Shawn Pittman - 2 albums: Burnin' Up / Something's Gotta Give

Album: Burnin' Up
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Time: 39:39
Size: 203,0 MB
Released: 1998
Styles: Blues
Art: Full

1. Night Stomp (3:35)
2. Times Are Slow (3:52)
3. Dallas City Police (3:35)
4. Gimme Back My Wig (3:11)
5. Trouble Come Around (3:02)
6. You Sure Drive a Hard Bargin (3:49)
7. Burnin' Up (4:38)
8. Watch Out, Baby (3:46)
9. Yes She Does (3:17)
10. She's Evil (3:28)
11. Working Man (3:21)

Shawn Pittman's debut opus for Cannonball shows a strong stylistic tip of the gaucho hat to the Vaughan brothers, SRV in particular. But there are actual sparks of originality in even the more pedestrian and derivative tracks on here. Pittman's vocals exhibit a maturity and assurance not usually heard on these types of records, and his songwriting -- taking in seven of the 11 tracks aboard -- are more than just paint-by-numbers compositions. Nice covers of Freddie King's "Night Stomp" and Hound Dog Taylor's "Gimme Back My Wig" make this a debut well worth investigating. -- Allmusic.
There are plenty of young and very talented blues guitarists out there and Shawn Pittman is one of the most talented of all. Hs first release, is a fine collection of great "12 bars" blues tunes. There is nothing new or unheard here, however all the songs are extremely well played with the right feeling and the right intensity. Shawn proves beyond any doubts his ability as guitar player delivering a constant high standard performance throughout the album. His techniques and tune control are top of the range and if you add the fact that he plays with great feeling you may figure out the final result. His guitar work is excellent in each song setting a new level of benchmarking for all the others, just check out the cover of Albert King's "You sure drive a hard bargain". -- Amazon.

Thanks to Johny Lee Ramirez
Burnin' Up

---

Album: Something's Gotta Give
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Time: 47:34
Size: 143,0 MB
Released: 1999
Styles: Blues
Art: Full

1. Something's Gotta Give (4:36)
2. Tell Me Why (5:34)
3. Just a Game (4:34)
4. Get Started (4:32)
5. Come on Over (4:59)
6. East Side Groove (3:56)
7. Something to Remember You By (3:49)
8. Payin' the Price (4:21)
9. Make It Through (4:47)
10. Cruisin' (3:20)
11. That First Drink (3:01)

Pittman's second album shows no sophomore jinx as he tackles a stack of original tunes with energy galore. No speed burner or Stevie Ray Vaughan-abee, Pittman exhibits not only taste and tone, but a wide range of influences from Hound Dog Taylor to Eddie Taylor and an understanding of when to burn and when to lay back. His lyrics show a large development from his debut disc and tunes like "Make It Through," "Just a Game" and the title track display a depth you usually don't find on "young man blues" albums. Those looking for a new blues guitar hero who also exhibits taste and subtlety would do well to pick this one up. -- Allmusic.
Shawn Pittman is, without any doubts, a very talented guitar player and a very good singer too despite his young age. Never than less he is very much overlook by every blues critics. The blues desperately needs new talents able to reinvigorate the music style being, at the same time, faithful to the masters of the past and Shawn is one of them. After his impressive, beautiful, debut album he confirmed with this one that he might be one of the major stars in the blues business one day. -- Amazon.

Thanks to Johny Lee Ramirez
Something's Gotta Give

---

Fiona Boyes, Mookie Brill, Rich DelGrosso - Live From Bluesville

File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Time: 48:46
Size: 111.6 MB
Styles: Blues
Released: 2008
Art: Full

1. Early In The Morning {4:40}
2. Homegrown Sin {3:58}
3. Hard To Live With {5:51}
4. Smokestack Lightning {4:46}
5. Easy Babe {4:21}
6. Shotgun Blues {4:45}
7. My Baby Left Me {2:30}
8. Good Lord Made You So {4:49}
9. Keep Your Nose Outa My Bizness {4:38}
10. Mercy {4:53}
11. Two Legged Dog {3:32}

Playing amplified blues-rock has not been a problem for Fiona Boyes, but the flexible singer/guitarist is equally proficient when it comes to providing acoustic blues -- and that is exactly what she does on Live from Bluesville. In fact, Boyes plays acoustic blues exclusively on this 48-minute CD, which finds her forming an intimate trio with Tom "Mookie" Brill (lead vocals, acoustic bass, harmonica) and Rich DelGrosso (lead vocals, mandolin). Contrary to what the title suggests, this isn't a live album in the conventional sense; Live from Bluesville wasn't recorded in a club or theater in front of an audience, but rather in a Washington, D.C., studio in 2007. However, all the performances were recorded in real time -- no overdubbing whatsoever -- and the rugged spirit of acoustic country blues often prevails thanks to Boyes, Brill, and DelGrosso (who share the lead vocals, although Boyes' singing dominates the session). However, they don't embrace any one type of acoustic country blues exclusively. Mississippi Delta blues is part of the equation, but so are Texas blues and Louisiana blues. And occasionally, Live from Bluesville demonstrates that acoustic blues doesn't necessarily mean country blues. Howlin' Wolf's "Smokestack Lightning" is a Chess Records gem that blues connoisseurs closely identify with electric post-WWII Chicago blues, but the unplugged version offered by Boyes, Brill, and DelGrosso re-imagines the tune as acoustic blues from Chicago's pre-WWII, pre-Chess, pre-Willie Dixon era. And they also acknowledge the Windy City's pre-Chess artists with inspired performances of Sonny Boy Williamson's "Early in the Morning" and Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup's "My Baby Left Me." Clearly, this trio is well aware of the fact that the blues were alive and well in Chicago long before the seminal Chess became so influential and helped pave the way for the creation of rock & roll. But whether the influences are rural or urban, Live from Bluesville maintains a happily unplugged focus -- and Boyes excels as both a singer and an acoustic guitarist. ~Alex Henderson

Live From Bluesville

---

Fiona Boyes - Live In Atlanta

File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Time: 45:21
Size: 109.31 MB
Released: 2004
Styles: Blues
Art: Full

1. I'll Be Your Fool {4:43}
2. Ten Foot Tall (and Bullet Proof) {3:25}
3. Women Be Wise {3:44}
4. Stranger In Your Eyes {4:36}
5. Love Changing Blues {6:45}
6. Sailing {4:31}
7. Run Here {5:58}
8. Travelling Mood {3:42}
9. My Baby Cooks {3:07}
10. Ember {4:46}

Fiona Boyes - guitar, vocal
'Steady Rollin' Bob Margolin - guitar
Gina Leigh - piano
John McKnight - drums
Jon Schwenke - bass
Mark 'Kaz' Kazanoff - harp, sax

'Live in Atlanta' was recorded live at the Blue Note West Club in 2003

Previously only available in the US at selected live shows - 'Live in Atlanta' features special guests 'Steady Rollin' Bob Margolin and 'Kaz' Kazanoff as well as a band of wonderful Atlanta musicians. Live and spontaneous - with a mix of electric and semi-acoustic material. As Mr Margolin says in his liner notes "the Blues Gods smiled down on us that night..."

Live In Atlanta

---

Fiona Boyes - Blues Woman

File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Time: 52:10
Size: 119.4 MB
Released: 2009
Styles: Blues
Art: Full

1. Woman Ain't A Mule (3:08)
2. Howlin' At Your Door (3:52)
3. I Want To Go (2:46)
4. Train To Hopeville (4:07)
5. Look Out Love (2:59)
6. Got My Eye On You (4:08)
7. Do You Feel Better? (4:03)
8. The Barrelhouse Funeral (4:04)
9. Place Of Milk And Honey (3:17)
10. Waiting For Some Good News (3:04)
11. Precious Time (3:14)
12. Fishin' Hole (2:57)
13. City Born Country Gal (3:10)
14. Juke Joint On Moses Lane (3:29)
15. Old Time Ways (3:43)

Fiona Boyes - Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric), Vocals, Slide Guitar, Guitar (Resonator), Stomp Box, Guitar (Tremolo)
Derek O'Brien - Guitar
Jimi Bott - Percussion, Bongos, Drums, Washboard, Trash Cans
Kaz Kazanoff - Harmonica, Percussion, Sax (Baritone), Sax (Tenor), Horn Arrangements, Soloist
Marcia Ball - Piano
Nick Connolly - Piano, Organ (Hammond)
Pinetop Perkins - Piano, Vocals

A lot of interesting things have been written about Fiona Boyes, but one of the most attention-grabbing came from Midwest Record Recap -- which said that the Australian singer/guitarist "sounds like Bonnie Raitt's evil twin." While that comment was amusing, it was also insightful; Boyes does, in fact, have a strong Raitt influence (with elements of Marcia Ball and Rory Block), but her approach is noticeably darker, swampier, and more mysterious than Raitt's. Boyes is clearly her own person, and one of the great things about Blues Woman is the fact that she is so hard to pin down stylistically. The Aussie is blues-oriented -- that much is clear -- but during the course of this album, she embraces everything from electric Chicago blues on the Howlin' Wolf-influenced "Howlin' at Your Door" to early R&B (of the late-'40s/early-'50s variety) on "Do You Feel Better?" to blues-soul on "Train to Hopesville" and "Waiting for Some Good News." Although Boyes plays electric guitar on many of the tracks, she is also an excellent acoustic guitarist -- and her mastery of the acoustic guitar is evident on the Mississippi Delta blues-minded "Place of Milk and Honey." Texas blues is also part of the equation on this 2008 recording; so are Louisiana and Memphis blues. And through it all, Boyes never fails to be recognizable. For Boyes, having a blues orientation doesn't mean being a blues purist; she isn't someone who believes that everything on a blues-oriented album must adhere to a traditional 12-bar format or that blues artists must refrain from having rock or soul influences. But everything on Blues Woman boasts a wealth of blues feeling, and Boyes' love of variety yields consistently excellent results throughout this gem of an album.

Blues Woman

---

Fiona Boyes - Gimme Some Sweet... Jelly Roll

File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Time: 44:40
Size: 102.3 MB
Released: 2003
Styles: Blues
Art: Full

1. The Preacher (3:23)
2. Devil Says (3:29)
3. A'int No Jelly Roll in Heaven (3:30)
4. In Love Again (3:37)
5. Drink to Your Health (3:13)
6. Harmonica Rag (2:01)
7. When Did You Leave Heaven (3:18)
8. How'd You Want Your Business Done (2:18)
9. Mess with Your Mama (2:42)
10. It's You (3:02)
11. Catfish Fiesta (2:46)
12. Down Home Gal (4:45)
13. Young Rider Blues (2:52)
14. Light at the End of the Road (3:37)

Fiona Boyes is an Australian blues musician. She has been recording for more than 25 years and tours regularly in Australia, the United States, and Europe.
Boyes' debut US release Lucky 13 was nominated by the Blues Foundation in Memphis, Tennessee for the 2007 Blues Music Awards, 'Contemporary Blues Album of the Year'.She has since received three further BMA nominations for 'Traditional Female Blues Artist' (2010), 'Acoustic BluesAlbum of the Year' (2009), 'Contemporary Female Blues Artist' (2008), and her 2008 release Live From Bluesville won the US Blues Critics Award for Best Live Blues Album. Boyes has also received 15 national recording and performance awards in Australia.
Boyes has toured and recorded with many, including Hubert Sumlin and Bob Margolin. Boyes was described by Grammy Award winner and Blues Hall of Fame pianist, Pinetop Perkins, as "the best gal guitarist I heard since Memphis Minnie."
She plays both acoustic and electric, covering pre-war Delta slide, laments, single chord Mississippi Hills grooves, Piedmont finger picking, New Orleans barrelhouse, Memphis soul, classic Chicago, Texas swing, and the uptown sound of the West Coast.

Gimme Some Sweet Jelly Roll

---