#592 > Damon Fowler & Friends - Live at the Palladium (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

2023 – Landslide Records

By Phillip Smith; Jan. 14, 2023

Release Date : Jan 20, 2023

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

I been preaching the gospel of Damon Fowler for almost ten years.  In 2013, Fowler, J.P. Soars, and Victor Wainwright unleashed an outstanding record under the name of Southern Hospitality, called Easy Livin’.  The CD had landed in my mailbox for review and after giving it a listen, I was smitten with his work.  Fowler’s latest release features this master guitarist playing live at the Palladium alongside bassist Chuck Riley, drummer Justin Headley, and special guests Jason Ricci on harmonica, Eddie Wright on guitar, and Dan Signor on keys.  Live at the Palladium features eight original songs, and two bodacious covers.

Early in on this set, Fowler breaks out a handful of my favorites from his prior album Alafia Moon.  His fabulous cover of Guy Clark’s “The Guitar” puts a gigantic smile on my face.  Clark ranks up there among the best when it comes to songwriters, and I absolutely love this song which Fowler has breathed a new life into.  “I’ve Been Low” gets wonderfully intense as Fowler lets loose on his guitar.  His no-holds-barred approach never ceases to amaze me.  Jason Ricci steps in for a four-song run starting with “Somethings Change”.  It’s always a joy to hear him play harp.  The performance of Fowler and Ricci on “Somethings Change” is exquisite.  Ricci does what Ricci does best, pouring his heart and soul into the smoldering, slow blues of “Tax Man”.  Fowler sings and plays this one with fine precision.  Both Wright and Ricci join in on the closing song “Sugar Shack”.  This title-track off Fowler’s 2009 Blind Pig release clocks in at just under twelve minutes, and magnificently paves the way for a blues-soaked southern-rock jam.  It definitely makes for a grand finale.

---

For more information about Damon Fowler, visit his website at :  https://www.damon-fowler.com/

Check out other PhillyCheeze reviews for Damon Fowler  https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/search?q=damon+fowler

 

 

#591 > Diane Blue All-Star Band - Live! At the Fallout Shelter (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 

2022 – Regina Royal Records

By Phillip Smith; Jan. 7, 2023

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

Live! At the Fallout Shelter, the latest release from Boston-based vocalist Diane Blue has fabulously captured my full attention.  Recorded on February 26, 2022, at the Fallout Shelter in Norwood, Massachusetts, this live album contains two excellent covers, and seven original tracks written by Blue during the pandemic.  Blue’s smooth and soulful vocals are perfectly matched with a tight, rhythm and blues band which features Chris Vitarello on guitar, Dave Limina on Hammond organ, and Lorne Entress on drums.  When not fronting her own band, Blue also performs as vocalist for Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters.

A blast of Stax-flavored soul ushers the record in with “I Got a Good Thing”.  Blue’s Memphis-style approach sounds absolutely wonderful.  Vitarello, Liminia, and Entress have an instrumental chemistry reminiscent of Steve Cropper, Booker T. Jones, and Al Jackson Jr..  “Crazy,Hazy, Lazy”, a masterfully constructed love ballad, hits me with a beautiful wave of melancholy infectiousness.  I can’t help but feel the blues when I hear her cover of Millie Jackson’s “I Cry”.  An additional two verses are added by Blue to bring awareness to social injustices happening today.  Ronnie Earl makes a guest appearance on “Leave Me Alone” and nails down an exquisite guitar performance.  Each note he plays seems to sink right in to my bones.  This is slow blues at its best, making for an intoxicating seven-and-a-half-minute-long listening experience. 

Diane Blue All-Star Band is definitely now on my radar.   Live! At the Fallout Shelter is a super listen from beginning to end.  This album is one I highly recommend. 

---

For more information about Diane Blue, visit her website : https://dianebluemusic.com

#590 : PhillyCheeze's Favorite 20 of 2022 (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 

By Phillip Smith; Dec.22, 2022

 

PhillyCheeze's Favorite 20 of 2022

(in alphabetical order)

Bernard Allison - Highs & Lows

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2022/01/537-bernard-allison-highs-lows.html

Bad Daddy - It's a Mad Mad Bad Dad World

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2022/08/568-bad-daddy-its-mad-mad-bad-dad-world.html

Buckmiller Schwager - To Memphis and Back

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2022/03/phillycheezebluesblogspotcom-545.html

Gary Cain - Next Stop

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2022/06/558-gary-cain-next-stop.html

Annika Chambers & Paul Deslauriers - Good Trouble

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2022/11/584-annika-chambers-paul-deslauriers.html

Ryan Lee Crosby - Winter Hill Blues

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2022/05/555-ryan-lee-crosby-winter-hill-blues.html

Robert Connely Farr - Shake It

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2022/10/581-robert-connely-farr-shake-it.html

GA-20 - Crackdown

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2022/08/572-ga-20-crackdown-phillycheezebluesbl.html

Diunna Greenleaf - I Ain't Playin'

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2022/05/phillycheezebluesblogspotcom-554-diunna.html

The Harpoonist & the Axe Murderer - Live at the King Eddy

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2022/06/559-harpoonist-and-axe-murderer-live-at.html

Herman Hitson - Let the Gods Sing

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2022/10/578-herman-hitson-let-gods-sing.html

Spencer Mackenzie - Preach to my Soul

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2022/10/582-spencer-mackenzie-preach-to-my-soul.html

Eliza Neals - Badder to the Bone

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2022/04/phillycheezebluesblogspotcom-550-eliza.html

Prakash Slim - Country Blues From Nepal

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2022/03/phillycheezebluesblogspotcom-547.html

Gina Sicilia - Unchange

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2022/06/557-gina-sicilia-unchange.html

Sir Rod & the Blues Doctors - Keeping it in the Family

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2022/09/575-sir-rod-blues-doctors-keeping-it-in.html

Sugaray Rayford - In Too Deep

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2021/12/533-sugaray-rayford-in-too-deep.html

The Terraplanes Blues Band - Stepping Stones

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2022/02/phillycheezebluesblogspotcom-544.html

Dylan Triplett - Who is He?

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2022/07/562-dylan-triplett-who-is-he.html

Matty T Wall - Live Down Underground

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2022/07/561-matty-t-wall-live-down-underground.html

The Spotify Playlist

#589 > GeminiiDragon - Equinox (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 

2022 – Nepotism Recordings

Release Date: Feb 1, 2023

By Phillip Smith; Dec. 18, 2022

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

Equinox, the follow-up album to GeminiiDragon’s earlier release this year Fighting Fire With Fire continues to rock out with music fortified with a heaping helping of funk, soul, and blues.  Lead vocalist Jessica Harper and guitarist Christian Simeon absolutely shine as writing partners on this ten-track recording of all original songs.  Harper and Simeon are joined by bassist Dougie V, drummer E Sass, and backing vocalist La La Thomas. 

A rocking beat and funky bassline build the way for “Sister Switchblade” to bash the front gates of the record open.  This song is a wonderful amalgam of Seventies rock and hot buttered soul.  It’s nicely wrapped in Harper’s fearless vocals and Simeon’s searing guitar licks.  “Ballad of Willie Mae & George”, the first single off the record, is a brilliant slice of southern blues-rock.  Harper and Thomas’s vocal chemistry shine as the infectious rhythm takes hold.  “Rusty Gun” is badass from start to finish.  The song’s dangerous, mean-streets personality is woven tightly into its power-rock riffs.  “Good Thang” is slathered in a funky rhythm served ala Bob Seger’s “Come to Poppa”, and it’s delightfully wonderful.     

GeminiiDragon continues to fascinate me with Equinox.  Their approach to music is fresh and invigorating.  They definitely have a unique style, and that’s a ‘good thang’.   

          

 

PhillyCheeze Review #551, GeminiiDragon – Fighting Fire with Fire           

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2022/04/phillycheezebluesblogspotcom-551.html

 

 

For more information about GeminiiDragon, or to order Equinox, visit their Bandcamp page: https://geminiidragonblues.bandcamp.com/album/equinox

#588 > Steve Hill - Dear Illusion (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

2022 – No Label Records

By Phillip Smith; Dec. 11, 2022

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

Canadian bluesman Steve Hill has pulled down an impressive number of awards over his twenty-seven-plus years of playing professionally.  In 2015 he was awarded the Juno Award for Blues Album of the Year.  In 2013 he received the Best self-produced CD award at the Memphis International Blues Challenge.  And as far as the Maple Blues Awards go, he’s secured eight of them for different categories over the years.   That being said, Steve Hill is definitely a force to be reckoned with, and his latest album, Dear Illusion is absolutely brilliant.  The album contains ten masterfully-written original songs performed by Hill on vocals and a variety of instruments: guitars, bass, drums, pedal steel, piano, mandolin, and harmonica.  Behind Hill, is drummer Wayne Proctor, and The Devil Horns.

An infectious guitar riff and a blast of horns kicks the record in with a fully-charged burst of energy on “All About the Love”.  The up-tempo beat lays down the red-carpet for the hot blues revue to come.  Leading in with a swampy serving of harp, Hill keeps the momentum going with “Keep it Together”.  The slide guitar on this Springsteen-like track sounds great paired with the horns.  As soon as “Follow Your Heart” starts, I immediately start soaking up that honky-tonk era Stones vibe.  Not only is this a terrific song, but it offers great advice as well.  A melancholy wave rushes over me when I hear “So it Goes”.  Hill enhances the mood on this lovely ballad performing on mandolin.  Dear Illusion concludes with “Until the Next Time”, a song which makes me think of George Harrison very much.  The song is weightless and grounded at the same time. 

Steve Hill’s Dear Illusion is a splendid album from beginning to end.  It’s a musical gem.

 ---

Also check out my review for Steve Hill – Solo Recordings Volume 3

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2016/07/steve-hill-solo-recordings-volume-3.html

 

              

 

For more information about Steve Hill, visit this website :

https://www.stevehillmusic.com/

 

 

#587 > Angela Strehli - Ace of Blues (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

2022 – Antone’s Records

By Phillip Smith; Dec. 3, 2022

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

Angela Strehli who helped found Antone’s, the legendary blues venue in Austin, Texas, recently released Ace of Blues, her first album in seventeen years.  Her voice is deep and buttery on this twelve-track recording as she pays tribute to those musicians who were an inspiration to her, such as O.V. Wright, Elmore James, Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Jimmy Reed, Little Milton and Otis Clay.  This CD also contains an interesting insert-booklet which contains photographs of those who graced the stage at Antone’s and notes about Stehli’s interactions with those artists.    

When Strehli’s cover of O.V. Wright’s “Ace of Spades” hits my ears, it puts an enormous smile on my face.  It’s downright fantastic.  Muddy Waters’ “I Love the Life I Live” is perfectly seasoned with Mark Kazanoff on harmonica. “Mighty” Mike Schermer’s guitar performance on Otis Rush’s “Gambler’s Blues” is absolutely delectable.  The tones he pulls out of his instrument are brilliant.  I dig the horn accompaniment on this one too.  Howlin’ Wolf is one of my all-time favorites, and Strehli’s recording of “Howlin’ For My Darling” is a wonderful tribute.  Mike Emerson brilliantly brings it on keys as Strehli nails the wolf howls.  As soon as the opening notes of Otis Clay’s “Trying to Live My Life Without You” finds their way out of the speakers, I switch into ‘dance mode’.  Chockful of soul, this one is a definite favorite.  Bringing the album to a close is a song Strehli wrote about her friend the legendary Stevie Ray Vaughan.   She befriended Stevie and his brother Jimmy in the earlier years of Antone’s, and her song “SRV“ is a lovely and heartfelt tribute.

Ace of Blues is as solid as a blues album can get.  I hope Angela Strehli doesn’t wait another seventeen years before recording another.                

---

 

#586 > Mud Morganfield - Portrait (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

2022 – Delmark Reoords

By Phillip Smith; Nov. 26, 2022

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

Mud Morganfield, the oldest son of the legendary bluesman Muddy Waters takes his music seriously.  Closely following the path of this father, Mud sets the bar high when it comes to performing the blues.  Additional influences of Motown, soul, and R&B are absorbed into his songs.  Portrait is a remix of Mud’s entire debut album Son of the Seventh Son topped off with two additional brand-new songs.  With the exception of the two new songs, this work was produced by Bob Corritore with Mud on vocals, Rick Kreher on electric guitar, Billy Flynn on guitar, E.G. McDaniel on bass, Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith on drums, Barrelhouse Chuck on piano/organ, and Harmonica Hinds and Bob Corritore on harmonica.

Portrait opens with the funky southern soul track “Praise Him”.  With Mike Wheeler on electric guitar, Luca Chiellini on keys, and the backing vocals of Felicia Collins, Shantina Lowe, and Demetrius Hall, the song is indeed a glorious one.  Barrelhouse, Beedy Eyes, and Hinds sound downright amazing as they turn the flame on to the slow-cooked blues of “Son of the Seventh Son”.  The intoxicating groove on “Catfishing” reels me right in.  Mud’s vocals are strong and confident just like his father’s.  “His presentation is smooth and buttery on “Blues In My Shoes” while the band gels perfectly together.  Portrait comes to a close with a spectacular cover of John Lee “Sonny Boy” Williamson’s “Good Morning Little School Girl. 

It was great to hear this remastered release of Mud Morganfield’s.  The songs are fantastic, and the sound is fresh and clean.  I’d recommend this album to anyone who is a blues fan.   

---

 

For more information about Mud Morganfield, visit this website :

https://www.mudmorganfieldblues.com

 

#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. 

---

#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.

---

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. 

--- 

 

 

For more information about Spencer Mackenzie, visit this website :

https://www.spencermackenzie.ca