#585 > Skip James - The Complete 1931 Sessions (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 

2022 – ORG Music

By Phillip Smith; Nov. 18, 2022

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

This year Record Store Day Black Friday has something exciting for Blues fans and vinyl connoisseurs.  ORG Music is re-releasing Skip James – The Complete 1931 Sessions on transparent orange vinyl.  This is a great introductory record for the music of Skip James.   Born in 1902 near Bentonia, Mississippi, he learned to play guitar in his youth and later picked up the organ in his teens.  In 1931 he recorded 18 songs, and due to the Great Depression, records sales were poor.  James gave up playing the blues and became a choir director at his father’s church.  It took thirty years for him to be re-discovered.  Between 1964 and 1969 he recorded a few more albums before dying in October of 1969.  This album is a collection of the songs he recorded in 1931.

The haunting melody of “Devil Got My Woman” starts the record off with in a solemn mood.  James’ finger-picking performance is brilliant, and his voice charged with emotion.  His prowess at the piano is delightfully exhibited on “How Long Buck”.  James’ songs connect so greatly at the human-level.  A great example of that is “I’m So Glad”, a genuine timeless song.  When he sings “Hard Time Killin’ Floor Blues”, I feel a great amount of empathy for the pains and struggles that had to have been experienced before this song could have been written.  A track I found to be extra interesting is “22-20 Blues”.  This track is a piano-centric song which was the inspiration for Robert Johnson’s “32-20 Blues”.  “Jesus is a Mighty Good Leader” is another timeless classic.  James’ high vocals fit perfectly for this spiritual.  For hardcore blues, it doesn’t get much better than ”Yola My Blues Away”.  The delicate, yet intricate guitar picking is downright amazing. 

Despite a bit of surface noise which carried forward from 1931, the album is an absolute gem.  Skip James’ The Complete 1931 Sessions is a must-have.

 

Skip James - The Complete 1931 Session 

Tracklist:

A1 Devil Got My Woman

A2 If You Haven't Any Hay Get On Down The Road

A3 Hard Luck Child

A4 Drunken Spree

A5 Little Cow And Calf Is Gonna Die Blues

A6 Be Ready When He Comes

A7 How Long """"Buck""""

A8 I'm So Glad

A9 Cherry Ball Blues

B1 Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues

B2 22-20 Blues

B3 4 O'Clock Blues

B4 Jesus Is A MIghty Good Leader

B5 Yola My Blues Away

B6 What Am I To Do Blues

B7 Special Rider Blues

B8 Illinois Blues

B9 Cypress Grove Blues

#584 > Annika Chambers & Paul DesLauriers - Good Trouble (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 

2022 – Vizztone Records

By Phillip Smith; Nov. 12, 2022

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

Annika Chambers and Paul DesLauriers have both been on my radar a while.  I covered Chambers’ 2019 album Kiss My Sass, and DesLauriers’ 2016 release Relentless, as well as his 2019 release Bounce.  I embraced all three of those recordings.  The spirited couple met at the 2018 International Blues Challenge in Memphis and started working together in 2019.  Within the same year, they fell in love and got married. Good Trouble is their first full album together, and it’s absolutely fabulous.  Annika’s voice sounds divine as she takes on lead vocals.  Paul’s talent shines bright and runs immensely deep as he performs on an array of instruments.  He plays guitar, dobro, cigar box guitar, bass, and mandolin.  Additional musicians on the album include JP Soars on guitar, Chris Peet on drums and percussion, Gary Davenport on bass guitar, Alec McElcheran on bass guitar, Bernard “Bingo” Deslauriers on drums, Barry Seelen on Hammond B-3 organ, and Kim Richardson on background vocals.

A charged blast of southern soul rips the album wide open on “You’ve Got to Believe”.  Paul throws down a fiery guitar performance and a delightful accompaniment on mandolin.  Annika’s vocals are fearless and commandeering as she belts this amazing song out.  They create a riveting and soulful recreation of George Harrison’s “Isn’t it a Pity” from his All Things Must Pass album.  It’s quite different from the original, but it’s quite amazing.  They also do a spectacular job covering the Joe South 1970 hit “Walk a Mile in My Shoes” which peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.  The warm bluesy tones of Paul’s guitar gently walk the listener into “Need Your Love So Bad”, the duet he sings with Annika.  This is indeed the blues.  My biggest surprise was hearing their take on Mountain’s legendary blues-rock anthem “Mississippi Queen”.  They absolutely shine as they keep this cover tightly close to the original.  I would have loved to witness this recording in the studio.  Good Trouble wraps up with a nearly ten-minute sacred-soul jam of “I Need More Power”.  This music for the spirit effortlessly takes me into a hypnotic trance and I love every bit of it.

Good Trouble is a brilliant album loaded with musical perfection.  I highly encourage everyone to give it a listen. 

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#583 > Ivor S.K. - Mississippi Bound (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 

2022 – Ivor Simpson-Kennedy

By Phillip Smith; Nov. 5, 2022

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

Hailing from Sydney Australia, and now living in New Orleans, Ivor Simpson-Kennedy takes story-telling to the highest level with his music.  There’s a unique spin he has on blues and roots which is very refreshing and quite captivating.  The attention he pays to details in his songwriting, pairs perfectly with his laidback style.  Mississippi Bound, his latest release, was created during his downtime due to the pandemic.  It features fifteen stellar tracks, all written, arranged and performed by Ivor. 

The listener is taken on a journey which begins with the ska-infused, Caribbean-flavored track “Mississippi Bound”.  Ivor’s smokey vocals define that of an experienced, weathered traveler.   A delightful melody coupled with frank, from-the-gut lyrics lend a Randy Newman-esque vibe to “Talkin’ Shit Again”.  Easily lured into Ivor’s infectious guitar riff on “Wheelin’”, I thoroughly enjoy his swampy slide play and beat poet style.  There’s a sort of Robert Hunter/Jerry Garcia aura to “Taste Your Lips”.  It’s an absolutely gorgeous song.  Cloaked in a thick slathering of slide, evil suits itself up on the concluding track “Dead Pig”.  The music alone transports me to a cypress-filled swamp in the middle of Mississippi.

Ivor S.K. fills Mississippi Bound with substance and originality as he builds a musical landscape where outlaws and poets intermingle.  It’s downright fascinating.

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For more information about Ivor S.K., visit this website :

http://www.ivorsk.com

 

Check out past PhillyCheeze reviews for Ivor S.K.

Montserrat

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2017/07/ivor-sk-montserrat.html

 

Delta Pines

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2016/05/ivor-sk-delta-pines.html

#582 > Spencer Mackenzie - Preach to My Soul (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 2022 – Gypsy Soul Records

By Phillip Smith; Oct. 29, 2022

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

Ranking high on my list of the newest wave of blues artists is Canadian bluesman Spencer Mackenzie.  While just in his mid-twenties, he’s already been nominated for multiple blues awards in Canada, and is bound to push the envelope even further in his career.  His talent for playing guitar, songwriting, and singing runs quite deep and he seems to pour everything he has into each performance.  Preach to My Soul, his third and latest release is a magnificent ten-track album produced by Emmy Award Winner and Juno Nominated Ross Hayes-Citrullo.  Mackenzie’s band is comprised of Miles Evans on piano/Hammond organ/keys, Steve Pelletier and Stacey Shopsowitz on bass guitar, and Adam Cannon on drums 

Mackenzie leads the record off in a glorious way with “Baptized by Cold Water”.  I love his heavy guitar riffs as they intermingle with the swirling keys.  The backing vocals of Chantal Williams adds a lovely and soulful touch to the song as well.  I enjoy this track immensely.  Following next is a fast-driving barn-burner called “No Good”.  Mackenzie’s all-in, no-holds-barred approach is chockful of searing guitar licks. Cannon provides a thunderous pulse for the song to wrap itself around.  “Can’t Do Right” has a bit of a Stevie Ray Vaughan vibe going as Mackenzie breaks out a big bowlful of Texas-style blues guitar.  He sounds amazing.  Hearing him take on Paul Simon’s “Paranoia Blues” was an unexpected pleasure.  Greased up with a slab of slide from guest guitarist Steve Strongman and topped with a sprinkling of piano, the track absolutely smokes.  Mackenzie releases his inner Seventies soul-man on “Your Turn to Cry”.  His buttery vocals sound fantastic with the horn accompaniment of Julian Nalli on saxophone and Stephen Dyte on trumpet.

Preach to My Soul is one of those albums I can listen to over and over. It’s just so damn good.  Spencer Mackenzie’s work keeps getting better and better.  He is definitely an artist to keep an eye on. 

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For more information about Spencer Mackenzie, visit this website :

https://www.spencermackenzie.ca

 

#581 > Robert Connely Farr - Shake It (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 

2022 – Robert Connely Farr

By Phillip Smith; Oct. 22, 2022

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

The music of Robert Connely Farr caught my attention back in 2019 with the release of his Dirty South Blues album.  It was absolutely wonderful.  His latest release Shake It continues to keep my attention glued to his works and marks his ninth studio album.  Farr excels at understanding the mechanics and history of the Bentonia style of blues as taught to him by his hometown hero 2020 Grammy Nominee for Best Traditional Blues Album, Jimmy ”Duck” Holmes. Seventy-five-year-old Holmes, living a life submersed in the blues, owns the oldest surviving juke joint in the world, The Blue Front Café located in Bentonia, Mississippi.  With Farr on lead guitar and vocals, the rest of the band on this nine-track gem is comprised of drummer Jay Bundy Johnson, bassist Tom Hillifer, and shaker/back up vocalist Liam Moes.  

The album starts off with a brilliant revision of Charlie Patton’s 1929 side “Screaming & Hollering”.  Farr breathes new life into the song with beautifully haunting guitar riffs and an expressive Bentonia approach.  Following next is a splendid cover of Jimmy “Duck” Holmes’ “Going Away to Leave You”, from his 2013 release All Night Long.  Riding a wave of heavy bass and injected with a fist-full of distortion, the song penetrates right to the bone. 

Hillifer and Johnson lay down a really funky rhythm for “Miss My Baby”, one of the six original songs, penned by Farr.  This call-out of the corporate world’s working trends running amok is quite infectious.  I love the rolling, swampy attack of title-track “Shake It”.  It’s gets right up there in my face staring me down eye-to-eye.  For the closer, Farr brushes off Tommy McClennan’s 1941 78 he cut for Bluebird Records “Sugar Mama”.  I can hear the desperation in his voice.  It’s so heavy.

Shake It marks my fourth review for Farr, and that’s a very positive statement.  I highly recommend this album. 

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Other PhillyCheeze Reviews for Robert Connely Farr:

 

Dirty South Blues

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2019/05/391-robert-connely-farr-rebeltone-boys.html

 

Country Supper

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2020/12/474-robert-connely-farr-country-supper.html

 

Ain’t Enough

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2022/01/535-robert-connely-farr-aint-enough.html

 

Find Robert Connely Farr on bandcamp.com

#580 > Emanuel Casablanca - Blood on My Hands (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

2022 – Kings County Blues

By Phillip Smith; Oct. 15, 2022

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

Blood on my Hands, the debut album from Brooklyn-based blues-rocker Emanual Casablanca has quickly garnered my admiration.  Casablanca’s all-in approach to music produces deep and personal songs.  That’s what makes his blues honest and real.  This album contains sixteen tracks of all-original material featuring an amazing arsenal of guests which include Eric Gales, Albert Castiglia, Paul Gilbert, Kat Riggins, Brother Dave, Felix Slim and Jimmy Carpenter.   

Delivered upon a metallic bolt of lightning and a strong System of a Down vibe, “Afraid of Blood” begins this kick-ass musical journey.  With Casablanca staring the listener squarely in the eyes, he confirms what we’re afraid of.  The answer is him.  The blues begins to pour freely afterwards as Gilbert blindsides me with his amazing guitar performance on “In Blood”.  Then Gales comes onboard for title track “Blood on My Hands”.  It’s always a treat to hear this man play.  Casablanca’s vocals are buttery and from the heart.  “Like a Pulse”, a beautiful duet featuring vocalist Kat Riggins and Sanga of the Valley on percussion, is a multi-faceted delight.  Nestled deep within a cloud of unsettled brooding, Casablanca sings of broken dreams and sleepless nights in “Bloodshot Eyes”.  The song, nailed to a hypnotic groove and featuring Castiglia on guitar, is quite infectious.  Felix Slim steps with guitar and harp in hand on “Nashville”.  I love the swampy slide and the sheer grittiness of this track.  It’s impossible to escape the driving rhythm and ear-worm-inducing riff on “Thicker Than Blood”.  The track absolutely rocks.  It’s shindig time when Brother Dave shows up with guitar in hand on “Testify”.  With a recurring riff, and a taste of slide, this one makes for a fun listen.

There’s a definite edge to Emanuel Casablanca’s songs as he presents them as blues, rock, and somewhere in between.  Blood on My Hands is a genuinely great listen from top to bottom and I look forward to hearing more from this emerging artist.       

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For more information about Emanuel Casablanca, visit this website : https://www.emanuelcasablanca.com/

 

#579 > Chris Canas - Detroit (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 

2022 – Third Street Cigar Records

By Phillip Smith; Oct.8, 2022

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

Detroit’s “Prince of Blues”, Chris Canas delivers a king-sized record of blues with his latest album Detroit.  His vocals are soulful and fearless as he masterfully tears it up on guitar.  This album features eleven amazing, all-original songs written, arranged, and composed by Canas.  With Canas on guitar, vocals, bass, and slide, his band consists of Derek “DC” Washington on bass, Danny Pratt on harmonica, Mikey Biddle on organ, Marc Anthony Guillory on drums, Nikki “D” Brown on lap steel, Ray Benson on percussion, Travis Geiman on trombone, Ben DeLong on trumpet, and Bob Manley on tenor saxophone.

Fortified with searing electric guitar, title-track “Detroit” breaks the seal with a blast of horn-infused funk.  It doesn’t take but just a few bars before I know I’m ‘all-in’ for the whole listening experience.  I love Canas’ deep, buttery vocals and placed-with-precision growls as he digs in to “Addicted”.  Hearing him rip it up on guitar is a sublime experience.  The Blues are served old-school with “Juke Joint Jive”.  With Guillory commandeering the drums, and Pratt laying down a hot plate of harp, this is party song indeed.  I really like how Canas pours the blues over an infectious reggae rhythm in the song “Cookie”.  It’s absolutely fabulous.  I get pulled right in to the funky groove on “Smoke in the City” with every listen.  I can’t get enough of it. 

Detroit is brilliant from start to finish.  Canas has a surefire winner on his hands with this record.

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For more information about Chris Canas, visit this website :

https://www.chriscanas.net

#578 > Herman Hitson - Let the Gods Sing (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

2022 – Big Legal Mess Records

By Phillip Smith; Oct.1, 2022

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

The tale of Herman Hitson’s nearly eighty-year-old life would make for an intriging documentary.  Born in Philadelphia, and raised in Georgia, his past is a ripe forest of juicy stories.  Hitson shared an apartment with Jimi Hendrix and was key in persuading him to sing.  He toured the chitlin circuit with James Brown, The Drifters, Wilson Pickett, Jackie Wilson, Joe Tex, and Bobby Womack.  After going through some rough patches and serving time, Hitson picked up a job in Florida, working the sugar cane fields with a flame-thrower as a snake-clearer.    With Let the Gods Sing, Hitson breathes a new life into several of his most familiar R&B songs and throws in a few brilliant covers as well.  Recorded and mixed at Bruce Watson’s Delta-Sonic Sound in Memphis, Tennessee, this funky and psychedelic nine-track treasure is co-produced by Watson and Will Sexton.  Behind Hitson on vocals and guitar is The Sacred Soul Sound Section comprised of Sexton on guitar, Mark Edgar Stuart on bass, Will McCarley on drums and percussion, and Al Gamble on organ.

Wafts of psychedelia gently roll in for the title-track as preparations are laid out for a grand spiritual rock-and-roll ceremony.  Spacy guitar licks and swirling chords from the organ set the stage for Hitson, in the guise of a musical medicine-man, to stare past the clouds and fearlessly command the Gods to sing.  Hitson’s voice seems to bluntly speak from experience as he covers Willie Dixon’s “Back Door Man”.  Gamble tackles this one like Ray Manzarek of the Doors and peppers this classic blues song with a smidge of the Sixties LA rock.  “Feast of Ants” is a trippy five-and-a-half-minute-long instrumental.  Written by Hitson and The Sacred Soul Sound Section, this delicious jam is drenched in a funky groove and splattered with mind-altered sounds.  The buttery rhythm of “Suspicious” greases up the speakers as Hitson breaks loose on this intoxicating jam often credited to Hendrix by mistake.  “Yampertown Funk” brings this shindig to a close.  This glorious R&B instrumental is soaked in the sounds of Memphis Stax and laced with amazing electric six-string.  

Let the Gods Sing grabbed my attention from the first listen and has not released its grip yet.  Hitson steps up to each and every song with the energy of a young and robust James Brown, as he guides this tight-knit band skyward. 

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 For more information about Herman Hitson, visit this website : https://hermanhitson.com

For more information about Music Maker Foundation, visit this website : https://musicmaker.org

 

#577 > John Primer - Hard Times (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 

2022 – Blues House Productions

By Phillip Smith; Sep. 24, 2022

 

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

Hard Times, the very latest release from Chicago Blues great John Primer captures my ‘real-deal’ blues-loving heart with thirteen new originals.  With Steve Bell on harmonica, Lenny Media on drums, and David Forte on bass, this recording also features special guests Rick Kreher on 2^nd guitar, Johnny Iguana on piano and organ, and John’s seventeen-year-old daughter Aliya Primer on vocals.  Primer states: “The name of my new CD reflects the world we’re living in today.  I recorded this CD to help us get through these really hard times.”.

I’m drawn right in to Primer’s churning delta-blues riffs on title-track “Hard Times”.  The slide guitar is absolutely wonderful as it sits in front of the spectacular piano and harp accompaniment.  Immediately following is the intoxicating and soul-warming homage to the genre “Blues-Blues-Blues”.  It’s one of my favorites.  With daughter Aliya on lead vocals for her debut recording session, “Tough Times” is an endearing track about sticking together.  The chemistry John and Aliya share brings to mind the Mississippi Delta Blues father/daughter duo Bill ‘Howl-N-Madd’ Perry and Shy Perry.  Filled with attention-grabbing guitar runs, waves of organ sounds, and doses of searing harp, “Trying To Make You Mine” is a hands-down fabulous track which I immensely enjoy.  With his great talent of painting pictures with words, Primer piles healthy scoops of certifiable blues on “Hot Meal”.  It doesn’t get much better than this.

As usual, John Primer and his Real Deal Blues Band perform the blues as it should be heard.  Hard Times is as authentic as it gets.

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For more information about John Primer, visit this website : https://johnprimerblues.com

 

 

#576 > Too Slim and the Taildraggers - Brace Yourself (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 

2022 – Vizztone Records

By Phillip Smith; Sep. 17, 2022

Original source:  phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

I’ve only seen Too Slim and the Taildraggers perform one time.  That was August of 2018 at Harley Corin’s in Bettendorf, Iowa.  The memory of that show still hangs on tight.  The band has a take-no-prisoners approach as it slams open the gate for a fantastic rocking show.   Brace Yourself, the latest album from Too Slim, captures that potent live energy from a performance at Ohme Gardens in Wenatchee, Washington.  With Tim “Too Slim” Langford front-and-center on lead vocals and guitar, The Taildraggers are bassist Zach Kasik, and drummer Jeff “Shakey” Fowlkes.

They get the show started with the hard-driving rocker Mississippi Moon from their 2003 album Tales of Sin and Redemption.  The pulsing rhythm from Fowlkes and Kasik clear the way for Too Slim’s ferocious guitar, and slightly-gravelly vocals.  This homage to Robert Johnson’s “Cross Road Blues” lands a familiar punch like that from one of my favorite bands The Cult.  From the 2009 album Free Your Mind, the power-trios breaks out the fabulously-sinister and infectious “Devil in a Double Wide”.  Too Slims guitar licks are downright amazing as he absolutely rips it up.  From that same, album, they also unpack title-track “Free Your Mind”.  This Jimi Hendrix – meets – Black Oak Arkansas southern-rocker is slow-steeped in moonshine, and topped with a jaw dropping performance.  Too Slim releases his inner Neil Young on “Givers and Takers” from The Fortune Teller album, and it sounds magnificent.  I’m quite drawn to the three-fer of songs from the Blood Moon album as well.  “The Body”, a beautifully-dark song of death and the hereafter leads the pack.  Next up is title-track “Blood Moon” which Too Slim loads up with a tractor trailer full of scorching blues.  And lastly, there is “Twisted Rails” which features more Hendrix-fueled, hard-driving, sixties-era, psychedelic blues-rock.  It’s a sheer delight.

 Too Slim and the Taildraggers fill this twelve-track live recording with a dozen of his best originals, and nail every performance to the wall.  Brace Yourself is a damn good, must-hear album. 

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For more information about Too Slim and the Taildraggers, visit this website:

https://www.tooslim.net/

 

 

Here’s some links for past PhillyCheeze reviews of other Too Slim and the Taildraggers albums:

 

Remedy

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2020/06/448-too-slim-and-taildraggers-remedy.html

 

High Desert Heat

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2018/05/334-too-slim-and-taildraggers-high.html

 

Blood Moon

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2017/02/too-slim-and-taildraggers-blood-moon.html

 

 

#575 > Sir Rod & The Blues Doctors - Keeping it in the Family (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 

2022 – Adam Gussow and Roderick Patterson

By Phillip Smith; Sep. 10, 2022

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

I was quite enamored with Come Together the debut album from Sir Rod & The Blues Doctors when I reviewed it a couple of years ago.  I have the same opinion regarding their latest album Keeping it in the Family.  It’s a live thirteen track delight featuring new original songs, fresh covers, and past favorites.  Front-man and vocalist Sir Rod is Roderick Patterson.  He is the nephew of New York blues legend Sterling Magee aka Mr. Satan from the critically-acclaimed blues duo Satan & Adam.  University of Mississippi professors Adam Gussow and Alan Gross form the Blues Doctors.  Gussow (Satan & Adam) brings his amazing harmonica playing to the trio and Mississippi bluesman/cigar box guitar luthier Alan Gross (Terry “Harmonica” Bean) brings his guitar mastery.

Kicking the record off, in a feel-good style, is Big Joe Turner’s classic “Shake, Rattle, and Roll”.  It rolls right into an exuberant performance of the Satan & Adam song “Seventh Avenue”.  Sir Rod’s smokey vocals sound fabulous as Gussow ignites the flame on this funky blues track with his harp.  It’s an absolute favorite.  Spirits remain elevated as they skillfully perform a blues transfusion on James Brown’s “I Got You (I Feel Good)”.  A heart-felt tribute is paid to Mr. Satan on a Sir Rod original called “Brother Sterling”.  Afterward, Gussow and Gross break into a smokin’ funky performance on instrumental “Thunky Fing Rides Again”.  It made me happy that they added a live version of the title track to their debut album, “Come Together”.  This song about peace and love is a song everyone should give a listen to.  The listener is transported to the Mississippi Delta for a soulful remake of Bobby Gentry’s “Ode to Billy Joe”.  It’s outstanding.  Bringing the album to its close in full-on-party mode, they cover Clifton Chenier’s 1977 release “Hot Tamale Baby”.  This zydeco-turned-blues side is a certified shindig.   

Sir Rod and the Blues Doctors have captured lightning in a bottle once again with Keeping it in the Family.  With a chemistry which stretches beyond the music, this band puts a smile on my face with every listen.  

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PhillyCheeze’s review for Sir Rod & The Blues Doctors – Come Together

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2020/09/462-sir-rod-blues-doctors-come-together.html

 

 

For more information about Sir Rod & The Blues Doctors, visit this website :

http://www.sirrodandthebluesdoctors.com

 

 

#574 > Bowlful of Blues Festival - 2022 (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 

Bowlful of Blues Festival – Sep 4, 2022

Fred Maytag Bowl

Newton, Iowa

 

By Phillip Smith; Sep. 5, 2022

 

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

Enjoying the Blues in Newton, Iowa at the Bowlful of Blues Festival is at the top of my list of things to do on Labor Day weekend.  There’s s not many better ways to spend the holiday.  The clouds dissipated and the sun came out, making for beautiful day to listen to music in Newton’s historic Maytag Park.

 

Presented by The South Skunk Blues Society, the Bowlful of Blues Festival celebrated its thirtieth year.  The lineup was absolutely terrific and featured Muddy Walter Band, Matt Woods Band, Ghost Town Blues Band, Kent Burnside, and Popa Chubby.  Playing between sets, were local blues artists Rob Lumbard, Bob Dorr and Jeff Peterson, Buckmiller Schwager, and The Jury.

 

I arrived just in time to catch local blue legends Bob Dorr and Jeff Petersen, aka The Blue Two.  I was so glad to be able to hear them again.  On a side note, they also performed at the very first Bowlful of Blues Festival.  Following Bob and Jeff, The Ghost Town Blues Band took the stage.  This was my fifth time this year to see this six-piece ensemble from Memphis.  Their Stax-meets-Muscle Shoals approach always means a fantastic show.  They are truly one of my favorites.     

I had reviewed Buckmiller Schwager’s debut album To Memphis and Back earlier this year, and was quite taken by it.  Meeting Brian Schwager and Tom Buckmiller in person and hearing them play live really made my day.  I was very excited to see Kent Burnside.  Bringing a big batch of real-deal Mississippi blues with him, he absolutely commandeered the stage.  I’ve been a fan of Burnside since reviewing his 2013 debut album My World is So Cold.  

The Jury, a band who I was not familiar with, stepped up next to play a thirty-minute set of all-original songs.  They were tight and sounded good.  New York bluesman Poppa Chubby headlined the show, filling in for Carolyn Wonderland who had to cancel due to health reasons.  I had seen him several times over the years, and he’s such a phenomenal guitarist. 

Special thanks go out to The South Skunk Blues Society and all the volunteers who makes this wonderful event happen every year. 

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  * All photos by Phillip Smith

Bob Dorr and Jeff Petersen

Ghost Town Blues Band

Buckmiller Schwager

Kent Burnside

The Jury

Popa Chubby

   * All Photos by Phillip Smitb