VA - Chicago's Finest Blues Ladies

Size: 172,1 MB
Time: 73:47
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1998
Styles: Chicago Blues
Art: Full

01. Deitra Farr - I'm Feeling Good (4:06)
02. Deitra Farr - Mean Old World (6:52)
03. Zora Young - Bad Track Record (4:14)
04. Zora Young - Bus Station Blues (5:29)
05. Mary Lane - Ride My Automobile (3:38)
06. Mary Lane - You Can't Take Out (5:45)
07. Mary Lane - You Hurt My Feelings (4:30)
08. Melvina Allen - Steppin' In (4:36)
09. Melvina Allen - Dr. Feelgood (5:48)
10. Melvina Allen - Breakin Up Somebody's Home (5:59)
11. Karen Carroll - Who's Lovin You Tonight (3:08)
12. Karen Carroll - I Got To Have Somebody (3:57)
13. Bonnie Lee - Sad And Evil Woman (8:29)
14. Bonnie Lee - Let It Roll (3:13)
15. Bonnie Lee - What's The Matter (3:55)

Chicago's Finest Blues Ladies

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Martin Harley & Daniel Kimbro - Live At Southern Ground

Size: 116,2 MB
Time: 50:14
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Acoustic Blues, Americana
Art: Front

01. Cardboard King ( 3:59)
02. Winter Coat ( 4:45)
03. Goodnight Irene ( 3:57)
04. Can't Help Moving ( 5:02)
05. Honey Bee ( 2:15)
06. Chocolate Jesus ( 4:34)
07. Automatic Life ( 3:47)
08. Money Don't Matter ( 4:28)
09. Nobody's Fault But Mine ( 4:24)
10. Love In The Afternoon (Bonus Track) (13:00)

British born blues and Americana artist Martin Harley is no newcomer to the world of music, having five full albums under his belt. The Guildford native has spent years touring the world and playing alongside a number of well-regarded acts of his genre. His material has also won plenty of praise from media outlets on both sides of the Atlantic.

Recently, he returned to the studio with fellow musician Daniel Kimbro to record a new compilation called Live at Southern Ground. The ten track undertaking begins with the orchestral introduction of “Cardboard King”, before transitioning into a soft showcase of acoustic instrumentation. A warm harmony soon sets in and proceeds at a placid pace, forging a pleasant blues ballad. “Winter Coat” follows via a characterful riff that paves the way to an expressive melody. Strolling serenely forward, it remains relaxed yet resolute from opening to close.

“Goodnight Irene” establishes a laid-back ambience ahead of lackadaisical vocals that take their time developing. It manages to convey an admirable amount of fervour and feeling, despite its unobtrusive attitude. “Can’t Help Moving” is another subdued serenade next, bearing a stronger roots flavour than its predecessors. Its style is simultaneously sombre and stirring, due to the vigour of its vocals.

“Honey Bee” is a more enthusiastic effort which runs through energetic instrumentation and a quirky melody. “Chocolate Jesus” tones back slightly afterwards, while maintaining an eager atmosphere. The guitars are consistently cutting as the vocals exude stacks of spirit. A wild and raucous display of acoustic riffs in the middle is particularly enthralling. “Automatic Life” takes over via a busy beat when it’s done. The instrumentation keeps keen as it resounds across a heartfelt harmony. The result is a solemn but thrilling tune with plenty of passion.

The arresting riff of “Money Don’t Matter” persists into a vivacious verse that trots along excitedly, building a rapid rhythm that’s quite captivating. “Nobody’s Fault but Mine” is a fast and feisty entry in its wake, brimming with personality. This eventually gives way to the playful guitar and hyper harmony of “Love in the Afternoon”. Skipping speedily to a lively climax, complete silence ensues for several minutes until a melancholy melody arrives to guide things to a forlorn finish.

Harley and Kimbro have created a stripped down assemblage of innocuous anthems that dance delicately around the genres of blues, country, folk and Americana. Its simple style and meditative mood rest easy on the ears, making for a light listen. ~By Dave Simpson

Live At Southern Ground

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Michael Packer Blues Band - 35th Anniversary

Size: 103,1 MB
Time: 44:06
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Electric Blues
Art: Front

01. Bull Frog Blues (2:53)
02. I'm In Love (4:43)
03. Somebody Have Mercy (4:43)
04. I Got A Mind To Give Up Livin' (3:59)
05. Born In New York City (4:53)
06. See That My Grave Is Kept Clean (4:39)
07. Sweet Home Chicago (4:14)
08. Thrill Is Gone (5:02)
09. Gotta Go (Chicago, New Orleans) (5:35)
10. 61 Highway (With David 'Honeyboy' Edwards) (3:20)

MICHAEL PACKER is an american singer-songwriter, guitarist and Blues Hall Of Fame inductee who was born in New York City in 1950. He did his first gig at the Bitter End in Greenwich Village at the age of 15. In 1969 he formed the group 'Papa Nebo" which included saxophonist Bob Mintzer who went on to play with the Grammy award winning "Yellowjackets". Papa Nebo recorded an album for Atlantic records. They were personally signed by Ahmet Ertegun.Today it is a collectors item.
Packer soon took his sound to the West Coast with buddy Sandy Allen, playing on the streets of San Francisco during the day and The Coffee Gallery in North Beach at night, Michael met George Thorogood and was turned on to the blues.

The Michael Packer Blues Band has received rave reviews in Living Blues, Blues Matters, Blues Revue magazines for the live @ Sweet Rhythm album (Woodstock Records). A Best of Michael Packer has been released and also reissues of his earlier recordings Papa Nebo and Free Beer. Packer also released a solo album "The Sunny Side of Me" in 2007 featuring lyrics for the title song by a 8 year old girl from Albany NY named Gabby Kasper. Later that year Packer and his band with special guests Jimmy Vivino, David Maxwell, Sandy Allen, Dave 'Snakeman' Runyan and Felix Cabrera recorded a live session @ Lucilles (BB King's) NYC . All of these recordings were released by Alan Lorber's Iris Music Group. A Michael Packer anthology was also released in 2008. In 2009 and 2010 Michael Packer was a semi-finalist in the solo/duo competition @ the International Blues Challenge in Memphis and the Iris Music Group released the CD "Rikers Island Blues" which included liner notes by Blues Wax editor Don Wilcock and was awarded best self-produced CD by The Jersey Shore Blues & Jazz Foundation.
Michael Packer recently found a new home with the Chicago blues label Blue Skunk Music who released his 2010 CD "Free Beer" and as a result of this he met Michael Frank "Honeyboy" Edwards manager and CEO of Earwig Music. Michael Frank presented Packer with the opportunity and the honor of playing 2nd guitar and touring with the late great 2 time Grammy award winner the legendary Delta blues guitarist David "Honeyboy" Edwards who knew and played along side Robert Johnson. They played their last gig together on April 16,2011 in Clarksdale MS. @ The Juke Joint Festival.

35th Anniversary

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Monte Stephens - Soul Side

Size: 120,5 MB
Time: 51:23
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Blues Gospel, Blues Soul
Art: Front

01. Church Up In Here (4:07)
02. Hate Me For A Reason (3:11)
03. Wayfaring Stranger (3:44)
04. Getting Ready To Leave (3:00)
05. God's Got What You Need (2:56)
06. DNA (4:18)
07. Fade To Gray (3:15)
08. Take These Chains (4:51)
09. Eat My Dust (3:38)
10. Children Need Heroes (3:39)
11. This Moment's Gone (3:03)
12. My Last Dollar (2:47)
13. Heaven Bound Blues (3:05)
14. Calling Me Home (5:43)

Out of the south, the black church brought to America its origins music, birthing soul, R&B, and the blued. "Soul Side" by Tennessean Monte Stephens, reveals the strong influence of this music on this white boy raised in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee.

Stephens was doing just fine until he heard James Brown's "I Feel Good" at the age of 16, then his love for music took a new turn. Throughout the 45 years in the world of music, Stephens has recorded many albums and always included a gospel soul song he wrote. "Soul Side" is Stephens' first of a completed album of all 14 tracks that is dedicated to his love for what he calls gospel blues.

Soul Side

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Mitch Laddie Band - Let You Go

Size: 116,1 MB
Time: 49:22
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Blues Rock, Funky Blues
Art: Front

01. And Another, Pt. 1 (1:56)
02. Take It Off (2:40)
03. Speak Up (4:04)
04. Move On Over (5:04)
05. Three (4:08)
06. Your Time, Pt. 2 (1:32)
07. Linger (4:35)
08. Cut Loose (3:22)
09. Crimson (3:51)
10. In The Past (4:04)
11. Before It's Mine, Pt. 3 (1:56)
12. Hear Me In The Harmony (4:44)
13. Open Your Eyes (Take It Back) (2:24)
14. Let You Go, Pt. 4 (4:55)

The Mitch Laddie Band get ready to release their first studio album in three years.

The band adopted a DIY approach to Let You Go. Without constraint or influence from others, they wrote, produced, engineered, and recorded the album themselves. This approach allowed the band the freedom to create the album that they wanted to put out.

In an age where everyone tries to pigeon hole artists into genres to make themselves feel comfortable, the Mitch Laddie Band break those boundaries and blur the lines. When you throw influences ranging from Miles Davis, Buddy Miles, Tower of Power, Prince, Robben Ford, and D’Angelo into a melting pot, the result is Let You Go.

It is often said writing music is a therapeutic process. The theme that runs heavily through the album is letting go of the things that are holding you back. Throughout the album, there are four musical interludes that rework the riff from the title track.

Mitch Laddie is the protege of the great Walter Trout, and as you would want and expect the album features some sublime guitar playing. Laddie is joined by the rhythm section of Rhian Wilkinson (bass), and Matt Connor (drums) who lay down a tight groove.

The album has something for everyone from funky up-tempo numbers in the shape of “Take It Off,” “Cut Loose,” and “Speak Up” to more soulful numbers like “Crimson” and “Move On Over”. There are also a couple of familiar numbers on the album with the likes of “Linger” and “Open Your Eyes” that have been staple favorites in the band’s live set for a while. Both tracks were included on last year’s Mitch Laddie Band Live in Concert album.

Let You Go is a superb contemporary funky blues rock album that oozes with soul. So much music these days sounds the same, it is a breath of fresh air to see a band creating such an innovative record. ~by Adam Kennedy

Let You Go

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The Mannish Boys - Shake For Me

Year: 2010
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:30
Size: 162,5 MB
Styles: Blues
Scans: Full

1. Too Tired (3:38)
2. Mona/Willie And The Hand Jive (4:25)
3. Reconsider Baby (3:08)
4. Educated Ways (4:01)
5. Half Ain't Been Told (5:01)
6. Number 9 Train (3:17)
7. Last Night (5:04)
8. Hey Now (3:18)
9. You Can't Be Beat (4:27)
10. Black Nights (3:29)
11. The Bullet (4:46)
12. Those Worries (7:01)
13. Raunchy (5:32)
14. Champagne & Reefer (4:25)
15. You've Got Bad Intentions (2:48)
16. Way Down South (5:04)

Through five years, and over as may CDs, the rotating personnel of the Mannish Boys constituted an impressive array of rhythm-section member and special guest all-stars. Shake for Me displays this potpourri of blues musicians on some classic tunes and those written by select bandmembers, each one with a special, customized feeling. With personnel ranging from duets up to horn-fired big-band charts, this quintessential backup band takes center stage on their way to deserved recognition as a premier blues group in their own right.

Among the classics they cover are "Mona" welded onto the Johnny Otis evergreen "Willie & the Hand Jive" in bompity-bomp fashion à la Bo Diddley, with Bobby Jones singing; the slow jazz shuffle penned by Ray Charles, "Hey Now," again with the irrepressible Jones (check out his CD with the Mannish Boys as his backup band, Comin Back Hard); "You Can't Be Beat," a quintessential Chi-Town/Howlin' Wolf blues; Little Walter's "Last Night" with mighty harmonica man Rod Piazza; the get-down Muddy Waters number "Champagne & Reefer"; and "Number Nine Train" in a loose Hound Dog Taylor style also make the cut. Randy Chortkoff's "Educated Ways" is an original that stands out with a Bill Doggett sound, as does the lengthy jam "Those Worries" featuring Lynwood Slim on the harp.

Other guests and past standout Mannish Boys include vocalists Jones, Finis Tasby or Kirk Fletcher, the legendary Arthur Adams, and harmonica specialists Mitch Kashmar, Johnny Dyer, Big Pete Van Der Pluijrn, Chortkoff, pianist Rob Rio, and guitarist Kid Ramos. The core band of guitarists Nick Curran and Franck Goldwasser, keyboardist Fred Kaplan, and drummer Jimi Bott have surrounded themselves with so many dynamic and distinctive performers for this set, making for a mind-blowing program of diverse blues that cannot help but be a top blues CD for 2010 and beyond. /Michael G. Nastos, AllMusic

Shake For Me mc
Shake For Me zippy

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Matt Schofield - Heads, Tails & Aces

Year: 2009
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:55
Size: 139,8 MB
Styles: Modern electric blues
Scans: Full

1. What I Wanna Hear (6:02)
2. Live Wire (4:45)
3. War We Wage (4:32)
4. Betting Man (5:41)
5. Lay It Down (8:45)
6. Can't Put You Down (3:16)
7. Woman Across The River (3:47)
8. Nothing Left (6:25)
9. I Told Ya (5:35)
10. Stranger Blues (5:48)
11. Not Raining Now (5:13)

It won't take long for even a fan of U.K. blues-jazz guitarist Matt Schofield to realize that this is his most focused, blues-oriented album to date. The opening track, "What I Wanna Hear," sets up an easygoing shuffle landing somewhere between Texas and Chicago as Schofield's laid-back yet emotional voice digs into the sparse, insistent groove, propelled by Jonny Henderson's organ. When the guitarist lets loose, it's a solo that's wired from the heart, plowing into the arrangement with a lean, mean tone that slithers and glides above the walking bass beat. It's a six-minute tour de force that fades out, leaving the listener wanting more. Fortunately there's plenty where that came from on the ten additional songs from Schofield's fourth release. His plaintive vocals and sizzling guitar have often, and correctly, been compared to Robben Ford, but on Heads, Tails & Aces, Schofield's terrific songs give him a slight edge over Ford due to the latter's often inconsistent material.

The U.K. talent has been honing his recordings since his 2004, debut but tunes such as the soulful ballad "War We Wage" show that he's now an accomplished songwriter whose music, while blues-based, can easily cross over to a larger audience. He wrote or co-composed all but two tracks, as well as producing the disc. Schofield's songs effectively avoid the dreaded blues clichés so common to the genre with sharp, well-conceived lyrics, and unexpectedly skillful melodies that borrow just enough from pop to make them memorable.

His jazzier chops shine on the Steely Dan-styled "Nothing Left," letting scatting guitar lines float above the verses, then taking flight on the song's solo section. A few covers round out the album with Schofield digging into "Woman Across the River" (performed by Freddie King) and Elmore James' "Stranger Blues" with class, verve, and intensity. The closing ballad "Not Raining Now" is yet another gem, an Eric Clapton-influenced tune that lets Schofield's guitar lines drizzle through this R&B-influenced romp. It concludes a superb set that proves the U.K. blues roots artist might just be getting warmed up to become one of the major contemporary stars in his overcrowded field. /Hal Horowitz, AllMusic

Heads, Tails & Aces mc
Heads, Tails & Aces zippy

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Brownie McGhee - The Complete Brownie McGhee

Walter Brown McGhee was born and raised in Tennessee. As a little child he contracted polio, which incapacitated his leg. He and his brother Granville (Sticks) learned playing guitar from their father and an uncle. Brownie became a traveling musician and he became friends with Blind Boy Fuller, whose guitar playing influenced him greatly. By the time McGhee was recording for OKeh Records in Chicago, Fuller died and producer J.B. Long forced McGhee to adopt his mentor's name, branding him Blind Boy Fuller No 2. But McGhee's success came after he moved to New York in 1942, when he teamed up with Sonny Terry, whom he had known since 1939 when Sonny was Blind Boy Fuller's harmonica player. This collaboration was a big success. As a duo, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee worked together from 1958 until 1980, spending 11 months of each year touring, and recording dozens of albums. They also worked with Champion Jack Dupree and Big Chief Ellis. Despite their fame as "folk" artists they also fronted jump blues combos with honking saxophone and rolling piano. Later in his life, McGhee began appearing in small film or TV roles. With Sonny Terry, he appeared in the 1979 Steve Martin comedy The Jerk. In 1987, McGhee gave a small but memorable performance as ill-fated blues singer Toots Sweet in the supernatural thriller movie, Angel Heart. McGhee also appeared in a 1988 episode of "Family Ties" titled "The Blues, Brother" in which he played fictional blues musician Eddie Dupre, as well as a 1989 episode of Matlock entitled "The Blues Singer."

File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Source: LL (from CD)
Released: 1994
Styles: Blues
Time: 62:40 + 67:03
Size: 144,7 MB + 154,7 MB
Covers: Full (16 page booklet !)

CD1: The Complete Brownie McGhee Disc 1
(2:45) 1. Picking My Tomatoes
(2:45) 2. Me and My Dog Blues
(2:52) 3. Born for Bad Luck
(2:37) 4. I'm Callin' Daisy
(2:34) 5. Step It up and Go
(2:35) 6. My Barkin' Bulldog Blues
(2:41) 7. Let Me Tell You 'Bout My Baby
(2:36) 8. Prison Woman Blues
(2:43) 9. Back Door Stranger
(2:47) 10. Be Good to Me
(2:37) 11. Not Guilty Blues
(2:44) 12. Coal Miner Blues
(2:44) 13. Step It up and Go No. 2
(2:50) 14. Money Spending Woman
(3:00) 15. Death of Blind Boy Fuller
(2:41) 16. Death of Blind Boy Fuller
(2:32) 17. Got to Find My Little Woman
(2:50) 18. I'm a Black Woman's Man #1
(2:50) 19. I'm a Black Woman's Man
(2:35) 20. Dealing With the Devil
(2:35) 21. Double Trouble
(2:42) 22. Double Trouble
(2:53) 23. Woman, I'm Done

CD2: The Complete Brownie McGhee Disc 2
(2:48) 1. Key to My Door
(2:34) 2. Million Lonesome Women
(2:53) 3. Ain't No Tellin'
(3:02) 4. Try Me One More Time
(2:31) 5. I Want to See Jesus
(2:32) 6. Done What My Lord Said
(2:59) 7. I Want King Jesus
(2:35) 8. What Will I Do (Without the Lord)
(2:40) 9. Key to the Highway 70
(2:41) 10. Key to the Highway 70
(3:02) 11. I Don't Believe in Love
(2:43) 12. So Much Trouble
(2:52) 13. Goodbye Now
(2:49) 14. Jealous of My Woman
(2:47) 15. Unfair Blues
(2:47) 16. Barbecue Any Old Time
(2:47) 17. Workingman's Blues
(2:35) 18. Sinful Disposition Woman
(2:56) 19. Back Home Blues
(2:39) 20. Deep Sea Diver
(2:55) 21. It Must Be Love
(3:39) 22. Studio Chatter
(2:23) 23. Swing, Soldier, Swing #1
(2:40) 24. Swing, Soldier, Swing #2

The album title is misleading, but this set does include Brownie McGhee's "complete recordings" as far as his pre-war country blues waxings for OKeh/Columbia (without Sonny Terry, except for some tracks where the whooping harpist provided accompaniment). Buddy Moss, Jordan Webb, Bull City Red and Washboard Slim also appear on some tracks. McGhee was working firmly in the Piedmont tradition by 1940, when he signed with OKeh and began cutting the 47 enlightening sides here, which represent some of the purest country blues he ever committed to posterity. McGhee was a master at his craft (the influence of Blind Boy Fuller is evident and OKeh/Columbia released 78's as Blind Boy Fuller No 2), and the songs are expressive and masterfully performed. A finer collection of pre-World War II Piedmont country blues is difficult to find!

The Complete Brownie McGhee Disc 1
The Complete Brownie McGhee Disc 2
The Complete Brownie McGhee artwork

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Long John Baldry - Boogie Woogie: The Warner Bros. Recordings (2-Disc Set)

This double pack, limited to 2500 copies, reissues Long John Baldry's long out of print -- at least in the States -- Warner Brothers albums from the early '70s, adding a handful of additional tracks (alternate versions, radio spots, unreleased songs) to each. Boogie Woogie: The Warner Bros. Recordings includes 1971's It Ain't Easy and 1972's Everything Stops for Tea, which were co-produced by Elton John and Rod Stewart -- neither whom had attained major popularity yet -- who worked on one album side per disc. Although Sid Griffin's generally insightful liner notes that describe these releases as "some of the best British blues rock to grace black vinyl" may be overstating their importance, there is a fair amount of genuinely solid music here. For the most part, Baldry covered American blues in his uniquely ornate British style, which not surprisingly didn't resonate with U.S. audiences the way say, the Rolling Stones did. His was a more studied albeit eclectic approach, dipping into New Orleans pop ("Iko Iko"), U.K. music hall ("Everything Stops for Tea"), traditional folk ("Mother Ain't Dead" with Rod Stewart on vocals and banjo!) and gospel along with some memorable Willie Dixon tunes ("Seventh Son," "I'm Ready," "You Can't Judge a Book"). It Ain't Easy's first five selections feature members of what would later be Rod Stewart's Every Picture Tells a Story band backing up Baldry, and is considered a stepping stone to that classic recording.

Baldry isn't the most magnetic performer, but his gruff voice has a certain charm, and even if the material is a bit erratic, he is obviously enjoying himself. A boisterous Baldry tears into the slow blues "Bring My Baby Back to Me" from 1972's Mar-Y-Sol Festival as one of disc two's extras. He also goes country, rather convincingly, for a lovely cover of Neil Young's "Only Love Can Break Your Heart." The only clear classic here is the rollicking "Don't Try to Lay No Boogie Woogie on the King of Rock and Roll," a terrific rocking underground hit that was Baldry's only stab on American radio. While that may not be worth the rather inflated price of this limited-edition reissue, these albums are both intermittently enjoyable and Rhino has done its usual classy job repackaging them with remastered sound and rare pictures. ~Hal Horowitz

Album: Boogie Woogie: The Warner Bros. Recordings (Disc 1)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:48
Size: 155.2 MB
Styles: Contemporary blues
Year: 2005

[3:16] 1. Conditional Discharge
[3:23] 2. Don't Try To Lay No Boogie Woogie On The King Of Rock And Roll
[2:49] 3. Black Girl
[4:48] 4. It Ain't Easy
[2:36] 5. Morning Morning
[4:08] 6. I'm Ready
[4:10] 7. Let's Burn Down The Cornfield
[3:59] 8. Mr. Rubin
[4:02] 9. Rock Me When He's Gone
[6:47] 10. Flying
[3:07] 11. Going Down Slow
[2:56] 12. Blues (Cornbread, Meat And Molasses)
[4:17] 13. Love In Vain
[4:07] 14. Midnight Hour Blues
[3:30] 15. Black Girl
[5:06] 16. It Ain't Easy
[4:11] 17. I'm Ready
[0:28] 18. Radio Spot

Boogie Woogie: The Warner Bros. Recordings (Disc 1) mc
Boogie Woogie: The Warner Bros. Recordings (Disc 1) zippy

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Album: Boogie Woogie: The Warner Bros. Recordings (Disc 2)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:58
Size: 119.0 MB
Styles: Contemporary blues
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[4:00] 1. Come Back Again
[3:04] 2. Seventh Son
[3:46] 3. Wild Mountain Thyme
[3:06] 4. Iko Iko
[4:12] 5. Jubilee Cloud
[3:04] 6. Everything Stops For Tea
[4:13] 7. You Can't Judge A Book
[2:48] 8. Mother Ain't Dead
[3:53] 9. Hambone
[4:01] 10. Lord Remember Me
[1:46] 11. Armit's Trousers
[1:01] 12. Radio Spot #1
[6:23] 13. Bring My Baby Back To Me Live]
[3:09] 14. Only Love Can Break Your Heart
[3:25] 15. I'm Just A Rake & Ramblin' Boy

Boogie Woogie: The Warner Bros. Recordings (Disc 2) mc
Boogie Woogie: The Warner Bros. Recordings (Disc 2) zippy

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Charlie Dennard - 5 O'clock Charlie

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:18
Size: 131.2 MB
Styles: Funky blues, B3 Organ blues
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[6:06] 1. Grant's Pants
[5:07] 2. Booby Trap
[5:50] 3. Back In The Day
[6:14] 4. Let's Go
[4:47] 5. 5 O'clock Blues
[6:02] 6. French Lick
[7:00] 7. Hunch
[5:43] 8. Blues By Five
[6:47] 9. Carrot Cake
[3:38] 10. Suicide Is Painless

New Orleans based keyboardist Charlie Dennard announces the release of his superb jazz organ trio, 5 O’Clock Charlie. On this recording, Dennard showcases seven original compositions and three cover tunes that capture the simple, organic quality of musicians playing together in the moment. In the late 1990’s, Charlie had a standing gig at New Orleans’ famous Funky Butt with his band, then called 5 O’Clock Charlie. Dennard is a master of the Hammond B3, using every nuance of its texture, tone, depth and feel, walking the bass to support the trio’s rhythm and driving the melodies home with heart.

This project marks a return to his roots, just as Charlie has returned to New Orleans after touring the world for the past decade. The recording is groove-based, funky and fun.

5 O'clock Charlie mc
5 O'clock Charlie zippy

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Various - ABCO Records Chicago

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:04
Size: 96.3 MB
Styles: R&B, Chicago blues
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[2:39] 1. Morris Pejoe - Screaming And Crying
[2:45] 2. Morris Pejoe - Maybe Blues
[2:49] 3. Herby Joe - Smokestack Lightning
[2:25] 4. Herby Joe - Dreamed
[2:39] 5. Louis Myers - Just Whaling
[2:38] 6. Louis Myers & The Aces - Bluesy
[2:33] 7. Arbee Stidham - Meet Me Halfway
[2:28] 8. Arbee Stidham - I'll Always Remember You
[2:40] 9. Arbee Stidham - When I Find My Baby
[2:27] 10. Arbee Stidham - Please Let It Be Me
[2:24] 11. Freddy Hall & The Aces - Can't This Be Mine
[2:42] 12. Arbee Stidham, Morris Pejoe, Louis Myers & The Aces - Playin' Hard To Get
[2:56] 13. Zona Sago's - Jivin' At Random
[2:36] 14. Zona Sago's - Short Order
[2:48] 15. Rip-Chords - I Love You The Best
[2:27] 16. Rip-Chords - Razzle Dazzle

Abco Records was a subsidiary of Eli Toscano's Cobra Record Corp.. Similar to it's parent, this Chicago based label focused on rhythm & blues recordings - and issued their small quantity of releases exclusively on 45rpm 7" vinyl records. In the two years of Abco's existence, only 8 releases are known to exist.

ABCO Records Chicago mc
ABCO Records Chicago zippy

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Michael Terry Group - Bighead Baby

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:01
Size: 89.3 MB
Styles: Rockin blues
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[3:44] 1. Bighead Baby
[3:43] 2. Why You Wanna Scream On Me
[2:36] 3. Here To Stay
[3:17] 4. Muddy World
[3:43] 5. Too Bad
[3:22] 6. Mama Raised A Fool
[3:51] 7. What Would I Do
[3:50] 8. Whooped
[3:26] 9. Takin' Names
[3:21] 10. She My Baby
[4:02] 11. Hard To Find My Way

"Bighead Baby" is The Michael Terry Group's debut CD. The band, from St. Louis, MO, consists of Michael Terry on vocals and guitars, Jan "Jan-Jan" Cameron on bass, Michael Schmidt on drums, and Steve "Weepin' One Take" Wamser on keyboards. The CD features eleven original and well done tracks. On this all out jam, the band's kickin' ass and "Takin' Names". Depending on where your speakers are located, you just might want to be concerned with your smoke alarms going off when this one gets going. The scorching guitar licks, the fiery rhythm and the blazing piano are all throwing out some serious heat. ~Peter "Blewzzman" Lauro

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Rainer Baumann Band - Adoring Jimmy Reed

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:18
Size: 76.3 MB
Styles: Electric blues
Year: 1982/2012
Art: Front

[3:16] 1. I'm Going Upside Your Head
[2:00] 2. I'm A Love You
[3:33] 3. Cold And Lonesome
[2:43] 4. Jimmy Reed
[2:43] 5. Honest I Do
[3:01] 6. Blues For Twelve Strings
[3:38] 7. Meet Me
[2:29] 8. Shame Shame Shame
[2:48] 9. You Got Me Dizzy
[3:56] 10. Fifteen Years
[3:07] 11. Boogie In The Dark

Rainer Baumann (guitar, vocals), Thomas Kretschmar (guitar, vocals), Joram Bejarano (bass, vocals), Peter Meuffels (drums), Gerd Müdde (saxophone), Uwe Wegner (bass, percussion), Kai Weirup (guitar, vocals), Günter Remer (drums, percussion), Zabba Lindner (drums).

Seit den 1960er Jahren wirkte Baumann in verschiedenen Bands mit. 1971 wurde er Mitglied bei Frumpy und national und international bekannt. Die Tageszeitung Die Welt verglich 1970 den damals 21-Jährigen mit Eric Clapton. 1972 wurde Baumann in der Musikzeitschrift "Musik Express" zum besten Gitarristen des Jahres gewählt; zahlreichere weitere Polls bestätigten diese Wahl.

Ab 1973 studierte er Musik am Hamburger Konservatorium, ab 1974 lehrte er mehrere Jahre als Dozent an der Hochschule für Musik in Hamburg. Er schrieb zahlreiche Gitarrenlehrbücher und war ein gefragter Privatlehrer.

Nach der Auflösung von Frumpy gründete er die Rainer Baumann Band, mit welcher er bis zu seinem Bühnenabschied Ende der 1990er Jahre tourte. 1995 feierte er sein 25-jähriges Bühnenjubiläum, unter anderem mit Inga Rumpf und Jack Bruce. Daneben war er u.a. in Produktionen von Champion Jack Dupree, Achim Reichel, Jutta Weinhold und Randy Pie zu hören. 1982 nahm Rainer Baumann eine Hommage-LP mit Jimmy-Reed-Klassikern auf, die er im eigenen Stil interpretierte.

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Barrelhouse Buck McFarland - Alton Blues

File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Source : LL (from CD)
Released: 1961
Styles: Piano Blues
Time: 48:19
Size: 111,4 MB
Covers: Full

(3:35) 1. Four O'Clock Blues
(2:07) 2. Alton Blues
(3:41) 3. Lamp Post Blues
(2:48) 4. Charlie's Stomp
(3:32) 5. Railroad Blues
(2:02) 6. Dupree Blues
(2:32) 7. I Got to Go Blues
(1:49) 8. Barrelhouse Buck
(3:27) 9. Mercy Mercy Blues
(3:11) 10. Don't Stop Now
(2:09) 11. Buck's Blues
(5:22) 12. Talk
(2:27) 13. Lamp Post Blues
(1:55) 14. Alton Blues
(0:42) 15. Intro
(3:15) 16. I Got to Go Blues
(3:35) 17. Goodbye Blues

Whether it is an acoustic guitar playing Mississippi Delta country-blues or an electric guitar playing amplified Chicago blues, the guitar has long been considered the quintessential blues instrument. But there is also a lot to be said for the acoustic piano, which has been the instrument of choice for everyone from Champion Jack Dupree to Memphis Slim to a long list of great boogie-woogie players of the 1930s and '40s. And it is an instrument that Barrelhouse Buck McFarland clearly uses to his creative advantage on Alton Blues, which was recorded in August 1961 only eight months before the singer/pianist's death. There are no drums, bass or guitar to be found on these rare performances; McFarland is unaccompanied on all of the tracks, and the solo format serves him well on vocal numbers as well as some instrumentals. It should be noted that 1961 marked McFarland's return to recording after many years; he had done some recording in the late '20s and early to mid-'30s, but he wasn't recorded at all in the '40s or '50s. Not that Alton Blues sounds like the work of someone who had evolved radically over the years; these solid performances demonstrate that in 1961, McFarland had clearly remained faithful to the classic barrelhouse piano style of the '20s and '30s. The blues piano that McFarland plays on this 48-minute CD is not a reserved, understated type of blues; his playing is gutsy, extroverted, tough and emotionally direct (in other words, all of the things that barrelhouse playing was known for being). McFarland was far from a major name in the blues world, but Alton Blues is a fine place to get acquainted with his no-nonsense piano blues. -- Allmusic.

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Robert McCoy - Bye Bye Baby

File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Source: LL (from CD)
Released: 2002
Styles: Piano Blues
Time: 68:39
Size: 158,2 MB
Covers: Full

(3:03) 1. Bye Bye Baby
(2:55) 2. Let's Get Together
(4:01) 3. Pratt City Special
(2:57) 4. Goin' Down Slow
(2:43) 5. Church Bell Blues
(2:56) 6. Gone Mother Blues
(2:43) 7. Jump Steady Blues
(2:30) 8. Straight Alky Blues
(4:00) 9. Washington Heights
(2:03) 10. Rockin' With Red
(4:45) 11. Louise Louise Blues
(6:02) 12. You Got to Reap What You Sow
(4:31) 13. Call the Wagon
(2:42) 14. All in All Baby
(2:24) 15. There'll Be Some Changes Made
(3:32) 16. Lonesome and Blue
(2:12) 17. Mr. Freddie Blues
(3:05) 18. Love Hides All Faults
(2:22) 19. Sent for You Yesterday
(3:54) 20. Almighty Rambling
(3:08) 21. Let's Go Get Stoned

Much of this 2002 release focuses on some 1962 and 1963 sessions that Birmingham, AL, resident Patrick Cather produced for the late Robert McCoy, a gifted but obscure singer/barrelhouse pianist with a Leroy Carr-ish approach. Those sessions resulted in two ultra-rare LPs: Barrelhouse Blues and Blues and Boogie Classics, both of which Cather released on his own Vulcan label. Only about 400 copies of Barrelhouse Blues were pressed, and Blues and Boogie Classics only sold about 100 copies. Why would Delmark's Bob Koester reissue recordings that sold so little and devote an entire CD to an artist whom only the most knowledgeable blues collectors are aware of? It comes down to two things: Koester's honest-to-God love of the music and the fact that the late McCoy, although far from a star, had a lot of talent. Cather put out a quality product -- not a commercially successful product, but a quality product nonetheless. Although McCoy's Vulcan sessions are the CD's main focus, Delmark also provides several bonus tracks (which include a few 1958 rarities and some previously unreleased mid-'60s duets with drummer Clarence Curry). The sound quality of the bonus tracks isn't very good, but since McCoy (who died in 1977) only recorded sporadically, collectors will welcome them with open arms. And all things considered, Bye Bye Baby paints an attractive picture of the underexposed Alabama bluesman. -- Allmusic.

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Mississippi Slim - You Can't Lose The Blues

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:31
Size: 161.5 MB
Styles: Delta blues
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[5:34] 1. You Can't Lose The Blues
[3:12] 2. Mississippi Boy
[4:27] 3. Take Your Finger Out Of It
[5:32] 4. I've Got To Leave You Alone
[5:10] 5. They Call Me Mississippi Slim
[2:35] 6. Thank You Baby
[4:58] 7. I Was Checking Out
[3:57] 8. Groove Me Baby
[5:03] 9. Sitting Here
[4:41] 10. Haven't I Been Good To You
[4:58] 11. Cotton Candy
[5:36] 12. Player Haters
[5:04] 13. If It Don't Fit
[5:17] 14. I Miss You
[4:21] 15. Dirty Bird

A native of Greenville, Miss., Mississippi Slim's trademark is brightly colored hair, tailormade multicolored suits and mismatched shoes and socks. When he was beginning his musical career, he moved to Chicago and performed with Junior Wells. His best-known songs are "Crying in the Arms of Another Love," "Cotton Candy Love," "You Can't Lose the Blues," "Mississippi Boy" and "I Was Checking In." He frequently headlines the Mississippi Delta Blues & Heritage Festival in Greenville; the Highway 61 Blues Festival in Leland, Miss.; and the B.B. King Homecoming Festival in Indianola, Miss.

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Son Powers - 2 albums: Offbeat Blues / Strike You Down

Album: Offbeat Blues
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:11
Size: 78.3 MB
Styles: Rockin blues
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[2:06] 1. Wicked Wind
[3:34] 2. Fading By Degree
[3:37] 3. Confusing Boogie
[2:46] 4. Why Stand
[2:56] 5. Good Girl
[2:50] 6. Born This Way
[4:57] 7. Execution Blues
[2:50] 8. Woman Here
[3:28] 9. Situation Blues
[3:11] 10. Compounds And Colloids
[1:49] 11. Build Me A Castle

Abnormal blues in offbeat time signatures from this reclusive Southern artist. Overall, there’s freshness to the album because of the lack of a guitar-driven sound. There are subtle little twists in the songs that keep your interest, and the drums are so perfect that you never notice them unless you’re listening for them, but yet they drive the music right along. They never draw attention to themselves, and are always in service to the song. That has to be Rob Piazza’s intention. In summary, this is a very appealing album of songs.

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Album: Strike You Down
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:53
Size: 89.0 MB
Styles: Rockin blues
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[3:36] 1. Strike You Down
[3:58] 2. Do The Best You Can
[3:40] 3. Born To Sing The Blues
[2:55] 4. Filibuster Blues
[3:49] 5. One Day
[2:51] 6. Send You Back To Satan
[3:14] 7. Wide Asleep
[2:14] 8. New Carlisle Blues
[2:44] 9. If I Could Tell My Future
[3:08] 10. Three Or Four Dollars
[2:28] 11. Hello Miss Fortune
[4:10] 12. Crab Pulsar Blues

Son Powers ups the ante with even more cryptic and apocalyptic tunes—this time supercharged by legendary blues drummer Rob Piazza. On his second solo album Powers holds forth on topics as diverse as the wages of sin, foreordination, the pitfalls of loquacity, marital discord (and resulting eternal damnation), self-zombification, and astrophysics. And again, he did it exactly the way he wanted, including the Victor Moscoso inspired guitar art.

"Do The Best You Can" and " If I Could Tell My Future" are very catchy – a quite strong blend of pop and blues. (ED: POWERS ADAMANTLY DISAVOWS ANY ‘POP’ LABEL) Also, the title track, "Born To Sing The Blues," "Filibuster Blues," and "Send You Back To Satan" are fine blues-steeped numbers. All the tracks sound great and definitely reflect that Son Powers style. The "real" drummer really brings the grooves together very well. (ED: BLUES LEGEND ROB PIAZZA PLAYED DRUMS) Great job on this new one!” ~John Stevens

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Dawn Tyler Watson & Paul Deslauriers - Southland

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:17
Size: 117.4 MB
Styles: Roots, Acoustic blues
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[2:33] 1. If You Only Knew
[4:21] 2. Southland Of The Heart
[2:51] 3. Take It Nice
[3:38] 4. Heaven
[2:36] 5. Tell The Truth
[4:25] 6. Thrill Me Up
[3:53] 7. Tootsie
[3:02] 8. Crosstown Traffic
[6:37] 9. Good Man
[6:26] 10. Rain Song
[3:34] 11. Small Ceremonies
[7:15] 12. Ne Me Quitte Pas

With the simple honesty of two voices and a six-string guitar, this award-winning duo has forged a solid reputation on the international Blues scene, touring regularly in North America, Europe and beyond. Together they explore a rich pallet of styles and moods, seamlessly blending the borders of the blues into roots, folk, soul and rock & roll. Delicate and fiery, subdued and electrifying, this talented duo is a study in the art of perfectly fusing these apparent contradictions. Paul bares a masterful acoustic guitar style all his own, complementing it with a strong and sensual voice, while Dawn – renowned for her engaging stage presence – moves with incredible vocal ease from sultry elegance to raw powerhouse.

Successful solo artists in their own right, the “Diva and the Virtuoso” had no idea of the impact their union would have when they decided get together for an acoustic side-project. Their first album, “En Duo” (2007), was released to rave reviews as result of fans asking for a CD of the show they’d been touring for a couple of years. From Moscow to Qatar, the Big Easy to the North Pole, they have enjoyed sold-out live performances, receiving many accolades along the way, including a Canadian Maple Blues Award for Acoustic Act of the Year and a Quebec Lys Blues Award for Album of the Year.

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Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds - Out Of The Blue

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:20
Size: 110.7 MB
Styles: R&B, Blue eyed soul
Year: 1985/1994/2009
Art: Front

[4:24] 1. I Ain't Superstitious
[6:07] 2. Gambler's Blues
[2:49] 3. Them That's Got It
[3:55] 4. Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City
[2:10] 5. It's All Wrong
[3:17] 6. Key To My Kingdom
[4:21] 7. The Thrill Has Gone
[3:08] 8. Watch Your Step
[4:14] 9. All The Way Lover
[4:27] 10. Shakey Ground
[3:01] 11. Circles Round The Sun
[2:37] 12. Medicated Goo
[3:44] 13. Out Of Time (Re-Recorded)

Out of the Blue marked Chris Farlowe's return to American soul music and blues, after a decade-long hiatus caused by a road accident injury and a series of gigs with other players. It was as though he'd picked up right where he'd left off at Immediate Records in 1970, without skipping a beat -- opening with Willie Dixon's "I Ain't Superstitious," he sounds so American and so black that listeners could still do double-takes after 20 years in the spotlight for the singer. "The Thrill Is Gone" and "Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City" are among the best cuts, but the whole album is worthwhile and then some. ~Bruce Eder

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The Andy Swindell Coalition - Anything Can Happen

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:03
Size: 142.0 MB
Styles: Electric blues
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[3:53] 1. Girl's Gone Wild
[3:45] 2. Made Up My Mind
[4:05] 3. Square Peg
[5:39] 4. Edge Of The Knife
[3:58] 5. Anything Can Happen
[6:22] 6. Walking Papers
[3:13] 7. Can't Take It With You
[5:49] 8. Should Be Letting Go
[5:35] 9. Chevrolet Super Sport 396
[4:15] 10. It Ain't Love
[5:09] 11. Dancing At The Redneck Riviera
[6:15] 12. Why Me
[3:59] 13. Song Of Cliche's (Bed Of Roses)

This collection of songs has great feel reminiscent of early Steely Dan and Santana. The musicians performing on this record are all seasoned pros, some of which have played on nationally charting recordings (Jason Patterson with "Cry of Love, " Jeff Grimes with "Jimmy Castor Bunch.") Tuff Blanton played bass with the legendary "Unknown Hinson" for a time. Excellent players. Tasty performances by folks who wanted to play and record together!

Lyrically, as well as stylistically, the songs are varied. Some truth, some fiction. For instance, this writer did awake one night to Snoop Dog selling the wonders of "Girl's Gone Wild." Though product was never purchased (written in first-person to make the story work), there was a newspaper article several years later about one of the participants in a video suing the company. What was she thinking when she saw the camera and started removing items of clothing? In reality, a commentary on modern-day life, morals and a predatory legal system."Square Peg" is about obsession with the wrong person (something to which we all might relate). "Edge of the Knife" is a commentary on techno-overdose. "Anything Can Happen," well....pretty much a male fantasy, but amusing. The list goes on. Each song presents a different tale and perspective of life experiences.

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Delta Moon - 2 albums: Hell Bound Train / Black Cat Oil

Album: Hell Bound Train
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:35
Size: 90.6 MB
Styles: Slide guitar blues, Swamp blues
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[4:10] 1. Hellbound Train
[3:21] 2. Room 429
[3:33] 3. Lonely
[3:19] 4. Get Gone
[3:32] 5. True Love Lies
[2:59] 6. You Got To Move
[4:58] 7. Stuck In Carolina
[3:24] 8. Ain't No Train
[4:11] 9. Ghost In My Guitar
[3:07] 10. Take The Back Road Home
[2:55] 11. Plantation Song

Atlanta's swamp-blues kings add another notch to their belt of tough, Southern, slide guitar-dominated blues/roots rock with this, the band's fifth studio release. Although little has changed musically since slimming to a quartet, frontmen/guitarists Tom Gray and Mark Johnson's songs have continued to refine their sense of groove, and Gray is increasingly comfortable with his lead vocal status. The group's confident dynamics and the combination of Gray's homey sandpaper voice with the intertwining guitar leads, perhaps best exemplified by "Stuck in Carolina"'s low-boil funk, keeps getting more incisive. Although there are plenty of solos, they are in service to the tunes, not vice-versa, surely an anomaly for acts that boast the sheer firepower of these two guitarists. When Gray nails a grimy, rust-colored riff as he does on the opening title track or the obsessive "Lonely," it seems like something ZZ Top would kill for in that band's earlier days. Add the dueling/overlapping guitar lines and the result is a gritty, distinctive attack that is driving when necessary, yet subtle enough to keep the spotlight on Gray's detailed, occasional story-song lyrics that often find him or his protagonists down but not quite out somewhere in the South. Country overtones inform "Take the Back Road Home," altering the approach somewhat, similar to the haunting unplugged, acoustic ballad "Plantation Song" that closes the disc. It's a sporadically spooky, even ghostly vibe, a point Gray articulates on "Ghost in My Guitar" with a distinct Dr. John feel enhanced by bubbling congas. Johnson's six-string banjo and the occasional guest saxophone also shows that though Delta Moon isn't straying from its core sound, there are plenty of ways to tweak the basics without changing the result. Even after five albums over the past eight years, it seems that the group is just starting to explore the possibilities inherent in their blues-based Southern genre. It's a style that could be confining, but in their hands, never is. ~Hal Horowitz

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Album: Black Cat Oil
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:06
Size: 101.0 MB
Styles: Slide guitar blues, Swamp blues
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[3:02] 1. Down And Dirty
[4:23] 2. Blues In A Bottle
[4:12] 3. Walk Out In The River
[3:36] 4. Black Cat Oil
[3:01] 5. Wishbone
[4:00] 6. Black Coffee
[4:59] 7. Neon Jesus
[3:58] 8. Jukin'
[5:10] 9. Sunshine
[3:34] 10. Applejack
[4:07] 11. Write Me A Few Of Your Lines

Even though the members of live in the sprawling city of Atlanta, they increasingly resemble a band born and raised in the Mississippi Delta. Tom Gray's grainy voice and the way his slide guitar lines interweave with those of Delta Moon co-founder Mark Johnson give the band a rustic style that's believable if not particularly authentic. Regardless, the band has created an impressive catalog of swampy blues with rock, soul, gospel, and folk strains of with Black Cat Oil, their seventh release, another impressive entry. The approach is somewhat more stripped down with the ever-present standup bass delivering a more organic groove, especially on the title track which, with its interlocking guitars, voodoo overtones, and humid, summer's night vibe, is as good a capsulation of this group's technique as anything they have recorded. The lyrics generally concern traveling through the South and life in small towns, and the music's insistent pulse follows suit, making this a logical audio companion for longer car trips. The walking bass and low boil percussion of "Sunshine" create a slightly ominous feel that contrasts with the song's upbeat lope. The detailed visuals of the protagonist in "Neon Jesus" who, with one eye shut, his jaw swollen, "tasting blood and seeing stars," observes the titular figure is another ghostly, unsettling image underscored by Johnson's sweet yet stinging slide. Delta Moon traditionally close their albums with a classic Southern blues cover. This time, Mississippi Fred McDowell's "Write Me a Few of Your Lines" fills the bill, allowing the guitarists a chance to open up on one of the set's most rollicking and energized moments. There may not be many musical surprises as Delta Moon enters its second decade, but with an instantly identifiable sound, typically top-notch musicianship, and another batch of smartly written, above-average tunes that could only have been written in the South, there's nothing wrong with not fixing what's not broken. ~Hal Horowitz

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Tommy Castro - Gratitude

Year: 2003
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:07
Size: 130,8 MB
Styles: Blues, R&B, soul
Scans: Full

1. I Take What I Want (4:00)
2. Come Back Baby (5:39)
3. Lovey Dovey (4:45)
4. 44 (4:42)
5. Bad Case Of Love (4:53)
6. Tulane (4:10)
7. It Serves You Right To Suffer (6:51)
8. I Feel That Old Feeling Coming On (4:21)
9. Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven (4:56)
10. I Found A Love (4:13)
11. I Wants To Be Loved (2:16)
12. When My Left Eye Jumps (6:15)

As its title suggests, Tommy Castro's seventh album is a note of thanks to the artists who inspired the West Coast guitarist/vocalist. While rocking R&B and blues greats like B.B. and Albert King, Chuck Berry and Buddy Guy are obvious choices, Castro digs deep into their catalogs. He covers B.B. King's "Bad Case of Love," Albert King's "Everybody Want to Go to Heaven," Berry's "Tulane," and Guy's version of Willie Dixon's "When My Left Eye Jumps." More interesting, though, are Castro's '60s soul roots which he acknowledges in versions of songs made popular by Wilson Pickett (a powerful "I Found a Love"), Sam & Dave (Curtis Salgado joins in on a duet of "I Take What I Want"), Otis Redding (a thumping "Lovey Dovey" with Sista Monica Parker taking the Carla Thomas part) and James Brown (a swinging "I Feel That Old Feeling Coming On," which is a departure from Brown's usual funky work).

Less successful are Castro's takes on Howlin' Wolf's "44" where his direct approach loses the original's voodoo marching vibe. John Lee Hooker's "Serve You Right to Suffer" sounds more like the J. Geils Band's cover than Hooker's spooky approach, with an ill-advised rocking middle section that misses the song's intent. Much better is Castro's succinct, sharp cover of Muddy Waters' "I Wants to Be Loved" where he toughens up the attack but maintains the tune's defiant drive. Pianist John Turk helps fatten the sound, keeping it raw with his work on the album's slow blues workouts such as Guy's "...Left Eye" and Ray Charles' "Come Back Baby." Castro is loose and tough, with his gritty voice and thick, clean guitar lines sounding confident and assertive. More than just a holding pattern until he writes new tunes, Gratitude is not only an enjoyable peek inside Tommy Castro's influences but a fascinating compilation of generally underexposed material from blues, soul and R&B greats. /Hal Horowitz, AllMusic

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Etta James - Matriarch Of The Blues

Year: 2000
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:26
Size: 147,5 MB
Styles: Blues
Scans: Full

1. Gotta Serve Somebody (6:48)
2. Don't Let My Baby Ride (5:16)
3. Rhymes (4:35)
4. Try A Little Tenderness (4:47)
5. Miss You (5:59)
6. Hawg For Ya (3:45)
7. You're Gonna Make Me Cry (6:17)
8. Walking The Back Streets (7:07)
9. Let's Straighten It Out (5:24)
10. Born On The Bayou (4:41)
11. Come Back Baby (5:57)
12. Hound Dog (3:43)

The mark of great singers is their ability to turn a trifling song into an emotional masterwork. R&B legend Etta James has done it live for nearly 20 years with Kiki Dee's "Sugar on the Floor" and a few others. But what's really sublime is hearing James sink her teeth into numbers that stand up to her own greatest work - "At Last" and the other Chess hits that built her reputation. James ignites such sparks all over this new disc of mostly well-chosen covers, wrapping her deep, supple, and saucy pipes around Otis Redding's "Try a Little Tenderness" and "Hawg for You"; replacing Mick Jagger's flippancy with real heart on the Rolling Stones' "Miss You"; putting the gospel fire into Bob Dylan's "You Got to Serve Somebody"; and digging down 'n' dirty into O.V. Wright's "Don't Let My Baby Ride." The straight-ahead arrangements and undistinguished playing leave James to carry the album herself, but at 62, she's still a fireball and more than up to the task. /Ted Drozdowski, Amazon

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LeRoi Brothers - Check This Action!

File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Source: LL (from CD)
Released: 1983/1994
Styles: Texas Style Rootsrock;Bluesrock;
Time: 34:43
Size: 79,9 MB
Covers: Full

The LeRoi Brothers:
Steve Doerr - guitar a vocals
Don Leady - guitar & vocals
Mike Buck - drums
Keith Ferguson - bas (-track 1)
Kris Cummings - organ (track 13)

(3:24) 1. Are You With Me Baby (Say Yeah)
(2:29) 2. Can't Be Satisfied
(3:13) 3. Chicken and Honey
(2:45) 4. Big Time Operator
(2:58) 5. Steady With Betty
(2:35) 6. Check This Action
(3:00) 7. Eternally Blue
(2:20) 8. Ain't I'm a Dog
(2:07) 9. Rockin' Daddy
(1:25) 10. Cotton Pickin'
(2:26) 11. Crazy, Crazy Lovin'
(3:50) 12. Ballad of a Juvenile Delinquent
(2:07) 13. 'til It's Too Late

Back in the 80s when Austin was really cool, bands like the Fabulous T-Birds and The LeRoi Brothers were the heart and soul of the Austin music scene. The LeRoi Brothers are the quintessential Texas roadhouse band, playing backseat, backbeat-driven rhythm and blues, rockabilly and blue-collar rock'n'roll with the grit, grease and power of an old V-8 engine. This album featurs excellent guitar and vocal work by both Steve Doerr and Don Leady (who later went on to form the Tail Gators, a wonderful swamp-rock outfit). It was great to hear Keith Ferguson and Mike Buck playing together again since their early T-Birds years.

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Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise - 2 albums: Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise / Live

An anachronism in the world of late-'90s rock & roll, Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise consists of the group's namesake, a wizened Detroit street singer, plus three relatively fresh-faced alterna-kids as a backing band. Robert Bradley was born in Alabama, but gained musical experience and spirit by playing his acoustic guitar at coffeehouses as well as piano in Baptist churches. He had spent several years in Detroit by 1994, performing occasionally on the street just to be heard, when guitarist Michael Nehra, bassist Andrew Nehra, and drummer Jeff Fowlkes (formerly in the Detroit band Second Self) overheard Bradley through an open window while rehearsing for a new project. After listening to Bradley sing for an hour, they invited him up to the studio to record several acoustic songs, then invited him to become their vocalist.

The Nehra brothers' production experience (with Detroit locals Majesty Crush) helped out the group while recording their debut album, 1996's Blackwater Surprise. The band's eccentric background and energetic live show -- almost gospel in feel -- gained them many fans on frequent club dates as well as arena shows opening up for the likes of the Dave Matthews Band, Big Head Todd & the Monsters, Widespread Panic, and Maceo Parker. Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise also did well on alternative radio and VH1. Keyboard player Tim Diaz joined up as well, prior to the band's sophomore effort, 2000's Time to Discover. ~bio by John Bush

Album: Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:42
Size: 95.5 MB
Styles: American Trad Rock, Modern Electric Blues
Year: 1996
Art: Front

[4:27] 1. Bellybone
[3:28] 2. Comin' Down
[3:30] 3. California
[3:01] 4. Shake It Off
[3:19] 5. Once Upon A Time
[4:03] 6. Trouble Brother
[3:34] 7. Way Back
[4:42] 8. Governor
[2:34] 9. Burn
[4:19] 10. After You Love
[4:40] 11. For The Night

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Album: Live
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:27
Size: 81.2 MB
Styles: American Trad Rock, Modern Electric Blues
Year: 1999
Art: Front

[5:48] 1. Shake It Off
[3:26] 2. Comin' Down
[5:23] 3. California
[6:34] 4. For The Night
[6:07] 5. For You
[8:06] 6. Trouble Brother

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Liz Mandeville - Heart 'o' Chicago

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:20
Size: 110.6 MB
Styles: Chicago blues
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[5:18] 1. Cloud Of Love (Feat. Eddie Shaw)
[4:44] 2. These Blues (Feat. Joan Gand)
[4:46] 3. Don't Dobt My Love (Feat. Charlie Love)
[5:08] 4. So Called Best Friend (Feat. Billy Branch)
[4:44] 5. Quit Me On A Voice Mail (Feat. Eddie Shaw)
[4:17] 6. Party At The End Of Time (Feat. Billy Branch)
[4:25] 7. Silver Lining (Shirley's Blues)
[4:48] 8. Tic Tok (Feat Joan Gand)
[3:52] 9. Why Would A Woman Sing The Blues
[3:32] 10. Smart Woman Foolish Choices (Feat. Wade Baker & Charlie Love)
[2:41] 11. ( Life Is Like A) Wave (Feat. Dizzy Bolinski)

A fixture on the Chicago blues scene for more than thirty years, Liz Mandeville has brightened many a stage with her husky voice and energetic performances. After four releases for Earwig Records, she released Clarksdale on her Blue Kitty Music label in 2012. Her latest project on that label is a heartfelt tribute to the musical influences from Chicago that have inspired her from the start of her career.

One strength of the disc is the beautifully crafted program of eleven original songs. Mandeville is an award-winning songwriter, not content to recycle the basic 12-bar format. On “These Blues,” her voice rides the lightly swinging beat from drummer Jeremiah Thomas. Gradually the rest of the band joins in as Mandeville relates the comforting presence that blues music has in her life. She takes things uptown on “Silver Linings (Shirley’s Blues)” pushed along by Darryl Wright’s sturdy bass line; bright accents from the horn section comprised of Wade Baker on trumpet, Eric Campbell on trombone, and Oz Landessberg on sax punch it up. The song chronicles the singer’s attempt to quit smoking. Guitarist Minoru Maruyama underscores her struggles with one of his notable six-string interludes. Mandeville belts out her frustration as she impatiently waits for her man to return on “Tic Tok,” a driving number with Joan Gand giving her Hammond B-3 organ a real workout.

Several guest artists make significant contributions, starting with the legendary Eddie Shaw. His brawny sax finishes off the opener, “Cloud of Love,” the final horn embellishment around Mandeville’s red-hot vocal. He shares the solo spotlight with Maruyama on another high point, a modern version of the break up song, “Quit Me on Voice Mail”. Singer Charlie Love joins Mandeville for a magnificent soulful duet on “Don’t Doubt My Love” and sticks around to lend a helping hand on “Smart Women Foolish Choices,” a strutting shuffle with another exuberant vocal from the leader. Another highlight is “So Called Best Friend” with Billy Branch playing sinuous harp lines to accent Mandeville’s blunt tale of cheating in the next room. He also makes an appearance on the good-time romper “Party at the End of Time”, making his harp dance on his solo slot. It is definitely appropriate that Mandeville gets a chance to show off her guitar skills on the autobiographical “Why Would a Woman Sing the Blues”. Her distorted, soaring solo is powerful statement demanding the respect she deserves. The grinding pace of the closing track, “(Life is Like a) Wave,” gives Mandeville plenty of space for another taut solo while guest Dizzy Bolinski blows some mean harp in response.

An impressive effort from start to finish, this one deserves the label “All killer – no filler”! Mandeville’s songs connect on a very human level, especially when delivered by her commanding, soulful voice in combination with the magnificent efforts by the entire supporting crew. This one comes highly recommended! ~Mark Thompson

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Ronnie Pyle & The Drivers - Slidin'

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:52
Size: 77.5 MB
Styles: Blues rock
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[3:41] 1. Slidin' Thru The Backdoor
[4:42] 2. Why I Still Cry
[2:53] 3. I Got A Gal
[4:43] 4. Talented Girl
[3:03] 5. My Baby
[3:28] 6. Sweet Sally
[3:07] 7. Jenny
[4:51] 8. Let It Roll
[3:20] 9. What Did You Do

Local Tulsa Legends Randy Ess, Pat Wright, Mitch McBride!! A Original Classic Blues Rock band from Tulsa Oklahoma. We bring back that classic blues rock feel of the old days of Shelter Records with a Muscle Shoals flavor to it!!

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Paul Mark & The Van Dorens - 2 albums: Disposable Soul / Indigo Vertigo

Album: Disposable Soul
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:55
Size: 102.9 MB
Styles: Rockin blues
Year: 1997
Art: Front

[4:13] 1. Grow Old
[4:58] 2. Drinkin' On The Job
[2:34] 3. Tidal Rave
[2:18] 4. Prison Of One
[4:14] 5. Whatever Happened To Memphis
[3:23] 6. Some Kind Of Something
[4:52] 7. Believing The Truth
[3:54] 8. The Haunted Life
[3:29] 9. Deanna I Do
[3:30] 10. Hard Hitting Journalism
[3:13] 11. Walk Into The Fire
[4:12] 12. Credit Line

Recorded at Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas. 12 terrific new tunes, a primer on roots rock mayhem. The band zigs and zags from swamp rock (Whatever Happened to Memphis) to ice cool soul (Prison of One) to surf (Tidal Rave) to Chicago-style bad manners (Drinkin' On the Job). Includes the soul show stopper "Believing the Truth". Kim Wilson (Fabulous Thunderbirds) butts in on harp! What fantastic planet does this all come from?

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Album: Indigo Vertigo
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:47
Size: 127.7 MB
Styles: Rockin blues
Year: 2002
Art: Front

[3:53] 1. Shakin' In My Head
[3:51] 2. You Can't Do That
[5:02] 3. Vertigo
[6:35] 4. Dead End Town
[4:51] 5. She's Writing A Book
[3:40] 6. 15 Minutes From Marie
[4:20] 7. Roll The Stone
[3:32] 8. Pub Crawl
[3:59] 9. Drive Me Home
[3:00] 10. Prison Break
[4:18] 11. Pushing Papers, Counting Beans
[4:57] 12. Real Fine Mind
[3:44] 13. Monkey In The Box

INDIGO VERTIGO is the band's fourth CD release, and it packs a rhythmic wallop. Endlessly surprising, infinitely crazed and above all infinitely swinging, this is a CD that restores jaded listeners to musical health. How can a record sound so loose yet not have a note of filler?

The CD was recorded at Dockside Studios in Louisiana, and the swamp oozes from every cut. Mark has penned a folio of new tunes that continues to raise the bar for blues songwriting. Each tune catches some element of the southern tradition and twists it into something new. "15 Minutes from Marie" updates the Louisiana second line sound into a car driving anthem. "Shakin' in My Head" has a funk guitar break that will curl your hair. "Dead End Town" takes the 12-bar format and turns it inside out over a lyric that is as fresh as today's headlines. Included is a cover of Lennon/McCartney chestnut "You Can't Do That", roughed up into an improbable Texas blues taunt.

Mark has said this is the band's best CD to date and he may be right. After so many years on the road, a natural feel pervades the mix. Co-produced by Mark and Memphis music guru Jeff Powell, this is one CD that'll rise right to the top of your stack.

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Roosevelt Sykes : The Honeydripper's Ball (The Meek) / The Honeydripper's Duke's Mixture

Album: The Honeydripper's Ball (The Meek)
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Source: LL (from CD)
Released: 1970/2007
Styles: Blues
Time: 47:06
Size: 108,9 MB
Covers: Full

(3:11) 1. Shaking the Boogie
(3:38) 2. Too Smart Too Soon
(2:39) 3. Springfield Blues
(4:11) 4. Honeysuckle Blues
(4:35) 5. Tall Heavy Mama
(3:20) 6. I Am in Love with a Lover
(3:48) 7. New Orleans Jump
(3:10) 8. Safety Pin Blues
(3:54) 9. Man Is in Trouble
(2:13) 10. Dangerous Man
(2:38) 11. Roosevelt's Mood
(3:19) 12. Blues Bass
(2:45) 13. Driving Wheel (live bonus)
(3:39) 14. Night Time Is the Right Time (live bonus)

Late in life, pianist and blues shouter Roosevelt Sykes rode the crest of a remarkable comeback that introduced him to large numbers of club-crawling, festival-attending, and record-buying blues lovers, many of them young enough to be his grandchildren. The Honeydripper's Ball is a veritable time capsule from 1973 in the form of a reissue of the ironically titled The Meek Roosevelt Sykes [Jewel LP 5011] appended with a little over six minutes' worth from his set at the outdoor 1973 Ann Arbor Blues & Jazz Festival. The studio session is a delight, with an uncredited drummer contributing just the right amount of punchy support to an itinerary that includes several excellent instrumentals. "Driving Wheel" and "Night Time Is the Right Time" (which he first recorded in 1937) are beautiful examples of how Sykes interacted with crowds of enthusiastic admirers as he puffed his cigar, massaged the ivories, and sang the blues with all his heart. -- Allmusic.

The Honeydripper's Ball (The Meek)

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Album: The Honeydripper's Duke's Mixture
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Source: LL (from CD)
Released: 1971/1993
Styles: Blues
Time: 32:13
Size: 74,3 MB
Covers: Full

(3:24) 1. Going Down Slow
(3:03) 2. Ice Cream Freezer
(2:41) 3. Lost My Boogie
(2:11) 4. Sweet Georgia Brown
(4:24) 5. St. James Infirmary
(3:11) 6. Honeysuckle Rose
(5:14) 7. Basin Street Blues
(2:37) 8. Rock Me
(1:41) 9. A Woman in Demand
(3:42) 10. Dirty Mother for You

Roosevelt Sykes successfully survived through the days of country blues, rhythm & blues, rock 'n' roll and folk blues, and still appears indestructible. With a style that reeks of the backwoods Delta juke joints, he sells himself to everyone with vast enthusiasm and a sly humour. During a 1970 trip to Paris this interesting session was taped. there is much here to intrigue Sykes' devotees, for he plays both piano and guitar while running through a fraction of his huge repertoire. Memphis Slim is also present in the studio on tracks "Going Down Slow" and "Lost My Boogie".

The Honeydripper's Duke's Mixture

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B.B. King - 2 albums: Live At The Apollo / Makin' Love Is Good For You

Album: Live At The Apollo
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:34
Size: 102.0 MB
Styles: Modern electric blues
Year: 1991/2015
Art: Front

[4:52] 1. When Love Comes To Town
[7:25] 2. Sweet Sixteen
[3:33] 3. The Thrill Is Gone
[2:44] 4. Ain't Nobody's Business
[2:29] 5. Paying The Cost To Be The Boss
[7:32] 6. All Over Again
[4:04] 7. Night Life
[3:55] 8. Since I Met You Baby
[5:03] 9. Guess Who
[2:53] 10. Peace To The World

There are both good and bad points to this CD. Of the latter, the Phillip Morris "Super Band" is confined to background work with -- other than a few spots for Plas Johnson's tenor -- no soloists being heard from. As an ensemble, the all-star orchestra performs well, but is essentially anonymous. Also, despite the backing, B.B. King does not attempt to play jazz, a wasted opportunity. But, switching to the good points, Live at the Apollo is an excellent example of a strong B.B. King live performance. Somehow he always makes his combination of blues and familiar hits sound fresh. With a liberal amount of space set aside for his guitar solos, B.B. is in top form throughout the well-paced set, which is far superior to most of his overproduced studio sessions for MCA. Even if the big band is mostly irrelevant, this CD is recommended for B.B. King's singing and playing. ~Scott Yanow

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Album: Makin' Love Is Good For You
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:30
Size: 124.8 MB
Styles: Modern electric blues
Year: 2000/2015
Art: Front

[3:33] 1. I Got To Leave This Woman
[5:51] 2. Since I Fell For You
[3:46] 3. I Know
[4:01] 4. Peace Of Mind
[3:34] 5. Monday Woman
[3:47] 6. Ain't Nobody Like My Baby
[3:45] 7. Makin' Love Is Good For You
[4:06] 8. Don't Go No Farther
[3:05] 9. Actions Speak Louder Than Words
[3:47] 10. What You Bet
[3:09] 11. You're On Top
[3:13] 12. Too Good To You Baby
[4:35] 13. I'm In The Wrong Business
[4:12] 14. She's My Baby

Over the years, the music world has seen its share of over-70 singers who kept performing even though they didn't have much of a voice left: Peggy Lee and Frank Sinatra are among the names that come to mind. But when B.B. King entered his 70s, the veteran blues singer/guitarist could still belt it out with confidence, and he does exactly that on Makin' Love Is Good for You, which was recorded when King was 74. Although this blues/soul effort won't go down in history as one of his all-time classics, it's a respectable CD that finds his voice continuing to hold up well. King's charisma remains, and he has no problem getting his points across on 12-bar blues numbers like "Ain't Nobody Like My Baby," "I Got to Leave This Woman," and Willie Dixon's "Don't Go No Farther," as well as soul offerings such as the title song and an interpretation of Barbara George's 1961 hit "I Know." Because King has such a huge catalog, one could spend a fortune trying to acquire every title that he has out on CD. So unless you you're a serious collector and have a large budget, it's best to stick to his more essential recordings; and Makin' Love Is Good for You, although decent and respectable, isn't essential and isn't as interesting as 1999's Let the Good Times Roll: The Music of Louis Jordan. Nonetheless, it can be an enjoyable addition to your blues library if you're among King's diehard fans. ~Alex Henderson

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