John Lee Hooker - The Complete Chess Folk Blues Sessions

Year: 1991
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:08
Size: 178,4 MB
Styles: Blues
Scans: Full

1. I'm In The Mood (2:43)
2. Let's Go Out Tonight (6:51)
3. Peace Loving Man (3:53)
4. Stella Mae (3:02)
5. I Put My Trust In You (5:19)
6. You Know, I Know (3:52)
7. I'll Never Trust Your Love Again (3:24)
8. One Burbon, One Scotch, One Beer (3:01)
9. The Waterfront (5:22)
10. Lead Me (You Can Lead Me Baby) (4:47)
11. Nobody Knows (4:29)
12. Deep Blue Sea (3:37)
13. I Can't Quit You Baby (3:30)
14. Mustang And GTO (4:39)
15. House Rent Blues (3:48)
16. Catfish Blues (4:03)
17. Want Ad Blues (6:11)
18. This Land Is Nobody's Land (4:29)

Includes the complete "The Real Folk Blues" album (track 1 to 9), originally released as Chess LP-1508, plus nine previously unissued recordings. Unknown backing group.

AllMusic review by Stephen Cook for "The Real Folk Blues" album (tracks 1-9 on this release): Listeners wanting to find a comprehensive collection of Hooker's work may not find it here, but they certainly won't be disappointed once the needle hits the grooves on this solid 1966 Chess release by the blues master. Featuring nine Hooker originals, the set is a fetching mix of raucously fun up-tempo cuts ("Let's Go Out Tonight") and starkly slow classics ("Stella Mae"). And in between, one can sample classics like "I'm in the Mood" and the incredible ballad closer, "The Waterfront."

The Complete Chess Folk Blues Sessions mc
The Complete Chess Folk Blues Sessions zippy

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The Siegel-Schwall Band - The Reunion Concert

Year: 1988
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:42
Size: 124,3 MB
Styles: Blues, harmonica blues, roots
Scans: Full

1. You Don't Love Me Like That (4:18)
2. Devil (5:36)
3. Leavin' (3:18)
4. Hey, Billie Jean (6:33)
5. I Wanna Love Ya (4:28)
6. I Think It Was The Wine (5:03)
7. I Don't Want You To Be My Girl (7:12)
8. When I've Been Drinkin' (4:26)
9. Hush, Hush (7:30)
10. Got My Mojo Working (5:16)

This is the concert of the Siegel-Schwall Band, a Chicago band who reunited in the summer of 1987 for one show, a show concieved in the spirit of celebration. A throng of disbelieving fans and friends gathered this night at the new Vic Theatre (which nearly everyone noted was mere steps away from the old Quiet Knight).

And for a band who grew up with the Chicago music scene as much as they hepled to define it, the Siegel-Schwall Band uncovered the kind of live performance some must've thought irretrievable. "It wasn't nostalgia. It was nothing but fun." This is the concert of a Chicago band. A celebration. "We try to do it from the heart." /Excerpts from the liner notes by Lin Brehmer

The Reunion Concert mc
The Reunion Concert zippy

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John Dee Holeman & The Waifs Band - John Dee Holeman & The Waifs Band

Source: CD
Size: 121,4 MB
Time: 52:01
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2004
Styles: Piedmont Blues, Blues Folk
Art: Full

01. John Henry (2:33)
02. Country Gal (7:24)
03. Mojo Hand (3:07)
04. Give Me Back My Wig (5:38)
05. I'm A Pilgrim (2:30)
06. Comin' Home To You (7:41)
07. Dust My Broom (4:31)
08. Little Queenie (4:26)
09. I Miss You Huggin' (6:05)
10. Looking Yonder Comin' (3:23)
11. Baby Please Don't Go (4:38)

"The Waifs had converged at Music Maker studios in North Carolina for a week’s rehearsal before our US tour started. Toward the end of the week Tim Duffy suggested he invite some of the Foundations artists over to make some music. John Dee Holeman turned up. He's a real gentleman, very gracious & after a quick round of introductions he picked up an old guitar and started to play like ...well like he'd been doing it all his life.
We were in awe. There are rare occasions when one sits in the presence of living legend and experiences one of the last true forms of authentic music. Tentatively we joined in. I remember being nervous about playing harmonica. I was trying to play Sonny Terry licks, to be bluesy, to feel it. You can hear that...me trying.
That’s the thing you see. All week we had been going over songs, arrangements. Arguing over this and that. Trying to create our final version. When John Dee picked up that guitar and started playing it was the most natural thing in the world. Not something you thought about, or planned, or crafted. Just something you felt, as natural and easy as taking a walk.
So here it is. That afternoon at Music Maker studios when John Dee Holeman took a walk with his guitar and the Waifs tagged along, sometimes in step, sometimes a step behind. But the closest step we'd ever taken toward the blues. We wish to thank John Dee Holeman for the music and Tim & Denise Duffy for putting us up & bringing it together." -Vikki Thorn

John Dee Holeman & The Waifs Band

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Sunday Wilde - Sunday Wilde & 1 Eyed Jacks

Source: Lossless Digital Copy
Size: 99,5 MB
Time: 42:15
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2019
Styles: Electric Blues, Blues Jazz
Art: Front

01. Evil (4:19)
02. Love Is (4:05)
03. Dead Man's Clothes (3:23)
04. Show Me Mercy (4:24)
05. Dead Presidents (2:27)
06. It Hurts Me Too (4:23)
07. My Baby's Dead (3:45)
08. Captured Me (3:37)
09. Spirits Up My Friend (5:15)
10. Swear You're Cheatin (2:48)
11. I Guess I Didn't Hear You Right (3:44)

Sunday wilde is from the wilds of a northern Ontario small town, and has been found singing everywhere from small logging towns at funeral parlours, and blues joints and all the way to large festivals, and bars in bustling metropolises. She is a powerful and intense vocalist, a rare voice that speaks from the primal soul. Sunday is a songwriter who explores the subjects of grief, addiction, love and the torment of social and family dysfunction. Her lyrics and delivery make it abundantly clear that she speaks from experience and authority.

Her influences come from a array of sources such as the wilderness, Ruth Brown, pain, suffering, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, grief, heartbreak, Bessie Smith, Big Bill Broonzy, mixed in with love, joy, Tom Waits, Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. She continues to create, explore, interpret and innovate, meldingdivergent styles and influences, pushing the envelope of her craft further. All the while enthralling audiences with her live performances and singular style.

Sunday Wilde & 1 Eyed Jacks

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Blind Blake - Early Morning Blues: Essential Recordings 1926-1932

Source: CD
Size: 186,1 MB
Time: 78:34
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2019
Styles: Country Blues
Art: Full

01. Rope Stretchin' Blues (3:03)
02. Hard Pushin' Papa (2:37)
03. Diddle Wa Diddie (2:59)
04. Black Dog Blues (2:50)
05. One Time Blues (2:39)
06. Too Tight Blues (2:56)
07. Low Down Lovin' Gal (3:12)
08. Georgia Bound (3:23)
09. Hastings Street (3:14)
10. Third Degree Blues (3:22)
11. Early Morning Blues (3:03)
12. Come On Boys Let's Do That Messin' Around (2:46)
13. Skeedle Loo Doo Blues (3:04)
14. Lonesome Christmas Blues (3:40)
15. I Was Afraid Of That (3:17)
16. Dry Bone Shuffle (2:41)
17. You Gonna Quit Me Blues (2:46)
18. He's In The Jailhouse Now (2:47)
19. Blake's Worried Blues (3:06)
20. West Coast Blues (3:12)
21. Sea Board Stomp (3:05)
22. Wabash Rag (2:54)
23. Southern Rag (2:53)
24. Rumblin' And Ramblin' Boa Constrictor Blues (2:51)
25. Champagne Charlie Is My Name (2:30)
26. Depression's Gone From Me Blues (3:31)

Personnel:
Arthur “Blind” Blake, vocals and guitar.

Also featuring:
Gus Cannon (banjo on track 18),
Charlie Spand (piano on track 9),
Dad Nelson (kazoo on track 4), among others.

Blind Blake was one of the greatest acoustic blues guitarists of all-time. His guitar style and technique were unique, capturing the pulsating rhythms of the blues, ragtime, and jazz music recorded during the 1920s and early 1930s. This newly remastered CD set includes his finest tunes waxed by the Paramount label between 1926 and 1932 (originally released as 10” 78-rpm discs). All of these poignant tracks, many of them singled out as classic early blues performances, would form the basis of Blind Blake’s enduring legacy and secure his role as one of the legends of that period.

Early Morning Blues

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Caboose - Hinterland Blues

Source: Lossless Digital Copy
Size: 82,9 MB
Time: 35:38
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2019
Styles: Contemporary Blues
Art: Front

01. Land Of No Return (4:45)
02. They Call Him Poet (3:10)
03. Suicide Song (3:42)
04. Landslide (4:14)
05. Our Wolrd (3:29)
06. Hinterland Blues (7:26)
07. Freight Train Blues (4:36)
08. Bloodhound (4:14)

Personnel:
Louis DeCicco - electric guitar, resophonic guitar, voice, lyrics
Carlo Corso - drums, percussion
Biagio Daniele - harmonica, guitar dulcimer
Bruno Belardi - double bass on 1,2,6
Emanuele Carulli - electric bass on 5
Giovanna Salvo Rossi - backing vocals on 4,5

When Louis DeCicco begins to play in the Berlin's underground, the only trains that matter are the yellow ones.

"Just the last wagon, because when you hear the train coming, you'd better start playing for the people who jump on and off"

He didn't know yet, that in the U.S. , where Biagio Daniele is touring extensively, the last coach of the train, derives from a german word: Kabhuse. We'r talking about freight trains of course, that many artists have caught on the run, and let the destiny behind.

"Our Caboose tells about stories at the edges, describing the habits of the citizens of whichever little town in the world.

If you look around you, wherever the place you live, the city (or the suburbs) IS a small world: the first you experience as a young man and have to deal with.

A lot of songs, especially in the new album, reflect our real urges and thoughts, but we discovered that we were using the point of view of some childhood characters that we met in the real life. And the funny is, that listeners recognize themselves as much as we do: because those characters are immortal, in a way, and everyone says his truth, everyone sings his own blues"

The blues, here we go. Is it possible to say something new with such a "old" style?

We'd like to quote a great italian jazz musician of the eighties, Massimo Urbani: the avantgarde is in the feelings.

So, the songs are about real episodes and fact, concerning mixed emotions: they witness the overtaking of cars that end up into a prostitute circle in the middle of the suburb (Hinterland blues); the voice of a hopeless preacher concerned about the increasing reverence for money (Our world), the last thoughts of a friend who is about to commit suicide ( Suicide song) and so on...

Hinterland Blues

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Corky Siegel's Chamber Blues - Corky Siegel's Chamber Blues

Source: CD
Size: 157,6 MB
Time: 67:34
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1994
Styles: Chamber Blues, Classical
Art: Full

01. Unfinished Jump (Opus 13 From The Chambers Blues Suite) (3:09)
02. Filisko's Dream (Opus 12 From The Chamber Blues Suite) (5:16)
03. Concerto For Alberti Blues Piano (Opus 6 From The Chamber Blues Suite) (8:43)
04. Koulangatta (5:38)
05. Allegro (Opus 8 From The Chamber Blues Suite) (9:35)
06. No One's Got Them Like I Do (6:45)
07. Opus 11 For Solo Violin (From The Chamber Blues Suite) (4:38)
08. Slow Blues (Opus 7 From The Chamber Blues Suite) (7:35)
09. Concerto For 2nd Violin (Opus 9 From The Chamber Blues Suite) (8:57)
10. Insecurity (7:11)

Composer, pianist, harmonica virtuoso and singer/songwriter Corky Siegel has been bringing his critically acclaimed, blues-influenced music to worldwide audiences for three decades. His early years with the Siegel-Schwall Blues Band, his solo performances, and his groundbreaking blues-classical collaborations with conductor Seiji Ozawa are all a reflection of Corky's wide-ranging talent. His Alligator release, Corky Siegel's Chamber Blues, integrates the delicate structure of and complex qualities of chamber music with the emotion and spontaneity of the blues.

Blending classical and blues was not a departure for Corky, but a continuation of his life's work. According to Corky, "It seems like my thirty years of writing and performing have just been preparation for Chamber Blues. I have never done anything that has been so right for me before, creatively. It's like I've been working up to this since I started."

Renowned for his recordings in the late 1960s and early 1970s with the Siegel-Schwall Blues Band, Corky counted many famous musicians as his personal friends, including Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf and many others. Among them was Chicago Symphony Orchestra conductor Seiji Ozawa, who would often drop by Corky's gigs and stay the whole night. "Ozawa wanted my band to jam with his band, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra." Sure enough, the first jam took place in 1968, when Siegel-Schwall and the Chicago Symphony played William Russo's Three Pieces For Blues Band And Symphony Orchestra, and it was a smash success.

After the successful performance with the Chicago Symphony, Siegel-Schwall Blues Band went on to perform with the New York Philharmonic in 1969. "You have to remember, " says Corky, "this was in the 1960s. We went on stage with long hair, amplifiers and vests without shirts. When the subscription audience who was there to see the symphony saw my band, they booed. But when we finished, the reaction was so strong that the president of the Symphony Association said it was the longest and most intense standing ovation he had ever heard in Lincoln Center."

In 1971 the Deutsche Grammophon label recorded Three Pieces For Blues Band And Orchestra with the San Francisco Symphony under conductor Seiji Ozawa. The album was released in 1973 and it quickly became a major seller. In 1976, Siegel recorded William Russo's Street Music with maestro Ozawa and the San Francisco Symphony. The album won the French government's Grand Prix du Disque when it was released in 1979. The album also received the Recording of Special Merit citation in Stereo Review in 1979 and again in 1988 for the re-released compact disc.

Corky has written and performed works for many symphonies including the San Francisco Symphony and the National Symphony Orchestra. His music has been choreographed by four different international ballet companies and has been used for many national TV specials and documentaries including Carl Sagan's Cosmos, the ABC television series Missing Persons, and even the 1988 Olympic men's figure skating competition. He also accepted commissions to write experimental blues/classical material for such organizations as the City of San Francisco and Chicago's Grant Park Symphony.

It was Corky's association with the Grant Park Symphony in 1983 that first led to the creation of Chamber Blues. "Suddenly I had this explosion of inspiration. I visualized an emotional classical blues blend that created a new form with the sweet wooden sound and intimacy of a string quartet. And then I was compelled to focus on the elements of blues and classical that complement each other."

Siegel and his string quartet with percussionist (and Ramsey Lewis alum) Frank Donaldson, challenge the conventional boundaries of both classical music and blues. Chamber Blues has been described as a cross between Muddy Waters and Mozart "The whole concept of Chamber Blues is not experimental," says Corky, "it's natural and palatable…it's neither classical nor blues--it's just music."

Corky Siegel's Chamber Blues

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Sidetrackers - Live In The Studio

Source: Lossless Digital Copy
Size: 133,1 MB
Time: 56:51
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2019
Styles: Electric Blues
Art: Front

01. Blom's Shuffle (Live) (2:51)
02. Time Likes To Slip Away (Live) (4:29)
03. Rollin' And Tumblin' (Live) (6:15)
04. Nobody's Fault But Mine (Live) (3:33)
05. Night Wind (Live) (5:10)
06. Why Are You So Mean To Me (Live) (4:39)
07. Gotta Serve Somebody (Live) (7:27)
08. San Ho Zay (Live) (3:55)
09. Stormy Monday (Live) (6:04)
10. E 45 (Live) (3:42)
11. Rock This House (Live) (3:17)
12. You Don't Love Me (Live) (5:23)

Sidetrackers are the sound of sliding doors, Hammond organ, rock'n'roll piano and drums. The trio offers both own compositions and selected blues classics. They are not afraid to sometimes go to the edge of the conventions and acid out with the wah wah pedal in turn or plunge into a melodic instrumental number.

Martin Jønsson, organ and piano, Martin Blom, guitar and vocals, and Svend Eeg, drums, know each other very well and have previously played together in different contexts. With Sidetrackers, they deliver a cocktail of blues, roots, swamp, southern rock, funky New Orleans cases, rock 'n' roll, lyrical delights, growling Hammond sound, dirty slit windows and la Elmore James and good with shuffle groove in the drums.

On Sidetrackers' repertoire are songs and instrumental numbers written by Martin Blom - for example "Night Wind", "Time Likes To Slip Away" and "Who's Behind The Wheel". And selected blues classics, who in Sidetracker's editions get a new sound and mood. Among others, “Rollin” and Tumblin ”,“ Nobody’s Fault But Mine ”and“ You Don’t Love Me ”. Dylan's "Gotta Serve Somebody" also appears on the set list.

The three musicians tackled the new collaboration in December 2018. In the spring of 2019 they publish an album, and then they are otherwise on their way to playing in the whole country.

Live In The Studio

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Peter Ward - Train To Key Biscayne

Source: Lossless Digital Copy
Size: 101,8 MB
Time: 43:13
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2019
Styles: Electric Blues
Art: Front

01. The Luther Johnson Thing (Feat. Luther Johnson, Sugar Ray Norcia & Anthony Geraci) (4:18)
02. A Westerly Sunday Night (Feat. Sugar Ray Norcia) (3:44)
03. When You Are Mine (Feat. Sugar Ray Norcia) (4:53)
04. Train To Key Biscayne (Feat. Johnny Nicholas) (2:41)
05. I Saw Your Home (Feat. Michelle Willson) (4:55)
06. Blues Elixir (Ronnie's Here) (Feat. Ronnie Earl & Sugar Ray Norcia) (4:06)
07. Supposedly (2:58)
08. Change (Ain't Never For The Good) (Feat. Johnny Nicholas, Sugar Ray Norcia & Anthony Geraci) (3:28)
09. As Long As I Have A Chance (Feat. Sugar Ray Norcia & Anthony Geraci) (2:59)
10. Coffee Song (Feat. Michelle Willson) (3:29)
11. Something Always Slows Me Down (Feat. Sugar Ray Norcia & Anthony Geraci) (4:29)
12. Anthony's Son (1:07)

TRAIN TO KEY BISCAYNE is an exciting followup to Peter Ward's debut release, BLUES ON MY SHOULDERS which garnered rave reviews upon its release in 2017.
Ward, former guitarist for the Legendary Blues Band (Pinetop Perkins, Willie Big Eyes Smith, Calvin Jones and Jerry Portnoy) wrote 12 new blues, ballads and retro-style rock n roll — all with a fresh sound and '50s flavor.
Before they brought Peter into the band, the Legendary Blues Band were the guys who backed the great Muddy Waters. Hitting the road with those cats was like Blues 101 as the band crisscrossed the country in a van, traveling hundreds of miles each day to perform to delighted audiences at night. Peter learned then how to play a brand of unhurried unadulterated blues. Prior to that, Peter backed Jimmy Rogers, Junior Wells, Joe Beard, Buddy Guy, Otis Rush, Lowell Fulson, Louisiana Red and Sunnyland Slim. His blues philosophy is in finding an original way to play blues within a traditional framework.
TRAIN TO KEY BISCAYNE opens with a tribute Peter wrote to his hero, Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson, the former Muddy Waters guitarist. It's a song about Luther's own life. The album features Peter's friends, the renowned Ronnie Earl on guitar, Michelle "Evil Gal" Willson, Johnny Nicholas and Sugar Ray Norcia, all on vocals, and Peter's brother Mudcat on bass. Also appearing are Neil Gouvin on drums, Anthony Geraci on piano and the aforementioned Norcia on harp — all of the legendary Sugar Ray & the Bluetones — former John Copnlee keyboardist Hank Walther on piano, George Dellomo on drums, Bob Berry on bass, Aaron Gratzmiller on saxophone, Jiri Nedoma on piano and Keith Asack on bass and guitar.
The songs reflect joy, sadness, humor and everything in-between.
"Coffee Song," sung by Willson, is about serving piping hot coffee and pancakes in bed to the person you care about without worrying who does how much for whom. There's a story about road rage "Something Always Slows Me Down," persistence and love "When You Are Mine" and the journey we dare take to revive a friendship "Train to Key Biscayne."
Ronnie Earl called the record inspiring and Peter thinks his fans will like this album! He hopes to reach a wider audience with this new release.

Train To Key Biscayne

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Michael Bloom & The Blues Prophecy - Whisper In The Wind

Source: Lossless Digital Copy
Size: 112,2 MB
Time: 47:54
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2019
Styles: Chicago Blues, Blues Rock
Art: Front

01. Time On My Hands (3:41)
02. Whisper In The Wind (3:20)
03. Just Can't Win (4:48)
04. I Remember Love (3:27)
05. Brownsville (4:51)
06. Old Man Blues (6:50)
07. Till I Met You (3:33)
08. No Luck At All (5:01)
09. Lisa (4:50)
10. I Ain't Got The Blues (3:44)
11. Dust My Broom (3:44)

Michael Bloom is a Chicago-born, classically-trained guitarist, singer and songwriter of classic and original blues. From Oakland, CA to Chicago, IL, Michael’s been writing and playing the blues in one form or another for most of his life. The poetic voices of Robert Johnson, Jimmy Reed, and Mississippi John Hurt, the lyrical lines of BB King and Otis Rush, the rhythms of Muddy Waters and Little Milton all echo through his songs. When you see Michael and the Blues Prophecy testify on stage, you’ll feel his passion for performing the blues and his love for bringing it to the world.

"One thing I’ve learned," Bloom says, "is that the blues is more than the notes you play, or the words you sing. It’s something you feel deep down inside, from a gnawing despair to a surge of joy. Blues is the music of struggle, but it’s also the music of hope. Like Buddy Guy ? the man himself ? says, 'The blues is alive and well.' It’s everywhere. Blues is life and life is the blues. Start living the blues. That’s the message I want to bring to the world. That’s The Blues Prophecy."

Some of the places Michael has performed at include Rosa’s Lounge, Buddy Guy’s Legends, The Kingston Mines in Chicago, the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale MS, Wild Bill’s in Memphis, Eli’s Mile High Club in Oakland CA, Starry Plow in Berkeley, CA, El Farol, Tiny’s Dine & Dance, Evangelo’s in Santa Fe NM and the historic King William IV pub in Fenstanton, England.

While in Chicago, Michael played with blues legend Mary Lane, and her band The No Static Blues Band. He also recorded tracks for his new CD, "Whisper in the Wind".

He has recently been accepted as a ReverbNation Curated Artist and will be featured on the ReverbNation homepage in July.

Michael now resides in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with his wife, Lisa Arthur and their dog Gibson and cat Tiki. Michael travels regularly to perform and to live the blues.

Whisper In The Wind

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Fleetwood Mac - Boston Blues (2 CD)

Album: Boston Blues
Year: 2000
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:14 + 53:07
Size: 129,3 + 122,2 MB
Styles: Electric blues
Scans: Full

CD 1:
1. Black Magic Woman (6:48)
2. Like It This Way (4:27)
3. Oh Well (3:14)
4. Jumping At Shadows (4:49)
5. Stranger Blues (3:59)
6. Oh Baby (4:27)
7. Got To Move (3:52)
8. Rattlesnake Shake (24:36)

CD 2:
1. World In Harmony (4:11)
2. Sandy Mary (5:22)
3. Loving Kind (2:52)
4. Only You (4:25)
5. Red Hot Mama (4:12)
6. I Can't Hold Out (6:31)
7. The Green Manalishi (12:44)
8. Encore Jam (12:45)

By the turn of the 70s, Fleetwood Mac - Peter Green, Danny Kirwan and Jeremy Spencer (guitars/vocals) plus Mac's perennial rhythm section of John McVie (bass) and Mick Fleetwood (drums) - were in a class of their own, just about the most powerful band on the planet at that time. They were at their best onstage, and these tracks - recorded live in Boston in February 1970 - capture a band playing at the absolute peak of its powers.

Boston Blues (2 CD) mc
Boston Blues (2 CD) zippy

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The Siegel-Schwall Band - Flash Forward

Year: 2005
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:25
Size: 125,9 MB
Styles: Blues, harmonica blues, roots
Scans: Full

1. Afraid Of Love (4:42)
2. Deja Vous (4:25)
3. Going Back To Alabama (3:39)
4. The Underqualified Blues (5:29)
5. Krazy (4:40)
6. Can't Stop (4:38)
7. On The Road (3:38)
8. Twisted (3:49)
9. Rumors Of Long Tall Sally (3:05)
10. Hey Leviticus (2:42)
11. Sweet Liz (3:34)
12. Pauline (6:04)
13. Stormy Weather Love (3:56)

Thirty years after their last full-length studio effort, and nearly 40 years since they released their debut album in 1966, the Siegel-Schwall Band is back with Flash Forward, a delightful little folk-blues outing that is refreshing both for its sense of humor and its breezy, lighter-than-air ensemble playing. Not that they're doing anything new here, but the contemporary blues scene is so full of hot-shot players, each one trying to be heavier than the next, that Siegel-Schwall's brand of easygoing, good-natured blues sounds downright radical by comparison.

Sporting a longtime lineup of Corky Siegel on harmonica and Jim Schwall on guitar and mandolin, with a crackerjack rhythm section of Rollo Radford on bass and the legendary Sam Lay on drums, the band sounds like it had a blast recording these songs, and although it seems odd to call a blues album joyful, that's exactly what Flash Forward is.

Highlights include Siegel's "Afraid of Love" (with the wonderful chorus "I'm afraid of love, but only a little afraid of you"), Lay's laconic "Going Back to Alabama," and Radford's absolutely loopy "Krazy." Who would have thought, out of all the blues bands that formed in Chicago in the 1960s, that it would be the Siegel-Schwall Band left still standing and making lively music 40-some years later? And judging from this album, they're still having a hoot doing it. /Steve Leggett, AllMusic

Flash Forward mc
Flash Forward zippy

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Howard & The White Boys - The Big Score

Size: 130,0 MB
Time: 55:19
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1999
Styles: Chicago Blues
Art: Full

01. Leave The Lights On (5:16)
02. Judge (5:25)
03. It's All You (3:44)
04. I Need Some Cash (5:12)
05. I Thank You (4:59)
06. The Last Time (4:48)
07. Trouble Follows You (4:01)
08. You'll Come Back (4:36)
09. Walk Before You Run (4:14)
10. A Fool For You, Baby (4:17)
11. Bring It On (4:29)
12. All Work And No Play (4:14)

During the 1990s, Howard & the White Boys became one of Chicago's favorite local blues bands before slowly expanding their reach beyond the Windy City. The band formed in 1988 while most of the members -- Dan Bellini (guitar/harmonica), Howard McCullum (vocals/bass), Steve Asma (guitar), Jim Christopulos (drums) -- were studying at Northern Illinois University in Dekalb. The band's first break came when they opened for B.B. King. Later, they would perform alongside numerous other blues superstars such as Koko Taylor, Albert King, Junior Wells, Luther Allison, and Bo Diddley. In 1994, Howard & the White Boys released their first recording, Strung Out on the Blues, which the Los Angeles-based Mighty Tiger Records released and which featured mostly songs written by the band.

Around this same time, Howard & the White Boys began appearing regularly at Buddy Guy's Legends, a popular blues club in Chicago. The exposure broadened the band's audience, and before long, Guy embarked on a Midwestern tour with Howard & the White Boys as his opening act. All of the touring began to take a toll on Asma, who left the band to concentrate on academic pursuits. Another guitarist, Rocco Calipari, replaced Asma, and the band began touring extensively throughout the States (later touring Europe). Mighty Tiger released the band's second album in 1997, Guess Who's Coming To Dinner? The album attracted the Philadelphia label Evidence, who signed Howard & the White Boys to a four-album deal and released The Big $core (1999). During this same year, Calipari left the band to spend time with his family. In his place came another guitarist, Giles Corey. Yet he too left the band, and in July 2001, Calipari returned. ~ Jason Birchmeier

The Big Score

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Joe Zook & Blues Deluxe - Good Mornin' Blues

Size: 102,7 MB
Time: 44:19
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2019
Styles: Electric Blues, Blues Rock
Label: Blues Deluxe
Art: Front

01. Good Mornin’ Blues (5:25)
02. I Love My Baby (3:03)
03. Wait And See (4:50)
04. Caldonia (4:57)
05. Where Did It Go (5:10)
06. It Ain’t What You Do (3:51)
07. Take Me Back (4:47)
08. On My Mind (3:09)
09. Same Old Blues (5:02)
10. I Got Nothin’ To Say (4:01)

Blues. This band plays the Blues. No doubt. And ithe Blues gets taken for a wild ride on this album. Creative and innovative arrangements give everyone plenty of solo time ....the rhythm section lays down a rock solid foundation for the fantastic keyboard, Harmonica, Saxophones and trumpet soar in section and solo while the guitar alternately coaxes and strongly declares its independent voice, reminiscent of the 3 Kings.

The vocalists, two Blues Hall of Famers on guitar and bass are not afraid to give various treatments fitting to the lyrics that are thoughtful, deep, resolute and comical in turn.

From the slow,plaintive “Wait and See” with its specter of the Reaper to the smoking hot Caldonia and the rocking It Ain’t What You Do ( It’s Who You Do it To ) the band is not predictable.Pick this album up if you love the Blues.

Good Mornin' Blues

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Michele Biondi - Cotton & Moonshine

Size: 77,9 MB
Time: 32:49
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Electric/Acoustic Blues
Art: Front

01. Cotton & Moonshine (2:31)
02. Don't Let Your Dreams Die (3:47)
03. Another Shot (3:01)
04. Tearing Me Apart (2:56)
05. Apple Pie (3:35)
06. No Friends (3:40)
07. Hell On Earth (3:12)
08. Country Blues (4:05)
09. Feeling No Pain (3:12)
10. Give Me Back My Pride (2:44)

Blues singer and songwriter Michele “Matt” Biondi was born in the north of Italy, in Lucca, in the Tuscany region, not too far from Pisa. His initial exposure to music came early in his life, thanks to grandparents who were multi-instrumentalists. Biondi took up the guitar at the age of 14, learning mostly from friends and with lessons from guitarist Gorby Marraccini. At 16, his first exposure to blues music came from his friend, guitarist Vittorio Pecchia. At 19, he began his studies with American singer and songwriter Bruce Borrini.

By the age of 21, he’d begun playing guitar with the ‘Italian Euro Big Band,’ playing blues, swing, and rock ‘n’ roll throughout Italy, France and Portugal. Shortly thereafter, he started his own band, The Blues Basket, playing in and around Tuscany, eventually going on to play with a couple of other regional blues bands at regional festivals in both Italy and Switzerland. During a visit to Mississippi, he was introduced to the Texas-based blues singer Ray Cashman and harmonica player Stan Street, with whom he began a fruitful collaboration, often accompanying them on tours.

Cotton & Moonshine is his second release as a solo artist, and has received positive acclaim in both the E.U. and the U.S.A., with his very personal approach to some very traditional blues styles. Eight of the ten songs were penned by Biondi, with “Feeling No Pain” written by Ray Cashman, and “Country Blues,” an old Muddy Waters tune. Personnel for this album includes Biondi on guitar and vocals, Edoardo Vannozzi on drums and percussion, Federico Paoli on upright and electric bass, Alessandro Solenni on keys, and Elena Cosci on backing vocals. It was recorded at Red Room Studios in Pisa, Italy, and was produced by Biondi and S. Valentino.

The songs themselves – including Biondi’s original tunes – are spirited if fairly conventional interpretations of standard blues forms, albeit with Biondi’s tasteful, understated approach to the guitar. Biondi’s guitar playing is more than competent, and he’s got a good handle on traditional approaches to both acoustic and electric blues guitar, and an especially nice touch with the slide on a resonator guitar.

I found his countertenor vocals to be initially somewhat startling, as they are heavily accented and – given that English is not his native tongue – his phrasing can be a little awkward. Lyrically, some of the rhymes that he uses feel forced. I find myself wondering how these songs might sound sung in his native Italian? Interestingly enough, both Ray Cashman and Jeoffrey Collins White are credited on the album as Lyrics Supervisors, while Matt Cressey is credited as Vocal Coach. Just as different translators might approach translating a novel in different ways, I have to wonder how the lyrics might have been approached differently, with slightly different rhymes and word choices, to make them flow more naturally and less awkwardly. Still, the songs do hold together and are very sincere and engaging.

The intro to the lead-off track, “Cotton & Moonshine,” has a nice call-and-response between the vocal and Biondi’s slide guitar. Once the bass and drums kick-in, the slide mimics his vocal phrasing throughout the track. It’s a nice, imaginative approach that works well in the context of the minimal instrumentation in this track.

“Don’t Let Your Dreams Die” has a nice country blues feel that is evocative and feels like one of the more personal songs on this collection. The upright bass helps propel this song along at a comfortable, loping pace. It’s one of my favorites on this album.

“Another Shot” is a rollicking number along the lines of Elmore James’ “Dust My Broom,” and features some very nice slide work.

“Tearing Me Apart” has come tasty electric slide, against a mysterious wash of Hammond organ in the background; it’s another of this album’s high points.

“Apple Pie” feels like a Sunday morning back porch picking session, with the upright bass and brushed drums maintaining a sweet country blues groove against Biondi’s acoustic slide licks.

Other standout tracks include “Hell on Earth” with its almost Gospel feel, and “Country Blues” which channels early Robert Johnson by way of Muddy Waters. The albums closer, “Give Me Back My Pride” is a slow, smoky electric blues that I can imagine being played during the last set at a dimly-lit bar.

Bottom line? Cotton & Moonshine is a nice collection of listener-friendly, blues-influenced Americana with Biondi’s very personal stamp on them. The arrangements and performances of his original songs are crisp, and the result is very a very satisfying album of sincere, low-key country blues. ~Dave Orban

Cotton & Moonshine

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Griff Hamlin & The Single Barrel Blues Band - I'll Drink To That

Size: 101,8 MB
Time: 43:52
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2019
Styles: Electric Blues
Art: Front

01. Almost Level With The Ground (3:19)
02. Same To You (4:08)
03. Down And Out (2:50)
04. Someone (6:17)
05. Nothing Better (3:11)
06. Louisiana Holiday (Single Barrel Version) (4:44)
07. Don't Lie (Single Barrel Version) (4:35)
08. Where Would I Begin (Single Barrel Version) (5:53)
09. Got To End (Single Barrel Version) (3:52)
10. Bourbon And A Pistol (4:58)

Personnel:
Griff Hamlin - Guitar/Vocals
Ty Bailie - Keys
Mark Smith - Bass
Chris Atchley - Drums
Jonathan Bradley - Trumpet
Eric Letta - Alto/Tenor Saxophones
Kevin Hicks - Trombone
Laura Hamlin - Baritone Saxophone

I'll Drink To That

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Kelly Bell Band - Know My Name

Size: 122,8 MB
Time: 52:40
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2019
Styles: Electric Blues, Blues Rock
Art: Front

01. Long Train (3:19)
02. Last $4 (3:20)
03. First Moments (3:16)
04. Good Thing (3:52)
05. You Don't Know (4:34)
06. Know My Name (5:44)
07. I'm Gone! (5:16)
08. Dead Man Walking (3:04)
09. Things Just Ain't The Same (3:41)
10. P.H.A.T. Blues (4:42)
11. Gimmick Infringement? (0:04)
12. Every Time (3:49)
13. In The Late Hours (7:52)

Blues Revue Magazine describes the Kelly Bell Band (KBB) as “Among the most genre-expanding acts on today’s blues scene. Who else can combine elements of hip-hop, funk, and blues-electrified here” Originally formed as the back-up band for rock and roll pioneer, Bo Diddley, KBB has been touring the world ever since entertaining fans in Japan, Spain, Italy, Greece, Cuba, Germany and more.

The band has won two prestigious Maryland Music Awards, including “Best Blues Band.” In 2018 they were been nominated for “Music Icon”. KBB has been voted “Best Blues Band” in the Mid Atlantic Region (12 years in a row), and was recently named “Best Band” by Baltimore Style Magazine.

“The Kelly Bell Band is exactly the kind of genre-bending, rule-breaking, and color-smearing group the music scene of 2019 desperately needs. The Kelly Bell Band lives outside of all the lines and freely mixes blues, funk, rock, metal, hip-hop, and more into a compelling fusion of musical styles.” – Mike O’Cull, Rock And Blues Muse

Their debut album, ‘Phat Blues Music’ remains one of the best selling releases in Mid-Atlantic region history. In addition to Kelly’s role as front man, Bell is a regular on area radio shows, commercials, television news and several television and movie appearances.

Kelly Bell, known as ‘The Bluesman’, is joined by vocalist Rahsaan “Wordslave” Eldridge, Ryan Fowler and Eric Robinson (guitar), Frankie Hernandez (bass), John Robert Buell (drums) and Dane Paul Russell (harmonica).

The band are active in supporting our military, playing shows regularly for our troops. KBB believes in providing both physical and emotional support to our nation’s soldiers through Navy Entertainment.

KBB doesn’t take any show or appearance for granted. Their goal remains to always put on the best show every night entertaining fans through their stage show, music and audience interaction. The band can be found conversing with fans before and after shows. They make it a point to sign items and pose for photos with fans after each performance.

Know My Name

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Lamont Cranston Band - Live At The People's Fair 1987

Year: 2007
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:53
Size: 142,9 MB
Styles: Electric blues, harmonica blues
Scans: Front

1. Introduction (0:08)
2. Yonder Wall (5:27)
3. Too Many Drivers At The Wheel (5:08)
4. Homework (4:15)
5. I Need Your Love So Bad (7:15)
6. Cross Cut Saw (2:59)
7. Weekend Love (6:20)
8. Barefootin' (3:07)
9. House Party (4:58)
10. Part Time Love (6:08)
11. I Like Your Style (3:38)
12. Maybe I'll Get Lucky Tonight (5:20)
13. Upper Mississippi Shakedown (7:02)

The Lamont Cranston Band is one of Minnesota's well-known secrets, but relatively unknown in music circles. Lamont Cranston got his start in 1969 and his band headlined for the Rolling Stones. Lamont Cranston influenced many blues players before they became famous in their own right, such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Buddy Guy, Albert King, Johnny Lang, and countless others. Over the years, The Lamont Cranston Band has honed their chops into a tight rhythm and blues section with a primary emphasis on blues.

"Live at the People's Fair 1987" is one of The Lamont Cranston Band's best efforts that captures and covers tunes from other musicians who wrote their songs in the style of Lamont Cranston. The Lamont Cranston Band is one of this nation's best kept secrets, and they deserve much more recognition than the band currently has. Minnesota should be proud that this underrated band has been a force that opened up the way for other musicians to learn and create their own style. /Amazon (User review)

Personnel: Pat Hayes (guitar, harmonica, vocals); Mark Knoll (guitar); Charles Fletcher (bass); Mike DuBois (drums); Andy Bailey (piano, Hammond B3); Bronco (saxophone).

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James Cotton Band - Buddah Blues (3 CD Set)

Digitally remastered three CD set containing a trio of albums. James Cotton was an American blues harmonica player, singer and songwriter, who performed and recorded with many of the great blues artists of his time and with his own band. He played drums early in his career but is famous for his harmonica playing. Cotton began playing blues harp in Howlin' Wolf's band in the early 1950s and in 1955 he was recruited by Muddy Waters to come to Chicago and join his band. Cotton became Waters' bandleader and stayed with the group until 1965. After that he formed the Jimmy Cotton Blues Quartet, with Otis Spann on piano, to record between gigs with the Muddy Waters band. He eventually left to form his own full-time touring group. In the 1970s, Cotton recorded several albums for Buddah Records.

This collection features three of those recordings. Live & On The Move was released in 1976 by Buddah and faithfully captures the boogie-burning capabilities of the mid-'70s Cotton outfit. Cotton then went to New Orleans to work with producer Allen Toussaint releasing the "disco blues" High Energy. Before that came 100% Cotton, an album that some regard as his zenith featuring the non-stop "Boogie Thing," a driving "How Long Can a Fool Go Wrong," and a racy "Rocket 88". Cotton died in March 2017. /Amazon

Album: Buddah Blues
Year: 2018
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:35 + 42:53 + 37:31
Size: 179,7 + 99,2 + 87,0 MB
Styles: Electric blues, harmonica blues
Scans: Full

CD 1 - Live & On The Move:
1. Cotton Boogie (2:59)
2. One More Mile (2:34)
3. All Walks Of Life (2:22)
4. Born In Missouri (4:45)
5. Flip, Flop & Fly (5:03)
6. Got My Mojo Workin' (4:16)
7. Rocket 88 (2:27)
8. Goodbye My Lady (4:38)
9. I Don't Know (3:34)
10. Caldonia (5:11)
11. Boogie Thing (4:49)
12. Good Morning Lil' School Girl (3:20)
13. Oh Baby You Don't Have To Go (2:31)
14. Help Me (4:11)
15. Fannie Mae (4:00)
16. Hot 'N Cold (4:01)
17. Teeny Weeny Bit (2:48)
18. Blow Wind Blow (3:42)
19. How Long Can A Fool Go Wrong (7:14)
20. Next Time You See Me (3:01)

CD 2 - High Energy:
1. Hot 'N 'Cold (3:03)
2. Chicken Heads (4:03)
3. Hard Time Blues (4:09)
4. I Got A Feeling (5:10)
5. Weather Report (The Weather Man Said) (4:56)
6. Rock 'N' Roll Music (Ain't Nothing New) (5:18)
7. Fannie Mae (3:54)
8. Caldonia (3:39)
9. James' Theme (3:46)
10. Keep Cooking Mama (4:52)

CD 3 - 100% Cotton:
1. Boogie Thing (3:21)
2. One More Mile (2:38)
3. All Walks Of Life (2:28)
4. Creeper Creeps Again (6:58)
5. Rocket 88 (2:34)
6. How Long Can A Fool Go Wrong (4:09)
7. I Don't Know (2:48)
8. Burner (3:50)
9. 'Fatuation (3:30)
10. Fever (5:10)

(For personnel details and additional info, see artwork included.)

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Little Buster & The Soul Brothers - Work Your Show

Source: CD
Size: 121,0 MB
Time: 51:27
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1999
Styles: Electric Blues, Blues Soul
Art: Full

01. Jealous Love (4:28)
02. Down In Virginia (4:12)
03. Just Because (3:06)
04. Hi Heel Sneakers (3:02)
05. You're Gonna Make Me Cry (4:23)
06. I Got A Mind To Travel (3:28)
07. Send Me Some Lovin' (3:19)
08. Ain't That Lovin' You Baby (2:05)
09. You Must Pay For Your Sins (4:54)
10. Don't Let The Green Grass Fool You (3:47)
11. How Blue Can You Get (7:27)
12. I Love To See You Smile (4:17)
13. Mojo Hand (2:53)

Little Buster & The Soul Brothers take a walk on the soul side of the blues on Work Your Show. A far grittier vocalist than Shields, Buster is equally adept at Jimmy Reed boogie shuffles like “Down in Virginia” or “Ain’t That Lovin’ You Baby,” righteous slow blues like “Baby How Blue Can You Get?” and soulful serenades like Bobby Womack’s “Jealous Love” and Dave Malone’s gospel-flavored “You’re Gonna Make Me Cry.” He turns in a faithful version of Lloyd Price’s New Orleans stroll “Just Because,” rocks in rowdy good fashion on “Hi Heel Sneakers” and jumps on the unaccompanied boogie “Mojo Hand” with youthful vigor. This is one blues vet who still has fun on his gig. That enthusiasm shines through on each track here.

Work Your Show

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George Benson - Walking To New Orleans

Source: Lossless Digital Copy
Size: 88,2 MB
Time: 37:31
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2019
Styles: Rockin' Blues
Art: Front & Back

01. Nadine (Is It You) (3:54)
02. Ain't That A Shame (3:49)
03. Rockin' Chair (3:39)
04. You Can't Catch Me (3:35)
05. Havana Moon (4:54)
06. I Hear You Knocking (3:45)
07. Memphis, Tennessee (3:19)
08. Walking To New Orleans (4:08)
09. Blue Monday (3:03)
10. How You've Changed (3:22)

George Benson’s ‘Walking To New Orleans’ continues where his last Nat King Cole covers album left off 3 years ago.

It’s not so much a leap of faith , as simply discovering whether his timeless vocal style and warm guitar playing can re-ignite two heavyweight rhythm and blues back catalogues.

Chuck Berry and Fats Domino get the treatment, but for the most part it’s Benson the vocalist rather than the guitarist who holds centre stage. He still has a rich timbre, though it’s a little grittier than his 70's Stevie Wonder style. He remains a great interpreter of song and his phrasing and clarity of diction is perfectly suited to the narrative driven rhythm and blues here.

On the Chuck Berry material he is full of restraint, bringing fresh life and colour to the former’s well thumbed back catalogue. ‘Nadine (Is It You)’ sets out the template for an album that gently sways, grooves and swings, but for the most part is an exercise understated playing, focused restraint and Benson’s timeless cool.

He’s even more relaxed on the Fats Domino material, albeit the tight rhythm section helps him explore each song’s possibilities to the full.

Berry’s ‘Nadine” is given a baritone sax driven arrangement with a lived in vocal, and the band sit on a groove,but don’t really go anywhere aside from a brief flurry of Benson licks and some belated warm noodling.

The track strikes a balance between his erudite phrasing with Kevin McKendree’s piano flourishes, before a brief 2nd guitar solo almost subliminally leaves us with his signature tone calling card.

On Fats Domino’s ‘Ain’t That a Shame’ he reaches back into his early career scat singing and contrasts a gritty vocal with a clean guitar line punctuated by horn stabs, as he take his place very much as an integrated band member.

His vocal is more expansive on the undulated swing of Domino’s ‘Rocking Chair’, as he interweaves his solo into the fabric of the song, while painist Kevin McKendree subtly fills the gaps.

‘You Can’t Catch Me’ is one of the most interesting covers, being the song John Lennon used as the basis for ‘Come Together’, right down to the vocal line: “Here come old flattop he come grooving up slowly.” Benson’s vocal sticks closely to the original version with a breathless style.

And it’s about at this stage that you realise he’s gradually enveloping us with both his nuanced vocals and all too brief guitar parts.

Everything comes together unexpectedly on Berry’s ‘Havana Moon’, which taps into a Caribbean vibe with the slightest hint of tone colour, before his playing mirrors the mesmerising rhythm track.

Perhaps the hardest aspect of approaching a covers album like this is to bring your own creativity to bear on some very familiar material. And Benson does so mainly through his vocals. He gets inside the material by knowing exactly when to stress a vowel or line, though on ‘Memphis Tennessee’, it is his hot picking that brings an extra dimension to an otherwise dutiful outing that visibly runs out of puff on a perfunctory ending.

The title track is all about Kevin Shirley’s string laden arrangement and MD Greg Morrow’s punchy drum sound. The track builds a momentum over which Benson adds a suitably soulful delivery and some welcome warm toned chunky guitar notes.

And as the album gently rolls into the sax led ‘Blue Monday’ with a short gently sculptured solo, Benson seals the deal with a string laden rework of Chuck Berry’s Chess era, ‘How You’ve Changed’, complete with startling bv’s.

Producer Kevin Shirley’s lush strings fatten out the original sparse arrangement, but he pulls it off because the song draws the listener into both Benson’s precise vocal, and a belated short and sweet trademark solo.

Ultimately Benson’s guitar makes an impact by creating a void that cries out more of a resolution than the concluding bv’s.

The astute listener might at this point be tempted to hit the repeat button and return to the energetic opener, in which case it’s job done!

‘Walking To New Orleans’ works hard for its moments of inspiration, most of which come from Benson’s vocals and scat singing on the opening tracks.

For the rest he seems overly keen on being a team player, while focusing on the song. He never overstays his welcome, when in fact what the album cries out for is just a tad more spark. ***½ ~Pete Feenstra

Walking To New Orleans

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Josh Hyde - Into The Soul

Source: Lossless Digital Copy
Size: 84,3 MB
Time: 36:04
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2019
Styles: Funky Blues, Blues Rock
Art: Front

01. Rocking Chair (3:36)
02. Smile (3:12)
03. For You I Ache (3:46)
04. Lover's Curse (2:52)
05. The Edge Of Love (2:42)
06. Can't Let Go (2:51)
07. The Key (2:52)
08. Down On Bourbon Street (3:06)
09. All You Need Is Soul (3:54)
10. Call My Name (3:49)
11. Reasons Why (3:18)

Personnel:
Josh Hyde – guitars, vocals, vibraphone
Joe V. McMahan – guitar, vibraphone
Ron Eoff – bass
Derrek Phillips – drums, percussion
Jimmy Wallace – organ, piano, keyboards
Chris Lippincott – pedal steel

One of the cool things about singer/guitarist/composer Josh Hyde’s latest album, “Into The Soul,” is the fact that it was recorded on a vintage 24-track analog machine once used by Robert Plant, at the Dockside Studios in Maurice, LA. It is something he’d always wanted to do, going into a studio and laying down tracks “as is,” eschewing ProTools and other modern techniques. Whatever methods were used, this is an excellent set. Josh’s soulful delivery gives these eleven tales of love won and lost, as well as much-sought-after redemption, even with a few touches of humor tossed in for good measure, that perfect degree of realism and authenticity.

There were quite a number of highlights. Leading off is one of our favorites, with Jimmy Wallace’s funky keys work spritzing up the slyly-sexy “rock you one good time in my Rockin’ Chair!” Josh’s many trips to Nashville “at the BNA” are documented in “Smile,” while wistful longing for an affair that didn’t last is detailed in the bittersweet tale of “Mardi Gras, ’89,” “Down On Bourbon Street.” Our other favorite rides over a strong, Jimmy Reed-ish loping groove, lovingly referred to by Josh as “Nashville funk,” as he “can’t find Heaven or Hell when you Call My Name.” The melting pot of music that is Louisiana is the guitar-laden story of “Silas Hogan down in catfish town,” and “the Cajuns all gettin’ into that Creole,” and is that place where “All You Need Is Soul.”

Josh Hyde’s vision on this set was to get into a Delbert-styled groove incorporating a lyrical style akin to Lyle Lovett. The result is a great mix of songs headed straight “Into The Soul” of the listener!! Until next time….Sheryl and Don Crow, The Nashville Blues And Roots Alliance.

Into The Soul

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Anders Osborne - Buddha And The Blues

Source: Lossless Digital Copy
Size: 80,7 MB
Time: 34:42
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2019
Styles: Electric Blues, Blues Rock
Art: Front

01. Alone (3:59)
02. Fields Of Honey (3:56)
03. Running (3:36)
04. Smoke And Mirrors (4:51)
05. Aching For You Love (3:39)
06. Escape (4:07)
07. Buddha And The Blues (3:07)
08. The One I Love (3:33)
09. Traveling With Friends (3:51)

Few musicians know what it’s like to leave New Orleans for California, record an album with a few absolutely legendary musicians, and return home in time to release said album and play the main stage at one of the world’s most beloved music festivals—but by the time the second weekend of New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival rolls around, Anders Osborne will. On April 26th, Osborne’s Buddha and the Blues will be released worldwide on Back On Dumaine Records. With the title in hand from the start, Osborne had a clear vision of how his new record should resonate, noting that, “Buddha and the Blues means the duality of our existence. The lyrics are supposed to be true, conversational, and uplifting with clean, classic, and thumpin’ sounds. That’s what I set out to accomplish.”

With the help of Buddha and the Blues producer, Chad Cromwell, an all-star cast of west coast session musicians was assembled at Brethren Studio in Ojai, California, for a soulful SoCal meets the Big Easy tracking session. In the company of Waddy Wachtel(Stevie Nicks, Keith Richards, Linda Rondstadt, Warren Zevon) on guitar, Bob Glaub(Jackson Browne, John Lennon, Don Henley) on bass, Benmont Tench (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash) on keyboards, Windy Wagner (Ringo Starr, Rod Stewart) on background vocals, and Cromwell (Neil Young, Mark Knopfler, Joe Walsh) on drums, Osborne set out to complete his initial vision; clean, classic, and most certainly thumpin’. The mellow, pacific vibes never overshadow Osborne’s greasy and groovy New Orleanian nature; it could even be argued that their symbiotic relationship could or should have been explored more thoroughly before now.
Buddha and the Blues opens with Osborne setting the tone off-mic in the studio. “Intimate and cool,” he says to the band, seemingly in jest, but a true mantra for what transpires next. The CD tracklisting differs from the digital release of Buddha and the Blues in that it is sandwiched by two very different versions of the same song—“Alone” and “Alone (Unplugged). “‘Alone’ was a meditative prose I wrote in my backyard,” he says. “It had a circular vibe to it, when I added the music, I wanted it to match the poem: a small word with an epic impression,” says Osborne. Between “Alone” and its unplugged counterpart, the album flows through a familiar-to-fans collection of quintessentially Anders Osborne songs. “Running” rides a mid-tempo, backbeat-heavy groove while Osborne sings about wading through life’s bullshit in his signature gravelly voice; a jubilant ode to one of life’s unfortunate realities. Of all the songs, the album’s penultimate tune, “Traveling with Friends”, feels the most like Southern California, musically-speaking—channeling a style these very studio musicians made popular with Jackson Browne, Tom Petty, and the like. Lyrically, it’s more personal to Osborne. “I wrote ‘Traveling with Friends’ on St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands while on vacation with my family. We had an amazing spot on top of a mountain overlooking a big part of the island, and I felt inspired and really grateful. I had a moment of relief from all of my searching and dissonance. I saw us all for what we are—beautiful, fragile, and in this tumultuous space trip all together.” On a grander scale, “Traveling with Friends” wraps up all of Buddha and the Blues’s conversations, ideas, and lessons, reminding us that we’re all here, doing this thing together.

Buddha And The Blues

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Harpdog Brown - For Love & Money

Source: Lossless Digital Copy
Size: 127,0 MB
Time: 54:14
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2019
Styles: Blues Jazz, Harmonica Blues
Art: Front

01. No Eyes For Me (3:39)
02. Blue Light Boogie (5:21)
03. The Comeback (4:49)
04. Reefer Lovin’ Woman (4:51)
05. A New Day Is Dawnin’ (4:27)
06. Vicious, Vicious Vodka (4:03)
07. I’ll Make It Up To You (3:47)
08. One Step Forward (3:51)
09. Stiff (3:24)
10. For Love And Money (3:11)
11. Buzzard Luck (3:57)
12. Thinkin’ And Drinkin’ (4:34)
13. Sasha’s Lullaby (4:13)

If you take one part Louis Prima, one part Louis Armstrong, one part Louis Jordan and one part Sonny Boy Williamson you get the vocal sound and overall feel of Harpdog Brown. How can that be bad?

The British Columbian harp playing Brown has released a gem of a new CD featuring jump-blues that swing from Chicago down to New Orleans. The CD is produced by fellow Canadian Steve Dawson; Steve’s talents at both production and guitar are awesome. I’ve only seen him live once and was further hooked on his stuff that his CDs introduced me to. Here with Harpdog he’s produced a winner.

Brown's gravelly and greasy vocals and harp ooze authenticity. The sound is just oh-so-cool. Coupled with that is an awesome backing band led by David Webb on piano and Hammond B3 organ. That jump-blues sound revolves around his keyboard work and Brown’s vocals. William Joseph Abbott is on clarinet and alto sax, Skye Lambourne is on trombone and Jerry Cook is on baritone and tenor sax. The horn section is also an essential part of the swingingly cool sound. Jeremy Holmes on bass and Robert Vail Grant on drums are a fine back line. And, of course, Steve Dawson does a superb job on all the guitar tracks.

“No Eyes For Me” is an original and gets things off to a rousing start with horns and organ. Brown shouts out the lead vocals with emotion, a great hook to get the listener interested. The horns respond to Harpdog’s call and then the B3 gives us an sweet little solo. We also get an alto sax solo a little later for fun. “Blue Light Boogie” takes the tempo down a notch and some neat piano and harp work accompany the vocals nicely. Brown really shows us his stuff on the Mississippi saxophone here in this old school boogie by Jessie Mae Robinson. “The Comeback” is a Memphis Slim song with a nice midtempo groove. The B3 and band support Harpdog well as he gives his woman pleas to return. The alto sax is also again featured and then the tenor gives us a nice taste, too. “Reefer Lovin’ Woman” is another original and it’s quite cool. Webb tinkles the piano and the trombone then comes in with cup in hand to intro this striding cut. I love this song, it’s just fun and cool. The clarinet gets it’s first feature with the old licorice stick helping set the mood. The trombone then solos and Brown also gives us a sweet harp solo after another vocal verse & chorus. “A New Day Is Dawning” is a song by Wayne Berezan, “Dog’s old guitar player. This original is lamentful and slow, with some nicely done clarinet work that sets a somber mood with s a beautiful solo. Brown moans out the vocals and sings with great emotion and band backs him with some good sounds.

“Vicious Vodka” is an old Amos Milburn song. Brown does a super job with this one, a song that would be appropriate in any great old honky tonk joint. The piano sets a bit of the tone here as Brown jumps and jives with the vocals. There is also a nice tenor solo, too, and then Brown closes with a well done harp solo. “I’ll Make It Up To You” was written by fellow BC musician Brandon Isaak. Brown’s version is not built on guitar and features piano and trombone and then some of his harp work. He turns it into a Louis Armstrong sort of tune where Isaak’s version is different and has even more amped up harp. Both takes on the song are quite cool. “One Step Forward” is another Berezan original. Done in the Louis Jordan style, Brown calls and the band responds to the lines of the verses. His harp stings here, and they play the same call and response with the band to his harp, too. The band all chimes in for an instrumental chorus. As things close, the band repeatedly chimes in singing the title to take us out with the piano. Sweetly done. Brown wrote “Stiff,” a song he growls out the vocals about being broken, broke but somehow maintaining. The clarinet gets the first solo here, then the trombone gets his turn and it’s once again just well done.

Keyboardist Webb wrote the title track, a song about playing on the road to make a live. Nice piano work here along with Brown’s ever-effective vocal work. He squeezes out some succulent harp for us, too. The band keeps a nice measured pace and all contribute to the sound. “Buzzard Love” is an old Wynonie Harris cut. Brown gives us the lyrics with guts and Webb gives us some sweet B3 to lead into the big harp solo and then takes us home with his harp, too. “Thinkin’ and Drinkin'” is another song popularized by Amos Milburn. Piano and alto sax are out front in this one, and then we get some more great harp work to boot. Things close with the original “Sasha’s Lullaby.” Written by Harpdog’s trombone player, it’s a sweet little lullaby with piano tinkling and trombone in support of Brown’s vocals. The band plays in back with restraint to help set the lullaby tone. It’s sweet and cool and just a nice close to a wonderful set of tunes. The tenor solo and horn work adds nice effect and then the piano delivers us to Brown’s final lyrics to close things out.

I never mentioned anything on Dawson’s guitar work. He’s not there to take the limelight, and fills with the rest of the band to make a great sound that emulates the bands of the 1940’s and 1950’s who created swing and had North America and the world dancing. This album it such a great throwback to that era.

We’ve got 8 great originals here along with 5 well-done covers. Harpdog Brown is a master at these jump blues and has surrounded himself with a bunch of old and young musicians who do a truly spectacular job. I got this and played it immediately and listened to it repeatedly over the weekend. I’ve been listening to a lot of new music this month and this one’s among the best. It will garner some attention at awards time for sure- this Canadian artist, his band and producer have turned out a wonderful album that I most highly recommend. If you want to swing and have a good time, this one’s for you! ~Steve Jones

For Love & Money

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Reverend Freakchild - Road Dog Dharma

Source: Lossless Digital Copy
Size: 184,2 MB
Time: 77:21
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2019
Styles: Blues Folk, Blues Rock, Americana
Art: Front

01. Sacredtrip (Tuning In...) (0:45)
02. Tangled Up In Blues (2:06)
03. Roadtrance (Live) (7:13)
04. Dial It In! (Solo Acoustic) (2:30)
05. Call Me The Breeze (Live) (4:20)
06. On Air From Chattanooga (2:37)
07. Inferno Avenue (4:15)
08. Carolina Meditation Mixdown (1:09)
09. All Across America (4:21)
10. On Air From Auburn (4:27)
11. Dial It In! (Road Dog Dharma Remix) (3:16)
12. Jesus Just Left Chicago (4:58)
13. Just Lay Your Hands On The Radio! (0:25)
14. Howlin' The Blues (3:16)
15. White Frieghtliner Blues - Tomorrow Never Knows (4:31)
16. Reverend Freakchild Day (1:18)
17. You Gotta Move (3:39)
18. Talking Buddha And The Blues On The Colorado Sound (2:37)
19. Rollin' & Tumblin' (2:34)
20. Please Stand By (2:44)
21. Hippie Bluesman Blues (Alt. Country Remix) (2:45)
22. Auspicious Coincidences (1:04)
23. On Air From Bend (0:41)
24. Keep On Trucking (4:05)
25. Nothin' But The Blues (1:27)
26. The Finish Line (4:07)

Take a Journey with the Rev. around the United States of America. Just lay your hands on the radio. Let the good vibes, traveling tunes and insightful interviews enlighten your mind and heal what ails you. Amen!

"Aided by a handful of top-flight sidemen, irreverent shaman Reverend Freakchild returns to the pulpit in his musical church where people of all faiths are welcome to deliver a sermon of blues with psychedelic overtones... " - Blues Blast Magazine

Road Dog Dharma

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Johnny Sansone - Poor Man's Paradise

Source: CD
Size: 119,9 MB
Time: 51:07
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2007
Styles: Electric Blues
Art: Full

01. Poor Man's Paradise (6:57)
02. You Got Me (5:27)
03. Mary Full Of Tears (3:51)
04. The St. Catherine (6:53)
05. Happiness, Love & Lies (3:19)
06. You're Dead (4:23)
07. Any Dog Would Do (5:59)
08. 44 (4:57)
09. Johnny Sadsong (4:55)
10. I'm Goin' Home (4:22)

Even though Johnny Sansone lost his "jumpin" prefix, the accordion player, harpist, guitarist, pianist, vocalist hasn't sacrificed any of his spark for his first album in eight years. Produced by fellow New Orleans staple Anders Osborne who also contributes clavinet and slide guitar on two tracks, the album wades in a post-hurricane Katrina haze. Sansone doesn't waste any time attacking the Bush administration for their lackluster response to the devastating events of the storm's aftermath on the opening "Poor Man's Paradise." His accordion sets an unusually downbeat tone to the acerbic lyrics for this bitter yet melodically mid-tempo song. It doesn't really set the mood for the rest of the disc, but is clearly something Sansone needed to get off his chest. The atmosphere lightens considerably from there as he and his band breeze through nine additional tracks, most captured during their first take, live in his New Orleans residence. Even though this is a home recording of the most basic kind, the sound is full, warm, and vivid as the players feed off each other's energy. Sansone is in fine voice throughout, leading his three piece, sometimes augmented by fiddle, backing vocals, and Joe Krown's organ through a swampy set that could only have been created in New Orleans. You can practically smell the city's noted cuisine as blues, R&B, funk, and soul combine in ways that only Crescent City music can. There's occasional humor in the swagger of "Any Dog Would Do," which features a slippery slide solo from Roberto Lutti and tough Chicago styled harp from Sansone. He's witty on "Happiness, Love & Lies" as the band lays into a stripped down yet insistent beat that crackles in a way that only live music can, even if it's recorded without an audience and in a living room. It's the sound of talented friends huddled around and letting the vibe take over. There's a communal, loose knit, yet far from sloppy feel to this project that is captured on tape as the musicians follow Sansone's lead and provide the greasy fuel that powers his motor. The loping "44" sets up a lazy groove for him to glide into as he sings about a robbery gone wrong with a conversational vocal punctuated by a clinched fist harmonica solo. During "Johnny Sadsong," the band seems to be improvising as Sansone blows and the gang propels the song like the session was caught in an inspired moment that just happened to make it onto the album. The closing "I'm Goin' Home" (not the Ten Years After song), is a mournful yet spiritually uplifting gospel styled ballad that ends this sincere disc on a melancholy and introspective note. It's a fine return for a talented musician who has been out of the scene for far too long. ~Hal Horowitz

Poor Man's Paradise

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Mississippi Fred McDowell - Shake 'Em On Down: The Alan Lomax Recordings 1959 (The Remastered Edition)

Source: CD
Size: 186,8 MB
Time: 78:49
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2019
Styles: Acoustic Blues, Delta Blues
Art: Full

01. Good Morning Little Schoolgirl (Remastered) (2:59)
02. Shake 'Em On Down (Remastered) (3:20)
03. Drop Down Mama (Remastered) (2:51)
04. Worried Mind Blues (Remastered) (3:34)
05. Fred Mcdowell's Blues (Remastered) (4:11)
06. When The Train Comes Along (Remastered) (2:51)
07. Keep Your Lamps Trimmed And Burning (Remastered) (2:44)
08. Wished I Was In Heaven Sitting Down (Remastered) (2:10)
09. You Done Tol' Everybody (Remastered) (6:09)
10. Woke Up This Morning With My Mind On Jesus (Remastered) (3:17)
11. Goin' Down To The River (Remastered) (4:18)
12. When You Get Home, Please Write Me A Few Of Your Lines (Remastered) (3:25)
13. You Gonna Be Sorry (Remastered) (6:42)
14. Lord Have Mercy (Remastered) (1:54)
15. 61 Highway Blues (Remastered) (3:09)
16. Soon One Mornin' (Remastered) (3:13)
17. Germany Blues (Remastered) (3:11)
18. Keep Your Lamps Trimmed And Burning (Alt.Version) (Remastered) (3:10)
19. Been Drinkin' Water Out Of A Hollow Log (Remastered) (2:57)
20. I Want Jesus To Walk With Me (Remastered) (3:07)
21. Freight Train Blues (Remastered) (3:05)
22. Shake 'em On Down (Alt.Version) (Remastered) (2:43)
23. Keep Your Lamps Trimmed And Burning (Instrumental) (Remastered) (0:37)
24. You Gotta Move (Live) (Remastered) (3:02)

Personnel:
Mississippi Fred McDowell, vocals and guitar, plus:
Occasionally featuring Miles Pratcher (second guitar), Fanny Davis (tissue paper and comb), Annie Mae McDowell, Rosalie Hill, or Sidney Hemphill Carter (vocals), among others.
Recorded in Como, Mississippi, September 21-25, 1959.

Legendary bluesman Mississippi Fred McDowell was one of the most important rural guitarists and songwriters to come out of the 1960s blues revival. He was discovered in 1959 (at age 55), when he was first taped by music historian and folk researcher, Alan Lomax (with assistance from a young Shirley Collins). This newly remastered CD includes those mythical recordings that would launch McDowell’s career as a professional musician, and announce him to a new legion of fans. In addition, this collector’s release contains a bonus track – a live recording of McDowell’s classic number, “You Gotta Move” (later famously covered by The Rolling Stones).

Shake 'Em On Down

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Matt O'Ree Band - Live At The Stone Pony!

Source: Lossless Digital Copy
Size: 154,4 MB
Time: 66:51
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2019
Styles: Blues Rock
Art: Front

01. Ten (Live) ( 4:41)
02. Saints And Sinners (Live) ( 4:27)
03. Good Enough (Live) ( 8:37)
04. Marry You (Live) ( 5:49)
05. Worth The Live (Live) (14:35)
06. Big Jenna (Live) (10:16)
07. Song For Bernie (Live) ( 4:49)
08. Awkward Silence (Live) ( 4:53)
09. My Everything Is You (Live) (Feat. David Bryan) ( 8:39)

The last five years have been a crazy time for Jersey bluesman Matt O’Ree. He went on tour across Southeast Asia as a member of Bon Jovi in 2015 and was inducted into the NY/NJ Blues Hall of Fame the following year with Eryn Shewell. He released a record that included a guest appearance by Bruce Springsteen, headlined shows at The Stone Pony, and married Eryn forming the state’s preeminent power blues duo.

But one thing he hasn’t done during that time was take his band on the road, which he is about to do. The band will return to the midwest in May in support of their new album, Live at the Pony.

Over the past few years, The Matt O'Ree Band has done what most area bands do. They've played their shows, developed their sound, released their records and very quietly built a massive fan base in the process.

What makes this band different from all the others is that their local fan base includes Bruce Springsteen, David Bryan, and Steve Cropper, all of whom have volunteered to perform on the band's last album, "Brotherhood".

Prior to Brotherhood's release, Matt's talent was recognized globally when he got the nod to join rock legends Bon Jovi as their guitarist/backing vocalist on their 2015 stadium tour of the Far East.

Live At The Stone Pony!

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Big Shanty - Sold Out

Source: Lossless Digital Copy
Size: 106,7 MB
Time: 45:49
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2009
Styles: Electric Blues, Blues Rock
Art: Front & Back

01. Big Shanty, From Lower Alabama To Hollywood (4:39)
02. Love Train (4:17)
03. Kiss The 8 Ball (4:08)
04. They Say It's Raining (4:32)
05. Walking Shoes (5:09)
06. Stop Pushing Me (4:41)
07. Rolling Thunder (4:21)
08. Can't Hold Out (5:38)
09. Tybee Town (3:32)
10. Uncle Sam Go To Rehab (4:48)

If you've never heard of Big Shanty, you may find that this album makes you feel a little bit dumb. How can someone with this kind of voice, guitar chops, and songwriting ability have stayed off your radar for so long? Ignore the press kit hype about how he "mixes retro with techno, Delta blues and club beats" -- what matters is that he makes blues-based roots rock that combines the density and nourishment of the best meatloaf you've ever eaten with the jump-up energy of a juke joint Saturday night. His slide playing isn't especially acrobatic, and his voice isn't especially pretty -- but both are eminently functional, and his grooves are irresistible. On Sold Out he really hits his stride on both "Love Train" (which sounds like a collaboration between Stevie Ray Vaughan, Tom Waits, and a rejuvenated John Lee Hooker), and the minimalistic but exceedingly fun "Tybee Town" (which features an unlikely combination of slide guitar and sitar). On "Walking Shoes" he sounds startlingly like Motörhead's Lemmy Killmister; on the album-closing "Uncle Sam Go to Rehab" he calls out America's government and, really, its entire population to bracing effect. Exhausting and brilliant. ~Rick Anderson

Sold Out

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