Kemp Harris – Edenton (Miles High Productions).

Pianist and vocalist Harris is something of an enigma and has a style all of his own. Quite literally, he is as unique an artist as I have heard for some time. Although he has almost four decades of song writing and performing behind him he has only just recently turned into a recording artist in his own rite. His second album, Edenton, begins with Sometimes, a spiritual, short and a cappella opener. Incidentally, the album is a journey back to his hometown of Edenton, North Carolina. Sweet Weepin’ Jesus is a moody, contemporary blues and an indictment on modern politics with backing vocals from The Holmes Brothers. He, and The Holmes Brothers again, keeps it slow with another spiritual blues and Day After Day highlights his smokey voice. He has obviously learned from some of the artists that he has shared a stage with such as Taj Mahal and Koko Taylor. There’s still no paced injected yet for the rolling blues of Donny Hathaway’s Tryin’ Times and I’m finding it hard to categorise him as the minimalist Ruthie’s confirms. There’s a slight backing vocal on this one in addition to some percussion from Jim Lucchese and Tom Dube’s production just allows the song to be as it wants to be.

Didn’t It Rain is traditional Gospel and superb with Mabie Marshall and Eleanor Mapp adding excellent backing vocals. Slide guitar is introduced to the authentic feel of Memphis Slim’s Mother Earth and although the volume is raised, the pace still remains on the sedate side. Miles Between Us is a painfully slow blues and Kemp gives us another facet to his voice. The crystal clarity here is reminiscent of Robert Cray. Lucchese’s drums only come in half way through as the tension builds. Willie Nelson’s Nightlife is an old standard, slowed down even more than the original. This has voice and Brian Verrochi’s bass only and is very, very good. The eponymous title track starts out with voice and piano and builds up into the type of song that Elton John cranks out with great regularity. Harris certainly likes to strip things back at every opportunity but he lets himself go on this one. The piercing backing vocal from The Holmes Brothers is one standout here. He finishes as he started and gives us a reprise of Sometimes. This will definitely leave you with the message of how hard life is and how weary we have all become. An interesting and different album.

http://www.kempmusic.com/

David Blue.

Various Artists – Rockin’ At The Barn Volume 5 (Dusty Records).

Swedish roots label Dusty have a knack of unearthing new talent and this series of albums allows them to showcase some of those artists. This volume opens with new band, Blue Sky Forever who gives us the rootsy Last Man On Earth. The vocalist has a deep voiced Kenny Rogers kind of thing going on. US singer Lazy Ike provides I’ll Be Damned, a jaunty, old style country song. Next up is the Rock ‘N’ Roll Torpedoes with Get A Move On Baby. This is a bit of boogie with horns in full flow. The vocalist may not be up to scratch but the chorus is good – short and sweet. Gary Cooper, no not him, gives us Troubles, quite literally. He has a strange vocal delivery and not the best on offer. He doesn’t do himself any favours on his other contribution, King. The faraway voice just doesn’t sell the song. Why they gave him two songs I don’t know. Alt. Country gets a chance with Tattoo by American band, High Cotton. Although it is fine the vocalist is just a little too American, if that could be possible. Their other effort, Dollar Store, which finishes the album is slightly humorous but does little. Lee Marvelous contributes the wonderfully titled Right Now Is The Time To Fall Apart. This is in the Country field again and he has a good band backing him with the pedal steel guitar in particular. He also has Jack And Joanne on the album. He treats this as Country verging into Rockabilly and has such an exaggerated vocal that you will want to listen again and again. English group Sadler Dale provides some energetic punk Country on Fingers In A Pie and give us a surprise hit in the process. They also deliver I’m A Lover Now in a jug band, Country Rock style, much akin to early Dr. Hook and very reminiscent of the Pub Rock era. This cements them as one of the best bands on offer. The Howard Way gives us modern Americana on Chantal Lane and there are those that may hear the influence of Steve Earle in there. Swedes, The Stu are another Country band and another good one at that. They could easily slip into the USA and pass for one of their own and their forthcoming debut album should be well worth hearing. I’ve reviewed Svensson & Dafgard’s album, Rootation, and consider them to be the class act on offer. Their contribution, Take Me As I Am, is rootsy and very catchy. Linus Johnson & Stillhouse conjure up images of Appalachian life on Miner’s Blues and this Americana is a favourite of mine. Contemporary Country is also featured and erstwhile Blue Sky Forever member Tomas Larsson’s other band Larsson’s Fly is well sung and has some classy mandolin playing. Back to classic Country for Irishman Jim Cahill’s House For Sale but it also reminds me of a slowed down I Knew The Bride by Dave Edmunds. Moonlight Wranglers contribute 77, a good example of energetic Country Rock. Broken Records offering is The Silver Plate and it harks back to the classic Country Rock of the 70s. This is a harmony-laden highlight. Wasted Away by The Turnpikes is another is the same vein but with a world weary vocal. They lose it a bit at the chorus but that doesn’t detract too much from their performance.

All in all, a very good sample of what is going on in the roots capital of Sweden.

http://www.dustyrecords.se/

David Blue.

Eleanor McEvoy – Suffer So Well (Moscodisc).

Eleanor McEvoy’s latest single, Suffer So Well, is gentle Irish/Americana with a world weary vocal and lovely harmonies. It’s a good song to sing along to when you feel the urge and can be aimed at those who show that they are suffering as well as those who can hide their pain. It is backed with a slow, pared back acoustic version of Marvin Gaye’s Mercy Mercy Me. This allows you to concentrate on Gaye’s lyrics and is delivered in the same gentle fashion as Suffer So Well. With these, she has confirmed her status as one of Ireland’s greatest exports and her reputation as a great songwriter. Both tracks are taken from Eleanor’s current album, Out There.

http://www.eleanormcevoy.net/


David Blue.

Billy Jones – My Hometown (Black & Tan).

Arkansas born Billy Jones calls his music Bluez and he is a performer who is interested in extending ‘Great Black music from the Ancient to the Future’. Nine of the ten tracks on offer are self-penned and he does encompass more than one musical genre. For example, Here With You is a slow groover to open with. Jones has a velvet voice and this tends towards Soul and modern R&B with understated guitar. Pull My 44 is a funky blues with snappy drums. It’s the age old story – don’t mess with my woman or I’ll shoot you; fair enough! He returns to the slow soulful feel with Right Now and shows that his voice really suits more than one genre as it just oozes all over you. Crystal introduces another style and this time it’s rock. The anti-drug message is well intended but the song really doesn’t get going. Never Let You Go, the only song on the album not written by Jones, sees him continuing to swap genres. This is modern Soul but it’s just a little samey. He stays on the Soul side for a pleasant offering, The Clown, before unleashing some Latin influences on the eponymous title track. This has the same lines as Crystal but it's Blues, it's Soul, they’re all in there. You Upset My Soul is a stuttering Blues from the top drawer and The Rumour is acoustic based modern Soul. However, the latter is not one of the better tracks on the album. He closes with Bluez Comes Callin’, a good finish that reminds me of Taj Mahal to a small degree. This is a curate’s egg of an album, good in places, not so good in others.

http://www.billy-jones.com/
http://www.blackandtan.com/

Various Artists – Great Rockabilly. Just About As Good As It Gets (Smith & Co).

This is the first of a series of four double CDs from Dutch oldies label Smith & Co covering Rockabilly, Skiffle and Rock N Roll. George Jones opens the 64-track marathon from 1955-1956 with the energetic Rock It. You expect energy from Rockabilly and you can also hear blues influences on this. Johnny Carroll contributes the frenetic Wild Wild Women and Crazy Crazy Lovin’ from 1956 but the latter is so fresh and it could have been far younger. He also gives us some good fun on Hot Rock as does Eddie Bond on Flip Flop Mama. Bond also gives us Boppin’ Bonnie and, although the lyrics were never the best, the beat is as good as ever. The enthusiastic Joe Clay gives us Sixteen Chicks and Ducktail and he shows just how much the Rockabilly artists enjoyed what they were doing. Clay is one of many subsequent artists to follow a formula and he does it very well. Curtis Gordon also found the formula but the addition of steel guitar on Mobile Alabama keeps it on the Country side of Rockabilly. Others who veer to that side of the genre are Jack Earl with Slow Down and Sid King with When My Baby Left Me. The anarchic Marvin Rainwater chips in with Hot And Cold and the classic early Rockabilly of Mr Blues. Skeets McDonald sings Heartbreakin’ Mama and You Oughta See Grandma Rock in what became Lonnie Donegan’s style. There are some good and some not so good and the uninspired Rockin’ Rollin’ Stone from Andy Starr falls firmly into the latter category. Another one for the not so good group is Sanford Clark with Lonesome For A Letter. The vocal has no excitement and it feels like he was just going through the motions. Unfortunately, his second offering, The Fool also lacks the passion required. Tommy Spurlin’s Hang Loose is only marginally better.

The rockabilly artists would sing about virtually anything and Charlie Feathers’ Bottle To The Baby is a good example. This is basic and raw but that’s what is was all supposed to be about. Feathers also contributes One Hard Love, which keeps him in the zone. One of the genre’s giants, Johnny Burnette, provides a rip snorter in the form of Tear It Up and provides one of the albums highlights on Train Kept A Rollin’. Sleepy LaBeef is another heavyweight who delivers a powerful performance in a Presley style on All The Time. Warren Smith’s Rock N Roll Baby rolls along well and Curtis Gordon is so energetic on Draggin’. Smith also contributes Ubangi Stomp, which has novelty value that thankfully doesn’t hide the very good song underneath. Roy Orbison makes a few incursions into the album and although Rockhouse is obviously an early recording, you can hear the voice coming through – not a great song though. Another of Orbison’s is You’re My Baby and this only has slight hints of the star to come. It does, however, build up into a great Rockabilly song. The third of Orbison’s trio of songs is the inanely titled Ooby Dooby which is actually a good song but is spoiled by the stupid chorus. His quartet is finished off by the energetic Go Go Go. It is strange why the compilers of the CD decided to give Roy Orbison more tracks than any other artist.

George ‘Thumper’ Jones gives us a rendition of the now famous Heartbreak Hotel and I’m about to commit a sacrilege by saying that this is every bit as good as the Elvis version. I’ve only got three words to say about Jones’ other contribution, How Come It, -- this is Rockabilly! Another famous song is Bird Dog and Don Woody’s version has one foot firmly in the Country genre. Another one from Woody is Barking Up The Wrong Tree and this is what Rockabilly is all about – energy and fun. Ronnie Self contributes Pretty Bad Blues and it’s obvious that he modelled himself on Elvis Presley although the song itself is pretty standard stuff. The great man, Gene Vincent, throws in Woman Love and this is trademark Vincent, mean & moody, showing that class always shines through. The class also shines through on I Flipped although it is difficult to pick out Vincent. CD 1 is finished by Be-Bop-A-Lula, another of the generations defining tracks. Roy Hall’s All By Myself only skirts around the edges of Rockabilly but Malcolm Yelvington really bops on the classy Rockin’ With My Baby. Yelvington also has Yakety Yak on the album but this is a country song and not a cover of the more famous song of the dame name. Jimmy & Johnny give us Sweet Love On My Mind, a country based tune with good harmonies.

The biggest Rockabilly star, in the opinion of many, is Carl Perkins and his contributions are Dixiefried, Boppin’ The Blues and the ubiquitous Blue Suede Shoes. He is a giant of the genre, performs to the highest standard and has the voice of an angel. Ray Harris gives us the energetic Come On Little Mama and it sounds like his guitarist’s hand is near to falling off. Where’d You Stay Last Nite is another good performance from Harris. The man who is widely credited as the person who started off the whole genre, Elvis Presley, has two tracks. He is unmistakeable on Baby Let’s Play House and throws in the bluesy, classy Mystery Train to finish of the second CD for good measure. He was what the others could only aspire to. Janis Martin is the only female to make it on to this compilation and although Let’s Elope Baby is pleasant enough, is it good enough for Rockabilly? I don’t think so. Maybelline with acoustic guitar is different but Marty Robbins version is not a patch on the Chuck Berry original or the scorching version by Pat Travers. Roy Duke’s Behave Be Quiet Or Be Gone has a country style title and is a country style song, complete with yodelling. There is a formula to this style of music and these early pioneers soon set the standard and Webb Pierce’s Teenage Boogie is an example of the formula. Mac Curtis chips in with the pretty standard Grandaddy’s Rockin’ and Billy Lee Riley gives us the equally standard Rock With Me Baby. However, Curtis shows that he is one of the better vocalists on That Ain’t Nothing But Right. Sonny West’s Rock-Ola Ruby is one of the better tracks but I don’t find it menacing enough -- there should be that edge. Buddy Holly is totally unrecognisable on Midnight Shift. Buck Griffiths’ Stutterin’ Papa is very rough but is nothing out of the ordinary. Country giant Johnny Cash also makes an appearance with Get Rhythm and this is sheer class. It shows Johnny making the bridge between country and rock n roll. Also included is So Doggone Lonesome which is instantly recognisable as Cash but hardly Rockabilly. Slim Rhodes is just not up to the task on Do What I Do but that is countered by Sonny Fisher’s Rockin’ Daddy, a fine example of how the genre came into being.

This is an important introduction to the birth of a musical genre but remember, you have to take the rough with the smooth.

http://www.smithco.nl/

David Blue.

Indigo Moss – Indigo Moss (Butterfly Recordings).

Indigo Moss has just finished as successful support for the recent The Good, The Bad and The Queen’s UK tour and this, their debut album, follows up that success. They have a myriad of influences and Start Over Again has a choral opening with banjos, harp, fiddles and guitar soon joining in. This is Appalachian meets middle England and is a good old sing-along -- great start. The follow up, Suicide Song, was never going to be a happy go lucky song but the female vocalists work well together and this black tune is firmly in the Americana mould. Dang Nabbit has blues and country influences with a venomous, acerbic lyric. They keep one foot firmly in Americana with Happy and have the knack of turning out an upbeat song with less than upbeat subject matter. By the time we reach Miss Those Eyes, the harmonica player is becoming more and more of an influence and he certainly stamps his authority all over this sparse offering. See See Rider is an often covered song and Indigo Moss has countrified it. I can’t say anything against it, as they turn themselves into a modern day jug band. Ok Without You is gentle Americana and Swimming takes you away from yourself. It’s very mesmerizing and is a surprise highlight. The Sweet Spirits o’ Cats a Fightin’ is unashamedly country influenced. Yee-ha, get them pants a swingin’. Indigo Moss invades my realm with a cover of Robert Johnson’s They’re Red Hot. This could have gone oh so bad and they add banjo, electric guitar and bass but it’s such a great song that you can’t really go wrong. They make it different yet also make it sound familiar and that’s a great way to come out of a cover. Red Shoes is off-beat, quirky and old fashioned but the counterpoint young voice sets it off so well. They finish with Nature Of This Town, a Western style foot-tapper and I’m sure that I can hear a washboard in there somewhere.

Indigo Moss could just well be one of the breakthrough bands this year.

http://www.indigomoss.com/

David Blue.

Aynsley Lister – Upside Down (Ruf Records).

This is Aynsley Lister’s first studio album since the acclaimed All Or Nothing in 2003 and this volume of 12 self-penned songs takes him another step along the road to complete blues acceptability. Find My Way Home is a storming blues rock opener and Lister has matured into an excellent artist with nothing flashy on the vocal but a strong, punchy performance as a guitarist. Getaway is another strong rock song and will be good for the American market whereas Always Tomorrow is the obligatory power ballad. As ballads go, this is one of the better ones and has sympathetic guitar. Ice I’m Upon, with its superior harmonies, is another for the American market. It highlights his guitar playing and catchy song writing talent. Beautiful (Keina’s Song) is acoustic with a gentle vocal and is a sublime, beautiful song as the title implies. There’s a contemporary feel to Wherever I Am and it builds up into another great chorus. This will be a great crowd pleaser and will fit in well with the current chart renaissance for rock.

With Me Tonight is slinky and Lister has propelled himself into the higher echelons of European rock with this blues influenced rocker. However, it’s not all electric and the atmospheric Rain allows him to show his prowess on acoustic guitar also. This has an Americana feel and shows his range has expanded. Don’t let the short acoustic introduction to With Me Tonight fool you. This is a high energy blues rocker that you can let your hair down to. He keeps it going on Upside Down, which is another classy rocker that ends as abruptly as it starts. Disorderly Me is a strong, swaying blues with his guitar and voice still on top form -- this is one of the highlights of the album. He finishes with Falling Down and he keeps his form right to the end as his wailing guitar signs off in style.

This is one of the best albums of the year so far. You have to have it in your collection.

http://www.rufrecords.de/
http://www.aynsleylister.co.uk/

David Blue.

Scott McKeon – Can’t Take No More (Provogue Records).

This is young UK blues guitarist Scott McKeon’s debut album and he could not have a better label than Provogue to nurture his burgeoning talent. The opener, Shot Down, shows that Scott McKeon is a rising star in the blues world and he’s already been listed as one of the best 30 blues players in the world on Google. This is a raucous opener with hints of 60s R&B and supercharged guitar. Honey Baby is a classic 12 bar blues and ace guitarist McKeon really knows how to crank it up. The driving blues rock of I Used To Have Something allows him to rip it up on the solo and he grinds out another one with more guitar excellence on the eponymous title track.

All The Same is slower than most so far but its powerful Kansas stylings make it stand out in its own rite. The slashing guitar and pounding beat is fast becoming a trademark and this is highlighted on I Can See Through You. Last Thing I Do is a slow, choppy blues and finally, his voice comes into its own. The pronounced solo is effective and the whole thing builds to an ear-splitting crescendo, although my daughter, the music student, will tell me that it is not a crescendo but, in fact, something completely different. Cool Lookin’ Woman is acoustic based blues rock and is sheer class with Jesse Davey guesting on the guitar solo. McKeon shows his grungier side with the grinding rock of Maybe. The sky is the limit for this guy and he just seems to lose himself in the music when he plays. He finishes with Fuzz Six Six Six and you can just stomp your way through this wonderful instrumental.

At the age of 21, Scott McKeon may have a long way to go but what a start this is to his journey.

http://www.scottmckeon.com/
http://www.provoguerecords.com/

David Blue.

Eric Gales – The Psychedelic Underground (Provogue Records).

Dutch based Provogue Records are slowly building up an impressive roster of blues guitarists and Eric Gales is one of a number of high class axe men currently on offer. The Psychedelic Underground is the follow up to his critically acclaimed Crystal Vision and places him firmly in the higher strata of modern bluesmen. Eric has been gradually gathering a reputation since being voted as Guitar World’s Best New Talent in 1991 and fans include Carlos Santana, Keith Richards, B.B. King and Eric Clapton. The Psychedelic Underground opens with Wake Up Call and I dare you to sleep through this wall of sound as Eric scorches his guitar. He keeps up the aural assault on Rumble. He plays guitar left hand, upside down and is the frontman of a trio so comparisons to Jimi Hendrix obviously come to mind. There are no arguments from me on that count, anyone for a rumble? Day Of Reckoning is a funky blues with a barnstorming solo and I’ve Got Something On You has as powerful an opening as I’ve ever heard. This is churning guitar rock with another of the now obligatory top-notch solos. Dark Corners Of My Mind is a contemporary, slick blues and Pretty Lie returns to the raucous blues rock side of the tracks.

The title track is played in classic Hendrix style and confirms Gales’ place in my current top 10 blues guitarists. Eric continues in the blues rock field with Circling The Drain and this rolling blues has wailing, fuzzed guitar breaks that will have you yelling for more. He does not just stay with the blues as shown by Honey In The Comb, a rock song with a bit of soul thrown in a la Kravitz. Someday is a bouncing blues that is simple and straightforward. It has all the usual guitar wizardry and Thomas Pidgen on drums and Steve Evans on bass are the solid rock for Gales to build on. Cross The Line is archetypal blues rock with guitar and pounding rhythm section to match. He closes out with Someone Else’s problem which surprisingly has a slight country feel to it but his classic styling leaves us with a stylish, solid finish.

There are a number of excellent blues guitarists out there and I’ve just found another one.

http://www.ericgales.net/
http://www.mascot-provogue.com/

David Blue.

Julian Sas – Resurrection (Provogue Records).

Julian Sas is considered to be one of the best live acts on the blues-rock scene in The Netherlands and Resurrection is his first assault on the rest of the world. Starting with Moving To Survive, a fast blues rock with incisive guitar licks akin to Rory Gallagher and Gary Moore, Sas sets out his stall with nine original songs. I love slow burners and Burnin’ Soul is one of the best that I’ve heard. The band plays in the classic power trio format with Rob Heijne on drums and Tenny Tahamata on bass. Slide guitar from Sas is most welcome and, on this, he shows his class. Runnin’ All My Life is powerful blues influenced rock and he’s made the transition from being a big fish in the small pond of Dutch blues to swimming with the bigger fish very well. He has nothing to worry about and he is so easy to listen to. The obligatory power ballad comes in the form of All I Know as Sas strokes his Strat on this 7-minute epic. His sanguine vocal is well suited here and there’s a telling guitar break.

Ain’t No Change is standard fare as far as blues rock goes and the eponymous title track stays on the rock side of the blues with fuzzed guitar. He’s managed to keep his standards high throughout the album and Stranded is another high-class song even if the Bon Jovi style ballad isn’t quite in the same sphere vocally. Junkies Blues is a gritty blues and the band play it extremely well. The only drawback is that it is let down by the vocal, which happens a little too often on this album. He closes with another 7-minute epic that embodies everything a power trio should be, gentle in places and powerful in others. This is, quite simply, three players at the top of their game.

http://www.juliansas.com/
http://www.mascot-provogue.com/

David Blue.

Gonstermachers – The Gonstermachers (Own Label).

Let’s get the name thing out of the way first. Gonstermachers take their name for a derivation from the Yiddish Gantseh Macher, which means ‘big shot’. One listen to this album justifies the name. The Syracuse-based quartet open with The Night Sam Cooke Died, which is sombre and uber-slow yet there are so many things going on. It’s spiritual and fits together very well. They are more upbeat on My Sister She’s Not A Dollar. One of only three songs on the album not written by the band, this has strong rhythms and a laconic vocal with an interesting drum segment just beyond halfway. Danse Le Macher is a funky blues with excellent harp. The band all gets to go through their paces but they are not a conventional band by any manner of means. A list of their instruments is testament to that! Gonstermachers have the ability to surprise you at every turn. The song builds up to a peak at the end. The pace remains on the fast side on Cool Down Here and Curtis Waterman on harmonica is a star – his tonguing is extraordinary. This is a growling success and fun time music. Left Handed Man has a primeval feel with its evocative, fuzzed vocal but should be classed as modern day Delta blues.

Lowdown On The Blowdown is a fast paced harmonica and guitar blues. It’s a great base to work from and I’m sure that this will be a great club favourite. The second of Les Danse’s is Danse Les Negres. This is more humorous and is solidly played. Saint Sebastian has a slow, funereal feel as well as a slight tip of the hat to Johnny Cash. The funky flute and drum make for a fine addition to a fine album. Title of the year, so far, has to go to Gasstationchickendinnerromance, a virtually spoken blues with Waterman the star of the show yet again. They close with an oldie, Saint James Infirmary, and it’s even slower than most of the more well known versions. Curtis Waterhouse gets top marks again and I’m left to wonder how he manages to reach some of those notes as the song reaches a fantastic crescendo. Leo Candrall, Hymie Witthoft and Richard Curry make up the quartet and are equally adept at bending their instruments to achieve some extraordinary sounds. The whole album reeks of small town America, as imagined by this small town Scotsman.

Blues fans beware, Gonstermachers have arrived!

http://www.gonstermachers.com/

David Blue.

Ian Parker – Where I Belong (Ruf Records).

It’s been some time since I reviewed Ian’s album Inside and he’s been off reconnecting with his blues roots in the USA along with Aynsley Lister, amongst other things. Where I Belong is the culmination of two years worth of finding himself and a re-evaluation of his blues and soul heroes in addition to those influences of a less bluesy origin. The eponymous title track is a mid-paced R&B opener and its repeating theme is a good base to start from. He has already shown that he has matured both as a songwriter and musician. Your Love Is My Home has a cool BB King style opening and this sophisticated, blues influenced, soul flecked feast is a treat to the ears. Parker shows that he can get down and dirty on the medium paced rocker, Until You Show Me. This has gritty vocals, via voice box, and a powerful guitar solo and they contribute to a well written, excellently performed song. Coming Home has the surprise inclusion of flugelhorn and has Parker on acoustic guitar. This is a slow burner and suits his now distinctive vocal that sets him apart from the rest of the field. A special mention has to be made for the on-form drummer, Wayne Proctor. Waste My Days is a little bit of boogie and will get the crowd going with its great sing-along chorus.

Sweet Singing Sirens is an excellent example of Parker’s particular form of song writing and this chugging R&B rocker has some great harmonica licks from Dave Jenkins in addition to some screaming guitar from Parker. He finally turns to the blues, albeit 60s British blues, for Love So Cold. His voice is so suited to this and it rocks. It’s raunchy, moody and mean and provides some of his best guitar work. We’re now in full flow as Parker cranks it up for Before Our Eyes. This is an out and out rocker and he should make no apologies for that. The sophisticated Don’t Hold Back would be great for a small, intimate venue, especially with Parkers emotional vocal. It’s back to the rock arena for another chugger; the blues influenced You Could Say. This has more blues elements than most of the other tracks and is a good old foot stomper. He finishes with Told My Girl To Go Away, which flits between acoustic and electric but the acoustic slide is well worth waiting for. Wayne Proctor is again excellent and Parker saves one of his strongest vocals for the finale. The whole thing builds up into a top class blues rocker and is a fine way to end the album.

There’s something her for most people and I’m sure that Ian Parker will win many new fans with it.

http://www.rufrecords.de/
http://www.ianparkermusic.com/

David Blue.

Dave Arcari – Come With Me (Buzz Records).

This is Radiotones’ frontman Arcari’s first solo outing and, whilst there are many lamenting the lack of new Radiotones material, Dave does transfer the ethos of the band into his solo performance. He opens with Red Letter Blues and delivers in his own inimitable, unpretentious style. Arcari is known for his lightning guitar delivery and gruff vocal and I have to ask the question, is it possible for him to be any gruffer than he is here? He attacks his guitar with vigour and confirms his status as the gaffer of alt.blues. Another Chance is a Radiotones favourite and carries over well from the full band format. However, I have to say that I prefer the original group version. He plunders the Radiotones back catalogue on a number of occasions and Bring My Baby Back is one that does really well in the solo form. Dave’s guitar playing has tightened up and he’s sounding better than ever. He is, however, still an acquired taste. He continues to raid his back catalogue to great effect with Troubled Mind. He’s at his growling best here for this walking pace offering but the less dedicated may lose patience with it though. The sedate pace continues with the eponymous title track that harks back to primeval delta, old man on the porch kind of blues but I’m not suggesting that Mr Arcari is old, not by any means! Dreamt I Was 100 is a folk blues with a good story. It is contained, restrained and one of the highlights of the album.

The old Mississippi John Hurt classic, Stagolee, gets the Arcari treatment and, although I have heard many versions of this song, I am always surprised at how many different interpretations that are produced. This is as good as any that I have heard as Dave turns to standard acoustic guitar and shows that he can remove the aggression from his voice when he wishes to. He’s starting to play in more recognised blues formats now and the first of two Willie Johnson songs Nobody’s Fault But Mine is another strong performance. I have to admit that Going To See The King, the second Willie Johnson song, is one of my favourite songs, especially when covered by Radiotones. Dave’s solo version is very good but again I prefer the full band as it just gives it a different dimension. Arcari returns to the ‘in your face’ style for Gravel Road but he’s still holding back a little and only starts to really rip it up again on Cool Friend Blues where he shows that he’s an artist that does not try to hide. She’s Gone is another Radiotones favourite. This is Scottish blues, par excellence and the solo version is great. I’ve heard Devil Got My Woman live (as I have with most of the others) and it should be one of the things to do before you die. The recorded version does not do it enough justice, good though it is. Dave finishes with Project Blues and, like the rest, this is short and to the point. Is this what the Delta blues players of yore would be playing if they had their time now? Probably!!

This is music as it should be, every now and then – raw and naked.

http://www.davearcari.com/
http://www.thebuzzgroup.co.uk/

David Blue

Kris Dollimore – 02/01/1978 (Sun Pier Recordings).

Former lead guitarist and founder member of the cult 80s band The Godfathers, Kris Dollimore has taken some time to release his debut solo album. Since leaving The Godfathers in 1990 he has certainly diversified, playing with those such as Adam Ant, The Damned, Del Amitri and country-rock singer Eileen Rose. 02/01/1978 is the result of Dollimore’s abandonment of session playing to concentrate on writing. Inspired by the blues of John Lee Hooker, Mississippi Fred McDowell and Robert Johnson he has produced an album of highly original songs. Opening with Groundhog, a jangly John Lee Hooker blues with thumping drums from Wolf Howard, Dollimore leads us off into his world. Brother Ray is an acoustic blues and a foot-stomper to boot. His frenetic guitar crosses over into mountain music at times and this sets the standard of guitar playing for the rest of the album. Dollimore continues in the acoustic vein with The Enemy. This incorporates slide guitar and keeps both the standard and the pace up. Miss Emma Jane is a storming blues that is on the rock side and played in a Rory Gallagher style. He goes all broody on Loved Up Blues and listen to the lyrics here because in many cases, it can be very true.

The interestingly titled The North Kent Post Industrial Hillstomp Blues is a modern blues shouter, nothing more, nothing less. The next one, Take What’s Mine, is a plodding blues that is surprisingly hypnotic and he goes back to acoustic for the country blues of Cry For Me. One small gripe with this is that there isn’t enough edge, something that the rest of the album has in heaps. The John Lee Hooker influenced Caned is a return to form and the gentle acoustic blues rock of Rollin’ Stone takes us on another journey. T.V. Eye, co-written by Iggy Pop, is another blues influenced rocker and the closing track, East Of England is a slow acoustic finish that runs for over 6 minutes and is the perfect end to this first solo album. I hope that it won’t be too long until the follow up.

http://www.krisdollimore.com/

David Blue.

Jinder – I’m Alive (Folkwit Records).

25 year old Jinder is described as a travelling singer/songwriter and storyteller. Certainly the travelling part of that statement is not in doubt as he has toured relentlessly in the UK, Europe and the USA for the last six years. I’m Alive is his second album and opens with the traditional Country offering, Hill Country. This is a bouncy and energetic start for the man who was previously a founder member of the alt.rock band, Candlefire, who enjoyed chart success in 2002 with Sorrow Spreads Its Wings. A Song To Myself veers over to the alt.country field and he shows that he can be successful in both fields. He sticks with modern Country for Train In Your Voice, a slow, searching song that will grow and grow on you. Jinder is now firmly in the Americana area and Travellin’ Song is a great, sing-along, sit by the fire kind of song. He is proving himself to be a class act and Cicadas Café only goes to cement that feeling before he speeds it up a little for Life, which is modern Country served up in a traditional style. This is augmented by some top class steel guitar playing from Melvin Duffy.

Townes’ Blues is a reflective homage to Townes Van Zandt and this slow Americana offering confirms my feeling that I think we have found a new star. You would swear that Jinder was an American (he’s actually from Bournemouth) by the way that he easily travels around the styles and in Vacancy Here we have a powerful song delivered in a velvet glove. Jinder shows that he can deliver a powerful vocal on In My Time of Dying and this sombre cover slips into John The Revelator for a moment before going off into Fixin’ To Die Blues. This is the only cover on the album and that is testament to Jinder’s confidence in his own songwriting ability. That confidence is exemplified on 1922 Blues, a gentle Americana song that is peaceful and stunning in its simplicity. There are some more gentle sounds on Hazel County. This time though, he adds lovely harmonies and has certainly pushed himself to the forefront of British Americana singers. The album finishes with Shake Me and he goes all electric for it. This sounds like Bo Diddley on speed and builds up very well as Jinder gets emotional towards the end.

Jinder is well worth a listen and I’m sure that given the right circumstances, he will be one of this years breakthrough artists.

http://www.jinder.co.uk/
http://www.folkwit.biz/

David Blue.

Tom Doughty – Running Free (Corker Music).

Englishman Tom Doughty’s early influences include John Renbourn, Bert Jansch, Martin Carthy and Big Bill Broonzy so you can imagine that his own playing has come out as a cross of folk and country blues. Running Free is Tom’s second album and he opens with Your Picture Has Faded, a gentle blues with Western style influences. He has a unique slide guitar style brought about by being made disabled through an accident in 1974. You cannot detect his disability through his music and that is the way it should be. Randy Newman’s Real Emotional Girl is perfect for Tom’s gentle, unassuming style and he shows his diversity by tackling Robert Petway’s Catfish Blues. His guitar style and prowess is coming more to the fore and he turns in a strong performance here. The traditional Darlin’ Cora is another Western influenced trundler but I didn’t really know what to expect when I saw Eleanor Rigby on the track listing. What we get is a virtuoso performance on slide guitar and certainly a very different way to listen to this standard. He follows this up with another; Cole Porter’s Every Time We Say Goodbye and turns in another very acceptable piece.

Koa River is a slow instrumental that just washes your senses and the Charlie Patten song, Some These Days is, as you would expect, a solid country blues. My only criticism is that sometimes Tom’s voice is just a little clinical for my liking. Songs from the greats just keep on coming and Furry Lewis is next. Tom’s rendition of Brownsville Blues is certainly well played but it just lacks the spark of the original. He does have some of his own songs peppered throughout the album and the title track is one of those. This folksy offering is enhanced by the harp in the background. He’s on a roll now and it’s two self-penned tracks in a row. Something Ain’t Right is blues influenced but leans toward the folk side again. The Reverend Gary Davis’ classic Tears Come Rollin’ Down is often covered and Tom’s version is, like the rest of the album, laid back. Perhaps he should inject a little more passion into his voice because this song certainly needs it. Having said that, this is one of the highlights of the album. He finishes with another arrangement of someone else’s material. Black Orpheus is an instrumental, slightly jazz influenced and a perfect showcase for his slide guitar. However, it may not have been the best way to finish an album which is a good introduction to Tom Doughty’s work.

http://www.tomdoughty.com/

David Blue.

Underground Ballroom – Contradictions (Underground Ballroom).

Lancaster based Underground Ballroom are a four piece band that blend blues, funk, jazz and rock to produce a sound rarely heard these days. The opening track, Drawing The Line has a contemporary feel with blues influences. Main songwriter, Mike Atherton takes care of the vocals and his delivery on this sets the tone for the rest of the album. Big Road is an often covered song but Underground Ballroom has turned it into a funky blues with Jake Jackson excelling on keyboards and the staccato delivery is used to great effect. It’s back to the self-written songs with Devil My Deceiver, a classy, urban soft rocker that is blues influenced sophistication. The boys show their background on I’ve Got To Use You which I can only describe as Prog Rock meets the blues and this theme continues with Here, Looking In Your Eyes. This 8-minute epic harks back to the halcyon days of the genre. The title track is funky and Love Lies Bleeding follows on very well to give an uplifting finish to a more than competent album. Jake Jackson excels again and Atherton pours his heart into it.

Underground Ballroom delivers contemporary, urban blues that we will all want to hear more of.

http://www.undergroundballroom.com/

David Blue.

Various Artists – Eat To The Beat (The Dirtiest Of Them Dirty Blues) (Bear Family Records).

Modern day rappers may think that they have got a monopoly on innuendo and smutty lyrics, but, as is shown on this collection of bawdy blues from the 1940s and 1950s with one each from the 60s and 70s, nothing in this world is new. This album has twenty eight tracks of the most suggestive, and sometimes outright filthy, lyrics that the blues has to offer. Starting with 1945s I Want A Man (Who’s Gonna Do Right) by Annisteen Allen and Her Home Town Boys, a tale of a girl who wants her man to stand up all night we are taken on a journey with more double entendre than the entire series of Carry On films. Dirty Red’s Mother Fuyer has slurred lyrics to give the effect of swearing at the appropriate times and is of a high standard musically with some great piano playing. Dinah Washington is one of the more famous names on the album and the first of her two contributions, Long John Blues, is a tale of dentistry. This has been a favourite theme for innuendo for some time and Dinah fills this standard jazzy blues with references to drilling and filling cavities. Tom Archia and His All Stars give us Fishin’ Pole and there’s no need to explain what the suggestion is here. Weddin’ Day Blues by Cousin Joe with Pete Brown’s Brooklyn Blue Blowers is one of the upfront songs – there’s no hiding here on this speakeasy song. Another of the more famous contributors is Amos Milburn. His input is Hard Driving Blues, a standard blues but it is, after all, from one of the greats and he stamps his earthy personality all over it. The quaintly named Crown Prince Waterford offers up Move Your Hand Baby, a classy boogie-woogie with an energetic vocal. The standard of Julia Lee & Her Boyfriends’ Don’t Come Too Soon is very high even if the lyrics are a bit tame by today’s standards. Wynonie Harris is another of the albums luminaries and his I Like My Baby’s Pudding is a jazzy blues with a gritty vocal. By now I’m wondering just how many euphemisms you can get into one album! Some artists take their song seriously but that can’t be said of The Dominoes. Their Doo-Wop, Sixty Minute Man, has an exceptionally silly lead vocal and is on the album for novelty value only. Moose Jackson (Bullmoose Jackson) joins up with Tiny Bradshaw’s Orchestra for Big Ten Inch Record. This has a great use of a pause and shows that you can be frivolous and good. The Clovers give us Rotten Cocksuckers Ball, barbershop as you’ve never heard before. I’ll say no more! Chuck Berry had a number 1 with My Ding-A-Ling but Dave Bartholomew’s version pre-dates it by a number of years. I think that I prefer this big band, bluesy version. There are a number of styles on the album and The Treniers give us some post-war jump blues on Poon-Tang!

Jesse Powell & His Orchestra contribute The Walkin’ Blues (Walk Right In, Walk Right Out) and this big band style is the most prevalent on the album. He leaves it to your imagination to make up the rhymes and this is probably the best way to deliver this type of song. The wordy, The ‘5’ Royales with Charlie ‘Little Jazz’ Ferguson & His Orchestra provide Laundromat Blues – you shouldn’t have to think too much to guess what this one is about. Wynonie Harris returns, this time with Todd Rhodes’ Orchestra, for Keep On Churnin’ – so filthy yet so innocent. Dinah Washington also makes a return with Big Long Slidin’ Thing and, as I’ve said before, some are less obvious than others. This one is about a trombone, wink wink. There are some things that you don’t expect to hear and The Blenders’ Don’t Fuck Around With Love in a Doo-Wop style is one of them. I suppose it’s the contradiction that makes it attractive. Dorothy Ellis’ Drill Daddy Drill is a return to the often covered theme and is an energetic blues with all of the compulsory innuendo. The Royals Work With Me Annie is not a blues as such but leans more toward R&B/Doo-Wop and falls into the less in your face category. The Toppers’ I Love To Play Your Piano (Let Me Bang Your Box) is about playing the piano, apparently. One person that I did not expect to hear on this album was Jackie Wilson but he appears with LaVern Baker on Think Twice (Version X). You can hear LaVern giggle all the way through this as they put just about every swear word known to man. They have great rhythm though, no matter what. Snatch & The Poontangs featuring The Mouth on vocal throw up Two Time Slim, a true talking blues. This is how rap stars would play the blues and the Delta guitar in the background is sheer bliss. Chuck Willis’ Stoop Down Baby is tame compared to some of the others but it makes up for it by being one of the best musically. We’re treated to some Cajun by Boozoo Chavis who gives us LA Women Love Uncle Bud. This is another strong song musically and it’s helping to give the album a powerful finish. Screamin’ Jay Hawkins was never one to hide his light under a bushel and Bite It just confirms that. The album finishes with The Fred Wolff Combo and Somebody Else Was Suckin’ My Dick Tonight. Growling vocal, short and not so sweet, what else can I say?

Bear Family Records has also included a wonderfully informative booklet which includes the offending lyrics.

http://www.bear-family.de/

David Blue.

David Brake & That Damn Band – Spin Around (Westerland Records).

12 new songs, all played live, yes David Brake and That Damned Band are back. Live albums are notoriously difficult to pull off for many a reason and, in my opinion, every band that is worth its salt has to release at least one in their career. They open with the title track with a Bob Dylan style verse and Billy Joel rapid delivery a la We Didn’t Start The Fire. It has a strong, simple chorus and it allows the band to set out their stall as a tough live band. Greyhound Bus is good modern country rock and suits Brake’s easy style. He has the ability to become another great American storyteller. It’s so easy to listen to this band and they are on top form on Kayla Blue. She Owns My Bones leans toward classic country and although it’s a bit sedate for me I’m sure that it will please those many country fans out there. There’s some more contemporary country on Ugly People and I Got Friends is pleasant enough middle of the road fare.

Ignorant Hicks is Eagles style country rock and a jovial dig at city dwellers whilst the effortless Kingdom Of One is top class new country – a standout. Bottle Of Beer is more traditional country and not particularly inspired and Jennifer’s Leavin’ is standard fare new country. Things lift up with Bar Tab Blues, a great example of Brake’s excellent songwriting skills and the album finishes with Beer Gut. The fun filled lyrics obviously strike a chord with the men in the crowd and there’s some good interaction with the audience at the end but it’s a woman’s voice that you hear most clearly.

It takes a good band to pull off a live album – this is a good band.

http://www.thatdamnband.com/
http://www.davidbrake.com/

David Blue.

Mitch Woods – Big Easy Boogie (Club 88 Records).

San Franciscan Mitch Woods has assembled a stellar New Orleans band for what has been described as the Big Easy version of The Buena Vista Social Club. They open with the eponymous title track, a big band blues that verges on rock n roll, and it’s a great way to start. Erving Charles, Jr on bass, who is sadly no longer with us and Earl Palmer provide the driving force and they are complimented by some great other New Orleans old timers. Woods takes on the vocal duty in addition to his piano but it is his piano playing that transcends all. Thought I Heard Satchmo Say is a pleasant New Orleans shuffle and Fallin’ For You is a slow rock n roll stroller, both of which are played with heart. Mitch and the band stay in the rock n roll arena for Counting The Days which moves along very well and shows just how good a band they are. Mojo Mamba is a good fun-time boogie with an earthy voice from Woods and the telling introduction of female backing vocals. Mitch shows what he is about on Crescent City Flyer; this piano boogie is certainly from the high end of the market.

It’s back to the slow rock n roll for Heart And Soul To You and this is pretty standard stuff at best. He stays in the rock n roll field for Short, Sweet And Tender but things are speeded up quite significantly. This will be a real crowd pleaser and again shows Woods to be in the higher echelon of boogie-woogie piano players. Back In Your Arms Again is medium paced rock n roll and is lit up by the horns of Herb Hardesty, Clarence Johnson III and Fred Sheppard on tenor sax, Reggie Houston on baritone sax and the legendary Dave Bartholomew on trumpet. I Left My Baby At The Mardi Gras Cryin’ is played in a Professor Longhair style but the added guitar of Jimmy Moliere gives that different feel as he does his thing. The slow swinger, New Gert Town Blues is a fine example of Woods leaving the audience in no doubt that the piano is the star of this show. They crank up the pace again for I’m Ready, the Fats Domino classic, and this excellent version leads us up toward the end of the album in fine style. The closing track, The Ballad Of Dr Daddy O has a spoken narration about the first Black radio DJ and is a good story, if somewhat a strange way to end the album.

Also included is a DVD with a live New Orleans performance, recording studio footage, interviews, biographies and a discography. This all makes for a top class package.

http://www.mitchwoods.com/

David Blue.

Bob Brozman – Blues Reflex (Ruf Records).

Bob Brozman says that he has been playing guitar for 45 years and he’s just beginning to figure out some of the basics of music. I know what he means – he’s revisiting his deeply held ideas and re-evaluating them. Blues Reflex is the result and Brozman opens with the superbly titled Dead Cat On The Line. This is a stomping Delta blues where he plays all of the instruments apart from the drums and there’s a fantastic prelude speech by the Reverend J.M. Gates lifted from 1929. Brozmans National guitar playing is superb and he plays an instrument by the name of a duff bender which I think is an Arabic device of some sort, all of which, when added to his gruff vocal, makes for a wonderfully eccentric song. Rattlesnake Blues is a traditional tune given the Brozman treatment and his beautiful rolling guitar is the making of the song. He turns to the jazz genre for One Steady Roll and the French influences abound. Despite the exaggerated vocal it is his guitar that carries this one. Death Come Creepin’ is a good old Delta blues and Vieux Kanyar Blues is more contemporary. The overdubbing a la Les Paul is welcome and shows how innovative a guitarist he is. Only three of the thirteen tracks are not written by Brozman and Poor Me, written by Charley Patton, is one of them. This is very slow but is full of character.

The last of the covers is Skip James’ Cypress Grove Blues and this is an interesting version of the song. Brozman just about gets away with it and his guitar playing, as usual, is on top form. He goes on to give us a slide guitar master class on Little Tough Guy Blues before giving us a first on New Guinea Blues (I’m sure that no-one else has ever written a blues about that country). The song itself is a standard blues and little else. It’s Mercy We Need is the third instrumental of the album and is a sobering piece of music. Mean World Blues is bouncy but More Room At The Edge is probably one too many instrumentals. He seems to be running out of ideas but there are some Indian influences in the guitar work. The final track, Workman’s Song, is yet another instrumental and although he has been playing Hawaiian guitar throughout it is this one that sounds most like it. The album has petered out a bit but is worth buying at least for the first eight tracks alone.

http://www.bobbrozman.com/
http://www.rufrecords.de/

David Blue.

Bob Margolin – In North Carolina (Steady Rollin’ Records).

Blues veteran Margolin releases his first album on Steady Rollin’ Records and the former Muddy Waters guitarist gives us a personal insight to his blues world. To have played with Muddy Waters for seven years is testament to Bob’s playing and he can be seen playing alongside the great man on Martin Scorsese’s The Last Waltz. Just to prove his high level of musicianship, Margolin plays all the instruments heard on the album. He opens, appropriately enough, with a Muddy Waters song. Tell Me Why is a great song to start an album with and Margolin’s slide guitar and fractured solo compliment his understated vocal. The soft vocal is a good idea because it would be potential disaster to try and match Waters’ delivery. The title track is almost played to a tango beat and Bob turns in a silky vocal performance. This is the first of Margolin’s originals; the album is split roughly 50/50 between covers and originals, and gives an indication of his particular lyrical style. You Rascal You is a Sam Thread song and, as the title suggests, is a bouncy, good time song. It’s acoustic, unlike the first two, and I really have taken to it. Just Before Dawn is another original and is a slow Chicago blues. The Muddy Waters influence is there for all to hear, as is that of Johnny Winter who he also played with. He’s not a blues shouter by any manner of means and he’s kept his voice on a leash so far. It’s two self-penned songs in a row with the slow instrumental Colleen. This allows him to show off his guitar skills although he’s leaning towards country rather than the blues with this one. He returns to Muddy Waters for Lonely Man and he’s back to the blues, no mistake. Snappy snare and punchy guitar make for one of the albums highlights. A track from Bob Dylan may be a strange choice but this reminds me of The Rolling Stones, Wild Horses ilk – very good.

J.W. Henry’s Natural Blues is given a funked up treatment with slap bass. It’s a swing blues but an even more beefy sound would have been welcome. Margolin’s own Bring Me Your Blues has a very deep vocal and is painfully slow (no bad thing though) but he returns to the Chicago style blues for Lillian Shedd McMurry’s Red Hot Kisses. This has some of the best guitar work on the album and although he delivers a laconic vocal he does put a bit of rage in there at last. Hard Feelings is an acoustic blues that has Bob on top form again but Floyds Blues is another slow instrumental that doesn’t really go anywhere. She And The Devil continues in the sedate vein but this self-penned Delta blues has some of the best guitar playing that I’ve heard recently. Baby Baby Baby is played in a Sonny Terry/Brownie McGhee style with some added electric slide and gets top marks from me. The final, bonus, track is a spoken tale of blues bands, what songs they get as requests and other interesting things. It’s a bit of a strange way to finish the album and I, personally, would have preferred it if he had just finished with Baby Baby Baby.

This is a top class album from a man steeped in the blues. He’s played alongside two of my heroes and that would have been enough for me but he’s added the cream on top by releasing this.

http://www.bobmargolin.com/

David Blue.

Steve Ashley – Live In Concert (Dusk Fire).

Steve Ashley’s 60th birthday party was recorded for posterity and a number of his friends turned up to help him celebrate. Fairport Convention’s Dave Pegg and Simon Nicol help out on the jokey folk of I’m A Radio and Tinderbox contribute to the acoustic The Spirit Of Christmas. Pegg returns with orchestral backing for None Can Tell and Ashley’s voice shows no signs of his age. Springsong is the kind of song that we non-folkies would describe as finger in the ear stuff but Ashley’s Jethro Tull type vocal wins me over. Broken Wing is another gentle song but is not strong throughout and becomes rather bitty. Well Well Well is superbly played and is suited to Ashley’s laid back style whereas The Well At The Worlds End picks up the pace a bit and is the best track so far. Richard Byers on mandolin is the star here.

Back On The Road Again keeps the pace up with Ashley’s tales of bygone tours. There’s a good backing vocal here and Chris Leslie on fiddle fits in supremely. The Weapon makes it three up-tempo songs on the trot. This is an anti-war song but they lose it a bit at times and that’s a real shame. There’s a jug band feel to Easy Come and he provokes some thoughts on Ships Of Shame, a song about the need for our nuclear submarines. Ashley throws in some jolly English Folk on Family Love and he seems to perform better on the slower songs as shown on Once In A While. His gentleness pervades the album and his friends, Pegg, Leslie & Nicol plus Martin Brinsford, certainly back him well throughout. There’s some more of Ashley’s down to earth Folk on Feeling Lazy and the concert finishes with Say Goodbye, appropriately enough, with its earthy lyrics. Steve Ashley sings songs with a social conscience and these days, that’s no bad thing.

http://www.duskfire.co.uk/

David Blue.

The Barcodes – With Friends Like These (Note Records).

Britain’s foremost R&B label, Note, has a roster to die for and The Barcodes epitomise the quality on offer. Bob Haddrell, Alan Glen and Dino Coccia are the current incarnation and the guest stars compliment them perfectly. Opening with Taj Mahal’s Paint My Mailbox Blue they produce thirteen tracks of British R&B that is rarely matched. Val Cowell and Paul Cox guest on vocals and their voices fit together very well on this sultry blues along with Papa George on slide guitar and Roger Cotton on Hammond. There are only four covers on the album and the second, Mose Allison’s I Won’t Worry About A Thing, shows a bunch of top musicians on top of their form. This is played in Allison’s jazz/blues style and the newest member, Bob Haddrell, effortlessly shows his keyboard skills. However, it is Alan Barnes on sax that is the standout. The first of the originals is a result of many hands and Back At The 4 Aces is an airy instrumental that takes in jazz and a little bit of reggae. Jim Mullen adds his considerable guitar talents to this one. Great British blues musician Alan Glen is a much lauded guitarist, harmonica player and songwriter and his Petunia is next. This is slinky jazz of the highest order and has Glen written all over it, as you can tell from the guitar work. Everything Or Nothing is another Glen song and he showcases his harmonica this time – British blues from a British bluesman. He teams up with Coccia for Halfway To Nowhere, another good British R&B topped off by Zoot Money on vocal and Hammond.

It’s a full band effort for the instrumental Blues For Judy which is on the jazzy side of the blues again, with Glen’s guitar shining through. Can’t Hold Out Much Longer is a Little Walter song but the understated vocal lets it down a bit. I also thought that Glen would have given the harmonica part a better treatment. Coccia and Haddrell team up for the first time to write Time, Talk ‘n’ Trouble, a slow methodical blues that doesn’t really get anywhere. The Snitch is a band effort again and is plain and simply well played, British jazz/blues. They stay in the jazzy vein for Coccia & Haddrell’s Undercover Lover. Although it has the added extra of Nick Newall on flute it’s really nothing out of the ordinary. The last of the covers is a laid back version of Peter Green’s Watch Out. It’s jazzed up a little and I’m sure that it’s not what Green had in mind when he wrote it. It’s a low key finish with No Light In My Life. Well played, as are the others, and in the jazz vein which is a side of the band that has come out more than I’d hoped.

http://www.note-music.co.uk/

David Blue.

Alice Peacock – Who I Am (Peacock Music).

Singer-songwriter Alice Peacock presents fourteen original tracks on this, her third album. First known in the UK through touring with Lucy Kaplansky, she has gone from strength to strength with each album release and for this one she has returned to her own independent label. She believes that this gives her more freedom and time to develop. Opening with Different From The Rest she tries to prove this last statement to be true. This is piano-led, as is the rest of the album, and has American popular music stamped all over it. It’s good middle of the road stuff but it doesn’t quite live up to its name. Baby Come Back is sedate and not particularly exciting and it’s not until Here I Go Again that things start to improve. On this, she is vocally very good and although the music remains gentle it is starting to stir. I can’t say a bad word about it but it just needs that little something extra. Time is a slow jazz-based, Janis Ian type of song that is very relaxing and shows her to be an excellent songwriter. Taught Me Well builds up into a very good song and this is where Alice Peacock shines – the construction of her songs is exemplary. The problem is that she shares a genre with a number of singers who are of the same quality. Jon Bon Jovi would be proud of the rock ballad, Anyone But Me but she spoils it by following with the weak Runaway Day.

Love is a sultry acoustic based offering with Beatles-esque strings in the background and Only A Memory is reflective and airy with a lovely chorus. Her problem seems to be consistency and that is shown on I’m Still Here. This is pleasant enough but there’s nothing different and the follow up, Sunflower is another of the weak tracks. The album is starting to peter out and nice is about the only word I can use for Finding My Way. The title track does redeem things a little as Alice puts a little grit into her vocal and lets it rip. She does have a knack of writing a catchy chorus and this is an excellent example. There are tinges of New Country on If You Could Only See Your Eyes and this builds up very well. This could be another one that could make an impact in the AOR field.

Overall, this is a better than average album from an artist who has the song writing capabilities to make it in the very busy field in which she has chosen to pitch her tent.

http://www.alicepeacock.com/

David Blue.

Derrin Nauendorf – The Rattling Wheel (Rising Records).

This is Derrin’s first album with a full band and he continues to improve and deliver his songs in a different way. Universe Demands is one of two new songs as far as I can tell and delivers his usual stunning guitar work. This is a very powerful opener that confirms Derrin’s growth into a wonderfully mature artist and validates his choice to enter the full band arena. He raids his back catalogue effectively for a number of songs for his band to play and Shipwrecked is a case in point. This is from his last album, 2005s New History. The stripped down version is excellent and this is just as good with just a little hint of a backing vocal providing the finishing touch. He returns to his debut album, Natural, for I Won’t Turn My Back. This is also on his first live album, Live At The Boardwalk, and I feel that this is the seminal version. For me, the new adaptation loses a bit of the originals impact but it is a fantastic song anyhow. Derrin describes his 2003 album, Wasteland, as being from a very dark place and the haunting Where Two Men Go Tonight is a fantastic example of this. It builds up very effectively and will chill you to the bone. Queensland, from New History, is speeded up and benefits tremendously from the addition of a band. Quite superb!

Deliver Me An Angel is another from Wasteland but this doesn’t really gain anything from the extra bodies and possibly spoils what I believe to be one of his best ever songs. The first album, Natural, gets raided again for Reason You Came Here and this is typical Nauendorf, big guitar sounds and moody vocal. This song really suits the band format and I pick out bassist Rick Foot for particular praise. My Hurricane is the second, and last, of the new songs. There are more power chords and it builds just like a hurricane. This must rank as the highlight of the album and hopefully will help confirm 2007 as Derrin’s year. Shatter Like Stars completes a hat-trick as it has appeared on both of Derrin’s previous two albums. If you are hearing this for the first time then you are hearing an emotion-packed song that successfully makes the transition to a full band but I also suggest that you listen to both of the previous versions, you will not be disappointed. Long Road Home was first heard on Wasteland and this up-tempo version benefits greatly from the addition of mandolin, which is a masterstroke. I haven’t mentioned Derrin’s voice too much but it, like he, has grown up and he has a Paul Weller tone here. The closing track, All The Faces, is another from the dark Wasteland. It’s a sombre finish but it works very well. Ladies and gentlemen, this is Derrin Nauendorf.

http://www.derrinnauendorf.com/

David Blue.

Dave Arcari – Something Old, Something Borrowed EP (Buzz Records).

Erstwhile Radiotones frontman Arcari brings his style of alt. blues to the solo scene. Johnny Cash’s Blue Train is kept short and sweet but it played with Dave’s usual passion and cracking National slide guitar. The traditional Stagolee was really made famous by Mississippi John Hurt and Arcari gives it a fair treatment. He plays fingerpicked acoustic guitar and is the first time that I’ve really heard him sing without his renowned snarl – a pleasant surprise. Robert Johnson’s Travelling Riverside Blues has him return to National guitar and his vocals are maturing all the time. This song confirms that he is now an artist to be reckoned with. It’s Robert Johnson again on Preachin’ Blues and this is an old Radiotones favourite. Arcari returns to his manic style for a passionate rendition. The EP closes with Trouble In Mind and he returns to acoustic fingerpicking. Unfortunately, this is the weakest track but I suppose I can’t expect the same levels of energy throughout. I don’t think that this is his song but it does get better as it gets going.

http://www.davearcari.com/

David Blue.

Memphis Gold – The Prodigal Son (Chet Chandler).

Chester Chandler aka Memphis Gold has shared a stage with the best of them; Bernard Allison, Otis Rush, Taj Mahal and Robert Cray to name but a few. The thirteenth child of fourteen, he was mentored by his father, John, and the Reverend Robert ‘Tim’ Watkins whose claim to fame was that his song ‘That’s No Way To Get Along’ appeared as ‘Prodigal Son’ on the Rolling Stones album Beggars Banquet. So it is appropriate that Memphis Gold has decided to call his album Prodigal Son in an homage to his mentor. Come Wit Me features a funky bassline and is an excellent opener with Memphis Gold’s smoky voice complimenting it well. There’s a surprising harmonica break, considering the style of the song but it shows what a clever artist we have here. Don’t Let Her Ride is a vibrant, bouncy, staccato blues. There’s some tremendous barrelhouse piano from Kurt Gibbons and excellent guitar from the main man himself. This will easily be a favourite. He keeps the fast pace going with Crabcakes and it’s Gibbons again who makes himself the star on this happy tune. The pace is slowed down for Big Leg Woman which is a classic guitar blues that highlights Memphis’ lovely voice and top class guitar work. The title track confirms that he could have been a preacher himself. This is a chugging blues on the Gospel side. The instrumental Chicken It is enjoyable and enthusiastic and runs up to the more sombre and serious 3s Tonic. This is a slow, hypnotic blues that doesn’t change much throughout. What it does do is show that there is another guitar star on the block.

Preacher Blues swings along very well and the addition of horns from Robert Eldridge is of great effect. Memphis is not at his most PC on Test Drive That Woman but if you put aside the lyrical content then you have a good old time blues underneath with the horns on fire again. Serves Me Right has a lovely guitar intro and has a classic blues theme. This is an all round top song and really deserves to be heard by more people. The album has been well above average so far but the closing two tracks let it down somewhat. The instrumental Melt Down Baby is a strange one and doesn’t seem to hang together completely – maybe Memphis has suffered a meltdown of his own. The closing track, Bedroom Mumba, is most definitely the weakest track on the album and is a disappointing way to finish what is an excellent album.

http://www.memphisgoldprod.net/

David Blue.

Marion James – Essence (Soul Food Records).

Essence is the debut release from Soul Food Records, a new independent label from Nashville. They have picked a steady hand in the shape of Marion James
to guide their new journey and if the follow up releases show the same standard then they should be about for some time. Essence starts with Tables, a James original that is funky R&B of high measure. The Nashville born chanteuse shows all of her experience through her accomplished vocal. Add a very tight band and you have a recipe for success. Give Me Love is a slow blues with her guitarist (Jack Pearson) to the fore. He has a lot to live up to as the guitarist in Marion’s early 60s touring band was none other than Jimi Hendrix but Pearson is a star in his own rite having played in The Allman Brothers Band. He turns in a great solo and compliments Marion’s considered vocal very well. She returns to the funk for the self-penned My Mama and this is power all the way. Things are slowed down again for Let’s Straighten It Out, a straightforward, bluesy smoulderer before she goes off into the swinging blues of 24 Hours with the pianist on top form. Until The Real Thing Comes Along has her continuing to alternate between slow and up-tempo. This is jazzy, nightclub fare and her voice copes with it as well as it does on the other genres.

Please Don’t Waste My Time is a raunchy, Chicago style blues written by James and I Should Have Known is a classy, slow blues from Little Johnny Taylor – both are performed to the highest of standards. Be Anything keeps it slow and is another one for a dark, smoky nightclub. Marion tries hard to contemporise things with Feel It. It takes a while to get going and, then again, only just. This is a missed opportunity. So many will relate to You’re History Baby and I’m sure that many people will have said it in the past. This song, more than most of the others, highlights the undercurrent of power that Marion has in her songs and it builds up very well. There’s another of the slow, nightclub songs in I Want To Be Loved (But Only By You). It doesn’t really do it for me but it is sung by a performer who is comfortable in her own ability. The album finishes with an interview with Marion, interspersed with a couple of short songs played by her on piano. This gives us a wonderful insight into Marion the person and Marion the musician.

http://www.soulfoodrecords.com/

David Blue.

Johnny Nicholas – Livin’ With The Blues (Topcat Records).

Johnny Nicholas’ second release of 2005 was the original Livin’ With The Blues and followed the re-release of Thrill On The Hill. This album has seven new Nicholas compositions added to five classy covers and highlights both his song writing and instrumental skills. He begins with the Cajun style Froggy Bottom, a medium paced, infectious original that would grace the start of many an album. This is followed by another of the originals, Hill Top, which is old style country mixed with a jazz edge. This instrumental throws up some excellent individual performances, none more so than Floyd Domino on piano and Ray Benson on guitar. The Roosevelt Sykes song You Can’t Be Lucky All The Time is a hypnotic piano led blues that highlights Domino again and I’ll Be Around, a Chicago blues, confirms the status of Floyd Domino as the star of the album so far. Johnny’s voice shows a couple of cracks but this is an emotional song and re-affirms the loss of the veneer of his previous recordings. His voice certainly has matured into a top class instrument and this Howlin’ Wolf song suits him to a tee. The next original, Dirty People, bounces along nicely and has a good sax solo from Greg Piccolo. Teardrops On My Windowpane is another new song and is in the classic ‘Woke up this morning’ vein. The fractured guitar and sleepy sax make this a classy track.

The title track is a Brownie McGhee song and has the classic McGhee sound. Harmonica instead of accordion may have been a better option although with the electrifying guitar solo he manages to make the song his own. Talking of making a song his own, Nicholas turns in a version of Need Your Love So Bad that is completely different to the well-known Fleetwood Mac track. His vocal duet with Marcia Ball is sublime. Honeydrippin’ Baby is a swinging blues with added horns and the lightning fingers of Joel Guzman on accordion. Johnny goes all cowboy on us with Texas Drifter, which is surprisingly good for a genre of songs that I don’t particularly like. Red Young on organ keeps up the high standard of soloists. I’m From Texas is a big band blues (Texas Swing) that produces yet another great all round performance from the band. The closing track, Down In The Alley, is a little slow for my liking (those of you that have read my reviews will know that I like an album normally to finish on a high note) and really should be in the middle of the album. It’s pleasant enough and highlights Nicholas’ voice again but it’s nothing special although the little bit of slide guitar does lift it momentarily.

http://www.topcatrecords.com/

David Blue.

Jim Suhler & Alan Haynes – Live At Blue Cat Blues (Topcat Records).

Jim Suhler and Alan Haynes are two names that I’m not too familiar with but on reading their histories I’m surprised that I haven’t. Suhler has accompanied heavyweights such as George Thorogood and Haynes has played with Muddy Waters, Albert Collins and Hubert Sumlin, amongst others. No pressure then! They open with Too Poor To Die, a Louisiana Red song that is a pounding Chicago blues. This is a slide guitar festival and the Thorogood power is evident. Suhler has the vocal for this and passes it off effectively. Knockin’ At Your Door is an Eddie Taylor song and Suhler & Haynes give it a great slide guitar intro before going off into top class blues rock. I can’t remember if Rory Gallagher covered this but, if he did then Suhler & Haynes more than matched it. Haynes takes the vocal and although his voice is softer he does carry the same sort of effectiveness. They turn to Freddie King for I Wonder Why and Hynes keeps the vocal. Good enough version and that’s all I have to say. Down And Out In Texas follows and this is an original Suhler composition. This is a chugging blues where Suhler takes on the vocal himself and both provide some lovely guitar. Haynes is considered to be more of the blues stylist but their interaction is quite superb.

Don’t Do It is a good rocking blues that gets the crowd going and twin guitars swapping riffs is just what I want to hear. This is followed by Oh My Baby’s Gone which is a rhythmic blues played with ease and a slower Say Your Prayers. This is possibly the weakest track on the album and although I can’t complain about the standard of the guitar playing, there’s just something missing! They finish with a cover of Jimi Hendrix’s Are You Experienced. A mistake, I hear you ask? Maybe, but this is technically excellent although not up to the masters standard.

http://www.topcatrecords.com/

David Blue.

Edwin Holt – Second Time Around (Topcat Records).

Backed by the members of Johnnie Taylor’s band, vocalist and harmonica player Edwin Holt describes this album as “blues with funk on the side” and it’s difficult to disagree on the evidence of the 13 tracks on offer. He opens with the powerful I Don’t Think I’m Going To Make It and don’t be fooled by the understated start. Holt displays a strong voice and the band provides a rounded sound. The title track drifts off into a relaxing soul/R&B feel before Holt unleashes some surging harp and a pounding rhythm section for the self-penned Red Clay Back Road Mama. This is a fine blues indeed. You’re In For A Big Surprise is loaded with horns and gives a Big Easy sound with Holt continuing the excel on vocal. The funk comes in the shape of Back Line with its snappy bass line and organ. Holt’s voice takes on this new style with ease and the song, whilst not outstanding, is pleasant fare. He stays in the same vein for Somebody’s Getting’ It before returning to R&B on Steal Away where his voice is strangely reminiscent of Daryl Hall. There’s more guitar work creeping in as the album goes on and I’m certainly not complaining about that.

Jack About Nothin’ confirms my feeling that Holt seems to favour the R&B route and why not as he’s very good at it and certainly has the voice for it! I Want To Walk With You is a slow bluesy stroller and we get right back to the blues with Down To The Bone. The slide guitar makes this medium paced rocking blues a favourite. The classiest track on the album is The Right Reverend Of The Blues with the church organ at the start to give the air of authenticity. This is a thoroughly enjoyable swinging blues that goes off into a Blues Brothers style speeded up finish. A cover of Stevie Wonders Higher Ground is a surprise on a blues album but Holt funks it up, if that could be possible, and makes it a bit more staccato than the original. The vocal is great and the bass from Wes Stephenson is stylish on this very good cover. Holt closes with One More River To Cross and the emotion filled vocal is a tremendous way to finish.

http://www.topcatrecords.com/

David Blue.