The Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter
The
GROOVE
BITS Takes Front Stage for 2015-2016 Year year. At press time, 14 of the 20 programs have been completed along with conducting most of a residency program that we worked to create with our partners at East High School.
Dan Phelps kicks off residency at East HS After the 2015 Crossroads Blues Festival at Lyran Park we finally had some money in the bank and the ability to plan a big year of Blues in the Schools (BITS). With our grant writing for the last two festivals we put forward a goal to conduct 20 BITS programs. After the rain, the 2014 festival did not produce enough profits for us to do 20 programs but we still creatively managed to get 11 programs done, 9 through our funding and 2
more with the help of Dorothy Paige Turner and a grant that we helped her get to produce two programs with artist Mark Dvorak and actor David Causey. They did those two programs and then we hired them to do two more of the great “Life and Times of Lead Belly” program that they have had magnificent success with. 2015 was a good year despite morning rains and we have succeeded in planning 20 BITS programs for this school
As reported in our last issue, we began the school year with Dave Fields at West Middle School and then with a combined school program for Thurgood Marshall ES along with Maria Montessori ES at Marshall. Bobby Messano then did a program coordinated with the PBIS and Christmas Programs at Highland ES in Stillman Valley. He then did a pair of programs in the afternoon with Carlson ES, so at the end of 2015 we had 5 programs done with 15 more to fulfill our goal set for 2016. After the holidays, Bob Haendler and Steve Jones met with artist Dan Phelps, East Music Teacher Brian Doering and East Honors English Teacher Sara Okey to plan the February residency program. continued on page 2
Crossroads IBC Contestants Shine in Memphis Well, neither of our contestants made the finals but both Jimmy Nick and Don’t Tell Mama and Birddog and Beck were well received in Memphis. Jimmy and the band shined in their two initial sets and performed in the semifinals but could not advance past that. Ken Oluf and Warren beck shined in their two quarter final sets but were unable to advance due to stiff
competition. Videos of both early October and is still in acts’ sets are on Facebook planning. and You Tube and they were fantastic– they did us proud! Our youth act was not able to perform due to a death in one of their families. Congrats to all for their efforts and dedication! Our 2016 Blues Challenge will be in September or Jimmy Nick wows IBC audience
March-April 2016 2016 Crossroads Blues Festival Lineup
Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band: from Southern Indiana this hill country blues band is getting people on their feet and dancing to their groove! Tad Robinson: the soulful sweet sounds of Tad Robinson delight blues fans across the globe! Ghost Town Blues Band: we will be jamming’ and groovin’ to the swingin’ sounds of this exciting young Memphis band! Joanna Connor: the mistress of the slide guitar, Joanna is one of the world’s finest slide players and will give us an energizing show! Flaming Mudcats: The top blues band from New Zealand graces our stage; they play authentic Chicago blues all the way from Auckland! Birddog and Beck: between acts we have our Solo/Duo Blues Challenge winners who will delight our crowd and conduct the harp workshop!
Inside this issue: News Music Reviews Playlist, Members Membership Application Upcoming Events
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BITS for January and February 2016 Dan Phelps at Mary Morgan ES
Dan Phelps at McNair ES We have had an exciting start to 2016 supporting our Blues in the Schools (BITS) programs for the current school year. Our first residency program with Dan Phelps working for two weeks at Rockford’s East High School was accomplished along with programs by Dave Weld and the Imperial Flames, Dan
mentary School in Winnebago (4th visit). The two acts also joined forces for an evening show at the Lyran Club that Friday evening. All of the programs were well received! Then on Tuesday, January 26th, Hamilton Loomis did an AM program at Thompson
History Month and we helped celebrate this with a bang! We brought back the Life and Times of Lead Belly program with Mark Dvorak and David Causey to Rockford. This celebrated program was a big hit last year and it’s return was enjoyed by six schools. On February 17th we were at
Dave Weld at Bloom ES Photo by Rick Davis
Dave Weld at Spring Creek ES Photo by Rick Davis Phelps, Hamilton Loomis and Mark Dvorak with Brian Causey. BITS began with two sets of programs on January 22nd. Dave Weld and his band were at Spring Creek Elementary School in the morning and Bloom Elementary School in the afternoon. This was our fifth visit to Rockford’s Spring Creek and our first to Bloom in Rockford. Dan Phelps did a morning program at Byron’s Mary Morgan Elementary School (5th visit) and an afternoon program to Jean McNair Ele-
Elementary School (our 2nd visit there) and in the PM he did two programs at East High School, our first time there. These Rockford Schools were highly appreciative for the programs! February marks the celebration of Black
Hamilton Loomis at Thompson ES
March-April 2016
Page 3 Hamilton Loomis at East HS
Hamilton Loomis at Thompson ES Washington Academy in the morning and McIntosh Elementary School in the afternoon for our first visit there. Then on the 19th we spent the AM at East HS and the PM at Lathrop Elementary School for our first visit to them. These programs were outstanding and the students and staffs all loved them!
provide an auditory backdrop for the videos. The videos will be showed publically at East High School on Thursday, March 17th beginning at 6:30 PM in the East High School Auditorium. With video, Dan Phelps and the students who crafted the music will perform together. The show is free and open to the public.
Also in celebrating Black History Month, Crossroads Blues Society and East High School teamed up for a two week Blues in the Schools residency program where local blues musician and educator Dan Phelps taught songwriting and guitar to students at East High. The songs will become portions of videos being created by students in the music and literature classes that tell the story of the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God. Written in 1937, this novel by the famed author Zora Neale Hurston is one of the classics of the last century, a Southern love story that is one of the most widely read books in the entirety of African American literature.
The residency kicked off on Thursday, February 11th with two performances by Dan Phelps at the school during the last two school class periods. Each day from February 16th through the 26th Dan worked teaching the students how to complete their songs and to perform them. The literature students read the novel and put together lyrics so the music students could write the music. The music students prepared by studying blues music, paying attention to 12 bar blues, the AAB music format, Pentatonic scales, and chord progressions. The students are now putting the finishing touches on their work and create the video stories of the book and put them to their music.
The literature students used the book to create lyrics for blues songs that the music student put to music, and the literature and music students together will craft videos portraying the story in the book and that era in America’s South; the songs will
This school effort Is being led by Brian L. Doering, the Choir and Orchestra Director at east High School, and Sara Okey, EMITT Academy, College Prep English 12, Honors English 10, and College Prep English 10, 21st Century Community Learning Center Dan Phelps Critiques tbe Songwriting at East HS Site Coordinator, and Debate and Scholastic Bowl Coach at East High School. Students from both East and Guildford High Schools
were involved with this program. The program was funded by Rockford Public Schools via an arts grant from the Kennedy Center Foundation. Coordination for the program was via our own Crossroads Blues Society, This is the first multi-week first residency program that Crossroads has embarked upon. With the residency, Crossroads has conducted 178 hours of programming for BITS that have touched almost 49,000 students since May 2002. March and April will feature Dan Phelps at two pairs of schools and May will feature the return of Dave Fields. BITS for this school year is our biggest and best effort yet!
Crossroads Blues Society Officers and Board Members Contact Info President: Steve Jones sub_insignia@yahoo.com Vice-President: Bill Graw williamjgraw@gmail.com Secretary: Bonnie Fox bonitafx@gmail.com Treasurer: Terry Keller terry@markpack.com Board of Directors: Denny Barker harkthebark@mchsi.com Rick Davis rick_davis_937@comcast.net Bob Haendler rhaendler@comcast.net Ken Pearson cntrylivng@aol.com Rick Hein mrrickhein@sbcglobal.net
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Tickets on Sale The 2016 Crossroads Blues Festival at Lyran Park is almost all planned out and ready to go. Tickets are now on sale in advance for $5. For the month of March we have a Madness in March event going on with our ticket sales– buy two tickets and get a voucher for one of our tee shirts from one of our 2013 to 2015 prior festivals. Buy four tickets, get 2 shirt vouchers, buy 6 tickets and get 3 shirt vouchers, or buy 20 tickets and get 10 vouchers! It’s up to you, Sizes and styles vary, first come first served. Tee shirts will be at the festival for pick up!
First and Last Days of the BITS Residency with Dan Phelpsat East HS
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Music Reviews Long Road Back Todd Wolfe Band American Showplace Music www.toddwolfe.com 12 songs/58 minutes Veteran guitar slinger Todd Wolfe follows up his 2013 releaseMiles To Go with this collection of material that delivers in-yourface blues, blues-rock, swamp, jam and funk with themes collected and perfected during a recent 200-day tour that took him and the band around the globe. A native New Yorker who grew up influenced by ‘60s blues-rock bands like Cream and Fleetwood Mac and guitars who included Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Mike Bloomfield, Wolfe emerged on the scene in 1979 in a power trio, Nitetrain. Later, when playing with Troy & The Tornados, another Manhattan favorite, he befriended Sheryl Crow, then an upcoming backup singer. Throughout the ‘80s and into the ‘90s, his and Crow’s careers were intertwined. She moved to Los Angeles, and he joined her briefly to co-write material. Later on, he relocated to the West Coast and formed a new band, but eventually served as her lead guitarist for six years before venturing own again, including working with Mountain’s Leslie West on two albums and another with Bob Dylan. Long Road Back is the ninth CD in his catalog and features his regular lineup of Roger Voss and Justine Gardner on drums and bass and 2015 BluesBlast Music Award nominee John Ginty on Hammond B3 organ, electric and acoustic pianos. All three provide backing vocals and contributed songwriting to ten of the 12 songs on this disc, which delivers tunes that are totally new and original but come with a familiar feel. The album kicks off with “Poison,” a funky number that describes a woman who’s difficult to resist, comes on like a freight train, but is nothing but trouble. She came out of nowhere and took what she wanted. When she decided to leave, he begged her to stay. But Wolfe quickly assures the listener that he “won’t take that poison anymore.” The drums are high in the mix as he launches into a smoking solo midtune, displaying perfect control as he
squeezes out notes that are the verge of a scream. “Mercy” is a blues-rocker that begs for mercy as the world seems to close in after experiencing a horrible dream in which angels come to the rescue. An ending sixstring solo drives home the point that he has no time to wait. “Outside Woman Blues,” written by Cream, provides a dramatic aural departure from what’s come before. It’s a warning to avoid pitfalls of the road because “you can’t watch your wife and your outside woman, too.” The tempo slows to a walk for the straight blues “Never Walk Alone,” which promises a lady that if she grabs his hand and holds it tight, they’ll make it through the night and she’ll never walk alone again. Wolfe picks up his acoustic for “Peace Unto You,” a memory of being taught that it’s essential to live a life in which you lend a hand to your fellow man. “Fire Me Up” deals with another favorite poison, this time a female singer looking for love, before “Long Road Back” describes the cost a musician has to pay for being away from home and family for so long.
Bass and organ take command to kick off “Gone,” a syncopated jam about the passage of time, before “Annalee,” a statement of love laid atop a rapid-fire rhythm pattern with a Southern rock feel, which continues for “One Shot,” a woman’s statement that her man has more more attempt, not a second chance, to make her heart dance. “Black Queen” is a wahwah pedal fueled cover of the Stephen Stills classic. It precedes “Hoodoo River,” a swamp blues instrumental, which concludes the set. Available through Amazon or iTunes, Long Road Back is a welcome return for the Todd Wolfe Band. They play on the edge, but always maintain control. Highly recommended for anyone with a taste for modern rock-flavored blues. Reviewed by Marty Gunther
Page 6 The Chicago Way Toronzo Cannon Alligator Records www.toronzocannon.com 11 tracks Toronzo Cannon has emerged as one of the forces to be reckoned with on the Chicago blues scene. His thoughtful and entertaining songs are played and sung with passion and musicality that is unmatched. Cannon’s fourth album and first on the Alligator label shows his continued growth and love of music. The songs he writes are new and modern yet when we listen we can see that many will become songs that will become future standards in the line of greats like Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Buddy Guy and Koko Taylor. This Southside bluesman whom drives a bus on Chicago’s Westside can spin stories within his songs that grab and captivate listeners while entertaining them. His guitar work is up there with the greats. Kudos to Cannon for producing his finest album to date! Eleven brand new songs all written by Toronzo are featured on this Alligator Records inaugural release for Cannon. I love his lyrics because they often reflect the human condition of the people in his life or that he observed in many years of driving a CTA Bus. The songs reflect blues themes we can identify with and sometimes have lived. Whether he sings of a broken relationship, cheating between a man and his woman, what he looks for in the opposite sex, growing old, or how to win over a woman, we can feel his emotions and pain. He uses his guitar to express his feelings just as well as he does with his vocals. Cannon and the Cannonball Express are a force to be reckoned with. “The Pain Around Me” is a stellar cut that opens the CD. Toronzo’s guitar reflects pain and suffering and Brother John Kattke’s organ work also helps to set the tone. Cannon sings about the pain around his life and balances the vocals nicely with his solo guitar work to really set a high bar for this record. A prenuptual agreement gone wrong is the center of the lyrics for the next song entitled “Bad Contract.” This is a funky blues number where Cannon tells the story how he lost half of what he had in a marriage gone wrong. Cannon’s guitar stings once again with his solo work. Soaring and fast paced, he displays his prowess on his machine. Lawyers and judges do little to assuage his feelings for the slickness he
The Groove- Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter overlooked in what he signed on for. The bass and drums by Larry Williams and Melvin “Pookie Stix” Carlisle set a wonderful groove for the cut. “Walk It Off” is a very darkly humorous song of how Toronzo has to walk off all the bad things happening in his relationship. A child of unknown origins, a wife and girlfriend listening to him in a club wearing the same dresses he bought for both of them on the road, and leaving his woman’s house early to go home only to find his lover’s husband with his wife are the themes here that are humorous while being sad. The escalation of weapons use offers listeners some more dark humor. Toronzo pulls a knife on his wife’s paramour and the other guy pulls a gun, thinking he has the upper hand. But “the Chicago way” prevails as Cannon pulls out a hand grenade and pulls the pin to regain the upper hand. The craziness of it had me laughing heartily. Another fabulous guitar solo is presented to us by Cannon mid-song and at the close; I have to say I can’t get enough of them. Kattke’s piano and keys here again make for a very cool sound. Cannon follows with “Fine Seasoned Woman” where he tells us in a swinging manner how women with a little age and experience are far superior to younger ones. Kattke’s horn arrangement here is well done; Doug Corcoran (trumpet), Steve Eisen (tenor sax) and Robert Collazo (baritone sax) do a bang up job in support. “Jealous Love” is a song where insecurities destroy a relationship. His woman’s jealousy is unfounded yet it bubbles up all the time to the detriment of a harmonious relationship. More good guitar solos are included on this and the prior cut continue to show why Cannon is the hottest commodity on the Chicago scene. Melon “Honeydew” Lewis does some nice backing vocals here, too. The horns return for “Midlife Crisis” where they and Kattke give us a big intro before Cannon goes off to lament getting old. When the doctor corroborates he’s just getting old and that he’s not 22 anymore, Toronzo decides he must chase younger women (who turn out to be his daughter’s age) and get a fancy car and prove the doctor and himself wrong. And to make matters worth, he finds out not only he but also his wife is ironically doing the same thing as he gets broke trying to be young. Ah, 50 sucks I guess; being on the downhill side of that myself I can only imagine what future songs Cannon will come up with to lament as he gets older! Nice gui-
tar and keyboard solos here once again. “Chickens Comin’ Home to Roost” features some slightly distorted and very cool guitar solos by Cannon as he sings about running to escape paying for past sins. “I love ‘em and I leave ‘em” is the predominant theme here as Cannon wails on vocals and guitar. “Strength to Survive” is a song about a broken man with no plan in life in need of love to help him get through life’s misfortunes. To note, the rhythm guitar here and on the last three songs is done by Pete Galanis. The lead and backing guitar work here (as in all the songs) is impeccable. Cannon and Galanis are both spectacular. “When Will You Tell Him” is a slow and soulful cut that follows where Cannon implores his woman to break off her relationship so he can come out of the darkness after slinking around for over three years. Thoughtful and pensive guitar and vocals are plentiful here. The organ humming behind the vocals and guitar also sets a beautiful tone. “Mrs. From Mississippi” is a bouncing and rocking blues tune where Cannon extols the virtues what the title states. Toronzo’s guitar bleats out praise as do his vocals, another well done song. Cannon closes with “I Am.” Beginning with an acoustic guitar intro, the song quickly shifts to a full scale production where Cannon preaches, “The devil is laughing while God is reachin’ out to you.” The sound and emotion build and the guitar solo caps off a great song that concludes this fine set of tunes. I think I can say without reservation that Toronzo Cannon has reached the top of his profession. No one in the Chicago blues world plays and sings with the emotion and feel that he does. The years of hard work, gigging, playing for free, working a day job and playing night after night have resulted in him achieving the status of being on what I would consider the top of the heap in the Chicago blues scene; he is one of the very best bluesmen over all that is out there anywhere. His work pays homage to those who passed before him and will stand as a benchmark for future generations of blues artists. “The Chicago Way” is Cannon’s biggest and most explosive albums. When the 2016 awards nominations for best albums go out I am certain this one will make the list! I most strongly recommend this album for your continued listening pleasure. Reviewed by Steve Jones
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March-April 2016 Tiger In A Cage Johnny Rawls Catfood Records www.johnnyrawlsblues.com catfoodrecords,com 12 tracks Johnny Rawls is becoming one of the last of his generation still keeping soul blues alive. The album is his first since joining up with the great and now late Otis Clay in 2014 for their Soul Brothers album. In 2013 he released Remembering O.V., a tribute to his mentor O.V. Wright. 2012 saw the release of Soul Survivor, a multiBMA garnering work that followed another that also got multiple BMA nominations, the 2011 album Memphis Still Got Soul. And in 201 he won the BMA for soul blues album of the year Ace of Spades. With these acclaimed six albums in seven years Rawls shows no sign of slowing down. He’s producing a lot of great stuff, both originals and covers. He’s been recording for Bob Trenchard and Catfood Records since 2005 and the two worked together for 8 years before that on several projects. Weaned by the greats O.V. Wright and Little Johnny Taylor, Rawls has learned how to be front man to a fantastic band and get the most out of a song. With Rawls here are his band the Rays, which features Johnny McGhee on guitar, Bob Trenchard on bass, Richy Puga on drums, Dan Ferguson on keys and accordion, Andy Roman on sax, Mike Middleton on trumpet, Robert Claiborne on trombone, Nick Flood on baritone sax, Jon Olazabel on percussion and vocal backups by the Iveys. The guitar and horns are spectacular. The band is together and work spectacularly as a team. I was impressed on each cut how they complemented each other. It was truly a great, team effort. Nine originals and three covers comprise the album contents, and Rawls gives some fine performances. Rawls wrote or co-wrote the original songs and Trenchard had his hand in on five of them. The title track gets things started. This is a cut about a 19 year old sent off to prison with a life now wasted. The growth of prison populations due “War on Drugs” failures creates a sad situation for us. Prisons are filled with men who are like tigers and other zoo animals; hopelessly incarcerated, pacing cells and prison yards with no aim and getting more and more filled with rage. Another original follows, “Born to the Blues” where Johnny
sings how he was born in Mississippi and has spent 40 years keepin’ keepin’ on. Rawls reprises his classic “Red Cadillac” and he and the Rays nail it. “Every Woman Needs a Working Man” is also an original tune and Rawls tells us what women need. A driving beat keeps it loose and fun. “Reckless Heart” takes us down and Rawls smoothly transitions into a more soulful and slow tempo-ed pace. This highly orchestrated ballad is well done. The next tune is “Keep It Loose” where Johnny tells us about taking his woman down to the juke joint. Sam Cooke’s “Having A Party is the first of the covers. Rawls starts off with sparse accompaniment (bass drum and piano) and he and the band build into a swinging and sweet cover of this song. I loved the trombone solo here! The take out is also scaled down; I loved what Rawls did here. He follows that with Jackie Wilson’s “Your Love Is Lifting Me Higher.” This one exceeded my expectations; no schmaltz here. Rawls gives it a great effort and sings and swings seemingly effortlessly. The horns blare and the backing vocals are slick. “Southern Honey” spins us a country styled blues where Eden Brent shares the mike with Rawls. The two are backed by the band and some fiddles/stringed instruments to help set the tone. Another winner! The next song “Lucy” is tune about a girl who gets juicy and likes to pop her coochie. Ok, it rhymes and actually it’s a fun little cut. The third and final cover is a very nice soulful blues version of the Stone’s “Beast of Burden.” Rawls gives an impassioned performance with some gritty emotion. Rawls closes with a soulful and slow song named “I Would Be Nothing.” It is a big love song and Rawls gives his all. I saw Johnny at last year’s Chicago Blues Fest and he put on a helluva show at the Mississippi Juke Joint Stage. He drew a huge crowd out in the sun as he amazed the fest attendees with his powerful performances. This album shows he can be artful and prolific and firmly cements him atop the soul blues artists. The critical acclaim he has gotten is welldeserved. These are some great albums he is producing and I think he’s even better live. If you want to hear one of the masters of soul blues, go out and buy this CD. You will not regret it. Reviewed by Steve Jones
So Low Tim Williams Lowden Proud Records www.cayusemusic.com 10 tracks Tim won the Solo/Duo Competition at the International Blues Challenge in 2014 and with this CD I can see further proof of his deserving this win. He features four originals, a rearrangement of a public domain song and five covers on this solo CD. Williams plays a Marquette (probably an old Washburn make), a contemporary Gretch Alligator Resonator, a 1920s Stella mandolin and a Harmony Sovereign Deluxe 12 string guitar. The inside of the gatefold has a little information on each instrument and on back of the CD cover he visually depicts which instrument is featured on each song. The covers are Mose Allen’s “ If You Live,” “My Big Money” by Big Bill Broonzy, Blind Boy Fuller’s “Pistol Snapper,”Tampa Red’s The Witching Hour,” and “Big River” by Johnny Cash. He takes a measured, folky blues approach to these tunes as he does all his stuff. He is a great finger picker and he features the mandolin on the Broonzy cut which was really nicely done. The resonator on the Tampa Red cut and “Big River” sounds sweet. The Marquette is used on the other covers and it has a beautiful, classic sound. He opens with the Mose Allen cut; Tim worked with him in the 1970s and is one of his favorite songs. I’d have to say he did well! He arranged the old dance tune “The Grizzly Bear” and plays it on his 12 string. He gives credit to Geoff Muldaur on his take of this one and he does a good job with it. The resonator makes it’s other appearance on the original “Anywhere c/o The Blues.” It has a very Delta Blues sound and Tim delivers a nice performance. He uses the Marquette on “Midnight After Midnight” and “Lightnin’.” The latter is a tribute to Lightnin’ Hopkins and he uses a big amount of reverb to make it sound more authentic and serves well to close out the CD. There is nothing to complain about here. Williams is a great finger picker and sings with a sonorous and melodic style. Never rushed and metered in his approach, Williams just glides through each cut with no issues. I think he’s an outstanding guitar player and a solid singer. Acoustic music fans will want to pick up a copy of this to savor! Reviewed by Steve Jones
Page 8 Been Around A While Dalannah And Owen Quest Records www.dalannahandowen.com 11 tracks/42 minutes Canadian duo Dalannah Gail Bowen and Owen Veber initially joined forces for their local IBC competition and this is their first release as a duo. They hail from Vancouver and both are experienced musicians there, with 90 years’ experience of music between them. Dalannah is a singer with roots in blues, gospel and jazz and all those elements can be heard here; Owen is a jazz and classically trained bassist and, apart from some loops, everything one hears here is Dalannah’s voice and Owen’s bass. The material is a mix of five of their original songs and six covers. The general style is relaxed and late-night with plenty of jazz touches. With so little accompaniment there is certainly nowhere to hide and Dalannah has the vocal ability needed, plenty of range, from deep to rasping choruses. Owen’s throbbing bass underpins everything but how one wishes for some additional colour to supplement the music and give extra support to the vocals; one can easily imagine Dalannah backed by a full band, but that is not what we are being offered. The title track opens the album and is pretty typical of the style with Dalannah’s deep voice and Owen’s minimal bass lines, a song that sums up the wisdom of an older person who has had plenty of life experience and is comfortable in their skin. The cover of “Early In The Morning” was one of the best tracks for this reviewer, not least because it has an inherently catchy rhythm which is well done here. Dalannah’s vocals are clear and express the familiar lyrics well. The duo’s “That Ain’t It” is a shorter track with a definite jazz feel and the cover of Billy Eckstine’s “Blues Mother Of Sin”, while a less obvious choice to cover, is also very jazzy. Elsewhere the duo include a song entitled “Queen Bee” that is a close relation to Slim Harpo’s “I’m A King Bee” and include covers of Marvin Gaye’s “Inner City Blues”, Robert Johnson’s “Come On In My Kitchen” and Son House’s “Walkin’ Blues” but it is difficult to vary the pace much with such bare resources, so the overall feel remains much the same throughout. This was not an album to which this reviewer will return often but it may appeal to others who enjoy an acoustic and jazzinflected approach to the blues. Reviewed by John Mitchell
The Groove- Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter The Caster Blaster Clarence ‘The Bluesman’ Turner Self-Release www.bluesmanturner.com 11 tracks/51 minutes Clarence Turner is a mainstay of the Washington DC blues scene and this is his second release. Clarence wrote eight of the songs, plays guitar and sings. The rest of the band is Sean Graves on drums, David Satterwhite on bass, Charles Pearson on keyboards, Gene Meros on sax and Gary Hendrickson on trumpet and horn arrangements. Clarence, Gene and Gary produced the album. Four of the songs here are reprised from Clarence’s first release. Two of those tunes bookend the CD and share some common lyrical content: in “Fame And Fortune” Clarence asks how it is that “everywhere I go people know my name; ain’t nothing wrong with being famous but I could do with a little fortune to go with my fame”, the whole carried along on a funky rhythm with horn accents and plenty of Clarence’s guitar; set closer “Pay Day” is on similar lines as Clarence finds that his money is often spent almost as soon as he gets paid, but hopes that a hit record will change all that. There are two other reprises: “Mojo Hand” was disappointing as it is so close to other songs of that title and sounds under-recorded, certainly compared with the two titles already discussed; the instrumental “Sabrena” is a mixed bag with solid work from the rhythm section and some great horn work but Clarence’s strident guitar tone here is not particularly pleasant. Another instrumental “Fender Bender?” fares better with some fine piano and another stellar horn arrangement, Clarence playing some Texas style guitar to good effect though why he chose to give the tune the same name as a Jimmy Thackery instrumental is a mystery. A similar issue occurs with “Nadine” which is not Chuck Berry’s song but shares some lyrical elements though the horn arrangement ensures that the similarity stops there. Of the other originals “Happily Married Man” is a good song, Clarence making sure that female admirers at his shows know that he is definitely NOT available as the band sets a fast pace and the horns are again excellent, Clarence producing a fine solo too. The album is generally upbeat and the only slower tune is “Hey Lady” which has some superb sax and trumpet playing though Clarence’s vocal is perhaps too relaxed and does not work as well in this slower context.
When selecting songs to cover it is often dangerous to pick tunes as well-known as the three chosen here. However, the approach to “C.C. Rider” is very different and works brilliantly, making it one of the strongest cuts here. Gary’s trumpet leads the way on a bright and enjoyable arrangement, the horns are outstanding throughout and Clarence’s riff follows their lead. It is also one of Clarence’s best vocals on the album, making it an allround winner. Ray Charles’ “Blackjack” has some heavy guitar set against baying horns though the sung verses are played fairly straight. Willie Dixon’s “I’m Ready” is similar but the main riff played by the horns propels the familiar song and Clarence again sings this one well. Overall something of a mixed bag but there are definitely some solid tracks here that are of interest and the horns throughout are great. Reviewed by John Mitchell Window On The World John McKinley Self Released johnmckinleyband.com 12 tracks When the opening track “Dirty Nails” began I immediately knew this was not a blues album. A huge, instrumental guitar piece in a classic rock that came from the blues sound. OK, so it’s not pure blues, but I continued to listen. “Once A Ponce of Time” that follows is what the blues would sound like perhaps if they were done my Yes (minus Chris Wakeman). “Welfare Mama” is perhaps bluesy rock with more stinging big rock guitar solos. “Stratitude” is a dirty, heavy psychedelic guitar rocking number. Strat with an attitude and it’s a bad attitude. Gutsy stuff; another far out instrumental. “Cuanda Yo Me Voy” is an Latin/flamenco/ Spanish inspired Santana-esque piece. “Rev It Up” is another rock tune that breaks out into a strat duo-ing with an acoustic guitar. The vocals begin 2/3 of the way through the song. “Keep the Door Cracked” is a late 70’s styled rock tune that easily could have been on the popular rock radio stations back then. Real bluesy blues began on the 8th track with “P-Nutt-Butt-A” where McKinley gives us some slow blues with some wicked guitar that feels like peanut butter being slowly spread across some bread. McKinley shows some real diversity in his tune mix. He gets into a big solo that is
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cool but approaches being over the top. “Life’s A Bitch” follows is another rocking song where McKinley mixes some fun in his lyrics and goes into some more bog guitar. “Cool Night Breeze” is slipping and sliding rock that hints it came from blues. “Passionate Man” mixes anthem rock with rockabilly and blues into a mid-tempo melanage of stuff. He closes with “Ontarian Song,” a soft and slow instrumental sort of rock ballad that shifts into a rocking world music meets something else at a higher tempo sort of piece after a minute and a half. After six minutes the tune switches to a native American song called “Nibi” with vocals.
struments (guitar, organ, bass, harp and ‘horn patches’) are played by producer Jerry Bone. The only other player is Lennon Bone on drums, with occasional contributions from Ron Miller on piano and strings, Charlie Chalmers on sax and Sarah Jo Roark on backing vocals. The effect is a little like hearing karaoke. “I’m Tore Down” fares a little better with the sax in evidence though Jerry is no Freddie King. Albert King’s “Oh Pretty Woman” is a little different, Corté giving us a part-spoken intro over some funky music though once we get into the verses the song is played pretty straight with Jerry playing Albert’s style quite well.
OK, so it’s not blues. I have to admit I enjoyed it on a couple of levels. Three of the cuts were really great (the opener, Life’s A Bitch and Passionate Man), It’s a strange mix that somehow seems to work. McKinley haild from Roswell, New Mexico but since the 1980’s has made Kitchner, Ontario his home. He and his 35 year old son Darius (who plays bass) wrote all the tunes. Ben Rollo is on drums and John handles the guitars and vocals. A variety of other artists fill in.
Otis Rush’s “All Your Love” is another song that is often covered and this version does not really stand up, with loud organ and a more histrionic vocal from Corté but “Unchain My Heart” fares better with some good backing vocals behind Corté’s lead and the piano and horns pushing the song along convincingly. Again, a song that we all have favourite versions of but this one works well. An arguably better choice is the less wellknown Otis Redding song “Any Ole Way” but it is perhaps unfortunate to have chosen two tunes associated with Delbert McClinton, both of which are fresh in our memories from Delbert’s versions. To complete the album Corté gives us his versions of “Cold Sweat” (James Brown) and “That’s The Way Love Is” (Bobby Bland), both of which had too much synthetic sounding keyboard work for this reviewer’s taste.
If you are looking for something completely different, interesting and are not hung up on traditional blues, then you might want to try this out. It’s mostly not blues and stylistically ventures all over the place, but I have to say I sat and listened intently! Reviewed by Steve Jones Seasoned Soul Corté Self-Release www.corte.global 11 tracks/42 minutes
It is difficult not to admire Corté’s determination to return to singing and he certainly has the voice for this sort of material. He might be better served by a larger band recorded in a more ‘natural’ way. Reviewed by John Mitchell
Al Corté grew up in a singing family and received some classical vocal training when young. He sang for a number of bands in his youth and later pursued a career in video and TV production, returning to singing when he retired. “Seasoned Soul” is described as a labour of love and Corté certainly has a good voice for the sort of material chosen here, a selection of blues, soul and Rn’B classics from the likes of Ray Charles, James Brown, Otis Redding, and Kings Albert and Freddie. Nothing wrong with the choice of material but these are such well known songs that to succeed one has to add something and these arrangements do not really do that. The first three tracks set the tone, starting with Little Milton’s “That’s What Love Will Make You Do”, a song that has been frequently covered, including recently by Janiva Magness. Corté’s version does not get near that standard: his voice is fine but sounds a little low in the mix and the backing is dull, possibly due to the fact that most of the in-
Take It Like That D’Mar & Gill Airtight Records www.dmarandgill.com 13 tracks/58 minutes Derrick Martin (D’Mar) and Chris Gill return with their second CD together, a pleasing mix of Mississippi blues and back porch feel. D’Mar is a seasoned drummer whose eye-catching live performance, once seen, stays long in the memory; Chris Gill is a singer/songwriter and guitar player from Mississippi. They are supported by Jerry ‘Groovemaster’ Jemmott or Kid Andersen on bass, with a few contributions from Bob Welsh on keys, Aki Kumar on harp, Frankie Ramos on sax and Lisa Andersen on backing vocals. The album is another from the seemingly endless production line at Greaseland Studios in San José, CA, and producer/engineer Kid Andersen also plays second guitar on several tracks. All the material is original with Chris writing seven of the songs himself and collaborating
with other Mississippi artists on five others; the only song that Chris did not write is opener “I Fell In Love With The Blues” which was written by Virgil Brawley who also contributed to three others. That opening tune sets the tone, rolling piano and harp embellishments providing a relaxed feel. “Back To Paradise” also has a relaxed feel but some more serious lyrics as Chris refers to how “bombs shatter life’s fragile balance” and that “brotherhood and love, that’s what we really need”. Chris plays some great slide on “Song For Honeyboy” over some assertive drumming from D’Mar and solid second guitar support from Kid and we come to realise that the title refers to Chris’ guitar, not to the late Honeyboy Edwards. “Souvenir Of The Blues” is a slower tune with a moody feel as Chris and Kid exchange notes on this minor key blues which is one of the standout tracks here. Chris and Virgil’s “Dancin’ Girl” has more of a Mississippi feel, especially through Chris’ use of the cigar box guitar and vocals that sound distorted as if sung through a harp mike. The romantic “You Never Know” finds Chris missing his girl, almost a reaction to the previous tune where he was clearly tempted by the ‘dancin’ girl’ of the title but here he is unreservedly faithful; just the duo on this one with some lovely guitar from Chris. “Three Way Inn” sounds like a classic juke joint and a painting of such a place appears on the back cover of the CD. Musically this one has a real retro feel, especially from D’Mar’s interesting percussion effects and Kid’s double bass. On a fun set of lyrics Chris knows he has had a good time drinking because “you can tell by the smell”! Bob’s piano takes us down south to Louisiana as Chris sings of voodoo, hoodoo and New Orleans on “Must Be Love” while the title track concerns the attractions of the Delta but brings in some Caribbean influences blended with rock and roll to provide a very catchy piece. Chris moves into more of a country blues feel in his guitar and vocal on “Sweet Tooth” which is just a trio performance with D’Mar’s superb brushwork on drums and Jerry’s gently pulsing bass behind Chris’ slide, Lisa adding some nice vocal harmonies on the outro. The cigar box gets a second outing on “Lonesome For Leavin’”, Chris sounding very lost and low down in his vocal as he declares that “They call me a rolling man, I got a tendency to roam”. “Tore Down & Blue” has some good organ accompaniment and Kid’s almost reggae rhythm work behind Chris’ fine lead lines, the whole having a hypnotic effect, another winner. The final track “Since I Saw You” adds Frankie Ramos’ alto sax on a positive song with a slightly old-fashioned feel. Overall a pleasant and varied album that is definitely worth investigating. John Mitchell
Page 10 When She’s Gone Benny Turner Nola Blue www.bennyturner.com 10 tracks/50 minutes Benny Turner’s 2014 release “Journey” was well received and in the wake of that success he has now released a follow-up that combines previously released and newly recorded material. Benny’s 1997 debut “Blue And Not So Blue” was mainly sold from the bandstand and here six of its tracks are reprised with a recording from the same sessions not previously released plus three new tracks. Benny is, of course, Freddie King’s younger brother and his main instrument is bass (he played in Freddie’s band as well as for Mighty Joe Young and Marva Wright) and he is also a solid vocalist. On the 1997 tracks Benny shares bass duties with Alonzo Johnson, drums are by Jeffery ‘Jellybean’ Alexander, Larry Williams and Herman Ernest III with keyboards from Samuel ‘The Bishop’ Berfect, Davell Crawford and Marc Adams. You will note the absence of guitar on these six tracks, Benny preferring to rely on the keyboards or on using the bass as a lead instrument which he does on a couple of occasions to good effect. The only exception to the ‘no guitar’ rule is that Dr John plays guitar on one cut, simply because he was in the studio and thought it would fit well with the track! There are a large number of backing vocalists including several of the backing musicians. The three new tracks feature Bob Margolin and Derwin ‘Big D’ Perkins on guitar, Josh Paxton and Keiko Komaki on keys and Jeffery Alexander reprising his role on the drums. Taking the 1997 tracks first the album opens with “I Can’t Leave”, a shuffle with plenty of jazzy tones from the organ and piano combo. Benny’s voice is great and the female backing vocals add to the soulfulness of the track. “If I Can’t Have You” is a classic song of the guy who has lost the love of his life but Benny provides some nice lyrical flourishes: “Without your sweet love, baby, I’m like a dog without a bone; and a dog without a bone is like a singer without a song”; harp is added to this one by Sean Lewis. The slow blues of “Have You Ever Been So Lonesome” features Benny on lead bass which is highly effective set against keys that give an almost orchestral sound. Benny’s former employer Marva Wright duets with Benny on “Pity This Lovesick Fool” which sounds a little dated with the funky clavinet but it’s still a strong song and the two
The Groove- Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter singers’ voices complement each other well. Another musician no longer with us is Charles Brown who plays piano on “So Deep” with more lead bass from Benny and a choir of five backing vocalists to add a gospel feel to the song. Charles’ piano and the churchy organ by ‘The Bishop’ work well together and the song is another winner from Benny. “Because Of You” is a lovely ballad with caressing keys and that appearance by Doctor John on rhythm guitar; this is a song that sounds so much like a classic of yesteryear that you check who wrote it – and the answer is Benny. Indeed, Benny wrote all six of the tracks from the 1997 album but one track was left on the shelf. The idea was to make an album that was all original compositions, so the band’s take on “Black Night” (Jesse Mae Robinson) was not issued although it was a second number featuring Charles Brown in what may well have been his final recording session. Damaged in the Katrina floods, the tape was transferred just in time before it fell apart and we can now enjoy it. Opening and closing with storm sounds, Charles’ piano is right up front with Benny’s anguished vocal and horns add additional quality to the track – thank goodness it was rescued so we can hear it now. The three remaining tracks are all covers recorded recently, each one very familiar to blues fans as they have become a staple of many bands. Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine” is one of those songs that one has heard far too often, but Benny’s take on it is still excellent. The band play the familiar tune a little more slowly than usual and the combination of Bob Margolin’s expressive slide, ‘Big D’s rhythm work and the string sounds from keyboardist Keiko all works really well. On Lowell Fulson’s “Reconsider Baby” the band again plays slightly slower than is often the case and Benny’s voice conveys the familiar lyrics very well. The final cover is Jimmy Rogers’ “That’s All Right”, a rolling blues on which Benny not only plays bass but also guitar (presumably not simultaneously!) to good effect. It sounds as if there is a harp on this one also but it is not credited. Overall this is a very enjoyable album. I suspect that very few fans will have a copy of the 1997 album so the fact that most of this album is a reissue will not put off people who like well-played blues, soul and gospel. Reviewed by John Mitchell
Find A Way to Care John Mayall Forty Below Records johnmayall.com fortybelowrecords.com 12 tracks John Mayall seems to be quite prolific here in the latter part of his career. The album was recorded over six days in February and March of 2015 at House of Blues Studio in Encino, California. John Mayall focuses on the keyboards here, with some really fine organ and piano work over the course of the album. His voice is getting on a little with his years, but he still holds his own; I actually think it adds some charm to his approach. The album features a nice assortment of originals and covers that showcase the octogenarian and his band! Mayall and company kick off with the classic “Mother In Law Blues.” This cover has gotten some airplay and is a well down version of this old Don Robey song. Originally released by Little Junior Parker and made famous by Ike and Tina Turner, Jimmy Dawkins and Hip Linkchain, Son Seals, Luther Johnson, The Nighthawks and dozens of others, Mayall does the tune justice and takes a pretty fresh approach. “The River’s Invitation” is an old Percy Mayfield cut. Mayall on organ is spectacular and the horns are beautifully done; Ron Dziubla (saxes), Richard A Rosenberg (trombone) and Mark Pender on trumpet do a bang up job. Mayall’s “Ain’t No Guarantees” is a nice, minor key blues where he sings with “relation exacerbation” sating that nothing is guaranteed with love. He does another great job on organs and keys here. “I Feel So Bad” is a Lightning Hopkins cover also getting some radio airplay, especially Sirius/XM. Mayall’s vocals and keys are solid and the horns in support do a fine job filling in. There is lots of solo time by Mayall here. A second original follows next; “Find A Way to Care” opens with guitar and then the horns and Mayall take over. The tempo drops a bit and we get our first guitar solo of the album. Rocky Athas is more than up to it, following in a long line of guitar greats who have played with the Bluesbreakers and other Mayall bands. Mayall follows it with a solid piano solo. The song is a lament of sorts where Mayall can’t find anything to care about after his woman leaves him. He tries many things to no avail. Muddy Water’s “Long Distance Call” follows and John gets really
March-April 2016 down tempo-ed and funky here. The piano and guitar parry with Mayall’s vocals and then he goes into a pretty piano solo and then Athas helps out a bit, too. “I Want All My Money Back” come to us from Lonnie Brooks and Mayall does it proud. H e sings and solos and then Athas concludes with some killer guitar work. He and bassist Greg Rzab shared penning “Ropes and Chains” where Mayall breaks out the harp for some sweet sounding stuff. The original “Long Summer Days” is next, which is a little jazzy and features a lot of nice piano. “Driftin’ Blues” is a song written by Charles Brown, Edward Williams, Johnny Moore and first played by Bobby Bland that has been covered by many greats. Mayall does a great job with it, very minimalistic and cool. Matt Schofield’s 2009 song “War We Wage” and the new “Crazy Lady” are listed as bonus tracks. The former reflects on waging a war no one can win. Nice organ and big guitar work here, an interesting song that is well done. The latter is a piano tune where Mayall does some bluesy mid tempo ragtime, honky tonk stuff. This is not Sandy Denny’s 1971 “Crazy Lady Blues” (who he has sung about previously) nor do I think Mayall is singing autobiographically, but it is a good little song that closes the set nicely. Mayall is a real Energizer Bunny sort of musician. At 82 he is going strong with a fine band and another fine album. Rocky Athas is a fine guitar player and the backline of Greg Rzab and Jay Davenport are as solid as any. Mayall shines on the keyed instruments and still can carry a tune with guts and gusto. The trio of horns that appear are also very, very talented. Tasteful covers and some good new songs make for a super assortment of songs. You can’t go wrong picking this one up! Reviewed by Steve Jones Blizzard Of Blues Tommy Z Self-Release www.tommyzband.com 9 tracks/53 minutes Tommy Z is from the Buffalo NY area and this is his fourth album. Tommy wrote eight of the nine tracks, produced the album and helped engineer the recordings. Tommy handles all guitar and vocals with drummer Damone Jackson and one of three bassists: Jerry Livingston (five tracks), Stanley Swampski or Walter Riggo (two tracks each). Kevin Urso adds keyboards to six
Page 11 cuts and Jeremy Keyes harp to one. The style ranges from blues-rock to straight blues with some jazzy touches here and there. Opener “Lover Girl” is a solid shuffle with Jeremy’s harp adding to the classic blues feel. “Going To A Party” takes the energy (and pretty much the core riff) from SRV’s “House Is Rockin’” to generate a frenetic rocker which is great fun. Things get heavier on the churning “Memory Of Love” as Kevin’s organ supports some guitar pyrotechnics from Tommy. “Blues For K.P.” is an extended slow blues in which Tommy laments the loss of a friend but has decided that “I’ve done my crying but it’s time for moving on” so perhaps the cathartic guitar solo here is Tommy’s way of saying goodbye. The instrumental “Bags Of Cool” almost certainly references Albert Collins who made a career out of such titles and Tommy plays some fine Albert style licks here. The title track has a ‘blizzard’ of notes as Tommy’s insistent riff underpins a song that talks of getting home in a snow storm but there is not a lot of actual blues here. Tommy’s voice is probably better suited to uptempo material but the emotive ballad “Miracle” is still one of the highlights of the album with some fine guitar playing, including a superb solo. The only cover is “My Eyes (Keep Me In Trouble)”, written by Herbert Walker and best known for Muddy Waters’ version. Tommy plays it pretty straight through the verses and Kevin’s organ playing is great but Tommy can’t resist some over-playing in the solo section. The album closes with a second instrumental “Al’s Groove” which is a sharp contrast with its cool jazz approach, Kevin’s organ stabs fitting really well as Tommy plays this beautifully - quite out of keeping with the rest of the album but extremely enjoyable. For this reviewer this CD has some excellent tracks and one or two that did not suit my tastes. Most blues fans should find something here to their taste but it may not always be the same tracks! Reviewed by John Mitchell The Prodigal Returns Keith Stone Self- Release www.keithstonemusic.com 11 tracks/51 minutes New Orleans native Keith Stone spent several years as a sideman in various NO bands but gave up the music for some
years after he was ordained as a Minister. He returned home after Hurricane Katrina and started playing again, sitting in with old friends around the city. This CD is his first release under his own name and it is excellent throughout, blending blues, soul, gospel and Cajun influences in the sort of musical gumbo that Nawlins so often produces. The songs here pay tribute to the Crescent City: Keith wrote most of the material, producer/bassist David Hyde supplied an instrumental and there is one traditional tune. A superb ensemble of local musicians supports Keith with horns on every track and the inimitable Dr John sitting in on one cut. The album is bookended by the traditional gospel song “Just A Closer Walk With Thee”: the short first part is mainly Dr John’s solo piano to which a traditional New Orleans horn band joins in at the end - sousaphone, trumpet, trombone and alto sax; the extended second part adds Keith’s vocal and guitar to close the album on a classic Nawlins moment as the horns take us out. The rest of the album is all original tunes; “Better Things To Do” is a superb soul tune with the horn riff reminiscent of Etta James’ “Tell Mama”, Keith laying down a great guitar solo. Keith has a good, clear voice and here he sings of resisting the charms of a young lady. A fine slow blues follows in “First Love” with soaring guitar and lovely piano from the multi-talented Nelson Blanchard who not only plays drums and keys throughout but also mixed the album! “Cindi Leigh” is a tribute to Keith’s wife and the gently rocking tune has a Cajun feel with Bruce ‘Sunpie’ Barnes’ accordion and Andy J. Forest’s frottoir, plus a high note alto solo from Bobby Henderson. “Take Me Home” is another soulful tune with prominent horns and lyrics that refer clearly to Keith’s home town and “New Orleans Moonlight” is a Fats Domino style ballad. A funky “Time To Move On” and the high tempo rocker “Make Me Feel Alright” demonstrate yet more styles while the title track offers an autobiographical song over a funky rhythm with joyous horn accents. The only original not written by Keith is David Hyde’s instrumental “Buster’s Place” which opens and closes with barroom noise, is presumably dedicated to one of the band’s regular hangouts and offers solo spots to most of the band. Whatever style Keith uses his voice and guitar playing shine through and the band is consistently excellent, making this a memorable debut album which comes highly recommended. Reviewed by John Mitchell
The Groove- Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter
Page 12 She’s Lookin’ Good Mitchell T & The H.B.’s Top Cat Records www.topcatrecords.com 16 tracks/46 minutes Here’s an oddity – an album recorded in 1997 but apparently only seeing the light of day now. One wonders why as this is a solid album of Texas blues, Rn’B and soul. Mitchell T Palmer is the vocalist with a slightly hoarse voice that suits the material well and the H.B.’s are Hash Brown (Brian Calway) on guitar and b/v’s, Terry Montgomery on bass and b/v’s and Bobby Baranowski on drums; Andrew Baxter Jr guests on lead guitar on two tracks. Hash is known as a go-to player for touring artists in Texas and has released several albums in his own name over the years. The material is largely drawn from the obscure with a smattering of better known tunes, just one original and was recorded in Dallas in summer 1997. As can be seen from the track information most of the material is short and sweet, only one song running to four minutes. The band opens with a Rufus Thomas obscurity, another of his funky dance records, “Can Your Monkey Do The Dog” and follows that with “I Wanna Know Why”, a lilting piece of rock and roll credited to ‘P. ‘Lonesome Sundown’ Walker’ which may be the late Phillip Walker, another fine Texas guitarist. Two better known songs follow, both connected to Wilson Pickett: “Three Time Loser” was the original B side to “Mustang Sally” and this is a good version, as is the title track “She’s Lookin’ Good”, a 1968 hit for the Wicked Pickett, also covered by John Nemeth on his 2007 “Magic Touch” album. Then it’s back to the lesser known with Jimmy Nicks’ “I’m Mr Big Stuff” which has a slinky rhythm and an excellent vocal. Lyrically this song works well alongside Buddy Guy’s “A Man Of Many Words” which the band recreate in a very short 1.46 version. This reviewer had not heard of either Thomas East & The Fab Playboys or Bobby ‘Guitar’ Watson who supply “I Get A Groove” and “When Girls Do It” respectively, the former an appropriately funky tune with an insistent guitar riff at its core, the latter a slow blues which is the longest track here and allows Hash a rare solo. Mitchell’s own “Give It To Me” is a superb piece of rock and roll with Hash’s rhythm work at its core, Andrew playing the lead lines. Andrew stays on board to embellish “Sawed Off Shotgun”, a Magic Sam tune
that sounds more like Jimmy Reed in this very upbeat version. “Something Inside Of Me” is a slow blues with anguished lyrics which Hash matches in his guitar tone, a track here credited to Jeremy Spencer but actually written by Danny Kirwan – it appeared on an obscure Fleetwood Mac compilation. Sam Dees is the source for “Soul Sister” which finds Hash hitting the wah-wah pedal over some classic soul rhythms. “Lickin’ Stick” comes from another obscure source George Torrence & The Naturals and was apparently a Pittsburgh dance floor hit in 1968! It’s a great slab of Rn’B in which the singer describes a girl doing all the dances of the period but then seeks retribution for the girl’s actions: “This girl really needs a lickin’ ‘cos she’s as fresh as a spring chicken, Mama come quick and bring your lickin’ stick”. Equally unknown to this reviewer, Harold Burrage wrote “You Eat Too Much” and the girl here is clearly not paying attention to healthy eating advice a fun tune with some cool guitar playing at its core. To close out the album the band does a good job on a short version of Otis Rush’s “Homework” before a very brief intro to the band, done as if on a live stage, entitled “Stick N’ Stay”. The PR sheet describes this as a “quintessential party record”. Whilst there is nothing particularly novel here the CD is a good listen, providing plenty of fun. Reviewed by John Mitchell Hillbilly Zen-Punk Blues Reverend Freakchild Citizens Of The Universe Music http://www.wwwreverendfreakchild.org/ 10 Tracks This CD is an interesting one. Reverend Freakchild has quite a background. Growing up in Hawaii, he later went to the northeast and earned a degree in philosophy and religion. He had played around NYC and Boston in various jam and blues bands. Currently he is in Colorado studying Tibetan Buddhism. He performs solo or with a band. He has Reverend Gary Davis as one of his musical heroes. The music is a bit offbeat, but has blues running through its veins. I believe this to be his 3rd release. 8 of the 10 songs are originals. He is joined on this recording by Chris Parker (drums), Hugh Pool (lap steel and harmonica), Tugboat Eustis (bass) and John Ragus (flute). Members
of Mulebone (New Orelans) add some background vocals too. The opening tune is “All I Got Is Now”. The lap steel playing of High Pool shines on this tune. It reminds me a bit of Todd Snider. The Mulebone crew sing a bit of backup here also. “Angel$ Of Mercy” is an instrumental. It is a slower rambling tune with fine harmonica work by Hugh Pool. It has some Delta and southern rock feel to it. A cover of the Reverend Gary Davis tune “I'll Be Alright Someday” is next. It has the country blues feel we would expect. I like the fuller instrumentation on this version than the original. The story telling continues with “Keep On Trucking” is a folk tune with a more cool bass line driving it to a different level for the Reverend. “Lullaby” is 2nd of 3 instrumentals. It has a Zen like feel with a bit of a different structure. The flute comes out on “Moonlight Messages”. It’s not quite out there to the Marshall Tucker Band and it’s southern rock, but close. It is a very tender tune to be enjoyed. Things pick up with the more rocking blues of “She Wants My Name”. The harmonica work of Hugh Poll is impressive. The tune is not explosive, but is a strong one, which is just fine. ”Soul Transforming Realization” is a riff filled Delta based instrumental tune. The guys play well on this one. The opening of “Tears Of Fire” sizzles and the band really cuts loose on this tune. The howling vocals are first rate. The closing number is the traditional “I Wish I Was In Heaven Sitting Down”. Reverend and his band put their stamp on this reverent tune. I defy you to not be tapping your foot on this one. So there we have it. Reverend Freakchild is quite an act, with passion in his music. There is blues and gospel and Zen in this CD. With 3 instrumentals and only 2 covers the music is diverse. This guy is tough to pigeonhole, but who needs to. Just enjoy listening to this. Reviewed by Mark Nelson
March-April 2016 Genuine Blues Legends Pinetop Perkins & Jimmy Rogers With Little Mike And The Tornadoes ELROB Records 10 Tracks Hailing from Belzoni Mississippi, Joseph William Perkins, the Delta boogie-woogie piano master, switched from playing guitar early in his musical career to playing piano. He began playing on Robert Nighthawk's KFFA radio program, switching to Sonny Boy Williamson's King Biscuit Time. Before he joined the list of blues artists in the "Windy City" later in his career, he was touring with Earl Hooker the 1950s. He then recorded "Pinetop's Boogie Woogie" (written by Pinetop Smith) at the Sam Phillips studio in Memphis, Tennessee. When he replaced Otis Spann in Muddy Waters' band in 1969, his blues piano career reached another level. Jimmy Rogers from Ruleville, Mississippi originally, later moved to Atlanta and Memphis. He learned to play harmonica with his childhood friend Snooky Pryor and as a teen learned to play guitar in East St. Louis, Illinois with Robert Lockwood, Jr. and other blues artists. He then moved to Chicago and in 1947 played with Muddy Waters and Little Walter in Muddy Waters' first band "The Headcutters" or "The Headhunters." Rogers recorded successfully with Chess Records in the 50s and performed briefly with Howlin' Wolf's band in the early 1960s before leaving the music world completely. In the late 1960s and early 70s he made a come back as a solo artist and by 1982 was a full-time solo artist again. Captured live at The Grand Auditorium in Ellsworth, Maine May 21, 1988 was the legendary all-star show featuring Pinetop Perkins, Jimmy Rogers, and of course another master of the harp Little Mike and The Tornadoes. Thanks to Michael Markowitz, the electricity of these two blues stalwarts, Pinetop Perkins and Jimmy Rogers, is preserved on this album. Despite the recording equipment in 1988, this live show, even though raw and unscripted, reflects an evening in blues history recorded with sound typical of modern day technology. It is spontaneous shows like this that deliver the authentic, traditional blues which are an integral part of our heritage. At the time, the two legends who were really in their prime, were able to captivate the audience and perform with one of New
Page 13 York's finest blues groups, Little Mike and The Tornadoes. The lineup for Little Mike and The Tornadoes featured two of the current members, Tony O Melio on guitar and Brad Vickers on bass, with Michael Anderson on drums. The two Chicago legends opened the show with the Leona Blackman / Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson tune "Kidney Stew," with Little Mike capturing the crowd by playing his harmonica solos. They followed with the 1963 Tommy Tucker classic "High Heel Sneekers," with Tony O taking center stage on guitar. Pinetop opens the J. Odom tune "Had My Fun" on vocals and piano and then builds on that to continue with a stellar performance on piano, joining Tony O and Little Mike. The band really creates a show on Pinetop Perkins boogie-woogie number "For You My Love." Jimmy Rogers takes over on vocals and guitar for the Jimmy Reed favorite "Big Boss Man." The legendary show is completed with two Jimmy Rogers tunes "All In My Sleep" and "The Last Time, two Pinetop Perkins tunes, "When I Lost My Baby" and fortunately his signature tune "Pinetop's Boogie Woogie." It's only fitting that they close the concert with the toe tapping number penned by both of the Chicago legends "Pine And Jimmy's Jump." With these traditional blues legends leaving us all too soon, shows like this one and others can be locked away for ever and hopefully someday history will repeat itself. Thank you Little Mike for making your contribution in keeping the blues alive! This is another chapter in the blues history book to be treasured forever. Reviewed by Rick Davis Working Mule Louisiana Red Topcat Records topcatrecords.com 14 tracks Louisiana Red unfortunately left us in 2012 but this 14-track set of live tunes are new and have never been released. They come from a variety of Red’s performances in Greece from 1994 through 2004. The quality of the production is great and featured in the selections are 10 of Red’s originals and 4 covers. The author of over 270 songs, Red won the W.C. Handy Award for Best Traditional Blues Artist in 1983. He released over 50 records of his own and has appeared on dozens more. Born Iverson
Minter, Louisiana Red did not record as Louisiana Red until 1960. He began playing guitar at 11. He lived as troubled and abused youth with his mother dying shortly after his birth and his father being lynched by the KKK when Red was 5. Despite these hardships he grew up to be a great musician, learning with Crit Walters and mentoring under Muddy Waters. He also spent time playing extensively with John Lee Hooker. The style he developed became uniquely his own. He recorded his first album for Chess Records in 1949 before going of to serve in Korea with the Army. He returned and recorded with Checker, Atlantic, Earwig Music, Roulette, Ruf Records, JSP Records and more. A prolific song writer, he was equally known for his exceptional guitar work. Red moved to Germany in 1976 and spent years touring and recording in Europe. He returned to the US in 1997 for the first of several “comeback” tour events. Appearing at times on these cuts with Red are The George Pilali Band, Blues Wire, Bob Brozman, and Johnny Nicolas & The Backbone. The Louisiana Red original cuts here are the title track that opens the CD, “Do You Got Balls?,” “Keep On Playin’ The Blues,” “Locked Up So Long,” “Good Bye Jack Dupree,” “Early in the Morning,” “You Done Quit Me,” “I Wonder Who,” “I Done Woke Up” and “Too Poor To Die.” The covers are Elmore James “The Sky Is Cryin’,” Muddy’s “Champagne and Reefer” and “What Is That She’s Got?,” and Willie Dixon’s “Same Thing.” There is a lot of great stuff here. Red’s guitar wails and growls, showcasing his style and skills. His guitar and slide work are really impressive. The energy from the live performances is captured well here. Since this covers only 11 years of Red’s career it might not be the best broad introduction to his music for new blues fans but despite this being from the latter part of his career this is still some great performances. I think these previously unreleased tracks will garner some attention and help to keep this great blues man alive in our hearts! Reviewed by Steve Jones
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March-April 2016
Watch Your Step Andy Santana And The West Coast Playboys Delta Groove Music 13 Tracks
Paule's guitar solos take us back to the West Coast 80's guitar era of Michael Leonard Mann, Junior Watson, Kid Ramos, and Dave Alvin. "No Double Talk," penned by Santana and Rick Estrin, keeps those same West Coast jump blues guitar licks locked in, this time by Kid Anderson, along with the sharp keys from Bob Welch. A combination of keys by Welch and Lorenzo Farrell's Hammond B3 make the slow Chuck Willis tune, "Can't You See," one of the more salient tunes on the set list. Santana has searched into the vaults for one of the 1960 soul/funk tunes performed by Al Brown & His Tunetoppers, with one of Brown's hits, "Take Me back." The West Coast Playboys follow up with three original tunes written by Andy Santana. The band gets funky with the track, "Greaseland," driven by the rhythm section on this primarily instrumental gem. They turn the jump blues world upside down on the song, "You Smell Like Cookies." Between Andy's harmonica, vocals, Paule's lead guitar, and Welsh's piano solos, this original should become a classic in time. "What's Wrong" combines the tone of the baritone guitar with the Hammond B3 of Lorenzo Farrell to create a tune that would meet the criteria for a superb 60's surf instrumental injected with some hot jump blues. Kid Anderson keeps his baritone guitar for one more Dave Bartholomew tune, "Go On Fool," a little more up tempo than the classic hit done by Ruth Brown.
The West Coast Playboys have played festivals from California to Texas and around the world, including the Moulin Blues Festival in Belgium and the Belgium Blues Nites Festival. The band has opened for many legendary artists and played numerous festivals in Texas, California, and Louisiana. Andy Santana seems to surround himself with some of the best West Coast musicians in the business. Including himself, his latest recording session, Watch Your Step, includes 18 of the finest veteran and new musicians. His three previous releases were Tight White Dress with The Soul Drivers, and two other releases, one with The West Coast Playboys, Swingin’ Rockin’ Jumpin’ & Jivin,’ and one solo album, Take Me With You. On past albums, Santana has had the pleasure of working with Junior Watson, Coco Montoya, Rusty Zinn, Johnny Cat, Dave Maneely, Kedar Roy, Steve Lucky, and Mike Schermer, just to name a few. All four releases are among some of the best that West Coast blues has to offer. Watch Your Step features guest guitar players, Kid Andersen, Anthony Paule, Mighty Mike Schermer, Bob Welsh, and Rusty Zinn. The opening tune is Carol Fran’s 1959 release "Knock Knock." In opening, Santana imitates Carol Fran’s original conversation, this time with Kid Anderson on the other side of the door. The Bobby Parker title track, "Watch Your Step" delivers a West Coast rendition, with Kid Anderson taking the guitar leads with a baritone guitar. With his superb vocals, lead guitar, and harmonica, Andy demonstrates his multifaceted talents on the Dave Bartholomew song, "Playgirl." Bob Welch starts things out with his rockin' boogie-woogie piano and the band takes charge with guitar solos matching those of the late great Hollywood Fats. The horn section establishes its presence on Z.Z. Hill’s "One Way Love Affair." Andy once again takes center stage with some wicked guitar licks on this one. One of the best tunes in the collection is the down and dirty rendition of Sir Mack Rice's "Love Sickness." Andy is joined on vocals by band members on backup for the rambunctious, fast pace, "You May Not Know," penned by Gabriel Gill, Mack Jones, and Frederick Williams. Anthony
The Groove- Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter
With Andy Santana's rock solid vocals and multi-talented expertise instrumentally, combined with the other talented artists on this album, you won't be disappointed. His 35 years as a singer/song writer/guitarist are all evident on this his fourth album. Review by Rick Davis Come And Get Me Boogie Beasts Naked/Blues Boulevard a Division of Music Avenue http:// www.boogiebeasts.com 11 Tracks Up next is the debut album by a band from Belgium called Boogie Beasts. There music is described as white-hot punk boogie. The band is a 4 piece with Jan Jaspers (guitar,vocals), Gert Servaes (drums), Fabian Bennardo (harmonica) and Mathias Dalle (guitar, vocals). They have learned from the delta, and pound out hill country influenced boogie music.
The music is always driving forward. The band plays Belgium a great deal, with short tours throughout Europe and the UK. The band draws comparison to The Black Keys, RL Burnside and a bit to me of Lightnin' Malcom. The band wrote all of the tunes. This fine CD opens with “Blast”. This song has a driving hill country beat straight from the delta. The harmonica adds to the song a great deal. The Delta feel continues on “Calling My Name”. The twin guitars add power to the tune. Your feet will be tapping with “Shake 'em”. I hear some North Mississippi Allstars in this one. On “Dig” the boogie slows down a bit, but still cooks. The end of the track cuts off a bit abruptly. On “Coming Home To You” I hear a bit Springsteen’s “State Trooper” with a more blues mix. This steps away from the Delta and shows some added variety to the disc. “Would You Please Shut Up” may define the band’s white-hot punk boogie description. The lyrics and the song itself has a bit of punk feel, but has a strong blues bass line and sound mixed in. The band returns to hill country on “Do Her Thing” The boogie is here, but it does not get too fast. The vocals fit right in too. The Black Keys sound is evident in “Rainy Day”. It rocks, and keeps the boogie backbeat. There is a strong harmonica sound from Fabian Bennardo. “On My Own Again” is another strong boogie tune. I like “Soul Keeps Crying” grabs a bit of Canned Heat boogie and marries it up to a more swampy feel. The band shows a more country blues feel on “Like A Fool”. You think it will be a long song (track show 14:32), but there is a long gap that takes us to a hidden track. It is a nice blues rock number These guys know how to play, and show their Delta influences on their chests. I admire how well they handle the boogie and Delta singing in English. Their music is danceable, foot tapping, Delta based blues and boogie. This will be one of the bright debut CDs of the year. The band walks the line of blues rock and the Delta in a fine way. It should appeal to all blues listeners. The recording is released in Europe and Amazon (US) has a digital download now. US release of the CD is not until May of 2016. Reviewed by Mark Nelson
March-April 2016 Bad Love Little Boys Blue Jaxon Records 11 Tracks Little Boys Blues, from Jackson, Tennessee, have been in existence since 1993. They are no strangers to Beale Street or The International Blues Competition, where they captured third place in 1997. Since then, they have played at numerous prestigious blues festivals around the country, working with blues legends like R.L. Burnside, Honey Boy Edwards, Billy Boy Arnold, and rockabilly icon Carl Perkins. The blues group sites influences like Sleepy John Estes, Hammie Nixon, Yank Rachel, R.L. Burnside, Little Walter, Muddy Waters, and the Allman Brothers. J.D. Taylor and Steve Patterson saw a vision in 1993 to combine electric and country blues, R&B, and roots music, taking musicians from Nashville country and Sun Records rockabilly and blending their influences from Tennessee and Mississippi Delta blues styles, rockabilly, rock, and country to create the unique Little Boys Blue sound. Taylor has a distinctive voice as does Van Morrison and Boz Scaggs when they both sing the blues. Little Boys Blue's current lineup includes JD Taylor on vocals and harmonica, his son, Alex Taylor, on rhythm and lead guitar, Mark Brooks on drums, Steve Patterson on lead and slide guitar, David Thomas on B3 and keyboards, and Dave Mallard on bass guitar. Bad Love gets things rolling with the title track, the first of nine original tunes. They establish a soulful groove that is hard to match, with Taylor touching your soul with his vocals. This opening tune is proof that this is one of the tightest blues bands on the circuit today. "She Puts Me Down" starts as a snappy tune with great rhythm and lead guitar, explosive harp solos, and a B3 performance by David Thomas worth the price of the CD. Back to a sweet, soulful format on "Treat Me Like You Used To Do" with a powerful horn section and superb background vocals added for a onetwo punch, making this original an absolute knockout. Given the superior quality of recordings today, the band gives the signature song from the Delta blues musician Son House, "Death Letter Blues," a twenty first century blues sound this time around with the front line harp of Taylor. He still maintains some of the original Delta guitar sound as it was recorded in 1965. Another Memphis, and very soulful tune, "Forget These Blues," is the smoothest, most soothing track on the album. "Howling At Your Door" delivers some of
Page 15 most powerful slide guitar riffs on the album, going toe to toe with Taylor's pleading vocals. This song would be a perfect fit for the Howlin' Wolf songbook. The band dips even farther South to the Louisiana bayou for a Memphis view of a real rock 'n' roll "Cajun Girl." Little Boys Blue bring back that soulful horn section and smooth slide guitar for the funky, jazz infused tune "You And I." Play you harp son and play it he does for the slow, gut bucket blues song "Go Back Home," as he heads back to Jackson, Tennessee. The rhythm section, with Dave Mallard on bass, is the driving force on the last original "Ain't No Use In Crying," with the perfect tone of Taylor's harp, Thomas's B3 expertise, and Patterson's spectacular guitar phrasing, taking this one to the top. The album is concluded with the 1948 Muddy Waters tune "Can't Be Satisfied." J.D. takes you to the Delta's front porch with his priceless verbal introduction. The original and a later version by the Rolling Stones rendition delivers a very raw sound. Once again while keeping the roots of the deep South, Little Boys Blues' rendition has all of the polish of a contemporary blues tune. A combination of the unsurpassed harp solos and vocals of Taylor to match the slide guitar of Steve Patterson, make this tune a perfect conclusion to this their third album. Little Boys Blue has been labeled as the Jackson, Tennessee boogie blues band "with an attitude." Be sure to check out this band either on their new album Bad Love or live at the Rum Boogie on Beale Street or both. Review by Rick Davis Shakedown Soul Kelly Richey Sweet Lucy Records https://kellyrichey.com/ 10 Tracks Kelly Richey has certainly followed a personal path to her musical dreams. Born in Lexington KY, she now hails from Cincinnati Ohio. This is her 16th album spaced out over 35 years of constant touring. She estimates playing over 4,000 gigs with her power trio. Her appearances includes clubs, festivals, and as a support act to many legendary acts. In addition to her music, she teaches guitar and is a life coach. This album contains all original tunes. She is joined by Rikk Manning on bass and Tobe Donohue on drums for
most of the recording. She was once described as “Stevie Ray Vaughan trapped in a woman’s body with Janis Joplin screaming to get out”. That’s a pretty good description. The opening number on the disc is “Fading”. It is a mid-tempo rocker with pretty good guitar. It reminds me a bit of a Melissa Etheridge tune with a bit more fire power on guitar. There is a small intro on “You Wanna Rock” that makes you wonder where the tune is heading. It rolls into a grinding blues meets Hendrix song. Lee Carroll adds some keyboard on this tune. “Lies” is the 3rd tune. It is a solid blues rock tune with Carroll back on keyboards. The band really stretches out on “The Artist In Me”. At over 5 minutes this slower tune may be autobiographical about her career. Richey really rocks out on “Love”. There is not much blues in it, but it is a good rock song with a sound from the early 70’s. “Afraid To Die” has a more modern rock feel to it. I liked the vocals on this one. I hear some Led Zeppelin drums in “Only Going Up”. The mix is interesting with a vivid separation of the drums and vocals. Richey’s own poetry was the lyrics for the tune “Just Like A River”. The tune has the influence of Patti Smith all over it. I really like this rockin’ tune. The rock of Lenny Kravitz and Chrissy Hynde show up in “I Want To Run”. I wish Richey’s vocals were a bit more in front on this tune. The CD closes with an acoustic tune called “Fading”. This song has a bit of a blues feel to it, and it allows Richey’s fine voice to take a bit more of center stage. This is a pretty good rock album, though not hitting in the blues or blues rock vein a great deal. I admire Richey’s long tenure and success in the music business. She continues to make relevant rock music and pleases her fan base and herself. If you are looking for blues, it’s a bit scarce here. Shakedown Soul is a good rock record. If that is what you want, then this is a good choice. Reviewed by Mark Nelson
The Groove- Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter
Page 16 Ten Miles Of Bad Road Karen Lovely Kokako 13 Tracks If you travel to the West Coast, you are likely to cross paths with Karen Lovely if you visit Portland Oregon. She is making quite a name for herself as a singer/song writer and can be heard for her own contemporary style of blues music. She placed second at the 2010 IBC and in 2011 received three BMA nominations for "Best Contemporary Blues Female Artist," "Best Contemporary Blues Album," and "Best Song" for her second release Still The Rain. Last year Karen won a 2015 Blues411 Jimi Award for "Best Contemporary Blues Female Artist" and this year has been nominated for 2016 Blues Music Award for "Best Contemporary Blues Female Artist." Here latest and third release, Ten Miles Of Bad Road, was recorded at Ultratone Studios in Studio City, CA with Grammywinning producer Tony Braunagel. The album contains a perfect blend of contemporary blues, roots and soul masterfully executed by a seasoned session band including Johnny Lee Schell on guitar (Bonnie Raitt/Phantom Blues Band), the late great guitarist Alan Mirikitani (BB Chungking of the Buddhaheads), guitarist Vyasa Dodson, James Hutchinson (Bonnie Raitt), Reggie McBride, and Johnnie Lee Schell on bass, Jim Pugh on piano and B3 (Robert Cray/Etta James), Tony Braunagel on drums and percussion (Bonnie Raitt/Taj Mahal/Robert Cray/Eric Burden/Phantom Blues Band), with special guest artists, Texas legend Kim Wilson of the Fabulous Thunderbirds on harp, Joe Sublett of the Phantom Blues Band on saxophone, as well as Les Lovitt on trumpet, with Melodye Perry, Julie Delgado, and Kenna Ramsey on backup vocals. The 13 tracks were written by Karen Lovely, Dave Fleschner, Vyasa Dodson, Curtis Salgado, and Grammy winning songwriters Alan Mirikitani and Dennis Walker. They open with three of the best singles that I heard last year. "Low Road" has a hypnotic groove with driving guitar solos from Alan Mirikitani. "Company Graveyard" is a hard driving roadhouse blues tune with Lovely declaring her allegiance to her independence, rejecting Corporate America and its rules. On "A Better Place," you will experience her riveting,
mysterious vocals woven into the haunting slide guitar, like heading down a lonely highway late at night with no particular destination in mind. "Ignorance (It Ain't Bliss)," with it's soulful lines, makes use of a highly talented, tight band behind superlative guitar chops and equally fine vocals (both lead and backup). Cross The Water" is a slow, well written, deep, soulful ballad with again superb vocals and backup vocals to match the band. It seems they designed the album around the title track, saving it all for this one! Karen shows us just how versatile her vocals can be with light melodious ballads like "I Want To Love You," "Always Love You," and "I'm Over." "You Stole My Heart" reminds me of R&B tune with just a hint of country, where "Blues Valentine" leans more towards the county genre in my estimation. "Save Me" sounds to me like a very solid blues tune, possibly my favorite blues track on the album. "Frank The Spank" hits the piano and never slows the pace with Kim Wilson joining the party on harmonica. You won't find a more talented, versatile, contemporary singer than Karen Lovely. Ten Miles Of Bad Road is a true testament that she is one of the most talented singers in the blues world today. This album reflects a truly incredible group of musicians that ended up almost being a tribute to guitarist Alan Mirikitani, who never had the opportunity to enjoy the finished project. Review by Rick Davis For The Record! Blues Karloff Blues Boulevard a Division of Music Avenue http:// www.blueskarloff.com/ 13 Tracks Blues Karloff is a blues rock band, with their love of the 60’s-70’s blues rock period. For The Record! is the follow up to their debut release Ready For Judgement Day. They are based out of Belgium and bring forth a loud, no holds barred blues rock listening experience. The band is made up of Alfie Falckenbach (vocals), Paul “Shorty” Van Camp (guitar), Thomas Vanhaute (guitar), Frans Ruzicka (bass) and Georges Milikan (drums). On this recording, they band wrote 5 of the 13 cuts. The band opens with “I Ain’t Superstitious” written by the great Willie Dixon. There
are plenty of blues rock guitar riffs here, with some pounding drum work. Up next is a deeper Jimmy Reed track “Close Together”. It has that signature Jimmy Reed feel, with high powered playing. The song is loud, but over the top with its sound. I like “Love Doctor”, which was written by Tom Hambridge. Falckenbach provides fine vocals on this one. Vanhaute gives us a fine solo also. “Don't Lie To Me” was written by Alfie Falckenbach & Thomas Vanhaute. I like this bluesy number which has a well produced feel. Blues Karloff pulls out a real nugget with “Take These Chains”. This song was originally done by Hank Williams in his final sessions in 1952. There is a bit of a country feel, but it still rocks out. Alfie Falckenbach and Paul Van Camp are the writers for “I'm A Bluesman”. This one is pretty good and comes out of the 70’s blues rock period via George Thorogood. From the great Bobby Womack, the band puts their spin on “All Over Now”. They put their spin on this classic. A song from Bob Seger is next up. “Hey Gypsy” has a Stevie Ray Vaughn feel to it, and was on Seger’s 2014 release Ride Out. I like the early Rolling Stones outtake from December 1965 “Looking Tired”. The song never made it to the Stones album Out of Our Heads sessions, but is a pretty good tune. The octane levels rise for the Alfie Falckenbach and Paul Van Camp tune “Blackout Blues”. This is a blues rock assault from the band. The next tune is another original “Pill And Booze”. This song fits into that early 70’s blues rock, and was topical for the period. The last original is “Don't Tell Me What To Do”. This one does not come across as well as the others. The vocals are a bir buried, and the guitar sound seems a bit off. Another Willie Dixon gem is the final cut. “Evil” gets a blues rock remake. I think it is played too fast for me. The original tune is really lost to my ear. So there we have it. Blues Karloff put together a pretty good CD. There are a few not as good tunes, but overall this is blues rock well played. They paid homage to some of the greats, and put together some of their own tunes. I am not sure if they will get over the states to tour, so you might want to pick up the CD to enjoy their homage to the 60’s 70’s blues rock. Reviewed by Mark Nelson
March-April 2016 Getaway Wendy DeWitt With Kirk Harwood Wette Music 11 Tracks When you mention female boogie-woogie piano players and particularly the blues, you have to include contemporary artists like Stephanie Trick, Caroline Dahl, Marcia Ball, Deanna Bogart, Eden Brent, and representing the great state of California, Wendy DeWitt. DeWitt started playing piano formally at the ages of 10 and 11 by taking lessons. She learned a great deal from impromptu jam sessions with her fathers friend, Western swing Hall of Famer, singer, guitarist, and pianist Tommy Thomsen. Her career consisted of touring the United States and Europe with the legendary rhythm-and-blues artist Hank Ballard. She then performed boogie-woogie and blues piano with the blues combo Blue Saloon, usually performing with a bass player. For the past three years, she has teamed up with Kirk Harwood on percussion as a duo act. Kirk has quite an impressive resume, having performed as a drummer with Norton Buffalo, performing with the band Clover, a band fronted by Huey Lewis and Doobie Brothers guitarist John McFee, and having worked with blues slide guitar legend Roy Rodgers. DeWitt and Harwood seem to have the right chemistry complimenting each other in their live shows. I had the pleasure to see just how spectacular they performed together in the single/duo competition in Memphis at The International Blues Challenge in 2014. Out of all the contestants in the final round of competition, I would have chosen them as the winner. Wendy is not only a talented pianist but has a powerful blues voice to set her apart from
Page 17 most of talent in the blues world today. Her latest release on Wette Music titled Getaway, features this dynamic duo in addition to five other musicians. Among those is well known Chicago guitar player Steve Freund and tenor sax player Keith Crossan, formally with Tommy Castro and the Painkillers. The horn arrangement was done by Grammy award recipient and trombonist/arranger, Mike Rinta, with Tom Poole on trumpet, and Crossan on sax. Steve Evans handles the bass duties to complete the rhythm section. DeWitt penned eight of the 11 tracks. The band starts with the original "Sonoma County," with an electrifying keyboard performance from Wendy with her powerful vocals strong enough to match most gospel singers. The horn arrangements on "Treat A Woman" are superb, complimenting DeWitt as she delivers both sultry and soulful vocals. Keith Crossan takes the spotlight with some nice tenor sax solos for the first time on this tune, another original. If you can picture yourself headed down the Mississippi aboard The New Orleans, you could enjoy once again the soulful vocals of DeWitt as she serenades you with the original song "Sometimes I Wonder," with her both sultry and strong voice matching a riveting New Orleans style performance on the piano. She does another original "Built To Last," before heading into a series of classic covers in the middle of the album. We get an idea of just how captivating her voice can be on this tune. DeWitt takes a different direc-
tion, inserting three cover songs before finishing with some more of her own material. Labeled as the "King of Stroll," Chuck Willis did the original version of "Feels So Bad." DeWitt keeps pace with the original, slowing the tempo down from the renditions done by Ray Charles and Elvis Presley. She sings "29 Ways" with as much grit in her voice as the late great Koko Taylor, the classic tune hitting the charts by Taylor, the great Willie Dixon, and a host of others. Wendy delivers rich soulful vocals on the next tune "Folks Like You," written by Robert Thomas Bucy and Steve Martin Freund. She completes the album with four originals, starting with smooth sultry vocals on "I Want To Believe You." Kirk Harwood starts things out on the drums on a classic sounding R&B "Never Be Too Much." The rhythm section, piano, and horn section step up the pace on the snappy jump blues diamond in the rough, "Trouble," one of the high points on the album. This stellar collection is concluded with quite a performance on piano and with soul drenched vocals on "Everybody's Crying For Something." You owe it to yourself to sample this boogie-woogie Queen and all she delivers with her vocals. Follow that up with one of her sparking live shows if she come to a venue within driving distance. It will be worth you while put Wendy DeWitt on your bucket list. Review by Rick Davis
Page 18 Friday Night Zora Young & Little Mike And The Tornados ELROB Records 11 Tracks Let me take you back to late 1970's in Queens, NY, looking at a competitive New York City music scene in the "Big Apple." Music was very influential for a 14 year old Michael Markowitz. His first exposure to the blues came when he attended a John Lee Hooker Concert at Carnegie Hall. He attended blues concerts featuring Chicago blues artists whenever he could. Artists like Hooker, Hubert Sumlin, Louis Myers, Jimmy Rogers, Roscoe Gordon, Big Daddy Kinsey, Muddy Waters, Pinetop Perkins, Otis Spann, Little Walter, James Cotton, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, the Rolling Stones, Jimmy Reed, Eddie Taylor, Sonny Boy Williamson, and Walter Horton were an inspiration along the way. His real mentor was Paul Butterfield, who would come to see him play and finally took him under his wing. "He helped me become less of a blues purist, and more of a music purist. Paul opened up my playing and taught me to put my blues in other music forms, to make it very personal." He appeared as a guest and produced Pinetop Perkin’s first domestic release, "After Hours" in 1988 and was instrumental in working with Hubert Sumlin on his album "Heart & Soul" in 1989. After forming his own band Little Mike and the Tornadoes in 1978, he released his first album "Heart Attack," producing and writing all the material, with guest appearances by Perkins, Sumlin, Butterfield, Ronnie Earl, and Big Daddy Kinsey. Since then he has released several albums, with his latest being a collaboration with Zora Young. Twenty five years after becoming friends with Zora, the two blues artists decided to release Friday Night together. Young, who is a distant relative of Howling Wolf and is no stranger to the Chicago blues scene, has worked with Junior Wells, Jimmy Dawkins, Bobby Rush, Buddy Guy, Albert King, Professor Eddie Lusk, and B. B. King. She has worked in the studio with artists like Willie Dixon, Sunnyland Slim, Mississippi Heat, Paul DeLay, and Maurice John Vaughan. In addition to performing, she has released five of her own albums since 1991. With a cast like Zora Young on vocals, Michael Markowitz on harmonica, Tony O
The Groove- Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter Melio on guitar, Jim McKaba on piano, Brad Vickers on bass, Rob Piazza on drums, Rick Johnson on saxophone, and Gary Smith on trumpet, blues fans are in for a real treat. Instead of saving the best until last, Friday Night opens with two of Little Mike's early original tunes. Tony O starts things out delivering his superb guitar solos with one of my favorites from Little Mike's '92 release, Payday, "I Have Been A Fool Too Long." Mike's original tune "A Fool's Lament" is a slow, soulful tune done to perfection, made for the passionate vocals of Zora Young. It's only fitting that the band, with Zora center stage on vocals, would do a tribute to the Howlin' Wolf with one of his classics "44 Blues." They follow up with another Little Mike tune, the soulful shuffle "True Love Is Hard To Find," serving up hot solos from McKaba on piano, Little Mike on harp, and Melio on guitar to add to the sweet soul of Zora. The sound still resonates over "windy city" with the Chicago blues tune "I Love Chicago" an original by Melio. McKaba takes a page out of Pinetop's old school piano style on this one. The title track "Friday Night," another Little Mike original, paints a visual of the "Godfather of Soul," the late great James Brown. They slow thing down for the blues tune "Chains Of Love," a classic from the legendary American piano player Harry Van Walls. What a tribute to Little Walter as only Zora can deliver the vocals and Little Mike the harmonica solos on the smooth shuffle "Just Your Fool." Zora announces the next tune, "Country Girl," as coming from Lucille Spann in memory of her husband Otis Spann. The horn section along with the rhythm section set the groove quite convincingly on the Jessie Lee Frealis (Bonnie Lee) track "I'm Good." Zora sings as a tribute with the same grit and growl in her voice as the Chicago blues singer Bonnie Lee. The band ends this epic collection with some hot boogiewoogie piano from Jim McKaba on the Otis Spann instrumental "Spann's Boogie." You don't hear a collaboration from two blues veterans like Zora Young and Mi-
chael Markowitz often enough! It's great to hear a collection of new fresh blues along with the traditional blues in keeping a treasured genre like the blues alive. Well done! Reviewed by Rick Davis
Recent EPs We don’t normally review EP CDs but we recently received a couple that were interesting and worthy of note. Hurricane Ruth LaMaster’s Winds of Change and Berdon Kirksaether & the Twang Bar King’s The Voodoo Sessions– Live at Down Under both came in so we thought we’d take a quick look. Hailing from Glen Carbon, Il, Hurricane Ruth has released albums in 2012 and 2014 that we’ve reviewed and now offers up this 4 song set of diverse covers of her favorites for her fans. “I Feel Lucky,” Willie Dixon’s “Built for Comfort.” “When A Man Loves a Woman” (Percy Sledge’s big hit) and Delbert McClinton;s “Going Back to Louisiana” make for 17 minutes of interesting listening. Claiming this is a return to her roots, Ruth makes a statement with some of her favorite songs. I liked the first cut best as it features her with some nice horn arrangements. Available on CD Baby. Kirksather’s offering is a reunion of his band CIA, bringing 3 of 4 founding members back for this EP. A Norwegian blues/soul band, these 4 cuts (3 originals and 1 Robin Trower cover “Mad House”) are more rock than blues but showcase the imaginative music of this artist and his band. Blending rock, blues, jazz and more, it’s an interesting mix. “Mama Roll Over” is a cool and dark blues rock that was my favorite cut here. Available on itunes. Reviewed by Steve Jones
March-April 2016 Go Back To The Blues The Knickerbocker All -Stars JP Cadillac Records 13 Tracks The Knickerbocker All -stars are back, this time with their sophomore album entitled Go Back To The Blues. If this album is any indication of the sound streaming from The Knickerbocker Cafe, it has to be a packed house for every performance. The band does everything in their power to maintain what seems like a bygone era in the blues world today, with blues and R&B classics from the 50's, and 60's. This majestic band performs with precision, poise, and perfection, components of bands and band leaders like Louis Jordan, Albert King, Freddie King, Guitar Slim, Bobby Bland, Roy Brown, Chuck Willis, Larry Davis, and Cleanhead Vinson. The band opens with R&B pioneer Don Robey's tune "36-22-36," with Sugar Ray Norcia taking charge of the vocals, backed by the boys in the band. The band explodes with the horn section establishing themselves right from the start. Willie J. Laws takes over the vocals on the Sonny Thompson/Freddie King number "You Know That You Love Me," with a commanding performance on guitar from Monster Mike Welch. "Cadillac Baby," the 1950 classic by Fontaine Brown, rocked the charts with Roy Brown's performance and later, with a release from Canadian Colin James. This time Brian Templeton takes the vocals and sets the bar even higher with help from his fellow band members. Sugar Ray Norcia returns on vocals, teaming up with Copley on piano for the Al Basile tune "Brand New Fool." Willie Laws continues on vocals, singing with soul on the tune made famous by New Orleans blues guitarist Eddie Jones, "Something To Remember You By." The band once again shakes the house with Sugar Ray back at the helm on the electric, jump blues song "Take It Like Man," one of the best from singer/songwriter Harold "Chuck" Willis. On this rendition, the band rivals a performance by Little Junior Parker and His Blue Flames. The saxophone solos are guaranteed to raise the dead. The band delivers some rockin' rhythm and blues from Memphis on the Willie Mitchell instrumental hit "Hokin," a perfect chance for the horn section to strut their stuff. Al Basile puts a finishing touch on this exceptional collection of tunes with one of his own tracks," Don't You Ever
Page 19 Get Tired Of Being Right," taking the lead on both vocals and cornet. Mike Welch will bring you to your knees with his guitar riffs to compliment smooth saxophone solos on Reuben Brown's "He Was A Friend Of Mine." Willie Laws could get the attention of Muddy Waters with his vocals on this song of equal grandeur to that of "Mannish Boy" San Francisco '76. Brian Templeton returns to the spotlight with his stellar vocals on the Basile title track "Go Back Home To The Blues" and the last Basile tune on the album "Annie Get Your Thing On." The Knickerbocker All-stars
saved the best until last, featuring Willie J. Laws on vocals once more, as they blow the roof off with their rendition of the 1958 Robey, Scott, Davis 45 release "I Tried." I could only imagine how the crowd would respond for a live performance at the Knick or a festival for a band of this caliber. You would be hard pressed anywhere to find a band with the many veteran musicians who appear on this album! This is truly the "Dream Team" of jump blues. Review by Rick Davis
The Groove- Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter
Page 20 Blues Mona Willie May Booman Music http://www.williemaymusic.com/ 10 Tracks
disc. May is prolific, but there may be a bit of dilution in the overall material. Keep at it Willie, I like your drive.
Company vein. I hear some INXS rock at the beginning of “No Longer”. Overall this is a rocker.
Reviewed by Mark Nelson
Willie May has been a prolific creator of blues music. This is his 6th release in the last 4 years and 16th overall. Coming to us from Buffalo NY, he is a mainstay in that area’s blues scene. Willie wrote all of tunes for this CD and did the artwork too. He is multi instrumental playing guitar, bass, dobro, baritone guitar, ukulele, kalimba and jaw harp. As in prior releases, he is supported by a large group of area musicians on other instruments.
Birra For Lira Rob Tognoni Blues Boulevard a Division of Music Avenue http://www.robtog.com 13 Tracks
Trononi has a spacey feel on the opening of “Hello Me”, before heading towards a bit of AC/DC pounding chords. I hear a bit of 80’s rock in “Nonna Rina”. It’s OK, but not one of my favorites on the CD. “Triple Espresso” is a short guitar workout with a bit of Eric Johnson and Robin Trower mixed in. It is short at 1:16 in length. Tognoni closes with a live version of “Roadhouse Blues”. This tune seems to be right in their wheelhouse. It is a fine way to end the CD.
On the opening track “Lock It Up” May sings a tune with Sharon Bailey telling the tale of breakup and how she will keep him locked out of the house. I like the duet and the story it tells. The musicians keep a quick pace, without being overwhelming in any way. Mark Panfil supplies the accordion on “Big Legged Woman”. The country blues/zydeco tinged tune is another relationship tune. It’s pretty good! Willie May breaks out his dobro for “Mona’s Watching Eye”. He is a good player and the production here is very good. “Stop Hurtin' Me” is a good tune. It is fast paced and well played, with dobro, banjo joining harmonica and jaw harp. It is a old fashioned blues delight. On “Surf Mona Blues” May goes 60’s surf music on us. This instrumental is fine, and breaks away from the tunes played so far. The retro feel stays on “Children Be Free”. This is a horn driven tune about taking the risk off of the children’s future. This is certainly a departure for the record, but stands up pretty well. Larry Cheeley plays the sax on this one. “Not Gonna Love Ya'” gets back to a blue groove. The organ by Evan Laedke fuels this tune. The country blues/zydeco flavoring returns with “You Don't Know Much”. I hear a danceable tune here, that would play well in bayou country. “Gloria” is a slower love song. There is fiddle in this one. I listened to this one several times, but never got into it. The closing cut is “In My Dreams”. This one reaches back with a slower grinding semi psychedelic feel to it. It moves along but never really takes off. This set of tunes branches out to different genres, which is good. Some of it misses, but nothing renders the CD too bad to listen to. “Lock It Up” is my favorite on the
This CD by Tasmanian Rob Tognoni will put your speakers to a test. His fiery guitar work matches the ferocity of a Tasmanian devil, which is his nickname. I have been to Taz, and found it a quiet, peaceful place. Tognoni lived there and eventually went on to Melbourne. He played in several Australian bands and later toured Europe with bluesman Dave Hole in 1994. On his own after that he has released a whopping 19 regular releases over the years since 1995. He tours extensively in Europe and the UK. He occasionally makes it to the US. On the studio part of this record he is joined by Slowak Semmenuik on bass and Mirko Kirch on drums. There is a lot of rock in his music, and always his guitar work up front. 12 of the 13 cuts are written by Tognoni. The lone cover is a live version of The Doors classic “Roadhouse Blues” The opening cut is “Lost Our Blues in the City of Rome”. It is a more modern rock tune, with fast paced guitar work. “Complicated Love” opens with some cartoonish vocals, and then blasts into a rock song with a few 70’ blues rock chords. Blues rock enthusiasts will be rocking to this one. The band eases up on the accelerator a bit on” The Blues Ain't Never Fun”. It is a well crafted tune. I hear some Texas/ZZ Top in “Dance Like This”. Tognoni plays some solid guitar on this one. The ZZ Top influences stays with “2:00 AM” If you like “La Grange” you’ll appreciated this instrumental tune. The Texas/ZZ Top feel continues with “Drink My Wine”. It has the rocking roadhouse feel for sure. On “Down by the Sea” returns to a more AOR rock feel. It is a more mid tempo tune, with good vocals. “Birra for Lira”, the title cut, plows thru your speakers. The guitar work crosses Gary Moore and Robin Trower a bit, though the tune is more in the Bad
There is no doubt that Tognoni knows his way around his guitar. He is s fine guitar player, though the vocals are not fabulous. You remember the tunes for the guitar work. His two compatriots support him fine on the studio work. The live tune has a different band including a second guitarist. With all his release and strong touring schedule Tognoni is a crowd pleaser. There is some blues mixed in, but this is a guitar rock record at heart and soul. If that is your love, then for sure, pick up this recording. He has lots of Germany France Poland & UK dates clear out to 2017 on his website, but no American dates. Maybe one day soon he will come here and play a few festival dates. Reviewed by Mark Nelson
March-April 2016
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March-April 2016
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Hamilton Loomis Returns March 8th
Hamilton Loomis returns to Rockford on Tuesday, March 8th for a show at Mary’s Place. Hamilton and his band take the stage from 7 to 10 PM at Mary’s at 602 N Madison Street in Rockford. Tickets are $12; call (815) 962-7944 or go online at http://holdmyticket.com/event/237479 to get tickets on the internet. Hamilton was in Rockford January 25th and 26th conducting a Harmonica Workshop at the Prairie Street Brewhouse. About 25 people were there to learn how to play blues harp from this music wizard from Galveston Texas. Everyone enjoyed the harp workshops with Loomis and the hospitality of the Prairie Street Brewhouse. Hamilton also worked with Crossroads Blues Society on Tuesday the 26th conducting Blues in the Schools programs. In the morning Hamilton performed at an assembly program for 250 students at Thompson Elementary School in Rockford. In the afternoon Loomis was at East High School for programs during the final two school periods for music classes. The programs were well received by all the students!
Hamilton gained fame in Rockford performing three different years at the On The Waterfront Festival. Thousands of music fans showed up for each of his shows art the Left Bank Stage. He also appeared several times at Big Cities Lounge and the Adriatic Bar to packed venues. Loomis is a Rockford musical favorite, playing a very funky blends of blues and rock. Get your tickets early- this will be a packed house and possibly even a sellout! Don’t miss one of the best music events in the area this Spring!
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Crossroads Shows and Events January and February 2015 Martin Lang with Billy Flynn at the Lyran Club
Jimy Sohns and Bobby Messano at the Lyran Club
Barrelhouse Chuck and Friends at Rockford College
John Primer at the Hope and Anchor
Justin Gates at Katies Cup
Jimmy Nick send of to the IBCs at the Grand Avenue Pub in Beloit, WI
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Ron Holm and Trinadora Trio do the Roy Orbison Ring at the Lyran Club
Mark Dvorak and David Causey at East HS with the Life and Times of Lead Belly
Mark Dvorak and David Causey at Lathrop ES with the Life and Times of Lead Belly
Mark Dvorak at Concerts on the Creek
Tad Robinson at the Hope and Anchor
Nick Field and Nick Moss at Boundaries in Beloit, WI by Rick Davis
Pistol Pete at the Union in Byron
The Groove- 2016 Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter March-April
Top Blues Releases January and February 2016 Sunday Morning Blues WKGL-FM 96.7 The Eagle January Tedeschi Trucks Band / Let Me Get By / Fantasy Swamp Family Jon Cleary / Gogo Juice / FHQ - Thirty Tigers Vintage Trouble / 1 Hopeful Rd. / Blue Note Mitchell T. & the H.B.'s / She's Lookin' Good / TopCat Buddy Guy / Born to Play Guitar / RCA Silvertone Shemekia Copeland / Outskirts of Love /Alligator Dave Weld and the Imperial Flames / Slip into a Dream / Delmark Morry Sochat & The Special 20s / Dig In / Galaxie Muddy Waters / Muddy Waters - The Definitive Collection / Geffen - Chess Otis Clay & Johnny Rawls / Soul Brothers / Catfood Eddie Cotton / One at a Time / DeChamp Buddy Guy / Rhythm & Blues / RCA Silvertone Lurrie Bell / Blues in My Soul / Delmark Benny Turner / When She's Gone / Nola Blue Steve Earle & The Dukes / Terraplane /New West Rockin' Johnny Burgin / Greetings from Greaseland, Californina / West Tone Billy Branch and the Sons of the Blues / Blues Shock / Blind Pig February Magic Sam Blues Band / Black Magic - Deluxe Edition / Delmark Johnny Rawls / Tiger in a Cage / Catfood Paul Filipowicz / Rough Neck Blues Live! / Big Jake Jon Cleary / GoGo Juice / FHQ - Thirty Tigers Bonnie Raitt / Dig in Deep / Redwing Various Artists / God Don't Never Change - The Songs of Blind Willie Johnson / Alligator Toronzo Cannon / The Chicago Way / Alligator RB Stone / Some Call It Freedom (some call it the blues) / Middle Mountain Music Dr. Duke Tumatoe / Live at the Kingston Mines / Tumatoe Tuff Tunes Buddy Guy / Born to Play Guitar / RCA Silvertone
This list is submitted to Living Blues Magazine for inclusion in the January and Feburary 2016 National Radio Chart. This list is compiled from actual radio air play statistics. WKGL-FM broadcasts 2 hours of the blues per week. Rich Gordon Sunday Morning Blues WKGL-FM 96.7 The Eagle 3901 Brendenwood Road Rockford, IL 61107
Membership News We continue to grow with new members and renewals continuing to sign on! Thank you for supporting live music and keeping the blues alive to all our new and returning members! New members: Ted Kusner and Cheryl Landeck Dennis Peabody Bob Peterson Jason Vandiver Gregory and Patricia Zachwieja Renewing Members: Paul and Floy Haschke Rick and Pam Hein Tom Holian (2 years) Mark Kegel Dave Keller Nancy Keller Barb Koeller Ted Lawrence Len Levinson Stuart Meeker Mark Nelson and Cynthia Nissen Wes Ralph (2 years) Kirk Schaaf and Camille E. Einoder Dave Sawtelle New members get a CD upon joining; family members get two CDs. Membership has been $15 (individual) and $25 (family) for over 15 years. Mail newsletter members have a $5 surcharge to help with printing and postage costs; it’s expensive to produce and distribute newsletters. We produce six newsletters a year with 25-30 reviews and all sorts of other great information related to the Society and our events.
The Groove is a bi-monthly publication of the Crossroads Blues Society. The PDF version (typically 16 to 32 pages) is emailed to members of Crossroads. Hard copies (12 pages) are sent out to members without email ($5 membership surcharge). Editor in Chief: Steve Jones Music Reviewers: Dennis Barker, Rick Davis, Bill Graw, Marty Gunther, Rick Hein, Steve Jones, John Mitchell, Mark Nelson, Wes Ralph, and Mark Thompson
www.bluesblastmagazine.com
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Hope & Anchor English Pub Monthly Second Saturday Blues The Hope and Anchor Saturday Blues Schedule is set through April 2015. From 8 PM to Midnight, $5 cover after 7 PM or free prior to that for dinner guests. Featuring fine English pub fare, the Hope and Anchor is a great spot for dinner, craft beers, liquors, and great live music! At 5040 N 2nd Street, Loves Park IL, USA, phone 815.633.2552 for info! 3/12 Tweed Funk 4/9 Reverend Raven & the Chain Smokin’ Altar Boys 5/14 The Jimmys 6/11 Steve Ditzell and Blue Lightning 7/9 Paul Filipowicz 8/13 New Savages 9/10 Dave Specter with Brother John
Lyran Society Friday Blues The Lyran Society has decided to add blues to their Fish Fry and Steak Dinners with performances generally on the third Friday of each month at their club. Located half a block east of 7th Street at 1115 4th Ave, Rockford, IL 61104, you can call (815) 964-0511 for info. There is no cover charge, it’s a free show. Open to the public, all ages are welcome March 18: Smilin’ Bobby April 15: Breezy Rodio May 6: Dave Fields (first Friday) June 10: Mighty Mo Rodgers with Luca Giordano (2nd Friday) July 15: TBD August 19: TBD September 16: Harpo Mark Band
Crossroads Blues Society
The Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter
P.O. Box 840 Byron, IL 61010 News Blog with our Latest Info: http://crossroadsbluessociety. blogspot.com Music Reviews: http://crossroadsreviews.blogspot.com Crossroads Blues Festival at Lyran Park: www.crossroadsbluesfestival.com
The
GROOVE Keeping the Blues Alive Since 1994
2014 Blues Foundation Keeping the Blues Alive Affiliate Award Recipient 2014 Chicago Blues Hall of Fame Inductee
Email us at: sub_insignia@yahoo.com Also on the web at: http://crossroads.myfreesites.net/
Blues on Local Radio WNIJ - 89.5 FM Friday evenings from 9 PM to midnight with Harold Brown Saturday afternoons from 1 to 4 PM with Patrick Sheehan Saturday evenings from 9 PM to midnight with David James The Eagle - 96.7 FM Sunday Morning Blues now from 8 AM to 10 AM with Rich Gordon
News and Upcoming Events Our big news for March is the Coco Montoya show at the Nordlof Center’s Sullivan Theater. On Friday, March 25th at 8 PM we are featuring this legendary guitar player for one night only. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. They are available at the box office or on line at http://crossroadsbluessociety.blogspot.com.
Another Lead Belly show with Mark Dvorak an David Causey will be held at All Saints Church on April 3rd. Also coming up in March and April are fantastic shows at the Hope and Anchor and Lyran Club. The H&A features Tweed Funk in March and Reverend Raven and the Chain Smoking Altar Boys in April. The Lyran Club features Smilin’ Bobby in March and Breezy Rodio in April. More details are just inside
the back cover! The Ice Hogs continue their quest for the AHL championship and there are 2 Friday shows in April to finish the year out. See inside for more information! We conclude our BITS Residency at East HS with an evening program there on Thursday, March 17th at 6:30 PM. Dan Phelps will perform with students, singing and playing the songs they composed as part of the residency program. Open to the public, the students will also show videos they created to showcase the music they created based on the book Their Eyes Were Watching God. Dan Phelps will also be conducting programs at two schools on Thursday, March 24th. March and April will be a lot of fun!
Membership Application www.CrossroadsBluesSociety.com Yes! I’d love to be a part of the Crossroads Blues Society!
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Please cut out or copy and mail this form and payment to: Crossroads Blues Society Bring this to P.O. Box 840 our next meeting Byron, IL 61010 and get a free CD!