Saturday, March 29, 2025

#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

Monday, February 12, 2024

#661 : Winter Blues Fest 2024 (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

Winter Blues Fest 2024

Downtown Marriott

Des Moines, Iowa

February 10, 2024

By Phillip Smith; Feb. 12, 2024

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

I finally made it to Des Moines for the Central Iowa Blues Society’s Winter Blues Fest, and it was a blast. Although the festival runs for two days, I was only able to make it over to the Capital City for the Saturday shows which included Matt Woods, Studebaker John, Heath Alan’s Iowa Blues Expo, Rush Cleveland Trio, Gabe Stillman Band, Jimmi & the Band of Souls, Tony Holiday, Indigenous, Max Kaplan & the Magic, McKinley James, Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal, Tom Holland & the Shuffle Kings, Cashbox Kings, & Toronzo Cannon. The Friday shows, which I unfortunately missed, consisted of Ben Levin Duo, Josh Hoyer, The Cold Stares, JD Simo, Mike Morgan & the Crawl, and Carolyn Wonderland. With five stages for music, choices had to be made. I did not get the opportunity to see everyone, but I did see some fantastic acts. Although the snow and ice were kept at bay this year, there was certainly a “Blizzard of Blues” going on at Winter Blues Fest.