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…. and a host of other topics. Eric holds forth on meeting Sonny Boy Williamson, Muddy Waters, why he loves Chicago blues, what went wrong with Blind Faith. Also why he doesn’t practice the guitar much at home, his view of the current state of the recording industry, what it’s like playing with other great guitarists, Robbie Robertson and Big Pink, and why he was scared of punk. A wide-ranging and fascinating interview. Read it here.

Yes, I know that I already reviewed it below. But this review is a great one, really getting the flavor of the CD. And if you live in the Binghamton, NY, area, you can catch Shorty on Sunday night. You can read the review here.

For all the flack Shepherd takes from blues purists over his blues-rock style and his latest rock-blues-pop album, the man knows and appreciates his roots. And yes, he’s a man now, no longer the blues boy wonder. His latest album, 10 Days Out (Blues from the Backroads), is a compilation of covers of blues standards by KWS, along with some great original blues artists. He went to their homes with a portable recording studio and recorded with them, so this is about as close to the real thing as we’re likely to get in this era. You can read a positive review of the album here.

A great, long article on the eve of the release of his first album in five years, Dirty Deal. Coco talks about how he broke into the music biz (by accident), his long and important relationship with Albert Collins, leaving the music biz and getting back into it with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, and finally striking out on his own. If you’re interested in the story of one of the great “second generation” bluesmen, set some time aside and read this. From the Modern Guitars website.

Here’s the list of all the nominees. Awards to be given May 10 in Memphis. No big surprises, but it’s fun to read the list.

Straight from the home of northern white blues, Flint, Michigan, comes the husband and wife team of Rusty and Laurie White. (and if you think I’m kidding about Flint, you haven’t been there). Their sound is a blend of straight blues, blues-rock, and southern rock in the Allman Brothers vein. Both Rusty and Laurie sing and play guitar. And even though the band is named for Rusty, Laurie’s playing and singing make this album rise above the genre. She’s really good! Listen to her vocals on Summertime and I think you’ll agree. And her solos may not have quite the notes per second impact as Rusty’s, but she’s got great tone and soul.

I especially liked I Ain’t From Mississippi, a white blues band’s plea for recognition even if they aren’t from the heartland. As they say in the liner notes, “Our whole city is living the blues every day. Nuff said.”

This is a great first album by a band that’s obviously got a lot experience in a variety of genres and is ready to take the next step to a national audience. If you like your blues seasoned with rock and Southern-fried, you’ll like this one.

Rusty Wright Blues website.

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If you’re reading this review here at BluesRow, you’re probably a blues fan. You’re familiar with Lang’s blazing blues guitar stylings and his bursting onto the scene at age 15. Well, it’s about 10 years later, and if you haven’t been following his career, Lang has taken a few steps away from the blues. This album pretty much buries the blues past.

I’ve got no problem with artists’ right to “grow”; hey, they’ve got to follow their muse. Lang’s muse has led him from blues to R&B, soul, funk, and on this record, gospel. He’s obviously had a religious change in his life (hence the album title), and he’s certainly welcome to it. Most of the songs on the album deal with spiritual themes with a touch of social commentary. The production is smooth; some, like me, might consider it overproduced. But most of the songs have a definite groove, and the album covers everything from acoustic bluesy folk to soul to funkified gospel rave-ups.

In short, if you’re a Jonny Lang fan and are in it for the long haul, you’ll probably like Turn Around. If you’re a fan of blues guitar, you’ll be disappointed. He’s definitely left the blues behind.

A great interview with Bob Margolin on how he got started playing with Muddy Waters… and what he learned from the master. Gives a real insight into Muddy as a band leader, one of his many talents and one which he often doesn’t get enough credit for.

You can read the whole interview here.

These two albums couldn’t be more different — at opposite ends of the blues spectrum, acoustic vs. electric, delta vs. blues-rock. But they are probably the two best CD’s to cross my desk this year. If you’re a fan of either brand of blues, you need these.

First, Walter Trout’s “Full Circle”. Trout wanted to make a record with people he’d played with over his 35-year career. The list is a who’s who of blues-rock icons, including John Mayall, Jeff Healey, Joe Bonamassa, Coco Montoya, Guitar Shorty, Finis Tasby, Eric Sardinas, and several others. From the first note, this record delivers. I’ve commented before here how difficult it is to translate that live blues feel to a recording. So many otherwise exciting performers end up sounding bland and lifeless in the studio. Well, this CD doesn’t fall into that trap. Just about every track is electric with the groove and vibe we’ve come to expect from live performances.

Why? My guess is 3 reasons: almost all the tracks are recorded live, and most of them are first takes. Secondly, Trout is a seasoned performer who has done it over and over again for years. Third, the engineering is a marvel.

Throw on your headphones, crank it up, and prepare to experience blues-rock nirvana.

And then we have Jimmy “Duck” Holmes, who sounds like he’s in an unbroken line of succession going back to Robert Johnson. Lots of people work at trying to sound “authentic”. Holmes is the real deal.

It’s just one guy playing and singing softly. But it’s got more power than 98% of the electric blues albums out today. This haunting record reminds us what the blues is all about; it reaches down into your very soul and rips it out. You feel like you’re walking past a country graveyard at night.

I’m playing “Back to Bentonia” over and over. Don’t miss this one.

An interesting article here about what happened to that generation of young blues slingers who were supposed to be “the next Stevie Ray”. Two of them are from Fargo, North Dakota (Jonny Lang and Shannon Curfman). All three were hailed in some quarters in the late 90’s as the logical successors to the blues tradition started by Stevie Ray Vaughan. None of them has turned out to be that. This article proposes some reasons why, including their age when they broke big, substance abuse, and unrealistic expectations.

Interestingly, the real “next Stevie Ray” might already be here, in the person of Derek Trucks. Maybe we don’t need another Stevie Ray. But that’s a thought for another post.

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If you’ve read anything here at BluesRow, you know that I’m a huge Guitar Shorty fan. I’m always astounded that more people don’t know this guy. He’s got it all — a 40 year career with stints in major bands (like Ray Charles), marriage to Jimi Hendrix’s sister (rumor has it Hendrix used to AWOL from the Army to hear Shorty play), and, of course, his unique blues-rock guitar stylings. You won’t find many players anywhere who can match Shorty’s combination of blues, soul, rock, and pure guts. It’s a cliche, but this guy is the real deal.

His latest album is We the People. As you might guess from the title song, there’s some political commentary here, but no more than most blues music has — life is hard, and government today sure isn’t helping. But the focus, as always, is on Shorty’s incendiary guitar playing and solid vocals, backed by a tight rocking band.

If you’re looking for ground-breaking new approaches to music, you won’t find them here. Shorty’s got a recipe, and he sticks to it. If you’re looking for some serious guitar playing that has tone to absolutely die for, Shorty delivers in spades. And his solos are not just loud noodling — they actually start somewhere and move to somewhere else. Most of the songs are straight-ahead rock with a blues feel, meant to be played loud. I’ve heard him twice in concert, and I can vouch for the volume!

If you haven’t heard Shorty yet, this album is a great introduction to a little-known blues-rock master. If you’re already a fan, you’re in for 12 songs of Shorty’s patented gut-wrenching, hip-shaking stuff. Buy it now.

Every once in a while I come across something that really makes me stop and think. This interview with bluesman Willie King from Memphis is one of those articles. Willie is a bluesman/social activist/deep thinker who talks about where the blues is today and why it’s so needed. My takeaway: the blues has the power to heal, and it’s never been more needed than today. Check it out here.

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Confession time: I actually liked the Muddy Waters album Electric Mud back in the day. I guess that’s because my ear was more attuned to Jimi and the Jefferson Airplane than Muddy, BB, Albert, and the rest. Now that I’ve spent a lot more time with the Kings, I agree with Muddy: the album is “dog s***”. But it sold well (Muddy didn’t mind that), and you definitely can hear the echoes in all kinds of stuff from Big Brother and the Holding Company up to the Black Keys and the White Stripes. Read an interesting retrospective on this album here.

Modern Guitars prints a first-time ever in its entirety interview with Stevie Ray from 1985. We hear about his playing with David Bowie and James Brown (from the Rocky IV soundtrack), his amps, his main guitar (Number One), his relationship with his bandmates, and his feelings about the way his career is starting to take off. A real piece of history you can read here.

The SKBB is a hardworking local (to me: Chambersburg, PA) blues band. Skyla is a triple threat musician — she sings, plays the Telecaster, and writes. In fact, this CD consists of all original material, written by Skyla and her bandmate and co-guitarist, Mark Tomlinson. They’ve taken the less safe path of all original material and no standards, something they should be commended for.

Their music both swings and rocks. Not rocks in a blues-rock sense, but rocks in a hard-driving blues sense. In fact, if you’re a fan of blues-rock, this album probably won’t work for you. Their songs tend to the “straight blues” end of the spectrum, a refreshing approach nowadays. The guitars have a bit of a retro 50’s feel, light on the distortion and overdrive, some reverb, adding up to a nice clean old-school Fender sound. The rhythm section, Tony Snyder on bass and Ezell Jones on drums, is rock solid without getting in the way.

I’ve never seen the SKBB live, and I have a feeling from listening to this CD that they would put on a great show. Perhaps for production reasons, the CD doesn’t have that feel. You get the impression that the band can really cut loose, and Skyla’s vocals, which are reminiscent of the the best of Bonnie Raitt, could even get into Janis Joplin territory. I’m not a recording engineer, so I couldn’t tell you what’s missing. But it seems true of many blues recordings that they just don’t match the warmth and vibe of a live show.

My personal faves on the album include “Fat Cat Daddy”, a jazzy blues with some nice sax playing, “I’m Going Down”, a slow blues cooker, “Livin’ Day to Day”, a rockin’ boogie with some great understated drumming, and “Don’t Let Me Go”, a minor-key gut wrencher with some of Skyla’s patented blues moans.

If you like traditional blues in a wide mix of styles, you’ll like this album. And let’s hope that the next CD helps that warmth and soul they have get through even better.

Joe discusses life on the road (hard on relationships), how lucky he feels (very), how much he’s willing to compromise to get a radio hit (nothing), and the deep meanings of his lyrics (not very). From a musician who works hard and will do it his way. Read it here.

Disclaimer — this CD isn’t strictly blues. There are definitely some bluesy elements on it, but I don’t usually review non-blues cd’s on BluesRow. But since they were nice enough to send me a review copy…

First, we’ll get the big secret out of the way: JD, of JD and the Straight Shot, is James Dolan, who in his spare time owns Madison Square Garden and the New York Knicks(insert obligatory Knicks joke here). So this is a side project and evidently Dolan’s first foray into the record biz. Nothing to Hide is a nice mix of all kinds of music. I’d call it mostly roots with a jazzy flavor. The songs, most of them written by guitarist Bruce Koplow, deal with themes of loneliness, opportunities lost, world weariness, and in one notable instance, the overwhelming urge to kill barking dogs. I’m sure we can all relate.

So what can you say about a record by a major business person? Actually, it’s got some good stuff on it. My favorites are the first and last cuts, about as different as two songs can be. The first, The Ghost Takes Control, is a chilling take on child abuse and the long shadows it casts in a victim’s life. The instrumentation is sparse with some effective reverb guitar. The last song, Gonna Kill That Dog, is a straight-up blues romp about the new neighbor’s dog and its noctural barking. In between, the songs range from some jazzy meditations (Slow Motion in Reverse) to rock (So Cold). The lyrics are thoughtful and the band is laid-back but tight.

I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I have, but it’s getting some extended play in my CD changer.

Flatted Fifths: 3.5 out of 5

Genre: Roots, jazz, blues

Nutshell Review: Not earthshaking, but pleasant in a smoky nightclub kind of way.

If you want a peek into the soul of Joe B, this interview is a great place to start. Not that he’s all that mysterious. He plays blues the way he likes, and makes no apologies for it. He weighs in on the state of the blues today and his influences. Not surprising that he traces his lineage back to Clapton, Page, and Leslie West. You can hear it on You and Me (reviewed below).

I’ve added a question mark to the title because the guitar has not been independently verified yet. But momentsintime.com says it has the Gibson L1 and is setting the price at about $6,000,000. Yup, that’s six zeroes.

If you’re a blues collector, this is the Holy Grail. So if you have a few mil lying around, you owe it to yourself to check it out. The rest of us can look at the picture. Read about it here.

Wait a second. Wasn’t Dr. Teeth the name of that bandleader on the Muppets? Actually, yes, but this isn’t them. The DTBB is an octet from England, fronted by Dr. Teeth, a transplanted Chicagoan (which explains those pub photos of the band, spats and all, posing under and over the El on Wabash Avenue). This album delivers a spicy mix of jump, jive, and swing.

You get the feeling from listening to these tracks that this is one fantastic live band. Reviews seem to confirm this. As with many albums, that doesn’t translate completely to studio work. But most of the cuts swing with a vengeance, particularly the opening and title cut, “Rhythm Is Our Business.” Upright bass and drums lay down a great groove, accented by the running bass line on the piano, filled in with trumpet, trombone, and sax. Guitar is here, though in swing tradition it takes a back seat to the other instruments.

Most of the tunes do jump and jive, dealing with themes of love, music, and sex. The one exception is the slower “Cold Cold Ground”, a somber meditation on mortality you don’t expect to hear on an album like this. But it works in its Tom Waits-like way. The next song closes out the CD with “Mr Big Is Back in Town”, celebration of the themes listed above.

It’s not strictly a blues album, but if you like to jump and jive in a traditional horns-based way, you’ll find yourself doing more than tapping your toes to this one.

Flatted Fifths: 3.5 out of 5

Genre: Jump, jive, swing

Nutshell review: If you like the Squirrel Nut Zippers, buy this album.