#754- > Dyer Davis - Kiss The Ring (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 

2025 – Valley Rose / Big Wing Records
Release Date : June 13, 2025
 
By Phillip Smith; June 14, 2025
 
Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

Dyer Davis’ debut album Dog Bites Back quickly grabbed my attention when I reviewed it two years ago. It landed in my favorite 25 albums of 2023 list. Davis’ new album Kiss the Ring continues to reel me in with his crafted lyrics, fierce guitar skills and soulful voice. This Jacksonville, Florida artist certainty puts the ‘rock’ in blues-rock with a Southern homegrown approach. With Davis on guitar and lead vocals, his band is comprised of Warren Beck on keys/backing vocals, David Weatherspoon on drums, and Will Weiner on bass guitar/backing vocals.  

The record throws down the gauntlet in a tight-as-hell blast of ferocity with “I Ain’t Lying”. It’s an amazing, adrenalin-fueled rocker with a riveting guitar performance, and a spectacular barrel-house keyboard accompaniment. The gentle sounds of banjo pull me in to “Around the Bend”. The song’s Crosby, Stills, and Nash-ish vibe lightens my mood, and brightens the day. A lack of decent choices plagues all of us at one time or another.  “Damned” brilliantly brings that dire crossroads-feeling to song with an infectious late-Nineties alt-rock sound. “Brackish Water” keeps the jam going strong in a full-on Southern Rock delivery. With guest Sawyer Swihart providing an absolutely gorgeous performance on pedal steel guitar, “Have Mercy” washes over me in a stunning tide of empathy. “Enough is Enough” closes the album with in a special way as the song progresses from acoustic to full-on electric. In a Ben Folds fashion, Beck’s piano performance beautifully accompanies Weatherspoon’s and Weiner’s captivating rhythm.

I’m certainly hooked on Dyer Davis’ Kiss the Ring. It is an engaging listen from beginning to end.

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Photo by Sequoya Iolani

Joel Andrew Bell

 

For more information about Dyer Davis visit https://www.dyerdavismusic.com/

To read past PhillyCheeze reviews covering Dyer Davis, follow this link : https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/search?q=dyer+davis 

Available on Bandcamp

#749- > Brody Buster - Redemption (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 

2025 – self-release
Release Date : April 20, 2025
 
By Phillip Smith; May, 26, 2025
 
Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

Redemption, the first album in eight years from Kansas City-based blues artist Brody Buster has really caught my attention. Buster wears his life on his sleeve and in his music as he sings about overcoming hardships and personal battles. After one listen and you will find this is an artist who begs to be heard. Buster’s art of song-writing pairs quite nicely with his mastery of harmonica and guitar. His talent was duly recognized at the 2017 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee as he pulled down two awards: the Lee Oskar Harmonica Award along with securing Second Place in the Solo/Duo category.  Alongside Buster on this nine-track album is Jackie Myers on organ, Ian Pond on drums, Terry Dry on bass, Howard Mahan on slide guitar, Jacque Garoutte on bass/rhythm guitar/backing vocals. Also making a special guest appearance on a couple of songs is Danielle Nicole.

 I’m over-the-top impressed from the very beginning of this record with “Can You Hear Me”.  Buster’s whisky-soaked voice and tight-as-hell band behind him hit me with full force. I noticed the little hairs on my arm standing tall, and I’m quickly reminded of the first time I heard the Black Crowes.  The riveting harp, sonic waves of organ, and lyrics which reflect a hard-scrabble life, tie this up to total perfection. Buster sings of high hopes and bad luck in “Deadwood Shuffle” as he totally rips it up on harp. I dig that classic Nashville country twang he pours all over “Working For The Devil”. It sounds terrific.  “The Color Blue” is such a beautiful song about escaping the dark. I absolutely love it. The harmonizing vocals of Buster and Danielle Nicole are magical. I can feel every word sung. The album comes to a close with “This Time I Got the Blues”.  Written by the late Kansas-City-based bluesman Billy “Beale” Woods who sadly lost his life to cancer in 2019, this track is the definition of the Blues.

Brody Buster’s Redemption is the head-turner of the year so far. This record is sure to land on many best-of lists for 2025.

 

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For more information about Brody Buster, visit his website https://brodybustermusic.com/

 

#748- > Gina Sicilia - Bring It On Home : A Tribute to Sam Cooke (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 

2025 – BLUE ÉLAN RECORDS
Release Date : June 6, 2025
 
By Phillip Smith; May, 25, 2025
 
Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

I’ve been a big fan of Gina Sicilia’s music since I first heard her album Sunset Avenue nine years ago. Her voice is among the best I have heard. For Sicilia’s eleventh studio album, she has recorded a tribute to the legendary King of Soul Sam Cooke, and it is absolutely fabulous. The record consists of Sicilia covering ten songs Cooke had either written or iconically covered.  Produced by Fred Mollin and recorded in Nashville, Tennessee, this ten-track album features Sicilia on lead vocals backed by Pat Coil on keyboards, Kerry Marx on electric/acoustic guitars, Larry Paxton on bass, Tommy Harden on drums/percussion, Fred Mollin on electric guitar/synth/percussion/backing vocals, Pat Bergeson on harmonica, Jim Hoke on horns, and backing vocalists Maureen Murphy, Amanda Broadway, and Troy Johnson.

Sicilia opens the record in a big way with “Shake”. The pounding drums and inescapable groove pull me right in for a damn good time. Guest artist Wil Merrell steps in for a duet with Sicilia on “Bring It On Home to Me”. Their voices complement each other immensely. It really is a wonderful track. My heart lights up when I hear “Another Saturday Night”. I remember the Cat Stevens version most from having his Greatest Hits album on 8-Track tape.  Written by Cooke on tour in England and inspired by his stay at a hotel where female guests were not allowed to stay, the song was originally released in 1963 reaching number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The final two tracks on this album are covers of Bob Dylan’s “Blowing in the Wind’ and Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come”. The two songs have an interesting connection to each other. After hearing Dylan’s song, Cooke was so inspired to write his own anthem to the civil rights movement.  Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come” was released on his 1964 album Ain’t That Good News, and his cover of Dylan’s “Blowin’ In the Wind” landed on the 1964 album Sam Cooke at the Copa. Sicilia beautifully takes on both of these wonderful songs.

Gina Sicilia has captivated me once again with Bring It On Home : A Tribute to Sam Cooke.  It is truly a powerful and exquisite listen.

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Available on Bandcamp

 

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

 

For other PhillyCheeze reviews of Gina Sicilia, visit this link https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/search?q=gina+sicilia

#747- > Carolyn Wonderland - Truth Is (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 

2025 – Alligator Records
Release Date : May, 16, 2025
 
By Phillip Smith; May, 24, 2025

 

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

Carolyn Wonderland never ceases to amaze me with her fiery guitar-slinging skills and charming Southern voice.  Slathered in Texas blues and the authenticity one would find in a backroad juke-joint or honky-tonk, her latest album Truth Is is nothing short of a masterpiece.  Wonderland is backed on this album by Naj Conklin on electric and upright bass and Giovanni “Nooch” Carnuccio on drums and percussion. She is also joined by Shelly King on vocals and acoustic guitar, Dave Alvin on electric guitar, Red Young on B3 organ/piano, Bukka Allen on piano/organ, Kevin Lance on percussion, Ruthie Foster on vocals, Marcia Ball on vocals/piano, Cindy Cashdollar on lap steel guitar, Henri Herbert on piano, and Stuart Sullivan on percussion.

 Wonderland rolls out the red carpet with a riveting taste of swampy slide guitar as she sings of the hard facts of life on “Sooner or Later”.  I’m quickly drawn to the swinging title-track “Truth Is”. With a hard-driving beat from Nooch, Carolyn’s fearless vocals add a lovely touch. I love the blues-soaked “Whistlin’ Past the Graveyard” featuring Cashdollar on lap steel and find myself singing along to this one with every listen. I just wish I had the whistling skills to righteously continue on. The cover of “Orange Juice Blues (Blues for Breakfast)”, originally on the Basement Tapes album from The Band, consists of an intoxicating jamboree featuring King, Alvin, Young, Ball, and Cashdollar with Wonderland, King, and Ball all on vocals. I enjoy the hell out of this one. Enveloped in a Caribbean-inspired melody and Jimmy Buffett-esque vibe, “Deepest Ocean Blue” hits me in very contrasting ways as I decipher its deeper meaning. The album comes to an end with “Blues for Gene”, a touching and beautifully-performed tribute to renowned pianist/keyboardist Gene Taylor (The Blasters, T-Bone Walker, Fabulous Thunderbirds, Canned Heat) who sadly lost his life to hypothermia February 20, 2021 during the Texas Power Crisis. Written by Wonderland and Alvin (who was a lifelong friend to Taylor), the song features Alvin on guitar and includes an extraordinary performance by Herbert on piano.

 Carolyn Wonderland’s Truth Is is an absolutely brilliant album. It’s one I can really sink my teeth into.

 

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Photo by Mary Bruton

Photo by Mary Bruton

Available on Bandcamp

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For more information about Carolyn Wonderland, visit website https://carolynwonderland.com/

 

For other PhillyCheeze reviews of Carolyn Wonderland, visit this link https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/search?q=carolyn+wonderland

 

 

 

 

#746- > Charlie Musselwhite - Look Out Highway (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 

2025 – Forty Below Records
Release Date : May, 16, 2025
 
By Phillip Smith; May, 17, 2025
 
Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com
 

With nearly sixty years of recording experience behind him, Charlie Musselwhite continues to push forward and produce critically acclaimed blues to stand the test of time.  His latest album Look Out Highway is an instant favorite. Recorded at Kid Andersen’s Greaseland Studio in San Jose, California with Matt Stubbs (GA-20) on guitar, June Core (Robert Lockwood Jr.) on drums, Randy Bermudes (James Cotton) on bass, and Kid Andersen sitting in on guitar, piano, and keys, this eleven-track album is plumb fantastic.

With an unescapable groove, the record kicks off with title-track “Look Out Highway”. It’s downright hypnotizing, and I love every bit of it. “Hip Shakin’ Mama” is an immediate hit for me. Sometimes one just can’t escape the blues, as Musselwhite sings with one foot in Tennessee and one in Mississippi on “Baby Won’t You Please Help Me”.  Flavored with Memphis-style soul featuring Andersen on organ, this one surely cooks. Being a drifter on the road, sets the stage for the slow blues of “Highway 61”.  Having traveled that highway back and forth from Arkansas to Iowa countless times over the past thirty-three years, I can surely identify with Charlie when he states ‘Sixty-One Highway is the longest road I know’. Topping out at number one on the US Country charts in 1978 for Crystal Gayle, “Ready For Times To Get Better” lands as the only cover on the album.  Featuring Edna Luckett joining in on a duet with Musselwhite, this absolutely fabulous version of the song cuts right to the bone. It surely seems to be even more relevant today than when it was released. The attention-grabbing surprise on the record is the “Ghosts in Memphis”. This intoxicating track about Memphis-borne spirits and haints features Musselwhite’s haunting harp licks blended in an innovative way with rap vocals from Memphis-based artist Al Kapone. It is an extraordinary track.  

Look Out Highway is destined to be a hit record. This cocktail of Delta Blues, Chicago Blues, Memphis Soul and Country makes for a memorable listen each and every time I hear it.       

  

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Photo © Michael Weintrob

Photo © Michael Weintrob

For more information about Charlie Musselwhite, visit his website https://www.charliemusselwhite.com/

 

For other PhillyCheeze reviews of Charlie Musselwhite, visit this link https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/search?q=charlie+musselwhite

 

 

#743- > Emma Wilson - A Spoonful of Willie Dixon (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 

2025 – Select-O-Hits
Release Date : May, 2, 2025
 
By Phillip Smith; May, 3, 2025
 
Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

British blues singer Emma Wilson’s 2023 release Memphis Calling was one of my favorite albums of that year.  Her latest recording, A Spoonful of Willie Dixon further solidifies my deep appreciation for her musical and vocal talent. This idea for this homage to the legendary Mississippi-born bluesman Willie Dixon was sparked by Wilson’s visit last May to Clarksdale, Mississippi where she performed at a benefit at Ground Zero Blues Club for the Pinetop Perkins Foundation. On this EP, she exquisitely breathes new life into six Dixon-penned songs, offering a selection of classic hits, and deep cuts. Recorded live in one day at Crystalship Studios in Sheffield, England, the recording features Wilson on lead vocals with her band consisting of guitarist Nik Svarc, bassist Ian Leese, drummer Mark Barrett, and Bennett Holland on Hammond organ, piano, and backing vocals.  

“Spoonful”, first recorded by the great Howlin’ Wolf, wonderfully sets the tone as the opening track. Wilsons’s sultry vocals, Leese’s fearless bassline, Holland’s barrelhouse piano, and Svarc’s guitar mastery are nicely woven together so the song can be felt as well as heard. With a dreamy approach, Wilson gracefully makes the 1956 Otis Rush song “I Can’t Quit You Baby” her own. The lifting sounds of the Hammond organ and those wonderful blues-soaked guitar licks drill right down to the soul. Of course, from the opening sounds of “Wang Dang Doodle”, I am in my happy place along with Automatic Slim and Razor-totin’ Jim. The pièce de resistance is Wilson’s performance on “It Don’t Make Sense (You Can’t Make Peace)” from Dixon’s 1984 album Mighty Earthquake and Hurricane. This is such a beautiful song, and seemingly even more relevant today than when it was written. As Willie Dixon stated once before performing the song, “Suppose you had to spend half as much money on trying to make peace as you had been making war, you wouldn’t have to worry about nothing. But it don’t make sense. It don’t make sense. It don’t make sense when you can’t make peace.”.

Emma Wilson has scored another hit with this recording.  A Spoonful of Willie Dixon is an absolutely brilliant tribute to one the greatest songwriters of the Twentieth Century.

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For more information about Emma Wilson, visit her website https://www.emmawilson.net  

 

For other PhillyCheeze reviews of Emma Wilson, visit this link https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/search?q=emma+wilson

 

 

 

 

#737- > Rashad The Blues Kid - Live in Clarksdale (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

2025 – Little Lightning Production

Release Date : Jan. 24, 2025

By Phillip Smith; Mar. 22, 2025

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

It puts a smile on my face to see the younger generation carry the blues forward.  Thirty-seven year old Mississippi bluesman Larry McGill aka Rashad the Blues Kid is doing just that, and doing it quite well. His fourth and latest album, Live in Clarksdale, was recorded in the ‘Cradle of Blues-land’, at Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale, Mississippi. This winter, he was awarded second place in the band division at the 2025 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee. After listening to this release, I can certainly hear why. His smooth vocals and guitar prowess pair up for an outstanding listen.

This thirteen-track record begins with a splash of funky harmonica-accompanied on “Feel Alright”. Topped with hot guitar licks, and a tight backing of harmonized vocals, this track properly sets the stage. Rashad keeps me tightly tuned in as he sings about partying on “Juke Joint” with a high-energy performance reminiscent of Mr Sipp. Rashad pours a big dose of blazing guitar over a smoking side-dish of keys on “Bad Girl”. I love the slow, swaying R&B which Rashad delivers in “That’s What You Are”. With guitar solos which quickly reminds me of Prince, this one is quite nice. They bring the set to its grand finale, tearing the roof off the sucker with “Juke”. It’s indeed a ripping good time.

Blues fans are highly encouraged to give Rashad The Blues Kid’s Live in Clarksdale album a listen. It is soulfully delicious.

 

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WEBSITE & SOCIALS

 

Rashad The Blues Kid

https://www.rtbkblues.com/

  

#732- > Mark 'Muleman' Massey - Been a Long Long Time (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 

2024 – Muletone Records

By Phillip Smith; Feb. 21, 2025

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

I first heard about Mark ‘Muleman’ Massey on episode six of Moonshine & Mojo Hands a ten-episode 2016 Mississippi Blues series from Roger Stolle and Jeff Konkel. Damn that was a great series too. I encourage everyone to watch every show. It took about eight years, but I finally had an opportunity to see Muleman this past summer in Clarksdale, Mississippi at the Sunflower River Blues & Gospel Festival. Massey, a Clarksdale native put on a fantastic electrified show. That being said, I was excited to hear his latest album Been A Long Long Time. Slathered in southern soulful blues, this eleven-track record was recorded at Wishbone Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Alongside the Muleman on guitar are guitarists Billy Lawson, Travis Wammack, and Kelvin Holly. The rest of the band is comprised of bass player Bob N Weaver, drummer Roger Starr, The Webster Street Horns, Robbert Fossen on harmonica, and background vocalists The Avalon Sisters.

The slow blues of “Baby’s Gone” drips with pure emotion as Muleman beautifully sings this with a heart-felt delivery. The temperature rises on “Can’t Tell Me Nothing About the Blues”. The Allman-esque slide guitar and juicy keys on this delightful track put me in the zone. I love his cover of Tom T. Hall’s “That’s How I Got to Memphis”. He surely makes this his own vocally. The Steve Cropper-inspired guitar licks win me over every time. “My Used To Be”, his ode to his ex, is a real-deal blues song with an infectious groove. “Going Back to Memphis” puts a smile on my face with every listen as he mentions all the things he loves about the Bluff City. The song is topped with a hot serving of harp, and makes for a hell of a checklist. The album ends with the funky, dance-friendly break-up song “Your Good Stuff”. It really is a fabulous tune.

Mark ‘Muleman’ Massey’s Been a Long Long Time stole my heart at first listen. It is a wonderful album with masterfully written songs served to perfection.   

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* Photos of Mark 'Muleman' Massey by Phillip Smith , 

Taken at Sunflower River Blues & Gospel Festival, Clarksdale, MS 2024

 

WEBSITE & SOCIALS

 

Mark ‘Muleman’ Massey

https://markmulemanmassey.com/

 

Moonshine & Mojo Hands

https://www.moonshineandmojohands.com/

 

#727 > The Kearns Family - Together and Alone (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 

2025 – The Kearns Family

By Phillip Smith; Jan. 26, 2025

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

The Kearns Family a singer/songwriting duo hailing from Joshua Tree, California, has a gem of a record in their debut release Together and Alone. With Pat Kearns on guitar and vocals, and Susan Kearns on upright bass, this nine-track album was recorded at their solar-powered recording studio Goat Mountain in the Mojave Desert. Their songs are poignant and masterfully written with a deep sensibility.

“The Dust” a haunting, western-flavored ballad sets the tone. I love the little hints of Nick Drake which walk into the song with gentle guitar licks. “Bandito” immediately follows with a harmonica-accompanied intro which instantly reminds me of Neil Young. A Tarantino-esque vibe to this song about a manhunt across Mexico keeps the tone of the album flowing. Delivered much like the songs of John Prine and Tim Hardin, “The Old Days” beautifully reflects the sadness of loss and yearning for the old days. Delivered with a gravelly voice, “The Funny Thing About Keeping Moving” brilliantly sums up the life of an outlaw drifter. I can’t help but feel very moved with every listen to “Charlie”. The song is a touching tribute to an old friend who may have had some troubles, but was obviously loved.

Together and Alone steals my heart and takes my breath away with every listen.   

 

For more information about The Kearns Family and to purchase this album, visit their Bandcamp page

 

#726 > Nutmeg Party - Nutmeg (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 

2024 – Nutmeg Party

Release Date: December 12, 2024

By Phillip Smith; Jan. 18, 2025

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

Self-defined on their Bandcamp page as “a homegrown genre-fluid group of spry saplings that have quite the fascination for all things related to musical endeavors”, Nutmeg Party surely fits that description and more. Their music definitely transcends the cookie-cutter genres most bands try to align with. I find their debut six-track EP Nutmeg to be clever and charismatic. This Pittsburgh-based band was formed in 2023 by Andy Lewis (lead vocals/keys/ukulele), Dylan Takach (guitar), Evan Spurlock (bass/vocals), and Hayden Hanna (drums/percussion/vocals).

Behind the piano in Ben Folds-fashion, Lewis’ vocals seem to float in mid-air on the opening track “Pictures”.  This cosmic psych-pop song is wonderfully brilliant.  I love the infectious melody of “Gin & Tonic”. The song invokes a mental time-travel of sorts, as it progresses from an early era roots-music beginning to a fuzz-fueled Seventies rock ending. With a flowing groove and vocals reminiscent of Paul McCartney, “Neptune” instantly transports me to one of my favorite places in the world, the middle of a lawn-section full of hippies jamming out to favorite bands such as Phish and Disco Biscuits. It’s a gorgeous song which digs deep into the soul.

I absolutely love Nutmeg Party’s Nutmeg.  It really is a captivating listen.

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Evan Spurlock, Andy Lewis, Dylan Takach, Hayden Hanna

For more information about Nutmeg Party, visit their Bandcamp page.

#725 > The Hitman Blues Band - Calling Long Distance (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 

2024 – Nerus Records

By Phillip Smith; Jan. 17, 2025

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

I dig the carefree vibe which emits from The Hitman Blues Band’s tenth album Calling Long Distance. This ten-piece ensemble has been a staple of the New York blues scene since forming in 1986. Fronted by Russell “Hitman” Alexander on lead guitar and vocals, the rest of the band is comprised of Mike Katzman on keys, Mike Porter on bass, Guy LaFountaine on drums, John Kelly on alto sax, Tom Mineo on tenor sax, Eric Altarac on trumpet, Al Alpert on trombone. Also included are backup vocalists Joanna Alexander and Nancy Hampton  and Bob Stander who performs bass on two tracks.

Making contact with those who have crossed over to the other side oftentimes requires serious hoodoo. Hitman leaves no mojo or spirit-communicating device untried in the spirited, horn-infused blues of title-track “Calling Long Distance”. I absolutely love the amphetamine-fueled instrumental “Blood Alley”. Smoking guitar riffs, a singing organ, and wailing saxophone surf a caffeinated beat for smashing good time. The Hitman does a cool job of retooling Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues’ into a real-deal Chicago blues track. The smooth guitar sounds of “Foolish Pride” is riddled with funky licks and a delicious groove. It’s a great song to soak in.

Calling Long Distance is a fun and adventurous listen. I really enjoyed it.

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For more information about the Hitman Blues Band, visit their website https://www.hitmanbluesband.com/

#723 > Eddie 9 Volt - Saratoga (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 

2024 – Ruf Records

By Phillip Smith; Jan. 4, 2025

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

Eddie 9V, aka Brooks Mason first wowed me with his Little Black Flies record in 2021. He continued to draw me in on his 2023 release Capricorn. With his third and latest album, Saratoga, Eddie 9V delivers a gorgeous hat-trick, with this first three albums out the gate all hitting the bullseye. Cowritten with his brother Lane Kelly, Saratoga was recorded by the two multi-instrumentalists in their own studio Echo Deco Studio in Atlanta with guest musicians appearing on horns, lap steel, and fiddle.

Riding a propulsive rhythm with a locomotive beat, Saratoga opens with its title-track. The song bursts open with big waves of energy and poetic verse relating the trapped feelings of small-town living. Eddie’s soulful voice sounds absolutely remarkable. I soak up the goodness of the slow-pace, horn-infused track “Delta”. I can’t help but wrap myself up in its playful swampy groove. I love the fiddle-fueled genre-bending hillbilly hip-hop banger “Wasp Weather”. “Truckee” seemingly draws inspiration from classic rock bands like The Doobie Brothers and Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young for its carefree, lazy Sunday feel. It’s a beautiful song. The cover of Mac DeMarco’s “Chamber of Reflection” is a brilliant make-over which takes the song to greater heights. “The Road to Nowhere” brings the record to its close with a western ballad served in a sea of twang-filled guitar topped with vocals reminiscent of music legend Roy Orbinson.  

Eddie 9V is definitely on a hot-streak. I absolutely adore Saratoga from beginning to end.

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For more information about Eddie 9V,  visit the website @  https://www.eddie9volt.com/

Catch up on previous PhillyCheeze reviews featuring Eddie 9V through this link :  https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/search?q=Eddie+9V

#721 > FreeWorld - More Love (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 

2024 – SWIRLDISC

By Phillip Smith; Dec. 28, 2024

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

FreeWorld is definitely one of the must-see bands in Memphis Tennessee. For over thirty-seven years, this ever-changing ensemble has been captivating audiences and earning the utmost respect from their contemporaries. They sure have my full attention. In 2012 they were honored to receive a brass note on the Beale Street Walk of Fame. Fronted by Richard Cushing (producer/ band director/ lead vocals/ bass guitars/ shaker/ ratchet), FreeWorld is also comprised of Peter Climie (saxophones/ NuRAD EWI/ tambourine), Cedric Taylor (Hammond B3/ grand piano/ Wurlitzer/ Nord), Alex Schuetrumpf (trumpet/ piccolo trumpet/ flugelhorn), Courtney Reid (lead & backing vocals), Frank Paladino (baritone saxophone), Freedman Steorts (trombone), Walter Hughes (guitars), Matt Sweatt (drums). More Love, their eighth album is a melting pot of fourteen fresh original tracks baptized in the vibrant sounds of funk, jazz, soul, rock, and blues.

I’m instantly charged by the high-vibrational sounds of “Outta Sight”. The track ferociously tears the roof off and opens things up. The rhythm is slathered in funk, the horns are so hot they melt, and the guitar solo is phenomenal. Soaked in that Southern spiritual goodness, title-track “More Love, sung by special guest Jerome Chism with the Tennessee Mass Choir is a beautiful anthem. I dig the addition of slide guitar by special guest Aubrey McCrady into the intoxicating sounds of their reggae song “Heart on the Table”. That’s really unique. In numerology 11:11 refers to a reset or transition. FreeWorld brings it to song form with “11:11 on Beale”, a relaxed horn-fueled jazz instrumental which serves as a backdrop for a free-flowing spoken-word homage to Beale Street by Benjamin Theolonius “IQ” Sanders. It’s a very cool track indeed. “Who Knew” draws me in with its buttery rhythm before it really wows me with the sax-guitar dual, steering the song into a smoking instrumental. I snuggle right in to the feel-good and carefree blanket of “Nothin’ Wrong”. The song reminds me of the playfulness of one of my favorite bands Phish. Closing out the album is “D-Up (Here’s to Diversity)” the second of two bonus tracks. With lyrics written by FreeWorld’s drummer David Skypeck, the song made its first recorded appearance twenty-five years ago on their 1999 album called Diversity. The song was re-recorded in 2020 and featured over three dozen Memphis artists to make a ‘We Are the World”-inspired video with stars like Earl “the Pearl” Banks, Joyce Cobb, Luther Dickinson, Al Kapone and Blind Mississippi Morris. The version on this album is from the 2020 video and I absolutely love it.

FreeWorld’s More Love has everything I like to hear in an album. It has surely landed among my favorites for the year,

 

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D-Up (Here’s to Diversity)

For more information about FreeWorld, visit the website @ https://freeworldmemphis.com   

#719 > Kat Riggins and Her Blues Revival - Revival (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 

2024 – House of Berry Productions

By Phillip Smith; Dec. 14, 2024

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

Kat Riggins has been a favorite songstress of mine for the past eight years. This Miami-based blues singer is an absolute gem and I find her music captivating. Her powerful and fearless voice lends an undeniable electric charge to every song she sings.  Revival, her sixth album release contains ten all-original songs featuring producer Tim Mulberry (bass/keys/drums/horns) and guitarist Eric Guess, and backing vocalists Shaelyn Mulberry and Mark Barner.

Smoking guitar licks surrounded by blasts of brass and bustling keys usher the album in a massive blues fashion with “Lucky”. I love Riggins’ Aretha-level vocals as they punch up the funky and riveting “Southern Soul”.  I can’t help but smile when she sings ‘When God made man, I betcha he started with a Southern soul.”.  “New Level” is a tremendous blues-rocker with an infectious riff. Topped with a tasty serving of greasy slide-guitar, this track definitely cuts to the bone. The propelling groove threaded through the heart of “Mojo Thief” sweeps me off my feet and pulls me right in. Riggins pours her magical shaman mojo into “Healer” to bring the album to a beautiful end. I admire the soothing and delicate guitar picking of Guess on this inspirational song. It really is a nice touch.

Kat Riggins and Her Blues Revival has won me over yet again with her rocking blues-soaked soul on Revival. I love it from start to finish.   

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For more information about Kat Riggins, visit the website @  https://www.katriggins.com/music

 

For other PhillyCheeze reviews featuring Kat Riggins visit https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/search?q=kat+riggins

#718 > Big Earl's Electric Witness - Get Up Off The Ground (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 

2024 – Dick Earl Erickson

By Phillip Smith; Dec. 7, 2024

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

I find a genuine affinity to the intoxicating sounds of Get Up Off the Ground, the second release from Utah-based blues-rockers Dick Earl’s Electric Witness. Taking third place at the 2023 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, this family-centric band certainly grabbed my attention with their masterfully crafted songs, smooth vocals, searing harmonica licks, and tight rhythm section. With Dick Earl Ericksen at the helm on guitar, banjo, harmonica, jaw harp, and vocals, he is joined by his son Isaac Ericksen (co-producer/bass guitar), his wife Alice Ericksen (co-producer/backing vocalist), Mari Ericksen (drums/percussion/backing vocals), Zoe Ericksen (backing vocals) Thomas Anderson (guitars/kalimba/charango/backing vocals), and Matt Green (organ/keys).

The album opens with title track “Get Up Off The Ground” which emits a very cool spaghetti-western/down-at-the-crossroads vibe. Topped with deliciously twangy guitar and a fiery harp performance, this is an absolute treat. Following up right behind is an ode to hitting the open road “Black Lines and White Crosses”. This call-back to the trucker songs of the Seventies has an infectious hook and strikes me with an instant familiarity. The Electric Witness serves up a big fluffy platter of funky blues with “Eggs”. I love the jam-band friendly approach they take with this track. It reminds me of one of my all-time favorite bands Phish. A thick groove, a pounding beat and thick bass guitar opens up the Latin-infused “Vinyard” for Dick to deliver a bone-crushing dose of scorching harp. This one is a downright amazing pozole of sound. Dick delicately balances his troubadour vocals and extraordinary harmonica prowess on “On Her Heart”. It’s a wonderful track.

Get Up Off the Ground hits like a classic Steve Miller Band record, as blues, rock, western, and Latin sounds merge together for big sound. Dick Earl’s Electric Witness has sure won me over with this record.

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For more information about Dick Earl’s Electric Witness, visit the website @  https://dickearlselectricwitness.com/

 

Find Dick Earl’s Electric Witness on Bandcamp too.