PhillyCheeze's Rock & Blues Reviews

Saturday, March 11, 2023

#600 : 'daBluesapalooza 2023 (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

The Olympic Southside Theater

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

February 18, 2023

By Phillip Smith; Mar. 11, 2023

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

Last year, KCCK Jazz 88.3 celebrated thirty years of playing ‘da Blues over the airwaves, and marked the occasion by producing a well-oiled blues event in Cedar Rapids called ‘daBluesapalooza. This five-hour long live blues show honored radio show hosts Bob DeForest and John ‘Big Mo’ Heim and featured many local and regional artists. The event was such a success, another gathering of the blues tribe was warranted, and daBluesapalooza 2023 was held at Olympic Southside Theater in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on February 18.

Ship of Fools, a band from the Eastern Iowa Arts Academy in Cedar Rapids, kicked the evening off in a big way. These young musicians sounded like seasoned artists as they lit up the stage with a most impressive cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “Voodoo Child”. The lineup for the rest of the evening included outstanding sets from Craig Erickson Band, Dennis “Daddy-O” McMurrin, Homebrewed, Charlie Morgan, Tanya English Band, Johnny Kilowatt, Kevin Burt, Saul Lubaroff, Matt Panek, Wonderful Smiths, and Evan Stock Band. With the blues gushing out of every performance, the evening flew by way too fast. Seeing the artists sit in with each other for musical collaborations was extra special and made for a unique experience. I really hope this event keeps going. I absolutely love it.

· All photos by Phillip Smith

Ship of Fools

Blake Shaw w/ Craig Erickson Band

Craig Erickson Band

Dennis "Daddy O" McMurrin, Rob Haskell, Craig Erickson

Dennis "Daddy O" McMurrin & Craig Erickson

Dennis "Daddy O" McMurrin, Rob Haskell, Craig Erickson

Dennis "Daddy O" McMurrin & Craig Erickson

Dennis McMurrin, Eric Douglas, Dan Johnson

Homebrewed

Charlie Morgan

Charlie Morgan, Matt Panek, Kevin Burt

Tanya English Band w/ Saul Lubaroff

Rob Haskell

Tanya English, Ed English, Saul Lubaroff

Bill Peterson

Tanya English & Johnny Kilowatt

Saul Lubaroff & Ed English

Johnny Kilowatt

Kevin Burt & Saul Lubaroff

Kevin Burt

Johnny Kilowatt

Matt Panek

Kevin Burt & Dan Johnson

Craig Erickson & Matt Panek

Craig Erickson, Matt Panek, Dan Johnson, Kevin Burt

Kevin Burt

Wonderful Smiths

Evan Stock Band

Craig Erickson & Evan Stock

Evan Stock Band

Craig Erickson

Craig Erickson & Evan Stock

Evan Stock Band

Saturday, March 4, 2023

#599 : Eddie 9V - Capricorn (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

2023 – Ruf Records

By Phillip Smith; Mar. 4, 2023

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

Striking while the iron is hot, Brooks Mason aka Eddie 9V continues to forge his own unique path into the world of southern soul. I absolutely loved his previous album Little Black Flies. It was among my favorite 20 albums of 2021. Prior to the recording of this album, Eddie 9V stated he had been “listening to Muscle Shoals and soul, a lot of music recorded at Capricorn in the late ‘60s too.”, hence the title Capricorn.

A rush of feel-good, horn-infused, southern-soul leads this record off with “Beg Borrow and Steal”. Afterward, the listener is taken down to the swampy bayous of Louisiana for a funky good time with “Yella Alligator”. I love the Allman-esque slide guitar licks that Eddie pours into it. He brings out his Allman Brothers influence again on “Down Along the Cove”. The song is outstanding. Capricorn closes out with a lush mid-60’s soul track called “I’m Lonely”. Swirling around in pools of Stax and Tom Dowd-era Atlantic Records, it sounds fabulous with Eddie digging deep on his stand-out vocals.

Capricorn is a work of excellence from beginning to end and Eddie 9V continues to be a favorite.

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

Check out the PhillyCheeze reviews for Eddie 9V - Little Black Flies at :

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2021/06/502-eddie-9v-little-black-flies.html

Saturday, February 25, 2023

#598 : Alastair Greene - Alive in the New World (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

2023 – Whiskey Bayou Records

By Phillip Smith; Feb. 25, 2023

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

Alastair Greene’s guitar wizardry coupled with his innate ability to craft songs is just the beginning of why his live albums are as delectable as the ones he recorded in studio. I love the studio albums, but the live albums make for an entirely different listening experience with Alastair packing more into several of the songs. Greene’s most recent disc Alive in the New World covers ten of the eleven tracks on his 2020 studio album New World Blues. Produced by Tab Benoit, these live recordings were taken out of a six-night run in Chicago at City Winery during a 2021 tour in which Greene was opening for Benoit. The lineup is exactly the same as the original studio album with Greene on guitar and vocals, Benoit on drums, and Corey Duplechin on bass and harmony. The songs are sequenced very differently than they originally were on New World Blues and omits the inclusion of “Alone and Confused”.

Alastair’s guitar is ablaze and slathered in Texas blues as he leads the record off with “Back at the Poor House”. The funky groove on this instrumental whisks me away to my happy place. “Lies and Fear” gets down and dirty as Greene questions an age-old manipulation tactic. He takes this song skyward as he opens up and lets loose. I absolutely love “Heroes” as it crashes ashore riding atop an enormous melancholy wave. The song still reminds me of The Meat Puppets. It doesn’t take long for “Bayou Mile” to get swampy after it gently rolls in. Greene dishes out a whopping helping of slide guitar on this one and it sounds great. Alive in the New World closes in a bodacious way with “The New World Blues”. This is when Greene dumps the remainder of grease and swamp-water into an amazing finale.

The New World Blues was a favorite of mine in 2021. Alive in the New World is a favorite of mine in 2023. I recommend getting both.

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For more information about Alastair Greene, visit his website at : https://agsongs.com

Check out other PhillyCheeze reviews for Alastair Greene at : https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/search?q=alastair+greene