Otis Grand

Otis Grand – Blues ’65 (MainGate Records).


Otis Grand is often listed in the Top 50 Blues guitarists ever and one listen to the opener, Pretend, makes you realise why. Otis’ killer guitar turns this classic into a masterpiece. There’s no lengthy solos; just slick, punchy guitar on songs such as Who Will The Next Fool Be and Bad News Blues On TV. There’s some lovely string bending on the mellow Do You Remember When and Warning Blues is a strident Blues of the highest order. The highlights are the joyful, Gospel tinged I Washed My Hands In Muddy Water and the up tempo swing Blues of Baby Please Don’t Tease.



www.otisgrand.com



David Blue.

Rosco Levee and the Southern Slide – Final Approach To Home (Redtrain Records).

Final Approach To Home is Rosco Levee’s debut album and it showcases his diverse musical upbringing. Whether it is the swamp rock, CCR style of Goldrush and Seven Seas or the blues fuelled Southern rock of All May Change Tonight and Headlight Burn, Rosco delivers. However, the highlights are the lightning guitar on the rompin’ stompin’ Old Bessie and the pounding 97-3. Add the Tex/Mex horns and Chris Isaak guitar of Hey Lady, the unashamed Country of Never Stops and Ol’ Shaky Shake and the big finish of When You’re Gone To Ramble then you have an album of pure Americana.

www.roscolevee.com

David Blue.

Josh Smith – Don’t Give Up On Me (CrossCut Records).

The follow up to the acclaimed CrossCut debut, I’m Gonna Be Ready, Don’t Give Up On Me easily dispels the difficult second album syndrome. Filled with funky blues and soul such as Made For Me and the eponymous title track this album gets better with each listen. Josh is no mean guitar player and this is highlighted on the slow blues of The Middle and the Clapton-esque I’ve Always Been Good. The horn fuelled Letting You Go and Carry Me Through are standouts but the highlight is the closing track, That Ain’t Love, with its fuzzed vocal and tight guitar.

www.joshsmithguitar.com

www.crosscut.de

David Blue

The Kennedys – Closer Than You Know (Kennedys Music).

Largely unknown in the UK, Maura and Pete Kennedy have been acclaimed in the US for two decades but this is their first UK release since 1996. Close harmonies bring comparisons to The Corrs; Sign, Happy Again and Rhyme And Reason for example. U2’s Wild Honey and the Alex Chilton homage, Big Star Song reference The Byrds whilst Marina Dream is a fine example of Simon & Garfunkel style Folk. Pete’s guitar on Cradle To A Boat lifts the song and they turn to Folk Rock for Made Of Sand. Gentle folk appears on I’ll Come On Over and Winter Lies but Winter and Home are more haunting.



www.KennedysMusic.com



David Blue.



AJ Moore – Harmonics (FCL Recordings).


Debut album from the former Classical backing guitarist AJ Moore and he flits easily from Pop to Soul to Latin and Celtic. Surprisingly it is his voice that attracts more attention and this is highlighted by his strong opening on Moving On. He shows his range on the ballad Hypnotise and releases velvet tones on the smooth Soul of Just Like That. Calling You evokes thoughts of Al Stewart while Dreaming has a George Michael style delivery. Jazz influenced You Want Me hints towards The Beautiful South at times and the atmospheric, Celtic flecked Do You Like What You See is the standout track.

www.ajmooremusic.com





David Blue.

Midwich Assembly – Bewilderland (Dead Fly Recordings).

Formed in 2010, this is Midwich Assembly’s debut album. Their influences are said to be Mercury Rev, Daft Punk, Depeche Mode and The Blue Nile. However, songs such as Astronomer Royal, which harks back to Eno/Fripp/Gabriel, And Then The Summer with an exaggerated vocal that is almost Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull fame in its execution, Another Glorious Day, an acoustic instrumental in the vein of Gordon Giltrap and Everything Has To Happen, an electronic experiment that wouldn’t have sounded out of place in the 80s with its chorus very much like Tears For Fears muddy the waters. So you now have a flavour of Midwich Assembly – not easy to pigeonhole and pretty unique. Add the Crime/Thriller/Sci-Fi themes of Stranger Than and the grungy electronica of No Comedy and you have the base of a very good album, if not one that takes a few listens to come to terms with.

http://www.midwichassembly.com/
David Blue.

The Brew – The Third Floor (Jazzhaus Records).






Already a highly regarded live act on the Continent, The Brew are now making an assault on their native land with this, their third album. With classic rock style they unleash the opener Sirens Of War and follow it up with Six Dead, Master And The Puppeteer and Imogen Molly. Contemporary rock is in the form of Reached The Sky and Prog rock appears slightly in Crimson Crystal Raindrops. Acoustic tracks such as See You Once Again and Hard Times allows vocalist Jason Barwick to showcase his voice, albeit going a little too much towards Bono at times. Barwick is also the guitarist of the outfit and apart from his wailing solo on Master And The Puppeteer and acoustic slide on Hard Times it is the big, powerful sounds of Piper Of Greed and the solo on the title track that has him excelling. Don’t miss Kurtis Smith’s drum solo at the end of the album as it’s hidden at the end of the closing track Let It Back.



www.jazzhausrecords.com

www.the-brew.net



David Blue.

Danny Bryant’s Redeyeband –Night Life (Jazzhaus Records).

Danny Bryant is a guitar player and if you are in any doubt after the scintillating blues guitar on Tell Me then you may as well turn off the music now. Guitar comparisons to his contemporary, Joe Bonamassa, come to a head on the grinding blues rock of Heartbreaker and his voice echoes of Joe Cocker and Axl Rose on the ballad, Love Of Angels. Three covers in the shape of Master Of Disaster (John Hiatt), My Baby’s A Superstar (Buddy Guy) and Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door (Bob Dylan) sit easily beside the self-penned songs and his mastery of the audience is evident on the closing track, Always With Me. I’m surprised his guitar lasts the evening the way that it has been thrashed about.

http://www.dannybryant.com/
http://www.jazzhausrecords.com/

David Blue.

Grainne Duffy -- Test Of Time (GD Records).

Test Of Time is Irish singer songwriter Grainne Duffy’s second album and showcases her roots in blues, soul and Celtic music. Going from the soft rock of Everyday and What More Can I Do to the gritty blues rock of the grinding Rockin’ Rollin’ Stone and the churning rocker Please Take Care, there is one constant; her husky vocal. This will bring comparisons to Maggie Bell and Bonnie Raitt and neither is out of place. If you throw in the sultry, soulful Sweet Sweet Baby and the eponymous title track, which has Tom Petty style guitar sounds then you have most of what Grainne is about. However, she can do a ballad too as shown by the emotional closer, In My Arms.

Tour dates:

13/02/2012 Oxford. Famous Monday Blues Club, The Bullingdon, 162 Cowley Road

15/02/2012 London. Blues Kitchen, 111-113 Camden High Street, NW1 7JN

16/02/2012 Herts. Attic Bar, The Forum, University of Hertfordshire
http://www.grainneduffy.com/

David Blue.

The Law – Trigger (Local Boy Records).

Dundee 4 piece return with the follow up to their highly acclaimed 2009 debut, A Measure Of Wealth. Their sound has become more expansive and comparisons to many acts are there to hear on the sweeping vocals of Gimme Some Love (Fratellis & The View), the folksy rock of Holiday (Oasis), the country rock of All Over Your Mind (Fleetwood Mac/Lindsey Buckingham), My Lover (Crowded House) and Shadow (It Isn’t Me) (The La’s/Cast). Highlights are the aforementioned All Over Your Mind, Shadow (It Isn’t Me) and My Lover along with the soul searching epic, Letter.

The Law could easily be Scotland’s next big thing.

http://www.thelawmusic.com/

David Blue.

Philipp Fankhauser – Try My Love (Funk House Blues Production).

Often put in the same bracket as Chris Rea and John Mayer but not as well known, this is Swiss native Fankhauser’s twelfth album. Try My Love is a selection of sympathetically produced songs that brings out the best in him. Songs such as the big band blues of Make My Home Where I Lay My Hat sit comfortably beside soulful ballads like the eponymous title track and Please Come On Home. Production levels reach a high with one of the four live ‘encores’ , Down On Bended Knees, which has superb input from the horn section. He flirts with Country on the hidden gem, Roadhouse & Automobiles as well as with funk on It’s Gonna Rain. However, it is in the blues where Fankhauser seems happiest. This is heard on the swinging Jealous Kinda Fella, the mid-paced strolling blues of Cut Me Some Slack and Don’t Be Afraid Of The Dark. Special mention has to be made of the Johnny Copeland written Flyin’ High (Yesterday), a superb quick paced stroller and is essential Philipp Fankhauser.

http://www.philippfankhauser.com/
David Blue.

Jon Amor Blues Group – Jon Amor Blues Group (Six Six Records).

Jon Amor, formerly of The Hoax, has returned to his blues roots for this eponymous album. Opening with the gritty blues rock of Holy Water the band then serves up Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters inspired blues in the shape of Juggernaut, Make It Your Trouble and Repeat Offender, the latter of the three being a grungy pleasure. There are riffs overflowing on the R&B/Blues crossover of Sweetheart and the rocker Angel In A Black Dress. Blues rock continues on The Underdogs and She Thought I Was An Eagle but it’s the pared down gritty, slow blues of When Your Time Comes that stands out. They close with a straight down the line rocker, You Know It’s Only Love. I can’t wait for the next one!
http://www.johnamorbluesgroup.co.uk/
David Blue.

Liam Tarpey – Warm Up My Bones (Own Label).

Inspired to take up guitar at the age of 6 by hearing his cousin’s Pink Floyd albums, Liam Tarpey found his love of the blues in his teenage years. A music degree followed and during his time at University he managed to write, produce and record three solo albums. After basing himself in Spain he toured relentlessly and began to write songs for Warm Up My Bones. This begins with On My Neck, which is a high energy opener with a flurry of notes from Tarpey’s guitar. An instrumental blues/R&B crossover and a promising start. Krypto Blues is a Status Quo type rocking boogie and good fun at that too. The eponymous title track is a rough and ready blues – moody and wonderfully ragged whereas On Her Own is a slow blues with mournful vocals and classy guitar leading into a faster middle section. This is a standout and will be played again and again. There’s nothing spectacular about the high impact rocker, Lorraine but it will be one that is a crowd pleaser. It’s a showcase for his guitar and would have been a cracking closer.

Oyster Card Blues is a frantic acoustic slide offering and Let Me Know is a middle of the road, mid-paced soft rock and pretty harmless. The bouncy blues rock of Pennies has a good chorus whereas Never Again has a low key guitar and vocal opening with layers being added but it’s a strange one. The final song, Peter Panda, is a slow, atmospheric blues with clever guitar. However, it’s not my favourite as a closing track.
All in all I’m sure Liam Tarpey will be proud of this album, and with plenty of justification.
http://www.liamtarpey.com/

David Blue.

Jim Allchin – Overclocked (Sandy Key Music).

Seattle based Allchin has not taken the usual path to being a full time musician. An early sortie into the music business resulted in him giving up because he was starving. This led him to studying computer science and earning degrees at Stanford and Georgia Tech before joining Microsoft in 1990. He eventually became Co-President of the Platforms & Services Division and is a recognised leader in the world of computer science. However, he suffered a health issue in 2003 and that led him to reconsider his life and he decided to try and do the things he had regretted not following through. So he picked up his guitar again, started touring and released his debut album, Enigma, in 2009. Overclocked (which is, surprisingly enough, a computer term) is the follow up and opens with the eponymous title track. Authentic vinyl scratches make way for a clean, up tempo intro and then onto more fuzzed guitar from Allchin and overladen organ from David Gross. It’s better musically than vocally as shown by Allchin’s screaming guitar. Willow Tree is a mid paced swing blues with a good guitar solo and a better vocal. Back In The Swamp has an Albert Collins feel to it but Allchin’s guitar set up is not as clinical as Collins’. This swinging blues has a lovely piano break by the aforementioned Gross and the now standard classy guitar. Don’t Tell Me What To Do is a classy, strolling electric blues and one of the top tracks on the album whereas One For The Money is sultry with a female vocal and piercing guitar. The use of another lead vocalist is possibly a way forward for him as this has added a bit of passion.

Fall is a slow instrumental and it’s a very good vehicle for his guitar. Scorching slide guitar is added to horns and organ for the high energy impact of Dr J. This is a big track in many ways, only slightly let down by his limited vocal. Mr Unknown has some gentle 50s doo-wop stylings but Flirt has a heavier feel although he is struggling with the vocal to match. Both are satisfying tracks in their own way. Perfect Game is one of the slower tracks and is another with a female vocal, but this time not to any great effect. This isn’t his best song but the quality guitar work shines through again. There’s no mistaking the quality of his guitar work on Just Playin’ With Me, which leans towards R&R. Penultimate track, The One, is a slow night club style blues with the guitar as the star again whereas the instrumental final track, Opening My Eyes To Love, has a Spanish feel with a Santana-esque solo.

13 tracks of self-penned songs that show his song writing skills added to some sublime guitar playing makes for an entertaining album overall and one on which Allchin can build.

http://www.jimallchin.com/

David Blue.