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Saturday, September 18, 2021

#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

Friday, April 7, 2023

#606 : Tony Holiday - Motel Mississippi (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

2023 – Forty Below

By Phillip Smith; April 7, 2023

Release Date : April 14, 2023

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

From his Porch Session albums, to his studio releases, I always find the music of Tony Holiday to be abundantly filled with juicy harp performances and swampy grooves. His latest album, Motel Mississippi fits the bill again, and I really dig it. When I read the album was recorded at Zebra Ranch in Coldwater, Mississippi, I knew it was going to be special. With Holiday on vocals and harmonica, AJ Fullerton on guitar, Terrence Grayson on bass, Lee Williams on drums, and Dave Gross on guitars, organs, percussion, snare, and synth, the album has a rich texture.

This eight-track recording rolls out strong in a funky outlaw style with Victor Wainwright at the helm of a Wurlitzer on “Rob and Steal”. They do a wonderful job of covering this Paul Wine Jones song. It’s infectious as hell. The sweet sound of Sixties blues fills the nooks and crannies of Holiday’s original “Trouble”. Outside the nooks and crannies though, the song is a mind-bending experience loaded with musical psychedelia from Gross on guitar and Wainwright on the wah clav. Short but really sweet is “She’s So Cold”, clocking in at just under two and a half minutes long, the groove on this one would make a mesmerizing extended jam. The slide guitar of Aubrey McCrady makes for a fierce solo on “Just As Gone”. It sounds great up against Gross on the Hammond, and Williams’ driving beat. “Yazoo River” brings the album to a spirited close. I really enjoy hearing Tony rip it up on harp. It doesn’t get more Mississippi than this.

Motel Mississippi is one of those albums one will want to listen to in its entirety. It is splendid from end to end.

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TRACK LISTINGS

1. Rob and Steal

2. Get By

3. Trouble

4. She’s So Cold

5. Just As Gone

6. Nobody But You

7. You Know Who I Am

8. Yazoo River

For more information about Tony Holiday visit his website at : https://tonyholidaymusic.com

Check out other PhillyCheeze reviews for Tony Holiday at : https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/search?q=Tony+Holiday

Saturday, May 23, 2020

#446 : Tony Holiday - Soul Service

2020 – Vizztone

By Phillip Smith; May 23, 2020

Striking while the iron is still hot from his acclaimed Porch Sessions album released last summer, Memphis musician Tony Holiday has forged a new killer record called Soul Service. Produced by Ori Naftaly of Southern Avenue, and recorded at the famed Zebra Ranch studio in North Mississippi, Soul Service has a sort of Memphis-meets-Bakersfield sound. Behind the microphone and with harp in hand, Holiday is joined by Landon Stone on guitar, Max Kaplan on bass, and Danny Banks (John Nemeth band) on drums. Special guests include Victor Wainwright on keys, and Naftaly on guitar.

The funky guitar riff on “Paying Rent on a Broken Home” quickly sinks its hooks into me. Along with Holiday’s smokin’ harp, it makes for a whopping serving of soulful blues. “Good Advice” is fabulously nostalgic, as it reflects of a time when the division between country and rock were more blurred. Holiday absolutely swings with “Checkers on the Chessboard”. He plays this brilliantly. I love the dreamy melody on the slow-cooked break-up song, “It’s Gonna Take Some Time”. Wainwright’s accompaniment sounds so good. Holiday’s performance on “The Hustle” is attention-grabbing, with his dynamic lyrical cadence and infectious groove.

Holiday’s blend of blues, country, rock and soul is seamlessly stitched into this absolute gem of a record. Soul Service is definitely recommended.

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

Thursday, July 4, 2019

#399 : Tony Holiday - Porch Sessions

2019 – Vizztone

By Phillip Smith; July 4, 2019

It’s the Fourth of July, and today I’ll be spinning Porch Sessions from Memphis blues-man Tony Holiday. I love the concept for this record. In the spirit of classic blues field recordings, Holiday visited and jammed with a ton of big names in the business, right on their front porch. With Holiday on harmonica, he is joined by guitarist Landon Stone, and bassist Kid Anderson on all tracks. Guests include Charlie Musselwhite, James Harman, John Nemeth, John Primer, Bob Corritore, Aki Kumar, Rockin’ Johnny Burgin, Kid Ramos, Mitch Kashmar, Jake Friel, Ronnie Shellist, and more.

The raw stand-out blues guitar of two-time Grammy nominated John Primer joined with both Holiday and Bob Corritore on harp, makes for an amazing listen on “They Call Me John Primer”. It’s always a treat to hear Musselwhite. He lets loose on “That’s Alright” as Kumar takes on the vocals to this six-and-a-half-minute blues jam. And for an extra blast of cool, Burgin appears on guitar. I dig the cover of Little Sonny’s “Woman Named Trouble” with Nemeth on harp and vocals, Matthew Wilson on guitar and Danny Banks on drums. It has such a funky groove. Harman and Ramos sound so great together as they break out a briefcase full of blues on “Goin’ to Court”. “Hip To It” is a delightful harp blues instrumental. It’s a rare treat to hear three harp players at once as Holiday, Shellist, and Kashmar interestingly play off each other’s performance.

Hearing the musical collaborations recorded on this album, is like staring blues right in the eye. With the Porch Sessions, Holiday reiterates exactly what the Blues is all about.

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

Monday, August 2, 2021

#511 : Prairie Dog Blues Festival - 2021

Prairie Dog Blues Festival - 2021

Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin

July 31, 2021

By Phillip Smith; Aug.2, 2021

Saturday, July 31, 2021, I landed in Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin, just off the mighty Mississippi River, for the second day of the Prairie Dog Blues Festival, and had an enormously good time. Soaking in the blues, while soaking up the sun is absolutely one of the best things life has to offer. On the main stage, I caught Lurrie Bell with Jason Ricci, Amanda Fish, Tony Holiday, The Altered Five Blues Band, and made several visits to the beer tent to hear Avey Grouws Band.

Lurrie Bell, son of famed bluesman Carey Bell was originally scheduled to appear with his brother Steve, and perform as the Bell Brothers. Sadly, Steve could not make, but on the bright side, they couldn’t have picked a better replacement than Jason Ricci. Lurrie and Jason were totally in sync, and this show was as real as the blues could get. They sounded great together as they smoked though songs like “You Gotta Help Me” and “Sweet Home Chicago”.

Amanda Fish took the main stage next, playing a mix of originals and covers. Just as a drone was hovering over the stage and crowd, she went right to “Helicopters in the Sky”. Other originals included “Friends” and “2020” from her Free Album. She belted out a great cover of “Me and Bobby McGee” and steered off the blues highway with “Fortunate Son / Free Bird / Born this Way”, ending her set with her take on the Ramones’ “Blitzkrieg Bop”.

Tony Holiday came to play. I’ve reviewed two of his albums, and he’s one of my favorites. With Gordon Greenwood on guitar, they delivered wonderful covers of Otis Rush’s “Right Place, Wrong Time” and Sean Costello’s “Hard Luck Woman”. I was pleased as hell to hear “Payin’ Rent on a Broken Home”, “Good Advice” and “The Hustle”, all off his Soul Service album released in 2020. Those songs are absolute gems. Holiday brought his set to its finish with another cut off that same record, “It’s Gonna Take Some Time”. Tony’s soulful vocals and harmonica sounds so good paired with Greenwood on guitar. I really hope I get a chance to hear these guys play again.

I didn’t get to hang around for the entire set of the Altered Five Blues Band, but the portion of their show I did hear was phenomenal. It was an absolute treat to see Jason Ricci on stage once more. He was on fire playing harp. The songs I did catch from them were “Great Minds Think Alike” and “Too Mad to Make Up”. And they had the audience in the palms of their hands. The performance was absolutely electric.

As tradition goes at the Prairie Dog Blues Festival, there is always a band in the Beer Tent to provide a series of smaller sets which take place between the sets on the main stage. This year the Beer Tent stage was blessed to have Iowa’s own Avey Grouws Band. They are quickly becoming one of my favorite bands. With Chris Avey on lead guitar, Jeni Grouws on vocals and rhythm guitar, Bryan West on drums, Randy Leasman on bass guitar, and Nick Vasquez on keys, they literally rocked the tent. Their enthusiasm and rapport with the audience is second to none. A big smile was planted on my face as soon as I heard the opening sequence of “Two Days Off (and a Little Bit of Liquor)”. When they broke into ZZ Top’s “La Grange”, everyone felt the love for Dusty Hill, who had just recently passed away. It was a very welcome tribute, and they sounded so damn good too.

Until next time, thanks to all the volunteers who put this wonderful festival together each year. It’s really one of the best.

* all photos by Phillip Smith

Lurrie Bell and Jason Ricci

Amanda Fish

Tony Holiday

Altered Five Blues Band

Avey Grouws Band

Monday, May 13, 2024

#683 : Big Llou's Fundraiser and Vizztone Showcase : Memphis on Beale St. - May 8, 2024 (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

Blues Music Awards Showcase
Presented by BratGirlmedia
Rum Boogie Cafe
Memphis, Tennessee
May 8, 2023

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com
I made it down to Memphis for the Blues Music Awards last year for the very first time. I had so much fun and heard so much fantastic music, I had to return for another round this year. It was another amazing experience.
On May 8th, the evening before the BMA's, I attended a pair of music showcases. One was Big Llou's 10th Annual Blues Hall of Fame Tribute Fundraiser at Alfred's on Beale, The other was Vizztone's All-Star Blues Party on Beale St./Blues Music Award Showcase at Rum Boogie Cafe.
And just like last year, without camera in tow, I still captured a few photos of these fabulous events on my iPhone while I bounced back and forth between the venues.
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* all photos by Phillip Smith

Big Llou's at Alfreds