#707 > BillyLee Janey Band - King of the Roll (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 

2024 – Fervor Records

By Phillip Smith; Sep. 28, 2024

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

King of the Roll, the latest album from BillyLee Janey Band is seventeen tracks of all-original hard-driving blues-rock, and I absolutely dig it. I’ve been a fan of BillyLee’s work for quite a long time, and he never ceases to amaze me. With Janey on all guitars and vocals, he is joined with Tommy T-Bone Giblin (Lonnie Brooks) on B3 and clavinet, Dan ‘DJ’ Johnson on bass, Bryce Janey on bass guitar, Eric Douglas on drums, and Troy Harper guest drummer on “Lucky Star”.

Setting a strong impression, the album leads off with title-track “King of the Roll” a song loaded with a funky rhythm and searing guitar licks. Douglas’ commanding approach on drums fuels this smoking track. The rolling sound of Giblin’s B3 sets a groovy background for Janey as he lays down the law on “Killin’ Flow”. In a fabulously smoldering performance, Janey and band conjure memories of the ferocious derecho which tore through Iowa in August of 2020 in “Iowa Hurricane”. That was a day I will never forget, and the song captures the event in a most honest way. I love the propulsive “Hellbound Nite Ryder”. The song guides the listener down a mesmerizing journey of Janey’s guitar mastery. “Rain Fallin’” is an amazing track with a jazz-soaked rhythm which brilliantly takes me back to 2008 when a hundred-year flood wreaked havoc across Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Hearing Janey cut loose on the nearly seven-minute long instrumental “Star Spangled Blues/Mountain Fire” is a genuine treat.

BillyLee Janey Band truly shines with King of the Roll.  I highly recommend giving this album a listen.

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For more information about BillyLee Janey, visit https://fervor-records.com/artist/billylee-janey/

 

Check out previous PhillyCheeze reviews and photos of BillyLee Janey with this link:

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/search?q=Billylee+Janey

 

 

Perry and the Pumpers - Concert Photos : Irish District Music & Arts Festival (Cedar Rapids, IA 6/17/17)

Perry and the Pumpers

Cedar Rapids, IA

By Phillip Smith; June 17, 2017

Although rain was in the forecast, the music gods smiled down, and the 2017 Irish District Music & Arts Festival finished the evening unscathed with the exception of the occasional droplet falling from the sky.   Opening for the Honey Island Swamp Band, Perry and the Pumpers took the stage at five o-clock and the festivities commenced.  Iowa Blues Hall of Fame member and Cedar Rapids native Perry Welsh, returned to his hometown with a briefcase full of blues to give a ripping performance.  The Pumpers were composed of guitarist Bryce Janey,  Iowa Blues Hall of Fame member and B3 master Tom 'T-bone' Giblin, drummer Troy Harper, and bassist Dave Bader,  Starting things out with "Ain't That Just LIke a Woman", the band rolled through a treasure chest of classics which included "In My Younger Days", "Early in the Morning", and "Hey Little Girl", setting the stage for a great night of live music.

All Photos by Phillip Smith

Troy Harper, Perry Welsh, and Dave Bader

Perry Welsh and Dave Bader

Dave Bader and Bryce Janey

Dave Bader and Bryce Janey

Tom 'T-bone' Giblin

Dave Bader, Perry Welsh, and Bryce Janey

Perry Welsh and Dave Bader

Dave Bader

Tom 'T-Bone' Giblin and Perry Welsh

Perry Welsh and Dave Bader

Bryce Janey

Perry Welsh

Craig Erickson - Sky Train Galaxy

2015 –Grooveyard Records

By Phillip Smith; Aug. 28, 2015

Sky Train Galaxy, the latest offering from the intergalactic guitar virtuoso Craig Erickson, is a tasty psychedelic brew of rock and blues.

Erickson hits the ground running with “The Comeback”, a driving blues-infused southern-style rocker about pushing setbacks aside and moving forward in life.  With John Hall’s monstrous bassline and Tim King’s thunderous drumming holding down the fort, Erickson breaks out a full-on assault on guitar, laying down exquisite riffs and killer licks.  This is how you open an album.

I like the vocal harmony between Erickson and Alicia Strong on “Mercy”, a funky rocking track with a big sound and a catchy melody.  This is one I often want to turn the volume up on, because it’s so full of energy.  Then there is “Morning Glory”, a wonderfully beautiful instrumental. I can’t help but think of the ascended blues guitar master Stevie Ray Vaughan when this one plays.       

   

There’s only one cover song on the album, and it’s Deep Purple’s “Getting’ Tighter/Ode to T”.  Erickson does not disappoint at all.  This one is fantastic and brings me pure joy to hear.  I could listen to this track all day.  Troy Harper does a phenomenal job handling the drums on this one.       

A catchy hook and southern-style slide set the mood for standout track, “Mojo in Memphis”.  Erickson sings about one of my favorite places on the planet, and makes me homesick in the process.  The dual guitar sounds so good and draws my full attention.  For the last track, Erickson throws in an acoustic version of this song.  Swampy and soulfully gooey as molasses, this makes me think immediately of the late, great bluesman R.L. Burnside.  It’s quite wonderful.   

What I like about Erickson, is how he constantly seems to stretch the boundaries of where his music goes.  I like the unpredictability in his songs. Sky Train Galaxy is yet another testament to that fascinating quality.  This album comes highly recommended.

For more info on Craig Erickson, visit his website :

 http://craig-erickson.com/