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Three years ago I
reviewed the first album, Long Road,
by southern California guitarist Diana Rein,
remarking then that I was looking forward to
seeing how Rein developed as both an artist and
a songwriter, concluding the review by saying, "She's
certainly got the potential for greatness." Fast
forward to 2019 and we now have a very strong
follow-up album,
Queen Of My Castle
(Gulf Coast Records). On her debut disc she had
the formidable task of playing all of the
instruments as well as singing, but this time
around she's backed by producer Michael Leasure
on drums, Dave Osti on bass and Drake Munkihaid
Shining on keyboards, plus a whole bunch of
background vocalists.
Rein
kicks off the album with a mid-tempo blues
shuffle, "Yes I Sing the Blues," a bit of an
autobiographical introduction while laying down
the first of many smokin' blues guitar chops.
She also sings about herself on the title cut,
an up-tempo blues shuffle on which she sends
that man away by singing, "... I'm the queen of
my castle, and you'll never be king ..." Rein
does some of her best guitar playing, handling
both the lead and rhythm parts, on "One Foot
In," telling perhaps that same man that she
caught him being unfaithful.
As
much as I like Rein on guitar, it's her vocals
that tantalize me the most, especially on the
light-hearted romp "Get Down" where she shouts
out powerful vocals over wah wah guitar riffs. I
mentioned in the review of Rein's previous album
that at times her voice took on the same quality
as that of a young Emmy Lou Harris, and we hear
that again on the slow country-ish tune "Chill
of the Night" and on "Time's Ticking Away."
Shining contributes a very nice organ solo on
the former tune, while Rein lays down a strong
guitar lead on the latter as she seeks to
inspire the listeners to be better people while
there's still time to do so.
Rein
pays tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughan on the
driving blues rock number "Pure Soul," with her
vocals showing more range and, of course, she's
hitting all of the right notes on her guitar.
Another keeper is the 12-bar blues "I Can't Quit
You," with Rein again demonstrating her
versatile skills on both guitar and vocals. She
knows that she should be getting away from that
"devil in disguise" but just can't bring herself
to leave.
It's
worth noting that all 15 cuts on Queen Of My
Castle are original compositions, making
Rein a triple threat --- guitarist, singer AND
creative songwriter. Like before, I'm looking
forward to hearing what's next from Diana Rein.
Let's hope it doesn't take another three years
for album number three.
--- Bill Mitchell
 Kansas
City-based singer / bassist Heather Newman
is back with her second very fine album, Rise
From The Flames (VizzTone), showcasing
vocals that contain plenty of sass and attitude.
Still only in her 20s, Newman is one of the many
young blues artists on the rise as shown here on
13 original numbers. Backing Newman is her
regular band, including Keith Ladd on guitar,
Ryan Matthew on keyboards and percussion, and
Adam Watson on drums. It's a tight ensemble,
especially highlighted by Matthew's organ and
piano playing.
There's a wide variety of styles heard on
Rise From The Flames, with the more soulful
numbers being my favorites. Most notable are the
two numbers on which a horn section is added ---
the brassy "Coming Home" and the funky
Memphis-style tune "Cheapshot." The horns
inspire Newman to add a lot more power to her
vocals. The closing number "That's All" is nice
bit of anthemic tune that really showcases her
ability to be one of the next new soul singers
on the scene today.
But
that's not all. Newman and the band also show
their jazzy side, especially with Matthew's
piano accompaniment, on "What Goes Around," as
she tries to figure out where her relationship
is going. "... Here we are at the gates of hell,
where we go from here nobody can tell ..." Ladd
comes in with a nice guitar solo around the
song's halfway point.
There's also plenty of blues on the album, most
notably the slow shuffle "She Sure Looks A Lot
Like Me," with Newman injecting an extra dose of
sass as she sings about who her ex-man is now
dating. Ladd throws in some hot blues guitar
licks on the funky blues "You Mean To Tell Me,"
with Newman's voice absolutely soaring across
the octaves. On the slow blues "Water and Wine,"
Newman tells her man in no uncertain terms just
what he needs to know, with Matthew laying down
solid organ accompaniment. Still another hot
slow number is "His Soul," on which Newman
shouts out the blues with plenty of extra
emotion.
The
youthful Newman has a lot of room for growth in
her career, but with this album as well as her
debut disc from last year she's certainly is off
to a fantastic start. Rise From The Flames
will most likely show up on a lot of Top Ten
lists at the end of the year.
--- Bill Mitchell
 Nancy
Wright has been around the blues scene for
over 30 years, with the last couple of decades
spent in the Bay Area. She's played with a lot
of notable artists, a list too long to even
begin documenting. While she's appeared on quite
a few albums as a supporting artist Wright has
also found time to record as a headliner, with
her fourth album being a live performance,
Alive & Blue (Direct Hit Records/VizzTone).
The session took place in late 2018 at The
Saloon in San Francisco, recorded by Robby
Yamilov and mixed by Kid Andersen, both of
Greaseland Studios fame.
Alive & Blue is a nice set of live blues
showcasing both Wright's instrumental prowess on
the sax as well as her powerful, bluesy vocals.
Rounding out the band is Paul Revelli on drums,
Tony Lufrano and keyboards, Jeff Tamelier on
guitar and Karl Sevareid on bass.
One
of the stronger cuts is a version of Allen
Toussaint's New Orleans classic, "What Do You
Want The Girl To Do," with nice guitar work by
Tamelier. Also in a Crescent City vein is the
opening instrumental, "Bugalu," giving Wright
the first chance to show off on her horn, and
then she does her best singing on the Irma
Thomas hit "In Between Tears," with her vocals
soaring over a funky beat.
Wright's version of Lazy Lester's Excello hit
"Sugar Coated Love" varies drastically from the
original as it's made into a rollicking shuffle.
The mid-tempo blues "Been Waiting That Long"
gives Wright a chance to shine on vocals and
with a red-hot sax solo, plus Tamelier gets to
show off on guitar. Lufrano contributes a nice
piano solo on Jay McShann's up-tempo rockin'
blues "Keep Your Hands Off Of Him."
Alive & Blue is certainly an appropriate
title for this CD, because you get more than an
hour of red hot blues that was recorded live.
Sound quality is very good, with the crowd noise
evident but not intrusive. Recommended.
--- Bill Mitchell
 Chicago Blues
Hall of Famer Mary Lane must enjoy taking
her time between recordings. Her last album,
Appointment With The Blues, arrived in the
early 1990s, but she’s been a mainstay on the
Chicago blues scene since the late 1950s. Now,
the 83-year-old singer is the first artist to
release an album on the new Women of the Blues
label, recently started by Lynn Orman Weiss.
Lane’s new
release, Travelin’ Woman, is so good that
her fans won’t be willing to wait another
20-plus years for another release, with ten
original tunes, nine written by Lane with
producer Jim Trulio, who plays guitar and bass
on most tracks.
The title track
opens the disc and serves as an introduction to
new listeners as Lane tells her story back to
her early days singing the blues down south,
backed by slide guitar from Louie Zagoras and
sax men Terry Ogolini and Gene “Daddy G” Barge.
The feisty shuffle “Ain’t Gonna Cry No More”
follows, with another sax legend, the late Eddie
Shaw, playing harmonica. The uptempo “Leave That
Wine Alone” features searing slide guitar from
Phil Miller and cool background vocals from
Simbryt Dortch and Yvonne Gage. Corky Siegel
guests on harp for the jaunty shuffle “Some
People Say I’m Crazy,” and the funky “Raining In
My Heart” features Sam Butler on guitar with
Miller again on slide.
“Let Me Into Your
Heart” is an excellent soul ballad. Chris
“Hambone” Cameron does a fine job with B3 and
piano and Lane turns in one of her best, most
heartfelt vocals on the album. The gritty
shuffle “Ain’t Nobody Else” features Billy
Branch on harmonica and Brazilian Indiara Sfair
plays harp on the funky “Blues Give Me A
Feeling.” Guitarist Dave Specter guests on the
driving shuffle “Bad Luck And Trouble,” and
guitarist Colin Linden and Lane collaborate on
the haunting acoustic closer “Make Up Your
Mind.”
One of the things
to enjoy about Lane is that when she sings, it’s
always about the song and not about the singer.
There’s no over-the-top vocal acrobatics that
sometimes get in the way with some of the
current crop of vocalists. She has a smooth
style that gets the message across, and the
album is so much better for it. Here’s hoping
that Mary Lane gets back to the studio as soon
as possible to give us more top notch blues as
heard on Travelin’ Woman.
--- Graham Clarke
 Master guitarist
Arlen Roth has assembled an amazing cast
of fellow guitar slinging greats for his latest
release, Tele Masters (Aquinnah Records).
Produced by Tom Hambridge, who also plays drums
on the sessions, the album features Steve
Cropper, Joe Bonamassa, Vince Gill, Albert Lee,
Bill Kirchen, Brad Paisley, Jack Pearson, Will
Ray, Steve Wariner, Jerry Donahue, Johnny Hiland,
Brent Mason, and Redd Volkaert. Also appearing
are lap steel guitarist Cindy Cashdollar,
acoustic guitarists Billy Panda and Bryan
Sutton, bassist Tommy McDonald, and vocalists
Sweet Mikey C and Roth’s daughter, Lexie.
Tele Masters
has something for guitar fans of every genre ---
blues, rock, country, and pop. The lively
opening track, “Remington Ride,” is an
instrumental wonder that features Roth and
Wariner with Cashdollar contributing lap steel.
Pearson lends a hand on the classic blues “Key
To The Highway,” also contributing a fine vocal
to go with his excellent fretwork. Meanwhile,
Cropper brings in a tune, "White Lightning,”
co-written with Hambridge, “ a country-flavored
track that also has a rare vocal from Cropper.
The torrid instrumental “Bunky” finds Roth and
Paisley playing at breakneck speed, while Link
Wray’s “Rumble” does just that in the capable
hands of Roth and former Hellecaster Will Ray.
Albert Lee and
Roth do a wonderful job on an instrumental read
of Paul Simon’s “Mrs. Robinson,” keeping the
song’s basic pop appeal but giving it a real
country feel with their guitar dynamics. On the
country standard “Satisfied Mind,” Gill and Roth
take their sweet time and produce a work of true
beauty, but the pace quickens at a jaw-dropping
pace as Roth and Brent Mason tear through Roth’s
“Roadworthy.” Pearson plays and sings on his own
“I Can Fix It,” a funky and soulful blues, while
Roth’s daughter Lexie does a marvelous job on
the classic “Tennessee Waltz” which is given a
jazzy feel via Roth’s stately guitar solo and
Panda’s acoustic accompaniment.
Bonamassa, Roth,
and Pearson team up for Bonamassa’s inspired
tribute to Albert Collins, “Joe’s Blues,” a
collaboration that would have definitely left a
huge smile on the late Master of the
Telecaster’s face. Roth’s tribute to the late
guitarist Danny Gatton, “Funky Mama,” is a
thumping blues shuffle with a touch of country
mixed in. Roth really brings the house down with
his amazing cover of “Ghost Riders In The Sky,”
perfectly augmented by Cashdollar’s steel
guitar; it's my own personal favorite track on
the disc.
Bill Kirchen
joins Roth for the new Roth original, “Tuff
Tele,” and Jerry Donohue (another former
Hellecaster --- trust me, if you’re a guitar
fan, you MUST check these guys out) lends a hand
on a rocking cover of Chuck Berry’s “Promised
Land,” with vocals from Sweet Mikey C. The
album’s closer is a lovely composition from Roth
and Redd Volkaert that deftly blends jazz and
the blues.
For guitar fans,
Tele Masters will a heavenly delight.
--- Graham Clarke
 Amour
(Stony Plain) is the first collaboration (but
hopefully not the last) between Colin Linden
and Luther Dickinson. It’s a wonderful
collection of vintage love songs from the blues,
R&B, country, and folk genres. The session was
recorded in Nashville, presently the home of
Linden who serves as musician and music
producer/director for the TV series Nashville,
as well as producer of the disc. Linden and
Dickinson join forces on guitar and are backed
by a band called The Tennessee Valentines
(Dominic Davis – bass, Bryan Owings – drums,
Kevin McKendree – keyboard, and Fats Kaplan –
violin/accordion).
Linden,
Dickinson, and The Valentines are joined by a
host of vocalists who give their all on these
classic songs, including contemporary singers
Rachael Davis, Ruby Amanfu, Sal Paladio,
Jonathan Jackson, and legendary country music
singer/songwriter Billy Swan. The latter still
has what it takes as he sings his own “Lover
Please,” one of Clyde McPhatter’s biggest
hits in the early ’60s and covered in the mid
’70s by Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge.
Paladio and Jackson are also cast members of
Nashville, and Palladio sings Ray Price’s
“Crazy Arms” while Jackson sings the old Elvis
Presley track “I Forgot To Remember To Forget.”
Nashville-based
Davis turns in excellent performances on Jimmy
Reed’s “Honest I Do” and on the traditional
“Careless Love,” a sharp instrumental version
played by Linden and Dickinson opening the disc.
Amanfu, born in Ghana but now based in
Nashville, gives a stirring reading of
Kristofferson’s “For The Good Times” and a
soulful performance of the Chuck Willis classic,
“What Am I Living For.” Linden ably handles
vocals on two tracks: Roy Hamilton’s late ’50s
R&B hit, “Don’t Let Go” (with backing vocals
from Davis and Amanfu), and a fun take on Bo
Diddley’s “Dearest Darling.”
Throughout the
album Linden and Dickinson complement each other
perfectly on guitar, giving the album a wide
range of styles that touch on blues, country,
soul, and even Cajun. As stated above, one can
only hope that this won’t be their only musical
collaboration. Amour is a sparkling set
that should please music lovers of all genres.
--- Graham Clarke
 Singer/songwriter/guitarist Eric Jerardi’s
latest album, Occupied (Niche Records),
was recorded in Sheffield, Alabama and features
the legendary Muscle Shoals rhythm section
(David Hood – bass, Clayton Ivey – keys, Milton
Sledge – drums, Kelvin Holley – rhythm guitar)
and the Muscle Shoals horns (Charles Rose –
trombone, Steve Herman – trumpet, Doug Moffet –
saxophone). Produced by David Z, this
exceptional but brief set features six originals
from Jerardi, plus one cover tune by Jerry Lynn
Williams and Jeff Healey.
I have to admit
that I got a few goose bumps during the
horn-driven intro to the soulful ballad “Do
Right By Him,” which reminded me of the Dan Penn
classic “Do Right Woman, Do Right Man,” maybe as
an answer to the ’60s classic. Jerardi’s soulful
vocals are complemented by some of his gritty
guitar work on “Whole Again,” a smooth,
mid-tempo blues shuffle speaking of redemption.
“Don’t Take It Personally,” penned by Williams
and Healey, is a sizzling funky rocker, while
the title track is a superb soul ballad that
would have been a great fit in the old Stax
Records catalog of hits.
“Never Let The
Old Man In” is a dose of swampy soul where
Jerardi advises listeners to do what they can to
stay young and vital, and “Deaf Lead The Blind”
is a slow burning ballad. The album concludes
with the poignant “In My Life,” a reflective
pop-soul ballad reflecting on the singer’s life
so far.
Jerardi’s vocals
are tailor-made for this material, smooth and
soulful with just the right amount of Memphis
grit, and the backing vocals of Marie Lewey and
Cindy Walker complement his own perfectly. His
nimble guitar work gives the album an extra
boost as well. Occupied is a most-welcome
addition to the soul-blues genre.
--- Graham Clarke
 Tiffany
Pollack and Eric Johanson met when Pollack
was reunited with her biological family at the
age of 25. Pollack got her start singing backup
for her New Orleans neighbor Russell Batiste.
She later formed her own band, Beaucoup Crasseux,
and also sang in several other local bands. She
left music to raise a family, working in the
mortuary business for a number of years before
returning to form her own jazz band.
Johanson has
built a solid reputation and career as lead
guitarist for Cyril Neville and Terrance Simien,
as well as releasing his debut album, Burn It
Down, in 2017 on Whiskey Bayou Records.
The duo recently
released their debut collaborative effort,
Blues In My Blood (Nola Blue Records), a
tasty set of blues, soul, and roots recorded and
produced in the Crescent City by Grammy winner
Jack Miele, with musical support from Phil Wang
and Miele (bass), Brentt Arcement (drums), John
Gros (keyboards), Johnny Sansone (harmonica),
Sean Casey (backing vocals), and the 504 Horns.
The disc features seven originals written by
Pollack and Johanson and four interesting
covers.
The title track
opens the disc, telling Pollack’s life story and
her discovery of her biological family and the
source of her musical roots, her emotional vocal
backed by Johanson’s slide guitar. Johanson
takes the mic for the moody “Memories To
Forget,” also featuring Sansone’s subdued
harmonica in support, and his slide guitar sears
behind Pollack’s feisty vocal on the funky “Keep
It Simple.” The haunting ballad “Michael” is a
tribute to a fallen soldier told from the
undertaker’s perspective, culminating with a
jazz funeral procession from the 504 Horns.
Pollack and
Johanson both sing on the topical rocker
“Diamonds On The Crown” before Johanson turns in
a dynamite reading of “No Expectations,” a
wonderful take of a Jagger/Richards track from
the Stones’ Beggars Banquet days, and
Pollack delivers a sultry reading of Nina
Simone’s “Do I Move You.” The blues rocker
“Slave of Tomorrow” is a tough southern rocker
with fierce guitar work, and “Get Lost With Me”
is a terrific slice of urban blues. Joni
Mitchell’s “River” gets a jazz-flavored
treatment from Pollack before the album closes
with an exceptional duet version of Pete
Seeger’s “If I Had A Hammer.”
Tiffany Pollack
and Eric Johanson are certainly powerful artists
individually, but when together on Blues In
My Blood, they make beautiful music.
Hopefully, this partnership will continue to do
so for a long time.
--- Graham Clarke
 Crazy All By
Myself (VizzTone) is Nick Schnebelen’s
debut studio release, after releasing two
excellent live releases over the five years
following the dissolution of his family’s
critically acclaimed band, Trampled Under Foot.
The guitarist/singer bowls a strike with this
spirited effort, featuring production from Tony
Braunagel and solid musical support from a core
band that includes Braunagel (drums), Mike
Finnigan (keys), Hutch Hutchinson (bass), Johnny
Lee Schell (rhythm guitar), and a host of guest
stars.
Schnebelen wrote
eight of the 13 tracks. The mid-tempo “It Ain’t
Me,” the funky “Bad Dream” and the slow burner
“I Leaned My Heart On You” were co-written with
Braunagel, while the tasty shuffle “Holding On,”
was co-written with Braunagel and D. L. Duncan.
Duncan also co-wrote the boogie rocker “Ain’t
Got Time For The Blues” and the bump and grind
title track with Schnebelen. Duncan also
ontributed the grungy Harley Davidson anthem
“I’m A Fatboy.” Schnebelen co-wrote the moody
ballad “Bad Disposition With The Blues” with
Gary Nicholson, and the excellent “Soul Magic”
with Jeff Paris.
There are also
impressive covers: J.J. Holiday’s “Lil’ Death,”
a scorching blues rocker, and Jimmie Wood’s
“Alter Of Love,” a driving shuffle powered by
Jason Ricci’s harp, before heading to the
Chicago West Side for a soulful take on Magic
Sam’s “Out Of Bad Luck,” and a fun redo of
Delbert McClinton’s “Monkey Around.”
Schnebelen is a
masterful guitarist and a powerful vocalist, and
the band provides superlative support. Other
contributing musicians include Paris (keyboards)
Reggie McBride (bass), Heather Newman (backing
vocals), Dave Knowles (guitar), Dustin Arbuckle
(harmonica), Lionel Young and Ada Pasternak
(violins), and Melody Perry (backing vocals).
It’s just a
matter of time before Nick Schnebelen rises to
the upper echelon of contemporary blues
performers. Heck, based on the results of
Crazy All By Myself, he’s well on the way
now.
--- Graham Clarke
 Rockin’
Johnny Burgin and Quique Gómez recently
combined their musical talents to produce a most
excellent set of traditional Chicago-styled
blues with a modern flair. Guitarist Burgin has
worked with Taildragger, Pinetop Perkins, among
others, and has released several acclaimed
albums on Delmark, while harp master Gómez has
issued several albums of his own and has
recorded with Willie Buck and Lorenzo Thompson.
He also leads his own band, Quique Gómez & his
Vipers, is a member of the Spanish band Gatos
Bizcos, and also sings jazz and swing with the
Bob Sands Big Band.
Burgin and
Gómez’s collaborative effort is called Dos
Hombres Wanted (VizzTone). It features a
whopping 14 songs, 12 originals and two covers.
The pair splits the vocal duties and are backed
by Eric Przygocki (bass), Stephen Dougherty
(drums), Josh Fulero (guitar), Greg Izor
(harmonica), and Christian Dozzler (keyboards,
accordion). Burgin wrote or co-wrote eight of
the 12 originals, including the opener, “Your
Charm Won’t Help You,” which rolls along
effectively with Burgin’s guitar and Gómez’s
harmonica complementing each other very well.
Gómez’s mid-tempo “Tell It Like It Is” is
equally effective with Burgin’s skittering
guitar backing his fiery harmonica.
The catchy blues
boogie “You Can’t Steal My Sugar” is from
Burgin’s pen but Gómez handles the vocal, while
Burgin sings on the Delta-flavored “The Jinx.”
Robert Lockwood, Jr.’s “Funny But True” is the
first cover, with Burgin capturing Lockwood’s
rich guitar tone perfectly on this slow burner.
Burgin’s “Ain’t No High Roller” is a funky
rocking blues, and “Everybody Loves My Baby” is
a fine Windy City blues.
Burgin co-wrote
“Coffee Can Blues” with Ilana Katz Katz, a slow
blues that features a particularly strong vocal
from the guitarist who also provides a sharp
guitar solo, and backed by mournful harp from
Gómez. Izor contributed “Livin’ Day To Day,” on
which Gómez steps up to the mic, and the
harmonica master sings his own “Otro Hombre”
(translated as “Another Man”), a great Spanish
language blues shuffle.
Burgin’s “Step It
Up Bro” is a funky blues given an old school
Louisiana feel with Dozzler on accordion. “The
Right To Hurt Me,” which Burgin co-authored with
Wes Race, is a cool stop-time blues, and “Are
You Ever” is a fast-paced jump blues that
features guest Izor on harp. The album closes
with a terrific cover of Tampa Red’s “Don’t
Blame Shorty,” a nice relaxed shuffle.
This musical
pairing is one that hopefully continues for a
while. It’s been fun to watch Rockin’ Johnny
Burgin develop over the years as he’s a fine
guitarist, songwriter, and singer, and Gomez is
an excellent harmonica player and a charming
singers. Fans of traditional blues with a twist
would do well to check out Dos Hombres Wanted.
--- Graham Clarke
 Highly regarded
in the Boston area as one of the city’s best
singer/songwriters, Dennis Brennan has
spent the last few years playing weekly with a
band of fellow blues lovers called The White
Owls (Andrew Plaisted – drums/vocals, Stephen
Sadler – pedal steel/vocals, Tim Gearan –
guitar/vocals, Jim Haggerty – upright
bass/vocals, David Westner – organ). Brennan
(vocals/harmonica), whose solo work spans a wide
variety of styles, but falls neatly within the
roots/Americana category, decided to put an
album together, Live At Electric Ladyland
(VizzTone), exploring the band’s take on the
blues, reHeather Newman ding a dozen tracks, mostly covers,
at Electric Ladyland Studio in Somerville,
Massachusetts.
The release kicks
off with a splendid mid-tempo read of Johnny
“Guitar” Watson’s “Cuttin’ In,” which showcases
Gearan’s crisp fretwork, before ripping into
Bobo Jenkins’ “Nothin’ But Love,” a faster-paced
shuffle that finds Brennan’s fiery harp work
complementing Gearan’s guitar perfectly. “Yes
I’m Loving You” is a rockabilly raver from the
pen of Big Al Downing, a perfect lead-in for the
sweet slow burner, “End of The Blues,” penned by
Gearan. Up next is a great cover of Jimmy Reed’s
“Good Lover” and a zany take of a real oldie
called “The (New) Call of The Freaks,”
originally cut in the late 1920’s by Luis
Russell And His Burning Eight.
The somber tale
of regret, “Tangle,” was written by Brennan,
Plaisted, and Haggerty, and “Three Kinds of
Blues,” written by Sadler, is a swampy,
atmospheric ballad. Willie Dixon’s ode to the
good life, “I Live The Life I Love,” is
faithfully recreated, the first of four covers
that close out the disc. Other covers are a
rocking take on Mose Allison’s “Foolkiller,” a
fast-paced, swinging version of Leadbelly’s “I’m
On My Last Go Round,” and the second excellent
cover of the Rolling Stones’ “No Expectations”
that I’ve heard this month.
Live At
Electric Ladyland has the sound and feel of
a band that is totally into the music that
they’re playing, having a great time playing it
and just deciding to record the session on the
fly. It’s that free and loose quality that makes
listening so compelling. Hopefully, this won’t
be the last we hear from Dennis Brennan And The
White Owls.
--- Graham Clarke
 The Vegas
Strip Kings’ roots can be traced back to the
group Contino, who recorded Back Porch Dogma
for Blind Pig Records in 2012. Two members of
Contino, Billy Truitt (keys, accordion, lead and
backing vocals) and Rob Edwards (bass), teamed
with Al Ek (guitars, harmonica, vocals), Justin
Truitt (drums, percussion), and BMA-nominee
Jimmy Carpenter (sax, lead vocals). The band’s
new release, Jackpot!, is a heady mix of
blues, rockabilly, zydeco and Americana,
consisting of nine originals and three covers.
The opening two
tracks, “Rotgut Run” and “It Ain’t,” were both
penned by the members of Contino for their
album. The former is a thumping rockabilly
boogie that might leave a mark, and the latter
is a breakneck-paced rocker punctuated by
Carpenter’s yakety sax and Ek’s pedal steel
guitar. The mid-tempo “Jesus On The Dash” has a
definite Tex-Mex feel thanks to Truitt’s lilting
accordion, and “Lately” is a smoky after-hours
ballad. Meanwhile, the Latin-flavored
“Screeching Halt” features more accordion and
Carpenter’s spirited sax, and “Take It Easy” is
a ferocious update of a classic Willie Love
song.
The upbeat “Back
To You” has a unique sound, with Truitt’s zydeco-styled
accordion and Ek’s pedal steel. “V8 Ford,”
another Willie Love tune, gets a driving
guitar-charged update from the piano-driven
original, while the funky “Hold On” finds Ek
blowing harp but also features a powerful sax
break from Carpenter.
“Pawnbroker”
mixes Cajun, zydeco, and swamp blues, and the
shuffle “Life Of Me” deftly mixes country and
the blues. Willie Dixon’s “Same Thing” gets the
slow burning treatment, with the band stretching
this one out to nearly seven minutes before the
hard-charging closer, “Sharp As A Razor,” wraps
the album up in slick rockabilly fashion.
Jackpot!
is a very enjoyable album. The Vegas Strip Kings
show a remarkable versatility with their sound,
effortlessly bridging the gap between the blues,
rockabilly, zydeco, and Americana. Fans who dig
any of these genres will find much to satisfy
them with this thoroughly entertaining disc.
--- Graham Clarke
 Dirty Red &
The Soul Shakers represented Oklahoma in the
2018 International Blues Challenge, advancing to
the semi-finals. The band is led by Dirty Red
himself (a.k.a. Eric McDaniel –
vocals/harmonica) and feature guitarist Ike
Lamb, drummer Forrest Worrell, bassist John
Stendel, and a potent horn section dubbed, what
else, the Dirty Red Brass Section
consisting of Matt Blagg – trumpet, Kevin Webb –
trombone, Chris Hicks – saxophone). Their latest
release, Cloudless Day, was produced by
Chris Hardwick, known for his production work
with Watermelon Slim (Lamb and Worrell are both
Watermelon Slim & the Workers alumni).
McDaniel wrote or
co-wrote all but one of the ten tracks and
they’re a glorious mix of rocking blues and
soul, from the greasy funk of “Hot Sauce” to the
horn-fueled “Creepin’” to the old school soul of
“Touch Of A Woman” to the raucous fun of “The
Party Don’t Get Started Till I Get Here.” “New
Day Dawning” mixes swampy blues with twangy surf
guitar, and “Sweet Potato Pie” has a southern
rock feel, while the title track is a easygoing
ballad.
“Hard Bad Habit”
is a sturdy roadhouse rocker and “Pretty Boy
Blues” is a slow burner that burns indeed with
McDaniel’s tough vocal and harp, Lamb’s sinewy
guitar work, and keyboards from guest Chris
Wiser. The final track is a hard-charging
version of the Willie Dixon/Sonny Boy Williamson
classic “Help Me Baby.”
McDaniel has a gritty, feral growl of a voice
that is perfectly suited for this brand of music
and the band provides stellar support.
Cloudless Day is a highly enjoyable album of
modern hard-rocking blues meant to be played
loud.
--- Graham Clarke
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