Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all my readers from around the world. I am wishing you and everyone who loves the blues to have a safe and wonderful holidays. The normal Sunday update will possibly come around Monday. I know I promised videos starting at 5pm tonight, but due to Bloggers weird calender everything got off a day. I corrected it so by the time you read this everything should be posting as scheduled! There are plenty of videos coming up tonight ending around 8am.
Enjoy! Be Safe! and see ya on the New Year!
Tom Gary
Blues Historian
Saturday, December 24, 2011
The Temptations: Silent Night
Pure beauty. The Temptations singing a classic Christmas song. Give it a listen.
Clarence Carter: Back Door Santa
Clarence Carter, Clarence Carter, ooooooooooh S*&^ Clarence Carter:-)
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Bob Dorr And The Blue Band New Year Extravaganza
NEW YEAR'S EVE 2011
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withBob Dorr & The Blue Band
also
Matt Woods & The Thunderbolts
Joe and Vicki Price
Six Ways To Sunday
The Erick Hovey Band
Tony Brown
Tom Gary
Comedy by Pinkstuff
December 31, 2011
for tickets/hotel reservations call:
515-270-8890
Make a weekend of it
Join us for the pre-party! Friday, Dec. 30-Rob Lumbard & Friends
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Happy Holidays From The Sean Costello Memorial Fund
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DONOR SPOTLIGHT: STASIA OGDEN
If you haven't donated and wonder
why people do donate to the Fund, just listen to the words of Stasia
Ogden, a huge fan of Sean's and one of the Fund's biggest donors:
Stasia
Ogden first heard Sean at Moe's Alley in Santa Cruz, California in 2003
and has been a fan ever since. When Sean's sang "Feel Like I Ain't Got A
Home" it was as if her feelings had been set to music. "When the
stresses of life and work built up, I used to go to Sean's website and
check his concert schedule. Even if it was 3-4 months away, just
planning travels to see Sean and the band in person would make life seem
easier. I attribute Sean with teaching me that there can be "better
living through music". I hope others see this too."
Stasia is the Associate General Counsel and Chief Intellectual Property Counsel for Baxter Healthcare Corporation in Deerfield, Illinois. 
{Sean Costello & Stasia Ogden}
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| DONATE TODAY AND HELP US MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
Sean's
passing has ignited a burning desire to keep his personal and musical
memory alive and to translate the human side of his suffering into
action that will help in research, education, outreach and treatment
efforts for Bipolar Disorder.
SEAN COSTELLO AT HIS BEST - LIVE
The
16-song compilation compact disc features previously unreleased live
material recorded in the U.S. & Europe from 2000-2007. A portion of
the royalties from the sale of the album will benefit The Sean Costello
Memorial Fund for Bipolar Research.
"It's
never too late for a significant recording to surface, especially for a
blues artist so utterly devoted to the genre. What matters most when it
comes to music isn't necessarily the beginning, the middle or the end.
It's all about those notes and the moments in between."
- Greg Victor, parkbench.com
"Nothing
disappoints here. Some of the sound is admittedly taken from audience
tapes, but that only enhances the gritty flavor that comes through as
Costello is featured playing songs by blues masters from T-Bone Walker
to Lowell Fulson to Magic Sam to Little Richard. He rocks, he swings, he
sears the air with tough, exciting guitar. The album stands as a
righteous ode to Costello's massive but unfulfilled talents."
- Jim White, Community Voices of the Pittsburg Post-Gazette
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DONATE FOR FREE
Use GoodSearch every time you do an internet search, GoodShop when you purchase something online, and GoodDining to start earning donations up to 6% for your cause today!
Be sure to select Sean Costello Memorial Fund to Benefit Bi Polar Research (Marietta - GA) as your cause.
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and a prosperous and joyful New Year.
- Debbie Smith and the Board of The Sean Costello
Memorial Fund for Bipolar Research
Memorial Fund for Bipolar Research
Happy Holidays From Bob Corritore
Holiday Greetings!
Wishing you
the happiest of Holiday seasons!
Thank you
for your cherished friendship and support.
In
gratitude, Bob Corritore
(Photo of Bob Corritore at the Simi Valley Cajun & Blues Music Festival ,
May 28, 2011 by Wanda
Leavey)
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Taylor Hicks
Dude is getting better and better on the harp. One of the hardest working men in pop music. According the video Taylor is playing for a Toys for Tops concert.
John Hammer Blues News
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John 'blueshammer' Hammer
Blue Monday Monthly Magazine
www.bluemondaymonthly.com
Hammered By The Blues Weekly Radio
KOWZ 1170am/ 100.9fm
510 West McKinley
Owatonna, MN 55060
Illinois Blues Update
Cover photo by Bob Kieser © 2011 Blues Blast Magazine
Links to more great content on our website:
Reviews
Links
Photos
Videos
Blues Radio
Blues Shows
Advertise for FREE!
Past Issues
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In This Issue
Terry Mullins has our feature interview with Billy Branch this week.
We have six CD reviews for you this week! Greg “Bluesdog” Szalony reviews a
new CD from Bill Edwards. Ian McKenzie reviews a new CD from Scott Ellison.
John Mitchell reviews a new CD from Bad Influence. Steve Jones reviews
a new CD from Sista Monica Parker. Mark Thompson reviews a new CD from Dream
Boogie. Rainey Wetnight
reviews a new CD from Sandy Atkinson. All this and MORE! SCROLL DOWN!!!
From The Editor's Desk
Hey Blues
Fans,
Christmas is
almost here! Just 9 shopping days left! So to help support all of the
working Blues musicians why not buy some Blues music for the loved ones
on your list?
And Blues
Blast Magazine can help. Each week our journalists review six or more
CDs for you. Each of our reviews includes a link to the artists or
labels website so you can find out where to buy lots of great Blues
music.
We have
reviewed more than 280 CDs so far this year alone! Over the last 5 years
we have reviewed more than 800 Blues CDs. And all the reviews are
conveniently available in one location on our website. To see this huge
archive of reviews now
CLICK HERE.
Have a VERY
Blues Christmas!
Bob Kieser
P.S. We will
be on vacation next week and will return with our final issue of 2011 on
December 29th!
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Featured Blues Interview -
Billy Branch
 The summer
of 1969 was one that occupies its own special place in the pantheon of
American History.
Awash in a
menagerie of psychedelic colors, the summer of ’69 is largely remembered
for the events that transpired in upstate New York on Aug. 15-18 at the
Woodstock Music & Art Fair.
Those three
days were an unforgettable moment in time, one that will never be
duplicated.
But several
hundred miles north that same summer, another life-changing moment was
about to take place, just two short weeks after Woodstock.
Aug. 30,
1969.
That was
the date of the “Bringing the Blues Back Home” festival at Chicago’s
Grant Park Band Shell.
That was
also the day that the power of the blues forever changed the life of
young Billy Branch.
“That was
the first time that I ever heard the blues. It was at a festival that
Willie Dixon, along with Murphy Dunne, produced,” he said. “It was
actually the very first Chicago Blues Festival. There wasn’t another one
after that for 20-some years. And there hasn’t been a festival the
magnitude of that first one before or since then … Muddy Waters, Big
Mama Thornton … there was close to 50 notable artists there. Legends.”
Although he
had been born in Illinois, Branch was raised in Los Angeles and had made
his way back to his home state to attend the University of Illinois when
he experienced the pull of the blues on his soul.
“It was the
first time that I had ever heard live blues music. I just went on a
whim,” he said. “You talk about a life-changing moment – that was one.
It just blew me away. I said, ‘What the hell is this?’”
 Little did
he know at that particular instant, but a scant six years after being
turned on to the blues that late summer day at Dixon’s inaugural
festival, Branch would end up playing harp in the big man’s band. He
probably also had no clue that some 40 years later, in 2011, he would
headline the Saturday night at the event now officially known as the
Chicago Blues Festival, a gig that also featured special guest Magic
Slim.
But things
have always moved at a brisk pace for Billy Branch.
As though
his foot was pressed all the way down on the accelerator, his career
immediately went from zero-to-60 after that fateful 1969 day, as Branch
quickly carved out a name for himself as one of the hottest harp players
in Chicago, or for that matter - anywhere.
“I never set out with that goal in mind. My friend Mark Hummel and I
were (recently) listening to a compilation of my work that my number one
fan in Japan created for me – one of my claims to fame is that I’ve
played on over 150 recordings with various artists – and as we were
listening to some of my early stuff, Mark said, ‘Man, you got really
good, really fast,’” said Branch. “And I never really thought of it like
that. But I imagine that I did. I mean, I spent so much time being
around the blues in all the clubs with Junior Wells and Carey Bell and
Big Walter Horton and Homesick James. I absorbed all of that and there
weren’t a whole lot of active harp players my age in town at that time.
And I was the guy that stuck it out. I was just determined to get as
good as I could.”
Not only
did Branch become a first-call session player when a dose of innovative,
gritty blues harmonica was in order, but his group, the Sons of the
Blues, rapidly became the talk of the town, playing anywhere and
everywhere.
Alligator
Records’ excellent harp summit in 1990, featuring Carey Bell, Junior
Wells, James Cotton and Branch - fittingly titled Harp Attack! - served
as a springboard to help launch the name and sound of Billy Branch to
blues lovers worldwide.
 That album
was showered with praise and won a Handy Award for Best Contemporary
Blues Album.
A lot of
the same type of excitement is also associated with the latest projects
that Branch has been involved with – Chicago Blues: A Living History
(Raisin’ Music).
Nominated
for a Grammy Award, Chicago Blues: A Living History was just what the
title implies and in addition to Branch, featured Billy Boy Arnold, John
Primer and Lurrie Bell.
“It was
pretty much the brainchild of Larry Skoller,” Branch said. “He wanted to
get some of Chicago’s active musicians that had been around for awhile
and were some of the better players and have them give tribute to the
old, classic Chicago blues style – the old masters.”
Volume two
– Chicago Blues: A Living History – The (R)Evolution Continues came out
late this summer and is another attention-grabbing listen, with special
guests like Buddy Guy, James Cotton and Magic Slim – definitely a trio
of masters – along for the ride.
While the style of the music contained within the Chicago Blues: A
Living History discs is indeed “old” and “classic,” it is by no means
stale or predictable.
“We’re
trying to preserve that style (Chicago blues), but we’re also adding our
own personal edge to it, as well. More of a contemporary edge,” said
Branch.
 And the
results definitely speak for themselves.
“Well,
everyone that hears them says that’s the best stuff, CD-wise, that’s
been produced in a long time. It’s got a very tight rhythm section -
Kenny Smith, Billy Flynn, Felton Crews, Johnny Iguana – they form a
really nice ensemble. And it turned out really well. When we heard it,
the first one especially, we were amazed at how good it sounded.”
Excellent
primers of what the true spirit of Windy City blues is all about, the
Chicago Blues: A Living History series cuts through all the
flash-and-dash, along with the guitar pyrotechnics, normally associated
with today’s blues-rock and serves as a striking reminder of the
foundation that the genre was originally built on.
“Part of
the reason that those of us that were chosen to do it was because we
represented the contingency that came up along the ranks. Every single
one of us had done significant tenures with the legends,” said Branch.
“We’ve all spent a lot of time in the trenches and I think this was
demonstrating that we took our lessons of those times seriously and
absorbed what we were taught.”
And for the
gospel of the blues to continue to perpetuate and grow, the younger
generation of players (“When I set out, they used to call us the new
generation of Chicago blues, but those days have come and gone,” laughed
Branch.), while no doubt needing to be up to speed on the history of the
music, also need free reign to create their own personal expression.
“You see
this all around now and you can’t exactly argue with it. But just to
play the same songs by Muddy and Wolf and Sonny Boy and Little Walter
the same way … it can get kind of tired after awhile,” Branch said. “So
the younger players are coming from a younger perspective and are adding
their own things to it. But all around now, there’s more of a melding of
the genres in the blues. You see that a lot now.”
 Branch
knows more than just a passing thing about the young up-and-comers on
the blues scene.
Since 1978,
he has been a central figure in the Blues in the Schools program, and
while he did not found this important educational series, he was in on
the ground floor of it.
“I wasn’t
the very first one to do it, but I was probably the second and have done
it the longest. I’ve been involved in the Blues in the Schools program
almost as long as I’ve been playing professionally. It started out with
a grant from the Illinois Arts Council,” he said. “I had a program that
I constructed that would have the history of the blues incorporated with
a performance. And Lurrie Bell and myself would go around to local
schools and do a lot of interactive stuff. And over the years, it’s
developed enough to where I can do a residence with my whole band.
They’ll fly us to a locale for four or five weeks. And in a case like
that, some of the kids will learn harp, some bass, some guitar and
drums, and then they’re quizzed orally on a daily basis on the history
of the blues. Then they learn standard songs, write originals and they
ultimately perform.”
Just like
the music itself, the Blues in the Schools educational program has
broken free of its origins here in the United States and spread like
wildfire all across the globe.
“A couple
of years I did a program in Heroica Veracruz, Mexico for a couple of
weeks, where I actually taught my classes in Spanish,” Branch said. “And
I’ve done a two-week program in Antwerp, Belgium and wherever we’ve
been, there’s been many instances where children’s lives were turned
around for the better because of these programs. We’ve had kids that
were suicidal that have emerged with a whole new sense of self esteem.
We’ve had homeless kids and at-risk kids that because of that program
have became able to fit in better with the rest of their student body.
If I had $5 for every time someone would come up to me in a club and
say, ‘I was in second grade or elementary school and you turned me on to
the blues and I still love them today,’ I’d be a wealthy man right now.”
With as
many young students as he’s tutored, it’s a wonder Billy Branch is not
referred to as Professor Branch.
 “Last year
in Denver, Colorado, in five days in 18 schools, I taught 4,000 kids to
play harp,” he said. “And they’re been maybe one or two kids over the
years that have went on to become professional musicians. But children
from my first residency back in 1978 still reach out to me and make
statements like - ‘That was one of the most life-changing moments I’ve
had.’ So there are a lot of positive benefits to the program, other than
trying to have a career as a working musician. They get self confidence,
they’re engaged in situations where cooperation and communication skills
are a must and ultimately, it helps them understand and appreciate this
form of music.”
When he’s
not turning in mind-blowing harp performances on Grammy-nominated
albums, or playing the blues on the high seas with the Blues Cruise, or
helping to shape young lives in the Blues in the Schools forum, Branch
can usually be found at a place he’s called his second home for the past
27 years or so – Artis’ Lounge on 87th Street in Chicago.
“It’s a
neighborhood club on the South Side that’s not really a blues club, per
say,” he said. “But they do have live music on Sundays and Mondays and
sometimes one other day during the week. Nobody can remember exactly how
long I’ve been playing there, but it’s been at least 27 years. Every
Monday. In fact, I’ve been playing there longer than that, because I
played at the same place for a previous owner for a few years, back when
it was called the Now or Later.”
Maybe it
doesn’t have the name recognition that old spots like Theresa’s or The
Checkerboard Lounge had, but Artis’ Lounge is still viewed as one hot
spot to chow down on authentic Chicago blues.
“It’s
developed into an internationally known spot – it’s not officially a jam
session, but in recent years that’s what it’s turned into,” said Branch.
“Usually my band plays the first set and then we open it up to as many
players as we can get. Everyone who comes there feels very welcome. It’s
kind of become a pilgrimage of sorts.”
 You never
know who might hang out at Artis’ Lounge, as some of the city’s best
players, like Ronnie Baker Brooks, have been known to slide onto stage
next to Branch.
They also
come from outside the city limits to jam, as evidenced by Malian
guitarist/singer Vieux Farka Toure’s and Mexican rockers El Tri’s stops
by Artis’ Lounge.
Mavis
Staples even made an appearance there to sing “I’ll Take You There” on
Branch’s 60th birthday.
And it was
also at Branch’s 60th birthday shindig that the very basics of physics
were tested, when a huge, overflowing crowd tried to jam itself into a
spot that can comfortably seat 70-80 patrons on a regular basis.
“It was a
real test of how many that place could hold. It was ridiculous,” he
said. “Nobody had seen a crowd like that in that place before. There
were so many people, it was scary.”
It probably
would be fair to say that had Branch not decided to attend the “Bringing
the Blues Back Home” festival on that hot Aug. 30, 1969 day, there would
not have been an overflow crowd wanting to help celebrate his 60th
birthday with him.
But
thankfully for those that enjoy the real-deal Chicago blues, along with
the countless graduates of Blues in the Schools, Billy Branch did get
turned on to the blues at precisely the right moment in time.
And as far
as the legacy that he hopes to leave on those blues?
“I’d like
to be remembered as somebody who discovered the beauty and the value of
the blues and was a person that tried to share that rich treasure with
as many people as I possibly could,” he said.
Interviewer Terry Mullins is a journalist and former record store
owner whose personal taste in music is the sonic equivalent of Attention
Deficit Disorder. Works by the Bee Gees, Captain Beefheart, Black
Sabbath, Earth, Wind & Fire and Willie Nelson share equal space with
Muddy Waters, The Staples Singers and R.L. Burnside in his compact disc
collection. He's also been known to spend time hanging out on the street
corners of Clarksdale, Miss., eating copious amounts of barbecued
delicacies while listening to the wonderful sounds of the blues.
For other reviews and interviews on our website
CLICK HERE
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Blues Blast
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Blues Blast Magazine is offering a winter advertising special. This early bird
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To get this special
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Featured Blues Review 1 of 6
 Bill
Edwards - That’s What I’m Talkin’ About
Self Release
Time-38:37
Horn-driven R&B, soul and blues are on the menu for Bill Edwards’ first
release. His strong and warm blue-eyed soul pipes and songwriting skills
are at the forefront on this collection of band originals along with two
cover tunes. His take on soul music is of the summer drive variety,
smooth and pleasing to digest. He learned his skills as the lead singer
of the New York based band Mrs. English, as well as various studio work.
The production team of Bill Edwards and Donald Benjamin construct a
sturdy and clean sound.
“Twelve Step Program” is about being hooked on a bad love as the
narrator declares that-“I need to start my group called you anonymous”.
The use of horns and girl backing vocals takes you back to the old days
in a good way. Down-home acoustic guitar starts off “Your Presence Is
Requested” then quickly morphs into an electric blues groove including a
hot guitar solo courtesy of Joe Mennonna. The confirmed bachelor of the
song relates his story of becoming hooked by a woman.
The tongue-in-cheek soul-blues shuffle “Love Ought To Come With
Instructions” displays the care given to the lyric writing on the
age-old predicament of relationships. The bluesiest song here “Oh No No”
is a foot-stomper were harmonica player extraordinaire Corrin Huddleston
pushes the groove along with the percussion. Liquid courage used to get
up the nerve to approach a woman, as provided by tequila, is the subject
of “Powered By Patron”, that includes a biting Nicky Moroch guitar solo
turn.
The best example of the production skills is the seamless soul-stroll of
“Loving You”, were every piece fits just right. “Careful What You Wish
For” comes in as a close second in the smooth-soul song sweepstakes
here. The two cover songs- Denise Lasalle’s “Steppin’ Out” and Jackie
Brenston’s “Rocket ‘88” are given pretty straight readings.
The best qualities of the hey-day of sweet soul music, with only a touch
of blues, are given a fresh treatment here. Bill Edwards and associates
have learned their lessons well. These techniques have been applied to
the songwriting process to create something wholly new and rewarding.
Reviewer Greg “Bluesdog” Szalony hails from the New Jersey Delta.
For other reviews and interviews on our website
CLICK HERE
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Featured Blues Review 2 of 6
 Scott
Ellison - Walkin’ Through The Fire
JSE Records
15 Tracks. 58: 58
CD Baby
Born in 1954 and raised in Tulsa, OK, Scott was inspired by Memphis and
Motown music and became a good enough guitarist to be invited to join
Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown. in 1981. By the mid- 1980s, Ellison had
moved to Los Angeles keeping his music career going by playing with the
Box Tops, the Shirelles, the Coasters, and Peaches & Herb. By the '90s
he had formed his own blues band and opened for the likes of Joe Cocker,
the Fabulous T-Birds, and Buddy Guy. Unusuall for a blues tinged
musician, he wrote the soundtrack to the Ben Affleck motion picture
Reindeer Games.
This CD is 15 original songs all penned by Scott with either Charles
Turberville or Walt Richmond and range from the lively “You Talk Too
Much” through to funky soul like “Don’t Wanna Need You” and Scott is
admirably supported by Turberville (bass, guitar and backing vocals),
Spenser Sutton (piano, B3) and Jalon Brown (drums and percussion). The
album was produced by Walt Richmond. Walt joined Eric's touring band on
keys for all 2010 dates, including EC's third Crossroads Guitar Festival
and has a background with country rock band The Tractors (including
writing their hit “My Baby Loves to Rock It”).
But here comes my problem. The music is fine – much of it outstanding –
the arrangements are terrific (including The Hot Tamale Horns in various
places), Scott is a fine gravelly singer and an excellent guitarist but,
and it’s a big but, in my humble opinion in far too many tracks, Scott’s
voice is so far back in the mix, it almost sounds like he is in another
room…well, some may like that but not me. It’s a production not a
performance problem.
All in all although this is apparently supposed to be Scott’s ‘breakout’
album, I fear it will be nothing of the kind…I hope I am wrong!
Reviewer Ian McKenzie lives in England.
He is the editor of Blues In The South (www.bluesinthesouth.com)
a monthly flier providing news, reviews, a gig guide and all kinds of
other good stuff, for people living and going to gigs along the south
coast of England. Ian is also a blues performer (see
www.myspace.com/ianmckenzieuk) and has two web-cast regular blues
radio shows. One on www.phonic.FM in
Exeter (Wednesdays: 1pm Eastern/ 12 noon Central), the second on KCOR –
Kansas City Online Radio (on Fridays at 1pm Eastern/ 12 noon Central)
www.kconlineradio.com.
For other reviews and interviews on our website
CLICK HERE
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Featured Blues Review 3 of 6
 Bad
Influence Band – Under The Influence
Badblues Records
13 tracks; 50.48 minutes
The Bad Influence Band comes from the East Coast and this is their
fourth CD together. The CD was self produced and recorded in Maryland;
the band wrote seven of the tracks themselves, harpist Roger Edsall
contributing to six of those, with covers from a variety of sources,
classic and contemporary. The band consists of Roger Edsall on harp and
rhythm guitar, Michael Tash on guitar, Bob Mallardi on bass and David
Thaler on drums. All four sing, with bassist Mallardi taking most of the
lead vocals. Saxophones are added on one track by Tom Ruggieri, piano by
Mark Stevens on two and there are two additional guitarists, John Ware
and Jay Monterose on one track.
The CD opens in fine style with a slide driven Elmore James style riff,
an original entitled “Man Child”. I particularly liked the opening verse
and its clever lyric “She was thunder and lightning, raining on my night
and day. I set out my front door, watched my baby storm away”. The band
sounds totally together on this catchy starter, a fine harp solo
catching our attention on top of the slide. Next up is an amusingly
titled tune “Dressing Like You Don’t Dress For Me”, the theme of which
is the guy’s jealousy that his girl is off out dressed up in fine style,
but not to go out with him! “Hey Red” is bassist Mallardi’s song, a
contrast in styles, this one being more of a swing number with excellent
guitar and exciting tom-toms, evoking forties artists like Louis Jordan.
The first cover brings in a touch of Texas rocking blues with “Do As I
Say”, penned by Kim Wilson and Charles Harmon Jones. Fittingly the harp
leads on this really catchy tune, providing a backing which sounds at
times like a Tex-Mex accordion. Definitely a stand-out cut. “Sugar Daddy
Baby” is another swinger. The vocal here is particularly effective and
it’s another clever lyric; “I want a sugar daddy baby, I can be a sugar
daddy too”. Nice clean guitar is well supported by the horns.
Perhaps the strangest choice of cover is CCR’s “Run Through The Jungle”,
not a typical blues band selection. The song is played fairly straight,
the rhythm guitar providing that fat reverb sound that John Fogerty had
on the original. There is some nice lead guitar picking as well on one
of the longer tracks on the CD. Following that track is a contrast in
every way with “Cat Fight II: PTP” (no, I don’t know what it means
either). It is a short instrumental on which the two additional
guitarists appear although the tune is lead off by the harp, quoting
“When Johnny Comes Marching Home” before Jay Monterose’s solo. “Looking
Right At Me” is lyrically related to the earlier track about dressing
for effect, this time the scene is the night club where “there ain’t no
doubt, when the cougars come out, the bar is full of prey”. Another
catchy riff propels the song along.
There is no place to hide when you choose to cover a real blues classic
like Deadric Malone’s “As The Years Go Passing By”, as we all have
favorite versions of the song. However, Bad Influence do a good job on
the song, the vocals effective and Michael Tash offering an excellent
extended guitar feature. The final original tune is “Room 111” a shuffle
lead by the harp and piano.
Reviewer John Mitchell is a blues enthusiast based in the UK. He also
travels to the States most years to see live blues music.
For other reviews and interviews on our website
CLICK HERE
|
Featured Blues Review 4 of 6
 Sista
Monica Parker - Living in the Danger Zone
Mo Muscle Records
14 tracks
Sista Monica Parker is a big woman with an even bigger voice. Hailing
from San Francisco, she can give any of the Chicago area women blues
singers a run for their money. She is a blues shouter in the finest
tradition and her songs inspire the listener to get on their feet and
dance. Ms. Parker had at least a part in penning a dozen of these songs;
the other two are a traditional and a Robert Cray cover. She gives
herself a good vehicle for her ample talents with her songs.
The opening track “Hug Me Like You Love Me” was inspired by BB King.
Earlier in 2011 when Monica asked him for a picture together after they
did a show together in Santa Cruz, he told her, “Sure, come in close and
hug me like you love me.” She says will never forget that moment and
immortalized it with a song. It is a upbeat and hot number that gets the
heart pumping for the rest of the album.
She follows that up with the title track, a slower tempo cut where she
both belts and growls out some mean vocals. Let me also say right here
that her regular band is up to the task of matching up with her immense
voice. Mike Schermer on guitar offers up some great licks, and perhaps
even more impressive is Daniel Beconini on piano and Hammond B3 organ.
His keyboard work fills in the spaces where needed and the solos here
and elsewhere are really excellent. He also serves as co-writer and
arranger for Monica and does a stellar job.
Slow blues like “Tears,” “Let Me Moan”, “Unstoppable”, “You Can’t Go
Back” and “Once Loved, Twice Bitten” offer up the version of Monica
showing restraint. The power of her vocals even when she holds back is
intense. Cray’s “The Forecast Calls for Pain” is the other down tempo
song offered on this CD and she does another great job with it. She can
be sultry and gritty, but one knows there s a tiger being held by the
tail waiting to escape. The down tempo stuff is cool, but she really
excels when she can let it all hang out.
“Glory Hallelujah” is done as a duet with Kelly Hunt (who also does the
piano on that cut) and it is a powerful experience. They take the
listener to church and make them sit down and listen. “Fierce Force of
Nature” is Monica at her boldest. The horn section lets loose, here,
too.
Whether it’s slow, funky like “Just Keep Living”, or bold like “Worn Out
Your Welcome”, Parker is up to the task and gives her all. The rest of
her band are equally solid, with a mix of her touring band and long list
studio musicians supporting her. If you want to hear old-school female
blues, R&B and gospel vocals with a big, fresh and clean sound then look
no further; Monica’s got a great new CD for you to buy and listen to!
Reviewer Steve
Jones is a Board Member of the
Crossroads Blues
Society and is a long standing blues lover. He is a retired Navy
commander who served his entire career in nuclear submarines. In
addition to working in his civilian career, he writes for and publishes
the bi-monthly newsletter for Crossroads, chairs their music festival
and works with their Blues In The Schools program.
For other reviews and interviews on our website
CLICK HERE
|
Blues Society News
|
Send your Blues Society's BIG news or Press Release
about your
not-for-profit event with
the subject line "Blues Society News" to:
Submissions must be a maximum of 175 words or less in a Text or MS Word document
format.
Prairie Crossroads
Blues Society – Champaign-Urbana, IL
Prairie Crossroads Blues Society shows: Friday January 6nd, 1st
Friday Blues, Hurricane Ruth, winner of the Prairie Crossroads Blues
Society IBC Challenge, 8pm studio visit to WEFT 90.1FM during the
Blues Live show, 10pm, performance at Memphis on Main, Champaign. $5
non-members, $3 members. Friday April 6, 1st Friday Blues, Johnny
Rawls. For more info:
prairiecrossroadsblues.org.
The Arkansas River
Blues Society - Alexander, AR
The Arkansas River Blues Society will celebrate their annual
Christmas Open Blues Jam December 16th at Cornerstone Pub & Grill
which is located at 314 Main Street in North Little Rock, AR. This
event will start at 8 pm and there is a $5 cover. Unseen Eye will be
the house band with Gil Franklin and Lucious Spiller as a special
guest.
http://www.freewebs.com/arriverblues/
River City Blues Society
- Pekin, IL
River City Blues Society presents: Bringing The Blues To You with
the following shows - Victor
Wainwright & The Wildroots - Saturday December 17th, Jan 11th at
7PM • Brandon Santini. Location Goodfellas 1414 N. 8th St, Pekin, Illinois 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm $5.00
non-members $3.00 members. For more info visit:
www.rivercityblues.com
Illinois Central Blues Club -
Springfield, IL
The Illinois Central Blues Club presents "Blue Monday" every Monday
night for the last 25 years - BLUE MONDAY SHOWS - Held at the Alamo
115 N 5th St, Springfield, IL (217) 523-1455 every Monday 8:30pm $3
cover. 12/19 Jason Elmore Blues Band, 12/26 Brooke Thomas and
the Blue Suns. icbluesclub.org
|
Featured Blues Review 5 of 6
 Dream
Boogie - I'm Ready
Black
Market Music
8
tracks/42:21
Over the
last few years, we have experienced an explosion in the number of
recordings released and a corresponding drop in the overall quality of
songwriting. While many musicians write exciting music, they often
settle for lyrics that simply fall flat, failing to tell even the
simplest story that might engage the listeners. Try to think of a new
song that you have heard recently that hit you so strongly that you know
people will still be singing it fifty or a hundred years from now.
The
opposite problem occurs when a band decides to cover well-known songs
that have stood the test of time and been awarded “classic” status.
There are, at minimum, several performances of tunes like “Spoonful” or
“I'm Ready” that are considered the definitive versions and serve as the
reference points for assessing other interpretations. The issue to be
dealt with is how to bring a fresh approach to classic songs without
sacrificing their power to grab hold of our souls.
Dream
Boogie takes on this challenge by including the above tunes and six
other blues standards on this release. The group came together last year
in Melbourne, Australia. Rebecca Davey handles the lead vocals. Maurico
Ochoa, an honors graduate of the Berklee College of Music, plays all of
the guitar parts. Connor O'Neil on bass and Robert B. Dillon on drums
form the solid rhythm section.
Opening
with “Spoonful”, Davey immediately gives listeners a taste of her
commanding presence, her muscular voice generating plenty of heat over
Ochoa's fluid guitar work. Their rendition of “Goin' Down” builds to the
point where Davey unleashes a full-throated roar only to have the track
quickly fade out to a premature ending. Buddy Guy's “A Girl of Many
Words” gets a brief, funky treatment. The tune was originally done from
a man's perspective but Ana Popovic changed things around on her Hush
album. Davey is in a sassy mode on “I'm Ready”, delivering one of her
strongest vocals
On the rest
of the material, Dream Boogie attempts to put their unique stamp on the
songs by the use of spoken word passages . Davey describes her attempt
to handle the aftermath of a failed relationship at the start of the
medley of ”My Baby Caught the Train/Who's Been Talkin'”. Later, she
describes how the plan backfires in telling detail. There is an echo
effect on her voice during the song that seems out of place, a point
confirmed on the last verse when the echo disappears and the full weight
of her voice drives the song home. Most of the seven minutes of
“Crossroads” finds Davey relating the Robert Johnson story and later
explaining its moral relevance to life. The intro to “Someone Else is
Steppin' In” relates the tale of another cheating man - complete with
tears, chocolate slices and Sex in the City reruns. Davy rebounds from
the heartbreak and finds a new lover, singing the song to her old-time
used-to-be with plenty of conviction. Her demure vocal and Ochoa's
string-bending on “Little by Little” are interrupted by several spoken
sections that dissipate the built-up energy.
The band
has several strengths. Davey is a dynamic performer and Ochoa proves to
be a tasteful guitarist. But they created a serious challenge for
themselves by playing well-known tunes. To the band's credit, they do
offer distinctive presentations. Your enjoyment of this disc will
revolve around your tolerance level for the spoken passages.
Reviewer
Mark
Thompson is president of the
Crossroads Blues
Society in Rockford. IL. He has been listening to music of all kinds
for fifty years. The first concert he attended was in Chicago with The
Mothers of Invention and Cream. Life has never been the same.
For other reviews and interviews on our website
CLICK HERE
|
Featured Blues Review 6 of 6
 Sandy
Atkinson - Collection
Gator
Blues Publishing
21
songs; 78 minutes
Styles:
Electric and Acoustic Blues; Blues Rock; Jazzy Blues; Ballads
In the
world of collectors, each aficionado has a specific name. For example,
philatelists treasure stamps, and numismatists gather coins. What, then,
is the proper term for a Tampa FL songstress such as Sandy Atkinson,
presenting her latest “Collection” via Gator Blues Publishing? This
reviewer has invented a title for her: an “azulist,” from the Spanish
word meaning “blue.” Atkinson collects blues songs in all of their
artistic varieties: electric, acoustic, blues rock, jazz-influenced
blues, and ballads. Her vocals, breathy, raspy and low, are more
reminiscent of Macy Gray than Ma Rainey. Fans of that particular singing
style will be impressed. Throughout twenty-one original tracks, Sandy
reminds us that what makes any collection precious is the uniqueness of
each item within it. Just as no two coins or stamps are exactly the
same, no two songs are identical on this album. Even though they have
been featured on her previous five CDs, devotees will find them worth
another listen.
What
inspired this new “Collection?” Atkinson candidly explains, “Music is
fun and it is my refuge. It will always be my first true love, no matter
what happens.”
Songs of
note:
Track 4: “Wild Thing”--Subtitled “Mary's Blues.” This is a heartfelt acoustic tribute to a “real blues mama.” Containing slight echoes of Stevie Ray Vaughan's “Life by the Drop,” its rollicking tempo and wicked acoustic guitar (Tomcat Blake) and Dobro (Richard Price) are this song's greatest draws. Forget the Kingsmen classic of the same title; this “Wild Thing” is a totally different animal!
Track 13:
“She's Just a Floozy”-- For a sample of the most traditional
acoustic-led blues, heed Atkinson's warning. Its track number, 13, is
bad luck and perilous, as is its female subject! Sandy minces no words,
and spares no sneering in her vocals here: “She's got a reputation for
flirting with the men, of going out and staying out, not telling where
she's been. I know what I'm talking about....” Blues fans will, too,
once they know of this “floozy!”
Track 21:
“Blues Christmas Dream.” Just in time for the holiday season comes this
whispered twist on a classic Christmas poem: “He tossed and he turned,
and he hummed a blues tune. Then he curled up his lips as his fingers
started to move. And all of a sudden, with no warning at all, he jumped
straight up in the air and just didn't fall! But he reached down the
line and he picked up his harp. He started to play like some W.C. Handy
star! He played Lightning, Sonny Boy, Howlin' Wolf, too!” Is this track
surreal? Yes. Is it intriguing? Also yes! Perhaps, deep down in their
hearts, every genuine blues fan wants to have this dream.
If one
wishes to see Sandy Atkinson live, one might find her at such Florida
venues as Skipper's Smokehouse, Ale and the Witch, and most notably, the
Palladium Theater. Before heading down to the Sunshine State, however,
one should take a look and listen at her 2011 “Collection!”
Reviewer Rainey
Wetnight is a 32 year old female Blues fan. She brings the perspective
of a younger blues fan to reviews. A child of 1980s music, she was
strongly influenced by her father’s blues music collection.
For other reviews and interviews on our website
CLICK HERE
|
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