Category Archives: Blues
J.J. CALE-CLASSIC ALBUM SELECTION.
J.J. CALE-CLASSIC ALBUM SELECTION. One of the most underrated singer, songwriter and guitarists is J.J. Cale, whose career began back in the late fifties as Johnny Cale. However, it wasn’t until 1972 that J.J. Cale released his debut album Naturally. Naturally featured a track that would become synonymous with J.J. and would introduce his music …
DEVIL’S JUMP: INDIE LABEL BLUES 1946-1957.
DEVIL’S JUMP: INDIE LABEL BLUES 1946-1957. The latest box set from British reissue label JSP is Devil’s Jump: Indie Label Blues 1947-1957. Compiled by Neil Slaven, and released on 11th March 2013, Devil’s Jump: Indie Label Blues 1947-1597 is a four-CD box set which focuses on the blues music released by King Records, and its …
DUKE WILLIAMS AND THE EXTREMES-MONKEY IN A SILK SUIT IS STILL A MONKEY.
DUKE WILLIAMS AND THE EXTREMES-MONKEY IN A SILK SUIT IS STILL A MONKEY. Last September, New York based record label, SpinSpinNYC, released a six track compilation entitled Nutritious Presents Duke Williams and The Extremes. SpinSpinNYC had rediscovered the music of Duke Williams and The Extremes. They wanted to share their love and belief in this …
B.B. KING-TO KNOW YOU IS TO LOVE YOU.
B.B. KING-TO KNOW YOU IS TO LOVE YOU. In 1973, B.B. King decided to head to Philadelphia, to work with some of the city’s greatest musicians on his album To Know You Is To Love You. Many of these musicians were members of M.F.S.B, Philadelphia International Records’ legendary house-band. Among the members of M.F.S.B. which …
THE BEST NEW ALBUMS OF 2012-PART 4.
THE BEST NEW ALBUMS OF 2012-PART 4. So, we get to the fourth and final installment of The Best New Albums of 2012. These five albums cover the three months period between October and December 2012. Like the first three installments, there’s an eclectic selection of albums. Here’s my final five of 2012. BIG BOY …
LATER ALLIGATOR-LOUISIANA ROCK AND ROLL.
LATER ALLIGATOR-LOUISIANA ROCK AND ROLL. Given the amount of music that’s released on a weekly basis, finding time to review everything isn’t easy. Often, some releases get overlooked in the process. This I discovered recently, whilst looking through two mountains of albums. They contain just some of the recent releases I’ve received. Within these two …
RY COODER-ELECTION TIME.
RY COODER-ELECTION TIME. For roughly a hundred years, American music has a history of producing some of greatest protest singers in the history of music. Woody Guthrie, Joe Hill, Josh White, Pete Seeger, Burl Ives and Billie Holliday. A later generation protest singers included Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs and Joan Baez. Unlike America, British singers …
DR. JOHN-LOCKED DOWN.
DR. JOHN-LOCKED DOWN. One of the great survivors of music is Dr. John. It seems be’s been around since the dawn of rock ‘n’ roll. He was at the peak of his creativity between 1969 and 1974. During that time, Dr. John was on a roll that people thought would never end. Critically acclaimed albums …
NUTRITIOUS PRESENTS DUKE WILLIAMS AND THE EXTREMES.
NUTRITIOUS PRESENTS DUKE WILLIAMS AND THE EXTREMES. All too often, good music for whatever reason, passes unnoticed. It can be for any number of reasons, from a record company not promoting an album properly, that particular genre of music becoming unpopular, the band splitting up or even the record company becoming insolvent. I’ve come across …
BIG BOY BLOATER AND THE LIMITS-THE WORLD EXPLAINED.
BIG BOY BLOATER AND THE LIMITS-THE WORLD EXPLAINED. Some people are just born to sing the blues. It’s almost as they’re predestined to follow in the well trodden path of bluesmen like Muddy Waters, Jimmy Reed, Floyd Dixon and Jimmy Rogers. There’s something about their world weary voices, the experiences they share, and their storytelling …
WAH WAH WATSON-ELEMENTARY.
WAH WAH WATSON-ELEMENTARY. Whenever I listen to music, one thing I always do is look at which musicians play on an album. One man whose played on more sessions than the average musician has had gigs, is the one and only Wah Wah Watson, virtuoso guitarist and a man who weaves that unmistakable wah wah …
BIG BOY BLOATER AND THE LIMITS-BIG BOY BLOATER AND THE LIMITS.
BIG BOY BLOATER AND THE LIMITS-BIG BOY BLOATER AND THE LIMITS. Recently I reviewed BBE Music’s forthcoming compilation Snowboy Presents New Vintage Volume 1 and although the compilation is crammed full of some great music, one track stood out from the rest, Big Boy Bloater and The Limits’ Big Fat Trap. From the moment I …
SNOWBOY PRESENTS NEW VINTAGE VOLUME 1.
SNOWBOY PRESENTS NEW VINTAGE VOLUME 1. When those little shiny discs drop through the door, it’s a bit like Forest Gump’s box of chocolates, “you never know what you’re gonna get.” With Snowboy’s new compilation Snowboy Presents New Vintage Volume 1, this is the ultimate box of chocolates, with every one a sumptuous soft center, …
BILL WITHERS-JUST AS I AM.
BILL WITHERS-JUST AS I AM. How Bill Withers came to become one of the biggest artists of the seventies and eighties, is a fascinating story. Born in 1938, in Slab Fork, West Virginia, Bill’s father died when he was twelve years old. Aged eighteen, Bill joined the US Navy, where he spent nine years. It …
THE BREAKS-ORIGINAL B BOY STREET FUNK AND BLOCK PARTY CLASSICS.
THE BREAKS-ORIGINAL B BOY STREET FUNK AND BLOCK PARTY CLASSICS. Recently, I reviewed one of the compilations Harmless Records released to commemorate their fifteenth anniversary, Mellow Mellow. However, that wasn’t the only compilation Harmless released to celebrate fifteen years of releasing quality music. Three other compilations were released, Jumpin’ was a collection of true disco …
SHUGGIE OTIS-HERE COMES SHUGGIE OTIS.
SHUGGIE OTIS-HERE COMES SHUGGIE OTIS. Shuggie Otis’ debut album Here Comes Shuggie Otis, really is a remarkable album. Why I hear you ask? Well, it’s a highly accomplished album from an artist who was just sixteen years old when he recorded Here Comes Shuggie Otis. By then, Shuggie was almost a seasoned musician, having performed professionally …
ETTA JAMES-AT LAST!
ETTA JAMES-AT LAST! As someone who has always loved soul music, I’ve long been a fan of Etta James music. Miss Peaches had one of the most recognizable, charismatic and soulful voices you’ll ever have privilege of hearing. From 1954, until her final album The Dreamer, released in November 2011, her music touched the hearts …
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