Billy Branch & The Sons Of Blues - The Blues Is My Biography

Album: The Blues Is My Biography
Size: 112,8 MB
Time: 48:58
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2025
Styles: Blues, harmonica blues
Art: Front

1. Hole In Your Soul (Feat. Bobby Rush) (3:46)
2. Call Your Bluff (4:13)
3. Begging For Change (Feat. Shemekia Copeland & Ronnie Baker Brooks) (3:45)
4. Dead End Street (4:47)
5. The Blues Is My Biography (4:23)
6. The Harmonica Man (5:47)
7. Real Good Friends (3:42)
8. How You Living? (5:32)
9. Ballad Of The Million Men (4:00)
10. Toxic Love (4:51)
11. Return Of The Roaches (4:06)

It is always a pleasure to listen to harmonica player and singer Billy Branch, especially because, besides keeping the genuine Chicago blues essence alive, he has evolved to develop some more actual sounds without losing his genuineness. It is difficult to summarize the career of this blues luminary in a few lines. Just mention he started playing harmonica at the age of 10, and musicians like James Cotton, Carey Bell, Willie Dixon or Big Walter Horton were his mentors. He became a member of the Willie Dixon Chicago Blues All-Stars, and shortly after he signed for Alligator Records releasing several albums including the famous “Harp Attack” with Carey Bell, Junior Wells and James Cotton. He started a solo career founding his own band, The Sons of Blues, with whom he has recorded 15 albums.

Billy Branch also develops an intense pedagogical work, teaching blues in schools to make young generations discover and love the blues. And of course he has received countless awards. He has been inducted into the Blues Hall Of Fame, got an Emmy award, he has been nominated for the Grammys, besides being three times winner of the Blues Music Awards, also receiving two Keeping The Blues Alive Awards and, of course, playing all over the world. Today he is one of the most outstanding active blues harmonica players and he is one of the greatest Chicago blues ambassadors.

This last recording gathers eleven of Billy’s own compositions where his versatile harmonica playing stand out, as well as his quality and amazing skills to deal with a variety of rhythms - from real Chicago blues shuffles to West Coast blues, blues in minor keys, funk blues, Latin blues or even reggae. According to Branch own words, all the album songs have a very special meaning for him and present some important moments of his already long career in the blues. For example, “The Harmonica Man” tell us about the last five or six years of his life as a musician, and “Hole In Your Soul” explains the importance and effect that his deep connection with the blues has had in his life.

Billy is perfectly backed by his current Sons of Blues with Giles Corey on guitar, Sumito “Ariyo” Ariyoshi on keyboards, Marvin Little on bass and Andrew “Blaze” Thomas on drums. Branch has also counted with the special collaboration of Bobby Rush on vocals and harmonica in “Hole In Your Soul” and Shemekia Copeland on vocals in “Begging For Change”. /La Hora Del Blues

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Hubert Sumlin & Billy Branch - Chicago Blues Session Vol. 22

Album: Chicago Blues Session Vol. 22
Size: 128,5 MB
Time: 55:44
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1998
Styles: Chicago blues, harmonica blues
Art: Full

1. Hubert Sumlin - You Can't Change Me (6:50)
2. Hubert Sumlin - I Did What I Could (5:09)
3. Billy Branch - Baby, What You Want Me To Do (5:09)
4. Billy Branch - That's All Right (5:58)
5. Billy Branch - Just Your Fool (4:35)
6. Billy Branch - Everything Gonna Be All Right (5:56)
7. Billy Branch - Take You Down Town (4:42)
8. Hubert Sumlin & John Primer - First Song I Ever Did (4:22)
9. Hubert Sumlin & John Primer - Real Far Away (4:15)
10. Hubert Sumlin & John Primer - No Place To Go (4:20)
11. Hubert Sumlin & John Primer - I've Been Gone (4:24)

This disc is a fine portrait of Chicago blues - past and present. Award-winning harpist Billy Branch and legendary giant of the famed Howlin' Wolf Band, Hubert Sumlin, here join hands with some of the finest contemporary musicians in the Windy City - among them: Willie Kent, John Primer, Johnny B. Moore, and Carl Weathersby. Sumlin offers two superb band tracks as well as four acoustic duets with guitarist John Primer. In addition, there are four Billy Branch numbers that recast the work of Jimmy Rogers, Jimmy Reed, and Little Walter without ever becoming slavish. The dual-guitar work of Johnny B. Moore and John Primer is exceptional. /Larry Hoffman, AllMusic

(For personnel details, see artwork included.)

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Shun Kikuta - Rising Shun Plus / In A Room

Album: Rising Shun Plus Size: 175.5 MB
Time: 76:04
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Electric Blues, Chicago Blues
Art: Front

01. When You Feel Lonely (Feat. Billy Branch) (5:33)
02. Hard Hard Miles (Feat. Gerald McClendon) (4:37)
03. Love On Track (Feat. Gerald McClendon) (3:47)
04. Voodoo Woman (Feat. Koko Taylor) (4:03)
05. Yer Blues (Feat. JP Williams) (4:29)
06. Let's Jam (6:21)
07. Old Soul (6:35)
08. Love Love Love (Feat. Gerald McClendon) (4:04)
09. Nikko Waraku Shuffle (5:10)
10. You My Love (4:36)
11. Look Out Baby (4:22)
12. Rockin' Nikko (1:26)
13. Double Faced (5:12)
14. Japablues (New Take) (4:59)
15. Slip My Mind (5:58)
16. Gyoza Blues (New Recording) (4:46)

This work was released in 2018 by remastering 11 songs of "Rising Shun" released in 2007 and adding 5 new songs. Japanese and American artists such as Koko Taylor, Billy Branch, JW Williams, and Jamsbee gather. Recordings were made in Chicago and Utsunomiya.

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Album: In A Room Size: 105.3 MB
Time: 45:17
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2021
Styles: Acoustic Blues
Art: Front & Back

01. I Just Wanna Make Love To You (5:16)
02. Chicago Midnight (6:14)
03. Blues Ni Koishite (4:24)
04. Look Out Baby (Feat. El Jose) (5:00)
05. Stormy Monday (4:08)
06. People Get Ready (3:46)
07. Old Mississippi Road (4:53)
08. Delta Lightning (0:45)
09. In A Room (3:36)
10. One Day Is Hot, One Day Is Cold (5:02)
11. You Are The One (2:07)

One of the top blues guitarist, Shun Kikuta's first acoustic solo album. In 2020 while his touring was limited by COVID 19, he decided to focus making an acoustic album. Total of eleven songs and eight of his own and other three are the well known covers. One of them features France's young blues ace, El Jose and recorded duo in France.

Shun is an internationally renowned musician traveling around the world. Shun resided in Chicago, known as a home of blues, over two decades and he was a regular guitarist of Koko Taylor, "Queen of the blues" for nine years until her passing. He also was a long time member of 2010 Chicago Music Awards winning band J.W.Williams & Chi-Town Hustlers. Currently he focuses on his own group "Shun Kikuta Band" and "Blues Company". Performed with: B.B.King, Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Koko Taylor, Otis Rush, Bo Didley, Robert Lockwood Jr, Hubert Sumlin, James Cotton, Kenny Wayne Shepperd etc.. Recorded with: Koko Taylor "Old School"-Grammy Award nominated, Junior Wells, Otis Rush, Billy Branch, Eddie Shaw, Nellie"Tiger"Travis, etc.. ? TV and movie appearance: "An evening with B.B.King" as a band leader and performed with B.B.King. "Kennedy Center Honors" to honor Morgan Freeman sharing a stage with Koko Taylor, Pinetop Perkins, Honey Boy Edwards and Willie "Big Eye" Smith. "Father and Sons", a part of the seven series of "THE BLUES" movie directed by Martin Scorsese, Clint Eastwood and 5 other directors. Performed on: Chicago Blues Festival, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Notodden Blues Festival(Norway), Japan Blues Festival, Jakarta International Blues Festival, Beijing Blues Festival etc... ? Discography: Live In France (2020), Good Times Roll/Blues Project (2019), Blues Company (2018) , Rising Shun Plus (2018), Best of Shun's Blues (2013) and 12 leader/collaborated albums. Instructional materials: Lively Blues Guitar (CD+Book, 2017), Call & Response (DVD, 2014) and 6 other books and DVDs. Shun was on the cover and featured musician of BLUES BLAST MAGAZINE Dec 29th 2011 issue. ? Besides performing, Shun teaches guitar, blues history and ensemble in regular basis through workshops and private lessons. Shun also is a music writer in last two decades. He has published his book "The World's Blues Alleys"(Rittor Music-Japanese) and has had his own articles on magazines and papers as well.

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Billy Branch & Lurrie Bell & The Sons Of Blues - Chicago's Young Blues Generation

Size: 95,3 MB
Time: 41:01
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1982/2001
Styles: Chicago Blues, Harmonica Blues
Art: Full

01. Help Me (6:50)
02. Breakin' Up Somebody's Home (7:20)
03. Sweet Little Angel (5:45)
04. Don't Start Me Talkin' (4:34)
05. Just A Little Bit (4:00)
06. I Need You So Bad (5:22)
07. Mystery Train (7:08)

Another quality L&R Records production that has been saved by a reissue on Evidence Music. Originally recorded in 1982, Chicago's Young Blues Generation features the raw, frantic work of guitarist Lurrie Bell and harp blower Billy Branch, who remain the closest the blues scene has to a modern-day Buddy Guy and Junior Wells. Back in 1982, Bell and Branch were still carving out a sound of their own -- an amalgam of Rice Miller, the West Side guitar slingers (namely Guy and Magic Sam), and the funkier Stax and Hi Records hitmakers. This album consists entirely of reworked blues and R&B covers, each one drawn out by lengthy, tag-team soloing -- sometimes derivative, but more often wildly inspired and unpredictable. Bell, in particular, goes for broke on almost every note, from his manic vocal inflections to the smallest guitar fill. Branch, meanwhile, stays mostly in Junior Wells mode (especially on the two Rice Miller covers, "Help Me" and "Don't Start Me to Talkin'"), although he has a few nice surprises up his sleeve, including the funky octave riff that redefines "Breakin' up Somebody's Home," the album's high point. Originally a minor footnote in modern blues history, Chicago's Young Blues Generation offers a hip coda to the sounds documented in the Living Chicago Blues series. Yes, the '80s blues scene had more to offer than Robert Cray and Stevie Ray Vaughan; you'll find some of the best of it right here. ~Ken Chang

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Billy Branch & The Sons Of Blues - Roots And Branches: The Songs Of Little Walter

Size: 135.1 MB
Time: 58:21
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2019
Styles: Chicago Blues
Art: Front & Back

01. Nobody But You (3:07)
02. Mellow Down Easy (4:31)
03. Roller Coaster (3:15)
04. Blue And Lonesome (4:11)
05. Hate To See You Go (4:57)
06. My Babe (4:54)
07. Juke (3:20)
08. Last Night (5:03)
09. Just Your Fool/Key To The Highway (3:23)
10. Boom Boom Out Go The Lights (3:38)
11. It's Too Late Brother (3:15)
12. One More Chance With You (4:00)
13. You're So Fine (3:32)
14. Blues With A Feeling (4:26)
15. Remembering Little Walter By Marion Diaz (Little Walter's Daughter) (2:43)

Chicago harmonica master Branch is a three-time Grammy nominee, multiple Blues Music Award-winner and for over 40 years the leader of one of the world's premier blues bands, The Sons Of Blues. His deep love for blues traditions and the explosive, cliché-free manner in which he makes them his own have earned him a worldwide following. Billy has released eleven records under his own name and played on over 250 more by artists like Willie Dixon, Keb' Mo', Johnny Winter, Koko Taylor and Taj Mahal.

As heir apparent to the Chicago blues harmonica throne, Billy Branch is perfectly suited to shine a bright new light on the timeless music of Little Walter Jacobs, a transcendent artist revered by millions of fans and an inspiration to every harmonica player who followed in his wake.

Roots And Branches ? The Songs Of Little Walter features 15 songs written by or made famous by the harp genius. Each one is brought to new life by Branch and The Sons of Blues as they blend elements of soul, funk and gospel into the proceedings while remaining true to the integrity of the originals. This will be essential listening for any blues fan.

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Billy Branch - Satisfy Me

Year: 1999
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:53
Size: 124,1 MB
Styles: Electric blues, harmonica blues
Scans: Full

1. It's A Crazy Mixed Up Word (3:41)
2. Pay Or Stay (4:51)
3. Kissing My Love (4:37)
4. Hey Baby (You're Looking Real Good) (4:47)
5. Satisfy Me (3:05)
6. Highway Blues (3:51)
7. One Chance With You (4:09)
8. Heart In Your Life (5:08)
9. Son Of Juke (3:21)
10. Same Thing (7:07)
11. Boogie Man (4:35)
12. Goin' Down (4:35)

In the '70s, harmonica man Billy Branch was one of the young upstarts helping to keep the Chicago blues sound alive; in the 21st century, he's matured into one of the Windy City's most venerable blues talents, and as a musician and educator, Branch has spread the word about the blues across the country and around the world. Branch has led the Sons of Blues, his backing band, since the mid-'70s, and despite numerous personnel changes, the SOBs have never wavered in their dedication to pure, unadulterated Chicago blues.

Born in Chicago in 1951, Billy Branch moved with his family to California when he was five, but in 1969 he returned to attend the University of Illinois, where he studied political science. Branch had taken up the blues harp, and he was spotted by legendary songwriter and producer Willie Dixon, who recruited Branch to replace the great Carey Bell in his band the Chicago Blues All-Stars. After graduating from college, Branch abandoned his plans to become a lawyer and went into music full-time, touring with Dixon and forming his own band, Billy Branch & the Sons of Blues; the initial lineup featured Lurrie Bell (Carey Bell's son) on guitar and Freddie Dixon (Willie's son) on bass.

In 1984, Branch & the Sons of Blues released their debut album, Where's My Money; by this time, the lineup had changed to Carlos Johnson (guitar), J.W. Williams (bass), and Mose Rutues (drums), and the membership of Branch's group would remain fluid in the years to come, though Rutues would spend more than a quarter century with the band. Branch also co-starred on Alligator's 1990 summit meeting Harp Attack! with fellow harp masters Junior Wells, Carey Bell, and James Cotton; he busied himself as a sideman (cutting sessions with Koko Taylor, Eddy Clearwater, Syl Johnson, and Johnny Winter, among dozens of others), and taught with an innovative "Blues in the Schools" program that brought blues history to young people in schools in America, Mexico, Europe, and South America.

Branch has received three Grammy nominations during his long recording career, and two W.C. Handy Awards. In 2014, after a ten-year layoff from recording, Branch and his latest lineup of the Sons of Blues returned with a new album, Blues Shock. /Biography by Bill Dahl, AllMusic

(For personnel details, see artwork included.)

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Billy Branch & The Sons Of Blues Feat. Carlos Johnson - Billy Branch & The Sons Of Blues

Year: 2002
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:24
Size: 123,3 MB
Styles: Electric blues, harmonica blues
Scans: Full

1. Crank It Up/Baby, Scratch My Back (6:59)
2. Shake, Rattle & Roll (4:53)
3. The Thrill Is Gone (6:35)
4. Nick's Groove (5:19)
5. Let's Straighten It Out (9:03)
6. Messin' With The Kid/Next Time You See Me (6:16)
7. Tribute To The Boogie Man (4:25)
8. I Don't Want Much (4:10)
9. Who Done It (4:18)
10. Sweet Home Chicago (Accapella) (1:21)

Billy Branch has followed a very non-traditional path to the blues. Unlike many blues artists, he isn’t from the South. Billy was born in Chicago in 1951 and was raised in Los Angeles. He first picked up a harmonica at the age of ten and immediately began to play simple tunes. Billy returned to Chicago in the summer of ’69 and graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in political science. It was during these years that he was introduced to the Blues. He soon became immersed in the local blues scene. He spent a great deal of time at legendary blues clubs such as: Queen Bee’s and Theresa’s Lounge; he learned from such stalwart harmonica players like: Big Walter Horton, James Cotton, Junior Wells and Carey Bell.

His big break came in 1975 during a harmonica battle when he beat Chicago legend, Little Mac Simmons at the Green Bunny Club. He made his first recording for Barrelhouse Records and began to work as an apprentice harp player in Willie Dixon’s Chicago Blues All-Stars. He eventually replaced Carey Bell and worked with Willie Dixon for six years. During this time, Billy formed the Sons Of Blues (S.O.B.s) featuring musicians who where the sons of famous blues artists. The original S.O.B.s consisted of Billy, Lurrie Bell, Freddie Dixon and Garland Whiteside. They toured Europe and played at the Berlin Jazz Festival. Shortly afterward, they recorded for Alligator Record’s Grammy-nominated Living Chicago Blues sessions, and Billy has been a regular studio player appearing on over fifty albums.

Billy has recorded and/or performed with an incredible list of Blues legends including: Muddy Waters, Big Walter Horton, Son Seals, Lonnie Brooks, Koko Taylor, Johnny Winter, and Albert King. In 1990, he appeared with three harp legends: Carey Bell, Junior Wells, and James Cotton on W.C Handy Award winner, Harp Attack! His most recent recordings for the Polygram label are entitled The Blues Keep Following Me Around and Satisfy Me. Billy is also passing on the blues tradition to a new generation through his Blues In The Schools program. He is a dedicated blues educator and has taught in the Chicago school system for over twenty years as part of the Urban Gateways Project.

In 1996, some of his finest students opened the Main Stage at the Chicago Blues Festival which was broadcast throughout the U.S. on National Public Radio. Blues producer, Chicago Beau has written, “Billy Branch has become a beacon, and model for his times; as an artist, and social/cutural activist… Billy Branch is a Bluesman; Billy Branch is the Blues.”

(For personnel details, see artwork included.)

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Billy Branch & Carlos Johnson - Don't Mess With The Bluesmen

Year: 2004
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:07
Size: 150,7 MB
Styles: Electric blues, harmonica blues
Scans: Full

1. Running From The Devil (0:35)
2. Don't Throw Your Love On Me So Strong (7:12)
3. Don't Mess With The Bluesman (5:08)
4. Going To New York (7:08)
5. Escape (4:06)
6. Shade Tree Mechanic (6:37)
7. Hello There (4:47)
8. Hey Pretty Baby (4:02)
9. Summertime (4:04)
10. My Babe (4:21)
11. Blues After The Pain (5:06)
12. Real Mother For Ya (9:23)
13. Cognac For Breakfast (2:33)

Modern Chicago harp master Billy Branch and fellow Windy City guitarist Carlos Johnson team up for Don't Mess With the Bluesmen, an easygoing session recorded in Chicago between 2003 and 2004 for the Japanese P-Vine label. Alongside spirited cover versions of Jimmy Reed's "Going to New York" and a rhumba-inflected "My Babe," the originals "Blues After the Rain," "Running from the Devil," and "Cognac for Breakfast" put Branch's soulful harp at center stage where it belongs.

However, the lukewarm takes of George and Ira Gershwin's "Summertime," Johnny "Guitar" Watson's "Real Mother for Ya," and Albert King's "Don't Throw Your Love On Me So Strong" prove to be a bit too slick, as is the Johnson/Branch ballad "Hello There." The production may be too polished for purists, but fans of contemporary blues should check it out. /Al Campbell, AllMusic

(For personnel details, see artwork included.)

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Billy Branch & The Sons Of Blues - 50th Anniversary: Tribute To Little Walter (Limited Edition)

Size: 135.2 MB
Time: 58:23
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Chicago Blues, Haroica Blues
Art: Full

01. Nobody But You (3:07)
02. Mellow Down Easy (4:31)
03. Rollercoaster (3:15)
04. Blue And Lonesome (4:11)
05. Hate To See You Go (4:57)
06. My Babe (4:54)
07. Juke (3:20)
08. Last Night (5:03)
09. Just Your Fool/Key To The Highway (3:23)
10. Boom Boom Out Go The Lights (3:38)
11. Too Late Brother (3:15)
12. One Chance With You (4:00)
13. You're So Fine (3:32)
14. Blues With A Feeling (4:26)
15. Comments By Marion Diaz (2:45)

Recorded in Chicago features 15 songs written by and or made famous by Little Walter. Each song is played with equal amounts of Branch’s deeply rooted reverence and up-to-the-minute innovation. The music is as timeless in Branch’s and The Sons Of Blues’ interpretations as in Walter’s feral originals. Along with Branch and Ariyoshi, the band features guitarist Giles Corey, bassist Marvin Little and drummer Andrew “Blaze” Thomas. At the end of the album, Little Walter’s daughter, Marion Diaz, shares a few anecdotes of life with her legendary father.

50th Anniversary

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Rico McFarland - Tired Of Being Alone

Size: 116,9 MB
Time: 49:49
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2001
Styles: Electric Blues, Blues Soul, Funky Blues
Art: Full

01. Bad Attitude (4:32)
02. It Ain't No Fun To Me (4:29)
03. What If God Were One Of Us (5:00)
04. Blues Falling Down Like Rain (3:43)
05. Tired Of Being Alone (4:58)
06. Johnny B. (4:42)
07. Giving Me The Blues (3:33)
08. Little By Little (4:02)
09. The Other One (3:58)
10. Made Up My Mind (3:16)
11. You Got What You Wanted (3:36)
12. Rockin' Chair (3:55)

Guitarist Rico McFarland gets a lot of help from his friends on this, his debut CD. Otis Clay, Syl Johnson, Teela, and Billy Branch (one of a trio of harmonica players) all chip in. McFarland grooves on "Blues Falling Down Like Rain" and "Tired of Being Alone" (not the Al Green song) and displays his guitar prowess on "Johnny B" while taking it easy on "The Other One"; Teela's alto delivers "You Got What You Wanted" on a silver platter. A unique blues set that lovers of the genre will find little to pout about, its fresh sound is heighten by earnest, heightened performances. ~Andrew Hamilton

Tired Of Being Alone

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Benny Turner & Cash McCall - Going Back Home (Feat. Billy Branch)

Size: 82,5 MB
Time: 34:59
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2019
Styles: Chicago Blues
Art: Front

01. Got To Find A Way (Feat. Carla Davis) (3:30)
02. Spoonful (2:53)
03. Poison Ivy (2:54)
04. Money (3:22)
05. Shake Your Money Maker (2:32)
06. It Hurts Me Too (4:03)
07. It's A Man Down There (3:13)
08. The Dirty Dozens (3:09)
09. Built For Comfort (4:23)
10. Bring It On Home (4:57)

The central question around many blues releases goes like this –“Is there anything new here?” Be careful. One quick view of these tracks from Benny Turner and Cash McCall such as “Spoonful,” ‘Built for Comfort” and “It Hurts Me Too” might cause many to quickly move on. Yet, the story behind these sessions, the joy of two old friends playing together, and raw, honest delivery of both blues standards and lesser known tunes makes this outing a must listen.

So, here’s the story and some background. Producer, bassist and vocalist Benny Turner (Freddy King’s younger brother) says, “A death in the gospel world inspired me to contact my old friend Cash. I had no idea about his health problems and wanted to do whatever I could to help. Getting him involved in a music project seems to have been the best medicine in the world for him, because he is really excited about it. I asked Billy Branch if he was available to be a special guest on the record and he didn’t hesitate for a minute.”

Benny is referring to his friend, guitarist and vocalist McCall, with whom he began a friendship in Chicago over 60 years ago. The idea was to revisit the songs they once played separately (never having been in the same band or even on stage together) in South and West Side clubs. So, remarkably, this is the first time the two have recorded together. Sessions took place in Memphis, New Orleans, and Chicago with top notch players including, in addition to Branch, pianist Joe Krown, harpist Johnny Sansone and drummer Rodd Bland (son of Bobby “Blue” Bland).

Turner, best known as bassist for is older brother, Freddy King, also played for Mighty Joe Young and then for Marva Wright of New Orleans. He also did gospel work with The Kindly Shepherds and with Otis Clay. He has an award-winning autobiography Survivor – The Benny Turner Story, published in 2017.

McCall is a native of Missouri, born Morris Dollison Jr., who later received his stage name from his 1966 recording “When You Wake Up.” He recorded as a solo R&B artist for the Thomas, Checker, and Paula labels and went on to work at One-derful! and Chess as a session musician and songwriter. He was a member of Willie Dixon’s band and co-produced Dixon’s Grammy winner Hidden Charms.

The horn drenched soul tune “Got to Find a Way” with Turner on vocals is special as it features his three daughters singing backup for the first time on record. The faithful reading of “Spoonful” has McCall on vocals (the two trade off throughout) and brings fond memories for Turner because his brother Freddie played on the original Chess Howlin’ Wolf recording in 1960. Turner has some fun with Willie Mabon’s “Poison Ivy” before McCall renders the album’s only original, his self-penned “Money,’ which is essentially a blues sermon. Afterall, money is the root of all evil. Four tracks in, the grooves are deep, and two masters are giving it their all.

Any mention of Chicago blues is incomplete without Elmore James. Turner takes the lead on the horn-driven, slide guitar infused “Shake Your Moneymaker” and then McCall takes his turn of Tampa Red’s “It Hurts Me Too,’ popularized by James. This song may be overcovered but when you understand that McCall was battling stage four lung cancer while singing it, it takes on special meaning. Billy Branch lends his outstanding harp as well.

“It’s Man Down There” will remind most of the Allman Brothers doing “One Way Out” when, in fact, it was G.L. Crockett who had a 1965 hit with it, adapting it from Elmore James’ 1964 “One Way Out.” Joe Krown’s barrelhouse piano and Johnny Sansone’s harp give this one a double punch. The bawdy old blues “The Dirty Dozens” is better known as “Mother For Ya,” with McCall rendering it a Fats Waller kind of vein. Naturally, given their backgrounds, we get a Willie Dixon tune but it’s Turner singing “Built for Comfort, “again with Krown and Sansone. Billy Branch returns for the closer, Sonny Boy Williamson’s “Bring It On Home” and Branch is the vocalist here as well.

There’s a special energy and kinship that rings through this recording. Bill Dahl’s liner notes provide some rich history and observations like this one from McCall’s friend Mark Caldwell. “It was so cool to see all this energy that came back into Cash. He just started grooving. It really was special to see Cash and Benny together. It was a magical couple of days.” Label President Sallie Bengston offers, “There is something incredibly endearing about working with the bluesmen of their generation. They feel a bit forgotten in today’s music world and seeing their joy and enthusiasm in the studio together while recording some the classic they’ve played for decades was a beautiful experience. I couldn’t be more proud or honored to present this sentimental collaboration.” Listen in. You’ll fee their joy too. ~Jim Hynes

Going Back Home

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Kenny Neal & Billy Branch - Easy Meeting

Year: 2003
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:15
Size: 134,4 MB
Styles: Acoustic blues, harmonica blues
Scans: Full

1. Going Down Slow (3:59)
2. The Son I Never Knew (Take 2) (6:03)
3. I Just Keep Loving Her (3:04)
4. My Babe (3:16)
5. Early One Morning (4:09)
6. Going To The Country (3:29)
7. Don't Start Me To Talking (4:31)
8. Mannish Boy (7:48)
9. Billy And Kenny's Stomp (4:45)
10. Baby Bee (4:25)
11. Northern Man Blues (6:44)
12. The Son I Never Knew (Take 1) (5:56)

The glut of recordings dropped on the blues market in recent years is a welcome addition for most, but a good portion of them have hardly seemed worth either the money or time invested. Few and far between sound as magnificent and rewarding as the Easy Meeting between Kenny Neal and Billy Branch. Although recorded in France in 1998, mastering wasn't completed until October of 2002, but this session is a much welcomed addition from both artists. Neal and Branch sat down for a mostly acoustic date and in the process paid tribute to St. Louis Jimmy with a fine version of Going Down Slow, and two Little Walter gems; I Just Keep Loving Her, where Branch offers stunning harp, while My Babe is a fresh take on a well-worn warhorse.

Vocal duties are evenly split between the duo with both appearing relaxed and solid; Neal's Early One Morning is impressive, and a slow and gripping Going To The Country could easily have been tracked five decades ago. Branch makes use of an amplifier for Sonny Boy Williamson's Don't Start Me To Talking and delivers a warmly distorted harp tone, and both plug in for Willie Dixon's Mannish Boy and Billy And Kenny's Stomp should remind some of the rich offerings from the Maxwell Street neighborhoods in the late 1940's. Busy Bee mines Slim Harpo territory and Branch's Northern Man Blues is a slow and rich grind with more distorted harp, and the disc closes with Neal's minor-key The Son I Never Knew, one of two takes, each of them lowdown and gritty. The depths of passion reached by Kenny Neal and Billy Branch are matched by their enthusiasm throughout and they manage a telepathy that makes them seem as if they're joined at the hip.

Note: This album was re-released in 2004, now entitled "Double Take".

Easy Meeting mc
Easy Meeting zippy

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VA - Chicago Plays The Stones

Size: 125,6 MB
Time: 53:54
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Chicago Blues
Art: Front

01 John Primer - Let It Bleed (4:00)
02 Billy Boy Arnold - Play With Fire (3:44)
03 Buddy Guy - Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker) (4:51)
04 Ronnie Baker Brooks - (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction (3:43)
05 Billy Branch - Sympathy For The Devil (5:55)
06 John Primer - Angie (4:55)
07 Leanne Faine - Gimme Shelter (4:01)
08 Jimmy Burns - Beast Of Burden (3:48)
09 Mike Avery - Miss You (4:15)
10 Omar Coleman - I Go Wild (5:43)
11 Carlos Johnson - Out Of Control (4:34)
12 Jimmy Burns - Dead Flowers (4:20)

Chicago Plays The Stones

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John Primer - 2 albums: It's A Blues Life / Cold Blooded Blues Man

Album: John Primer & The Real Deal Blues Band - It's A Blues Life
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:09
Size: 151.4 MB
Styles: Chicago blues
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[5:31] 1. I've Been Abused
[4:49] 2. Maggie
[6:22] 3. Last Night
[4:23] 4. Mama Talk To Your Daughter
[5:47] 5. Party Girl
[4:17] 6. Empty Arms
[8:35] 7. Lonsome For Your Love
[5:27] 8. Sweet As A Georgia Peach
[4:22] 9. Every Time You Leave Me
[5:43] 10. Can't You See What You're Doing To Me
[4:29] 11. Give Me Back My Wig
[6:18] 12. Rock Me

JOHN PRIMER - gtr/voc, TOM HOLLAND - gtr, STEVE BELL - hca, KEN BARKER - pno, NICK HOLT - bass, BERT ROBINSON - drums.

Tradition, style, mentor, leader, storyteller, veteran--all these words describe bluesman John Primer. Song after song, show after show, year after year, Primer delivers intense, soul-grabbing music straight from the heart.

It's A Blues Life mc
It's A Blues Life zippy

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Album: Cold Blooded Blues Man
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:46
Size: 139.1 MB
Styles: Chicago blues
Year: 1997
Art: Front

[5:49] 1. Dreaming
[4:39] 2. Cuttin' Loose
[4:03] 3. Cold Blooded Blues Man
[5:30] 4. What Love Will Do
[5:01] 5. Meet Her In The Dark
[7:10] 6. Sad, Sad Day
[4:42] 7. Mojo Hand
[3:23] 8. Cairo
[4:18] 9. I'm Worried
[4:20] 10. Malted Milk
[4:01] 11. Waitin' For My Time
[4:45] 12. Love In Vain
[2:59] 13. Red House

JOHN PRIMER - gtr/voc w/ LITTLE MACK SIMMONS - hca, DETROIT JR. - pno, NICK HOLT - bass, EARL HOWELL - drums, EDDIE SHAW - sax, MAGIC SLIM - gtr, BILLY BRANCH - hca, CHRIS SANDERA - hca.

Singer/songwriter/guitarist John Primer surrounded himself with a bunch of Chicago Blues all-stars (George Baze, Nick Holt, Earl Howell, Billy Branch) for this mid-'90s release. It was easy to attract these stalwarts for his fifth solo record since Primer himself was already established on the who's who list of Chicago blues. In 1963, he relocated from Mississippi to the Windy City and slowly secured his place in the blues pantheon. By the time these recordings were made, he had already finished regular stints with Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters and Magic Slim (who makes a guest appearance on one track).

On this self-produced disc, John chooses to mix traditional acoustic Delta with electric Chicago blues over the course of 13 tracks that last 60 minutes. The material was recorded between 1991 and 1994. It captures the intensity and vivacity of John's live performances which his other studio material has struggled to deliver.

Cold Blooded Blues Man mc
Cold Blooded Blues Man zippy

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Lurrie Bell & The Bell Dynasty - Tribute To Carey Bell

Size: 134,1 MB
Time: 57:30
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Chicago Blues
Art: Front

01. Gone To Main Street (3:24)
02. Hard Hearted Woman (4:29)
03. I Got To Go (3:53)
04. Keep Your Eyes On The Prize (5:51)
05. Tomorrow Night (3:10)
06. So Hard To Leave You Alone (8:45)
07. What My Momma Told Me (3:02)
08. Woman In Trouble (6:11)
09. Carey Bell Was A Friend Of Mine (5:40)
10. Break It Up (3:38)
11. Heartaches And Pain (5:29)
12. When I Get Drunk (3:53)

It's almost 50 years since blues harp master Carey Bell released his debut album on Delmark Records. Carey's children followed him into blues and performed with him often while growing up. Lurrie's debut recording was with Carey appearing on Heartaches And Pain (DMK 666) and he joined with pops again in 2006 to record a live album / DVD, Gettin' Up (DMK 791/DVD 1791) only one year before Carey passed away. Now Lurrie, Steve, Tyson and James Bell join forces as The Bell Dynasty to present this tribute to their dad, Carey Bell. The Bell Dynasty is joined by special guests Charlie Musselwhite and Billy Branch.

Tribute To Carey Bell

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VA - Harpin' On It: A Blues Harmonica Anthology (Remastered)

Size: 173,6 MB
Time: 73:30
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Harmonica Blues
Art: Front

01. Mojo Buford - Picking Rags (5:12)
02. Mojo Buford - Deep Sea Diver (4:11)
03. Mojo Buford - Crawdad Hole (2:42)
04. Mojo Buford - In My Younger Days (3:20)
05. Little Mac - Home Work (2:18)
06. Johnny Mars - Johnny's Groove (6:35)
07. Jew Town Burks - Low Down Dog (2:59)
08. Jew Town Burks - From Greenwood Mississippi To Chicago (4:45)
09. Jew Town Burks - Partnership Woman (4:24)
10. Big John Wrencher - Now Darlin' (3:20)
11. Billy Branch - Hoochie Coochie (4:12)
12. Easy Baby - Good Morning Mr. Blues (3:14)
13. Jew Town Burks - Minnie Sue (4:30)
14. Jew Town Burks - Must I Holler (5:21)
15. Jew Town Burks - Operator (3:42)
16. Doc Terry - Dr. Boogie (3:18)
17. Doc Terry - Things Can't Stay The Same (4:24)
18. Hot Shot Love - Harmonica Boogie (2:24)
19. Hot Shot Love - Go Back Home (2:28)

Harpin' On It

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Little Joe Blue - Dirty Work Goin' On

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:34
Size: 122.6 MB
Styles: Blues, Funk, Soul
Year: 1987/2005
Art: Front

[4:51] 1. Dirty Work Goin' On
[3:35] 2. Me And My Guitar
[5:34] 3. If You Let Me Love You
[4:48] 4. You're Breaking My Heart
[2:41] 5. Give Me One hour In Your Garden
[2:50] 6. Big Leg Woman
[4:03] 7. You Can Help Me If You Want To
[5:45] 8. She Did It Again
[2:42] 9. I Want To Make Love To You
[5:07] 10. The Thrill Is Gone
[6:02] 11. Devil In The Sky
[5:30] 12. How Could You Do It To Me

LITTLE JOE BLUE, guitar, vocal; BILLY BRANCH, harmonica; MELVIN TAYLOR, guitar; NICK CHARLES, bass; JULIAN VAUGHN, drums. Recorded in Heelsum, Holland, November 24 & 25, 1986.

Born Joseph Valery, Jr. in Vicksburg, Mississippi, his musical style is often compared to B. B. King. Living in Detroit, Michigan, he formed the band the Midnighters in the late 1950s. He moved to Los Angeles, California, where he cut some records for Kent and Checker Records in the 1960s. His 1966 song "Dirty Work Going On"(R&B #40) was covered by Magic Sam & Shakey Jake, and Willie Kent & His Gents. He recorded for various labels throughout the 1980s. He played at the San Francisco Blues Festival in 1974, travelled to Europe in 1982, and appeared at the Chicago Blues Festival in 1986.

He died in Reno, Nevada in 1990 at the age of 55 from stomach cancer. He had two children: one son, Joseph Devon Valery (born February 26, 1959), and one daughter, Angela Maria Valery (born July 5, 1960).

Dirty Work Goin' On

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Jimmy Rogers, Big Moose Walker - Chicago Bound

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:06
Size: 89.5 MB
Styles: Chicago blues
Year: 1998/2015
Art: Front

[2:46] 1. Chicago Bound
[3:43] 2. St Louis
[3:31] 3. Do You Swear
[4:25] 4. Anna Lee
[4:58] 5. Sloppy Drunk
[3:27] 6. Lemon Squeezer
[2:52] 7. Last Time
[4:27] 8. Whoopin' Foolin' With You
[5:58] 9. One Room Little Country Shack
[2:57] 10. Goin' Away Baby

Johnny "Big Moose" Walker/ Piano, Vocals; John Primer/Guitar; Jimmy Rogers/Guitar, Performer, Vocals; Luther "Slim" Adams/Guitar; Billy Branch/Harp; Willie Kent/Bass.

Johnny Walker--Big Moose, Busy Head, Moose John, J. W. Walker--by whatever name he was called him, he was Chicago’s irrepressible wild man of blues piano. He wore a splendid smile and long, wavy hair; in his briefcase he carried a gorilla mask and a “Big Moose” jersey. Just as musicians and audiences enjoyed Moose’s antics, they also admired the exuberant, two-fisted blues he played. He’s worked alongside the best in the business and rambled from coast to coast.

Jimmy Rogers (June 3, 1924 – December 19, 1997) was a Chicago blues singer, guitarist and harmonica player, best known for his work as a member of Muddy Waters's band in the early 1950s. He also had solo hits on the R&B chart with "That's All Right" in 1950 and "Walking by Myself" in 1954. He withdrew from the music industry at the end of the 1950s but returned to recording and touring in the 1970s.

Chicago Bound mc
Chicago Bound zippy

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Big Head Blues Club - Way Down Inside

Size: 119,6 MB
Time: 50:32
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Electric Blues
Art: Front

01. Hidden Charms (2:23)
02. The Seventh Son (3:29)
03. You Need Love (Feat. Mud Morganfield) (4:05)
04. Bring It On Home (Feat. Billy Branch) (3:29)
05. Let Me Love You Baby (Feat. Ronnie Baker Brooks) (3:19)
06. Pretty Thing (3:01)
07. Good Advice (Feat. Billy Branch, Ronnie Baker Brooks, Mud Morganfield) (4:26)
08. Crazy Mixed Up World (3:08)
09. The Same Thing (Feat. Erica Brown) (4:56)
10. My Love Will Never Die (Feat. Ronnie Baker Brooks) (5:03)
11. It Don't Make Sense You Can't Make Peace (Feat. Billy Branch) (7:39)
12. I Want To Be Loved (Feat. Mud Morganfield) (2:11)
13. Sittin' And Cryin' The Blues (3:16)

Big Head Todd and the Monsters has joined forces with three second-generation blues stars, Mud Morganfield, Billy Branch and Ronnie Baker Brooks, to pay tribute to one of the pillars of modern blues, and one of the most influential songwriters of early rock and roll.

Big Head Todd and the Monsters have been fans of blues music since their first days together playing music in high school. In 2011 the band delved into the blues with their first Big Head Blues Club project, 100 years of Robert Johnson, which featured guest appearances by BB King, Hubert Sumlin, Charlie Musselwhite, Honeyboy Edwards, and more. That album led to a limited number of tour dates under the Big Head Blues Club moniker that same year.

Together these four artists form the 2016 incarnation of the Big Head Blues Club, armed with their brand new album “Way Down Inside” featuring an incredible playlist of songs from Willie Dixon, possibly the most prolific and accomplished songwriters in modern blues and rock n’ roll.

Way Down Inside

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Eddie Burns - 2 albums: 2nd Degree Burns / Lonesome Feeling

Album: 2nd Degree Burns
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:17
Size: 99.1 MB
Styles: Detroit blues
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[4:27] 1. I'll Always Be Around
[4:45] 2. The Thing To Do
[4:04] 3. Mean & Evil
[4:45] 4. Hen Pecked
[3:02] 5. Paradise Valley
[3:28] 6. Candy Baby
[5:24] 7. Fun Time
[3:12] 8. Sugar Girl
[2:21] 9. The Only Woman
[3:45] 10. Jingling Baby
[3:59] 11. Christmas Song

Eddie "Guitar" Burns has been a fixture of the Detroit blues scene since his arrival in the late 1940s when he recorded with John Lee Hooker. He became Hooker's guitar player for a long stretch, but also achieved notoriety as a songwriter, the most successful was "Orange Driver" which was covered by the J. Geils Band. Burns also recorded for Chess and Motown. On this album he does some songs from his stint with Motown (their only blues artist) and many newly penned tunes. Backing musicians include his brother Jimmy Burns on guitar and Funk Brothers piano player Joe Hunter.

2nd Degree Burns

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Album: Eddie 'Guitar' Burns - Lonesome Feeling
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:47
Size: 120.8 MB
Styles: Detroit blues
Year: 2002
Art: Front

[3:21] 1. Just A Little Bit
[4:45] 2. Lonesome Feeling
[5:30] 3. I Dig You Baby
[3:37] 4. In The State Highway
[5:32] 5. You Got To Love Me With A Feeling
[4:35] 6. Woke Up This Morning
[6:15] 7. New Inflation Blues
[3:57] 8. This Old House
[3:37] 9. What Do You Want To Do
[2:55] 10. That's My Woman
[5:13] 11. How Could You Leave Me
[3:25] 12. Wee Baby Blues

Bass – Nick Charles; Drums – Julian Vaughan; Guitar – Melvin Taylor; Guitar, Vocals, Harmonica – Eddie "Guitar" Burns; Harmonica – Billy Branch. Recorded November 25, 1986, at Farm Sound Studio, Heelsum, The Netherlands. Tracks 1, 6 and 9 to 11 are previously unissued.

b. 8 February 1928, Mississippi, USA. Inspired by John Lee ‘Sonny Boy’ Williamson and self-taught, Burns was a stalwart of the immediate post-war Detroit blues scene, being first recorded in 1948 by Bernie Bessman. The latter was responsible for giving John Lee Hooker his break and used Burns as a session musician for Hooker in 1949. This session produced four tracks, including the fast shuffle ‘Burnin’ Hell’, which was notable for Burns’ powerful harmonica playing. Throughout the 50s and 60s he periodically recorded for Joe Van Battle, who either released the material on his own JVB and Von labels or else sold the masters to concerns such as Gotham and Checker. Rarely straying from his home state of Michigan, Burns briefly visited Europe in 1972 under the billing Eddie ‘Guitar’ Burns, recording an album in London for Action. He returned three years later for a more intensive tour under the ‘American Blues Legends ’75’ banner. Since then Eddie Burns has stayed mostly in Detroit, working day-jobs, playing clubs in the evenings and occasionally appearing at festivals. He guested on Detroit Junior’s Take Out The Time in 1998.

Lonesome Feeling

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