Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Nominates Sister Rosetta Tharpe!

Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Nominates Gospel Great & The Godmother of Rock and Roll Sister Rosetta Tharpe!

Northport N.Y. - We at M.C. Records are just thrilled that legendary Gospel and guitar great Sister Rosetta Tharpe has been nominated for the Class of 2018 by The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! It happened almost 15 years after we released our recording Shout Sister Shout, A Tribute To Sister Rosetta Tharpe. You can listen and radio can download the Tribute by clicking the cover! Sister Rosetta Tharpe was one of the most important musicians of the 20th century. * Sister was the 1st gospel performer to record for a major record label (Decca) 1938   * Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Johnny Cash, Issac Hayes and Aretha Franklin; All considered her a great influence * Her recordings sold millions of copies throughout her career including Strange Things Happening Every Day, Up Above My Head, Down By The Riverside and Rock Me (title of a feature film in the works).   * Was one of only two Gospel artists to make records for the troops during WW II.   * In 1951 Sister Rosetta's wedding took place at Griffith Stadium inWashington D.C.. Over 20,000 paying customers attended, and a concert was recorded and later released as an album. * During the 1960’s she would tour the U.K. and Europe influencing a generation of young rockers with her wild guitar style. A full bio can be found by clicking her photo ​ It was 16 Years ago, when Mark Carpentieri started putting together M.C. Records' Tribute recording for SisterRosetta Tharpe.  Things were quite different than today, Sister was mostly forgotten. In 2001, few albums were available and most were imports. I was so glad many artists wanted to right that wrong including Bonnie Raitt, Odetta, Phoebe Snow, Joan Osborne, Marcia Ball, Maria Muldaur and sister’s long-time partner Marie Knight   In the 21st century things would be different! * In 2007 - Gayle Wald's Shout, Sister, Shout! The Untold Story of Rock‑and‑Roll biography came out.   * In 2008 – After a campaign led by Bob Merz, the Governor of Pennsylvania declares January 11 Sister Rosetta Tharpe Day. That evening, a benefit concert is held at Philadelphia’s Keswick Theater to support the purchase of a marker for Rosetta’s gravesite. The concert features the Dixie Hummingbirds, Odetta, Marie Knight In 2011 – A historical marker is installed in front of Rosetta house on Master Street in Philadelphia. A celebration accompanies its unveiling. In 2014 Sister Rosetta Tharpe was the subject of a PBS Masters Series.    2016 –  The musical Marie and Rosetta is performed in New York City and more cities will be added.   2017 – The musical Shout Sister Shout is performed in Pasadena.   Sister Rosetta has four videos with over 1 million views Up Above My Head from 1964’s TV Gospel Time has over 10 million views worldwide, you can check it out by clicking the photo.    ****

Guitar Master Ronnie Earl Set to Release New CD, "The Luckiest Man", on November 17 from Stony Plain Records

Guitar Master Ronnie Earl Set to Release New CD, The Luckiest Man, on November 17 from

Stony Plain Records

 Stony Plain Records proudly announces the November 17 release of the latest CD from multi Blues Music Award-winning guitarist Ronnie Earl and his band, the Broadcasters, The Luckiest Man. Ronnie Earl calls the album, “A traditional blues album of remembrance, love, and unwavering resolve to live with faith and gratitude.” The new disc was recorded at Woolly Mammoth Studios, Waltham, Mass.; Keep the Edge Studio, Quincy, Mass.; and in Groton, Mass.

Listen to a sample of The Luckiest Man here: http://bit.ly/WatchLuckiestMan

On The Luckiest Man, Ronnie and the Broadcasters, both current as well as some of the earliest members, contribute to the new album, which follows the sudden loss of Jim Mouradian, the band’s beloved bass player following a show in January. Mouradian was also a respected guitar luthier, family man and a gentleman. This musical journey through loss and healing can be felt in the hauntingly beautiful “Death Don’t Have No Mercy,” and in Ronnie’s tender tribute to his brother on “Jim’s Song.” Life moves ever onward in the pulse and beat of “Heartbreak,” and faith takes hold in “Never Gonna Break My Faith.” For the song, “Long Lost Conversation,” Ronnie is reunited with some of the earliest Broadcasters and current members of Sugar Ray and the Bluetones, who were on his first albums in 1983, all of whom contributed to this truly being a family band project: Sugar Ray Norcia – vocals, harp; Anthony Geraci – piano; Mike Welch – guitar; Neil Gouvin – drums; Michael "Mudcat" Ward – double bass & Fender bass.

The title of the album, The Luckiest Man, is a phrase and response spoken by Jim Mouradian who always lived with gratitude in his heart and who never wasted a moment of his life: “I’m the luckiest man you know — and I don’t even know who you know.” 

Besides the original songs on The Luckiest Man, Ronnie Earl puts his own, indelible stamp on interpretations of “Ain’t That Loving You,” “So Many Roads” and “You Don’t Know What Love Is.”

In addition to Ronnie Earl on guitar, the Broadcasters include Dave Limina – piano and Hammond B3; Diane Blue – vocals; Forrest Padgett – drums; and Paul Kochanski – bass. Guest musicians on the new disc also include Nicholas Tabarias – guitar; Mark Earley – baritone sax;

Mario Perrett – tenor sax; and Peter Ward – guitar.

They say that you can’t keep a good man down and that inner resolve is both heard and felt within each song on The Luckiest Man, Ronnie Earl’s twenty-fifth album and his eleventh on Stony Plain Records. Since 1983, Ronnie Earl has released a series of traditional blues albums, often interlaced with jazz, gospel and soul offerings; however he has always returned home to his “mother music” which is traditional blues. Ronnie Earl continues to be one of the most emotive blues guitarists today, whose musical voicings deal with loss and healing, gratitude and love, compassion and passion. Indeed, it is those emotional touchstones within his music, which is so beautifully reflected in the swirl of colors expressed in artist Tom Noll’s painting of Ronnie on the cover.

The Luckiest Man confirms Ronnie Earl's status as one of the most soulful blues/soul/jazz guitarists working today. He is a three-time Blues Music Award winner as “Guitar Player of the Year,” a DownBeat magazine winner for “Blues Album of the Year,” an Associate Professor of Guitar at Berklee College of Music and has taught at the National Guitar summer workshop in Connecticut. 

The Luckiest Man Track Listing

1.      Ain’t That Loving You           5:38
Don D. Robey, Manitou Music (Canada)

2.      Southside Stomp         4:13
Ronnie Earl, Mr. Earl Publishing, BMI

3.      Death Don’t Have No Mercy 6:00
Gary Davis, Chandos Music Company

4.      Jim’s Song       3:00
Ronnie Earl, Mr. Earl Publishing, BMI

5.      Heartbreak (It’s Hurtin’ Me)  6:43
Jon Thomas & Carlee Hoyless, Songs of Universal Inc.

6.      Howlin’ Blues 4:11
Traditional arranged and adapted by Ronnie Earl, Mr. Earl Publishing, BMI          

7.      Never Gonna Break My Faith            5:25
Andrea Remanda, Eliot John Kennedy & Bryan Adams, Remandamusic & Badams Music Limited

8.      Long Lost Conversation         10:15
R. Norcia, Norcia Publishing, BMI

9.      Sweet Miss Vee          4:16
Ronnie Earl, Mr. Earl Publishing, BMI

10.  Blues for Magic Sam  5:24
Ronnie Earl, Mr. Earl Publishing, BMI

11.  So Many Roads          10:52
Paul Marshall, Arc Music Corporation

12.  You Don’t Know What Love Is                     4:04
Fenton Robinson, Eyeball Music

Wildcat O'Halloran - Hot Pulldown - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Hot Pulldown, from Wildcat O'Halloran and it's tasty. Opening with shuffle tune, Hot Pulldown, Wildcat opens strong with 3 plus minutes of guitar slaying guitar akin to Bishop's Tulsa Shuffle joined by Joe Fitzpatrick on drums.  Excellent! On Latin fueled, Shaped Like A Woman, O'Halloran leads the way on vocal and guitar, backed by Matt McManamon on bass, Fitzpatrick on drums and Wally Greaney on harp. Bluesy guitar riffs and cool harp lead really compliment the drum rhythms nicely. Emily Duff adds warm sax work to soulful R&B number, Sherlock Holmes with clever lyrics and well phrased blues riffs from Wildcat. On boogie track, 51 Right, 49 Wrong, Wildcat hits a super groove backed by Devin Griffiths on guitar and Ottomatic Slim on harp. Super! Jimmy Reed's Honest I Do is up next and it's really cool Retaining Reed's arrangement, Wildcat's own guitar work, vocals and harp work sound great. Stripping it back to a more traditional sound, Lightning Hopkins' Prison Blues shows strong blues sense and nice percussive attach on acoustic guitar as Wildcat accompanies his own vocals. Grover Washington's Mr. Magic puts the spotlight on Duff's sax work with Ken Maiuri on keys but Wildcat shows he can play just about anything with sweet aggressive fusion solos. James Cotton's Here I Am has the classic Chicago sound as if it's about to pounce with Greaney on harp and rabid guitar riffs from Wildcat. Wrapping the release is Separate Words, a solid blues number featuring Wildcat on hot slide with David Griffiths. This is a hot closer for a really enjoyable release. 

  If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

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Chickenbone Slim and the Biscuits - The Big Beat - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Big Beat, from Chickenbone Slim and the Biscuits, and it's quite good. Opening with title track, The Big Beat, Chickenbone Slim is up front on vocal and guitar joined by Big Jon Atkinson on guitar and harp, Scot Smart on bass and Marty Dodson on drums. With that Tony Joe White feel, Long Way Down has a top notch groove. Loose guitar soloing really sets this track off making it one of my favorites on the release.  Long Legged Sweet Thing with it's unusual time signature on a solid blues base, bluesy harp and excellent drumming by Dodson, is like a strange combination of Steppenwolf and the Doors. Excellent! Chicago style blues number, Do You Like It has a really great groove and Slim's vocals are right in the pocket. Atkinson's harp work giving this track timeless appeal. Slow blues number, Me And Johnny Lee has solid vocals, with super harp riffs a nicely stylized guitar solo. With a funky bass bottom, Man Down is another of my favorites with just the right combination of snappy drum riffs and a tight guitar rhythm. Wrapping the release is shuffle track, Break Me Off A Piece with a really nice feel. Simple guitar rhythm, solid vocals and nice harp work are the ticket here making this a real nice closer for a solid release.

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Double L Records artist: Lloyd Price - This Is Rock and Roll - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, This Is Rock And Roll from Lloyd Price and it's a funky R&B party. Opening with high stepper, I'm Getting Over You, Price, Mr Personality, lays out a softer version of ZZ Tops classic boogie. Nobody Loves Anybody Anymore has a solid funk sound with plucky bass and tight horns.  R&B track, The Smoke has glistening keyboards and sounds like it could be straight off of a Johnny Guitar Watson release (sans JGW). Our World has a "Mayfield" feel with wah wah guitar rhythm and vocal blending.  Blues rocker, This Is Rock And Roll, is classic Jimmy Reed with scorching guitar work and clear piano roll under Price's solid vocals. The Four Tops' I Can't Help Myself gets a modern make over with solid bari sax soloing and female backing vocals. Fat's Domino's I'm Walkin' gets a power makeover ...big band swing style with a walking bass line, excellent sax work and rich backing vocals. Wrapping the release is Belly Movement, a track with a distinct middle eastern rhythm further elaborating on the theme with jazzier flute and modern bass techniques. Cool closer for an interesting release. 

  If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

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Sweet Bourbon - Night Turned Into Day - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Night Turned Into Day, by Sweet Bourbon and it's diversely cool. Opening with swamp rocker, 2nd Wallstreet, this 8 piece band shows true boogie lines. Led by Rene' von Onna on vocal, this band is moving featuring Martijn Cuypers on drums, Chris Janssen on guitar, Willem van der Schoof on keys and Sonja Walters, Susan Watteimena and Laura van der Vange on backing vocals. On shuffle track, Texas Woman, Janssen and van der Schoof really wind it out and vocal harmonies are tight. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Cool Down with it's funky rhythm and saturated guitar solo. Very cool! Got To Say Goodbye is another favorite track on the release with a David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust era quality that is hard to explain. I just like it. Bluesy ballad, Swan, has a strong melody and nicely blended vocals capped by a dynamic organ solo by van der Schoof. Wrapping the release is Enfants Terribles, a cool, funky fusion number featuring a hot lead guitar melody and continued keyboard lead by van der Schoof. Excellent closer.

  If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

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Joel DaSilva - Everywhere From Here - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Everywhere From Here, by Joel DaSilva and it's strong. Opening with straight up rocker, Shake, Joel DaSilva shows influences of blues and rock roots in Sonny Boy Williamson and Led Zeppelin as well as country. Lead singer and guitarist shows his skill in both arenas firing stinging riffs to compliment his solid vocals. Great opener. Down In The Delta has a great lumbering pace with over driven vocals and soulful blues guitar riffs, over the bass of Robert Cleary, drums of Chris Peet and keys by Tom Regis. Super. A cool swing number, Cadillac Mama has a great lope and super double stop blues accents. Natasha Watkins' backing vocal contributions add a real nice touch and DaSilva feels like Anson. Very cool. With a bit more rock authority, This Day I Bleed has hard guitar bends and fiery riffs. Shuffle track, Spell On Me, hits a super groove and DaSilva is right on it. Tight, bluesy guitar riffs and snappy drum rhythms deliver this track. One of my favorite tracks on the release, Time Heals All Wounds, is pure deep blues and DaSilva digs deep for just the right phrases in this Elmore James based track. Excellent! Wrapping the release is My Brazillion Soul, a super Latin style track with strong drum work by Peet and percussion work by Rick Rico Geragi. The melody is served up on a silver platter by DaSilva's guitar making this an excellent closer for a strong release. 

  If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

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Tom Petty has passed - My thoughts are with his family

Tom Petty, the American rocker who fronted one of the country’s longest-running, most successful bands, is dead at 66, according to his longtime manager.
Petty had suffered cardiac arrest at his Malibu home early Monday morning “and was taken to UCLA Medical center but could not be revived,” Tony Dimitriades, longtime manager of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, said in a statement on behalf of the musician’s family. “He died peacefully at 8:40pm PT surrounded by family, his bandmates and friends.”
The news came hours after TMZ first reported that Petty was found unconscious in full cardiac arrest at his Malibu home. CBS News later reported his death, but the outlet walked back that report as the Los Angeles Police Department issued a statement that it had no information on Petty’s passing. “Initial information was inadvertantly [sic] provided to some media sources,” the police department posted on Twitter. “However, the LAPD has no investigative role in this matter. We apologize for any inconvenience in this reporting.” TMZ followed up with a post around 1:30 p.m. PST that Petty was “still clinging to life. A report that the LAPD confirmed the singer’s death is inaccurate.”

Panache Records artist: Kim Simmonds - Jazzin' On The Blues - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Jazzin' On The Blues, from Kim Simmonds, and it's quite good. Simmonds, well known front man for Savoy Brown, takes an occasional break from his band and does individual projects and this is a fine instrumental one. Opening with Dancing On A Memory, a smooth instrumental ballad, Simmonds accompanies himself on rhythm guitar as he plays fluid lead melody. Lightly salted blues riffs make this a grand opener. Theme For Deborah has a Latin percussion line thanks to Ron Keck and Simmonds dances across the strings. Very nice. Surrender is one of my favorites on the release with a soulful guitar melody, accompanied by acoustic rhythm guitar. Excellent! Title track, Jazzin' On The Blues, finds Simmonds rapid firing jazz riffs over a solid melody, capped by his own blues harp work. Another of my favorites is The Maze with it's Bo Diddley beat, tight guitar riffs and glistening chords. Another track with a Latin flavor, Nightliner, has strong jazz overtones. Simmonds really feels the rhythm on this one presenting a tight melodic number. T Bone Walker influenced, True Blue, is a beautiful blues number with lush lead lines complimented by his own harp work over solid bass and light rhythm guitar. Excellent! Wrapping the release is Facination, a fine ballad with a pure melody and simple rhythm backing. Simmonds has released a number of fine solo works and this one is among the best. 

  If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

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Tom Petty reportedly on life support after cardiac arrest - My thoughts are with his family

Tom Petty, the American rocker who fronted one of the country’s longest-running, most successful bands, is fighting for his life, according to reports.
TMZ first reported the news Monday that he was found unconscious in full cardiac arrest at his Malibu home Sunday. CBS News later reported his death, which could not be independently confirmed. A representative for Petty did not immediately return The Washington Post’s inquiry.
A CBS Twitter account attributed the report of Petty’s death to the Los Angeles Police Department; the tweet has since been deleted.
“The LAPD has no information about the passing of singer Tom Petty. Initial information was inadvertantly [sic] provided to some media sources,” the police department posted on Twitter. “However, the LAPD has no investigative role in this matter. We apologize for any inconvenience in this reporting.”
TMZ followed up with a post that Petty was “still clinging to life. A report that the LAPD confirmed the singer’s death is inaccurate.”
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers had just concluded their 40th anniversary tour, which Petty had said would be the band’s last big, country-spanning tour. The group played shows at Los Angeles’ Hollywood Bowl on Sept. 21, 22 and 25, and earlier on Monday, Petty’s official website posted a recap of the group’s final shows.
“It’s 1:22 a.m., and the last lighting, video and sound cases are getting loaded up and pushed off the stage at the Hollywood Bowl, where Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers played three incredible sold-out, hometown shows to close out the band’s 40th Anniversary tour,” reads the blog post. “Fifty-three shows. Twenty-four states. Twelve lighting crew. Eleven truck drivers. Nine in Production. Seven sound guys. Six backline crew. Six months. Five opening acts. Three countries. Three riggers. One legendary band and over one million legendary fans. Thank you to all!”
In August, a series of shows was postponed as Petty recovered from laryngitis.
On Monday, a few hours before TMZ ran with the news, this throwback photo had been posted to Petty’s official Twitter account.




Originally from Florida, Petty rose to fame as the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, whose 1976 self-titled debut featured his unique nasal voice and guitar work. His career, both with the band and as a solo act, spanned decades and included hits such as “Rockin’ Around (With You),” “Breakdown,” “Free Fallin’” and “Last Dance with Mary Jane.”

  If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

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Sweetspot Records artist: Al Basile - Quiet Money - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Quiet Money, from Al Basile and it has great body!  Basile, hot cornet player and legendary first trumpet with Roomful of Blues is back with Duke Robillard on guitar, Mark Teixeira on drums, Brad Hallen on bass, Bruce Bears on piano, Doc Chanonhouse on trumpet, Rich Lataille on tenor sax and Doug James on tenor and bari saxes. Opening with Blues Got Blues, Basile and Robillard lead the way with balanced lead lines making for a solid opener. On Simple Ain't Easy, Robillard lays out some really tasty lead work under Basile's vocals giving it great feel. Basile steps up with muted cornet and plays off the tempo for super accent. On title track, Quiet Money, James has the bari out and the heft really sets the track. With an easy swing, Basile's vocals ride the groove on this laid back number. Put Some Salt On It, a prime 12 bar number, Basile lays in a real nice cornet lead, complimenting his vocals and Robillard's guitar work is stinging. Jump track, The Time Is Now, has a snappy pace and loose, flamboyant guitar riffs by Robiolard, and well punctuated cornet lead by Basile.  Swing track, I Woulda Been Wrong is one of my favorites on the release with signature guitar riffs by Robillard and some of Basile's best vocals on the release. Robillard really digs deep and lays out some of the most expressive riffs on Not Today.  James really steps up with a fat sax solo on True To Form paired nicely with solos by Robillard and Basile. Wrapping the release is ballad, Who's Gonna Close My Eyes? Featuring the vocals of Basile deep bari work by James, Bears piano finesse and a melodic solo by Basile, this is a solid closer to a solid release.

Trevor Sewell - Calling Nashville - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Calling Nashville, from Trevor Sewell and it builds on his last release, Calling Your Name. Opening with Some Day, singer /songwriter and guitarist, Sewell crafts a track with traces of pop, Charlie Daniels and Jeff Beck for his new release backed by Kellen Michael Weinrich on fiddle and Trevor Brewis on drums. Janis Ian has the floor on Fade To Grey in a vocal duet with Sewell and piano on this cool jazz number. Blues rocker, Matter Of Time has a taste of Dire Straits with grinding guitar tones and ultra  cool vocals. With a quick shuffle, You Ain't What I'm Looking For has a super feel and snappy guitar riffs. Stand Next To Him pulls in flavors of western styling and the sounds of the range. Sewell's guitar finesse and the fiddle work of Weinrich pull this off nicely with bass by Justin Kimball and Brewis on bass. Very cool. Wrapping the release is ballad, Shadows, featuring Janis Ian on piano and Sewell showing his vocal prowess. A solid track, a good closer for a solid release.

American Blues Artists Group artist: Dudley Taft - Summer Rain - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Summer Rain, from Dudley Taft and it's a powerhouse. Opening with Flying On Love, a power blues rocker, Taft is back with a vengeance.
Heavy overtones, distortion soaked guitar riffs, pounding drums and beefy bass is the ticket. Taft on lead vocal and guitar, is backed by Kasey Williams on bass, Jason Patterson on drums and Reese Wynans on organ. Title track, Summer Rain, is a strong rocker with a memorable melody, strong guitar riffs, nicely harmonized vocals and super drumming by Mike Taponga. I particularly like Edge Of Insane with it's simple vocal and guitar pairing and cool hook as well as some of the best vocals on the release. One of my favorites on the release is Live or Die with it's tone saturated guitar riffs and classic Robin Trower like, rock overtones. This is a track that players will dig into. Very cool. Another standout track is Don't Let It Fade with it's lumbering bop groove, warm vocals, smoky guitar riffs and cool organ. Very nice. Come With Me is another track with a lot of oomph. A wall of sound, great guitar lines and a super melody gives this track just the right feel. I Lost My Way has a haunting melody giving it the right foundation for a super guitar fed melodic solo and a cool rock ballad. Very nice. Wrapping the release is Find My Way Back Home, a heavy footed rocker with nicely blended vocals and strong blues rock roots. This is a strong, evenly balanced release and possibly Taft's best effort.

Lucky Bear Records artist: Rob Lutes - Walk In The Dark - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Walk In The Dark, from Rob Lutes and it's quite good. Opening with folk/blues track, A Little Room, Lutes weaves his tale, singing and playing acoustic guitar, joined by Rob MacDonald on guitar, Mark Nelson on drums, Andrew Horton on bass and Bob Stagg on piano. One of my favorite tracks, There's No Way To Tell You That Tonight, is a blues infused rocker with solid guitar soloing and includes Guy Belanger on harmonica. A strong melody and Lutes solid vocals give this track substantial girth. Another particularly cool track is Rocky Mountain Time, a simple ballad with a waltz time. Lutes has a way of telling a story and composing a tune that just sits right. Think JJ Cale and Mark Knopler. Country western / bluegrass styling makes Rabbit another standout track featuring the violin work of Josh Zubot and Joe Grass on mandolin. Very nice. A happy feeling track, Believe In Something, will have you bopping in your seat with loose vocals and flashy, hot club style picking on the guitar. Very nice. Wrapping the release is Better Past, a bluesy shuffle but retaining that rural bluesy feel. This may be one of those releases that you have a hard time putting your finger on why you like it...but you really do. Super job.

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Root Tone Records artist: Dennis Johnson - Rhythmland - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Rhythmland, from Dennis Johnson and it is a slide player's dream. Opening with Walkin Blues, Johnson shows that super smooth sliding technique that he's know for on this updated and fast tempo'd remake. Featuring Tim Metz on drums, Jonathan Stoyanoff on bass and Craig Long on keys, this is a smooth opener. Timbale has a cool, Latin beat and a nice pop melody. Fillmore Street is a clever blues rocker with a snappy shuffle beat. Johnson's vocals and super slide work, coupled with Long's piano work makes for a really cool track. My favorite track on the release is High Heel Shoes with it's driving beat and smoking slide work. Very nice! Wrapping the release is Revolution, a stripped down rocker with some of my favorite vocals and basic rock rhythms. A super closer for a solid release. 

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Nola Blue Records artist: Benny Turner - My Brother's Blues - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, My Brother's Blues, from Benny Turner and it's great! Benny pay homage to his big brother and best friend, Freddie King and does it with style. Opening with Big Legged Woman, Benny is on lead vocal and bass, showing excellent vocal style and tone. A punchy horn section featuring Barney Floyd on trumpet and Jason Mingledorff on sax really sets the track off and the solid foot pedal of Jeffrey "Jellybean" Alexander and the riding organ work of Keiko Komaki plays nicely with rhythm guitar fills by Derwin "Big D" Perkins and lead guitar runs by June Yamagagishi. Excellent! Have You Ever Loved A Woman is a definite highlight on this release with soulful vocals by Turner, backed by Earl Smith and suppressed but critical horn work and organ by Davell Crawford, and Jack Miele plays some real tasty guitar lead to ice the cake.  Swinging I'm Tore Down features Otis Clay, Turner and Marva Wright on lead vocals and it's a powerful threesome. June Yamagishi has lead guitar on this one and with Freddie King like flavor, the track rocks. Another of my favorites on the release is You've Got To Love Her With A Feeling when Turner's vocals are particularly strong and Floyd and Mingledorff are so tight it hurts. Joe Krown's piano and organ work is super and Yamagishi is pure in the slot. Mingledorff really shines on sax on See See Baby, a cool laid back boogie. Carolyn Wonderland sits in on Mojo Boogie with some great slide guitar and Krown's piano work is stellar. On Wee Baby Blues, a low slung blues Wonderland and Kathy Murray join Turner for the richest vocals on the release. Turner has lead guitar on this one and solo lap steel is handled by Roosevelt Collier. Very nice! BB King's Ghetto Woman is another super track with super bluesy guitar lead by Yamagishi and super horn reinforcement by Floyd and Mingledorff. Again, Turner's lead vocals are strong and undeniable. Wrapping the release is a powerful rendition of Don Nix's Same Old Blues. Turner is at his most soulful backed by the gospel like piano styling of Chizuko Yoshihiro. Tracy Griffin on trumpet and Greg Dawson on sax add real fullness and Yamagishi's lead guitar work is inspired on this super closer for a strong release. Very cool!

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Pretty Good For A Girl Records artist: Mindi Abair and the Boneshakers - The Eastwest Sessions - New release review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (September 15, 2017), The Eastwest Sessions, by Mindi Abair and the Boneshakers and it's a lot of fun. Opening with Vinyl, a high stepper with a rock solid bottom, Mindi Abair has it going on lead vocal and hot sax. Backed by Randy Jacobs on guitar, Rodney Lee on keys, Derek Frank on bass and Third Richardson on drums all joining Sweet Pea Atkinson on backing vocals. Droning bass line and pumped up sax shows the way on instrumental Not That Kind Of Girl. Pop track, Play To Win has a solid melody line and shows Abair's vocal strength.  Pretty Good For A Girl has got to be Abair's trademark track with it's practical lyrics, blistering sax work and hot contributions from Joe Bonamassa. My favorite track on the release, Let Me Hear It From You, features Sweet Pea Atkinson on lead vocal. Excellent soul tune with nice backing vocals and real soul town sax soloing. With the feel of Jr Walker, Live My Life has a lot of spank with sassy sax work, some real spicy guitar riffs from Jacobs and a funky bottom. Bluesy, She Don't Cry No More has a super New Orleans deep feeling with warm backing vocals and featuring singer/songwriter Fantastic Negrito on vocal and Abair on wailing sax. Very nice! Wrapping the release is I Love To Play The Saxophone is a lighthearted pop tune along the lines of "Don't Worry, Be Happy". With an almost Boots Randolph tone, this "girl" wails. This is a cool release. Check it out. 

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OUT THIS FRIDAY (9/22): EIlen Jewell has the 'Down Hearted Blues' on Signature Sounds

EILEN JEWELL STEPS BACK IN TIME FOR DOWN HEARTED BLUES, RELEASING SEPT. 22 ON SIGNATURE SOUNDS Sax great Curtis Stigers contributes to renditions of unearthed blues treasures by Otis Rush, Memphis Minnie, Howlin’ Wolf and other favorites PopMatters premiered a track. Eilen Jewell (photo by Joanna Chattman) BOISE, Idaho — Eilen Jewell laughs when told her label’s president called her a musicologist. But she confirms she and her husband and bandmate, drummer Jason Beek, have a passion for studying American music.  “We really love to uncover the past. It’s almost like digging for buried treasure,” she says. “For me, that’s where music is at. I like all kinds of music as long as there’s the word ‘early’ in front of it.” For her new album, Down Hearted Blues, releasing Sept. 22, 2017 on Signature Sounds, she and Beek unearthed 12 vintage gems written or made famous by an array of artists both renowned and obscure, from Willie Dixon and Memphis Minnie to Charles Sheffield and Betty James. Then, like expert stonecutters, they chiseled them into exciting new shapes and forms, honoring history while breathing new life into each discovery. Known for what allmusic.com describes as a “country-flavored and blues-infused version of contemporary folk (which also can include healthy doses of rockabilly and surf),” Jewell’s discography includes several albums of original material and one of Loretta Lynn covers. Jewell has also recorded two albums with her eight-piece gospel-group side project the Sacred Shakers. But this latest effort, which she and Beek co-produced, with engineering by pianist/banjo player Steve Fulton and Pat Storey, is her first collection of blues — despite the fact that she credits the genre for igniting her musical curiosity in the first place. That’s because, even though she’s dreamed of recording a blues album since discovering Howlin’ Wolf as a Boise, Idaho, teen, Jewell had to convince herself she could — and should. “I’ve always had this sense of self-doubt about it,” she admits. “Like, who am I to sing the blues? I’m a white girl from Idaho. I don’t know if I have a right to do that.” But she also remembers an old friend’s advice: “Everyone has the right to do what they love in this world, regardless of who they are and what background they come from.” Finally, she tired of waging her internal battle and decided to let the “do what you love” side win. It was a wise choice — particularly because she’s hardly appropriating or imitating anyone’s style; on the contrary, Jewell makes each song her own, while paying homage to her beloved inspirations. It also should be noted that American blues music, like its country of origin, is a melting pot of influences, and that all music evolves from what came before — and that, by recording these songs, she’s helping to strengthen the legacy of those who created and popularized them. Some of them she heard while listening to her husband’s Radio Boise show, Spoonful. The pair also cite John Funke’s Backwoods, on Cambridge’s WMBR-FM, as a source of discovery. In fact, the couple’s mutual attraction to musical obscurities led directly to their relationship. A friend who knew of their common interest made the introduction, correctly guessing they’d hit it off.  That happened in Boston, where Jewell lived for nine years after leaving Boise to attend college in Santa Fe, New Mexico, then migrating to Los Angeles and finally, to the East Coast. Jumping into Boston’s roots-music scene, she began hunting for a guitarist. Beek pointed her to Jerry Miller, a bona-fide Boston legend known for his versatility. They’ve been playing together ever since; she chose some Down Hearted Blues tracks, such as “Crazy Mixed Up World,” a Dixon tune recorded by Little Walter, and Albert Washington’s “You’re Gonna Miss Me,” to showcase Miller. On the latter, his notes bend around her supple, dramatic minor-key vocals, which slide in after a punchy sax and bass intro. Jewell, who titled a previous album Queen of the Minor Key, says its “scary, creepy” tone fit right in with so many songs they’ve done, it already felt like an old friend the first time she heard it. That horn, by the way, comes courtesy of Curtis Stigers, a fellow Boisean who had several soul hits before segueing into jazz. A fan who pumps her music through the PA before his own shows, he also sits in with her band when they’re both in town. (Jewell and Beek moved to Boise in 2012 to be closer to her family and start their own.) “He played with us at a local festival and we loved what he did so much we asked him, very spur of the moment, to come to the studio and record with us. He literally dropped what he was doing and said, ‘I’ll be there in 15 minutes,’” she recalls, marveling about how he created a horn section with overdubs — chartless, on songs he’d never heard. He’s also on “You Know My Love,” another Dixon tune popularized by Otis Rush. Jewell’s torchy rendition emphasizes its spooky message: “You think you’re gonna get on with your life, but there’s this thing between us that will never die; it’s always gonna come back and haunt you.  Laughing, she says, “I can definitely attest to that being a real thing in life.” Other picks, such as Dixon’s “You’ll Be Mine,” have a more personal connection. She came to it through Howlin’ Wolf, whom she found while rooting through her dad’s garage-stashed album collection. The minute she heard him, she says, “I knew what I was supposed to be listening to.” By then, she had absorbed the classics — Hendrix, Janis Joplin, the Doors — and noticed her favorite rockers had something in common: they were influenced by early blues artists. Down the rabbit hole she went, finding Bessie Smith, represented here via the Lovie Austin and Alberta Hunter-penned title tune Smith turned into a hit, then Memphis Minnie (“Nothing in Rambling”) and “Big” Maybelle Smith (“Don't Leave Poor Me”). “I’m always drawn toward anything that women accomplish in the musical world, especially of previous eras,” Jewell says. “It was amazing that women could do anything back then, when it was so frowned upon.”  Jewell, who also plays guitar and Hammond organ on these tracks, claims she’d be happy singing nothing but Big Maybelle songs — if they weren’t such a heavy vocal workout. On the propulsive “Don’t Leave Poor Me” she practically dares her voice to leap up high and swoop down low before stepping aside for the pulsating guitar-and-percussion bridge. Her easy glide from note to note on the back-porch picker “Nothing in Rambling” contrasts with that style — and with lyrics expressing the difficulties of life on the road (a life that now includes daughter Mavis, already a world traveler at age 3) — further highlighting the smooth/raw dichotomy inherent not only to this album, but the genre itself. While Jewell doesn’t exhibit whiskey-scratched vocal tendencies, she can certainly make a gutbucket lose some splinters — or beguile with silky sexiness. It’s as if she’s doing a one-woman play, slipping into a different persona with each song — a feat that becomes even more impressive when she reveals these tracks were recorded in only two days, live, and that Miller and upright bass player Shawn Supra hadn’t even heard some of them beforehand. That’s how spontaneous it actually was. They just happened to book some studio time during a free day in Boise, and had so much fun playing these songs they decided to make an album. “It really felt serendipitous, like what was supposed to happen was happening,” Jewell says. “I finally gave myself permission to do what I wanted to do, and the universe supported me.”  EILEN JEWELL U.S. TOUR DATES Thurs., Aug. 10  Bellingham, WA   Subdued Stringband Jamboree Fri., Aug. 11  Portland, OR  Mississippi Studios Sat., Aug. 12  Ashland, OR West Coast Country Music Festival Wed., Aug. 23  Woodbridge, NJ  Woodbridge Wednesdays Thurs., Aug. 24  Fairfax, VA Evenings on the Ellipse Fri., Aug. 25  Raleigh, NC Stag’s Head; co-bill with Jeffrey Foucault  Sat., Aug. 26  Black Mountain, NC  Jam in the Trees Sun., Aug. 27  Decatur, GA  Eddie’s Attic Wed., Aug. 30  Charlotte, NC  Neighborhood Theatre Thur., Aug. 31  Richmond, VA  The Tin Pan Fri., Sept. 1 Kennett Square, PA  Kennett Flash Sat., Sept. 2  Jim Thorpe, PA  Mauch Chunck Opera House Sun., Sept. 3  Hudson, NY  Club Helsinki Mon., Sept. 4  North Truro, MA  Payomet Performing Arts Center Wed., Sept. 6  Portland, ME  One Longfellow Square Thurs., Sept. 7 Exeter, NH  The Word Barn Fri., Sept. 8  Turners Falls, MA  The Shea Theater Sat., Sept. 9  Collinsville, CT  Bridge Street Fri., Oct. 6  Mifflinburg, PA  Rusty Rail Brewing Company Sat., Oct. 7  Blairstown, NJ  Roy’s Hall Sun., Oct. 8  Ithaca, NY La Tourelle Tues., Oct. 10  Boston, MA City Winery Boston; matinee show (4 p.m.) Thurs., Oct. 12  Washington, DC  The Hamilton Fri., Oct. 13  Philadelphia, PA  World Cafe Live; w/ Miss Tess  Sat., Oct. 14  Piermont, NY  The Turning Point Sun., Oct. 15  New York, NY  City Winery # # # HEAR NOW: PopMatters premiered title track, "Downhearted Blues":  "Listen" Links: eilenjewell.com facebook.com/eilenjewellfanpage twitter.com/eilenjewell instagram.com/eilen_jewell