guesting on harp.  It’s absolutely fabulous.

Heavy Load Blues is as good as it gets for blues albums, and I would definitely recommend the deluxe edition for anyone considering picking this one up.  It’s just that good.       

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For more information about the artist, visit this website : mule.net

 

#529 : Cole Allen - The Other Side

 

2021 – Cole Allen

By Phillip Smith; Nov. 20, 2021

Minnesota-based music artist Cole Allen first appeared on my radar while I was in the midst of reviewing the album Live My Life by his wife Sena Ehrhardt.  Allen was lead guitarist for the band, and that album, which was released on Blind Pig Records made a terrific impression on me.  His new six-track release The Other Side is quite impressive as well.  His talents shine brightly on this recording as he performs solo with acoustic guitar in hand.

Divided into two parts: sunset, and sunrise, this album begins on the darker sunset side, with title track “The Other Side”.  There’s a strong Pearl Jam-unplugged vibe on this song, which I just love.  Allen’s lyrical mastery is perfectly framed by his melancholy melody in “Black Cloud” a song where desperation seems to be the norm, and total hopelessness seems to be right around the corner.  As the darkness fades away, and the light creeps in, a splendid cover of “Maybe it’s Time” by Jason Isbell opens the sunrise portion of the album in a thought-provoking fashion.  Allen’s odyssey through the dark and into the light finally lands him on the ‘other side’ with “Noelle”.  This beautiful song, dedicated to his daughter, is wrapped in a blanket of love and joy. 

The Other Side is such a reflective piece.  Allen wears his heart on his sleeve throughout the whole album.  His original songs are amazingly crafted and seem to walk the line between Eddie Vedder and John Prine.  I certainly hope to hear more of Cole Allen in the future.      

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 Links to additional PhillyCheeze reviews featuring Cole Allen:

PhillyCheeze's Rock & Blues Reviews: Sena Ehrhardt live at Campbell Steele Gallery - Feb. 11, 2017 (phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com)

 

PhillyCheeze's Rock & Blues Reviews: Sena Ehrhardt - Live My Life (phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com)

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For more information about the artist, visit this website : www.coleallen.net

#527 : Joseph Veloz Presents - Joseph and the Velozians

 

2021 – Joseph Veloz/Big O Records 

By Phillip Smith; Nov. 6, 2021

 

Four years have passed since Veloz’s last release Offerings made it across my desk for review.   That was quite an impressive album.  His brand-new record Joseph and the Velozians again captures my full attention with his delightful originals and covers.  With Veloz laying down the funkiest of rhythms on bass and Funk-wah guitar, keyboardist Jim Alfredson and drummer/percussionist Donny Brown hold down the fort for the other thirteen musicians appearing in varied combinations. 

Slathered in a slow buttery groove, “Pretty is as Pretty Does” opens the album with guest Larry McCray behind the mic with his soulful vocals.  I love it when he rips it up on guitar during the bridge.  The party train continues to barrel down the line as Thornetta Davis sings Muddy Waters’ “I Got My Mojo Working”.  Carlton Washington is a beast on guitar as is Jim Alfredson on keys.  This is hands-down one of the best contemporary covers I have ever heard of this classic blues track.  Davis also delivers a velvety and soulful performance on the 2006 Gnarls Barkley hit song “Crazy”.  Veloz takes Bobby Caldwell’s “What You Won’t Do For Love” and breathes new life into the song as a funktified instrumental with a George Clinton flair.  The laid-back groove makes for a very chill listening experience. 

Joseph and the Velozians is an incredible and inspirational release.  R&B fans and funk aficionados are going to love this record.                

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PhillyCheeze Review for Joseph Veloz – Offerings : https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2017/06/joseph-veloz-offerings.html

 

PhillyCheeze Review for Thornetta Davis – Honest Woman: https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2017/02/thornetta-davis-honest-woman.html

 

 

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

#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/