Issue 18-33 August 15, 2024 (2024)

The Keef Hartley Band – Live at Essen Pop and Blues Festival 1969/1970

Proper Music

www.mig-music.de

13 songs – 106 minutes

A giant in the formative years of British blues, drummer/bandleader KeefHartleygets to live and soar again on this extensive two-disc set, which captured him at his best on stage in Germany three months after he appeared at Woodstock, where he was the only artist who didn’t appear in the documentary and only music wasn’t recorded because of restrictions put in place by the group’s manager.

Keef studied percussion under the same instructor who taught Phil Collins, and his career began in Liverpool when he replaced Ringo Starr as the drummer in Rory Storm & the Hurricanes. He became John Mayall’s drummer in the Bluesbreakers after Storm’s death, and he formed his own group shortly after serving as Mayall’s only accompaniment on The Blues Alone LP.

Also a member of the rock group Dog Soldier and a beloved figure on the British club circuit, frequently dressing up as an American Indian and hitting the skins attired in war paint and wearing a full headdress, Keef delivered a style similar to both Blood Sweat & Tears and Chicago Transit Authority. The band’s lineup changed often throughout its brief career, but they managed to release five albums on the Deram imprint before disbanding in 1972. And Keef continued performing until his untimely death at age 67 in 2011, an event caused by surgical complications.

Captured in Grugahelle, Germany, in October 1969 and 1970, the roster for these sets include guitarist/vocalist Miller Anderson, keyboard player Mick Weaver, future Uriah Heep bassist Gary Thain and sax player Chris Mercer, and all of the songs are long, freeform jams that give all of the principals space to work out. The ’69 setlist contains only six songs with seven in ’70, and although the order varies, four of the numbers are repeated. Despite the redundancies, song lengths vary dramatically throughout.

The slow blues, “Too Much Thinking,” kicks things off in style as Anderson insists there’s nothing wrong with his mind other than the repeating thought that he feels like he’s dead. Mercer’s stellar solo mid-tune drives the message home. The band dips into Taj Mahal’s early catalog to follow to deliver an extended take on “Leavin’ Trunk” to with Anderson ripping it up on the six-string.

Mercer’s front and center again for the original, “Just to Cry,” which lays down a jazzy, stop-time rhythmic foundation that carries forward. A number that will definitely remind you of BS&T, “Sinnin’ for You” blazes throughout propelled by a repetitive horn line. B.B. King’s “Rock Me Baby” was one of the biggest hits in blues in the ’60s, and Hartley’s drumbeat comes to the fore for an over-the-top, seven-plus minute redo prior to a partially redacted “Believe in You” concludes the set.

A year later, Hartley’s drums open the action and sets the temperature to burn for “Think It Over,” an original that shares its title with a memorable number from Buddy Holly. This time, the singer’s lady has hit the door and he’s in agony as he wonders if she’ll come back. His frustration is evident through anguished solos from Anderson and Mercer. The mood brightens dramatically with the sweet “Believe in You” before the band delivers extended versions of “Leavin’ Trunk” and “Just to Cry” and a shortened take on “Sinnin’ for You.”

Written by folk-rocker and fellow Brit Roy Harper, the original version of “Me and My Woman” featured lush arrangements by Mike Oldfield of “Tubular Bells” fame. But Hartley reworks it into an intense blues-rocker bemoaning the fact that the couple can’t get along for more than a day at a time. The action closes with a nine-minute redo of “Too Much Thinking.”

If you’re old enough to remember the ’60s, this CD will be a blast from the past. Music stylings have changed in a major way since this era, but even if you’re a blues-rocker from a more recent generation, this might strike a positive chord in your ear.

Blues Blast Magazine Senior writer Marty Gunther has lived a blessed life. Now based out of Mason, Ohio, his first experience with live music came at the feet of the first generation of blues legends at the Newport Folk Festivals in the 1960s. A former member of the Chicago blues community, he’s a professional journalist and blues harmonica player who co-founded the Nucklebusters, one of the hardest working bands in South Florida.

Lil’ Chuck the One Man Skiffle Machine – Solo

Backyardmusic

https://skifflemachine.bandcamp.com

13 songs

One man band music has had a bit of a renaissance lately. Ghalia Volt toured as a one woman show for years. Scott H. Biram has elevated the form and Ray Bonneville has used electric drum triggers to accentuate his stomping from the start. From Christchurch, New Zealand, David Thorpe, known on stage as Lil’ Chuck the One Man Skiffle Machine, has been bringing this one man band aesthetic to a new, and irreverent, DIY level. With Solo, his 4th album, Thorpe cheekly announces in addition to writing, performing and recording everything himself: “well, let’s be honest about this…yes it’s me…doing PR, creative writing, promo and media stuff – ouch! This is very uncomfortable for me but I’m 52 and no one else is fighting my corner.”

Solo expands David Thorpe’s Punk informed razor sharp solo Blues and creates a strong artifact of his life and experience. “I Can’t Give it Away” is a haughty self deprecating opener lamenting the state of current music access. Jumping electric slide guitar propels “You Can Do It” in which Thorpe bolsters up self esteem and standing up for yourself. “You Need a Good Kick up the Arse” is just what the title implies channeling a certain type of midlife crankiness. Swampy medium temp “Domestic Stomp” details the mundane and daily routines that can, at times, plague the restless creative spirit. Syncopated raucous harmonica and high hat heavy percussion drive “Sunstrike” detailing a road trip. Throughout Thorpe stomps, slaps, strums and blows harmonica like a man possessed.

David Thorpe is a talented musician. Performing completely live, Solo shows Thorpe’s rhythmic chops, his proficiency in playing multiple instruments at the same time and his witty, every-man, perspective. Only available through BandCamp to stream, Solo is a little tough to find. But, it’s well worth a listen if you want something a little different, rocking with a Country Blues spirit.

Writer Bucky O’Hare is a slide guitarist, songwriter and singer. Based out of South Eastern Massachusetts, Bucky plays Slide Guitar Soul Jazz and Funk Blues inspired by the music of the 60’s and 70’s all around New England.

Aaron Neville – Tell It Like It Is: My Story

Hatchette Books

www.aaronneville.com

288 Pages Hardcover edition

Possessing one of the most distinctive voices of all time, Aaron Neville has captivated listeners over six decades. His falsetto tones have been at the center of numerous hit records, starting with his 1960 release “Over You,” on the Minit Records label out of New Orleans. In 1966, his classic “Tell It Like It Is” became a monster hit, earning gold record status for selling more than a million copies.

Grabbing the brass ring early in your career can be a blessing, and it seemed like that was the case for Neville, as he was able to quit his job as a longshoreman to embark on a serious musical career. But as he relates in this gripping autobiography, Neville soon was battling against a lack of record label support coupled with an array of questionable people wanting to get in on his success.

Telling his story in chronological order, Neville delves into his upbringing in New Orleans, blessed with caring parents who set solid examples for their children. His mother and older sister were strong influences on his life. But Aaron, nicknamed “Apache,” was soon chasing trouble as a teenager, smoking weed and stealing cars. Soon heroin came into the picture just as Neville fell in love with Joel Roux, his teen-aged “earth angel”. She was soon pregnant, and the couple was married over the objections of her parents. Getting caught in stolen cars eventually leads him to a six month sentence in the parish prison.

There are good times as well. His singing career got started when older brother Art Neville added him to his band, the Hawketts. Another artist, singer Larry Williams, taught Neville the ropes as they toured together in the wake of “Tell It Like It Is”. Looking for greater fame, Neville accepts Williams offer to come out to Los Angeles. But the bright lights quickly fade, the author returns to a life of crime, and soon finds himself back in jail.

Neville lays out his story in a matter-of-fact style combined with an unflinching regard for details. Upon his return to New Orleans, he begins to find his way with his wife’s support. Things come together when he joins his siblings in the Neville Brothers band, featuring Art, the master of funk on keyboards, Charles, with his cool jazz tones on saxophone, and Cyril providing plenty of fire on percussion, while Aaron’s sweet high notes bring it all together.

They quickly become a powerful representation of the New Orleans musical culture. touing around the world, and recording a classic album of New Orleans Mardi Gras Indian traditional songs with their uncle, George “Big Chief Jolly” Landry and members of his krewe, the Wild Tchoupitoulas. Their influence was so strong that they were honored with a closing slot annually on the final Sunday of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.

A chance meeting at a show lead to a 1989 album for Neville with duets featuring Linda Ronstadt. Their Cry Like A Rainstorm, Howl Like The Wind was a massive success, with the song “Don’t Know Much” winning a Grammy award, while the album reached Triple Platinum sales levels. She later helped out on Neville’s 1991 release, Warm Your Heart, turning a cover of “Everybody Plays The Fool” into another mega-hit. The eight page photo section in the book has several pictures of the duo, as well as Neville with a host of celebrities including Dr. John, Keith Richards, Paul Simon, Carlos Santana, Willie Nelson, and several US Presidents. The array certainly highlights the respect that Neville has in the music community, as well as the scope of his musical interests.

While his career flourished, personal losses weigh heavy on the singer. The rock of his life, Joel, who managed to get him to rehab to kick his drug habit, passed away in 2007, sending the singer into a downward spiral. Hurricane Katrina had destroyed their home, and while he tried to return to New Orleans, the painful memories coupled with a new found fear of hurricanes and flare-ups of his asthma were too much. He was soon finding comfort in painkillers left over from Joel’s cancer battle, comfort coming in small measures.

The appearance of the fourth angel in his life occurred at a magazine photo shoot. The photographer was Sara Ann Friedman, and Neville once again fell hard for a woman at first sight. As their relationship grew, she became the stabilizing force that got the singer back on the right path, and rekindle the joy of life in his heart, sealing it with a 2010 wedding.

Aaron Neville is an undeniable national treasure, whether he is singing sweet ballads, doo-wop, funk, or New Orleans R&B. We can be thankful that he chose to tell his own story, one that revolves around one of the great musical families of New Orleans. In many ways, this a story of redemption, of a man with a God-given talent who finally finds his way, but not before many trials and tribulations. It is a engrossing saga, one that comes highly recommended!

Blues Blast Magazine Senior writer Mark Thompson lives in Florida, where he is enjoying the sun and retirement. He is the past President of the Board of Directors for the Suncoast Blues Society and a former member of the Board of Directors for the Blues Foundation. Music has been a huge part of his life for the past fifty years – just ask his wife!

Alastair Greene – Standing Out Loud

Ruf Records

www.alastairgreene.com

11 Tracks – 39 minutes

Alastair grew up in Santa Barbara, California. As a youth he took piano and sax lessons. His grandfather, Chico Alvarez, was a trumpeter for the Stan Kenton Band and provided the inspiration for Alastair to pursue music. Alastair did not take up the guitar until he was in high school, but then his desire to play the guitar was driven by heavy rock in the vein of Van Halen and Iron Maiden. But he moved into the blues as he started listening to records from B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Johnny Winters, The Allman Brothers and Stevie Ray Vaughan.

He received a scholarship to the Berklee School of Music in Boston, where he studied for two years. He returned to Southern California in the early 90’s and formed the Alastair Greene Band in 1997. This album is his eleventh solo release. His 2018 album release,Live From the 805,was nominated for Rock Blues Album of the Year by Blues Blast Magazine.

Alastair currently resides in Austin, Texas. In addition to his own solo career, Alastair toured with the Alan Parsons Live Project from 2010 to 2017, had brief stints with Starship featuring Mickey Thomas, and more recently Sugaray Rayford in 2018 to 2019.

With this record, Alastair said he strived to capture the blues rock sound from the 1960’s and 70’s that he grew up with and was particularly drawn to the early sounds of the Rolling Stones and ZZ Top. To capture the sound, he traveled to Nashville to work with co-producer J.D. Simo, who he knew was into making old-sounding records. Drummer Adam Abrashoff and bassist Todd Bolden rounded out his trio that recorded eight songs in four days. An additional three songs were recorded when he returned to Austin with drummer Kevin Hall and bassist Mark Epstein forming the trio.

Ten original songs with one cover that concludes the album kicks off in blistering fashion with “You Can’t Fool Me” certainly a kickback to the boogie groove of ZZ Top. “Slow Burn” does sound like a song that Mick Jagger would deliver. He sings that “She was no friend of mine; I knew it would take time” but he knew “that I could…if I gave it time”. “Only Do” gets the boogie going and gets Yoda into the mix with “there is only do, there is no try”.

Next, he tells her she is going to be “In Trouble”, as he describes an incident with an out-of-control woman in a bar while noting “that what you want is what I have”. “The Last to Cry” slows things down slightly as he examines “why I have been so down” noting you “are holding me too tight, tying me down”. “Trouble Blues” gets back into a boogie groove as he “turns into the darkness, hope it goes away”.

“Am I To Blame?” gets back into the hard driving rock sound as he tells her to “leave me alone” and “don’t mess with this guy”. The title song, “Standing Out Loud”, says “she is never home, always away”. and cites “whatever I do, I am up to my neck in the blues”. In “Temptation”, he declares “the devil is on your shoulder, living in your ear”.

The first songs are all relatively short, but with the last original song, “Rusty Dagger” he extends the song to almost six minutes. The song starts very slow and smooth as he says, ” I know you are hurting, I am hurting too”. “Your words are like a rusty dagger, cut so deep leaving a scar”. His guitar builds in the middle of the song, but drifts back into the slower blues tone from the beginning. The album then closes with “Bullfrog Blues”, a song previously recorded by both Rory Gallagher and Canned Heat. He tricks it out with an acoustic start, but then jumps into the full-blown electric version more in keeping with the previously known versions.

Alastair’s vocals are on the money throughout and stands against the backdrop of the high intensity blues rock that he delivers throughout the album. His trios stand up to the blaze of the 1970’s power trios. And of course, his fiery guitar is always out in front of every song.

Reviewer John Sacksteder is a retired civil engineer in Louisville, Kentucky who has a lifelong love of music, particularly the blues. He is currently the Editor of the Kentuckiana Blues Society’s monthly newsletter.

Blues rocker, Alastair Greene, is exceptionally talented, which has been recognized numerous times through his multiple award nominations. Alastair has an appreciation for a wide range of music genres and started out playing many instruments before choosing the guitar, which is not surprising given his heritage.

His grandfather, Alfred “Chico” Alvarez, was a jazz trumpeter who accompanied singers such as Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan and was a soloist with the Stan Kenton Orchestra. His mother plays piano, which was also his first instrument, beginning in the third grade. He then played saxophone for many years before picking up the bass (and upright bass) in junior high school. However, he explained that once he picked up the guitar, “everything else went by the wayside”.

Alastair’s talent on the guitar earned him a scholarship at Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he stayed for two years. Like many who attended Berklee, he found that it provided him with an outstanding base of knowledge but did not prepare him for the “business” side of the music industry.

“Even if I had taken the music business classes back then, in 1991, the industry is changing so rapidly it wouldn’t be applicable today. I still feel a little bit baffled about the business side of things, but I am just learning as I go. I’m a fairly good observer as far as the business stuff goes. I would notice how I would be treated by certain people. I have been treated both good and horribly in various business aspects, and I just know how I want to be treated.”

After his second year at Berklee, Alastair found that it was the experience of playing gigs with many different musicians that he craved. However, he did have a few memorable and influential events at Berklee before he left, including the time Ronnie Earl came to the school to conduct a guitar clinic.

“Ronnie Earl made a really big impression on me. I saw a flyer for his clinic but back then I hadn’t even heard of him. However, I decided I’d go see him and it was unbelievable. He was very unassuming, said a few things, and then basically played a gig. He’s still great now, but there’s a certain age when people just have a lot of fire, and he peeled the paint off the walls. I was like, ‘holy sh*t!’ and became an instant fan. I decided I had to go find his records, and that’s how you discover there is Roomful of Blues, and that Duke Robillard used to be in Roomful of Blues, and so on.”

Alastair also had the opportunity to see Albert Collins and Lonnie Mack play while he was still in Boston. Once he returned to California, he formed a blues/rock trio and landed some great opportunities opening for the Fabulous Thunderbirds, John Mayall, Lonnie Brooks, and Robin Trower. He then played with several other bands, including an R&B-Funk-Latin band, and had jobs playing guitar with a variety of different types of artists.

In 2009, Alastair was asked to substitute for Godfrey Townsend, (who had a scheduling conflict), in the Alan Parsons Project. And, at the end of the year, he was asked to play permanently with the band. He toured the world, playing huge arenas and having unforgettable experiences. Plus, the touring schedule allowed him to still play in his own band and release his own albums, but they were always second priority, which eventually led to his choice to leave the Alan Parsons Project.

“Playing for the Alan Parsons Project was an eye-opening experience. I learned a lot about self-confidence, as I had to play in some pretty high-pressure situations. I guess I learned a lot about being a professional.”

Alastair has recorded many records, beginning with several that he self-produced, then one for Delta Groove and then two for Rip Cat. He then toured as part of the Sugaray Rayford Band before meeting Tab Benoit at the Big Blues Bender.

“I first went to the Bender as a civilian, since it was close enough when I was living in Southern California. I got to sit in with some people and met AJ (Gross) and Jimmy (Carpenter). AJ called me the following year because he had a last-minute cancellation, and he asked me if I was available to fill the slot. I told Jimmy that I played different kinds of music and could read charts in case he needed any help, so that’s how I got involved with playing guitar with the Bender Brass. I also got to play with several other artists, including Bobby Rush and Tab Benoit. Tab mentioned to me that he had a record label in case I was interested in doing a record, and I ended up doing two albums on his Whiskey Bayou Label.”

Those albums, The New World Blues (2020) and Alive in the New World (2022) received excellent reviews, and were produced and engineered by Benoit, who also played drums on the albums. Alastair’s songwriting talent was showcased on these albums, including a particularly intriguing song titled “No Longer Amused”.

He also toured extensively with Benoit, and the audiences loved the obvious chemistry between the two of them. When asked recently for his thoughts about Alastair, Benoit stated that he always enjoys any chance to hang out with Alastair, as they end up laughing so much. He also stated that he is happy to see Alastair getting recognition for playing his own compositions.

“On the guitar, Alastair has always been just a master. But it’s great that now he can really be free to be himself. He couldn’t just cut loose and do his own stuff before, when playing with Parsons or Sugaray.”

Alastair’s albums primarily focus on his original songs. He noted that he usually comes up with the music first, before the lyrics. He stated that the most meaningful song lyrics he has written were to a song on his very first album, called “The Long Way Home”. He explained that it was written about his grandmother, after she passed away, and he played all of the instruments on that track.

“Lyrically it is probably the most touching thing that I’ve written.”

The lyrics to several songs on The New World Blues seem especially powerful, and a few of the song lyrics seem nearly prophetic, as they discuss political turmoil that seems even more relevant now than at the time he wrote them.

Alastair recently released his eleventh album, Standing Out Loud, this time with much of the album co-produced by JD Simo. However, Alastair noticed that the recording experience was actually very similar to his experience recording with Benoit.

“JD has a lot more vintage microphones and a vintage set-up, and Tab has more modern microphones, but their production styles are fairly similar in that they just wanted me to come in with songs, show it to the drummer and bass player, get people’s first impression and not over-rehearse things. With Tab all songs were done on the first or second take and the same is true for this record. The title is sort of like claiming your life. I’m doing my thing, doing my best, trying to kick ass at it. I’m not going to back down from whatever adversity might come my way—I’m standing out loud.”

Alastair’s latest album, like his previous releases, focuses mainly on his original compositions. It is reminiscent of ‘70s rock but still has its roots the blues. In fact, the one cover song is the 1928 Willam Harris song, “Bullfrog Blues”, which became a timeless blues classic after first being covered by Canned Heat and later by Rory Gallagher. Alastair discussed how the genre has expanded over the years.

“If you hear what people are considering the blues genre right now, almost anything goes, and I’m fine with that. I’m not a purist. I hear the blues in old Bad Company and Led Zeppelin songs. And then there are some things billed as blues-rock, some even nominated for awards, that I have a hard time hearing the blues influence. But when I play my shows, you will hear some straight blues, like a Junior Wells song, or my version of an Albert King or an Albert Collins song, or even Son House or Robert Johnson. I just play it with a little more rock and roll attitude.”

Standing Out Loud was released on the Ruf Label, a German label that has been promoting excellent blues music for the past thirty years. Alastair has also been touring as part of the “Ruf Caravan” along with another guitar virtuoso, Eric Johanson, and Serbian-born pianist Katarina Pejak. He expressed admiration for the founder of Ruf Records, Thomas Ruf.

“I have a lot of respect for him, staying in business for 30 years. It’s not easy. And he is in the trenches. Do you know that he even drives the van on the Caravan tour? This is such a wonderful opportunity to get in front of the European audiences. The publicity has been great, the radio airplay has been great. I’m just so happy with how things have gone so far. And of course, Eric is great, and Katarina is fantastic. She’s really cool—it’s a good dynamic.”

Alastair discussed how his equipment choices changed over the years.

“I had a Fender Stratocaster and admittedly, I was really into Stevie Ray Vaughan and Hendrix early on, but when I switched more to playing Gibson guitars, I was able to find my own voice as a player. I found a sound that didn’t sound like all the Strats. They have their own identities and personalities, but I just felt more at home playing a Gibson, so that is the main guitar I play. I’ve also been using Category Five amps. I got grandfathered into their family through playing with Tab, because he has his own Category Five model. I don’t use a lot of effects. I use a few pedals just to change up the sound. As far as strings are concerned, it’s funny there is this running dialogue among guitarists about heavier strings on a guitar getting better sounds, but that can be debunked. For example, Billy Gibbons uses light strings. Anyway, I use a standard gauge of guitar strings—not a lot of bells and whistles.”

When asked if he had advice for young musicians, Alastair offered the following:

“Diversify and love what you are doing. And there is no substitute for experience. No substitute for playing hundreds of bar gigs. I’ve been a witness to videos of guys who can really play, but I’m not feeling anything. People do these 30-second videos, and it builds a following, but that following won’t come buy tickets to your show. You have to get out and play shows.”

If you have never seen him play, you should consider making it a point to find out why Alastair Greene is considered one of the finest blues/rock guitarists of his generation, (and also a great singer and songwriter). You can check out his extensive tour dates at www.alastairgreene.com , and find out more about his new album at https://save-it.cc/ruf-records/standing-out-loud.

Writer Anita Schlank lives in Virginia, and is on the Board of Directors for the River City Blues Society. She has been a fan of the blues since the 1980s. She and Tab Benoit co-authored the book “Blues Therapy,” with all proceeds from sales going to the HART Fund.

For other interviews on our website CLICK HERE

Seth Lee Jones – Tulsa Custom

Horton Records

10 songs time – 34:35

Tulsa, Oklahoma guitar slinger-singer Seth Lee Jones delivers a rock-charged music with panache. Nothing resembling blues except for harmonica on one song. It is a guitar-bass-drums situation. Seth wrote six of the ten songs.

They get off to a noisy start with “110”. Picture ZZ Top with barely discernable lyrics and electric slide guitar. More heavy with “All That I Ask” that features a sturdy bass line from Bo Hallford that is a major part of the song structure. Thank God the words are understandable. Country singer Little Jimmy Dickens’ “Bird Of Paradise” gets a rocked-out treatment, a highlight being some smokin’ electric slide guitar.

Another strong riff powers “Good Dog” with vocals in sync with the guitar and some harmonica from Chebon Tiger. The King’s X song “Mr. Evil” once again gets the tasty heavy bass to contribute to the sinister atmosphere. An obscure Little Walter tune “One Chance” is a snazzy little gritty slide ditty. I made a rhyme, will wonders ever cease? “Outta My Mind” bestows us with more exuberant slide work. The slide effect continues on “Penny Park” in a lighter vein.

A little more ZZ Top vibe on “Walter”. Fast paced then ends at a slow pace with textured guitar. The slow and mellow “Don’t Waste A Thing” lilts out on a cloud of Robin Trower-ish guitar.

A well thought out and executed dose of rock with some lightness thrown in. Seth’s hardy vocals and guitar diversity make this effort a keeper. He gets able assistance from Bo Hallford on bass, Matt Teegarden drums and percussion, Chebon Tiger harmonica and David Teegarden, Sr. on percussion. Seth’s skill as an lyricist and interpreter of cover songs has much to be admired. There is much to be enjoyed here by any fan of quality music.

Reviewer Greg “Bluesdog” Szalony hails from the New Jersey Delta.

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Judy Sings The Blues – Backstage Pass Live

self release

http://judysingstheblues.com

11 songs time – 50:41

Judy Sings The Blues out of Delaware features their namesake with the exuberant and expressive pipes. When they perform blues it falls into a groove similar to Tracey Nelson or Karen Lovely. It is good company to be compared to. Judy Mangini is in possession of a strong and crystal-clear voice. It doesn’t hurt one bit that she has the backing of a grade-A group of musicians. Lin Doughten has guitar chops to spare, be it blues or jazzy stuff, it is always arranged to fit the song like a glove. Bassist Jan Zukowski was in the Nighthawks for thirty years, as well as being with The Fabulous Hubcaps for fourteen years. Drummer Ray Lombardo played for The Army Jazz Band for three years and The Admirals for fourteen years. Sax man Brian Cunningham of The Brian Cunningham Project is top notch. The liner notes or their web page give no writer credits, but it all seems to be original material.

Her powerful and soulful voice launches right into “Help Me” and remains that way throughout the record. The song has a gospel feel in the music as well as the lyrics. Between Brian Cunningham’s soulful sax and Lin’s tasty guitar licks, the listener is in good hands from the get-go. Jan’s bass nails down the groove on “Tricks” as Brian’s sax weaves sexy magic. Lin’s biting soloing adds to the goodness. Judy trades vocal licks with the guitar and as always her vocals are in peak form.

The blues “I Guess I Was Wrong” chugs along nicely via guitar and sax wizardry. Lin shows his versatility with jazzy guitar on “You Got Me Down On My Knees”. She tells someone to back up “47 Feet”, why not an even 50? What do I know? None-the-less it has hefty guitar and sax riffing going on. Oh wowzah, that bass is too funky on “Junk And Trunk”, as well as the guitar and sax.

A nice groove again along with a pleading vocal on “Can’t Even Buy One”. Now for a slow and funky burner in “Come Over Here” that features one of the better guitar solos, although they are all good. Judy sings the hell out of it. Let’s git funky and jazzy with “Are Ya?”. As always Brian weaves his sax through the song. They bring down the tempo with the ballad “I Miss Your…”. It harkens back to old time rhythm and blues. Judy shouts her way through “52 Years” in a good way. You go girl!

You sure get a heaping helping of good music with this release, from Judy’s strong vocals to the guitar and sax underpinned by the sturdy rhythm section. This music is infused at various times with blues, rhythm and blues, jazz, gospel and a bit of rock. There is something here for anyone that appreciates heartfelt music. Yep, Judy can sing!

Reviewer Greg “Bluesdog” Szalony hails from the New Jersey Delta.

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Dede Priest & Johnny Clark’s Outlaws – Best Pieces

Creeping Fig Records

www.dedepriest.com

10 Tracks – 45 Minutes

Dede Priest started writing her own songs and singing as a very young child. She also studied classical violin, but frequently strummed it like a guitar. As she grew older, she started singing and playing guitar and violin. She moved to Austin, Texas to attend the University of Texas where she received a degree in Philosophy. But the active music scene of Austin drew her in. She started performing regularly and was quickly recognized as a “Modern Day Blues Queen”. She released her first solo album, Candy Moon in 2007. She has shared the stage with Clarence Gatemouth Brown, Leon Russell and Tommy Shannon from Double Trouble and has gained international recognition from her subsequent releases and touring.

In 2019, she joined with Johnny Clark’s Outlaws as her band, resulting in the album, Crocuses from Ashes. This album is their third collaboration. Dede continues to perform the lead vocals and plays guitar and violin. The band consists of Johnny Clark on vocals and guitar, Ray Oostenrijk on bass and Leon Toonen on drums.

The album consists of nine original songs and one cover starting with “Desert Garden”, Dede describes a place “out in the desert, under the red sun in the hot sand on the cliff with red rock ashes”, where there are red flowers blooming. Dede and Johnny discuss that it is “Never Too Late to Go to Nashville” as he says, “I am just a lonely cowboy with the blues”. “Boat In the Attic” has a slightly psychedelic fuzzed guitar backing Dede as she sings “Jesus is my Saviour” and moves into an interesting guitar run.

“Best Pieces” opens with a slow instrumental and moves into Dede declaring that she is “going out into the wilder and I feel without hate, I’m going to hide myself” and going to find a “perpetual state of positivity… my best self”. Johnny’s growling vocal leads a song that seems fresh out of an old time western where he declares he is going to break my “Rusty Cage” “and run”. Dede pulls out her violin for the story of “Desdemona & Othello”.

Dede’s violin blends with Johnny’s slide guitar on “Blade of Grass”. A cover of Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s 1956 song, “99-1/2 Won’t Do” lets Dede provide the vocals in a facsimile of the original, but then moves into Johnny’s growling vocal and Dede shifting to a haunting violin. “In This Lifetime” moves into a soulful blues as Dede declares that all she needs to do “is to be good to you”. The album concludes with “Tender Rain”, a soft, soulful song with an acoustic guitar accompaniment and Dede’s crying violin as Dede sings, “I am alright as I am on this fast train…I have left everything behind”.

The album shifts and turns from soul, gospel, country, or blues all with a mix of psychedelia and the appealing sound of Dede’s violin. Johnny’s guitar shifts to the mood of each song. Dede moves into differing vocal styles meeting the lyrical direction of each song utilizing a touch of Dolly Parton, a slightly higher pitched Janis Joplin, or a drop back to a 1960’s style soul.

Reviewer John Sacksteder is a retired civil engineer in Louisville, Kentucky who has a lifelong love of music, particularly the blues. He is currently the Editor of the Kentuckiana Blues Society’s monthly newsletter.

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Jon Geiger – Live at Harvelle’s

Self-produced CD

www.jongeiger.com

13 songs – 86 minutes

A New York native who was a longtime member of the Austin music community and who’s now based out Los Angeles, Jon Geiger’s guitar work is chockfull of bluesy big-city grit, jazz influences and more. And he puts it all on display in this beefy set, which was captured live at Harvelle’s nightclub in Santa Monica, Calif.

As a teen, Jon was a protégé whose talents with recognized by two of the biggest stars in the field, Emily Remler and Hiram Bullock, both of whom took him under their wings. He was drawn to the blues after being enthralled by the soulful sounds of B.B. King on Live at the Regal, the intensity of Eric Clapton and the skill of John Scofield and Mike Stern, two former bandmates of Miles Davis.

Jon’s former student at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he received a full scholarship. He relocated to Southern California while still recovering from injuries sustained in an auto accident so severe that doctors feared he’d never walk again. Five years later, he’s recovered so well that he now enters marathons.

Geiger’s a songwriter whose productions are both passionate and original. His well-worn mid-range voice mirrors his play on this musical marathon. Captured at Harvelle’s, a watering hole and showroom that’s been featuring top acts since the end of Prohibition, Jon delivers a musical marathon here, mixing a traditional approach with improvisations, often in the same song.

The original, “Bullet,” sets the tone for this 13-song, 83-minute set. At almost six minutes in length, the blues-rocker is one of the shorter numbers you’ll hear. It’s a driving number that insists – like too many folks feel today – that there’s “nothin’ a bullet won’t cure.” The mood changes from the opening chords of “I Dream,” an extended slow blues with psychedelic lyrics and picks up intensity in “Desert of My Heart,” which plays off a lady’s enticing attraction with the coldness Jon feels inside.

Next up, Geiger reinvents the Bill Withers classic, “Ain’t No Sunshine,” maintaining the essence while imbuing it with passionate fretwork throughout its seven-plus minute run. Then he kicks up the funk with “The Voice,” an extended stop-time rocker with a heavy Bo Diddley beat. The jazzy “Feeling Good” projects a positive message: that each day is a new day and you’re able to overcome whatever’s happened before.

“Texas Flyer” was once one of the most popular tunes in Albert King’s setlist, but Jon reworks it with a much darker feel and a heavy blues-rock edge before he brightens the mood with “Guardian Angel” while maintaining the edge as he heaps love on the lady who’s watching over him.

“Prison of Love” – not the Frank Sinatra/James Brown love ballad but a driving blues – is up next before the rocker “Don’t Hang Me Out to Dry” turns up the heat as Geiger sings from the standpoint of a man ready to say goodbye to a difficult woman and knowing he’ll be a winner on the other side. The “Day to Day” keeps up the intensity, yields to the passionate ballad “These Blues” and gives way to the equally ardent “It’s Not My Cross to Bear” to close the set.

Jon Geiger certainly is a talented musician. He holds nothing back on this album, which might appeal to fans coming to the blues through heavy rock. Unfortunately, however, this set was recorded off of the club’s soundboard and flaws exist. Vocals are often lost in the mix, and the flatness of the arrangements give the unidentified sidemen no space to show their wares.

Blues Blast Magazine Senior writer Marty Gunther has lived a blessed life. Now based out of Mason, Ohio, his first experience with live music came at the feet of the first generation of blues legends at the Newport Folk Festivals in the 1960s. A former member of the Chicago blues community, he’s a professional journalist and blues harmonica player who co-founded the Nucklebusters, one of the hardest working bands in South Florida.

For other reviews on our website CLICK HERE

Daniel Eriksen – Live at Cudrio Recording

Independent

www.daniel-eriksen.com

12 Tracks – 45 Minutes

Norwegian born Daniel Eriksen studied the old slide masters like Mississippi Fred McDowell and Blind Willie Johnson and learned directly from modern players like Roy Rogers and John Mooney in developing his style of Delta blues, although since he grew up north of the arctic circle, he calls his guitar work “Arctic Slide”. His website says he plays “Mississippi Delta blues infused with New Orleans rhythms”. As a touring musician, he has played with many other artists including Lazy Lester. Rick Danko, Fiona Boyes, John Mooney, Lightnin’ Malcolm and Eden Brent among others. He has also served as an opening act for B.B. King, The Yardbirds, and John Mayall.

He released his first album, Ya Ya, in 2006, has been the recipient of many international awards, and was selected as the second-place finisher at the 2018 International Blues Challenge in Memphis. His 2018 album, Narrative Boogie, was nominated for Acoustic Album of the Year at the 2018 Blues Blast Music Awards. Like many performers his career was waylaid by the pandemic in 2020. He chose that time to go into the Cudrio Studios in Langesund, Norway to record this album as a live solo performance in April 2020, which were broadcast in real time without retakes or overdubs.

The twelve songs were taken from his catalog of albums that span from his first album to his most recent. “Squeeze This Trigger” quickly establishes his credentials as a fevered slide guitar player and fervent performer of Delta styled blues along with a growl suitably compatible to the old Delta bluesmen. He kicks off a boogie and sings “When I have done the best I can, “I Want My Crown””. On “Over the Hill”, he states “when I get to heaven I’m going to sit right down, ask the master just to get my starry crown down”.

On “Baby, You’re A Star”, he says ” I want your poster on my wall”. and “I’m your biggest fan, I am putty in your hands”. “Blind Fiddler I’m Going to See the King” features some acoustic picking. “Refugee Camp Moan” kicks up the energy again as he explores the plight of a man in a refugee camp who has lost his family and has to endure the indignities and pain of such a life.

A cover of Blind Lemon Jefferson’s “See That My Grave Is Kept Clean” follows next. “Wrecked by Snooks” moves into a rock ‘n’ roll rhythm as he learns guitar playing from an old country man down in New Orleans. “What I learned that day, you cannot learn in books”. “Cypress Grove” is a moody venture into the swamps as he says, “I will drink muddy water and sleep on a brick all the time” as he begs her “to go up north” but she says, “there is too much snow” and he does not want to return to the south as “there are too many who want to kill me”.

It is way past midnight, and it’s dark and I am all alone” as he seeks “Old Tim’s Marking Stone” in a tale of murder. From the Delta, Erik moves to “Summertime in Langesund” and tells that “B.B. King is doing a sound check, and we are all going to see the show”. He concludes the album with “Arctic Slide Take Five” which lets him really rip out on the guitar.

For someone from Norway, Erik has completely got the Delta Blues in hand with the constant riffing of his guitar to the deep voiced vocals that are prevalent with the Delta blues musicians.

Reviewer John Sacksteder is a retired civil engineer in Louisville, Kentucky who has a lifelong love of music, particularly the blues. He is currently the Editor of the Kentuckiana Blues Society’s monthly newsletter.

For other reviews on our website CLICK HERE

John Clifton – Too Much to Pay

Flower Records FCD 077

www.johnclifton.com

10 songs – 36 minutes

A veteran road dog who’s been delivering an interesting mix of Chicago blues, West Coast jump and ’50s rockabilly to the world for decades, honey-voiced harp player John Clifton was served a double whammy in 2020. Like all touring musicians, the COVID shutdown was bad enough, but then he was diagnosed with heart failure. Fortunately, however, he’s bounced back in style as this sweet CD will attest.

Based out of Southern California, Clifton was a popular and energetic entertainer beginning in the late ’80s, when he fronted the blues-roots ensemble, The Mo-Fo Party Band, then returned to the stage about seven years ago, fronting his own band and playing up to 200 dates annually across the U.S. and Europe.

His three previous albums on the Rip Cat label have all met with success, earning play on SiriusXM’s B.B. King’s Bluesville as well as stations around the globe. His Nightlife CD spent six months in Roots Music Report’s contemporary blues chart. And he’s also when tragedy struck. He’s also toured and recorded with Big Bill Morganfield, Muddy’s son, too.

The good news is that John bounced back strong as the epidemic waned, and he’s been back to his old ways ever since…so much so, in fact, that this effort was captured in Warsaw, Poland, last summer in the midst of another Clifton foray across the Atlantic and then mixed at Wolfsound Audio Engineering in Fresno, Calif.

He’s backed by The Boogie Boys, a four-piece Polish group fronted by keyboard player Bartek Szopinski, one of the most acclaimed musicians in Europe. Piotr Bienkiewicz handles guitar, Milosz Szulkowski drums and Janusz Brzezinski bass. Active for decades and former International Blues Challenge finalists, they’ve worked behind Joe Bonamassa, Ana Popovic, Chicagoans Phil Guy and Studebaker John, West Coast legends James Harman and Rod Piazza and dozens of others, and they tour with John when he’s abroad.

They’re augmented by guitar and vocals from Chopper Wilson, vocals from Keysha Burns, Haillie Williams, Craig Daniel and Edwin Stovall and percussion from John Shafer.

The hard-driving rocker, “Too Much to Pay,” kicks off the action in style, warning that no matter what his lady is doling out, the price of her affection simply is too dear because she seems to be wanting more each day. The two-step pleaser, “It Wouldn’t Stop Raining,” follows as Clifton announces his tears have been falling down ever since the day his sweetheart left. Bienkiewicz’s solo rocks.

The heartbreak continues in “Long Gone Mama,” a steady shuffle in which Clifton has come to the realization his lady’s here today and tomorrow she’s in arms of a brand new fool. It’s her standard method of operation, and John says goodbye with a biting mid-tune run on the reeds. The rapid-fire “Get Lost” finally puts an end to his suffering in no uncertain terms while allowing space for the band to work out. But the pain remains because he’s still dreaming about her in the medium-fast blues, “Every Waking Hour,” and still wondering what went wrong.

The uptempo “Broke Down Fool” describes another problem lady before the syncopated “One Fine Chick” describes another beauty who’s done John wrong. The cause is simple, he finds, because he states “The Problem” is that she simply can’t control herself. But his love is true, something he expresses clearly in “Swear to God I Do” before the scorching “Bad Trip” delivers one more verbal assault to the woman to close.

Sure, there’s plenty of heartache here, but there’s plenty of terrific musicianship, too. Give this one a listen – and be glad you’re not that guy!

Blues Blast Magazine Senior writer Marty Gunther has lived a blessed life. Now based out of Mason, Ohio, his first experience with live music came at the feet of the first generation of blues legends at the Newport Folk Festivals in the 1960s. A former member of the Chicago blues community, he’s a professional journalist and blues harmonica player who co-founded the Nucklebusters, one of the hardest working bands in South Florida.

For other reviews on our website CLICK HERE

Wendy and DB – Back Home

Tigerlily Music

www.wendyanddb.com

15 Tracks – 44 minutes

Chicago based Wendy Morgan and “Darryl “DB” Boggs have been working together for about twelve years recording what they call family friendly music. But each have a longer history of music behind them prior to their present duo. Wendy has always been singing and writing music, which led to her first album release in 1996. When her son was three years old, she started teaching voice lessons and moved into writing and recording music for children. Her voice has been heard on many tv commercials. She also made cameo appearances in movies and appeared on the soap opera Days of Our Lives.

Darryl has been a professional musician for over 40 years. He taught band and choir in Chicago area schools and retired in 2015 as band director for the Lindop School in Broadview, Illinois. He continues to develop music for cabaret and orchestra as well as working with Wendy on their music, which includes many charitable events to aid non-profits and developing special music projects with for school groups and community choirs.

The duo released their first album, Pockets, Seasons, Rhymes and Reasons, in 2013. Back Home is their sixth album release. In between, their albums have garnered numerous awards for their efforts on behalf of their work for children and family values. In 2023, their fifth album, Into the Little Blue House, received a Grammy nomination. The duo plays guitar and provides vocals to the album and brings in many guests to help authenticate a traditional blues sound suitable for the family and delivers a folksy sound that can be enjoyed by young and old.

Ruthie Foster joins them on vocals with Anne Harris adding violin on the title track, which preaches the value of community. The duo teams with Doug MacLeod who performs guitar and vocals on “Come to Your Senses” as they tell everyone to “use their common sense”. Sharde Thomas and her Rising Stars Fife and Drum Band guests on “Put Down the Phone”, as Wendy proclaims, “get off the sound, you are like a zombie”. Billy Branch plays harmonica on “Moving Mountains” which references Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks who helped move the freedom bells and challenges others to move obstacles to fulfill their goals.

“Boxes and Labels” is a brief spoken poem urging people to not place others in wide-ranging categories and encourages understanding. “Butterflies are Free/Muhammad Ali” tells the story of the famed Louisville boxer and his own fights to be free. Delta blues vocalist Libby Rae Watson sings and plays a National resonator guitar with Bill Stuber on harmonica as they sing when “things are not going well” just “Hum Away”. “Hemingway The Wonderdog” features Kenny “Beady Eyes” Smith on drums which is certainly one song mostly focused on children and the virtues of a dog. Billy Branch on harmonica and Kenny on drums on “Reflection” asks you to “look at yourself…all your prejudice is just ego and pride”. Doug MacLeod returns on “Move Them Bones”, a story of a dog moving his bones.

Bob Dylan’s “Watching the River Flow” again features Libby Rae Watson, Doug MacLeod and William Stuber on harmonica. Next Wendy and DB praise their long-time “Friends”. “Be You/ Walk to Your Own Beat” offers some African styled rhythms from the Rising Stars Fife and Drums. The piano of Roosevelt Hatter Purifoy leads “Peace in the Valley” where we can all “find hope for a better tomorrow” and “hate can be washed away”. The album closes with a brief reprise of the title track.

DB cites that the album brings memories of childhood visits to his grandmothers’ homes in the south “sitting on their front porches, surrounded by the sights and sounds of nature, I found music in the simple, moments of life”. Yes, the songs are simple, but they bring quiet, restful appeal for those who want to just slowdown from all of the distractions that exists in our tumultuous lives today. There are certainly a few songs more pointed to youths, but most are for those of us who strive to find the youth that is still left in us.

The album’s back cover notes that 10% of all of the proceeds from this album goes to The Blues Foundation.

Reviewer John Sacksteder is a retired civil engineer in Louisville, Kentucky who has a lifelong love of music, particularly the blues. He is currently the Editor of the Kentuckiana Blues Society’s monthly newsletter.

For other reviews on our website CLICK HERE

Katie Henry – Get Goin’

Ruf Records RUF 1306

www.katiehenrymusic.com

11 songs – 41 minutes

New Jersey-based Katie Henry has come a lo-o-ong way since bursting onto the scene in 2018 with her debut CD, High Road, which went on to earn a Blues Blast Music Awards nomination and more. A member of the Ruf Records family for the past four years and now a star in her own right, the triple-threat vocalist/guitarist/keyboard player delivers a stellar set of blues-rock on her latest disc, which features backing from the Bernard Allison band.

Katie’s road to fame began with piano lessons at age six. And as soon as she was old enough, she was hitting the clubs in New York City, where she attended college. She became a local favorite, delivering her own brand of blues, rock, soul and more. After her initial release and no longer scrawling lyrics on the back of high school notebooks, she received international acclaim in 2022 when Ruf released her follow-up, On My Way. That year, she joined Ruf’s Blues Caravan Revue, which featured two other rising talents – Ghalia Volt and Will Jacobs.

Now a charismatic vocalist who pens highly intelligent originals, she traveled the world stage co-starring on tour with Allison. And this disc with his bandmates – bassist George Moye, drummer/guitarist Matt Kimathi, keyboard player Eric Cannavaro, percussionist Richard Pappik and guitarist Michael Murauer – is the product of the close friendships she built along the way.

Delivering powerful emotions and plenty of vulnerability, too, beginning with the opening cut, an uptempo version of Scott Sharrard’s “Love Like Kerosene.” Henry’s assertive pipes float above a driving beat and a powerful mid-tune piano solo set up what’s to follow. The Katie original, “Jump,” opens quietly with a funky drumbeat and six-string lead before she admits that, just like everyone, she’s got problems to get out of her way. They’re like water in a levy that’s about to burst, and she’s downstream in a home that’s not to last – but then she finds “a valley where it can all be right” where she’ll be welcome.

The original ballad “A Doll’s Heart” bemoans the fact that a lover seemingly puts her on a pedestal, but shows that’s not the case when she’s not around. “Clear Vision” changes the mood from the jump. It’s a medium-fast and bittersweet stop-time blues that states without a doubt that Katie’s ready to move on and put the past behind. Koko Taylor’s “Voodoo Woman” gets an updated, contemporary redo to follow.

It gives way to “The Lion’s Den,” a haunting blues-rocker that builds in intensity throughout as it finds Henry walking in and out of a relationship with another problem man and vowing things will be different next time she walks in. The intimate ballad, “Wake Up Time,” finds Katie unable to move on and wondering what went wrong.

“Get Goin’ Get Done,” one of songs Henry co-wrote with Allison for the set, serves up a sweet melody but a message that the end’s finally come and she’s moving on. Bernard’s Big Easy-flavored instrumental, “Bayou Boogie,” puts all of the darkness in the past before their funky “Trying” announces Katie’s trying to get the guy out of her head before a take on Blind Willie Johnson’s “Nobody’s Fault But Mine” brings the set to a close.

If you don’t know Katie Henry by now, you should. This one’s great. Give it a listen and you’ll be wanting more!

Blues Blast Magazine Senior writer Marty Gunther has lived a blessed life. Now based out of Mason, Ohio, his first experience with live music came at the feet of the first generation of blues legends at the Newport Folk Festivals in the 1960s. A former member of the Chicago blues community, he’s a professional journalist and blues harmonica player who co-founded the Nucklebusters, one of the hardest working bands in South Florida.

For other reviews on our website CLICK HERE