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 Blues guitarist Bob Margolin has been
"steady rollin'" around the world for most of
his adult life, playing the old school Chicago
blues that he learned in part during his years
with Muddy Waters. He's recorded many albums
over the years, with the most recent releases being solo
productions from his home in North Carolina.
That's the case on his latest, Thanks (Vizz
Tone). It's all Bob on vocals and guitar (with
the only exception being a bark from the family
dog Levon).
Margolin puts his heart and soul into the 10
songs on Thanks, with five originals and
as many well-chosen covers. The most recent time
that I saw Bob on a show, I was amazed at the
energy coming from his voice. I told him during
the break that I thought perhaps he was
channeling the late Nappy Brown, who he
periodically backed over a couple of decades before Mr. Brown
passed away.
Not
surprisingly, Margolin includes a song that was
often part of Nappy Brown's live shows, the
Willie Dixon composition, "Who," with Bob
shouting out the vocals with the same power that
Nappy used to project. The Muddy Waters
influence is heard on several songs, notably the
opening cut, "Going Down To Main St.," with Bob
tearing it up on slide guitar just like a young
Muddy would have done. He co-wrote "Lonely Man
Blues" with Muddy, and on this one his voice
hits a slightly higher register after an
effective slide guitar solo opens this slow
blues.
One
of the more interesting numbers is a slow
blues version of The Band's "Shape I'm In," with Margolin shouting out the vocals but then also
providing backing four-part harmony. Another
great cover is his rendition of the Paul Gayten
blues classic, "For You My Love," with Margolin
playing more jazzy guitar on this number that
was often done in shows by pianist Pinetop
Perkins. He puts a little more resonance in his
guitar on the slow blues "Hard Working Man,"
written by another Muddy cohort, the late great
Jimmy Rogers.
Among the Margolin covers, "Mean Old Chicago" is
a plodding slow blues with plenty of slide
guitar, the mid-tempo shuffle "Baby Can't Be
Found," a remake of a song he did 25 years ago,
'No Consolation," and closing the album is the
eerie slow blues, "Just Before Dawn."
Thanks is a gem from start to finish, from
one of the best bluesmen still around. He's
playing it all in the old way and we can be
thankful to Margolin for this wonderful
collection of songs from his heart and soul.
--- Bill Mitchell
 I
was just reminded today that it's time to get
the Christmas decorations out of storage and up
on the house. I tried to say that it was still
too early and that we should at least wait until
after Thanksgiving, but I had no chance of
winning that argument. So if I have to start
decorating the house, then I guess it's time to
start listening to Christmas music.
Let's start with a very fine collection of 10
Christmas songs from singer Lisa Biales,
nine brand new originals and one cover of a
Louis Prima song. At Christmas (Big Song Music)
was recorded at Johnny Lee Scheel's Ultratone
Studios in Los Angles and produced by Tony
Braunagel. Ms. Biales is backed by an army of
regular L.A. session cats, delivering tight
accompaniment that helps her voice stand out.
I'll
start with the very last cut on the album
because it's my favorite, the
up-tempo blues "Christmas Cheer," taking a traditional Christmas
theme and packing it into a blues song. Schell
opens with strong blues guitar while Jeff
Paris later comes in with a smokin' solo on the
Hammond B3. Another fave is the up-tempo blues
shuffle, "That's What I Like About Christmas," a
Schell original.
The
title cut opens the album, a mid-tempo blues
that gets just a little funky with the band
giving a big, full sound and Schell gets to
shine again on guitar. The Louie Prima hit,
"Shake Hands with Santa Claus," comes next,
taking us all back to a 1940s-era dance hall
ornately decorated for the season. As Biales
sings the words of this tune, I'm imagining her
fronting Prima's big band in a black & white
movie.
Biales' voice gets extra strong on the slow
number, "When The Snowflakes Fall," with Paris
laying down some really special organ
accompaniment. The delightfully innocent "The
Boy I Met For Christmas" features nice chromatic
harmonica accompaniment from the versatile
Paris. "Lulu Magoo" is another fun tune taking
us back many decades, highlighted by a trumpet
solo from Mark Pender, all while Braunagel
carries the tune along a funky New Orleans drum beat.
"Mary's Little Baby Boy" starts with such a
swampy intro followed by slide guitar from
Schell that you might be envisioning the baby
Jesus being born down on the bayou. With her
voice turning sweeter, Biales turns in a
pleasant love song, "I Like You Mister Claus,"
as she is inviting Santa to return to her after
he's finished his deliveries, with the promise
of something more than cookies and milk.
"Christmas Record" is less of a blues and more
of a traditional Christmas sound as Biales gets
a bit autobiographical by singing about how
she's heading to L.A. in the month of September to make a Christmas record
.... and indeed she did just that.
Just
listening to it one time will make At
Christmas one of your yuletide favorites.
I'm going to have it playing through my ear buds
while I'm stringing lights around the house, and
so should you.
Happy Holidays to all!
--- Bill Mitchell
 ‘Tis
the season for some Christmas tunes, and blues
fans will have several new releases to consider
this year. One of the best of the new releases
is the compilation from the artists at Blue
Heart and Nola Blue Records, Jingle All The
Way (Blue Heart Records).
This
wonderful set opens with a dazzling version of
“Silver Bells” from The Texas Horns that is
decidedly more up-tempo than the usual versions,
before Benny Turner gives a soulful
performance on his holiday original “I Want Some
Christmas Cheer,” a real Christmas blues if
there ever was one. Lil Red & the Rooster offers
a spicy update of “Santa Baby,” Teresa James &
The Rhythm Tramps give us a Crescent
City-flavored version of “I Saw Mommy Kissing
Santa Claus,” and Rick Vito presents a raucous,
rocking original, “I Was A Bad Boy This Year.”
Jim
Koeppel’s swinging “Slim Down Santa” is a lot of
fun, and Clarence Spady’s funky read of Chuck
Berry’s “Christmas” will get toes to tapping,
while Bobby Gentilo’s cover of James Brown’s
“Santa Claus Go Straight To The Ghetto” is
terrific.
“Amazing Grace II” is a cool harmonica-driven
instrumental, courtesy of Croatian bluesman
Tomislav Goluban, and Mark Cameron narrates
“Nick’s Place,” an amusing “behind-the-scenes”
look at what transpires at the North Pole during
the Christmas season. Laura Tate gives us the
requisite “Merry Christmas Baby” appearance on a
Christmas collection with a tasty R&B version.
Vaneese Thomas offers a passionate plea for
“Peace and Goodwill” on her gospel/soul original
tune, while Peter Veteska’s wistful version of
the classic “I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” backed
only by piano, is first-rate. Tiffany Pollack
gives a beautiful reading of the Joni Mitchell
song, “River,” with assistance from Eric
Johanson.
The
album wraps with Teresa James and The Texas
Horns on the socially conscious “Even Santa Gets
The Blues,” penned by Kaz Kazanoff.
Jingle All The Way is a splendid mix of
original and classic Christmas tunes delivered
by some of the best blues artists currently
practicing.
--- Graham Clarke
 Big
Harp George (aka George Bisharat) has been
recording Christmas songs sporadically since
2018, adding a couple or three tunes of his own
making each time he recorded an album. He
finally came up with enough tunes (11) to
complete his very own holiday album, Big Harp
George Does Christmas (Blues Mountain
Records).
Blues fans familiar with George’s songwriting
already know that this won’t be your
conventional Christmas album, and he indeed dubs
these “decidedly nonstandard tunes” that are
unusual, but still retain the Christmas spirit
in their content and delivery.
The
opener, “Bad Santa,” is a good example, telling
the tale of a Santa focusing more on naughty
than nice and generally making George’s life
miserable. The delightful Latin-flavored
“Carioca Christmas” features George’s chromatic
harp, plus horns and flute, and the amusing
“Reindeer On Strike” indicates issues at the
North Pole with some disgruntled reindeer and
“scab elves.”
“War
on Christmas!” is a jump blues that addresses
the annual holiday hysteria about the “war on
Christmas” with a heaping, healthy dose of
sarcasm. The Sons of The Soul Revivers
contribute wonderful backing vocals on this tune
and the preceeding two.
“Snow Shuffle” is a terrific West Coast blues
instrumental showcasing that wonderful chromatic
sound, which leads into another Latin-styled
number, “Coquito Girl,” that also features The
Sons of The Soul Revivers on background vocals.
The
swinging mid-tempo number “Where I’ll Be For
Christmas” is the tune that inspired the album,
the first holiday track recorded in 2018 and
featuring the late Little Charlie Baty on
guitar, and leads into “Fireside Waltz,” a
lovely instrumental teaming George with Kid
Andersen on guitar and Chris Burns on piano.
“Thee Three Kings” is a tribute not to the
traditional three kings in the traditional
Christmas story, but the three kings of the
blues --- B.B., Albert, and Freddie ---
with Andersen emulating the guitar playing of
all three Kings. “That Grinch In Me” finds a
grumpy George cynically dismissing all the usual
traditions associated with celebrating the
holidays --- lights, decorations, giftwrapping,
and food.
On
the closing track, “It’s New Year’s Eve,” guest
Tia Carroll sings optimistically about the
coming year.
In
addition to Anderson (guitar/bass), Burns
(keyboards), Baty, Carroll, and the Sons of The
Soul Revivers, George receives superb support
throughout from Derrick “D’Mar” Martin,
Alexander Petterson, or June Core
(drums/percussion), Joe Kyle, Jr. (bass), Aaron
Lington or Doug Rowan (baritone sax), Ben Torres
(flute), Ed Morrison (trumpet), Michael Peloquin
(tenor and baritone sax), and Mike Rinta
(trombone).
As
stated above, Big Harp George Does Christmas
is not your traditional Christmas album, but
it’s definitely an entertaining alternative that
will bring a smile to many during the holiday
season.
--- Graham Clarke
 The
Dig 3’s debut release was one of my favorite
albums of 2022, an example of old-school blues
played extremely well. Singer/guitarist Andrew
Duncanson, harp master Ronnie Shellist, and
multi-instrumentalist Gerry Hundt demonstrated
an undying love and enthusiasm for this brand of
blues that came through with every note played.
Needless to say, I was excited to see a new
recording hit the racks. Damn The Rent
includes 12 original tunes, ten by the trio and
two bonus tracks teaming Duncanson and Hundt
with bassist Aaron Whittier, drummer Rick King,
and backing vocalist Lauren Dukes.
The
Bo Diddley-esque “Take A Ride” opens the disc on
a lively note, followed by the slippery shuffle
“All The Love That I Got,” both tracks boasting
great harp and rhythmic support. “Big Water
keeps the groove going strong with a bumping
boogie in the finest John Lee Hooker tradition,
and “Dip My Toe” is a vintage Chicago-styled
blues where Duncanson looks back on life, the
good and the bad, and accepts it all.
“Chuck & Willie” is a really cool instrumental
with Hundt playing what sounds like an old
Farfisa organ, along with Duncanson’s guitar and
Shellist’s harmonica. The swinging “Coconut
Curry Dance” has a delightful island flair that
really percolates, while “Gold Tooth” finds
Hundt on mandolin, which, teamed with Shellist’s
harp really gives this shuffling track a classic
feel.
The
funky instrumental “Blanco Boogaloo” locks in on
an irresistible groove while showcasing Shellist
on harmonica. The boogie track “Red-Tailed Hawk”
starts at a breathless tempo and never lets up
with more great harp mixed in, and “Old Dog” is
a jaunty, hokum-styled track with Hundt on kazoo
that brings the album to a close, of sorts.
I
say “of sorts” because of the two bonus cuts
that follow, recorded by The Dig 3 big expanded
version, with Whittier, King, and Dukes joining
in. “Southern Fantasy” updates the band’s
old-school sound into ’70s old-school with the
bubbling, funky beat, almost disco if you will,
but it works tremendously well. The final track
is a reprise of “All The Love That I Got,”
soundings like a deep, southern soul track.
Duncanson’s soulful vocal turn really sells this
version.
Damn The Rent is another fabulous set of
vintage blues, plus a few sidesteps into other
interesting directions that work perfectly. I’ll
listen to anything The Dig 3 decides to play
just based on their first two efforts, but I
think this second release is even better than
their first.
--- Graham Clarke
 Full Tilt (Blue Heart Records) is a most
appropriate title for the latest album from Peter Veteska & Blues Train. The band (Veteska
– vocals/guitar, Alex D’Agnese – drums, Coo Moe
Jhee – bass) is joined on this release by Jeff
Levine (keyboards), Chuck Hearne and Rick Prince
(bass), Mike Scott (sax), Tony Perruso
(trumpet), Jen Barnes (vocals), and Mikey Jr.
(harmonica/vocals). This album, their seventh in
eight years, is their best to date, which is
impressive in itself considering the quality of
their catalog. Veteska wrote eight of the 12
tracks (one with Barnes) and the covers are
interesting and well-chosen.
A
Veteska original, the feisty blues rocker “Go
Find Another Man” kicks off the disc, which
features Mikey Jr.’s harmonica. Ms. Barnes takes
the mic for the funky mid-tempo blues “I Wasn’t
Wrong” before Veteska ably handles the splendid
slow blues “Sad and Blue,” turning in a strong
vocal and fine guitar work.
Albert King’s “I Get Evil” is the album’s first
cover and it’s top notch, with the core band
adding keyboards and the horn section to the
mix. The smooth “Pack of Lies” mixes blues and
rock, with a bit of a pop sheen, and the gritty
original “2:00 in the Morning” teams Veteska and
Barnes on co-lead vocals.
“One
After 909” was one of the first tunes written by
the famed Lennon-McCartney combo, with Veteska
and the band giving their version a real country
blues “train song” feel that sounds better than
the original incarnation. “Take Back What You
Own” teams Veteska and Barnes on vocals again as
the band locks into a soulful groove, and
Veteska is joined by Levine on piano for a
superb version of the blues standard “Nobody
Knows You (When You’re Down and Out).” “Slow
Down You Crazy Fool” picks up the pace again,
and Veteska’s vocals and guitar are equally
fiery.
“Man
About Town” is a sizzling instrumental that
features Veteska, Scott, and Levine taking
extended solos on guitar, sax, and B3,
respectively. The closer is a terrific version
of “Merry Christmas Baby,” the Johnny Moore
classic featuring Levine on piano.
I’ve
heard five of Veteska & Blue Train’s releases,
and Full Tilt is the best of the bunch.
Veteska is a powerful vocalist and guitarist and
one of the best composers in the genre. This set
will certainly satisfy fans of blues with a
touch of rock.
--- Graham Clarke
 Popa Chubby and
the Beast Band recently released a scorching
live set on Gulf Coast Records. Live at G.
Bluey’s Juke Joint NYC features Popa
Chubby’s blistering lead guitar and vocals,
backed by bassist Mike Merritt, keyboardist Mike
Dimeo, and drummer Stefano Giudici. The 19-song
set was compiled from two October dates in front
of 25 select fans with no edits, retakes, no
bells and whistles added, consisting of songs
from his vast collection of original tunes and
some cleverly reconceived covers from the most
unlikely of sources, in some cases.
A
rocked-up and out version of Neil Young’s
“Motorcycle Mama” launches the set in splendid
fashion, followed by Chubby’s poignant tribute
to departed music legends (“Another Ten Years
Gone”), and his gritty cover of “Hey Joe,” a
staple of his live shows. Next are two Chubby
originals, the driving rocker “Dirty Lie” and
the mid-tempo blues “69 Dollars,” which
showcases Chubby’s versatility on guitar and
Dimeo’s keyboards.
Chubby’s blistering interpretation of “Godfather
Theme (Speak Softly Love)” is more fun than a
barrel of monkeys, and the hard-charging “Dirty
Diesel” is a keeper as well. “Grown Man Crying
Blues” is a nearly 14-minute slow blues that
gives the entire band ample space to stretch out
with impressive results, and another intriguing
cover that works really well in Harold Arlen’s
“Over The Rainbow” wrapping up Disc One.
Disc
Two kicks off with the tough original “It’s A
Mighty Hard Road,” the funky roadhouse rocker “I
Don’t Want Nobody,” and the powerful soul blues
“I Can’t See The Light Of Day.” Dimeo’s
gospel-infused keyboards really enhance this
tune. The sweet ballad “Embee’s Song” is
dedicated to Chubby’s wife, Mary Beth Stolz, and
“Steel Horse Serenade” is a strong instrumental
that’s a little bit country and a little bit
rock n’ roll.
Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” produces one of
Chubby’s most emotional vocals, which is
complemented well by Dimeo’s keyboards, and his
revisit of Tom Waits’ “Heart Attack And Vine” is
an inspired choice, while the original “Sweat”
is a moody, atmospheric blues that touches on
jazz.
The
album closes with two covers, the blues standard
“Nobody Wants You When You’re Down And Out” and
a brisk take of the Rolling Stones’ “Sympathy
For The Devil,” which transitions into “Chubby’s
Story,” an entertaining rap/spoken word
narration of Chubby’s beginnings in music.
Live at G. Bluey’s Juke Joint NYC captures
Popa Chubby and the Beast Band at their very
best. Listeners will feel like they’re in the
room with the 25 fans who were fortunate enough
to witness these intense, high-energy
performances in person.
--- Graham Clarke
 Cassius King has served as an audio engineer and
production manager for the past 25 years, but he
always dreamed of making his own music. Over the
years, he continued writing and playing in his
spare time and now he has taken the opportunity
to fulfill his dreams by recording a five-song
EP, Last Call For The Blues (Big Ear
Audio) as Cassius King and the Downtown
Rulers. King sings and plays keyboards on
these tracks and is backed by guitarist Chalo
Ortiz, bassist Chris White, and drummer J.R.
Lozano. He wrote four of the five tunes, which
effectively touch on several different blues
styles.
The
loose and funky opener, “Do It All Again,” finds
King lamenting his circumstances, but determined
to keep his faith and persevere despite the
obstacles thrown in his way. There’s also a
really cool take on Little Johnny Taylor’s “If
You Love Me Like You Say” that really pops.
“Feel Good Music” has a bit of a Crescent City
feel via the lithe work from the rhythm section,
and “Better Man Blues” is a gritty blues rocker
with powerful fretwork from Ortiz and stellar
support from the rest of the band.
The
title track closes the disc, a somber slow blues
with a great performance from King on vocals and
keyboards.
Based on these five tracks, an entire album
should be next on the list for Cassius King and
the Downtown Rulers. King is an excellent
frontman with a voice tailor-made for the blues
and the band is first rate. Hopefully, blues
fans will get to hear more from this fine band.
--- Graham Clarke
 Canadian singer/songwriter/guitarist Noah
Zacharin has always incorporated several
genres into his music --- folk, blues, and jazz
--- but his music is always a great listening
experience. His ninth album, Points Of Light
(Sonic Peach), is no exception, and the blues is
at the root of nearly all 11 of Zacharin’s tunes
on this wonderful set, either lyrically or
musically or both.
He’s
joined on these tracks by Russ Boswell
(electric/upright bass) and Gary Craig
(drums/percussion), with guests Denis Keldie
(piano/B3/accordion), Burke Carroll (pedal steel
guitar), Kevin Breit (mandola/mandocello/guitars),
Marc Ribot (ukelele), Roly Platt (harmonica),
Kevin Turcotte (trumpet), and Drew Jurecka
(strings).
The
opener “Ten Tons of Road” is a gentle, fond
remembrance of a long-ago romance highlighted by
Zacharin’s delicate fingerpicking. “17 Minute”
is a unique train song, as Zacharin thinks about
a former lover as the train passes by each 17
minutes, and it’s helped along the way by
Carroll’s pedal steel guitar and Keldie’s B3.
The
jaunty blues shuffle “Bed of Nails,” from which
the album title comes from, narrates the story
of several interesting individuals on the road
of life (Ribot and Breit guest on this track),
and “So Much Work To Be Done” is a solo guitar
track written by Zacharin in tribute to one of
his musical heroes, Texas songwriter Guy Clark.
The
inspirational “Red Red Bird” is one of
Zacharin’s most beloved songs, a part of his
live shows for many years, and this is the first
version he’s recorded for an album. The shuffle
“What Have I Got To Show For It” ventures in the
direction of the blues, compliments of Platt’s
harmonica, and the sprightly “Lester Brown” is a
blues swinger and tells the tale of a New
Orleans ladies man. Turcotte’s muted trumpet
gives the tune a Crescent City feel. “Tom
Morrow” is about a resilent, dependable friend
and his family.
The
country blues “Done Gone Gone” reflects
positively on a failed relationship. It’s
followed by the beautiful instrumental,
“Something Like A River.” The album concludes
with “Been A Long Day,” written during a low
point in Zacharin’s life where he determines to
pull himself up and move forward. Jurecka’s
strings add depth and character to this moving
closer.
Points of Light is an album of stunning
beauty and depth. Noah Zacharin’s amazing guitar
work, his warm vocals, and his masterful
songwriting make this release essential
listening for anyone that loves music.
--- Graham Clarke
 Looking For A Change (Maremil Music), the
latest release from Florida-based
singer/songwriter/guitarist Alex Lopez,
pays tribute to his musical influences growing
up in Cleveland, Ohio --- the guitar heroes of
the ’60s and ’70s, many from the British
Invasion.
Lopez wrote nine of the ten tracks and he’s
backed by a powerful rhythm section (Kana
Leimbach – drums, Steve Roberts – bass) that
touches on blues, rock, and funk in equal doses
on the tracks, which will certainly bring a
smile to the faces of those who dug the same
guitar heroes Lopez does.
The
hard-driving blues rocker “Train” opens the disc
with a real “old school” feel in Lopez’s guitar
work, and that vibe continues with “Whiskey
Covered Woman,” which has a real Led Zeppelin
sound with the powerhouse guitar and drums,
while on “Blues They Rock,” Lopez and company
prove that they do indeed.
The
title track returns to that Led Zep dynamic with
impressive results, and “Spanish Blues” is a
smoky slow burner with a tasty Latin tinge that
picks up the pace in Santana-esque fashion as it
concludes.
“Tell Me” is a mid-tempo blues ballad which
mixes in blues and rock effectively, “Wild As
The Wind” adds funk as the rhythm section really
locks in to the groove behind Lopez.
“She” continues in the same funky vein, daring
you to keep still, and “Night Closing In” is a
sweaty ballad with a strong vocal from Lopez.
The album closes with the lone cover, and it’s a
dandy.The trio really rips into Cream’s
“Politician,” delivering a thunderous version
with bass man Roberts taking the mic.
Lopez’s vocals, guitar work, and songwriting are
all spot on and the muscular rhythm section of
Kana Leimbach and Steve Roberts is first-rate.
Fans of classic blues rock, British Invasion
variety will find a lot to smile about with Alex
Lopez’s Looking For A Change.
--- Graham Clarke
 Until The Sun has been described as an
alt-blues/rock group, fusing elements of
psychedelic rock and jazz into their sound as
well. Based in Phoenix, the band (Brandon Teskey
– guitars, Alyssa Swartz – vocals, Chris Tex –
drums, Micheal Young – keyboards) recently
issued Enchantment, a compelling set of
eclectic blues rockers which features 14 tracks,
12 originals with two covers. Also contributing
are keyboardist Will Kyriazis, and backup
vocalists Lori Cooper and Karee Kudebeh.
The
title track, a blues-rock instrumental, appears
at the beginning and midpoint of the album.
Following the short opening instrumental
interlude, the album officially opens with “Your
Well,” a rumbling rocker, and a decidedly
different take on the B.B. King classic
“All
Over Again,” with a powerful vocal turn from
Swartz driving the track. The funky “Dancing On
The Floor” is a catchy upbeat tune that will put
a hop in listeners’ step. The haunting “Broken
Masterpiece” has an ominous, country-blues feel,
while “Dragon Below” rocks hard,. “Death In
Disguise” is a moving blues ballad.
The
second half of the album kicks off with a
memorable, bluesy read of “Hound Dog,” which
owes more to Big Mama Thornton’s version than
Elvis’. “Animal Within” is a grinding blues
rocker that addresses betrayal, and the
encouraging “Seek The Sunshine” is a terrific
slow blues with superb slide guitar work from
Teskey.
The
irresistible “Groovin’” is a funky blues
shuffle. “Space For Leaving” is a melancholy
blues ballad with a soulful vocal from Swartz,
and the closer, “Ghost In The Prayer,” is truly
a psychedelic blues-rocker that sends the album
off with the pedal to the metal before seguing
into the final part of the title track.
Enchantment is an interesting set of modern
blues that combines traditional themes with
modern sounds. Until The Sun’s brand of blues
and blues-rock stands out from the norm thanks
to their songwriting, musicianship and the
powerful vocals of Swartz.
--- Graham Clarke
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