10 May
Centerpiece by Hank Crawford/Calvin Newborn
Wednesday, 10 May 2006
Published in
Blues - CD Reviews
Now, here’s some great jazz-blues originally recorded in the late 1970s, showcasing a marvelous collaboration between the legendary Hank Crawford and jazz-blues buddy Calvi…
15 Apr
Way Down The River by Sugarcane Collins
Saturday, 15 April 2006
Published in
Blues - CD Reviews
While Sugarcane Collins is not a well-known blues name in the US, the release of this album might change that. Hailing from Cairns, Queensland, Australia, this guitarist…
12 Apr
In The Natural State by Jimmy Thackery with The Cate Brothers
Wednesday, 12 April 2006
Published in
Other - CD Reviews
Guitarist/singer Jimmy Thackery is known to aficionados of contemporary electric blues as a former member of the legendary DC proto-blue-wavers the Nighthawks, but for t…
The late great song sleuth Townes Van Zandt cited singer/composer David Olney as one of his favorites. And accolades have been bestowed upon him with similarities pertai…
Funk-n-Blues is an authentic blue-collar blues album that too seldom is heard any more. After all, no longer is there a real B-3 organ circuit that covered…
In recent years, there seems to be a greater "above-ground," i.e., not limited to die-hard fans and collectors, awareness and appreciation of "roots music." It includes …
For those of you who at sometime in your life have experienced the joys and angst of dieting, you may recall just how mouthwatering good that slice of pie or piece of ch…
14 Mar
Antones House of the Blues by Antone's House of the Blues
Tuesday, 14 March 2006
Published in
Blues - CD Reviews
"We weren't a club or promoters, we were blues fanatics." Clifford Antone remarks about his legendary blues club of the same name in the documentary Antone's House of Bl…
Native American, front-man and guitarist-vocalist Mato Nanji is often seen as the next coming of past and present icons Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton. An arguable notion…
Magnificent rhythm can grab you every time. If the rhythm in this recording doesn’t penetrate your soul and you can’t hear the message, I would say that something is ser…
01 Feb
Kissing In 29 Days by JW-Jones Blues Band
Wednesday, 01 February 2006
Published in
Blues - CD Reviews
JW-Jones is back with his fourth release for the NorthernBlues label. The young band from Ottawa impressed everyone with their 2002 disc Bogart’s Bounce and followed…
Wow! One thing that can be definitely said about this CD: It has attitude! The common threads throughout feature searing guitar riffs by the group’s namesake that are th…
22 Jan
(DVD) One Night in Dublin: A Tribute to Phil Lynott by Gary Moore & Friends
Sunday, 22 January 2006
Published in
Blues - CD Reviews
A lifelike, bronze statue was unveiled in Dublin, Ireland’s Grafton Street on the eve of what would have been Irish rock legend Phil Lynott’s fifty-sixth birthday. With …
20 Jan
Groove Approved by Rhythm & Groove Club
Friday, 20 January 2006
Published in
Blues - CD Reviews
Please permit me to quote briefly from Jeff Cook’s liner notes. "The musicians and ATTITUDE of the music of New Orleans created a whole new way to perceive how music could …
California-based blues heavyweight Janiva Magness follows up her successful Bury Him At The Crossroads with Do I Move You? and it’s certainly going to move yo…
San Francisco born Sugar Pie DeSanto launches her fourth CD for Jasman Records on March 21st this year. That’s the first day of spring and, for Miss De Santo, it will be…
One of America’s finest blues guitarists, Duke Robillard returns with another new release, the 12th for Stony Plain. As with all Robillard CDs, this has a definite t…
Tom Hunter is a singer/pianist from Minneapolis. While this is Hunter’s third album, it’s been our first chance to hear him. Here I Go Again will see much wider dist…
When we reviewed this band’s CD Wire & Wood three years ago, we predicted an award in the near future. That prediction held true. Glamourpuss received several nomina…
31 Dec
Prestige Profiles Lightnin Hopkins by Lightnin' Hopkins
Saturday, 31 December 2005
Published in
Blues - CD Reviews
Sam Hopkins was born in Centerville, Texas in 1912. The epitome of the classic down home blues legend, his first guitar was made from a cigar box and chicken wire when h…
Guitarist Gus Papas has been a fixture on the Toronto music scene for decades. His band The Bottle Devils has a built-in fan base that never fails to draw a crowd at his…
06 Oct
Two Hits for the Kitty by Johnny and the Motones
Thursday, 06 October 2005
Published in
Blues - CD Reviews
From the first drumbeat to the last strum of a guitar string, this album rocks. It was recorded at the original Sun Studios, in the same room that once held stars such a…
Artists can take a real chance when they switch categories. It is not always the best of ideas and they can sometimes get lost in a world they may like, but not really d…
There are a small number of Homosapiens that belong to a special sub-class. One might not see them often, but one has definitely heard them. The individual in the coffee…
22 Aug
Sadie Mae by Nick Moss & The Flip Tops
Monday, 22 August 2005
Published in
Blues - CD Reviews
A century ago, the Impressionist painters threw the art world into a spin when they painted scenes "as they saw them" rather than copying nature. Nick Moss could truly b…
20 Aug
Penitentiary Blues - Songs to Do Hard Time By by Various
Saturday, 20 August 2005
Published in
Blues - CD Reviews
You think YOU’VE got the blues? Listen to this collection and feel better almost immediately, for a number of reasons. First and foremost, this disc is a fairly wide-ran…
29 Jul
Blues in the Night Songs by Harold Arlen by Anne Burnell
Friday, 29 July 2005
Published in
Blues - CD Reviews
Harold Arlen is one of the most widely recognized composers from the 20th century; and this collection of 12 of his best known songs, beautifully arranged by Bob Ojeda, …
09 Jul
Voodoo Lovin by Bill Rhoades & The Party Kings
Saturday, 09 July 2005
Published in
Blues - CD Reviews
The Pacific Northwest is home to Bill Rhoades and the Party Kings and the band is a regional favorite. Rhoades is the consummate blues performer. He works for a music retai…
03 Jul
The Blues According To Zacariah by Zac Harmon
Sunday, 03 July 2005
Published in
Blues - CD Reviews
Veteran studio musician/writer/producer Zac Harmon’s debut studio album, The Blues According To Zacariah, has blues fans wondering what took him so long. This C…
29 Jun
Hungry Ghosts by Doug Cox and Sam Hurrie
Wednesday, 29 June 2005
Published in
Blues - CD Reviews
A hungry ghost’s cravings can never be satisfied and only the desire for truth can set one free from this existence. In much the same way that the Buddha enticed the hun…
23 Jun
145th Street Deluxe Blues Band by 145th Street Deluxe Blues Band
Thursday, 23 June 2005
Published in
Blues - CD Reviews
There are bands that can play the blues and there are "blues bands." This upstart group from Southern California is the real deal. The 145th Street Deluxe Blues Band…
The acknowledged Queen of Texas Blues is back. Blue Highway is Angela Strehli's first studio recording in seven years. Much to the delight of Strehli's many fans, si…
The legend of Jerry Garcia continues to grow with the passing of time. As more recordings are unearthed and issued remastered, it becomes more apparent than ever that th…
19 Jun
Blues Beginnings – Early Raw Electric Blues Masters by Various Artists
Sunday, 19 June 2005
Published in
Blues - CD Reviews
Blues collectors will welcome Blues Beginnings, a nice compilation of early electric blues. Empire Musicwerks offers a great selection of rare material that y…
16 Jun
The Blues According To Zacariah by Zac Harmon
Thursday, 16 June 2005
Published in
Blues - CD Reviews
Mississippi born bluesman, Zac Harmon, issued his second CD a couple of weeks ago. The new album highlights Harmon and his band "The Mid South Blues Revue" with a variety o…
Genius & Friends is a well-groomed follow up to the Grammy award-winning Genius Loves Company. While this album does not carry the weight that his swan son…
13 Jun
Overqualified For The Blues by Brian Blain
Monday, 13 June 2005
Published in
Blues - CD Reviews
Who says Canadians can’t sing the blues? Brian Blain, born in rural Quebec and active in the music scene for forty years, possesses a "northern" style that gives him a c…
06 Jun
Overqualified For The Blues by Brian Blain
Monday, 06 June 2005
Published in
Blues - CD Reviews
Colorblind' Brian Blain is one of the better-known blues aficionados in Canada. After decades as an artist and music editor in Canada, Blain's finally come out w…
03 Jun
From Linkoping to Memphis by Louise Hoffsten
Friday, 03 June 2005
Published in
Blues - CD Reviews
The latest effort from Swedish blues diva Louise Hoffsten, from Linkoping to Memphis, shows quite a bit of artistic growth on her part. Whereas the singer mostly stu…
Dyann Woody offers her listeners My Softer Side. I have to admit, I loved this album, every single song. Now how often do you hear someone say that? I would be …
The name Woody Russell summons images of a man sitting in a musky old bar on a wooden stool with his guitar, singing and telling stories. While this image may not be the…
26 May
Overqualified For The Blues by Brian Blain
Thursday, 26 May 2005
Published in
Blues - CD Reviews
Let's have a look at a new figure on the Canadian blues circuit. Brian Blain is a native of the eastern townships of Quebec. That's the portion of Quebec that borders on Ve…
23 May
The Devil Is A Busy Man by Various Artists
Monday, 23 May 2005
Published in
Blues - CD Reviews
Many blues and jazz collectors, including this reviewer, enjoy historical anthologies. These compilations provide us with a quick glimpse into a particular era, instrument …
Any time Eric Clapton releases an album there is a lot of anticipation and excitement. Clapton’s life continues to evolve and so does his recording career. An album, int…
18 May
Les Paul & Friends-American Made World Played by Les Paul
Wednesday, 18 May 2005
Published in
Blues - CD Reviews
Les Paul is 90 years old now. It is amazing that the man is still rockin’ after all these years. The only other person I can think of that performed at that age is Andre…
The Johnny Max Band recently came out with their third great CD Ride and Roll. It’s one of those rare musical finds that can grab the listener …
10 May
Make A Change Sometime by Nathan James & Ben Hernandez
Tuesday, 10 May 2005
Published in
Blues - CD Reviews
Everybody who loves country blues will welcome the arrival of a great acoustic duo from southern California. Nathan James and Ben Hernandez introduce their debut album M…
Jamie Oldaker's Mad Dogs & Okies is a very enjoyable CD for fans of the kind of laid-back, rootsy records the drummer made with Eric Clapton in the 1970s and 80s as …
Delbert McClinton has long been one of the most consistent and original singer/songwriters working in and around the blues. Cost of Living, his first release in over…
Maria Muldaur's first record sits on the desk as this review is written. That vinyl disc has graced my shelves since 1964. Muldaur's official billing on the Even Dozen J…