Gary Hoey - Avalanche

Size: 105.2 MB
Time: 45:12
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2025
Styles: Blues Rock
Art: Front

01. Avalanche (3:39)
02. Unstoppable (3:34)
03. Maine To Mississippi (4:07)
04. Cold (5:00)
05. Angels & Devils (3:52)
06. You Know I Would (3:39)
07. Break Free (4:21)
08. Safe Place To Fall (4:20)
09. Dear Mama (4:18)
10. Let's Go (3:38)
11. Summer's Here (4:40)

Rock & Blues guitar legend Gary Hoey releases his first album in 6 years, Avalanche, on Wazoo Music Group (Hoey’s own label). Avalanche features special guest Lita Ford on vocals on “You Know I Would” and Gary’s son, Ian Hoey, is featured on “Dear Mama”, a tribute to Gary’s mother, and “Summer’s Here”. Gary says, “Avalanche is a return to my rock roots. It feels great to turn up the volume and have some fun. This album was a therapeutic album for me. I named the album Avalanche because sometimes life feels like one thing after another.”

Hoey called on his old friends to help him record; Matt Scurfield on drums, AJ Pappas on bass, Ian Hoey on guitar, and his niece Taylor on background vocals. Hoey can’t wait to hit the road on his Avalanche Tour 2024. “Playing live is the best feeling, I love to travel and see the fans after the show. And having my son Ian playing guitar by my side is a dream come true. We will be playing the new and the old classics “Hocus Pocus”, “Low Rider”, and more.”

Hoey’s first break came in 1987 when Ozzy Osbourne showed up in Boston looking for a guitarist. Osborne liked Hoey’s tape enough to fly him to LA for an audition. Ozzy suggested that Gary move to LA. He took Ozzy’s advice and with $17,000 he saved from teaching Hoey loaded the U-Haul and drove across country to LA. In 1992 Hoey released Heavy Bones on Warner Bros. A short lived band.

1993 Hoey released Animal Instinct which included a?cover of the Focus hit, “Hocus Pocus”. It rocket into the Billboard Top 5, outpacing all other singles as the most frequently played rock song of the year. It’s no wonder Gary Hoey is listed as one of the top 100 guitarists of all time.

1994 Hoey scored the successful Endless Summer II soundtrack and had another radio hit with War’s “Low Rider”. Other film clients have included Walt Disney films, ESPN, New Line Cinema, scoring the music to “California Screaming” (Disney Roller Coaster), “Office Space,” “Deck the Halls” (Danny Devito), and Beethoven III.

In 2012 Hoey produced and co-wrote The Queen Of Metal Lita Ford’s latest release Living Like Runaway. 2025 will see a new Lita album produced and co-written by Hoey.

Gary has toured with Jeff Beck, Brian May of Queen, Joe Bonamassa, Ted Nugent, Joe Satriani, The Doobie Brothers, Foreigner, and Styx.

Avalanche MP3
Avalanche FLAC

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Joanna Connor - Best Of Me

Size: 91.3 MB
Time: 38:49
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2023
Styles: Electric Blues, Blues Rock
Art: Front

01. House Rules (Feat. Josh Smith, Eric Demmer, Grooveline Horns) (3:43)
02. Pain And Pleasure (Feat. Josh Smith) (3:30)
03. Best Of Me (Feat. Grooveline Horns) (3:54)
04. Highway Child (Feat. Joe Bonamassa) (3:32)
05. I Lost You (3:57)
06. Two Of A Kind (Feat. Grooveline Horns) (3:55)
07. All I Want Is You (3:33)
08. Mercury Blues (Feat. David Abbruzzese) (3:33)
09. Shadow Lover (Feat. Mike Zito) (3:01)
10. Greatest Of These (2:34)
11. Shine On (Feat. Gary Hoey & Jason Ricci) (3:29)

Special guests on Best of Me by the acclaimed Joanna Connor include labelmates Eric Demmer (saxophone) and Jason Ricci (harmonica) and guitarists Joe Bonamassa, Josh Smith, Gary Hoey and Gulf Coast president Mike Zito (guitar) David Abbruzzese on drums and the Grooveline Horns. Best of Me was produced by Shaun Gotti Calloway, Jason J Roc Edwards, and Joanna Connor, and recorded at Studio2424 in Chicago.

Joining Joanna Connor (guitar and vocals) on the recording is her regular “Wrecking Crew” touring band with Shaun Gotti Calloway (bass) Dan Souvigny (guitar and keys), Curtis Moore Jr. (keys) and Jason J Roc Edwards (drums and vocals.)

“There are musicians that play together and may do it extremely well,” Joanna said about the Best of Me recording sessions. “Then, there are musicians that move as one, that share moments of creating music that is mystically telepathic. The group of musicians we assembled here created a free-flowing and fiery blend of soul, rock, funk and country, all rooted in the blues.”

Joanna continued. “Making this record with the go ahead from Mike Zito and Gulf Coast Records to have free rein was uplifting and inspiring. This recording definitely brought out the’ best of me,’ and solidified my band as a force to be reckoned with. Guitar power and nuance is evident on this record but so are convincing vocals, soul-stirring keyboard work, tighter than tight horns and a rhythm section that propels and compliments each song. The album touches on my maturing as a woman, facing mortality with grace and thanks, celebrating love won, love lost, lust and passion, the pain and pleasure of having this human experience. I hope the listener enjoys this record as much as we had making it.”

Joanna Connor was born in Brooklyn, New York, raised in Worcester, Massachusetts, and after beginning her career there at the age of 17, packed a suitcase, a Fender Twin Amp, a guitar and bought a bus ticket to the Blues Mecca of Chicago, where her goal was to be in a cracking blues band learning from the best . A mere month after moving to the Windy City, Delta blues heavyweight Johnny Littlejohn hired her.

Dion Payton then enlisted her to be a part of his 43rd Street Blues Band, where they held residencies at the hallowed Checkerboard Lounge and the Kingston Mines blues clubs, and were the backing band behind every major talent in the city. Joanna went on to tour with sax great AC Reed before starting her own band at the urging of the Kingston Mines owner. Blind Pig Records signed Joanna in 1989 and released several records on her before she went on to become the second artist to sign with Ruf Records, subsequently releasing many records for the German-based label, which led to a decade of touring throughout Europe.

In 2002, The House of Blues in Chicago offered Joanna and her band a weekly residency, and with her additional residency at the Kingston Mines, Connor made the decision to come off the road touring grind for a while and work locally four nights per week, while raising her two children as a single mom. Joanna also recorded several albums for the highly-respected MC Records during that decade.

In 2019, one of the videos of her fierce guitar work caught the eyes and ears of one of the most prominent guitarists of the modern era -Joe Bonamassa – as well as director Adrian Lynne (Flash Dance, Fatal Attraction). Lynne offered her a scene performing in the movie, Deep Water, starring Ben Affleck. At the same time, Joe Bonamassa and his KTBA Records label gave her the opportunity to make a studio album. Both projects happened right before the COVID 19 epidemic and subsequent lockdown. The KTBA album, 4801 South Indiana, was released in February of 2021 to immense critical acclaim and a number one spot on the Billboard blues chart. The Deep Water film was released on Hulu in March, 2022.

Now being a part of the Gulf Coast Records family, Joanna Connors career path is in full-bloom, playing with sympathetic musicians and a support staff all in lock-step, along with a common purpose and goal of reaching for the top of the blues world. Joanna’s tsunami of musical energy and passion is now unleashed on record with Best of Me. ~Martine Ehrenclou

Best Of Me MP3
Best Of Me FLAC

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Gary Hoey - Neon Highway Blues

Size: 111,3 MB - 321 MB
Time: 48:19
File: MP3 @ 320K/s - Flac
Released: 2019
Styles: Blues, blues-rock
Art: Front

1. Under The Rug (feat. Eric Gales) (4:57)
2. Mercy Of Love (feat. Josh Smith) (6:21)
3. Your Kind Of Love (3:37)
4. Don't Come Crying (feat. Ian Hoey) (4:34)
5. Still Believe In Love (3:44)
6. Almost Heaven (3:37)
7. I Felt Alive (5:25)
8. Waiting On The Sun (4:14)
9. Damned If I Do (feat. Lance Lopez) (4:42)
10. Living The Highlife (3:53)
11. Neon Highway Blues (3:11)

I really liked the introduction to Hoey three years ago and this successor can also look forward to a medal of honour. The album contains eleven self-penned songs that are perfectly captured on tape. Hoey can also rejoice in the auxiliary troops that were at his disposal: Eric Gales makes an appearance on the funky rocking Under The Rug, Josh Smith offers his services on the delicious slow blues Mercy Of Love and Lance Lopez can be heard in Damned If I Do. Gary Hoey's 17-year-old son Ian is on Don't Come Crying for the first time. These four tracks are among the toppers on 'Neon Highway Blues', but the up tempo rocker Your Kind Of Love and the hard rock I Felt Alive are also among the elite songs. Hoey does not have a pronounced voice, but his slightly hoarse timbre is pleasant, while he can play a more than nice moppie guitar and also took care of the production himself. An excellent addition to his already long oeuvre.

Neon Highway Blues MP3
Neon Highway Blues FLAC

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Chris 'Bad News' Barnes - Live (Feat. Steve Guyger & Gary Hoey)

Year: 2019
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:37
Size: 126,6 MB
Styles: Electric blues
Scans: Front, back

1. Back In A Cadillac (3:26)
2. You Can't Judge A Book By The Cover (4:17)
3. Boom Boom (Out Go The Lights) (4:12)
4. Hungry & Horny (3:16)
5. Hoochie Coochie Man (5:29)
6. Going Down (4:08)
7. What's Coming Next (5:22)
8. It's Tight Like That (3:35)
9. It Hurts Me Too (3:20)
10. Keep Your Mind On It (2:54)
11. I Drink Alone (4:54)
12. Whipping Post (5:19)
13. Raise Your Hand (4:17)

What to say about this guy, a musician who works the comedy and television circuit turning his evidently extraordinary searching eye on occasional, unexpected musical journey when the fancy takes him. Barnes has previously had considerable musical success with his delightful and disarming take on hokum blues, music that more than raises a smile, a nod and a blink of surprise. Here we have him working in a much more serious mode, live on-stage at the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise gig. This album has a touch of unevenness at times but that’s probably to be expected with a live recording in these circumstances.

Barnes has a mastery of stagecraft that is generally widely acknowledged but is too often viewed as a bit of a side-issue when it comes to serious musical endeavor. Here, supported by US harp master, Steve Guyger and the fiery fretwork of Gary Hoey, Barnes delivers a 13-track album that highlights his true musical worth. Produced as a live recording by Grammy-winner Tony Braunagel, Barnes fairly rattles through a range of modern blues classics including “You Can’t Judge A Book By The Cover,” “Hoochie Coochie Man” (maybe the best cut on the album), “It Hurts Me Too” and some of his trademark hokum with an amusingly neat slide into “Hungry & Horny,” a clear, biting parody of Earl King’s “Come On.”

With remarkable self-confidence, he ventures into the world of acoustic blues giant Big Bill Broonzy, with his own take on “Keep Your Mind On It,” before throwing in a chunk of Gregg Allman, a flash of George Thorogood and others, all well known to blues lovers everywhere. Barnes appears completely at ease here, roaring along with a blues gravity that is seldom associated with his off-the-cuff, mordant wit and sideways glance at the music world. As a result, Barnes comes across as a determinedly talented bluesman with this offering, a move that may catch many unaware but will surely push him firmly into the world of seriously good blues music. This is a surprising treat and an album definitely worth having. /Iain Patience, Elmore Magazine

Live (Feat. Steve Guyger & Gary Hoey) mc
Live (Feat. Steve Guyger & Gary Hoey) zippy

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Ally Venable Band - Puppet Show

Size: 123,3 MB
Time: 52:47
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Texas Blues, Blues Rock
Art: Front

01. Devil's Son (Feat. Gary Hoey) (4:36)
02. Bridges To Burn (Feat. Lance Lopez) (5:05)
03. Cast Their Stones (3:56)
04. Back Water Blues (6:22)
05. She Caught The Katy (And Left Me A Mule To Ride) (4:35)
06. Puppet Show (4:49)
07. Comfort In My Sorrows (7:24)
08. Survive (6:06)
09. Waste It On You (4:46)
10. Sleeping Through The Storm (5:01)

Award-winning blues-rock guitarist Ally Venable will release her new CD, Puppet Show, on Connor Ray Music. The Ally Venable Band consists of Ally – guitar and vocals; Elijah Owings – drums; and Bobby Wallace – bass. Special Guests on Puppet Show, which was produced by Rock Romano, Steve Krase (who also plays harmonica on the sessions) and Ally Venable, include guitarists Gary Hoey and Lance Lopez, as well as keyboardist Eric Steckel.

Puppet Show, Ally’s second album for Connor Ray Music, was recorded at Red Shack Studio in Houston and features eight original tunes written and composed by Venable, along with two blues classics that compliment her rockin’ blues sound.

“I had an amazing time writing and creating Puppet Show for the people with my closest musician friends,” says Ally Venable. “I look forward to putting this album out for all the blues-rock lovers and I hope they enjoy it as much as I loved making it for them.”

Puppet Show is all about songs that connect. It radiates a sense of soul through the songwriting and guitar playing, as well as the vocals that are laid out throughout the album. The disc opens up with a haunting riff for the song “Devil’s Son,” which features Gary Hoey on lead guitar along with Ally Venable on guitar and vocals. Together, they stir a powerful tune that will stay on repeat. The next track, “Bridges to Burn” strikes an unforgettable melody within the song, with guest artist Lance Lopez and Ally playing in harmony together to resonate a powerful statement with their guitar playing. “Sleeping Through the Storm” is another number that portrays the message of conquering one’s struggles and persevering through the storm that approaches us in our lives. With compelling lyrics and strong blues-rock guitar playing, Puppet Show represents the future of the blues.

“I had a blast guesting on the song, ‘Devil’s Son,’” says acclaimed rock guitarist Gary Hoey. “Ally has a maturity as a songwriter beyond her years and her guitar playing and singing are the real deal. ‘Devils Son’ is a bad-ass song with a haunting riff; I had a blast playing my Highway 61 Dobro guitar on it. Bravo Ally!”

Adds Lance Lopez, who’s been a mentor to the 19-year-old Venable, “Ally has been working very hard to become the young Guitar Slingin’ Senorita she is. It’s been such a pleasure to share my knowledge with her and watch her grow!”

A powerhouse singer and guitar player, Ally Venable has ignited excitement on the Texas blues scene. She began singing at an early age in church and then in recent years picked up the guitar and found her true passion. A protégé of Lance Lopez, with her songwriting and onstage performances, this teen musician packs a punch. Ally was the 2014 and 2015 East Texas Female Guitarist of the Year. The Ally Venable Band also won 2015, 2016, and 2017 honors as East Texas Blues Band of the year.

Puppet Show

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VA - Rockin' The Blues

Size: 153,3 MB
Time: 65:15
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Blues Rock
Art: Front & Back

01 Kenny Wayne Shepherd - Diamonds & Gold (5:15)
02 Quinn Sullivan - Midnight Highway (5:53)
03 Eric Gales - Been So Long (4:45)
04 Walter Trout - We're All In This Together (Feat. Joe Bonamassa) (7:55)
05 Beth Hart - Love Is A Lie (3:12)
06 Gary Hoey - Dust & Bones (4:07)
07 Lance Lopez - Mr Lucky (Previously Unreleased) (4:07)
08 Simo - People Say (3:57)
09 Thomas Wynn And The Believers - Wade Waist Deep (3:33)
10 Supersonic Blues Machine - L.O.V.E. (4:29)
11 Jonny Lang - Stronger Together (3:34)
12 Sonny Landreth - Blues Attack (Live) (5:21)
13 Black Stone Cherry - Champagne & Reefer (3:43)
14 Ronnie Baker Brooks - Times Have Changed (Feat. Al Kapone) (5:17)

Provogue is home to some of the worlds’ finest modern Blues artists and the Label are thrilled to announce their first Rockin’ The Blues 2018 Tour featuring the exceptional talents of Eric Gales, Quinn Sullivan, Gary Hoey and now added to the bill as a special end of show guest is Texan guitar slinger Lance Lopez guitar hero extravaganza. The tour will be calling through Germany, The Netherlands and the UK in March next year.

To celebrate this, Rockin’ The Blues, the album features 14 stellar performances from Eric Gales, Quinn Sullivan, Gary Hoey, Black Stone Cherry, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Beth Hart, Walter Trout, SIMO, Supersonic Blues Machine, Thomas Wynn & The Believers, Jonny Lang, Lance Lopez, Sonny Landreth and Ronnie Baker Brooks.
Guitar whirlwind Eric Gales’ Been So Long is taken from his critically acclaimed new album Middle of the Road which was released early 2017, Eric Gales is a man on form and on fire right now. His fourth album on Provogue/Mascot Label Group (15th album in total) sees him at his most expressive yet, his rebirth in fact; it is a deeply personal and reflective record that echoes where he is in his life right now and he allows himself to open up and really flourish. The who’s who of guitarists are declaring their admiration for him; Dave Navarro (Jane’s Addiction) exclaimed that “How Eric Gales isn’t the hugest name in rock guitar is a total mystery”, modern blues icon Joe Bonamassa said he is “One of the best, if not the best guitar player in the world”, whilst Mark Tremonti (Alter Bridge) said ‘this guy could be the best player on Earth” not to mention an admirer in the shape of Carlos Santana.

18 year old guitar prodigy and Buddy Guy protégé Quinn Sullivan has been a music professional for more than 75 percent of his life. He’s shared the stage with Buddy Guy aged eight, Eric Clapton, Los Lobos, The Roots, Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi and Joe Bonamassa, and he opened for B.B. King, who later invited him to play his treasured “Lucille” guitar. He’s also appeared on national TV, with guest appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Oprah, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Conan with Jeff Bridges and twice on The Ellen DeGeneres show aged six and fourteen. Sullivan has packed some extraordinary experience into his decade-long career, Midnight Highway is taken from the his new album of the same name which was produced by multi GRAMMY® winner Tom Hambridge (Buddy Guy, Susan Tedeschi, Johnny Winter).

It’s just so right-with-the-universe that Gary Hoey’s 20th album, Dust & Bones is an exuberant fusion of blues and rock. After all, this accomplished and diverse guitarist has explored several styles in his career—hard rock, rock, surf, and prog, to name a few. The title track is a bonafide Hoey classic. In 1987, the Boston-born guitarist caught the ear of Ozzy Osbourne—no slouch at picking great guitar players—and almost ended up in his band (The gig ultimately went to Zakk Wylde.) Hoey scored a major-label record deal where his version of Focus’ “Hocus Pocus” brought him huge success.

There’s no doubt about it, the state of Texas is well known worldwide for its fiery blues guitar players, and Lance Lopez (also singer/guitarist for Supersonic Blues Machine) perfectly encapsulates that fire on Mr Lucky with some furious piece of fretboard mastery.

The album is awash with some of the finest blues artists in modern times; powerhouse Beth Hart is unstoppable on Love is A Lie, the Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter is riding a creative tidal wave, firing out acclaimed albums, hooking up with the biggest names in music and rocking the house each night with that celebrated burnt-honey voice. Arena rockers Black Stone Cherry returned to their roots in September releasing a blues cover record Black to Blues, here they explode in BSC style on Muddy Waters, Champagne & Reefer. Louisiana’s Kenny Wayne Shepherd prowls on Diamonds & Gold saying; Diamonds & Gold is a wink-wink kinda thing about how materialistic our society has become. It’s like, we should be living for bigger things than how much we can accumulate. If you look at the mainstream and what young people are led to believe they should work towards – it’s all just stuff. And stuff doesn’t have much substance. So that song is just to kinda inspire people to look for more in life.”

Nashville trio SIMO get funky on People Say, slide guitar maestro Sonny Landreth demonstrates his chops on this live version of Blues Attack taken from Recorded Live In Lafayette. Blues warrior Walter Trout shows why he is at the peak of his career with the formidable We’re All In This Together ft. Joe Bonamasssa. Jonny Lang returned with his first new album, Signs in 4 years in 2017 and Stronger Together is a soul crossover highlight. Chicago blues man Ronnie Baker Brooks, son of the late great Lonnie Brooks, delivers some fine blues, soul and funk with Times Have Changed ft. Al Kapone. Orlando’s favourite band Thomas Wynn & The Believers deliver an exquisite performance on Wade Waist Deep whilst Supersonic Blues Machine go from strength to strength and reach for the sky on the festival favourite, the hypnotic L.O.V.E.

Rockin' The Blues

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Gary Hoey - 2 albums: Dust & Bones (Deluxe Edition) / Fade To Blues

Album: Dust & Bones (Deluxe Edition)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:20
Size: 113.0 MB
Styles: Blues rock
Year: 2016
Art: Front

[3:43] 1. Boxcar Blues
[4:15] 2. Who's Your Daddy
[3:13] 3. Born To Love You
[4:09] 4. Dust & Bones
[3:24] 5. Steamroller (Tribute To Johnny Winter)
[4:54] 6. Coming Home (Feat. Lita Ford)
[3:46] 7. Ghost Of Yesterday
[4:34] 8. This Time Tomorrow
[3:04] 9. Back Up Against The Wall
[3:11] 10. Blind Faith
[3:41] 11. Soul Surfer
[3:24] 12. Boston Strong
[3:56] 13. Amazing Grace

Released through Mascot Label Group, Dust & Bones showcases Hoey’s Fender Stratocaster-driven fury alongside open-D-tuned resonator guitars plugged into half-stacks. The massive sonic attack was essential for paying sincere and appropriate homage to some of Hoey’s influences, such as Johnny Winter (“Steamroller”), Robin Trower (“This Time Tomorrow”), and Brian Setzer (“Who’s Your Daddy”), as well as a thrill-a-minute mash up of Robert Johnson meets Led Zeppelin (“Boxcar Blues”). There’s also a classic power ballad (“Coming Home”) where Lita Ford and Gary sing a duet.

Dust & Bones (Deluxe Edition) mc
Dust & Bones (Deluxe Edition) zippy

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Album: Fade To Blues
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:52
Size: 121.0 MB
Styles: Blues rock
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[3:57] 1. Texas Son
[4:52] 2. Truth
[3:31] 3. Bug Alley
[3:31] 4. Reaction
[5:52] 5. Fade To Blue
[3:11] 6. Walkin' The Nose
[3:38] 7. Wake Up Call
[3:12] 8. Surfdoggin'
[4:15] 9. Psychedelic Psycho
[4:42] 10. Deep South Cafe
[6:30] 11. Fillmore Blues
[5:36] 12. Red House

Fade To Blues is Hoey's second digital-exclusive compilation album, following 2007's Ballads That Burn. It is comprised entirely of previously-released material.

Fade To Blues mc
Fade To Blues zippy

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Gary Hoey - Deja Blues

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 38:25
Size: 88.0 MB
Styles: Blues rock
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[3:06] 1. Boss You Around
[2:57] 2. Boot Hill Blues (Feat. James Montgomery)
[4:43] 3. Almost Over You (Feat. Jon Butcher)
[3:39] 4. Going Down
[3:24] 5. She's Walking (Feat. Johnny A)
[4:20] 6. Stranger
[3:57] 7. Born Under A Bad Sign
[3:38] 8. Got To Believe (Feat. Frank Hannon)
[4:21] 9. Deja Blues
[4:16] 10. Hold Your Head Up High

Deja Blues is an interesting collection of blues tunes that features the blues skills of the talented rock and surf style guitarist Gary Hoey. Most people know him as an instrumental guitar player along the lines of a Steve Vai or Joe Satriani because of his billboard hit “Hocus Pocus,” or possibly know him from his Ho Ho Hoey Christmas albums, or have seen trading licks on tour with Jeff Beck, Ted Nugent, Peter Frampton, and Dick Dale. Let’s set the record straight – Gary is not a one trick rock guitar shredder.

The album has many Gary Hoey originals, some of which feature great guest appearances, including James Montgomery on “Boot Hill Blues,” Jon Butcher on the Texas Shuffle “Almost Over You,” Johnny A on “She’s Walking,” and finally, Frank Hannon on the southern rocking “Got to Believe.” There are a couple of covers of traditional blues songs where Gary makes the blues rock. “Going Down” is a down, dirty rockin’ take on the Don Nix penned classic recorded by everyone from the late great Freddie King to Led Zeppelin and Pearl Jam. Along with that is the lightly distorted Albert King classic “Born Under A Bad Sign.” An interesting track at the end is “Hold Your Head Up High” which features some slide guitar playing. If you close your eyes and forget who you’re listening to you might confuse this with an outtake form a Derek Trucks Band release.

There are two stand out tracks on this album though. “Stranger” is an atmospheric mysterious blues where the tones clearly set the mood for one of the lyrics when Gary sings about being “like a stranger in my own town.” The best work on here though is when Gary lets his guitar do all the work on the instrumental slow blues title track – “Deja Blues.” The tension builds and reaches what you think is the peak at each chorus only to be taken to another level with another solo and then finally releases you back to the original slow blues jam.

If you’re looking for an album that straddles that fine line of blues and rock without turning into nothing but a guitar shredders excuse to solo than this fits the bill. It’s always interesting to see how artists who are mostly known for a different style of playing interpret the blues. Deja Blues does the blues justice with his pyrotechnic fretboard fluidity and ability to blend them with his rock background without losing the feeling and intent.

Deja Blues

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