Trouble And Strife is a band of seasoned veterans that celebrates the blues, and its nucleus consists of Larry Kurtz on harmonica/vocals and Bruce Ley on guitar/piano/vocals. This self-titled effort should satisfy the most discerning blues aficionados. These guys along with one gal bring comprehensive resumes to the table, and it’s clear why so many shared stages with or opened up for some heavy duty names over the years, including Mel Brown, Lucky Peterson, and James Cotton. Th …

This young and very engaging Gatineau, Quebec singer/songwriter and guitarist has exploded onto the Canadian blues scene in the last couple of years, as her poise and talent has brought delight and generated appreciative nods from those been privileged to see and hear her. Roxanne Potvin has surefire musical instincts that enable her to latch onto any musical style or genre make it all sound as convincing as it gets. Her debut Careless Loving on the Northernblues label ( …

The title says essentially all you need to know. Legions of fans had been urging the Duke to release an ultra guitar-drenched release. If that’s you, get this ticket to Guitar Nirvana! With Guitar Groove-A-Rama, Robillard has shed virtually all excess baggage except bass and drums, save infrequent contributions from sax/keyboard. Even his vocals are de-emphasized on the 14 generous tracks where the master digs deep into his virtuosity "bag-of-tricks". It’s all abett …

"After The Storm" is a triumphant return for the Twisters, a band traumatized by when bass player James Taylor was lost in a 2005 accident during a road trip. There was a temptation to dissolve the enterprise, the shock was that intense. But two things made them reconsider. The first was the overwhelming support of their fans and the Canadian blues community; the second was the availability of one of Canadian’s finest standup bass players in Keith Picot. This band possesses …

Little Phil (Rosenberg) has an impressive resume, starting in 1964 as a 14-year old protégé with a Southern band called the Night Shadows. He was immediately recognized as a natural talent, even at that tender age. There was little reluctance putting him with the company of musicians 10 years older. The kid had the goods: persuasive voice, super-eager attitude, and an eye-popping James Brown-type stage persona Most of all, his soulful conviction went far beyond his years and helpe …