AUGUST 2020

CONTACTemail editorbluesinthesouthcom Web wwwbluesinthesouthcom Twitter bluesinthesouth

interview withgeorge shovlin

interview withteenY tUCKer

interview withMagdaPisKorCzYK

lawrenCeleborsquos ColUMn

reviews

videos

BLUES GIGS FROM EXMOUTH TO EASTBOURNE AND A BIT MORE BESIDES

Listings are provided as a guide only Donrsquot forget to check the venue before you leave home to ensure that the gig is still on The listing here is far from complete socheck out wwwbluesinthesouthcom as that is updated all the time Last date for inclusion here is the 10th of the preceding month mdash ie 10 Jan for Feb

FOR THE FiFTH TIME IN THE 33 YEAR LONG PUBLICATION HISTORY

OF BiTS WE HAVE NO GIGS TO PUBLISH ALL HAVE BEEN CANCELLED

OR OCCASIONALLY POSTPONED IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SAY WHEN

THINGS WILL RETURN TO NORMAL BUT BiTS WILL CAREFULLY

MONITOR THE SITUATION AND WHEN THINGS START TO RETURN TO

NORMAL WE SHALL LET YOU KNOW

IN THE MEAN TIME DONrsquoT GO TO GIGS MAINTAIN YOUR SOCIAL DISTANCE AND REMEMBER

THE CORONA VIRUS DOES NOTCIRCULATE

IT IS PEOPLE THAT CIRCULATE IT

Bobby Jonzmdash1937 mdash 21 July 2020

Born Bob Willy Jones in Farmerville Louisiana Jonz was cared foruntil age 7 by the plantation owners who employed his motherbefore his grandparents took over raising him It was said that hewas born on the chop house floor of the cotton plantation

As a teenager he once served asthe driver for country great Hank

Williams before embarking on a music career of hisown Jonz moved to Chicago in 1959 where he became a fixturein local clubs

Bobby Jonz passed away at the North Las Vegas VA MedicalCenter in his adopted hometown of Las Vegas aftercontracting COVIDmdash19 The virus has decimated hisfamily His brother died from it in March Hislongtime girlfriend Easter Morris mdash a fixture at hisshows where she loved dancing to his music mdashpassed away from the same disease the week beforeJonz died But Jonz was hospitalized and in a comaand never learned of her death

In the 80s Jones started recording in the chittlin circuit as Bobby Jonz releasing a host of singles inthe decade (If You Got The Touch I Got The Time) in addition to an obscure LP before signing withJohnny Vincents Ace label There he released In The Mood For Love and followed it up with aCountry effort called This is Bobby Jonz Country Two more unsuccessful CDs followed beforereturning to the Blues market with his original name He was featured on The Mannish Boys 2008disc Big Plans before releasing a new solo album called Comin Back Hard which also features theMannish Boys He returned to Southern Soul with You Aint Got No Proof in 2011 Check out adiscography here

ldquoHe was deathly afraid of getting COVID and he stayed inside the last few monthsrdquo said EvanLovefire a musician and label coordinator for Jonzrsquos record company Loveforce International ldquoHehad heart surgery about a year and a half ago and he had diabetes Thatrsquos why he was so afraidbecause he knew he had these other conditions But somehow it got to him anywayrdquo

ldquoHe could sing anythingrdquo says godson Charles ldquoStixrdquo Taylor a Vegasmdashbased drummer whoperformed with Jonz ldquoMatter of fact he was working on a country album as well He was just soversatile He was a good bandleader and a good person good friend good father He was just a greatmanrdquo

Ian K McKenzieCompiled from various sources

Bobby Jonzmdash1937 mdash 21 July 2020

Born Bob Willy Jones in Farmerville Louisiana Jonz was cared foruntil age 7 by the plantation owners who employed his motherbefore his grandparents took over raising him It was said that hewas born on the chop house floor of the cotton plantation

As a teenager he once served asthe driver for country great Hank

Williams before embarking on a music career of hisown Jonz moved to Chicago in 1959 where he became a fixturein local clubs

Bobby Jonz passed away at the North Las Vegas VA MedicalCenter in his adopted hometown of Las Vegas aftercontracting COVIDmdash19 The virus has decimated hisfamily His brother died from it in March Hislongtime girlfriend Easter Morris mdash a fixture at hisshows where she loved dancing to his music mdashpassed away from the same disease the week beforeJonz died But Jonz was hospitalized and in a comaand never learned of her death

In the 80s Jones started recording in the chittlin circuit as Bobby Jonz releasing a host of singles inthe decade (If You Got The Touch I Got The Time) in addition to an obscure LP before signing withJohnny Vincents Ace label There he released In The Mood For Love and followed it up with aCountry effort called This is Bobby Jonz Country Two more unsuccessful CDs followed beforereturning to the Blues market with his original name He was featured on The Mannish Boys 2008disc Big Plans before releasing a new solo album called Comin Back Hard which also features theMannish Boys He returned to Southern Soul with You Aint Got No Proof in 2011 Check out adiscography here

ldquoHe was deathly afraid of getting COVID and he stayed inside the last few monthsrdquo said EvanLovefire a musician and label coordinator for Jonzrsquos record company Loveforce International ldquoHehad heart surgery about a year and a half ago and he had diabetes Thatrsquos why he was so afraidbecause he knew he had these other conditions But somehow it got to him anywayrdquo

ldquoHe could sing anythingrdquo says godson Charles ldquoStixrdquo Taylor a Vegasmdashbased drummer whoperformed with Jonz ldquoMatter of fact he was working on a country album as well He was just soversatile He was a good bandleader and a good person good friend good father He was just a greatmanrdquo

Ian K McKenzieCompiled from various sources

Peter Green (born Peter Allen Greenbaum 29 October 1946 ndash 25 July 2020)

Was an English blues rock singermdashsongwriter and guitarist As thefounder of Fleetwood Mac he was inducted into the Rock and RollHall of Fame in 1998 Greens songs such as Albatross Black MagicWoman Oh Well The Green Manalishi (With the Two ProngCrown) and Man of the World appeared on singles charts andseveral have been covered by a variety of musicians

His brother Lentaught him his first guitar chords

and by the age of 11 Green was teachinghimself

By Christmas 1965 Green was playing leadguitar in Peter Bardensrsquo band lsquoPeter BrsquosLoonersrsquo where he met drummer MickFleetwood

In October 1965 before joining Bardensrsquogroup Green had the opportunity to fill infor Eric Clapton in John Mayall amp theBluesbreakers for four gigs Soon afterwards when Clapton left the Bluesbreakers and Greenbecame a fullmdashtime member of Mayalls band

Embarrassed at the wealth he and the band were accruing he became obsessed with giving awaymoney and on one occasion donated pound12000 to Save the Children after watching a TV news reportabout the famine in Biafra The crunch came when on a European tour in March 1970 some wealthyGerman hippies took Green to their commune at a mansion outside the city where he was pliedwith drugs and spent hours playing improvised music Shortly thereafter Green left the band

Diagnosed as suffering from drugmdashinduced schizophrenia he underwent electro convulsive therapyIn 1977 during a row over money with Clifford Davis he made threats about using a shotgun Hewas committed for treatment at a psychiatric hospital and spent several months at the Priory clinicin southmdashwest London

After leaving Fleetwood Mac which would become one of the biggest acts in rock history Greenspent most of the 70s in a confused state living on a kibbutz near Tel Aviv then back in Britaintaking such jobs as a hospital orderly and a cemetery gardener He had no permanent home butoften stayed with friends or family

Recently he has been performing with his band Splinter Group Green was inducted into the Rockand Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 with Fleetwood Mac at the ceremony he played lsquoBlack Magic Womanrsquowith a fellowmdashinductee Carlos Santana

BB King said Green was ldquothe only one who gave me the cold sweatsrdquo John Mayall leader of theBluesbreakers said ldquoPeter in his prime in the 60s was just without equalrdquo

RIP lsquoGreenyrsquo

Ian K McKenzie

BiTS Letrsquos make a start if we may I gather that you had a career as a teacher before you became amusician or were they simultaneousGS No I was a teacher for over 30 years Loved it and when I got involved in music well Irsquove been

involved in music since I was very young butmusic was always a hobbymdashsomething which Iloved I loved the blues but I also loved teachingand I was quite passionate about teaching and Ihad a young family so I wasnrsquot in a situationwhere I could even consider the possibility ofbeing professional musically It never occurredbecause I was just so passionate about teachingAll throughout my teaching life Irsquove beeninvolved in music and thatrsquos it Irsquove got noregrets absolutely none because I finishedteaching in 2005 I continued working ineducation for another five or six years but Istill miss it I still miss teaching Irsquom not sure Icould do it anymore but music has always beenthere as wellBiTS What was your subject GeorgeGS MathsBiTS Okay thatrsquos something that Irsquove neverbeen able to cope with Irsquove always beendreadful at mathsGS I would never have described myself as amathematician but I would certainly describe

myself as a maths teacher because from the very start it sounds rather trite this but I wanted toteach but I wanted to teach the people who I was brought up with Irsquom from Sunderland Itrsquos aworkingmdashclass background and I also wanted to make maths accessible because quite a lot of thetime maths is given a bad press by maths teachers [chuckling] I loved teaching I put a lot into itand I got a lot back out of it as wellBiTS Tell me was there music in your house when you were growing up What attracted you tomusicGS When I was growing up I was born in 1947 so when I first started becoming aware of theworld it was the very early 50rsquos Thatrsquos premdashrock and roll but I have two older brothers One whospent some time in Germany doing his national service and he for example brought Elvis Presleyrsquosalbum back to Britain lsquoHeartbreak Hotelrsquo My other brother he was more into jazz Oscar Petersonand even an old British orchestra leader Peter York and they were sounds at home I really startedto take a note of music as an entity something which wasnrsquot just in the background That was thestartBiTS What started you playing guitar thenGS One of my brothers got a guitar from a friend when I was about eight and my mum wouldnrsquot letme play with it because it was his guitar and she didnrsquot want me to break it so I was told not to use

THE BiTS INTERVIEW George Shovlin

it [Chuckling] Thatrsquos the worse thing you can say to any kid and when I started sorry no Iinterrupted you Ian Go on pleaseBiTS No go on continue

GS Well eventuallywithin a year or so mymum realised that I wasdoing something with theguitar and my brotherwasnrsquot actually Apopular song at the timeprobably before yourtime was the PlatterslsquoSmoke Gets in YourEyesrsquoBiTS I remember thatGS I didnrsquot know what todo with the guitar andthat included tuning Ididnrsquot even think therewas something calledlsquotuningrsquo The Platterslovely song da da da dada da da da da da da da

so what I did I tuned the top four strings to that and then the bottom two I tuned them so that theyfitted in with the first four strings I started playing songs on that I started doing early Buddy Hollysongs and stuff and then I discovered something called pitch pipes which changed the tuningaltogether and I was also able to get it was actually a book of blues songs from the local library andit had chord charts Even though I had to relearn how to play the guitar I had some idea and it wasreally much later that I realised that that original way I tuned the guitar was an open tuning was anOpen E or somethingBiTS Yes yesGS And Irsquove loved it ever since Ever sinceBiTS How did you get attracted to the blues thenGS At the time when we still hadforces overseas there was aprogramme at 12 orsquoclock on aSunday midday Forces Favouritesand people used to write postcardsin and request songs for eithersomeone who was stationed abroador from someone stationed abroadfor someone at home There wasthis particular day I was listening toit and there was this lady saidsomething whoever wasintroducing it said something and

Eddie Mac Scoundrels at the Blues Club

there was this song played and it knocked me out I must have been about ten I was smitten bythis song and I listened closely afterwards and she said ldquoand that was the blues singer RayCharlesrdquoBiTS Oh reallyGS And that is what made me aware of the bluesBiTS Is that when you started to try and play bluesGS Thatrsquos when I started having an interest in blues and the first album I got was Ray Charles Isaved up for bloody weeks got this Ray Charles album it was an instrumental album and I wasdistraught but I then came across another album called The Blues Volume 2 and that was thestart The first track on lsquoThe Blues Volume 2rsquo is Buddy Guy and Lowell Fulson singing lsquoReconsiderBabyrsquo and these are still songs I sing now but I loved them and theyrsquore classics That was the startthat was the startBiTS Did you start trying to learn to play those tunesGS Well yes I started to try to learn I was never focused upon developing my skills as aguitarist I was always into playing songs and sometimes and this is how I developed as aguitarist the songs required new chords that I wasnrsquot aware of and so but Irsquove always beenplaying the guitar to accompany my voice whereas a lot of people play the guitar to try to developstyles and to try to copy Robert Johnson and blah blah blah and the voice is second With me thevoice was always first It was always the song and then hope to accompany myself and thatrsquos whyIrsquom a wonderful accompanist to myself but Irsquom not a classic guitarist by any meansBiTS You clearly went into higher education in order to become a teacher at least I imagine youdid Is that rightGS Well my first job was in a bank and I lasted about a year which was a failure and probablythe chip that I got on my shoulder as a consequence turned the rest of my life but I went fromworking in the bank to working in a brewery and I worked in a brewery for about five years I wasa district supervisor and then at that point I got married and that gave me the opportunity because

my elder brother was a teacher That gave me the opportunity togo to college and so I went to college when I was about 23 Startedteaching when I was 26BiTS When you were at college and working in those jobs didyou actually play guitar or go out with a band or anythingGS Thatrsquos when the performing started to kick in because I washeavily involved in the college of education I was at SunderlandCollege of Education they had a folk club and folk clubs werehugely formative in terms of how I developed in music whereasGeorge Lamb my lead guitarist in the band he very quickly gotinto a band electric band and he went to the workmanrsquos clubs andthe nightclubs He came through a totally different route I wentthrough the acoustic route and Irsquom still hugely interested in rootsmusic generally I ran a folk club with others for about 12mdash13years but it was a folk and blues club It was when the folk revivalwas really kicking in and reaching the provinces It had been inLondon since about 1957mdash58 by the time it got to Sunderland itwas about 1969mdash70 and I was involved then There were folkclubs and I wanted the format to be much broader than just

traditional folk music so we called it the Folk and Blues Club We had Doc Ross there Irsquove got arecord of every guest that we had and itrsquos like the whorsquos who of British folk in the rsquo70s and theearly rsquo80s We had JomdashAnne Kelly for example and the likes of Dave Peabody but we also had

some of the American guys Cousin JoePleasant from New Orleans GeorgeJeep Jackson Doctor Ross We even hadHoneyboy Edwards I donrsquot knowwhether you know Honeyboy Edwardsat allBiTS Absolutely I went to a gig afterhe was 90 or whatever age it was ayear or so before he died actuallydown here in DevonGS Yes we had Honeyboy Edwards

probably in the early rsquo80s and by then my interest was starting to become I played with awonderful blues harmonica player Jim Bullock in a duo and that emerged through the folk cluband the folk scene in the northeast but I then progressed to wanting a blues band That happenedin the midmdasheighties and thatrsquos how the band really started to emergeBiTS You kept it on the back burner in order to continue your teaching career is that rightGS Yes it wasnrsquot a deliberate thing to keep it on the back burner it never occurred and to behonest Irsquove always been my greatest critic and Irsquove never really valued myself as a performeruntil the last few years when you canrsquot ignore it when people who know what theyrsquore talkingabout say nice things about you but I never ever thought I was good enough to do anything likethatBiTS Well let me tell you I think your music is magic and letrsquos talk a little bit about the musicYour album recently it just appeared in the IBBA charts and you seem delighted about thisGS Well the band got together in the late rsquo90s and we brought an album out lsquoGot Blues if youWant Itrsquo and that came out very early The band played together for about another five or sixyears and then we didnrsquot fall out or anything we just werenrsquot going anywhere We restartedaround about 2013 and it was the same band basically We were starting to do okay and ofcourse by that time and this has been a huge huge impact upon me we had Facebook but alsothere was a blues scene or blues clubs There were blues gigs and that hadnrsquot really been thesituation in the early noughties and suddenly there was a structure thereThere were blues festivals There was something to aim at and we were doing very well Webroke onto the festival circuit even though sadly itrsquos not what you know itrsquos who you know onthe blues scene It is sad because you would have thought that the people who are interested inblues and the various sentiments that go with that you would have thought they were beyond allof that but no Itrsquos still a question of who you know Yoursquove got to be in with the right peopleYoursquove got to be in with the agents and if you donrsquot get that you donrsquot get the work But I wasquite poorly for a while and when I came out of that we already had some songs that we wantedto do but everything was put on hold for a few months Coming out of the illness we went intothe studio George Lamb and myself We developed these songs and thatrsquos when we recordedlsquoNothing to Losersquo That was possibly I think it might have been March 2018 it might have beenMarch 2017 but we were number one in the top fortyThe month it was released we were number one in the IBBA top forty The second month wewere number two and then that was it I mean I do think that new albums on the blues scene

have got a shelf life in terms of impact of about four months after that it stales quite often youdonrsquot get your money back but we eventuallydid get our money back on lsquoNothing to Losersquo Icontacted the IBBA people just a few weeks agoand said hey itrsquos two years now since we werenumber one and I just offered copies if anyonewanted to listen to it or I could send themdigital copies and the response I got there wasmaybe new people presenting programmes thisyear compared to two years ago So Petercontacted me he says oh yes I wouldnrsquot mind

listening to that and of course as you know itrsquos based on the numbers of plays you get and we gotinto the charts yesBiTS Irsquom a founder member of the IBBA and when we first started a few years ago there were Ithink about 12 of us and therersquos now over 60GS I gathered that yes And I tell you what I think is great about the IBBA I didnrsquot know you werea founder member When did you found the IBBA or when were you involved in the founding of theIBBA What yearBiTS It was let me think about eight years agoGS Right so thatrsquos in line with what I was saying about when the band remdashemerged there wasmore of a structure First of all there was the online radio programmes emerging then there wasthe likes of the IBBA and therersquos the UK Blues Federation now and so therersquos much more of astructure Much more of a blues scene and that falls in line with what I was thinking Yes I think itdoes a wonderful job in first of all encouraging people to be involved in producing radioprogrammes and makes them part of something and then the monthly chart it helps everyone Ithelps the programmes it helps the artists it helps the music Itrsquos part of the projecting of the musicand I think that you do a great job and also one of the things that yoursquove got which I think isabsolutely wonderful is that email address where you can contact everyone Thatrsquos fabulous thatBiTS Thatrsquos a fairly recent innovation We only started that maybe a year or so agoGS Right absolutely wonderful doing thatBiTS I visited your website George before I came to talk to you and there was a mass of gigs theyear before last and a mass of gigs last year yoursquore clearly in the COVID trap along with everybodyIs there any sign of movement againGS No Therersquos two things going on with me and Iwork very closely with George Lamb Obviously welove to gig wersquore both retired Wersquove got the time theenergy and the band as well so we broke into FranceWe started getting gigs in France The last gig we didjust about was Brussels and then everything closesdown so I think therersquos going to be a restart that wersquoregoing to have to involve ourselves in which meansbecause I do all the contacting of gigs and things Wedonrsquot have the agents or managers or anything likethat so I do all of that it will take a while to get thingsoff the ground again but we also in terms of puttingsomething back we also organise gigs We have aweekly speakeasy which has been going for about

Dallas Texas Night skyline

seven years now in Sunderland and gets packed every week and thatrsquos been on hold We also dolarger gigs in Sunderland every two or three months a big gig in a big venue all of that Therersquos alot to get started again and Irsquom also conscious of the fact that there are a lot of performers who arefullmdashtime They really should be getting the priority in terms of when gigs start to remdashemerge Idonrsquot need to play the music to survive A lot of people doBiTS There are clearly a lot of people who are in severe financial difficulty who have no othersource of incomeGS Yes so my heart goes out to them Itrsquos important that I try and get the gigs up and runningthat we organise but also we want to get back playing again Irsquove been in lockdown and I still amuntil August 1st We havenrsquot even been able to George Lamb and I get together and play through afew things try some things we havenrsquot been able to do that but it will not take long for us to be upand ready as a band or of course George and I go out as a duo as well so it wonrsquot take long but Iwould like to see the fullmdashtime fellas get to work firstBiTS George tell me something about your future plans Have you got any plans to go back into

the studio again and make anotheralbumGS Yes I mean Irsquove never been asongwriter I would love to have thoseskills I havenrsquot but Irsquove also neverbeen a copyist There are somewonderful blues players and you cansee them and theyrsquore playing notemdashperfect what Robert Johnson playedIrsquove never been good enough to dothat so what Irsquove always tried to do isto take blues that Irsquom aware of bluesthat I like and then change it so that itbecomes something which is differentbecause you canrsquot improve on

perfection and nothing to lose if theyrsquore all our own songs I think the first step in getting back upand running is to start looking And then maybe the next time we go into the studio rather thanjust being a duo or rather than just being lsquothe bandrsquo it might be that the next album is a mix ofdifferent styles and approaches Therersquos a big band up here Archie Brown amp the Young Bucks beengoing since the midmdashseventies but theyrsquove got an accordion player Wonderful accordion playerand wersquore doing some live gigs with them Irsquom wondering what that can doBiTS Well I do love a bit of Cajun music I must say PerhapshellipGS Oh hersquos fabulous You should hear him my God wonderful stuff The problem is I canrsquot speakFrenchBiTS Okay well listen I wonrsquot take any more of your time Thank you very much for talking tomeGS Ian thank you very much for showing me interest in asking me to speak with youBiTS You underestimate yourself You shouldnrsquot put yourself downGS Alright Thanks very much I very much appreciate it Ian Good luck as well okayBiTS Look after yourself ByeGS Bye

Archie Brown

BiTS INTERVIEW with Teeny TuckerldquoTo be an artist is to believe in liferdquo ndash Henry Moore

Regina B Higginbotham (born January 22 1958) known professionally as Teeny Tucker is anAmerican electric blues and new blues singer and songwriter She is the daughter of the lateTommy Tucker

Teeny Tucker was born in Dayton Ohio United States She sang in her local church choir Herfather a blues performer best known for his 1964 hit song lsquoHimdashHeel Sneakersrsquo died tragically atthe age of 42 in January 1982 on his daughters 24th birthday

I spoke to her on the telephone and although the originalintention was to concentrate on her music an isolationrevelation soon changed thedirection of ourconversation

Despite her association withTommy Tucker she told methat she first performedprofessionally in November 1996

ldquoI had been singing churchmusicrdquo she told me ldquoI got aninvitation from German Bluespromoter and manager who hadpromoted European tours formy father The problem wasrdquoshe said ldquoI didnrsquot really knowany blues songs just churchmusic and gospel So I had to settle down and learn some stuffrdquo

Ms Tucker spent many hours listening to blues music and learning songs including listening tomusic in her car while she was transporting her grandchildren ldquoWhen I put on the musicrdquo shelaughed ldquoTheyrsquod shout out lsquoPut on Johnny Lee Hookerrsquo They got into it like I didrdquo

The tour proved to be a great success and AllMusic noted recently that Teeny Tucker is among agrowing number of female blues belters taking different paths to stardom or wider recognition butshes one of the very best

ldquoI have released five albums to daterdquo She told me ldquo And I have appeared on the same bill with BBKing Koko Taylor Etta James Buddy Guy the Holmes Brothers Robert Cray Keb Mo DeannaBogart Kenny Neal Bobby Rush and John Mayall to name a few

Like all performing musicians she has been caught on the attempt to deal with the ravages of COVID19 and has been isolated at home She has taken to opportunity as many creative people do toexpand her artistic horizons She has started to practice the piano an instrument she had not playedseriously for a long time ldquoI also started to do artworkrdquo she told me ldquoJust Ideas from my mind that Isort of experimented withrdquo

As you can see below she uses a wide range of materials in her work including ldquoAlumin(i)um foilplastic silver party spoons silver spray paint party bowls shower curtain hooks canvas and paintThe artwork has kept me sane and of course learning piano has helped as well [My advice is] try tofind something you enjoy during this crisis

cu nunc ac turpis Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes nascetur ridiculusmus Aliquam vel quam ut tellus gravida faucibus Vivamus justo est elementum vitae malesuadaeu fermentum in sapien Donec sit amet justo In velit Vivamus turpis pede dignissim sedscelerisque nec pretium sit amet dui Nam nec felis non turpis hendrerit varius In ultrices ornarelorem Quisque bibendum massa sed venenatis malesuada diam ipsum blandit urna vel ultriciespede nulla vitae lacus

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetuer adipiscing elit Quisque in augue Donec aliquam magnanonummy enim Proin blandit imperdiet sem Donec malesuada urna sit amet varius aliquam nibhtortor laoreet turpis eget sodales felis nibh ac sapien Fusce eget augue Integer sed risus Aeneanmollis Donec facilisis egestas quam Duis bibendum augue id mauris Sed laoreet tortor vel cursusfringilla turpis elit vestibulum arcu eu varius dolor leo in nulla In sem ipsum faucibus quis variustristique porta eget lorem Curabitur hendrerit diam et mauris Etiam porta nunc euismod duiMaecenas a lectus In hac habitasse platea dictumst Suspendisse id massa Nullam porta velit sedlacus Duis eleifend felis eu euismod lacinia felis erat feugiat nisl vitae congue leo velit a massaQuisque nec justo a turpis posuere tristique

Maecenas condimentum tincidunt lorem Vestibulum vel tellus Sed vulputate Morbi massa nuncconvallis a commodo gravida tincidunt sed turpis Aenean ornare viverra est Maecenas loremAenean euismod iaculis dui Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes nasceturridiculus mus Nulla quam Aenean fermentum turpis sed volutpat dignissim diam risus facilisisnibh sit amet iaculis est turpis non tellus Nunc a mauris Proin eget ligula Nam cursus libero

Vestibulum velit orci bibendum eget molestie eu sagittis non leo Nullam sed enim Duis ac loremLorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetuer adipiscing elit Suspendisse potenti Sed tincidunt variusarcu Mauris vitae arcu sit amet quam condimentum pulvinar Aenean arcu elit accumsan idconsequat ornare lobortis vitae ligula Quisque vitae velit ac sapien placerat suscipit Donec mollisjusto sed justo pellentesque sollicitudin Duis bibendum adipiscing nibh Maecenas diam risusmolestie ut porta et malesuada eget nisi In fermentum leo sed turpis Sed lacus velit consequatin ultricies sit amet malesuada et diam Integer mauris sem convallis ut consequat in sollicitudinsed leo Cras purus elit hendrerit ut egestas eget sagittis at nulla Integer justo dui faucibusdictum convallis sodales accumsan id risus Aenean risus Vestibulum scelerisque placerat sem

In eget sapien vitae massa rhoncus lacinia Nullam at leo nec metus aliquam semper PhasellusTeeny says ldquoPlease in your free time today check out my art websiterdquo

httpsteenysartgallerybigcartelcom

BiTS Letrsquos make a start if we may I gather that you had a career as a teacher before you became amusician or were they simultaneousGS No I was a teacher for over 30 years Loved it and when I got involved in music well Irsquove been

involved in music since I was very young butmusic was always a hobbymdashsomething which Iloved I loved the blues but I also loved teachingand I was quite passionate about teaching and Ihad a young family so I wasnrsquot in a situationwhere I could even consider the possibility ofbeing professional musically It never occurredbecause I was just so passionate about teachingAll throughout my teaching life Irsquove beeninvolved in music and thatrsquos it Irsquove got noregrets absolutely none because I finishedteaching in 2005 I continued working ineducation for another five or six years but Istill miss it I still miss teaching Irsquom not sure Icould do it anymore but music has always beenthere as wellBiTS What was your subject GeorgeGS MathsBiTS Okay thatrsquos something that Irsquove neverbeen able to cope with Irsquove always beendreadful at mathsGS I would never have described myself as amathematician but I would certainly describe

myself as a maths teacher because from the very start it sounds rather trite this but I wanted toteach but I wanted to teach the people who I was brought up with Irsquom from Sunderland Itrsquos aworkingmdashclass background and I also wanted to make maths accessible because quite a lot of thetime maths is given a bad press by maths teachers [chuckling] I loved teaching I put a lot into itand I got a lot back out of it as wellBiTS Tell me was there music in your house when you were growing up What attracted you tomusicGS When I was growing up I was born in 1947 so when I first started becoming aware of theworld it was the very early 50rsquos Thatrsquos premdashrock and roll but I have two older brothers One whospent some time in Germany doing his national service and he for example brought Elvis Presleyrsquosalbum back to Britain lsquoHeartbreak Hotelrsquo My other brother he was more into jazz Oscar Petersonand even an old British orchestra leader Peter York and they were sounds at home I really startedto take a note of music as an entity something which wasnrsquot just in the background That was thestartBiTS What started you playing guitar thenGS One of my brothers got a guitar from a friend when I was about eight and my mum wouldnrsquot letme play with it because it was his guitar and she didnrsquot want me to break it so I was told not to use

THE BiTS INTERVIEW George Shovlin

it [Chuckling] Thatrsquos the worse thing you can say to any kid and when I started sorry no Iinterrupted you Ian Go on pleaseBiTS No go on continue

GS Well eventuallywithin a year or so mymum realised that I wasdoing something with theguitar and my brotherwasnrsquot actually Apopular song at the timeprobably before yourtime was the PlatterslsquoSmoke Gets in YourEyesrsquoBiTS I remember thatGS I didnrsquot know what todo with the guitar andthat included tuning Ididnrsquot even think therewas something calledlsquotuningrsquo The Platterslovely song da da da dada da da da da da da da

so what I did I tuned the top four strings to that and then the bottom two I tuned them so that theyfitted in with the first four strings I started playing songs on that I started doing early Buddy Hollysongs and stuff and then I discovered something called pitch pipes which changed the tuningaltogether and I was also able to get it was actually a book of blues songs from the local library andit had chord charts Even though I had to relearn how to play the guitar I had some idea and it wasreally much later that I realised that that original way I tuned the guitar was an open tuning was anOpen E or somethingBiTS Yes yesGS And Irsquove loved it ever since Ever sinceBiTS How did you get attracted to the blues thenGS At the time when we still hadforces overseas there was aprogramme at 12 orsquoclock on aSunday midday Forces Favouritesand people used to write postcardsin and request songs for eithersomeone who was stationed abroador from someone stationed abroadfor someone at home There wasthis particular day I was listening toit and there was this lady saidsomething whoever wasintroducing it said something and

Eddie Mac Scoundrels at the Blues Club

there was this song played and it knocked me out I must have been about ten I was smitten bythis song and I listened closely afterwards and she said ldquoand that was the blues singer RayCharlesrdquoBiTS Oh reallyGS And that is what made me aware of the bluesBiTS Is that when you started to try and play bluesGS Thatrsquos when I started having an interest in blues and the first album I got was Ray Charles Isaved up for bloody weeks got this Ray Charles album it was an instrumental album and I wasdistraught but I then came across another album called The Blues Volume 2 and that was thestart The first track on lsquoThe Blues Volume 2rsquo is Buddy Guy and Lowell Fulson singing lsquoReconsiderBabyrsquo and these are still songs I sing now but I loved them and theyrsquore classics That was the startthat was the startBiTS Did you start trying to learn to play those tunesGS Well yes I started to try to learn I was never focused upon developing my skills as aguitarist I was always into playing songs and sometimes and this is how I developed as aguitarist the songs required new chords that I wasnrsquot aware of and so but Irsquove always beenplaying the guitar to accompany my voice whereas a lot of people play the guitar to try to developstyles and to try to copy Robert Johnson and blah blah blah and the voice is second With me thevoice was always first It was always the song and then hope to accompany myself and thatrsquos whyIrsquom a wonderful accompanist to myself but Irsquom not a classic guitarist by any meansBiTS You clearly went into higher education in order to become a teacher at least I imagine youdid Is that rightGS Well my first job was in a bank and I lasted about a year which was a failure and probablythe chip that I got on my shoulder as a consequence turned the rest of my life but I went fromworking in the bank to working in a brewery and I worked in a brewery for about five years I wasa district supervisor and then at that point I got married and that gave me the opportunity because

my elder brother was a teacher That gave me the opportunity togo to college and so I went to college when I was about 23 Startedteaching when I was 26BiTS When you were at college and working in those jobs didyou actually play guitar or go out with a band or anythingGS Thatrsquos when the performing started to kick in because I washeavily involved in the college of education I was at SunderlandCollege of Education they had a folk club and folk clubs werehugely formative in terms of how I developed in music whereasGeorge Lamb my lead guitarist in the band he very quickly gotinto a band electric band and he went to the workmanrsquos clubs andthe nightclubs He came through a totally different route I wentthrough the acoustic route and Irsquom still hugely interested in rootsmusic generally I ran a folk club with others for about 12mdash13years but it was a folk and blues club It was when the folk revivalwas really kicking in and reaching the provinces It had been inLondon since about 1957mdash58 by the time it got to Sunderland itwas about 1969mdash70 and I was involved then There were folkclubs and I wanted the format to be much broader than just

traditional folk music so we called it the Folk and Blues Club We had Doc Ross there Irsquove got arecord of every guest that we had and itrsquos like the whorsquos who of British folk in the rsquo70s and theearly rsquo80s We had JomdashAnne Kelly for example and the likes of Dave Peabody but we also had

some of the American guys Cousin JoePleasant from New Orleans GeorgeJeep Jackson Doctor Ross We even hadHoneyboy Edwards I donrsquot knowwhether you know Honeyboy Edwardsat allBiTS Absolutely I went to a gig afterhe was 90 or whatever age it was ayear or so before he died actuallydown here in DevonGS Yes we had Honeyboy Edwards

probably in the early rsquo80s and by then my interest was starting to become I played with awonderful blues harmonica player Jim Bullock in a duo and that emerged through the folk cluband the folk scene in the northeast but I then progressed to wanting a blues band That happenedin the midmdasheighties and thatrsquos how the band really started to emergeBiTS You kept it on the back burner in order to continue your teaching career is that rightGS Yes it wasnrsquot a deliberate thing to keep it on the back burner it never occurred and to behonest Irsquove always been my greatest critic and Irsquove never really valued myself as a performeruntil the last few years when you canrsquot ignore it when people who know what theyrsquore talkingabout say nice things about you but I never ever thought I was good enough to do anything likethatBiTS Well let me tell you I think your music is magic and letrsquos talk a little bit about the musicYour album recently it just appeared in the IBBA charts and you seem delighted about thisGS Well the band got together in the late rsquo90s and we brought an album out lsquoGot Blues if youWant Itrsquo and that came out very early The band played together for about another five or sixyears and then we didnrsquot fall out or anything we just werenrsquot going anywhere We restartedaround about 2013 and it was the same band basically We were starting to do okay and ofcourse by that time and this has been a huge huge impact upon me we had Facebook but alsothere was a blues scene or blues clubs There were blues gigs and that hadnrsquot really been thesituation in the early noughties and suddenly there was a structure thereThere were blues festivals There was something to aim at and we were doing very well Webroke onto the festival circuit even though sadly itrsquos not what you know itrsquos who you know onthe blues scene It is sad because you would have thought that the people who are interested inblues and the various sentiments that go with that you would have thought they were beyond allof that but no Itrsquos still a question of who you know Yoursquove got to be in with the right peopleYoursquove got to be in with the agents and if you donrsquot get that you donrsquot get the work But I wasquite poorly for a while and when I came out of that we already had some songs that we wantedto do but everything was put on hold for a few months Coming out of the illness we went intothe studio George Lamb and myself We developed these songs and thatrsquos when we recordedlsquoNothing to Losersquo That was possibly I think it might have been March 2018 it might have beenMarch 2017 but we were number one in the top fortyThe month it was released we were number one in the IBBA top forty The second month wewere number two and then that was it I mean I do think that new albums on the blues scene

have got a shelf life in terms of impact of about four months after that it stales quite often youdonrsquot get your money back but we eventuallydid get our money back on lsquoNothing to Losersquo Icontacted the IBBA people just a few weeks agoand said hey itrsquos two years now since we werenumber one and I just offered copies if anyonewanted to listen to it or I could send themdigital copies and the response I got there wasmaybe new people presenting programmes thisyear compared to two years ago So Petercontacted me he says oh yes I wouldnrsquot mind

listening to that and of course as you know itrsquos based on the numbers of plays you get and we gotinto the charts yesBiTS Irsquom a founder member of the IBBA and when we first started a few years ago there were Ithink about 12 of us and therersquos now over 60GS I gathered that yes And I tell you what I think is great about the IBBA I didnrsquot know you werea founder member When did you found the IBBA or when were you involved in the founding of theIBBA What yearBiTS It was let me think about eight years agoGS Right so thatrsquos in line with what I was saying about when the band remdashemerged there wasmore of a structure First of all there was the online radio programmes emerging then there wasthe likes of the IBBA and therersquos the UK Blues Federation now and so therersquos much more of astructure Much more of a blues scene and that falls in line with what I was thinking Yes I think itdoes a wonderful job in first of all encouraging people to be involved in producing radioprogrammes and makes them part of something and then the monthly chart it helps everyone Ithelps the programmes it helps the artists it helps the music Itrsquos part of the projecting of the musicand I think that you do a great job and also one of the things that yoursquove got which I think isabsolutely wonderful is that email address where you can contact everyone Thatrsquos fabulous thatBiTS Thatrsquos a fairly recent innovation We only started that maybe a year or so agoGS Right absolutely wonderful doing thatBiTS I visited your website George before I came to talk to you and there was a mass of gigs theyear before last and a mass of gigs last year yoursquore clearly in the COVID trap along with everybodyIs there any sign of movement againGS No Therersquos two things going on with me and Iwork very closely with George Lamb Obviously welove to gig wersquore both retired Wersquove got the time theenergy and the band as well so we broke into FranceWe started getting gigs in France The last gig we didjust about was Brussels and then everything closesdown so I think therersquos going to be a restart that wersquoregoing to have to involve ourselves in which meansbecause I do all the contacting of gigs and things Wedonrsquot have the agents or managers or anything likethat so I do all of that it will take a while to get thingsoff the ground again but we also in terms of puttingsomething back we also organise gigs We have aweekly speakeasy which has been going for about

Dallas Texas Night skyline

seven years now in Sunderland and gets packed every week and thatrsquos been on hold We also dolarger gigs in Sunderland every two or three months a big gig in a big venue all of that Therersquos alot to get started again and Irsquom also conscious of the fact that there are a lot of performers who arefullmdashtime They really should be getting the priority in terms of when gigs start to remdashemerge Idonrsquot need to play the music to survive A lot of people doBiTS There are clearly a lot of people who are in severe financial difficulty who have no othersource of incomeGS Yes so my heart goes out to them Itrsquos important that I try and get the gigs up and runningthat we organise but also we want to get back playing again Irsquove been in lockdown and I still amuntil August 1st We havenrsquot even been able to George Lamb and I get together and play through afew things try some things we havenrsquot been able to do that but it will not take long for us to be upand ready as a band or of course George and I go out as a duo as well so it wonrsquot take long but Iwould like to see the fullmdashtime fellas get to work firstBiTS George tell me something about your future plans Have you got any plans to go back into

the studio again and make anotheralbumGS Yes I mean Irsquove never been asongwriter I would love to have thoseskills I havenrsquot but Irsquove also neverbeen a copyist There are somewonderful blues players and you cansee them and theyrsquore playing notemdashperfect what Robert Johnson playedIrsquove never been good enough to dothat so what Irsquove always tried to do isto take blues that Irsquom aware of bluesthat I like and then change it so that itbecomes something which is differentbecause you canrsquot improve on

perfection and nothing to lose if theyrsquore all our own songs I think the first step in getting back upand running is to start looking And then maybe the next time we go into the studio rather thanjust being a duo or rather than just being lsquothe bandrsquo it might be that the next album is a mix ofdifferent styles and approaches Therersquos a big band up here Archie Brown amp the Young Bucks beengoing since the midmdashseventies but theyrsquove got an accordion player Wonderful accordion playerand wersquore doing some live gigs with them Irsquom wondering what that can doBiTS Well I do love a bit of Cajun music I must say PerhapshellipGS Oh hersquos fabulous You should hear him my God wonderful stuff The problem is I canrsquot speakFrenchBiTS Okay well listen I wonrsquot take any more of your time Thank you very much for talking tomeGS Ian thank you very much for showing me interest in asking me to speak with youBiTS You underestimate yourself You shouldnrsquot put yourself downGS Alright Thanks very much I very much appreciate it Ian Good luck as well okayBiTS Look after yourself ByeGS Bye

Archie Brown

BiTS INTERVIEW with Teeny TuckerldquoTo be an artist is to believe in liferdquo ndash Henry Moore

Regina B Higginbotham (born January 22 1958) known professionally as Teeny Tucker is anAmerican electric blues and new blues singer and songwriter She is the daughter of the lateTommy Tucker

Teeny Tucker was born in Dayton Ohio United States She sang in her local church choir Herfather a blues performer best known for his 1964 hit song lsquoHimdashHeel Sneakersrsquo died tragically atthe age of 42 in January 1982 on his daughters 24th birthday

I spoke to her on the telephone and although the originalintention was to concentrate on her music an isolationrevelation soon changed thedirection of ourconversation

Despite her association withTommy Tucker she told methat she first performedprofessionally in November 1996

ldquoI had been singing churchmusicrdquo she told me ldquoI got aninvitation from German Bluespromoter and manager who hadpromoted European tours formy father The problem wasrdquoshe said ldquoI didnrsquot really knowany blues songs just churchmusic and gospel So I had to settle down and learn some stuffrdquo

Ms Tucker spent many hours listening to blues music and learning songs including listening tomusic in her car while she was transporting her grandchildren ldquoWhen I put on the musicrdquo shelaughed ldquoTheyrsquod shout out lsquoPut on Johnny Lee Hookerrsquo They got into it like I didrdquo

The tour proved to be a great success and AllMusic noted recently that Teeny Tucker is among agrowing number of female blues belters taking different paths to stardom or wider recognition butshes one of the very best

ldquoI have released five albums to daterdquo She told me ldquo And I have appeared on the same bill with BBKing Koko Taylor Etta James Buddy Guy the Holmes Brothers Robert Cray Keb Mo DeannaBogart Kenny Neal Bobby Rush and John Mayall to name a few

Like all performing musicians she has been caught on the attempt to deal with the ravages of COVID19 and has been isolated at home She has taken to opportunity as many creative people do toexpand her artistic horizons She has started to practice the piano an instrument she had not playedseriously for a long time ldquoI also started to do artworkrdquo she told me ldquoJust Ideas from my mind that Isort of experimented withrdquo

As you can see below she uses a wide range of materials in her work including ldquoAlumin(i)um foilplastic silver party spoons silver spray paint party bowls shower curtain hooks canvas and paintThe artwork has kept me sane and of course learning piano has helped as well [My advice is] try tofind something you enjoy during this crisis

cu nunc ac turpis Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes nascetur ridiculusmus Aliquam vel quam ut tellus gravida faucibus Vivamus justo est elementum vitae malesuadaeu fermentum in sapien Donec sit amet justo In velit Vivamus turpis pede dignissim sedscelerisque nec pretium sit amet dui Nam nec felis non turpis hendrerit varius In ultrices ornarelorem Quisque bibendum massa sed venenatis malesuada diam ipsum blandit urna vel ultriciespede nulla vitae lacus

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetuer adipiscing elit Quisque in augue Donec aliquam magnanonummy enim Proin blandit imperdiet sem Donec malesuada urna sit amet varius aliquam nibhtortor laoreet turpis eget sodales felis nibh ac sapien Fusce eget augue Integer sed risus Aeneanmollis Donec facilisis egestas quam Duis bibendum augue id mauris Sed laoreet tortor vel cursusfringilla turpis elit vestibulum arcu eu varius dolor leo in nulla In sem ipsum faucibus quis variustristique porta eget lorem Curabitur hendrerit diam et mauris Etiam porta nunc euismod duiMaecenas a lectus In hac habitasse platea dictumst Suspendisse id massa Nullam porta velit sedlacus Duis eleifend felis eu euismod lacinia felis erat feugiat nisl vitae congue leo velit a massaQuisque nec justo a turpis posuere tristique

Maecenas condimentum tincidunt lorem Vestibulum vel tellus Sed vulputate Morbi massa nuncconvallis a commodo gravida tincidunt sed turpis Aenean ornare viverra est Maecenas loremAenean euismod iaculis dui Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes nasceturridiculus mus Nulla quam Aenean fermentum turpis sed volutpat dignissim diam risus facilisisnibh sit amet iaculis est turpis non tellus Nunc a mauris Proin eget ligula Nam cursus libero

Vestibulum velit orci bibendum eget molestie eu sagittis non leo Nullam sed enim Duis ac loremLorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetuer adipiscing elit Suspendisse potenti Sed tincidunt variusarcu Mauris vitae arcu sit amet quam condimentum pulvinar Aenean arcu elit accumsan idconsequat ornare lobortis vitae ligula Quisque vitae velit ac sapien placerat suscipit Donec mollisjusto sed justo pellentesque sollicitudin Duis bibendum adipiscing nibh Maecenas diam risusmolestie ut porta et malesuada eget nisi In fermentum leo sed turpis Sed lacus velit consequatin ultricies sit amet malesuada et diam Integer mauris sem convallis ut consequat in sollicitudinsed leo Cras purus elit hendrerit ut egestas eget sagittis at nulla Integer justo dui faucibusdictum convallis sodales accumsan id risus Aenean risus Vestibulum scelerisque placerat sem

In eget sapien vitae massa rhoncus lacinia Nullam at leo nec metus aliquam semper PhasellusTeeny says ldquoPlease in your free time today check out my art websiterdquo

httpsteenysartgallerybigcartelcom

it [Chuckling] Thatrsquos the worse thing you can say to any kid and when I started sorry no Iinterrupted you Ian Go on pleaseBiTS No go on continue

GS Well eventuallywithin a year or so mymum realised that I wasdoing something with theguitar and my brotherwasnrsquot actually Apopular song at the timeprobably before yourtime was the PlatterslsquoSmoke Gets in YourEyesrsquoBiTS I remember thatGS I didnrsquot know what todo with the guitar andthat included tuning Ididnrsquot even think therewas something calledlsquotuningrsquo The Platterslovely song da da da dada da da da da da da da

so what I did I tuned the top four strings to that and then the bottom two I tuned them so that theyfitted in with the first four strings I started playing songs on that I started doing early Buddy Hollysongs and stuff and then I discovered something called pitch pipes which changed the tuningaltogether and I was also able to get it was actually a book of blues songs from the local library andit had chord charts Even though I had to relearn how to play the guitar I had some idea and it wasreally much later that I realised that that original way I tuned the guitar was an open tuning was anOpen E or somethingBiTS Yes yesGS And Irsquove loved it ever since Ever sinceBiTS How did you get attracted to the blues thenGS At the time when we still hadforces overseas there was aprogramme at 12 orsquoclock on aSunday midday Forces Favouritesand people used to write postcardsin and request songs for eithersomeone who was stationed abroador from someone stationed abroadfor someone at home There wasthis particular day I was listening toit and there was this lady saidsomething whoever wasintroducing it said something and

Eddie Mac Scoundrels at the Blues Club

there was this song played and it knocked me out I must have been about ten I was smitten bythis song and I listened closely afterwards and she said ldquoand that was the blues singer RayCharlesrdquoBiTS Oh reallyGS And that is what made me aware of the bluesBiTS Is that when you started to try and play bluesGS Thatrsquos when I started having an interest in blues and the first album I got was Ray Charles Isaved up for bloody weeks got this Ray Charles album it was an instrumental album and I wasdistraught but I then came across another album called The Blues Volume 2 and that was thestart The first track on lsquoThe Blues Volume 2rsquo is Buddy Guy and Lowell Fulson singing lsquoReconsiderBabyrsquo and these are still songs I sing now but I loved them and theyrsquore classics That was the startthat was the startBiTS Did you start trying to learn to play those tunesGS Well yes I started to try to learn I was never focused upon developing my skills as aguitarist I was always into playing songs and sometimes and this is how I developed as aguitarist the songs required new chords that I wasnrsquot aware of and so but Irsquove always beenplaying the guitar to accompany my voice whereas a lot of people play the guitar to try to developstyles and to try to copy Robert Johnson and blah blah blah and the voice is second With me thevoice was always first It was always the song and then hope to accompany myself and thatrsquos whyIrsquom a wonderful accompanist to myself but Irsquom not a classic guitarist by any meansBiTS You clearly went into higher education in order to become a teacher at least I imagine youdid Is that rightGS Well my first job was in a bank and I lasted about a year which was a failure and probablythe chip that I got on my shoulder as a consequence turned the rest of my life but I went fromworking in the bank to working in a brewery and I worked in a brewery for about five years I wasa district supervisor and then at that point I got married and that gave me the opportunity because

my elder brother was a teacher That gave me the opportunity togo to college and so I went to college when I was about 23 Startedteaching when I was 26BiTS When you were at college and working in those jobs didyou actually play guitar or go out with a band or anythingGS Thatrsquos when the performing started to kick in because I washeavily involved in the college of education I was at SunderlandCollege of Education they had a folk club and folk clubs werehugely formative in terms of how I developed in music whereasGeorge Lamb my lead guitarist in the band he very quickly gotinto a band electric band and he went to the workmanrsquos clubs andthe nightclubs He came through a totally different route I wentthrough the acoustic route and Irsquom still hugely interested in rootsmusic generally I ran a folk club with others for about 12mdash13years but it was a folk and blues club It was when the folk revivalwas really kicking in and reaching the provinces It had been inLondon since about 1957mdash58 by the time it got to Sunderland itwas about 1969mdash70 and I was involved then There were folkclubs and I wanted the format to be much broader than just

traditional folk music so we called it the Folk and Blues Club We had Doc Ross there Irsquove got arecord of every guest that we had and itrsquos like the whorsquos who of British folk in the rsquo70s and theearly rsquo80s We had JomdashAnne Kelly for example and the likes of Dave Peabody but we also had

some of the American guys Cousin JoePleasant from New Orleans GeorgeJeep Jackson Doctor Ross We even hadHoneyboy Edwards I donrsquot knowwhether you know Honeyboy Edwardsat allBiTS Absolutely I went to a gig afterhe was 90 or whatever age it was ayear or so before he died actuallydown here in DevonGS Yes we had Honeyboy Edwards

probably in the early rsquo80s and by then my interest was starting to become I played with awonderful blues harmonica player Jim Bullock in a duo and that emerged through the folk cluband the folk scene in the northeast but I then progressed to wanting a blues band That happenedin the midmdasheighties and thatrsquos how the band really started to emergeBiTS You kept it on the back burner in order to continue your teaching career is that rightGS Yes it wasnrsquot a deliberate thing to keep it on the back burner it never occurred and to behonest Irsquove always been my greatest critic and Irsquove never really valued myself as a performeruntil the last few years when you canrsquot ignore it when people who know what theyrsquore talkingabout say nice things about you but I never ever thought I was good enough to do anything likethatBiTS Well let me tell you I think your music is magic and letrsquos talk a little bit about the musicYour album recently it just appeared in the IBBA charts and you seem delighted about thisGS Well the band got together in the late rsquo90s and we brought an album out lsquoGot Blues if youWant Itrsquo and that came out very early The band played together for about another five or sixyears and then we didnrsquot fall out or anything we just werenrsquot going anywhere We restartedaround about 2013 and it was the same band basically We were starting to do okay and ofcourse by that time and this has been a huge huge impact upon me we had Facebook but alsothere was a blues scene or blues clubs There were blues gigs and that hadnrsquot really been thesituation in the early noughties and suddenly there was a structure thereThere were blues festivals There was something to aim at and we were doing very well Webroke onto the festival circuit even though sadly itrsquos not what you know itrsquos who you know onthe blues scene It is sad because you would have thought that the people who are interested inblues and the various sentiments that go with that you would have thought they were beyond allof that but no Itrsquos still a question of who you know Yoursquove got to be in with the right peopleYoursquove got to be in with the agents and if you donrsquot get that you donrsquot get the work But I wasquite poorly for a while and when I came out of that we already had some songs that we wantedto do but everything was put on hold for a few months Coming out of the illness we went intothe studio George Lamb and myself We developed these songs and thatrsquos when we recordedlsquoNothing to Losersquo That was possibly I think it might have been March 2018 it might have beenMarch 2017 but we were number one in the top fortyThe month it was released we were number one in the IBBA top forty The second month wewere number two and then that was it I mean I do think that new albums on the blues scene

have got a shelf life in terms of impact of about four months after that it stales quite often youdonrsquot get your money back but we eventuallydid get our money back on lsquoNothing to Losersquo Icontacted the IBBA people just a few weeks agoand said hey itrsquos two years now since we werenumber one and I just offered copies if anyonewanted to listen to it or I could send themdigital copies and the response I got there wasmaybe new people presenting programmes thisyear compared to two years ago So Petercontacted me he says oh yes I wouldnrsquot mind

listening to that and of course as you know itrsquos based on the numbers of plays you get and we gotinto the charts yesBiTS Irsquom a founder member of the IBBA and when we first started a few years ago there were Ithink about 12 of us and therersquos now over 60GS I gathered that yes And I tell you what I think is great about the IBBA I didnrsquot know you werea founder member When did you found the IBBA or when were you involved in the founding of theIBBA What yearBiTS It was let me think about eight years agoGS Right so thatrsquos in line with what I was saying about when the band remdashemerged there wasmore of a structure First of all there was the online radio programmes emerging then there wasthe likes of the IBBA and therersquos the UK Blues Federation now and so therersquos much more of astructure Much more of a blues scene and that falls in line with what I was thinking Yes I think itdoes a wonderful job in first of all encouraging people to be involved in producing radioprogrammes and makes them part of something and then the monthly chart it helps everyone Ithelps the programmes it helps the artists it helps the music Itrsquos part of the projecting of the musicand I think that you do a great job and also one of the things that yoursquove got which I think isabsolutely wonderful is that email address where you can contact everyone Thatrsquos fabulous thatBiTS Thatrsquos a fairly recent innovation We only started that maybe a year or so agoGS Right absolutely wonderful doing thatBiTS I visited your website George before I came to talk to you and there was a mass of gigs theyear before last and a mass of gigs last year yoursquore clearly in the COVID trap along with everybodyIs there any sign of movement againGS No Therersquos two things going on with me and Iwork very closely with George Lamb Obviously welove to gig wersquore both retired Wersquove got the time theenergy and the band as well so we broke into FranceWe started getting gigs in France The last gig we didjust about was Brussels and then everything closesdown so I think therersquos going to be a restart that wersquoregoing to have to involve ourselves in which meansbecause I do all the contacting of gigs and things Wedonrsquot have the agents or managers or anything likethat so I do all of that it will take a while to get thingsoff the ground again but we also in terms of puttingsomething back we also organise gigs We have aweekly speakeasy which has been going for about

Dallas Texas Night skyline

seven years now in Sunderland and gets packed every week and thatrsquos been on hold We also dolarger gigs in Sunderland every two or three months a big gig in a big venue all of that Therersquos alot to get started again and Irsquom also conscious of the fact that there are a lot of performers who arefullmdashtime They really should be getting the priority in terms of when gigs start to remdashemerge Idonrsquot need to play the music to survive A lot of people doBiTS There are clearly a lot of people who are in severe financial difficulty who have no othersource of incomeGS Yes so my heart goes out to them Itrsquos important that I try and get the gigs up and runningthat we organise but also we want to get back playing again Irsquove been in lockdown and I still amuntil August 1st We havenrsquot even been able to George Lamb and I get together and play through afew things try some things we havenrsquot been able to do that but it will not take long for us to be upand ready as a band or of course George and I go out as a duo as well so it wonrsquot take long but Iwould like to see the fullmdashtime fellas get to work firstBiTS George tell me something about your future plans Have you got any plans to go back into

the studio again and make anotheralbumGS Yes I mean Irsquove never been asongwriter I would love to have thoseskills I havenrsquot but Irsquove also neverbeen a copyist There are somewonderful blues players and you cansee them and theyrsquore playing notemdashperfect what Robert Johnson playedIrsquove never been good enough to dothat so what Irsquove always tried to do isto take blues that Irsquom aware of bluesthat I like and then change it so that itbecomes something which is differentbecause you canrsquot improve on

perfection and nothing to lose if theyrsquore all our own songs I think the first step in getting back upand running is to start looking And then maybe the next time we go into the studio rather thanjust being a duo or rather than just being lsquothe bandrsquo it might be that the next album is a mix ofdifferent styles and approaches Therersquos a big band up here Archie Brown amp the Young Bucks beengoing since the midmdashseventies but theyrsquove got an accordion player Wonderful accordion playerand wersquore doing some live gigs with them Irsquom wondering what that can doBiTS Well I do love a bit of Cajun music I must say PerhapshellipGS Oh hersquos fabulous You should hear him my God wonderful stuff The problem is I canrsquot speakFrenchBiTS Okay well listen I wonrsquot take any more of your time Thank you very much for talking tomeGS Ian thank you very much for showing me interest in asking me to speak with youBiTS You underestimate yourself You shouldnrsquot put yourself downGS Alright Thanks very much I very much appreciate it Ian Good luck as well okayBiTS Look after yourself ByeGS Bye

Archie Brown

BiTS INTERVIEW with Teeny TuckerldquoTo be an artist is to believe in liferdquo ndash Henry Moore

Regina B Higginbotham (born January 22 1958) known professionally as Teeny Tucker is anAmerican electric blues and new blues singer and songwriter She is the daughter of the lateTommy Tucker

Teeny Tucker was born in Dayton Ohio United States She sang in her local church choir Herfather a blues performer best known for his 1964 hit song lsquoHimdashHeel Sneakersrsquo died tragically atthe age of 42 in January 1982 on his daughters 24th birthday

I spoke to her on the telephone and although the originalintention was to concentrate on her music an isolationrevelation soon changed thedirection of ourconversation

Despite her association withTommy Tucker she told methat she first performedprofessionally in November 1996

ldquoI had been singing churchmusicrdquo she told me ldquoI got aninvitation from German Bluespromoter and manager who hadpromoted European tours formy father The problem wasrdquoshe said ldquoI didnrsquot really knowany blues songs just churchmusic and gospel So I had to settle down and learn some stuffrdquo

Ms Tucker spent many hours listening to blues music and learning songs including listening tomusic in her car while she was transporting her grandchildren ldquoWhen I put on the musicrdquo shelaughed ldquoTheyrsquod shout out lsquoPut on Johnny Lee Hookerrsquo They got into it like I didrdquo

The tour proved to be a great success and AllMusic noted recently that Teeny Tucker is among agrowing number of female blues belters taking different paths to stardom or wider recognition butshes one of the very best

ldquoI have released five albums to daterdquo She told me ldquo And I have appeared on the same bill with BBKing Koko Taylor Etta James Buddy Guy the Holmes Brothers Robert Cray Keb Mo DeannaBogart Kenny Neal Bobby Rush and John Mayall to name a few

Like all performing musicians she has been caught on the attempt to deal with the ravages of COVID19 and has been isolated at home She has taken to opportunity as many creative people do toexpand her artistic horizons She has started to practice the piano an instrument she had not playedseriously for a long time ldquoI also started to do artworkrdquo she told me ldquoJust Ideas from my mind that Isort of experimented withrdquo

As you can see below she uses a wide range of materials in her work including ldquoAlumin(i)um foilplastic silver party spoons silver spray paint party bowls shower curtain hooks canvas and paintThe artwork has kept me sane and of course learning piano has helped as well [My advice is] try tofind something you enjoy during this crisis

cu nunc ac turpis Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes nascetur ridiculusmus Aliquam vel quam ut tellus gravida faucibus Vivamus justo est elementum vitae malesuadaeu fermentum in sapien Donec sit amet justo In velit Vivamus turpis pede dignissim sedscelerisque nec pretium sit amet dui Nam nec felis non turpis hendrerit varius In ultrices ornarelorem Quisque bibendum massa sed venenatis malesuada diam ipsum blandit urna vel ultriciespede nulla vitae lacus

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetuer adipiscing elit Quisque in augue Donec aliquam magnanonummy enim Proin blandit imperdiet sem Donec malesuada urna sit amet varius aliquam nibhtortor laoreet turpis eget sodales felis nibh ac sapien Fusce eget augue Integer sed risus Aeneanmollis Donec facilisis egestas quam Duis bibendum augue id mauris Sed laoreet tortor vel cursusfringilla turpis elit vestibulum arcu eu varius dolor leo in nulla In sem ipsum faucibus quis variustristique porta eget lorem Curabitur hendrerit diam et mauris Etiam porta nunc euismod duiMaecenas a lectus In hac habitasse platea dictumst Suspendisse id massa Nullam porta velit sedlacus Duis eleifend felis eu euismod lacinia felis erat feugiat nisl vitae congue leo velit a massaQuisque nec justo a turpis posuere tristique

Maecenas condimentum tincidunt lorem Vestibulum vel tellus Sed vulputate Morbi massa nuncconvallis a commodo gravida tincidunt sed turpis Aenean ornare viverra est Maecenas loremAenean euismod iaculis dui Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes nasceturridiculus mus Nulla quam Aenean fermentum turpis sed volutpat dignissim diam risus facilisisnibh sit amet iaculis est turpis non tellus Nunc a mauris Proin eget ligula Nam cursus libero

Vestibulum velit orci bibendum eget molestie eu sagittis non leo Nullam sed enim Duis ac loremLorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetuer adipiscing elit Suspendisse potenti Sed tincidunt variusarcu Mauris vitae arcu sit amet quam condimentum pulvinar Aenean arcu elit accumsan idconsequat ornare lobortis vitae ligula Quisque vitae velit ac sapien placerat suscipit Donec mollisjusto sed justo pellentesque sollicitudin Duis bibendum adipiscing nibh Maecenas diam risusmolestie ut porta et malesuada eget nisi In fermentum leo sed turpis Sed lacus velit consequatin ultricies sit amet malesuada et diam Integer mauris sem convallis ut consequat in sollicitudinsed leo Cras purus elit hendrerit ut egestas eget sagittis at nulla Integer justo dui faucibusdictum convallis sodales accumsan id risus Aenean risus Vestibulum scelerisque placerat sem

In eget sapien vitae massa rhoncus lacinia Nullam at leo nec metus aliquam semper PhasellusTeeny says ldquoPlease in your free time today check out my art websiterdquo

httpsteenysartgallerybigcartelcom

Eddie Mac Scoundrels at the Blues Club

there was this song played and it knocked me out I must have been about ten I was smitten bythis song and I listened closely afterwards and she said ldquoand that was the blues singer RayCharlesrdquoBiTS Oh reallyGS And that is what made me aware of the bluesBiTS Is that when you started to try and play bluesGS Thatrsquos when I started having an interest in blues and the first album I got was Ray Charles Isaved up for bloody weeks got this Ray Charles album it was an instrumental album and I wasdistraught but I then came across another album called The Blues Volume 2 and that was thestart The first track on lsquoThe Blues Volume 2rsquo is Buddy Guy and Lowell Fulson singing lsquoReconsiderBabyrsquo and these are still songs I sing now but I loved them and theyrsquore classics That was the startthat was the startBiTS Did you start trying to learn to play those tunesGS Well yes I started to try to learn I was never focused upon developing my skills as aguitarist I was always into playing songs and sometimes and this is how I developed as aguitarist the songs required new chords that I wasnrsquot aware of and so but Irsquove always beenplaying the guitar to accompany my voice whereas a lot of people play the guitar to try to developstyles and to try to copy Robert Johnson and blah blah blah and the voice is second With me thevoice was always first It was always the song and then hope to accompany myself and thatrsquos whyIrsquom a wonderful accompanist to myself but Irsquom not a classic guitarist by any meansBiTS You clearly went into higher education in order to become a teacher at least I imagine youdid Is that rightGS Well my first job was in a bank and I lasted about a year which was a failure and probablythe chip that I got on my shoulder as a consequence turned the rest of my life but I went fromworking in the bank to working in a brewery and I worked in a brewery for about five years I wasa district supervisor and then at that point I got married and that gave me the opportunity because

my elder brother was a teacher That gave me the opportunity togo to college and so I went to college when I was about 23 Startedteaching when I was 26BiTS When you were at college and working in those jobs didyou actually play guitar or go out with a band or anythingGS Thatrsquos when the performing started to kick in because I washeavily involved in the college of education I was at SunderlandCollege of Education they had a folk club and folk clubs werehugely formative in terms of how I developed in music whereasGeorge Lamb my lead guitarist in the band he very quickly gotinto a band electric band and he went to the workmanrsquos clubs andthe nightclubs He came through a totally different route I wentthrough the acoustic route and Irsquom still hugely interested in rootsmusic generally I ran a folk club with others for about 12mdash13years but it was a folk and blues club It was when the folk revivalwas really kicking in and reaching the provinces It had been inLondon since about 1957mdash58 by the time it got to Sunderland itwas about 1969mdash70 and I was involved then There were folkclubs and I wanted the format to be much broader than just

traditional folk music so we called it the Folk and Blues Club We had Doc Ross there Irsquove got arecord of every guest that we had and itrsquos like the whorsquos who of British folk in the rsquo70s and theearly rsquo80s We had JomdashAnne Kelly for example and the likes of Dave Peabody but we also had

some of the American guys Cousin JoePleasant from New Orleans GeorgeJeep Jackson Doctor Ross We even hadHoneyboy Edwards I donrsquot knowwhether you know Honeyboy Edwardsat allBiTS Absolutely I went to a gig afterhe was 90 or whatever age it was ayear or so before he died actuallydown here in DevonGS Yes we had Honeyboy Edwards

probably in the early rsquo80s and by then my interest was starting to become I played with awonderful blues harmonica player Jim Bullock in a duo and that emerged through the folk cluband the folk scene in the northeast but I then progressed to wanting a blues band That happenedin the midmdasheighties and thatrsquos how the band really started to emergeBiTS You kept it on the back burner in order to continue your teaching career is that rightGS Yes it wasnrsquot a deliberate thing to keep it on the back burner it never occurred and to behonest Irsquove always been my greatest critic and Irsquove never really valued myself as a performeruntil the last few years when you canrsquot ignore it when people who know what theyrsquore talkingabout say nice things about you but I never ever thought I was good enough to do anything likethatBiTS Well let me tell you I think your music is magic and letrsquos talk a little bit about the musicYour album recently it just appeared in the IBBA charts and you seem delighted about thisGS Well the band got together in the late rsquo90s and we brought an album out lsquoGot Blues if youWant Itrsquo and that came out very early The band played together for about another five or sixyears and then we didnrsquot fall out or anything we just werenrsquot going anywhere We restartedaround about 2013 and it was the same band basically We were starting to do okay and ofcourse by that time and this has been a huge huge impact upon me we had Facebook but alsothere was a blues scene or blues clubs There were blues gigs and that hadnrsquot really been thesituation in the early noughties and suddenly there was a structure thereThere were blues festivals There was something to aim at and we were doing very well Webroke onto the festival circuit even though sadly itrsquos not what you know itrsquos who you know onthe blues scene It is sad because you would have thought that the people who are interested inblues and the various sentiments that go with that you would have thought they were beyond allof that but no Itrsquos still a question of who you know Yoursquove got to be in with the right peopleYoursquove got to be in with the agents and if you donrsquot get that you donrsquot get the work But I wasquite poorly for a while and when I came out of that we already had some songs that we wantedto do but everything was put on hold for a few months Coming out of the illness we went intothe studio George Lamb and myself We developed these songs and thatrsquos when we recordedlsquoNothing to Losersquo That was possibly I think it might have been March 2018 it might have beenMarch 2017 but we were number one in the top fortyThe month it was released we were number one in the IBBA top forty The second month wewere number two and then that was it I mean I do think that new albums on the blues scene

have got a shelf life in terms of impact of about four months after that it stales quite often youdonrsquot get your money back but we eventuallydid get our money back on lsquoNothing to Losersquo Icontacted the IBBA people just a few weeks agoand said hey itrsquos two years now since we werenumber one and I just offered copies if anyonewanted to listen to it or I could send themdigital copies and the response I got there wasmaybe new people presenting programmes thisyear compared to two years ago So Petercontacted me he says oh yes I wouldnrsquot mind

listening to that and of course as you know itrsquos based on the numbers of plays you get and we gotinto the charts yesBiTS Irsquom a founder member of the IBBA and when we first started a few years ago there were Ithink about 12 of us and therersquos now over 60GS I gathered that yes And I tell you what I think is great about the IBBA I didnrsquot know you werea founder member When did you found the IBBA or when were you involved in the founding of theIBBA What yearBiTS It was let me think about eight years agoGS Right so thatrsquos in line with what I was saying about when the band remdashemerged there wasmore of a structure First of all there was the online radio programmes emerging then there wasthe likes of the IBBA and therersquos the UK Blues Federation now and so therersquos much more of astructure Much more of a blues scene and that falls in line with what I was thinking Yes I think itdoes a wonderful job in first of all encouraging people to be involved in producing radioprogrammes and makes them part of something and then the monthly chart it helps everyone Ithelps the programmes it helps the artists it helps the music Itrsquos part of the projecting of the musicand I think that you do a great job and also one of the things that yoursquove got which I think isabsolutely wonderful is that email address where you can contact everyone Thatrsquos fabulous thatBiTS Thatrsquos a fairly recent innovation We only started that maybe a year or so agoGS Right absolutely wonderful doing thatBiTS I visited your website George before I came to talk to you and there was a mass of gigs theyear before last and a mass of gigs last year yoursquore clearly in the COVID trap along with everybodyIs there any sign of movement againGS No Therersquos two things going on with me and Iwork very closely with George Lamb Obviously welove to gig wersquore both retired Wersquove got the time theenergy and the band as well so we broke into FranceWe started getting gigs in France The last gig we didjust about was Brussels and then everything closesdown so I think therersquos going to be a restart that wersquoregoing to have to involve ourselves in which meansbecause I do all the contacting of gigs and things Wedonrsquot have the agents or managers or anything likethat so I do all of that it will take a while to get thingsoff the ground again but we also in terms of puttingsomething back we also organise gigs We have aweekly speakeasy which has been going for about

Dallas Texas Night skyline

seven years now in Sunderland and gets packed every week and thatrsquos been on hold We also dolarger gigs in Sunderland every two or three months a big gig in a big venue all of that Therersquos alot to get started again and Irsquom also conscious of the fact that there are a lot of performers who arefullmdashtime They really should be getting the priority in terms of when gigs start to remdashemerge Idonrsquot need to play the music to survive A lot of people doBiTS There are clearly a lot of people who are in severe financial difficulty who have no othersource of incomeGS Yes so my heart goes out to them Itrsquos important that I try and get the gigs up and runningthat we organise but also we want to get back playing again Irsquove been in lockdown and I still amuntil August 1st We havenrsquot even been able to George Lamb and I get together and play through afew things try some things we havenrsquot been able to do that but it will not take long for us to be upand ready as a band or of course George and I go out as a duo as well so it wonrsquot take long but Iwould like to see the fullmdashtime fellas get to work firstBiTS George tell me something about your future plans Have you got any plans to go back into

the studio again and make anotheralbumGS Yes I mean Irsquove never been asongwriter I would love to have thoseskills I havenrsquot but Irsquove also neverbeen a copyist There are somewonderful blues players and you cansee them and theyrsquore playing notemdashperfect what Robert Johnson playedIrsquove never been good enough to dothat so what Irsquove always tried to do isto take blues that Irsquom aware of bluesthat I like and then change it so that itbecomes something which is differentbecause you canrsquot improve on

perfection and nothing to lose if theyrsquore all our own songs I think the first step in getting back upand running is to start looking And then maybe the next time we go into the studio rather thanjust being a duo or rather than just being lsquothe bandrsquo it might be that the next album is a mix ofdifferent styles and approaches Therersquos a big band up here Archie Brown amp the Young Bucks beengoing since the midmdashseventies but theyrsquove got an accordion player Wonderful accordion playerand wersquore doing some live gigs with them Irsquom wondering what that can doBiTS Well I do love a bit of Cajun music I must say PerhapshellipGS Oh hersquos fabulous You should hear him my God wonderful stuff The problem is I canrsquot speakFrenchBiTS Okay well listen I wonrsquot take any more of your time Thank you very much for talking tomeGS Ian thank you very much for showing me interest in asking me to speak with youBiTS You underestimate yourself You shouldnrsquot put yourself downGS Alright Thanks very much I very much appreciate it Ian Good luck as well okayBiTS Look after yourself ByeGS Bye

Archie Brown

BiTS INTERVIEW with Teeny TuckerldquoTo be an artist is to believe in liferdquo ndash Henry Moore

Regina B Higginbotham (born January 22 1958) known professionally as Teeny Tucker is anAmerican electric blues and new blues singer and songwriter She is the daughter of the lateTommy Tucker

Teeny Tucker was born in Dayton Ohio United States She sang in her local church choir Herfather a blues performer best known for his 1964 hit song lsquoHimdashHeel Sneakersrsquo died tragically atthe age of 42 in January 1982 on his daughters 24th birthday

I spoke to her on the telephone and although the originalintention was to concentrate on her music an isolationrevelation soon changed thedirection of ourconversation

Despite her association withTommy Tucker she told methat she first performedprofessionally in November 1996

ldquoI had been singing churchmusicrdquo she told me ldquoI got aninvitation from German Bluespromoter and manager who hadpromoted European tours formy father The problem wasrdquoshe said ldquoI didnrsquot really knowany blues songs just churchmusic and gospel So I had to settle down and learn some stuffrdquo

Ms Tucker spent many hours listening to blues music and learning songs including listening tomusic in her car while she was transporting her grandchildren ldquoWhen I put on the musicrdquo shelaughed ldquoTheyrsquod shout out lsquoPut on Johnny Lee Hookerrsquo They got into it like I didrdquo

The tour proved to be a great success and AllMusic noted recently that Teeny Tucker is among agrowing number of female blues belters taking different paths to stardom or wider recognition butshes one of the very best

ldquoI have released five albums to daterdquo She told me ldquo And I have appeared on the same bill with BBKing Koko Taylor Etta James Buddy Guy the Holmes Brothers Robert Cray Keb Mo DeannaBogart Kenny Neal Bobby Rush and John Mayall to name a few

Like all performing musicians she has been caught on the attempt to deal with the ravages of COVID19 and has been isolated at home She has taken to opportunity as many creative people do toexpand her artistic horizons She has started to practice the piano an instrument she had not playedseriously for a long time ldquoI also started to do artworkrdquo she told me ldquoJust Ideas from my mind that Isort of experimented withrdquo

As you can see below she uses a wide range of materials in her work including ldquoAlumin(i)um foilplastic silver party spoons silver spray paint party bowls shower curtain hooks canvas and paintThe artwork has kept me sane and of course learning piano has helped as well [My advice is] try tofind something you enjoy during this crisis

cu nunc ac turpis Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes nascetur ridiculusmus Aliquam vel quam ut tellus gravida faucibus Vivamus justo est elementum vitae malesuadaeu fermentum in sapien Donec sit amet justo In velit Vivamus turpis pede dignissim sedscelerisque nec pretium sit amet dui Nam nec felis non turpis hendrerit varius In ultrices ornarelorem Quisque bibendum massa sed venenatis malesuada diam ipsum blandit urna vel ultriciespede nulla vitae lacus

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetuer adipiscing elit Quisque in augue Donec aliquam magnanonummy enim Proin blandit imperdiet sem Donec malesuada urna sit amet varius aliquam nibhtortor laoreet turpis eget sodales felis nibh ac sapien Fusce eget augue Integer sed risus Aeneanmollis Donec facilisis egestas quam Duis bibendum augue id mauris Sed laoreet tortor vel cursusfringilla turpis elit vestibulum arcu eu varius dolor leo in nulla In sem ipsum faucibus quis variustristique porta eget lorem Curabitur hendrerit diam et mauris Etiam porta nunc euismod duiMaecenas a lectus In hac habitasse platea dictumst Suspendisse id massa Nullam porta velit sedlacus Duis eleifend felis eu euismod lacinia felis erat feugiat nisl vitae congue leo velit a massaQuisque nec justo a turpis posuere tristique

Maecenas condimentum tincidunt lorem Vestibulum vel tellus Sed vulputate Morbi massa nuncconvallis a commodo gravida tincidunt sed turpis Aenean ornare viverra est Maecenas loremAenean euismod iaculis dui Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes nasceturridiculus mus Nulla quam Aenean fermentum turpis sed volutpat dignissim diam risus facilisisnibh sit amet iaculis est turpis non tellus Nunc a mauris Proin eget ligula Nam cursus libero

Vestibulum velit orci bibendum eget molestie eu sagittis non leo Nullam sed enim Duis ac loremLorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetuer adipiscing elit Suspendisse potenti Sed tincidunt variusarcu Mauris vitae arcu sit amet quam condimentum pulvinar Aenean arcu elit accumsan idconsequat ornare lobortis vitae ligula Quisque vitae velit ac sapien placerat suscipit Donec mollisjusto sed justo pellentesque sollicitudin Duis bibendum adipiscing nibh Maecenas diam risusmolestie ut porta et malesuada eget nisi In fermentum leo sed turpis Sed lacus velit consequatin ultricies sit amet malesuada et diam Integer mauris sem convallis ut consequat in sollicitudinsed leo Cras purus elit hendrerit ut egestas eget sagittis at nulla Integer justo dui faucibusdictum convallis sodales accumsan id risus Aenean risus Vestibulum scelerisque placerat sem

In eget sapien vitae massa rhoncus lacinia Nullam at leo nec metus aliquam semper PhasellusTeeny says ldquoPlease in your free time today check out my art websiterdquo

httpsteenysartgallerybigcartelcom

traditional folk music so we called it the Folk and Blues Club We had Doc Ross there Irsquove got arecord of every guest that we had and itrsquos like the whorsquos who of British folk in the rsquo70s and theearly rsquo80s We had JomdashAnne Kelly for example and the likes of Dave Peabody but we also had

some of the American guys Cousin JoePleasant from New Orleans GeorgeJeep Jackson Doctor Ross We even hadHoneyboy Edwards I donrsquot knowwhether you know Honeyboy Edwardsat allBiTS Absolutely I went to a gig afterhe was 90 or whatever age it was ayear or so before he died actuallydown here in DevonGS Yes we had Honeyboy Edwards

probably in the early rsquo80s and by then my interest was starting to become I played with awonderful blues harmonica player Jim Bullock in a duo and that emerged through the folk cluband the folk scene in the northeast but I then progressed to wanting a blues band That happenedin the midmdasheighties and thatrsquos how the band really started to emergeBiTS You kept it on the back burner in order to continue your teaching career is that rightGS Yes it wasnrsquot a deliberate thing to keep it on the back burner it never occurred and to behonest Irsquove always been my greatest critic and Irsquove never really valued myself as a performeruntil the last few years when you canrsquot ignore it when people who know what theyrsquore talkingabout say nice things about you but I never ever thought I was good enough to do anything likethatBiTS Well let me tell you I think your music is magic and letrsquos talk a little bit about the musicYour album recently it just appeared in the IBBA charts and you seem delighted about thisGS Well the band got together in the late rsquo90s and we brought an album out lsquoGot Blues if youWant Itrsquo and that came out very early The band played together for about another five or sixyears and then we didnrsquot fall out or anything we just werenrsquot going anywhere We restartedaround about 2013 and it was the same band basically We were starting to do okay and ofcourse by that time and this has been a huge huge impact upon me we had Facebook but alsothere was a blues scene or blues clubs There were blues gigs and that hadnrsquot really been thesituation in the early noughties and suddenly there was a structure thereThere were blues festivals There was something to aim at and we were doing very well Webroke onto the festival circuit even though sadly itrsquos not what you know itrsquos who you know onthe blues scene It is sad because you would have thought that the people who are interested inblues and the various sentiments that go with that you would have thought they were beyond allof that but no Itrsquos still a question of who you know Yoursquove got to be in with the right peopleYoursquove got to be in with the agents and if you donrsquot get that you donrsquot get the work But I wasquite poorly for a while and when I came out of that we already had some songs that we wantedto do but everything was put on hold for a few months Coming out of the illness we went intothe studio George Lamb and myself We developed these songs and thatrsquos when we recordedlsquoNothing to Losersquo That was possibly I think it might have been March 2018 it might have beenMarch 2017 but we were number one in the top fortyThe month it was released we were number one in the IBBA top forty The second month wewere number two and then that was it I mean I do think that new albums on the blues scene

have got a shelf life in terms of impact of about four months after that it stales quite often youdonrsquot get your money back but we eventuallydid get our money back on lsquoNothing to Losersquo Icontacted the IBBA people just a few weeks agoand said hey itrsquos two years now since we werenumber one and I just offered copies if anyonewanted to listen to it or I could send themdigital copies and the response I got there wasmaybe new people presenting programmes thisyear compared to two years ago So Petercontacted me he says oh yes I wouldnrsquot mind

listening to that and of course as you know itrsquos based on the numbers of plays you get and we gotinto the charts yesBiTS Irsquom a founder member of the IBBA and when we first started a few years ago there were Ithink about 12 of us and therersquos now over 60GS I gathered that yes And I tell you what I think is great about the IBBA I didnrsquot know you werea founder member When did you found the IBBA or when were you involved in the founding of theIBBA What yearBiTS It was let me think about eight years agoGS Right so thatrsquos in line with what I was saying about when the band remdashemerged there wasmore of a structure First of all there was the online radio programmes emerging then there wasthe likes of the IBBA and therersquos the UK Blues Federation now and so therersquos much more of astructure Much more of a blues scene and that falls in line with what I was thinking Yes I think itdoes a wonderful job in first of all encouraging people to be involved in producing radioprogrammes and makes them part of something and then the monthly chart it helps everyone Ithelps the programmes it helps the artists it helps the music Itrsquos part of the projecting of the musicand I think that you do a great job and also one of the things that yoursquove got which I think isabsolutely wonderful is that email address where you can contact everyone Thatrsquos fabulous thatBiTS Thatrsquos a fairly recent innovation We only started that maybe a year or so agoGS Right absolutely wonderful doing thatBiTS I visited your website George before I came to talk to you and there was a mass of gigs theyear before last and a mass of gigs last year yoursquore clearly in the COVID trap along with everybodyIs there any sign of movement againGS No Therersquos two things going on with me and Iwork very closely with George Lamb Obviously welove to gig wersquore both retired Wersquove got the time theenergy and the band as well so we broke into FranceWe started getting gigs in France The last gig we didjust about was Brussels and then everything closesdown so I think therersquos going to be a restart that wersquoregoing to have to involve ourselves in which meansbecause I do all the contacting of gigs and things Wedonrsquot have the agents or managers or anything likethat so I do all of that it will take a while to get thingsoff the ground again but we also in terms of puttingsomething back we also organise gigs We have aweekly speakeasy which has been going for about

Dallas Texas Night skyline

seven years now in Sunderland and gets packed every week and thatrsquos been on hold We also dolarger gigs in Sunderland every two or three months a big gig in a big venue all of that Therersquos alot to get started again and Irsquom also conscious of the fact that there are a lot of performers who arefullmdashtime They really should be getting the priority in terms of when gigs start to remdashemerge Idonrsquot need to play the music to survive A lot of people doBiTS There are clearly a lot of people who are in severe financial difficulty who have no othersource of incomeGS Yes so my heart goes out to them Itrsquos important that I try and get the gigs up and runningthat we organise but also we want to get back playing again Irsquove been in lockdown and I still amuntil August 1st We havenrsquot even been able to George Lamb and I get together and play through afew things try some things we havenrsquot been able to do that but it will not take long for us to be upand ready as a band or of course George and I go out as a duo as well so it wonrsquot take long but Iwould like to see the fullmdashtime fellas get to work firstBiTS George tell me something about your future plans Have you got any plans to go back into

the studio again and make anotheralbumGS Yes I mean Irsquove never been asongwriter I would love to have thoseskills I havenrsquot but Irsquove also neverbeen a copyist There are somewonderful blues players and you cansee them and theyrsquore playing notemdashperfect what Robert Johnson playedIrsquove never been good enough to dothat so what Irsquove always tried to do isto take blues that Irsquom aware of bluesthat I like and then change it so that itbecomes something which is differentbecause you canrsquot improve on

perfection and nothing to lose if theyrsquore all our own songs I think the first step in getting back upand running is to start looking And then maybe the next time we go into the studio rather thanjust being a duo or rather than just being lsquothe bandrsquo it might be that the next album is a mix ofdifferent styles and approaches Therersquos a big band up here Archie Brown amp the Young Bucks beengoing since the midmdashseventies but theyrsquove got an accordion player Wonderful accordion playerand wersquore doing some live gigs with them Irsquom wondering what that can doBiTS Well I do love a bit of Cajun music I must say PerhapshellipGS Oh hersquos fabulous You should hear him my God wonderful stuff The problem is I canrsquot speakFrenchBiTS Okay well listen I wonrsquot take any more of your time Thank you very much for talking tomeGS Ian thank you very much for showing me interest in asking me to speak with youBiTS You underestimate yourself You shouldnrsquot put yourself downGS Alright Thanks very much I very much appreciate it Ian Good luck as well okayBiTS Look after yourself ByeGS Bye

Archie Brown

BiTS INTERVIEW with Teeny TuckerldquoTo be an artist is to believe in liferdquo ndash Henry Moore

Regina B Higginbotham (born January 22 1958) known professionally as Teeny Tucker is anAmerican electric blues and new blues singer and songwriter She is the daughter of the lateTommy Tucker

Teeny Tucker was born in Dayton Ohio United States She sang in her local church choir Herfather a blues performer best known for his 1964 hit song lsquoHimdashHeel Sneakersrsquo died tragically atthe age of 42 in January 1982 on his daughters 24th birthday

I spoke to her on the telephone and although the originalintention was to concentrate on her music an isolationrevelation soon changed thedirection of ourconversation

Despite her association withTommy Tucker she told methat she first performedprofessionally in November 1996

ldquoI had been singing churchmusicrdquo she told me ldquoI got aninvitation from German Bluespromoter and manager who hadpromoted European tours formy father The problem wasrdquoshe said ldquoI didnrsquot really knowany blues songs just churchmusic and gospel So I had to settle down and learn some stuffrdquo

Ms Tucker spent many hours listening to blues music and learning songs including listening tomusic in her car while she was transporting her grandchildren ldquoWhen I put on the musicrdquo shelaughed ldquoTheyrsquod shout out lsquoPut on Johnny Lee Hookerrsquo They got into it like I didrdquo

The tour proved to be a great success and AllMusic noted recently that Teeny Tucker is among agrowing number of female blues belters taking different paths to stardom or wider recognition butshes one of the very best

ldquoI have released five albums to daterdquo She told me ldquo And I have appeared on the same bill with BBKing Koko Taylor Etta James Buddy Guy the Holmes Brothers Robert Cray Keb Mo DeannaBogart Kenny Neal Bobby Rush and John Mayall to name a few

Like all performing musicians she has been caught on the attempt to deal with the ravages of COVID19 and has been isolated at home She has taken to opportunity as many creative people do toexpand her artistic horizons She has started to practice the piano an instrument she had not playedseriously for a long time ldquoI also started to do artworkrdquo she told me ldquoJust Ideas from my mind that Isort of experimented withrdquo

As you can see below she uses a wide range of materials in her work including ldquoAlumin(i)um foilplastic silver party spoons silver spray paint party bowls shower curtain hooks canvas and paintThe artwork has kept me sane and of course learning piano has helped as well [My advice is] try tofind something you enjoy during this crisis

cu nunc ac turpis Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes nascetur ridiculusmus Aliquam vel quam ut tellus gravida faucibus Vivamus justo est elementum vitae malesuadaeu fermentum in sapien Donec sit amet justo In velit Vivamus turpis pede dignissim sedscelerisque nec pretium sit amet dui Nam nec felis non turpis hendrerit varius In ultrices ornarelorem Quisque bibendum massa sed venenatis malesuada diam ipsum blandit urna vel ultriciespede nulla vitae lacus

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetuer adipiscing elit Quisque in augue Donec aliquam magnanonummy enim Proin blandit imperdiet sem Donec malesuada urna sit amet varius aliquam nibhtortor laoreet turpis eget sodales felis nibh ac sapien Fusce eget augue Integer sed risus Aeneanmollis Donec facilisis egestas quam Duis bibendum augue id mauris Sed laoreet tortor vel cursusfringilla turpis elit vestibulum arcu eu varius dolor leo in nulla In sem ipsum faucibus quis variustristique porta eget lorem Curabitur hendrerit diam et mauris Etiam porta nunc euismod duiMaecenas a lectus In hac habitasse platea dictumst Suspendisse id massa Nullam porta velit sedlacus Duis eleifend felis eu euismod lacinia felis erat feugiat nisl vitae congue leo velit a massaQuisque nec justo a turpis posuere tristique

Maecenas condimentum tincidunt lorem Vestibulum vel tellus Sed vulputate Morbi massa nuncconvallis a commodo gravida tincidunt sed turpis Aenean ornare viverra est Maecenas loremAenean euismod iaculis dui Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes nasceturridiculus mus Nulla quam Aenean fermentum turpis sed volutpat dignissim diam risus facilisisnibh sit amet iaculis est turpis non tellus Nunc a mauris Proin eget ligula Nam cursus libero

Vestibulum velit orci bibendum eget molestie eu sagittis non leo Nullam sed enim Duis ac loremLorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetuer adipiscing elit Suspendisse potenti Sed tincidunt variusarcu Mauris vitae arcu sit amet quam condimentum pulvinar Aenean arcu elit accumsan idconsequat ornare lobortis vitae ligula Quisque vitae velit ac sapien placerat suscipit Donec mollisjusto sed justo pellentesque sollicitudin Duis bibendum adipiscing nibh Maecenas diam risusmolestie ut porta et malesuada eget nisi In fermentum leo sed turpis Sed lacus velit consequatin ultricies sit amet malesuada et diam Integer mauris sem convallis ut consequat in sollicitudinsed leo Cras purus elit hendrerit ut egestas eget sagittis at nulla Integer justo dui faucibusdictum convallis sodales accumsan id risus Aenean risus Vestibulum scelerisque placerat sem

In eget sapien vitae massa rhoncus lacinia Nullam at leo nec metus aliquam semper PhasellusTeeny says ldquoPlease in your free time today check out my art websiterdquo

httpsteenysartgallerybigcartelcom

have got a shelf life in terms of impact of about four months after that it stales quite often youdonrsquot get your money back but we eventuallydid get our money back on lsquoNothing to Losersquo Icontacted the IBBA people just a few weeks agoand said hey itrsquos two years now since we werenumber one and I just offered copies if anyonewanted to listen to it or I could send themdigital copies and the response I got there wasmaybe new people presenting programmes thisyear compared to two years ago So Petercontacted me he says oh yes I wouldnrsquot mind

listening to that and of course as you know itrsquos based on the numbers of plays you get and we gotinto the charts yesBiTS Irsquom a founder member of the IBBA and when we first started a few years ago there were Ithink about 12 of us and therersquos now over 60GS I gathered that yes And I tell you what I think is great about the IBBA I didnrsquot know you werea founder member When did you found the IBBA or when were you involved in the founding of theIBBA What yearBiTS It was let me think about eight years agoGS Right so thatrsquos in line with what I was saying about when the band remdashemerged there wasmore of a structure First of all there was the online radio programmes emerging then there wasthe likes of the IBBA and therersquos the UK Blues Federation now and so therersquos much more of astructure Much more of a blues scene and that falls in line with what I was thinking Yes I think itdoes a wonderful job in first of all encouraging people to be involved in producing radioprogrammes and makes them part of something and then the monthly chart it helps everyone Ithelps the programmes it helps the artists it helps the music Itrsquos part of the projecting of the musicand I think that you do a great job and also one of the things that yoursquove got which I think isabsolutely wonderful is that email address where you can contact everyone Thatrsquos fabulous thatBiTS Thatrsquos a fairly recent innovation We only started that maybe a year or so agoGS Right absolutely wonderful doing thatBiTS I visited your website George before I came to talk to you and there was a mass of gigs theyear before last and a mass of gigs last year yoursquore clearly in the COVID trap along with everybodyIs there any sign of movement againGS No Therersquos two things going on with me and Iwork very closely with George Lamb Obviously welove to gig wersquore both retired Wersquove got the time theenergy and the band as well so we broke into FranceWe started getting gigs in France The last gig we didjust about was Brussels and then everything closesdown so I think therersquos going to be a restart that wersquoregoing to have to involve ourselves in which meansbecause I do all the contacting of gigs and things Wedonrsquot have the agents or managers or anything likethat so I do all of that it will take a while to get thingsoff the ground again but we also in terms of puttingsomething back we also organise gigs We have aweekly speakeasy which has been going for about

Dallas Texas Night skyline

seven years now in Sunderland and gets packed every week and thatrsquos been on hold We also dolarger gigs in Sunderland every two or three months a big gig in a big venue all of that Therersquos alot to get started again and Irsquom also conscious of the fact that there are a lot of performers who arefullmdashtime They really should be getting the priority in terms of when gigs start to remdashemerge Idonrsquot need to play the music to survive A lot of people doBiTS There are clearly a lot of people who are in severe financial difficulty who have no othersource of incomeGS Yes so my heart goes out to them Itrsquos important that I try and get the gigs up and runningthat we organise but also we want to get back playing again Irsquove been in lockdown and I still amuntil August 1st We havenrsquot even been able to George Lamb and I get together and play through afew things try some things we havenrsquot been able to do that but it will not take long for us to be upand ready as a band or of course George and I go out as a duo as well so it wonrsquot take long but Iwould like to see the fullmdashtime fellas get to work firstBiTS George tell me something about your future plans Have you got any plans to go back into

the studio again and make anotheralbumGS Yes I mean Irsquove never been asongwriter I would love to have thoseskills I havenrsquot but Irsquove also neverbeen a copyist There are somewonderful blues players and you cansee them and theyrsquore playing notemdashperfect what Robert Johnson playedIrsquove never been good enough to dothat so what Irsquove always tried to do isto take blues that Irsquom aware of bluesthat I like and then change it so that itbecomes something which is differentbecause you canrsquot improve on

perfection and nothing to lose if theyrsquore all our own songs I think the first step in getting back upand running is to start looking And then maybe the next time we go into the studio rather thanjust being a duo or rather than just being lsquothe bandrsquo it might be that the next album is a mix ofdifferent styles and approaches Therersquos a big band up here Archie Brown amp the Young Bucks beengoing since the midmdashseventies but theyrsquove got an accordion player Wonderful accordion playerand wersquore doing some live gigs with them Irsquom wondering what that can doBiTS Well I do love a bit of Cajun music I must say PerhapshellipGS Oh hersquos fabulous You should hear him my God wonderful stuff The problem is I canrsquot speakFrenchBiTS Okay well listen I wonrsquot take any more of your time Thank you very much for talking tomeGS Ian thank you very much for showing me interest in asking me to speak with youBiTS You underestimate yourself You shouldnrsquot put yourself downGS Alright Thanks very much I very much appreciate it Ian Good luck as well okayBiTS Look after yourself ByeGS Bye

Archie Brown

BiTS INTERVIEW with Teeny TuckerldquoTo be an artist is to believe in liferdquo ndash Henry Moore

Regina B Higginbotham (born January 22 1958) known professionally as Teeny Tucker is anAmerican electric blues and new blues singer and songwriter She is the daughter of the lateTommy Tucker

Teeny Tucker was born in Dayton Ohio United States She sang in her local church choir Herfather a blues performer best known for his 1964 hit song lsquoHimdashHeel Sneakersrsquo died tragically atthe age of 42 in January 1982 on his daughters 24th birthday

I spoke to her on the telephone and although the originalintention was to concentrate on her music an isolationrevelation soon changed thedirection of ourconversation

Despite her association withTommy Tucker she told methat she first performedprofessionally in November 1996

ldquoI had been singing churchmusicrdquo she told me ldquoI got aninvitation from German Bluespromoter and manager who hadpromoted European tours formy father The problem wasrdquoshe said ldquoI didnrsquot really knowany blues songs just churchmusic and gospel So I had to settle down and learn some stuffrdquo

Ms Tucker spent many hours listening to blues music and learning songs including listening tomusic in her car while she was transporting her grandchildren ldquoWhen I put on the musicrdquo shelaughed ldquoTheyrsquod shout out lsquoPut on Johnny Lee Hookerrsquo They got into it like I didrdquo

The tour proved to be a great success and AllMusic noted recently that Teeny Tucker is among agrowing number of female blues belters taking different paths to stardom or wider recognition butshes one of the very best

ldquoI have released five albums to daterdquo She told me ldquo And I have appeared on the same bill with BBKing Koko Taylor Etta James Buddy Guy the Holmes Brothers Robert Cray Keb Mo DeannaBogart Kenny Neal Bobby Rush and John Mayall to name a few

Like all performing musicians she has been caught on the attempt to deal with the ravages of COVID19 and has been isolated at home She has taken to opportunity as many creative people do toexpand her artistic horizons She has started to practice the piano an instrument she had not playedseriously for a long time ldquoI also started to do artworkrdquo she told me ldquoJust Ideas from my mind that Isort of experimented withrdquo

As you can see below she uses a wide range of materials in her work including ldquoAlumin(i)um foilplastic silver party spoons silver spray paint party bowls shower curtain hooks canvas and paintThe artwork has kept me sane and of course learning piano has helped as well [My advice is] try tofind something you enjoy during this crisis

cu nunc ac turpis Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes nascetur ridiculusmus Aliquam vel quam ut tellus gravida faucibus Vivamus justo est elementum vitae malesuadaeu fermentum in sapien Donec sit amet justo In velit Vivamus turpis pede dignissim sedscelerisque nec pretium sit amet dui Nam nec felis non turpis hendrerit varius In ultrices ornarelorem Quisque bibendum massa sed venenatis malesuada diam ipsum blandit urna vel ultriciespede nulla vitae lacus

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetuer adipiscing elit Quisque in augue Donec aliquam magnanonummy enim Proin blandit imperdiet sem Donec malesuada urna sit amet varius aliquam nibhtortor laoreet turpis eget sodales felis nibh ac sapien Fusce eget augue Integer sed risus Aeneanmollis Donec facilisis egestas quam Duis bibendum augue id mauris Sed laoreet tortor vel cursusfringilla turpis elit vestibulum arcu eu varius dolor leo in nulla In sem ipsum faucibus quis variustristique porta eget lorem Curabitur hendrerit diam et mauris Etiam porta nunc euismod duiMaecenas a lectus In hac habitasse platea dictumst Suspendisse id massa Nullam porta velit sedlacus Duis eleifend felis eu euismod lacinia felis erat feugiat nisl vitae congue leo velit a massaQuisque nec justo a turpis posuere tristique

Maecenas condimentum tincidunt lorem Vestibulum vel tellus Sed vulputate Morbi massa nuncconvallis a commodo gravida tincidunt sed turpis Aenean ornare viverra est Maecenas loremAenean euismod iaculis dui Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes nasceturridiculus mus Nulla quam Aenean fermentum turpis sed volutpat dignissim diam risus facilisisnibh sit amet iaculis est turpis non tellus Nunc a mauris Proin eget ligula Nam cursus libero

Vestibulum velit orci bibendum eget molestie eu sagittis non leo Nullam sed enim Duis ac loremLorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetuer adipiscing elit Suspendisse potenti Sed tincidunt variusarcu Mauris vitae arcu sit amet quam condimentum pulvinar Aenean arcu elit accumsan idconsequat ornare lobortis vitae ligula Quisque vitae velit ac sapien placerat suscipit Donec mollisjusto sed justo pellentesque sollicitudin Duis bibendum adipiscing nibh Maecenas diam risusmolestie ut porta et malesuada eget nisi In fermentum leo sed turpis Sed lacus velit consequatin ultricies sit amet malesuada et diam Integer mauris sem convallis ut consequat in sollicitudinsed leo Cras purus elit hendrerit ut egestas eget sagittis at nulla Integer justo dui faucibusdictum convallis sodales accumsan id risus Aenean risus Vestibulum scelerisque placerat sem

In eget sapien vitae massa rhoncus lacinia Nullam at leo nec metus aliquam semper PhasellusTeeny says ldquoPlease in your free time today check out my art websiterdquo

httpsteenysartgallerybigcartelcom

Dallas Texas Night skyline

seven years now in Sunderland and gets packed every week and thatrsquos been on hold We also dolarger gigs in Sunderland every two or three months a big gig in a big venue all of that Therersquos alot to get started again and Irsquom also conscious of the fact that there are a lot of performers who arefullmdashtime They really should be getting the priority in terms of when gigs start to remdashemerge Idonrsquot need to play the music to survive A lot of people doBiTS There are clearly a lot of people who are in severe financial difficulty who have no othersource of incomeGS Yes so my heart goes out to them Itrsquos important that I try and get the gigs up and runningthat we organise but also we want to get back playing again Irsquove been in lockdown and I still amuntil August 1st We havenrsquot even been able to George Lamb and I get together and play through afew things try some things we havenrsquot been able to do that but it will not take long for us to be upand ready as a band or of course George and I go out as a duo as well so it wonrsquot take long but Iwould like to see the fullmdashtime fellas get to work firstBiTS George tell me something about your future plans Have you got any plans to go back into

the studio again and make anotheralbumGS Yes I mean Irsquove never been asongwriter I would love to have thoseskills I havenrsquot but Irsquove also neverbeen a copyist There are somewonderful blues players and you cansee them and theyrsquore playing notemdashperfect what Robert Johnson playedIrsquove never been good enough to dothat so what Irsquove always tried to do isto take blues that Irsquom aware of bluesthat I like and then change it so that itbecomes something which is differentbecause you canrsquot improve on

perfection and nothing to lose if theyrsquore all our own songs I think the first step in getting back upand running is to start looking And then maybe the next time we go into the studio rather thanjust being a duo or rather than just being lsquothe bandrsquo it might be that the next album is a mix ofdifferent styles and approaches Therersquos a big band up here Archie Brown amp the Young Bucks beengoing since the midmdashseventies but theyrsquove got an accordion player Wonderful accordion playerand wersquore doing some live gigs with them Irsquom wondering what that can doBiTS Well I do love a bit of Cajun music I must say PerhapshellipGS Oh hersquos fabulous You should hear him my God wonderful stuff The problem is I canrsquot speakFrenchBiTS Okay well listen I wonrsquot take any more of your time Thank you very much for talking tomeGS Ian thank you very much for showing me interest in asking me to speak with youBiTS You underestimate yourself You shouldnrsquot put yourself downGS Alright Thanks very much I very much appreciate it Ian Good luck as well okayBiTS Look after yourself ByeGS Bye

Archie Brown

BiTS INTERVIEW with Teeny TuckerldquoTo be an artist is to believe in liferdquo ndash Henry Moore

Regina B Higginbotham (born January 22 1958) known professionally as Teeny Tucker is anAmerican electric blues and new blues singer and songwriter She is the daughter of the lateTommy Tucker

Teeny Tucker was born in Dayton Ohio United States She sang in her local church choir Herfather a blues performer best known for his 1964 hit song lsquoHimdashHeel Sneakersrsquo died tragically atthe age of 42 in January 1982 on his daughters 24th birthday

I spoke to her on the telephone and although the originalintention was to concentrate on her music an isolationrevelation soon changed thedirection of ourconversation

Despite her association withTommy Tucker she told methat she first performedprofessionally in November 1996

ldquoI had been singing churchmusicrdquo she told me ldquoI got aninvitation from German Bluespromoter and manager who hadpromoted European tours formy father The problem wasrdquoshe said ldquoI didnrsquot really knowany blues songs just churchmusic and gospel So I had to settle down and learn some stuffrdquo

Ms Tucker spent many hours listening to blues music and learning songs including listening tomusic in her car while she was transporting her grandchildren ldquoWhen I put on the musicrdquo shelaughed ldquoTheyrsquod shout out lsquoPut on Johnny Lee Hookerrsquo They got into it like I didrdquo

The tour proved to be a great success and AllMusic noted recently that Teeny Tucker is among agrowing number of female blues belters taking different paths to stardom or wider recognition butshes one of the very best

ldquoI have released five albums to daterdquo She told me ldquo And I have appeared on the same bill with BBKing Koko Taylor Etta James Buddy Guy the Holmes Brothers Robert Cray Keb Mo DeannaBogart Kenny Neal Bobby Rush and John Mayall to name a few

Like all performing musicians she has been caught on the attempt to deal with the ravages of COVID19 and has been isolated at home She has taken to opportunity as many creative people do toexpand her artistic horizons She has started to practice the piano an instrument she had not playedseriously for a long time ldquoI also started to do artworkrdquo she told me ldquoJust Ideas from my mind that Isort of experimented withrdquo

As you can see below she uses a wide range of materials in her work including ldquoAlumin(i)um foilplastic silver party spoons silver spray paint party bowls shower curtain hooks canvas and paintThe artwork has kept me sane and of course learning piano has helped as well [My advice is] try tofind something you enjoy during this crisis

cu nunc ac turpis Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes nascetur ridiculusmus Aliquam vel quam ut tellus gravida faucibus Vivamus justo est elementum vitae malesuadaeu fermentum in sapien Donec sit amet justo In velit Vivamus turpis pede dignissim sedscelerisque nec pretium sit amet dui Nam nec felis non turpis hendrerit varius In ultrices ornarelorem Quisque bibendum massa sed venenatis malesuada diam ipsum blandit urna vel ultriciespede nulla vitae lacus

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetuer adipiscing elit Quisque in augue Donec aliquam magnanonummy enim Proin blandit imperdiet sem Donec malesuada urna sit amet varius aliquam nibhtortor laoreet turpis eget sodales felis nibh ac sapien Fusce eget augue Integer sed risus Aeneanmollis Donec facilisis egestas quam Duis bibendum augue id mauris Sed laoreet tortor vel cursusfringilla turpis elit vestibulum arcu eu varius dolor leo in nulla In sem ipsum faucibus quis variustristique porta eget lorem Curabitur hendrerit diam et mauris Etiam porta nunc euismod duiMaecenas a lectus In hac habitasse platea dictumst Suspendisse id massa Nullam porta velit sedlacus Duis eleifend felis eu euismod lacinia felis erat feugiat nisl vitae congue leo velit a massaQuisque nec justo a turpis posuere tristique

Maecenas condimentum tincidunt lorem Vestibulum vel tellus Sed vulputate Morbi massa nuncconvallis a commodo gravida tincidunt sed turpis Aenean ornare viverra est Maecenas loremAenean euismod iaculis dui Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes nasceturridiculus mus Nulla quam Aenean fermentum turpis sed volutpat dignissim diam risus facilisisnibh sit amet iaculis est turpis non tellus Nunc a mauris Proin eget ligula Nam cursus libero

Vestibulum velit orci bibendum eget molestie eu sagittis non leo Nullam sed enim Duis ac loremLorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetuer adipiscing elit Suspendisse potenti Sed tincidunt variusarcu Mauris vitae arcu sit amet quam condimentum pulvinar Aenean arcu elit accumsan idconsequat ornare lobortis vitae ligula Quisque vitae velit ac sapien placerat suscipit Donec mollisjusto sed justo pellentesque sollicitudin Duis bibendum adipiscing nibh Maecenas diam risusmolestie ut porta et malesuada eget nisi In fermentum leo sed turpis Sed lacus velit consequatin ultricies sit amet malesuada et diam Integer mauris sem convallis ut consequat in sollicitudinsed leo Cras purus elit hendrerit ut egestas eget sagittis at nulla Integer justo dui faucibusdictum convallis sodales accumsan id risus Aenean risus Vestibulum scelerisque placerat sem

In eget sapien vitae massa rhoncus lacinia Nullam at leo nec metus aliquam semper PhasellusTeeny says ldquoPlease in your free time today check out my art websiterdquo

httpsteenysartgallerybigcartelcom

BiTS INTERVIEW with Teeny TuckerldquoTo be an artist is to believe in liferdquo ndash Henry Moore

Regina B Higginbotham (born January 22 1958) known professionally as Teeny Tucker is anAmerican electric blues and new blues singer and songwriter She is the daughter of the lateTommy Tucker

Teeny Tucker was born in Dayton Ohio United States She sang in her local church choir Herfather a blues performer best known for his 1964 hit song lsquoHimdashHeel Sneakersrsquo died tragically atthe age of 42 in January 1982 on his daughters 24th birthday

I spoke to her on the telephone and although the originalintention was to concentrate on her music an isolationrevelation soon changed thedirection of ourconversation

Despite her association withTommy Tucker she told methat she first performedprofessionally in November 1996

ldquoI had been singing churchmusicrdquo she told me ldquoI got aninvitation from German Bluespromoter and manager who hadpromoted European tours formy father The problem wasrdquoshe said ldquoI didnrsquot really knowany blues songs just churchmusic and gospel So I had to settle down and learn some stuffrdquo

Ms Tucker spent many hours listening to blues music and learning songs including listening tomusic in her car while she was transporting her grandchildren ldquoWhen I put on the musicrdquo shelaughed ldquoTheyrsquod shout out lsquoPut on Johnny Lee Hookerrsquo They got into it like I didrdquo

The tour proved to be a great success and AllMusic noted recently that Teeny Tucker is among agrowing number of female blues belters taking different paths to stardom or wider recognition butshes one of the very best

ldquoI have released five albums to daterdquo She told me ldquo And I have appeared on the same bill with BBKing Koko Taylor Etta James Buddy Guy the Holmes Brothers Robert Cray Keb Mo DeannaBogart Kenny Neal Bobby Rush and John Mayall to name a few

Like all performing musicians she has been caught on the attempt to deal with the ravages of COVID19 and has been isolated at home She has taken to opportunity as many creative people do toexpand her artistic horizons She has started to practice the piano an instrument she had not playedseriously for a long time ldquoI also started to do artworkrdquo she told me ldquoJust Ideas from my mind that Isort of experimented withrdquo

As you can see below she uses a wide range of materials in her work including ldquoAlumin(i)um foilplastic silver party spoons silver spray paint party bowls shower curtain hooks canvas and paintThe artwork has kept me sane and of course learning piano has helped as well [My advice is] try tofind something you enjoy during this crisis

cu nunc ac turpis Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes nascetur ridiculusmus Aliquam vel quam ut tellus gravida faucibus Vivamus justo est elementum vitae malesuadaeu fermentum in sapien Donec sit amet justo In velit Vivamus turpis pede dignissim sedscelerisque nec pretium sit amet dui Nam nec felis non turpis hendrerit varius In ultrices ornarelorem Quisque bibendum massa sed venenatis malesuada diam ipsum blandit urna vel ultriciespede nulla vitae lacus

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetuer adipiscing elit Quisque in augue Donec aliquam magnanonummy enim Proin blandit imperdiet sem Donec malesuada urna sit amet varius aliquam nibhtortor laoreet turpis eget sodales felis nibh ac sapien Fusce eget augue Integer sed risus Aeneanmollis Donec facilisis egestas quam Duis bibendum augue id mauris Sed laoreet tortor vel cursusfringilla turpis elit vestibulum arcu eu varius dolor leo in nulla In sem ipsum faucibus quis variustristique porta eget lorem Curabitur hendrerit diam et mauris Etiam porta nunc euismod duiMaecenas a lectus In hac habitasse platea dictumst Suspendisse id massa Nullam porta velit sedlacus Duis eleifend felis eu euismod lacinia felis erat feugiat nisl vitae congue leo velit a massaQuisque nec justo a turpis posuere tristique

Maecenas condimentum tincidunt lorem Vestibulum vel tellus Sed vulputate Morbi massa nuncconvallis a commodo gravida tincidunt sed turpis Aenean ornare viverra est Maecenas loremAenean euismod iaculis dui Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes nasceturridiculus mus Nulla quam Aenean fermentum turpis sed volutpat dignissim diam risus facilisisnibh sit amet iaculis est turpis non tellus Nunc a mauris Proin eget ligula Nam cursus libero

Vestibulum velit orci bibendum eget molestie eu sagittis non leo Nullam sed enim Duis ac loremLorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetuer adipiscing elit Suspendisse potenti Sed tincidunt variusarcu Mauris vitae arcu sit amet quam condimentum pulvinar Aenean arcu elit accumsan idconsequat ornare lobortis vitae ligula Quisque vitae velit ac sapien placerat suscipit Donec mollisjusto sed justo pellentesque sollicitudin Duis bibendum adipiscing nibh Maecenas diam risusmolestie ut porta et malesuada eget nisi In fermentum leo sed turpis Sed lacus velit consequatin ultricies sit amet malesuada et diam Integer mauris sem convallis ut consequat in sollicitudinsed leo Cras purus elit hendrerit ut egestas eget sagittis at nulla Integer justo dui faucibusdictum convallis sodales accumsan id risus Aenean risus Vestibulum scelerisque placerat sem

In eget sapien vitae massa rhoncus lacinia Nullam at leo nec metus aliquam semper PhasellusTeeny says ldquoPlease in your free time today check out my art websiterdquo

httpsteenysartgallerybigcartelcom

Like all performing musicians she has been caught on the attempt to deal with the ravages of COVID19 and has been isolated at home She has taken to opportunity as many creative people do toexpand her artistic horizons She has started to practice the piano an instrument she had not playedseriously for a long time ldquoI also started to do artworkrdquo she told me ldquoJust Ideas from my mind that Isort of experimented withrdquo

As you can see below she uses a wide range of materials in her work including ldquoAlumin(i)um foilplastic silver party spoons silver spray paint party bowls shower curtain hooks canvas and paintThe artwork has kept me sane and of course learning piano has helped as well [My advice is] try tofind something you enjoy during this crisis

cu nunc ac turpis Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes nascetur ridiculusmus Aliquam vel quam ut tellus gravida faucibus Vivamus justo est elementum vitae malesuadaeu fermentum in sapien Donec sit amet justo In velit Vivamus turpis pede dignissim sedscelerisque nec pretium sit amet dui Nam nec felis non turpis hendrerit varius In ultrices ornarelorem Quisque bibendum massa sed venenatis malesuada diam ipsum blandit urna vel ultriciespede nulla vitae lacus

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetuer adipiscing elit Quisque in augue Donec aliquam magnanonummy enim Proin blandit imperdiet sem Donec malesuada urna sit amet varius aliquam nibhtortor laoreet turpis eget sodales felis nibh ac sapien Fusce eget augue Integer sed risus Aeneanmollis Donec facilisis egestas quam Duis bibendum augue id mauris Sed laoreet tortor vel cursusfringilla turpis elit vestibulum arcu eu varius dolor leo in nulla In sem ipsum faucibus quis variustristique porta eget lorem Curabitur hendrerit diam et mauris Etiam porta nunc euismod duiMaecenas a lectus In hac habitasse platea dictumst Suspendisse id massa Nullam porta velit sedlacus Duis eleifend felis eu euismod lacinia felis erat feugiat nisl vitae congue leo velit a massaQuisque nec justo a turpis posuere tristique

Maecenas condimentum tincidunt lorem Vestibulum vel tellus Sed vulputate Morbi massa nuncconvallis a commodo gravida tincidunt sed turpis Aenean ornare viverra est Maecenas loremAenean euismod iaculis dui Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes nasceturridiculus mus Nulla quam Aenean fermentum turpis sed volutpat dignissim diam risus facilisisnibh sit amet iaculis est turpis non tellus Nunc a mauris Proin eget ligula Nam cursus libero

Vestibulum velit orci bibendum eget molestie eu sagittis non leo Nullam sed enim Duis ac loremLorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetuer adipiscing elit Suspendisse potenti Sed tincidunt variusarcu Mauris vitae arcu sit amet quam condimentum pulvinar Aenean arcu elit accumsan idconsequat ornare lobortis vitae ligula Quisque vitae velit ac sapien placerat suscipit Donec mollisjusto sed justo pellentesque sollicitudin Duis bibendum adipiscing nibh Maecenas diam risusmolestie ut porta et malesuada eget nisi In fermentum leo sed turpis Sed lacus velit consequatin ultricies sit amet malesuada et diam Integer mauris sem convallis ut consequat in sollicitudinsed leo Cras purus elit hendrerit ut egestas eget sagittis at nulla Integer justo dui faucibusdictum convallis sodales accumsan id risus Aenean risus Vestibulum scelerisque placerat sem

In eget sapien vitae massa rhoncus lacinia Nullam at leo nec metus aliquam semper PhasellusTeeny says ldquoPlease in your free time today check out my art websiterdquo

httpsteenysartgallerybigcartelcom

Press Release

2020 Blues Blast Music Award voting is now open

From Blues Blast Magazine mdash wwwBluesBlastMagazinecom

Fan voting in the 2020 Blues Blast Music Awards is now open and continues until September 52020 on our website at BluesBlastMagazinecom

Voting is free and open to anyone who is a Blues Blast Magazine subscriber You may only vote onetime CLICK HERE to vote now

If you are not currently a subscriber you may vote anyway and your vote will count You areautomatically signed up as a subscriber to our free magazine as part of the voting process BluesBlast Magazine subscriptions are always FREE and you may unsubscribe at any time at the bottomof each issue

The nominees are listed below and also on our websiteathttpwwwbluesblastmagazinecom13thmdashannualmdashbluesmdashblastmdashmusicmdashawardsmdashnomineesClick on the artists name in the list below to visit their website for more information and to buytheir music

The Blues Blast Music Awards are presented by Blues Blast Magazine the largest FREE weeklyInternet Blues magazine with over 38000 Blues fan subscribers located in all 50 states and in morethan 90 countries

Blues Blast Music Award NomineesContemporary Blues Album

Victor Wainwright And The Train mdash Memphis Loud

Various Artists mdash Dont Pass Me By A Tribute To Sean Costello

Toronzo Cannon mdash The Preacher The Politician Or The Pimp

The Jimmys mdash Gotta Have It

Rick Estrin amp The Nightcats mdash Contemporary

Christone Kingfish Ingram mdash Kingfish

Traditional Blues Album

The Nick Moss Band Featuring Dennis Gruenling mdash Lucky Guy

Junior Watson mdash Nothin To It But To Do It

John Primer amp Bob Corritore mdash The Gypsy Woman Told Me

Jimmy Johnson mdash Every Day Of Your Life

Cash Box Kings mdash Hail To The Kings

Billy Branch amp The Sons Of Blues mdash Roots And Branches mdash The Songs Of Little Walter

Soul Blues Album

Tad Robinson mdash Real Street

Reverend John Lee Hooker Jr mdash Testify

Frank Bey mdash All My Dues Are Paid

Bobby Rush mdash Sitting on Top of the Blues

Billy Price mdash Dog Eat Dog

Annika Chambers mdash Kiss My Sass

Toronzo Cannon

Junior Watson

Annika Chambers

Rock Blues Album

Tinsley Ellis mdash Ice Cream In Hell

The Proven Ones mdash You Aint Done

Mike Zito and Friends mdash Rock N Roll mdash A Tribute To Chuck Berry

Jeremiah Johnson mdash Heavens To Betsy

Coco Montoya mdash Coming In Hot

Albert Castiglia mdash Masterpiece

Acoustic Blues Album

Mark Telesca mdash Higher Vibrations

Libby Rae Watson amp Bert Deivert mdash She Shimmy

Hudspeth amp Taylor mdash Folie a deux

Catfish Keith mdash Catfish Crawl

Bob Margolin mdash This Guitar amp Tonight

Bai Kamara Jr amp The Voodoo Sniffers mdash Salone

Live Blues Album

Teresa James amp the Rhythm Tramps mdash Live

Ruthie Foster mdash Live at The Paramount

Linsey Alexander mdash Live At Rosas

Johnny Burgin mdash Live

Ben Racine Band mdash Live Agrave Montreacuteal

Albert Castiglia mdash Wild and Free

Historical Or Vintage Recording

Various Artists mdash Cadillac Babys Bea amp Baby Records mdash The Definitive Collection

Albert Castiglia

Hudspeth amp Taylor

Ruthie Foster

Johnny Shines mdash The Blues Came Falling Down mdash Live 1973 Jack Mack amp The Heart Attack mdash Live from Centennial Park mdash Atlanta 1996

Dom Flemons mdash Prospect Hill The American Songster Omnibus

11 Guys Quartet mdash Small Blues and Grooves

New Artist Debut Album

Slim And The Perkolators

Sister Lucile mdash Alive

Jose Ramirez mdash Here I Come

Hudspeth amp Taylor mdash Folie a deux

Avey Grouws Band mdash The Devil May Care

Andrew Alli mdash Hard Workin Man

Blues Band

Roomful Of Blues

Rick Estrin amp The Nightcats

Nick Moss Band Featuring Dennis Gruenling

Cash Box Kings

Billy Branch amp The Sons Of The Blues

BB King Blues Band

Male Blues Artist

Toronzo Cannon

Nick Moss

Christone Kingfish Ingram

Bobby Rush

Billy Branch

Sister Lucille

Kingfish

Beth Hart

Annika Chambers

Sean Costello Rising Star Award

The Mary Jo Curry Band

Ryan Perry

King Solomon Hicks

Jose Ramirez

Ben Levin

Andrew AlliClick here to view the online version which has links to artistsrsquo web sites

King Soloman Hicks

Rock Blues Album

Tinsley Ellis mdash Ice Cream In Hell

The Proven Ones mdash You Aint Done

Mike Zito and Friends mdash Rock N Roll mdash A Tribute To Chuck Berry

Jeremiah Johnson mdash Heavens To Betsy

Coco Montoya mdash Coming In Hot

Albert Castiglia mdash Masterpiece

Acoustic Blues Album

Mark Telesca mdash Higher Vibrations

Libby Rae Watson amp Bert Deivert mdash She Shimmy

Hudspeth amp Taylor mdash Folie a deux

Catfish Keith mdash Catfish Crawl

Bob Margolin mdash This Guitar amp Tonight

Bai Kamara Jr amp The Voodoo Sniffers mdash Salone

Live Blues Album

Teresa James amp the Rhythm Tramps mdash Live

Ruthie Foster mdash Live at The Paramount

Linsey Alexander mdash Live At Rosas

Johnny Burgin mdash Live

Ben Racine Band mdash Live Agrave Montreacuteal

Albert Castiglia mdash Wild and Free

Historical Or Vintage Recording

Various Artists mdash Cadillac Babys Bea amp Baby Records mdash The Definitive Collection

Albert Castiglia

Hudspeth amp Taylor

Ruthie Foster

Johnny Shines mdash The Blues Came Falling Down mdash Live 1973 Jack Mack amp The Heart Attack mdash Live from Centennial Park mdash Atlanta 1996

Dom Flemons mdash Prospect Hill The American Songster Omnibus

11 Guys Quartet mdash Small Blues and Grooves

New Artist Debut Album

Slim And The Perkolators

Sister Lucile mdash Alive

Jose Ramirez mdash Here I Come

Hudspeth amp Taylor mdash Folie a deux

Avey Grouws Band mdash The Devil May Care

Andrew Alli mdash Hard Workin Man

Blues Band

Roomful Of Blues

Rick Estrin amp The Nightcats

Nick Moss Band Featuring Dennis Gruenling

Cash Box Kings

Billy Branch amp The Sons Of The Blues

BB King Blues Band

Male Blues Artist

Toronzo Cannon

Nick Moss

Christone Kingfish Ingram

Bobby Rush

Billy Branch

Sister Lucille

Kingfish

Beth Hart

Annika Chambers

Sean Costello Rising Star Award

The Mary Jo Curry Band

Ryan Perry

King Solomon Hicks

Jose Ramirez

Ben Levin

Andrew AlliClick here to view the online version which has links to artistsrsquo web sites

King Soloman Hicks

Johnny Shines mdash The Blues Came Falling Down mdash Live 1973 Jack Mack amp The Heart Attack mdash Live from Centennial Park mdash Atlanta 1996

Dom Flemons mdash Prospect Hill The American Songster Omnibus

11 Guys Quartet mdash Small Blues and Grooves

New Artist Debut Album

Slim And The Perkolators

Sister Lucile mdash Alive

Jose Ramirez mdash Here I Come

Hudspeth amp Taylor mdash Folie a deux

Avey Grouws Band mdash The Devil May Care

Andrew Alli mdash Hard Workin Man

Blues Band

Roomful Of Blues

Rick Estrin amp The Nightcats

Nick Moss Band Featuring Dennis Gruenling

Cash Box Kings

Billy Branch amp The Sons Of The Blues

BB King Blues Band

Male Blues Artist

Toronzo Cannon

Nick Moss

Christone Kingfish Ingram

Bobby Rush

Billy Branch

Sister Lucille

Kingfish

Beth Hart

Annika Chambers

Sean Costello Rising Star Award

The Mary Jo Curry Band

Ryan Perry

King Solomon Hicks

Jose Ramirez

Ben Levin

Andrew AlliClick here to view the online version which has links to artistsrsquo web sites

King Soloman Hicks

Beth Hart

Annika Chambers

Sean Costello Rising Star Award

The Mary Jo Curry Band

Ryan Perry

King Solomon Hicks

Jose Ramirez

Ben Levin

Andrew AlliClick here to view the online version which has links to artistsrsquo web sites

King Soloman Hicks

Maple Blues Awards Going Virtual in 2021

The 24th Annual Maple Blues Awards will be held online February 1 2021

Toronto Blues Societys annual national awards show the Maple Blues Awards is going virtual on itsnext edition which will take place on Monday February 1 2021 The Board of directors of TBS has beenfaced with the difficult decision considering the ongoing global pandemic The Maple Blues Awardsnominees will be announced in October with public voting in eligible categories still taking placeduring the month of November 2020 and the winners will be announced during the online awards showon February 1 2021

Derek Andrews President of Toronto Blues Society said ldquoThe uncertainty of live music events hasforced us to err on the side of caution by celebrating the best in Canadarsquos blues virtually with noboundaries worldwiderdquo

In addition the tenth biennial Blues Summit conference and showcase was to be held January 29th ndashFebruary 1st 2021 but the decision has been made to move the event to January 28th mdash31st 2022Details to follow

Now in its 35th year The Toronto Blues Society is a nonmdashprofit membership organization dedicated tothe promotion and preservation of the Blues The Maple Blues Awards is Canadas national bluesawards program Its goal is to promote blues music across Canada and to recognize outstandingachievement in the field

Matt Long

BiTS and Pieces Stuff and occasional nonsense

TAKE ANOTHER LISTENHere we go again sifting through the old cd collection and havinganother listen this album came into our household twenty four yearsago Although I thought it was good back then its amazing howmuch better things can sound after a while of not hearing themIn 1996 Rounder Records released The Persuasions cd Sincerelyon their Bullseye Blues series (BB 9576) This vocal group werediscovered by Frank Zappa around 1968 who then flew them toLos Angeles to record their first albumThese guys are without doubt the genuine article when it comesto the doomdashwop acapella style using only their voices and noother instrumentsI gotta tell you if this group were practising under the streetlight opposite our house the windows would be wide open and

Id probably be hanging out of emThis cd includes their version of Members Only and a truly stunning rendition of Lets

Get Married SincerelySadly most of the original group of gifted vocalists have passed and at time of this writing June 2020only Little Jayotis Washington survives

Bob Pearce

HERMONICASCOMmdashWOMEN WHO PLAY BLUES HARP ANDMORE

American blues radio DJ Norman Davis has been in love with themedium since his first radio appearance at the age of five when heplayed his violin on an early morning religious program sponsoredby his grandmotherrsquos church The rest mdash as they say mdash is history

His broadcast career began at KGEM in 1954 in his hometown ofBoise Idaho (US) and continued on at different radio stations insuch US cities as Spokane San Francisco Denver Kansas City

Portland Los Angeles to name a few His broadcast journey has takenhim full circle back to Boise where he currently hosts his syndicated ldquoMidnight

Flyerrdquo 2mdashhour blues show and his ldquoThe Juke Jointrdquoshow on KRBX Radio Boise

Davis has interviewed a slew of blues artistsincluding Roy Buchanan Jimmy Reed HoneyboyEdwards Gatemouth Brown Barbara Dane SnookyPrior Odetta Paul deLay and John Mayall just toname a few Along the way he became interested inwomen who play the harp Noting that there wasnrsquota lot of attention out there to these talented ladieshe did a little research Norman stumbled upon suchfemale harp players as Gaye Agegbaloloa from thegroup Saffire The Uppity Blues Woman and KatBaloun an American player who successfullyrelocated to Berlin Lo and behold helliphellipwwwhermonicascom was born

I asked Norman to tell us a bit about ldquoHermonicasrdquo This is what he told me helliphellip

LL What inspired you to create the Hermonicas website

ND I played a recording by Big Mama Thornton on my radio show There was a nice harmonica soloon it and I looked to see who it was To my surprise it was Big Mama It was the first time Irsquod hearda woman playing the mouth harp and got me to wondering if there were others My research turnedup several more but I was shocked at how little attention had been paid to these women There wasno website that featured woman harmonica players so I decided to start one I was talking to afriend about this and he misspoke and said ldquohermonicardquo instead of ldquoharmonicardquo ldquoThatrsquos itrdquo Ishouted ldquoThatrsquos the name for my websiterdquo

One of the other things I did to promote women harp players was to produce a double CD albumreleased in 2015 on Ruf Records The album features 29 of the ldquoHermonicasrdquo women harmonicaplayers and is still the only album ever made to feature these women It is titled Blues HarpWomen

B

Matt Long

BiTS and Pieces Stuff and occasional nonsense

TAKE ANOTHER LISTENHere we go again sifting through the old cd collection and havinganother listen this album came into our household twenty four yearsago Although I thought it was good back then its amazing howmuch better things can sound after a while of not hearing themIn 1996 Rounder Records released The Persuasions cd Sincerelyon their Bullseye Blues series (BB 9576) This vocal group werediscovered by Frank Zappa around 1968 who then flew them toLos Angeles to record their first albumThese guys are without doubt the genuine article when it comesto the doomdashwop acapella style using only their voices and noother instrumentsI gotta tell you if this group were practising under the streetlight opposite our house the windows would be wide open and

Id probably be hanging out of emThis cd includes their version of Members Only and a truly stunning rendition of Lets

Get Married SincerelySadly most of the original group of gifted vocalists have passed and at time of this writing June 2020only Little Jayotis Washington survives

Bob Pearce

HERMONICASCOMmdashWOMEN WHO PLAY BLUES HARP ANDMORE

American blues radio DJ Norman Davis has been in love with themedium since his first radio appearance at the age of five when heplayed his violin on an early morning religious program sponsoredby his grandmotherrsquos church The rest mdash as they say mdash is history

His broadcast career began at KGEM in 1954 in his hometown ofBoise Idaho (US) and continued on at different radio stations insuch US cities as Spokane San Francisco Denver Kansas City

Portland Los Angeles to name a few His broadcast journey has takenhim full circle back to Boise where he currently hosts his syndicated ldquoMidnight

Flyerrdquo 2mdashhour blues show and his ldquoThe Juke Jointrdquoshow on KRBX Radio Boise

Davis has interviewed a slew of blues artistsincluding Roy Buchanan Jimmy Reed HoneyboyEdwards Gatemouth Brown Barbara Dane SnookyPrior Odetta Paul deLay and John Mayall just toname a few Along the way he became interested inwomen who play the harp Noting that there wasnrsquota lot of attention out there to these talented ladieshe did a little research Norman stumbled upon suchfemale harp players as Gaye Agegbaloloa from thegroup Saffire The Uppity Blues Woman and KatBaloun an American player who successfullyrelocated to Berlin Lo and behold helliphellipwwwhermonicascom was born

I asked Norman to tell us a bit about ldquoHermonicasrdquo This is what he told me helliphellip

LL What inspired you to create the Hermonicas website

ND I played a recording by Big Mama Thornton on my radio show There was a nice harmonica soloon it and I looked to see who it was To my surprise it was Big Mama It was the first time Irsquod hearda woman playing the mouth harp and got me to wondering if there were others My research turnedup several more but I was shocked at how little attention had been paid to these women There wasno website that featured woman harmonica players so I decided to start one I was talking to afriend about this and he misspoke and said ldquohermonicardquo instead of ldquoharmonicardquo ldquoThatrsquos itrdquo Ishouted ldquoThatrsquos the name for my websiterdquo

One of the other things I did to promote women harp players was to produce a double CD albumreleased in 2015 on Ruf Records The album features 29 of the ldquoHermonicasrdquo women harmonicaplayers and is still the only album ever made to feature these women It is titled Blues HarpWomen

B

HERMONICASCOMmdashWOMEN WHO PLAY BLUES HARP ANDMORE

American blues radio DJ Norman Davis has been in love with themedium since his first radio appearance at the age of five when heplayed his violin on an early morning religious program sponsoredby his grandmotherrsquos church The rest mdash as they say mdash is history

His broadcast career began at KGEM in 1954 in his hometown ofBoise Idaho (US) and continued on at different radio stations insuch US cities as Spokane San Francisco Denver Kansas City

Portland Los Angeles to name a few His broadcast journey has takenhim full circle back to Boise where he currently hosts his syndicated ldquoMidnight

Flyerrdquo 2mdashhour blues show and his ldquoThe Juke Jointrdquoshow on KRBX Radio Boise

Davis has interviewed a slew of blues artistsincluding Roy Buchanan Jimmy Reed HoneyboyEdwards Gatemouth Brown Barbara Dane SnookyPrior Odetta Paul deLay and John Mayall just toname a few Along the way he became interested inwomen who play the harp Noting that there wasnrsquota lot of attention out there to these talented ladieshe did a little research Norman stumbled upon suchfemale harp players as Gaye Agegbaloloa from thegroup Saffire The Uppity Blues Woman and KatBaloun an American player who successfullyrelocated to Berlin Lo and behold helliphellipwwwhermonicascom was born

I asked Norman to tell us a bit about ldquoHermonicasrdquo This is what he told me helliphellip

LL What inspired you to create the Hermonicas website

ND I played a recording by Big Mama Thornton on my radio show There was a nice harmonica soloon it and I looked to see who it was To my surprise it was Big Mama It was the first time Irsquod hearda woman playing the mouth harp and got me to wondering if there were others My research turnedup several more but I was shocked at how little attention had been paid to these women There wasno website that featured woman harmonica players so I decided to start one I was talking to afriend about this and he misspoke and said ldquohermonicardquo instead of ldquoharmonicardquo ldquoThatrsquos itrdquo Ishouted ldquoThatrsquos the name for my websiterdquo

One of the other things I did to promote women harp players was to produce a double CD albumreleased in 2015 on Ruf Records The album features 29 of the ldquoHermonicasrdquo women harmonicaplayers and is still the only album ever made to feature these women It is titled Blues HarpWomen

B

LL Hermonicascom is really packed with all sorts of information How did you do yourresearch and what did you learn in the process

ND Most of my research was onmdashline but I alsogot help from some of the women I contactedand a few books amp magazines I read The

research taught me that therewas very little attention beingpaid to women harp players I

decided to try to remedy that if I could

LL Could you please tell us a bit abouta few of the female players that stood

out to you

ND I found some amazingly talentedplayers Two of the most talented I

found in France Rachel Plas andChristelle Berthon If I had to rankthe players I discovered I wouldput Christelle at the top of thelist But there were moretalented players Paula Rangell

in New Orleans Octavia in Pennsylvania Tracy K in Canada Cheryl Arena in Denver BeataKossowska in Germany Maria Coyote in Sweden DJ Gosper in Australia Zola Moon in LosAngeles Stacy Jones in Seattle Lynnann Hyde in Oregon and Jenny Kerr in San Francisco

LL Please tell us about the ldquoFun Stuffrdquo page on Hermonicascom

ND During my research I came across various amusing harmonicamdashrelated web nuggets I putthem on a page to cheer up readers

LL What do you hope Hermonicascom will accomplish

ND One of the first goals was to produce an album of women blues harmonica players None hadever been made before It took four years but to make music lovers aware of all the talentedwoman players around the world and be a connection for them to promote their gigs andmerchandise and communicate with their peers

~ Lawrence LeboLawrence Lebo is an award winning critically acclaimed Blues recording artists living in LosAngeles CA USA She can be found on the web at wwwlawrencelebocom

ldquoBLUES HAS ALWAYS BEEN MY ROOT ndash THATrsquoS FOR SURErdquo ndash AN INTERVIEW WITHMAGDA PISKORCZYK

by Norman Darwen

Polish singer and multimdashinstrumentalist Magda Piskorczyk (pronounced ldquopeasmdashkormdashcheekrdquo) isbestmdashknown for her strong deep voice her fondness for older blues styles She has appeared inBritain ndash she sang gospel in Liverpool some years back and it would be good to see her againover here She provides some background

How did you get started inmusicWell probably I wonrsquot be veryoriginal in saying that I was bornwith music and in music as well Iwas lucky enough to be born in afamily where music was trulyimportant and I was listening tosoul gospel blues disco from the70s and rock lsquonrsquo roll from the 60ssince I was a toddler

How did you begin in the bluesYou mean listen to it or play theblues myself If you are asking meabout listening to the blues wellIrsquove been listening to the blues sinceI was a child Playing andperforming the blues started some

time later As a teenager I said I wanted to try something else and I started singing in a thrash metalbandmdashnot only because of my low strong voice but also because of the fact that I met such nice peoplewho happened to play this style of musicmdashso I took a chance And I also wanted to share music andcreative thoughts with someone on stage and behind that too I am a Nomad soul as well so I wantedto travel with music too What an adventure it was After a short while I realized that singing aboutdeath walking around the globe and the world falling apart was not my thing Well at least thosewere the lyrics that at that time were pretty trendy in thrash metal Truly I have no idea what it islike now Ha ha hamdashnot that blues is all about joy and happiness And also my friend in the band wasa bit worried that the girl had a much lower singing voice than he had

So that band adventure came to the end for me I just had to quit And I got back to the blues againwith true pleasure and knowing that this is a heartbeat of mine and I simply love it Period When Isay ldquothe bluesrdquo I mean all those truly old blues songs gospel country blues recordings from the 30sThese were my beginnings and it is a true root for me I love all those African melodies polyrhythmicthings too I adore this wonderful freedom in chords time and lyrics Awesome All of these featuresof the blues brought me to African music research making me explore it more and more This is theblues part of my heart But I am also open to different styles of music I am listening to a lot of differentstyles not only the blues But the blues has been and always will be my root Thatrsquos for sure

PHOTO BY IREK GRAFF

Who were your early influences and how did you hear themWhen I was around four years old or something I was truly over the hills with Mahalia Jackson and

Mavis Staples Their songs were my childhoodlullabies When I got older I adored listeningto those wonderful life story tellers from the30s and the 40s all those workmdashsongs gospeltunes This kind of blues (not only 8 or 12 bars)taught me one thingmdashfreedom in music and inlife in general Not to confine all I want to sayto one form to only a hit song pattern The oldBlues taught me freedom Yes definitely

When did you start recording and how didthat come aboutI recorded songs with the first blues band Iwas invited to sing in and that was a nice andfunny experience at the same time Especiallythat the way I sang was simply funny Aftersome time there was another CD this timeacoustic blues country blues recordings withthe Terraplane band that I formed with mycolleagues We were a trio with acoustic

guitar harmonica and my voice Thank you for that question lsquocause I almost forgot about that projectThat was an awesome experience rsquocause I discovered my other voice at that time Then there wasanother CD with a band formed together with my friend and that was a sort of beginning of my solocareer actually I am talking about those three CDs because somehow all those recordings happenedat one point in time I would say Actually some time ago there was a reissue of one of the CDs Imentioned it is called lsquoMake My Spirit Flyrsquo My first full album was lsquoBlues Travellingrsquo though And Irecorded it with all music friends I travelled with at that time Such a wonderful and good experienceand wonderful memories

You also sing gospel and African musicmdashcan you talk about those pleaseOh yes I can If you got like hours to listen to it Ha ha ha Ok Irsquoll try to be concise I simply adoresinging gospel the old style songs I always get goosemdashbumps while singing it I just fly Every timeI am invited to do so I am more than happy There is something in these piano licks these voices andlyrics that moves my very soul And African music is almost the same feeling of freedom love andpassion for me Well Irsquove always sung what I wanted what I was passionate about and what I couldrelate to For me music is the most powerful language in the world It gives me strength joy takesmy heart and soul to the place where I belong And gospel is one of these kinds of tune that touchesmy soul deeply My heart always speeds up while I am talking about the music singing the art ingeneral

And can you talk about some of the notable people you have worked withWell I worked with so many wonderful musicians writers creators promoters that it is reallydifficult for me to name a few And I have to say that I am always lucky to meet the right people atthe right time in my life

PHOTO BY IREK GRAFF

How do you write your songsWell it depends Sometimes songs go around in my head for some time and then I just sit and writethem down Sometimes I get one verse with the music and search for an inspiration from one wordto another from one thought to anotherhellip Basically I get my inspiration from the world I see fromthe books I read from the sentences I hear somewherehellip Actually I am open to and aware of eachmoment It comes with so many wonderful surprises

Your stage presence is also strikingThank you you are very kind

How is the blues scene in PolandActually the Polish blues scene is doing prettygood We have loads of good musicians inPoland

What plans do you have for the futureThatrsquos a very good question at this point that weall stand at If you had asked me about my futurein February I would have said I have plans forcomposing playing lots of concerts and meetingmy wonderful audience pretty often But nowWell I slowed down maybe not with my plansbut definitely with my life now I have time tothink about new ideas for the music and for mylife in general I write new things thinkingabout new CDs I have several music projectsapart from my band There is my regularprogramme gospel tunes the lsquoAmerican FolkBluesrsquo project with my friend and lsquoMagda

Piskorczyk and The Modern Boogie Woogie Duorsquo with my friends from Germany so there is a lot of tothink about But basically the future for me is here and now

Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions Magda Anything else you want to sayMay we all stay healthy gentle and kind to one another and to ourselves too Thank you for theopportunity Peace and love to all of us

Norman Darwen

Buddy Guy

PHOTO BY UWE F ARENS

Brody Buster gig on a train

KING KING ANNOUNCE STEVIE NIMMO AS THE NEWEST MEMBERPLUS OCTOBER 2020 UK TOUR

TICKETS ON SALE ON FRIDAY 17th APRIL VIA wwwkingkingcouktour andwwwthegigcartelcom

+ RESCHEDULED FEBRUARY 2021 UK TOURKing King are going to be back on tour again in the UK this year The Glaswegian rockersrsquo October UK Tourwent on sale on Friday 17th April via wwwkingkingcouktour and wwwthegigcartelcom Whatrsquos more guitaristStevie Nimmo will join King King on the tour as the bandrsquos newest member

Says Alan Nimmo ldquoAs it already felt like it was so long since we had the chance to play in front of our UK fansthe tour in April had us so excited with anticipation So you can imagine our disappointment when it had to bepostponed

However it brings us great joy to know that wersquoll be playing some dates in October and that at least for some thewait will be overI am really looking forward to properly showcasing the new linemdashup for our fans I can confirm that the lads aresuper excited to get out there and play for you We have been working so hard on the new album and the results havebeen so satisfying the response to our first single ldquoI Will Not Fallrdquo which was Amdashlisted on Planet Rock has beenamazingAs I have done on several occasions in the past when it comes to writing I enlisted the talents of my big bro (StevieNimmo) to add some of his flavour to the songs alongside the other lads and when you hear the new album yoursquoll beable to spot his voice in the background on several songs This started me thinking that it was time to take the nextstep in the natural evolution of King King So not only will Stevie be present on the new album but when we embarkon our October tour you will see an addition to our already outstanding linemdashup of Jonny Dyke ZanderGreenshields and Andrew Scott we will welcome Stevie to King King as our newest memberThis is something that I have been thinking about for a long time and I feel now is the right time I am extremelyhappy to bring Stevie in to the band as I feel that musically we raise to another level and it will be so exciting notonly us but for our fans too who I know already have a lot of love and respect for him

For more information and images click here ndash wwwnobleprcoukpressmdashreleaseskingmdashkingukmdashtourmdash2020mdash2021htmBexhill De La Warr Pavilion Friday 16 October 2020Planet Rockrsquos Rocktober ndash Bristol O2Academy 1 Saturday 17 October 2020Exeter Phoenix Sunday 18 October 2020Edinburgh Queens Hall Tuesday 20 October 2020Leeds Uni Stylus Wednesday 21 October 2020

Planet Rockrsquos Rocktober ndash Sheffield O2Academy Saturday 24 October 2020Harpenden Public Halls Sunday 25 October 2020Bilston Robin Tuesday 27 October 2020Cambridge Junction Wednesday 28 October 2020

Who were your early influences and how did you hear themWhen I was around four years old or something I was truly over the hills with Mahalia Jackson and

Mavis Staples Their songs were my childhoodlullabies When I got older I adored listeningto those wonderful life story tellers from the30s and the 40s all those workmdashsongs gospeltunes This kind of blues (not only 8 or 12 bars)taught me one thingmdashfreedom in music and inlife in general Not to confine all I want to sayto one form to only a hit song pattern The oldBlues taught me freedom Yes definitely

When did you start recording and how didthat come aboutI recorded songs with the first blues band Iwas invited to sing in and that was a nice andfunny experience at the same time Especiallythat the way I sang was simply funny Aftersome time there was another CD this timeacoustic blues country blues recordings withthe Terraplane band that I formed with mycolleagues We were a trio with acoustic

guitar harmonica and my voice Thank you for that question lsquocause I almost forgot about that projectThat was an awesome experience rsquocause I discovered my other voice at that time Then there wasanother CD with a band formed together with my friend and that was a sort of beginning of my solocareer actually I am talking about those three CDs because somehow all those recordings happenedat one point in time I would say Actually some time ago there was a reissue of one of the CDs Imentioned it is called lsquoMake My Spirit Flyrsquo My first full album was lsquoBlues Travellingrsquo though And Irecorded it with all music friends I travelled with at that time Such a wonderful and good experienceand wonderful memories

You also sing gospel and African musicmdashcan you talk about those pleaseOh yes I can If you got like hours to listen to it Ha ha ha Ok Irsquoll try to be concise I simply adoresinging gospel the old style songs I always get goosemdashbumps while singing it I just fly Every timeI am invited to do so I am more than happy There is something in these piano licks these voices andlyrics that moves my very soul And African music is almost the same feeling of freedom love andpassion for me Well Irsquove always sung what I wanted what I was passionate about and what I couldrelate to For me music is the most powerful language in the world It gives me strength joy takesmy heart and soul to the place where I belong And gospel is one of these kinds of tune that touchesmy soul deeply My heart always speeds up while I am talking about the music singing the art ingeneral

And can you talk about some of the notable people you have worked withWell I worked with so many wonderful musicians writers creators promoters that it is reallydifficult for me to name a few And I have to say that I am always lucky to meet the right people atthe right time in my life

PHOTO BY IREK GRAFF

How do you write your songsWell it depends Sometimes songs go around in my head for some time and then I just sit and writethem down Sometimes I get one verse with the music and search for an inspiration from one wordto another from one thought to anotherhellip Basically I get my inspiration from the world I see fromthe books I read from the sentences I hear somewherehellip Actually I am open to and aware of eachmoment It comes with so many wonderful surprises

Your stage presence is also strikingThank you you are very kind

How is the blues scene in PolandActually the Polish blues scene is doing prettygood We have loads of good musicians inPoland

What plans do you have for the futureThatrsquos a very good question at this point that weall stand at If you had asked me about my futurein February I would have said I have plans forcomposing playing lots of concerts and meetingmy wonderful audience pretty often But nowWell I slowed down maybe not with my plansbut definitely with my life now I have time tothink about new ideas for the music and for mylife in general I write new things thinkingabout new CDs I have several music projectsapart from my band There is my regularprogramme gospel tunes the lsquoAmerican FolkBluesrsquo project with my friend and lsquoMagda

Piskorczyk and The Modern Boogie Woogie Duorsquo with my friends from Germany so there is a lot of tothink about But basically the future for me is here and now

Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions Magda Anything else you want to sayMay we all stay healthy gentle and kind to one another and to ourselves too Thank you for theopportunity Peace and love to all of us

Norman Darwen

Buddy Guy

PHOTO BY UWE F ARENS

Brody Buster gig on a train

KING KING ANNOUNCE STEVIE NIMMO AS THE NEWEST MEMBERPLUS OCTOBER 2020 UK TOUR

TICKETS ON SALE ON FRIDAY 17th APRIL VIA wwwkingkingcouktour andwwwthegigcartelcom

+ RESCHEDULED FEBRUARY 2021 UK TOURKing King are going to be back on tour again in the UK this year The Glaswegian rockersrsquo October UK Tourwent on sale on Friday 17th April via wwwkingkingcouktour and wwwthegigcartelcom Whatrsquos more guitaristStevie Nimmo will join King King on the tour as the bandrsquos newest member

Says Alan Nimmo ldquoAs it already felt like it was so long since we had the chance to play in front of our UK fansthe tour in April had us so excited with anticipation So you can imagine our disappointment when it had to bepostponed

However it brings us great joy to know that wersquoll be playing some dates in October and that at least for some thewait will be overI am really looking forward to properly showcasing the new linemdashup for our fans I can confirm that the lads aresuper excited to get out there and play for you We have been working so hard on the new album and the results havebeen so satisfying the response to our first single ldquoI Will Not Fallrdquo which was Amdashlisted on Planet Rock has beenamazingAs I have done on several occasions in the past when it comes to writing I enlisted the talents of my big bro (StevieNimmo) to add some of his flavour to the songs alongside the other lads and when you hear the new album yoursquoll beable to spot his voice in the background on several songs This started me thinking that it was time to take the nextstep in the natural evolution of King King So not only will Stevie be present on the new album but when we embarkon our October tour you will see an addition to our already outstanding linemdashup of Jonny Dyke ZanderGreenshields and Andrew Scott we will welcome Stevie to King King as our newest memberThis is something that I have been thinking about for a long time and I feel now is the right time I am extremelyhappy to bring Stevie in to the band as I feel that musically we raise to another level and it will be so exciting notonly us but for our fans too who I know already have a lot of love and respect for him

For more information and images click here ndash wwwnobleprcoukpressmdashreleaseskingmdashkingukmdashtourmdash2020mdash2021htmBexhill De La Warr Pavilion Friday 16 October 2020Planet Rockrsquos Rocktober ndash Bristol O2Academy 1 Saturday 17 October 2020Exeter Phoenix Sunday 18 October 2020Edinburgh Queens Hall Tuesday 20 October 2020Leeds Uni Stylus Wednesday 21 October 2020

Planet Rockrsquos Rocktober ndash Sheffield O2Academy Saturday 24 October 2020Harpenden Public Halls Sunday 25 October 2020Bilston Robin Tuesday 27 October 2020Cambridge Junction Wednesday 28 October 2020

How do you write your songsWell it depends Sometimes songs go around in my head for some time and then I just sit and writethem down Sometimes I get one verse with the music and search for an inspiration from one wordto another from one thought to anotherhellip Basically I get my inspiration from the world I see fromthe books I read from the sentences I hear somewherehellip Actually I am open to and aware of eachmoment It comes with so many wonderful surprises

Your stage presence is also strikingThank you you are very kind

How is the blues scene in PolandActually the Polish blues scene is doing prettygood We have loads of good musicians inPoland

What plans do you have for the futureThatrsquos a very good question at this point that weall stand at If you had asked me about my futurein February I would have said I have plans forcomposing playing lots of concerts and meetingmy wonderful audience pretty often But nowWell I slowed down maybe not with my plansbut definitely with my life now I have time tothink about new ideas for the music and for mylife in general I write new things thinkingabout new CDs I have several music projectsapart from my band There is my regularprogramme gospel tunes the lsquoAmerican FolkBluesrsquo project with my friend and lsquoMagda

Piskorczyk and The Modern Boogie Woogie Duorsquo with my friends from Germany so there is a lot of tothink about But basically the future for me is here and now

Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions Magda Anything else you want to sayMay we all stay healthy gentle and kind to one another and to ourselves too Thank you for theopportunity Peace and love to all of us

Norman Darwen

Buddy Guy

PHOTO BY UWE F ARENS

Brody Buster gig on a train

KING KING ANNOUNCE STEVIE NIMMO AS THE NEWEST MEMBERPLUS OCTOBER 2020 UK TOUR

TICKETS ON SALE ON FRIDAY 17th APRIL VIA wwwkingkingcouktour andwwwthegigcartelcom

+ RESCHEDULED FEBRUARY 2021 UK TOURKing King are going to be back on tour again in the UK this year The Glaswegian rockersrsquo October UK Tourwent on sale on Friday 17th April via wwwkingkingcouktour and wwwthegigcartelcom Whatrsquos more guitaristStevie Nimmo will join King King on the tour as the bandrsquos newest member

Says Alan Nimmo ldquoAs it already felt like it was so long since we had the chance to play in front of our UK fansthe tour in April had us so excited with anticipation So you can imagine our disappointment when it had to bepostponed

However it brings us great joy to know that wersquoll be playing some dates in October and that at least for some thewait will be overI am really looking forward to properly showcasing the new linemdashup for our fans I can confirm that the lads aresuper excited to get out there and play for you We have been working so hard on the new album and the results havebeen so satisfying the response to our first single ldquoI Will Not Fallrdquo which was Amdashlisted on Planet Rock has beenamazingAs I have done on several occasions in the past when it comes to writing I enlisted the talents of my big bro (StevieNimmo) to add some of his flavour to the songs alongside the other lads and when you hear the new album yoursquoll beable to spot his voice in the background on several songs This started me thinking that it was time to take the nextstep in the natural evolution of King King So not only will Stevie be present on the new album but when we embarkon our October tour you will see an addition to our already outstanding linemdashup of Jonny Dyke ZanderGreenshields and Andrew Scott we will welcome Stevie to King King as our newest memberThis is something that I have been thinking about for a long time and I feel now is the right time I am extremelyhappy to bring Stevie in to the band as I feel that musically we raise to another level and it will be so exciting notonly us but for our fans too who I know already have a lot of love and respect for him

For more information and images click here ndash wwwnobleprcoukpressmdashreleaseskingmdashkingukmdashtourmdash2020mdash2021htmBexhill De La Warr Pavilion Friday 16 October 2020Planet Rockrsquos Rocktober ndash Bristol O2Academy 1 Saturday 17 October 2020Exeter Phoenix Sunday 18 October 2020Edinburgh Queens Hall Tuesday 20 October 2020Leeds Uni Stylus Wednesday 21 October 2020

Planet Rockrsquos Rocktober ndash Sheffield O2Academy Saturday 24 October 2020Harpenden Public Halls Sunday 25 October 2020Bilston Robin Tuesday 27 October 2020Cambridge Junction Wednesday 28 October 2020

Brody Buster gig on a train

KING KING ANNOUNCE STEVIE NIMMO AS THE NEWEST MEMBERPLUS OCTOBER 2020 UK TOUR

TICKETS ON SALE ON FRIDAY 17th APRIL VIA wwwkingkingcouktour andwwwthegigcartelcom

+ RESCHEDULED FEBRUARY 2021 UK TOURKing King are going to be back on tour again in the UK this year The Glaswegian rockersrsquo October UK Tourwent on sale on Friday 17th April via wwwkingkingcouktour and wwwthegigcartelcom Whatrsquos more guitaristStevie Nimmo will join King King on the tour as the bandrsquos newest member

Says Alan Nimmo ldquoAs it already felt like it was so long since we had the chance to play in front of our UK fansthe tour in April had us so excited with anticipation So you can imagine our disappointment when it had to bepostponed

However it brings us great joy to know that wersquoll be playing some dates in October and that at least for some thewait will be overI am really looking forward to properly showcasing the new linemdashup for our fans I can confirm that the lads aresuper excited to get out there and play for you We have been working so hard on the new album and the results havebeen so satisfying the response to our first single ldquoI Will Not Fallrdquo which was Amdashlisted on Planet Rock has beenamazingAs I have done on several occasions in the past when it comes to writing I enlisted the talents of my big bro (StevieNimmo) to add some of his flavour to the songs alongside the other lads and when you hear the new album yoursquoll beable to spot his voice in the background on several songs This started me thinking that it was time to take the nextstep in the natural evolution of King King So not only will Stevie be present on the new album but when we embarkon our October tour you will see an addition to our already outstanding linemdashup of Jonny Dyke ZanderGreenshields and Andrew Scott we will welcome Stevie to King King as our newest memberThis is something that I have been thinking about for a long time and I feel now is the right time I am extremelyhappy to bring Stevie in to the band as I feel that musically we raise to another level and it will be so exciting notonly us but for our fans too who I know already have a lot of love and respect for him

For more information and images click here ndash wwwnobleprcoukpressmdashreleaseskingmdashkingukmdashtourmdash2020mdash2021htmBexhill De La Warr Pavilion Friday 16 October 2020Planet Rockrsquos Rocktober ndash Bristol O2Academy 1 Saturday 17 October 2020Exeter Phoenix Sunday 18 October 2020Edinburgh Queens Hall Tuesday 20 October 2020Leeds Uni Stylus Wednesday 21 October 2020

Planet Rockrsquos Rocktober ndash Sheffield O2Academy Saturday 24 October 2020Harpenden Public Halls Sunday 25 October 2020Bilston Robin Tuesday 27 October 2020Cambridge Junction Wednesday 28 October 2020

BiTS is delighted to announce a new partnership with MusicGurus who providemusic courses amp training from the worlds top musicians Watch video lessons toimprove your playing and get 1mdashonmdash1 coaching

MusicGurus courses offer a structured approach to learning new styles andtechniques through a series of high quality video lessons All lessons feature HDvideo amp sound as well as helpful camera angles which allow you to see exactlyhow its played

You can also chat and exchange videos with artists to find out exactly what youneed to practice next

Getting valuable feedback from professional musicians is simple withMusicGurus Simply start a chat with a tutor of your choice to agree on a subjectfor you session then upload a video of yourself playing Your tutor will check outyour playing and send a video with their feedback and tips Its as simple as thatOnemdashtomdashone music tuition without the hassle

Total freedom

Learn any time anywhere Only pay for what you use

MusicGurus and BiTS believe that you should only pay for what you use so wedont charge subscriptions Buy lessons and personal tutoring sessions with aonemdashoff payment and thats it theyre yours to watch whenever wherever andas many times as you want

Tutors in the blues and jazz field include Marcus Bonfanti (guitar) Matt Walklate(harmonica) Paddy Milner (piano) Ron Sayer (guitar) and many more For a fulllist of tutors go HERE

Click this line for a list of available courses

The Gig Cartel by arrangement with Intrepid Artists presents

ERIC GALES RESCHEDULES UK TOUR TO FEBRUARY 2021

WITH VERY SPECIAL GUEST ldquoDANNY BRYANTrdquo

TICKETS ON SALE VIA wwwthegigcartelcomartistsmdashprofilesericmdashgales

ALBUM lsquoTHE BOOKENDSrsquo OUT NOW VIA PROVOGUE

ldquoOne of the best if not the best guitar player in the worldrdquo ndash ldquoHe is absolutely incrediblerdquo ndash

ldquoHow Eric Gales isnrsquot the hugest name in rock guitar is a total mysteryrdquo ndash ldquoThis guy could be the best player on Earthrdquo ndash

Eric Gales has rescheduled his 2020 UK tour to February 2021 and has added two extra dates at theBrighton Concorde (Feb 3) and the Dover Booking Hall (Feb 4) The tour follows the release of his albumlsquoThe Bookendsrsquo via ProvogueMascot Label Group earlier in 2019 The album features collaborations with

B Slade Doyle Bramhall II and Beth Hart Tickets for the Brighton Concorde and Dover Booking Hallshows go on sale via wwwthegigcartelcom Tickets for all the other shows that have been rescheduled are

still valid

Special guest on all shows is the critically acclaimed British Blues rock guitarist Danny Bryant Hailed as ldquoANational Blues Treasurerdquo Bryant recently released his 11th studio album lsquoMeans of Escapersquo via Jazzhaus

Records to a great fanfare

The challenge for making lsquoThe Bookendsrsquo was for Gales to push himself ldquoAs a guitar player itrsquos beenestablished that I can play a little bit just a little bitrdquo he smiles But for this album he not only wanted to

motivate himself as a musician but also as a vocalist to build up his vocal discography ldquoWhatspearheaded that was the artists that I have on the recordrdquo he says

Written over a nine month period the album was recorded at Studio Delux Van Nuys California The DogHouse Woodland Hills California Blakeslee Recording North Hollywood and the day before he was due to

fly to LA for premdashproduction the original producer David Bianco tragically died It was Biancorsquosmanagement who then suggested Matt Wallace ldquoI heard his work and the kind of people he has produced

such as Maroon 5 Faith No More and all these cats When we met up together it was just perfect I justtrusted the guy and it ended up being great I love Matt Wallacerdquo says Gales

For more information click here ndash wwwnobleprcoukpressmdashreleasesericmdashgales2021mdashukmdashtourhtm

Brighton Concorde 2Wednesday 3 February 2021Dover The Booking HallThursday 4 February 2021London O2 Academy IslingtonFriday 5 February 2021Southampton 1865Saturday 6 February 2021Bristol FleeceSunday 7 February 2021Nottingham Rescue RoomsMonday 8 February 2021

Leeds Brudenell Social ClubWednesday 10 February 2021Gateshead SageThursday 11 February 2021Glasgow Oran MorFriday 12 February 2021Manchester Academy 3Saturday 13 February 2021Bilston The RobinSunday 14 February 2021

The Gig Cartel by arrangement with Intrepid Artists presents

ERIC GALES RESCHEDULES UK TOUR TO FEBRUARY 2021

WITH VERY SPECIAL GUEST ldquoDANNY BRYANTrdquo

TICKETS ON SALE VIA wwwthegigcartelcomartistsmdashprofilesericmdashgales

ALBUM lsquoTHE BOOKENDSrsquo OUT NOW VIA PROVOGUE

ldquoOne of the best if not the best guitar player in the worldrdquo ndash ldquoHe is absolutely incrediblerdquo ndash

ldquoHow Eric Gales isnrsquot the hugest name in rock guitar is a total mysteryrdquo ndash ldquoThis guy could be the best player on Earthrdquo ndash

Eric Gales has rescheduled his 2020 UK tour to February 2021 and has added two extra dates at theBrighton Concorde (Feb 3) and the Dover Booking Hall (Feb 4) The tour follows the release of his albumlsquoThe Bookendsrsquo via ProvogueMascot Label Group earlier in 2019 The album features collaborations with

B Slade Doyle Bramhall II and Beth Hart Tickets for the Brighton Concorde and Dover Booking Hallshows go on sale via wwwthegigcartelcom Tickets for all the other shows that have been rescheduled are

still valid

Special guest on all shows is the critically acclaimed British Blues rock guitarist Danny Bryant Hailed as ldquoANational Blues Treasurerdquo Bryant recently released his 11th studio album lsquoMeans of Escapersquo via Jazzhaus

Records to a great fanfare

The challenge for making lsquoThe Bookendsrsquo was for Gales to push himself ldquoAs a guitar player itrsquos beenestablished that I can play a little bit just a little bitrdquo he smiles But for this album he not only wanted to

motivate himself as a musician but also as a vocalist to build up his vocal discography ldquoWhatspearheaded that was the artists that I have on the recordrdquo he says

Written over a nine month period the album was recorded at Studio Delux Van Nuys California The DogHouse Woodland Hills California Blakeslee Recording North Hollywood and the day before he was due to

fly to LA for premdashproduction the original producer David Bianco tragically died It was Biancorsquosmanagement who then suggested Matt Wallace ldquoI heard his work and the kind of people he has produced

such as Maroon 5 Faith No More and all these cats When we met up together it was just perfect I justtrusted the guy and it ended up being great I love Matt Wallacerdquo says Gales

For more information click here ndash wwwnobleprcoukpressmdashreleasesericmdashgales2021mdashukmdashtourhtm

Brighton Concorde 2Wednesday 3 February 2021Dover The Booking HallThursday 4 February 2021London O2 Academy IslingtonFriday 5 February 2021Southampton 1865Saturday 6 February 2021Bristol FleeceSunday 7 February 2021Nottingham Rescue RoomsMonday 8 February 2021

Leeds Brudenell Social ClubWednesday 10 February 2021Gateshead SageThursday 11 February 2021Glasgow Oran MorFriday 12 February 2021Manchester Academy 3Saturday 13 February 2021Bilston The RobinSunday 14 February 2021

Joe Louis WalkermdashBlues Cominrsquo OnmdashCleopatra BluesmdashASINB086ML1D5Z

Bluesman Joe Louis Walkers new record features him and his bandin the company of a regiment of guests including Kebrsquo Morsquo EricGales Albert Lee Mitch Ryder Lee Oskar (War) Hot Tunarsquos JormaKaukonen UK Subs singer Charlie Harper and veteran sessionguitarist Waddy Wachtel The title track features Dion and Joesharing the vocals Joe on rhythm guitar and Eric Gales supplyingblistering lead guitar whereas the soulful Someday Somewayfeatures Sam Cookes daughter Carla sharing the vocals with Joe

and also Lee Oscar contributing some tasteful harp in the background The Thang is a funkworkout featuring guitarist Jesse Johnson from Princes band and the first single from the albumlsquoOld Time Used to Bersquo has Keb Mo on vocals and John Sebastian on harmonica then Come BackHome introduces Mitch Ryder to sing with Joe over a funky backdrop of swirling Hammond andrestrained brass

Waddy Wachtel adds his guitar to Bobby Rushs Bowlegged Woman KnockmdashKneed Man and DavidBromberg steps up to play on Charlie Richs Lonely Weekends but Albert Lees guitar sounds likeMark Knopfler on Seven More Steps Another Prince sideman Jellybean Johnson joins Joe on thefunky Uptown To HarlemmdashIm gonna eat some chicken and some blackmdasheyed peas some ribs andsome collard greens and the album finishes with a hard rocking version of the old Arthur Lee andLove song 7 amp 7 Is that pairs veteran guitarist Arlen Roth with UK Subs singer Charlie Harper Thisis a really interesting record with lots of variety due to both the many guests taking part but alsobecause of the diversity of the material from gutmdashbucket blues to smooth soul from uptown funkto almost country and with original songs and old classics

Graham Harrison

Johnny BurginmdashNo Border BluesmdashDelmarkmdashASINB084PY9W4J

I once read an article about a Japanese guitarist whose favouriterecord was by some 2nd division Chicago blues guitarist and hedecided that he wanted to replicate this album as close as possibleso he got the same guitar and badgered the producer to find outwhat amps were used and where the mics were placed and heeven recreated the original cover I was intrigued mdash somehowblues and Japan just didnt seem to go together but of coursefollowing the American occupation of Japan after WWII the

Japanese would have heard jazz RampR RampB etc first hand and obviously some locals would haveadopted these musics and tried their hands at them

R E V I E W S

This album was produced by Stephanie Tice and recorded at Fukuda Studio Osaka in May 2019 andmastered by Steve Wagner at Delmarkrsquos Riverside Studio in Chicago and features Chicago bluesguitarist Johnny Burgin playing with 14 Japanese players from Osaka Tokyo and Kyoto who he hadmet during the 20-odd years that hes spent touring there Johnny says I was struck by theselflessness and discipline that so many Japanese musicians displayed although none of themusicians here are professionals From the opening track Carey Bells One Day Yoursquore Gonna GetLucky featuring Iper Onishi on vocals and harmonica the sound is very authentic mdash not just theplaying but also the singing Elmore James slow blues Sunnyland is even better with fabulousbigmdashtoned Little Waltermdashesque harmonica from Kaz Nogio and vocals from Johnny So Crazy AboutYou is like a loping Jimmy Reed track with Nogio and pianist Lee Kanehira sharing the vocal dutiesand Kanehira plays piano and also sings on the rocking Pumpkinrsquos Boogie while ldquoHurry Up Babyrdquois jump blues featuring another female vocalist Nacomi Tanaka

The rest of the album continues with a mixture of versions of classic (though often obscure)Chicago blues and songs written by Johnny Burgin with Little Walterrsquos I Just Keep Loving Her(Mada Sukinanda) featuring a mixture of English and Japanese lyrics The John Brim songRattlesnake sounds suitably down home and Two Telephones has some lovely Westmdashside guitarfrom Minoru Maruyama while Samurai Harp Attack features all three harp players mdash Kaz NogioKotez and Iper Onishi We finish with Burgins rewrite of Sweet Home Chicago Sweet HomeOsaka which again features all the harp players as well as Johnny Kotez and Nacomi Tanakasharing the vocals I think if you heard any of these tracks you would not dream that they wererecorded in Japan with mainly Japanese musicians the featured musicians are excellent but alsothe ensemble playing and the rhythm section (drummer Takagiman and Yoshimi Hirata on bass)are really good

Graham Harrison

Various ArtistsmdashLockdown SessionsmdashCrosscut Recordsmdash ASINB088B5792W

This may be an authenticmdashsounding blues CD but it has emergedin a most unusual way courtesy of the Covidmdash19 pandemic andthe resulting social distancing and lockdown of normal activitiesincluding live music and recording As a result GermanmdashbasedBritish harmonica player Roger C Wade got these tracks togetherwith artists from eight countries sending their contributions viathe Internet In fact some of the musicians had never actually metthe people that they are playing with Roger first contacted other

German blues players like guitarist Kai Strauss and saxophonist Tommy Schneller but then alsoadded artists from the UK Italy Spain Belgium Finland and France He then followed this bygetting contributions from several top American players including Larry Garner Fred KaplanNathan James Aki Kumar and Big Daddy Wilson

There is a great variety of styles here from the jump blues of the opener Lockdown Blues mdashlsquoStrange times we live in just keep keeping to yourselfrsquo to the Chicago band blues of Cant Get TooClose and Personal Shutdown which also both have lockdown themes mdash Ive got to love my babyfrom six feet away Abi Wallenstein amp Roger Wade do a nice acoustic cover of Son Houses very

Serif PagePlus X9lnk

appropriate Death Letter Blues and there is more nice acoustic blues from Little Victor and KaiStrauss with Black Patti and US harp star Joe Filisko closing the first CD with the low down anddirty Be Ready When He Comes CD2 starts with a bang with Larry Garner and company TommySchneller blows a nice bluesy instrumental and Christian Bleiming plays beautiful boogie woogiepiano Big Daddy Wilson contributes some soulful gospel as does the wonderful Veronica Sbergiaon I Can Tell The World And the quality carries on right to the last tracks courtesy of Aki Kumarand Nathan James and especially Jens Turowski whose closing track Give Me My Heart Back isone of the collectionrsquos many highlights Roger deserves much praise for getting this collection oftracks together it is completely successful and I hope that it makes lots of money for themusicians involved

Graham Harrison

Eddie 9VmdashWay Down the Alley (Live at Blind Williersquos)mdashHubbub MusicmdashASIN B0874G859K

Do you remember LIVE music Unfortunately these days wecant get to hear live music so at least this album lets us listen toa gig recorded live at Atlantas Blind Williersquos club Eddie 9V is ayoung blues artist whos debut album provides most of thematerial here although while that album was mostly him playingall the instruments () this record sees him playing with ayoungish band of Chad Mason (keyboards) Lane Kelly (bass)Colin Dean (drums) and Jackson Allen (harmonica) leaving Eddie

to concentrate on vocals and guitar His debut record was very raw and this one being live is evenrawer but it does keep the same excitement levels mdash check out the opener 36 amp Main with Eddiesstrong vocals and stinging lead guitar with its great tone The old blues chestnuts Look OverYonders Wall Going Down Slow Catfish Blues and Got My Mojo Working are all played withverve and plenty of enthusiasm and the title track of his first album Left My Soul In Memphiscomes across well Eddie is a really good front man and the band back him up all the way therhythm section swing and Allens harp and particularly Masons keyboards are really good Thereis nothing new here but I liked Eddie and the bandrsquos enthusiasm and the drive they bring to thiswhat is in effect fairly basic Chicago blues

Graham Harrison

Gregg MartinezmdashMacDaddy MojeauxmdashNola Blue RecordsmdashNB011

Lafayette born Gregg (his surname is pronounced MartNEZ) nowresides in New Orleans and is recognised as one the leadingexponents of the RampBSoul BluesSwamp Pop genres Over fivedecades Gregg has fronted bands such as The King Fish The Heatand The Boogie Kings now with his band The Delta Kings hereleases this his 12th album The title refers to the affectionate

moniker that he has garnered during his career Backing Gregg who takes lead vocals are TonyGoulas on guitar the bass is provided by Sid Daigle with Tim Courville on drums keyboards arecourtesy of Bryan Perrin on piano and Charles Venture on B3

This inviting collection of 13 numbers includes 3 originals one being the horn drenched deep soulballad lsquoJust Stay Gonersquo written by Tony Goulas here Gregg delivers a pleasingly evocative pleadingperformance His interpretation of Ray Charlesrsquos lsquoI Believe In My Soulrsquo is splendidly driven by aseventies bubbling and rolling organ backed by softly punching horns while Greggrsquos seductivelymellow vocals glide above The grooving Clarence Carterrsquos lsquoSnatching It Backrsquo is once againdrenched in punching horns supplied by Claude Salles on trombone and Ron Eades on saxophoneThe stunning and driven duet lsquoDonrsquot Pull Your Loversquo features the powerful and emotive vocals ofCharlene Howard

A second duet is the early lsquo70s Stax number lsquoStarting All Over Againrsquo with guitarist Tony Goulas together the pair greatly evoke splendid memories of a glorious musical period The majesticallysoulful guitar on the popular Freddie King number lsquoSame Old Bluesrsquo is laced with gently blowinghorns while Gregg delivers a very soulful vocal The rocking lsquoEva Dellersquo sees Gregg and the band gofull tilt blasting away with the help of Sonny Landreth Rockinrsquo Dopsie Jr and Anthony Dopsie

Greatly endorsed

Brian Harman

CD WoodburymdashWorldrsquos Gone CrazymdashIndependent

The CD Woodbury Band was formed by the pairing CD himselfand the remnants of Tim Caseyrsquos Bluescats at the Snohomish BluesInvasion in 2009 Prior to that CD has had the distinction ofplaying in front of two American Presidents and on one occasionplaying the music of Jimi Hendrix before the Hendrix family CDrsquosinvaluable Texas roadhouse experiences and his Jazz and Bluesbackground has over the years stood him in good stead In 2018CD seriously considered retiring from music altogether followinghealth issues and wrist surgery but after six months of inactivity

he remdashformed his band with Don Montana on drums and vocals with Patrick McDanel providingbass and vocals and Mike Marinig on keyboards and horns CD is on lead guitar and vocals Togetherin 2020 they represented The Washington Blues Society at the International Blues Challenge inMemphis Tennessee they also went into the Robert Lang studios in Seattle to record this 13 trackalbum of originals and covers

The proceedings start with a fine acapella intro on lsquoFollow The River Homersquo that segues into a finejumpinrsquo slide driven toe-tapper with a jolly fat saxophone and driving percussion urging the musicon The enjoyably jazz rich slow moody guitar and saxophone of lsquoWalk Around Musicrsquo is pairedwith a slightly lumbering drum that certainly emphasises CDrsquos claim to be unable to dance butnonetheless still loves to soulfully groove CD and the band amply display their tight flexibleplaying ability on the melancholy slowburning lsquoEmerald City Bluesrsquo which features a splendid

fusion of understated guitar and simmering organ lsquoWorldrsquos Gone Crazyrsquo eases one in with adriving shivering slide and primeval vocal then turns into a swampy slide with a vocal thatbemoans the current life of the common working man the slightly more cheering lsquoSouth of SouthHillrsquo is a drum led hip swaying refreshing boogie lsquoCanrsquot Eat That Stuff No Morersquo is CDrsquos goodhumoured bluesy walking talking moan about his dieting experiences The prowling lungingsaxophone and sinuously dexterous guitar make for a splendid cover of Jimi Hendrixrsquos lsquoHey Joersquo

Greatly endorsed

Brian Harman

Various ArtistsmdashCrawling up a Hill A Journey through theBritish Blues Boom 1966mdash1971mdashGrape Fruit RecordsmdashCrsegbox068

Man talk about avin flash backs Heres a three cd box set thatlldo just that to BiTS readers of a certain age From John MayallsBluesbreakers (natch) to Status Quo Chicken Shack Mungo Jerryand many other names from those years that you may or maynot rememberMany of the tracks featured are previously unissued like theDuster Bennett lsquoJumping At Shadowsrsquo which would eventually

be recorded with backing from Fleetwood Mac for Dusters debut album Smiling Like Im HappyOthers are live tracks by The Yardbirds Savoy Brown and Blodwyn Pig

To be perfectly honest listening to some of these tracks today make me cringe somewhat I feel thesame about some of my early offerings too but back then I guess we were all wrapped up in themusic that was readily available to us before discovering the genuine stuff Although it has to besaid I found much here that bordered on heavy rock more than blues Something that was pickedup on at the time by those who were trying their best to stick with blues Some of the bands thathave sprung up since the increased interest in the blues are doing it a great disservice If we go backto the basic music those whove jumped on the bandwagon wont be able to follow You cant learnthe music like homework (John Dummer 1969)

Regardless of my personal thoughts theres much here to enjoy A brilliant version of Willie DixonslsquoWang Dang Doodlersquo by Love Sculpture who of course featured the ultra talented Dave EdmundslsquoNothin In Ramblinrsquo from JomdashAnn Kelly The Brunning Sunflower Blues Band with Peter GreenJohn Mayall Duster Bennett Brett Marvin amp The Thunderbolts Theres a rather beautiful andhaunting lsquoThis Love Of Oldrsquo by Medicine Head which with the right treatment could possiblybecome a good soul ballad

As an historical documentation of the times this three cd set is probably gonna be the bestrepresentation available Complete with full colour booklet full of everything you need to knowabout the tracks and the acts Go on take yourself back for a nostalgia trip

Bob Pearce

Electrobluessociety Featuring Michael PetersmdashHoochieCoochie ManmdashKuvver Kr 615

Here is another single track from this Dutch outfit with a localsinger turning in a version of the Muddy Waters classic Someof these issues on Black amp Tan subsidiary label Kuvver have keptreasonably close to the originals ndash this one doesnrsquot Thethrobbing up tempo backing is largely electronic though withpounding drums and some excellent blues guitar whilstMichelrsquos singing is fine The whole thing does actually workwell so if you have a youngster who feels that the blues is oldmdash

hat try to get them to give this a listen ndash you never knowhellip

Norman Darwen

Crawlback Featuring Johnny BirdmdashCall My Jobmdash001

Crawlback is the name of a South Wales based band led byJohnny Bird a 25 years old singer and harmonica player (andoccasional guitarist) but the sound of this extremely impressivedebut set belies the leaders youth The musical approach bringsto mind someone like Kim Wilson a fine role model for an upmdashandmdashcoming bluesman

Although there are a few ldquooutsiderdquo elementsmdashdub effects on thecover of Howling Wolfrsquos lsquo44rsquo and a rap on the rather nice

original composition lsquoCash Flow Problemsrsquomdashthis is most definitely the modern blues Theinclusion of a bluesmdashwailing jazz cover like Duke Ellingtonrsquos lsquoCaravanrsquo should no longer raise anyeyebrowsmdashit is a fine performance whatever Other borrowed material comes courtesy of MitchKashmar Junior Wells William Clarke (another big influence on Johnny) Junior Parker and LazyLester

In fact if I have a criticism of this set it is only that the band should be more confident in writingtheir own material That will come with time I guess and it is certainly only a minor complaintwith music this good

If you want to check this outmdashand you really shouldmdash ry and give the cover of Jimmy ReedrsquoslsquoFound Loversquo a listen Truly wonderful

Norman Darwen(wwwfacebookcomcrawlbackblues)

The Smoke Wagon Blues Band The Ballad of Albert JohnsonmdashOwn Label

The first four numbers of this impressive set comprise thestorming boogie of the title track followed by lsquoMemphis Soulrsquowhich is self explanatory the blues ballad of lsquoAinrsquot Gonna Be YourFoolrsquo and an excellent remake of Mr Dominos first hit lsquoThe FatManrsquo which retains much of the appeal of the original The tempothen slows a little but that Crescent City flavour remains for lsquoLaySay Layrsquo lsquoMescalinersquo is suitably sleazy with leader Corey Lueckrsquosvocal sounding like he has spent too many nights drinking rotgut

whiskey in smokemdashfilled and rather dubious joints

This sevenmdashpiece has built up a strong reputation mdash their last album lsquoCigar Storersquo won threeIndependent Blues awards If you still need convincing lend an ear to the soulmdashblues of lsquoSacrificersquowhich introduces a sequence of three fine modern blues items before the ballad lsquoA Song For Cherylrsquowith its vague hints of country

The album then heads towards its close with the traditionalmdashsounding and very fine blues shuffle oflsquoCanrsquot Take The Bluesrsquo the curious ldquoletrsquos all sing alongrdquo country of lsquoOn The Road Againrsquo (albeit with abrief jazz interlude) and the Bo Diddleymdashinflected rabble rousing closer lsquoSteaming Comrades HarpBoogiersquo No explanation necessary Overall another fine album from this Ontario-Canada basedoutfit Worth checking it out

Norman Darwen(wwwsmokewagonbluesbandcom)

Eric Hughes BandmdashPostcard from Beale StreetmdashEndless BluesmdashEhbebro22020

Running to just a little under half an hour this is more like a tenmdashtrack CD EP Whilst Beale Street evokes the bluesmdashsingerguitarist harmonica and jug player (and Memphis tour guide) Ericand his seven accompanists realise this involves many differentstyles of blues So there is the older jazzmdashinflected jug bandsound of lsquoFollow Your Stupid Little Dreamsrsquo the driving punkyHendrixmdashinflected bluesmdashrock of lsquoHersquos Just an Alley Catrsquo thevintage jazz of lsquoOh Boozersquo coming up the river and the classic soul

sound of lsquoFair Weather Friendsrsquo The opening lsquoAinrsquot Whipped Yetrsquo is a regular blues and indicative ofEricrsquos outlook and even the drugs references of lsquoItrsquos 420 Somewherersquo have a precedent even if TheMemphis Jug Band had a different substance in mind lsquoHomesick Angelrsquo has a gospel influence and acouple of others lean towards singermdashsongwritermdashish country making for a varied and verylistenable release with appropriate arrangements as each song requires

Norman Darwen

(wwwerichughesbandcom)Katie KnippmdashChamomile and Cocaine mdashOwn Label (Single)

This is a onemdashtrack digital single release from this Blues awardmdashwinning Northern California based singermdashsongwriter andmultimdashinstrumentalist Here shersquos having fun singingenthusiastically and raucously and playing piano backed by herregular band of sax guitar bass and drums and with guest KeithCotton filling things out on Hammond B-3 organ It is a bigsounding production with elements of Janis Joplin lsquo60s NewOrleans and classic blues-rockmdashlisten out for the guitar breakDo check it out

Norman Darwen(wwwkatieknippcom)

Micke amp Lefty Feat ChefmdashLet the Fire LeadmdashHokahayHhrcd2002

Never heard of these guys Well maybe you havemdashone of them atleast as Micke Bjorklof has featured in the IBBA Blues Radiocharts with his electric blues band Blue Strip Here though hesings and plays percussion with guitar duties handled by LeftyLappanen (plus vocals) and Mr Chef Kivimaki on bass

They are from Finland popular across Scandinavia and becomingbettermdashknown these days across Europe So they should be toomdash

they have been described as ldquoan acoustic power triordquo which may not be strictly accurate but itserves well enough They have been together 20 years though 10 have passed since their previousalbum This release is long overdue

Listen to the ferocious opener lsquoTell That Womanrsquo or one of the albumrsquos rare covers lsquoSteadyRolling Manrsquo where the band is augmented by 75 year old Finnish rock and roller Eero RaitinnenThere are occasional diversions from their superheated Mississippi blues thoughmdashlsquoAlwaysSomething Goodrsquo opens with a Delta blues riff but then transmutes unexpectedly into a fine pieceof Americana there is also a fine and raucous cover of Mr Broonzyrsquos lsquoBig Bill Bluesrsquo not the kindof thing you hear often these days whilst lsquoSmalltown Babyrsquo could come from ldquoLed Zeppelin 4rdquo andthe title track has faint echoes of 90s group Oasismdashbut the blues is at the base Try the zydecotinged lsquoRock lsquonrsquo Bowlrsquo too

Hopefully you feel curious enough by now to check out this very strong contemporary blues androots set

Norman Darwen(wwwmickeandleftycom)

Bessie Jones with The Georgia Sea Island SingersmdashGet InUnionmdashAlan Lomax Archive Association for Cultural Equity

What a phenomenal presence Alan Lomax was For most of his lifehe scoured the world for a wide spectrum of musicalperformances recorded as early as 1948 on audio tape There aremore than 17400 digital audio files in that personal collectionwhich is not to be confused with the Library Of Congress (LoC)recordingsmdashmade on acetate and metal disk between 1933 and1942mdashwhich added thousands more recordings to the archives TheLoC recordings include the memorable Jelly Roll Morton WoodyGuthrie Lead Belly and Muddy Waters sessions

This album is a sometimes outstanding example of the breadth and depth of his recordings AlanLomax first visited the Georgia Sea Island of St Simons in June of 1935 with colleagues There theymet the remarkable Spiritual Singers Society of Coastal Georgia as the group was then called andrecorded several hours of their songs and dances for the Library of Congress Twentymdashfive yearslater Lomax found that the Singers were still active and had been enriched by the addition ofBessie Jones a South Georgia native with a massive repertoire of songs going back to slavery times

Despite the hint at politicality in the title lsquoGet In Unionrsquo is not a political collection By and large itis a collection of old spirituals from way before the music became known as gospel play songschildrens songs and even a bit of flat-foot dancing on the catchy lsquoElephant Fairrsquo Most have BessieJonesrsquo magnificent contralto voice to the fore such as in the sensational acapella version of lsquoJohnHenryrsquo slow and with a hammer ringing on a piece of metal as the sole accompaniment Elsewherethere are magnificent harmonies from the vocal group and polyrhythmic hand clapping on lsquoGot OnMy Travelling Shoesrsquo reminds me of some of the west African indigenous music recorded by PaulOliver There are 60 tracks on this album and each should be played and played again Justwonderful

Ian K McKenzie

Mary CoughlanmdashLife StoriesmdashHail Mary Records

Wow What a wonderful surprise this one is The cover pic of Marymakes her look a bit lsquofraughtrsquo but therersquos nothing fraught aboutthe music She has had her problems (check her autobiographyBloody Mary My Story is published by Hatchette Books and lookhere) but as all the best do has incorporated the lessons of lifeinto her singing

This is her sixteenth record and it is a wonderful example of a jazzbased album Sometimes called a new Billie Holliday the label ismisleading She is better than that She seems to be able to turn

her stunning voice to anything from the angst of lsquoElbow Deeprsquo through the stomping jazz vocal andkeys of lsquoTwelve Steps Forward and Ten Steps Backrsquo to the exuberance of lsquoHigh Heal Bootsrsquo there isnot a duff track here Mary has a huge audience in Ireland and in Australia but she is not so wellknown in the UK Shersquos on tour in the UK in September (shows here) letrsquos try to make sure she getsbetter known

Ian K McKenzie

This album was produced by Stephanie Tice and recorded at Fukuda Studio Osaka in May 2019 andmastered by Steve Wagner at Delmarkrsquos Riverside Studio in Chicago and features Chicago bluesguitarist Johnny Burgin playing with 14 Japanese players from Osaka Tokyo and Kyoto who he hadmet during the 20-odd years that hes spent touring there Johnny says I was struck by theselflessness and discipline that so many Japanese musicians displayed although none of themusicians here are professionals From the opening track Carey Bells One Day Yoursquore Gonna GetLucky featuring Iper Onishi on vocals and harmonica the sound is very authentic mdash not just theplaying but also the singing Elmore James slow blues Sunnyland is even better with fabulousbigmdashtoned Little Waltermdashesque harmonica from Kaz Nogio and vocals from Johnny So Crazy AboutYou is like a loping Jimmy Reed track with Nogio and pianist Lee Kanehira sharing the vocal dutiesand Kanehira plays piano and also sings on the rocking Pumpkinrsquos Boogie while ldquoHurry Up Babyrdquois jump blues featuring another female vocalist Nacomi Tanaka

The rest of the album continues with a mixture of versions of classic (though often obscure)Chicago blues and songs written by Johnny Burgin with Little Walterrsquos I Just Keep Loving Her(Mada Sukinanda) featuring a mixture of English and Japanese lyrics The John Brim songRattlesnake sounds suitably down home and Two Telephones has some lovely Westmdashside guitarfrom Minoru Maruyama while Samurai Harp Attack features all three harp players mdash Kaz NogioKotez and Iper Onishi We finish with Burgins rewrite of Sweet Home Chicago Sweet HomeOsaka which again features all the harp players as well as Johnny Kotez and Nacomi Tanakasharing the vocals I think if you heard any of these tracks you would not dream that they wererecorded in Japan with mainly Japanese musicians the featured musicians are excellent but alsothe ensemble playing and the rhythm section (drummer Takagiman and Yoshimi Hirata on bass)are really good

Graham Harrison

Various ArtistsmdashLockdown SessionsmdashCrosscut Recordsmdash ASINB088B5792W

This may be an authenticmdashsounding blues CD but it has emergedin a most unusual way courtesy of the Covidmdash19 pandemic andthe resulting social distancing and lockdown of normal activitiesincluding live music and recording As a result GermanmdashbasedBritish harmonica player Roger C Wade got these tracks togetherwith artists from eight countries sending their contributions viathe Internet In fact some of the musicians had never actually metthe people that they are playing with Roger first contacted other

German blues players like guitarist Kai Strauss and saxophonist Tommy Schneller but then alsoadded artists from the UK Italy Spain Belgium Finland and France He then followed this bygetting contributions from several top American players including Larry Garner Fred KaplanNathan James Aki Kumar and Big Daddy Wilson

There is a great variety of styles here from the jump blues of the opener Lockdown Blues mdashlsquoStrange times we live in just keep keeping to yourselfrsquo to the Chicago band blues of Cant Get TooClose and Personal Shutdown which also both have lockdown themes mdash Ive got to love my babyfrom six feet away Abi Wallenstein amp Roger Wade do a nice acoustic cover of Son Houses very

Serif PagePlus X9lnk

appropriate Death Letter Blues and there is more nice acoustic blues from Little Victor and KaiStrauss with Black Patti and US harp star Joe Filisko closing the first CD with the low down anddirty Be Ready When He Comes CD2 starts with a bang with Larry Garner and company TommySchneller blows a nice bluesy instrumental and Christian Bleiming plays beautiful boogie woogiepiano Big Daddy Wilson contributes some soulful gospel as does the wonderful Veronica Sbergiaon I Can Tell The World And the quality carries on right to the last tracks courtesy of Aki Kumarand Nathan James and especially Jens Turowski whose closing track Give Me My Heart Back isone of the collectionrsquos many highlights Roger deserves much praise for getting this collection oftracks together it is completely successful and I hope that it makes lots of money for themusicians involved

Graham Harrison

Eddie 9VmdashWay Down the Alley (Live at Blind Williersquos)mdashHubbub MusicmdashASIN B0874G859K

Do you remember LIVE music Unfortunately these days wecant get to hear live music so at least this album lets us listen toa gig recorded live at Atlantas Blind Williersquos club Eddie 9V is ayoung blues artist whos debut album provides most of thematerial here although while that album was mostly him playingall the instruments () this record sees him playing with ayoungish band of Chad Mason (keyboards) Lane Kelly (bass)Colin Dean (drums) and Jackson Allen (harmonica) leaving Eddie

to concentrate on vocals and guitar His debut record was very raw and this one being live is evenrawer but it does keep the same excitement levels mdash check out the opener 36 amp Main with Eddiesstrong vocals and stinging lead guitar with its great tone The old blues chestnuts Look OverYonders Wall Going Down Slow Catfish Blues and Got My Mojo Working are all played withverve and plenty of enthusiasm and the title track of his first album Left My Soul In Memphiscomes across well Eddie is a really good front man and the band back him up all the way therhythm section swing and Allens harp and particularly Masons keyboards are really good Thereis nothing new here but I liked Eddie and the bandrsquos enthusiasm and the drive they bring to thiswhat is in effect fairly basic Chicago blues

Graham Harrison

Gregg MartinezmdashMacDaddy MojeauxmdashNola Blue RecordsmdashNB011

Lafayette born Gregg (his surname is pronounced MartNEZ) nowresides in New Orleans and is recognised as one the leadingexponents of the RampBSoul BluesSwamp Pop genres Over fivedecades Gregg has fronted bands such as The King Fish The Heatand The Boogie Kings now with his band The Delta Kings hereleases this his 12th album The title refers to the affectionate

moniker that he has garnered during his career Backing Gregg who takes lead vocals are TonyGoulas on guitar the bass is provided by Sid Daigle with Tim Courville on drums keyboards arecourtesy of Bryan Perrin on piano and Charles Venture on B3

This inviting collection of 13 numbers includes 3 originals one being the horn drenched deep soulballad lsquoJust Stay Gonersquo written by Tony Goulas here Gregg delivers a pleasingly evocative pleadingperformance His interpretation of Ray Charlesrsquos lsquoI Believe In My Soulrsquo is splendidly driven by aseventies bubbling and rolling organ backed by softly punching horns while Greggrsquos seductivelymellow vocals glide above The grooving Clarence Carterrsquos lsquoSnatching It Backrsquo is once againdrenched in punching horns supplied by Claude Salles on trombone and Ron Eades on saxophoneThe stunning and driven duet lsquoDonrsquot Pull Your Loversquo features the powerful and emotive vocals ofCharlene Howard

A second duet is the early lsquo70s Stax number lsquoStarting All Over Againrsquo with guitarist Tony Goulas together the pair greatly evoke splendid memories of a glorious musical period The majesticallysoulful guitar on the popular Freddie King number lsquoSame Old Bluesrsquo is laced with gently blowinghorns while Gregg delivers a very soulful vocal The rocking lsquoEva Dellersquo sees Gregg and the band gofull tilt blasting away with the help of Sonny Landreth Rockinrsquo Dopsie Jr and Anthony Dopsie

Greatly endorsed

Brian Harman

CD WoodburymdashWorldrsquos Gone CrazymdashIndependent

The CD Woodbury Band was formed by the pairing CD himselfand the remnants of Tim Caseyrsquos Bluescats at the Snohomish BluesInvasion in 2009 Prior to that CD has had the distinction ofplaying in front of two American Presidents and on one occasionplaying the music of Jimi Hendrix before the Hendrix family CDrsquosinvaluable Texas roadhouse experiences and his Jazz and Bluesbackground has over the years stood him in good stead In 2018CD seriously considered retiring from music altogether followinghealth issues and wrist surgery but after six months of inactivity

he remdashformed his band with Don Montana on drums and vocals with Patrick McDanel providingbass and vocals and Mike Marinig on keyboards and horns CD is on lead guitar and vocals Togetherin 2020 they represented The Washington Blues Society at the International Blues Challenge inMemphis Tennessee they also went into the Robert Lang studios in Seattle to record this 13 trackalbum of originals and covers

The proceedings start with a fine acapella intro on lsquoFollow The River Homersquo that segues into a finejumpinrsquo slide driven toe-tapper with a jolly fat saxophone and driving percussion urging the musicon The enjoyably jazz rich slow moody guitar and saxophone of lsquoWalk Around Musicrsquo is pairedwith a slightly lumbering drum that certainly emphasises CDrsquos claim to be unable to dance butnonetheless still loves to soulfully groove CD and the band amply display their tight flexibleplaying ability on the melancholy slowburning lsquoEmerald City Bluesrsquo which features a splendid

fusion of understated guitar and simmering organ lsquoWorldrsquos Gone Crazyrsquo eases one in with adriving shivering slide and primeval vocal then turns into a swampy slide with a vocal thatbemoans the current life of the common working man the slightly more cheering lsquoSouth of SouthHillrsquo is a drum led hip swaying refreshing boogie lsquoCanrsquot Eat That Stuff No Morersquo is CDrsquos goodhumoured bluesy walking talking moan about his dieting experiences The prowling lungingsaxophone and sinuously dexterous guitar make for a splendid cover of Jimi Hendrixrsquos lsquoHey Joersquo

Greatly endorsed

Brian Harman

Various ArtistsmdashCrawling up a Hill A Journey through theBritish Blues Boom 1966mdash1971mdashGrape Fruit RecordsmdashCrsegbox068

Man talk about avin flash backs Heres a three cd box set thatlldo just that to BiTS readers of a certain age From John MayallsBluesbreakers (natch) to Status Quo Chicken Shack Mungo Jerryand many other names from those years that you may or maynot rememberMany of the tracks featured are previously unissued like theDuster Bennett lsquoJumping At Shadowsrsquo which would eventually

be recorded with backing from Fleetwood Mac for Dusters debut album Smiling Like Im HappyOthers are live tracks by The Yardbirds Savoy Brown and Blodwyn Pig

To be perfectly honest listening to some of these tracks today make me cringe somewhat I feel thesame about some of my early offerings too but back then I guess we were all wrapped up in themusic that was readily available to us before discovering the genuine stuff Although it has to besaid I found much here that bordered on heavy rock more than blues Something that was pickedup on at the time by those who were trying their best to stick with blues Some of the bands thathave sprung up since the increased interest in the blues are doing it a great disservice If we go backto the basic music those whove jumped on the bandwagon wont be able to follow You cant learnthe music like homework (John Dummer 1969)

Regardless of my personal thoughts theres much here to enjoy A brilliant version of Willie DixonslsquoWang Dang Doodlersquo by Love Sculpture who of course featured the ultra talented Dave EdmundslsquoNothin In Ramblinrsquo from JomdashAnn Kelly The Brunning Sunflower Blues Band with Peter GreenJohn Mayall Duster Bennett Brett Marvin amp The Thunderbolts Theres a rather beautiful andhaunting lsquoThis Love Of Oldrsquo by Medicine Head which with the right treatment could possiblybecome a good soul ballad

As an historical documentation of the times this three cd set is probably gonna be the bestrepresentation available Complete with full colour booklet full of everything you need to knowabout the tracks and the acts Go on take yourself back for a nostalgia trip

Bob Pearce

Electrobluessociety Featuring Michael PetersmdashHoochieCoochie ManmdashKuvver Kr 615

Here is another single track from this Dutch outfit with a localsinger turning in a version of the Muddy Waters classic Someof these issues on Black amp Tan subsidiary label Kuvver have keptreasonably close to the originals ndash this one doesnrsquot Thethrobbing up tempo backing is largely electronic though withpounding drums and some excellent blues guitar whilstMichelrsquos singing is fine The whole thing does actually workwell so if you have a youngster who feels that the blues is oldmdash

hat try to get them to give this a listen ndash you never knowhellip

Norman Darwen

Crawlback Featuring Johnny BirdmdashCall My Jobmdash001

Crawlback is the name of a South Wales based band led byJohnny Bird a 25 years old singer and harmonica player (andoccasional guitarist) but the sound of this extremely impressivedebut set belies the leaders youth The musical approach bringsto mind someone like Kim Wilson a fine role model for an upmdashandmdashcoming bluesman

Although there are a few ldquooutsiderdquo elementsmdashdub effects on thecover of Howling Wolfrsquos lsquo44rsquo and a rap on the rather nice

original composition lsquoCash Flow Problemsrsquomdashthis is most definitely the modern blues Theinclusion of a bluesmdashwailing jazz cover like Duke Ellingtonrsquos lsquoCaravanrsquo should no longer raise anyeyebrowsmdashit is a fine performance whatever Other borrowed material comes courtesy of MitchKashmar Junior Wells William Clarke (another big influence on Johnny) Junior Parker and LazyLester

In fact if I have a criticism of this set it is only that the band should be more confident in writingtheir own material That will come with time I guess and it is certainly only a minor complaintwith music this good

If you want to check this outmdashand you really shouldmdash ry and give the cover of Jimmy ReedrsquoslsquoFound Loversquo a listen Truly wonderful

Norman Darwen(wwwfacebookcomcrawlbackblues)

The Smoke Wagon Blues Band The Ballad of Albert JohnsonmdashOwn Label

The first four numbers of this impressive set comprise thestorming boogie of the title track followed by lsquoMemphis Soulrsquowhich is self explanatory the blues ballad of lsquoAinrsquot Gonna Be YourFoolrsquo and an excellent remake of Mr Dominos first hit lsquoThe FatManrsquo which retains much of the appeal of the original The tempothen slows a little but that Crescent City flavour remains for lsquoLaySay Layrsquo lsquoMescalinersquo is suitably sleazy with leader Corey Lueckrsquosvocal sounding like he has spent too many nights drinking rotgut

whiskey in smokemdashfilled and rather dubious joints

This sevenmdashpiece has built up a strong reputation mdash their last album lsquoCigar Storersquo won threeIndependent Blues awards If you still need convincing lend an ear to the soulmdashblues of lsquoSacrificersquowhich introduces a sequence of three fine modern blues items before the ballad lsquoA Song For Cherylrsquowith its vague hints of country

The album then heads towards its close with the traditionalmdashsounding and very fine blues shuffle oflsquoCanrsquot Take The Bluesrsquo the curious ldquoletrsquos all sing alongrdquo country of lsquoOn The Road Againrsquo (albeit with abrief jazz interlude) and the Bo Diddleymdashinflected rabble rousing closer lsquoSteaming Comrades HarpBoogiersquo No explanation necessary Overall another fine album from this Ontario-Canada basedoutfit Worth checking it out

Norman Darwen(wwwsmokewagonbluesbandcom)

Eric Hughes BandmdashPostcard from Beale StreetmdashEndless BluesmdashEhbebro22020

Running to just a little under half an hour this is more like a tenmdashtrack CD EP Whilst Beale Street evokes the bluesmdashsingerguitarist harmonica and jug player (and Memphis tour guide) Ericand his seven accompanists realise this involves many differentstyles of blues So there is the older jazzmdashinflected jug bandsound of lsquoFollow Your Stupid Little Dreamsrsquo the driving punkyHendrixmdashinflected bluesmdashrock of lsquoHersquos Just an Alley Catrsquo thevintage jazz of lsquoOh Boozersquo coming up the river and the classic soul

sound of lsquoFair Weather Friendsrsquo The opening lsquoAinrsquot Whipped Yetrsquo is a regular blues and indicative ofEricrsquos outlook and even the drugs references of lsquoItrsquos 420 Somewherersquo have a precedent even if TheMemphis Jug Band had a different substance in mind lsquoHomesick Angelrsquo has a gospel influence and acouple of others lean towards singermdashsongwritermdashish country making for a varied and verylistenable release with appropriate arrangements as each song requires

Norman Darwen

(wwwerichughesbandcom)Katie KnippmdashChamomile and Cocaine mdashOwn Label (Single)

This is a onemdashtrack digital single release from this Blues awardmdashwinning Northern California based singermdashsongwriter andmultimdashinstrumentalist Here shersquos having fun singingenthusiastically and raucously and playing piano backed by herregular band of sax guitar bass and drums and with guest KeithCotton filling things out on Hammond B-3 organ It is a bigsounding production with elements of Janis Joplin lsquo60s NewOrleans and classic blues-rockmdashlisten out for the guitar breakDo check it out

Norman Darwen(wwwkatieknippcom)

Micke amp Lefty Feat ChefmdashLet the Fire LeadmdashHokahayHhrcd2002

Never heard of these guys Well maybe you havemdashone of them atleast as Micke Bjorklof has featured in the IBBA Blues Radiocharts with his electric blues band Blue Strip Here though hesings and plays percussion with guitar duties handled by LeftyLappanen (plus vocals) and Mr Chef Kivimaki on bass

They are from Finland popular across Scandinavia and becomingbettermdashknown these days across Europe So they should be toomdash

they have been described as ldquoan acoustic power triordquo which may not be strictly accurate but itserves well enough They have been together 20 years though 10 have passed since their previousalbum This release is long overdue

Listen to the ferocious opener lsquoTell That Womanrsquo or one of the albumrsquos rare covers lsquoSteadyRolling Manrsquo where the band is augmented by 75 year old Finnish rock and roller Eero RaitinnenThere are occasional diversions from their superheated Mississippi blues thoughmdashlsquoAlwaysSomething Goodrsquo opens with a Delta blues riff but then transmutes unexpectedly into a fine pieceof Americana there is also a fine and raucous cover of Mr Broonzyrsquos lsquoBig Bill Bluesrsquo not the kindof thing you hear often these days whilst lsquoSmalltown Babyrsquo could come from ldquoLed Zeppelin 4rdquo andthe title track has faint echoes of 90s group Oasismdashbut the blues is at the base Try the zydecotinged lsquoRock lsquonrsquo Bowlrsquo too

Hopefully you feel curious enough by now to check out this very strong contemporary blues androots set

Norman Darwen(wwwmickeandleftycom)

Bessie Jones with The Georgia Sea Island SingersmdashGet InUnionmdashAlan Lomax Archive Association for Cultural Equity

What a phenomenal presence Alan Lomax was For most of his lifehe scoured the world for a wide spectrum of musicalperformances recorded as early as 1948 on audio tape There aremore than 17400 digital audio files in that personal collectionwhich is not to be confused with the Library Of Congress (LoC)recordingsmdashmade on acetate and metal disk between 1933 and1942mdashwhich added thousands more recordings to the archives TheLoC recordings include the memorable Jelly Roll Morton WoodyGuthrie Lead Belly and Muddy Waters sessions

This album is a sometimes outstanding example of the breadth and depth of his recordings AlanLomax first visited the Georgia Sea Island of St Simons in June of 1935 with colleagues There theymet the remarkable Spiritual Singers Society of Coastal Georgia as the group was then called andrecorded several hours of their songs and dances for the Library of Congress Twentymdashfive yearslater Lomax found that the Singers were still active and had been enriched by the addition ofBessie Jones a South Georgia native with a massive repertoire of songs going back to slavery times

Despite the hint at politicality in the title lsquoGet In Unionrsquo is not a political collection By and large itis a collection of old spirituals from way before the music became known as gospel play songschildrens songs and even a bit of flat-foot dancing on the catchy lsquoElephant Fairrsquo Most have BessieJonesrsquo magnificent contralto voice to the fore such as in the sensational acapella version of lsquoJohnHenryrsquo slow and with a hammer ringing on a piece of metal as the sole accompaniment Elsewherethere are magnificent harmonies from the vocal group and polyrhythmic hand clapping on lsquoGot OnMy Travelling Shoesrsquo reminds me of some of the west African indigenous music recorded by PaulOliver There are 60 tracks on this album and each should be played and played again Justwonderful

Ian K McKenzie

Mary CoughlanmdashLife StoriesmdashHail Mary Records

Wow What a wonderful surprise this one is The cover pic of Marymakes her look a bit lsquofraughtrsquo but therersquos nothing fraught aboutthe music She has had her problems (check her autobiographyBloody Mary My Story is published by Hatchette Books and lookhere) but as all the best do has incorporated the lessons of lifeinto her singing

This is her sixteenth record and it is a wonderful example of a jazzbased album Sometimes called a new Billie Holliday the label ismisleading She is better than that She seems to be able to turn

her stunning voice to anything from the angst of lsquoElbow Deeprsquo through the stomping jazz vocal andkeys of lsquoTwelve Steps Forward and Ten Steps Backrsquo to the exuberance of lsquoHigh Heal Bootsrsquo there isnot a duff track here Mary has a huge audience in Ireland and in Australia but she is not so wellknown in the UK Shersquos on tour in the UK in September (shows here) letrsquos try to make sure she getsbetter known

Ian K McKenzie

appropriate Death Letter Blues and there is more nice acoustic blues from Little Victor and KaiStrauss with Black Patti and US harp star Joe Filisko closing the first CD with the low down anddirty Be Ready When He Comes CD2 starts with a bang with Larry Garner and company TommySchneller blows a nice bluesy instrumental and Christian Bleiming plays beautiful boogie woogiepiano Big Daddy Wilson contributes some soulful gospel as does the wonderful Veronica Sbergiaon I Can Tell The World And the quality carries on right to the last tracks courtesy of Aki Kumarand Nathan James and especially Jens Turowski whose closing track Give Me My Heart Back isone of the collectionrsquos many highlights Roger deserves much praise for getting this collection oftracks together it is completely successful and I hope that it makes lots of money for themusicians involved

Graham Harrison

Eddie 9VmdashWay Down the Alley (Live at Blind Williersquos)mdashHubbub MusicmdashASIN B0874G859K

Do you remember LIVE music Unfortunately these days wecant get to hear live music so at least this album lets us listen toa gig recorded live at Atlantas Blind Williersquos club Eddie 9V is ayoung blues artist whos debut album provides most of thematerial here although while that album was mostly him playingall the instruments () this record sees him playing with ayoungish band of Chad Mason (keyboards) Lane Kelly (bass)Colin Dean (drums) and Jackson Allen (harmonica) leaving Eddie

to concentrate on vocals and guitar His debut record was very raw and this one being live is evenrawer but it does keep the same excitement levels mdash check out the opener 36 amp Main with Eddiesstrong vocals and stinging lead guitar with its great tone The old blues chestnuts Look OverYonders Wall Going Down Slow Catfish Blues and Got My Mojo Working are all played withverve and plenty of enthusiasm and the title track of his first album Left My Soul In Memphiscomes across well Eddie is a really good front man and the band back him up all the way therhythm section swing and Allens harp and particularly Masons keyboards are really good Thereis nothing new here but I liked Eddie and the bandrsquos enthusiasm and the drive they bring to thiswhat is in effect fairly basic Chicago blues

Graham Harrison

Gregg MartinezmdashMacDaddy MojeauxmdashNola Blue RecordsmdashNB011

Lafayette born Gregg (his surname is pronounced MartNEZ) nowresides in New Orleans and is recognised as one the leadingexponents of the RampBSoul BluesSwamp Pop genres Over fivedecades Gregg has fronted bands such as The King Fish The Heatand The Boogie Kings now with his band The Delta Kings hereleases this his 12th album The title refers to the affectionate

moniker that he has garnered during his career Backing Gregg who takes lead vocals are TonyGoulas on guitar the bass is provided by Sid Daigle with Tim Courville on drums keyboards arecourtesy of Bryan Perrin on piano and Charles Venture on B3

This inviting collection of 13 numbers includes 3 originals one being the horn drenched deep soulballad lsquoJust Stay Gonersquo written by Tony Goulas here Gregg delivers a pleasingly evocative pleadingperformance His interpretation of Ray Charlesrsquos lsquoI Believe In My Soulrsquo is splendidly driven by aseventies bubbling and rolling organ backed by softly punching horns while Greggrsquos seductivelymellow vocals glide above The grooving Clarence Carterrsquos lsquoSnatching It Backrsquo is once againdrenched in punching horns supplied by Claude Salles on trombone and Ron Eades on saxophoneThe stunning and driven duet lsquoDonrsquot Pull Your Loversquo features the powerful and emotive vocals ofCharlene Howard

A second duet is the early lsquo70s Stax number lsquoStarting All Over Againrsquo with guitarist Tony Goulas together the pair greatly evoke splendid memories of a glorious musical period The majesticallysoulful guitar on the popular Freddie King number lsquoSame Old Bluesrsquo is laced with gently blowinghorns while Gregg delivers a very soulful vocal The rocking lsquoEva Dellersquo sees Gregg and the band gofull tilt blasting away with the help of Sonny Landreth Rockinrsquo Dopsie Jr and Anthony Dopsie

Greatly endorsed

Brian Harman

CD WoodburymdashWorldrsquos Gone CrazymdashIndependent

The CD Woodbury Band was formed by the pairing CD himselfand the remnants of Tim Caseyrsquos Bluescats at the Snohomish BluesInvasion in 2009 Prior to that CD has had the distinction ofplaying in front of two American Presidents and on one occasionplaying the music of Jimi Hendrix before the Hendrix family CDrsquosinvaluable Texas roadhouse experiences and his Jazz and Bluesbackground has over the years stood him in good stead In 2018CD seriously considered retiring from music altogether followinghealth issues and wrist surgery but after six months of inactivity

he remdashformed his band with Don Montana on drums and vocals with Patrick McDanel providingbass and vocals and Mike Marinig on keyboards and horns CD is on lead guitar and vocals Togetherin 2020 they represented The Washington Blues Society at the International Blues Challenge inMemphis Tennessee they also went into the Robert Lang studios in Seattle to record this 13 trackalbum of originals and covers

The proceedings start with a fine acapella intro on lsquoFollow The River Homersquo that segues into a finejumpinrsquo slide driven toe-tapper with a jolly fat saxophone and driving percussion urging the musicon The enjoyably jazz rich slow moody guitar and saxophone of lsquoWalk Around Musicrsquo is pairedwith a slightly lumbering drum that certainly emphasises CDrsquos claim to be unable to dance butnonetheless still loves to soulfully groove CD and the band amply display their tight flexibleplaying ability on the melancholy slowburning lsquoEmerald City Bluesrsquo which features a splendid

fusion of understated guitar and simmering organ lsquoWorldrsquos Gone Crazyrsquo eases one in with adriving shivering slide and primeval vocal then turns into a swampy slide with a vocal thatbemoans the current life of the common working man the slightly more cheering lsquoSouth of SouthHillrsquo is a drum led hip swaying refreshing boogie lsquoCanrsquot Eat That Stuff No Morersquo is CDrsquos goodhumoured bluesy walking talking moan about his dieting experiences The prowling lungingsaxophone and sinuously dexterous guitar make for a splendid cover of Jimi Hendrixrsquos lsquoHey Joersquo

Greatly endorsed

Brian Harman

Various ArtistsmdashCrawling up a Hill A Journey through theBritish Blues Boom 1966mdash1971mdashGrape Fruit RecordsmdashCrsegbox068

Man talk about avin flash backs Heres a three cd box set thatlldo just that to BiTS readers of a certain age From John MayallsBluesbreakers (natch) to Status Quo Chicken Shack Mungo Jerryand many other names from those years that you may or maynot rememberMany of the tracks featured are previously unissued like theDuster Bennett lsquoJumping At Shadowsrsquo which would eventually

be recorded with backing from Fleetwood Mac for Dusters debut album Smiling Like Im HappyOthers are live tracks by The Yardbirds Savoy Brown and Blodwyn Pig

To be perfectly honest listening to some of these tracks today make me cringe somewhat I feel thesame about some of my early offerings too but back then I guess we were all wrapped up in themusic that was readily available to us before discovering the genuine stuff Although it has to besaid I found much here that bordered on heavy rock more than blues Something that was pickedup on at the time by those who were trying their best to stick with blues Some of the bands thathave sprung up since the increased interest in the blues are doing it a great disservice If we go backto the basic music those whove jumped on the bandwagon wont be able to follow You cant learnthe music like homework (John Dummer 1969)

Regardless of my personal thoughts theres much here to enjoy A brilliant version of Willie DixonslsquoWang Dang Doodlersquo by Love Sculpture who of course featured the ultra talented Dave EdmundslsquoNothin In Ramblinrsquo from JomdashAnn Kelly The Brunning Sunflower Blues Band with Peter GreenJohn Mayall Duster Bennett Brett Marvin amp The Thunderbolts Theres a rather beautiful andhaunting lsquoThis Love Of Oldrsquo by Medicine Head which with the right treatment could possiblybecome a good soul ballad

As an historical documentation of the times this three cd set is probably gonna be the bestrepresentation available Complete with full colour booklet full of everything you need to knowabout the tracks and the acts Go on take yourself back for a nostalgia trip

Bob Pearce

Electrobluessociety Featuring Michael PetersmdashHoochieCoochie ManmdashKuvver Kr 615

Here is another single track from this Dutch outfit with a localsinger turning in a version of the Muddy Waters classic Someof these issues on Black amp Tan subsidiary label Kuvver have keptreasonably close to the originals ndash this one doesnrsquot Thethrobbing up tempo backing is largely electronic though withpounding drums and some excellent blues guitar whilstMichelrsquos singing is fine The whole thing does actually workwell so if you have a youngster who feels that the blues is oldmdash

hat try to get them to give this a listen ndash you never knowhellip

Norman Darwen

Crawlback Featuring Johnny BirdmdashCall My Jobmdash001

Crawlback is the name of a South Wales based band led byJohnny Bird a 25 years old singer and harmonica player (andoccasional guitarist) but the sound of this extremely impressivedebut set belies the leaders youth The musical approach bringsto mind someone like Kim Wilson a fine role model for an upmdashandmdashcoming bluesman

Although there are a few ldquooutsiderdquo elementsmdashdub effects on thecover of Howling Wolfrsquos lsquo44rsquo and a rap on the rather nice

original composition lsquoCash Flow Problemsrsquomdashthis is most definitely the modern blues Theinclusion of a bluesmdashwailing jazz cover like Duke Ellingtonrsquos lsquoCaravanrsquo should no longer raise anyeyebrowsmdashit is a fine performance whatever Other borrowed material comes courtesy of MitchKashmar Junior Wells William Clarke (another big influence on Johnny) Junior Parker and LazyLester

In fact if I have a criticism of this set it is only that the band should be more confident in writingtheir own material That will come with time I guess and it is certainly only a minor complaintwith music this good

If you want to check this outmdashand you really shouldmdash ry and give the cover of Jimmy ReedrsquoslsquoFound Loversquo a listen Truly wonderful

Norman Darwen(wwwfacebookcomcrawlbackblues)

The Smoke Wagon Blues Band The Ballad of Albert JohnsonmdashOwn Label

The first four numbers of this impressive set comprise thestorming boogie of the title track followed by lsquoMemphis Soulrsquowhich is self explanatory the blues ballad of lsquoAinrsquot Gonna Be YourFoolrsquo and an excellent remake of Mr Dominos first hit lsquoThe FatManrsquo which retains much of the appeal of the original The tempothen slows a little but that Crescent City flavour remains for lsquoLaySay Layrsquo lsquoMescalinersquo is suitably sleazy with leader Corey Lueckrsquosvocal sounding like he has spent too many nights drinking rotgut

whiskey in smokemdashfilled and rather dubious joints

This sevenmdashpiece has built up a strong reputation mdash their last album lsquoCigar Storersquo won threeIndependent Blues awards If you still need convincing lend an ear to the soulmdashblues of lsquoSacrificersquowhich introduces a sequence of three fine modern blues items before the ballad lsquoA Song For Cherylrsquowith its vague hints of country

The album then heads towards its close with the traditionalmdashsounding and very fine blues shuffle oflsquoCanrsquot Take The Bluesrsquo the curious ldquoletrsquos all sing alongrdquo country of lsquoOn The Road Againrsquo (albeit with abrief jazz interlude) and the Bo Diddleymdashinflected rabble rousing closer lsquoSteaming Comrades HarpBoogiersquo No explanation necessary Overall another fine album from this Ontario-Canada basedoutfit Worth checking it out

Norman Darwen(wwwsmokewagonbluesbandcom)

Eric Hughes BandmdashPostcard from Beale StreetmdashEndless BluesmdashEhbebro22020

Running to just a little under half an hour this is more like a tenmdashtrack CD EP Whilst Beale Street evokes the bluesmdashsingerguitarist harmonica and jug player (and Memphis tour guide) Ericand his seven accompanists realise this involves many differentstyles of blues So there is the older jazzmdashinflected jug bandsound of lsquoFollow Your Stupid Little Dreamsrsquo the driving punkyHendrixmdashinflected bluesmdashrock of lsquoHersquos Just an Alley Catrsquo thevintage jazz of lsquoOh Boozersquo coming up the river and the classic soul

sound of lsquoFair Weather Friendsrsquo The opening lsquoAinrsquot Whipped Yetrsquo is a regular blues and indicative ofEricrsquos outlook and even the drugs references of lsquoItrsquos 420 Somewherersquo have a precedent even if TheMemphis Jug Band had a different substance in mind lsquoHomesick Angelrsquo has a gospel influence and acouple of others lean towards singermdashsongwritermdashish country making for a varied and verylistenable release with appropriate arrangements as each song requires

Norman Darwen

(wwwerichughesbandcom)Katie KnippmdashChamomile and Cocaine mdashOwn Label (Single)

This is a onemdashtrack digital single release from this Blues awardmdashwinning Northern California based singermdashsongwriter andmultimdashinstrumentalist Here shersquos having fun singingenthusiastically and raucously and playing piano backed by herregular band of sax guitar bass and drums and with guest KeithCotton filling things out on Hammond B-3 organ It is a bigsounding production with elements of Janis Joplin lsquo60s NewOrleans and classic blues-rockmdashlisten out for the guitar breakDo check it out

Norman Darwen(wwwkatieknippcom)

Micke amp Lefty Feat ChefmdashLet the Fire LeadmdashHokahayHhrcd2002

Never heard of these guys Well maybe you havemdashone of them atleast as Micke Bjorklof has featured in the IBBA Blues Radiocharts with his electric blues band Blue Strip Here though hesings and plays percussion with guitar duties handled by LeftyLappanen (plus vocals) and Mr Chef Kivimaki on bass

They are from Finland popular across Scandinavia and becomingbettermdashknown these days across Europe So they should be toomdash

they have been described as ldquoan acoustic power triordquo which may not be strictly accurate but itserves well enough They have been together 20 years though 10 have passed since their previousalbum This release is long overdue

Listen to the ferocious opener lsquoTell That Womanrsquo or one of the albumrsquos rare covers lsquoSteadyRolling Manrsquo where the band is augmented by 75 year old Finnish rock and roller Eero RaitinnenThere are occasional diversions from their superheated Mississippi blues thoughmdashlsquoAlwaysSomething Goodrsquo opens with a Delta blues riff but then transmutes unexpectedly into a fine pieceof Americana there is also a fine and raucous cover of Mr Broonzyrsquos lsquoBig Bill Bluesrsquo not the kindof thing you hear often these days whilst lsquoSmalltown Babyrsquo could come from ldquoLed Zeppelin 4rdquo andthe title track has faint echoes of 90s group Oasismdashbut the blues is at the base Try the zydecotinged lsquoRock lsquonrsquo Bowlrsquo too

Hopefully you feel curious enough by now to check out this very strong contemporary blues androots set

Norman Darwen(wwwmickeandleftycom)

Bessie Jones with The Georgia Sea Island SingersmdashGet InUnionmdashAlan Lomax Archive Association for Cultural Equity

What a phenomenal presence Alan Lomax was For most of his lifehe scoured the world for a wide spectrum of musicalperformances recorded as early as 1948 on audio tape There aremore than 17400 digital audio files in that personal collectionwhich is not to be confused with the Library Of Congress (LoC)recordingsmdashmade on acetate and metal disk between 1933 and1942mdashwhich added thousands more recordings to the archives TheLoC recordings include the memorable Jelly Roll Morton WoodyGuthrie Lead Belly and Muddy Waters sessions

This album is a sometimes outstanding example of the breadth and depth of his recordings AlanLomax first visited the Georgia Sea Island of St Simons in June of 1935 with colleagues There theymet the remarkable Spiritual Singers Society of Coastal Georgia as the group was then called andrecorded several hours of their songs and dances for the Library of Congress Twentymdashfive yearslater Lomax found that the Singers were still active and had been enriched by the addition ofBessie Jones a South Georgia native with a massive repertoire of songs going back to slavery times

Despite the hint at politicality in the title lsquoGet In Unionrsquo is not a political collection By and large itis a collection of old spirituals from way before the music became known as gospel play songschildrens songs and even a bit of flat-foot dancing on the catchy lsquoElephant Fairrsquo Most have BessieJonesrsquo magnificent contralto voice to the fore such as in the sensational acapella version of lsquoJohnHenryrsquo slow and with a hammer ringing on a piece of metal as the sole accompaniment Elsewherethere are magnificent harmonies from the vocal group and polyrhythmic hand clapping on lsquoGot OnMy Travelling Shoesrsquo reminds me of some of the west African indigenous music recorded by PaulOliver There are 60 tracks on this album and each should be played and played again Justwonderful

Ian K McKenzie

Mary CoughlanmdashLife StoriesmdashHail Mary Records

Wow What a wonderful surprise this one is The cover pic of Marymakes her look a bit lsquofraughtrsquo but therersquos nothing fraught aboutthe music She has had her problems (check her autobiographyBloody Mary My Story is published by Hatchette Books and lookhere) but as all the best do has incorporated the lessons of lifeinto her singing

This is her sixteenth record and it is a wonderful example of a jazzbased album Sometimes called a new Billie Holliday the label ismisleading She is better than that She seems to be able to turn

her stunning voice to anything from the angst of lsquoElbow Deeprsquo through the stomping jazz vocal andkeys of lsquoTwelve Steps Forward and Ten Steps Backrsquo to the exuberance of lsquoHigh Heal Bootsrsquo there isnot a duff track here Mary has a huge audience in Ireland and in Australia but she is not so wellknown in the UK Shersquos on tour in the UK in September (shows here) letrsquos try to make sure she getsbetter known

Ian K McKenzie

moniker that he has garnered during his career Backing Gregg who takes lead vocals are TonyGoulas on guitar the bass is provided by Sid Daigle with Tim Courville on drums keyboards arecourtesy of Bryan Perrin on piano and Charles Venture on B3

This inviting collection of 13 numbers includes 3 originals one being the horn drenched deep soulballad lsquoJust Stay Gonersquo written by Tony Goulas here Gregg delivers a pleasingly evocative pleadingperformance His interpretation of Ray Charlesrsquos lsquoI Believe In My Soulrsquo is splendidly driven by aseventies bubbling and rolling organ backed by softly punching horns while Greggrsquos seductivelymellow vocals glide above The grooving Clarence Carterrsquos lsquoSnatching It Backrsquo is once againdrenched in punching horns supplied by Claude Salles on trombone and Ron Eades on saxophoneThe stunning and driven duet lsquoDonrsquot Pull Your Loversquo features the powerful and emotive vocals ofCharlene Howard

A second duet is the early lsquo70s Stax number lsquoStarting All Over Againrsquo with guitarist Tony Goulas together the pair greatly evoke splendid memories of a glorious musical period The majesticallysoulful guitar on the popular Freddie King number lsquoSame Old Bluesrsquo is laced with gently blowinghorns while Gregg delivers a very soulful vocal The rocking lsquoEva Dellersquo sees Gregg and the band gofull tilt blasting away with the help of Sonny Landreth Rockinrsquo Dopsie Jr and Anthony Dopsie

Greatly endorsed

Brian Harman

CD WoodburymdashWorldrsquos Gone CrazymdashIndependent

The CD Woodbury Band was formed by the pairing CD himselfand the remnants of Tim Caseyrsquos Bluescats at the Snohomish BluesInvasion in 2009 Prior to that CD has had the distinction ofplaying in front of two American Presidents and on one occasionplaying the music of Jimi Hendrix before the Hendrix family CDrsquosinvaluable Texas roadhouse experiences and his Jazz and Bluesbackground has over the years stood him in good stead In 2018CD seriously considered retiring from music altogether followinghealth issues and wrist surgery but after six months of inactivity

he remdashformed his band with Don Montana on drums and vocals with Patrick McDanel providingbass and vocals and Mike Marinig on keyboards and horns CD is on lead guitar and vocals Togetherin 2020 they represented The Washington Blues Society at the International Blues Challenge inMemphis Tennessee they also went into the Robert Lang studios in Seattle to record this 13 trackalbum of originals and covers

The proceedings start with a fine acapella intro on lsquoFollow The River Homersquo that segues into a finejumpinrsquo slide driven toe-tapper with a jolly fat saxophone and driving percussion urging the musicon The enjoyably jazz rich slow moody guitar and saxophone of lsquoWalk Around Musicrsquo is pairedwith a slightly lumbering drum that certainly emphasises CDrsquos claim to be unable to dance butnonetheless still loves to soulfully groove CD and the band amply display their tight flexibleplaying ability on the melancholy slowburning lsquoEmerald City Bluesrsquo which features a splendid

fusion of understated guitar and simmering organ lsquoWorldrsquos Gone Crazyrsquo eases one in with adriving shivering slide and primeval vocal then turns into a swampy slide with a vocal thatbemoans the current life of the common working man the slightly more cheering lsquoSouth of SouthHillrsquo is a drum led hip swaying refreshing boogie lsquoCanrsquot Eat That Stuff No Morersquo is CDrsquos goodhumoured bluesy walking talking moan about his dieting experiences The prowling lungingsaxophone and sinuously dexterous guitar make for a splendid cover of Jimi Hendrixrsquos lsquoHey Joersquo

Greatly endorsed

Brian Harman

Various ArtistsmdashCrawling up a Hill A Journey through theBritish Blues Boom 1966mdash1971mdashGrape Fruit RecordsmdashCrsegbox068

Man talk about avin flash backs Heres a three cd box set thatlldo just that to BiTS readers of a certain age From John MayallsBluesbreakers (natch) to Status Quo Chicken Shack Mungo Jerryand many other names from those years that you may or maynot rememberMany of the tracks featured are previously unissued like theDuster Bennett lsquoJumping At Shadowsrsquo which would eventually

be recorded with backing from Fleetwood Mac for Dusters debut album Smiling Like Im HappyOthers are live tracks by The Yardbirds Savoy Brown and Blodwyn Pig

To be perfectly honest listening to some of these tracks today make me cringe somewhat I feel thesame about some of my early offerings too but back then I guess we were all wrapped up in themusic that was readily available to us before discovering the genuine stuff Although it has to besaid I found much here that bordered on heavy rock more than blues Something that was pickedup on at the time by those who were trying their best to stick with blues Some of the bands thathave sprung up since the increased interest in the blues are doing it a great disservice If we go backto the basic music those whove jumped on the bandwagon wont be able to follow You cant learnthe music like homework (John Dummer 1969)

Regardless of my personal thoughts theres much here to enjoy A brilliant version of Willie DixonslsquoWang Dang Doodlersquo by Love Sculpture who of course featured the ultra talented Dave EdmundslsquoNothin In Ramblinrsquo from JomdashAnn Kelly The Brunning Sunflower Blues Band with Peter GreenJohn Mayall Duster Bennett Brett Marvin amp The Thunderbolts Theres a rather beautiful andhaunting lsquoThis Love Of Oldrsquo by Medicine Head which with the right treatment could possiblybecome a good soul ballad

As an historical documentation of the times this three cd set is probably gonna be the bestrepresentation available Complete with full colour booklet full of everything you need to knowabout the tracks and the acts Go on take yourself back for a nostalgia trip

Bob Pearce

Electrobluessociety Featuring Michael PetersmdashHoochieCoochie ManmdashKuvver Kr 615

Here is another single track from this Dutch outfit with a localsinger turning in a version of the Muddy Waters classic Someof these issues on Black amp Tan subsidiary label Kuvver have keptreasonably close to the originals ndash this one doesnrsquot Thethrobbing up tempo backing is largely electronic though withpounding drums and some excellent blues guitar whilstMichelrsquos singing is fine The whole thing does actually workwell so if you have a youngster who feels that the blues is oldmdash

hat try to get them to give this a listen ndash you never knowhellip

Norman Darwen

Crawlback Featuring Johnny BirdmdashCall My Jobmdash001

Crawlback is the name of a South Wales based band led byJohnny Bird a 25 years old singer and harmonica player (andoccasional guitarist) but the sound of this extremely impressivedebut set belies the leaders youth The musical approach bringsto mind someone like Kim Wilson a fine role model for an upmdashandmdashcoming bluesman

Although there are a few ldquooutsiderdquo elementsmdashdub effects on thecover of Howling Wolfrsquos lsquo44rsquo and a rap on the rather nice

original composition lsquoCash Flow Problemsrsquomdashthis is most definitely the modern blues Theinclusion of a bluesmdashwailing jazz cover like Duke Ellingtonrsquos lsquoCaravanrsquo should no longer raise anyeyebrowsmdashit is a fine performance whatever Other borrowed material comes courtesy of MitchKashmar Junior Wells William Clarke (another big influence on Johnny) Junior Parker and LazyLester

In fact if I have a criticism of this set it is only that the band should be more confident in writingtheir own material That will come with time I guess and it is certainly only a minor complaintwith music this good

If you want to check this outmdashand you really shouldmdash ry and give the cover of Jimmy ReedrsquoslsquoFound Loversquo a listen Truly wonderful

Norman Darwen(wwwfacebookcomcrawlbackblues)

The Smoke Wagon Blues Band The Ballad of Albert JohnsonmdashOwn Label

The first four numbers of this impressive set comprise thestorming boogie of the title track followed by lsquoMemphis Soulrsquowhich is self explanatory the blues ballad of lsquoAinrsquot Gonna Be YourFoolrsquo and an excellent remake of Mr Dominos first hit lsquoThe FatManrsquo which retains much of the appeal of the original The tempothen slows a little but that Crescent City flavour remains for lsquoLaySay Layrsquo lsquoMescalinersquo is suitably sleazy with leader Corey Lueckrsquosvocal sounding like he has spent too many nights drinking rotgut

whiskey in smokemdashfilled and rather dubious joints

This sevenmdashpiece has built up a strong reputation mdash their last album lsquoCigar Storersquo won threeIndependent Blues awards If you still need convincing lend an ear to the soulmdashblues of lsquoSacrificersquowhich introduces a sequence of three fine modern blues items before the ballad lsquoA Song For Cherylrsquowith its vague hints of country

The album then heads towards its close with the traditionalmdashsounding and very fine blues shuffle oflsquoCanrsquot Take The Bluesrsquo the curious ldquoletrsquos all sing alongrdquo country of lsquoOn The Road Againrsquo (albeit with abrief jazz interlude) and the Bo Diddleymdashinflected rabble rousing closer lsquoSteaming Comrades HarpBoogiersquo No explanation necessary Overall another fine album from this Ontario-Canada basedoutfit Worth checking it out

Norman Darwen(wwwsmokewagonbluesbandcom)

Eric Hughes BandmdashPostcard from Beale StreetmdashEndless BluesmdashEhbebro22020

Running to just a little under half an hour this is more like a tenmdashtrack CD EP Whilst Beale Street evokes the bluesmdashsingerguitarist harmonica and jug player (and Memphis tour guide) Ericand his seven accompanists realise this involves many differentstyles of blues So there is the older jazzmdashinflected jug bandsound of lsquoFollow Your Stupid Little Dreamsrsquo the driving punkyHendrixmdashinflected bluesmdashrock of lsquoHersquos Just an Alley Catrsquo thevintage jazz of lsquoOh Boozersquo coming up the river and the classic soul

sound of lsquoFair Weather Friendsrsquo The opening lsquoAinrsquot Whipped Yetrsquo is a regular blues and indicative ofEricrsquos outlook and even the drugs references of lsquoItrsquos 420 Somewherersquo have a precedent even if TheMemphis Jug Band had a different substance in mind lsquoHomesick Angelrsquo has a gospel influence and acouple of others lean towards singermdashsongwritermdashish country making for a varied and verylistenable release with appropriate arrangements as each song requires

Norman Darwen

(wwwerichughesbandcom)Katie KnippmdashChamomile and Cocaine mdashOwn Label (Single)

This is a onemdashtrack digital single release from this Blues awardmdashwinning Northern California based singermdashsongwriter andmultimdashinstrumentalist Here shersquos having fun singingenthusiastically and raucously and playing piano backed by herregular band of sax guitar bass and drums and with guest KeithCotton filling things out on Hammond B-3 organ It is a bigsounding production with elements of Janis Joplin lsquo60s NewOrleans and classic blues-rockmdashlisten out for the guitar breakDo check it out

Norman Darwen(wwwkatieknippcom)

Micke amp Lefty Feat ChefmdashLet the Fire LeadmdashHokahayHhrcd2002

Never heard of these guys Well maybe you havemdashone of them atleast as Micke Bjorklof has featured in the IBBA Blues Radiocharts with his electric blues band Blue Strip Here though hesings and plays percussion with guitar duties handled by LeftyLappanen (plus vocals) and Mr Chef Kivimaki on bass

They are from Finland popular across Scandinavia and becomingbettermdashknown these days across Europe So they should be toomdash

they have been described as ldquoan acoustic power triordquo which may not be strictly accurate but itserves well enough They have been together 20 years though 10 have passed since their previousalbum This release is long overdue

Listen to the ferocious opener lsquoTell That Womanrsquo or one of the albumrsquos rare covers lsquoSteadyRolling Manrsquo where the band is augmented by 75 year old Finnish rock and roller Eero RaitinnenThere are occasional diversions from their superheated Mississippi blues thoughmdashlsquoAlwaysSomething Goodrsquo opens with a Delta blues riff but then transmutes unexpectedly into a fine pieceof Americana there is also a fine and raucous cover of Mr Broonzyrsquos lsquoBig Bill Bluesrsquo not the kindof thing you hear often these days whilst lsquoSmalltown Babyrsquo could come from ldquoLed Zeppelin 4rdquo andthe title track has faint echoes of 90s group Oasismdashbut the blues is at the base Try the zydecotinged lsquoRock lsquonrsquo Bowlrsquo too

Hopefully you feel curious enough by now to check out this very strong contemporary blues androots set

Norman Darwen(wwwmickeandleftycom)

Bessie Jones with The Georgia Sea Island SingersmdashGet InUnionmdashAlan Lomax Archive Association for Cultural Equity

What a phenomenal presence Alan Lomax was For most of his lifehe scoured the world for a wide spectrum of musicalperformances recorded as early as 1948 on audio tape There aremore than 17400 digital audio files in that personal collectionwhich is not to be confused with the Library Of Congress (LoC)recordingsmdashmade on acetate and metal disk between 1933 and1942mdashwhich added thousands more recordings to the archives TheLoC recordings include the memorable Jelly Roll Morton WoodyGuthrie Lead Belly and Muddy Waters sessions

This album is a sometimes outstanding example of the breadth and depth of his recordings AlanLomax first visited the Georgia Sea Island of St Simons in June of 1935 with colleagues There theymet the remarkable Spiritual Singers Society of Coastal Georgia as the group was then called andrecorded several hours of their songs and dances for the Library of Congress Twentymdashfive yearslater Lomax found that the Singers were still active and had been enriched by the addition ofBessie Jones a South Georgia native with a massive repertoire of songs going back to slavery times

Despite the hint at politicality in the title lsquoGet In Unionrsquo is not a political collection By and large itis a collection of old spirituals from way before the music became known as gospel play songschildrens songs and even a bit of flat-foot dancing on the catchy lsquoElephant Fairrsquo Most have BessieJonesrsquo magnificent contralto voice to the fore such as in the sensational acapella version of lsquoJohnHenryrsquo slow and with a hammer ringing on a piece of metal as the sole accompaniment Elsewherethere are magnificent harmonies from the vocal group and polyrhythmic hand clapping on lsquoGot OnMy Travelling Shoesrsquo reminds me of some of the west African indigenous music recorded by PaulOliver There are 60 tracks on this album and each should be played and played again Justwonderful

Ian K McKenzie

Mary CoughlanmdashLife StoriesmdashHail Mary Records

Wow What a wonderful surprise this one is The cover pic of Marymakes her look a bit lsquofraughtrsquo but therersquos nothing fraught aboutthe music She has had her problems (check her autobiographyBloody Mary My Story is published by Hatchette Books and lookhere) but as all the best do has incorporated the lessons of lifeinto her singing

This is her sixteenth record and it is a wonderful example of a jazzbased album Sometimes called a new Billie Holliday the label ismisleading She is better than that She seems to be able to turn

her stunning voice to anything from the angst of lsquoElbow Deeprsquo through the stomping jazz vocal andkeys of lsquoTwelve Steps Forward and Ten Steps Backrsquo to the exuberance of lsquoHigh Heal Bootsrsquo there isnot a duff track here Mary has a huge audience in Ireland and in Australia but she is not so wellknown in the UK Shersquos on tour in the UK in September (shows here) letrsquos try to make sure she getsbetter known

Ian K McKenzie

fusion of understated guitar and simmering organ lsquoWorldrsquos Gone Crazyrsquo eases one in with adriving shivering slide and primeval vocal then turns into a swampy slide with a vocal thatbemoans the current life of the common working man the slightly more cheering lsquoSouth of SouthHillrsquo is a drum led hip swaying refreshing boogie lsquoCanrsquot Eat That Stuff No Morersquo is CDrsquos goodhumoured bluesy walking talking moan about his dieting experiences The prowling lungingsaxophone and sinuously dexterous guitar make for a splendid cover of Jimi Hendrixrsquos lsquoHey Joersquo

Greatly endorsed

Brian Harman

Various ArtistsmdashCrawling up a Hill A Journey through theBritish Blues Boom 1966mdash1971mdashGrape Fruit RecordsmdashCrsegbox068

Man talk about avin flash backs Heres a three cd box set thatlldo just that to BiTS readers of a certain age From John MayallsBluesbreakers (natch) to Status Quo Chicken Shack Mungo Jerryand many other names from those years that you may or maynot rememberMany of the tracks featured are previously unissued like theDuster Bennett lsquoJumping At Shadowsrsquo which would eventually

be recorded with backing from Fleetwood Mac for Dusters debut album Smiling Like Im HappyOthers are live tracks by The Yardbirds Savoy Brown and Blodwyn Pig

To be perfectly honest listening to some of these tracks today make me cringe somewhat I feel thesame about some of my early offerings too but back then I guess we were all wrapped up in themusic that was readily available to us before discovering the genuine stuff Although it has to besaid I found much here that bordered on heavy rock more than blues Something that was pickedup on at the time by those who were trying their best to stick with blues Some of the bands thathave sprung up since the increased interest in the blues are doing it a great disservice If we go backto the basic music those whove jumped on the bandwagon wont be able to follow You cant learnthe music like homework (John Dummer 1969)

Regardless of my personal thoughts theres much here to enjoy A brilliant version of Willie DixonslsquoWang Dang Doodlersquo by Love Sculpture who of course featured the ultra talented Dave EdmundslsquoNothin In Ramblinrsquo from JomdashAnn Kelly The Brunning Sunflower Blues Band with Peter GreenJohn Mayall Duster Bennett Brett Marvin amp The Thunderbolts Theres a rather beautiful andhaunting lsquoThis Love Of Oldrsquo by Medicine Head which with the right treatment could possiblybecome a good soul ballad

As an historical documentation of the times this three cd set is probably gonna be the bestrepresentation available Complete with full colour booklet full of everything you need to knowabout the tracks and the acts Go on take yourself back for a nostalgia trip

Bob Pearce

Electrobluessociety Featuring Michael PetersmdashHoochieCoochie ManmdashKuvver Kr 615

Here is another single track from this Dutch outfit with a localsinger turning in a version of the Muddy Waters classic Someof these issues on Black amp Tan subsidiary label Kuvver have keptreasonably close to the originals ndash this one doesnrsquot Thethrobbing up tempo backing is largely electronic though withpounding drums and some excellent blues guitar whilstMichelrsquos singing is fine The whole thing does actually workwell so if you have a youngster who feels that the blues is oldmdash

hat try to get them to give this a listen ndash you never knowhellip

Norman Darwen

Crawlback Featuring Johnny BirdmdashCall My Jobmdash001

Crawlback is the name of a South Wales based band led byJohnny Bird a 25 years old singer and harmonica player (andoccasional guitarist) but the sound of this extremely impressivedebut set belies the leaders youth The musical approach bringsto mind someone like Kim Wilson a fine role model for an upmdashandmdashcoming bluesman

Although there are a few ldquooutsiderdquo elementsmdashdub effects on thecover of Howling Wolfrsquos lsquo44rsquo and a rap on the rather nice

original composition lsquoCash Flow Problemsrsquomdashthis is most definitely the modern blues Theinclusion of a bluesmdashwailing jazz cover like Duke Ellingtonrsquos lsquoCaravanrsquo should no longer raise anyeyebrowsmdashit is a fine performance whatever Other borrowed material comes courtesy of MitchKashmar Junior Wells William Clarke (another big influence on Johnny) Junior Parker and LazyLester

In fact if I have a criticism of this set it is only that the band should be more confident in writingtheir own material That will come with time I guess and it is certainly only a minor complaintwith music this good

If you want to check this outmdashand you really shouldmdash ry and give the cover of Jimmy ReedrsquoslsquoFound Loversquo a listen Truly wonderful

Norman Darwen(wwwfacebookcomcrawlbackblues)

The Smoke Wagon Blues Band The Ballad of Albert JohnsonmdashOwn Label

The first four numbers of this impressive set comprise thestorming boogie of the title track followed by lsquoMemphis Soulrsquowhich is self explanatory the blues ballad of lsquoAinrsquot Gonna Be YourFoolrsquo and an excellent remake of Mr Dominos first hit lsquoThe FatManrsquo which retains much of the appeal of the original The tempothen slows a little but that Crescent City flavour remains for lsquoLaySay Layrsquo lsquoMescalinersquo is suitably sleazy with leader Corey Lueckrsquosvocal sounding like he has spent too many nights drinking rotgut

whiskey in smokemdashfilled and rather dubious joints

This sevenmdashpiece has built up a strong reputation mdash their last album lsquoCigar Storersquo won threeIndependent Blues awards If you still need convincing lend an ear to the soulmdashblues of lsquoSacrificersquowhich introduces a sequence of three fine modern blues items before the ballad lsquoA Song For Cherylrsquowith its vague hints of country

The album then heads towards its close with the traditionalmdashsounding and very fine blues shuffle oflsquoCanrsquot Take The Bluesrsquo the curious ldquoletrsquos all sing alongrdquo country of lsquoOn The Road Againrsquo (albeit with abrief jazz interlude) and the Bo Diddleymdashinflected rabble rousing closer lsquoSteaming Comrades HarpBoogiersquo No explanation necessary Overall another fine album from this Ontario-Canada basedoutfit Worth checking it out

Norman Darwen(wwwsmokewagonbluesbandcom)

Eric Hughes BandmdashPostcard from Beale StreetmdashEndless BluesmdashEhbebro22020

Running to just a little under half an hour this is more like a tenmdashtrack CD EP Whilst Beale Street evokes the bluesmdashsingerguitarist harmonica and jug player (and Memphis tour guide) Ericand his seven accompanists realise this involves many differentstyles of blues So there is the older jazzmdashinflected jug bandsound of lsquoFollow Your Stupid Little Dreamsrsquo the driving punkyHendrixmdashinflected bluesmdashrock of lsquoHersquos Just an Alley Catrsquo thevintage jazz of lsquoOh Boozersquo coming up the river and the classic soul

sound of lsquoFair Weather Friendsrsquo The opening lsquoAinrsquot Whipped Yetrsquo is a regular blues and indicative ofEricrsquos outlook and even the drugs references of lsquoItrsquos 420 Somewherersquo have a precedent even if TheMemphis Jug Band had a different substance in mind lsquoHomesick Angelrsquo has a gospel influence and acouple of others lean towards singermdashsongwritermdashish country making for a varied and verylistenable release with appropriate arrangements as each song requires

Norman Darwen

(wwwerichughesbandcom)Katie KnippmdashChamomile and Cocaine mdashOwn Label (Single)

This is a onemdashtrack digital single release from this Blues awardmdashwinning Northern California based singermdashsongwriter andmultimdashinstrumentalist Here shersquos having fun singingenthusiastically and raucously and playing piano backed by herregular band of sax guitar bass and drums and with guest KeithCotton filling things out on Hammond B-3 organ It is a bigsounding production with elements of Janis Joplin lsquo60s NewOrleans and classic blues-rockmdashlisten out for the guitar breakDo check it out

Norman Darwen(wwwkatieknippcom)

Micke amp Lefty Feat ChefmdashLet the Fire LeadmdashHokahayHhrcd2002

Never heard of these guys Well maybe you havemdashone of them atleast as Micke Bjorklof has featured in the IBBA Blues Radiocharts with his electric blues band Blue Strip Here though hesings and plays percussion with guitar duties handled by LeftyLappanen (plus vocals) and Mr Chef Kivimaki on bass

They are from Finland popular across Scandinavia and becomingbettermdashknown these days across Europe So they should be toomdash

they have been described as ldquoan acoustic power triordquo which may not be strictly accurate but itserves well enough They have been together 20 years though 10 have passed since their previousalbum This release is long overdue

Listen to the ferocious opener lsquoTell That Womanrsquo or one of the albumrsquos rare covers lsquoSteadyRolling Manrsquo where the band is augmented by 75 year old Finnish rock and roller Eero RaitinnenThere are occasional diversions from their superheated Mississippi blues thoughmdashlsquoAlwaysSomething Goodrsquo opens with a Delta blues riff but then transmutes unexpectedly into a fine pieceof Americana there is also a fine and raucous cover of Mr Broonzyrsquos lsquoBig Bill Bluesrsquo not the kindof thing you hear often these days whilst lsquoSmalltown Babyrsquo could come from ldquoLed Zeppelin 4rdquo andthe title track has faint echoes of 90s group Oasismdashbut the blues is at the base Try the zydecotinged lsquoRock lsquonrsquo Bowlrsquo too

Hopefully you feel curious enough by now to check out this very strong contemporary blues androots set

Norman Darwen(wwwmickeandleftycom)

Bessie Jones with The Georgia Sea Island SingersmdashGet InUnionmdashAlan Lomax Archive Association for Cultural Equity

What a phenomenal presence Alan Lomax was For most of his lifehe scoured the world for a wide spectrum of musicalperformances recorded as early as 1948 on audio tape There aremore than 17400 digital audio files in that personal collectionwhich is not to be confused with the Library Of Congress (LoC)recordingsmdashmade on acetate and metal disk between 1933 and1942mdashwhich added thousands more recordings to the archives TheLoC recordings include the memorable Jelly Roll Morton WoodyGuthrie Lead Belly and Muddy Waters sessions

This album is a sometimes outstanding example of the breadth and depth of his recordings AlanLomax first visited the Georgia Sea Island of St Simons in June of 1935 with colleagues There theymet the remarkable Spiritual Singers Society of Coastal Georgia as the group was then called andrecorded several hours of their songs and dances for the Library of Congress Twentymdashfive yearslater Lomax found that the Singers were still active and had been enriched by the addition ofBessie Jones a South Georgia native with a massive repertoire of songs going back to slavery times

Despite the hint at politicality in the title lsquoGet In Unionrsquo is not a political collection By and large itis a collection of old spirituals from way before the music became known as gospel play songschildrens songs and even a bit of flat-foot dancing on the catchy lsquoElephant Fairrsquo Most have BessieJonesrsquo magnificent contralto voice to the fore such as in the sensational acapella version of lsquoJohnHenryrsquo slow and with a hammer ringing on a piece of metal as the sole accompaniment Elsewherethere are magnificent harmonies from the vocal group and polyrhythmic hand clapping on lsquoGot OnMy Travelling Shoesrsquo reminds me of some of the west African indigenous music recorded by PaulOliver There are 60 tracks on this album and each should be played and played again Justwonderful

Ian K McKenzie

Mary CoughlanmdashLife StoriesmdashHail Mary Records

Wow What a wonderful surprise this one is The cover pic of Marymakes her look a bit lsquofraughtrsquo but therersquos nothing fraught aboutthe music She has had her problems (check her autobiographyBloody Mary My Story is published by Hatchette Books and lookhere) but as all the best do has incorporated the lessons of lifeinto her singing

This is her sixteenth record and it is a wonderful example of a jazzbased album Sometimes called a new Billie Holliday the label ismisleading She is better than that She seems to be able to turn

her stunning voice to anything from the angst of lsquoElbow Deeprsquo through the stomping jazz vocal andkeys of lsquoTwelve Steps Forward and Ten Steps Backrsquo to the exuberance of lsquoHigh Heal Bootsrsquo there isnot a duff track here Mary has a huge audience in Ireland and in Australia but she is not so wellknown in the UK Shersquos on tour in the UK in September (shows here) letrsquos try to make sure she getsbetter known

Ian K McKenzie

Electrobluessociety Featuring Michael PetersmdashHoochieCoochie ManmdashKuvver Kr 615

Here is another single track from this Dutch outfit with a localsinger turning in a version of the Muddy Waters classic Someof these issues on Black amp Tan subsidiary label Kuvver have keptreasonably close to the originals ndash this one doesnrsquot Thethrobbing up tempo backing is largely electronic though withpounding drums and some excellent blues guitar whilstMichelrsquos singing is fine The whole thing does actually workwell so if you have a youngster who feels that the blues is oldmdash

hat try to get them to give this a listen ndash you never knowhellip

Norman Darwen

Crawlback Featuring Johnny BirdmdashCall My Jobmdash001

Crawlback is the name of a South Wales based band led byJohnny Bird a 25 years old singer and harmonica player (andoccasional guitarist) but the sound of this extremely impressivedebut set belies the leaders youth The musical approach bringsto mind someone like Kim Wilson a fine role model for an upmdashandmdashcoming bluesman

Although there are a few ldquooutsiderdquo elementsmdashdub effects on thecover of Howling Wolfrsquos lsquo44rsquo and a rap on the rather nice

original composition lsquoCash Flow Problemsrsquomdashthis is most definitely the modern blues Theinclusion of a bluesmdashwailing jazz cover like Duke Ellingtonrsquos lsquoCaravanrsquo should no longer raise anyeyebrowsmdashit is a fine performance whatever Other borrowed material comes courtesy of MitchKashmar Junior Wells William Clarke (another big influence on Johnny) Junior Parker and LazyLester

In fact if I have a criticism of this set it is only that the band should be more confident in writingtheir own material That will come with time I guess and it is certainly only a minor complaintwith music this good

If you want to check this outmdashand you really shouldmdash ry and give the cover of Jimmy ReedrsquoslsquoFound Loversquo a listen Truly wonderful

Norman Darwen(wwwfacebookcomcrawlbackblues)

The Smoke Wagon Blues Band The Ballad of Albert JohnsonmdashOwn Label

The first four numbers of this impressive set comprise thestorming boogie of the title track followed by lsquoMemphis Soulrsquowhich is self explanatory the blues ballad of lsquoAinrsquot Gonna Be YourFoolrsquo and an excellent remake of Mr Dominos first hit lsquoThe FatManrsquo which retains much of the appeal of the original The tempothen slows a little but that Crescent City flavour remains for lsquoLaySay Layrsquo lsquoMescalinersquo is suitably sleazy with leader Corey Lueckrsquosvocal sounding like he has spent too many nights drinking rotgut

whiskey in smokemdashfilled and rather dubious joints

This sevenmdashpiece has built up a strong reputation mdash their last album lsquoCigar Storersquo won threeIndependent Blues awards If you still need convincing lend an ear to the soulmdashblues of lsquoSacrificersquowhich introduces a sequence of three fine modern blues items before the ballad lsquoA Song For Cherylrsquowith its vague hints of country

The album then heads towards its close with the traditionalmdashsounding and very fine blues shuffle oflsquoCanrsquot Take The Bluesrsquo the curious ldquoletrsquos all sing alongrdquo country of lsquoOn The Road Againrsquo (albeit with abrief jazz interlude) and the Bo Diddleymdashinflected rabble rousing closer lsquoSteaming Comrades HarpBoogiersquo No explanation necessary Overall another fine album from this Ontario-Canada basedoutfit Worth checking it out

Norman Darwen(wwwsmokewagonbluesbandcom)

Eric Hughes BandmdashPostcard from Beale StreetmdashEndless BluesmdashEhbebro22020

Running to just a little under half an hour this is more like a tenmdashtrack CD EP Whilst Beale Street evokes the bluesmdashsingerguitarist harmonica and jug player (and Memphis tour guide) Ericand his seven accompanists realise this involves many differentstyles of blues So there is the older jazzmdashinflected jug bandsound of lsquoFollow Your Stupid Little Dreamsrsquo the driving punkyHendrixmdashinflected bluesmdashrock of lsquoHersquos Just an Alley Catrsquo thevintage jazz of lsquoOh Boozersquo coming up the river and the classic soul

sound of lsquoFair Weather Friendsrsquo The opening lsquoAinrsquot Whipped Yetrsquo is a regular blues and indicative ofEricrsquos outlook and even the drugs references of lsquoItrsquos 420 Somewherersquo have a precedent even if TheMemphis Jug Band had a different substance in mind lsquoHomesick Angelrsquo has a gospel influence and acouple of others lean towards singermdashsongwritermdashish country making for a varied and verylistenable release with appropriate arrangements as each song requires

Norman Darwen

(wwwerichughesbandcom)Katie KnippmdashChamomile and Cocaine mdashOwn Label (Single)

This is a onemdashtrack digital single release from this Blues awardmdashwinning Northern California based singermdashsongwriter andmultimdashinstrumentalist Here shersquos having fun singingenthusiastically and raucously and playing piano backed by herregular band of sax guitar bass and drums and with guest KeithCotton filling things out on Hammond B-3 organ It is a bigsounding production with elements of Janis Joplin lsquo60s NewOrleans and classic blues-rockmdashlisten out for the guitar breakDo check it out

Norman Darwen(wwwkatieknippcom)

Micke amp Lefty Feat ChefmdashLet the Fire LeadmdashHokahayHhrcd2002

Never heard of these guys Well maybe you havemdashone of them atleast as Micke Bjorklof has featured in the IBBA Blues Radiocharts with his electric blues band Blue Strip Here though hesings and plays percussion with guitar duties handled by LeftyLappanen (plus vocals) and Mr Chef Kivimaki on bass

They are from Finland popular across Scandinavia and becomingbettermdashknown these days across Europe So they should be toomdash

they have been described as ldquoan acoustic power triordquo which may not be strictly accurate but itserves well enough They have been together 20 years though 10 have passed since their previousalbum This release is long overdue

Listen to the ferocious opener lsquoTell That Womanrsquo or one of the albumrsquos rare covers lsquoSteadyRolling Manrsquo where the band is augmented by 75 year old Finnish rock and roller Eero RaitinnenThere are occasional diversions from their superheated Mississippi blues thoughmdashlsquoAlwaysSomething Goodrsquo opens with a Delta blues riff but then transmutes unexpectedly into a fine pieceof Americana there is also a fine and raucous cover of Mr Broonzyrsquos lsquoBig Bill Bluesrsquo not the kindof thing you hear often these days whilst lsquoSmalltown Babyrsquo could come from ldquoLed Zeppelin 4rdquo andthe title track has faint echoes of 90s group Oasismdashbut the blues is at the base Try the zydecotinged lsquoRock lsquonrsquo Bowlrsquo too

Hopefully you feel curious enough by now to check out this very strong contemporary blues androots set

Norman Darwen(wwwmickeandleftycom)

Bessie Jones with The Georgia Sea Island SingersmdashGet InUnionmdashAlan Lomax Archive Association for Cultural Equity

What a phenomenal presence Alan Lomax was For most of his lifehe scoured the world for a wide spectrum of musicalperformances recorded as early as 1948 on audio tape There aremore than 17400 digital audio files in that personal collectionwhich is not to be confused with the Library Of Congress (LoC)recordingsmdashmade on acetate and metal disk between 1933 and1942mdashwhich added thousands more recordings to the archives TheLoC recordings include the memorable Jelly Roll Morton WoodyGuthrie Lead Belly and Muddy Waters sessions

This album is a sometimes outstanding example of the breadth and depth of his recordings AlanLomax first visited the Georgia Sea Island of St Simons in June of 1935 with colleagues There theymet the remarkable Spiritual Singers Society of Coastal Georgia as the group was then called andrecorded several hours of their songs and dances for the Library of Congress Twentymdashfive yearslater Lomax found that the Singers were still active and had been enriched by the addition ofBessie Jones a South Georgia native with a massive repertoire of songs going back to slavery times

Despite the hint at politicality in the title lsquoGet In Unionrsquo is not a political collection By and large itis a collection of old spirituals from way before the music became known as gospel play songschildrens songs and even a bit of flat-foot dancing on the catchy lsquoElephant Fairrsquo Most have BessieJonesrsquo magnificent contralto voice to the fore such as in the sensational acapella version of lsquoJohnHenryrsquo slow and with a hammer ringing on a piece of metal as the sole accompaniment Elsewherethere are magnificent harmonies from the vocal group and polyrhythmic hand clapping on lsquoGot OnMy Travelling Shoesrsquo reminds me of some of the west African indigenous music recorded by PaulOliver There are 60 tracks on this album and each should be played and played again Justwonderful

Ian K McKenzie

Mary CoughlanmdashLife StoriesmdashHail Mary Records

Wow What a wonderful surprise this one is The cover pic of Marymakes her look a bit lsquofraughtrsquo but therersquos nothing fraught aboutthe music She has had her problems (check her autobiographyBloody Mary My Story is published by Hatchette Books and lookhere) but as all the best do has incorporated the lessons of lifeinto her singing

This is her sixteenth record and it is a wonderful example of a jazzbased album Sometimes called a new Billie Holliday the label ismisleading She is better than that She seems to be able to turn

her stunning voice to anything from the angst of lsquoElbow Deeprsquo through the stomping jazz vocal andkeys of lsquoTwelve Steps Forward and Ten Steps Backrsquo to the exuberance of lsquoHigh Heal Bootsrsquo there isnot a duff track here Mary has a huge audience in Ireland and in Australia but she is not so wellknown in the UK Shersquos on tour in the UK in September (shows here) letrsquos try to make sure she getsbetter known

Ian K McKenzie

The Smoke Wagon Blues Band The Ballad of Albert JohnsonmdashOwn Label

The first four numbers of this impressive set comprise thestorming boogie of the title track followed by lsquoMemphis Soulrsquowhich is self explanatory the blues ballad of lsquoAinrsquot Gonna Be YourFoolrsquo and an excellent remake of Mr Dominos first hit lsquoThe FatManrsquo which retains much of the appeal of the original The tempothen slows a little but that Crescent City flavour remains for lsquoLaySay Layrsquo lsquoMescalinersquo is suitably sleazy with leader Corey Lueckrsquosvocal sounding like he has spent too many nights drinking rotgut

whiskey in smokemdashfilled and rather dubious joints

This sevenmdashpiece has built up a strong reputation mdash their last album lsquoCigar Storersquo won threeIndependent Blues awards If you still need convincing lend an ear to the soulmdashblues of lsquoSacrificersquowhich introduces a sequence of three fine modern blues items before the ballad lsquoA Song For Cherylrsquowith its vague hints of country

The album then heads towards its close with the traditionalmdashsounding and very fine blues shuffle oflsquoCanrsquot Take The Bluesrsquo the curious ldquoletrsquos all sing alongrdquo country of lsquoOn The Road Againrsquo (albeit with abrief jazz interlude) and the Bo Diddleymdashinflected rabble rousing closer lsquoSteaming Comrades HarpBoogiersquo No explanation necessary Overall another fine album from this Ontario-Canada basedoutfit Worth checking it out

Norman Darwen(wwwsmokewagonbluesbandcom)

Eric Hughes BandmdashPostcard from Beale StreetmdashEndless BluesmdashEhbebro22020

Running to just a little under half an hour this is more like a tenmdashtrack CD EP Whilst Beale Street evokes the bluesmdashsingerguitarist harmonica and jug player (and Memphis tour guide) Ericand his seven accompanists realise this involves many differentstyles of blues So there is the older jazzmdashinflected jug bandsound of lsquoFollow Your Stupid Little Dreamsrsquo the driving punkyHendrixmdashinflected bluesmdashrock of lsquoHersquos Just an Alley Catrsquo thevintage jazz of lsquoOh Boozersquo coming up the river and the classic soul

sound of lsquoFair Weather Friendsrsquo The opening lsquoAinrsquot Whipped Yetrsquo is a regular blues and indicative ofEricrsquos outlook and even the drugs references of lsquoItrsquos 420 Somewherersquo have a precedent even if TheMemphis Jug Band had a different substance in mind lsquoHomesick Angelrsquo has a gospel influence and acouple of others lean towards singermdashsongwritermdashish country making for a varied and verylistenable release with appropriate arrangements as each song requires

Norman Darwen

(wwwerichughesbandcom)Katie KnippmdashChamomile and Cocaine mdashOwn Label (Single)

This is a onemdashtrack digital single release from this Blues awardmdashwinning Northern California based singermdashsongwriter andmultimdashinstrumentalist Here shersquos having fun singingenthusiastically and raucously and playing piano backed by herregular band of sax guitar bass and drums and with guest KeithCotton filling things out on Hammond B-3 organ It is a bigsounding production with elements of Janis Joplin lsquo60s NewOrleans and classic blues-rockmdashlisten out for the guitar breakDo check it out

Norman Darwen(wwwkatieknippcom)

Micke amp Lefty Feat ChefmdashLet the Fire LeadmdashHokahayHhrcd2002

Never heard of these guys Well maybe you havemdashone of them atleast as Micke Bjorklof has featured in the IBBA Blues Radiocharts with his electric blues band Blue Strip Here though hesings and plays percussion with guitar duties handled by LeftyLappanen (plus vocals) and Mr Chef Kivimaki on bass

They are from Finland popular across Scandinavia and becomingbettermdashknown these days across Europe So they should be toomdash

they have been described as ldquoan acoustic power triordquo which may not be strictly accurate but itserves well enough They have been together 20 years though 10 have passed since their previousalbum This release is long overdue

Listen to the ferocious opener lsquoTell That Womanrsquo or one of the albumrsquos rare covers lsquoSteadyRolling Manrsquo where the band is augmented by 75 year old Finnish rock and roller Eero RaitinnenThere are occasional diversions from their superheated Mississippi blues thoughmdashlsquoAlwaysSomething Goodrsquo opens with a Delta blues riff but then transmutes unexpectedly into a fine pieceof Americana there is also a fine and raucous cover of Mr Broonzyrsquos lsquoBig Bill Bluesrsquo not the kindof thing you hear often these days whilst lsquoSmalltown Babyrsquo could come from ldquoLed Zeppelin 4rdquo andthe title track has faint echoes of 90s group Oasismdashbut the blues is at the base Try the zydecotinged lsquoRock lsquonrsquo Bowlrsquo too

Hopefully you feel curious enough by now to check out this very strong contemporary blues androots set

Norman Darwen(wwwmickeandleftycom)

Bessie Jones with The Georgia Sea Island SingersmdashGet InUnionmdashAlan Lomax Archive Association for Cultural Equity

What a phenomenal presence Alan Lomax was For most of his lifehe scoured the world for a wide spectrum of musicalperformances recorded as early as 1948 on audio tape There aremore than 17400 digital audio files in that personal collectionwhich is not to be confused with the Library Of Congress (LoC)recordingsmdashmade on acetate and metal disk between 1933 and1942mdashwhich added thousands more recordings to the archives TheLoC recordings include the memorable Jelly Roll Morton WoodyGuthrie Lead Belly and Muddy Waters sessions

This album is a sometimes outstanding example of the breadth and depth of his recordings AlanLomax first visited the Georgia Sea Island of St Simons in June of 1935 with colleagues There theymet the remarkable Spiritual Singers Society of Coastal Georgia as the group was then called andrecorded several hours of their songs and dances for the Library of Congress Twentymdashfive yearslater Lomax found that the Singers were still active and had been enriched by the addition ofBessie Jones a South Georgia native with a massive repertoire of songs going back to slavery times

Despite the hint at politicality in the title lsquoGet In Unionrsquo is not a political collection By and large itis a collection of old spirituals from way before the music became known as gospel play songschildrens songs and even a bit of flat-foot dancing on the catchy lsquoElephant Fairrsquo Most have BessieJonesrsquo magnificent contralto voice to the fore such as in the sensational acapella version of lsquoJohnHenryrsquo slow and with a hammer ringing on a piece of metal as the sole accompaniment Elsewherethere are magnificent harmonies from the vocal group and polyrhythmic hand clapping on lsquoGot OnMy Travelling Shoesrsquo reminds me of some of the west African indigenous music recorded by PaulOliver There are 60 tracks on this album and each should be played and played again Justwonderful

Ian K McKenzie

Mary CoughlanmdashLife StoriesmdashHail Mary Records

Wow What a wonderful surprise this one is The cover pic of Marymakes her look a bit lsquofraughtrsquo but therersquos nothing fraught aboutthe music She has had her problems (check her autobiographyBloody Mary My Story is published by Hatchette Books and lookhere) but as all the best do has incorporated the lessons of lifeinto her singing

This is her sixteenth record and it is a wonderful example of a jazzbased album Sometimes called a new Billie Holliday the label ismisleading She is better than that She seems to be able to turn

her stunning voice to anything from the angst of lsquoElbow Deeprsquo through the stomping jazz vocal andkeys of lsquoTwelve Steps Forward and Ten Steps Backrsquo to the exuberance of lsquoHigh Heal Bootsrsquo there isnot a duff track here Mary has a huge audience in Ireland and in Australia but she is not so wellknown in the UK Shersquos on tour in the UK in September (shows here) letrsquos try to make sure she getsbetter known

Ian K McKenzie

(wwwerichughesbandcom)Katie KnippmdashChamomile and Cocaine mdashOwn Label (Single)

This is a onemdashtrack digital single release from this Blues awardmdashwinning Northern California based singermdashsongwriter andmultimdashinstrumentalist Here shersquos having fun singingenthusiastically and raucously and playing piano backed by herregular band of sax guitar bass and drums and with guest KeithCotton filling things out on Hammond B-3 organ It is a bigsounding production with elements of Janis Joplin lsquo60s NewOrleans and classic blues-rockmdashlisten out for the guitar breakDo check it out

Norman Darwen(wwwkatieknippcom)

Micke amp Lefty Feat ChefmdashLet the Fire LeadmdashHokahayHhrcd2002

Never heard of these guys Well maybe you havemdashone of them atleast as Micke Bjorklof has featured in the IBBA Blues Radiocharts with his electric blues band Blue Strip Here though hesings and plays percussion with guitar duties handled by LeftyLappanen (plus vocals) and Mr Chef Kivimaki on bass

They are from Finland popular across Scandinavia and becomingbettermdashknown these days across Europe So they should be toomdash

they have been described as ldquoan acoustic power triordquo which may not be strictly accurate but itserves well enough They have been together 20 years though 10 have passed since their previousalbum This release is long overdue

Listen to the ferocious opener lsquoTell That Womanrsquo or one of the albumrsquos rare covers lsquoSteadyRolling Manrsquo where the band is augmented by 75 year old Finnish rock and roller Eero RaitinnenThere are occasional diversions from their superheated Mississippi blues thoughmdashlsquoAlwaysSomething Goodrsquo opens with a Delta blues riff but then transmutes unexpectedly into a fine pieceof Americana there is also a fine and raucous cover of Mr Broonzyrsquos lsquoBig Bill Bluesrsquo not the kindof thing you hear often these days whilst lsquoSmalltown Babyrsquo could come from ldquoLed Zeppelin 4rdquo andthe title track has faint echoes of 90s group Oasismdashbut the blues is at the base Try the zydecotinged lsquoRock lsquonrsquo Bowlrsquo too

Hopefully you feel curious enough by now to check out this very strong contemporary blues androots set

Norman Darwen(wwwmickeandleftycom)

Bessie Jones with The Georgia Sea Island SingersmdashGet InUnionmdashAlan Lomax Archive Association for Cultural Equity

What a phenomenal presence Alan Lomax was For most of his lifehe scoured the world for a wide spectrum of musicalperformances recorded as early as 1948 on audio tape There aremore than 17400 digital audio files in that personal collectionwhich is not to be confused with the Library Of Congress (LoC)recordingsmdashmade on acetate and metal disk between 1933 and1942mdashwhich added thousands more recordings to the archives TheLoC recordings include the memorable Jelly Roll Morton WoodyGuthrie Lead Belly and Muddy Waters sessions

This album is a sometimes outstanding example of the breadth and depth of his recordings AlanLomax first visited the Georgia Sea Island of St Simons in June of 1935 with colleagues There theymet the remarkable Spiritual Singers Society of Coastal Georgia as the group was then called andrecorded several hours of their songs and dances for the Library of Congress Twentymdashfive yearslater Lomax found that the Singers were still active and had been enriched by the addition ofBessie Jones a South Georgia native with a massive repertoire of songs going back to slavery times

Despite the hint at politicality in the title lsquoGet In Unionrsquo is not a political collection By and large itis a collection of old spirituals from way before the music became known as gospel play songschildrens songs and even a bit of flat-foot dancing on the catchy lsquoElephant Fairrsquo Most have BessieJonesrsquo magnificent contralto voice to the fore such as in the sensational acapella version of lsquoJohnHenryrsquo slow and with a hammer ringing on a piece of metal as the sole accompaniment Elsewherethere are magnificent harmonies from the vocal group and polyrhythmic hand clapping on lsquoGot OnMy Travelling Shoesrsquo reminds me of some of the west African indigenous music recorded by PaulOliver There are 60 tracks on this album and each should be played and played again Justwonderful

Ian K McKenzie

Mary CoughlanmdashLife StoriesmdashHail Mary Records

Wow What a wonderful surprise this one is The cover pic of Marymakes her look a bit lsquofraughtrsquo but therersquos nothing fraught aboutthe music She has had her problems (check her autobiographyBloody Mary My Story is published by Hatchette Books and lookhere) but as all the best do has incorporated the lessons of lifeinto her singing

This is her sixteenth record and it is a wonderful example of a jazzbased album Sometimes called a new Billie Holliday the label ismisleading She is better than that She seems to be able to turn

her stunning voice to anything from the angst of lsquoElbow Deeprsquo through the stomping jazz vocal andkeys of lsquoTwelve Steps Forward and Ten Steps Backrsquo to the exuberance of lsquoHigh Heal Bootsrsquo there isnot a duff track here Mary has a huge audience in Ireland and in Australia but she is not so wellknown in the UK Shersquos on tour in the UK in September (shows here) letrsquos try to make sure she getsbetter known

Ian K McKenzie

Bessie Jones with The Georgia Sea Island SingersmdashGet InUnionmdashAlan Lomax Archive Association for Cultural Equity

What a phenomenal presence Alan Lomax was For most of his lifehe scoured the world for a wide spectrum of musicalperformances recorded as early as 1948 on audio tape There aremore than 17400 digital audio files in that personal collectionwhich is not to be confused with the Library Of Congress (LoC)recordingsmdashmade on acetate and metal disk between 1933 and1942mdashwhich added thousands more recordings to the archives TheLoC recordings include the memorable Jelly Roll Morton WoodyGuthrie Lead Belly and Muddy Waters sessions

This album is a sometimes outstanding example of the breadth and depth of his recordings AlanLomax first visited the Georgia Sea Island of St Simons in June of 1935 with colleagues There theymet the remarkable Spiritual Singers Society of Coastal Georgia as the group was then called andrecorded several hours of their songs and dances for the Library of Congress Twentymdashfive yearslater Lomax found that the Singers were still active and had been enriched by the addition ofBessie Jones a South Georgia native with a massive repertoire of songs going back to slavery times

Despite the hint at politicality in the title lsquoGet In Unionrsquo is not a political collection By and large itis a collection of old spirituals from way before the music became known as gospel play songschildrens songs and even a bit of flat-foot dancing on the catchy lsquoElephant Fairrsquo Most have BessieJonesrsquo magnificent contralto voice to the fore such as in the sensational acapella version of lsquoJohnHenryrsquo slow and with a hammer ringing on a piece of metal as the sole accompaniment Elsewherethere are magnificent harmonies from the vocal group and polyrhythmic hand clapping on lsquoGot OnMy Travelling Shoesrsquo reminds me of some of the west African indigenous music recorded by PaulOliver There are 60 tracks on this album and each should be played and played again Justwonderful

Ian K McKenzie

Mary CoughlanmdashLife StoriesmdashHail Mary Records

Wow What a wonderful surprise this one is The cover pic of Marymakes her look a bit lsquofraughtrsquo but therersquos nothing fraught aboutthe music She has had her problems (check her autobiographyBloody Mary My Story is published by Hatchette Books and lookhere) but as all the best do has incorporated the lessons of lifeinto her singing

This is her sixteenth record and it is a wonderful example of a jazzbased album Sometimes called a new Billie Holliday the label ismisleading She is better than that She seems to be able to turn

her stunning voice to anything from the angst of lsquoElbow Deeprsquo through the stomping jazz vocal andkeys of lsquoTwelve Steps Forward and Ten Steps Backrsquo to the exuberance of lsquoHigh Heal Bootsrsquo there isnot a duff track here Mary has a huge audience in Ireland and in Australia but she is not so wellknown in the UK Shersquos on tour in the UK in September (shows here) letrsquos try to make sure she getsbetter known

Ian K McKenzie

Ry Cooder mdash The Prodigal Son (Live in studio)Beth Hart Jon Nichols amp the RocKwiz Orkestra Irsquod Rather GoBlind

CLICK ANY OF THEPICS ON THE LEFT ANDYOU WILL BE TAKENTO YOUTUBE FOR AGREAT VIDEO TREAT

Mem Shannon Who Are They

Lonnie Johnson Another Night To Crymdashintroduced by SBWII

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