Sep-Oct 2014 Newsletter

Rain Did Not Deter Our Festival at Lyran Park is spectacular for music events.

The rain started as Stormcellar took the stage. First a slight drizzle fell and then it built to a downpour. Thunderstorms passed us, leaving their worst to the north and south of us, but still impacting our attendance. After a couple of hours it stopped and the music fans started to pour in, eventually topping 1,000 at the gate. The day turned into a small financial success and a huge musical success. Headliner Lurrie Bell gave a truly inspired

performance and kept the crowd enthralled until closing time.

Months of planning came to fruition with our Fifth Annual Crossroads Blues Festival opening up at 10 AM on Saturday, August 23rd at Lyran Park. Partnering with the Lyran Society has been a great partnership for us and we hope to continue this for many years to come! They are a great group of people to work with and their facility

The weather reports all agreed that Saturday afternoon was going to be wet.

We could see on radar that a large band of thunderstorms were approaching and they hit just as music started. It looked like it would last for perhaps 2 or 2-1/2 hours and we kept our fingers crossed. It never got so bad that we had to power down the stage and cover everything up. The brave fans that were there got out their ponchos and rain suits and sat there grooving to the sounds of Sydney, Australia’s Stormcellar band. These guys were here last year for our volunteer party and we fell in love with them; when they expressed an interest in a second US tour we signed them on. In addition to Michael Barry fronting the band, they also brought singer Jo Fitzgerald to join them on vocals and she did a smashing job!

September–October 2014

Keeping the Blues Alive 2014 Blues Festival Summary Crossroads Blues Festival at Lyran Park  1,000+ attendees  Great day despite rain  Started planning late, limited sponsorship opportunities  Profitable event  Partnership with Lyran Society is solid  Superb venue  See you there next year on August 29, 2015!

Field of Blues Festival  600 attendees  Rain missed us, music was super  Not profitable  Great venue  Created more questions than it answered  Hard to manage sponsorship, ticket sales and logistics of two festivals  Will not repeat in 2015

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Blues Challenge Announced– Are You Ready to Compete?

Crossroads is accepting entries for our 2014 Crossroads Blues Challenge. We are accepting entries for band, solo/duo acts and youth acts.

The dates are tentatively October 5th and 12th (Sundays) starting at 3 PM. Mary’s Place is the venue.

Last year we sponsored a band to the IBCs, Alex Wilson. This year we’d like to have all three types of acts

compete. See the form on page 20. The fine print:  Open to all acts who live within 150 miles of Rockford AND who have played within 50 miles of Rockford at least twice in the last year (August 2013 through August 2014).  Entries must complete the entry.  Entries must be accompanied with a $25 entry fee which will be returned only if the band is not selected to compete in the Crossroads Blues Challenge (CBC).  The winning acts must be willing and able to perform in the Crossroads Blues Challenge on Sunday, September or October TBD 2014 in Rockford and at the International Blues Challenge (IBC) held in Memphis, Tennessee from January 20-24, 2015. If the winning band does not com-

pete in Memphis they will forfeit and refund all travel expenses raised by Crossroads Blues Society back to Crossroads.  If an act was ever nominated for a Blues Music Award (or the former W.C. Handy Award), the act is ineligible to compete in the CBC and IBC.  An act is limited to two consecutive appearances at the IBC and must then sit out at least one year before being eligible to compete again. Any act under the same name will not be allowed to compete three consecutive years.  An individual may not compete in more than one act in any capacity. A musician cannot compete in the Band Division and the Solo/Duo Division, even if that musician represents a different Affiliate in each.

Inside this issue: News Music Reviews Playlist, Members Membership Application Upcoming Events

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Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter

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5th Annual Crossroads Blues Fest at Lyran Park Stormcellar was a tough act to follow, but Dave Weld and the Imperial Flames were up to the task doing a rousing set of originals from their latest and upcoming Delmark releases and a few great covers to boot. Monica on vocals just keeps getting better and better– she is becoming quite the star! Award winner Abb Locke on saxophone gave the crowd a taste of why the Stones and others have had him on their tours. Jeff Taylor on drums and vocals added funk and soulfulness to the mix, doing some R&B stuff that he nailed.

Brother Dave Kay was solid on bass as he always is.

Over in the Pavilion, Joe Filisko with his great protégé Zoe Savage put on a spectacular harp workshop. Joe has been out four of our five years to conduct the workshop and he flew in and attended year four right off the plane from Europe last year. He is a dedicated and inspired harmonica master and he and his protégé Zoe spent an hour passing on knowledge and techniques to the many fans that were clamoring for more.

Reverend Raven and the Chain Smokin’ Altar Boys were up next, featuring Benny Rickun on harp, PT Petersen on bass, Bobby Lee Sellers on drums and Danny Moore on keyboards. Benny stood in for Big Al Groth who was ill and could not appear on sax. Benny did a great job on the Mississippi saxophone and lit up the crowd with his harp work. Danny concluded their set with “Wild Child” as the encore and had the crowd on their feet. The Rev was stellar, giving the fans what they wanted– some great licks and vocals in his inimitably cool and smooth style!

Not to be outdone, Westside Andy and Mel Ford returned to Rockford with their great band and brought the fantastic Barrelhouse Chuck to play keys and sing along with them. Mel, Andy and Chuck were superb, swinging and grooving through their set and making the crowd want more! Steve Dougherty was on the skins and was on bass backing them up.

Headlining the festival was the superb Lurrie Bell with his all-star band. Melvin Smith on bass and Willie Hayes on drums were part of Koko Taylor’s band (as was Lurrie at one time) and they were a magnificent backline. Roosevelt Purfoy on keyboards did not earn his Mad Hatter

nickname by being reserved in his musical approach– he was outstanding. Lurrie was the star of the show and he pulled out all the stops. He was on fire as he started his set and kept taking it up a notch at a time with each song. It was a truly inspired set!

The young and talented Justin “Boots” Gates spent much of the day in the Pavilion leading 4 half hour mini-sets of music between the acts. This 14 year old is a phenomenon, wielding his guitar and harp precisely and with great musicality. His vocals are deeper and get more interesting with every listen– he is the real deal!

Several folks sat in with him, including Joe Filisko, Michael Barry and Crossroads Board Member Rick Hein, to name a few.

It was a lot of fun and the crowd enjoyed it.

People keep asking, “Will we do it again?”

The answer is a resounding, “Hell, yes!!!”

The sixth annual Crossroads Blues Festival will be at Lyran Park on Saturday, August 29, 2015. The format may change a little with a small tweak here and there, but we’ve got a winner with Lyran Park and our set up there. We think it is a great location and something to build on.

To focus on this (and to help us keep our sanity), we will not be conducting the Field of Blues Festival again next June. It becomes too much of a continuous planning and executing process with two fests separated by a couple of months. The event at the Aviator’s baseball park was a lot of fun but there is too much festival competition in June to make this a go. Our attendance both years was right at 600 and while that was great it does not offer us enough in return to offset the work needed to pull it off.

We’d like to thank all the venues that helped us sell tickets: Rockford:  Guzzardo’s Music  Culture Shock Records  Toad Hall Records  The Lyran Club  CD Source  Just Goods Store Loves Park:  Woodman’s Supermarket  The Hope and Anchor English

Pub Beloit:  Paradise Guitars Byron:  Leombruni’s Italian Village  Byron Bank (Main and Mini Branch)  Snyder’s Pharmacy  Felker’s Value Fresh Market  Sunrise II Restaurant Oregon:  Snyder’s Pharmacy Winnebago:  Snyder’s Pharmacy Davis Junction:  Byron Bank We’d also like to thank our sponsors who appear on the next page. We would especially like to thank the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois for their generous grant that helped make this event a reality. They have supported our BITS program each year and helped us educate the future generation of blues fans since we began this effort in 2002!

Thank you to everyone who came out, especially those who came early and braved the rain and stayed throughout! It was a great festival and we are looking forward to our next one in 2015!

Crowd Started to Fill In After the Rain

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September–October 2014

Thank You to the Sponsors of the 2014 Crossroads Blues Festival at Lyran PArk!

Michael Barry Stormcellar

Stormcellar from Sydney, Australia

Justin “Boots” Gates

Great Venue !!!

Blues Central

Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter

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2014 Crossroads Blues Festival at Lyran Park Rev and Dave Share a Guitar

Monica and Dave Weld

Dave Weld and the Imperial Flames and Reverend Raven and the Chain Smokin’ Altar Boys Reverend Raven

Reverend Raven

Benny Rickun

Randy Shuld Hard Time Cigar Box Guitar Raffle

Joe Filisko Harmonica Workshop

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September–October 2014

Westside Andy/Mel Ford Band with Barrelhouse Chuck

Westside Andy

Mel Ford

Barrelhouse Chuck

Lurrie Bell Band Lurrie Bell Electrified the Crowd

Melvin Smith on Bass

Roosevelt “Mad Hatter” Purfoy on Keys

Willie “The Touch” Hayes on Drums

Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter

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Music Reviews Can’t Even Do Right Elvin Bishop Alligator Records http://elvinbishopmusic.com/ 10 Tracks Look out, here it comes….the 19th studio album from Elvin Bishop. From his stint with Paul Butterfield thru his solo work, Elvin has shown a bright light for the blues. He is guitar player, writer, and a darn fine entertainer. I like his country boy image, with a bit of down home humor mixed in. Elvin wrote 5 of the 10 songs on this CD. Paul Thorn provided the humorous art for the CD cover. This CD is also his return to Alligator Records. Mickey Thomas and Charlie Mussel white are special guests on the outing.

The CD opens with the title song, “Can’t Even Do Wrong Right”. This is a funny song telling the tales of a friends having trouble doing his break into a house, driving too fast, or chasing women he should not chase.

Elvin gives the tune some stinging guitar.

Up next is a Little Walter classic “Blues With A Feeling”. Bob Welsh adds some piano licks to this normally harmonica driven song.

Charlie Musselwhite adds harmonica on “Old School” Elvin sings about a time without Facebook and Twitter. He sings ‘Call Me On The Phone That’s As High Tech As I Get’.

“Let Your Woman Have Her Way” is an original by Elvin Bishop. Mickey Thomas (who sang lead on “Fooled Around And Fell In Love”) provides the vocals for the slower blues song. Charlie Musselwhite is back with his harmonica for “No More Doggin’” This was written by Roscoe Gordon and James Bihari. Charlie adds great punch with his harmonica.

Bishop gives us some great old electric blues with “Everybody's In The Same Boat”.

He talks about aging (He’s 71 years young) and how we are all in the same boat. This is a quality blues song, with Elvin’s clever lyrics and delivery. The 7th cut is also a Bishop original. It is called “Dancin”. The song is very upbeat, and will get folks up dancing.

There is a bit of Cajun twang in the tune.

“Honest I Do” is a slower number paying homage to those like the slower grinding blues. Dave Bartholomew and Fats Domino appear on the song also. This is happy R&B with some Cajun tossed into it. The set closes with “Hey Ba Ba Re Bop” from Curley Hammer and the immortal Lionel Hampton.

It is a big band favorite, which really sounds good.

Overall this is a fine Elvin Bishop disc. I have enjoyed his work in the past. This is a must for all Elvin Bishop and the blues in general fan. His original move to Alligator pumped life back into his career. Let’s hope the same thing happens on his return. I will play this one over and over, you should too.

Reviewed by Mark Nelson Blues For My Father Vaneese Thomas Segue http://www.vaneesethomas.com/ 12 Tracks There is no doubting the performing pedigree of this artist. She is the daughter of the Memphis great Rufus Thomas, and the younger sister of Carla Thomas both of Stax Records fame. Although I was not familiar with her prior to this release, there are at least 5 other discs out there from her. She has appeared in films and commercials.

Vaneese has recorded with people such as Eric Clapton on Journeyman, and Sting.

The CD has 10 originals and only 2 covers.

The packaging for this CD is excellent, as it contains lot’s of information about her and the recording.

This fine CD opens up with “Southern Central Blues”. This is a Memphis fueled swinging number that is sure to please. It is well produced and has strong playing to support it. “10 X The Man You Are” reminds me of Koko Taylor in the delivery. Tash Neal plays some tasty guitar on this on. It’s a family reunion on “Wrong Turn” sister Carla provides (vocals) and brother Marvell (organ) join in. This is a breezy R7B song, which would have been as well received in the Stax heyday as it should be today. “Wrap Your Arms Around Me” is the next song. It centers on Vaneese’s vocals.

A top choice for blues song title is “Corner Of Heartache And Pain”. This has a great blues feel to go with the title. Paul Schaffer provides a nice organ solo on it. Daddy Rufus provides vocal support on “Can’t Ever Let You Go”. Vaneese follows Natalie Cole in doing a duet with a recording of her father.

This one is from 1962. A fitting tribute is made to her father here. On “When My Baby Gets Home” has a great R&B feel with fancy organ and dobra work on it. The funk oozes out on “Love 'em And Leave 'em Behind” I bet this one really cooks live with the funky grooves it has.

A fine late night feel shows through on “Southern Girl”. I bet this is a bit autobiographical for Vaneese. This fine track has some nice horn work on it. “Lonely Me” is a bit weaker than some of the outstanding tracks, but not a dud at all. John Fogerty’s “The Old Man Down The Road” is covered on this CD. It’s a bit rockier than the rest of the CD. She worked with John, and appreciated the song working with him. The CD closes with Vaneese on an acoustic blues/ gospelish number. Rob Mathes provides the guitar support on this slow acoustic number.

Overall this one will be on many year-end lists. It might be the breakout CD that launches her like Bettye LaVette did some years ago. Let’s hope so. I don’t see a great many touring dates on her web site.

Go see her if she gets your way. Buy this CD, and enjoy it as the treat it is.

Reviewed by Mark Nelson Trouble at Your Door Alastair Greene Band Eclecto Groove Records www.eclectogroove.com 12 tracks/48 minutes The marriage of blues and rock began decades ago and it renews it’s vows with a vengeance in this high energy set of original tunes from Alastair Greene and his band. Greene has been at this since 1997 and this is his fifth studio release since 2002 and he has also released a live album.

The band has changed a bit here and there and is now comprised of Jim Rankin on bass and Austin Beede on drums along with Greene on guitar and vocals. This is a powerful trio of musicians that pack a lot of punch in their music! Greene has toured with Alan Parsons as his guitar player and appeared on his 2004 album. He is the real deal and this CD proves it even more!

The trio blasts off with “People” and never looks back. A big slide guitar intro and lead along with Greene’s strident vocals grab the listener and gets them ready for a fun ride. Stellar guitar work! Except for the slide, more of the same follows in the title cut as the band gets into a groove and Greene lays out some hot licks. “Back Where I Belong” offers more stinging-ly stellar guitar work. Greene breaks out the National Steel Guitar for “Red Wine Woman” and delivers a great solo performance of very traditional blues. Erik Norlander appears on Hammond

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September–October 2014 organ “Back Where I Belong” and “Calling for You.” The former is a rock anthem sort of cut while the latter is a thoughtful, introspective, semi-psychedelic and very down tempo piece. They are a nice contrast and Norlander’s keys add a nice dimension.

“Love You So Bad” is a driving, high energy danceable tune with distorted vocals and another big, ringing guitar performance. On “Make the Devil’s Day” Greene builds from the verses through the choruses to another huge guitar solo.

“Strange Feeling” is another throwback to blues rock of the 70′s in it’s sound. Greene once again lays it all all on his solo. “Pretty Price to Pay” is similar in nature and gets the blood circulating. He concludes with another “blues rock anthem” with heavy guitar; “The Sweetest Honey” is cruises perhaps into the sound of early southern rock (Marshall Tucker perhaps) and closes out a fine set of tunes.

Often I find albums heavy into the guitar to start to get boring; that was not the case here. Greene approaches his music and wields his axe strongly but with sufficient variety and mixed with his well-articulated and clean vocals. It was a lot of guitar but it was well done and something I could listen to repeatedly and enjoy without getting tired of. Go buy this and take this one on an end of summer car trip and get you motor running with Alastair Greene and his band- you won’t regret it!

her battle to survive. “Comin’ Down with the Blues” is a slow lament with the singer crying out in the void over an absent lover.

Guitarist Ken Wynn heightens the sense of despair with a taut solo. Guest Randall Bramblett on Hammond B-3 and producer Paul Hornsby on piano turn “Don’t Give Up” into a hand-clapping gospel rave-up praising the power of faith. Another high point occurs on “Bad Times,” co-written with the late Ann Rabson and featuring a richly textured duet between Kight & Greg Nagy punctuated by Cliff Meyer’s gritty tenor sax.

Kight decided to use her touring band for this album, and they reward her by nailing every arrangement. The rhythm section comprised of Gary Porter on drums and Johnny Fountain on bass consistently manage to lay down a driving pace with a light touch. Mike Harrell gives his electronic piano a workout on “Low Mileage Woman” while Kight describes the delightful attributes of an experienced woman who yearns for “…a hot rod man”. “Graveyard Dead Blues” serves as Kight’s warning to her man advising him to keep the good lovin’ coming or suffer her wrath.

The singer is at her soulful best on “Can’t Catch the Wind”, her voice rising over the swell of Hornsby’s Hammond B-3. Tommy Talton’s biting guitar licks propel the powerful rocker, “Misunderstood”. He switches to acoustic on the closing track, “Time to Move On” and Kight acknowledges that she has finally decided the time for regret has past – time to live again.

Reviewed by Steve Jones A New Day EG Kight Blue South Records www.egkightmusic.com 10 tracks/40:26 After her last recording, Lip Service, garnered plenty of praise from the critics, EG Kight’s career came to a screeching halt when she found herself in a critical health situation battling meningitis and encephalitis. In the liner notes for her new project, she expresses gratitude for her survival and for the healing power of music. Her strength and faith shine through on ten original songs that one minute celebrate life, then the focus shifts to a darker end of the street.

The opening number, “Holdin’ On,” has a touch of the church as Kight relates the range of emotions she encountered during

That is the theme of this fine disc - we should grab hold of life and focus on our blessings no matter how great our burdens may be. The comforting message is delivered by Kight’s country-inflected tone and her meticulous phrasing. Often referred to as the “Georgia Songbird,” EG Kight is all that and much more on this disc that is heartily recommended!

Reviewed by Mark Thompson Bluez of My Soul Dexter Allen Deep Rush Records www.dexterallen.com 10 tracks/ Born in Mississippi, multi-instrumentalist Dexter Allen starting learning how to play guitar at a young age. Several years later he switched to bass, providing backing in his father’s gospel group. He later toured with The

Dixon Singers and The Robinson Brothers before he was offered a chance to tour with Bobby Rush, the King of the Chitlin’ Circuit. Rush provided the pathway to the blues, an education by immersion as Allen played lead guitar for Rush in clubs and concert halls around the world.

Three years with Rush gave Allen the confidence to form his own band and release two records that were well-received in his home state. He got the 2008 Jackson Music Award for Vocalist of the Year, following up the next year with the Entertainer of the Year award. Allen starts with the blues, flavoring it with soul and R&B elements that are popular with southern soul-blues fans.

“Come Out and Play” is a slow jam with Allen’s sly, sexy vocal offering an invitation to be a boy toy. His taut guitar solo demonstrates the talent that appealed to Rush. The good times roll on “Bluez Party,” a snappy shuffle that has Allen’s smooth vocal contrasting with the harder tone of his six string phrasing. Rush blows some country blues harp licks on “Coming Home to Mississippi”. Allen describes the lessons learned growing up over a heavy backbeat. With encouragement from his former employer, the singer visits the familiar train theme on “Ride This Train”, urged on by Joey Robinson’s pulsating backbeat.

Allen handles of the vocal and guitar parts in addition to playing bass on several tracks. Robinson plays keyboards, bass, and drums in addition to co-producing the project. He adds rhythm guitar on “That Same Thing,” a funky treatise on love.

“Pudding & Rice” is an up-tempo rocker that has Jeremy Robinson manning the drum kit. Allen is thinking twice about the chances of successfully rekindling a former romance on “I Doubt It”. On “Still Called the Bluez,” he offers a plea for people to get right with each other despite the ills of our world. One highlight is Allen’s gripping performance on “Deep Inside,” the intensity that pours out of his vocal echoed in his fleet-fingered guitar picking.

The success of this one hinges on the two musicians that put this one together piece by piece, through the magic of overdubs and multi-tracking. Allen and Robinson are up to the task. While purists might dismiss this one, there are bound to be plenty of open-minded listeners who take comfort in Dexter Allen’s modern version of the blues.

Reviewed by Mark Thompson

Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter

Page 8 For Pops: A Tribute to Muddy Waters Mud Morganfield and Kim Wilson Severn Records www.severnrecords.com 14 tracks Muddy Waters recorded with Chess Records and their predecessors from 1946 to 1975 when the label was sold for the second time. The “sound” of those records was not pristine, but it was the blues.

Severn Records has reproduced that sound with their new release. Replicating the acoustic imperfections adds authenticity to the music, but what really makes this recording sound authentic are the players.

Led by the middle aged son of the Mannish Boy himself, this group of artists has joyfully and proudly replicated the sound of times past. Mud Morganfield almost sounds like his father on vocals so much that it is almost eerie. Kim Wilson does the Little Walter work, Billy Flynn and Rusty Zinn play the Waters and Jimmy Rogers “roles,” Barrelhouse Chuck more than aptly tinkles the keys, and Steve Gomes (bass) and Robb Stupka serve well as the backline to the venerable sound of Muddy and Chess.

Muddy’s 100th birthday approaches (it probably has already passed based on most historical records) and after releasing new CDs with both Mud and the Thunderbirds it was a no-brainer to develop a Muddy Waters retrospective to celebrate 100 years of Muddy. Leaving out the most overdone songs, they choose 14 great cuts that still leave the listener with a tingling sensation that this is something that was just recorded and not something off a tape from 60 years ago.

Topping the spectacular stuff for me is “I Just Want to Make Love to You.” The tone, timing and sound is perfect. I sat back with my eyes closed and the stereo cranked up a bit and it was beautiful. Sultry, provocative, guttural– everything Muddy ever was is redelivered here. Chuck, Kim and band get things started and then Mud comes in with the hollow Chess recorded sound of Muddy; beautiful stuff!

Wilson’s harp will tear your heart out.

From “Gone to Main Street” to start through “She Moves Me” to close we get to flashback to earlier times, when life was simpler and Muddy’s music defined Chicago and electric blues.

I could name why this song is fantastic and that one is outstanding with superlative after superlative, but why? Suffice it to

say that they picked stuff that were not always Muddy’s chart toppers but they are songs that defined Mr. Waters and his music. It’s beautiful stuff and these guys play and sing their asses off.

Are they all just making a buck off Mud’s old man? I don’t think so. I think this music speaks to them even more than it does to most people. To Mud it’s in his DNA. Sure, there is money to be made playing his father. But it’s the music he grew up with and it was his father. As any man who loved and respected their father knows, that man is revered and placed on a pedestal. Morganfield pays testament to that man and the other musicians offer up their homage to him and his band mates. I am sure there will be someone out there who criticizes this (I am usually a “Negative Nancy” when it comes to cover bands myself) but this stuff is so good that it makes you want to listen to it again and again. Mud can sing like his dad. Kim can blow some mean harp like Walter.

Billy and Rusty know how to play like the Father of Rock. Sunnyland Slim has been mastered by Barrelhouse Chuck. This is some cool and great stuff. Go get it and listen to it until it wears out. It’s possibly the best tribute album ever done, and certainly the best blues tribute album ever made.

Reviewed by Steve Jones A Celebration of Blues and Soul The 1989 Presidential Inaugural Concert Shout! Factory 24 songs In January of 1989, the focus was on the beginning of a new era for the United States of America with the election of George Herbert Walker Bush, the 41st President of the United States. January 21, 1989 marked one of the most historical inaugural celebrations in the rhythm and blues world as a part of Bush's presidential inauguration. It was one of the most prestigious groups of legendary rhythm and blues performers and musicians ever assembled for a single musical event. This star-studded cast gave the performance of their life and unfortunately many of them have left us, never to perform together again.

This monumental show was performed at the Washington Convention Center at the Presidential Inaugural Concert. For one

night, the focus was no longer on politics but blues music, the foundation for all other genres to follow. The performers were in rare form that night for this blacktie event, featuring some of the finest artists of the 50s and 60s from Stax and Chess recording studios.

It was the dream of Lee Atwater, Bushes campaign manager and former Percy Sledge sideman, a huge fan of blues and R&B, to unite this group for a four hour show. Atwater, who died in 1991 at the age of 40, lived long enough to see his dream come true with the 1989 live show, later airing on PBS as a two hour show 25 years later. If I was stranded on an island and could have only one DVD in my possession, this would be the one.

It was also filmed and recorded, and as a tribute to Lee Atwater 25 years later, one of it's organizers, attorney Howell Begle, has finally packaged it for release. The set list included "Any Day Now" and "I Don’t Want To Cry" by Chuck Jackson, "When A Man Loves A Woman" by Percy Sledge, "Right Place, Wrong Time" by Dr. John, "747" by Joe Louis Walker, "Hoochie Coochie Man" by Willie Dixon, Albert Collins, and Delbert McClinton, "Wang Dang Doodle" by Koko Taylor featuring Willie Dixon, "Bo Diddley," "I’m A Man," and "Hey Bo Diddley" by Bo Diddley, "Born Under A Bad Sign" by William Bell, "Baby"

by Carla Thomas, "When Something Is Wrong With My Baby by Carla Thomas and Billy Preston, "Knock On Wood" by Eddie Floyd, "Soul Man" by Sam Moore, "Just A Little Bit," "Standing On Shaky Ground," "Maybe Someday," and "B:Movie Boxcar Blues" by Delbert McClinton, "Frosty" by Albert Collins, featuring Jimmie Vaughan, Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble, "Texas Flood" "Lovestruck Baby," "Superstition," and "Scuttle Buttin'" by Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble, featuring Jimmie Vaughan.

Celebrity musicians performing at the celebration were Steve Cropper, Duck Dunn, George Naha, Cash McCall, Ronnie Wood, Don Wise, Nick Connolly, Reese Wynans, Tommy Shannon, and Chris Layton just to name a few that night. Never before has there been a group of blues and R&B musicians like this gathered together and the likelihood of it ever happening again are slim. This is one blues performance that will never be forgotten. It was thought to be lost for years but now is available for everyone to enjoy.

Reviewed by Rick Davis

September–October 2014 Baptized by the Blues Duncan Street 15 South Records www.daveduncanmusic.com www.stanstreet.com 11 Tracks/40:33 Established guitarist Dave Duncan and harp player extraordinaire Stan Street come together to create a fun and unique album of traditional blues.

Ten of the eleven cuts are original songs from both Dave and Stan. "I Be's Troubled", a Muddy Waters number is yher only cover song.

They open the release with the easy listening country blues “Watermelon, BBQ and Beer.” Duncan states, “Watermelon, BBQ and beer – that’s how we keep our cool this time of year…” Having grabbed our attention from the start, “Come To Mississippi” is up next with a driving rhythm reminiscent of that contagious Mississippi Blues... “If you wanna know what the Blues is about then ya gotta make a trip down South…” Consequently, Stan Street lives in Clarksdale, MS where he has an art studio next to The Rock ‘n Blues Museum.

One of the coolest tracks is “Color Me Blue.” This is a nice 12 bar format with great delivery and tempo. Dave’s wry, witty sense of humor is on obvious with the tale of a man who’s simply a “natch’l born lover man,” and not the “Sharpest Marble In The Drawer,” which is a song that takes a slower blues pace and classic guitar blues riffs with tongue in cheek lyrics. Dave nails that killer riff slightly more uptempo than the original that pushes Muddy Waters “I Be's Troubled,” the set’s only cover, as Stan provides vocals wailing “I just can’t be satisfied’ for all it’s worth giving it that down-home southern groove. Stan adds “hambone” percussion on “Love Me Tonight.” Another cool country blues number with straight acoustic guitar accompaniment. The title track, “Baptized By The Blues” was written by Stan Street and is a rockin' little blues story covering many legends. Dave does a nice job on the resonator while Stan lays down some really choice harp chops. “Shakin' The Bacon Down” features a duet by Dave and Stan that incorporates a drum march with subtle guitar work in a New Orleans

Page 9 moody blues. “Tater Salad Woman” is basic primitive blues at its best. The harmonica work by Stan is blues at its best. Next in line is “Go Right Back To Bed,” a heavily laden Elmore James Texas style blues with Duncan's driving guitar and smokin' slide complimented again by some of the best harmonica accompaniment on this CD. Wrapping it all together with yet another well presented song is “The Blues Comes In All Colors.”

A more subdued acoustic version with some very mellow saxophone taking the lead. Some blues history and even a trip to the outer atmosphere are covered in this number.

All in all, this is a rather varied look at a few different blues styles that touches on a number of varied blues topics. Dave Duncan and Stan Street by no coincidence have allowed fate and their years of experience to come together giving us some of the best new upbeat blues. Highly recommended.

Reviewed by Bill Graw Emergency Situation Rod Piazza And The Mighty Flyers Blind Pig Records www.themightyflyers.com 11 tracks; 47 minutes Back on Blind Pig, Rod Piazza and his excellent Mighty Flyers have produced another fine record to add to their extensive catalogue. There are no real surprises here, Rod and his band doing what they always do, blending original material with some from the greats and less well-known blues artists of yesteryear.

The Flyers are unchanged from the line-up we have got to know in recent years with Dave Kida on drums, Henry Carvajal on guitar, Miss Honey on piano and Rod on vocals and harp.

They have, however, returned to the use of a specialist bass player in Norm Gonzales and the twin saxophones of Ron Dziubla and Jim Jedeikin take a more prominent role than on most of their recordings.

The three originals here include the title song which finds Rod on deeptoned harp and the saxes playing lightly behind a mid-paced swinger which is long enough to offer solo

space for most of the band, notably Henry who delivers a nice solo.

The other two Piazza tunes are instrumentals: “Frankenbop” is a frantic rocker with the horns buzzing along in support and Honey and Henry adding some more embellishments behind Rods harp; “Colored Salt” is the longest track here and closes the album with a feature for Rods harp.

Elsewhere Rod has chosen the very well-known Sam Myers tune “Sleeping In The Ground” which is taken at a slower pace than many versions but is effective with Rods strong vocal and keening high range harp supported by Honeys piano. Lee Dorseys “Ya-Ya” adds a real N.O. feel with Henry on vocals and the saxes in good form.

Elsewhere Rod has gone for the more obscure, taking two songs from the little known James Wee Willie Wayne, and selecting less well-known tunes from some famous names. The Wee Willie tunes are “Neighbor, Neighbor” and “Bad Weather Blues,” the former opening the album in rocking style, Rod sliding all over his harp, the latter a superb slow Chicago blues on which Rod concentrates on the vocals and leaves plenty of space for Honeys tinkling notes, Henrys strong solo and fine work from the saxes.

Texas bluesman Big Walter Price is the source for “Gambling Woman,” a superb rocker featuring Honeys rock and roll piano and one of the highlights of this album. Rod delved back into Johnny Aces songbook for his 1953 single “The Clock,” a short ballad typical of the era in which it was written, even down to the smooth sax solo.

Jimmy Rogers “Tricky Woman” is another excellent track with its tricky time changes which Rod masters from the off on his chromatic harp, Miss Honey on great form in a striding solo. Finally Amos Milburn is the source for “Milk And Water” which brings some gently swinging sounds to the disc.

Long-time fans will certainly enjoy this latest offering from The Mighty Flyers which ticks all the boxes one might expect. If there is possibly anyone out there who is not familiar with this band this is a good place to start but be warned its an extensive catalogue that you are entering into!

Reviewed by John Mitchell

September–October 2014

Page 10 Refuse To Lose Jarekus Singleton Alligator Records www.jarekus.com 12 tracks; 53 Minutes Clinton, Mississippi’s Jarekus Singleton comes to the blues by an unusual route. Like many AfricanAmericans in the South, Jarekus sang and played in church, but as a teenager he concentrated on sports (he was a topseeded basketball player in college) but refocused on music after injury curtailed a potential sports career. But before the blues Jarekus’ first passion was rap music and there are some traces of that in the way he writes the lyrics to his songs.

Jarekus was spotted performing at the IBCs by Bruce Iglauer who saw something different about his approach to the blues.

Recorded in Memphis with Jarekus’ regular band and produced by Jarekus and Bruce, his first CD on a mainstream label certainly demonstrates considerable promise. Jarekus wrote all twelve songs here, two in collaboration with Harrison Sumner. Jarekus sings and plays guitar, James Salone plays organ, Ben Sterling bass and John ‘Junior’ Blackmon drums.

The album opens with “I Refuse To Lose”, an upbeat piece which immediately shows the influence of Jarekus’ early interest in rap (“my soul is my weapon, I won’t conceal it”) as well as some exciting guitar that recalls the late Michael Burks. I had the good fortune to see Jarekus live earlier in the year and that comparison was possibly even stronger in his live show than here but the thrilling style of guitar playing is certainly evident from the start here. “I Refuse To Lose” lays out Jarekus’ determination to follow his star despite the criticisms of ‘friends’ and makes for a solid start.

“Purposely” starts with funky guitar and plenty of swirling organ as Jarekus sings of a failing relationship and takes a short but intense solo. “Gonna Let Go” keeps the funk in place but adds a terrific hook on the chorus. “Crime Scene” is a slower tune with plenty of striking guitar from the off and some interesting lyrics: “there is no DNA that they need to find…this is a crime scene, baby, but not the kind that’s on your TV; this is a crime scene and the victim is me”. An extended solo at the end gives Jarekus an opportunity to stretch out.

“Keep Pushin’” is an extremely catchy tune with another autobiographical lyric about keeping going against the odds,

recounting his injury-struck basketball career and his encounter with the blues.

This may be the tune where the comparison with Michael Burks’ guitar style is the most evident and it is one of the strongest cuts on the album. “Suspicion” ploughs more familiar blues territory as the guy thinks his woman is cheating on him on a tune which keeps the toes tapping. The slow blues “Hell” is a centrepiece of Jarekus’ live shows, the lyrics telling of a relationship in which the narrator suffers and the couple simply cannot talk about their problems, Jarekus’ guitar rising from the mix to mirror the anguished lyrics.

“Hero” returns to a more upbeat rhythm and “High Minded” is a churning blues in which Jarekus sounds pretty cynical about the person who inspired the song: “You want to take a trip to a place you’ve never been. Well pack your bags and go to the kitchen – it’s right beside the den”!

“Sorry” is a catchy little number, Jarekus finding that after all he’s been through, he can’t really feel sorry towards his ex.

“Blame Game” is a little different, a downhome blues with no drums, Jarekus playing almost acoustically with Ben on bass, Brandon Santini on harp and Robert ‘Nighthawk’ Tooms on piano. The album concludes in fine upbeat style with “Come Wit Me”, another strong tune with James’ organ to the fore and Jarekus producing another couple of solos, one super-fast, the second hitting some extremely high notes.

This is a very impressive debut which puts Jarekus well on the way to becoming a major star in the blues. Clearly this CD comes highly recommended.

Reviewed by John Mitchell Woke Up In Memphis Al Basile Kenoza Music http://www.albasile.com 14 Tracks Al Basile has been a part of the blues scene for a long time. He started in the original Roomful of Blues, and still plays with them today. His songs and support have continued with Duke Robillard’s solo outings throughout the years. Two of his songs have been grammy nominated. He has 10 solo discs to his credit also since 2001.

He covers the vocals on this disc, along with playing his beloved cornet. Duke Robillard plays guitar on this release.

Rich Lataille and Doug James add strong

saxophone support to the CD. There is a great booklet with the CD. The songs all were written by Al, and have an overall Memphis feel to them.

This release opens up with “Yesterday You Left”. It is a R&B number with strong percussion from Mark Teixeira. It’s a pretty good opener. On the next cut we go back to the mid 60’s Hi records era.

“Don’t Make Me Beg” has great horns on top of a fine groove. The pace picks up with “When Things Get Tough”. I wish we had Al or Syl on these vocals. The next song really fits the Memphis ear. I like the tight horns and the organ solo on “One More Stone In The Pitcher”. The pace really quickens on “I Woke Up In Memphis”. I am sure this one gets the audience dancing.

A nice ballad is next. “Jimmy & Johnny” slows it down, and tells a good story trough the lyrics. The mood heads to the church with a gospel influenced. “Saved

By The Blues” is well produced, with the vocals fitting right into the glove of the song. “Nibblin' Through The Fence” is an easy going ballad that keeps it simple. It offers some tasty solos by most of the band. Sista Monica Parker joins the band on the next track. She compliments Basile’s vocals well on “Make A Little Heaven”.

On “Falling Stars” the band stays in the same groove. It’s not bad, but not a standout track.

A rougher, and straight blues cut is next.

“Too Tough”. It is very likeable, and danceable. Duke gives a great guitar solo, and the horns keep it moving. The 12th track is “Big Like Elvis”. You got to get a reference to the King if you use Memphis in the title. It is bluesy popish sing along. It might make radio play.

“You Choose Me” is a strong track of straight forward Memphis music. The horns and drums keep the song moving, with fine vocals added. The CD closes out with “Masked Man”. It is a wonderful bit of funk, with everyone playing well.

There are some nice solos too.

Overall this is a very good disc. I’ve always liked Roomful of Blues, and this follows that path a fair bit. Basile did expand a bit from the Roomful blueprint.

It’s good to hear Duke and Al create fine music. This CD will get a few more listens by me. You should listen to it too.

Reviewed by Mark Nelson

September–October 2014 Turnaround Blues The Forrest McDonald Band World Talent Records http://www.forrestmcdonald.com 14 Tracks A song came up on my Sirius XM blues channel. I really liked it, and glanced at the screen and saw it was “Turnaround Blues” from Forrest McDonald. After I got home I looked him up, and marveled at his career. Forrest contributed the guitar solo to Bob Seger’s classic “Old Time Rock ‘n’ Roll.” He played in various bands over the years, living in the Boston area and playing in Muscle shoals. The disc has 7 originals and 5 covers. Now I get to review the latest CD, his 12th overall.

“Turnaround Blues” opens the CD. McDonald first played this over 40 years ago in an early band. It sounds great today as a blues rocker. Jim Liebman plays some fine harp on the Jr. Wells song “Checking On My Baby”. The band cooks on this song. The music slows down on a heartache bluesy number called “River Of Tears”. It provides a nice easy groove for the listener. The pace picks up with an old Sonny Boy Williamson song. “Cross My Heart” is great old time blues to be enjoyed by all blues fans. “I’m A Fool” is slower paced, with a bit of southern rock in it. I hear a bit of Marshall Tucker in it.

The mood stays low while the band takes on “V8 Ford”. They put a great slow groove to this James Cotton classic.

I like the sweet groove of “R&R By Bye Bye”. The mid-tempo groove of this song and its nice harp solo in the middle make it a winner for me. “Only Love” brings a slower early-blues feel. The vocals could be stronger in this one, but it has tasty guitar work. The liner notes say this next song was inspired by Freddy King. The pacing on “Woman Across The Ocean” does have some of the Freddy King styling to it. It’s a good tune. “Funny Thing Baby” is a McDonald original about relationships. It’s a fine blues song, reminding me a bit of Cash Box Kings.

The 11th cut is “Now I Know”. It’s another relationship blues song. It’s not cutting any new ground. Daryll Cobb comes in on the vocals for “Stay Or Walk Away”.

He is a co-writer of the tune. The county rock feel is evident here. Closing out we “Two For The Money Pt 1 & 2”. Both parts have a blues rock, seventies feel instrumental jam. They were recorded together, so I’m not sure why they were

Page 11 split up. It does sound like they enjoyed recording the tune.

McDonald and the band are very good players. They enjoy and play several different styles of blues. He has earned the title Bluesman with his years of work, up and downs in life, and passion for his craft. He has played with many greats (Bobby Womack, Bob Seger) and at many places (Muscle Shoals). His touring schedule seems a bit light, so catch them when you can. He is a part of blues, blues rock history. Enjoy the CD as a very good blues CD. Reviewed by Mark Nelson Live At Buddy Guy's Legends Ray Fuller and The Bluesrockers Azuretone Records 12 Tracks Ray Fuller, the cowboy from New Albany, Ohio, is turning the blues world upside down. Fuller learned the blues from the best like John Lee Hooker. Along the way he was inspired by John Mayall and the Blues Breakers featuring Eric Clapton, Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Elmore James, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, and Albert Collins. The Ray Fuller Band formed in 1974 and over time evolved into Ray Fuller and the Bluesrockers in 1978.

He has covers the entire Midwest and has performed internationally for the past 36 years, bringing the blues to fans young and old. My first exposure to his brand of the blues was at the 2102 Mississippi Valley Blues Festival in Davenport, Iowa, where he captivated the entire audience.

He has played many stirring live shows to large and small audiences across the globe and his new CD Live At Buddy Guy's Legend's on April 27, 2013 is one of the best. With his band, including Keith Blair on piano and Hammond organ, Glen "Manny" Manuel on bass, Mark Ward on drums, and guest musician from the Big Bill Morganfield Band, Richard "Doc" Malone on harmonica, they play six originals and six covers, making this was one memorable night of music. The band opens with a scorching version of Elmore James’ "Wild About You Baby," with a red hot performance still hanging over Lake Michigan. With Ray's explosive slide guitar supported by a house rockin' band like the Bluesrockers, Legends will never be the same. That is just the beginning of

one of the best performances seen at 700 S. Wabash, with the owner Buddy Guy in attendance. The show continues without missing a beat as The "rock-n-roll cowboy" from Ohio delivers some driving rockn-roll vocals and guitar with his original boogie shuffle "Rock N Roll Cowboy." The walls continue to shake with a steamy, extended version of John Lee Hooker's "Boom Boom." They slow things a bit on the original "Love And Alcohol" to offer advice from the blues cowboy himself that the two don't mix. Blair on piano, Malone on harp, and Fuller on guitar share the spotlight on this one. They take a short trip down Louisiana way for another original tune "Bayou Blue" to meet the Creole lady, Marie Antoine as they share some "voodoo secrets." Included on his set list is another thundering, original boogie, taking his career back a ways, as he rips into some rocking slide guitar on "Walkin' Shoes." The band takes us back in time for "real" blues, with the Otis Rush legendary, slow blues tune "So Many Roads," leaving the stage open for some superb keyboard solos from Keith Blair. "Take Out Some Insurance Baby" delivers that down-home shuffle covered many times

by Jimmy Reed. The band takes Billy Boy Arnold's "Rockinitus" to a whole new level of intensity, with Mark Ward as the driving force on drums. Ray has never sounded so wicked as he does with his original Delta blues number "Feelin' Evil," once again laying down his cutting edge slide guitar riffs. Another original, "Sallie Mae" keeps the show going with a driving Bo Diddley beat. Ray closes the show by bringing the house down with Texas blues infused with high energy rock "n" roll as they perform the Eddie Clearwater tune "I Wouldn't Lay My Guitar Down."

After an opening slide guitar performance

by Ray Fuller, Muddy Waters made the statement "That was some hot slide boy! I could smell the smoke backstage!" After viewing a live show by Ray Fuller and the Bluesrockers, James Cotton exclaimed "Finally I met somebody as wild and crazy as I am!" John Lee Hooker was impressed with one of their performances, he took the entire band out to eat as his guests, paying for the entire dinner. Ray continues to carry on that traditional blues sound that we find so familiar with those blues legends like Muddy Waters, James Cotton, and John Lee Hooker.

Reviewed by Rick Davis

Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter

Page 12 Too Many Roads Thorbjorn Risager & the Black Tornado Ruf Records www.risager.info www.rufrecords.de 12 tracks/48:24

cret weapon is the staying power of Risager’s vocal offerings. Rest assured that you will give this one plenty of play time on your favorite playback system!

After one listen to this potent album, you will probably be wondering why you have never heard of Thorbjorn Risager. Once you do some research, you will find that this is his tenth release in the last decade.

And then you will start playing Too Many Roads again, this time turning up the volume to get the full effect.

Message in Blue Dave Specter Delmark Records www.davespecter.com 13 tracks

What you hear is a crack band playing a swirling mix of musical styles and everything held together by the deep, muscular vocals of their dynamic Danish leader.

Listen to how easily Risager commands your attention while the band rages behind him on “If You Wanna Leave,’ drummer Martin Seidlin pounding the beat, horns wailing away over crunching guitar chords.

Risager stands tall right in the middle, his voice a beacon in the midst of the musical mayhem.

The title track finds the leader and Peter Skjerning mixing acoustic and electric guitars to great effect. “Paradise” has Risager accompanied by acoustic guitar to start.

But then the band kicks in with a slinky groove created by percussion playing off the potent horn section, comprised of Hans Nybo on tenor sax, Peter W. Keil on trumpet, flugelhorn, trombone and sousaphone plus Kasper Wagner on a variety of saxophones and clarinet. “Drowning” shifts to a Tom Waits-like landscape before the group gets mean & evil on “Backseat Driver,” pushed along by a thundering bass line from Soren Bojgaard.

“Rich Man” glides along on a New Orleans second line rhythm before Emil Balsgaard lights up his piano keyboard on the frantic boogie “Play On’. The band cranks it up on “High Rolling,” showing that they are ready to take over whenever the Stones decide to hang it up! “Red, Hot & Blue” has a quirky, danceable pace initiated by chopped guitar chords. Risager’s finest moment takes place on “Through the Tears,” his voice filled with the raw hurt of a man unable to overcome a broken heart.

It is a truly mesmerizing performance finished off with guitar coda.

Thorbjorn Risager & the Black Tornado are the real deal. They use blues as one of the starting points for their potent sound but keep things interesting with intricate arrangements and lots of energy. The se-

Reviewed by Mark Thompson

Dave Specter has now produced ten albums of fantastic blues that are laced with jazz and soul. This newest one has soul great Otis Clay appearing on three cuts, Brother John Katke on keyboards and also fronting the band for three songs, and Bob Corritore on harp for a couple. Harlan Terson is solid as he always is on bass and Marty Binder is steady and precise on drums. I could listen to Dave, Harlan and Marty play all Day and when you add these other guys it gets even better!

A very Specter-like original jazzy blues shuffle starts things off. “New West Side Stroll” is a great number and fine hook to get the listener started off with on one of the year’s best blues and soul albums. He hearkens back to his 1995 Live in Europe album with this song. “Got To Find A Way” is next and is the first of the Otis Clay tracks. An old Harold Burrage cut, Clay adds vibrancy as does the horn section and backing vocalists; Specter lays down a great groove to boot. They continue with the Bobby Blue Bland classic “This Time I’m Gone for Good.” Specter claims slow blues and a minor key is hard enough but then adding someone like Clay to the mix just made it a difficult track to nail down. Let me tell you- they did. The guitar is seminal and Clay is at his best. This is 5 minutes and 28 seconds of your life that you will want to relive over and over again; this cut is worth the price of admission.

“Message in Blue” and “Chicago Style” follow. Both originals, they break things u nicely. The title cut is a very jazzy instrumental where Specter again shows his preeminence in Chicago handling the guitar. His note wail and sing thoughtfully as he proceeds through the cut. Terson and Binder really earn their pay in songs like this as the backline they provide is a superb backdrop to the musical painting Specter lays out for us. Brother John grabs the mike for his first shot out front on the latter cut. He takes us on a tour, naming Chicago blues royalty and strutting

through the lyrics nicely. Specter lays our a big solo for us to appreciate here and then Katke takes over with some equally fine piano. Specter offers this could be a great theme song for Chicago and it’s blues. Wilson Pickett’s “I Found a Love” comes next and Clay is amazing here.

This is truly a tour de force; Otis makes this song his own as the he and the harmonies wail and Specter cleanly picks out his own harmonic tones with the vocals and then lays out another spectacular solo. Clay and he are truly amazing here!

Another instrumental follows this up, “Funkified Outer Space.” This is something that would please both fans of the Chicago Blues and Jazz Festivals. Specter is again jazzing things up as he takes us through the galaxies in this song that could easily be a Meters song from New Orleans. Katke’s organ work here is also a thing of beauty, big and bold and funkily sweet. “Same Old Blues” returns us to this planet as Dave and John serve up a Don Nix cut he wrote for Freddie King, but done Chicago style with great vocals by Katke.

“The Stinger” is another fine instrumental which one could envision as the tune for the finals of a Latin dance competition.

Specter goes big in a Carlos Santana- like way here.

“Jefferson Stomp” has Mr. Corritore offering up some fine and dirty harp work on this down home and danceable instrumental cut. Lonnie Brook’s shuffle “Watchdog” is next, with Katke on vocals effectively giving final notice on the CD that is he really is a fine vocalist. This Brooks tune is served up well by he and Specter as they both nail it. The organ and guitar along with the vocals are excellent and Binder and Terson sneak through with a tight groove. “The Spectifyin’ Samba” adds horns again and between them and Specter they deliver a truly fine jazz-blues instrumental. John “Boom” Brumbach’s lone appearance on the tenor sax is great here.

The CD concludes with “Opus De Swamp,” which reminds Specter of Pops Staples. Corritore returns for some more great licks and together he and Specter close out this album in fine fashion, I fully expect this CD to garner some blues and soul awards nominations this year. If it does not it would make me question those involved with the awards processes.

This is a superb album with great originals and covers, outstanding vocals and instrumentals and some of the most talented people in the blues and soul world doing what they do best. Three words conclude my review: “Buy this now!”

Reviewed by Steve Jones

September–October 2014 Jigsaw Heart Eden Brent Yellow Dog Records http:// www.edenbrent.com/ 12 Tracks Eden Brent is a Greenville, Mississippi born and bred boogie-woogie piano player. In 2006 she was the International Blues Challenge winner. She has been a regular on many Blues Cruises. This is her 4th overall CD, and 3rd Yellow Dog release. For this release she went to Nashville to record with Colin Lindon, after going to New Orleans for her last CD. Her music picks up some expected country tinge on this outing.

The CD opens with “Better This Way”, a slower number showing off Eden’s vocal talents. The Nashville effect is evident here as her piano is interwoven with more country tinge than we have heard before.

On “Everybody Already Knows” we get Eden Brent boogie-woogie back as she flies over the 88 keys, with a touch of steel guitar. This is a tasty track. Up next is the title track “Jigsaw Heart”. This selfpenned ballad tells her story of love and breakup. The 4th song is from Joan Armatrading, called “Opportunity”. Nice acoustic guitar by Colin Lindon and good backing vocals support this bluesy cut.

“I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free” gets good backing vocals on the gospel tinged tune. I wish it had more of her piano in the mix. The next cut “The Last Time” is a slow ballad, with a modern country feel. Here again the pedal steel gets a higher mix than the piano. I like “Panther burn” as it tells a great story about farming in the south. It was written

by Jimmy Phillips. Eden shines on “Let’s Go Ahead And Fall In Love”, a self penned song. This has more of a New Orleans feel to it. Her piano is out front, and she provided a few double entendre lyrics. This one gets your attention.

We get a soulful almost Dan Penn type song up next “Tendin' To A Broken Heart”.

It is very moving with some great guitar work. Eden gets to stretch her piano also.

It was written by Tommy Polk, Joanna Cotton and Johnny Neel. The pace picks up with “Locomotive”. Eden wrote this one, and I bet there is a great story behind it. In “Get The Hell Out Of Dodge” we get a county blues song that really fits Eden and her style. The CD closes out with “Valentine” written by Colin Lindon. It is a soft tinged ballad, complete with strings.

It would make a great encore number for

Page 13 her live shows. She shines in this softer side.

I’ve enjoyed Eden’s work over the years.

This is likely what she wanted from this outing. Is it a hit blues CD..no it is not. It does expand her to attract more of the country fans. For an artist to explore is usually a fine thing. The casual blues fan will not be grabbed by this. Eden fans will enjoy it though.

Reviewed by Mark Nelson Poisons Sipped David Michael Miller Self Released http://www.davidmillermusic.com 12 Tracks Out of the western New York/Buffalo area comes the high energy music of David Michael Miller. Playing on the CD is Chuck and Darrick Campbell on the sacred steel, the rhythm section of Carlton Campbell and Daric Bennett, Jim Ehinger on keys and Jay Moynihan on sax. The Campbell’s are part of the famed Campbell Brothers, who play Sacred Steel: African-American gospel music with electric steel guitar and vocal. I believe these are all originals for Miller.

The packaging is very informative, though not very colorful.

The CD roars to a start with ”Hand Me Downs”. Miller hits the guitar throttle, and the entire band kicks it into high gear.

This is a catchy tune, and a great starting point. On “Edge of the End of the World” things slow down as the band plays a soulful slower paced song. Nice sax support is provided by Barry Arbogast. Chuck Campbell and his pedal steel give “Memphis Belle” old gospel feel. I liked the backing vocals too. A mix of wailing rock guitars and soulful interludes confuses me a bit on “Hope Finds A Way”. I thought this was going to be a wailing rocker, but it slides to a more soulful song.

It is a bit of a miss.

“Moonshine” is a nicely paced love song.

It borrows a bit from Robert Cray, and adds more trumpet and saxophone. The pace picks back up with the soulful “Spent”. This song rocks out, with Chuck Campbell leading the way. Darrick Campbell lends a soulful lap steel to the ballad “Carolina Bound”. This is Miller’s best vocals on the CD. “Careless” adds an accordion to the instrumentation of the CD. This comes across like a power bal-

lad…it misses the mark for me.

“Diggin’ On Bill” is a silky soul song. Miller adds some nice guitar work. Miller must a be a Bill Withers fan, which is fine by me.

The next cut “Once” borrows from some of New Orleans’ current soulful funk. I hear some Galactic, and Ivan Neville in this song. In the next to last cut, Miller brings us a mid-tempo rocker called “Moving On”. His guitar is OK, but the cut misses the mark a bit for me. The CD closes with “Extraordinary”. I thought he would put a faster paced number for the closing.

There is a different tape effect opening. It is about reaching for something extraordinary, a good message, but maybe not a CD closer.

Overall…this is a gospel records at heart.

There a few blues rock licks, and some soul. It’s not a big blues release. Miller is planning a straight gospel release in late 2014. That may be his path. There are some nice songs here, with talented musicians. It won’t stay in my rotation though.

Reviewed by Mark Nelson The Beautiful Bones Bad Brad & The Fat Cats Fat Cats Entertainment, LLC http://fatcatsofficial.com/ 13 Tracks Brad Stivers is no stranger to Beale Street and the IBC. In 2011, he represented The Colorado Blues Society as the entry for The Youth Showcase at The International Blues Challenge. In January of 2014, Bad Brad And The Fat Cats were one of the top nine IBC band finalists, once again representing The Colorado Blues Society.

It was obvious Bad Brad And The Fat Cats were one of the top bands, from the earlier performances in the competition.

What impressed me the most was fact they brought authentic traditional blues to Memphis, keeping that pure blues sound on their new CD Take A Walk With Me. They earned the respect of the entire audience at Orpheum Theatre in Memphis after their explosive final IBC performance.

The band is creating quite a stir in the blues community in the state of Colorado with a substantial list of performances already to their credit. They have played at Bohemian Nights at New West Fest in Fort Collins, The Greeley Blues Jam, and

Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter

Page 14 the Carbon Valley Music & Spirits Festival. Brad has had the pleasure of sharing the stage with Tommy Castro, Rick Estrin and The Nightcats, and numerous local blues bands.

On Take A Walk With Me, the Fat Cats' lineup includes Brad Stivers on vocals and guitar, Alec Stivers on drums, and Nic Clark on harmonica, along with special guests including Lionel Young on slide guitar, Dwight Carrier on accordion, Gregg Mackenzie on Harmonica, and Bill Shannon and Alissa Chesis on bass. They open with the title track "Take A Walk With Me," with Brad keeping that slide guitar tradition of Hound Dog Taylor and Elmore James accompanied by his gritty, strong vocals. They move into a traditional shuffle "Leghound," featuring the award winning guitar solos from Brad and harp performance from Nic Clark, anchored by a superb rhythm section. "Ego Trip" features this time, a steady rollin' rhythm guitar groove by Brad, also featuring Gregg MacKenzie on harp. This boogie number is even more solid and aggressive than the famous Atlantic City performance of "Boogie Chillin'" by John Lee Hooker, Eric Clapton, and The Rolling Stones. "Take It Easy," has some of that West Coast guitar flavor of Kid Ramos and Johnny Main, with once again a strong performance from the rhythm section. They unleash that high octane power on the hard drivin' tunes "Going To The Country" and "Headin' Out," with Stivers tearing into the fret board like a man possessed, offering vocals to match. "Lucky Man" is one of his IBC tunes, showing his "real" blues prowess on vocals and guitar. "The Other Side," featuring Lionel Young on slide guitar, serves up a generous platter of New Orleans strut. "Runnin' Me Down" takes you to the Delta for some back porch blues, Clarksdale style. This blues caravan takes a different direction by way of the Louisiana bayou, featuring the legendary cajun-zydeco artist Dwight "Black Cat" Carrier on accordion on the song "See My Way." "Man On The Move" shows you the SRV blues-rock side of Brad Stivers on this future blues classic. If "Train Down South" doesn't get you moving, nothing will. This tune would rival once again the late great Hound Dog Taylor and his tune "Give Me Back My Wig," with considerably more fuel added to the fire. The CD concludes with the heart throbbing instrumental "Uma," combining blues guitar with the 60s instrumental guitar style made famous by groups like the Ventures.

Since Bad Brad and The Fat Cats are a

fairly new blues group, Take A Walk With Me does a great job of presenting its listeners with the multitude of capabilities this band has to offer. To listen to this CD, or a live performance, it would be difficult to differentiate this group from a group of seasoned veterans. In my opinion, this group is headed to the top.

“Tryin’ To Make It Happen” has the horns back in place on a mid-paced tune with a very West Coast, laid-back feel before another instrumental “Prototype”, featuring sax ace Tom Scott whose reed parts sound like more than one person is playing, Carmen responding to the challenge with some fine playing, again in jazz-rock mode.

Reviewed by Rick Davis A Different World Carmen Grillo Big Surprise Music www.carmengrillo.com 12 tracks; 51 minutes Carmen Grillo has been an in-demand session player on the West Coast for many years.

He was a member of Tower Of Power for a decade and currently plays in The Sons Of Champlin, as well as running his own studio, writing and playing a wide variety of sessions.

On this album he makes good use of his contacts with appearances by the Tower Of Power horns and many well-known West Coast players. Carmen plays all the guitar parts and handles lead vocals, assisted by Tony Braunagel, Steve Stephens and Herman Matthews on drums; Mark Meadows, Bobby Watson and Francis Rocco Prestia on bass; Mike Finnigan, Bill Champlin, Rob Mullins, Mark Hugenberger, Dale Ockerman, Bob Emmet and Ruben Valtierra on keys, Curt Campbell on harmonica and Greg Adams, Stephen ‘Doc’ Kupka, Lee Thornburg, Dave Boruff, Johnnie Bamont, Tom Saviano and Tom Scott on horns.

Carmen wrote most of the material, assisted by various co-writers but the album opens with two covers. “Come And Gone” comes from the pen of Greg Koch and makes for a great start as Carmen’s fluent guitar and the massed horns drive the song along, Carmen immediately demonstrating that he has a good voice. The horns are again influential on a funky version of Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson’s classic “A Real Mother For Ya” in which Carmen produces a very fine, sinuous solo.

There is a different side to his playing demonstrated on the instrumental “I Got The Sauce”; the bubbling bass (by cowriter Francis Rocco Prestia) starts it off, with the keys providing the rhythm parts over which Carmen plays in a soaring style that recalls jazz-rock players like Lee Rittenour – not at all blues, but great to hear anyway.

The title track “A Different World” puts the horns alongside a funky riff as Carmen gets a little political: “The world we live in ain’t like it used to be, won’t find a solution in Washington DC. Pure and simple, it might never be the same. Don’t be discouraged, it’s the nature of the game”.

More funk follows with the catchy “Transatlantic Boogie” as Carmen creates a dialogue between two guitar parts and the rhythm section gets deep into the funk while piano man Bob Emmet plays off the rhythm to set a counterpoint to Carmen’s guitar.

“Sad State Of Affairs” is a ballad with more blues content than on most of this album, the ‘b’ word even putting in an appearance: “People are always crying the blues, when nothing’s right and there’s nothing left to lose”. “The Nature Of The Beast” is an uptempo tune co-written with harp player Curt Campbell, Carmen producing a great riff upon which Curt and the horns show us their strengths.

“Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” is definitely a blues with the rolling rhythm and Carmen’s convincing vocal supported by twin keyboards that give a real swirling feel to the tune. A final instrumental “River Of Molten Rock” gives Carmen the chance to solo fluently over some strong drumming, percolating bass and organ.

The closing track is different, with Carmen on acoustic guitar accompanied only by Rob Mullins’ keyboard, a touching ballad paying tribute to a strong relationship in “You’re The One”. A strong track vocally, Carmen harmonizes with himself, producing a sound not unlike CSN on the chorus.

Whilst there is not a lot of blues content in this album the material is strong and the quality of playing excellent. With a mix of influences ranging across jazz, pop, rock and R n’ B Carmen Grillo has produced an album that has something for most listeners to enjoy.

Reviewed by John Mitchell

September–October 2014 I Say What I Mean Jim Liban with the Joel Paterson Trio Ventrella Records 14 tracks/48:57 Jim Liban is a legend among harp players around the world. His band, Short Stuff, played blues with a vengeance and undoubtedly turned on many of their Midwest fans to the music during their fifteen year run. After a stint as a Nashville songwriter didn’t pan out, Liban returned to Milwaukee where he led a band under his own name. As time went on, he grew tired of the grind that always left the brass ring just out of reach. The retreat from music continued when life hit him with several heavy blows.

But music has always had the power to heal. In Jim’s case, the process started several years ago as he gradually started playing gigs again. Soon the confidence and fire was back. At the 2013 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Liban was part of the Alex Wilson Band. Their rousing performances earned them a spot in the finals and Liban was the recipient of the Lee Oskar Best Harmonica Player award.

Around the same time, guitarist Joel Paterson played a Milwaukee gig with the man who had helped him start his career as a working musician. In his in-depth liner notes, Paterson describes his surprise at discovering that the magic was back in Liban’s playing and singing. That was the genesis for this project. Paterson combed through hours of tapes of Liban’s original material to make the final track selections. The duo spent even more time on fine-tuning the songs, in some cases updating the arrangements, before they headed for the recording studio.

One listen to this disc makes it clear that Liban is the consummate musician. On tracks like “Stop On By”, the singer’s relaxed vocal glides along with the swinging rhythm. He adopts a tougher approach on “Right Hand Blues,” preaching the gospel to a mercurial woman; Liban’s son Matt on drums helps deliver the message. The instrumental “Cottonweed” is a delightful romp with Liban blowing some serious licks from all angles. Beau Sample’s slapping beat on his upright bass drives “ Tell Me Everything” as Liban’s playing shifts to a country blues mode.

“No More Alcohol” comes from a darker corner of life as Liban describes the battle to break away from the chains of the de-

Page 15 mon rum. He punctuates his tale with some hearty blowing , employing a full, fat tone that seems to be calling you out of the darkness. The slow rolling feel of “Sad, Tired and Worried” manages to lighten the pain in Liban’s lyrics, as Paterson’s taut guitar licks echo the singer’s down-hearted exhortations. “Must’ve Been Dreaming” is jaunty tune with a Memphis feel that features some James Cotton-inspired harp.

The band storms through the title track with a barely-contained fury spurred on by Paterson’s biting slide guitar. Scott Ligon contributes some sparkling runs on the piano over the steady beat from drummer Mark Haines who, like Paterson, is a member of the Cash Box Kings. The drum chair is shared with Alex Hall, part of the Modern Sounds with Paterson and Sample. Hall’s deft touch is featured on “Quick Draw”, another instrumental that finds Paterson burning through a brief slide solo before trading licks with Liban, who plays with a graceful flow that can mask the depth of technical skill he utilizes throughout the disc. The harp master electronically alters his tone on “Cold Stuff” and displays amazing control of his breathing while holding a note for what seems like an eternity.

“Thank You for the Dance” is Liban’s loving tribute to his late wife with the singer calmly expressing his gratitude for the time they shared together. The closing number, “Selfish Man,” has a late-night feel as Liban declares in no uncertain terms that he is willing to change his ways for a woman’s love. The track slowly fades away behind the subtle interplay between Liban and Paterson. It is a fitting finale to a project that offers an in-depth survey of the career and artistry of Jim Liban. Blues fans around the world owe Mr. Paterson a debt of gratitude for putting this project together, making it clear that Mr. Liban is indeed one of the living legends, his music as vital as when he started five decades ago.

I Say What I Mean comes highly recommended!

Reviewed by Mark Thompson

The Best of the Stony Plain Years Long John Baldry Stony Plain Records www.stonyplainrecords.com 11 tracks Long John Baldry died far too soon; his passing in 2005 was sad despite his already 50 plus year career. Compiled from the period 1978 to his death, this assortment of legendary English pop star and bluesman (who transplanted himself to Canada) gives new listeners and old fans a brief but well done assortment of his work with Canada’s Stony Plain Records. Complied by Holger Peterson with stuff he , Duke Robillard and others originally produced, these cuts from four albums, a promo sampler and a live festival cut are really nice selections.

“Good Morning Blues,” “Midnight Special” and “Gallows Pole” come from his 2001 Remembering Leadbelly album (plus an intro drom his 1958 version of the first cut.

This is some trad blues done up superbly.

“I’m Shakin’,” “Easy Street” and Midnight Hour Blues” are taken from the Juno award -winning album Right to Sing the Blues with sublime vocals by Baldry and some great backing musicians.

“Dimples” comes from the 1988 Edmonton Folk Festival and features Papa John King on guitar. This is a really cool rendition with two great John’s, Papa and Long, really getting into it. The 2001 It Still Ain’t Easy gave us “Insane Asylum” (with Kathi MacDonald) and “Midnight in New Orleans,” two exceptional cuts.” Kathi also appears on “Black Girl,” from a 1996 Edmonton Recording Sampler, and she is phenomenal on this and the prior cut. The CD concludes with “Time’s Getting Tougher Than Tough” from the 2000 album Jimmy Witherspoon with The Duke Robillard Band, another fine inclusion for this retrospective.

I’ve not listened to any Long John Baldry in a while and this sampler wet my taste buds to go back and listen to even more. The CD shows what this gritty and talented musician can do to many of the standards of the blues world as he easily masters John Lee Hooker, Leroy Carr, Willy Dixon and other traditionals with his great flair and earthy approach to music.

This mentor to Elton John and Rod Stewart is an exceptional talent and one can see how his early work influenced Clapton and the Stones. This is a fine sampler of his later works from his Canadian days and I think fans new and old will enjoy it, and it will leave them wanting for even more.

Reviewed by Steve Jones

Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter

Page 16 Unfinished Business Little Ronnie & The Blue Beats featuring Claudia Carawan Ellersoul Records 14 Tracks Lil' Ronnie Owens from Richmond, Virginia is no stranger to the blues world. At the age 8, he was inspired by his uncle and started playing drums, getting his first gig at the age of 13. Finally at the age of 30, Little Walter was such an inspiration to him, that he decided to put the sticks away for a harmonica, fronting his own bands as a harp player and singer. Still performing as Lil' Ronnie and Grand Dukes, he fronted another band earlier in his career titled Lil' Ronnie and The Blue Beats.

Lil' Ronnie and The Blue Beats was a very popular band in the 80s and early 90s, playing to packed audiences in Shockoe Bottom, one of Richmond's oldest neighborhoods, rich in blues and R&B. During that time, they were in the process of negotiating a contract with a major international blues record label and in 1991 had started their second album with female vocalist Claudia Carawan. Some of band members had some personal and professional issues and as a result, the group decided to disband. The songs for the album had already been written and eight of them had been recorded.

The band consists of Ronnie Owens on harmonica and vocals, Claudia Carawan on vocals and alto sax, Jim Wark on guitar, Stu Grimes on drums and percussion, Mike Moore on acoustic and electric bass, and Ericson Holt on keyboards, featuring Almeta Ingram-Miller and Cheryl M. Beaver on backing vocals. Claudia Carawan has been compared vocally to Bonnie Raitt and Eva Cassidy, but I would have to add Ella Fitzgerald to that list. Claudia is an American singer-songwriter, pianist, and saxophone player.

The album was appropriately titled Unfinished Business and 23 years later they are presenting it to their fans around the world. It claims to contain soul, funk, ballads, and blues. The CD contains 12 original tunes and 2 cover songs. It opens with the smoky, sultry vocals of Claudia Carawan and the soulful harp from Lil' Ronnie, as the band struts through "Bring Your Fine Self Home." On the next original tune, Claudia warns her lover in her sassy voice, to slow things down, since he is moving "Too Fast For Conditions." We hear from both Owens on harp solos and

Jim Wark on guitar solos as they work their magic on this tune. The band gets funky on a tune penned by Claudia, as she lays down the law with her words of wisdom on the tune "Get Tough." Carawan comes back with her soulful/gospel side as she sings the slow blues ballad "I Feel A Heartache Coming On." As a listener, you will be forced to jump to your feet when you hear the rockin' version of Louis Prima's "Jump Jive, Then You Wail," which features Claudia on vocals, outstanding harp solos from Ronnie, snappy guitar solos from Wark, and a hard drivin' groove laid down by the rhythm section.

Hard Landing Planet Full Of Blues Blue Beak Records www.planetfullofblues.com/ 11 Tracks

The band tells you the whole story of Lil' Ronnie and The Blue Beats on "Unfinished Business," with Ronnie and Claudia sharing vocals as they "set you straight" with the facts. It is ironic that the band follows up the Ray Charles classic "Hard Times" with Claudia singing straight from her heart, much like Ella Fitzgerald did early in her career. Ronnie takes over the vocals and reminds us that everything given to him reads "In God We Trust" in the Owens/Wark tune "Cold Hard Cash."

"Thick & Thin" is a tune with both funky rhythm guitar licks and a powerful horn section, as Claudia reassures her soul mate she will stick with him when times get tough.

The CD opens up with “Big Mouth”. It’s a nice blues rock number with well defined sound and a nice bass line. The 2nd song is “So Special”. It slows down a bit from the first cut, but supplies some stinging guitar work. Some old Chicago rooted blues show up in “Mashed Potatoes and Gravy”. I like the lyrics including, don’t go messing with this big man’s food. “Open Your Eyes” has a bit of a R&B with a tinge of west side blues in it. It meshes the fine guitar work and the vocals well. It has a solid guitar solo which adds some breadth to the track.

Ericson Holt give us some New Orleans boogie woogie with those 88s, as Ronnie warns "Stop Cheatin' Me Blind." "Hit the bricks and shove your clutch in gear" is the ultimatum given by Claudia as the tells her live-in "You Don't Have To Go Home" but you can't stay here. "That's What A Girl Wants To Hear" is a slower blues ballad with Claudia Carawan performing with her incredible vocal range. The jump blues tune "I Just Met A Man" takes us back to the up-tempo music of the 40s, with Stu Grimes displaying his abilities like jazz drummer legend Gene Krupa. The band concludes this great collection of music with the original blues number "I Had A Warden For A Woman," showcasing Ronnie Owens once again on vocals and harp.

With this new album, actually created in the past, it gives us a sample of those spectacular Lil' Ronnie and The Blue Beats live shows from years ago. Could this mean they will go on the road once again to promote the long lost Unfinished Business? We can only hope!

Reviewed by Rick Davis

Planet Full OF Blues comes to us from Virginia. This is their second CD, and a follow up to the self titled 2008 release. The core band is Johnny Ray Light (G, V), Brock Howe (D, V), and Ron Dameron (B, V). This CD is produced by the famous Jim Gaines. His brings strong credibility from his past work with SRV, B. B. King, Luther Allison, and many others. I was not familiar with the band so I looked forward to a first listen.

Brock Howe handles the vocals on “Busboy”. It is a song about leaving a low paying busboy job for a chance to live the rock star dream and sticking it to his old boss. The track has a Texas roadhouse feel to it. Up next is a deep slow dreamy blues number called “I Had A Dream”. I bet this one goes over well in their live show with the fine guitar work. “Big Bright Light” goes off in a jam band, country rock feel.

The track is not bad, but it may not fit in this CD. I was not expecting it. Track 8 is a rock song called “Sunday Drive” It continues the bit of direction change in the CD from the last track away from the blues.

This also continues with the country rocker “Felt Like A Tourist”. The song sounds a bit Heart “Baracuda” meets Nashville.

We get back to the blues a bit with “Snake Lady”. I hear some rock hill country feel blues here. The vocals are good, and so is the playing by the band. The CD closes out with an instrumental called “Shugrue Shuffle”. It has a bit of jazzy meets Texas blues feel to it. It’s a bit short at 2:30, they could have jammed to it longer.

The first half is a solid blues CD. The second half of the CD goes in many directions, somewhat away from the blues. As a blues rock disc I guess some of that is expected.

The band plays well and the sound of the disc is outstanding. I’d like to see these guys live. I bet they shake the house. Most people will like the whole CD, but love one half or the other depending on their tastes.

Give it a listen if you can.

Reviewed by Mark Nelson

September–October 2014 Solid Ground Albert Castiglia Ruf Records http://albertcastiglia.net/ 14 tracks Albert Castiglia was born in New York and raised in Miami.

After some local success in the mid-90s Miami blues scene, Junior Wells picked Albert to be a guitarist in his band. He later toured with Sandra Hall. In 2002, he ventured out on his own. Albert has now released his 7th CD called “Solid Ground”.

Half of the songs are written by the artist.

This is a Ruf Records release (his first), so we can expect some blues guitar magic. I saw him at the Blues Blast Music Awards last year in Chicago, and enjoyed his part of the show.

The CD opens with “Triflin' ”. A hill country beat by Bob Amsel lays a line for Albert’s guitar to travel on. It is an attention getting song to open the CD. The next cut is “Keep You Around Too Long”. In this original we get a great roadhouse beat with stinging guitar. This is a keeper.

“Searching The Desert” follows with more solid blues rock. Things slow down with “Have You No Shame”. It is a blues lost love song that let’s Albert show off his pipes, while providing a solid extended solo mid song. Debbie Davies guests on “Put Some Stank On It”. There is fine B3 work by Jeremy Baum. I like this self penned song.

Up next is “Love One Another”. It’s a well paced message song about solving the troubles of the world written. It is written

by Albert. “Sleepless Nights” is a slow paced soulful song about relationships.

The song has another fine guitar solo by Albert. The lyrics are very good, with good insight. Albert interprets the classic “Going Down Slow” by St. Louis Jimmy Oden. It’s a funkier version of the original song. The 9th song is “Celebration” It is a roots tinged song from Graham Wood Drout. Albert did an album with Drout back in 2006 called The Bittersweet Sessions. The slow acoustic song “Hard Times” was co-written by Joel DaSilva. It is a fine change of pace, and paints a fine picture of the emotions felt in the song.

The pace picks up with “Bad Avenue” a stinging smoky driving blues song. It was written by Lefty Dizz. The B3 really shows off in this song. Albert turns to a Rolling Stones song “Sway” for the next cut. It’s not as powerful as the original, and may go over better live. An instrumental original “Little Havana Blues (Arroz Con Man-

Page 17 go)” is next. Albert’s Miami roots kick in here. Graham Wood Drout provides the final song “Just Like Jesus”. It’s an acoustic song with good guitar playing, almost a bit of Spanish guitar in the solo.

Overall a big step forward for Albert Castigula. He will be a blues force going forward. Ruf brought a winner out from him on this one. Nothing is over done in the playing or production. Maybe we can get a bit more emotion in the vocals for Albert, but that is a small chip on this fine CD. Reviewed by Mark Nelson A Special Life John Mayall MRI www.johnmayall.com 11 tracks I hope that everyone reading this has heard of John Mayall. 80 years young, he’s been in the business over 50 years. His current band is guitarist Rocky Athas, bassist Greg Rzab and drummer Jay Davenport -- with singer and accordion player C.J. Chenier sitting in on a couple of tracks. Over the years Clapton, Trout and Fleetwood made their way thru John’s band. He is a much respected, historical figure in the blues. Like his peers B. B. King and Buddy Guy he still records and tours.

The opening track was written by C. J. Chenier and is called “Why Did You Go Last Night”. It is a bluesy/zydeco track as one might expect. C. J. takes the vocals, while John supports on piano. At 4:54 in length they get a chance to spread out and put their all into this song. They stay in the bayou for the next song Sonny Landreth’s “Speak Of The Devil”. Rocky Athas mans the stinging guitar work for this exciting track. The band travels up to Chicago next covering Jimmy Rogers great track “That’s All Right”. This could have been on an old Bluesbreakers LP in the 60’s. They put that British spin on a Chicago classic. Mayall provides some nice harmonica work on this cut. “World Gone Crazy” is a Mayall original, discussing his view of the world today. The song is a nice piece of blues rock with fine lyrics and good harp work.

Up next Mayall slides back to the Albert King original “Flooding In California”. This one grabs Memphis and infuses it into the song. The guitar and the organ work is top notch. Albert would be proud of John’s guitar work on this great cut. Cut 6 is Eddie Taylor’s “Big Town Playboy”.

This is great Chicago blues, with Mayall’s telling harmonica work. We should tip our hat to the rhythm section also. The self penned “A Special Life” is a fine country blues song. Mayall’s vocals and harp work are very evident. C. J. Chenier returns on “ I Just Got To Know”. It is a solid blues song, and was written by Jimmy McCracklin.

The band picks up a late night jazz vibe with “Heartache” I found it an interesting track. Greg Rzab provides the next track.

“Like A Fool“ is a modern blues song. I like Mayall’s vocals on this track. The CD closes out with a final Mayall penned track. It is called “Just A Memory”. It’s a slower blues number with Mayall on piano. It is a longer slow blues number.

This is a fine CD. I’m not sure it will make all top 10 for the year, but should be something everyone hears and enjoys. It is a treat to have John Mayall still making relevant music after all these years. We should all rejoice and enjoy. It is a well done CD, with strong performance and integrity. It’s one of his best in many years. Bravo to the King of British Blues!

Reviewed by Mark Nelson Tiger In Your Tank Monkey Junk Stony Plain Records www.stonyplainrecords.com 13 tracks “I’m talking about the blues, I ain’t talkin’ about monkey junk,” was something Son House used to say about blues music that he did not approve of back in the 1960’s. In 2009 a Canadian band took on that moniker and released a highly acclaimed album which led to two others that Stony Plain produced in 2011 and 2013. Well, the label has rereleased the indy release with two added new tracks this year and as Son House said, this CD “ain’t no monkey junk.”

We’ve reviewed their last two CDs here in our newsletter; the band is Steve Marriner who sings, plays baritone guitar, harp and organ, Matt Sobb on drums and Tony D on lead guitar and one of vocals. They are great band out of Ottawa and it’s nice to see and hear this CD with wider distribution.

The opening song is “ I Want to Put a Tiger In your Tank” that is filed with blatant sexy automobile innuendos and opens with the Son House recorded quote. It’s a great hook with sweet vocals

Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter

Page 18 and stinging harp by Marriner.”Small Time Evil” offers up more gritty vocals and a sweet guitar groove and solo by Tony D. Following that is “Give Me Time” with Marriner giving us a taste of the bass guitar to start and then going into a nice soul tune.

The guitar and organ blend well in the mix, and Marriner delivers another fine performance. “If You Were Mine” is a wellsouped up boogie woogie with nice guitar and harp work. ‘When Push Comes to Shove” has the organ front and center, going back and forth with the guitar in a bit a rocking funkiness.

“Beefy” is next, an instrumental with fuzzed up guitar and harp. It’s dirty sounding fun. “Pay The Cost” goes over to straight up and traditional slow Chicago blues, reminiscent of Howlin’ Wolf’s “Evil.”

The boys stay on that theme, singing about how we have to pay the cost of being born. It drips blues. “Boogie Man” warns us that we’d “better lock up our daughters ‘cause the boogie man’s comin’ to town.” Marriner again delivers an authentic and convincing performance while Matt and Tony offer up equally convincing support. The band swings a bit with “Leave The Rest To You” and then goes into another distorted blues with “Blues For Anna.” “Gutsy” closes out the original set with a big intro where the organ takes the lead in another fine instrumental.

There’s a little 60 cycle hum in there for the guitar solo to make it feel like you’re in a club drinking a few beers and sucking down these fine sounds.

“Lucky One” and “Pueblo” are the two bonus tracks. While they sound a slight bit different production wise, they show the band’s progression. The former offers a rollicking and driving beat with a huge guitar solo while the latter keeps their single word title song = instrumental equation pure. “Pueblo” is a huge and gritty number with harp and guitar fully distorted and a throbbing-ly cool beat.

I enjoyed this CD, especially since I’d not heard the original release before. I don’t think it would be going out on a limb too much to say that I think Son House would approve of this album. It’s easy to see why thes guys won a 2010 BMA for Best New Artist after releasing the original album! All three of their releases are great albums and I recommend this or any of them to blues aficionados who want to hear modern blues cemented on but not stuck in a traditional base. These guys are the real deal!

Reviewed by Steve Jones

Live In Japan Sleepy John Estes with Hammy Nixon Delmark Records www.delmark.com 21 tracks Sleepy John Estes is long gone, having passed away in 1977 at the age of 78, but he is alive and well via the recordings he left behind. These specific recording have never released in the US, having only been released in Japan in the 1970’s.

The 1974 and 1976 tours of Estes with Hammy Nixon on harp, kazoo and jug come from gigs from the tours, a 1974 Tokyo engagement and two 1976 shows (one in Tokyo and one in Kyoto) with thousands of fans in attendance at all three events.

The Japanese looked at Estes and Nixon as “Living National Treasures” for persons who have achieved mastery of their arts.

Contrast that with the fact that Estes was living in a wooden shack next to a cotton field in his long time home of Brownsville, Tennessee. Japanese blues fan had taken to the Delmark LP The Legend of Sleepy John Estes in a big way and these tours were huge events. The 1974 tour kicked off a renaissance of sorts and in 1976 there were many blues tours, with Otis Rush, Buddy Guy, Junior Wells and others travelling to play in Japan prior to Estes’ return.

Estes is in great form here, calling off songs and playing and singing with abandon. The first 11 tracks are from 1974.

The rest are two shows in December 1976 where four Japanese artists sat in on guitar, lead guitar, bass and drums. They do a great job, but it is Estes who is the star of the shows, with Nixon blowing some mean harp in support.

The music is mostly a bunch of Estes and traditional songs, showcasing traditional blues done by bluesmen drawing from their experiences. Estes vocals cry out to us as if he is almost weeping. From the opening chords of “Corrina, Corrina” to “Jesus on the Mainline” at the end, Estes and Nixon deliver outstanding vocals and musical performances.

This is a nice set of tunes. Estes’ fans will certainly appreciate the cleanly recorded, live performance and new blues fan would be well served with this later recording.

Kudos to Delmark for providing these unreleased cuts for us to appreciate!

Reviewed by Steve Jones

Dynamic Arsen Shomakhov Blues Leaf Records www.bluesleaf.com 10 tracks We get a lot of CD’s in the mail. Sometimes they are from folks I’ve never had a chance to listen to, as is the case of this CD. I was more than pleasantly surprised. I guess it should not have been as much of a surprise since Shomakhov has been recording and playing here in the US and Canada since the 2005 IBC’s (he moved to Vancouver from Russia in 2008) and has received some accolades; I somehow missed hearing him.

The CD opens with a swinging original cut entitled “Groove On!” An instrumental, it certainly does what the title says! Shomakhov starts us off with some well done licks and then Jerry Cook blasts off with his horn. With an upturned eyebrow and my interest peaked, I awaited more with some greater expectations. They broke into Willie Dixon’s “Mellow Down Easy” where Arsen sings and plays for us. His guitar is amply showcased for us and his vocals are really good. I was sold.

“How’d You Learn to Shake It Like That” gives us the first big taste Dave Webb on piano and it was super. Shomakhov gives another great performance and the backline of Bruce O’Neill on bass and Chip Hart on drums is solid here and throughout. Webb and Cook make a really great addition to Arsen’s core trio of bluesmen!

“Dance With Me Follows,” a second original and it’s another nice danceable up tempo number with Arsen, Jerry and Dave really swinging well together as the backline provides vocal support. “whiskey Drinking Woman” follows, dropping the tempo and mood into some down and dirty blues. It’s just the trio here and they do a marvelous job of playing the blues.

Jeff Turmes “Can’t Save a Dollar” is next.

I always love Jeff’s songs and Arsen and his trio delivers the goods. The original “Boogie Bounce” is up next and it swings.

Cook plays both baritone and tenor sax here and Webb is on the Hammond organ while Shomakhov delivers another outstanding performance on this instrumental. “Robert Nighthawk Stomp” is an extremely fun song and the closing original “Swamp Train” is a very cool boogie woogie instrumental ride.

I may not have heard this guy and his band previously but I am now on the lookout– these guys can play and sing! Recommended!

Reviewed by Steve Jones

September–October 2014 Mother Blues Rachelle Coba Mono Records www.rachellecoba.com 12 tracks Rachelle Coba is a sultry vocalist and guitar player with a solid band backing her up on this CD. This is a very tight CD of originals with one cover, the title cut. Classically trained on guitar, she uses her finger picking to her musical advantage as she plays as well and she sings, and both are quite enjoyable!

Sam Taylor Jr.’s song is delivered with authority and force. Along with the vocals comes a great lead guitar and solo by Ms. Coba. But she’s in her element with her own stuff, too.

She opens with “Never Been to Memphis,” a great cut where she gets some piano support from Ray Murry. It’s a great song to kick of the album with. Murry supports on organ on the closer, “Let Your Love Shine,” too, a very sultry and breathy cut.

Technically, it’s not the closing tune as she reprises the opener with a remix and then closes with a remix of “Between the Tracks,” which is also the 4th cut on the CD. While those two are not too divergent, the remix of “Never Been to Memphis” picks up the tempo and really gets you moving to the beat!

Cuts like “I Ain’t Got Time (To Fall In Love)” are nice ballads, but I prefer to hear her lay it all out with emotion on cuts like “Telephone Blues;” highly charged, emotional stuff! Ron Taylor is on organ and both and his work is especially cool on the latter; she and the band are gutsy and perform with lots of great feeling!

“Chicago” offers a mix of acoustic and electric guitar and is another gutsy number. “A Man Like You” is a jazzy blues ballad which Coba nails. “View From Here” is stripped down with just Coba singing and playing acoustic; well done!

She really shows diversity in song writing and performing across the albums tracks.

Karl T Himmel is on drums and Jacob Webb plays the upright bass. Robert Cardwell and Jerry Hahn offer support on guitar on a few cuts and David M Santos also helps out on bass on two songs.

This debut album features a singer with an emotive and outstanding voice. Her delivery is clean and precise, but she also knows how to get down and dirty. The guitar work is impeccable as her fingers walk up and down the frets with precision and artistry. I recommend this one with no reservations!

Reviewed by Steve Jones

Page 19 Just A Wish Away Deanna Bogart Blind Pig www.deannabogart.com 11 tracks/46 minutes Deanna Bogart is a great favourite at festivals and on the Blues Cruise; for good reason as she is a lovely person and a fine, eclectic musician, a quadruple threat on piano, sax, vocals and song writing. The problem for a musician so multi-talented is that they can fall between stools as they cover all the possible bases. On her last CD Deanna concentrated on piano but here she lets her versatility shine through on a diverse set of songs which range across soul, blues, jazz and country. The album was recorded at the fabled Dockside studios in Maurice, Louisiana, with JoeBaby Michaels, Joshua Fairman and Charlie Wooton (Royal Southern Brotherhood bassist) assisting Deanna on production.

A diverse cast of musicians helped on the disc: Deanna on vocals, piano and sax; Charlie Wooton on bass with Scott Ambush and Joshua Fairman helping out on three tracks; Terrence Houston on drums with Eric Boliver, Alvin Ford Jr. and George Horn on a track each; Derwin ‘Big D’ Perkins on guitar on five tracks, Chris Jacobs on three and Jordan Linit on one; Rafael Pereira adds percussion to five tracks; Marty Rifkin plays pedal steel on three tracks; the Bonerama Horns play on three tracks.

Deanna wrote seven of the tracks here, one in collaboration with Charlie Wooton.

Opener “If It’s Gonna Be Like This” romps away with Deanna’s piano to the fore on an uptempo rocking cut with slide guitar duelling with the pedal steel. The Bonerama Horns add considerably to “Fine By Me Good Bayou”, a song clearly inspired by the Louisiana setting, Deanna referencing voodoo, Cajun, magnolia wine and cypress trees in the lyrics. “Back And Forth Kid” is a fine song with a wistful lyric well sung by Deanna, a song about a child growing up in far from ideal circumstances. Deanna is alone at the piano here and her playing is excellent. Even better is “What Is Love Supposed To Do”, a lovely song with bittersweet lyrics, a memorable chorus and great playing, including pedal steel that makes one think that this song could easily have graced an Eagles album. “Maybe I Won’t” is another catchy song with Deanna playing some sultry sax above her own piano – try doing that trick live! The collaboration with Charlie Wooton is “Conversing With Lincoln”, an uptempo piece with percussion that re-

calls Paul Simon’s African music albums, Deanna playing some uptempo sax in a jazzy style in a duel with guitarist Big D. The instrumental “Collarbone” provides an opportunity for Deanna to play sax alongside the Bonerama Horns on a classic piece of R n’ B. The covers provide even more evidence of Deanna’s versatility. John David Souther’s “If You Have Crying Eyes” is classic country with weeping pedal steel underpinning the duet vocals between Deanna and Chris Jacobs. Doyle Bramhall and Stevie Ray Vaughan’s“Tightrope” brings us into Texas blues territory with Deanna’s piano replacing SRV’s guitar from the original. Sly Stone’s “Hot Fun In The Summertime” appears to be an odd choice but with the horns pushing the song along Deanna seems to be having as much fun as the title suggests, demonstrating how well her voice is suited to soulful singing. Finally Deanna gives us a classic piece of jazz in Ray Henderson and Mort Dixon’s “Bye Bye Blackbird”, a song once used by Miles Davis as a vehicle for improvisation. Here Deanna’s sax ‘sings’ over almost military drums and some fine, jazzy guitar from Chris Jacobs.

This is a CD which will delight Deanna’s many fans and provides something for listeners of diverse tastes. Great fun to hear and review!

Reviewed by John Mitchell

20 Years of Crossroads Blues Society in the NovemberDecember 2014 Issue Our next issue will feature a recap of the first 20 years of Crossroads Blues Society, it’s activities, its’ members, remembrances and more. I think it would be a lot of fun to stroll down memory lane and relive and remember what the Society has done.

I’ve been here for half of those years; some of you have been here longer while most are newer to the club. No matter– we hope that everyone who is a member will enjoy this review. If you have anything interesting to submit, do not hesitate to forward it to me via my email at sub_insignia@yahoo.com!

Keepin the Blues Alive with Your Support!

Steve Jones

Page 20

Annual Membership Meeting to Elect Officers and Board Saturday September 13th at 7 PM at the Hope and Anchor It’s that time again! Nominations are being accepted for positions on the Crossroads board and to serve as an officer or Crossroads Blues Society. The current officers and board members have expressed an interest in serving again next year, but we are always looking for new blood to help out.

We are also looking to expand the committee function and roles in Crossroads for both our regular yearly functions (BITS, newsletter, shows, etc.) along with festival planning. If you would like to serve on a committee or run for a board or officer position, let Secretary Bonnie Fox know (bonitafx@gmail.com).

Our current officers and board: Steve Jones– President Bill Graw- Vice President Bonnie Fox– Secretary Terry Keller– Treasurer Bob Haendler– Board Dennis Barker– Board Rick Davis– Board Ken Pearson– Board Rick Hein– Board The folks serving have done an outstanding job in running two festivals and all the other work in making Crossroads the top blues society for 2014! The Keeping the Blues Alive Award from the Blues Foundation was earned by their hard work and the hard work of their predecessors.

2014 marks the 20th anniversary of Crossroads Blues Society, from it’s roots in Lanark in 1994 and our incorporation as a non-profit in 1995 to starting blues in the schools and running great festivals for the past fiver years, Crossroads has served the northern Illinois area in keeping the blues alive with their hard work and dedication!

Crossroads Blues Society Newsletter

Crossroads Blues Society September–October 2014 Newsletter

Top Blues Releases August 2014 Sunday Morning Blues WKGL-FM 96.7 The Eagle Rockford, IL Elvin Bishop / Can't Even Do Wrong Right / Alligator Mud Morganfield & Kim Wilson / For Pops - A Tribute to Muddy Waters / Severn Ruthie Foster / Promise of a Brand New Day / Blue Corn Music Seth Walker / Sky Still Blue / Royal Potato Family Jim Liban with The Joel Paterson Trio / I Say What I Mean / Ventrella Westside Andy - Mel Ford Band / Alley Cat / False Dog Preston Shannon / Dust My Broom / Continental Blue Heaven Lurrie Bell / Blues in My Soul / Delmark Jimmy Thackery and the Drivers / Wide Open / White River Sugar Ray and the Bluetones / Living Tear to Tear / Severn Dave Weld and the Imperial Flames / Burnin' Love / Delmark Reverend Raven and the Chain Smokin' Altar Boys / Shake Your Boogie / Nevermore Barrelhouse Chuck & Kim Wilson's Blues All-Stars / Driftin' from Town to Town / The Sirens Dan Phelps / Going Home / Vincent Dom Flemons / Prospect Hill / Music Maker Relief Foundation Jimmy "Duck" Holmes & Terry "Harmonica" Bean / Twice as Hard / Broke & Hungry Howard and the White Boys / Rosa's Lounge / 3011 Records

Rich Gordon Sunday Morning Blues WKGL-FM 96.7 The Eagle 3901 Brendenwood Road Rockford, IL 61107

Page 21

Membership News Our members are very important to us.

With as healthy jump in members from the festivals and recent shows, our current membership sits at 201 people. We have 113 individual memberships and 88 people as part of 43 family memberships! Thanks to all our new and returning members!

New members: Rick and Diane Blodgett Jim Didier Ric and Donna Douglas Gary and Gail Fort M. Garrett Bert Gray Steve Hough Dan Jacobson Ron King Bert Person Gary and Janean Sciortino Bill Wagner Renewing Members: Nino Gardona and Karen Bieber Robert Decker Delores Fair Tom Holian Stephen Langley Marcia Linley Bill Oviatt Ken Pearson Kevin Pieterek Chuck Wagener Ross Youngberg New members get a CD upon joining; family members get two CDS. If you did not get any please let us know the next time we see you! Membership has been $15 and $25 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.

Again, we thank our members for their support and helping us to keep the blues alive!

www.bluesblastmagazine.com

Crossroads Blues Society Officers and Board Members Contact Info President: Steve Jones Vice-President: Bill Graw Secretary: Bonnie Fox Treasurer: Terry Keller Board of Directors: Denny Barker Rick Davis Bob Haendler Ken Pearson Rick Hein

sub_insignia@yahoo.com williamjgraw@gmail.com bonitafx@gmail.com terry@markpack.com harkthebark@mchsi.com rick_davis_937@comcast.net rhaendler@comcast.net cntrylivng@aol.com mrrickhein@sbcglobal.net

Hope and Anchor English Pub Monthly Second Saturday Blues The 2014 Hope and Anchor Saturday Blues Schedule is fully fleshed out now for 2014 and now into 2015 for the second Saturday of each month. 8 PM to Midnight, $5 cover after 8 PM. Featuring fine English pub fare, the Hope and Anchor is a great spot for dinner, craft beers and liquors, and great live music!

Located at 5040 N 2nd Street, Loves Park IL, USA, phone 815.633.2552 for info!

9/13/2014 The Nick Moss Band 10/11/2014 The Cash Box Kings 11/8/2014 The Jimmy's 12/13/2014 Bobby Messano and Dave Fields 1/10/15 Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo 2/14/15 Reverend Raven and the Chain Smoking Altar Boys with Westside Andy Linderman 3/14/15 St. Patrick’s Day Celebration 4/11/15 Tail Dragger with the Rockin’ Johnny Band

Crossroads Blues Society 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: http://crossroadsbluesfestival.blogspot.com/

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: www.crossroadsbluessociety.com/

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 6 AM to 8 AM with Rich Gordon

Blues News and Upcoming Events 20 years of the Crossroads Blues Society and we’re still going strong! Here’s what’s coming in September and October.

Festival season is almost over, but not quite. Grafton has their Paramount Blues Festival on September 5th and 6th and the Lions Club in Sun Prairie has their annual fest on September 13th.

Our Second Saturday Blues at the Hope and Anchor continues with Nick Moss September 13th and the Cash Box Kings October 11th. See inside for future dates! All shows start at 8 PM and admission is free up to 8 PM, so come for dinner and a show!

September 13th we will also hold our annual membership meeting to elect officers and board members (see page 20).

The Second Annual Crossroads Blues Challenge invites bands, solo/duo acts and teen acts to compete. The dates are tentatively October 5th and 12th at Mary’s Place; if your are interested see our article on page 1!

We are working on putting together some Blues in the Schools, but nothing solid as

yet as of press time. Keep your eyes and ears peeled!

Advanced planning– the 10th Annual Crossroads Christmas Party this year will be Saturday, December 13th at the Hope and Anchor featuring Bobby Messano and Dave Fields. We’re working to get Jimy Sohns (Shadows of Knight) to make an appearance as he did last year with Bobby. The gag record exchange will happen again and it will be a great time!

We’re still recovering from the festivals but stay tuned as we get into the swing of things for Fall 2014. There is always something cooking with Crossroads Blues Society!

Membership Application www.crossroadsbluesociety.com Yes! I’d love to be a part of the Crossroads Blues Society!

Name_____________________________________________ Street Address___________________________________ City________________ State______ Zip Code________ Phone_____________________________________________ Email Address____________________________________ New -or-

Returning Member

This will be a membership for an/a: Individual ($15) -orvia email

Family ($25) -orvia email

Individual ($20) -orFamily ($30) via regular mail via regular mail

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!