Rob Stone – Back Around Here (Earwig Music).

A frequent visitor to Chicago’s House of Blues, Rob Stone is a harmonica player very much in the mould of his heroes. Little Walter, Big Walter Horton, Sonny Boy Williamson and Junior Wells. It’s been seven years since his last Earwig release but he has spent the time wisely, honing his craft with relentless touring. He opens with You’re No Good For Me, which is a rolling blues to start proceedings off with. Stone has an easy vocal style and this makes for an excellent opener. He is a killer harp player, ably backed by the band and, in particular, snappy guitars from Chris James and Jeff Stone. The eponymous title track is a big brassy swing blues and laid back Stone has the perfect tone for it. Slashing guitar from James for the lengthy guitar break. Love You For Myself is a slow Chicago blues with stylish interaction between Aaron Moore on piano and Stone’s harp. Give Me Time is a mid paced R&B with a great guitar riff going on in the background and a fluid solo. It’s a little different from most of the others on offer. I Need To Plant A Money Tree (don’t we all) is laid back and class just oozes out of this one. Chicago All Night is mid-pace funky R&B that reminds me a bit of Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag.

Lot To Love About You is another in the up-tempo area -- a swing blues that slides over you all too easily whereas Sloppy Drunk Blues is a bit of fun on barrelhouse piano from David Maxwell and Stone on harp. It’s Hard But It’s Fair is a strolling blues and Dragon Killers is a hi tempo lung buster. Both of these confirm how stylish a player he is. Can’t Turn Back The Clock is a high speed piano boogie with Maxwell on top form. He finishes with No Strings Attached, an up-tempo blues with more piano from Maxwell to the fore.

http://www.robstone.com/
http://www.earwigmusic.com/

David Blue.

Chris James & Patrick Rynn – Gonna Boogie Anyway (Earwig Music).

Gonna Boogie Anyway is the second album for Earwig Music from the San Diego based duo an follows their Blues Music Award nominated debut, Stop And Think About It. Traditional Chicago and Delta styles supplemented by some jump blues is what they are all about and Gonna Boogie Anyway does not disappoint. Opening with Money Don’t Like Me they lay down a gritty vocal from James and his guitar snaps from the outset. It’s a straightforward opener that gets your attention. Dearest Darling is an up-tempo and a bouncy boogie is followed by You Can’t Trust Nobody, a wonderfully deconstructed classic chugging blues. Life Couldn’t Be Sweeter is another upbeat one with slide guitar from James and barrelhouse piano from Henry Gray showing that the boys sure do know how to enjoy themselves. H.M. Stomp is a guitar and harmonica (Bob Corritore) instrumental and Gray also gets himself heavily involved on piano. The pace is relentless on this one. Headed Out West is a standard Chicago blues, well played by two true exponents.

Can’t Stand To See You Go is a shuffling blues with top notch harp from Rob Stone and piano from the aforementioned Henry Gray. The eponymous title track does what it says on the tin -- a piano boogie-woogie of high impact. This is followed by The Tables Have Turned, which is another is another that chugs along with great piano. Money Don’t Like Me Part 2 is a further instrumental, guitar led with saxophone input from Jonny Viau. It’s sedately paced but it is high in quality. The penultimate song, Black Spider Blues, is a Delta blues played in a classic style. They keep it simple and that’s the key. To close off they give us Little Girl, which is a rolling blues and good fun as well.

If you can’t have a fun time with Chris James and Patrick Rynn then you are just not trying.

http://www.chrisjamesandpatrickrynn.com/
http://www.earwigmusic.com/

David Blue.