|
 Chris
Beard is the son of Rochester, New York
blues legend Joe Beard, and on Pass It On
(Blue Heart Records), the second member of the
family to play the blues continues to show that
he's every bit as legit as his dad. The younger
Beard is certainly not new to the scene, having
started his recording career in 1998, when his
Barwalkin' album earned him a W.C. Handy
nomination as Best New Blues Artist.
Beard's most recent release is the seventh album
in his name, and it's a very strong collection
of 10 solid blues songs, eight originals and two
well-chosen covers, blending in soul and funk
sounds to the mix. In addition to his regular
working band, Beard brings in a host of special
guests, mostly notably his father Joe on the
title cut.
"Let
The Chips Fall" opens the album with a funky
drum solo before Beard's blues guitar and the
soulful horn section join in for an up-tempo
soul/blues masterpiece. Beard has a rich voice
that's capable of showing a range of emotions,
and we hear it first on this very fine number.
Beard then shows that he his blues guitar licks
can match the pain in his voice on the slow
blues "One More Cry For Love," as he sings
about young girl who was forced to leave home
and live on the streets because she wouldn't
give up the baby on the way.
"Big
Girl" is an up-tempo blues about that big girl
with the little dress on sitting in the bar, but
she's certainly out of his league. "Pass It On Down" is a
slow blues on which Beard sings about the effect
that his dad has had on his life and his career,
with the elder Beard joining in to voice his
love and respect for his son. He encourages
Chris to 'pass it on down' to the next
generation, just like he did. Very touching
number.
Beard really shows the pain in his voice on the
killer slow blues "House Of Shame," with the
guitar breaks echoing the blues he's feeling.
For my money, "House Of Shame" is one of the
best cuts here. The mood and tempo changes
considerably on the funky New Orleans-ish
number, "When Love Comes Knocking," with John
Tucker contributing the essential organ
accompaniment. This one will have you out on the
dance floor.
Louisiana blues artist Kenny Neal recorded
"Son I Never Knew" in 1989, and Beard traveled
down to Baton Rouge to cut his version of this
slow blues with Neal helping out on rhythm
guitar. A fantastic song given plenty of emotion
for the man trying to meet that son, pleading to
at least tell the boy that he's just an old family
friend. This one should earn nominations for
Blues Song of the Year at the next awards
programs.
"Keeps Me Believing" is a slow soul ballad with
plenty of strings behind Beard's expressive
vocals as he sings about holding on to the good
times he's shared with that special woman so
that they can
keep the faith in their relationship. "Who Do
You Think You're Foolin'" ups the tempo and
noise level with Beard's stinging guitar solos
and a wall of horns taking us back to the 1970s.
Closing the album is a mournful slow blues,
"Bitter Baby," with Beard expressing the pain in
his heart through both his vocals and guitar
playing. Another highlight here is the tasteful
piano solo from Jonathan Curry. It's a strong
ending to one of the best blues albums of the
year.
The release of Pass It On will hopefully
garner more international acclaim for Beard.
He's long overdue for a move into the upper
echelon of blues cats. Highly recommended.
--- Bill Mitchell
 Last November, soul blues artist
Dave Keller and
his band (Ira Friedman – keyboards, Jay Gleason
– drums/percussion, and Alex Budney – bass)
traveled to a remote cabin in the Adirondack
Mountains, ten miles from the Canadian border,
and recorded It’s Time To Shine (Tastee-Tone
Records). Huck Bennert, Ronnie Earl’s longtime
engineer, drove up with a Subaru full of
recording equipment and the band recorded the
album live, without headphones, all in one room
of the cabin. Keller wrote all 12 songs and
produced the album with Dz (Big Diesel) serving
as executive producer.
The gritty “Waiting For The Sunrise” opens the
disc. Keller’s vocals and guitar work are spot
on and Friedman’s keyboards give this rocker a
unique feel. “The Truth Of The Blues” rocks even
harder, and the band really locks in behind
Keller’s impassioned vocals as he implores all
of us to get on the same page to address
society’s ills.
The sparkling “789-0133” is a
cool soul number that adds horns from Mark Earley (tenor/baritone saxes) and Tom Palance
(trumpet) and backing vocals from Annika
Chambers-DesLauriers,. On the inspired title
track, Keller declares that he’s no longer
standing back in the shadows but stepping up and
taking his moment in the sun … words that everyone
can and should relate to.
If you can listen to “I Wanna Go Back To
Memphis” and NOT want to go to Memphis, you may
need to reevaluate your life. The song’s Stax
feel, with horns and backing vocals, as well as the shoutouts to the river, sweet tea, and Beale
Street make me want to go back this weekend.
“The First Time With You” is a beautiful ballad
about new love, highlighted by Keller’s strong
vocals and crisp guitar work, the horns, and
Friedman’s B3. “Nothing Like Your Love” is
an energetic, upbeat soul raver that carries the
theme forward, while Gleason and Budney’s rhythm
work drive the hard-charging retro rocker “Paint
A New Life Together.”
“Full Measure Of Pleasure” is an excellent tune
that mixes blues themes with soul and rock, and
“Mayor Of Memory” is an interesting song about a
man remembering everything --- good and bad --- that’s
taken place in his relationship. I enjoyed
Keller’s lyrical approach on this one.
The
sentimental “Something ‘Bout A Sad Song” strikes
me as being a solid fit in several genres, but
Keller’s southern soul version is first-rate.
The mid-tempo soul number “Hard To Believe”
closes the album, with the realization that the
lady he thought was out of his league was really
in love with him.
The rustic setting seems to bring out a raw,
unvarnished SOULFUL feel to It’s Time To Shine,
even more so than Keller’s previous releases
that set a pretty high bar in the first place.
The musical rapport between Keller and the band
is amazing, and this batch of songs are among his
finest. This album should have a spot in every
soul and blues music fan’s collection.
--- Graham Clarke
 Soul blues legend
Johnny Rawls returns to Catfood Records after a six-year absence from
the label with Walking Heart Attack,. He also
reunites with Catfood’s excellent house band,
The Rays (Dan Ferguson – keys, Richy Puga –
drums, Johnny McGhee – guitar, Bob Trenchard –
bass, Randy Roman – sax solos, Nick Flood –
baritone/tenor/alto sax, Mike Middleton –
trumpet, Frank Otero – trombone), with Jon
Olazabal (percussion) and background vocalists
Janelle Thompson and Sharkara Weston. The ten
tracks include four written by Rawls and
Trenchard, one by Trenchard and Rawls apiece,
one by label mate Derrick Procell, and three
classic covers.
The title track opens the disc, a funky slice of
soul that describes the woman that every guy has
probably encountered at least once in their
lifetime with mixed results, with Roman taking the
first of several memorable solos on this track.
Next is a super cover of the Otis Clay (who
recorded the magnificent Soul Brothers album
with Rawls in 2014) classic “Trying To Live My
Life Without You,” which is followed by “Free,”
penned by Rawls, where he gives thanks for the
things he has instead of thinking about what he
doesn’t have. Good advice for everyone.
“Tell Me The Truth” is a solid soul blues number
that features McGhee’s crisp guitar and punchy
horns. Rawls served for a number of years as
guitar player and band leader for O.V. Wright,
even did a tribute album to Wright in 2013
(Remembering O.V.), so it’s only appropriate
that Rawls covers Wright, and “Born All Over”
serves as a perfect vehicle for his soulful
pipes.
Procell contributes “Heal Me,” an
easygoing soul number with a little bit of a
gospel feel, compliments of Ferguson’s
keyboards. “One More Sin” features Rawls on
guitar. It’s a cool up-tempo soul track that
would work well crossing over into another
genre.
Rawls also plays guitar on “Lies,” a mid-tempo
soul heartbreaker that features one of Rawls’
best vocal outings on the album. Bruce
Springsteen’s “Hungry Heart” may not seem like
an ideal cover for a soul and blues recording,
but the song’s message should resonate.
Rawls is able to move the track from its Jersey
origins to give it more of a southern soul feel.
Trenchard wrote the reflective closer,
“Mississippi Dreams,” which seems to strike a
chord with Rawls, a Columbia, Mississippi native.
Walking Heart Attack is another fine addition to
the Johnny Rawls catalog. The veteran soul blues
man continues to produce one quality release
after another with no signs of letting up any
time soon.
--- Graham Clarke
 I really enjoyed
Chris Yakopcic’s second
release, The Next Place I Leave, which was
released in 2015. The acoustic guitarist dazzled
with his nimble guitar work, his superb covers
of classic blues tunes, and his own original
compositions. In fact, his album was one of
several released that year actually
encouraging me to dig deeper into not only
this contemporary acoustic blues guitarist, but to
revisit many of the pre-war artists that I had
ventured away from.
His latest album,
Live At
The Hidden Gem (Yako Records), was recorded at
the Dayton, Ohio music club cited in the title.
It’s a solo set, with Yakopcic performing half
originals and half covers to a highly
appreciative audience.
The opener is “Gotta Get Goodbye Somehow,” a
lively Yakopcic original, featuring that
fast-fingered fret work and some vocal
gymnastics as well. His cover of Blind Blake’s
“Chump Man Blues” shows that he’s completely
familiar with and adept at the legendary ragtime
fingerpicker’s style. The rapid-paced “When
It All Goes Wrong At Once” tells the tale of a
man down on his luck. Yakopcic covers three
Robert Johnson songs on this set, the first
being “Traveling Riverside Blues,” which he
gives a refreshingly original reinterpretation,
adjusting tempo back and forth throughout the
song.
“The Hangover” is an amusing Yakopcic original
which tells the tale of a man waking up in a
limousine with no recollection of the night
before. The cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Tower of
Song” is first rate, rolling along with a real
bluegrass feel. The second Johnson cover is a
warm version of “Kind Hearted Woman,” which Yakopcic tells the audience was the first song
he ever learned to play.
The vividly descriptive
“Sounds Of The Highway” was one of my favorites
on his previous album, so it was nice to hear it
once again, and Tom Waits’ train song, “2:19,”
gets a crisp treatment, with Yakopcic’s urgent
guitar speeding the song along.
On “Sweet Time Blues,” Yakopcic really captures
the classic pre-war blues sound, even “sampling”
the classic “St. Louis Blues” within the guitar
break. His last original, the tender “My Last
Three Strings,” was also on his last album. The
set closes with the third Robert Johnson tune,
the fiery “Preachin’ Blues,” and he does a
magnificent job on this track with spectacular
guitar work and a powerful vocal.
Chris Yakopcic’s
Live At The Hidden Gem captures
this artist at his best as he provides a
masterful mix of originals and covers. Fans of
acoustic blues guitar will certainly want to get
their hands on this superb set.
--- Graham Clarke
 The Groove Krewe is based in South Louisiana, led by writer/producers Rex Pearce, Nelson
Blanchard, and Dale Murray. Their music has been
featured in movies, television, and radio.
Their previous release, Run To Daylight,
featured Nick Daniels of Dumpstaphunk as
frontman, and mixed Memphis-style blues and soul
with New Orleans-flavored R&B and funk.
Their
latest effort is a five-song EP, Blues From The
Bayou (Sound Business Services, LLC), and
featured singer/guitarist Jonathon “Boogie” Long
as frontman (he played guitar on the band’s
previous release). Pearce, Blanchard, and Murray
(with Terry Duncan on one tune) collaborated on
all five songs and provided most of the music.
Long, whose self-titled 2018 release was one of
my favorites, is at his best on these five
tracks, providing his robust vocals and inspired
guitar work. The opening track, “Ain’t No If
About It,” is a horn-fueled rocker that’s bound
to get feet on the dance floor. “Lightnin’ Done
Struck Again” is a mid-tempo soul and blues
track. Long proves to be more than adept at
these genres as well, with stinging fretwork and
a heartfelt vocal.
“Dangerous Curves” is a
smooth and funky R&B tune that’s a lot of fun,
and “Empty Pocket Blues” is a tough downhome
blues that’s right in Long’s wheelhouse. The
closer, “Eclipsed By Love,” mixes blues and soul
into a Southern rock gumbo.
Assisting Long (vocals/lead guitar), Pearce
(guitar), Blanchard
(keyboards/guitar/bass/background vocals), and
Murray (percussion) on these outstanding tracks
are drummers Eddie Bayers and David Peters,
bassists David Hyde and Leon Medica, guitarist
Tony Haselden, background vocalist Elaine
Foster, and a terrific horn section that
includes Jason Parfait, Ian Smith, Bobby Campo,
Pete Verbois, and Chris Belleau.
Blues From The Bayou is a relatively short
listen (17 minutes), but you certainly won’t
mind hitting “replay” several times. The five
songs are all top notch efforts,
and hopefully Long and the Groove Krewe will
reassemble and give us a full album’s worth in
the near future.
--- Graham Clarke
 I wasn’t familiar with
Louis Michot, the
fiddle-playing frontman for the Lost Bayou
Ramblers, until I reviewed a couple of albums
released by his side project, Michot’s Melody
Makers, over the last few years. Michot recently
released his first solo album, Rêve du
Troubadour (Nouveau Electric Records), and it’s
an eclectic mix of traditional and modern
sounds, blending Cajun, zydeco, blues, and folk.
Michot plays fiddle, guitars, bass, accordion,
and various percussion instruments, and is joined
by a host of other musicians, including Leyla
McCalla, Nigerian Tuareg guitarist Bomino,
Quintron, Shardé Thomas and her Rising Star
Drums and Fife group, Corey Ledet, Langhorn
Slim, Dickie Landry, and fellow Ramblers Bryan
Webre and Kirkland Middleton.
Quintron joins Michot on the opener, “Amourette,”
providing a modern hip-hop feel that complements
Michot’s fiddle on this classic Cajun song
originally recorded in the mid ’30s. Thomas and
her bandmates back Michot on the haunting title
track, which adds a bit of the North Mississippi
hill country sound with satisfying results.
Guitarist Langhorn Slim is featured on “Ti Coeur
Bleu,” which has a mainstream feel, due in part
to his guitar work, and “Souvenir de Porto Rico”
features McCalla’s cello and the violin duo
String Noise engaging Michot’s fiddle and
guitar.
Michot recorded parts of the album at his home,
on his houseboat studio, where he kept studio
mics outside the boat to capture the sounds of
the birds and insects. The solo track “Les Beaux
Jours” really captures that quality of the
recordings.
Saxophonist Dickie Landry guests on
“Boscoyo Fleaux,” which offers Michot rapping
over Landry’s avant garde sax blowing. “Jean
Cuan Dit Gentil” is a historical ballad about a
Frenchman who wed a French Creole in Alabama and
moved back to Louisiana, leading into the
hypnotic “Le Cas de Marguerite” that introduces Bombino’s unique guitar work into the mix.
Corey Ledet plays accordion on “Acadiana Culture
Backstep,” a lilting dance tune that’s just
marvelous. The closer, “Chanquaillier-Tchen-Ka-Yay,”
is a collage of sorts, blending a couple of old
recordings with modern studio tricks.
With
Rêve du Troubadour, Louis Michot combines
the history and traditions of the Cajun/zydeco
world with contemporary music --- blues, hip-hop,
and World. Like all of Michot’s music that I’ve
been able to hear, it makes for compelling music
and always leaves you eagerly anticipating what
direction he will take with his next release.
--- Graham Clarke
 Nick Wade took his first music lesson at the age
of five when his grandfather, who played with
Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, taught him
to play the trainer flute. He became serious
about music in his early 20’s, teaching himself
guitar and playing Chicago electric blues, but
he gravitated toward Robert Johnson’s music and
decided to devote himself to country blues and
spiritual music. He’s played numerous festivals
and performed with many of today’s best blues
artists, such as Bobby Rush, Jimmy “Duck” Holmes,
Corey Harris, Guy Davis, RL Boyce, Lightnin’
Malcolm, Watermelon Slim, and Little Freddie
King.
Wade’s debut release is the stunning
Feeling
Good Is Good Enough (Extra Sensory Productions),
a 12-track set of original country blues and
spirituals featuring Wade’s powerful vocals and
guitar work (using a 1936 Gibson-made Kalamazoo
and a 2022 Goodman Grand Concert) with L’il
Ronnie Owens guesting on harmonica for one
track. He recorded all the songs live to tape in
the studio and outdoors in Green Springs, Virginia.
“Sky Line Blues,” the opening track, is an
original song from Wade, but it very much has
the feel of the classic pre-war country blues
with his fingerpicked guitar and gruff vocals.
“Sing With The Angels” is a gospel blues
continuing in that vein, with a haunting vocal
and driving fretwork.
“Broke And Busted”
addresses themes that are all too familiar with
present-day listeners, and “Ease On Down The
Road” describes the life of an itinerant
bluesman. L’il Ronnie joins Wade on harmonica
for the bleak “Lonesome Copperhead Snake,” which
leads to the brief, but lively instrumental “Ragmuffin.”
“When You Bury My Body” is a meditative tune
reflecting on what’s to be done when death comes
and what takes place afterward. “The Broken
Hearted Man” has the feel of an old Mississippi
John Hurt tune in Wade’s picking, but his vocals
have a bit more anguish. “Down The Way” is a
somber blues with strong, emphatic guitar and
vocals. “Engineer Blues” is a train song,
familiar in early blues, but Wade avoids cliché
and gives the theme his own personal spin.
The powerful “Crucifixion” is Wade’s telling of
Christ’s story through the eyes of Jesus, his
lyrics give the song a powerful blues effect
that will remind some of Robert Johnson’s works,
with his vocals and guitar perfectly conveying the
message behind the lyrics. The album closes with
the jaunty instrumental “Raggin’ My Blues Away.”
If you have an ear for the acoustic, pre-war
guitar blues, I strongly recommend that you
check out Nick Wade and Feeling Good Is Good
Enough. The Virginia guitarist effectively
captures the feel of the 1920’s and 30’s blues
and shows that it’s still a firm fit in the
2020s.
--- Graham Clarke
 Between producing critically acclaimed,
award-winning albums for Buddy Guy, Keb’ Mo’,
Christone “Kingfish” Ingram and many others, Tom Hambridge managed to find a little time to work
on and release his own album, Blu Ja Vu (Quarto
Valley Records), a superb set of tunes written
by Hambridge with Richard Fleming and others,
featuring an all-star roster in support,
including Guy, Ingram, Joe Bonamassa, Josh
Smith, James Cotton, Glenn Worf, and Chuck
Leavell. Hambridge handles drums, percussion,
and vocals and is backed on most tracks by
guitarists Rob McNelley and Bob Britt, bassist
Tommy MacDonald, keyboardists Kevin McKendree
and Jon Coleman, and background vocalist Emil
Justin.
It's hard to imagine a better way to kick off
this disc than for Hambridge to team up with
Buddy Guy on the killer “Ain’t That Just Like
Love,” with rambunctious keyboards from McKendree
and a torrid guitar break from Guy. Bonamassa
joins in on “That’s My Home,” contributing crisp
guitar and strong vocals. “Wear You Out”
(co-written by Gary Nicholson) is a fierce
rocker paying tribute to a ’54 Strat, a Cadillac
Eldorado, and a woman who just can’t be
satisfied.
“Blues Don’t Care” features Hambridge
with Kingfish on guitar and vocals, and the pair
turn in a great performance on this cool blues
tune, and the scorcher “Sick With Love” features
the fiery guitar work of McNelley.
“Automatic” is a raucous rock n’ roller about a
’65 T-Bird, metaphorically speaking, while
“Symptoms Of Love” is a funky rocker that serves
as a sequel to the earlier “Sick With Love.” The
late, great James Cotton guests on harmonica for
the stirring instrumental “Brother John’s
Boogie,” and it’s certainly great to hear Mr.
Superharp once again, teaming with McNelley’s
soaring surf guitar.
“Get Outta Town” is a rowdy
toe-tapper with great fretwork and keyboards,
and Josh Smith contributes ominous guitar to
“Smarter Than I Was,” as Hambridge comes to the
realization that his lady won’t be coming home
tonight.
On “Johnny Winter,” Hambridge asks a question
that a lot of blues (and rock) fans wonder
about. Why isn’t the blues-rock legend in the
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. A good question, for
sure, and McNelley adds some Winter-esque slide
guitar to stress the point. “Meet Me In
Chicago,” co-written by Robert Randolph, is a
fast-paced number with more McNelley slide
guitar work and Hambridge stands out on the drum
kit as well.
The closer, “End Of The Line,”
finds Hambridge pondering his future and hoping
he’s not the last man standing.
I certainly hope Tom Hambridge is not the last
man standing, but he has left a superb body of
work with his production of numerous blues
artists and his own solo efforts. Blu Ja Vu is
the best effort I’ve heard from his own catalog
and I hope we get to hear many more albums from
him as a producer and an artist.
--- Graham Clarke
 The
Bluesland Horn Band, out of Canada, recently
released their sixth album, appropriately
entitled Six. The band’s initial run was
from 1998 to 2004, but they reformed in 2013
after a near-decade by guitarist Terry Medd, who
produced the new album and wrote all ten tracks,
mostly during the pandemic period. The songs are
a solid lot based on the musical styles found in
the Memphis and New Orleans regions, with a few
surprises thrown in. There’s a long list of
musical contributors listed in the album
credits, but they are primarily an eight-piece
unit with Marty Cochrane handling most of the
vocals.
“My
Old Truck” opens the album, a Crescent
City-flavored good time number that gives a
nostalgic feeling. The funky “Creole Queen”
keeps the New Orleans vibe going, as Cochrane
sings the praises of the city. “Shuffle In The
Attic” is a cool blues instrumental that rolls
right along, and “Rock My Roll” is a grinding
rock n’ roller, highlighted by the horns and
Medd’s slide guitar. Guest vocalist Big Hank
Lionhart adds an ominous tone to the swampy
blues “Keep The Devil Behind,” and the second
instrumental, “Alley Shuffle,” has a rollicking
Kansas City feel.
“Holy Water” is a soulful blues ballad with a
warm vocal from Cochrane, “Not Ready” is a jazzy
tune about our ongoing efforts to defy Father
Time, and “Solitaire” is a Latin-tinged ballad
that features Cochrane with guest vocalist Rita
McDade.
The
album wraps with “So Long, Goodbye,” a Windy
City blues with vocals and harp from Jack Lavin
(who also plays bass on this and several other
tracks).
Six is an excellent set of well-crafted
songs and performances from a seasoned set of
veterans in The Bluesland Horn Band.
--- Graham Clarke
 Anthony
Rosano (vocals/guitar) and the Conqueroos
(Kyle McCormick – drums, Jake Fultz – bass) join
up with Tab Benoit on his Whiskey Bayou Records
label for their latest effort, Cheat The
Devil. Rosano and the band are veterans of
the International Blues Challenge, having
advanced to the semi-finals a couple of times
with their fierce mix of traditional blues and
rock. The new album features ten tracks, nine
written by Rosano, that recall the classic
sounds of late ’60s/early ’70s guitar-fueled
blues-rock, but with a thoroughly modern
approach.
The
opener, “Sweet Little Devil,” locks into a
tough, edgy groove, and Rosano’s searing
fretwork really sends the track to a higher
level. “My Baby Gets Around” is a gritty blues
about a woman doing her man wrong. The blues
ballad “What Kind of Fool” goes down in the
alley with Rosano’s grungy guitar and his
soulful vocal, while “Keeps Adding Up” is a
roadhouse rocker highlighted by Rosano’s crisp
guitar and the Conqueroos’ steady-driving
rhythm. “Sin City” simply sizzles and features
some of Rosano’s best playing with standout
support from the band.
The
intense “Jonesboro Road” is a sweaty mix of
blues, rock, and funk, the mid-tempo “Rosalita”
tells the story of man leaving his lady whose
“beauty is like summer rain” for a trip across
the sea, and the haunting “Shook” paints a vivid
picture of the aftermath of a broken
relationship.
The
ominous “Scattered Bones” is a swampy, growling
blues rocker, and the vibrant title track
provides ample opportunity for Rosano’s soaring
slide guitar. The album wraps with a powerful
cover on Slim Harpo’s “King Bee,” which takes
the swamp blues standard in a fresh, new
direction.
Fans
of guitar-driven blues-rock will find much to
savor with Anthony Rosano and the Conqueroos’
Cheat The Devil. It’s a superb set of
original tunes played with grit and intensity.
--- Graham Clarke
 Jason
Ricci and The Bad Kind’s recent release,
Behind The Veil, is the band’s first for
Gulf Coast Records. The New Orleans-based
harmonica master and band --- Ricci’s wife
Kaitlin Dibble (vocals/background vocals), Brent
Johnson (guitar/background vocals), Jack Joshua
(bass/vocals/background vocals), and John
Perkins (drums/background vocals) --- are joined
by guests Joe Krown (piano/Hammond B3), Gulf
Coast labelmate Joanna Connor (guitar), and
Lauren Mitchell (background vocals).
Ricci has drawn much attention over the past two
and a half decades for his skillful harmonica
playing, overcoming substance issues to continue
his career as a touring musician, recording
artist, and teacher.
The
opener, “Casco Bay,” is an atmospheric tune
about a seaport that’s a bit like a sea shanty.
as the voices and Ricci’s harp have an ethereal
feel and it’s an interesting beginning to the
album. Dibble sings the next track, “5 – 10 –
15,” a New Orleans-flavored swinger previously
recorded in the ’50s by Ruth Brown, and it
includes Krown on piano with Johnson provides
some shimmering lead guitar.
Ricci gets an opportunity to put his harp skills
on full display with the nimble instrumental
“Baked Potato,” and Joshua takes lead vocals on
his own “Cirque du Soleil,” a mid-tempo blues
shuffle.
The
next song combines Dibble’s “Wrong Kind of Easy”
with a cover of Little Walter’s “Nobody But You”
(written by Walter Spriggs of the 5 Echoes). The
resulting medley strikes a saucy jazz with
terrific performances from Dibble, Johnson, and
Ricci, who also joins his wife on vocals for the
latter tune.
Ricci also sings on the riproaring cover of
Bobby Rush’s “Ain’t She Fine,” and the slow
burning cover of “St. James Infirmary.” His
vocals are a good fit for the emotional tone of
the song, with his amazing harmonica taking over
the second half of the tune.
The
playful duet “Why Don’t We Sleep On It” was
written by Ricci after an argument with Dibble,
and the pair has a great time delivering it.
“Terrors of Nightlife” was written by Dax Riggs
of the metal band Acid Bath. Ricci and Dibble
again share the mic on this somber ballad and
Johnson gives a crisp guitar solo that fits the
song perfectly.
Dibble’s “No Way” is a fierce blues rocker that
is highlighted by her powerful vocal, Ricci’s
harp (based around “Spoonful”), and Connor’s
soaring slide guitar. Joshua sings a slow blues
version of Jeff Turmes’ “Shipwreck,” with superb
contributions from Ricci and Johnson.
Speaking of superb, check out the closing track,
a fantastic take on Booker T & the M.G.’s “Hip
Hug Her,” that stretches to nearly eight minutes
and gives the entire band (plus Krown) plenty of
space to strut their stuff.
Behind The Veil features well-crafted
original tunes, an intriguing set of cover
tunes, and marvelous performances from Jason
Ricci and The Bad Kind.
--- Graham Clarke
 Tom
Buenger is a West Coast-based
songwriter/multi-instrumentalist who spent over
a decade in the military and then a half decade
in the corporate world before focusing on music
fulltime. His musical influences range from
blues to soul to R&B, roots, and gospel, with
listeners getting a taste of all these genres on
Buenger’s second release, Blues From Caucasia,
which features ten original songs and one cover.
Buenger plays guitar, harmonica, piano, and
kazoo, accompanied on selected tracks by Chris
Eger (bass/electric guitar), Teresa Russell
(electric guitar), Rafael Tranquilino
(drums/bass/guitar), and Cyrus Zerbe or Richard
Williams (drums).
The
opening track, “Above The Sun,” is one of my
favorites on the album. It’s a supremely soulful
gospel/blues shuffle that will put a hop in your
step. Buenger provides vocals and harmonica,
while Eger plays electric guitar and bass, while
Williams handles the drums. The gritty “Start A
Fire” mixes soul and blues with powerful lead
guitar from Russell and a strong vocal from
Buenger, who also plays piano, acoustic guitar,
and harmonica, while “That Ain’t Right” is a
mid-tempo acoustic blues about a lover done
wrong,. The playful “What You Gonna Do” mixes
electric and acoustic guitar from Tranquilino
and Buenger, respectively.
The
breezy acoustic blues “Mean Things” describes a
man facing the ongoing inner battle between
right and wrong, and the top-tapping countrified
shuffle “Get With Me” really swings and even
features a kazoo solo. The gospel tune “Don’t
Stop” offers inspiring lyrics over a bluesy
backdrop (with multi-layered background vocals
from Buenger).
“Feel Alright” is a R&B-based ballad that really
showcases Buenger’s vocal range, as does the
acoustic guitar-driven “Fight No More,” which
also features him on multi-layered harmony
vocals. The last two tracks are the acoustic
“Talk To Me,” an updated version of the Piedmont
blues style, and a breathtaking cover of Blind
Willie Johnson’s “Soul Of A Man,” again with
Buenger’s vocals multi-tracked.
Blues From Caucasia is a marvelous album
that spans several genres evenly while keeping
one foot in the blues. Tom Buenger’s vocal range
is impressive, and his songwriting is first
rate. Don’t miss this one.
--- Graham Clarke
 During
the Covid shutdown, Ronnie Owens, frontman for
Li’l Ronnie & the Grand Dukes, spent some
time listening to some old “live band”
recordings, and ran across a particularly
inspired set recorded in 2005 at Loafers Beach
Club in Raleigh, North Carolina. The set was
scheduled to be released on the Pacific Blues
record label, but the label owner, Jerry Hall,
passed away suddenly, so it was never completed.
Owens and his longtime producer, Martin Gary,
and engineer Bill McElroy did a final mix on the
tapes and mastered them, so blues fans now have
the opportunity to hear the set on EllerSoul
Records as Got It ‘Live’ From ‘05.
Li’l
Ronnie Owens, of course, plays harp and sings,
and this edition of the Grand Dukes included
George Sheppard (drums), Bryan Smith (bass),
Robert Frahm (guitar), and John Fralin
(keyboards). There are three additional studio
tracks that will be included in the band’s
upcoming release, with Owens and Fralin joined
by Gordon Harrower (guitar), Michael Gallager
(drums), and John Coppenger (bass).
The
live set opens with an energetic Li’l Ronnie
original, “Mellow Chick,” which surely got the
audience to moving right off the bat. Another
Owens original follow. “Bettin’ On My Baby” is a
Windy City shuffle with tasty guitar work from
Frahm.
Owens and Frahm have some nice moments with a
fine cover of George “Harmonica” Smith’s
“Crossed Eyed Susie Lee.” Another Smith cover
shows up pretty quickly, “Early Monday Morning,”
which is an easygoing slow blues that the band
really stretches out on. In between the two
Smith songs is “Life Changes,” a swinging
original shuffle.
“Hey
Little Girl,” written by Zuzu Bollin, is another
standout track, with Frahm’s T-Bone-esque guitar
and Li’l Ronnie’s amiable vocal, and “Love
Trance,” another original, is a moody rhumba.
The live portion of the album concludes with
Jimmy Rogers’ “Rock This House,” a nine-minute
show-stopper that gives the whole band a minute
or two in the spotlight.
The
studio tracks begin with “V’s Boogie,” a rowdy
New Orleans-flavored piano boogie instrumental,
followed by a sweet, slow burning version of the
Little Willie John classic “Need Your Love So
Bad,” which features Harrower on vocals. The
last tune is a rollicking read of Lazy Lester’s
“Same Thing Could Happen To You,” a great way to
wrap up this fine album.
Blues fans will be happy that Li’l Ronnie was
able to find this live set in his archives and
release it for public consumption, and the three
excellent new tracks bode well for the band’s
upcoming album. Got It ‘Live’ From ’05
will surely satisfy fans of Li’l Ronnie & the
Grand Dukes, and is recommended listening for
anyone unfamiliar with this marvelous band.
--- Graham Clarke
 Mississippi’s busiest soul blues man
Stevie J
Blues is at again, with two great new tracks
that touch on blues, soul, and R&B, contemporary
but with a traditional feel that appeals to
longtime fans of those genres.
The first single,
“Like Marvin,” is an excellent track that pays
tribute to Motown legend Marvin Gaye by citing
his name and embracing the musical and lyrical
style that brought him his fame. It promises to
be a crowd pleaser, based on those qualities.
 The second single, “What Are We Gonna Do,” is a
silky soul duet between Stevie J Blues and
southern soul newcomer DeNisa, describing a most
serious situation. DeNisa’s smoky, soulful vocal
delivery bodes well for her future in the
business.
These two tracks are must-listening
for soul blues fans.
--- Graham Clarke
 The
Travellin’ Blues Kings (full Belgian
version, formed by necessity during the COVID
crisis) recently issued a couple of singles.
“Brothers and Sisters” (Naked Records) deftly
mixes soul, blues, and rock with a touch of
gospel and reflects on the pandemonium taking
place in today’s society. “It’s Better” (Naked
Records), a funky slice of rocking soul with a
hard-driving rhythm, punchy horns, and rumbling
background vocals. These are two really cool
tracks that will put a hop in your step, for
sure. It’s great to hear these new tracks from
this talented group. These guys know how to play
the blues.
--- Graham Clarke
 I
only know a few things about the Belgian band
Red Red. They consist of an
ethnomusicologist/mulitinstrumentalist from
Ohio, the band’s musical background encompasses
the Belgian roots, blues, and jazz music scenes,
their group includes a turntablist(!) named DJ
Courtasock and their first single, “Lay Me Down
Marie” (Naked Records) kicks butt and takes
names.
With
a droning hill country rhythm, scorching slide
guitar, and an irresistible vibe from beginning
to end that will have you moving every movable
part of your body and singing along, this one
deserves to be heard. Look for their debut
album, The Alabama Kid, coming in
November 2023.
--- Graham Clarke
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