Roy Rogers & The Delta Rhythm Kings – Live At The Nevada Brewery Big Room (Chops Not Chaps Records).

Roy Rogers is regarded as one of the worlds top slide players and the evidence is here on this new live album. He opens with Ever Since I Lost You, a showstopper and it’s only the first track! The Delta Rhythm Kings (Steve Ehrmann on bass and Jim Sanchez on drums) are as tight a band as I’ve heard for some time and the audience just know that they are in for a special night. Lieber and Butler’s Down Home Girl is a charming upbeat blues and Rogers unleashes a scything guitar on Mellow Apples, which eventually gets going but is a little fragmented. Willie Dixon’s Built For Comfort is played with barrelhouse piano and this is a brilliant combination with Rogers’ superlative guitar – if you want authentic, you got it. There’s a funked up version of Robert Johnson’s Terraplane Blues to follow and Rogers uses his formidable prowess to change the song completely. You are in for a surprise, believe me. Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee’s I’m A Stranger Here is turned into a slinky blues with added vocal from Shana Morrison. It’s just their voices and guitar only and sometimes the simple things are the best. Gertie Ruth is a rhythmic blues with Southern fiddle from Tom Rigney and good vocal harmonies. Down In Mississippi has lightning fast guitar and is quite simply a joy to listen to. Vida’s Place is a punchy, throbbing blues and Duck Walk is a short, up-tempo instrumental with more of Rogers’ superb guitar. Shake Your Moneymaker has me running out of superlatives for his guitar playing and the rest of the band match his performance on this Elmore James classic. Norton Buffalo on harmonica blows his lungs out and the pianist, Philip Aaberg, tries to outdo him. Both vocalists turn in a majestic piece and, did I mention that this is superb? The set finishes with For The Children and Rogers shows his virtuosity on this touching instrumental, showing that he has a soft side too.

Roy Rogers is a guitar player’s guitarist, listen to this and you’ll understand why.

http://www.roy-rogers.com/

David Blue.

Matt Schofield Trio – Ear To The Ground (Nugene Records).

Manchester’s finest Matt Schofield returns with his fourth album and makes it a set of two apiece for live and studio albums. He has recently been voted by Guitar & Bass magazine as one of the Top 10 British Bluesmen of all time and that is some accolade. Just as he was influenced by Albert Collins and Robben Ford he now is regularly quoted as being an influence on many a young British guitarist. Although a studio album, Ear To The Ground was recorded live with the band in a single room and the overdubs were kept to a minimum. They open with Freddie King’s Pack It Up and turn it into a funky blues, strong both musically and vocally. Nine Schofield and band written originals follow and start with Troublemaker. This gives Jonny Henderson on keyboards a chance to shine, and he takes it. Schofield joins in with Albert Collins influenced runs as he burns up the frets. The eponymous title track is a grittier, tougher blues altogether and the trio get into a groove. Heart Don’t Need A Compass is a slow brooder. Schofield’s guitar is a star – jazzy and much influenced by Albert King’s Stax period. Once In A While is even slower and has a Gospel feel surrounding it – classy guitar.

Room At The Back, a short instrumental that allows free flow guitar, allows Schofield to tip the nod to such bands as The Meters and Soulive. Someone has a full blown harmonica burst from ‘Big Pete’ Van Der Pluym and is heavier than most on offer. It builds well and the guitar and harp work well together. Searchin’ (Give Me A Sign) is jazzy blues with an edge – slinky guitar and reputed to be Matt’s favourite. Move Along is full blown jazz/blues with Schofield and Johnny Henderson in synchronization. A fast paced, energetic instrumental with drummer Evan Jenkins chipping in to complete a classic organ trio song. Cookie Jar is organ based but Schofield steals the show and turns it into a highlight. When It All Comes Down is a BB King cover and a great finish. It is different enough from the original but still keeps the ethos. Schofield manages to sound like the great man on guitar and it sounds as if everyone who was in the studio that day is involved in the sing-along finish.

The Matt Schofield trio have an album that keeps them in the highest echelons of British Blues.

http://www.mattschofield.com/
http://www.nugenerecords.com/

David Blue.

The Headers – Turn It Up (Bobby Lebel).

Rockabilly trio The Headers comprise of Bobby Lebel (guitar and lead vocals), Scott Freilich (bass and backing vocals) and Dan Stroll (drums and backing vocals). They are seasoned musicians as this new album confirms. The opener, Pretty Good Shape is old style Rock n Roll/Rockabilly with stinging guitar – think Stray Cats. Lovin’ Stuff is a good, harmonic soft rocker with Beatles overtones. 10 of the 11 tracks are originals and Eloise is not a cover of the famous Walker Brothers track but is a swinging Rock n Roller with a guitar that sings. Riptide is a classic 60s style instrumental but given a modern twist. The slightly twee High The Sky fits in well with their 50s/60s style and the Les Paul style guitar track is a good addition.

Hard Man To Love is classic Rockabilly and the rhythm section really get going on this. There is some more excellent guitar work and they all rip it up towards the end. The Headers funk it up on the beginning of Cajun Sugar and then it drifts off into Southern Rock. Lebel really is a good guitar player and this could easily be their signature tune – more please! They return to the classic Rockabilly arena with Hey Ruby and Blue Highway is old school Rock n Roll with lovely harmonies. Turn It Up evokes images of early Presley Rockabilly and Lebel has the perfect voice for this type of tune. Like the others, this is short and sweet. They finish with an audacious cover of Bodhisattva. Not many people take on a Steely Dan track and even fewer manage to pull it off. It could be classed as career suicide and, although they are not in the same league, they almost make it. However, the truth is that this is not a song to mess with and for once Lebel’s voice does not achieve pass marks.

http://www.theheaders.com/

David Blue.

Ben Reel Band – Waitin’ For U (B Reel Records).

Irish singer songwriter Ben Reel releases the first single from his forthcoming album, New Horizon. Although Waitin’ For U is gentle, acoustic based rock it won’t worry the chart compilers. Reel and his band have a number of major support slots to their name and the second track on the single has become a big number for them on these tours. The traditional side of the band is shown through On Raglan Road with its powerful Celtic tones. This is a great track for the traditionalists but may be just a bit too early era Chris De Burgh for others.

http://www.benreel.com/

David Blue.

Various Artists – Terrestrial Extra (Dream Ticket Records).

The Terrestrial Extra is Rainbow George (George Weiss), an eccentric and mystic who tried for election to the Northern Ireland Assembly earlier this year. This album features new and established artists, some of whom are, or were, George’s friends. Ian Dury opens proceedings with Rainbow Land, a recital of a poem with Utopian ideas and most certainly not the Ian Dury that we were all used to. John Otway, Sid Wishes & Friends provide Please Wish Us Well. Former anarchic front man Otway is less so on this but the sentiment is good – get rid of politicians. Chorus is ok. Ben Reel, a new voice on the Irish music scene, gives us Cosmic Shifting and it is the first piece of ‘real’ music. This hippy rock has a floating feel and the distorted guitar adds to the overall experience. Phil Saatchi contributes Another Revolution which is pretty standard fare and the ponderous Rise And Fall which misses the point to a certain degree. He does, however, strike it third time lucky with Dream In Colour, an acoustic folk/rock song that is very good indeed. Ben Reel returns with Lebab for the reggae beats of U People. He certainly gets into a groove on this one and the added saxophone helps make this the best song so far. Sid Wishes has a solo effort with Oh No America which is pleasant enough and builds well. This is one of the better tracks on offer although it is the general message of the complete album is what counts. He also goes solo on the sleepy When We Give Our Love. Although this is extremely easy to listen to it is not at all challenging but that may be what we need sometimes. Anna Jacyszyn gives us Captain Rainbow Fever – sedate, clean sounding and country tinged. Hiroki Okama chips in with No Gimmicks, which is folksy and rootsy. Instruments for all over the world used and these make it one of the best. The album finishes with world renowned jazz musician and former Blockhead, Gilad Atzmon with Lebab. They give us Beyond Belief, which is silky lounge room jazz with dual sax of a high standard.

I don’t know if George’s campaign sunk without trace but I hope that he can continue to provide his eccentric spin on the music scene and give new artists a chance to shine on his label.

www.pleasewishuswell.com

David Blue.

Gwyn Ashton – Prohibition (Riverside Records).

Australian guitarist Ashton has toured extensively throughout Europe, the USA and Australia with the likes of Johnny Winter, BB King, Jeff Healey and Pat Travers. With that in his locker I looked forward to a treat with his new album, Prohibition. The opener, Get Up, Get Over It is blues rock with AC/DC style phrasing -- not too flamboyant but great slide at the end. Good start. Ashton adds a bit of funk for Come On/Don’t Walk, Run! but he firmly remains on the rock side of the blues and confirms his standing as one of the worlds up and coming guitarists. There’s a Jimi Hendrix style fuzzed solo but the addition of Don’t Walk, Run seems a bit superfluous despite being fine in its own rite. Back To You is back to AC/DC again, albeit with more sedate vocals but with solid guitar throughout. Castaway is a venture into acoustic land so get your lighters out! There’s a big, electrified solo as you would expect so, few surprises but a top performance. Secret Agent shows that Rory Gallagher lives on – top tune, enough said? Ain’t My Style continues the Gallagher theme and is a rolling blues to drift away on. The title track is a shuffling guitar and harmonica blues with distorted vocal. The addition of Liz McLaughlin on backing vocals is a welcome distraction and the whole feel is that of a slowed down Bo Diddley (sorry to hear about his recent stroke).

The Road Is My Religion casts Ashton as the latest in a long line of musical storytellers. This is a highlight where he shows his class in archetypal AOR style. Former Alex Harvey rhythm section, Ted McKenna on drums and Chris Glen on bass herald the arrival of Ashton’s slicing guitar on Ball And Chain, a pounding blues to get the blood coursing through your veins. This is classic power trio fare with Glen and McKenna providing the perfect backdrop to Ashton on guitar, as they do throughout. Are You Lonely is a storming R&B with fuzzed solo. Guitar Town is not the Steve Earle song but is a funky blues where Ashton lets his guitar loose – superb. Rest In Paradise (For Stevie) is dedicated to Stevie Ray Vaughan and is a low key finish but is, as you would expect, a festival of guitar. There are two bonus tracks, Judgement Day which is a great blues of acoustic slide and basic backing and Shake It On Down where I knew he would not let me down and comes up with a rocking finish after all.

http://www.gwynashton.com/
http://www.riversiderecords.com/

David Blue.

Wide Mouth Mason – Shot Down Satellites (Curve Music).

A power pop/rock trio, Canadians Wide Mouth Mason are inevitably being dubbed the modern day Police or Nirvana. While they still have some way to go to emulate those two they have built up a solid following with their high impact live performances. They have toured North America with The Rolling Stones, AC/DC and ZZ Top so they are no small thing. Shot Down Satellites, their fifth album, opens with I Love Not Loving You, punky pop/rock and an energetic start. Unfolding keeps the pace up with a great riff thrown in. If they can reproduce anything like this live then they will be a force to be reckoned with. Everybody’s Right is top class modern rock and these boys are easily chart material. There’s some good guitar on this and the singer shows that he has a vocal talent also. Really Wrong is not as powerful as the opening trio although they introduce slide guitar and the high standard of chorus’ are becoming the norm. Phantom Limb shows that they can write a good song and the title track is another one off the conveyor belt.

They maintain their own high standards with guitar prowess and a grinding rhythm section. Worse Than Before is as good as anything put forward by the modern power pop bands. Rust is a concession to the ears and shows that they can produce more sedate songs too. It does build up though – they just can’t help themselves. Simply put, this is great. Moment That You Came is grungy power pop and Wide Eyed has a blues influenced, fuzzed vocal intro before going off into the same power pop as before. There’s some more good guitar work but they may have been better staying with the intro and building on it. Eleven is track 11, surprisingly, and is more pop than the rest. It does still confirm their talent of writing a good chorus though. Please Go Home confirms their Green Day styling and is yet another powerful, catchy song. They finish with the Beatle-esque It’s So Bad, a short, strange ending to a powerful album.

Van Morrison once said of them “the best band that I’ve seen in a long time”, not a lot to add to that, really.

http://www.widemouthmason.com/
http://www.curvemusic.com/

David Blue.

Roger Chapman & The Shortlist @ The Ferry, Glasgow 08/06/2007.

His first words were “it’s fuckin’ noisy in ‘ere” – welcome to Glasgow, Roger! The enthusiastic crowd, mainly in the old rocker group, were there to see their hero and made plenty of noise whilst doing so. Chappo and band were not to be outdone and served up a set that was just as boisterous. The band, including former Whitesnake guitarist Micky Moody, opened with a rousing rendition of Oh Brother, Take Me and continued to showcase the new album, One More Time For Peace. He threw in a few old favourites including a wonderful version of Burlesque and, oddly enough, These Boots Were Made For Walking. Chapman has a brilliant rapport with the audience and did his bit for album sales by telling everyone that “that’s on the new album, as well” for everything, even the old songs. I hope that no-one took him too seriously and is disappointed when they find that the album only has 11 tracks. The highlights of a thoroughly good night out were the aforementioned Oh Brother, Take Me! and Burlesque along with Heading Back To Storyville and Devil Got A Son.

Roger Chapman is one of the best rock voices that Britain has ever produced and The Shortlist are a band to be reckoned with, a real force in the live arena. I’m glad that I managed to see them.

David Blue.

Marc Ford – Weary & Wired (Provogue Records).

Former lead guitarist of The Black Crowes decided to record this second solo album after playing some gigs with three former bandmates from his previous band, blues rockers Burning Tree. The raucous opener, Featherweight Dreamland, is a great start to the album and is quickly followed by Don’t Come Around, a blues influenced rocker with Ford’s fuzzed guitar adding to the overall noise. Tom Petty influences, a theme that will resurface later, appear on It’ll Be Over Soon with aggressive guitars to match. Dirty Girl follows in the same mould, good old Southern Rock with an authentic drawl. The Other Side is more of the same and long may it continue. 1000 Ways is swaggering blues rock with excellent guitar as with those that have gone before. There are some Neil Young influences on Smoke Signals and this would rival most of the great mans epics.

Greazy Chicken has a funky, sleazy beat and Ford gets into the groove. The slide guitar on this instrumental is worth a mention as are the horns. Currents is the slowest track so far and takes you away into dreamland. His voice normally takes second place to his guitar but comes to the fore here. The guitar this time has to make do with being a laconic, anthemic co-star. Just Take The Money is storming, funky rock and is followed by Medicine Time which is more of the same with a strong guitar solo. He’s not just about high octane levels and Same Thing shows he can play slow songs too. This ponderous, Willie Dixon penned blues has Ford’s guitar playing reaching new levels on this 8-minute epic. Bye Bye Suzy has a New Orleans vibe with superb guitar and horns on this happy instrumental. He finishes with The Big Callback, a Chuck Berry throwback and a superb way to end proceedings. There is certainly life after The Black Crowes.

http://www.marcford.com/
http://www.provoguerecords.com/

David Blue.