Sunday, October 10, 2021

#522 : Joanna Connor, Avey Grouws Band and James Tutson - Live at the Olympic

The Olympic Southside Theater
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
 All Photos by Phillip Smith; Oct. 09, 2021

The Olympic Southside Theater in Cedar Rapids, Iowa was definitely the place to be the evening of Friday, October 8, 2021.   This music venue, previously known as Spotlights, Big Dogs, and 3rd Street Live since I've lived in town, has hosted countless musical acts over the years.  In 1992, I set foot in this place for my first time and saw Kevin Burt with his band The Blues Instigators.   Over the years, I was fortunate to catch acts like John Mayall, Warren Zevon, Buddy Guy Little Feat, Black Oak Arkansas, George Clinton, and Days of the New.       After several years of non-occupation, this sacred space for music has been restored and revitalized to give it a new life as a place for people to congregate and enjoy live music.

The evening started off with a captivating solo performance from Iowa City artist James Tutson (James Tutson and the Rollback) who appeared on NBC's The Voice, earlier this year.  I really hope to hear more from him in the future.

Avey Grouws Band took the stage next, engaging the audience to the max.  Their setlist included favorites such as "Two Days Off (and a Little Bit of Liquor)", "Come and Get This Love", and "Dirty Little Secret" off their 2020 album The Devil May Care and tracks from their brand new album Tell Tale Heart such as  "Love Raining Down", and the intoxicating instrumental "Mariana".   I loved every bit of it.   

Immediately following was Chicago's Queen of Blues Rock guitar Joanna Connor. Watching and hearing her play is an absolute treat.  Her fearless approach to her music, ranks her among the top of the list.  

The jam session at the end was extraordinary, as  guitarist Billy Satterfield joined Joanna, Chris Avey, Jeni Grouws, and James Tutson for the grand finale.  After going so long without seeing a show of this caliber in Cedar Rapids, this was exactly what I needed.     
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·         All photos by Phillip Smith

James Tutson

Avey Grouws Band











Joanna Connor









All-Star Jam










* all photos by Phillip Smith

Saturday, October 9, 2021

#521 : Altered Five Blues Band - Holler If You Hear Me


2021 – Blind Pig Records

By Phillip Smith; Oct. 9, 2021


Those sensational blues-masters of Milwaukee Altered Five Blues Band has added another piping hot release to their catalog with Holler if You Hear Me.  Clocking in as their sixth album, the energy of the band runs high, and is magnificently captured within this Tom Hambridge-produced recording.  The powerful and soulful voice of front-man Jeff Taylor sounds so good backed by this tight-as-hell band consisting of guitarist Jeff Schroedl, bassist Mark Solveson, keyboardist Raymond Tevich, and drummer Alan Arber.  Special guest Jason Ricci is the icing on the cake, with his harmonica accompaniment on five of the thirteen tracks.  This is absolutely a winning combination. 

I am in love with the album from the moment “Holler If You Hear Me” breaks out of the gate.  The rhythm barrels through like a locomotive as we get a solid dose of Tevich’s hot ivory stylings topped with searing blasts of Ricci’s harmonica.  The party pushes forward as Taylor lets loose on his anthem of after-hours debauchery in “Guilty of a Good Time”.   Schroedl’s guitar solo absolutely sizzles as the rhythm fiercely latches on.  Harp-a-blazing, Ricci gives a flawless performance as he goes toe-to-toe with Arber’s furious beat on “If You Go Away (She Might Come Back)”.  A dash of swamp water is sprinkled atop “I Got All I Need”.  This delightful bowl of slow-simmered blues heats up to a boil, licked by the red-hot flames rolling off Schroedl’s guitar.  It’s absolutely wonderful.  The record comes to its close with “Big Shout Out”, a sort of blues version of Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire”.  This upbeat roll-call honors the blues artists of the past who’ve paved the way for those who play the blues today, and is a splendid song to end the album with.      

Holler If You Hear Me is as solid as an album can get.  It’s one hundred percent straight-up blues, delivered on a silver platter.    

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

 

 

Altered Five Blues Band "If You Go Away (She Might Come Back)" [OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO]


 


Sunday, October 3, 2021

#520 : Memphissippi Sounds - Welcome to the Land

 


2021 – Little Village Foundation

By Phillip Smith; Oct. 3, 2021

 

Memphissippi Sounds, a duo comprised of Damion Pearson (vocals, harmonica, guitar) and Cam Kimbrough (vocals, drums, guitar), brings to the table, a unique spin on the North Mississippi Hill Country Blues.  In his youth, Pearson quickly latched onto the sounds of his father’s record collection which consisted of the likes of Parliament/Funkadelic and the Ohio Players.  He picked up the blues from listening to Memphis’s WDIA radio where B.B. King and Rufus Thomas both got their start in radio.  Kimbrough, the grandson of blues great Junior Kimbrough grew up surrounded by blues, but also had a taste for bands such as Metallica, System of a Down, Nirvana, and Incubus.  When Pearson and Kimbrough joined forces to play music together, they zeroed in on the hill-country blues which they quickly discovered fit them like a glove.  Welcome to the Land, the duo’s first album was recorded at the legendary Sun Studios in Memphis and produced by Aki Kumar, with Jim Pugh serving as executive producer.       

This fascinating nine-track album of all-originals begins with “Who’s Gonna Ride”, a social commentary which absolutely tears the roof off as it touches on subjects such as George Floyd, BLM, and the pandemic.  Fortified with a rolling swampy funk, Pearson lays down a smoking performance on harp.  A furious beat and infectious rhythm combine forces in “I’m Mad”, and it sounds great.  Pearson’s hypnotic guitar riff rides along a mesmerizing performance from Kimbrough to soulfully invoke the essence of the band War, in the “Crossroads”.  I love how their vocals play off each other in this one.  Sometimes one just can’t wait for an afternoon delight, and “Saturday Morning” is when things go down in the bedroom.  This hill-country groove is perfectly executed.  Immediately following, the relaxed propulsion of “High & Low” gently immerses me inside its muddy, tranquil musicscape, and it feels wonderful.  The album closes with “Look Out for the Wolf”, a song which seems to call back to the early days of Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf.  It’s a spectacular blues song to say the least.  

Memphissippi SoundsWelcome to the Land is a record blues fans will damn sure want to hear.   It’s fantastic!        

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

 


Saturday, September 25, 2021

#519 : Miss Lady Blues - Moe Betta Blues

 


2021 – Miss Lady Blues

By Phillip Smith; Sep. 25, 2021


Moe Betta Blues, the latest album from Georgia-based songstress Kesha Boyd aka Miss Lady Blues, is an absolutely fabulous listen.  Steeped in a delicious brew of blues and soul, her brand of music represents a fine art in music which seems to have been slowly disappearing over the past few years.  Honored as the 2021 Best Female Blues Artist of the year recipient from Alabama Music Awards, Miss Lady Blues’ talents run deep as singer/songwriter/composer.  Produced by Ronald G. Suggs Jr., Stephen Richardson, and Antonio Turner, the album features Miss Lady Blues on lead vocals with Dexter Allen (bass/acoustic guitar/backing vocals), Sam Reynolds (bass), Trevor James (bass), and Joey Robinson (drums, piano, organ).        

Releasing her powerful and sultry vocals on “Back It Up with That Lip”, Miss Lady Blues bursts on the scene in a Chicago blues fashion with a cracker-jack ensemble of electric guitar, piano, and horns.  From the viewpoint as the ‘other’ woman, “Addicted” is Seventies-style soul at its best.  Its infectious hook quickly takes ahold, while the groove comfortably settles in.  “What I Want” is another track I truly enjoy.  With Miss Lady Blues in ‘Aretha’ mode, the song has a Motown-slathered-in-funk essence.  With lyrics like “This may not be Burger King, but you can sure have your way”, the love song “Baby” makes for another stand-out track.  I love the multi-faceted gem called “Can’t Be Love”.  This ominous album-closer features Eddie Hazel-inspired guitar and touches of psychedelia embodied in a full orchestral sound.  It’s truly a masterpiece.

It’s refreshing to hear new albums of this magnitude.  Miss Lady Blues certainly delivers the goods with Moe Betta Blues.    

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For more information about the artist, visit this website : http://www.missladyblues.com/


Available on Apple Music




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 








Saturday, September 11, 2021

#517 : Tom Craig - Good Man Gone Bad



2021 – 8th Train Records

By Phillip Smith; Sep. 11, 2021

 

In the making of Good Man Gone Bad, Tom Craig states his goal for the album was to make it 100% blues.  He definitely succeeded.  This collection of thirteen all-original songs was recorded at Buckeye Recording in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and produced by harp-master Mikey Junior.  It has a natural flow from beginning to end, giving the listener an enhanced album-oriented experience.  With Craig on guitar and vocals, his band is comprised of Dave Gross on bass guitar, Vin Mott on drums, Eric Johnson on Hammond organ and Mikey Junior on harmonica.   

The record opens with Craig’s blue-collar, working-class love song called “Working Too Hard”.  This infectious track is loaded with hot guitar licks and Junior’s blistering harp playing.  It’s a terrific song.  It rolls quite nicely right into “What a Man’s Gotta Do”, which wins me over with its cool beatnik rhythm and twangy guitar tone.  Craig’s vocals are velvety smooth as he sings “It’s All My Fault”.  This slow, bluesy ballad is perfectly crafted from beginning to end.  It’s a genuine blast to rock out to “Sheepdog”.  I enjoy the Z.Z. Top Texas-blues vibe.  Craig lays the facts on the line in “When You Love a Blues Man” as he masterfully serves up another delicious platter of smoldering blues.  The funky groove woven through “Headhunter” is absolutely fabulous.  It lures me in like a moth to a flame.  A tantalizing concoction of funk, soul, and blues is crafted into the framework of “I Like Soul in My Blues”.  Sung with a polished voice and topped with horns, it’s positively a delightful listen.

I’ve been a fan of Tom Craig’s since reviewing his 2017 album Get Ready For Me.  His talent runs deep, as does my appreciation for his music.  Good Man Gone Bad is a gem of an album.  Blues fans will surely want to hear this one.     

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


Monday, September 6, 2021

#516 : Bowlful of Blues Festival – Sep. 5, 2021



The Fred Maytag Bowl

Maytag Park

Newton, Iowa

 All Photos by Phillip Smith; Sep. 5, 2021

 

Sunshine and a toasty temperature of 85 degrees made for a pleasant day of relaxing and enjoying some blues music in Newton, Iowa.  Bowlful of Blues Festival, presented by the South Skunk Blues Society, is one of my favorites.  The lineup this year consisted of Kevin Burt & Big Medicine, Avey Grouws Band, Terry Quiett Band, Paul Nelson, and Anthony Gomes.  Between sets, music was performed by the James Longerbone Band.  Unfortunately, I missed out on Kevin Burt and Avey Grouws Band, as I arrived just in time to hear the last half of Terry Quiett’s impressive set.

Having reviewed Paul Nelson’s 2016 Badass Generation album, I was excited to see him perform.  He’s such a powerhouse on guitar.  On lead vocals and harp was Rico Amero whose energy runs high, and keeps the party going.  I can't wait to see them again.  That was a really damn good show.  The main attraction was headliner Anthony Gomes.  I first saw him open for BB King several years ago, and have been a fan ever since.   He’s got the voice, the mastery of guitar, and the ability to work a crowd.  It was fantastic!

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·         All photos by Phillip Smith


James Longerbone Band



Terry Quiett Band







 

Paul Nelson Band













Anthony Gomes

















Saturday, September 4, 2021

#515 : Seth Lee Jones - Flathead

 


2021 – Horton Records

By Phillip Smith; Sep. 4, 2021

 

Years of playing weekly gigs at The Colony in Tulsa, Oklahoma has most definitely awarded a solid cohesiveness to the sound of Seth Jones and his bandmates Bo Hallford (bass guitar), and Matt Teegarden (drums).  Recording straight-to-tape in under seven and a half hours with no overdubs, Jones and his band forged an extraordinary nine-track album of fire-roasted blues-rock.  Its name is Flathead. 

For starters, Jones busts out with his own open-tuning version of Muddy Waters’ ”I Can’t Be Satisfied”.  I love hearing the licks this luthier and third-generation guitarist tosses into the song.  “It Was Raining” is absolutely beautiful.  This is pure blues served up Texas-style and slow-cooked to perfection.  I can’t help but hear a little Stevie Ray Vaughan on the intro of their cover of Howlin Wolf’s “You Gonna Wreck My Life”, and that’s just one of the reasons I like it.  Jones’ redux of this classic is a quite powerful one, complete with blues-soaked vocals and an attention-grabbing guitar performance.  The slide guitar on “Tulsa Time” is plumb terrific too.  A number one hit on the country charts for Don Williams in 1978, and covered by Eric Clapton the same year, this song is timeless classic.  Flathead wraps up with a head-turning performance of Ray Charles’ “Mary Ann” with guest guitarist Mike Satawake.  This infectious, melodious song takes a short detour off the main road so Jones can let loose on guitar, and it sounds wonderful.

Flathead is surely one of those records every blues-rock fan will want in their collection.  It’s that damn good.

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Official video for “Tulsa Time”




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

 

 

Available on Bandcamp

 

 


Saturday, August 28, 2021

#514 : Avey Grouws Band - Tell Tale Heart


 

2021 – Navy House Records

By Phillip Smith; Aug. 28, 2021

 

Iowa-based blues-rockers Avey Grouws Band has yet another delectable album to sink one’s teeth into.  Tell Tale Heart is their latest record, and follows up quite nicely to their acclaimed 2020 release The Devil May Care which broke into the top 10 on the Billboard Blues Album Chart.  

 While the record was being composed during the pandemic, they also broke new ground by hosting 102 semi-weekly live mini-concert streams via their “Quarantini Party” and “Bloody Marys and Blues” events.  Their dedication to provide entertainment to their fanbase is quite apparent.  This is a band I’ve had the pleasure of seeing twice this summer already.  In June, I saw them open for Walter Trout at the Adler Theater in Davenport, Iowa.  Then in July, I caught them at the Prairie Dog Blues Festival in Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin.  In both instances, I immediately noticed their magical connection to their audience.  Avey Grouws Band is comprised of Chris Avey ( lead guitar/vocals), Jeni Grouws (lead vocals/rhythm guitar), Randy Leasman (bass guitar), Bryan West (drums), and Nick Vasquez (keyboards).

The driving rhythm, and killer riff of “Love Raining Down” jets the album skyward in a glorious blaze of blues-rock.  Avey’s fearless approach to laying it all out with his guitar demands the listener’s full attention.  Grouws’ powerful, velvety vocals captivate me as political polarization runs rampant and lines are drawn in the sand in “Bad Bad Year”.  Fueled by heavy doses of Billy Gibbons-inspired guitar and a badass beat, this makes for another great cut.  Title-track “Tell Tale Heart” takes a beautiful yet melancholy turn as Grouws delivers a vocal performance full of heart and soul.  The heaviness and inner-turmoil woven into the lyrics are amplified by a wall of sound from the band.  It sounds great.  Immediately following is a wonderful Pink-Floyd-esque instrumental called “Mariana”.  Avey pulls out all the stops as he just lets his guitar speak.  West, Leasman, and Vasquez create the perfect space for this intoxicating piece of music to take place.  I heard this one performed live when AGB opened for Walter Trout, and it was an amazing experience to say the least.  “Daylight” is refreshing and delightful.  Its playful melody and softly-sung lyrics warms the soul.  I love the funky pulse running behind “Heart’s Playing Tricks”.  As the swirling sound of keys from Vasquez fill the air, Avey tosses a groovy and infectious riff on top.  This is most definitely another favorite.

Loaded with ten all-original songs, Tell Tale Heart is an absolute gem of an album from start to finish.  This is a record I highly recommend.          

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

 

Available on Bandcamp : https://aveygrouwsband.bandcamp.com/