Wild Heart Records artist: Jonathon Long - Self Titled - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent self titled release from Jonathon Long and it's an fun rocky ride. Opening with Bury Me, with definite rock and country roots, Long leads the way with cocky vocals and solid guitar, joined by Julian Civello on drums, Chris Roberts on bass, Phil Breen on keys and additional guitar work by Samantha Fish. Soul track, That's When I Knew, has a super melody and pairs Long with Fish on vocals for a real nice blend and Fish's sting guitar riffs really punctuate the track nicely.  The addition of Michael Harvey on fiddle on  Americana style track, The Light works really nicely. Very clean and fresh. Shit kicker, Natural Girl has plenty of swagger and a solid hook. With solid vocals, top loaded piano, a ripping guitar solo and tight drums, this is a cool track. With a definite twist, Pour Another Drink is a great track. Smokey lines, sassy vocals, great piano texture and a solid bottom makes this my favorite on the release. R&B track, Where Love Went Wrong is a light poppy sound, a nice melody and warm jazzy guitar work by Long. Wrapping the release is blues rocker, Pray For Me with a powerful lumbering sound and Long's best vocals on the release. An aggressive guitar attack, paced by Roberts and Civello give this southern style track just the right kick to cement the closer.

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Ruf Records artist: Samantha Fish - Belle Of The West - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Belle Of The West, from Samantha Fish and it may be her best effort yet. Opening with American Dream you have an immediate sense that this isn't a typical Samantha Fish release. Produced by Luther Dickinson, this release is in a whole new strata. Laden with fife and drums by Sharde Thomas, and with Trina Raimey and Tikyra Jackson on drums, this track has a distinct Mississippi feel. Blood In The Water showcases Fish's lead vocal and harmonies with Amy LaVere who also plays bass. A swampy track with sparse but distinct guitar work and eerie violin work by Lillie Mae, this is a cool track. Cowtown has a distinct country sound with a certain blues flavor. Addition of Fender Rhodes by Jimbo Mathus gives a nice texture and Fish sounds more comfortable both vocally and with guitar work in this "new" style. I also really like the heaviness of the drums on this track which really punch it right. Very nice. Don't Say You Love Me may be my favorite track on the release with absolute sassy vocal sound. I really love the guitar tone on this one too...excellent! Title track, Belle Of The West is a terrific, country (real country) TexMex flavored track with deep roots. I am hesitant to give Dickinson credit for someone else's work, but when he touches something he can bring out the best in people and whatever caused it, this is really good! RL Burnside's Poor Black Mattie is another terrific track with vocals shared with LM. Keeping the Mississippi sound, adding harmonica, and mandolin, really deep. No Angels balances between pop and country blues maintaining it's solid roots and developing a solid boogie. Vocal duet with Lillie Mae, Nearing Home is a warm blues ballad with healthy country roots. It's hard to describe, but easy to listen to. Very nice. Wrapping the release is Gone For Good, a primarily acoustic foot stomper with rhythmic guitar, slide and light percussion under soulful vocals by Fish. I really like this release and suggest you get this one for your permanent collection.

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Ruf Records artist: Tasha Taylor - Honey For The Biscuit - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Honey For The Biscuit, from Tasha Taylor and it has a super groove. Daughter of Stax giant, Johnnie Taylor, Tasha has some big shoes to fill and this release shows that she's not following on anyone's coattails. Opening with Feel So Good, Tasha Taylor sets the pace with a a super R&B number featuring Taylor on really nicely phrased vocals, guitar and keys, backed by Nathan Watts on bass, Don Wyatt on Wurlitzer and piano, John Notto and Jon Taylor on guitars and tight horn phrasing by Jamelle Williams, Matthew Demerrit & Lamar Buillary on horns. Wedding Bells is a soulful track with some of my favorite vocals on the release. Painterly instrumental arrangements nicely frame the featured vocals of Taylor. Excellent! Family Tree has a much more laid back R&B feel and features nicely phrased guitar work by Keb Mo. Tom Hambridge penned Weatherman, has a cool funky bottom with a real nice drum beat and again, really nicely orchestrated instrumental backing. Wyatt takes a real nice electric piano solo on this track and brassy horns give the track that extra spark. Soul track, One And Only has a super soul feel and Taylor delivers big time. Vocal harmonies and glistening piano work make this another of my favorites on the release. Little Miss Suzie has a revival sound (hand claps and all) with rich organ work and hot lap steel addition by Robert Randolph. I Knew, another sumptuous soul track, just has a special groove. Horns carefully caress Taylor's vocal delivery making this another of my favorites on the release. Another contribution by Hambridge, How Long, has a country rock flavor with a distinct 2 step feel. Laid back R&B feel on That Man should easily make considerable radio play. Catchy melody, warm, easy rhythm and nicely intertwined vocals make this a pop standout. Funky R&B track, Leave That Dog Alone, features the guitar fire of Samantha Fish. Taylor's vocals are always front and center, but Fish's contributions are hot and sweaty. Places I Miss has a light, jazzy sense and Taylor continues to show her versatility. With breezy, coastal like delivery and crisp guitar highlights this track sails. Don't Rush Off continues in that soft and easy feel with extremely nicely done drum work, supporting Taylor's solid vocals. Wrapping the release is Same Old Thing with an almost Al Green feel. Old school R&B with great horn punctuation and Tommy Castro joining on vocal makes this a perfect choice to conclude a very strong outing by Taylor.



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14th Annual Blues From The Top Festival: Trampled Under Foot Reunion, Much More!

14TH ANNUAL BLUES FROM THE TOP FESTIVAL FEATURES SPECIAL  TRAMPLED UNDER FOOT REUNION, AND FINEST MUSIC LINEUP YET! Two Big Days - Saturday, June 25 and Sunday, June 26 At Winter Park, CO PRESENTED BY THE GRAND COUNTY BLUES SOCIETY; PORTION OF PROCEEDS BENEFIT BLUE STAR CONNECTION     (WINTER PARK, CO) - This year's 14th Annual Blues From The Top Festival features its finest music lineup yet, with a reunion by renowned Blues-Americana group, Trampled Under Foot! The festival - presentede by the Grand County Blues Society- takes place Saturday, June 25 and Sunday, June 26, at Hideaway Park, 78820 US Highway 40, in Winter Park. A portion of the festival's proceeds benefit Blue Star Connection, now in it's tenth year of providing access and ownership of musical instruments for children and young adults with cancer and other serious challenges, as well as providing music therapy departments with instruments. Tickets (now through Sunday, May 15): $20. (1-day Pass) or $35. (2-day Pass), available at the bluesfromthetop.org website, Radio Shack in Fraser; and the Winter Park Visitor's Center. Ticket prices after May 15: General Admission 1-Day Pass (Saturday or Sunday), $28., General Admission 2-Day Pass $49. Kids 13 and under, free. Buy tickets/additional info: http://ezregister.com/events/16739/.            All other Festival information: www.bluesfromthetop.org     Grand County Blues Society Mission Statement is "To support the Blues by bringing National and International Blues Artists to Grand County on a regular basis, and to bring Blues Education into the schools of Grand County."  Trampled Under Foot reunites for the 14th Annual Blues From The Top Festival.  They perform on Saturday, June 25 in the headlining slot.    Each day of Blues From The Top features a star-studded lineup. Saturday it's a Trampled Under Foot Reunion Show, the Albert Castiglia Band (with Josh Smith and Kate Moss), Monkey Junk, Kara Grainger, Josh Hoyer & Soul Collective, and the Austin Young Blues all-Stars featuring Michaela Rae, Michael Hornbuckle and others. Sunday's lineup is headlined by guitarist Eric Gales, Samantha Fish Band, Jimmy Hall with My Blue Sky, Willie K and the Warehouse Blues Band, John Nemeth with Deana Bogart and Jimmy Carpenter, and the High Mountain Gospel Choir with Renee Austin, Tempa Singer, Southern Review, Bart Szop, and more. Both days also feature a "Keeping The Blues Alive" stage with many of today's best young national and regional blues talent.           Colorful blues guitarist Eric Gales (pictured) headlines the Sunday, June 26  star-studded 14th Annual Blues From The Top Festival lineup. About The 14th Annual Blues From The Top Festival Headliners    Trampled Under Foot: The soul blues trio Trampled Under Foot consists of siblings Danielle Schnebelen (lead vocals and bass), Nick Schnebelen (guitars and vocals) and Kris Schnebelen, (drums). They grew up with the blues in Kansas City. Their father, Bill, was a blues guitarist in the band Little Eva and would regularly take his three children to jam sessions. Growing up, the siblings played separately in numerous bands over the years. Danielle was in Fresh Brew (1999-2004), Kris was a staple at blues clubs, and Nick was in Killing Floor (or K-Floor), and briefly, Buddahead. Missing the family camaraderie, the siblings formed Trampled Under Foot in 2000. The band released four studio sessions: Trampled Under Foot (2006), May I Be Excused in (2008), and Wrong Side of the Blues in (2011). They also issued Live at the Notodden Blues Festival in 2010. The combination of those releases and non-stop touring caught the attention of the jazz and blues label Telarc, who signed the band in 2013. They issued their fifth studio album, Badlands, that same year. In 2016 the famed trip reunites to perform at the 14th Blues From The Top Festival.         Eric Gales: Blues guitar phenom Eric Gales was born and raised in Memphis, learning to play at age four from older brothers Eugene and Manuel in imitation of their upside-down, left-handed style (a tradition actually passed down from their grandfather, Dempsey Garrett Sr., who was known to jam with the likes of Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf). Winning his first blues contest at 11, four years later Eric signed to Elektra to issue his 1991 debut LP, recorded with Eugene on bass; Picture of a Thousand Faces followed in 1993. Manuel (who previously performed under the alias Little Jimmy King) reunited with his siblings for 1995's Left Hand Band, credited to the Gales Brothers. A newly matured Gales returned in spring 2001 to release his debut for MCA, That's What I Am. Often billed as the second coming of Jimi Hendrix, Gales, an adequate singer at best but a dynamite guitarist, suffered for the comparison. With Gales always influenced by Hendrix and the power trio format, his next albums, 2006's Crystal Vision and 2007's Psychedelic Underground, both released by Blues Bureau Records, seemed like facsimile Hendrix albums, right down to the album art. His next two releases from Blues Bureau, 2008's The Story of My Life and 2009's Layin' Down the Blues, found the Hendrix influence muted somewhat, but Gales, a breathtaking guitarist at times, still seemed to be looking for a way out of the Hendrix shadow and into his own voice. Gales returned in 2010 with Relentless, a collection of 13 originals, and followed it with the passionate Transformation a year later in 2011. The all-instrumental Ghost Notes arrived in the fall of 2013.   bluesfromthetop.org/ facebook.com/bluesfromthetop/

30th Annual Carolina Blues Festival, May 21, hosts Elvin Bishop

30th Annual Carolina Blues Festival, May 21, hosts Elvin Bishop   Greensboro, NC - 2015 Rock ‘n Roll and 2016 Blues Hall of Fame Inductee, Elvin Bishop, will headline the 30th Annual Carolina Blues Festival in association with YES! Weekly, May 21 at Barber Park Amphitheater, 1500 Dans Road, Greensboro, NC. Additional performances from Bob Margolin, Samantha Fish, Marquise Knox, along with Dangerous Gentlemens, Blind Dog Gatewood, and young Seth Williams, round out the day long blues festival and 30th birthday bash!  Music gets underway at 1:45pm. The Carolina Blues Festival has the distinction of being the longest-running blues festival in the Southeastern United States, with the Piedmont Blues Preservation Society having produced blues festivals since 1986. Attendees from all over the U.S. come to Greensboro for this annual event. Join us for outstanding blues music, Arts & Craft vendors, a variety of food trucks, and for an extra fun, the Worlds Largest Playable Fender Stratocaster and Telecaster Guitars! Tickets range from $45 general admission to $75 for Gold Circle seating.  Advance tickets are available at http://fest.piedmontblues.org/ or through Eventbrite: http://bit.ly/1TX1EjN Day of show tickets will be $50 at the gate. We invite you to come early to Greensboro for Blues Week May 14-20 leading to the Carolina Blues Festival on May 21, to enjoy the great offerings of Greensboro. Blues is a regular part of Greensboro's music scene with several weekly open blues jams and blues music playing at clubs throughout the area. See what events are happening through our Music Calendar!   Get your tickets for the Carolina Blues Festival, Greensboro, NC: http://fest.piedmontblues.org/ For more info: info@piedmontblues.org Facebook Twitter Website The Piedmont Blues Preservation Society is a non-profit, all volunteer 501 C 3 organization.